Today (Monday) is a holiday — Family Day — in B.C., and that’s good for hockey fans. There are four games on the WHL schedule, all of them afternoon games in B.C. . . . The Edmonton Oil Kings visit the Victoria Royals, the Tri-City Americans travel to Kamloops to play the Blazers and the Seattle Thunderbirds are in Vancouver to meet the Giants. Those three games all start at 2 p.m. . . . In the other game, the Prince George Cougars are in Kelowna to face the Rockets, at 2:05 p.m.
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The Red Deer Rebels aren’t certain how long they’ll be without F Conner Bleackley, their captain. He suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday night in Vancouver and didn’t play Saturday in Victoria. . . . “He said it felt better yesterday, but to be honest he has an injury that could keep him out for days or maybe for weeks,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He won’t skate until Thursday at the earliest, and we probably won’t know the extent of the injury until then.” . . . The Rebels don’t play until Friday when they entertain the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
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It was wonderful to see old friend Don Dietrich getting some TV time on Saturday night. Dietrich, a former Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman who went on to play with Canada’s national team and in the NHL, has had a tough time in recent years but you won’t hear him complaining. . . . If you missed the TV spot, it’s right here. . . . And if you’re looking for a great read, he wrote a book — No Guarantees — a few years ago. You should be able to find it right there.
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F Quinn Benjafield of the Kamloops Blazers won’t play today against the visiting Tri-City Americans. He was hit with a ‘tbd’ suspension for a headshot major and game misconduct during Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets. He hit Kelowna F Tyson Baillie late in the third period. . . . Baillie needed attention on the ice, but was able to get off under his own power. He went directly to the dressing room. His status for today’s game against visiting Prince George isn’t known. . . .
F Tyler Lewington of the Medicine Hat Tigers will sit out one game for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers were fined $500 for Lewington’s actions. . . .
D Arvin Atwal of the Vancouver Giants won’t play against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds today. He drew a one-game suspension for the game misconduct he took in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Lethbridge, the Brandon Wheat Kings moved into first place in the overall standings with a 7-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Wheat Kings are one point ahead of the idle Kelowna Rockets, who hold two games in hand and are at home to Prince George this afternoon. . . . The Wheat Kings scored four times in the game’s first 11 minutes to take control of this one. . . . F Rihards Bukarts scored twice, giving him 23, as Brandon completed a road trip with its fourth victory in five days. Brandon outscored its opponents 22-9 in the four games. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville scored his 15th goal and added an assist, while D Macoy Erkamps and F Reid Duke each had two assists against their former team. . . . Brandon F Tyler Coulter scored his 10th goal after going 22 games without a score. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley had an assist to run his point streak to 11 games. He’s got 22 points, including eight goals, in that stretch. . . . Wheaties D Mark Taraschuk was pointless but finished plus-4. . . . Lethbridge F Giorgio Estephan scored his 14th goal on a third-period PP and also had an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings held a 55-25 edge in shots. . . . Brandon was without D Ivan Provorov, who suffered an undisclosed injury early in the third period on Saturday night in Cranbrook. . . . The Wheat Kings already were without F John Quenneville (suspected concussion) and F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury). . . . The Wheat Kings (41-9-5) are 17-2-1 since coming back from the Christmas break. . . . The Hurricanes (15-32-6) had a three-game winning streak end. . . . 
In Everett, F Carson Stadnyk scored the OT winner and had two assists as the Silvertips beat the Portland Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Everett, the U.S. Division leader, went into the game with a five-point lead over Portland. That lead now is six. . . . Stadnyk, who scored at 1:34 of extra time, has 21 goals. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo forced OT when he scored his 27th goal with 31.3 seconds left in the third period and G Adin Hill on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . With the score 2-2 in the third, Portland defencemen Blake Heinrich and Layne Viveiros took delay of game penalties 30 seconds apart. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml scored his second goal of the game 40 seconds after the 5-on-3 began. . . . Bauml, who also had an assist, has 27 goals this season. . . . Everett took a 2-0 lead into the second period on goals by F Dawson Leedahl, his 10th, and Bauml, the latter scoring at 19:17. . . . Everett had a 19-9 edge in first-period shots despite giving up the period’s only two PP opportunities. . . . Portland scored twice in the second period, with F Oliver Bjorsktrand getting his 37th at 8:13 and F Paul Bittner getting No. 22 on a PP at 10:53. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen and F Patrick Bajkov each had two assists. . . . D Adam Henry had two assists for Portland. . . . Hill finished with 45 saves, 15 more than Everett G Carter Hart. . . . Portland D Josh Hanson, a 20-year-old from Eagle River, Alaska, played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . Everett improved to 34-16-4, while Portland now is 31-20-4. . . . 
In Saskatoon, the Calgary Hitmen ran their winning streak to eight games with a 5-2 victory over the Blades. . . . F Brett Stovin got the Blades on the board with his 22nd goal, on the PP, at 3:57 of the first period. . . . Calgary answered with three goals and took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Kenton Helgesen tied it with his 17th goal at 6:27 of the first. F Adam Tambellini scored his 38th, shorthanded, to give the Hitmen the lead at 8:06 of the second. D Michael Zipp upped the lead to 3-1 with his eighth goal at 18:25. . . . Zipp and D Keegan Kanzig, who scored his second goal and added an assist, each was plus-4. . . . Helgesen also had an assist, as did Stovin. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean drew an assist on his club’s fourth goal to set a franchise record for single-season points by a rookie defenceman (33). He was sharing the record with Matt Kinch (1996-97). . . . The Hitmen (31-17-5) are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat and three ahead of Red Deer. . . . The Blades (15-34-3) have lost three in a row. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.———
For anyone wondering, @bdnwheatkings are first team in Eastern Conference to clinch a playoff spot. #bdnmb
— Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice) February 9, 2015
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In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 6-3. . . . The visitors took a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Tigers D Tyler Lewington tied it at 7:43 of the second and gave his guys the lead at 19:52. He’s got eight goals. . . . F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL in points, got his 21st goal at 2:49 of the third and F Chad Butcher scored No. 15 at 7:11 on a PP. . . . Cox also had two assists. . . . F Markus Eisenschmid had two goals, giving him 15, and added an assist for Medicine Hat. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford had three assists, as did freshman D David Quenneville, who enjoyed his first three-point game. . . . Medicine Hat F Dryden Hunt didn’t get a point, thus ending his point streak at 19 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He had 10 goals and 19 assists during his streak. . . . The longest active point streak in the WHL now belongs to Cox, at nine games. . . . Cox has 83 points in 48 games; last season, he finished with 82 in 70 games. He leads the scoring race by eight points over Sanford. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong scored his 20th goal of the season, while F Brayden Burke had two assists. . . . With seven regulars out — including D Tommy Vannelli, Ty Stanton, Kyle Burroughs and Kyle Becker— the Tigers had D Brad Forrest of Calgary and F Ryan Jevne of Edmonton in their lineup. Forrest was an eighth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft; he plays for the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. Jevne, who plays for the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, was taken in the second round of the 2013 bantam draft. . . . F Zane Franklin, the 43rd overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft, made his debut with the Hurricanes. Franklin, from Marwayne, Alta., is playing for the midget AAA Lloydminster Bobcats. He has 31 points, including 11 goals, in 26 games. . . . The Tigers (34-12-2) have won five in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (11-29-6) entertain the Kootenay Ice tonight. . . .
In Red Deer, D Madison Bowey scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . Red Deer F Conner Bleackley forced OT with his 23rd goal at 5:29 of the third period. . . . The Rebels took a 2-0 lead with a pair of second-period goals 13 seconds part. . . . F Austin Adamson scored his fourth goal at 3:40 and F Wyatt Johnson added his 20th at 3:53. . . . The Rockets then took the lead with three goals in 2:02. D Madison Bowey got his 12th at 11:55 of the second, with F Justin Kirkland getting his 17th at 13:29 and F Tyson Baillie notching his 30th at 13:57. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistler stopped 24 shots through OT and was perfect in the shootout. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth turned aside 36 shots. . . . Red Deer was 0-for-4 on the PP, including a 5-on-3 for 1:54 in the second period as it was leading 2-0. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-3. . . . Red Deer won’t have F Evan Polei in its lineup for up to two months. He suffered an undisclosed injury Saturday against visiting Vancouver. . . . The Rockets (37-8-3), who are in Edmonton tonight, have won three straight. . . . The Rebels (27-14-7) are 7-0-2 in their last nine games. They are second in the Central Division, two points ahead of idle Calgary.
D Bretton Stamler (Seattle, Edmonton, Swift Current, 2003-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), he had three assists in five games, and he was pointless in seven games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). . . . 
OK, see if you can follow all of this. . . . On Thursday, the QMJHL announced that Quebecor had purchased the Quebec Remparts. Quebecor already owned a chunk of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, so on Friday the QMJHL announced that it was declaring a moratorium on any dealings between the teams due to the ownership situation. . . . Also on Friday, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens fired general manager Marc Fortier and head coach Patrice Bosch. Assistant GM Daniel Langlois resigned in what apparently was a show of solidarity. The Sagueneens then signed Yanick Jean as GM and head coach; he quit the Victoriaville Tigres in order to move to the Sagueneens. Jean had been with the Tigres since 2007-08. . . . The Journal de Quebec reported that Jean had an out-clause in his contract with the Tigres that allowed him to leave only if he was going to the Sagueneens with whom he played from 1992-96. He also was an assistant coach there from 2002-04. . . . Only in the QMJHL, you say. Pity!
In Portland, F Oliver Bjorsktrand scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Bjorkstrand, a 19-year-old from Herning, Denmark, has 17 goals in 23 games this season. In his two-plus seasons, he has 204 points, including 98 goals, in 157 regular-season games. He scored 50 goals in 69 games last season. . . . Portland G Adin Hill turned aside 43 shots, 21 more than the Ice's Wyatt Hoflin. Hill improved his record to 8-2-0. . . . F Nic Petan added a goal, his fifth of the season and No. 100 on his career, and an assist for Portland, while F Tim Bozon scored his seventh goal and added an assist for the Ice. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart scored his fifth goal, but was minus-3. . . . F Paul Bittner returned to the Winterhawks’ lineup after suffering a leg injury a week earlier in Kelowna. . . . Ice D Tanner Faith was back after a nine-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks (13-12-3), who visit the Tri-City Americans tonight, have won four straight. . . . The Ice (11-15-0) had a three-game winning streak end. Kootenay travels to Kent, Wash., to face the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight. . . .
In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry stopped 35 shots to lead the Oil Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Jarry, who had sat out three straight games due to illness, has two shutouts this season and 16 in his career. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner scored the game's first goal, his career-high ninth of the season. It came 22 seconds into the first period. . . . Sautner is on a nine-game point streak, the longest by a defenceman in the modern history of the franchise. . . . Edmonton F Brandon Baddock had a goal, his sixth, and an assist, both on the PP. He has goals in three straight games and in four of his past five. . . . Edmonton F Andrew Koep had two assists. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter stopped 26 shots. . . . Vancouver has been outscored 13-1 in losing the first three games of a swing through Alberta. . . . The Oil Kings (14-10-4) have won two in a row. . . . Vancouver (9-18-0) has lost six in a row. . . . The Oil Kings travel to Medicine Hat tonight, while the Giants are in Calgary. . . . 
In Kamloops, the Regina Pats scored four times in the first period and went on to beat the Blazers, 7-3. . . . F Dryden Hunt had five assists for the Pats, while F Connor Gay scored three times, giving him 13, and added an assist. It was Gay's second hat trick of the season. . . . Hunt, who turned 19 on Monday, has had at least two points in five of his past seven games. On the season, he's got 31 points, including 19 assists, in 24 games. Last season, he finished with 19 assists in 62 games. . . . Regina D Kyle Burroughs had a goal, his fourth, and an assist, and finished plus-4. . . . The Blazers struggled against Regina’s forecheck through most of this game and, as a result, the home side committed about a month’s worth of turnovers in one night. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram started his sixth straight game but left trailing 3-0 after facing five shots at 5:50 of the first. . . . Regina has won nine of its past 11 games and Cody Nickolet (@DubFromAbove) points out that its top nine forwards have been identical for eight straight games. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 34 shots in improving his record to 2-1-0. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner was ejected at 2:29 of the second period for a headshot on Kamloops F Cole Ully, who wasn't injured. . . . The Pats (15-10-1) have won two in a row as they go into Kelowna to face the Rockets tonight. . . . The Blazers (11-2-5) are 0-2-1 in their last three and are at home to the Victoria Royals tonight. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans outshot Lethbridge 41-15 en route to a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Ty Comrie, with his second goal of the season, got the home side started at 16:53 of the first period. . . . F Lucas Nickles, F Vladislav Lukin and F Brian Williams each had a goal and an assist for the Americans. . . . There was a two-fight situation at 12:32 of the third period. . . . The Americans (15-11-0) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Hurricanes now are 6-16-4. . . . The Americans are scheduled to be at home to Portland tonight, while the Hurricanes play the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . 
In Everett, D Scott Allan’s first WHL goal broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Allan, an 18-year-old from Thornton, Colo, scored in his 49th career game and his 15th of this season. He played the first three games of this season with Medicine Hat; this was his 12th game with the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls had a goal, his second, and an assist, and was plus-3. . . . Everett was 2-for-6 on the PP; Seattle was 0-for-1. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 20 shots, six fewer than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Silvertips were without D Tristen Pfeifer (undisclosed injury), F Nikita Scherbak (leg), F Remi Laurencelle (ankle) and F Dawson Leedahl (knee). . . . F Bryce Kindopp, a 15-year-old from Lloydminster, Alta., made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. Kindopp, who plays for the midget AAA Lloydminster Bobcats, was a third-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . With F Mathew Barzal (fractured kneecap), F Lane Pederson (undisclosed) and F Kaden Elder (undisclosed) out, veteran D Evan Wardley was moved to the forward ranks. . . . The Thunderbirds (10-11-4), who had been 0-3-1 in their last four, are at home to Kootenay tonight, while the Silvertips (16-5-3) enjoy a Saturday night off.
The Kamloops Blazers have added F Mitch Friesen, 17, to their lineup for three weekend games. Friesen, who started the season with the Blazers, has been with the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International junior league. . . . While D Connor Clouston is ready to return to the Kamloops lineup, the Blazers will be without F Tyson Ness and F Luke Harrison, both of whom have been shut down for the season, along with G Justin Myles (indefinite), F Chase Souto (1-2 weeks) and F Matt Needham (day-to-day). . . . The Blazers, who have lost 10 in a row, are at home to the Portland Winterhawks on Friday and the Prince George Cougars on Saturday, then visit the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. 
The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed head coach Dave Dupas to a two-year contract extension that runs through 2015-16. The contract also includes a club option on 2016-17. . . . The Spruce Kings have qualified for the playoffs in each of his three seasons behind the bench. . . . As well, the Spruce Kings signed assistant coaches Colton Buffie and Jason Garneau to two-year extensions running through 2015-16.
In Regina, G Daniel Wapple stopped 27 shots to help the Pats to a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice had won six straight games. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski, who had won his last 10 starts, stopped 28 shots. . . . Regina F Dyson Stevenson gave his side a 3-1 lead with his 25th goal at 4:41 of the second. . . . Ice F Luke Philp got his 24th at 7:33 of the second but that was it for the visitors. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart ran his point streak to 15 games with an assist on his club’s first goal. . . . After that goal, Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, tweeted: “Reinhart ties team record with 8-game assist streak, done 5 times in Ice history, 3 times by Reinhart, 2nd time this season.” . . . The Pats (29-22-5) are tied for sixth with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference, but they are only one point behind the idle Swift Current Broncos, who lead the East Division. . . . The Ice is fifth in the conference, five points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Taylor Cooper scored 20 seconds into OT to give the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . It was the first meeting between these teams since the Nov. 16 deal in which Brandon landed D Ryan Pilon and F Colt Conrad in exchange for Cooper, D Nick Walters and D Tanner Browne. . . . Pilon, Walters and Cooper all played last night. . . . Cooper also had an assist and was plus-3. . . . The goal was Cooper’s 11th of the season. . . . Brandon F Quintin Lisoway forced OT with his seventh goal of the season at 15:44 of the third period. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb opened the scoring for Brandon, getting his 29th of the season via the PP, at 18:30 of the first. . . . Lethbridge went ahead on third-period goals from F Riley Sheen, his 15th, at 8:40 and F Brady Ramsay, his 13th, at 11:43. . . . Ramsay also had two assists. . . . Brandon was without F Rihards Bukarts (undisclosed injury) for a third straight game. . . . The Wheat Kings finished 0-2-1 on a three-games swing; they are 3-5-2 in their last 10 overall. . . . The Hurricanes (12-41-5) now have 29 points, leaving the Kamloops Blazers (11-41-5) alone in the WHL basement. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-22-7) are tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. . . .
In Red Deer, D Tyler Lewington drew three assists to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 4-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 27 shots. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk needed 2:39 to run his point streak to 16 games, the longest in the WHL today. He drew an assist on F Dylan Bredo’s first-period PP goal. . . . Valk also scored a goal, his 31st. . . . F Anthony Ast also scored for the winners, giving him three in his last two games and five in seven. He‘s got 12 goals this season, seven in 15 games with the Tigers, who acquired him from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Medicine Hat has won five of its last six games. . . . The Tigers (34-20-3) are a comfortable fourth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Rebels (27-26-4) have lost seven in a row and are eighth in the conference, three points ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .
In Edmonton, the Prince Albert Raiders built up a 4-1 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Raiders G Cole Cheveldave stopped 39 shots, 21 more than Edmonton‘s Tristan Jarry. . . . Edmonton had won its previous 11 games. . . . F Collin Valcourt, playing in his 250th regular-season WHL game, scored twice for the Raiders, giving him 19. He also had an assist. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl gave his guys a 4-1 lead with his 23rd goal, via the PP, at 3:56 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings made it close with two goals from F Henrik Samuelsson, who has 26 goals. Both goals came via the PP. . . . Prince Albert F Dakota Conroy scored his 21st goal and added two assist. . . . The Raiders were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 2-for-4. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Griffin Reinhart, who was ill. . . . The Raiders (26-27-3) are three points behind Red Deer, which holds down the conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Oil Kings (40-14-1) lead the Eastern Conference by three points over the Calgary Hitmen. Edmonton holds two games in hand. . . .
In Victoria, D Jordan Fransoo scored at 2:26 of OT to give the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Fransoo has four goals this season. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges had forced OT with his 17th goal, on the PP, at 2:42 of the third. . . . That goal came just 1:23 after F Parker Bowles had given the visitors the lead, on the PP, with his fifth goal. . . . Tri-City, which got two assists from F Beau McCue, was 2-for-5 on the PP. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 37 shots, 12 more than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka was backing up Vollrath after missing five games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Royals ran an Olympic-themed promotion for this one. Because Canada had won 10 medals in Sochi, if you wore red to the game you could get $10 off a ticket. . . . Attendance was announced at 4,501. . . . The Royals (39-16-4) clinched a playoff spot with the victory. They are third in the Western Conference, three points behind the Portland Winterhawks. Victoria has won four in a row and is 9-0-2 in its last 11 games. . . . The Royals, who have won six in a row on the road, leave Thursday on an East Division swing. . . . Tri-City (27-24-6) is eighth in the conference, five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars. . . .
In Spokane, F Cole Linaker scored his eighth goal of the season at 19:33 of the third period to give the Kelowna Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Rockets nursed a 1-0 lead into the third period, thanks to a goal by F Myles Bell, his 38th, via the PP, at 14:47 of the first. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow tied it with his fifth goal at 1:02 of the third. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 29 shots, while Eric Williams of the Chiefs turned aside 32. . . . The Rockets (45-8-4) lead the overall standings by nine points over Portland. . . . The Chiefs (32-20-5) are fifth in the Western Conference, six points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and six ahead of the Vancouver Giants.
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