Wheaties, Rockets up 2-0 . . . Great Dane beats 'Tips . . . Stovin fills hat for Mavs

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings scored three PP goals as they beat the Regina Pats, 5-2. . . . The Wheat Kings take a 2-0 series lead, and a six-game playoff winning streak, to Regina for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Brandon had won 5-1 on Friday. . . . The Pats have lost two straight after having won four in a row. . . . Brandon F Tyler Coulter scored shorthanded at 4:00 of the first period and F Jayce Hawryluk got his fifth goal, on the PP, at 13:01. . . . In the second period, Regina D Colby Williams scored a PP goal at 9:31, but Brandon D Ivan Provorov got that one back, on the PP, at 12:19. Pats F Pavel Padakin got his guys back to within one, at 3-2, at 16:24, on another PP. . . . However, Brandon D Macoy Erkamps scored with 2.5 seconds left in the period to restore the two-goal lead. . . . Brandon D Kale Clague scored the game’s final goal, on a PP, at 10:56 of the third. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts had three assists, all on the PP, while F Nolan Patrick and D Eric Roy each had two helpers. . . . Brandon was 3-for-7 on the PP; Regina was 2-for-6. . . . Regina had gone into the game having killed off 11 of 12 opposition power plays. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 35 shots, one fewer than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . Regina D Sergey Zborovsky took an interference major and game misconduct at 16:25 of the third period for a hit on Hawryluk, who didn’t return. The league will look into that play, for sure. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz left in the first period and didn’t return, while Regina lost D Chase Harrison after a third-period hit by Hawryluk. . . . How does Brandon like to play the game? Perhaps this tweet from Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun best sums it up: “How much do Brandon's D like to rush? Clague carried the puck into the Regina zone but his D partner Roy was offside.” . . . Regina D James Hilsendager served the third-game of a three-game WHL-issued suspension. . . . The Pats also were without F Rykr Cole, who left in the first period of Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Jared McAmmond got into his first playoff game in Cole’s absence. . . . Attendance was 4,752. . . . Henderson has a game story right here.

In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored 58 seconds into OT to give the Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The Rockets, who lead the series 2-0, have won all six of their playoff games this spring. They won the opener 5-0 on Friday. . . . The series now moves to Victoria for games Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Baillie’s second goal of the game and fifth of the playoffs came two seconds after the expiration of a Kelowna PP. . . . Royals D Chaz Reddekopp was penalized for checking from behind just 30 seconds after F Brandon Magee had forced OT. . . . Kelowna built a 3-0 lead on a first-period PP goal by F Tyson Baillie and second-period scores by F Tomas Soustal, at 4:11, and F Gage Quinney, at 11:16, on a PP. . . . Magee scored for Victoria at 18:02 of the second period, on a PP, ending Kelowna’s shutout streak at 218:02. It was the first goal the Rockets and G Jackson Whistle surrendered on home ice in these playoffs. This was their fourth home game. . . . Victoria F Alex Forsberg redirected a shot by D Joe Hicketts at 7:31 of the third, on a PP, and Magee tied it with his eighth goal of the playoffs, at 18:26. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl had three assists, giving him five helpers in two games. . . . F Austin Carroll had three assists for the Royals, with Hicketts getting two. . . . Whistle finished with 38 saves. . . . Victoria starter Coleman Vollrath left at 11:16 of the third period after giving up three goals on 15 shots. Justin Paulic was beaten once on 12 shots. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-8 on the PP; Victoria was 2-for-5. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase got the ol’ heave-ho at 18:44 of the first period. According to a tweet from Regan Bartel, the Rockets’ radio voice, Chase was tossed for “playing without a mouth guard and then throwing it on ice after he received a misconduct.” . . . Kelowna F Josh Morrissey, who returned from an ankle injury to play in Game 1, left after the first period. Morrissey had been out for six weeks before returning with a three-assist effort in Game 1. . . . Attendance was 5,473. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.

In Everett, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored 29 seconds into the second OT to give the Portland Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald tweeted: “Portland wins an offensive-zone faceoff, and Bjorkstrand works his way across the slot before burying a shot into the top corner.” . . . F Nic Petan won the draw that led to the GWG. . . . The series is 1-1 — Everett had won 5-3 on Friday — as the teams head for Portland and games on Thursday and Friday nights. . . . Game 5 will be played in Everett next Sunday. . . . Bjorkstrand, the Danish import who led the WHL in goals and points in the regular season, has six goals in these playoffs. . . . Portland D Adam Henry scored on a wraparound at 10:18 of the third period to force OT. . . . The Winterhawks had taken a 2-1 lead into the second period. . . . Everett F Jake Mykitiuk scored the game’s first goal, at 3:12 of the first. . . . Portland D Blake Heinrich tied it at 12:48 and F Chase De Leo, on a PP, gave the visitors the lead at 15:29. . . . Everett took the lead on two second-period goals by F Nikita Scherbak, who has three in these playoffs. His second goal came with 34.8 seconds left in the period. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner had two assists, as did Petan. . . . Everett D Cole MacDonald had two helpers, after earning three on Friday. . . . Portland G Adin Hill turned aside 41 shots, as did Everett’s Carter Hart. . . . G Austin Lotz wasn’t on the Everett bench to start the game. After the first period, Patterson tweeted: “For those wondering about Lotz, I think I saw him go off in pain during the warm-up. Probably why he's not on the bench.” . . . Lotz was back on the bench in the second period. . . . Portland was 1-for-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-3. . . . Everett has gone to multi-OT in three of eight playoff games. It’s previous single-season high was two. . . . Attendance was 4,579. . . . Patterson has a game story right here. . . . Freelancer Scott Sepich wrote this lead for The Oregonian.
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F Calder Brooks of the Spokane Chiefs has joined the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Brooks, who finished up his junior eligibility this season, had 58 points, including 23 goals, in 52 games, 50 of them with Spokane. The Chiefs acquired him from the Prince Albert Raiders early in the season. He also played two-plus seasons with the Calgary Hitmen.
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F Brett Roulston, who played two seasons (2012-14) with the Prince George Cougars, scored 20 seconds into overtime as the Nanaimo Clippers beat the host Penticton Vees 2-1 last night. . . . The Clippers lead the BCHL’s best-of-seven final, 2-0. . . . Nanaimo had won 5-2 in Penticton on Friday. . . . Roulston, 20, is from Whitehorse. . . . The series resumes in Nanaimo with games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
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G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans earned his first pro victory last night as the host St. John’s IceCaps beat the Hershey Bears, 5-1. Comrie stopped 21 shots. Former Spokane Chiefs D Brenden Kichton had two assists, while former Kamloops Blazers F JC Lipon scored his fifth goal of the season. . . . D Shea Theodore of the Seattle Thunderbirds had two assists as the visiting Norfolk Admirals beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 3-2 in OT. Theodore’s first assist was primary and on the PP; his second assist was on the winner.
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On Friday night, F Brett Stovin scored three times to lead the ECHL’s Missouri Mavericks to a 4-1 victory over the host Brampton Be ast. Stovin, who played out his junior eligibility with the Saskatoon Blades this season, scored one in the first period and twice in the third, with the last one into an empty net. Stovin finished the regular season with six points, including five goals, in eight games with the Mavericks.
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THE COACHING GAME:

As mentioned here yesterday, the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings named Chad van Diemen as their new head coach. . . . Here’s more from Brian Wiebe’s blog Brian’s Banter: “With the departure of van Diemen, Powell River added Brock Sawyer to its team as a full-time assistant coach. Sawyer, who played for the Kings from 2006-08, was a part-time assistant to head coach Kent Lewis in 2014-15 following a two-year pro career in the Southern Professional Hockey League and a four-year NCAA Div. III career at Elmira College.” . . . If you want BCHL news, check out Brian’s Banter. There’s a link over there on the right.
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One happy Dane here tonight for the Portland Winterhawks #bjorkstrand pic.twitter.com/ymoGbxClzx
— Chris Mast (@MastImages) April 12, 2015

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Tigers, Royals in control . . . Winterhawks pull even with T-Birds . . . Coaches in war of words

D Vladimír Sičák (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a two-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had three goals and 12 assists in 50 games. . . .
F Ryon Moser (Lethbridge, Swift Current, 2008-13) has signed a three-year contract with Ambrì-Piotta (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the University of Lethbridge (CIS), he had four goals and 10 assists in 27 games. Moser, who has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship, had tryouts with Ambrì-Piotta in the summers of 2012 and 2014. . . .
Altant Mytishchi (Russia, KHL) has traded the rights to G Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon, 2011-13) and F Vladimir Bobylyov (Vancouver Giants, 2014-15) to SKA St. Petersburg (Russia, KHL) for monetary compensation. This season, with Rochester (AHL), Makarov was 2.98, .902 in 37 games, while Bobylyov, 17, had three goals and six assists in 52 games with Vancouver. . . . Atlanta is in financial trouble.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

Watching the last remaining Euro goalie in the Dub, Marek Langhammer, a little sad we won't see another for a very long time. #WHL
— Zenon Herasymiuk (@ZenonHerasymiuk) April 3, 2015

In Red Deer, G Marek Langhamer turned aside 39 shots to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Tigers lead the series 3-1 as it goes back to Medicine Hat for Game 5 on Saturday night. . . . The Rebels got the game’s first goal, from D Haydn Fleury at 3:37 of the first period, but the Tigers scored the next four. . . . The visitors tied it on F Cole Sanford’s third goal of the series at 19:40 and took the lead when F Trevor Cox got his second goal at 3:09 of the second. . . . F Steve Owre upped the lead to 3-1 at 10:34. . . . Each team scored twice in the third, with Red Deer getting to within one on F Wyatt Johnson’s shorthanded goal at 19:36. . . . Owre, F Markus Eisenschmid, who scored an empty-netter at 19:59 of the third, Sanford and Cox each had a goal and an assist for the Tigers. . . . Fleury also had an assist, while F Presten Kopeck had two of them. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth stopped 38 shots. . . . The Tigers were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-for-4. . . . F Chad Butcher, a 51-point man in the regular season, was among the Tigers’ scratches. He has a hand injury after blocking a shot in Game 3 on Wednesday. He will be re-evaluated today. . . . The Rebels and Tigers now have combined for 15 goals in four games; the Calgary Hitmen and Kootenay Ice have scored 36 times in their four games. . . . Attendance was 5,946.

In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks scored twice before the game was three minutes old and were never headed as they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-5. . . . The series is tied 2-2 as the teams head for Portland and Game 5 on Saturday night. Game 6 is scheduled for Kent on Tuesday. . . . Last night’s attendance was 3,021, and that’s 3,098 fewer than showed up for Game 3 on Tuesday when it was 2-for-Tuesday, meaning you could get hots dogs, soft drinks popcorn and, yes, beer for $2 each. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo scored his first goal of the series just 54 seconds into the first period and F Alex Overhardt added his first goal at 2:15. . . . F Ryan Gropp got Seattle to within one at 17:43, but the Winterhawks came back with the only three goals of the second period — D Adam Henry got his second of the series, F Nic Petan got his third and F Keegan Iverson got his first. . . . Seattle outscored the visitors 4-3 in the third but it was too little, too late. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who led the WHL in goals and points in the regular season, scored his second goal of the series and added either three or four assists. The online scoresheet shows three; a news release from the Winterhawks gave him four. . . . De Leo added two assists to his goal, while Petan finished with two goals and an assist. . . . Gropp and D Shea Theodore each had a goal and two assists for the Thunderbirds. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 34 shots. . . . Seattle starter Taran Kozun surrendered five goals on 22 shots. Logan Flodell came in with Portland leading 5-1 at 15:03 of the second period. He stopped 19 of 21 shots. . . . Portland was 2-for-4 on the PP; Seattle was 2-for-3.

In Prince George, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 24 shots to help the Victoria Royals to a 3-0 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Royals lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 in Victoria on Saturday night. . . . This was the first shutout by the Royals in franchise history. . . . D Tyler Brown opened the scoring at 4:40 of the second period. . . . The Royals got third-period goals from F Regan Nagy (0:46, shorthanded) and F Alex Forsberg (14:53, PP). . . . Brown and Nagy each added an assist; F Brandon Magee had two assists. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds turned aside 21 shots. . . . The Royals were 1-for-3 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-8. . . . Attendance was 4,448.
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Finally, there is some off-ice action in these WHL playoffs. It seems that Spokane Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur accused the Everett Silvertips of diving early in their series. Now, with Game 4 tonight in Spokane, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine has fired back. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has that story right here. . . . Finally, something that would bring smiles to the faces of Wild Bill Hunter, Ben Hatskin and Scotty Munro.
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D James Hilsendager of the Regina Pats will miss the first two games of their second-round series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Hilsendager drew a three-game suspension for a headshot on Swift Current Broncos F Jake DeBrusk in Game 3 of that series. While Hilsendager wasn’t penalized at the time, DeBrusk wasn’t able to play in the OT period of a game the Broncos lost 5-4. He also didn’t play in Game 4 on Wednesday as the visiting Pats won 4-0 to sweep the series. . . . Hilsendager will miss Games 1 and 2 in Brandon on April 10 and 11.——
F Chance Braid of the Kelowna Rockets will sit out the first game of their second-round series against either the Victoria Royals or Prince George Cougars. He and F Max James of the Tri-City Americans each have been suspended for one game after their fight four seconds into a game in Kennewick, Wash., on Wednesday night. . . . James will serve his suspension at the start of the 2015-16 season. . . . The Rockets and Americans were fined $250 apiece, as well.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings drew fewer than 16,000 fans to their three home playoff games against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Still, Kevin Radomski, Edmonton’s director of business operations, said the Oil Kings were “very happy” with that. . . . Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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If you are into numbers or follow U.S. politics, you will be familiar with the name Nate Silver. In his latest essay at fivethirtyeight.com, Silver starts by writing: “The NHL’s ‘loser point’ is the stupidest rule in sports.” . . . He goes on to explain why that is, and then he offers up a solution. . . . Give it a read right here.
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D Justin Hamonic of the Tri-City Americans will finish the season with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. Hamonic, 20, was the Americans’ captain. He was a fifth-round pick by Tri-City in the 2009 bantam draft. Hamonic is to join the Aces today in West Valley City, Utah, where they are scheduled to play the Grizzlies tonight and Saturday. . . .
Colin (Toledo) Robinson and Tim O’Donovan of the Kamloops Blazers have been added to the staff of the Canadian U-18 team that will play in the IIHF World championship in Lucerne and Zug, Switzerland, April 16-26. . . . Robinson, who is the Blazers’ athletic trainer, will be Canada’s equipment manager. O’Donovan, the Blazers’ director of hockey/media administration, will be Canada’s video manager. . . . Both men are available because the Blazers didn’t qualify for the WHL playoffs. . . .
Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun notes that Hitmen F Adam Tambellini is one  of three players in franchise history with two OT goals. Tambellini won Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series with the Kootenay Ice. “His back-to-back overtime winners will remind Hitmen fans of current Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd, who also scored sudden-death winners in consecutive games to eliminate the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2005,” Fisher writes. “The only other Hitmen player with multiple OT goals is Ian Schultz.” . . . The Hitmen hold a 3-1 lead over the Ice with Game 5 in Calgary tonight. . . . That game will be televised by Shaw. . . .
The Everett Silvertips will meet the Chiefs in Spokane tonight in Game 4 of their first-round series. The game will be televised live on SWX in the Spokane area. . . . The game also will feature a silent auction on the Spokane Arena’s concourse, with proceeds going to the Chiefs’ education fund.
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@SSepich Judging by ticket sales, hope they charged him for his seat.
— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) April 3, 2015

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

Cox, Langhamer lead Tigers . . . Harmsworth, Hitmen harm Blazers . . . H-men lead Chiefs to victory

F Tyrell Goulbourne of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Goulbourne, who turned 21 on Jan. 26, was a third-round selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft. In his fifth season with the Rockets, he has 38 points, including 17 goals, in 55 games. In 268 career regular-season games, Goulbourne has 118 points, 55 of them goals. The Edmonton native is one of the WHL’s top power forwards.
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The Florida Panthers had both of their goaltenders — Roberto Luongo and Al Montoya — go down with injuries during a game against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs last night. Confusion reigned. At one point, Panthers goaltending coach Rob Tallas, who played three seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1991-94), was dressed as the backup. George Michael of the Miami Herald has more right here.
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If you were wondering, the WHL playoffs will begin on Thursday, March 26. In a Tuesday news release regarding the deadline for fans to order playoff tickets, the Brandon Wheat Kings revealed that their first two home games will be played Thursday, March 26, and Friday, March 27. . . . The way things are right now, the Edmonton Oil Kings will be providing the opposition in those games. . . .
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that F Nolan Patrick of the Wheat Kings is back skating but is wearing a non-contact sweater. Henderson also reports that F Reid Duke and D Kale Clague remain out week-to-week. . . .
Lucas Punkari of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Warriors F Axel Blomqvist (groin strain) is expected to return tonight against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. He didn’t play over the weekend. . . . According to Punkari, F Tanner Eberle, who left a Saturday game with an injury, may play tonight, depending on how he does in the morning skate. . . . Meanwhile, the status of D Tyler Brown and F Jaimen Yakubowski has yet to be determined. They were injured on Friday. . . .
The Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament (KIBIHT) is adding a Premier Division, meaning it will have three divisions in its 2016 tournament. According to KIBIHT, the Premier Division will comprise eight teams from academies, winter clubs and top-ranked teams from across Canada and the U.S. . . . KIBIHT also will feature 12 teams in a Tier 1 Division and 16 in the Tier 2 Division. . . . The next KIBIHT will run from Dec. 30 through Jan. 3.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION: Brandon (9 games remaining) will finish atop the Eastern Conference standings and now trails Kelowna by two points in the race for first place overall. . . . Regina (9) will finish second in the division. . . . Swift Current (9) is third, eight points ahead of Moose Jaw (9), which is eight points behind Edmonton (8), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth. . . . Prince Albert (9) is four points behind Moose Jaw and eight points out of a playoff spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (8) is atop the division, two points ahead of Medicine Hat (8). . . . Red Deer (9) is third, nine points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of Kootenay (8), which is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (9) is four points behind Kootenay.
B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (8) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and holds a two-point lead over Brandon atop the overall standings. . . . Victoria (8) will finish second. . . . Prince George (9) has won three straight and is third, one point ahead of Vancouver (9) and Kamloops (8). . . . Vancouver and Kamloops also are two points behind Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (8) sits atop the division, four points ahead of Portland (10). . . . Seattle (8) is third, six points behind Portland and seven ahead of Spokane (10). . . . Spokane holds the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Spokane is nine points ahead of Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card spot.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
——
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, F Craig Leverton scored the only goal of a six-round shootout to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Raiders F Austin Glover forced OT with his 13th goal at 7:44 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Brett Pollock scored his 30th goal, on a PP, at 11:06 of the first. . . . Raiders D Jesse Lees tied it with his 12th goal at 3:56 of the second. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci restored the one-goal lead with his ninth goal at 6:39 of the second. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 30 shots through OT, one more than Prince Albert’s Nick McBride. . . . Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton gave Jarry full credit for earning his team the loser point. “We owe Tristan for the point tonight,” Hamilton said on the team’s website. “There’s no question about that. He was the most substantial difference maker in the lineup tonight. It’s disappointing that Tristan gave us that kind of effort and we weren’t able to respond in front of him.” . . . Edmonton was 1-for-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-4. . . . The Raiders (25-35-3) had lost their previous three games. . . . Edmonton (29-28-7) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL scoring race, had two goals as the Tigers got past the Red Deer Rebels, 4-0. . . . Cox, who now has 99 points, including 25 goals, scored on a PP at 7:30 of the first period and on a penalty shot at 13:08 of the second. . . . Tigers F Matt Bradley scored his 15th at 11:10 of the second and F Chad Labelle got his eighth goal, into an empty net, at 18:58 of the third. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 24 shots for his first shutout of the season. . . . Langhamer, the last European goaltender in the WHL, has five career shutouts. . . . The Tigers (40-21-3) have won three straight. . . . The Rebels (32-21-10) have been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . .

In Kamloops, D Colby Harmsworth’s third goal of the season, at 4:45 of OT, gave the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 victory over the Blazers. . . . With the teams playing three skaters aside due to penalties, Harmsworth and F Radel Fazleev took off on a 2-on-1. Fazleev slid a pass to Harmsworth and he got the puck under G Connor Ingram for the winner. . . . Calgary led this one 2-0 after one period and 3-1 in the second period, only to have Kamloops scored three second-period goals to take a 4-3 lead. . . . F Collin Shirley scored twice for the Blazers, giving him 22. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin forced OT with his second goal of the game, and 30th of the season, at 5:23 of the third. . . . F Terrell Draude also scored twice for Calgary, giving him 12 goals. . . . D Travis Sanheim, F Jody Stallard — I hope his nickname is Tracy — and F Taylor Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . F Matt Revel scored his 16th goal and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke, who has won nine straight decisions, stopped 29 shots, five fewer than Connor Ingram of the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 1-for-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-5. . . . D Jake Bean, the terrific 16-year-old, was among Calgary’s scratches. He is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering a suspected shoulder/collarbone injury in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . The Blazers have put F Deven Sideroff (suspected wrist) on the injured list. They show him as out week-to-week. . . . Kamloops also scratched F Matt Needham with an undisclosed injury. . . . Needham and Sideroff have played almost the entire season with F Cole Ully on one of the WHL’s top lines. . . . The Hitmen (40-19-5) are 6-1-0 on their franchise record 11-game road swing. They left Calgary on Feb. 19 and had travelled 2,579 km when they left Kamloops for Prince George last night. . . . Calgary has won 17 of its last 19 games and is 13-1-1 on the road since Jan. 4. . . . The Blazers (24-33-7) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Victoria, D Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-1 victory over the Royals. . . . Victoria had beaten Seattle 3-2 in a shootout on Monday night. . . . One night later, the visitors scored the game’s first three goals, two of them in the first period. . . . F Cory Millette got his 19th goal at 1:13 and Theodore added his 11th at 17:03. . . . D Jerret Smith made it 3-0 at 8:50 of the second, on a PP, and the Royals weren’t able to get back in this one. . . . D Joe Hicketts scored his 11th goal for the Royals, on a PP, at 2:08 of the third. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 29 shots. . . . Each team was 1-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds (32-23-9) had lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . . The Royals are 34-26-4. . . .

In Everett, F Kohl Bauml scored with 39 seconds left in OT to give the Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Bauml has 30 goals this season. . . . Everett scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie scored his 36th goal, on a PP, at 6:46 of the first period. . . . Rockets F Leon Draisaitl, who drew an assist on Baillie’s goal, got his 15th goal, on a PP, at 4:19 of the second. Draisaitl now has goals in six straight games. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak got his guys on the board with his 27th goal at 3:54 of the third and F Dawson Leedahl tied it with his 13th at 10:16. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-4 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-1. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 37 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Hart is 9-1-1 since Jan. 1. . . . The Silvertips scratched D Kevin Davis and D Tristen Pfeifer, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . D Josh Morrissey and F Rourke Chartier were among Kelowna’s scratches as it went with 17 skaters. . . . The Silvertips improved to 38-19-7. . . . Kelowna (48-11-5) has lost two in a row. . . .

In Spokane, F Adam Helewka scored three goals and G Garret Hughson stopped 29 shots as the Chiefs dropped the Vancouver Giants, 7-0. . . . Hughson has two shutouts in his last four games. He has four career shutouts. . . . Helewka, who has 38 goals, scored the game’s first two goals, the first one coming while shorthanded at 15:18 of the first period. He also drew one assist. . . . It was Helewka’s second career hat trick. He scored four times against Vancouver on Nov. 1, 2013. . . . F Calder Brooks added his 20th goal and three assists, while F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 19th goal and had two helpers. . . . D Jason Fram and F Liam Stewart each had two assists. . . . The Chiefs (31-27-4) have won four in a row and outscored the opposition 22-2 in the process. . . . The Giants (26-34-3) have lost three straight.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Lethbridge at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
No Games Scheduled.
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Can officially say that I have scored a goal on every team in the WHL. Great feeling 🚨 https://t.co/XS40fkT8LO
— Cory Millette (@corbomb95) March 4, 2015

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Taking Note wins award . . . Hurricanes stun Ice . . . Blazers now third in B.C.

Taking Note has been honoured with a Carson — a 2015 Paul Carson Broadcast & Media Award — as was announced Wednesday afternoon.
According to the news release that is pictured above, the awards “recognize excellence in sports broadcasting and journalism” in B.C.
Taking Note is being recognized as the Best Blog (Rest-of-BC). Pro Hockey Talk, with Jason Brough, Mike Halford and Cam Tucker, was named the Best Blog (Vancouver-based).
A number of veteran B.C. sports journalists, including Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province, Ian MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun, Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist and Scott McKenzie of the Nanaimo Daily News are among the print honourees.
I am thrilled that folks know that we even exist here at Taking Note, and I am honoured to win an award that is in memory of a man who meant so much to journalism in B.C.
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D Lukáš Bohunický (Kootenay, 2005-07) has signed a contract for the rest of the season with České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He was released at his request by the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite) on Monday. He had a goal and 13 assists in 36 games this season. . . .
F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) has signed for the rest of the season with the Bietigheim Steelers (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Serie A), he had two goals and 12 assists in 15 games. With the Wedemark Scorpions (Germany, Oberliga), he had eight goals and 15 assists in 12 games. St. Jacques played last 3 1/2 seasons with Bietigheim. . . .
F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has been released at his request by Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga). He had two goals in two games. Per a Regensburg press release, Langhammer will join an unnamed DEL2 club.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored three second-period goals en route to a 6-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . .  .Fittingly, it was Bash The Blades night in Prince Albert. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first five goals. . . . That included F Sean Montgomery’s first WHL goal, in the 45th game of freshman season, at 9:54 of the second period. . . . F Kris Schmidli had three assists for Prince Albert, while F Reid Gardiner scored his 22nd goal and added an assist. F Simon Stransky and F Austin Glover each had two assists. D Jesse Lees scored his eighth goal — his first since arriving in Prince Albert from Kelowna — and had an assist. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 32 shots, four fewer than Nik Amundrud of the Blades. . . . This was the final game of the season series between these teams and it ended 4-4-0. . . . The Raiders (20-27-1) had lost their previous four games. They are in Calgary on Friday. . . . The Blades (14-30-3), who play in Swift Current on Friday, had won five in a row. . . .

In Edmonton, F Lane Bauer’s shootout goal gave the Oil Kings a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Brett Pollock also scored for Edmonton in the shootout — he extended it with a goal in the third round — while F Nick Merkley scored for the Rockets. . . . D Joe Gatenby scored for Kelowna at 9:33 of the first period. His first WHL goal came in his 85th game. . . . Edmonton F Dysin Mayo tied it with his 10th goal of the season, on a PP, at 6:35 of the second. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 35 shots, five more than Kelowna’s Jake Morrissey. . . . The Rockets gave the goaltending start to Morrissey, meaning he and his holder brother, D Josh Morrissey, were on the ice together for the first time since the latter was acquired from Prince Albert on Dec. 10. . . . F Leon Draisaitl, who started the season with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, made his return to Edmonton. The Oilers, if you missed it, arranged for Draisaitl to be traded by Prince Albert to the Rockets at the trade deadline. . . . Draisaitl went pointless and wasn’t able to score in the shootout. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-8 on the PP, including the game’s last seven. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-for-3. . . . Edmonton (23-21-6) ended a four-game losing skid (0-3-1). The Oil Kings play in Red Deer on Friday. . . . The Rockets (37-8-4), who visit Lethbridge on Friday, have won their previous three games. They are first in the overall standings, three points ahead of idle Brandon. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brayden Burke had a goal and two assists and G Jayden Sittler beat his former team as the Hurricanes dropped the Kootenay Ice, 6-3. . . . The Ice took a 2-1 lead into the second period, only to have the Hurricanes score the next five goals. . . . Burke tied the score with his third goal of the season, at 1:32 of the second, and F Tyler Wong broke the tie, with his 21st, at 13:53. . . . F Zane Franklin, who made his WHL debut with the Hurricanes on Tuesday night, scored his first WHL goal in this one, tying the game 1-1 at 14:45 of the first. . . . Lethbridge D Brandon Kennedy scored his first WHL goal in his 23rd game, at 6:54 of the third. . . . Wong also had an assist and was plus-4. . . . Kennedy, F Pavel Skumatov and F Giorgio Estephan each had a goal and an assist for Lethbridge. . . . Estephan has 25 points, 10 of them goals, over his last 14 games. . . . F Tim Bozon scored his 20th goal and added an assist for the Ice. . . . Skinner stopped 38 shots. . . . The Hurricanes (12-29-6), who will entertain Kelowna on Friday, have equalled their victory total from last season. . . . The Ice (26-23-1) had won its last four games. Kootenay is at home to Regina on Friday. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 2-1 deficit with three straight goals and hung on to beat the Victoria Royals, 4-3. . . . Victoria F Alex Forsberg scored his 20th goal of the season at 12:41 of the second period for a 2-1 lead. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn tied it, with his 15th goal, at 17:20. . . . D Alex Henry gave the Winterhawks the lead at 3:08 of the third, with his fifth goal, and F Chase De Leo made it 4-2 with No. 22 at 13:21. . . . Forsberg got the Royals to within a goal at 13:39. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 36 shots, four more than Victoria’s Justin Paulic. . . . F Miles Koules and D Blake Heinrich had two assists each for Portland. . . . Portland won despite not getting any points from its big line of Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nic Petan and Paul Bittner. Victoria D Joe Hicketts and his partner, Chaz Reddekopp, were plus-3 while playing as much as possible against the Petan line. . . . Hicketts also had one assist. . . . F Dominic Turgeon was back in Portland’s lineup for the first time since Jan. 17 and scored his 15th goal. Portland F Mitch Walter remains out. Both were injured in fights. Walter hasn’t played since Jan. 14. . . . The Winterhawks (29-19-3) have won six straight and are three points behind U.S. Division-leading Everett, which olds three games in hand. . . . Victoria (26-20-4) had points in its previous seven games (6-0-1). . . . Portland is at home to Kamloops on Friday, while Victoria will play in Spokane. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored three PP goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-3, to grab sole possession of a playoff spot. . . . Still, it was the only Kamloops goal that wasn’t on special teams that won it, D Brady Gaudet getting his second goal of the season at 14:38 of the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie in the process. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully scored twice, giving him 24, and had an assist. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff had three assists, all on the PP. . . . F Matt Needham, the third member of that line, had two assists. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists. He has 185 career points, two shy of Craig Channell’s franchise record (Breakers/Thunderbirds) for a defenceman. . . . Seattle F Cory Millette had given his guys a 3-2 lead at 14:46 of the second, on a PP, with his 12th goal. . . . Kamloops D Dawson Davidson, who was brought in to add to the PP, scored his third goal at 3:42 of the third. . . . Kamloops was 3-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-5. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf and Kamloops D Ryan Rehill, a couple of heavyweights, were tossed nine seconds into the game for becoming involved in a staged fight. . . . The Blazers scored two first-period goals. According to Tbird Tidbits, it was the sixth time in 48 games that Seattle has allowed more than one goal in the first period. The Thunderbirds are 1-5-0 when that happens. . . . Kamloops, already without injured Swiss D Michael Fora, lost Slovakian D Patrik Maier at 15:18 of the third period when he was KO’d in a scrap with Seattle F Nolan Volcan. Maier was wobbly and needed help getting to the dressing room. . . . The Blazers (19-25-6) moved into third place in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of Vancouver and Prince George. . . . The Thunderbirds (23-19-6) are third in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Spokane and Tri-City. . . . The Thunderbirds are in Prince George for games Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The Blazers travel to Portland for a Friday night game.
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Happy b'day to Paul Henderson. There's something special about Canada's Summit Series hero turning "72"! pic.twitter.com/cyRZouw47f
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) January 29, 2015

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Provorov shines for Wheaties . . . Oil Kings win on road . . . Thunderbirds fly high at home

As you will be aware, the WHL’s trade deadline slipped by on Saturday. . . . Alan Caldwell, the blogmaster at Small Thoughts At Large, sat down and took a trade-by-trade look at things. . . . That analysis is right here.
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The Red Deer Rebels have dropped D Austin Shmoorkoff, 17, from their roster. He is expected to join the junior B Beverly Warrior, who play in the Edmonton-based Capital Junior Hockey League. From Edmonton, he had gotten into only one game with the Rebels this season. Last season, he played in six games with Red Deer.
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Mark Rogers, a co-worker at the late Kamloops Daily News, now writes a regular column for The Armchair Mayor News, a Kamloops-centric website operated by Mel Rothenburger, a former KDN editor and a two-term mayor of the city. In his latest column, Rogers writes of the pressures faced by journalists and he points out that it doesn’t always involve violence. . . . That column is right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and went on to beat the Hitmen, 5-4. . . . F Peter Quenneville pulled Brandon into a 2-2 tie at 16:14 of the second with his 10th goal. . . . Wheat Kings D Ivan Provorov gave his guys the lead with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 5:57 of the third. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin tied it with his 21st goal at 7:02 of the third. . . . Brandon then took a 5-3 lead on goals from F John Quenneville, his 14th, at 8:11 and F Rihards Bukarts, his 15th, at 15:12 on a PP. . . . Provorov also had two assists, as did Patrick. . . . Rankin also had two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (30-9-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Hitmen (23-16-4) had points in each of their previous four games (3-0-1). . . .

Seen thousands of junior hockey goals in my life but Provorov's for wheat kings today one of the best. #justlikeorr
— Bruce Penton (@Bruceomin) January 11, 2015

WATCH: #BWK Defenceman Ivan Provorov scored an end to end beauty tonight --> http://t.co/jnyTT2lNF0 #goprovogo #bdnmb
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) January 12, 2015

In Swift Current, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first four goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . F Tyson Gruninger got Edmonton the board with his second goal at 3:19 of the first period. . . . It was the ninth straight game in which the Broncos surrendered the first goal. . . . Shawn Mullin, the Broncos’ radio voice, points out that they are 3-5-1 in those games. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer’s 13th goal, at 15:33 of the first, proved to be the winner. . . . D Ashton Sautner had two assists for the Oil Kings, giving him 101 career points, including 22 goals, in 236 regular-season games. . . . F Brett Pollock also had two assists for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots, losing his shutout when D Max Lajoie scored his sixth goal, on a PP, at 15:30 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 21-17-5. . . . The Broncos (20-19-5) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds took a 4-0 lead into the third period and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . Originally, this game was to have been played on Saturday night. It was rescheduled to avoid a conflict with the Seattle Seahawks’ playoff game. . . . D Shea Theodore scored his fifth goal and added an assist for Seattle, which was 2-for-6 on the PP. . . . Tri-City was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . F Cory Millette scored his ninth goal and added an assist for Seattle. He was playing his first game since being acquired from Prince Albert prior to the trade deadline. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 31 shots, 11 fewer than Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou. . . . F Justin Gutierrez had two assists for the Americans. . . . A tweet from Thom Beuning, the radio voice of the Thunderbirds: In their last 9 games, the Thunderbirds have scored the first goal eight times, going 7-0-0-1.  The one game they didn't score first, they lost. . . . The Thunderbirds (20-16-5) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Americans (20-20-2) had won their previous two games.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
This actually was from a Saturday game, but it's so good to see some fire that it's worth seeing a day late . . . 

.@SCBroncos bench boss Mark Lamb was not a fan of a few of the calls/non-calls during tonight's 3-1 loss to Everett pic.twitter.com/gAdQxp6wOw
— swbooster (@swbooster) January 11, 2015

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