F Radim Valchar (Portland, Lethbridge, 2007-10) has signed a one-year extension with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). In 26 games, he had 31 points, including 12 goals. He led the team in assists (19) and points. . . .
F Viktor Gibbs Sjödin (Portland, 2006-08) has signed a contract with the Melbourne Mustangs (Australia, AIHL). The AIHL season runs from April 12 to Aug. 31. This season, with Enköping (Sweden, Division 1), Sjödin had 24 points, including six goals, in 27 games. With Ferencváros Budapest (Hungary, MOL Liga), he had nine points, three of them goals, in 12 games.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice remains in Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon as he battles Neisseria meningitis. . . . The WHL has established a trust fund to help Tim and his family with medical and rehabilitation costs. You are able to contribute at any BMO Bank of Montreal in Western Canada. . . . Should you live outside of that area, please mail donations to
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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Milan Dragicevic (Regina, New Westminster, Victoria, Spokane, Tri-City, 1986-90) was fired Monday as head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds. With the hockey program among those under fire at the school, Dragicevic spent much time in the second half of the season working to save it. It seems he did that but now he won’t be around to see the fruits of his and others labours. Howard Tsumura of the Vancouver Province has more right here.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed Blake Bargar, a forward from Torrance, Calif., who was a seventh-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. He spent this season in the Arizona Bobcats 98 AAA program.
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F Brady Ramsay and F Josh Derko, a pair of 20-year-olds from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, are on their way to the ECHL. . . . With the Hurricanes’ season having ended, Ramsay, who has turned 21, signed on with the Stockton Thunder, while Derko is joining the Gwinnett Gladiators. Both signed ATOs. . . . Ramsay had 129 points, including 53 goals, in 255 games over four seasons with the Hurricanes. Unfortunately for him, he never once appeared in the playoffs. . . . A knee injury limited Derko to 42 games this season, including the last five. In 207 career games, split between the Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge, he had 53 points, including 29 goals.
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D Tommy Vannelli of the Medicine Hat Tigers has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. Vannelli, 19, was a second-round pick by the Blues in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Vannelli, from Minnetonka, Minn., had 41 points, including 27 assists, in 59 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
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If you subscribe to Shaw-TV, you will be able to watch the first-round WHL playoff series between the Calgary Hitmen, the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed, and the No. 6 Kootenay Ice. The series opens Thursday night in Calgary. . . . Shaw will televise one series in each of the first two rounds, as well as a conference final and the WHL’s championship final. . . . The opening round will feature Dan Russell calling the play, with analysis from Bill Wilms. The rinkside hosts will be Alanna Nolan and Stu Walters. . . . The telecasts also will feature Andy Neal, Peter Loubardias and Kevin Sawyer.---
TUESDAY’S TIEBREAKER GAME (all times local):
Prince Albert at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
(Eastern Conference one-game tiebreaker; winner finishes eighth.)
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT/RED DEER (8)
Saturday: at Edmonton, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday: at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Regina vs. Brandon, site TBA, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Kyle Burroughs, day-to-day; D Tye Hand, indefinite; G Daniel Wapple, indefinite; D Colby Williams, day-to-day.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Monday, March 24: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, March 27: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Radel Fazleev, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, 1 week; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months; D Landon Peel, 1 week.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
Friday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
Saturday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday, March 28: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Tyson Baillie, 1-2 weeks; D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Phil Tot, day-to-day; F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
Friday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.Saturday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, March 28: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Portland at Vancouver, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: F Adam de Champlain, day-to-day.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite; F Cain Franson, day-to-day.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
Saturday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Spokane at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 27: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 30: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: F Jacob Cardiff, day-to-day; D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Seattle at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
No games scheduled.
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From Kootenay Ice athletic trainer Cory Cameron (@coryjcameron): “Amazing to spend the day with @timbozon94 yesterday, and meet @HeleneBozon and Philipe in YXE. #fighter #inspiring #TB20 @WHLKootenayICE”
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@Helene Bozon), Tim’s mother: “Our most profound gratitude for @coryjcameron @WHLKootenayICE who saved our @timbozon94 #fast #smartreaction.”
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From the Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS): “On behalf of Warriors Fans, $1,000 has been donated to Tim Bozon Trust. Players also donating $200 for a total of $1200 #getwelltim.”
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has signed with the Fife Flyers (England, UK Elite). This season, he has played with three teams — he had seven points, including two goals, in 10 games with the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asia HL); he was pointless in one game with the Bakersfield Condors; and he had two goals in nine games with the Reading Royals (ECHL).
In Calgary, D Kenton Helgesen had a goal and two assists to lead the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Helgesen, who has been playing as a forward for a few weeks, was back on defence with Jaynen Rissling out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Calgary is 8-0-1 in its last nine games, while the Broncos have lost four in a row. . . . Calgary D Travis Sanheim, a 17-year-old from Elkhorn, Man., scored his first WHL goal in his 28th game of this season. . . . Calgary F Calder Brooks had two assists. He’s got six points over his last three games. . . . Calgary has won all four games with the Broncos this season. . . . The Hitmen stayed even with the Edmonton Oil Kings atop the Eastern Conference, each with 47 points. . . . 
In Moose Jaw, F Brayden Point had two goals and an assist to help the Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Point has 13 goals. . . . The Warriors, who had lost seven in a row, led 3-0 in the second period. . . . The Blazers had a three-game winning streak ended. . . . D Ryan Rehill drew two assists for the Blazers. . . . Moose Jaw is 2-6-2 in its last 10 and is 12 points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Blazers are 3-2-0 on an East Division swing that ends Tuesday in Swift Current. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story 
In Lethbridge, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 6-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . D Brett Cote and D Chaz Redekopp each had two assists for the Royals. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 30 shots, losing his shutut bid at 7:20 of the second when F Tyler Wong got his 14th goal on a PP. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon scored his first goal of the season on a first period PP. It also was the first goal of the sophomore’s career; he has played 85 regular-season games. . . . The Hurricanes have lost four straight. . . . Victoria, with points in three straight (2-0-1), is tied with the Everett Silvertips for third in the Western Conference. . . . 
In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry turned aside 27 shots as the Oil Kings dropped the Saskatoon Blades, 4-0. . . . Jarry has four shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . The Oil Kings held a 21-2 edge in shots in the first period. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 2:11 of the first period. It came in his 30th game this season. . . . Bertolucci also had an assist. . . . D Chance Patterson, 16, and F Davis Koch, 15, both made their WHL debut with the Oil Kings. Patterson was taken in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft; Koch was a second-round selection in 2013. . . . The Oil Kings have won nine in a row and are atop the Eastern Conference, tied with the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Blades have lost 10 straight. . . . 
In Everett, G Eric Williams kicked out 29 shots to spark the Spokane Chiefs to a 2-0 victory over the Silvertips. . . . He’s got two shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . Spokane D Tyler King got the game’s opening goal, his first in 35 games this season, at 9:22 of the first period. . . . This was Everett’s fourth straight loss. . . . Spokane has won three straight and is tied with the Seattle Thunderbirds for fifth in the Western Conference, just two points behind Everett and Victoria. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, D Tommy Vannelli scored the only goal of the shootout as the Tigers beat the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . Regina held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in this one. . . . F Trevor Cox forced OT with his 10th goal at 1:30 of the third. . . . Regina got its first two goals from F Austin Wagner and F Dane Schioler, both of whom scored their first WHL goals. . . . Wagner, a 16-year-old from Calgary, was playing in his 21st game this season; Schioler, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, was playing in his second game. . . . Regina G Nick Schneider stopped 39 shots through OT, 13 more than Medicine Hat’s Daniel Wapple. . . . The Tigers have won their last two to stay within two points of Edmonton and Calgary. . . . Regina has points in six straight (3-0-3) and is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Tigers. . . . Prior to the game, Dave Dawson of Shaw TV Sports tweeted: “Defenceman Spenser Jensen has reportedly left the @tigershockey to pursue schooling. #whl” . . . Jensen, an 18-year-old from Airdrie, Alta., had three assists in 28 games. He was in his third season with the Tigers.. . . 
In Prince Albert, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Raiders, 5-3. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley tied the score 3-3, with his ninth goal at 2:17 of the third. . . . Rockets F Tyson Baillie gave his side its first lead with his 14th goal at 9:44. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots. He faced two penalty shots, with F Tim Vanstone unable to score in the first period and F Shane Danyluk coming up empty in the second. . . . Kelowna has won 11 in a row (20 of its last 21) and is 5-0-0 on its East Division swing. The Rockets wrap up the trip on Tuesday in Saskatoon. . . . The Rockets also tied a franchise record with their 12th straight road victory. Gord McGarva, the analyst on Rockets' broadcasts, reports that the 2003-04 team also won 12 in a row on the road. . . . The Raiders now have lost six in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot, two points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has a game story 
In Vancouver, G Ty Edmonds turned aside 41 shots to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . F Carter Popoff opened the scoring for Vancouver, getting his 10th goal at 7:02 of the first. . . . F Jordan Tkatch pulled the Cougars even, with his ninth goal, at 3:38 of the second. F Zach Pochiro, with his 11th, gave the visitors the lead just 25 seconds later. . . . Vancouver lost D Dalton Thrower to a headshot major and game misconduct 48 seconds into the third. . . . F Tyler Benson, the first pick in the 2013 bantam draft, played his second game of the season with the Giants. . . . The Cougars closed to within four points of the Tri-City Americans, who hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. 
this year when they announced that they would retire Bure's number this season.
The Regina Pats have released F Carson Samoridny, 19. He had one goal in 10 games this season but had been a healthy scratch on six occasions. . . . In his WHL career, he put up 23 points, 11 of them goals, in 103 regular-season games with Regina, the Calgary Hitmen and Everett Silvertips. . . . A native of St. Albert, Alta., the Pats acquired him from the Calgary Hitmen on Jan. 10 for F Colten Mayor and a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft.
In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored five PP goals and beat the Regina Pats, 7-1. . . . The Raiders scored on their first five PPs and ended up 5-for-7. . . . D Josh Morrissey had a goal and three assists for the Raiders. . . . The Raiders honoured retired F Mike Modano, retiring his number (9) in a pregame ceremony. . . . An extremely humble Modano offered up a terrific speech to cap the ceremony. . . . Think about this for a minute: There was a time when the WHL East featured Modano, Theo Fleury (Moose Jaw Warriors) and Joe Sakic (Swift Current Broncos) all at the same time. . . . In the warmup, the Raiders wore retro sweaters, all with Modano on the namebar and sporting No. 9. . . . Prior to the game, Raiders head coach Cory Clouston told Drew Wilson, the team's radio voice on CKBI, that F Craig Leverton likely is out for "a couple of weeks." Leverton left Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers with an undisclosed injury. . . .
In Saskatoon, the Swift Current Broncos were 2-for-2 on the PP as they beat the Blades, 5-3. . . . Broncos D Julius Honka, who would seem to be the real deal, had a goal, his sixth, and an assist. He has 19 points in 18 games. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherback scored his 12th goal as the Russian freshman ran his point streak to 10 games. . . . It was the Blades' 1,000th game in what now is Credit Union Centre. . . . Swift Current has won three straight, while Saskatoon has lost three in a row. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix covered the game and his story is 
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks outshot the Seattle Thunderbirds 15-2 and outscored them 3-0 in the first period en route to a 5-2 victory. . . . When the game began, Portland was atop the overall standings, one point ahead of Seattle. . . . The Winterhawks (13-3-1) now hold a three-point lead over the Medicine Hat Tigers (11-3-2), Spokane Chiefs (12-5-0) and Seattle (11-4-2). . . . F Brendan Leipsic scored the game's first two goals, the first on a 5-on-3 PP at 3:45. . . . Leipsic and teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand are on 11-game point streaks. . . . The Thunderbirds were trailing 3-0 before they got their first shot on goal. . . . In fact, Portland mounted a 15-shot attack before Seattle managed its first shot on goal. . . . Portland held a 32-8 edge in shots after two periods. . . . In the second period, Seattle D Evan Wardley was tossed with a charging major for a hit on F Adam De Champlain, who needed help to get off the ice and didn't return. . . . Early in the third period, Seattle radio voice Thom Beuning, who is as good a play-caller as there is in the WHL, suggested that Portland had had the puck "75 to 80 per cent of the time." . . . Moments after that, Seattle scored to cut the Portland lead to 4-2. . . . The Winterhawks, who have put together nine-game winning streaks in each of the last four seasons, now have won 10 in a row. . . . Seattle F Jaimen Yakubowski wasn't suspended after a penalty he took in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings was changed. Originally, he was penalized for a headshot on D Tyler Green, but it was later changed to a charging major. Yakubowski scored Seattle's first goal, a shorthanded effort, cutting Portland's lead to 4-1 in the second period. . . . Seattle F Connor Honey missed his 10th game with an undisclosed injury. . . .
In Everett, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three early PP goals and went on to a 6-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk went in with three goals and came out with six after counting his first WHL hat trick in his 77th regular-season game. . . . Hawryluk had been a scratch (coach's decision) on Wednesday for a 5-2 loss in Portland. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl was tossed with a checking-from-behind major just 35 seconds in the first period. Brandon struck three times in 2:41 on the ensuing PP. . . . It turned out to be Brandon's only PP opportunity through two periods. . . . Brandon ended up with four goals on its first five shots. . . . Everett G Daniel Cotton started in place of the injured Austin Lotz (ankle). . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey didn't dress with an undisclosed injury. The Wheat Kings had Jason Hadaller, from the Seattle Sno-Kings organization, on the bench in support of Jordan Papirny. . . . At one point, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine pulled Cotton for the extra attacker with 7:53 left in the third period and his side down, 6-3. . . . The Wheat Kings finished 1-4 on their trip through the U.S. Division. . . . Everett had won its last four games. . . . The Wheat Kings also were without D Rene Hunter, F Tim McGauley and D Kord Pankewicz, all out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Brandon F Jens Meilleur moved to defence for this one. . . .
In Victoria, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 42 shots to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 2-1 victory over the Royals. . . . Red Deer had lost its last five games, all on home ice. . . . Red Deer D Haydn Fleury gave hs guys a 2-0 lead with a PP goal late in the second period. . . . F Ben Walker got the Royals to within one at 6:04 of the third but the home side wasn't able to beat Bartosak again. . . . The Victoria Times Colonist reports that Royals D Joe Hicketts, 17, could miss up to three months of the season. He has undergone surgery on an undisclosed injury after being injured during a game against the visiting Kelowna Rockets last 
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