Showing posts with label Wyatt Hoflin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wyatt Hoflin. Show all posts

Monday, March 16, 2015

Ex-WHL coach dead at 47 . . . Bjorkstrand atop the scoring race . . . Golden Bears defend title

Apologies for the brief absence. We were away for a couple of days and there were Internet issues in the hotel in which we stayed. . . . So now to get caught up . . .
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F David Hruška (Red Deer, 1995-96) has signed a one-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, in 50 games, he had 12 goals and 15 assists. He also was an alternate captain.
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Dale Marquette, a former WHL player and coach, died on the weekend. He was 47. His ex-wife Lisa Norman has said: “Due to complications with his diabetes he slipped into a coma and passed away.” . . . Marquette was from Prince George. . . . He played four seasons (1984-88) in the WHL, the first two with the Lethbridge Broncos and the last two with the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Wheat Kings traded F Sheldon Kennedy to the Broncos, who were moving to Swift Current, in exchange for Marquette. . . . In his final season, he finished with 103 points, including 51 goals, in 62 games. . . . He was a 10th-round selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL’s 1987 draft. . . . Later, he was the head coach of the Rocky Mountain Junior League’s Prince George Spruce Kings (1993-95), the WHL’s Prince George Cougars (1995-96) and the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires (2000-01).
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F Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Portland Winterhawks is the WHL’s scoring leader heading into the final week of regular-season play. Bjorkstrand had a goal and four assists in an 8-6 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Sunday. He now leads the WHL in goals (57) and points (108). . . . F Trevor Cox of the Medicine Hat Tigers is second, with 105 points, with Brandon Wheat Kings Tim McGauley at 103. . . . The last WHLer to score 57 goals in one season was Portland F Ty Rattie (2011-12). The last Portland skater with more than 57 goals was F Lonny Bohonos, who scored 62 in 1993-94.
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G Coleman Vollrath of the Victoria Royals is riding a shutout streak of 129 minutes 31 seconds. That includes back-to-back shutouts of the Vancouver Giants. The franchise record for longest shutout streak is held by Matt Esposito (153:56) of the Chilliwack Bruins. The Victoria record is 139:04 and belongs to Patrik Polivka (2013-14). . . . Vollrath’s second shutout of the Giants was his sixth of the season and that set a Victoria/Chilliwack single-season record. For one day, Vollrath, 19, had shared the record with Lucas Gore (2009-10, 2010-11) and Polivka (2013-14).
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The Victoria Royals, who will finish second in the B.C. Division, will open the playoffs at home on March 27 and 28. The third-place team, either the Prince George Cougars or Kamloops Blazers, will provide the opposition.
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G Wyatt Hoflin of the Kootenay Ice set franchise records for victories and saves in one season on the weekend. He posted his 35th victory of this season on Saturday in Red Deer, breaking a record that he had shared with Dan Blackburn (1999-2000), Jeff Glass(2004-05) and Mackenzie Skapski (2012-13). . . . Hoflin broke the single-season saves record that had been set by Tim Winters in 1996-97, the Ice’s inaugural season. Hoflin broke that record in a game against visiting Medicine Hat in Friday. The previous record had been 1,724.
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The U of Alberta Golden Bears won their second straight CIS men’s hockey championship, and their 15th overall, as they beat the UNB Varsity Reds 6-3 in Halifax on Sunday. . . . Former WHLers Stephane Legault, Jordan Hickmott, Johnny Lazo, Kruise Reddick, Levko Koper and Jordan Rowley had Alberta’s goals. Dylan Willick had one of New Brunswick’s goals and was named the Varsity Reds’ player of the game. Koper got the same honour for the Golden Bears. . . . G Kurtis Mucha, another former WHLer, faced just nine shots in Alberta’s goal. . . . Reddick, Hickmott, Alberta D Jesse Craige and UNB F Cam Braes, all former WHLers, were named tournament all-stars.
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F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings may be the best 16-year-old in the WHL this season. Of course, his father also played for the Wheat Kings. But there’s more to the Patrick family story than that. Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun has that story right here.
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The Prince Albert Raiders made their final visit to the Medicine Hat Arena on Sunday. Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, has been there more than a few times, both as a player and a coach. On Sunday, he took time to remember. “I took time before the game to walk the concourse and there are a lot of great old pictures up (there),” he told Myles Fish of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “We just wish this rink could talk because it could tell a lot of stories.”
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have lost two players to suspensions, both from incidents in a game at Calgary on Sunday. . . . D Kord Pankewicz will sit for two games after being hit with a match penalty. F Tyler Wong drew a one-game suspension for a slashing major and game misconduct. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks will finish first of second in the U.S. Division, meaning they will have home-ice advantage in the first round. They will open at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, March 28. That game will begin at 6 p.m., thus avoiding a direct conflict with an NBA game that is to start at 7 p.m. The Winterhawks will play Game 2 of their series on March 29, 5 p.m., in the Moda Center. . . .
F Kailer Yamamoto scored twice as the Spokane Chiefs beat the visiting Tri-City Americans 5-2 on Saturday. Yamamoto has 22 goals, tying him with F Pat Falloon (1988-89) for most goals scored by a Chiefs’ 16-year-old. F Jason Podollan holds the franchise record, having scored 36 times in 1992-93. . . .
F Jansen Harkins of the Prince George Cougars set a Prince George franchise record for assists in a season when he got No. 59 in a 6-5 shootout victory over the host Portland Winterhawks on Saturday. The previous record had been held by F Quinn Hancock (1997-98). . . .
The Calgary Hitmen wrapped up their franchise-record 11-game road trip on Saturday with a 4-2 victory in Lethbridge. The Hitmen went 7-4-0 on the swing that was forced on them when the Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men’s curling championship, took over the Saddledome. . . . On Sunday, the Hitmen returned home and beat Lethbridge, 4-1. . . .
F Tim McGauley of the Brandon Wheat Kings had his 24-game point steak snapped in a 3-1 victory over the host Saskatoon Blades on Saturday. McGauley had 53 points, including 17 goals, in the 24 games. . . . Brandon F Morgan Klimchuk had his streak ended at 11 games in that same game. . . .
F Rourke Chartier returned to the Kelowna Rockets’ lineup on Saturday night, after an eight-game absence. He scored his 47th goal as the Rockets beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers, 2-1. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders had their hopes of a playoff spot dashed on Saturday night when they dropped a 7-3 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current. . . . Raiders F Kris Schmidli returned from a 15-game absence in that game. . . .
The Swift Current Broncos ended a seven-game losing streak with two weekend victories over Prince Albert, losses that eliminated the Raiders from the playoff race. . . .
The Vancouver Giants snapped a nine-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Royals in Victoria on Sunday. The Giants now are four-points out of a playoff spot. If they are to make it, they need to sweep a weekend doubleheader from the Western Conference-leading Kelowna Rockets and also get some help.
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In a stunning move, linebacker Chris Borland, 24, has retired, ending his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers after one terrific season. He has told ESPN’s Outside the Lines that he is retiring in order to avoid further head trauma. "I just honestly want to do what's best for my health," Borland told Outside the Lines. "From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk.” . . . The complete story is right here.
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (3 games remaining) leads the overall standings by two points over Kelowna (3). The Wheaties last finished first overall in 1995-96. . . . The Wheat Kings will play the conference’s second wild-card team, likely Edmonton, in the first round. . . . In Regina tonight.
2. Regina (3) will finish second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . At home to Brandon tonight.
3. Swift Current (3) leads Moose Jaw by four points. . . . The Broncos can clinch third place with a victory in Moose Jaw tonight.
4. Moose Jaw (3) now is four points behind Swift Current. . . . Entertains Swift Current tonight and needs a victory to stay alive. Moose Jaw isn’t expected to have either F Jaimen Yakubowski or F Tanner Eberle in its lineup. As well, D Ryan Gardiner (hip) is day-to-day after going hard into the boards during a Saturday skate.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Calgary (3) completed a franchise-record 11-game road trip with a one-point lead over second-place Medicine Hat. . . . At home to Red Deer on Wednesday.
2. . Medicine Hat (3) trails Calgary by one point. Each team has 42 victories. . . . In Prince Albert tonight.
3. Red Deer (3) got to within one point of first place, but now is four points behind Medicine Hat and five in arrears of Calgary. . . . D Colton Bobyk returned to Red Deer’s lineup on Saturday after a 12-game absence. . . . In Calgary on Wednesday.
4. Kootenay (3) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Edmonton. . . . In Lethbridge on Wednesday.
5. Edmonton (2) is in the second wild-card spot, three points behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Red Deer on Friday.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (3) has clinched first place in the Western Conference. . . . Trails Brandon by two points in the race for first place in the overall standings. . . . At home to Seattle on Wednesday.
2. Victoria (2) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
3. Prince George (3) is two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . All three of its remaining games are against Kamloops, starting Wednesday and Friday in Prince George.
4. Kamloops (3) has two playoff options. It is two points behind third-place Prince George in the division and is tied with Tri-City (4) for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Will meet Prince George three times this week — Wednesday and Friday in Prince George, and Saturday in Kamloops.
5. Vancouver (2) has one victory in its last 10 games and is hanging on by a hangnail It is four points out of the conference’s second wild-card spot but has only two games remaining, both against Kelowna. . . . At home to the Rockets on Friday.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (3) leads the division by two points over Portland. . . . In Victoria on Friday.
2. Portland (4) is two points off the pace with a game in hand. . . . In Spokane on Wednesday as it closes with four games in five nights.
3. Seattle (4) trails Portland by 11 points so won’t finish second. . . . Is five points ahead of Spokane. . . . At home to Tri-City tonight.
4. Spokane (4) is five points behind Seattle and has clinched at least the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Portland on Wednesday.
5. Tri-City (4) is tied with Kamloops for the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Visits Seattle tonight.
(NOTE: If two teams tie for a conference’s last playoff spot, those teams will have a play-in game at the home of the team with the most victories. . . . For example, should Tri-City and Kamloops end up tied for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, a play-in game will be played at the home of the team with the most victories. Tr-City leads, 29-27. . . . Should Prince George and Kamloops finish tied for third in the B.C. Division, the first tiebreaker is total victories. Prince George has a 29-27 edge.)
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

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

(all times local)
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

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

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES

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

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

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

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Saturday, February 21, 2015

Kozun blanks Silvertips. . . . Big night for Cougars' Witala . . . Hitmen catch Tigers








D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Brandon, 2002-04) has signed a two-year-plus-option extension with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). Tollefsen, the team captain, has two goals and three assists in 42 games with Färjestad this season.
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The Regina Pats have announced a new ticket-pricing schedule along with new prices. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post writes, it all “is proving to be a tough sell” with fans. . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (12 games remaining) lost in Victoria (12); those two will finish 1-2 in the division. . . . Kelowna leads the overall standings by two points over Brandon. . . . Vancouver (12) beat visiting Kamloops (11), while Prince George (11) was winning at home. Vancouver holds third place by three points over Prince George and five over Kamloops. Prince George is five points out of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (13) lost on the road, while Portland (13) won at home. Everett leads the division by three points over Portland. . . . Seattle (13), which beat Everett at home, is five points behind Portland. . . . Spokane (14) lost at home and holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. It is 11 points behind Seattle and one up on Tri-City (12), which also lost at home.
EAST DIVISION: Brandon (12) won on the road and now trails Kelowna by two points in the overall standings. . . . Regina (14) won at home and is 23 points behind Brandon, but leads Swift Current (13) by 13 points. Swift Current won at home last night. . . . Moose Jaw (12) ended a seven-game road trek with a loss. It is five points out of a playoff spot. . . . Prince Albert (12) lost in Swift Current and is seven points out of a playoff spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (13) won on the road to move into a tie with idle Medicine Hat (13) atop the division. . . . Red Deer (13) is third, eight points off the pace and seven points ahead of Kootenay (12), which won on the road. . . . The Ice holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot four points ahead of idle Edmonton (13).
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WHL team logoIn Swift Current, the Broncos erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with five goals as they beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-2. . . . Goals by F Tim Vanstone, his 10th, and F Austin Glover, his 12th, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead by the 12-minute mark of the first. . . . F Colby Cave, with his 27th, and F Jake DeBrusk, with his 35th, on a PP at 11:40, tied it in the second period. . . . D Brett Lernout broke the tie with his 13th on another PP at 18:23. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-5. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon scored his 19th goal and added two assists. . . . The Broncos (29-25-5) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (24-33-3) are 1-1-1 in their last three. . . .

In Regina, the Pats scored the games first four goals, three of them via the PP, as they beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-1. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle got the game’s first goal, at 15:49 of the first period. He’s got 19. . . . Regina then scored three second-period PP goals. F Braden Christoffer got his 19th goal at 6:52. F Adam Brooks added No. 22 at 11:34. D Colby Williams scored his seventh at 13:41. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, who stopped 23 shots, lost his shutout when D Haydn Fleury scored his fourth goal at 2:02 of the third. . . . Regina was 3-for-9 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-4. . . . The Pats (32-19-7) have won two in a row. . . . The Rebels (30-20-9) have lost two straight. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Jayce Hawryluk and F Rihards Bukarts each had two goals and two assists to help the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-3 victory over the Blades. . . . F Ryan Graham gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 15th goal 23 seconds into the game. . . . Brandon scored four goals before the period ended to take control. . . . Hawryluk, who has 24 goals, has seven points in two games since returning from a 13-game absence. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored twice, giving him 37, and added an assist. He is riding a 16-game point streak. One of his goals came on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Brandon’s Quenneville brothers, John and Peter, each had two assists. . . . D Nikita Soshnin and F Wyatt Sloboshan had two assists each for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon F Brett Stovin played in game No. 250, all with the Blades, while D Brycen Martin, who was acquired from Swift Current in January, played in his 200th regular-season game. . . . Already without D Ivan Provorov, F Nolan Patrick, D Kale Clague and F Reid Duke, Brandon scratched F Braylon Shmyr (ill) after the pre-game warmup. That left it with 16 skaters. . . . Without G Alex Moodie (concussion) and G Logan Thompson (pink eye), Brandon had Justin Holder backing up Jordan Papirny. Holder, a 19-year-old from Brandon, plays for the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines. . . . Brandon improved to 44-10-6. . . . The Blades (17-39-3) have lost three straight. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Taran Kozun stopped 15 shots for the shutout as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 7-0. . . . Kozun has four shutouts this season, all in his last 10 appearances, and 10 shutouts in his career. . . . This was the first time this season that Everett was blanked. . . . F Keegan Kolesar’s 18th goal, at 8:23 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Roberts Lipsbergs scored twice, giving him nine, and added two assists, while F Scott Eansor scored his 11th goal and had two assists, and F Mathew Barzal had three assists. Barzal has seven assists in his last two games. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. Seattle had scored at least one PP goal in 12 straight games. . . . The Thunderbirds (31-21-7) have won two in a row. . . . Everett (35-17-7) had been 2-0-3 in its last five but now is on its first three-game losing skid of the season. . . .

In Portland, F Paul Bittner and F Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Winterhawks to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Bittner has 26 goals. . . . Bjorkstrand has 43 goals. He’s got at least one goal in eight straight games. He has 12 goals in that stretch. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first two goals and were never headed. . . . F Nic Petan drew three assists for Portland. . . . F Giorgio Estephan had Lethbridge’s goal. He’s got 17. . . . Portland G Aden Hill stopped 21 shots, 10 fewer than Lethbridge’s Jayden Sittler. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Mike Winther, who drew a one-game suspension for a spearing major and game misconduct that he took the previous night. . . . The Winterhawks (35-20-4) are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Hurricanes (18-34-7) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . .

In Prince George, F Chase Witala scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Witala tied the game 1-1 at 4:09 of the first period and later closed out the scoring with his 30th goal, at 15:35 of the third. . . . After Witala’s first goal, Cougars D Josh Connolly scored twice, at 19:10 of the first and 1:20 of the second. He’s got 11 goals. . . . The Cougars got three assists from F Jansen Harkins and two from F Zach Pochiro. . . . F Brayden Point scored his 27th goal of the season for Moose Jaw. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped F Jari Erricson on a penalty shot with 49 seconds left in the second period. . . . Willms finished with 25 saves, seven fewer than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-5 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-1. . . . The Cougars improved to 24-33-4. . . . The Warriors (24-31-5) went 3-3-1 on a seven-game road swing while the Canadian women’s curling championship was being decided in their home arena. . . .

In Vancouver, G Payton Lee stopped 33 shots as the Giants got past the Kamloops Blazers, 1-0. . . . F Dakota Odgers scored the game’s only goal, his fourth, at 4:44 of the second period. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 21 shots. . . . Vancouver was 0-for-1 on the PP; Kamloops never had an opportunity. . . . Lee has three shutouts this season and five for his career. . . . The Giants improved to 26-31-3. . . . The Blazers (22-33-6) have lost four in a row. . . . After the game, Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province tweeted that Giants F “Dalton Sward left in the 2nd with a hand injury and was getting X-rays afterwards, according to coach Claude Noel.” . . .

In Spokane, G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 29 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Chiefs, 5-0. . . . Hoflin has three shutouts this season. . . . F Jon Martin’s seventh goal, at 8:41 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . The Ice got two goals from each of F Luke Philp, who has 26, and F Jaedon Descheneau, who has 27. . . . Philp also had an assist. . . . F Austin Vetterl and F Sam Reinhart each had two assists. . . . The Ice roster now includes four 25-goal men. . . . The Ice (31-27-2), which won four of five from Spokane, is 3-0-1 in its last four. . . . The Chiefs (27-27-4), who have been blanked six times since Jan. 17, have lost three in a row. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Calgary Hitmen unleashed a season-high 55-shot attack as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 7-2. . . . The Americans scratched G Eric Comrie, who apparently was injured on Friday night, and G Evan Sarthou, so gave emergency backup Casey Kaiser, a 19-year-old from Richland, Wash., his first WHL start; in fact, it was his first WHL appearance. . . . Calgary had a 19-3 edge in first-period shots but didn’t score until F Jake Virtanen solved Kaiser with 7.2 seconds left. . . . The Hitmen opened the second period with three goals in 5:14. . . . Virtanen, who has 16 goals, also had two assists. . . . D Jake Bean scored his fourth goal and added two assists for Calgary, while D Travis Sanheim had three assists. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 41st goal and had an assist, while F Connor Rankin, who played the first 244 games of his WHL career with Tri-City, got his 28th goal and added an assist. . . . F Elliott Peterson also had a goal, his 10th, and an assist for the Hitmen. . . . The Hitmen (36-18-5) have won four in a row. They are 2-0-0 on an 11-game road trip. . . . The Americans are 27-30-3. . . .

In Victoria, F Taylor Crunk scored twice and F Logan Fisher had four assists to help the Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . One night earlier, the Rockets had beaten the host Royals 3-2, with F Leon Draisaitl breaking a 2-2 tie in the last minute of the third period. . . . Last night, the teams were 1-1 going into the third period. . . . F Brandon Magee broke the tie with his 17th goal at 6:39 and F Jack Walker got his 16th goal at 8:04. . . . Crunk provided more insurance with his second of the game and eighth of the season at 14:07. . . . Draisaitl scored his 11th goal, on a PP, at 17:00 to get the Rockets to within two, but Royals D Travis Brown got an empty-netter at 17:37. He’s got 17 goals. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots, three fewer than Kelowna’s Michael Herringer. . . . The Royals (33-23-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (46-10-4) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . These teams will meet again Wednesday, this time in Kelowna.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 1 p.m.
Lethbridge at Everett, 4:05 p.m.

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Friday, February 20, 2015

Cougars leaving early on next trip . . . Raiders stun Wheaties . . . Milestone for Reinhart



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Mark Lamb, the general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos, does a lot more than just coach his WHL team. If you’re interested in more, I wrote a piece on Lamb for The Coaches Site. . . . That story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars are starting their next road trip four days early as they head to Kent, Wash., for a Friday night date with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Cougars actually will leave on Monday and make stops in Quesnel (Monday), Williams Lake (Tuesday) and Quesnel (Wednesday), where they will practise and then work with minor hockey teams. Each stop also will include community meet and greets, and autograph sessions. . . .  “In order to support the 2015 Canada Winter Games to the fullest extent possible, the Cougars moved out of their own dressing room to make room for the surplus of athletes,” explained Andy Beesley, the Cougars’ vice-president of business.“This allowed us to create a voluntary extra road trip so we can reach out to our partner communities that we consider to be a major part of the Prince George Cougars family.”
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Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has waded into the minimum wage debate that involves major junior hockey. The piece is headlined: If junior operators can’t afford a reasonable wage, it’s time to shut down. . . . His take is right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed G Ryan Gilchrist, 16. The 6-foot-3 Gilchrist plays for the midget AAA Lloydminster, Alta., Bobcats, for whom he is 8-5-3, 2.81, .890. He has been in each of Seattle’s last two training camps. At the moment, he likely is third on Seattle's depth chart, behind Taran Kozun, 19, and Logan Flodell, who turned 18 on Feb. 10.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna won in Victoria and now leads the overall standings by four points over Brandon. . . . Victoria will finish second in the division. . . . The Rockets and Royals don’t like each other; they’ll meet again tonight in Victoria. . . . Vancouver lost on the road, Kamloops lost at home and Prince George didn’t play. That leaves Vancouver third, three points ahead of Kamloops and Prince George. . . . Kamloops plays in Vancouver tonight.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett picked up a loser point at home, while Portland won at home. The division-leading Silvertips hold a five-point lead on the Winterhawks, each with 14 games remaining. . . . Seattle won at home and is five points behind Portland and nine ahead of Spokane, which lost at home. . . . Tri-City won on the road and is one point behind Spokane. . . . Spokane and Tri-City hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots. . . . It’s worth pointing out that Everett has clinched a playoff spot, something it has done in all 12 seasons of its existence.
EAST DIVISION: Brandon lost on the road. It leads the division by 23 points and Eastern Conference by 15. . . . Regina won at home. It is second in the division, eight points ahead of Swift Current, which also won at home and is eight points ahead of Moose Jaw, which won on the road. The Warriors’ victory moved them within five points of the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Prince Albert won at home and is seven points out of that wild-card spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary won on the road and closed to within two points of idle Medicine Hat, which leads the division. Calgary holds a game in hand. . . . Red Deer lost on the road and is six points behind Calgary. . . . Kootenay beat visiting Edmonton. Kootenay is seven points behind Red Deer. The Ice is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spots, four points up on Edmonton.
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WHL team logoIn Swift Current, F Coda Gordon had a goal and two assists to lead the Broncos to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors led 1-0 and 2-1, but the Broncos scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Gordon tied the game 2-2 with his 18th goal of the season at 8:37 of the second period. . . . D Jordan Thomson broke the tie with his sixth goal at 7:17 of the third. . . . F Glenn Gawdin added insurance when he scored his 13th into an empty net at 18:43. . . . F Colby Cave had a goal, his 26th, and an assist for the Broncos. . . . F Wyatt Johnson scored his 23rd for the Rebels, on a PP 36 seconds into the game. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 35 shots, 18 more than Taz Burman of the Rebels. . . . The Broncos improved to 28-25-5. . . . The Rebels (30-19-9) had points in their previous three games (2-0-1). . . .

In Prince Albert, F Austin Glover had two goals and an assist to help the Raiders to a 6-4 victory over the the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Raiders led 4-0 at 3:22 of the second period, only have Brandon tie it before the end of the period. . . . F Simon Stransky broke the tie with his 10th goal at 1:10 of the third. Glover got the empty-netter, his 11th goal this season, at 19:39. . . . F Reid Gardiner scored his 28th goal and added two assists for the Raiders, who got three assists from D Brendan Guhle. . . . F Jayce Hawryluk, who sat out the previous 13 games with an undisclosed injury, scored three times for Brandon. He’s got 22 goals and is the club’s sixth 20-goal man. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley ran his point streak to 15 games when he scored his 35th goal of the season. . . . Prince Albert G Nick McBride stopped 31 shots. . . . The Raiders were 1-for-2 on the PP; the Wheaties were 0-for-4. . . . With G Alex Moodie (undisclosed injury) out, the Wheat Kings had brought in G Logan Thompson to back up G Jordan Papirny. However, Thompson was ill and a scratch last night. . . . Brandon continues to be without F Nolan Patrick, F Reid Duke, D Ivan Provorov and D Kale Clague, all out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Raiders (24-32-3) had lost their last two games (0-1-1). . . . The Wheat Kings (43-10-6) suffered their first regulation-time loss since Jan. 10. They had been 14-0-2 in their previous 16 games and had won nine straight on the road. . . .

In Regina, the Pats ran their winning streak over Saskatoon to 13 games with a 4-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks, who had missed eight games with a knee injury, scored his 21st goal and added an assist. The Pats also got a goal, his 18th, and an assist from Jesse Gabrielle. . . . Regina scored three times in the second period, the first, from F Braden Christoffer, coming 44 seconds in on a PP. he’s got 18 goals. . . . Regina F Patrick D’Amico had two assists. . . . F Ryan Graham, who had missed nine games with a back injury, scored his 14th goal, a shorthanded effort, for the Blades. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple made his 15th straight start. He stopped 32 shots, eight more than Brock Hamm of the Blades. . . . The Pats (31-19-7) had lost their previous three games (0-3-1). . . . The Blades (17-38-3) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 46 shots to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Edmonton got the game’s first goal when F Luke Bertolucci scored his seventh at 12:52 of the first period. . . . Ice F Levi Cable tied it with his 25th, via the PP, at 17:31 of the second. . . . F Sam Reinhart broke the tie with his 14th goal, and 300th career point, on a PP, at 7:10 of the third. . . . Reinhart later added an empty-netter. . . . F Luke Philp scored his 24th goal and added an assist for the Ice, while D Renat Valiev had three assists. . . . Hoflin stopped all 18 shots fired his way in the second period and 16 more in the third. . . . The Ice was 2-for-2 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-1. . . . A Pink The Rink promotion drew the season’s largest crowd — 3,224. . . . The Ice (30-27-2) has points in three straight (2-0-1) as it goes on the road for five games, starting tonight in Spokane. . . . The Oil Kings are 26-27-6. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has lots more on the game and Reinhart's milestone right here. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brayden Point’s three goals led the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Point scored the game’s first two goals, at 4:38 of the first, on a PP, and at 12:58. . . . Warriors F Jack Rodewald got his 28th at 9:00 of the second, on a PP, for a 3-0 lead. . . . F Cole Ully, with his 29th, and F Joel Hamilton, with his 12th, got the Blazers to within one but they weren’t able to tie it. . . . Point stretched the lead to 4-2 with his 26th goal at 15:34 of the second. . . . Hamilton got his second of the game, and 13th of the season, on a PP at 19:37 of the third period. . . . D Dustin Perillat and F Axel Blomqvist each had two assists for the visitors. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko stopped 31 shots, six more than Connor Ingram of the Blazers. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-6 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-for-4. . . . The Warriors (24-30-5) are 2-0-1 in their last three. They are 3-2-1 on a seven-game road trip that ends tonight in Prince George. . . . Kamloops (22-32-6) has lost three in a row. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks broke a 2-2 tie with three third-period goals and beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . F Keegan Iverson gave Portland a 3-2 lead with his ninth goal at 3:52 and F Skyler McKenzie added insurance with his third goal at 4:49. . . . Portland D Layne Viveiros iced it with his sixth goal at 14:18. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand notched his 41st goal for the Winterhawks. . . . Vancouver F Dalton Sward forged a 2-2 tie with his 11th at 19:17 of the first. . . . F Dominic Turgeon, with his 18th goal, and McKenzie each added an assist. . . . Giants G Jackson Houck got his 19th goal and also had an assist. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 31 shots, 10 fewer than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . Portland was 0-for-7 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-for-2. . . . The Winterhawks (34-20-4) have points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . The Giants (25-31-3) had won their previous two. . . .

In Spokane, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last three goals, all in the third period, and beat the Chiefs, 4-3. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto’s 18th goal gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead at 4:57 of the third. . . . D Micheal Zipp got his ninth goal at 6:23 to get Calgary to within a goal. . . . F Elliott Peterson, with his ninth, tied it at 7:48. . . . D Colby Harmsworth won it with his second goal of the season, at 12:38. . . . F Adam Tambellini drew two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke turned aside 26 shots, six more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Spokane F Calder Brooks had one assist in his first game since Jan. 2. He had been out with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Chiefs also had D Nick Charif back in the lineup. He last played on Jan. 24. . . . This was the first of 11 straight road games for the Hitmen, whose home building is being taken over by the Canadian men’s curling championship. . . . The game featured a matchup of the Helgesen brothers, F Kenton, 20 with the Hitmen and D Tyson, 17, with the Chiefs. They are from Fairview, Alta., and had family in the crowd. "It was a pretty special experience," Kenton told Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. "I've never really played against him. . It was kind of cool. We were kind of hitting each other a few times and getting into it.” . . . The Hitmen (35-18-5) have won three straight. . . . The Chiefs (27-26-4) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Victoria, F Leon Draisaitl broke a 2-2 tie at 19:17 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Royals, 3-2. . . . Kelowna D Josh Morrissey had tied the game, with his 13th goal, on a PP, at 12:36 of the third. . . . Draisaitl, who also had two assists, has 10 goals. . . . F Austin Carroll scored his 34th goal for the Royals, giving them a 1-0 lead at 1:48 of the first. . . . Kelowna F Cole Linaker tied it with his 13th, on a PP, at 10:29. . . . F Greg Chase scored his 17th, on a PP, at 9:51 of the second to give the home side a 2-1 edge. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-6 on the PP; Victoria was 2-for-7. . . . Morrissey now is on a 10-game point streak. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 25 shots, four fewer than Coleman Vollrath of the Royals. . . . The minor penalties handed out includes seven for roughing, two for checking from behind and one for a headshot. . . . The Rockets (46-9-4) have won four straight. . . . The Royals (32-23-4) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Everett, F Tyler Sandhu scored the only goal of a three-round shootout as the Tri-City Americans beat the Silvertips, 2-1. . . . F Carson Stadnyk gave the home team a 1-0 lead with his 23rd goal at 14:24 of the first period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon tied it with his ninth goal at 16:56 of the third. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots through OT, while Austin Lotz of the Silvertips stopped 26. . . . Sandhu began this season with Everett, before being traded to the Red Deer Rebels and then to the Americans. . . . Everett F Logan Aasman (concussion) played in his first game since Nov. 30, but the Silvertips were without D Noah Juulsen (undisclosed injury). . . . Tri-City’s scratches included D Brandon Carlo, who took a puck to the head on Tuesday. . . . Tri-City has taken three of four games from Everett over the past two weeks. . . . The Americans (27-29-3) had lost three straight. . . . Everett (35-16-7) has points in five straight (2-0-3). . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored three PP goals, the last one in OT, and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-3. . . . D Jerret Smith got the winner, scoring his eighth goal of the season on the PP just 58 seconds into extra time. . . . Lethbridge F Mike Winther had been ejected with a spearing major and game misconduct at 16:54 of the third period. . . . F Jamal Watson had given Lethbridge a 3-2 lead with his 22nd goal, shorthanded, at 4:06 of the third. . . . Seattle F Cory Millette tied it with his 16th goal, on the PP, at 4:30. . . . Seattle was 3-for-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-for-3. . . . F Mathew Barzal had four assists for Seattle, while Millette had two. . . . Smith added an assist to his goal. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore scored his ninth goal, via the PP, and had an assist. . . . D Kord Pankewicz had a goal, his seventh, and an assist for the Lethbridge, which got two assists from Winther before his departure. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner turned aside 34 shots, 14 more than Taran Kozun of the Thunderbirds. . . . Lethbridge head coach Peter Anholt put up 127 victories as head coach of the Thunderbirds (1989-92). . . . The Thunderbirds now are (30-21-7). . . . The Hurricanes (18-34-6) have lost two straight.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 6:05 p.m.
Lethbridge at Portland, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Central Scouting releases rankings . . . Hoflin, Ice beat Giants . . . Silvertips roll over Cougars








F Malte Strömwall (Tri-City, 2011-13) has been assigned by Lulea (Sweden, SHL) to Asplöven Haparanda (Sweden, Allsvenskan). The length of the loan period isn’t known. This season, with Växjö (Sweden, SHL), he had two goals in 21 games. In 12 games with Luleå, he had a goal and an assist. He scored on Tuesday in his first game with Asplöven.
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It’s a story that seems to be as old as hockey itself — minor hockey parents abusing officials. And now there is talk of a parent-free weekend in a league on Vancouver Island. One 17-year-old referee thinks that’s not a bad idea. . . . There’s more right here and right here.
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NHL Central Scouting issued its mid-season rankings on Tuesday and, yes, F Connor McDavid of the OHL’s Erie Otters is No. 1 among North American skaters. Coming in at No. 9, F Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds is the top-ranked WHL skater. . . . If you haven’t seen the rankings yet, there is a sortable version right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 39 shots to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Ice took a 3-1 lead into the third period and were up 4-2 when Vancouver F Dalton Sward scored his ninth goal at 19:54 of the third period. . . . F Luke Philp scored his 21st goal for the Ice, which got two assists from F Sam Reinhart and a goal and an assist from F Zak Zborosky. He’s got 13 goals. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson scored his 11th goal 15 seconds into the second period for a 1-1 tie. . . . Philp scored at 5:15 and F River Beattie gave the Ice a 3-1 lead at 10:20 with his fourth goal. . . . D Mason Geertsen scored his ninth goal and added an assist for Vancouver. . . . Giants G Payton Lee stopped 25 shots. . . . The Giants opened a six-game Central Division swing with this game. . . . They are scheduled to play in Medicine Hat tonight. . . . Vancouver was without F Thomas Foster, who sat out Game 2 of a three-game suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct he incurred on Friday night. He went knee-to-knee with Tri-City F Brian Williams. . . . According to Tri-City’s injury report, Williams, who didn’t play Saturday against the visiting Spokane Chiefs, will be out for up to three weeks. . . . The Ice is 23-22-1. . . . The Giants (19-24-2) have lost four in a row. . . .

In Prince George, the Everett Silvertips scored the game’s first five goals and went on to beat the Cougars, 6-1. . . . The Cougars lost D Sam Ruopp, their captain, to a kneeing major and game misconduct at 10:19 of the first period. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin scored his 11th goal on the ensuing PP and the Silvertips were off to the races. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml scored twice, giving him 21 goals. . . . Everett F Remi Laurencelle scored his 10th goal and added an assist for the visitors, who got two assists from D Cole MacDonald. . . . F Chase Witala scored his 25th goal for the Cougars, at 13:45 of the third period. . . . Everett was 3-for-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-3. . . . The Cougars are without F Jansen Harkins, their leading scorer. He is in St. Catharines, Ont., for the Top Prospects Game. . . . Earlier in the day, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks sent D Mirco Mueller to the AHL’s Worcester Sharks on a conditioning assignment. Mueller’s WHL rights belong to the Silvertips and there has been speculation that he might yet end up back with them. . . . The Silvertips (29-12-4) have won five in a row. . . . The Cougars (20-25-2) have lost six straight (0-4-2). . . . The teams meet in Prince George again tonight.
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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Blades sweep Raiders . . . Chiefs win sixth in row . . . New leader in points derby








F Andrej Šťastný (Vancouver, 2010-11) has been assigned on loan by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL) to Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, he had two goals and two assists in 28 games with Slovan Bratislava. . . .
F Curtis Huppe (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 1995-2000) has signed for the rest of this season with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). This season, with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier), he had four goals and an assist in five games. He was released on Nov. 25.
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The World Junior Championship hasn’t taken Montreal by storm, even with Canada playing its opening-round games there. Gee, maybe ticket prices have something to do with it. . . . Christopher Curtis of the Montreal Gazette has more right here.
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Mike Stothers, who spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, will be one of the coaches for the AHL’s All-Star Game. . . . Stothers is in his first season as head coach of the Manchester Monarchs, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. The Monarchs at 22-6-1-1, the best record in the Eastern Conference, which gives the spot to Stothers. . . . The game is scheduled for Utica, N.Y., on Jan. 26. . . . Travis Green, a former assistant GM and assistant coach with the Portland Winterhawks, will be on the Western Conference coaching staff. He is in his second season as head coach of the Utica Comets, who are affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . There’s more right here on Stothers.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Saskatoon, G Nik Amundrud earned his first WHL shutout as the Blades beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-0. . . . Amundrud, a 17-year-old from Melfort, Sask., was making his 14th appearance of his freshman season. He made 35 saves. . . . F Sam McKechnie had two goals and an assist for the Blades, with F Nikita Soshnin scoring twice. McKechnie has 12 goals; Soshnin has seven. . . . F Alex Forsberg added a goal, his 12th, and two assists. . . . The Blades (9-25-3) swept the weekend series from the Raiders (16-20-1), having won 6-3 in Prince Albert on Saturday. . . . McKechnie had six points in the sweep. . . . He and linemates Soshnin and Forsberg combined for 16 points in the two games. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. In it, he points out that the Blades had lost 23 straight December games prior to Sunday. . . .

In Victoria, G Coleman Vollrath recorded the shutout as the Royals beat the Prince George Cougars, 4-0. . . . The Royals scored four second-period goals. . . . Vollrath, who stopped 38 shots, has three shutouts this season and four in his career. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll scored the game’s first two goals, giving him 24. He also had an assist. . . . According to the WHL’s online game sheet, Carroll took a slashing major at 14:02 of the third period. However, the sheet doesn’t indicate an accompanying game misconduct. . . . The Cougars had won 4-3 in Victoria on Saturday. . . . Victoria (18-18-3) had lost its previous five games (0-4-1). . . . The Cougars slipped to 18-19-0. . . . The Royals are second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Cougars. . . .

In Brandon, F Rihards Bukarts scored once and added three assists to lead the Wheat Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . After drawing an assist on each of Brandon’s first three goals, Bukarts scored an empty-netter at 19:44 of the third period. He’s got 12 goals. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk broke a 1-1 tie at 14:49 of the second period and D Colton Waltz stretched the lead to 3-1 at 16:06. . . . Hawryluk has 15 goals; Waltz has four. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy had two assists. . . . Brandon G Alex Moodie, making his first home appearance since being acquired from the Saskatoon Blades on Nov. 26, stopped 25 shots. . . . D Dustin Perillat had two assists for the Warriors. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the host Warriors 3-0 on Saturday. . . . Brandon (26-7-4) has points in seven straight (4-0-2). . . . Moose Jaw (15-19-3) has lost five straight. . . .

In Vancouver, F Scott Eansor broke a 2-2 tie at 17:50 of the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . The Thunderbirds took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by F Lane Pederson, his fifth, and D Ethan Bear, his eighth. . . . F Jackson Houck got Vancouver on the board at 12:25 of the second, with his 13th goal, and F Alex Baer tied it, with his ninth, at 8:28 of the third. . . . Eansor won it with his fifth goal of the season. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 33 shots, 12 more than Vancouver‘s Payton Lee. . . . Seattle F Justin Hickman missed on a first-period penalty shot with his side up 2-0. . . . Giants F Vladimir Bobylev had two assists. . . . The Thunderbirds continue to play without F Mathew Barzal (knee). . . . Seattle (16-15-4) has won three in a row. . . . The Giants (16-19-1) went into this one with points in eight straight (7-0-1). . . . The Thunderbirds are fifth in the U.S. Division, but hold down the second wild-card playoff spot. They are three points ahead of the Giants, who are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind Prince George. . . .

In Calgary, G Wyatt Hoflin tied a franchise record as he backstopped the Kootenay Ice to a 4-3 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Hoflin made his 25th consecutive start, tying the Ice franchise record that was set by Todd Mathews from Jan. 21 through March 14, 2009. . . . Hoflin stopped 34 shots and was named the game’s first start. . . . The Ice scored the game’s first two goals, getting them 45 seconds apart in the first period. F Zak Zborosky scored his 11th on a PP at 10:04, with F Jon Martin adding his fourth at 10:49. . . . The Hitmen weren’t able to equalize, although they did get to within 2-1 and 3-2. . . . F Adam Tambellini scored twice for Calgary, giving him 21. . . . Kootenay F Levi Cable, who had four goals and an assist on Saturday when the Ice beat the visiting Hitmen 6-2, scored his 16th goal and added an assist. . . . The Ice (20-17-0) has won five in a row. . . . The Hitmen (19-14-3) have lost three straight. . . . The Ice is fourth in the Central Division, but closed to within a point of the Hitmen with the weekend sweep. . . .

In Red Deer, F Conner Bleackley scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Rebels to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton took a 1-0 lead into the third period after F Andrew Koep scored his 10th goal at 10:43 of the second. . . . Bleackley, the Rebels’ captain, scored at 8:44 and 17:45 of the third, giving him 17 goals. He then drew an assist on F Brooks Maxwell’s 10th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:56. . . . Red Deer G Taz Burman stopped 28 shots, two more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . On Saturday, the Rebels (20-13-4) had beaten the Oil Kings (16-16-5) 3-2 in Edmonton. . . . The defending-champion Oil Kings are fifth in the Central Division. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot at the moment. . . .

In Regina, the Pats broke a 1-1 tie with five straight goals as they beat the Swift Current Broncos, 6-1. . . . Regina F Patrick D’Amico broke the tie with his 13th goal at 4:27 of the second period and F Dryden Hunt made it 3-1 with his 13th goal at 8:01. . . . The Broncos had beaten the visiting Pats 5-3 on Saturday. . . . Regina D Colby Williams, playing his second game since returning from a wrist injury, had one assist and was plus-5. . . . The Pats held a 46-24 edge in shots. . . . F Colby Cave scored his 18th goal for the Broncos. . . . Regina D Chase Harrison left in the first period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . Regina improved to 21-12-2. . . . The Broncos (18-15-4) had won their previous two games. . . . The Pats are second in the East Division, four points ahead of the Broncos. Regina holds two games in hand. . . .

In Portland, F Kailer Yamamoto scored three times to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Yamamoto, a 16-year-old freshman from Spokane, has 29 points, including 13 goals, in 31 games. He has 10 points, including six goals, over his last four games. That includes three straight three-point outings. . . . Goals by F Ethan Price, his fourth, and F Paul Bittner, his 15th, gave the Winterhawks a 2-0 lead early in the second period. . . . Yamamoto erased that with goals at 6:14 and 10:19 of the second. . . . Portland F Keegan Iverson got his fifth goal at 14:22 of the second. . . . Yamamoto got that one back at 5:36 of the third. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka broke the tie at 14:44, getting his 17th goal of the season via the PP. . . . The Chiefs were 2-for-4 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 1-for-4. . . . Spokane G Tyson Verhelst turned in a 45-save performance. . . . Portland G Adam Hill stopped 34 shots. . . . The Chiefs (20-12-3) have won six in a row. . . . Portland (19-16-3) has lost its last two. . . . The Chiefs now are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett and two ahead of Portland. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox had six points and F Cole Sanford five as the Tigers doubled the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 8-4. . . . Cox scored twice, giving him 14, and added four assists, while Sanford struck for three goals, giving him 29, and added two assists. . . . Tigers
F Steven Owre scored his 13th goal and had two assists. . . . Cox has 18 points, including 13 assist, over his last four games and has vaulted into the WHL scoring lead. He now leads in assists (48) and points (62). . . . In his last four games, Sanford has 14 points. Actually, those points came in three games as he was pointless when the host Hurricanes beat the Tigers 6-5 on Saturday. . . . Sanford is second in the points derby, with 58, and second in goals, behind only Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, who has 34. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley has 56 points, including 46 assists. . . . D Kyle Becker also had a goal, his eighth, and two assists for Medicine Hat on Sunday. . . . Sanford scored his last two goals 1:32 apart early in the third period as the Tigers took a 7-2 lead. . . . F Zane Jones scored his 18th goal for Lethbridge, with F Jamal Watson getting his 16th. . . . Medicine Hat had a 50-17 edge in shots. . . . Ch-ch-ching! There was a four-fight situation at 8:27 of the third period, and it included battling goaltenders. Zac Robidoux of the Hurricanes and the Tigers’ Nick Schneider were tossed from the game at that point. . . . The Tigers, who dressed only 16 skaters, improved to 25-9-2. . . . The Hurricanes (9-21-5) had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Gutierrez broke a 2-2 tie late in the third period as the Tri-City Americans beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Gutierrez scored his fifth goal of the season at 13:57. . . . Tri-City D Parker Wotherspoon scored his team’s other two goals. He tied the score 1-1 at 12:22 of the first period and 2-2 at 10:22 of the third. He’s got eight goals. . . . The Americans had been 0-14-1 when trailing going into the third period. . . . F Nikita Scherbak scored his 17th goal for Everett. . . . Americans G Evan Sarthou turned aside 28 shots, 10 more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Americans (18-16-1) ended a three-game losing skid. . . . The Silvertips (21-10-4) had won two in a row. . . . The Americans are fourth in the U.S. Division, four points behind Portland with three games in hand. For now, Tri-City owns the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot.
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