 | |
| The Okanagan Rockets will compete in the national midget hockey championship tournament for the first time in franchise history. The tournament is to be held in Moose Jaw later this month. |
F Kevin Saurette (Regina, Tri-City, 1997-2000) has signed a one-year extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). This season, in 59 games, Saurette had 75 points, including 36 goals, good sixth in the league scoring race. He was named a UK Elite first team all-star. . . .
Also on UK Elite first all-star team: D Rob Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) of the Belfast Giants. On the UK Elite second all-star team: D Tyson Marsh (Vancouver, 2001-05) of the Cardiff Devils and D Rory Rawlyk (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 2000-03) of the Dundee Stars.
---
A couple of months ago, the Moose Jaw Warriors unveiled the logo that they will use at times next season as part of their 30th anniversary season. The logo, however, doesn’t sit well with the Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee. In fact, the CDAC has written a letter protesting the logo to Moose Jaw City Council. Justin Crann of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
---
Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts begins with a look at the Winnipeg Jets and F Evander Kane. Where do they go from here? . . . The whole package is right here.
---
The Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League beat the Optimist Chiefs in Red Deer on Sunday to win the Pacific Regional and earn a berth in the Telus Cup that begins next week in Moose Jaw. . . . Red Deer was the defending Canadian champion. . . . The Rockets won 3-2 in OT on Sunday in what was the third game of a best-of-three series. . . . The Rockets tied the game 2-2 on a goal by D Tanner Browne with eight minutes left in the third period and won it on a goal by F Liam Finlay five minutes into OT. . . . Browne was a second-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, but was traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Nov. 16 deal that had D Ryan Pilon going the other way. . . . Finlay has committed to the U of Denver. . . . This will be the Rockets’ first appearance in the national tournament. . . . In order to gain their berth at the national tournament, the Rockets twice knocked off a five-time champion. First, they dethroned the Vancouver-Northwest Giants, who had won five straight BCMML titles. Red Deer has won five straight Alberta midget AAA titles and also took the last two Canadian championships. . . . The six-team Telus Cup also includes the Halifax Macs, the host Moose Jaw Generals, Prince Albert Mintos and Toronto Young Nationals. A Quebec representative has yet to be decided. The tournament runs April 21-27.---
THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
---
MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
---
WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna leads, 2-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 15: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
---
PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 2-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 4, 6 and 7 on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
---
MONDAY’S GAME:
In Victoria, the Royals scored two early power-play goals and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 2-1. . . . Portland takes a 2-1 lead series lead into Game 4 in Victoria tonight. . . . The loss snapped Portland’s winning streak at 13, including six straight in these playoffs. . . . Victoria got first-period PP goals from F Brandon Magee, at 2:49, and F Austin Carroll, at 9:24. . . . Magee has three goals in the playoffs; Carroll has five. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier scored his third goal of these playoffs at 19:46 of the third period. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka was outstanding, with 38 saves, while Portland’s Brendan Burke turned aside 25 shots. . . . Victoria was 2-for-8 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-4. . . . Royals D Keegan Kanzig didn’t play as he completed a two-game WHL-issued suspension for his role in a skirmish late in Game 1.
---
From Terry Jones (@sunterryjones) of the Edmonton Sun: “Yukon has a basketball team?”
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.
Walters, 19, F Taylor Cooper, 18, and D Tanner Browne, 16.
In Saskatoon, F Jaedon Descheneau had two goals and two assists to help the Kootenay Ice to a 6-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Descheneau, who enjoyed his first career four-point game, has 18 goals now. . . . F Sam Reinhart added a goal, his 10th, and two helpers, while D Jagger Dirk had three assists. . . . The Ice scored the game's first three goals and the last three. . . . Saskatoon has lost five in a row. . . .
In Edmonton, F Mitch Moroz scored twice to lead the Oil Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Moroz, who also had an assist, has 15 goals in 23 games this season. That's two more than he scored in 69 games last season and one fewer than he notched in 66 games in 2011-12. . . . Moroz's second goal of the game, on the PP at 7:48 of the third, broke a 2-2 tie. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black and a goal, his 15th, and an assist to run his point streak to 11 games. . . . WHLFacts tweets that Edmonton G Triston Jarry "has kept opponents to 2 goals or less in 14 straight starts (1.42 GAA over that span)." . . .
In Lethbridge, F Wyatt Johnson scored at 1:20 of OT as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Hurricanes, 4-3. . . . Johnson has three goals this season. . . . The Hurricanes forced OT with a pair of second-period goals, from D Lenny Hackman, his first, and F Brady Ramsay, his seventh. . . . The Rebels have won four straight. . . .
In Kamloops, the Portland Winterhawks scored three times on the power play and twice while shorthanded as they beat the Blazers, 7-3. . . . The Blazers led 2-1 in the first period, then trailed 3-2 at the break. Kamloops tied it early in the second but then gave up the game's last four goals. . . . Portland, which scored four unassisted goals, got two each from F Chase De Leo and F Brendan Leipsic. . . . Portland skaters totalled 11 points on the seven goals. . . . F Chase Souto scored twice for the Blazers, giving him 14. . . . Portland's rendan Burke stopped 25 shots in becoming the first WHL goaltender this season to 15 victories. . . . Kamloops has lost five straight. . . . The victory lifted the Winterhawks back atop the overall standings, two points ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Kelowna Rockets are five points behind Portland and hold five games in hand. . . .
In Victoria, F Jaimen Yakubowsk broke a 1-1 tie at 10:22 of the second period and the Seattle Thunderbirds went on to beat the Royals, 3-1. . . . It was Yakubowski's second goal in nine games since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Seattle had lost six in a row. . . . Among Seattle's scratches was F Mathew Barzal, the first overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Barzal, 16, has 22 points, including 19 assists, in 22 games, but has just three assists in his last nine games. . . . The Royals continue to play without D Keegan Kanzig, who has been out since sustaining a suspected brain injury in a fight with Edmonton Oil Kings F Brandon Baddock on Nov. 6. . . .
In Everett, F Troy Bourke broke a 1-1 tie at 15:41 of the third period as the Prince George Cougars beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Bourke has 10 goals. . . . F Chase Witala scored twice for the Cougars, giving him 14. . . . Prince George G Brett Zarowny made 34 saves. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored his club's goal, running his point streak to 12 games. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two assists for the visitors. . . . Prince George F David Soltes left in the second period after taking a hard check along the boards. . . .
In Spokane, F Boston Leier scored the only goal of the skills competition to give the Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Mike Aviani gave the Chiefs a 2-1 lead with his 20th goal at 10:10 of the third period, via the PP. . . . F Dyson Stevenson pulled Regina even at 12:37. He's got 12 goals. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow drew two more assists, giving him 30, in 23 games. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL's leading scorer, was held pointless. . . . Regina F Braden Christoffer took a charging major and game misconduct late in the second period. . . . The Pats are 4-2-0 on an eight-game swing that continues Friday in Red Deer. . . .
In Vancouver, the Giants beat the Tri-City Americans 5-2 with all seven goals coming in the third period. . . . Vancouver took a 3-1 lead, only to have Tri-City F Brian Williams get his side to within one with his 19th goal. . . . The Giants put it away with two empty-netters. . . . Vancouver's first two goals, from F Carter Popoff and D Dalton Thrower, both came via the PP in the first four minutes of the period. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson, the first selection in the 2013 bantam draft, made his WHL debut. He was pointless and plus-1. . . . Vancouver is 3-0-1 in its last four games. . . . All told, 16 of the WHL's 22 teams have winning percentages of at least .500. The Giants need one more victory to make it 17. . . .
In Kelowna, the Rockets ran their winning streak to eight games as they beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-3. . . . Kelowna erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals and then hung on as the Tigers scored twice in the second half of the third period. . . . D Madison Bowey scored Kelowna's last two goals, giving him eight on the season. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 33 shots in running his record to 12-0-2. . . . The Rockets lead the B.C. Division by five points over the Victoria Royals. Kelowna holds five games in hand, too.
Posts
