Regina home to 2018 Memorial Cup party . . . Royals lose key defenceman . . . Raiders unhappy with Johnson call

The 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup will be celebrated in Regina with the Pats as the host team for the annual four-team tournament. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon.

The Pats also will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2017-18, so this obviously seems to be a match made in hockey heaven.

As Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post writes right here:

“The circumstances were aligned in the Pats’ favour, especially when the team’s long-standing military connection was factored into the equation. The Memorial Cup is dedicated to all Canadian military personnel who have lost their lives during combat.

“Consider, too, that Regina is expected to ice another top-flight team during the 2017-18 season.

“Simply put, there was a check mark beside every box when the Pats’ proposal was submitted. There wasn’t any choice but to select Regina.”

The other finalists both were from the OHL — the Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals.

If you are wanting to book your vacation, the 2018 Memorial Cup is to be held May 17-27.

The news release issued by the Pats is right here.

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The injury bug continues to nibble away at the Victoria Royals.

Already without F Tyler Soy (week-to-week) and F Ryan Peckford (six to seven weeks) with undisclosed injuries, the Royals now have lost D Chaz Reddekopp.

“Chaz will be out for the rest of the regular season, but you never know how these things heal,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Cleve Cheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.

Reddekopp suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat and didn’t play in Friday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. 

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Reddekopp was a seventh-round selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2015 NHL draft.

“Obviously, he’s a big piece of our blue-line,” Reddekopp said. “But injuries happen. That’s why we have the depth we do. The other guys stepped up (Friday in Lethbridge).”

The Royals completed a three-game swing into the Central Division with a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday night. Victoria went 1-1-1 on the trip.

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The Prince Albert Raiders were without F Kolby Johnson on Saturday night after he was hit with a TBD suspension after incurring a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Orrin Centazzo of the Everett Silvertips in a Friday game.

Centazzo was scratched from Everett’s lineup as it completed an East Division swing in Swift Current against the Broncos last night. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald tweeted Saturday that Centazzo will miss “some time.”

Here another GIF showing more of Johnson's approach. At the risk of homerism, this is 5 minutes and a suspension for being big and strong pic.twitter.com/ixCeRb2F7y

— Jeff D'Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) February 18, 2017

The Raiders weren’t happy with the penalty to Johnson, who apparently first was given a minor penalty.

According to Jeff D’Andrea of pa.NOW, referees Jonathan Spurgeon and Cody Rude “didn’t give the major penalty right away. . . . A minor was up on the clock for at least three real-time minutes while the officials talked to the Raiders’ bench first, and then the Silvertips' bench. After talking to both head coaches, Spurgeon and Rude then conferred in front of the scorer’s table and changed the call from a minor to a major.”

Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, wasn’t impressed.

“You know what?” D’Andrea quoted Habscheid as saying. “I’ve been in this game a long time. (Associate coach) Dave Manson’s been in the game, and (skills coach) Mark Odnokon and (assistant coach) Brandin Cote, and not one of us has seen that before. It’s one thing to make a call, but I’ve never seen a call made, then go to the bench with a foul, and then go back and change the call. I’ve never seen that. I’ve never seen that in my life.”

Johnson, who was acquired from the Prince George Cougars as part of a Nov. 18 deal that sent D Brendan Guhle the other way, is a repeat offender. Johnson served a four-game suspension in December after taking a headshot major.

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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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Incredible honour to have Ed Staniowski in studio today. 219 NHL games. 29 year career in the Canadian Military. pic.twitter.com/GRiYagaWN8

— Kelly Hrudey (@KellyHrudey) February 19, 2017

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Ian Scott turned aside 33 shots to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-1 victory over the

AUSTIN CROSSLEY

Wheat Kings. . . . He was especially sharp in the third period when Brandon held a 15-3 edge in shots but only was able to score once, that from F Reid Duke (33), on a PP, at 10:27. . . . D Austin Crossley had given the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 5:53 of the first period. Crossley, a 17-year-old freshman from Fort St. John, B.C., scored his first WHL goal in his 21st game this season. . . . F Cavin Leth gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 11:22. . . . The Raiders went up 3-0 when F D-Jay Jerome counted No. 7 at 16:15 of the second period. . . . Prince Albert’s final goal came from F Parker Kelly (13), on a PP, at 15:42 of the third period. . . . G Travis Child stopped 23 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-7. . . . The Wheat Kings played without F Tanner Kaspick and D Kale Clague. . . . The Raiders lead the season series, 4-0-1; Brandon is 1-3-1. . . . Prince Albert (16-39-5) has won six of its last eight road games to move out of the WHL cellar. It is one point ahead of Kootenay. . . . Brandon (28-23-8) looks like it will finish in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,480.

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At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 5-2 victory over the

JAMES HILSENDAGER

Prince George Cougars. . . . F Colby McAuley, who had both Prince George goals, gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 9:59 of the first period. . . . The Rockets get even on F Tomas Soustal’s 16th goal, on a PP, at 18:37. . . . D Devante Stephens gave the home boys the lead with his 10th goal at 6:06 of the second period. . . . D James Hilsendager (4) made it 3-1 at 11:53 and F Nick Merkley (19) scored, shorthanded, at 13:57. . . . McAuley’s 22nd goal pulled the Cougars to within two 41 seconds into the third period. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf’s 30th goal of the season iced the victory for Kelowna at 18:39. . . . Soustal and Merkley each added an assist. . . . F Brad Morrison had two helpers for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 25 stops from G Michael Herringer, while Nick McBride stopped 38 at the other end. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Rockets (34-20-5) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division, four points ahead of Victoria and three behind Kamloops . . . The Cougars (38-18-4) continue to lead the B.C. Division by four points over Kamloops. The Cougars are scheduled to visit the Blazers today (Sunday). . . . Announced attendance: 5,761.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jack Walker broke a 1-1 tie at 8:03 of the second period and the Victoria Royals

JACK WALKER

went on to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Regan Nagy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 3:58 of the first period. . . . The Ice got that one back at 11:46, as F Jake Elmer (6) scored on a PP. . . . Walker’s 25th goal gave Victoria a 2-1 lead. . . . F Matt Phillips counted No. 42 at 8:03 of the third period for some insurance. . . . F Carter Folk sealed the victory with his seventh goal, an empty-netter, at 18:42. . . . Phillips also had an assist. . . . G Dylan Myskiw stopped 26 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw completed a three-game suspension by missing this one. He was suspended after taking a headshot major and game misconduct for hit on F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 11 in Victoria. Sideroff missed one game before returning for Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. . . . Victoria (32-23-5) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, two points ahead of Portland. . . . Kootenay (13-36-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,424.

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Fun facts: last time the Canes lost at home in regulation was November 16 vs the Kootenay Ice.  A record of 16-0-1-1 over that stretch. #YQL

— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) February 19, 2017

At Lethbridge, F Matt Alfaro scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Alfaro, who has 18 goals, gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead at 5:08

MATT ALFARO

of the first period, on a PP. Later, he increased their lead to 3-1 at 15:34 of the second period. He completed the hat trick with a shorthanded goal at 8:08 of the third period. . . . Alfaro has 12 points, five of them goals, in 12 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice. He had 39 points, including 13 goals, in 41 games with the Ice. . . . Saskatoon F Logan Christensen (10) tied it 1-1, on a PP, at 19:27 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong broke the tie at 9:33 of the second period and Alfaro made it 3-1 six minutes later. . . . F Tyler Lees scored his first goal at 5:26 of the third period, getting Saskatoon to within a goal, but Lethbridge put it away with the last three goals. . . . Lees, 16, scored in his sixth game. From Regina, he was a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . D Brady Poteau (1) and F Zak Zborosky (38), on a PP, also scored for the winners. . . . Poteau has one goal in 19 games with Lethbridge, after going without a goal in 18 games with the Regina Pats. . . . Wong and Zborosky each added three assists, while F Giorgio Estephan had two. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 22 shots to earn the victory. . . . Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm turned aside 28 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 2-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Blades lost F Cole Johnson to a goaltender interference major and game misconduct after a collision with Gilchrist at 4:20 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge (36-16-7) has won three in a row. It is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-27-8) had points in each of their previous five games (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,709.

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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with three goals in 2:22 late in the second period en route to a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Medicine Hat took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F

TREY FIX-WOLANSKY

Mark Rassell, at 9:32, and F Matt Bradley, at 10:49. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored three times for the visitors, giving him 20 goals in his freshman season. . . . He tied the score with goals at 14:36 of the first period and 1:00 of the second. The latter goal came via the PP. . . . The Tigers broke it open as F Chad Butcher scored his 23rd goal, shorthanded, at 17:33 of the second. Bradley (29) made it 4-2 at 19:24 and Rassell added his 29th just 31 seconds later. . . . F James Hamblin increased the lead to 6-2 at 2:53 of the third period. . . . Fix-Wolansky completed his first WHL hat trick at 4:42. . . . Medicine Hat F Max Gerlach (31) scored on a PP at 11:42. . . . The game’s last goal came from Edmonton F Davis Koch (18) at 12:54. . . . Hamblin added two assists his goal, with D Brad Forrest, F Mason Shaw and F Tyler Preziuso also getting two helpers apiece. . . . Rassell and Butcher added one each. . . . Koch had an assist for Edmonton. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 14 of 17 shots in 44:42, leaving after Fix-Wolanky’s third goal cut Edmonton’s deficit to 6-3. Michael Bullion finished up, allowing a goal on six shots in 15:17. Still, Schneider picked up his 30th victory. . . . At the other end, Josh Dechaine stopped 40 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Tigers, with the mumps in their dressing room, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. They scratched seven players, including five who are ill. The latest to join that bunch is D Kristians Rubins. On Friday, Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported that F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson had been diagnosed with the mumps, while F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski are awaiting test results. . . . D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz remain sidelined, both having suffered broken legs while blocking shots. . . . Medicine Hat did have F Josh Williams play his second game, this time making his home-ice debut. Williams, who will turn 16 on March 8, is from Langley, B.C. He was the fifth overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton had D Jordan Dawson in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . Medicine Hat (42-17-1) is four points behind Regina, which leads the overall standings, but the Pats have three games in hand. . . . Edmonton (20-34-5) had points in each of its previous three games (2-0-1). It is nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,754.

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At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 37 shots to lead the Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the Regina

ZACH SAWCHENKO

Pats. . . . It was the first time this season that the Pats have been blanked. . . . Sawchenko, who has two shutouts this season, stopped 13 shots in the first period and 14 in the second. . . . He has eight career shutouts. . . . D Josh Brook gave the home team a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs made it 2-0 with his WHL-leading 44th goal at 15:11 of the third period. . . . F Brett Howden scored his 30th into an empty net at 18:46. . . . F Branden Klatt got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 19:52. . . . Howden and Brook also had an assist apiece. . . . The Pats got 24 saves from G Tyler Brown. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-1. . . . Regina’s Connor Hobbs didn’t finish the game. He was hit with a headshot major and game misconduct at 18:46 of the third period. . . . Hobbs, who leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points, was in the starting lineup — at right wing alongside Austin Wagner and Adam Brooks. . . . Moose Jaw (34-17-8) has won two in a row. It is second in the East Division, six points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Regina (41-9-7) has lost two straight. It leads the East Division by 13 points over Moose Haw. . . . The Warriors are 3-2-1 in the season series; the Pats are 3-3-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,715.

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Scoring his 25th of the season, #Oilers prospect Ethan Bear is the first @SeattleTbirds dman to hit that mark since @DeronQuint in 94-95.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) February 19, 2017

At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear had two goals and two assists to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Seattle won with three third-period goals as it overcame a 3-2

ETHAN BEAR

deficit. . . . Bear, who has 25 goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 19:20 of the first period. . . . Portland tied it when D Henri Jokiharju (8) scored, on a PP, at 1:08 of the second period. . . . Bear got that one back at 3:36. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-2 lead on goals from D Caleb Jones (6), at 8:29 of the second, and F Keegan Iverson (17), at 3:20 of the third. . . . D Donovan Neuls scored his 12th goal, on a PP, at 9:50 of the third period to get Seattle into a tie. Initially, some fans thought Bear had scored to complete a hat trick and, yes, some caps hit the ice. . . . F Tyler Adams’ third goal broke the tie at 13:13 and F Ryan Gropp’s 25th goal provided insurance at 14:42. . . . Gropp also had an assist in running his point streak to 16 games. He has 21 points, including 14 goals, in that stretch. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Keegan Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Neuls getting one. . . . Iverson had two helpers for Portland, with Jones adding one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle in earning his WHL-leading 31st victory. . . . Portland got 27 saves from Shane Farkas. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 1-6. . . . Seattle (37-17-5) is second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Portland (32-24-3) had won its previous two games. It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 5,702.

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Sweater / suit combo: Tips 5-0. 👍 pic.twitter.com/cQtTkD2weP

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) February 19, 2017

At Swift Current, F Eetu Tuulola scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory

EETU TUULOLA

over the Broncos. . . . The Silvertips went 5-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Tuulola won it with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Glenn Gawdin, who has 21 goals, scored twice for the Broncos. He gave them a 1-0 lead at 1:53 of the first period and forced OT at 18:27 of the third. . . . D Noah Juulsen’s 11th goal, on a PP, pulled Everett into a 1-1 tie at 13:54 of the second period. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead when F Devon Skoleski scored his 12th goal at 12:15 of the third period. . . . Skoleski also had two assists. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots to earn his 25th victory this season. He has won each of his last six starts, allowing only six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-4. . . . Everett (36-12-10) has won five in a row. It remains atop the U.S. Division, three points ahead of Seattle. . . . Swift Current (30-18-10) has points in two straight (1-0-1). It is third in the East Division, six points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 2,367.

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Remember kids, it's just a piece of rubber. Full slapshot to the head can't hurt steel. #getup #dustoff #refocus #win

— Don Nachbaur (@HCChiefs42) February 18, 2017

At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last three goals, all via the PP, and beat

EVAN SARTHOU

the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . F Parker AuCoin gave the home side a 1-0 with his 20th goal at 15:55 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (7) made it 2-0 with a shorthanded score at 15:46 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs halved the deficit when F Kailer Yamamoto got No. 34 at 4:22 of the third period. . . . D Juuso Välimäki’s 18th goal, at 9:24, provided insurance. . . . F Tyler Sandhu added his 17th, at 18:26, and F Brett Leason got his sixth at 19:12. . . . D Dylan Coghlan and F Morgan Geekie had two assists each for Tri-City, with Välimäki and Sandhu adding one each. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 38 shots and picked up an assist on the game’s last goal. . . . The Chiefs got 23 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Tri-City was 3-5 on the PP; Spokane was 0-3. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur, who was struck in the head by a puck during the second period of Friday’s game in Kelowna, was behind the Chiefs’ bench. One night earlier, he left for stitches and returned for the third period. . . . The Americans (35-23-3) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Chiefs (25-25-9) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,562.

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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning and F Jack Flaman scored shootout goals to give the Vancouver Giants a

RYAN KUBIC

4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Owen Hardy had given the Giants a 1-0 lead 56 seconds into the first period. . . . The Rebels then scored two quick ones to take a 2-1 lead. F Lane Zablocki counted, on a PP, at 2:45, with F Akash Bains getting No. 8 at 4:13. . . . Ronning tied it with his 22nd goal, at 19:54 of the second period. . . . Zablocki put the visitors back out front with his 20th goal, at 5:06 of the third period. . . . The Giants forced OT when F Tyler Popowich scored his seventh goal, at 13:05. . . . Ronning drew the lone assist on Popowich’s goal. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . Vancouver started G David Tendeck, but he was gone after allowing two goals on as many shots in 4:13. Ryan Kubic earned the victory by stopping 35 of 36 shots in 60:47. . . . The Rebels got 19 saves from Riley Lamb. . . . Red Deer was 1-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-1. . . . The game was delayed at 15:14 of the third period with the score 3-3 as arena staff had to replace a pane of broken glass. . . . D Bowen Byram, a first-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, played in his sixth game with the Giants. Earlier in the day, he played for his club team, Yale Academy, in a 6-5 OT victory over Delta Academy. . . . The Giants (19-36-5) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Rebels (23-27-10) have lost eight in a row (0-7-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 3,959.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Calgary, 4 p.m.

Prince George at Kamloops, 5 p.m.

Seattle at Portland, 5 p.m.

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Hitmen add goaltender . . . Silvertips minus two defencemen . . . Americans perfect on eastern trek

Taid saying goodbye to @cspencer14 one of his two favourite @SCBroncos.  A very sad day:( pic.twitter.com/BmE6g2NIRZ

— Kevin Jones (@bleed_green75) January 11, 2017

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F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has signed a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games. He was released on Dec. 31.

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The Calgary Hitmen, having lost G Cody Porter indefinitely with an undisclosed injury, have added G Trevor Martin, 20, to their roster. Martin, from Ardrossan, Alta., played three games with the Red Deer Rebels this season, three with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors and five with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. . . . A seventh-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL bantam draft, he has WHL experience, having played 19 games with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 (3-10-2, 4.16, .886) and 38 with the Rebels in 2015-16 (18-8-2, 2.63, .911). . . . Last season, Martin and the Rebels eliminated the Hitmen from the playoffs, winning a first-round series in five games. Martin was 4-1, 2.20, .927. . . . Martin was on the bench backing up Kyle Dumba on Tuesday night as the Hitmen dropped a 5-4 OT decision to the Blades in Saskatoon. . . . Porter was injured on Friday during a 6-2 loss to the Pats in Regina.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped D Blake Jameson, 18, from their roster and he will join the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. Jameson was pointless in 27 games with the Wheat Kings this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder played last season with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars. . . . Jameson, who is from Brandon, was a fourth-round pick by the Victoria Royals in the 2013 bantam draft.

The Wheat Kings also have removed D Zach Wytinck, 17, and F Garrett Armour, 19, from their roster. Wytinck, from Glenboro, Man., had one assist in 29 games with Brandon, while Armour, from Winnipeg, had four assists in 41 games. Wytinck was in his first WHL season; Armour played with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 and was in his second season with Brandon. Armour has two goals and 15 assists in 142 career regular-season games.

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The Red Deer Rebels have signed F Chris Douglas, 16, and added him to their roster. Douglas, from Richmond, B.C., had 13 goals and 24 assists in 26 games with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Rebels also have dropped F Quinn Martin, 17, from their roster. A native of Santa Fe, N.M., Martin was pointless in 20 games with Red Deer.

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So you want to be a junior hockey player, do you? Best purchase a hardy suitcase. . . . Consider the case of D Carter Cochrane, who is from Kamloops and has played 43 games in the WHL (Everett Silvertips, 33; Tri-City Americans, 9; Vancouver Giants, 1). . . . On Tuesday, Cochrane, 20, was involved in a BCHL trade, moving from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . When he plays his first game for Trail, it will mark his 10th junior team since the start of 2011-12 when he got a taste with the junior B Kamloops Storm and Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . Since then, Cochrane has played for the KIJHL’s Golden Rockets, the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, Everett, Tri-City, Chilliwack again, the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals, Vancouver, Salmon Arm and now Trail.

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In the course of more than 40 years in the newspaper business, I developed a pretty thick skin and, in time, I learned to ignore the yahoos who troll the waters of social media.

But I know only too well how hard it can be on family members when someone close to them comes under attack.

That is the focus of the top of this week’s edition of 30 Thoughts, the musings of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Following the championship game at the 2017 World Junior Championship, Friedman chatted with Sheehan Desjardins, 21, whose father, Willie, now is the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Willie, one of the most decent people you could ever hope to meet, was on Team Canada’s coaching staff in 2009 when it won gold in Ottawa and again in 2010 when it lost in OT to Team USA in the final in Saskatoon.

You have to read this to understand the highs and lows that a family lives through in these situations. It is amazing and the lows are especially brutal, mostly thanks to a few non-thinkers in our midst, you know, the ones who are with Team Canada win or . . . win.

Friedman’s latest piece is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

D Aaron Irving, acquired by Everett from the Edmonton Oil Kings in a major swap last week, didn’t practise on Tuesday. He last played Friday, finishing a 4-3 OT loss to the host Seattle Thunderbirds and now is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett also will be without D Lucas Skrumeda with an undisclosed injury, so has brought in D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, from the Vancouver North West Giants of the B.C. Major Midget League. . . .

The Swift Current Broncos have dropped F Brandan Arnold, 19, from their roster and he will join the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. From Dodsland, Sask., the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Arnold had two goals and four assists in 27 games with the Broncos. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals and an assist in 42 games. . . . He was a seventh-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft.

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My thoughts and prayers are with @TyPozzobon family and rodeo family with the tragic loss of Ty.
May you #RIP Ty. pic.twitter.com/bgrHe66Soy

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) January 10, 2017

Ty Pozzobon, a Canadian bull-riding champion, was found dead on Monday afternoon near his hometown of Merritt, B.C. . . . “No cause of death was released by Merritt RCMP,” writes Postmedia’s Gord McIntyre, “but they do not consider the death to be suspicious and have passed along the case to the B.C. Coroners Service.” . . . Pozzobon had incurred multiple concussions during his career. . . . “It’s important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions,” his mother, Leanne, said. . . . McIntyre’s story is right here.

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@gdrinnan reports S Dosanjh on 4th team of yr, reminding me WHL commish edict "don't tell viewers when players had few stops." #didntcomply

— Dan Russell (@DanRussellST) January 10, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Moose Jaw, F Morgan Geekie’s second goal of the game, with 43.4 seconds left in regulation time,

MORGAN GEEKIE

gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Geekie has 50 points, including 24 goals, in 45 games this season. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 25 points, 12 of them goals, in 66 games. . . . F Brett Howden (21) gave Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game. . . . Tri-City F Carson Focht (3) tied it at 2:03. . . . The Warriors went back out front just 1:01 later as F Luka Burzan got No. 11. . . . Geekie tied it on a PP, at 3:44 of the second period. . . . F Vladislav Lukin had two assists for the Americans. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 33 shots for the Americans, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 19. . . . Moose Jaw outshot the visitors 20-0 over the first 18 minutes of the third period but couldn’t solve Sarthou. . . . Tri-City was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-3. . . . The Warriors had F Branden Klatt and F Thomas Foster, both of whom were acquired in deadline deals, in their lineup, but F Noah Gregor was scratched with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Michael Rasmussen was among Tri-City’s scratches with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Americans (25-17-3) have won three in a row, all of them on this East Division trek. They are second in the U.S. Division, two points behind the Everett Silvertips (25-5-7), who have eight — yes, EIGHT! — games in hand. . . . The Warriors (25-10-7) had points in each of their previous seven games (5-0-2). They are second in the East Division, four points behind Regina, which holds four games in hand, and four ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,103.

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At Red Deer, the Rebels opened a 4-0 second-period lead en route to a 4-1 victory over the Prince

LASSE PETERSEN

George Cougars. . . . F Adam Musil got it started with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Evan Polei upped the lead to 2-0 with No. 17, at 15:59. . . . F Austin Pratt then scored his 11th goal, at 17:42. . . . F Lane Zablocki, acquired earlier in the day from the Regina Pats, scored his 10th goal at 9:19 of the second period. . . . The Cougars got their goal from F Aaron Boyd (5), at 17:27 of the third period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev had two assists for Red Deer, while Polei added one to his goal. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 23 shots for the Rebels. . . . Prince George starter Ty Edmonds allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period. Nick McBride came on to start the second period and stopped 15 of 16 shots the rest of the way. . . . The Rebels were 1-5 on the PP; the Royals were 0-3. . . . Red Deer is without injured F Brandon Hagel. . . . D Brendan Guhle (ill) was among Prince George’s scratches. F Radovan Bondra, acquired Tuesday morning from the Vancouver Giants, also was scratched. . . . The Rebels (19-17-6) are third in the Central Division, five points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Cougars (28-12-2) are third in the overall standings, three points behind the first-place Regina Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 3,905.

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1st 🌟

🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/rJllx5vmaA

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 11, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Jesse Shynkaruk’s third goal of the game, at 2:13 of OT, gave the Blades a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Shynkaruk, 20, has a career-high 16 goals this season, and six of them are

game-winners. He went into the season with 23 goals in 196 games. . . . It was Shynkaruk’s second career hat trick. Then with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he scored three times on Jan. 3, 2015, in an 8-2 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Jake Kryski, acquired Monday from the Kelowna Rockets, gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead when he scored on his first shot with his new team, at 4:35 of the first period. . . . However, Kryski was in the penalty box when Shynkaruk scored the winner. . . . The Blades went ahead 2-1 on goals from Shynkaruk and F Gage Ramsay 95), at 6:49 and 14:54. . . . Calgary then scored twice — F Mark Kastelic (7) and F Matteo Gennaro — at 15:13 and 15:41 to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr’s 22nd goal, on a PP, at 2:54 of the second period tied it. . . . Shynkaruk gave the Blades the lead at 10:34. . . . Gennaro pulled the Hitmen back into a tie at 15:47. . . . Gennaro, who has goals in five straight games, has 18 scores this season. . . . Shmyr, F Chase Wouters and F Michael Farren had two assists each for the Blades. . . . D Jake Bean had two helpers for Calgary. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 19 shots for Saskatoon, while Calgary’s Kyle Dumba turned aside 22. . . . The Blades were 2-2 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-2. . . . The Blades (16-22-6) had lost their previous two games. They now are within two points of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Hitmen (14-19-6) have lost five in a row (0-2-3). They are six points out of a playoff spot. They had won each of their previous eight games in Saskatoon. . . . Dean Brockman, the Blades’ head coach, missed the game due to a funeral. Assistant Ryan Keller was listed as the head coach, thus earning his first WHL victory. . . . Announced attendance: 2,606.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Tri-City at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Everett, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Victoria 7:05 p.m.

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Ex-OHLer: "For years I lived a life full of lies" . . . Sarthou on verge of return . . . WHL suspends three

The day’s most important hockey-related story appeared at Yahoo! Sports.

“For years I lived a life full of lies,” writes Brock McGillis, a former goaltender who played for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. “Growing up in a culture of hockey — minor hockey, the Ontario Hockey League, university hockey, and semi-pro in Europe — I felt I would never be accepted. 

“For years I lived a life of denial, because I am gay. 

“Hockey has always been very homophobic. I can’t count the amount of times I heard phrases like: That’s gay or what a homo in the dressing room over the course of my hockey career. Words like fag, p---y, and b---h are part of the daily banter. Those words are used to belittle players, to weaken and feminize them, because hockey is hyper-masculine, meant for the manliest of men.”

Why did he feel he had to write what he did?

“Cliches like ‘Boys being boys’ and ‘Locker room talk’ were never valid defences – this is why I’m telling my story,” he explains. “I’m telling my story to start a dialogue. If you are gay, lesbian or trans and playing hockey, know that you are not alone. Know that you are not the only one. 

“Know that I am here for you, the way Brendan Burke was there for me, because it gives me an immense sense of pride carrying on his legacy by saying: ‘I can’t wait until the day that you’re out like I am.’ ” His story is right here.  

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G Evan Sarthou, 19, is expected to return to the Tri-City Americans’ lineup this weekend for the first time this season. From Black Diamond, Wash., Sarthou is into his fourth WHL season. He suffered an undisclosed season while with the U.S.’s national junior team during the summer and hasn’t played in a game since then. Last season, he got into 60 games with Tri-City, going 26-28-2, 3.46, .888. . . . The Americans are at home to the Portland Winterhawks tonight (Friday) and then visit the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. Sarthou is expected to start in Spokane. . . . His return will leave the Americans with three goaltenders on their roster, the others being Rylan Parenteau, 20, who was acquired last month from the Prince Albert Raiders, and freshman Beck Warm, 17. . . . The Americans are expected to keep three goaltenders for a while, if only because Sarthou still may be invited to Team USA’s selection camp.

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The WHL’s office handed out three suspensions on Thursday, two of them to members of the Prince George Cougars. . . . D Sam Ruopp of the Cougars drew a TBD suspension after being involved in what the WHL calls a “one-man fight” in a 6-4 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night. F Kody McDonald of the Cougars also drew a TBD suspension after he took a slashing major and game misconduct against the Tigers. . . . Meanwhile, F Leif Mattson of the Kelowna Rockets will sit for four games after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct during a 5-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday night. Mattson hit D Shaun Dosanjh, who didn’t dress for a 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday and may not play this weekend. The Blazers are at home to the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight (Friday) and then visit Dosanjh’s previous team, the Prince George Cougars, on Saturday.

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The Spokane Chiefs have dropped D Trent Huitema, 18, from their roster. Huitema, from Chilliwack, B.C., has been on the Chiefs’ protected list for three years and will stay there. He had one goal in six games with Spokane this season. Huitema is expected to end up playing in the BCHL.

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The Saskatoon Blades have released F Chasetan Braid, 19, who was pointless in eight games. He is expected to join the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. Braid also has played for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.

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The Kamloops Blazers have brought in F Brodi Stuart, 16, for the weekend. According to a news release, Stuart is to practice with the Blazers “and may suit up for the weekend.” . . . Stuart, from Langley, B.C., has 10 points, including five goals, in eight games with the major midget Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. . . . He was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. 

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The SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves, who fired general manager/head coach Shawn Martin on Oct. 23, continued their reorganization on Thursday. No, they haven’t yet hired a new GM/head coach; assistant coach Eric Bell is the acting head coach. Rather, they have fired head scout Sean Phaneuf. They also added Patrick Lacelle as assistant general manager and head scout. Lacelle had been scouting for the Ice Wolves in eastern Canada and the U.S.

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It’s Friday. It’s been a trying week. You need a good laugh. Right? . . . That being the case, you should click right here. Christopher Spata of the Tampa Bay Times tracked down Florida Man — actually, 11 of them — and asked one question: Clinton or Trump? . . . Florida Man? As Spata writes: “Florida Man has made some bad decisions. He has punched swans in Orlando, woken up in garbage trucks in Tampa and called 911 from St. Augustine to brag about his muscles.” . . . It’s all right here and it’s hilarious.

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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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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Lethbridge at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Americans, Raiders swap goaltenders . . . P.A. veteran gets AHL deal . . . Tri-City waives d-man

The Tri-City Americans, obviously concerned about the long-term health of starting G Evan Sarthou, have acquired G Rylan Parenteau, who is to turn 20 on Nov. 16, from the Prince Albert Raiders.

In return, the Americans gave up G Nic Sanders, 18, and a third-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft.

Sarthou, 19, was the Americans’ starter last season, going 26-28-2, 3.46, .888 in 60 appearances. Over the summer, the native of Black Diamond, Wash., suffered an undisclosed injury while in camp

RYLAN PARENTEAU

with the U.S. national junior team. The Americans show him on the injury list as being out week to week.

With the Americans, Parenteau will be backed up by Beck Warm, 17. This season, Warm is 2-2-0, 3.62, .886.

Parenteau, from Saskatoon, was a third-round pick by the Raiders in the 2011 bantam draft. In 103 regular-season games with the Raiders, he was 44-38-9, 3.04, .906.

In Prince Albert, the Raiders will go with Sanders and Ian Scott, 17, who was a first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. They also have Curtis Meger, 18, of Regina on their roster, although he has yet to get into even one game. This season, Scott is 1-6-0, 2.99, .922.

With the Americans this season, Sanders, a Calgarian, was 2-1-0, 2.66, .892. Last season, in 23 appearances, he was 9-6-1, 2.99, .901. Sanders was a sixth-round pick by the Americans in the 2013 bantam draft.

Parenteau’s departure leaves the Raiders with two 20-year-olds — F Austin Glover and F Tim

NIC SANDERS

Vanstone, the team captain — so they have room for one more.

Veteran F Reid Gardiner, 20, who has played four seasons with the Raiders, has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Last season, Gardiner had 92 points, including 43 goals, in 71 games with the Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Americans got down to three 20-year-olds by placing D Jeff Rayman on waivers. Rayman, from Fernie, B.C., has played 147 regular-season WHL games, the first 86 with the Spokane Chiefs. He had three goals and two assists in 54 games with the Americans last season. This season, he was pointless in seven games.
The Americans have Parenteau, F Tyler Sandhu, who is the team captain, and D Dalton Yorke as their 20-year-olds.

——
G Evan Sarthou is one of seven players on the Tri-City Americans’ injury list, with only one of those — F Brendan O’Reilly — listed as day-to-day.

F Riley Sawchuk is shown as being out for two weeks. Listed as being out week-to-week are D Tyler Jette and D Kurtis Rutledge, along with forwards Austyn Playfair and Jordan Topping.

The Americans are at home tonight (Friday) to the Kamloops Blazers.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Broncos lost $$ on hockey, but still show profit . . . Americans fighting that bug again . . . Bethune's hat trick sparks Cougars

D Tomáš Slovák (Kelowna, 2001-03) has signed a one-year contract with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Košice (Slovakia, Extraliga), he was pointless in five games. He also had two assists in 25 games with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga).

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The Swift Current Broncos, one of the WHL’s four community-owned teams, showed a $140,000 profit for 2015-16 despite the fact that attendance was down by 7,000 over the previous season.

How does that work?

Well, the Broncos, who held their annual general meeting on Tuesday night, received what is known

as “extraordinary income” from the 2016 Women’s World Curling Championship that was held in Swift Current, and the 2016 Memorial Cup that was held in Red Deer.

During the curling event, according to a news release, the Broncos “took on the management of the box office, the concession and the suites, and shared in the management of the beer stands with the Swift Current Curling Club.”

As for the Memorial Cup, all of the WHL teams received a piece of the pie.

According to the Broncos, they would have lost $93,000 had it not been for the extraordinary income.

Do the math and you realize that the Broncos got about $230,000 from the curling and the Memorial Cup.

“Fortunately, through the great fan support and extraordinary efforts from our staff we were able to take a difficult on-ice season and turn it into a profitable year off the ice,” Liam Choo-Foo, the chairman of the Broncos’ board, said in a news release.

For 2014-15, the Broncos declared a profit of $133,465; it got a real boost from an adjustment of about $100,000 to the team’s education fund.

For 2013-14, the team announced a profit of $197,244.

Tuesday’s news release also noted that Broncos staff and players “contributed 795 hours to Swift Current and surrounding communities last (season), up 150 hours from the previous (season), and donated $5,700 worth of merchandise and tickets to various community fundraising events.”

The Lethbridge Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Prince Albert Raiders are the WHL’s other community-owned franchises.

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The Tri-City Americans will continue to carry three goaltenders for the next while as Evan Sarthou, their No. 1 guy last season, continues to recover from an undisclosed injury suffered while in camp with the U.S. national junior team in August. He is out week-to-week. Sarthou, from Black Diamond, Wash., played in 60 games with the Americans last season, going 26-28-2, 3.46, .888. . . . With Sarthou, 19, sidelined, the Americans are going with Beck Warm, 17, from Whistler, B.C., and Nicholas Sanders, 18, of Calgary. . . . Warm went into this season having played in one game, that in 2014-15. He has played both Tri-City games so far this season, going 1-1-0, 4.62, .857. . . . Playing behind Sarthou last season, Sanders got into 23 games, going 9-6-1, 2.99, .901. . . . The Americans also will be without F Jordan Topping for a few weeks after he was injured while in camp with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Topping, 19, had 67 points, including 33 goals, in 72 games last season. . . . Tri-City lost sophomore D Kurtis Rutledge, 19, when he was injured on Sunday. He’ll be out for a month. . . . On top of those injuries, veteran F Austyn Playfair, 19, and freshman D Seth Bafaro, 16, have yet to play as they recover from off-season surgery. . . . The result of all this is that the Americans still are carrying 29 players.

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The WHL has yet to release information on how the Moose Jaw Warriors and host Brandon Wheat Kings will conclude the game that was suspended by fog on Saturday night. The Warriors had just scored to take a 2-1 second-period lead when a decision was made to suspend proceedings because of concerns about player safety. . . . Neil Thomson, the general manager of the Keystone Centre, which oversees Westman Place, has told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun that the facility takes the blame for what happened. . . . "It was just really a combination of different factors coming into play that one time at the home opener to come together to do it," Thomson told Bergson. "It’s our responsibility. It’s the Keystone Centre’s responsibility and I know that. We certainly apologize to the city, to the fans, to the Wheat Kings organization, to the Moose Jaw Warriors. We’ll do what we can to have it hopefully never happen again but we can’t guarantee it." . . . Bergson’s complete story is right here.

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The latest players to return to the WHL from the NHL:

Calgary Hitmen — F Jakob Stukel, Vancouver Canucks; F Carsen Twarynski, Philadelphia Flyers.

Everett Silvertips — G Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers.

Lethbridge Hurricanes — D Brennan Menell, Philadelphia Flyers; F Tyler Wong, Toronto Maple Leafs.

Portland Winterhawks — D Caleb Jones, Edmonton Oilers.

Regina Pats — D Sergey Zborovskiy, New York Rangers.

Seattle Thunderbirds — D Ethan Bear, Edmonton Oilers.

Swift Current Broncos — F Glenn Gawdin, St. Louis Blues.

Vancouver Giants — F Ty Ronning, New York Rangers.

Victoria Royals — F Jack Walker, Toronto Maple Leafs.

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes and Victoria Royals added 20-year-olds to their rosters on Tuesday. . . . The Hurricanes got F Tyler Wong back from the Toronto Maple Leafs, while F Jack Walker was returned to the Royals by the Maple Leafs. . . . Wong’s arrival leaves the Hurricanes with three 20-year-olds, as he joins F Ryley Lindgren and D Kord Pankewicz. Wong, the team captain, put up 89 points, including 43 goals, in 72 games last season. Wong also will sit out his first game back with Lethbridge, thanks to a one-game suspension left over from last season’s playoffs. . . . The Royals also have three 20-year-olds, with Walker joining F Carter Folk, who was acquired from Lethbridge earlier this month, and D Ryan Gagnon. Walker had 84 points, 36 of them goals, in 72 games last season.

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There may be more than meets the eye to the decision by the Brandon Wheat Kings to drop the Thompson brothers, Tyler and Baron, from their roster. The brothers, from Lakeville, Minn., had been acquired from the Victoria Royals on Sept. 1. . . . Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reported that Grant Armstrong, Brandon’s general manager, “had no comment on the decision.” . . . Bergson also reported that “two sources told The Sun that it was a non-hockey related matter.” . . . Neither Thompson had dressed for Brandon’s first two regular-season games. . . . Armstrong, of course, spent the previous four seasons with Victoria before moving to the Wheat Kings last month. 

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JUST NOTES:

The New York Rangers made a number of roster moves on Tuesday and one of them included F Reid Duke of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Duke, 20, was reassigned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Duke, who has yet to sign a pro contract, had 61 points, including 33 goals, in 68 games with the Wheat Kings last season, his fourth in the WHL. He added 24 points, 16 of them assists, in 21 playoff games. . . . 

Andy Eide, who covers the Seattle Thunderbirds for 710 ESPN, reports that the teams says F Keegan Kolesar is week-to-week with an undisclosed injury suffered in training camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. If Kolesar, 19, is out for any length of time it will be a big loss for Seattle, especially if F Mathew Barzal earns a spot with the NHL’s New York Islanders. . . . Kolesar had 61 points, including 30 goals, in 64 regular-season games in 2015-16. In 16 playoff games, he added seven goals and eight assists. . . . 

The Calgary Hitmen have dropped D Jackson van de Leest from their roster. He will play for the midget prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy this season. Van de Leest, 15, is from Kelowna. He was a first-round selection by Calgary in the 2016 bantam draft. He got into Calgary’s first two games this season, but was pointless.

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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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TUESDAY GAME (all times local):

At Langley, B.C., F Jared Bethune scored three goals, including the winner, as the Prince George Cougars ran their season-opening winning streak to three with a wild 7-6 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The last time the Cougars opened a season with three straight victories was 2012-13. That also is the last time that they won their first three road games. That season, neither of those winning streaks reached four. . . . This edition of the Cougars goes for four in a row, all on the road, tonight against the Rockets in Kelowna. . . . Last night, the Cougars held leads of 3-0, 4-1, 5-4 and 6-4. . . . Goals by D Dylan Plouffe, F Brendan Semchuk and F Taden Rattie pulled the Giants (0-3-0) into a 4-4 tie in the second period. . . . However, Bethune scored his second goal, at 19:13 of the second, and F Colby McAuley added another at 5:02 of the third for a 6-4 lead. . . . The Giants came right back and tied it on goals from F Jack Flaman, at 11:05, and F Radovan Bondra, at 13:02. . . . Bethune finally won it with his third goal at 15:43. . . . Bethune went into last night with one two-goal game in 135 regular-season games. Last season, the Warroad, Minn., native finished with 16 goals and 21 assists in 72 games. In his freshman season, he recorded six goals and 14 assists in 61 games. . . . . McAuley and F Justin Almeida each had a goal and two assists for the Cougars, with D Tate Olson adding a goal and an assist. . . . Semchuk, Rattie and Bondra each added an assist to their goals, with F Dawson Holt and D Darian Skeoch each earning two assists for the Giants. . . . Vancouver D Alex Kannok-Leipert, a 16-year-old brought in from Regina to help during a back-end shortage, scored his first WHL goal. . . . Prince George G Nick McBride was beaten four times on 16 shots over 36:22. Ty Edmonds came on to finish up, stopping 10 of 12 shots. . . . G Ryan Kubic turned aside 25 shots for Vancouver. . . . The Cougars were 1-3 on the PP; the Giants were 1-6. . . . Announced attendance: 2,898.

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WEDNESDAY GAME (all times local):

Prince George at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

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