Wheaties, Pats deal . . . Ice, Thunderbirds win again . . . Royals end Chiefs' streak

D Tomáš Slovák (Kelowna, 2001-03) has signed for the rest of the season with Brynäs Gävle (Sweden, SHL). This season, with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had two goals and 15 assists in 30 games.
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THE LATEST ON LEON . . .

F Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers was a healthy scratch Friday night as the NHL team lost 2-1 in a shootout to the host Colorado Avalanche. Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal writes that “Draisaitl will travel with the team to Edmonton on Saturday and will be assigned (to the WHL) before the Oilers play the New York Islanders on Sunday night.” . . . Ireland’s story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired F Morgan Klimchuk, a two-time 30-goal scorer, from the Regina Pats. In return for Klimchuk, 19, the Wheat Kings have up sophomore F Jesse Gabrielle, 17. . . . Klimchuk, from Calgary, was selected by the Calgary Flames with the 28th overall pick of the NHL’s 2013 draft. He had 76 points, including 36 goals, in 72 games in 2012-13. Last season, he put up 74 points, 30 of them goals, in 57 games. . . . This season, he has 30 points, 14 of them goals, in 27 games with Regina. . . . In 228 regular-season games, he has 217 points, including 98 goals. . . . Klimchuk was the fifth overall selection in the 2010 WHL bantam draft. . . . In his final game with Regina, he scored the OT winner as the Pats beat the host Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-1, on Wednesday. . . . Klimchuk is expected to be in Brandon’s lineup tonight against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . Gabrielle, a fifth-round pick by Brandon in the 2012 bantam draft, had 25 points, 13 of them goals, in 33 games this season. The native of Moosomin, Sask., was in Regina’s lineup last night against visiting Moose Jaw.
Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, general manager and head coach, woke up Friday with his club having won four straight and owning just seven losses. While observers have long felt that McCrimmon was building for a serious run next season, he no doubt feels that there is an opportunity there right now.
“We’ve lost seven games up until New Year’s Day, so as much as people talk about our team being a next-year team, we owe it to this group to try to position ourselves to win also,” McCrimmon told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “We’re real comfortable with what our team looks like next year, but at the same time, our focus is on this year’s team. And when you go back and look at the history of deals, players like Morgan Klimchuk being moved, a lot of time the first piece (in return) is a first-round pick (in the WHL bantam draft), so for us to give up one player for one player, we like that aspect of it.”
Meanwhile, the Pats’ reasoning is quite simple: They have given up a few months of Klimchuk for a whole lot more of Gabrielle, who is one of those players you hate to play against buy love to have on your team. He also is capable of playing in all situations and can create offence.
Gabrielle told Henderson that the trade was “a mutual decision.”
The Pats and Wheat Kings next meet on Jan. 24 in Brandon.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more on the trade right here.
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F Max Gerlach, a 16-year-old from Flower Mound, Texas, has commited to the U of North Dakota. He was a sixth-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . Gerlach is playing with the U16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He has 21 goals and 17 assists in 19 games.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Dryden Hunt set up three goals as the Pats beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-4. . . . Hunt extended his points streak to nine games. . . . The Pats led 3-0 at 6:21 of the second, but the Warriors tied it on F Brett Howden’s 11th goal at 19:34 of the second period. . . . Regina F Connor Gay put his guys back in front at 8:13 of the third and F Pavel Padakin added insurance with a shorthanded goal at 9:22. He’s got nine goals. . . . Moose Jaw F Tanner Eberle got his second of the game, and 21st of the season, at 10:52 to get his guys to within one. . . . Regina D Nathan Mortlock scored his first goal at 15:47 to put it away. . . . Gay also had two assists. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle, acquired earlier in the day from Brandon, was in Regina’s lineup. He was pointless in his Pats debut. . . . The Warriors, who have lost 11 straight games to Regina, were 0-for-8 on the PP; the Pats were 1-for-5. . . . Warriors D Tyler Brown returned after missing 14 games with a hand injury. . . . Moose Jaw F Noah Gregor, playing his second game after returning from a 27-game absence, left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Moose Jaw was without D Alexey Sleptsov, who was injured while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Pats. . . . The Pats (24-12-2) have won four in a row. . . . The Warriors (15-20-4), who are at home to Prince Albert tonight, have lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . .

In Prince Albert, G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 2-0 victory over the Raiders. . . . Hart, a 16-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., posted his second WHL shutout and his second this season. . . . Everett D Ben Betker scored his second goal, on a PP, at 19:07 of the second period. . . . Everett F Carson Stadnyk added an empty-netter at 19:40 of the third. Stadnyk, who had a game-high six shots, has 13 goals this season. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 41 shots. . . . The Silvertips scratched D Kevin Davis with an undisclosed injury, so had D Jantzen Leslie, a 15-year-old from Lloydminster, Alta., in their lineup. . . . As Cody Nickolet (@DubFromAbove) pointed out, Davis’s absence meant that Cole MacDonald had “a new partner for the first time in at least 34 games.” . . . The game was Everett’s first on a six-game East Division tour. . . . Prior to the game, the Raiders announced that Czech D Tomas Andrlik will miss up to four weeks with an undisclosed injury. They also sent D Curtis Roach to the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. He was pointless in seven games with Prince Albert. . . . The Silvertips (22-11-4) had lost their previous two games. They are in Saskatoon tonight. . . The Raiders (16-22-1) have lost four in a row. They play visiting Moose Jaw tonight. . . .

In Edmonton, G Patrick Dea stopped 27 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving broke a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 9:47 of the third and F Brett Pollock made it 3-1 with his 16th at 15:18. . . . Lethbridge D Kord Pankewicz got his fourth at 19:26. . . . Hurricanes F Taylor Cooper scored his 11th goal. . . . Lethbridge D Andrew Nielsen picked up a headshot major and game misconduct at 6:03 of the second so undoubtedly will be hearing from the WHL office. . . . After the game, Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton told Brian Swane of the Edmonton Sun that Koep was “not great. He’s going to be our for a while.“ . . . The Oil Kings (18-16-5) have won two straight. They are at home to Kootenay tonight. . . . The Hurricanes (9-23-5), who have lost three in a row, entertain Red Deer tonight. . . .

In Red Deer, the Kootenay Ice opened up a 5-1 third-period lead and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Jon Martin had two goals, giving him six, and an assist for the Ice. . . . His first goal, at 11:32 of the second, gave the Ice a 3-0 lead. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau scored his 21st goal. . . . Ice F Matt Alfaro had two assists. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 38 shots. . . . F Brooks Maxwell scored twice for the Rebels, giving him 12. . . . Red Deer F Adam Musil returned after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Ice (21-17-1), which plays in Edmonton tonight, is 6-0-1 in its last seven. . . . The Rebels (20-14-5) had been 2-0-1 in their last three. They play in Lethbridge tonight. . . .

In Kamloops, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last four goals, all in the third period, and beat the Blazers, 6-4. . . . The Rockets, the first WHL team to 30 victories this season, weren’t good for 40 minutes, but special teams bailed them out in the third period. . . . Kamloops D Dawson Davidson scored his second WHL goal in three games at 17:42 of the second, on a PP, for a 3-2 lead and D Josh Connolly upped that to 4-2 with his fifth goal, on a PP, at 4:56 of the third. . . . Kelowna F Gage Quinney started the comeback with a shorthanded goal at 8:37 of the third. He’s got nine goals. . . . The Blazers lost F Luke Harrison to a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on D Devante Stephens at 10:20. . . . Rockets F Cole Linaker tied the game with his sixth goal, on the PP, at 13:26 and F Nick Merkley, with his 12th, gave the visitors the lead 1:10 later, still on the PP. . . . F Tyson Baillie iced it with his second of the game, an empty-netter, at 19:17. . . . Baillie and Merkley, who took at least three heavy checks in this one, each had two goals and an assist. . . . “They didn’t make it easy on (Merkley),” Rockets head coach Dan Lambert told the Kelowna Daily Courier. “They were going after him. But he’s a kid that doesn’t back down from anything. It sometimes wakes him up, and he certainly stepped up.” . . . The Rockets went 4-for-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 2-for-4. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 18 shots to improve his record to 5-0-0. . . . The Rockets have beaten Kamloops in 12 straight games, eight last season and the first four of this season. . . . The Blazers were without veteran D Brady Gaudet, who was injured in a 4-2 loss in Kelowna on Dec. 27. . . . The Blazers had Heather McVie-Gaunt, an opera singer with Kamloops ties who lives in Pittsburgh, sing O Canada prior to the game. Give her the game’s first star! But I do wonder if there are leather lungs yelling Go Steelers when she performs in Pittsburgh, or is it a junior hockey thing? . . . The Blazers (13-23-5) have lost five straight and entertain Vancouver tonight, while the Rockets (30-6-3) return home to face Prince George. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals erased an early 1-0 deficit as they beat the Spokane Chiefs, 8-1. . . . D Travis Brown led the winners with his 14th goal and three assists, while F Greg Chase added his eighth goal and two assists, and F Tyler Soy drew three assists. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee returned from an undisclosed injury and scored his 11th goal. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka scored the game’s first goal, his 19th. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 32 shots. . . . F Scott Walford made his debut with the Royals. From Coquitlam, he was the 18th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He is playing at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. . . . Mike Boyle, the radio voice of the Chiefs, called his 1,000th WHL game. . . . The Royals (19-18-3) have won two straight. . . . The Chiefs (21-13-3) had a seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . The same teams meet in Victoria tonight. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-4. . . . Vancouver D Mason Geertsen, who had two goals and an assist, broke a 4-4 tie at 16:41 of the third period with his seventh goal of the season. . . . Giants F Tyler Benson had tied the game with his eighth goal, on a PP, at 2:00 of the third. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala scored twice, his second goal, and 20th of the season, opening up a 4-1 lead at 2:53 of the second. . . . Vancouver D Brennan Menell had two assists. . . . Cougars F Jansen Harkins also had two assists. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter relieved starter Payton Lee at 2:19 of the second after the visitors took a 3-1 lead. Porter went on to stop 13 of 14 shots. . . . Cougars D Shane Collins scored his first goal. . . . The Giants were 2-for-8 on the PP; the Cougars were 2-for-6. . . . Vancouver (18-19-1) has won two in a row and now is one point behind the third-place Cougars in the B.C. Division. . . . The Cougars slipped to 19-20-0. . . . The Giants visit Kamloops tonight, while the Cougars are in Kelowna. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the only two goals of the shootout and beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls scored his fourth goal, on a PP, at 19:31 of the second period for a 1-0 lead. . . . Tri-City F Lucas Nickles tied it at 3:59 of the third. . . . Seattle F Nolan Volcan gave his guys the lead with his fourth goal at 10:28. . . . Nickles scored his 12th of the season at 19:15 to force OT. . . . Seattle F Lane Pederson and Neuls scored in the shootout. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor had two assists. . . . The Thunderbirds were without F Justin Hickman, who drew a two-game suspension for an incident he was involved in during a Wednesday game in Portland. . . . The Americans, meanwhile, were fined $750 for their part in a line brawl against the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. That was the Americans’ second such incident this season. . . . The Thunderbirds (19-15-4) have won six straight. . . . The Americans (18-17-2) have dropped two in a row. They are in Portland tonight.
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@Reganrant 35 + 6 = 40? #Einstein #Gotmygrade10 pic.twitter.com/2slKAgadQn
— Travis Crickard (@TCrickard1) January 3, 2015

@TCrickard1 You would make that same mistake if you celebrated with as much champagne as I did. #HappyNewYear
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) January 3, 2015

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Blades hope Bob can lead them out of the Woods

F Brandon Magee (Chilliwack/Victoria, 2009-14) has signed a tryout contract with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, Magee had 67 points, including 25 goals, in 65 games.
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1. Bob Woods, a defenceman for two seasons (1987-89) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, is headed back to the WHL as the next general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix broke the story on Twitter late Sunday afternoon. His piece is right here. . . . The Blades will introduce Woods at a news conference today. . . . From LeRoy, Sask., a community two hours east of Saskatoon, Woods, 46, has spent the last two-plus seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. . . . He has been in the coaching game for 17 seasons, including two as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals. He also has coached in the ECHL and the AHL, where he spent four seasons with the Hershey Bears. . . . He won AHL championships in Hershey as a player, assistant coach and head coach. . . . Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau, with whom Woods has a long history, is signed through 2014-15, while the contracts of Woods and fellow Ducks assistant Brad Lauer are up this month. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, reported that Woods signed a five-year contract that includes performance bonuses, including one that would reward him should the Blades be named the WHL's scholastic team of the year. . . .
The Blades, who won 16 games last season, are looking to replace Lorne Molleken and David Struch, the GM and head coach, respectively, who were released after last season.

2. Sooner or later, sporting teams are going to realize that, in this era of social media, there aren’t any secrets. The days of a team holding a news conference and having a new head coach walk out from behind a curtain to the surprise of many are over. . . . Word began to leak out early Sunday afternoon that the Saskatoon Blades had signed Bob Woods as their new general manager and head coach. . . . Late in the afternoon, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix tweeted a link to his story on the Woods signing. In that story, Nugent-Bowman noted that Blades managing partner Colin Priestner had declined comment. . . . Shortly after Nugent-Bowman’s story hit Twitter, the Blades’ own Twitter account confirmed the hiring in a series of tweets, and also revealed that a news conference will be held Monday morning. . . . With so much emphasis on social media and the immediacy it provides, it could be that the time has come for an organization, assuming it wants to control the story, to make an announcement as soon as a deal is done.

3. As you will have read in The MacBeth Report, F Brandon Magee, who turned 20 on Jan. 23, has signed a tryout deal with Kometa Brno of the Czech Republic’s Extraliga. . . . Should Magee return to the WHL for his 20-year-old season, he would miss the first 12 games. That’s because he drew a 12-game suspension from the WHL for two cross-checking incidents in the Victoria Royals’ final playoff game of last season. . . . Magee’s deal, and it’s only for a tryout, will be finalized upon completion of physical and medical testing. . . . Magee, who is from Edmonton, played one season with the Chilliwack Bruins and three with Victoria. In 268 regular-season games, he put up 203 points, including 90 goals.

4. F Steven Hodges of the Victoria Royals has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Hodges, from Yellowknife, turned 20 on May 5. Last season, he had 47 points, including 21 goals, in 52 games. In 247 regular-season games, he has 157 points, including 75 goals. He played one season with the Chilliwack Bruins and the last three with Victoria.

5. The deadline for NHL teams to sign players selected in the 2012 draft came and went over the weekend. It’s believed that a number of WHL players didn’t get NHL deals, so most will be eligible for the 2014 draft later this month. Among those players who went unsigned are D Travis Brown (Victoria, Chicago Blackhawks); F Alexander Delnov (Seattle, Florida Panthers); F Coda Gordon (Swift Current, Calgary Flames); F Logan Nelson (Victoria, Buffalo Sabres); D Dmitry Sinitsyn (Regina, Dallas Stars); F Tyrel Seaman (Brandon, St. Louis Blues); F Lukas Sutter (Red Deer, Winnipeg Jets); D Nick Walters (Lethbridge, St. Louis Blues; and F Mike Winther (Calgary, Dallas Stars). . . . Sutter and Nelson, who have completed their 20-year-old seasons, become unrestricted free agents if they are unsigned. . . . Seaman actually retired with concussion problems after the 2012-13 season. . . . Delnov signed a two-way deal last week with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk of the KHL.

6. There was a neat ad in Saturday’s Edmonton Journal, with the Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group, the new owners of the Regina Pats, buying space to send a message that reads: “Hail to the Kings on returning the Memorial Cup to the WHL.” . . . In all the time I’ve been around the WHL, I can’t ever remember one organization taking out an ad in a newspaper to congratulate another team on winning the Memorial Cup. Well done, Pats!

7. The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats will play host to the 2016 RBC Cup for the national junior A championship. That means, of course, that the Bobcats get into the tournament as the host team. . . . The 2015 RBC Cup will be played in Portage la Prairie, Man., with the MJHL’s Terriers as the host team.

8. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes right here that “Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is spearheading an international movement to boycott the products of major sponsors, including Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch InBev, until the 2018 World Cup is moved away from Russia.” . . . As Warren points out, Melnyk “is livid at the hypocrisy of FIFA . . . for allowing (Russia) to stage the tournament while Russian president Vladimir Putin is waging war.” . . . I keep waiting for someone to start asking questions about why the CHL continues to be involved with the Subway Super Series while Putin continues his military aggressiveness.

9. If you’re into baseball and reading, Bryan Curtis of Grantland has a long read just for you. It’s all about baseball books, old and new, and it’s right here.

10. Here’s the schedule for the Stanley Cup final between the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers (all times Pacific; x - if necessary):
Wednesday: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.
Saturday: at Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, June 9: at New York, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, June 11: at New York, 5 p.m.
x-Friday, June 13: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.
x-Monday, June 16: at New York, 5 p.m.
x-Wednesday, June 18: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.

11. And just to get your ready for the Stanley Cup final, there’s a little earworm right here. Enjoy!
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THE COACHING GAME:
Derek Lalonde is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. He had been the general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. . . . Lalonde replaces interim head coach Dan Watson, an assistant who stepped up when Nick Vitucci resigned as head coach in February.
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This actually was a late Friday night tweet . . .
From Denis Skapski (@skapper20): “20 yrs ago, our son Mackenzie was born the night NY won the Cup. 20 yrs later the Rangers return to the Final and today he signed with them.”

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Driedger's shutout allows Hitmen to even series

Kévin Bozon's medal.

From Kévin Bozon (@kevboz12): “C est pas l'or..dommage, juste une envie maintenant, l amener a mon frère @timbozon94 #silvermedal.”
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From Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “@kevboz12 congrats to my bro on his silver medal! #proudbrother”
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From the Seattle Thunderbirds (@SeattleTbirds): “Big thanks to fans that did 50/50 raffle at Game 1. T-Birds Foundation able to donate $3,391.50 to Tim Bozon Trust. Way to go!”
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, 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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If there is any doubt in your mind about whether the Vancouver Giants will bid to play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament, you can forget it.
Ron Toigo, the Giants’ majority owner, told Greg Douglas, who writes a Saturday column for the Vancouver Sun, that his team is all-in for 2016.
Which is just one of the reasons why Toigo really wants his Giants to be competitive in their first-round series with the Portland Winterhawks.
“In order to get the required 11 votes from the league governors to land a Memorial Cup date, ” Toigo told Douglas on Friday, “we have to convince them that as the host team we’ll be competitive enough to be considered a threat to win it. We’ve been building our roster of young talent through the draft these past couple of years with an eye set on 2016.”
The WHL’s board of governors is expected to hears expressions of interest in October.
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This wasn’t a good week for the WHL office.
First, the Edmonton Oil Kings scratched a handful of key players for a Sunday game with the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Without those players, and playing in front of more than 14,000 fans on Fan Appreciation Night, the Oil Kings were beaten, 5-0. That allowed the Rebels to get into a tiebreaker game with the Prince Albert Raiders. On Tuesday, in Red Deer, the Raiders won that game to get into the playoffs.
Then, the Regina Pats, who play second fiddle to the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, so need all the media help they can get, closed an early-week practice as they prepared to open a playoff series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. (WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post on Saturday night that the Pats have been fined an undisclosed amount. Too bad some of these disciplinary measures don’t show up on the discipline section of the WHL website.)
And, finally, the WHL announced Friday that if Game 1 between the Raiders and host Oil Kings needed to go past one OT period, it would be decided in a shootout because of building availability issues brought on by the NHL game that was to be played there Saturday night.
The Oil Kings saved the WHL from further embarrassment when they won the game, 5-3.
Earlier in the day Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice), the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings, tweeted a few suggestions the WHL could consider in lieu of a shootout “when building availability an issue.”
Here they are:
1) Winnipeg minor hockey rule, game replayed entirely if tied after one OT;
2) Two 15-minutes periods of straight time, followed by 20-minutes of stop time;
3) Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, spock;
4) HR derby;
5) Team captains throw pucks from bench toward centre-ice dot curling style. Closest wins!;
6) 3-on-3 half-ice scrimmage;
7) Battle of Hockey Enforcers;
8) Alphabetically;
9) Hardest Shot; and
10) HC's in Sumo suits at centre ice. First takedown wins!!
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Meanwhile, Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff), a former radio voice of the Kamloops Blazers who now works for Team 1040 radio in Vancouver, tweeted: “Have never openly pulled for a shootout. But am today. #WHL playoffs.”
After the game, Paterson followed with: “5-3 final. League dodged big ol' bullet. Would have been a few suits squirming had it gone to O/T.”
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Bruce Luebke, in Regina to call the play of Game 1 between the Pats and the Brandon Wheat Kings, wasn’t impressed with home team early last night.
His tweets:
“The Pats, in their infinite wisdom, have decided not to post scratches and starting lineups until after pre-game warmup tonight.”
“As I understand it, this is another violation of the WHL's policies. I wonder if they'll get a free pass on this one as well.”
“1st time in 21 years of broadcasting WHL games (regular season, playoffs, League Final, Memorial Cup) I can remember this happened.”
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, F Brett Pollock scored two goals in his first WHL playoff game to help the Oil Kings to a 5-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . It was the opener of a first-round series, with Game 2 in Edmonton today. . . . Pollock, who turned 18 on March 17, is from Sherwood Park, Alta. He scored 25 goals in 71 regular-season games. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals in 40 games. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Robertson broke a 3-3 tie at 19:55 of the second period. He also had an assist. . . . Robertson, a 17-year-old from Sherwood Park, Alta., also was playing in his first playoff game. He had two points in 26 regular-season games. . . . F Curtis Lazar had an empty-net goal and two assists for the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton took a 3-1 lead in the first period, scoring three times on nine shots and driving Raiders starting G Nick McBride to the bench. Cole Cheveldave came on to stop 32 of 33 shots. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry turned aside 21 shots. . . . The Raiders got a goal from D Brendan Guhle, who also is from Sherwood Park. Guhle didn’t score in 51 regular-season games. . . . Guhle pulled the Raiders to within 3-2 at 18:12 of the first period and F Dakota Conroy tied it at 10:39 on the PP. . . .

In Regina, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored four first-period goals and went on to a 6-3 victory over the Pats. . . . The second game of the series goes tonight in Regina. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle had a goal and two assists for Brandon. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 31 shots. . . . Regina starter Dawson MacAuley was gone after giving up four goals on 10 shots in the first period. Tyler Fuhr came on to stop 23 of 25 shots. . . . Brandon took a 4-0 lead into the second period when the Pats got goals from F Morgan Klimchuk at 3:13 and F Dryden Hunt, on the PP, at 10:51. . . . However, Regina D Ryan Pulock restored the three-goal lead at 16:45. . . . Regina F Connor Gay got his guys to within two at 17:45 of the second. . . . Gabrielle iced it with his goal at 8:19 of the third. . . . Brandon also got goals from the Quenneville brothers, John and Peter. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawrulyk returned from a four-game WHL suspension to score once and add an assist. . . . The game featured two early picks from the 2013 bantam draft -- F Sam Steel of the Pats, who was taken second overall, and Brandon F Nolan Patrick, who went fourth. . . . Regina F Dyson Stevenson (hand), who led the Pats with 38 regular-season goals, didn’t play. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy didn’t play again after leaving in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Calgary, G Chris Driedger stopped 34 shots to help the Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . It was Driedger’s second career playoff shutout, and allowed the Hitmen to tie the series, 1-1. . . . Games 3 and 4 will be played in Cranbrook on Monday and Tuesday nights. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart had a goal and two assists. He also was foiled on a second-period penalty shot. . . . F Adam Tambellini also scored once and drew two assists. . . . Calgary F Landon Welykholowa, playing his first WHL playoff game because two teammates were serving WHL suspensions, scored twice, including the winner, at 6:29 of the first period. . . . Welykholowa, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, had one goal in 18 games with the Victoria Royals last season. This season, the Calgarian had four points, all assists, in 16 games with his hometown team. He played most of the season with the AJHL’s Calgayr Canucks. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 27 shots. . . . The Hitmen were without F Joe Mahon and F Linden Penner, both of whom were suspended by the WHL for Game 1 transgressions. . . . D Tyler King was among the Ice’s scratches. He left in the first period of Game 1 after absorbing a hit from Calgary F Brady Brassart, who was penalized for boarding. . . . The Ice also scratched veteran D Landon Cross as it dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Chad Butcher broke a 2-2 tie at 12:11 of the third period and the Tigers went on to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Medicine Hat leads the series 2-0 as it shifts to Swift Current for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . D Tommy Vannelli and F Miles Koules gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead with second-period PP goals. . . . The Broncos tied it on third-period goals from F Jack DeBrusk (7:58) and F Nate Burns (10:35). . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox got an empty-netter at 19:58. . . . Koules and Cox each finished with a goal and an assist, as did DeBrusk. . . . The Tigers were 2-for-4 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-3. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 34 shots, one more than the Broncos’ Eetu Laurikainen. . . .

In Portland, G Brendan Burke stopped 15 shots and the Winterhawks scored two power-play goals as they beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-0. . . . That was Burke’s first career playoff shutout and came in his fourth post-season appearance. . . . The Winterhawks take a 2-0 series lead to Vancouver for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Nic Petan opened the scoring on the PP at 16:00 of the first period. . . . Portland got second-period goals from F Alex Schoenborn at 5:47 and F Taylor Leier at 7:37, on the PP. . . . Portland was 2-for-9 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-for-4. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee turned aside 40 shots. . . . Jared Rathjen, Vancouver’s backup goaltender, was struck in the face by a puck while on the bench in the first period and needed some repairs. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner left in the second period, but returned to the bench early in the third. . . .

In Victoria, D Travis Brown scored at 8:10 of OT to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for today in Victoria. . . . Royals F Ben Walker scored the game’s first goal, at 15:26 of the first period. . . . F Riley Whittingham pulled the Chiefs even at 2:22 of the third. . . . Victoria G Patrick Polivka stopped 26 shots, five fewer than Spokane’s Eric Williams. . . . Spokane was 0-for-5 on the PP; Victoria was 0-for-3. . . . Spokane lost F Keanu Yamamoto in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Taran Kozun stopped 37 shots, including 18 in the second period, to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Game 2 in the series is scheduled for today in Everett. . . . All three goals came via the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds got two first-period goals, from F Russ Maxwell (2:27) and D Shea Theodore (11:44). . . . Everett F Patrick Bajkov scored at 2:43 of the second period. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 20 shots. . . . Seattle was 2-for-4 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-6. . . . Everett has been in the WHL for 11 seasons; this was the first playoff game between these teams. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored twice to lead the Rockets to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The second game in the series will be played in Kelowna today. . . . Chartier opened the scoring at 7:09 of the first period and closed it with an empty-netter at 19:17 of the third. . . . Tri-City F Brian Williams pulled his guys even on a PP just 47 seconds into the second. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell broke the tie at 17:53 of the second, also on a PP. . . . Each team was 1-for-4 on the PP. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 32 shots. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie, who started just once in four regular-season games against the Rockets, stopped 32 shots.
---
THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
(Graphics by Taking Note Graphics Department)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
---

REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: G Kord Pankewicz, day-to-day.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite; G Daniel Wapple, day-to-day; F Dyson Stevenson, day-to-day.
---

CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: 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 Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
---

MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: 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 Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Steve Owre, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
---
WESTERN CONFERENCE

KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Regina, 0-3-1.Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: 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: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
---

PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: 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: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite; F Ty Ronning, day-to-day.
---

VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: 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: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
---

SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: 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; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
---

From Jeff Hollick (@JHollick_ICE), the radio voice of the Kootenay Ice, before Saturday’s game in Calgary: “Already has been a great day for the ICE as all the players & coaches had a chance to Face Time with Tim Bozon this morning.”

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