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F Konstantin Panov (Kamloops, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Yuga Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). In 32 games, the team captain has seven goals and three assists.
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If you are wondering why your favourite Canadian WHL team hasn’t gotten involved in trying to play host to a Memorial Cup tournament, well, it likely comes down to dollars and sense.
Here’s Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports:
“Hosting the Memorial Cup has become a big financial commitment for many cities and teams. When the OHL’s London Knights hosted the event in 2005, for example, their financial guarantee was between $1.5 and $1.9 million. The Knights are one of the OHL’s banner franchises and their arena, the Budweiser Gardens, seats 9,090 for hockey. It was no surprise when they were also awarded the 2014 hosting rights.
“When Saskatoon hosted the event in 2013 their tournament guarantee fell short, leaving taxpayers on the hook for close to $700,000. Profits fell about $1 million short, so the province had to pay $667,797 with the city of Saskatoon covering the remainder. The Blades had given the CHL a guarantee of $3.5 million to host the tournament at the Credit Union Centre which seats roughly 13,000.”
Sapurji’s complete story is right here.
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The Victoria Royals have acquired F Spencer Gerth, 18, from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Gerth, from Langley, adds some size to the Royals’ forward ransk. He has two goals in 14 games with Everett this season. . . . Last season, in 52 games, he had one assist. In 2014-15, he had eight goals and 14 assists in 52 games with the junior B Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
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The Swift Current Broncos are getting in on the Black Friday madness. According to a news release: “As part of Black Friday, the Broncos will have 2016-17 season-tickets for sale at half price. This includes tickets to all 24 remaining regular-season home games at the Credit Union i-Plex.” . . . A trip to the Broncos’ website shows that their top-priced season-tickets carry regular prices of $589.86, $438.53, $424.68 and $374.58. . . . The sale runs Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a “limited number of select seats available at half price. . . . The promotion is in-person only and all tickets must be paid in full at time of purchase.”
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The grand pooh-bahs of hockey have been talking some of late about the draft. Recent conversation included representatives from the NHL, NHLPA, CHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and the USHL. . . . Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has more on what’s going on in his weekly 30 Thoughts, and it’s all right here.
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Interested in what has been happening in the KHL? Patrick Conway has his weekly team-by-team look right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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JUST NOTES:
The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Jaydon Dureau, 15, who was an eighth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Dureau, who will turn 16 on Jan. 20, is from White City, Sask. Last season, he had 37 points, 12 of them goals, in 38 games with the bantam AAA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he has 10 points, including six goals, in 13 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped F Tak Anholt, 18, from their roster. There was no word on where Anholt, who is from North Vancouver, might play. He had one goal and one assist in 15 games with the Wheat Kings. . . . He was a second-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings are carrying 24 players, including eight defencemen and 14 forwards. . . .
The Calgary Hitmen have dropped G Nik Amundrud, 19, from their roster and he has joined the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Amundrud, who is from Melfort, Sask., hadn’t played for the Hitmen since the exhibition season due to an undisclosed injury.
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Happy 73rd b'day to '66 Calder runner-up Bert Marshall. The hard-nosed D-man was a -39 for Golden Seals in 72-73 & +48 for Isles in 76-77. pic.twitter.com/uMNT0LgUu8— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) November 23, 2016
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
At Calgary, F Adam Musil scored three times and G Riley Lamb recorded the shutout as the Red Deer
Rebels beat the Hitmen, 3-0. . . . Lamb stopped 26 shots in earning the second shutout of his freshman season. . . . Musil, who went into the game with three goals, got things started at 19:24 of the first period. . . . He added a second goal at 16:01 of the second and completed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 19:17 of the third. . . . It was Musil’s first three-goal game and came in his 217th regular-season game. . . . F Michael Spacek and F Brandon Hagel each had two assists. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter stopped 24 shots. . . . The Rebels were 0-4 on the PP; the Calgary PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . The Rebels (11-10-3) had last their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Hitmen are 8-10-2. . . . The Hitmen welcomed back D Jakob Lapointe, F Andrew Fyten and F Jordy Stallard from injuries and F Taylor Sanheim from suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 5,418.
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| ADAM MUSIL |
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At Moose Jaw, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 2-1 second-period deficit with four straight goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Tigers (17-5-1) have won six in a row. . . . The Warriors (13-5-4) had earned points in each of their previous four games (2-0-2). . . . F Matt Bradley gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal at 15:17 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs (15) then scored twice for the Warriors, getting a shorthanded goal at 19:27 and adding a PP score at 5:45 of the second period. . . . F John Dahlstrom (11) pulled the visitors even at 10:27 and F Zach Fischer (14) put them out front at 15:58. . . . The Tigers really took control as F Max Gerlach (14) struck on a PP at 5:37 of the third period and D Ty Schultz (2) made it 5-2 at 9:30. . . . F Nikita Popugaev scored his 17th goal for the Warriors at 14:55 of the third period. F Brayden Burke picked up an assist on the goal for his first point in three games since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Steve Owre and F Mason Shaw each had two assists for the Tigers. . . . F Noah Gregor had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . G Nick Schneider blocked 24 shots for Medicine Hat, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 39. . . . Schneider has won nine straight starts to improve to 16-2-0. He leads the WHL in victories. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,038.
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Congratulations are definitely in order tonight for Equip. Manager @chicodhanjal who's working his 600th career @TheWHL game tonight in PG! pic.twitter.com/DK0lwzLUHL— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) November 23, 2016
At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first three goals, all in the first period, and went on to score a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Prince George (18-4-2) has won four in a row. . . . Regina (16-2-3) lost for the second time in regulation time on this B.C. Division trip. . . . Going into the game, the Cougars were 7-2-1 in their previous 10 games, and the Pats had been 9-1-0. . . . D Brendan Guhle, in his first game with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, scored his third goal, on a PP, at 9:30 of the first period. . . . F Jansen Harkins (5) made it 2-0 at 13:05 and F Colby McAuley (9) upped it to 3-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Austin Wagner (10) got Regina on the scoreboard at 16:10. . . . The teams played a goal-less second period, before D Sergey Zborovskiy (2) pulled the visitors to within a goal, on a PP, at 2:55 of the third. . . . The Cougars put it away with empty-netters from F Kody McDonald (6) and F Jesse Gabrielle (12). . . . Harkins, McAuley and McDonald each had one assist. . . . Regina D Chase Harrison ran his point streak to a WHL-best 16 games with a third-period assist. . . . F Adam Brooks of the Pats also had an assist, running his point streak to 15 games. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 27 shots for the winners, while Tyler Brown stopped 24 at the other end. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . Prince George D Sam Ruopp sat out the sixth game of an eight-game suspension. . . . Regina has brought in G Curtis Chapman from the MJHL’s Portage Terriers after G Jordan Hollett was injured Sunday in Victoria. . . . The Cougars will get another test on Saturday when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . Prince George F Josh Curtis left in the first period and didn’t return after taking a hit from Regina D Connor Hobbs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,287.
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The last 5-game goal streak for the T-Birds was by Branden Troock in 2013-14, Roberts Lipsbergs had a six-gamer in 2012-2013— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) November 23, 2016
At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first four goals and went on to a 5-2 victory
over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Seattle took a 3-0 lead into the second period on goals from D Jarret Tyszka (1) at 2:26, F Donovan Neuls (5) at 6:29 and F Scott Eansor (11) at 19:50. . . . Eansor, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, now has goals in five straight games. . . . D Reece Harsch (2) made it 4-0 at 1:18 of the third period. . . . The Oil Kings made it interesting as they cut the deficit in half on goals from F Tyler Robertson (7) at 10:20 and D Brayden Borda (2) at 11:21. . . . Seattle F Sami Moilanen scored his fifth goal into an empty net, at 19:02. . . . F Nolan Volcan had two assists for the Thunderbirds, while Tyszka, Eansor, Moilanen and Neuls each had one. . . . G Rylan Toth made 23 stops for the Thunderbirds. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea, making his ninth straight start, turned aside 32 shots. . . . Seattle was 0-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds (11-8-2) are 4-0-1 in their past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (10-11-2) had won their previous two games. They also had won three straight road games. . . . The Thunderbirds have added G Matt Berlin to their roster with G Carl Stankowski out with an undisclosed injury. Berlin had been with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,006.
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| SCOTT EANSOR |
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At Swift Current, F Ryan Graham and F Lane Pederson each had a goal and three assists to help the
Broncos to a 5-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Broncos acquired Graham from the Blades on Sunday as Saskatoon got down to the maximum of three 20-year-olds. . . . Graham, who has two goals this season, scored the game’s second goal, at 18:35 of the first period, and it turned out to be the winner. . . . Pederson’s 12th goal, a PP score, got things started at 9:50 of the first period. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen scored twice, giving him 18 goals in 25 games. Last season, he finished with 20 goals in 67 games. He also leads the WHL in power-play goals, with 10, three more than he scored last seaosn. . . . F Logan Christensen scored for the Blades, getting a PP goal at 18:59 of the third period. He’s got six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Travis Child. . . . Brock Hamm stopped 25 shots for the Blades. . . . The Broncos were 2-5 on the PP; the Blades were 1-4. . . . The Broncos (12-7-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Blades (9-15-1) have lost four in a row. They had won five in a row in Swift Current before this one. . . . Announced attendance: 1,758.
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| TYLER STEENBERGEN |
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At Victoria, F Matt Phillips enjoyed a four-point night in leading the Royals to a 6-2 victory over the
Kelowna Rockets. . . . Two nights earlier, the visiting Rockets had won, 5-1. . . . The Royals (14-9-2) were 4-7 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (13-11-0) had won their previous two games. . . . Phillips, who has 15 goals, snapped a 2-2 tie, on a PP, at 16:37 of the second period. . . . F Ryan Peckford (7) added insurance at 7:09 of the third period. . . . Phillips and D Mitchell Prowse (1) added PP goals before game’s end. . . . D Scott Walford and D Chaz Reddekopp each had two assists for the winners, while F Jack Walker and Peckford each had a goal and an assist. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind scored his 12th goal. He has goals in six of his past seven games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 35 shots, two more than Kelowna’s Michael Herringer. . . . The Royals were 0-7 on the PP. . . . Victoria now is 6-0-0 on Tuesdays this season. . . . The Royals were without F Tyler Soy, who could miss three weeks with a shoulder injury. He was injured in the Royals’ 5-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,452.
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| MATT PHILLIPS |
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Red Deer vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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Players with the Tri-City Americans are making a conscious effort to be careful with how they handle social media. . . . “In today’s day and age, the guys have to be very careful,” head coach Mike Williamson told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “They are public figures. They are in the spotlight and sometimes things get misconstrued when you put something out on social media. We haven’t told them not to do it, but we remind them to be smart and represent themselves, their families and the team in a professional manner. Things can get magnified and it stays with them forever.” . . . That story is 
G Eric Comrie stopped 43 shots and F Vladislav Lukin scored twice to lead the visiting Tri-City Americans to a 4-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday night. . . . Lukin, a freshman from Ufa, Russia, isn’t related to former WHL F Jarret Lukin (Kamloops, Medicine Hat, 2000-05), who is from Fort McMurray, Alta. . . . In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle stopped 18 shots as the Rockets ran their record to 7-0-0 with a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. Whistle has four career shutouts, one in each of his first four seasons. Since the start of the 2012-13 season, when he was acquired from the Vancouver Giants, Whistle is 40-6-1. . . . F Carter Rigby had two goals and an assist for Kelowna.
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees announced Tuesday that they have received a commitment from F Tak Anholt, 16, for the 2015-16 season. . . . Anholt’s WHL rights belong to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who acquired them from the Lethbridge Hurricanes last week in the deal that involved F Reid Duke and D Macoy Erkamps also moving to the Wheat City. . . . Anholt is playing at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. He has eight points, including six goals, in his first two games with the U-18 prep team. . . . Lethbridge selected him in the second round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . 
his first-round pick and G Corbin Boes. McCrimmon used that pick to take D Kale Clague. . . . Clague, the son of former WHL G Jason Clague, had put up 77 points, including 35 goals, in 33 games with the Alberta Major Bantam League's Lloydminster Universal Heat. That broke the AMBHL record for points by a defenceman that had been held by Dion Phaneuf. 
The Prince Albert Raiders held their annual general meeting last week and announced a loss of $262,280. That comes one year after the organization announced a profit of $78,896 for 2012-13.
Spokane returned G Alex Moodie, 19, to Saskatoon on Wednesday, thus voiding a May deal in which the Chiefs gave the Blades a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft for the Winnipeg native. . . . The Chiefs have decided to go with veteran Garret Hughson, 19, as their starter, with Tyson Verhelst, 17, backing him up. 
The Swift Current Broncos took quite a hit during the week when it was revealed that they won’t be getting D Julius Honka, 18, back from the NHL’s Dallas Stars.
Mike Sillinger, one of the most popular players in the history of the Regina Pats, is back with the WHL franchise. Sillinger, a Regina native, spent the past five seasons as the director of player development with the NHL's Edmonton Oilers. Now, he is a part-time hockey operations consultant with the Pats, while also serving as an assistant coach with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. With the Pats, he will answer to John Paddock, the club's first-year senior vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. . . . "This is where my career started," Sillinger told Greg Harder of the Regina Leade-Post. "I'm thrilled to be back as a Regina Pat and part of an organization I've always been passionate about. It was an easy decision." . . . Harder's complete story is 
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