Giants sign veteran trainer ... Brandon d-man tears Achilles ... T-Birds sign first pick

The Vancouver Giants have hired Mike Burnstein, a former NHL trainer, to fill the athletic trainer’s role in their organization. . . . Burnstein worked for the Vancouver Canucks for 20 years, a span covering almost 1,600 games, from 1995-2015. He was fired by the Canucks two years ago. He also has worked for Hockey Canada (four World Hockey Championships, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2015 Spengler Cup). Last fall, he was the athletic trainer for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey. . . . With the Giants, Burnstein replaces Nick Murray, who spent six seasons there. He now is the head athletic therapist at Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C.

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There doesn’t seem much doubt but that F Klim Kostin is one of the most dynamic players available in next weekend’s NHL draft. The 6-foot-0, 207-pound Kostin played last season with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, although his season was shortened by shoulder surgery in January. . . . A year ago, the WHL’s Kootenay Ice selected him with the first pick in the CHL’s import draft. Obviously, he never reported to the Ice, which has finished with the WHL’s poorest record each of the past two seasons. . . . This season, because he will be drafted out of Russia, he will be eligible to play in the NHL, the AHL or the CHL, or he could choose to return to Russia. However, he told Joe Yerdon of NHL.com that he is not interested in playing for the Ice. . . . Through an interpreter, he told Yerdon: “I’d like to play for] a team that has some older players that are very strong players, those that can teach me a little bit more and I can benefit from their wisdom and skill.” . . . That story is right here.

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D James Shearer of the Brandon Wheat Kings has torn his right Achilles tendon and will be out until at least some time in October. Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reports that Shearer, who is entering his 20-year-old season, was injured on May 31 during an off-season workout. “I heard a pop, kind of like a chip bag being popped open and I couldn’t really put any pressure on it," Shearer told Bergson. "I immediately grabbed the back of my Achilles and was half standing and half crouching. As soon as I heard it, people had told me what it sounded like, so I knew what had happened and knew my fate at that point.” . . . Shearer has since had surgery and now has his right foot in a walking boot and is using crutches. . . . He is one of four 20s on Brandon’s roster, along with G Logan Thompson, D Kade Jensen and F Neyer Nell. . . . Bergson’s complete story is right here.

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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed F Payton Mount, who was the 19th overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. From Victoria, he had 30 goals and 37 assists in 30 games with the Delta Hockey Academy’s bantam prep team last season. . . . The WHL’s 22 teams now have signed all but six of the first-round picks from the 2017 bantam draft.

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The Kamloops Blazers have signed G Dylan Garand, who was a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. The Blazers didn’t have a second-round pick, so Garand was their second selection, following F Josh Pillar, who signed on Monday. . . . Garand, from Victoria, is expected to play in 2017-18 with the Delta Hockey Academy midget prep team. Last season, he was 13-0-0, 1.15, .959 with Delta’s bantam prep Green team.

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F Tyler Sandhu, who captained the Tri-City Americans last season, will attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds in 2017-18. Sandhu, from Richmond, B.C., played out his junior eligibility last season. . . . In 318 career WHL games, he had 90 goals and 138 assists. He also played with the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels. Last season, with the Americans, he had single-season highs of 23 goals and 60 assists in 72 games.

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The OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, who are preparing for their 50th anniversary season, have hired James Boyd as their new general manager and André Tourigny as vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. . . . Boyd spent last season as the GM of the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, who reached the league’s championship series. He was with the Steelheads for six seasons, the first five as GM and head coach. . . . Tourigny was the head coach of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads last season and leaves despite having four years left on his contract. He wanted to be closer to family in Ottawa. Prior to that, he was GM/head coach of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies from 2002-13. He also worked as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators in 2015-16 after spending two seasons in the same role with the Colorado Avalanche. . . . Boyd and Tourigny take over from Jeff Brown, who resigned as GM/head coach on April 25.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his 30 Thoughts piece over the weekend and, as usual, it is highly readable. Well down into the column, Friedman writes about John Spoltore, who was a smallish forward who really new his way around the offensive end of the ice.

Spoltore really made a name for himself with the ECHL’s Louisiana IceGators, where he became a real fan favourite. But he did get a moment in the AHL’s sun when he helped the Providence Bruins win an AHL title in 1999. The Bruins’ head coach was Peter Laviolette, now the head coach of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.

Spoltore was diagnosed with brain cancer in March 2010 and died shortly afterwards.

Former WHLer Louis Dumont played with Spoltore on the IceGators and later was the team’s general manager.

Dumont told Taking Note that “the owner of the IceGators for the last six seasons bought the team because of his friendship with John and his love of the IceGators. The company name of the IceGators was JS Hockey Ventures DBA Louisiana IceGators. The JS being the initials of Spoltore.  Spotty's hockey IQ, vision and ability to execute was high NHL quality.”

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It's a great day, Joey's a champ! In his 1st year as a pro our former captain, @Hicksy_2, & @griffinshockey have captured the #CalderCup! pic.twitter.com/nzoySfIipU

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) June 14, 2017

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Broncos stun Pats in opener; Papirny, Lindgren in spotlight . . . Winterhawks sign top prospect

Some notes on a marathon game that was played in Finland last Friday . . .
It was playoff game in the Mestis semifinals, which is one level below Liiga, the top league. In Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, TuTo Turku and K-Vantaa played the longest game in Finnish hockey history at any level.

TuTo tied it 3-3 with the goalie pulled and 25 seconds left in the third period, but Vantaa won it on a PPG at 17:54 of the fifth OT period. The game started at 6:30 p.m. — that is the standard weeknight start time in Finland — and ended at 12:47 a.m., so it started in March and ended in April. It put Vantaa up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

The tough thing about all of this is that Game 3 was scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m., in Turku, slightly more than 14 hours after Game 2 had ended. Luckily, Vantaa and Turku are only two hours apart by car or bus. Vantaa won Game 3, but TuTo came back to won Games 4 and 5. Game 6 is Friday in Vantaa.

Now for some numbers from Game 2 . . .

Four defencemen for K-Vantaa played more than 60 minutes, with Paavo Ylipaino leading the way at 63:52 in 76 shifts. One of their d-men, Juho Rautanen, was injured in the first period and didn’t return. He played only 2:26 on four shifts in the first period. 

For TuTo, D Kristian Tuohilampi led the way with 68:12 in 82 shifts. He scored to tie the game at three and had 10 shots on goal. No one else played more than 60 minutes for TuTo.

The shots on goal were 65-62 for TuTo. Each team had one player with 20 or more shots on goal. RW Julius Rantaeskola for K-Vantaa had 24 shots on goal (57 shifts, 43:02), while RW Kalle Moisio (57, 36:10) had 20 for TuTo . Rantaeskola had two goals and an assist, all in regulation and all on the power play. In fact, all four of K-Vantaa goals were power-play goals. Moisio was held pointless.

Another note of interest: K-Vantaa had two video reviews go against it and wash out goals, one at 8:50 of the third period and the other at 15:15 of the first overtime. You can't tell from the summary what the ruling was on the ice so you don't know if video confirmed or overruled.

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Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post was chatting with John Paddock, the Regina Pats’ general manager and head coach, about the decrease in scoring in hockey. . . . Paddock pointed to two things — video and goaltending equipment. Along the way, Paddock said: “Shrinking the goalies’ equipment overall is probably the best you can do. (Pats goaltending coach and Regina Police Service constable) Rob Muntain can walk in here with a flak jacket on that can stop a bullet, but we have to have goalies with (pads) six inches above their shoulders. I think that (reducing the size of goalie equipment) is still the direction to go, myself.” . . . Vanstone’s entertaining read is right here.

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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Clay Hanus of Minnetonka, Minn., to a WHL contract. Hanus, who turned 16 on March 25, is a list player. He was limited by injury to seven games this season as a freshman at Minnetonka High School. Last summer, he took part in a USA Selects U-15 camp that was held for the top 2001-born players in the U.S. . . . He attended the Winterhawks’ camp prior to his season. . . . “We believe Clay is one of the best defencemen in his age group in the United States,” Mike Johnston, Portland’s vice-president, general manager and head coach, said in a news release. . . . Interestingly, Hanus had committed to the U of Minnesota on Sept. 29, announcing it via his Twitter account. On Thursday, Chris Dilks of SB Nation wrote that “Hanus is regared as one of the top 2001-born defencemen in the nation. . . . He’s a smooth skater with a strong shot from the point.“ . . . His father, Tim, spent four seasons (1988-92) at St. Cloud State where he played for the Huskies.

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In the latter part of this WHL season, with the Brandon Wheat Kings having had an encounter with the mumps virus, freshman D Garrett Sambrook left the lineup with an illness. The Wheat Kings indicated at the time that he wasn’t out with the mumps. This week, Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, wrote about Sambrook, a native of Medora, Man., who turned 17 on Jan. 30. . . . It turns out that Sambrook had a seizure early on Feb. 25 as the Wheat Kings were riding the bus to Medicine Hat after a game in Lethbridge. . . . “I woke up laying on the floor and everybody was pretty concerned,” Sambrook told Bergson.“I wasn’t real sure what was going on.” . . . Sambrook was taken to hospital in Medicine Hat, then returned to the family’s home where he had another seizure. . . . Needless to say, he underwent a battery of tests, before finally being diagnosed with epilepsy. He now is on medication to control it. . . . This week, he was medically cleared to play hockey again. . . . “(The doctors) said most
likely I’ll be good to go for the season,” Sambrook said. . . . This season, in 55 games, he had a goal and six assists.

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The OHL’s Guelph Storm dismissed head coach Jarrod Skalde on Thursday. Skalde, who had a year left on his contract, had been head coach since Dec. 19, 2015. The Storm missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons, finishing last in the Western Conference each time. The Storm also will soon with without a general manager as Mike Kelly said in February that he will be leaving when his contract is up on May 31.

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The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings announced a coaching change on Thursday, after Chad van Diemen stepped down after two seasons as head coach citing family reasons. . . . The Spruce Kings immediately promoted associate coach Adam Maglio to head coach. . . . In van Diemen’s first season, the Spruce Kings went 14-38-4-2, improving to 25-27-4-2 this season. They lost a first-round playoff series in seven games to the highly favoured Wenatchee Wild. . . . Maglio, a native of Nelson, B.C., has been with the Spruce Kings for two seasons.

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The ECHL’s Allen Americans have signed Steve Martinson, their general manager of hockey operations and head coach, to a contract that runs through the 2020-21 season. . . . All Martinson has done in his five seasons in Allen is win four league titles. If fact, in 20 years of coaching, his teams have won 10 titles. . . . Under Martinson, the Americans won the Central league championship in 2012-13 and 2013-14. The Americans then moved to the ECHL and promptly won back-to-back championships. . . . The Americans will open this season’s playoffs on Wednesday. Their opponent has yet to be determined.

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THURSDAY’S GAME:

We win!!!!!  Do you believe? Our game star!!!! pic.twitter.com/lXLKCkjcRa

— Liam Choo-Foo (@lchoo65) April 7, 2017

At Regina, G Jordan Papirny stopped 53 shots, including 18 in the first period, to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 2-1 OT victory over the Pats. . . . F Ryley Lindgren won it at 15:12 of the first OT period.

JORDAN PAPIRNY

He’s got six goals in these playoffs. . . . F Austin Wagner (4) had given the Pats a 1-0 lead at 17:36 of the first period. . . . Regina held a 19-2 edge in first-period shots. The Broncos had two PPs that period and failed to get a shot on goal. . . . Swift Current tied the game when F Lane Pederson (3) scored at 19:21 of the third period with Papirny on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . In OT, Broncos D Sahvan Khaira entered the Regina zone on the right side, then slipped the puck to F Aleksi Heponiemi, who fed Lindgren on the left side. Lindgren, who drew the lone assist on Pederson’s goal, snapped a shot past Regina G Tyler Brown, who finished with 34 saves. . . . Lindgren went into the playoffs with two goals and two assists in 12 career post-season games. This spring, he has 10 points in eight games. . . . Papirny is 5-3, 1.84, .953 in these playoffs. He backstopped the Brandon Wheat Kings to the WHL final two seasons ago and helped them win the Ed Chynoweth Cup last season. . . . Regina was 0-1 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-6. . . . Going back to the regular season, the Pats had won their previous 12 games. The Pats also had won seven of the eight regular-season games they played against the Broncos this season. . . . The Broncos have played five road games in these playoffs, and won four of them. . . . Sportsnet will televise Game 2 of the series tonight (Friday) from Regina and also will show Game 3 from Swift Current on Monday. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.

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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m. (Game 1)

Portland at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Game 1)

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (Swift Current leads, 1-0)

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (Game 1)

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Wheat Kings move playoff games to Dauphin . . . Is it time pollsters noticed Warriors?

Dauphin's Credit Union Place (Photo: tourismdauphin.ca)

The Brandon Wheat Kings are relocating to Dauphin, Man., for a few playoff games.

The Wheat Kings haven’t yet qualified for the playoffs, but they hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot and appear headed to a first-round clash with the Medicine Hat Tigers, who are closing in on the Central Division title.

With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair taking over the Keystone Centre from March 27 through April 1, the Wheat Kings announced Thursday that they will play at least two first-round home playoff games at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place, which contains 1,763 seats and has room for 752 standees. The facility, which is home to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, opened in April 2006.
Dauphin is located 165 km north of Brandon.

The dates have yet to be confirmed but that likely will involve Games 3 and 4 on March 28 and 29. Game 6, if necessary, would be played in Dauphin on April 2.

“Other potential options,” writes Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, “included the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, the Portage Credit Union Centre in Portage la Prairie and Tundra Oil and Gas Place in Virden.
“Winnipeg used to be the go-to Plan B, but the MTS Centre has two (Winnipeg) Jets games, two (Manitoba) Moose games and a concert by the Lumineers that week, and the Portage Terriers and Virden Oil Capitals could still be active in the MJHL playoffs.”

In Dauphin, the Kings have four games left in their regular season and remain five points out of a playoff spot.

According to Bergson, “WHL officials did a walk-through in Credit Union Place in the past to clear it. The biggest hurdle is that Brandon has to remove its expensive video replay system from Westman Place and set it up in the Dauphin arena.”

From a Wheat Kings news release: “The announcement was made . . . as  the Wheat Kings rolled out plans for both the playoffs and their 2017-18 season-ticket prices. In addition to holding the line on season-ticket prices next (season), fans who purchase their 2017 playoff packages as well as renew their season tickets by the Monday, March 20 deadline will receive a $5 discount off regular playoff box-office admission prices for all games played in Brandon.”

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The Moose Jaw Warriors have been doing a terrific job of flying under the radar this season.

They are ensconced quite comfortably in second place in the East Division and appear headed to a first-round playoff meeting with the Swift Current Broncos.

The Warriors have won their past four games, including a 4-0 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday night. The Pats (43-9-7) have the WHL’s best record; the Warriors (36-17-8) trail them by 13 points. The Warriors, however, have proven they can play with Regina.

The Warriors are 6-3-1 in their past 10 outings, and they’ve been without top-end forwards Brayden Burke and Noah Gregor.

But, gee, it’s about that lack of respect.

It was on Nov. 1 when John Paddock, Regina’s GM and head coach, said of the Warriors: 

“I think they’re able to play off the fact that (we’re) all anybody talks about within an hour radius (of Regina). They don’t talk about Moose Jaw. Whoever does the dumb CHL poll has never hardly had them in the top 10.”

That was the case again this week, as Regina fell from first to second, behind the OHL’s Erie Otters, and there was no sign of the Warriors, not even as an honourable mention.

Last week, before losing to the Warriors, Paddock told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:

“They’ve got a really good goalie (Zach Sawchenko). It was sort of shocking that he wasn’t drafted last year.

“With the deals that (GM Al Millar) has made, they’ve got a deep group of forwards. There’s nobody leading the league in scoring, but they have Brett Howden and Brayden Burke, and Jayden Halbgewachs is having a big-time season. They’ve been missing forwards (due to injury), but they’ve probably got the deepest set of forwards in the Eastern Conference.”

It’s hard to argue with that, although, yes, Regina’s group of forwards is pretty good, too.

Here’s hoping that fans get treated to a Regina-Moose Jaw playoff series at some point.

With two games left in the season series, the Warriors hold a 3-2-1 edge, while the Pats are 3-3-0. They will finish the series by going home-and-home on March 10 and 11, starting in Regina and finishing in Moose Jaw.

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Here’s a note from Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:
“Pats head coach/GM John Paddock is a total pro. Too many hockey coaches — not to mention football coaches — are paranoiacs. Paddock, by contrast, gets it. He doesn’t play any games or robotically dispense eye-glazing cliches. Instead, he tells it like it is and treats the media (a conduit to the fans) with respect.”

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Hurricanes get d-man from Pats . . . Patrick back with teammates . . . Tigers lose Quenneville

Thanks to Russia for letting us win something before they officially assume control of our country. #WJC2017

— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) January 4, 2017

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WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 10.

Players: 18.

Bantam draft picks: 10.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 1.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired D Brady Pouteau, 18, from the Regina Pats for a seventh-

BRADY POUTEAU

round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pouteau, from Oak Bluff, Man., was a fourth-round selection by Regina in the 2013 bantam draft. This season, he had two assists in 18 games with the Pats. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals and five assists in 43 games.

Before joining the Pats, Pouteau played two seasons with the midget AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, helping them to the 2014-15 league championship.

Pouteau, who turns 19 on Jan. 9, was in the lineup on Wednesday night when the Hurricanes met the host Moose Jaw Warriors. He brings more size to a Lethbridge back end that already included the likes of Brennan Riddle (6-foot-2), Ethan King (6-foot-6) and Igor Merezhko (6-foot-5).

The Hurricanes now have eight defencemen on their roster.

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The Vancouver Giants set off alarm bells Wednesday afternoon when they issued a news release stating

TYLER BENSON

that F Tyler Benson wouldn’t play in a game that night against the host Edmonton Oil Kings.

Benson, the first overall pick in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, was limited to 30 games last season by surgery to remove a cyst near his tailbone and then an inflamed pubic bone. This season, however, looked to be different as he put up 42 points, including 31 assists, in 33 games with a team that is struggling in the basement of the B.C. Division.

Benson, who is from Edmonton, was a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL draft and he signed an NHL contract late last month.

From the Giants’ news release quoted general manager Glen Hanlon: “In consultation with the Edmonton Oilers, we’ve decided that it would be best for Tyler to miss (Wednesday’s) game due to a minor injury. Tyler has been assessed by both our staff and the Oilers’ medical team, and we’ll take his status day-by-day. Tyler is very disappointed that he won’t be able to play in his home town and help our team continue its winning road trip.”

According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, Benson didn’t get on the ice in overtime on Monday when the Giants beat the Hitmen 5-4 in a shootout in Calgary. However, Benson did take part in the shootout. He didn’t score, but he did have a goal and an assist in regulation time.

After playing in Edmonton, the Giants’ next game is scheduled for Friday in Langley, B.C., against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.

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DAVID QUENNEVILLE

The Medicine Hat Tigers are likely to be without D David Quenneville for up to six weeks after he suffered a broken tibia during a 6-2 loss to the visiting Regina Pats on Tuesday night.

Quenneville was injured while blocking a shot in the first period. He tried to keep playing, but was forced to leave the game.

Quenneville, an 18-year-old from Edmonton, is having a career season, with 20 goals and 28 assists in 38 games. He is one of three Tigers with at least 20 goals and also is their third-leading scorer. Quenneville also leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points.

As a freshman, in 2014-15, Quenneville finished with six goals and 14 assists in 66 games. Last season, he had 14 goals and 41 assists in 64 games.

The Tigers next are scheduled to play on Saturday night when they are at home to the Vancouver Giants.

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Can we finally put this ridiculous rumour to rest? Is this definitive enough? #BWK #bdnmb #whl pic.twitter.com/l7T9KNzc2i

— Perry Bergson (@PerryBergson) January 4, 2017

F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has played only six games this season, none since Oct. 11, has told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun that he will play in January.

NOLAN PATRICK

Patrick, 18, is back skating with the Wheat Kings. He skated by himself on Monday and then took the morning skate on Tuesday before the Wheat Kings played the visiting Saskatoon Blades that evening. Patrick, wearing a no-contact jersey, practised with his teammates on Wednesday.

“I’m getting close to returning so it’s exciting,” Patrick told Bergson, who wrote: “He said he will play in January for sure, although the date of his
return is pending.”

Patrick has said that he was injured during last spring’s Eastern Conference final against the Red Deer Rebels. He had surgery to repair a sports hernia in July and missed most of training camp. While neither Patrick nor the Wheat Kings has explained the reason, or reasons, behind his absence, speculation has involved his recovery from that surgery.

Despite having missed 33 games, Patrick remains the consensus No. 1 selection for the NHL’s 2017 draft. That is built on a 2015-16 season in which he put up 102 regular-season points and added 30 more in 21 playoff games. He was named the WHL’s playoff MVP as he led the Wheat Kings to the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

For now, Patrick will work on getting back into game shape.
“It’s really nice to be back here and out there skating,” Patrick told Branden Crowe, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings. “I felt pretty good (Wednesday), but I still have a ways to go to get my cardio back up and get into shape.”

According to Crowe, Patrick has travelled “all over Canada since October, seeing different doctors (and) specialists and trying out a variety of physiotherapy and chiropractic options.”

Still, Patrick told Crowe, “I still have a little bit of healing to do.”

Patrick continued: “These last couple of days have been the best I’ve felt in five months so it’s feeling good and I’m just trying to get my timing back and get myself back into shape.”

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The Victoria Royals will be without D Chaz Reddekopp for two games against the host Prince George Cougars this week. Reddekopp has been suspended for two games under supplemental discipline for something that happened during the Royals’ 6-1 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops on Saturday night. . . . Reddekopp had an assist in that game to run his point streak to 11 games, tied with D Kevin Davis of the Everett Silvertips for the longest active streak at the moment. . . . The Royals are scheduled to play in Prince George on Friday and Saturday nights. Victoria goes into the two games in fourth place in the B.C. Division, four points behind second-place Kamloops and two behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Cougars are in first place, six points ahead of Kamloops.

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It certainly seems that the medical community is on the verge of a blood test that will determine whether someone has suffered a concussion. As Alan Maki of The Globe and Mail reports: “After two years of blood profiling, researchers associated with Western University have been fine-tuning a test that can determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The test comes with a 90-per-cent accuracy rate, a previously unheard count in the medical community working to unlock the mysteries of the brain.” . . . Maki’s complete story is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

With two defenceman — Tyler Jette and Brendan O’Reilly — on the injured list, the Tri-City Americans have recalled four defencemen. Mitchell Brown, 15, joins the Americans from the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.; Landon Fuller, 17, has been with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks; Colten Gerlib, 17, plays for the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles; and, Samuel Stewart plays for the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. . . . Brown was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Fuller was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Americans, who lost 5-2 to the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, open an East Division swing on Friday against the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . 

The Everett Silvertips have returned D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to the Vancouver Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He is pointless in two games with Everett. Fairbrother was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . 

The Kamloops Blazers have returned F Brodi Stuart, 16, to the Fraser Valley Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Stuart, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, was pointless in two games with the Blazers. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders have returned D Rhett Rhinehart to the Yale Hockey Academy prep team that plays in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. Rhinehart, who turned 15 on Nov. 27, was a first-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. He was pointless in two games with the Raiders. . . . 

The Prince George Cougars have returned F Tyler Ho, 16, to the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . .

The Seattle Thunderbirds have dropped F Ian Briscoe, 17, from their roster. He will be joining the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. Briscoe, a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, had two goals in 17 games with Seattle.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, F Brendan Semchuk broke a 2-2 tie at 16:27 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants

BRENDAN SEMCHUK

got past the Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . F Ty Ronning had given Vancouver a 1-0 lead with his 15th goal, at 16:52 of the first period. . . . F Adam Berg, playing his first game since Dec. 5, pulled Edmonton even with his third goal, at 11:55 of the second period. . . . The Giants went in front again, at 2:25 of the third period, as F James Malm scored No. 11 on a PP. . . . The Oil Kings tied it at 3:13 with F Trey Fix-Wolansky getting his 10th goal. . . . Semchuk, a sophomore from Kamloops, won it with his sixth goal. A first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, injuries limited Semchuk to 28 games last season when he finished with one goal and one assist. This season, he’s got 14 points in 37 games. . . . D Matt Barberis had two assists for the Giants, while Ronning had one. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic was sharp, making 40 stops. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea, making his 100th regular-season appearance, turned aside 25 shots. . . . Vancouver was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-0. . . . The Giants (16-20-3) are 2-0-0 on an Alberta trek that continues Friday against the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Oil Kings slipped to 18-18-4. . . . F Graham Millar and F Brett Kemp, acquired earlier in the day for D Aaron Irving, weren’t in Edmonton’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 7,355.

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At Kelowna, F Riley Woods scored at 3:19 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the

RILEY WOODS

Rockets. . . . Woods, who has seven goals, was making his Spokane debut after being part of a trade with the Regina Pats for F Wyatt Sloboshan. F Rykr Cole, who also went to Spokane in that exchange, made his Chiefs debut, too. . . . The visitors scored the game’s first two goals, with F Kailer Yamamoto getting his 23rd, on a PP, at 10:36 of the second period, and D Tyson Helgesen (6), Spokane’s captain, counting just 35 seconds later. . . . F Rod Southam, Kelowna’s captain, got his guys to within one when he scored his ninth at 18:01. . . . D Riley Stadel (5) pulled Kelowna into a 2-2 tie at 16:17 of the third period. . . . D Ty Smith had two assists for Spokane. . . . D Lucas Johansen had two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Chiefs got 33 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . At the other end, Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots. . . . Spokane was 1-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . The Chiefs (16-16-6) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (23-14-3) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,821.

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Sorry @MJWARRIORS have to cheer for @WHLHurricanes tonite! #no.4 #hometowndebut #proudparents pic.twitter.com/sDPeD1mRV0

— Donna Jones (@DonnaJ1517) January 5, 2017

At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s top gun, scored three times and G Zach Sawchenko

ZACH SAWCHENKO

blocked 41 shots as the Warriors dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . Sawchenko, who stopped 23 shots in the third period, improved his record to 16-4-5 with the victory. . . . Halbgewachs scored 15 goals in 69 games last season; this season, he’s got 34 goals in 39 games. He also has 27 assists, one more than he recorded last season. . . . This was his first career hat trick; he also has nine two-goal games this season. . . . The Warriors took a 2-0 lead on goals by F Luka Burzan (10), at 6:05 of the first period, and Halbgewachs, at 11:51 of the second. . . . D Brennan Riddle’s second goal got Lethbridge to within one at 16:15. . . . Halbgewachs put it away with goals 4:49 and 18:43 of the third period, the latter into an empty net. . . . F Brayden Burke and F Brett Howden each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . The Hurricanes got 20 stops from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-5. . . . The Hurricanes had D Nolan Jones, 15, in their lineup as they played in his hometown. Jones, a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, plays for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. He was pointless in two earlier games with the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes scratched three defencemen — Calen Addison, Ty Prefontaine and Ethan King — but had Brady Pouteau in the lineup. He was acquired earlier in the day from the Regina Pats. . . . The Warriors (23-9-7) have points in five straight (2-0-2). . . . The Hurricanes (20-15-5) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 2,979.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Ingram shuts out Wheaties . . . McKenzie sparks Winterhawks . . . Brooks' streak at 19

Every season, a number of WHL teams have players visit what is known as the DTES — the Downtown East Side — of B.C.’s Lower Mainland to see another side of life. This is a piece of our world that you really can’t imagine unless you have actually seen it. Really, there are no words. . . . The latest team to have players experience the area was the Brandon Wheat Kings. “I think it kind of changed my life,” Wheat Kings D James Shearer told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun. Bergson’s complete story, which really is worth a read, is right here.

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The USHL’s December Power Rankings — they are compiled by usahockeymagazine.com — are out and they’re interesting because the Sioux City Musketeers are No. 1, up from No. 3. That’s what an 11-game winning streak and a rise to the top of the league’s standings will do for you. The Musketeers are 13-1-1 at home. . . . Jay Varady is the Musketeers’ head coach. Varady, 39, spent eight seasons (2003-11) with the Everett Silvertips as assistant coach and later associate coach. . . . Mark LeRose is the Musketeers’ general manager and head scout. He spent three seasons (2007-09, 2013-14) as an assistant coach in Everett. . . . There’s more on the USHL rankings right here.

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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Incredible fun fact: @PGCougars 50/50 has had total pots of $194,979 so far just this season! Winners walking out with $97,489! Awesome!!

— Andy Beesley (@Andy_Beesley) December 4, 2016

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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Kamloops, G Connor Ingram stopped 29 shots to lead the Blazers to a 4-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . This was Ingram’s last home appearance before he leaves next weekend for the

CONNOR INGRAM

Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Ingram has two shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . The Blazers don’t play at home again until Dec. 28. They leave later this week to play six games in eight days in the Central Division. . . . The Wheat Kings were playing their third game in less than 48 hours. They lost 2-1 in OT to the Vancouver Giants on Friday night, then dropped a 3-1 decision to the Rockets in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . F Matt Revel (10) opened the scoring at 10:36 of the first period. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers, the Latvian freshman, scored his 18th goal 50 seconds into the second period. . . . Kamloops closed it out with two third-period goals, from F Deven Sideroff (16) at 8:24 and F Scott Mahovlich, on a PP, at 19:24. . . . That was Mahovlich’s first WHL goal. . . . Balcers and Sideroff each added one assist. . . . F Garrett Pilon, who centres those two, left for the dressing room with 58.2 seconds remaining in the third period. He was unable to put much weight on his right leg after taking a low hit from Brandon F Ty Lewis, who was penalized for tripping. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 34 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-5 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke was back after not playing on Saturday. . . . F Nolan Patrick and F Tanner Kaspick were among Brandon’s scratches. Kaspick suffered an undisclosed injury in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . Brandon F Baron Thompson took a headshot major and game misconduct in that game and was hit with a TBD suspension. . . . The Blazers (17-12-1) have won three in a row and are 12-4-1 at home. They open their road trip against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-11-4) are 1-2-1 in the B.C. Division. They finish up in Prince George on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,250.

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2 guys in the 4th row threw an extra puck on the ice 3 times in the final minute. Tigers couldn't put any of them in, Hawks win 5-3.

— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) December 5, 2016

At Portland, F Skyler McKenzie scored once and added two assists, helping the Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first three goals, taking a 3-

SKYLER McKENZIE

0 lead before it was 14 minutes old. . . . McKenzie got his 17th goal at 5:41. F Keegan Iverson followed with his 12th — McKenzie got an assist — at 11:11. F Evan Weinger added his 11th, on a PP, at 13:24. . . . D David Quenneville, who already has 14 goals, got the Tigers on the board at 13:32. . . . Medicine Hat F Mason Shaw’s sixth goal, at 18:32 of the first, got his guys to within a goal. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes (12) upped the lead to 4-2 at 10:11 of the second period, with Medicine Hat’s John Dahlstrom (15) cutting into that lead, on a PP, at 15:43. . . . F Cody Glass (15) of the Winterhawks iced it at 12:05 of the third period. . . . McKenzie, a third-year player from Sherwood Park, Alta., has 17 goals and 19 assists in 30 games. He went into this season with 12 goals and 29 assists in 138 regular-season games. . . . The Winterhawks got 43 stops from G Cole Kehler, while Nick Schneider turned aside 40 at the other end. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . The Winterhawks improved to 16-13-1. . . . The Tigers (21-8-1) have lost three in a row, all in the U.S. Division. They remain second in the overall standings, one point behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, played three seasons (1986-89) for the Winterhawks. He was the captain for the last two of those seasons. A centre, he had 79- and 92-point seasons. . . . Announced attendance: 3,112.

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19 - At 19 games, Adam Brooks (@adambrooks77) has the longest point streak for a @WHLPats player since Blake Evans' 22 gamer in 2001

— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) December 5, 2016

At Swift Current, F Dawson Leedahl snapped a 3-3 tie 10 seconds after it was created and the Regina Pats went on to beat the Broncos, 6-3. . . . This was the first of eight meetings between these teams this

DAWSON LEEDAHL

season. . . . D Colby Sissons (3) have the home side a 1-0 lead 54 seconds into the second period. . . . The Pats scored the next three goals, seemingly taking control in the process. . . . D Sergey Zborovskiy, who had seven points on Saturday night, scored his sixth goal at 12:43. . . . F Adam Brooks gave Regina a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal, at 1:16 of the third and F Austin Wagner (14) made it 3-1 just 29 seconds later. . . . Swift Current tied it on goals 23 seconds apart by F Kaden Elder (6), at 6:51, and D Max Lajoie (5), at 7:14. . . . However, Leedahl, who has 10 goals, struck at 7:24 and 10:07 as the Pats took a 5-3 lead. . . . F Luc Smith added more insurance with his fifth goal, on a PP, at 15:47. . . . Zborovskiy also had an assist, meaning he had a nine-point weekend. . . . Wagner added an assist to his goal, while D Connor Hobbs had two assists for Regina. . . . Brooks finished with a goal and two assists, as he ran his point streak to 19 games. He has at least a point in each game he has played this season. He also leads the WHL with 45 points. . . . G Tyler Brown turned aside 24 shots for Regina, while Swift Current’s Travis Child stopped 31. . . . Regina was 1-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-2. . . . The Pats (19-2-4) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. They have closed to within two points of the idle Everett Silvertips (20-3-4), who lead the overall standings. . . . The Broncos (15-9-6) had won their previous two games. They now are six points behind the East Division-leading Pats, who have five games in hand. . . . The Broncos had F Riley Stotts back for the first time since Oct. 21. He suffered a skate cut to a foot when a teammate stopped on him in the dressing room at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. Stotts, 16, was the 10th overall selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . F Sam Steel was back in the Pats’ lineup after missing three games with a shoulder injury incurred during their B.C. Division tour. He picked up one assist and now has 42 points in 20 games. . . . However, the Pats were without D Chase Harrison and F Lane Zablocki, both of whom were injured in Saturday’s 12-2 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. Harrison is in concussion protocol. . . . Announced attendance: 2,021.

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Lethbridge at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.

Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.

Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.

Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).

Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.

Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.

Friday, Dec. 9: Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 9: Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 9: Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Paper questions Tigers' attendance figures . . . Rebels, Chiefs swap goalies . . . Cougars dynamite on road

The Canalta Centre, the second-year home of the Medicine Hat Tigers, lost $440,000 — that’s $80,000 more than expected — in its first year of operation, reports Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News. . . . There are a couple of interesting notes in his story. . . . For starters, Jeff Dunham, a comedian and ventriloquist, drew the centre’s only sellout during its first year when a crowd of 6,124 showed up on March 18. . . . Gallant also reported that while figures compiled by the WHL indicate that the Tigers’ average attendance for 36 regular-season home games was 4,247, “a study by the News suggests that number was closer to 3,100 — about half the capacity of the one-year-old $75-million arena and one-quarter less than the number of seats in the Medicine Hat Arena.” . . . According to a report presented to a city committee, the total attendance including major events during the facility’s first 12 months of operation was 165,400. According to the report, 16 non-hockey events drew about 51,300 folks. Do the math and it shows that 114,100 fans attended Tigers’ games, an average of 3,083 per game. The WHL’s figures have the Tigers’ regular-season attendance total at 152,912. . . . Gallant’s complete story is right here.

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The WHL is working towards digitizing statistics from the first 30 years of its existence. At the moment, you can only find on-line information from games played after 1996.

“There has been so much change in technology and just managing the new
website and the social media platforms,” Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun. “There are
reasons why we haven’t got to it, but we will get to it. We have to get
it completed and get it completed soon.”
Bergson dug up some numbers showing that when the QMJHL did it in 2005 “it took 24 people more than 12,000 hours over three years to
snap pictures of 10,000 scoresheets and then input the data.”

According to Bergson, one of the challenges faces by the WHL “is locating all of the scoresheets, which are scattered across Western Canada and the northwestern U.S. after 50 years.”

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The Red Deer Rebels and Spokane Chiefs were involved in an exchange of goaltenders on Wednesday. The Rebels acquired Tyson Verhelst, 19, and a third-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft for G Dawson Weatherill, 17, and a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft. . . . Verhelst played two seasons with Spokane but the Chiefs revealed prior to training camp that he had chosen to quit hockey. As a result, the Chiefs acquired G Jayden Sittler, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . It came out last week that Verhelst, who is from Kemnay, Man., was on the Chiefs’ suspended list and that they were trying to trade him. . . . In 81 games with the Chiefs, he was 34-33-5, 3.31, .889. Last season, he was 23-22-5, 3.16, .892. . . . Verhelst was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Earlier, the Rebels dealt G Rylan Toth, 20, to the Seattle Thunderbirds, indicating at that point that were prepared to go with Trevor Martin, 20, and Riley Lamb, 18, as their goaltenders. . . . The Rebels play this weekend in Moose Jaw, Brandon and Regina. Verhelst will skate in Red Deer over the weekend and then practise with his new teammates next week before seeing game action. . . . Weatherill, from Red Deer, was a second-round selection in 2014. He was 1-1-0, 3.69, .881 in five appearances with the Rebels last season, but hadn’t seen any action this season. . . . In Spokane, he will join Sittler, who also is from Red Deer, and Matt Berlin, an 18-year-old from Edmonton.

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Among the WHL players returned by NHL teams on Wednesday:

Everett Silvertips — F Eetu Tuulola, Calgary Flames.

Kamloops Blazers — G Connor Ingram, Tampa Bay Lightning; F Deven Sideroff, Anaheim Ducks.

Kelowna Rockets — F Dillon Dube, Calgary Flames; F Calvin Thurkauf, Columbus Blue Jackets.

Moose Jaw Warriors — F Brett Howden, Tampa Bay Lightning.

Prince Albert Raiders — G Rylan Parenteau, Vancouver Canucks.

Prince George Cougars — D Sam Ruopp, Columbus Blue Jackets.

Red Deer Rebels — D Josh Mahura, Anaheim Ducks; F Adam Musil, St. Louis Blues.

Saskatoon Blades — D Libor Hajek, Tampa Bay Lightning.

Swift Current Broncos — Max Lajoie, Ottawa Senators; F Lane Pederson, Arizona Coyotes.

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With G Rylan Parenteau, who is to turn 20 on Nov. 16, on his way back from the camp of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, the Prince Albert Raiders’ roster now includes four 20-year-old players. Parenteau joins F Austin Glover, F Tim Vanstone and F Kolten Olynek. That number will swell to five if F Reid Gardiner is returned by the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . Parenteau is one of three goaltenders on the roster, joining sophomore Ian Scott, 17, and newcomer Curtis Meger, 18.

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The Prince George Cougars learned Wednesday that D Sam Ruopp, 20, is on his way back from the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. His arrival will leave Prince George with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Colby McAuley, D Shaun Dosanjh and G Ty Edmonds. . . . Edmonds also is one of three goaltenders on the roster, along with Nick McBride, 19, and Tavin Grant, 18.

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The Calgary Hitmen, meanwhile, placed D Scott Allan on waivers earlier in the week. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder from Denver cleared and now will rejoin the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Allan has played in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds and Medicine Hat Tigers. In 93 games, he has a goal and three assists. . . . The Hitmen are left with three 20s — F Tyler Mrkonjic, F Taylor Sanheim and D Micheal Zipp.

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The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have returned G Connor Ingram, 19, to the Kamloops Blazers. He will join his teammates in Victoria where the Blazers will play the Royals in a Friday-Saturday doubleheader. . . . Ingram was 34-15-9, 2.61, .922 with the Blazers last season and now is in the running to be on the roster of Canada’s national junior team. . . . The Blazers have been going with Dylan Ferguson, who backed up Ingram last season, and Carter Phair, who was acquiredfrom the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sept. 6. Ferguson has been nursing a tender ankle left over from the first period of a 5-1 loss to the host Kelowna Rockets on Saturday.

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JUST NOTES:

F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds will be out for at least six weeks. Aaron Portzline, who covers the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch, tweeted Wednesday that Kolesar has had “surgery for a supraumbilical hernia. . . . That is a hernia in the area of the navel. . . . Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Aportzline that the hernia didn’t have anything to do with hockey, that it developed on its own. . . . Last season, Kolesar, a 19-year-old Winnipegger, had 30 goals and 31 assists in 64 games with Seattle last season. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he also brings size to the Thunderbirds’ forward ranks. . . .

G Brandon Kegler, 19, is back with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The native of Leduc, Alta., was released earlier by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Kegler was 3.09, .910 in 22 games with Salmon Arm last season. . . . To make room for Kegler, the Silverbacks dealt G Mike Botiz to the Surrey Eagles for future considerations. . . . 

F Andrew Shaw of the Montreal Canadiens will be on the phone with the NHL’s department of safety today (Thursday) after he drilled D Connor Hobbs of the Washington Capitals into the end boards from behind in a Tuesday exhibition game. Hobbs, who is likely to be returned to the Regina Pats at some point this week, was left face down on the ice. However, he apparently wasn’t injured and returned to the game. . . . 

The Portland Winterhawks are without a director of player personnel with the news that Eric Doyle has left for a scouting position with the NHL’s New York Rangers. Doyle had been Portland’s director of player personnel since 2014. He is a former WHL defenceman, having played five seasons with the Everett Silvertips, Swift Current Broncos and Portland. He moved to Portland as a 20-year-old in 2009-10. . . . 

An interesting note from Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, from the Silvertips’ Tuesday practice: “Everett practised a new drill for the first time. It involved kicking pucks toward the net (from outside the crease). A new WHL rule states that any goal that deflects off a skate from outside the (crease) is a goal — regardless of whether or not there was a ‘kicking motion.’ No surprise that Kevin Constantine’s squad is looking to use any rule change to its advantage.” . . . 

F Owen Hardy of the Vancouver Giants suffered an undisclosed injury during Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the visiting Prince George Cougars and apparently won’t play in weekend games. Hardy, 17, was a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He had five goals and four assists in 45 games last season. This season, he is pointless in three games.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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WEDNESDAY'S GAME:

Cougars HC Richard Matvichuk very familiar with #Kelowna. Owned summer home here for 12 years and was part of Big White Fire Department.

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) September 29, 2016

At Kelowna, G Ty Edmonds stopped 32 shots to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . The Cougars have opened the season with four straight victories, all on the road. . . . The two head coaches — Richard Matvichuk of the Cougars and Jason Smith of the Rockets — are in their first WHL seasons after combining to play in 1,804 regular-season and 191 playoff games in the NHL. . . . F Jared Bethune gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal of the season just 56 seconds into the game. . . . Kelowna F Tomas Soustal tied it at 13:53 of the second period, while shorthanded. . . . F Yan Khomenko’s first goal broke the tie at 18:14 of the second period. Bethune picked up the lone assist. . . . G Michael Herringer turned aside 24 shots for the Rockets (1-2-0). . . . The Cougars were 0-5 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-3. . . . The teams now head north for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 4,341.

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THURSDAY'S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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