Hardy Sauter, the head coach of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, is thrilled that professional hockey is coming back to Oklahoma City.
Sauter played nine seasons with the Central league’s Oklahoma City Blazers. During that stretch, he established himself as arguably the best defenceman in CHL history. In each of his first three seasons, he put 100 points on the board.
He joined the Chiefs as an assistant coach prior to 2007-08 and now is in his second season as the team’s head coach. He took over from Bill Peters, who now is the head coach of the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
But back to Oklahoma City . . .
The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers announced earlier this month that they will allow their affiliation agreement with the Springfield, Mass., Falcons to expire after this season. Instead, the Oilers will revive the AHL franchise which they own -- it last operated as the Edmonton Roadrunners during the lockout season of 2004-05 -- and set up shop in Oklahoma City.
The Blazers ceased operations after last season and there had long been speculation that something would happen involving an AHL franchise.
Asked if he feels the city is capable of surviving at an AHL level, Sauter replied: “Yes, I believe so.”
“I think they have an excellent fan base for hockey at any level,” he continued. “I don’t know exactly what an American league team needs as far as numbers. But I would think they’d get anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 people on a nightly basis.
“The people there love their hockey.”
When Sauter played there, from 1996-2005, it wasn’t unusual to see 9,000 fans in what now is the Cox Convention Centre, a facility that is in the process of being renovated.
“My first three years, they were really hot and I think we averaged more than 9,000,” Sauter said. “My last four or five years, it was somewhere between 8,600 and 8,900.
“And they are moving back to the old building where the hockey atmosphere is way better than the new building (Ford Center).”
Last season, the Blazers averaged 6,508 fans for 32 home games.
As for a leap to the NHL . . .
“If they want to be a big-time city with big-time sports, obviously the NBA is outstanding,” Sauter said. “For myself, again, not knowing the numbers you need to be generating, I think they can well support an American league team.
“Anything more than that . . . I don’t know.”
Sauter is the son of Mike Sauter, a former WHL player and coach, and the nephew of Doug Sauter, a long-time WHL player and coach who had been the Blazers’ head coach since 1995.
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The QMJHL has announced changes to its divisions and to its playoff format, effective with the 2010-11 season. The press release is right here.
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If you’re up early Wednesday, you may want to flip your TV to NBC, where, at some point in time on NBC Today, you’ll see host Matt Lauer, along with former Giants star Evander Kane, now of the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, present Giants G Greg Lamoureux and singer Michael Buble, one of the WHL team’s owners, zipping around the Ladner Leisure Centre. . . . By the way, the Giants will without F Lance Bouma, their captain, for up to six weeks with a knee injury. He apparently will stay home as the Giants head into the East Division for a swing that opens Friday against the Blades in Saskatoon.
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THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Brandon (11) 41-16-1-3-86
d-Calgary (13) 40-17-1-1-82
Saskatoon (14) 39-13-3-3-84
Kootenay (12) 37-18-3-2-79
Medicine Hat (10) 33-21-3-5-74
Red Deer (13) 34-21-0-4-72
Moose Jaw (13) 28-23-4-4-64
Swift Current (11) 30-27-0-4-64
———
Prince Albert (12) 28-27-3-2-61
Regina (12) 25-28-3-4-57
Tuesday: Swift Current 2 at Kootenay 1; Red Deer 3 at Prince Albert 1; Moose Jaw 1 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Prince George at Calgary; Swift Current at Lethbridge; Red Deer at Saskatoon.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (14) 41-15-1-2-85
dx-Vancouver (12) 36-20-1-3-76
x-Portland (11) 37-21-2-1-77
x-Everett (13) 36-19-3-1-76
x-Spokane (13) 35-20-3-1-74
Kelowna (12) 29-26-2-3-63
Kamloops (11) 27-28-2-4-60
Chilliwack (12) 26-28-1-5-58
x — clinched playoff spot.
Tuesday: Seattle 0 at Chilliwack 1 (OT); Moose Jaw 1 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Portland at Everett; Spokane at Kamloops;
---
TUESDAY:
In Prince Albert, the Red Deer Rebels built up a 3-0 second-period lead and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Rebels have closed to within two points of the fifth-place Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference. Red Deer holds three games in hand on Medicine Hat. . . . The loss, combined with a victory by the Swift Current Broncos in Cranbrook, left the Raiders three points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels, who are 21-7-0-4 in their last 32 games, have won four straight. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots. . . . Red Deer F Turner Elson opened the scoring with his eighth goal, shorthanded, at 5:48 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson got the eventual winner, scoring his 10th on the PP at 14:20 of the first. . . . Prince Albert G Garrett Zemlak stopped 11 of 15 shots before leaving at 7:30 of the second. Jamie Tucker came on to stop all 10 shots he faced. . . . Attendance was 2,032. . . . The Raiders, who lost 3-1 in Red Deer on Saturday, are 22-7-1-1 at home. . . . Red Deer played without D Aaron Borejko (shoulder) and D Simon Witt (groin).
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Johnny Lazo broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 14:17 of the second period and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The victory lifted the Western Conference-leading Americans to within one point of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who are first overall. . . . .Lazo also added an assist. . . . He has 36 goals. . . . Attendance was 4,092. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 34 shots, seven more than Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch. . . . The Warriors went 2-3 in their U.S. Division tour. . . . The Americans are 25-6-0-0 in the cozy confines of the Toyota Center.
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In Chilliwack, F Shayne Neigum scored 37 seconds into overtime to give the Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. . . . Bruins G Lucas Gore stopped 28 shots but shares the shutout with Braden Gamble who played 13 seconds without facing a shot. . . . Gore broke his stick during the second period and went to the Bruins’ bench to get a replacement. But it seems that he forgot to ask referee Matt Kirk for permission, so he had to leave play for one stoppage. . . . Gore has three shutouts this season; one more would have given him the single-season franchise record. . . . The Thunderbirds were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-3. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 15 straight games. . . . G Calvin Pickard stopped 26 shots for the visitors. . . . Attendance was 2,761, the second-smallest crowd of the season in Chilliwack.
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In Cranbrook, D Travis Bobbee broke a 1-1 tie with a second-period PP goal as the Swift Current Broncos beat the host Kootenay Ice, 2-1. . . . The victory lifted the Broncos into a tie with the Moose Jaw Warriors for seventh in the Eastern Conference. . . . Bobbee scored his sixth goal at 12:01 of the second with the Broncos enjoying a 5-on-3 advantage. . . . F Justin Dowling had a goal, his 26th, and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Ice D James Martin tied the score 1-1 at 3:38 of the second on the PP. . . . Broncos G Morgan Clark stopped 31 shots. . . . The Ice’s Todd Mathews made 18 save. . . . The Ice had won its previous three games. . . . Attendance was 2,530. . . . The Broncos are without F Matt Tassone (hernia).
Showing posts with label Doug Sauter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doug Sauter. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tuesday . . .
THE MacBETH REPORT: D/F Rod Sarich (Calgary, 1997-2002) has signed a one-year contract extension with the Sheffield Steelers (UK Elite). He has six goals and 25 assists in 30 games with the Steelers this season. . . .
Brothers Greg and Brad Leeb have signed one-year contract extensions with Nuremberg (Germany DEL). F Greg (Spokane, 1994-98) has 12 goals and 23 assists in 46 games; Brad (Red Deer, 1995-99) has 19 goals and 18 assists in 46 games this season with Nuremberg.
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Travis Green, the Portland Winterhawks’ assistant GM/assistant coach, will be running the squad as it plays a doubleheader against the Cougars in Prince George. The Winterhawks, with the exception of GM/head coach Mike Johnston, will head for Prince George after a Wednesday game against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . Johnston plans to spend the weekend scouting and recruiting, including visiting a few list players and their families. “Last year I thought it was important to head out and see some key players and visit their families while they’re still playing, and this year I think it is as well,” Johnston said in a press release. “I think it’s important for next year to add a couple of really good players to our lineup, and I thought the appropriate time (to make a recruiting trip) was now, when I could line up a schedule where all the players are playing and I have an opportunity to meet the families, and sit down and evaluate where they fit in to our long term plans.” . . . Johnston will be back behind the bench Monday when the Moose Jaw Warriors visit Portland.
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F Chad Hinz (Moose Jaw, 1995-99) will miss the rest of the season with a fractured vertebrae. Hinz, who was playing for the Central league’s Arizona Sundogs, was injured Saturday against the visiting Rapid City Rush. The Sundogs had acquired Hinz, 30, from the Missouri Mavericks on Jan. 20. There’s more on Hinz right here.
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F Brady Calla (Everett, Moose Jaw, Kamloops, Spokane, 2003-09) has been reassigned by the NHL’s Florida Panthers from the AHL’s Rochester Americans to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Calla, 21, has six points and 14 penalty minutes in 32 games with the Americans this season. He was a third-round pick by the Panthers in the NHL’s 2006 draft.
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The Fraser Valley Bruins of the B.C. major midget league are in Prince George this week, playing two games against the Cariboo Cougars that were to have been played Dec. 12 and 13. The Bruins didn’t make it to those games, you’ll recall, because their bus crash south of Williams Lake. . . . There were a lot of bumps and bruises after the accident and G Mackenzie Skapski suffered head and facial injuries and hasn’t yet returned to action. However, he has started dryland training and hopes to be back in March. . . . "It's been tough," Bruins head coach Pat Ansell told the Prince George Citizen. "It's been a little bit of a challenge. It has interrupted our season ... and our roster. It's one of those things that you deal with. Today, it doesn't seem like such a big issue. The kids seem pretty happy. They're pretty resilient at the best of times and I think that's exactly what's happening right now. Overall, I think we're OK."
———
Pro hockey is returning to Oklahoma City after a one-season absence. The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that they will operate an AHL franchise in Oklahoma City in time for the 2010-11 season. The Oilers will let their agreement with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons expire and revive their dormant AHL franchise, which last operated as the Edmonton Roadrunners. . . . Oklahoma City was home to a Central league franchise, the Blazers, since 1972 but the franchise suspended operations prior to this season. . . . Doug Sauter, a former WHL player, coach and general manager, was the Blazers’ head coach for a number of years. He remains in Oklahoma City where he is employed by the Funk family. Bob Funk Jr. is the president of Prodigal Hockey, which cut the deal with the Oilers to bring the AHL franchise to Oklahoma City. Funk Jr. also is president of Express Sports, the parent company of the now-defunct Blazers. Last summer, when it became known that Prodigal Hockey was in the market for an AHL franchise, Funk Jr. told newsok.com blogger Bob Przybylo: “(Sauter) will always be a part of our organizations. Whether it’s helping with the hockey team or doing other stuff, he’ll always be a part. As for the coaching, I’m not in a spot to comment on that.” . . . There is more on this story right here.
———
Meanwhile, the Albany River Rats, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, are about to change hands, something that likely will result in a move to Charlotte, N.C. There’s more on that right here.
———
Major junior hockey’s big three — David Branch, Gilles Courteau and Ron Robison — were in Brandon on Tuesday to check out the work that has been done to date to prepare for the 2010 Memorial Cup. Branch is the CHL commissioner and OHL president, while Courteau is the QMJHL’s commissioner and Robison is the WHL commissioner. . . . In an interview with Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings on radio station CKLQ, Branch said the major junior leagues are in the process of setting up a concussion-management system. Branch said that this is “going to be a front-burner item.” . . . Branch also indicated that the CHL will continue to allow smaller communities to play host to the Memorial Cup. “We can’t forget who we are,” Branch said. “We can’t lose sight of who we are and we understand that.”
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If you click right here you will get to read a terrific story involving Canadian Olympic women’s team goaltender Shannon Szabados and a friend from her days in the AJHL.
———
THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
d-Brandon (14) 38-16-1-3-80
d-Calgary (17) 38-16-1-1-76
Saskatoon (18) 36-12-3-3-78
Kootenay (15) 35-17-3-2-75
Medicine Hat (14) 32-18-3-5-72
Red Deer (16) 31-21-0-4-66
Prince Albert (16) 28-23-3-2-61
Moose Jaw (18) 26-20-5-3-60
Swift Current (15) 28-26-0-3-59
Regina (15) 24-26-3-4-55
Tuesday: Regina 2 at Brandon 6; Moose Jaw 2 at Kootenay 5; Lethbridge 0 at Red Deer 1; Calgary 6 at Swift Currrent 1.
Wednesday: Prince Albert at Medicine Hat; Calgary at Regina; Swift Current at Saskatoon; Moose Jaw at Spokane.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (18) 39-13-0-2-80
d-Vancouver (15) 33-20-1-3-70
x-Everett (17) 34-18-2-1-71
x-Portland (15) 34-20-2-1-71
Spokane (17) 31-20-3-1-66
Kelowna (15) 28-25-2-2-60
Kamloops (15) 26-25-2-4-58
Chilliwack (16) 24-26-1-5-54
x — clinched playoff spot.
Tuesday: Seattle 2 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Everett; Tri-City at Portland; Kamloops at Prince George; Moose Jaw at Spokane.
———
TUESDAY;
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in a span of 2:39 in the second period and went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-2. . . . D Alexander Urbom scored twice for Brandon. He has 10 on the season. . . . F Brayden Schenn drew three assists for Brandon. . . . Brandon F Matt Calvert scored his 37th of the season. . . . Brandon F Toni Rajala had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . D Myles Bell, the 17th pick in the 2008 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal for the Pats. . . . Referees Derek Zalaski and Brett Montsion called three minor penalties, all to Regina. . . . Brandon is 15-0-0-1 in its last 16 home games. . . . Brandon has won four of five with Regina this season. . . . Attendance was 4,063.
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In Cranbrook, B.C., F Dustin Sylvester had two goals and an assist to lead the Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Sylvester now has 236 career regular-season points, good for third spot on the Ice’s franchise list. He passed Dale Mahovsky and Steve DaSilva with this performance and now trails only Jarrett Stoll (286) and Nigel Dawes (272). . . . Sylvester now has 78 points, three shy of Vancouver Giants F Craig Cunningham, who leads the WHL. . . . The Warriors held a 2-1 lead 48 seconds into the second period, as F Spencer Edwards scored his 15th goal. . . . The Ice tied it on D Ryan Molle’s second goal of the season at 3:07 and went ahead on Sylverster’s second of the game, and 31st of the season, at 5:49. . . . Ice G Todd Mathews made 28 saves, eight more than Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch. . . . Attendance was 2,595. . . . The Ice had lost its last two games. . . . The Warriors have lost eight of nine as they head into the U.S. Division.
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In Red Deer, G Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 shots to lead the Rebels to a 1-0 victory over the lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Kuemper has three shutouts this season and six in his career. This was the second time this season that he blanked Lethbridge, 1-0. . . . Red Deer D Justin Weller scored the game’s only goal, his third of the season, unassisted at 3:29 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes have lost nine in a row. . . . Red Deer was 0-for-7 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 4,033.
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In Swift Current, the Calgary Hitmen ran their winning streak to five games as they beat the Broncos, 6-1. . . . The Hitmen scored the game’s first three goals and the last three. . . . F Mackenzie Royer scored twice, his third and fourth of the season, for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-for-7. . . . Swift Current F Cody Eakin got his 39th goal of the season, tying him for the WHL lead with Regina Pats F Jorden Eberle. . . . Calgary G Michael Snider stopped 25 shots, while Swift Current’s Morgan Clark turned aside 32. . . . Attendance was 2,070.
———
In Kennewick, Wash., F Jordan Messier broke a 2-2 tie at 10:50 of the third period and the host Tri-City Americans went on to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. . . . The victory allowed the Americans to stay tied for first place overall with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Charles Wells had given the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:45 of the second period. Wells has 15 goals this season. . . . Tri-City D Jarrett Toll tied it with his sixth goal of the season at 19:07 of the second. . . . Messier won it with his 17th goal. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 12 in a row. . . . The Americans were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-for-8. . . . Seattle G Michael Salmon, making a rare start in place of Calvin Pickard, made 30 saves, three more than the Americans’ Drew Owsley. . . . Attendance was 3,766. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick left in the first period after taking a puck off one foot. He didn’t return.
Brothers Greg and Brad Leeb have signed one-year contract extensions with Nuremberg (Germany DEL). F Greg (Spokane, 1994-98) has 12 goals and 23 assists in 46 games; Brad (Red Deer, 1995-99) has 19 goals and 18 assists in 46 games this season with Nuremberg.
———
Travis Green, the Portland Winterhawks’ assistant GM/assistant coach, will be running the squad as it plays a doubleheader against the Cougars in Prince George. The Winterhawks, with the exception of GM/head coach Mike Johnston, will head for Prince George after a Wednesday game against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . Johnston plans to spend the weekend scouting and recruiting, including visiting a few list players and their families. “Last year I thought it was important to head out and see some key players and visit their families while they’re still playing, and this year I think it is as well,” Johnston said in a press release. “I think it’s important for next year to add a couple of really good players to our lineup, and I thought the appropriate time (to make a recruiting trip) was now, when I could line up a schedule where all the players are playing and I have an opportunity to meet the families, and sit down and evaluate where they fit in to our long term plans.” . . . Johnston will be back behind the bench Monday when the Moose Jaw Warriors visit Portland.
———
F Chad Hinz (Moose Jaw, 1995-99) will miss the rest of the season with a fractured vertebrae. Hinz, who was playing for the Central league’s Arizona Sundogs, was injured Saturday against the visiting Rapid City Rush. The Sundogs had acquired Hinz, 30, from the Missouri Mavericks on Jan. 20. There’s more on Hinz right here.
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F Brady Calla (Everett, Moose Jaw, Kamloops, Spokane, 2003-09) has been reassigned by the NHL’s Florida Panthers from the AHL’s Rochester Americans to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Calla, 21, has six points and 14 penalty minutes in 32 games with the Americans this season. He was a third-round pick by the Panthers in the NHL’s 2006 draft.
———
The Fraser Valley Bruins of the B.C. major midget league are in Prince George this week, playing two games against the Cariboo Cougars that were to have been played Dec. 12 and 13. The Bruins didn’t make it to those games, you’ll recall, because their bus crash south of Williams Lake. . . . There were a lot of bumps and bruises after the accident and G Mackenzie Skapski suffered head and facial injuries and hasn’t yet returned to action. However, he has started dryland training and hopes to be back in March. . . . "It's been tough," Bruins head coach Pat Ansell told the Prince George Citizen. "It's been a little bit of a challenge. It has interrupted our season ... and our roster. It's one of those things that you deal with. Today, it doesn't seem like such a big issue. The kids seem pretty happy. They're pretty resilient at the best of times and I think that's exactly what's happening right now. Overall, I think we're OK."
———
Pro hockey is returning to Oklahoma City after a one-season absence. The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that they will operate an AHL franchise in Oklahoma City in time for the 2010-11 season. The Oilers will let their agreement with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons expire and revive their dormant AHL franchise, which last operated as the Edmonton Roadrunners. . . . Oklahoma City was home to a Central league franchise, the Blazers, since 1972 but the franchise suspended operations prior to this season. . . . Doug Sauter, a former WHL player, coach and general manager, was the Blazers’ head coach for a number of years. He remains in Oklahoma City where he is employed by the Funk family. Bob Funk Jr. is the president of Prodigal Hockey, which cut the deal with the Oilers to bring the AHL franchise to Oklahoma City. Funk Jr. also is president of Express Sports, the parent company of the now-defunct Blazers. Last summer, when it became known that Prodigal Hockey was in the market for an AHL franchise, Funk Jr. told newsok.com blogger Bob Przybylo: “(Sauter) will always be a part of our organizations. Whether it’s helping with the hockey team or doing other stuff, he’ll always be a part. As for the coaching, I’m not in a spot to comment on that.” . . . There is more on this story right here.
———
Meanwhile, the Albany River Rats, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, are about to change hands, something that likely will result in a move to Charlotte, N.C. There’s more on that right here.
———
Major junior hockey’s big three — David Branch, Gilles Courteau and Ron Robison — were in Brandon on Tuesday to check out the work that has been done to date to prepare for the 2010 Memorial Cup. Branch is the CHL commissioner and OHL president, while Courteau is the QMJHL’s commissioner and Robison is the WHL commissioner. . . . In an interview with Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings on radio station CKLQ, Branch said the major junior leagues are in the process of setting up a concussion-management system. Branch said that this is “going to be a front-burner item.” . . . Branch also indicated that the CHL will continue to allow smaller communities to play host to the Memorial Cup. “We can’t forget who we are,” Branch said. “We can’t lose sight of who we are and we understand that.”
———
If you click right here you will get to read a terrific story involving Canadian Olympic women’s team goaltender Shannon Szabados and a friend from her days in the AJHL.
———
THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
d-Brandon (14) 38-16-1-3-80
d-Calgary (17) 38-16-1-1-76
Saskatoon (18) 36-12-3-3-78
Kootenay (15) 35-17-3-2-75
Medicine Hat (14) 32-18-3-5-72
Red Deer (16) 31-21-0-4-66
Prince Albert (16) 28-23-3-2-61
Moose Jaw (18) 26-20-5-3-60
Swift Current (15) 28-26-0-3-59
Regina (15) 24-26-3-4-55
Tuesday: Regina 2 at Brandon 6; Moose Jaw 2 at Kootenay 5; Lethbridge 0 at Red Deer 1; Calgary 6 at Swift Currrent 1.
Wednesday: Prince Albert at Medicine Hat; Calgary at Regina; Swift Current at Saskatoon; Moose Jaw at Spokane.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (18) 39-13-0-2-80
d-Vancouver (15) 33-20-1-3-70
x-Everett (17) 34-18-2-1-71
x-Portland (15) 34-20-2-1-71
Spokane (17) 31-20-3-1-66
Kelowna (15) 28-25-2-2-60
Kamloops (15) 26-25-2-4-58
Chilliwack (16) 24-26-1-5-54
x — clinched playoff spot.
Tuesday: Seattle 2 at Tri-City 3.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Everett; Tri-City at Portland; Kamloops at Prince George; Moose Jaw at Spokane.
———
TUESDAY;
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in a span of 2:39 in the second period and went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-2. . . . D Alexander Urbom scored twice for Brandon. He has 10 on the season. . . . F Brayden Schenn drew three assists for Brandon. . . . Brandon F Matt Calvert scored his 37th of the season. . . . Brandon F Toni Rajala had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . D Myles Bell, the 17th pick in the 2008 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal for the Pats. . . . Referees Derek Zalaski and Brett Montsion called three minor penalties, all to Regina. . . . Brandon is 15-0-0-1 in its last 16 home games. . . . Brandon has won four of five with Regina this season. . . . Attendance was 4,063.
———
In Cranbrook, B.C., F Dustin Sylvester had two goals and an assist to lead the Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Sylvester now has 236 career regular-season points, good for third spot on the Ice’s franchise list. He passed Dale Mahovsky and Steve DaSilva with this performance and now trails only Jarrett Stoll (286) and Nigel Dawes (272). . . . Sylvester now has 78 points, three shy of Vancouver Giants F Craig Cunningham, who leads the WHL. . . . The Warriors held a 2-1 lead 48 seconds into the second period, as F Spencer Edwards scored his 15th goal. . . . The Ice tied it on D Ryan Molle’s second goal of the season at 3:07 and went ahead on Sylverster’s second of the game, and 31st of the season, at 5:49. . . . Ice G Todd Mathews made 28 saves, eight more than Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch. . . . Attendance was 2,595. . . . The Ice had lost its last two games. . . . The Warriors have lost eight of nine as they head into the U.S. Division.
———
In Red Deer, G Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 shots to lead the Rebels to a 1-0 victory over the lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Kuemper has three shutouts this season and six in his career. This was the second time this season that he blanked Lethbridge, 1-0. . . . Red Deer D Justin Weller scored the game’s only goal, his third of the season, unassisted at 3:29 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes have lost nine in a row. . . . Red Deer was 0-for-7 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 4,033.
———
In Swift Current, the Calgary Hitmen ran their winning streak to five games as they beat the Broncos, 6-1. . . . The Hitmen scored the game’s first three goals and the last three. . . . F Mackenzie Royer scored twice, his third and fourth of the season, for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-6 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-for-7. . . . Swift Current F Cody Eakin got his 39th goal of the season, tying him for the WHL lead with Regina Pats F Jorden Eberle. . . . Calgary G Michael Snider stopped 25 shots, while Swift Current’s Morgan Clark turned aside 32. . . . Attendance was 2,070.
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Jordan Messier broke a 2-2 tie at 10:50 of the third period and the host Tri-City Americans went on to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent. . . . The victory allowed the Americans to stay tied for first place overall with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Charles Wells had given the Thunderbirds a 2-1 lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:45 of the second period. Wells has 15 goals this season. . . . Tri-City D Jarrett Toll tied it with his sixth goal of the season at 19:07 of the second. . . . Messier won it with his 17th goal. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 12 in a row. . . . The Americans were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-for-8. . . . Seattle G Michael Salmon, making a rare start in place of Calvin Pickard, made 30 saves, three more than the Americans’ Drew Owsley. . . . Attendance was 3,766. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick left in the first period after taking a puck off one foot. He didn’t return.
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