Flin Flon's Whitney Forum is home to a number of banners.

With the Moose Jaw Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can) having lost a battle with the wrecking ball, it would seem that Flin Flon’s Whitney Forum is the undisputed heavyweight champion of arenas.
A tweet from @boxcullen: “The TOUGHEST rink in Canada. All due respect to the Can in the Jaw. #jungleahockey”
A tweet from @HamWilder: “epic barn, i took a YouTube video for posterity last time I was home #flinflonflu #welcometothezoo”
Of course, one of these two gents may be a little biased, seeing as his father played goal for the Flin Flon Bombers back in the day. LOL!
No matter! We have a photo that was sent along by @boxcullen, and, oh boy, the memories . . .
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Roman Teslyuk (Kamloops, Tri-City, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Arlan Kokshetau (Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Vyschaya Liga). He had 10 goals and 17 assists in 48 games with Beibarys Atyrau (Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Vyschaya Liga) last season.
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Let the debate begin . . .
In Regina, the Pats dropped F Tanner Olstad, 20, who had nine points in 63 games last season. The Pats acquired Olstad from the Tri-City Americans during the 2010-11 season. In 39 games in Regina that season, he had 16 points. From Calgary, his junior A rights belong to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
Shortly after Olstad was released, Pats president Brent Parker tweeted: “The crappy part of this business is releasing a quality kid like @TOlstad13 solely because of his birth certificate! @WHLpats #greatkid.”
Later in the day, Pats head coach Pat Conacher told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post he would like to see the WHL increase its 20-year-old limit.
Harder wrote:
“(Conacher) sees merit in allowing teams to distribute five players as they see fit under the overage and import quotas, meaning you could stick with the standard three 20s and two Europeans or go with four 20s and one Euro, even five 20s and no imports.”
“That gives us the option,” Conacher told Harder. “That way everybody’s happy.”
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The Tri-City Americans have dealt D Derek Ryckman, 20, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Ryckman, 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, was

DEREK RYCKMAN

acquired by the Americans from the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season. He had 12 points in 71 games last season, putting up 10 of those points in 60 games with the Americans. In his career, he has 40 points and 293 penalty minutes in 227 regular-season games. . . . The move leaves the Tigers with three 20-year-olds, the others being F Kale Kessy and D Alex Theriau. Theriau is expected to be out until sometime in October as he rehabs from hip surgery. . . . The Americans are down to four 20s — F Justin Feser, F Jordan Messier, F Jesse Mychan and D Drydn Dow. F Patrick Holland also is in camp with the Americans, but has signed with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. If there is an NHL lockout, he will go to camp with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs later this month.
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Mark Lamb, the GM and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos, has a brand new three-year contract extension in his back pocket. Shawn Mullin, the Broncos’ radio voice, reports that Lamb had one year left on his original deal; this deal erases the last year of that contract, so it runs through 2014-15. . . . Lamb has been with the Broncos since July 2009.
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The Vancouver Giants have dealt F Logan Harland, 17, to the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional seventh-round 2014 bantam draft pick and future considerations. Harland, who is from Paradise Hill, Sask., had a goal in 10 games with the Giants last season. . . . Vancouver F Anthony Ast has been suspended for four games and will miss his team’s regular-season opener. Ast took a check-to-the-head major and game misconduct for a hit on F Chase Souto in a game against the Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday. Souto left the game and didn’t return as a precaution. He wasn’t injured. . . .
The Prince George Cougars released D Linden Springer, 18, who is from Lloydminster, Alta., and now is with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. Springer had six points and 89 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Cougars last season. . . . D Jordan Harris, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, has returned home to Prince Albert from the Cougars’ camp. He will play for the midget AAA Mintos or with a junior A club. . . . The Cougars also have returned D Sam Ruopp, 16, to the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. Yes, he is the younger brother of Prince Albert D Harrison Ruopp. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have released F Tre Potskin, 17, who is returning home to Prince George where he will play for the major midget Cariboo Cougars. . . . Everett also assigned F Luke Gordon, 18, to the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers. He has played three WHL games with the Calgary Hitmen over the last two seasons. He spent most of last season with the Clippers. . . .
The Regina Pats assigned F Dane Schioler to the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. Schioler, 16, was a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .
The Kootenay Ice has its roster down to 28 players after having assigned F Kurt Johnas, 18, to the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons. The Ice is carrying two goaltenders, nine defencemen and 17 forwards. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have added F Luke McColgan, 17, to their roster. He is the younger brother of Saskatoon F Shane McColgan, who was acquired over the summer from the Kelowna Rockets. Luke actually was in camp with the Rockets for a bit, although he didn’t play in any exhibition games. Luke, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., played for the L.A. Kings U-18 team last season. . . .
F Jake Trask (Kamloops, Saskatoon, 2008-12) has signed with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Trask, from Saskatoon, had 59 points, including 23 goals, in 62 games with the Blades last season. . . .
James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun reports that D Ryley Miller (flu) is back on the ice with the Wheat Kings after being sidelined for a lot of last week. F Dominick Favreau (back) and F Jens Meilleur (back) have been clearned to to return, while F Jayce Hawryluk (concussion) remains out. . . .
The defending-champion Edmonton Oil Kings are being touted in most corners as a favourite to repeat. Their lineup is awfully deep and full of returning players, which will be at least part of the reason that three 16-year-olds were assigned from their camp on Monday. F Brandon Ralph, F Mitchell Walter and D Aaron Irving all are on the move. Ralph is returning to the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Rangers, while Walter is headed to the midget AAA team in Spruce Grove, Alta. . . . Irving, the ninth overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft, is to play for the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. . . . Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal reports that Oil Kings D Martin Gernat (upper body) and D Dylan Wruck (shoulder) have been slowed. Wruck had off-season surgery and is awaiting medical clearance. . . . The Oil Kings are carrying 26 players, including two goaltenders and 15 forwards. Of that number, 20 were part of last season’s championship team. . . .
The Lethbridge Hurricanes got down to 26 players by trimming a pair of 16-year-olds from their roster. F Carter Amson will play midget AAA in Saskatoon, while D Bryton Sayers is to join the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos. . . . Both were second-round picks in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Hurricanes are carrying three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs have assigned F Nakeh Lamothe to the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Lamothe, 17, was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . The Chiefs are down to 28 players, including three goaltenders and nine defenceman. They have 19 veterans still in camp.

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The Kamloops Blazers might be without D Brandon Underwood (knee) and D Austin Madaisky (neck) for the remainder of the season. Both players were injured in a 2-1 victory over the visiting Chilliwack Blazers on Friday night. . . . Underwood left early in the first period and was unable to put any weight on his left leg as he was escorted to the dressing room. He is believed to have suffered ligament damage, but more will be known on Monday. . . . The Blazers are saying Madaisky suffered a fracture to his seventh cervical vertebrae. He was injured in the third period on a hit by Chilliwack D Brandon Manning, who dumped the puck into the Blazers zone and then raced in on the forecheck. He hit Madaisky, who went back first into the boards. Manning was given a boarding major and game misconduct; the WHL suspended him -- length to be determined -- on Saturday. . . . Underwood and Madaisky are veteran defencemen. Without them, Kamloops is down to five defencemen, including freshman Brady Gaudet, 16; veteran Josh Caron, who recently returned after missing 41 games with a broken collarbone; and, freshman Corey Fienhage, 20, who played a total of 51 games over the last three seasons with the USHL’s Indiana Ice and the NCAA’s North Dakota Fighting Sioux.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: Dave Hunchak, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, has been fined $500 for throwing a water bottle onto the ice during the third period of an 8-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer on Friday night. . . . Chilliwack Bruins D Brandon Manning is on a TBD suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct during a 2-1 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday night. Manning hit Kamloops D Austin Madaisky in the third period. Madaisky left the game and didn’t report; he was scratched from Saturday’s rematch in Chilliwack. . . . Vancouver Giants D Darren Bestland also is on a TBD suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred during Friday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Hitmen in Calgary. . . .
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JUST NOTES: Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath left the Warriors’ 8-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer in the second period Friday and didn’t return. He apparently has a knee injury. . . . If you happen to be in Las Vegas and think you saw a familiar face or two, well, you just might be correct. The WHL’s board of governors and general managers are in the Nevada city for meetings on Monday and Tuesday. . . .
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James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail checks in on G James Reimer (Red Deer, 2005-08), who has taken the Maple Leafs and Toronto by storm. This, folks, is a neat story. Check it out right here.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, the Pats erased a 1-0 deficit with four first-period goals and went on to beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-4. . . . F Tanner Olstad had two goals and an assist for Regina, while F Jordan Weal had a goal and two helpers. . . . The Pats lead the season series, 4-2. . . . Prince Albert G Jamie Tucker left the game in the first period after sustaining a cut to his blocker hand. He stopped all six shots he faced. Eric Williams replaced him and was beaten five times on 32 shots. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt turned aside 36 shots. . . . Regina took 65 of 122 penalty minutes. . . . Attendance was 4,097. . . . The victory lifted Regina to within two points of the ninth-place Raiders and within three of eighth-place Brandon in the Eastern Conference standings. . . .
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In Swift Current, F Jordan Peddle broke a 3-3 tie with two late goals and the Broncos beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-3. . . . Swift Current had lost its last eight games. . . . Peddle, who also had an assist, scored his seventh goal of the season at 16:47 of the third period and later added an empty-netter. . . . F Justin Dowling drew three assists for the Broncos. . . . Swift Current D Tanner Muth scored his first WHL goal on a second-period PP. The 17-year-old Calgarian was playing in his 75^th career game. It was his 27^th game of this season. . . . Attendance was 1,921. . . . The Broncos are seventh, one point ahead of Brandon and three behind Edmonton. . . .
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In Saskatoon, G Steven Stanford stopped 23 shots to lead the Blades to a 5-0 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . It was Stanford’s second shutout of the season and the fourth for the Blades. . . . Lethbridge has been blanked seven times, twice by Saskatoon. . . . F Brayden Schenn had a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight) for Saskatoon, which got two assists from each of F Marek Viedensky and D Darren Dietz. . . . Schenn’s scrap was with Lethbridge F Cam Braes in the third period. . . . Attendance was 4,791. . . . The Blades now hold a five-point lead atop the Eastern Conference and have two games in hand on the idle Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Hurricanes are tied for 10^th with Regina. . . .
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In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice got two goals from F Cody Eakin as it skated to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Eakin has 25 goals this season. . . . Ice D James Martin and F Matt Fraser each had a goal and an assist, while F Max Reinhart had two assists. . . . Eakin scored the Ice’s first two goals, the second coming shorthanded just seven seconds into the second period and breaking a 1-1 tie. . . . F Andrej Stastny had a goal, his sixth, and an assist for the Giants. . . . Attendance was 3,476, the largest crowd for a game in Cranbrook this season. . . . The Giants had won their last three games, all on the road. They don’t play again until Saturday when them meet the Kamloops Blazers in Whitehorse, Yukon. . . . The Giants remain the Western Conference’s second seed as they lead the B.C. Division by three points over Kelowna. . . . The Ice is eight points behind Red Deer. . . .
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In Medicine Hat, the Tigers got 36 saves from G Tyler Bunz as they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-1. . . . Tigers F Linden Vey, who leads the WHL scoring race with 84 points, was held to one assist. . . . Bunz lost his shutout bid when F Dylan Hood got his 24^th goal at 17:14 of the second period. . . . F Emerson Etem got his 29^th goal for the Tigers. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . The Warriors were without D Dylan McIlrath, who tweaked a knee in Friday’s 8-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . The victory lifted the fourth-place Tigers five points clear of the Warriors and kept them within one point of Kootenay. . . .
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In Chilliwack, the Bruins snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Bruins 2-1 in Kamloops on Friday and 5-1 in Chilliwack the previous Saturday. . . . Kamloops took a 2-0 lead into the second period but the Bruins erased that with two quick goals by Ryan Howse. He got his 34^th goal 43 seconds into the period, then scored on the PP at 4:00. . . . Chilliwack F Roman Horak got his 22^nd goal just 24 seconds into the third period. . . . Bruins F Kevin Sundher had three assists. . . . Kamloops F Bernhard Keil scored his second goal of the season; it was his first goal since Oct. 13. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 36 shots. . . . The Blazers were without three injured veterans -- F Chase Schaber (leg), D Brandon Underwood (knee) and D Austin Madaisky (neck). . . . Attendance was 2,988. . . . This was an important victory for the Bruins, who are ninth in the Western Conference. They closed to within one point of the Blazers and hold four games in hand. . . . Next up for the Bruins are two games with Kelowna and two with Tri-City. . . .
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In Portland, the Winterhawks unleashed a 54-shot barrage as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 8-2. . . . F Craig Cunningham, F Ryan Johansen and D Tyler Wotherspoon each had a goal and two assists for Portland, with F Ty Rattie scoring twice. Rattie has 24 goals. . . . Portland led 3-0 before the game was 11 minutes old. . . . Portland was 3-for-7 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-8. . . . The Americans took 74 of the game’s 128 penalty minutes in a game that took two hours 46 minutes to play. . . . Attendance was 7,145. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin had his point streak stopped at 21 games. He had 46 points during the streak, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Portland was without F Brad Ross (concussion), who was injured Friday. . . . The Winterhawks lead the Western Conference and are five points ahead of Spokane, which is second in the U.S. Division. . . . The Americans slipped back to third, a point behind Spokane. . . .
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In Prince George, G Ty Rimmer stopped 23 shots to lead the Cougars to a 3-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Cougars had beaten the Rockets 4-2 on Friday night. . . . The Cougars went into the weekend having lost six in a row to Kelowna. . . . It was Rimmer’s third shutout of the season and the Cougars’ fifth. . . . The Rockets have been blanked four times. . . . F James Dobrowolski got his 15^th goal for the Cougars at 19:18 of the first period. F Taylor Stefishen later added his 16^th and F Troy Bourke got his 14^th. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown was lifted after Bourke’s goal at 6:03 of the second. Brown stopped 11 of 14 shots. Reliever Jordon Cooke came on to stop 27 shots. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-8 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-7. . . . Attendance was 2,060. . . . Kelowna again was without F Mitchell Callahan (head), who was injured Wednedsay. . . . The Cougars are sixth in the conference, a point ahead of Everett, while Kelowna remains three points behind Vancouver. . . .
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In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 35 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Simpson lost his bid for a shutout when T.J. Foster scored his 20^th goal on a PP at 19:53 of the third period. . . . The Silvertips had killed off 29 opposition power plays in a row. . . . Simpson is 5-1-1 with a .956 save percentage over his last seven games. . . . Everett D Rasmus Rissanen scored his first goal of the season on a PP at 19:04 of the first period. A sophomore from Finland, Rissanen, 19, had four goals in 71 games last season. Last night, he played in his 50^th game of this season. . . . F Josh Winquist had two assists for Everett. . . . Attendance was 6,345. . . . The Oil Kings went 1-2-1 in their four-game swing into the U.S. Division. They didn‘t visit Spokane, a stop they made earlier in the season on a trip that took them, in order, to Prince George, Chilliwack, Kelowna, Spokane and Cranbrook. . . . Edmonton heads home in sixth place, three points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Everett is seventh in the Western Conference, one point behind Prince George and five ahead of Kamloops. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., F Mitch Holmberg scored two goals and added an assist to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 5-1 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Chiefs were 4-for-8 on the PP. . . . Spokane F Tyler Johnson got his WHL-leading 39^th goal and added two assists. He now has 86 points, one behind Medicine Hat F Linden Vey, who leads the WHL scoring race. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow and D Brenden Kichton each had two assists. . . . Chiefs G Mac Engel stopped 26 shots. F Luke Lockhart had Seattle’s goal, opening the scoring with a shorthanded marker at 5:04 of the first period. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 54 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,388. . . . The Chiefs moved past Tri-City and into second in the U.S. Division, five points behind Portland. . . . Seattle is 10^th, two points behind Kamloops, which holds down the conference’s last playoff spot. The Thunderbirds are in Kamloops on Wednesday.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Five minors:
Moose Jaw F Jesse Paradis
Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin
Tri-City D Sam Grist (two minors on two separate plays)
Spokane F Dominik Uher

The drive to the WHL’s trade deadline has started.
It didn’t begin earlier in the week when the Tri-City Americans cut deals with the Everett Silvertips and Kelowna Rockets, because those were driven by Tri-City’s need to trim a 20-year-old from its roster.
No, the drive to the Jan. 10 deadline began late Friday morning with a deal between the Americans and Regina Pats.
For the second straight season, RW Carter Ashton, a first-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL’s 2009 draft, is on the move.

CARTER ASHTON

Ashton was dealt Friday by the Pats to the Americans, along with a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick, for F Tanner Olstad, F Nils Moser, a 2011 first-round bantam draft pick and second- and fifth-round picks in the 2012 bantam draft.
It was a year and a day ago, on Dec. 9, 2009, that the Lethbridge Hurricanes dealt Ashton and F Craig Orfino to the Pats for F Graham Hood, F Tayler Balog, a 2010 second-round bantam draft pick and a 2011 first-round bantam pick.
Moser, a 17-year-old from Canmore, Alta., was a second-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft. He has one goal in 20 games this season, after earning three points in 38 games last season.
Olstad, an18-year-old from Calgary, had three points in 20 games with the Americans.
Ashton, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, is the son of Brent Ashton (Saskatoon, 1975-79). Carter is in Toronto in the selection camp of the Canadian national junior team. In 29 games this season, he has 27 points and 44 penalty minutes.
In 206 regular-season WHL games, he has 137 points and 267 penalty minutes. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2006 bantam draft.
The bottom line is this: The Americans get bigger up front; the Pats, who aren’t likely to make the playoffs and have begun the rebuilding process, get badly needed draft picks.
For more on the deal, check out Greg Harder’s coverage right here at the Regina Leader-Post’s website.
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D Jared Spurgeon, a product of the Spokane Chiefs, is making quite an impression with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Check out this story by Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune right here.
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Some highlights from Friday’s WHL games . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Dylan Hood had a goal and three assists to lead the Warriors to a 6-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Quinton Howden scored twice and added an assist for Moose Jaw, while F Spencer Edwards had a goal and two helpers. . . . Howden has 21 goals now. . . . F Elgin Pearce counted three times for the Ice, giving him five this season. . . . Pearce, an 18-year-old from Port Coquitlam, B.C., had three goals in 45 last season as a freshman. . . . F Magnus Christian had three assists for the Ice, with F Joe Antilla scoring once, setting up two others and finishing plus-4. . . . Attendance was 2,650. . . . The Ice was without F Kevin King, its leading scorer, thanks to an infected elbow. . . .
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In Saskatoon, F Jake Trask scored his second goal of the game at 1:44 of OT as the Blades came from behind to beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-4. . . . Trask, who is from Saskatoon, was acquired earlier from the Kamloops Blazers. This was his sixth goal of the season. . . . Blades F Matej Stransky forced OT with a PP goal at 19:50 of the third period. . . . F Parker Stanfield had given Everett a 4-3 lead with his second goal of the game on the PP, at 16:31 of the third. . . . This was the Blades’ first home game after a 4-1-0 jaunt through the B.C. Division. . . . Everett led 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-3. . . . Everett F Tyler Maxwell had a goal and three assists. . . . F Curtis Hamilton had two assists for Saskatoon in his last game before leaving for the Canadian junior team’s selection camp. . . . Ev erett G Kent Simpson stopped 40 shots. . . . Attendance was 6,112.
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In Calgary, F Kris Foucault scored 25 seconds into OT as the Hitmen beat the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . Regina is 0-5 in OT this season. . . . Calgary trailed this one 3-0 at 9:36 of the second period as the Pats got shorthanded goals from F Thomas Frazee and Garrett Mitchell, and an score from Dyson Stevenson at 9:36. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick got a PP goal for Calgary before the second period ended, and F Justin Kirsch got another at 2:08 of the third. . . . D Matt MacKenzie tied it with his second of the season at 7:53. . . . MacKenzie also had two assists, as did Regina F Lane Scheidl. . . . The Eastern Conference’s two poorest teams combined for 29 shots, 16 by the Hitmen. . . . These teams will play an outdoors game at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on Feb. 21. . . . Attendance was 7,680. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk, the fifth overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, drew an assist for Regina. He isn’t eligible to play full time, but took F Carter Ashton’s spot on the Pats’ foster for this one. Klimchuk is from Calgary. . . . Neither of the forwards Regina acquired from the Tri-City Americans in the Ashton deal — Nils Moser or Tanner Olstad — was in Regina’s lineup. They likely will play tonight against the Rebels in Red Deer. . . .
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In Lethbridge, F Ryan Howse had two goals to help the Chilliwack Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Howse has 22 goals. . . . He scored two PP goals as five of the game’s seven goals came with the man advantage. . . . Lethbridge F Mitch Maxwell got his 10th goal on a penalty shot at 19:48 of the third period. . . . Chilliwack F Roman Horak had three assists, while F Robin Soudek had a goal and two helpes. . . . Howse gave the Bruins a 2-0 first-period lead. The Hurricanes tied it with two PP goals — from F Cam Braes and F Austin Fyten. The Bruins then got third-period goals from Soudek, at 13:41, and F Jamie Crooks, at 15:41, to win it. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 35 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,826. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Evan Bloodoff and F Geordie Wudrick each scored twice to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Rockets were without head coach Ryan Huska, who is serving as an assistant coach with Canada’s national junior team. Assistant coach Ryan Cuthbert, a former Rockets captain, will serve as head coach, with help from assistant Dan Lambert, in Huska’s absence. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s first four goals and took a 4-0 lead into the third period. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 37 shots. That included a penalty shot by F Colten Mayor at 7:57 of the third period. . . . Bloodoff has six goals; Wudrick has 15. . . . Attendance was 4,057. . . .
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In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford scored his WHL-leading 26th goal of the season as the Blazers edged the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . Ranford’s goal, which broke a scoreless tie 49 seconds into the second period, was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . Ranford also had an assist and now is tied with Medicine Hat Tigers F Linden Vey for the WHL points lead, with 49. . . . F Cody Eakin scored both Swift Current goals and now has 18 on the season. He leaves from Vancouver today for the Canadian junior team’s selection camp. . . . The game was delayed for about 15 minutes in the third period after Swift Current F Killian Hutt, 19, went into convulsions following a hit by F Jordan DePape. Hutt was conscious and have movement in his limbs as he left the ice on a stretcher and was taken to hospital. . . . DePape was given a charging major and game misconduct. . . . The Broncos were 0-for-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-1. . . . Attendance was 4,332. . . . 
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In Portland, the Winterhawks broke open a scoreless game with three second-period goals and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi, the WHL’s top scorer among freshmen, got his 20th goal at 3:30 of the second, on a PP, to get it started. . . . F Brad Ross added his 14th at 7:46 and F Spencer Bennett made it 3-0 with his 10th at 14:25. . . . It was Portland’s second victory in eight games. . . . F Spencer Asuchak, with his 10th, scored for Prince George at 18:44 of the second. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots. . . . Prince George G Ty Rimmer turned aside 26 shots, including Ross on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Attendance was 5,441. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin scored once and added two assists as the host Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . Shinnimin scored at 1:10 of the first period and it was Tri-City’s Teddy Bear goal. . . . F Mason Wilgosh and F Justin Feser each added two assists. . . . F Adam Hughesman helped out with his 16th goal and an assist. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 22 shots, losing his shutout bid to F Charles Wells at 11:39 of the second. Wells has eight goals this season. . . . F Carter Ashton, acquired by Tri-City from the Regina Pats on Friday, wasn’t in the Americans’ lineup. He is in Toronto preparing for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . The Americans were 2-for-10 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,776. . . . The teams meet  again tonight in Kent, Wash. The Thunderbirds will be without G Calvin Pickard (13-9-7), who is off to the Canadian junior team selection camp. . . .
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In Vancouver, F Blake Gal scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Spokane Chiefs got past the Giants, 3-2. . . . Gal was the only one of the six shooters to find the range. . . . The goal was allowed after video review; it seems that G Mark Segal kicked the puck into his own net in the process of trying to make the save. . . . The Giants held a 2-0 lead halfway through the first period on goals by F Michael Burns — it was the Teddy Bear goal — and F Brendan Gallagher, his 25th. . . . F Tyler Johnson got his 20th, at 19:52 of the first, on a PP, to get the Chiefs on the board. . . . D Jared Cowen, who leaves today for the selection camp of Canada’s national junior team, tied it at 18:59 of the second, on a PP. . . . The Chiefs were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Giants were 0-for-2. . . . Segal stopped 43 shots, 23 more than Spokane’s James Reid. . . . Attendance was 12,263. . . . Giants D Luke Fenske (shoulder) returned after a seven-game absence, but they were without D David Musil, who suffered a hairline fracture in his right leg last week.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Kootenay D Joey Leach
Kelowna F Max Adolph

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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