Three WHLers get NHL deals . . . Rebels dealt cruel blow . . . All hail the Golden Bears

pic.twitter.com/BkfJllNbql

— Jim McKenzie (@JimMcKenzie33) March 7, 2017

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Congrats to the roomie on making history today!!! Milkers on you(: @rduke96 pic.twitter.com/9Hs1p9vdUg

— Caiden Daley (@caidendaley88) March 6, 2017

F Reid Duke of the Brandon Wheat Kings was in the headlines on Monday. On Twitter’s What’s Happening? page, Duke was right there with ‘Trump signs new travel ban’ and ‘President Trump is still

Kelly McCrimmon welcomes Reid Duke to the Vegas
Golden Knights.
(Photo: Brandon Wheat Kings)

taping his tie’ and ‘Chrissy Teigen gets real about postpartum depression.’

So . . . what did Duke do that warranted that kind of publicity?

Duke, who turned 21 on Jan. 28, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in what was the first player transaction in the NHL expansion franchise’s brief history.

According to capfriendly.com, the deal could have a total value of US$2.775 million. It calls for an NHL salary of $742,500 in each of the first two seasons, and $825,000 in the third. The minor-league salary each season would be $70,000. There are annual signing bonuses of $92,500, and performance bonuses of $182,500 in each of the first two seasons and $100,000 in the third.

“Obviously, there is going to be a little more opportunity there,” Duke told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, “but, at the same time, I’m not going in there expecting them to hand me anything. I’m going to put in as much work as I can this summer to give it my best opportunity to play there (next) season. That’s going to be my goal.

“I’m going to do everything in my power to make it a hard decision for them to make me play anywhere else.”

Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, was the team’s general manager and head coach before joining the Golden Knights as their assistant general manager last summer. So he will be awfully familiar with Duke.

This season, Duke, who is from Calgary, leads the Wheat Kings in goals (35) and points (67), all in 54 games. Last season, he totalled 61 points, 33 of them goals, in 68 games. In the playoffs, he helped Brandon to the WHL championship with 24 points, including eight goals, in 21 games.

Duke began his WHL career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, playing 132 games there before being deal to Brandon early in the 2014-15 season.

In 306 career regular-season games, he has 249 points, including 113 goals.

He was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2014 draft. However, the Wild never signed him so he was able to join Vegas as a free agent.

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed two WHLers — D Kale Clague of the Brandon Wheat Kings and F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats — to three-year entry-level deals.

Clague, 18, is from Lloydminster, Alta. The Wheat Kings selected him sixth overall in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. Los Angeles took him in the second round, 51st overall, of the NHL’s 2016 draft.

This season, Clague has 38 points, including 33 assists, in 46 games. He missed a few games to open the season after suffering a leg injury while playing for Los Angeles in a rookie game against the Arizona Coyotes. In 139 career regular-season games, he has 94 points, 15 of them goals. He spent part of this season with Canada’s national junior team, earning six assists in seven games at the World Junior Championship.

According to capfriendly.com, the contract could be worth US$2.775 million. The NHL salaries would be $767,500, $792,500 and $817,500, with three signing bonuses of $92,500. There are performance bonuses of $157,500, $132,500 and $107,500. The minor-league salary would be $70,000.

Wagner, one of the WHL’s fastest skaters, has 60 points, including 28 goals, in 58 games this season. In 232 regular-season games, he has 163 points, 77 of them goals.

A 19-year-old from Calgary, he was a fifth-round selection in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. Los Angeles picked him in the fourth round, 99th overall, of the 2015 NHL draft.

According to capfriendly.com, Wagner also signed a deal that could carry a total value of US$2.775 million. The NHL salary would be $742,500 for each of the first two seasons and $792,500 in the third. There are performance bonuses of $182,500 in each of the first two seasons and $132,500 in the third. Three annual signing bonuses of $92,500 will be paid. The minor league salary in each season would be $70,000.

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When the WHL’s weekly roster report is issued today (Tuesday), F Adam Musil of the Red Deer Rebels is expected to be shown as being out week-to-week.

ADAM MUSIL

Musil, the Rebels’ 19-year-old captain, was injured Sunday in an off-ice incident.

“It was quite a shock to us and a blow to us when we found out he had injured himself away from the rink,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, general manager and head coach, told reporters. “It’s a significant injury.”

Sutter added that Musil has a “lower-body injury” and that there isn’t a timetable for his return.

The Rebels, who have seven games remaining, are third in the Central Division, three points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. The Rebels next are scheduled to play tonight against the visiting Saskatoon Blades, who trail Red Deer by four points in what could turn into a wild-card chase.

“Here we are,” Sutter added, “seven games left in the regular season, battling for a playoff spot and your captain and arguably your best player is certainly not going to be able to participate in any of these games.”

Musil has career highs in goals (20), assists (31) and points (51) in 56 games this season. In 251 career games, he has 162 points, including 65 goals.

“The timing is terrible,” Sutter said. “It’s unfortunate for his teammates . . . it’s unfortunate for the organization . . . it’s unfortunate for our fans that something like this has to happen when it should never have happened.

“It was something we didn’t expect. It’s things we don’t want our kids doing and that’s the tough part. But it happened and now we just have to deal with it.

“(Sunday), it was just something . . . he obviously wasn’t thinking.”

Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com has more right here.

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The U of Alberta Golden Bears won another Canada West title on Sunday, beating the host Saskatchewan Huskies, 6-3, in Game 3 of the best-of-three-final. Both teams will play in the national championship tournament. That will be played in Fredericton, N.B., March 16-19. . . . The Golden Bears have won 14 Canada West titles over the past 17 seasons, although the Huskies won it all a year ago. . . . Darren Steinke was at Sunday’s game and blogs about it right here.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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The AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons have signed general manager/head coach Dan Keca to a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2019-20 season. Keca has been GM/head coach since June 2015. The Oil Barons who won 10 games last season, won the North Division with 91 points this season and Keca was named the AJHL’s coach of the year. Keca, who was raised in Fort McMurray, played for the Oil Barons before attending the U of Lethbridge. He returned to the Oil Barons as an assistant coach under Gord Thibodeau in 2003.

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Seth Appert is out as head coach of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Engineers, although his contract runs through 2021. RPI won only eight games this season. Appert was 152-221-48 in 11 seasons at RPI. . . . Collegehockeynews.com reports that Appert signed a seven-year extension in 2011 and got another three-year extension added to it in 2013. . . . Appert had been an assistant coach at Denver when he signed at RPI in 2006. RPI won 18 games in 2009-10 and 20 in 2010-11 when it made its only NCAA tournament appearance. This season, RPI finished 11th in the ECAC and was swept from the conference tournament, losing two games to Clarkson.

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.@therealnatural1 I hope Jack Shupe spent his 87th birthday cruising around in his Victoria Cougars painted Volkswagen Rabbit. pic.twitter.com/5dNCdG76aY

— Victoria Cougars (@victoriacougars) March 7, 2017

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MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash, 7:05 p.m.

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

AHS connects Tigers to mumps cases . . . Aces falling from ECHL deck . . . Another lengthy OHL suspension

Tommi Virkkunen (Kamloops, Victoria, 1989-90) has been named the new CEO of Kärpät Oulu (Finland, Liiga), effective May 1. Virkkunen has been chairman of Kärpät's board the past seven years and an executive VP for Finnish company Ahlsell Oy for 10 years.

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Alberta Health Services (AHS) has said that the nine confirmed cases of mumps in the province’s South Zone all are connected to the Medicine Hat Tigers. This is the first such outbreak in the province in 10 years.

AHS believes the Tigers came in contact with the viral infection during a game against the visiting

Brandon Wheat Kings on Jan. 28, as they were starting to fight the illness.

Dr. Vivien Suttorp, the South Zone Medical Officer of Health, told Matt Nemeth of CHAT News Today in Medicine Hat that people who have come in contact with mumps may be symptom-free for as long as 25 days before feeling ill.

Dr. Suttorp told Nemeth: “Before developing symptoms of swollen glands, headaches, feeling unwell, individuals may have already shared the wealth of this virus with others.”

As Nemeth noted, the Tigers have played 10 other teams since they met the Wheat Kings.

In fact, chances are that all of the WHL’s 22 teams have come in contact with one of the teams involved in one way or another, with the Everett Silvertips having completed a recent six-game swing through the East Division.

Meanwhile, it seems the Swift Current Broncos also had to deal with mumps, meaning it has been in at least three WHL dressing rooms.

“They had a situation occur in Swift Current (recently) and it happened in Brandon,” Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels, told rdnewsNOW on Thursday. “Then Medicine Hat happened to go and play Brandon and now they’re dealing with it to some degree.”

Dr. Digby Horne, the AHS Central Zone’s Medical Officer of Health, told rdnewsNOW that there aren’t any cases in that zone.

The Rebels, like other teams, are taking precautions in the hopes of avoiding an outbreak.

“Just manage and control (things),” Sutter said, “make sure we’re dealing with it the right way. Everybody is informed, from the medical side of it, on what we have to do as far as the (WHL) teams. Hopefully, Medicine Hat will get through this and it won’t carry on to another team.”

The Tigers could get some relief tonight (Friday) as they play the host Calgary Hitmen tonight.

Besides having to sit players and one coach because of mumps, they also have been without two top defencemen as David Quenneville and Ty Schultz have been recovering from broken legs suffered while blocking shots. Quenneville, who has missed 21 games, has received medical clearance to return and could be in the lineup against the Hitmen. Schultz, however, still is listed as week-to-week on the WHL roster report.

F Ryan Chyzowski is feeling better and could play in Calgary, while assistant coach Joe Frazer also has returned to the team. D Kristians Rubins and D Jordan Henderson are day-to-day, while F James Hamblin isn’t likely to play.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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The ECHL’s Alaska Aces, who play out of Anchorage, will suspend operations after this season. 

According to Terry Parks, the ownership group’s managing partner, the franchise has lost more money in 2016-17 than in the previous two seasons combined. He said attendance is down 1,500 per game from two seasons ago. . . . From an Aces news release: “Parks says as a result of the economic downturn, sponsorships are down $600,000, season-ticket sales are down $262,000 and attendance is down about 1,500 spectators per game from just a couple seasons ago.” . . . Also from the news release: “With thousands of job losses in Alaska and more likely to come, Parks says, the team expects this downward trend to continue.” . . . The Aces are completing their 15th season in Anchorage.

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The Regina Pats beat the host Saskatoon Blades, 4-1, on Wednesday night, with F Adam Brooks scoring once and being credited with an assist. Brooks won the WHL scoring title last season, with 120 points. That assist gave Brooks 100 points, at least for the moment. . . . However, a post-game scoring change took the assist away from Brooks, leaving him at 99 points. He gets another opportunity to get to 100 tonight (Friday) against the visiting Swift Current Broncos.

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Mike Fraser scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings and also writes a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. This week, he writes about how “listening to a fan or parent yell and mock a 14-year-old kid is hard to digest and let go.” . . . That piece is right here.

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Mike Kelly, the general manager of the Guelph Storm, will leave the OHL team when his contract expires at the end of this season. . . . “Mike has informed us that he and his wife, Denise, will be relocating to the Niagara region to be closer to their children and grandchildren,” Storm president Rick Hoyle said in a news release. “We respect Mike’s decision to prioritize his family.” . . . Kelly joined the Storm for the 1991-92 season and was the GM for six seasons, before signing on as the amateur scouting co-ordinator with the NHL’s Calgary Flames in 1997. He returned to the Storm in November 2010 for a second go-round as GM. . . . From the Storm’s news release: “During his 13 seasons with the club, he led the Storm to three division titles, three OHL regular-season titles, three appearances in the OHL championship series and the franchise’s last OHL championship in 2013-14.” He was the OHL’s executive of the year for 1994-95.

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The OHL has suspended F Max Jones of the London Knights for 10 games after he took a cross-checking major and game misconduct for a hit on F Jonah Gadjovich of the Owen Sound Attack on Feb. 17. Jones will be eligible to return on March 14. . . . Jones was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. He has 32 points, including 14 goals, in 29 games this season, one that has been interrupted twice by injuries. . . . Jones is a repeat offender, having been hit with a 12-game suspension for a blindside during a first-round playoff game last season. . . . The latest suspension comes a day after the OHL hit F Christiano DiGiacinto of the Windsor Spitfires with a 10-game suspension after he incurred a headshot major and game misconduct. 

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Portland at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

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

What a weekend that was in the WHL . . . hits, a line brawl and, yes, a Heidi moment!

Sheesh! A guy takes a night off from blogging — it was Super Bowl Eve and an annual non-football social engagement beckoned — and everything was going on in the WHL.

There were two crumpling checks in a game in Saskatoon. The WHL had its very own Heidi moment in Portland. There was a line brawl in Lethbridge where they were honouring the 1996-97 Hurricanes. And a whole lot more . . . 

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First, let’s take a look at the two hits that occurred in the third period of the Blades’ 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels.

The first occurred at 9:19 when F Cam Hausinger of the Rebels drilled Saskatoon D Jake Kustra into the end boards, which had absolutely no give to them, something that only exacerbated the situation.

Jake Kustra hit by Cam Hausinger: you be the judge #WHL #RDvsSAS pic.twitter.com/YyMWbMZnPz

— WHL Unfiltered (@WHLunfiltered) February 5, 2017

CAMERON HAUSINGER

JAKE KUSTRA

Kustra, who missed time earlier this season with a concussion, ended up on a stretcher and was taken to hospital. After taking some stitches to his head, he was released. When I inquired Sunday as to whether Kustra was OK, or as OK as might be expected, a Blades spokesperson responded: “Yes.” Obviously, he has a concussion.

Watching the video, as Kustra gets the puck and turns, he looks up. In that split second, he looks like a deer in the headlights as he realizes Hausinger’s intent, which is to put him into the cheap seats. Kustra stumbles and is almost horizontal when contact is made with his head. Because of the stumble, it would have been all but impossible for Hausinger not to make contact with the head.

Hausinger, who was acquired from the Blades on Nov. 25, was given a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct. I would suggest that a charging major and game misconduct would have been more indicative of what happened.

Still, Hausinger’s body language as he skates hard and directly at Kustra leaves no doubt as to his intent. When I see hits like these, I always wonder why another player has the desire to hit an opponent as hard as is humanly possible. Is it because for his entire hockey career he has been coached to finish his check? Is this what finishing a check looks like? If it is, is this what we want in the game? If the No. 1 objective is to gain possession of the puck, what is wrong with angle/pin, man, puck?

#Saskatoon #Blades AC Ryan Keller and HC Dean Brockman exchange pleasantries with #RedDeer #Rebels HC, GM and owner Brent Sutter. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/BrYbjGW2lx

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) February 5, 2017

After the game, Brent Sutter, Red Deer’s owner, general manager and head coach, pointed a finger at Kustra.

“You feel terrible if the kid got hurt,” Sutter told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com, “but he put himself in that position to allow himself to be injured. He had control of the puck, went to pass it out and fell forward. Hausinger glided towards him, he never took a stride.

“Those are the types of calls that are frustrating from a coach’s standpoint. A major penalty shouldn’t be called because someone was hurt on the play.”

Sutter referenced a play from the Rebels’ 6-3 victory over the Raiders in Prince Albert on Friday. That one involved Rebels D Carson Sass.

“Sass got knocked out of the game with a check that was much, much worse that than and it was a two-minute minor penalty,” Sutter said. “I don’t like seeing anyone get hurt, but how do you blame a player for finishing a check when the other player stumbles.”

Sass was in Red Deer’s lineup on Saturday in Saskatoon.

While I am all for free speech, especially in these times when blandness rules, I’m thinking that had Sutter had more time to distance himself from what obviously was an emotional situation — there was plenty of conversation between the two benches and some vitriol directed towards the on-ice officials — he may have chosen fewer and different words to express himself.

#RedDeer #Rebels HC, GM and owner Brent Sutter yells at people on the #Saskatoon #Blades bench. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/DDejKygIcX

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) February 5, 2017

That brings us to Red Deer D Colton Bobyk’s thundering hit on Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr, who had a goal and an assist in the Blades victory. This hit came with 30 seconds left in the third period of a 4-2 game.

Colton Bobyk hit on Braylon Shmyr#WHL #RDvsSAS pic.twitter.com/F6pv5vYWoc

— WHL Unfiltered (@WHLunfiltered) February 5, 2017

Shmyr, who leads the Blades in goals (27) and assists (22), has the puck as he drives to his right and then cuts towards the centre line. As he looks down to find the puck, Bobyk steps up and drills him. It truly is a Scott Stevens-Eric Lindros type of moment.

Is it a clean check? Does Bobyk’s right elbow come up and make contact with Shmyr’s chin/jaw area? If it is a clean hit, are these the kinds of hits we want in the game, hits that leave an unsuspecting player in a heap on the ice? How much onus is on the puck carrier as he cuts through the neutral zone? This is a debate that will rage on and on.

Bobyk wasn’t penalized for the hit and, as I understand it, the Blades aren’t likely to ask for supplemental discipline.

You have to understand, too, that the Blades just might be a little sensitive to damaging hits.

On Friday, with 1:33 left in a 5-2 loss to the visiting Regina Pats, Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik was hit from behind by F Jeff de Wit.

Jeff De Wit boarding against Mark Rubinchik - you be the judge#REGvsSAS #WHL pic.twitter.com/o9mG3rdTOS

— WHL Unfiltered (@WHLunfiltered) February 5, 2017

On Saturday, the WHL handed de Wit one of those TBD suspensions. Fortunately, Rubinchik wasn’t injured — in fact, he had two assists in Saturday’s loss — so I wouldn’t expect de Wit to get a lengthy suspension. But, sooner or later, the WHL is going to have stop handing out charitable suspensions because hits like these really are creeping back into the game.

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Perhaps lost in all of this is the impact these injuries could have on the Blades drive to make the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2013.

It’s safe to assume that D Jake Kustra and F Braylon Shmyr both are concussed, with no timetable set for their returns.

F Lukus MacKenzie was injured during a second-period fight with Red Deer F Evan Polei. MacKenzie won’t be back anytime soon.

F Cam Hebig, a 69-point man last season, has yet to play this season.

F Mason McCarty, who has 23 points, including 14 goals, in 26 games, has been out for 11 weeks.

F Markson Bechtold, who was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs in December, was injured in his third game with the Blades and hasn’t played since.

Hebig, McCarty and Bechtold all are listed as being out week-to-week. There are only six weeks left in the WHL’s regular season.

The Blades (21-26-6) have 19 games left in their regular season. They are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, but are just one point ahead of the Calgary Hitmen.

The Blades next are scheduled to play Friday when they entertain the Moose Jaw Warriors with the Brandon Wheat Kings coming to town on Saturday.

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Darren Steinke, who now lives in Saskatoon after covering the Tigers for the Medicine Hat News for a few winters, was at the game between the Red Deer Rebels and Blades. Later, he blogged about it. His piece is right here.

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That brings us to the WHL’s very own Heidi moment.

On Nov 17, 1968, the host Oakland Raiders were up against the New York Jets in an NFL game. The Raiders struck for a pair of touchdowns in the last minute of the fourth quarter to escape with a 43-32 victory.

However, NBC-TV ended its coverage on the East Coast, choosing to show the movie Heidi, instead. That meant a large portion of its audience didn’t see the comeback.

On Saturday, the WHL game that had the Seattle Thunderbirds in Portland to play the Winterhawks was shown on TV in both markets.

One viewer emailed with this explanation:

“The game goes into OT and two minutes into OT the announcer says ‘we have to be off the air at 10 p.m., and the telecast just drops off . . . goes to the scheduled programming at 10 p.m., leaving fans like myself to rush to the computer to listen to the end of the game.

“Yes . . . this really did happen in the year 2017 . . . LOL!”

Jess Rubenstein, the prospect editor for Blueshirt Bulletin, was working the game and posted this on Facebook:

“Congrats to the CW 32 for having hockey's version of the Heidi Bowl tonight. They left the broadcast of the Winterhawks game at 10 PM while the GAME WAS STILL GOING ON.

“Don't they have engineers watching their broadcasts to avoid screw ups like this? One of the most exciting games the Winterhawks played this season and their viewers missed out on the ending.

“They owe their viewers a major apology.”

Oh well, at least the TV station didn’t go to Heidi. Instead, it was time for the news.

BTW, the Winterhawks won the game when F Alex Overhardt scored the only goal of a seven-round shootout. Portland has won seven in a row; Seattle had a seven-game winning streak end.

In fairness to the TV station involved, the game was 15 minutes late in starting, due to a glass problem. There also was a promotion involving mascots that ran long. In the end, the game didn’t end until 10:14 p.m.

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This just happened! #thankscanes #firstclass pic.twitter.com/lmXTlbwUKF

— Bruce Vance (@moveslikebagger) February 5, 2017

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes spent the weekend honouring the team that won the WHL championship in the spring of 1997.

The Hurricanes put a cap on the celebration with a 3-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. F Tyler Wong gave the home boys a 1-0 lead with his 38th goal at 10:02 of the first period. The Hurricanes, with G Stuart Skinner making 31 stops, nursed that until wrapping it up with two empty-net goals.

The Warriors took 52 of the game’s 92 penalty minutes, with 74 of those coming in the last 19 seconds of the third period. Referees Clayton Hall and Derek Zalaski doled out 10 fighting majors at 19:41, then added two more when Moose Jaw D Jett Wood and Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive scrapped at the final buzzer. 

Even if there aren’t any suspensions out of this mess, you can bet there will be some ch-ch-ching going into the WHL’s coffers.

Lost in all the commotion is that the Hurricanes have points in 13 straight games (11-0-2).

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A FEW OTHER WEEKEND NOTES: 

G Carter Hart put up his WHL-leading seventh shutout in a 1-0 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants.

TURNER OTTENBREIT

That is a single-season high for Hart, who now has 17 career shutouts. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald pointed out that Silvertips F Connor Dewar missed the first game of his WHL career. He had played in 132 straight regular-season and playoff games. . . . In Portland, D Turner Ottenbreit of the Seattle Thunderbirds played in his 200th regular-season game. Ottenbreit was selected by the Saskatoon Blades with the second-last player selected in the 2012 bantam draft; in fact, he was the last 1997-born player taken in that draft. . . . The Winterhawks took D Blake Heinrich, a 1995-born player, with the draft’s final selection. He played 132 games with Portland over two seasons. . . . The host Winterhawks beat the Thunderbirds, 4-3 in a shootout. That was Portland’s fourth game in five nights — the Winterhawks won them all. . . . Portland F Alex Overhardt, who scored the shootout winner on Saturday, was taken five selections before Ottenbreit. Overhardt was playing in his 184th game. . . .   

The Kelowna Rockets beat the host Prince George Cougars, 5-1, giving them a weekend sweep. The Rockets had won, 3-2, on Friday. The Rockets are healthy for about the first time this season. They got two goals from each of Nick Merkley and Reid Gardiner, as they proved that they definitely are a contender for at least a B.C. Division title. . . . Gardiner has 12 points, including six goals, in nine games since joining the Rockets from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. . . . In Regina, the Pats ran their winning streak to eight games with a 7-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. The visitors may have known they were in for a tough night when F Colton Kehler took an unsportsmanlike conduct minor before the game started. Yes, the Pats scored on the PP. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers escaped from Spokane with a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. Kamloops G Connor

CONNOR INGRAM

Ingram made 30 saves as the Blazers went 3-2-2 in a stretch of seven straight away from home. Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto wasn’t able to score on a penalty shot at 15:39 of the third period with his guys down a goal. . . . At game’s end, Kamloops head coach Don Hay had 710 regular-season victories, with Spokane’s Don Nachbaur at 686. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos continued his terrific season with two goals in a 4-1 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. He’s got 39 goals, one off the league lead held by Moose Jaw F Jayden Halbgewachs. . . . 

In Kennewick, Wash., F Matt Bradley had two goals and two assists as the Medicine Hat Tigers snuck past the Tri-City Americans, 6-5. Bradley’s 25th goal gave the visitors a 6-4 lead at 19:29 of the third period. That goal turned into the winner when Tri-City F Vladislav Lukin got No. 24 at 19:56. . . . On their way home from the Spokane, the Tigers had to stop in Cranbrook and wait for the Crowsnest Pass to open after it, like a lot of B.C. and southern Alberta, was hit by a huge snowfall. The Tigers are hoping to leave Cranbrook today (Monday) around noon. . . . The host Victoria Royals beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-1, as G Griffen Outhouse stopped 30 shots in winning for a WHL-leading 29th time. Outhouse is 47-19-7 in 75 appearances over two seasons. The Royals have won four in a row.

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Back in the day, when I was in my second go-round at the Brandon Sun and covering the Wheat Kings, one of the players I most enjoyed watching and chatting with was Kelly Glowa, who once enjoyed a 10-point game. . . . These days, he’s a husband with three beautiful daughters. He’s 53 and still playing hockey, now with the Boissevain Border Kings of the Tigers Hills Hockey League. . . . Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has more on Glowa right here.

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Duncan Krier was living a life of virtual anonymity as an account manager with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks until his name surfaced at the Super Bowl in Houston. When Atlanta Falcons centre Alex Mack, who is a great offensive lineman, was asked to name the greatest high school football player he has seen, he came up with “Duncan Krier.” . . . Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times then came up with this piece right here. Yes, it’s well worth your time.

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Feb 4, 1990
Victoria Cougars make 4th coaching change this season replacing Gary Cunningham (1W, 28L) with marketing director Lyle Moffat. pic.twitter.com/P1pP59JJKi

— Victoria Cougars (@victoriacougars) February 5, 2017

Meanwhile, in Victoria, the WHL team there changed head coaches for the FOURTH time this season. Oh wait! That was in 1990.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Hmm, Las Vegas or Nanaimo? ... Chiefs sign coach to extension ... Former SJHL coach dies at 49

Scattershooting, after watching Patrick Marleau score No. 500. . . . 

The WHL pooh-bahs are flocking to Las Vegas this weekend for their semi-annual meeting, once again thumbing their noses at the cities that are inhabited by their franchises. Why not go to Prince Albert or Swift Current or Cranbrook or Brandon or . . . 

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Or, hey, why not take the semi-annual show into Nanaimo and give the fans there a taste of the league while throwing around some cash? After all, the WHL is hoping that taxpayers there will build them an $80-million arena that would be home to the transplanted Kootenay Ice. 

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On the subject of the Ice, F Adam Cracknell, who played with it from 2002-06, has written a letter to the Kootenay Advertiser, pleading with fans to support the team so that it doesn’t leave Cranbrook. “If we can keep the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, we all win,” writes the Dallas Stars forward, who makes his offseason home in Cranbrook. “Without it, our town stands way more to lose than just the team. Supporting the Ice means supporting Cranbrook, and that’s good for everyone. Don’t just sit back and let them go. Get your friends and family together and get out to a game.” . . . The complete letter is right here.

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Last summer, Ken Hitchcock, the head coach of the St. Louis Blues and a sure-fire Hall of Famer, said this would be his final season as an NHL head coach. Hitchcock was fired on Wednesday, victimized by poor goaltending as much as anything. You have to think that Hitchcock isn’t going to want a firing to be his final chapter. Hello, Vegas Golden Knights. . . . 

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These are tough times for some Kamloops Blazers legends. Ken Hitchcock, who holds the franchise record for regular-season victories by a head coach, has been fired. Meanwhile, F Shane Doan (Arizona Coyotes) and F Jarome Iginla (Colorado Avalanche), both of whom own chunks of the Blazers, aren’t going to see the NHL playoffs unless they get traded. Both have let it be known that, yes, a change of scenery would be OK.

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Asked on Wednesday for his take on the temporary travel ban placed on some refugees by the U.S. government, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell bailed, saying: “As commissioner of the NFL, I’m singularly focused on the Super Bowl right now.” . . . Italian poet Dante Alighieri, who died in 1321, is credited with having said: “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”

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Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, will get the seat to Goodell’s right. When Belichick was asked about those refugee-related goings-on, he responded: “I’m focused on the Atlanta Falcons.” . . . He was asked a second time. The reply: “I’m focused on Atlanta.”

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Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels, has said that he is doing to take a look at a lot of things as he ponders a number of serious, long-term injuries that have hit his club over the past two seasons. Will the WHL schedule be one of them? Yes, that same schedule that too many times has teams playing three games in fewer than 48 hours or four games in five nights.

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We are into February and the WHL’s 2016-17 Official Guide and Record Book still isn’t available for download. Wouldn’t it be nice if the WHL put an explanation up on its website, something that let its fan know what has gone wrong and when/if the Guide might be available?

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Howard Tsumura provided top-notch coverage of high school and university sports for the Vancouver Province until Postmedia let him walk earlier this week. A couple of days later, Tsumura announced a new sponsored website (varsityletters.ca) that will be a one-stop shop for all of his coverage. So now those interested in B.C.’s high school and university athletic scenes don’t have to bother with a newspaper or its website. 

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F Kevin Sundher (Chilliwack/Victoria, Brandon, 2007-12) has signed a contract with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had five goals and 12 assists in 23 games with the Reading Royals (ECHL) this season before requesting his release.

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The #OilKings pay their respects before heading to Brandon pic.twitter.com/ReBDmOKNjH

— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) February 2, 2017

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On Wednesday, Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald tweeted that Kevin Constantine, the Everett Silvertips’ head coach, had said that he doubted any team had been scheduled to play seven games in nine days “in the history of the league.”

The Silvertips, of course, are into one such stretch.

On Thursday, we learned otherwise.

The MacBeth Report flashed back about 30 years with this:

“Constantine's claim that no one has ever done seven games in nine nights is incorrect. When I was with the Victoria Cougars in the 1980s, we always did our eastern swing — back when you played every team in the other conference twice — as eight games in 10 nights in eight different cities. We played Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”

You knew that TBird Tidbits would do some research, too. That’s what happened and it resulted in this tweet: “I'm assuming some sarcasm but it has happened before. Most recently for TBirds was Feb 9-17, 2008.(Actually happened 2x that season.)”

The Silvertips finish the 7-in-9 stretch on Saturday when they entertain the Vancouver Giants.

Everett then heads out for its East Division tour when it will play six times in nine days.

When it meets the Broncos in Swift Current on Feb. 18, Everett will have played 13 games in 23 days.

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The Spokane Chiefs have signed assistant coach Scott Burt to a contract extension that runs through the end of next season. Burt, 39, is in his fourth season on the Chiefs’ coaching staff. He joined the Chiefs after spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. From Mackenzie, B.C., Burt played four seasons in the WHL, making stops with the Seattle Thunderbirds, Swift Current Broncos, Edmonton Ice and Red Deer Rebels.

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The Everett Silvertips made a couple of roster moves on Thursday. . . . They returned F Cal Babych, 20, to the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, while F Dawson Butt, 16, has gone back to the U-16 Everett Jr. Silvertips. . . . Both players got into two games with the Silvertips and were pointless.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Sorry to hear of the passing of former @SJHLTerriers Coach Lee Odelein, who was living in Honduras.  He was 49.

— SJHL (@theSJHL) February 2, 2017

Lee Odelein, from Quill Lake, Sask., was a brother to Lyle and Selmar Odelein, both of whom played in the WHL. Lee was the head coach of the Yorkton Terriers from 1993-98. . . . He was the owner/manager of a bar named Rehab in Honduras. . . . Selmar played three seasons (1983-86) with the Regina Pats; Lyle spent three seasons (1985-88) with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

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Look who stopped in at practice today! @DierksBentley pic.twitter.com/lxia238Gjt

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) February 2, 2017

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Edmonton at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Portland at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Moose Jaw vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Regina at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

Calgary vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

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

Sutter rethinking things after injury ... Blazers, Chiefs make trade ... 'Cane train rolling

F David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Polonia Bytom (Poland, PHL). He had been released by the Fife Flyers (Scotland, UK Elite) on Monday. He had three goals and five assists in 30 games with the Flyers. . . . Turoň told hokej.net: “I wanted to be closer to home because of health problems with my in-laws.” He is from Havirov, Czech Republic. . . .

F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Orlik Opole (Poland, PHL). He had a goal and three assists in 27 games this season with Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He had signed with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Dec. 19 but didn’t appear in a game with them.

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D Alex Alexeyev of the Red Deer Rebels won’t play again this season and Brent Sutter, the team’s owner, general manager and head coach, now is taking an up-close look at everything from what players do in the off-season to how it practises.

“We’ve had some pretty significant injuries to some very important players the last year and a half,” Sutter

ALEX ALEXEYEV

told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com.

“From a general manager’s perspective, I have to look at certain things. We have to look at the demands we put on these players nowadays, with the off-ice conditioning and the way we practise.These kids are still growing into their bodies. They’re still young players whose bodies are filling out.

“It bothers me, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. Some injuries are fluke things. That being said, it still happens, and it’s been happening here more often than it needs to be and you’d like it to be, especially in the last couple of years.”

Sutter was referring to recent injuries to F Grayson Pawlenchuk, F Reese Johnson, F Conner Bleackley, D Josh Mahura, F Adam Musil and G Rylan Toth.

Sutter has long been an outspoken advocate of having teenagers play other sports in the summer, allowing them to use other muscle groups and to get away from the pressures of hockey.

He also has been cognizant of how much rest his players get but now is wondering if there is more that can be done in that area.

“I’d like to think we’ve done a good job with the rest part, but maybe it’s still not enough,” Sutter said. “There are certain things we need to do differently as a coaching staff. I have to take a serious look at it. You can’t just stick your head in the sand and ignore this.”

Alexeyev was injured when he slid into the boards during the third period of a 4-1 loss to the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday. He underwent surgery Tuesday for an undisclosed “lower-body” injury and, according to Meachem, “will need three to five months to recover.”

Alexeyev, who turned 17 on Nov. 15, is from St. Petersburg, Russia. He had four goals and 17 assists in 21 games.

Meachem’s complete story is right here.

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There is some news on the Brevin Gervais front.

You will recall that Gervais, 17, underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm in Kamloops on Friday. A native of Prince George, he had been playing for the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

Mateo Albinati set up a gofundme page with a goal of $16,000, then shut it down when it raised more than $20,000. On Tuesday, Albinati reopened the page.

“Due to overwhelming support,” he explained, “I have been asked to reopen the go fund me account. Everyone's generosity has already been amazing but every penny still helps. So please continue to spread the word and help the Gervais family.”

That page is right here.

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The Swift Current Broncos have brought back F Brandan Arnold, 19. The Broncos dropped Arnold from their roster on Jan. 11 — he had six points, two of them goals, in 27 games — and he joined the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. He had 12 points, including five goals, in six games with Nipawin. . . . From Dodsland, Sask., he was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in the 2012 bantam draft.

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The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Kyrell Sopotyk, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2016

bantam draft. From Aberdeen, Sask., the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder has 29 goals and nine assists in 35 games with the Prince Albert Mintos of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. . . . On Tuesday, he scored four times as the host Mintos beat the Saskatoon Blazers, 4-3. . . . The Blazers also made a trade on Tuesday, as they dealt a fourth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft to the Spokane Chiefs for a fifth- and a sixth-round pick in that same draft. The Blazers had two fourth-rounders in that draft — their own and one they acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors for F Jesse Shynkaruk on Nov. 20, 2014. The news release doesn’t specify which pick was sent to Spokane.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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JUST NOTES:

G Liam Hughes won’t play again this season for the Edmonton Oil Kings. Hughes, who last played on Oct. 29, is shown as having a “season-ending” injury on the WHL’s weekly roster report that was issued Tuesday. A 17-year-old freshman from Kelowna, he got into seven games this season, going 1-4-2, 3.26, .895 before being injured. . . . The Oil Kings have been going with veteran Patrick Dea, 19, and freshman Josh Dechaine, 18, as their goaltenders. . . .

The Vancouver Giants will be without F Taden Rattie for four games. That’s the length of the suspension he drew for becoming involved in a one-man fight during a game against the host Victoria Royals on Sunday. The incident occurred at 15:32 of the second period in a game won by the Royals, 6-3. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants 3-1 in Langley, B.C., on Friday, and 7-1 in Victoria on Saturday.

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Gordie Dwyer stepped down as head coach of Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL after a Tuesday game and now is head coach of Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss League. Dwyer, 39, was in his second season with Medverscak Zagreg. With Ambri-Piotta, he replaces Hans Kossmann. . . . Dwyer was an assistant coach with Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in December. . . . Medvescak Zagreb hasn’t named a replacement for Dwyer.

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The QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques have added Denny Lambert to their coaching staff. He will work alongside Eric Landry, who took over as head coach on Jan. 23 when Mario Duhamel was fired. Most recently, Lambert, a former NHL player, was an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. Lambert, 47, spent seven seasons (2004-11) with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, the last four as head coach.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Portland, F Joachim Blichfeld scored at 3:58 of OT to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks jumped out front when F Evan Weinger scored his 15th goal at

JOACHIM BLICHFELD

5:24 of the first period. . . . Everett scored two early second-period goals for a 2-1 lead. D Aaron Irvin got his 15th goal, at 3:17, and F Devon Skoleski scored No. 9 just 28 seconds later. . . . F Connor Dewar assisted on both goals. . . . Portland tied it on F Colton Veloso’s 13th goal, on a PP, at 6:02 and took the lead 42 seconds into the third period when F Alex Overhardt got his 10th goal. . . . The Silvertips tied the game, forcing OT, when F Brian King got his second goal of the season at 9:24 of the third period. . . . Blichfeld won it with his 17th goal of the season. . . . On Saturday, Blichfeld scored at 19:56 of the third period as Portland beat the Rockets 5-4 in Kelowna. . . . D Caleb Jones had two assists for Portland, while Blichfeld added one. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 31 shots for the Winterhawks. At the other end, Carter Hart made 42 saves. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . The Silvertips continue to play without D Noah Juulsen, who is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks (26-21-3) have won four in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points behind Kelowna and seven ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips (30-9-10) have lost five in a row (0-3-2), but they still lead the U.S. Division by six points over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . This game was rescheduled from Jan. 7, when it was postponed due to inclement weather. . . . Announced attendance: 3,406.

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.@WHLHurricanes celebrating a 4-3 shootout win over @bdnwheatkings in #yql pic.twitter.com/u5MT6JC2cD

— Ian Martens (@IMartensHerald) February 1, 2017

At Lethbridge, G Giorgio Estephan scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Lethbridge now is 1-3 in shootouts; Brandon is 5-2. . . . The visitors

GIORGIO ESTEPHAN

held 2-0 and 3-2 leads but couldn’t hang on. . . . F Tanner Kaspick scored his 17th goal, on a PP, at 14:05 of the first period and F Nolan Patrick got his ninth at 17:01 for that 2-0 lead. . . . The Hurricanes tied it on second-period goals from F Egor Babenko (16) and F Matt Alfaro (14), on a PP, at 13:58. . . . F Reid Duke’s 31st goal put Brandon back out front at 16:33. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong’s 36th goal, at 6:25 of the third period, forced OT. . . . F Zak Zborosky had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . D Kade Jensen drew two helpers for Brandon. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 31 shots from the Hurricanes, while Logan Thompson blocked 30 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-7. . . . Brandon was without D Kale Clague, who sat out a one-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred Sunday in Calgary. . . . The Hurricanes (29-15-7) have points in 11 straight games (9-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Wheat Kings (24-19-6) are 1-0-1 in their last two. They are fourth in the East Division, four points behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,410.

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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Brett Davis gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first period. . . . F Mason Shaw, playing with a full visor

JOHN DAHLSTROM

because of a facial laceration from a skate, tied it with his 19th goal, on a PP, at 16:49. . . . Kootenay took the lead with two second-period PP goals. . . . F Jake Elmer (5) scored at 3:57 and Davis added his 14th goal at 5:13 for a 3-1 lead. . . . Medicine Hat D Clayton Kirichenko’s eighth goal, at 6:58, got the Tigers back to within a goal. . . . F Mark Rassell’s 22nd goal, on a PP, tied it at 11:25. . . . F John Dahlstrom broke that tie with his 23rd goal, at 1:42 of the third period. . . . Shaw also had an assist. . . . F Vince Loschiavo had two assists for Kootenay. . . . Medicine Hat started G Nick Schneider, who was beaten three times on 20 shots in 25:13. Michael Bullion came on to finish up and get the victory, stopping all nine shots he faced in 34:46. . . . G Payton Lee blocked 42 shots for the Ice. . . . Kootenay was 2-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-4. . . . The Tigers (35-15-1) have won four in a row. They are third in the overall standings, four points behind the Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars, who are tied for top spot. . . . The Ice (12-32-8) has lost two straight. . . . These teams will play again tonight, this time in Cranbrook, B.C. . . . Announced attendance: 2,904, the smallest crowd in the history of the Canalta Centre, which is in its second season.

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KEEGAN KOLESAR

At Kent, Wash., F Keegan Kolesar scored on a breakaway at 1:07 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The teams combined for three goals in the final 4:09 of the third period in what was a frantic finish. . . . F Deven Sideroff had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:10 of the first period. . . . Seattle tied it on D Ethan Bear’s 18th goal, at 3:43 of the third period. Originally, the goal was disallowed on the ice, but that call was overturned after video review. . . . Seattle’s first goal came on its 44th shot of the game. . . . F Lane Bauer gave the Blazers a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 8:42. . . . Kolesar pulled Seattle even at 15:51 and F Sami Moilanen (15) sent the home team out front at 17:05. . . . However, Bauer’s 31st goal of the season tied it at 18:23. . . . Kolesar won it with his 12th goal. . . . Seattle got three assists from D Turner Ottenbreit, with Bear adding one. . . . Sideroff added two assist to his goal. . . . G Rylan Toth earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . The Blazers got a 57-save effort from G Connor Ingram, who was named the game’s first star. . . . Seattle held a 16-0 edge in shots with 9:37 left in the first period. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (30-15-4) have won six straight and moved into second in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kamloops (31-17-4) is 2-0-1 in its past three outings. It is second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Blazers and Thunderbirds will meet again in Kent on Friday, after Kamloops plays the Winterhawks in Portland on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 4,407.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Portland, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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