Americans derail Rockets . . . Wheaties are feeding their fans

The Saskatoon Blades held Pink The Rink on Saturday
night. F Cory Millette wore the captain's C in memory
of his father, Adrien. The bottom of the sweater features
the names of friends and family members of the Blades
and season-ticket holders who have been impacted
by cancer.
Photo: Saskatoon Blades

 

Every city has those people who work incredibly hard behind the scenes to keep various sports teams and/or leagues moving forward. In Brandon, Don Sumner was one of those people. When I started in the newspaper business at the Brandon Sun in the early 1970s, I spent a lot of time covering the Manitoba Senior Baseball League; Sumner was the league statistician and the MSBL was very much his baby. He showed more than a little patience with a young writer who really was just learning the ropes. He also taught me the importance of statistics to fans and players, no matter the sport, a lesson that has never been forgotten. . . . Sumner also was heavily involved in Brandon’s curling scene. . . . He died in hospital in Brandon on Wednesday. He was 86. . . . Condolences to his family. Rest assured that he never will be forgotten. . . . Charles Tweed of the Brandon Sun has more right here.
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SATURDAY'S REPORT:

In Kennewick, Wash., F Lucas Nickles scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-2 victory over Kelowna, as the Rockets tasted defeat for the first time this season. . . . Nickles, who is from Salmon Arm, B.C., has six goals. . . . The Rockets now are 10-1-0. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots. . . . Americans F Beau McCue broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth goal 39 seconds into the third period. . . . Tri-City head coach Mike Williamson worked his 900th WHL game. He also has coached in Portland and Calgary. . . . The 8-4-0 Americans are atop the U.S. Division. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has a game story right here.

In Spokane, F Ivan Nikolishin scored at 2:59 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Chiefs F Keanu Yamamoto scored twice for Spokane, the second one at 16:52 of the third period forcing OT. . . . The Silvertips, at 6-0-3, are the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time. . . . D Noah Juulsen had two assists for Everett. He has 11 points in nine games. Last season, he finished with 10 points in 59 outings. . . . F Dominic Zwerger had two assists for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs (4-2-3) have points in seven of nine games. . . . Everett has won its last two games in Spokane, the first of those on March 12, after losing 18 in a row. . . . These same teams will play Wednesday in Everett. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review has a game story right here.

In Kent, Wash., D Ryan Rehill scored with 13.3 seconds left in OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 5-4 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar had forced OT with a shorthanded goal at 16:10 of the third period. . . . Rehill has five goals in 130 career regular-season games. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully set up four goals. . . . The Thunderbirds have played 11 games this season, with five of those going to OT. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 28 shots in earning his first WHL victory. . . .

In Saskatoon, D Blake Orban and F Andrew Koep each scored twice as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Blades, 6-4. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row. . . . The Blades had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . The 7-3-0 Oil Kings are off to their best start in modern franchise history. “I’m shocked by that, to be honest,” Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton said on the team's website. “We’ve had some pretty good team efforts. When we’ve been able to generate offence, it’s come from a variety of sources. With the exception of tonight, we’ve defended pretty hard, and that’s always going to be backbone for us." . . . The Oil Kings broke a 2-2 tie with four straight goals, three in the second period and one early in the third. . . . F Brett Pollock and D Ashton Sautner each had three assists for Edmonton. . . . Edmonton F Cole Benson scored his second shorthanded goal in four games. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two goals for Saskatoon. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 25 shots, including beating F Garrett Armour on a second-period penalty shot with the Oil Kings leading 3-2. . . . Saskatoon was without F Nick Zajac (shoulder) and D Isaac Schacher (wrist), both of whom were injured on Friday. . . . The Blades ran a Pink The Rink promotion that included F Cory Millette wearing the captain's C in memory of his late father, Adrien, who died of cancer on Jan. 30, 2011. . . . Cory’s mother, Kim, took part in the ceremonial pre-game faceoff. Later in the evening, Kim won the 50/50 draw, so went home with $7,765 in her purse. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.

In Calgary, F Chad Butcher's two goals led the Medine Hat Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Hitmen. . . . One night earlier, in Calgary, the Hitmen beat the Tigers, 2-1, in OT. . . . Last night, the Tigers, now 9-1-1, enjoyed a 34-18 edge in shots. . . . Butcher, 18, went into this season with eight goals in 101 career regular-season games. This season, he has 10 goals in 11 games. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-6 on the PP; the Hitmen PP unit never had an opportunity. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders snapped a five-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . D Josh Morrissey drew two assists for the Raiders, who outscored the visitors 4-1 in the third period. . . . F Reid Gardiner scored his seventh goal of the season for the Raiders. . . .


In Cranbrook, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 27 shots to help the Victoria Royals to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . F Brandon Magee drew two assists in his first game after serving a 12-game suspension. . . . Vollrath posted his first shutout of the season and the second of his career. . . . The Ice completed a six-game Central Division road swing with four victories. . . . Ice F Jon Martin didn't finish the game, leaving late in the first period after seemng to injure himself while delivering a hit. He was playing his second game after returning from a three-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Tim Bozon was among the Ice's scratches. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . Meanwhile, in the NHL, F Sam Reinhart, who is eligible to be returned to the Ice, was scratched by the Buffalo Sabres last night after playing in their first five games. . . .


In Swift Current, the Moose Jaw Warriors blew a 3-0 lead and then beat the Broncos 4-3 when F Jaimen Yakubowski scored with four seconds left in the third period. . . . Yakubowski, who has three goals, had scored the game's first goal and also had an assist. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 at 10:27 of the first period. . . . F Coda Gordon pulled the Broncos even at 17:37 of the third. . . . Moose Jaw F Noah Gregor, who was injured on Friday night, didn't dress for this one. In fact, he has one arm in a sling. . . .


In Lethbridge, G Tyler Brown stopped 29 shots in his first WHL appearance to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Brown, from Winnipeg, joined the Pats a couple of weeks ago when Tyler Fuhr left the club for personal reasons. Brown normally backs up Daniel Wapple. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored his first goal of the season in his first game for Regina. He had returned from the camp of the NHL's Calgary Flames with a wrist injury. . . . F Connor Gay had a goal and two assists for Regina, which scored the game's last six goals. . . . Lethbridge D Nick Walters played in his 250th regular-season game, while it was No. 200 for F Zane Jones. . . .

In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored four times to spark the Wheat Kings to a 10-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Hawryluk has nine goals on the season. . . . The Wheat Kings have a promotion with Smitty's, a local restaurant, that gives each fan in attendance a free breakfast if they scored seven goals in a home victory. . . . Brandon fans will be eating well, because the Wheat Kings beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos 8-3 on Friday night. . . . D Reid Duke added a goal and three assists for Brandon. . . . F Chase De Leo had two goals for Portland. . . . G Bolton Pouliot saw his first action with the Winterhawks since joining the team on Friday. He stopped 16 of 20 shots after coming on in relief of Brendan Burke with Brandon leading 6-2 late in the second period. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. He points out that the Wheat Kings have scored 15 goals in their last 69 minutes of play. . . . Brandon (8-2-1) opens a western swing in Prince George on Wednesday. If you’re wondering, the Wheat Kings will be in Kelowna on Saturday. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jackson Houck and F Alec Baer each scored three times as the Giants whipped the Prince George Cougars, 9-1. . . . Houck and Baer each has five goals this season. . . . Houck also added two assists. . . . The Giants got a goal and three assists from F Carter Popoff and a goal and two helpes from F Joel Hamilton. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson had two assists.

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@chiefshockey @SpokaneArena While we can't dispute that fact, we did win the last one! #OneGameWinStreak #LookingForTwo #SeeYouTonight
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) October 18, 2014

Giants take win over Blazers

For the first time in four exhibition games, the Kamloops Blazers outshot their opposition.
But it wasn’t enough as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Vancouver Giants in a game played Sunday at Bill Copeland Arena in Burnaby.
“We played probably our best game that we’ve played to this point,” offered Kamloops head coach Dave Hunchak. “(It was) 2-1 going into the third period . . . we gave ourselves an opportunity to win on the road.
“They got a couple of goals . . . they got a few bounces and we didn’t. We had plenty of scoring chances and we outshot them, too.”
The Blazers, now 1-3 in the preseason, had been badly outshot in their first three outings. And this one started out like the earlier games.
“We gave up 12 shots in the first six minutes and ended up giving up 28 in total,” Hunchak said, “so there were some positives to take out of this game.”
Joel Hamilton opened the scoring for Vancouver, which lost 6-1 to the Rockets in Kelowna on Saturday, midway through the first period.
Defenceman Landon Cross pulled Kamloops even with a power-play goal at 8:53 of the second period.
Scott Cooke put the Giants (1-1-1) out front again, with a PP goal at 12:10.
The Giants put it away with three third-period goals, as Travis McEvoy, Ty Ronning and Blake Orban each scored his first goal of the exhibition season.
Freshman Cole Kehler started in goal for Kamloops, stopping 17 of 18 shots in the first half. Taran Kozun, who is expected to open the season as the Blazers’ starter, came on at 9:03 of the second period and stopped six of 10 shots.
“Kehler was excellent again,” Hunchak said of his backup, who won’t turn 16 until Dec. 17. “Taran Kozun has to step up here. As an older guy, he has to step up and start doing the job for us. He knows that.”
Still, Hunchak said he saw some positives following an undisciplined 4-0 loss to the visiting Rockets on Friday night.
“Structure-wise, guys understanding what’s expected of them,” Hunchak said, explaining the positives he felt he saw. “We got on pucks and we weren’t chasing the game. We had a lot of puck possession and that was all from a good forecheck. That’s what we have to keep building.”
The Blazers will conclude their exhibition season with a game in Prince George against the Cougars (4-0) on Saturday. Kamloops opens its regular season at home to the Rockets on Sept. 20.
JUST NOTES: Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 28 shots. . . . Each team was 1-for-5 on the power play. . . . The game was played in two hours four minutes. “It was a physical game. It was a hard game,” Hunchak said. . . . F Tristan Sieben, who was acquired by the Blazers from Vancouver on Thursday, didn’t play. Hunchak said Sieben has a bit of “skate bite” and “we want that to heal up.” . . . The Blazers also were without F Devin Oakes, who has been suspended by the WHL for a hit to the head of Kelowna F Rourke Chartier on Friday. A length of the suspension has yet to be announced. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully was pointless as his Dallas Stars scored a 2-1 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild at a prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich., on Sunday. . . . Former Blazers D Austin Madaisky had his second goal of the tournament Sunday as the Columbus Blue Jackets doubled the New York Rangers 4-2 in Traverse City. . . . Blazers D Sam Grist played but didn’t get on the scoresheet in the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton on Sunday.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Brothers D Logan (Tri-City, 2001-06) and F Shay (Red Deer, 2000-04) Stephenson have signed contract extensions with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway GET-Ligaen). Shay has one goal and one assist in two games, while Logan has two goals and nine assists in 13 games with Sparta this season. Both brothers started the season with Karlskrona (Sweden, Allsvenskan); Logan had one assist in 21 games and Shay was pointless in three games.
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The Tri-City Americans have sent F Ryan Chynoweth home to Cranbrook for a couple of weeks after he suffered a head injury in a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night.
Chynoweth was knocked into the boards, hitting his head and suffered a cut to his forehead.
Chynoweth, 17, was playing in his second game after coming back from a shoulder injury. He had been out since Jan. 22.
Chynoweth, the son of Kootenay Ice president/general manager Jeff Chynoweth, was acquired by Tri-City from the Everett Silvertips early in the season. He has four points in 33 games with the Americans.
Earlier Sunday, Ryan Chynoweth tweeted: “Flying home to Cranbrook today, been an extremely frustrating year! Hope to get back on the ice soon! Wish the boys all the best!”
While he was on a plane to Cranbrook, his teammates were riding the bus to Prince George where they are to play the Cougars tonight and Tuesday.
With 38 victories, a doubleheader sweep would give the Americans 40 victories for a seventh straight season, tying a WHL record shared by the Kamloops Blazers (1989-96) and Regina Pats (1979-86).
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The U of Alberta has iced a men’s hockey team for 100 years. The school won its 50th league title Sunday when the Golden Bears beat the visiting U of Saskatchewan Huskies 5-2 in Game 3 of a best-of-three Canada West final.
Both teams will play in the six-team University Cup tournament in Saskatoon as the Huskies are the host team. That event runs March 14-17.
Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal has the story right here.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has written a lengthy piece right here examining the results of a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Rick Hansen Institute.
Some of the numbers that came out of this survey are rather startling, including the fact that “7 per cent of those hockey parents surveyed believe their child as the potential to play professional hockey.”
You really should take the time to give this a read.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Seattle (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Everett (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Tanner Eberle scored in OT as the Warriors erased a 4-0 deficit and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4. . . . Eberle’s 15th goal came 45 seconds into OT. . . . The Blades went into the game having won 18 straight games. . . . They scored three goals in the game’s first 8:13, with F Matej Stransky getting two of them to equal his career high with 39 snipes. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic, making his 20th straight start, stopped 36 shots. . . . The Warriors trailed 4-0 until 3:28 of the third period when F Justin Kirsch scored his 22nd goal on a PP. . . F Brayden Point was in on the Warrior’ next three goals, drawing an assist on F Jordan Messier’s 10th and then scoring twice, giving him 18, at 8:48, on a PP, and again at 11:35. . . . Point finished with two goals and two assists. . . . The Blades had been 7-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . Warriors D Kendall McFaull, the team captain, went to hospital after being injured in a scrap with F Collin Valcourt in the second period. McFaull lost two teeth and two others pushed back, but he returned and was on the ice when OT began. “He’s the ultimate and true Warrior,” Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to get fixed. He said ‘I can do that later’ and we told him he better go get it done. They don’t make them like that any more.” . . . Attendance was announced at 3,462 but only about 1,200 fans braved near-blizzard condtions to watch this one.

In Regina, F Chandler Stephenson scored in the circus to give the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings held a 3-1 lead halfway through the third period. The Pats tied it on goals by F Carson Samoridny, his 10th, at 11:14, and Stephenson, his 14th, at 15:12, on the PP. . . . The Pats, who won’t make the playoffs, won three games in as many nights. . . .

In Vancouver, D Blake Orban scored at 1:47 of OT to give the Giants a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 13 shots for the shutout, his first in the WHL. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz turned aside 26 shots. . . . There was some discussion after the game over whether Orban’s shot went in off the stick of Vancouver F Alec Baer, the 15-year-old Minnesotan who was playing in his third WHL game. "I don't even know, to be honest," Baer told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. "I'm glad our team did. I was just in front battling. I hit something: might have been a stick, might have been a puck. The Giants scored. That's all that matters." . . . Baer is to return to Minnesota today but plans on returning to play in a home-and-home series against the Victoria Royals on Friday and Saturday. . . . The loser point moved Everett into a tie with Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. However, Everett has more victories — 23-22 — so is shown in seventh place. . . .

In Kamloops, F JC Lipon scored three times and G Cole Cheveldave stopped 25 shots as the Blazers beat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-0. . . . Lipon has 34 goals this season. He has two career hat tricks, both of them this season. . . . Cheveldave earned his fifth shutout this season and the ninth of his career. . . . F Myles Bell, who leads the Rockets in goals, assists and points, didn’t play after 17:50 of the first period. He went to the bench after going knee-to-knee with Kamloops D Sam Grist in a collision that was more of an accident than anything. . . . The Blazers closed to within three points of the B.C. Division-leading Rockets, who hold a game in hand. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Derek Ryckman got the Tigers rolling to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen when he opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. . . . Ryckman, a 20-year-old form Red Deer, now has nine goals in 284 regular-season games. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 42nd goal — it was shorthanded and gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead at 11:50 of the first — and added two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 39 shots. . . . The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes as poor weather conditions kept the Hitmen from arriving until 5:40 p.m. The game was to have started at 6 p.m.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Carter Popoff, Vancouver
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Josh Nicholls, Saskatoon
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From Calgary resident Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): “So RCMP advising drivers not to travel highway 1 yet apparently the Hitmen are still bound for Medicine Hat. Stupidity.”
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Caldwell again: “As long as #WHL teams insist on driving in this weather its a matter of when, not if, theres a repeat of Broncos tragedy. Very disappointed.”
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From Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat258), the play-by-play voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, at 1:28 p.m. Pacific time: “RCMP now say ALL highways across southern Alberta are being shut down as of now! Zero visibility, blowing snow, heavy snow.”
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More from Siedlecki, this one at 4:12 p.m. Pacific: “A round of applause from the players as the bus moves for the first time in 1.5 hrs! EMS dealing with several crashes west of the city.”
The Hurricanes were on their way home from a West Coast road swing that ended Saturday in Kelowna. The Hurricanes arrived in Lethbridge some 18 hours after leaving the Little Apple.
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From Vancouver Sun sports reporter Brad Ziemer (@BradZiemer): “My day just got better. Michael Buble just dropped by Vera’s Burger Shack at YVR. Sang part of Fly Me To The Moon with staffer. Really.”
Ziemer was trying to get to Calgary to cover last night’s NHL game between the Canucks and Flames.

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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Giants D Blake Orban will be out for a couple of weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury during Thursday’s practice. The Giants will play tonight and Saturday in Prince George and hope to have D Neil Manning (back) in the lineup again. When healthy, Manning makes the Giants’ PP go from the back end. . . . The Cougars will be without D Martin Marincin, who was hit with a four-game suspension for an intereference major he incurred on Tuesday in Vancouver. He has sat out one game. . . . Vancouver F Anthony Ast was injured on the play and may not play this weekend. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings may have D Brodie Melnychuk, 20, in the lineup tonight for the first time this season. He suffered a broken wrist during training camp and finally has been cleared to return to game action. . . . The Wheat Kings are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight. This is the Wheat Kings’ first home game since returning from a lengthy road trip, during which they acquired G Brandon Anderson and F Darian Dziurzynski in deals. . . . The Warriors hope to have D Dylan McIlrath back in their lineup tonight. He practised Thursday after sitting out a Wednesday game with an undisclosed injury. . . .
In Prince Albert, the Swift Current Broncos scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Raiders, 6-3. Prince Albert has lost four straight and has changed goaltenders in midstream in each of the last two. . . . Former WHL D Bruin McDonald has joined the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. McDonald, 19, is attending Douglas College. After playing two seasons (2008-10) with the Prince George Cougars, McDonald started last season with the Spokane Chiefs, then joined the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, before making a five-game stoip with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have assigned D Tye Hand, 16, to the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Hand hadn’t gotten into a game with Everett this season. . . . The Pipeline Show is reporting that the Edmonton Oil Kings are about to add D Cody Corbett, a Minnesota high school product, to their roster. There’s more right here.
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The OHL has announced another lengthy suspension, this time to Oshawa Generals F Christian Thomas. He drew a 10-game sentence for a high-sticking match penalty. The video is right here.
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Jess Rubenstein is a blogger who pays particular attention to New York Rangers’ prospects over at The Prospect Park. And, as you will see by reading what follows, he has a bone to pick with the WHL:
“Dylan McIlrath (NYR 2010 1st) was not in the lineup for the Moose Jaw Warriors as they faced off with the Prince Albert Raiders (on Wednesday night). We have a reliable source who tells us that McIlrath is ‘day to day’ due to an upper body injury.
“We do know that McIlrath took an elbow to the head on Saturday in the Warriors game against the Kootenay Ice and he missed practice on Monday. It is sad that the WHL were the ones who were the first to announce their ‘7 point plan’ aimed at reducing injuries but now they will not say whether or not a player has a concussion.
“How are we supposed to know whether or not concussions are truly being reduced when there isn't any actual coverage of when a player has in fact suffered a concussion? We are reduced to gossip and guessing games but more importantly it damages the WHL's credibility since we have no way to verify whether or not a player has suffered a concussion.
“And really do you want New York Rangers fans who are already wondering about the status of Marc Staal and his own concussion issues wondering about a top prospect?
“Whether it is the Rangers or any other league, concussions are now a legit issue that needs to be dealt with in an open and honest manner. How are we supposed to believe anyone claiming concussions are down when you will not tell us when they happen?”
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post checks in with Curtis Hunt, the former Regina Pats’ head coach who, it turns out, is keeping his finger in the coaching game. That piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

The host Regina Pats beat Prince Albert 5-2 on Sunday night, preventing the Raiders from posting the franchise’s 1,000th regular-season victory since entering the WHL in 1982. . . . Regina D Artem Bidlevskii left in the second period following a fight with F Chance Braid. Bidlevskii was in a state of wooziness as he departed. . . . In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher had a goal and three assists as the Giants dumped the Kelowna Rockets, 5-2. The Giants are 6-1-1 at home and 0-5-0 on the road. . . . Gallagher has 17 points in nine games since returning from the camp of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. . . .
Former Rockets D Tyson Barrie scored twice on Sunday, including the overtime winner, as the visiting Lake Erie Monsters scored a 5-4 AHL victory over the host Toronto Marlies. . . . In Kent, Wash., the Everett Silvertips scored a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was the first time this season that the Silvertips (3-8-2) held an opponent to one goal. . . . The Calgary Hitmen had a three-game winning streak end as they lost 4-2 to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday afternoon. . . .
The WHL’s department of justice will be busy early in the week as there are three players sitting out with those “tbd” suspensions.
D Blake Orban of the Vancouver has been sitting since taking an interference major in a game in Kelowna on Thursday. . . . D Kyle Verdino of the Seattle Thunderbirds is sitting out due to supplement discipline for an incident in a game at Everett on Friday. . . . Kelowna F Filip Vasko took a boarding major on Saturday in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals. . . .
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A friend sent me a link to a QMI Agency story on Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and his alleged impaired boating incident. Most of it has to do with the charges he faces, but there is a rather interesting paragraph near the end.
The story reads:
Byfuglien, who showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.031% in a breath test, was taken to a police water patrol headquarters where the drug recognition expert examined him further.
“Mr. Byfuglien stated that he had taken a muscle relaxer earlier that day, but that he could not remember the name of the muscle relaxer. Mr. Byfuglien stated that he takes a ‘handful’ of supplements from 16 or 17 different bottles every day and that he does not know the names of the supplements,” says the police statement, which the Winnipeg Sun obtained from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District.
The complete story is right here, but 16 or 17 different bottles of supplements? Is this where we have gotten to from wherever it was that we were?

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter