Hunchak, Barrett on Team B.C. . . . Leafs fill out staff . . . Raiders sign two

F Patrick Holland (Tri-City, 2008-13) signed a one-year contract with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga). Last season, with the St. John's Ice Caps (AHL), he had two assists in 21 games. He also had a goal and three assists in four games with the Ontario Reign (ECHL). . . .


F Colin Fraser (Red Deer, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). Last season, he was pointless in one game with the St. Louis Blues (NHL) 1 GP. He spent most of the season with the Chicago Wolves (AHL). An alternate captain, he had nine goals and eight assists in 59 games.
———



Brendan Hunchak, the son of former Moose Jaw Warriors and Kamloops Blazers head coach Dave Hunchak, has been selected to play for Team B.C. at the peewee box lacrosse nationals in Whitby, Ont., later this summer. . . . The winner of peewee nationals, for players ages 11 and 12, will receive the E.G. Dopp Trophy. . . . Brendan Hunchak, who is a goaltender, and Connor Barrett, both of Kamloops, made Team B.C. . . . The tournament in Whitby runs from Aug. 1-9. . . . In Kamloops, the 2003 age group in lacrosse is said to be perhaps the strongest the city has seen, with much of the credit belonging to the likes of coaches Sean Campbell, Doug Clarke, Geoff Krug, Neill Steed and Brook Webster. . . . As an aside, it’s worth noting that Barrett’s mother, Eryn Bulmer Barrett, was a world-class diver who was on Canada’s national team for 11 years, and is a two-time Olympian. She recently worked as Kate Upton’s stunt double during the filming in Vancouver of The Layover, a film that is scheduled for release in 2016.
——
F Riley Sheen (Medicine Hat, Seattle, Lethbridge, Red Deer, 2011-15) has committed to attend NAIT in Edmonton and play for the Ooks, under head coach Serge Lajoie. Sheen, from Edmonton, played out his eligibility last season as he split 71 games between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels. He totalled 71 points, 24 of them goals, in 71 games.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Tuesday that they have hired Jim Hiller, DJ Smith and Andrew Brewer as assistant coaches under head coach Mike Babcock. Hiller, who coached in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) and Tri-City Americans, spent last season with Babcock in Detroit, as did Brewer. Smith was the head coach of the Memorial Cup-winning Oshawa Generals. . . . Smith spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, winning two Memorial Cups, before joining the Generals in June 2012.
——
On Tuesday evening, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada tweeted that he is “hearing Todd Nelson will be the next coach at AHL Grand Rapids — Detroit's affiliate.” . . . Nelson, a defenceman, played four seasons with his hometown Prince Albert Raiders (1986-90). . . . Nelson, 46, has been coaching since 2001-02 when he was a player-assistant with the United league’s Muskegon Fury. He split last season between the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . Grand Rapids is without a head coach because Jeff Blashill now is head coach of the parent Detroit Red Wings.
———



The Prince Albert Raiders have signed their two first-round selections from the 2015 bantam draft — F Cole Fonstad and F Carson Miller. . . . Fonstad, from Estevan, Sask., was the fifth overall selection. He had 67 points, including 36 goals, in 29 games with the bantam AA Estevan Bruins last season. He had 10 points, six of them goals, in 10 playoff games. . . . Miller, from Yorkton, Sask., was the 21st overall pick. He played for the bantam AA Yorkton Terriers, putting up 107 points, including 49 goals, in 31 games. He had 21 points, seven of them goals, in nine playoff games. He was the Saskatchewan Bantam AA League’s leading scorer in the regular season and in the playoffs.
———

Sheldon Kennedy actually turned 46 on Monday, so we’re a couple of days late. But . . . Happy Birthday!

Happy 46th to dedicated child abuse advocate & experienced rollerblader Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn). @RespectGroup pic.twitter.com/rHQwt8ToZT

— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) June 16, 2015

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Roman Polak (Kootenay, 2004-05) signed a lockout contract with Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 11 assists in 77 games with the St. Louis Blues last season.
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After being a healthy scratch twice on the weekend, F Matt Bellerive has requested a trade and left the Vancouver Giants.
Bellerive, who turns 18 on Dec. 7, didn’t play in either of the Giants’ first two games — a 6-4 loss to the visiting Victoria Royals on Friday and a 3-2 setback in Victoria on Saturday.
Bellerive, a second-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft, is from North Vancouver. He had 14 points, including six goals, in 46 games last season. In his freshman season (2010-11), he had six points, four of them goals, in 50 games.
The Giants were 1-3-2 in the exhibition season, before opening with the two losses against victory.
They now have dropped three forwards off last season’s team, as F Taylor Makin, 20, was assigned to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits sometime after Saturday’s game, while D Kiefer McNaughton, 19, joined the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs earlier this month.
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SUNDAY’S NOTES:
The Edmonton Oil Kings ran their regular-season winning streak to 13 games as they beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 6-2. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar scored three times for the first time in a WHL game. . . . The Rebels lost F Turner Elson, 20, in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks went into Kennewick, Wash., and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . Tri-City, which lost 5-2 to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Saturday, last lost its first two home games in 2005-06. . . . The Winterhawks were without F Ty Rattie (suspended) and F Taylor Leier, who has the dreaded lower body injury. . . . F Patrick Holland earned one assist for the Americans as he played what may have been his final WHL game. He now leaves to join the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs for training camp. He has 209 points, including 63 goals, in 206 games with the Americans. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski had three assists and perhaps someday someone will explain why an NHL team didn’t sign him over the summer. . . .
In Everett, the Prince George Cougars erased a 6-3 third-period deficit and beat the Silvertips, 7-6, in a shootout. . . . The seven-round shootout featured seven goals with F Jordan Tkatch finally winning it. . . . The Cougars scratched F Chase Witala, who was injured in Saturday’s 6-0 victory in Everett, and then lost F Jari Erricson to a headshot major and game misconduct.
———
Everett F Jari Erricson is one of at least nine players who were involved in weekend incidents that will get a serious look from Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey. As part of his duties, Doerksen handles the WHL’s discipline.
And you have to think that he will be quite concerned with an opening weekend on which nine players got tossed from games with majors and game misconducts:
D Joel Edmundson, Moose Jaw, major, fighting off faceoff
F Josh Nicholls, Saskatoon, major, charging
D Mathew Dumba, Red Deer, major, check to head
F Justin Kirsch, Moose Jaw, major, checking from behind
F Andrew Johnson, Moose Jaw, major, charging
F Kale Kessy, Medicine Hat, major, check to head
D Spencer Galbraith, Lethbridge, major, check to head
F Ty Rattie, Portland, major, cross-checking
F Jari Erricson, major, headshot
Of that bunch, Rattie, Edmundson, Kirsch, Dumba and Nicholls all received ‘tbd’ suspensions on the weekend. Rattie and Dumba already have sat out one game.
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas), of Yahoo! Sports: “Red Wings Sr. VP Jim Devellano is at the Hershey Centre this afternoon to watch the young calves before they become full-grown cattle. #NHL”


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The Wenatchee Wild won’t be joining the BCHL, at least not for the 2012-13 season. . . . The BCHL has denied the Wild’s request for entry, so the Wild has withdrawn its request for dormancy within the NAHL and owner Bill Stewart has said the team will play in that league next season. . . . The Wild is expected to continue its attempt to get into the BCHL, now aiming for the 2013-14 season. . . . The Wenatchee World reports: “The Wild has been pursuing a move to the BCHL for travel reasons. In the NAHL, its closest opponents are 920 miles away (Fresno, Calif., and Dawson Creek, B.C.), while all 16 BCHL teams are within 635 miles of Wenatchee.”
———
The QMJHL has suspended Benoit Groulx, the head coach of the Gatineau Olympiques, for two games after he threw a few sticks and a garbage can during a game on Wednesday. . . . Groulx will miss his club’s last two regular-season games, both of them in Rouyn-Noranda against the Huskies.
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Winnipeg’s hockey community is mourning the death of Dave (The Wrecker) Hrechkosy. He died early this month from brain cancer. Doug Lunney of the Winnipeg Sun takes a look back right here.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Raiders, 4-1. . . . With the victory, the Warriors tied franchise records for victories (44) and points (96) set in 2005-06. The Warriors can break both those records tonight when the Raiders visit Moose Jaw. . . . F Brayden Point scored his first WHL goal for Moose Jaw. Point, the 14th overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was playing in his fourth game. . . . Moose Jaw F Cam Braes scored his 40th goal. . . . F James Henry was among the Warriors’ scratches. Head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Henry was “attending to some personal issues.” Henry isn’t expected to play tonight either. . . . The Warriors have won three in a row. . . . The Warriors will be the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed but won’t know until tonight who will provide the first-round opposition. . . .

In Regina, F Michael Ferland scored twice to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Ferland has 47 goals, eight of which have been against the Pats. . . . He scored at 8:07 of the first and 8:28 of the second, the latter via the PP. . . . F Tanner Olstad scored for Regina, at 15:19 of the third. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two assists. . . . Brandon is 5-2-0 against Regina this season. . . . The teams play again tonight in Brandon. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher (concussion) took the pregame skate and then was scratched. . . . With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair moving into their home arena, the Wheat Kings will play first-round playoff games at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. . . . The Wheat Kings are eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Regina and Kootenay. . .

In Swift Current, F Josh Nicholls had two goals and an assist to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 5-3 victory over the Broncos. . . . Nicholls has 30 goals. . . . F Taylor Vause and F Brad Hoban, both 20 years of age, scored in their final home games with the Broncos. Vause has 37 goals; Hoban has 20. Vause also had two assists. . . . F Matej Stransky had his 38th goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . It was Scratch City before this one. . . . The Broncos, who were playing their final home game, also scratched six players, although three of those were due to numbers. . . . The Blades were without six players, including D Tommy Stipancik, who has been plagued by concussion-related problems and now has mononucleosis, and backup goaltender Adam Todd, who is injured. D Dalton Thrower also remains out, along with D Matt Pufahl and F Michael Burns. Todd was hit in the head by a puck during practice on Thursday and is expected to sit for at least 10 days with a concussion. The Blades had G Patrick Johnson, an 18-year-old from Saskatoon, on the bench. He played in the SJHL with the Kindersley Klippers and Melfort Mustangs this season. . . . You’re wondering about G Alex Moodie, who played so well for the Blades in January. His midget AAA Winnipeg Wild opened the best-of-five Manitoba league final last night with a 4-1 victory over the Southwest Cougars in the Manitoba capital. Game 2 is Sunday in Souris, Man. . . . The Blades won their 40th game and are one point ahead of Regina and Kootenay. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Tigers, 4-2. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson broke a 1-1 tie at 14:47 of the first period. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots. . . . The Tigers welcomed back D Spenser Jensen, who hadn’t played since Feb. 18 due to an injury. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem got his WHL-leading 61st goal at 19:56 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings have won 10 in a row. . . . The Oil Kings can clinch first place in the overall standings with a victory in Red Deer tonight. . . . The Tigers were 0-8 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-2. . . .

In Red Deer, F Adam Kambeitz broke a 2-2 tie at 13:12 of the third period as the Rebels beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . Kambeitz has 18 goals. . . . The Rebels dressed 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot stopped 34 shots. . . . Medicine Hat is tied for third with Calgary but the Hitmen have one more victory. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Calgary Hitmen erased a 4-0 first-period deficit and beat the Kootenay Ice 6-5 in OT. . . . D Spencer Humphries won it with a PP goal just 59 seconds into OT. . . . The Ice took a 5-3 lead into the last minute of the third period. . . . Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick got his 34th goal at 19:03 and F Greg Chase tied it with his sixth goal at 19:18. . . . Bubnick had two goals. . . . Calgary got three assists from each of F Alex Gogolev and F Brooks Macek. . . . F Joey Leach had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Ice. . . . Calgary was 3-7 on the PP; the Ice was 1-3. . . . The Ice now is tied with Regina for sixth in the Eastern Conference. . . . Calgary is tied with Medicine Hat for third. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored six third-period goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 10-4. . . . The loss ended any chance the Cougars had of making the playoffs. . . . F Colin Smith scored three times for Kamloops. It was his first hat trick this season and the third of his career. He has 35 goals. . . . F Brandon Herrod had a goal and three assists for Kamloops, while linemates Jordan DePape had two goals and an assist, and Brendan Ranford added a goal and two helpers. . . . The Blazers were 3-5 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-3. . . . Cougars F Campbell Elynuik took a cross-checking major and game misconduct late in the third period and will be suspended for tonight’s rematch in Prince George. . . . The Blazers will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference but don’t yet know who they will play. . . .

In Spokane, F Burke Gallimore’s 100th career goal, at 15:51 of the third period, gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . With Gallimore driving to the net, a Colin Jacobs centring pass went off one of his skates and over Spokane G Eric Williams. Video review determined there wasn’t a kicking motion involved and the goal stood. . . . F Dylan Walchuk gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead at 13:08 of the second period. . . . Seattle F Colin Jacobs tied it with 31 seconds left in the period. . . . F Marek Kalus scored his 20th goal for Spokane. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 36 shots. . . . The loss means the Chiefs will finish fifth in the Western Conference and meet the No. 4 Vancouver Giants in the first round. . . . The Thunderbirds, with two games remaining, are tied with Everett for eighth but can still finish seventh. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans clinched the Westerm Conference and U.S. Division pennants with a 4-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . D Zach Yuen broke a 1-1 tie with his 12th goal at 15:35 of the third period. . . . F Adam Hughesman iced it with two late goals, giving him 50 on the season. . . . That gives the Americans two 50-goal men for the first time since 1994-95 (Daymond Langkow and Terry Ryan). . . . Hughesman also had an assist and now has 350 career points. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists as he ran his point streak to 22 games, matching the franchise record set by Colton Yellow Horn in 2007-08. . . . Shinnimin leads the WHL with 133 points, 14 more than Brandon F Mark Stone. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland drew one assist, running his assist streak to 19 games. . . . The Americans won their 50th game, the first CHL team to get there this season. It is the second time in franchise history the Americans have won 50; they also did it in 2007-08. . . . The Americans are one point behind Edmonton, which leads the overall standings. . . . Everett is tied for eighth with Seattle and the teams meet tonight in Kent, Wash. A Seattle victory clinches a playoff spot and eliminates Everett. . . . An Everett victory would mean Seattle would have to win in Portland on Sunday to force a sudden-death playoff game. If it comes to that, Everett would play Seattle in Kent on Tuesday. . . . If Seattle wins both its remaining game, it finishes seventh, with Victoria eighth. . . .

In Victoria, G Keith Hamilton stopped 37 shots to lead the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Royals had beaten the visiting Winterhawks 4-3 on Wednesday. . . . After the game, Portland D Derrick Pouliot tweeted: “Sick of Victoria.” . . . F Mike Forsyth broke a 1-1 tie at 5:40 of the third period. He has three goals this season. . . . F Jamie Crooks added insurance with his 37th at 7:28. . . . F Dakota Conroy had a goal, his 11th, and an assist for Victoria. . . . F Dominic Turgeon, the son of former NHLer Pierre Turgeon, made his WHL debut with the Winterhawks. . . . The Royals clinched a playoff spot. They will finish seventh or eighth in the Western Conference. . . . The Winterhawks will be the third seed in the Western Conference and will open at home to the No. 6 Kelowna Rockets on Friday. . . . Portland and Kelowna met in the second round last season, with the Winterhawks winning in six games. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jordan Martinook scored his third goal of the game, and 40th of the season, at 1:05 of OT to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Martinook, who also had an assist, at tied the game at 15:13 of the third on a PP. . . . F Marek Tvrdon had three assists for Vancouver. . . . Kelowna took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Brett Bulmer had a goal, his 34th, and two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Giants clinched home-ice advantage in their first-round series with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets, the sixth seed in the Western Conference, will be in Portland to open a first-round series on Friday.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon.
F Curtis Valk, Medicine Hat.
D Tanner Muth, Kootenay
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Justin Hickman, Seattle.
D Drydn Dowd, Tri-City.
———




IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Kootenay (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Regina (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Saskatoon (5)
———
Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett/Seattle (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
———
TODAY’S GAMES:
Regina at Brandon
Kootenay at Calgary
Lethbridge at Medicine Hat
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw
Edmonton at Red Deer
Swift Current at Saskatoon
Vancouver at Kelowna
Kamloops at Prince George
Everett at Seattle
Spokane at Tri-City
———
SUNDAY’S GAME
Seattle at Portland
(End of regular season)

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Canadian university hockey is perhaps the country’s greatest sporting secret, and there was a classic game at Rutherford Arena in Saskatoon on Sunday evening.
It was Game 3 in the best-of-three Canada West final between the U of Calgary Dinosaurs and the Saskatchewan Huskies.
The Huskies finally won it, 2-1, when D Brett Ward scored at 6:33 of the third OT period before 999 fans. Ward is a former WHLer, who played with Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Chilliwack (2004-09).
The stars of this game, however, were goaltenders Dustin Butler of Calgary and Ryan Holfeld of Saskatchewan, both of whom also played in the WHL.
The Huskies will represent Canada West at the CIS national tournament in Fredericton, N.B., March 22-25.
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The Tri-City Americans have added three young forwards to their roster. . . . Parker Bowles, who turned 17 on Jan. 25, spent the season with the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who play out of Kelowna.  Bowles played one game with the Americans earlier this season. . . . Justin Gutierrez, a 16-year-old from Anchorage, was added from the Los Angeles Selects under-16 midget team. Gutierrez, who has one WHL game under his belt, is the younger brother of former WHL F Moises Gutierrez. . . . Beau McCue, who turned 17 on Jan. 3, is from Missoula, Montana. He played for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, a U-16 team.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, you should be following @WHLFacts)
In Calgary, F Brady Brassart scored twice to help the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Brassart has 25 goals this season. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored his third goal of the season — his first on home ice. Virtanen, the first overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was playing in his seventh game. His PP goal gave Calgary a 2-0 lead at 12:11 of the first period. . . . F Adam Kambeitz had a goal, his 16th, and an assist for Red Deer, as did F Jon Persson, who has 23 goals. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 13 shots in picking up his 20th victory of the season. Chris Driedger, Calgary’s other goaltender, has 22 victories. . . . It is the first time in franchise history that the Hitmen have had two goaltenders with 20 victories in the same season. . . . The Rebels were playing their third game in three nights with an injury-decimated lineup. On top of all the other injuries, they lost F Chad Robinson (knee) on Friday and he missed the last two weekend games. . . . The Hitmen now can finish no lower than fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are two points behind the third-place Medicine Hat Tigers with each team having three games remaining. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jordan Martinook scored at 2:50 of OT to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Martinook scored twice, giving him 37 this season. His first goal, at 5:03 of the third, gave Vancouver a 4-3 lead. . . . Victoria D Hayden Rintoul forced OT when he scored his 17th goal with 22.2 seconds left in the third. . . . Vancouver F Marek Tvrdon, who scored twice in a 3-2 victory in Kamloops on Saturday, added two more goals. He’s got 29. . . . Martinook and Tvrdon also had an assist apiece. . . . F Brandon Magee scored twice for Victoria, giving him 23. . . . The Giants now are fourth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs, who hold two games in hand. . . . With the loser point, the eighth-place Royals are three points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Victoria also is one point behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . 

In Kent, Wash., F Connor Honey’s goal with 4.6 seconds left in OT gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Honey has seven goals. . . . F Josh Winquist of Everett had tied the score 2-2 with his 19th goal at 5:01 of the second. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 30 shots, 16 fewer than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Seattle has four games remaining and is three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Everett has three games remaining, all on the road, and is seventh, a point ahead of Victoria and four in front of Seattle. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . The Forsberg brothers, Jesse and Alex, gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead with goals at 11:59 and 14:28 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman scored at 0:34 and 7:16 of the second — he’s got 46 — to pull his guys even. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the WHL’s leading scorer, broke the tie at 19:11 of the third and added an empty-netter at 19:29. . . . Shinnimin has 57 goals. He also is riding a 20-game point streak, the longest in the WHL this season. He had a 21-game streak last season. . . . Shinnimin also had two assists, and now has 129 points and a 13-point lead atop the scoring derby. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland had one assist, running his assist streak to 17 games. . . . The game featured a clash of goaltenders who were swapped for each other prior to the season. Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots in winning his 30th game. He came on in relief of Eric Comrie with the Ams trailing 3-1. . . . This is the sixth straight season in which a Tri-City goaltender has won at least 30 games. . . . Drew Owsley of the Cougars stopped 25 shots. . . . The Americans are back on top of the Western Conference, by one point over the idle Portland Winterhawks, and in a tie for first place overall with the idle Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Cougars are 10th in the Western Conference. Each of the three teams they are chasing earned at least one point last night. The Cougars now are five points out of a eighth place with three games remaining.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Zane Jones, Victoria.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Saskatoon (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Regina (6)
Calgary (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
———
Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Victoria (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Everett (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
———
MONDAY’S GAMES
None.
———
TUESDAY’S GAMES
Red Deer at Medicine Hat
Prince Albert at Saskatoon
Spokane at Seattle
Prince George at Tri-City

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Jess Brown, who covers the Spokane Chiefs for the Spokane
Spokesman-Review, re-tweeted this photo late Friday night.
Yes, that is rock star Rod Stewart, the father of Chiefs
F Liam Stewart, who was at Friday's game, which was part
of the team's annual family weekend.

THE COACHING GAME:
Joe Marsh, the head coach at St. Lawrence University, announced his retirement on Friday. Marsh, the head coach there for 26 years, didn’t coach this season as he had taken medical leave. Mike Hurlbut was the interim head coach this season. . . . Greg Carvel has been named the head coach to take over from Marsh. Carvel worked as an assistant coach this season.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re a WHL fan and on Twitter, you should be following @WHLFacts)
In Prince Albert, F Anthony Bardaro scored four times to lead the Raiders to a 5-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Bardaro, who has 35 goals, broke a 1-1 tie at 1:00 of the second, then later scored the game’s last three goals, the final one into an empty net. . . . Bardaro’s second goal broke a 2-2 tie at 7:50 of the third. . . . Prince Albert D Josh Morrissey had three assists. A 16-year-old from Calgary, Morrissey has 37 points in 63 games, and he’s plus-3 on a team that has surrendered 72 more goals than it has scored. . . . Prince Albert F Justin Maylan also had three assists. . . . F Ryon Moser had a goal, his 14th, and an assist for the Broncos, while F Graham Black had two assists. . . . D Brycen Martin, the second overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Broncos. . . . Neither team will be in the playoffs. . . .

In Brandon, F Matej Stransky had four points to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 6-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Stransky had a goal, his 36th, and three assists. . . . Stransky has 71 points in 66 games, after picking up 26 in 71 as a rookie last season. . . . F Ryan Olsen added two goals, giving him 13, and an assist for the Blades. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia gave Brandon a 1-0 lead, with his 23rd goal, on a PP at 8:10 of the first. . . . The Blades responded with three straight goals. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two assists but left in the third period favouring a hand. . . . The Blades clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . The Blades are on an extended road trip because the Tim Hortons Brier (aka the Canadian men’s curling championship) is in their home arena. The Blades are 2-2-1 on this swing. . . . Brandon scratched F Kevin Sundher (concussion), F Tyrel Seaman (concussion), F Daniel Asham (knee), D Dylan Kuczek (shoulder), D Rene Hunter (upper body) and G Brandon Anderson (personal). The Wheat Kings went with 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . The Blades scratched D Dalton Thrower (shoulder), while welcoming back D Connor Cox (back). Cox, who had two assists, hadn’t played since Feb. 18. . . . Thrower may not play again before the playoffs start. . . . Brandon F Darian Dziurzynski, who was acquired from the Blades earlier in the season, played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . Saskatoon and Regina, each having four games remaining, are tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind Kootenay, which also has four games remaining. . . . Brandon is eighth, 10 points ahead of Red Deer, which has five games left. Red Deer’s only hope to make the playoffs is to force a sudden-death tiebreaking game with Brandon. For that to happen, Brandon would have to lost each of its last four games in regulation time, while the Rebels went 5-0-0. . . .

In Regina, the Pats scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-4. . . . F Matt Marantz, who sat out the last three games, pulled Regina into a 4-4 tie with his 13th goal, at 7:13 of the third, on a PP. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk broke the tie with his 17th goal, at 15:42. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal continued his stellar season, with a goal and two assists. He has 114 points, including 39 goals. . . . The Warriors got three goals from F Kenton Miller, giving him 34, while F James Henry had a goal, his 16th, and two helpers. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 39 shots, 22 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . Regina holds a 4-2-1 edge in the season series with Moose Jaw. They’ll finish it off tonight in Moose Jaw. . . . The Pats clinched their first playoff spot since 2008. . . . The Warriors, who have clinched the East Division title, will open playoffs as the No. 2 seed, meaning they will play the seventh-place finisher. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Emerson Etem scored twice to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice took  a 1-0 lead on F Joe Antilla’s 14th goal at 14:26 of the first period. . . . That lead held up well into the third period, when Etem scored at 15:14 and 17:32, the latter on the PP. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk got his 46th into an empty net at 19:21. . . . D James Bettauer had two assists for the Tigers. He has 44 points in 55 games with the Tigers, who acquired him early in the season from Prince Albert. All told, he’s got 53 points in 70 games. . . . Etem has a WHL-leading 58 goals as he strives to be the league’s first 60-goal game since Layne Ulmer of the Swift Current Broncos (2000-01). . . . Tigers G Tyler Bunz stopped 26 shots. . . . The Tigers had F Cole Grbavac, their captain, back for the first time since Feb. 22. . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Ice is fifth, four points behind Calgary and just a point ahead of Saskatoon and Regina. . . . Bob Ridley, the longtime radio voice of the Tigers, called his 2,999th regular-season game. He gets to 3,000 tonight in Lethbridge. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Trevor Cheek scored twice to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 6-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . He has 22 goals. . . . Calgary D Collin Bowman broke a 3-3 tie with his 14th goal at 11:25 of the third and Cheek added insurance 1:22 later. . . . The Hurricanes erased 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. . . . F Clayton Chase and F Danny Gayle each had two assists for Calgary, which got 39 saves from G Chris Driedger. . . . The Hitmen, 8-2-0 in their last 10, stayed two points behind third-place Medicine Hat. . . .

In Red Deer, the Edmonton Oil Kings wrapped up their first Eastern Conference title with a 5-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Edmonton F T.J. Foster scored two PP goals 30 seconds apart late in the first period to erase a 1-0 deficit. . . . Foster has 28 goals. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar added his 17th at 18:57 of the first, giving the Oil Kings three goals in 2:04. . . . The Rebels got to within 3-2 when F Mason Burr scored his third goal at 14:01 of the second. . . . The Oil Kings put it away with two empty-net goals, including F Travis Ewanyk’s first of the season. He was playing in his seventh game of the season after coming back from shoulder surgery. . . . The Oil Kings are tied for first place overall with Tri-City. . . .

In Vancouver, F Brendan Ranford had five points and F Brandon Herrod scored three times as the Kamloops Blazers dropped the Giants, 6-3. . . . Ranford, who has 39 goals, had two goals and three helpers in the second five-point game of his season and career. . . . Herrod, who has 27 goals, enjoyed his third career hat trick. . . . F Jordan DePape, the third player on that line, had three assists. . . . The Blazers were 3-10 on the PP. At one point in the third period, the power plays were 10-1. . . . Vancouver finished with 56 of 88 penalty minutes. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 23 shots. . . . Vancouver starter Adam Morrison stopped seven of 11 shots and left at 1:03 of the second with his side down 4-1. Jackson Whistle came on to finish up, stopping 13 of 15. . . . Morrison has gotten the hook from three straight Friday night games. . . . The Giants have lost five in a row at home. . . . The Blazers were without F Chase Schaber (leg) and he won't play in the rematch tonight in Kamoops. . . . Kamloops, which has clinched the B.C. Division, is two points behind Tri-City and one behind Portland in the race for first place in the Western Conference. . . . The Giants remain tied with Spokane for fourth in the Western Conference. They will meet in the first round but have yet to decide home-ice advantage. The Chiefs hae five games remaining; the Giants have four to play. . . .

In Spokane, G Ty Rimmer stopped 35 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 4-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, who leads the WHL with 125 points, had a goal, his 55th, and three assists. He now has 200 career assists. . . . Shinnimin also ran his point streak to 19 games, tying Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem for the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland had one assist, giving him a WHL-leading 80. He is the first WHLer player with 80 assists in a season since Portland’s Todd Robinson got there in 1996-97. . . . Holland also has at least one assist in 16 straight games, the longest such streak in the CHL this season. He hs 30 helpers in those 16 games. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman scored the game’s first two goals, giving him 43 on the season. Both those goals came via the PP. . . . The Americans were 2-2 on the PP. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser, who has 37 goals, scored shorthanded in the second period. It stood up as his third straight game-winner. . . . It is family weekend in Spokane and rock star Rod Stewart, the father of Chiefs F Liam Stewart, was in attendance. . . . The Americans lead the Western Conference and U.S. Division by one point over Portland. . . . The Chiefs have lost three in a row. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row, tied a franchise single-season record with their 23rd road victory. . . . The Americans have four games remaining, all at home. . . .

In Kelowna, G Keith Hamilton returned to his hometown to stop 26 shots and lead the Victoria Royals to a 3-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . The Royals acquired Hamilton in a trade from Portland prior to this season. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks broke a 1-1 tie with his 35th goal at 6:22 of the third period. . . . D Brett Cote added insurance with his first WHL goal just 35 seconds later. . . . Cote, a 17-year-old freshman from Oakbank, Man., was playing in his 61st game. . . . Kelowna D Myles Bell opened the scoring with his 14th goal, six of which have come in six games against Victoria. . . . Rockets F Colton Sissons, who is their captain, has been out since Feb. 11 with a concussion. However, he is back on skates and hopes to return for the playoffs. . . . The Royals moved into seventh in the Western Conference, a point ahead of Everett. . . . The Silvertips are three points ahead of Seattle and five up on the idle Prince George Cougars. . . .

In Everett, D Troy Rutkowski scored with 1:31 left in the third period to give the Portland Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth preserved the victory when he stopped F Josh Winquist on a penalty shot with 4.7 seconds left in the third period. . . . F Ty Rattie had a goal, his 54th, and an assist for Portland. . . . D Josh Caron scored his first goal of the season for Everett. It was his third goal in 166 career games. . . . The Winterhawks were without F Sven Baertschi, who made his NHL debut with the Flames, who beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 in Calgary. Baertschi is expected to play for the Flames on Sunday afternoon when they play the host Minnesota Wild. . . . Last night, Baertschi played 9:08 over 16 shifts. He had seven shifts in the first period, four in the second and five in the third. . . . Everett slipped into eighth in the Western Conference. . . . Portland stayed within a point of Tri-City, which leads the Western Conference and the U.S. Division.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Hayden Rintoul, Victoria.
F Shane McColgan, Kelowna.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Zach McPhee, Everett.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES
Regina at Moose Jaw
Prince Albert at Swift Current
Saskatoon at Brandon
Red Deer at Edmonton
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge
Vancouver at Kamloops
Victoria at Everett
Prince George at Kelowna
Portland at Seattle
Kootenay at Spokane
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In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Spruce Kings 8-5 in Prince George, running their record winning streak to 42 games. The BCHL regular season concludes this weekend. The Vees will wrap it up tonight with another game in Prince George.

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