Seattle defenceman retires . . . Giants, Raiders deal . . . KC shows sense of humour!

F Matt Fraser (Red Deer, Kootenay, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), he had five goals and nine assists in 44 games. He also played 21 games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL), recording two goals and five assists.

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D Jared Pelechaty of the Seattle Thunderbirds has retired from hockey. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Pelechaty, 17, is from Winnipeg. He had yet to play in an exhibition game this training camp. News of his retirement got out Friday. Andy Eide, who covers the Thunderbirds for ESPN, tweeted that Pelechaty’s retirement wasn’t “due to a current injury; rather to congenital issue, playing further not recommended.” . . . Last season, Pelechaty had seven points, including two goals, in 39 games with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. In nine games with the Thunderbirds, he had one goal. . . . Seattle brought him in late in the season when it ran into injuries on its back end.

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The Vancouver Giants have acquired F Cal Babych, 19, from the Prince Albert Raiders for an undisclosed conditional selection in the 2018 bantam draft. He was dropped by the Raiders earlier in the week. . . . Babych, a fourth-round pick by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2012 bantam draft, also has played with the Prince George Cougars. . . . Last season, the North Vancouver native had five goals and nine assists in 56 games with the Raiders. In 149 regular-season games, he has 15 goals and 20 assists. . . . He is the son of former WHL/NHL D Dave Babych. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Giants are without F Alec Baer, F Brendan Semchuk and F Dawson Holt, all with undisclosed injuries.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have signed F Baron Thompson, 17, to a WHL contract. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Thompson is from Lakeville, Minn. He and his brother, Tyler, were acquired last week from the Victoria Royals. They selected Baron in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He had two goals and two assists in 26 games with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints last season.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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On Thursday, the Everett Silvertips came from behind for a 5-4 shootout victory over the Portland Winterhawks, all of which resulted in today's chuckle:

Thx to comeback 10th annual TC tourney bus ride home had a fresher scent.

— Kevin Constantine (@KlcCoach) September 9, 2016

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-1. The Cougars (2-3-0) were wrapping up a nine-game preseason road trip by playing their third game in less than 72 hours. F Colton Veloso had a goal and an assist for Portland (4-0-1). G Cole Kehler stopped 16 shots in going the distance for the winners. . . . F Nick Holowko scored the only goal of a shootout as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. F Peyton Krebs gave the Ice a 3-2 lead with a shorthanded goal at 18:53 of the third period, only to have Seattle F Matthew Wedman force OT with a PP goal at 19:41. Wedman also had an assist, with F Nolan Volcan also getting a goal and an assist for Seattle. . . . F Brandon Hagel’s goal at 13:00 of the third period snapped a 3-3 tie as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen had tied the game at 11:49. F Michael Spacek had a goal and two assists for the winners, while D Josh Mahura and F Akash Bains each had two assists, and F Grayson Pawlenchuk had a goal and an assist. D Parker Wotherspoon drew three assists for Tri-City, with F Morgan Geekie getting two. . . . 

In Brandon, F Nikita Popugaev scored twice to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. Popugaev, coming off knee surgery, has three preseason goals. . . . This was Brandon’s first exhibition game; the Warriors are 2-1-1. . . . They’ll play again tonight, this time in Moose Jaw. . . .

In St. Albert, Alta., the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last two goals, both in the third period, to score a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . D Micheal Zipp pulled Calgary into a tie at 9:29 of the third period and F Aaron Hyman got the winner two minutes later. . . . Zipp and Hyman each added an assist, while D Vladislav Yeryomenko had a goal and an assist. . . . Edmonton got a goal and an assist from each of F Jesse Roach and F Tyler Robertson, with F Carter Souch drawing two assists. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba stopped 28 shots. . . . The teams play again tonight, this time in Calgary. . . .

In Kelowna, G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots to earn the shutout as the Rockets beat the Kamloops Blazers, 1-0. . . . They’ll go at it again tonight in Kamloops. . . . F Dillon Dube scored the game’s only goal, taking a pass from former Blazers F Jake Kryski and putting the puck over G Dylan Ferguson, at 4:09 of the third period. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson stopped 39 shots. . . . 

In Lethbridge, F Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and two assists to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. The WHL’s Finnish Flash, who is preparing for his first WHL season, continues to be perhaps the biggest story of the exhibition season, with 10 points, including five goals, in four games. . . . The Broncos (3-1-1) got a goal and an assist from each of F Glenn Gawdin and D Max Lajoie. . . . F Colton Kroeker scored twice for Lethbridge (2-1-0), with F Brayden Burke drawing two assists. F Egor Babenko had a goal and an assist. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Swift Current, with Stuart Skinner turning aside 26 at the other end. . . . Lethbridge F Carter Folk left at 18:35 of the second period with a headshot major and game misconduct. . . . 

In Wainwright, Alta., the Medicine Hat Tigers scored a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F Mason Shaw, who is from Wainwright, scored his second preseason goal for the Tigers. . . . F Nick Henry scored his third goal for the Pats (2-2-0).

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Weird seeing former @nitroshockey coach Jerry Bancks in the stands instead of behind the bench.

— Josh Lockhart (@joshuaklockhart) September 10, 2016

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