The OHL or the NCAA? Andrew Duffy of the Ottawa Citizen profiles a young hockey player who is faced with that decision right here.
———
Looking for good read today? Here’s Jim Matheson’s Hockey World from the pages of the Edmonton Journal. It’s at least a two-cupper.
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors held a 39-13 edge in shots and whipped the Regina Pats, 8-1, to even that series at 1-1. . . . Games 3 and 4 are to be played in Regina on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . F Cody Beach and F Eric Arnold had two goals and an assist each for the Warriors, who scored once in the first period, three times in the second and four times in the third. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens lost his shutout to F Dyson Stephenson at 5:32 of the third. . . . Leading 3-0, the Warriors held a 19-4 edge in shots. . . . Warriors D Dallas Ehrhardt had one assist and was plus-5. . . . Warriors F Sam Fioretti had a goal and two helpers. . . . Moose Jaw took 64 of 118 penalty minutes. Referees Pat Smith and Chad Williams handed out nine misconducts. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers went 3-for-6 on the PP and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-3. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem was in on all five of his side’s goals, scoring twice and setting up three others. . . . The Tigers take a 2-0 lead to Saskatoon for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . The Tigers erased a 3-2 deficit with the game’s last three goals. . . . Etem scored two first-period power-play goals. . . . After F Josh Nicholls gave Saskatoon a 3-2 lead at 6:55 of the second, Medicine Hat D James Bettauer tied it at 16:28. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk broke the 3-3 tie at 14:32 of the third and F Curtis Valk added insurance at 19:54 on a PP. . . . Shinkaruk also had three assists. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP. . . . The Blades continue to be without G Adam Todd (concussion), F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tommy Stipancik (mononucleosis). They also were without D Darren Dietz, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a slashing major on Tigers F Emerson Etem late in Game 1. . . . An interesting note from Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades: In their history, the Blades have lost the first game of a series on the road on 13 occasions. Only once have they come back to win Game 2. That was in 1992 against the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored five times in the second period and beat the Victoria Royals, 7-4. . . . Kamloops took a 6-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Jordan DePape scored twice for Kamloops, the first coming on a penalty shot at 19:24 of the first period to give his side a 1-0 lead. . . . Kamloops F J.C. Lipon had two assists for the second straight game. . . . The Blazers take a 2-0 lead into Games 3 and 4 in Victoria on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk scored his first WHL goal. He was goal-less in 39 regular-season games. . . . Crunk, who turned 17 on Jan. 20, is a freshman from San Jacinto, Calif. . . . Kamloops had a 53-28 edge in shots on goal. . . . The Blazers were 2-7 on the PP; the Royals were 0-5. . . . Kamloops has won back-to-back playoff games for the first time since the spring of 1999 when Habscheid was its head coach. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 20 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 4-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Carruth earned his 20th playoff victory. He is the only goaltender in Portland history with that many postseason victories. . . . Carruth has two career playoff shutouts. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 2-0 lead as the series heads to Kelowna for games on Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Portland was 2-8 on the PP and also got a shorthanded goal from F Brad Ross. . . . D Troy Rutkowski scored the game’s first goal at 7:30 of the first period on the PP. . . . F Ty Rattie, who had three goals in a 6-3 victory on Friday, had a goal and an assist in Game 2. . . . F Sven Baertschi set up two goals. . . . The Winterhawks again were without F Brendan Leipsic. . . . The Rockets continue to be without F Spencer Main (concussion) and D Mitchell Chapman (undisclosed). . . . Kelowna was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets took 53 of 91 penalty minutes, including 23 to F Brett Bulmer. He took four minors, two of them for kneeing, and a kneeing major and game misconduct, the latter at 12:11 of the third period. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel got the old heave-ho 31 seconds into the second period. He took a slashing minor and was promptly tossed, perhaps for saying something to an official. . . . After Game 1, you may recall, Kelowna G Adam Brown made a point of grabbing the final puck and keeping it. So what happened after Game 2. Well, it seems Rutkowski picked it up off the ice. End of story. Right? Wrong. . . . Jim Beseda of The Oregonian reports that Portland D Joe Morrow took the puck from Rutkowski, “skated across the ice and flipped it in Brown's direction” as the Rockets headed to the dressing room. “You know,” Morrow said, “he deserved it, so he can have it back. And if he wants to keep doing that, he can keep every puck after we win from now on. That's his choice." . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s first five goals and went on to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 7-3. . . . Vancouver leads the series 2-0 with the next two games in Spokane on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Brendan Gallagher and F Marek Tvrdon each had two goals and two assists for Vancouver, while F Jordan Martinook had a goal and three assists. . . . Martinook has eight points in the first two games of this series. . . . The Giants also got two goals, both on the PP, from D Neil Manning. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored twice for Spokane. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver was 3-7 on the PP; Spokane was 2-6. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kichton, who was struck in the face by a puck in the third period of Game 1, didn’t play in Game 2. He may have a broken jaw. . . . Kichton, a first-team all-star, is the Western Conference’s defenceman of the year. . . . The Giants are without D David Musil, who has undergone surgery to repair a broken scaphoid. . . . Vancouver inserted D Blake Orban, who played 43 regular-season games, into its lineup and took out D Reid Zalitach, a 2011 bantam draft pick. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored three PP goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Two of those PP goals came in the first period when the Americans spent 11:58 with a man advantage; the Silvertips didn’t get a power play. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison took an interference major and game misconduct at at 9:44 of the first period. . . . Tri-City scored twice on the ensuing power play. . . . Everett F Cody Fowlie took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 4:20 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland scored the game’s first goal at 10:21 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin had two assists. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots, 16 fewer than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Rimmer lost his shutout bid when D Ryan Murray scored at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Tri-City lost D Drydn Dow with an apparent arm injury after he was hit from behind by Everett F Manray Hayer, who was given a double minor. . . . The Americans lead 2-0 as the series goes to Everett for games on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports on Game 2 right here. You may have guessed that Everett head coach Mark Ferner wasn't impressed by the officiating.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brayden Point, Moose Jaw.
F Cain Franson, Vancouver.
F Manraj Hayer, Everett (double minor).
F Cody Fowlie, Everett (major).
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Austin Madaisky, Kamloops.


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Another day, another upset coach throwing things.
This time, it’s Benoit Groulx of the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques, who is rather upset that there wasn’t a penalty for what he felt was a kneeing incident.
It’s obvious that Groulx hasn’t yet been to the Marlin Murray school of cleaning up the bench, but he does get good distance in the garbage can toss.
With a tip of the cap to Jérôme Bérubé.
———
The Vancouver Giants took a couple of hits Tuesday with the news that D David Musil and F Nathan Burns won’t play again this season. . . . Musil, who has had wrist problems for a couple of months, was found to have a broken scaphoid and was to have surgery yesterday. Musil played major minutes for the Giants and was a key part of their penalty kill. He was a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . Burns, who has 34 points in 55 games, was injured in the third period of a 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Sunday. He has been diagnosed with a sprained knee. . . . The Giants also are without F Anthony Ast (high ankle sprain) and F Austin Vetterl (foot), neither of whom is likely to play again this season. . . . Vancouver did get the news that F Austin Fyten, 20, has been given medical clearance to practise with contact. Fyten had knee surgery prior to the start of the season and has yet to play.
———
The Portland Winterhawks have added D Ben Betker, 17, to their roster. A native of Cranbrook, Betker spent this season with the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. He put up 18 points in 59 games and had 52 penalty minutes.
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
A couple of notes: After last night’s games, all Eastern Conference teams have two games remaining. . . . The Prince George Cougars were not eliminated from playoff contention last night. They still can tie for the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff. Should two teams tie for a conference’s final playoff spot, they would play a sudden-death game, with the winner advancing. . . .

In Brandon, the Moose Jaw Warriors got two goals in the circus and beat the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . F Cam Braes and F Eric Arnold, who scored his 13th goal in regulation, scored in the shootout for Moose Jaw. . . . Brandon got one shootout goal from F Mark Stone. . . . The Wheat Kings got their regulation-time goals from D Ryan Pulock, his 19th, and D Eric Roy, with 6.2 seconds left in the third period. . . . Stone had two assists. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 44 shots, 15 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . The Wheat Kings took the game’s only two minor penalties. . . . The Warriors scratched second-year F Jordan Wyton, 18, after he suffered a broken hand in practice on Tuesday. . . . The victory allowed Moose Jaw to clinch home-ice advantage through two rounds of playoffs. . . . The Wheat Kings remain eighth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Saskatoon and Kootenay. . .

In Calgary, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored the game’s first two goals and went on to surprise the Hitmen, 5-2. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski, at 2:10, and F Russell Maxwell, at 5:19, on a PP, put the Hurricanes out front early and they never trailed. . . . Lethbridge F Graham Hood, playing his 250th career game, got his 15th goal this season. . . . F Juraj Bezuch drew two assists for Lethbridge. . . . G Damien Ketlo stopped 37 shots for the Hurricanes. . . . The loss kept the Hitmen from moving into a tie with idle Medicine Hat for third place in the Eastern Conference. The Hitmen, who can finish no lower than fourth, remain two points back. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Weal scored twice to help the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Weal got his 40th of the season on a PP with two seconds left in the first period and later added an empty-netter. . . . Regina F Matt Marantz had two assists. . . . D Sawyer Lange, a 17-year-old from Prince Albert, scored his first WHL goal in his 56th game this season. . . . The victory moved Regina into fifth, a point ahead of Saskatoon and Kootenay. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Kristians Pelss scored at 3:55 of OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 5-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The goal was the 27th of the season for Pelss and gave Edmonton its ninth straight victory. . . . D Jagger Dirk gave the Ice a 4-3 lead with a shorthanded goal at 10:21 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Tristan Sieben tied it at 10:52 on a PP. . . . Ice D Spencer Wand, a 16-year-old from Saskatoon, scored his first WHL goal in his 50th game. . . . The loser point lifted the Ice into a sixth-place tie with idle Saskatoon. . . . The Oil Kings moved into first place in the overall standings, one point ahead of idle Tri-City. Each team has two games remaining, meaning Edmonton finishes first if it wins out. . . .

In Victoria, F Stephen Hodges broke a 3-3 tie at 13:14 of the third period to give the Royals a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The visitors hit three posts after Hodges’ goal. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel tied the game 3-3 with his 17th goal at 2:36 of the third. . . . Hodges has 21 goals this season. . . . Portland led 2-1 after the first period, but Victoria took a 3-2 led into the third. . . . Victoria G Keith Hamilton stopped 32 shots, including 12 of 13 in the third when his side was outshot 13-2. The Royals acquired Hamilton from Portland prior to the start of the season. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 15 shots. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his 55th goal, while F Jamie Crooks got his 36th for Victoria. . . . Victoria continues with F Robin Soudek, who has an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks remain without F Sven Baertschi, who remains on emergency recall with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . The victory lifted the Royals into seventh in the Western Conference, a point ahead of Everett and three ahead of idle Seattle, which has three games left. . . . The Winterhawks, with two left, are two behind Tri-City and three behind Edmonton. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets broke a 1-1 tie with three straight goals and beat the Everett Silvertips 4-2. . . . F Tyson Baillie broke a 1-1 tie at 18:10 of the first period, getting his ninth goal on a PP, and F Shane McColgan and F Cody Chikie scored in the third period as the Rockets pulled away. . . . McColgan and Chikie both have 18 goals. . . . The Rockets were 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Kelowna F Brett Bulmer scored his 33rd goal. . . . The Rockets, already without veteran D Mitchell Chapman due to injury, lost D Myles Bell (leg) in the first period and D Madison Bowey (upper body) in the second. . . . The Rockets will finish sixth in the Western Conference. . . . The Silvertips slid back a spot and now are eighth, two points ahead of Seattle. Everett has two games remaining. Seattle will finish with three games in three nights, starting Friday in Spokane. . . .

In Spokane, D Reid Gow broke a 4-4 tie at 19:13 of the third period as the Chiefs beat the Kamloops Blazers, 6-4. . . . Gow has two goals this season. . . . Spokane F Dominik Uher iced it with his 33rd into an empty net. . . . D Brendan Kichton had two goals, giving him 16, and an assist for Spokane. . . . F Tim Bozon scored twice for Kamloops, giving him 35 in his freshman season. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave left after the first period due to illness. He stopped eight of nine shots. Cam Lanigan replaced him and turned aside 14 of 18 shots. . . . The Blazers have added G Taran Kozun, 17, to their roster. He spent the season with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber missed his fourth straight game with a leg injury. . . . The victory lifted Spokane back into a fourth-place tie with Vancouver. Each team has two games remaining. Should they end up in a tie, Vancouver would finish fourth as it would have more victories. . . . The loss means the Blazers can’t finish first overall and will go into the first round as the second seed because they are B.C. Division champions.
———
WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Cole Wedman, Spokane.
———
WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Chase Souto, Kamloops.
———




IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Kootenay (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Saskatoon (6)
Calgary (4) vs. Regina (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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TODAY’S GAMES:
None.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
Calgary at Kootenay
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert
Brandon at Regina
Saskatoon at Swift Current
Edmonton at Medicine Hat
Lethbridge at Red Deer
Prince George at Kamloops
Seattle at Spokane
Everett at Tri-City
Portland at Victoria
Kelowna at Vancouver

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Tri-City forward Justin Feser unleashes a shot in the direction of Regina
goaltender Matt Hewitt on Saturday night in Kennewick, Wash.
The Americans won the game, 6-1.
(Photo courtesy Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

F Jesse Mychan of the Everett Silvertips had his junior A rights dealt from the Flin Flon Bombers to the Kindersley Klippers in an SJHL trade that was put together late Friday. . . . The Klippers acquired Mychan, 19, F Connor Gay, 16, and cash in exchange for F Jesse Mysiorek, 20. . . . Mychan, who played the last two seasons in Flin Flon, is serving a 10-game suspension. It is his third suspension this season; he earlier sat out a pair of two-game sentences. . . . Earlier, the Klippers picked up G Brandon Stone, 18, from the Estevan Bruins for future considerations. Stone got into 15 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season and started this season there, although he was gone before getting into any games. . . .
If you missed it, and if you like reading good rants, you should skip over to Regan Bartel’s blog and the entry titled ‘One call proves costly.’ . . . Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, didn’t like the performance turned in by a referee on Friday night. . . . I guess that’s why Bartel calls his blog Regan’s Rant. . . . There is a link over there on the right, and I’m thinking that Bartel’s name has been stroked off the Christmas card list by every zebra in the world . . .
If you are looking for some interesting reading, head over to the Regina Leader-Post’s website and check out Greg Harder’s series on Headshots and Hockey. . . . Of special interest are stories on Colton Stephenson, who retired from the Edmonton Oil Kings earlier this season, because of concussion-related problems, and Brayden Cuthbert of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has yet to play this season for the same reason. . . . If you read only one part of this series, though, make it Part 4 in which Harder writes about Dr. Patrick Neary who “has dedicated several years of meticulous research to unlocking the concussion enigma.”
The entire series may be found right here.
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JUST NOTES: D Stefan Elliott (Saskatoo, 2007-11) scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on Saturday and it came on Hockey Night in Canada. He scored his side’s third goal in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . He finished plus-1 with two shots in 19 minutes 36 seconds of playing time over 25 shifts. . . . Elliott, a second-round pick, 49th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2009 NHL draft is 20, so he still could be playing with Saskatoon. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Eric Arnold scored twice, including the winner at 11:41 of the third period, as the Warriors beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. Arnold, who has four goals, had last scored on Sept. 30. . . . The Warriors swept the home-and-home series, having won 7-6 in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone, the WHL’s leading scorer, was held pointless for the second time this season. His eight-game goal streak also ended. . . . Moose Jaw was without F Justin Kirsch (concussion), as well as D Dylan McIlrath and F Tanner Eberle, both of whom are serving suspensions. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Brady Brassart had two goals and an assist to help the Calgary Hitmen to an 8-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Hitmen broke open a 1-1 game with three goals in a span of 3:01 in the second period. . . . The Hitmen went 4-0 on their swing into the East Division. . . . Each team took 51 penalty minutes. . . .
In Saskatoon, G Adam Morrison stopped 27 shots in leading the Vancouver Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Blades. The Giants acquired Morrison, 20, from the Blades earlier in the season. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson had two goals. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls wasn’t able to beat Morrison on a late first-period penalty shot with the Blades leading 1-0. . . . Saskatoon F Lukas Sutter took two checking-to-the-head minors, one at 17:49 of the first and the other just 54 seconds into the second. . . .
In Edmonton, F Tyler Maxwell scored twice as the Oil Kings dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-2. . . . Maxwell, who has 13 goals, was acquired Thursday from the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Michael St. Croix had two goals and two assists, while F Dylan Wruck added a goal and two helpers. They are Maxwell’s linemates. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat had two assists and was plus-3 with his parents, who are here from Slovakia, among the crowd of 8,759 on Minor Hockey Night. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Mark Pysyk and F Kristians Pelss (both undisclosed). . . .
In Red Deer, the Medicine Hat Tigers went 2-for-11 on the PP and beat the Rebels, 4-1. . . . Red Deer took 56 of 103 penalty minutes. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem scored his WHL-leading 27th goal, into an empty net. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy picked up a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct at 11:10 of the first period. . . .
Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 29 shots. . . .
In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford reached the 200-point plateau as his Blazers dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-2. . . . Ranford, playing in his 230th game, got there with a second-period goal, his 13th of the season. He also had an assist and a scrap, for the third Gordie Howe hat trick of his career. . . . He also served an early double minor for high-sticking after hitting Seattle F Brendan Troock. After the collision, Ranford’s stick came around and the blade struck Troock in the back of his neck, directly under his helmet. Troock, who missed all of last season with a head injury, left on a stretcher and was taken to hospital as a precaution. When the Thunderbirds left the arena, they planned on stopping at Royal Inland Hospital and picking up Troock for the trip home. . . . Kamloops D Brady Gaudet had three assists. . . . Seattle was outshot 50-19, including 19-3 in the first period. Two of those shots were dump-ins that preceded line changes, with the other a soft shot from the point by D Brad Deagle. . . . The Thunderbirds gave starter Calvin Pickard a rest — he had started 20 of 22 — and gave Daniel Cotton his third career start. . . . Seattle D Cason Machacek was ejected with a major for checking to the head in the third period. . . .
In Everett, the Swift Current Broncos got two goals from F Taylor Vause and beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . The Broncos are 1-2 on their U.S. Division trip. . . . They are in Portland today. . . . Broncos G Jon Groenheyde stopped 32 shots. . . . Vause has 15 goals. . . . Everett has lost four in a row. . . .
In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored three times to spark the Rockets to a 6-5 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Bulmer has six goals in 10 games since returning from the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Victoria D Zach Habscheid scored his first goal of the season. It was his second in 113 regular-season games. . . .
In Spokane, the Prince George Cougars surprised the Chiefs, 5-4, on D Linden Springer’s first goal. He broke a 4-4 tie at 2:23 of the third period. . . . The goal came in Springer’s 23rd game, 20 of which he has played this season. . . . It also was his first point. . . . The Chiefs are 0-7 on the road as they head out on a five-game trip into the Central Division. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Patrick Holland had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Regina Pats, 6-1. . . . G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots for the victory. . . . The Americans have won four in a row and are one point behind the Kootenay Ice, who top the WHL’s overall standings. The Americans, at .760, do have the league’s best winning percentage. . . . Regina finished its U.S. Division trek at 1-3-1. . . . The Pats next play Friday against the visiting Vancouver Giants.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon
F Eric Walker, Vancouver
D Brady Gaudet, Kamloops
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria

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Fans of the Regina Pats put a pregame beating on a Bronco,
then watched their team beat the Swift Current Broncos.
(Terry Massey photo)

F Brett Lyon of the Moose Jaw Warriors rode into this regular season with eight goals in 158 regular-season games. On Friday, he scored three times, drew one assist and got into a scrap as the Warriors beat the Wheat Kings 4-3 in Brandon. Last season, Lyon, 20, had nine points, five of them goals, in 31 games with the Warriors. He had three assists in 25 games with the Vancouver Giants before he was dealt to Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors got three assists from F Sean Aschim, who now has four helpers in two games. He went into the season with two goals and two assists in 47 career games. . . . Swiss F Eric Arnold, playing on the line with Lyon and Aschim, had a goal and an assist. . . . Brandon F Alessio Bertaggia, who had three goals in a 4-1 victory in Moose Jaw on Thursday, had another goal. . . . The Warriors were without F Cody Beach, who served Game 1 of a suspension for a hit to the head of Brandon F Bruno Mraz. The length of Beach’s suspension has yet to be determined. . . . Mraz played last night. . . .
The Victoria Royals began their WHL existence with a 5-2 loss to the Giants in Vancouver. G Brendan Jensen stopped 26 shots for the victory. . . . The teams play again tonight as the Royals stage their home-opener at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. A crowd of around 7,000 will attend. . . . The Saskatoon Blades picked up F Jesse Paradis, 20, on waivers from Moose Jaw earlier in the week. He scored twice as the Blades beat the visiting Prince Albert Raiders, 4-3. . . . In six games, there were two checking-from-behind minor penalties but no penalties for checking to the head. . . .
The Regina Pats got two goals and two assists from F Chandler Stephenson and a goal and three helpers from F Lane Scheidl as they beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos, 5-1. . . . F Jack Rodewald, the third player on that line, had a goal and an assist. . . . The Pas played without F Jordan Weal, who was in the building after being returned by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. He hadn’t missed a game since his freshman season (2008-09). “Jordan missed a meeting,” Regina head coach Pat Conacher told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “It’s part of our team rules. Everybody has to be accountable. I’m not mad at him or anything. It’s just a simple rule. It goes for everybody.”
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JUST NOTES: The Vancouver Canucks have returned F Kellan Tochkin, 20, to the Medicine Hat Tigers, while they also got D Alex Theriau back from the Dallas Stars. Now the Tigers are missing only F Emerson Etem, who is with the Anaheim Ducks. He may well open the season there. . . . The Phoenix Coyotes assigned F Darius Dziurzynski, 20, to the AHL’s Portland Pirates. He is eligible to return to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Boston Bruins assigned D Ryan Button and  F Craig Cunningham to the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Button, 20, is eligible to return to the Seattle Thunderbirds, while Cunningham played out his eligibility last season with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . D Duncan Siemens was named the third star as his Colorado Avalanche dropped a 3-2 decision to the St. Louis Blues last night. After the game, Colorado returned Siemens to Saskatoon. . . . The Buffalo Sabres have assigned F Riley Boychuk (Portland Winterhawks) and D Matt Mackenzie (Tri-City Americans) to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Both are 20 years of age so are eligible to return to the WHL for another season. . . . The Minnesota Wild returned F Taylor Peters to the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Spokane Chiefs got F Dominik Uher back from the Pittsburgh Penguins. . . .
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The Oregon Ducks, under head coach Chip Kelly, have quite a successful football operation. So why wouldn’t Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, spend a practice with them? Jason Vondersmith of the Portland Tribune has that story right here.
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The Everett Silvertips’ 2011-12 Media Guide is available online. You will find it right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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