F Duncan Milroy (Swift Current, Kootenay, 1998-2003) signed a contract (one year with a club option for another year) with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany DEL) after obtaining his release from Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic Extraliga). He had three goals and three assists in 20 games for Mlada Boleslav this season. Last season, Milroy had 12 goals and 24 assists in 74 games for Houston Aeros (AHL). . . .
G Ian Gordon (Swift Current, Saskatoon, 1992-95) signed a one-year contract extension with Ingolstadt (Germany DEL). He has a 2.49 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 16 games with Ingolstadt this season. This is Gordon's 11th season in the DEL.
———
The Tri-City Americans have sold more than 2,500 season tickets for what is believed to be the first time in franchise history. The shut off season-ticket sales last
week with the total at 2,525, which is up five per cent over last season. . . . Records kept by some of the team’s previous owners are a bit sketchy, but it’s believed that this constitutes a new high. . . . “Our staff has done a tremendous job developing a solid season-ticket base,” Americans’ governor/general manager Bob Tory said in a news release. “Credit also needs to go to our fans who have jumped on board and helped us enjoy some tremendous hockey. And to our players, who have given more than just a solid on-ice effort, but have been actively involved in the community to add to the quality of life in the Tri-Cities.” . . . The Americans are in their 23rd season in the Tri-Cities. They are owned by Tory, Stu Barnes, Olaf Kolzig and Dennis Loman. . . . Last season, the team averaged 4,480 fans, its highest number since 1990-91. . . . The Americans meet the Bruins in Chilliwack on Friday, then hurry home to meet the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday and the Everett Silvertips on Sunday.———
The Calgary Hitmen have lost 12 straight games to equal a franchise record. In
1995-96, the Hitmen endured two 12-game losing streaks but that was their first season in the WHL. . . . The Hitmen next play Friday when they visit the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . When Calgary lost 6-2 to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday, it was without F Tyler Fiddler (upper body), D Jaynen Rissling (lower body) and D Alex Roach (leg). During the game, the Hitmen lost D Matt MacKenzie (flu) and D Peter Kosterman (injury), so moved F Cody Sylvester back to defence. . . .———
On Monday, the Regina Pats dealt G Dawson Guhle, 18, to the Red Deer Rebels for LW
Lane Scheidl, 18. . . . Scheidl, from Saskatoon, was acquired by Red Deer from the Vancouver Giants. He has six points in 20 games this season with the Rebels. . . . Guhle was 1-1-1, 6.25, .825 with the Pats, who are going with Damien Ketlo, 19, and freshman Matt Hewitt, who turns 18 on Dec. 11. . . . The Pats actually issued a press release last week saying they had assigned Guhle to the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires, but it was pulled back a couple of hours later. Could be this deal has been in the works since then. . . . With Red Deer, Guhle will back up veteran Darcy Kuemper as the Rebels have assigned Bolton Pouliot, 16, to the midget AAA Calgary Royals. . . .———
The Kamloops Blazers swept the WHL’s player-of-the-week awards. . . . LW Brendan
Ranford was named player of the week after picking up six points, including three goals, in two games. He became the first skater to 20 goals this season when he scored once in Sunday’s 3-1 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . Kamloops G Jeff Bosch is the WHL nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0 with a 0.50 GAA and a .984 save percentage last week.———
Pat Bingham (Kamloops, New Westminster, 1985-89) is the new head coach of the
Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. The Islanders fired head coach Scott Gordon on Monday, replacing him with Bridgeport head coach Jack Capuano. . . . Bingham, who is from Vancouver, has been an assistant coach with the Sound Tigers since 2007-08. He has been in the Islanders organization since 2005. He also has coached in the Central and United leagues and in the ECHL.———
The Moose Jaw Warriors were without two key performers when they dropped a 6-3 decision to the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Monday night. . . . F Quinton
Howden sat out a one-game suspension for a cross-checking major he incurred in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Warriors filled that spot with F Carter Hansen, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. He playes for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . . The Warriors also were without D Dylan McIlrath, who suffered a right knee injury on Saturday. McIlrath was selected 10th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL draft and the Rangers are flying him into the Big Apple on Wednesday where he is scheduled to undergo an MRI. . . . “I remember battling in the faceoff circle for the puck,” McIlrath told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “I watched the video and it looked like the guy fell on the outside of my right knee.” . . . .According to Gourlie, “When McIlrath went down he was in obvious distress and his pained scream could be heard all the way to the Civic Centre rafters.” . . . “I heard a noise you shouldn’t hear and went down in a lot of pain,” said McIlrath. “I knew right away it was pretty serious. I’m not the one to lay on the ice if it wasn’t serious.” . . . McIlrath actually is walking better and swelling has gone down, so he is thinking the injury may not be as bad as first feared. The MRI will reveal whether that is wishful thinking.———
As expected, the WHL doled out some suspensions Monday.
D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen of the Vancouver Giants got hit with seven games for that hit from behind on F Robin Soudek of the host Chilliwack Bruins on Thursday. The Bruins have yet to update the world on Soudek’s condition. . . . This was a nasty, nasty hit but, for whatever reason, was worth five games less than what F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans got for his hit on F Josh Nicholls of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Shinnimin is eligible to return Saturday when the Americans play the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . Vannieuwenhuizen will be eligible to return Dec. 7 when the Giants are at home to the Kamloops Blazers.Meanwhile, D Adrian Van de Mosselaer of the Edmonton Oil Kings got a two-game sentence for a kneeing major in Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the host Kootenay Ice; Moose Jaw Warriors F Quinton Howden got hit with one game for a cross-checking major in a 3-0 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday; and, F Brad Ross of the Portland Winterhawks got two games for a game misconduct he picked up during a 5-4 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon on Friday. . . . It isn’t true that Ross got tossed so that he could go and sit with Shannon Tweed and Gene Simmons.
———
F Igor Revenko of the Prince Albert Raiders is in Edmonton today to undergo an MRI. He felt a pop in his groin area in a recent game and tried to play through it, but with no luck. Revenko, 20, had 55 points, including 27 goals, last season and you can bet the struggling Raiders are feeling his absence. . . . Raiders D Nathan Deck also is said to be at least a week away from returning. . . . Revenko and Deck are two of the Raiders’ three 20-year-olds. . . . The Portland Winterhawks have their Teddy Bear Toss scheduled for Dec. 11 when the Prince George Cougars are in town. The Winterhawks say they already have sold nearly 8,000 tickets for that game. . . . The Spokane Chiefs have added D Tim Krzyzaniak, 18, to their roster. He has played two WHL games in his career — one in each of the last two seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He is from Neepawa, Man., which is just north of Brandon. He had three points in 12 games with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings this season. The Chiefs are with D Garrett Leedahl, who is hurt, and anticipate losing D Jared Cowen to Canada’s national junior team so have been looking for some depth. . . . The Chiefs are in for quite a weekend as they go on the road to play Seattle, Tri-City and Portland, in that order, starting Friday. . . . Cowen has been named captain of Team WHL for Wednesday’s Super Series game in Kamloops. F Chase Schaber of the Kamloops Blazers and F Curtis Hamilton of the Saskatoon Blades will serve as alternates. Calgary D Matt MacKenzie was to have been an alternate for both games, but he has the flu and has been replaced by D Alex Petrovic of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The WHL also announced that Kamloops F Brendan Ranford will replace F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants for the game in Kamloops. Gallagher will play in Prince George on Thursday. . . . F Cody Eakin of the Swift Current Broncos will wear the ‘C’ for Team WHL on Thursday in Prince George, with D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets and F Brett Connolly of the hometown Cougars as the alternates. . . .———
In Moose Jaw, F Ty Rattie had two goals and two assists to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . Rattie has 14 goals. He also
has 38 points, just two behind Vancouver Giants F Craig Cunningham, who leads the league. . . . The Winterhawks scored three times in the second period after the teams played to a 2-2 draw in the opening 20 minutes. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi had his 17th goal and an assist to run his points streak to 16 games. He has 33 points on the season. . . . Portland lost F Tayler Jordan to a charging major and game misconduct at 6:10 of the third period. . . . Portland is 4-1-0 on its East Division swing, which wraps up tonight in Brandon. Immediately after the game, most of the Winterhawks will start the 24-hour bus ride back to Portland. F Ryan Johansen, D Brett Ponich, Rattie and F Brad Ross, however, will miss the bus ride. Altogether now . . . awwwwww! They will fly to Prince George where they will play for Team WHL in Wednesday’s final game of the Subway Super Series. . . . Ross didn’t play last night in Moose Jaw. He drew a two-game suspension for receiving a game misconduct during Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon. He served the first game of that suspension Saturday as the Winterhawks won 8-2 in Prince Albert.———
In Regina, F Hampus Gustafsson had a goal and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 5-2 victory over the Pats. . . . Brandon acquired Gustafsson from the
Pats earlier this season. . . . The Wheat Kings also got a goal and assist from F Jason Swyripa. . . . Brandon has won three straight and became the 17th of 22 teams to get to the .500 mark. . . . If you’re a Wheat Kings fan on the Brayden Schenn, well, the Los Angeles Kings made him a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game last night. . . . Jason Clermont, who caught the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ winning TD in Sunday’s thrilling victory over the B.C. Lions, and teammate Chris Getzlaf took part in the ceremonial faceoff prior to the game. . . . The Pats now head into the B.C. Division for a five-game tour that opens Friday in Vancouver.———
MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.
———
WHL teams at .500 or better: 17-of-22 (.773).
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Posts
