THE MacBETH REPORT:
This was filed late Friday night . . .
No player moves today but we have some Glen Hanlon news. This is from the English-version website of the Belarus Ice Hockey Association:
Former Belarus national team head coach, Canadian specialist Glen Hanlon arrived in Minsk on May 29 by invitation of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Association to hold negotiations on the prospects of his work as the national team head coach. Earlier, the Canadian had lead the team in 2005, 2006, and 2009. Let’s note that team Belarus achieved its best result at the IIHF WMs with Glen Hanlon as a head coach in 2006 in Latvia (6th place) and in 2009 the team promoted to the quarterfinals (8th place). Glen Hanlon also coached HC Dinamo Minsk in 2009.”
The contract of head coach Andrei Skabelka wasn’t renewed at the end of May. Belarus is the host team for the 2014 IIHF world championship.
Last month, Hanlon resigned from his position as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants.
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The moves....
F Mark Derlago (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Aalborg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). He had 30 goals and 41 assists in 41 games for Anyang Halla (South Korea, Asian Hockey League) this season. Derlago finished fifth in league scoring. . . .
Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan) announced the signings of F Jeremy Colliton (Prince Albert, 2001-05) and D Jonathan Harty (Everett, 2004-08) to one-year contracts. . . . Colliton played senior hockey with the Allan Cup-champion Bentley Generals (Alberta, Chinook Hockey League) this season. He had 11 goals and 16 assists in 41 games as captain of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) last season. . . . Harty had two goals and nine assists in 18 games with Angers (France, Ligue Magnus) this season.
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At least two WHLers are going back into the NHL draft. . . . F Shane McColgan of the Saskatoon Blades wasn’t signed by the New York Rangers. They had selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL draft. McColgan, who will be heading into his 20-year-old season, had 66 points in 69 games with the Blades, who last summer acquired the native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., from the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Meanwhile, Spokane Chiefs D Brendan Kichton also will be available in the draft. Kichton, from Spruce Grove, Alta., was a fifth-round pick by the New York Islanders in the 2011 draft. He led all WHL defencemen in scoring in each of the last three seasons, putting up 81, 74 and 85 points, but the Islanders chose not to sign him. Kichton has used up his junior eligibility.
As well, I don’t believe the Ottawa Senators signed Victoria Royals D Jordan Fransoo, who was a seventh-round selection in 2011, while I don’t think the Winnipeg Jets signed D Zach Yuen, who was a fourth-round pick. Both are heading into their 20-year-old seasons.
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F Luke Paulsen, who played three seasons with the Kootenay Ice, will attend the U of Manitoba and play for the Bisons in 2013-14. Paulsen, from Winnipeg, was with the Ice from 2009-12 and at one point in 2011-12 actually retired from the game after suffering a brain injury. This season, he got into 19 games with the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues.
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The Vancouver Giants simply are rolling the dice with the trade they made to acquire D Dalton Thrower from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Dickson Liong has that story right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Steve Christie, a native of Winnipeg, is the U of Manitoba Bisons’ new goaltending coach. Christie, 28, played four seasons (2006-11) with the Bisons before going onto a pro career. He got into 14 games this season with the Southern Professional league’s Pensacola Ice Flyers.
The USHL’s Omaha Lancers have signed Brian Kaufman as their general manager and head coach. Kaufman, 29, was an assistant coach with the Lancers last season. Kaufman played four seasons at Miami U (Ohio) and spent 2011-12 there as a graduate assistant coach. . . . Kaufman replaces Mike Aikens after he and the Lancers agreed to go their different ways with two games left in the regular season. Kaufman ran the bench after Aikens left.
The Central league’s Brampton Beast has hired former professional player Brent Hughes as an assistant coach. He will work alongside head coach Mark Desantis. . . . The Beast is preparing for its first season in Brampton. Desantis and Hughes were teammates and roommates while playing with the Central league’s Amarillo Gorillas. Hughes, who played four seasons in the Central league, also played with the OHL’s Brampton Battalion in 2001-02.
The NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild, the new version, has signed general manager/head coach Bliss Littler. The Wild franchise that Littler coached this season has moved to the Hidalgo, Texas, and has been replaced in Wenatchee by the former Fresno Monsters. The Fresno franchise has adopted the Wild nickname and owner David White has signed Littler to a five-year deal. . . . Chris Clark and Tom Rudrud will return as the assistant coaches.

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Andrew Rieder, then of the Regina Pats, and two young fans — brothers
Styles (left) and Ty Acoose.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Vladimir Sicak (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after his release by Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has one assist in eight games with Pardubice this season. Last season, Sicak had three goals and 14 assists in 41 games with Pardubice. . . .
F Stanislav Balan (Portland, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract with HK Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had one goal and one assist in 16 games with Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) before he was released. Balan then signed with SKP Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga) and scored 10 goals and 16 assists in 26 games. . . .
F Mikael Backlund (Kelowna, 2008-09) signed a lockout contract with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had four goals and seven assists in 41 games with the Calgary Flames last season. Västerås announced that Backlund will arrive in Sweden today and will be in their lineup for Tuesday's game against Leksand if all goes as planned. . . .
F Stepan Novotny (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) was released by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He was pointless in six games this season. . . .
F Tomas Netik (Medicine Hat, 2000-01) signed a one-year contract with Niftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL) after his release by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had three goals and three
assists in seven games with Liberec this season. Netik had 17 goals and 11 assists in 42 games with Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) and one goal and one assist in 12 games on loan to Växjö (Sweden, Elitserien) last season. . . .
G Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk (Russia, KHL). He had a 2.33 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 34 games with Worcester Sharks (AHL) last season.
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It has become a rite of fall, like carving a Thanksgiving turkey or the falling of the leaves.
Another 20-year-old is sent packing and everyone says all the right things.
But in the end another 20-year-old is gone, cut by a WHL team simply because of a rule. He isn’t dropped because he isn’t good enough to play. He isn’t released because he isn’t a good person.
In this instance, the player is Andrew Rieder. He ws released by the Regina Pats on Friday because he’s 20 years of age.
Each WHL team is allowed to dress a maximum of three 20-year-olds per game. And each team must declare its 20-year-old players on Oct. 10, which is Wednesday.
The Pats on Friday said farewell and thanks for everything to Rieder, who from all reports is a player with terrific work ethic on and off the ice. Rieder, who is from Regina, has been rehabbing from offseason shoulder surgery. He received medical clearance to return to action on Wednesday. Just 48 hours later, he was gone.
“He’s an ultimate Pat, really,” Regina head coach Pat Conacher told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post on Thursday, before the team had made its decision public. “He has been here his whole junior career. He has done so much for us on and off the ice. That’s the tough part.”
In a news release, GM Chad Lang offered: “This has been a very difficult decision to make as Andrew is everything we want our players to be. He has been a great ambassador of our hockey club in our community, a tremendous teammate and leader.”
The above photo was taken in January 2011 in the Rieder family home in Regina. Rieder’s mother had invited a couple of young fans over to meet her son.
“I can't begin to tell you how good he was with the boys — he asked them lots of questions, showed them some of his hockey keepsakes and even gave each of them an autographed stick,” offered the boys’ foster father. “From that day forward we became big Andrew Rieder fans.
“Perhaps the best part is that this wasn't a one-time deal. He always makes a point to say hi to the boys when he sees them at the rink (or even at a mall in Saskatoon). Andrew is a great kid and we'll definitely miss seeing him in a Pats jersey.”
Unfortunately for Rieder his only sin is that he is 20. So it’s thanks for everything and see ya.
Rieder had surgery May 11 on his left shoulder. His right shoulder also has caused him problems. So, really, the Pats didn’t have any choice as they kept D Colton Jobke, G Matt Hewitt and F Lane Scheidl.
Earlier, the Pats released F Tanner Olstad and traded D Brandon Underwood to the Red Deer Rebels. Both were victims of the 20-year-old game in Regina.
For years, I have felt the WHL needs to go to four or even five 20-year-olds. I even like the idea that was broached earlier this season — I think it was by Conacher, as a matter of fact — about giving teams five spots to share among 20-year-olds and imports. A team would be allowed to have a maximum of two imports, but if it only had one, it could go with four 20-year-olds. If a team didn’t have an import, it could have five 20s.
I just don’t understand how teams invest so much in some of these players, some of whom have been with the same organization for four years, and then cut them adrift simply because of the 20-yer-old rule.
But, as you may have guessed, it’s all about the money.
One WHL owner told me recently that the NHL wants the WHL developing the younger players (i.e. 16-year-olds) and not the 20s. In other words, a loosening of the 20-year-old rule likely would mean a tightening of the NHL’s purse strings.
And that isn’t something the WHL can afford to let happen.
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The Spokane Chiefs have dealt D Davis Vandane, 20, to the Prince Albert Raiders for a conditional eighth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Vandane, from Yorkton, Sask., has 43 points in 123 regular-season games. Last season, he had 25 points in 68 games. . . . The gets the Chiefs down to three 20-year-olds — D Brenden Kichton, who is the team captain, F Blake Gal and F Dylan Walchuk. . . . The Raiders, meanwhile, now have four 20s on their roster, the others being G Luke Siemens, F Anthony Bardaro and D Antoine Corbin. However, Corbin remains in camp with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Should Corbin be assigned to the Raiders, they would have two weeks after his arrival to get down to three 20-year-old players.
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Later Friday, the Chiefs announced that G Mac Engel, 19, has been released “and is awaiting a trade to another WHL team.” . . . That leaves the Chiefs with Eric Williams, 19, and Garret Hughson, 17, as their two goaltenders. . . . Engel, who was entering his third season in Spokane, was 42-28-7 in 88 appearances with the Chiefs. Last season he was 28-19-4, 2.52, .909. . . . Spokane is carrying 25 players, including eight defencemen and 15 forwards.
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As mentioned earlier, the Regina Pats got down to three 20-year-olds on Friday by releasing F Andrew Rieder, who has been working to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. Rieder, who is from Regina, played in 177 regular-season games with the Pats, putting up 51 points, including 25 goals. . . . Last season, he had 25 points, 13 of them goals, in 52 games. . . . The Pats are left with D Colton Jobke, G Matt Hewitt and F Lane Scheidl as their 20-year-old players.
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A Friday tweet from Andrew Rieder (@Rieder28): “Want to thank everyone in the @WHLpats organization for the last 5 years couldn't have ask for more. I feel honored.”
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The OHL’s Windsor Spitfires have waived Slovakian F Juraj Bezuch, who played last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Bezuch was pointless in four games with the Spitfires, who have claimed Russian F Alex Khokhlachev and are hoping to be able to recruit the talented 19-year-old who is with the KHL’s Moscow Spartak. The Spitfires had dealt two 20-year-olds and a seventh-round 2014 OHL draft pick to get Bezuch from the Kitchener Rangers late in training camp. “It just didn’t work out,” Windsor head coach Bob Boughner told Jim Parker of the Windsor Star.
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FRIDAY'S SCOREBOARD:
D Brendan Kichton had five points, including two goals, as the host Spokane Chiefs got past the Victoria Royals, 5-3. . . . It was the first five-point game of Kichton’s career. He had had one four-point game. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored twice, giving him seven goals in four games. . . .

LW Brendan Ranford, in his first game since being released by the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, had a goal and four assists as the Kamloops Blazers beat the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-2. . . . It was Ranford’s third five-point game of his WHL career. . . . The Blazers are playing their three 20-year-olds on one line. Ranford, C Dylan Willick (two goals and an assist) and RW Jordan DePape (one of each) combined for 10 points. . . . The Blazers’ other big line totalled eight points with RW JC Lipon putting up a goal and three assists, Tim Bozon getting a goal and two assists, and C Colin Smith scoring once. . . . Kamloops broke a 2-2 tie with five unanswered third-period goals. . . .

The Portland Winterhawks opened their six-game East Division swing with a 2-1 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . Portland G Cam Lanigan stopped 18 shots, while Brandon’s Corbin Boes turned aside 41. . . . Freshman F Alex Schoenborn broke a 1-1 tie at 12:15 of the second period with his first WHL goal. . . . Schoenborn, who turns 17 on Dec. 12, is from Minot, N.D., which isn’t that far south of Brandon, so you can bet he had some fans in the house. . . . With 30 minutes left until puck drop, scouts from at least 13 NHL teams had signed in for this one. They were there to watch Brandon D Ryan Pulock and Portland D Seth Jones. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier (abdominal tear) played for the first time this season. . . .

F Justin Feser had a goal and two assists as the host Tri-City Americans beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . G Ty Rimmer, who spent last season with the Americans, stopped 24 shots for the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge had a 17-7 edge in shots in the third period, but struggled to beat a superb Eric Comrie, who finished with 36 saves. . . . The Americans were without F Jesse Mychan, who hopes to return from an undisclosed injury when Tri-City opens an East Division swing on Oct. 13 in Brandon.

The Vancouver Giants scored three times in the game’s first 5:11 and went on to beat the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-1. . . . Vancouver G Tyler Fuhr stopped 20 shots and now has backstopped both his team’s victories. He’s expected to start again Sunday when the Victoria Royals are the visitors and will be playing their third game in three days. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer was gone after being beaten three times on eight shots. . . . Vancouver F Marek Tvrdon, who has yet to score, had two assists. . . . Among Vancouver’s scratches was D John Neibrandt, 20. . . .

F Chandler Stephenson’s goal with 15.4 seconds left in the third period gave the host Regina Pats a 3-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . D Colton Jobke, named Regina’s captain earlier in the day, scored the game’s first goal. He was playing his first game since being assigned to the Pats by the AHL’s Houston Aeros. . . .

F Adam Lowry had two goals and two assists as the Swift Current Broncos went into Saskatoon and hammered the Blades, 10-1. . . . The Broncos were 5-5 on the power play. In the second period, the scored four PP goals on six shots. . . . Saskatoon is 0-3 at home. . . . “It was, to be honest with you, unbelievable,” Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ general manager and head coach, told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We’ve hit rock bottom here and now it’s just a matter of starting all over again.” . . . The Blades are to be the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup. . . . Swift Current scored seven second-period goals and led 9-1 going into the third. . . . The Broncos are 2-0-4. . . . The Blades scratched veteran D Dalton Thrower. Why? Molleken told Nugent-Bowman that Thrower has been “playing by his own rules.” . . . F Ryan Graham, who has been out with back problems, was in the Blades’ lineup for the first time this season. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black (ill) sat this one out. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders, who have yet to lose in regulation time, went into Calgary and scored a 5-4 shootout victory over the Hitmen. . . . F Mark McNeill got the shootout winner. . . . The Raiders got a goal and two assists from D Josh Morrissey, who is from Calgary. . . . The Raiders were 3-7 on the PP, scoring twice while up two men. . . . Prince Albert now is 5-0-1. . . . The 3-0-2 Hitmen also haven’t yet been beaten in regulation time. . . . The Raiders have won all three of their road games this season; last season they didn’t win a third road game until Dec. 11. . . . Prince Albert continues to play without F Mike Winther (groin). . . . Interestingy, the Hitmen had only two minus players in the game, while the Raiders had eight, including three who were minus-3. . . . Calgary was 0-3 on the PP. . . . D Davis Vandane, acquired earlier in the day from Spokane, didn't play for the Raiders. . . .

The Prince George Cougars scored five first-period goals and beat the visiting Kelowna Rockets, 6-3. . . . The Cougars are 5-0-1. . . . F Zach Pochiro, an 18-year-old from Las Vegas, scored his first two WHL goals and added two assists and was plus-3 for the Cougars. . . . Pochiro played last season for the NAHL’s Wichita Falls Wildcats, a team that then had Cougars owner Rick Brodsky in its ownership group. . . . Pochiro got tossed as part of a two-fight situation at 19:31 of the third period. Up until then, only six minors had been assessed. . . . The Cougars are 4-0-1 and tied with Kamloops atop the Western Conference. Attendance last night was 1,907.
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CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:F Connor Chartier, Spokane
F Jaimen Yakubowski, Lethbridge
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CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Edmonton Oil Kings assistant coach Steve Hamilton (@hamilton_steve): “There is no worse post-event interview than MMA winner. ‘Thank you Lord for allowing me to pummel and choke that man repeatedly’ #ironic?”
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For today’s good read, we go to ESPN.com where Jeff MacGregor takes a look at New York’s relationship with Yankess shortstop Derek Jeter. It’s right here. Read closely and ask yourself if you could be reading about Wayne Gretzky near the end of his playing career.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jamie Benn (Kelowna, 2007-09) signed a lockout contract with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He had 26 goals and 37 assists in 71 games with Dallas Stars last season. Benn will meet with the German media today in Hamburg. . . .
D Kris Russell (Medicine Hat, 2003-07) has returned to North America after suffering an undisclosed injury while playing for TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) in Sunday's game against the Espoo Blues. He was injured on the first shift of Sunday's game. Video highlights show that Russell blocked a shot with the inside of his right foot and did not return. Russell played his first game in Finland on Saturday, a 4-3 TPS victory in overtime against HIFK Helsinki. He had a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in just under 25 minutes of action.
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If you haven’t seen the TSN feature on Brandon Wheat Kings D Ryan Pulock that ran Tuesday night, you will find it right here, and it’s well worth five minutes of your time. . . . The reporter is Leah Hextall, who works for CTV out of Winnipeg. Yes, she is part of hockey’s Hextall family. She is the daughter of Randy Hextall, who won the Centennial Cup with the MJHL’s Portage Terriers in 1973.
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CH-CH-CHING!
The WHL’s coffers sweeled for the first time this season as the Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes were dinged for a “multiple-fight situation” in Cranbrook on Saturday.
In the end, the tally was $1,750. (Yes, the Christmas shopping season is almost upon us.)
Each team was fined $500 for the fights, with the Hurricanes being hit up for an extra $500 and the Ice for $250 for “actions of player” during the situation.
There also were a couple of notable suspensions out of that game.
Lethbridge F Brady Ramsay, a 19-yer-old from Calgary, was hit with a five-game suspension, while Kootenay F Jon Martin, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, got three games.
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, noted on the WHL website that Ramsay “entered the ice during a stoppage and initiated an altercation with an opponent.”
During the game, which Lethbridge won 4-2, Martin picked up 11 minutes in penalties — two roughing minors, a charging minor and one of the six fighting majors that were handed out at 18:49 of the third period.
Ramsay wasn’t penalized at any point in the game.
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The Swift Current Broncos have trimmed their roster by two as they have moved out D Eric Walker, 19, and G Steven Myland, 18. . . . Walker is expected to join the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Walker, from Castlegar, B.C., had been acquired from the Vancouver Giants in January for an eighth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He was pointless, with five penalty minutes, in three games this season. . . . Myland is off to the junior B North Delta Devils of the Pacific International Junior League. The Broncos acquired Myland from the Kootenay Ice as part of the January 2011 deal in which F Cody Eakin went the other way. From Cloverdale, B.C., he got into three exhibition games with the Broncos. His departure leaves the Broncos with two freshman goaltenders — Eetu Laurikainen, 19, of Jyvaskyla, Finland, and Landon Bow, 17, from St. Albert, Alta. . . . The Broncos’ roster is at 23 players, including 14 forwards and seven defencemen.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are down to 24 players after assigning F Spencer Meyer, 16, to the junior B Grandview Steelers of the Pacific International Junior League. . . . Meyer was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . He got into regular-season game with the Raiders this season. . . . The Raiders’ roster now includes nine defencemen and 13 forwards.
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Things have been somewhat interesting in Saskatoon where D Duncan Siemens, last season’s captain, is neither the captain nor an alternate this season. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix gives his thoughts on that situation right here.
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JUST NOTES:
F Ryan Graham, 16, of the Saskatoon Blades has received medical clearance and took part in a full practice Tuesday. He has been out with back problems and now is day-to-day. . . . The  Blades are at home tonight to the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Saskatoon is 2-2-0 but has yet to win in regulation time. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix also points out that the Blades “have led for just 16 seconds so far this season.” . . . Regina Pats head coach Pat Conacher is expected back behind his club’s bench tonight for a game against the host Moose Jaw Warriors. Conacher has missed three games while tending to a family situation in Calgary. Conacher missed three road games, with the Pats going 1-2-0. . . .
The week’s hot ticket may be Friday night’s game in Brandon between the Wheat Kings and Portland Winterhawks. For sure, Westman Place will contain a whole lot of NHL scouts, there to see two defencemen — Ryan Pulock of the Wheat Kings and Seth Jones of the Winterhawks. “I’ve talked to a number of people (from NHLteams) that are coming to the game Friday and it’s a great opportunity to see two of the top defencemen in this year’s draft play on the same sheet of ice,” Brandon /owner/GM Kelly McCrimmon told Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun. “So from a comparative standpoint, I think that’s valuable for scouts and as well it’s Portland’s only trip to the Prairies this season, so it’s a good opportunity for the scouts that are based in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to get in and watch their team play as well.” . . .
Brenden Kichton, the new captain in Spokane, has broken the Chiefs’ career scoring record for defencemen. He now has 185 points, including 140 assists, in 265 regular-season games. That is one more point than Bryan McCabe put up in 152 games during the live-puck era. McCabe played with the Chiefs from early in 1992-93 to late in 1994-95. He started with the Medicine Hat Tigers and finished with the Brandon Wheat Kings. In 254 regular-season games, he finished with 243 points. . . .
F Ryan Harrison of the Everett Silvertips has served a four-game suspension left over from last season and is eligible to play tonight against the visiting Tri-City Americans. Harrison, 20, took a charging major in Everett’s last playoff game in the spring and was later hit with a four-game suspension. A bout of mononucleosis kept him out of the club’s exhibition games.
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During my time covering the WHL and its teams, I don’t know that I have come across any one player who was as mature as Chris Phillips. A defenceman with the Prince Albert Raiders who finished up his WHL days with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (1995-97), he really was mature beyond his years . . . well beyond. . . . Don Brennan of the Ottawa Citizen has more right here on Phillips and his father, Garth, who died on the weekend.
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TUESDAY’S GAME:
There was one game, with the host Prince Albert Raiders beating the Red Deer Rebels, 5-4, in a shootout. . . . F Mark McNeill, the Raiders’ captain, scored the only goal of the shootout, after scoring his first two goals of the season in regulation time. . . . McNeill is 2-for-2 in the circus this season, having also scored against the Saskatoon Blades. . . . McNeill had a Gordie Howe hat trick in the second period. He had a goal, an assist and a scrap, the latter with D Mathew Dumba. Both were first-round NHL draft picks — McNeill by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011, Dumba by the Minnesota Wild in 2012. . . . Red Deer F Charles Inglis scored the game’s first goal on a PP with 7.7 seconds left in the first period. . . . That was Inglis’s fifth goal this season, all of them coming in the last  three games. . . . Inglis later added a second goal, giving him three straight two-goal outings. . . . He also has five PP goals on Red Deer’s last eight opportunities. . . . The Raiders scratched F Mike Winther with the dreaded lower-body injury. . . . Prince Albert F Anthony Bardaro, 20, scored a goal in his 200th regular-season game. . . . Prince Albert D Evan Morden drew an assist on Bardaro’s goal, his fourth assist in three games. Last season, Morden had three assists in 58 games with the Everett Silvertips. . . . Former Raiders player and coach Bob Lowes was in the Art Hauser Centre for the game. He now scouts for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. . . . Must have been some stories told at this one, what with Lowes joined there by Lorne Molleken and Daryl Lubiniecki of the Saskatoon Blades, Peter Anholt, who now scouts for the Seattle Thunderbirds, and longtime NHL scout Darwin Bennett.
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A tweet from WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): 6 — In his last 6 games vs. Red Deer, @PARaidersHockey Marc McNeill (@McNeill9) has scored 4 Goals, 9 Assists, & is a +6.
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CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
F Adam Kambeitz, Red Deer.
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CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From George Bowditch (@55golfman): “Sask. Hockey Hall of Fame now open 1-5 p.m. Tues-Sat. Broncos game days 1-4 p.m. and 6-7 p.m. Check out heroes of yesterday.”
The Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame is located in the iPlex in Swift Current.

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.

The OHL or the NCAA? Andrew Duffy of the Ottawa Citizen profiles a young hockey player who is faced with that decision right here.
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Looking for good read today? Here’s Jim Matheson’s Hockey World from the pages of the Edmonton Journal. It’s at least a two-cupper.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors held a 39-13 edge in shots and whipped the Regina Pats, 8-1, to even that series at 1-1. . . . Games 3 and 4 are to be played in Regina on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Cody Beach and F Eric Arnold had two goals and an assist each for the Warriors, who scored once in the first period, three times in the second and four times in the third. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens lost his shutout to F Dyson Stephenson at 5:32 of the third. . . . Leading 3-0, the Warriors held a 19-4 edge in shots. . . . Warriors D Dallas Ehrhardt had one assist and was plus-5. . . . Warriors F Sam Fioretti had a goal and two helpers. . . . Moose Jaw took 64 of 118 penalty minutes. Referees Pat Smith and Chad Williams handed out nine misconducts. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers went 3-for-6 on the PP and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-3. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem was in on all five of his side’s goals, scoring twice and setting up three others. . . . The Tigers take a 2-0 lead to Saskatoon for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . The Tigers erased a 3-2 deficit with the game’s last three goals. . . . Etem scored two first-period power-play goals. . . . After F Josh Nicholls gave Saskatoon a 3-2 lead at 6:55 of the second, Medicine Hat D James Bettauer tied it at 16:28. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk broke the 3-3 tie at 14:32 of the third and F Curtis Valk added insurance at 19:54 on a PP. . . . Shinkaruk also had three assists. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP. . . . The Blades continue to be without G Adam Todd (concussion), F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tommy Stipancik (mononucleosis). They also were without D Darren Dietz, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a slashing major on Tigers F Emerson Etem late in Game 1. . . . An interesting note from Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades: In their history, the Blades have lost the first game of a series on the road on 13 occasions. Only once have they come back to win Game 2. That was in 1992 against the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored five times in the second period and beat the Victoria Royals, 7-4. . . . Kamloops took a 6-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Jordan DePape scored twice for Kamloops, the first coming on a penalty shot at 19:24 of the first period to give his side a 1-0 lead. . . . Kamloops F J.C. Lipon had two assists for the second straight game. . . . The Blazers take a 2-0 lead into Games 3 and 4 in Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk scored his first WHL goal. He was goal-less in 39 regular-season games. . . . Crunk, who turned 17 on Jan. 20, is a freshman from San Jacinto, Calif. . . . Kamloops had a 53-28 edge in shots on goal. . . . The Blazers were 2-7 on the PP; the Royals were 0-5. . . . Kamloops has won back-to-back playoff games for the first time since the spring of 1999 when Habscheid was its head coach. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 20 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 4-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Carruth earned his 20th playoff victory. He is the only goaltender in Portland history with that many postseason victories. . . . Carruth has two career playoff shutouts. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 2-0 lead as the series heads to Kelowna for games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Portland was 2-8 on the PP and also got a shorthanded goal from F Brad Ross. . . . D Troy Rutkowski scored the game’s first goal at 7:30 of the first period on the PP. . . . F Ty Rattie, who had three goals in a 6-3 victory on Friday, had a goal and an assist in Game 2. . . . F Sven Baertschi set up two goals. . . . The Winterhawks again were without F Brendan Leipsic. . . . The Rockets continue to be without F Spencer Main (concussion) and D Mitchell Chapman (undisclosed). . . . Kelowna was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets took 53 of 91 penalty minutes, including 23 to F Brett Bulmer. He took four minors, two of them for kneeing, and a kneeing major and game misconduct, the latter at 12:11 of the third period. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel got the old heave-ho 31 seconds into the second period. He took a slashing minor and was promptly tossed, perhaps for saying something to an official. . . . After Game 1, you may recall, Kelowna G Adam Brown made a point of grabbing the final puck and keeping it. So what happened after Game 2. Well, it seems Rutkowski picked it up off the ice. End of story. Right? Wrong. . . . Jim Beseda of The Oregonian reports that Portland D Joe Morrow took the puck from Rutkowski, “skated across the ice and flipped it in Brown's direction” as the Rockets headed to the dressing room. “You know,” Morrow said, “he deserved it, so he can have it back. And if he wants to keep doing that, he can keep every puck after we win from now on. That's his choice." . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s first five goals and went on to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 7-3. . . . Vancouver leads the series 2-0 with the next two games in Spokane on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Brendan Gallagher and F Marek Tvrdon each had two goals and two assists for Vancouver, while F Jordan Martinook had a goal and three assists. . . . Martinook has eight points in the first two games of this series. . . . The Giants also got two goals, both on the PP, from D Neil Manning. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored twice for Spokane. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver was 3-7 on the PP; Spokane was 2-6. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kichton, who was struck in the face by a puck in the third period of Game 1, didn’t play in Game 2. He may have a broken jaw. . . . Kichton, a first-team all-star, is the Western Conference’s defenceman of the year. . . . The Giants are without D David Musil, who has undergone surgery to repair a broken scaphoid. . . . Vancouver inserted D Blake Orban, who played 43 regular-season games, into its lineup and took out D Reid Zalitach, a 2011 bantam draft pick. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored three PP goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Two of those PP goals came in the first period when the Americans spent 11:58 with a man advantage; the Silvertips didn’t get a power play. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison took an interference major and game misconduct at at 9:44 of the first period. . . . Tri-City scored twice on the ensuing power play. . . . Everett F Cody Fowlie took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 4:20 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland scored the game’s first goal at 10:21 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots, 16 fewer than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Rimmer lost his shutout bid when D Ryan Murray scored at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Tri-City lost D Drydn Dow with an apparent arm injury after he was hit from behind by Everett F Manray Hayer, who was given a double minor. . . . The Americans lead 2-0 as the series goes to Everett for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports on Game 2 right here. You may have guessed that Everett head coach Mark Ferner wasn't impressed by the officiating.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brayden Point, Moose Jaw.
F Cain Franson, Vancouver.
F Manraj Hayer, Everett (double minor).
F Cody Fowlie, Everett (major).
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Austin Madaisky, Kamloops.


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Madaisky hoping to recapture form he showed in 2010

Daily News Sports Reporter
Austin Madaisky remembers the 2010 postseason well.
Yes, his Kamloops Blazers lost in four games to the Vancouver Giants, and yes, it was the last time the Blazers made the playoffs.
But it also was the coming-out party for the defenceman, who will lead the Blazers into the playoffs today. Kamloops is to play host to the Victoria Royals at Interior Savings Centre at 7 p.m.
The Blazers had acquired Madaisky, who turned 20 on Jan. 30, from the Calgary Hitmen as part of a blockbuster deal in January 2010. He was decent in the final 26 regular-season games with the Blazers that season, scoring two goals and assisting on seven others.
But it was the 2010 postseason in which Madaisky turned a corner. He had a point in each of the Blazers’ four losses, ending with three goals and three assists to lead the team.
“I felt great — that was probably some of the best hockey I’ve played in my life,” said Madaisky, a Surrey native. “I’m hoping to find that level again this postseason.”
Madaisky was named a Western Conference second-team all-star Thursday, and said he improved a lot this season, his fourth in the WHL.
“I grew a lot as a player this year,” Madaisky said. “I think a lot of that can be attributed to bringing in (associate coach) Dave Hunchak, who’s a great defensive coach, and (head coach) Guy Charron.”
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Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants was named to the Western Conference’s first all-star team for the second straight season on Thursday.
Gallagher, who spent the first part of the season with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and also spent time with Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary around Christmas, ended with 41 goals and 36 assists in 54 games.
He is the only repeater on the first team, although all of the other 2010-11 first-teamers have moved on. D Jared Cowen and F Ryan Johansen are full-time NHL players, while D Tyson Barrie and F Tyler Johnson are in the AHL. G James Reid has spent time this season in the AHL, Central League and ECHL.
Three other all-stars from 2010-11 are on the 2011-12 teams. D Brendan Kichton of the Spokane Chiefs and F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans moved up from the second team to the first team, while D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips made the second team for the second straight year.
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The Western Conference’s three other first-round series are to begin tonight.
The No. 1 seed, the Tri-City Americans, will play host to the eighth-seeded Everett Silvertips in Kennewick, Wash., while the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks will entertain the No. 6 Kelowna Rockets.
The Vancouver Giants, who finished fourth in the conference, are at home to the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs.
All WHL playoff series are best-of-seven.

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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
I visited the WHL’s Facebook page to see what kind of response there has been to the league’s version of Ask the Commissioner. There are some, uhh, interesting comments over there, including this one from John McCarthy:
Why is that even until today, 1 year after the WHL and former Majority Bruins ownership set the wheels in motion to screw over the City of Chilliwack, and the Bruins fans, we the fans of the Chilliwack Bruins have never received an apology for being lied to, fed misleading comments not only from the Commisioners Office, but also from the BoG and even the snakes who sold this team? This underhanded deal, actually violated the WHL's own policy of "not giving up on a market until all avenues are exhausted". You lied and left us all hanging in the breeze when you knew full well that the deal was presented and completed, pending the conclusion of the playoff season. How do you expect the fans of this league to trust you, or any of the BoG's again, when it comes to important information that is released to the very people who keep all these teams afloat, including indirectly your salary Mr. Robison? Can you explain why any WHL fan should trust anything this league tells us again? At least the Weasel Gary Bettman admitted that the NHL screwed up and that Winnipeg and Quebec City deserved teams back in their city. Why are you trying to ignore us in hopes we just go away? Sorry, but unless December 21, 2012 is the end of the world...we are not going away Mr. Robison. I'm gonna stay and remain a pain in your butt until you finally come clean on the "Chilliwack Screw Job".
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Condolences to Derek Laxdal, the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, on the death of his father, John, on Sunday morning.
The Oil Kings announced that John Laxdal, who was 75, passed away “peacefully in his sleep with his family at his side in his home in Stonewall, Man.”
A funeral is expected to be held sometime over the weekend in Stonewall.
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Things are heating up on the NCAA/CHL front.
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that “College Hockey Inc., is working to enact legislation — either with the oversight of the NHL or through the transfer agreement between USA Hockey and Hockey Canada — to bar Canadian major junior teams from stealing a player who has signed a letter of intent until after the player’s freshman year.”
As Schlossman reports, NCAA teams can’t recruit CHL players, because they no longer are eligible to play at a U.S. school.
“We need to have a deal in place with the NHL and with the CHL,” U of North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol said. “We are going into a back-alley brawl. They are bringing guns. We’re coming with no weapon and one hand tied behind our back.”
Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., told Schlossman that “it is our position that once a kid signs a letter of intent, he’s made up his mind and demonstrated it in written form. He should be off limits and shouldn’t be continually recruited until at least after his freshman year. Continued recruiting of players after they’ve committed in writing to college, we find that conduct to be unacceptable. We’ve communicated that fact to the NHL. We’re hoping to bring some order to the process.”
Schlossman’s complete story is right here, including thoughts from Hakstol on the possibility that the NCAA could re-do its rules regarding the college eligibility of CHL players.
Folks, take cover. The shooting is soon to start.
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Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press has taken the OHL to task for the decision to suspend Sarnia Sting F Nail Yakupov for not playing in the Top Prospects Game last week in Kelowna.
“The Ontario Hockey League embarrassed and damaged itself on the weekend,” Dalla Costa writes.
“It acted like the schoolyard bully that didn't get his way and in the process proved what many have known for a while — players are no more than meat passing through the processing plant.
“The suspension of Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov for two games by OHL commissioner David Branch was a clear indication that selling tickets, appeasing sponsors and making money — no matter the cost to the player or his teams — is the No. 1 priority.
“This should be the first story handed to a player in the throes of making a decision about where to play the game at the next level.
“Go ahead, play in the OHL, but be aware that they own you.”
The complete column is right here.
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There’s more on the Yakupov story here as the doctor who treated him as blasted the OHL.
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On the subject of that Top Prospects Game, if you watched the game you will recall a fight between F Tom Wilson of the Plymouth Whalers and D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Well, it seems that Wilson broke a knuckle in one hand during the fight that occurred after he hit F Lukas Sutter with a rather solid body check. Thrower and Sutter are teammates with the Saskatoon Blades.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Portland, F Sven Baertschi scored three second-period goals and the Winterhawks went on to a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Baertschi, who has 18 goals, broke a 1-1 tie with an even-strength goal at 7:15, made it 3-1 on a PP at 11:54 and then scored shorthanded, at 19:13, to give his guys a 4-2 edge. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Vancouver got two goals from Marek Tvrdon, who has 22. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 37 shots, two more than Portland’s Mac Carruth, who won his WHL-leading 32nd game. He is three shy of the franchise’s single-season record of 35, held by Brent Belecki (1997-98). . . . The WHL record of 48 victories belongs to Glen Hanlon, who did it with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1976-77. Hanlon now is an assistant coach with the Giants. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, the WHL scoring leader, sat this one out after suffering an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to visiting Vancouver. . . . The Giants won three of four games from the Winterhawks this season. . . . The Winterhawks also were without D William Wrenn, their captain, for a third straight game. He, too, has an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland did have F Brad Ross back in the lineup after he was scratched twice for disciplinary reasons. . . . The Winterhawks lost F Brendan Leipsic with a fighting major and game misconduct at 16:31 of the first period. . . . I was listening to the Vancouver broadcast and there certainly seemed to be some confusion as to why Leipsic got the ol’ heave-ho. It might be time to give the referees microphones and let them make the announcements, as they do in the NHL. Of course, referees Brett Iverson and Jason Nissen would have received a lot of airtime had that been the case in this one. After all, they dished out 25 penalties. . . .

In Spokane, D Brendan Kichton broke a 2-2 tie at 19:37 of the first period and the Chiefs went on to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kichton’s goal, via the PP, was his 13th of the season and 41st of his career, making him the highest-scoring defenceman in franchise history. He broke out of the tie with Sean Gillam (1992-96). . . . F Mike Aviani had a goal and two assists for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs were playing their fifth game in seven nights. . . . The Thunderbirds will play in Spokane again on Friday. . . . The Spokane victory lifted the fourth-place Chiefs two points clear of the Vancouver Giants in the Western Conference. . . . Seattle, which has lost six in a row, is eighth, two points behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals are home to the Everett Silvertips tonight and Wednesday. Everett is 10th, five points behind Seattle.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland.
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MONDAY’S CHECK-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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For today’s good read, we go to Esquire magazine and a story that has nothing to do with sport. You may recall the day not that long ago when all eyes were on Zanesville, Ohio, where the keeper of numerous exotic animals turned them loose and then shot himself. Chris Jones, who is a terrific writer, delves into that situation right here. . . . It’s a long, long piece, but well worth the time.
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Parents of young hockey players and those players should take a look at this piece by Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail. It’s about John Tavares of the New York Islanders and how lacrosse has help make him a better hockey player. In other words, he didn’t need to play summer hockey.

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Tim Tisdale (left) and Darrin McKechnie took part in a pregame ceremony
in Regina on Friday night to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a bus
crash in which four members of the Swift Current Broncos - Trent Kresse,
Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff - were killed. Tisdale was on
that Broncos team, while McKechnie played for the 1986-87 Pats.
(Photos courtesy Regina Pats)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Robby Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) after his release by mutual agreement by Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and three assists in nine games for Medvescak this season. . . .
F Marcel Hossa (Portland, 1998-2001) was released by Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). He had six goals and 11 assists in 35 games for Spartak this season.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have launched @TbirdsGameday – it’s right here. . . . According to Ian Henry, the director of media and public relations, “The idea is to separate our live game updates from other news and info we put out via Twitter. We are using Twitter a lot and there could be some fans who want to get just news and info from us but don’t want us jamming up their Twitter feed on game nights with a bunch of updates. This way those that want lots of updates and want to communicate with the team on game night have a separate Twitter to do this.”
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WHL TRADE TRACKER (since Dec. 27):Trades made: 3
Players: 9
Draft picks: 3
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, F Lukas Sutter scored three times as his Blades skated past the Prince Albert Raiders, 9-4. . . . Sutter, who has 14 goals, also had an assist and finished plus-5. . . . Saskatoon F Michael Burns had one assist and was plus-6. He wasn‘t able to beat Prince Albert G Cole Holowenko on a second-period penalty shot. . . . D Dalton Thrower had a goal and two assists in the first period as the Blades assumed a 4-1 lead. He finished with two goals, giving him six, and three helpers. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie, in his first start, stopped 34 shots. . . . The Raiders had won five in a row. . . . Prince Albert F Kellan Tochkin was given a boarding major and game misconduct at 3:52 of the third period. . . .

In Brandon, F Michael St. Croix had two goals and an assist as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Wheat Kings, 7-1. . . . F Dylan Wruck added a goal and two assists. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 41 shots. . . . St. Croix has 22 goals. . . . Brandon G Brandon Anderson, making his sixth straight start, left after two periods. Curtis Honey, 17, made his WHL debut with 10 saves on 12 shots. . . . Edmonton has won 14 of its last 16 games. . . . Congratulations to Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings on 880 CKLQ. He was honoured before the game for having called 1,300 regular-season games. He has been the voice of the Wheat Kings since 1993 and, including playoffs and Memorial Cup games, has called 1,533 games. Luebke is the longest-serving play-by-play man in Wheat Kings’ history. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Weal had a goal and three assists to lead the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The game was played on the 25^th anniversary of the bus crash in which four Broncos players were killed. On Dec. 30, 1986, the Broncos were headed for Regina and a date with the Pats when their bus left the highway just east of Swift Current. . . . Weal has 58 points, including 21 goals, in 38 games. This was his 250^th regular-season game. He has 327 career points, including 115 goals. . . . Freshman F Coda Gordon scord his 16^th goal for the Broncos. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 31 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, D Brendan Kichton scored in the sixth round of a shootout to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart forced OT with his fourth goal, on the PP, at 7:02 of the third period. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 40 shots, two more than the Ice’s Mackenzie Skapski. . . . F Todd Fiddler, acquired Thursday from the Prince Albert Raiders, had a goal for the Chiefs. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers won their fifth straight game, beating the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 29 shots in improving to 21-8-4, 2.43, .925. He will be a candidate as the conference’s player of the year. . . . Lethbridge GM/head coach Rich Preston got tossed with 4:52 left in the third period so will be making a Happy New Year donation to the WHL office next week. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk gave his club a 3-1 lead just 10 seconds after Preston exited. . . . Lethbridge D Adam Henry got it to 3-2 at 17:56 but Bunz closed the door after that. . . .

In Kamloops, F Calder Brooks had a goal and two assists to help the Calgary Hitmen to a 6-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Brooks has three goals this season. . . . The Hitmen erased a 1-0 Kamloops lead with five straight goals, three of them in the first period. . . . Kamloops D Austin Madaisky scored the game’s first goal; he has goals in four straight games. . . . The Blazers had won six in a row at home. . . . G Cam Lanigan was in goal for Kamloops, his first start since Dec. 2. He was gone after one period, though, having given up three goals on 10 shots. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen, the first overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, got his first WHL goal to erase the Blazers’ 1-0 lead. . . . Kamloops D Jordan Thomson scored his first WHL goal in his third game. The fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, Thomson will be returning to midget AAA after a New Year’s Day game against the visiting Prince George Cougars. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie had three goals and an assist to move into the WHL scoring lead as the Winterhawks snuck past the Victoria Royals, 7-6. . . . Portland beat visiting Victoria 6-3 on Wednesday night. . . . Portland has won 11 in a row at home. . . . Rattie has had three hat tricks this season. He now leads the WHL in goals (36) and points (67). . . . After playing to a 2-2 first-period draw, the teams combined for seven second-period goals, with Victoria emerging with a 6-5 lead on F Jamie Crooks’ third goal of the game and 20^th of the season. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic tied it at 4:41 of the third on the PP and D Derrick Pouliot got the winner at 6:14. . . . Leipsic had two goals and two assists for Portland. His first goal, at 7:12 of the second, was the 11,000^th in franchise history. . . . Portland F Brad Ross came up short on a late-second period penalty shot. The Winterhawks are 0-7 on penalty shots this season. . . . Ross did have three assists and now has a seven-game point streak going. . . . Victoria G Keith Hamilton stopped 47 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 33. . . . Attendance was 8,836, giving Portland three straight home crowds of more than 8,000. . . .
In Vancouver, D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen scored his first WHL goal and it was the winner as the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1. . . . Vannieuwenhuizen was playing in his 104^th career game. . . . After the teams played through a scoreless first period, the Giants scored four second-period goals to take a 4-1 lead. . . . Vannieuwenhuizen also had an assist and was plus-3. . . . The Giants are 5-3-0 with assistant coach Glen Hanlon at the controls while head coach Don Hay is with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard stopped 40 shots as his Seattle Thunderbirds blanked the Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-0, for their third straight victory. . . . The Warriors had won four in a row; they also had beaten Seattle in each of their last five meetings. . . . Pickard has three shutouts this season – and 10 in his career – and they haven’t been easy. He has stopped 43, 37 and 40 shots in them. . . . F Tyler Alos scored his second goal of the season at 18:46 of the second period, with F Burke Gallimore gettings his 16^th, via the PP, at 1:37 of the third. . . . The game was the first of Moose Jaw’s U.S. Division swing. The Warriors meet the Everett Silvertips tonight.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Chance Braid, Prince Albert.
D Tyler Yaworski, Prince Albert.
F Brendan Hurley, Kootenay.
F Daulton Siwak, Prince George.
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In LaSalle, Ont., G Tristan Jarry (Edmonton) stopped 34 shots as Team Pacific beat the Czech Republic 4-0 to go to 2-0 at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . F Sam Reinhart (Kootenay) scored twice and leads the tournament with four. . . . F Curtis Lazar (Edmonton) and D Kyle Burroughs (Regina) also scored. . . . F Greg Chase (Calgary) had two assists. . . . Team Pacific plays Russia this afternoon in LaSalle. . . . Team West, which didn’t play Friday, will play the Czechs in Tecumseh, Ont., tonight. . . .
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Tim Tisdale, a former member of the Swift Current Broncos, took part in a ceremonial faceoff prior to last night’s game in Regina. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post talked with Tisdale and that story is right here.
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The legendary Ernie (Punch) McLean is in the news these days.
Here is the first paragraph of Darah Hansen’s story from the Vancouver Sun:
“An 84-year-old widow is suing a British Columbia Hockey Hall of Famer, alleging she gave him thousands of dollars in gold and silver and he won't give it back.”
Hansen’s complete story is right here.
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Tony Hand, who gave the WHL a whirl back in the day, has been named head coach of the Great Britain national team. That story is right here. Hand had eight points in three games with the Victoria Cougars in 1986-87 before choosing to return home.
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Damien Cox of the Toronto Star weighs in on the impact of speed on the NHL’s concussion problem. That piece is right here.

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