O'Dette takes over Thunderbirds' bench ... Ex-WHL coach the man in Kingston? ... Wagner facing long rehab

Hey folks @gdrinnan Taking Note is working just loading really slowly thanks to a new script from @blogger be patient. #SameGreatWriting

— Terry Massey (@TerryMassey) July 6, 2017

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The KHL player rights to D Dmitri Osipov (Vancouver, Brandon, 2013-17) have been traded by Sochi (Russia, KHL) to Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL) for G Arseni Akhmetov (born 1999). Last season, Osipov had a goal and 10 assists in 42 games with Vancouver, then added a goal and two assists in 31 games with Brandon. . . . He was the first overall pick in the 2013 CHL import draft and in the 2013 KHL junior draft. . . . Osipov played out his junior eligibility last season. . . .

F David Rutherford (Vancouver, Spokane, 2004-08) has announced his retirement through his Twitter account. Last season, he had 19 goals and 24 assists in 41 games with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). . . .

D Brennan Yadlowski (Lethbridge, Everett, 2007-12) has signed a one-year contract with the Guildford Flames (England, UK Elite). Last season, he had five assists in 28 games with the U of Alberta (U Sports). He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in June.

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Exciting day being named head coach of the @SeattleTbirds. Such an honor. Thank you for all the well wishes!

— Matt O'Dette (@MattODette) July 13, 2017

On Tuesday, the day before Matt O'Dette was introduced
as the Seattle Thunderbirds' head coach, he was in the
team's dressing room for a photo shoot when Grace, 6, (left)
and Fiona, 8, arrived on the scene. The daughters of
Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds' director of public and media
relations, promptly showed him a key coaching move.
(Photos: Brian Liesse)

Matt O’Dette is the new head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds, the reigning WHL champions. O’Dette spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach with Seattle, working alongside head coach Steve Konowalchuk, who has left to join the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks as an assistant coach.

As a Seattle assistant coach, O’Dette, 41, was responsible for the defencemen, including Shea Theodore, the WHL’s top defenceman in 2014-15 and Ethan Bear, who won the award last season.

O’Dette also directed the Seattle penalty kill, which ranked first in the 22-team league in 2015-16 and third last season.
O'Dette, who is from Toronto, was with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors, as director of hockey operations and head coach, for two seasons before joining the Thunderbirds. He also worked as assistant GM/assistant coach with the ECHL's Stockton Thunder.

As a player, he got into 663 professional games over 14 seasons in the AHL and ECHL. A defenceman, he played with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

The Thunderbirds now are looking for two assistant coaches, one to fill the void created by O’Dette’s promotion and the other because Tyler Alos has left the organization after three seasons on staff.

Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle reports that Alos “has opted to pursue a non-hockey opportunity, according to the team.”

Alos played 201 regular-season games over four years with the Thunderbirds before retiring on Dec. 3, 2012, after incurring multiple concussions.

Eide’s story on O’Dette’s promotion is right here.

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WHL ACTIVE COACHES REGULAR-SEASON VICTORIES:

Don Hay, Tri-City, Vancouver, Kamloops 720

Mike Williamson, Portland, Calgary, Tri-City 534

Brent Sutter, Red Deer 441

Marc Habscheid, Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Victoria, Prince Albert 424

Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat 320

Mike Johnston, Portland 271

John Paddock, Regina 125

Tim Hunter, Moose Jaw 103

Steve Hamilton, Edmonton 88

Brent Kisio, Lethbridge 88

Dan Lambert, Kelowna, Spokane 53

Richard Matvichuk, Prince George 45

Jason Smith, Kelowna 45

David Anning, Brandon, 39

Emanuel Viveiros, Swift Current 39

Dean Brockman, Saskatoon 27

Jason McKee, Vancouver 20

Dallas Ferguson, Calgary 0

Matt O’Dette,Spokane 0

James Patrick, Kootenay 0

Dan Price, Victoria 0

Dennis Williams, Everett 0

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F Cavin Leth has decided to attend Ryerson U in Toronto and play for the Rams in 2017-18. Leth, 21, split last season between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Prince Albert Raiders. From Taber, Alta., he had three assists in five games with the Thunderbirds, then put up 23 goals and 13 assists in 63 games with the Raiders. He also played with the Swift Current Broncos during his WHL career. All told, he had 44 goals and 35 assists in 262 regular-season games.

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Believe this is still the case. Announcement tomorrow from the Frontenacs. https://t.co/LXodT60ltZ

— OHLInsiders(.com) (@OHLinsiders) July 13, 2017

The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have said they will introduce their new head coach today (Thursday). They have been in the market for one since Paul McFarland left to sign on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. . . . There has been speculation in OHL circles that Josh Dixon is the leading candidate to take over in Kingston. Dixon spent three seasons (2011-14) as an assistant coach with the Regina Pats and was with the Swift Current Broncos for 2014-15. . . . Dixon, who also is working on a masters in sports psychology, is in player development with CAA Sports.

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F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats had shoulder surgery on June 7 and could be out of action for as long as six months. Perhaps the fastest skater in the WHL last season, he has signed with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and, as a 20-year-old, is eligible to player with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. But he is expected to miss all of training camp and the start of the 2017-18 season. So might the Kings send him back to the Pats, the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup? . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.

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Here are the speaker topics for our annual @teamsnap Hockey Coaches Conference… STARTS FRIDAY!https://t.co/BO3WcEeFos pic.twitter.com/S9rXaMFKHt

— The Coaches Site (@TheCoachesSite) July 12, 2017

The seventh annual TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference in Vancouver runs on Friday and Saturday. Among the presenters are Glen Gulutzan, the head coach of the NHL's Calgary Flames; Ray Ferraro, the terrific hockey analyst with TSN; Craig Cunningham, a former WHLer who now is pro scouting with the Arizona Coyotes; and Winnipeg Jets assistant coach Jamie Kompon, who is a former GM/head coach with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . If you haven't yet registered, click right here. As you register, enter the coupon code TakingNote and you’ll get 20 per cent off the registration fee.

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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Hansch the man in Edmonton

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) signed a one-year contract with Yuzhny Ural Orsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga), the farm club of KHL team Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He had six goals and nine assists in 52 games with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season.
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Randy Hansch was introduced Thursday as the second general manager in the modern era of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The announcement came one day after Bob Green moved up to the parent Edmonton Oilers as director of amateur free-agent scouting. . . . Hansch had been assistant GM and director of player personnel under Green. . . . Hansch joined the Oil Kings for their first season (2007-08) as an expansion team. . . . An Edmonton native, Hansch is a former WHL goaltender who spent 15 seasons working in scouting and player personnel with the Kamloops Blazers. He also has scouted for the NHL’s Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Alicja Siekierska of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired D Taylor Green, 18, from the Seattle Thunderbirds for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-7, 227-pound Green, who is from Port Coquitlam, B.C., was selected 26th overall by Seattle in the 2010 bantam draft. Last season, Green had seven points in 65 games. . . . In 69 regular-season games, Green has eight points.
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G Matt Hewitt, who played the last three seasons with the Regina Pats, will attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds. Hewitt, who is from New Westminster, B.C., played out his eligibility with the Pats last season. . . . With the Thunderbirds, Hewitt will compete with Steven Stanford (Prince Albert, Saskatoon, 2007-11) for playing time.
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F Jeff Ulmer has signed to play for HDD Olimpija Ljubljana in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga in Austria. Ulmer, 36, is from Regina and is entering his ninth season in Europe. . . . He will be playing in the same league as his brother, Jason, 34, who has signed with EHC Linz. Jason is going into his ninth season in Europe.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jim McTaggart is out and Tyler Alos is in. That was the story Thursday involving the Seattle Thunderbirds’ coaching staff. . . . McTaggart had been an assistant coach in Seattle for the past eight seasons. . . . Alos, 20, played four seasons with the Thunderbirds before retiring 10 games into last season because of post-concussion syndrome. . . . Alos then joined the club’s staff as a skills coach. . . . A native of Spokane, Alos was a sixth-round selection by the Thunderbirds in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . He will work alongside head coach Steve Konowalchuk and assistant Matt O’Dette, along with goaltender coach Ian Gordon.
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The junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies are looking for another head coach. Kevin MacKay, who stepped into the new job last week, left the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team on Thursday, citing personal reasons. He was to have replaced James Eccles, who was hired earlier this summer and left for another job shortly afterwards. . . . Kevin Kraus, the GM and head coach last season, is on the coaching staff of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
Alex Cooper of the Revelstoke Times Review has more right here.
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From Saskawhat (@saskawhat): “A few notes from my chat with Mark Lamb this week: Confirmed Levi Bews is not expected at training camp but "the door is wide open for him"
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More from Saskawhat: “Bews dealing with personal issues arising from the flooding this summer in Alberta.”
Bews had 36 points, including 21 goals, in 60 games with the Broncos last season. The Longview, Alta., native had 64 points in 189 regular-season games. Bews, 19, also has played with the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

If you are one of the folks waiting to get a copy of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, I am told that the second printing arrived in the Toronto warehouse late last week and books are on the way into stores.
So please keep checking with your favourite bookstore.
I also was told that Costco placed an order.
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Headline in the Vancouver Sun: ’Hawks flogged for bending it like Beckham
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D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks has told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald that he was “devastated” when the Everett Silvertips fired general manager Doug Soetaert in February.
Jones, who is likely to be the first or second selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft (if there is one), was selected by Everett with the 11th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. However, he chose not to report and was traded to Portland.
"I had a really good connection with Doug Soetaert and the head coach that was here (Craig Hartsburg)," Jones, 18, told Patterson. "They both are gone, so I didn't feel like I had a connection with the new guys here."
Jones also told Patterson: "I have nothing against Everett. Doug was a great guy. He came down to Dallas to visit me a couple times the past couple years. When he got fired I was devastated, to be honest with you. He was a really nice guy and a great influence for me to come here. He left and things kind of changed.”
Patterson’s complete story is right here.
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If you haven’t seen the Merry Christmas video put together by the Calgary Hitmen, it’s right here.
And, yes, that is general manager Kelly (Boots Randolph) Kisio on the sax.
My good wife says it's “awesome.” But I’m thinking she may have been referring to the shower scene.
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The Czech Republic national junior team has released the roster for a selection camp that begins Dec. 15 in Rokycany. That roster includes three WHLers — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer, D Marek Hrbas of Kamloops and D David Musil of Edmonton. . . . Not on that roster are F Matej Stransky of Saskatoon and D Richard Nedomlel of Swift Current.
Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen is on Finland’s roster, while Calgary F Victor Rask is on Sweden’s roster.
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The OHL’s Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds fired head coach Mike Stapleton on Monday. They replaced him with Sheldon Keefe, who won five straight CCHL championships (2007-11) with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
The Greyhounds are 13-14-2 and in third place in the West Division.
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In the QMJHL, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have fired Ron Choules, their general manager and head coach. He ran the team’s Monday afternoon practice and then was relieved of his duties. . . . Choules was in his second season as head coach; he had been GM since October when Pierre Roux was fired. . . . Marc-André Dumont is the Screaming Eagles’ new GM/head coach. He spent three seasons as head coach of the Val-d’Or Foreurs before being fired in October with the team at 4-6-0. . . . Cape Breton is 7-17-6 and is 16th in the 18-team league’s overall standings. It has lost its last seven games.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds announced Monday that F Tyler Alos, 19,  has retired from hockey. For some reason, the Thunderbirds news release make no mention of why Also retired, but it’s due to post-concussion syndrome. “He has been advised by doctors against returning to the ice this season,” Seattle GM Russ Farwell said in a news release. . . . According to the news release, Alos will stay with the club and assist the Thunderbirds. . . . A native of Spokane, he had 56 points, including 19 goals, in 201 games over four seasons.
This would be a good time to provide a link to a story from Monday’s edition of The New York Times.
“The growing evidence of a link between head trauma and long-term, degenerative brain disease was amplified in an extensive study of athletes, military veterans and others who absorbed repeated hits to the head, according to new findings published in the scientific journal Brain,” writes Ken Belson.
“The study, which included brain samples taken posthumously from 85 people who had histories of repeated mild traumatic brain injury, added to the mounting body of research revealing the possible consequences of routine hits to the head in sports like football and hockey. The possibility that such mild head trauma could result in long-term cognitive impairment has come to vex sports officials, team doctors, athletes and parents in recent years.”
The complete story is right here and it’s a must read.
And while you’re there click on the interactive link and check out the slides of various brains.
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The Saskatoon Blades made a couple of trades on Monday. . . . The dealt D Brett Lernout, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, to the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Then they dealt a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Prince Albert Raiders for D Shayne Gwinner, 18. Gwinner had one goal in nine games with the Raiders but left the team last month. Last season, Gwinner had 11 points in 51 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Gwinner, from Drumheller, was acquired by the Raiders from the Warriors on July 6 for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a sixth-rounder in 2014. . . . Lernout was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.
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The Saskatoon Blades were hit with a $750 fine after being involved in their second line brawl of the season on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Brett Stovin (shoulder) was involved in a full practice Monday, the first time that has happened since he was injured on Nov. 10. . . . However, Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower (concussion) skated prior to practice and left the ice after about 15 minutes. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who has missed six games since take a puck in the fce on Nov. 16 in Cranbrook, hopes to return Friday. He’ll wear a full shield. The Wheat Kings are 0-5-1 without him in the lineup. . . .
Cougars F Colin Jacobs has been suspended for six games after being penalized for a headshot on Victoria Royals F Luke Harrison on Friday in Prince George. Harrison is out with a concussion. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders are at home tonight to the Spokane Chiefs. Prince Albert F Jonas Knutsen (Norway) and F Leon Draisaitl (Germany) leave after tonight’s game to join their national junior teams. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have brought in D Micheal Zipp, 16, for the remainder of this season. He was pointless in nine games with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Zipp, from Edmonton, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Silvertips lost D Ryan Murray (shoulder), traded D Griffin Foulk to the Seattle Thunderbirds, and are about to lose D Mirco Mueller to the Swiss junior team. So there was room on the roster for a defenceman.
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From former WHLer Spencer Asuchak (@Asuchak16): “Would love to hear someone explain how the best player in the @thewhl didn't get invited to world jr camp. @blazerhockey #smith”
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From former WHL scoring champ Tyler Redenbach (@tredenbach18): “@Asuchak16 maybe his parents got a free flight from the team and Ron Robison wouldn't let him go #dubproblems also you notice 0 NCAA players”
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From D Shayne Gwinner (@gwins32), who was dealt by Prince Albert to Saskatoon yesterday: “Well that was unexpected #Blades”
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From Seattle Thunderbirds F Justin Hickman (@jhick9): “Tough to see @tyler_alos13 have to hang em up but we know the kid will be red hot behind the bench #heartandsoul #loveyou #too early”

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Which WHL player is this and what happened? Keep reading to find out.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland, SM-Liiga) exercised its option to extend the tryout contract with F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) for the rest of this season. Armstrong has two goals and one assist in five games with SaiPa. Earlier this season, he had three goals and four assists in nine games with the Elmira Jackals (ECHL) and one goal and two assists in five games with Binghamton Senators (AHL). . . . SaiPa head coach Ari-Pekka Selin: "Riley gives us more opportunities within our lineup. He's played in five games and has shown that he can certainly improve our game. He plays with good power and plays well in front of the net." . . .
F Dan DaSilva (Portland, 2002-05) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Olten (Switzerland, NL B). He started the season with with Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL), getting one assist in 15 games. He then joined La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland, NL B) as an injury replacement for Benoit Mondou, where he had six goals and four assists in eight games. DaSilva was released by La Chaux-de-Fonds once Mondou, the son of former Montreal Canadiens F Pierre Mondou, was healthy. . . .
F Roman Tomanek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) signed a two-year plus option year contract with Nitra (slovakia, Extraliga). He was pointless in seven games with Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and had eight goals and four assists in 23 games with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) earlier this season.
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It’s true.
The Portland Winterhawks are in a position where they could end up with three import players in their lineup at the same time.
That would be the exception to the rule that allows teams a maximum of two such players.
Mike Johnston, the Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach, mentioned that possibility after acquiring German F Marcel Noebels from the Seattle Thunderbirds on Tuesday.
Noebels joins Swiss sophomore F Sven Baertschi as the two imports now on Portland’s roster.
The Winterhawks also own the WHL rights to F Nino Niederreiter, 19, who is with the NHL’s New York Islanders. He has one goal and four penalty minutes in 18 games this season. He also is a minus-11.
The Niederreiter situation is covered under the following CHL import rule:
"An underage Import Player can be returned to his CHL Club until the NHL Trade Deadline date. Should an underage Import Player be returned to his CHL Club after the respective League’s trade deadline, and if the Club at that time has two Import Players, the Club shall be permitted to play three Import Players for the balance of the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup. This benefit cannot be traded to another Club. If a CHL Club has two Import Players, and wish to trade for the rights of an underage Import Player who is playing in the NHL, they must either delete or trade one of their Import Players to make an Import position available."
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, added this: “The reason for the rule is the CHL feels that all underage players should be treated similarly should the NHL Club wish to return them to their CHL Club.”
All told, the WHL has four underage players who are eligible to be returned by the NHL’s trade deadline (Feb. 27). The others are F Ryan Johansen (Columbus Blue Jackets), whose WHL team is Portland; F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Edmonton Oilers/Red Deer Rebels) and F Brett Connolly (Tampa Bay Lightning/Tri-City Americans).
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THE COACHING GAME:

JIM HILLER

The Tri-City Americans issued a news release Friday afternoon announcing that they have extended the contract of head coach Jim Hiller. However, they chose not to announce the length of the extension. We can assume that this was the last season of Hiller's contract and I would guess the extension runs through 2013-14. Hiller is in his third season as the Americans' head coach and went into Friday with a 123-54-7 record, which computes to a rather amazing .688 winning percentage. He also guided the Americans to the 2010 WHL final where they lost to the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Tri-City general manager Bob Tory signed Hiller after he had been dumped by the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?). . . .
Jim McKenzie (Moose Jaw, Victoria, 1986-89) is the new head coach of the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, who fired head coach Kevin Patrick on Friday. Patrick was in his second season with Muskegon, which was 9-14-2 when the move was made. McKenzie, 42, is a former NHLer, who played 880 games with 100 points, 48 of them goals, and 1,739 penalty minutes. He has a Stanley Cup ring from the 2002-03 New Jersey Devils. Josh Mervis, the Lumberjacks’ CEO and owner, has stepped in as general manager. Muskegon also cut a deal with Ron Mason, the former Michigan State Spartans head coach, to help out as a senior advisor. . . . There now have been three coaching changes in the USHL this season.
For more on the Muskegon situation and USHL happenings in general, check out Slightly Chilled, over there on the right.
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When F Patrick Holland of the Tri-City Americans woke up Thursday, his NHL rights belonged to the Calgary Flames, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft. When he went to bed, his rights were with the Montreal Canadiens, thanks to a trade made that evening.
What does that mean to Holland in the short term?
Well, here’s a tweet from him: “You know it's a good pregame nap when you pick up another 300 followers.”
And he also tweeted this: “Je pense que mon talent avec mon baton est un petit peu meilleur que mon francais. #languageproblems”
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In the BCHL on Friday night the Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 22 games, beating the visiting Langley Rivermen, 9-2. The Vees are at home to the Prince George Spruce Kings tonight.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Chad Robinson broke a 4-4 tie at 2:18 of the third period as the Red Deer Rebels dumped the Wheat Kings, 5-4. . . . Robinson is from Minnedosa, Minn., which is just north of Brandon on No. 10 highway. . . . He has five goals this season. . . . The Wheat Kings blew a 3-1 first-period lead. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two goals, giving him 29, and two assists. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk, making his 10th straight start, stopped 29 shots. . . . Brandon D Brodie Melnychuk did the Gordie Howe hat trick thing — before the game was 12 minutes old. He drew an assist on a goal by Stone just 45 seconds into the game, got into a fight with F Tyson Ness at 4:03, and scored his third goal of the season at 11:06. . . . F Mark Mackenzie had a goal, his first in the WHL, and an assist for Red Deer. Mackenzie, 18, is from Kelowna. He actually started last season with the Prince Albert Albert Raiders but ended up in a dispute with team management over playing time and went home. He left about 10 days after a Sept. 10, 2010 incident in which he confronted and fought off a burlgar in the home of his Prince Albert billet. . . . Mackenzie had been playing with the Kelowna-Okanagan College Coyotes before joining the Rebels. He has three points in five games. . . .

In Swift Current, G Alex Moodie stopped 19 shots to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . Moodie appeared in his eighth straight game, six of which have been starts. He will return to the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild once G Andrey Makarov is recovered from a concussion. . . . Saskatoon held a 32-14 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde finished with 36 stops. . . .

In Regina, the Pats erased a 3-1 deficit with six straight goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 7-3. . . . Regina F Andrew Rieder scored three times in the third period, giving him his first career hat trick and 13 goals this season. . . . F Jordan Weal had a five-point night, including two goals. He has 28 scores this season. . . . Regina head coach Pat Conacher spent last season as the assistant GM/assistant coach with the Chilliwack Bruins, who now are the Royals. . . . This was the first game in an East Division swing for the Royals, who have lost 10 in a row. . . . Regina D Martin Marincin, who was acquired Tuesday from the Prince George Cougars, had a goal and two helpers. . . .

In Calgary, F Trevor Cheek had a goal and two assists to help the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Cheek, who turned 19 on Dec. 29, is a sophomore from Vancouver, Wash. He had 25 points in 57 games last season. He now has 27 points in 37 games this season. . . . Cheek also was plus-4 last night. . . . The Hitmen have won six in a row. . . . Referee Andy Thiessen handed out two minor penalties before 17:17 of the third period. At that point, he dished out 10 minors and eight misconducts. In other words, 100 of the 104 penalty minutes came from one stoppage in play. . . .

In Vancouver, the Tri-City Americans exploded for six second-period goals and went on to beat the Giants, 11-4. . . . F Justin Feser had three goals for the Americans, giving him 21. It was his fourth career hat trick. . . . D Zach Yuen and FAdam Hughesman each was plus-5. . . . Yuen had two assists; Hughesman had two goals and an assist. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 22 shots in improving to 14-3-0. . . . The Americans hadn’t scored 11 goals in a game since March 4, 2003, when they beat Prince Geoge, 11-7. . . . The Giants set a franchise record for most goals against in a single home game. . . . Vancouver lost forwards Brendan Gallagher and Dalton Sward in the first period with undisclosed injuries. . . . Giants D David Musil sat out with a bruised wrist. Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that X-rays were negative. Musil missed practice on Thursday with what the Giants said was a maintenance day. . . . Vancouver D Kiefer McNaughton (broken jaw) was back after a 13-game absence. . . .

In Prince George, G Drew Owsley turned aside 49 shots to lead the Cougars to a 6-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . D Cody Carlson had two goals, giving him six, and an assist for the Cougars, who got three assists from F Troy Bourke. . . . The Hurricanes scored first but then gave up three goals in 2:47 late in the first period. . . . The Cougars were 2-for-10 on the PP. . . .

In Everett, F Josh Winquist scored at 3:23 of OT to give the Silvertips a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Winquist’s 10th goal came via the PP after Spokane F Dylan Walchuk was hit with a double minor for high-sticking at 2:55 of OT. . . . Everett, which lost twice to Spokane earlier in the week and had lost its last four overall, trailed 3-0 midway through the third period. . . . D Ryan Murray scored a shorthanded goal at 10:10. F Josh Birkholz scored on the PP at 13:41. F Kohl Bauml tied it at 19:32 and then took the stick to the mouth in OT for which Walchuk was penalized. . . . Everett was 2-for-2 on the PP. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 37 shots. . . . Walchuk, who joined the Chiefs this week after being with Northern Michigan and then the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers this season, scored his first WHL goal in his first game. . . . Spokae D Davis Vandane counted his first WHL goal in his 95th career game. He has played 13 games with the Saskatoon Blades and 82 with the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had won 5-3 in Everett on Sunday and 6-1 at home on Wednesday. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks tied a franchise record with their 16th straight home-ice victory, beating the Kelowna Rockets, 2-1. . . . The Winterhawks’ record was first set in 1993-94. Portland next plays at home on Monday afternoon when the Tri-City Americans come calling. . . . D Joe Morrow broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 14:43 of the third. . . . F Cam Reid had two assists for Portland in his second game since leaving St. Cloud State. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 37 shots, two more than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored four times in the game’s first 6:02 and went on to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-1. . . . Kamloops is 2-0 against Seattle with a 15-3 edge in goals. . . . F J.C. Lipon had two goals for Kamloops. . . . F Dylan Willick picked up his 20th goal for the Blazers, who now have four skaters with at least that many goals. . . . The Blazers have won five in a row, while Seattle has lost five straight. . . . Seattle F Tyler Alos is wearing a full cage after taking a puck in the mouth during practice. He ended up with four teeth pushed back, but was fortunate that he didn’t lose any. That is his picture — he tweeted it earlier — at the top of today’s entry.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Graeme Craig, Swift Current.
D Alex Petrovic, Red Deer.
F Lucas Grayson, Everett.
D Mitchell Chapman, Kelowna.
F Rob Trzonkowski, Calgary.
D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, Vancouver.


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