Deer me, another smoky day in Kamloops ... Tigers sign Craven ... Patrick gets NHL deal

If you look closely behind the green table to the left of the apple tree, you will note the deer that paid a visit to your back yard on Monday at 1:30 p.m. She nibbled at the grass, checked out a bird feeder or two, and may have tried a Jon Gold apple.

As for the grey background, well, it was that kind of day in Kamloops. That's smoke, and it obliterated the view to the east down the South Thompson River Valley. Somewhere in there is the river and further east is Mount Martin. We think.

The smoke also resulted in watering eyes and meant that for the first time in four days there wasn't an opportunity to sit on the deck and read.

And, yes, that deck will get painted one of these days. After the smoke leaves, of course.

Hey folks @gdrinnan Taking Note is working just loading really slowly thanks to a new script from @blogger be patient. #SameGreatWriting

— Terry Massey (@TerryMassey) July 6, 2017

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F Nathan Burns (Vancouver, Saskatoon, Swift Current, 2009-14) has signed a one-year contract with Halle (Germany, Oberliga). Burns didn’t play either of the past two seasons. In 2014-15 with the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), he had three goals and seven assists in 27 games. . . .

F Gilbert Brulé (Vancouver, 2002-06) has been traded by Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk to Traktor Chelyabinsk (both Russia, KHL) for cash compensation. Last season, he had six goals and four assists in 16 games with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL), and 12 goals and 20 assists in 37 games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL).

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The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed D Joel Craven to a WHL contract. Last season, with the midget AAA Northwest Athletic Association Flames in Calgary, he had a goal and nine assists in 31 games. . . . A list player, he is the son of Murray Craven, a former Tigers star forward (1980-84) who now is senior vice-president with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.

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The Vancouver Giants have signed F Milos Roman to a WHL contract. A Slovakian, Roman was the fifth-overall selection in the CHL’s 2017 import draft. . . . Roman, who won’t turn 18 until Nov. 6, played last season with HC Frydek-Mistek in the Czech Republick’s second-tier pro league. He had four goals and two assists in 29 games. He also played for Slovakia in the 2017 World Junior Championship, scoring once and adding an assist in four games. . . . He had a goal and an assist in five games at 2017 IIHF U-18 world championship and picked up five assists in four games at last summer’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup tournament.

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F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. He was the second-overall selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. . . . Patrick had 46 points, including 20 goals, in 33 games with Brandon last season. He missed a lot of the season due to a sports hernia. He had surgery in July 2016, then had more surgery on June 13. . . . Patrick was in Philadelphia for the Flyers’ development camp but didn’t take part in any on-ice activities. He is expected to start skating again next week and the Flyers say he should be ready for training camp. . . . If Patrick doesn’t make the Flyers’ roster, he will have to be returned to the Wheat Kings.

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From Treva Lind of the Spokane Spokesman-Review:

Spokane Public Facilities District is having Garco Construction, of Spokane, expand and remodel 2,300 square feet of space for the northeast front entrance to make room near metal detectors. A secondary project will update two concession areas.

A space in a southwest corner will get a new look — a taco truck-inspired design — for sale of fresh Mexican food, said Matt Gibson, arena general manager.

Work for a north side food area will push out a wall about 20 feet to create new eatery space introducing such options as craft burgers, Asian wraps, panini sandwiches and a craft beer center.

Gibson said work should be done in time for the Spokane Chiefs home opener Sept. 30.

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Whatever became of Denis Afinogenov? Remember when he was on your fantasy hockey team? Well, he’s now coaching in the Russian Women’s Hockey League. There’s that and a whole lot more right here at Patrick Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog.

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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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Tweet of the day

Thank you to @RichieBoy306 , Pat Naylen, Troy Vollhoffer and the Country Thunder crew for making this happen...... pic.twitter.com/XMSPMIygiI

— Brad Hornung (@Bradhornung) July 15, 2017

Riverton Rifle tells kids @ Athabasca Basin Security's hockey camp call if they need anything-and hands them his cell #. #stillbringsit pic.twitter.com/4gsRssmUc8

— Steve Hogle (@Hogle) July 17, 2017

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Padakin does it again

SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, the Hitmen scored three second-period goals and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1. . . . F Pavel Padakin scored the game’s first goal, the Teddy Bear Goal, at 3:42 of the second period. He also got that goal a year ago and now is the first player in franchise history with two such scores. . . . Attendance was 17,199 and they tossed 25,921 stuffed toys onto the ice. According to the Hitmen, that total is 998 shy of their record total from 2007 . . . . F Greg Chase scored twice for Calgary, giving him 16 on the season, while D Alex Roach had two assists. . . . Padakin’s goal was his seventh. . . . Padakin almost certainly will be hearing from the WHL office, after he took a slashing major and game misconduct at game’s end. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Edmonton Oil Kings opened up a 2-0 lead and went on to beat the Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . Edmonton had beaten host Lethbridge 2-1 on Friday night. . . . F Edgars Kulda’s eighth goal, at 13:26 of the second period, via the PP, gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. . . . Lethbridge F Reid Duke got his side to within one with a PP goal at 11:18 of the third. It was his second goal. . . . Hurricanes D Nick Walters played in his 200th regular-season WHL game. . . . The Hurricanes (3-22-4) have won just once in their last 17 outings. . . . Edmonton has won three in a row. . . .

In Spokane, the Seattle Thunderbirds outshot the Chiefs 46-29 as they cruised to a 5-1 victory. . . . D Adam Henry had a goal and two assists for Seattle, which got two assists from D Shea Theodore. . . . Seattle was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds had a 5-0 lead before F Riley Whittingham scored for the Chiefs at 11:27 of the third. . . . Seattle G Justin Myles stopped 28 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds (16-9-4) have won four in a row and are tied with the Chiefs (17-10-2) for fifth spot in the Western Conference. . . . The Chiefs have lost three in a row and four of five. . . . Spokane was without D Reid Gow, its captain, after he suffered an undisclosed injury in a Saturday game. . . . Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL in goals (30) and points (64), was held without a point for the second game in a row. He has played 29 games this season and has points in 25 of them. . . .

In Portland, F Nic Petan struck for four goals and added an assist, leading the Winterhawks to a 6-5 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . F Brendan Leipsic drew five assists for Portland, which held a 53-16 edge in shots. . . . The Blades are 0-3 in the U.S. Division. . . . Petan, who didn’t get his first goal until 15:37 of the second period, has 19 scores this season. . . . The Blades led 4-1 when Petan scored his first goal. . . . Portland scored six goals but only five players picked up points. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals, giving him 23, and added an assist. He broke a 5-5 tie at 19:40 of the third. . . . F Nathan Burns and F Matt Revel each scored twice and added an assist for the Blades. Burns has 14 goals; Revel has nine. . . . F Nikita Scherbak had four assists and was plus-4 for Saskatoon. . . . Petan now has 60 points, just four behind WHL scoring leader Mitch Holmberg of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Holmberg also leads the WHL in goals (30), while Petan leads in assists (41). . . . The Winterhawks (20-5-3) closed to within one point of the Everett Silvertips (20-4-4), who lead the overall standings.
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From Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks): “Saskatoon takes their lone timeout. If they want another then head coach Dave Struch will need to dump a soda on the ice.”
Someone has been paying attention to the follies of Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd.

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F Tanner MacMaster, a first-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2011 bantam draft, apparently has chosen to take the NCAA route. MacMaster, a Calgarian who turned 17 on Jan 8, indicated via his Twitter account (@TannerMacMaster) on Wednesday night that he has “committed to Boston College.”
MacMaster was selected 19th overall by the Chiefs.
He is playing his first season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, for whom he put up 47 points, including 24 goals, in 54 regular-season games.
Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster, who played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans (2007-12). Nathan, now 20, played this season at Mount Royal College in Calgary.
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G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans, who was shot down earlier this year because of hip problems, has undergone two surgical procedures and is well on the road to recovery.
Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has that story right here.
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Dr. James Andrews knows a thing or two about injuries and sports. In fact, he has co-written a book — Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them, for Athletes, Parents and Coaches — Based on My Life in Sports Medicine. . . . Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has spoken with Dr. Andrews and his story is right here. . . . I’ll give you a hint. Dr. Andrews says he is seeing far too many injuries in young people that used to be restricted to older, more mature athletes.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Brycen Martin scored at 1:05 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings trailed 2-0 in the first period, but tied it on goals by F Quintin Lisoway, his second, at 8:07 of the second, and F Taylor Cooper, his ninth, at 14:26 of the third, on a PP. . . . Martin has two goals this season. . . . The night’s results mean the Wheat Kings won’t be in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2000 and only the second time since 1992. . . . The Broncos, seventh in the Eastern Conference, are two points behind Medicine Hat and a point ahead of Kootenay. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots to lead the Raiders to a 7-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Siemens tied the franchise’s single-season shutout record, with six. He shares the record with Rejean Beauchemin (2003-04). . . . Siemens has 12 shutouts in his career. . . . F Carson Perreaux had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Dakota Conroy scored his 20th goal. . . . Prince Albert F Tim Vanstone was back in the lineup after missing a month with a concussion. . . . The Raiders are fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Red Deer. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 42 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Tigers, 2-0. . . . Skapski has seven shutouts this season, including two in a row. He put up four shutouts in February. . . . F Brock Montgomery scored his 28th goal at 4:07 of the first, on a PP, while F Levi Cable got his 12th into an empty net at 19:49 of the third. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots. . . . Skapski is tied for the WHL lead in shutouts with Portland’s Mac Carruth and Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . The Ice, which at one time was last in the overall standings, has won 22 of its last 28 games. . . . The Tigers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Red Deer. . . . The Ice, eighth in the conference, stayed five points ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

In Calgary, F Nathan Burns scored in the circus to give the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . .  The Blades have won 17 straight games. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken now has 599 WHL coaching victories. Saskatoon is at home to Brandon on Friday. . . . Burns was the only one of 10 shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 27th goal at 13:11 of the third period to force OT. . . . F Brett Stovin scored twice for Saskatoon, giving him nine goals, while F Lukas Sutter had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov made 46 saves. He leads the WHL with 34 victories. . . . This was Saskatoon’s 40th victory of the season, the fifth straight winter in which the Blades have gotten there. . . . The Blades lead the East Division by seven points over Prince Albert. In the overall standings, Saskatoon is two points behind Calgary, although the Hitmen hold a game in hand. . . .

In Portland, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals and beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . It was the first meeting of these teams since the Oil Kings beat the Winterhawks in a seven-game championship final last spring. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck, who missed that series with an injury, got his side to within one, at 3-2, with his 20th goal at 19:57 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Trevor Cheek tied it with his 27th at 1:23 of the third. . . . The winner went to F Michael St. Croix, who got his 33rd, on a PP, at 18:57. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 38. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored his 20th goal of the season, tying Saskatoon’s Darren Dietz and Spokane’s Brenden Kichton for the lead among defencemen. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists, giving him 97 points and moving him into third in the scoring race. Linemates Brendan Leipsic (111), Nic Petan (109) and Rattie are 1-2-3 in the points derby. . . . Petan scored his 44th goal, tying Leipsic for the league lead in that department. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson was ejected with a spearing major at 18:01 of the first. . . . D Derrick Pouliot (ankle) wasn’t in the Winterhawks’ lineup. I have been told that he will play Saturday in Everett. . . . Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal won a Memorial Cup with the Winterhawks in 1982-83. . . . Portland leads the overall standings by 10 points over Edmonton. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brendan Rouse scored twice as the Vancouver Giants beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . The Blazers outshot the Giants 19-8 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the second. But the Giants held a 30-18 edge in shots the rest of the way. . . . Rouse broke a 2-2 tie at 5:53 of the third period and later added his 14th goal of the season on a PP. . . . F Cain Franson added his 26th goal for the Giants, who beat Kamloops for the first time in seven tries this season. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots. . . . The loss prevented the Blazers from closing on the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds in tonight’s only game. . . . The Rockets are five points ahead of Kamloops and hold a game in hand. . . . Kamloops and Kelowna will play each other three times next week. . . .

In Victoria, the Lethbridge Hurricanes jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . F Sam Mckechnie’s 25th goal, at 7:11 of the first, via a PP, gave Lethbridge a 3-0 lead. . . . The Royals tie it on D Jordan Fransoo’s sixth goal at 9:32 of the second, also on a PP. . . . Lethbridge D Adam Henry broke the 3-3 tie with his fourth goal at 15:25 of the second and F Jamal Watson, with his second of the game and 16th of the season, scored shorthanded to stretch the visitors’ lead. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks got his 31st goal at 19:33. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 44 shots. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had two goals, giving him 10, and an assist. These were Nelson’s first goals since he returned from injury on Feb. 15. He has played six games after not playing since Dec. 28. . . . The Royals have lost seven in a row. . . . Victoria F Logan Fisher left the ice surface on a stretcher after taking a check from Lethbridge F Graham Hood in the second period. There was no word on Fisher’s condition immediately after the game. Later, the Royals’ Twitter account contained this:  “Coach (Dave) Lowry on Logan Fisher’s condition: ‘Logan was taken to hospital and is being evaluated as we speak.’ ”. . . Hood wasn’t penalized on the play. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, seven points behind Spokane. . . . The Hurricanes remain five points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Everett, D Brenden Kichton scored twice to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Kichton has 20 goals this season. . . . His 19th goal broke a 1-1 tie on a PP with 0.5 seconds left in the first period. . . . Spokane F Todd Fiddler got his 40th goal in the second period. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal, who has been playing some defence to cover for injuries, had two assists. . . . Everett holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. It is five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars. . . . The fifth-place Chiefs are one point behind the Tri-City Americans.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Vanstone, Regina
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls (@Jnicks20): “Shout out to my homie @nate_burns19 on scoring the shoot out winner tonight and keeping the #heeater alive #17Straight #wegood #scarygood”

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Here we have Bob Tory, the general manager of the
Tri-City Americans, and rock star Alice Cooper,
the newest member of the team's fan club. You can
figure out who's who, can't you?

The Everett Silvertips have dealt D Griffin Foulk, 17, to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a couple of bantam draft picks. Everett gets a 2014 fourth-round selection and it gets back the sixth-round pick that it gave Seattle for G Daniel Cotton, 18, in October. . . . Put it all together and Everett gets Cotton and a 2014 fourth-rounder for Foulk. . . . Cotton is 6-5-0, 2.77, .914 with Everett. . . . Foulk, from Broomfield, Colo., is pointless in 14 games with Everett this season. Everett had acquired Foulk and a third-round pick from the Edmonton Oil Kings for F Tyler Maxwell, 20, on Nov. 24, 2011. . . .
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JUST NOTES: D Mirco Müller, 17, of the Everett Silvertips is on Switzerland’s roster for the World Junior Championship. The Swiss will play in Group A, along with Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic and Latvia. The Swiss open Dec. 27 against Latvia. . . . F Sean Monahan of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s has been suspended for 10 games for an elbow to the head of Plymouth Whalers D Colin MacDonald on Sunday. There wasn’t a penalty called on the play. Monahan is expected to be invited to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp.
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The junior B Kimberley Dynamiters of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have announced the general manager/head coach Roman Vopat has resigned. . . . Vopat (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, 1994-96) apparently resigned after being asked to step back from his coaching duties, at least for a bit. . . . Jordan Foreman has stepped in as interim head coach, with help from former Kootenay Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch, who was working as an assistant coach with Vopat. . . . The Dynamiters were 14-9 this season under Vopat. They are 14-11 going into the weekend. . . .
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Former WHLer Victor Gervais (Seattle, 1986-90) has stepped down as head coach of the junior B Westshore Wolves, an expansion team in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. He has been replaced by assistant coach Rob Doyle. . . . "Unfortunately, he's got a young family at home and his decision threw us all for a loop," Doyle told the Victoria Times Colonist. "He just walked into the room after our game last week and said, 'This is it.' " . . . The Wolves were 12-10-0 under Gervais.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Kamloops, the Saskatoon Blades erased a 2-0 third-period deficit and beat the Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Nathan Burns broke a 2-2 tie at 18:59 of the third period with his first goal since joining the Blades from the Vancouver Giants. It was Burns’ seventh game with Saskatoon. . . . G Andrey Makarov stopped 41 shots for Saskatoon. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford picked up an assist for his 300th career regular-season point. He is 10th on the Blazers’ all-time scoring list. All of his points have come with the Blazers. The last Kamloops skater to get to 300 points was Hnat Domenichelli in 1995-96. . . . Kamloops was 0-6 on the PP; the Blades were 0-5. . . . Since winning 14 in a row, the Blazers are 3-6-1. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., Malte Strömwall scored 43 seconds into OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Tri-City F Mitch Messier had forced OT with a goal at 19:43 of the third period with G Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Comrie, who made 35 stops, had been winless in five career starts against the Chiefs. . . . The Americans also scored in the final minute of the second period, as D Mitch Topping’s goal left his side trailing 3-2 going to the third. . . . Strömwall also had two assists. . . . The Americans have won four in a row. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was behind the bench as a WHL head coach for 999th time. He will get to 1,000 tonight when the teams meet in Spokane. It is only fitting that it happen against the Americans because he spent six seasons, and 423 games, as their head coach. . . . Ken Hodge (Edmonton, Portland, 1,411), Ernie McLean (Estevan, New Westminster, 1,067) and Lorne Molleken (Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon, 1,017) are the only other coaches in WHL history to get to 1,000. . . .

In Edmonton, D Griffin Reinhart’s PP goal in the second period was the winner as the Oil Kings dumped the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-1. . . . Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson and F Dylan Wruck each had two assists for Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-for-4 on the PP with their first two goals coming with the man advantage. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks got two third-period goals from F Nic Petan and beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic had an empty-net goal and an assist to run his point streak to 12 games. He also has 10 straight multi-point games. . . . The Winterhawks (19-4-1) have won 15 of their last 16 games and are on point behind the Kamloops Blazers (19-6-2) for first in the WHL’s overall standings. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 45 shots. . . . The Ice led 2-1 until Petan tied it at 11:37 of the third period and then broke the tie at 17:34. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists. He’s got points in 17 of his last 18 games, with 34 points over that stretch. . . . Petan, who has 15 goals, is riding a seven-game point streak. . . .

In Calgary, F Cody Sylvester scored two goals and set up another as the Hitmen dumped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1. . . . Sylvester drew an assist on the game’s first goal, then scored the next two, giving him 16. . . . F Victor Rask added a goal, his first since returning from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, and added an assist for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen have won four in a row and nine of 10. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger, who has won seven in a row, stopped 24 shots. He is 14-3-2. . . .

In Brandon, G Luke Siemens kicked out 18 shots to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 6-0 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Siemens has two shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . F Davis Vandane had a goal and two assists for the Raiders. . . . Brandon D Ryley Miller took a kneeing major and game misconduct at 18:35 of the third period. . . . F Carson Perreaux, who is from Brandon, had Prince Albert’s second goal. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb (shoulder) was in Brandon’s lineup for the first time since Oct. 13. . . . Brandon played without F Alessio Bertaggia and D Ryan Pulock, its leading scorers, both of whom have undisclosed injuries. . . . The teams play again tonight, this time in Prince Albert. . . .

In Red Deer, F Matt Bellerive scored the only goal of the circus and the Rebels beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 2-1. . . . The Rebels are 4-0 since owner/president/general manager Brent Sutter took over as interim head coach, replacing Jesse Wallin. . . . Lethbridge is winless in its last five games. . . . F Conner Bleackley of Red Deer forced OT with a goal at 19:11 of the second period. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 44 shots. . . .

In Victoria, the Prince George Cougars got two goals from each of Brett Roulston and Ryan Hanes and beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . F Alex Forsberg had three assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria F Tim Traber missed his fifth straight game with an undisclosed injury. . . . This was the first of four straight meetings between these teams. They’ll play in Victoria again tonight and then twice in Prince George next weekend. . . . The Cougars continue to be without F Troy Bourke. . . .

In Kelowna, F J.T. Barnett came back from a knee injury to score two goals as the Rockets beat the Regina Pats, 5-1. . . . Barnett, 20, came over from the Everett Silvertips during training camp but suffered a knee injury on the first shift of his first game, on Sept 21, and hadn’t played since then. . . . The Rockets had lost their last two games, both in Kennewick, Wash., to the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Myles Bell, a defenceman when he played for the Pats, had three assists. . . . Kelowna has won seven in a row. . . . The Pats went 2-1-2 on their B.C. Division swing, meaning they lost three times in five games but picked up six points.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Victor Rask, Calgary
D Brady Gaudet, Red Deer

CHECKING-T0-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Joel Edmundson, Edmonton
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From Hockey Business (@HockeyBusiness): “NHL cancelled games thru Dec 14 & All-Star Wknd Jan. 26-27 in Columbus...in other news, fans in Columbus said, "We had the All-Star Game?"
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From Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning), the radio voice of the Seattle Thunderbirds: “First 9 yrs; ZERO trades between Tbirds & 'Tips. Last 2 months, 2 trades.”


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Blades burn Blazers with late goals

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

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

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Polak (Red Deer, 2007-09) was recalled from loan to Most (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) by Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and reassigned to Bernousti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). Polak had three assists in 11 games during his assignment to Most. . . .
Bernousti Medvedi has released F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) from his try-out contract. Meidl had three goals and two assists in 14 games during his try-out.
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The book that is referenced over there on the right, Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, has been popping up in various bookstores.
If you are at all interested in it, you may want to know something about Leesa Culp, who was instrumental in bringing this project to fruition.
There is a story on her and her involvement right here.
If you missed it (and one or two of you likely did), I appeared with Bob Stauffer on 630 CHED in Edmonton on Thursday to talk about the book. I was followed on air by former WHLer Peter Soberlak and Brian Costello of The Hockey News. If you visit CHED's website, you will find an archive where you are able to listen to back programming. We were on in the hour from noon to 1 p.m.
I also did an interview with Cam Moon, the radio voice of the Red Deer Rebels, and he plans on playing that during two intermissions of one game on the team’s current road trip.
On top of that, Dan Russell of Sportstalk, the nightly show on Vancouver radio station CKNW, has done a one-hour interview that is to be played one night next week and one more time before Christmas.
I also will be chatting with Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, on his weekly show on Monday evening.
And there are regular appearances with Drew Wilson, the play-by-play voice of the Prince Albert Raiders on CKBI. The most recent of those was last Monday.
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The host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup and a team hoping to be the host in 2016 got together on a deal on Friday.
The Saskatoon Blades, who will play in the 2013 tournament as the host team, acquired F Nathan Burns, 19, from the Vancouver Giants for F Travis McEvoy, 18, a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft and a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. (The Brandon Wheat Kings have an option on that selection through a deal in which Saskatoon acquired F Brenden Walker over the summer. The Wheat Kings can flip picks in that first round.)
Burns, from Edmonton, has nine points and 18 penalty minutes in 15 games with the Giants this season. He was in the Blades’ lineup last night when they met the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook. Burns, a seventh-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, is the younger brother of former Blades F Michael Burns.
McEvoy, from Thorsby, Alta., had 11 points in 64 games last season and had four assists in 13 games with the Blades this season. He is expected to make his Giants debut tonight in Cranbrook against the Ice.
At 6-foot-0 and 210 pounds, McEvoy gives the Giants a big centre, something coveted by head coach Don Hay, especially on a team that began this season rather smallish up front.
The Giants, who lost 5-1 to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Thursday to fall to 4-11-0, now hold seven selections in the first three rounds of the 2013 bantam draft -- two firsts, two seconds and three thirds — and, of course, two picks in the first-round of the 2014 draft.
While the Giants haven’t made an official announcement, they are expected to bid to play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. When that happens, you can expect them to be the favourites to win that right.
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The Kootenay Ice have added another veteran forward to its roster. On Friday, the ice acquired F Zach McPhee, 19, from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. McPhee, who is from Vernon, B.C., had left the Silvertips earlier this season after going pointless in 11 games. Last season, he had 10 points in 34 games.
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Hey, before we look at Friday’s games, if you’re a stats person, zip on over to the QMJHL website and check out its online scoresheets. They include faceoff stats, shots by skaters, and hits. Well, WHL, what are you waiting for?
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 40 shots to help the Wheat Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Nick Buonassisi broke a 2-2 tie with his seventh goal at 15:10 of the third period. . . . This was Brandon’s first home game after a seven-game road trip that ended in Prince George on Saturday. . . . Moose Jaw is 1-6-1 on the road now. The Warriors have scored only 14 goals in those games, with 10 of them coming via the PP. . . . F Jordan Messier scored his first goal for the Warriors since being acquired from the Tri-City Americans. He showed up with an undisclosed injury and has played in only five games with Moose Jaw. This was his first game after a five-game absence. In this game, he also took a big hit from Brandon D Ryley Miller. . . . Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull (flu) sat out and the Warriors lost F Justin Kirsch with an undisclosed injury in the first period. . . . F Ryley Lindgren, who co-leads the Manitoba midget AAA league in scoring with the Winnipeg Thrashers, was in Brandon’s lineup and earned an assist. Lindgren had quite a week. He had a goal and an assist on Wednesday as the Thrashers beat the visiting Kenora Thistles, 6-4. On Thursday night, Lindgren had an assist in helping the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the host Virden Oil Capitals. . . . In three games in three nights in three leagues in three levels, Lindgren had a goal and three assists. . . . A fifth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, Lindgren has 18 points in 12 games with the Thrashers. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Shane McColgan’s OT goal gave the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . McColgan got his fourth goal of the season at 3:06 of extra time. . . . Ice F Erik Benoit forced OT with his third goal at 9:11 of the third period. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls had two goals, giving him 14, and an assist. . . . F Zach McPhee drew an assist and was plus-1 in his first game with the Ice. . . . . . . F Nathan Burns, acquired by Saskatoon earlier in the day from Vancouver, was pointless in his debut with the Blades. . . . The Blades, who got off to such a shaky start, are 2-0 since returning from a 10-day break in their schedule. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Jay Merkley scored twice as the Hurricanes scored the game’s first four goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-2. . . . Merkley has seven goals. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan, named the WHL’s goaltender of the month earlier in the week, was gone in the second period after giving up four goals on 28 shots. Marek Langhamer relieved him and stopped 24 of 25 shots. . . . The Hurricanes are 3-0-1 in their last four outings. . . .

The host Prince Albert Raiders erased a 2-0 deficit and beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . Edmonton led 2-0 at 14:08 of the second period. . . . Raiders F Jonas Knutsen broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal at 12:33 of the third period. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 37 shots. . . . D David Musil was pointless and plus-1 in his debut with the Oil Kings, who acquired him earlier in the week from the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Raiders have won three in a row and lead the East Division by five points over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Raiders also lead the Eastern Conference by three points over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Oil Kings began a six-game road swing that has them in Swift Current tonight and Kamloops on Tuesday. . . .

F Brooks Macek scored two empty net goals as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Pats 4-1 in Regina. . . . The Pats have lost four in a row. . . . Macek, whose goals both came in the final minute, also had an assist. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots. . . . Macek has nine goals this season. . . .

The host Swift Current Broncos erased a 2-1 deficit with three goals early in the third period and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-3. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black, who scored twice, tied the game 17 seconds into the third and F Adam Lowry and F Chance Lund, who was acquired from Seattle over the summer, scored at 3:48 and 4:25, both goals coming shorthanded on the same Thunderbirds PP. . . . This was the start of Seattle’s six-game East Division swing. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers got shootout goals from F Brendan Ranford and F Cole Ully to beat the visiting Prince George Cougars, 2-1. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham forced OT with his fourth goal at 1:36 of the third period. . . . D Marc McNulty scored for the Cougars in the second period. I checked and he isn’t related to The Wire’s Jimmy McNulty. . . . The Blazers went 5-1-0 as they played six games over an eight-day stretch. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick left in OT with an injury to his right leg after getting caught up in a mess of players during a scramble in the Blazers’ crease. . . . The Kamloops line of JC Lipon, Colin Smith and Tim Bozon have been held pointless for two straight games now. . . .

F Ty Rattie had a goal and two assists to help the Portland Winterhawks beat the visiting Victoria Royals, 6-2. . . . Rattie is on a nine-game point streak, the longest in the WHL at the moment. . . . Rattie now has 22 points in 14 games. . . . F Nic Petan added two goals and an assist for the winners, while D Tyler Wotherspoon had three assists. . . . Petan has 24 points in 15 games. He has points in six straight and that includes five multi-point outings. . . . The Winterhawks have won seven in a row and are 7-0-1 in their last eight outings. . . . The Royals have lost three in a row. . . .

In Spokane, the Red Deer Rebels opened a five-game road trip with a 3-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Spokane remains without F Mitch Holmberg, who hasn’t played since taking a headshot on Oct. 26. . . . Red Deer F Turner Elson tied the game 1-1 at 6:19 of the second, via the PP, and F Wyatt Johnson got the winner at 9:35. . . . The goal was Johnson’s first in the WHL and came in his third game. Acquired from Vancouver earlier, he missed the start of the season with a concussion. . . . D Brady Gaudet, acquired from Kamloops last month, got Red Deer’s third goal. . . . Spokane had won its first seven home games. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Marcus Strömwall got the winner as the Tri-City Americans beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Strömwall got his seventh goal, on the PP, at 6:59 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie. . . . The Americans, who are 4-0 against Everett this season, had lost their last three games. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser drew two assists, giving him 150 in his career. That ties him with F Patrick Holland and F Ian McDonald for 12th on the Americans’ career list. . . . D Ryan Murray drew two assists for Everett.
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By the way, 17 of the WHL’s 22 teams are at .500 or better, thanks to the loser point.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon
D Macoy Erkamps, Lethbridge
D Cody Corbett, Edmonton
D Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current
F Joel Hamilton, Red Deer

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Rinalds Rosinskis, Prince George
F JC Lipon, Kamloops
F Tanner Eberle, Moose Jaw
F Josh Uhrich, Moose Jaw
D Harrison Ruopp, Prince Albert
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge), the proprietor of the Small Thoughts At Large blog that is linked over there on the right: “Am I the only one who doesn't care about the NHL cancelling the Winter Classic? Sick of these outdoor games. Done to death already.”

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