Showing posts with label Cody Porter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cody Porter. Show all posts

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Hitmen trim two 20-year-olds ... Rasmussen joins Team Canada's camp ... Ex-Royals coach stays in NHL

The last rays of a setting sun bounce off a cloud over
the Monte Lake fire on Thursday night.
We woke up to a whole lot of smoke on Thursday, but it apparently was coming from the Elephant Hill fire, which is the one that has caused so much damage in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area, and not the Monte Lake fire that started late Wednesday afternoon. However, by late afternoon on Thursday most of the smoke had moved away from our area, leaving behind a beautiful evening. . . . However, there was quite a bit of air traffic between Kamloops and Monte Lake at the same time, so they obviously aren't out of the woods there just yet. . . . With high winds and high temps forecast -- we've been around 35 and are headed for at least 37 in a day or two -- the summer of fire doesn't appear to be anywhere near its end.
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THE MacBETH REPORT . . .

F Taylor Stefishen (Prince George, 2010-11) has signed a one-year contract with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 44 games with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus). He led his team in assists and points.
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A LITTLE OF THIS . . .


The Calgary Hitmen are left with four 20-year-olds on their roster after G Cody Porter and D Jaydan Gordon cleared waivers. . . . That leaves the Hitmen with G Nick Schneider, F Jakob Stukel, F Matteo Gennaro and D Brady Reagan as the four remaining 20s on their roster. Each WHL team will have to declare a maximum of three 20s shortly after the new season begins. . . . Porter, from North Vancouver, was 14-16-3, 3.46, .888 in 34 appearances with the Hitmen last season. In 117 regular-season appearances, 42 with the Vancouver Giants and 75 with Calgary — he is 52-42-9, 3.30, .887. . . . Gordon, from Cochrane, Alta., had two goals and six assists in 70 games last season. He played his first two seasons with the Swift Current Broncos. In 172 career games, he has three goals and 13 assists. . . . Porter’s departure leaves Schneider as Calgary’s undisputed No. 1 goaltender. At the moment, veteran Kyle Dumba, 19, would appear to be No. 2 on the depth chart. Chance are, however, that the Hitmen won’t want to go into the season with a 19-year-old in a backup role. . . . Schneider, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers this summer, has signed an entry-level contract as a free agent with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, whose parent company also owns the Hitmen.
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F Michael Rasmussen has been added to Team Canada’s roster for the World Junior Showcase that is scheduled to begin today (Friday) in Plymouth, Mich. . . . Rasmussen, from the Tri-City Americans, had last season cut short by a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. His addition to the roster would seem to indicate that he now is healthy. . . . Rasmussen was added after F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was forced to opt out. He apparently hasn’t yet fully recovered from sports hernia surgery in the spring. . . . F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has had at least two surgical procedures due to sports hernias, also isn’t able to take part. . . . Also unable to take part are F Gabe Vilardi of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and F Adam Mascherin of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
Meanwhile, G Carl Stankowski, who backstopped the Seattle Thunderbirds to their first WHL championship last season, was scratched from Hockey Canada’s U-18 selection camp in Calgary due to an undisclosed injury. His spot was filled by Kevin Mandolese of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. . . . Team Canada, under head coach Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, will leave next week for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. The tournament opens on Aug. 7.
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F Kolten Olynek, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has decided to attend the U of Western Ontario and play for the Mustangs in 2017-18. Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. . . . He split last season between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. During his career, he also played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. . . . In 253 regular-season games, he had 32 goals and 45 assists.
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D Austin Adam, who played four seasons in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors, is transferring to Simon Fraser U after spending one season at the U of Western Ontario. . . . The 6-foot-6 Adam, 22, is from Surrey, B.C. He had a goal and two assists in 28 games with the Mustangs last season. . . . SFU plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.
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Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works for the Brandon Wheat Kings, also has been writing a column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. Those columns have mostly revolved around the world of WHL scouts and there adventures. However, there has been a change at the Journal and Fraser has chosen to end his column-writing career, at least for now. His last column is right here.
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Really . . . I mean, really . . . how are we doing in Kamloops in this summer of flames? Well, it seems that old friend Jack Knox of the Victoria Times Colonist paid us a recent visit and he quite liked what he saw, except for the fact that his volunteer services weren’t needed, that is. . . . His last column is right here.
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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT . . .

John Urschel sometimes was referred to as the smartest man in football. Urschel, 26, was in line to be the Baltimore Ravens’ starting centre in the upcoming season, that was before he surprised coaches, teammates and observers by announcing his retirement on Thursday. That decision came two days after researchers released the results of a study in which CTE was found in the brains of 110 of 111 deceased football players. . . . There’s more on Urschel’s decision right here.
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THE COACHING GAME . . .

Ben Cooper, a former WHL assistant coach, has signed on with the NHL’s Florida Panthers as their video coach. Cooper, 40, spent the past three seasons as the Vancouver Canucks’ video coach. Prior to that, he worked two seasons (2011-13) with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . He also has experience with Hockey Canada, and was on the coaching staff of Canadian teams that won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2009 World Junior Championship.
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TWEET OF THE DAY



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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:45 PM
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Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Porter: Seven injuries on one play . . . Rockets close on Cougars . . . T-Birds back on top in wild West


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 F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) has announced his retirement. This season, he had 19 goals and 41 assists in 46 games with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). . . .
F Andrew Clark (Brandon, 2005-09) has signed a one-year extension with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he had 23 goals and 34 assists in 49 games.
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 Les Lazaruk was busy on Tuesday night, calling the play of the Saskatoon Blades’ game in Red Deer against the Rebels.
But during some down-time earlier in the day, he compiled standings showing the WHL’s 22 teams before the Jan. 10 trade deadline, after the deadline, and going into last night’s games.
Here you go (figures in parentheses are post-deadline) . . . 
—
B.C DIVISION
Prince George 28-11-2 (14-9-3) 42-20-5
Kelowna 24-15-3 (16-6-2) 40-21-5
Kamloops 25-15-3 (13-8-3) 38-23-6
Victoria 22-16-4 (15-7-1) 37-23-5
Vancouver 16-23-3 (3-18-3) 19-41-6
—
U.S. DIVISION
Everett 25-5-7 (14-9-4) 39-14-11
Seattle 21-14-4 (20-5-2) 41-19-6
Tri-City 24-17-3 (14-8-0) 38-25-3
Portland 21-18-1 (14-8-3) 35-26-4
Spokane 17-17-7 (9-11-3) 26-28-10
—
EAST DIVISION
Regina 27-4-7 (18-8-1) 45-12-8
Moose Jaw 25-9-7 (16-8-1) 41-17-8
Swift Current 23-12-7 (11-8-3) 34-20-10
Brandon 20-16-4 (9-11-6) 29-27-10
Saskatoon 15-22-6 (10-9-3) 25-31-9
Prince Albert 8-31-3 (10-10-4) 18-41-7
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CENTRAL DIVISION
Medicine Hat 29-12-1 (17-7-0) 46-19-1
Lethbridge 22-15-5 (20-2-2) 42-17-7
Red Deer 18-17-6 (8-11-5) 26-28-11
Calgary 14-19-5 (11-11-5) 25-30-10
Edmonton 18-20-4 (2-20-1) 20-40-5
Kootenay 10-24-8 (4-17-2) 14-41-10
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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 Calgary Hitmen were playing the Pats in Regina on Jan. 6 when G Cody Porter went down. Oh, did he! . . . “I had seven injuries on the one play,” Porter said in a story posted at hitmenhockey.com. “It was a third-degree separated shoulder, third-degree dislocated shoulder, third-degree broken collarbone, torn labrum, torn AC joint, torn rotator cuff and a torn Bankart lesion. So it was a pretty serious injury off a play that didn’t seem very serious at the time.” . . . After all that, you have to wonder if his nickname isn’t Doc. . . . Anyway, Porter worked amazingly hard at rehab and is back, at least in a backup role, and it’s just in time because G Trevor Martin is out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. . . . Porter’s story is right here.
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When the Kamloops Blazers awoke on Friday morning, they were in Prince George, preparing for a game with the Cougars that evening. At the time, the Blazers were second in the B.C. Division, three points behind Prince George.
When the Blazers boarded their bus late Saturday night and headed for home, having lost both ends of a
doubleheader (8-4, 6-1), they were third in the division, seven points behind the Cougars and one behind the surging Kelowna Rockets.
Tonight, the Blazers open a Wednesday/Friday doubleheader against the visiting Victoria Royals. On Tuesday night, the Royals opened a five-game trek with a 4-3 loss in Kelowna.
The Royals went into that game having won six straight games, but all of those were against non-playoff teams (Kootenay, Vancouver and Spokane). Victoria will play in Kelowna again on Saturday.
A Victoria sweep of the Blazers would move the Royals past the Blazers, knocking Kamloops into fourth place in the division.
Such is life in the B.C. Division where four of the WHL’s most competitive teams reside.
The Blazers will have F Jermaine Loewen back for tonight’s game after he served a one-game suspension incurred after he took a cross-checking major and game misconduct on Friday night.
The Royals remain without D Chaz Reddekopp, who has been out since Feb. 15, and F Ryan Peckford, who hasn’t played since Feb. 7, both of whom remain week-to-week. There is a chance that F Tyler Soy, who last played on Feb. 11, could return Friday in Kamloops.
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Mike Fraser, the writing scout, has been out on the playoff trail of late. Just the other day, he was at a bantam game in Alberta when he glanced at the players’ benches and counted the coaches — one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. . . . In his latest column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal Fraser wonders: What’s up with that? . . . It’s all right here.
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If you haven’t seen it already, former WHL/NHL D Brent Sopel opened up his heart and soul with a piece headlined Lost in My Mind that was posted at The Players’ Tribune on Tuesday. . . . This is a heart-wrenching piece about a man who came to believe he was stupid but now knows that he is learning disabled. . . . Former players like Corey Hirsch, who had a piece there earlier, and Sopel are proving that hockey players are people, too. . . . Sopel’s piece is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

The Kamloops Blazers have a pair of 2016 bantam draft picks — F Connor Zary of Saskatoon and D Quinn Schmiemann of Wilcox, Sask. — practising with them this week. Zary, a second-round selection, had 45 points, including 27 goals, with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts this season. Schmiemann played with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox. He had 11 goals and 15 assists in 42 games. . . . Both players are scheduled to return to their homes on Sunday. . . . 
F Keyvan Mokhtari of the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies has committed to Colorado College, starting with the 2018-19 season. A native of Burnaby, B.C., he had 36 points, including 19 goals, in 47 games with the Grizzlies this season. . . . Mokhtari, who will turn 19 on May 4, was a seventh-round selection by the Everett Silvertips in the 2013 WHL bantam draft.
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If the WHL playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference
Regina vs. Saskatoon
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer
—
Western Conference
Seattle vs. Portland
Prince George vs. Victoria
Kelowna vs. Kamloops
Everett vs. Tri-City
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, the Rockets built a 4-0 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . F
NOLAN FOOTE
Nolan Foote got the Rockets started with his 17th goal — he’s 16 years of age — at 9:31 of the first period. . . . Kelowna went ahead 2-0 on F Carsen Twarynski’s 16 goal, at 4:33 of the second period. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf scored No. 33 just 22 seconds later. . . . F Leif Mattson (7) upped the lead to 4-0 at 5:19 of the third period. . . . The Royals made things interesting with three goals in the second-half of the third period. . . . F Jack Walker scored his 29th goal at 12:40. F Jared Dmytriw, who now has 15 goals, added scores at 12:58 and 18:45. . . . Walker also had an assist. . . . The Rockets got two assists from D James Hilsendager. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 30 shots to earn the victory. . . . Victoria starter Giffen Outhouse was beaten three times on 22 shots in 24:55. Dylan Myskiw came off the bench to stop 15 of 16 shots in 34:48. . . . Kelowna was 0-2 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Rockets (41-21-5) have won five in a row to close with two points of the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars. . . . The Royals (37-24-5) had points in their previous seven games (6-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers. The Royals play in Kamloops on Wednesday and Friday nights. . . . Announced attendance: 4,507.
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At Medicine Hat, F Chad Butcher scored 36 seconds into OT to give the Tigers a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Butcher, who has 25 goals, had drawn the primary assist on F John Dahlstrom’s game-
CHAD BUTCHER
tying goal, at 16:11 of the third period. He’s got 28 goals. . . . The Tigers got out to a 2-0 lead on goals from F Mark Rassell (34), who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, at 8:17 of the first period, and D Clayton Kirichenko (12), at 4:47 of the second. . . . The Ice took the lead on three third-period goals. F Brett Davis got his 18th at 1:44. F Colton Kroeker scored No. 17 at 6:40. F Vince Loschiavo, with assists on the first two goals, put the visitors out front with his 25th goal at 8:08. . . . Medicine Hat G Michael Bullion actually made a glove save on Loschiavo’s shot, but it turned out that the glove was over the goal line. . . . D David Quenneville had two assists for Medicine Hat. . . . Kroeker and Davis had one each for the Ice. . . . The Tigers had anticipated starting G Nick Schneider, but he came up ill during the warmup, so Bullion made his fifth straight start. He earned the victory with 24 saves. . . . G Payton Lee blocked 30 shots for Kootenay. . . . The Ice was 0-2 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-3. . . . The Ice went 1-3-1 on a five-game road trip. . . . Medicine Hat (47-19-1) leads the Central Division, by four points over Lethbridge and is second in the overall standings, three points behind Regina. . . . The Ice (14-41-11) has lost four in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,030.
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TYLER STEENBERGEN
At Prince Albert, F Tyler Steenbergen broke a 2-2 tie with 57.9 seconds left in the third period as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Raiders, 4-2. . . . Steenbergen has 47 goals, one off the WHL lead that is held by F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Steenbergen does lead the WHL in game-winners, with 11. . . . The Broncos iced it with an empty-netter from F Ryley Lindgren (23), at 19:42. . . . F Parker Kelly had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 8:57 of the first period. . . . The Broncos tied it when F Lane Pederson got No. 20 at 13:55. . . . It stayed that way well into the third period when F Kaden Elder put the visitors ahead with his 15th goal, at 10:25. . . . Kelly tied it with his second of the game and 18th of the season at 13:07. He’s got four goals and two assists over his past two games. . . . The Broncos got two assists from D Artyom Minulin. . . . G Jordan Papirny earned the victory with 33 saves. . . . G Ian Scott was beaten three times on 33 shots in 55:15, with G Nic Sanders stopping both shots he faced in 4:16. Sanders came on while Scott had an equipment issue. . . . The Raiders were 1-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-2. . . . Swift Current (35-20-10) has won five in a row, the last three of those on the road, and appears headed to a third-place finish in the East Division. . . . Prince Albert now is 18-42-7. . . . Announced attendance: 1,886. . . . Darren Steinke, the wandering blogger, was in the house and posted this right here.
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At Red Deer, F Jesse Shynkaruk scored with 16.5 seconds left in OT to give the Saskatoon Blades a 2-1
JESSE SHYNKARUK
victory over the Rebels. . . . It was Shynkaruk’s second goal of the game, his fourth OT goal this season and his 10th game-winner of the season. . . . F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers has five OT goals this season, tying the WHL record (F Eric Fehr, Brandon Wheat Kings, 2004-05). . . . Shynkaruk, 20, was a walk-on to the Blades’ training camp as he hoped to extend his WHL career. When this season began, Shynkaruk had 23 goals and 25 assists in 196 career regular-season games. This season, he has put up 51 points, including 30 goals, in 52 games. . . . Shynkaruk had opened the scoring, on a PP, at 1:12 of the first period. . . . The Rebels tied it at 12:10 of the second on F Evan Polei’s 29th goal of the season. . . . The Blades got 35 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . At the other end, Riley Lamb also stopped 35 shots. . . . Saskatoon was 1-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Calgary Hitmen didn’t want to see this game turn into a three-pointer, but it did. Saskatoon (26-31-9), which plays in Calgary tonight, moved into the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point ahead of the Hitmen. Red Deer (26-28-12) is third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,029. . . . Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com has a game story right here. It’s worth a click to see the photo by Rob Wallator that features Red Deer’s Matt Campese and Saskatoon’s Jackson Caller.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds moved back atop the Western Conference standings with a 5-2
KEEGAN KOLESAR
victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Thunderbirds (42-19-6) lead the conference by one point over the Prince George Cougars. Seattle also leads the U.S. Division, by a point over the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (26) gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 5:55 of the first period, but the Thunderbirds roared back to score the next five goals. . . . F Alexander True (21) tied it, on a PP, at 9:08, and D Turner Ottenbreit (6) shot Seattle into the lead at 10:45. . . . D Anthony Bishop gave Seattle a 3-1 lead with his second goal of the season at 19:30. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (26) and F Donovan Neuls (14) added third-period goals for the winners. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto scored Spokane’s final goal, his 37th, on a penalty shot at 19:07 of the third period. . . . Seattle got two assists from each of F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp, with Kolesar adding one. Kolesar is riding a 15-game point streak. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear had an assist in his return to the lineup, running his point streak to 13 games. . . . Seattle got 26 saves from Rylan Toth, who  leads the WHL with 35 victories. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler allowed five goals on 28 shots in 46:28. Donovan Buskey finished up, stopping all five shots he faced in 13:32 in the second appearance of his WHL career. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . The Chiefs (26-29-10) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are 12 points out of a playoff spot with seven games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 5,807.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Portland 7 p.m.
Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:19 PM
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Friday, December 30, 2016

Cougars, 'Tips tied on top ... 'Canes win old-fashioned shootout ... Ferguson great for Blazers


FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, F Reid Duke scored at 4:31 of OT to give the Wheat Kings a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw
REID DUKE
Warriors. . . . Duke, who drew the primary assist on the goal that forced OT, now has 20 goals in 28 games. He finished last season with 33 in 68. . . . Brandon forced OT when F Tyler Coulter scored his second goal of the game, and 15th of the season, at 6:33 of the third period. . . . F Connor Gutenberg (6) gave the Wheat Kings a 1-0 lead 47 seconds into the first period . . . Warriors F Nikita Popugaev (22) tied it at 16:57 of the first period. . . . Coulter’s shorthanded goal gave the home side a 2-1 lead at 10:17 of the second period. Coulter also drew the lone assist on the winner. . . . The Warriors took a 3-2 lead on goals from F Tristin Langan (3), at 14:03 of the second period, and F Jayden Halbgewachs, at 4:42 of the third period. Halbgewachs leads the WHL with 31 goals. . . . Brandon F Ty Lewis had two assists. He also was awarded a penalty shot after being hauled down by Moose Jaw D Josh Thrower at 17:20 of the third period with the score 3-3. Lewis wasn’t able to solve G Brody Willms. . . . Willms finished with 38 saves, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson earned the victory with 24 stops. . . . The Warriors were 0-3 on the PP; the Wheat Kings were 0-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (17-15-4) have won two in a row. They are fourth in the East Division, nine points out of third, but hold down a wild-card spot. . . . The Warriors now are 21-9-6 and sit second in the division, one point ahead of the third-place Swift Current Broncos. . . . The rematch is scheduled for tonight in Moose Jaw. . . . The Wheat Kings lost two forwards — Gutenberg and Meyer Nell — to undisclosed injuries in the first period. . . . F Ben McCartney, a second-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings. From Portage la Praire, Man., McCartney plays at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. . . . Announced attendance: 3,625.
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At Calgary, G Cody Porter stopped 31 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil
CODY PORTER
Kings. . . . D Aaron Irving’s 14th goal put the Oil Kings ahead 1-0 at 5:23 of the first period. . . . Calgary then scored the next three goals. . . . F Andrei Grishakov (4) tied it on a PP at 9:28. . . . F Beck Malenstyn got his 14th goal, and fourth in the past three games, at 5:27 of the second period. . . . F Andrew Fyten (4) increased the lead to 3-1 at 16:25. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm scored his fifth goal with 5.5 seconds left in the third period to get the visitors to within a goal. . . . Irving also had an assist. . . . The Oil Kings got 29 saves from G Patrick Dea. . . . F Liam Keeler, who was a first-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, was in Edmonton’s lineup. He plays for the midget AAA team at the Edmonton Southside Athletic Club (AMHL). He has 10 goals and 18 assists in 22 games with the Lions. . . . The Hitmen (14-17-3) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). They are seven points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Oil Kings slipped to 17-17-4, but still hold down a wild-card spot. . . . They’ll clash again Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. . . . Announced attendance: 8,754.
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At Everett, F Josh Curtis broke a 3-3 tie at 14:16 of the third period as the Prince George Cougars beat
JOSH CURTIS
the Silvertips, 4-3. . . . The victory lifted the Cougars (27-10-2) into a tie with the Silvertips (25-5-6) atop the overall standings. They are one point ahead of the Regina Pats (24-3-7) and Medicine Hat Tigers (27-11-1). . . . F Jansen Harkins had given the Cougars a 2-0 lead with goals at 1:02 of the first period and 1:04 of the second. He’s got nine goals. . . . Everett scored the next three goals, with D Kevin Davis drawing an assist on each of them. . . . F Matt Fonteyne scored at 9:19 of the second, and F Dominic Zwerger (17) tied it, on a PP, at 13:48. Fonteyne gave Everett the lead with his 10th goal, on a PP, at 2:26 of the third period. . . . That lead stood less than two minutes as Cougars D Brendan Guhle tied it with No. 9, at 4:15. . . . Harkins added an assist to his brace of goals, while F Brad Morrison and F Kody McDonald each had two assists. Guhle added one. . . . F Patrick Bajkov had two assists for Everett. . . . Prince George got 17 stops from G Ty Edmonds, while Mario Petit stopped 21 shots for Everett. . . . The Silvertips were 2-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-3. . . . Mike Benton, the Silvertips’ radio voice, reports that Everett’s record (25-5-6, 56 points) is the second-best through 36 games in franchise history, behind the 2006-07 team that was 30-5-1. . . . Announced attendance: 5,323.
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GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
At Kelowna, G Griffen Outhouse stopped 26 shots to lead the Victoria Royals to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . Outhouse stopped four shots in the first period and then turned aside 15 in the second. . . . F Jack Walker gave the Royals a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal at 4:12 of the first period. . . . F Kaid Oliver increased that to 2-0 with his second goal, at 8:17 of the third period. . . . Outhouse lost his shutout bid when Rockets freshman F Nolan Foote scored No. 10, on a PP, at 15:39. . . . The Rockets got 26 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Kelowna was 1-5 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Royals (20-15-4) are 3-0-1 in their past four games. They are fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind the second-place Rockets and Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Rockets (23-14-2) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,839.
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At Medicine Hat, F Brett Davis broke a 7-7 tie — yes, 7-7 — at 16:23 of the third period as the Lethbridge
BRETT DAVIS
Hurricanes beat the Tigers, 9-7. . . . Davis has 10 points, including six goals, in 25 games. Four of his goals have come over his past three games. Last season, he finished with five goals and four assists in 53 games. . . . F Giorgio Estephan put this one away with the empty-net goal. He’s got 19 goals. . . . The Hurricanes scored three goals in the second-half of the second period to take a 6-3 lead. Estephan and F Tyler Wong scored PP goals, at 10:54 and 14:22, with F Egor Babenko (11) counting at 19:06. . . . The Tigers tied it by scoring three times in 2:17 in the third period. F Mason Shaw got it started at 9:46, with F Chad Butcher (17) scoring at 11:35. Shaw’s 13th goal tied it 6-6 at 12:03. . . . Wong, with his 25th, gave Lethbridge the lead at 12:25. . . . Tigers F Zach Fischer tied it, again, with his 20th goal, at 15:15. . . . Wong finished with two goals and three assists, while Estephan had two goals and two assists, and F Ryley Lindgren had a goal (13) and two helpers. D Brennan Menell and F Colton Kroeker had two assists each, while Davis and Bellerive each had a goal and an assist. Bellerive has 15 goals. . . . F Matt Bradley scored twice, giving him 17, and added three assists for Medicine Hat, while Shaw added two assist to his two goals. F John Dahlstrom drew three assists and D David Quenneville had two. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 43 shots, while Medicine Hat’s Nick Schneider blocked 22. . . . The Hurricanes were 3-5 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-5. . . . Lethbridge (20-13-5) has won two in a row and is second in the Central Division, 10 points behind the Tigers and five points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Medicine Hat (27-11-1) had a six-game winning streak snapped, but still leads the Central Division by 10 points. . . . Announced attendance: 3,803.
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At Prince Albert, G Tyler Brown stopped 24 shots to help the Regina Pats to an 8-0 victory over the
LANE SCHIOLER
Raiders. . . . Brown has two shutouts this season and four in his career. . . . D Lane Schioler got the winning goal, his first WHL score coming at 8:48 of the first period. The goal came in his 69th regular-season game. . . . F Nick Henry (17) and F Lane Zablocki (10) each scored twice for Regina, while F Sam Steel scored his 25th goal and added two assists. F Austin Wagner also had a goal, his 16th, and two helpers. . . . The Pats got two assists from each of D Chase Harrison and D Jonathan Smart. . . . Steel’s goal came while the Pats were shorthanded. That was their WHL-leading 17th shorthanded score. . . . Prince Albert G Ian Scott gave up three goals on 13 shots in 22:46. Nic Sanders came on to finish up, allowing five goals on 19 shots in 37:14. . . . Regina was 3-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-3. . . . Regina (24-3-7) has points in four straight (3-0-1) and leads the East Division by seven points over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Raiders (8-28-2) have lost two in a row. . . . The teams will meet again on Sunday in Regina. . . . Announced attendance: 2,137.
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At Red Deer, D Troy Murray broke a 1-1 tie at 5:31 of the third period and the Kootenay Ice went on to a
ZAK ZBOROSKY
4-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Murray has three goals this season. . . . F Zak Zborosky led the Ice with a goal, his 27th, and two assists. . . . F Matt Alfaro (12) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 2:00 of the first period. . . . F Brandon Hagel’s 18th goal tied the score 41 seconds into the second period. . . . Zborosky’s 27th goal, in his 39th game, upped the Ice lead to 3-1 at 9:32 of the third period. Last season, Zborosky finished with 32 goals in 58 games. . . . Ice F Vince Loschiavo (13) iced it with an empty-netter, at 19:40. . . . F Noah Philp had two assists for Kootenay. . . . Ice G Payton Lee was outstanding, with 41 saves, 20 more than Red Deer’s Riley Lamb. . . . The Ice was 1-3 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-4. . . . By game’s end, Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, had his top line — Evan Polei, Austin Glover and Hagel — firmly planted on the bench. “In the third period tonight,” Sutter told reporters later, “our best players were terrible. That’s why they sat for the last 11 minutes.” . . . The Ice improved to 8-23-8. . . . The Rebels (17-16-6) have lost two in a row and remain third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 5,104.
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At Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks got 40 saves from G Cole Kehler as they beat the Seattle
COLE KEHLER
Thunderbirds, 2-1. . . . Kehler, an off-season pickup from the Kamloops Blazers, is 16-12-0, 3.04, .911 with Portland. . . . The Winterhawks won this one when F Skyler McKenzie scored his 25th goal, unassisted, to break a 1-1 tie at 15:42 of the third period. . . . He has 47 points in 39 games, after going into this season with 12 goals and 29 assists in 138 regular-season games. . . . F Keegan Iverson (14) gave the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead at 8:29 of the first period. . . . Seattle tied it when D Aaron Hyman (2) scored his first goal with the Thunderbirds, on a PP, at 6:01 of the second period. He was acquired on Tuesday from the Calgary Hitmen. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 34 shots for the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor was back after a one-game absence. . . . The Winterhawks (21-17-1) have won two in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, two points behind the Tri-City Americans and three ahead of the Thunderbirds. . . Seattle (18-14-4) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1) and holds down a wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,019.
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At Spokane, the Tri-City Americans rode a pair of three-goal outbursts to a 6-3 victory over the Chiefs. . .
PARKER AuCOIN
. D Ty Smith (3) got Spokane on the scoreboard first, at 4:37 of the first period. . . . The Americans scored the next three goals, with D Parker Wotherspoon (6) counting at 9:42, F Parker AuCoin scoring at 18:59, and F Morgan Geekie (21) making it 3-1 at 15:46 of the second period. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto’s 22nd goal, shorthanded, at 0:37 of the third period got the home side to within a goal. . . . The Americans then scored three straight, with F Michael Rasmussen (27) counting shorthanded, at 10:37, AuCoin getting his 14th, at 16:05, and F Max James (6) finding the range at 18:33. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto (15) scored for the Chiefs, at 18:49. . . . AuCoin has four goals in three games after not scoring for 14 in a row. . . . James, who hadn’t played since Oct. 22, now has six goals in 11 games. . . . Tri-City F Nolan Yaremko had two assists. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 25 shots to earn the victory over Dawson Weatherill, who made 24 saves. . . . Each team was 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Americans (21-16-3) are second in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Portland. . . . The Chiefs (15-15-6) are four points out of a playoff spot. . . . The same teams will meet again tonight in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Announced attendance: 7,740.
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At Swift Current, F Kaden Elder scored off a pass from F Aleksi Heponiemi at 2:11 of OT to give the
KADEN ELDER
Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Elder has eight goals this season. . . . The Broncos won on a night when families of the four players killed in a Dec. 30, 1986 bus crash were recognized in a pre-game ceremony. . . . The Blades took a 2-0 lead on goals from F Josh Paterson (9), on a PP, at 10:31 of the first period, and F Lukus MacKenzie (5), at 7:29 of the second period. . . . Paterson was playing in his 100th regular-season game. . . . D Max Lajoie (6) pulled the Broncos to within a goal, on a PP, at 8:25 of the second period. . . . F Kole Gable tied the score with his fifth goal, at 10:14 of the second. . . . The Broncos got 21 saves from G Travis Child. . . . G Brock Hamm turned aside 32 shots for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon was 1-2 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-4. . . . With four forwards out with injuries, the Blades dressed eight defencemen. . . . The Broncos (20-11-7) are third in the East Division, on point behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Blades (14-20-5) are five points out of a playoff spot. . . . The same teams will go at it again on Sunday in Saskatoon. . . . Announced attendance: 2,234.
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At Langley, B.C., G Dylan Ferguson stopped 39 shots to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 4-2 victory over
DYLAN FERGUSON
the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ferguson, an 18-year-old from Lantzville, B.C., started on Nov. 18, in a 6-5 victory over the host Tri-City Americans, then didn’t play until Dec. 10. With G Connor Ingram with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, Ferguson now has made nine straight starts, and the Blazers are 6-2-1 in those games. . . . D Dallas Valentine’s first goal of the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 14:39 of the first period. . . . The Blazers went up 2-0 on second-period goals from F Garrett Pilon (9), at 1:06, and F Quinn Benjafield (10), on a PP, at 19:47. . . . Benjafield also had an assist. . . . The Giants made it interesting on third-period goals from F James Malm (10), on a PP, at 16:27, and F Ty Ronning (13), at 18:31. . . . The Blazers put it away when F Collin Shirley scored his 16th, into an empty net, at 19:21. . . .  Vancouver G Ryan Kubic turned aside 26 shots. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . The Blazers (23-14-2) have won two in a row. They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for second in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (14-20-3) have lost two straight and are nine points from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,446.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Victoria at Kamloops, 5 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 7:30 p.m.
Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:55 PM
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Sunday, December 18, 2016

Holick enjoying Italy . . . Hitmen ice Ice again . . . Rockets end red-hot road trip


MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

We are into the stretch drive with the big day less than a week away. Right here is Johnny Mathis, the man with the voice, with . . . When A Child Is Born.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. Safe travels if you are on the byways and highways, and please slow down and enjoy the season. Taking Note will be here through the holidays just in case you need shelter from the storm. Besides, there still are more Christmas tunes to be played.
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F Tomáš Kopecký (Lethbridge, 2000-02) has been released by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had one assist in 15 games. He had started season with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga), recording two assists in five games.
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A year ago, Mark Holick was the head coach of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. Today, he’s coaching a team in Italy that plays in an open-air arena -- well, it does have a roof -- and having the time of his life. . . . There is more with Holick right here from The Coaches Site.
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F Tyler Ward of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials has committed to the U of Denver where he will play for the Pioneers. Ward, 17, is from Kamloops. He was an 11th-round pick of the Blazers in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. This season, he has 12 points, seven of them goals, in 16 games with the Centennials. Last season, he finished with 17 goals and 10 assists in 52 games.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Jordy Stallard broke a 2-2 tie at 13:41 of the third period and the Hitmen went on to beat the
JORDY STALLARD
Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . Stallard has six goals. . . . D Ryan Pouliot had given the Ice a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 1:07 of the first period. . . . The Hitmen tied it when F Andrei Grishakov (3) scored at 18:21. . . . F Jakob Stukel’s ninth goal gave the home side a 2-1 lead, at 8:18 of the second period. . . . F Austin Wellsby (2) pulled Kootenay into a 2-2 tie at 10:23 of the second. . . . Stallard also had an assist. . . . G Cody Porter had a big game with 33 saves to earn the victory. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 25 shots for the Ice. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-1. . . . Calgary improved to 13-16-2, while the Ice (6-22-8) lists its sixth straight game (0-5-1). . . . This was an important victory for the Hitmen, who are six points behind the Brandon Wheat Kings, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot and hold two games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 6,562.
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At Edmonton, F Jake Kryski scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Kelowna Rockets
MICHAEL HERRINGER
a 2-1 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Neither team was able to score through 40 minutes of regulation time. . . . F Nick Bowman gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead with his fifth goal, at 1:50 of the third period. . . . Kelowna tied it at 8:45 when F Jack Cowell scored his second goal of the season. . . . Rockets F Kole Lind had a 13-game point streak come to an end. . . . Edmonton held a 7-1 edge in shots in OT but wasn’t able to solve Rockets G Michael Herringer. He finished with 28 saves through OT, then was perfect on three shootout attempts. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea turned aside 29 shots. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (22-12-2) are 3-0-1 in their last four games and are second in the B.C. Division. They went 5-1-1 on a seven-game trek that started with a 3-2 OT victory over the Tri-City Americans on Dec. 9 and included six stops in the Central Division. All told, the Rockets played the seven games in 10 days. . . . The Oil Kings (16-15-4) have points in four straight games (2-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, but are just two points behind the Red Deer Rebels, who are third in the Central Division. . . . The Rockets are 2-0-0 in Edmonton this season. They won 1-0 on Oct. 7. . . . Announced attendance: 8,657.
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DEC. 19-26:

No Games Scheduled.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Dec. 10: D Josh Thrower, 12:13 1st period, Prince Albert 4 at Moose Jaw 5 (SO).
Dec. 10: F Nick Bowman, 13:38 2nd period, Kamloops 3 at Edmonton 2.
Dec. 10: D Troy Murray, 1:51 2nd, Kelowna 7 at Kootenay 3.
Dec. 10: F Max Gerlach, 5:26 1st period, Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 7.
Dec. 10: F Skyler McKenzie 2:21 1st, Everett 2 at Portland 5.
Dec. 10: F Josh Curtis, 6:02 2nd period, Seattle 4 at Prince George 6.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.
Dec. 16: F Linden McCorrister, 17:47 1st period, Saskatoon 2 at Brandon 3 (SO).
Dec. 16: F James Malm, 3:34 1st period, Portland 4 vs. Vancouver 6, at Langley, B.C.
Dec. 17: F Braylon Shmyr, 2:13 2nd period, Brandon 3 at Saskatoon 2.
Dec. 17: F Eetu Tuulola, 19:29 2nd period, Portland 2 at Everett 4.
Dec. 17: F Eric Florchuk, 15:57 1st period, Vancouver 5 at Victoria 4 (OT).

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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:00 PM
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