WHL final resumes tonight . . . 10 things you didn't know about Blazing Saddles!

G Rastislav Staňa (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Staňa started this season with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), going 2.31 and .912 in 24 games. He signed with Košice (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Jan. 28 and was 1.25, .952 in eight games. . . .

F Matt Ellison (Red Deer, 2002-03) has signed a two-year contract with Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). Ellison started this season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A), picking up one assist in seven games. He signed with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL) on Oct. 2 and finished with 15 points, eight of them goals, in 38 games. . . .

F Konstantin Pushkarev (Calgary, 2004-05) signed a one-year extension with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). This season with Barys, he had four points, including one goal, in 21 games. In five games with Nomad Astana (Kazakhstan, Vysshaya), he had six points, including three goals. . . .


D Gennadi Razin (Kamloops, 1996-98) has signed a one-year extension with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). This season, he had three points, two of them goals, in 49 games.
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1. All three major junior finals resume tonight. The Portland Winterhawks take a 2-0 lead on the Oil Kings into Edmonton for a game that is available on Shaw TV. . . . In the OHL, the Guelph Storm and North Bay Battalion are tied 1-1, with both games having been decided in OT. They are in North Bay tonight. . . . In the QMJHL, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Val-d’Or Foreurs also are 1-1. They are in Val-d‘Or tonight.

2. If you were wondering, Sportsnet will televise Game 5 of the OHL series on Friday night.

3. The Oil Kings, who trail 2-0 in the WHL’s best-of-seven final, spent far too much time chasing the game in Portland. So far, the Winterhawks have played with the lead for 114 minutes 58 seconds.

4. Columnist Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun was in attendance for the first two games of the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup in Portland on the weekend. He writes that the Edmonton Oil Kings, who lost both games to the Winterhawks, have gone from underdogs to longshots. . . . That column is right here.

5. Columnist John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal previews Game 3 of the WHL final right here, starting with the role Portland G Corbin Boes has played since taking over as the Winterhawks’ starter.

6. A couple of things from WHL Facts (@WHLFacts). . . . “2000 - The last time a team trailed 2-0 in a WHL Final series & came back to win was the @WHLKootenayICE in 2000, who defeated Spokane in 6.” . . . “75 - With 2 points (Sunday night), @pdxwinterhawks Brendan Leipsic now has 75 for his playoff career, moving him into a tie for 7th place all-time.” . . . Leipsic is tied with F Ray Allison (Brandon, 1976-79), and is two points behind F Brian Propp (Brandon, 1977-79).

7. The AHL has approved the transfer of the Abbotsford Heat, the top affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, to Glens Falls, N.Y., where it will replace the Phantoms. The NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers are moving the Phantoms to Allentown, Pa. . . . New York State now is home to six of the AHL’s 30 franchises. . . . There continues to be speculation that some of the NHL’s western-most franchises are going to relocate their AHL affiliates to the western side of the U.S. A report at MayorsManor.com in April indicated that eight NHL teams once were involved in discussions but that the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks are the teams most serious about this project. . . . The report from MayorsManor.com is right here.

8. If you were wondering how much Floyd Mayweather will make from last weekend’s bout, you should start at about US$70 million. On Monday, he tweeted: “$32,000,000.00 for 36 minutes. I’m waiting for the PPV numbers to come in so I can make another $38,000,000.00 on the back-end . . . making it a grand total of $70,000,000.00.” . . . Now you should pick any 36 minutes out of your life and figure out how close you have come to duplicating that.

9. Chances are you have seen the Mel Brooks movie Blazing Saddles. If not, you should. And if you click right here you will find 10 things you never knew about Blazing Saddles.
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The Portland Winterhawks have added D Blake Heinrich, who turned 19 on Feb. 17, to their roster. A native of Cambridge, Minn., Heinrich had 16 points, including seven goals, and 117 penalty minutes in 42 games with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. The 5-11, 195-pounder was the Musketeers’ captain. . . . Heinrich was a fifth-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL draft. The Winterhawks selected him in the 12th round of the 2012 bantam draft, at which time he already was 17 years of age.
“We have had discussions with Blake since drafting him about becoming a Winterhawk and are excited to announce that he will join us at the end of the (season),” Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston said in January when the club announced it had signed Heinrich. “He is a dynamic defenceman who is a perfect fit for our style of play. I expect he will be a big part of our future over the next two seasons as we rebuild our defence.”
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The USHL held Phase 1 of its annual draft on Monday. There is a list right here of players who were selected and have ties to the WHL.
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The OHL’s Oshawa Generals announced Monday that Jeff Twohey has resigned after two seasons as their general manager. . . . The Generals were swept by the North Bay Battalion in the Eastern Conference final. . . . The Generals were first in the Eastern Conference this season, after finishing third last season. . . . Roger Hunt, the Generals’ assistant GM, has taken over as acting GM.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Chris Hartsburg, a former assistant coach of the Everett Silvertips, has signed on as head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Hartsburg spent this season as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Erie Otters. . . . Hartsburg spent four seasons (2009-12) as an assistant coach with the Silvertips. He is the son of former NHL player and head coach Craig Hartsburg, who did a stint as the Silvertips’ head coach. . . . With the Stars, he replaces Jimmy McGroarty, who was fired on March 21. Mick Berge, an assistant coach, served as interim head coach. . .  . The Stars missed the playoffs this season for the third time in their 18 seasons of existence.
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The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have fired head coach Todd Gill and assistant coach Jeff Reid. The moves come after an 84-point regular season and a first-round playoff loss to the Peterborough Petes. The Frontenacs won the first three games of that series, then lost four straight. . . . At the same time, the Frontenacs re-signed general manager Doug Gilmour and Darren Keily, the assistant GM and director of hockey operations. Gilmour has been with the team since 2008 and has been GM since 2011. Keily signed on as an assistant coach in 2008, was named AGM in 2011 and director of hockey ops in 2012.
Doug Graham of the Kingston Whig-Standard has more right here.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised on delayed basis by Root Sports)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
(Portland leads, 2-0)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton 2 at Portland 5 (10,947)
Sunday: Edmonton 1 at Portland 3 (10,645)
Tuesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
x-Sunday: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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MONDAY’S GAME:
No game scheduled.
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From David Larkins (@LarkinsWSun) of the Winnipeg Sun: “I'm taking out a restraining order on the Trivago guy. For all of us.”
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From Julius Sharpe (@juliussharpe): “My Dad lived through WWII, rock and roll, the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam and 9/11. I've updated the Adobe Flash player 900 times.”


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Lazar key as Oil Kings go up 2-0

With apologies to Elliotte Friedman, here are 10 thoughts . . .
1. If he doesn’t already, G Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens is going to own that city before these playoffs are over.
2. If you are following the series between the Canadiens and Tampa Bay, you’ll be aware that Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is in the process of striking up a two-way love affair with the media. (If there were any doubts as to whether the Forums ghosts made the trek to the Bell Centre in Montreal, they may have been allayed on Sunday.)
3. The series between Boston and Detroit turned when Bruins F David Krejci drilled Red Wings D Brendan Smith on Sunday afternoon and there wasn’t a boarding penalty called. If the Winged Wheelers are to be competitive in that series, they need those calls to be made and to score on the ensuing power plays. . . . At least, Boston F Brad Marchand hasn’t speed-bagged one of the Wings yet.
4. The NHL must be into the playoffs because the on-ice officials are getting it from all directions. How were the voices of the fans heard before the arrival of social media?
5. Will anyone test the Edmonton Oil Kings before they reach the WHL’s championship final? They’re up 2-0 on the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference final, meaning they are 10-1 in these playoffs.
6. The San Jose Sharks are whuppin’ the Los Angeles Kings 6-2 late in the third period and have Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau out there on the power play. Now it’s a 5-on-3 and the Sharks have their big guns out there -- Thornton, Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Dan Boyle and Logan Couture. . . . And now it‘s 7-2. . . . Do you think maybe these teams don’t like each other?
7. Is the MLB season already over for fans of the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners?
8. I am hearing that a news conference could be held at the CN Centre in Prince George on May 12 to make official the sale of the Cougars.
9. F Vincent Lecavalier, who turns 34 years of age today (Monday), is on the Philadelphia Flyers’ fourth line? Who saw that coming?
10. Does Portland Winterhawks GM/head coach Mike Johnston start Brendan Burke or Corbin Boes in goal on Tuesday night in Game 3 against the visiting Kelowna Rockets? The Western Conference championship is 1-1. . . . Burke has started five games against Kelowna this season and he has been hooked from three of those, including Saturday’s 5-4 victory in Kelowna. . . . The betting here is that Burke starts on Tuesday, if only because Johnston is more comfortable with Boes coming off the bench if needed.
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The Portland Winterhawks blew a 3-0 lead and lost 5-4 to the host Kelowna Rockets in Game 1 of the WHL’s Western Conference final on Friday night.
One night later, the Winterhawks erased a 2-0 first-period deficit and beat the Rockets, 5-3.
What was the difference?
At least part of it, according to Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnstone, may have had something to do with Game 1 being televised nationally in Canada by Sportsnet.
Your average WHL game has one timeout per period. Having Sportsnet in the house meant there were three of those.
“That was tough for us because we like to play with speed,” Johnston told Portland freelance journalist Scott Sepich. “I don’t really like it, I like to play the games the way it was tonight.”
Portland F Nic Petan, who had a goal and two assists in Game 2, added: “We’re not on TV much so we’re not used to (the timeouts).”
In Game 2, Petan said, “We were able to keep our momentum when we had it.”
None of the remaining games in this series are scheduled to be televised. Shaw-TV is showing all games in the Eastern Conference final between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Medicine Hat Tigers.
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Does this stuff really happen in today’s world? . . . Some parents in the Ottawa area created an online forum that they used to bully kids, according to the newspaper Metro.
Trevor Greenway writes: “Metro came across several threads on Network54.com written by Ottawa hockey parents that were criticizing kids behind their backs, insulting their skills, attitude and the way parents ‘pumped her head up so much that she can barely get a helmet on.’ ”
Greenway’s story is right here.
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F Ryan Bowen, a fifth-round selection by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2013 bantam draft, has committed to playing for the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs in 2014-15. Bowen, who is from Chilliwack, has signed with the Warriors. . . . He played this season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy U18 midget prep team, putting up 32 points, 12 of them goals, in 41 games.
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The Anaheim Ducks have signed D Kenton Helgesen, who turned 20 on March 19, to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Helgesen has played three seasons with the Calgary Hitmen. From Fairview, Alta., he had 51 points, including 10 goals, in 71 games this season. . . . The Ducks selected him in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2012 draft.
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Outfielder Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals didn’t run out a ground ball on Saturday and ended up on the bench. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post has a terrific column right here, dealing with Harper and how manager Matt Williams is handling him.
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, F Curtis Lazar broke a scoreless tie with two second-period goals and the Oil Kings went on to a 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Oil Kings lead the Western Conference final 2-0 as the teams head to Medicine Hat for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Lazar, who has six goals in these playoffs, struck on the PP just 34 seconds into the second and then added a shorthanded tally at 10:47. . . . F Chad Butcher got the Tigers to within one on a PP at 12:14 of the second. . . . Edmonton F Edgars Kulda scored an empty-netter at 19:21 of the third period. . . . Butcher and Kulda each has five goals. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry turned aside 32 shots, 11 fewer than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-for-5. . . . Lazar now has 46 career playoff points, and shares the Oil Kings’ franchise record with F Michael St. Croix, who now is with the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors. . . . Medicine Hat D Tyler Lewington said his guys aren’t done. "It is definitely going to be a challenge coming back,” he told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News, “but I think that we got a little momentum with this game. We played a good team game. I think we did a lot of good things that we feel help us coming into Tuesday night."
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “Tonight's 50/50 Jackpot of $7,337 went unclaimed. Ticket #: 124331C has 2 business days to claim.”


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Winterhawks back on even ground; meet the bus driving radio man

With apologies to Elliotte Friedman, here are 10 thoughts . . .
1. Via Twitter, Friedman, of Hockey Night in Canada, explained the Quenneville-Lucic discipline discrepancy, of US$25,000 vs. $5,000: “Comparing Quenneville's fine to Lucic: players have a CBA, coaches don't. That's the difference. Drives coaches crazy.”
2. How many fighting majors have been handed out through four days of Stanley Cup play? Two? Four? Six? Eight?
3. There have been two fighting majors through 13 games, going into Sunday’s play. . . . Obviously, this is more proof that fisticuffs aren’t needed if hockey is to be entertaining.
4. You watch Boston Bruins F Milan Lucic spear D Danny DeKeyser of the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks D Brent Seabrook drill F David Backes of the St. Louis Blues, and you wonder where the respect factor has gone? Shouldn’t the game be about taking the puck from an opponent, rather than putting an opponent out of the game?
5. If you’re a sporting fan, you have to admit that it’s neat to see some basketball fever in Toronto. And it is going to be interesting to see how much NBA commissioner Adam Silver lightens the wallet of Raptors GM Masai Ujiri for his “(Bleep) Brooklyn” comment on Saturday. . . . I’m thinking the fine will be closer to Quenneville country than to Lucic country.
6. If you weren’t aware, Brooklyn Nets small forward Andrei Kirilenko, who didn’t get off the bench on Saturay in Toronto, is preparing to open the first Hooters restaurant in Russia. The grand opening is scheduled for Moscow on April 28. As Sam Laird of mashable.com wrote, the restaurant “will include 40 flat-screen TVs for sports-watching, as well as a gift shop featuring the Hooters merchandise Russians don't yet know they need.” (BTW, AK-47’s wife turned to Instagram to question why Nets head coach Jason Kidd kept her husband on the bench. Ahh, you just gotta love social media.)
7. If you were wondering, the two fighting majors went to F Brandon Prust of the Montreal Canadiens and D Radko Gudas of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They scrapped at 2:56 of the second period in Game 2 on Friday night.
8. By the time the Portland Winterhawks and Kelowna Rockets get through with each other, you wonder how much the survivor will have left. After two games, this is shaping up as one of those epic series that people will talk about for a long time. (If you’ve Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston, who is your starting goaltender for Game 3?)
9. If the Saskatoon Blades haven’t handed a blank cheque to Mike Williamson, who was deposed as head coach of the Calgary Hitmen a couple of days ago, you have to assume it’s only because it’s a long weekend in Canada and their banker was at the lake getting his cabin ready for summer, which may only be two months away.
10. You realize, of course, that five OT goals have been scored in these Stanley Cup playoffs and that three have come from WHL grads. D Barret Jackman (Regina Pats, 1997-2001) and F Matt Calvert (Brandon Wheat Kings (2007-10) scored in extra time for the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night. On Wednesday, F Dale Weise (Swift Current Broncos, 2005-08) scored an OT goal for the Montreal Canadiens.
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If you read one thing today, make it this column by Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun. It’s all about the legendary Bob Ridley, the bus driving radio man who is the voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers. This is good stuff.
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Joel Quenneville, the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, was fined US$25,000 for grabbing his man region as he expressed his disgust with the officiating in Game 1 of a playoff series against the St. Louis Blues the other night.
F Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins will be fined, perhaps $5,000, for a spear to the groin of Detroit Red Wings D Danny DeKeyser in Game 1 of their series on Friday evening.
Of course, the NHL is a bit confused.
Chris Peters of cbssports.com has more right here.
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D Jaynen Rissling, who played out his eligibility with the Calgary Hitmen this season, had his NHL rights dealt by the Washington Capitals to the Nashville Predators on Saturday for a seventh-round pick in the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Rissling, who played five seasons with the Hitmen, had 37 points, including eight goals, in 54 games this season. He was Calgary’s captain. . . . He was a seventh-round selection by Washington in the 2012 NHL draft.
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 1-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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SATURDAY’S GAME:
In Kelowna, the Portland Winterhawks erased a 3-1 deficit with three quick second-period goals and went on to beat the Rockets, 5-3. . . . The Western Conference final is tied 1-1 with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for Portland on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Kelowna took a 2-0 lead into the second period, thanks to first-period PP goals from F Nick Merkley, at 12:05, and D Ryley Stadel, at 12:37. . . . Portland F Dominic Turgeon got his first playoff goal 24 seconds into the second period, but Kelowna D Madison Bowey got that one back, with his fifth, just 1:09 later. . . . The Winterhawks then struck three times in 2:10, with F Nic Petan getting it started on a PP at 9:54. F Oliver Bjorkstrand tied it with his 12th goal at 11:51, and F Brendan Leipsic gave his guys the lead, with his ninth goal, at 12:04. . . . F Alex Schoenborn provided Portland with some insurance at 8:45 of the third. . . . Petan also had two assists, while Portland D Derrick Pouliot had three assists. . . . Bjorkstrand and Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk lead the WHL, each with 12 goals. . . . With 8:54 left in the second period and Kelowna leading 3-2, Portland freelancer tweeted that the Winterhawks already had 26 shots “which are as many as it had in the entire game (Friday) night.” . . . Portland outshot its hosts 24-14 in the second period and had a 4-1 edge in goals. . . . Of course, Portland took a 4-3 lead into the third period on Friday, too, and ended up losing, 5-4. . . . Portland opened with Brendan Burke in goal. But he left at 1:33 of the second period, after giving up three goals on nine shots. Corbin Boes, a January acquisition from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, came on to stop all 15 shots he faced. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 48 shots. . . . The Rockets were outshot 17-4 in the third period. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-3 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 1-for-7, with three of those coming in the game’s last seven minutes. . . . Which goaltender does Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston start in Game 3. Here’s a post-game tweet from Sepich (@SSepich): “Mike Johnston noncommittal about Burke or Boes right now, though he thought Burke was out of position on 2 goals and a change was needed.” . . . Johnston also told Sepich: “"We played our game tonight. When we're on, our puck movement is really crisp, really sharp. We were snapping it around good.” . . . Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska told Sepich: “They were the better hockey club tonight. They were skating, when you stand around against them they'll do that to you.”
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From Randy Sportak (@SUNRandySportak) of the Calgary Sun: “Hate when coaches say, ‘I didn't see it.’ Makes them just as culpable. Show some leadership and admit your player has to stop that crap.”
That was after Boston head coach Claude Julien said he hadn’t seen video of Bruins F Milan Lucic spearing Detroit Red Wings D Danny DeKeyser in the groin.
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From Brad Ziemer (@BradZiemer) of the Vancouver Sun: “That cute Because it's the Cup #nhl marketing phrase takes on new meaning with Lucic incident.”
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From Kevin Paul DuPont (@GlobeKPD) of the Boston Globe: “Lucic $5k fine for DeKeyser spear. Coach Q weeps.”
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From Makenna (@Mak_Alberts24): “My sister got out of a speeding ticket by telling the officer we were on the way to the @pdxwinterhawks viewing party!”
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From Dan Russell (@DanRussellST): “Never's worked for me!”

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Winterhawks, Ice's Reinhart keep streaks alive

Greg Gatto (Brandon, Spokane, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1990-92) is the new head coach of the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes, at least for the final 10 games of this season. Gatto, who was fired earlier this month as the head coach of the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, replcaes Matt Cressman, who was dismissed Thursday. Cressman had been in his first sesaon as head coach, but his 13th with the Jackalopes. . . . Gatto was an assistant coach with the Jackalopes in 2003-04. He also played for the Jackalopes in 2002-03 when he and Cressman were teammates.
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D Griffin Reinhart, the captain of the Edmonton Oil Kings, hopes to play this afternoon against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. Reinhart missed six games in February because of the flu, but he’s hoping he’s well enough to play today. . . . The Oil Kings and Hitmen are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference, each with 91 points. The Oil Kings have 10 games remaining; the Hitmen have eight to play.
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The Regina Pats have added F Sam Steel to their roster for the remainder of this season. Steel, the second overall selection in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, spent the season with the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., J. Ennis Kings. Their season ended earlier this week, freeing him up to join the Pats. . . . The Pats will use Steel, too, as they have been hit by injuries and illness. He played last night as the Pats beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Regina was again without F Boston Leier and F Dryden Hunt, both of whom have concussions. F Morgan Klimchuk and D Dmitry Sinitsyn, both of whom missed a game this week due to illness, were back.
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File this under the best laid plans. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald had hoped to get video of a post-game celebration between G Austin Lotz and D Ben Betker of the Everett Silvertips, and then post it on his blog. Well, the stars were aligned the other night, except that a bear got in the way. . . . Read all about it right here.
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F Tanner MacMaster of the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks had signed a letter of intent to attend Boston College and play for the Eagles. However, it seems he has changed his mind and now has committed to Quinnipiac, which is in Hamden, Conn., where he will play for the Bobcats. . . . The Spokane Chiefs selected MacMaster with the 19th overall pick of the 2011 bantam draft. This season, with the Kodiaks, MacMaster, who turned 18 on Jan. 8, has 40 points, including 11 goals, in 47 games. Last season, he finished with 48 points, 24 of them goals, in 56 games. . . . Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster (Moose Jaw, Calgary, Tri-City, 2007-12).
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SATURDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Calgary at Edmonton, 2 p.m.
Kootenay at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7:30 p.m.
Kamloops at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Portland at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES):
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Colton McCarthy had a goal, his sixth, and an assist for the Warriors, while F Jack Rodewald got his 22nd goal and also had an assist. . . . Lethbridge F Taylor Cooper scored his 12th goal, seven of which have come against the Warriors. . . . The Hurricanes have lost eight in a row. . . . Neither the Warriors (17-38-9) nor Hurricanes (12-49-5) will appear in the playoffs. . . .

In Regina, F Connor Gay’s second goal of the game, at 4:13 of OT, gave the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Gay has 15 goals this season. . . . The Broncos scored twice in the first period and took a 2-0 lead into the second period. . . . Gay tied the score at 3:29 of the third, with F Patrick D’Amico giving the Pats their first lead, with his sixth goal, at 6:03. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon forced OT with his 24th goal at 12:24. . . . The Pats, who went 10-2-1 in February, are 36-23-6 and atop the East Division, seven points ahead of the Broncos (31-24-9). . . .

In Saskatoon, the Kootenay Ice scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Blades, 4-2. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had one assist, running his point streak to a franchise-record 22 games and his assist streak to 15 games, which already was a franchise record. Former Ice F Mike Comrie had set the previous points record of 21 games in 2000-01. . . . Saskatoon F Cameron Hebig, assigned the task of checking Reinhart, scored his 12th goal. . . . The Ice is 9-2-0 in its last 11. . . . The Blades have lost four in a row; they also have lost seven straight on home ice. . . . Ice F Luke Philp tied the score 2-2 with his 27th goal at 4:06 of the second period. . . . Kootenay D Landon Peel scored his fourth goal at 8:36 of the third to give his side its first lead. . . . Ice D Landon Cross iced it with a shorthanded empty-netter, his second goal this season, at 18:42. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 31 shots. . . . It was Critters Pucks and Paws Night. There were 158 dogs in the audience, along with 4,517 folks. . . . Blades F Nikita Scherbak had his 10-game point streak snapped. . . . D Jordan Thomson made his debut with the Blades. Thomson, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers in January. He will play two more games with the Blades this weekend and then return to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. . . . The Ice (37-23-4) is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Blades (16-43-5) won’t be in the playoffs. . . .

In Calgary, F Brady Brassart scored twice and added an assist to help the Hitmen to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Brassart, who has 33 goals, ran his point streak to 14 games. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini opened the scoring with his 16th goal just 31 seconds into the second period. He has goals in three straight games. . . . Calgary F Pavel Padakin scored his 25th goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Hitmen are 10-0-1 in their last 11. . . . The Blazers have lost three in a row. . . . Kamloops had veteran F Chase Souto back in the lineup. He hadn’t played since Feb. 8. . . . The Hitmen (42-15-7) are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings atop the Central Division. . . . The Blazers (13-47-5) are 10th in the 10-team Western Conference. . . .

In Red Deer, F Miles Koules and F Cole Sanford scored in the shootout to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Koules scored his 24th goal of the season at 16:47 of the first period. . . . The Rebels came back with second-period goals form F Wyatt Johnson, his 10th, and F Scott Feser, his 12th. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk forced OT with his 38th goal, via the PP, at 4:54 of the third. . . . In a battle of Czech goaltenders, Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer stopped 25 shots through OT, while Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak turned aside 38. . . . The Tigers (40-22-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of Kootenay. . . . Red Deer (30-30-5) holds down the conference’s last playoff spot, two points ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Prince George, D Travis Brown scored at 15:09 of the third period to break a 3-3 tie and help the Victoria Royals a 5-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . Brown, who came over from the Moose Jaw Warriors in January, has 13 goals this season. . . . The Royals led 2-0 in the second period and 3-1 in the third, only to have the Cougars tie it on goals 13 seconds apart from F Zach Pochiro, his 27th, and F Todd Fiddler, his 44th. . . . Fiddler, who scored twice, now is riding a 17-game point streak. . . . The Royals are 9-1-1 in their last 11. . . . The Cougars had F Brett Roulston back in the lineup after he missed eight games with a concussion. Earlier in the season, he missed 13 games with a broken foot. . . . The Royals and Cougars play again tonight in P.G. . . . Victoria is 6-1-0 against Prince George this season. . . . The Royals (44-17-4) are third in the Western Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Cougars (26-33-8) are two points out of the conference’s last playoff spot but have only five games left. . . .

In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 31 shots to lead the Rockets to a 6-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Vancouver. In fact, four of the Giants’ final eight games are scheduled to be against the Rockets. . . . Cooke has three shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . F Nick Merkley, a 16-year-old from Calgary, scored twice, giving him 20 goals. He’s got 49 points in 58 games. . . . D Damon Severson drew three assists,. . . . The Rockets scored four times in the third period. . . . Kelowna (51-9-4) leads the overall standings. . . . The Giants (30-25-10) are seventh in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . .

In Spokane, G Corbin Boes stopped 30 shots and the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 21 games as they beat the Chiefs, 2-0. . . . This was Boes’ first shutout of the season and the third of his career. It was his first blank job since Oct. 1, 2011, when he was with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . With Brendan Burke recovering from mononucleosis, Boes made his eighth straight start. Boes is 12-0-1 since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in January. . . . The Winterhawks have a chance to tie the WHL record for consecutive victories in one season when they meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., tonight. That record is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . The Winterhawks have eight games remaining, four of them against Seattle. . . . Portland is 22-0-1 in its last 23 games. . . . The Winterhawks swept the Chiefs 8-0-0 this season, shutting them out in each of the last three meetings; in fact, Portland has won 16 straight games, regular-season and playoffs, from the Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first goal, as they now have done in each of the last 21 games these teams have played against each other. . . . F Alex Schoenborn opened the scoring with his 17th goal at 1:40 of the first period. . . . F Chase De Leo, with his 35th, added insurance at 1:51 of the second. . . . The game featured the WHL’s top three scorers, but neither Spokane F Mitch Holmberg (107 points) nor Portland’s Nic Petan (106) or Oliver Bookstand (96) picked up a point. . . . Portland (47-12-5) is seven points behind Kelowna with each team having eight games to play. . . . Spokane (36-22-6) is fifth in the Western Conference, four points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips took a 3-0 lead and then hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Silvertips clinched a playoff spot for the 11th consecutive season. This is their 11th season in the WHL. . . . F Carson Stadnyk, with his 18th, and F Jujhar Khaira, with his 15th, gave the Silvertips a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Everett had a 16-3 edge in shots in the first period. . . . F Manraj Hayer, with his 14th, upped that to 3-0 at 1:19 of the third. . . . The Americans got back in it on goals from F Lucas Nickles, at 10:51, and F Parker Powles, his 10th, at 17:53. . . . F Kohn Bauml had two assists for Everett. . . . F Brian Williams had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped 32 shots, seven more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Silvertips are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Americans are 0-5-3 in their last eight. . . . Everett (32-23-9) is sixth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Vancouver. . . . The Americans (27-29-8) are eighth in the conference, two points ahead of Prince George.
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From Regina Pats G Daniel Wapple (@Wapps35): “Gotta love when your parents come down for the weekend even tho it's minus 60 outside #dedication #loveit”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “What a difference 6 years make: In March '08, Spokane beat Portland to extend the Winterhawks' losing streak to 21 games.”


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