Warriors to honour Captain Canada . . . Scherbak only bruised . . . Blades shock Wheaties

F Lukáš Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-07) has been loaned by Liberec to Hradec Králové (both Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had been an injury replacement with Landshut (Germany, DEL2) earlier this season, earning three assists in six games. He was released on Oct. 21. . . .
D Ty Wishart (Prince George, Moose Jaw, 2004-08) has signed a contract for the rest of the season with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with the Evansville Icemen (ECHL), he had one goal and one assist in 14 games. He was a teammate with the NY Islanders and Bridgeport (AHL) with Mora head coach Jeremy Colliton (Prince Albert, 2001-05).
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The Moose Jaw Warriors will retire No. 28 in honour of F Ryan Smyth (1992-95) on Feb. 6. A second-round selection by the Warriors in the 1991 bantam draft, he totalled 224 points, 110 of them goals, in 188 regular-season games with the Warriors. . . . The Warriors also have retired numbers worn by Kelly Buchberger (24), Mike Keane (25) and Theo Fleury (9). . . . According to a news release, “His best season was 1993-94, in 72 games he had 50 goals and 105 points. He is one of 10 players in Warriors history to score 50 goals in a season, and one of 13 players to record 100 or more points in a season.” . . . The Edmonton Oilers selected Smyth with the sixth pick of the NHL’s 1994 draft. He played 1,270 NHL games, with the Oilers, New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. He also is known as Captain Canada for having played 90 games for various national teams. According to the news release, Smyth “is the only player in hockey history to win gold at the Olympics, World Cup, World Championships, World Juniors, and Spengler Cup.” . . .
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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Everett Silvertips F Nikita Scherbak is day-to-day with a "deep thigh bruise." Scherback was taken from the ice in Kent, Wash., on a stretcher on Saturday night, during a game in which Everett beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 in a shootout. . . . Scherbak has 28 points, including 11 goals, in 19 games, but he won't play tonight against the visiting Kamloops Blazers.
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F Marcus Messier, 20, has joined the AJHL's Drumheller Dragons, and has three points, including two goals, in three games going into Tuesday action. Messier left the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 8, citing "personal family matters." He was placed on WHL waivers on Nov. 13. . . . Tip of the fedora to Tyler King, the radio voice of the AJHL's Fort McMurray Oil Barons, for the info.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has split his weekly 30 Thoughts into two pieces this time. . . . He opens right here with a terrific piece on memories of Pat Quinn and Victor Tikhonov. . . . Friedman follows up with his 30 Thoughts right here.
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Purely for your reading enjoyment, right here is a piece written by Jef Lund for Rolling Stone. The headline says it all: The 15 Worst Owners in Sports. . . . Note that this one comes with a language warning.
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THE DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE:

F Carter Folk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes drew a three-game suspension under supplemental discipline for an incident in a game against the host Kootenay Ice on Friday night. D Dylan Overdyk was injured on the play and is out indefinitely. . . .
F Matthew Campese of the Kamloops Blazers was suspended for two games for a knee-on-knee hit on F Chase Witala of the Prince George Cougars on Friday night. Witala left the game and didn’t return, nor did he play Saturday in Vancouver. He is shown on the injury report as day-to-day. . . .
F Aaron Macklin of the Prince George Cougars and F Dakota Odgers of the Vancouver Giants scrapped off the opening faceoff in Vancouver on Saturday. . . Macklin drew a two-game suspension for his second such fight of the season; Odgers got a one-game suspension. . . . Vancouver drew a $250 fine for the fight, while Prince George was hit with a $500 fine. . . .
F Chase Lang of the Calgary Hitmen drew a one-game suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct during a Sunday game in Red Deer. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings have been fined $250 for a warmup violation in Brandon on Saturday night.
Yes, the WHL’s Christmas shopping fund is rounding nicely into shape.
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The Kelowna Rockets, who played on the weekend with 16 skaters, two under the maximum, have added F Jordan Bortsmayer and F Kole Lind, at least for the short term. . . . Both player for the midget AAA Saskatchewan Contacts. . . . Bortsmayer was a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, while Lind went in the fourth round. Lind has 34 points, including 21 goals, in 20 games; Bortsmayer has nine assists in 20 games. . . .
F David Soltes of the Prince George Cougars will play for his native Slovakia at the World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal, Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . Soltes has 11 points, including eight goals, in 20 games in his sophomore season. Last season, a knee injury limited him to only 14 games with the Cougars. . . . He is scheduled to leave the Cougars on Dec. 11. . . .
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, F Brett Stovin scored at 1:35 of OT to give the Saskatoon Blades a 5-4 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Stovin, who was foiled by G Jordan Papirny on a first-period penalty shot, has four goals this season. . . . The Blades took a 4-2 third-period lead on goals by F Nikita Soshnin, his second, at 13:52, and D Ryan Coghlan, his first, at 15:38. . . . The Blades traded F Cory Millette to the Prince Albert Raiders last week at least in part to free up playing time for Soshnin, who has goals in two straight games. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauled forced OT with his 12th goal at 19:50. . . Brandon F Reid Duke had a goal, his seventh, and two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Trevor Martin stopped 40 shots, while Nik Amundrud was dressed as the backup. . . . Brandon was 1-for-2 on the PP; the Blades' PP unit didn't get even one opportunity. . . . The Wheat Kings (19-5-2) had won their previous two games, while the Blades (7-16-1) came in 0-3-1 in their previous four. . . . The teams will meet again Friday, this time in Saskatoon. . . . Before then, though, the Blades will entertain the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight. . . .

In Edmonton, the Prince Albert Raiders scored three second-period goals en route to a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Raiders have won five straight regular-season games in Edmonton. . . . F Jayden Hart, with his 13th, D Sawyer Lange (6) and F Simon Stransky (3) scored for the visitors as they erased a 1-0 deficit and took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro, with his third, gave the Raiders a 4-2 lead at 16:12 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer scored his ninth at 18:39. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner tied a career high with his eighth goal of the season, running his point streak to seven games in the process. . . . F Reid Gardner had two assists for the Raiders, who got 23 saves from G Rylan Parenteau. He won for the sixth time in seven starts as the Raiders (12-13-0) ran their winning streak to four. The Raiders are 5-4-0 under head coach Marc Habscheid. . . . G Patrick Dea turned aside 36 shots for the Oil Kings, as Tristan Jarry (ill) sat out for a second straight game. . . . “We were a train wreck in our own end," Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton said on the team's website. “Our D-zone, it was maybe the softest we’ve been in our own end all (season). If our guys choose to forget this one, then they’re missing the boat. They need to remember this because we were brutal in our own end.” . . . Edmonton had been 5-0-1 in its previous six home games. . . . The Oil Kings (12-10-4) now have lost three in a row (1-1-1). . . . The Oil Kings are at home to the Swift Current Broncos tonight; the Raiders travel to Calgary to play the Hitmen. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored three times on the PP and twice while shorthanded as they stung the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . The Giants' Alberta road swing got off to an inauspicious start when Tigers D Kyle Becker scored shorthanded at 2:22 of the first period. . . . Becker added a second shorthanded goal at 18:01 of the first period. . . . He's got six goals this season. . . . The home side was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Tigers F Matt Bradley scored his sixth goal and added three assists, while D Tyler Lewington also had three assists. . . . Vancouver starter Payton Lee surrendered three goals before leaving at 7:25 of the first period. . . . The Tigers (17-6-2) had lost their past two games. . . . The Giants (9-16-0) have lost four straight. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer turned aside 24 shots in posting his 50th career regular-season victory. . . . F Matt Bellerive scored Vancouver's goal, his 10th, at 18:33 of the third period. . . . Prior to the game, the Tigers honoured the memory of the late Pat Quinn, who was one of the Giants' owners, with a moment of silence. “That was a touch of class,” Giants head coach Troy Ward told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News. “I wouldn’t expect anything less out of this organization. I think the whole hockey world has a touch of class. It’s a wonderful business to be in at a very sad time
for our organization and hockey in general.” . . . The Giants meet the Hurricanes in Lethbridge tonight. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game's last three goals and beat the Victoria Royal, 4-2. . . . Portland D Blake Heinrich tied the game 2-2 with his second goal of the season at 6:54 of the second period. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his second goal of the game, and 15th of the season, at 19:10 of the second for a 3-2 lead. . . . F Dominic Turgeon added insurance with his seventh oal at 16:54 of the third. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists, while Turgeon also had an assist. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase scored his first goal for the Royals since coming over from the Calgary Hitmen in a trade last week. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 36 shots, including all 16 he faced in the third period. . . . Victoria G Jayden Sittler, making his third straight start, turned aside 32 shots. . . . Portland (12-12-3) has won three in a row. . . . The Royals (14-12-2), who are to face the Chiefs in Spokane tonight, had won their previous two starts.
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WHL Weekly Report Injuries: #7 Paul Bittner, F, lower body, TBD http://t.co/77KMkXsMZO. The NSA should have the secrecy of WHL injuries.
— Fake Mike Johnston (@FakeMikeJ) November 25, 2014

Messier returns home . . . McDavid ripping it up . . . Quite a night for Herringer

F Marcus Messier, 20, is no longer with the Prince Albert Raiders. According to a two-paragraph release from the team, he "has returned home to Camrose to deal with some personal family matters."
Raiders general manager Bruno Campese is quoted: "We support Marcus' decision to return home to deal with personal issues and will re-evaluate the situation in several days."
Messier has a goal and an assist in six games with the Raiders. He got caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game with the Spokane Chiefs and caught on with Prince Albert after being placed on waivers. In 235 regular-season games, Messier, who also has played with the Tri-City Americans, has 27 goals and 42 assists.
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In the OHL, F Connor McDavid put up 42 points in the Erie Otters' first 14 games. He was blanked in No. 15, but has seven points in two games since then. On Saturday, he had his eighth four-point game of the season as the host Otters dumped the Saginaw Spirit, 8-1. . . . McDavid now has 49 points, including 15 goals, in 17 games. . . . He leads the OHL in assists (34) and points. Teammate Dylan Strome is next, with 39 points. . . . Erie F Alex DeBrincat, a freshman, leads the OHL in goals, with 19.
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Circus Maximus, aka the NFL, is in London again this weekend and so is Tony Romo, aching back and all. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback is expected to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and Michael Powell of The New York Times has some thoughts right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Saskatoon, F Ryan Graham scored twice and added an assist as the Blades doubled up on the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-2. . . . Graham gave his side 2-0 and 3-1 leads with his fourth and fifth goals of the season. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his ninth for Seattle (8-7-3), which was without F Mathew Barzal for a second straight game. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Saskatoon G Trevor Martin stopped 34 shots to get his first WHL victory after three losses. . . . Seattle lost D Evan Wardley to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 16:34 of the first period. He hit Saskatoon F Nick Zajac, who stayed in the game. . . . The Thunderbirds are 1-1-0 on an East Division tour. . . . The Blades (6-13-0) snapped a four-game losing skid. . . .

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings got two shootout goals to beat the Calgary Hitmen, 2-1. . . . The Wheat Kings (16-3-1) are on a season-high six-game winning streak. . . . F Rihards Bukarts and F John Quenneville scored the shootout goals for Brandon; only F Adam Tambellini scored for Calgary. . . . Bukarts scored his 10th goal at 6:10 of the second period, via the PP. . . . Calgary got that one back at 13:15 when D Travis Sanheim scored his seventh goal, also on the PP. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 36 shots, seven more than Calgary's Mack Shields. . . . According to a tweet from Bruce Luebke, the veteran radio voice of the Wheat Kings: "That breaks a 12-game regular-season losing streak for the @bdnwheatkings against Calgary. 1st win over Hitmen since Nov.4, 2011." . . . The Hitmen (10-8-2) had won their previous three games. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice got two shootout goals and beat the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . F Luke Philp and F Jaedon Descheneau scored for the Ice (6-13-0) in a shootout that went five rounds. F Coda Gordon, who shot first, was the only visiting player to score. . . . The Ice has won three in a row. . . . F Colby Cave scored his eighth goal and added an assist for the Broncos (11-9-3). His PP goal at 1:49 of the third period forced OT. . . . After the game, the Ice released F Jared Legien, 16, from its roster. He is on his way back to the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. From White City, Sask., Legien was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He had one assist in 13 games with the Ice. . . . The Ice is carrying 23 players, including 14 forwards and seven defencemen. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Edmonton Oil Kings snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry turned aside 32 shots to earn his first shutout of the season. . . . Jarry's evening included facing two penalty shots. Neither F Taylor Cooper, in the first period, nor F Jamal Watson, in the second, could beat Jarry. . . . F Brett Pollock's seventh goal of the season, at 11:21 of the third, turned out to be the winner. . . . F Andrew Koep drew two assists. . . . Lethbridge G Zac Robidoux stopped 30 shots. . . . The Oil Kings (10-8-2) had gone six games (0-5-1) without a victory. . . . The Hurricanes (5-10-4) had points in each of their previous four games (1-0-3). . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Cole Sanford scored twice to lead the Tigers to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Sanford broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal, and 13th of the season, at 8:28 of the second period. . . . The Tigers (14-3-1) have won three straight. . . . The Warriors (7-10-2) got a goal and an assist from each of F Tanner Eberle and F Torrin White. . . . Eberle has nine goals; White has four. . . . F Steve Owre had a goal, his eighth, into an empty net, and an assist for the Tigers, while F Trevor Cox had two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 24 shots; he's 5-0 this season. Since being acquired from the Regina Pats last season, he's 11-0 in a backup role. . . . The Tigers were 2-for-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-for-7. . . .

In Prince George, F Austin Carroll broke a 2-2 tie early in the second period and the Victoria Royals skated to a 6-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Carroll scored his 13th goal at 2:17 of the second. . . . Victoria got shorthanded goals from F Brandon Magee, who ran his point streak to nine games, and F Regan Nagy. . . . Those goals offset the Cougars' two PP scores. . . . D Joe Hicketts had two assists for Victoria (10-9-2), which was 0-2-1 in its previous three outings. . . . Magee had a goal and an assist in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Cougars, and repeated that last night. He missed the first 12 games of the season with a suspension, but has at least a point in each of the nine games he has played. . . . The Cougars (11-9-0) had won four in a row and also had won five straight at home. . . . Prince George F Chance Braid missed this one as he awaits word on a suspension. His check from behind on Friday left Victoria F Jared Dmytriw with a concussion. . . .

In Portland, F Nic Petan scored 56 seconds into OT to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Petan has two goals this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand forced OT with a PP goal at 13:58 of the second period. He's got 11 goals. He also had two assists. . . . Petan also had two assists. . . . Freshman F Deven Sideroff scored his 10th goal for the Blazers (9-9-3), who have lost five in a row (0-3-2). . . . Kamloops F Quinn Benjafield, the 19th pick in the 2013 bantam draft, scored his first goal. . . . Portland (8-11-2) was 2-for-7 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-for-1. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 34 shots in his first appearance since Oct. 21. He had been out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala completed a two-game suspension, while D Marc McNulty remains out with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Beau McCue scored at 2:34 to give the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Mcue has eight goals this season. . . . Tri-City F Taylor Vickerman tied the game 2-2 with his first goal, on the PP, at 19:55 of the second period. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped 23 shots, two fewer than Red Deer's Rylan Toth. . . . The Americans (12-8-0) have won four in a row. . . . The Rebels (9-9-2) went 2-1-2 on their U.S. Division swing. . . .

In Kelowna, G Michael Herringer earned his first WHL shutout as the Rockets dropped the Vancouver Giants, 5-0. . . . Herringer turned aside 29 shots in his second appearance of the season. . . . Herringer was with the Rockets because of an injury to backup Jake Morrissey. It would appear that Morrissey is ready to return because the Rockets apparently released Herringer from their roster after the game; at least, his name disappeared from the roster on the WHL website. He was 2-0-0/1.50/.938 during his stint in Kelowna. Chances are Herringer, 18, is headed back to the junior B Nanaimo Buccaneers. . . . The Rockets scored five second-period goals, with F Tyrell Goulbourne getting three of those. Goulbourne, who has seven goals, scored three times in 7:01. . . . Goulbourne, who sat out the club's last game with a one-game suspension, also had an assist and was plus-5. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley had two assists, while F Rourke Chartier scored his WHL-leading 18th goal and had two helpers. . . . The Rockets (17-1-1), who are 9-0-0 at home, went 5-0-1 while head coach Dan Lambert was at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Sarnia, Ont. Assistant coaches Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard ran the show in Lambert’s absence. . . . The Giants (7-11-0) have lost three straight. . . .

In Everett, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game's last four goals, all in the third period, and beat the Silvertips, 6-4. . . . The Silvertips (12-2-3) have two regulation-time losses this season, both to the Chiefs. . . . Everett had a six-game winning streak snapped. . . . F Nikita Scherbak's 11th goal gave Everett a 4-2 lead at 16:27 of the second period. . . . F Adam Helewka, with his 10th, got the Chiefs to within one on a PP at 1:59 of the third and F Calder Brooks tied it, with his seventh, on another PP, at 10:02. . . . F Markson Bechtold's second goal of the season, at 16:21, proved to be the winner. . . . Helewka had two goals and two assists. . . . The Silvertips, the league's least-penalized team, took five of their seven minors in the third period. . . . The Chiefs (8-5-3) had lost their previous two games. . . . Spokane had F Mitch Lipon (shoulder) and D Tamas Laday (two-game suspension) back in the lineup. Lipon hadn’t played since Sept. 20, meaning this was his second game of the season.
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@Kelowna_Rockets Dan who? Just kiddin! Can't wait to have you back @DanLambert15 #Sitdown #CoachMally #CoachStoneCold pic.twitter.com/eeQF1FPcrN
— Travis Crickard (@TCrickard1) November 9, 2014

This guy wins my vote for Cutest Cowboy at @BladesHockey Country night tonight! #yeehaw #cowboy #cute #WHL #YXE pic.twitter.com/hWWy7Lw8ha
— Alanna Priestner (@alannapriestner) November 9, 2014

Whoa! Check out that third sweater . . . Warriors talking mental health awareness . . . Raiders add veteran forward

F Martin Filo (Moose Jaw, 2007-09) signed a one-year contract with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). Filo had been released last week by Unia Oświęcim (Poland, Ekstraliga) without playing a game.
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I don’t get too excited over the third sweaters that are trotted out on a regular basis by sporting teams in this day and age. The novelty has long since worn off.
But every once in a while one comes along that catches my eye and makes me say: Whoa!
The Prince Albert Raiders have come up with just such a sweater, one that they trot out on Nov. 7 against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, which is only fitting. Seattle is the only WHL city that also is home to a Major League Baseball team, and Conexus Baseball Night will definitely have a baseball theme.
Thus the baseball-themed sweaters.
The Raiders will wear these sweaters and they will be auctioned off live right after the game. Proceeds will go to the Raiders education fund.
A special guest in the person of former MLB pitcher Jack Morris will be on hand, too.
According to a Raiders news release: “The entire night will revolve around baseball! We will be playing some baseball themed music, having special promotions, hot dogs will be on sale in the concessions and we encourage fans to wear their baseball jerseys!”
Morris will be in Prince Albert as he is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Kinsmen Sportsman Dinner on Nov. 8 in the Art Hauser Centre.
BTW, the Victoria Royals will get into the third sweater act tonight as they open a Friday-Saturday doubleheader against the visiting Vancouver Giants. Just a hunch, but I’m thinking black might figure in the Royals’ new-look colour scheme.
The Royals, who are opening a five-game homestand, are coming off a six-game road trip that produced four victories. Earlier this season, the Giants twice beat the Royals, 3-1 and 5-3, in Vancouver.
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A tip of the hat to the Moose Jaw Warriors for the work involving mental health awareness that the organization is doing. Donna Boyer, the Moose Jaw branch director with the Canadian Mental Health Association, held a three-hour presentation for the Warriors on Tuesday, dealing at length with the safeTALK program. In attendance were players, billet families and the team’s staff. Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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What the Moose Jaw Warriors are doing is terribly important as we work hard to increase mental health awareness in all corners of our society. . . . “I think, first and foremost, we just wanted them to understand that they can talk,” Alan Millar, the Warriors’ general manager, told Brickman. “There are people within the organization and people outside the organization that if for any reason they are overwhelmed or not feeling right or anything that there are people to talk to. I think the education is about eliminating that stigma that you hide from it.” . . . While the OHL has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association on a program called Talk Today, the WHL appears to be content to allow individual teams to address the situation. In Prince George, the Cougars are working with Dr. Saul Miller, a long-time performance consultant and mental coach. He is in daily contact with Cougars head coach Mark Holick and deals individually with players. If Holick feels a player is acting out of character, he is quick to inform Dr. Miller, who has a PhD in clinical psychology. He is available to players on a 24/7 basis and the emphasis is definitely not on game performance.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have added veteran F Marcus Messier, 20, to their roster. Messier’s arrival gives the Raiders three 20-year-olds as he fills the spot that opened up when F Dakota Conroy left the team and was placed on the suspended list. . . . Messier, from Canmore, Alta., also has played with the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs. He played two games with the Chiefs this season before getting caught up in the 20-year-old game and being released. In 229 regular-season games, he has 67 points, including 26 goals. Messier was a second-round selection by the Americans in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft.
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The Kootenay Ice is struggling to score goals; in fact, they are the second lowest-scoring team in the WHL. So they really are looking forward to the return of F Tim Bozon, something that is supposed to happen tonight against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has more right here.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman, who covers the WHL and the Saskatoon Blades for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, takes a look right here at the fallout from the class-action lawsuit that was filed against the CHL on Oct. 17. “Combine the unexpected news with rumblings of a players’ union that re-emerged this summer,” he writes, “and there appears to be at least some appetite for systematic change.” However, as he points out, people need to be careful what they wish for.
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The Regina Pats are averaging 3,642 fans through six home games. The franchise’s new owners would like to see more bums in the seats, but they aren’t about to push the panic button. "We have a long-term plan. It's early. We're still learning ourselves,” Anthony Marquart, the president of Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group, tells Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post right here. "(But) we're committed to doing our best to put the best product on the ice and improve the game-day experience. Over time I'm confident we'll have more people coming to the games."
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Chico Resch, one of hockey’s good guys, will be honoured tonight by the New Jersey Devils. Resch, who was born in Moose Jaw, was a long-time member of the Devils’ broadcast crew before retiring after last season. There was a time back in the day when he had a stint as the head coach of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. . . . Rich Chere of nj.com has more right here.
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Elliotte Friedman starts his weekly 30 Thoughts with a look at the value of young NHL defencemen. These days, it seems, a team can’t win a Stanley Cup without one. Friedman’s piece is right here.
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In case you missed it, the Toronto Blue Jays have raised the price of most of their season-ticket packages. The announcement was made on Thursday. Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star has that story right here. Two questions: 1. When will the price increases end, and I mean the cost of everything, from utilities to fruits and veggies to event tickets; and, 2. Rogers, which owns the Blue Jays, wouldn’t be using money from the Blue Jays to fund the 12-year NHL package, would it?
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Two of the highest-scoring teams in the WHL meet up tonight in Kamloops as the Blazers (8-5-1) entertain the Brandon Wheat Kings (9-2-1). The Blazers have scored 51 goals in 14 games, including seven in their last outing, a 7-2 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants on Wednesday night. The Wheat Kings, who opened this road trip with a 7-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars on Wednesday, have scored 66 goals, including 25 in their last three games. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully leads the WHL scoring race, with 22 points, including nine goals. Brandon F Rihards Bukarts has 20 points, seven of them goals, in 12 games. . . . Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings, tweeted yesterday that F John Quenneville, who has missed six games with an undisclosed injury, is back practising without any restrictions. . . . Join me on Twitter tonight if you want to follow along. . . .

An interesting tidbit from Neal’s Notes. Andy Neal, who works WHL games for Shaw-TV, was in Swift Current this week and chatted with Portland Winterhawks assistant coach Kyle Gustafson.
Neal writes that Gustafson “paid quite the compliment to (Brandon Wheat Kings D Kyle) Clague . . . saying he might be the best 16-year-old defenceman he’s ever seen. Remember, this comes from a coach who just had Derrick Pouliot to work with the last four years and was pretty impressive in his rookie year, too.”
Keep in mind, too, that Gustafson is into his 11th season on the Winterhawks’ coaching staff. . . .

Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips F Dawson Leedahl has “damage to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and likely will need surgery which will sideline him for four to six months.” Leedahl, 18, was injured Saturday as the Silvertips bet the host Spokane Chierfs, 3-2, in overtime. . . .

F Dillon Dube of the Kelowna Rockets won’t be taking part in the U-17 World Hockey Challenge next month in Sarnia, Ont. Warren Henderson of the Kelowna Capital News reports that Dube suffered an undisclosed injury on Saturday during a 5-2 loss to the host Tri-City Americans. According to Henderson, Dube will be out for up to six weeks. He missed the start of the season with another injury and has only played in two games. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades have won five of their last six games and they’ll entertain the Lethbridge Hurricanes tonight. Saskatoon’s power-play is 6-for-11 over its last four games, three of which have been victories. . . . Saskatoon D Ryan Coghlan injured a shoulder during a fight on Wednesday night and won’t play tonight. . . .

Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reported via Twitter on Thursday that Giants F Jakob Stukel (hand) “got some skating in on the side at the end” of the team’s practice. Stukel “avoided pucks,” according to Ewen, who added: “Still seems ways away.” . . .

The Regina Pats got their roster down to 23 on Thursday by releasing F Rylee Zimmer, 17, from their roster. He will join the MJHL’s WayWayseecappo Wolverines. Zimmer, from Russell, Man., had one goal in four games this season. He was pointless in 44 games last season. He was a fifth-round selection by the Pats in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Pats’ roster now includes 14 forwards and six defencemen, along with three goaltenders.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Billy McGuigan is back with the Maritime Hockey League’s Summerside Western Capitals. McGuigan has signed on as their head coach, replacing Tom Schurman who was fired earlier in the week. McGuigan was the Capitals’ head coach for two seasons before spending last season as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Regina Pats.

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The lawsuit facing the CHL is an absolute joke. So tired of kids and parents whining about not getting paid. Best years of your life.
— Brett Breitkreuz (@Bkreuz29) October 23, 2014

Here is the photographic evidence: It was a game in Regina in the mid-1980s
when Theo Fleury of the Moose Jaw Warriors tucked his stick between his legs
and scored on goaltender Stacey Nickel, who tried to stop him with a pad stack.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D James Bettauer (Chilliwack, Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, 2008-09, 2010-12) signed a one-year contract extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He has three goals and five assists in 31 games with the Freezers this season. Bettauer now is under contract through the end of the 2013-2014 season.
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Bob Tory, the general manager of the Tri-City Americans, has advised me that F Marcus Messier, who returned to the lineup this week after a nine-game absence, wasn’t out with a concussion.
Messier was injured on Nov. 30 during the second period of a game against the host Kamloops Blazers when he was checked by F Aspen Sterzer. There wasn’t a penalty on the play.
Messier was shown as being out with an upper-body injury. I was wrong in assuming it was a concussion.
Apologies to all involved.
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If you haven’t seen it yet, the documentary Head Games should be on your ‘must-see’ list.
It is 95 minutes in length and is a great look from all angles at the problem of concussions in sports.
Here’s the blurb from imdb.com: “A documentary that follows football player and wrestler Chris Nowinski's quest to uncover the truth about the consequences of sports related head injuries.”
Nowinski is a graduate of Harvard who played football while in university. He later worked as a professional wrestler.
His athletic career was ended by post-concussion syndrome. He went on to write the book Head Games and now is co-director of the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
One segment of the documentary deals with Owen Thomas, a 21-year-old linebacker at the U of Pennsylvania, who committed suicide. His brain was found to contain CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in its early stages.
As Nowinski puts it: “Twenty-one-year-olds shouldn’t have this from playing a game.”
Find this documentary and watch it. You owe it to yourself, to your children, to your players . . .
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The Kamloops Blazers scored a 4-2 victory over the Giants in Vancouver on Wednesday night.
Immediately following the game, the Giants dealt F Kale Kessy, 20, to the Blazers for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.
Kessy was pointless and minus-2 without any penalty minutes in his final game with Vancouver.
The Giants had acquired Kessy from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
At the time, it was reported that the pick would be paid to the Tigers if Kessy was on the Giants’ roster on Jan. 10. However, Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province tweeted early this morning: “Conditional status of Giants trade with MH for Kessy was for suspension or AHL call-up. They still owe pick, even with Blazer trade.”
At the time Kessy was dealt to Vancouver, he was serving a 12-game suspension that was levied for a headshot he delivered to D Ryan Pilon of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. That was the seventh suspension of Kessy’s WHL career.
A fourth-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2011 NHL draft, Kessy has 18 points and 62 penalty minutes in 29 games this season. He had two goals in two games with the Tigers and seven goals and nine assists in 27 games with the Giants.
In 222 career regular-season games, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has 87 points, including 34 goals, and 467 penalty minutes.
The Blazers began the season with three 20-year-old forwards — Jordan DePape, Brendan Ranford and Dylan Willick. They lost DePape to shoulder problems in November and tried to fill the void by acquiring F Charles Inglis from the Red Deer Rebels.
That didn’t work out and Inglis was released following a game in Edmonton on Dec. 12. He now is with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines.
DePape has had shoulder surgery and said Tuesday that he should be ready to play again in mid-March. Because he’s 20, he would have to be on the Blazers’ roster on Jan. 10, the WHL trade and roster deadline, if he was to play for Kamloops again this season.
The Blazers obviously weren’t prepared to wait. They are believed to have placed DePape on 48-hour waivers. Should he clear, he will become a free agent. He also has expressed interest in returning to junior A, perhaps with a team primed for a run at the 2013 RBC Cup, which is to be played in Summerside, P.E.I.
The Blazers’ roster is at 23, including eight defencemen and 13 forwards.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Trzonkowski, who was acquired by Kamloops from the Calgary Hitmen during the summer, has five points and 45 penalty minutes in 41 games. The Blazers gave up a 2014 fourth-round bantam draft pick in that exchange.
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The NBA suspended Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat for one game without pay recently. I read somewhere that the suspension would cost Wade $154,764.
So I got to wondering: How much a one-game suspension would cost a 20-year-old WHL player?
Well, I understand a 20-year-old WHLer gets $600 per month, before taxes. So if we set the WHL regular-season on a six-month scale, that’s $3,600, again before taxes.
A team plays 72 games in a regular season, so a one-game suspension without pay would cost a 20-year-old WHL player $50, which would be $154,714 less than what it cost Wade.
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The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats fired Ryan Parent, their director of hockey operations and head coach, on Wednesday. . . . Garry VanHereweghe, the director of player personnel, has taken over as general manager, with assistant coach Kyle Tapp now the interim head coach. . . . The Bobcats are 11-23-6 and in last place in the eight-team North Division. . . . Parent was in his first season.
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Another former NFL player has filed a concussion-related lawsuit against the NFL. Otis Taylor, now 70, was a two-time All-Pro receiver with the Kansas City Chiefs. According to the lawsuit obtained by NFLConcussionLitigation.com, Taylor requires “constant medical care and supervision. . . . He is currently bedridden, cannot verbally communicate, is unable to walk, and relies on a feeding tube for all his sustenance.”
There is more right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, F Hunter Shinkaruk had two goals and an assist to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . Shinkaruk has 22 goals. . . . The game was played a day after the teams swapped five skaters and a couple of draft picks. F Logan McVeigh was pointless and plus-1 for the Tigers, while D Zach Hodder was pointless and minus-1. Raiders F Jayden Hart scored a goal and was minus-1, while D Dylan Busenius had an assist and was plus-1. . . . The Tigers held a 36-15 edge in shots. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 22nd goal for the Tigers. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Luke Philp scored twice as the Kootenay Ice got past the Red Deer Rebels, 4-1. . . . Philp has 11 goals. . . . He gave the Ice a 2-0 lead at 11:48 of the first and a 3-1 edge at 14:13 of the third on a PP. . . . F Rhyse Dieno scored his 10th of the season for the Rebels. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski made 29 saves. . . . Ice F Jeff Hubic scored his first WHL goal into an empty net at 19:47 of the third. Hubic, an 18-year-old from Regina, was playing in his 93rd regular-season game. . . . The Rebels have lost three in a row. . . .

In Calgary, F Brooks Macek scored three times and set up another and D Alex Roach had four assists to lead the Hitmen to a 10-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . That was Macek’s second career hat trick. . . . His first three-goal game came on Jan. 25 in a 7-2 victory over visiting Brandon. . . . The Hitmen were 5-for-9 on the PP. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang, a 16-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., had two goals and an assist for his first WHL points. They came in his 21st game. . . . Calgary F Austin Calladine, a 17-year-old from Saskatoon, also got his first goal. It came in his 22nd game. . . . With F Mike Ferland out with an undisclosed injury, F Nick Buonassisi get back in after twice being scratched. They are two of Brandon’s four 20-year-olds, one of whom will have to be moved. . . . F Braylon Shmyr, a first-round selection, 12th overall, in the 2012 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings and scored his first goal. Shmyr, who turned 16 on New Year’s Day, is playing with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. . . . According to the Brandon Sun: “It was the first time the Wheat Kings have surrendered double-digits in a game since a 10-1 loss to the Hitmen in a playoff game on April 8, 2005.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Jordon Cooke stopped 30 shots as the Rockets beat the Victoria Royals, 4-2. . . . Kelowna has won 15 in a row on home ice. . . . F Alex Gogolev and F Logan Nelson, the Royals’ top two scorers, didn’t make the trip to Kelowna. Both are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Kelowna was 3-for-6 on the PP; the Royals were 0-for-9. . . . The Rockets remain two points behind the Kamloops Blazers, who lead the B.C. Division. . . . Victoria F Ben Walker, who scored his 13th goal to conclude the game’s scoring at 5:29, was taken off the ice on a stretcher following a neutral zone collision. Walker was taken to hospital and later released. . . . From Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier: “One minute after closing out the scoring at 5:29 of the third period, Victoria’s Ben Walker got caught up in a massive collision at the Royals’ blue-line. Victoria’s Tyler Stahl lined up, then exploded into Kelowna’s Tyrell Goulbourne, who was carrying the puck. Walker was closely trailing Goulbourne and got caught in the hit. Walker fell to the ice and play was immediately stopped. Emergency personnel attended to Walker, slowly moving him onto a spine board, and then a stretcher before taking him to hospital” for precautionary measures.” . . .

In Vancouver, F Tim Bozon broke a 2-2 tie at 11:17 of the third period and the Kamloops Blazers beat the Giants, 4-2. . . . The Giants held a 2-1 lead before Kamloops F Dylan Willick scored a shorthanded goal with 51.7 seconds left in the second period. . . . Willick, 20, returned from a 21-game absence. He suffered a broken ankle on Nov. 2. He also was named teamp captain while he was injured, meaning last night was the first time this season that the Blazers had a player wearing the ‘C’ and in the lineup. . . . Bozon also had two assists. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith, the WHL scoring leader, had two assists. He leads the league in assists (41) and points (68). . . . The Giants were without F Taylor Vickerman, who drew a five-game suspension for a kneeing major in a game against the visiting Prince George Cougars on Dec. 30. . . . Prince George D Joe Carvalho was injured on that play. Carvalho is out indefinitely and will be re-evaluated once the swelling in the knee goes down.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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An interesting exchange between Portland F Chase De Leo (@Dels) and Winterhawks D Seth Jones (@seth_jones04), who is with the U.S. team at the World Junior Championship:

De Leo: “What's a good TV series to start on Netflix? #Ideas #Help”
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Jones: “@Dels9 it's a really good one.. US vs. CAN”
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De Leo: “@seth_jones04 Fine ill just watch it to see your face. #MissYou”

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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives on Jan. 10. Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:

Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round pick.
Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round pick.

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.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
There weren’t any moves of note yesterday, but here’s a look at WHL ties in the Spengler Cup that is being played in Davos, Switzerland . . .
Referees — Graham Skilliter, Brent Reiber.
Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL) — Dominik Bittner (Everett, 2011-12), Luca Sbisa (Lethbridge, Portland, 2008-10; on lockout contract with Lugano, added to Mannheim for this tournament), Yannic Seidenberg (Medicine Hat, 2003-04). Shawn Bell (Regina, Tri-City, 2000-05; on the roster for Mannheim this season but he is not playing in the tournament. He is out with an arm injury and is expected back in early January).
Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland, NL A) — Joel Kwiatkowski (Tacoma/Kelowna, Prince George, 1994-98).
Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL) — Ivan Baranka (Everett, 2003-05), Oleg Saprykin (Seattle, 1998-2000).
Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga) — Tomas Kudelka (Lethbridge, 2005-07), Ondrej Roman (Spokane, 2006-09), Denis Rehak (Prince George, 2003-04), Tomas Voracek (Prince Albert, 2007-09).
Team Canada — Cam Barker (Medicine Hat, 2001-06; free agent), Josh Holden (Regina 1994-98; Zug, Switzerland NL A), Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99;  Lugano, Switzerland NL A), Byron Ritchie (Lethbridge, 1993-97; Bern, Switzerland NL A), Ryan Smyth (Moose Jaw, 1991-95; Edmonton, NHL), Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000; Kloten, Switzerland, NL A), Devan Dubnyk (Kamloops, 2001-06; Edmonton, NHL).
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The Sports Curmudgeon has this in one of his latest postings:
“The Dos Equis ad campaign featuring ‘The Most Interesting Man In The World’ has jumped the shark. Allow me to suggest that The Most Interesting Man In The World go to wherever he must so he can join the Geico Caveman, Speedy Alka-Seltzer, Bucky Beaver, Elsie the Cow and Spuds MacKenzie as advertising characters of the past.”
Yes, he was feeling downright curmudgeonly when he took his annual look at the worst of TV commercials.
But, hey, it’s to our benefit because it’s a fun read.
And it’s right here.
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John Feinstein, noted author and Washington Post columnist, writes right here about the NHL situation. Yes, he points fingers at the owners.
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In the OHL, the London Knights dropped the visiting Windsor Spitfires 9-4 last night for their 22nd consecutive victory. . . . The Knights (30-5-2) and the 2009-10 Barrie Colts have the OHL’s second-longest winning streaks. The record (25) is held by the 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers.
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JUST  NOTES:
F Michael Ferland, 20, skated with the Brandon Wheat Kings again on Thursday. After playing in the Calgary Flames’ system in the season’s first half, he hopes to be freed up to return to the WHL. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Ferland skated on a line with Richard Nejezchleb and Tim McGauley. . . . D Rene Hunter, who was away from the Wheat Kings on personal leave when the Christmas break began, did not return to the team. . . .

The Vancouver Giants made it official yesterday when they revealed that G Liam Liston, 19, has left the club to concentrate on his education, likely at the U of Alberta. . . . Payton Lee, 16, has been the Vancouver starter, but he is with Team Pacific at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in snowy Quebec. That means Tyler Fuhr, 17, who hasn’t played since Nov. 18, will start tonight against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. Fuhr also is expected to start Saturday in Kamloops and Sunday against the visiting Prince George Cougars. In other words, a goaltender who hasn’t played in 40 days is likely to make three starts in less than 48 hours. . . . No word on who will be backing up Fuhr, but Alex Ahnert, 19, from the junior B Delta Ice Hawks, was at practice yesterday. . . .

F Dominek Volek, 18, had one assist Thursday as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Oil Kings 5-3 in Edmonton. Volek was playing his first game with the Rebels, who acquired his rights from the Regina Pats prior to Christmas. . . . Volek had 32 points in 70 games with Regina last season, but chose not to return. Instead, he was playing for Farjestad’s junior team in Sweden, putting up six points in 17 games. . . . “I liked the junior fans, but I wasn’t happy in Regina,” Volek told Danny Rode of the Red Deer Advocate. “I asked to change the billet and nothing. The coach wasn’t playing me and some of the promises they made they didn’t come through with, so I didn’t have a lot of interest in coming back this year.” . . .

F Jayden Hart, 18, has asked the Medicine Hat Tigers to trade him and is at home in Spruce Grove, Alta., awaiting developments. Hart told Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News that “I felt like it was the best choice for my career right now. It was probably one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made.” . . . Hart has 10 points in 18 games this season, but has missed time with illness and knee and wrist problems. . . .

The Victoria Royals should have F Austin Carroll back in their lineup as they play host to the Prince George Cougars tonight and Saturday. Carroll, an 18-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., had 15 points in 29 games, including six points in his last five games, before leaving the Royals and missing two games after the death of his father, Phil. . . .

The Tri-City Americans go home-and-home with the Portland Winterhawks this weekend, playing tonight in Kennewick, Wash., and Saturday, 3 p.m., in Portland. . . . The Americans are hoping to have F Marcus Messier back in their lineup. He hasn’t played since Nov. 30 when he suffered an undisclosed injury during a game in Kamloops. . . . Tri-City F Phil Tot, out since Oct. 26 with an undisclosed injury, is doubtful for the weekend. . . . The Winterhawks have won six straight and are atop the overall standings. . . . Portland interim head coach Travis Green told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald that D Derrick Pouliot “won’t play because of an injury.” . . . The Winterhawks may have D Linden Springer, 18, in their lineup. He has eight points and 146 penalty minutes in 32 games with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. He played last season with the Prince George Cougars, putting up six points and 89 penalty minutes in 56 games. . . .

The Everett Silvertips have added F Mitch Skapski to their roster for the remainder of this season. Skapski, 16, was acquired from Portland in the deal that had D Seth Jones go to the Winterhawks. Three of the four players who went to Everett in that deal — Skapski, D Ben Betker and F Tyler Sandhu — now are with the Silvertips. . . . D Reece Willcox, the fourth player acquired by the Silvertips, is at Cornell University. . . . The 5-foot-9, 155-pound Skapski, a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, had eight points in 29 games with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs before deciding to head for Everett. . . . He is the younger brother of Kootenay Ice G Mackenzie Skapski.
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I’m not about to start listing all of the players who have been added to WHL rosters over the last couple of days. There have been enough additions to fill a bus or two. Yes, the WHL needs to take a serious look at extending its Christmas break into January. Either that or start charging exhibition game ticket prices until the international tournaments have ended and all the regular players have returned.
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LAST NIGHT:
F Tanner Eberle, a Regina native, scored twice to help the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . “I do (love playing the Pats) even though I was getting booed for the first star,” a laughing Eberle told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “There’s nothing better than making the crowd boo. It’s fun to compete like that against a team that used to be my favourite ’Dub team. Now I’m scoring against them.” . . . Eberle is a second cousin to former Pats star Jordan Eberle, who is with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons during the NHL lockout. . . . F Chandler Stephenson, who missed 25 games with a skate cut to a foot, scored twice for the Pats in his first game back. . . . The Warriors had lost three in a row. . . . Regina also had D Luke Fenske and F Dyson Stevenson back after extended injury-related absences. . . .

G Bolton Pouliot stopped 53 shots to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 5-3 victory over the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Pouliot, starting because Patrik Bartosak is at the World Junior Championship with the Czech Republic, stopped all 19 shots he faced in the third period. D Matt Dumba, a late cut by Team Canada, had two goals for Red Deer. . . . The Oil Kings had won five a row going into this one. . . . Red Deer is 12-2-1 since owner and general manager Brent Sutter went behind the bench. . . .

In Kelowna, F Zach Franko had two goals and three assists to lead the Rockets to a 7-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Franko, 19, has 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 34 games. Last season, he finished with 39 points, including 14 goals, in 72 games. . . . This was his first five-point WHL game. He had two three-point outings in 2011-12. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith had a goal and an assist. He is tied for the WHL lead in goals (26) and leads in assists (38) and points (64). . . . Attendance was 6,257, giving the Rockets their first sellout this season. . . . The Rockets now are four points behind the B.C. Division-leading Blazers.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Ryan Rehill, Kamloops (major)

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna
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From Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave (@ChevSauce38): “I love how fans think that when they tweet at me about being a sieve or riding pine makes me made. It makes me laugh. Where are you in life?”
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Former Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz (@tylerbunz), with a tweet for G Liam Liston, who has retired from the Vancouver Giants: “heard the news man, hope youre doing well. Never easy to make a decision like that but proud to see you handle it the way you are.”

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.