Tip of the hat to Myles Mattila ... WHL conference finals resume today ... Armada into QMJHL final

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to @myles_mattila12 as he receives a $500 Scholarship from @HockeyCanada at the @HC_TELUSCup National Championship!

— Cariboo Cougars (@cariboocougars) April 30, 2017

If you don’t recognize the name Myles Mattila, you should get to a computer and do a search.

While his Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars won’t play in the TELUS Cup final today (Sunday), Mattila is a winner because of his dedication to spreading the word on mental health.

From a hockeycanada.ca story by Derek Jory:

“(Mattila) began volunteering at a local mental health office and participating in youth programs, and he’s now a mental health advocate for Mindcheck.ca, partners with the Canadian Mental Health Association and the driving force behind Mindright.info, a health wellness program designed to educate Cariboo Cougars players, coaches, parents, and supporters about their mental health and the health of others.”

Why did Mattila get so involved in this issue? All because he noticed a few years ago that a long-time friend was struggling.

“It was tough seeing such a good friend go through that and not knowing what was wrong,” Mattila told Jory. “He needed help and it was eye-opening for me not knowing what to do. I realized he likely wasn’t alone in this situation and I vowed to figure out how to help him and anyone else struggling with mental health issues.”

On Saturday, Mattila spoke about mental health awareness at the TELUS Cup awards dinner in Prince George, where he is a Grade 12 student. He also received a $500 Esso Kids Scholarship Award from Hockey Canada.
Remember his name. You're going to be hearing a lot about him down the road.

Jory’s story about Mattila is right here.

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The WHL could have its Ed Chynoweth Cup finalists decided today (Sunday) when the conference finals resume.

In the Eastern Conference, the Regina Pats hold a 3-2 lead on the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. In the Western Conference, the Seattle Thunderbirds take a 3-2 edge into Kelowna to face the Rockets.

The Hurricanes, who lost 5-3 in Regina on Friday, almost surely will be without F Matt Alfaro, a point-a-game skater who hasn’t played since April 4. F Ryan Bowen, meanwhile, has been in and out of the lineup; he was scratched Friday so obviously is banged up.

The Thunderbirds continue to play without Rylan Toth, who led all WHL goaltenders with 36 regular-season victories. He hasn’t dressed for even one playoff game.

In Toth’s absence, Carl Stankowski, a Calgarian who turned 17 on March 9, has gone 11-2, 2.60, .911. In the regular season, Stankowski played in 358 minutes over seven games, going 3-0-1, 2.18, .910. In the playoffs, he has played 785 minutes over 13 games.

The Thunderbirds are likely to be without D Ethan Bear, who suffered an injury to his left hand when he blocked a shot by Kelowna F Reid Gardiner late in Game 3 on Tuesday. Taking Note has been told that Bear has a broken hand.

Bear didn’t play in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss in Kelowna. He took the warmup prior to Seattle’s 5-3 victory in Kent, Wash., on Friday, but had difficulties handling the puck and was scratched.

Obviously, Bear is a big loss for the Thunderbirds. After all, he put up 70 points, including 28 goals, in 67 regular-season games, and has 16 points, five of them goals, in 11 playoff games.

But it could be that Kelowna misses D James Hilsendager almost as much. Hilsendager, who turned 20 on March 20, left in the first period of Game 4 with an undisclosed injury and was scratched from Friday’s game.

He had three assists in 18 games with the Regina Pats, before being dealt to the Rockets for whom he recorded 24 points, six of them goals, in 46 games. In 15 playoff games, he has a goal and two assists.

However, his value to the Rockets is much more than offence. In his time with the Rockets, he only improved. He has been a stellar defender who added a physical presence to their back end.

It’s only right that Bear’s absence has gotten a lot of notice; after all, he was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 draft and he has an NHL contract in his hip pocket.

But could it be that Hilsendager’s absence will be just as impactful if he can’t answer the bell for Game 6?

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A run-in between F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and F Dawson Leedahl of the Regina Pats late in Game 4 of their series drew some attention but no suspensions.

The two came together in a scrum at 16:15 of the third period of the game in Lethbridge and, when it was all over, Wong was claiming that he had been bitten by Leedahl.

Here’s what Wong told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:

“It was in the heat of the moment. He made a mistake. I initiated some contact there. That’s part of hockey, the scrums. I hit him high and I feel bad. I’m not a cheap player. I don’t like hitting guys high. I’ll be physical. I’ll play on the edge. So does he.

“He has laid out some big hits on me. I saw an opportunity to get a hit on him. My finger slipped in his mouth and, I don’t know if he meant to or not, but he took a good chunk out of my finger. I had to go and get a tetanus shot and go on antibiotics. That’s not really part of hockey and I think he would take it back if he could.
“It’s behind us and I don’t hold grudges. I’ll come out and play the same way against him as I do against any other player.”

Leedahl and Wong each was given a roughing minor and that was the end of it, at least as far as the WHL is concerned.

However, Wong, a 51-goal scorer in the regular season, has only two assists in the five games against Regina, both of those coming in a 3-1 Lethbridge victory in Game 3. He hasn’t scored a goal since he got two, including the shorthanded OT winner, in the Game 7 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers that vaulted the Hurricanes into the conference final.

The Hurricanes are hoping their captain breaks out in Game 6 at home today.

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The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada advanced to the QMJHL’s championship final on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over the host Charlottetown Islanders. The Armada won that series, 4-1. . . . It was an emotional game for the Islanders because the father of Charlottetown F Dillon Boucher died on Friday night. “There’s always a bigger picture at play,” Charlottetown general manager and head coach Jim Hulton said in a story posted on the QMJHL website. “This is still a game and yeah, it hurts like hell that we lost, but not anything near the magnitude of what Dillon and his family are going through.” . . . The Armada will meet either the Saint John Sea Dogs or Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the championship series. The Sea Dogs hold a 3-2 lead with Game 6 today (Sunday) in Chicoutimi.

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Great Britain, including former WHL F Liam Stewart, beat Japan 4-0 on Saturday to win the IIHF World Championship, Division 1 Group B, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the victory, Great Britain earned promotion to Division 1 Group A for next season. Stewart, who played four seasons (2011-15) with the Spokane Chiefs, had two goals and an assist in three games. . . . Great Britain, which allowed only five goals, went 5-0, while Japan finished 4-1. . . . Croatia, under head coach Enio Sacilotto of the Victoria Royals, finished at 1-4 and was fifth in the six-team tournament. The Croats allowed only 17 goals, but struggled to score (14). . . . Lithuania beat Croatia, 3-1, in the third-place game. . . . Sacilotto is the Royals’ director of prospect development and has extensive international coaching experience.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)

Regina at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-2)

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Sissons hero as Broncos beat favoured Pats again ... Record for Portland's captain? ... Laxdal staying put

A question for WHL fans: Is F Keegan Iverson, the captain of the Portland Winterhawks, the first player in WHL history to play in at least one playoff game in each of six consecutive seasons? He dressed for one game as a 15-year-old. Now finishing up his 20-year-old season, he will play in his 69th career playoff game tonight at home against the Kelowna Rockets.

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On Friday, Sheldon Kennedy was in Red Deer taking part in a celebrity dance off that raised around $1 million for the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre in Calgary and Central Alberta’s Sexual Assault Support Centre, which soon will have a child advocacy centre under its roof. . . . On Monday, Kennedy was in Winnipeg where the Manitoba government announced that the Respect in Schools program, which has been in Manitoba schools since 2011, has been renewed for three years and is to expand into First Nations and private schools. The program was developed by a group that was co-founded by Kennedy and Wayne McNeil. . . . Yes, it really is time for the WHL to add an award to its roster, one named in Kennedy’s honour, one that would go to a WHL grad who is making a difference.

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I would suggest that the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks rent and not buy green bananas. Yes, Willie Desjardins, who was fired as head coach on Monday morning, deserved better, but such is the nature of the beast. The two men responsible for the roster, Trevor Linden and Jim Benning, provided Desjardins with a hodge-podge of players with which no one could have won. Then, when the season was over, Linden and Benning tsk-tsked and said all the right things, while Desjardins was kicked out the door. In truth, a coaching staff comprising Scotty Bowman, Toe Blake and Joel Quenneville couldn’t have brought that roster home any higher than 29th.

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One more thing about the Vancouver Canucks — it won’t be much better, if at all, next season. Unfortunately, the Sedin twins are a year past their best-before date and their ice time needs to go to younger players. But that’s not likely to happen before 2018-19. . . . Hey, Canucks fans, just don’t go having a drink every time you are told to “be patient” over the next two years.

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I don’t know what it means, if anything, but the Vancouver Canucks, under the ownership of Francesco Aquilini, and the Dallas Stars, who are owned by Tom Gaglardi, both fired their head coaches after failing to make the NHL playoffs this season. You may recall that Aquilini and Gaglardi once were part of a triumvirate, with Ryan Beedie, that hoped to purchase the Canucks. Aquilini went rogue and purchased the franchise on his own. Gaglardi sued, lost, and ultimately purchased the Stars out of bankruptcy. Unfortunately, things haven’t turned out the way either man had hoped.

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A note from Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post: “Good news: The Stanley Cup playoffs begin Wednesday. Bad news: At least two months of hockey panels. Please send all participants to the panel-ty box.”

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One more Vanstone-ian observation: “WHL officiating is maddeningly erratic in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the Regina Pats-Swift Current Broncos series on Friday, the referees were basically out for a skate. One night later, Game 2 was called by the book. Even so, an obvious check from behind was overlooked shortly before a lesser infraction led to a power play.”

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A lot of observers have Travis Green pencilled in as the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. After all, he is the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. But why not Mike Johnston, who is in his second go-round with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks? Yes, he was fired by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he had a 58-37-15 record with them. Oh, he also owns a home in Blaine, Wash., which is just a slapshot from Vancouver.

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There now are five head-coaching vacancies in the NHL. Gotta think Ken Hitchcock gets one of them.

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A year ago, the Florida Panthers were seen as one of the NHL’s top, young teams. Then someone decided to juggle the deck chairs and now they’re a mess and out of the playoffs. Dale Tallon was in charge, then he wasn’t, now he is. But the scouting staff that had such a good track record is gone now, and there’s isn’t a head coach. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.

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Olten (Switzerland, NL B) has announced that F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) has retired. Burki hasn’t recovered from a concussion suffered in practice in October 2015 and hasn’t played in a game since. In 2015-16, he was pointless in three games. . . .

F Petr Stoklasa (Tri-City, 2007-09) has signed a one-year extension with Val Vanoise Méribel (France, Division 1). This season, in 24 games, he had 13 goals and 18 assists. He also was the team captain.

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Derek Laxdal, a former head coach of the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, will return for a fourth season as head coach of the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars that plays out of Cedar Park, Texas. . . . Laxdal signed a three-year contract prior to the 2014-15 season. Although there is no news on a new deal, the organization has confirmed that he will return. . . . The Stars are 112-83-30 under Laxdal, although they won’t make the playoffs this season. After a 3-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday, they are 32-36-5. . . . Laxdal spent four seasons (2010-14) as head coach of the Oil Kings, winning two WHL titles and a Memorial Cup. Edmonton won at least 50 games in each of his last three seasons. In the four seasons, the Oil Kings were 182-83-23.

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Red Berenson has retired after 33 seasons as head coach of the U of Michigan Wolverines. He had an 848-426-92 record and won national titles in 1996 and 1998. . . . This season, the Wolverines were 13-19-3. . . . Berenson, 77, is a native of Regina. He played two seasons (1956-58) with the Pats, who then were in the SJHL, before playing three seasons at Michigan. He followed that with a pro career that ended after the 1977-78 season. He coached six seasons in the NHL before taking over as the Wolverines’ head coach for the 1984-85 season. . . . Berenson will remain with Michigan as an advisor to the athletic director.

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The Washington Capitals have signed F Beck Malenstyn of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year entry-level contract. He was a fifth-round selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft. From Delta, B.C., Malenstyn had career highs in goals (32) and assists (24) this season.

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MORE ON THE MOVE: The Prince George Cougars now have five players off the roster in the AHL with F Jesse Gabrielle having joined the Providence Bruins. Gabrielle signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Boston Bruins in December. . . . Other Cougars in the AHL are F Radovan Bondra (Rockford IceHogs), D Brendan Guhle (Rochester Americans), F Jansen Harkins (Manitoba Moose) and F Colby McAuley (San Jose Barracuda). These four all played AHL games over the weekend. . . . Meanwhile, F Adam Musil of the Red Deer Rebels has joined the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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Ryan Miller, a former NFL offensive lineman, is working to piece his life back together. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes: “Miller, 27, is finally speaking out about his tears, his migraines, his memory loss, his seizures, his depression, his anger, his compassion and, now, his hope. Almost two years after he was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome (PCS), he’s finally finding his way back to normalcy, or as close as he can get to it.” . . . Miller also has received help from former WHL enforcer Scott Parker and his wife, Francesca, who have started an organization, Parkers Platoon, that, Jhabvala writes, “was developed to help veterans, athletes and others cope with the symptoms of PCS and traumatic brain injury.” . . . Jhabvala’s complete story is right here.

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MONDAY’S GAME:

#WHL #REGvsSC:  @SCBroncos Colby Sissons is team's first defenseman to score playoff game winning goal of any type since Ian White, 3/23/04.

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) April 11, 2017

At Swift Current, D Colby Sissons scored at 1:46 of OT to give the Broncos a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Broncos lead the series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Swift Current. . . . This

COLBY SISSONS

was the second OT game of the series. The Broncos had won Game 1 on Thursdsay, 2-1, on a goal by F Ryley Lindgren at 15:12 of extra time. . . . Last night, Sissons gathered the puck in his zone and skated it up ice before firing a 56-foot wrist shot that beat G Tyler Brown through the legs as he was going to the ice. . . . Sissons, who turned 19 on Jan. 15, scored six goals in 63 games in the regular season. He has two goals in 10 playoff games. . . . F Dawson Leedahl’s fourth goal of the playoffs gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 3:03 of the second period. . . . The Broncos tied it at 5:10 when F Conner Chaulk, who is from Regina, scored his first goal, on a PP. . . . Sissons won it with the only shot by either team in OT. . . . Geoffrey Brandow noted on Twitter that Sissons is the first Swift Current defenceman to score an OT goal in a playoff game since Rocky Thompson beat the host Red Deer Rebels, 3-2, on April 4, 1997. . . . The Broncos got 33 saves from G Jordan Papirny on his 21st birthday. . . . Brown finished with 31 saves. . . . Swift Current was 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . The Broncos were without F Mackenzie Wight and he also will miss Game 4. He was hit with a two-game suspension under supplemental discipline, having been held responsible for the hit on which Regina F Adam Brooks was injured in Game 2. . . . Brooks, with 250 points and a WHL scoring title over the past two seasons, made the trip to Swift Current with the Pats, who also were without F Filip Ahl for a second straight game. . . . Regina dressed F Kjell Kjemhus, 15, and had F Duncan Pierce back after he missed five weeks with a hairline fracture to an ankle. . . . With Wight gone, the Broncos put D Dom Schmiemann back into their lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.

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TUESDAY GAMES (all times local):

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-0)

Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Swift Current leads, 2-1)

Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 2-0)

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

King Carl still unbeaten ... Rockets go up 2-0 ... Estephan fills hat as 'Canes tie series

An interesting note from Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, following Game 1 of their series with the visiting Portland Winterhawks:

“The paid attendance at (Friday) night's game was slightly over 5,000. That said, visually there was nowhere near that many fans in the stands. It is a little surprising at this time of the year and with an arch-playoff-rival in town, shouldn't close to a sellout be realized? Before we throw the baby out with the bath water, let's see what type of crowd shows up for (Saturday’s) rematch.”

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The announced attendance at Friday’s game in Kelowna was 5,002. That number on Saturday night was 5,009. The Rockets won 4-2 on Friday and 5-2, with two empty-netters, on Sunday. . . . According to the WHL’s 2015-16 Guide, the most recent one available, Kelowna’s Prospera Place has 6,007 seats and room for 500 standees.

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If you are interested in how coaches think and game plan, give this a listen. It’s the afore-mentioned Regan Bartel’s interview with Mike Johnston, the Portland Winterhawks’ head coach, prior to Game 1 in Kelowna on Friday night, and it’s good stuff:

My conversation with Portland Winterhawks GM/HC Mike Johnston. Good insight.    https://t.co/ZdKLwFbsYF

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) April 8, 2017

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On Saturday afternoon, catcher Gary Sanchez of the New York Yankees left a game against the Orioles in Baltimore with an injury. Shortly thereafter, the Yankees announced that he had a right biceps strain. The world didn’t end.

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Headline at SportsPickle.com: Cubs admit feeling pressure to win a World Series every 108 years now.

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If this few seconds of video doesn’t make you smile, you need to put a mirror in front of your nose and see if it fogs up. BTW, Dave Tippett, the Phoenix Coyotes’ executive vice-president of hockey operations and head coach, told reporters Saturday that the NHL team is looking to have Craig Cunningham somewhere in its organization.

Craig Cunningham on the ice at Gila River Arena today. Amazing. Inspiring. pic.twitter.com/8PL5bSegsH

— Graham Taylor (@goldencanuck) April 8, 2017

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The Toronto Maple Leafs clinched a playoff spot Saturday night and I thought Twitter was going to break. What would happen were the Leafs to win a Stanley Cup?

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What a Pandora’s Box was opened when sports leagues began using video review. I am almost of the belief that they all were better off without it. Managers, coaches and players all make errors that can’t be undone. Maybe it’s time to put the officiating errors back into the games and life with them.

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Source tells me Adam Brooks injury is "not good". I hope my source is wrong. Nobody wants to see a 1st class kid hurt.

— Kelly Remple (@SilverFoxTalks) April 8, 2017

There was a time this season when the Regina Pats’ top three centres were Adam Brooks, Sam Steel and Jake Leschyshyn. We won’t find out until Monday night, but it could be that Steel is the last man standing. . . . Leschyshyn, 17, hasn’t played since undergoing knee surgery in February. . . . Brooks, with 250 points over the past two regular seasons, went down with a leg injury during the first period of Regina’s 6-2 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. . . . Steel, of course, won this season’s WHL scoring championship, finishing a point ahead of Brooks, who won that title last season. . . . Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here on the Pats with, and without, Brooks.

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MORE ON THE MOVE: F Tyler Soy of the Victoria Royals has joined the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Soy was a seventh-round pick of the Ducks in the NHL’s 2016 draft, but has yet to sign. At 20, he is eligible to return for one more WHL season. . . . D Micheal Zipp of the Calgary Hitmen will finish the season with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. Zipp finished his WHL career this season with the Calgary Hitmen. He played 299 regular-season WHL games, totalling 77 points, 18 of them goals.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

With the 2nd Everett goal, it ends the streak of the @SeattleTbirds being tied or ahead at 372:52. Last was at end of game vs PDX on 3/18.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) April 9, 2017

At Everett, G Carl Stankowski stopped 20 shots to maintain his perfect playoff record as the

CARL STANKOWSKI

SeattleThunderbirds got past the Silvertips, 4-3. . . . The Thunderbirds lead the series, 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday and Friday nights. . . . Seattle had won Friday’s opener, 3-2. . . . Last night, the Thunderbirds faced a 2-1 first-period deficit, the first time they trailed in these playoffs. They had swept the Tri-City Americans from an opening-round series. . . . F Scott Eansor (3) have Seattle a 1-0 lead at 7:05 of the first period. . . . Everett went out front on goals from F Bryce Kindopp (1), at 7:56, and F Connor Dewar (1), at 12:52. . . . The Thunderbirds took control with three goals in a span of 5:22 in the second period. . . . F Zack Andrusiak (1) tied it at 11:12 and F Sami Moilanen (2) put Seattle out front just 18 seconds later. . . . D Ethan Bear upped the lead to 4-2 with his third goal, on a PP, at 16:34. . . . The Silvertips cut the gap to a goal at 12:33 of the third period when F Eetu Tuulola scored his fourth goal. . . . Bear added an assist to his goal. . . . Seattle has dressed 19 skaters in these playoffs and 15 of them have at least one goal. . . . Stankowski, who has started all six of Seattle’s playoff games in the absence of the injury Rylan Toth, now is 6-0, 2.17, .921. Stankowski turned 17 on March 9. He was 3-0-1, 2.18, .910 in seven regular-season appearances. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 11 shots. By period, Seattle was credited with nine, five and one shot. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to play without F Ryan Gropp, who was injured in Game 2 against the Americans. . . . Announced attendance: 5,129.

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At Kelowna, F Nick Merkley scored two goals, both empty-netters, and added an assist as the Rockets

JAMES HILSENDAGER

posted a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Rockets lead the series, 2-0, with the teams now heading for Portland’s Memorial Coliseum and games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The Rockets had opened the series with a 4-2 victory on Friday. . . . Last night, Kelowna took a 2-0 lead on second-period goals from F Kole Lind (3), at 7:33, and F Tomas Soustal (2), on a PP, at 9:56. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld got Portland to within one with his third goal, at 18:50. . . . D James Hilsendager, an under-rated but key guy on Kelowna’s back end, got what proved to be the winner at 14:07 of the third period. That was his first goal of the playoffs. Hilsendager, who turned 20 on March 20, was acquired from the Regina Pats in December. . . . Merkley upped the lead to 4-1 with an empty-netter at 18:40. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes (3) scored at 19:20. . . . Merkley added another empty-netter at 19:33. Those were Merkley’s first two goals of the playoffs. . . . F Dillon Dube and F Reid Gardiner each had two assists for the Rockets. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots, while Portland’s Cole Kehler turned aside 38. . . . Kelowna was 1-7 on the PP; Portland was 0-3. . . . Kelowna D Devante Stephens was in the lineup despite having left Game 2 in the second period with what appeared to be an injured wrist. . . . Announced attendance: 5,009.

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Forward @ZacheryFischer9 of the #MHTigers takes a high cross check from a #Lethbridge #Hurricanes player. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/0sLfscLekV

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 9, 2017

At Medicine Hat, F Giorgio Estephan scored three times and added an assist to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 7-4 victory over the Tigers. . . . The series is tied 1-1 as it heads to Lethbridge for games

GIORGIO ESTEPHAN

on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The host Tigers won the opener, 4-0, on Friday. . . . The teams combined for more goals — six — in last night’s first period than were scored in Game 1. . . . Last night, the Hurricanes erased a 4-3 deficit with the game’s last four goals, the final two both empty-netters. . . . D Dylan Cozens pulled the Hurricanes into a 4-4 tie at 8:37 of the second period with his first WHL playoff goal. . . . Cozens, who turned 16 on Feb. 9, is from Whitehorse. He was the 18th overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He had one goal in three regular-season games with Lethbridge. Cozens played the past two seasons at the Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. . . . Estephan snapped the tie with his second goal of the game, on a PP, at 12:51 of the third period. That was the first time in these playoffs that the Tigers had trailed. They swept the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings from the first round and didn’t trail even once in the four games. . . . Estephan completed his hat trick with an empty-netter at 18:35 and F Tanner Nagel added a shorthanded empty-netter at 19:12. . . . Estephan has five goals in these playoffs; Nagel has two. . . . The Tigers had taken a quick 2-0 lead on two first-period goals from F Zach Fischer, at 0:20 and 2:23. He’s got six goals. . . . Lethbridge tied it when Estephan scored at 8:16 and F Alec Baer (3) counted at 8:43. . . . Medicine Hat went back out front when F Ryan Jevne (2) scored, on a PP, at 11:10. . . . F Tyler Wong pulled the Hurricanes even with his sixth goal of the playoffs, at 17:33. . . . F James Hamblin (1) put Medicine Hat back out front at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Wong also had an assist for the winners, while F Steve Owre had two for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 26 shots for the Hurricanes. . . . Medicine Hat got 19 stops from G Michael Bullion, who lost for the first time in six playoff starts. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . Lethbridge was without F Matt Alfaro and D Calen Addison for a second straight game, while F Zak Zborosky, who played Friday, was scratched last night. . . . The Tigers remain without D Brad Forrest. . . . Announced attendance: 4,513.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

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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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Scheduling quirks, quarks . . . CHL's last import goalie makes NHL debut . . . Leedahl leads tired Pats

#NeverForget pic.twitter.com/iMgpRW8n80

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 20, 2017

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The Regina Pats escaped with a 3-2 OT victory over the host Prince Albert Raiders in Monday’s only WHL game.

The Pats, who have been the CHL’s No. 1-ranked team for much of this season, were playing their fifth game in seven days in seven different cities. Yes, that’s absurd, and here’s hoping the teenagers in this league get some relief from the schedule-maker next season.

“When you play five games in seven days, you can’t expect to have the energy,” John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post. “It’s impossible. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Monday . . .

“I’m not making excuses for them or anything . . .”

Paddock admitted to being “happy with the two points,” but, as he added, “when you think of five games in seven days, that’s a tough schedule on anybody.”

The Pats went 2-3-0 in those games.

Go back a bit further and you discover that the Pats have played their past eight games in eight different cities in a span of 13 days. They have had five off days and you wonder how many really good practices Paddock has been able to hold in that stretch. Remember that the WHL is a development league. 

The schedule calls for the Pats to play 15 games in February’s 28 days.

They don’t play on March 1 or 2, but then will play three games in fewer than 48 hours. Oh, and they will finish the season by playing four games in five nights. This time, though, the first three of those will be at home.

What’s that? Oh, you want some more scheduling notes . . . 

The Vancouver Giants have 12 games left in their season.

The first three of those are against the Victoria Royals.

The next three are against the Portland Winterhawks.

Seriously.

Come on . . . you couldn’t make up something like that.

The Giants will play host to the Royals on Friday and then the teams will meet in Victoria on Saturday and Sunday.

On March 1, the Winterhawks will visit the Giants, and the teams are to clash in Portland on March 3 and 4.

A few more scheduling notes . . . 

The Everett Silvertips, who lead the Western Conference by one point over the Seattle Thunderbirds, are to play seven of their final eight games on the road. They will play those eight games over 12 days. The seven road games will be played in six different cities; they’ll make two stops in Kennewick, Wash., for games with the Tri-City Americans. . . .

Everett and Seattle are to meet three more times, two of them in Kent, Wash., the home of the Thunderbirds. The first of those is Sunday in Kent, when Seattle will be enjoying its second straight three-in-three weekend. . . . 

The Americans are third in the U.S. Division, five points ahead of the Winterhawks. They will play Wednesday in Kennewick, Wash. The Americans are to finish up by playing five of six at home. But the last three, two of which are to be against the Spokane Chiefs, will be played in fewer than 48 hours. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers have 11 games remaining, with seven of those to be played at home. They trail the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars by two points. The Cougars also have 11 games remaining. The Blazers and Cougars are to meet four more times, with three of those in Prince George. . . . 

The Cougars’ final 11 games include a one-game trek to Kelowna for a March 1 date with the Rockets, and a swing into the U.S. Division to play three games in four nights. . . . 

Don’t count out the Rockets, who are five points behind Prince George with two games in hand. The Rockets have 13 games left, with five of those against teams unlikely to make the playoffs. The Rockets also will finish up by playing six straight at home — over a 14-day period — before ending their schedule by visiting the Giants. In fact, three of Kelowna’s last five games will be against the Giants, who won’t make the playoffs for a third straight season. . . . 

The Royals, who are four points behind Kelowna, have an opportunity to get on a roll, with their next three games against Vancouver and then two in a row with the Chiefs, who are nine points out of a playoff spot. However, Victoria will finish by playing six of seven games on the road, including two each in Kamloops and Kelowna. The Royals will finish by going home-and-home with Everett. . . . 

The Moose Jaw Warriors will finish by playing nine games in 18 days, but seven of those games will be on home ice. They will go home-and-home with Regina on March 10 and 11 and do the same with the Swift Current Broncos on March 17 and 18. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades are scrambling in the hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2013. The Blades and Calgary are tied for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Saskatoon has 13 games remaining, one of those against the Hitmen — in Calgary on March 8. The Blades also have four games remaining with the Prince Albert Raiders, who won’t be in the playoffs but are 5-4-1 in their past 10 games. Saskatoon is coming off a weekend in which it played three road games in fewer than 48 hours, going 0-2-1, including a 3-2 loss in Calgary. This weekend, the Blades again will play three games, the first two against the Raiders, in fewer than 48 hours, but the last two are at home. . . .

The Broncos are third in the East Division, six points behind the Warriors with a game in hand. This weekend, the Broncos will play three games in fewer than 48 hours, two of them against Regina. The Broncos will finish the season with four games in five nights, only one of them at home. . . .

The Red Deer Rebels, who are 1-6-3 in their past 10 games, are in Prince George tonight (Tuesday) having lost eight in a row (0-6-2). The Rebels are third in the Central Division but are just two points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen, who are 3-0-1 in their past four games. The Rebels are at home to the Kootenay Ice on Friday, then will go home-and-home with the Hitmen on Saturday (Red Deer) and Sunday (Calgary). The Rebels and Hitmen also will meet March 15 in Red Deer. . . .

And now let the fun begin!

——

Connor Hobbs, the leading scorer among WHL defencemen, didn’t play Monday as his Regina Pats beat the host Prince Albert Raiders, 3-2 in OT. The WHL has hit Hobbs with a TBD suspension after he took a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Brett Howden during a 4-0 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Saturday night. . . . Hobbs leads all defencemen in goals (26) and points (69). . . . The Pats are scheduled to meet the Blades in Saskatoon on Wednesday night before returning home to face the Swift Current Broncos on Friday.

——

Jake Morrissey, a former WHL goaltender, was credited with a goal on Friday night as his Sherwood Park Crusaders scored a 3-1 victory over the visiting Camrose Kodiaks. He was the last of the Crusaders to touch the puck — he had stopped a shot — when a Camrose player in trying to get the puck to a defenceman had it go all the way down the ice and into a vacated net. . . . Terry Jones of Postmedia has more right here.

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.@ArizonaCoyotes emergency goalie Marek Langhamer: I was doing my best to try to stay calm. pic.twitter.com/i6f8gpSgot

— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) February 21, 2017

G Marek Langhamer, who played three seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers, stopped seven of eight shots as he made his NHL debut in relief of Arizona Coyotes starter Mike Smith on Monday night in Glendale, Ariz.

Were this baseball, Langhamer, 22, would have been credited with a save in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Coyotes. Of his seven saves, one was fantastic as he went post-to-post to beat Anaheim forward Sami Vatanen with his left pad as time expired.

Smith left at 4:29 of the third period after a goalmouth collision with Anaheim’s Jakob Silfverberg. Smith went into concussion protocol but is fine and is expected to practise on Tuesday.

Langhamer had been with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners before being summoned to backup Smith after Louis Domingue was hurt.

Langhamer, from Moravska Trebova, Czech Republic, was with Medicine Hat from 2012-15. The Coyotes selected him in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2012 draft.

Langhamer played as a 20-year-old with the Tigers in 2014-15. His WHL career ended on April 17 when he stopped 54 shots in a 4-3 double OT loss to the host Calgary Hitmen, who won a second-round series, 4-1.

Langhamer became the last import goaltender to play anywhere in the CHL, which had announced in June 2013 that it was banning such players. Import goaltenders in the CHL at the time were allowed to complete their eligibility.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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@gdrinnan reports in 10 Sea/Port GP BOTH sides have winning record vs other! This might be biggest reason I left Sportstalk.LEGIT fake news!

— Dan Russell (@DanRussellST) February 20, 2017

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MONDAY’S GAME:

#WHL REG/PA:  @WHLPats Dawson Leedahl puts home 2 goals including overtime winner.  23rd multipoint game this year (14 coming into year).

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) February 21, 2017

At Prince Albert, F Dawson Leedahl scored two goals, including the OT winner, as the Regina Pats beat the Raiders, 3-2. . . . Leedahl’s 29th goal of the season won the game at 2:31 of extra time. . . . Leedahl,

DAWSON LEEDAHL

a 20-year-old from Saskatoon, was acquired from the Everett Silvertips prior to the season. He has career highs in goals, assists (44) and points (73), all in 57 games. Last season, one that was shortened by injury, he finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 27 games. In 2014-15, he had 14 goals and 19 assists in 52 games. His career high in assists (24) had come in 2013-14. . . . On Monday, F Sean Montgomery (13) had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 13:13 of the first period. . . . Leedahl tied it at 4:35 of the second period. . . . The Raiders went back in front at 11:07 as F Tim Vanstone scored No. 11, on a PP. . . . Regina D Josh Mahura, who also had an assist, got his guys into a 2-2 tie with his 14th goal, at 19:47 of the second. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, had two assists. He has 105 points, seven more than teammate Adam Brooks, who had one assist. . . . Brooks, the defending WHL scoring king, and Steel are tied for the WHL lead in assists (66). . . . Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post points out that Brooks, who put up 120 points last season, “is poised to become the first Pat in more than a quarter-century to register consecutive 100-point seasons. Mike Sillinger hit triple digits in 1988-89 (131), 1989-90 (129) and 1990-91 (116).” . . . The Pats got 27 saves from G Jordan Hollett. . . . G Ian Scott turned aside 41 shots for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . Regina, already without F Jake Leschyshyn (knee) and D Connor Hobbs (WHL suspension), lost F Filip Ahl to a charley horse during the game. . . . The Pats (42-9-7) had lost their previous two games. They lead the overall standings by six points over the Medicine Hat Tigers and hold two games in hand. . . . The Raiders (16-39-6) are 1-0-1 in their last two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,461.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Edmonton at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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Keeping Score: Head elf arrested . . . How many chances for Gregory? . . . Oh, those TV promos!

A tweet from Thursday night, during the first intermission of an NHL game . . .

Los Angeles now leads St. Louis 2-0.

...both in this game and in professional football teams.

— #LAKings (@LAKings) January 13, 2017

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The Los Angeles Chargers are going to spend a couple of seasons in the 27,000-seat StubHub Center after making the move from San Diego. Why don’t they move to Regina and play out of the new 30,048-seat stadium there? . . . The worst part of the NFL playoffs if you happen to live in Canada? That’s easy. Those interminable CTV promos that hit you in the forehead over and over and over and . . . Headline at TheKicker.com: Chairs voted into WWE Hall of Fame. . . . Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has provided us, again, with his annual skewering of cliches. You should check it out right here because it’s good. Really good. . . . 

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Starbucks barista won over $900,000 in Westgate Las Vegas football handicapping SuperContest. Now he can at least afford his own coffee.

— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) January 3, 2017

There are a lot of Saskatchewan Roughriders fans who are spitting watermelon seeds with quarterback Darian Durant having been traded to the Montreal Alouettes for a sack of deflated footballs. It’s interesting that so many fans didn’t see this coming. From out here near the left coast, it seemed apparent that Chris Jones, who runs the CFL franchise, didn’t want Durant back at any price. . . . “North Pole police have finally cleared Santa’s head elf of charges of careless use of a firearm,” reports RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com. “Authorities admit mistakes were made after finding a cartridge in a pear tree.” . . . Currie, again: “The B.C. government will increase the minimum wage by 40 cents before October 2017. In related CFL news, the Lions announced a major increase in playoff bonuses.” . . . One more from Currie: “A Florida octogenarian pleaded no contest to battery and assault with a weapon in a shuffleboard fight after charges were reduced to misdemeanours. His gums weren’t loaded.”

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Seahawks average ticket price for playoff game: $497. You've got to be joking.

— Ron Judd (@roncjudd) January 6, 2017

Following the announcement that owner Dean Spanos was moving his San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles, Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post noted: “The Chargers once brought us Air Coryell. Now the Err Spanos label is most appropriate.” . . . Jack Todd, in the Montreal Gazette: “I’ve become a real fan of a special series of NHL games available on either Sportsnet or TSN almost every night of the week. They’re called ‘Game Not Available In Your Region’ and some of them have been truly unforgettable. Seriously. This is what we get in exchange for the $5.2 billion Rogers is shovelling into the NHL. The league gets richer while the most passionate hockey fans in the world get stiffed, night after night. Thanks, Gary.”

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Thank you @SnoopDogg for the Christmas Sweater pic.twitter.com/jzaw7pkQEe

— Willie Nelson (@willienelson) January 4, 2017

Bill Littlejohn, our South Lake Tahoe, Calif.-based correspondent, reports: “New York Giants defensive backs call their unit ‘NYPD’ — that's New York Pass Defense. So in a case of blown coverage on someone's part, do we call them 'NYPD Blew’?” . . . I guess we witnessed NYPD Blew when Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed that Hail Mary pass against the Giants just before halftime last weekend. . . . Littlejohn, again: “Jim Harbaugh, Michigan’s head football coach, recently welcomed their seventh child. Nike is busy designing a shoe for his wife and children to move into.” . . . Going into this weekend, the WHL’s Regina Pats were 27-4-7. The midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians were 26-2-1. The junior B Regina Capitals were 26-3-1. Does that mean Regina is Hockeytown?

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Earlier today Russia Today suddenly replaced the regular C-SPAN programming. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

— Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe) January 13, 2017

The New York Jets finished 5-11 this season. So, Brandon Marshall, what kind of a season was it? “The best way I can describe it,” the receiver told Showtime’s Inside the NFL, “is having a diaper on and never changing it. And just sitting in that diaper the whole year.” . . . “Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has been suspended a year for another violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, his third suspension of the season,” notes Janice Hough, aka The Left Coast Sports Babe. “He will be eligible for the 2017 postseason. It’s all part of the league’s ’12 strikes and you’re out’ policy.” . . . 

(Gregg Drinnan is a former sports editor of the Regina Leader-Post and the late Kamloops Daily News. He is at greggdrinnan@gmail.com and twitter.com/gdrinnan. Keeping Score appears here on weekends, except when it doesn’t.)

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