on Wednesday night that he has “committed to Boston College.”MacMaster was selected 19th overall by the Chiefs.
He is playing his first season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, for whom he put up 47 points, including 24 goals, in 54 regular-season games.
Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster, who played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans (2007-12). Nathan, now 20, played this season at Mount Royal College in Calgary.
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G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans, who was shot down earlier this year because of hip problems, has undergone two surgical procedures and is well on the road to recovery.Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has that story right here.
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Dr. James Andrews knows a thing or two about injuries and sports. In fact, he has co-written a book — Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them, for Athletes, Parents and Coaches — Based on My Life in Sports Medicine. . . . Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has spoken with Dr. Andrews and his story is right here. . . . I’ll give you a hint. Dr. Andrews says he is seeing far too many injuries in young people that used to be restricted to older, more mature athletes.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs Red Deer (5)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Brycen Martin scored at 1:05 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings trailed 2-0 in the first period, but tied it on goals by F Quintin Lisoway, his second, at 8:07 of the second, and F Taylor Cooper, his ninth, at 14:26 of the third, on a PP. . . . Martin has two goals this season. . . . The night’s results mean the Wheat Kings won’t be in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2000 and only the second time since 1992. . . . The Broncos, seventh in the Eastern Conference, are two points behind Medicine Hat and a point ahead of Kootenay. . . . 
In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots to lead the Raiders to a 7-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Siemens tied the franchise’s single-season shutout record, with six. He shares the record with Rejean Beauchemin (2003-04). . . . Siemens has 12 shutouts in his career. . . . F Carson Perreaux had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Dakota Conroy scored his 20th goal. . . . Prince Albert F Tim Vanstone was back in the lineup after missing a month with a concussion. . . . The Raiders are fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Red Deer. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 42 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Tigers, 2-0. . . . Skapski has seven shutouts this season, including two in a row. He put up four shutouts in February. . . . F Brock Montgomery scored his 28th goal at 4:07 of the first, on a PP, while F Levi Cable got his 12th into an empty net at 19:49 of the third. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots. . . . Skapski is tied for the WHL lead in shutouts with Portland’s Mac Carruth and Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . The Ice, which at one time was last in the overall standings, has won 22 of its last 28 games. . . . The Tigers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Red Deer. . . . The Ice, eighth in the conference, stayed five points ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .
In Calgary, F Nathan Burns scored in the circus to give the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Blades have won 17 straight games. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken now has 599 WHL coaching victories. Saskatoon is at home to Brandon on Friday. . . . Burns was the only one of 10 shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 27th goal at 13:11 of the third period to force OT. . . . F Brett Stovin scored twice for Saskatoon, giving him nine goals, while F Lukas Sutter had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov made 46 saves. He leads the WHL with 34 victories. . . . This was Saskatoon’s 40th victory of the season, the fifth straight winter in which the Blades have gotten there. . . . The Blades lead the East Division by seven points over Prince Albert. In the overall standings, Saskatoon is two points behind Calgary, although the Hitmen hold a game in hand. . . . 
In Portland, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals and beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . It was the first meeting of these teams since the Oil Kings beat the Winterhawks in a seven-game championship final last spring. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck, who missed that series with an injury, got his side to within one, at 3-2, with his 20th goal at 19:57 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Trevor Cheek tied it with his 27th at 1:23 of the third. . . . The winner went to F Michael St. Croix, who got his 33rd, on a PP, at 18:57. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 38. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored his 20th goal of the season, tying Saskatoon’s Darren Dietz and Spokane’s Brenden Kichton for the lead among defencemen. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists, giving him 97 points and moving him into third in the scoring race. Linemates Brendan Leipsic (111), Nic Petan (109) and Rattie are 1-2-3 in the points derby. . . . Petan scored his 44th goal, tying Leipsic for the league lead in that department. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson was ejected with a spearing major at 18:01 of the first. . . . D Derrick Pouliot (ankle) wasn’t in the Winterhawks’ lineup. I have been told that he will play Saturday in Everett. . . . Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal won a Memorial Cup with the Winterhawks in 1982-83. . . . Portland leads the overall standings by 10 points over Edmonton. . . . 
In Kamloops, F Brendan Rouse scored twice as the Vancouver Giants beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . The Blazers outshot the Giants 19-8 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the second. But the Giants held a 30-18 edge in shots the rest of the way. . . . Rouse broke a 2-2 tie at 5:53 of the third period and later added his 14th goal of the season on a PP. . . . F Cain Franson added his 26th goal for the Giants, who beat Kamloops for the first time in seven tries this season. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots. . . . The loss prevented the Blazers from closing on the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds in tonight’s only game. . . . The Rockets are five points ahead of Kamloops and hold a game in hand. . . . Kamloops and Kelowna will play each other three times next week. . . . 
In Victoria, the Lethbridge Hurricanes jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . F Sam Mckechnie’s 25th goal, at 7:11 of the first, via a PP, gave Lethbridge a 3-0 lead. . . . The Royals tie it on D Jordan Fransoo’s sixth goal at 9:32 of the second, also on a PP. . . . Lethbridge D Adam Henry broke the 3-3 tie with his fourth goal at 15:25 of the second and F Jamal Watson, with his second of the game and 16th of the season, scored shorthanded to stretch the visitors’ lead. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks got his 31st goal at 19:33. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 44 shots. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had two goals, giving him 10, and an assist. These were Nelson’s first goals since he returned from injury on Feb. 15. He has played six games after not playing since Dec. 28. . . . The Royals have lost seven in a row. . . . Victoria F Logan Fisher left the ice surface on a stretcher after taking a check from Lethbridge F Graham Hood in the second period. There was no word on Fisher’s condition immediately after the game. Later, the Royals’ Twitter account contained this: “Coach (Dave) Lowry on Logan Fisher’s condition: ‘Logan was taken to hospital and is being evaluated as we speak.’ ”. . . Hood wasn’t penalized on the play. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, seven points behind Spokane. . . . The Hurricanes remain five points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . 
In Everett, D Brenden Kichton scored twice to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Kichton has 20 goals this season. . . . His 19th goal broke a 1-1 tie on a PP with 0.5 seconds left in the first period. . . . Spokane F Todd Fiddler got his 40th goal in the second period. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal, who has been playing some defence to cover for injuries, had two assists. . . . Everett holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. It is five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars. . . . The fifth-place Chiefs are one point behind the Tri-City Americans.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Vanstone, Regina
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls (@Jnicks20): “Shout out to my homie @nate_burns19 on scoring the shoot out winner tonight and keeping the #heeater alive #17Straight #wegood #scarygood”
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