Raiders do it again

F Brayden Cuthbert, who hasn’t played in the WHL since having his 2010-11 season ended by a brain injury, was dealt by the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives to the Dauphin Kings on Saturday. . . . Cuthbert, 19, was traded for F Michael Sofillas, 20, D Colton Magwood, 20, and a fifth-round selection in the MJHL’s 2014 bantam draft. . . . Cuthbert, who is from Brandon, put up 43 points, including 16 goals, in 63 games with the Natives. . . . Sofillas has played 119 WHL games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, including 52 last season.
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SUDBURY SATURDAY NIGHT:
In Swift Current, F Jay Merkley’s second goal of the game, at 10:56 of the third, broke a 3-3 tie as the Broncos got past the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . Merkley, who also had an assist, has 12 goals this season. . . . F Graham Black, who didn’t play Friday night, had two assists for the Broncos. . . . F Conner Bleackley had pulled Red Deer even at 3-3 just 31 seconds before Merkley’s score. . . . 

In Brandon, the Prince Albert Raiders scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Wheat Kings 5-4 in OT. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl had two goals, giving him 15, and two assists. . . . He set up F Chance Braid’s tying goal with 11.1 seconds left in the third period and also had the primary assist on D Sawyer Lange’s winner just 18 seconds into extra time. . . . Draisaitl now has 100 regular-season points in 92 games. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first two goals, then surrendered four in a row. . . . One night earlier, the Raiders erased a 5-0 lead in Regina and beat the Pats 7-6 in OT. Draisaitl, who has 42 points in 28 games, had two goals and an assist in that one. . . . Draisaitl has 11 points, five of them goals, in his last three games. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy finished minus-5, while partner Ryan Pulock was minus-4. . . . With G Curtis Honey injured, Brandon G Jordan Papirny made his 13th straight start. . . . This was the first appearance in Brandon for former Wheat Kings head coach Cory Clouston, who now is the Raiders’ head coach. He was fired in Brandon after th 2011-12 season. . . .

In Regina, F Boston Leier had two goals and three assists to spark the Pats to a 6-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Leier has 29 points, including 17 goals, in 23 games since being acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Regina F Braden Christoffer added two goals — he went into the game with two in 21 games — and a pair of assists. . . . The Warriors had F Jayden Halbgewachs, 16, in the lineup. Earlier in the day, he had a goal and three assists in leading his Regina Pat Canadians to a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Tisdale Trojans in a Saskatchewan Midget AAA League game. . . . Among the Warriors scratches were F Josh Uhrich and D Tanner Eberle. Uhrich served a one-game WHL suspension, while Eberle sat out the first of a two-game sentence. . . . Regina again was without F Morgan Klimchuk, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Thursday’s Subway Super Series game in Lethbridge. . . . The Warriors took 83 of 161 penalty minutes. . . . G Nick Schneider, 16, made his second career start for the Pats and stopped 13 shots in earning his first victory. . . . The Warriors went with G Zach Sawchenko, who is to turn 16 on Dec. 30. He stopped 29 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Curtis Lazar had a goal, his 17th, and two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dropped the Ice, 5-1. . . . The Oil Kings, who have won 11 of their last 14 games, built a 4-0 lead before F Sam Reinhart scored shorthanded for the Ice at 12:20 of the third. . . . He’s got 16 goals. . . . Reinhart, who went into the game having taken one minor penalty this season, was hit with a misconduct at 19:27 of the first period. . . . If you’re wondering why I rarely refer to a player’s accumulated penalty minutes here it’s because the WHL refuses to include misconducts and game misconducts. For example, Reinhart’s total shows him with two penalty minutes this season. That is wrong. He has 12. . . . Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart picked up one assist, giving him 100 points in 181 career games. . . . The Ice had D Tanner Faith back after he sat out 21 games with a shoulder injury. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the host Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 2-2 tie with four second-period goals and went on to beat the Victoria Royals, 6-3. . . . It was Shea Theodore bobblehead night and the veteran defenceman responded with a goal, his 12th, and an assist. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock added his ninth goal and two assists, while F Roberts Lipsbergs had two goals, giving him 17, and an assist. . . . Victoria had won its previous five games. . . .

In Prince George, F Tim Traber broke a 3-3 tie at 14:05 of the second period as the Vancouver Giants beat the Cougars, 5-3. . . . Traber, 20, has six goals in 26 games with the Giants after totalling 11 in 215 games over four seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) and Victoria Royals. . . . The Giants are 5-0-4 in their last nine games. . . . F Cain Franson had a goal, his eighth, and two assists for Vancouver. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds made his second start in two nights after Brett Zarowny was injured in Friday’s pregame warmup. G Matt Kustra, 16, was brought in from Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., and backed up Edmonds. . . . Edmonds made 49 saves last night. . . .

In Everett, D Matt Pufahl, who played 83 games with Saskatoon over the previous two seasons, scored twice and added an assist as the Silvertips bounced the Blades, 5-1. . . . Everett scored all five of its goals on the PP, in seven opportunities. . . . The Blades are 0-2-0 on their U.S. Division tour. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist had three assists as he ran his point streak to 17 games. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin had a goal, his seventh, and two helpers. . . . Pufahl has 11 goals. . . .

In Kelowna, F Justin Kirkland scored the only goal of the skills competition (aka the shootout) to give the Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Blazers captain Matt Needham forced OT with a PP goal at 4:14 of the third. He’s got five goals. . . . Kamloops now has lost 10 in a row. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 35 shots through OT and three more in the shootout. . . . Kamloops scratched F Aspen Sterzer with an undisclosed injury. He was injured in Friday’s 3-2 loss to the visiting Rockets. . . . F Carson Bolduc, acquired earlier in the week from the Prince George Cougars, was in the Blazers’ lineup. He missed Friday’s game due to illness. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Connor Rankin and F Phil Tot scored in the six-round shootout as the Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs, 2-1. . . . F Riley Whittingham got Spokane’s goal, at 7:41 of the first period. . . . F Jessey Astles pulled the Americans even, on the PP, at 19:19 of the first. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 26 shots through OT, while Eric Williams of the Chiefs turned aside 23. . . . Astles has five goals this season. He went into the season with seven in 179 career games split between the Kelowna Rockets and Saskatoon Blades. . . . F Mitch Holmberg was the only Spokane shooter to find success in the shootout.
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From Prince Albert Raiders D Josh Morrissey (@Morrissey_10): “4 nights, 4 games, 4 different cities, 3 provinces and what a way to end it off with another comeback OT win! #ComebackKids #bigweekend”
Morrissey played for Team WHL in the Subway Super Series on Wednesday and Thursday nights, then rejoined the Raiders for games on Friday and Saturday.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Dominik Pacovsky (Kootenay, 2008-10) signed for the rest of the season with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). It's a two-way deal with him scheduled to join Lev today. This season with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had five points, including three goals, in 13 games. Last season with Sparta, he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 37 games. . . .
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) signed a tryout contract with Aalborg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). The tryout runs until Nov. 1. He was released earlier by Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after picking up three points, one of them a goal, in 10 games. . . .
F Erik Christensen (Kamloops, Brandon, 1999-2004) signed for the rest of this season with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL) after being released by Lev Prague on Thursday. He is to arrive in Jönköping on Thursday. With Lev this season, he had a goal and an assist in 12 games.
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) has signed a tryout deal with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He played last season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), getting eight points, including two goals, in 21 games, and AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien), putting up five points, three of them goals, in 23 games. . . .
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) has been released by the Slough Jets (England, Premier). He had three assists in 10 games. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asian HL). He had seven points, including two goals, in 10 games. . . . Lukacevic has since signed with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.
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1. The Kootenay Ice was looking for a defenceman who could play in its top four; the Kamloops Blazers were looking for draft picks.
So general managers Jeff Chynoweth (Ice) and Craig Bonner (Blazers) got together and swapped four players and three bantam draft picks on Tuesday.
The Ice got F Tim Bozon and D Landon Cross, both 19, with the Blazers landing D Matt Thomas, 18, F Collin Shirley, 17, and the three picks -- first- and fifth-round selections in 2015 and a third-rounder in 2014.
While Bozon, a third-round pick by the Montreal Canadians in the 2012 NHL draft who has signed with the Habs, is the biggest name in the deal, the swap's genesis came on the weekend when Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth inquired about the availability of Cross.
Chynoweth told me via text yesterday afternoon that he made the first call, inquiring "about Cross."
"It just grew from there," Chynoweth said. "We thought why not ask about Bozon, thinking he would look very good playing with (Sam) Reinhart and (Jaedon) Descheneau."
As well, Chynoweth said, "Cross gives us much needed depth on our back end."
Bozon is coming off 71- and 91-point seasons and has seven points in 13 games this season. He is an interesting study because he was born in St. Louis, while his father, Philippe, was playing with the Blues, calls Switzerland home and plays internationally for France.
Bozon had great chemistry for most of the last two seasons with forwards Colin Smith and JC Lipon, both of whom have signed NHL deals and are in the AHL. The Blazers don't have anyone who has been able to fit that well with Bozon, who has played like it. With the Ice, Bozon will get a chance to revive his role as a triggerman, this time alongside Reinhart and Descheneau.
Cross, from Brandon, was a third-round pick by Kamloops in the 2009 bantam draft. In his third full WHL season, he has 24 points in 134 regular-season games. He has turned into a solid stay-at-home defender who should enjoy playing for Ice head coach Ryan McGill.
Shirley, from Saskatoon, had 23 points, including nine goals, in 60 games last season. This season, he has three points, two of them goals, in 11 games. He was the 17th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft.
Thomas, who was listed by the Ice prior to last season, is from Calgary. He had two assists in 66 games last season and has one in 11 outings this season.
Here's a paragraph from the Blazers' news release, which sums up their reason for making this trade: "In acquiring a first-round pick in 2015 and a third-round pick in 2014, the Blazers recoup draft picks that were traded to acquire defenceman Joel Edmundson last season and (forward) Tyson Ness this season."
The Ice is off to a 6-5-2 start, and has scored 37 goals. Reinhart and Descheneau have accounted for 16 of those, and have combined for 42 points. Yes, Chynoweth and McGill will be eager to get a look at Bozon alongside those two.
The Blazers are 4-9-0 and in a definite rebuilding/reloading mode, although they will continue to pursue a Western Conference playoff spot.
The Ice next plays Friday against the visiting Portland Winterhawks, while the Blazers are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Saturday.
The Ice is scheduled to visit Kamloops on Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, the Ice has dropped D Clint Filbrandt, 18, from its roster. He is expected to end up with a junior A team. Filbrandt was acquired from the Tri-City Americans on May 14 for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Some Twittering on the Kamloops-Kootenay swap:
From Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): "I'm surprised Blazers are declaring themselves as sellers so early though. I didn't think they'd drop as much from last year as they have."
From Trevor Crawley (@tcrawls) of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman: "#FunFact: Tim Bozon is the 4th @WHLKootenayICE player whose father played in the NHL (Elynuik, Reinhart & Dirk).)
From Dan Russell (@DanRussellST): "Taking page out of brother Scott's book? Last yr D Musil signified rebuild mode in Oct for Van -Craig's T Bozon deal today says same in Kam?"
From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: "I won't bet against Chynoweth. I mean really, have the @WHLKootenayICE ever sucked? No! Plus the little engine that could has 3 WHL titles."
From Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: "Spoke with Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth about the trade. Said talks started with Landon Cross and expanded from there."

2. How did Hamilton Burger keep his job for so long?

3. When the Kamloops Blazers played the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday night, it marked a return for Mark Ferner. Fired as the Silvertips' head coach last season, he now is the Blazers' associate coach. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald checks in with Ferner right here.

4. As I stroll the streets of downtown Vancouver, I notice that most pedestrians have only one free hand, the other carrying either a phone or a cup of coffee. (Of course, some of the more highly skilled pedastrians fill both hands.) Hilary Stout of The New York Times has more right here on our love affair with coffee. This is interesting stuff.

5. Over at the Monday Morning Quarterback website, they are spending a lot of this week with the focus on concussions in football. You should check it out right here because it's important stuff.

6. Steve Miller, an assistant coach with the Denver University Pioneers for more than 19 seasons, is flying like an eagle (sorry!) to a USHL expansion franchise that will begin play in Madison, Wis., next season. He will be the general manager and head coach in Madison. Miller starts his new job on Jan. 1.

7. If you enjoy good hockey photos, check out this spot right here. You may even be interested in purchasing a photo or two. Yes, Chris Mast is involved.

8. F Zach Jones scored with 1:05 left in the third period Tuesday night, giving the visiting Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 38 shots. Attendance was 4,674. . . . In Lethbridge, the Portland Winterhawks scored three first-period goals and went on to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. Portland, the WHL's defending champion, has won five straight games. . . . In Kennewick, Wash., F Phil Tot scored 34 seconds into the game and added an empty-netter as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. The Broncos went 0-5 on their U.S. Division swing and were outscored 24-10 in the process.

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The Windsor Spitfires will appeal the disciplinary action taken against them and announced by the OHL on Friday. All they have to do is figure out the details of the appeal process. Jim Parker of the Windsor Star has that story right here.
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PHIL TOT

The Tri-City Americans have acquired F Phil Tot, 19, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a fifth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft and a second-round selection in 2014. . . . Tot, from Calgary, had asked the Hurricanes to move him. He was the 18th overall selection in the 2008 draft. He had 76 points, including 23 goals, and 90 penalty minutes in 175 games with the Hurricanes. Last season, he reached careers highs in games played (61), goals (14), assists (31) and points (45). . . . A late birthday, Tot wasn`t selected in the 2012 NHL draft, although he was at No. 100 in NHL Central Scouting`s final ranking of draft-eligible North American skaters. . . . “With a shortage of quality ’93-born forwards in the league this year, I felt that this was a trade we had to pursue,” said Tri-City GM Bob Tory in a news release. “We graduated a lot of quality forwards from last year’s club and to be able to add a top-six forward to our mix in mid-August is huge for our club.”
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The Regina Pats have extended the contract of general manager Chad Lang through 2013-14. Lang, who is preparing for his third season in the position, took over from longtime GM Brent Parker, who now is the Pats`president. . . . The Pats went 37-27-8 last season.
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F Colton Yellow Horn, 25, has signed with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. Last season, Yellow Horn put up 55 points in 58 games with the Central league’s Allen Americans. . . . He played 330 regular-season games over five seasons (2003-08) in the WHL, splitting it between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans.


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Stop the presses! Stop the presses!!
That party to honour the WHL’s Mr. 3,000? Put it on hold. At least for a few days.
The Medicine Hat News reports that Bob Ridley, the radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, won’t be broadcasting his 3,000th game tonight with the Kootenay Ice in town.
That, according to The News, will be No. 2,998.
Which means that Ridley will call No. 3,000 on Saturday night when the Tigers are in Lethbridge. (No. 2,999 will come on Friday when the Tigers meet the Ice in Cranbrook.)
No matter. They are going to go ahead and salute the play-calling bus driver tonight, as well they should.
Besides, as pointed out here the other day, when you throw in playoff and Memorial Cup games, Ridley long ago went past 3,000.
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I don’t know the process involved in nominating someone for the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award. But should someone who is involved in that process happen to read this, I would suggest that Bob Ridley would be a worthy recipient.
According to the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award page on Facebook, the award is “presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career. The award winners are selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association.”
I would suggest that Ridley more than meets that criteria.
Failing that, he should be nominated for the Bus Drivers’ Hall of Fame.
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Peter Maher, the radio voice of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, recently called his 3,000th game. So he knows what that is all about.
But he can’t comprehend what Bob Ridley has done and continues to do.
"It's a real tribute to his stamina and his abilities to be able to travel as much as they do and broadcast all those games," Maher, who is a Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winner, told Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald.
"And driving the bus on top of all that? I can't comprehend doing what he's done.
"Pretty incredible."
Odland’s complete story is right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have welcomed back Dean (Scooter) Vrooman as their director of corporate sponsorships. Vrooman was the radio voice of the Winterhawks for 25 seasons (1982-2007) before leaving the organization during its dog days prior the franchise being purchased by Bill Gallacher. Since then, Vrooman had been working with First Independent Bank in Vancouver, Wash. According to a news release, “In his new role, Vrooman will work with Rich Franklin and Garrett McFall to develop strong corporate partnerships for the organization.” . . . Vrooman is expected to make the occasional appearance on radio broadcasts; after all, his son, Todd, is the club play-by-play voice and broadcast communications manager.
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Medicine Hat Tigers G Tyler Bunz has had his impaired driving case move to Morinville, Alta., and put over to March 22. Bunz, whose NHL rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers, was to have been in court Monday in St. Albert, Alta., after being charged there in May 2011. Bunz, 21, was a fifth-round selection by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2010 draft.
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F Jordan Messier of the Tri-City Americans has been suspended for three games under supplemental discipline. He wasn’t penalized for whatever happened during a Saturday game against the Silvertips in Everett. Sometime after the game, the Silvertips requested supplemental discipline from the WHL office. . . . Messier began his suspension by sitting out Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks in Portland.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed D Michael Zipp to a WHL contract. Zipp, a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, is in Everett working out with the team . . . A native of Edmonton, Zipp played for the midget AAA Canadian Athletic Club team. He had eight assists and 32 penalty minutes in 34 games.
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The 2013 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game will be played at the Halifax Metro Centre, home of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, on January 16.
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From Elliotte Friedman’s highly popular weekly notes package, 30 Thoughts:
27. The Ontario Hockey League is going to have some kind of additional fighting penalty next season, but elimination of fisticuffs isn't going to happen. "I'm 99 per cent in favour of abolishing it, but I'm worried about 'the rat' taking over junior hockey," said one GM. Said another: "I don't hate fighting, I hate the bull (bleep) that comes with it." He's referring to staged fights, players taunting via social media and guys who can't do anything else.
28, The other thing they want to eliminate is fisticuffs after clean hits. Limiting the number of fighting majors a player can get during the season should cut down those kinds of brawls. Let's say the maximum is 10. Fight number 11 gets two games. Fight number 12 is four, and so on. You'd probably cut down on a lot of that.
29. Will the OHL do this on its own? Yes, if necessary. The WHL has little interest and the QMJHL is a tossup.
Friedman’s complete piece is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have added D Colton Waltz, 16, to their roster. He spent the season with the AJHL's Bonnyville Pontiacs. A third-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft, Waltz had 12 points, three of them goals, in 41 games with the Pontiacs. In five playoff games, he had a goal and an assist.
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According to the WHL’s weekly roster report, the Portland Winterhawks have added F Dominic Turgeon to their roster. The son of former NHLer Pierre Turgeon, Dominic was a third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft and has signed a WHL contract. He is out of the Colorado Thunderbirds’ program.
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According to that same roster report, the Brandon Wheat Kings are without veteran G Brandon Anderson. The reason he is out is shown as “personal.” No further details are available although, as I understand it, Anderson is expected back within 10 days. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that the Wheat Kings, who meet the Pats in Regina tonight, had F Tyrel Seaman (concussion) back at practice on Tuesday. Seaman was hurt Nov. 25, came back for one game after Christmas and hasn’t played since then. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher (concussion) has played one game since Feb. 14 and didn’t practise yesterday.
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In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees whipped the visiting Trail Smoke Eaters 10-0 on Tuesday for their 41st consecutive victory. That broke the Canadian junior record that had been shared by the Sudbury Wolves (1989-90) and the now-defunct Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (1999-2000). . . . The victory also was the Vees’ 53rd of the season and that’s a BCHL record. . . . As the hockey gods would have it, last night’s victory came on the 57th anniversary of the biggest victory in Penticton hockey history. On the afternoon of March 6, 1955, the Vees beat Russia 5-0 in Krefeld, Germany, to win the world amateur championship.
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D Mike Hellyer (Prince Albert, 2003-07) has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Hellyer, a 25-year-old from Brandon, has spent the last four seasons with the U of Manitoba Bisons, whose season ended last weekend. Hellyer had 18 points in 26 games with the Bisons this season. In four seasons there, he had 82 points in 110 games.
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The Saskatoon Blades are scheduled to get their captain back tonight. D Duncan Siemens, who has missed 13 games with a concussion, should be in the lineup tonight as the Blades meet the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . . Siemens was injured on Feb. 4 on a hit from Medicine Hat Tigers F Brendan Hurley, who later drew a six-game suspension. . . . The Blades, who have lost four in a row and eight of 10, won just four of 13 games with Siemens sidelined.
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F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks, who knows his way around a keyboard, has seen the movie Goon and he offers up a player’s view right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, F Adam Rossignol broke a 3-3 tie at 15:10 of the third period as the Broncos beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . Rossignol, 18, played the first 39 games of this season with the Ice, before being traded to the Broncos. . . . He has eight goals this season, two in 28 games with Swift Current. . . . F Christian Magnus had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist and also was plus-4 for the Broncos. Magnus’s second goal gave the Broncos a 3-2 lead at 19:38 of the second. . . .. F Joe Antilla, with his 13th, tied it for the Ice at 12:04 of the third. . . . Broncos G Jon Groenheyde, named the CHL’s goaltender of the week earlier in the day, stopped 32 shots, two more than the Ice’s Nathan Lieuwen. . . . The Ice is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Calgary and just one up on Regina. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Phil Tot snapped a 1-1 tie at 11:19 of the third period to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 decision over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo turned aside 37 shots, 22 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . Tot has 14 goals this season. . . . F Russ Maxwell gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 19:28 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach equalized at 4:04 of the third. . . . The result prevented Moose Jaw from clinching first place in the East Division. . . . The Warriors hold a 12-point lead over second-place Regina in the division. . . . Moose Jaw is six points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. Each team has six games remaining. They are scheduled to meet tonight in Edmonton. . . .

In Red Deer, the Calgary Hitmen escaped with a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Brady Brassart scored his 22nd goal at 9:53 of the second period to give the visitors a 2-1 lead. . . . F Chase Clayton stretched the lead with his 12th at 17::32 of the third. . . . D Mathew Dumba got his 19th at 19:55 of the third. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 33 shots, seven fewer than Red Deer’s Deven Dubyk. . . . The Hitmen, who won for the 40th time this season, are fourth in the Eastern Conference and now are five points clear of Kootenay and just two behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Rebels are eight points out of the conference’s final playoff spot but have just six games left. . . . Red Deer got F Cory Millette back from injury but are still missing seven regular contributors. . . .

In Prince George, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Cougars, 3-1. . . . F Austin Daae got the Cougars on the board with his second goal at 3:27 of the second. . . . The Thunderbirds then got second-period goals from D Brad Deagle, his third, and F Luke Lockhart, his 13th. . . . F Connor Sanvido finished it off with his seventh at 11:01 of the third. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 21 shots. . . . G Drew Owsley of the Cougars turned aside 23 shots. . . . Prince George F Alex Forsberg reteurned after an 11-game absence with an injury. . . . Cougars D Cody Carlson will play in his 300th game as the teams meet again tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds are ninth in the Western Conference, just one point behind Everett, which holds down the last playoff spot. . . . The loss hurts the Cougars’ chances. They are 10th, five points out of a playoff spot with six games remaining.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
Eastern Conference:
Moose Jaw at Edmonton: The top two teams in the Eastern Conference meet. The Oil Kings have won five in a row.
Kootenay at Medicine Hat: The Ice is fifth, one point ahead of Regina. The Tigers are third, two points ahead of Calgary.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert: The Blades, who have lost four in a row and eight of 10, are one point ahead of Brandon.
Brandon at Regina: The Wheat Kings were in Regina on Saturday when the Pats erased a 4-0 deficit with the game’s last six goals. Brandon is eighth, three points behind Regina and one in back of Saskatoon. Regina F Jordan Weal has 109 points, the most by a Pats skater since Ronald Petrovicky put up 113 in 1997-98.
Western Conference:
Portland at Kamloops: The Winterhawks lead the overall standings by one point over Edmonton and Tri-City, and three on Kamloops, which has clinched the B.C. Division title.
Tri-City at Vancouver: The Americans are coming off a 4-3 victory in Portland on Sunday. The Giants are tied with Spokane for fourth; they will meet in the first round but don’t yet know who has home-ice advantage.,
Kelowna at Spokane: The Rockets took two from Kamloops on the weekend and know they will finish sixth. The Chiefs are 3-0-1 in their last four.
Victoria at Everett: The Royals, who are starting a four-game road trip with this one, are seventh, one point ahead of the Silvertips.
Seattle at Prince George: The Thunderbirds beat the Cougars 3-1 last night. Seattle is ninth, one point behind Everett and four up on Prince George.

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Defenceman Brady Gaudet of the Kamloops Blazers takes a back-door pass
from centre Colin Smith and hammers it past goaltender Kent Simpson
of the host Everett Silvertips on Wednesday night. The goal, Gaudet's first
of the season, gave the Blazers a 3-0 lead and they went on to a
3-2 victory.
(Photo by Christopher Mast / mastimages.com)

Fighting in hockey gets onto the front page of The New York Times and a debate breaks out:
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Bob Boughner, the president and head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, doesn’t want to see fighting taken out of the game, at least not at the major junior level. “We’re on a very, very dangerous slope,” Boughner told Jim Parker of the Windsor Star. “We’re preparing guys for the next level and if you toughen the rules and get rid of it (fighting) in the game, it would have to coincide with the NHL and AHL. If they’re not doing it, then you’re putting kids (looking to go pro) in a tough situation.”
That story is right here.
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Meanwhile, Mark Hunter, the head coach of the OHL’s London Knights, tells Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press that he realizes fighting in the game is on its last legs. "If you're asking me if I think fighting will be taken out of the game, I think it will,” Hunter said. "I think the rule will be something like, you fight, you are thrown out of the game and suspended for another game." Hunter went so far as to acknowledge the dangers of fighting. "People get hurt," Hunter said. "They get in fights and get concussions and get hit in the head and that's something we can't have."
You are able to read that piece right here.
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And then there is Dan Bernstein, a senior columnist at CBSChicago. com, who says sooner or later a light will shine into the caves and fighting will be gone. You are able to read his opinion right here.
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Don Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, doesn’t want to see fighting prohibited in the WHL. But, he told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun, he would be all for it were the NHL to do away with it. That story is right here.
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Kris Dielman, a veteran offensive lineman with the San Diego Chargers, is expected to announce his retirement today. Dielman has played nine seasons in the NFL, all with San Diego, and is a four-time Pro Bowler. He is retiring because of a series of concussions, the latest of which resulted in his having a seizure on a flight back to San Diego after a game against the New York Jets.
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And now we get to the serious part. . . .
A friend in Spokane pointed me in the direction of a lengthy piece titled The Way We Play The Game that is in the Feb. 27 issue of Sports Illustrated. It was written by Karen S. Schneider, who is a hockey mom. Her son, Cade, is 14 and plays in Minnesota. In fact, as Schneider writes, Cade “grew up sakting with (Jack Jablonski) on the lakes around our homes.”
This is a devastating read about a hockey mom’s view of the game and all that is around it.
Whatever you do, don’t miss this read.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
(With a tip of the hat to @WHLFacts for some of the info that follows. If you are on Twitter and aren’t following, you should be.)
In Regina, F Chad Robinson’s seventh goal of the season stood up as the winner as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Pats, 3-2. . . . Robinson’s goal at 4:27 of the third period gave the visitors a 3-1 lead. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal got his 39th, via the PP, at 6:20 of the third. He also had an assist. . . . F Tyson Ness had a goal, his 17th, and an assist for Red Deer. His goal came 56 seconds into the second period. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk stopped 20 shots. . . . Due to injuries, the Rebels dressed just 16 skaters, including two forwards — Connor Bleakley and Dexter Bricker — who spent the season playing midget AAA. . . . Regina had D Brandon Davidson back after a three-game absence due to a sore neck. But the Pats lost F Matt Marantz to a leg injury in the first period. . . . The Pats missed a chance to move past the idle Saskatoon Blades and into sixth in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they remain a point behind Saskatoon and one up on the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Rebels, with nine games left, are eight points behind Brandon which holds down the conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Juraj Bezuch and F Phil Tot scored in the circus to give the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 4-3 shootout victory over the Raiders. . . . The Raiders forced OT on goals by F Anthony Bardaro, his 30th at 7:37 of the second, and F Justin Maylan, his 23rd, at 18:08 of the third. . . . Lethbridge G Liam Liston stopped 30 shots, seven fewer than Cole Holowenko of the Raiders. . . . Bardaro scored twice for the Raiders and also had an assist. . . . F Graham Hood scored the game’s first two goals for Lethbridge. He has 14 this season. . . . Neither team will make the playoffs, but the Hurricanes now are seven points ahead of the last-place Raiders. (By the way, it’s apples and oranges, but, with 46 points, the Raiders would be tied for seventh in the Western Conference.) . . .

In Calgary, F Victor Rask scored twice on the PP to help the Hitmen to a 5-4 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Calgary was 4-6 on the PP. . . . Rask, who has 29 goals, also had an assist as he ran his point streak to seven games. . . . Calgary got a goal and two assists from F Spencer Humphries. . . . The Hitmen have won in two in a row and six of seven. . . . Humphries, who has seven goals, gave the Hitmen a 5-2 lead with a PP score at 7:28 of the the third period. . . . .D Richard Nedomlel, with his ninth, and F Christian Magnus, with his seventh, got the Broncos to within. . . . Magnus had two goals in his first game since Feb. 10. . . . The Hitmen are fourth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and three ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first three goals and beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-1. . . . F T.J. Foster opened the scoring at 9:09 of the second period. . . . F Tyler Maxwell got his 37th at 1:40 of the third and F Jordan Peddle added his 10th at 8:54. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who stopped 32 shots, lost his shutout at 17:45 when F Max Reinhart got his 27th on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Michael St. Croix had one assist in his 200th game. . . . G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 24 shots for the Ice. . . . The Ice has added F Luke Philp to its roster for the remainder of the season. He played this season with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, putting up 46 points, including 30 assists, in 48 games. He was a third-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . The Oil Kings lead the Western Conference by six points over the Moose Jaw Warriors. Edmonton is two points behind the Tri-City Americans, who lead the overall standings. . . .

In Prince George, F Brendan Hurley broke a 1-1 tie at 9:29 of the second period and the Medicine Hat Tigers went on to beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . The Tigers clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Hurley has five goals this season. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored three times, giving him 45 this season. He scored five times in the Tigers’ two-game sweep of the Cougars. . . . Medicine Hat F Dylan Bredo had an assist and was plus-4. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 32 shots, seven fewer than Drew Owsley of the Cougars. . . . Among the Tigers’ scratches was F Rhyse Dieno. Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News reports that Dieno has a separated shoulder and will be out for more than a month. . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference and are second in the Central Division, eight points behind Edmonton. . . . The Cougars have lost six in a row and remain 10th in the Western Conference. Still, they are only four points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Everett, D Brady Gaudet’s first goal of the season stood up as the winner as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . The Blazers built up a 3-0 lead on goals by F Matt Needham, his 12th, and F Brendan Ranford, his 37th, in the first period. . . . Gaudet got his goal on a PP at 7:55 of the second. . . . Everett got close on goals by F Reid Petryk, his 14th, and F Josh Winquist, his 14th, but couldn’t equalize. Winquist scored shorthanded at 19:23 of the third. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 28 shots in earning his 31st victory. . . . The Blazers lost F Ryan Hanes with a leg injury in the third period. . . . Kamloops went 4-0-0 against Everett this season and now is 14-2-1 against U.S. Division teams. . . . Kamloops moved back into a tie with Portland for second in the Western Conference, one point behind Tri-City. . . . The Blazers lead the B.C. Division by 16 points over the Vancouver Giants, who have nine games left. . . . Everett is one point behind the eighth-place Seattle Thunderbirds, who hold down the conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Victoria, F Liam Stewart scored two shorthanded goals to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 6-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Chiefs had beaten the Royals 4-2 on Tuesday. . . .. Stewart scored his third shorthanded goal of the season to give his side a 2-0 lead at 15:15 of the second. He added his team-high fourth at 9:46 of the third. . . . Only five players in the WHL have more than four SH goals. . . . Stewart has 14 goals overall. . . . Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist points out that Stewart’s father — rock star Rod Stewart — opened Victoria’s Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in 2005. . . . A tip of the cap to Tom Grainger, the man who plays the music in Victoria. Dheensaw reports that the music of choice after each of Liam’s goals was, yes, Maggie May. . . . The Chiefs broke open a scoreless game with three second-period goals. . . . F Steven Kuhn had three assists for Spokane. . . . Chiefs G Mac Engel stopped 24 shots, losing his shutout when F Steven Hodges got his 20th goal at 12:52 of the third. . . . Victoria G Jared Rathjen stopped 30 shots in making his fifth straight start. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kitchton had a goal and an assist and was plus-4. He was plus-7 in the two games. . . . The Chiefs are fifth in the Western Conference, one point behind Vancouver. . . . The Royals remain seventh, two points ahead of Seattle.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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JUST NOTES:
The Syracuse Crunch’s stint as the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks will end after this season. The Crunch has declined an option on the agreement with the Ducks after just two seasons. . . . Former Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Hollick is on the Crunch’s coaching staff. He was the head coach last season and to start this season, but now is an associate coach under associate head coach Trent Yawney. . . . Seems like there might be more associates there than in the local Walmart outlet. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks have signed Sue Johnson, their education adviser, to a three-year contract extension. . . . She has been with the Winterhawks for more than 20 years but has taken on an expanded role since retiring from Milwaukie High School prior to 2010-11. . . .
How many WHL head coaches would be willing to start a 16-year-old goaltender and ride him and ride him and ride him? That’s what I thought. Well, in the QMJHL, Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads has played in 49 consecutive games, including five at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. And he has put up 28 victories for the Mooseheads, to break the QMJHL record for a freshman goaltender. Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has his story right here.
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Patrick King, who keeps an eye on major junior hockey for sportsnet.ca, takes a look right here at the Tri-City Americans and their connection to Winnipeg. It all started when general manager Bob Tory was scouting Jonathan Toews.

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