Hunchak: I was in the darkest place I'd ever been in

More than a year has gone by since Dave Hunchak left the Kamloops Blazers. They were in Spokane for a Jan. 10 game with the Chiefs when Hunchak, the Blazers’ head coach, left the team and returned home. The team announced that he was on a leave of absence; he never returned. Hunchak has told Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail that his nightmare began with an anxiety attack that ultimately was followed by depression. . . . “The best way I can describe it is: I was in the darkest place I’d ever been in,” Hunchak told Maki. “I was thinking it was possible I could do something I would regret.” . . . Maki’s complete story is right here, and it deals with a lot more than Hunchak, who, by the way, is back to where he was and wanting to get back to coaching. In the meantime, he is working in Kamloops as an electrician.
———
“A Canadian lawyer has told Washington state legislators he opposes a bill that might allow Western Hockey League teams to circumvent laws on child labour and minimum wage, a change WHL team executives say is critical for them to stay in business,” writes Rick Westhead of TSN. “In a Feb. 17 letter that was sent to seven Washington state senators and obtained by TSN, Toronto lawyer Ted Charney wrote that he opposes Bill 1930 on behalf of his clients, Lukas Walter and Sam Berg, former major junior hockey players who are now suing the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Charney hopes to have a lawsuit certified as a class action case.” . . . Westhead’s complete story is right here.
———
WHL commissioner Ron Robison and the general managers of the four Washington-based teams appeared at a Senate hearing in the state capital of Olympia on Wednesday. Scott Sepich, a Portland-based freelancer, has that story right here.
———
The sporting community in Kamloops is coming together to help Peter Friedel, who has done a lot of volunteer work with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior league and the Kamloops Venom junior lacrosse team. . . . The Storm will donate a portion of the gate receipts from its Saturday playoff game to Friedel, and a dinner and dance to benefit him is scheduled for March 7. . . . Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
———



F Trevor Cox of the Medicine Hat Tigers has had his suspension set at three games. He was suspended under supplemental discipline for a hit on Calgary F Kenton Helgesen during a game on Saturday. Cox, who already has missed two games, will complete the suspension on Sunday when the Tigers play in Edmonton. . . . Helgesen didn’t play in Calgary’s 2-1 victory over the visiting Tigers on Tuesday.
———







F Logan Aasman of the Everett Silvertips doesn’t even know when he first was concussed. He just knows that recovering at home in Medicine Hat wasn’t a whole lot of fun. Aasman, who last played on Nov. 30, finally has been cleared to return and Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has the story right here.
———

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna won at home and now leads the overall standings by two points over idle Brandon. Each teams has 14 games remaining. . . . Vancouver won at home and remains third in the B.C. Division, but now is three points ahead of Kamloops, which lost on the road, and idle Prince George.
U.S. DIVISION: All five teams enjoyed the day off. You have to think players from the four Washington-based teams were watching goings-on in Olympia.
EAST DIVISION: Moose Jaw lost in OT on the road and the loser point lifted it to within seven points of a playoff spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Red Deer won on the road. It remains third in the division, four points behind second-place Calgary and nine points ahead of Kootenay, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot.

———
In Vancouver, D Mason Geertsen’s second goal of the game, at 4:11 of OT, gave the Giants a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Geertsen, who has 11 goals, had given the Giants a 2-1 lead at 19:28 of the second period. He also drew an assist on his side’s first goal. . . . D Spenser Jensen forced OT with his third goal at 6:06 of the third period. . . . F Jack Rodewald gave Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal 59 secondsd into the second period. . . . F Thomas Foster scored his 10th at 14:22 of the second, on a PP, to pull the Giants even. . . . F Tyler Benson had three assists for Vancouver. . . . Vancouver was 1-for-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-for-3. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 29 shots, six more than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . It was a Hockey Hooky game, meaning a noon start. Moose Jaw had played in a Hockey Hooky game in Victoria the previous day and had come away with a 4-3 victory. . . . F Ty Ronning and D Arvin Atwal were among the Giants’ scratches. News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) tweeted that “Atwal hasn’t played since off-ice incident last week.” . . . The Giants (25-30-3) have won two in a row. . . . The Warriors (23-30-5) are 2-2-1 on a seven-game road swing that continues Friday in Kamloops. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has a game story right here. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Red Deer Rebels scored two third-period goals and beat the Blades, 4-3. . . . D Amil Krupic’s fifth goal of the season, at 13:41 of the second, had given the Blades a 3-2 lead. . . . D Josh Mahura scored his first WHL goal at 13:56 of the third to tie it and F Preston Kopeck got the winner, his 17th goal of the season, at 15:21. . . . Kopeck, F Riley Sheen and F Wyatt Johnson each had a goal and an assist for Red Deer. Sheen has 17 goals; Johnson has 22. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan had two assists for the Blades, whose captain, F Brett Stovin, scored his 24th goal. . . . Red Deer G Trevor Martin, who was acquired from the Blades, stopped 30 shots in his first start since being added from the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. He now will return to Melville. . . . Saskatoon G Nik Amundrud turned aside 35 shots. . . . Saskatoon D Brycen Martin had his point streak snapped at 11 games. . . . The Rebels (30-18-9) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . The Blades now are 17-37-3. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . .

In Kelowna, every skater on the roster but one picked up at least one point as the Rockets whipped the Kamloops Blazers, 11-4. . . . Only D Madison Bowey failed to get at least one point. . . . F Tomas Soustal led the way with two goals, giving him eight, and two assists, with F Rourke Chartier adding two goals and one assist. . . . Chartier now leads the WHL with 46 goals, one more than F Cole Sanford of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . D Josh Morrissey also scored twice for the Rockets, giving him 12. They got three assists from F Leon Draisaitl and two from each of F Nick Merkley, F Tate Coughlin and F Cole Linaker. . . . F Collin Shirley scored twice for Kamloops, giving him 20, and added an assist. F Matt Needham also scored his 20th goal this season. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully had two assists. . . . According to a tweet from Kelowna play-by-play voice Regan Bartel: “Last time the @Kelowna_Rockets put up 11 goals on home ice prior to tonight was in an 11-2 win vs. Giants Jan 5/2002.” . . . The Rockets now have beaten the Blazers in 18 straight regular-season meetings. The Blazers last posted a regular-season victory over the Rockets on March 3, 2013, when G Cole Cheveldave stopped 25 shots in a 3-0 shutout in Kamloops. F JC Lipon scored all three Kamloops goals. F Cole Ully and D Ryan Rehill are the only two players off today’s Kamloops roster who played in that game. . . . The Rockets won the last two regular-season meetings that season, all eight last season and another eight this season. The teams will meet twice more this season. . . . The Rockets (45-9-4) have won three in a row. . . . The Blazers (22-31-6) have lost two straight.
———
THURSDAY’S GAMES
(all times local)
No Games Scheduled
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES
(all times local)
Red Deer at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Edmonton vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Victoria, 7:30 p.m.
Tri-City at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
———

GM, Head Coach, & Bus Driver. @PeterAnholt guiding us the way for the 1st leg of our trip! #TripleThreat #CaneTrain pic.twitter.com/7gT2xhKXeW
— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) February 18, 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.

Wheaties, Pats deal . . . Ice, Thunderbirds win again . . . Royals end Chiefs' streak

D Tomáš Slovák (Kelowna, 2001-03) has signed for the rest of the season with Brynäs Gävle (Sweden, SHL). This season, with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had two goals and 15 assists in 30 games.
---

THE LATEST ON LEON . . .

F Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers was a healthy scratch Friday night as the NHL team lost 2-1 in a shootout to the host Colorado Avalanche. Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal writes that “Draisaitl will travel with the team to Edmonton on Saturday and will be assigned (to the WHL) before the Oilers play the New York Islanders on Sunday night.” . . . Ireland’s story is right here.
---

The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired F Morgan Klimchuk, a two-time 30-goal scorer, from the Regina Pats. In return for Klimchuk, 19, the Wheat Kings have up sophomore F Jesse Gabrielle, 17. . . . Klimchuk, from Calgary, was selected by the Calgary Flames with the 28th overall pick of the NHL’s 2013 draft. He had 76 points, including 36 goals, in 72 games in 2012-13. Last season, he put up 74 points, 30 of them goals, in 57 games. . . . This season, he has 30 points, 14 of them goals, in 27 games with Regina. . . . In 228 regular-season games, he has 217 points, including 98 goals. . . . Klimchuk was the fifth overall selection in the 2010 WHL bantam draft. . . . In his final game with Regina, he scored the OT winner as the Pats beat the host Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-1, on Wednesday. . . . Klimchuk is expected to be in Brandon’s lineup tonight against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . Gabrielle, a fifth-round pick by Brandon in the 2012 bantam draft, had 25 points, 13 of them goals, in 33 games this season. The native of Moosomin, Sask., was in Regina’s lineup last night against visiting Moose Jaw.
Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, general manager and head coach, woke up Friday with his club having won four straight and owning just seven losses. While observers have long felt that McCrimmon was building for a serious run next season, he no doubt feels that there is an opportunity there right now.
“We’ve lost seven games up until New Year’s Day, so as much as people talk about our team being a next-year team, we owe it to this group to try to position ourselves to win also,” McCrimmon told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “We’re real comfortable with what our team looks like next year, but at the same time, our focus is on this year’s team. And when you go back and look at the history of deals, players like Morgan Klimchuk being moved, a lot of time the first piece (in return) is a first-round pick (in the WHL bantam draft), so for us to give up one player for one player, we like that aspect of it.”
Meanwhile, the Pats’ reasoning is quite simple: They have given up a few months of Klimchuk for a whole lot more of Gabrielle, who is one of those players you hate to play against buy love to have on your team. He also is capable of playing in all situations and can create offence.
Gabrielle told Henderson that the trade was “a mutual decision.”
The Pats and Wheat Kings next meet on Jan. 24 in Brandon.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more on the trade right here.
---


F Max Gerlach, a 16-year-old from Flower Mound, Texas, has commited to the U of North Dakota. He was a sixth-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . Gerlach is playing with the U16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He has 21 goals and 17 assists in 19 games.
---

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Dryden Hunt set up three goals as the Pats beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-4. . . . Hunt extended his points streak to nine games. . . . The Pats led 3-0 at 6:21 of the second, but the Warriors tied it on F Brett Howden’s 11th goal at 19:34 of the second period. . . . Regina F Connor Gay put his guys back in front at 8:13 of the third and F Pavel Padakin added insurance with a shorthanded goal at 9:22. He’s got nine goals. . . . Moose Jaw F Tanner Eberle got his second of the game, and 21st of the season, at 10:52 to get his guys to within one. . . . Regina D Nathan Mortlock scored his first goal at 15:47 to put it away. . . . Gay also had two assists. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle, acquired earlier in the day from Brandon, was in Regina’s lineup. He was pointless in his Pats debut. . . . The Warriors, who have lost 11 straight games to Regina, were 0-for-8 on the PP; the Pats were 1-for-5. . . . Warriors D Tyler Brown returned after missing 14 games with a hand injury. . . . Moose Jaw F Noah Gregor, playing his second game after returning from a 27-game absence, left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Moose Jaw was without D Alexey Sleptsov, who was injured while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Pats. . . . The Pats (24-12-2) have won four in a row. . . . The Warriors (15-20-4), who are at home to Prince Albert tonight, have lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . .

In Prince Albert, G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 2-0 victory over the Raiders. . . . Hart, a 16-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., posted his second WHL shutout and his second this season. . . . Everett D Ben Betker scored his second goal, on a PP, at 19:07 of the second period. . . . Everett F Carson Stadnyk added an empty-netter at 19:40 of the third. Stadnyk, who had a game-high six shots, has 13 goals this season. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 41 shots. . . . The Silvertips scratched D Kevin Davis with an undisclosed injury, so had D Jantzen Leslie, a 15-year-old from Lloydminster, Alta., in their lineup. . . . As Cody Nickolet (@DubFromAbove) pointed out, Davis’s absence meant that Cole MacDonald had “a new partner for the first time in at least 34 games.” . . . The game was Everett’s first on a six-game East Division tour. . . . Prior to the game, the Raiders announced that Czech D Tomas Andrlik will miss up to four weeks with an undisclosed injury. They also sent D Curtis Roach to the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. He was pointless in seven games with Prince Albert. . . . The Silvertips (22-11-4) had lost their previous two games. They are in Saskatoon tonight. . . The Raiders (16-22-1) have lost four in a row. They play visiting Moose Jaw tonight. . . .

In Edmonton, G Patrick Dea stopped 27 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving broke a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 9:47 of the third and F Brett Pollock made it 3-1 with his 16th at 15:18. . . . Lethbridge D Kord Pankewicz got his fourth at 19:26. . . . Hurricanes F Taylor Cooper scored his 11th goal. . . . Lethbridge D Andrew Nielsen picked up a headshot major and game misconduct at 6:03 of the second so undoubtedly will be hearing from the WHL office. . . . After the game, Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton told Brian Swane of the Edmonton Sun that Koep was “not great. He’s going to be our for a while.“ . . . The Oil Kings (18-16-5) have won two straight. They are at home to Kootenay tonight. . . . The Hurricanes (9-23-5), who have lost three in a row, entertain Red Deer tonight. . . .

In Red Deer, the Kootenay Ice opened up a 5-1 third-period lead and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Jon Martin had two goals, giving him six, and an assist for the Ice. . . . His first goal, at 11:32 of the second, gave the Ice a 3-0 lead. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau scored his 21st goal. . . . Ice F Matt Alfaro had two assists. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 38 shots. . . . F Brooks Maxwell scored twice for the Rebels, giving him 12. . . . Red Deer F Adam Musil returned after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Ice (21-17-1), which plays in Edmonton tonight, is 6-0-1 in its last seven. . . . The Rebels (20-14-5) had been 2-0-1 in their last three. They play in Lethbridge tonight. . . .

In Kamloops, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last four goals, all in the third period, and beat the Blazers, 6-4. . . . The Rockets, the first WHL team to 30 victories this season, weren’t good for 40 minutes, but special teams bailed them out in the third period. . . . Kamloops D Dawson Davidson scored his second WHL goal in three games at 17:42 of the second, on a PP, for a 3-2 lead and D Josh Connolly upped that to 4-2 with his fifth goal, on a PP, at 4:56 of the third. . . . Kelowna F Gage Quinney started the comeback with a shorthanded goal at 8:37 of the third. He’s got nine goals. . . . The Blazers lost F Luke Harrison to a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on D Devante Stephens at 10:20. . . . Rockets F Cole Linaker tied the game with his sixth goal, on the PP, at 13:26 and F Nick Merkley, with his 12th, gave the visitors the lead 1:10 later, still on the PP. . . . F Tyson Baillie iced it with his second of the game, an empty-netter, at 19:17. . . . Baillie and Merkley, who took at least three heavy checks in this one, each had two goals and an assist. . . . “They didn’t make it easy on (Merkley),” Rockets head coach Dan Lambert told the Kelowna Daily Courier. “They were going after him. But he’s a kid that doesn’t back down from anything. It sometimes wakes him up, and he certainly stepped up.” . . . The Rockets went 4-for-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 2-for-4. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 18 shots to improve his record to 5-0-0. . . . The Rockets have beaten Kamloops in 12 straight games, eight last season and the first four of this season. . . . The Blazers were without veteran D Brady Gaudet, who was injured in a 4-2 loss in Kelowna on Dec. 27. . . . The Blazers had Heather McVie-Gaunt, an opera singer with Kamloops ties who lives in Pittsburgh, sing O Canada prior to the game. Give her the game’s first star! But I do wonder if there are leather lungs yelling Go Steelers when she performs in Pittsburgh, or is it a junior hockey thing? . . . The Blazers (13-23-5) have lost five straight and entertain Vancouver tonight, while the Rockets (30-6-3) return home to face Prince George. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals erased an early 1-0 deficit as they beat the Spokane Chiefs, 8-1. . . . D Travis Brown led the winners with his 14th goal and three assists, while F Greg Chase added his eighth goal and two assists, and F Tyler Soy drew three assists. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee returned from an undisclosed injury and scored his 11th goal. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka scored the game’s first goal, his 19th. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 32 shots. . . . F Scott Walford made his debut with the Royals. From Coquitlam, he was the 18th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He is playing at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. . . . Mike Boyle, the radio voice of the Chiefs, called his 1,000th WHL game. . . . The Royals (19-18-3) have won two straight. . . . The Chiefs (21-13-3) had a seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . The same teams meet in Victoria tonight. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . Vancouver D Mason Geertsen, who had two goals and an assist, broke a 4-4 tie at 16:41 of the third period with his seventh goal of the season. . . . Giants F Tyler Benson had tied the game with his eighth goal, on a PP, at 2:00 of the third. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala scored twice, his second goal, and 20th of the season, opening up a 4-1 lead at 2:53 of the second. . . . Vancouver D Brennan Menell had two assists. . . . Cougars F Jansen Harkins also had two assists. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter relieved starter Payton Lee at 2:19 of the second after the visitors took a 3-1 lead. Porter went on to stop 13 of 14 shots. . . . Cougars D Shane Collins scored his first goal. . . . The Giants were 2-for-8 on the PP; the Cougars were 2-for-6. . . . Vancouver (18-19-1) has won two in a row and now is one point behind the third-place Cougars in the B.C. Division. . . . The Cougars slipped to 19-20-0. . . . The Giants visit Kamloops tonight, while the Cougars are in Kelowna. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the only two goals of the shootout and beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls scored his fourth goal, on a PP, at 19:31 of the second period for a 1-0 lead. . . . Tri-City F Lucas Nickles tied it at 3:59 of the third. . . . Seattle F Nolan Volcan gave his guys the lead with his fourth goal at 10:28. . . . Nickles scored his 12th of the season at 19:15 to force OT. . . . Seattle F Lane Pederson and Neuls scored in the shootout. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor had two assists. . . . The Thunderbirds were without F Justin Hickman, who drew a two-game suspension for an incident he was involved in during a Wednesday game in Portland. . . . The Americans, meanwhile, were fined $750 for their part in a line brawl against the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. That was the Americans’ second such incident this season. . . . The Thunderbirds (19-15-4) have won six straight. . . . The Americans (18-17-2) have dropped two in a row. They are in Portland tonight.
---

@Reganrant 35 + 6 = 40? #Einstein #Gotmygrade10 pic.twitter.com/2slKAgadQn
— Travis Crickard (@TCrickard1) January 3, 2015

@TCrickard1 You would make that same mistake if you celebrated with as much champagne as I did. #HappyNewYear
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) January 3, 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.

The Kelowna Rockets take a shutout streak of 175:21 into tonight’s game against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. . . . The Rockets aren’t saying whether Jordon Cooke will be back in goal tonight. He was injured in a late-week practice and is listed as day-to-day. . . . If he can’t go, Jackson Whistle will get the start. He blanked the visiting Prince George Cougars 5-0 on Saturday.
———
The Victoria Royals may have D Tyler Stahl, their captain, back as they play the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. Stahl has missed five games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer has started all 19 of his club’s games this season. . . . The Royals go in on a five-game losing streak, while Lethbridge is 7-1-2 in its last 10.
———
The Moose Jaw Warriors are expected to have F Colton McCarthy in their lineup tonight when they meet the Hitmen in Calgary. . . . McCarthy is from Sicamous, B.C., and plays for the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . McCarthy, 16, has 23 points, incouding 15 goals, with Nelson. Bob Hall of the Nelson Star reports that McCarthy is expected to stay with the Warriors for two weekend games and then return to the Leafs.
———
D Alex Theriau, 20, came off the injured list Monday and was released by the Medicine Hat Tigers. Theriau had offseason hip surgery and has yet to play this season. . . . By releasing Theriau, the Tigers got down to three 20-year-olds — G Cam Lanigan, F Elgin Pearce and D Derek Ryckman. . . . Theriau was the sixth overall selection in the 2007 bantam draft, taken by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He also has played for the Everett Silvertips.
———
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has a good read right here on D Mason Geertsen, who was acquired by the Vancouver Giants last week from the Edmonton Oil Kings. Geertsen family holds 12 Oil Kings season tickets and also had been billeting an Edmonton player.
———
The OHL’s Brampton Battalion has served notice that it intends to operate in North Bay, Ont., next season. Dave Pollard of QMI Agency has a good look at the Brampton situation right here. If you have ever purchased a Trivial Pursuit game, you might feel that you own a small piece of the Battalion. That’s because Scott Abbott, one of that game’s inventors, owns the franchise.
———
TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Spokane, G Garret Hughson posted his first WHL shutout in his third start as the Chiefs blanked the Everett Silvertips, 4-0. . . . Hughson, a 17-year-old freshman from Foremost, Alta., stopped 22 shots. . . . The teams had played in Spokane on Saturday, with the Chiefs winning, 5-0, behind G Eric Williams’ 26 saves. . . . Last night, Spokane scored once in the first period and three times in the third period. . . . F Connor Chartier and F Adam Helewka each had a goal and and assist for Spokane. . . . Everett has lost six in a row. . . .

The Portland Winterhawks won their ninth straight game, beating the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 5-1. . . . The number with the most meaning may have been the attendance — 5,201 in the Rose Garden on election night. . . . Portland outshot the Rebels 17-5 in each of the first two periods and took the lead with three second-period goals. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie ran his point streak to 11 games with his 12th goal and an assist. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic, who got his ninth goal, has goals in each of his last five games. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had his fifth goal and two helpers. . . . Portland D Seth Jones scored his fifth goal of the season. . . . The Rebels are 1-2 on a five-game swing that continues tonight in Everett. . . .

G Curtis Honey stopped 38 shots as the host Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-3. . . . That gives Honey, the game’s first star, bragging rights in his family. His twin brother, Connor, is a forward with the Thunderbirds. Both are 18, with Curtis being 20 minutes older. (Although according to the WHL Guide and the rosters on the WHL website, Connor was born on April 1, 1994, with Curtis entering our world on April 4, 1994. . . . For more on the Honey boys, see this story right here by Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf may be looking at a suspension after taking an interference major and game misconduct for a hit on Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk at 19:15 of the third period. Hawryluk was down for a bit but did skate off under his own power. . . . Brandon F Jason Swyripa (wrist) returned from an eight-game absence. . . . Brandon F Jens Meilleur was unsuccessful on a first-period penalty shot against G Brandon Glover. . . .

In Kamloops, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored two first-period goals and went on to a 2-1 victory over the Blazers. . . . Edmonton F Mitchell Moroz scored 21 seconds into the game and F Henrik Samuelsson counted on the PP at 12:58. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford scored at 12:53 of the third period. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit was sharp in making 31 saves. . . . The Edmonton penalty killers, who are No. 1 in the WHL, were 5-for-5 against the league’s second-best PP. . . . Kamloops F Tim Bozon was given a game misconduct following an altercation with Edmonton D Keegan Lowe at the buzzer. The game misconduct apparently followed a spitting incident that is certain to be looked at by the WHL office.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From former WHL D Ricard Blidstrand (@RicBlidstrand): “worst thing about getting traded from regina was i didnt get to keep the track suit, damn they were good! goodnight”

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.

If you haven’t noticed, hockey game programs in magazine format are all but a thing of the past.
That’s really too bad, but it’s simply a sign of the times.
A lot of WHL teams now post programs and lineups, in one form or another, on their

websites on game days. Fans are able to go online and read them or print them.
At a glance, none are any better than the one produced and posted by the Seattle Thunderbirds.
If you’re a Thunderbirds fan, you will want to be checking this out on game days; if you’re not in Seattle, well, it’s worth looking at anyway. And it’s available on game days at www.seattlethunderbirds.com/page/digital-program.
The program also is downloadable via iPhone, Android or Blackberry at games, so you are able to read it that way during a game.
“All of the corporate partners ads are clickable and will direct the user to the website of the corporate partner,” notes Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds’ media and public relations director.
The package also includes statistics and standings, game notes from that night’s two teams, and player profiles using the question-and-answer format. The content of the Q-and-A sessions will change every month, with anything statistically related changing every game.
“Having a digital program means we are not going to be selling paper programs at our games,” Henry said, adding that the digital program also is being promoted through the use of a  QR code.
He then explained: “We are going to have seat stuffers that we put in the seat cup holders that have a QR code on it that we want fans to scan with their mobile device to take them to the digital program page. All of our sales/information tables will have the QR code so that our Account Executives can tell fans what they need to do to get the free program.
“We will have the QR codes on posters on the walls of ShoWare Center where fans can walk up and scan the code.
“We have also made the digital program a customizable option on the T-Birds mobile app. When a fan downloads the app to their phone there are initial default settings. If the user chooses to customize the app they can pick the digital program as an option that shows when they open the app. This option will take them right to the digital program page where they can click on the link for the program PDF.”
Switching to a digital program also means that teams are able to drive traffic to their websites. The digital program is done using UberFlip and that process “tracks how many views, link clicks, downloads and social shares each program has,” Henry said. “This means we have hard data we can provide to our corporate partners that we can show them. We can them how they benefit from a partnership with us.”
UberFlip also provides another neat bit of information.
Again, Henry explains: “UberFlip tracks ‘zoom points.’ On the backend, a little green dot is shown for each spot on the page where a user touched the screen to zoom on the page. This is a very intriguing tool for us to show our partners. We can show them exactly where a user touched their ad. And we can work with them to make their ad as effective as possible with the user so they maximize their relationships with us. Several of our corporate partners are involved with us beyond just the digital program. So this strengthens our relationships with them as well, which is good.”
Back in the day, one person in a hockey team’s office would handle the program, contacting a writer or two about providing copy. Stories and statistics, if any, might be changed once a month. If a program included player mugshots, someone who had been traded away might be shown for a few weeks before changes were made.
Now something like that can be changed at any time.
The Thunderbirds’ digital program came about through a collaboration that involved graphic designer/creative director Brian Eldridge, Jason Thomsen, the director of corporate partnerships, vice-president Colin Campbell and Henry.
———
THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ryan Kinasewich (Medicine Hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Milano Rossoblu (Italy, Serie A). He had four goals and seven assists in 14 games with Red
Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) earlier this season before being released by mutual agreement from Red Bull on Friday.
———
Dale Earnhardt returns to NASCAR this weekend have taking time away due to post-concussion syndrome. In an Associated Press story, Earnhardt admits he was a “mess” after suffering a second concussion in a matter of weeks. And what has he learned from all of this? “"I’m definitely going to be honest with myself and honest with the doctors," he said. "I’m going to do whatever they tell me to do. I want to be able to live a full life and not have any issues down the road." . . . That story is right here.
———
The Vancouver Giants became the first WHL team to cry ‘uncle’ this season as they did what most observers expected them to do and dealt D David Musil, 19, to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday.
Musil, the son of former NHLer Frantisek Musil, was swapped for D Mason Geertsen, 17, and a 2013 first-round bantam draft pick. Losing that draft pick won’t hurt Edmonton as, in all probability, it will be a late first-round selection and the Oil Kings right now hold two seconds — their own and one they acquired from the Portland Winterhawks in the middle of last season for the rights to Cam Reid.
The Giants originally acquired Musil from Kootenay for a first-round bantam draft pick after the Ice got his rights in a secret draft, the details of which never have been made public by the WHL. Interestingly, the WHL Guide states that Musil was a list player with Vancouver.
The Giants, who are on a five-game road trip, are 4-10-0 and in the Western Conference cellar. They are to play the Tigers in Medicine Hat tonight and should have the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Geertsen, who is from Rocky Rapids, Alta., in their lineup. (Rocky Rapids is in the Drayton Valley area.)
Musil, from Delta, B.C., was a second-round selection, 31st overall, by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2011 draft. The Oilers’ parent company, Rexall Sports, also owns the Oil Kings. Which is why there has been so much speculation surrounding Musil’s immediate future since the Giants started so poorly.
Musil, who should play for the Czech Republic at the world junior tournament, had 27 points and 104 penalty minutes in 59 games last season. This season, he has eight points and 18 penalty minutes in 14 games. In 206 career games, he has 92 points and 270 penalty minutes. He arrived in Edmonton late Wednesday night. The Oil Kings next play Friday against the Raiders in Prince Albert.
Geertsen, the 18th overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, missed some time with a concussion last season. He had three assists and 70 penalty minutes in 34 games last season. This season, he has four assists and 32 penalty minutes in 15 games.
The Oil Kings have three other Oilers’ draft picks on their roster — D Martin Gernat 122nd, 2011), F Travis Ewanyk (74th, 2011) and F Mitchell Moroz (32nd, 2012). (In fact, the Oilers have four draft picks in the WHL and all four now are with the Oil Kings.)
Gernat, who had 55 points in 60 games last season, has had shoulder surgery and may not return until early in the new year. Getting him back then will be like the Oil Kings making a deal at the Jan. 10 trade deadline and not losing anything off their roster.
———
Just for fun, I have added a poll to the blog. I will try to make this a regular feature, but remember it's just for fun. The first question pertains to Wednesday's trade between the Oil Kings and Giants. While I realize that no one will know for some time just who won this trade — maybe both teams win Memorial Cups over the next two or three seasons and it's a sawoff — what do you think? Give it your best shot and vote in the poll that is located over there on the right near the top of the page.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders are working to trade D Shayne Gwinner, 18, who has gone home to Drumheller to await a move. Gwinner played in nine of the club’s 16 games, with a goal and four penalty minutes. . . . “It just wasn’t working out,” Bruno Campese, the Raiders’ GM, told Perry Bergson of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “There were expectations for him and it hasn’t been happening. He’s been in and out of the lineup and it’s something we didn’t see getting any better anytime soon with the guys ahead of him playing well. In his best interests, and the team’s because it becomes difficult, the decision was made to send him home.” . . . The Raiders acquired Gwinner from the Moose Jaw Warriors on July 6. It cost them two bantam draft picks -- a fourth-rounder in 2013 and a sixth in 2014. . . . Gwinner’s departure leaves the Raiders with 22 players, including seven defencemen and 13 forwards.
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
The Portland Winterhawks erased a 1-0 deficit with three goals in less than seven minutes in the second period and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . With the Los Angeles Lakers playing the Trail Blazers in the latter’s home-opener at the Rose Garden, attendance for the hockey game at Veterans Memorial Coliseum was 2,204. . . . Portland (10-3-1) now has won five straight games. . . . Portland next players Friday and Saturday nights when the Victoria Royals are in town for a double-dip.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “The only way this #CHLPA story could get any weirder is if aliens were involved. Real outer space aliens. #CoastToCoastAM”

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.