F Alex Forsberg, the first overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, didn’t return to the Prince George Cougars following the Christmas break. He has asked for a trade.
Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen has the Cougars’ side of the story right here.
Unfortunately, as Lamb writes, “Repeated attempts by The Citizen to contact Forsberg over the telephone and through social media for his comments were ignored, while his Twitter account was shut down last weekend.”
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The Portland Winterhawks have added D Shaun MacPherson, 18, to their roster. MacPherson, who was in their training camp prior to this season and has been on their protected list, had 18 points in 32 games with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. From Edmonton, he played for the midget AAA Knights of Columbus Pats last season, putting up 15 points in 33 games.
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JUST NOTES:
D Rene Hunter, 19, was back skating with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday. Hunter, from Ebb and Flow, Man., left the club for personal reasons on Nov. 28. . . . F Mike Ferland, 20, was on the ice with the Wheat Kings yesterday but was wearing a no-contact jersey. He was injured Monday in Edmonton and didn’t play Wednesday in Calgary. . . .
D Martin Gernat of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who hasn’t played all season due to shoulder surgery, is expected to get medical clearance on Monday and could play a couple of weeks after that. Having Gernat, 19, in the lineup will be liking getting a freebie at the trade deadline. The Slovakian had 55 points in 60 games as a freshman last season. . . . Edmonton GM Bob Green has told Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal that he has spoken with Brandon GM Kelly McCrimmon about Wheat Kings F Mike Ferland, 20. The Oil Kings have room to add a 20-year-old player. . . .
Congrats to former WHL coach Walt Kyle (Seattle, 1992-94) picked up his 200th victory as head coach of the Nortern Michigan Wildcats last night. NMU posted a 6-2 victory over the host St. Cloud State Huskies. Kyle is in his 11th season with the Wildcats.
G Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks will tie a franchise record for career victories should he get the start and beat the Silvertips in Everett tonight. He and Darrell May Sr. share the record, at 105. . . . Carruth is a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick; May scouts for Chicago. . . . Paul Buker of The Oregonian has more right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, F Josh Nicholls scored twice to help the Blades to a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Nicholls, who was playing in his 300th regular-season game with the Blades, leads the WHL with 29 goals. . . . Nicholls also drew an assist, giving him 50 points in 39 games. . . . With 29 goals, Nicholls is five shy of his career high from 2010-11. . . . In his 300 career games, Nicholls has 278 points. . . . Saskatoon F Adam Kambeitz, who also was playing in game No. 300, scored his ninth goal of the season, into an empty net. . . . Saskatoon G Patrick Johnson stopped 36 shots for his second straight victory. . . . The victory lifted the Blades to within eight points of the East Division-leading Raiders. . . . F Anthony Bardaro scored his 16th goal, and his sixth in four games, for the Raiders. . . . You have to live on the Prairies, or to have lived there, to appreciate the promotion the Blades ran last night — it was Ukrainian Night and the Saskatoon goal song apparently was Beer Barrel Polka. . . . The only thing missing was the Schmenge Brothers. . . .

In Regina, F Morgan Klimchuk scored in the circus to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Klimchuk was the only one of six shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Regina F Jack Rodewald forced OT with his fifth goal at 17:42 of the second period. . . . The Pats have won three in a row and four of five. . . .

In Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-1. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek had a goal, his 20th, and two assists, while D Colby Harmsworth had three assists. A 17-year-old freshman from Saskatoon, Harmsworth went into the game with one assist in 22 games. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice ran its winning streak to four games by beating the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . The Ice has won four in a row for the first time this season. . . . The Broncos have lost three in a row. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart got his 15th goal, shorthanded, and added an assist. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry drew an assist on his club’s goal, running his point streak to 16 games. . . .

In Red Deer, the Vancouver Giants scored three times in the circus and beat the Rebels, 5-4. . . . F Cain Franson, F Trevor Cheek and D Brett Kulak scored for Vancouver in the shootout; Red Deer got circus goals from F Rhyse Dieno and F Dominik Volek. . . . Volek scored his first two goals of the season in regulation time. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck forced OT with his ninth goal at 9:13 of the third. . . . This was the start of a Vancouver road trip in which the Giants will play five games in six nights. . . . G Jared Rathjen, who was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Thursday, backed up Tyler Fuhr for Vancouver. . . . Giants F Lucas Leone, who signed Thursday after playing for the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, had one assist. . . .

In Kamloops, F Kale Kessy scored twice in his first game with the Blazers, as they dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-1. . . . Kessy, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday night, has 11 goals. . . . He played on a line with Brendan Ranford, who had four assists, and Cole Ully, who scored once and added two assists. . . . Kamloops D Josh Connolly, the younger brother of Tampa Bay Lightning F Brett Connolly, scored his first WHL goal. . . . The Blazers have won three in a row, while the Thunderbirds have lost nine straight. . . .

In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Cougars, 4-2. . . . F Zach Franko had a goal, his 16th, and two assists for the Rockets, while F Myles Bell got his 25th goal and added an assist. . . . The victory kept the Rockets within two points of the B.C. Division-leading Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Rockets, who have won five in a row, play in Prince George again tonight, while the Blazers are idle. . . .  The Cougars hae lost four straight. . . . Prince George had G Nathan Warren of the major midget Cariboo Cougars backing up starter Mac Engel. That’s because Brett Zarowny was ill. The Cougars were missing seven other regulars, as well. . . .

In Victoria, D Michal Plutnar’s OT goal gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Royals. . . . Plutnar’s second goal of the season came at 4:59 of OT— there was 0.3 left on the clock. . . . Tri-City D Zach Yuen forced extra time with his fourth goal, on the PP, at 10:38 of the second. . . . The Royals had F Alex Gogolev back from an undisclosed injury, but F Logan Nelson, F Luke Harrison and F Ben Walker all were out. . . .

In Everett, F Reid Petryk broke a 2-2 tie at 17:16 of the third period as the Silvertips beat the Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Petryk’s 11th goal of the season came on a penalty shot. . . . Petryk also scored in the second period. . . .  Everett F Josh Winquist also had a penalty shot. He came up short against G Garrret Hughson at 11:33 of the third. . . . Winquist took the penalty shot in place of F Manraj Hayer who was shaken up when he was hauled down on a breakaway. . . . The Chiefs overcame a 2-0 deficit, with F Blake Gal forcing OT with his sixth goal at 12:13 of the third period on the PP. . . . F Todd Fiddler drew assists on both Spokane goals. . . . D Kevin Davis, the 11th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had an assist as he played his 300th regular-season game. . . . Everett is 3-1 since the Christmas break, including three victories within the U.S. Division.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tanner Eberle, Moose Jaw
D Brett Lernout, Swift Current

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Bryson Gore, Moose Jaw
F Chase Clayton, Calgary
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From Tampa Bay Lightning F Brett Connolly (@bconnolly8): “@jconnolly02 congrats on your first of many goals. Don’t stop at 1. #stayhot”

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.

You waited for it and here it is. The Edmonton Oil Kings Christmas video that debuted last night is right here.
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Kylee Bliss has to go to her school’s main office three or four times a week. Why? Because she can’t remember the combination for the lock on her locker. She suffered a concussion more than a year ago when she and a teammate banged heads during tryouts for her high school basketball team in Kansas City.
Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star has her story right here. It’s worth reading.
“Kylee’s basketball career is over,” he writes, “but that’s the least of the family’s concerns. Now 16, she doesn’t go to school in the first hour because of all the commotion in the hallways, and attending sporting events is out because of the overstimulation. In class, she must have test questions read aloud, and she can only do schoolwork in short segments before needing a break.”
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Dean Clark, the head coach of the Prince George Cougars, really hurt this week when his captain, forward Brock Hirsche, announced his retirement because of shoulder problems.
Clark lived the same story more than a few years ago.
"It's unfortunate for him and it's an emotional day for me," Clark told Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen. "The same thing happened to me as a 20-year-old where I couldn't continue the season."
Clark had to quit in 1984-85 while with the Kamloops Blazers. He moved behind the bench and worked alongside head coach Ken Hitchcock, just like Hirsche went behind the bench with the Cougars last season and again this season.
Clark has told Hirsche he welcome to work as an assistant coach again. Hirsche has said he will think about things over Christmas. He had surgery on Tuesday and really wants to see how he feels.
"He's a great kid and a great leader," Clark told Lamb. "You just don't replace guys like that. You want to have as many of those type of guys on your team as you can have. Those are the guys you win championships with.
"Whether he decides to come back, I hope he does, but if he doesn't, that's fine, too."
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D Dalton Thrower (concussion) is expected to return to the Saskatoon Blades’ lineup tonight as they play host to the Regina Pats. He has missed 11 games since Nov. 5. . . . Thrower told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he was injured during a practice “altercation between two teammates.” Thrower added: “You play the game and you’re going to get hurt. It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice or if it’s in a game. All you have to do is bounce back from it.”
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As you may be aware, the WHL last week fined the Portland Winterhawks $200,000, suspended general manager/head coach Mike Johnston through the end of the 2013 Memorial Cup and took away a bunch of draft picks.
I am told the Winterhawks have yet to be presented anything in writing from the WHL explaining the penalties.
As for those two news releases issued by the Winterhawks last week, the team has been told the WHL is thinking about additional sanctions but, as of Friday, there was nothing official.
So, at least for now, forget the rumours of the Winterhawks having been fined $25,000 for the first one and $50,000 for the second one.
I also have been told that the WHL has said it might fine the Winterhawks another $50,000 any time they speak up on this situation.
I’m just wondering if Portland owner Bill Gallacher is running a tab with the WHL office these days.
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Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com takes a look at what he calls impasse by ass. Yes, he’s writing about the NHL lockout and he pins the tail on two people (uhh, Gary Bettman isn‘t one of them). That piece is right here.
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The OHL’s London Knights are riding a 17-game winning streak after beating the visiting Niagara IceDogs 5-2 on Friday. The London franchise record is 18 (2004-05) and the Knights can tie it on Sunday when they play host to the Mississauga Steelheads.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail checks in right here with a mother who is working to have body checking banned from all levels of minor hockey, starting with bantam and going down.
And there are people who agree with her.
MacGregor writes:
Principal researcher Michael Cusimano says such serious injuries as concussions are often the result of aggressive bodychecking and account for 15 per cent of all injuries to hockey players ages 9 to 16. In a startling statement, the researchers said up to one-quarter of players suffer concussions in a single season.
In the Toronto doctor’s opinion, bodychecking should be banned from minor hockey for all age groups.
Emile Therien, past president of the Canada Safety Council, agrees. The injury factor in minor hockey has reached a point where, in Therien’s opinion, “it’s child abuse” not to act on it. Therien, who attended American college on a full hockey scholarship (and is the father of Chris Therien, who played 11 seasons in the NHL), says it was the medical profession that forced the hockey world to act on eye protection a generation ago.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Red Deer Rebels ran their winning streak to nine games with a 2-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . F Matt Bellerive scored the winner, his sixth, with 10.9 seocnds left in the third period. . . . F Justin Kirsch gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 4:50 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Tyson Ness tied it at 4:42 of the third. . . . The Rebels are 9-0-0 since owner/general manager Brent Sutter took over as the interim head coach from Jesse Wallin. . . .

In Brandon, F Mitch Holmberg scored twice and added an assist as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Holmberg, who led the WHL in goals in the early going and then was sidelined with a concussion, has 18 goals. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 33 shots, including 19 in the third period. . . . The Chiefs are 5-0-0 on their East Division tour and have won six in a row overall. . . . The Wheat Kings had D Ryan Pulock back in their lineup. He hadn’t played since being struck in the face by a puck on Nov. 18. . . . Brandon F Jens Meilleur also returned from an undisclosed injury. . . . Among the Wheat Kings’ scratches was D Rene Hunter, 19, who was in his third season with the Wheat Kings. He had six assists in 24 games. . . . Media reports had him leaving the team, but Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun tweeted during the game that he spoke with general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “He will not say that Hunter has left team permanently, instead saying he is on a personal leave,” Henderson reported. . . . The Wheat Kings are 0-6-1 in their last seven games and have lost 11 of 12.

In Lethbridge, F Jaimen Yakubowski scored five times but it wasn’t enough as his Hurricanes dropped an 8-7 shootout decision to the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Yakubowski, who has 18 goals, is the first player this season to score five times in a game. The WHL’s reigning player of the week scored once shorthanded, once on the PP and three times at even strenght. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk had two goals, an assist and the winner in the circus, while teammate Miles Koules added a goal and four helpers. . . . The Hurricanes held a 7-5 lead late in the third period when Shinkaruk got his 19th at 15:06 and F Elgin Pearce tied it with his 11th at 17:08. . . . Shinkaruk and F Curtis Valk ended it with the only goals of the circus. . . .

In Edmonton, the Calgary Hitmen erased a 2-0- first-period defict and dumped the Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . Calgary has won 12 of its last 14 games. . . . F Zane Jones broke a 2-2 tie at 11:50 of the third period and then added his eighth goal of the season at 16:42. . . . F Brady Brassart and F Brooks Macek drew assists on both goals. . . . D Keegan Lowe (ankle) was back in the Oil Kings’ lineup after a three-game absence. . . . The Hitmen are 4-0-0 against Edmonton this season. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Calgary. . . . Edmonton F T.J. Foster will play in his 300th regular-season game tonight. . . .

In Kamloops, G Cole Cheveldave stopped 23 shots as the Blazers blanked the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Cheveldave has two shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . D Marek Hrbas got the game’s first goal, at 5:08 of the first. . . . F Colin Smith got his 23rd in the second period, tying him for the WHL lead with Spokane F Todd Fiddler. . . . D Joel Edmundson, in his first game since being acquired Thursday from the Moose Jaw Warriors, scored in the third period. . . . The Cougars played without F Colin Jacobs, who was serving Game 3 of a six-game suspension, D Marc McNulty (eye infection) and F Chase Witala (undisclosed). F Alex Forsberg (concussion) was back in the lineup after missing one game. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer drew a headshot major and game misconduct in the first period. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart gave Kootenay a 3-1 lead just 45 seconds into the third period and the Ice hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . D Josh Morrissey pulled the Raiders to within one with a PP goal at 11:16 but that was all the scoring. . . . G Andy Desautels made his third start of the season for the Raiders and stopped 24 shots. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 37 shots. . . . Raiders D Evan Morden drew a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Ice D Brock Montgomery in the third period. . . .

In Vancouver, G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 28 shots to help the Swift Current Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . The Broncos will play the Royals in Victoria tonight, after which Laurikainen will leave to join the Finnish national junior team. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry scored on a shorthanded penalty shot, the second straight game in which that has happened. . . . Lowry’s father, Dave, is Victoria’s head coach, meaning there will be a father-son reunion of sorts tonight. . . . Broncos F Levi Bews, who suffered a knee injury in a 2-1 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, returned to the lineup and scored his side’s first goal. . . . The Broncos are 1-2-0 on their B.C. Division tour. They’ll finish it up in Prince George on Tuesday, after travelling from Victoria. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks outshot the Tri-City Americans 46-13 but dropped a 3-2 decision. . . . G Luke Lee Knight stopped 44 shots in his second start of the season for the Americans. . . . Portland had won its last 12 home games and seven in a row overall. . . . The Americans got second-period PP goals from Connor Rankin and Malte Stomwall. The goals came 1:08 apart. . . . Rankin, who has 11 goals, scored the game’s first two goals. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic drew on assist to run his points streak to 17 games. . . . Portland D Seth Jones is on a seven-game streak after also getting an assist. . . . The Winterhawks are in Kent, Wash., tonight to meet the Seattle Thunderbirds and then play the host Americans on Sunday. . . . Freelancer Scott Sepich reports that Portland, at 23-5-1, is off to its best 29-game start in franchise history. . . .

In Everett, F Robert Lipsbergs scored for the 10th time in 11 games as his Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Silvertips, 5-1. . . . Lipsbergs has 15 goals. He is riding a six-game goal streak and an 11-game points streak. . . . Seattle F Mitch Elliot scored his first goal in 27 games this season and the ninth of his 220-game career. . . . Seattle has won four in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds are 4-0-0 against Everett this season. . . . Everett F Carson Standyk was given a charging major and game misconduct after a second-period collision with Seattle G Brandon Glover. . . . Glover stopped 33 shots and lost his shutout bid when F Tyler Sandhu got his 10th goal at 19:53 of the third. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison (knee) returned from a 10-game absence.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jake Virtanen, Calgary
F Taylor Peters, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Colin Smith, Kamloops
F Aspen Sterzer, Kamloops (major)
D Evan Morden, Prince Albert (major)
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland
F Presten Kopeck, Portland
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland freelance writer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Apparently some poor Rose Garden loading dock staffter just asked Ken Hodge if he was Tri-City’s bus driver.”
Hodge, of course, is the winningest coach in WHL history.
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From Kelowna Rockets F Colton Sissons (@colton_es15): “Peeled my mandarin orange in one piece this morning, gonna be a fabulous day!”
Actually, it wasn’t. Hockey Canada announced Friday that Sissons won’t be attending the national junior selection camp because of an undisclosed injury. He is believed to have a concussion.

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The WHL’s board of governors held a conference call on Tuesday.
In light of all that transpired last week in terms of WHL vs. Portland Winterhawks, yes, there was some discussion of the situation.
How much isn’t known, at least not by those who weren’t on the call, but you can safely guess it wasn’t much.
The Winterhawks, of course, were whacked last week for what the WHL has said were multiple violations of rules involving player benefits. The WHL has allowed that none of the violations involved recruiting violations of enhanced education packages.
In the end, the Winterhawks were fined $200,000 — a number that may now be as high as $275,000 after they apparently were disciplined for issuing a couple of news releases last week in which they explained their role in these violations. Mike Johnston, their general manager and head coach, was suspended through the end of the Memorial Cup, and they lost a number of draft picks.
Shortly after all of this came to light, the Winterhawks revealed that they were pondering an appeal. However, the WHL’s rules and regulations apparently don’t make any mention of an appeals process. Still, the Winterhawks had hoped they would at least get to make their case to the WHL’s board of governors.
Well, the BoG held that conference call and . . .
I have been told by a source familiar with the goings-on that the “WHL refused to even hear the appeal . . . let alone reconsider the facts.”
Paul Buker of The Oregonian later reported, via Twitter, that Winterhawks president Doug Piper chose not to comment on the conference call, while Graham Kendrick, the director of media and public relations, said the “best we can say now is due to the fact there is no formal appeal process we are in discussions.”
The next move, then, would appear to be up to the Winterhawks.
I am told that the WHL, after that conference call, sent out an email that changes what apparently had been an open-ended Christmas gift policy. I don’t know any of the details but am guessing there now is an expense cap on that policy.
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Which brings us to the can of worms being opened by the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club.
It seems that these folks are about to embark on a fund-raising effort with the dough to be turned into plane tickets for the parents of Winterhawks players.
Consider these two paragraphs from Oregon Live, where Samantha Meese, a community blogger, writes about the Winterhawks:
“I encourage other fans to join me in donating to the Portland Winterhawks Booster Club for the express purpose of financially supporting air travel for the families of our players. You may do this at any time and simply earmark the funds accordingly. I plan to get the party started this Friday, and I hope others will join me. The Booster Club has the donation form online and in hard copy form at their table — they can also answer any questions you may have.
“Here's a thought for you: The Teddy Bear Toss is pretty much sold out at this point. Imagine if all of us gave just one dollar that night to this effort: We'd have collected nearly $11,000 in one night; I figure that should be enough to transport a few families in need to the Rose City, don't you think? And the best part is there is nothing — not one rule or law — stopping us from doing what is right. Because it is a charitable donation to the Booster Club, it is free and clear of WHL rules and regulations. Oh, and it's a great tax write off for 2012 if you donate before the year is over.”
The complete blog entry is right here.
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Beth Slovic of The Oregonian has a piece right here about the sanctions against the Winterhawks having caused some uncertainty in Portland about the future of the scheduled redevelopment of Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Bill Gallacher, the Winterhawks’ owner, has been talking of putting up $10 million for the project. But now it seems there are questions.
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To add even more intrigue to the Portland situation, there has been speculation the last couple of days that perhaps F Quentin Shore is soon to leave the U of Denver Pioneers and join the Winterhawks.
It is that time of season when there will be a few players leaving NCAA schools for the major junior ranks. Only time will tell if Shore is one of those.
Early Wednesday, Paul Buker of The Oregonian tweeted: “No comment from Portland today on speculation U Denver F Quentin Shore is leaving school to play for Hawks.”
Later, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News tweeted: “Quentin Shore not leaving Denver just yet — controversy surrounding Portland a factor.”
Shore, an 18-year-old from Denver who is a Portland list player, has seven points in 14 games with the Pioneers. He played the last two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Shore’s parents, Sarah and David, both attended Denver. Two of his brothers also have played hockey there.
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The Prince George Cougars lost their captain on Wednesday when F Brock Hirsche, 20, announced his retirement. He had undergone his second major shoulder surgery in two years on Tuesday. . . . "It's tough when you've got to walk away from the game you love, it sucks, it really does," the Lethbridge native told Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen. "I guess being able to brace for it for the last couple of weeks has helped me a little bit. Those first few nights when I found out there was a pretty good chance I wouldn't play again I honestly didn't sleep at all so as tough as it is today, it's not as bad because I've been expecting it for a while." . . . The Cougars have named D Dan Gibb as their captain, with Troy Bourke, Dallas Ehrhardt and Ryan Hanes as the alternates. . . . Hirsche worked as an assistant when he was injured last season and has done the same last season. He said he will decide over Christmas whether to return to the team in that role.
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D Ryan Pulock should be back in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup on Friday night when they play host to the Spokane Chiefs. Pulock has missed six games since being struck in the face with a puck. He will be wearing a full visor when he returns. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that F Jens Meilleur , who has sat out eight games with an undisclosed injury, didn’t skate on Wednesday. He had taken part in a full practice on Tuesday.
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F Matthew Barzal, taken by the Seattle Thunderbirds with the first pick of the 2012 bantam draft, had one assist last night as his Coquitlam Express beat the host Chilliwack Express, 3-2. That was Barzal’s fifth BCHL game; he has two assists. . . . Barzal has 50 points, 17 of them goals, in 17 games with the major midget Vancouver—North East Chiefs. . . . Barzal has yet to commit to the Thunderbirds as he keeps his options open.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Kelowna, the Rockets scored four third-period goals and beat the Swift Current Broncos, 6-5. . . . The Rockets have won 11 in a row at home. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry scored three of the game’s first goals, giving him 14 this season. His second goal came on a penalty shot. . . . He also had one assist. . . . F Cody Fowlie had a goal and two assists for the Rockets, all in the third period. . . . The Rockets gave up two shorthanded goals in a game for the second time this season. . . . The Broncos had F Glenn Gawdin in the lineup. Gawdin, 15, was the fifth overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He is coming off an eight-point weekend as his Greater Vancouver Canadians swept the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars 9-6 and 5-3 in B.C. Major Midget League play. . . . Gawdin has 25 points in 18 games with the Canadians. . . . Swift Current also had F Daniel Dale back from a two-game suspension. . . . However, the Broncos were without F Josh Derko (ankle) and F Levi Bews (knee), both of whom were injured Tuesday in Kamloops. As well, F Chance Lund (ill) sat this one out. . . . D Brett Lernout, acquired Monday from the Saskatoon Blades, made his Swift Current debut. . . . The Broncos may have lost D Reece Scarlett last night as radio voice Shawn Mullin reports that he didn’t play in the last 10 minutes of the third period. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan, the fourth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal in his first game to help the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Estephan, who is from Edmonton, scored his club’s sixth goal on a PP. . . . F Sam Mckechnie had two goals for Lethbridge, giving him 14, while F Russell Maxwell got his 15th. . . . F Curtis Lazar scored twice for Edmonton, giving him back-to-back two-goal games after a goal-less November. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who will attend the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp next week in Calgary, got the hook at 10:28 of the second period after being beaten four times on 20 shots. . . .

In Saskatoon, Spokane F Todd Fiddler moved into the WHL goal-scoring lead as his Chiefs beat the Blades, 4-1. . . . Fiddler, who has goals in five straight games, has 23 on the season, one more than Kamloops F JC Lipon. . . . The Blades (13-14-1) are 3-7-0 at home this season, including a 1-4 record against visiting U.S. Division teams. . . . The Chiefs are 4-0-0 on their East Division swing. They are the last of the U.S. Divisions to make the tour. The Tri-City Americans went 5-0-1 on their swing, while the Portland Winterhawks were 4-1-1, the Everett Silvertips 4-2-0 and the  Seattle Thunderbirds 2-4-0. . . .

In Regina, the Red Deer Rebels spoiled the Pats’ party with a 5-1 victory. . . . The Pats saluted former star F Jordan Eberle by retiring his number (7). . . . Red Deer is 8-0-0 under Brent Sutter, the owner, president and interim head coach. . . . F Rhyse Dieno had two goals and two assists for the Rebels, who held a 49-20 edge in shots. . . . Dieno has 11 points, including four goals, in eight games since joining the Rebels from the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. . . . The game drew a season-high crowd of 5,858. . . . Regina F Trent Ouellette (knee) returned after missing 15 games. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that the Pats also got back F Emil Sylvegard (hand) and D/F Kade Pilton (virus), “but the team added D Luke Fenske (wrist) to its injured list.” . . . The game’s start was delayed by 30 minutes due to the Eberle celebration. Red Deer D Matt Dumba, who will be going to the Canadian junior team’s selection camp next week, told Harder that he was thinking about Eberle’s accomplishments while taking it all in. “That’s basically all I was thinking about when I was sitting on the bench,” Dumba said. “Just remembering all the goals he scored with Team Canada and what an experience he must have had. I was picturing maybe the possible future for me but I know I still have a ton of hard work in front of me.” . . .

In Victoria, F Cain Franson scored twice to help the Vancouver Giants to a 7-2 victory over the Royals. . . . The Giants had lost their last seven games. . . . Vancouver D Blake Orban had two assists and was plus-4, while F Kale Kessy, who had a goal, also was plus-4.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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From Oregonian sports writer Paul Buker (@Pnbuker): “If you've followed along and know the league, Hawks seeking relief from BOG is akin to Auburn asking for help from Alabama #rigged jury”
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From Seattle Thunderbirds D Jesse Forsberg (@forsmasterrex): “@bigsexytweet10 sad to see you hang them up, one of the best ppl iv met in the game and one of the best friends I have #loveyou #gursh”
Forsberg played with F Brock Hirsche, who retired Wednesday, in Prince George.
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From G Drew Owsley (@D_Owsley30), who played in Prince George last season: “Sad to hear one of the most genuine guys I’ve ever played with @bigsexytweet10 had to hang em up. Definitely has a bright future #loveu”

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