Seattle captain gets AHL deal ... Warriors' pick signs with Lightning ... WHL flavour to conference

Today's Malcolm pic.twitter.com/XuifFqkIIu

— Edmonton Journal (@edmontonjournal) July 1, 2017

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D Filip Novák (Regina, 1999-2002) has signed a one-year extension with České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He had two goals and four assists in 14 games there last season. Novák started last season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), scoring a goal and adding two assists in nine games, then moved to Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL), where he had three assists in 11 games. . . .

F Linden Vey (Medicine Hat, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). Last season, he was pointless in four games with the Calgary Flames (NHL). In 61 games with the Stockton Heat (AHL), he had 15 goals and a team-high 40 assists. . . .

D Darren Dietz (Saskatoon, 2009-13) has signed a one-year contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). Last season, he had six goals and six assists in 39 games with the Hershey Bears (AHL), and had two assists in 13 games with the Texas Stars (AHL) 13. . . .

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year extension with Freiburg (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had 18 goals and 29 assists in 48 games.

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F Scott Eansor, who played out his junior eligibility in winning a WHL title with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, went to the New York Islanders’ development camp without a contract. On Saturday, he signed with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, for 2017-18. . . . Eansor played four seasons with the Thunderbirds, totalling 129 points, including 47 goals, in 219 games. Last season, the native of Englewood, Colo., captained the Thunderbirds and had 18 goals and 20 assists in 40 games, then added five goals and seven assists in 20 playoff games.

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The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have signed D Oleg Sosunov, 19, to a three-year entry-level contract. He was a sixth-round selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . On Wednesday, the Moose Jaw Warriors picked Sosunov, who is from Ryazan, Russia, in the CHL’s import draft. . . . Interestingly, the Tampa Bay news release on Sosunov’s signing doesn’t mention the Warriors. . . . The 6-foot-8, 230-pound Sosunov was pointless in 32 games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL) last season.

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There will be a real WHL flavour to the annual Hockey Coaches Conference when it runs in Vancouver, July 14-15.

At least five of the presenting coaches have ties to the WHL.

Glen Gulutzan, the head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, played with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades. His presentation is entitled ‘Motivating your team by creating a vision.’

Richard Matvichuk, the head coach of the Prince George Cougars, is to present on teaching puck retrieval and breakout skills. He spent three seasons (1989-92) as a defenceman with the Blades.

Jamie Kompon, an assistant coach with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, spent two seasons as the Portland Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach. His presentation is: Details of the game — A breakdown of some essential skills.

Jay Varady, the head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, will present on technology in coaching. He is a former Everett Silvertips assistant coach.

Craig Cunningham, who played with the Vancouver Giants and the Winterhawks, now is a pro scout with the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. He will speak on the impact of coaches.

For more info on the conference, click right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL) announced that they won’t re-sign eight players for next season, including D Mark Ardelan (Brandon, Vancouver, Prince Albert, 1999-2004). Ardelan had seven goals and 15 assists in 51 games this season for the Roosters.
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D Darren Dietz of the Saskatoon Blades has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Montreal Canadiens. They selected him in the fifth round, 138th overall, of the 2011 NHL draft. Dietz put up 58 points, including 24 goals, in 72 games with the Blades this season. He led all WHL defenceman in goals.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that Regina Pats D Colton Jobke will be joining the Houston Aeros, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Jobke, who has used up his junior eligibility, signed with the Wild prior to this season. . . . Harder also reports that free-agent F Lane Scheidl and his agent are perusing a number of offers from AHL teams.
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The WHL’s first-round playoff matchups:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Everett, F Tyler Sandhu scored three times to lead the Silvertips to a 7-5 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Sandhu, who turned 17 on Jan. 7, finished with 19 goals. This was his first hat trick. . . . Everett F Joshua Winquist had three assists. . . . Everett led 5-1 after the first period. . . . F Matte Stromwall scored twice for Tri-City, giving him 21. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser had three assists to finish with 106 points, including 62 assists, in 72 games. Feser played all 72 games in each of his last four WHL seasons, to go with 68 games in his first season. . . . Feser finished with 353 points in 351 regular-season games. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan was hit with a charging major and game misconduct at 10:30 of the third period. . . .

In Portland, F Taylor Peters and F Ty Rattie each had a goal and two assists as the Winterhawks beat the Spokane Chiefs, 6-1. . . . The Winterhawks didn’t dress F Brendan Leipsic or F Nic Petan, meaning they tied for the WHL scoring title, each with 120 points. This is the first tie since 1987-88 when Joe Sakic of the Swift Current Broncos and Theo Fleury of the Moose Jaw Warriors each finished with 160 points. Sakic was declared the winner on the basis of more goals, 78-68. . . . Leipsic led the WHL with 49 goals, while Petan scored 46. . . . Rattie finished third in the scoring race, with 110 points. . . . Petan led in assists (74). . . . The Winterhawks finished with a WHL-leading and franchise-record 57 victories. They also led the league in points (117), which also is a franchise record. And they were No. 1 on offence and defence. They set a franchise record by allowing just 169 goals. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth skated Sunday morning but didn’t dress last night. It’s believed he will be ready for Friday’s playoff opener. . . . The Winterhawks also scratched D Derrick Pouliot, while included in the Chiefs’ scratches were F Mitch Holmberg, F Alessio Bertaggia, F Mike Aviani, D Brenden Kichton and D Reid Gow. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstand scored his 31st goal, giving him the freshman goal-scoring title. He had been tied with Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs. . . .
Paul Buker of The Oregonian was at the game and his report is right here.
www.oregonlive.com/hawks/index.ssf/2013/03/winterhawks_regular_season_end.html#incart_flyout_sports
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “With all the resting players, there’s a definite preseason feel to this game despite a nice crowd. David Stern does not approve.”
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From Sepich, again: “Most of the drama tonight surrounds how the crowd will react to WHL VP Richard Doerksen presenting the Hawks with the Scotty Munro Trophy.”
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From Paul Buker (@Pnbuker): “Rich Doerksen did not get booed out of building when he awarded munro trophy. . . . Por fans take high road #thewhl”

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No one in the WHL is hotter than Tri-City forward Justin Feser (22), here scoring
against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night.
(John Allen / AridAcres.com)

Former WHL G Kurtis Mucha put up his fourth straight shutout Saturday night, helping the host Alberta Golden Bears to a 2-0 Canada West playoff victory over the Calgary Dinos. . . . The Golden Bears swept the best-of-three semifinal. . . . Mucha is riding a shutout streak of 264 minutes 20 seconds. . . . The other semifinal, between the Manitoba Bisons and Saskatchewan Huskies, will be decided in a third game today in Saskatoon. Manitoba won 4-1 last night. . . . The final opens March 1 in Edmonton.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs. Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, D Darren Dietz and F Collin Valcourt each scored his 20th goal to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 7-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Blades have won a franchise-record 15 straight games, the longest winning streak in the WHL this season. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), this is the longest such streak in the league since the Medicine Hat Tigers won 17 in a row in January/February 2007. . . . Dietz is the first WHL defenceman to get to 20 goals this season. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 40 shots. He had to go the distance because the Warriors had an unlisted emergency backup (Brett Banda) on the bench. G Daniel Wapple, who has partnered with Paulic this season, is out with a concussion. . . . Banda, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, plays for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . . The Blades were 3-for-5 on the PP, while the Warriors were 1-for-10. . . . Saskatoon leads the East Division by seven points over the Prince Albert Raiders. The Blades are five points in back of the Calgary Hitmen, with each team having 10 games remaining. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice ran their home-ice winning streak to a franchise record-tying 12 games as they beat the Calgary Hitmen, 5-1. . . . The Ice scored two its first three goals via the PP as it took a 3-1 lead. . . . F Jaedon Deschenean had a goal his 19th, and an assist for the Ice. . . . Calgary F Pavlo Padakin scored his 19th goal and now has scored in three straight games. . . . The teams have met six times, each winning three times. . . . Calgary D Jaynen Rissling left in the second period after blocking a shot. . . . The Ice is eighth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Swift Current Broncos and three ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

In Kent, Wash., D Mirco Mueller scored at 2:07 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . Mueller has six goals this season. . . . The Silvertips had lost a franchise-record 11 in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds scored two third-period goals to force OT, with D Shea Theodore getting his 16th, via the PP, at 2:13 and D Griffin Fould equalizing with his second at 11:54. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 36 shots. . . . Everett D Landon Oslanski drew three assists. . . . F Tyler Sandhu scored Everett’s first two goals, giving him 14. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart played in his 334th regular-season game. He moved past F Tyler Metcalfe and into second on Seattle’s all-time list, behind only F Glen Goodall, who holds the WHL record (399). . . . Everett is eighth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Thunderbirds and five in front of the Prince George Cougars. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer stopped 38 shots as the Tigers beat the Swift Current Broncos, 2-0. . . . Langhamer has two shutouts this season. . . . One night earlier, he beat the host Broncos 2-1 in a shootout. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 22 shots. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 38th goal at 4:24 of the first period and F Boston Leier added his 14th, into an empty net at 19:34 of the third. . . . The Tigers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Prince Albert Raiders and four in front of the Broncos. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2. . . . Red Deer F Matt Bellerive tied the game 2-2 at 7:29 of the third, with his 13th goal, and F Rhyse Dieno broke the tie with his 25th goal at 13:50. . . . Red Deer has won five in a row. . . . The Rebels used the game to honour the Red Deer Rustlers and wore replica uniforms from the junior A team that won the 1979-80 Centennial Cup as national champions. . . . The Rustlers played in the AJHL from 1967-89, with the exception of 1985-86 when the franchise took a year off. The Rustlers also won the Centennial Cup in 1971. . . . The Rebels are in fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Prince Albert. . . .

In Prince George, F Brendan Leipsic scored two first-period PP goals and the Portland Winterhawks went on to beat the Cougars, 6-1. . . . Leipsic also had an assist. He leads the WHL in goals (44) and points (110). . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists, giving him 106 points. . . . F Ty Rattie, the other member of that line, had two goals, giving him 39, and an assist. He’s got 94 points. . . . Prince George G Brett Zarowny (concussion) made his first appearance since Jan. 30 but he left at 7:43 of the first period, having given up three goals on 10 shots. . . . The Winterhawks now lead the overall standings by 13 points over the Kelowna Rockets. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Justin Feser had a goal and four assists as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 8-1. . . . The Americans have won five in a row for the first time this season. . . . Feser, who has a career-high 38 goals, has 18 points over his last five games. . . . On the season, Feser has 92 points in 61 games. . . . Is the 20-year-old from Red Deer the Western Conference’s MVP? . . . Feser played in his 310th consecutive game. He will tie the record held by former D Dwayne Newman (Brandon, Victoria, 1987-91) on Tuesday against visiting Portland. . . . Tri-City G Troy Trombley stopped 37 shots in his fifth straight start. He is 5-0 over that span. . . . The Oil Kings are 0-3 on their U.S. Division swing, the first time they have lost three straight in regulation time this season. . . . Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal tweeted that it’s the Oil Kings’ worst loss since they were beaten 8-1 by the Red Deer Rebels on Sept. 25, 2010. . . . Tri-City F Fraser Bulbuc scored his first WHL goal in his third game. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan had his second straight two-goal outing. He’s got 17 goals. . . . Tri-City F Connor Rankin added his 23rd goal and two helpers. . . . The Americans are fourth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Oil Kings have slipped to third in the overall standings, one point behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . .

In Spokane, G Garret Hughson stopped 32 shots as the Chiefs beat the Kamloops Blazers, 2-0. . . . F Blake Gal scoerd his 11th goal at 10:18 of the second and F Todd Fiddler added his 39th just 24 seconds later. . . . The Blazers have played in three straight shutouts. They were beaten 3-0 by the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday, then beat the Giants 6-0 in Vancouver on Friday. . . . The Chiefs are fifth in the Western Conference, a point behind the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Blazers are third, five points in back of Kelowna. . . .

In Victoria, the Kelowna Rockets scored three goals before the game was six minutes old and went on to a 7-2 victory over the Royals. . . . One night earlier, the Rockets dumped the host Royals, 8-3. . . . Kelowna F Cody Fowlie scored twice, giving him 17, and added an assist, while F Tyrell Goulbourne scored his ninth goal and had two assists. . . . F Colton Sissons scored his 25th goal on a PP at 3:37 of the first period and F Tyson Baillie got his 22nd, along on a PP, at 5:11. . . . The Rockets finished 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Rockets moved past Edmonton and into second spot in the overall standings. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, five points behind Spokane.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Griffin Foulk, Seattle
F Reid Gardiner, Prince Albert
F Graham Black, Swift Current
F Adam Lowry, Swift Current
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
F JC Lipon, Kamloops
F Taylor Peters, Portland
F Caleb Belter, Prince George
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From Vancouver Province writer Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen): “#WHL Giants say they haven’t received release from USA Hockey for Minnesota F Alex Baer so they can’t use him in their line-up yet.”
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From Brandon Wheat Kings radio voice Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice): “Nick Walters won’t be suspended for checking-to-head major Friday in Saskatoon. WHL rescinded penalty. Will be in #BWK lineup Sunday. #bdnmb”


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Blades burn Blazers with late goals

Forward Nathan Burns (21) of the Saskatoon Blades, here skating away from
Kamloops Blazers defenceman Marek Hrbas, won Friday's game with a late
third-period goal.
(MURRAY MITCHELL/KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Saskatoon Blades, who will be the host team in the 2013 Memorial Cup, made their national TV debut in On The Edge, a Sportsnet show, on Friday night.
They weren’t able to hold their own viewing party because they were playing the Kamloops Blazers at Interior Savings Centre.
On the ice, the Blades were more like junkyard dogs than TV prima donnas as they erased a 2-0 third-period deficit and stunned the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2.
“That’s probably the biggest goal I’ve scored in my career,” offered Saskatoon forward Nathan Burns who won this one at 18:59 of the third period. “It feels good.”
This was Burns’ first goal in seven games for the Blades (11-11-1), who acquired him from the Vancouver Giants for first- and third-round bantam draft picks and forward Travis McEvoy, 18.
Burns beat Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave with a shot from the slot that came off the rush.
“That felt great to get it out of the way,” Burns said. He admitted that he had been “squeezing the stick a little bit. It’s good to get that weight off my shoulders.”
It was Burns' 35th goal in 194 regular-season games. Nine of those goals have come against the Blazers. Last season, when he scored 12 times in 55 games, he had six goals against Kamloops, three of them at the ISC.
“I’ve scored a few goals against Kamloops,” Burns, a 19-year-old from Edmonton, offered. “I don’t know what it is.”
The Blazers (19-6-2) don’t know what it is, either. They appeared to have this game under control as they led 2-0 with less than 12 minutes to play in the third period.
“Momentum was huge, especially in the third period,” Burns said. “They let off a little and we took advantage.”
Burns added that the Blades, who are 3-1-0 on a B.C. Division swing that ends in Kelowna tonight, weren’t going to quit, despite being down 2-0.
“We new we’d had chances,” he said. “We knew that one would go in and when one went in we were going to get a couple more. We never doubted ourselves.”
He also said that the Blades looked forward to playing the Blazers, who lead the WHL’s overall standings by a point over the Portland Winterhawks.
“This is a huge win,” he said. “We knew coming in that Kamloops was a top team in this league and we wanted to judge ourselves off them. Now we know where we are and how good we can play when we stick with it and play our systems.
“Playing them is a fun game. You know it’s going to be a fun game coming in.”
That first Blades goal came from forward Logan Harland, a 17-year-old from Frenchman Butte, Sask.,  who was in the lineup because of injuries. He got the Blades rolling with his first goal this season, at 8:39 of the third, firing a shot off the left wing that sailed past Cheveldave’s trapper.
The Blades were without five regulars, including injured centre Shane McColgan, their second-leading scorer, and defenceman Duncan Siemens, a first-round selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2011 draft. Siemens, 19, flew out of Kamloops yesterday to be with his ailing father, Errol, in Sherwood Park, Alta.
Four minutes after Harland scored, it was 2-2. Kamloops winger Cole Ully thought he had Matej Stransky covered in the neutral zone, but the Saskatoon veteran tripped him up, a move that created all kinds of room on the right side, and he was able to rip a shot past Cheveldave.
“We just laid right back. We didn’t shut them down after getting a two-goal lead,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “When things don’t go well . . . there’s going to be nights when you’re not going to score. When we won those games, we couldn’t do anything wrong. Now it’s not going in.”
Since enjoying a 14-game winning streak, the Blazers are 3-6-1.
“If we want to continue to win and get back to winning consistently,” Charron continued, “we have to play defence much better. They had two goals tonight when it was one invidivudal versus three or four of our guys. We’re there in position but we don’t do anything about it.
“If you want to win in any league, you have to learn how to check.”
Charron said he and associate coach Dave Hunchak continue to work on the defensive game in practices.
But, Charron added, “the players have to commit themselves to it. Right now we’re not committed to playing defence. We’re just committed to being an offensive type of team and it’s catching up to us.”
Charron also was upset with his big line — Colin Smith between Tim Bozon and JC Lipon — for not getting the puck to the Saskatoon net.
“Smitty’s line passes east-west,” Charron stated. “Teams are saying ‘Don’t worry about these guys. Take away the seams. They don’t shoot.’ ”
The coaches, Charron said, have been talking to the players about not passing up scoring chances and shooting the puck more from the high-percentage areas.
“We showed them . . . you can take the horse to the water but you can’t force him to drink,” he added with a shrug.
The Blazers, who got second-period goals from Chase Souto and  Smith, also are going to have learn how to deal with being on the receiving end of physical play, especially if their power play, which was 0-for-6, continues to struggle.
“Our penalty killing was excellent and the reason for that is because (Andrey) Makarov was great in goal for us,” said Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ general manager and head coach.
Makarov finished with 41 saves, including a brilliant right pad save on Smith in the first period and a terrific second-period glove save on Bozon. The Blazers also had a chance at the final buzzer, but Makarov again stoned Bozon.
The Blades came out and were physical and chippy, and the result was a hockey game, that at least for the first 30 minutes, was about as gritty as it gets these days.
It was obvious early that the visitors were wanting to take a pound of flesh from the Blazers big guns, especially Smith and Brendan Ranford.
The result was a number of post-whistle scrums, lots of gloves in faces and the odd stick in the back of the legs.
“We get caught up in that and we addressed it after the second period,” Charron said. “That’s not our identity as a team. If teams know they can have success doing that then we better be ready for it because every team is going to do it.
“And the team (tonight) is not going to do any different.”
That would be the Vancouver Giants, who provide tonight’s oppostion at the ISC. Game time is 7 o’clock.
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 4,764. . . . The Blades were 0-for-5 on the power play. . . . Kamloops F Aaron Macklin didn’t return after the first period. He took a stick while seated on the bench and needed stitches. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. D Darren Dietz, Saskatoon: Best player on the ice and played a lot; 2. Makarov: Owned Bozon; 3. D Sam Grist, Kamloops: Big guy blocked shots and played tough. . . . Ranford picked up his 300th regular-season point when he drew an assist on Souto’s goal. Ranford has played 303 games, all with the Blazers, and his 10th on the all-time scoring list, 12 points behind Zac Boyer. Already this season Ranford has passed Darryl Sydor (274), Robin Bawa (278) and Donnie Kinney (287).

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL) traded F Mikhail Fisenko (Vancouver, Calgary, 2008-11) and F Andrei Stepanov to Amur Khabarovsk (Russia, KHL) for former AHL F Alexander Nikulin. Nikulin was in three NHL games over two seasons, going pointless, but had 23 goals and 52 assists in 140 AHL Games. Fisenko has one goal and two assists in 12 games with Sibir this season after signing a two-year contract with the Siberian club this past summer. Fisenko joins former Kamloops and Tri-City D Nikita Korovkin in Khabarovsk, the most eastern team in the KHL.
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They’re coming. As sure as winter is just around the corner, logos on the game uniforms of North American-based hockey teams are coming.
Street and Smith’s Sports Business Daily reported Sunday that “American insurance firm AIG and the New Zealand Rugby Union have agreed to a five-and-a-half-year deal for AIG to sponsor six NZRU rugby teams.”
The deal includes the renowned All Blacks and the Maori All Blacks.
And you can bet that AIG will have logos on the rugby teams’ kits.
With hockey leagues constantly looking for new revenue streams, you have to think it won’t be long.
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Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe writes an entertaining hockey notebook for the Sunday paper, and he is continuing to do it even during the NHL lockout. This week, he chatted with OHL commissioner David Branch about the OHL’s new 10-fight rule. That and a whole lot more is right here. (And there is a WHL connection with a mention of Mike Stothers, who now is head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors.)
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Four players will be chatting with Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, early this week after they were hit with TBD suspensions for Saturday night transgressions.
F Lucas Grayson of the Everett Silvertips, F Ryan Olsen of the Kelowna Rockets and D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades all picked up checking-to-the-head majors, while F Tim Vanstone of the Prince Albert Raiders got tossed for checking from behind. Originally, Vanstone was given a match penalty for attempt to injure; however, that was changed to a major and game misconduct sometime after the game.
Thrower began serving his suspension by sitting out a game on Sunday.
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SUNDAY’S STUFF:
G Mackenzie Skapski recorded his first WHL shutout as the Kootenay Ice got past the Edmonton Oil Kings 1-0 in Cranbrook. . . . Skapski blocked 25 shots. . . . F Collin Shirley, a 16-year-old freshman from Saskatoon, scored his second WHL goal at 18:56 of the second period. . . . The Ice had lost 11 straight games to Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings hadn’t been blanked in 113 regular-season games. . . . Ice F Jon Martin was back in the lineup after serving a three-game WHL suspension. . . .

D Darren Dietz had a goal and three assists to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 6-3 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . Dietz, who is from Medicine Hat, helped the Blades win two in a row for the first time this season. . . . F Josh Nicholls had two goals for the Blades and also was denied on a first-period penalty shot. He is 0-2 on freebies this season, which aren’t to be confused with attempts in the circus. . . .

G Eric Comrie stopped 24 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 5-0 victory over the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . Comrie has two shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . The Americans are 2-0-0 on their East Division tour, having won 4-3 in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Warriors had beaten the visiting Prince Albert Raiders 9-0 on Saturday night. . . . Moose Jaw had picked up at least a point in its previous 26 home games, dating to Nov. 23, 2011. . . .

F JC Lipon had two goals and two assists as the visiting Kamloops Blazers scored five PP goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 5-2. . . . The Blazers, at 8-0-1, are the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time. The Hitmen sllipped to 6-1-2. . . . The Blazers are off to the second-best start in franchise history. The 1987-88 Blazers opened at 9-0-0. . . . Lipon leads the WHL in assists (13) and points (22). . . . He was the WHL and CHL’s player of the week after totalling seven points in two games last weekend. He then put up 11 points over three games. . . . Blazers F Colin Smith added two goals and an assist and moved into second in the WHL points derby, with 18. . . . Kamloops, which was 5-for-10 on the PP, has won six in a row. . . . Smith and Calgary F Brooks Macek, who drew one assist, are the only WHL players to have scored in each of their club’s games. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer’s first goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie and stood up as the winner. . . . The Blazers have eight different players each with a GWG. . . . The Hitmen had their winning streak end at three. . . . Calgary was playing its third game in three days. The Blazers beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs 5-1 on Friday night and then left for Red Deer right after the game. They are  headquartered in Red Deer while they play in the Central Division. . . .
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Alex Roach, Calgary
D Tyler Bell, Kamloops
D Joel Edmundson, Moose Jaw
F Justin Feser, Tri-City

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Jake Virtanen, Calgary
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From TSN reporter Sara Orlesky (@saraorlesky): “Dear #CFL teams . . . the NFL gives media specific injury updates. No generic upper/lower body injuries here. #refreshing #novelconcept.”
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Did you hear the one about the hockey referee and the joke about a bomb in a suitcase? According to a story in the Anchorage Daily News, it “temporarily shut down the airport, forced hundreds of passengers into the cold night air, caused many to miss connections, and landed him in jail.” Lisa Demer and Richard Mauer have that story right here.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Gerad Adams (Regina, Kelowna, 1995-99) signed a two-year contract extension as player and head coach for the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). He had eight goals and nine assists in 56 games this season, his seventh in Cardiff.
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If you scoot on over to DubNation — there’s a link over there on the right — you will find the latest production from the computer of Doyle Potenteau. It’s the March edition and it’s full of WHL-related news, feature stories and photographs. . . . D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips is profiled. There’s a look back at Ray Ferraro . . . and a whole lot more. . . . Enjoy!
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SOME PRO NEWS: F Garett Bembridge (Saskatoon, 1997-2001) has signed with the Central league’s Wichita Thunder. He had been playing for Valpellice in Italy, totalling 28 points in 36 games. . . . F Taylor Vause, who signed with the AHL’s Texas Stars after completing his junior eligibility this season with the Swift Current Broncos, scored his first pro goal on Sunday in a 4-2 victory over the host Toronto Marlies. Vause was playing his third AHL game. . . . Also on Sunday, G Jon Groenheyde, who also finished his junior career with Swift Current, picked up his first pro victory. Groenheyde stopped 23 shots as the host Allen Americans downed the Wichita Thunder 3-1 in a Central league game. That was Groenheyde’s second start; he gave up two goals on 27 shots the first time out. He is one of three goaltenders on the roster, including Rejean Beauchemin (Prince Albert, 2002-05).
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Prior to the start of the just-completed regular season, the WHL announced it was implementing a social media policy.
After its annual general meeting in June, the league announced: “The WHL has adopted a Social Media and Networking Policy designed to educate players and all members of the WHL community on the risks associated with this new medium. The policy contains guidelines for using social media in a responsible manner and areas which would constitute a League violation.”
Now I haven’t seen a copy of that policy but I’m thinking it was violated at some point after Saturday’s playoff action.
I didn’t see it but I am told that a player who shall go unnamed tweeted this:
“Never seen such bullshit refing in my life. #conspiracy #anythingfortricity what a f'en joke”
Except that he didn’t write ‘f’en’, preferring to spell it out in case there was any doubt.
Apparently, the tweet was deleted about an hour after it first showed up.
Could be an interesting test for the WHL’s social media policy, whatever it is.
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On behalf of my media brethren, a reminder to all WHL teams . . .
According to the WHL’s Media Services Policy, “Players coaches and other team personnel will be available upon request for media interviews up to 90 minutes before game time.”
That rule stands for regular-season games and for playoff games.
I offer this reminder after being informed Saturday by a veteran coach that he wasn’t aware of that rule.
It is on Page 26 of the WHL’s 2011-12 Guide.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: D Darren Dietz of the Saskatoon Blades is under a ‘tbd’ suspension for a slashing major and game misconduct in Game 1 against the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Friday. The victim was Tigers F Emerson Etem. Dietz didn’t play in Game 2 on Saturday. . . . The Regina Pats requested supplemental discipline for a hit by Moose Jaw F Cody Beach in Game 1 against the host Warriors. The WHL office didn’t grant the request, so the Pats are $500 lighter. . . . There are a few other players awaiting word on discipline. . . . Kelowna F Brett Bulmer took a kneeing major and game misconduct in Game 2 of the Rockets series with the Winterhawks in Portland on Saturday. . . . Everett had two players ejected from a 3-1 loss to the host Tri-City Americans in Game 2. F Ryan Harrison drew an interference major and game misconduct, while F Cody Fowlie got tossed with a checking-from-behind major. . . . As well, Portland F Oliver Gabriel drew a game misconduct in Game 2 after taking a minor penalty. I don’t know that whatever he did was a suspendable offence, however.
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To date, there have been 17 playoff games played. During those games, WHL referees have handed out 36 misconduct penalties, along with six game misconducts and 10 majors, six of which were for fighting.
Yes, sirree! In 17 games there have been three fights. In total. That’s all.
During the 792-game regular season, there were 790 fights, or an average of one scrap before game. (Thanks to hockeyfights.com for compiling those numbers.)
A few weeks ago, WHL commissioner Ron Robison was talking about how fighting was down in the league. Well, he was right. The number of fights per game fell by .08.
Last season, there were 857 fights, an average of 1.08 per game.
In last season’s playoffs, teams combined to play 70 games. There were 24 fights, an average of 0.34 per game.
Please tell me again why fighting is such an integral part of the game?
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, D Keegan Lowe’s goal at 16:48 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings, who had the WHL’s best record in the regular season, take a 2-0 lead into Cranbrook for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday. . . . Edmonton has won its last 13 games. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who stopped 22 shots, preserved the tie with a big save off F Sam Reinhart with 38 seconds left in the third. . . . Lowe’s goal was his first of the series and his second in six career playoff games. He had three goals in 72 games during the regular season and has seven in 212 career regular-season games. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 41 shots. . . . The Ice got the game’s first goal, with F Drew Czerwonka scoring a minute into the first period. . . . The teams alternated goals after that, with the Ice leading 2-1 after one period and 3-2 after two. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar, the second overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, tied the game with his second goal in two games at 15:05 of the third. . . . Lowe won it 1:43 later. . . . Edmonton was 2-7 on the PP; the Ice was 0-4. . . . The Oil Kings were without F Henrik Samuelsson, who completed a two-game suspension for a clipping major he incurred in the regular season’s final game. . . .
Columnist John MacKinnon the Edmonton Journal took in Game 2 and filed this piece.

In Winnipeg, Brandon F Michael Ferland broke a 1-1 tie at 8:01 of the second period and the Wheat Kings went on to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Games 4 and 5 in Winnipeg on Tuesday and Thursday nights. . . . The Wheat Kings are 11-4-0 in games played at the MTS Centre, including 4-3 in playoff games. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing their home games at the MTS Centre because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored perhaps the game’s biggest goal, giving his side a 3-1 lead at 19:41 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher made it 4-1 at 4:56 of the third. That was Sundher’s first goal of the playoffs and his first goal since Feb. 10. Two games later, he suffered a concussion, then tried to come back on March 2, wasn’t able to continue and didn’t play again until Game 1 of this series. Sundher also had an assist and was named the game’s first star. . . . If he’s healthy, Sundher, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, can be a difference-maker. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 26 shots, 12 fewer than Calgary’s Brandon Glover, who started his second straight game after Chris Driedger played in the opener. . . . Brandon was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-1. . . . Attendance in the home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was announced as 3,578. . . . F Cody Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, missed the first two games with an undisclosed injury. He travelled to Winnipeg but didn’t play in Game 3. . . . Calgary F Victor Rask (leg) didn’t make the bus trip to Winnipeg but still could join the team there this week.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Max Reinhart, Kootenay.
F Brock Montgomery, Kootenay.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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There aren’t any WHL games scheduled for tonight. Seven series will resume on Tuesday.
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Lem Barney is in the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and yet if he had it to do all over again he wouldn’t play football. Why? Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes about Barney and his concussion history right here.
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In the Boston Globe’s weekly hockey notebook, Fluto Shinzawa looks at the NHL and the impact of new statistics and data. Give it a read and you will realize that hockey is unlikely to ever go the way of baseball when it comes to that area of the game.


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ASK THE BLOGGER:
Who covered for Bob Ridley when he missed that game in 1973?
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Here is Bob Ridley’s answer: “It was my colourman Larry Plante. He was with me for 25 years.”
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JUST NOTES:
F Marek Trvrdon of the Vancouver Giants drew a three-game suspension for the match penalty he took for spearing in a 2-1 victory over the host Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. . . .
The injury bug is taking a chunk out of the Tri-City Americans. F Mason Wilgosh, F Malte Stromwall, F Tyson Dallman (knee), F Marcus Messier and F Jesse Mychan (thumb) all are injured. Mychan, who was hurt on Tuesday, is to have surgery on Monday to repair a broken thumb. Dallman was injured during a 5-1 loss in Kamloops on Feb. 8 and could miss up to six weeks. . . . You wonder if the Americans aren’t into survivor mode, where they are more concerned about getting healthy than they are about where they finish in the standings. . . . At the same time, Tri-City GM Bob Tory has told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald that there isn’t anything knew on the Brett Connolly front. The Lightning acquired Connolly’s rights from the Prince George Cougars on Jan. 10, but he continues to be with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. "I've been in conversation with (Lightning GM) Steve Yzerman,” Tory told Fowler, “but they have until the 27th to make their decision. We'll see at that point.” . . . The NHL trade deadline Feb. 27. NHL teams are able to return major junior-eligible players until that date. . . . Fowler also reports that F Parker Bowles, 16, will join the Americans on Monday from the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who are based in Kelowna. He goes into the weekend with 63 points, including 30 goals, in 34 games. The plan is for Bowles to play one game, agianst the Everett Silvertips on Tuesday, and then return to the Rockets. . . .
There are reports that F Cam Cunning (Kamloops, Vancouver, 2002-05) has retired. A Friday tweet from @dcmahiban: “Former #NHLFlames prospect and #AHLHeat forward Cam Cunning has retired to become a firefighter.” . . .
In the BCHL, the host Penticton Vees erased a 4-2 third-period deficity and beat the Vernon Vipers 6-4 for their league-record 33rd straight victory. . . .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, D Darren Dietz scored four times in the game’s first two periods as the Blades beat the Swift Current Broncos, 7-3. . . . Dietz, who now has 14 goals, later hit a goal post while killing a penalty as he came that close to a five-goal night. . . .The Blades, who had lost three in a row, were leading 4-3 when Dietz scored his third and fourth goals 29 seconds apart in the last minute of the second period. . . . The Blades were 3-5 on the PP. . . . Saskatoon is 4-0 against the Broncos this season. . . . F Coda Gordon scored twice for the Broncos, giving him 25. . . . Dietz is one of eight defencemen to score four goals in a game in WHL history. How did he find out he had tied a WHL record? He took a penalty late in the game and the officials in the penalty box informed him. . . .

In Moose Jaw, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots as the Warriors dropped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-0. . . . Siemens, who is 29-10-4, has four shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . Moose Jaw has won six in a row. . . . F Quinton Howden scored twice for the Warriors, who were 5-8 on the PP. He has 27 goals. . . . F Cam Braes added a goal, his 34th, and two assists. . . . The Tigers took 72 of 140 penalty minutes. . . . The Tigers were without G Hunter Shinkaruk, F Curtis Valk, D Kale Kessy, F Gavin Broadhead and G Tyler Bunz, all of whom are injured. F Brendan Hurley sat out Game 5 of a six-game suspension. . . . Those six all are expected to miss tonight’s rematch in Medicind Hat. . . . The Tigers also lost F Riley Sheen, who left in the second period after a fight with F Jordan Wyton. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem had his point streak snapped at 19 games. . . . Moose Jaw F James Henry drew two assists, giving him 201 career points. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that the head coaches, Shaun Clouston of Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw’s Mike Stothers, “leaned over the bench to yell at each other.” That came after there were five fights in a span of 2:10 in the third period. . . . “I don’t know what they were thinking,” Stothers told Gourlie. “How many guys do you have to get beat up? And then they kept sending more guys out.” . . .

In Brandon, F Mark Stone had a goal and four assists to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Stone, who has 38 goals, leads the WHL scoring race, with 99 points. He is on an 11-game point streak. . . . Brandon F Michael Ferland had two goals, giving him 36, and a helper. . . . B Brenden Walker, the third member of that line, had a goal and two assists. . . . F Bruno Mraz, a Slovakian freshman, scored his first WHL goal for Brandon, which counted the game’s first six goals. . . . Mraz, 18, also has 13 assists in 53 games. . . . Brandon dressed 17 skaters, with F Kevin Sundher, F Tyrel Seaman and F Alessio Bertaggio all sitting this one out. . . . Brandon has won three in a row and six of seven. . . . Prince Albert D Tyler Yaworski left in the first period with an apparent shoulder injury after being checked into a stanchion. . . . The same two teams will play again tonight in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings are mourning the loss of former player Mac Beaton, who died Tuesday. He was 83. Beaton was a member of the team that played in the 1948-49 Memorial Cup final. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored four of the game’s first five goals and went on to a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Joe Antilla had a goal, his 11th, and two assists for the Ice, as did F Max Reinhart. He has 22 goals. D Jonathon Martin’s sixth goal gave the Ice a 4-1 lead at 12:42 of the second. . . . F Dominick Uher scored twice for the Chiefs, at 16:45 of the second and 11:17 of the third. . . . Uher has 24 goals. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka, who scored his 14th goal in the first, left in the second with an undisclosed injury. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 25 shots. . . . The Chiefs have lost three straight. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brody Sutter and F Jaimen Yakubowski scored goals 43 seconds apart in the last minute of the second period and the Hurricanes went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-4. . . . Sutter had tied the game 3-3 on a PP at 17:36 of the second. He then scored on another PP at 19:11 . . . Sutter has 28 goals. . . . Yakubowski got his 12th at 19:54 for a 5-3 lead. . . . F Brady Ramsay and F Phil Tot each had a goal and two helpers for Lethbridge. . . . F Dyson Stevenson had two goals for Regina, with D Martin Marincin helping out with a goal and two assists. . . . Lethbridge was 4-7 on the PP. . . . The Pats lost D Luke Fenske to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 6:23 of the second. . . .

In Kamloops, F Charles Inglis broke a 2-2 tie at 17:37 of the third period and G Bolton Pouliot got his first WHL victory as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Blazers, 3-2. . . . Pouliot was making his seventh start of the season but his first since Dec. 9. . . . He stopped 37 shots, including a tremendous glove save on D Austin Madaisky who wired a one-timer off a back-door pass from F Colin Smith. . . . After the game, Madaisky tweeted: “Gunna have nightmares about that one #backdoor #glovesave #2minsleft.” . . . The Blazers held a 16-3 edge in shots in the third period. Pouliot stopped all 16. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber, the team captain, wasn’t on the bench for the third period. He has an undisclosed injury and is questionable for tonight’s game with the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . Red Deer had three midget AAA players in their lineup. D Kevin Pochuk (Winnipeg Wild) scored his first WHL goal. F Scott Feser (Red Deer Optimist Rebels) drew an assist on Pochuk’s goal. F Dexter Bricker (Swift Current Legionnaires) played with some spunk. . . . Red Deer D Alex Petrovic had a goal and an assist and was plus-2 in a monster game. . . . Inglis now has scored two game-winners for two different teams in Kamloops this season. He scored for the Prince George Cougars when they beat the Blazers 1-0 in the season-opener for both teams. . . . The Rebels are eight points out of a playoff spot but hold three games in hand on Brandon. . . .

In Kelowna, the Calgary Hitmen scored three PP goals and beat the Rockets, 7-1. . . . Calgary went 3-5 on the PP. . . . The Hitmen are 2-0 on a B.C. swing, having beaten the Victoria Royals 5-3 on Wednesday. The Hitmen also are 2-0 since head coach Mike Williamson tossed water bottles during a 4-0 loss to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday. . . . F Danny Gayle scored twice for Calgary, giving him 14. . . . F Brady Brassart, who is from Vernon, B.C., got the game’s first goal, his 20th, and drew an assist on the second. . . . F Alex Gogolev helped out with a goal, his 23rd, and two assists. . . . F Victor Rask got his 25th goal and was plus-3 for Calgary. . . . G Chris Driedger lost his shutout bid with 36 seconds to play when Kelowna D Madison Bowey scored a shorthanded goal. . . . Rockets F Brett Lyon returned after serving a six-game suspension. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his 20th goal to tie the game on a PP at 5:00 of the second. . . . F Steven Hodges, with his 18th, gave Victoria the lead at 12:22. . . . The Cougars took 55 of 104 penalty minutes. . . . Prince George was 0-7 on the PP, while the Royals were 2-5. . . . The Royals pulled into a tie with Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. They are three points ahead of Everett and four up on Prince George. . . .

In Vancouver, F Cain Franson had a goal and an assist and was the game’s first star as the Giants beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-2. . . . It was only fitting that Franson have a good night because his older brother, D Cody Franson of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, was inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honour last night. . . . Vancouver D Brett Kulak had two assists and was plus-5. . . . Giants D David Musil had one assist and was plus-4. . . . Vancouver F Jordan Martinook continued his break-out season with two goals, giving him 32. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher got the game’s first goal, his 35th. . . . The Oil Kings, down 2-0, tied it with PP goals from F Tyler Maxwell, his 35th, and F Rhett Rachinski, his 24th, in the second period. . . . F Matt Bellerive broke the tie at 16:45 and Martinook provided insurance at 11:05 of the third. . . . Rachinski has eight goals in his last seven games. . . . The Giants now are four points ahead of fifth-place Spokane in the Western Conference. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 26 shots in winning his 31st game. . . . Edmonton went 3-2-1 on a road swing that included five games (2-2-1) in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants went 3-0-0 against Edmonton this season, holding a 13-5 edge in goals. . . .

In Everett, G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots for his WHL-leading 36 victory of the season as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Carruth set the Winterhawks’ single-season record for victories. The previous record was held by Brent Belecki. . . . F Oliver Gabriel, F Taylor Leier and F Sven Baertschi each had a goal and an assist for Portland. . . . In his last eight games, Baertschi has 18 points, including nine goals. He has scored in each of his club’s last five games. . . . On the season, he has 75 points in 38 games. Might he end up averaging at least two points per game? . . . Portland F Ty Rattie picked up his 45th goal. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 43 shots. . . . I am told the Portland play-by-play voice Todd Vrooman had some minor health problems and was subbed for to start the second period. Who took over? None other than his father, Dean (Scooter) Vrooman, the former long-time voice of the Winterhawks. . . . “Hawk fans got a treat,” one fan told me. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin and F Connor Rankin each had two goals to help the Americans to a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Shinnimin, who has 39 goals, also had an assist. . . . In eight February games, Shinnimin has 20 points, including 10 goals. . . . Due to injuries, the Americans were able to dress only 10 forwards. . . . Seattle got two goals from F Connor Honey, giving him six. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 36 shots, 12 fewer than Seattle’s Calvin Pickard. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost eight of 10.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current.
D Tanner Muth, Kootenay.
D Luke Fenske, Regina (minor, major).
D Zach Yuen, Tri-City.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dylan McIlrath, Moose Jaw.
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Do you love watching your child play hockey or baseball or any other sport? Do you tell your child that you loved watching him or her play?
Did you know:
“Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.”
For more, check this out right here.


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