Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Martin Sonnenberg (Saskatoon) has signed a one-year extension with Timrå (Sweden Elitserien). After being released by Ambrì-Piotta (Swiss NL A) earlier this season, Sonnenberg had one goal and five assists in six games with Timrå. Timrå general manager Stefan Lindqvist said: "This is an important piece of the puzzle for building
the team for next season. Martin has rapidly proved to be a great asset both on and off the ice. Martin is very happy with the team and the club and is looking forward to continuing with Timrå IK."
F Fredrik Pettersson (Calgary) has signed a two-year extension with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden Elitserien). He has seven goals and 16 assists in 45 games with Frölunda this season. Frölunda general manager Kent Norberg offered: "Fredrik is a player that we are happy to have
signed a new contract with. He brings a lot of energy and heart with his game. He is still young and we think he has great potential."
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JUST NOTES: The 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup is 15 months away but the push is on. The event’s website -- www.mastercardmemorialcup.com/2010 -- will be up Monday afternoon (Feb. 9). The site is being created by the Brandon Organizing Committee in collaboration with the CHL. The tournament runs in Brandon, May 14-23, 2010. If you are interested in volunteering, you will want to check out the website as there will be an opportunity there for you to register. . . .
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In Spokane, G Tyson Sexsmith stopped 28 shots in a brilliant performance to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 4-0 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Vancouver now has won nine in a row. . . . The Chiefs had an 11-game winning streak halted. . . . Sexsmith has five shutouts this season. He extended his CHL career record to 25 shutouts. . . . The game included a second-period penalty shot awarded to Spokane C Tyler Johnson with his club down 2-0. He was denied on a blocker save by Sexsmith. . . . It was the first penalty shot against the Giants this season. . . . This was the first meeting of the season between these teams. The Chiefs ousted the Giants in the Western Conference final last spring on their way to the Memorial Cup championship. . . . Attendance was 7,867. . . . Vancouver got a first-period goal from F Garry Nunn, his 17th, and a second-period deflection from F Brendan Gallagher, his seventh. F Craig Cunningham and F Mikhail Fisenko added third-period scores. . . . Vancouver F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, the WHL’s scoring leader, had an assist on the game’s first goal. . . . The Giants were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-2.
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In Regina, a second-period goal by C T.J. Foster stood up as the winner as the Oil Kings stunned the Pats, 2-1. . . . The teams exchanged first-period PP goals, with F Dylan Wruck scoring his first of the season for Edmonton, at 9:47, and RW Jordan Eberle replying for Regina at 11:07. . . . Foster’s seventh goal, unassisted at 15:21 of the second, won it. . . . Edmonton is in sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Pats and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Edmonton G Torrie Jung left the game in the second half of the third period after taking a shot by D Jesse Dudas off his mask. Jung was knocked out and left the arena in an ambulance. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported that medical staff said Jung “was woozy but OK.” . . . Freshman Cam Lanigan stopped three shots in relief. Jung had stopped 21 shots. . . . Harder also reported that “the Oil Kings lost D Adrian Van de Mosselaer early in the first period due to a reported broken fibula.”
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In Saskatoon, the Blades scored the game’s last eight goals and beat the Red Deer Rebels, 8-1. . . . Red Deer got a PP goal from F Carter Smith at 4:36 of the second period. . . . But the Blades counted five before the period ended, two of them on the PP and one shorthanded. . . . The game was punctuated by a line brawl at 14:23 of the second period. Each team had four players ejected. . . . Saskatoon got goals from eight players. . . . F Milan Kytnar set up three goals. . . . Saskatoon G Braden Holtby stopped 25 shots for his 32nd victory of the season. . . . In 2009, Saskatoon is 14-1-1-1 and has outscored the opposition, 90-34. . . . The Blades were 4-for-8 on the PP. . . . Saskatoon D Juri Niemi had a goal and two assists. . . . Saskatoon F Walker Wintoneak had a goal and an assists. He is riding a nine-game point streak. . . . The Blades clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Wruck scored in his first WHL game. Last season, at 5-foot-5 and 125 pounds, he had 114 points, including 67 goals, in 50 games for the bantam AAA Saskatoon Outlaws. Yes, he won the league scoring title. He wasn’t selected in the 2008 bantam draft and now, at what is said to be 5-foot-8 and 145 pounds, he is with the midget AAA Beardy’s Blackhawks. And all he is doing is leading the Saskatchewan midget AAA league in goals (28), assists (51) and points (79).
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In Brandon, F Andrew Clark scored three times to lead the Wheat Kings to a 7-4 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Clark has 35 goals this season. He got his third of the game at 1:03 of the second period, giving Brandon a 4-0 lead. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s next four goals, pulling even on D Jordan Rowley’s PP goal at 8:03 of the third. . . . D Ryan Button set up three P.A. goals. . . . F Mark Stone, who is playing alongside Brayden Schenn and Matt Calvert in place of the injured Scott Glennie, had two goals, including the winner, at 10:30 of the third.
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In Cranbrook, D Eric Frere earned two assists to help the Kootenay Ice to a 4-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Ice had a 36-16 edge in shots, including 18-6 in the third period. . . . The Ice got its first two goals, from F Matt Fraser and F Max Reinhart, on the PP. The Ice was 2-for-5 on the PP. The Warriors were 0-for-4. . . . Fraser scored his 10th goal of the season at 18:59 of the first period. Reinhart’s goal, his eighth, came at 19:57 of the second. . . . The Warriors continue to be without D Travis Hamonic (knee). . . . Reinhart’s family, including his father, Paul, a former NHL defenceman, were in the crowd. There are two more Reinhart boys on the way. Griffin, a defenceman, plays midget hockey in West Vancouver and is likely to be an early selection in the 2009 bantam draft. Sam is still of pee wee age. . . . Moose Jaw got its goal from D Clinton Atkinson, the first of his WHL career.
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In Swift Current, the Calgary Hitmen broke a 2-2 tie with four straight goals as they went on to bet the Broncos, 6-3. . . . F Brett Sonne scored twice – he has 36 – and set up another for the Hitmen, who got a goal and three helpers from F Kyle Bortis. . . . F Joel Broda got his WHL-leading 41st goal of the season for Calgary. He remains the lone WHLer with 40 goals. . . . Calgary got its final goal from F Brandon Kozun on a penalty shot at 11:37 of the third period. He has 31 goals. . . . D Keith Seabrook continued his fine offensive season for Calgary, with two assists, while D Paul Postma, another offensive force, got his 19th goal. . . . F Michael Stickland scored the Broncos’ first two goals, giving him 18. . . . Calgary was 3-for-8 on the PP.
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In Prince George, F Justin Maylan broke a 1-1 tie in the third period to give the Cougars a 2-1 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Cougars had beaten the Bruins 4-1 on Wednesday. The sweep gives Prince George a 10-point lead over the Bruins in the chase for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. . . . Maylan got his 14th goal of the season at 17:23 of the third period. . . . C Brett Connolly gave the home side a 1-0 lead on the PP at 11:27 of the second period. . . . The Bruins tied it on F Matt Meropoulis’s second goal of the season at 4:03 of the third.
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In Kelowna, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 45 shots but it was only good enough to earn one point as his Everett Silvertips lost 2-1 in OT to the Rockets. . . . Kelowna had a 47-16 edge in shots, including 12-2 in the first period, 18-5 in the second and 6-1 in OT. . . . F Mikael Backlund’s fifth goal won it at 4:39 of extra time. . . . F Tyler Maxwell’s 20th of the year gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 4:18 of the third period. . . . Kelowna C Colin Long tied it at 15:00 with his 24th of the season. . . . Kelowna F Kyle St. Denis returned from a 37-game absence, thanks to a broken scaphoid, and earned an assist on the winner. . . . Kelowna is 5-0-1-1 in its last seven games. . . . The Rockets are at home Saturday night to Kamloops in what will be the 2,000th game in the Jr. Oilers/Blazers franchise history. . . . The Silvertips scurried home after this one to prepare to face ex-teammate Kyle Beach and the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday night.
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In Portland, the Winter Hawks got a big night from G Ian Curtis as they beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-1. . . . Curtis stopped 39 shots. . . . Portland had lost 12 in a row. . . . F Jason Reese got his 26th at 5:06 of the first period to give the Americans the lead. . . . Portland won it on PP goals from F Radim Valchar, his 15th, at 8:09 of the second and F Brad Ross, his seventh, at 3:17 of the third. . . . Attendance was 5,505. . . . Tri-City hit iron on three occasions. . . . F Riley Boychuk also scored for Portland, his goal coming late in the third period. . . . Ross was the fifth overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft; Boychuk was taken 10th overall in 2006.
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In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-4. . . . F Kyle Beach gave the visitors a 4-3 lead with a PP goal at 5:36 of the third period. . . . Seattle pulled even when F Greg Scott scored at 11:16 and went ahead on F Prab Rai’s goal at 17:08. . . . Scott, who has 23 goals, finished with four goals and an assist; he also came up empty on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Rai had a goal and four helpers; Jonathan Parker drew four assists. . . . F Zach Boychuk had two goals, giving him 18, and an assist for Lethbridge. . . . Attendance was 4,155. . . . F Colton Sceviour had three assists for Lethbridge.