The WHL must have felt some chest pains after seeing the headline — Why the WHL would work in Winnipeg; multiple franchises in trouble — on a Kelly Friesen-penned piece at Yahoo! Sports on Friday morning.
If you haven’t seen that piece, it’s right here.
Friesen’s story doesn’t break much new ground, as it speculates that major junior hockey could work in the Manitoba capital with the city’s NHL franchise as the owner. That, of course, would be a business plan similar to Calgary and Edmonton where the Flames and Oilers control WHL franchises.Interestingly, Winnipeg has a rather dismal history of supporting junior hockey, from the junior A Manitoba Junior League, which now has just one team in the city, to the WHL. Last summer, the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints were sold and relocated to Virden, where the franchise now operates as the Oil Capitals.
Winnipeg, at one time or another, was home to the WHL’s Jr. Jets (1967-73), Clubs (1973-76), Monarchs (1976-77) and Warriors (1980-84). The Jr. Jets, under the ownership of the legendary Ben Hatskin, had some near-glory days, but those were a long, long time ago.
Jim Toth of Winnipeg radio station CJOB, who has connections in the Kootenays from having spent some time working in the area, broke the news last weekend that True North Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s Jets, had been in talks with a WHL franchise about a possible sale and relocation.
Friesen, in his story, writes: “Multiple sources believe True North Sports and Entertainment recently kicked tires at the Kootenay Ice. The two sides apparently didn’t go far in negotiations with Ice owner Jeff Chynoweth asking for a much higher price than the Jets' ownership group is willing to pay.”
Would Chynoweth sell the Ice? Well, I would suggest that the Ice isn’t for sale but, as they say in the business world, everything has its price.
Furthermore, Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, has reported on his blog that the Ice’s attendance “has dropped almost 450 per game this season over last.” According to Hollick, that leaves the Ice’s average attendance at 2,350.
The Ice, of course, signed a 15-year lease with the facility in Cranbrook in January 2009.
When I contacted Chynoweth on Thursday night via text about his having spoken with TNSE, he replied: “No truth. 100% we will be in Cranbrook next (season).”
Friesen also points to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Prince George Cougars and Swift Current Broncos as franchises that are struggling financially.
Lethbridge and Swift Current both are community-owned, meaning that the franchises are controlled by shareholders within their cities. Neither of those is likely to be sold, unless there is an accompanying guarantee that the franchise won’t be relocated. The people in those communities recognize that once the team is gone, it’s gone.
As for the Cougars, owner Rick Brodsky has indicated time and time again that he has no intentions of selling his franchise.
Were I in the market for a WHL franchise, and you can bet that TNSE is at least exploring its options, I would be placing a call to Bill Gallacher, the owner of the Portland Winterhawks.
There has been ample speculation that Gallacher is quite interested in purchasing the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and relocating that franchise to Portland.
If TNSE hasn’t already done it, perhaps a call would be in order to ask Gallacher: If you do end up owning an NHL franchise, would you be interested in selling your WHL franchise?
———
F Frederik Tiffels, a German who was the Moose Jaw Warriors’ first selection in the CHL’s 2012 import draft, has committed to the NCAA route, saying he will join the Western Michigan University Broncos, who play out of Kalamazoo. . . . The Broncos head coach is former NHL head coach Andy Murray, who also speaks German. . . . Tiffels, who is from Cologne, has been playing in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. Tiffels, 17, has 20 points, including 18 assists, in 36 games. He also played for Germany at the World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia.
———
Former WHL G Kurtis Mucha earned the shutout as the Alberta Golden Bears opened a best-of-three Canada West playoff series with a 4-0 victory over the visiting Calgary Dinos. . . . Mucha is riding a shutout streak of 204 minutes 20 seconds. . . . The teams play again tonight in Edmonton.
———

The visiting Evansville IceMen scored a 5-4 ECHL victory over the Florida Everblades last night. The game went to the circus and it went 21 rounds. That’s right. A 21-round circus. . . . There were 42 shooters and five goals. Hey, Dan Russell, we can only imagine how exciting that must have been!


———
The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs. Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
A reminder: If you’re on Twitter and a hockey fan, you should be following WHL Facts at @WHLFacts . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades set a franchise record as they won their 14th straight game, beating the Brandon Wheat Kings, 7-4. . . . The previous record of 13 had been held by the 1987-88 Blades. . . .  Saskatoon is atop the East Division, five points ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders with each team having 11 games to play. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky scored three times in the first period and later added an assist. He‘s got 36 goals. His NHL rights belong to the Dallas Stars – he was a sixth-round selection in 2011 – and Les Jackson, the Stars’ director of scouting and player development, was in the house. . . . Former Wheat Kings F Brenden Walker, who now is the Blades’ captain, had a goal, his 24th, and two assists. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored his 40th goal, into an empty net. . . . Saskatoon D Darren Dietz scored twice. He leads all WHL defencemen in goals (19). . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes, who had been sidelined with a knee injury since Jan. 25, came on in relief of starter Curtis Honey. . . . Brandon D Nick Walters was ejected with a headshot major at 10:34 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Nathan Burns had his nine-game assist streak snapped. . . . The Wheat Kings are 13 points out of a playoff spot with 10 games to play. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Morgan Rielly’s 12th goal stood up as the winner as the Warriors beat the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . Rielly’s goal, at 6:31 of the third, gave the Warriors a 4-2 lead. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk later scored his 31st. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point had a goal, his 15th, and two assists. . . . Moose Jaw F Jordan Wyton, who has missed a lot of the season with concussion-related issues, scored his fifth goal of the season. He hadn’t played since Dec. 29 and was playing in only his fourth game since Nov. 10. . . . Moose Jaw D Dallas Valentine is out indefinitely with what Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports is a “fracture to part of the growth place in his hip.” . . . Gourlie also reported that D Spencer Morse, whom the Warriors had sent home for disciplinary reasons two weeks ago, has returned. He didn’t play last night. . . . The Warriors are 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Pats, but nine points out of the last playoff spot. . . .

In Swift Current, F Miles Koules scored in the fourth round of the circus to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry scored his 40th goal at 8:56 of the first period, via the PP. . . . Medicine Hat got its goal from F Logan McVeigh, his 16th, via the PP, at 4:43 of the second. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 39 shots through OT, while Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer stopped 28 shots. . . . The Tigers now are sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Broncos. . . .

In Calgary, F Brooks Macek scored the only goal in the circus and that gave the Hitmen a 6-5 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Hitmen won their 40th game of the season and clinched a playoff spot on head coach Mike Williamson’s 40th birthday. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart didn’t take long running his goal streak to five games – he scored his 26th goal 10 seconds into the game. . . . F Leon Draisaitl of the Raiders scored twice, giving him 18. . . . Calgary D Jayden Rissling forced OT with his fifth goal at 17:39 of the third. . . . Calgary is seven points behind the Central Division-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Raiders, who led the East Division for so long, now are in danger of losing home-ice advantage in the first round. They are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference with the hard-charging Red Deer Rebels. . . .

In Lethbridge, G Patrik Bartosak turned aside 32 shots as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Hurricanes, 2-0. . . . Bartosak has three shutouts this season and four in his career. . . . F Dominik Volek scored his ninth goal for Red Deer, via the PP, at 10:03 of the first. . . . F Turner Elson got his 20th into an empty net at 19:59 of the third. . . . The Hurricanes lost F Axel Blomqvist with a back injury during the first period. He was taken to hospital at the time. . . . The Rebels are tied with the Prince Albert Raiders for fourth in the Eastern Conference. Each team has 11 games remaining. . . . The Hurricanes are two points behind the eighth-place Kootenay Ice. . . .

In Prince George, F Ty Rattie scored twice and added an assist as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Cougars, 6-2. . . . Rattie has 37 goals. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic, the WHL’s leading point man, had two assists, while linemate Nic Petan, who is second, had a goal, his WHL-leading 43rd, and an assist. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 24 shots in earning his 20th victory. . . . Both Portland goaltenders now have won at least 20 games. . . . Prince George F Zach Pochiro was unsuccessful on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Winter hawks (50-9-3) are the first CHL team to 50 victories. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored his 19th goal, moving him into a tie with Saskatoon’s Darren Dietz for most goals by a defenceman. Dietz had gotten to 19 earlier in the evening. . . . The Winterhawks also set a franchise record with their 25th road victory of the season. . . . The Cougars remain three points out of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot, which is held by the Everett Silvertips. . . .

In Spokane, F Mike Aviani scored twice to help the Chiefs get past the Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-4. . . . Aviani has 28 goals. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton picked up three assists. . . . Edmonton F Cole Benson scored Edmonton’s first three goals, giving him six. It was his first WHL hat trick. . . . The Oil Kings cut the deficit to 5-4 on D Keegan Lowe’s 14th goal, a PP score, at 10:13 of the third. Edmonton then went on the PP at 17:36 but gave up a shorthanded goal to F Liam Stewart at 18:35. . . . Stewart has 11 goals. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-5 on the PP and scored twice while shorthanded. . . . The Chiefs are fifth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Oil Kings are second in the overall standings, but now are 12 points behind Portland. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Feser and F Jesse Mychan each had two goals and two assists to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Feser, who was playing in his 339th career game, has 37 goals; Mychan has 15. . . . Everett has lost a franchise-record 11 straight games. . . . Tri-City G Troy Trombley won his fourth game in his fourth straight start. Trombley, who was a late cut by the Silvertips in training camp, stopped 23 shots. . . . “As far as it goes, this is the highlight of my career,” Trombley told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “I haven’t had an opportunity like this (in) forever. I can show everyone what I can do, especially Everett — they didn’t want me.” . . . The Americans were 3-for-5 on the PP. . . . Tri-City F Malte Stromwall had three assists. . . . Everett D Austin Adam, back in the lineup after missing 14 games as he battled a concussion and mononucleosis, scored his first goal and had an assist. . . . The Americans have won four in a row. . . . Tri-City F Tyson Dallman (left leg) departed 11 seconds into the game and didn’t return. . . . The Americans are fourth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The two arch-rivals may indeed be headed for a first-round clash. . . .

In Victoria, the Kelowna Rockets scored five times in the second period and went on to an 8-3 victory over the Royals. . . . F Myles Bell had two goals, giving him 34, and two assists for Kelowna. . . . The teams were tied 1-1 going into the second period. . . . The Royals took 100 of the 174 penalty minutes handed out by referees Jeff Ingram and Brett Iverson. . . . The Rockets were 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . F Jamie Crooks scored his 30th goal for the Royals, who have lost five straight. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, three points behind Spokane. . . . Kelowna leads the B.C. Division by three points over the Kamloops Blazers and has closed to within a point of Edmonton, which is second in the overall standings. . . .

In Vancouver, G Cole Cheveldave stopped 24 shots as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Giants, 6-0. . . . Cheveldave has four shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford opened the scoring 10 seconds into the game. . . . F Colin Smith scored his 38th goal and added an assist, while F Cole Ully got his 20th goal. . . . The Giants lost D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen with a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on F JC Lipon at 13:37 of the second period. . . . Kamloops took 66 of the game’s 121 penalty minutes. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford had a goal and an assist. He’s got 20 points in his last 11 games. . . . The Blazers, who have won eight of 10, are three points behind Kelowna. . . . Each team has 10 games remaining and they will play each other three more times, with two of those games scheduled for Kamloops.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jordan Wyton, Moose Jaw
D Devan Fafard, Red Deer
D Michal Plutnar, Tri-City
D Kolton Dixon, Victoria

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Nick Walters, Brandon (major)
D Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton
F Mitch Holmberg, Spokane
F Austin Carroll, Victoria
D Kolton Dixon, Victoria
———






From Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls (@Jnicks20): “What’s that Saskatoon? You want @blades hockey to break a record on home ice? . . . Sure I think we could do that for ya #14straight #heater”
———
From writer Kelly Friesen (@KellyFriesen) of Yahoo! Sports: “#WHL isn’t allowing Mike Johnston to speak to the media . . . the league hasn’t handled that situation very well, to say the least.”

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.

F Cory Millette of the Red Deer Rebels, out with a concussion since Jan. 9, has been cleared to begin off-ice workouts. There is no timeline for a return to action, though.
———
Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that the Moose Jaw Warriors have sent home freshman D Spencer Morse, 17. In 40 games, he had five points and 70 penalty minutes.
“He’s been sent home for disciplinary reasons and we will re-evaluate as we go along,” Warriors head coach Mike Stothers told Gourlie.
Morse, from Calgary, was a second-round selection by the Warriors in the 2010 bantam draft.
———
The Kelowna Rockets have revealed that neither F Carter Rigby nor D Mitchell Wheaton will play again this season. Both have shoulder injuries that will require surgery and are expected to be sidelined for up to five months. . . . Rigby, an 18-year-old from Penticton, B.C., had 20 points, including 12 goals, in 34 games. He hasn’t played since Jan. 31. . . . Wheaton, a 17-year-old freshman from Sherwood Park, Alta., had eight points in 39 games. Wheaton last played on Jan. 24.
———
I meant to post this link earlier, and it slipped through the cracks.
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province wrote Saturday about the Vancouver Giants having signed F Alec Baer, a 15-year-old who is rated as one of the best players in his age group in Minnesota.
That story is right here.
———
The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Kootenay
Saskatoon vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Medicine Hat
Prince Albert vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Everett
Kelowna vs. Seattle
Kamloops vs. Victoria
Spokane vs. Tri-City
———
MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, the Blades scored five straight goals in beating the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . Saskatoon now has won 12 in a row and holds a four-point lead atop the East Division. . . . F Josh Nicholls scored his 38th goal of the season for the Blades, while F Matej Stransky got his 32nd. . . . Saskatoon is one victory shy of the franchise record for consecutive records set by the 1987-88 team. The Blades are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Wednesday. . . . Brandon had D Tyler Yaworski back in the lineup after he served a six-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major. He took a checking-from-behind minor in the second period last night. . . .

In Swift Current, F Jaedon Descheneau scored three times to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Broncos. . . . The victory lifted the Ice past the idle Lethbridge Hurricanes and into eighth place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Descheneau has 18 goals this season. . . . F Adam Lowry scored twice for the Broncos, giving him 39 goals. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski, in his 54th appearance, stopped 23 shots as he won for the 28th time. Among goaltenders, only Lethbridge’s Ty Rimmer (55) has been in more games this season. . . .

In Edmonton, G Laurent Brossoit stopped 20 shots and F Michael St. Croix the career 300-point plateau as the Oil Kings beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-0. . . . Brossoit has 10 shutouts in his career, five of them this season. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson scored the game’s first goal, his 30th. . . . St. Croix had a goal, his 31st, and two assists. In his career, he has 302 points in 268 games. . . . F Curtis Lazar added two goals, giving him 32. . . .

In Portland, the line of Taylor Leier, Chase De Leo and Oliver Bjorkstand combined for 16 points as each enjoyed a career game in the Winterhawks’ 8-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Leier scored twice, giving him 25, and added four assists. . . . De Leo had five assists. . . . Bjorkstand, a 17-year-old freshman from Denmark, struck for four goals and added an assist. He has 27 goals this season, including two hat tricks. . . . Leier had the first six-point game by a Portland player since Chad Wolkowski on Dec. 1, 2002. He had four goals and two assists in a 6-1 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . Portland players have enjoyed four four-goal games this season. . . . The Winterhawks’ high-scoring line of Brendan Leipsic, Nic Petan and Ty Rattie didn’t pick up even one point.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon
D Colton Waltz, Brandon
F Taylor Cooper, Brandon

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Blake Gal, Spokane
———


From former Swift Current Broncos F Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn): “Feel very honored to drop puck at #swiftcurrent broncos hockey game today. In recognition of #SheldonKennedyDay. Thx to City and Broncos”


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 Seattle Thunderbirds have traded D Reid Fritzke, 16, to the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Fritzke, an eight-round pick by Seattle in the 2011 bantam draft, is from Swift Current and plays for the midget AAA Legionnaires. He has 11 points in 26 games. . . . The WHL is under a trade moratorium at the moment, one that runs through Dec. 26. However, a Broncos news release that was issued Monday points out this deal was approved by the WHL office on Friday.
———

The Red Deer Rebels will have Bolton Pouliot in goal tonight as they play host to the Kootenay Ice. Patrik Bartosak, the Rebels’ starter, is with the Czech national junior team. Spencer Tremblay injured a knee in Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets and won’t play for a while. Tremblay had been brought in to compete with Pouliot while Bartosak was away. . . . “It’s a tough one for Spence,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, general manager and head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He won’t be ready to play for maybe three weeks, so the decision now is that Bolton will stay here for sure. We’ll get Spence to a junior A team and look at bringing him back next fall.”
———

The Saskatoon Blades are hunting for a seventh straight victory tonight as they meet the  Broncos in Swift Current. As well, Saskatoon F Matej Stransky is riding a seven-game goal streak, tied for the longest in the WHL this season. F Brendan Leipsic of the Portland Winterhawks had a seven-gamer from Oct. 28 through Nov. 10. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls leads the league with goals (26). Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix points out that the Blades haven’t had a skater lead the WHL in goals since Frank Banham scored 83 times in 1995-96.
 ———

The Vancouver Giants have signed D Michael Eskra, 15, who is with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Eskra, who is from Regina, has nine points in 26 games this season. The Giants selected him with the 110th pick of the 2012 bantam draft.
———

The Prince George Cougars are going to take a look at D Sam Ruopp, 16, of the midget AAA Regina Pa Canadians after the Christmas break. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder has 12 points in 25 games this season. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Ruopp, from Zehner, Sask., is the younger brother of Prince Albert Raiders D Harrison Ruopp, who also played for the Pat Canadians. . . . The Cougars return from the break with two games in Victoria against the Royals, on Dec. 28 and 29.

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:
F Justin Keller (Kelowna, 2003-06) agreed to a transfer for the rest of this season from Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) to the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had nine goals and 14 assists in 29 games for Red Bull this season. The Capitals have six forwards out with injuries and approached Red Bull and Keller to gauge their interest in a move.
———
The WHL in Nanaimo?
Sorry, Chilliwack, but it would appear to be closer than it has ever been.
Robert Barron of the Nanaimo Daily News had a story late in the week involving meetings between Mayor John Ruttan, city staff and RG Properties, owners of the WHL‘s Victoria Royals. RG Properties also is in the arena management business.
RG Properties, you may recall, purchased the franchise that was the Chilliwack Bruins and relocated it to Victoria.
"We're at the very early stages to determine how interested the city is in pursuing this," Graham Lee of RG Properties told Barron. "It would create an interesting rivalry between Victoria and Nanaimo if a WHL team was established here. It would be a good fit for the two cities and the league."
You can bet the message to the good people of Nanaimo is: Build it and we will come.
As soon as an arena with at least 5,000 seats is built there will be a WHL team calling Nanaimo home, either via relocation or expansion. Bet on it!
Many of the WHL’s other 21 teams aren’t all that thrilled with having to travel to Vancouver Island with only one team over there. It is a costly proposition — if you play a night game, you can't get off the ferry until the next morning and that means a hotel night — and the logistics caused by travel are most problematic.
Barron’s complete story is right here.
———
If you haven’t already seen this piece by Charles P. Pierce of Grantland, it is linked here for your Sunday morning reading enjoyment. This pretty much sums up how it is that the NHL got to where it is today.
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three third-period goals and beat the Warriors, 4-2. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the Warriors 4-2 in Brandon on Friday. . . . This is Brandon’s first two-game winning streak since it open the season at 4-0-0. . . . Last night, Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti’s 19th goal gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead at 15:09 of the second period. . . . Brandon F Chad Robinson tied it at 14:52 of the third, with F Taylor Cooper’s second goal of the season, at 17:52, standing up as the winner. . . . Robinson added an empty-netter, his seven goal this season. . . . Moose Jaw freshman F Josh Uhrich’s first WHL goal just 36 seconds into the game launched the teddy bears. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades ran their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades played those games over an eight-day stretch. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky scored twice, giving him 21 goals this season. He has at least one goal in each of his last seven games. . . . F Nathan Burns had a goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie stopped 25 shots in running his record to 4-0-0 since taking over for Andrey Makarov, who is with Russia’s national junior team. . . .

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 18 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Shields, a 17-year-old from Saskatoon, record his first career shutout as he improved his record to 5-2-1. He backs up Chris Driedger with the Hitmen. . . . F Greg Chase got the game’s first goal, at 1:46 of the first period. . . . F Cody Sylvester, who drew the lone assist on Chase’s eighth goal, added his 19th, shorthanded, at 19:18 of the third period. . . . Regina was 0-for-10 on the PP. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Comrie turned aside 36 shots as the Tri-City Americans edged the Chiefs, 2-1. . . . F Justin Feser, with his 19th, and F Malte Strömwall, with his 11th, gave Tri-City a 2-0 lead with early third-period goals. . . . It was Teddy Bear Toss night and the Chiefs were in danger of being blanked before D Reid Gow scored at 16:46 of the third. . . . Comrie had lost his last six decisions before this game. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings erased a 2-1 deficit with four straight second-period goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 5-2. . . . F Steven Hodges gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 2:56 of the second period, but Edmonton F Michael St. Croix tied it at 5:24, on the PP, and F T.J. Foster put the home side out front at 7:50. . . . The teams combined for an even 100 penalty minutes, with Edmonton taking 55 of those. . . .

In Red Deer, the Kelowna Rockets improved to 4-0 on an Alberta swing as they beat the Rebels, 6-1. . . . F Dylen McKinlay had three assists for the Rockets. . . . The Rockets are 3-0 versus Red Deer this season, with G Jackson Whistle putting up all three victories. . . . F Myles Bell scored his 20th goal of the season for Kelowna, which gave up the game’s first goal and then scored six in a row. . . . D Mitchell Wheaton got the Rockets started with his first WHL goal in his 32nd game. . . . Whistle stopped 28 shots in improving his record to 7-1-0. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, is six points behind the second-place Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference and holds four games in hand. . . . The Rockets will use up one of those games when they play in Calgary this afternoon. . . .

In Prince George, G Brett Zarowny stopped 23 shots and F Chase Witala had four points as the Cougars blanked the Vancouver Giants, 6-0. . . . The Giants had beaten the visiting Cougars 2-1 on Friday night; the teams play again this afternoon in Prince George. . . . Zarowny, a 17-year-old freshman from Edson, Alta., has two shutouts this season. . . . Witala had a goal, his fourth, and three assists. . . . F Colin Jacobs, just back from a six-game suspension, scored the game’s first goal, his 11th. Jacobs, who also had two assists, hadn’t played since Nov. 30. . . . Prince George D Rinalds Rosinskis played his last game before joining the Latvian national junior team. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Dylan Busenius scored a PP goal in OT to give the Tigers a wild 7-6 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Busenius got his sixth goal of the season at 3:01 of OT with Kamloops F Tim Bozon off for tripping. . . . Kamloops, which gave up 10 power plays in a 4-2 loss in Lethbridge on Friday, ran into penalty problems again in this one. The Tigers were 3-for-8 with the man advantage; the Blazers were 0-for-3. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton, who went into the game with a goal and two assists in 21 games, had a goal and three helpers in this one. . . . Kamloops D Joel Edmundson had a goal and three assists. . . . Stanton gave Medicine Hat a 6-4 lead at 1:50 of the third. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham cut into the lead with a shorthanded gol at 11:26 and Edmundson tied it at 14:34. . . . The Blazers lost F Aspen Sterzer at 7:26 of the third period when he was hit with a major penalty and game misconduct for checking to the head after a hit on F Trevor Cox. Sterzer was playing his fourth game since he served a one-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major on Dec. 7 against the visiting Prince George Cougars. . . . Sterzer’s departure left the Blazers with nine forwards. . . . There was a situation during this game in which the Blazers scored a goal but play went on until the next stoppage, after which it went to video review. The stoppage was to hand out three minor penalties. The goal was awarded to Kamloops, meaning time was reset back to that point. But the penalties were handed out, just the same. I got caught by this rule last season and it was pointed out to me that the penalties are called. Under rule 78.6, “Any penalties signalled during the period of time between the apparent goal and the next stoppage of play shall be assessed in the normal manner, except when a minor penalty is to be assessed to the team scored upon, and is therefore nullified by the scoring of the goal. If an infraction happens after the first stoppage of play following an apparent goal (infraction after the whistle) by either team, it is assessed and served in the normal manner regardless as to the decision rendered by the Video Goal Judge.”

In Portland, F Taylor Leier scored the game’s first two goals and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took 99 of the game’s 163 penalty minutes. Merry Christmas! . . . Seattle made a goaltending change at 5:01 of the first period, with Brandon Glover, who was beaten twice on four shots, leaving in favour of Danny Mumaugh, a 16-year-old from Denver who was making his WHL debut. He stopped 29 of 31 shots. . . . Leier’s first goal was for the Teddy Bears. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists and now is tied for second in the WHL scoring race. He and F JC Lipon of the Kamloops Blazers are at 57 points, five behind F Colin Smith of Kamloops. . . . The victory lifted the Winterhawks to the top of the overall standings. They have 55 points, one more than Kamloops which has played five more games. . . . The Winterhawks are in Everett this evening.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Bryson Gore, Moose Jaw
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon
D Jagger Dirk, Kootenay
D Tanner Faith, Kootenay
D Ashton Sautner, Edmonton
D Landon Cross, Kamloops
F Connor Honey, Seattle
D Marc McNulty, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Cody Sylvester, Calgary
F Aspen Sterzer, Kamloops (major)
F Elgin Pearce, Medicine Hat
———






Erin in PDX (@girlonavespa21): “Coaches Travis Green and Steve Konowalchuk got up close and personal with each other at the end of the Winterhawks/T’birds #whlrivalrytilt”
Two more WHL coaches exchange late-game Christmas greetings. In this instance, both drew bench minors, albeit at game’s end.

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

Blades burn Blazers with late goals

Forward Nathan Burns (21) of the Saskatoon Blades, here skating away from
Kamloops Blazers defenceman Marek Hrbas, won Friday's game with a late
third-period goal.
(MURRAY MITCHELL/KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Saskatoon Blades, who will be the host team in the 2013 Memorial Cup, made their national TV debut in On The Edge, a Sportsnet show, on Friday night.
They weren’t able to hold their own viewing party because they were playing the Kamloops Blazers at Interior Savings Centre.
On the ice, the Blades were more like junkyard dogs than TV prima donnas as they erased a 2-0 third-period deficit and stunned the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2.
“That’s probably the biggest goal I’ve scored in my career,” offered Saskatoon forward Nathan Burns who won this one at 18:59 of the third period. “It feels good.”
This was Burns’ first goal in seven games for the Blades (11-11-1), who acquired him from the Vancouver Giants for first- and third-round bantam draft picks and forward Travis McEvoy, 18.
Burns beat Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave with a shot from the slot that came off the rush.
“That felt great to get it out of the way,” Burns said. He admitted that he had been “squeezing the stick a little bit. It’s good to get that weight off my shoulders.”
It was Burns' 35th goal in 194 regular-season games. Nine of those goals have come against the Blazers. Last season, when he scored 12 times in 55 games, he had six goals against Kamloops, three of them at the ISC.
“I’ve scored a few goals against Kamloops,” Burns, a 19-year-old from Edmonton, offered. “I don’t know what it is.”
The Blazers (19-6-2) don’t know what it is, either. They appeared to have this game under control as they led 2-0 with less than 12 minutes to play in the third period.
“Momentum was huge, especially in the third period,” Burns said. “They let off a little and we took advantage.”
Burns added that the Blades, who are 3-1-0 on a B.C. Division swing that ends in Kelowna tonight, weren’t going to quit, despite being down 2-0.
“We new we’d had chances,” he said. “We knew that one would go in and when one went in we were going to get a couple more. We never doubted ourselves.”
He also said that the Blades looked forward to playing the Blazers, who lead the WHL’s overall standings by a point over the Portland Winterhawks.
“This is a huge win,” he said. “We knew coming in that Kamloops was a top team in this league and we wanted to judge ourselves off them. Now we know where we are and how good we can play when we stick with it and play our systems.
“Playing them is a fun game. You know it’s going to be a fun game coming in.”
That first Blades goal came from forward Logan Harland, a 17-year-old from Frenchman Butte, Sask.,  who was in the lineup because of injuries. He got the Blades rolling with his first goal this season, at 8:39 of the third, firing a shot off the left wing that sailed past Cheveldave’s trapper.
The Blades were without five regulars, including injured centre Shane McColgan, their second-leading scorer, and defenceman Duncan Siemens, a first-round selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2011 draft. Siemens, 19, flew out of Kamloops yesterday to be with his ailing father, Errol, in Sherwood Park, Alta.
Four minutes after Harland scored, it was 2-2. Kamloops winger Cole Ully thought he had Matej Stransky covered in the neutral zone, but the Saskatoon veteran tripped him up, a move that created all kinds of room on the right side, and he was able to rip a shot past Cheveldave.
“We just laid right back. We didn’t shut them down after getting a two-goal lead,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “When things don’t go well . . . there’s going to be nights when you’re not going to score. When we won those games, we couldn’t do anything wrong. Now it’s not going in.”
Since enjoying a 14-game winning streak, the Blazers are 3-6-1.
“If we want to continue to win and get back to winning consistently,” Charron continued, “we have to play defence much better. They had two goals tonight when it was one invidivudal versus three or four of our guys. We’re there in position but we don’t do anything about it.
“If you want to win in any league, you have to learn how to check.”
Charron said he and associate coach Dave Hunchak continue to work on the defensive game in practices.
But, Charron added, “the players have to commit themselves to it. Right now we’re not committed to playing defence. We’re just committed to being an offensive type of team and it’s catching up to us.”
Charron also was upset with his big line — Colin Smith between Tim Bozon and JC Lipon — for not getting the puck to the Saskatoon net.
“Smitty’s line passes east-west,” Charron stated. “Teams are saying ‘Don’t worry about these guys. Take away the seams. They don’t shoot.’ ”
The coaches, Charron said, have been talking to the players about not passing up scoring chances and shooting the puck more from the high-percentage areas.
“We showed them . . . you can take the horse to the water but you can’t force him to drink,” he added with a shrug.
The Blazers, who got second-period goals from Chase Souto and  Smith, also are going to have learn how to deal with being on the receiving end of physical play, especially if their power play, which was 0-for-6, continues to struggle.
“Our penalty killing was excellent and the reason for that is because (Andrey) Makarov was great in goal for us,” said Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ general manager and head coach.
Makarov finished with 41 saves, including a brilliant right pad save on Smith in the first period and a terrific second-period glove save on Bozon. The Blazers also had a chance at the final buzzer, but Makarov again stoned Bozon.
The Blades came out and were physical and chippy, and the result was a hockey game, that at least for the first 30 minutes, was about as gritty as it gets these days.
It was obvious early that the visitors were wanting to take a pound of flesh from the Blazers big guns, especially Smith and Brendan Ranford.
The result was a number of post-whistle scrums, lots of gloves in faces and the odd stick in the back of the legs.
“We get caught up in that and we addressed it after the second period,” Charron said. “That’s not our identity as a team. If teams know they can have success doing that then we better be ready for it because every team is going to do it.
“And the team (tonight) is not going to do any different.”
That would be the Vancouver Giants, who provide tonight’s oppostion at the ISC. Game time is 7 o’clock.
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,764. . . . The Blades were 0-for-5 on the power play. . . . Kamloops F Aaron Macklin didn’t return after the first period. He took a stick while seated on the bench and needed stitches. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. D Darren Dietz, Saskatoon: Best player on the ice and played a lot; 2. Makarov: Owned Bozon; 3. D Sam Grist, Kamloops: Big guy blocked shots and played tough. . . . Ranford picked up his 300th regular-season point when he drew an assist on Souto’s goal. Ranford has played 303 games, all with the Blazers, and his 10th on the all-time scoring list, 12 points behind Zac Boyer. Already this season Ranford has passed Darryl Sydor (274), Robin Bawa (278) and Donnie Kinney (287).

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.