Winterhawks into fourth straight WHL final

D Nathan Deck (Vancouver, Prince Albert, 2005-11) signed a one-year contract with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season with Stockton (ECHL), Deck had 19 points, including five goals, in 40 games. He signed with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2) on Jan. 31 and put up seven points, two of them goals, in 10 games. . . .

D Stefan Warg (Seattle, Prince Albert, 2008-10) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL), he had one assist in 21 games. He also had two assists in three games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). He signed with Skellefteå (Sweden, SHL) on Feb. 2 and went pointless in seven games.
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1. The Portland Winterhawks advanced to their fourth straight WHL championship final on Friday night, beating the Rockets 7-3 in Kelowna to win the best-of-seven Western Conference final, 4-1. . . . But when the defending-champion Winterhawks begin the championship series, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, they may do it without F Brendan Leipsic, one of their top forwards. . . . Leipsic, who scored his 11th and 12th goals of these playoffs last night, was tossed from the game at 16:27 of the third period with a spearing major. . . . Leipsic is a repeat offender, so unless the WHL office overturns last night’s penalty -- for example, it could, on review, be turned into a slashing minor -- he almost certainly would be suspended. He already has served 10 games in suspensions this season. He sat out three games for an incident against the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Sept. 25 and drew a seven-game sentence after taking a match penalty against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Dec. 14.

2. After two off days, the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Oil Kings get back into the Eastern Conference final tonight in Edmonton. The Oil Kings hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. A victory will send them into their third straight WHL championship series, each of them against Portland. A loss sends the series back to Medicine Hat for Game 6 on Monday night. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Edmonton on Tuesday. . . . Including regular-season games, the Oil Kings are 8-1-1 against the Tigers this season.

3. The Winterhawks finished the regular season with 113 points, based on a 54-13-5 record. The Oil Kings wound up with 103 points (50-19-3). The Tigers (44-24-4) had 92 points. . . . All of which means Portland will have home-ice advantage in the final, regardless of which Eastern Conference team advances. . . . Speculation, and that is all it was as of late Friday, has the championship final opening in Portland with games on Saturday and Sunday.

4. When Dan Russell signs off from Sportstalk, his long-running Vancouver-based radio show, on Thursday night, he won’t be back, at least not on a nightly basis. Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun has more right here. . . . Whether you agree with Russell’s views or not, the Vancouver sports scene will be poorer for not having him there every night. He often provided a point of view that was different from the one being sold by most other observers, and that is never a bad thing.

5. Ryan Ohashi, who knows his way around the WHL, has a blog upon which I found a neat story involving the Lethbridge Hurricanes and some playoff hockey. Yes, it’s true. The Hurricanes once were in the playoffs. Anyway, Ohashi’s story is right here, just don’t read it on an empty stomach.

6. There was a huge Canadian moment on Friday night as umpire Stu Scheurwater of Regina made his Major League Baseball debut. He worked second base as the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers played at Chavez Ravine. Vin Scully, the legendary voice of the Dodgers, mentioned Scheurwater’s debut with this: "Special night and we wish him well."

7. The last Canadian to debut as an umpire in the majors? Ian Lamplugh, who made his debut in 1999. His big league career lasted about 200 games. Lamplugh was born in Great Britain and moved with his family to Canada at the age of four. He now lives in Victoria. . . . Jim McKean is the most well-known of the Canadian umpires. McKean, a Montreal native, worked MLB games from 1973 through 2001.

8. The OHL final will feature the Guelph Storm and the North Bay Battalion. . . . The Storm finished off the Erie Otters on Friday night, winning 5-0 in Guelph to take the Western Conference final in five games. . . . The Battalion is finishing up its first season in North Bay after moving from Brampton. . . . The best-of-seven final is scheduled to open Thursday in Guelph.

9. The QMJHL is the site of two thrilling conference finals. . . . The Blainville-Boisbrand Aramada beat the host Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-2 in OT on Friday night to take a 3-2 lead in that series. They’ll play Game 6 on Sunday at Blainville-Boisbrand. . . . In the other series, the Halifax Mooseheads has come back from a 2-0 deficit to pull into a 2-2 tie with the Val-d’Or Foreurs. The Foreurs won twice in Halifax, 5-2 and 4-2, with the Mooseheads then winning twice on the road, 6-5 in OT and 5-4. They haven’t played since Wednesday, and will resume tonight in Halifax.
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The Saskatoon Blades and the Saskatoon Media Group have agreed on a four-year contract extension that will cover the team’s broadcast rights through 2017-18. The Blades games are heard on 92.9 The Bull. . . . The agreement calls for the station to carry a minimum of two exhibition games, along with all regular-season and playoff games each season. . . . The Blades have been partnered with SMG since 1994. . . . Les Lazaruk is preparing for his 21st season as the radio voice of the Blades.
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Curtis Hawkins has signed on as the athletic therapist for Victoria HarbourCats, who play in baseball’s West Coast League. Hawkins is the athletic therapist for the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. He also worked with the WHL’s Victoria Royals while attending Camosun College in Victoria.
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Brian McNaughton, the president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and WHL commissioner Ron Robison are scheduled to appear before Lethbridge City Council on Monday. According to the council’s agenda, McNaughton and Robison will be there to talk about “the team’s three-year business and operational plan.” . . . Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Hurricanes, has more on his blog right here.
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F Hank Crone of Cedar Hill, Texas, whose WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks, has decided to play next season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and then move on to the Boston University Terriers. . . . Crone, who turned 16 on Feb. 19, had 40 points in 31 games this season as he played for the Dallas Stars elite under-16 team. . . . "Hank was added to the protected player list for the Winterhawks in the WHL,” Kristie, his mother, told Rita Cook of the Focus Daily News. "If you play major junior you lose your NCAA eligibility and he has always wanted to play college hockey.”
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Officials with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives met with community supporters recently and have decided to proceed with the 2014-15 season. They will do it with head coach Dwayne Kirkup back running things. . . . “I am not surprised by this as Neepawa always seems to find a way to get it done,” general manager Myles Cathcart said in a news release. As for Kirkup, Cathcart said: “In terms of quality coaches in hockey, Kirkup is in the elite group. He is professional, works extremely hard, is approachable and the players work hard for him. He fits in with what we are doing. We want quality players and coaches within our organization.”
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,189)
Wednesday: Edmonton 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (3,832)
Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Portland 4 (OT) (9,259)
Wednesday: Kelowna 1 at Portland 5 (9,744)
Friday: Portland 7 at Kelowna 3 (6,331)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell (knee), week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Kelowna, the defending-champion Portland Winterhawks broke open a close game with three goals early in the third period and went on to a 7-3 victory over the Rockets. . . . Portland won its fourth straight Western Conference championship. . . . The Winterhawks will be the fourth team in WHL history to appear in four straight finals, joining the Flin Flon Bombers (1968-71), Edmonton Oil Kings (1969-72) and New Westminster Bruins (1975-78). . . . The Winterhawks, who scored three PP goals in the game, led 3-0 eight minutes into the second period, only to have the Rockets score two PP goals and get back into the game. . . . F Tyson Baillie, at 8:29, and D Jesse Lees, at 10:48, scored for the Rockets, who had the WHL’s best regular-season record and finished the regular season as the CHL’s top-ranked team. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba got his third goal of these playoffs 59 seconds into the third period and F Brendan Leipsic scored his second goal of the game, and 12th of the playoffs, on a PP at 2:56 and school was out. . . . Leipsic was later ejected with a spearing major and could be facing a WHL suspension. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists and was named the series’ MVP. He had 11 points, including seven assists, in the five games. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier had a goal and two assists, while F Oliver Bjorkstrand drew three assists. Bjorkstrand leads the playoffs in goals (15) and points (28). . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot leads in assists, with 22. He had two last night, giving him 55 in his career, the third-highest total in WHL history. . . . Pouliot and Leipsic have at least one point in each of Portland’s 14 playoff games this season. . . . Pouliot also played in his 78th career playoff game, passing D Troy Rutkowski and taking over the franchise record. Starting with his freshman season, Pouliot has played in 21, 22, 21 and 14 post-season games. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 35 shots, while Jordon Cooke of the Rockets turned aside 34. . . . The Rockets played the series without F Myles Bell (knee), who led them in goals (42) and points (77) in the regular season. Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska, speaking on the Rockets’ post-game radio show, said Bell “blew a lot of things out in his knee, he's got a lot of things going on in there."
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From the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers (@VernonVipers): “Attention Vipers Alumni! If you're planning on attending the RBC Cup pls contact dave@vipers.bc.ca for some alumni event details #RBC2014”


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Ernie (Punch) McLean to coach again

D Nathan Deck (Vancouver, Prince Albert, 2005-11) signed with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2) for the rest of this season. He had been with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL), having put up 19 points in 40 games. He is expected to arrive in Ravensburg on Monday.
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The MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers edged the visiting Steinbach Pistons 3-2 on Friday night, running their winning streak to 20 games. That set a new franchise record, erasing the mark set by the 1974-75 team, and tied the MJHL record. The Steelers are scheduled to meet the host Portage Terriers tonight. . . . At 40-6-2, the Steelers boast the league’s best record.
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TODAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Kootenay (Cranbrook), 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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FRIDAY'S GAMES:
Going in, one team had 40 victories, the other had 40 losses. So we shouldn’t have been surprised at the outcome.
The Kelowna Rockets got out to a 4-0 lead and went on to beat the host Kamloops Blazers, 4-2. That improved the Rockets’ record to 41-7-3, the best in the WHL, while the Blazers slid to 11-36-5 and into a tie with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (11-38-5) for the WHL’s poorest record, each with 27 points.
Still, the Rockets needed some big stops from G Jackson Whistle down the stretch in order to preserve their victory.
F Myles Bell and F Justin Kirkland each scored twice for the Rockets, who led 4-0 midway through the second period. Bell, with 31 goals, has back-to-back 30-goal seasons, the seventh player in Kelowna franchise history to do that. Kirkland, a 17-year-old sophomore from Camrose, Alta., has 12 goals. He also had an assist, giving him 30 points in 50 games.
The Blazers got back into this one with a pair of goals from F Cole Ully, the first at 12:20 of the third on the PP, and the second at 18:13. Ully, who is having a solid season despite the team’s record, has 24 goals.
Ully’s second goal came following a video review, after Whistle, who is 12-3-0, appeared to make two saves with the paddle of his stick while sprawled on the ice. The first of those stops came at 18:13, but play wasn’t stopped until 19:34, at which time coincidental minors were issued to Kelowna D Madison Bowey and Kamloops F Matt Bellerive.
At that point, the officials went to video review, and the first of Whistle’s apparent saves was ruled to have been a goal. So the clock was reset at 18:13. Interestingly, the coincidental minors were then given that same time -- 18:13.
Whistle finished up with 34 saves, which was far more than he might have expected to make, especially when his guys held a 12-7 edge in shots with less than three minutes to play in the first period.
The 18-year-old Kelowna native made a handful of stops on shots by Kamloops F Chase Souto, a 20-goal man who was snakebit in this one. Whistle also came up with a glove save at 11:34 of the third period that left Kamloops F Matt Revel talking to himself.
While the Blazers didn’t show much consistency over 40 minutes, they certainly didn’t quit and, in the end, it was a combination of Whistle and the Kelowna PP (it was 3-for-5) that decided this one.
The injury-ravaged Blazers had four 1997-born players (G Cole Kehler, D Cam Reagan, F Nick Chyzowski and F Deven Sideroff) along with F Jake Kryski, 15, in their lineup. Kehler backed up G Bolton Pouliot. Sideroff was their best player, showing no signs of being intimidated at this level. Kryski, playing with C Joe Kornelsen and RW Matt Bellerive, was minus-1 after one shift, but went on to have a pretty good night that included a couple of scoring chances.
The same two teams meet again tonight, this time in the Little Apple.
SOME NOTES: The Blazers scratched F Eric Krienke, F Matt Needham, F Luke Harrison, F Tyson Ness and G Justin Myles, all of whom are injured, and D Matt Thomas. . . . Kamloops has lost five in a row and is 1-7-1 since Guy Charron replaced Dave Hunchak as head coach. . . . The Rockets are 6-0-0 against the Blazers this season and have outscored them 27-11. Kamloops has yet to score more than two goals in a game against the Rockets this season. . . . Bell has eight two-goal games this season. He has scored 10 goals in his last 13 games. He scored 12 times in January. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey had two assists, giving him 98 career points in 180 regular-season games. . . . With 85 points, the Rockets hold a 10-point lead over the Portland Winterhawks atop the overall standings. . . .

F Todd Fiddler broke a 1-1 tie at 11:30 of the third period to give the Prince George Cougars a 2-1 victory over the host Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Fiddler, 20, played for the Warriors earlier in the season, before being dropped from their roster and ultimately traded to the Cougars. He's got 32 goals this season. . . . Fiddler also drew an assist on D Mark McNulty's 13th goal at 3:21 of the second period. . . . Fiddler has 57 points, including 30 goals, in 34 games with the Cougars. . . . Josh Uhrich got his sixth for the Warriors at 6:41 of the second. . . . The Cougars (21-26-7), now six points shy of the Western Conference’s last playoff spot, have won three in a row and have one game left, in Swift Current tonight, on their East Division swing. . . . The Warriors (13-30-8) are out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. . . .

In Regina, G Daniel Wapple stopped 16 shots to help the Pats to a 6-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . It was Wapple's second shutout this season -- he has one with Medicine Hat and one with Regina -- and the third of his career. . . . Saskatoon G Troy Trombley turned aside 41 shots. . . . Regina broke open a scoreless game with four second-period goals. . . . Regina F Chandler Stephenson scored twice, giving him 23, while F Dryden Hunt had a goal, his 15th, and two assists. . . . Among Saskatoon's scratches was F Nikita Scherbak, the league's leading freshman. He sat out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Regina (26-21-5) is tied for sixth with the Red Deer Rebels in the Eastern Conference; they are a point back of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Blades (14-35-4) are 11th and out of the playoff picture. . . .

In Swift Current, F Graham Black scored three times as the Broncos beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-3. . . . Black, who has 26 goals, two more than he scored last season, gave his guys a 4-2 edge at 17:57 of the third period. . . . It was Black’s first WHL three-goal game. . . . F Curtis Sanford scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 24. . . . Broncos D Julius Honka drew two assists. . . . Medicine Hat F Alex Mowbray, a 17-year-old from Calgary, scored his first WHL goal in his 18th game of the season. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk had his goal-scoring streak snapped at eight games, the longest in the league this season. . . . The Broncos (26-18-8) have points in their last five games (3-0-2) and are back atop the East Division, two points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers (29-18-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Brandon. . . .

The host Edmonton Oil Kings scored three second-period goals and beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-1. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar scored his 28th goal of the season to get the Oil Kings rolling. . . . F Brian Williams got Tri-City's goal, his 32nd, on the PP, at 19:33 of the third. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 28 shots, seven fewer than Eric Comrie of the Americans. . . . The Oil Kings (36-13-1) lead the Eastern Conference and are atop the Central Division by three points over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Americans (25-22-5) are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored the game's last four goals and beat the Raiders, 4-1. . . . Ice F Luke Philp scored his 20th goal, giving the Ice a 2-1 lead at 2:35 of the third period, as he ran his point streak to 12 games, the longest in the WHL right now. . . . Philp also had an assist. . . . F Dakota Conroy scored his 20th goal for the Raiders late in the second period, only to have F Zach Franko tie it with his 15th just 41 seconds later. . . . The game's lone fight featured Prince Albert D Josh Morrissey and Ice F Sam Reinhart, who were teammates on Canada's national junior team. It was the first fight of Reinhart's WHL career and came in hi 182nd game. He has 33 career penalty minutes, nine of them this season. . . . The Ice (26-21-4) is eighth in the Eastern Conference, seven points ahead of the Raiders, who have lost three straight. . . . The Ice is 7-2-1 in its last 10. . . .

The host Calgary Hitmen blew a 3-0 lead and then broke a 3-3 tie with three third-period goals to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 7-4. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang gave his guys a 3-0 lead with his sixth goal, on the PP, at 19:09 of the first period. . . . Brandon came back with three second-period goals, tying it on F Quintin Lisoway's fifth goal at 19:56. . . . Calgary F Greg Chase broke the 3-3 draw with his 29th goal at 5:32 of the third and F Adam Tambellini added insurance with his fourth at 12:26. . . . Brandon got a goal, his eighth, and two assists from F Ryley Lindgren. . . . According to Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, Calgary his seven posts. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row. . . .

In Red Deer, the Lethbridge Hurricanes got the only goal of a five-round shootout and beat the Rebels, 6-5. . . . F Kolten Olynek, who scored his fourth goal on a PP in the third period, got the winner during the skills competition. . . . Olynek cut the Red Deer lead to 5-4 at 7:30 and F Reid Duke pulled his side even at 12:03. Duke, who scored twice and added an assist, has 11 goals. . . . The Hurricanes (11-38-5) now are tied with the Kamloops Blazers (11-36-5), each with 27 points, at the bottom of the WHL standings. . . . The Hurricanes actually continue to occupy the cellar, their winning percentage of .250 just a bit poorer than the Blazers’ .260. . . . Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes assigned G Jarrod Schamerhorn to the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. Lethbridge had acquired Schamerhorn from the Portland Winterhawks at the trade deadline for a 2014 seventh-round bantam draft pick. . . . The Hurricanes got 36 saves from former stickboy Jonny Hogue last night, while Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, backed up. The reassignment of Schamerhorn might indicate that G Teagan Sacher has recovered from an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Victoria, F Cain Franson's shootout goal gave the Vancouver Giants a 5-4 victory over the Royals. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had forced OT with his second goal of the night, and his 15th of the season, at 9:51 of the third period. . . . Victoria F Joe Hicketts had two assists and was plus-2 as he returned from arm surgery. He had last played on Oct. ??. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee got his 19th goal and also had an assist, the 100th of his career. . . . Vancouver F Dalton Sward scored his 16th goal, a shorthanded effort at 8:00 of the second period. That tied the franchise's single-season record that had been held by James Henry (2009-10). . . . The Giants (26-19-8) have won two straight and are sixth in the Western Conference, six points behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Royals (33-16-3) are tied for third with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks ran their winning streak to nine games with a 6-0 blanking of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . G Brendan Burke put up his second shutout this season, stopping 32 shots. He has six shutouts in his career. . . . The Winterhawks, who led 1-0 and 4-0 at the intermissions, got two goals from F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who now has 36. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba had one assist and was plus. The Winterhawks are 7-0-0 with Dumba in the lineup. He has eight points, including six assists, and is plus-16. . . . Porltand F Brendan Leipsic ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the longest active such run in the league right now. . . . The Winterhawks (35-12-5) are 10 points behind the Western Conference-leading Rockets. . . . The Chiefs (31-16-4) are fifth, three points in back of Seattle. . . .

In Everett, F Ryan Gropp’s PP goal at 7:21 of the second period broke a 1-1 tie as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Silvertips, 2-1. . . . F Mathew Barzal gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 13:34 of the first period. Barzal, the first pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has eight goals. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist got his 32nd at 19:07 of the first, via the PP. . . . Gropp has 13 goals with Seattle. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 24 shots in running his record to 7-0-0. He’s got a 1.25 GAA and a .956 save percentage. In seven games with Seattle, Kozun is seeing an average of 29.1 shots per game. In 29 appearances with Kamloops this season, that number was 38.3. With the Blazers, he was 5-19-3, 3.95, .897. . . . Seattle (32-15-5) is tied for third in the Western Conference with Victoria, while Everett (25-19-8), which has lost six in a row, is seventh, two points behind Vancouver.
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From the New Westminster Salmonbellies (@Salmonbellies): "Ernie (Punch) McLean back at QPA Arena, will be at the helm for the @Salmonbellies and @NewWestPD vs Canuck Alumni March 14th 7PM.``


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Raiders lose Deck with knee injury

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Justin Keller (Kelowna, 2003-06) signed through Nov. 18 with the Linz Black Wings (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 17 goals and seven assists in 68 games for the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) last season. . . .
F Eric Johansson (Tri-City, 1998-2002) signed a one-year contract with Szekesfehervar (Hungary, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 14 goals and 17 assists in 49 games with Leksand (Sweden Allsvenskan) last season.
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The Prince Albert Raiders will be without D Nathan Deck, 20, for up to six weeks. He was injured Friday in a 9-2 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. F Tyler Pitlick was hit with a kneeing major on the play and awaits word from the WHL office on the length of his suspension. . . . “From what I’ve been told, it’s a torn MCL and (Deck’s) out four to six weeks, unfortunately,” Bruno Campese, the Raiders’ general manager and head coach, told John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “I wish it was something different, but it’s not. It’s a huge hole to fill.” . . . The Raiders also are without their other 20-year-old defenceman, Jordan Rowley, who has a broken wrist. He should return sometime over the next two weeks. . . . They also are without D Emerson Hrynyk, 18, who has been out with a separated right shoulder since Oct. 5. . . . Prince Albert did get F Shane Danyluk back on Friday. He hadn’t played this season because of a high-ankle sprain suffered in training camp.
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Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts are making some noise in the QMJHL. The Remparts dropped the visiting P.E.I. Rocket 4-1 on Saturday night, giving up just 10 shots in the process, including just two in the third period. On Sunday, the Remparts, who are coached by the former NHL goaltender, dumped the visiting Moncton Wildcats 4-2 to move into first place overall. The Remparts are 13-1-1, one point ahead of Moncton (12-4-2) and with three games in hand. . . . In another QMJHL game Sunday, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan edged the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 3-2. Titan G Olivier Roy stopped 23 shots to earn the 100th victory of his QMJHL career. Roy, who earned the first 94 of those victories with Cape Breton, is the sixth goaltender in QMJHL history to reach 100 victories. The others: Jacques Cloutier (142), Adam Russo (110), Mathieu Chouinard (104), Jean-Francois Labbe (103) and Maxime Ouellet (101).
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SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
KOOTENAY 4 at EDMONTON 3 (SO): F Matt Fraser and F Jesse Ismond scored in the shootout as the Ice (8-3-1) won its fourth straight game. . . . The Oil Kings (5-7-1) have lost six in a row. . . . Kootenay had beaten Edmonton 4-1 in Cranbrook on Wednesday. . . . F Josh Lazowski, shorthanded, got Edmonton on the board first at 5:04 of the opening period. . . . The Ice then scored twice, with F Steele Boomer and D Joey Leach getting the goals. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck tied the score at 18:21 of the first, on the PP. . . . Edmonton F T.J. Foster, with his first, gave the Oil Kings the lead at 2:18 of the second. . . . Ismond tied it on a PP at 17:22 of the second. . . . F Joe Antilla had two assists for the Ice. . . . Both goaltenders, Nathan Lieuwen of the Ice and Cam Lanigan of the Oil Kings, stopped 27 shots. . . . The Ice was 1-for-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-for-6. . . . Attendance was 2,878. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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REGINA 7 at SWIFT CURRENT 4: The Pats (4-7-2) completed a weekend sweep of the Broncos (8-8-0). The Pats had won 2-0 in Regina on Friday. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo, who earned the shutout, stopped 33 shots on Sunday. . . . Regina got a goal and an assist from each of F Thomas Frazee and F Jordan Weal. . . . F Colin Reddin and F Carter Ashton had two assists each for the Pats. . . . The Broncos got two goals from F Killian Hutt, who was acquired from the Pats earlier in the season. He got his second goal on a shorthanded penalty shot late in the third period. . . . Swift Current was without F Cody Eakin, the team captain, thanks to a knee injury suffered in the second period of Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Swift Current G Mark Friesen started and gave up four goals on 19 shots. Austin Smith came on in relief to stop 11 of 14 shots. . . . Regina was 2-for-5 on the PP, getting both goals before the first period was 10 minutes. The Pats never trailed after that. . . . The Broncos were 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 2,225. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.

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