Rockets score early and late in second to win opener . . . MacBeth Report overflowing

So happy my Family and friends could join me today at #OrderOfCanada ceremonies. One never receive this award alone. pic.twitter.com/nsGPPUedBz

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) May 8, 2015

D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a one-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, he had two goals and 21 assists in 48 games with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). DuPont earlier played three seasons (2003-06) with Eisbären Berlin. . . .
F Spencer Machacek (Vancouver, 2005-08) signed a one-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL), he had 35 points, including eight goals, in 43 games. . . .
F Radim Valchar (Portland, Lethbridge, 2007-10) signed a one-year contract with Hokki Kajaani (Finland, Mestis). This season, with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus), he had five goals and 13 assists in 26 games. . . .
F Masi Marjamäki (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-05) signed a one-year contract with Ässät Port (Finland, Liiga). This season, he had four goals and two assists with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). He also had three goals and three assists in eight games on loan to LeKi Lempäälä (Finland, Mestis). . . .
D Brendan Mikkelson (Portland, Vancouver, 2003-07) signed a two-year contract with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). This season, with the Toronto Marlies (AHL), he had 23 points, including nine goals, in 60 games. He was an alternate captain with the Marlies. . . .
F Justin Taylor (Medicine Hat, Red Deer, 1999-2001, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with Peiting (Germany, Oberliga). This season, with Mörrum (Sweden, Division 1), he had six goals and five assists in 18 games. . . .
F Dan DaSilva (Portland, 2002-05) signed one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL), he had 36 points, including 17 goals, in 51 games. . . .
D Derek Meech (Red Deer, 1999-2004) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, SHL). This season, with the Texas Stars (AHL), he had 35 points, 10 of them goals, in 63 games. Malmö won promotion to SHL from Allsvenskan this season. . . .
D Jesse Dudas (Lethbridge, Prince George, Swift Current, Regina, 2003-09) signed a three-week tryout contract with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga). This season, with Jegesmedve Miskolc (Hungary, MOL Liga), he had 43 points, 11 of them goals, in 34 games. Teams in Finland often practise until the end of May. . . .
G Jeff Glass (Kootenay, 2002-05) signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). This season, with Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL), he had a 3.46 GAA and a .885 save percentage in 14 games. . . .
F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 36 points, including 13 goals, in 54 games. . . .
F Jordan Draper (Red Deer, 2007-08) signed a one-year contract with Courbevoie (France, Division 1). This season, with Mont-Blanc (France Division 1), he had 34 points, including 20 goals, in 22 games. He led his team in goals and points, and was fifth in the league’s scoring race. . . .
F Jan Dalecký (Swift Current, 2007-09) signed a one-year extension with Kladno (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). This season, he had five goals and three assists in 34 games.
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pic.twitter.com/yEL9VehCEh

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) May 8, 2015

FRIDAY’S GAME:

In Brandon, F Leon Draisaitl broke a 3-3 tie at 18:50 of the second period as the Kelowna Rockets opened the WHL’s championship final with a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Brandon. . . . F Rihards Bukarts got Brandon on the board during the game’s first PP, scoring his third goal at 4:58 of the first period. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s next three goals in just 3:38. . . . F Tyson Baillie got his 10th goal at 17:41 of the first period, via the PP. . . . F Justin Kirkland scored his third goal 52 seconds into the second to give the visitors their first lead. . . . F Chance Braid, with his fourth goal, gave the Rockets a two-goal lead at 1:19. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it, getting goals 1:57 apart, from F Peter Quenneville, his eighth, on the PP, at 15:58, and Bukarts, at 17:55. . . . Draisaitl scored the goal that would stand up as the winner just 55 seconds later. . . . The difference in the game? The Rockets scored two goals in the first 1:19 of the second and another almost in the last minute of that period. So much for Brandon maintaining momentum, especially after tying the game 3-3. . . . Kelowna D Josh Morrissey had two assists, with Kirkland and Baillie each adding an assist to their goals. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 24 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Brandon was 2-for-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-for-4. . . . The referees were Chris Crich and Brett Iverson. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier (ankle) had a question mark beside his name on the lineup sheet. He took the warmup and was in the lineup, picking up one assist. He started on a line with Rodney Southam and Riley Stadel. . . . While F Tanner Kaspick was back in Brandon’s lineup, D Kale Clague and F Reid Duke were among the scratches. . . . The Wheat Kings also had F Ty Lewis in the lineup for the first time in these playoffs. Lewis, who is from Brandon, was a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . F Caiden Daley, selected by the Wheat Kings with the 21st overall pick in Thursday’s bantam draft, was in the house. He played this season with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Warriors. . . . Shaw-TV is showing the entire series. . . . The attendance was a season-high 5,502. . . . Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings on CKLQ, has a game story right here. . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier filed this story right here.
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The host Oshawa Generals opened the OHL final last night with a 4-1 victory over the Erie Otters before 6,068 fans. . . . Erie F Connor McDavid had one assist, the fourth time in 16 playoff games that he was held to one point. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Oshawa. . . .
In the QMJHL, the visiting Quebec Remparts beat the Rimouski Oceanic 4-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the championship series. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale stopped 40 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,062. . . . They are scheduled to play Sunday and Wednesday in Quebec City.
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In the AHL, the Utica Comets and Oklahoma City Barons, who went into the fourth OT period on Thursday night, were back at it last night. The Barons won the series opener 2-1. Last night, it was the Comets winning 2-1, this time at 3:32 of the first extra period. . . . The online scoresheet is right here.
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The BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs issued a rather interesting news release this week, as they announced “the addition of eight players for the 2015-16 season. All eight were members of the split-season Connecticut Wolf Pack team that captured the 2015 USA Hockey Tier 1 U18 National Championship in Amherst, N.Y., in April. . . . All told, the Chiefs added a goaltender, a defence man and six forwards from the Wolf Pack. . . . Six of the players are Americans; the other two are from Quebec. . . . There’s more right here.
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If you missed it, ESPN announced Thursday that it won’t renew Bill Simmons’ contract. Jeb Lund greeted that news with ‘A Begrudging Appreciation’ for Rolling Stone. It’s a good read and it’s right here.
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Florence and Kaye Kaminishi of Kamloops celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Friday. You may not know them or know of them, but there is a truly amazing story there. . . . Kaminishi was a promising young baseball player in Vancouver when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941. It wasn’t long before Kaminish and his mother were in an internment camp near Lillooet, B.C., their lumberyard gone, seized by the government. . . . Kaminishi survived all of that and is a man of uncommon grace. For more on his story, click right here.
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#NHLJets announce Andrew Ladd had 'successful surgery' on a sports hernia today in St. L. Expected to be ready for camp in Sept. #bn

— Ed Tait (@WFPEdTait) May 8, 2015

Wonder if a pro sports team ever announced a player underwent 'unsuccessful surgery'? 'Sorry to report the doc really messed up...'

— Ed Tait (@WFPEdTait) May 8, 2015

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a one-year contract
extension with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). DuPont signed a three-year contract extension in January, so this extension keeps him under contract to Kloten through the 2015-2016 season. In 29 games this season, DuPont has five goals and 12 assists. DuPont led all NL A defencemen in assists (35) and points (41), was named to the league all-star team, and was named Defenceman of the Year last season.
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Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has a few questions for the WHL right here.
Yes, the questions have to do with WHL vs. Portland Winterhawks.
You have to read this if for no other reason than Eggers’ exchange, as brief as it was, with Cory Flett, the WHL’s director of communications.
There’s nothing wrong with ending your week with a good chuckle and this might do it for you. It also sums up the WHL’s approach to this entire mess.
portlandtribune.com/pt/12-sports/124492-no-appeal-yet-for-winterhawks;-good-luck-abby-chin;-a-big-honor-for-karen-gaffney;-and-more-notes
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An apology to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club for something that was posted here yesterday.
I read something on an Oregon Live blog that was posted by community blogger Samantha Meese and obviously misinterpreted it.
Samantha wrote, in part:
“I encourage other fans to join me in donating to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club for the express purpose of financially supporting air travel for the families of our players.”
I took that to mean that the booster club was collecting money for that purpose.
Meese later tweeted that “this was my idea. I’m simply donating to the Booster Club and designating my funds to help families.”
Stuart Kemp, the booster club’s president, later offered this clarification, and also touched on the Free Mike J t-shirts the group is selling:
“First off, the shirts are not to pay for air tickets or anything else. Any profits from these will be designated for the Education Fund. We had a long time fan front the cost of the shirts to be paid back as we sold them. They are only sold at the Booster Club table which is not under the jurisdiction of the Portland Winterhawks Hockey Club or The Western Hockey League. There is no connection whatsoever. . . .
“As the Booster Club is a 501 (c)3 Registered Charity, we are authorized and do accept donations to the Booster Club. Anyone can earmark what they feel the money should go toward and we make every effort to see that this is accomplished. That said, we are also very aware of legalities and as such are checking whether if someone designates the use of the funds for flights or camps or whatever, that we can do so.
“In any case, on any disbursement, we must receive an application to access these funds and release such only based on merit and full approval of the Booster Club board and membership with the exception of the Player's Education Fund as that is mandated by the Booster Club charter.”
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Obviously, the price of playing poker in the WHL this trading season is going to be awfully steep.
On Thursday, the Kamloops Blazers gave up their 2012 first-round bantam draft pick, F Jayden Halbgewachs, a 2015 first-round selection and D Tyler Bell, 18, in order to land D Joel Edmundson, a 19-year-old stay-at-home type, and a fourth-round pick in 2015.
Edmundson, 6-foot-4, 210-pounder from Brandon, has eight points in 29 games this season. He was a second-round selection by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL draft. He had been a sixth-round selection by Moose Jaw in the 2008 bantam draft.
Dave Hunchak, the Blazers’ associate coach, was the head coach in Moose Jaw when the Warriors drafted Edmundson. Hunchak also was the head coach in 2010-11, Edmundson’s first season in Moose Jaw. With the Blazers, Hunchak handles the defencemen.
In his third WHL season, Edmundson has eight goals, 43 assists and 256 penalty minutes in 156 games.
Bell, a sophomore from Regina, has two goals, 14 assists and 97 penalty minutes in 83 games. This season, he has four points and 36 penalty minutes in 29 games.
Halbgewachs, 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds, was the 19th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He is with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He has 14 points, including eight goals, in 19 games after scoring twice and being named the away star in a 4-0 victory over the host Swift Current Legionnaires last night. (G Logan Flodell, who returned to Regina this week after a brief stint backing up with the Seattle Thunderbirds, stopped 28 shots for the shutout.)
While a lot of people around the WHL have been pointing a finger at Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, for driving up the price of poker, it’s likely that the bar for the Moose Jaw-Kamloops deal was set by a swap between the Vancouver Giants and Edmonton Oil Kings.
In that one, the Giants dealt D David Musil, 19, to Edmonton for D Mason Geertsen, 17, and the 2013 first-round draft pick. Musil was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2011 NHL draft.
In the Vancouver-Saskatoon deal, Molleken gave up F Travis McEvoy, 18, a third-rounder in 2013 and a first-rounder in 2014 for F Nathan Burns, 19.
The Blazers now have three 19-year-old shutdown defencemen, with Edmundson joining Tyler Hansen and Sam Grist, the latter acquired earlier in the season from the Tri-City Americans.
Some observers had thought the Blazers might make a pitch for Moose Jaw’s top defenceman, 18-year-old Morgan Rielly. However, after moving Edmundson yesterday, Moose Jaw general manager Alan Millar told a media scrum that he won’t be moving Rielly.
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Former NHLer Todd Harkins, who has won two B.C. Major Midget League titles as head coach of the Vancouver-Northwest Giants, will join the Prince George Cougars as an interim assistant coach next week.
Harkins, the BCMML coach of the year for last season, will take over from assistant coach Jason Becker later this month and stay until early January. Becker will be leaving the Cougars as he is head coach of Team Pacific, the B.C.-Alberta team that will play in the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Drummondville and Victoriaville, Que.
Harkins’ is to join head coach Dean Clark behind the bench for the first time on Dec. 28 when the Cougars play in Victoria against the Royals.
Harkins’ son, Jansen, was selected second overall by the Cougars in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. Jansen made his WHL debut with the Cougars on Nov. 11 in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Giants in Vancouver. Harkins has 30 points in 17 games with the Northwest Giants this season.
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The Kootenay International Junior Hockey League is moving into 100 Mile House, B.C. The Wranglers, who are finishing this season as the Penticton Lakers, will begin play in 100 Mile House in September. A group in 100 Mile House, which is about two hours north of Kamloops, is purchasing the franchise from the Okanagan Hockey Academy. If you’re wondering about the community’s name, it’s located 100 miles up the Cariboo Wagon Trail from Lillooet. The Wranglers will play out of the 700-seat South Cariboo Recreation Centre.
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In a story published today, Brad Brown of the Prairie Post, a Swift Current-based newspaper, has provided a thorough look at the life of a concussed WHL player. That player is F Shea Howorko of the Swift Current Broncos, who hasn’t played a game in a year.
This is a frightening story.
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Brian Toporek of Schooled in Sports has posted a story that should be ready by anyone who has anything to do with youth sports.
Here’s how he starts it:
“A sweeping new study has found evidence that long-term brain damage can occur after playing football for just a few years . . . in high school.
Released Monday by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, the study found such injuries to six young men who played football in high school, but stopped before college, and did not play professionally.”
This is startling – really, really startling stuff – and his full report is right here.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that the Regina Pats dropped two players from their roster on Thursday. . . . F Ty McLean, 17, who had one assist in 24 games, has joined the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. . . . F Henry Hardarson, 18, who was pointless in 24 games, is off to the U18 Phoenix Firebirds of the North American Prospects Hockey League. Hardarson is from Phoenix.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Kennewick, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last six goals to erase a 4-2 deficit and double the Tri-City Americans, 8-4. . . . Seattle F Connor Sanvido had two goals and two assists, and was plus-4, while F Brendan Rouse drew three assists and was plus-6. . . . Seattle F Seth Swenson also scored twice, and F Robert Lipsbergs had a goal and an assist, running his point streak to 10 games. He has 12 goals and four assists over that stretch. He has scored in nine of his last 10 games. . . . The Americans had won 22 straight home games with the Thunderbirds, a streak that began in February 2008. . . . It was Teddy Bear Night and F Parker Bowles score the goal for the Americans.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “So here's the deal WHL GM's. U want to pick up 19 year-old player, despite skill set, be prepared to cough over 1st rounder. #thanksMolleken”
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More from Bartel: “If WHL team wanted to acquire Ryan Murray they would have had to give up first born, key to the city and this weeks winning lottery numbers.”
Bartel may be upset because just last week he all but had Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly ticketed for Kamloops. LOL!
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And then there was this one from Prince Albert Raiders G Luke Siemens (@siems31), as he and his mates headed for Cranbrook: “well what do ya know our bus may have broke down again with a broken belt #thestreakisalive #4times”

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

It was the third annual CH2M HILL Nuclear Night at the Toyota Center in
Kennewick, Wash., so Patrick Holland (41) and the Tri-City Americans wore
what the team calls "nuclear-inspired" sweaters. Those jerseys are available
via on-line auction right here. As you will see by reading Friday's report, Holland
is hotter than nuclear fusion these days.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a three-year contract extension with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). The extension runs through the 2014-15 season. DuPont has four goals and a league-leading 31 assists in 36 games for Kloten this season, good for seventh in league scoring.
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It appears that the Portland Winterhawks are adding F Alex Schoenborn, a 16-year-old from Minot., N.D., to their roster. Ryan Clark of the Fargo, N.D., Forum noted Friday night that Schoenborn had confirmed the move on his Facebook page. . . . The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Schoenborn, who turned 16 on Dec. 12, had 45 points in 27 games for Minot High School last season. . . . This season, he was pointless in three games with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. He was the 12th overall selection in the USHL’s 2011 futures draft. . . . He is a list player with Portland. . . . Schoenborn also has played with the midget AAA Omaha Lancers this season, picking up 41 points and 118 penalty minutes in 26 games. In North American Prospects Hockeky League games, he has 11 points in six games.
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Marlon Martens, the radio voice of the Victoria Royals, explains the Jesse Pauls situation on his blog.
After speaking with Pauls, Martens explained, “With a plate and nine screws in (a) leg after breaking both bones last (season) he’s been playing with ‘chronic pain’ as he put it, ‘and have decided to look after my health.’ ”
Pauls also told Martens: “It’s affected my game and haven’t been able to play up to my potential . . . it sucks knowing you’ve got more and can’t do it.”
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G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers is scheduled to appear in a St. Albert, Alta., court on March 5 after entering not guilty pleas to what the Medicine Hat News reports are “two drunk-driving related allegations.”
According to The News, Bunz, 19, was charged “after an incident in his hometown of St. Albert in May.”
Brad McEwen, the Tigers’ general manager, told The News that the team won’t comment on the situation.
The Edmonton Oilers selected Bunz with the 121st pick of the NHL’s 2010 draft.
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In the BCHL on Friday night, the Penticton Vees won their 20th game in a row, beating the Chiefs 6-2 in Chilliwack. . . . The Vees will play the SilverBacks in Salmon Arm tonight.
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WHL TRADE TRACKER (trades made since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 6
Players: 14
Draft picks: 5
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In the OHL, the teams have moved 25 players and 29 draft picks since Jan. 1.
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The Vancouver Giants have dealt D Luke Fenske, 18, to the Regina Pats for a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
Fenske, from Penticton, has six assists and 40 penalty minutes in 31 games with the Giants this season. He played 30 games with them in 2009-10 and 55 last season. In 116 games, he has four goals and 17 assists. . . . He was selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 bantam draft. . . .
The Kootenay Ice has traded F Adam Rossignol, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for D Tanner Muth, 18. . . . Rossignol, from Surrey, B.C., had 13 points in 39 games. He was a seventh-round pick by the Ice in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Muth, from Calgary, had four points in 38 games with the Broncos. He was selected 36th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2008 bantam draft.
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F Daniel Broussard of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s has been suspended for eight games for an anti-doping rule violation. The CHL and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport made the announcement on Friday. According to a news release, “The violation resulted from a urine sample collected during in-competition doping control in November 2011 which revealed the presence of methylhexaneamine, a prohibited stimulant.”
In a news release, CHL president David Branch stated that Broussard, who turns 21 on on Monday, and the 67’s were “extremely co-operative throughout the process.”
“We are completely satisfied,” Branch continued, “that the player used a supplement which he had purchased over the counter at a local retail outlet and had no knowledge that it contained a prohibited substance.”
Methylhexaneamine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List which is recognized by the CHL.
I said it last season and I’ll say it again . . . this automatic eight-game suspension for a first-time offender is ridiculous. Once again, we have a player who in no way was trying to cheat, but he has been labelled a drug cheat, just like the first-timers who were suspended last season.
Because of the number of major junior players using supplements, if the positive test turns out to be from inadvertent use and that can be proved, then why not issue a warning, and hand out an eight-game suspension for a second positive test?
A player makes a mistake like this and gets a longer suspension than some headshots and stickwork carry. And that’s just not right.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Raiders ran their home-ice winning streak to seven games as they dumped the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-1. . . . F Justin Maylan had a goal and two assists for the Raiders. . . . Maylan has 19 goals. . . . Prince Albert sophomore F Mike Winther had a goal, his 21st, and an assist. . . . F Logan McVeigh, acquired a week ago from Kamloops, had two assists. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row and 10 of their last 15, meaning the next few days, leading up to the Jan. 10 trading deadline, will be interesting. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 33 shots in his first start. . . . Raiders G Cole Holowenko turned aside 29 shots. . . . F Mark Stone had one assist for Brandon in his first game after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship. It was his 200th regular-season game. . . . Swiss F Alessio Bertaggia, also back in the Brandon lineup after playing at the WJC, was held off the scoresheet. . . . The teams meet again tonight in P.A. . . .

In Regina, G Matt Hewitt stopped 33 shots to lead the Pats to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Hewitt has two shutouts this season. . . . The victory was Regina’s 23rd this season, which matches their total for all of last season. . . .  The Pats have won four in a row — they have at least a point in six straight — going into a rematch tonight in Saskatoon. . . . The Blades had won their last two games, scoring 17 goals in the process. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk’s 10th goal, at 13:2 of the second, stood up as the winner. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had a goal and an assist. He has 67 points, four off the league lead. . . . In the second period, Regina D Colton Jobke wound up and fired a shot . . . and the puck split in two. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, described it this way in a tweet: “OK, I've seen it all...Pats' Colton Jobke shoots puck and it breaks in two when it hits the back boards at the Brandt centre. Crazy!!” . . . G Andrey Makarov, who was so terrific for Russia in the WJC final on Thursday night, wasn’t with the Blades. He didn’t get into Saskatoon in time to make the trip south. . . .

In Lethbridge, D Daniel Johnston broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 6:30 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-1. . . . Johnston has two goals this season. . . . F Emerson Etem got No. 31 for the Tigers in his first game back after playing for Team USA at the WJC. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 31 shots. . . .

In Red Deer, F Taylor Vause had a goal and two assists to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Broncos took a 3-0 lead early in the second period and then hung on behind 38 saves from G Jon Groenheyde. . . . Vause, who was reportedly feeling under the weather, has 23 goals. . . . He has 49 points in 41 games. Last season, in 62 games, Vause, 20, had career highs of 18 goals, 28 assists and 47 points. . . . The Broncos had lost six straight on the road. . . . Referee Derek Zalaski handed out only three minors, two to Red Deer. . . .

In Portland, F Brad Ross scored three times to lead the Winterhawks to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks have won 14 in a row at home. . . . Ross has 28 goals. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson set a single-game franchise record with 55 saves. The previous record (53) was held by Leland Irving from a game against the Spokane Chiefs four years ago. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 30 shots. Everett F Josh Birkholz was unsuccessful on a late second-period penalty shot with the score 1-1. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, the WHL scoring leader, had two assists. He now has 71 points. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray was back from a stint with the Canadian team at the WJC. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi sat this one out. He played for Switzerland at the WJC and suffered a concussion. . . . Everett was without D Brennan Yadlowski, who sat out a one-game suspension for a match penalty he incurred on Wednesday night. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Patrick Holland had two goals and two assists, while F Adam Hughesman had two goals and an assist, as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-3. . . . The Americans have won 12 in a row. . . . Holland has three straight four-point games. On the season, he has 55 points in 38 games. . . . In fact, in his last six games, he has gone 3, 3, 1, 4, 4, 4. That’s 19 points over six games. . . . Since Dec. 2, Holland has 28 points in 12 games. He has been blanked once, has one oe-point game, three two-pointers and three three-pointers. . . . Interestingly, he went 2-2-0-2-3-0-3-3-1-4-4-4. . . . And we should mention that Holland turns 19 today. . . . Hughesman has 65 points, including 25 goals, in 38 games this season. He has 299 points in 304 career games. . . . The Americans led 5-0 when Holland got his first goal, his 16th, at 8:34 of the second. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots. He wasn’t able to stop F Colin Jacobs on a second-period penalty shot that put Seattle on the board. . . . Comrie is 13-3-0. . . . Seattle G Daniel Cotton stopped 38 shots in his fourth career start. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin added a goal and two helpers for the Americans, while F Brian Williams had three assists. . . . Seattle has lost 19 in a row at the Toyota Center. . . . This one drew 6,064 fans, the third-largest crowd in the facility’s history. . . . There was an interesting moment in this one. It came with the Americans leading 5-2. From Dan Mulhausen’s Americans news release: “Early into the third period, Seattle thought it had pulled to within two, but rookie Connor Honey had his goal erased following a video review of a shot by Holland.  Nearly a minute earlier, Holland had ripped a shot from the point that appeared to go in the net, but the puck hit the back boards and went into the far corner.  After Honey’s goal finally stopped the clock, the video goal judge determined that Holland’s shot in fact had gone through the net, negating the goal by Honey and putting Tri-City on top 6-2.” . . . Hey, when you’re hot, you’re hot! And when you’re not, you’re not. . . .

In Prince George, G Cole Cheveldave stopped 32 shots as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Cougars, 2-0. . . . Cheveldave, an 18-year-old freshman from Calgary, has three shutouts, all of them against the Cougars. He blanked them 5-0 on Sunday, which was the last game for both teams prior to last night. They will play again tonight in P.G. . . . Cheveldave is 19-5-3. . . . Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer got the winner at 1:01 of the second period. F Colin Smith added his 20th at 13:16 of the third. . . . Prince George G Drew Owsley stopped 41 shots. . . . Kamloops D Marek Hrbas (Czech Republic) and Prince George D Martin Marincin (Slovakia) both played after performing at the WJC. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2. . . . D Corbin Baldwin had a goal and an assist and was plus-4 for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 24 shots, 11 fewer than Moose Jaw’s Spencer Tremblay. . . . The Warriors went 1-3-1 in their U.S. Division swing. They wrap up the road swing tonight against the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Chiefs are 6-0 against East Division teams. . . . F Dominik Uher, in his return from playing for the Czech Republic at the WJC, scored for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur now has 497 WHL victories. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden rejoined his club after playing for Canada at the WJC. . . .

In Victoria, D Myles Bell had two goals and an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-2 victory over the Royals. . . . Bell has seven goals this season. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 36 shots. . . . Bell broke a 2-2 tie at 1:04 of the third period. . . . The Royals hae lost eight in a row. . . . The teams play in Victoria again tonight.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jamie Crooks, Victoria.

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