Rockets headed to final . . . Portland's Drive for Five ends . . . Santa Claus dies in Philly

SUNDAY’S GAME:

In Portland, the Kelowna Rockets erased a 3-0 first-period deficit and went on to beat the Winterhawks, 8-4. . . . The Rockets won the Western Conference final, 4-2, closing it out with three straight victories. . . . Kelowna will travel to Brandon to open the WHL championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup with games on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The final will be played using a 2-3-2 format. . . . The Rockets last appeared in

the WHL final in the spring of 2009 when they beat the Calgary Hitmen in six games. . . . The Winterhawks were attempting to reach their fifth straight WHL final. . . . Portland led 3-0 before the first period was 14 minutes old, on goals from F Chase De Leo, his sixth, D Adam Henry (5) and De Leo, again. . . . De Leo drew an assist on Henry’s goal, for a three-point period. . . . D Madison Bowey scored his first of two goals to get the Rockets on the board at 14:45 of the first. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube, with his third, at 4:12, and Bowey, with a shorthanded goal, at 12:18, got the Rockets even. . . . Bowey has seven goals in these playoffs. . . . F Tyson Baillie gave Kelowna its first lead with his ninth goal, at 6:58 of the third. . . . Portland D Layne Viveiros tied it with his first goal at 8:12. . . . The Rockets then took control with goals from F Justin Kirkland, his second, at 10:35 and F Cole Linaker, his fourth, at 12:18. . . . Dube added his second of the game into an empty net with 1:32 to play and F Chance Braid got another empty-netter, his third goal of the playoffs, before game’s end. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle, the first start in Games 4 and 5, got the hook after being beaten three times on eight shots. Michael Herringer came on to earn the victory, stopping 30 of 31 shots. . . . Portland G Adin Hill made 34 saves. . . . Baillie, F Gage Quinney, F Nick Merkley and D Cole Martin each had two assists for the Rockets. Martin was plus-5. . . . Dube added an assist to his two goals. . . . Portland F Nic Petan set a WHL record by playing in his 88th career playoff game. F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04) had held the record, at 87. . . . Petan had two assists as he set a franchise record by running his playoff point streak to 17 games. The previous record (16) was set by F Brendan Leipsic last season. . . . F Paul Bittner had two assists for Portland, while De Leo added one to his two goals. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 8,490. . . . Hodges Heroes has a look right here at some of the numbers and other things from Friday’s Game 5.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings and Kelowna Rockets, the WHL’s two best teams in the regular season, will play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. . . . That series will follow a 2-3-2 format, opening with games in Brandon on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The Wheat Kings have home-ice advantage because they finished with 114 regular-season points (53-11-8), while the Rockets had 112 (53-13-6). . . . The last time the top two regular-season teams met in the WHL final was 2003 when the Rockets (51-14-7) beat the Red Deer Rebels (50-17-5) in six games. . . . Cody Nickolet points out via Twitter that “Brandon and Kelowna were also the top two WHL teams in goal differential during the regular season, too. Kelowna +122, Brandon +121.” . . . Each of Brandon’s three playoff series has gone five games; Kelowna has played a four, a five and a six, in that order. . . . The Wheat Kings and Rockets met once this season, with Kelowna skating to a 6-1 victory at home on Oct. 25. F Nick Merkley had a goal and three assists in that one. . . . Going into the final, Portland F Nic Petan leads all playoff scorers with 28 points, two more than Calgary F Adam Tambellini. . . . Petan and Merkley lead in assists (18), while Tambellini and Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand each had 13 goals. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl, who had one assist last night, is the leading active scorer, with 21 points. He had points in 13 of Kelowna’s 15 games. . . . F John Quenneville is Brandon’s top scorer, with 19 points.
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During the first intermission of Sunday’s game, Regan Bartel, the play-by-play voice of the Kelowna Rockets, played an interview with Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey. One of the topic of conversations dealt with the use of cut-resistant socks in the WHL. This comes after Rockets F Tyrell Goulborne needed surgery to repair damage to his left calf after he suffered a skate cut during Game 5 of their series with the Portland Winterhawks on Friday night. . . . Doerksen told Bartel that the wearing of such socks has been discussed but that it is up to individual teams and players whether players wear them. . . . Shortly after the interview played, Greg Mayer, the Regina Pats’ athletic therapist, tweeted: “It's mandatory for all Pats players to wear cut resistant socks. Saved two players this year from Achilles' tendon injuries!” . . . And then Rogan Dean, the Edmonton Oil Kings’ head equipment manager, tweeted: “It's mandatory for everybody to wear them on the @EdmOilKings also. Has saved many players the last few years. #Kevlar.”
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It was in December 1968 when fans of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles booed Santa Claus. Seriously! Well, Frank Olivo, the man who was Santa Claus that day, has died. There is more right here.
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In the OHL, the Oshawa Generals beat the host North Bay Battalion 2-1 on Sunday to win that semifinal series, 4-2. . . . The Generals will meet the Erie Otters in the OHL final. . . . The QMJHL final features the Rimouski Oceanic and Quebec Remparts. Both of those teams are in the Memorial Cup because the Remparts are the host team.
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Rob Sandrock, who played in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, Swift Current Broncos, Medicine Hat Tigers and Kelowna Rockets (1994-99), is working to acquire a junior B franchise in the Kootenay International junior league for his hometown of Williams Lake, B.C. The Williams Lake Tribune has more right here.
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.sittin w PDX media legends @kerryeggers @dwightjaynes and Scooter Vrooman @pdxwinterhawks game 6 vs @kelownarockets pic.twitter.com/hWv7TQLcqg

— ron callan (@roncallan) May 3, 2015

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Royals back in series with Winterhawks

The Okanagan Rockets will compete in the national midget hockey
championship tournament for the first time in franchise history. The
tournament is to be held in Moose Jaw later this month.

F Kevin Saurette (Regina, Tri-City, 1997-2000) has signed a one-year extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). This season, in 59 games, Saurette had 75 points, including 36 goals, good sixth in the league scoring race. He was named a UK Elite first team all-star. . . .
Also on UK Elite first all-star team: D Rob Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) of the Belfast Giants. On the UK Elite second all-star team: D Tyson Marsh (Vancouver, 2001-05) of the Cardiff Devils and D Rory Rawlyk (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 2000-03) of the Dundee Stars.
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A couple of months ago, the Moose Jaw Warriors unveiled the logo that they will use at times next season as part of their 30th anniversary season. The logo, however, doesn’t sit well with the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee. In fact, the CDAC has written a letter protesting the logo to Moose Jaw City Council. Justin Crann of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.


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Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts begins with a look at the Winnipeg Jets and F Evander Kane. Where do they go from here? . . . The whole package is right here.
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The Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League beat the Optimist Chiefs in Red Deer on Sunday to win the Pacific Regional and earn a berth in the Telus Cup that begins next week in Moose Jaw. . . . Red Deer was the defending Canadian champion. . . . The Rockets won 3-2 in OT on Sunday in what was the third game of a best-of-three series. . . . The Rockets tied the game 2-2 on a goal by D Tanner Browne with eight minutes left in the third period and won it on a goal by F Liam Finlay five minutes into OT. . . . Browne was a second-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, but was traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Nov. 16 deal that had D Ryan Pilon going the other way. . . . Finlay has committed to the U of Denver. . . . This will be the Rockets’ first appearance in the national tournament. . . . In order to gain their berth at the national tournament, the Rockets twice knocked off a five-time champion. First, they dethroned the Vancouver-Northwest Giants, who had won five straight BCMML titles. Red Deer has won five straight Alberta midget AAA titles and also took the last two Canadian championships. . . . The six-team Telus Cup also includes the Halifax Macs, the host Moose Jaw Generals, Prince Albert Mintos and Toronto Young Nationals. A Quebec representative has yet to be decided. The tournament runs April 21-27.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna leads, 2-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 15: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 2-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 4, 6 and 7 on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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MONDAY’S GAME:
In Victoria, the Royals scored two early power-play goals and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 2-1. . . . Portland takes a 2-1 lead series lead into Game 4 in Victoria tonight. . . . The loss snapped Portland’s winning streak at 13, including six straight in these playoffs. . . . Victoria got first-period PP goals from F Brandon Magee, at 2:49, and F Austin Carroll, at 9:24. . . . Magee has three goals in the playoffs; Carroll has five. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier scored his third goal of these playoffs at 19:46 of the third period. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka was outstanding, with 38 saves, while Portland’s Brendan Burke turned aside 25 shots. . . . Victoria was 2-for-8 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-4. . . . Royals D Keegan Kanzig didn’t play as he completed a two-game WHL-issued suspension for his role in a skirmish late in Game 1.
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From Terry Jones (@sunterryjones) of the Edmonton Sun: “Yukon has a basketball team?”


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