MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE
Our countdown to the big day continues with . . . John Lennon and Happy Xmas (War Is Over). . . . It’s right here.
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The Calgary Hitmen put together their annual Christmas video and this time they brought in some help from their front office. It’s fun and it’s right here.
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F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had three goals in nine games.
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Three WHL players were released from the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp following a 3-0 victory over a team of Canadian university all-stars in Boisbriand, Que., on Tuesday afternoon.
F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who scored one of Team Canada’s goals and was chosen as the game’s first star, F Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets and F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats were sent home after the game.
Team Canada now has 27 players on its roster — three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 15 forwards — with five cuts still to come.
Still on the roster are goaltenders Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips and Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers. Observers seem to think that Hart has a leg up on the No. 1 spot, with Ingram and Michael McNiven of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in competition for the other spot. Ingram and McNiven are likely to split the goaltending duties tonight against the Czechs.
Other WHLers still on the roster are F Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds), D Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen), D Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings), F Dillon Dube (Kelowna), D Noah Juulsen (Everett) and F Sam Steel (Regina).
Yesterday, Hart made four saves as he started and played the first 30 minutes. Ingram came on to play the second half and turned aside 11 shots. McNiven, playing for the U Sports side, blocked 24 shots.
Two of the three goal scorers — Howden and Victor Mete of the OHL’s London Knights — were released after the game.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have added F Scott Atkinson, 16, to their roster for a pre-Christmas swing into Saskatchewan. Atkinson, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, plays for the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 20 games there. Last season, he finished with five goals and nine assists in 40 games with the Canadians. . . . Atkinson was in Edmonton’s lineup last night against the host Prince Albert Raiders.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Vancouver Giants have a handful of players who won’t play again until after the Christmas break. . . . D Darian Skeoch (ankle) was injured during a practice last week. F Tyler Popowich, F Dawson Holt and F Johnny Wesley all suffered undisclosed injuries. GM Glen Hanlon told Ewen that Holt will be out for at least three weeks, while Wesley is gone for a month or more. . . . The Giants also are without F Radovan Bondra, who is with Slovakian national junior team. . . . They also have brought in F Hunor Torzsok, 16, from the Delta Hockey Academy. Torzsok, who was born in Budapest, Hungary, is in his second season at Delta. He has five goals and six assists in 14 games with the prep team in the Canada Sport School Hockey League. . . . Ewen’s story is right here.
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Mike Fraser, who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings out of Edmonton, also writes a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. In his latest jottings, he discusses “my coldest scouting rink visits on the Prairies.” If you think you’ve been in a chilly arena or two, well, you may want to check this out right here.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his latest 30 Thoughts essay on Tuesday afternoon, and he leads off with a piece that involves possible NHL interest in the League of Legends. . . . You may check it out right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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JUST NOTES:
F Riley McKay of the Spokane Chiefs has been suspend for four games after becoming involved in a one-man fight during a game against the host Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. McKay has served one game. He will be eligible to return on Dec. 28 when the Chiefs play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .
F Cole Sanford has left the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles to attend the U of Alberta, where he will play with the Golden Bears. The AHL’s San Antonio Rampage had assigned him to the Eagles for whom he had seven goals and eight assists in 19 games. In 260 regular-season WHL games (2012-16), 230 with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the last 30 with the Regina Pats, the native of Vernon, B.C., put up 126 goals and 123 assists.
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WHL Trading deadline in 4 weeks away and no shortage of teams are calling #WHLGiants GM Glen Hanlon.— NEWS 1130 Sports (@NEWS1130Sports) December 13, 2016
Tyler Benson on trade rumours : "The thought of leaving Van has never crossed my mind, main focus is getting into playoffs." #WHLGiants .— NEWS 1130 Sports (@NEWS1130Sports) December 13, 2016
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
50 - Already with a goal & 2 assists tonight, @tigershockey Chad Butcher just became the first WHL'er to reach 50 points this season— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) December 14, 2016
At Medicine Hat, D Ty Schultz scored at 2:09 of OT to give the Tigers an 8-7 — yes, 8-7! — victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . It was his third goal of the season. . . . The Tigers held 2-0, 4-1, 6-4 and 7-6
leads in this one. . . . Kelowna F Jake Kryski tied it 4-4 with this second goal, and 11th of the season, at 19:24 of the second period. . . . The third period featured six goals, three by each team. . . . The Tigers took a 6-4 lead on goals from F Mason Shaw (9) and D David Quenneville (17), on a PP. Shaw scored at 2:29 and Quenneville at 2:51. . . . Kelowna pulled back into a tie on goals from F Kyle Topping (6) and F Leif Mattson (3), at 6:59 and 8:20. . . . Medicine Hat F Zach Fischer, in his first game after serving a five-game suspension, got his 18th goal at 13:31. . . . Kelowna forced OT when D Braydyn Chizen (2) scored at 14:14. . . . The Tigers got a goal and three assists from F Steve Owre, who has 10 scores, while Butcher added two assists to his goal. His three-point night moved him into the WHL scoring lead with 50 points, two more than F Adam Brooks and F Sam Steel, both of the Regina Pats, and Shaw, who added an assist to his goal. . . . Quenneville also had an assist. The Tigers are 17-0-0 when he has at least one assist; they are 6-10-1 when he doesn’t. . . . F Max Gerlach had a goal, his 21st, and an assist. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko (3) also scored for the Tigers. . . . Kryski had two assists for Kelowna, giving him a four-point night, while F Kole Lind had a goal, his 18th, and three assists. D Cal Foote score once, giving him three, and added two assists, while his younger brother, F Nolan, had two assists. Chizen also had an assist. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 28 shots for the Tigers as he put up victory No. 21, tops in the WHL. . . . Kelowna started Michael Herringer gave up six goals on 21 shots in 42:51. Reliever Brodan Salmond was beaten twice on 12 shots in 19:17. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Fischer had been suspended for a one-man fight. He hit F Matt Fonteyne of the Silvertips during a game in Everett on Dec. 2. . . . F Erik Gardiner made his Kelowna debut, but was pointless. Gardiner, who plays for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, was acquired from the Regina Pats in a deal that had D Jonathan Smart go the other way. . . . The Rockets, playing their fifth game in seven nights, were without F Calvin Thurkauf (Switzerland), F Tomas Soustal (Czech Republic) and F Dillon Dube (Team Canada). Also missing was F Nick Merkley, who was released by Team Canada on Tuesday. As well, D Gordie Ballhorn remains out with a hand injury. . . . Medicine Hat (23-10-1) has won two in a row. . . . Kelowna (19-12-2) has lost two straight (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,932.
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| TY SCHULTZ |
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At Prince Albert, F Austin Glover scored at 1:07 of OT to give the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Glover has 10 goals this season. . . . F Lane Bauer (22) gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 4:04 of the second period. . . . The Raiders took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from D Nick Heid and F Cavin Leth (8), on a PP, at 13:47 and 19:03. . . . Heid’s first career WHL goal came in his 105th game. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving’s 12th goal, on a PP, tied it at 3:58 of the third period. . . . F Drew Warkentine, with his first goal, on a PP, put the Raiders oiut front again, at 6:45. . . . D Will Warm (3) pulled the visitors back into a tie at 14:37. . . . F Parker Kelly had two assists for the Raiders, while Glover had one. . . . G Ian Scott stopped 32 shots for the Raiders, seven more than Edmonton’s Patrick Dea. . . . Prince Albert was 2-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without D Vojtech Budik and F Simon Stransky, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team. . . . The Raiders (7-23-2) had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). . . . The Oil Kings (14-15-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,081.
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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first two goals and the last two as they beat the Tri-City
Americans, 4-1. . . . F Ethan O’Rourke got the Cougars started with his first goal, on a PP, at 18:12 of the first period. . . . F Jared Bethune (10) made it 2-0, on a PP, at 18:57 of the second. . . . The Americans cut into the lead on F Morgan Geekie’s 17th goal, at 6:14 of the third period. . . . Prince George iced it on goals from F Jansen Harkins (7) and F Josh Maser (2), at 12:59 and 17:18. . . . Maser, 17, has two goals in as many games since joining the Cougars from the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He had seven goals and five assists in six games with the Storm. . . . Prince George got two assists from each of F Kody McDonald and D Josh Anderson. . . . Tri-City D Dalton Yorke played in his 200th regular-season game. He played the first 66 with the Kelowna Rockets and the next 100 with the Prince Albert Raiders. This was No. 34 with the Americans. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 16 saves. . . . Tri-City G Beck Warm stopped 33 shots. . . . The Cougars were 2-7 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . The teams will meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . The Cougars (23-8-2) have won two straight. . . . The Americans (19-12-3) had been 3-0-1 in their previous four games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,357.
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| JOSH MASER |
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Hey, @blazerhockey. Not trying to point fingers here but the screen under the scoreboard was working before you guys hit it with a puck...— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 14, 2016
At Red Deer, F Deven Sideroff scored his second goal of the game on an OT breakaway; to give the
Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Sideroff has 19 goals in 31 games this season and three of them have come in OT. Last season, he finished with 19 goals in 63 games. . . . Goals from F Spencer Bast (6) and F Rudolfs Balcers (19) at 8:00 of the first period and 1:07 of the second gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (3) got Red Deer on the scoreboard at 6:14. . . . Sideroff restored the Blazers’ two-goal lead, with a PP scored, at 18:32. . . . F Austin Pratt (10) scored on a PP at 1:15 of the third period to cut Red Deer’s deficit to one. . . . F Evan Polei forced OT with his 14th goal at 18:04. . . . Balcers and Sideroff also had an assist each. . . . The Rebels got two assists from D Josh Mahura and one from Polei. . . . With G Connor Ingram (Team Canada) away, G Dylan Ferguson made his third straight start for Kamloops. He made 29 stops. It is the first time this season he has started three in a row. The Blazers are 2-0-1 in the three games, all in the Central Division. . . . The Blazers, outshot 19-3 in the third period, were playing their third game in four nights. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 29 shots. . . . Red Deer was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-6. . . . F Nic Holowko, 19, was pointless in his debut with the Blazers. He was acquired Sunday from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Rebels were without F Michael Spacek and F Adam Musil, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team, while Kamloops D Ondrej Vala has joined them. . . . Also missing from Red Deer’s lineup: F Grayson Pawlenchuk and F Jeff de Wit, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (19-12-2) are 5-0-1 in their last six games. . . . The Rebels (16-12-6) have points in five straight (3-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 4,093.
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| DEVEN SIDEROFF |
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At Kent, Wash., G Dawson Weatherill stopped 29 shots, 16 of them in the third period, to lead the
Spokane Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Keegan Kolesar gave the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal, at 1:32 of the second period. . . . The visitors scored the last three goals. . . . F Ethan McIndoe got his seventh, at 9:38 of the second. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 17th goal, on a PP, at 9:23 of the second proved to be the winner. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto earned the primary assist on that goal as he ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the WHL. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 20th goal, in his 26th game, into an empty net at 19:59. Last season, he totalled 19 goals in 57 games. . . . Anderson-Dolan has seven goals and two assists over his past five games. In 32 games, he has put up 17 goals and 13 assists. Last season, in 65 games, he had 14 goals and 12 assists. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 30 shots for Seattle. . . . The Chiefs were 1-6 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-3. . . . Spokane F Koby Morrisseau left the game and didn’t return after taking a hard hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit. Before leaving the ice, Morrisseau received attention from both team trainers. Morrisseau, a 16-year-old from Grandview, Man., spent some time in hospital after taking a hit during an exhibition game against the Portland Winterhawks in September. . . . Linesman Zach Brooks needed attention from Seattle trainer Phil Varney after taking a puck to the face earlier in the game. Brooks didn’t miss a shift. . . . Spokane (14-11-6) has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . Seattle (16-12-3) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,510.
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| DAWSON WEATHERILL |
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At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford scored two goals and added an assist to help the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Victoria took a 3-0 lead in to the second period on goals from F Jack Walker (16) at 6:13, Peckford at 7:29, and F Carter Folk (2) at 16:19. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld scored for Portland, getting his 12th goal at 12:33 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Dante Hannoun (13) got that one back just 2:07 later and Peckford got his 11th goal at 3:28 of the third period. . . . The game’s last three goals all came via the PP. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Portland was 1-2. . . . The Royals got three assists from F Matt Phillips, while Walker added one to his goal. . . . The Royals got 32 saves from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler stopped 29 shots. . . . F Vladimir Bobylev was pointless as he returned to the Royals’ lineup after a stint in his native Russia. . . . The teams are scheduled to play again tonight in Victoria. . . . The Royals (17-14-3) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Winterhawks (18-14-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 3,157.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Swift Current at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3.
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Dec. 10: D Josh Thrower, 12:13 1st period, Prince Albert 4 at Moose Jaw 5 (SO).
Dec. 10: F Nick Bowman, 13:38 2nd period, Kamloops 3 at Edmonton 2.
Dec. 10: D Troy Murray, 1:51 2nd, Kelowna 7 at Kootenay 3.
Dec. 10: F Max Gerlach, 5:26 1st period, Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 7.
Dec. 10: F Skyler McKenzie 2:21 1st, Everett 2 at Portland 5.
Dec. 10: F Josh Curtis, 6:02 2nd period, Seattle 4 at Prince George 6.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.
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The Minnesota Wild announced Saturday morning that it has signed F Brady Brassart of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year entry-level contract. . . . Brassart, 20, was an undrafted free agent. . . . This season, Brassart, who is from Vernon, B.C., has 75 points, including 33 goals. . . . In 315 career regular-season games, he has 259 points, including 110 goals. . . . Brassart was a second-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2008 bantam draft. On Aug. 18, 2011, he was dealt to the Hitmen for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. “Brady fell behind in his development with our forwards at the similar age,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said at the time of the trade. “That said, we felt it would be best for Brady to get a fresh start with another WHL team.” . . . Prior to this season, Brassart was in camp with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Kamloops Blazers have added D Cam Reagan and F Deven Sideroff, both 16, to their roster for the remainder of this season. . . . Reagan, from Sherwood Park, Alta., played on Saturday night against the Tigers in Medicine Hat. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. This season, with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings, he had 25 points, four of them goals, in 35 games. Last night marked his fifth game this season with the Blazers. . . . Sideroff, a list player from Summerland, B.C., is expected to join the Blazers on Monday. He has three assists in six games with them this season. He spent the winter with the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget prep team in Penticton, B.C., putting up 66 points, including 30 goals, in 39 games. 
In Edmonton, the Calgary Hitmen took over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . F Greg Chase had three assists for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen got off to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by F Elliott Peterson, his 11th, and F Connor Rankin, his 19th. . . . F Edgars Kulda got Edmonton on the board with his 26th, at 1:50 of the second, but Calgary D Kenton Helgeson restored the two-goal lead at 12:31 of the second. That was his ninth goal and came via the PP. . . . Edmonton F Mitch Moroz got his 32nd goal at 13:46 of the third. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 38 shots, seven more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart, who signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild earlier in the day, had one assist as he ran his point streak to 15 games. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), that is the longest streak by a Calgary skater since F Brandon Kozun strung together a 16-gamer in October-November 2009. . . . The Hitmen (43-15-7) lead the Oil Kings (44-16-3) by two points atop the conference. Edmonton has two games in hand. . . . 
In Swift Current, D Julius Honka scored twice to help the Broncos to a 7-4 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos led 3-0 before the game was 13 minutes old, only to have the Hurricanes come back and tie it. . . . Swift Current then scored the next three goals to take control. . . . Honka, a freshman defenceman from Finland, has 16 goals. . . . F Graham Black and F Colby Cave each scored his 30th goal of the season for the Broncos. Black also had two assists. . . . The Broncos (32-24-9) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Kootenay and three points ahead of Brandon. . . . The Hurricanes (12-50-5) have lost nine straight games as they head towards the end of the poorest season in franchise history. The 1972-73 Winnipeg Jets finished with 42 points (16-42-10). The 1987-88 Hurricanes went 20-48-4, for 44 points. . . . 
In Saskatoon, F Jayce Hawryluk enjoyed a five-point outing to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to an 8-5 victory over the Blades. . . . Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, had two goals and three assists, giving him 62 points, including 22 goals, in 56 games this season. The sophomore from Roblin, Man., had 43 points, 18 of them goals, in 61 games last season. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock scored his 21st goal of the season. It was the 62nd goal of his career and broke the Wheat Kings’ record for most goals by a defenceman in a career that had been held by the late Brad McCrimmon. . . . “It’s an honour,” Pulock told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “It’s a pretty special record in the organization with Brad holding that record. I’m kind of emotional. I’m proud to be the holder of that record.” Pulock is the Wheat Kings’ captain, a position McCrimmon once held. . . . F Nick Zajac scored twice for the Blades, giving him 11. . . . Hawryluk broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 11:44 of the second period and F Tim McGauley, with his 19th goal, added a PP score at 15:55. . . . The Blades have lost five in a row; they also have lost eight straight home games. . . . Brandon was 3-for-4 on the PP and counted three times while shorthanded; the Blades were 0-for-6 on the PP. . . . Brandon (31-26-8) is three points behind the sixth-place Swift Current Broncos in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Blades (16-44-5) won’t appear in the playoffs. . . . 
In Moose Jaw, D Dmitry Sinitsyn and F Morgan Klimchuk, both of whom missed a game earlier in the week due to illness, scored two goals each to lead the Regina Pats to a 7-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . Sinitsyn, who also had two assists, has eight goals; Klimchuk has 28. . . . Regina scored four power-play goals to lead 5-1 before the second period was 13 minutes old. . . . The Pats went 4-for-8 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-for-10. . . . F Brayden Point scored his 29th goal and added an assist for the Warriors. . . . The Pats, who swept the season series from the Warriors 8-0-0, clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Regina (37-23-6) leads the East Division by seven points over Swift Current. . . . The Warriors (17-39-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk and F Trevor Cox each scored two goals and added two assists to help the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Valk, who was plus-5, has 40 goals on the season. He has 81 points in 66 games. Last season, he finished with 91 points, including 46 goals, in 71 games. . . . Cox has 75 points, including 23 goals, in 64 games. Last season, as a sophomore, he had 39 points, 16 of them goals, in 72 games. . . . F Cole Sanford, the third member of that line, scored his 30th goal and added an assist. . . . Medicine Hat F Miles Koules had three assists. . . . Tigers G Nick Schneider stopped 30 shots. He lost his shutout at 18:51 of the third period when F Matt Bellerive scored his 17th goal. . . . Kamloops was without D Sam Grist and F Chase Souto, both of whom suffered undisclosed injuries in Friday’s 5-1 loss to the Hitmen in Calgary. Souto had missed eight games before playing in Calgary. . . . Kamloops D Connor Clouston, the son of Tigers’ GM/head coach Shaun Clouston, played his first game in his hometown. . . . The Tigers (41-22-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, six points behind Edmonton. . . . The Blazers (13-48-5) have lost four in a row. . . . 
In Vancouver, F Marek Tvrdon broke a 1-1 tie at 6:19 of the second period and the Kelowna Rockets went on to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . Tvrdon, who has 10 goals, was acquired from the Giants in January. . . . On Friday, before Kelowna scored a 6-0 home-ice victory over the Giants, Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, tweeted: “ ‘If he figures it out he may play in the NHL. If he doesn't figure it out he may be playing back in Slovakia.’ - Don Hay on Marek Tvrdon. . . . Gee, do you think Tvrdon was aware of the comments from the Giants’ head coach? . . . The Rockets tied the franchise record for most victories in a season (52) set by last season’s club. . . . Kelowna also clinched the B.C. Division title. . . . F Cain Franson scored his 28th goal, via the PP, to give the Giants the lead at 12:51 of the first period. . . . F Rourke Chartier got his 21st, at 5:15 of the second, to tie it. . . . Tvrdon, who scored on the PP, has 21 points in 22 games since joining the Rockets from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 32 shots in winning for the 36th time this season. He is 36-5-4 after going 37-14-3 last season. . . . The Rockets (52-9-4) lead the overall standings. . . . The Giants (30-26-10) clinched a playoff spot when Prince George lost at home to Victoria. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks’ winning streak ended at 21 games, thanks to a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Portland fell one game short of tying the WHL single-season record that is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first goal, by F Chase De Leo, his 36th, at 2:43 of the first period. However, they weren’t able to beat G Taran Kozun again. He finished with 41 saves. . . . Kozun is 13-4-1, 1.80, .944 with the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore tied the game at 6:55 of the first, getting his 18th goal on the PP. . . . Seattle F Alexander Delnov broke the tie with his 27th goal at 11:16. . . . F Justin Hickman, with his 21st, and F Branden Troock, with his 22nd, later added insurance. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 21 shots as he lost for the first time (12-1-1) in regulation time since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Seattle (39-19-6) last won 40 games in 2007-08 when it finished 42-23-7. It is fourth in the Western Conference, six points ahead of Spokane. . . . Portland (47-13-5) is nine points behind Kelowna in the conference. . . . 
In Spokane, G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 3-0 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Comrie has three shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . The Chiefs have been blanked in back-to-back games since they scored nine times in beating the visiting Kamloops Blazers 9-4 on Feb. 23. . . . F Parker Bowles scored the game’s first goal, his 11th, at 3:30 of the first period, via the PP. . . . D Brandon Carlo, with his third, and F Brian Williams, with his 36th, also scored. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 26 shots. . . . Tri-City (28-29-8) holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot, four points up on Prince George. . . . Spokane (36-23-6) is fifth, five points ahead of the Everett Silvertips.
Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) announced the signings of F Colin Long (Kelowna, 2005-09) and F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) to one-year contract extensions. Long had eight goals and nine assists in 15 games and Rome had 13 goals and 12 assists in 33 games with Dusseldorf this season. Long, who missed the first part of the season with a concussion, also serves as an assistant coach. . . .
More importantly, the letter, which is posted on the Cougars’ website, would seem to indicate that the franchise isn’t going anywhere.
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