Reinhart family bragging rights on the line

There's a new challenger for bragging rights within the Reinhart family.
When it came to playing hockey, Paul Reinhart, the family patriarch, had a gene that not many fathers have.
The Atlanta Flames selected Reinhart with the 12th overall pick in the 1979 NHL draft. Reinhart, a defenceman, played 11 seasons in the NHL, including two (1988-89 and 1989-90) with the Vancouver Canucks prior to retiring.
After not having to deal with the everyday stresses that come with playing the game at that level, whether it was dealing with the media, traveling, or just being away from family, Paul and his wife, Theresa, decided it was time to start a family.
It’s quite apparent that when Theresa and Paul, by then living in West Vancouver, decided to have children, that gene got passed along.
On Feb. 4, 1992, Theresa gave birth to a baby boy -- Max.
Just like his father, Max came to love hockey. Ultimately, he would follow in his father's footsteps.
Max was drafted by Calgary Flames with the 64th overall selection in the 2010 NHL draft. He turned pro prior to the 2012-13 season and has since split time between the Flames and their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, a franchise that is on the move to Glens Falls, N.Y., this offseason.
Theresa and Paul had their second son Griffin two years later, and he continued the family tradition. He would grow up to be a 6-foot-4, 215-pound WHL player who spent three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings, reaching three championship finals and winning the 2014 Memorial Cup. He was one of the top defencemen eligible for the 2012 NHL draft and the New York Islanders selected him with the fourth-overall pick.
Griffin became the earliest-drafted member of the Reinhart family, an honour that he continues to hold.
But you see, the more children the family raised, the better the kid would become when he was given a stick and puck.
By the time Sam, the youngest of the three Reinhart boys, donned a Kootenay Ice sweater on a regular basis in 2011-12, scouts were of the opinion that he had a world of talent and they already were projecting him as a high pick in the 2014 NHL draft.
Sam finished that first season with 62 points, including 34 assists, in just 67 games and continued to improve the following season, this time finishing with 85 points in 72 games.
Not only were scouts convinced that he was going to be an early pick in his draft class, but many believed he was the favourite to be the first player selected.
However, when the mid-season rankings were released by the NHL Central Scouting on Jan. 13, Reinhart wasn't listed at No. 1.
The player in the No. 1 slot has the first name Sam, but his last name is Bennett, and he is a 17-year-old left-winger who plays for the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs.
Reinhart, on the other hand, was ranked at No. 4.
But those were only the mid-season rankings. There was still a chance that the scouts' opinions would change before they submitted their final rankings.
However, that didn't happen, and Bennett retained his spot.
Reinhart, who had finished with 105 points, including 36 goals, and was a plus-24 in 60 games, did move up to No. 3, though.
To Bennett's credit, he also has an impressive resume. He was the Frontenacs’ finalist for the Red Tilson Trophy, awarded to the OHL’s most outstanding player, after he finished with 91 points, including 55 assists, last season.
Bennett showed he had the right stuff at the NHL Combine, too.
The Combine is an annual event at which team have opportunities to meet with prospects prior to the draft on June 27 and 28.
“He's a two-way player,” Dean Malkoc, an amateur scout for the Boston Bruins, said. “He's a good skater, he competes every shift and doesn't take any nights off. He could be like (Chicago Blackhawks forward) Jonathan Toews at the end of the day, that's how good of a player the kid is. He's a kid with high character. There's really no red flags to the way he plays and the way he interviewed.
He's going to be right there with the top kids.”
That being said, when it came to the fitness portion of the Combine, Bennett failed to do a single pull-up.
“You know what, for a player like that, I'm really not concerned,” Malkoc stated. “I know that there is a lot of concern, but the way he plays on the ice and the way he competes and how effective his game is, it's a little surprising that he wasn't able to do a pull-up. But that only tells me there's room for improvement in his game and the most important thing to watch in a player like that is how he
competes every night and he really plays hard. So it was a little surprising but, at this point, I don't think it's really going to affect him because he's such a good and effective player.”
What is the difference between Reinhart and Bennett?
“Well, Reinhart is a very gifted play-making type of player,” Malkoc explained. “With the skill and hockey sense and the play-making ability that he has, you really can't teach. It's really a special gift. Bennett, on the other hand, is more of a complete player. I would say he is more of a two-way player... he plays hard and gritty. I'm not saying that Reinhart doesn't play hard or that doesn't play a
two-way game because I think his two-way game has come a long way.
“One player could be like a Jonathan Toews and the other might be an Adam Oates. Either way, you're getting a good player in either player.”
“When you get players like (Reinhart and Bennett), you're going to get top-line kids,” Malkoc continued. “They have to rate and rank (all the prospects) in a certain order. It's just the way some of the scouts interpret the game. To me, if either one of them went at (first overall), I wouldn't be surprised. This could be a little bit different of a draft, because there's no set No. 1 player. There's a whole group of players and any one could slip into that slot so it's all about which team is picking where and what their needs are, really.”
In which case who is selected first probably won't be known until draft day.
No matter what happens, though, Sam likely will have the Reinhart family bragging rights.
When all is said and done, it'll be Sam who will be able to say: “Out of my dad, and my two older brothers, I was the highest-drafted Reinhart.”

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F Max Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice made his AHL debut Sunday by scoring two goals as his Abbotsford Heat beat the visiting Toronto Marlies 5-4 in OT. . . . "My two wingers were making passes right on the tape, which in junior you don't always get," Reinhart told The Canadian Press. "The guys are a lot stronger (than in junior) but having said that if you find open space, your teammates are going to find you." . . . Reinhart scored off a rebound in the first period and then put home a low shot in the second period. . . . The Heat, which has won seven in a row, completed its regular season and will meet the Milwaukee Admirals in the first round of playoffs. . . . Heat G Leland Irving, a product of the Everett Silvertips, got the victory. He hadn’t played since March 30 as he missed five games while awaiting the birth of a daughter. . . . The Heat is the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
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G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers is off to join the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons. The parent Edmonton Oilers selected Bunz with the 121st pick of the 2010 NHL draft. . . . The Oil Barons drew the Houston Aeros in the first round of the playoffs.
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One final AHL note . . . The Norfolk Admirals take a 28-game winning streak into the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a 4-2 victory over the host Adirondack Phantoms on Sunday. The Admirals finished with a 55-18-1-2 mark. . . . F Brandon Segal, a graduate of the Calgary Hitmen, had a goal and three assists for Norfolk, the AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . The Admirals, who haven’t lost since Feb. 5, will meet the Manchester Monarchs in the first round of playoffs.

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THE PRO GAME:
F Matej Stransky of the Saskatoon Blades has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. He was a sixth-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. Stransky, who is from Ostraa, Czech Republic, had 81 points, including 39 goals, this season, his second in the WHL.
F Marek Tvrdon of the Vancouver Giants is joining the Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. Tvrdon, from Nitra, Slovakia, was a fourth-round pick by the Red Wings in the 2011 NHL draft. He led all WHL freshmen in points (74) this season.
F Jordan Weal of the Regina Pats is off to the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, while D Colton Jobke will finish up with the AHL’s Houston Aeros and D Martin Marincin with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Blazers. . . . Weal was a third-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2010 NHL draft. . . . Jobke has signed a free-agent deal with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . The Edmonton Oilers took Marincin in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft.
F Taylor Vause, who had such a wonderful season with the Swift Current Broncos, has had his season ended by a broken foot. Vause, 20, signed an ATO with the AHL’s Texas Stars and was playing with them when he broke a foot. He finished with one goal in four games with the Stars.
F Max Reinhart and D Joey Leach of the Kootenay Ice have joined the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . Both were third-round selections by the Flames in the 2010 NHL draft.
D Matthew Konan of the Medicine Hat Tigers has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Konan, 20, is from Tustin, Calif., and is finishing up his fifth season with the Tigers. This season, he had 54 points, 45 of them assists, and 73 penalty minutes in 72 games. He was an NHL free agent.
G Brandon Glover of the Calgary Hitmen has joined the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames. Glover, 19, is an undrafted free agent.
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The Kamloops Blazers have added D Jordan Thomson, 15, and F Brayden Gelsinger, 16, to their roster through the end of the playoffs. . . . Thomson, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, had 29 points in 35 games with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, who are based in Souris, Man. . . . Gelsinger, a list player, had 42 points, 22 of them goals, in 41 games with the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Will Verner has resigned as general manager and head coach of the junior B Fernie Ghostriders of the Kootenay International junior league. Verner spent the last five seasons in the position.
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More than a year has gone by since the NHL mandated that a player suspected of having a concussion be taken from the bench area and spend at least 15 minutes being evaluated away from the noise of the game. So, Mark Spector of Sportsnet wonders: What happened to The Quiet Room? That piece is right here.
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The Canadian women’ water polo team would appear to have an excellent opportunity to win a medal at the Olympic Games in London this summer. Except for one problem – concussions. Randy Starkman of the Toronto Star has that story right here.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail writes right here about a discussion that took place in Peterborough, Ont., last week. It had to do with concussions in hockey and there are some interesting stories here, most of which involve overzealous parents.
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Anne McIlroy of The Globe and Mail has a story right here on the impact of concussions on one particular minor hockey team. There are 17 players on the roster. Guess how many ended up concussed?
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If you’re looking for a good read, check out Elliotte Friedman’s weekly column. It’s right here.

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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Everett Silvertips are disputing the lawsuit that has been brought against them by former general manager Doug Soetaert. That story is right here.
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Former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien is 49 years of age and already he is experiencing memory loss.
Nathan Fenno of the Washington Times has more right here.
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Lorne Molleken will be back behind the bench of the Saskatoon Blades next season. Molleken, who is the Blades’ general manager and head coach, has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he will reassess his position(s) after the 2012-13 season, which means after the 2013 Memorial Cup. The Blades will be the tournament’s host team.
Molleken also told Nugent-Bowman that the roster of next season’s team will bear little resemblance to the Saskatoon roster that lost in four games to the Medicine Hat Tigers this week.
That story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have announced that they won’t bring back assistant coach Kevin Higo, whose two-year contract is to expire on July 31. Higo, from Lethbridge, was an assistant coach with the Moose Jaw Warriors for two seasons (2008-10). . . .
Victor Gervais (Seattle, 1986-90) is the new GM/head coach of the junior B Westshore Wolves, a new club in the Vancouver Island junior league. Gervais has spent the last five seasons with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. This season, he was GM and assistant coach, with Len Barrie as majority owner and head coach. . . . The Wolves will play out of Victoria’s Bear Mountain Arena, which also is home to the Grizzlies. . . .
The U of Alberta Golden Bears have redone their organizational tree. No longer will they have a head coach and an assistant coach; instead, there will be a general manager and a head coach. Stan Marple, the interim head coach last season, will be the first GM, while the search is on for a coach. Evan Daum has that story in the Edmonton Journal right here.
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D Morgan Rielly isn’t yet ready to return to the Moose Jaw Warriors’ lineup; in fact, it sounds as though he may not play for a couple of weeks, although he has been practising for 10 days. Rielly, who had major knee surgery on Dec. 1. He visited with his Vancouver surgeon this week and Alan Millar, the Warriors’ director of hockey operations, told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Rielly is “week-to-week.” Millar told Gourlie: “The appointment with the surgeon went very well. (Rielly) continues to be on pace to have a chance to play somewhat ahead of schedule. I know there was a lot of speculation and some reports that he would be in the line-up (tonight). He will not be in the line-up. He will not play at all in this series.” . . . The Warriors take a 3-1 series lead over the Regina Pats into Game 5 in Moose Jaw tonight.
Gourlie’s story, and there’s more to it, is right here.
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Is Saskatoon, a city that would be home to an NHL franchise, a good sports town, or not? Les MacPherson, a columnist with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, tackles that question right here.
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D Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades will finish his season with the Lake Erie Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Siemens was selected by Colorado with the 11th pick of the 2011 NHL draft. . . .
D Josh Caron of the Everett Silvertips, who signed a free-agent deal with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is expected to join the AHL’s Houston Aeros for the remainder of the season. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that F Ryan Harrison has been invited to join the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, and D Brennan Yadlowski may hook up with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles.
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Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, was busy again on Thursday.
He hit Everett F Ryan Harrison with a ‘tbd’ suspension for a charging major and game misconduct in Game 4 against the visiting Tri-City Americans on Wednesday. Assuming that Harrison, 19, is back in the fall, the start of his season almost certainly will be delayed. . . .
F Max Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice was hit with a one-game suspension for a game misconduct he took against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday. Reinhart didn’t play last night as the Oil Kings completed a sweep of the defending-champion Ice. . . .
Ice D Spencer Wand also sat out last night’s game after being suspended for a game following a pregame violation on Wednesday. . . .
Regina Pats F Dyson Stevenson won’t play tonight in Game 5 against the host Moose Jaw Warriors. He incurred a one-game suspension after taking a clipping major and game misconduct in Game 4 in Regina on Wednesday. He has a team-high three goals and is tied with F Jordan Weal for the team lead in points, with five. . . .
And, finally, Regina president Brent Parker was fined $2,500 for “inappropriate behaviour” after Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
Glenn Reid of CBC Regina tweeted: “GM Brent Parker fined $2500 for inappropriate conduct. I thought he was screaming at me for a second there (Wednesday) night.”
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported that Parker “punched a hole in the door of the video replay booth inside the press box” after the game and “also became involved in a heated verbal confrontation with the off-ice officials who were inside the booth.”
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Harder had a busy time of it. He also spoke with Wayne Gretzky, whose good friend, Pat Conacher, is in his first season as the Regina Pats’ head coach. That story is right here.
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Bill Graveland of The Canadian Press reports on a WHL player who received probation and community service after pleading guilty to charges from a high-speed car crash in which his girlfriend was killed. That story is right here.
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THURSDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)
In Winnipeg, the Brandon Wheat Kings got a goal at 8:26 of OT to beat the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 and win a first-round series in five games. . . . The Wheat Kings played their home games in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings actually scored twice on the game-winning play. F Paul Ciarelli fired a shot that hit the cross-bar in the back of the net. As one of the referees waved it off, F Darian Dziurzynski, who turns 21 today, banged in the rebound. . . . Originally credited to Dziurzynski, the goal was later changed to Ciarelli. . . . The Hitmen killed off a Brandon power play just before the winning goal and, in fact, came close to winning when G Corbin Boes made a tremendous glove save off F Jimmy Bubnick. . . . It is the eighth time in the last 11 seasons that Brandon has moved into the second round. . . . Boes finished with 42 saves. . . . Ciarelli scored at 4:14 of the third period to forge a 2-2 tie. Those were his first two goals of the series. . . . Dziurzynski and Jens Meilleur each had two assists for Brandon as they figured in both Ciarelli goals. . . . The Hitmen played all five games without F Victor Rask (leg), who scored 33 goals in the regular season. . . . Attendance was 4,002. . . . You can bet this series victory meant just a little bit more to Brandon owner/general manager Kelly McCrimmon. His brother, Brad, would have been 53 on Thursday. Brad was the head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the KHL team that was wiped out in a plane crash on Sept. 7. . . . The Wheat Kings will be back in Westman Place for the second round. Brandon will face the Edmonton Oil Kings next, if the Moose Jaw Warriors eliminate the Regina Pats. The Warriors take a 3-1 lead in that series into Game 5 tonight in Moose Jaw. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Rhett Rachinski scored the game’s last two goals as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Kootenay Ice 3-1 and swept the defending champions from the playoffs. . . . Edmonton has won its last 15 games. . . . Rachinski broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal of the series at 14:09 of the second period and added an empty-netter at 19:23 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings, in their fifth season in the WHL, won a series for the first time. They went in having been swept from the first round in both of their appearances. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 25 shots, while Laurent Brossoit of Edmonton turned aside 14. . . . The biggest story of the two games in Cranbrook may well have been the attendance — 2,293 on Wednesday and 2,146 last night. Those are the two smallest Rec-Plex playoff crowds in franchise history. . . . The highlight for the fans may have been when Marian Dixon shot a puck from the far blue-line through a hole in a sheet of plywood and won a truck from Denham Ford. . . . A Thursday night tweet from Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart: “Best comment on the ice goes to my little bro Sam saying ‘If you touch me I'm telling mom’ when we were in a scrum.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Ty Rattie scored four times as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Rockets 5-3 to sweep that first-round series. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Kamloops Blazers in the second round. That series will open with Games 1 and 2 in Portland’s Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum on April 6 and 7. . . . Rattie scored his club’s first three goals, giving Portland 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads. . . . He later added an empty-netter for his 10th goal in the four games. He also had three assists. . . . Interestingly, in the four games in this series, Rattie had one-, two-, three- and four-goal games. . . . Last spring, Rattie finished the playoffs with nine goals in 17 games. . . . He actually outscored the Rockets, 10-9, in the four games. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi had two assists. . . . Linemates Rattie, Baertschi and Marcel Noebels, who had one helper, each was plus-4.
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THURSDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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THURSDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Curtis Lazar, Edmonton.

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The sporting fraternity in Saskatchewan is mourning the loss of Bill Johnston, a long-time organizer who passed away in Moose Jaw on Thursday after a short illness. He was 76.
Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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The Memorial Cup hasn’t been decided in an American city since 1998, when the Portland Winterhawks won the championship in Spokane.
There are some people within WHL circles who wonder when one of the WHL’s five U.S. teams will get another chance to play host to the championship tournament.
Well, you fans in Everett, Kent, Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Portland, Seattle and Spokane shouldn’t hold your breath.
“We’ll never see a cup down here again,” someone who is with a U.S. team told me. “Once again, too lazy to make it work across the border.
“To me, it’s just arrogance on the Canadian side, telling us we don’t deserve the sport. . . .”
The WHL next will play host to the Memorial Cup tournament in 2013 when it will be in Saskatoon. Next up will be 2016 and there already is speculation that the Vancouver Giants are interested in putting in a bid to play host to that one.
Of course, the hangup with taking the tournament south seems to be sponsorships.
“The league marketing deals just frost all of us here,” the person said. “Baseball, NHL and the NBA can cross the border on deals . . . but us? And don’t even get me started on the TV deals with Shaw and ROOT.”
The CHL may have taken at least one step towards holding a Memorial Cup in the U.S. this week when it signed a deal with Aaron’s, Inc., a home furniture and electronics operation that is based in Atlanta and has more than 1,940 outlets in 48 states and Canada.
Aaron’s has huge involvement with NASCAR — if you are watching today’s Daytona 500, you will see its logo on Mark Martin’s No. 55 Toyota. Aaron’s is signed as a sponsor with Michael Waltrip Racing through the 2013 Sprint Cup season.
Aaron’s also was involved in sponsoring the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, before the franchise flew north to Winnipeg.
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The Concussion Report is working hard to keep track of the number of concussions in the NHL this season. On Friday, TCR reported: “As of today there is a 40 per cent increase in concussions versus last (season). The total number of 98 is the exact total of the entire regular season last (season).” . . .
TCR’s report also includes this:
“Speaking of (upper-body injuries) and undisclosed, I know I am beating a dead horse, but why the need to hide the injury? Why misinform the public and even the players about injuries that are inherent to hockey? Haven’t we learned from Chris Pronger, Colby Armstrong, even Sidney Crosby? I am not good enough to write an open letter or even where to send it, but Mr. Bettman there are some very small changes you can make before you should eliminate all head contact and take on the fighting issue in hockey: Do not allow your teams to hide the concussion/brain injury. You want to know what the real problem is, (then) stop placing your head in the sand, start there!”
If there is a 40 per cent increase in the number of concussions in the NHL this season over last, should we assume that the WHL, which also is hiding its injuries in the vast majority of instances, will report the same kind of increase?
The WHL’s latest weekly injury report lists 44 players as being out with upper-body injuries.
TCR’s report is right here.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes, who are to play the Oil Kings in Edmonton today, were living the life on Saturday.
Here’s an afternoon tweet from Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Hurricanes:
“Well, still waiting to leave Lethbridge for Edmonton. The @WHLHurricanes bus broke down before it got to the rink to load up.” . . .
Later, F Nick Buonassisi tweeted:
“Our bus departs from lethbridge to edm 6 hours later then scheduled then finally get a bus that works and the tranny hits the ground #classic”
And then it was G Liam Liston’s turn:
“We had our bus replaced by one with a vhs player, no AC, smaller than normal number of seats, an awful transmission and a door that won’t close.”
One more from Buonassisi:
“Broken bus update: the door has just flew off. whats next? Place your bets.”
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F Brett Connolly played 15:21 on Saturday as his Tampa Bay Lightning lost 8-1 to the Penguins in Pittsburgh. He played 12:25 at even-strength and 2:56 on the power play. . . . Connolly had four shots on goal, took one minor penalty and was minus-1. . . . The Lightning has until Monday, the NHL’s trade deadline, to make a decision on whether to assign Connolly to the WHL’s Tri-City Americans.
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In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 36 games by beating the Centennials 2-1 in OT in Merritt. . . . The Vees got the winner from F Travis St. Denis with 45 seconds left in the second OT period, which is played 3-on-3. . . . The Vees, who have seven regular-season games remaining, are at home to the Prince George Spruce Kings this afternoon.
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It isn’t the WHL but Nanaimo appears about to land another hockey team. Already the home to the BCHL’s Clippers, the Vancouver Island city is about to become home to a junior B team that will play out of the Nanaimo Ice Centre. Phil And Brenda Levesque are negotiating for ice with the city. The team will play in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
Tamara Cunningham of the Nanaimo Daily News has that story right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
(With a tip of the hat to @WHLFacts for some of the info that follows. If you are on Twitter and aren’t following, you should be.)
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-2. . . . Warriors D Travis Brown tied the game 2-2 at 18:32 of the second and F James Henry, with his 13th, both the tie just 25 seconds later. . . . F Kenton Miller scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him 30 this season. He has 11 goals in February; last season he finished with 10 goals in 55 games with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Henry added two assists to his goal. He has 21 points, including seven goals, in 20 games with Moose Jaw since coming over from the Vancouver Giants at the trade deadline. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde stopped 43 shots, 26 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . The Warriors had lost three straight. . . . Moose Jaw is four points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. Each team has 10 games remaining. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Sam Reinhart’s 26th goal of the game, 19 seconds into OT, gave the Kootenay Ice a 5-4 victory over the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert took a 3-1 lead into the second period but couldn’t hold it. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart tied the game 4-4 when he scored his 26th goal on a penalty shot at 14:46 of the third. He finished with two goals and two assists. He drew the lone assist on his younger brother’s winner. . . . F Mark McNeill, who had a goal and two assists, had given the Raiders the lead with his 28th goal at 8:21 of the third. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 25 shots in setting the franchise record for career victories (83). The previous record was held by Taylor Dakers (2003-06). . . . The Ice is fourth in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . .

In Saskatoon, D Alex Petrovic scored the only goal of the shootout as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Blades, 4-3. . . . With the Blades shooting first, Petrovic was the circus’s final shooter. . . . Red Deer F John Persson forced OT with his 21st goal at 18:45 of the third. . . . Persson finished with two goals and an assist. . . . F Jake Trask gave the Blades a 3-2 lead with his 18th goal, via the PP, at 2:45 of the third. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov stopped 44 shots, 12 more than Red Deer’s Deven Dubyk. . . . The Blades are 2-5-1 in their last eight. . . . This was the Blades’ last home game until March 13 as their home rink will be home to the Tim Hortons Brier — the Canadian men’s curling championship — from March 3-11. . . . The Blades are sixth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Calgary. . . . The Rebels are 10 points out of a playoff spot with 11 games left. . . .

In Brandon, F Mark Stone scored the only goal of the circus as the Wheat Kings beat the Regina Pats, 2-1. . . . Brandon’s victory officially eliminated the Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes from the playoff race. . . . The Broncos are out for just the third time in 26 seasons. . . . This was the third straight game in which Brandon went to OT. . . . Brandon has won nine of 11. . . . Stone, who had his 14-game point streak come to an end, was the first shooter of the circus. . . . F Jack Rodewald scored his sixth goal for Regina, at 1:51 of the first. . . . F Paul Ciarelli got the equalizer at 15:40 of the first. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 23 shots, seven fewer than Regina’s Matt Hewitt. . . . The Wheat Kings had gone two years without a shootout victory when they beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos 3-2 on Friday. . . . Brandon holds down eighth place in the Eastern Conference but is just one point behind Regina and four points out of fourth. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard stopped 29 shots as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-0. . . . Pickard has five shutouts this season and 12 in his career. . . . Pickard and Ty Rimmer of the Tri-City Americans are the WHL leaders, each with five. . . . WHLFacts points out that Seattle’s last 50 victories have been credited to Pickard. That’s right. It’s been more than two years since a goaltender other than Pickard has won a game for the Thunderbirds. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 42 shots. . . . Seattle F Dillon Wagner got his fifth goal, at 14:14 of the first, and it stood up as the winner. . . . D Brad Deagle drew two assists. . . . Seattle also got goals from F Connor Honey, his sixth, and F Jacob Doty, his second. . . . Everett has lost three in a row and now is three points behind Seattle, which holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Hunter Shinkaruk and F Curtis Valk scored in the circus to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Shinkaruk was returning after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Shinkaruk drew two assists. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem scored his WHL-leading 53rd goal. . . . F Brett Bulmer scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 28 goals. . . . Bulmer, who also had an assist, has 50 points in 44 games. Last season, he finished with 49 in 57. . . . Kelowna took a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox tied it with his 10th goal at 8:00 of the second. . . . The Tigers were missing F Cole Grbavac, their captain, with an undisclosed injury, while G Tyler Bunz also wasn’t dressed. . . . Medicine Hat G Kenny Cameron stopped 35 shots. Dawson MacAuley of the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers backed him up. . . . After the game, Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News tweeted: “#Medhat Tigers lose import D Patrik Parkkonen, who was hit from behind by Kel. #Rockets LW Jessey Astles in second per. No pen. call.” . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Kootenay. . . .

In Kamloops, the Vancouver Giants erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . A victory in regulation would have allowed the Blazers to clinch the B.C. Division’s regular-season pennant. . . . The Giants had lost their last three, including a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the visiting Blazers on Friday. . . . F Marek Tvrdon broke a 3-3 tie with a PP goal at 19:23 of the third period, just 20 seconds after Kamloops D Austin Madaisky was penalized for hooking Giants F Brendan Gallagher. . . . F Riley Kieser had three assists for Vancouver. . . . F Brendan Ranford had two goals, giving him 36, and an assist for Kamloops. He ran his point streak to 13 games. . . . F Chase Schaber had a goal and two assists for Kamloops. . . . The Blazers lead the overall standings, by a point over the Tri-City Americans and Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Giants now are five points ahead of the fifth-place Spokane Chiefs, who hold two games in hand. . . .
Gallagher had two goals, the second one into an empty net. The second one gave him 274 career points, one more than the franchise record that had been held by Adam Courchaine (2001-05). . . . Gallagher also holds the franchise record for career goals. . . . He has 141 assists and needs 14 to equal D Jon Blum’s franchise assist record. . . . “It’s pretty special to me,” Gallagher said of the franchise record for career points. “A lot of people have helped me. It’s not invidividual even though my name is on it. Starting with (head coach) Don (Hay). When you’re 16 and you come here you don’t really understand the game. He’s a really good teacher and you learn every time you come to the rink. Every player I’ve played with . . . I’ve had a lot of good veteran players when I was young to learn from and see how they act. I was put in a really good situation and I’m thankful for that.” . . .

In Prince George, the Victoria Royals completed a weekend doubleheader sweep with a 5-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Royals had won 4-2 on Friday night. . . . In this one, F Robin Soudek, who had two goals, broke a 1-1 tie at 5:40 of the second period. . . . The Royals went on to take a 4-1 on goals by F Brandon Magee, at 17:47 of the second, and Soudek, at 3:16 of the third. . . . The Cougars got third-period goals from F Daulton Siwak, shorthanded, and F Chase Witala, at 8:30, but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Royals G Jared Rathjen, a Prince George native, stopped 30 shots for his second career victory. He had earned his first one on Friday. . . . Cougars G Drew Owsley made 37 saves. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . The Royals are seventh in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Seattle. . . . The Cougars are four points out of eighth with 11 games left. . . .

In Spokane, F Brendan Shinnimin continued his amazing run with four points as the Tri-City Americans beat the Chiefs, 7-3. . . . Shinnimin, who was coming off back-to-back three-goal games, had a goal and three assists in this one. He has 14 points in his last three games. So let’s just announce the WHL and CHL player of the week right now. . . . He ran his goal-scoring streak to nine games. . . . Shinnimin now has 110 points and leads the WHL scoring derby by five points over F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland had two goals and two assists, giving him 92 points. He has three straight four-point games. Holland is on a nine-game point streak — he has 22 points, 19 of them assists, in that stretch. . . . F Adam Hughesman, the third member of that line, had a goal and an assist, giving him 96 points. . . . Holland broke a 2-2 tie at 11:11 of the second. . . . Americans F Justin Feser, with his second of the game and 31st of the season, made it 4-2 at 14:32. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal got his guys to within one at 9:46 of the third, but the Americans put it away with the last three goals. . . . F Dominik Uher had a goal and two assists for Spokane. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 36 shots in earning his 25th victory. . . . The Americans have won five in a row. . . . The Chiefs have lost six of seven. . . . The Americans moved back into a tie with Portland atop the U.S. Division.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tanner Muth, Kootenay.
F Tyrell Goulbourne, Kelowna.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Jagger Dirk, Kootenay.
D Jared Hauf, Seattle.
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The incomparable Roy MacGregor takes a look at Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin and what may be ailing him, and it’s right here.


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Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks shows off the puck with which he
scored his 50th goal (and his 100th point) in a Monday night game. Veteran
fans will remember back in the day when photos such as this one were
in vogue when players reached various milestones.
(Photo by Bryan Heim / Portland Winterhawks)

ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
The Calgary Hitmen beat the Rockets 7-1 in Kelowna on Friday night. At 17:21 of the third period, Kelowna F Brett Lyon was given a misconduct penalty. At 19:24 of the third period, the Rockets scored their only goal — according to the online scoresheet, it went to Madison Bowey with assists to Tyson Baillie and, uhh, Brett Lyon. . . . Mr. Commissioner, how is it possible for Lyon to get an assist while he presumably was in the dressing room?
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JUST NOTES:
The Prince Albert Raiders will have F Tim Vanstone, 15, in their lineup tonight against the host Swift Current Broncos. Vanstone, a Prince Albert native, plays for the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires for whom he put up 33 points and 72 penalty minutes, including 14 goals, in 38 regular-season games. . . . Following tonight’s game, he will return to the Legionnaires for the playoffs where they will meet the Prince Albert Mintos in the first round. . . . Vanstone, who is not believed to be related to Regina Leader-Post sports columnist Rob Vanstone, was a third-round selection by the Raiders in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .
The Tim Hortons Brier – that is the Canadian men’s curling championship – is to be held in Saskatoon, March 3-11. With that in mind, the Blades will wear Brier-themed sweaters for their Saturday game against the visiting Red Deer Rebels. (Ironically, the Rebels are out of their building because the Scotties Tournament of Hearts – the Canadian women’s curling championship – is on in their building this week.). . . . There is more on the Blades and their sweaters, including a photo, right here. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades are bringing in D Macklin Pichonsky, an 11th-round bantam draft selection in 2010, for tonight’s game against the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. Pichonsky, from Leduc, Alta., plays for the midget AAA Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings. . . .
The Tampa Bay Lightning traded F Steve Downie to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and some folks thought that might translate into more playing time for F Brett Connolly, whose WHL rights belong to the Tri-City Americans. . . . Connolly played 6:10 in a 3-2 victory over the visiting Anaheim Ducks last night. He had nine shifts — five in the first and two in each of the second and third. . . .
Kevin Paul Dupont, a veteran hockey writer with the Boston Globe, tweeted this last night: “One team exec I talked w/today says growing chatter among NHL GMs is that they'd like return of red line.” . . . You are going to hear a lot of this kind of talk in the next while as hockey execs, including in the WHL, search for ways to slow the game down and, hopefully, cut down on the number of concussions. . . .
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that F Austin Fyten, 20, is skating with the Vancouver Giants, something that could become a huge development as the days move forward. Fyten had reconstructive knee surgery in October; he was dropped by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in January and his rights were picked up by the Giants. He isn’t involved in contact yet but it would be quite a boost for the Giants should he be able to play at any point in the playoffs. . . . As well, Vancouver F Dalton Sward, who hasn’t played since Jan. 13 because of a shoulder injury, is back in full practice mode and may play against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Friday. The teams play again Saturday in Kamloops.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Jesse Ismond’s shootout goal gave the Kootenay Ice a 5-4 victory over the Wheat Kings, who had won four in a row. . . . It was Brandon’s 12th straight shootout loss. . . . Ismond was the only one of the 10 shooters in the circus to score. . . . F Sam Reinhart had two goals, giving him 25, and an assist for the Ice, while his brother, F Max, got his 24th goal. . . . Max gave the Ice a 3-2 lead at 6:01 of the third and Sam upped that at 9:44. . . . Brandon F Dominick Favreau forced OT when he scored his ninth goal with 13 seconds left in the third period. . . . Brandon G Eric Roy had made it 4-3 with a PP goal at 16:52. He also has nine goals. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone was awarded a late assist sometime after Saturday’s 6-2 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. So he went into last night’s game with a WHL-leading 102 points, not 101. . . . Stone added two more assists in this one and his 104 points give him a two-point lead atop the scoring race. He also is on a 13-game point streak. . . . Stone was shaken up in the third period, thanks to an elbow to the chops. . . . Brandon D Dylan Kuczek scored his first WHL goal. The 17-year-old from Winnipeg scored in his 32nd game, 31 of which have come this season. . . . The Wheat Kings welcomed back F Alessio Bertaggia, but remain without injured F Kevin Sundher, F Jason Swyripa and F Tyrel Seaman. Sundher and Seaman are concussed. . . . Still, Brandon dressed just 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . Brandon F Michael Ferland, a 40-goal man, left with about seven minutes left in the first period and didn’t return. It might be an upper-body injury (i.e. concussion). . . . The Ice continues to be without F Drew Czerwonka, who is out for up to six weeks with what is believed to be a knee injury. . . . The Wheat Kings, 7-1-1 in their last nine, pulled into a tie for seventh with the Regina Pats in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Ice slid past the idle Calgary Hitmen and into fourth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks moved into first place in the WHL’s overall standings with an 8-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Winterhawks took a 2-0 lead into the second period and then struck for four PP goals in five opportunities. . . . F Brendan Leipsic scored three times — his first hat trick and the ninth of the season for Portland — and added two assists. . . . Portland got a goal and two assists from each of D Derrick Pouliot, who is on a seven-game point streak, and F Marcel Noebels. . . . The Winterhawks have won eight in a row. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had a goal, his 51st, and an assist, giving him 102 points, two behind Brandon F Mark Stone. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel had an assist, to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi had an assist and is on an 11-game streak. With 81 points in 41 games, he has fallen slightly off his two points-per-game pace. . . . The victory lifted the Winterhawks to the top of the WHL’s overall standings, one point ahead of the idle Kamloops Blazers. Kamloops is at home tonight to the Victoria Royals. . . . The Tri-City Americans are a point behind the Blazers. . . . Kamloops and Tri-City each holds a game in hand on Portland. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin had a night to remember as he put up six points in a 7-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Shinnimin finished with three goals, giving him 44, and three assists. . . . That lifted his point total to a career-high 102, leaving him two off the pace being set by Brandon F Mark Stone. . . . Shinnimin, who has two hat tricks this season, also reached the 300-point plateau — he has 305 pints in 254 games. . . . The last Americans skater with 100 points was Eric Johansson (103, 2001-02). . . . Shinnimin now has at least one goal in seven straight games. He has 70 points in 32 games since Dec. 1. . . . F Adam Hughesman had two goals and an assist for the Americans. He’s got 92 points, including 35 goals. . . . F Patrick Holland chipped in a goal and three assists, leaving him with 84 points, including 63 assists. . . . Holland has been playing on a line with Hughesman and Shinnimin — let’s call it the Straight A’s Line — and has a goal and eight assists in his last three games. . . . Straight A’s? Each of them wears an A. . . . In those three games, Shinnimin has seen goals and four assists, and Hughesman has three goals and four helpers. . . . F Jordyn Boyd had a goal for Everett, meaning he has scored in three straight games. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray didn’t have a point but finished plus-2. . . . Tri-City was 2-7 on the PP. . . . F Parker Bowles of the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who play out of Kelowna, made his WHL debut with the Americans. A list player, he signed a couple of weeks ago. . . . The Cougars remain 10th in the Western Conference but are just two points out a playoff spot.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Darian Dziurzynski, Brandon.
F Jari Erricson, Everett.
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Nate Ewell was named interim executive director of College Hockey Inc., on Tuesday, replaced Paul Kelly, who left the organization on Monday.
Ewell has been with CHI since January 2011, serving as director of communications. Before that, he worked in communications for eight seasons with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
Also on Tuesday, Kelly tweeted: “I greatly enjoyed establishing CHI 2+ years ago and being an advocate for the 58 NCAA D-I programs. Time now to let others carry on mission.”
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If you have are a hockey fan, or have had anything to do with the game at the major junior level or above, you will enjoy The Code, a book that is new to bookshelves near you. Brad Shade, a grinder during his playing days, is scouting for the Los Angeles Kings, meaning he is preparing for another NHL draft. The Kings want to draft a particular player, but something doesn’t smell right. The Code was written by G.B. Joyce, and if you know anything about hockey you will get a real kick out of the clichés. . . . G.B. Joyce? You may know him as Gare Joyce, a prolific writer of all things hockey. . . . The book carries a $30 price tag in Canada, but I spotted it with a $20 tag on it in a bookstore earlier this week.
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And if you click right here you will find Joyce’s review of Goon, the hockey-related movie that opens Friday in theatres everywhere. Joyce reviewed it for The Globe and Mail.


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JUST NOTES:
F Sven Baertschi was back on the ice when the Portland Winterhawks skated earlier Wednesday. He didn't play in last night's 4-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets, though. Baertschi, 19, has 54 points in 25 games with the Winterhawks but hasn’t played for them since Dec. 11 after which he joined the Swiss national junior team for the World Junior Championship. But he suffered a concussion during the tournament and has yet to return to game action. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich reported that Baertschi isn’t likely to play against the visiting Rockets on Friday and that he is listed as “possible” for Saturday and “most likely” will play Monday “if there are no setbacks.” . . . The Winterhawks are to play the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Saturday and are at home to the Tri-City Americans for a Monday afternoon game. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds have added F Dillon Wagner, 20, to their roster after he was dropped Tuesday by the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Wagner began the season with the Swift Current Broncos, who dealt him to Portland. . . . The Winterhawks dropped Wagner after trading for F Cam Reid, 20, who left St. Cloud State to come to the WHL. . . . Wagner had seven points in 17 games with Portland. In 180 career regular-season games, he has 60 points and 193 penalty minutes. . . . F Burke Gallimore and D Cason Machacek are the other 20-year-olds on Seattle’s roster.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, G Alex Moodie turned aside 37 shots as the Saskatoon Blades blanked the Wheat Kings, 3-0. . . . Moodie, 16, is from Winnipeg. He was to have returned earlier in the week to the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild but stayed with the Blades after starter Andrey Makarov was taken out of the lineup with a concussion. . . . F Lukas Sutter’s 16th goal, at 11:50 of the first, stood up as the winner. Sutter, who had four goals in 71 games last season, has 36 points in 41 games. . . . F Kevin Sundher, acquired by Brandon from Victoria on Monday, had his points streak halted at 12 games. . . . Each team was 0-for-6 on the PP. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Matt Hewitt stopped 26 shots as the Pats beat the Prince Albert Raides, 2-0. . . . Hewitt has three shutouts this season. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal got the game’s first goal, his 26th, at 6:47 of the second period. . . . This was Regina’s 24th victory of the season, one more than they put up all of last season when they missed the playoffs. . . . D Martin Marincin, acquired Tuesday from the Prince George Cougars, was in Regina’s lineup. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk was in the lineup. The WHL chose not to suspend Klimchuck who was given a charging major a game misconduct for a hit on Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov. It appeared that Saskatoon D Darren Dietz helped Klimchuk along his way on that particular play. . . .

In Red Deer, F Max Reinhart scored the only shootout goal as the Kootenay Ice edged the Rebels, 2-1. . . . Reinhart was the first shooter of the shootout. . . . D Alex Petrovic scored for Red Deer, his fourth, at 18:14 of the first. . . . Ice F Dylen McKinlay tied it with his eighth at 9:02 of the second. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk stopped 34 shots, five more than the Ice’s Nathan Lieuwen. . . .

In Kamloops, D Tyler Hansen’s goal at 17:37 of the third period turned into the winner as the Blazers edged the Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . It was Hansen’s first goal of the season and ended a 93-game drought. . . . F Colin Smith scored twice for Kamloops. . . . The Americans had won their last 13 games. They hadn’t been beaten since dropping a 6-2 decision to the Rockets in Kelowna on Nov. 30. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 32 shots in winning his 21st game. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan scored his fourth goal of the season in his first game since coming over in a trade from the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Blazers now are three points behind the Western Conference-leading Americans. They next play each other on Jan. 21 in Kennewick, Wash. . . . This was Kamloops’ 29th victory, which is as many games as it won all of last season when it missed the playoffs. . . . This was a game with zip and pace and speed and great transition games. It didn't have the intensity of a playoff game when emotion has had time to build, but it still was pretty darn good. . . . The Americans spent the night in Kamloops and will travel into Vancouver today for a Friday night date with the Giants. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored two power-play and two while shorthanded in beating the Kelowna Rockets, 4-2. . . . The Winterhawks have won 15 straight home games, one short of the franchise record (1993-94). . . . F Cam Reid, who left St. Cloud State to join the Winterhawks, scored a PP goal at 8:58 of the first period in his first WHL game. . . . F Ty Rattie broke a 1-1 tie with his WHL-leading 38th goal and the Winterhawks got away to a 4-1 lead. . . . Rattie also had two assists and now has a WHL-leading 76 points, six more than F Jordan Weal of the Regina Pats. . . . Portland F Brad Ross wasn’t able to beat G Adam Brown on a second-period penalty shot with the Winterhawks leading 4-1. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 33 shots in winning his 25th game of the season. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel scored his second goal of the season. He was playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury on Dec. 30. . . . F Brett Lyon scored his first goal for Kelowna — it was his 12th of the season — since being acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs gave head coach Don Nachbaur his 500th WHL victory as they beat the Everett Silvertips, 6-1. . . . Spokane has won four straight games. . . . D Brenden Kichton led the Chiefs with a goal and two assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored once, giving him goals in four straight games. . . . Nachbaur is the sixth coach in WHL history to get to 500 victories. He trails Ken Hodge (742), Ernie McLean (548), Pat Ginnell (518), Lorne Molleken (544) and Don Hay (542). . . . Nachbaur, in his second season with the Chiefs, won 202 games as head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds and 229 with the Tri-City Americans. He has 69 victories with Spokane. . . . Jess Brown of the Spokane Spokesman-Review asked Nachbaur about the approaching milestone, and he jokingly replied: “I’d rather have 500 NHL goals as a player.” . . . We should point out that Nachbaur scored 23 goals in 223 NHL regular-season games. He also had 46 assists and 465 penalty minutes.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Colin Smith, Kamloops.
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After the night’s games were done, Adam Hughesman of the Tri-City Americans tweeted: “Congrats to one of the best coaches in @TheWHL Don Nachbaur on win 500. Pretty special company to be apart of that club #WellDeserved”
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There also was a funny exchange on Twitter between two Moose Jaw Warriors defencemen — Dylan McIlrath and Morgan Rielly. The latter is out after having had knee surgery, but still was rated No. 5 when NHL Central Scouting released its midseason rankings on Wednesday.
McIlrath started it with: “@mriles4 sitting on a couch for 2 months and still ranked 5th ovy #mustbenice”
Rielly replied with: “that was a sympathy ranking and we all no it. But thanks for rubbing it in #10thov #guttless”
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And then there was this one, from Calgary Hitmen G Chris Driedger: “Took me 40 some games to get my first shutty then @AlexMoodie goes and gets her done in 7. Might he be the next @cpickard1? #whoknows #peg”
Driedger, Moodie and Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds all are from Winnipeg.
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Scott Sepich, who on occasion writes about the WHL for Yahoo! Sports, has a piece right here in which Mike Johnston, the GM/head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, explains the thought process behind his giving up two first-round bantam draft selections to get F Marcel Nelbels from the Seattle Thunderbirds.


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