Cougars unable to contain Magee . . . Whistle still unbeaten . . . Malenstyn wants to help friend

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Adam Brooks broke a 2-2 tie in the third period to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Pats, who won 4-2 on Friday, lead the series 2-0 as it heads to Swift Current for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Games 3 and 4 are scheduled to be televised by Shaw. . . . D Brett Lernout gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead at 5:00 of the first period. . . . Regina took the lead before the period ended, on goals by F Taylor Cooper, at 8:39, and F Jesse Gabrielle, at 14:24. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen pulled the Broncos even at 7:32 of the second. . . . Brooks scored the winner at 6:34 of the third. . . . It’s the first time the Pats have won back-to-back playoff games at home since the spring of 2001. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple turned aside 29 shots, eight fewer than Landon Bow of the Broncos. . . . F Braden Christoffer had two assists for the Pats. . . . Regina was 0-for-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-2. The second of those started with 53 seconds left in the third period. . . . Attendance was 5,377.

In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 30 shots to help the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . This was the series opener with Game 2 tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . Langhamer, a 20-year-old Czech, is the last European goaltender in the WHL. CHL teams no longer are allowed to use Euro goaltenders. . . . One goal was scored in each period of this game. . . . Tigers D Kyle Becker opened the scoring at 6:32 of the first. . . . F Cole Sanford, Medicine Hat’s 50-goal man, made it 2-0 at 14:29 of the second, on a PP. . . . Red Deer F Grayson Pawlenchuk got his guys to within a goal at 11:19 of the third. . . . F Trevor Cox had two assists for the Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-2 on the PP; Red Deer’s PP unit was never given even one opportunity. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth stopped 31 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . The Tigers have added F James Hamblin to their roster, but he didn’t play last night. He was a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He played this season with the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored two third-period goals to lead the Royals to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . On Friday, Magee had three goals in Victoria’s 5-3 victory. . . . The series now moves to Prince George for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Greg Chase gave the Royals a 3-1 lead at 15:11 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it on goals by F Zach Pochiro, at 18:28 of the second, and D Tate Olson, his second of the game, at 5:02 of the third, via the PP. . . . Magee put the Royals back in front at 11:51, only to have Cougars F Chase Witala tie it at 13:49. . . . Magee then scored the winner at 15:47. . . . That goal was Magee’s 20th career playoff point, allowing him to tie the franchise record that had been held by F Stephen Hodges. . . . F Brad Morrison, F Jansen Harkins and D Joe Carvalho each had two assists for the Cougars. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 30 shots, 10 more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 2-for-6 on the PP, giving them five PP goals in two games. The Royals were 0-for-2. . . . Attendance was 5,545.

In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle turned aside 30 shots in posting his second straight shutout as the Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . Whistle has made two career playoff starts and has yet to surrender even one goal. On Friday, the Rockets beat the Americans, 6-0, as Whistle made 18 saves. . . . The series now moves to Kennewick, Wash., for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Rodney Southam, who started this season with the Americans, opened the scoring for Kelowna at 7:42 of the second period. . . . F Leon Draisaitl added insurance at 15:54 of the third and F Tyson Baillie scored an empty-netter at 18:36. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 42 shots. . . . The Rockets held a 20-6 edge in shots after one period. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 5,639. . . . Craig West, the play-by-play voice of the Americans, called his 2,000th WHL game last night.

In Everett, the Spokane Chiefs scored four times in the first period en route to a 6-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Chiefs, 5-1 losers in Game 1, will play host to Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday. . . . F Adam Helewka had two goals and an assist for Spokane, while F Dominic Zwerger also scored twice. . . . Chiefs F Keanu Yamamoto had two assists. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 29 shots. He lost his shutout at 14:21 of the third period when D Cole MacDonald scored. . . . Spokane was 3-for-9 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-7. . . . The game featured 30 minor penalties, 16 of them to the Silvertips. Ten roughing minors were handed out at the final buzzer. . . . Everett D Ben Betker left in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . Attendance was 4,339.

In Portland, F Mathew Barzal opened and closed the scoring as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Portland. . . . Barzal’s second goal, at 17:18 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie. . . . The Winterhawks went on the PP with 53.1 seconds left in the third period but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Seattle took a 2-0 lead in the first period when Barzal scored, at 1:01, and F Cory Millette added a PP goal, at 15:43. . . . Portland D Blake Heinrich got his guys on the board at 19:55. . . . The Winterhawks tied it when D Adam Henry scored a PP goal at 8:37 of the second and took the lead on F Evan Weinger’s goal at 6:27 of the third. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor tied it at 11:41. . . . F Ryan Gropp drew an assist on both of Barzal’s goals. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 34 shots, five more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Gropp came up short on a third-period penalty shot with the score 2-2. . . . Weinger scored 10 seconds later. . . . Seattle was 1-for-2 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-3. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn returned after not playing since Jan. 31. He missed 19 games. . . . Attendance was 7,072.
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The third game of the series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Rebels in Red Deer will begin at 7 p.m. The game, which is scheduled for Wednesday, originally was scheduled for 7 p.m., but then was shifted to TBD in order to accommodate a possible Sportsnet telecast. But the Brandon-Edmonton series will go at least five games, with the fifth game set for Wednesday. Sportsnet will televise that game, with an 8 p.m. start time, allowing Game 3 in Red Deer to begin at 7 p.m.
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F Beck Malenstyn of the Calgary Hitmen has a friend in Penticton who is battling cancer. Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun reports that Kaylee Kozari-Bowland, 16, has “a rare, aggressive form of cancer” and “has exhausted all treatments available at the B.C. Children’s hospital, and now her desperate family is looking to a trial at the MD Cancer Center in Texas.” . . . Her family is looking at a bill of $200,000 or more, and Malenstyn wants to help. So he and the Hitmen are putting together a silent auction. . . . Fisher’s story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Brett Hopfe has resigned as director of hockey operations and head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys. Hopfe has filled both positions for more than three seasons. . . . Hopfe had signed a three-year contract extension on June 10. . . . The Grizzlys finished 24-27-9 this season, good for fifth place in the South Division. They were swept by the Drumheller Dragons in a best-of-five first-round playoff series.
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Happy 61st to @bdnwheatkings legend Ron Chipperfield who's one of few pros to go from playing in Calgary to Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/srONCeYoVm
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) March 29, 2015

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.

Pats, Raiders snowed out . . . Giants back into third in B.C. . . . Hitmen win big one in The Hat

The Prince Albert Raiders were to have played host to the Regina Pats on Saturday night. But blizzard-like conditions put an end to those plans. . . . A decision was made in mid-afternoon to postpone the game due to the inclement weather conditions. It will be rescheduled. . . . The Pats and Raiders aren’t scheduled to meet again until the final weekend of the regular season (March 20 and 21) when they are to go home-and-home. . . . The Raiders are scheduled to play in Brandon today, with face-off at 4 p.m. Seriously!
And then there is the bizarre scheduling to which the Victoria Royals find themselves subjected. The Royals dropped a 7-3 decision to the Royals in Kelowna on Friday night. Victoria then played last night in Kamloops where they beat the Blazers, 5-2. . . . The Royals left Kamloops immediately after the game and headed for Kent, Wash., where they are to face the Seattle Thunderbirds today at 5:05 p.m. . . . That’s three games in three different cities in fewer than 48 hours. . . . On top of that, the Royals have to get home to play an afternoon game — it’s a noon start — against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . . It all adds up to four games in about 90 hours. . . . Gee, I wonder if the Royals will practise on Monday or if head coach Dave Lowry will tell them to enjoy a day away from the rink?
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There was an interesting note involving the first goal of a game in the notes for Saturday’s game that had the Victoria Royals in Kamloops to play the Blazers. . . . It seems that the Royals scored first in only 15 of their first 39 games. They went 18-18-3 in those games. . . . Since then, they have scored first in 10 of 16 games. They are 12-3-1 in those games. . . . Obviously, the first goal of game can be rather important. . . . Of course, they didn't score first Saturday night in Kamloops, but ended up winning, 5-2.
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There was good news for Brandon Wheat Kings’ fans on Saturday morning. Bruce Luebke, the play-by-play voice of the Wheaties, tweeted that the team has “confirmed that all of their home playoff games will be played at Westman Communications Group Place.” . . . In past seasons, the Wheat Kings have been forced to find another home in the first round because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the building. . . . This year’s Royal runs from March 30 through April 4. The Wheat Kings apparently will be able to schedule first-round games around that. . . .
F Rodney Southam of the Kelowna Rockets drew a two-game suspension for incurring his fourth game misconduct of the season on Friday against the visiting Victoria Royals. . . . The Rockets were fined $1,000 “for second occasion of a player instigating fight in last five minutes of game.” Southam instigated a fight late in Friday’s game.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kamloops lost at home, while Prince George and Vancouver won on the road. . . . Vancouver went to bed in third place, with the other two tied, just one point back. . . . Vancouver has 15 games remaining, Kamloops 14 and Prince George 13. . . . Kamloops and Prince George are five points behind Tri-City, which holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Kelowna won at home and now holds a four-point lead over idle Brandon atop the overall standings.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett picked up a loser point and now leads the division by eight points over idle Portland. . . . Seattle won and trails second-place Portland by three points. Each has 16 games remaining.
EAST DIVISION: Swift Current’s home-ice victory lifted the third-place Broncos 11 points clear of Moose Jaw and Prince Albert. Moose Jaw lost on the road and Prince Albert was snowed out. . . . Moose Jaw and Prince Albert are eight points behind idle Edmonton, which holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Second-place Calgary went into Medicine Hat and won to pull to within four points of the first-place Tigers. . . . Calgary holds one game in hand. . . . Red Deer picked up a loser point and is six points behind Calgary.
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In Swift Current, F Cavin Leth scored twice to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Riley Whittingham gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with a PP goal seven seconds into the second period. He’s got 11 goals. . . . D Jordan Thomson pulled the Broncos even with his fourth goal just 18 seconds later. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen broke the tie with his fifth goal at 7:05. . . . Leth, who has five goals, and F Jake DeBrusk, who has 34, provided third-period insurance. . . . F Adam Helewka got his 30th goal for the Chiefs. . . . The Broncos (27-24-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Chiefs (27-25-4) went 3-3-0 on their East Division swing. They have lost 11 of their last 15 games but now go home for three in a row. . . .

In Red Deer, F Chase Witala scored at 1:15 of OT to give the Prince George Cougars a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Witala, who also had an assist, has 28 goals. . . . F Jeff de Wit scored his third goal of the season for the home side at 12:37 of the first period. . . . F Kody McDonald pulled the Cougars even with his sixth goal at 4:14 of the second and F Zach Pochiro got his 13th, at 16:46, for a 2-1 lead. . . . Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell forced OT with his 17th goal, via the PP, at 2:54 of the third. . . . Prince George G Tavin Grant stopped 40 shots, 17 more than Red Deer’s Taz Burman. . . . Pochiro, who scored twice in a win in Medicine Hat on Friday, had an assist, too, while F Jansen Harkins had two of them. . . . The Cougars (23-32-4) are 2-0-1 in their last three and have points in five of six. . . . The Rebels (28-18-9) have lost four in a row. They lead the WHL in loser points. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estaphan scored twice to help the Hurricanes to a 5-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Estephan’s first goal, on the PP, gave Lethbridge a 3-1 lead at 5:27 of the second period. . . . The Blades pulled even on F Mason McCarty’s second goal of the game, and fifth of the season, at 18:35, and F Nic Zajac’s eighth goal at 1:00 of the third period. . . . Estephan broke the tie with his 16th goal at 14:00. . . . Lethbridge D Kord Pankewicz scored his sixth goal, via the PP, and added an assist. . . . F Brett Stovin had two assists for the Blades, while McCarty also had an assist. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 32 shots, eight more than Saskatoon’s Nik Amundrud. . . . Lethbridge was 2-for-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-for-3. . . . F Lukas MacKenzie, a third-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft, made his debut with the Blades. He’s from Calgary and attends the EDGE School in his hometown. . . . Lethbridge (18-32-6) has won three in a row and is 6-1-1 in its last eight. . . . The Blades (16-36-3) are seven points behind Lethbridge in the race to avoid the WHL cellar. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Brendan Burke made 44 saves to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . F Adam Tambellini gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead with his 39th goal at 5:39 of the first period, on a PP. . . . F Beck Malenstyn upped that to 2-0 with his seventh goal at 12:39 of the second. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his WHL-leading 45th goal at 15:19 of the second. He has one more goal than Kelowna F Rourke Chartier. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer turned aside 25 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-for-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-5. . . . The Hitmen are 33-18-5 and have won 10 of their last 11. . . . The Tigers (36-18-3) have lost three in a row. . . .

Congrats on The Big 5-0 to @victoriaroyals bench boss @jungledave10 who made Cup Finals with both Panthers & Flames. pic.twitter.com/MSf0MenJ8d
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) February 15, 2015

In Kamloops, F Tyler Soy scored twice and set up another to lead the Victoria Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Blazers. . . . F Matt Needham got the Blazers on the board first, scoring his 19th goal at 5:53 of the first period. . . . The Royals scored the nest four goals, with Soy getting two of them. He’s got 23 goals in his sophomore season. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll also scored twice, giving him 32. Soy, now with 52 points in 53 games, drew an assist on the second of those. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts, playing his 150th career regular-season game, had three assists. He now has 101 career points, including 80 assists. . . . F Cole Ully had two assists for Kamloops. He’s got 73 points in 55 games. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase had two assists. . . . The Royals lead the season series 4-2-1 (the Blazers are 3-3-1). Victoria will be back in Kamloops on Feb. 27 to conclude the series. . . . The Royals had an 18-4 edge in shots in the first period and led 42-32 at game’s end. . . . Victoria head coach Dave Lowry turned 50 on Saturday. He had 35 points, including 18 goals, in 79 games with the 2000-01 Calgary Flames. Kamloops head coach Don Hay was the Flames’ head coach for the first 68 games that season, before he was replaced by Greg Gilbert. . . . The Royals (31-21-4) are a comfortable second in the B.C. Division. . . . The Blazers (22-30-6) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Kelowna, G Jake Morrissey stopped 28 shots to help the Rockets to a 6-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . It was Morrissey’s first career shutout. . . . F Tyson Baillie and F Leon Draisaitl each had two goals and two assists. . . . Baillie reached the 200-point plateau for his career. He has 202 points, including 92 goals, in 244 games. . . . Baillie, who has 34 goals, had been out since Feb. 7 thanks to a headshot from Kamloops F Quinn Benjafield, who sat out Game 3 of a four-game suspension last night. . . . Draisaitl has 27 points, including nine goals, in 17 games since joining the Rockets from the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . D Riley Stadel and F Dillon Dube each had two assists. . . . The Rockets (44-9-4) have won two in a row. . . . The Warriors (22-30-4) are eight points out of a playoff spot with 16 games remaining. . . .

In Everett, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the only two goals of the shootout as they beat the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal forced OT with his 11th goal at 19:35 of the third period. . . . F Scott Eansor had given Seattle a 1-0 lead with his eighth goal, on the PP, at 9:08 of the first. . . . Everett took the lead on PP goals by F Patrick Bajkov, his 21st, at 8:42 of the second, and F Remi Laurencelle, his 18th, at 2:21 of the third. . . . Barzal and F Donovan Neuls had the shootout goals. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 25 shots through OT, one more than Everett’s Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 2-for-4 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-3. . . . The Thunderbirds (29-20-7) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . Everett (35-16-6) has points in its last four (2-0-2). . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Vancouver Giants moved back into third place in the B.C. Division with a 6-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Giants F Alex Baer scored his 12th goal just 47 seconds into the game and the visitors never were headed. . . . F Zack Jones got his 27th goal and F Carter Popoff his 23rd for Vancouver. . . . Baer and Jones each added an assist, too. . . . F Jakob Stukel had two assists for the winners, while F Jackson Houck scored his 18th goal and had an assist. . . . F Lucas Nickles got his 21st goal and had an assist for the Americans. . . . Vancouver now is 24-30-3, while the Americans, who have lost two in a row, are 26-28-3.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Prince Albert at Brandon, 4 p.m.
Saskatoon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 6 p.m.
Victoria vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
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MONDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 2 p.m.
Brandon at Regina 2 p.m.
Prince George at Edmonton, 2 p.m.
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Chad Brownlee's new guitar is the coolest thing I've ever seen. pic.twitter.com/wOyW874Kdn
— Maximillian (@thapeppa_grinda) February 14, 2015

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.

Wheaties deal import . . . Americans make two trades . . . Social media fiasco in OHL

G Barry Brust (Spokane, Calgary, 2000-04) has exercised his NHL out clause with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). The Medveščak press release doesn’t name the NHL club. This season, in 19 games, Brust had a 2.25 GAA, a .933 save percentage and two shutouts. He was sixth in the KHL in save percentage.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings cleared up their import situation on Tuesday, trading Czech F Richard Nejezchleb, 20, to the Tri-City Americans for two third-round draft picks, one in 2015 and the other in 2017.
The Wheat Kings had dealt their 2015 third-round pick to the Prince George Cougars for the rights to F Peter Quenneville a year ago.
Nejezchleb, who led Brandon with 32 goals last season, was a fifth-round selection by the New York Rangers in the 2014 NHL draft. He went to camp with the Rangers and then was sent to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He was returned to Brandon two weeks ago.
His arrival left the Wheat Kings with three imports. They have chosen to go with Latvian F Rihards Bukarts, 19, and Russian D Ivan Provorov, 17.
Bukarts is the Wheat Kings’ leading scorer, with 26 points in 16 games. In fact, he is one point off the WHL scoring lead.
Provorov, a freshman, is making a huge impact and has 19 points, including eight goals, in 18 games.
Brandon now has 24 players on its roster, including eight defencemen and 14 forwards.
The Wheat Kings (14-3-1) returned home Sunday after going 6-1-0 on a road swing that took them through the B.C. Division. They are home to the Saskatoon Blades on Friday and the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday.
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The Tri-City Americans acquired F Richard Nejezchleb, a 20-year-old Czech, from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday.
With Nejezchleb being a two-spotter -- a 20-year-old and an import -- it meant that the Americans had to make a couple of moves in order to get him on their roster.
They released freshman F Semyon Krasheninnikov, 17, and veteran F Jackson Playfair, 20.
Krasheninnikov, from Ufa, Russia, had one goal in eight games.
Playfair, from Fort St. James, B.C., was acquired last season from the Spokane Chiefs. He has seven points, including four goals, in 16 games this season. Playfair scored in overtime on Sunday to give the Americans a 5-4 victory over the Royals in Victoria. In 135 regular-season games, he has 26 points, 10 of them goals.
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The Americans made another deal on Tuesday as they sent F Rodney Southam, 18, to the Kelowna Rockets for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft.
“This gives Rodney a chance to play more, and for us to get some of our younger guys in the lineup on a more consistent basis,” Tri-City general manager Bob Tory told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “It also gives us a chance to recoup some of the draft picks we sent to Brandon.”
Southam, from Saskatoon, had two goals and three assists in 10 games with the Americans. Last season, he had eight points, five of them goals, in 52 games. He had been a sixth-round selection by the Red Deer Rebels in the 2011 bantam draft.
Acquiring Southam gives the Rockets some much needed depth at forward. They have run into some injuries that resulted in them using defencemen to fill in up front.
Southam is expected in Kelowna in time to play against the visiting Victoria Royals tonight.
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If you aren’t aware by now that nothing is private once it appears anywhere on social media, well, learn a lesson from what has happened to some OHL players. They were busy apologizing on Tuesday for it. . . . Peterborough This Week has a story right here, while QVI Agency has one right here.
Meanwhile, Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports Canada has written a piece headlined: Saying sorry not nearly good enough for OHL players’ abusive language. . . . Yes, she hits the nail on the head with this essay right here.
Why is it that when executives with major junior hockey teams start talking about how they are dealing with something “internally” the antennae go up?
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The Moose Jaw Warriors, who are at home to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday, have recalled D Dustin Perillat, 17, and D Colin Paradis, 16.
Perillat, a native of Saskatoon, has been playing with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. He was a fourth-round pick by the Warriors in the 2012 bantam draft.
Paradis, from Sherwood Park, Alta., has been playing for the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. The Warriors selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 bantam draft.
The Warriors will be without D Tyler Brown, who has an undisclosed injury, and D Reid Zalitach. The Warriors tweeted Tuesday that Zalitach isn’t with the team for personal reasons. A source told Taking Note that Zalitach has left the Warriors. That being the case, he would be at least the fourth player to have left the team since the season started.
Zalitach, a native of Winnipeg, was one of four second-round selections by the Vancouver Giants in the 2011 bantam draft. The Warriors acquired him on Oct. 28, 2013, giving up a fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft and a third-rounder in 2016. Zalitach has 14 points, including one goal, in 103 regular-season games. This season, he is pointless in 13 games with Moose Jaw.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Saskatoon, F Adam Tambellini scored twice and added an assist to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 4-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Tambellini has 10 goals this season. . . . Calgary F Radel Fazleev broke a 1-1 tie at 16:10 of the second period with his sixth goal. . . . The Hitmen (8-8-1) had lost their past four games; the Blades (5-12-0) now have lost three in a row. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, who played for the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts, stopped 25 shots. . . . Saskatoon G Trevor Martin made 26 saves. He joined the Blades on Saturday from the SJHL's Melville Millionaires, replacing the injured Nik Amundrud. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen came up short on a first-period penalty shot when the puck rolled off the blade of his stick. . . . Saskatoon D Jordan Thomson left the game early in the first period after taking a stick up high from Virtanen. Bob Woods, the Blades' general manager and head coach, said later that Thomson has a concussion. . . . The Blades already were missing Amundrud and D Adam Henry with concussions. . . . Among Calgary's scratches were it’s two top scorers -- F Chase Lang, who is serving a WHL suspension, and F Greg Chase (healthy). Chase has 15 points, including two goals, in 15 games after totalling 35 goals and 50 assists in 70 games last season. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored two second-period goals 26 seconds apart and hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Coda Gordon scored his ninth goal of the season, at 7:43 of the first, to give the visitors the lead. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford tied it with his 10th at 4:41 of the second and Steve Owre broke the tie with his seventh goal at 5:07. . . . Sanford also had an assist. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow, who is having a magnificent season, stopped 35 shots, 10 more than the Tigers' Marek Langhamer. . . . The Broncos (10-8-2) had F Jay Merkley back in the lineup. He had 12 points, including seven goals, in nine games when he was sidelined due to illness. . . . The Tigers (12-3-1) had lost their previous two games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Taran Kozun stopped 37 shots through OT and was perfect in the shootout as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-2. . . . F Justin Hickman scored three times for the Thunderbirds, but only gets credit for two. That's because shootout goals don't count in individual stats, even when they are game-winners. . . . Hickman won the game on his first-ever shootout attempt . . . Hickman scored the game's first two goals. Hickman has four goals this season; he also scored twice in a 5-3 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Oct. 25. . . . F Adam Musil, with his seventh, got Red Deer to within one early in the second period and F Brooks Maxwell forced OT with his fourth, a shorthanded effort at 4:49 of the third. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth stopped 31 shots. . . . These teams only play each other once each season. Still, there were five fights in the game, four of them in the first period. As a point of reference, the Everett Silvertips have been involved in three fights all season. . . . The Rebels (8-7-2) are 5-0-1 in their last six; the Thunderbirds are 7-6-3.
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No matter what happens in life, if you have family you will always have a shoulder to lean on.
— jackson playfair (@jackplayfair) November 5, 2014

Tickets for next Monday's Subway Super Series opener can be purchased at a two-for-one rate at the SaskTel Centre box office tonight.
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) November 5, 2014

I guess there are plenty of good seats still available.
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) November 5, 2014

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Kopecky (Lethbridge, 2000-02) signed a lockout contract with Dukla Trencin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had 10 goals and 22 assists in 80 games with the Florida Panthers last season. . . .
D Tomas Mojzis (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03) has been assigned on loan for an indefinite period by Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL) to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has no points in five games with Lev this season.
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The Prince George Cougars have made a move in an attempt to solve some early-season goaltending woes.
The Cougars gave up a 2014 fourth-round bantam draft pick in order to acquire G Mac Engel, 19, from the Spokane Chiefs.
Engel spent the previous two seasons with the Chiefs, but lost the starter’s job to Eric Williams during last spring’s playoffs. Williams then won the No. 1 spot during training camp and the Chiefs sent Engel home to Red Deer last week to await a trade.
The Cougars (5-3-1) have been going with Devon Fordyce, 18, who backed up Drew Owsley last season, and freshman Brett Zarowny, 17.
Fordyce hasn’t finished two of his last three starts.
"Every game there's been a goal that hasn't been good," Cougars head coach Dean Clark told Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen. "It's not a good thing. When you're a goaltender for me you've got to stop all the easy ones and most of the hard ones, not most of the hard ones and some of the easy ones.”
Prince George general manager Dallas Thompson said the Cougars will go with three goaltenders, at least for now.
The Cougars are at home to the Calgary Hitmen tonight and will meet the Rockets in Kelowna on Thursday. Then, wouldn’t you know it, the Cougars will play three in a row against the Chiefs. They’ll play Saturday in Spokane, and Tuesday and Wednesday in Prince George.
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Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, handed out 14 games worth of suspensions to four players on Monday.
F Lucas Grayson of the Everett Silvertips drew five games for a checking-to-the-head major in a game at Regina on Saturday. Pats F Dryden Hunt, who had just returned from a concussion, left after the hit and didn’t return. Grayson will miss games in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Prince Albert and Saskatoon, and a home game against Spokane.
F Ryan Olsen of the Kelowna Rockets will sit for three games after taking a checking-to-the-head major at Victoria on Saturday. He was penalized for a high hit on Royals D Joe Hicketts. Olsen will sit for visits by Prince George and Brandon, and won’t play in Medicine Hat on Oct. 24.
D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades got two games for a checking-to-the-head major at Lethbridge on Saturday. Thrower didn’t play Sunday against the host Lethbridge Hurricnes, so will complete his suspension by missing Wednesday’s game against the visiting Tri-City Americans.
F Tim Vanstone of the Prince Albert Raiders will watch for four games after taking a checking-from-behind major at Moose Jaw on Saturday. F Miles Warkentine of the Warriors, who was hit by Vanstone, was left with a concussion. The Raiders start a seven-game game homestand tonight against Tri-City. Vanstone will miss that game and visits by Everett, Swift Currrent and Moose Jaw.
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F Lyndon Martell (Kamloops, Regina, 2010-12) of the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings suffered a concussion during an Oct. 6 game against the host Langley Rivermen. So far, Martell, 19, has missed three games.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reported Monday that, according to the Vancouver Giants, “the WHL has changed how it’s counting Kale Kessy’s 12-game suspension and he’ll now be available to the Giants for a Friday, Oct. 26 visit from the Victoria Royals.” . . . The Giants acquired Kessy from the Medicine Hat Tigers last week. He is serving a suspension for an incident in a game on Sept. 22. . . . Had he not been traded, he would have been eligible to return to the Tigers’ lineup for an Oct. 26 game in Calgary. . . . While Kessy was Tigers’ property, he sat out six games. From Oct. 12 through Oct. 25, inclusive, the Giants are scheduled to play four games. . . .
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The Red Deer Advocate reports that Rebels G Patrick Bartosak has vacated the Chateau Bow Wow.
Bartosak, a 19-year-old Czech sophomore, returned to practice yesterday after being suspended by the club late last week.
“It was a disciplinary thing that has been dealt with,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels owner and general manager, told the Advocate. “He understands it, he knows why (he was suspended). I don’t think we need to go any deeper with it than that.
“It was something that had to be done. He’s a great kid and he’s obviously a heck of a goaltender, one of the best in our league.”
The Rebels are at home to the Kamloops Blazers tonight.
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The Tri-City Americans, who are on their six-game East Division swing, stopped at a Tim Hortons outlet in Moose Jaw on Monday before making their way to Saskatoon.
“Tim Hortons is about $350 richer,” Jim Hiller, the Americans’ head coach, jokingly told Annie Fowler of the Tr-City Herald.
The Americans are 2-0-0 on their swing. They are in Prince Albert tonight and Saskatoon on Wednesday.
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F Rodney Southam of the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts has signed with the Tri-City Americans. The 5-foot-11, 167-pound Southam, 16, has 10 points, five of them goals, in his first five games with the Contacts. . . . Southam was listed by the Americans in July. Last season, as a rookie with the Contacts, he had 23 points and 93 penalty minutes in 43 games. . . . Southam will be with the Americans on Wednesday when they play the Blades in Saskatoon.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have assigned F Quintin Lisoway, 17, to the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons. Lisoway, a ninth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, had one assist in three games with the Wheat Kings. Last season, he had 46 points with a midget team in Omaha, Neb. . . . The Wheat Kings, who left Monday on the longest road trip of their season, are carrying 24 players, including eight defencemen and 14 forwards. . . . The Wheat Kings (5-3-1) open the swing tonight in Medicine Hat.
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F Cody Fowlie, who was released last week by the Everett Silvertips, has signed with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Fowlie got caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game after the Silvertips claimed D Connor Cox, who had been dropped by the Saskatoon Blades. That left Everett with four 20s, meaning one had to go. That one was Fowlie, who turns 20 on Nov. 5. Fowlie had 40 points, including 14 goals, in 72 games last season with Everett.
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The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs fired head coach Marc-André Dumont on Monday. Assistant coach Mario Durocher moved up as head coach. Dumont was in his fourth season as head coach. The Foreurs are 4-6-0 and in fourth place in the six-team West Division. Dumont said he already is looking for an assistant coach. . . .
Meanwhile, the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have dismissed general manager Pierre Roux. Head coach Ron Choules will handle the GM’s duties on an interim basis. Interestingly, Roux was hired in May 2011 to replace Mario Durocher. The Screaming Eagles are 2-6-3, sixth in the six-team Maritime Division
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Jack Todd writes an entertaining read in Monday editions of the Montreal Gazette. Part of this week’s piece was ‘The Top 10 Things We Don’t Miss About NHL Hockey:
10. Foghorn Dreghorn telling us that “TSN has just learned that the Stanley Cup is awarded to the team that wins the NHL playoffs.”
9. Barry Melrose, with or without the mullet.
8. Pierre Gauthier.
7. Leaf fans waving tin-foil Stanley Cups after the team wins two in a row in October.
6. Scott Hartnell’s hair.
5. Brian Burke’s 21,375th interview.
4. Morning skates.
3. “We just have to stay focused and take it one game at a time.”
2. Lobotomized fans watching themselves on the big scoreboard.
And the No. 1 thing we don’t miss about NHL hockey? Don Cherry.
For Todd’s complete column, click right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Saskatoon Blades (@blades hockey): “Hey @justinbieber, the members of @blades hockey wanted to send out an invite to come practice with the team when your in Saskatoon tomorrow.”
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If you haven’t seen this right here, well, give it a look. It’s a music video that involves members of the Red Deer Rebels taking off on the latest fad — Gangnam Style. . . . It also features members of the morning crew from Red Deer radio station The Kraze 101.3. . . . The star of the show, however, is Morris Flewwelling, the obviously fun-loving mayor of Red Deer. . . . If you’re wondering where Brent Sutter, the Rebel’s owner and general manager, is in the video, well, if you look behind the flower beds at about the 1:27 mark.

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