Hitmen add goaltender . . . Silvertips minus two defencemen . . . Americans perfect on eastern trek

Taid saying goodbye to @cspencer14 one of his two favourite @SCBroncos.  A very sad day:( pic.twitter.com/BmE6g2NIRZ

— Kevin Jones (@bleed_green75) January 11, 2017

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F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has signed a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games. He was released on Dec. 31.

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The Calgary Hitmen, having lost G Cody Porter indefinitely with an undisclosed injury, have added G Trevor Martin, 20, to their roster. Martin, from Ardrossan, Alta., played three games with the Red Deer Rebels this season, three with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors and five with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. . . . A seventh-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL bantam draft, he has WHL experience, having played 19 games with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 (3-10-2, 4.16, .886) and 38 with the Rebels in 2015-16 (18-8-2, 2.63, .911). . . . Last season, Martin and the Rebels eliminated the Hitmen from the playoffs, winning a first-round series in five games. Martin was 4-1, 2.20, .927. . . . Martin was on the bench backing up Kyle Dumba on Tuesday night as the Hitmen dropped a 5-4 OT decision to the Blades in Saskatoon. . . . Porter was injured on Friday during a 6-2 loss to the Pats in Regina.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped D Blake Jameson, 18, from their roster and he will join the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. Jameson was pointless in 27 games with the Wheat Kings this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder played last season with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars. . . . Jameson, who is from Brandon, was a fourth-round pick by the Victoria Royals in the 2013 bantam draft.

The Wheat Kings also have removed D Zach Wytinck, 17, and F Garrett Armour, 19, from their roster. Wytinck, from Glenboro, Man., had one assist in 29 games with Brandon, while Armour, from Winnipeg, had four assists in 41 games. Wytinck was in his first WHL season; Armour played with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 and was in his second season with Brandon. Armour has two goals and 15 assists in 142 career regular-season games.

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The Red Deer Rebels have signed F Chris Douglas, 16, and added him to their roster. Douglas, from Richmond, B.C., had 13 goals and 24 assists in 26 games with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Rebels also have dropped F Quinn Martin, 17, from their roster. A native of Santa Fe, N.M., Martin was pointless in 20 games with Red Deer.

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So you want to be a junior hockey player, do you? Best purchase a hardy suitcase. . . . Consider the case of D Carter Cochrane, who is from Kamloops and has played 43 games in the WHL (Everett Silvertips, 33; Tri-City Americans, 9; Vancouver Giants, 1). . . . On Tuesday, Cochrane, 20, was involved in a BCHL trade, moving from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . When he plays his first game for Trail, it will mark his 10th junior team since the start of 2011-12 when he got a taste with the junior B Kamloops Storm and Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . Since then, Cochrane has played for the KIJHL’s Golden Rockets, the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, Everett, Tri-City, Chilliwack again, the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals, Vancouver, Salmon Arm and now Trail.

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In the course of more than 40 years in the newspaper business, I developed a pretty thick skin and, in time, I learned to ignore the yahoos who troll the waters of social media.

But I know only too well how hard it can be on family members when someone close to them comes under attack.

That is the focus of the top of this week’s edition of 30 Thoughts, the musings of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Following the championship game at the 2017 World Junior Championship, Friedman chatted with Sheehan Desjardins, 21, whose father, Willie, now is the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Willie, one of the most decent people you could ever hope to meet, was on Team Canada’s coaching staff in 2009 when it won gold in Ottawa and again in 2010 when it lost in OT to Team USA in the final in Saskatoon.

You have to read this to understand the highs and lows that a family lives through in these situations. It is amazing and the lows are especially brutal, mostly thanks to a few non-thinkers in our midst, you know, the ones who are with Team Canada win or . . . win.

Friedman’s latest piece is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

D Aaron Irving, acquired by Everett from the Edmonton Oil Kings in a major swap last week, didn’t practise on Tuesday. He last played Friday, finishing a 4-3 OT loss to the host Seattle Thunderbirds and now is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett also will be without D Lucas Skrumeda with an undisclosed injury, so has brought in D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, from the Vancouver North West Giants of the B.C. Major Midget League. . . .

The Swift Current Broncos have dropped F Brandan Arnold, 19, from their roster and he will join the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. From Dodsland, Sask., the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Arnold had two goals and four assists in 27 games with the Broncos. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals and an assist in 42 games. . . . He was a seventh-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft.

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My thoughts and prayers are with @TyPozzobon family and rodeo family with the tragic loss of Ty.
May you #RIP Ty. pic.twitter.com/bgrHe66Soy

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) January 10, 2017

Ty Pozzobon, a Canadian bull-riding champion, was found dead on Monday afternoon near his hometown of Merritt, B.C. . . . “No cause of death was released by Merritt RCMP,” writes Postmedia’s Gord McIntyre, “but they do not consider the death to be suspicious and have passed along the case to the B.C. Coroners Service.” . . . Pozzobon had incurred multiple concussions during his career. . . . “It’s important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions,” his mother, Leanne, said. . . . McIntyre’s story is right here.

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@gdrinnan reports S Dosanjh on 4th team of yr, reminding me WHL commish edict "don't tell viewers when players had few stops." #didntcomply

— Dan Russell (@DanRussellST) January 10, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Moose Jaw, F Morgan Geekie’s second goal of the game, with 43.4 seconds left in regulation time,

MORGAN GEEKIE

gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Geekie has 50 points, including 24 goals, in 45 games this season. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 25 points, 12 of them goals, in 66 games. . . . F Brett Howden (21) gave Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game. . . . Tri-City F Carson Focht (3) tied it at 2:03. . . . The Warriors went back out front just 1:01 later as F Luka Burzan got No. 11. . . . Geekie tied it on a PP, at 3:44 of the second period. . . . F Vladislav Lukin had two assists for the Americans. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 33 shots for the Americans, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 19. . . . Moose Jaw outshot the visitors 20-0 over the first 18 minutes of the third period but couldn’t solve Sarthou. . . . Tri-City was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-3. . . . The Warriors had F Branden Klatt and F Thomas Foster, both of whom were acquired in deadline deals, in their lineup, but F Noah Gregor was scratched with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Michael Rasmussen was among Tri-City’s scratches with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Americans (25-17-3) have won three in a row, all of them on this East Division trek. They are second in the U.S. Division, two points behind the Everett Silvertips (25-5-7), who have eight — yes, EIGHT! — games in hand. . . . The Warriors (25-10-7) had points in each of their previous seven games (5-0-2). They are second in the East Division, four points behind Regina, which holds four games in hand, and four ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,103.

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At Red Deer, the Rebels opened a 4-0 second-period lead en route to a 4-1 victory over the Prince

LASSE PETERSEN

George Cougars. . . . F Adam Musil got it started with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Evan Polei upped the lead to 2-0 with No. 17, at 15:59. . . . F Austin Pratt then scored his 11th goal, at 17:42. . . . F Lane Zablocki, acquired earlier in the day from the Regina Pats, scored his 10th goal at 9:19 of the second period. . . . The Cougars got their goal from F Aaron Boyd (5), at 17:27 of the third period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev had two assists for Red Deer, while Polei added one to his goal. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 23 shots for the Rebels. . . . Prince George starter Ty Edmonds allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period. Nick McBride came on to start the second period and stopped 15 of 16 shots the rest of the way. . . . The Rebels were 1-5 on the PP; the Royals were 0-3. . . . Red Deer is without injured F Brandon Hagel. . . . D Brendan Guhle (ill) was among Prince George’s scratches. F Radovan Bondra, acquired Tuesday morning from the Vancouver Giants, also was scratched. . . . The Rebels (19-17-6) are third in the Central Division, five points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Cougars (28-12-2) are third in the overall standings, three points behind the first-place Regina Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 3,905.

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1st 🌟

🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/rJllx5vmaA

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 11, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Jesse Shynkaruk’s third goal of the game, at 2:13 of OT, gave the Blades a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Shynkaruk, 20, has a career-high 16 goals this season, and six of them are

game-winners. He went into the season with 23 goals in 196 games. . . . It was Shynkaruk’s second career hat trick. Then with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he scored three times on Jan. 3, 2015, in an 8-2 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Jake Kryski, acquired Monday from the Kelowna Rockets, gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead when he scored on his first shot with his new team, at 4:35 of the first period. . . . However, Kryski was in the penalty box when Shynkaruk scored the winner. . . . The Blades went ahead 2-1 on goals from Shynkaruk and F Gage Ramsay 95), at 6:49 and 14:54. . . . Calgary then scored twice — F Mark Kastelic (7) and F Matteo Gennaro — at 15:13 and 15:41 to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr’s 22nd goal, on a PP, at 2:54 of the second period tied it. . . . Shynkaruk gave the Blades the lead at 10:34. . . . Gennaro pulled the Hitmen back into a tie at 15:47. . . . Gennaro, who has goals in five straight games, has 18 scores this season. . . . Shmyr, F Chase Wouters and F Michael Farren had two assists each for the Blades. . . . D Jake Bean had two helpers for Calgary. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 19 shots for Saskatoon, while Calgary’s Kyle Dumba turned aside 22. . . . The Blades were 2-2 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-2. . . . The Blades (16-22-6) had lost their previous two games. They now are within two points of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Hitmen (14-19-6) have lost five in a row (0-2-3). They are six points out of a playoff spot. They had won each of their previous eight games in Saskatoon. . . . Dean Brockman, the Blades’ head coach, missed the game due to a funeral. Assistant Ryan Keller was listed as the head coach, thus earning his first WHL victory. . . . Announced attendance: 2,606.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Tri-City at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Everett, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Victoria 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Silvertips surrender first-rounder, two players for Oil Kings' captain

"His game on the ice and his leadership off the ice are the qualities of a true leader."

Thank you, Captain. pic.twitter.com/MBNdEveAmo

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) January 4, 2017

WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 9

Players: 17

Bantam draft picks: 9

Conditional bantam draft picks: 1

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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Any doubts that may have been lingering about the Everett Silvertips’ intentions this season were erased on Wednesday when the WHL team acquired veteran D Aaron Irving, 20, from the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Silvertips definitely went all-in, as they gave up a first-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft, along

AARON IRVING

with F Graham Miller, 20, and F Brett Kemp, 16. Everett also got a seventh-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft.

Irving, an Edmonton native, was the Oil Kings’ captain. He holds the franchise career record for goals (38) by a defenceman and is third in points (126), all done in 244 games.

This season, Irving was Edmonton’s leading scorer, with 43 points, including 14 goals. He is second among all WHL defencemen in points, trailing only David Quenneville of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has 48 points but suffered a broken fibula on Tuesday night.

The Oil Kings selected the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Irving with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 bantam draft. In 2014, the Nashville Predators picked him in the seventh round of the NHL draft, but he has yet to sign an NHL contract.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Millar, from Penticton, had nine goals and seven assists in 25 games with Everett this season. In 226 career games, split between Everett and the Saskatoon Blades, he has 83 points, including 44 goals. He will turn 21 on Jan. 11.

Kemp, from Yorkton, Sask., had three goals and four assists in 17 games in his freshman season with the Silvertips. He also was pointless in six games with Canada Black at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. Kemp, 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, was a second-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.

The Oil Kings, who are at home to the Vancouver Giants tonight, expect to have Millar and Kemp available on Friday when they visit the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

GRAHAM MILLAR

BRETT KEMP

Edmonton (18-17-4) is tied for third in the Central Division with the Red Deer Rebels, each of them having 40 points. At the same time, the Brandon Wheat Kings also have 40 points and are tied with Red Deer for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card playoff spots, four points ahead of the Saskatoon Blades.

The Silvertips (25-5-6), who are three points behind the Regina Pats, who lead the overall standings, next play Friday against the host Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash.

Having allowed only 77 goals in 36 games, Everett is easily the WHL’s best defensive team. Irving won’t hurt them in that area and also will add to their offence which, while not as poor as its reputation, could always use a boost.

It also is fair to say that the Silvertips‘ roster now includes three of the top right-hand shooting defencemen in the WHL, with Irving joining veterans Kevin Davis and Noah Juulsen.

Davis is having a career season, with three goals and 28 assists in 36 games, while Juulsen, who is with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, has 20 points, including nine goals, in 25 games.
Everett goes into tonight’s action tied with the Prince George Cougars for first place in the Western Conference, although the Silvertips hold three games in hand. Everett also leads the U.S. Division by nine points over the Tri-City Americans.

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Cougars back on top after win in Kamloops . . . Kelowna's Dube sharp in return . . . Winterhawks end losing skid

don't stop believing pic.twitter.com/eqBGxBHI4t

— Mark Magark (@markedly) November 12, 2016

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G Trevor Martin, who played in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, has joined the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Martin, from Ardrossan, Alta., cleared WHL waivers after being released by the Red Deer Rebels as they got down to three 20-year-olds. Martin then joined the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors but now has signed with Baie-Comeau. . . . Martin was a ninth-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. However, he never played for the Chiefs. . . . Last season, he was 18-8-2, 2.63, .911 with the Rebels, who played host to the Memorial Cup. . . . This season, he got into only three games with Red Deer, going 0-1-1, 4.14, .888. . . . He was 2-1-0, 2.35, .936 in three appearances with West Kelowna.

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Just saw story on Hurricanes Brayden Burke departing team. Can't argue with Peter Anholt's stance. Refreshing in our tight lipped world.

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) November 11, 2016

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

Irvings goal tonight (7th of the season) gives him the all-time record for goals scored by an #OilKings defenceman! Congrats Aaron!👍🎉

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) November 13, 2016

AARON IRVING

At Edmonton, G Parick Dea stopped 27 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Dea has one shutout this season and two in his career. . . . F Tyler Robertson’s sixth goal, at 18:11 of the first period, proved to be the winner. . . . D Aaron Irving got his seventh goal at 11:36 of the second period. That was his 31st career goal, giving him the franchise record for goals by a defenceman that he had shared with Griffen Reinhart and Cody Corbnett. . . . F Lane Bauer added his 10th goal at 18:02 of the second. . . . Irving also had two assists. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 39 shots for the Ice. . . . Edmonton was 0-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-6. . . . The Oil Kings (8-9-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Ice (3-11-5) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . G Boston Bilous, 15, backed up Dea for a second straight game, in place of Liam Hughes. . . . Announced attendance: 12,639.

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Awkward WHL hockey.
Dallas Stars dman Hamhuis' PG Cougars, coached by former DStar Matvichuk spank Stars Owner Gaglardi's Blazers 7-0...

— Daryl Reaugh (@Razor5Hole) November 13, 2016

Weren't enough characters in last tweet, but as proud @blazerhockey alum I truly despise the Hamhuis/Matvichuk combo tonight.
☹️💩

— Daryl Reaugh (@Razor5Hole) November 13, 2016

At Kamloops, G Ty Edmonds stopped 35 shots to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 7-0 victory over the Blazers. . . . It was Edmonds’ first shutout this season and the seventh of his career. . . . Cougars F

TY EDMONDS

Colby McAuley opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 11:33 of the first period. He actually was heading to the bench on a change when someone yelled “Two! Two!” signalling a potential 2-on-1 break. McAuley changed his mind and finished off the break with F Josh Curtis by scoring his fifth goal of the season. . . . The Cougars added two more first-period goals, with F Brad Morrison (13:54) and F Jared Bethune (17:23) scoring off turnovers in the Kamloops zone. . . . The period ended with the Blazers on the power play and with their fourth line — Scott Mahovlich between Travis Walton and Erik Miller — on the ice as head coach Don Hay attempted to send a message to his squad. . . . F Jansen Harkins made it 4-0 with another shorthanded goal at 14:21 of the second period. He’s got five goals. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle finished with two goals, giving him 10, and an assist, while Bethune added two assists to his goal. . . . F Brogan O’Brien had two assists, Harkins added one to his goal, Curtis finished with two and Morrison had one. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram was beaten four times on 28 shots through two periods, with Dylan Ferguson coming on to play the third period. He gave up three goals on 15 shots. . . . The Cougars were 1-3 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-6. . . . The Cougars improved to 15-4-2 and moved back into first place in the overall standings, one point ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . Prince George was coming off a 4-2 Thursday loss to the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. That was followed by a 9 a.m. Friday practice. . . . The Blazers are 11-10-1. . . . The Cougars were without D Sam Ruopp, who was serving Game 3 of an eight-game suspension, and F Kody McDonald, who completed a three-game suspension. . . . Kamloops F Jermaine Loewen left early in the third period with an apparent leg injury. . . . Announced attendance: 3,768.

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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored four PP goals en route to a 7-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . .

DILLON DUBE

. The Rockets scored their first four goals on the PP as they took a 4-0 lead into the third period. . . . F Jake Kryski scored twice for Kelowna, giving him five goals this season. The Raiders selected Kryski 13th overall in the 2013 bantam draft, although he was traded to the Kamloops Blazers before ever playing for Prince Albert. . . . The Rockets got a goal and two assists from each of F Tomas Soustal (8), F Kole Lind (9), D Cal Foote (1) and F Calvin Thurkauf (8). . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube drew three assists. He was in the lineup for the first time this season after returning from the camp of the NHL’s Calgary Flames with a knee injury. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots. He lost his shutout bid at 9:05 of the third period to F Simon Stransky (8). . . . Raiders starter Ian Scott was beaten seven times on 34 shots in 52:10. Nick Sanders came on in relief and stopped all four shots he faced. . . . The Rockets finished 4-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-4. . . . Kelowna improved to 11-9-0. . . . The Raiders (5-13-1) are 0-2-0 on a B.C. Division swing. . . . Regan Bartel, the longtime radio voice of the Rockets, was back in the booth after an extended vacation, er, injury timeout due to a back problem. . . . Announced attendance: 5,326.

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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-3. . . . D

MATT BRADLEY

David Quenneville broke a 3-3 tie with his 11th goal at 12:51 of the third period. . . . F Max Gerlach added his 12th just 11 seconds later for insurance. . . . Tigers F Matt Bradley, who scored twice, got his eighth into an empty net at 19:35. . . . F Chad Butcher had given the home side a 1-0 lead 59 seconds into the game. . . . The Blades took the lead on goals from F Braylon Shmyr (6) at 14:57 of the first period and F Mason McCarty (13), shorthanded, at 10:16 of the second. . . . Medicine Hat took the lead on goals from F Zach Fischer (7), on a PP, at 18:53 of the second, and Bradley, at 1:18 of the third. . . . Saskatoon D Bryton Sayers tied it 3-3 with his second goal, on a PP, at 8:54 of the third period. . . . The Tigers got three assists from F Mason Shaw and one each from Quenneville and Butcher. . . Sayers and Shmyr added assists to their goals for the Blades. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 25 shots. . . . Saskatoon got 39 saves from Brock Hamm. . . . The Blades were 1-5 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-6. . . . Medicine Hat (13-5-1) has won two in a row. . . . The Blades (8-11-1) have lost two in a row. . . . D Jordan Henderson, acquired by the the Blades from the Spokane Chiefs on Friday, is expected to join his new team in Lethbridge today (Sunday). . . . Announced attendance: 4,039.

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Oh, the last mini donut, bathed in the sugary goodness of his brethren #mjwarriors vs #reddeerrebels #thewhl #CityMJ #unfinishedbusiness pic.twitter.com/eCkxKxuCHx

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) November 13, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Brandon Hagel’s third goal of the game, at 3:03 of OT, gave the Red Deer Rebels an 8-7 victory — yes, 8-7! — over the Warriors. . . . Hagel, who has seven goals, scored the game’s first and

BRANDON HAGEL

last goals. . . . Red Deer led this one 3-0 before the game was 10 minutes old and 4-2 at 3:22 of the second period. . . . Moose Jaw F Jayden Halbgewachs pulled his guys into a 4-4 tie at 14:25 of the second with his 12th goal. . . . Hagel and F Jeff de Wit, with his second goal of the season, restored Red Deer’s two-goal lead, at 15:14 and 16:12. . . . The Warriors came back and tied it with F Nikita Popugaev getting No. 14, on a PP, at 18:58 and F Luka Burzan, who had two goals, notching No. 5 at 19:10. . . . The Rebels took another lead when F Michael Spacek scored his 12th at 2:08 of the third. . . . Moose Jaw F Dakota Odgers forced OT with his seventh goal at 8:32. . . . Red Deer got three assists from D Colton Bobyk, with Spacek adding two to his goal. D Jared Freadrich also had two assists, with F Evan Polei and de Wit each getting a goal and an assist. . . . F Tanner Jeannot had a goal and two assists for the Warriors, with D Matt Sozanski drawing three helpers and D Josh Thrower getting two. Halbgewachs also had an assist, as did Odgers. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb stopped 28 of 34 shots in 39:10, before giving way to Lasse Petersen, who turned aside four of five shots in 23:53. That looks bizarre, but the Redels held a 17-4 edge in third-period shots. . . . Red Deer was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-6. . . . The Rebels, who have won 10 straight from the Warriors, improved to 10-8-2. . . . The Warriors (11-4-4) have lost three in a row (0-1-2). . . . F Brayden Burke, acquired by Moose Jaw from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, wasn’t in the Warriors’ lineup. The team has said he is expected to join it today. . . . Announced attendance: 3,103.

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I think Portland is tired of losing. The streak ends tonight. #itstime #getupportland

— Caleb Jones (@Jones4Caleb) November 12, 2016

At Portland, F Cody Glass scored three times and added two assists to lead the Winterhawks to a 9-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Winterhawks (9-12-0) had lost their previous nine games. The

CODY GLASS

Winterhawks’ longest losing streak in recent seasons occurred in 2008-09 when they dropped 12 straight. That was in the franchise’s first season under owner Bill Gallacher and with Mike Johnston as GM/head coach. . . . The Hitmen (7-6-2) had points in their previous five games (4-0-1). . . . Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic scored the game’s first goal, his fourth, at 2:14 of the first period. . . . Glass, who has 10 goals, then struck for three in the span of 7:45 as Portland took control. . . . The Winterhawks scored nine straight goals before Calgary F Mark Kastelic closed the scoring with his first goal at 3:22 of the third period. . . . Glass totalled 10 goals and 17 assists in 65 games as a freshman last season. This season, in 21 games, he has 30 points, including 20 assists. . . . D Caleb Jones (2) and F Skyler McKenzie (12) each had a goal and three assists for Portland, with F Joachim Blichfeld (6) scoring once and drawing two helpers. F Keegan Iverson had two assists, with Ryan Hughes (7) getting a goal and one assist. . . . McKenzie assisted on each of Glass’ goals. . . . McKenzie and F Brendan De Jong each scored shorthanded goals for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks got 34 saves from G Cole Kehler. . . . Calgary starter Cody Porter turned aside 16 of 21 shots in 25:12. Reliever Kyle Dumba was beaten four times on 22 shots. . . . Portland was 2-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-5. . . . The Winterhawks are 1-2-0 on an eight-game homestand. . . . Calgary, which had beaten the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-1 in Kent, Wash., on Friday, had been 3-0-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. . . . Announced attendance: 8,711.

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William won Build a Burger... but lost after we discovered the missing pickle! pic.twitter.com/yfYaOS6sZ6

— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) November 13, 2016

At Spokane, F Kailer Yamamoto’s second goal of the game, a PP score at 2:04 of OT, gave the Chiefs a

KAILER YAMAMOTO

3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Yamamoto, who has 15 goals, had forced OT when he scored at 3:54 of the third period. . . . Spokane D Ty Smith drew the primary assist on both of those goals. . . . Everett F Spencer Gerth gave his guys a 1-0 lead with his second goal at 18:27 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs drew even on F Markson Bechtold’s second goal at 19:37 of the first period. . . . Yamamoto drew the lone assist on Bechtold’s goal. . . . The Silvertips went in front 2-1 on D Noah Juulsen’s seventh goal, at 9:54 of the second period. Juulsen finished last season with seven goals. . . . Bechtold added an assist to his goal. . . . This was the fourth straight game in which the Chiefs (7-6-5) went to OT. They are 4-0-3 in their last seven games. . . . Everett (14-2-3) has points in eight straight (6-0-2) and is one behind the Prince George Cougars, who lead the overall standings. . . . G Dawson Weatherill stopped 16 shots for Spokane, 14 fewer than Everett’s Carter Hart. . . . The Chiefs were 1-3 on the PP; Everett’s PP unit never saw the ice. . . . Announced attendance: 6,012.

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WOW!! @smattheos7 with a great forehand backhand top shelf move to win it for the #BWK!!!!

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) November 13, 2016

At Swift Current, F Stelio Mattheos scored in a shootout to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 4-3 victory

STELIO MATTHEOS

over the Broncos. . . . The teams meet again this afternoon in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings had scored the first three goals of regulation time, taking that 3-0 lead into the third period. . . . Mattheos scored his ninth goal at 19:51 of the first period. . . . The Wheat Kings got second-period goals from F Ty Lewis (12), a PP score at 10:19, and D Schael Higson (1) at 19:32. . . . Broncos F Lane Pederson started the comeback, on a PP, at 8:16 of the third period. . . . F Calvin Spencer (7) added another PP goal at 15:30. . . . Pederson tied it with his eighth goal at 17:41. . . . F Tanner Kaspick had two assists for Brandon, while Lewis added one. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots, seven more than Travis Child of the Broncos. . . . Swift Current was 2-5 on the PP; Brandon was 1-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (9-7-3) have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos (10-6-4) have lost two in a row. . . . F Nolan Patrick remains out of Brandon’s lineup. . . . F Zach Russell, acquired earlier in the week by Brandon from the Victoria Royals, was in the Wheat Kings’ lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 1,834.

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At Langley, B.C., F Scott Eansor had a goal and two assists to help the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Mathew Barzal, returned by the NHL’s New York Islanders

SCOTT EANSOR

earlier in the week, made his season debut with the Thunderbirds. He was wearing the captains’ ‘C’ that in his absence had been worn by Eansor. Word from the Thunderbirds is that the two veterans will share the captaincy. . . . Barzal had one assist in his return. . . . D Ethan Bear gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal at 9:53 of the first period. . . . F Elijah Brown, the 15th overall pick in the 2015 bantam draft, scored his first goal of the season for a 2-0 lead at 1:10 of the second. . . . D Matt Barberis (2) got the Giants to within one at 3:01, but the Thunderbirds scored the next two goals, with Eansor counting No. 7 at 5:40 of the third period and F Nolan Volcan getting his seventh at 8:18. . . . The Giants made it interesting when D Marcus Kichton (1) scored at 10:21 and F James Malm (6) counted at 18:08. . . . But Seattle F Donovan Neuls iced it with the empty-netter at 19:48. He’s got four goals. . . . Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit had three assists for his first career three-point outing. It came in his 166th game. . . . Neuls added an assist to his goal. . . . G Rylan Toth made 26 saves for Seattle. . . . G Ryan Kubic of the Giants stopped 17 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds were 0-1 on the PP; the Giants were 0-5. . . . Seattle improved to 8-8-1. . . . The Giants (9-12-0) had won their previous two games. . . . The Thunderbirds were without import F Sami Moilanen, who left late in the first period of Friday’s 3-1 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen after taking a hard check into the glass. . . . Announced attendance: 4,225.

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GRIFFINS WIN!!! Joe Hicketts scores his first pro goal to give Grand Rapids a 4-3 overtime win over Milwaukee!! #GoGRG

— Griffins Game Day (@GriffinsGameDay) November 13, 2016

TYLER SANDHU

At Victoria, F Tyler Sandhu drew three assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Royals, 5-1. . . . Victoria had beaten visiting Tri-City 4-2 on Friday night. . . . The Americans took a 1-0 lead on a PP goal from F Morgan Geekie, his 10th, at 14:40 of the first period. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips (12) tied it at 19:22. . . . F Parker AuCoin broke the tie with his eighth goal at 8:43 of the second period and F Vladislav Lukin (11) added insurance at 11:46. . . . F Michael Rasmussen scored his WHL-leading 17th goal at 4:18 of the third period. . . . Tri-City D Kurtis Rutledge (2) had a goal and an assist, as did Rasmussen and Geekie. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou turned aside 24 shots, three more than the Royals’ Dylan Myskiw. . . . The Americans were 2-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-6. . . . Tri-City now is 13-7-1. . . . The Royals (11-8-2) had points in their previous five games (3-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 4,251.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Brandon, 4 p.m.

Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 6 p.m.

Red Deer at Regina, 4 p.m.

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Two players leave WHL for school . . . Irving ties franchise record . . . Pats win once again

The note Leonard Cohen sent his old girlfriend Marianne Ihlen (subject of his songs) when she was dying this summer. https://t.co/o1J89ks9Gj pic.twitter.com/ZTnufo2hMG

— Robert Loerzel (@robertloerzel) November 11, 2016

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F Michal Řepík (Vancouver, 2005-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he was pointless in two games with Trakto Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). He was released by mutual agreement on Oct. 10. Řepík injured a shoulder with Chelyabinsk and now has mononucleosis. Sparta hopes he will be ready to play in January. . . . 

F Fredrik Pettersson (Calgary, 2005-07) has been assigned by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, KHL) to Sarov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). He had five goals and seven assists in 24 games. . . . 

F Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, 2006-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Chamonix-Morzine (France, Ligue Magnus). Last season, he had 10 goals and 14 assists in 45 games with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Ligaen).

-———

The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired F Zach Russell, 17, from the Victoria Royals for a sixth-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. . . . Russell, who signed with the Royals in August 2015, is from Calgary. The 6-foot-0, 180-pounder is playing for the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks and has six goals and five assists in 19 games. . . . Last season, he had 19 goals and 21 assists in 31 games with the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . .  Grant Armstrong, Brandon’s general managerr, joined the Wheat Kings in August after working as the Royals’ assistant GM, player personnel.

——

I can remember a number of years ago when someone — if memory serves, it was Gerry James when he owned an SJHL franchise — was heard to say that as an owner the best season a junior A team could have would be to lose Game 7 of the league final on home ice. That, he felt, was the perfect season because once your team started playing outside its own league the expenses mounted in a hurry. . . . I don’t know if that was the case here, but: Last season, the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors won the national championship and owner Mark Cheyne says the franchise lost $300,000. . . . "Oh yeah, it blows people away,” Cheyne told Evan Cooke of AM1150, a Kelowna radio station. “And then when you start throwing the numbers around, they're just like, ‘Are you kidding?’ People don't understand how much it costs to run that thing. They can physically see what you drag in for revenue on any given night, but they just don't understand the budget side of it.” . . . BTW, Cheyne says the Warriors have been for sale “for a year now.” . . . Cooke’s story is right here.

——

Rudy Poeschek, a former WHL and NHL enforcer, is back in court. As Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week writes, Poeschek has been charged with breach of probation, “accused of missing meetings with his probation officer in July and August.” . . . Last year, Poeschek was sentenced to 45 days in jail “after pleading guilty to a string of criminal charges.” . . . Poeschek, 49, says he is having issues with his memory, that he forgot about the meetings with his probation officer and almost forgot about Thursday’s court date. . . . Petruk’s latest story on Poeschek is right here.

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Evan Vossen is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. He takes over from Shawn Martin, who was fired on Oct. 24. . . . This season, the Ice Wolves were 2-12-1 under Martin, who was in his fourth season as head coach. They go into weekend play at 3-15-3. . . . Vossen, 30, is a native of Swift Current. He played three seasons (2004-07) playing for the Ice Wolves. He then went on to spend five seasons at McGill U in Montreal, playing for the Redmen. He was the team captain in 2011-12, his last season, and scored the overtime goal as the Redmen beat the Western Mustangs 4-3 in the Canadian university championship final. That gave McGill its first hockey title in its 135-year history.

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JUST NOTES:

According to a Thursday afternoon tweet from the Vancouver Giants, D Tyler Brown, who was listed as ‘retired’ on this week’s roster report, “has chosen to return to the U.S. to attend school.” . . . 

@czaikowski5 going to miss seeing you everyday, good luck brother! #footloose #juju ❤️

— Cody Glass (@Cody12Glass) November 10, 2016

D Carter Czaikowski, 18, has left the Portland Winterhawks. He tweeted on Thursday afternoon that he has “decided to start a new chapter in my life by attending university.” . . . Czaikowski, from Calgary, was a sixth-round selection by Portland in the 2013 bantam draft. He had four assists in 37 games with the Winterhawks last season, and had a goal and four assists in 17 games this season. . . . 

F Grant Mismash, a fifth-round selection by the Red Deer Rebels in the 2014 WHL bantam draft, has committed to the U of North Dakota for 2018-19. From Edina, Minn., Mismash, 17, is playing for the U.S. national U-18 team. . . . 

F Brannon McManus, a fourth-round pick by the Portland Winterhawks in the 2014 WHL bantam draft, has committed to attend the U of Minnesota next season and play for the Gophers. From Newport Beach, Calif., he is in his second season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers.

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We have made an addition to our helmets in the memory of the late Marek Svatos. pic.twitter.com/W3ULIWOMFm

— Kootenay ICE (@WHLKootenayICE) November 10, 2016

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

#WHL SAS/EDM:  @EdmOilKings Aaron Irving posts first 2-goal game in 224 games; ties Corbett and Reinhart for most team goals by D-man (30).

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) November 11, 2016

At Edmonton, D Aaron Irving scored two goals, including the empty-netter, as the Oil Kings doubled the

AARON IRVING

Saskatoon Blades, 4-2. . . . Irving has six goals this season and 30 in his career. He now shares the franchise’s career record for goals by a defenceman with Cody Corbett and Griffin Reinhart. . . . The Oil Kings got a 2-0 lead on goals from D Anatolii Elizarov, his first, at 19:05 of the first period, and Irving, 24 seconds into the second. . . . The Blades tied it when F Logan Christensen scored his fifth, at 9:40 of the second, and F Mason McCarty added his 12th, at 13:10. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky broke the tie at 11:28 of the third period. . . . Irving got the empty-netter at 19:53. . . . G Patrick Dea turned aside 34 shots for the victory, while Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell stopped 35. . . . Edmonton was 0-2 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-1. . . . The Oil Kings (7-9-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Blades slipped to 8-10-1. . . . F Kirby Dach, the second overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Blades. He is playing with the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers this season. . . . The Oil Kings had G Boston Bilous dressed in support of Dea and in place of freshman Liam Hughes. Bilous, from Langley, B.C., was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He is playing for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Major Midget League. . . . Announced attendance: 8,429.

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At Moose Jaw, F Sam Steel scored on a PP just 19 seconds into OT to give the Regina Pats a 5-4 victory over the Warriors. . . . Steel’s goal, his 15th of the season, was Regina’s fourth PP score of the game. . . .

SAM STEEL

The Warriors, who were outshot 51-27, forced OT on F Nikita Popugaev’s second goal of the game, and 13th of the season, at 16:31 of the third period. . . . F Filip Ahl, who has 14 goals, scored three times for Regina. He opened the scoring on a PP at 6:07 of the first period. . . . The Warriors then took a 2-1 lead on PP goals from Popugaev, at 14:20, and F Tristan Langan, his first, at 16:05. . . . Ahl scored the only two goals of the second period, getting a PP score at 10:49 and then putting the Pats out front at 19:59. . . . Moose Jaw tied it on F Noah Gregor’s seventh goal, at 11:32 of the third, only to have F Dawson Leedahl put Regina out front again, with his seventh goal, at 14:46. . . . Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, also had an assist, while D Connor Hobbs had two helpers. . . . The Pats got two assists from F Adam Brooks, who is on a 10-game point streak. He has at least a point in every game he has played with Regina this season. . . . Regina D Chase Harrison had one assist to run his point streak to 11 games, the longest in the WHL this season. He has two goals and 13 assists over that stretch. . . . Moose Jaw F Luka Burzan had two assists, with Gregor adding one to his goal. . . . The Pats got 23 saves from G Tyler Brown, with G Zach Sawchenko blocking 46 for the home team. . . . Regina was 4-7 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 2-4. . . . The Pats (13-0-3) have won nine in a row and remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time. Regina also has points in 16 straight games; the last time a WHL team accomplished that was in 2014-15 when the Brandon Wheat Kings and Kelowna Rockets both did it. . . . (A tip of the cap to Geoffrey Brandow, who tweets at @GeoffreyBrandow, for those last stats). . . . The Warriors (11-4-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . The Warriors were without three top-end forwards — Brett Howden (hip), Jayden Halbgewachs (suspended) and Brayden Burke, who was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Tuesday — and had five 16-year-olds in the lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 4,442, the Warriors’ first sellout of the season.

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At Langley, B.C., the Vancouver Giants scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Prince George

JAMES MALM

Cougars, 4-2. . . . F James Malm gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 14:26 of the first period. . . . The Cougars moved out front on goals from F Brad Morrison, his eighth, at 17:53, and D Cole Moberg, his first, at 6:16 of the second period. . . . Malm’s second of the game, and fifth of the season, tied the score at 19:01. . . . Vancouver F Dawson Holt broke the tie at 6:44 of the third period, with his fourth goal, and F Radovan Bondra, who also had an assist, provided insurance with his 12th at 8:46. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 35 shots for the Giants, with the Cougars’ Nick McBride blocking 37. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Giants (9-11-0) have won two in a row; the Cougars, who had won eight of nine on the road, are 14-4-2. . . . The Cougars were without D Sam Ruopp, who served Game 2 of an eight-game suspension, and F Kody McDonald, who has one game left in a three-game sentence. . . . The Giants wore special uniforms as they honoured the late Pat Quinn, who owned a piece of the franchise. Quinn is to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,383.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Brandon 2:30 p.m.

Prince Albert at Kamloops, 5 p.m.

Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.

Calgary vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Tri-City at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Blades for sale? GM says 'zero' truth to report . . . Petit big for Silvertips . . . Butcher cuts up Rockets

F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) has signed a one-year contract with Frederikshavn (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Mosienko was released at his request by the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite) on Oct. 28 after putting up five goals and 10 assists in 13 games. . . . 

F Tomáš Kopecký (Lethbridge, 2000-02) has signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Kopecký had signed with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Oct. 18 and recorded two assists in five games. . . . 

D Filip Novák (Regina, 1999-2002) has signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). This season, he had a goal and two assists in nine games with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . . 

F David Vrbata (Calgary, 2000-01) was released by Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Alps HL) by mutual agreement. He had five goals and six assists in 12 games.

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Colin Priestner has spent his weekend trying to pour water on a fire that he had nothing to do with starting.

Priestner, the general manager of the Saskatoon Blades, is adamant that the WHL franchise isn’t for sale.

Priestner’s father, Mike, purchased the Blades from the Brodsky family prior to the 2013-14 season. At

that point, the Blades were pretty much tapped out, having spent a lot in young players and bantam draft picks in an attempt to load up as the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament.

Since then, the Priestners have been fighting what to now has been an uphill battle for success on the ice and to get fans back into their home arena.

And then came Friday. . . .

What started all of this was a tweet, at 7:13 a.m., from Regina broadcaster Rod Pedersen: “Friday morning rumour from a solid Saskatoon hockey and business source: The Blades are for sale. @Chasenpucks39”

The latter part of the tweet, which goes unexplained, is the Twitter handle for former Blades forward Kelly Chase, who went on to an NHL career and now is part of the St. Louis Blues broadcast crew. Originally, Chase, who is a highly popular part of Blades history, was from Porcupine Plain, Sask.

In response to Pedersen, a former radio voice of the Regina Pats who now is perhaps best known as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ play-by-play voice and chief sympathizer, Chase later tweeted: “To clear this up I have no idea what’s going on in Saskatoon. If you are trying to contact me, save a call. No interest in this rumor.”

On Saturday, an exasperated Colin Priestner told Taking Note:

“It’s silly we would even have to respond to such an absurd rumour. Obviously, there is zero truth to it . . . we would never sell the Blades and we are all working tirelessly to bring a championship to Saskatoon.

“It was really disappointing to read something like that . . . we all live here, our wives and families live here, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of the Blades and the community and what we are building.”

Priestner said Friday started out like any other game day — the Blades played in Regina that night — until the tweet showed up.

“When we saw the tweet in the office,” he said, “we all kind of looked at each other and laughed. . . . But once it was out it got a life of its own, and parents and media are calling to see if it is true. Such is life in the 21st century!”

On Saturday, at 10:59 a.m., Pedersen tweeted: “The word from Saskatoon Blades ownership regarding the rumour the club is for sale: ‘It’s totally false.’ ”

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It may have been Saturday but that didn’t keep the WHL court from being in session. . . . D Ethan Bear of the Seattle Thunderbirds was suspended for one game after taking a spearing major and game misconduct during the first period of a 3-2 loss to the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Friday night. Bear served that on Saturday night as the Thunderbirds completed an East Division swing against the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The WHL also has fined the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats each $500 for a “multiple-fight situation” (aka a line brawl) in Regina on Friday night. Ch-ch-ching! Just in time for some early Christmas shopping.

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JUST NOTES:

Former Brandon Wheat Kings F Duncan Campbell made an immediate impact with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees on Friday night. Campbell, who lost his spot on Brandon’s roster when the Wheaties cut down to the maximum three 20-year-olds, scored twice in the first period of his first game with the Vees, helping them to a 4-1 victory over the Silverbacks in Salmon Arm. . . . On Saturday, Campbell had another goal and was the game’s first star as the Vees beat the visiting Prince George Spruce Kings, 3-2.

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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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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, the Edmonton Oil Kings erased a 3-0 deficit en route to a 6-3 victory over the Brandon

Wheat Kings. . . . Two goals from F Reid Duke, who has eight, and one from F Tyler Coulter, who has six, gave Brandon a 3-0 lead early in the second period. . . . The Oil Kings got rolling as two players — F Davis Murray and F Ty Gerla — scored their first goals 59 seconds apart, shortly after Coulter had scored. . . . D Aaron Irving pulled the visitors even with his fourth goal, at 14:28 of the second period — he also had two assists — and they put it away with three goals in the third period. . . . F Colton Kehler’s fourth goal, on a PP at 16:37, stood up as the winner. . . . F Davis Koch, who also had two assists, added insurance with his fifth goal, at 17:19, and F Lane Bauer’s ninth goal, into an empty net, iced it at 18:48. . . . Coulter also had an assist. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots, one fewer than Brandon’s Logan Thompson. . . . Edmonton was 1-7 on the PP; Brandon was 0-6. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 6-9-2, while Brandon slipped to 7-7-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,645.

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At Calgary, the Hitmen got two goals 30 seconds apart early in the third period to beat the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s fourth goal got Calgary into a 2-2 tie at 2:07, with F Andrei Grishakov’s second goal, at 2:37, snapping the deadlock. . . . F Lane Pederson gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead with his sixth goal at 13:02 of the first period. . . . Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic’s third goal, at 18:06, tied the score. . . . Swift Current F Tyler Steenbergen’s 14th goal, on a PP at 17:29 of the second period, put his guys back in front. . . . Steenbergen added an assist to his goal. . . . Swift Current was 1-7 on the PP; Calgary was 0-3. . . . G Kyle Dumba stopped 20 shots to earn the victory over Taz Burman, who turned aside 30. . . . On Friday, the Broncos had beaten the visiting Hitmen, 3-2, in OT. . . . The Hitmen (6-5-2) have points in four straight games (3-0-1). . . . The Broncos (10-6-3) were 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . The Hitmen open a six-game road trip in Seattle on Friday. . . . Announced attendance: 9,580.

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At Everett, G Mario Petit stopped 41 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 5-2 victory over the Portland

MARIO PETIT

Winterhawks. . . . Petit, who normally backs up Carter Hart, is 3-0-1, 2.57, .915 this season. . . . Portland got on the board first when F Skyler McKenzie notched his 11th goal at 10:27 of the first period. . . . However, Everett scored the next three goals, the first two via the PP. . . . D Kevin Davis (2) tied the game at 15:58 and D Noah Juulsen (6) gave the home side the lead at 16:55. . . . F Patrick Bajkov’s seventh goal, at 9:41 of the second period, would prove to be the winner. . . . F Keegan Iverson got Portland back to within a goal, with his eighth, at 6:51 of the third period. . . . Everett put it away with empty-netters from F Dominic Zwerger (7) and F Riley Sutter (8) in the game’s last minute. . . . Bajkov, Sutter and Zwerger each added an assist. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 24 shots for Portland. . . . Everett was 2-7 on the PP; Portland was 1-4. . . . The Silvertips (13-2-2) have points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Winterhawks (8-10-0) have lost seven in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 6,743.

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At Kelowna, F Chad Butcher scored twice and added an assist to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 6-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . Butcher scored his sixth goal just 56 seconds into the game. . . . Tigers F Max Gerlach made it 2-0 with his 11th at 10:13. . . . Kelowna halved the deficit at 15:37 when F Kole Lind scored his eighth goal. . . . Medicine Hat F Zach Fischer got that one back just 2:03 later. He’s got 11. . . . The Rockets again closed to within one on F Kyle Topping’s fourth goal, at 17:23 of the second period. . . . The visitors put it away with three third-period goals, the first two coming 28 seconds apart. D David Quenneville got No. 10 at 12:23 and F John Dahlstrom scored his eighth at 12:51. . . . Butcher finished the scoring on a PP at 15:31. . . . F Steve Owre drew two assists for the Tigers, as did F Mark Rassell. Quenneville, and Fischer had one each. . . . Lind added an assist to his goal. . . . The Tigers got 23 stops from G Nick Schneider, while Michael Herringer of the Rockets blocked 34. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-5 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-2. . . . The Tigers (12-5-1) went 4-1-0 on a five-game jaunt that included three games (2-1-0) in the B.C. Division. . . . The Rockets are 10-9-0. . . . Announced attendance: 5,509.

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Shout out to these amazing new friends from Russia!!.parents of #71 Nikita Popugaev...Mom of #95 Dmitri Zaitsev.  Go Warriors! @MJWARRIORS pic.twitter.com/szvnRhaXyX

— Derenda Cummins (@Derenda72) November 6, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Scott Eansor scored three times to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-1 victory over

MATT BERLIN

the Warriors. . . . It was Eansor’s second career hat trick. . . . The Thunderbirds (7-7-1) went 4-2-0 on their East Division swing. . . . The Warriors (11-4-2) had a four-game winning streak end. . . . Eansor, who has six goals, opened the scoring at 7:37 of the first period, scored again at 2:20 of the second for a 2-0 lead, and got the game’s last goal, at 17:43 of the third. . . . D Reece Harsch had his first goal and added an assist for Seattle. . . . F Zack Andrusiak, a native of Yorkton, Sask., scored his second goal of the season, but first since being acquired by Seattle from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Seattle D Matthew Wedman had two assists. . . . G Matt Berlin, in his Seattle debut, stopped 29 shots. He lost his shutout bid when F Brayden Watts (3) scored at 12:07 of the third period. . . . Berlin was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Oct. 7. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 24 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds were 1-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-7. . . . The Warriors lost F Jayden Halbgewachs with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 19:43 of the first period. . . . The Thunderbirds were without D Ethan Bear, who served his one-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 3,204.

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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-2. . . . This was the first of eight meetings between these teams this season. . . . D Max Martin (3) put the Cougars in front 1-0 at 4:40 of the second period. . . . The Blazers took the lead on goals from F Rudolfs Balcers (10) at 5:50 and F Collin Shirley (9), shorthanded, at 16:01. . . . F Bartek Bison’s PP goal, at 17:35, forged a 2-2 tie. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle (8) scored shorthanded, at 1:45 of the third period, to give the home side a 3-2 lead and Bartek added insurance, with his fifth goal, at 15:25. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 37 saves, three more than Dylan Ferguson of the Blazers. . . . The Cougars were 1-7 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-4. . . . The Cougars were without D Sam Ruopp, who served Game 1 of an eight-game suspension, F Kody McDonald (Game 1 of a three-game suspension) and F Colby McCauley (undisclosed injury). . . . Prince George (14-3-2) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Blazers (10-9-1) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. . . . Announced attendance: 3,870.

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At Saskatoon, F Braylon Shmyr’s second goal of the game, a PP score 35 seconds into OT, gave the

BRAYLON SHMYR

Blades a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Shmyr has five goals. . . . Four of the game’s five goals came via the PP. . . . Shmyr got the game’s first goal, at 4:49 of the first period, on the PP. . . . The Ice tied it when F Vince Loschiavo scored at 4:10 of the second period. . . . The Blades went back out front on F Mason McCarty’s 11th goal, via a PP, at 8:54. . . . Kootenay pulled even at 18:11 on F Zak Zborosky’s 13th goal, also on the PP. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan drew three assists for Saskatoon, while McCarty added one to his goal. . . . The Ice got two assists from F Matt Alfaro. . . . G Logan Flodell turned aside 36 saves for Saskatoon, two more than the Ice’s Jokob Walter. . . . The Blades were 3-7 on the PP; the Ice was 1-5. . . . The Blades have beaten the Ice in each of their last 10 meetings — five at home and five on the road. . . . The Blades (8-9-1) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Ice (3-10-5) has lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,172.

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At Spokane, D Juuso Valimaki scored 55 seconds into OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory

JUUSO VALIMAKI

over the Chiefs. . . . It was the third game in a row in which Spokane lost in OT. . . . Valimaki, who has three goals, also had two assists. . . . Spokane had erased a 3-1 deficit with three goals from the Yamamoto brothers in the third period, only to have Tri-City F Vladislav Lukin force OT with his ninth goal, at 19:54. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto pulled the Chiefs even with goals at 2:49 and 4:07 — he’s got 13 goals — and F Keanu Yamamoto, who also had an assist, put the home guys out front with his fifth goal, at 13:58. . . . The game’s first four goals all came via special teams. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie (9) got a PP snipe at 16:18 of the first period. . . . Spokane F Taylor Ross’ first goal came while shorthanded, at 7:00 of the second period. . . . The Americans took the 3-1 lead with PP goals from F Michael Rasmussen (15) at 7:23 and D Dylan Coghlan (3) at 10:58. . . . G Evan Sarthou returned to Tri-City’s lineup for the first time this season and came up with 36 stops. He suffered an undisclosed injury while in a summer camp with the U.S. national junior team. . . . Spokane G Dawson Weatherill stopped 20 shots. . . . Tri-City F Kyle Olson, who had two assists, came up short on a first-period penalty shot. . . . F Tyler Sandhu and Geekie also had two assists each for the Ams. . . . The Americans were 3-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . Tri-City (11-6-1) has won three in a row. . . . Spokane (6-6-5) has points in six straight (3-0-3). . . . Announced attendance: 8,278.

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.@WHLGiants set a season high for goals in a game and margin of victory. They beat @WHLHurricanes 7-3 tonight at the LEC.

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) November 6, 2016

At Langley, B.C., F Radovan Bondra and F Ty Ronning scored two goals each as the Vancouver Giants dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-3. . . . Bondra, who has 11 goals, snapped a 2-2 tie at 15:14 of the second period and Ronning provided insurance with his sixth and seventh goals at 18:59 of the second and 3:45 of the third. . . . Bondra opened the third period with a PP goal at 5:13. . . . Lethbridge got goals from F Giorgio Estephan (8), F Brayden Burke (5) and D Brennan Menell (3), who asked out of Vancouver and was dealt to the Hurricanes last month. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson picked up his eighth goal and added two assists. . . . F Jack Flaman also got his eighth goal for Vancouver. . . . The Giants got two assists from each of D Dylan Plouffe, F Brendan Semchuk and F James Malm. . . . F Egor Babenko and F Jesse Zaharichuk had two assists each for Lethbridge. . . . G David Tendeck blocked 19 shots for the winners. . . . Lethbridge got 25 stops from Ryan Gilchrist. . . . Vancouver was 2-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 2-6. . . . The Giants improved to 8-11-0. . . . The Hurricanes (7-8-3) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three outings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,137.

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LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, each 28; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, 26; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, 25; F Nikita Popugaev, Moose Jaw, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 24.

GOALS: F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, 15; Steel, F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, each 14; Yamamoto, F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, each 13.

ASSISTS: Shaw, 23; F Brayden Burke, Lethbridge, Butcher, each 18; Glass, 17; D Chase Harrison, Regina, F Steve Owre, Medicine Hat, F Aleksi Heponiemi, Swift Current, each 16.

VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, 11; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.

GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.29; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.34; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.

SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .932; Hart, .926; Edmonds, .921; Outhouse, Porter, Ian Scott, Prince Albert, each .920.

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SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

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