Showing posts with label Matt Alfaro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Alfaro. Show all posts

Friday, March 3, 2017

Pats' financial losses not unexpected ... Tigers roar back in Regina ... Seattle back on top in U.S.





When Bill Peters was the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, I always made a point of stopping for a post-game conversation.
Why?
NHLBecause he never met a question he wouldn’t answer and because he always had questions of his own. He always wanted to know what was happening.
On Friday, Peters, now the head coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, was asked about his club’s goaltending and whether Cam Ward and Eddie Lack were involved in any kind of competition for the starter’s role.
“You've gotta push," Peters replied. “The one guy's played 10 games. Eddie's played 10 games and was poor in his last outing, let's not kid ourselves, right?
"There were 16 shots and four went in. Not good enough. You look at his numbers in the league and they're not good enough. So I don't think it's much of a competition. I think we've got a guy who's well ahead of the other guy. That's what I see and the numbers back that up.”
Still, it sounds as though Peters will be giving Lack 2-4-2, 3.33, .873) at least one more opportunity.
"When he gets in again, he better play," Peters said. "You better earn some respect from your teammates. Your teammates are out there working their bag off, you better get some saves. And a timely save at the right time wouldn't hurt.”
That’s gold if you’re a sports journalist, something there is darn little of these days.
NHLThe same holds true for comments from Claude Julien, the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Asked about defensive zone adjustments his club has made, Julien chose to answer the question with an honest explanation, rather than bafflegab.
“The biggest thing is we call it a bit of a swarm, which all teams do,” Julien explained. “When the puck’s in the corner we’re trying to outnumber teams. If there’s two in there, we’re three, but we’re tight. We’re not giving them an opportunity to make plays.
“I think we’re closing the play a little quicker, so instead of being passive we’re a little bit more aggressive, but we can be more aggressive because we’ve got more people there to give you some second layers and third layers. That’s what we’ve done.
“I think we’ve closed the play a little quicker. Where I think we’ve improved a lot from the start is we were doing it well, but once we got the puck we were having trouble getting our breakouts from that swarm.
“So now we’re getting used to understanding that our wingers are low, we can’t just rim the puck hard to the boards. We either make soft rims or we skate with it until a players’ out there. So both those things, we’re giving less scoring chances because we’re spending probably a little less time (in our zone), and the time we’re spending in there the A-grade (scoring chances) of the other team have really gone down.”
Wonderful. Just wonderful. Here’s hoping coaches everywhere are paying attention.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F Aidan Barfoot, who was a sixth-round pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Barfoot, from Richmond, B.C., has 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 games with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. 
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According to the numbers, the Regina Pats have been one of the WHL’s biggest money-losing franchises over the past couple of seasons. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports: “According to financial details revealed this week, the Pats recorded the largest deficit in the 22-team WHL during the 2014-15 season ($1.2 million). Their net loss was just under $900,000 in 2015-16, bringing the total deficit to more than $2 million despite back-to-back winning seasons and two straight trips to the second round of the playoffs.” . . . The figures were contained in financial statements that were released as more than 400 former and present CHL players seek certification for a class-action lawsuit that asks that teams pay minimum wage and other benefits. . . . Despite losing money, the Pats’ ownership group, Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group, isn’t concerned. In fact, Anthony Marquardt, the group’s president, explains that buying the franchise was a long-term investment and that the owners new going in that there would be some expenses in the early days. . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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The lawsuit involving the CHL and its teams continues, with things now having shifted to a court in Toronto. As Rick Westhead of TSN reports right here, the focus has turned to the value of franchises, especially those that were sold between 2012 and 2016. . . . Westhead’s latest story is right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Caiden Daley had the first three-point game of his WHL career in helping the Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Daley, a first-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft,
CAIDEN DALEY
has a goal and eight assists in 53 games this season. . . . F Nolan Patrick, F Tyler Coulter and F Reid Duke also had three points each for Brandon. . . . Patrick’s 18th goal got Brandon started at 19:47 of the first period. Patrick, who also had two assists, now has 42 points in 27 games. . . . Patrick’s first assist was the 200th point of his career. It came in his 157th game. . . . Brandon went ahead 2-0 when F Ty Lewis got his 29th goal, at 1:41 of the second period. . . . F Jake Kryski’s 18th goal, on a PP, got Calgary on the scoreboard at 5:01. . . . The Wheat Kings got the game’s last four goals, from F Reid Duke (35), F Tyler Coulter, who scored twice to give him 29, and F Stelio Matheos (24). Two of those came via the PP. . . . Duke and D James Shearer each had two assists, with Mattheos, Lewis and Coulter each getting one. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots, while Calgary’s Kyle Dumba blocked 27. . . . G Cody Porter was back on Calgary’s bench after not having played since Jan. 1. . . . The Hitmen also had F Lucas Cullen back for the first time since Dec. 10. . . . Brandon was 2-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (29-26-10) had lost their previous six games (0-4-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Hitmen (24-30-10) have lost three straight. They are tied with Saskatoon for the conference’s second wild-card spot. Each has eight games remaining. . . . The Wheat Kings are celebrating their 50th anniversary and as part of the celebrations are naming the top 50 players. Last night, they introduced a fourth line of Jordin Tootoo, Matt Calvert and Mark Stone. . . . Announced attendance: 4,008.
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At Everett, F Nolan Foote scored the only goal of a six-round shootout as the Kelowna Rockets beat the
NOLAN FOOTE
Silvertips, 3-2. . . . F Reid Gardiner scored twice for Kelowna, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:22 of the first period and putting them ahead 2-1 at 19:11 of the second. . . . Everett D Jake Christiansen (6) tied the game 1-1 at 7:50 of the second. . . . F Patrick Bajkov’s 26th goal, at 11:40 of the third period, pulled Everett into a 2-2 draw. . . . D Kevin Davis had two assists for Everett, with Bajkov and Christiansen adding one each. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 34 shots for the Rockets through OT, then was perfect in the shootout. . . . Everett got 23 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Kelowna was 0-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . F Tomas Soustal was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . Mitch Love, Everett’s veteran assistant coach, had a $500 hole in his wallet. That’s how much he was fined by the WHL after getting tossed from a Wednesday game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets (39-21-5) have won three in a row. They have moved into second place in the B.C. Division, one point ahead of Kamloops. . . . The Silvertips (38-14-11) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They slipped to second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Seattle. Everett holds two games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,811.
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At Portland, F Ryan Hughes scored at 1:44 of OT to give the Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Hughes won it with his 26th goal of the season. . . . This was Game 2 of a
RYAN HUGHES
tripleheader. The Winterhawks had beaten the Giants, 5-1, in Langley, B.C., on Wednesday night. They’ll play again in Portland tonight. . . . Last night, the Giants forced OT with two late third-period goals. . . . D Jordan Wharrie scored his fourth goal at 18:40 and F Jordan Borstmayer tied it with his sixth goal, with just 42.8 seconds showing on the clock. . . . F Keegan Iverson (21) had given Portland a 1-0 lead 47 seconds into the second period. . . . The Giants took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Ty Ronning (24) at 7:41, and F Jack Flaman (14), at 8:32. . . . The Winterhawks scored the next three goals, with F Skyler McKenzie getting No. 37, on a PP, at 10:50; F Brad Ginnell (6) scoring at 15:33; and F Matt Revel getting his ninth goal, and second in three games with Portland, at 16:37 of the third period. . . . F Cody Glass had two assists for the winners, with Iverson and McKenzie getting one each. . . . Flaman and Ronning had an assist each for the Giants. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 27 shots for Portland, 10 fewer than Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Giants had F Tyler Ho, a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, and D Bowen Byram, the third-overall selection in the 2016 draft, in their lineup. . . . Portland (34-26-4) has won two in a row. They are in possession of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Giants (19-40-6) have lost five straight (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,469.
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At Prince Albert, F Matt Alfaro scored twice and added an assist to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 5-
MATT ALFARO
2 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead on first-period PP goals from Alfaro, at 8:44, and F Zak Zborosky, at 12:31. . . . F Simon Stransky got the Raiders close with his 18th goal at 7:58 of the second period. . . . The Hurricane regained their two-goal lead when F Egor Babenko (21) scored at 16:14. . . . Prince Albert D Max Martin (7) narrowed the lead at 17:30. . . . Lethbridge put it away on third-period goals from F Tyler Wong, who leads the WHL with 48 goals, at 7:30, and Alfaro, his 25th, on a PP, at 13:47. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from each of Wong, D Brennan Menell and F Giorgio Estephan. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 38 shots for Lethbridge, while the Raiders got 36 stops from G Nic Sanders. . . . Lethbridge was 3-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-6. . . . The Hurricanes (41-17-7) have won five in a row. They are second in the Central Division, four points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Raiders (17-41-7) had points in their previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,026.
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At Prince George, D Brendan Guhle returned from a 12-game absence to score one goal and draw three assists as the Cougars beat the Kamloops Blazers, 8-4. . . . Guhle, who was out with an ankle injury, had
BRENDAN GUHLE
last played on Jan. 29. He had 24 points, 11 of them goals, in 26 games with the Cougars, who acquired him from the Prince Albert Raiders in November. . . . F Kody McDonald gave the hosts a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 2:05 of the first period. . . . Kamloops tied it on F Luc Smith’s 12th goal, at 7:30. . . . McDonald, who has 15 goals, put his guys back out front at 10:02. . . . The Cougars then took control with four second-period goals in a span of 10:06. . . . F Colby McAuley (23) scored at 1:50, with F Nikita Popugaev (27) scoring at 4:05, Guhle gett his 13th goal at 9:33, and F Radovan Bondra putting in No. 31, at 11:56. . . . The Blazers got to within 6-3 on goals from F Travis Walton (5), at 15:10, and F Quinn Benjafield (13), on a PP, at 17:52. . . . The Cougars put it away on a pair of goals from F Jared Bethune, at 19:31 of the second and 3:24 of the third. . . . F Collin Shirley finished the scoring with No. 26, shorthanded, at 14:26. . . . The Cougars got two assists from each of D Sam Ruopp, F Josh Curtis and F Jesse Gabrielle, with Bethune, Bondra, McDonald and McAuley adding one apiece. . . . F Lane Bauer had two assists for Kamloops, and Shirley had one. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 27 saves. . . . Kamloops starter Connor Ingram stopped 27 of 32 shots in 31:07, with Dylan Ferguson coming on in relief to allow three goals on 18 shots in 28:53. . . . Prince George was 1-2 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-4. . . . It was the second time in a week that Kamloops allowed eight goals — they were beaten 8-2 by the visiting Kelowna Rockets — after not having done so since Jan. 22, 2016. In that one, the Blazers lost 9-4 in Prince George. . . . The Cougars continue to play without F Brad Morrison (undisclosed injury). . . . Kamloops lost F Jermaine Loewen to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 11:24 of the third period. . . . Prince George (41-20-5) now leads the B.C. Division by four points over Kelowna. . . . Kamloops (38-22-6) is third, one point behind Kelowna. . . . The two teams are scheduled to meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . The Cougars went into Friday's game having gone 0-7-2 in their previous nine games against teams in possession of playoff spots. They hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record since Jan. 18 when they scored a 6-5 shootout victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . . Announced attendance: 4,273.
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At Regina, D Jordan Henderson had a goal and two assists to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Pats. . . . The Tigers came all the way back from a 3-0 deficit in a battle of the WHL’s top
JORDAN HENDERSON
two teams — at least according to the overall standings. . . . Regina led 3-0 early in the second period on goals from F Austin Wagner (28), at 4:48 of the first period, F Nick Henry (32), at 1:37 of the second period, and D Josh Mahura (15), at 2:32. . . . Henderson’s sixth goal, at 11:43, cut into the lead and F Mark Rassell’s 33rd goal got the visitors to within one at 17:10. . . . F Sam Steel’s 45th goal, shorthanded, at 18:46 seemed to put the Pats back in control. . . . However, the Tigers stormed back with four third-period goals. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko got No. 11 at 1:58 and F Chad Butcher (24) tied it at 13:49. . . . F Steve Owre broke the tie with his 24th goal, at 15:50, and F Zach Fischer got the empty-netter at 19:19. He’s got 30 goals. . . . Henderson has 18 points, five of them goals, in 19 games with the Tigers, who acquired him from the Saskatoon Blades. He had started the season with the Spokane Chiefs. Prior to joining the Tigers, Henderson had two goals and 15 assists in 132 games. . . . Owre, Butcher, Rassell and Fischer each had an assist. . . . The Pats got two assists from F Adam Brooks, with Steel adding one. . . . G Michael Bullion, in his third straight start for the Tigers, made 33 saves. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 34 shots for Regina. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-3 on the PP; Regina was 0-4. . . . The Tigers (46-18-1) have won four in a row to close within three points of the Pats, who lead the overall standings. . . . Regina (44-11-8) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) for the first time this season. . . . Announced attendance: 5,759.
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LOGAN FLODELL
At Saskatoon, G Logan Flodell blocked 20 shots to lead the Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Flodell, who turned 20 on Feb. 10, has three shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 28th goal just 54 seconds into the game. . . . Saskatoon went ahead 2-0 on a PP goal by F Mason McCarty, his 18th, at 17:41. . . . F Kirby Dach added insurance with his fourth goal, at 4:29 of the second period, and F Markson Bechtold put it away with his eighth goal just 15 seconds later. . . . F Michael Farren had three assists, with McCarty, Bechtold and Dach adding one apiece. . . . The Ice got 24 saves from G Jakob Walter. . . . The Blades (25-31-8) had lost their previous two games. They now are tied with Calgary for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Ice slipped to 14-39-10. . . . Announced attendance: 3,783.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds built a 3-0 lead and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 27 shots in recording his WHL-leading 34th victory. . . .
RYLAN TOTH
Seattle F Mathew Barzal, playing in his 200th regular-season game, scored his 10th goal for a 1-0 lead 57 seconds into the first period. Barzal also had an assist on Seattle’s third goal. . . . F Sami Moilanen scored Seattle’s other two goals, giving him 20. He counted at 11:17 of the first period and again at 13:38 of the second. . . . D Dylan Coghlan (13) cut into Tri-City’s deficit at 8:27 of the third period, and F Kyle Olson’s 18th goal made it a one-goal game at 11:05. . . . F Nolan Volcan had two assists for Seattle. . . . Coghlan added an assist to his goal. . . . The Americans got 20 saves from G Rylan Parenteau. . . . There was only one minor penalty called in the game. . . . Tri-City was 0-1 on the PP; Seattle’s unit never got on the ice. . . . Seattle F Mathew Wedman was back in the lineup after missing 25 games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Thunderbirds remain without three top-end players — D Ethan Bear, D Jarret Tyszka and F Scott Eansor. . . . D Tyson Terretta, who turned 17 on Feb. 22, made his WHL debut with Seattle. From High River, Alta., he was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He had a goal and nine assists in 34 games with the midget AAA Foothills CFR Chemical Bisons of Strathmore, Alta. . . . The Thunderbirds (41-18-6) have points in four straight (3-0-1). They now lead the U.S. Division by a point over Everett. . . . The Americans (38-24-3) had won their previous seven games. They are third in the U.S. Division, eight points behind Everett and seven in front of Portland. . . . Announced attendance: 5,066.
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At Victoria, the Royals scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 4-3. . . . Trailing 3-1, the Royals got two PP goals from F Dante Hannoun, the second with 0.2 seconds left in the second
DANTE HANNOUN
period. . . . Hannoun, who has 23 goals, also scored at 16:43 of the second to cut the deficit to one. . . . F Matt Phillips snapped the tie with his 44th goal, at 13:54 of the third period. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan had given Spokane a 1-0 lead with his 35th goal, at 4:54 of the first period. . . . The Royals tied it on a PP as F Jack Walker got his 28th goal, at 18:27. . . . The Chiefs went up 3-1 on second-period goals from F Ondrej Najman (5), at 1:51, and F Ethan McIndoe (17), at 14:46. . . . Phillips and F Vladimir Bobylev had two assists each for the Royals, with Walker adding one. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 26 shots in earning his franchise-record 33rd victory of the season. G Coleman Vollrath had set the previous record last season. . . . The Chiefs got 28 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . The Royals were 3-3 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-2. . . . Victoria (36-23-5) has points in six straight games (5-0-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and is fourth in the B.C. Division, five points behind Kamloops. . . . The Chiefs slipped to 26-28-9. They have nine games remaining and are 11 points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,148.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Portland, 6 p.m.
Kootenay at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Saturday, February 25, 2017

WHL teams working against mumps . . . Edmond sets P.G. record . . . Victoria d-man spins record, too




The WHL isn’t in lockdown mode, but it is into prevention in a big way as it hopes to avoid a full-blown outbreak of mumps.
The league issued a news release on Friday evening that began:
“The Western Hockey League was informed of confirmed cases of mumps within one of our member  clubs in early February. Since that time, the WHL has been working closely with its team services committee, all 22 WHL member clubs and their training staff members as well as the applicable health authorities to ensure proper steps are being taken to minimize the spread of the virus.”
To date, it has been confirmed that players and staff with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Medicine Hat Tigers have been diagnosed with mumps over the past couple of weeks. As well, Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels, indicated on Thursday while discussing the mumps outbreak with rdnewsNOW that “they had a situation occur in Swift Current” with the Broncos.
You can bet that all WHL teams are working on prevention.
“All WHL clubs were also asked to review vaccination histories of players and team staff and strongly recommend vaccination if necessary,” the WHL news release continued. “The medical and training staff members of each WHL club and the WHL office are on alert for anyone displaying mumps symptoms, including officials, and isolating individuals as required.”
In Kamloops, Blazers athletic trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson, who worked his 1,500th game on Friday night, said he and his staff have been doing a lot of cleaning with bleach and are using their electrolysed washing system a lot more than they normally do. They also are making sure that water bottles are cleaned every day.
The WHL has asked teams to limit contact between players and fans, so teams are suspending minor hockey promotions and other appearances that might put players in close proximity to fans.
On Friday, for example, the Blazers, who were at home to the Kelowna Rockets, cancelled the pregame Timbits promotion that normally has a minor hockey player on the ice with them for the anthem. Security staff at the Sandman Centre also acted to limit post-game contact between players and fans in the arena’s lower reaches.
In Red Deer, the Rebels cancelled a post-game autograph session that would have have involved players and fans interacting.
The Rebels notified their fans via tweet: “There is currently a mumps outbreak and for player safety we cannot hold post-game autographs tonight.”
The Calgary Hitmen also cancelled a post-game autograph session last night.
This isn’t a problem affecting only the WHL. On Friday afternoon, the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks revealed that one player, D Troy Stecher, has been diagnosed with mumps and at least four others are showing symptoms.
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Andy Eide of ESPN 710 Seattle posted a Seattle Thunderbirds notebook prior to Friday’s games that included some interesting info. . . . D Ethan Bear now holds the Thunderbirds record for career goals by a defenceman, but he isn’t likely to reach the points record that is held by Shea Theodore. . . . Meanwhile, head coach Steve Konowalchuk needs three victories to tie Don Nachbaur for second place on the franchise’s career list. Nachbaur, now the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, ran the Seattle bench from 1994-2000. . . . Eide’s complete notebook is right here.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Steve Owre scored twice and added an assist to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Tigers took a 3-1 lead into the second period. . . . Calgary F Jakob
STEVE OWRE
Stukel gave his guys a 1-0 lead, on the PP, at 5:59 of the first period. . . . Owre tied it at 9:28 and D Brad Forrest’s second goal of the season gave the visitors the lead at 13:02. Owre, who assisted on Forrest’s goal, got No. 22 at 18:45 for a 3-1 lead. . . . Stukel’s 20th goal got the Hitmen to within a goal at 4:19 of the second period, but F Tyler Preziuso (4) got that one back at 4:51. . . . The Hitmen got back to within one when F Andrei Grishakov counted at 11:46. . . . The Tigers went ahead 5-3 as F Mason Shaw got his 24th at 17:02. . . . Grishakov closed the scoring with his ninth goal at 19:37 of the third period. . . . The Tigers got two assists from each of F Zach Fischer and F Chad Butcher. . . . Fischer wore No. 9 for the final time as the Tigers will retire it tonight in honour of the late Tom Lysiak. . . . Grishakov also had an assist, while F Matteo Gennaro had two of them. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean earned one assist, giving him 100 for his career. . . . The Tigers got 33 saves from G Nick Schneider, who earned his 31st victory. He has won his last nine starts against Calgary, six of them this season. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba stopped 25 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-2. . . . David Quenneville, one of the WHL’s highest-scoring defencemen, was back in the Tigers’ lineup. He had been out since Jan. 3 with a broken leg suffered while blocking a shot. When he was injured, he had 48 points, 20 of them goals, in 38 games. He was pointless and plus-2 last night. . . . The Tigers also had D Kristians Rubins and F Ryan Chyzowski back after their brushes with mumps, but F James Hamblin and D Jordan Henderson remained out. . . . Medicine Hat (43-18-1) is 6-0-0 against Calgary this season. The Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Hitmen (23-27-10) had points in their previous five games (4-0-1). They are tied with Saskatoon for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,031.
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At Everett, F Dominic Zwerger scored a goal and added three assists to lead the Silvertips to a 4-1
DOMINIC ZWERGER
victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Patrick Bajkov (24) gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the first period. . . . The Winterhawks tied it when F Joachim Blichfeld got No. 26, on a PP, at 15:08. . . . Zwerger broke the tie with his 24th goal, on a PP, at 17:50. . . . The Silvertips got insurance from D Jake Christiansen (5) at 14:20 of the second period. . . . D Noah Juulsen sealed the victory with his 12th goal at 11:59 of the third period. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had two assists for Everett, as did Bajkov. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 42 shots for Everett in posting his 79th career victory, 26 of them this season. He leads the WHL with a 1.93 GAA. . . . At the other end, Cole Kehler stopped 28 shots. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-6. . . . F Matt Revel (collarbone), who last played on Dec. 10, was in Portland’s lineup. The Winterhawks acquired him off waivers from Kamloops in January as the Blazers got down to three 20-year-olds. . . . The Silvertips (37-12-10) have won six in a row. They lead the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle and hold two games in hand. . . . Portland (32-26-4) has lost four straight (0-3-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,513.
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At Kamloops, F Cole Lind scored once and added three assists as the Kelowna Rockets dropped the Blazers, 8-2. . . . The Rockets had dropped seven straight games in Kamloops. . . . F Garrett Pilon gave
KOLE LIND
the Blazers a 1-0 lead at 1:28 of the first period, but the Rockets scored the next eight goals, the first three of those coming in the first period. . . . F Rod Southam’s 14th goal got Kelowna even at 4:31 of the first and F Tomas Soustal (18) gave the visitors the lead at 13:48. . . . F Nick Merkley’s 21st goal made it 3-1 at 18:19. . . . Kelowna added two more goals in the second period — D Lucas Johansen got No. 6, Lind scored his 28th, on a PP, and F Dillon Dube notched No. 10. . . . In the third period, F Reid Gardiner added his eighth goal, shorthanded, and F Carsen Twarynski got his 13th. . . . F Luc Smith (10) had the Blazers’ second goal. . . . The Rockets got two assists from each of F Calvin Thurkauf and Twarynski, and one each from Merkley, Southam and Dube. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots to earn the victory. . . . Kamloops starter Connor Ingram allowed six goals on 26 shots in 28:30, with Dylan Ferguson finishing up, stopped 13 of 15 shots in 31:29. . . . Ingram went in riding back-to-back shutouts and a shutout streak of 178:07. That ended at 182:38. . . . The longest shutout streak in the WHL this season (193:48) belongs to Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-3. . . . It was the first time the Blazers had given up at least eight goals since Jan. 22, 2016, when they lost 9-4 to the Cougars in Prince George. The last time Kamloops gave up eight goals at home? On Oct. 24, 2014, the Brandon Wheat Kings won 8-5 in Kamloops. . . . This was the final game of a season series that the Blazers won, 6-3-1. The Rockets finished 4-6-0. . . . Kamloops trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson worked his 1,500th WHL game. Robinson is in his 11th season with the Blazers. He also spent five seasons with each of the Swift Current Broncos and Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets (36-20-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) to get to within three points of the second-place Blazers in the B.C. Division. Kelowna has two games in hand. . . . The Blazers (37-20-6) had won their previous three games. They trail B.C. Division-leading Prince George by three points. . . . Kamloops climbed on to its bus after the game and headed for Everett and date tonight with the Silvertips. The Rockets, meanwhile, went south for games with the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight and Spokane Chiefs on Sunday. Yes, three games in three different cities in fewer than 48 hours. . . . Announced attendance: 4,661.
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At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes built up a 4-1 lead en route to a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
MATT ALFARO
. . . F Giorgio Estephan (27) got Lethbridge started at 1:16 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick tied it with his 16th goal, on a PP, at 5:37. . . . The Hurricanes scored the next three goals. . . . F Zak Zborosky (39) broke the tie at 7:13 of the first, with F Matt Alfaro making it 3-1 at 17:10. . . . Alfaro added his 20th goal of the season at 10:14 of the third period for a 4-1 edge. . . . The Wheat Kings made it interesting with third-period PP goals from F Ty Lewis (28), at 14:17, and F Tyler Coulter (25), at 17:28. . . . F Tyler Wong and D Brennan Menell had two assists each for the winners, while Zborosky added one. . . . Brandon got two assists from each of D Kale Clague and Lewis, with Patrick getting one. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 25 shots to earn the victory over Logan Thompson, who made 32 saves. . . . Brandon was 3-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-3. . . . Lethbridge (37-17-7) is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat with a game in hand. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-24-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are fourth in the East Division, five points behind Swift Current. Brandon is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, nine points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,090.
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At Prince George, G Ty Edmonds set a franchise record for career victories as the Cougars beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . Edmonds stopped 19 shots in earning his 27th victory of this season and No. 96 in his career with the Cougars. He had shared the record with Scott Myers (1996-2000). . . . F Jansen Harkins opened the scoring, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal at 3:38 of the first period. . . . F Nikita Popugaev made it 2-0 with No. 26 at 7:07. . . . The Cougars took a 3-0 lead at 12:44 of the second period as F Jesse Gabrielle scored his 27th goal, shorthanded. . . . The Oil Kings got their goal from F Trey Fix-Wolansky (21), on a PP, at 7:14 of the third period. He broke the Oil Kings’ record for goals by a freshman that had been held by F Curtis Lazar (2011-12). . . . D Josh Anderson (2) scored the Cougars’ final goal, at 7:35. . . . Harkins and Gabrielle added an assist each. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine stopped 38 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Cougars lost F Colby McAuley to a headshot major and game misconduct at 9:56 of the second period after a hit on Edmonton F Ty Gerla, who left and didn’t return. . . . Prince George D Brendan Guhle (ankle) remains week-to-week, while F Tanner Wishnowski, who was acquired from Spokane in January, is back skating. He has been out with a concussion since Nov. 19. . . . Prince George (39-19-5) had lost seven of nine and was 0-2-1 in its previous three games. It leads the B.C. Division by three points over Kamloops. . . . Edmonton (20-37-5) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . These teams will meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 4,040.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels got off to a 3-0 lead and went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 6-4. . . . Red Deer
AUSTIN GLOVER
grabbed that lead with three goals in a span of 3:38 in the first period. . . . F Austin Pratt started it with No. 13 at 9:49. . . . F Cameron Hausinger added his seventh goal at 11:35. . . . F Austin Glover made it 3-0, shorthanded, at 13:27. . . . Ice D Cale Fleury’s ninth goal, on a PP, got his guys on the scoreboard at 13:53. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei got that one back with his 27th, on a PP, 48 seconds into the second period. . . . The Ice got to within a goal when D Kurtis Rutledge (3) scored at 18:55 of the second and F Fedor Rudakov got No. 5 at 8:46 of the third period. . . . The Rebels put it away with two quick goals, F Michael Spacek getting his 26th, on a PP, at 12:23 and Glover adding his 19th at 13:06. . . . F Colton Kroeker scored the Ice’s last goal, his 14th at 19:24. . . . Polei and F Akash Bains had two assists each for Red Deer, while Glover and Spacek had one apiece. . . . The Ice got two assists from each of F Vince Loschiavo and F Michael King. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 25 shots for the Rebels. . . . The Ice got 33 stops from G Jakob Walter. . . . Red Deer was 2-7 on the PP; Kootenay was 1-7. . . . The Rebels (25-27-10) have points in three straight games (2-0-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Ice (13-37-10) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,477.
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At Regina, F Sam Steel erupted for four goals and also had an assist to lead the Pats to a 7-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race, had gone eight games
SAM STEEL
without a goal. He now has 111 points, 10 more than teammate Adam Brooks, who won the scoring title last season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 15 shots in earning his fourth shutout of the season and the sixth of his career. . . . Steel scored the game’s first three goals, the first two coming via the PP, at 2:39 and 10:14 of the second period. He completed the hat trick at 18:12. His fourth goal, No. 43 on the season, made it 6-0 at 8:38 of the third period. . . . Regina also got goals from F Jeff de Wit (8), F Nick Henry (30) and D Connor Hobbs (27). . . . Henry, who also had three assists, is the Pats’ fourth 30-goal man, while Hobbs leads all WHL defencemen in goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl and Brooks each had two assists. . . . The shots were 51-15 and that’s a palindrome. . . . The Broncos started G Jordan Papirny, who surrendered five goals on 37 shots in 42:55. Taz Burman finished up, allowing two goals on 14 shots in 17:04. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-2. . . . Regina is 5-0-0 in the season series. . . . The Pats dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. They scratched F Jake Leschyshyn, who is done for the season with a knee injury, D Jonathan Smart and F Filip Ahl. . . . The Broncos had F Lane Pederson back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 8, but he left at 2:01 of the second period with a charging major and game misconduct. Regina F Robbie Holmes, who took the hit, left with an apparent shoulder injury and didn't return. . . . The Pats also lost F Braydon Buziak to an undisclosed injury during the game. . . . Regina (44-9-7) has won three in a row and leads the overall standings by eight points over Medicine Hat with two games in hand. . . . Swift Current (30-19-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). The Broncos are third in the East Division, 10 points behind Moose Jaw and five ahead of Brandon. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, the Blades snapped a five-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over the Prince Albert
BRAYLON SHMYR
Raiders. . . . F Josh Paterson gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 14th goal, at 12:41 of the second period. . . . F Curtis Miske (16) pulled the Raiders even at 14:26. . . . Saskatoon broke the tie when F Braylon Shmyr got his 28th goal, on a PP, at 15:03. . . . D Libor Hajek added insurance with his fourth goal at 15:19 of the third period. . . . The Blades got two assists from F Jesse Shynkaruk, while Shmyr added one. . . . Saskatoon G Logan Flodell stopped 29 shots, while the Raiders’ Ian Scott turned aside 20. . . . Saskatoon was 1-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-6. . . . The Blades have won four of the first five meetings between these teams this season. They will meet again tonight in Prince Albert. . . . Saskatoon (24-29-8) had been 0-3-2 in its previous five games. It is tied with Calgary for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Raiders (16-40-6) had points in each of their past two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,541.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Austyn Playfair scored two goals and added two assists as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-3. . . . Playfair had one goal and one assist over his
AUSTYN PLAYFAIR
previous 19 games. He now has seven points, three of them goals, in 27 games. . . . The Americans took a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from F Kyle Olson, who has 17, at 0:53 and 3:43 of the first period. . . . D Jarret Tyszka (6) scored for Seattle at 8:51, but the Americans took control with the next four goals. . . . Playfair got it started 27 seconds into the second period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (8) gave the home side a 4-1 lead at 3:09 and F Keltie Jeri-Leon (2) upped it to 5-1 at 4:47. . . . F Brett Leason added another Tri-City goal, his seventh, at 8:06. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (20) and D Austin Strand (7) also scored for Seattle. . . . Playfair added his third goal of the season at 19:28 of the second period. . . . Yaremko, D Parker Wotherspoon and F Max James had two assists apiece for the Americans. . . . Tri-City G Rylan Parenteau stopped 36 shots. . . . G Carl Stankowski made his fourth appearance of the season with Seattle, but only his first since Oct. 14. He is one of three goaltenders on the team’s roster. . . . Stankowski left after giving up two goals on five shots in 3:43. Rylan Toth came on and was beaten four times on eight shots in 24:22. Stankowski went back in and finished up, stopping 15 of 16 shots in 31:53. . . . Seattle was 2-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . The Americans again were without F Michael Rasmussen, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1. As well, F Vladislav Lukin is expected to be out for two weeks with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Thunderbirds welcomed back F Nolan Volcan and F Keegan Kolesar back in the lineup. Volcan last played on Feb. 24, while Kolesar had missed one game. . . . The Americans (37-23-3) won their sixth straight game. They are third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle and nine ahead of Portland. . . . The Thunderbirds (38-18-5) had won their previous two games. They are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Announced attendance: 5,318.
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At Langley, B.C., D Scott Walford tied a franchise record in leading the Victoria Royals to a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Walford had a goal and three assists, his four points equaling the Royals
SCOTT WALFORD
record for points in a game by a defenceman. . . . Walford now shares the record with Chaz Reddekopp (2014-15), Joe Hicketts (2014-15), Travis Brown (2013-14 and 2014-15) and Brandon Manning (2009-10 and 2010-11). . . . Walford, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, has 23 points in 49 games this season. . . . The Royals also tied a franchise record for PP goals in one game, with five. The Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) went 5-13 in a 6-1 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Oct. 2, 2010. . . . F Vladimir Bobylev (6) gave the Royals a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:25 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Ty Ronning (23) tied it at 10:07 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker followed with two PP goals, giving him 27, at 12:39 and 17:55. . . . The Giants cut the deficit to one as D Matt Barberis scored his ninth at 19:10. . . . The Royals restored the two-goal lead when F Matt Phillips scored No. 43 just 39 seconds into the third period. . . . F Johnny Wesley (9), on a PP, pulled the Giants back to within one at 9:10, but Victoria put it away with the next two goals, both on the PP, as F Dante Hannoun (20) scored at 12:36 and Walford counted his sixth at 16:04. . . . Vancouver F Calvin Spencer closed the scoring with his 13th goal, at 18:08. . . . Phillips, Hannoun, Bobylev and F Regan Nagy each had two assists, with Walker adding one. . . . The Giants got two assists apiece from F Brayden Watts and F James Malm, and one from Wesley. . . . The Royals got 23 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, who earned his 31st victory, one shy of the franchise single-season record set last season by Coleman Vollrath. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 41 shots for the Giants. . . . Victoria finished 5-6 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Royals (33-23-5) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kelowna. Victoria holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Portland. . . . The Giants (19-37-5) now head to Victoria for games tonight and Sunday. . . . Announced attendance: 4,125.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Regina home to 2018 Memorial Cup party . . . Royals lose key defenceman . . . Raiders unhappy with Johnson call




The 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup will be celebrated in Regina with the Pats as the host team for the annual four-team tournament. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon.
The Pats also will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017-18, so this obviously seems to be a match made in hockey heaven.
As Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post writes right here:
“The circumstances were aligned in the Pats’ favour, especially when the team’s long-standing military connection was factored into the equation. The Memorial Cup is dedicated to all Canadian military personnel who have lost their lives during combat.
“Consider, too, that Regina is expected to ice another top-flight team during the 2017-18 season.
“Simply put, there was a check mark beside every box when the Pats’ proposal was submitted. There wasn’t any choice but to select Regina.”
The other finalists both were from the OHL — the Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals.
If you are wanting to book your vacation, the 2018 Memorial Cup is to be held May 17-27.
The news release issued by the Pats is right here.
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The injury bug continues to nibble away at the Victoria Royals.
Already without F Tyler Soy (week-to-week) and F Ryan Peckford (six to seven weeks) with undisclosed injuries, the Royals now have lost D Chaz Reddekopp.
“Chaz will be out for the rest of the regular season, but you never know how these things heal,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Cleve Cheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.
Reddekopp suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat and didn’t play in Friday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. 
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Reddekopp was a seventh-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2015 NHL draft.
“Obviously, he’s a big piece of our blue-line,” Reddekopp said. “But injuries happen. That’s why we have the depth we do. The other guys stepped up (Friday in Lethbridge).”
The Royals completed a three-game swing into the Central Division with a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday night. Victoria went 1-1-1 on the trip.
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The Prince Albert Raiders were without F Kolby Johnson on Saturday night after he was hit with a TBD suspension after incurring a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Orrin Centazzo of the Everett Silvertips in a Friday game.
Centazzo was scratched from Everett’s lineup as it completed an East Division swing in Swift Current against the Broncos last night. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald tweeted Saturday that Centazzo will miss “some time.”

The Raiders weren’t happy with the penalty to Johnson, who apparently first was given a minor penalty.
According to Jeff D’Andrea of pa.NOW, referees Jonathan Spurgeon and Cody Rude “didn’t give the major penalty right away. . . . A minor was up on the clock for at least three real-time minutes while the officials talked to the Raiders’ bench first, and then the Silvertips' bench. After talking to both head coaches, Spurgeon and Rude then conferred in front of the scorer’s table and changed the call from a minor to a major.”
Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, wasn’t impressed.
“You know what?” D’Andrea quoted Habscheid as saying. “I’ve been in this game a long time. (Associate coach) Dave Manson’s been in the game, and (skills coach) Mark Odnokon and (assistant coach) Brandin Cote, and not one of us has seen that before. It’s one thing to make a call, but I’ve never seen a call made, then go to the bench with a foul, and then go back and change the call. I’ve never seen that. I’ve never seen that in my life.”
Johnson, who was acquired from the Prince George Cougars as part of a Nov. 18 deal that sent D Brendan Guhle the other way, is a repeat offender. Johnson served a four-game suspension in December after taking a headshot major.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Ian Scott turned aside 33 shots to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-1 victory over the
AUSTIN CROSSLEY
Wheat Kings. . . . He was especially sharp in the third period when Brandon held a 15-3 edge in shots but only was able to score once, that from F Reid Duke (33), on a PP, at 10:27. . . . D Austin Crossley had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 5:53 of the first period. Crossley, a 17-year-old freshman from Fort St. John, B.C., scored his first WHL goal in his 21st game this season. . . . F Cavin Leth gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 11:22. . . . The Raiders went up 3-0 when F D-Jay Jerome counted No. 7 at 16:15 of the second period. . . . Prince Albert’s final goal came from F Parker Kelly (13), on a PP, at 15:42 of the third period. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-7. . . . The Wheat Kings played without F Tanner Kaspick and D Kale Clague. . . . The Raiders lead the season series, 4-0-1; Brandon is 1-3-1. . . . Prince Albert (16-39-5) has won six of its last eight road games to move out of the WHL cellar. It is one point ahead of Kootenay. . . . Brandon (28-23-8) looks like it will finish in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,480.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the
JAMES HILSENDAGER
Prince George Cougars. . . . F Colby McAuley, who had both Prince George goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 9:59 of the first period. . . . The Rockets get even on F Tomas Soustal’s 16th goal, on a PP, at 18:37. . . . D Devante Stephens gave the home boys the lead with his 10th goal at 6:06 of the second period. . . . D James Hilsendager (4) made it 3-1 at 11:53 and F Nick Merkley (19) scored, shorthanded, at 13:57. . . . McAuley’s 22nd goal pulled the Cougars to within two 41 seconds into the third period. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf’s 30th goal of the season iced the victory for Kelowna at 18:39. . . . Soustal and Merkley each added an assist. . . . F Brad Morrison had two helpers for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 25 stops from G Michael Herringer, while Nick McBride stopped 38 at the other end. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Rockets (34-20-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division, four points ahead of Victoria and three behind Kamloops . . . The Cougars (38-18-4) continue to lead the B.C. Division by four points over Kamloops. The Cougars are scheduled to visit the Blazers today (Sunday). . . . Announced attendance: 5,761.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jack Walker broke a 1-1 tie at 8:03 of the second period and the Victoria Royals
JACK WALKER
went on to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Regan Nagy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:58 of the first period. . . . The Ice got that one back at 11:46, as F Jake Elmer (6) scored on a PP. . . . Walker’s 25th goal gave Victoria a 2-1 lead. . . . F Matt Phillips counted No. 42 at 8:03 of the third period for some insurance. . . . F Carter Folk sealed the victory with his seventh goal, an empty-netter, at 18:42. . . . Phillips also had an assist. . . . G Dylan Myskiw stopped 26 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw completed a three-game suspension by missing this one. He was suspended after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for hit on F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 11 in Victoria. Sideroff missed one game before returning for Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. . . . Victoria (32-23-5) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Portland. . . . Kootenay (13-36-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,424.
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At Lethbridge, F Matt Alfaro scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Alfaro, who has 18 goals, gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 5:08
MATT ALFARO
of the first period, on a PP. Later, he increased their lead to 3-1 at 15:34 of the second period. He completed the hat trick with a shorthanded goal at 8:08 of the third period. . . . Alfaro has 12 points, five of them goals, in 12 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice. He had 39 points, including 13 goals, in 41 games with the Ice. . . . Saskatoon F Logan Christensen (10) tied it 1-1, on a PP, at 19:27 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong broke the tie at 9:33 of the second period and Alfaro made it 3-1 six minutes later. . . . F Tyler Lees scored his first goal at 5:26 of the third period, getting Saskatoon to within a goal, but Lethbridge put it away with the last three goals. . . . Lees, 16, scored in his sixth game. From Regina, he was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . D Brady Poteau (1) and F Zak Zborosky (38), on a PP, also scored for the winners. . . . Poteau has one goal in 19 games with Lethbridge, after going without a goal in 18 games with the Regina Pats. . . . Wong and Zborosky each added three assists, while F Giorgio Estephan had two. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm turned aside 28 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Blades lost F Cole Johnson to a goaltender interference major and game misconduct after a collision with Gilchrist at 4:20 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge (36-16-7) has won three in a row. It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-27-8) had points in each of their previous five games (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,709.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with three goals in 2:22 late in the second period en route to a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Medicine Hat took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F
TREY FIX-WOLANSKY
Mark Rassell, at 9:32, and F Matt Bradley, at 10:49. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored three times for the visitors, giving him 20 goals in his freshman season. . . . He tied the score with goals at 14:36 of the first period and 1:00 of the second. The latter goal came via the PP. . . . The Tigers broke it open as F Chad Butcher scored his 23rd goal, shorthanded, at 17:33 of the second. Bradley (29) made it 4-2 at 19:24 and Rassell added his 29th just 31 seconds later. . . . F James Hamblin increased the lead to 6-2 at 2:53 of the third period. . . . Fix-Wolansky completed his first WHL hat trick at 4:42. . . . Medicine Hat F Max Gerlach (31) scored on a PP at 11:42. . . . The game’s last goal came from Edmonton F Davis Koch (18) at 12:54. . . . Hamblin added two assists his goal, with D Brad Forrest, F Mason Shaw and F Tyler Preziuso also getting two helpers apiece. . . . Rassell and Butcher added one each. . . . Koch had an assist for Edmonton. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 14 of 17 shots in 44:42, leaving after Fix-Wolanky’s third goal cut Edmonton’s deficit to 6-3. Michael Bullion finished up, allowing a goal on six shots in 15:17. Still, Schneider picked up his 30th victory. . . . At the other end, Josh Dechaine stopped 40 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Tigers, with the mumps in their dressing room, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. They scratched seven players, including five who are ill. The latest to join that bunch is D Kristians Rubins. On Friday, Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported that F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson had been diagnosed with the mumps, while F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski are awaiting test results. . . . D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz remain sidelined, both having suffered broken legs while blocking shots. . . . Medicine Hat did have F Josh Williams play his second game, this time making his home-ice debut. Williams, who will turn 16 on March 8, is from Langley, B.C. He was the fifth overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton had D Jordan Dawson in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . Medicine Hat (42-17-1) is four points behind Regina, which leads the overall standings, but the Pats have three games in hand. . . . Edmonton (20-34-5) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It is nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,754.
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At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 37 shots to lead the Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the Regina
ZACH SAWCHENKO
Pats. . . . It was the first time this season that the Pats have been blanked. . . . Sawchenko, who has two shutouts this season, stopped 13 shots in the first period and 14 in the second. . . . He has eight career shutouts. . . . D Josh Brook gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 2-0 with his WHL-leading 44th goal at 15:11 of the third period. . . . F Brett Howden scored his 30th into an empty net at 18:46. . . . F Branden Klatt got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:52. . . . Howden and Brook also had an assist apiece. . . . The Pats got 24 saves from G Tyler Brown. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-1. . . . Regina’s Connor Hobbs didn’t finish the game. He was hit with a headshot major and game misconduct at 18:46 of the third period. . . . Hobbs, who leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points, was in the starting lineup — at right wing alongside Austin Wagner and Adam Brooks. . . . Moose Jaw (34-17-8) has won two in a row. It is second in the East Division, six points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Regina (41-9-7) has lost two straight. It leads the East Division by 13 points over Moose Haw. . . . The Warriors are 3-2-1 in the season series; the Pats are 3-3-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,715.
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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear had two goals and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Seattle won with three third-period goals as it overcame a 3-2
ETHAN BEAR
deficit. . . . Bear, who has 25 goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the first period. . . . Portland tied it when D Henri Jokiharju (8) scored, on a PP, at 1:08 of the second period. . . . Bear got that one back at 3:36. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-2 lead on goals from D Caleb Jones (6), at 8:29 of the second, and F Keegan Iverson (17), at 3:20 of the third. . . . D Donovan Neuls scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 9:50 of the third period to get Seattle into a tie. Initially, some fans thought Bear had scored to complete a hat trick and, yes, some caps hit the ice. . . . F Tyler Adams’ third goal broke the tie at 13:13 and F Ryan Gropp’s 25th goal provided insurance at 14:42. . . . Gropp also had an assist in running his point streak to 16 games. He has 21 points, including 14 goals, in that stretch. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Keegan Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Neuls getting one. . . . Iverson had two helpers for Portland, with Jones adding one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle in earning his WHL-leading 31st victory. . . . Portland got 27 saves from Shane Farkas. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-6. . . . Seattle (37-17-5) is second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Portland (32-24-3) had won its previous two games. It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 5,702.
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At Swift Current, F Eetu Tuulola scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory
EETU TUULOLA
over the Broncos. . . . The Silvertips went 5-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Tuulola won it with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Glenn Gawdin, who has 21 goals, scored twice for the Broncos. He gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:53 of the first period and forced OT at 18:27 of the third. . . . D Noah Juulsen’s 11th goal, on a PP, pulled Everett into a 1-1 tie at 13:54 of the second period. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead when F Devon Skoleski scored his 12th goal at 12:15 of the third period. . . . Skoleski also had two assists. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots to earn his 25th victory this season. He has won each of his last six starts, allowing only six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-4. . . . Everett (36-12-10) has won five in a row. It remains atop the U.S. Division, three points ahead of Seattle. . . . Swift Current (30-18-10) has points in two straight (1-0-1). It is third in the East Division, six points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 2,367.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals, all via the PP, and beat
EVAN SARTHOU
the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . F Parker AuCoin gave the home side a 1-0 with his 20th goal at 15:55 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (7) made it 2-0 with a shorthanded score at 15:46 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs halved the deficit when F Kailer Yamamoto got No. 34 at 4:22 of the third period. . . . D Juuso Välimäki’s 18th goal, at 9:24, provided insurance. . . . F Tyler Sandhu added his 17th, at 18:26, and F Brett Leason got his sixth at 19:12. . . . D Dylan Coghlan and F Morgan Geekie had two assists each for Tri-City, with Välimäki and Sandhu adding one each. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 38 shots and picked up an assist on the game’s last goal. . . . The Chiefs got 23 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City was 3-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur, who was struck in the head by a puck during the second period of Friday’s game in Kelowna, was behind the Chiefs’ bench. One night earlier, he left for stitches and returned for the third period. . . . The Americans (35-23-3) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Chiefs (25-25-9) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,562.
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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning and F Jack Flaman scored shootout goals to give the Vancouver Giants a
RYAN KUBIC
4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Owen Hardy had given the Giants a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the first period. . . . The Rebels then scored two quick ones to take a 2-1 lead. F Lane Zablocki counted, on a PP, at 2:45, with F Akash Bains getting No. 8 at 4:13. . . . Ronning tied it with his 22nd goal, at 19:54 of the second period. . . . Zablocki put the visitors back out front with his 20th goal, at 5:06 of the third period. . . . The Giants forced OT when F Tyler Popowich scored his seventh goal, at 13:05. . . . Ronning drew the lone assist on Popowich’s goal. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . Vancouver started G David Tendeck, but he was gone after allowing two goals on as many shots in 4:13. Ryan Kubic earned the victory by stopping 35 of 36 shots in 60:47. . . . The Rebels got 19 saves from Riley Lamb. . . . Red Deer was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-1. . . . The game was delayed at 15:14 of the third period with the score 3-3 as arena staff had to replace a pane of broken glass. . . . D Bowen Byram, a first-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, played in his sixth game with the Giants. Earlier in the day, he played for his club team, Yale Academy, in a 6-5 OT victory over Delta Academy. . . . The Giants (19-36-5) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Rebels (23-27-10) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,959.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 5 p.m.

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