Showing posts with label David Quenneville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Quenneville. Show all posts

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Mumps still hanging around WHL? . . . Tigers sweep defending champs . . . Polei OT hero in Red Deer


F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 51 games, he had 26 goals and 25 assists. He led the team in goals and points, while serving as an alternate captain.
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 The mumps may not yet be through with the WHL.
Jon Keen, the voice of the Kamloops Blazers on Radio NL, wasn’t available for Game 4 of a series with the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night.
Jeremy Bosch, who usually rides shotgun with Keen on home games, handled the play-by-play with Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week providing the analysis.
During the game, Taking Note was told by three sources that Keen has shown symptoms of mumps and has been placed in isolation awaiting test results.
Keen later told Taking Note that his situation is “very premature at this point.”
Keen is in his 14th season as a play-by-play voice in the WHL. Keen began his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos before moving to Kamloops. He called his 1,000th game on March 8.
With the playoffs here, the Blazers, like other teams, have shut down the information highway, so it’s not known if there is anyone else in the organization with symptoms.
It could be that the Blazers are at least the sixth WHL team to be hit by the mumps, following the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Swift Current Broncos and Victoria Royals.
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The WHL’s defending champions bowed out last night in Dauphin, Man. The Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2, to sweep the holders of the Ed Chynoweth Cup from the first round. . . . The Wheat Kings played all four games without F Nolan Patrick, who was injured in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Brandon also was without veteran F Tanner Kaspick. . . . Patrick ended up playing only 33 games this season, putting up 46 points, including 20 goals. He underwent sports hernia surgery in July and missed almost all of training camp. He returned for the season’s first five games, then didn’t play again until Jan. 14. . . . He has been projected as the consensus No. 1 selection for the NHL’s 2017 draft through the entire season. It will be interesting to see if that holds up on June 23 in Chicago.
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The Tri-City Americans were without D Dalton Yorke, 20, for Game 3 of their series with the Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday night. Yorke drew a TBD suspension for a hit he delivered during the Game 2’s third period in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night. Yorke took a charging minor at 15:10 for a hit on F Ryan Gropp, who was scratched last night. The suspension came under supplemental discipline, meaning the Thunderbirds sent video to the league and asked for a review. When it comes to supplemental discipline, the injury factor carries a lot of weight. . . . While Yorke was scratched last night, F Vladislav Lukin returned to the Americans after missing Game 2. Tri-City also had F Nolan Yaremko back for this one. He missed the end of the regular season and the first two games of this series after being injured in practice.
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The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, again were without F Mathew Barzal and G Rylan Toth as they took a 2-0 edge into Game 3 last night. Barzal (mumps) hasn’t played since March 7. Barzal, the Western Conference’s player of the year, took the warmup prior to a March 10 game, then left for the dressing room before the anthem. Barzal hasn’t played since then. . . . Toth, who led WHL goaltenders with 36 victories in the regular season, was taken out of a game in Portland on March 11. At the time, it was said to have been for precautionary reasons. He hasn’t played since then. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who apparently was injured in Game 2 on a hit from Tri-City D Dalton Yorke, led the Thunderbirds in goals (35) and points (84) in the regular season.
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Regan Bartel, the play-by-play voice of the Kelowna Rockets, put this note on his blog Wednesday morning:
“The Rockets had their fair share of scoring chances in (Game 3 on Wednesday), but according to the Kelowna Rockets analytics team, the shot clock wasn't exactly true. The Rockets had 23 shots on net, not the 38 that were shining brightly on the Sandman Centre shot clock. If that indeed is true, 23 shots on net won't win you too many games against elite goaltending.”
Ahh, the games inside the playoff games!
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The playoffs are here so when a coach says that an injured player is OK and “he’ll be fine,” well, you take it with a grain of salt. . . . On Sunday, F Giorgio Estephan of the host Lethbridge Hurricanes left in the second period after taking a high-stick from F Michael Spacek of the Red Deer Rebels. Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio told Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald: “He’s fine. He’s good to go.” . . . Estephan was scratched from Game 3 in Red Deer last night.
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One player who was in the lineup last night in Red Deer was Rebels captain Adam Musil. He hadn’t played since March 4. The next day, he suffered an undisclosed injury in an off-ice incident — he later was seen with a walking boot on an ankle — and was listed as being out week-to-week.
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The Vancouver Giants didn’t make the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t hard at work. On Wednesday, they announced the signing of F Cyle McNabb, a list player from Winnipeg. McNabb, who will turn 17 on Sept. 15, spent this season with the Rink Hockey Academy’s prep team, putting up nine goals and 16 assists in 29 games.
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F Travis Jost has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2016 draft. This means Jost, who played two seasons with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, will leave the U of North Dakota Fighting Hawks after just one season. The Regina Pats hold his WHL rights, having acquired them from the Everett Silvertips. The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup. Hmmm . . .
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It was a tough day for hockey at North Dakota. Earlier in the day, word got out that the school is axing its women’s program. The team was practising at the time that word leaked. . . . Brad E. Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, who covers UND hockey like sand covers a beach, reported that the women’s team had a recruit on campus at the time. Lauren Hennessey had left Boston at 5 a.m., for her UND visit. . . . The announcement came one day after USA Hockey reached an agreement with its women’s national team that averted a boycott of the IIHF World Championship that is to begin Friday in Plymouth, Mich. . . . UND also will be dropping men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams.
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Coaching

 The junior B Mission City Outlaws of the 10-team Pacific Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday that co-coaches Mike Drouillard and Brad Veitch have retired. Veitch spent five years with the Outlaws; Drouillard was there for four seasons. . . . The Outlaws then named Mike Renner as their new head coach. Earlier in the day, the PJHL’s Port Moody Panthers had announced that Renner, the team’s interim head coach, wouldn’t be returning. That was announced by Peter Zerbinos, who took over as general manager on March 16. The Panthers finished 16-27-1 this season, putting them fifth in the five-team Tom Shaw Conference. . . . Mission was 18-22-4, which left it fourth in the Harold Brittain Conference.
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WEDNESDAY GAMES:

In Red Deer, F Evan Polei scored 48 seconds into the second OT period to give the Rebels a 4-3 victory
EVAN POLEI
over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Rebels hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Red Deer. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s last three goals, winning it on Polei’s second of the series. This was the first OT game of these WHL playoffs. . . . F Lane Zablocki had given Red Deer a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 2:44 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes stormed back with three straight goals. . . . F Tyler Wong (2) scored on a PP at 8:51. . . . D Brennan Menell (1) gave the visitors the lead at 18:57 of the second period. . . . F Zak Zborosky (1) upped the lead to 3-1 at 3:10 of the third period. . . . F Brandon Hagel (2) scored on a PP at 16:53, getting the Rebels to within one goal. . . . Red Deer tied it when Zablocki scored his third goal of the series with 19.6 seconds left in the third period. . . . The Rebels got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two from Polei. . . . Wong had two assists for Lethbridge, with Menell and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 49 shots for the Rebels, four more than Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner. . . . Red Deer was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-2 on the PP. They had been 0-12 before Wong scored. . . . Announced attendance: 5,017.
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At Kennewick, Wash., D Ethan Bear and F Donovan Neuls each had five points as the Seattle Thunderbirds whipped the Tri-City Americans, 9-2. . . . The Thunderbirds hold a 3-0 lead in the series
DONOVAN NEULS
and can end it Friday in Kennewick. . . . The Americans switched goaltenders, going from Rylan Parenteau, who had started the first two games (0-2, 4.65, .875), and bringing Evan Sarthou off the bench. But Sarthou was lifted before the game was 11 minutes old, having allowed three goals on seven shots. . . . Bear, who finished with two goals and three assists, opened the scoring at 2:55. . . . F Scott Eansor (2) made it 2-0 at 7:48 and D Jarret Tyszka (1) upped it to 3-0 at 10:16. . . . Neuls, who scored his second goal and added four helpers, made it 4-0 at 12:03, with D Austin Strand (2) increasing the lead to 5-0 at 17:08. . . . Seattle also got goals from F Keegan Kolesar (3) and F Alexander True (1), with Bear later adding his second of the game and second of the series and Strand scoring his third. . . . F Austyn Playfair (2) and F Morgan Geekie (1) scored for the Americans. . . . True and Kolesar added three assists each. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski stopped 21 shots in running his record to 3-0 in relief of injured starter Rylan Toth. . . . Parenteau allowed six goals on 29 shots in 49:44. . . . Seattle was 3-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 2,632.

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At Portland, F Jansen Harkins scored once and added four assists to lead the Prince George Cougars to
JANSEN HARKINS
a 6-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Cougars lead the series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Portland. They’ll be back in Prince George for Game 5 on Saturday. . . . F Skyler McKenzie (2) gave the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead just 14 seconds into the first period. Who knew the home side wouldn’t score again? . . . Harkins (2) tied it at 8:26 and F Kody McDonald (1) put the Cougars out front, on a PP, at 12:36. . . . F Colby McAuley (1) scored at 17:42 for a 3-0 lead. . . . D Tate Olson (1), F Brogan O’Brien and McAuley (2) added Prince George’s other goals. . . . D Brendan Guhle and F Nikita Popugaev each had two assists for the winners, with McAuley getting one. . . . The Cougars got 37 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler allowed six goals on 38 shots in 47:35. Shane Farkas finished up by stopping all seven shots he faced in 12:25. . . . Prince George was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,585.
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At Dauphin, Man., the Medicine Hat Tigers ended a goal-less game with two scores in the first two
DAVID QUENNEVILLE
minutes of the third period en route to a 3-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers swept the best-of-seven series and eliminated the defending champions. . . . Medicine Hat had a 37-15 edge in shots through two periods but couldn’t get the puck past Brandon G Logan Thompson. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko finally solved Thompson, scoring his third goal of the series 24 seconds into the third period. . . . D David Quenneville made it 2-0 at 1:31. . . . F Reid Duke got Brandon to within a goal, on a PP, at 3:11. . . . Quenneville replied with his third goal of the series, on a PP, at 12:09. . . . The Wheat Kings got another PP goal, this one from D Kale Clague (1), at 15:48. . . . The Tigers got 23 saves from G Michael Bullion, who went the distance in all four games. . . . Thompson finished with 51 saves. . . . Brandon was 2-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat 1-5. . . . The Wheat Kings took their first-round home games to Credit Union Place in Dauphin because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over the Keystone Centre complex. . . . Announced attendance: 1,825.
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At Kamloops, G Michael Herringer stopped 24 shots to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 1-0 victory over
MICHAEL HERRINGER
the Blazers. . . . The Rockets lead the series, 3-1, with a chance to end it at home on Friday night. . . . Exactly on year earlier, on March 29, 2016, Herringer stopped 40 shots in a 1-0 victory in Kamloops. . . . Last night, Herringer saved the victory with a terrific push across save on Kamloops F Collin Shirley late in the third period. Herringer was trying to smother the puck on the right side of his crease, when it squirted loose. Shirley corralled it behind the net and came out the other side. Herringer somehow got his left pad to the post and stopped the stuff attempt. . . . Herringer now has two shutouts in this series — the Rockets won the opener, 4-0 — and four in his post-season career. . . . Dillon Dube, the best forward on the ice in this one, scored the game’s only goal, at 2:37 of the second period. He’s got three goals in the four games. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram put on quite a show, stopping 48 shots. The Rockets held a 40-14 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was in the house. The Lightning selected Ingram in the third round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Kelowna was 0-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-7. . . . The Blazers, who beat the visiting Rockets 4-1 on Tuesday night, now are 1-20 on the PP in the four games. . . . The Blazers remain without F Luc Smith, who was hurt in the second-last game of the regular season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,297.
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At Victoria, G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 30 shots as the Royals beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . .
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
That series is 2-2 as it heads back to Everett for Game 5 on Friday. Game 6 is scheduled for Victoria on Sunday. . . . Last night, F Regan Nagy (1) gave Victoria a 1-0 lead at 5:03 of the first period and F Dante Hannoun (1) made it 2-0 at 19:16 of the second. . . . Everett got within a goal when F Patrick Bajkov scored his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:05 of the third period. . . . Everett held a 10-7 edge in shots in the first period and 11-7 in the second. . . . The Silvertips got 18 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals again played without F Jack Walker and D Scott Walford, both of whom have undisclosed injuries. . . . The Silvertips continue to be without F Riley Sutter and F Devon Skolenski, who also have undisclosed injuries. Sutter is believed to be close to returning. . . . Announced attendance: 4,637.
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At Swift Current, F Ryley Lindgren scored three times to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Moose
RYLEY LINDGREN
Jaw Warriors. . . . The series is tied 2-2 as it heads back to Moose Jaw for Game 5 on Friday night. They’ll be back in Swift Current for Game 6 on Saturday. . . . The Broncos took control with three goals in the first nine minutes of the first period. . . . Lindgren scored twice, at 0:59 and 2:03, with F Tyler Steenbergen making it 3-0 at 8:57. . . . The Warriors made it interesting with a pair of early second-period PP goals, F Brett Howden (1) counting at 1:16 and D Josh Brook (1) finding the range at 2:25. . . . Steenbergen added his fourth goal of the series, on a PP, at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Lindgren iced it with his third goal of the game, and fourth of the series, on a PP, at 19:45. . . . The Warriors got two assists from each of F Jayden Halbgewachs and F Brayden Burke. . . . Swift Current got 30 stops from G Jordan Papirny, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 20. . . . The Broncos were 2-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-6. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890. . . . Darren Steinke, the travelling blogger, was on hand for this one. His blog is right here.

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THURSDAY GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Red Deer leads, 2-1)
Regina at Calgary, 7 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-0)
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m. (Prince George leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:16 AM
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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Defending champs near elimination . . . Hitmen can't solve Steel . . . Hart blanks Royals


F Thomas Raffl (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2005-06) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he had 26 goals and 24 assists in 43 games. . . .
D Mike Card (Kelowna, 2002-06) has signed a one-year extension with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). In 52 games this season, he had five goals and 22 assists. . . .
F Clarke Breitkreuz (Regina, Prince George, 2008-10) has signed a one-year extension with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). This season, in 52 games, he had 16 goals and 12 assists. . . .
F Brent Raedeke (Edmonton, Brandon, 2007-10) has signed a three-year extension with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). He had 16 goals and 17 assists in 52 games this season. . . .
F Joel Broda (Tri-City, Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2004-10) has signed a one-year extension with Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 53 games, he had 28 goals and 20 assists. . . .
F Ondrej Vesely (Portland, Tri-City, 1996-98) has signed a one-year extension with Zlin (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had four goals and nine assists in 45 games this season, while serving as an alternate captain. . . .
F Kevin Sundher (Chilliwack/Victoria, Brandon, 2007-12) has signed a one-year extension with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal and one assist in 10 games there this season. He started the season with the Reading Royals (ECHL), putting up five goals and 12 assists in 32 games. He signed with Olomouc on Feb. 2. . . .
F Thomas Raffl (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2005-06) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 53 games, he had 26 goals and 24 assists. . . .
D Layne Viveiros (Portland, 2011-15) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had nine goals and 13 assists in 54 games this season.
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The OHL came down on the Windsor Spitfires for comments and actions following their Sunday loss to the host London Knights.
You may have read or seen clips of Rocky Thompson, Windsor’s head coach, ripping into the referees and also accusing the Knights of diving.
From an OHL release that was issued Tuesday:
“It is the position of the league that the post-game media comments made by . . . Rocky Thompson were most inappropriate and detrimental to the welfare of the league.  As a result of his comments, and the Spitfires’ Twitter post including such comments which is not consistent with the league’s social media policy, the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Club is fined $7,500.
“In addition, Windsor Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel has been sanctioned by the league for certain actions including violating league policy concerning interaction with on-ice officials before, during, and after the game. The league reserves finalizing any further disciplinary action against Mr. Rychel and the Spitfires pending a hearing to be held on Friday, March 31.”
Last night, the host Spitfires posted a 3-1 victory over the Knights to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday in Windsor, with Game 5 in London on Friday.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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TUESDAY GAMES:


At Swift Current, F Thomas Foster scored twice to help the Moose Jaw Warriors  to a 4-3 victory over the
THOMAS FOSTER
Broncos. . . . Foster celebrated his 21st birthday by scoring his second and third goals of the series. . . . The Warriors now hold a 2-1 lead, with Game 4 in Swift Current tonight. . . . D Colby Sissons gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 6:49 of the first period. . . . The Warriors took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals by F Brayden Burke (2), at 2:16, and Foster, at 11:18. . . . The Broncos pulled even when F Glenn Gawdin (2) scored at 8:15. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs (1) got the Warriors back into the lead at 15:34 of the third period, and Foster upped the lead to 4-2 at 18:34. . . . The Warriors got back to within a goal when F Ryley Lindgren scored, on a PP, at 19:31. . . . D Josh Brook and D Matt Sozanski each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had two assists for the Broncos, with Gawdin adding one to his goal. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko stopped 32 shots, six fewer than Swift Current’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Broncos were 1-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.
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At Dauphin, Man., the Medicine Hat Tigers scored four third-period goals and beat the Brandon Wheat
DAVID QUENNEVILLE
Kings, 6-2. . . . The Tigers lead the series, 3-0, and get their first opportunity to eliminate the WHL’s defending champions tonight in Dauphin’s Credit Union Place. . . . The Wheat Kings had to take their first-round games on the road because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over the Keystone Centre complex. . . . The Tigers got the only goal of the first period when F Steve Owre scored at 7:13. . . . Brandon F Ben McCartney, a 15-year-old from Macdonald, Man., tied it with his first WHL goal at 3:41 of the second period. He was a second-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Medicine Hat got that one back at 5:42, with F John Dahlstrom scoring his third goal in as many games. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke (2) pulled his guys even, on a PP, at 6:50. . . . The Tigers went back out front at 4:12 of the third period, with F Mark Rassell getting his fourth goal of the series, on a PP. . . . F Chad Butcher added insurance at 5:49, and F Ryan Jevne and D David Quenneville, into an empty net, closed it out. . . . Quenneville also drew three assists, with Owre and Butcher earning one each. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 27 shots in his third straight playoff complete game for the Tigers. . . . Brandon got 41 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Brandon was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-6. . . . The Wheat Kings were without injured F Nolan Patrick for a third straight game. . . . Medicine Hat scratched injured D Brad Forrest. . . . Announced attendance: 1,912. The arena has 1,763 seats.
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At Calgary, F Sam Steel, the WHL scoring champion, torched the Hitmen for three goals, leading the
SAM STEEL
Regina Pats to a 5-2 victory. . . . Regina, with a 15-5 edge in goals, leads the series, 3-0, and can end it Thursday night in Calgary. . . . Steel has nine points, four of them goals, in the first three games of this series. He had a goal and four assists in Regina’s 5-1 home-ice victory in Game 2 on Saturday. . . . Steel now leads the playoff scoring race with nine points, one more than D David Quenneville of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Steel gave Regina a 2-0 with first-period goals at 1:02 and 9:31. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan increased the lead to 3-0, on a PP, at 19:57. . . . F Dawson Leedahl scored his third goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:59 of the second period. . . . Steel completed his hat trick with a shorthanded goal, at 4:16 of the third period. . . . The Hitmen got third-period goals from F Matteo Gennaro (1), on a PP, and F Luke Coleman (1). . . . The Pats got two assists from D Connor Hobbs, with Leedahl adding one to his goal. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown had a solid night, with 41 saves and an assist on what turned out to be the winning goal. . . . The Hitmen got 30 saves from G Kyle Dumba. . . . Calgary held a 16-11 edge in second-period shots, and it was 17-10 in the third. . . . Regina was 2-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-6. . . . The Pats had F Jeff de Wit back after a one-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . . Announced attendance: 6,736.
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At Kamloops, the Blazers broke a 1-1 tie with two goals 28 seconds apart in the second period as they
JERMAINE LOEWEN
skated to a 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna holds a 2-1 edge in the series, with Game 4 in Kamloops tonight. . . . There were five WHL playoff games on Tuesday night and Kamloops was the only home team to post a victory. . . . F Lane Bauer opened the scoring for Kamloops at 8:06 of the first period. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Kole Lind scored his first WHL playoff goal at 16:28. He was playing in his 26th career post-season game. . . . The Blazers took advantage of a shoddy Kelowna change to take a 2-1 lead at 12:10, the goal coming from F Jermaine Loewen as he finished off a 3-on-2 break. Loewen, a fan favourite in Kamloops, was the most effective player in this one as he wreaked havoc with his physical play and constantly got under the skin of the visitors. . . . Just 28 seconds later, Blazers F Rudolfs Balcers split the defensive pairing of Cal Foote and Gordie Ballhorn, who put on a hook that resulted in a penalty shot. Balcers beat G Michael Herringer to the glove side for a 3-1 lead. It was Balcers’ first playoff goal. . . . Bauer’s second goal, at 18:07, provided a 4-1 edge. . . . Balcers also added an assist to his goal. . . . The last time Kamloops had a penalty shot goal in a playoff game was on April 14, 2012, when F Tim Bozon scored in a 7-2 victory over the host Portland Winterhawks. . . . G Connor Ingram stopped 37 shots in a solid night for Kamloops. . . . Herringer was good, too, with 34 saves. . . . Kelowna was 0-2 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-5. . . . Things got heated late in the third period, with the two coaching staffs exchanging words. . . . Kamloops F Luc Smith was injured in the second-last game of the regular season and has yet to play in this series. . . . Announced attendance: 3,878. . . . Prior to the game, Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, presented WHL Milestone Awards to Blazers trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson and Kamloops head coach Don Hay. Robinson worked his 1,500th game as a WHL trainer earlier this season, while Hay recorded his 700th victory as a WHL head coach.
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At Victoria, G Carter Hart stopped 25 shots to help the Everett Silvertips to a 2-0 victory over the Royals. .
CARTER HART
. . Everett took a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Victoria. . . . Hart has two career shutouts, one this season and one a year ago. . . . The Silvertips scored both their goals via the PP. . . . F Patrick Bajkov counted his third goal of the series 22 seconds into the second period. . . . F Eetu Tuulola (1) added the insurance goal at 17:37 of the second. . . . F Dominic Zwerger drew two assists. . . . The Royals got 19 stops from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Everett was 2-6 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals scratched F Jack Walker, who had two goals and two assists through the first two games. They remain without D Scott Walford. . . . Everett continues to be without F Riley Sutter and F Devon Skoleski, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . Announced attendance: 4,790.
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WEDNESDAY GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)
Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 2-0)
Prince George at Portland, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)
Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (Moose Jaw leads, 2-1)
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7:30 p.m. (Medicine Hat leads, 3-0)
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 2-1)
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m. (Everett leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:20 AM
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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Hurricanes get d-man from Pats . . . Patrick back with teammates . . . Tigers lose Quenneville


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WHL trades since Dec. 27:
Trades: 10.
Players: 18.
Bantam draft picks: 10.
Conditional bantam draft picks: 1.
(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired D Brady Pouteau, 18, from the Regina Pats for a seventh-
BRADY POUTEAU
round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Pouteau, from Oak Bluff, Man., was a fourth-round selection by Regina in the 2013 bantam draft. This season, he had two assists in 18 games with the Pats. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals and five assists in 43 games.
Before joining the Pats, Pouteau played two seasons with the midget AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, helping them to the 2014-15 league championship.
Pouteau, who turns 19 on Jan. 9, was in the lineup on Wednesday night when the Hurricanes met the host Moose Jaw Warriors. He brings more size to a Lethbridge back end that already included the likes of Brennan Riddle (6-foot-2), Ethan King (6-foot-6) and Igor Merezhko (6-foot-5).
The Hurricanes now have eight defencemen on their roster.
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The Vancouver Giants set off alarm bells Wednesday afternoon when they issued a news release stating
TYLER BENSON
that F Tyler Benson wouldn’t play in a game that night against the host Edmonton Oil Kings.
Benson, the first overall pick in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, was limited to 30 games last season by surgery to remove a cyst near his tailbone and then an inflamed pubic bone. This season, however, looked to be different as he put up 42 points, including 31 assists, in 33 games with a team that is struggling in the basement of the B.C. Division.
Benson, who is from Edmonton, was a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL draft and he signed an NHL contract late last month.
From the Giants’ news release quoted general manager Glen Hanlon: “In consultation with the Edmonton Oilers, we’ve decided that it would be best for Tyler to miss (Wednesday’s) game due to a minor injury. Tyler has been assessed by both our staff and the Oilers’ medical team, and we’ll take his status day-by-day. Tyler is very disappointed that he won’t be able to play in his home town and help our team continue its winning road trip.”
According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, Benson didn’t get on the ice in overtime on Monday when the Giants beat the Hitmen 5-4 in a shootout in Calgary. However, Benson did take part in the shootout. He didn’t score, but he did have a goal and an assist in regulation time.
After playing in Edmonton, the Giants’ next game is scheduled for Friday in Langley, B.C., against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
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DAVID QUENNEVILLE
The Medicine Hat Tigers are likely to be without D David Quenneville for up to six weeks after he suffered a broken tibia during a 6-2 loss to the visiting Regina Pats on Tuesday night.
Quenneville was injured while blocking a shot in the first period. He tried to keep playing, but was forced to leave the game.
Quenneville, an 18-year-old from Edmonton, is having a career season, with 20 goals and 28 assists in 38 games. He is one of three Tigers with at least 20 goals and also is their third-leading scorer. Quenneville also leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points.
As a freshman, in 2014-15, Quenneville finished with six goals and 14 assists in 66 games. Last season, he had 14 goals and 41 assists in 64 games.
The Tigers next are scheduled to play on Saturday night when they are at home to the Vancouver Giants.
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F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has played only six games this season, none since Oct. 11, has told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun that he will play in January.
NOLAN PATRICK
Patrick, 18, is back skating with the Wheat Kings. He skated by himself on Monday and then took the morning skate on Tuesday before the Wheat Kings played the visiting Saskatoon Blades that evening. Patrick, wearing a no-contact jersey, practised with his teammates on Wednesday.
“I’m getting close to returning so it’s exciting,” Patrick told Bergson, who wrote: “He said he will play in January for sure, although the date of his
return is pending.”
Patrick has said that he was injured during last spring’s Eastern Conference final against the Red Deer Rebels. He had surgery to repair a sports hernia in July and missed most of training camp. While neither Patrick nor the Wheat Kings has explained the reason, or reasons, behind his absence, speculation has involved his recovery from that surgery.
Despite having missed 33 games, Patrick remains the consensus No. 1 selection for the NHL’s 2017 draft. That is built on a 2015-16 season in which he put up 102 regular-season points and added 30 more in 21 playoff games. He was named the WHL’s playoff MVP as he led the Wheat Kings to the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
For now, Patrick will work on getting back into game shape.
“It’s really nice to be back here and out there skating,” Patrick told Branden Crowe, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings. “I felt pretty good (Wednesday), but I still have a ways to go to get my cardio back up and get into shape.”
According to Crowe, Patrick has travelled “all over Canada since October, seeing different doctors (and) specialists and trying out a variety of physiotherapy and chiropractic options.”
Still, Patrick told Crowe, “I still have a little bit of healing to do.”
Patrick continued: “These last couple of days have been the best I’ve felt in five months so it’s feeling good and I’m just trying to get my timing back and get myself back into shape.”
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The Victoria Royals will be without D Chaz Reddekopp for two games against the host Prince George Cougars this week. Reddekopp has been suspended for two games under supplemental discipline for something that happened during the Royals’ 6-1 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops on Saturday night. . . . Reddekopp had an assist in that game to run his point streak to 11 games, tied with D Kevin Davis of the Everett Silvertips for the longest active streak at the moment. . . . The Royals are scheduled to play in Prince George on Friday and Saturday nights. Victoria goes into the two games in fourth place in the B.C. Division, four points behind second-place Kamloops and two behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Cougars are in first place, six points ahead of Kamloops.
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Concussion Report
It certainly seems that the medical community is on the verge of a blood test that will determine whether someone has suffered a concussion. As Alan Maki of The Globe and Mail reports: “After two years of blood profiling, researchers associated with Western University have been fine-tuning a test that can determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The test comes with a 90-per-cent accuracy rate, a previously unheard count in the medical community working to unlock the mysteries of the brain.” . . . Maki’s complete story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

With two defenceman — Tyler Jette and Brendan O’Reilly — on the injured list, the Tri-City Americans have recalled four defencemen. Mitchell Brown, 15, joins the Americans from the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C.; Landon Fuller, 17, has been with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks; Colten Gerlib, 17, plays for the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles; and, Samuel Stewart plays for the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. . . . Brown was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Fuller was selected in the fifth round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Americans, who lost 5-2 to the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, open an East Division swing on Friday against the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . 
The Everett Silvertips have returned D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to the Vancouver Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He is pointless in two games with Everett. Fairbrother was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . 
The Kamloops Blazers have returned F Brodi Stuart, 16, to the Fraser Valley Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Stuart, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, was pointless in two games with the Blazers. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have returned D Rhett Rhinehart to the Yale Hockey Academy prep team that plays in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. Rhinehart, who turned 15 on Nov. 27, was a first-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. He was pointless in two games with the Raiders. . . . 
The Prince George Cougars have returned F Tyler Ho, 16, to the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds have dropped F Ian Briscoe, 17, from their roster. He will be joining the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. Briscoe, a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, had two goals in 17 games with Seattle.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, F Brendan Semchuk broke a 2-2 tie at 16:27 of the third period as the Vancouver Giants
BRENDAN SEMCHUK
got past the Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . F Ty Ronning had given Vancouver a 1-0 lead with his 15th goal, at 16:52 of the first period. . . . F Adam Berg, playing his first game since Dec. 5, pulled Edmonton even with his third goal, at 11:55 of the second period. . . . The Giants went in front again, at 2:25 of the third period, as F James Malm scored No. 11 on a PP. . . . The Oil Kings tied it at 3:13 with F Trey Fix-Wolansky getting his 10th goal. . . . Semchuk, a sophomore from Kamloops, won it with his sixth goal. A first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, injuries limited Semchuk to 28 games last season when he finished with one goal and one assist. This season, he’s got 14 points in 37 games. . . . D Matt Barberis had two assists for the Giants, while Ronning had one. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic was sharp, making 40 stops. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea, making his 100th regular-season appearance, turned aside 25 shots. . . . Vancouver was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-0. . . . The Giants (16-20-3) are 2-0-0 on an Alberta trek that continues Friday against the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Oil Kings slipped to 18-18-4. . . . F Graham Millar and F Brett Kemp, acquired earlier in the day for D Aaron Irving, weren’t in Edmonton’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 7,355.
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At Kelowna, F Riley Woods scored at 3:19 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the
RILEY WOODS
Rockets. . . . Woods, who has seven goals, was making his Spokane debut after being part of a trade with the Regina Pats for F Wyatt Sloboshan. F Rykr Cole, who also went to Spokane in that exchange, made his Chiefs debut, too. . . . The visitors scored the game’s first two goals, with F Kailer Yamamoto getting his 23rd, on a PP, at 10:36 of the second period, and D Tyson Helgesen (6), Spokane’s captain, counting just 35 seconds later. . . . F Rod Southam, Kelowna’s captain, got his guys to within one when he scored his ninth at 18:01. . . . D Riley Stadel (5) pulled Kelowna into a 2-2 tie at 16:17 of the third period. . . . D Ty Smith had two assists for Spokane. . . . D Lucas Johansen had two assists for Kelowna. . . . The Chiefs got 33 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . At the other end, Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots. . . . Spokane was 1-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . The Chiefs (16-16-6) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Rockets (23-14-3) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,821.
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At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s top gun, scored three times and G Zach Sawchenko
ZACH SAWCHENKO
blocked 41 shots as the Warriors dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . Sawchenko, who stopped 23 shots in the third period, improved his record to 16-4-5 with the victory. . . . Halbgewachs scored 15 goals in 69 games last season; this season, he’s got 34 goals in 39 games. He also has 27 assists, one more than he recorded last season. . . . This was his first career hat trick; he also has nine two-goal games this season. . . . The Warriors took a 2-0 lead on goals by F Luka Burzan (10), at 6:05 of the first period, and Halbgewachs, at 11:51 of the second. . . . D Brennan Riddle’s second goal got Lethbridge to within one at 16:15. . . . Halbgewachs put it away with goals 4:49 and 18:43 of the third period, the latter into an empty net. . . . F Brayden Burke and F Brett Howden each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . The Hurricanes got 20 stops from G Stuart Skinner. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-5. . . . The Hurricanes had D Nolan Jones, 15, in their lineup as they played in his hometown. Jones, a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, plays for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. He was pointless in two earlier games with the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes scratched three defencemen — Calen Addison, Ty Prefontaine and Ethan King — but had Brady Pouteau in the lineup. He was acquired earlier in the day from the Regina Pats. . . . The Warriors (23-9-7) have points in five straight (2-0-2). . . . The Hurricanes (20-15-5) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 2,979.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Spokane vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:50 PM
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Friday, October 7, 2016

WHL's Berlin Wall on move . . . Patrick bails out Wheaties . . . Cougars keep on rolling


It seems that G Matt Berlin is on the move. According to his Twitter account, he is joining the Seattle Thunderbirds after having been dropped by the Spokane Chiefs.
Late Friday night, the Chiefs tweeted that they have traded Berlin to Seattle for an undisclosed conditional selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
Berlin got into six games with the Chiefs last season, going 1-1-2, 4.38, .851.
He started this season with them, too, but played just 10 minutes before being dropped from the roster. He apparently was going to join the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder.
Now, however, it seems he will be with the Thunderbirds.
Berlin, 18, from Edmonton, was a seventh-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2013 WHL bantam draft.
In Seattle, Berlin will join two other goaltenders — Rylan Toth, 20, who was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels on Sept. 16, and Carl Stankowski, 16, who was a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft.
Toth went the distance on Friday night in a 3-1 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Nolan Patrick forced OT and then scored the lone goal of a shootout as the Wheat Kings beat the Swift Current Broncos, 4-3. . . . Patrick tied the game 3-3 with his third goal of the season, at 19:13 of the third period. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had given the Broncos a 3-2 lead at 9:15 of the third. . . . F Riley Stottls scored twice for the Broncos, giving him three goals. From Winnipeg, he was the 10th overall pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . F Tanner Kaspick had a goal and an assist for Brandon (2-1-1), while F Ty Lewis had two assists. . . . The Broncos (4-2-1), who had won two straight, got two assists from D Sahvan Khaira. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson stopped 21 shots, 10 fewer than Travis Child of the Broncos. . . . The Wheaties were 1-2 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 3,650.
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At Calgary, the Hitmen scored two third-period PP goals and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 2-1. . . . F Quinn Benjafield had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 17:57 of the first period. . . . F Carsen Twarynski tied the score 27 seconds into the third period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro got the winner at 14:14. . . . The Calgary PP unit had been 0-19 before Twarynski’s goal. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter blocked 27 shots, while Connor Ingram of the Blazers turned aside 34. . . . Calgary (3-1-0) was 2-6 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-4. . . . The Blazers (2-5-0) have lost three in a row. After opening the season at home, with a 9-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets, they are nearing the end of a seven-game road swing that wraps up Saturday night in Medicine Hat. . . . Calgary had its full lineup in place for the first time as all eight of its NHL campers are back and played. D Jake Bean, who was with the Carolina Hurricanes for three weeks, drew one assist. . . . The Blazers had G Max Palaga of the major midget Thompson Blazers backing up Ingram. Dylan Ferguson hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in the first period of Game 2. Carter Phair took a shot to the head during practice on Thursday and was unavailable. . . . Kamloops lost F Garrett Pilon after he took a hard hit from Gennaro late in the second period. Pilon went to the dressing room and never returned. . . . Announced attendance: 5,745.
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At Edmonton, G Michael Herringer earned the shutout and F Calvin Thurkauf scored the goal as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Oil Kings, 1-0. . . . Herringer, 20, stopped 38 shots in putting up his first shutout of this season and the fourth of his career. . . . Thurkauf broke the scoreless tie at 11:18 of the third period. He’s got three goals this season. . . . Edmonton G Liam Hughes turned aside 33 shots. . . . Kelowna (3-4-0), which has won two in a row, was 0-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . The Oil Kings (2-3-1) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . Announced attendance: 12,781.
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At Everett, F Michael Rasmussen scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . This was the third straight game between the teams; the Americans won two of them. . . . F Dominic Zwerger gave the hosts a 1-0 lead 30 seconds into the game. . . . Tri-City pulled even at 1:18 on F Dakota Krebs’ first WHL goal. . . . Rasmussen, who has a WHL-leading eight goals, broke the tie at 13:31. . . . F Max James provided insurance with a shorthanded goal at 4:27 of the third. . . . Rasmussen added a PP goal at 15:00. . . . F Morgan Geekie had three assists for the Americans (3-3-0). . . . G Nic Sanders stopped 29 shots for the victory. . . . The Silvertips (4-1-1) got 23 stops from Carter Hart. . . . The Americans were 2-3 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 3,908.
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At Moose Jaw, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Warriors, 5-2. . . . The Warriors led 2-0 on first-period goals by F Brett Howden, at 10:48, and F Ryan Bowen, on a PP, at 13:20. . . . F Lane Gilliss got Portland on the board at 13:49 and F Skyler McKenzie, on a PP, pulled the visitors even at 17:03. . . . McKenzie’s seventh goal of the season, at 4:13 of the second period, proved to be the winner. . . . F Cody Glass, who leads the WHL scoring derby, had Portland’s last two goals. He also had an assist. . . . Glass has 15 points in seven games, two more than F Chad Butcher of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has played six games. . . . F Ryan Hughes had two assists for Portland (5-2-0), which is 2-1-0 on its East Division tour. . . . Hughes, 17, has 10 points in seven games. Last season, as a freshman, he put up 13 points in 71 games. . . . The Warriors (3-1-2) lost for the first time in regulation. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 20 shots for Moose Jaw, while Brody Willms blocked 37 at the other end. . . . The Winterhawks held a 19-1 edge in shots in the second period. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-4. . . . The Winterhawks had Latvian F Rodrigo Abols, 20, in the lineup after a three-game absence. He had one assist. . . . Portland didn’t dress Danish F Joachim Blichfeld. . . . Announced attendance: 3,204.
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At Prince George, the Cougars ran their season-opening winning streak to seven games as they beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . The Cougars (7-0-0) are the CHL’s top-ranked team. . . . The Giants jumped to a quick 2-0 lead but weren’t able to score again. F Thomas Foster made it 1-0 just 57 seconds into the game and F Jack Flaman scored his fourth goal for a 2-0 lead at 2:53. . . . Cougars F Jesse Gabrielle, just back from the camp of the Boston Bruins, then figured in three quick goals as the home side took control. He drew the primary assist on a PP goal from F Kody McDonald at 11:17. Gabrielle then scored a PP goal at 12:31 and his shorthanded score at 14:00 gave the Cougars their first lead. . . . F Janson Harkins added two assists for the Cougars, while F Josh Curtis and F Yan Khomenko each had a goal and an assist. . . . Prince George G Ty Edmonds stopped 24 shots. The Giants (1-6-0) got 30 saves from Ryan Kubic. . . . The Cougars were 2-4 on the PP; the Giants were 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,014.
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At Red Deer, D David Quenneville scored three times to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 6-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Tigers overcame a 3-2 deficit with four third-period goals, two of them from Quenneville, who has four goals this season. . . . Last season, Quenneville had 14 goals — including two two-goal games — in 64 games. As a freshman, in 2014-15, he scored six times in 66 games. . . . Red Deer F Michael Spacek scored twice to give his guys a 2-1 lead early in the second period. . . . Tigers F Mark Rassell tied it at 10:39, only to have Red Deer F Evan Polei put the home side out front again, at 12:27. . . . The Tigers then scored three straight PP goals to take control. F Chad Butcher counted at 3:54 of the third period and Quenneville completed his hat trick with goals at 4:08 and 14:07. . . . Butcher added three assists to his goal, while F Steve Owre also had three helpers. Medicine Hat got a goal and two assists from F Mason Shaw. . . . Red Deer F Austin Pratt had two assists. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 37 shots for the Tigers, 10 more than Red Deer’s Riley Lamb. . . . While the Tigers went 4-7 on the PP, the Rebels were 0-7. . . . The Tigers (5-1-0) have won five straight games. . . . The Rebels are 2-3-2. . . . F Adam Musil played his 200th regular-season game, all with Red Deer. . . . Announced attendance: 4,329.
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At Regina, F Keenan Taphorn scored at 4:06 of OT to give the Kootenay Ice a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Taphorn, a 16-year-old freshman from Yorkton, Sask., has two goals this season. . . . The Ice jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead on two goals from F Zak Zborosky, who is from Regina, and one from F Matt Alfaro. . . . Zborosky has six goals. . . . F Lane Zablocki got Regina’s first goal, at 1:10 of the second period and D Sergey Zborovskiy pulled the Pats to within a goal at 4:28. . . . This is believed to be the first game in WHL history in which players whose last names begin with ‘Z’ scored four of first five goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl forced OT when he scored a PP goal at 2:43 of the third period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo had two assists for the Ice (1-3-2). . . . F Jake Leschyshyn had three helpers for Regina (3-0-2), while Zablock added one to his goal. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner was ejected at 9:50 of the first period as he incurred a checking-from-behind major. . . . Announced attendance: 3,958.
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At Kent, Wash., F Alexander True scored the game’s first two goals early in the second period and the Seattle Thunderbirds went on to a 3-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . True, who has four goals, scored at 1:33 and 5:36 and the Thunderbirds (2-2-0) took it from there. . . . F Sami Moilanen and F Cavin Leth drew the assists on both True goals, the second of which came via the PP. . . . F Nolan Volcan gave Seattle a 3-0 lead at 3:09 of the third period. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp scored a PP goal at 12:14. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 28 shots for Seattle. . . . The Royals (2-4-0) got 24 stops from Dylan Myskiw. . . . The Thunderbirds were 1-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,346.
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At Spokane, the Lethbridge Hurricanes struck for three first-period PP goals en re route to a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . F Tyler Wong scored PP goals at 2:59 and 17:01 of the first period and F Ryley Lindgren added another at 17:34. . . . Wong drew an assist on Lindgren’s goal, while F Giorgio Estephan had assists on two of the first three goals. . . . F Pavel Kousal got Spokane on the board at 19:44 of the first. . . . Lethbridge F Egor Babenko scored what proved to be the winner at 1:31 of the second period. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto had a goal and an assist for Spokane, while his brother, Kailer, had two assists. . . . Lethbridge (4-2-0) was 3-6 on the PP; Spokane (1-2-0) was 2-5. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots for the winners. Jayden Sittler, whom the Chiefs acquired from Lethbridge over the summer, gave up five goals on 13 shots. Dawson Weatherill made his Spokane debut in relief and stopped all five shots he saw. . . . Announced attendance: 4,610.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Kootenay at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Portland at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:42 PM
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