F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) was assigned on loan by Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL) to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He has two goals and one assist in 25 games with Lev this season. . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) transferred from Bozen (Italy, Serie A2) to Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Serie A2). He had 29 goals and 27 assists in 32 games with Bozen this season. Stanley currently stands in third place in league scoring.
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Former WHL G Jon Groenheyde stopped 66 shots on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough as his St. Thomas Tommies dropped a 5-2 decision to the host Acadia Axemen in an Atlantic University Sport game. . . . Groenheyde allowed four goals on 70 shots, with Acadia’s last goal an empty-netter.
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A hockey fan looking for an interesting read can’t go wrong with Breakaway, Tal Pinchevsky’s look at the first hockey players to have escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and come to North America.
It is subtitled From behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL — the untold story of hockey’s great escapes, and really is missing only Steve McQueen and his motorcycle.
There are some amazing stories here about players leaving behind families and not knowing what might befall those families because of the defectors’ decisions. We’re also referring to all kinds of cloak-and-dagger stuff, including clandestine meetings in forests.
Scary stuff!
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, Kootenay F Sam Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal in the second period and the Ice went on to a 3-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Reinhart’s 25th goal ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest in the WHL at the moment. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had his point streak ended at 12 games. . . . The Ice continued its march toward an Eastern Conference playoff spot. All but written off before Christmas, the Ice has closed to within one point of the Saskatoon Blades, who hold down the eighth and final playoff spot. . . . The Blades hold three games in hand. . . . The Pats have lost seven in a row and are eight points out of eighth. . . .
In Swift Current, G Justin Paulic stopped 32 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos had won seven in a row going into this one. . . . The Warriors have won two in a row after a 10-game losing skid. . . . Ch-ch-ching! The teams engaged in a multiple-fight situation at 19:52 of the third period. . . . The Broncos lost F Graham Black to an elbowing major and game misconduct at 18:51 of the third period. . . . By game’s end, the Broncos had taken 116 of 179 penalty minutes. . . . Warriors F Tanner Eberle scored the winning goal, his 10th goal this season. It came on a penalty shot at 6:24 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry had two assists. . . . 
In Edmonton, F Curtis Lazar broke a 2-2 tie at 12:05 of the second period and the Oil Kings went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Lazar scored twice, giving him 23. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 47 shots. With G Corbin Boes having suffered an undisclosed injury in a 2-1 OT victory in Edmonton on Friday, the Wheat Kings had Jordan Papirny on the bench backing up Honey. Papirny, from Edmonton, plays for the midget AAA South Side Athletic Club Athletics. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had a goal, his 14th, and two assists, while F Henrik Samuelsson drew three helpers. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row and lead the Eastern Conference by seven points over the Calgary Hitmen, who have two games in hand. . . . 
In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno forced OT and then won the game in the circus as the Rebels got past the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . The teams played through two scoreless periods and struck four times in 7:06 in the second half of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno forced OT with his 15th goal at 18:28 of the third period. . . . Dieno was the only one of six shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Lethbridge D Macoy Erkamps scored his fifth goal to open the scoring. He’s got eight points in his last three games. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 43 shots. . . .
In Prince George, G Mac Engel stopped 21 shots to help the Cougars to a 4-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for Engel. He has six shutouts in his career. . . . F Colin Jacobs scored twice, giving him 17. . . . F Jake Mykitiuk got his first of the season. . . . D Rinalds Rosinskis had three assists. . . . The victory was the first for Mark Holick as head coach of the Cougars. He worked his first game Friday as the Cougars dropped a 3-2 decision to the Silvertips. . . . Everett picked up five points on a four-game B.C. Division swing. . . . Judging by messages on Twitter early today, Brock Hirsche is leaving the Cougars. Hirsche, 20, had his season, and his WHL career, ended by shoulder problems before Christmas and had been helping with the coaching. . . .
In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored two more goals as the Royals beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-1. . . . Magee, who has 25 goals, scored four times in a 6-4 victory over visiting Vancouver on Friday. . . . Victoria F Brandon Fushimi also scored last night, after getting two on Friday. . . . The two Brandons combined for nine goals in the two games. . . . The other goal went to F Jamie Crooks, who scored his 100th regular-season goal. . . . Victoria’s line of Magee, Alex Gogolev and Steve Hodges has 42 points in its last eight games. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson got his 20th goal. . . . The Royals were without D Tyler Stahl, their captain, after he took a headshot major in a 6-4 victory over the visiting Giants on Friday. . . . The Royals won their seventh straight game, setting a Chilliwack-Victoria franchise record. . . . The Giants have lost six in a row. . . .
In Spokane, F Curtis Valk broke a 3-3 tie at 7:54 of the third period as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Chiefs, 4-3. . . . Valk’s 29th goal came via the PP. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan stopped 55 shots, including 22 in the second and 20 in the third, and earned the lone assist on the winner. . . . F Todd Fiddler scored twice for the Chiefs, giving him a WHL-leading 35 goals. He also had an assist. . . . Fiddler tied a franchise record (fastest goal to open a period) when he scored eight seconds into the third. . . . 
In Kelowna, the Rockets won their 21st straight home game, dropping the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-2. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, scored three times in the first period and led 6-0 midway through the third. . . . F Cody Fowlie scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 13, while F Tyson Baillie had a goal, his 17th, and two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 18 shots to win his 20th straight start. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Oliver Bjorstand scored three times an G Brendan Burke got the shutout as the Winterhawks dropped the Tri-City Americans, 7-0. . . . It was Nuclear Night in Kennewick, but things didn’t go well for the home team which suffered its worst defeat of the season. . . . Burke, who is 15-4-1, stopped 25 shots in posting his third shutout this season. Portland has put up back-to-back blank jobs. . . . After the game, Burke tweeted: “It was great having my grandma @cbgrands and my grandpa in the stands tonight. Made the drive all the way from red deer #support #loveyou” . . . Bjorkstand, from Denmark, has 20 goals, the first freshman to that mark this season. This was his first hat trick. . . . F Chase De Leo had three assists, while F Nic Petan, the WHL’s leading scorer, had a goal, his 33rd, and an assist. . . . F Brendan Leipsic, who is second to Petan, had two goals, getting him to 32, and an assist. . . . Petan has 85 points, four more than Leipsic. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie picked up one assist, running his point streak to 13 games. He's got 19 points in 10 games since returning from the World Junior Championship. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser had his point streak end at 11 games. . . . The Winterhawks continue to be without D Derrick Pouliot, who has a high-ankle sprain.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Harrison Ruopp, Prince Albert
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria
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From former Regina Pats F Brad Hornung (@Bradhornung): “Wearing a pair of shoes since 1995 that still look brand-new. #quadadvantages”
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One more from @Bradhornung: “When a sold-out concert still has handicapped seats available. @quadadvantages”
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