Marquette left his mark . . . Rebels captain close to return . . . Warriors stay alive

Dale Marquette, a former WHL coach and player who died on the weekend, definitely left an impression.
“Sorry to hear about the passing of Dale Marquette,” Greg Hutchings wrote on Facebook. “I played one game with him and did not know him well. I remember him for being real good to me at WK training camps.”
Hutchings played three WHL seasons (Brandon, Lethbridge, 1988-91).
Marquette, 47, died of complications from diabetes. He played four seasons in the WHL (Lethbridge, 1984-86; Brandon, 1986-88). He had 103 points, including 51 goals, in 1987-88.
Marquette was head coach of the Prince George Cougars in 1995-96.
In 2000-01, he was the head coach of the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires.
In an email, Aaron Wilbur, the managing director of The Coaches Site Ltd., wrote: “Was really sad to read about the passing of Dale Marquette. Dale gave me my break in coaching. He hired me to be his assistant in Quesnel when I was 20 years old and had zero experience. We ended up having the best season in franchise history that season. It was a fun ride. Have more stories from that season than the rest of my hockey career combined. . . . Dale was a good guy with a big heart.”

Sad to hear of the passing of former WHLer Dale Marquette… Played against him from' 85-87… Great competitor… Rest in peace.
— Brad Hornung (@Bradhornung) March 17, 2015

———
The Red Deer Rebels hope to have F Conner Bleackley, their captain, back for their last two regular-season games, a home-and-home series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Bleackley (groin) hasn’t played since Feb. 6 in Vancouver. He won’t play tonight in Calgary, meaning he will have missed 18 games. . . . “We’ve been really careful with how we’ve handled this just because of the type of injury it is,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He skated for 25 minutes (Monday) and today (Tuesday) we’ll try to get him to go longer. If that goes well then (Wednesday) he’ll skate on his own and on Thursday he can go full practice. If all goes well, then hopefully we can have him for the weekend. That’s our goal.”
———




The Calgary Hitmen have added D Aaron Hyman, 16, and G Kyle Dumba to their roster for the remainder of the season. . . . The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Hyman was a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. From Calgary, he spent the last two seasons with the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . . Dumba was a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. The younger brother of Minnesota Wild D Matt Dumba, who played in the WHL with Red Deer and Portland, Kyle played this season at the Edge School in Calgary. He was named the Canadian Sport School Hockey League’s top goaltender. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors have added D Josh Brook to their roster for the rest of this season. Brook, from Roblin, Man., was the fourth overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He had 36 points, including nine goals, in 32 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox, Sask.
———

THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (2 games remaining) won in Regina last night and now leads the overall standings by four points over Kelowna (3). The Wheaties last finished first overall in 1995-96. . . . The Wheat Kings will play the conference’s second wild-card team, likely Edmonton, in the first round. . . . In Moose Jaw on Friday.
2. Regina (2) will finish second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . At home to Prince Albert on Friday.
3. Swift Current (2) lost in Moose Jaw last night and now leads the Warriors by two points. . . . In Lethbridge on Friday night.
4. Moose Jaw (2) now is two points behind Swift Current. . . . Should the Broncos and Warriors end up tied, there would be a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. Swift Current has a 32-31 edge. . . . Moose Jaw entertains Brandon on Friday.
——
CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Calgary (3) completed a franchise-record 11-game road trip with a one-point lead over second-place Medicine Hat. . . . At home to Red Deer tonight.
2. Medicine Hat (3) trails Calgary by one point. Each team has 42 victories. . . . In Prince Albert tonight.
3. Red Deer (3) got to within one point of first place, but now is four points behind Medicine Hat and five in arrears of Calgary. . . . In Calgary tonight.
4. Kootenay (3) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Edmonton. . . . In Lethbridge tonight.
5. Edmonton (2) is in the second wild-card spot, three points behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Red Deer on Friday.
——
B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (3) has clinched first place in the Western Conference. . . . Trails Brandon by four points in the race for first place in the overall standings. The first tiebreaker is victories and Brandon has the edge (52-51) at the moment. . . . At home to Seattle tonight.
2. Victoria (2) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
3. Prince George (3) is two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . All three of its remaining games are against Kamloops, starting tonight and Friday in Prince George.
4. Kamloops (3) has two playoff options. It is two points behind third-place Prince George in the division and is tied with Tri-City (3) for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Will meet Prince George three times this week — tonight and Friday in Prince George, and Saturday in Kamloops.
5. Vancouver (2) has one victory in its last 10 games and is hanging on by a hangnail. It is four points out of the conference’s second wild-card spot but has only two games remaining, both against Kelowna. . . . At home to the Rockets on Friday.
——
U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (3) leads the division by two points over Portland. . . . In Victoria on Friday.
2. Portland (4) is two points off the pace with a game in hand. . . . In Spokane tonight as it closes with four games in five nights.
3. Seattle (3) trails Portland by nine points so won’t finish second. . . . Is seven points ahead of Spokane. . . . In Kelowna tonight.
4. Spokane (4) is seven points behind Seattle and has clinched at least the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland tonight.
5. Tri-City (3) is tied with Kamloops for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland on Friday.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. . . . That scenario could play out in the East Division. It also may happen in the B.C. Division and/or Western Conference. For example, should Tri-City and Kamloops end up tied for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a play-in game will be played at the home of the team with the most victories. Tr-City leads, 29-27. . . . Should Prince George and Kamloops finish tied for third in the B.C. Division, the first tiebreaker is total victories. Prince George has a 29-27 edge. However, if one of those two teams would miss the playoffs in that situation, a play-in game would be held. . . . Clear as mud. Right?)
——

IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
——
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City/Kamloops
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
———

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Moose Jaw, F Torrin White broke a 1-1 tie at 2:17 of the second period and the Warriors went on to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Brett Howden scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him 21, while D Tyler Brown had three assists and was plus-5. . . . White, who has 17 goals, also had two assists, while F Jesse Shynkaruk and F Jiri Smejkal each had a goal and an assist. D Austin Adam helped out with two assists. . . . Smejkal has 12 goals; Shynkaruk has nine. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point scored his 36th goal after undergoing concussion protocol following a first-period collision with teammate Tanner Jeannot. . . . F Jake DeBrusk got No. 39 for the Broncos. . . . Warriors G Zach Sawchenko was sharp, with 41 saves. . . . F Tanner Eberle, listed as day-to-day on the injury report that was released earlier in the day, was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski didn’t play for the Warriors. . . . The Warriors (31-34-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos (32-33-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . .

The Regina Pats were the St. Pats last night as they wore special uniforms
for a St. Patrick's Day game with visiting Brandon.
(Terry Massey photo)

In Regina, F Nolan Patrick returned to Brandon’s lineup and scored twice, leading the Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. (Actually, they were the St. Pats for one game only). . . . F Braden Christoffer opened the scoring, getting his 26th goal for the Pats just three minutes into the first period. . . . Patrick, who hadn’t played since Feb. 15, tied it at 6:41. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville broke the tie with his 27th goal at 5:03 of the second. . . . Patrick got his 28th goal at 5:39 of the third. . . . Former Pats F Morgan Klimchuk got his 33rd goal into an empty net at 18:13. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny made 24 saves, three fewer than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-for-6. . . . The Wheat Kings (52-11-7) have won five in a row. . . . The Pats (37-23-10) are 2-1-1 in their last four games. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 3-3 tie with four third-period goals as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 7-3. . . . The Americans, trailing 3-1, tied the score with two shorthanded goals late in the second period. . . . F Beau McCue scored his 25th goal of the season at 16:10 and F Justin Gutierrez got No. 11 at 18:46. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs broke the tie with his 15th goal at 6:15 of the third and D Shea Theodore added his 12th, shorthanded, at 7:35. . . . Lipsbergs provided more insurance with a goal at 13:36. . . . Seattle also got three goals from F Scott Eansor. He scored twice in the first period, at 0:13 and 9:27, then filled his hat for the first time with an empty-netter at 15:09 of the third. he’s got 14 goals. . . . That was Seattle’s first three-goal game this season. . . . Eansor also had an assist, giving him his first four-point game. . . . F Nolan Volcan assisted on each of Eansor’s goals for his first three-point game. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Calvin Spencer each had two assists for Seattle. . . . F Alexander True, listed as day-today on the injury report earlier in the day, returned to the Thunderbirds’ lineup. . . . Seattle (35-25-9) had lost its previous game. . . . The Americans (29-37-3) have lost two in a row.
——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
——

THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled.
——

FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
——

SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
——

SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Kootenay at Calgary, 2 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.
Everett at Spokane 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON
———

Scott Eansor becomes the first US-born @SeattleTbirds player to score a hat trick since Colin Jacobs (@Colin_Jacobs19) on 12/03/10 @ PG.
— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) March 18, 2015

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Concern for Ice's future . . . Lamb out of hospital . . . Big night in Prince George

For the last couple of years, a rumour has surfaced every so often that goes something like this . . . the owners of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets are close to purchasing the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and relocating the franchise to the Manitoba capital. The Kootenay Ice would then pack up and leave Cranbrook for Lethbridge.
Well, now comes word, courtesy of Tim Campbell of the Winnipeg Free Press right here, that the Jets are on the verge of moving their AHL franchise, the St. John’s IceCaps, from Newfoundland to Winnipeg in time for next season. Yes, it would be the rebirth of the Manitoba Moose.
At the same time, there is speculation that the Hamilton Bulldogs, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, will move to St. John’s.
But where does that leave the Lethbridge-to-Winnipeg rumour?
It would be dead in the water, at least for now.
There is speculation that moving the IceCaps to Winnipeg would be a temporary move, with the Jets continuing to look for a home for the franchise that is closer to Manitoba than St. John’s. Perhaps that would mean finding a city in close proximity to the AHL’s new Pacific Division.
The AHL’s board of governors is scheduled to meet during the approaching week, so there no doubt will be more heard about this subject in the days to come.
Meanwhile, make no mistake about one thing — there is real concern about Cranbrook’s WHL franchise.
In a recent interview with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, WHL commissioner Ron Robison was asked: “Have you had much thought or many talks about expansion or relocation?”
His response: “None at this point. There is no future expansion planned. Our goal is to keep our franchises where they currently are. Obviously, there are challenges. We’re monitoring the Kootenay situation very closely. Lethbridge ownership is another area we’re monitoring very closely as well. Any market that is undergoing some challenges, we’re certainly on top of that and concerned. Particularly in Kootenay’s case, the viability of that franchise long term.”
Asked about the issues posed by having 12 teams in one conference (Eastern) and 10 in the other (Western), Robison suggested: “In an ideal world, we’d love to have balanced conferences with 11 and 11. That would make the most sense. It wouldn’t balance our divisions, but it would balance our conferences.”
So let’s start speculating that perhaps the Ice would be better served playing out of Abbotsford, B.C., where there is a 7,000-seat facility that doesn’t have a major hockey-playing tenant.
Were the Ice to end up there, it would mean a move from the WHL’s Central Division to the B.C. Division, leaving the former with five teams and the latter with six. That would leave each conference with 11 teams.
This season, through 33 home games, the Ice’s average attendance is 2,231, up four from last season. Only the Swift Current Broncos (2,127) have a lower average.
In 2012-13, the Ice averaged 2,411 per game.
———


Mark Lamb, the general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos, was released from Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current on Saturday. Lamb spent Friday night there, thus missing the Broncos’ 3-2 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . He also missed last night’s game against the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . According to the Broncos, Lamb will rejoin the team “after the weekend.” . . . The Broncos, who have lost six straight, are at home to the Regina Pats on Wednesday.
———
There is no relationship in sports like that between a baseball player and his glove. That is the case, no matter the age group or the level of play. Billy Witz of The New York Times takes a look right here at players with the New York Yankees and how they treat their gloves.
———

THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (6 games remaining) — Will finish atop the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1995-96. Will face second wild-card team, presently Edmonton, in first round. . . . Two points behind Kelowna (6) in chase for first place overall. . . . At home to Moose Jaw on Tuesday.
2. Regina (7) clinched second in division last night. Will meet third-place team, presently Swift Current (7), in first round. . . . In Prince Albert on Tuesday. This is a makeup date for a game that was blizzarded out on Feb. 14.
3. Swift Current (6) has lost six in a row and now leads Moose Jaw (6) by two points. . . . At home to Regina on Wednesday.
4. Moose Jaw (6) is two points behind Swift Current. . . . Has won three straight and is 7-2-1 in last 10. . . . In Brandon on Tuesday.
5. Prince Albert (7) is six points behind Moose Jaw. . . . At home to Regina on Tuesday.
6. Saskatoon (6) won’t be in the playoffs.. . . In Edmonton on Tuesday.
——
CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (6) is tied with Calgary atop the division. But Medicine Hat has more victories (41-40) at the moment. . . . Will play Kootenay in Cranbrook on Friday.
2. Calgary (6) is nine games into a franchise-record 11-game road trip. . . . Won’t play again until Friday in Red Deer.
3. Red Deer (6) is five points off the pace. . . . At home to Saskatoon on Wednesday.
4. Kootenay (6) is 10 points behind Red Deer, and holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Lethbridge on Tuesday.
5. Edmonton (5) is in the second wild-card spot, one point behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Saskatoon on Tuesday.
6. Lethbridge (7) is out of the playoffs for a sixth straight season.
——
B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (6) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and will play the second wild-card team, presently Tri-City (6) in the first round. . . . Leads the overall standings by two points over Brandon. . . . At home to Victoria on Wednesday.
2. Victoria (6) will finish second and meet the third-place team — right now, that’s Prince George (6) — in the first round. . . . They split two games in Prince George on the weekend. . . . In Kelowna on Wednesday.
3. Prince George (6) is third, thanks to a 5-0-1 run. It is 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . . Prince George is four points ahead of Kamloops (6) and six up on Vancouver (6). . . . In Kamloops on Wednesday.
4. Kamloops (6) will meet Prince George four times in the next two weeks. They’ll play Wednesday in Kamloops, March 18 and 20 in Prince George, and March 21 in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers also are two points behind Tri-City (6), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
5. Vancouver (6) has lost six straight and is two points behind Kamloops and four behind Tri-City. . . . At home to Spokane on Tuesday.
——
U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (6) is in first place, four points ahead of Portland (8). If Everett finishes first, it will play the first wild-card team, presently Spokane (8), in the first round. . . . At home to Portland on Wednesday.
2. Portland (8) is on an 8-0-2 roll. The second-place team will play the third-place team, Seattle (6), in the first round. . . . In Everett on Wednesday.
3. Seattle (6) trails Portland by eight points. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
4. Spokane (8) is in the first wild-card spot, nine points behind Seattle and seven ahead of Tri-City (6). . . . In Vancouver on Tuesday.
5. Tri-City (6) is in the second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Kamloops and four up on Vancouver. . . . Entertains Prince George on Friday.
——

IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
——
Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, F Reid Gardiner scored the game’s last two goals, both via the PP, to give the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Gardiner, who has 31 goals, tied the game 3-3at 12:01 of the second period and snapped the tie at 6:50 of the third. . . . F Simon Stransky and F Austin Glover drew assists on both goals. . . . The Raiders led 2-0 after one period, only to have the Hurricanes scored three second-period goals, two of them by F Giorgio Estephan, who now has 20 goals. . . . F Brayden Burke had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . Once again, Hurricanes G Stuart Skinner shone, this time with 55 saves. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride stopped 21 shots. . . . Each team was 2-for-4 on the PP. . . . Lethbridge D Nick Walters played in his 300th regular-season game. Walters, from Spruce Grove, Alta., has played 145 games with Everett, 50 with Brandon and 105 with Lethbridge. . . . The Raiders (27-35-3) have won three straight. . . . The Hurricanes slipped to 20-37-8. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Torrin White scored three times to lead the Warriors to a 7-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . White opened the scoring at 1:53 of the first period, made it 3-0 at 13:46 of the first and completed his hat trick at 1:06 of the second to make it 5-0. . . . White has 15 goals. . . . The Warriors scored four times in the first period. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point scored his 32nd goal and added three assists, while F Brett Howden notched his 18th goal and had two helpers, and F Axel Blomqvist drew three helpers. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 28 shots. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-for-7 on the PP; the Blades were 1-for-5. . . . The Warriors honoured the Snowbirds aerobatics team by wearing special jerseys in the warmup. Snowbirds members were in the dressing room prior to the game and on the bench during warmup. . . . The Warriors (29-32-5) have won three in a row. . . . The Blades (19-43-4) have lost three straight. . . .

In Brandon, F Morgan Klimchuk had two goals and two assists as the Wheat Kings dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 9-1. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville broke a 1-1 tie with his 17th goal at 4:57 of the second period and the Wheat Kings ran away from there. . . . Klimchuk, who has 29 goals, is riding a 10-game point streak. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his 40th goal and added two assists as he ran his point streak to 22 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He’s got 47 points, including 15 goals, in that streak. It’s the longest point streak by a Wheat Kings skater since F Cory Cyrenne went 23 games in 1997-98. . . . McGauley also went over 200 career regular-season points. He now has 202 points in 219 games. This season, he’s got 97 points, three shy of the WHL scoring leader, F Trevor Cox of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored twice and added an assist for Brandon. He’s got 26 goals, with eight of them coming in his last four games. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored his fifth goal and added two assists, while F Jayce Hawryluk scored his 26th goal and had an assist. D Matt Taraschuk had two assists. . . . Brandon was 4-for-5 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-1. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 22 shots as he became the first WHL goaltender to 40 victories this season. He is the first Wheat Kings goaltender with at least 40 victories since Glen Hanlon set the WHL single-season record of 49 in 1976-77. . . . The Wheat Kings (48-11-7) last won 50 games in 2009-10. . . . The Broncos (30-31-5) have lost six in a row. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .


In Edmonton, F Davis Koch broke a 2-2 tie with his eighth goal of the season at 17:24 of the third period as the Oil Kings beat the Calgary Hitmen, 3-2. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer had tied the game with his 23rd goal at 1:45 of the third. . . . The Hitmen took a 1-0 lead on F Adam Tambellini’s 45th goal at 12:42 of the first, on a PP. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo tied it with his 13th goal, on the PP, at 15:38. . . . The Hitmen took the lead when D Travis Sanheim scored his 12th goal, on the PP, at 13:51 of the second. . . . Tambellini, Sanheim and Mayo also had an assist apiece. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 28 shots, four more than Calgary’s Brendan Burke. . . . Calgary was 2-for-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-for-5. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Marshall Donald, who was on crutches after Friday’s 6-4 loss to visiting Regina. Donald was acquired from the Hitmen in January. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 31-29-7. . . . Calgary (40-21-5) has two games left in its franchise-record 11-game road trip. It is 6-3-0 with games left in Red Deer on Friday and Lethbridge on Saturday. . . .

In Red Deer, D Haydn Fleury broke a 3-3 tie at 7:20 of the third period and the Rebels went on to beat the Regina Pats, 5-3. . . . Fleury has six goals. . . . F Riley Sheen, who also had two assists, scored his 20th goal into an empty net at 18:38 of the third. . . . F Adam Musil gave Red Deer a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 2:03 of the first period. He’s got 14 goals. . . . The Pats went ahead on goals by D Chase Harrison, his third, at 3:00 of the second and D Colby Williams, his ninth, just 17 seconds later. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper assisted on both goals. . . . Red Deer F Reese Johnson pulled his guys even with a breakaway goal at 18:35 of the second and D Bart Cote broke the tie 13 seconds later. Johnson has two goals; Cote has eight. . . . Regina F Braden Christoffer scored his 24th goal, on a PP, 53 seconds into the third period. . . . Each team was 1-for-2 on the PP. . . . Red Deer G Taz Burman stopped 23 shots. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown turned aside 29 shots. . . . The Pats had Cole Sears backing up Brown. Daniel Wapple took a high shot on Friday night and now is listed as day-to-day. . . . Sears, 17, is from Red Deer. . . . . The Rebels (35-21-10) have won three in a row. . . . The Pats (35-21-9) are 2-1-1 in their last four games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer posted his second shutout in three games as the Tigers beat the Kootenay Ice, 1-0. . . . Langhamer has two shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . The game was about one hour late in starting after the Ice encountered some mechanical with their bus while en route to Medicine Hat. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford score the game’s lone goal, getting No 48 at 3:36 of the first period. . . . Langhamer finished with 16 saves, 15 fewer than the Ice’s Wyatt Hoflin. . . . Kootenay was 0-for-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-for-2. . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox drew an assist on the game’s first goal as he became the WHL’s first 100-point man this season. . . . Cox also leads the WHL in assists, with 75. . . . Tigers D Tommy Vannelli was back in the lineup after missing 18 games with a broken finger, while D Ty Stanton (ribs) returned after a two-game absence. . . . The Tigers are 41-22-3. . . . The Ice (33-29-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

In Vancouver, the Everett Silvertips scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Giants, 3-1. . . . F Tyler Benson scored his 14th goal for the Giants at 7:52 of the first. . . . Everett F Remi Laurencelle tied it with his 20th goal at 1:39 of the second and D Cole MacDonald broke the tie with his 10th goal at 2:15 of the third on a PP. . . . MacDonald also had an assist. . . . F Matt Fonteyne added insurance with his sixth goal at 6:21 of the third. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 25 shots, while Vancouver G Payton Lee kicked out 27. . . . The Giants lost F Vladimir Bobylev with an undisclosed injury after he took a hit from Everett F Logan Aasman in the first period. . . . Vancouver F Zane Jones was in the lineup despite having incurred a boarding major and game misconduct on Friday night. The WHL announced Saturday afternoon that no further discipline would be forthcoming. . . . The Silvertips (40-19-7) have won three in a row. . . . The Giants (26-37-3) have dropped six straight. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on the game right here. . . .

In Prince George, F Taylor Crunk scored in the 11th round of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 4-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Cougars had beaten the Royals 4-3 on Friday night. . . . Last night, the Royals took a 3-0 lead in the latter part of the second period, thanks to goals from D Chaz Reddekopp, his fifth, F Brandon Magee, his 19th, and D Ryan Gagnon, his first. . . . This was a special night for F Tyler Mrkonjic — more on him later — and he got the Cougars on the board with his eighth goal, at 17:27 of the second period. . . . D Tomas Andrlik pulled the home side to within a goal with his third at 5:10 of the third. . . . F Chase Witala tied it with No. 33, on a PP, at 16:59. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker, the first shooter in the breakaway contest, scored. . . . F Zach Pochiro, shooting third, kept the Cougars’ chances alive. . . . That was all the goals until Crunk scored to end it. . . . Prince George F Jansen Harkins had one assist, his 58th this season. That tied the Prince George single-season record set by F Quinn Hancock in 1997-98. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 31 shots. . . . Royals G Coleman Vollrath made 31 saves. . . . The Cougars were 1-for-7 on the PP; the Royals were 0-for-2. . . . The Royals (35-27-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Cougars (28-33-5) had won their previous five games. . . . The attendance was 5,404, with the Cougars’ owners guaranteeing the biggest 50/50 draw in franchise history. The winning number is to be posted on the team’s website. . . . The other half of the draw is to go to the Shelly L. Mrkonjic ALS Research Fund. Shelly, who died of ALS in 2006, was Tyler’s mother. So it was only fitting that he should score on what had to be a special night for the family. . . .

In Portland, F Paul Bittner scored three times and added two assists as the Winterhawks dumped the Tri-City Americans, 6-2. . . . Bittner, who has 32 goals, scored the game’s first goal, at 7:29 of the first period. He made it 3-1 with a PP goal at 16:26 of the first and then got the game’s final goal, at 18:20 of the third. . . . Portland F Nic Petan continued his amazing run with three more assists. He has 20 helpers in his last six game. In his last 20 games, Petan has five goals and 39 assists. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had two assists, but his franchise-record goal streak ended at 12 games. With 97 points, he is three off the WHL lead. . . . Portland F Miles Koules scored his 25th goal and added an assist. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo came up short on a penalty shot in the second period. . . . G Adin Hill stopped 30 shots for Portland, while Tri-City’s Evan Sarthou turned aside 46. . . . Portland was 3-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-3. . . . The Winterhawks (39-20-5) are 8-0-2 in their last 10. . . . Tri-City (28-35-3) has lost two in a row. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Jackson Playfair gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with his 11th goal, on a PP, at 1:28 of the first period. . . . Kamloops D Cole Martin tied it with his sixth goal at 5:34 of the second and F Tate Coughlin gave the Rockets their first lead with his second goal of the season at 5:58. . . . F Chase Braid upped the lead to 3-1 with goal No. 12 at 12:17. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored his 18th goal and added an assist. . . . Martin and Braid also had assists, while F Leon Draisaitl had two of them as he ran his point streak to 11 games. . . . Draisaitl has 43 points, including 16 goals, in 26 games since joining the Rockets from the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . The Rockets remain without D Josh Morrissey, F Rourke Chartier and F Justin Kirkland. . . . With the victory, the Rockets (50-11-5) have won 50 games for a third straight season. The only other WHL teams to have done that are the Kamloops Blazers (1989-92) and Edmonton Oil Kings (2011-14). . . . The Chiefs (31-29-4) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Kent, Wash., D Jared Hauf broke a 1-1 tie at 15:36 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-1. . . . F Cory Millette gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with his 21st goal, at 4:53 of the second period. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham tied it with his 23rd goal, at 17:16 of the second period. . . . Hauf then scored his third of the season. . . . Seattle F Nick Holowko scored his fifth goal into an empty net at 19:16 of the third. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal had two assists. . . . The Blazers had won the first three games of the four-game season series. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 39 shots, 10 more than Cole Ingram of the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 0-for-2 on the PP; Seattle’s PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . The Thunderbirds improved to 33-24-9. . . . The Blazers (24-34-7) are 3-1-1 in their last five games.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled
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MONDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled
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TUESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
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T

According to our research, @TimBozon94 is the first WHL player w/ 4 consecutive 30 goal seasons since Chris St. Jacques (MH, 00-01 - 03-04).
— Kootenay ICE (@WHLKootenayICE) March 7, 2015

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Giants owner issues news release

This news release issued on Saturday needs no further comment:
VANCOUVER, BC — Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo has issued the following statement regarding Giants players Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck:
Due to an incident that took place on August 18 at a Tsawwassen house party, both players will be in court on November 20th to have these matters dealt with.
We cannot comment on the charges or the likely outcome at this time, and hopefully this will all be behind us after that court date.
What we can say is that our players are held to a higher standard and, for the most part, live up to that.
This is the first instance that we have had a player have to go to court and that is unfortunate.
Both Jackson and Brett have been, and are, exceptional people.
They have been good students, and have put in many hours of community service hours through school visits and the Read to Succeed program, Odd Squad with Chris Graham of the Vancouver Police, and hospital visits with the Giants' Christmas program.
Both these players have been, and are, very good citizens and have been good members of our community.
It is unfortunate that one negative incident gets the attention instead of all the good things that have been done.
They are both prepared to deal with whatever the court decides.
Please appreciate and understand that the players and anyone from the Vancouver Giants organization cannot comment on any of these legal matters.
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There isn't much doubt that the biggest challenge facing minor hockey in Canada is the cost of playing the game.
A friend with five-year-old twins found that out this autumn as the boys were equipped and registered to play in an initiation 'Fun Hockey' program.
Here's a look at what it cost to get started:
Skates were $89 each.
Equipment was $138.50 each.
Registration was $205 each.
They owned helmets, otherwise the cost would have been even more. As it was, he said they spent $964 total.
The friend added that had he and his wife registered their boys in the initiation program operated by their city's minor hockey association, the registration fee would have been $620 each and he estimated it would have ended up costing $1,795 in total.
"Next year," he figures, "we would have the hockey gear costs except for new elbow pads, helmets and skates and we are still looking at $1,400. Hopefully, all of their gear fits but I know the elbow pads won't."
On the same subject, James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail takes a look at minor hockey and the costs right here. Should my friend's two boys end up playing rep hockey, he had better hope he wins a lottery in order to pay their way.
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Congratulations to Brian Coates and Tom Thompson, two men with ties to the WHL, both of whom are among the 2014 class of inductees to the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. . . . Coates (Brandon, 1971-72) is from Roland, Man., while Thompson was the last general manager of the Winnipeg Warriors, before the WHL franchise picked up and moved to Moose Jaw in 1984.
From the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame news release:
"Brian Coates . . . was an outstanding batter, fielder, pitcher, competitor, and leader by example, for the great Carman Goldeyes Junior and Senior dynasties of the 1970s and '80s. When not pitching, Brian played 1st or 3rd base and was always one of their top performers. He was a feared batter for both average and power and often a league leader in several offensive categories. In his career, Brian played on many all-star teams highlighted by winning the Western Canada Senior Championship in Nanaimo, B.C., with the the Redboine all-stars in 1978. Brian also enjoyed a successful professional hockey career after being drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1972."
"From 1972 to 1991, Tom (Thompson) was a driving force on the Winnipeg and Manitoba baseball scene. He began his coaching career with the Issac Brock Royals and achieved immediate success by capturing Manitoba Bantam titles in 1973 and ’74 and Provincial Midget titles in 1975 and '76. Tom was one of the founding members of the reformed Manitoba Junior Baseball League in 1977. He became owner, operator, and coach of the South End Chiefs for 10 years and his teams were highly competitive and annually one of the top teams in the league. In 1981, Tom coached Team Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games. In 1987, Tom took over the Elmwood Giants Junior Team and in his first year at the helm captured the MJBL crown and the Western Canada Junior championship and then added another MJBL title in 1990. Over the years, Tom also served on the MBA executive as Competition and Development Chair and served in similar capacities with the Winnipeg Minor Baseball Association."
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G Spencer Tremblay, 19, who has had stints with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Red Deer Rebels and Regina Pats, now is with the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs. They have acquired the Winnipegger from the MJHL's Waywayseecappo Wolverines for future considerations.
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SUDBURY SATURDAY NIGHT:
In Swift Current, the Broncos ran their winning streak to seven games with a 6-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Swift Current took control with four goals before the game was 15 minutes old. . . . Broncos F Colby Cave had two goals and an assist, while D Julius Honka drew three assists. . . . Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen made 40 saves. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Torrin White scored at 3:59 of OT to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Blades. . . . Still, the Blades went 2-0-1 in playing three games in three nights in three different cities. . . . The Warriors had lost five straight. . . . White, who has six goals, finished with two goals and an assist. . . . Saskatoon D Ryan Coghlan forced OT with a PP goal at 12:44 of the third period as the Blades erased a 3-1 deficit. . . . Moose Jaw F Josh Uhrich, who scored his first goal of the season Friday, added another one in this game. Uhrich, 17, also added an assist as he doubled his point total. He's got four in 21 games. Last season, as a freshman, he had four points, one of them a goal, in 58 games. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak had his point streak snapped at 13 games. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Red Deer Rebels scored three PP goals and beat the Hurricanes, 4-3. . . . The Rebels finished a six-game road swing at 3-3. . . . The Hurricanes, now 2-16-3, have lost nine in a row. . . . Red Deer D Haydn Fleury had three assists. . . . F Rhyse Dieno gave the visitors a 4-1 lead with his seventh goal, on the PP, at 10:50 of the second. . . . The Hurricanes got late second-period goals from F Jamal Watson and F Brady Ramsay, but couldn't beat G Patrick Bartosak in the third period. . . .

In Calgary, F Curtis Valk scored the only goal of the shootout as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Hitmen, 3-2. . . . Medicine Hat G Daniel Wapple stopped 36 shots through OT and added three more in the skills competition. . . . Calgary D Kenton Helgesen scored with 10.3 seconds left in the third period to tie it 2-2. . . . Calgary has lost three straight. . . . Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk scored in his second game back from a hip injury. He hadn't played since Oct. 23. He has 11 points, five of them goals, in nine games. . . . Shinkaruk also scored an 'own' goal, beating Wapple through the five-hole early in the first period. “I hadn’t been back in the lineup for awhile,” a joking Shinkaruk told Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun. “I thought I might as well get my first goal and work on it from there.” In explaining what happened, Shinkaruk added: “I saw it there and I panicked. I tried to take it to the corner and I guess I picked (Wapple’s) five-hole pretty good. It was a little bit of a tough skate back to the bench, but luckily enough, I got another one (at the other end) to even it out.” . . .

In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 25 shots to help the Rockets to a 2-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . With the victory, their seventh straight, the Rockets (14-2-2) moved into a tie with the Portland Winterhawks (14-4-2) atop the overall standings. . . . Cooke has two shutouts this season and seven in his career. . . . WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) notes that, going back to last season, Cooke is 16-0-2 in his last 18 regular-season starts. . . . The Oil Kings had put up three shutouts in a row going into this one. . . . The shutout streak ended at 257 minutes 44 seconds when F Justin Kirkland scored his fourth goal, via the PP, at 9:34 of the second period. . . . The Oil Kings, who were 0-for-8 on the PP, had a four-game winning streak ended as they finished 6-2-0 in a road swing. They were playing their fifth game in seven nights. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Regina Pats began a U.S. Division tour with a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds, who now have lost four in a row. . . . Regina held a 54-31 edge in shots. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored twice for Regina, which has won three straight. He got the Pats' first two goals, at which point he had figured in six straight Regina scores. . . . Regina F Braden Christoffer broke a 2-2 tie at 8:50 of the third period and F Boston Leier made it 4-2 at 11:18 on the PP. . . . Regina D Connor Gay had a career-high three assists. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear, 16, didn't play after leaving the previous night's game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Pats arrived in Kent on Friday and watched the first two periods of the Thunderbirds' 5-3 loss to the Victoria Royals. . . . Seattle F Justin Hickman took a boarding major and game misconduct at 3:03 of the third period for a hit on Regina D Tye Hand. . . . Hand, who needed help leaving the ice and didn't return, was playing his fifth game since returning from a suspected brain injury. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 23 shots to help the Kootenay Ice to a 3-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Hoflin is shouldering the load with G Mackenzie Skapski injured. . . . F Austin Vetterl's fourth goal, a PP snipe at 18:49 of the second period, gave the home side a 3-1 lead and stood up as the winner. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg became the first WHLer to 50 points as he notched his 23rd goal and an assist. He leads the WHL in goals, assists (28) and points (51). . . . F Mike Aviani, the other half of Spokane's Daily Double, got his 18th goal. . . . Spokane F Dominic Zwerger, who I don't believe returned to Friday night's game after getting into a fight with F Brady Ramsay of the host Lethbridge Hurricanes just nine seconds into the first period, was scratched. Zwerger, 17, is a freshman from Austria. That was the first fight of his WHL career and came in his 13th game. His only other penalty this season? A headshot major in his first game. . . . The Ice scratched F Jaeden Descheneau, its second-leading scorer. The move was a coach's decision. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game's last four goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1. . . . D Brett Kulak scored twice for the Vancouver. . . . D Dmitry Osipov, the first selection in the CHL's 2013 import draft, scored his first WHL goal in the second period and it stood up as the winner. . . . Kulak has nine goals this season. . . . The Cougars have lost seven in a row. . . .

In Portland, F Brandon Magee scored 31 seconds into OT was the Victoria Royals beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . That was Magee's second goal of the game. . . . The Royals ventured into the U.S. Division and won twice in two nights. They beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds 5-3 on Friday night. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath turned aside 41 shots. . . . Magee has five goals this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 16th goal as he ran his point streak to 14 games, the longest in the WHL at the moment. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brian Williams scored a PP goal 18 seconds in OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Williams, who has 16 goals, scored twice and set up another. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored his 15th goal at 4:58 of the third period, on a PP, to force OT. . . . Tri-City F Ty Comrie and F Phil Tot, both of whom sat out Friday's game, were back for this one. . . . The Silvertips had won three in a row.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Kris Russell (Medicine Hat, 2003-07) has returned to Finland and TPS Turku (SM-Liiga) after recovering from an undisclosed injury suffered in the first shift of his second game with TPS on Sept. 30. Video highlights showed that he had a shot go off the inside of his right foot. Russell was expected to arrive in Turku on Tuesday and will play in Friday's game against Jokerit Helsinki. He has one goal and one assist in the two games he has played with TPS this season. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He started the season with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), where he had one goal and three assists in nine games. Ross is scheduled to join Augsburg in time for practice today.
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The Swift Current Broncos have assigned F Dakota Odgers, 16, to the midget AAA Yorkton Harvest. Odgers was the 24th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He had 12 penalty minutes in six games with the Broncos. Last season, in 43 games with the Harvest, he had 36 points, including 19 goals, and 35 penalty minutes.
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According to Brian Wiebe, who keeps close tabs on the BCHL, G Adam Todd, 18, who got into 11 games last season with the Saskatoon Blades, was involved in a trade on Tuesday as he moved from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . The Smokies then dropped G Braden Krogfoss, 17, from their roster. Krogfoss was an eighth-round selection of the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. He had a good camp with the Blazers prior to this season before going to Trail.
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TUESDAY’S STUFF:
The Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals as they opened a seven-game road trip with a 7-6 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock got his side to within one, at 6-5, at 8:38 of the third and D Ryley Miller tied it at 10:28. . . . Pulock got the winner just 22 seconds after that and that was the first time Brandon led in this one. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia also scored twice for Brandon. . . . F Elgin Pearce had two goals for the Tigers. . . . Brandon trailed 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 in this one. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-2. . . . F Torrin White had two goals and two assists, with three of his points coming via the PP. . . . White, a 17-year-old sophomore from Balzac, Alta., has eight points in 10 games. He had 17 points in 62 games last season. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers remained the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time as they dumped the Rebels 4-0 in Red Deer. . . . Freshman G Taran Kozun stopped 32 shots for his first WHL shutout. . . . F Colin Smith had a goal and two assists. F Tim Bozon added two goals and F JC Lipon had two assists, giving that line a seven-point night. . . . The Blazers improved to 9-0-1 as they ran their winning streak to seven. They meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton tonight. . . . Lipon, who has won back-to-back WHL and CHL player of the week honours, now has a WHL-leading 24 points, three more than Smith. . . . The Smith-Bozon-Lipon line has combined for 60 points in 10 games. . . . With 19 points, the Blazers are off to the best 10-game start in franchise history. . . . The Rebels have followed a three-game winning streak with two straight losses. . . .

The Tri-City Americans won their fourth straight game, beating the host Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 in a shootout. . . . According to the WHL’s online scoresheet, Tri-City F Jesse Mychan pulled the visitors into a 1-1 tie at 2:02 of the third period. However, according to an Americans news release, F Connor Rankin got the equalizer. . . . F Brian Williams and Rankin then scored in the circus, while Prince Albert was blanked. . . . Tri-City D Brodie Clowes (shoulder) played his first game with the Americans. He was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Sept. 12. . . . However, the Americans were without D Mitch Topping (undisclosed) and F Ryan Chynoweth (shoulder). Topping was injured Saturday in Brandon. Chynoweth went down Sunday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row on their East Division swing and five straight on the road, face the Blades in Saskatoon tonight. Tri-City is 1-14 in Saskatoon, with that lone victory in 1995-96. . . . The Raiders are off until Friday when they play host to the Everett Silvertips. . . .

G Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Driedger has one shutout this season and four in his career. . . . F Zane Jones scored twice for Calgary. . . . G Mac Engel, acquired by the Cougars from the Spokane Chiefs on Monday, came in at 13:59 of the second period, with his side trailing 5-0, and stopped all 20 shots he faced. . . . Prince George started G Brett Zarowny, meaning G Devon Fordyce was a scratch. In fact, he is headed home to Cochrane, Alta., to await a move. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek drew three assists, running his point streak to 10 games. . . . The Hitmen set a franchise record for shots in one period, when they had 27 in the second. . . .

Russian F Alex Delnov had two goals and two assists to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Delnov has four goals. . . . Seattle has won three in a row and four of five. . . . F Connor Sanvido, with his first two goals of the season, and F Luke Lockhart also had two goals for Seattle. Lockhart’s second was an empty-netter. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored his 10th of the season for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had two assists, giving him a career total of 147 points. That broke the Chiefs’ franchise record of 146 assists by a defenceman that had been held by Frank Evans (1988-92). Kichton also holds the franchise career records for goals (48) and points (195) by a defenceman.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Joey Santucci, Prince Albert
F Matt Needham, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F JC Lipon, Kamloops
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Portland Winterhawks G Brendan Burke (@bburke_1): “First time ever watching a debate not gonna take sides on twitter because I don’t feel like being criticized right now #debate”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a one-month contract with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B) and had one goal and two assists in his first game with the club on Saturday, a 6-3 victory over Lausanne. He went pointless in six exhibition games during a one month tryout with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) in August. Last season, Svensson has four goals and 14 assists in 55 games for Timrå (Sweden, Elitserien).
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A couple of thoughts after watching the Medicine Hat Tigers score a 5-4 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops on Monday:
1. If you have the opportunity to watch the Tigers, get to the game. Right-winger Emerson Etem of the Tigers is worth it. Period. Etem, who is from Long Beach, Calif., has 12 goals in seven games and, with his combination of size and speed, has an opportunity to have one of those magical seasons.
2. Have you ever been punched directly on a temple? If so, you know it can stun you. In the third period, Kamloops D Josh Caron punched Medicine Hat F Kellan Tochkin on the right temple following a bit of a skirmish at the Tigers’ blue line. Tochkin went down in a hurry. Caron was hit with a double roughing minor. One of the two referees signalled for Tochkin to get up and go to the penalty box. However, Tochkin appeared a bit woozy, so trainer Mikki Lanuk came out, helped him up and took him to the hallway behind the bench, if not to the dressing room. While the announcement was a roughing penalty to Tochkin — for what, I can’t imagine — the online scoresheet showed him with an embellishment minor. That, folks, is a pretty tough embellishment call! (I attempted on numerous occasions to get on the WHL website after midnight, in order to see if that call was changed, but it would appear that the site was experiencing server problems.)
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SOME MONDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In  Moose Jaw, G Luke Siemens stopped 21 shots to lead the Warriors to a 6-0 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . It was his first shutout this season and the third of his career. . . . D Collin Bowman and F Torrin White each scored twice for Moose Jaw. . . . D Joshua Smith of the Cougars picked up a kneeing major early in the second period and can count on hearing from the WHL office. . . . The Warriors lost F Sebastian Svendsen on that play and Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Svendsen “could be out for a while.” Svendsen, a 20-year-old from Denmark, will be re-evaluated today.
In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher scored his 100th WHL goal in the game’s first minute and the Giants went on to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-1. . . . Gallagher finished the first period with a goal and two assists, and finished the game with three goals and two helpers. . . . He has seven goals in four games. . . . Gallagher also is closing in on some Giants’ career marks. He now has 102 goals, third on the all-time list, behind Mitch Bartley (107) and Adam Courchaine (126). Gallagher also has 110 assists — 45 shy of Jon Blum’s franchise record. Gallagher’s 212 points is 61 behind Courchaine’s record. . . . James Henry and Marek Tvrdon, Gallagher’s linemates, each had a goal ad two assists. . . . The Giants continue to play without D Neil Manning (back) and he is expected to miss at least another week.
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JUST NOTES: The WHL’s board of governors will convene in Calgary this week and on Wednesday will announce the host city for the 2013 Memorial Cup. It’s down to Kelowna, Red Deer and Saskatoon. . . . The Spokane Chiefs have returned G Zach Rakochy, 18, to the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. He got into one game with the Chiefs. The move leaves the Chiefs with two goaltenders — Mac Engel and Luke Lee-Knight, who was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders last month. . . . F Brett Connolly picked up his first NHL point, an assist, on Monday as his Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 6-5 shootout decision to the host Washington Capitals. Connolly drew the secondary assist on F Dominic Moore’s goal 56 seconds into the second period. All told, Connolly, who has to be returned to the Prince George Cougars if the doesn’t stay with Tampa Bay, played 17 shifts for 12 minutes 46 seconds. That included a 57-second shift on a third-period penalty. . . . Meanwhile, in Columbus, the Blue Jackets made F Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks a healthy scratch for the second straight game.
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The always readable Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail takes a look at Kevin Cheveldayoff, the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, and how he got to where he is today.
That piece is right here.
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For today’s good read, we go to grantland.com and Michael Weinreb, who writes about quarterback Anthony Cavillo of the Montreal Alouettes, who has passed for more yards than any quarterback in the history of pro football.
That story is right here. 

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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