Showing posts with label Nick Henry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Henry. Show all posts

Monday, June 26, 2017

Pats' Henry needs surgery ... Lots of WHLers at NHL camps ... Ex-WHL coach off to South Korea


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 The Regina Pats aren’t likely to have sophomore F Nick Henry available for much, if any, of the first half of the 2017-18 season. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported Monday that Henry “requires off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum.” . . . John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, told Harder: “They’re talking four months, maybe a bit longer.” . . . The Colorado Avalanche picked Henry in the fourth round of last weekend’s NHL draft. He is attending the Avs’ development camp in Denver and is expected to have surgery once he returns to Regina. . . . The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup and Henry is one of their top six forwards. . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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G Dylan Ferguson’s time as a member of the Dallas Stars organization came to an end on Monday, two days after it began.
Ferguson, 19, is preparing for his third season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
On Saturday, the Stars selected Ferguson in the seventh round, 194th overall, of the NHL draft. 
On Monday, Ferguson was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, along with a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, in exchange for D Marc Methot. Vegas had claimed Methot from the Ottawa Senators in last week’s expansion draft.
Methot had 12 assists in 68 games last season, playing most of the time alongside Erik Karlsson. Methot, 32, has two years left on his contract at US$4.9 million per season.
Vegas already owns nine selections in the 2020 NHL draft, to go with 11 in 2019.
Here’s what I wrote about Ferguson after the Stars selected him:
Ferguson, from Lantzville, B.C., spent the past two seasons backing up Connor Ingram with the Blazers. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Ferguson got into only 16 games in 2015-16, going 4-10-0, 4.13, .875. Last season, he played in 31 games and was 16-10-2, 2.74, .922. . . . Ferguson played most of those 2016-17 games in December and early January, while Ingram was with Canada’s national junior team. Ferguson lit it up, too — he was 9-4-1 while Ingram was away — resulting in a lot of scouts showing up in Kamloops after Christmas when they knew he would be starting. . . . With Ingram, 20, expected to play in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s organization in 2017-18, Ferguson, who turns 19 on Sept. 20, should be the Blazers’ starter. . . . Don’t forget, too, that Tom Gaglardi, the Stars’ owner, also is the majority owner of the Blazers.
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A number of NHL teams have opened, or are about to open, development camps. A few WHL players who are undrafted free agents will attend these camps.
The Ottawa Senators will have four free agents from WHL teams in attendance. That includes F Matteo Gennaro of the Calgary Hitmen, who was a seventh-round selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2015 NHL draft but wasn’t signed. Gennaro is preparing for this 20-year-old season. . . . Also joining the Ottawa group will be F Parker Kelly, 18, of the Prince Albert Raiders, F Jordan Topping of the Tri-City Americans, who will turn 20 on July 20, and D Brayden Pachal of the Raiders, who is to turn 18 on Aug. 23.
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights will have F Jayden Halbgewachs, 20, of the Moose Jaw Warriors, D Keoni Texeira, 20, of the Portland Winterhawks, and D Dylan Coghlan, 19, of the Tri-City Americans in their camp. Also there will be F Patrick Bajkov, who turns 20 on Nov. 27, of the Everett Silvertips, D Will Warm, 18, of the Edmonton Oil Kings, G Griffen Outhouse, 19, of the Victoria Royals, and G Logan Thompson, 20, of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Tyler Wong, who played out his eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season, also will join the Golden Knights’ camp, as will D Dmitry Osipov, who finished his junior days last season with the Wheat Kings.
Portland F Ryan Hughes, who will be 18 on July 27, is going to skate with the Nashville Predators, as will Winterhawks F Alex Overhardt, 20. Portland G Cole Kehler, 20, is going to camp with the Winnipeg Jets.
F Isaac Johnson, who signed with Tri-City on June 1, has been invited to camp by the Detroit Red Wings. Johnson, 18, played last season with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers, scoring 14 goals and adding 14 assists in 47 games.
F Tanner Jeannot, 20, of the Warriors will skate with the Washington Capitals.
F Vince Loschiavo, 19, of the Kootenay Ice and F Nick Chyzowski, 20, of the Kamloops Blazers will be with the Dallas Stars.
F Luc Smith, 19, of the Blazers will be in camp with the New York Rangers.
The Arizona Coyotes’ camp will include F Max Gerlach, 19, of the Medicine Hat Tigers and F Lane Pederson, who turns 20 on Aug. 4. Also with the Coyotes will be D Ryan Gagnon, who played out his junior eligibility last season with the Victoria Royals, and F Tyler Coulter, who did the same with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
F Sami Moilanen, 18, of the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds has been invited to the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp, as has F Ty Lewis, 19, of the Wheat Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, will have two free-agent WHLers in camp with them — F Jordy Bellerive, 18, of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Seattle F Nolan Volcan, 18.
D Dylan Plouffe, 18, of the Vancouver Giants will skate with the Florida Panthers.
Seattle F Scott Eansor, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has been invited to the New York Islanders’ camp.
Portland F Evan Weinger, 20, and D Clayton Kirichenko, a 20-year-old last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, are expected to skate with the Los Angeles Kings. Weinger is from El Segundo, Calif., and played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings before heading to Portland.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed assistant coach Mitch Love to a contract extension, adding the title of assistant to the general manager to his portfolio. The length of the extension wasn’t released, but Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald reported that it is for two years. Love is preparing for his ninth season with the Silvertips and his seventh on the coaching staff. He will continue to handle the team’s defencemen and its billeting program. 
According to a news release Love, 33, also will be the “organization co-ordinator between the Silvertips players and the education program, and work with projects designed to strengthen the Silvertips outreach and growth within Snohomish County, the Pacific Northwest, and its alumni.”
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Four players were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. Dave Andreychuk, Paul Kariya, Mark Recchi and Teemu Selanne will be inducted in November. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has a piece right here in which he wonders of it’s the Hall of Fame or the Hall of Really Good.
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If you are a follower of major junior hockey, the name Glenn Gumbley may ring a bell. Yes,  Gumbley, who is from Montreal, was involved in an attempt to form the CHLPA, a players association for major junior players. . . . On Sunday night, the CHLPA’s Twitter account included this: “In the last few years, I have made several defamatory statements against the QMJHL and its Commissioner, Gilles Courteau, in which I stated that they were linked to crime, fraud, corruption, exploitation of children, tax evasion, perjury, manipulation and criminality. . . . These statements have been removed from all sites and social media under my control and I apologize to the QMJHL and its Commissioner, Gilles Courteau.” . . . It turns out that, as TVA Sports reported Monday, Gumbley “has been found guilty of defamatory allegations by the Quebec Superior Court” through a judgment by Judge David R. Collier, J.S.C. . . . The verdict, which is final also orders Gumbley to Courteau $10,000 in punitive and moral damages and the QMJHL $5,000 in punitive damages.
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Coaching

 The Red Deer Rebels have added Brett Anderson to their coaching staff, replacing Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, who left the team to join the USHL’s Fargo Force as associate head coach. . . . Lamoureux spent one season with the Rebels. . . . Anderson was director and head coach of the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ont., last season. A native of Sedgewick, Alta., he has a diploma in kinesiology from Red Deer College and a degree from the U of Alberta. He also has coached at the U of Saskatchewan, U of Alberta and Red Deer College, as well as in Europe.
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Kevin Constantine is adding another country to his coaching travelogue. Constantine has signed on as head coach of the Asia League Ice Hockey’s Daemyung Killer Whales, who play out of Seoul, South Korea. . . . Constantine, 58, has NHL coaching experience with the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. He spent the past four seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. They finished atop the U.S. Division last season, but his contract wasn’t renewed. . . . Last season, the Killer Whalers, then with Benedict Chi Young Song as head coach, finished eighth in the nine-team league.
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It was mentioned in this space the other day that Craig Woodcroft’s contract as head coach of the KHL’s Dynamo Minsk had been terminated. He had signed a three-year deal there in April 2016. . . . On Sunday, the Genève-Servette HC announced that it had signed Woodcroft to a three-year deal as head coach. Genève-Servette HC, a Geneva-based team, plays in the Swiss NL A. . . . Woodcroft would take over from Chris McSorley, who stepped aside as head coach after last season but remains as general manager. Former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis is on Genève-Servette’s board, as is Lorne Henning, a former NHL/WHL player and a former NHL coach. At one time, Henning as an assistant GM under Gillis with the Canucks.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:49 PM
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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Rebels get some breathing room . . . No quit in these Broncos . . . T-Birds putting heat on 'Tips


The Dauphin Kings were eliminated from MJHL playoff contention on Sunday, something that officially clears the way for the Brandon Wheat Kings to play first-round playoff games in that city’s Credit Union Place.
The Wheat Kings are forced to hit the road because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre complex in Brandon from March 27 through April 1.
The Wheat Kings, the WHL’s defending champions, hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Swift Current Broncos with 10 games remaining.
It is looking like the Wheat Kings will face the Medicine Hat Tigers, who lead the Central Division, in the first-round of the playoffs.
The Wheat Kings are expected to play Games 3 and 4 there on March 28 and 29. A sixth game, if needed, would be played in Dauphin on April 2.
The Dauphin facility has 1,763 seats and room for 752 standees.
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If you’re looking for an interesting read, try this one right here. The headline is: The RV Bandit who stole a million dollars, one wallet at a time. . . . It involves a guy who was a regular on the auto-racing circuit but didn’t watch much of the races. Instead, he . . . well, give it a read. It’s interesting, to say the least.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Lane Zablocki scored two goals and added an assist to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 7-2
LANE ZABLOCKI
victory over the Hitmen. . . . One night earlier, playing at home, Red Deer had blown a 3-0 lead and dropped a 6-3 decision to Calgary. . . . Yesterday, the Rebels scored the game’s first four goals and went from there. . . . Zablocki, who has 25 stars, got it started with a PP goal at 17:47 of the first period. . . . D Carson Sass (5) made it 2-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Evan Polei’s 28th goal, at 3:12 of the second period, increased the lead and F Michael Spacek (27) made it 4-0 at 11:24. . . . The Hitmen threw a scare into Red Deer by cutting the deficit to 4-2 with late second-period goals from F Matteo Gennaro (37) at 17:45 and F Jakob Stukel (21) at 19:17. . . . But the Rebels took control back with three third-period goals, from Zablocki, on a PP, F Austin Glover (20) and F Austin Pratt (15). . . . Red Deer got three assists from F Adam Musil and two from D Brandon Schuldhaus, with Polei, Pratt and Spacek each getting one. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Calgary got 22 stops from G Trevor Martin. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Rebels (26-28-10) are third in the Central Division, their lead over fourth-place Calgary (24-28-10) now at four points. . . . Calgary is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Saskatoon. . . . Announced attendance: 7,208.
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At Regina, the Swift Current Broncos, playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Pats, 5-4 in OT. . . . The Broncos lost 7-0 in Regina on Friday, then went into
RYLEY LINDGREN
Moose Jaw on Saturday and dropped a 5-2 decision. . . . The Broncos, who had lost five straight games to Regina, won this one on F Ryley Lindgren’s 19th goal, at 3:16 of OT. . . . F Austin Wagner (27) had given Regina a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it on F Kole Gable’s sixth goal, at 6:30. . . . Regina went back out front when F Nick Henry got No. 31, at 7:27. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen tied it 2-2, on a PP, at 11:20. . . . The Pats took the lead again on F Dawson Leedahl’s 31st goal, at 14:15 of the second period. . . . F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race, gave the Pats a two-goal lead, on a PP, with his 44th goal at 16:08. . . . The Broncos’ comeback started when F Aleksi Heponiemi (24) struck at 1:11 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen tied it, on a PP and with an extra attacker on the ice, with 12.6 seconds left in the third. . . . Swift Current D Max Lajoie drew the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . Lindgren and Heponiemi each had one assist. . . . Henry, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs had two assists each for Regina, with Steel and Leedahl each getting one. . . . Steel now has 113 points, 10 more than Brooks. . . . Steenbergen has 45 goals and is tied for the league lead with F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Steel and F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors are next, at 44. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 43 saves. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 25 shots for the Pats. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-6. . . . The Broncos lost D Sahvan Khaira to a charging major and game misconduct at 14:35 of the second period. . . . F Robbie Holmes was among Regina’s scratches. He was injured on Friday on a hit by Broncos F Lane Pederson, who completed a two-game suspension by sitting out this one. . . . The Broncos also were without F Glenn Gawdin (ill). . . . F Kjell Kjemhus made his WHL debut with the Pats. From Grande Prairie, Alta., Kjemhus, 15, was a fourth-round pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He has been playing at Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . Swift Current (31-20-10) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). The Broncos appear headed to a third-place finish in the East Division and a first-round matchup with Moose Jaw. . . . Regina (44-9-8) has points in four straight (3-0-1) and leads the overall standings by seven points over Medicine Hat. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, G Zach Sawchenko blocked 29 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-0 victory over
ZACH SAWCHENKO
the Blades. . . . Sawchenko has three shutouts this season and nine in his career. He has won 27 games this season, one shy of the 28 he posted last season. . . . F Luka Burzan’s 13th goal, at 10:32 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Justin Almeida’s ninth goal, at 10:10 of the third period, provided insurance. . . . The Blades got 20 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Moose Jaw lost F Noah Gregor at 15:50 of the second period when he took a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik. . . . D Josh Thrower of the Warriors played in his 300th regular-season game. This was his 89th game with the Warriors. He also has played with the Vancouver Giants, Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Warriors (38-17-8) have won six straight games. They are second in the East Divsion, 12 points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Blades (24-31-8) have lost two in a row. They are two points behind the Hitmen, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,844.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds opened up a 4-0 lead en route to a 6-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle, which clinched a playoff spot with the victory, got first-period goals from F Keegan Kolesar (22), on a PP, at 7:10; F Luke Ormsby
ANTHONY BISHOP
(6), at 12:35; and D Anthony Bishop (1), at 18:04. . . . Bishop, an 18-year-old from Kelowna, scored in his 98th regular-season game, the 58th of this season. . . . The Thunderbirds went ahead 4-1 on F Ryan Gropp’s 29th goal, on a PP, at 4:56 of the second period. . . . F Connor Dewar’s 11th goal, shorthanded, got Everett on the scoreboard at 10:39. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who also had three assists, scored No. 9, on a PP, at 12:14. . . . Seattle’s Elijah Brown added his third goal at 15:13 of the third period. . . . Barzal has 71 points, including 62 assists, in 37 games. He has points in 18 of his past 20 games, recording 52 points over that stretch. He has put up back-to-back four-pointers. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Ethan Bear, who left in the second period and was seated in the press box by game’s end. Later, Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle tweeted that he asked Thunderbird head coach Steve Konowalchuk “what he could tell us about Bear’s situation.” The response: “Nothing.” . . . Seattle next is scheduled to play Wednesday in Kamloops. . . . Bear ran his point streak to 12 games, while Kolesar now is riding an 11-game streak. . . . The Thunderbirds got 20 saves from G Rylan Toth, who now leads the WHL with 33 victories. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart was beaten three times on 12 shots in the first period. Mario Petit played the last two periods, stopping 12 of 15 shots. . . . Seattle was 3-5 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Seattle (40-18-5) has won 14 straight home games and is second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Everett (38-13-10), which had a seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett also leads the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of Prince George and Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 5,157.
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At Spokane, F Reid Gardiner and D Devante Stephens had four-point nights as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Chiefs, 9-5. . . . The Rockets, who scored nine times on 22 shots, were playing their third game
REID GARDINER
in fewer than 48 hours, while the Chiefs had Saturday off. . . . Kelowna scored five times in the first period and opened up a 7-0 lead before the second period was half over. . . . Gardiner scored twice, giving him 11 goals, and added two assists, while Stephens picked up his 11th goal and added three helpers. . . . The Rockets also got two goals from each of F Rod Southam, who has 16, and F Carsen Twarynski, who has 15. Also scoring for Kelowna were F Dillon Dube (12) and F Nick Merkley (22). . . . Merkley, Dube and F Nolan Foote had two assists each. . . . Spokane scored five of the game’s last seven goals, getting them from F Keanu Yamamoto (23), F Hudson Elynuik (22), F Alex Mowbray (3), D Ty Smith (4) and F Riley Woods (10). F Jaret Anderson-Dolan had two assists, with Yamamoto and Woods each getting one. . . . The Rockets got 21 saves from G Bordan Salmond. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler allowed four goals on six shots in 12:00, with Donovan Buskey coming on for his WHL debut at that point. Buskey, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, gave up three goals on six shots in 18:54. Sittler re-entered and finished up, stopping eight of 10 shots in 29:06. . . . Buskey was a third-round pick by Spokane in the 2015 bantam draft. He has been with the major midget Vancouver Northwest Giants. . . . Spokane was 3-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 2-5. . . . The Rockets (37-21-5) are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind Kamloops with a game in hand. . . . Spokane (25-27-9) has lost three in a row and is nine points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 4,927.
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At Victoria, the Royals completed a tripleheader sweep of the Vancouver Giants with a 3-2 victory. . . .
DYLAN MYSKIW
The Royals had won 6-4 in Langley, B.C., on Friday and 3-1 at home on Saturday. . . . On Sunday, the visitors took a 1-0 lead at 3:15 of the first period when F Johnny Wesley scored his 10th goal. . . . The Royals took control by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Jared Dmytriw, who had scored twice on Saturday, got No. 13 at 10:36 of the second period. . . . F Dante Hannoun (21) gave the Royals the lead with a PP goal, at 11:15. . . . Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev picked up his eighth goal, on a PP, 49 seconds into the third period. . . . The Giants got close when F Bartek Bison (6) scored at 14:38. . . . The Royals got two assists from F Jack Walker. . . . G Dylan Myskiw turned aside 24 shots to earn the victory. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic blocked 35 shots. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Royals (35-23-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, five points ahead of Portland. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kelowna. . . . The Giants (19-39-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Next up for Vancouver: Another tripleheader, this time against the Portland Winterhawks. It starts Wednesday in Langley. . . . Announced attendance: 4,007.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:19 PM
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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Nanaimo has memorandum of understanding with WHL . . . 'Tips forward needs surgery . . . Engele, Lauer hall of famers


G Tomáš Vošvrda (Medicine Hat, 2007-08) has signed a two-year extension with Bayreuth (Germany, DEL2). In 36 games, he is 2.65 and .929. . . . 
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) has signed a one-year extension with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he has 19 goals and 23 assists in 38 games with Znojmo. He started the season with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga), scoring four goals in 11 games.
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 Tracy Samra, the chief administrative officer for the City of Nanaimo, told city council on Monday that “we have a memorandum of understanding with the WHL.”
That would indicate that all is in readiness for a franchise to begin play in the Vancouver Island city next season, depending on the outcome of a March 11 referendum.
“That memorandum sets forward condition precedents that have to happen for the WHL to award a
franchise to play in the City of Nanaimo,” Samra told council.
She went on to say that “there are a number of conditions in that memorandum of understanding. They relate to key decisions that council will have to make if there is a yes vote.”
Taxpayers of Nanaimo will vote in a referendum on March 11 as the city asks for the OK to borrow $80 million in order to build an events centre.
In addressing council, Samra added:
“There is a negotiation that has to take place between the city and the new owners of a franchise for the WHL. One of the things that the city has made very clear in its discussions with the WHL is that we are looking for a 20-year long-term commitment of a WHL franchise to this community. That will be part of the negotiations with a facility lease and license agreement.”
Samra seemed to indicate that there is a WHL franchise out there that has new owners with whom Nanaimo will be negotiating. Or perhaps this is simply an indication that the City of Nanaimo has been told by the WHL that there will be new owners for a franchise and those owners will be involved in negotiations.
Of course, if the March 11 vote is “YES” and no one steps forward in an attempt to purchase the Kootenay Ice, the WHL could always buy the franchise and operate it until new owners are found.
There is precedent within the WHL for that kind of move. In 1995, the WHL bought the Regina Pats from a local group who had planned to sell it to the Ochapowace First Nation for $1.7 million. The WHL later sold the franchise to Diane and Russ Parker of Calgary in time for the 1995-96 season.
The Ice has been for sale since 2012 and is believed to be the only franchise that is on the market at this point in time.
Jeff Chynoweth, the governor, president and general manager of the Ice, couldn’t be reached for comment last night.
Samra also made it clear that the construction of an events centre is based on having a WHL team as the main tenant.
“(A) feasibility and business case study for the events centre is premised on having an anchor tenant,” she said. “The anchor tenant would be the WHL. If there is no WHL team there is no anchor and the business case for the events centre is not made.”
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Kevin Constantine, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, revealed on Wednesday that F Orrin Centazzo won’t play again this season. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald reported that Centazzo has a broken collarbone and will be undergoing surgery.
Centazzo was injured on Friday when he absorbed an open-ice hit from Prince Albert F Kolby Johnson during a 3-1 victory over the host Raiders. Johnson was suspended for three games.
There was some controversy involved, as Johnson originally was given a minor penalty that minutes later was changed to a major, something that didn’t sit well with the Raiders. They later were fined $500 for not providing adequate security at the officials’ exit.
“I think the refs, when they initially made the call, saw our player get up and come off the ice and assumed there was no injury and made a two-minute call,” Constantine told Geleynse. “I can’t tell you why. I saw there was two minutes up there, we had a discussion with the refs and I think they talked it over further and realized that the player had been injured on the play, which I don’t think they had factored into their decision at the time of the call.”
Centazzo, from Marwayne, Alta., was a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2015 bantam draft. A freshman with the Silvertips, he had four goals and five assists in 41 games.
With Centazzo out, the Silvertips have added F Keith Anderson, 19, to their roster. Anderson has played 39 WHL games, 33 of those last season, all with the Victoria Royals. He had a goal and five assists in those games.
Anderson, from Hermiston, Ore., has been with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs, putting up four goals and four assists in 29 games.
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Jerome Engele and Brad Lauer, two men with ties to the WHL, will be among the inductees into the Humboldt and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 24. . . . Engele is from Carmel, a small town just west of Humboldt. He began his hockey career in Humboldt. Engele was a hard-nosed defenceman for five seasons with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a pro career. He later joined the Saskatoon Police Service, retiring as an Inspector in 2015 after 35 years. Through a lot of that time, he served as an assistant coach with the Blades, something he continues to do. . . . Lauer, who was born and raised in Humboldt, played three seasons with the Regina Pats before moving to the pro ranks. He now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . The 2007-08 Humboldt Broncos, who won a national junior A championship, also will be inducted. Their head coach was Dean Brockman, who now is the Blades’ head coach.
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F Crisitiano DeGiacinto, 20, of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires has been suspended for 10 games after taking a headshot major and game misconduct on Sunday. DeGiacinto hit Nic Sicoly of the Guelph Storm, who was bleeding after the hit but returned to the game.
Ted Baker, the OHL vice-president who deals in discipline, admitted that DeGiacinto didn’t “intentionally target the head.” Not only that, Baker said, “he didn’t leave his feet or put his elbow up, but there is contact to the head.”
As Baker reasoned: “Although it was an attempt at a legal body check, there is no tolerance for checking to the head and he is a repeat offender.” Baker said when you factor in all of that, the result is a 10-game suspension.
DiGiacinto drew an eight-game suspension for a headshot major in January 2016. He also was suspended for five games during the 2013-14 playoffs for what was termed bullying after he chased down an opponent and instigated a fight.
In the WHL this season, the longest suspension involving a checking-to-the-head penalty has been five games. That went to F Carter Folk, then of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, from an incident during an exhibition game.
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ECHLDrake Berehowsky, the head coach of the Orlando Solar Bears, suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday night and has had to take a leave of absence from the ECHL club.
“Drake was taken to Florida Hospital where he is receiving medical treatment,” Joe Haleski, the franchise’s chairman and CEO, said in a news release. “I have spoken with Drake and he is in good spirits and eager to get back behind the bench as soon as he receives medical clearance to do so.”
Berehowsky, 45, was the Solar Bears’ head coach in 2012-13. He left to take over as head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he spent two seasons. He signed on as an associate coach with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves last season. He started this season there, but left to take over as Orlando’s head coach on Nov. 14.
While Berehowsky is away, assistant coach John Snowden will run the team. Snowden was in charge last night as the Solar Bears beat the visiting Atlanta Gladiators, 4-0.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his weekly 30 Thoughts on Wednesday. He speculates on Sidney Crosby’s legacy and touches on a whole lot more. It’s all right here.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, the Hitmen watched a 3-0 lead disappear before they were able to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3 in a shootout. . . . The Hitmen have appeared in a franchise-record 21 OT games this season.
BRADY REAGAN
Calgary and Brandon (18) are 1-2 in OT appearances this season. . . . The Regina Pats led the WHL last season by going to OT 20 times. . . . The single-season record for most OT games (23) is shared by the Moose Jaw Warriors (2007-08) and Swift Current Broncos (2005-06) . . . F Beck Malenstyn (11) gave Calgary a 1-0 led at 4:46 of the first period and F Andrei Grishakov upped it to 2-0 at 11:31 with his seventh goal. . . . F Matteo Gennaro’s 35th score left the Hitmen with a 3-0 lead at 1:02 of the second period. . . . F Nolan Patrick got Brandon started with No. 15, at 5:53, and D Kale Clague’s fifth goal, on PP, at 9:08, got the visitors to within a goal. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it when F Reid Duke scored his 34th at 6:41 of the third period. . . . Calgary’s first two shootout shooters — F Jakob Stukel and F Jake Kryski — both scored, while Duke and Patrick were blanked. . . . Calgary got two assists from D Brady Reagan and one each from Stukel and Kryski. . . . Duke and Patrick had an assist each. . . . Calgary G Trevor Martin stopped 29 shots through OT, while Brandon G Travis Child turned aside 21. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-4 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-2. . . . The Hitmen (23-26-10) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They have moved past Saskatoon and now are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-23-9) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). They hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . It was the annual BE BRAVE anti-bullying game and began at 11 a.m. . . . Announced attendance: 10,896.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets unleashed a 53-shot attack as they beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 10-1. . . . One night earlier, the Oil Kings were beaten, 7-0, by the Blazers in Kamloops. . . . The Rockets held a 37-10
ROD SOUTHAM
edge in shots after two periods. . . . Kelowna took a 4-0 lead into the third period where it struck for six goals. . . . F Rod Southam, the Rockets’ captain, scored three times, giving him 13 goals this season. He made it 4-0 at 3:39 of the second period, then completed his first WHL hat trick by scoring at 17:19 and 17:56, the latter on a PP, of the third period. . . . Kelowna’s other goals came from F Nick Merkley (20), F Carsen Twarynski (12), F Tomas Soustal (17), F Dillon Dube (9), D Lucas Johansen (5), F Kyle Topping (11) and F Kole Lind (27). . . . The Rockets got four assists from D James Hilsendager and two from each of Dillon, D Devante Stephens and F Nolan Foote. Johansen, Soustal, Lind, Southam and Twarynski added one each. . . . F Davis Koch (19) scored for Edmonton at 9:34 of the third period. . . . G Brodan Salmond blocked 14 shots for the Rockets. . . . Edmonton starter Patrick Dea gave up eight goals on 48 shots in 53:27. Josh Dechaine finished up, stopping three of five shots in 6:32. . . . Kelowna was 3-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (35-20-5) have points in six straight (5-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division five points behind Kamloops with two games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (20-36-5) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . Edmonton has been outscored 24-5 in its past three games. Next up is a Friday-Saturday doubleheader in Prince George against the Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 5,155.


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At Lethbridge, the Moose Jaw Warriors opened up a 3-0 lead en route to a 3-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Warriors clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Despite the loss, the Hurricanes also clinched a playoff spot. They actually had the spot
BRANDEN KLATT
wrapped up before their game ended because the Saskatoon Blades lost their game. . . . F Tanner Jeannot’s 15th goal got the Warriors on the scoreboard at 9:54 of the first period. . . . F Spencer Bast’s ninth goal made it 2-0 just 55 seconds later. . . . F Thomas Foster added more insurance with his 17th goal 20 seconds into the second period. . . . F Jordy Bellerive scored for Lethbridge, getting No. 24 at 12:52 of the third period. . . . F Branden Klatt has two assists for the Warriors, with Bast and Foster adding one each. . . . Klatt has two goals and four assists over his past four games. That gives him 12 points, including 10 assists, in 20 games since coming over from the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Warriors got 32 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots at the other end. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-6 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-3. . . . Moose Jaw (36-17-8) has won four in a row. They are headed to a second-place finish in the East Division as they are 13 points behind Regina and 10 in front of Swift Current. . . . The Hurricanes (36-17-7) had won their previous three games. They are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat and 21 ahead of Red Deer. . . . Announced attendance: 4,521.
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At Saskatoon, the Regina Pats scored the game’s first four goals and went on to post a 4-1 victory over the Blades. . . . F Nick Henry got Regina started with the 29th goal of his freshman season at 9:32 of the
NICK HENRY
first period, on a PP. . . . F Adam Brooks made it 2-0, on another PP, at 5:39 of the second, with F Dawson Leedahl getting his 30th goal, on yet another PP, at 10:55. Leedahl is the Pats’ third 30-goal man this season. . . . F Braydon Buziak’s eighth goal, at 8:45 of the third period, gave Regina a 4-0 lead. . . . F Michael Farren (5) scored for the Blades, on a PP, at 13:26 of the third period. . . . Brooks, who won the WHL scoring title with 120 points last season, also had an assist as he became the second player this season to get to 100 points. Teammate Sam Steel had one assist, running his WHL-leading points total to 106. . . . Henry also added an assist to his goal. He has 67 points in 59 games. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 15 shots in his 40th start this season. He is 26-6-6. . . . The Blades got 43 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . The visitors held a 35-9 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Regina was 3-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-4. . . . The Blades had F Braylon Shmyr back in the lineup. He had been out since Feb. 4. F Caleb Fantillo, who suffered an injury in practice last week, also returned. . . .  Regina had F Cole Muir make his WHL debut. Muir, who turned 16 on Feb. 14, is from Vista, Man., and has been playing for the midget AAA Yellowhead Chiefs. He was a second-round pick by the Pats in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. . . . Regina (43-9-7) has won two in a row and leads the overall standings by eight points over Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-29-8) have lost five straight (0-3-2) and now are two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,782.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Jordan Topping scored three times and added an assist to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Americans took a 3-0 lead into the
JORDAN TOPPING
second period and never trailed although the Winterhawks twice whittled the deficit to one. . . . Topping, who has 21 goals, provided a 2-0 lead with PP goals at 5:38 and 9:20 of the first period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon made it 3-0 with No 10 at 13:37. . . . Portland got to within a goal on second-period goals from F Keegan Iverson (18), on a PP at 3:45, and F Evan Weinger, at 5:03. . . . Topping completed his hat trick at 17:59, for a 4-2 lead. . . . F Kyle Olson (15) put the Americans up by three goals at 18:53. . . . Weinger added his 20th goal, at 19:55, and F Ryan Hughes’ 25th goal, at 3:08 of the third period, pulled the visitors to within a goal, at 5-4. . . . F Austyn Playfair’s first goal of the season provided the Americans with some insurance at 13:16. . . . The Americans got two assists from D Juuso Valimaki and one from Olson. . . . D Caleb Jones drew two helpers for Portland. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 41 shots. . . . Portland started Cole Kehler in goal, but he left after allowing three goals on 11 shots in 13:37. Shane Farkas finished up, stopping 15 of 18 shots in 44:37. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-3. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen sat out his eighth straight game. The Americans lost the first three without him, but now have won five in a row. . . . Tri-City (36-23-3) has won five straight games. It is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle and seven ahead of Portland. . . . Portland (32-25-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). It holds the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 2,604.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:31 PM
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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Hirsch shines light on OCD . . . Tigers to retire No. 9 . . . Silvertips back on top of U.S. Division


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 F David Stieler (Swift Current, 2006-08) has signed a one-year extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He has four goals and 14 assists in 45 games. . . .
F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier), he had four goals and five assists in 16 games. He was released on Oct. 31. . . .
F Curtis Hamilton (Saskatoon, 2006-11) has been assigned on loan by SaiPa Lappeenranta to TPS Turku (both Finland, Liiga) for the rest of this season. He had 14 goals and 13 assists in 43 games with SaiPa. . . .
F Roman Tománek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) has been released by Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had a goal and three assists in nine games. He had been loaned to Dukla from Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of season on Jan. 3. He had a goal and three assists in 17 games with Dukla.
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I have never spoken with Corey Hirsch. I was going to stop and introduce myself one day, but I didn’t. It was during a Kamloops Blazers training camp session and his son was one of the players on the ice. Corey seemed quite intent on watching so I let the moment go.
Now I wish I hadn’t.
If you haven’t see what Corey wrote on The Players’ Tribune, you should. It’s right here.
Here’s a taste . . . 
“Then one day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. In my messed up brain, anything was better than being alone 24/7 with my dark thoughts. I decided to end my life. I went up to the top of the cliff in Kamloops and thought, I’m checking out. Let’s see how fast this car can go.
“I am here today because of a vision that popped into my head at 140 miles an hour. I wish I could say that it was a warm and happy thought that stopped me. But it was actually just this:
“What if I don’t die?”
Take time to read what he has written. Pay particular attention to the headline before you dig into it.
Take the time to re-read the message at the end, because he is correct — there are people in hockey right now who are in a dark place. If you are one of those people, it’s not over.
Corey Hirsch is proof of that.
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Being the owner of a sports franchise in any city should mean more than simply icing or fielding a team. It should mean, but doesn’t always seem to, having a love affair with that city and its citizens. That certainly was the case with Mike Ilitch, the owner of Detroit’s Red Wings and Tigers, who died on Friday. I don’t know that I have read a more revealing story about Ilitch than this one right here, which deals with the fact the Ilitch quietly paid Rosa Parks’ rent for 10 or 11 years. Yes, that Rosa Parks.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers will retire the No. 9 worn by the late Tom Lysiak when he skated to back-to-back WHL scoring championships in 1971-72 and 1972-73. He is the only Medicine Hat skater to accomplish that feat, and only the fourth player in WHL history. . . . Lysiak, who died of leukaemia on May 30, also won the playoff scoring race in the spring of 1973, as the Tigers won the WHL title and then went on to capture a Memorial Cup championship. . . . The Tigers will hang No. 9 from the rafters on Feb. 25 as they meet the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . That will be the second number retired by the Tigers. They earlier gave that honour to Lanny McDonald’s No. 8. . . . It also will mean a new number for F Zach Fischer, who has been wearing No. 9. He will switch to No. 39 that evening.
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If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that organ donorship is big in these parts. Today, then, I have become a big fan of Eugene Melnyk, who owns the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. . . . Almost two years have gone by since Melnyk underwent a partial liver transplant that saved his life. On Wednesday, Melnyk sat in front of a news conference and announced that the Organ Project is a reality. The first thing on the agenda is organ donor awareness. As Melnyk said: “It’s two minutes out of your whole life. Just sit down (to register) and you will do the greatest things for people like me, who have sat in that line for months, not knowing if I’m going to be living or dying. It makes all the difference.” . . . As someone who has lived it, I can tell you that the feeling of not knowing touches family members, too. . . . Please read this story right here and at least think about it.
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When he isn’t writing, Mike Fraser is a scout for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. In his latest fun with words, it’s more Tales from the Arena, and it’s apparent that he had a tough weekend — he was in the Okanagan when the weather was horrid and when he did go to a game at home he had too much Nickelback. . . . That’s right here.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, F Colton Kehler’s OT goal gave the Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings have won two straight games after having lost 16 in a row. . . . Kehler’s 15th goal of the season
COLTON KEHLER
came at 1:18 of OT after the host team had erased a 2-0 deficit. . . . The Ice took that lead on second-period PP goals from F Reed Morison (2), at 1:07, and F Vince Loschiavo (22), at 4:11. . . . F Davis Koch’s 17th goal allowed Edmonton to get within a goal at 19:49 of the second period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it when F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored his 16th goal at 16:43 of the third period. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 29 shots for the Oil Kings. . . . The Ice got 30 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 2-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . Due to a suspension and injuries, the Oil Kings went the distance with five defenceman and two of those are affiliate players Jayden Platz and Matthew Robertson. . . . “I thought 5-on-5 we did a pretty good job eliminating their opportunities,” Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton said in a piece on the team’s website. “That’s a lot to ask. I think Conner McDonald played like 45 minutes today. It just seemed like every time I looked up he was still out there. That’s a lot of minutes. He came from a situation in Kamloops where he was playing 5 or 6 spot minutes and he has really embraced that. All those guys did a great job.” . . . The Oil Kings (20-33-4) have won two straight. They are nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Ice (12-35-10) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2) and have slipped into the WHL basement. . . . It was the eighth season in a row in which the Oil Kings played host to a Hockey Hooky game with a start time of 11:30 a.m. . . . Announced attendance: 12,663.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers held the Victoria Royals to 17 shots, just two in the first period, en route to a
GARY HADEN
3-1 victory. . . . Medicine Hat, which clinched a playoff spot with the victory, took a 1-0 lead when F Gary Haden scored his sixth goal at 6:54 of the second period. . . . F Matt Bradley’s 27th goal increased the lead to 2-0 at 3:04 of the third period. . . . The Royals cut the deficit in half when F Matt Phillips got his 40th goal this season, at 11:50 of the third period . . . The Tigers iced it with an empty-netter from F Steve Owre, his 20th goal, at 18:57. . . . Medicine Hat got 16 saves from G Michael Bullion. . . . G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 30 for Victoria. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Tigers remain without D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz, both out with broken legs incurred while blocking shots. Quenneville, however, is nearing a return. . . . The Royals are without F Tyler Soy and F Ryan Peckford, both of whom are injured and didn’t make the trip to Alberta, and F Jared Dmytriw, who is serving a three-game suspension. . . . Medicine Hat (41-16-1) has won five in a row. The lead the Central Division by eight  points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Victoria (31-23-4) has lost two straight. It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and is fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 3,031.
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At Prince Albert, F Parker Kelly snapped a 3-3 tie at 6:32 of the third period and the Raiders went on to
PARKER KELLY
post a 5-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Kelly’s 12th goal turned out to be the game-winner. . . . F Simon Stransky added insurance with his 16th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:25. . . . Brandon had taken a 1-0 lead when F Ty Lewis got No. 26 just 46 seconds into the first period. . . . F Curtis Miske (14) pulled the Raiders even, on a PP, at 13:33. . . . The Wheat Kings went back out front when F Nolan Patrick (13) scored at 19:01. . . . Prince Albert got that one right back as F Tim Vanstone got his 10th goal at 19:33. . . . The Raiders moved out front at 9:23 of the second period when F Sean Montgomery scored his 12th goal, a shorthanded effort. . . . D James Shearer’s seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:02 of the second got Brandon into a 3-3 tie. . . . Vanstone, Stransky and Parker added an assist each. . . . Patrick also had one assist. . . . The Raiders got 22 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . At the other end, Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . D Kale Clague, who played in Brandon’s 3-1 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Tuesday night, was among the Wheat Kings’ scratches. . . . The Raiders (15-38-5) have won two in a row. They vacated the WHL cellar with this victory and now are one points ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-22-8) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are fourth in the East Division, five points behind the Swift Current Broncos. Brandon is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 1,869.
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At Saskatoon, F Riley Sutter scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Everett Silvertips a 2-1
RILEY SUTTER
victory over the Blades. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk scored for the Blades in the first round, with F Orrin Centazzo replying for Everett in Round 2. . . . F Kirby Dach gave the Blades a 1-0 lead at 10:50 of the first period. Dach, who turned 16 on Jan. 21, had three goals and an assist in seven games. Since joining the Blades on a full-time basis last week, he has three goals in as many games. . . . Everett pulled even when F Dominic Zwerger counted No. 23 at 14:04 of the second period. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 30 shots for Everett, two more than Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . F Markson Bechtold returned to the Blades’ lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . The Silvertips (34-12-10) have won three in a row. They moved back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett holds one game in hand. . . . The Blades (23-26-7) have points in four straight (3-0-1). They are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points up on the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Saskatoon completed a stretch where it played 13 of 14 games at home. It went 8-4-1 in those 13 games. . . . While Everett’s roster includes six players from Manitoba, there aren’t any from Saskatchewan. . . . Announced attendance: 2,935.
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At Swift Current, G Jordan Hollett recorded the shutout and F Nick Henry had two goals as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 2-0. . . . Hollett, a first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, made is 13th start and
JORDAN HOLLETT
improved to 12-0-1 as he posted his first WHL shutout. . . . Hollett, who is from Langley, B.C., made 28 saves, including 13 in the second period. . . . Henry, who has 28 goals in his freshman season, opened the scoring with a PP goal at 7:55 of the second period. . . . Henry made it 2-0 at 16:06. . . . The Pats are 4-0-0 in the season series; Henry has four goals and four assists. . . . F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL in scoring, had two assists. He now has 102 points. . . . The Broncos got 43 stops from G Jordan Papirny. He kept the Broncos in it early — Regina held a 16-1 edge in shots at the regulated timeout in the first period. . . . Regina was 1-5 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks played in his 300th regular-season game. He didn’t pick up any points, leaving him with 299 points, including 107 goals. . . . The Broncos remain without F Lane Pederson. They also were missing F Conner Chaulk (ill). . . . The Pats (41-7-7) are atop the overall standings, six points ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Regina leads the East Division by 15 points over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Broncos (29-18-9) had points in each of their previous five games (4-0-1). They are third in the East Division, seven points behind Moose Jaw. . . . 
Announced attendance: 2,150.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Brett Leason scored two goals and added an assist to help the Tri-City Americans to an 8-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Americans built up a 6-0 second-period
BRETT LEASON
lead and took it from there. . . . Leason, the son of former U of Regina Rams quarterback Darryl Leason, has five goals this season. Brett, from Calgary, was a third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He has five goals and nine assists in 55 games as a freshman. Three of the goals have come in his last three games. . . . The Americans led 6-0 before the second period was six minutes old. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s next four goals, before Tri-City got two more in the second half of the third period. . . . Leason scored shorthanded for a 3-0 lead at 11:01 of the first period. His second goal, at 2:23 of the second period, proved to be the winner. He also assisted on the game’s last goal, a shorthanded score by F Nolan Yarmeko (6). . . . F Morgan Geekie (31), D Juuso Välimäki (7), F Jordan Topping (18), D Dylan Coghlan (11) and F Parker AuCoin (19) also scored for the winners. . . . The Rebels got goals from F Brandon Hagel (22), F Akash Bains (7), D Jared Freadrich (5) and F Matthew Campese (2). . . . The Americans got three assists from D Parker Wotherspoon and one each from Välimäki, Geekie and AuCoin. . . . F Michael Spacek and D Jacob Herauf had two assists each for the Rebels, with Hagel and Bains getting one apiece. . . . Tri-City G Rylan Parenteau stopped 27 shots in winning for the 21st time this season. . . . The Americans scored on their first shot of the game. Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, had ripped into his charges after a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday night. He responded to Tri-City’s early goal by changing goaltenders. . . . G Riley Lamb finished up by allowing seven goals on 33 shots in 58:42. . . . The Americans were 2-6 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-4. . . . The Americans were without F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal man, for a fifth straight game. He now hasn’t played since Feb. 1. On Feb. 9, head coach Mike Williamson said: “With Michael, we have monitored it day by day, and thought there was a chance for the weekend, but we are going to err on the side of caution and keep him out Friday and possibly Saturday. These games are huge and important for us, but long-term health is the most important thing.” . . . Tri-City (33-23-3) has won two in a row. The Americans are third in the U.S. Division, four points ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Red Deer (23-26-9) has lost six straight (0-5-1). The Rebels are third in the Central Division, five points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 2,493.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:19 PM
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