Hurricanes add more speed . . . Giants getting bigger . . . Special game for Pats, Wheaties . . .

D Kirill Vorobyev (Portland, 2012-13) has signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, KHL). Last season, with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), he had three assists in 28 games. He also had two goals and six assists in 16 games with Zvezda Chekov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga) and one assist in two games with Krasnaya Armiya Moscow (Russia, MHL Junior). . . . 

D Joel Kwiatkowski (Tacoma/Kelowna, Prince George, 1994-98) has announced his retirement as a player to become an assistant coach with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL). Last season, with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, SHL), he had two goals and three assists in 42 games.

-——

These are interesting times in Lethbridge where Hurricanes general manager Peter Anholt, the WHL’s reigning executive of the year, is sacrificing size and grit for speed and offensive flair.

It began on Aug. 22 when he acquired F Jesse Zaharichuk, 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds, from the Kootenay Ice for F Barrett Sheen, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.

It continued on Monday as Anholt picked up D Brennan Menell, while moving out D Darian Skeoch and F Carter Folk.

The Hurricanes got the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Menell, 19, from the Vancouver Giants for Skeoch, 19,

who is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, and a fourth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft.

Lethbridge sent Folk, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, to the Victoria Royals for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft.

In the deal with Vancouver, the Hurricanes gained a puck-moving defenceman who can run their power play, while giving up size and grit off the back end. The Hurricanes had room for a player such as Menell with D Andrew Nielsen, who turns 20 on Nov. 13, expected to play in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Nielsen had 70 points, including 52 assists, in 71 games with Lethbridge last season.

Menell, who had 74 points, including 65 assists, in 126 games with the Giants had left Vancouver and asked to be traded. He also left the Giants during the 2015-16 season but later returned to the fold. He finished last season with 53 points, including 46 assists, in 69 games.

Menell, from Woodbury, Minn., was reported to have been in Fargo, N.D., on the weekend, talking to the Force of the USHL. After being told of the trade early Monday morning, he drove to Lethbridge, arriving there Monday afternoon. He is to skate in the Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp later this month.

Skeoch, from New Liskeard, Ont., had seven points in 59 games with the Hurricanes last season. They added him after the cleared OHL waivers. He is scheduled to attend the Anaheim Ducks’ prospects camp.

So thankful for the experience that the @WHLGiants gave me. I am very excited to get the opportunity to play for the @WHLHurricanes

— Brennan Menell (@brennanmenell) September 12, 2016

Anholt made the Folk deal in settling on the roster's three 20-year-olds, at least for now.

The Hurricanes had acquired Folk, F Riley Sheen and a 2015 third-round draft pick from the Seattle Thunderbirds for F Jaimen Yakubowski and F Sam McKechnie on Oct. 24, 2013.

“It’s a hard, hard day today,” Anholt said in a news release. “The thing about Carter is he came here in a trade from Seattle for some players who didn’t want to play here and he was a big reason for the turnaround here. We’re sending Carter to a real good organization, so that makes it a little bit easier.”

In 171 games with the Hurricanes, Folk had 61 points, including 26 goals. The Regina native brought a strong physical presence to the Lethbridge forward ranks. Last season, he had 10 goals and 21 assists, both career highs, in 66 games. He also was an alternate captain for the past two seasons.

Folk likely will have to sit out a game or two once he arrives in Victoria as he is under one of those TBD suspensions, thanks to a headshot major and game misconduct he incurred during a game against the Swift Current Broncos on Friday.

Moving Folk leaves the Hurricanes with three 20-year-olds — F Tyler Wong, F Ryley Lindgren and D Kord Pankewicz.

The Royals, meanwhile, also have three 20s, with Folk joining F Jack Walker and D Ryan Gagnon.

——

The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Travis Walton, 17, to a WHL contract. Walton, from Abbotsford, joined the Blazers on Saturday and scored that night in a 6-3 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets. Last season, he had 26 points, 17 of them goals, in 23 games with the midget prep team at the Yale Hockey Academy. . . . Walton, 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, had gone to camp with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs before deciding to join the Blazers. He had been on Kamloops’ protected list for two years.

——

More than 21 years after the Ochapowace First Nation’s attempt to purchase the Regina Pats was rejected, the WHL team will play a game there. The Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings are to meet at the Chief Denton George Memorial Multiplex on Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. . . . According to a Pats’ news release, “The teams will play a modified format of two 20-minute periods of 3-on-3 hockey. Normal rules and timing will apply.” . . . Before the game, some Pats will “do a Project 1st Goal presentation to students from the Ochapowace area.” This is a “partnership between the WHL and RCMP where players receive training to give presentations regarding illegal drug use and making healthy life choices.” . . . Later, the players from both teams will be treated to a feast put on by the community. . . . In June 1995, the Ochapowace First Nation tried to buy the Pats from a group of Regina businessmen. However, on June 16, the WHL’s board of governors voted 16-1 to reject the $1.7-million sale. The WHL ended up buying the franchise and ultimately sold it to Diane and Russ Parker of Calgary.

——

F Brandon Ralph, 20, is expected to join the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Ralph is from Fort McMurray. . . . In 169 WHL games, split between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Everett Silvertips, he has 18 goals and 11 assists. He was with the Oil Kings when they won the 2014 Memorial Cup. . . . The Silvertips released him late last week and he has cleared WHL waivers. . . . The Oil Barons open at home on Friday against the Grande Prairie Storm.

——

A Czech referee working a U-16 game who was struck in the head by a slapshot has died of his injuries. Paval Lainka, 24, died in hospital on Saturday. . . . There’s more right here from scoutingtherefs.com.

———

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

———

Patrick Conway, who does such a good job keeping tabs on the Russian hockey front, posted a piece on his blog on Monday that was headlined: Hired to be fired. . . . It detailed coaching changes in the KHL to this point in the season; yes, there have been some even though the season began just last month. . . . As often seems to happen, not long after Conway posted his piece, another team made a coaching change. Conway rewrote and reposted, and it’s all right here.

———

SUNDAY’S GAME:

In Vancouver, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Giants, 4-1. The game was played at the Ladner Leisure Centre. . . . F Tyler Soy had a goal and an assist for Victoria (4-1-0). . . . F Ty Ronning gave the Giants (0-3-1) a 1-0 lead with a PP goal just 34 seconds into the second period. . . . Soy tied it at 15:10 and F Eric Florchuk put Victoria out front with a PP goal at 9:28 of the third. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson, who missed most of last season, sat out the game’s last eight minutes. GM Glen Hanlon said it was precautionary. Benson is to join the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects team later this week in Penticton for the YoungStars Classic.

———

If the @Kamloops_Storm get name bars, I'd be happy with goalie1 & goalie2. #anagnostopoulos #eschyschyn pic.twitter.com/3PRNtYFWRE

— west coast can fan (@westcoastcanfan) September 11, 2016

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.

Kryski a good fit with Rockets . . . Silvertips waive veteran . . . Winterhawks, Broncos win again

It was only an exhibition game but, still, it was the first four-point game of F Jake Kryski’s WHL career.

The 18-year-old Vancouver native had two goals and two assists on Saturday night, helping the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. One night earlier, he set up the

JAKE KRYSKI

game’s only goal as the host Rockets beat the Blazers, 1-0.

Kryski is preparing for his third WHL season, the first two of which were with the Blazers, who traded him to the Rockets on Aug. 18 in a deal that had the Gatenby brothers, Joe and Danny, both defencemen, come to Kamloops.

While Kryski spent most of his time with the Blazers patrolling left wing, the Rockets’ coaching staff has him playing centre, at least for now.

“We’re trying stuff,” said Kryski, noting that he last played centre with the Burnaby Winter Club bantam AAA side in 2012-13. “We’ll see how it goes. I’ll play wherever I’m needed.”

Of the difference between playing centre or on the wing, Kryski said: “There is more responsibility on the defensive side of things. Taking draws . . . I have to work on that to play centre and play well. But I like the challenge and I like having the responsibility. And I feel I have the puck more playing centre.”

Last season, he had 39 points, including 12 goals, in 67 games with the Blazers. In this preseason, he has seven points, including four goals, in four games.

“They’re coming,” he said of the points, “a bit more than last season, so that’s good.”

Some of that, he feels, is simply due to his having 132 regular-season games of experience in the WHL.

“I’m more confident holding onto the puck now,” he said. “And I’ve learned that I have to shoot the puck when I’m in scoring areas.”

That, of course, is something that head coach Don Hay and the Blazers’ staff tired to get him to do while he was in Kamloops.

“Yeah,” Kryski said with a smile. “Every coach (has tried that).”

The Rockets, who are down to 24 players, dressed only 17 skaters, including 11 forwards, in Kamloops on Saturday. As a result, Kryski is seeing a regular shift, as well as power-play and penalty-killing time.

“I don’t mind that at all,” he said. “I love getting out there.”

——

The Everett Silvertips have waived veteran F Brandon Ralph, 20. A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., he had five goals and three assists in 55 games with the Silvertips last season. He had spent the previous two seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Ralph’s departure leaves Everett with two 20-year-olds — F Graham Millar and D Lucas Skrumeda, who turns 20 on Oct. 7.

——

F Carter Folk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has drawn a TBD suspension after he was hit with a headshot major and a game misconduct during a game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Friday night.

——

While a lot of attention has been focussed on the final days of the career of Vin Scully, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ iconic play-by-play voice, another wonderful broadcaster is preparing to sign off for the final time. Dick Enberg, these days the voice of the San Diego Padres, will end his broadcasting career when this MLB season ends. . . . Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times has more on Enberg right here.

———

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

———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks finished their exhibition schedule with a 6-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. The Winterhawks went 5-0-1. F Alex Overhardt scored twice for Portland, which got two assists from each of D Brendan De Jong and D Keoni Texeira. F Peyton Krebs and F Zak Zboroski had a goal and an assist each for the Ice (0-2-1). . . . F Brandon Hagel scored twice, giving him four in the preseason, to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. D Josh Mahura had two assists for the Rebels (3-1-0). G Riley Lamb stopped 29 shots for Red Deer. Czech freshman F Pavel Kousal scored for the Chiefs (2-3-0). He has two goals and two assists in five games. . . . The Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last two goals to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-2. D Parker Wotherspoon, who also had an assist, broke a 2-2 tie at 8:33 of the third period and F Morgan Geekie added insurance with his second goal of the game at 13:07. F Jordan Topping had two assists for the Americans (3-3-0). The Thunderbirds are 3-2-0. . . . 

In Victoria, F Gunnar Wegleitner and F Jack Walker scored shootout goals to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . F James Malm scored for Vancouver (0-2-1), at 1:21 of the first period. . . . F Ethan Price got Victoria’s goal at 9:08 of the second. . . . The Royals are 3-1-0. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 39 shots for the Royals, while the Giants got 31 saves from G Ryan Kubic. . . . The teams meet again this afternoon, this time at the Ladner Leisure Centre. . . .

In Calgary, the Edmonton Oil Kings built up a 4-1 lead and hung on to beat the Hitmen, 4-3. . . . F Davis Murray had a goal and an assist for Edmonton (2-2-0). . . . Calgary (2-2-0) got a goal and an assist from D Jake Bean. . . . Announced attendance was 10,435. . . . 

In Kamloops, F Jake Kryski had two goals and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Blazers, 6-3. . . . The Rockets (3-1-0) acquired Kryski from the Blazers (1-3-0) last month. . . . F Kole Lind added a goal and two assists for Kelowna. . . . D Dawson Davidson had three assists for Kamloops (1-3-0). . . . There is a complete game story right here. . . . 

In Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot, F Ryan Bowen and B Brett Howden each had a goal and an assist as the Warriors beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-1. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko stopped 32 shots, while Brandon’s Hunter Arps made 35 saves. . . . Warriors F Brayden Watts broke a 1-1 tie at 16:22 of the second period. . . . The Warriors improved to 3-2-0, while Brandon slipped to 0-2-0. . . .

In Regina, F Sam Steel’s second goal of the game, at 3:20 of OT, gave the Pats a 5-4 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Steel scored the game’s first goal, at 13:17 of the first period, and the team’s alternated goals right through game’s end. . . . F Austin Wagner also scored twice for Regina (3-2-0), while F Adam Brooks and F Riley Woods each had two assists. D Chase Harrison chipped in a goal and an assist. . . . The Tigers (2-2-0) got a goal and an assist from each of F Matt Bradley and F John Dahlstrom, with D Ty Schultz recording two assists. . . . 

In Warman, Sask., F Parker Kelly had a goal and two assists to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 7-5 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . F Kirby Dach had two goals and an assist for the Blades. The second overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft, Dach gave the Blades a 5-4 lead at 9:34 of the third period. . . . The Raiders tied it on F Spencer Moe’s third goal of the preseason at 11:46 and went ahead when F Kolten OIynek scored on a PP at 14:03. . . . The Raiders (2-1-0) got a goal and an assist from each of F Luke Coleman, F Tim Vanstone and F Sean Montgomery. . . . F Lukus MacKenzie and F Jesse Shynkaruk each had two assists for the Blades (2-3-0). . . . Raiders F Drew Warkentine drew a cross-checking major at 13:25 of the second period. . . . 

In Swift Current, F Kaden Elder had two goals and an assist to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had two assists for the Broncos (5-1-1) and F Tyler Steenbergen added a goal and an assist for the Broncos (4-1-1). . . . Heponiemi has a WHL-leading 12 points this preseason, including five goals. . . . F Tyler Wong had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (1-3-0).

———

This is a week old but is just too good . . .

If I wasn't feeling Football Fever already... NOW IT'S ON!!! Yeah MUPHUGGAUZZZZ!!! pic.twitter.com/iXqYcuAFbn

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) September 3, 2016

NOTE: 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.

Oil Kings win fourth straight . . . Bittner fills his hat . . . Soy, Royals win in OT

F Tim Traber (Chilliwack/Victoria, Vancouver, 2009-14) was assigned on loan by Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A) to Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with Genève-Servette, Traber, who is a dual Canadian-Swiss citizen, had one goal in 29 games.
---


F Jackson Keane, a fourth-round pick by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, has committed to the U of North Dakota. Keane, 17, is the son of former WHL/NHL F Mike Keane. . . . Jackson has 36 points in 34 games with the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues.
---
If you’re interested in what’s going on in the BCHL, you have to start visiting Brian’s Banter, a blog maintained by Brian Wiebe. It’s right here, and there’s also a link over there on the right. . . . The junior A trade and roster deadlines are up, too, and he has been doing a terrific job of tracking all the moves.
---

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Brandon Ralph broke a 1-1 tie at 16:55 of the second period and the Edmonton Oil Kings went on to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Ralph has three goals this season. . . . F Brandon Baddock and F Luke Bertolucci each had two assists for Edmonton, while Ralph added one assist. . . . The Oil Kings had F Mads Eller and F Edgars Kulda back in their lineup. Eller had been with Denmark at the WJC; Kulda missed 24 games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry made 36 saves, seven more than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . Regina was 0-for-9 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-5. . . . The Oil Kings have killed off 41 straight opposition power-play opportunities. . . .The Oil Kings (20-16-5) have won four in a row. . . . The Pats (25-13-3) had been 5-0-1 in their previous six games. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn made his WHL debut with the Pats and is expected to play again tonight against visiting Prince Albert. . . . The Oil Kings are in Moose Jaw tonight. . . . 

In Moose Jaw, F Dawson Leedahl had two goals and an assist as the Everett Silvertips dumped the Warriors, 6-2. . . . Leedahl has five goals this season. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak broke a 2-2 tie at 5:55 of the second period with his 20th goal. . . . Everett D Jordan Wharrie had tied it 2-2 with his first goal at 4:07. . . . F Tanner Eberle scored his 20th goal of the season for Moose Jaw. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 25 shots. . . . G Zach Sawchenko made his ninth straight start for the Warriors. He stopped 20 shots, but left with his side trailing 5-2 after Everett F Kohl Bauml notched his 18th goal at 5:47 of the third period. . . . The Silvertips (25-12-4) are 4-1-0 on a six-game East Division trip that concludes tonight in Swift Current. . . . The Warriors (16-23-4), who are at home to Edmonton tonight, have lost three in a row. They are 1-9-1 in their last 11 outings and now trail fourth-place Prince Albert by a point in the East Division. . . . After the game, Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald tweeted that Warriors head coach “Tim Hunter opened the Warriors room to media post-game. Unusual move and clearly a message about accountability being sent to the players.” Nothing like punishing your players by making them face the media. . . . Gourlie’s game story is right here. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Reid Gardiner’s PP goal at 1:05 of OT gave the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Gardiner, who scored twice, now has 21 goals this sesaon. . . . The Broncos trailed by a goal three times and each time came back to tie it. . . . Swift Current F Calvin Leth forced OT with his second goal of the season at 14:36 of the third. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk got his 23rd goal. . . . Raiders F Kris Schmidli scored his first goal for the Raiders, and sixth of the season, after coming over from the Kelowna Rockets. He also had two assists. . . . D Jordan Thomson scored his third goal of the season in his first game with the Broncos. He was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades earlier in the week. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 37 shots, six more than Prince Albert’s Rylan Parenteau. . . . Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, reported late Friday afternoon that the Broncos will be without F Coda Gordon for “likely a few weeks” with an undisclosed injury. He was injured Friday in a 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Raiders (18-23-1), who are in Regina tonight, have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos now are 20-17-5. They are at home to Everett tonight. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Taz Burman turned aside 30 shots to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 3-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s first three goals in winning their seventh straight game in Cranbrook. . . . F Jeff de Wit got it started with his second goal at 2:16 of the first period. . . . F Preston Kopeck added his 11th at 19:48 of the first and F Riley Sheen got his 10th, via a PP, at 13:26 of the third. . . . D Cale Fleury scored his first goal for the Ice at 15:40 of the third. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart, who played for Canada at the WJC, was back in the lineup. He missed a couple of third-period shifts after blocking a shot with a foot. He was being examined by medical staff after the game. . . . Among the Ice’s scratches was D Rinat Valiev (ill). . . . The Rebels (22-14-5) have won two in a row and are a point ahead of third-place Calgary in the Central Division. The Rebels are at home to Brandon tonight. . . . The Ice (21-19-1), which entertains Saskatoon tonight, has lost two straight and is two points behind fourth-place Edmonton in the Central Division. . . . Kootenay plays host to Saskatoon tonight. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here, including an amusing anecdote involving the Fleury brothers. . . .

In Lethbridge, G Jayden Sittler stopped 40 shots in his debut as the Hurricanes dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . Sittler was acquired this week from the Victoria Royals. . . . G Nik Amundrud stopped 30 shots for Saskatoon. . . . F Giorgio Estephan scored two goals and set up another for the Hurricanes. Estephan has six goals. . . . The Hurricanes built up a 4-0 lead before F Cameron Hebig scored his ninth goal for Saskatoon at 11:51 of the third period. . . . F Tyler Wong scored his 14th goal for Lethbridge, while F Jamal Watson had two assists. . . . The Hurricanes (10-23-6) snapped a four-game losing skid (0-3-1). . . . The Blades (9-29-3), who play in Cranbrook tonight, have lost four in a row and now will be the last of the WHL’s 22 teams to reach 10 victories. . . . Calgary visits Lethbridge tonight, while the Blades are in Cranbrook to face Kootenay. . . .

In Kamloops, F Dillon Dube ended a seven-round shootout with a goal that gave the Kelowna Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Blazers. . . . F Deven Sideroff, Kamloops’ third shooter, gave his side a 1-0 lead, only to have Kelowna F Nick Merkley tie it. . . . F Leon Draisaitl, in his second game with Kelowna, forced OT with a big-time goal at 16:22 of the third period. He went wide on Kamloops D Patrik Maier and whistled a quick shot just under the crossbar. . . . Other than that, though, Draisaitl was average, obviously lacking in familiarity with his teammates, and vice versa, and needing time to adjust to more playing time than he received with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . F Luke Harrison gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead with his eighth goal at 9:07 of the second period. . . . Blazers G Connor Ingram was outstanding, with 38 saves. Including the shootout, he beat Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, the WHL’s leading sniper, on breakaways. . . . Kelowna G Jake Morrissey, who hadn’t started since Dec. 3, stopped 35 shots. . . . The Rockets, presented with a PP in OT, put Merkley, Chartier, Draisaitl and F Tyson Baillie on the ice and fired away. But the Blazers, with D Ryan Rehill and Sideroff blocking shots, and Ingram standing tall held the visitors at bay. Kelowna’s second PP unit comprised Draisaitl, F Gage Quinney, D Cole Martin and F Justin Kirkland. . . . Of course, the Rockets didn’t dress D Madison Bowey or D Josh Morrissey, both of whom played for Canada at the WJC. . . . The Rockets, who were 0-for-6 on the PP, have beaten the Blazers in 15 straight games, including an 8-0-0 run last season and 5-0-0 this season. . . . Kelowna (33-6-3) has won four in a row. The Rockets are at home to Medicine Hat tonight. . . . The Blazers, who play in Spokane tonight, are 14-23-6. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Richard Nejezchleb scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . D Shea Theodore, in his first game since playing for Canada at the WJC, had two goals, giving him four, and an assist for Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds led 3-1 late in the third period. . . . Nejezchleb scored his 12th goal at 17:58 and F Brian Williams tied it with his 12th at 18:29. . . . The Americans gave G Eric Comrie the weekend off after his stint with Canada at the WJC. . . . Americans G Evan Sarthou stopped 21 shots through OT, while Seattle’s Taran Kozun turned aside 34. . . . The Americans (20-19-2) have won two straight and are within a point of the fourth-place Thunderbirds in the U.S. Division. . . . The Thunderbirds (19-16-5) have lost two straight. . . . Both teams are off tonight. They’ll play Sunday in Kent, Wash, in a game rescheduled from tonight to avoid a conflict with the NFL playoff game that has the Carolina Panthers in Seattle to play the Seahawks. . . .

In Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored at 1:03 of OT to give the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Soy has 15 goals this season. He has goals in three straight and points in eight straight. . . . The Cougars got two first-period shorthanded goals, from F Chase Witala, his 23rd, and F Aaron Boyd, his third, to take a 2-1 lead. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his second of the game, and 13th of the season, at 3:39 of the second, on a PP, to tie it at 2. . . . D Travis Brown had two assists for Victoria, running his point streak to eight games. He leads WHL defencemen with 41 points. . . G Patrick Gora, who left the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks this week, was backing up for the Cougars, who got 33 saves from Ty Edmonds. . . . G Coleman Vollrath stopped 20 shots for the Royals. . . . Victoria improved to 21-19-3, while the Cougars are 20-22-1. Victoria is four points ahead of the third-place Cougars in the B.C. Division. . . . The same teams meet again tonight in Victoria. . . .

In Spokane, F Paul Bittner scored three times to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Bittner’s second goal, a shorthanded effort at 13:14 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie. . . . He got his third of the night, and 18th of the season, in an empty net at 19:06. . . . The Winterhawks had been 0-3-0 against Spokane this season. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two assists, running his point streak to 16 games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand enjoyed his first WHL four-point game with his 23rd goal and three assists. . . . Chiefs F Kailer Yamamoto had an assist to run his point streak to nine games. He’s got 18 points over that stretch. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka scored twice, giving him goals in six straight games and 23 on the season. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn came up empty on a third-period penalty shot with his side ahead 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks are 22-18-3. . . . The Chiefs slipped to 22-15-3. . . . The teams are tied for second in the U.S. Division, although Spokane has three games in hand. . . . The Chiefs entertain Kamloops tonight, while Portland is at home to Vancouver. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review has a game story right here. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . Giants F Jesse Roach broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth goal at 17:48 of the first. . . . Vancouver F Carter Popoff scored his 17th, shorthanded at 4:52 of the second, and the Tigers weren’t able to equalize. . . . F Thomas Foster and F Tyler Benson each had two assists for the Giants. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his 32nd goal. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-for-5. . . . F Ty Ronning made his season debut with the Giants. He had been out since breaking a collarbone during the exhibition season. . . . Former Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins was in attendance. He is now the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . In a wonderful move, the Giants held a ceremony and retired the seat belonging to long-time NHL goaltender/scout Charlie Hodge. Well done! Hopefully, there were some Nanaimo bars there for him. . . . The Giants (19-20-2) are fourth in the B.C. Division, a point behind Prince George. . . . The Tigers (28-10-2) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . The Giants are in Portland tonight, while the Tigers visit Kelowna. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on the Giants right here.
---

Rebels players, and coaches, rescue vehicle from snowbank in Cranbrook. #allinadayswork #isthatsutteratthewheel? pic.twitter.com/WImRmkcEUB
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 9, 2015

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.