Madaisky hoping to recapture form he showed in 2010

Daily News Sports Reporter
Austin Madaisky remembers the 2010 postseason well.
Yes, his Kamloops Blazers lost in four games to the Vancouver Giants, and yes, it was the last time the Blazers made the playoffs.
But it also was the coming-out party for the defenceman, who will lead the Blazers into the playoffs today. Kamloops is to play host to the Victoria Royals at Interior Savings Centre at 7 p.m.
The Blazers had acquired Madaisky, who turned 20 on Jan. 30, from the Calgary Hitmen as part of a blockbuster deal in January 2010. He was decent in the final 26 regular-season games with the Blazers that season, scoring two goals and assisting on seven others.
But it was the 2010 postseason in which Madaisky turned a corner. He had a point in each of the Blazers’ four losses, ending with three goals and three assists to lead the team.
“I felt great — that was probably some of the best hockey I’ve played in my life,” said Madaisky, a Surrey native. “I’m hoping to find that level again this postseason.”
Madaisky was named a Western Conference second-team all-star Thursday, and said he improved a lot this season, his fourth in the WHL.
“I grew a lot as a player this year,” Madaisky said. “I think a lot of that can be attributed to bringing in (associate coach) Dave Hunchak, who’s a great defensive coach, and (head coach) Guy Charron.”
———
Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants was named to the Western Conference’s first all-star team for the second straight season on Thursday.
Gallagher, who spent the first part of the season with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and also spent time with Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary around Christmas, ended with 41 goals and 36 assists in 54 games.
He is the only repeater on the first team, although all of the other 2010-11 first-teamers have moved on. D Jared Cowen and F Ryan Johansen are full-time NHL players, while D Tyson Barrie and F Tyler Johnson are in the AHL. G James Reid has spent time this season in the AHL, Central League and ECHL.
Three other all-stars from 2010-11 are on the 2011-12 teams. D Brendan Kichton of the Spokane Chiefs and F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans moved up from the second team to the first team, while D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips made the second team for the second straight year.
———
The Western Conference’s three other first-round series are to begin tonight.
The No. 1 seed, the Tri-City Americans, will play host to the eighth-seeded Everett Silvertips in Kennewick, Wash., while the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks will entertain the No. 6 Kelowna Rockets.
The Vancouver Giants, who finished fourth in the conference, are at home to the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs.
All WHL playoff series are best-of-seven.

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.

ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
Mr. Commissioner, do you really think it is appropriate for the WHL to have a Facebook page on which fans are permitted to unceremoniously rip players by name?
(Example: What a joke . . . Gotta bench (player name) . . . Worst defenceman ever in the whl. Who else tries too go thru 2 (other team’s) players in front your own net. Do us a favor (player name). Retire now before you screw up our chances of making the playoffs.)
———
JUST NOTES:
I meant to mention this yesterday in report on the Edmonton Oil Kings’ 9-5 victory over the host Calgary Hitmen. . . . Calgary D Brock Sutherland scored his first goal of this season, in his 53rd game. He played two games with the Tri-City American and 51 with the Hitmen. . . . He now has eight goals in 237 career games. . . . As he tweeted: “Me, Chris Phillips, and Scotty Gomez all just takin' a casual year off before we decide we're due to score! #iamwhatiam #worldjs” . . . Sutherland had last scored on Feb. 19 as the Americans lost 6-2 to the visiting Spokane Chiefs.
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that F Dominick Favreau of the Brandon Wheat Kings didn’t practise Thursday. Favreau came back from a shoulder injury to play in a 3-2 victory over the host Regina Pats on Wednesday, but left in the first period after absorbing a check. . . . Brandon is at home to the Swift Current Broncos tonight. . . .
The Wheat Kings will honour two players prior to tonight’s game. D Brodie Melnychuk, 20, became the eighth player in franchise history to play 300 regular-season games in a Wheat Kings uniform last weekend. The others? Randy Ponte (300), Ryan Craig (302), Dale McMullin (309), Aaron Goldade (310), Tim Konsorada (311), Lance Monych (319) and current assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk (323). . . . As well, the Brandon Sun will present F Mark Stone with the prestigious 2011 H.L. Krug Crawford Memorial Medal. It goes annually to a sportsperson of the year in southwestern Manitoba. . . . Stone is the 13th player from the Wheat Kings organization to be so honoured, joining Brayden Schenn, Mark Derlago, Eric Fehr, Jordin Tootoo, Cory Cyrenne, Marty Murray, Trevor Kidd, Ray Ferraro, Glen Hanlon, Ron Chipperfield and Juha Widing. As well, Kelly McCrimmon, Dunc McCallum, Jack Brockest and Jake Milford, all members of Brandon’s front office, were recipients of the medal. . . .
The Calgary Hitmen have lost three of four after winning 14 of 15. The Hitmen are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight and Kootenay Ice on Sunday before heading into the B.C. Division and games in Victoria, Kelowna and Kamloops. . . . The Hitmen, who won 9-3 in Victoria on Jan. 3, will have a travel day between the games in Victoria and Kelowna. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have signed F Carter Popoff, 16, who was placed on their protected list in October. Popoff, from Richmond, B.C., has 52 points in 35 games with the junior B Richmond Sockeyes. . . .
F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants needs one goal to tie F Adam Courchaine’s franchise career record of 126. Gallagher needs 10 points to equal Courchaine’s franchise record of 273 and is 17 assists short of D Jonathon Blum’s franchise record 155. . . . The Giants are at home to Everett tonight.
Alistair McInnis of the Prince George Free Press reports that the Cougars may get some of their injured plays back for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . G Drew Owsley, F Alex Forsberg, F Jarrett Fontaine and F Caleb Belter should all be back in action. However, D Dan Gibb is questionable, while D Reid Jackson and D Shane Pilling won’t play. As well, F Brock Hirsche and F John Odgers both have shoulder injuries that may have ended their seasons. . . .
The Everett Silvertips are 7-9-1 since D Ryan Murray returned from the World Junior Championship. . . . The Silvertips now are three points out of a playoff spot. They go home-and-home with the Vancouver Giants tonight and Saturday. They are north tonight and south on Saturday. . . . Of the Royals’ next 13 games, six will be against Prince George and Everett. The Royals will spend next weekend in Prince George. . . .
Medicine Hat Tigers F Emerson Etem has 49 goals in his first 48 games this season. He also takes a 16-game point streak into a game against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders tonight. He has 21 goals and seven assists in those 16 games. . . .
A tip of the cap to Andy Neal, the former radio voice of the Prince George Cougars who now works with the Victoria Cougars, for some of the info and stats here today. . . . Check out his latest Neal’s Notes right here. Lots of good stuff in this package. . . .
———
F Ryan Johansen, who could still be playing with the Portland Winterhawks, was a healthy scratch for a fourth straight game last night. He plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team with the NHL’s poorest record. Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch blogged about Johansen’s situation on Thursday. That is right here.
———
In an open letter to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Ralph Nader (yes, that Ralph Nader) has called for an end to fighting.
———
Just when you thought you have heard/seen everything, you gain access to a YouTube video from an Ontario junor A game that goes to a shootout. But one goaltender gets tossed and the first shooter gets to take four shots. It’s all right here, and you can decide for which team the play-by-play guy is cheering.
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has more on this debacle right here.
———
Cam Tait of the Edmonton Journal has a piece right here on Jesse Pearson. His career was cut short by concussion-related problems and he now is an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings.


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.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Mike Wirll (Brandon, Prince Albert, Prince George, Lethbridge, 1997-2003) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite). He had two assists in six games for the Carstairs Redhawks (Alberta, Chinook Senior) this season. . . .
G Todd Ford (Swift Current, Prince George, Vancouver, 2000-04) was released at his request for personal reasons by the Heilbronner Falken (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had a 2.76 GAA in 31 games for the Falcons this season. Ford went out in style, getting the shutout in Heilbronn's 4-0 victory over Ravensburg on Sunday evening. . . .
F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) agreed to extend his tryout contract with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga) for another week, which includes three games. It was set to expire Sunday. He has three assists in eight games with Kärpät. Earlier this season, Sindel had two assists in five games with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A) before breaking his jaw, and one goal in 21 games with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). Sindel has some roots in Finland. He has played in Finland two of the past three seasons and he spent five years as a child in Finland while his father, G Jaromir Sindel, played in SM-Liiga.
———
The Kootenay Ice left Cranbrook on Monday, headed for Regina and a Wednesday night engagement with the Pats.
As of late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, the Ice was sitting in the parking lot of a grocery store in Sparwood, B.C., waiting for Highway 3 to reopen.
Such is life in the WHL.
“Exactly,” tweeted Ice G Mackenzie Skapski. “Anything can happen. They are obstacles you have to overcome.”
———
Three players from the UBC Thunderbirds, each with ties to the WHL, will join assistant coach Tyler Kuntz and assorted other UBC hockey alumni in the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
That ride will take them from Vancouver to Seattle on June 16 and 17.
Each of the riders is hoping to raise $2,500 for the cause.
F Scott Wasden (Medicine Hat, Kamloops, 2004-09), F Justin McCrae (Saskatoon, Spokane, 2003-09) and F Wyatt Hamilton, whose brother Wacey played in the WHL, will take part in the ride.
Wasden and Hamilton are in their third years at UBC and both are in the Sauder School of Business. McCrae also is in his third year; he is enrolled in kinesiology. When he done his undergraduate degree, he plans to attend law school.
If you are interested in more info on the Thunderbirds, who are coached by old friend Milan Dragicevic, check out Kuntz’s blog right here.
———
Brent Stecker of the Wenatchee World reports that USA Hockey has blocked a proposed move by the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild to the BCHL. Stecker’s story is right here.
———
Ryan Johansen could still be with the Portland Winterhawks. Instead, he is with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, who are hoping he will become the franchise centre they have long needed..
Corey Masisak of NHL.com has more right here.
———
MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Spokane, F Seth Swenson scored twice as the Seattle Thunderbirds stunned the Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Seattle ended a seven-game losing streak. . . . Swenson was in the penalty  box when F Justin Hickman scored shorthanded at 14:36 of the third period, breaking a 2-2 tie. . . . Swenson, who has three goals this season, had tied the game at 11:35 of the third. . . . Swenson was acquired a week ago from the Portland Winterhawks in a deal that had F Marcel Noebels and two first-round bantam draft picks to the other way. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 31 shots, 10 more than Spokane’s Mac Engel. . . .  The season series now is 1-1 with six games remaining. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks set a franchise record as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 5-1. . . . This was the Winterhawks’ 17th straight victory on home ice, erasing the record set in 1993-94. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel enjoyed the first three-goal game of his career, In fact, he broke a 1-1 tie with the game’s next three goals. . . . The Winterhawks won their 30th game of the season. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his WHL-leading 40th goal of the season. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth leads the WHL with 28 victories. He has won nine straight starts. . . . Tri-City leads the season series, 5-1-0. . . . Portland had F Sven Baertschi back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 16. He picked up a concussion while playing for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship. He had one assist in his first game back. He was back with Rattie and they had Cam Reid at centre. . . . The Americans were without F Brendan Shinnimin, who served a one-game suspension for an accumulation of embellishment penalties. . . . You don’t get suspended for an accumulation of charging penalties or high-sticking penalties or tripping penalties or interference penalties. But you get suspended for too many embellishment penalties? What is wrong with this picture? . . . The Americans will play their fifth game in seven days when they are at home tonight to the Seattle Thunderbirds, who have lost 19 in a row at the Toyota Center. . . . The Americans have won their last 13 home games.
———
MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland.

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.

Brock Otten from ohlprospects.blogspot.com — there’s a link over there on the right — is beating the drum for an interesting suggestion.
“I can already hear you saying it. In fact, I'm prepared to read your comments that tell me just that,” he begins. “I'm going to try and convince you that the OHL (and CHL) should increase the number of Import players allowed on each team's roster.”
If you are interested in the rest of his argument, check out his blog.
But I, for one, would be all for that.
And I would go two steps further . . .
I would do away with the provision that a 20-year-old import player takes up two spots — one as an import and one as a 20-year-old. (Teams are allowed to list two imports and three 20-year-olds on their rosters; a 20-year-old import thus takes up two of those five spots.)
I also would allow teams to keep four or five 20-year-old players. I would push for five, but would settle for four.
“The question is,” Otten writes, “would the league not benefit from increasing the quality of its talent base?”
Oh, boy, would it ever.
I have never been able to understand how it is that teams in the CHL will spend money to develop players and then cut one of them loose when he turns 20, not because he isn’t good enough to play, but because they are only permitted to keep three players in his age group.
The same holds true for imports. With the money spent on recruiting imports, getting all the paperwork done, flying them back and forth . . . why cut one loose because he’s 20 years of age when he still has another season in him?
Of course, it is doubtful that the CHL ever will go to three import players or more than three 20-year-olds.
Why not?
Because the CHL and its teams will argue that they are in the business of developing players.
While I would certainly agree with that, I would argue that they also are in the entertainment business. And given a little more maturity the product that now is being presented to the paying customers could be a whole lot better than it is today.
———
JUST NOTES: F Ryan Johansen, who still is eligible to play for the Portland Winterhawks, scored twice as the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday night. Johansen has five goals, including all three of CBJ’s game-winners. That is one off the league lead, held by Vinny Lecavalier of the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have picked up F Teal Burns, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Burns, who is from Victoria, opened this season with the Vancouver Giants, before being dealt to the Raiders. He has eight assists and eight penalty minutes in 16 games. He also has played for the Portland Winterhawks, who selected him in the eighth round of the 2007 bantam draft. . . . With F Tyler Maxwell, 20, having asked for a trade and subsequently been sent home, Everett had an opening for a player with WHL experience. . . .
———
In Kamloops, the Blazers outshot the Edmonton Oil Kings 22-1 in the second period as they posted a 5-2 victory. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Griffin Reinhart and F Klarc Wilson, both of whom were injured in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday. Edmonton D Mark Pysyk didn’t return after the first period in Kamloops. . . . According to Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal, Reinhart and Pysyk have upper body injuries — there is a real epidemic of those in the WHL this season — and Wilson has, uhh, a lower body owwie. . . . 

In Portland, F Sven Bartschi’s goal just 30 seconds into OT gave the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks had beaten the visiting Chiefs 6-5 in a shootout on Friday. . . . Portland has won five straight. . . . Bartschi had a goal and two assists; he has 30 points, including 23 helpers, in 13 games. . . . Portland’s Ty Rattie, who plays on a line with Bartschi, had two goals and two assists. . . . Rattie has 14 points in five November games, picking up at least two points in each game. . . . Interestingly, the team’s 20-year-old captains — Portland D William Wrenn and Spokane F Darren Kramer — duked it out at 12:23 of the first period. It was Wrenn’s second fight in 51 games; Kramer has had 54 in 83 games. . . .

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings won their third straight game, beating the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-4. . . . The Wheat Kings had won 4-1 in Prince Albert on Wednesday night. . . . The victory lifted Brandon (14-6-2) into first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two goals and two assists, moving back into the lead in the WHL points race, with 46. He is two ahead of Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem. . . . D Ryan Pulock, who is having an all-star season, had two goals and an assist. He has 28 points, tops among defencemen. . . . Brandon was 4-for-6 on the PP. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos built up a 3-0 lead and hung on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 3-2. . . . The Warriors had won seven in a row. . . . F Shea Howorko, a 17-year-old from Regina, scored his second goal of the season and it stood up as the winner. He has two goals in 22 games, both of them coming in his last two outings; last season, he had one in 61. . . .

In Cranbrook, D Joey Leach had two goals as the host Kootenay ice bounced the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-1. . . . Leach has four goals this season. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 13 shots. . . . Seattle finished 2-4-0 on its swing through the Central Division. . . .


In Lethbridge, F Jordan Messier had two goals and an assist to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 7-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 13 shots for his fourth straight victory. . . . The Americans held an 18-0 edge in shots in the third period. . . . He was beaten by F Nick Buonassisi on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Americans went 3-0 on their brief trip into the Central Division and six in a row overall on the road. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Matej Stransky had two goals — he’s got 12 — as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Tigers, 5-1. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem was held pointless for the second time this season. . . . Saskatoon F Jake Trask broke a 1-1 tie at 14:09 of the first period as the Blades scored the game’s last four goals. . . . F Chris Collins was back in Saskatoon’s lineup after missing three weeks with a broken thumb. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored two PP goals early in the second period and went on to beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-2. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz earned his first WHL victory as Everett ended a six-game losing streak. Lotz stopped 21 shots in his third start. . . . Prince George F Charles Inglis, the enigmatic one, took a charging major at 19:56 of the first period. Everett F Ryan Harrison scored PP goals at 3:28 and 4:48 of the second period. . . . Inglis is certain to hear from Richard Doerksen, who handles discipline for the WHL. Inglis served a 10-game suspension for a check to the head earlier this season. . . . Everett F Josh Birkholz left the game after the Inglis hit. . . . Everett F Jesse Mychan also can expect a phone call after taking a major for a check to the head at 14:08 of the second period. . . . Mychan also is a repeat offender, having served a two-game sentence for a check to the head in the exhibition season and another two-gamer late in October. . . . The Cougars lost F Brock Hirsche and D Jesse Forsberg to injuries during the game. . . .

In Vancouver, F Marek Tvrdon scored 56 seconds into OT to give the Giants a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning forced OT with a PP goal at 5:00 of the third period. . . . It was Manning’s first goal this season. . . . Tvrdon has 10. . . . The Giants are 9-1-1 at home. . . .

In Victoria, the Rebels got a goal and three assists from D Alex Petrovic as they won their third game in four nights, beating the Royals, 7-4. . . . The Rebels beat the Rockets 6-4 in Kelowna on Wednesday, then dumped the Blazers 5-3 in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Overall, Red Deer has won six straight. . . . Victoria was again without F Kevin Sundher (undisclosed). . . .
———
Could it be that while the WHL has been working on educating its players on the harm that can be caused by checks to the head, it has forgotten about the nastiness of hits from behind?
Well, there were a gawd-awful 10 checking-from-behind minors handed out on Saturday night, which means it’s time to bring back the nightly count.
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (10):
Kenton Miller, Moose Jaw
Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current
Carter Proft, Spokane
Alessio Bertaggia, Brandon
Mitchell Moroz, Edmonton
Tyler Alos, Seattle
Mitch Topping, Tri-City (double minor)
Mason Burr, Red Deer
Austin Carroll, Victoria
———
Bryant Perrier, who no longer is the general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives, says he is being “hung out to dry” over a hazing incident that has enveloped that team.
Perrier has spoken with Dan Lett of the Winnipeg Free Press, and that story is right here.
———
Are you wondering how something like the Penn State sexual abuse scandal could happen? Ron Bracken, a former sports editor of the Centre Daily Times, writes about just that right here. And it has everything to do with transparency, or lack of same.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Tuesday that they will keep F Ryan Johansen, 19, rather than return him to the Portland Winterhawks. As a 19-year-old, he either has to play in the NHL with Columbus, or with the Winterhawks, who hold his WHL rights.
When it comes to keeping or returning junior-aged players, keep in mind that NHL teams are faced with two deadlines.
One involves 10 NHL games. Once a player dresses for his 10th game of a season, his NHL contract kicks in. So a player on a three-year contract uses up the first year with game No. 10.
There also is a 40-game mark of which you should be aware. Once a player suits up for a 40th game in one season, he is one year closer to unrestricted free agency.
———
The Brandon Wheat Kings have dealt F Carter Proft, 17, to the Spokane Chiefs for a fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Proft, from Spruce Grove, Alta., was a fifth-round pick by Brandon in the 2009 draft. He had one goal and 10 penalty minutes in 13 games with Brandon this season. "Carter was in a situation where we weren't going to be able to get him adequate ice time to keep him happy", Brandon GM Kelly McCrimmon said in a news release. "When Jens Meilleur and Dominick Favreau return to our line-up we would have 14 forwards. When this opportunity presented itself, we felt it was the right move for all involved."
———
JUST NOTES: F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the WHL’s player of the month for October. He had 31 points, including 21 goals, in 15 games. . . . Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice is the WHL’s goaltender of the month. He was 9-2-0 with a 1.45 GAA and a .948 save percentage. . . . A couple of WHL grads scored their first NHL goals on Tuesday night. F Brett Connolly (Prince George) had the Tampa Bay Lightning’s second goal in what was a 4-2 loss to the host Carolina Hurricanes. D Jared Cowen (Spokane) scored his first in a 5-3 loss to the host Boston Bruins. Cowen tied the game 3-3 in the third period, only to have the Bruins come back with two quick ones. The first of those came off the stick of Boston D Johnny Boychuk, also a former WHLer. . . . Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0, 1.00, .966 last week.
———
With the Canadian Finals Rodeo making its annual stop in Edmonton, the NHL’s Oilers, including C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, are heading out on a six-game road trip that will take them to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Montreal, Boston, Detroit and Chicago.
"I got $80 every two weeks when I played in Red Deer,” Nugent-Hopkins told Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. “I think per diem in the NHL is $98 a day. I don't think I've touched much of that yet.”
And, yes, the Oilers will be flying, something the kid didn’t do with the Red Deer Rebels.
"The bus in Red Deer was a nice-looking bus, but it's sometimes eight hours on the road and you have to play the next day," Nugent-Hopkins continued. "A plane is still, uh, better than a bus."
One other thing . . .
"I've noticed the hotels are probably a little nicer in the NHL than junior," he said with a laugh.
Matheson’s complete story is right here.
———
In Medicine Hat, F Emerson Etem continued to burn up the WHL, scoring one goal and setting up four others — getting all five points in the third period — as the Tigers bounced the Everett Silvertips, 10-2. . . . Etem leads the WHL in goals (22) and points (36), all compiled in 16 games. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk had a six-point night, including three goals. He has 14 goals in 17 games. . . F Dylan Bredo, the third member of that line, had a goal and three helpers. They combined for 15 points and finished plus-12. . . . The Silvertips tied a single-game franchise record for goals allowed and set a franchise record for goals against in a period when the Tigers struck six times in the third. . . . The Tigers, who also had two goals disallowed, held a 52-25 edge in shots. . . .
In Regina, the Pats built up a 2-0 lead and hung on to beat the Saskatoon Blades, 2-1. . . . The Pats are 11-6-0 and two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Kootenay Ice (11-3-2). . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 26 shots, one fewer than Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . Regina D Artem Bidlevskii was back after missing three games with a concussion. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Brendan Gallagher scored three goals and drew an assist as the Vancouver Giants doubled the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-2. . . . Gallagher has 14 goals in 13 games. . . . His first goal was the 226th point of his career. The Vancouver franchise record for career points (273) is held by F Adam Courchaine. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 46 shots. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Jimmy Bubnick struck for three goals as the Calgary Hitmen came from behind to beat the Raiders, 5-2. . . . It was the second three-goal game of Bubnick’s career, and came in his 276th regular-season game. Bubnick, who is from Saskatoon, had three goals in a 4-3 loss to the Cougars in Prince George on Dec. 1. . . . Calgary scored four third-period goals to erase a 2-1 deficit. . . . The Hitmen got a shorthanded score from F Calder Brooks. That was his first WHL goal. . . . It was the ninth shorthanded goal allowed by the Raiders this season. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a late second-period hit on Prince Albert D Antoine Corbin. . . .
In Swift Current, F Michael Ferland scored three times and set up another, leading the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-3 victory over the Broncos. . . . It was Ferland’s second hat trick of the season. . . . He has 14 goals. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had a goal, running his season-opening point streak to 16 games. . . . Brandon F Darian Dziurzynski took a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Andy Blanke at 19:16 of the third period. . . . Things got silly late in the game and that included Broncos G Jon Groenheyde getting tossed at 19:51 after he tried to entice Brandon G Corbin Boes into a bout. . . . In the end, the Broncos took 65 of the 123 penalty minutes handed out. . . . The Broncos sold tickets for $2 apiece and drew 2,187 fans.
One interesting note from last night’s games. . . . Brandon F Michael Ferland, Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher and Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk each scored three goals. . . . Each of them has 14 goals, tied for second behind Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem, who has 22. . . . If you were wondering, F Tyler Toffoli of the Ottawa 67’s leads the OHL with 13 goals in 12 games. In the QMJHL, F Zach O’Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan has the lead, with 18 goals in 20 games.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

It would seem the Kelowna Rockets can forget about F Zemgus Girgensons, a 17-year-old Latvian whom they selected in the 2011 CHL import draft.
He played last season with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, is there again this season, and doesn’t sound as though he is the least bit interested in playing in the WHL.
“You know, first of all I don’t see my future in the CHL,” Girgensons told Ryan Clark of the Fargo, N.D., Forum on the weekend. “I talked with other CHL teams that were interested in me. I thought about the Q (the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) and the Quebec Remparts, but (Kelowna) drafted me and didn’t say anything to me about it. After that, I felt they disrespected me a little bit. They pushed it a little bit onto my adviser and I don’t think he really liked it.”
For more on this story, check out Clark’s blog Slightly Chilled over there on the right.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders assigned F T.J. Constant, 18, to the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard. He had a goal and five penalty minutes in 15 games with the Raiders. . . . The Raiders, who made a coaching change on Friday, also have added Dave Manson, who was part of the 1985 Memorial Cup-championship team, to their coaching staff. Manson, who played for the Raiders (1983-86) before going on to a terrific NHL career, lives in Prince Albert where he operates a business. Manson was an assistant coach with the Raiders from 2002-09. . . . He will work alongside head coach Steve Young, who was promoted Friday when Bruno Campese, who remains as general manager, stepped aside. . . . Craig Bedard also is on staff as an assistant coach.
Drew Wilson has more right here on the guy they call Charlie.
———
The Minnesota Wild has returned F Brett Bulmer to the Kelowna Rockets. Bulmer had three assists and six penalty minutes in nine games with the NHL team. Bulmer was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. That would have been his 10th game, meaning the first year of his three-year contract would have kicked in.
Bulmer’s return leaves three WHLers — F Nino Niederreiter and F Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks and F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels — in the NHL.
Niederreiter, 19, has yet to play with the New York Islanders because of a groin injury, although he is back skating.
Johansen, 19, is with the Columbus Blue Jackets; in fact, he has played nine games with them, scoring two goals, both game-winners, and drawing two assists. The word out of Columbus on Monday was that there may be an announcement today regarding Johansen’s immediate future.
The Edmonton Oilers said late last week that they will be keeping Nugent-Hopkins, 18, while F Brett Connolly, 19, has stuck with the Tampa Bay Lightning and won't be returning to the Prince George Cougars, at least not for a while.
———
THE COACHING GAME: The AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons have fired general manager and head coach Dan Price. The Dragons go into this week at 5-14-2, good for seventh place in the eight-team South Division. . . . On Monday, the Dragons announced that Barry Wolff is the new GM and head coach. Wolff most recently was associate head coach and assistant GM with the BCHL’s Langley Chiefs.
———
JUST NOTES: F Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants has drawn a two-game suspension for a penalty he incurred on Friday in Prince George. What was a checking-to-the-head major was turned into a boarding major before he was suspended. He has one game left to serve. . . . F Blake Gal of the Spokane Chiefs will watch for three games after he took a boarding major in a game against the host Tri-City Americans on Saturday. . . . As well, F Austin Carroll of the Victoria Royals got a two-game suspension under supplemental discipline for something he did against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday. . . . F Cody Beach of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the WHL’s player of the week. He had eight points, four of them goals, in three games last week. . . . Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the WHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0, 1.00, .966 last week. . . . Vancouver, with F Matt Bellerive, F Scott Cooke, F Anthony Ast and D Blake Orban all out with undisclosed injuries, has brought in F Logan Harland, 16, from the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. He had two points in six games with the Pontiacs.
———
If you are a fan of hockey movies, there is some good news — nay, great news _ for you. The movie Face-Off is being released on DVD on Nov. 15.
Dave Shoalts of The Globe and Mail has more right here.
———
If you are into rankings, Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports posts weekly CHL rankings that have some bite to them and make for a good read. Check out this week’s Buzzing The Net rankings right here. If you’re a fan of the Spokane Chiefs, you will love them.
———
Take a few minutes out of your day and watch this video. It involves a Vancouver sportscaster who won quite a prize in a lottery draw. The draw was made on a set at the TV station where he works. But he wasn’t there at the time. No, Barry Deley was shopping for groceries when he got the call from a fellow sportscaster. Enjoy!
———
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has a question, via Twitter:
“With the upper body/lower body injury thing, shouldn't it be a checking to the upper body penalty, rather than a checking to the head?”
———
And now for today’s good read . . . we bring you a piece by Jim Diamond at examiner.com. It has to do with former WHL referee Mike Hasenfratz, who will work a Thursday night game between the host Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hasenfratz, who really is one of the good guys, hasn’t been working for a while and Diamond has his story right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

F Brett Connolly will be staying in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning. General manager Steve Yzerman gave Connolly the news after a 4-3 victory over the host Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
That was Connolly’s ninth NHL game of the season. His contract kicks in once he dresses for a 10th game. Had the Lightning decided not to keep the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, he would have had to be returned to the Prince George Cougars.
Connolly, playing on a line with veterans Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis, made a key play on Tampa Bay’s first goal last night as it came back from a 2-0 deficit. He got in strong on the forecheck, separating a defender from the puck. St. Louis then centred to Lecavalier, who scored to spark the comeback.
———
Meanwhile, F Ryan Johansen, who has to play with the Columbus Blue Jackets or return to the Portland Winterhawks, had a goal and an assist last night in a 4-1 victory over the visiting Detroit Red Wings.
Johansen was the fourth overall selection in the 2010 NHL draft.
He has played five games, totalling a goal and two assists, with those points all coming in his last two games.
———
F Jason Trott scored twice as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Hitmen 7-1 in Calgary on Tuesday night. Trott now has four goals in 14 games this season, after scoring twice in 32 outings last season. . . . Trott also had an assist last night — he got that with eight seconds left to play — and then completed the Gordie Howe hat trick by getting into a scrap four seconds later. . . .
F Cain Franson set up four goals as the host Vancouver Giants beat the Prince George Cougars 6-2. The teams, who will play a doubleheader in Prince George this weekend, combined for 182 minutes in penalties, 98 of those going to Vancouver. All told, referee Sean Raphael handed out 12 fighting majors and seven game misconducts. Vancouver has won three in a row. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun was at the game. His report is right here. . . . The Cougars, who have lost six straight, meet the Rockets in Kelowna tonight. The Rockets have lost eight of nine. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., referee Trevor Hanson wasn’t quite as busy, handing out five minors as the Victoria Royals got past the Tri-City Americans, 5-4. The Royals, who got 41 saves from G Keith Hamilton, were 2-for-3 on the PP. Tri-City G Eric Comrie, coming off two shutouts, was lifted seven minutes into the second period after giving up four goals on 13 shots . . .
———
JUST NOTES: The WHL handed out three suspensions on Tuesday. Vancouver Giants D Blake Orban got four games for an interference major he incurred for a hit on Kelowna Rockets F Carter Rigby in Kelowna on Oct. 20. Orban has served three games. . . . D Kyle Verdino of the Seattle Thunderbirds got two games under supplemental discipline for an incident in a game at Everett on Oct. 21. . . . Kelowna F Filip Vasko got one game for a boarding major and game misconduct against the visiting Victoria Royals on Oct. 22. . . . Meanwhile, the OHL hit F Zack McQueen of the Windsor Spitfires with a 10-game sentence for a check to the head. A video explanation of that suspension is available on the OHL’s web site. . . . G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans has been named the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He posted two 1-0 shutouts over the Cougars in Prince George on the weekend.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a one-month contract with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B) and had one goal and two assists in his first game with the club on Saturday, a 6-3 victory over Lausanne. He went pointless in six exhibition games during a one month tryout with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) in August. Last season, Svensson has four goals and 14 assists in 55 games for Timrå (Sweden, Elitserien).
———
A couple of thoughts after watching the Medicine Hat Tigers score a 5-4 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops on Monday:
1. If you have the opportunity to watch the Tigers, get to the game. Right-winger Emerson Etem of the Tigers is worth it. Period. Etem, who is from Long Beach, Calif., has 12 goals in seven games and, with his combination of size and speed, has an opportunity to have one of those magical seasons.
2. Have you ever been punched directly on a temple? If so, you know it can stun you. In the third period, Kamloops D Josh Caron punched Medicine Hat F Kellan Tochkin on the right temple following a bit of a skirmish at the Tigers’ blue line. Tochkin went down in a hurry. Caron was hit with a double roughing minor. One of the two referees signalled for Tochkin to get up and go to the penalty box. However, Tochkin appeared a bit woozy, so trainer Mikki Lanuk came out, helped him up and took him to the hallway behind the bench, if not to the dressing room. While the announcement was a roughing penalty to Tochkin — for what, I can’t imagine — the online scoresheet showed him with an embellishment minor. That, folks, is a pretty tough embellishment call! (I attempted on numerous occasions to get on the WHL website after midnight, in order to see if that call was changed, but it would appear that the site was experiencing server problems.)
———
SOME MONDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In  Moose Jaw, G Luke Siemens stopped 21 shots to lead the Warriors to a 6-0 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . It was his first shutout this season and the third of his career. . . . D Collin Bowman and F Torrin White each scored twice for Moose Jaw. . . . D Joshua Smith of the Cougars picked up a kneeing major early in the second period and can count on hearing from the WHL office. . . . The Warriors lost F Sebastian Svendsen on that play and Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Svendsen “could be out for a while.” Svendsen, a 20-year-old from Denmark, will be re-evaluated today.
In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher scored his 100th WHL goal in the game’s first minute and the Giants went on to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-1. . . . Gallagher finished the first period with a goal and two assists, and finished the game with three goals and two helpers. . . . He has seven goals in four games. . . . Gallagher also is closing in on some Giants’ career marks. He now has 102 goals, third on the all-time list, behind Mitch Bartley (107) and Adam Courchaine (126). Gallagher also has 110 assists — 45 shy of Jon Blum’s franchise record. Gallagher’s 212 points is 61 behind Courchaine’s record. . . . James Henry and Marek Tvrdon, Gallagher’s linemates, each had a goal ad two assists. . . . The Giants continue to play without D Neil Manning (back) and he is expected to miss at least another week.
———
JUST NOTES: The WHL’s board of governors will convene in Calgary this week and on Wednesday will announce the host city for the 2013 Memorial Cup. It’s down to Kelowna, Red Deer and Saskatoon. . . . The Spokane Chiefs have returned G Zach Rakochy, 18, to the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. He got into one game with the Chiefs. The move leaves the Chiefs with two goaltenders — Mac Engel and Luke Lee-Knight, who was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders last month. . . . F Brett Connolly picked up his first NHL point, an assist, on Monday as his Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 6-5 shootout decision to the host Washington Capitals. Connolly drew the secondary assist on F Dominic Moore’s goal 56 seconds into the second period. All told, Connolly, who has to be returned to the Prince George Cougars if the doesn’t stay with Tampa Bay, played 17 shifts for 12 minutes 46 seconds. That included a 57-second shift on a third-period penalty. . . . Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Blue Jackets made F Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks a healthy scratch for the second straight game.
———
The always readable Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail takes a look at Kevin Cheveldayoff, the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, and how he got to where he is today.
That piece is right here.
———
For today’s good read, we go to grantland.com and Michael Weinreb, who writes about quarterback Anthony Cavillo of the Montreal Alouettes, who has passed for more yards than any quarterback in the history of pro football.
That story is right here. 

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

It's Ice vs. Winterhawks

JEFF CHYNOWETH

It made something of a ripple when Jeff Chynoweth, the president and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, revealed almost a year ago that his WHL team wouldn’t take part in the CHL’s 2010 import draft.
“Although we have been fortunate in the past with the CHL import draft,” Chynoweth reasoned in a news release, “we feel that in this day and age it is becoming very hard to attract the top European players.
“Our team is eligible to return 19 players and there is no guarantee if we selected a player (in the 2010 draft) that he would be able to play in our top six forwards or top four defencemen.”
Chynoweth took heat at the time, with some people saying that he owed it to the fans to ice the best possible product and pointing out that the best teams almost always include an import or two on their rosters.
Well, the Ice has won the Eastern Conference playoff championship and the roster that has made it this far has neither a European nor an American influence.
Of the WHL’s 22 teams, only the Ice and the Tri-City Americans don’t include even one import on their roster. (The Americans did use 20-year-old G Alexander Pechurskiy, a Russian, in three early-season games.)
The Ice would have had the 43rd selection in the 2010 import draft, but it dealt the selection to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who used it on Danish F Mark Mieritz.
You may recall that last season the Ice did use two Czechs — F Dominik Pacovsky and D Petr Senkerik. Pacovsky was 19 and didn’t come back as a two-spotter. Senkerik didn’t finish last season with the Ice, as he was dealt to the Prince George Cougars.
The Ice will open the best-of-seven WHL championship final on Friday in Portland against the Winterhawks.
Portland’s roster includes two high-flying Swiss forwards in sophomore Nino Niederreiter, who has a team-high 23 points in 16 games, and freshman Sven Bartschi, with 21 points in 16 outings.
Gee, I wonder which team will have Don Cherry’s support?
———

RYAN JOHANSEN

The Winterhawks qualified for the final by doubling the Chiefs 6-3 in Spokane on Monday night. . . . Portland won the Western Conference final, 4-2. . . . The Chiefs, who scored first in each of the six games, led 2-0 before the first period was four minutes old, on goals by F Marek Kalus and F Mike Aviani, but couldn’t hold it. . . . F Sven Bartschi got Portland on the board at 8:17 of the first period and F Ryan Johansen tied it at 9:38 of the second. . . . F Craig Cunningham gave Portland its first lead at 10:38, but Spokane F Levko Koper tied it at 19:44. . . . However, the Winterhawks scored the game’s last three goals, with D Troy Rutkowski breaking the tie at 5:22 of the third and F Ty Rattie (14:07) and F Nino Niederreiter (17:41) adding insurance. . . . Johansen, with five goals and three assists in the series, was named the MVP. . . . Cunningham, Bartschi and D Joe Morrow each had two assists for Portland. . . . F Dominik Uher had two helpers for the Chiefs. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 24 shots, while Spokane’s James Reid turned aside 32. . . . Each team was 0-for-5 on the PP. . . . The Winterhawks are 7-1 on the road in these playoffs. . . . Portland last appeared in a WHL final in the spring of 2001 when it lost to the Red Deer Rebels, who went on to win the Memorial Cup in Regina. . . . The final against the Kootenay Ice opens with games in Portland’s Rose Garden on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The Ice won 5-3 in Portland on Dec. 1. . . . The Ice will arrive in Portland having won 11 straight playoff games, one off the WHL record.
———
MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review was at last night’s game. His game story is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) signed a tryout contract with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland SM-Liiga). He had seven goals and two assists in 45 games split between the Houston Aeros and Springfield Falcons (both AHL) this season. Jokerit GM Jarmo Kekäläinen: "Kalus is an interesting player, who looked like an NHL player when he was 18. He had a good start to his professional career in Boston. Now with us he has the opportunity to rebound." Kalus's tryout contract goes until Aug. 30. . . .
F Brett Lysak (Regina, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Graz 99ers (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 19 assists in 36 games with Jesenice (Slovenia, playes in Austria Erste Bank Liga) and two goals in three games with SönderjyskE Vojens (Denmark AL-Bank Ligaen) this season. 99ers head coach Mario Richer: "Brett represents strong offensive hockey, the style we will play in Graz next season. He has great experience and that will help our young team." . . .
D Tim Wedderburn (Prince George, 1998-2002) signed a one-year contract extension with the Braehead Clan (UK Elite). He had one goal and 16 assists in 54 games for the Glasgow-based Clan this season. Clan head coach Bruce Richardson: "Tim is one of those guys that every team needs. He's dependable, focused, a true leader, very motivational, and he knows his position well. He's a true professional on the ice and off and in the dressing room, he is just a great guy to be around.”
———
It would seem that the hockey fans in Chilliwack can forget about a WHL franchise, at least for this season. The Chilliwack Times reported Friday that the WHL and the Chiefs Development Group, which manages Prospera Centre, haven’t spoken in two weeks. In the meantime, CDG and the owners of the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires have chatted. That story is right here.
chilliwacktimes.com/sports/trying+cash+Millionaires/4696079/story.html
———
Every spring, the QMJHL holds a prospects luncheon before its annual draft. This year, however, the QMJHL has cancelled the luncheon. Willy Palov of the Halifax Chronicle Herald explains things right here, in an interesting piece on players manipulating the system, not that there is anything wrong with that.
———
Mike Ozanian of Forbes takes a look at the latest news involving Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, and his pursuit of the NHL’s Dallas Stars right here. The headline is interesting: Tom Gaglardi makes offer to buy Dallas Stars without cash.
———
ON THE ICE FRIDAY:

LEVKO KOPER

In Spokane, F Levko Koper scored three goals and set up another as the Chiefs dumped the Portland Winterhawks, 8-3. . . . That ties the Western Conference final, 2-2, with Game 5 at the Rose Garden in Portland tonight. . . . The winner will meet the Kootenay Ice in the WHL championship series. . . . The first three games of this series were one-goal games with Portland winning two of them. . . . The Chiefs held period leads of 2-1 and 5-2. . . . Koper has eight goals in these playoffs. He scored three times in 7:55 as the Chiefs stretched a 4-2 lead to 7-2. . . . Spokane F Collin Valcourt, who went into the game with five points in 14 games, had his first goal and three assists. Yes, it was the first four-point game in the WHL for the Red Deer native, who turned 18 on March 18. . . . Portland got a goal and two assists from F Ryan Johansen. . . . Johansen has 20 points, including 10 goals, in 14 games. . . . Koper’s second goal, at 3:43 of the third, sent Portland G Mac Carruth to the bench, with Keith Hamilton coming on in relief. Carruth gave up six goals on 28 shots. . . . Hamilton stopped 11 of 13 shots. . . . Spokane G James Reid made 27 saves. Mac Engel came on for the last 5;37 and stopped seven of eight shots. . . . Spokane was 1-for-10 on the PP; Portland was 2-for-7. . . . The Winterhawks took 60 of 94 penalty minutes. . . . Attendance was 8,412. . . . Game 6 is scheduled for Spokane on Monday, with a seventh game, if necessary, to be played in Portland on Tuesday. . . . That means that if the series goes seven games the teams will finish by having played four games in five nights.
———
FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
F Brendan Leipsic, Portland
F Nino Niederreiter, Portland

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Sunday . . .

WILLIAM WRENN

ON THE ICE SUNDAY:
In Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 1-0 deficit and beat the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference final. . . . The series is tied 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 in Spokane on Wednesday and Friday nights. Game 5 will be played Saturday at the Rose Garden in Portland. . . . F Matt Marantz gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 17:49 of the first period, only to have D William Wrenn pull the Winterhawks even at 18:22. . . . That was Wrenn’s first playoff goal. He had two goals in 29 regular-season games after leaving Denver University and joining the Winterhawks in midseason. . . . Portland F Ryan Johansen broke the tie at 7:38 of the second period, via the PP. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-for-3 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-2. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 34 shots, as did Spokane’s James Reid. . . . Attendance at the Rose Garden was 6,506. . . . Portland F Craig Cunningham, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants during the season, played in the 70th playoff game of his career. Cunningham has played at least 10 playoff games in each of his five WHL season. Seventeen other players have played at least 70 WHL playoff games, led by F Shay Stephenson of the Red Deer Rebels (2000-04). He got into 87. In fact, six of the top 18 in that category played for the Rebels during that time. . . . This also was the first time in the last nine playoff meetings between these teams that the home team won. A year ago, they played a seven-game series in which the visitors won each game. The Chiefs opened this series with a 2-1 victory in Portland on Friday. . . .
“They had us on our heels at times,” Nachbaur said. “Whether that was their game or our game, you have to give them credit. When all is said and done it could have gone either way,” Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. . . . Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston, looking at Wrenn’s goal coming 33 seconds after Spokane scored, told Trimmer: “It was good to get that response goal, it was a key turning point in the game. They had just scored and you start to think, ‘Jeez, are we ever going to get one here?’ I liked our response and I thought we were good in the areas we had to be good.”
———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
Drew Edwards of the Hamilton Spectator reports that at least some minor hockey organizers in that area are taking a serious look at concussions.
“All 244 players on the 14 teams of Hamilton Reps Hockey Club will be given a computerized neuro-cognitive test before the season and, should they suffer a head injury, be tested again,” Edwards writes. “Until their post-concussion test results resemble their pre-season baseline tests, players will not be allowed to return to action.”
It seems that the Guelph Minor Hockey Association also is on board and will test all 1,100 of its players.
That story is right here.
———
After mention here a couple of days ago about Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., taking some Division I coaches into Sherwood Park, Alta., for a camp, I got an email about a camp that was held in Penticton.
According to an emailer, the camp was held by the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.
“There were coaches from 11 Division 1 schools and the invitation-only camp had the top 80 bantam players from B.C. and Washington State. They put on a great presentation and Q and A session for players and parents, plus two days of games.”
Obviously, the NCAA versus CHL is going to be a big, big story. The WHL spent this weekend holding its annual camp in Anaheim, but I don’t recall the NCAA ever having this kind of a hockey presence in Western Canada.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Tuesday . . .

Defenceman Jared Cowen (2) and his Spokane Chiefs had it
all over forward Mason Wilgosh and the Tri-City Americans
on Tuesday night in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo by John Allen/AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Sami Sandell (Brandon, 2004-06) signed a two-year contract with Luleå (Sweden Elitserien). He had 18 goals and 29 assists in 47 games for Troja-Ljungby (Sweden Allsvenskan) this season.
———
THE CHILLIWACK-TO-VICTORIA SAGA, Chapter 33:
So . . . let’s recap.
In a deal that seems to have been in the works for a while, the Chilliwack Bruins have been sold. Presumably to Vancouver-based RG Properties who, presumably, will move the WHL franchise to Victoria.
Except that the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings, who also are owned by RG Properties,  continue to occupy the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre and will do so until at least April 22, which is the date for Game 4 of their second-round best-of-seven playoff series with the Utah Grizzlies.
Presumably the Salmon Kings will be on the move as soon as their season has ended. Perhaps RG Properties has found a buyer for the ECHL franchise, or perhaps the franchise simply will suspend operations.
But what of the arena in Chilliwack that has been home to the Bruins for the last five seasons?
The latest rumour has Lower Mainland people, perhaps a group involving long-time BCHLer Harvey Smyl, purchasing the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires and moving that franchise to Chilliwack.
Is there any meat to that rumour?
Well, Autumn MacDonald of the Quesnel Cariboo Observer wonders why her newspaper hasn’t been able to speak with anyone involved with Millionaires’ ownership or with anyone from the BCHL office. MacDonald’s piece is right here.
What MacDonald’s piece would seem to indicate is that there now are a whole lot of people living under Maxwell Smart’s Cone of Silence. That includes the WHL office, the BCHL office, RG Properties, the Chilliwack Bruins’ majority owners, the Quesnel Millionaires’ owners . . . and let’s not forget that the entire WHL is under a gag order on this subject.
Based on that, you are allowed to jump to your own conclusions.
Not to say that all of the silence has allowed this whole mess to get completely out of control, but other rumours that have arisen over the last month involve, in no particular order . . .
1. The Prince George Cougars moving to Chilliwack.
2. The Saskatoon Blades moving to Winnipeg (if the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes returned to Winnipeg, the AHL’s Manitoba Moose would go to Saskatoon, with the Blades then shifting to Winnipeg, or so the theory goes).
3. The Manitoba Moose moving to Seattle. (Again, only if the Coyotes return to Winnipeg.)
4. The Regina Pats moving to Chilliwack. (The Pats are involved in lease negotiations with their landlord. These negotiations, in the past, have turned nasty. So . . .)
5. The Kootenay Ice moving to Chilliwack.
6. An expansion franchise being awarded to former WHL/NHL goaltender Kelly Hrudey, who now is an analyst on Hockey Night in Canada and owns a chunk of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers. Even though there isn’t an arena in Nanaimo that is close to meeting WHL standards.
———
Has the WHL proven to be “morally bankrupt” in the way it has dealt with the sale of the Chilliwack Bruins? Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times offers up some opinion right here.
———
Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress has a piece right here on how the fans who billet players are taking the news that the Bruins have been sold.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
It would seem that the annual running of The Coaching Game has started early, early this year.
There already are five openings for head coaches in the NHL, where the Dallas Stars fired Marc Crawford on Tuesday. Also looking are the Florida Panthers (Peter DeBoer), Minnesota Wild (Todd Richards), New Jersey Devils (Jacques Lemaire) and Ottawa Senators (Cory Clouston). Lemaire retired (again); the others were dumped.
(After Richards was dismissed, Bruce Brothers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press put together a list of possible candidates for the Wild job. That list includes the name of Craig Hartsburg, a former Minnesota North Stars defenceman who now coaches the Everett Silvertips.)
As well, there are four head-coaching vacancies in the QMJHL, two of which were created Tuesday when the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles fired GM/head coach Mario Durocher and Clement Jodoin resigned from the Rimouski Oceanic.
Also looking are the Halifax Mooseheads and P.E.I. Rocket,
As well, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens may end up looking, should Guy Carbonneau choose not to remain in the position he took over during the season following the firing of Real Paiement.
In the OHL, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are without a general manager and a head coach, while the Sarnia Sting appears to have an interim head coach but no GM.
And, in the WHL, the Moose Jaw Warriors (Dave Hunchak) and Seattle Thunderbirds (Rob Sumner) are in the market.
Momma, it’s like the old song says, don’t let your babies grow up to be hockey coaches.
———
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2011, and it is full of people with WHL connections, including Bob Cornell, Glen Lawson, Don Dietrich, Jayson More, Theo Fleury and Mike Keane.
There’s more right here.
———
A note from Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts:
Luke Schenn had a very interesting take on the Raffi Torres suspension: "I was taught on that play to fake reaching for the puck and then go for the hit. If that's going to be illegal, they are going to have to change the way young players are taught hockey."
Friedman’s blog is right here.
———
ON THE ICE:
Wow! The Eastern Conference’s top two seeds, the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, are in danger of having their seasons come to an end tonight. Both teams lost on the road Tuesday night and could be swept by the Kootenay Ice and Medicine Hat Tigers, respectively, tonight. . . . And who saw that coming? . . . Meanwhile, the Western Conference semifinals are following the chalk, with the No. 1 Portland Winterhawks and No. 2 Spokane Chiefs having taken 2-1 leads. . . .
———
In Cranbrook, G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 22 shots to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Ice takes a 3-0 series lead into Game 4 at home tonight. . . . F Jesse Ismond got his first playoff goal on the PP at 18:34 of the first period and Lieuwen took it home from there. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford was sharp, making 33 saves. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb, who came into these playoffs with a postseason goal, got his third of this spring and added two helpers. . . . Ice F Joe Antilla continued his hot postseason, notching his sixth goal. . . . Attendance was 3,065. . . . The Blades scratched D Tanner Sohn, who had played in Game 2, and inserted F Alex Elliott. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka, who had missed the first two games with an injury, was back in the lineup and drew an assist on the third goal. . . . 
———
In Medicine Hat, F Hunter Shinkaruk broke a 1-1 tie at 6:09 of the third period and the Tigers went on to a 3-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Tigers are up 3-0 — they have outscored the Rebels 17-2 — and can wrap it up at home tonight. . . . F Kellan Tochkin gave Medicine Hat a 1-0 lead at 14:27 of the first period, with D Justin Weller equalizing at 3:13 of the third. . . . Shinkaruk’s fourth playoff goal stood up as the winner. . . . Tigers F Cole Grbavac continued his outstanding playoff with his eighth at 16:34. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . . Tigers G Tyler Bunz stopped 26 shots, as did Red Deer’s Darcy Kuemper. . . . Earlier in the day, Medicine Hat F Linden Vey was named the CHL’s player of the week. He had nine points in three games last week but was pointless last night. . . .
———
In Kelowna, F Ryan Johansen drew three assists as the Portland Winterhawks scored a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Portland leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 in Kelowna tonight. . . . Johansen had three goals in Portland’s 6-3 victory in Game 2 and now has 13 points in seven playoff games this spring. . . . The big goal in this one came off the stick of PortlandD Tyler Wotherspoon. He broke a 3-3 tie with his first playoff goal at 18:18 of the second period, just 40 seconds after Kelowna F Brett Bulmer had pulled his side even. . . . Porltand F Nino Niederreiter scored twice, giving him six. . . . The Rockets got a goal and two assists from F Colton Sissons. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth was outstanding, with 38 saves. . . . Kelowna’s chances of winning took a hit at 8:32 of the third period. With the Rockets trailing 4-3, F Shane McColgan was penalized for hooking and then was hit with a misconduct. He is the Rockets’ leading scorer in these playoffs. . . . Portland was 3-for-10 on the PP; the Rockets were 1-for-7. . . . Attendance was 4,884 in an arena where regular-season crowds averaged better than 6,000. . . . Portland played without F Brad Ross, who served the second game of a three-game suspension for a charging major in Game 1. . . . Kelowna F Zach Franko, who was hit by Ross, didn’t play, either. . . .
———
In Kennewick, Wash., G James Reid stopped 20 shots as the Spokane Chiefs dumped the host Tri-City Americans, 4-1. . . . The Chiefs hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 in Kennewick on Thursday. . . . The Chiefs jumped out to a 3-0 lead before F Neal Prokop go the Americans on the board at 12:08 of the second period. . . . F Darren Kramer, with his fourth, gave the Chiefs some insurance at 17:14 of the third. Kramer has four goals and four penalty minutes in eight playoff games; he had seven goals and 306 penalty minutes in 68 regular-season games. . . . The Americans were without veteran D Tyler Schmidt, who sat out a one-game suspension after taking a clipping major in Game 2. . . . The Chiefs held a 41-21 edge in shots. . . . Attendance was 3,667. . . . The Americans won their first five game in these playoffs, but now hae lost two in a row.
———
TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Four minors:
Kootenay D Joey Leach.
Kelowna F Spencer Main.
Kelowna F Jessey Astles (two minors).

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Sunday . . .

SUNDAY, ON THE ICE:
Finally, a couple of home teams put up second-round victories, meaning the visitors now hold a 6-2 edge. . . . No games tonight. . . .
In Portland, F Ryan Johansen scored three times to lead the Winterhawks to a 6-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The series is 1-1 as it heads to Kelowna for games Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Johansen has five goals in these playoffs. . . . D Joe Morrow and F Ty Rattie each added a goal and two assists for Portland, with F Riley Boychuk getting three helpers. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 46 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 25. . . . Attendance was 8,053. . . . The Rockets were in this at 2-2 late in the second period. . . . But Portland got two late goals from Johansen, at 15:29 and 19:52, to go out front 4-2 and take control. . . . Portland was without F Brad Ross, who is suspended, while the Rockets were without F Zach Franko, who was hit by Ross in Game 1 on Thursday. . . . The length of Ross’s suspension might be known today. . . .
In Spokane, F Mitch Holmberg had two goals and an assist to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . That series is 1-1 as it heads to Kennewick, Wash., for games Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. . . . Holmberg scored on the PP at 19:00 of the first period, breaking a 1-1 tie. The Chiefs then scored the only three goals of the second period. . . . Spokane was 3-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-4. . . . Spokane D Jared Cowen had four assists, three of them on the PP. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 12 shots, as his guys outshot the visitors 26-8 through two periods. . . . The Americans started Drew Owsley in goal. He stopped 21 of 26 shots before giving way to Eric Comrie, who made his WHL debut by turning aside 13 of 14 shots. Comrie, a first-round bantam pick who signed with the Americans on Thursday, was beaten only by F Tyler Johnson, who scored on the PP at 10:35 of the third. . . . Attendance was 5,026. . . . Tri-City D Tyler Schmidt was hit with a major for clipping and a game misconduct in the third period, a penalty that certainly will be reviewed by the WHL office.
———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Sunday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tyler Beechey (Kootenay, Calgary, 1997-2002) and D Jason Holland (Kamloops, 1992-96) signed one-year contract extensions with DEG Metro Stars Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL). Beechey had 20 goals and 26 assists in 51 games and Holland had eight goals and 19 assists in 51 games this season for the Metro Stars.
---
G Deven Dubyk of the Medicine Hat Tigers and G Mark Segal of the Vancouver Giants posted shutouts on Sunday, the final day of the WHL’s regular season.
That brought to 88 the number of blank jobs in the league this season, which equals last season’s total.
The WHL single-season record is 141 (2004-05), followed by 120 (2006-07). The last two seasons are the sixth-highest totals in WHL history.
Darcy Kuemper of the Red Deer Rebels led the WHL (and the CHL) with 13 shutouts, tying the WHL single-season record. He now shares it with Bryan Bridges (Seattle, 2004-05) and Kelly Guard (Kelowna (2003-04).
The Spokane Chiefs put up eight shutouts, second to Red Deer, with James Reid and Mac Engel each earning four.
The Swift Current Broncos, Prince George Cougars and Vancouver each put up six.
On the other side of the coin, the Everett Silvertips were blanked 10 times, while the Calgary Hitmen and Swift Current each was shut out nine times.
---
JUST NOTES: F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, as he did a year ago. Mitchell signed a contract with the parent Washington Capitals on Saturday. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Two OHL general managers lost their jobs Sunday, the final day of the season. The Sarnia Sting fired Dave MacQueen, while the Soo Greyhounds did the same with Dave Torrie. Neither team qualified for the playoffs.
---
THE MATCHUPS:
Eastern Conference:
Saskatoon (1) vs. Prince Albert (8)
Red Deer (2) vs. Edmonton (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Brandon (6)
Kootenay (4) vs. Moose Jaw (5)
---
Western Conference:
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Prince George (7)
Spokane (3) vs. Chilliwack (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Vancouver (5)
---
In Calgary, G Deven Dubyk stopped 40 shots for his second straight shutout as the Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Hitmen, 2-0. . . . Dubyk earned his first career shutout Saturday in a 1-0 victory over the visiting Hitmen. . . . The victory allowed the Tigers to finish with 100 points. . . . F Emerson Etem scored both goals in Sunday’s game, giving him 45. . . . F Linden Vey had one assist, giving him 116 points. That assist made all the difference because he won the WHL scoring title by one point over Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . . The Tigers haven’t had a scoring champion since Tom Lysiak (154 points, 1972-73). . . . Johnson had a goal, his WHL-leading 53^rd, and an assist in a 6-3 victory in Portland. . . .
In Vancouver, G Mark Segal stopped 28 shots as the Giants beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-0. . . . Segal put up six shutouts this season. . . . F Spencer Bennett scored twice, giving him 37 goals, and added an assist. . . . Everett was blanked 3-0 by G Lucas Gore and the host Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday night. . . . The Silvertips haven’t scored in more than 142 minutes. They have been shut out a WHL-high 10 times this season. . . . The victory allowed the Giants to move past the idle Chilliwack Bruins and into fifth place in the Western Conference. That puts Vancouver up against the Tri-City Americans in the first round. The Bruins will meet the Spokane Chiefs. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Kruise Reddick scored his 20^th goal of the season at 2:39 of OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The loser point lifted the Thunderbirds into a ninth-place tie with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row, went 9-0-0 against Seattle this season. . . .
In Portland, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Winterhawks, 6-3. . . . The Chiefs rested D Jared Cowen, their captain, and had the C on the chest of F Darren Kramer. . . . F Connor Chartier, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, scored his first goal for the Chiefs. . . . F Ryan Johansen scored the game’s first two goals for Portland, giving him 40 on the season. . . . The Chiefs draw the Chilliwack Bruins in the first round. The Chiefs have home-ice advantage by virtue of being the No. 3 seed, but their building isn’t available so the series will open in Chilliwack on Friday.
---
SUNDAY’S CFB COUNT:
One minor:
Everett D Rasmus Rissanen

Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail is the best essayist/sports columnist in Canada today.
His column in Saturday’s paper carries this headline: How to break Neanderthals’ grip on hockey?
It starts with this sentence:
“If hockey is truly ‘a man’s game,’ then why are the games brought to us by Cialis and Viagra?”
As he writes later in the piece: “It is a great game, but it surely needs some work.”
This is your must-read piece for today and it is right here.
———
Interestingly, MacGregor wrote and filed his column before the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders staged that embarrassing exhibition on Friday evening.The NHL had quite a week, didn’t it?
———
While enjoying some time off this week, I heard someone -- it may have been Bob McCown on The Fan 590 out of Toronto -- mention that there were, at that particular time, 43 NHL players out with concussions.
I don’t know where that number came from, but I went on TSN’s website late Friday night and started counting. I found 23 players listed as being out with a concussion, concussion symptoms or a head injury. There are a bunch of players on the list with undisclosed injuries, so perhaps there is another list out there somewhere that showed 43 concussed NHLers.
Regardless, it got me to wondering: How many WHL players have suffered concussions this season?
So I spent some time perusing the WHL injury/transaction update that is posted on the league’s website early each week.
Interestingly, six of the WHL’s 22 teams have reported a number of head injuries but not even one concussion. On the other hand, 10 teams have reported concussions but no head injuries.
Including the injury report of Feb. 8, WHL teams have listed a total of 78 players as having suffered head injuries or concussions. Of those, 43 have suffered concussions and 35 are listed as having had head injuries.
(Another five players are shown to have incurred neck injuries.)
Of course, there is nothing here to indicate how these injuries happened. For example, there are goaltenders on the list who were concussed when struck on the mask by a shot or a stick.
But there also are two players on the list who suffered season-ending concussions and one other who hasn’t played since Dec. 10.
As of the Feb. 8 list, there were 13 players out with concussions or head injuries.
No matter how you look at it, there are far too many head injuries, certainly at this level of hockey and in the NHL.
The message, whatever it is, isn’t getting through.
Consider, too, that Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier is reporting: “Last season, the WHL handed out 110 games in suspensions; this season, it’s already at 135.”
That doesn’t include an impending suspension to Kelowna Rockets F Colton Jobke. He was hit with an interference major on Friday night for a hit that ended the season of Chilliwack Bruins F Tim Traber, who suffered a broken leg.
Here’s what Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska, speaking after the game, told Potenteau: “I didn’t think it was a good hit. Traber didn’t have the puck, and, from what I saw originally — and I haven’t looked at since — I thought it wasn’t a very good hit. Even though he’s our player, it’s one of the hits where I wouldn’t want to see one of our guys get hit that way.”
———
A look at WHL teams and the number of concussion and head injuries each has reported through Feb. 8 (first number is concussions; second number is head injuries):
Brandon 0-0
Calgary 0-6
Chilliwack 5-0
Edmonton 2-4
Everett 8-0
Kamloops 5-0
Kelowna 0-5
Kootenay 1-2
Lethbridge 0-4
Medicine Hat 3-0
Moose Jaw 2-1
Portland 0-0
Prince Albert 0-3
Prince George 1-0
Red Deer 3-0
Regina 3-0
Saskatoon 5-0
Seattle 2-0
Spokane 0-4
Swift Current 2-1
Tri-City 3-0
Vancouver 3-0
———
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Whitehorse, F Brendan Gallagher scored twice to help the Vancouver Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The game was played in a soldout Takhini Arena, which has 1,535 seats. . . . This was the first WHL regular-season game to be played in the Yukon, although the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice played two exhibition games in Yellowknife, North West Territories, in 2005. . . . The arena didn’t include glass that meets WHL standards so both teams agreed to have the officials ignore what would have been delay-of-game penalties in WHL arenas. . . . The victory was No. 516 in the WHL for Vancouver head coach Don Hay, who is fourth on the all-time list. Pat Ginnell is No. 3, at 518. . . . The Giants have won 14 of their last 18 games. . . . Gallagher broke a 2-2 tie when he tipped a shot by F Spencer Bennett past G Jeff Bosch. . . . Gallagher has 38 goals. . . . Bennett set up both of Gallagher’s goals. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 26 shots, two fewer than Bosch. . . . Vancouver remains atop the B.C. Division, meaning it is the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. It now is four points ahead of Kelowna. . . . The Blazers slipped into ninth, one point behind Chilliwack. . . .
———
In Chilliwack, the Bruins, without three veteran defencemen, beat the Kelowna Rockets, 4-1. . . . F Ryan Howse scored twice, giving him 39 goals, and added an assist. . . . F Max Adolph gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season in the first period. . . . F Brandon Magee tied it for the Bruins at 3:25 of the second and F Kevin Sundher, with his 18th, gave them the lead at 17:20. . . . Howse added two third-period goals. . . . The Bruins were without veteran defencemen Brandon Manning, who is serving a seven-game suspension, and the injured Jeff Einhorn and Zach Habscheid. . . . F Curt Gogol dropped back to the blue line and Turner Popoff, 16, was brought in from the junior B Richmond Sockeyes and made his WHL debut. . . . The Bruins also were without F Tim Traber, who will miss the rest of this season with a broken right leg suffered in Friday’s 5-4 shootout victory in Kelowna. Rockets F Colton Jobke was hit with an interference major on the play in which Traber was injured. Jobke has been suspended, although the length of that suspension isn’t yet known. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 26 shots. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-1. . . . Attendance was 2,909. . . . The victory lifted the Bruins into eighth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Kamloops. Chilliwack holds four games in hand on Kamloops. . . . The Bruins are at home to Tri-City tonight. . . . The Rockets travel to Everett to face the Silvertips tonight. . . .
———
In Kent, Wash., F Ryan Johansen had his first WHL three-goal game, leading the Portland Winterhawks to an 8-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Winterhawks, who lead the Western Conference, are one victory away from clinching a playoff spot. . . . Portland scored its first five goals on the PP as it went 6-for-7 with the man advantage. . . . Johansen has 30 goals. . . . Portland D Joe Morrow had a goal and three assists. . . . Seattle had a 17-5 edge in first-period shots but went into the second period trailing 1-0. . . . The Winterhawks outshot Seattle 20-7 in the second and emerged with a 5-1 lead. . . . Portland G Keith Hamilton stopped 35 shots. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard was beaten seven times on 35 shots before Michael Salmon came on. He was beaten once on two shots. . . . Attendance was 4,771. . . . The Winterhawks lead the Western Conference and hold a five-point lead over Spokane in the U.S. Division. . . . Seattle, with one victory in 10 games, is 10th in the conference and now is five points out of a playoff spot. . . . Spokane visits the Thunderbirds tonight. . . .
———
In Brandon, F Matt MacKay scored three times to lead the Wheat Kings to a 6-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . MacKay’s third goal, his 21st of the season, came into an empty net with 11.6 seconds left in the third period. . . . F T.J. Foster scored three times for Edmonton, while F Dylan Wruck earned four assists and set the franchise’s modern day record for points (64) in a season. . . . Brandon has won six straight home games. . . . Foster has 23 goals. . . . D Ryan Pulock and F Brenden Walker each had two assists for Brandon. . . . Pulock, a 16-year-old from Grandview, Man., has 27 points in 49 games and certainly is in the conversation when the discussion is about the Eastern Conference’s top rookie. . . . Attendance was 4,120. . . . Brandon is back in action Tuesday when the Saskatoon Blades and F Brayden Schenn come calling. The Wheat Kings dealt Schenn to Saskatoon on Jan. 10. . . . The Wheat Kings, seventh in the Eastern Conference, closed to within three points of the sixth-place Oil Kings. Edmonton has one game in hand. . . . The Oil Kings move on to Swift Current tonight. . . .
———
In Moose Jaw, F Marek Viedensky and F Jake Trask each scored twice for Saskatoon as the Blades beat the Warriors, 5-3. . . . The Blades have won 11 in a row. . . . Viedensky has 27 goals. . . . Trask, whose second goal was into an empty net, now has 21 goals. . . . F Cody Beach had a goal and two assists for the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 43 shots. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 26 shots and now is 32-3-0. I’m thinking he has the Cy Young Award locked up. . . . After Beach gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead, the Blades scored three times, twice on the PP, to take a 3-1 lead into the second. . . . The Warriors tied it before Viedensky broke the 3-3 deadlock at 18:22 of the third. . . . Referees Derek Zalaski and Cole Hamm handed out nine roughing minors and six for unsportsmanlike conduct. There were only two scraps, though. . . . Attendance was 2,730. . . . The Blades lead the WHL in victories (44), points (90) and winning percentage (.804). In fact, only one other team (Red Deer, .716) is over .700. . . .The Warriors are fifth and appear likely to finish there. . . .
———
In Regina, the Pats got two shootout goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Pats led 2-0 in the second period, on goals by D Brandon Davidson and F Lane Scheidl, only to have the Tigers come back and tie it. D Jace Coyle scored at 13:40 of the second and F Kellan Tochkin tied it at 6:52 of the third. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey had two assists and now has 92 points. He is tied for the scoring lead with Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . . F Shayne Neigum and Scheidl scored for Regina in the SO, while only F Wacey Hamilton was able to beat G Matt Hewitt for the Tigers. . . . Hewitt stopped 32 shots through OT and three more in the SO. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz made 34 saves. Regina D Myles Bell was unable to beat him on a second period penalty shot. . . . Attendance was 3,996. . . . The Pats are tied for 10th with Lethbridge, just two points behind Prince Albert and Swift Current, who are tied for eighth. . . . Medicine Hat is fourth, one point behind Kootenay. . . .
———
In Swift Current, F Max Reinhart scored two goals 34 seconds apart as the Kootenay Ice beat the Broncos, 6-4. . . . The Ice, which has clinched a playoff spot, led 3-0 after one period and 4-1 late in the second, only to have the Broncos tie it 4-4 on F Andy Blanke’s fifth goal of the season at 6:59 of the third. . . . F Joe Antilla got the winner at 14:42 and D James Martin nailed the empty-netter at 19:44. . . . F Cody Eakin, traded to the Ice by the Broncos on Jan. 9 for five players and three draft picks, had one assist in his return to Swift Current. . . . F Drew Czerwonka had three assists for the Ice. . . . Reinhart, who scored the game’s first two goals, has 29 this season. . . . Attendance was 2,525. . . . The Ice is third in the Eastern Conference, six points behind Red Deer and one up on Medicine Hat. . . . The Broncos, with one victory in 10 games, are tied with Prince Albert for the conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Broncos are at home again tonight, this time to Edmonton. . . .
———
In Calgary, G Brandon Glover stopped 32 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Hitmen scored three times in the first period, with F Justin Kirsch getting his 22nd at 4:12. . . . F Kris Foucault, with his 17th, and F Misha Fisenko, with his seventh, also scored in that first period. . . . F Brett Connolly got his 33rd on the PP at 7:44 of the second. . . . Foucault later added his 18th into an empty net. He also had an assist. . . . Calgary F Brendan Santini had two helpers. . . . Cougars G Ty Rimmer stopped 18 shots. . . . Attendance was 9,385. . . . The Hitmen are 12th in the Eastern Conference and, barring a miracle, won’t make the playoffs. . . . The Cougars are sixth in the Western Conference, four points behind Kelowna and three ahead of Everett. . . . The Cougars have a game in Red Deer tonight. . . .
———
In Lethbridge, G Darcy Kuemper stopped 27 shots as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Hurricanes, 3-0. . . . Kuemper, a 20-year-old from Saskatoon, leads all of the CHL with 11 shutouts. He has 17 in his career. . . . He had three in each of his previous two seasons. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his 20th goal, while F Byron Froese had a goal, his 34th, and an assist, and F Andrej Kudrna got his 25th goal. . . . With Red Deer short on the back end, Froese dropped back and played a lot on defence. . . . Lethbridge G Brandon Anderson stopped 39 shots. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson had an assist to run his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the league today. He has 21 points over that stretch. . . . Attendance was 3,790. . . . Lethbridge is tied with Regina for 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Red Deer leads the Central Division and is seven points behind conference-leading Saskatoon. . . . Red Deer is at home to Prince George tonight. . . .
———
In Spokane, F Levko Koper drew four assists as the Chiefs dumped the Tri-City Americans, 7-2. . . . The Chiefs were 4-for-7 on the PP, while the Americans were 0-for-6. . . . F Tyler Johnson had two goals and an assist for the Chiefs. He leads the WHL with 43 goals and his 92 points have on the top rung alongside Medicine Hat F Linden Vey. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had a goal and two assists. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 22 shots. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley left early in the second period with an apparent knee injury. . . . Attendance was 10,475. . . . The Chiefs are second in the U.S. Division, five points behind Portland with two games in hand. . . . The Americans are three points in back of Spokane. Tri-City holds three games in hand on Spokane and five on Portland. . . . The Americans play in Chilliwack tonight, while the Chiefs are in Kent, Wash., to face Seattle.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Three minors:
Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy
Kelowna F Evan Bloodoff
Tri-City D Sam Grist