New lease in Lethbridge; look back at Schenn deal

G Thomas Heemskerk (Kootenay, Everett, Moose Jaw, 2007-11) has signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with the Quad City Mallards (CHL), he was 2.73 and .907 in 31 games. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). Last season, with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, SEL), he had 22 points, including six goals, in 52 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Alexander Delnov (Seattle, 2012-14) signed a two-year, two-way contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Seattle, he had 63 points, including 29 goals, in 71 games.
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1. With G Dustin Tokarski having gotten the call with the Montreal Canadiens, Elliotte Friedman got to wondering: Whatever happened to Devan Dubnyk? . . . Friedman, of HNIC fame, answers that question and more in his latest 30 Thoughts. It’s all right here.

2. The Lethbridge Hurricanes have a new 15-year lease from the City of Lethbridge for the Enmax Centre. The lease, which runs through 2028-29, actually is for 17 years as it covers two seasons retroactively. Yes, negotiations actually began in April 2011. According to a news release from the City: “The new agreement includes a limited risk-reward structure that will result in fluctuating annual lease payments to the City based on 12 per cent of net ticket revenues each season. Also included is a commitment by the Hurricanes to pay the remainder of the club’s $2.5-million capital contribution to the (facility) renovations in 13 annual installments of $166,667, beginning in 2016. Two initial installments have already been paid.”

3. The AJHL held its annual meeting on the weekend in Red Deer and came up with a couple of interesting rule changes. It has the adopted the rule that prohibits a team that ices the puck from making any player substitutions. It also has decided that it won’t allow player substitutions by an offending team when “any player, excluding the goaltender, shoots or bats the puck directly out of the playing surface while in the defensive zone.” . . . After striking a committee to study whether to hold a player draft, and after hearing from that committee, the AJHL’s board of governors voted not to move forward in that area. . . . Each of the AJHL’s 16 teams will play 60 games in a regular season that will open on Sept. 5.

4. The junior B Port Moody Panthers, who play in the Pacific Junior Hockey League, made it official on Monday. They have hired the ubiquitous Brian Wiebe as their director of media and communications. According to a news release, he “volunteered with the Panthers in the same role in 2013-14, but will expand his duties in the upcoming season.” . . . Here’s more from that news release: “In addition to working with Port Moody, Wiebe is the assistant instructor and admissions co-ordinator for the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT. He is also the play-by-play voice for SFU men's hockey, media relations director for BC Superweek, media manager for the Odlum Brown VanOpen and podcast host for the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League.” . . . As a writer, Wiebe contributes to the BCHL’s Smart Hockey magazine and has a blog, Brian’s Banter, that covers a whole lot of hockey. There’s a link to it over there on the right.

5. The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Dominic Schmiemann, who was the 12th overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Schmiemann, from James River Bridge, Alta., had 15 points, three of them goals, in 33 games with the bantam Notre Dame Hounds last season.

6. The Regina Pats have signed F Luc Smith, a 6-foot-5, 202-pounder who was taken in the third round of the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. Smith had 11 points, including eight goals, with the midget AAA St. Albert Sports Raiders last season. Smith took part in the Pats spring prospects camp on the weekend.

7. The BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs are hoping the city will give them a break in the cost of renting ice so that they can at least get into a breakeven situation over the next couple of seasons. Eric Plummer of the Alberni Valley Times has a piece right here that includes some numbers, if you are wondering what it costs to operate a junior A franchise.

8. It was a tough day for the New York Mets, who lost a game, their hitting coach, a veteran reliever and a top pitching prospect. First, the Mets were beaten, 5-3, by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then, New York fired its hitting coach, Dave Hudgens, and released reliever Jose Valverde, who gave up four runs over the final two innings in what was a horrible collapse. As well, Noah Syndergaard, a top prospect, was diagnosed with a strained elbow. Tim Rohan of The New York Times has more right here on what was not a good day for the Mets.

9. On Jan. 9, 2011, F Brayden Schenn was with the Brandon Wheat Kings and was one of the top skaters in the WHL. The next day, the Wheat Kings dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . How did that trade work out? More than three years later, Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large has an intriguing look at it right here.

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Tuesday . . .

Tri-City goaltender Drew Owsley kicks out a shot while Vancouver
forward Spencer Bennett looks for rebound on Tuesday night.
(Photo by CJ Relke)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Juha Metsola (Lethbridge, 2007-08) signed a three-year contract with Tappara Tampere (Finland SM-Liiga). Metsola had a 1.80 GAA and a .941 save percentage in six games with HPK Hämenlinna (Finland SM-Liiga); a 1.48 GAA and a .930 save percentage in two games on loan to Ilves Tampere (Finland SM-Liiga); and, a 3.05 GAA and a .907 save percentage in two games on loan to LeKi Lempäälä (Finland Mestis) this season.
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The debate on headshots and concussions in hockey isn’t going to go away. If anything, in fact, it is heating up.
Dr. Charles Tator, a prominent Canadian neurosurgeon, told a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday that the IIHF rules on hits to the head should be adapted by North American leagues.
“I’m optimistic that the big attention to this issue will pay big dividends,” Tator said. “We will save the game.”
James Christie of The Globe and Mail was at the news conference. His story is right here.
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Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette takes a hard look at the QMJHL and concussions, and wonders if the league is doing enough to curtail headshots. Guess what conclusion Hickey reached? That column is right here.
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The first head-coaching change of the WHL offseason has taken place in Kent, Wash., where the Seattle Thunderbirds dropped Rob Sumner on Tuesday.
Sumner had been part of the Thunderbirds organization for 15 years, the last seven as head coach. He took over from Dean Chynoweth for the 2004-05 season.
The Thunderbirds missed the playoffs in 2009-10, thanks to a 19-41-12 record. And they went 27-35-10 this season, missing the postseason again.
“It was a very difficult decision,” Russ Farwell, Seattle’s general manager and majority owner, told freelance writer Jim Riley, who covers the Thunderbirds for the Seattle Times. “I don’t think we got the most from our team. There were a lot of factors,  but unlike last (season) when we were young and not good enough, this (season) we were in the hunt and I thought we should still be playing at this point.”
If you’re wondering about candidates to replace Sumner, it’s really too early for that.
You can expect Seattle assistant coach Turner Stevenson to be in the pool of candidates.
Mike Caccioppoli of mynorthwest.com has a chat with Farwell right here.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed a lease with the City for the use of the Multiplex that will replace the Civic Centre as the team’s home in the fall.
According to Carter Haydu of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “Under the five-year agreement, the Warriors will pay a base rent of $110,600 per season, or 10 per cent of gate revenues (whichever is greater). This is an increase from the current Civic Centre rental rate of approximately $47,000.”
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There were 5,063 fans in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Monday as the host Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3 to take a 2-1 lead in that first-round series. According to the Wheat Kings, that “was the largest turnout for a Wheat Kings game at the MTS Centre.” The Wheat Kings have played 12 games there. . . . The Wheat Kings also report that “it also was the biggest crowd in Winnipeg since 7,042 turned out for Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinal against Prince Albert at the Winnipeg Arena.” . . . After seven seasons, the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs have decided not to renew the contract of head coach Darrell Mann. The Mustangs were 32-18-8 this season. Their season ended in a conference final when they were beaten by the La Ronge Ice Wolves. . . . The Everett Silverips will be without concussed forwards Clayton Cumiskey and Parker Stanfield tonight when they play host to Game 3 of their first-round series with the Portland Winterhawks. The Silvertips also are expected to continue to be without G Kent Simpson (ankle). . . . The WHL has hit Chilliwack Bruins F T.C. Cratsenberg with a two-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred in Game 2 of a series with the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. . . . Medicine Hat Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk won’t play Thursday in Game 4 against the Brandon Wheat Kings in Winnipeg. He is on one of those tbd suspensions. This one was issued under supplemental discipline for a hit on Brandon F Brenden Walker in Game 3 on Monday night.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, G  Thomas Heemskerk put up his second shutout in three games as the Warriors beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . Heemskerk stopped 28 shots. He had stopped 30 on Friday in a 4-0 Game 1 victory in Cranbrook. . . . The Warriors lead the series 2-1 with a fourth game in Moose Jaw tonight. . . . The Warriors took control on first-period goals by F Spencer Edwards, at 12:15 on a PP, and F Joey Kornelsen at 19:29. . . .  The Warriors were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 2,714. . . . The Ice lost F Drew Czerwonka in the first period after he was hit by Moose Jaw D Joel Edmundson. Czerwonka didn’t return and his status for tonight isn’t known. . . .
In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets erased a 5-3 deficit with four straight goals and hung on to beat the Cougars 7-6 . . . . The Rockets lead the series 3-0 and can wrap it up tonight in Prince George. . . . F Mitchell Callahan got the Cougars to within one at 18:45 of the second period and F Brett Bulmer, who is from Prince George, tied it just 13 seconds into the third. . . . F Shane McColgan, at 12:07, and Callahan, at 14:16 on a PP, gave the visitors a two-goal lead. . . . Prince George D Martin Marincin got his guys to within one at 19:23. . . . Attendance was 2,475. . . . The Cougars were without F Brett Connolly (separated shoulder). . . .
In Vancouver, F Adam Hughesman returned from a knee injury to score two goals and lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-0 victory over the Giants. . . . The Americans get their first chance to wrap up the series tonight in Vancouver. . . . G Drew Owsley stopped 22 shots to earn the shutout. . . . Hughesman had 39 regular-season goals. He missed the last 12 games of the regular season and first two games of this series. . . . This is just the second time in their 10-year history that the Giants have trailed 3-0 in a playoff series. They were swept by the Kelowna Rockets in the first round in 2003. That ended Vancouver's second WHL season. . . . The Americans were 3-for-6 on the PP, which both of Hughesman’s goals coming with the man advantage. . . . The Giants were 0-for-4. . . . The Giants had F James Henry, their captain, back in the lineup. He also had been missing with a knee injury.
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TUESDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

It's over! Kruise Reddick (11) and the Tri-City Americans' fans start celebrating after scoring in OT to beat the visiting Vancouver Giants 2-1 in overtime on Friday night.
(Photo by Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

Dave Trimmer, who covers the Spokane Chiefs for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, blogged about fighting in hockey after reading the column I posted here yesterday.
Here’s part of what he wrote:
“But in the end, it's all fighting and I wouldn't miss it. The health of all hockey players is more important than short, entertaining mid- ice fisticuffs, no matter what the reason.
“I'm willing to bet that almost every team would take a hit in attendance if there was no fighting, which means it isn't going to be stamped out. The only thing that could hurt worse is if they quit selling beer, although that could lead to smarter fans who understand there is no need for fighting in hockey.”
Trimmer’s blog is right here.
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FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES (all were openers, with Game 2 in same place tonight):
In Cranbrook, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 30 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 after one; in fact, they led 3-0 at 8:01 of the first period. F Quinton Howden scored twice, including once while shorthanded. . . . Attendance was 2,486. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw scratched F Cody Beach (knee), F Jordan Wyton (undisclosed), F Tanner Eberle (upper body) and F Brayden Cuthbert (concussion). . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath, who sat out a day or two of practice during the week, played and was the game’s first star. . . . Moose Jaw F Brett Lyon sat out the third game of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . With the scratches, the Warriors dressed F Torrin White, their first pick in the 2010 draft, and D Brandon Potomak, a second-pick in the same draft. . . . The Ice was without D Luke Paulsen (shoulder). . . .
In Medicine Hat, D Ryan Pulock had two goals and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Pulock is a late 1994-born player; he doesn’t turn 17 until Oct. 6. From Grandview, Man., he put up 42 points in 63 games during the regular season. . . . Attendance was 3,866. The Tigers had sold out all 36 regular-season home games, at 4,006. . . . Brandon was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Tigers were 2-for-6. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Nugent-Hopkins broke a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals, at 14:25 and 15:31. . . . Kevin Lowe, the president of the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, who will have an early pick in June’s draft, was in the house. . . . F Josh Cowen (broken hand) returned to the Rebels’ lineup. He had been out since Feb. 19 when he was injured in a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. D Josh Caron, who was penalized for checking from behind on the play, served a three-game suspension. . . . Attendance was 5,568. . . .
In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick broke a 1-1 tie at 7:24 of the third period and the Rockets went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had two goals for the Rockets, the last one into an empty net. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-2. . . . Prince George F Brett Connolly left early in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . The Cougars were penalized for delay of game on three occasions, each time for shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone. . . . Attendance was 6,059. . . .
In Chilliwack, F Darren Kramer scored twice, including the winner at 10:00 of OT, as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Bruins, 3-2. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals and 306 penalty minutes in 68 regular-seaosn games, is a 19-year-old from Peace River, Alta. . . . He also drew an assist on F Tyler Johnson’s goal that tied the game 2-2 at 3:45 of the third. . . . . This was Kramer’s first multi-point WHL game. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 60 shots, while James Reid of the Chiefs turned aside 22. . . . Attendance was 2,962. . . . The start of the overtime period was delayed almost 15 minutes due to technical problems in the video review booth. . . . The Chiefs go in as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and with home-ice advantage in the first round. But they had to open on the road because there is an NCAA women’s basketball regional tournament being played in their home arena this weekend. . . . The series will follow a 2-3-1-1 format. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Carter Ashton scored with 2.2 seconds left in the first OT period to give the Tri-City Americans a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ashton, on the power play, directed the puck toward the Vancouver net out of a corner and it had glance off G Mark Segal and into the net. . . . Vancouver F Andrej Stastny was off for tripping at the time. . . . F Brendan Rowinski gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F David Conrad tied it at 7:55 of the third. . . . Attendance was 3,406. . . . Segal stopped 44 shots, 19 more than Tri-City’s Drew Owsley. . . . The Giants were without F James Henry (knee) and he isn’t expected to play in Game 2. F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tyler Hart (shoulder) were back in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . The Americans remain without F Adam Hughesman (knee), who had 39 goals.
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D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft. According to capgeek.com, Barrie’s AHL salary would be US$67,500 for each of three seasons, with NHL salaries of $615,000, $690,000 and $840,000. He got a $270,000 signing bonus, payable over three years.
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JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have extended the contracts of Matt Recchi, their director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox. Lengths of the extensions weren’t announced. Both men have been with the Blazers since July 2008. Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Holdfast, Sask. . . Former WHL G Jacob DeSerres (Seattle, Brandon, 2005-10) stopped 19 shots as his Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL playoffs with a 10-0 victory over the visiting Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday night. . . . Laury Ryan has announced his resignation after eight seasons as president of the Saskatchewan junior league. The league now is accepting applications as it searches for a replacement. . . .
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Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun went to an OHL playoff game in Mississauga on Thursday night. He wasn’t impressed, which makes one wonder what is in store for the Memorial Cup that is to be played there in May. In fact, after reading this one wonders if Buffery’s ex-wife will get the Memorial Cup tickets. Buffery’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

gdrinnan.blogspot.com

     

Taking Note on Twitter

That's a lot of victories!

According to the WHL, there was some history made in the WHL on Saturday night when the Vancouver Giants got past the visiting Chilliwack Bruins, 2-1. The league announced that the victory was No. 500 in the WHL coaching career of Vancouver head coach Don Hay.
Hay, who also has coached the Kamloops Blazers and Tri-City Americans, is the fourth coach in WHL history to reach that milestone. He is in his 12^th season as a WHL head coach; this is his seventh with the Giants.
On the all-time list, he trails Ken Hodge (742), Ernie (Punch) McLean (548) and the late Pat Grinnell (518).
Interestingly, if you add up the franchise victories for Kamloops, Tri-City and Vancouver while Hay has been head coach, you get 498. (The Blazers won 144 with Hay as head coach, Tri-City won 67 and the Giants have won 287, including 14 this season.)
My records indicate that Hay did a 10-game stint as head coach in Kamloops during 1991-92, with the Blazers going 6-4-0 while head coach Tom Renney was with the Canadian team at the World Junior Championship.
That would make last night’s victory No. 504 for Hay.
No matter . . . 500 or 504, that’s a lot of victories.
And it is absolutely amazing how consistent Hay’s teams have been. Only twice in 12 seasons has he failed to win 40 games in a WHL season.
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Highlights from Saturday’s WHL games, the results of which left nine of the Western Conference’s 10 teams within six points of each other . . .
In Moose Jaw, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 25 shots as the Warriors blanked the Everett Silvertips, 4-0. . . . The Warriors acquired Heemskerk from Moose Jaw for D Chad Suer on Sept. 17. . . . It was Heemskerk’s first shutout this season and the eighth of his career, six of which came with Everett. . . . The Silvertips have been blanked four times this season. . . . F Quinton Howden scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him 17 goals. He also had an assist. . . . Moose Jaw F Dylan Hood had an assist to run his point streak to 11 games. . . . The Warriors have won four in a row. . . . Attendance was 2,711. . . . The Silvertips were blanked one night after they put up a 6-0 shutout in beating the Broncos in Swift Current. . . . G Luke Siemens, who recorded that shutout, stopped 35 shots in this one.
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In Regina, F Jordan Weal scored twice to help the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Broncos were playing the first of 11 straight road games. They don’t play at home again until Jan. 2. . . . The Pats had been beaten 9-6 by the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors one night earlier. . . . Weal has 12 goals. . . . F Thomas Frazee had a goal and an assist for Regina. . . . F Lane Scheidl had two assists for the Pats, who got 30 saves out of G Damien Ketlo. . . . F Dillon Wagner, in his fifth game since returning from offseason surgery, scored his first goal for Swift Current. . . . Attendance was 3,521.
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In Lethbridge, the Prince Albert Raiders scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . D Nathan Deck, with his first of the season, on the PP, and F Mark MacNeill, with two, scored first-period goals. . . . MacNeill finished with three goals. His first WHL hat trick leaves him with 13 goals this season. . . . D Ryan Button, F Igor Revenko and F Brandon Herrod each had two assists for the Raiders. . . . Attendance was 3,474. . . .
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In Cranbrook, F Wacey Hamilton scored at 1:37 of OT to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 3-2 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . D Brayden McNabb had tied the game for Kootenay with his fourth goal at 12:09 of the third. That goal came 1:49 after F Linden Vey had given the Tigers a 2-1 lead with his 19th of the season. . . . McNabb had both Ice goals and now has four. . . . Vey, the WHL’s leading point man, has 19 goals. . . . Attendance was 2,417. . . .
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In Kelowna, F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had a goal, an assist and an early bout to lead the Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Callahan, who has 14 goals, got both his points on the PP. He got into a fight with F Darian Dziurzynski just 1:18 into the game. . . . Dziurzynski’s 15^th goal, at 12:37 of the second period, gave the visitors a 2-1 lead. . . . The Rockets responded with the next five goals. . . . Kelowna D Tyson Barrie had two assists. . . . Kelowna, which has won 12 of 14, got a goal from F Colton Sissons, his fifth, to open the scoring. The Blades once owned Sissons’ rights, but traded him to Kelowna as part of a deal in which D Curt Gogol moved to Saskatoon. The Blades, of course, have since dealt Gogol to the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Blades, who had won four in a row, got a goal and an assist from each of D Stefan Elliott and F Chris Collins. . . . Elliott has a goal and four assists and is plus-4 in three games since not being invited to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Saskatoon is 3-1-0 on its swing through the B.C. Division, which wraps up Tuesday in Prince George against the Cougars. . . . Attendance was 6,141. . . .
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In Spokane, F Steve Kuhn’s two goals helped the Chiefs to a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . It was Teddy Bear Night and fans tossed 4,668 stuffed toys onto the ice surface. However, they were guilty of premature celebration as they exploded at 5:38 of the first period when the puck ended up in the Portland net after the whistle had gone on a delayed penalty against the Winterhawks. . . . Kuhn then scored on the resulting PP. . . . He has six goals this season. . . . Portland had won 10 straight games in Spokane. . . . The teams meet again Wednedsay in Spokane. . . . F Ryan Johansen had two assists for Portland, while F Nino Niederreiter had a goal and an assist. . . . D Brenden Kichton had two helpers for the Chiefs. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 45 shots, 19 more than Spokane G James Reid. . . . Attendance was 7,638. . . .
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In Red Deer, the Rebels dropped Brandon 5-2, handing the Wheat Kings their ninth straight loss. . . . It is the second time this season that Brandon has lost nine in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings next play Wednesday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . The Rebels moved into a first-place tie with the Saskatoon Blades atop the Eastern Conference. They are two points ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Brayden Schenn was in Brandon’s lineup after being assigned by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings late last week. . . . Schenn scored and set up a goal by F Scott Glennie. . . . F Andrej Kudrna scored twice for Red Deer, both on the PP. . . . Red Deer D Matt Dumba, 16, scored his ninth goal of the season in his 30^th game. . . . Brandon G Liam Liston left early for a second straight night. He made it through two periods in an 8-4 loss to the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Friday. This time, he gave up four goals on eight shots and left early in the second period. . . . G Corbin Boes relieved him and stopped 16 of 17 shots. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves. . . . Attendance was 4,667. . . .
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In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford scored his WHL-leading 25^th goal of the season just 16 seconds into OT as the Blazers beat the Calgary Hitmen, 3-2. . . . Kamloops held a 33-19 edge in shots, including 19-5 in the third period. . . . Calgary D Jaynen Rissling had a goal and an assist. . . . Ranford and F Jordan DePape did the same for Kamloops. . . . Ranford has one more goal than F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants. Ranford also is second in the points derby, two behind Medicine Hat Tigers F Linden Vey. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber was plus-2 but had his 12-game point streak snapped. . . . Ranford is on his second 11-game point streak of the season. He has 25 points in those 11 games. . . . Attendance was 3,890. . . . Each team scored a goal from the neutral zone. . . . Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer got his third goal when his shot from the neutral zone glanced off Rissling’s stick blade and beat G Brandon Glover through the legs. . . . Rissling got that one back when his shot from just over the centre red line got through G Jeff Bosch to tie the game 2-2. . . . Rissling’s second goal of the season came just 28 seconds after DePape gave Kamloops a 2-1 lead. . . . Attendance was 3,890. . . . Injured F Tyler Fiddler (ankle) of the Hitmen joined head coach Mike Williamson and assistant coach Brent Kisio behind the Calgary bench. . . . The Hitmen have released F Riley Reinboldt, who had four points in 21 games. Reinbolt, 19, had been acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sept. 18 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. A sixth-round pick by Moose Jaw in the 2006 bantam draft, the Calgary native spent two seasons with the Warriors. . . .
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In Prince George, the Seattle Thunderbirds got two shootout goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . F Connor Sanvido and F Colin Jacobs both scored for Seattle as the shootout went five rounds. F Nick Buonassisi was the only one of the Cougars to beat Seattle G Calvin Pickard, who stopped 39 shots through OT. . . . Prince George G Ty Rimmer turned aside 28 shots. . . . The Cougars led this one 3-0 at 13:07 of the first period, only to give up two goals late in the period. F Charles Wells scored on the PP at 18:22 and D Brenden Dillon added one at 19:19. . . . Seattle trailed 4-2 when F Marcel Noebels got his 10^th at 19:07 of the second. . . . F Charles Wells got his second of the game at 13:25 of the third to force OT. He’s got seven goals. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart drew three assists. . . . Seattle has played 28 games and 13 of them have gone to overtime. . . . Attendance was 1,941.
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In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher broke a 1-1 tie at 10:27 of the second period and the Giants went on to beat the Chilliwack Bruins, 2-1. . . . Gallagher has 24 goals, one between WHL leader Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers. . . . F Robin Soudek scored on the PP for Chilliwack at 2:01 of the first period. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning tied it on the PP at 2:55 of the second. . . . Gallagher also had an assist, as did Manning. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 31 shots, seven more than Chilliwack’s Lucas Gore. . . . Chilliwack’s Curt Gogol and Brett Lyon of the Giants duked it out eight seconds into the game. That was the game’s only scrap. . . . The Giants had lost four straight games. . . . Attendance was 6,156.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Spokane D Corbin Baldwin
Vancouver D Neil Manning
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca  gdrinnan.blogspot.com  Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

Marc Mackenzie says he’s not a hero. But you know what? He fits the bill.
Mackenzie, a forward with the Prince Albert Raiders, heard some noise and came upstairs at his billet’s home late Thursday morning to find a would-be burglar.
So what did Mackenzie do?
“He was about my build, maybe bigger,” Mackenzie, who goes 6-foot-2 and more than 190 pounds, told John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “He just tackled me in the coat room. I got up and basically tossed him into the wall and just pounded on him for a good five minutes.
“He just ran out the door and I chased him for a little bit, but what are you going to do if this guy runs back to his buddies and tells (them what happened)? He just ran down the street, and then I just clued in, there’s no point in running after this guy.
“I’m totally fine. Just a little busted-up fist, but that’s about it.
Mackenzie, who turns 17 on Nov. 5, had returned home after morning classes and was in the basement, about to watch a movie.
“I guess it was just someone knocking on the door to try to get in . . . to see if people were home,” he told MacNeil. “And because I didn’t come upstairs fast enough, they just came in.”
When Mackenzie got upstairs, the would-be thief was in the living room . . . checking out Mackenzie’s laptop computer.
“Oh, I probably scared the crap out of him,” Mackenzie said. “He went after me first. I didn’t even touch the guy first. He just tackled me. I just said, ‘Who the f--- are you?’ and then he just tackled me into the closet.”
As MacNeil points out in his story, it would seem that “Mackenzie’s hockey instincts might have served him well.”
“I don’t know,” Mackenzie said. “Someone breaking and entering, there’s obviously something that’s going to get out of hand, if you walk in on him. You can’t just ask him to leave. I mean, they’re not going to wait for the cops (to arrive), that’s for sure.”
As of Friday night, Prince Albert City Police still were searching for the suspect.
Mackenzie, who is from Kelowna, played last season with the junior B Chase, B.C., Chiefs of the Kootenay International junior league. He had 24 points and 163 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Chiefs.
MacNeil wrote that Mackenzie “wanted to downplay the incident, and Raiders’ management refused to comment . . .”
You have to hope that Raiders’ management and the WHL office come to their senses and run this kid’s name up the flag pole, sooner rather than later. This is a great, great story coming as it does a week before the regular-season opens.
Mackenzie, however, would rather play down the entire episode.
“I’m not a hero,” he told MacNeil. “But it does save us, I guess (my billets), a little bit of money and hassle, not to have a bunch of crap stolen.
“My MacBook was sitting right there. The TV is there. Everything is in the house. There’s computers everywhere. If no one was home, it would have been bad, but . . .”
Something like this, of course, is every parent’s worst nightmare. I mean, think about it for a minute.
And here’s what Mackenzie’s father, Andrew, told MacNeil:
“It certainly shook me up a lot when he called and said what happened. The kid may be 6-foot-2 1/2, or whatever, but to me, he’s only 5-foot-5. He’s still a little boy, to me.”
Isn't that the truth!
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The WHL dished out some discipline on Friday and you can bet at least one GM/head coach will be hearing from the Calgary office, perhaps even today.
Kelly McCrimmon, the general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings got tossed from his club’s 5-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday. Brandon was 2-for-6 on the PP in that one, while the Warriors were 2-for-10. . . . McCrimmon was ejected, according to the Brandon Sun, “after a verbal exchange with the officials.” The teams are to conclude their exhibition seasons tonight in Moose Jaw. Hmmm! Wonder if McCrimmon will be in the Crushed Can for this one?
Earlier in the day, the WHL office suspended D Harrison Ruopp of the Prince Albert Raiders for one game after he got into his fourth fight of the exhibition schedule on Thursday in a 6-1 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos.
The WHL office also suspended Kootenay Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch for one game and his side $250 for its part in a multiple-fight situation in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Thursday night. The Americans weren’t disciplined at all, so that tells what the WHL thought of that situation. Kootenay F Jared Iron drew a one-game suspension for his fourth fight, which came against the Americans.
Finally, Tri-City F Zach McPhee got a one-game suspension after incurring a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in that game in Cranbrook.
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The Everett Silvertips have dealt G Thomas Heemskerk, 20, to the Moose Jaw Warriors for D Chad Suer, 20. . . . Suer has played in 243 games over four seasons, with 66 points, including eight goals, and 130 penalty minutes. He had 20 points in 64 games last season. Suer is from Saskatoon. . . . Heemskerk, from Chilliwack, has played in 114 games over three seasons with the Kootenay Ice and Everett. Last season, he went 24-12-2-2 with a 2.34 GAA and a WHL-leading .927 save percentage, all with the Silvertips. . . . Heemskerk has signed with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and is in their camp. . . . The deal leaves Kent Simpson, 18, as Everett’s starter, with Luke Siemens, 19, and Andy Desautels, 16, battling for the backup spot. . . . Siemens, from South Delta, B.C., played one game with the Prince George Cougars last season. . . . Desautels, from Regina, was a fifth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. He signed with the Silvertips in February.
Everett now has two 20-year-olds in camp — Suer and F Clayton Cumiskey.
According to the Warriors, Heemskerk will join them Sunday. The Warriors’ roster also features four other 20-year-olds — F Spencer Edwards, F Thomas Frazee, F Dylan Hood and F Brendan Rowinski.
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The Red Deer Rebels have released F Steve Oursov, 19, who is from Chilliwack. Oursov was trying to come back from post-concussion syndrome. He had four goals in 29 games in 2008-09, before suffering a concussion during a fight. . . . Originally, he was a third-round bantam draft pick of the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2006.
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Lorne Molleken, the GM and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, is scratching his chin, scratching his head and pondering. He had said he would trim one goaltender from his roster following a Wednesday exhibition game in Regina. That didn’t happen. So the Blades continue to have four goaltenders on their roster. Freshmen Adam Iwan and Tyler Oswald, both 17, split a 4-3 victory in Regina, and Molleken chose not to make a move Thursday. He also has two veterans — Steven Stanford, 20, and Adam Morrison, 19 — on his roster. Morrison is in camp with the Philadelphia Flyers. When the smoke clears, you can expect the Blades to have one of the two veterans and one of the two newcomers on their roster. For now, though,everything is in a holding pattern. The Blades play their final exhibition game Saturday against the visiting Pats. Molleken may do something with his goaltending situation the next day. Maybe. . . .
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I am thrilled that a couple of fans of the Crushed Can took time to write. One posted a comment on the blog; another sent me an email.
Here’s the comment, if you missed it:
“Neate Sager has obviously never gone deaf listening to 2700+ fans screaming their heads off in the Crushed Can during the playoffs. That arena will be greatly missed!”
Ain’t that the truth! It is going to be awfully hard for that atmosphere to be replicated in a new building, even when the Regina Pats come calling.
The other fan, who actually is from Saskatoon, wrote this:
“My observations about the crushed can . . . the stairs to the seating can not be code in any city/town/rural outpost in Canada . . . They have more security than any rink I have ever seen . . . The guy running sound gets it as the game went to shootout and he seemed to play all the right songs at the right time.
“I do not know why I never went to Moose Jaw for a game before . . . and am glad I did. It is one of the barns that has some atmosphere unlike some others. . . . I skated many times at the old Exhibition Stadium in Regina and could feel the atmosphere in that barn. It is just something about those rinks that, yeah, they are not the prettiest girls at the dance but they seem to have that allure.”
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired F Travis Toomey, 20, from the Saskatoon Blades for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. Toomey, form Leduc, Alta., has played three seasons with the Blades after being the 34th overall selection in the 2005 bantam draft. He put up 82 points and 314 penalty minutes in 198 career games in Saskatoon. . . . Seattle now has two 20-year-olds on its roster, the other being D Brenden Dillon. . . . The Blades still have seven 20-year-olds on their roster — G Steven Stanford, D Teigan Zahn, F Sena Acolatse, F Jeremy Boyer, F Randy McNaught, F Gaelan Patterson and F Marek Viedensky.
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ODDS AND ENDS: Moose Jaw F Michal Hlinka left the Warriors game in Brandon in the third period after “being shaken up in a collision,” according to Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. . . . The Kelowna Rockets dropped the hometown Chilliwack Bruin, 9-1, on Friday. The Chilliwack Progress points out that “Kelowna's nine-spot set a franchise mark for most goals-against in a game (including preseason, regular season and playoffs), and the eight-goal differential tied a franchise mark for largest margin of defeat.” . . .
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Mandi Schwartz, the native of Wilcox, Sask., who has been fighting a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, will have her next treatment on Wednesday in Seattle. The Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
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The OHL’s Oshawa Generals won’t have their games on the radio this season. And the games that they pick up and put on their website will, in most cases, by provided by the opposition. Check out that story right here.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Wednesday . . .

A note arrived Wednesday from the Portland Winterhawks' Booster Club, stating that season-ending awards will be handed out prior to a March 5 game. The Booster Club presents one award, as it turns out. That would be the Donald Ickes Most Popular Player of the Year. . . . The award is voted on by members of the Booster Club. . . . It is believed that Kurtis Mucha is not eligible.
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If you are a hockey player who has experienced the agony of a concussion, or concussions, or if you are the parent of such a player, you may want to check out The Messier Project, if you haven’t already. You can do that right here.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed G Andy Desautels, a fifth-round pick (95th overall) in the 2009 bantam draft. Desautels, from White City, Sask., is 7-8-2 with a 3.59 GAA and a .884 save percentage with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.
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According to this story, former Kelowna Rockets D Tyler Myers just missed being selected to play for Canada in the Olympic Winter Games.
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THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
d-Saskatoon (17) 37-12-3-3-80
d-Calgary (16) 38-16-1-1-78
Brandon (14) 38-16-1-3-80
Kootenay (15) 35-17-3-2-75
Medicine Hat (13) 33-18-3-5-74
Red Deer (16) 31-21-0-4-66
Prince Albert (15) 28-24-3-2-61
Moose Jaw (17) 26-21-4-4-60
Swift Current (14) 28-26-0-4-60
Regina (14) 24-27-3-4-55
Wednesday: Prince Albert 0 at Medicine Hat 6; Calgary 6 at Regina 2; Swift Current 1 at Saskatoon 2 (SO); Moose Jaw 3 at Spokane 6.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Swift Current at Brandon; Prince Albert at Calgary; Kootenay at Edmonton; Saskatoon at Medicine Hat; Regina at Red Deer; Moose Jaw at Seattle.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (17) 39-14-0-2-80
d-Vancouver (15) 33-20-1-3-70
Everett (16) 35-18-2-1-73
Portland (14) 35-20-2-1-73
Spokane (16) 32-20-3-1-68
Kelowna (14) 28-26-2-2-60
Kamloops (14) 26-26-2-4-58
Chilliwack (16) 24-26-1-5-54
x — clinched playoff spot.
Wednesday: Kelowna 0 at Everett 4; Tri-City 3 at Portland 5; Kamloops 2 at Prince George 4; Moose Jaw 3 at Spokane 6.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Spokane at Everett; Kelowna at Kamloops; Portland at Prince George; Chilliwack at Tri-City.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Regina, F Brandon Kozun scored three times to spark the Calgary Hitmen to a 6-2 victory over the Pats. . . . After a scoreless first period, Kozun scored twice, at 2:27 and 6:07 of the second. . . . Kozun completed his hat trick at 16:50 of the second, giving the Hitmen a 4-1 lead. . . . Kozun has 27 goals. . . . Calgary F Misha Fisenko had a goal, his ninth, and two assists as he was in on the game’s first three goals. . . . Calgary F Ian Schultz had three assists. . . . F Carter Ashton had a goal, his 23rd, and an assist for Regina. . . . The Hitmen were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Pats were 0-for-2. . . . Attendance was 5,527. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 33 shots. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo turned aside 32 shots. . . . The Pats have lost six of seven but have points in 11 of their last 14 games. . . . Calgary has won six in a row and swept the four-game season series from Regina. . . . The Pats held a players-only meeting after the game. D Colten Teubert emerged to tell Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post: “We have to get our heads out of our asses or else we’ll be going home pretty soon. Individually we called ourselves out. We have to be accountable to ourselves first and not really point fingers because we have to be a tight-knit group and continue to work. Our season is not over yet.” . . . The Pats lost D Cody Carlson after he took a shot to the head in the second period. . . . Regina was without F Garrett Mitchell, who has concussion-like symptoms after taking a hit in a game in Brandon on Tuesday.
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In Medicine Hat, G Tyler Bunz, who turns 18 Thursday, stopped 25 shots to help the Tigers to a 6-0 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The shutout was the first of Bunz’s career. It also was the first of the season for the Tigers; it was the second time this season the Raiders have been blanked. . . . F Wacey Hamilton had a goal, his 20th, and two assists for the Tigers, who had lost three straight. . . . F Emerson Etem got the game’s first goal, his 33rd. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-for-7 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-for-3. . . . Raiders G Garrett Zemlak stopped 39 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,006.
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In Edmonton, F Cam Braes broke a 3-3 tie at 18:19 of the third period to give the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Hurricanes, who were playing their sixth road game in nine nights, snapped a nine-game losing streak. . . . The goal was t he second of the game for Braes, who has 17 this season. . . . Lethbridge took a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Edmonton F Garry Nunn tied it on the PP at 10:46. He has 14 goals. . . . Lethbridge G Brandon Anderson stopped 37 shots, 10 fewer than Edmonton’s Torrie Jung. . . . Edmonton F Michael St. Croix scored the game’s first goal, his 13th. He has nine points, including five goals, over his last five games. . . . The Oil Kings (12-34-4-8) were 1-for-1 on the PP; the Hurricanes (17-35-3-2) were 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 3,375
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In Everett, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 36 shots to help the Silvertips to a 4-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Heemskerk has three shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . F Shane Harper and F Kellan Tochkin each had two assists for the Silvertips, who were 1-for-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-5. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 30 shots. . . . The Rockets had won nine straight games, but only one of those was against a team with a record above .500. . . . Attendance was 4,119. . . . The Silvertips continue to be without Dan Iwanski (knee), who was injured on Dec. 29. He is skating on his own and hasn’t yet been cleared to practice.
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In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 38 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . With the victory, the Winterhawks clinched their first playoff spot since the spring of 2006. . . . Carruth, 17, was making his seventh straight start as Ian Curtis continues to recover from a shoulder injury. . . . Carruth, who is 5-1-1-0 in those seven starts, stopped F Patrick Holland on a second-period penalty shot with Portland leading 3-0. . . . Portland freshman F Nino Niederreiter opened the game’s scoring with his 32nd goal. . . . Portland was 1-for-7 on the PP, that goal, from D Joe Morrow, coming on a 5-on-3 with 15 seconds left in the first period. . . . According to the WHL’s online scoresheet, Tri-City G Drew Owsley scored the game’s last goal, at 11:58 of the third period. . . . Owsley started in goal for the Americans, stopping 12 of 15 shots before being lifted at 3:20 of the second period after Portland’s third goal. Reliever Alexander Pechurskiy turned aside nine of 11 shots. . . . Attendance was 1,844.
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In Prince George, F Alex Rodgers had a goal and three assists to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Rodgers, who is from Salmon Arm, B.C., played the first 157 games of his WHL career with Kamloops. It was the first four-point game of his WHL career, coming in his 241st regular-season game. . . . The Cougars won for the 11th time in 55 games. Three of those victories have been against the Blazers. . . . Cougars G Hudson Stremmel stopped 34 shots. . . . Kamloops G Jon Groenheyde stopped 17 of 20 shots and left after Prince George’s third goal. Kurtis Mucha came on to stop 11 of 12 shots. . . . Kamloops C C.J. Stretch was hit with a slashing major and game misconduct at the end of the third period. . . . Attendance was 1,884.
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In Saskatoon, the Blades tied the game late and then scored twice in the shootout for a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Jeremy Boyer and F Marek Viedensky had the circus goals for the Blades, while Swift Current F Cody Eakin and F Justin Dowling were blanked. . . . F Matt Tassone scored a PP goal at 18:48 of the second period for the Broncos. . . . F Josh Nicholls tied it at 15:21 of the third. . . . Both players have 12 goals this season. . . . The Broncos were 1-for-2 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-3. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 22 shots, 10 fewer than the Broncos’ Morgan Clark. . . . Attendance was 3,685. . . . The Blades have won four of five.
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In Spokane, F Mitch Wahl had a goal and three assists to lead the Chiefs to a 6-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Chiefs were 4-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Warriors held a 2-0 lead when F Jason Bast scored his 27th goal on the PP at 11:17 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs tied it before the end of the period, on goals by F Tyler Johnson, his 25th, and F Levko Koper, his 22nd. . . . After a scoreless second period, the Chiefs opened the third by scoring four times. That included F Kyle Beach’s 37th and Wahl’s 25th. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 24 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch turned aside 30. . . . Moose Jaw, which has lost four in a row, was 1-for-2 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 3,545.