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

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Conference finals all tied up ... Series resume Friday ... Kelowna d-man gets NHL deal

Scattershoot

Looking for a good read today? Check out this piece right here by Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who takes a look back at the Blue Jays’ crazy Tuesday night victory and ahead to today’s doubleheader.
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A number of major junior players have signed NHL contracts over the past month or so. I’ve always wondered just how thrilled their junior coaches are to have this stuff going on at this time of the season.
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The next head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips? How about Mark Holick? Holick, who spent this season in Italy, and Everett GM Garry Davidson go back to their days in the BCHL. In fact, they won a silver medal together with the BCHL team at the 2002 Viking Cup in Camrose, Alta. Holick, of course, has ample WHL experience, having been the head coach with the Kootenay Ice and Prince George Cougars.
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G Zach Sawchenko has already played four seasons in the WHL, so what’s left for him to prove with the Moose Jaw Warriors? I would suggest that he is showing maturity beyond his years with his decision to start the next chapter in his life by attending the U of Alberta and starting work on a business degree. If a professional contract shows up four years down the road, he’ll still be there.
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Unlike the rest of us, the WHL is much younger than it used to be. You can bet its teams will be hoping that no other 20-year-olds choose to follow Sawchenko’s example and leave with a year of eligibility remaining.
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As you will note in The MacBeth Report, former WHLer Tim Bozon is leaving North America to play next season in Switzerland. It could be that Bozon, a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 draft, never was the same after surviving a near-fatal run-in with Neisseria meningitis three years ago. You will recall that the WHL set up a trust fund and solicited donations from its fans on behalf of the Bozon family, but never did let those same fans know just how much money was raised.
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ESPN lopped somewhere around 100 folks from its payroll on Wednesday and some of them, like Jayson Stark and Ed Werder, were the best in the business at what they were doing. Of course, ESPN also dumped most of its NHL writers despite the fact the playoffs are in full swing. . . . In Vancouver, the Sun and Province newspapers don’t have a football writer between them, and they actually had a freelancer write the sports lead for Sunday’s Vancouver Sun Run, an event that drew around 40,000 runners. . . . My point? Don’t think for a minute that there is any rhyme or reason to the chopping when the axe starts falling.
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For a good read on exactly what ESPN’s cuts mean to the NHL and hockey in the U.S., check out this piece right here from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star.
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Do you think anyone is enjoying these NHL playoffs more than Nashville Predators D P.K. Subban?
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 F Tim Bozon (Kamloops, Kootenay, 2011-15) has signed a one-year contract with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), he had eight goals and seven assists in 43 games. He also had three goals and three assists in 14 games with the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL). . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) has signed a one-year extension with Feldkirch (Austria, Alps HL). This season, in 40 games, he had 19 goals and 38 assists. He led the league in assists and points.
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 As you will know from Tuesday’s news, G Zach Sawchenko has decided to leave the Moose Jaw Warriors, rather than return for his 20-year-old season, and start working towards a business degree at the U of Alberta in Edmonton, where he will play for the Golden Bears. . . . Greg Ballock of ingoalmag.com spoke with Sawchenko and that conversation, which explains a lot, is right here. . . . It is quite apparent that attending the 2016 NHL draft in Buffalo and not being selected, despite being one of the WHL’s top goaltenders, weighed heavily on Sawchenko and influenced this decision.
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D Devante Stephens of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. Stephens, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He has played three seasons with the Rockets, totalling 57 points, including 19 goals, in 203 regular-season games. This season, he put up career highs in goals (13), assists (22) and points, all in 67 games. . . . Interestingly, the Sabres were able to sign Stephens despite not having a general manager in place; Tim Murray was fired last week.
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The OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads are the first CHL team to advance to a league final. They got there last night by beating the Peterborough Petes, 7-0, to sweep the Eastern Conference final. . . . In the other series, Kris Knoblauch’s Erie Otters posted a 4-3 victory over the host Owen Sound Attack, who are coached by Ryan McGill. That series is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 in Erie on Friday. . . . In the QMJHL, the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 to tie that series, 2-2. They’ll play Game 5 on Friday in Saint John. . . . In the other series, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada posted a 4-2 victory over the visiting Charlottetown Islanders to take a 3-1 lead. That series will resume on Saturday in Charlottetown.
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Joey Burke is the new general manager of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Burke has been with the IceDogs since their inaugural season, when he was the goaltending scout. He was named assistant GM in 2010 and remained in that position until prior to this season, when he was named director of player personnel. . . . Burke’s brother, Billy Jr., is an assistant coach with the IceDogs, who are owned by their parents, Denise and Bill Burke.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Western Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in
NOLAN FOOTE
Kent, Wash. . . . The teams will return to Kelowna for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, the Thunderbirds, who lost for the first time in six road games in these playoffs, thought they had taken an early 1-0 lead, but the goal was disallowed, officials ruling that a Seattle player in the Kelowna crease had kicked the puck into the net. . . . Shortly after that, at 3:09, F Ryan Gropp (3) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Nolan Foote scored his first WHL playoff goal, on a PP, at 8:34, then took the lead just 28 seconds later as F Kole Lind scored his sixth goal. . . . F Nick Merkley (5) gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead at 2:40 of the second period, and F Tomas Soustal (4) made it 4-1 at 4:29 of the third. . . . F Scott Eansor (4) got Seattle to within two goals at 10:54. . . . The Rockets got two assists from F Dillon Dube and one each from Foote, Lind, Soustal and Merkley. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski kicked out 31 shots in another stellar performance. . . . The Rockets held a 15-2 edge in shots in the second period, but only scored once. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . In the four games, Kelowna is 6-25 on the PP, with the Thunderbirds 4-11. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads all playoff skaters in goals (15) and points (27), was held pointless for a second straight game. . . . The Thunderbirds were forced to scratch D Ethan Bear, who blocked a shot, perhaps with a hand, late in Game 3 on Tuesday and wasn’t able to go. . . . D Austin Strand got more playing time as he got what would have been Bear’s PP time. . . . Announced attendance: 5,063.
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At Lethbridge, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs each had a goal and two assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Eastern Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5
BRAYDON BUZIAK
scheduled for Regina on Friday night. . . . They’ll return to Lethbridge for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, Regina took a 1-0 lead as F Braydon Buziak scored his first WHL playoff goal at 9:53 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge tied it at 2:21 of the second period as F Dylan Cozens scored his third goal. . . . Regina went back out front at 9:00 on F Jeff de Wit’s third goal. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis (6) pulled Lethbridge even again, at 9:34. . . . The Pats took control with two late second-period goals, Brooks (5) scoring at 18:06 and F Dawson Leedahl (10) counting at 19:16. . . . Hobbs (4), on a PP, at 7:53, and F Wyatt Sloboshan (3), into an empty net, at 17:04, added goals for the Pats. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats, with Sloboshan getting one. . . . Regina got 24 stops from G Tyler Brown, while Stuart Skinner turned aside 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats, who had the regular-season’s top PP unit, were 0-9 in the series. They went 1-4 in this one. . . . Lethbridge was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Pats scratched F Austin Wagner, who left in the second period of Tuesday’s game, apparently after having absorbed a slash. His absence means Regina now is without three regulars, as F Jake Leschyshyn and D Dawson Davidson have long-term injuries. . . . With Wagner out, de Wit slid into the spot alongside Brooks and F Filip Ahl. . . . F Matt Alfaro again was missing from Lethbridge’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,203.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:14 PM
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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Top WHL goaltender leaves for school ... Seattle, Lethbridge take leads ... Vees win BCHL title


F Aaron Gagnon (Seattle, 2001-07) has signed a one-year contract with Langnau (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Lukko Rauma (Finland, Liiga), he had 11 goals and 15 assists in 43 games. He also played seven games with Bern (Switzerland, NL A), scoring three times and adding two assists. . . . 
F Brandon Segal (Calgary, 1999-2004) has signed a one-year extension with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had 16 goals and 16 assists in 52 games.
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Zach Sawchenko, one of the WHL’s premier goaltenders, revealed on Tuesday that he won’t be returning to the Moose Jaw Warriors for his 20-year-old season. Instead, he will be attending the U of Alberta and playing for the Golden Bears.
ZACH SAWCHENKO
It seems the insecurity inherent with a professional career doesn’t appeal to Sawchenko, at least not without a backup plan.
“This is going to come as a surprise to most, but now more than ever, the uncertainty in the game is through the roof,” Sawchenko told Marc Smith of discovermoosejaw.com. “You're seeing guys like Zach Fucale end up in the (ECHL) where they're making $40,000 a year, it's tough to live off that, it's tough to live off a signing bonus. Your career could end at any time and you have to have a plan B.”
This season, Sawchenko went 30-14-7, 2.79, .917 in the regular season. He was selected as the Eastern Conference’s top goaltender and named to the conference’s first all-star team, the latter for a second straight season.
A native of Calgary, Sawchenko played four seasons in Moose Jaw, going 88-65-16, 3.11, .908 in 177 games.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder never was selected in the NHL draft. He went into the 2016 draft ranked by NHL Central Scouting as No. 6 among North American goaltenders.
The Warriors selected Sawchenko in the second round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft.
The Warriors’ depth chart now will show Brody Willms as the organization’s No. 1 goaltender, with Adam Evanoff sliding into the No. 2 spot.
Willms, who turns 19 on July 21, is from Coquitlam, B.C. He was an eighth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. This season, he got into 25 games, going 12-7-2, 3.11, .907.
Evanoff is from Penticton, B.C., and was a 10th-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. He will turn 17 on Aug. 16. He played this season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, going 2.44, .918 in 19 appearances.
Smith’s story is right here.
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The Victoria Royals have signed F Tyus Gent, who was a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Gent, 16, is from Delta, B.C. He played this season with the Delta Hockey Academy’s Elite 15s of the Canadian Sports School Hockey League, putting up 25 goals and 25 assists in 25 games. He led the Elite 15s in goals and points, and was saluted as the MVP at season’s end. . . . He also got into eight games with the academy’s prep team, scoring twice and adding an assist.
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F Judd Caulfield, a highly touted prospect out of the North Dakota high school ranks, has decided to join the U.S. National Team Development Program, according to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. . . . Caulfield, 16, will be part of the U-17 program. . . . Caulfield, whose WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks, put up 64 points, including 25 goals, in 27 games this season with Grand Forks Central, which won the state championship to conclude an undefeated season. . . . Caulfield was selected by Portland in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He committed to the U of North Dakota on Oct. 5.
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In the BCHL, F Duncan Campbell scored on a rebound at 9:25 of OT to give the Penticton Vees a 1-0
DUNCAN CAMPBELL
victory over the host Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 7 of the championship final. . . . Campbell, 20, is from Brandon and spent the previous two seasons playing for the Wheat Kings. He joined the Vees early this season and put up 28 points, including 11 goals, in 40 games. . . . Three of the last four games in the BCHL final were decided in OT. . . . Both teams advanced to the Western Canada Cup that runs in Penticton from April 29 through May 7. It also features the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits, SJHL-champion Battlefords North Stars and MJHL-champion Portage Terriers. . . . Interestingly, F Keegan Kolesar, whose two goals helped the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna last night, also was born in Brandon.
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Coaching

 The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks will introduce Travis Green, a former WHL player and coach, as their new head coach at a news conference today. . . . Green, 46, is from Castlegar, B.C. He played four seasons (1986-90) in the WHL, three-plus with the Spokane Chiefs and the last 25 with the Medicine Hat Tigers before going on to a pro career that included 970 NHL games. As a coach, he spent three seasons (2010-13) on the Portland Winterhawks’ staff. For the past four seasons, Green has been the head coach of the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate. . . . In Vancouver, he replaces Willie Desjardins, who was relieved of his duties when their season ended. . . . You can look for Green to bring along Nolan Baumgartner, a former WHL defenceman, as his lead assistant coach. Baumgartner, 41, has been an assistant through all four seasons with Green in Utica. Baumgartner played four seasons (1992-96) with the Kamloops Blazers and was twice named the WHL’s top defenceman.
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The junior B Port Moody Panthers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League have hired David McLellan as their head coach. He replaces Mike Renner, who was dropped on March 29. . . . McLellan has PJHL experience, having worked as head coach of the Delta IceHawks (2010-13), where he won a league championship in 2012. Most recently, he was the GM/head coach with the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He also has coached in the BCHL, B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League and in Japan.
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Jeff Brown resigned Tuesday as the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. He cited personal reasons in leaving after three seasons. . . . He served as head coach for three seasons and GM for the past two. . . . “The move back to Ottawa has been difficult at times for my family,” Brown said in a news release, “and it’s time I put them first and became a full-time father as we transition back to our hometown of St. Louis.” . . . That news release is right here.
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The Chicago Blackhawks have fired Ted Dent, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Dent had been with Rockford through six seasons, going 221-179-54. Before taking over as head coach, he had been an assistant with the Blackhawks’ AHL team, either in Rockford or Norfolk, for five seasons.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, F Keegan Kolesar scored his second goal of the game with 20 seconds left in the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . Seattle leads the Western
KEEGAN KOLESAR
Conference final, 2-1, with Game 4 in Kelowna tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds won the opener, 5-4, on a PP goal by D Ethan Bear with 12 seconds left in the third period. The Rockets won Game 2, 4-3 in OT. . . . Last night, the winner came off a faceoff in Kelowna’s, with F Mathew Barzal getting the puck back to D Turner Ottenbreit. His shot didn’t get through to the net, but the puck went to Kolesar who snapped a shot from the slot that beat G Michael Herringer through traffic. . . . Kolesar, who has nine goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 11:33 of the second period. . . . The Rockets tied it on a PP at 13:53 when F Calvin Thurkauf (7) scored a goal that was confirmed after a lengthy video review. A shot by F Nick Merkley went off the end boards and rebounded over the Seattle net, where Thurkauf batted it past G Carl Stankowski. . . . “They said that it was right at the cross bar,” Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk told Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle. “It seems in the three games, we’re not getting any calls. Two goals last game, there were plays on the goals that could have been called and we’re just not getting the calls right now. We have to persevere and control what we can control.” . . . Kelowna was 1-7 on the PP; Seattle was 0-1. The Thunderbirds enjoyed the game’s first PP opportunity, then watched the Rockets get the last seven. . . . The Rockets have at least one PP goal in eight straight games. . . . Stankowski finished with 34 saves and was the game’s first star as he continued to weave his playoff magic. He is 10-1 in the playoffs since replacing injured starter Rylan Toth, who has yet to dress for a game. . . . Herringer finished with 12 saves. . . . Seattle had four shots on goal in each of the first and third periods. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads the playoffs in goals (15) and points (27), had his point streak snapped at nine games. Gardiner had put up eight straight multi-point games, getting 24 points over that stretch. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls had his point streak end at 10 games, the longest in the playoffs this season. . . . Announced attendance: 5,085. . . . Eide’s story is right here. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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At Lethbridge, F Jadon Joseph broke a 1-1 tie in the second period and the Hurricanes went on to score a 3-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Lethbridge leads the Eastern Conference final, 2-1, and will play
JADON JOSEPH
host to Game 4 tonight. . . . Joseph, who has two goals in these playoffs, took a slashing minor at 11:46 of the second period. He stepped out of the penalty box and went in to score the go-ahead goal at 13:54. . . . Joseph, a freshman from Sherwood Park, Alta., had three goals in 68 regular-season games. . . . D Brennan Menell (5) had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead just 16 seconds into the first period. . . . Regina tied it when F Dawson Leedahl (9) scored at 10:43 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes got some insurance from F Egor Babenko (8), at 4:08 of the third period. . . . D Brady Poteau and F Tyler Wong each had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes got 28 stops from G Stuart Skinner, who won his 10th game of the playoffs. . . . G Tyler Brown blocked 24 shots for Regina. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Pats received the game’s first three PP opportunities but weren’t able to score. That may well have been a turning point. Regina’s PP is 0-9 in the series. It was No. 1 (31.5 per cent) in the regular season. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner left the game in the second period and didn’t return. He has 12 goals and two assists in 14 games. . . . The Hurricanes remain without F Matt Alfaro, 20. . . . Announced attendance: 5,178. . . . Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, is in Lethbridge and his Game 3 post is right here. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-1)
Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:21 PM
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Sunday, February 26, 2017

Rebels get some breathing room . . . No quit in these Broncos . . . T-Birds putting heat on 'Tips


The Dauphin Kings were eliminated from MJHL playoff contention on Sunday, something that officially clears the way for the Brandon Wheat Kings to play first-round playoff games in that city’s Credit Union Place.
The Wheat Kings are forced to hit the road because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre complex in Brandon from March 27 through April 1.
The Wheat Kings, the WHL’s defending champions, hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Swift Current Broncos with 10 games remaining.
It is looking like the Wheat Kings will face the Medicine Hat Tigers, who lead the Central Division, in the first-round of the playoffs.
The Wheat Kings are expected to play Games 3 and 4 there on March 28 and 29. A sixth game, if needed, would be played in Dauphin on April 2.
The Dauphin facility has 1,763 seats and room for 752 standees.
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If you’re looking for an interesting read, try this one right here. The headline is: The RV Bandit who stole a million dollars, one wallet at a time. . . . It involves a guy who was a regular on the auto-racing circuit but didn’t watch much of the races. Instead, he . . . well, give it a read. It’s interesting, to say the least.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
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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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Lane Zablocki scored two goals and added an assist to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 7-2
LANE ZABLOCKI
victory over the Hitmen. . . . One night earlier, playing at home, Red Deer had blown a 3-0 lead and dropped a 6-3 decision to Calgary. . . . Yesterday, the Rebels scored the game’s first four goals and went from there. . . . Zablocki, who has 25 stars, got it started with a PP goal at 17:47 of the first period. . . . D Carson Sass (5) made it 2-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Evan Polei’s 28th goal, at 3:12 of the second period, increased the lead and F Michael Spacek (27) made it 4-0 at 11:24. . . . The Hitmen threw a scare into Red Deer by cutting the deficit to 4-2 with late second-period goals from F Matteo Gennaro (37) at 17:45 and F Jakob Stukel (21) at 19:17. . . . But the Rebels took control back with three third-period goals, from Zablocki, on a PP, F Austin Glover (20) and F Austin Pratt (15). . . . Red Deer got three assists from F Adam Musil and two from D Brandon Schuldhaus, with Polei, Pratt and Spacek each getting one. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Calgary got 22 stops from G Trevor Martin. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Rebels (26-28-10) are third in the Central Division, their lead over fourth-place Calgary (24-28-10) now at four points. . . . Calgary is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Saskatoon. . . . Announced attendance: 7,208.
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At Regina, the Swift Current Broncos, playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours, scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Pats, 5-4 in OT. . . . The Broncos lost 7-0 in Regina on Friday, then went into
RYLEY LINDGREN
Moose Jaw on Saturday and dropped a 5-2 decision. . . . The Broncos, who had lost five straight games to Regina, won this one on F Ryley Lindgren’s 19th goal, at 3:16 of OT. . . . F Austin Wagner (27) had given Regina a 1-0 lead at 2:54 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it on F Kole Gable’s sixth goal, at 6:30. . . . Regina went back out front when F Nick Henry got No. 31, at 7:27. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen tied it 2-2, on a PP, at 11:20. . . . The Pats took the lead again on F Dawson Leedahl’s 31st goal, at 14:15 of the second period. . . . F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race, gave the Pats a two-goal lead, on a PP, with his 44th goal at 16:08. . . . The Broncos’ comeback started when F Aleksi Heponiemi (24) struck at 1:11 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen tied it, on a PP and with an extra attacker on the ice, with 12.6 seconds left in the third. . . . Swift Current D Max Lajoie drew the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . Lindgren and Heponiemi each had one assist. . . . Henry, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs had two assists each for Regina, with Steel and Leedahl each getting one. . . . Steel now has 113 points, 10 more than Brooks. . . . Steenbergen has 45 goals and is tied for the league lead with F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Steel and F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors are next, at 44. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 43 saves. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 25 shots for the Pats. . . . Swift Current was 2-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-6. . . . The Broncos lost D Sahvan Khaira to a charging major and game misconduct at 14:35 of the second period. . . . F Robbie Holmes was among Regina’s scratches. He was injured on Friday on a hit by Broncos F Lane Pederson, who completed a two-game suspension by sitting out this one. . . . The Broncos also were without F Glenn Gawdin (ill). . . . F Kjell Kjemhus made his WHL debut with the Pats. From Grande Prairie, Alta., Kjemhus, 15, was a fourth-round pick in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He has been playing at Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . Swift Current (31-20-10) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). The Broncos appear headed to a third-place finish in the East Division and a first-round matchup with Moose Jaw. . . . Regina (44-9-8) has points in four straight (3-0-1) and leads the overall standings by seven points over Medicine Hat. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, G Zach Sawchenko blocked 29 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 2-0 victory over
ZACH SAWCHENKO
the Blades. . . . Sawchenko has three shutouts this season and nine in his career. He has won 27 games this season, one shy of the 28 he posted last season. . . . F Luka Burzan’s 13th goal, at 10:32 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Justin Almeida’s ninth goal, at 10:10 of the third period, provided insurance. . . . The Blades got 20 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Moose Jaw lost F Noah Gregor at 15:50 of the second period when he took a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik. . . . D Josh Thrower of the Warriors played in his 300th regular-season game. This was his 89th game with the Warriors. He also has played with the Vancouver Giants, Tri-City Americans and Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Warriors (38-17-8) have won six straight games. They are second in the East Divsion, 12 points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Blades (24-31-8) have lost two in a row. They are two points behind the Hitmen, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,844.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds opened up a 4-0 lead en route to a 6-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle, which clinched a playoff spot with the victory, got first-period goals from F Keegan Kolesar (22), on a PP, at 7:10; F Luke Ormsby
ANTHONY BISHOP
(6), at 12:35; and D Anthony Bishop (1), at 18:04. . . . Bishop, an 18-year-old from Kelowna, scored in his 98th regular-season game, the 58th of this season. . . . The Thunderbirds went ahead 4-1 on F Ryan Gropp’s 29th goal, on a PP, at 4:56 of the second period. . . . F Connor Dewar’s 11th goal, shorthanded, got Everett on the scoreboard at 10:39. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who also had three assists, scored No. 9, on a PP, at 12:14. . . . Seattle’s Elijah Brown added his third goal at 15:13 of the third period. . . . Barzal has 71 points, including 62 assists, in 37 games. He has points in 18 of his past 20 games, recording 52 points over that stretch. He has put up back-to-back four-pointers. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Ethan Bear, who left in the second period and was seated in the press box by game’s end. Later, Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle tweeted that he asked Thunderbird head coach Steve Konowalchuk “what he could tell us about Bear’s situation.” The response: “Nothing.” . . . Seattle next is scheduled to play Wednesday in Kamloops. . . . Bear ran his point streak to 12 games, while Kolesar now is riding an 11-game streak. . . . The Thunderbirds got 20 saves from G Rylan Toth, who now leads the WHL with 33 victories. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart was beaten three times on 12 shots in the first period. Mario Petit played the last two periods, stopping 12 of 15 shots. . . . Seattle was 3-5 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Seattle (40-18-5) has won 14 straight home games and is second in the U.S. Division, one point behind Everett (38-13-10), which had a seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . Everett also leads the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of Prince George and Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 5,157.
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At Spokane, F Reid Gardiner and D Devante Stephens had four-point nights as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Chiefs, 9-5. . . . The Rockets, who scored nine times on 22 shots, were playing their third game
REID GARDINER
in fewer than 48 hours, while the Chiefs had Saturday off. . . . Kelowna scored five times in the first period and opened up a 7-0 lead before the second period was half over. . . . Gardiner scored twice, giving him 11 goals, and added two assists, while Stephens picked up his 11th goal and added three helpers. . . . The Rockets also got two goals from each of F Rod Southam, who has 16, and F Carsen Twarynski, who has 15. Also scoring for Kelowna were F Dillon Dube (12) and F Nick Merkley (22). . . . Merkley, Dube and F Nolan Foote had two assists each. . . . Spokane scored five of the game’s last seven goals, getting them from F Keanu Yamamoto (23), F Hudson Elynuik (22), F Alex Mowbray (3), D Ty Smith (4) and F Riley Woods (10). F Jaret Anderson-Dolan had two assists, with Yamamoto and Woods each getting one. . . . The Rockets got 21 saves from G Bordan Salmond. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler allowed four goals on six shots in 12:00, with Donovan Buskey coming on for his WHL debut at that point. Buskey, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, gave up three goals on six shots in 18:54. Sittler re-entered and finished up, stopping eight of 10 shots in 29:06. . . . Buskey was a third-round pick by Spokane in the 2015 bantam draft. He has been with the major midget Vancouver Northwest Giants. . . . Spokane was 3-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 2-5. . . . The Rockets (37-21-5) are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind Kamloops with a game in hand. . . . Spokane (25-27-9) has lost three in a row and is nine points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 4,927.
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At Victoria, the Royals completed a tripleheader sweep of the Vancouver Giants with a 3-2 victory. . . .
DYLAN MYSKIW
The Royals had won 6-4 in Langley, B.C., on Friday and 3-1 at home on Saturday. . . . On Sunday, the visitors took a 1-0 lead at 3:15 of the first period when F Johnny Wesley scored his 10th goal. . . . The Royals took control by scoring the next three goals. . . . F Jared Dmytriw, who had scored twice on Saturday, got No. 13 at 10:36 of the second period. . . . F Dante Hannoun (21) gave the Royals the lead with a PP goal, at 11:15. . . . Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev picked up his eighth goal, on a PP, 49 seconds into the third period. . . . The Giants got close when F Bartek Bison (6) scored at 14:38. . . . The Royals got two assists from F Jack Walker. . . . G Dylan Myskiw turned aside 24 shots to earn the victory. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic blocked 35 shots. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Royals (35-23-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, five points ahead of Portland. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kelowna. . . . The Giants (19-39-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Next up for Vancouver: Another tripleheader, this time against the Portland Winterhawks. It starts Wednesday in Langley. . . . Announced attendance: 4,007.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:19 PM
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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Regina home to 2018 Memorial Cup party . . . Royals lose key defenceman . . . Raiders unhappy with Johnson call




The 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup will be celebrated in Regina with the Pats as the host team for the annual four-team tournament. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon.
The Pats also will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017-18, so this obviously seems to be a match made in hockey heaven.
As Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post writes right here:
“The circumstances were aligned in the Pats’ favour, especially when the team’s long-standing military connection was factored into the equation. The Memorial Cup is dedicated to all Canadian military personnel who have lost their lives during combat.
“Consider, too, that Regina is expected to ice another top-flight team during the 2017-18 season.
“Simply put, there was a check mark beside every box when the Pats’ proposal was submitted. There wasn’t any choice but to select Regina.”
The other finalists both were from the OHL — the Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals.
If you are wanting to book your vacation, the 2018 Memorial Cup is to be held May 17-27.
The news release issued by the Pats is right here.
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The injury bug continues to nibble away at the Victoria Royals.
Already without F Tyler Soy (week-to-week) and F Ryan Peckford (six to seven weeks) with undisclosed injuries, the Royals now have lost D Chaz Reddekopp.
“Chaz will be out for the rest of the regular season, but you never know how these things heal,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Cleve Cheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.
Reddekopp suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat and didn’t play in Friday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. 
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Reddekopp was a seventh-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2015 NHL draft.
“Obviously, he’s a big piece of our blue-line,” Reddekopp said. “But injuries happen. That’s why we have the depth we do. The other guys stepped up (Friday in Lethbridge).”
The Royals completed a three-game swing into the Central Division with a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday night. Victoria went 1-1-1 on the trip.
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The Prince Albert Raiders were without F Kolby Johnson on Saturday night after he was hit with a TBD suspension after incurring a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Orrin Centazzo of the Everett Silvertips in a Friday game.
Centazzo was scratched from Everett’s lineup as it completed an East Division swing in Swift Current against the Broncos last night. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald tweeted Saturday that Centazzo will miss “some time.”

The Raiders weren’t happy with the penalty to Johnson, who apparently first was given a minor penalty.
According to Jeff D’Andrea of pa.NOW, referees Jonathan Spurgeon and Cody Rude “didn’t give the major penalty right away. . . . A minor was up on the clock for at least three real-time minutes while the officials talked to the Raiders’ bench first, and then the Silvertips' bench. After talking to both head coaches, Spurgeon and Rude then conferred in front of the scorer’s table and changed the call from a minor to a major.”
Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, wasn’t impressed.
“You know what?” D’Andrea quoted Habscheid as saying. “I’ve been in this game a long time. (Associate coach) Dave Manson’s been in the game, and (skills coach) Mark Odnokon and (assistant coach) Brandin Cote, and not one of us has seen that before. It’s one thing to make a call, but I’ve never seen a call made, then go to the bench with a foul, and then go back and change the call. I’ve never seen that. I’ve never seen that in my life.”
Johnson, who was acquired from the Prince George Cougars as part of a Nov. 18 deal that sent D Brendan Guhle the other way, is a repeat offender. Johnson served a four-game suspension in December after taking a headshot major.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Ian Scott turned aside 33 shots to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-1 victory over the
AUSTIN CROSSLEY
Wheat Kings. . . . He was especially sharp in the third period when Brandon held a 15-3 edge in shots but only was able to score once, that from F Reid Duke (33), on a PP, at 10:27. . . . D Austin Crossley had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 5:53 of the first period. Crossley, a 17-year-old freshman from Fort St. John, B.C., scored his first WHL goal in his 21st game this season. . . . F Cavin Leth gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 11:22. . . . The Raiders went up 3-0 when F D-Jay Jerome counted No. 7 at 16:15 of the second period. . . . Prince Albert’s final goal came from F Parker Kelly (13), on a PP, at 15:42 of the third period. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-7. . . . The Wheat Kings played without F Tanner Kaspick and D Kale Clague. . . . The Raiders lead the season series, 4-0-1; Brandon is 1-3-1. . . . Prince Albert (16-39-5) has won six of its last eight road games to move out of the WHL cellar. It is one point ahead of Kootenay. . . . Brandon (28-23-8) looks like it will finish in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,480.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the
JAMES HILSENDAGER
Prince George Cougars. . . . F Colby McAuley, who had both Prince George goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 9:59 of the first period. . . . The Rockets get even on F Tomas Soustal’s 16th goal, on a PP, at 18:37. . . . D Devante Stephens gave the home boys the lead with his 10th goal at 6:06 of the second period. . . . D James Hilsendager (4) made it 3-1 at 11:53 and F Nick Merkley (19) scored, shorthanded, at 13:57. . . . McAuley’s 22nd goal pulled the Cougars to within two 41 seconds into the third period. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf’s 30th goal of the season iced the victory for Kelowna at 18:39. . . . Soustal and Merkley each added an assist. . . . F Brad Morrison had two helpers for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 25 stops from G Michael Herringer, while Nick McBride stopped 38 at the other end. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Rockets (34-20-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division, four points ahead of Victoria and three behind Kamloops . . . The Cougars (38-18-4) continue to lead the B.C. Division by four points over Kamloops. The Cougars are scheduled to visit the Blazers today (Sunday). . . . Announced attendance: 5,761.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jack Walker broke a 1-1 tie at 8:03 of the second period and the Victoria Royals
JACK WALKER
went on to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Regan Nagy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:58 of the first period. . . . The Ice got that one back at 11:46, as F Jake Elmer (6) scored on a PP. . . . Walker’s 25th goal gave Victoria a 2-1 lead. . . . F Matt Phillips counted No. 42 at 8:03 of the third period for some insurance. . . . F Carter Folk sealed the victory with his seventh goal, an empty-netter, at 18:42. . . . Phillips also had an assist. . . . G Dylan Myskiw stopped 26 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw completed a three-game suspension by missing this one. He was suspended after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for hit on F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 11 in Victoria. Sideroff missed one game before returning for Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. . . . Victoria (32-23-5) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Portland. . . . Kootenay (13-36-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,424.
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At Lethbridge, F Matt Alfaro scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Alfaro, who has 18 goals, gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 5:08
MATT ALFARO
of the first period, on a PP. Later, he increased their lead to 3-1 at 15:34 of the second period. He completed the hat trick with a shorthanded goal at 8:08 of the third period. . . . Alfaro has 12 points, five of them goals, in 12 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice. He had 39 points, including 13 goals, in 41 games with the Ice. . . . Saskatoon F Logan Christensen (10) tied it 1-1, on a PP, at 19:27 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong broke the tie at 9:33 of the second period and Alfaro made it 3-1 six minutes later. . . . F Tyler Lees scored his first goal at 5:26 of the third period, getting Saskatoon to within a goal, but Lethbridge put it away with the last three goals. . . . Lees, 16, scored in his sixth game. From Regina, he was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . D Brady Poteau (1) and F Zak Zborosky (38), on a PP, also scored for the winners. . . . Poteau has one goal in 19 games with Lethbridge, after going without a goal in 18 games with the Regina Pats. . . . Wong and Zborosky each added three assists, while F Giorgio Estephan had two. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm turned aside 28 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Blades lost F Cole Johnson to a goaltender interference major and game misconduct after a collision with Gilchrist at 4:20 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge (36-16-7) has won three in a row. It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-27-8) had points in each of their previous five games (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,709.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with three goals in 2:22 late in the second period en route to a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Medicine Hat took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F
TREY FIX-WOLANSKY
Mark Rassell, at 9:32, and F Matt Bradley, at 10:49. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored three times for the visitors, giving him 20 goals in his freshman season. . . . He tied the score with goals at 14:36 of the first period and 1:00 of the second. The latter goal came via the PP. . . . The Tigers broke it open as F Chad Butcher scored his 23rd goal, shorthanded, at 17:33 of the second. Bradley (29) made it 4-2 at 19:24 and Rassell added his 29th just 31 seconds later. . . . F James Hamblin increased the lead to 6-2 at 2:53 of the third period. . . . Fix-Wolansky completed his first WHL hat trick at 4:42. . . . Medicine Hat F Max Gerlach (31) scored on a PP at 11:42. . . . The game’s last goal came from Edmonton F Davis Koch (18) at 12:54. . . . Hamblin added two assists his goal, with D Brad Forrest, F Mason Shaw and F Tyler Preziuso also getting two helpers apiece. . . . Rassell and Butcher added one each. . . . Koch had an assist for Edmonton. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 14 of 17 shots in 44:42, leaving after Fix-Wolanky’s third goal cut Edmonton’s deficit to 6-3. Michael Bullion finished up, allowing a goal on six shots in 15:17. Still, Schneider picked up his 30th victory. . . . At the other end, Josh Dechaine stopped 40 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Tigers, with the mumps in their dressing room, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. They scratched seven players, including five who are ill. The latest to join that bunch is D Kristians Rubins. On Friday, Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported that F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson had been diagnosed with the mumps, while F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski are awaiting test results. . . . D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz remain sidelined, both having suffered broken legs while blocking shots. . . . Medicine Hat did have F Josh Williams play his second game, this time making his home-ice debut. Williams, who will turn 16 on March 8, is from Langley, B.C. He was the fifth overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton had D Jordan Dawson in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . Medicine Hat (42-17-1) is four points behind Regina, which leads the overall standings, but the Pats have three games in hand. . . . Edmonton (20-34-5) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It is nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,754.
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At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 37 shots to lead the Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the Regina
ZACH SAWCHENKO
Pats. . . . It was the first time this season that the Pats have been blanked. . . . Sawchenko, who has two shutouts this season, stopped 13 shots in the first period and 14 in the second. . . . He has eight career shutouts. . . . D Josh Brook gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 2-0 with his WHL-leading 44th goal at 15:11 of the third period. . . . F Brett Howden scored his 30th into an empty net at 18:46. . . . F Branden Klatt got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:52. . . . Howden and Brook also had an assist apiece. . . . The Pats got 24 saves from G Tyler Brown. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-1. . . . Regina’s Connor Hobbs didn’t finish the game. He was hit with a headshot major and game misconduct at 18:46 of the third period. . . . Hobbs, who leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points, was in the starting lineup — at right wing alongside Austin Wagner and Adam Brooks. . . . Moose Jaw (34-17-8) has won two in a row. It is second in the East Division, six points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Regina (41-9-7) has lost two straight. It leads the East Division by 13 points over Moose Haw. . . . The Warriors are 3-2-1 in the season series; the Pats are 3-3-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,715.
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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear had two goals and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Seattle won with three third-period goals as it overcame a 3-2
ETHAN BEAR
deficit. . . . Bear, who has 25 goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the first period. . . . Portland tied it when D Henri Jokiharju (8) scored, on a PP, at 1:08 of the second period. . . . Bear got that one back at 3:36. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-2 lead on goals from D Caleb Jones (6), at 8:29 of the second, and F Keegan Iverson (17), at 3:20 of the third. . . . D Donovan Neuls scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 9:50 of the third period to get Seattle into a tie. Initially, some fans thought Bear had scored to complete a hat trick and, yes, some caps hit the ice. . . . F Tyler Adams’ third goal broke the tie at 13:13 and F Ryan Gropp’s 25th goal provided insurance at 14:42. . . . Gropp also had an assist in running his point streak to 16 games. He has 21 points, including 14 goals, in that stretch. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Keegan Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Neuls getting one. . . . Iverson had two helpers for Portland, with Jones adding one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle in earning his WHL-leading 31st victory. . . . Portland got 27 saves from Shane Farkas. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-6. . . . Seattle (37-17-5) is second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Portland (32-24-3) had won its previous two games. It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 5,702.
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At Swift Current, F Eetu Tuulola scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory
EETU TUULOLA
over the Broncos. . . . The Silvertips went 5-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Tuulola won it with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Glenn Gawdin, who has 21 goals, scored twice for the Broncos. He gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:53 of the first period and forced OT at 18:27 of the third. . . . D Noah Juulsen’s 11th goal, on a PP, pulled Everett into a 1-1 tie at 13:54 of the second period. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead when F Devon Skoleski scored his 12th goal at 12:15 of the third period. . . . Skoleski also had two assists. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots to earn his 25th victory this season. He has won each of his last six starts, allowing only six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-4. . . . Everett (36-12-10) has won five in a row. It remains atop the U.S. Division, three points ahead of Seattle. . . . Swift Current (30-18-10) has points in two straight (1-0-1). It is third in the East Division, six points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 2,367.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals, all via the PP, and beat
EVAN SARTHOU
the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . F Parker AuCoin gave the home side a 1-0 with his 20th goal at 15:55 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (7) made it 2-0 with a shorthanded score at 15:46 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs halved the deficit when F Kailer Yamamoto got No. 34 at 4:22 of the third period. . . . D Juuso Välimäki’s 18th goal, at 9:24, provided insurance. . . . F Tyler Sandhu added his 17th, at 18:26, and F Brett Leason got his sixth at 19:12. . . . D Dylan Coghlan and F Morgan Geekie had two assists each for Tri-City, with Välimäki and Sandhu adding one each. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 38 shots and picked up an assist on the game’s last goal. . . . The Chiefs got 23 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City was 3-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur, who was struck in the head by a puck during the second period of Friday’s game in Kelowna, was behind the Chiefs’ bench. One night earlier, he left for stitches and returned for the third period. . . . The Americans (35-23-3) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Chiefs (25-25-9) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,562.
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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning and F Jack Flaman scored shootout goals to give the Vancouver Giants a
RYAN KUBIC
4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Owen Hardy had given the Giants a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the first period. . . . The Rebels then scored two quick ones to take a 2-1 lead. F Lane Zablocki counted, on a PP, at 2:45, with F Akash Bains getting No. 8 at 4:13. . . . Ronning tied it with his 22nd goal, at 19:54 of the second period. . . . Zablocki put the visitors back out front with his 20th goal, at 5:06 of the third period. . . . The Giants forced OT when F Tyler Popowich scored his seventh goal, at 13:05. . . . Ronning drew the lone assist on Popowich’s goal. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . Vancouver started G David Tendeck, but he was gone after allowing two goals on as many shots in 4:13. Ryan Kubic earned the victory by stopping 35 of 36 shots in 60:47. . . . The Rebels got 19 saves from Riley Lamb. . . . Red Deer was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-1. . . . The game was delayed at 15:14 of the third period with the score 3-3 as arena staff had to replace a pane of broken glass. . . . D Bowen Byram, a first-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, played in his sixth game with the Giants. Earlier in the day, he played for his club team, Yale Academy, in a 6-5 OT victory over Delta Academy. . . . The Giants (19-36-5) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Rebels (23-27-10) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,959.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 5 p.m.

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