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| Clare Drake, the legendary U of Alberta hockey coach, and Golden Bears goaltender Kurtis Mucha, with the CIS's championship trophy. |
THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Jesse Zgraggen (Chilliwack/Victoria, Calgary, Regina, 2010-14) has signed a two-year contract with Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland, NL A). This season, he had eight points, including one goal, in 16 games with Calgary, and added 29 points, four of them goals, in 54 games with Regina. . . . Zgraggen, who turned 21 on Sunday, has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. He had a tryout with Ambri-Piotta in August 2012.---
It isn’t that long ago when you wouldn’t have pictured the WHL without the ownership involvement of the Brodsky and Parker families.
But as the 2013-14 season winds down that is exactly what is happening.
As this season began, Jack Brodsky and siblings Bob and Debbie sold the Saskatoon Blades to Edmonton-based auto dealer Mike Priestner and his son, Colin. The Brodskys had owned the Blades -- lock, stock and barrel -- since 1980.
Earlier this month, Rick Brodsky sold the Prince George Cougars to a local group headed up by businessman Greg Pocock and including NHL defencemen Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis. Both are former Cougars players. Brodsky was involved in the ownership of the Blades, along with his two brothers and sisters, until he purchased the Victoria Cougars in 1992.
The Prince George sale awaits approval from the WHL’s board of governors, something that is expected early next month.
On Tuesday, reports indicated that Calgarians Diane and Russ Parker have sold the Regina Pats to a group that is
said to include local businessmen Gary Drummond, Todd Lumbard, a former Brandon Wheat Kings and Pats goaltender (1980-83), Anthony Marquart and Shaun Semple. The Parkers had owned the Pats since June 21, 1995, when they purchased the franchise from local businessmen Huddy Bell, Morley Gusway, Bill Hicke, Ted Knight and Jack Nicolle.Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post reported that “Marquart is the president of Regina-based Royalty Developments, which is involved in a variety of major projects — including the 16-storey Brandt Place office building that is to be located on Rose Street. Royalty Developments also owns Regina's Wingate by Wyndham hotel.”
Lumbard played two seasons with the Wheat Kings, before closing out his WHL career with the Pats in 1982-83. His late father, Jack, owned the Brockie Donovan Funeral Home in Brandon, a business that Todd owned from 1995 to 2004. He now is the president of Regina’s Speers Funeral and Cremation Services.
More from Vanstone:
“Sale rumours have hovered over the franchise for most of (Russ) Parker's tenure. The speculation intensified after the 2012-13 season, when the Saskatoon Blades — who had been owned by the Brodsky family since 1976 — were sold to Edmonton businessman Mike Priestner for a reported $9 million.
“The conjecture persisted throughout the 2013-14 season, especially in light of attendance totals that the Pats' brass deemed disappointing. Parker acknowledged during the season that he had been involved in talks regarding a possible sale. . . .”
“The Pats averaged 3,956 spectators per regular-season home game in 2013-14. That was the third-lowest average attendance under the Parker regime, behind 3,203 (1995-96) and 3,898 (1997-98). Under the Parkers, the average peaked at a franchise-record 5,095 in 2007-08.”
Vanstone’s complete story is right here.
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1. Masai Ujiri, the general manager of the Toronto Raptors, has been fined US$25,000 by the NBA for his use of an obscenity while addressing fans prior to Game 1 of a playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets. Ujiri yelled “Fuck Brooklyn” while working to gets fans excited prior to Game 1 in Toronto.
2. If you aren’t keeping track . . .
(a) Using an obscenity in such a fashion in the NBA: $25,000.
(b) An NHL head coach grabbing his crotch to show displeasure with officiating: $25,000.
(c) An NHL player using his stick to spear an opponent in the crotch: $5,000.
Do you see anything wrong with that picture, even if (c) is dictated by a CBA?
3. Early in last night’s NBA playoff game between the visiting Brooklyn Nets and the Toronto Raptors, Ed Tait (@WFPEdTait) of the Winnipeg Free Press tweeted: “Nobody asked me, but @Matt_Devlin and @jackarmstrong04 are as fun and energetic a play-by-play team as there is on TV right now. #Raptors.” . . . He's right.
4. The Raptors won that game, 100-95, to tie the series at 1-1. . . . Toronto won despite turning the ball over on 20 occasions. How did the Raptors win considering all the turnovers? Perhaps because the Nets missed eight free throws (New Jersey was 20-for-28 from the line).
5. I meant to post the above photo earlier this week. It shows Clare Drake, one of hockey’s greatest coaches, with goaltender Kurtis Mucha, the former WHLer who helped the U of Alberta Golden Bears to the CIS championship. . . . Mucha (@tooka31) tweeted the photo, along with: “Such an honour to have Clare Drake celebrate our national championship. #legend #thank you #gobears.” . . . It’s terrific that Drake is included in the Golden Bears’ celebrations.
6. BTW, Clare Drake isn't in the Hockey Hall of Fame. He should be.
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The Regina Pats have signed Greg Mayer, their athletic therapist and equipment, to a contract extension, the length of which wasn’t revealed. From a Pats’ news release: “Mayer is the longest-serving member of the Pats hockey operations staff, joining the Blue and White in 2004. With 17 years of experience in the WHL, he is fourth among those in his position for time in the league.”
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F Graham Black of the Swift Current Broncos has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Black, who is from Regina, had 97 points, including 34 goals, in 69 games this season as he played out his junior eligibility. . . . He joined the Albany Devils, New Jersey’s AHL affiliate, when the Broncos’ season ended.
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D Dillon Simpson has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2011 draft. Simpson, the son of former NHLer Craig Simpson, played four seasons at the U of North Dakota. Now 21, Simpson was an eighth-round pick by the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL’s 2008 bantam draft.
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Team Canada lost 3-2 in a shootout to Russia at the IIHF U-18 world championship in Imatra, Finland, on Tuesday. Still, Canada finished atop Pool A with a 3-0-1 record and now will play Switzerland in a quarterfinal on Thursday in Imatra. That game, which will be available on TSN, is to begin at 9 a.m. Pacific time.
Canada will be without F Brayden Point of the Moose Jaw Warriors for the remainder of the tournament. He was injured in the first period when he was on the receiving end of a hit by Russian F Danil Vovchenko in the first period. Vovchenko was given a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct.
Hockey Canada announced that Point, who was playing on both special teams and centring Canada’s No. line, would be held out of the remainder of the tournament for precautionary reasons.
Point had one assist in three-plus games.
Maxim Tretiak, the grandson of Vladislav Tretiak, the great Russian goaltender, started in goal for the Russians. He stopped 25 shots, but was replaced by Alexander Trushkov for the shootout. The Russians won the shootout, 2-0.
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Ernie Sutherland, a part of the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers organization since 1982, has announced his retirement. Sutherland was an assistant coach with the Flyers this season. Over the years, he has been the team’s head coach (1983-86), assistant coach, director of player personnel, assistant general manager and trainer. He also has managed the team’s Peak Performance Hockey School.
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The second game of the Subway Super Series will be played in Brandon on Nov. 11. When the schedule was announced earlier this month, the second date had yet to filled with a host city. The series opener, featuring Team WHL against a Russian side, will be played in Saskatoon on Nov. 10.
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D Mark Drohan, who turns 16 on April 30, has signed with the AJHL’s Fort MacMurray Oil Barons. Drohan, from Calgary, played for the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes this season. The Tri-City Americans selected him in the third round of the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft.
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Frank Maida, the head coach of the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International junior league, has resigned, as has team president Russell Stocks. Maida leaves his position after three seasons; Stocks spent one season as vice-president and four as president. . . . The Leafs, who were 109-53-3-11 under Maida, were the host team for the recently completed Cyclone Taylor Cup, the Western Canadian junior B championship, that was won by the Beaver Valley Nitehawks. . . . There is more right here.
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 2-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,189)
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Portland leads, 2-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Portland 4 (OT) (9,259)
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 43 shots to lead the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton leads the Western Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 in Medicine Hat tonight. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. . . . The Tigers are 7-1 at home in these playoffs. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar opened the scoring for the third straight game, this time at 5:14 of the first period. He’s got seven goals in these playoffs. He also has 47 career playoff points and that’s a franchise record. He also holds the records for most playoff games played (58) and most career playoff goals (25). . . . Medicine Hat D Tommy Vannelli tied the game with his second goal at 6:25 of the first period, and F Chad Labelle broke the tie with his fourth goal at 17:22 of the second. Labelle’s goal originally was credited to D Dylan Bredo, but was changed after the game. . . . Edmonton was 0-for-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-2. . . . The Oil Kings spent the final 1:06 on the PP after Bredo was sent off for delay of game -- he cleared the puck over the glass from the defensive zone -- but weren’t able to equalize. D Cody Corbett came close when he rang a shot off a post. . . . “I felt like we did pretty good today,” Oil Kings F Mads Eller said on the team’s website. “Give credit to (Tigers goalie Marek) Langhamer. He played amazing today for them and we just couldn’t beat him.” . . . After the game, Darren Steinke (@MHND_Steinke) tweeted: “Attendance at The Arena tonight was 3,189 – the lowest for an #MHTigers playoff game in their run of 12 straight playoff appearances.”
In Portland, the Winterhawks fired 65 shots at Kelowna G Jordon Cooke, but needed two late third-period goal and another in OT to beat the Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks lead the Western Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 in Portland tonight. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, his second goal, a PP effort at 17:01 of the third period, cutting Kelowna’s lead to 3-2. That goal came with a 6-on-4 advantage as Portland G Corbin Boes was on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic forced OT when he scored his 10th goal at 18:42. . . . The Winterhawks won it on F Taylor Leier’s fifth goal at 10:00 of extra time. . . . Kelowna D Ryley Stadel got the game’s first goal, his third, at 2:22 of the first period. . . . Bjorkstrand tied it at 6:26 of the second. . . . Kelowna D Colten Martin scored his first goal of this season -- it came in his 84th game -- just 13 seconds later. Martin, who turned 20 on March 15, is from Arlington, Texas, and is the unsung hero of the Kelowna defence. In the last two seasons, he has played in 143 of a possible 144 regular-season games. He has 43 points, two of them goals, and is plus-108, including plus-61 this season. . . . Martin now has three goals in 27 playoff games, one in each of his three seasons. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen got his fourth goal at 14:50 of the third to give his side a 3-1 lead. . . . Rockets G Jordon Cooke turned aside 61 shots, including 21 in the second period and 18 in the third. . . . After all the speculation, the Winterhawks gave the start to Boes, meaning Brendan Burke was on the bench to start a game for the first time in these playoffs. Boes stopped 30 shots, including key OT stops on F Nick Merkley and F Marek Tvrdon. . . . At one point in the third period, Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich) tweeted: “Under 9 minutes left in the 3rd, Kelowna still up 2-1. Shots are 53-24 for Portland (plus 5 posts). . . . Portland has a 144-96 edge in shots in the three games, including 118-60 in the last two games. . . . The Rockets scratched F Kris Schmidli and put F Dillon Dube, a 15-year-old from Cochrane, Alta., in the lineup for the first time. He was the 21st overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Dube ended up plus-1 after his first WHL shift, too. . . . Bjorkstrand now leads the WHL playoffs in goals (14) and points (24), all accomplished in 12 games. Including the regular season, he has 133 points, 64 of them goals, in 81 games. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had one assist, giving a WHL-high 17. . . . Pouliot and Leipsic ran their point streaks to 12 games. . . . Portland was 1-for-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-for-2. . . . The Rockets continue to be without F Myles Bell, who was their leading scorer in the regular-season. He hasn’t played since March 26 due to a leg injury.
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From Terry Jones (@sunterryjones) of the Edmonton Sun: “So I climbed up to same exact seat I covered the 1973 playoff games in Medicine Hat. Booted out. Media no longer in press box. End of rink.”
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More from Jones: “I will no longer complain about Detroit Red Wings press box in The Joe. At least it IS a press box.”
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From former NHL referee Paul Stewart (@PaulStewart22): “What suspension would I give Cooke if it were my call: 50 games. He's forfeited his right to play this game.”
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From Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) of the Los Angeles Times: “Playoff paranoia reaches new heights: teams not doing line rushes in morning skate or warmups, so opposing coach doesn't see lineup.”
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Tweet from Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice), the play-by-play voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings: "Unable to confirm if @bdnwheatkings proposal of deciding game alphabetically was seriously considered. #bdnmb"
In Swift Current, Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk ran his point streak to 17 games as the Tigers dropped the Broncos, 7-3. . . . Valk scored two goals, giving him 33, and added an assist. He is one game shy of the longest point streak in the WHL this season. . . . The Tigers trailed 2-1 just 23 seconds into the second period but scored the next five goals. . . . Tigers F Miles Koules, whose father Oren also played for Medicine Hat back in the day, notched his 20th goal of the season. . . . F Cole Sanford added a goal, his 27th, and two helpers for the Tigers. . . . The Tigers (35-20-3) have won three straight. They are a comfortable fourth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Broncos (28-22-8) are tied for sixth with Brandon. . . . 
In Brandon, F Matt Alfaro scored to end a five-round shootout and give the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Alfaro, a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary, has two regulation-time goals in 51 games. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon forced OT with his 27th goal at 11:14 of the third period. He also had an assist. . . . Kootenay F Sam Reinhart got his 30th goal and added an assist as he ran his point streak to 16 games. . . . Brandon F Brett Kitt, who went into the game with two goals and had been a healthy scratch in five of the last seven outings, scored both his side’s goals. . . . The same teams will do it again tonight in the Wheat City. . . . The Ice (32-22-4) is 8-2-0 in its last 10 and is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Medicine Hat and four in front of Swift Current and Brandon. . . . 
In Calgary, D Alex Roach scored 11 seconds into OT to give the Hitmen a 6-5 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Roach, who has six goals this season, also scored in the third period to pull his side into a 4-4 tie. . . . Calgary F Greg Chase scored his 30th goal at 15:21 of the third. He also had two assists. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak scored twice, the second one forcing OT at 17:30 of the third. He has six goals in three games against Calgary this season. . . . Scherbak was back for the first time since Jan. 29. . . . The Hitmen have won five in a row. . . . With G Chris Driedger having been suspended by the team, Mack Shields went the distance, making 19 saves. Evan Johnson, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, was backing up. . . . Saskatoon G Troy Trombley stopped 43 shots. . . . The Hitmen (37-15-6) are two points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings, who lead the Eastern Conference and the Central Division. Edmonton (40-14-2) holds two games in hand. . . . The Blades (15-39-5) have lost three in a row. . . .
In Edmonton, F Scott Feser scored three times, the last one in OT, as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . Feser, who has 10 goals, forced OT with a goal at 5:35 of the third period. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 450 shots, 30 more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . The Rebels snapped a seven-game losing streak. . . . The Oil Kings went in having won 16 of their previous 17 games. . . . F Mats Eller had two assists for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton F Mitch Moroz was tossed with a charging major just 42 seconds into the second period. . . . Red Deer (28-26-4) is eighth in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Prince Albert and four behind Swift Current and Brandon. . . . The Oil Kings (40-14-2) are 8-1-1 in their last 10. . . . 
In Lethbridge, F Ben Duperreault broke a 2-2 tie at 5:56 of the second period and the Moose Jaw Warriors went on to a 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko, making his fourth appearance in 2014, stopped 27 shots. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Sawchenko suffered a skate cut “near his rib cage” with two minutes left in the second period. While Justin Paulic came on in relief, Sawchenko went to the dressing room for stitches, then came back to play the third period. . . . Gourlie also reports that Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti “didn’t play in the third period as he began to feel the effects of a high hit” from earlier. . . . Moose Jaw F Jack Rodewold scored his 19th goal and added an assist on his 20th birthday. . . . F Torrin White also had a goal, his 16th, and an assist for Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors were without F Scott Cooke, who drew a two-game WHL suspension under supplemental discipline for a hit on Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon on Feb. 11. Bozon sat out one game with an injury incurred in that hit, but returned last night. . . . Neither Moose Jaw (15-33-8) nor Lethbridge (12-42-5) will make the playoffs. . . . 
In Kamloops, the Portland Winterhawks scored four first-period goal and went on to post their 15th straight victory by beating the Blazers, 7-4. . . . The Winterhawks tied a franchise record for consecutive victories (1979-80, 1997-98); they can break the record tonight when they meet the Giants in Vancouver. . . . The Blazers have lost 11 in a row. . . . F Taylor Leier scored his 30th goal in the second period, giving Portland five 30-goal men on its roster. The 1986-87 Blazers hold the single-season record, with nine 30-goal scorers on their roster. . . . Leier finished with two goals and two assists. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had a goal, his 31st, and two assists. He leads the WHL in assists (67) and points (98). He leads the points derby by five points over Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg. . . . Portland F Dominic Turgeon had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist, while F Brendan Leipsic had a goal, his 32nd, and two helpers. . . . Turgeon, who enjoyed his first career three-point outing, has eight points over his last five games. . . . Kamloops got two goals from F Cole Ully, who has 26 this season. The second one was a shorthanded penalty shot in the second period. . . . Portland was 4-for-6 on the PP. . . . With G Brendan Burke ill, G Corbin Boes started for Portland, which had Adin Hill from the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks backing up. Hill, 17, is a list player who signed with the Winterhawks on Aug. 30, 2012. . . . Portland (41-12-5) is second in the overall standings, nine points behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Blazers (11-42-5) have the WHL’s poorest record. . . . 
In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored twice, the second one breaking a 2-2 tie at 19:35 of the third period, as the Rockets doubled the Prince George Cougars, 4-2. . . . The Cougars, who had won four straight road games, took a 2-1 lead into the third period, only to have F Carter Rigby tie it at 5:34. . . . Chartier, who has 19 goals, got an empty-netter at 19:50. . . . Cougars F Troy Bourke had two assists, making him the Prince George franchise’s all-time leader, with 141. F Blake Robson held the previous mark. . . . The Rockets are 5-0-0 against the Cougars this season. . . . Prince George D Mark McNulty scored his 16th goal, running his point streak to nine games. . . . The Rockets (46-8-4), who have won three in a row, lead the overall standings. . . . The Cougars (24-29-7) are five points out of the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . 
In Everett, D Kevin Davis scored his first career goal in OT to give the Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Davis, a freshman from Kamloops, was the 11th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He has played in 56 regular-season games. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl scored his fifth goal at 7:14 of the second. He hadn’t scored in his previous 32 games; he last scored on Nov. 19. . . . Vancouver F Joel Hamilton tied it, with his sixth goal, at 3:48 of the third. . . . Everett G Carter Hart, 15, was backing up Austin Lotz, who stopped 26 shots. . . . The Silvertips welcomed back F Manraj Hayer, who hadn’t played since Jan. 25. They still are without F Zane Jones and F Tyler Sandhu. . . . Everett also played without G Daniel Cotton and F Darcy DeRoose, who have been suspended by the team. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 29 shots. . . . The Giants were without D Dalton Thrower (ankle) for a ninth straight game. . . . Everett (28-21-8) has won two straight and now is tied for sixth with Vancouver (27-22-10) in the Western Conference. . . . The Giats have lost four in a row. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Russell Maxwell scored with 25.6 seconds left in the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Maxwell has 12 goals this season, two in 15 games with Seattle since coming over from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Seattle led this one 3-0 with less than 11 minutes to play in the third period. . . . The Americans got goals from F Lucas Nickles (shorthanded at 9:25), F Parker Bowles (PP at 13:43) and F Beau McCue (17:15) to tie it. . . . McCue’s goal came with G Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker as Tri-City head coach Jim Hiller rolled the dice early. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar scored his second goal of the season in the second period for a 2-0 lead. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 37 shots, 16 more than Eric Comrie. . . . Tri-City D Justin Hamonic left in the second period, having left some blood on the ice, after taking a slapshot from Seattle D Shea Theodore up high. Hamonic returned in the third period wearing a face shield. . . . There was a multi-fight situation at 8:33 of the third period, meaning fines may be in order. . . . Seattle finished the game with 90 penalty minutes to Tri-City’s 61. . . . Seattle (36-17-5) is fourth in the Western Conference, four points behind the Victoria Royals, who open an East Division swing tonight, and eight ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Americans (27-25-6) hold down the conference's last playoff spot, five points ahead of Prince George.
In Prince George, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 13 games as they dumped the Cougars, 8-4. . . . The Cougars went into the game having won six in a row. . . . Portland scored four times on eight power-play opportunities and twice while shorthanded. . . . The Cougars were 3-for-8 on the PP. . . . Portland’s franchise record for consecutive victories is 15 (1979-80, 1997-98). . . . The Winterhawks play in Prince George again on Wednesday. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo tied a career single-game high with five points, two of them goals. He‘s got 31 goals. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier had a goal and three assists. He‘s got 28 goals. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had one assist as he moved to within one point of Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL with 93 points. . . . The visitors had a 50-32 edge in shots. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored twice for the Cougars. Pochiro, who has 24 goals this season, has scored seven times in his last seven games. . . . During their winning streak, the Winterhawks have outscored the opposition, 76-23. . . . The Cougars dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. Scratched with injuries were F Jari Erricson, F Alex Forsberg, D Zach Gonek, D Peter Kosterman, F David Soltes, F Chase Witala and G Brett Zarowny. . . . The Winterhawks (29-12-5), who are 14-0-1 in their last 15 outings, are second in the overall standings, nine points behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Cougars (24-27-7) slipped four points behind the Tri-City Americans in the chase for the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . .
In Vancouver, the Victoria Royals completed a weekend road sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . D Travis Brown won it with his 11th goal of the season, via the PP, at 17:13 of the third period. . . . The Royals won in Kamloops (3-1) on Friday night and in Kelowna (6-4) on Saturday. . . . The Giants held leads of 1-0 and 2-1. . . . Vancouver F Dominik Volek scored his 19th goal, on the PP, at 16:44 of the first period. The Giants had been 0-for-19 on the PP over their previous three games. . . . Victoria F Logan Fisher tied it, with his sixth, just 33 seconds into the second. . . . Vancouver took the lead again when F Cain Franson got his 22nd at 3:41 of the second. . . . The Royals tied it on F Austin Carroll’s 28th, just 1:42 later. . . . Attendance was a season-high 11,621. . . . The Giants continue to be without D Dalton Thrower (ankle). . . . The Royals (38-16-4) are 8-0-2 in their last 10 and hold a five-point lead over the fourth-place Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Conference. . . . The Giants (27-22-9) have lost three in a row and are six pints behind the fifth-place Spokane Chiefs. . . .
In Kamloops, F Taylor Vickerman was credited with the winning goal as the Tri-City Americans beat the Blazers, 2-1. . . . This was a game between two teams that struggle to score and the lack of offensive confidence was glaring in both offensive zones. . . . The winner came when Vickerman redirected a point shot by D Mitch Topping past G Bolton Pouliot for his third goal of the season at 15:00 of the third period. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots and held the Blazers at bay in the last minute when they won four straight faceoffs, three by F Matt Revel, in the Americans' zone. . . . Revel scored the game's first goal, at 3:30 of the third, tucking a Cole Ully centring pass in behind Comrie. . . . Tri-City F Jessey Astles equalized at 5:23, going wide on a defender and ripping a rolling puck past Pouliot off the left wing. . . . Pouliot finished with 29 saves. . . . The Americans won the season series 4-0-0, outscoring the Blazers, 11-5. . . . It's the third time a team has swept the season series. The Americans went 4-0-0 in 2009-10, while the Blazers were 5-0-0 in 2002-03. . . . The Americans now are 8-8-0 against teams in the B.C. Division. . . . With six players scratched due to injury, the Blazers added F Deven Sideroff, 16, to their lineup. D Connor Clouston, F Luke Harrison, G Justin Myles, F Matt Needham, F Tyson Ness and F Chase Souto all are out with injuries. . . . The Blazers , who have lost 10 in a row, slipped into a tie with the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL cellar. Each team is 11-41-5. . . . Kamloops also was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. . . . The Americans (27-24-5) are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips and four ahead of Prince George. . . .
In Kelowna, F Tyrell Goulbourne scored twice and added an assist to help the Rockets to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Goulbourne has 11 goals. . . . He also find time to accumulate 19 minutes in penalties. . . . The Rockets, who had lost their previous two games, both at home, led 6-0 early in the third period. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 27 shots. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun, who has been on such a run, started but didn't get through the second period. He stopped 15 of 19 shots before Danny Mumaugh came on at 7:28 of the second period. . . . Kelowna lost F Tyson Baillie with an injury to his right leg after a collision with Seattle D Jared Hauf in the second period. Baillie didn’t return to the game. . . . The Rockets (44-8-4) are atop the overall standings, nine points up on Portland and 11 ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Seattle (35-17-5) is fourth, five points behind Victoria. 
F Austin Glover of the Kelowna Rockets suffered a broken ankle five games into this season. He ended up undergoing surgery and the ankle now includes a steel plate and five pins.
In Moose Jaw, the Swift Current Broncos ended a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos scored the game’s first five goals and coasted from there. . . . F Jay Merkley scored twice for the Broncos, giving him 24 this season. . . . F Graham Black chipped in a goal, his 28th, and three assists for Swift Current. . . . The Broncos had a 45-26 edge in shots. . . . The Broncos (27-21-8) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Kootenay Ice and one ahead of the Regina Pats. . . . The Warriors (14-32-8) are 10th, 22 points out of a playoff spot with 18 games remaining. . . . The Broncos were without F Dakota Odgers, who was suspended for one game, and F Bobby Zinkan, who drew a three-game sentence, after an 8-1 loss to the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Friday night. According to Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, both were suspended for “entering an altercation while in the process of a line change.” . . . 
In Prince Albert, D Josh Morrissey broke a 2-2 tie at 3:11 of the third period as the Raiders got past the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Tigers led this one 2-0 midway through the second period. . . . Raiders D Sawyer Lange got his guys on the board with his fifth goal at 10:04 of the second, via the PP. . . . F Chance Braid tied it at 15:28 with his sixth goal. . . . Morrissey has 19 goals. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk picked up an assist to run his point streak to 14 games. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl had two assists. . . . The Raiders (25-26-3) are five points behind the eighth-place Red Deer Rebels in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Tigers (32-20-3) remain fourth in the conference. . . .
In Regina, D Dmitri Sinitsyn and D Kyle Burroughs each had a goal and two assists to help the Pats to a 7-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Sinitsyn has four goals this season; Burroughs has six. . . . Regina led 3-0 by 14:15 of the first period and never looked back. . . . Regina unleashed a 62-shot barrage at Blades G Troy Trombley. . . . Regina F Boston Leier scored his 30th goal. . . . The Pats saluted their namesake, the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, on the occasion of its 100th year of service. That has been a focus of Pats’ promotions this season. . . . The Pats also honoured Regina’s Jon Ryan, the punter for the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. . . . The Pats (28-22-5) are seventh in the Eastern Conference, a point behind Swift Current. . . . The Blades are 15-39-4 and won’t make the playoffs. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists as the Kootenay Ice ran their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Reinhart has points in 13 straight games. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau and F Tim Bozon each had two assists for the Ice. . . . The Ice had gone into Lethbridge and won 8-1 on Friday. . . . Reinhart has 76 points, including 27 goals, in 43 games. In 186 career regular-season games, he has 225 points, including 92 goals. . . . The Ice took 65 of 112 penalty minutes. . . . The Ice (30-21-4) is fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Hurricanes (11-41-5) have the WHL’s poorest record, .004 behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . 
In Kamloops, G Mack Shields stopped 26 shots as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Blazers, 3-0. . . . Shields, a Saskatoon native who turns 19 on Feb. 13, backs up Chris Driedger. Shields has one shutout this season and three in his career. . . . Driedger blanked the Giants 5-0 in Vancouver on Friday night. . . . Calgary D Jaynen Rissling scored the winner, getting his eighth at 17:30 of the first period on a PP. . . . Hitmen F Brady Brassart, who had his five-game goal streak snapped, drew two assists. . . . Calgary was 2-for-8 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-for-2. The Hitmen have eight PP goals over their last four games. . . . The Blazers took eight minor penalties, with seven of those going to defencemen. . . . Kamloops F Chase Souto took the pregame skate but then was scratched. He apparently was injured in Friday’s 3-1 loss to the visiting Victoria Royals. . . . The Blazers have lost nine in a row. . . . Kamloops (11-40-5) is 1-11-1 since Guy Charron replaced Dave Hunchak as head coach. This is only the second time in Kamloops franchise history that the team has lost 40 or more games. The Junior Oilers lost 53 times in 1981-82; the Blazers lost 41 games in 2007-08. . . . Calgary finished 3-2-0 on its trek through the B.C. Division, winning its last three games. . . . The Hitmen (35-15-6) are five points behind the Central Division-leading Oil Kings. . . .
In Prince George, the Cougars ran their winning streak to six games with a 7-1 triumph over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Cougars had beaten the visiting Rebels 5-3 on Friday. . . . Red Deer has lost six in a row. . . . Cougars F Troy Bourke had two goals, giving him 21, and two assists, while F Jordan Tkatch had four assists. . . . Cougars D Martin Bobos had two assists and was plus-5. . . . F Brad Morrison had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist, while F Todd Fiddler scored twice, giving him 36. . . . Cougars G Adam Beukeboom stopped 17 shots as he won for the second time in two nights. . . . The Cougars (24-26-7) have closed to within two points of Tri-City, which holds down the conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (27-25-4) are eighth in the Eastern Conference. . . .
In Vancouver, the Edmonton Oil Kings won their 11th straight game, beating the Giants, 5-1. . . . F Edgars Kulda broke a 1-1 tie with his 20th goal at 19:57 of the first period, via the PP. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar got the game’s first goal, his 30th of the season. He also added an assist. . . . Edmonton was 2-for-7 on the PP; the Giants were 0-for-7. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 15 shots in posting his league-leading 35th victory. . . . The Oil Kings are 9-1-0 in games played in B.C. Division arenas this season. On this swing, which involved three games in four nights, they also won 3-1 in Kamloops and 3-2 in a shootout in Kelowna. . . . Edmonton (40-13-1) is the second team with 40 victories this season; the other is Kelowna. The Oil Kings lead the Eastern Conference. . . . Vancouver (27-21-9) is sixth in the Western Conference. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs halted a four-game losing skid with a 7-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-2 lead into the third period and scored the game’s last four goals. . . . F Mike Aviani scored his 31st goal for the Chiefs, while F Marcus Messier, who was acquired from the Americans in January, notched sixth goal of the season and his first with Spokane. . . . Tri-City D Mitch Topping had two assists as he played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams turned aside 31 shots, 10 more than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . Chiefs D Jason Fram had three assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL’s scoring leader, had one assist. . . . Spokane (32-18-5) is fifth in the Western Conference, six points behind Seattle. . . . Tri-City is eighth, just two points ahead of Prince George.
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