Välimäki feted in Finland . . . Brooks' streak at 20 . . . Blades stun Warriors

Juuso Välimäki (centre) of the Tri-City Americans shakes hands
with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, who is behind his
wife Jenni Haukio (in purple). (YLE screen grab)

Juuso Välimäki is greeted by Finnish First Lady Jenni Haukio.(YLE screen grab)

D Juuso Välimäki of the Tri-City Americans was in Helsinki, Finland, on Tuesday where he was among those feted in that country’s Independence Day celebrations that included the Linnan Juhlat — Palace Ball — which, according to The MacBeth Report, “is a REALLY big deal . . . it is televised live and garners high ratings.

Välimäki was among the honourees because he captained the Finnish team that won the U-18 IIHF world championship in Grand Forks, N.D., in April.

Here’s more from The MacBeth Report:

It begins with the reception line, where everyone is individually greeted by the President (currently Sauli Niinistö) and spouse/significant other (wife in this case, Jenni Haukio).

The first people through the line are war veterans, led this year by 91-year- old General Jaakko Valtanen, former Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces. These are veterans of the Winter War and Continuation War, two wars fought during the Second World War, when the Soviet Union twice attacked Finland. The veterans are dwindling in number every year, just like here.

Afterwards, it's dinner, then dancing. 

Anyway . . . 

From Turun Sanomat (Turku's daily newspaper), a story that includes a picture of Välimäki arriving at the Palace is right here.

There are more pictures of the reception line right here.

And there is more coverage right here, in Finnish, from the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE).

As best as we can tell, Välimäki was the youngest guest at age 18. A Finnish singer named Robin Packalén also is 18, but Välimäki is about six weeks younger. The oldest was a veteran aged 101.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired F Meyer Nell, 19, from the Red Deer Rebels for a conditonal 10th-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. Nell is from Boissevain, Man., which is south of Brandon and is playing for the Boissevain Border Kings of the Tiger Hills Hockey League while attending the U of Manitoba in Winnipeg. He spent two seasons with the Rebels, picking up nine goals and 15 assists in 121 games. . . . The Rebels selected Nell in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Nell is expected to join the Wheat Kings after the Christmas break.

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F Vladimir Bobylyov chose to return to Russia this season, rather than play a second season with the Victoria Royals. Now, according to News 1130 Sports, a Vancouver radio station, Bobylyov, 19, may be coming back to Victoria. Bobylyov — he was Bobylev in his first stint in the WHL — had 67 points, including 28 goals, in 72 games with the Royals last season, after putting up three goals and six assists in 52 games with the Vancouver Giants in 2014-15. After last season, he was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . He hasn’t been productive in Russia, recording one goal and two assists in 20 games with Spartak Moskva of the KHL before being sent to the VHL’s Khimik Voskresensk. He has a goal and an assist in two games there. . . . The Royals have only one import — Russian D Marsel Ibragimov — on their roster so there is room for Bobylyov.

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The WHL handed out 16 games worth of suspensions and $500 in fines on Tuesday. . . . F Zach Fischer of the Medicine Hat Tigers was given a five-game suspension for becoming “engaged with an unsuspecting opponent.” He hit F Matt Fonteyne of the host Everett Silvertips during a Friday game. Fischer has missed two games and will be eligible to return on Dec. 13 against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. He will miss games divisional games against the Red Deer Rebels, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Baron Thompson of the Brandon Wheat Kings was hit with a three-game suspension after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on F Connor Bruggen-Cate against the host Kelowna Rockets on Saturday. He already has sat out one game and will miss another tonight (Wednesday) when the Wheat Kings play the Cougars in Prince George. . . . F Kolby Johnson of the Prince Albert Raiders was given four games for a headshot major and game misconduct after hitting D Chase Harrison of the host Regina Pats on Saturday. Harrison began this week in concussion protocol. Johnson began his suspension by missing Tuesday’s game against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . D Ryan Gagnon of the Victoria Royals will sit for four games after taking a charging major and game misconduct in a Saturday game against the Cougars in Prince George. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle Thunderbirds each were fined $250 for warm-up violations prior to their Saturday game in Kent, Wash. Ch-ch-ching! Just in time for the WHL office’s Christmas party!

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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Vancouver Giants were missing two players from Monday’s practice. F Radovan Bondra suffered a leg injury on Friday night against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings and is expected to return Friday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. D Darian Skeoch watched with his right foot/ankle in an air cast. According to Ewen, Skeoch is week-to-week.

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F Pavel Kousal of the Spokane Chiefs will be leaving the team to play for his native Czech Republic at the World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., Dec. 11-17. Kousal, who is eligible for the 2017 NHL draft, has seven goals and two assists in 24 games in his first season with the Chiefs.

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Patrick Conway offers up his latest look at the KHL and its teams and it’s all right here.

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

If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.

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20+ - WHL 20+ Game Point Streaks, Last 5 seasons:
McGauley (24, 2014-15)
S.Reinhart (22, 2013-14)
Lowry (21, 2012-13)
Brooks (20*, 2016-17)

— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) December 7, 2016

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Cranbrook, B.C., F Riley Woods scored at 2:20 of OT to give the Regina Pats a 5-4 victory over the

RILEY WOODS

Kootenay Ice. . . . Woods has four goals this season. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks ran his point streak to 20 games with a third-period goal. He leads the WHL with 46 points, two more than teammate Sam Steel. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn (11) gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 10:47 of the first period. . . . The Ice then took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from F Vince Loschiavo (7), at 0:33; F Noah Philp (4), at 1:01; and F Zak Zborosky, on a PP, at 5:02. . . . Zborosky has 22 goals and is tied for the WHL lead with F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jar Warriors. . . . Steel pulled Regina even with two goals, giving him 19, at 10:55 and 15:39. . . . Brooks gave the Pats a 4-3 lead with his 13th goal, at 3:27 of the third period. . . . Loschiavo forced OT with a goal at 11:07. . . . Regina D Sergey Zborovskiy had three assists, giving him 12 points, including nine assists, over his past three games. . . . The Pats got two assists from D Jonathan Smart, who has five points in three games since being acquired from the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Leschyshyn added an assist to his goal. . . . Zborosky added two assists to his goal. . . . It was Zborovskiy versus Zborosky and each had three points. . . . The Pats got 46 saves from G Tyler Brown, while Payton Lee stopped 39 for the Ice. . . . Kootenay was 1-8 on the PP; Regina was 0-1. . . . The Pats (20-2-4) are 4-0-1 in their past five games and now are tied with the idle Everett Silvertips for first place in the overall standings. . . . The Ice (6-17-8) has points in three straight (1-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 1,538.

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🚨🚨🚨MICHAEL FARREN!!!!!!!! BLADES WIN!!!!🎉🎉🎉#RiseWithUs pic.twitter.com/ylMiCLvI3G

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) December 7, 2016

At Moose Jaw, the Saskatoon Blades scored twice in the last two minutes of the third period and then

MICHAEL FARREN

beat the Warriors, 4-3, in a shootout. . . . F Michael Farren scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Blades the victory. . . . It was the first shootout of the season for both teams. . . . With the Warriors leading 3-1, Saskatoon F Chase Wouters (3) scored a PP goal at 18:05. . . . The Blades tied it when F Jesse Shynkaruk got No. 8 at 19:01. . . . The last two goals came with G Brock Hamm out for the extra attacker. . . . The Warriors had taken a 2-0 lead into the third period on goals from F Brett Howden (13), at 11:34 of the first period, and F Noah Gregor (13), on a PP, at 19:06 of the second period. . . . F Caleb Fantillo’s second goal of the season allowed the Blades to halve the deficit at 1:36 of the third period. . . . Warriors F Jayden Halbgewachs gave his guys a 3-1 lead, on a PP, at 12:34. The goal gave Halbgewachs the WHL’s goal-scoring lead. F Zak Zborosky of the Kootenay Ice scored his 22nd later in the evening. . . . Halbgewachs also had an assist, while F Nikita Popugaev had two of them. . . . Farren, a 16-year-old from Surrey, B.C., also had two assists for the Blades, as did F Kolten Olynek. . . . Hamm finished with 33 saves through OT and added four more in the shootout as he won for the second time this season. He hadn’t gotten a victory since Oct. 1. . . . Zach Sawchenko stopped 31 shots for the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-2. . . . The Blades (11-17-2) had been 0-2-1 in their previous three games. . . . Moose Jaw D Matt Sozanski missed his second game with what is believed to be a shoulder injury. . . . The Warriors (16-6-5) had D Matthew Benson, 16, make his WHL debut. Benson has two goals and six assists in 14 games with the Delta Hockey Academy team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. . . . The Blades had F Tyler Lees, 16, in their lineup. He has six goals and 14 assists in 19 games with the midget AAA Regina Pats Canadians. He was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Some notes from Les Lazaruk, the youthful radio voice of the Blazers: “The victory ended a three-game winless streak, was the Double Blue's first win over the Warriors after five straight losses and was the first win at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw after eight consecutive setbacks, dating back to Nov. 8, 2013. Add in the fact that the Blades were 0-14-0 when trailing after two periods this season and had only won once previously in 18 games when the opposition opened the scoring, and the result was remarkable.” . . . Announced attendance: 2,808.

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At Prince Albert, F Jordy Stallard broke a 2-2 tie at 15:47 of the third period as the Calgary Hitmen got

JORDY STALLARD

past the Raiders, 3-2. . . . Stallard scored his fourth goal on a PP. . . . F Carsen Twarynski (9) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 2:29 of the second period. . . . The Raiders tied it when F Sean Montgomery scored his eighth goal at 4:36. . . . Calgary took the lead right back, with F Beck Malenstyn (7) scoring at 7:07. . . . That lasted until 19:10 when F Simon Stransky (12) pulled the Raiders into a 2-2 tie. . . . Stransky also had an assist. . . . The Hitmen got 22 saves from G Cody Porter, while Ian Scott of the Raiders blocked 39 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen (9-14-2) had lost their previous five games. . . . The Raiders 6-22-1 have lost two in a row. . . . F Justyn Gurney, 16, made his WHL debut with the Hitmen. From Delta, B.C., he has 25 points, including eight goals, in 17 games with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Gurney was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Announced attendance: 1,824.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Tri-City at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.

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Rasmussen, Ams edge Winterhawks . . . Broncos win again in B.C. . . . Peckford spins record for Royals

First @NHL shootout attempt ☑️
First shootout game-winner ☑️

This @BraydenPoint19 kid is good. #FLAvsTBL pic.twitter.com/IMDf4S6V6V

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) October 19, 2016

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Tim Hunter, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, has been named head coach of Team WHL for the two-game series against a Russian side that is scheduled for next month. . . . Steve Hamilton, the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, has been named assistant coach. . . . The games are scheduled for Prince George on Nov. 7 and Edmonton on Nov. 8. . . . Brian Cheeseman, Edmonton’s athletic therapist, will work both games for Team WHL. Chico Dhanjal, the Prince George Cougars’ equipment manager, will join Cheeseman in Prince George, with Edmonton equipment manager Rogan Dean doing the same in Edmonton.

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If you are going to attend a Kelowna Rockets home game you should be prepared to pay $15 to park at Prospera Place, an increase of $5 over last season. According to a report by infotel.ca that is right here, RG Properties, which manages the facility, chose to raise the price. 

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The NHL season is up and running and that means Elliotte Friedman is back with his always-readable 30 Thoughts. He filed on Tuesday and the top focuses on the Edmonton Oilers and the commotion raised this week when a day off got moved from Monday to Wednesday. It’s all right here.

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In an OHL trade of note completed on Tuesday evening, the Windsor Spitfires have acquired D Sean Day, 18, from the Mississauga Steelheads in exchange for selections in the league’s draft. . . . From a Windsor news release: “In addition to the 18-year-old defenceman, Windsor gets Barrie’s third-round selection in 2019 and Mississauga’s sixth in 2017. Headed the other way is Niagara’s second-round pick in 2018, Sarnia’s second in 2017, Windsor’s fifth-round pick in 2019 and Windsor’s third in 2020.” . . . Day was a third-round selection by the New York Rangers in the NHL’s 2016 draft. He was the fourth player in OHL history to be granted exceptional status, allowing him to play regularly as a 15-year-old. The others? John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid. . . . In 183 regular-season games over four seasons with the Steelheads, Day had 25 goals and 54 assists.

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

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Sorry Winterhawk fans: @Reedy_Scott told us tonight that as of now he's 100% headed to college to join @GopherHockey next year.

— Guy Flaming (@TPS_Guy) October 19, 2016

At Portland, F Michael Rasmussen scored his WHL-leading 11th goal to break a 3-3 tie and give the

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN

Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Rasmussen got the winner at 8:19 of the third period as the Americans overcame a 3-1 deficit. . . . F Keegan Iverson’s first of two goals gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 8:04 of the first period. . . . Tri-City tied it on F Keltie Jeri-Leon’s first goal at 15:42. . . . Portland regained the lead 17 seconds later when F Brendan De Jong got his third goal. . . . Iverson scored on a PP at 19:45 for a 3-1 lead. . . . Tri-City D Juuso Valimaki got a PP goal to pull his guys to within one at 2:50 of the second period. . . . F Vladislav Lukin’s sixth goal got Tri-City even at 11:36. . . . F Kyle Olson had two assists for the winners, while Valimaki added an assist to his goal. . . . The Winterhawks got three assists from F Skyler McKenzie. . . . Portland F Cody Glass had two assists, allowing him to keep pace with Regina F Sam Steel atop the WHL points derby. Each has 19 points. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 38 shots in his third straight start since being acquired by the Americans from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Portland got 35 stops from G Cole Kehler. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-4 on the PP; the Americans were 1-7. . . . The Americans improved to 6-4-0. . . . The Winterhawks (8-4-0) had won their previous three games. . . . The victory was No. 499 as a WHL head coach for Tri-City’s Mike Williamson. . . . Announced attendance: 3,228.

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At Prince George, F Tyler Steenbergen’s second goal of the game, 59 seconds into OT, gave the Swift

TYLER STEENBERGEN

Current Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Broncos (8-2-1) are 2-0-0 on a B.C. Division swing and Steenbergen has four goals in the two games, giving him nine on the season. . . . Swift Current is 6-0-1 in its last seven games. . . . The Cougars (10-2-1) have points in their last three (2-0-1). . . . When F Justin Almeida scored a PP goal at 6:52 of the third period, the Cougars held a 4-2 lead. . . . The Broncos tied it on goals 53 seconds apart by F Lane Pederson, on a PP at 10:32, and F Calvin Spencer, at 11:25. . . . The Broncos got two assists from each of F Aleksi Heponiemi, D Colby Sissons and D Artyom Minulin, while F Glenn Gawdin had a goal and an assist. . . . D Tate Olson had a goal and an assist for the Cougars. . . . G Taz Burman blocked 30 shots for the Broncos, while Ty Edmonds stopped 28 at the other end. . . . Swift Current was 2-2 on the PP; Prince George was 2-4. . . . Announced attendance: 2,565.

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At Regina, F Sam Steel, who is tied for the WHL’s points lead, had two goals as the Pats bounced the

SAM STEEL

Lethbridge Hurricanes, 6-1. . . . The Pats took control of this one with the game’s first four goals, the latter two of those just 57 seconds apart late in the first period. . . . Steel, who has nine goals, scored the game’s first goal and the last one. The second one was a shorthanded effort. . . . F Filip Ahl helped Regina with two goals, giving him six, and an assist, with F Dawson Leedahl and D Chase Harrison each adding two assists. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 22 shots for the Pats, who won 7-2 in Lethbridge on Saturday. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner was beaten four times on 14 shots in the first period. Ryan Gilchrist came on in relief and stopped 21 of 23 shots over the last two periods. . . . Regina was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-8. . . . Including last spring’s playoffs, Regina has won six in a row from Lethbridge. . . . Steel has a WHL-leading 19 points in eight games. In his third season, he now has 143 points, including 49 goals, in 146 games. . . . The Pats (7-0-3) remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost a game in regulation time. . . . Lethbridge (5-4-2) has lost three in a row ((0-2-1). . . . The Hurricanes were without F Egor Babenko, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. . . . Announced attendance: 3,548.

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At Spokane, F Kailer Yamamoto had a goal and an assist to help the Chiefs to a 2-1 victory over the

KAILER YAMAMOTO

Everett Silvertips. . . . Yamamoto scored his seventh goal at 9:20 of the first period and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan made it 2-0 at 16:18. . . . F Tanner Wishnowski, acquired this week from the Kelowna Rockets, had the secondary assist on each goal. . . . Everett F Patrick Bajkov got Everett on the board at 16:01 of the second period. . . . G Dawson Weatherill stopped 26 shots for Spokane, five more than Everett’s Carter Hart. . . . The Silvertips (8-2-1) had won their previous four games. The Silvertips had been 5-0-1 on the road. They may not admit it, but there has to be some tiredness creeping into their game. They played four games in five nights last week. They are in Kelowna tonight and in Victoria on Saturday. . . . The Chiefs (3-4-2) had lost three in a row (0-1-2). . . . The Chiefs were 0-2 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,183.

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With an assist, Ryan Peckford has now set the NEW FRANCHISE RECORD with six points (1g-5a) tonight!

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) October 19, 2016

At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford skated his way into the Royals’ record book as they roared to a 9-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Peckford had a goal and five assists, giving him a franchise-

RYAN PECKFORD

record six points. . . . Last season, as a freshman, Peckford had eight goals and three assists in 62 games. This season, the native of Stony Plain, Alta., has a goal and eight assists in 11 games. . . . Five players had shared the Royals’ single-game record of five points. . . . The Royals tied a franchise record for most goals in a game — as the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?), they beat the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 9-2 on Feb. 2, 2010. . . . Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist also reported: “Two other franchise records were tied. Peckford matched the standard for most points in a period with four, previously accomplished by forward Oscar Moller in the third period at Tri-City on Oct. 19, 2007, when the franchise was the Bruins, and by defenceman Chaz Reddekopp in the third period in Everett on Dec. 17, 2014. Peckford and Phillips also tied the team record for most assists in a period with three each to match Reddekopp’s trio from that game in Everett two years ago.” . . . The Royals took control if this game with five first-period goals, the seventh time in franchise history they have done that. . . . F Regan Nagy had two goals and an assist for the Royals, with D Ryan Gagnon and F Matt Phillips adding three assists each. Phillips also hit a post on a first-period penalty shot. . . . Victoria was 3-6 on the PP; Saskatoon, now 1-1-0 in the B.C. Division, was 1-4. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 20 shots for the winners. . . . G Brock Hamm of the Blades blocked 26. . . . The Royals (6-5-0) have won two in a row. . . . Saskatoon (5-3-1) had been 4-0-1 in its previous five games. . . . F Caleb Fantillo, acquired last week from the Medicine Hat Tigers, made his Saskatoon debut. . . . Announced attendance: 3,082.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Everett at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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.

Nachbaur gets No. 600 . . . The Pope is a hall of famer!

D Tomáš Mojžíš (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03)has signed a contract with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). The term is 'limited' as Mojžíš is looking for a contract with a team outside Czech Republic. Last season, with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL), he had five goals and eight assists in 50 games.
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Ron Butlin, a former president of the WHL, died Wednesday at his home in Victoria. He was 89. . . . Daryl Slade of the Calgary Herald has more right here.
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Head coach Don Nachbaur earned his 600th WHL victory on Saturday night as his Spokane Chiefs got past the visiting Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . Nachbaur also has coached the Americans and the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . He is one of four men with at least 600 WHL coaching victories, the others being Ken Hodge, Don Hay and Lorne Molleken.
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There was some bad news for the Regina Pats from the camp of the NHL's Calgary Flames on Saturday. Flames head coach Bob Hartley told Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald that Regina F Morgan Klimchuk is "going to be off for a few weeks.” . . . Klimchuk, who had 30 goals and 44 assists in 57 games last season, injured his left wrist during an exhibition game on Wednesday when he jammed it into the boards following a check.
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The Regina Pats were without D Kyle Burroughs, their captain, for Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Raiders in Prince Albert. . . . Here's what Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported after Friday's 7-1 Regina victory over the host Moose Jaw Warriors: "Pats captain Kyle Burroughs, in his first game back from New York Islanders training camp, left the contest late in the first period after being propelled into the boards on an unpenalized hit by Linden Penner. Burroughs, who was visibly disoriented while making his way to the bench, did not return."
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When the Kamloops Blazers met the Royals in Victoria on Saturday night, each team was missing one suspended player, both disciplined after incidents in Friday's 8-2 victory by the visitors. . . . Kamloops D Patrik Maier drew a tbd suspension for a third-period headshot major and game misconduct after he hit F Axel Blomqvist, who needed help leaving the ice. . . . Blomqvist didn't play in Saturday's rematch. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon also earned a tbd suspension after he took a second-period charging major and game misconduct.
Meanwhile, the WHL also suspended Portland Winterhawks D Keoni Texeira for one game for a headshot major and game misconduct in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Giants in Vancouver, and F Luc Smith of the Regina Pats got one game for a charging major and game misconduct in Saturday's 7-1 victory in Moose Jaw.
On Saturday, during Portland's 5-1 loss to the visiting Everett Silvertips, Winterhawks D Paul Bittner was hit with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct, so he almost certainly is facing a suspension. . . . Everett was 1-for-10 on the PP in that one, while Portland was 1-for-1.
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Who are the top 10 Moose Jaw Warriors' players of all-time? Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald tackles that question right here. You're right . . . there isn't any doubt about No. 1.
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Liam O'Brien has plenty of experience in the QMJHL and now he's writing a column about it all for Sportsnet. It's an interesting read as he touches on a lot of aspects of the major junior game. Check it out right here. . . . Interestingly, O'Brien is in camp with the Washington Capitals right now and apparently is showing well enough that he may get a contract.
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Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail has an interesting piece right here on head coach Mike Johnston as he prepares for his first regular season with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.
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If you read just one piece on the retirement of Derek Jeter, make it this one by ESPN's J.R. Moehringer. It is a terrific piece of writing and it's right here.
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According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, the Vancouver Giants "are waiting for more info from doctors on winger Jakob Stukel, who left Friday's win after two periods with an apparent hand injury." . . . On Friday, the Giants beat the visiting Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . The Saskatoon Blades scratched D Turner Ottenbreit for Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw. He took a couple of shots to the jaw during a bout with F Jesse Gabrielle of the host Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday night. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors lost D Austin Adam to an injury during Saturday's 7-1 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald tweeted that the injury "sounds relatively serious. He left the game in the first period and seemed to be favouring (a) shoulder." . . . Warriors head coach Tim Hunter told Gourlie: "It's an upper body injury and it's going to be a little while." . . .
D Kord Pankewicz of the Brandon Wheat Kings scored his first WHL goal on Saturday in a 5-2 victory over the Broncos in Swift Current. Pankewicz, in his third WHL season, was playing his 88th regular-season game. . . . RG Properties, which owns the Victoria Royals, and Save-On-Foods have agreed to a 10-year extension on their agreement that includes a number of things, including the naming rights to the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The partnership began in 2004 and now will run through 2024.
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Congrats to old friend Larry Popein on his incuction into the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night. If you aren't familiar with the Pope's exploits, check him out at hockeydb.com.

Attending the 2014 Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner. Congrats to all the inductees pic.twitter.com/T9tMzTkVqt
— Benny Walchuk (@BennyGX94Sports) September 28, 2014

Royals/Blazers notebook

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
A hush fell over Interior Savings Centre early Saturday evening when D Ryan Gagnon of the Victoria Royals was injured during a WHL playoff game with the Kamloops Blazers.
It was at 3:34 of the first period when Gagnon, a 16-year-old from Quesnel, caught an edge and fell awkwardly into the boards. He laid on his back and didn’t move for a minute or two, but eventually got to his feet and was helped off the ice. He didn’t return, leaving the Royals to finish with five defencemen.
“I saw him in the dressing room right afterward,” Royals general manager Cam Hope told Marlon Weldon, the team’s play-by-play man, “and he was walking, and talking and quite upset that he had put himself in that position and was out of the game.”
After the game, Victoria head coach Dave Lowry said Gagnon would be “re-evaluated” when the Royals get home.
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The Royals were hanging on by a thread during the game, but it all came unravelled in the second period, leading to the Blazers’ 6-4 victory.
Two minutes into the second period, with the Blazers leading 2-0, Victoria G Patrik Polivka was penalized for handling the puck outside the trapezoid. The way the Royals saw it, it was a borderline call at best.
A few minutes later, the Royals thought they had a power-play goal when F Steven Hodges whipped a shot from the right side that beat G Cole Cheveldave. However, it was waved off as referees Devin Klein and Tyler Adair called incidental contact by F Ben Walker on Cheveldave. While there was contact, the Royals claimed it was well before Hodges took the shot.
Then, at 12:43, just a minute after F Jamie Crooks had cut the deficit to 2-1, Kamloops F Tim Bozon was credited with a goal when a D Joel Edmundson shot glanced off him and beat Polivka. The Royals wondered if Bozon — like Crooks before him — should have been called for incidental contact with Polivka.
Nothing of the sort happened, of course, and the Blazers quickly scored two more goals to take a 5-1 lead into the third period.
One of the results was a running dialogue — most of it one-way — between Victoria head coach Dave Lowry and the officiating crew.
“That’s playoff hockey. Right?,” a much cooler Lowry stated afterward. “It’s all about the wave and tonight we were on the wrong side of it. Momentum is huge in the playoffs. You have to find a way when you have it to keep it; when you don’t have it, you have to find a way to get it back.”
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Kamloops F Chase Souto was penalized late in the third period after he took the feet out from under Polivka. At the time, Lowry could be seen barking in the direction of the Blazers’ bench.
Kamloops associate coach Dave Hunchak had backup G Taran Kozun begin loosening up, perhaps thinking it might be prudent to send him in for Cheveldave just in case things took a turn.
But that never happened and the game finished without mishap.
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The Royals got a huge break on their first goal when Edmundson tried to fire the puck around his net and out the other side, only to have it hit Klein in the feet.
The puck went directly to Crooks beside the Blazers net. He skated out front and beat Cheveldave to get the Royals to within 2-1 at 11:49 of the second period.
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JUST NOTES: Counting regular-season and playoff games, the Blazers are 17-3-2 against the Royals since the franchise relocated from Chilliwack in time for the 2011-12 season. . . . Crooks’ goal gave him the franchise record for most career goals (8), breaking a mark he had shared with F Ryan Howse. Crooks also played in his 17th postseason game, setting another franchise record. . . . Former Blazers D Austin Madaisky, who is working to come back from wrist surgery, played three games with the ECHL’s Evansville Icemen last week, scoring once in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Kalamazoo Wings on Saturday. He now will join the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.


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Hockey Canada is expected to announce one of the these days that Don Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, will coach Canada’s entry in the IIHF’s U-18 world championship. That tournament is scheduled for April 18-28 in Sochi, Russia. . . . Last year’s tournament was held in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic, with the U.S., Sweden and Canada finishing in that order. . . . This year, Canada will be in a pool with Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. The other pool is to comprise the U.S., Finland, Russia, Czech Republic and Latvia. . . . Canada opens April 13 against Slovakia.
Hay, of course, has extensive experience with Hockey Canada. The 59-year-old from Kamloops has twice coached the national junior team, winning gold in Red Deer in 1995 and bronze in Calgary/Edmonton in 2012.
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We have word of another hockey team that uses a logo similar to that of the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Here is the logo used by the junior B Regina Capitals, of the Prairie Junior Hockey League.

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 The WHL’s first-round situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton leads 1-0; Game 2 on Sunday in Edmonton)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary leads 2-0; Game 3 on Monday in Swift Current)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Prince Albert)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Wednesday in Everett)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash.)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Victoria. Bear Mountain Arena)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash.)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Red Deer, the Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Rhyse Dieno gave the Rebels a 3-0 edge at 6:25 of the second. . . . The Raiders got in it on goals from F Jonas Knutsen, at 14:15 of the second, and F Shane Danyluk, at 10:05 of the third. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 36 shots, two fewer than Prince Albert’s Luke Siemens. . . . Red Deer F Joel Hamilton came up dry on a first-period penalty shot with his side up 1-0. . . . F Turner Elson had two assists for Red Deer. . . .

In Spokane, F Blake Gal broke a 4-4 tie at 16:31 of the third period and the Chiefs went on to a 6-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Jesse Mychan had pulled Tri-City into a 4-4 tie with a PP goal at 8:41 of the third. . . . The goal was Gal’s second of the game. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 15 shots. . . . The Chiefs have taken four straight games from the Americans, including two late in the regular season. . . . The next two games and a third, if necessary, will be played in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks held Everett to 11 shots on goal and beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski had a goal and two assists, while F Ty Rattie had one of each. . . . Portland D Shaun MacPherson scored his first playoff goal at 8:04 of the second. It gave Portland a 2-0 lead and ended up being the winner. . . . The game degenerated in the late going and by the end the visitors had taken 88 of 130 penalty minutes. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 30 shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 10 shots, including three in the first period and one in the second. . . . Everett had lost 16 consecutive games in Portland before winning Friday’s opener, 4-3. . . .

In Kamloops, D Joel Edmundson and F Tim Bozon each scored twice as the Blazers got past the Victoria Royals, 6-4. . . . The Blazers led 5-1 going into the third period. The Royals then scored three times and trailed 5-4 with 1:44 left. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick put it away with an empty-netter at 18:52. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon drew four assists. . . . The Royals got a goal and an assist from each of F Jamie Crooks and F Austin Carroll. . . . Victoria lost D Ryan Gagnon in the first period when he lost an edge and crashed awkwardly into the boards. He eventually was helped off the ice but didn’t return. Head coach Dave Lowry said Gagnon will be “re-evaluated” when the Royals return home. . . . Royals general manager Cam Hope told play-by-play man Marlon Martens that he saw Gagnon in the dressing room after the incident. “He was walking and talking and quite upset that he had put himself in that position and was out of the game. But hopefully he’ll be back soon.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Alex Delnov scored at 2:41 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Cole Linaker gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 13:28 of the second period. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf forced OT with a goal at 10:08 of the third. . . . Among the Rockets’ scratches was veteran F J.T. Barnett, who had played in Game 1. The Rockets inserted freshman F Austin Glover, who turned 17 on Jan. 15, in Barnett’s spot. . . . The Rockets were 31-5-0 at home in the regular season, but now have lost two straight playoff games, both in OT, at home. . . .
The Thunderbirds now are 6-2 against the Rockets in playoff OT games. Here’s a look, courtesy of Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds’ director of public and media relations:
March 30, 2001 — In Game 1 of the first round, Shane Endicott scored at 2:14 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
April 6, 2001 — In Game 4 of the first round, Brad Tutschek scored at 2:20 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
April 8, 2001 — In Game 5 of the first round, Paul Hurd scored at 5:27 of overtime for a 2-1 Kelowna victory.
April 22, 2003 — In Game 3 of the Western Conference final, Tyler Metcalfe scored at 18:58 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 28, 2008 — In Game 3 of the first round, David Richard scored at 15:12 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 29, 2008 — In Game 6 of the first round, Lucas Bloodoff scored at 10:59 of overtime for a 4-3 Kelowna victory.
March 22, 2013 — In Game 1 of the first round, Luke Lockhart scored at 19:09 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
March 23, 2013 — In Game 2 of the first round, Alexander Delnov scored at 2:41 of overtime for a 2-1 Seattle victory.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (5):
D Marco Mueller, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (2):
F Taylor Peters, Portland


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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Justin Marreck to a WHL contract. Marreck, 16, is from West Kelowna, B.C. He played last season with the major midget Okanagan Rockets, picking up 33 points in 40 games. The Americans placed him on their list in June 2011. . . . Marreck will be with the Americans at this weekend’s tournament in Everett. He then will return home and play a second season with Okanagan. . . . The Americans are without F Jesse Mychan, who continues to recover from surgery to repair a severed Achilles tendon. He was injured in the first round of last season’s playoffs. . . . Also missing is F Malte Strömwall. “Mychan is ahead of schedule and we are happy with his progress,” Americans GM Bob Tory told the Tri-City Herald. “Malte will get here when his visa is approved. You have to follow government regulations.”
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The Swift Current Broncos have signed G Travis Child, the 29th overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Child, from Killam, Alta., played last season with the bantam Camrose Vikings, going 7-8-4, 3.46, .910. He stopped nine of 10 shots during a stint on Tuesday night as the Broncos dropped a 3-1 decision to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed G Adin Hill, 16, and F Joe Mahon, 18. . . . Hill was was added to Portland’s protected list after training camp a year ago. Hill, 6-foot-1 and 156 pounds, is from Calgary. He played for the minor midget AAA Calgary Rangers last season (8-6-2, 3.37, .927). . . . Mahon, 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, is another list player out of Calgary. He played for the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs, putting up eight points and 90 penalty minutes in 35 games.
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The Regina Pats have signed D Brady Reagan, their first pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Reagan, from Blackie, Alta., was taken 31st overall. Last season, Reagan, 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds, had 65 points in 52 games at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.
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The Victoria Royals may have established a record by announcing 11 player signings in one day. . . .
The Royals have signed F Tyler Soy, F Regan Nagy, F Matthew Campese and D Chaz Redekopp, all of them 1997-born players. . . . Soy was the eighth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. From Surrey, he played last season with the bantam A-1 Cloverdale Colts, picking up 65 points in 20 games. In the 46 games he played last season, he had 159 points, including 106 assists. . . . Reddekopp, from West Kelowna, was the 13th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He played for the bantam 1 team at Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna last season, putting up 59 points in 62 games. . . . Nagy, the 27th overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, is from Ogema, Sask. He played for the bantam AA Weyburn Energy Wings, putting up 46 points in 23 games. . . . Campese, from Prince Albert, is the son of Prince Albert Raiders general manager Bruno Campese. Matthew played for the bantam AA Venice House Raiders. He had 53 points and 98 penalty minutes in 23 games. He was picked in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . .
The Royals also signed four 1996-born players — F Michael Bell, F Brandon Fushimi, D Ryan Gagnon and G Michael Herringer. . . . Bell, from Kitimat, B.C., was a third-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. He played last season with the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. major midget league. He had 12 points in 34 games. . . . Fushimi, a list player, is from Thornton, Colo. He had 23 points for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders, a Tier 1 midget minor team last season. . . . Gagnon, from Quesnel, B.C., had 24 points in 38 games with the major midget Cariboo Cougars last season. He was a third-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Herringer, from Comox, B.C., was taken in the ninth round of the 2011 bantam draft. He was the lone goaltender selected by Victoria in that draft. He played for the major midget North Island Silvertips, putting up a 3.63 GAA in 22 games. . . . Turning Point Sports Management had announced the signings of Fushimi and Herringer via Twitter on Wednesday. . . .
Also signing with the Royals were D Kolton Dix, 17, and F Logan Fisher, 17, both of whom played on the Red Deer Optimist Rebels who won the 2012 Telus Cup as national midget champions. . . . Fisher, a list player since last September, had 31 points in 34 games. . . . Dixon, who had 10 assists in 30 games, has been on the Royals’ list since September 2010. . . .
The Royals also have signed G Patrik Polivka, the 14th overall selection in the CHL’s 2012 import draft. Polivka, from Plzen, Czech Republic, started 31 games for HC Plzen’s U-20 team (3.20, .917). He also saw playing time with the HC Plzen U-18 team and with the Czech Republic’s U-18 and U-19 teams.
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Before meeting the visiting Victoria Royals in an exhibition game last night, the Kamloops Blazers signed three players. . . . F Mitch Friesen of Surrey, B.C., was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 bantam draft. Friesen, 6-foot-3 and 171 pounds, played last season for the major midget Valley West Hawks, picking up 56 points in 40 games. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk of Saskatoon was a seventh-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. The 5-foot-8, 152-pound Shynkaruk had 57 points in 39 games with the midget AA Saskatoon Steel. . . . F Aaron Macklin of High River, Alta., is a list player who played last season with the midget AAA UFA Bisons. Macklin, 6-foot-2 and 189 pounds, had 20 points and 57 penalty minutes in 29 games.
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Tim Cheveldae is back with the Saskatoon Blades. So is Daryl Lubiniecki. . . . Cheveldae, who played goal for the Blades (1985-88) and also worked as an assistant coach (1998-2000) has signed on as the team’s goaltending coach. He takes over from John Stevenson, who isn’t with the team. . . . The Blades also announced that assistant coach Dave Struch has been promoted to associate coach. Struch has been on the Blades’ coaching staff since 2006. . . . Lubiniecki, a former Blades general manager and head coach who also has worked with the Prince George Cougars, has joined Saskatoon’s scouting staff. You can bet that news has put smiles on a lot of faces belonging to other WHL scouts. Yes, the master storyteller is back!
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that the Pats are missing some familiar faces as training camp opens. . . . Regina has released F Nils Moser, 20, who is with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, and F Tyler Bortsmayer, 19. . . . F Dominik Volek, 18, chose to play in the Swedish Junior Elite League, while F Lyndon Martell, 19, has been assigned to the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. . . . D Landon Peel, 18, has been assigned to the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. . . . F Locke Muller, 19, who played with the Red Deer Rebels and Saskatoon Blades and was added by the Pats in the off-season, has told Regina he has lost his desire.
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The U.S. national junior team may have suffered a blow Wednesday. According to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis StarTribune, “Mario Lucia . . . said he broke his left fibula and suffered ligament damge in his left ankle when a teammate fell on him during a battle drill.” . . . Lucia, a second-round selection by the Minnesota Wild in the 2011 NHL draft, is a freshman at Notre Dame after playing last season with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. . . . Early speculation is that Lucia could be out for three months. . . . “Hopefully I'll get back quicker than three months, but I'm in a cast for seven weeks, so there's not much I can do about that," Lucia told Russo.

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