Lipon hears from Team Canada

Right-winger JC Lipon (34) of the Kamloops Blazers likes to play his game
deep in the other team's zone, even if it means mixing it up with a goaltender
like Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans.
(HUGO YUEN / KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops Blazers will have a player in the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp next week for the first time in six years.
Right-winger JC Lipon, a 19-year-old fourth-year player from Regina, was one of 11 WHLers on the 37-player roster that was released by Hockey Canada on Monday.
“I heard Sunday night,” Lipon said Monday evening. “I was pretty excited, especially after the game I had . . . it made me a little happier.”
Lipon and the Blazers dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday.
The last time the Blazers had a player in camp and on Team Canada was 2006 when goaltender Devan Dubnyk made the grade.
This is a dream come true for Lipon, who is most familiar with the heroics of Reginan Jordan Eberle with Team Canada at past tournaments.
A midget-aged player then, Lipon remembers being at a Regina Pats game when a Team Canada was put up on the Jumbotron.
“No one was watching the real hockey game, everyone was watching the Canada game,” a chuckling Lipon said.
Although he doesn’t play golf, Lipon is a regular attendee at Eberle’s annual tournament in Regina so he knows the Edmonton Oilers winger who, with the NHL lockout in progress, now is with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons.
Lipon has led the WHL in goals — he has 22 — and points for most of this season, although he now is tied for the points lead with linemate Colin Smith. Each has 55 points.
They will try to increase their totals tonight when the Blazers entertain the Swift Current Broncos. Game time at Interior Savings Centre is 7 o’clock.
Lipon and Smith, a 19-year-old centre from Edmonton, skated for Team WHL in one game during last month’s Subway Super Series against a Russian team. However, Smith, who has experience in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, isn’t on the selection camp roster.
Smith, who has a WHL-leading 34 assists, would have had to be among Canada’s top six forwards and that would have been a tough nut to crack. Unfortunately for him, he won’t get that opportunity.
“It’s sad to see a guy like that passed over,” Lipon said. “But at the same time I have to be excited for myself and be proud, too.”
The Canadian roster includes four centres — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of AHL-Oklahoma City, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts and Ryan Strome of the Niagara Ice Dogs — all of whom likely would be playing in the NHL were it not in lockout mode. All four were top 10 selections in the NHL’s 2011 draft, by the Oilers, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders, respectively.
Lipon is a more physically dominant player than Smith and will be looking for a spot on the bottom half of the roster.
“I’m just going to try to play my same game, maybe think a little more about finishing every hit and being really responsible in the (defensive) zone,” Lipon said. “I want to be reliable whether it’s a third- or fourth-line position I’m battling for.”
“I’m going there to make the team,” he added, “but it should be just a great experience overall. Hopefully, I’ll learn some things from those guys.”
He also knows that his speed and work ethic will hold him in good stead as he skates with the country’s top junior-aged players.
“Maybe one guy will complement me just like Smitty and it’ll work out,” Lipon said.
The Blazers will be without Lipon for at least two games — Dec. 11 in Calgary and Dec. 12 in Edmonton — but he will miss at least eight games if he makes the final roster.
Lipon is one of 21 forwards on the camp roster. There also are four goaltenders and 12 defencemen listed. There are 18 players from the OHL, seven from the QMJHL and one from the AHL. (A complete roster is in Scoreboard.)
Huberdeau, Scheifele, Strome, forward Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals) and defencemen Dougie Hamilton (Niagara) and Scott Harrington (London Knights) are the only players invited to camp who were on the Canadian team that finished third a year ago when the tournament was held in Calgary and Edmonton.
The camp opens Monday in Calgary, with the final 23-player roster — three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards — to be announced early on Dec. 13.
The hopefuls will play an intrasquad game on Dec. 11, then will play against university teams on Dec. 12 and 13. Canada flies out of Calgary on Dec. 15 for a pre-competition camp in Finland.
The World Junior Championship opens Dec. 26 in Ufa, Russia. The tournament is returning to a larger international ice surface this month, after a four-year stint on smaller surfaces in North America.
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Blazers D Marek Hrbas was named officially to the Czech Republic’s 27-player selection camp roster yesterday. He will leave the Blazers after playing Dec. 12 in Edmonton. His chances of making the Czech roster are excellent — he played in the WJC last year. That being the case, he will miss at least six WHL games.
The five-day Czech camp opens in Rokycany on Dec. 15, with the team leaving for Russia on Dec. 20.
Two other WHL players — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer and D David Musil of Edmonton — are on the Czech roster.
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The Blazers (21-7-3) go into tonight’s game having lost two straight games.
They concluded a seven-game homestand with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. Kamloops went 4-1-2 in those seven games.
“These last few games leading up to that camp I have to start playing my best hockey again and get in a groove,” Lipon said.
The Blazers will play the Prince George Cougars here on Saturday. That will be Kamloops’ final home game before Christmas.
The Cougars will be without F Colin Jacobs, who has been suspended for six games for a headshot he delivered in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals on Friday.
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JUST NOTES: The Blazers’ power play is 1-for-25 over its last six games. . . . The Broncos (12-13-5) don’t have any B.C. players on their roster. However, F Glenn Gawdin, their first-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, is from Richmond. Gawdin, the fifth overall selection, is with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . The Broncos will be missing F Daniel Dale, who will be completing a two-game suspension for instigating a fight late in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Friday. . . . The Broncos, who arrived in Kamloops early on Sunday evening, are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. They last played Saturday when they blanked the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-0. . . . The Broncos started G Landon Bow in that game, but he left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. It’s expected that Steve Myland, 18, of the junior B North Delta Devils will be the back up tonight. . . . Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen, 19, is scheduled to leave to join Finland’s world junior team after playing against the Royals in Victoria on Saturday. He’s 12-12-4, 2.52, .918 in his first WHL season. . . . The Broncos have acquired D Brett Lernout, 17, from the Saskatoon Blades for a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Lernout, from Winnipeg, was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?”
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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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Brad Schell (Spokane, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract after a successful tryout with Dornbirn (Austria, Nationalliga). He had five goals and five assists in six games during his tryout period. . . .
F Jakub Klepis (Portland, 2001-02) was placed on waivers by Salavat Yulayev Ufa (Russia, KHL) for the purpose of sending him to their minor league affiliate, Toros Neftekamsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). However, three KHL clubs put in claims — Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk and OHK Dynamo Moscow (all Russia, KHL). In the KHL, multiple claims made on players placed on waivers before Nov. 15 are decided based on the final standings from last season. Under this rule, Metallurg Novokuznetsk won the waiver claim but, according to Metallurg GM Leonid Vaisfeld, Klepis was never in their plans. Metallurg then traded Klepis to OHK Dynamo Moscow in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Klepis had three goals and two assists in 15 games with Salavat Yulayev this season. . . . As a side note, former NHL F Robert Nilsson also was placed on waivers at the same time as Klepis but he went unclaimed and will report to Toros.
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SOME FRIDAY LEFTOVERS: Head coach Jim Hiller picked up his 100th victory with the Tri-City Americans on Friday as they posted a 1-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 17 shots for his first career shutout in that one. . . . According to an Americans’ news release, Hiller is the third coach in franchise history to get to 100 victories. “He is also the fastest coach to reach the mark,” reads the released, “doing it in just 157 games (.659 winning percentage). It took Bob Loucks (103 wins) 207 games to reach the mark while Don Nachbaur, Tri-City’s all-time coaching wins leader (229), got his 100th win in game No. 236.” . . . If you missed it Friday night, Shaun Clouston’s Medicine Hat Tigers beat brother Cory’s Brandon Wheat Kings 5-2 in the Gas City. Cory still holds a 4-2 edge in the matchup of coaching brothers. . . . Medicine Hat F Kellan Tochkin returned to the Tigers’ lineup in that one. He hadn’t played since Thanksgiving Day when he suffered an upper body injury (concussion?) as he was punched in the head by Kamloops Blazers D Josh Caron. . . . The Vancouver Giants scored six PP goals in beating the visiting Victoria Royals, 8-1. . . .
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NOW THAT WE’RE CAUGHT UP: Bob Ridley, the venerable radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, was heard to say during a Saturday night broadcast that there is an “entirely good possibility” that the Gas City boys and the Kamloops Blazers could meet in the WHL playoffs. That, of course, would mean they are in the WHL final. . . . F Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting has the OHL scoring lead after putting up three points on Saturday. The Russian, who is eligible for the 2012 NHL draft, has 29 points in 13 games. . . .
F Liam Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs scored his first WHL goal on Saturday, as he knocked a puck out of midair and into the net. It came in his sixth game and helped the Chiefs to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . This is the last time that this blog will mention that Stewart is the son of model/actress Rachel Hunter and rocker Rod Stewart. Now that he’s on the board, he’s Liam Stewart and he might as well be the son of a Prairie farmer. OK? . . . That was Spokane’s sixth straight victory and was the fifth game in a row in which the Chiefs came from behind to win. . . . The Chiefs also have won seven straight on home ice. . . . Everett F Ryan Chynoweth, the grandson of the late Ed Chynoweth, the longtime WHL president, picked up an assist for his first WHL point. He is the son of Jeff Chynoweth, the Kootenay Ice’s president and general manager. . . .
On the MSG-TV telecast of last night’s game between Edmonton and the New York Rangers, Oilers president Kevin Lowe said, according to a tweet from @EJHradek_NHL: “I’d be shocked if (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) goes back, but we’ll make that decision in a week or two.” . . . The Nuge scored again last night and added an assist. He played 16:04 in a 2-0 victory over the visiting New York Rangers. . . . He has a team-high five goals. Sorry, Red Deer! Sorry, Canada!! . . . F Tyler Giebel, 18, who had six points in 49 games with the Everett Silvertips last season, has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. Giebel, who is from Regina, was pointless in eight games with Everett this season when he was released. . . .
Brandon F Mark Stone ran his season-opening point streak to 13 games as he scored once in the Wheat Kings’ 4-2 victory over the host Lethbridge Hurricanes last night. Stone leads the WHL scoring race with 28 points. . . . Brandon finished its seven-game road trip, which included five stops in the U.S., at 4-3-0. . . . The Hurricanes now has lost 11 in a row. . . . The Moose Jaw Warriors dropped a 2-1 decision to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook last night. The Warriors dropped three one-goal decisions over the previous four days. . . .
Tri-City G Eric Comrie, 16, put up his second shutout in as many nights Saturday as the Americans beat the Cougars 1-0 in Prince George. Comrie, who stopped 17 shots in a 1-0 victory on Friday, turned aside 30 shots last night. . . . In both games, Comrie bettered former Americans G Drew Owsley. . . . According to Dan Mulhausen of the Americans, Comrie is “the first Americans goaltender to ever win consecutive 1-0 games, and the first 16-year-old goaltender in the franchise’s history to record back-to-back shutout victories.  Current Montreal Canadiens’ G Carey Price had three straight shutouts in December 2004, but he was 17 at the time.” . . . Mulhausen also reports that this was the eighth time in Tri-City history that it has won back-to-back games via shutout. Owsley and Price each did it twice, while Chet Pickard (Jan. 30-31, 2009), Jeff Blair (Feb. 20-26, 1999), David Trofimenkoff (Feb. 26-28, 1995) and Lance Leslie (Feb. 16-20, 1993) also did it. . . .
Former Kamloops/Regina D Victor Bartley scored the winning goal last night as the Milwaukee Admirals beat the Heat 3-1 in an AHL game in Abbotsford. It was his first goal and came in his fifth game. . . . The highlight of Saturday night? Watching the third period of the Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings — sorry, Jon Rosen, missed you in the intermission — and seeing Yvon Barrette in the nosebleeds with the commoners. He even did the “Who howns the Chiefs?” line when interviewed. Perhaps you know him better as goaltender Denis Lemieux from Slap Shot. . . . Going into Sunday games, 15 of the WHL’s 22 teams boast a winning percentage of .500 or better.
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Will the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning keep F Brett Connolly or return him to the Prince George Cougars? John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times has the latest right here.
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Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reported via Twitter last night that “Justin Bieber went for a little twirl with Selena Gomez at MTS Centre” after the Winnipeg Jets game.
If you were wondering, both were wearing Jets jersey. Bieber, who put on a concert in the ’Peg on Friday, wore No. 6, while she wore No. 9.
And you thought the Biebs was a basketballer!
Hmmm! Gotta wonder if Biebs and his gal pal might be interesting in owning a WHL franchise in the Manitoba capital? Why not? Michael Buble owns a chunk of the Vancouver Giants.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix has written a solid story on Colton Stephenson, who has ended his WHL career because of post-concussion syndrome. That piece is right here.
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So . . . did a junior A team’s players have to run laps outdoors after returning home from a road game in which they blew a 4-0 third-period lead? Could it be that old-time hockey is back in Nanaimo, at least off the ice?
Philip Wolf of the Nanaimo Daily News tried to find out. He didn’t seem to get any denials for the piece that is right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Cory Flett, the WHL’s director, communications:
“It is seems that 'parody' could be the #WHL buzz word thus far this season, each team has at least 3 losses, except Spokane with 2.”
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For today’s good read, we bring you Hockey World, the weekly compilation by the Jim Matheson, the Edmonton Journal’s Hockey Hall of Famer. It’s right here and it’s about two cups of coffee in length. Enjoy!

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

Goalie puts house on market

 THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Matt Keith (Spokane, Red Deer, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had 20 goals and 15 assists in 77 games with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) last season. . . .
F Rob Niedermayer (Medicine Hat, 1990-95) signed a one-year contract with Lugano (Switzerland, NLA). He had five goals and 14 assists in 71 games for Buffalo Sabres (NHL) last season. . . .
F Paul Vincent (Seattle, Swift Current, 1993-95) signed a one-year contract with Eindhoven Kemphanen (Netherlands, Eredivisie). He had 18 goals and 37 assists in 35 games for the Friesland Flyers (Netherlands, Eredivisie) last season. . . .
F Petr Sachl (Tri-City, 1996-97) signed a one-year contract extension with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 24 goals and 32 assists in 55 games for Olimpija last
season.
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JUST NOTES: F Dylan Willick of the Kamloops Blazers will attend the Minnesota Wild’s development camp on July 11. Willick, heading into his third WHL season, wasn’t selected in the 2011 NHL draft. Willick had 44 points, including 24 goals, last season. He is represented by CS Sports Management. . . . D Alex Roach of the Calgary Hitmen has accepted a tryout offer from the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, while F Jacob Doty of the Seattle Thunderbirds will go to camp with the Florida Panthers in September. . . . Roach, 6-foot-4 and 217 pounds, had 21 points and 77 penalty minutes in his freshman season with the Hitmen. Roach, a native of Quesnel, B.C., is scheduled to attend the Kings’ development camp that opens July 10 and also is to be at the Kings’ main camp in September. . . . Doty, from Billings, Montana, had seven points and 176 penalty minutes in 70 games last season, his first in the WHL. He was second in the league with 25 fighting majors. . . . Roach and Doty are represented by Turning Point Sports Management, which also had former WHL D Brad Lukowich (Kamloops, 1992-96) sign a one-year deal with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Lukowich, who turns 35 on Aug. 12, played 67 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars and five with Dallas last season. He has played 658 NHL games during his career.
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The Edmonton Oilers signed F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the first pick in the 2011 NHL draft, to a three-year contract on Saturday. Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal has the story right here.
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If you need more convincing about the danger of concussions, or even if you don’t, here’s a great read from Eliott C. McLaughlin of CNN about former NFLer Dorsey Levens, who is making a documentary about concussions and the NFL. The name of the doc is “Bell Rung.” Give it a read right here.
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If you’re looking for a home in the Tri-City area of Washington State, former NHL G Olaf Kolzig has his home for sale. Check it out right here.

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

Saturday . . .

A Canadian has never won an Olympic shot put medal. Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops is planning on becoming the first as he has his sights set on London and the 2012 Olympic Summer Games. This season, he already has had a six-meet victory string and he’s ranked No. 1 on the Diamond League and No. 3 in the world.
Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail has that story right here.
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Later Saturday, Armstrong broke his own Canadian senior shot put record with a throw of 22.21 metres. That also is the best throw in the world this season. . . . Prior to Saturday, his most-recent Canadian record throw was 21.72m at a meet in San Diego on April 23. Armstrong surpassed that mark four times in Calgary on Saturday.
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Clayton Stoner remembers looking at his cell phone and having a "bad feeling."
That’s how Michael Russo of the Minneapolis StarTribune began a story on the Minnesota Wild defenceman who played in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans.
Stoner’s brother, Luke, had been killed in a logging accident on B.C. Island.
The complete story is right here.
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SOME NHL DRAFT NOTES: The first round took almost four hours. Rounds 2-7 were completed in less than that. . . . The Edmonton Oilers selected F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels with the draft’s first pick. He is the first WHL player to be selected first overall since Prince Albert D Chris Phillips was taken by the Ottawa Senators in 1996. . . . D Keegan Lowe of the Edmonton Oil Kings had asked the Edmonton Oilers not to select him. He was taken by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round. His father, Kevin, is the Oilers’ president, hockey operations. . . . Laurent Brossoit of the Oil Kings was the first WHL goaltender selected when he was taken by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round. Interestingly, former Oil Kings head coach Steve Pleau scouts for the Flames. Brossoit played three games for Pleau, one in 2008-09 and two in 2009-10. . . . G Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice, who was the WHL’s playoff MVP, was taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round. . . . Brossoit was taken 164th overall; Lieuwen was No. 167. . . . The Oilers took Vancouver D David Musil with the first pick of the second round. His father, Frank, is a former NHLer who now scouts for the Oilers. . . . The Anaheim Ducks used a sixth-round pick on D Josh Manson of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. He is the son of Dave Manson, a former Prince Albert defenceman and coach. . . . The Carolina Hurricanes grabbed the last WHL player selected when they took F Brody Sutter of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the seventh round, 193rd overall. He is the son of former NHLer Duane Sutter, who now is the Calgary Flames’ director of player personnel. . . .
The St. Louis selected F Demitrij Jaskin in the second round. He is from Omsk, Russia, but has played internationally for the Czech Republic's U-18 side. He was taken by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2010 CHL import draft. Sibir Novosibirsk selected him with the first pick of the KHL's 2010 draft. If he comes over here, chances are he'll end up with the AHL's Peoria Rivermen. . . . According to the USHL, “A total of 28 players who skated in the USHL during the 2010-11 season had their names called by NHL clubs.” . . . According to Skip Berry, the director of broadcasting and media relations for the Tri-City Storm, “The impact of the USHL overall on the draft is around 41 players, drafted out of the USHL/played in the USHL, just five players behind the OHL.” . . . The WHL had 33 players selected, with 22 taken from the QMJHL. . . . A year ago, there were 43 WHL players taken in the draft. . . .
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WHL teams and the number of 2011 draft picks:
4 — Edmonton, Portland, Saskatoon.
3 — Spokane, Swift Current.
2 — Prince Albert, Red Deer, Seattle, Vancouver.
1 — Brandon, Kelowna, Kootenay, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Tri-City.
0 — Calgary, Everett, Kamloops, Prince George, Regina, Victoria.
By division:
East — 11
U.S. — 10
Central — 9
B.C. — 3
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Best tweet from the draft came from F Rocco Grimaldi:”I have decided to take my talents to South Beach and join the Florida Panthers. haha.”
Grimaldi, who is listed at 5-foot-6, was taken 33rd overall by Florida. He is out of the U.S. National Team Development Program; his WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks.
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THE COACHING GAME: Michael Russo of the Minneapolis StarTribune reported Saturday afternoon that the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, were down to a shortlist of four in a search for a new head coach. According to Russo, that list included Gary Agnew, Ryan McGill, Kirk Muller and Trent Yawney. . . . An hour later, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported that Muller is expected to be named head coach of the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, who are hooked up with the Nashville Predators. . . . The Aeros are looking to replace Mike Yeo, now the head coach of the Wild. . . . The Admirals need to replace Lane Lambert, now an assistant coach with the Predators. . . . While all this was going on, both Vancouver papers are reporting that Muller is in the running — and perhaps the leading candidate — for the position of head coach of the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate, which it seems will be the Chicago Wolves. . . . The AHL’s Abbotsford Heat also is in need of a head coach, although I’m told assistant Troy Ward has the inside track there. The Heat is looking for a replacement for Jim Playfair, who now is on the Phoenix Coyotes’ staff. . . . The AHL’s Providence Bruins have signed Bruce Cassidy as their head coach. The Boston Bruins affiliate made the announcement Saturday. Cassidy, 46, is the 10th head coach in Providence history. He has been an assistant coach there through three seasons and replaces Rob Murray. . . . Kevin Dineen, the new head coach of the NHL’s Florida Panthers, has said that assistant coach Gord Murphy and goaltender coach Robb Tallas will return. Dineen told George Richards of the Miami Herald that he will hire one more assistant.
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Today’s good read comes from Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal. It involves the Boston Bruins, a Stanley Cup celebration and a $100,000 bottle of champagne.
It’s right here.

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

Monday . . .

MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Winnipeg, F Shayne Wiebe and F Matt MacKay had a goal and two assists each as the host Brandon Wheat Kings doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Winnipeg on Thursday. . . . With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Westman Place in Brandon, the Wheat Kings were forced to move first-round games to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. It is the home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. . . . The Tigers got a goal and two helpers from F Cole Grbavac. . . . Attendance was 5,063. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy sat out this one. He was suspended for one game after taking a double minor for checking from behind in Saturday’s Game 2. . . . The Tigers also were without G Tyler Bunz (concussion), F Tyler Pitlick (ankle) and D Dylan Busenius (foot). . . . Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun has a story on the game right here. Included is a bit on a third-period hit by Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk on Brandon F Brenden Walker. The hit went unpenalized, but Walker left the game. . . . Interesting. Penton’s father, Bruce, covered the Wheat Kings for the Brandon Sun in the early 1970s. . . .
In Edmonton, the Red Deer Rebels erased a 1-0 deficit with three third-period goals and beat the Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . F Byron Froese, with two, and F Daulton Siwak scored for Red Deer. Siwak broke a 1-1 tie at 18:08 and Froese provided insurance 20 seconds later. . . . F T.J. Foster had given Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 1:45 of the third. . . . The Rebels lead the series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday in Edmonton. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists, giving him a WHL-high seven points in the series. . . . There were something like 23 NHL scouts on hand for the game.
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MONDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
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JUST NOTES: The 50/50 draw in Saskatoon on Sunday night was won by former WHL players Dan Hulak (Swift Current, Portland, 1997-2001) and Scott McQueen (Red Deer, Saskatoon, 1997-99). They ended up splitting around $44,000. Hulak is the brother of former Blades captain Derek Hulak. . . . F Brett Ferguson of the Red Deer Rebels is the WHL’s player of the week. He had a goal and four assists in the first two games of the Rebels’ series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks is the WHL’s goaltender of the week after going 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .972 save percentage in the first two games of a series with the Everett Silvertips. . . . The NAHL is adding a franchise in Minot, N.D., and there are some former WHLers involved. The Minot Daily News has more right here.
———
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun speculates on whether the Vancouver Giants will have F James Henry (knee) back for Game 3 of their series with the Tri-City Americans. That game goes tonight in Vancouver; the Americans hold a 2-0 lead. . . . The Giants haven’t allowed Henry to chat with the media. . . . Pap’s story is right here.
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The best play-by-play man in the history of sports is about to start another season. To get you prepped, here’s a column on Vin Scully by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times. Don’t miss the good read of the day.

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

Friday . . .

It's over! Kruise Reddick (11) and the Tri-City Americans' fans start celebrating after scoring in OT to beat the visiting Vancouver Giants 2-1 in overtime on Friday night.
(Photo by Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

Dave Trimmer, who covers the Spokane Chiefs for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, blogged about fighting in hockey after reading the column I posted here yesterday.
Here’s part of what he wrote:
“But in the end, it's all fighting and I wouldn't miss it. The health of all hockey players is more important than short, entertaining mid- ice fisticuffs, no matter what the reason.
“I'm willing to bet that almost every team would take a hit in attendance if there was no fighting, which means it isn't going to be stamped out. The only thing that could hurt worse is if they quit selling beer, although that could lead to smarter fans who understand there is no need for fighting in hockey.”
Trimmer’s blog is right here.
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FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES (all were openers, with Game 2 in same place tonight):
In Cranbrook, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 30 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 after one; in fact, they led 3-0 at 8:01 of the first period. F Quinton Howden scored twice, including once while shorthanded. . . . Attendance was 2,486. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw scratched F Cody Beach (knee), F Jordan Wyton (undisclosed), F Tanner Eberle (upper body) and F Brayden Cuthbert (concussion). . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath, who sat out a day or two of practice during the week, played and was the game’s first star. . . . Moose Jaw F Brett Lyon sat out the third game of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . With the scratches, the Warriors dressed F Torrin White, their first pick in the 2010 draft, and D Brandon Potomak, a second-pick in the same draft. . . . The Ice was without D Luke Paulsen (shoulder). . . .
In Medicine Hat, D Ryan Pulock had two goals and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Pulock is a late 1994-born player; he doesn’t turn 17 until Oct. 6. From Grandview, Man., he put up 42 points in 63 games during the regular season. . . . Attendance was 3,866. The Tigers had sold out all 36 regular-season home games, at 4,006. . . . Brandon was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Tigers were 2-for-6. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Nugent-Hopkins broke a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals, at 14:25 and 15:31. . . . Kevin Lowe, the president of the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, who will have an early pick in June’s draft, was in the house. . . . F Josh Cowen (broken hand) returned to the Rebels’ lineup. He had been out since Feb. 19 when he was injured in a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. D Josh Caron, who was penalized for checking from behind on the play, served a three-game suspension. . . . Attendance was 5,568. . . .
In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick broke a 1-1 tie at 7:24 of the third period and the Rockets went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had two goals for the Rockets, the last one into an empty net. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-2. . . . Prince George F Brett Connolly left early in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . The Cougars were penalized for delay of game on three occasions, each time for shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone. . . . Attendance was 6,059. . . .
In Chilliwack, F Darren Kramer scored twice, including the winner at 10:00 of OT, as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Bruins, 3-2. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals and 306 penalty minutes in 68 regular-seaosn games, is a 19-year-old from Peace River, Alta. . . . He also drew an assist on F Tyler Johnson’s goal that tied the game 2-2 at 3:45 of the third. . . . . This was Kramer’s first multi-point WHL game. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 60 shots, while James Reid of the Chiefs turned aside 22. . . . Attendance was 2,962. . . . The start of the overtime period was delayed almost 15 minutes due to technical problems in the video review booth. . . . The Chiefs go in as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and with home-ice advantage in the first round. But they had to open on the road because there is an NCAA women’s basketball regional tournament being played in their home arena this weekend. . . . The series will follow a 2-3-1-1 format. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Carter Ashton scored with 2.2 seconds left in the first OT period to give the Tri-City Americans a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ashton, on the power play, directed the puck toward the Vancouver net out of a corner and it had glance off G Mark Segal and into the net. . . . Vancouver F Andrej Stastny was off for tripping at the time. . . . F Brendan Rowinski gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F David Conrad tied it at 7:55 of the third. . . . Attendance was 3,406. . . . Segal stopped 44 shots, 19 more than Tri-City’s Drew Owsley. . . . The Giants were without F James Henry (knee) and he isn’t expected to play in Game 2. F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tyler Hart (shoulder) were back in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . The Americans remain without F Adam Hughesman (knee), who had 39 goals.
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D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft. According to capgeek.com, Barrie’s AHL salary would be US$67,500 for each of three seasons, with NHL salaries of $615,000, $690,000 and $840,000. He got a $270,000 signing bonus, payable over three years.
———
JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have extended the contracts of Matt Recchi, their director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox. Lengths of the extensions weren’t announced. Both men have been with the Blazers since July 2008. Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Holdfast, Sask. . . Former WHL G Jacob DeSerres (Seattle, Brandon, 2005-10) stopped 19 shots as his Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL playoffs with a 10-0 victory over the visiting Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday night. . . . Laury Ryan has announced his resignation after eight seasons as president of the Saskatchewan junior league. The league now is accepting applications as it searches for a replacement. . . .
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Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun went to an OHL playoff game in Mississauga on Thursday night. He wasn’t impressed, which makes one wonder what is in store for the Memorial Cup that is to be played there in May. In fact, after reading this one wonders if Buffery’s ex-wife will get the Memorial Cup tickets. Buffery’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

gdrinnan.blogspot.com

     

Taking Note on Twitter

Saturday . . .

The exodus of WHL players to the pro ranks has begun now that some teams have had their seasons come to an end.
G Brandon Anderson of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been recalled by the NHL’s Washington Capitals and assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Anderson, 18, was an undrafted free agent when he attended Washington’s training camp last fall. By the time his stint there ended, he had signed a three-year contract with the Capitals.
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The Capitals added another WHLer to their stable on Saturday when they announced the signing of F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats.
Mitchell, 19, was a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. He played in his 264^th regular-season game with the Pats on Saturday night in Saskatoon.
Mitchell finished this season with career highs in goals (18), assists (34) and points (52) in 70 games.
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F Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs toughie Tie Domi, has told OHL teams not to bother drafting him because he is headed south. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that Max, 15, will play next season in the USHL. He was expected to be an earlier selection in the OHL’s 2011 draft.
“I played junior but (Max’s mother) Leanne and I want our kid to go to college,” Tie Domi told Simmons. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but for us, it was the right decision.”
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There are four regular-season games remaining.
Here’s what is left to be decided:
1. Who will finish fifth and sixth in the Western Conference? The Chilliwack Bruins are fifth and are out of games. The Vancouver Giants, with one game left, are one point behind the Bruins. The Giants are at home to the Everett Silvertips tonight. . . . The fifth-place finisher plays the No. 4 Tri-City Americans in the first round; the sixth-place finisher draws the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs. . . . Whichever team gets Spokane will open with two games at home as the Chiefs’ home arena isn’t available next weekend.
2. Who will finish ninth and 10^th in the Western Conference? The Kamloops Blazers are out of games and have 64 points. The Seattle Thunderbirds are a point back with one game left. They are at home to the Tri-City Americans tonight. The Americans are 8-0-0 against Seattle this season.
Here are the matchups that have been decided:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Saskatoon Blades, who finished on top of the WHL’s overall standings, will face the Prince Albert Raiders, who wound up eighth in the conference. The Blades are 9-0-1 in their last 10; the Raiders have won three straight, including a weekend sweep of the 11^th-place Swift Current Broncos.
2. The Red Deer Rebels finished atop the Central Division so are the conference’s No. 2 seed. They get the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round. The Rebels took two from the Oil Kings on the weekend, winning 4-3 on the road Friday and 3-1 at home Saturday.
3. The Medicine Hat Tigers have one game left but have clinched the conference’s third seed. They will play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round. . . . Brandon finished strong, going 7-2-1 in its last 10, but will have to play its first-round home games in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre. . . . The Tigers finish up this afternoon in Calgary. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey goes into the final day leading the scoring race by two points over Spokane F Tyler Johnson.
4. The Kootenay Ice will finish fourth in the conference, which means a first-round matchup with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Ice has been red hot, going 6-0-1 in its last seven.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Portland Winterhawks clinched first place in the U.S. Division and the conference last night as they ran their winning streak to five. They will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round.
2. The Kelowna Rockets finished atop the B.C. Division so are the No. 2 seed for the first round. Remember that the survivors are reseeded by points after the first round. The Rockets will go up against the No. 7 Prince George Cougars in the first round.
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It’s worth noting that two key players were ejected with major fouls on Saturday night, and their cases will be on the desk of Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s disciplinarian, in the morning.
F Shayne Wiebe of the Brandon Wheat Kings took a boarding major during an 8-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Before leaving, Wiebe scored his 44^th goal.
In Kelowna, Rockets F Evan Bloodoff, one of their heart-and-soul guys, was tossed with a charging major during a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Giants.
Neither Brandon nor Kelowna has any regular-season games remaining, so any suspensions would mean playoff games lost. A suspension to either of those players could turn into a key factor in a first-round series.
---
In Brandon last night, F David Toews had two goals and two assists as the Wheat Kings doubled the Moose Jaw Warriors, 8-4. . . . G Hampus Gustafsson had four assists for Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Shayne Wiebe, their captain and a 44-goal man, with a boarding major and game misconduct at 19-01 of the first period. . . . Toews reached the 20-goal mark with his two scores. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Cody Eakin scored two goals and set up another as the Kootenay Ice dropped the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-1. . . .
In Swift Current, F Igor Revenko’s 23^rd goal at 19:54 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Broncos. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Marek Viedensky had a goal and an assist, leading the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Blades G Steven Stanford picked up the victory to finish at 40-5-0. . . .
In Medicine Hat, G Deven Dubyk stopped 27 shots to help the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Curtis Valk scored the game’s only goal, his eighth, at 3:14 of the first period. . . . That was Dubyks’ first career shutout. . . . G Mike Snider stopped 30 shots for the Hitmen. . . . F Linden Vey drew an assist on Valk’s goal, giving him 115 points this season. He leads the WHL scoring race by two points over F Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Tigers are in Calgary today, while the Chiefs play in Portland. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice as his Rebels got past the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Nugent-Hopkins finished with 31 goals. . . .
In Chilliwack, the Lucas Gore Show continued its run as the Bruins goaltender stopped 37 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Earlier in the week, Gore established WHL records with 72 saves through three periods and 77 saves through OT in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . He has five shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . Everett has been blanked nine times this season. . . . F Kevin Sundher scored twice for the Bruins -- he has 24 -- and added an assist. . . .
In Prince George, D Sena Acolatse had a goal and three assists as the Cougars dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 5-1. . . . Cougars F Brett Connolly added a goal, his 46^th, and two assists. . . . The Blazers, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night when they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the visiting Cougars, finished the season on an eight-game losing streak (0-6-2). . . . Kamloops had Cam Lanigan in goal, ending Jeff Bosch’s run of 23 straight starts. . . . Attendance was 4,770. . . .
In Kelowna, the Vancouver Giants snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Andrej Stastny won it with his 10^th goal, breaking a 3-3 tie at 10:48 of the third period. . . . Stastny also had two assists. . . . The Rockets lost F Evan Bloodoff at 10:22 of the first period when he was ejected with a charging major and game misconduct. . . . Bloodoff’s hit was on D Joel Rogers, who recently returned from a concussion. Rogers was taken off the ice on a stretcher and checked out at hospital. . . . Doyle Potenteau has lots more on that game right here at DubNation. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks overcame a 3-2 deficit with three straight goals and then hung on to beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-4. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 48 shots. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round. Portland won nine of 10 games from Everett in the regular season. . . . F Pearce Eviston scored for Portland in his WHL debut. Eviston, 18, signed with the Winterhawks after putting up 38 points in 44 games with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Kruise Reddick and F Brendan Shinnimin each had two goals and two assists to lead the host Tri-City Americans to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Americans had lost five straight games to the Chiefs. . . . F Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Chiefs, giving him 113 points, two off the league lead. Medicine Hat F Linden Vey has 115 points. . . . Spokane had a nine-game winning streak end. . . . Johnson and the Chiefs are in Portland tonight; Vey and the Tigers finish up in Calgary. Johnson has a WHL-high 52 goals.
---
SATURDAY’S CFB COUNT
Six minors:
Moose Jaw F Antonin Honejsek
Kootenay D Joey Leach
Calgary D Alex Roach
Everett F Ryan Harrison
Portland F Brendan Leipsic
Tri-City F Jordan Messier

Monday . . .

Shane Doiron coaches an atom team in Shediac, N.B. I don’t know the won-loss record of his team of nine- and 10-year-olds . . . not that it matters. Because he is my coach of the year for all of Canada.
Why? Because he is a hockey coach who gets it.
Check it out right here.
———
The San Jose Sharks were playing in Chicago on Monday night when play-by-play man Mike (Doc) Emrick made reference to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and the fact that his brother, David, plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Which is when analyst Pierre McGuire informed that Kelly McCrimmon runs the Wheat Kings.
And someone mentioned that McCrimmon’s brother, Brad, is on the coaching staff of the Detroit Red Wings. If you weren’t aware, Brad’s nickname is The Beast. (Although at one time he was Sarge.)
To which Emrick intoned: “If Brad is The Beast, is Kelly . . . Beauty?”
No doubt Kelly has been called a lot of things, both during his career as a player and as an owner/general manager/coach. I have a feeling Beauty isn’t one of them.
Or maybe he has been. It could be that at some point in the past, someone perhaps has referred to McCrimmon as a “real beauty.” Don’t you think?
By the way, I’m thinking McCrimmon has to be given some consideration as the Eastern Conference’s executive of the year and also as coach of the year.
When you consider the Wheat Kings’ horrid start, the number of injuries they dealt with, the fact that they are riding two 17-year-ol goaltenders, and the fact that McCrimmon traded away F Brayden Schenn, well, who would have thought that Brandon would be a hard-charging sixth with a week left in the regular season?
McCrimmon may not win either award, but he has to be in the conversation with the likes of Lorne Molleken of the Saskatoon Blades and Jesse Wallin of the Red Deer Rebels.
———
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, appears to have cleared his plate of all but one case.
Doerksen, who is the WHL’s disciplinarian, suspended F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats for one game for a third instigator penalty, hit F Max Ross of the Lethbridge Hurricanes with two games for a boarding major, and sat F Jonathan Parker of the Prince Albert Raiders for a game for an elbowing major.
All that leaves on Doerksen’s plate, at least for now, is the case of F Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers, who was tossed from a Friday night game with the visiting Kelowna Rockets after he cross-checked linesman Kris Hartley while being escorted to the penalty box.
The Blazers have two games left in the regular season — they go home-and-home with the Prince George Cougars on Friday and Saturday — and you have to think Ranford, who already has sat out one game, won’t play in either of those games.
The Blazers are two points out of a playoff spot, and the only question may be whether the suspension runs into the playoffs or into the 2011-12 season.
The WHL rule book doesn’t appear to be on the league’s website, which is strange if only because the OHL and QMJHL both make their rule books available.
Anyway, the OHL book has two rules (41.3 and 41.4) involving automatic suspensions, either of which would seem to apply to the Ranford situation.
Rule 41 — Physical Abuse of Officials
Rule 41.1 Game Misconduct
Any player or goalkeeper who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall receive a game misconduct penalty. In addition the following (41.2, 41.3, 41.4) disciplinary penalties shall apply:
41.2 Automatic Suspension — Category 1
Any player who deliberately strikes an official and causes injury or who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official with intent to injure or who in any manner attempts to injure an official shall be automatically suspended for not less than 20 games. (For the purpose of the rule, “intent to injure” shall mean any physical force which a player knew or should have known could reasonably be expected to cause injury.)
41.3 Automatic suspension — Category 2
Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions set out in Category 1) in which physical force is applied without intent to injury shall be automatically suspended for not less than 10 games.
41.4 Automatic Suspension — Category 3
Any player or goalkeeper who, by his actions, physically demeans an official or physically threatens an official by (but not limited to) throwing a stick or any other piece of equipment or object at or in the general direction of an official, shooting the puck at or in the general direction of an official, spitting at or in the general direction of an official, or who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than three games.
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So depending on how Doerksen interprets Ranford’s actions, and depending on how closely the WHL’s rules are to the OHL’s, Ranford could be looking at a three-game suspension or one that runs at least 10 games.
———
Arenas around the WHL were quiet on Monday night; there are three games on tap tonight.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes will visit the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Lethbridge is two points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot, while the Oil Kings are seventh, three points behind the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Kootenay Ice will meet the Tigers in Medicine Hat. The Ice, which has three games left, is fourth in the conference, five points behind the Tigers. An Ice loss, then, will mean it finishes fourth and will meet the Moose Jaw Warriors in the first round. . . . A Tigers victory moves them to within two points of the Red Deer Rebels, who, as Central Division leaders, are the conference’s No. 2 seed. The Tigers will use up their game in hand tonight.
And, finally, the Regina Pats are to visit the Broncos in Swift Current. The Broncos, who won’t be in the playoffs, can play spoiler tonight because a victory will finish the Pats. Regina has three games left and is six points behind the Prince Albert Raiders, who hold down the conference’s last spot.
Despite what you may have read or heard, the Pats have not been eliminated. They still can tie for that last spot. And a tie for the final playoff berth would necessitate a sudden-death game.
———
JUST NOTES: F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 12 points, including five goals, in four games last week. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 3-0-0, 0.65, .979 last week. . . . The Vancouver Giants have lost six in a row and won’t have F Brendan Gallagher back Wednesday when the meet the Winterhawks in Portland. He is expected to play Friday when the Kelowna Rockets visit Vancouver. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun also reports that Giants head coach Don Hay is likely to be one of the applicants for the position of head coach of Canada’s national junior team. The deadline to apply is today. . . . “I think I'd like to help Canada win a gold medal,” Hay told Pap. “I think it's always a good challenge for coaches to get involved with that program.” . . . The 2012 tournament will be held in Calgary and Edmonton. . . . According to Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, the Warriors had F Antonin Honejsek (broken ankle) back on the ice Monday. He has missed 15 games. . . . However, the Warriors were missing F Cody Beach (leg), who was injured Saturday. Head coach Dave Hunchak said Beach is week-to-week. . . . Gourlie also reports that the Warriors are bringing in F Torrin White, the 21st overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. He had 49 points in 33 games with the midget AAA UFA Bisons in Alberta. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi has 83 points, the most by a Winterhawks’ freshman since Richard Zednik put up 86 in 1994-95. The franchise record is held by Jiri Beranek (94, 1991-92). . . . Yes, Bartschi is the WHL’s highest-scoring freshman, by 19 points. . . . The Winterhawks had G Mac Carruth (concussion, groin) back at practice Monday and are hoping to get him into at least one game by week’s end. Keith Hamilton has played well in Carruth’s absence, going 7-2 since the starter was first injured on Feb. 22.

Sunday stuff . . .

Brendan Shinnimin (left) and Carter Ashton of the Tri-City Americans
work to defend against Troy Bourke of the Prince George Cougars
in a WHL game in Kennewick, Wash., on Sunday night.
(Photo by John Allen/AridAcres.com)

In Calgary, the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Hitmen, 4-2. . . . D Matt Dumba broke a 2-2 tie with his 15th goal at 11:16 of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored Red Deer’s first goal, his 28th, at 15:33 of the second period. He now has 102 points, good for third place in the scoring race. . . . Red Deer has won two in a row and four of five. . . . Calgary has lost two in a row and nine of 10. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper earned his 43rd victory of the season. . . . The Rebels, with two games left, are atop the Central Division, four points ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who have three games remaining. . . . The Tigers will use up the game in hand on Tuesday against the visiting Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rebels are in Edmonton on Friday. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Carter Ashton and F Brendan Shinnimin each scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Shinnimin has 32 goals, while Ashton has 31. . . . The Americans, who have four games left, will finish fourth in the Western Conference. . . . Tri-City is 25-7-1 at home, the fifth straight season in which it has won at least 25 games in the Toyota Center. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley won his career-best 34th game. . . . Tri-City remains without F Adam Hughesman (knee), who has 39 goals in 60 games. . . . The Cougars, who have two games left, are seventh, one point ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett, with four games remaining, plays Wednesday in Kennewick, Wash., against the Americans. . . . The Cougars will go home-and-home with the Kamloops Blazers on the weekend. They’re in Kamloops on Friday and in Prince George on Saturday. . . . The Blazers are ninth, two points behind Everett. . . .
In Chilliwack, F Zach Franko’s 20th goal, at 4:52 of OT, gave the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Bruins. . . . The Rockets, who will finish atop the B.C. Division and be the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed for the first round of playoffs, won for the third time in as many nights. . . . Kelowna has won five in a row and nine of 10. . . . The loser point lifted the Bruins into a tie with the Vancouver Giants for fifth in the conference. . . . Attendance in Chilliwack was 4,022, the second straight night in which the Bruins drew more than 4,000 fans. . . . The Bruins, who have three games left, are in Spokane on Wednesday, the same night that the Giants, with four games to play, are in Portland.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Saturday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Justin Keller (Kelowna, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract
extension with Linz (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 21 goals and 12 assists in 34 games for Linz this season.
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If you read one thing today, make it this piece from Saturday’s Globe and Mail. Written by Ken Dryden, the former Montreal Canadiens goaltender, the headline on the piece is -- Ken Dryden on hockey violence: How could we be so stupid?
The piece is right here.
———

In Everett, F Nino Niederreiter ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games as his Portland Winterhawks beat the Silvertips, 2-1. . . . Portland G Keith Hamilton, starting again in place of the injured Mac Carruth, made 36 saves. . . . Hamilton is 15-5-2. . . . Niederreiter, who has 38 goals, has 11 goals over that seven-game run. . . . Everett has lost seven in a row, including a 6-3 loss to visiting Portland on Friday. . . . Attendance was 8,423, the Silvertips’ largest crowd this season. . . . The Winterhawks remain atop the Western Conference, one point up on the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett slipped into eighth, one point behind Prince George and two ahead of Kamloops. . . .
In Kelowna, shootout goals by F Geordie Wudrick and D Tyson Barrie gave the Rockets a 1-0 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 33 shots, seven fewer than Jeff Bosch, who made his 22nd straight start for Kamloops. . . . F Thoms Frazee had a shootout goal for Kamloops. . . . The Blazers, who lost 5-1 to the visiting Rockets on Friday night, now have lost five in a row. . . . Kamloops was without F Brendan Ranford, who is under WHL suspension after he was hit with a game misconduct for cross-checking linesman Kris Hartley on Friday night. . . . The Rockets are in Chilliwack today. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Prince George Cougars scored four times in the latter half of the third period and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-1. . . . F Spencer Asuchak broke a 1-1 tie at 11:02 of the third. . . . The victory lifted the Cougars into seventh place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Everett. . . . The Thunderbirds, with four games left, are four points behind Everett. . . . The Cougars will be in Kennewick, Wash., today to play the Tri-City Americans. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs got a shootout goal from F Levko Koper to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . Koper was the ninth shooter in what was a five-round event. . . . Spokane F Tyler Johnson had a goal, his WHL-leading 51st, and an assist. . . . The Chiefs have won seven in a row but continue to trail Western Conference-leading Portland by a point. . . . The Ice is fourth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Medicine Hat with three games left. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Kellan Tochkin had two goals to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers were without F Linden Vey (neck), who leads the WHL’s points derby. . . . The Tigers are two points behind the Central Division-leading Red Deer Rebels. Each team has three games left. . . . The Hurricanes are ninth, two points behind Prince Albert, with each team having three games left. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the final meeting in the Crushed Can between the Warriors and the Regina Pats went to a shootout before the home team won, 2-1. . . . The game drew 2,945 fans, which is a couple of hundred more than capacity. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that fans “stood five-deep to watch the game.” . . . How much did the game mean to Moose Jaw? Here’s Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak talking to Gourlie: “Our whole focus was to try to win the game for the city of Moose Jaw and our supportive fans. Coaches come and go. Players come and go. But the fans have been supportive and consistent and behind this team for 26 years. It’s not that it didn’t mean a lot to us — because it did — it was focus of ours. To be able to pick up that puck in our building meant an awful lot to the fans that support our hockey team year in and year out.” . . . One more note from Gourlie: “Warriors left-winger Cody Beach left the game in the third period after Neigum ducked out of the way of a hit and Beach landed awkwardly after being undercut. Beach left the ice favouring his left leg and was taken to hospital post-game for further evaluation.” . . . The Warriors will finish fifth and look to be headed to a first-round matchup with Kootenay. . . . The Pats are six points out of a playoff spot with three games left. . . .
In Brandon, F Mark Stone picked up two assists, giving him 101 points, as the Wheat Kings dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-3. . . . Stone is the first Brandon skater to surpass 100 points since F Eric Fehr (2004-05), who now is with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . . Brandon F Scott Glennie had a goal and three assists to get to 90 points for the first time in his career. . . . Prince Albert F Jonathan Parker left in the second period with an elbowing major and the accompanying game misconduct. . . . The Wheat Kings now are sixth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Edmonton. . . . Prince Albert continues to cling to the conference’s last playoff spot, two points up on Lethbridge. . . .
In Saskatoon, the Blades blanked the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-0 to set a franchise record with their 53rd victory of the season. . . . G Steven Stanford stopped 35 shots to earn the shutout, his third this season and the fifth of his career. . . . D Stefan Elliott had a goal and an assist, giving him the franchise record for career points by a defenceman. He has 240. The previous record had been held by Pat Price (1970-74). . . . The Oil Kings still were able to clinch a playoff spot. They are seventh in the conference. . . . The Blades will finish first overall. . . .
In Red Deer, G Darcy Kuemper stopped 31 shots as the Rebels blanked the Swift Current Broncos, 5-0. . . . Kuemper has 13 shutouts this season and that ties the WHL’s single-season record. He now shares it with Bryan Bridges (Seattle, 2004-05) and Kelly Guard (Kelowna, 2003-04). . . . The Rebels have three games remaining. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three goals and two assists, to get to 101 points. The last Red Deer skaters to get to 100 were F Justin Mapletoft and F Kyle Wanvig, both of whom did it in 2000-01. . . . The Rebels, who meet the Hitmen in Calgary today, are the conference’s second seed, two points up o Medicine Hat. . . . The Broncos won’t be in the playoffs. In Chilliwack last night, the Bruins got two goals from F Ryan Howse as they dumped the Vancouver Giants, 8-5. . . . Attendance was 4,193. . . . Howse has 50 goals, the second WHLer, behind Spokane F Tyler Johnson, to get there this season. . . . Vancouver, which still was able to clinch a playoff spot, has lost six straight for the first time this season and has been outscored 28-6 in the process. . . . The Bruins had beaten the Giants 6-2 in Vancouver on Wednesday. . . . F Spencer Bennett scored four times for the Giants, giving him 34 on the season. . . . The Bruins, who clinched a playoff spot with the victory, have closed to within a point of the Giants, who are fifth in the Western Conference. Each team has four games remaining. . . . The Bruins are at home to the Kelowna Rockets today. . . .

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

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Taking Note on Twitter

Monday's stuff . . .

There is an issue with the Twitter box over there on the right that I have to clear up.
And if it can’t be cleared up, the Twitter box will disappear.
For whatever reason, the source of a retweet doesn’t show up there.
For example, on Monday night, I retweeted an item from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug on Seattle Thunderbirds D Brenden Dillon signing with the Dallas Stars. Unfortunately, because Rishaug’s avatar doesn’t show up, it appears as though this tweet originated with me.
It did not.
We are working to repair this situation. As mentioned, if it can’t be repaired, the Taking Note on Twitter box will disappear.
———
Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix made the trek to Moose Jaw with the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday for their very last game in the Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can).
That story is right here. And it includes a photo of the Crushed Can, in case you haven't seen one.
In Wolfe’s story, Lorne Molleken, the GM and head coach of the Blades, offers a few reminisces, including the relationship between fans and Molson Canadian and smoke.
I haven’t been in the Crushed Can in more than 10 years. But how well I remember when there was a room for the fans located next to the visiting team’s dressing room. In the intermissions, the fans would head there to have a pop and a cigarette or two. It may have been my imagination, but it always struck me that all the smoke would waft from that room, through and over the wall and into the dressing room where the visitors were trying to catch their breath.
In those days, that was home-ice advantage.
And then there was the leather-lunged fan who spent two periods standing behind the visiting team’s goaltender. This fan wore big leather mitts. He would cup those mitts around his mouth and yell at the goaltender through the split between two panes of glass. And it would go on and on and on. . . .
One former WHL coach once told me that fan was worth at least a goal a game.
“If I ever get another job in the WHL,” that coach said, “I’m taking that guy with me.”
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OK, people, here we go!
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times-Colonist writes: “Sources have indicated to the Times Colonist an announcement may be coming this spring about a Victoria team in the WHL for the 2012-13 season.”
Dheensaw mentions the Kootenay Ice, Prince George Cougars, Chilliwack Bruins, Porltand Winterhawks, Saskatoon Blades . . .
Dheensaw’s story is right here.
———
Kevin Clark of the Wall Street Journal has a good read here on how NHL teams are burying mistakes in the AHL. Did you know: D Wade Redden makes the AHL minimum salary of $37,500 in just one period play. That and more right here.
———
The Brandon Wheat Kings have lost D Ryley Miller, 18, with an injury to his left hand. Miller, who will be out indefinitely, was injured in Saturday’s 9-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings have had a tough time keeping veteran defencemen in the lineup. D Brodie Melnychuk, 19, recently returned after missing 12 games with a broken leg. . . . The Wheat Kings have brought in D Ayrton Nikkel, 15, of Kelowna, and he’ll spend the week with them. A second-round draft pick by the Saskatoon Blades in 2010, the Wheat Kings acquired him from the Saskatoon Blades in the Brayden Schenn deal. Nikkel has 41 points in 52 games with the Pursuit of Excellence team in Kelowna. . . . Not counting Nikkel, Brandon is carrying six defencemen and five of those are finishing up their freshman seasons — Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy both are 16, while Jordan Fransoo, Spencer Galbraith and Rene Hunter are 17. Pulock should be in any conversation as the Eastern Conference’s rookie of the year. . . . The Wheat Kings, who have won nine in a row at home, play the visiting Kootenay Ice on Wednesday, with Regina back on Friday.
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JUST NOTES: F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 10 points, including five goals, as the Giants went 2-1-0. . . . Thomas Heemskerk of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 1-1-0, 0.48, .984 last week. . . . Ryan Rishaug of TSN reported last night that the Dallas Stars “have agreed to terms with” D Brenden Dillon, the captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Dillon, a 20-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was a free agent. He has 49 points in 63 games with the Thunderbirds. . . .
Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that the Rebels should have F John Persson back tonight after a three-game absence. Persson was injured when he went heavily into the boards during a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 19. Persson, who has 53 points, should be back alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrej Kudrna tonight when the Medicine Hat Tigers come calling. . . . The Rebels, however, remain without D Aaron Borejko (concussion) and F Josh Cowen (broken hand). . . . Borejko has missed two games but isn’t yet symptom-free so hasn’t even been on a bike. . . . The Tri-City Americans were without six regulars when they dropped a 5-0 decision to the host Vancouver Giants on Sunday. F Adam Hughesman, F Jordan Messier, F Marcus Messier, G Drew Owsley, F Neal Prokop and F Mason Wilgosh are were sidelined. Owsley has missed seven games with a knee injury. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first seven goals as they beat the visiting Calgary Hitmen 7-1 on Monday night. The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Hitmen were minus five forwards — Jimmy Bubnick, Trevor Cheek, Tyler Fiddler, Kris Foucault and Cody Sylvester. All are either ill or injured. . . . Kootenay Ice D Brayden McNabb, who played in his 250th regular-season game on Saturday, has 19 goals this season, one shy of the franchise’s record for goals in one season by a defenceman. Mike Busto scored 20 in 2006-07. . . . .
The Swift Current Broncos raised $8,300 through their Rider Night promotion on Feb. 12. All proceeds went to the Swift Current Minor Hockey Association and Swift Current Minor Football. F Andy Blanke’s jersey went for $2,300 and F Justin Dowling’s for $1,000 in the live auction. F Adam Lowry’s went for $725.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

That's owner Len Barrie (centre) behind the bench
of the Victoria Grizzlies on Tuesday night.
(Photo courtesy Evan Hammond)

A former WHL player was behind the bench during a BCHL game Tuesday night.
Len Barrie, who owns a piece of the Victoria Grizzlies, took a turn coaching as the Grizzlies skated to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
Former WHLer Kyle St. Denis had three assists for the Grizzlies.
Sharie Epp of the Victoria Times Colonist has the story right here. And, yes, Barrie says he’ll be coaching through the end of the season.
(By the way, the Bulldogs showed up without their jerseys so wore practice jerseys belonging to the major midget South Island Thunderbirds.)
———
The WHL’s governors and general managers spent Monday and Tuesday in Las Vegas. They are believed to have been holding meetings there.
Perhaps they were checking out the area’s viability for a WHL franchise.
Surely it only was a coincidence that all the WHL big shots were in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the same day a story in the Las Vegas Sun dealt with a proposed three-stadium complex. That story is right here.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that the SHA will have a province-wide bantam AA league up and running in time for next season. Interestingly, the 18-team league won’t include any teams from Saskatoon. Harder’s story is right here.
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When the Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers meet in Whitehorse on Saturday, the referees will be Steve Papp and Trevor Hanson, while Chris Sweeting and Nathan Van Oosten will be working the lines. . . . F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels is the CHL player of the week. He had 12 points in three games last week. . . . The New York Islanders had former WHL G Joel Martin (Lethbridge, Tri-City, Vancouver, Calgary, 2000-03) on the bench for the third period of a 5-3 loss to the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. Martin, 28, signed with the Islanders on Feb. 4 and was with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers when he was recalled Tuesday on an emergency basis.
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A note from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada: Great days to be a reporter in the QMJHL's East Division. Chicoutimi is reportedly to hire Guy Carbonneau as coach, meaning two more games against Quebec and Patrick Roy. While the two have been close for a long time, their relationship is strained right now. Carbonneau went on RDS recently and said Patrick's son, Frederick, should receive a lengthy suspension for a dirty hit. (He got three games.) Needless to say, Roy, who thought the hit was shoulder to shoulder, wasn't amused.
Friedman’s weekly blog posting, 30 Thoughts, is a must if you’re a hockey fan. You will find this week’s posting right here.
---
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
Seattle at Kamloops: The Thunderbirds have one victory in their last 10 games but are just two points behind Kamloops, which holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Blazers are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games; they also are down to five healthy defencemen.
Regina at Lethbridge: The Pats and Hurricanes have played 54 games and they’re tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, three points out of a playoff spot.
Prince George at Medicine Hat: The Cougars blew a chance to get some breathing room when they lost 6-5 in Edmonton last night. The Tigers will be looking for a victory that will lifted them into third place in the Eastern Conference.
Swift Current at Prince Albert: The Broncos won their last start but are 2-8-0 in their last 10 and are clinging to seventh in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of Brandon and two ahead of Prince Albert. The Raiders are 3-6-1 in their last 10.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon: The Warriors are comfortably in fifth place, seven points our of fourth and 11 out of sixth. They’ve lost three in a row but have won two of three with the Blades this season. The Eastern Conference-leading Blades have won eight straight and nine of 10.
Portland at Spokane: This one is the game of the night. The Winterhawks have won their last thhree, are 9-1-0 in their last 10 and hold a five-point lead over the Chiefs, who hold two games in hand.
———
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings exploded for four third-period goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-5. . . . The Cougars had taken a 4-1 lead into the second period and led 5-2 going into the third. . . . Edmonton F Travis Ewanyk got it started at 5:51 of the third, and that was followed by goals from F Jordan Hickmott (10:24), F Mike Piluso (13:55) and F Dylan Wruck (18:27). . . . The Oil Kings outshot the visitors 26-5 in the third. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who relieved starter Jon Groenheyde to start the second, stopped 17 of 18 shots. . . . Edmonton F Cameron Abney had three assists. . . . There wasn’t a special teams goal scored in the game. . . . Prince George F Spencer Asuchak returned from an eight-game suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance. He was pointless and minus-4. . . . Attendance was 3,370. . . . The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, but now are five points clear of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Cougars are sixth in the Western Conference, a point up on the Everett Silvertips. . . .
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In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice erased a 2-0 deficit with six straight goals and went on to beat the visiting Regina Pats, 7-4. . . . F Kevin King scored three times for the Ice. He’s got 26. . . . D Brayden McNabb drew four assists for the Ice, while F Cody Eakin had a goal, his 25th, and two helpers. . . . F Jordan Weal had two assists for Regina. . . . Ice G Brett Teskey stopped 19 shots. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo stopped 37 shots. . . . The Ice was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Regina had F Nils Moser back after he sat out 16 games with a knee injury. . . . Attendance was 2,164. . . . The Ice, third in the Eastern Conference, moved to within six points of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Pats remain 10th, three points out of a playoff spot. . . .
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In Red Deer, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Rebels, 3-1. . . . F Byron Froese gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead with his 31st goal at 19:41 of the first period. . . . That lead held up into the third period when F Kellan Tochkin tied it at 1:27 on a PP. He’s got 20 goals. . . . Medicine Hat F Cole Grbavac broke the 1-1 tie with his 12th goal at 13:19 and F Emerson Etem added his 30th, on a PP, at 15:18. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey, the WHL’s scoring leader, had one assist and now has 88 points. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 37 shots, three more than Red Deer’s Darcy Kuemper. . . . With two games left, the Tigers hold a 3-1 edge in the season series. . . . Attendance was 4,358. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-for-1. . . . The Tigers were without D Scott Ramsay (concussion) who was hurt in a 4-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday. . . . The  Tigers remain fourth in the Eastern Conference, just one point behind Kootenay and seven in front of Moose Jaw. . . . The Rebels are five points behind the conference-leading Saskatoon Blades, who now hold three games in hand.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Three minors:
Kootenay D Brock Montgomery
Red Deer F Chad Robinson
Red Deer D Colin Archer

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter