Showing posts with label Zach Fischer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zach Fischer. Show all posts

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Rebels shock Hurricanes . . . Warriors, Royals even series . . . Barzal sighting, but not on ice

Scattershoot

 The defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings were without F Nolan Patrick for a second straight game against the host Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday. The Wheat Kings, 7-2 losers in the opener, also added a pair of 15-year-olds — D Braden Schneider and F Ben McCartney — while taking out F Baron Thompson and F Cole Reinhardt. Schneider was the 11th overall selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, while McCartney was taken in the second round.
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The Tigers, meanwhile, added veteran D Ty Schultz, while scratching D Brad Forrest. Schultz hadn’t played since Jan. 13 when he suffered a broken leg while blocking a shot.
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The Red Deer Rebels and the Hurricanes got their series started last night in Lethbridge. The Hurricanes had F Matt Alfaro and F Zak Zborosky back after both had played just one game since March 4. Both were acquired from the Kootenay Ice near the trade deadline in the hopes they could provide some offence.
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The Tri-City Americans added F Vladislav Lukin to their scratches prior to Game 2 against the host Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday. He joined F Nolan Yaremko and F Michael Rasmussen. With Rasmussen’s season likely over thanks to a broken scaphoid, losing Lukin is a blow. Lukin finished the regular season with 58 points, including 26 goals, in 63 games. He missed some time late in the regular season, too.
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The Thunderbirds, 4-2 winners in Game 1, scratched F Mathew Barzal and G Rylan Toth for a second straight playoff game. Barzal (mumps) last played on March 7, while Toth (undisclosed injury) last saw action on March 11. Barzal, the Western Conference’s outstanding player, put up 79 points, 69 of them assists, in 41 games. Toth led all goaltenders with 36 regular-season victories. He made 58 appearances. . . . Barzal was seen exiting the dressing room after last night’s game. As Tim Pigulski of 710 ESPN Seattle tweeted: “That is the first we’ve seen of Barzal since he left the blue line during the anthem two weeks ago. No longer in isolation.”
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After losing Game 1, 4-0, to the Rockets in Kelowna, the Kamloops Blazers inserted D Devan Harrison and F Brodi Stuart, while taking out D Dan Gatenby and F Jackson Shepard.
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The Regina Pats, who beat the visiting Calgary Hitmen, 5-2, in Friday’s opener, got F Nick Henry back from a one-game WHL suspension. Henry was one of the Pats’ five 80-point men, finishing his first regular season with 81 points, including 35 goals. . . . In order to get Henry in, the Pats took out F Kjell Kjemhus, a 15-year-old from Grande Prairie, Alta., who was a fourth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft.
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In Everett, the Victoria Royals, 4-2 losers to the Silvertips on Friday, scratched D Scott Walford and F Blake Bargar, adding D Mitchell Prowse and D Jeremy Masella.
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It’s a big hockey day in Prince George today (Sunday). The Cougars are at home to the Portland Winterhawks for Game 2 of their series at 5 p.m. Earlier in the day, at 9:45 a.m., the Cariboo Cougars and Greater Vancouver Canadians will decide the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League championship. The Canadians won Game 1, 3-2, in double OT on Friday, with the Cougars. behind 19 saves from G Marcus Allen, tying the best-of-three final with a 2-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.
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When the Winterhawks and Cougars met Friday, it was a Mega Jackpot for the 50/50 draw and Jenny Plouffe, who is from Prince George, went home with more than $42,000. Proceeds from the draw went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Prince George.
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F Ty Ronning of the Vancouver Giants is with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers, on an ATO. He picked up is first professional point on Friday, in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Providence Bruins, then got his first goal Saturday in a 4-3 victory over the visiting Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all series best-of-seven):


At Lethbridge, the Red Deer Rebels erased a 2-0 deficit en route to a 4-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . .
MICHAEL SPACEK
This was Game 1, with Game 2 scheduled for today, 6 p.m., in Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes finished second in the Central Division, 14 victories and 22 points ahead of the Rebels. . . . The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead when F Tyler Wong struck at 13:51 of the first period. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis made it 2-0 at 3:14 of the second period. . . . F Michael Spacek got Red Deer on the scoreboard at 18:42, the late-period goal maybe the most important of the game. . . . F Cameron Hausinger tied the score at 1:55 of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel snapped the tie, on a PP, at 18:03. . . . F Lane Zablocki added an empty-netter, on a PP, at 19:56. . . . The Rebels to two assists from F Evan Polei and one from Spacek. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb stopped 25 shots. . . . Lethbridge got 29 saves from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Red Deer was 2-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,118.
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At Moose Jaw, F Brayden Burke broke a 2-2 tie at 15:49 of the third period as the Warriors beat the Swift
LUKA BURZAN
Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 1-1. . . . The Broncos had won Game 1, 2-0, on Friday night. . . . They’ll play Games 3 and 4 in Swift Current on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F MacKenzie Wight had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:36 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it on F Branden Klatt’s goal at 13:52 of the second period. . . . Broncos F Tyler Steenbergen scored his second goal of the series at 16:53 for a 2-1 lead. . . . The Warriors pulled even at 5:07 of the third period as F Thomas Foster scored on a wrap-around. . . . The Warriors got two assists from F Luka Burzan. He had the primary assist on Moose Jaw’s first and last goals. . . . G Zach Sawchenko earned the victory with 34 saves. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 31 shots for the Broncos. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 3,610.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers built a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 5-3 lead over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . .
ZACH FISCHER
. The Tigers won Game 1, 7-2, on Friday. . . . The scene now shifts to Dauphin, Man., for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday. With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair having taken over Brandon’s Keystone Centre complex, the Wheat Kings will play their opening-round games in Dauphin. . . . F Zach Fischer gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with 11.1 seconds left in the first period. . . . F Max Gerlach made it 2-0 at 12:22 of the second period. . . . Fischer increased that to 3-0 with his third goal in two games, at 4:27 of the third period. . . . The Wheat Kings got on the scoreboard when F Connor Gutenberg scored at 7:45. . . . Medicine Hat got that one back just nine seconds later as F John Dahlstrom scored. . . . The Wheat Kings cut the deficit to one on goals from F Reid Duke, at 11:08, and F Tyler Coulter, at 18:09. . . . Dahlstrom iced it with an empty-netter at 19:44. . . . F Mason Shaw had two assists for the Tigers. . . . The Wheat Kings got two assists from F Ty Lewis, with Coulter adding one. . . . Medicine Hat G Michael Bullion made 20 saves. . . . Brandon starter Logan Thompson allowed four goals on 42 shots in 53:12. He left in the third period, favouring a leg, after Tigers F Max Gerlach was pushed on top of him. Travis Child finished up, stopping the only shot he faced in 5:42. That was Child’s WHL playoff debut. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-5 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,791.
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At Regina, F Sam Steel scored one goal and drew four assists to lead the Pats to a 5-1 victory over the
SAM STEEL
Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Pats had posted a 5-2 victory in Game 1 on Friday. . . . They’ll resume the series in Calgary with games scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Last night, Steel, who won the WHL’s regular-season scoring title, drew the primary assist on each of Regina’s first four goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 11:44 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Andrew Fyten’s goal at 2:16 of the second period. . . . F Adam Brooks scored his third goal in two games, this one via a 5-on-3 PP, to put the Pats back out front, at 4:17. . . . Leedahl scored again, at 9:38, and F Nick Henry counted at 7:26 of the third period. Henry had sat out Game 1 with a WHL suspension. . . . Steel got the empty-netter at 17:00. . . . Leedahl also had an assist, for a three-point night, while D Connor Hobbs had two assists. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 26 shots, eight fewer than Calgary’s Cody Porter. . . . Regina was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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DILLON DUBE
At Kelowna, F Dillon Dube scored two third-period goals for the Rockets as they skated to a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Rockets blanked the Blazers, 4-0, in Game 1 on Friday. . . . The series resumes with games in Kamloops on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Dube, who signed an NHL contract on Friday, scored shorthanded at 11:55 for a 2-0 lead, then made it 3-0, on a PP, at 13:24. . . . D Cal Foote, who also had an assist, had given Kelowna a 1-0 edge at 2:53 of the first period. . . . F Quinn Benjafield scored the Blazers’ first goal of the series at 13:59, and D Ondrej Vala added a PP goal at 16:30 to make for an interesting finish. . . . The Rockets got 33 saves from G Michael Herringer, while Connor Ingram of Kamloops stopped 34. . . . The Blazers had 15 shots in all of Game 1. In Game 2, they held a 16-13 edge after one period. . . . Announced attendance: 5,647.
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At Everett, F Vladimir Bobylev broke a tie at 15:01 of the third period to give the Victoria Royals a 4-3
TYLER SOY
victory over the Silvertips. . . . Bobylev scored from behind the Everett net, banking the winning goal off G Carter Hart. . . . The Silvertips won, 4-2, on Friday. . . . The teams will resume hostilities in Victoria with games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Last night, Everett took a 1-0 lead on a PP goal from F Matt Fonteyne at 7:53 of the first period. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips tied it, on a PP, at 12:45. . . . Everett went back out front 49 seconds into the second period as F Patrick Bajkov scored his second goal of the series, on a PP. . . . F Tyler Soy shot the Royals out front with two goals, the first one at 1:40, the second, on a PP, at 7:30. . . . F Brandson Hein pulled Everett even at 7:49 of the third period. . . . F Jack Walker and D Chaz Reddekopp each had two assists for the Royals. . . . Everett got two assists from F Dominic Zwerger and one from Bajkov. . . . Walker set franchise records for career playoff assists (18) and points (31). He had tied F Brandon Magee for both marks on Friday. . . . Soy set a franchise career record for playoff goals (14) with his second goal. The first one tied Walker and Magee. . . . G Griffen Outhouse earned the victory with 18 saves. . . . Hart finished up with 26 saves. . . . Each team was 2-3 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 4,196.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Tri-City
SCOTT EANSOR
Americans, 5-2. . . . The Thunderbirds had posted a 4-2 victory on Friday. . . . The series will resume with games in Kennewick, Wash., on Wednesday and Friday. . . . Last night, Seattle took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Nolan Volcan, on a PP, at 8:55, and F Scott Eansor, at 17:14. . . . Eansor scored his first goal since Dec. 31 after missing most of the second half with injuries. . . . The Americans pulled even on goals from F Parker AuCoin, at 16:21 of the second period, and F Max James, on a PP, at 6:52 of the third. . . . Seattle F Matthew Wedman snapped the 2-2 tie at 15:03 of the third period. . . . F Donovan Neuls added insurance, on a PP, at 15:29, and D Aaron Hyman scored another PP goal at 19:42. . . . Seattle got two assists each from D Austin Strand and D Jarret Tyszka, with Hyman adding one. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski, making his second straight start in the absence of the injured Rylan Toth, stopped 28 shots. . . . The Americans got 36 stops from G rylan Parenteau. . . . Seattle was 3-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 4,502.
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SUNDAY GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Red Deer leads, 1-0)
Portland at Prince George, 5 p.m. (Portland leads, 1-0)
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MONDAY GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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Friday, March 10, 2017

Royals await mumps test results . . . Rockets, Tigers romp . . . T-Birds back on top in U.S.



Like a monster in a horror movie, just when you thought the mumps had left the WHL, the illness may have raised its ugly head again.
The Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Swiift Current Broncos have dealt with mumps
outbreaks in the recent past. But with no new cases in the past week or two it was hoped that the worst was over.
However, the Victoria Royals, in Kamloops for a Wednesday/Friday doubleheader with the Blazers, isolated head coach Dave Lowry and one play before the second game after they showed symptoms of mumps.
Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Taking Note that no one was yet sure if it is the mumps, “but always better to be safe than sorry until test results (come) back.”
Hope added that the Royals had “isolated a player and coach as per protocol.”
Prior to Friday’s game in Kamloops, arena security posted warnings throughout the arena, asking fans to stay away from players. This is the same protocol that was followed last month.
With Lowry gone, assistant coach Dan Price controlled the bench with help from Hope, who ran the defence.
Price said prior to the game that he couldn’t remember the last time he had flown solo behind a bench, so was grateful to have Hope there.
Doug Bodger, the Royals’ other assistant coach, wasn’t in Kamloops with the team, but is expected to get to Kelowna in time for a Saturday game with the Rockets.
The Royals, playing their third game in four nights, lost 6-2 to the Blazers last night. Victoria will play its fourth game in five nights today in Kelowna.
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If you’re a hockey fan, this piece right here may be the best thing you will read in 2017. Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail explores how coaching in the NHL got from there to here, and it’s fantastic.
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The owners of the Elmira Jackals have informed the ECHL that they won’t return for another season. The ECHL’s board of governors already has approved the request for a voluntary suspension of operations. The Jackals have been in operation for 17 years. . . . This follows on the heels of an announcement by the Anchorage-based Alaska Aces that they won’t be back for another season. . . . At the moment, the ECHL includes 27 teams -- one in Canada and 26 scattered across the U.S. It once was known as the East Coast Hockey League but now simply is the ECHL.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching

 Mike Reagan will be back for an 11th season with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. It will be his 11th season as the team’s head coach. For the past five seasons, he also has been the general manager. The Bombers will make their 10th playoff appearance under Reagan this season. He was working under a one-year contract that was agreed to in May. A Toronto native, Reagan will turn 38 on March 18. He played two seasons (1998-2000) with the Bombers before spending four seasons at Sacred Heart University. . . . Reagan has a 316-206-48 regular-season record with the Bombers, who reached the championship final last season. This season, they finished 39-14-5 and atop the Sherwood Division.
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After 15 seasons, Walt Kyle is out as head coach of the Northern Michigan U Wildcats, who play out of Marquette. The school made the announcement early Friday.
Later in the day, the Marquette Country Sheriff’s Office arrested Kyle. He was charged with one count each of residential mortgage fraud and forgery of documents. He was released on bond. According to Sam Ali of ABC 10 Sports in Marquette, “The case alleges that Kyle committed forgery and fraud with River Valley Bank while obtaining a mortgage in 2014.”
George Hyde, Kyle’s attorney, released this statement on Friday night:
"These charges against my client, Mr. Walt Kyle, are extremely unfortunate and a prime example of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the facts.
"The facts are the following: while married to his former wife, his former wife granted him a general power of attorney on her behalf, which authorized him to sign her name on her behalf on any financial documents. While still married, Mr. Kyle and his then wife, Ann Kyle, jointly decided to refinance an existing bank loan in order to complete certain home repairs. Mr. Kyle did nothing more than sign his wife's name to the loan documents, with his wife's full knowledge and consent. The home repairs were completed while Mr. Kyle and Ann Kyle were still married.
"During subsequent divorce proceedings, Ann Kyle sought to avoid responsibility for the loans by falsely claiming no knowledge of them. That didn't work, and the judge in the divorce correctly determined that the loan was a joint debt. This loan was paid in full during the divorce proceedings.
"Undeterred, Ann Kyle has since convinced a local sheriff deputy to seek charges against Mr. Kyle, despite the existence of the valid power of attorney that Ann Kyle had granted her husband.
"The bottom line is this: Mr. Walt Kyle did nothing wrong and broke no laws whatsoever. These charges are the unfortunate result of his former wife's campaign to disparage him, which is ironic given her criminal behavior during their divorce proceedings that until now Mr. Kyle has been reluctant to report to the authorities."
Kyle was 265-263-68 as the Wildcats’ head coach, including 13-22-4 this season. Their season ended with a three-game loss to Bemidji State in the WCHA quarterfinals. . . . Kyle spent nine seasons (1981-92) as an assistant coach at NMU. . . . He played his junior and senior seasons with the Wildcats, captaining the team both seasons. . . . Kyle spent two seasons in the WHL (1992-94) as head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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If the WHL playoffs began today . . . 
Eastern Conference
Regina vs. Saskatoon
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Seattle vs. Portland
Prince George vs. Victoria
Kelowna vs. Kamloops
Everett vs. Tri-City
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, the Hitmen erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits en route to a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . They meet again tonight in Lethbridge. . . . F Jakob Stukel pulled Lethbridge into a 3-3 tie
JAYDAN GORDON
with his 22nd goal at 19:58 of the second period. . . . Calgary D Jaydan Gordon won it with his second goal of the season, at 5:10 of the third period. . . . Gordon has three goals in 167 regular-season games over three seasons, the first two with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes had taken an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Giorgio Estephan (31), at 2:14, and F Tanner Nagel (9), at 3:58. . . . The Hitmen moved into a 2-2 tie on second-period PP goals from F Matteo Gennaro (41), at 2:55, and F Beck Malenstyn, at 6:02. . . . Estephan put the visitors back in front, on a PP, at 18:59. . . . D Jake Bean, F Mark Kastelic and D Vladislav Yeryomenko had two assists each for Calgary. . . . F Tyler Wong drew two assists for Lethbridge. . . . Calgary got 21 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots for the Hurricanes. . . . Calgsry was 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-2. . . . F Matt Alfaro and F Zak Zborosky, who were acquired from the Kootenay Ice in January, were among Lethbridge’s scratches for a second straight game. . . . The Hitmen (26-31-10) closed to within a point of the Saskatoon Blades, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (43-18-7) had won their previous seven games. The now trail the Central Division-leading Medicine Hat Tigers by four points. . . . Announced attendance: 6,328.
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At Kamloops, the Blazers scored a 6-2 victory over Victoria, completing a Wednesday/Friday doubleheader sweep of the Royals. . . . Kamloops had won 5-2 two nights earlier. . . . The Blazers scored
RUDOLFS BALCERS
the game’s first four goals to lead 4-0 late in the second period. . . . F Garrett Pilon got it started with his 20th goal, at 15:10 of the first period. . . . F Nic Holowko (6) followed at 19:07. . . . F Erik Miller (5) made it 3-0 at 4:01 of the second period and F Rudolfs Balcers (38) upped it to 4-0 at 16:26. . . . The Royals got to within two on goals from F Matt Phillips (48), on a PP, at 19:35 of the second period, and F Blake Bargar (5), 27 seconds into the third. . . . The Blazers put it away on third-period goals by F Nick Chyzowski (16) and F Quinn Benjafield (15), on a PP. . . . Kamloops got two assists from D Luke Zazula and one each from Holowko, Chyzowski, Balcers and Benjafield. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram blocked 29 shots. . . . Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse surrendered six goals on 38 shots in 52:38. Dylan Myskiw finished up, stopping two shots in 7:22. . . . Kamloops was 2-7 on the PP; Victoria was 1-6. . . . These two teams don’t like each other. In this one, they combined for 100 penalty minutes, 54 to Kamloops. . . . F Jared Dmytriw of the Royals and F Deven Sideroff and D Ondrej Vala of the Blazers didn’t play after they came out of Wednesday’s affair with one-game suspensions. . . . Due to injuries, illness and a suspension, the Royals dressed only 16 skaters for their third game in four nights. . . . The Blazers (40-23-6) have won two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kelowna Rockets and seven ahead of Victoria, which has four games remaining. . . . The Royals (37-26-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,851.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s first eight goals en route to an 8-1 victory over the Vancouver
DILLON DUBE
Giants. . . . The home team started with first-period goals from F Carsen Twarynski (17), on a PP, at 9:55, and F Dillon Dube, at 12:23. . . . Dube added his second of the game and 17th of the season, on a PP, at 7:20 of the second period for a 3-0 edge. . . . The Rockets also got goals from D James Hilsendager (5), D Cal Foote (6), F Leif Mattson (8), F Reid Gardiner (15) and D Devante Stephens (12). . . . The Rockets got three assists from F Calvin Thurkauf. F Nick Merkley and F Erik Gardiner had two assists each, with Hilsendager, Gwarynski, Dube and Foote adding one apiece. . . . Reid Gardiner ran his point streak to 14 games. He has nine goals and 11 assists during that stretch. . . . Vancouver’s goal came from F James Malm (18), on a PP, at 9:06 of the third period. . . . Kelowna G Brodan Salmond stopped 20 shots, 19 fewer than Vancouver’s David Tendeck. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Rockets (42-21-5) have won six in a row; they are 15-2-1 since Feb. 1. They are second in the B.C. Division, two points behind Prince George. . . . The Giants (19-42-6) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,006.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Brandon Hagel scored twice to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-1 victory over the
BRANDON HAGEL
Kootenay Ice. . . . The teams will meet again tonight, this time in Red Deer. . . . F Vince Loschiavo gave the Ice a 1-0 lead with his 27th goal, on a PP, at 9:00 of the first period. . . . Red Deer tied it on F Evan Polei’s 30th goal, at 3:32 of the second, and took the lead when Hagel sniped at 12:56. . . . F Michael Spacek (28) added insurance at 15:48 of the second, and Hagel got his 24th, on a PP, at 17:21. . . . Spacek and D Jared Freadrich had two assists each for the winners. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 32 shots, two more than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-2 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-4. . . . The Rebels (27-28-12) have points in four straight (2-0-2). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Ice (14-42-11) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . The Ice has two home games remaining — the Edmonton Oil Kings are to visit on March 14, with the Hitmen there on March 17. Will those be the last two home games in the history of Cranbrook’s WHL franchise? . . . If voters in Nanaimo go YES in a referendum being held today that would lead to a new arena being built, it’s expected the Ice will be sold and relocated. . . . Announced attendance: 1,868.
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At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley and F Zach Fisher each scored three times as the Tigers rolled over the Edmonton Oil Kings, 9-3. . . . The Tigers are to visit Edmonton tonight. . . . Fischer and Bradley, each of whom has 33 goals, accounted for five of Medicine Hat’s first six goals. . . . Fischer opened the scoring at 8:13 of the first period, with Edmonton F Colton Kehler (16) tying it, on a PP, at 9:34. . . . Bradley scored twice before the period ended for a 3-1 lead. . . .Fischer got his second goal at 3:49 of the second period, with Bradley completing his hat trick at 4:36. . . . The Tigers completed an eight-goal outburst on goals from D David Quenneville (22), F Tyler Preziuso (5), F Chad Butcher (26) and Fischer, who filled his hat at 1:36 of the third period. . . . D Brayden Gorda (4) and F Kobe Mohr (6) added late Edmonton goals. . . . F Steve Owre and F Mason Shaw each had three assists for Medicine Hat, with D Brad Forrest, Quenneville and Butcher getting two apiece. . . . G Nick Schneider earned the victory with 18 saves. . . . Edmonton starter Josh Dechaine allowed seven goals on 30 shots in 32:15. Patrick Dea finished up with 19 saves on 21 shots in 27:45. . . . Edmonton was 1-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-5. . . . Gorda left at 18:30 of the third period with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Medicine Hat F Ryan Chyzowski. Chyzowski was down for a bit but left under his own power. . . . The Tigers (48-19-1) have won two in a row. They are five points behind the Regina Pats, who lead the overall standings. . . . The Oil Kings (20-41-6) have lost 10 straight (0-8-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,465.
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At Prince Albert, F Cole Fonstad snapped a 1-1 tie at 17:18 of the third period as the Raiders posted a 3-
ZACK HAYES
1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Fonstad has 10 goals. . . . Raiders F Parker Kelly had a chance to break a 1-1 tie when he was awarded a penalty shot at 15:34 of the third period. However, Brandon G Travis Child turned aside a backhand attempt. . . . D Zack Hayes’ second goal of the season put the home team ahead 1-0 at 12:10 of the first period. . . . F Tanner Kaspick (18) pulled Brandon even at 18:22 of the second period. . . . F Curtis Miske (19) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:29 of the third period. . . . F Cavin Leth had two assists for the Raiders. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 29 saves, one fewer than Child. . . . Prince Albert was 0-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . With the return of Kaspick from the injured list, the Wheat Kings had all players on deck for the first time this season. . . . The Raiders improved to 19-42-7. . . . Brandon (29-28-10) lost for the 10th straight time on the road. It is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . The Raiders will play in Brandon tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 2,168.
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At Regina, F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL in points, had two goals and two assists to lead the Pats to a 5-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Pats clinched first place in the East Division with the
TYLER BROWN
victory as they set a franchise record for points (102) in one season. The previous record (100) was established in 1980-81. . . . The rematch goes tonight in Moose Jaw, with the Pats holding a 4-3-0 edge in the season series. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown turned aside 26 shots to earn his fifth shutout of the season. He has seven in his career. . . . F Adam Brooks gave Regina a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 11:44 of the first period. . . . D Josh Mahura got No. 16 at 2:19 of the second and F Nick Henry scored his 33rd at 3:27. . . . Steel scored Regina’s last two goals, at 12:50 of the second, on a PP, and at 12:41 of the third. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 123 points, including 48 goals. . . . Brooks, who also had an assist, is second, with 114 points, including 37 goals. . . . D Connor Hobbs recorded two assists. . . . The Warriors got 38 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Regina was 2-5 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-6. . . . Regina (47-12-8) has won three in a row. It continues to lead the overall standings, by five points over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Warriors (41-18-9) had a nine-game winning streak end. They will finish second in the East Division and meet the third-place Swift Current Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, the Swift Current Broncos erased a 2-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat
ALEKSI HEPONIEMI
the Blades, 5-3. . . . The rematch goes tonight in Swift Current. . . . The home team took a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by F Braylon Shmyr, who has 34, at 11:43 and 13:23 of the first period. The second one came via the PP. . . . The Broncos tied it with the only goals of the second period, F Aleksi Heponiemi (27) scoring at 12:37 and F Tyler Steenbergen counting, on a PP, at 17:27. . . . The Broncos took the lead when F Conner Chaulk (8) scored at 2:06 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen followed with his 49th, at 7:47. . . . Saskatoon got back to within a goal when D Evan Fiala (4) scored at 9:48, but the Broncos put it away on F Lane Pederson’s 23rd goal, on a PP, at 14:21. . . . Heponiemi added two assists, with Pederson getting one. . . . Fiala and Shmyr had one each for the Blades. . . . The Broncos got 33 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . G Brock Hamm turned aside 23 shots in his 100th appearance with the Blades. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-4. . . . The Broncos (36-21-10) will finish third in the East Division and meet Moose Jaw in the opening round. . . . The Blades (27-32-9) had points in each of their previous four games (3-0-1). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point up on the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,285.
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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear broke a 2-2 tie at 7:45 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat
ETHAN BEAR
the Everett Silvertips, 3-2. . . . The victory lifted Seattle (43-19-6) back atop the Western Conference and the U.S. Division, one point ahead of Everett (40-15-11). . . . Seattle has won two in a row. . . . Everett had points in its previous three games (2-0-1). . . . F Mathew Barzal of the Thunderbirds took part in the pregame warmup, but took ill and left for the dressing room before the anthem. He didn’t return. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (7) gave his side a 1-0 lead at 1:38 of the second period. . . . Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit (7) tied it just 48 seconds later. . . . F Alexander True’s 22nd goal, shorthanded, at 4:18 gave the home team a 2-1 lead. . . . Everett tied it at 19:11 when F Connor Dewar got his 13th goal. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Sami Moilanen, but F Keegan Kolesar had a 15-game point streak end. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 16 shots for Seattle, including a second-period penalty shot by Richards. . . . Everett got 19 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Seattle was 0-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . D Aaron Irving was among Seattle’s scratches. . . . A mid-game tweet from Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle: “Have confirmed with T-Birds that Wyatt Bear has left the team and gone home.” . . . Announced attendance: 5,204.
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At Spokane, F Cody Glass scored two goals as the Portland Winterhawks skated to a 4-2 victory over the
CODY GLASS
Chiefs. . . . Glass, with 31 goals, opened the scoring at 4:38 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto tied it with No. 38, at 4:44 of the second period. . . . The Winterhawks went back out front when D Caleb Jones (8) scored at 11:34 of the third period. . . . Glass got his second of the night, on a PP, at 14:04. . . . The Chiefs got to within a goal when F Taylor Ross scored his sixth goal, shorthanded, at 16:33. . . . Portland iced it when F Skyler McKenzie put his 39th goal into an empty net at 19:30. . . . McKenzie also had an assist, while F Keegan Iverson had two of them. . . . Glass, a certain first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, has 91 points in 65 games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 27 points, 10 of them goals, in 65 games. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 23 shots for Portland. . . . Spokane got 45 stops from G Jayden Sittler. . . . Portland was 1-6 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . The Winterhawks (37-26-4) have won five in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. The Winterhawks also are fourth in the U.S. Division, one point behind the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs (26-31-10) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,759.
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At Kennewick, Wash., FJesse Gabrielle scored twice to help the Prince George Cougars to a 6-1 victory
JESSE GABRIELLE
over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Gabrielle got the Cougars started, on a PP, at 4:06 of the first period. . . . The Americans tied it at 6:28 when F Kyle Olson scored his 19th goal. . . . Prince George F Jared Bethune (21) broke the tie at 6:39, with Gabrielle adding insurance with his 33rd goal, on another PP, at 2:01 of the second period. . . . The Cougars added second-period goals from D Sam Ruopp (4) and F Radovan Bondra (32), before F Jansen Harkins added his 21st, on a PP, in the third period. . . . Bondra also had one assist. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 29 stops. . . . Tri-City starter Rylan Parenteau gave up four goals on 23 shots in 26:32. Evan Sarthou finished up with 23 stops on 25 shots in 33:28. . . . The Cougars were 3-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-1. . . . The Americans remain without F Vladislav Lukin, while F Michael Rasmussen (wrist) may not play again this season. . . . The Cougars are still without F Brad Morrison (ankle). . . . Prince George (43-21-5) leads the B.C. Division by two points over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Americans (38-26-3) have lost three in a row. They remain third in the U.S. Division, but now are just two points ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Announced attendance: 4,035.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 6 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Saturday, February 11, 2017

Tigers derail 'Cane train . . . Pats win sets franchise record . . . Barzal six-pack sparks Seattle


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The Everett Silvertips, who opened an East Division trek in Brandon with a 2-1 loss to the Wheat Kings on Friday, made a pair of roster moves Saturday morning. They dropped F Bradly Goethals, 18, from their roster as he has left the team, and brought back F Cal Babych, who had been with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. . . . Babych, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, played two games — on Jan. 29 and 31 — with the Silvertips during a recent stint with them, before being returned to Coquitlam. . . . Babych also has played with the Calgary Hitmen, Prince George Cougars, Prince Albert Raiders and Vancouver Giants. In total, he has 35 points, 15 of them goals, in 154 regular-season games. He had seven goals and 22 assists in 36 games with the Express this season. . . . Everett acquired Goethals from Brandon on Oct. 12 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft. He had three goals and three assists in 23 games with the Silvertips. “Bradly Goethals made significant strides to become a regular in our lineup,” general manager Garry Davidson said in a news release, “and made a decision to leave our hockey team for personal reasons. We acknowledge his wishes and priorities, and wish him well in his future endeavours.” . . . From Île-des-Chênes, Man., Goethals had 74 points, including 41 goals, in 43 games with the midget AAA Eastman Selects last season. He led the Manitoba Midget Hockey League in goals and points.
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When the Northern Michigan Wildcats blanked the visiting Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, 2-0 on Saturday, in Marquette, Mich., G Atte Tolvanen, a 22-year-old from Vihti, Finland, recorded his fifth straight shutout. That tied the record for consecutive shutouts that was set by Medicine Hat native Blaine Lacher in his senior season (1993-94) with the Lake Superior State Lakers. Lacher still holds the NCAA record with a shutout streak of 375 minutes 1 second. . . . Tolvanen’s streak is at 335:49. . . . Tolvanen is in his second season at NMU after spending two seasons in the NAHL, first with the Minnesota Magicians and then the Minot Minotauros. . . . The Wildcats are scheduled to visit the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The Wildcats’ head coach is Walt Kyle, who has been there since June 13, 2002. Kyle spent two seasons (1992-94) as head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Concussion Report

 Like football and hockey, the sport of bull riding has come face-to-face with a concussion problem, a situation that has been exacerbated by the death of cowboy Ty Pozzobon, a rodeo star from Merritt, B.C. Pozzobon, who was 25 when he died on Jan. 25, is believed to have suffered 12 concussions. . . . Charlie Gillis of Maclean’s has more right here on Pozzobon and the situation in which bull riding now finds itself.
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“In the 1950s,” writes Juliet Macur of The New York Times, “tobacco companies responded to research proving a link between smoking and lung cancer by trying to discredit the science. They formed their own research group to poke holes in the data and to stave off public panic that cigarette smoking could cause serious diseases and death.
“More than 60 years later, the NHL has responded to a class-action lawsuit regarding head injuries with a similar approach.
“The suit, brought by former players and their families, claims that the league hid the dangers of brain trauma. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages.
“It now looks as if the NHL, which makes about US$4 billion a year, has chosen to go after the science behind the brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. It’s late to this game. Even the NFL — a longtime and loud naysayer that blows to the head cause CTE — has acknowledged the link.”
Macur’s story in its entirety is right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Tristen Nielsen scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give the Hitmen a 3-2 victory
TRISTEN NIELSEN
over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Jake Kryski gave Calgary a 1-0 lead in the skills competition to end the second round, but F Tyler Steenbergen tied it for the Broncos in the third round. . . . That set the stage for Nielsen, a first-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft who has two goals in 34 games this season. . . . F Ryley Lindgren sent the Broncos into a 1-0 lead at 9:01 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it at 10:30 of the second period as F Matteo Gennaro got No. 34. . . . Lindgren’s 17th goal gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 12:05. . . . Calgary forced OT when D Brady Reagan (4) scored, on a PP, at 13:12 of the third period. . . . Gennaro also had an assist. . . . G Kyle Dumba blocked 21 shots to earn the victory over Jordan Papirny, who stopped 31 shots, seven of them in extra time. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen (20-26-9) had lost their previous three games. They are three points away from a playoff spot. . . . The Broncos (29-17-9) are 4-0-1 in their past five outings. They are third in the East Division, five points behind Moose Jaw. . . . Announced attendance: 6,272.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Cole Fonstad’s goal in the eighth round of a shootout gave the Prince Albert
COLE FONSTAD
Raiders a 4-3 victory in a game featuring the teams with the WHL’s poorest records. . . . The Raiders (14-38-5) had lost their previous three games. . . . The Ice (12-34-9) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . They are tied for 21st in the overall standings, with the Ice holding two games in hand. . . . F Brett Davis scored for the Ice in the second round of the skills competition, with F Cavin Leth keeping the Raiders alive with a goal in the third round. . . . The Ice had taken a 1-0 lead when F Colton Kroeker scored at 3:26 of the first period. . . . The Raiders tied it on F Simon Stransky’s 15th goal at 18:12. . . . The final four goals came in the third period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo got No. 20 to put the Ice ahead at 1:07. . . . The visitors then took the lead on goals from F Parker Kelly (11), at 13:27, and F Curtis Miske (13), at 15:15. . . . Kroeker, who also had an assist, forced OT with his 11th goal at 18:43. . . . Loschiavo had two assists for the Ice. . . . Miske had an assist for the Raiders. . . . Fonstad, a 16-year-old from Estevan, Sask., was the fifth-overall pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He has nine goals and 12 assists in 55 games. . . . G Nic Sanders stopped 34 shots for the Raiders, including six in OT. . . . The Ice got 25 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Prince Albert was 0-3 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-7. . . . Announced attendance: 1,924.
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At Medicine Hat, G Michael Bullion stopped 19 shots in recording his first WHL shutout as the Tigers
ZACH FISCHER
dropped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-0. . . . Bullion, who was acquired from the Portland Winterhawks to back up Nick Schneider, was making his 36th career appearance. It was his 12th appearance with the Tigers. He now is 9-2-0, 2.72, .898. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko scored the game’s first goal, his 10th, on a PP at 3:47 of the first period. . . . F James Hamblin added insurance with No. 16, shorthanded, at 1:31 of the second period. . . . F Ryan Jevne (9) F Zach Fischer (29) and F Mason Shaw (22) also scored for the Tigers. . . . Fischer also had two assists, as did D Jordan Henderson. Kirichenko added one. . . . The Hurricanes started Stuart Skinner in goal. He left after allowing five goals on 34 shots in 52:08. Adam Swan then made his WHL debut, stopping all four shots he faced in 7:52. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-2 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-2. . . . The Tigers (40-16-1) have won four in a row. The now lead the Central Division by eight points over Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes (33-16-7), who had won nine straight, had points in each of their previous 15 games (13-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 4,419.
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At Moose Jaw, G Carter Hart turned aside 31 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 2-0 victory over the
CARTER HART
Warriors. . . . The victory lifted the Silvertips back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds, whose game against the visiting Portland Winterhawks started shortly before Everett’s game ended. Just over two hours later, Seattle completed an 8-5 victory and moved one point ahead of Everett. . . . Hart now has put up back-to-back shutouts as he blanked the visiting Vancouver Giants, 1-0, one week earlier. This is his second shutout streak of the season. As November ended, he put up three in a row. . . . Hart leads the WHL with eight shutouts this season and now has 18 in his career. . . . F Devon Skoleski (11) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 10:18 of the first period, with F Eetu Tuulola (13) providing insurance at 10:13 of the second period. . . . Skoleski also had an assist. . . . The Warriors got 32 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips are 1-1-0 on their six-game East Division trip. . . . Everett (32-12-10) is nine points ahead of third-place Tri-City in the U.S. Division. . . . The Warriors (32-17-8) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are second in the East Division, five points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Announced attendance: 3,337.
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At Red Deer, D Josh Mahura’s goal at 3:04 of OT gave the Regina Pats a 4-3 victory over the Rebels. . . .
JOSH MAHURA
Mahura, who has 13 goals, was acquired from the Rebels in a deal at the trading deadline. He has four goals and six assists in 15 games with Regina, after recording nine goals and 24 assists in 39 games with the Rebels this season. . . . F Austin Pratt (12) had given the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 19:25 of the first period. . . . The Pats took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Connor Hobbs (25), on a PP, at 19:45 of the second period and F Adam Brooks (31) just 26 seconds into the third. . . . Red Deer responded with two PP goals to take a 3-2 lead. F Michael Spacek (24) counted at 5:46, with D Colton Bobyk getting his fifth at 6:51. . . . The Pats forced extra time when F Austin Wagner got his 25th goal at 7:08. . . . Wagner also drew an assist on the winner. . . . Brooks also had two assists, with Hobbs adding one. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, the WHL scoring leader, had one assist. . . . Steel has 98 points, four more than Brooks. . . . The Rebels got 47 shots from G Riley Lamb. He was especially busy in the second and third periods as the Pats outshot the Rebels by margins of 21-5 and 17-5. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown turned aside 23 shots. . . . Red Deer was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 1-7. . . . The Rebels had F Cam Hausinger and F Adam Musil back after they served two- and one-game suspensions, respectively. . . . Regina (40-6-7) ran its winning streak to 11 games. The Pats lead the overall standings by six points over Medicine Hat with four games in hand. . . . The Rebels (23-24-9) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). They are third in the Central Division, six points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 6,297.
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At Saskatoon, F Jesse Shynkaruk scored his second goal of the game at 4:43 of OT as the Blades beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2, on Ukrainian Night. . . . Shynkaruk now has 26 goals this season, and
JESSE SHYNKARUK
that’s not bad for a 20-year-old who was a walk-on at training camp. . . . Shynkaruk, who is from Saskatoon, went into the season with 23 goals and 25 assists in 196 career regular-season games split between the Kamloops Blazers and Moose Jaw Warriors. He was a seventh-round pick by the Blazers in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . This season, he has 26 goals and 14 assists in 41 games. . . . The game’s first four goals came in a span of 6:19 in the second period. . . . Shynkaruk put the Blades ahead 1-0, on a PP, at 9:35. . . . Brandon F Ty Lewis (25) tied it, on a PP, at 12:12. . . . The Blades went back out front when F Josh Paterson (13) counted at 14:11. . . . The Wheat Kings pulled even as F Stelio Mattheos (21) scored another PP goal, at 15:54. . . . Shynkaruk’s OT winner came from the backdoor off a pass from F Mason McCarty. . . . F Nolan Patrick and D Kale Clague each had two assists for Brandon. . . . Saskatoon G Logan Flodell stopped 21 shots, one more than Brandon’s Travis Child. . . . Brandon was 2-5 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-4. . . . The Wheat Kings dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum, as they used nine forwards and seven defencemen. . . . The Blades, already with six players on the injury list, lost F Chase Wouters to an undisclosed injury in the first period. . . . This was the final game the eight-game season series. The Wheat Kings were 4-2-2; the Blades finished 4-3-1. . . . For those unfamiliar with the beloved loser point, that means Brandon won the series, 10-9. . . . Saskatoon (23-26-6) has won three in a row and holds down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, 10 points behind Brandon and three in front of Calgary. . . . Brandon (27-20-8) has points in four straight (2-0-2) and is five points behind third-place Swift Current in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,307.
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At Kent, Wash., F Mathew Barzal had a career-high six points as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Portland Winterhawks, 8-5. . . . F Ryan Gropp had two goals and an assist for Seattle, running his goal-
MATHEW BARZAL
scoring streak to six games and his point streak to 12. In those 12 games, he has put up 11 goals and 14 assists, and Seattle is 11-0-1 in that span. . . . Barzal finished with a goal, his eighth, and five assists. He has 54 points, 46 of them assists, in 29 games this season. He has played 190 regular-season games, putting up 253 points, including 192 assists. . . . The first four stoppages in this game were for goals. . . . Seattle took a 1-0 lead when F Tyler Adams scored his second goal at 1:39 of the first period. . . . Portland went ahead 2-1 on goals from F Jake Gricius (6), at 4:02, and F Cody Glass (26), at 5:33. . . . Barzal tied it at 6:38. . . . Barzal’s goal was the first of four straight for Seattle. . . . D Reece Harsch got his third goal at 18:48. F Alexander True scored No. 18, shorthanded, at 3:27 of the second period and F Keegan Kolesar (16) upped Seattle’s lead to 5-2, on a PP, at 7:47. . . . The Winterhawks got back to within a goal as F Joachim Blichfeld scored twice, giving him 23, at 9:16 and 14:51. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear stretched the lead with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 10:30 of the third period. . . . The Winterhawks made it interesting as F Skyler McKenzie (35) counted at 11:16. . . . Gropp put it away with two goals, at 11:49 and 18:10, the second into an empty net. . . . Gropp, who also had an assist, has 11 goals and 14 assists in his 12-game run. . . . In his last four games, Gropp has seven goals and five assists. . . . In their last four games, Barzal, Gropp and Kolesar have combined for 37 points. . . . Bear, who was playing in his 250th career game, also had three assists for his second career four-point game. He has 52 points, including 31 assists, in 53 games. . . . Portland got two assists from glass. . . . The Thunderbirds got 29 saves from G Rylan Toth, while Portland’s Cole Kehler blocked 20. . . . Seattle was 2-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-5. . . . The Thunderbirds were able to dress only 16 skaters, including 10 forwards. . . . The Thunderbirds were without D Turner Ottenbreit, who left Friday’s 6-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans and didn’t return. Seattle F Sami Moilanen, who also didn’t finish Friday’s game, was in the lineup last night. . . . The Winterhawks played for a second straight night without a 20-year-old in their lineup. . . . Seattle (35-15-5) is 11-0-1 in its past 12 games and leads the U.S. Division by one point over Everett. . . . The Winterhawks (30-23-3) are fourth in the U.S. Division, two points behind Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 5,653.
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At Spokane, the Chiefs built a 4-0 second-period lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City
ETHAN McINDOE
Americans. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto’s 31st goal, at 2:28 of the first period, gave the home side a 1-0 lead. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto’s 21st goal, at 3:09, upped that to 2-0. . . . Both goals came via the PP. . . . F Ethan McIndoe scored two second-period goals for a 4-0 lead. He’s got 14 goals. . . . The Americans got back into it with three third-period goals. . . . F Brett Leason got his third at 1:40, with F Tyler Sandhu scoring his 15th at 10:24, and D Juuso Valimaki counting his 16th at 12:56. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Riley Woods and one each from the Yamamoto brothers. . . . Spokane started G Jayden Sittler, who was beaten three times on 19 shots in 52:56. He got the victory. Dawson Weatherill came on to earn a save, stopping all five shots he faced in 7:04. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 25 shots for the Americans. . . . Spokane was 2-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-3. . . . Tri-City was without F Michael Rasmussen for a second straight game. . . . The Chiefs (23-23-9) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Americans (31-23-3) have lost three in a row. . . . . Announced attendance: 9,848.
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At Langley, B.C., G Brodan Salmond blanked the Vancouver Giants for a second straight night as the
BRODAN SALMOND
Kelowna Rockets posted a 5-0 victory. . . . One night after making 22 saves in a 6-0 victory in Kelowna, the 18-year-old native of Calgary stopped 19 shots for his third career shutout. . . . The Royals got out to a 1-0 lead when F Calvin Thurkauf (25) scored, on a PP, at 6:10 of the first period. . . . D James Hilsendager (3) made it 2-0 at 8:49. . . . F Erik Gardiner (4) counted on a PP, at 1:01 of the second period, giving him two goals in two nights. . . . D Lucas Johansen (4) and F Kole Lind (26) had the other Kelowna goals. . . . The Rockets got three assists from F Dillon Dube, with Gardiner and Johansen adding one each. . . . The Giants got 33 saves from G David Tendeck. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (32-20-4) have won two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kamloops and two ahead of Victoria. . . . The Giants (18-34-5) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,233.
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At Victoria, G Dylan Ferguson blocked 36 shots to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 3-1 victory over the
DYLAN FERGUSON
Royals. . . . One night earlier, the host Royals beat the Blazers, 2-1 in a shootout. . . . Last night, the Blazers went 3-7 on the PP, scoring in the final minute of each period. . . . The Royals were 0-6 on the PP. . . . F Collin Shirley’s 23rd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 19:53 of the first period. . . . Victoria tied it at 1:37 of the second period when F Eric Florchuk got his third goal. . . . F Deven Sideroff (31) gave Kamloops a 2-1 lead at 19:07 of the second period, with F Rudolfs Balcers (31) adding insurance at 19:39 of the third. . . . The Blazers got two assists from D Joe Gatenby and one from Sideroff. . . . Ferguson improved to 14-9-2, 2.71, .923. . . . The Royals got 33 saves from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . The Royals lost F Jared Dmytriw when he took a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on F Deven Sideroff at 17:19 of the third period. . . . The Blazers (34-18-6) have points in five straight (3-0-2). They are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Prince George Cougars, who don’t play this weekend. . . . The Royals (31-22-4) hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Portland. . . . Announced attendance: 5,853.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 4 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:10 PM
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