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| Goaltender Ty Rimmer of the Tri-City Americans was a busy man Wednesday as he posted his WHL-leading fourth shutout of the season. (Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com) |
F Marcel Hossa (Portland, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL), three days after Russian reports had him signing with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia,
KHL) and five days after his release by Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). Hossa had six goals and 11 assists in 35 games for Spartak this season. . . .
F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) was released by Olten (Switzerland, NL B). He had six goals and 15 assists in 23 games with Olten this season. Olten loaned Redenbach to Red Bull Salzburg for the final games of the European Trophy competition, where he had one assist in three games for Red Bull. . . .
F Chad Klassen (Spokane, Saskatoon, 2001-06) signed a contract through the 2012-13 season with Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 13 goals and 22 assists in 29 games with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) this season.
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There was horrible news Wednesday for Jack Jablonski, the Minnesota high schooler who was left paralyzed after taking a check in a game on Friday.
Jablonski underwent spinal fusion surgery yesterday and doctors discovered horrific damage, meaning he won’t walk again.
There is more right here.
Keep him in your thoughts as you walk through your world today.
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D Jesse Pauls of the Victoria Royals has announced his retirement from hockey.
Pauls, a 19-year-old from Chilliwack, played in Victoria’s 9-4 loss to the visiting
Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday. The retirement announcement came Wednesday morning.According to a news release issued by the Royals, Pauls informed Marc Habscheid, the club’s GM and head coach, of his decision Wednesday morning.
“I am very disappointed that I have to retire from hockey at this point in my career,” Pauls is quoted as saying in the news release. “I want to thank my family, the Victoria Royals and the Western Hockey League for the support they have shown me and for allowing me the opportunity to compete at this level.”
Pauls had five assists in 13 games with the Chilliwack Bruins in 2009-10 and then had 14 points in 21 games last season. This season, he had 12 points in 26 games.
Pauls missed a good chunk of last season with a badly broken leg that needed surgery. This season, he missed time with an undisclosed injury.
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THE DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE:
The Kamloops Blazers and visiting Prince George Cougars have been fined for welcoming the new year with a line brawl. They danced on Sunday with one minute left in the third period. It was the Blazers’ first such incident so it cost them $250. The Cougars, having been involved in two line brawls, paid $500. . . . Meanwhile, Rich Preston, the GM/head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been fined $500 for getting the old heave-ho from a 3-2 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Dec. 30. . . . It is interesting that a game misconduct to Preston carries a larger fine than a team’s first line brawl, and is equal to a team’s second line brawl.
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JUST NOTES:
Dale McFee, who among other things is the president of the Prince Albert Raiders’ board of directors, has been named Prince Albert’s 2011 Citizen of the Year. McFee played four seasons with the Raiders (1982-86) and was on their 1986 Memorial Cup-winning team. He is the chief of the Prince Albert Police Service and serves in a number of volunteer positions. . . . He also is chairman of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. . . . "I truly believe that it's not about myself, it's about everybody else," McFee told the Prince Albert Daily Herald. "If we can make the community better, and if I can do some things with the power in the positions I hold, I should do that. It's giving back. The community's done so much for me." . . .
The Red Deer Rebels likely will be moving a 20-year-old this week. With F Josh Cowen and D Aaron Borejko about ready to come off the injury list, the Rebels will be left with four 20-year-olds — G Deven Dubyk and D Justin Weller are the others — and that is one too many. . . . The Rebels are expected to make a move by Friday.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Kennewick, Wash., G Ty Rimmer stoped 42 shots as the Tri-City Americans blanked the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-0. . . . It was Rimmer’s fourth shutout this season and the eighth of his career. . . . Earlier in the day, he was named the WHL’s goaltender of the month for December. . . . These teams have met 37 times and this as the first time either has been blanked. . . . The Americans were 4-for-9 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-for-6. . . . F Jordan Messier and F Brendan Shinnimin each scored twice, while F Patrick Holland four assists. . . . Earlier in the day, the Americans found themselves atop the CHL rankings for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Americans have won six straight meetings with Moose Jaw. . . . Tri-City now has won a franchise-record 11 straight games. It also has won 11 straight at home, three shy of the franchise record from 2006-07. . . . Moose Jaw is 1-2-1 on its U.S. tour. . . .
In Edmonton, F Michael St. Croix had a goal and two assists to help the Oil Kings to a 6-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Earlier in the day, St. Croix had been named the WHL’s player of the month for December. . . . St. Croix has 65 points in 40 games. He is tied with Brandon Wheat Kings F Mark Stone and Regina Pats F Jordan Weal, four points behind Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie, who leads the WHL points derby. . . . The Oil Kings broke open a 2-2 game with four straight goals, three of them in a 10-minute span of the second period. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson, a son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, wasn’t in Edmonton’s lineup. He will join the Oil Kings later this week. . . . Lethbridge F Reid Duke scored his second goal. Duke, a 15-year-old from Calgary, has five points in seven games. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Lethbridge F Cam Braes had a goal and an assist, giving him 200 points in 318 career games. . . . 
In Regina, F Jordan Weal put on another show, scoring one goal and setting up four others as the Pats dropped the Prince Albert Raiders, 8-3. . . . Regina F Matt Marantz scored three times, giving him eight on the season. . . . It was the second time this season Regina has scored eight goals. . . . Weal was in on four of the Pats’ first five goals, scoring his 23rd and drawing three assists as they took a 4-1 lead at 12:20 of the second period. . . . Weal has 65 points, four off the scoring lead. . . . Regina was 4-for-6 on the PP. . . . Prince Albert F Justin Maylan played in his 300th regular-season game. He earned an assist to run his points streak to nine games. . . . Raiders F Mark McNeill had two assists and is on a 10-game points streak. . . . F Logan McVeigh, acquired Saturday from the Kamloops Blazers, had a goal and an assist in his first game with the Raiders. . . . The Raiders have followed a five-game winning streak with two straight losses. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice erased a 1-0 deficit with five goals as they beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-1. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart had two goals, giving him 20, and two assists. He has 47 points in 35 games. . . . On Monday, Reinhart had picked up his 200th career point in a 7-2 loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. . . . F Drew Czerwonka picked up four assists. . . . Kootenay was 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . F Dakota Odgers, 15, made his WHL debut with the Broncos. His brother John, 16, did the same last week with the Prince George Cougars. They are the sons of former WHL/NHL F Jeff Odgers. . . . 
In Vancouver, the Calgary Hitmen fell behind 2-0 before the game was five minutes old and then came back to beat the Giants, 6-4. . . . The Hitmen lost 3-1 to the Cougars in Prince George on Dec. 28 but habe since won four in a row — in Kamloops, Kelowna, Victoria and Vancouver. . . . Calgary D Collin Bowman had a goal — an empty-netter — and an assist, and was plus-4. . . . The Giants went 5-4-0 with assistant coach Glen Hanlon running things while head coach Don Hay was with Canada’s national junior team. . . . F Jake Virtanen, 15, the first pick in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his second goal of this swing for the Hitmen. He is from Abbotsford, B.C., so you know he had some fans in the stands for this one. . . .
In Everett, F Josh Birkholz scored three times as the Silvertips dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . It was Birkholz’ second career hat trick. . . . Birkholz has 17 goals. . . . Everett F J.T. Barnett had three assists. . . . Seattle opened the scoring when F Branden Troock scored at 3:11 of the first period. Everett then struck for the next four scores. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 32 shots. . . . Everett D Brennan Yadlowski was given a match penalty for attempt to injure (kicking) as the second period ended. . . . Seattle wasn’t able to score on the ensuing five-minute power play. . . . This was the third time these teams had met over the last nine days. Seattle had won the first two in shootouts. . . .
In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored three straight goals as the Rockets dumped the Spokane Chiefs, 5-2. . . . Bulmer scored three times in a span of 9:16 in the second period. . . . Bulmer has 31 points, including 17 goals, in 22 games. . . . Last season, he finished with 18 goals in 57 games. . . . ———
WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Dakota Odgers, Swift Current.
F Colin Jacobs, Seattle.
D Brenden Kichton, Spokane.
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