F Tyler Maxwell (Everett, Edmonton, 2008-12) was released by Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) and signed a contract with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). He had seven goals and seven assists in 23 games with Red Bull.
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The OHL’s London Knights won their 23rd straight game last night, beating the host Plymouth Whalers, 4-2. . . . The Knights now own the second-longest winning streak in OHL history, surpassing the 2009-10 Barrie Colts, who won 22 in a row. . . . The OHL record is 25, held by the 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers. . . . The Knights will play the Sting in Sarnia on Monday and the teams will stage a rematch Tuesday in London. Should the Knights sweep that series, they would go for the record on Jan. 4 against the visiting Saginaw Spirit.———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Portland, F Paul Bittner had three points as the Winterhawks got past the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks have won eight in a row. . . . Portland had beaten host Tri-City 4-3 on Friday noght. . . . Bittner, who went into the game with two goals in 21 games, scored twice and set up another. . . . Bittner’s second goal, at 11:15 of the third period, came via the PP and broke a 3-3 tie. . . . F Nic Petan got his 25th goal of the season for Portland and F Brendan Leipsic added his 23rd. . . . Portland has taken four of five from Tri-City this season. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth picked up his 104th regular-season victory, one shy of the franchise record held by Darrell May Sr. (1978-82). . . . 
In Saskatoon, F Anthony Bardaro struck for three goals in a span of 7:38 in the first period as the Prince Albert Raiders dumped the Blades, 4-2. . . . Bardaro has 14 goals this season. . . . F Logan McVeigh drew an assist on each of Bardaro’s goals. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 40 shots. . . . The Raiders had beaten the visiting Blades 5-4 on Friday, with Bardaro scoring once and adding three assists. . . . Despite being outshot 12-6 in the first 20 minutes, the Raiders had a 4-1 lead. . . . It was Dalton Thrower Bobblehead Night and he scored the game’s first goal. Thrower, a 19-year-old defenceman, scored his third goal of the season at 7:02 of the first period. . . . G Daniel Johnson made his first WHL start, and second appearance, for the Blades. He stopped 19 shots. . . . The Blades have lost three in a row. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the Regina Pats scored the game’s first five goals and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . Regina F Marc McCoy scored twice, giving him four this season. . . . The Warriors had beaten the Pats 4-3 in Regina on Thursday and then gone into Brandon and beat the Wheat Kings 4-3 on Friday. . . . Regina D Colton Jobke returned last night after missing 17 games with a cut hand. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Zach Jones, F Brady Brassart and D Jaynen Rissling each scored his 10th goal as the Calgary Hitmen dumped the Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . The Hurricanes had won 2-1 in Calgary on Friday. . . .
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox had a goal and two assists as the Tigers beat the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . Cox opened the scoring with his 11th goal at 10:34 of the first period. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 36 shots. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry had his goal-scoring streak snapped at eight games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk missed most of the third period. “It was the knee that he got stitches on (in November), when he was out for a long time,” Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News. “There is still some scar tissue there. He went into the boards and hit the ice pretty hard. It just swelled up to the point, where he just wasn’t able to go. Hopefully, it is nothing very serious. We don’t think it is going to affect him too long.” . . . The Tigers were without D Spenser Jensen (concussion), who was injured on Friday. . . .
In Kamloops, F Tim Bozon and F Cole Ully each scored three times as the Blazers dumped the Vancouver Giants, 9-4. . . . F Chase Souto added a goal and three assists for the Blazers. He was playing on the right wing with Bozon and C Colin Smith, who scored his WHL-leading 27th goal. Smith also leads the WHL in assists (38) and points (65). . . . Ully, playing his second game since returning from a bout of mononucleosis, has 11 goals; Bozon has 24. . . . The Blazers, who had lost their last four games, have surrendered 28 goals over their last five games. . . . Kamloops D Tyler Hansen (ill) left the game in the final minute of the second period. . . . The Blazers also got three assists from each of D Sam Grist and F Matt Needham. . . . F Jackson Houck had three goals for Vancouver, while F Cain Franson had a goal and two assists. . . . The Blazers last scored nine times in a game on March 16 when they beat the Cougars 10-4 in Prince George. . . .
In Everett, F Josh Winquist scored twice as the Silvertips edged the Seattle Thunderbirds, 2-1. . . . Winquist, who has 14 goals, got the winner at 1:56 of OT. . . . Seattle F Seth Swenson forced OT with his 12th goal at 15:27 of the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 34 shots. . . . Seattle F Connor Honey left in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . The Silvertips had beaten the host Thunderbirds 2-1 on Friday. . . . Seattle now has lost seven in a row. . . .
In Spokane, F Sam Reinhart had two goals and an assist as the Kootenay Ice exploded for a 7-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Reinhart has 13 goals. . . . The Chiefs led this one early in the second period when Reinhart scored on the PP at 4:26 for a 3-3 tie. . . . Ice F Levi Cable broke the tie at 14:19 and D Tanner Faith got his first goal at 16:46 to provide insurance. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had three assists. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 39 shots. . . . The Chiefs had beaten the Ice 1-0 in Cranbrook on Friday. . . .
In Victoria, the Royals overcame a 3-0 third-period deficit and beat the Prince George Cougars 4-3 in the circus. . . . F Chase Witala had two goals, giving him six, and an assist as the Cougars led 3-0 at 6:28 of the second period. . . . F Brandon Magee pulled the Royals into a 3-3 tie at 17:21 of the third. . . . Magee and F Steve Hodges scored shootout goals to win it. . . . One night earlier, the Royals beat the Cougars, 5-1.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Joey Santucci, Prince Albert
F Marek Kalus, Spokane
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dan Gibb, Prince George
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From Portland Winterhawks F Taylor Peters (@thepistolpete25): “Most goals in the league and not a single nod in the plays of the first half video . . . #typical”
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