Hirsch shines light on OCD . . . Tigers to retire No. 9 . . . Silvertips back on top of U.S. Division

Here at the @SanJoseSharks game to celebrate Daddy's 500th goal! pic.twitter.com/dN7lRtY1Dd

— Christina Marleau (@c_marleau) February 16, 2017

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F David Stieler (Swift Current, 2006-08) has signed a one-year extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He has four goals and 14 assists in 45 games. . . .

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier), he had four goals and five assists in 16 games. He was released on Oct. 31. . . .

F Curtis Hamilton (Saskatoon, 2006-11) has been assigned on loan by SaiPa Lappeenranta to TPS Turku (both Finland, Liiga) for the rest of this season. He had 14 goals and 13 assists in 43 games with SaiPa. . . .

F Roman Tománek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) has been released by Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had a goal and three assists in nine games. He had been loaned to Dukla from Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of season on Jan. 3. He had a goal and three assists in 17 games with Dukla.

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https://t.co/gaUAAFRjAr@CoreyHirsch Thank you for your honesty......STAY STRONG

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) February 16, 2017

I have never spoken with Corey Hirsch. I was going to stop and introduce myself one day, but I didn’t. It was during a Kamloops Blazers training camp session and his son was one of the players on the ice. Corey seemed quite intent on watching so I let the moment go.

Now I wish I hadn’t.

If you haven’t see what Corey wrote on The Players’ Tribune, you should. It’s right here.

Here’s a taste . . . 

“Then one day, I just couldn’t take it anymore. In my messed up brain, anything was better than being alone 24/7 with my dark thoughts. I decided to end my life. I went up to the top of the cliff in Kamloops and thought, I’m checking out. Let’s see how fast this car can go.

“I am here today because of a vision that popped into my head at 140 miles an hour. I wish I could say that it was a warm and happy thought that stopped me. But it was actually just this:

“What if I don’t die?”

Take time to read what he has written. Pay particular attention to the headline before you dig into it.

Take the time to re-read the message at the end, because he is correct — there are people in hockey right now who are in a dark place. If you are one of those people, it’s not over.

Corey Hirsch is proof of that.

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Being the owner of a sports franchise in any city should mean more than simply icing or fielding a team. It should mean, but doesn’t always seem to, having a love affair with that city and its citizens. That certainly was the case with Mike Ilitch, the owner of Detroit’s Red Wings and Tigers, who died on Friday. I don’t know that I have read a more revealing story about Ilitch than this one right here, which deals with the fact the Ilitch quietly paid Rosa Parks’ rent for 10 or 11 years. Yes, that Rosa Parks.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers will retire the No. 9 worn by the late Tom Lysiak when he skated to back-to-back WHL scoring championships in 1971-72 and 1972-73. He is the only Medicine Hat skater to accomplish that feat, and only the fourth player in WHL history. . . . Lysiak, who died of leukaemia on May 30, also won the playoff scoring race in the spring of 1973, as the Tigers won the WHL title and then went on to capture a Memorial Cup championship. . . . The Tigers will hang No. 9 from the rafters on Feb. 25 as they meet the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . That will be the second number retired by the Tigers. They earlier gave that honour to Lanny McDonald’s No. 8. . . . It also will mean a new number for F Zach Fischer, who has been wearing No. 9. He will switch to No. 39 that evening.

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If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that organ donorship is big in these parts. Today, then, I have become a big fan of Eugene Melnyk, who owns the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. . . . Almost two years have gone by since Melnyk underwent a partial liver transplant that saved his life. On Wednesday, Melnyk sat in front of a news conference and announced that the Organ Project is a reality. The first thing on the agenda is organ donor awareness. As Melnyk said: “It’s two minutes out of your whole life. Just sit down (to register) and you will do the greatest things for people like me, who have sat in that line for months, not knowing if I’m going to be living or dying. It makes all the difference.” . . . As someone who has lived it, I can tell you that the feeling of not knowing touches family members, too. . . . Please read this story right here and at least think about it.

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When he isn’t writing, Mike Fraser is a scout for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. In his latest fun with words, it’s more Tales from the Arena, and it’s apparent that he had a tough weekend — he was in the Okanagan when the weather was horrid and when he did go to a game at home he had too much Nickelback. . . . That’s right here.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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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Sweater / suit combo: Tips 3-0. 👍 pic.twitter.com/ZRIPF97eNN

— Mike Benton (@Benton_Mike) February 16, 2017

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, F Colton Kehler’s OT goal gave the Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings have won two straight games after having lost 16 in a row. . . . Kehler’s 15th goal of the season

COLTON KEHLER

came at 1:18 of OT after the host team had erased a 2-0 deficit. . . . The Ice took that lead on second-period PP goals from F Reed Morison (2), at 1:07, and F Vince Loschiavo (22), at 4:11. . . . F Davis Koch’s 17th goal allowed Edmonton to get within a goal at 19:49 of the second period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it when F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored his 16th goal at 16:43 of the third period. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 29 shots for the Oil Kings. . . . The Ice got 30 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 2-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . Due to a suspension and injuries, the Oil Kings went the distance with five defenceman and two of those are affiliate players Jayden Platz and Matthew Robertson. . . . “I thought 5-on-5 we did a pretty good job eliminating their opportunities,” Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton said in a piece on the team’s website. “That’s a lot to ask. I think Conner McDonald played like 45 minutes today. It just seemed like every time I looked up he was still out there. That’s a lot of minutes. He came from a situation in Kamloops where he was playing 5 or 6 spot minutes and he has really embraced that. All those guys did a great job.” . . . The Oil Kings (20-33-4) have won two straight. They are nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Ice (12-35-10) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2) and have slipped into the WHL basement. . . . It was the eighth season in a row in which the Oil Kings played host to a Hockey Hooky game with a start time of 11:30 a.m. . . . Announced attendance: 12,663.

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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers held the Victoria Royals to 17 shots, just two in the first period, en route to a

GARY HADEN

3-1 victory. . . . Medicine Hat, which clinched a playoff spot with the victory, took a 1-0 lead when F Gary Haden scored his sixth goal at 6:54 of the second period. . . . F Matt Bradley’s 27th goal increased the lead to 2-0 at 3:04 of the third period. . . . The Royals cut the deficit in half when F Matt Phillips got his 40th goal this season, at 11:50 of the third period . . . The Tigers iced it with an empty-netter from F Steve Owre, his 20th goal, at 18:57. . . . Medicine Hat got 16 saves from G Michael Bullion. . . . G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 30 for Victoria. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Tigers remain without D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz, both out with broken legs incurred while blocking shots. Quenneville, however, is nearing a return. . . . The Royals are without F Tyler Soy and F Ryan Peckford, both of whom are injured and didn’t make the trip to Alberta, and F Jared Dmytriw, who is serving a three-game suspension. . . . Medicine Hat (41-16-1) has won five in a row. The lead the Central Division by eight  points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Victoria (31-23-4) has lost two straight. It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and is fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 3,031.

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@bdnwheatkings in Prince Albert tonight to take on the Raiders, WHL starting point for AC Don MacGillivray! #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/Bor02vRNDw

— Branden Crowe (@branden_crowe) February 15, 2017

At Prince Albert, F Parker Kelly snapped a 3-3 tie at 6:32 of the third period and the Raiders went on to

PARKER KELLY

post a 5-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Kelly’s 12th goal turned out to be the game-winner. . . . F Simon Stransky added insurance with his 16th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:25. . . . Brandon had taken a 1-0 lead when F Ty Lewis got No. 26 just 46 seconds into the first period. . . . F Curtis Miske (14) pulled the Raiders even, on a PP, at 13:33. . . . The Wheat Kings went back out front when F Nolan Patrick (13) scored at 19:01. . . . Prince Albert got that one right back as F Tim Vanstone got his 10th goal at 19:33. . . . The Raiders moved out front at 9:23 of the second period when F Sean Montgomery scored his 12th goal, a shorthanded effort. . . . D James Shearer’s seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:02 of the second got Brandon into a 3-3 tie. . . . Vanstone, Stransky and Parker added an assist each. . . . Patrick also had one assist. . . . The Raiders got 22 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . At the other end, Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . D Kale Clague, who played in Brandon’s 3-1 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Tuesday night, was among the Wheat Kings’ scratches. . . . The Raiders (15-38-5) have won two in a row. They vacated the WHL cellar with this victory and now are one points ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-22-8) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are fourth in the East Division, five points behind the Swift Current Broncos. Brandon is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 1,869.

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Goalie @C_Hart70 and centre @sutts_14 celebrate Sutter's shootout winner for the #Everett #Silvertips. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/XCYzX0gq3Q

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) February 16, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Riley Sutter scored in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Everett Silvertips a 2-1

RILEY SUTTER

victory over the Blades. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk scored for the Blades in the first round, with F Orrin Centazzo replying for Everett in Round 2. . . . F Kirby Dach gave the Blades a 1-0 lead at 10:50 of the first period. Dach, who turned 16 on Jan. 21, had three goals and an assist in seven games. Since joining the Blades on a full-time basis last week, he has three goals in as many games. . . . Everett pulled even when F Dominic Zwerger counted No. 23 at 14:04 of the second period. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 30 shots for Everett, two more than Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm. . . . Saskatoon was 0-1 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . F Markson Bechtold returned to the Blades’ lineup for the first time since Dec. 27. . . . The Silvertips (34-12-10) have won three in a row. They moved back into first place in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett holds one game in hand. . . . The Blades (23-26-7) have points in four straight (3-0-1). They are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points up on the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Saskatoon completed a stretch where it played 13 of 14 games at home. It went 8-4-1 in those 13 games. . . . While Everett’s roster includes six players from Manitoba, there aren’t any from Saskatchewan. . . . Announced attendance: 2,935.

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At Swift Current, G Jordan Hollett recorded the shutout and F Nick Henry had two goals as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 2-0. . . . Hollett, a first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, made is 13th start and

JORDAN HOLLETT

improved to 12-0-1 as he posted his first WHL shutout. . . . Hollett, who is from Langley, B.C., made 28 saves, including 13 in the second period. . . . Henry, who has 28 goals in his freshman season, opened the scoring with a PP goal at 7:55 of the second period. . . . Henry made it 2-0 at 16:06. . . . The Pats are 4-0-0 in the season series; Henry has four goals and four assists. . . . F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL in scoring, had two assists. He now has 102 points. . . . The Broncos got 43 stops from G Jordan Papirny. He kept the Broncos in it early — Regina held a 16-1 edge in shots at the regulated timeout in the first period. . . . Regina was 1-5 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks played in his 300th regular-season game. He didn’t pick up any points, leaving him with 299 points, including 107 goals. . . . The Broncos remain without F Lane Pederson. They also were missing F Conner Chaulk (ill). . . . The Pats (41-7-7) are atop the overall standings, six points ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Regina leads the East Division by 15 points over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Broncos (29-18-9) had points in each of their previous five games (4-0-1). They are third in the East Division, seven points behind Moose Jaw. . . . 

Announced attendance: 2,150.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Brett Leason scored two goals and added an assist to help the Tri-City Americans to an 8-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Americans built up a 6-0 second-period

BRETT LEASON

lead and took it from there. . . . Leason, the son of former U of Regina Rams quarterback Darryl Leason, has five goals this season. Brett, from Calgary, was a third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He has five goals and nine assists in 55 games as a freshman. Three of the goals have come in his last three games. . . . The Americans led 6-0 before the second period was six minutes old. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s next four goals, before Tri-City got two more in the second half of the third period. . . . Leason scored shorthanded for a 3-0 lead at 11:01 of the first period. His second goal, at 2:23 of the second period, proved to be the winner. He also assisted on the game’s last goal, a shorthanded score by F Nolan Yarmeko (6). . . . F Morgan Geekie (31), D Juuso Välimäki (7), F Jordan Topping (18), D Dylan Coghlan (11) and F Parker AuCoin (19) also scored for the winners. . . . The Rebels got goals from F Brandon Hagel (22), F Akash Bains (7), D Jared Freadrich (5) and F Matthew Campese (2). . . . The Americans got three assists from D Parker Wotherspoon and one each from Välimäki, Geekie and AuCoin. . . . F Michael Spacek and D Jacob Herauf had two assists each for the Rebels, with Hagel and Bains getting one apiece. . . . Tri-City G Rylan Parenteau stopped 27 shots in winning for the 21st time this season. . . . The Americans scored on their first shot of the game. Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, had ripped into his charges after a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday night. He responded to Tri-City’s early goal by changing goaltenders. . . . G Riley Lamb finished up by allowing seven goals on 33 shots in 58:42. . . . The Americans were 2-6 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-4. . . . The Americans were without F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal man, for a fifth straight game. He now hasn’t played since Feb. 1. On Feb. 9, head coach Mike Williamson said: “With Michael, we have monitored it day by day, and thought there was a chance for the weekend, but we are going to err on the side of caution and keep him out Friday and possibly Saturday. These games are huge and important for us, but long-term health is the most important thing.” . . . Tri-City (33-23-3) has won two in a row. The Americans are third in the U.S. Division, four points ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Red Deer (23-26-9) has lost six straight (0-5-1). The Rebels are third in the Central Division, five points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 2,493.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Edmonton at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Saskatoon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Victoria at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Portland, 7 p.m.

Everett at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

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

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.

Will Brent say 'uncle' in Everett? . . . Blazers stop streaking Rockets . . . Sawchenko sparks Warriors

The fella at the next table was nice enough to help me hold the flag after the Cubs won!!! Go Cubs and fly the W!!#GoCubsGo #FlytheW #Game7 pic.twitter.com/QJVaPgOTDH

— Bob Newhart (@BobNewhart) November 2, 2016

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F Brett Bulmer (Kelowna, 2008-12) has signed a one-year contract with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga). Last season, he was pointless in three games with the Minnesota Wild (NHL), and had three goals and eight assists in 58 games with the Iowa Wild (AHL). . . . As a result of Ilves’ decision to sign Bulmer, it has released F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10). Wahl had a goal and three assists in 16 games with Ilves. . . .

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has been released by the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). He had four goals and three assists in 14 games.

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RILEY SUTTER

Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels is an intense competitor. Hey, when’s the last time you saw him smile during a game? But if you’re in Everett tonight you just might see at least a bit of smile. That’s because his Rebels are up against the Silvertips, whose roster includes F Riley Sutter, who is a nephew. Ron Sutter, one of the twins, is Riley’s father. . . . “I think it’s definitely going to be exciting for sure since I didn’t get the chance to play last (season) against him,” Riley told Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald.“It’s going to be something to think about. You always want to beat your family.” . . . So what's his uncle like? "I don't think he's too much different than (his brothers)," Riley told Geleynse. "They're all pretty similar. All the coaches (who) are Sutters are pretty hard at the rink, but away (from it) they're nice guys." . . . Geleynse’s story is right here.

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Hockey Canada’s national junior team selection camp will run from Dec. 11-14 at Blainville, Que., the home of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . The camp will include three exhibition games — Dec. 12 and 13 against a team comprising Canadian university players and Dec. 14 against Czech Republic. . . . Team Canada will be preparing for the 2017 World Junior Championship that is to run Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Toronto and Montreal. . . . The 22-player Canadian roster is expected to be named on Dec. 15, although it doesn’t have to be finalized until Dec. 25. . . . In advance of the tournament, Canada will play exhibition games against Finland (Montreal, Dec. 19), Czech Republic (Ottawa, Dec. 21) and Switzerland (Toronto, Dec. 23). . . . Canada opens the WJC in Toronto on Dec. 26 against Russia (8 p.m. ET) and plays Team USA on Dec. 31 in Toronto (3:30 p.m. ET).

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Bob Mackin of Business in Vancouver has weighed in with a piece on the proposed class-action lawsuit that the CHL, WHL, OHL and their teams are fighting. . . . Mackin’s piece is right here. . . . Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News examines the proposed lawsuit from the Medicine Hat Tigers’ perspective in a story that is right here.

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The Kamloops Blazers dropped G Carter Phair, who turns 18 on Dec. 15, from their roster on Tuesday. He is expected to return to the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. The Blazers acquired Phair from the Edmonton Oil Kings, giving up a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft, hoping he would provide them with some depth at the position. However, he was struck in the head with a puck during a practice in Alberta and suffered a concussion. He got into only one game with the Blazers, going 4.68, .842. . . . Phair, a native of Carnduff, Sask., played 19 games with the Red Wings last season, going 8-4-3, 2.47, .925. . . . The Blazers are down to 24 players, including two goaltenders — Connor Ingram and Dylan Ferguson — and nine defencemen.

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Patrick Conway, who keeps tabs on goings-on in the KHL, has checked in with his weekly team-by-team roundup. You have to read it to believe what has been happening with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, which is on its third head coach of this season — in fact, it went through three head coaches in the month of October alone. . . . Conway’s latest report is right here.

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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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November 1, 1959 - Jacques Plante of Montreal Canadiens becomes the first goalie to wear protective face mask during an @NHL game. pic.twitter.com/Ua3WT95nCQ

— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) November 1, 2016

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Chippy & sloppy game with lots of special teams... Not an easy watch in Kelowna tonight.

— Andy Levangie (@AndyLevang) November 2, 2016

At Kelowna, F Deven Sideroff scored twice and added an assist to help the Kamloops Blazers to a 5-1

COLLIN SHIRLEY

victory over the Rockets. . . . The Blazers now are 9-8-0. . . . The Rockets, also 9-8-0, had a six-game winning streak come to an end. . . . The Blazers got the game’s first two goals, from F Nick Chyzowski, his seventh, at 2:53 of the first period, and Sideroff, on a PP, at 13:07. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored his third goal at 18:37, on a PP. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers, a Latvian freshman, got his seventh goal for Kamloops at 1:45 of the second period. Blazers also had an assist. . . . Sideroff’s ninth goal, on a PP at 11:17 of the third period, added more insurance and F Matt Revel scored his sixth goal at 16:05. . . . F Collin Shirley drew three assists for Kamloops. A 37-goal scorer last season, he’s got six goals and 12 assists in 17 games this time around. . . . Kamloops also got two assists from F Garrett Pilon. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 20 shots, 14 fewer than Michael Herringer of Kelowna. . . . The Blazers were 2-7 on the PP; the Rockets were 1-7. . . . The Rockets lost F Leif Mattson with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 16:39 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 4,369.

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ZACH SAWCHENKO

At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko stopped 41 shots as the Warriors got past the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. . . . Sawchenko was especially solid in the third period when the Raiders failed to score despite holding a 22-8 edge in shots. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs scored twice for the Warriors, giving them a 1-0 lead at 2:21 of the second period and putting them in front 2-1 at 4:22 of the third. He’s got 11 goals in 15 games, after putting in a career-high 15 in 69 games last season. . . . F Luke Coleman scored the Raiders’ goal, his fourth, at 6:06 of the second period. . . . F Tanner Jeannot got the empty-netter for Moose Jaw at 19:58 of the third. He’s got four goals. . . . G Nick Sanders stopped 26 shots for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albrert was 0-4 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-5. . . . The Warriors (9-3-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (4-10-1) have lost three straight. . . . Announced attendance: 3,099.

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Had to dig a little bit to find a relevant fact for tonight. This will mark 1st time TBirds have played a team from Saskatchewan on Nov 1st.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) November 1, 2016

At Saskatoon, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored three times in the second period and went on to a 4-3

SCOTT EANSOR

victory over the Blades. . . . The Thunderbirds (5-6-1) are 2-1-0 on their six-game East Division trip. . . . The Blades slipped to 7-8-1. . . . The Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals, all of them via the PP. At that point, Seattle had scored six times on nine PP opportunities over two games. . . . D Jarret Tyszka’s first goal got the visitors started, at 2:51 of the first period. F Alexander True made it 2-0 with his fifth goal 56 seconds into the second period. F Donovan Neuls’ third goal upped the lead to 3-0 at 1:51. . . . F Michael Farren’s first goal got the Blades on the board at 6:04, but Seattle F Scott Eansor scored shorthanded at 9:32. He’s got two goals. . . . Saskatoon made it interesting as F Josh Paterson got his fifth goal at 1:39 of the third period and F Mason McCarty made it 4-3 with his 10th goal at 18:44. . . . Seattle got two assists from F Nolan Volcan, with Eansor adding one to his goal. . . . Paterson also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth, who is from Saskatoon, stopped 21 shots. . . . The Blades started Logan Flodell, who had been acquired from Seattle earlier this season. He was gone after allowing three goals on 19 shots in 22:05. Reliever Brock Hamm stopped 13 of 14 shots in 36:51. . . . Seattle was 3-6 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-4. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who is eligible to play for the Thunderbirds, again was scratched by the New York Islanders last night. They lost 6-1 to the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . Announced attendance: 2,812.

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Congrats to @_SoySauce_ who recorded his 💯 career WHL goal & 💯 assist tonight! pic.twitter.com/RpdcAM6tGl

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) November 2, 2016

At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford broke a 4-4 tie at 17:39 of the third period and the Royals went on to beat

CHAZ REDDEKOPP

the Red Deer Rebels, 6-4. . . . The Rebels (8-6-2), who have lost three straight, overcame a late two-goal deficit before losing. . . . The Royals (9-7-2) had lost their previous three games (0-1-2). . . . After F Jared Dmytriw’s sixth goal got the Royals started at 8:07 of the first period, the visitors took the lead when F Grayson Pawlenchuk scored his fourth goal at 14:35 and F Dawson Martin got his third, at 15:25. . . . Victoria followed that with the game’s next three goals, as F Matt Phillips got his ninth at 7:00 of the second, F Tyler Soy scored his 10th at 17:24, and F Dante Hannoun counted No. 8 at 10:06 of the third. . . . Red Deer D Josh Mahura, who also had an assist, got his guys into a tie with goals at 13:39 and 15:57. . . . F Ethan Price iced it for the Royals, scoring his second goal of the season into an empty net. . . . Victoria D Chaz Reddekopp earned three assists, while Peckford, who has five goals this season, and Soy each had one. . . . The Rebels got two assists from D Austin Strand. . . . G Griffen Outhouse blocked 40 shots for the Royals. The Rebels got 30 saves from Riley Lamb in 58:18. Lasse Petersen wasn’t tested in a 46-second stint. . . . Red Deer was 1-6 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,032.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7 p.m.

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

Lethbridge at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Regina, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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.

A little of this and some of that from the WHL and beyond

F Zdeněk Blatný (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) has been released by mutual agreement by Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had eight goals and two assists in 25 games. . . .
F Richard Mueller (Brandon, Saskatoon, Calgary, 1998-2003) has signed a one-year extension with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). This season, in 38 games, he leads his team in scoring with 47 points, including 28 goals, in 38 games. . . . The Frankfurt general manager is Rich Chernomaz (Saskatoon, Victoria Cougars, 1979-83 . . . Frankfurt’s head coach is Tim Kehler, who was an assistant coach with Swift Current (2007-10). . . .
F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has signed for the rest of this season with Dresdner Eislöwen (Germany, DEL2). He had been released on Wednesday by Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga) at his request so that he could sign with Dresden. He had two goals in two games with with Regensburg.
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The Saskatoon Blades visit the Broncos in Swift Current tonight. That means Blades D Brycen Martin gets to face his former team for the first time. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here, and Martin doesn’t mince words when he explains how he believes things went south for him in Swift Current.
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No WHL player has put up better numbers of late than G Evan Sarthou of the Tri-City Americans. Before losing 7-5 in Portland on Sunday, Sarthou had put up four shutouts in his previous five starts. With G Eric Comrie on the roster of Canada’s national junior team and now injured, Sarthou has made 20 straight starts. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has more right here.
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In the last few games, the Kootenay Ice has lost twice to the Saskatoon Blades and once to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, two non-playoff teams. The Ice gets a chance to undo some of the damage when it begins a seven-game homestand tonight against the Regina Pats. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has more right here.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors, under general manager Alan Millar, have taken a long, hard look at all aspects of their scouting game. It resulted in the firing of head scout Rob MacLachlan last week, even though he had the rest of this season and next left on his contract. Marc Smith of discovermoosejaw.com takes a look right here at all that happened and why it happened.
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Dave McLellan, the GM and head coach of the junior B Nelson Leafs, has been suspended for the balance of this Kootenay International Junior Hockey League regular season. The ruling came down after the Leafs were found to have played an ineligible player for nine games. . . . Bruce Fuhr of the Nelson Daily has more right here.
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F Charlie Zuccarini of the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters has been suspended for the balance of this season and the playoffs after he slashed a referee during a game last weekend. . . . From Shelton, Conn., Zuccarini is a 20-year-old, meaning that his junior career is finished. . . . He has committed to Arizona State U. . . . During the game against the Coquitlam Express, Zuccarini was hit with a match penalty after slashing referee Kirk Wood on one wrist. . . . According to a news release from the Smoke Eaters, Zuccarini “took responsibility for his actions and did not question that he was in the wrong.” . . . He had 56 points, including 27 goals, in 45 games. . . . The Smoke Eaters' news release is right here.
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Note to Jim Hiller: All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. If you haven’t already, put it on your reading list.
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The CFL’s B.C. Lions announced Thursday that they have signed received Austin Collie, who has a history of concussions. A couple of days before he signed, but with Collie's signing somewhere in the CFL said to be imminent, Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press filed an interesting column that is right here.
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“The rate of concussions among NFL players fell 25 per cent this season, according to the league, even as injury reporting and trips to injured reserve list rose overall,” writes Howard Fendrich of The Associated Press from Phoenix, site of Sunday’s Super Bowl. . . . That is especially interesting considering the increased attention on concussions these days. . . . Fendrich’s story is right here.
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Here’s how Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com summed up the NFL’s concussion report:
“The NFL said concussions were down 25 percent in 2014, which is fine. They said it. Means nothing though, since their protocols for reporting are still laxly supervised and are left to individual teams and (worse) to individual players who feel pressure to play through the haze. Plus, the NFL has lost its right to be believed anyway.
“So congratulations to all players who didn’t have a concussion in 2014. Whoever you are.”
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“A new study of NFL retirees found that those who began playing tackle football when they were younger than 12 years old had a higher risk of developing memory and thinking problems later in life,” writes Ken Belson of The New York Times. “The study, published in the medical journal Neurology by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine, was based on tests given to 42 former NFL players, ages 41 to 65, who had experienced cognitive problems for at least six months. Half the players started playing tackle football before age 12, and the other half began at 12 or older.” . . . The complete story is right here.
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If you are wondering about concussions in the WHL this season, it is impossible to keep track. There is no transparency in the WHL when it comes to injuries and it’s impossible to count concussions by anecdotal evidence.
In many WHL markets, the media types who cover the teams don’t concern themselves with trying to identify injuries, other than going with upper- and lower-body information, as supplied by the league.
However, judging by anecdotal evidence and the number of “upper-body injuries” there have been and continue to be in the WHL, I would suggest that the number of concussions incurred by WHL players isn’t decreasing.
There also have been at least three players suffer concussions in fights in recent games.
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F Barrett Sheen, 16, has signed with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. An undrafted list player, Sheen is from Airdrie, Alta. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is playing for the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who play out of Strathmore, Alta. . . .
Vancouver is scheduled to visit Everett tonight, which means Giants D Mason Geersen and Silvertips F Nikita Scherbak will renew what has turned into quite a rivalry. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more right here. . . . Ewen also points out that the Giants have yet to say who will replace injured G Payton Lee on their roster for the weekend. . . . Vancouver D Clayton Kirichenko, out since Nov. 26 with an undisclosed injury, is expected to return tonight. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades, who are expected to be without D Kolton Dixon, F Luke Gingras and F Mitch Skapski due to undisclosed injuries tonight in Swift Current, have added F Brayden Uhrich and D Mackenzie Dwyer to their roster. . . . Dwyer is a 17-year-old Winnipegger who is playing for the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers. He was an 11th-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Uhrich is the younger brother of Saskatoon F Josh Uhrich. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Brett Stovin, the team’s captain, is listed as probable due to an undisclosed injury.
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Only in Canada. Stick tape and sock tape in the vending machine with the candy and chips pic.twitter.com/ISDOc9s3g6
— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) January 29, 2015

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Taking Note wins award . . . Hurricanes stun Ice . . . Blazers now third in B.C.

Taking Note has been honoured with a Carson — a 2015 Paul Carson Broadcast & Media Award — as was announced Wednesday afternoon.
According to the news release that is pictured above, the awards “recognize excellence in sports broadcasting and journalism” in B.C.
Taking Note is being recognized as the Best Blog (Rest-of-BC). Pro Hockey Talk, with Jason Brough, Mike Halford and Cam Tucker, was named the Best Blog (Vancouver-based).
A number of veteran B.C. sports journalists, including Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province, Ian MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun, Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist and Scott McKenzie of the Nanaimo Daily News are among the print honourees.
I am thrilled that folks know that we even exist here at Taking Note, and I am honoured to win an award that is in memory of a man who meant so much to journalism in B.C.
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D Lukáš Bohunický (Kootenay, 2005-07) has signed a contract for the rest of the season with České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He was released at his request by the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite) on Monday. He had a goal and 13 assists in 36 games this season. . . .
F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) has signed for the rest of the season with the Bietigheim Steelers (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Serie A), he had two goals and 12 assists in 15 games. With the Wedemark Scorpions (Germany, Oberliga), he had eight goals and 15 assists in 12 games. St. Jacques played last 3 1/2 seasons with Bietigheim. . . .
F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has been released at his request by Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga). He had two goals in two games. Per a Regensburg press release, Langhammer will join an unnamed DEL2 club.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored three second-period goals en route to a 6-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . .  .Fittingly, it was Bash The Blades night in Prince Albert. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first five goals. . . . That included F Sean Montgomery’s first WHL goal, in the 45th game of freshman season, at 9:54 of the second period. . . . F Kris Schmidli had three assists for Prince Albert, while F Reid Gardiner scored his 22nd goal and added an assist. F Simon Stransky and F Austin Glover each had two assists. D Jesse Lees scored his eighth goal — his first since arriving in Prince Albert from Kelowna — and had an assist. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 32 shots, four fewer than Nik Amundrud of the Blades. . . . This was the final game of the season series between these teams and it ended 4-4-0. . . . The Raiders (20-27-1) had lost their previous four games. They are in Calgary on Friday. . . . The Blades (14-30-3), who play in Swift Current on Friday, had won five in a row. . . .

In Edmonton, F Lane Bauer’s shootout goal gave the Oil Kings a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Brett Pollock also scored for Edmonton in the shootout — he extended it with a goal in the third round — while F Nick Merkley scored for the Rockets. . . . D Joe Gatenby scored for Kelowna at 9:33 of the first period. His first WHL goal came in his 85th game. . . . Edmonton F Dysin Mayo tied it with his 10th goal of the season, on a PP, at 6:35 of the second. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 35 shots, five more than Kelowna’s Jake Morrissey. . . . The Rockets gave the goaltending start to Morrissey, meaning he and his holder brother, D Josh Morrissey, were on the ice together for the first time since the latter was acquired from Prince Albert on Dec. 10. . . . F Leon Draisaitl, who started the season with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, made his return to Edmonton. The Oilers, if you missed it, arranged for Draisaitl to be traded by Prince Albert to the Rockets at the trade deadline. . . . Draisaitl went pointless and wasn’t able to score in the shootout. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-8 on the PP, including the game’s last seven. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-for-3. . . . Edmonton (23-21-6) ended a four-game losing skid (0-3-1). The Oil Kings play in Red Deer on Friday. . . . The Rockets (37-8-4), who visit Lethbridge on Friday, have won their previous three games. They are first in the overall standings, three points ahead of idle Brandon. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brayden Burke had a goal and two assists and G Jayden Sittler beat his former team as the Hurricanes dropped the Kootenay Ice, 6-3. . . . The Ice took a 2-1 lead into the second period, only to have the Hurricanes score the next five goals. . . . Burke tied the score with his third goal of the season, at 1:32 of the second, and F Tyler Wong broke the tie, with his 21st, at 13:53. . . . F Zane Franklin, who made his WHL debut with the Hurricanes on Tuesday night, scored his first WHL goal in this one, tying the game 1-1 at 14:45 of the first. . . . Lethbridge D Brandon Kennedy scored his first WHL goal in his 23rd game, at 6:54 of the third. . . . Wong also had an assist and was plus-4. . . . Kennedy, F Pavel Skumatov and F Giorgio Estephan each had a goal and an assist for Lethbridge. . . . Estephan has 25 points, 10 of them goals, over his last 14 games. . . . F Tim Bozon scored his 20th goal and added an assist for the Ice. . . . Skinner stopped 38 shots. . . . The Hurricanes (12-29-6), who will entertain Kelowna on Friday, have equalled their victory total from last season. . . . The Ice (26-23-1) had won its last four games. Kootenay is at home to Regina on Friday. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks erased a 2-1 deficit with three straight goals and hung on to beat the Victoria Royals, 4-3. . . . Victoria F Alex Forsberg scored his 20th goal of the season at 12:41 of the second period for a 2-1 lead. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn tied it, with his 15th goal, at 17:20. . . . D Alex Henry gave the Winterhawks the lead at 3:08 of the third, with his fifth goal, and F Chase De Leo made it 4-2 with No. 22 at 13:21. . . . Forsberg got the Royals to within a goal at 13:39. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 36 shots, four more than Victoria’s Justin Paulic. . . . F Miles Koules and D Blake Heinrich had two assists each for Portland. . . . Portland won despite not getting any points from its big line of Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nic Petan and Paul Bittner. Victoria D Joe Hicketts and his partner, Chaz Reddekopp, were plus-3 while playing as much as possible against the Petan line. . . . Hicketts also had one assist. . . . F Dominic Turgeon was back in Portland’s lineup for the first time since Jan. 17 and scored his 15th goal. Portland F Mitch Walter remains out. Both were injured in fights. Walter hasn’t played since Jan. 14. . . . The Winterhawks (29-19-3) have won six straight and are three points behind U.S. Division-leading Everett, which olds three games in hand. . . . Victoria (26-20-4) had points in its previous seven games (6-0-1). . . . Portland is at home to Kamloops on Friday, while Victoria will play in Spokane. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored three PP goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-3, to grab sole possession of a playoff spot. . . . Still, it was the only Kamloops goal that wasn’t on special teams that won it, D Brady Gaudet getting his second goal of the season at 14:38 of the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie in the process. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully scored twice, giving him 24, and had an assist. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff had three assists, all on the PP. . . . F Matt Needham, the third member of that line, had two assists. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists. He has 185 career points, two shy of Craig Channell’s franchise record (Breakers/Thunderbirds) for a defenceman. . . . Seattle F Cory Millette had given his guys a 3-2 lead at 14:46 of the second, on a PP, with his 12th goal. . . . Kamloops D Dawson Davidson, who was brought in to add to the PP, scored his third goal at 3:42 of the third. . . . Kamloops was 3-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-5. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf and Kamloops D Ryan Rehill, a couple of heavyweights, were tossed nine seconds into the game for becoming involved in a staged fight. . . . The Blazers scored two first-period goals. According to Tbird Tidbits, it was the sixth time in 48 games that Seattle has allowed more than one goal in the first period. The Thunderbirds are 1-5-0 when that happens. . . . Kamloops, already without injured Swiss D Michael Fora, lost Slovakian D Patrik Maier at 15:18 of the third period when he was KO’d in a scrap with Seattle F Nolan Volcan. Maier was wobbly and needed help getting to the dressing room. . . . The Blazers (19-25-6) moved into third place in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of Vancouver and Prince George. . . . The Thunderbirds (23-19-6) are third in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Spokane and Tri-City. . . . The Thunderbirds are in Prince George for games Friday and Saturday nights. . . . The Blazers travel to Portland for a Friday night game.
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Happy b'day to Paul Henderson. There's something special about Canada's Summit Series hero turning "72"! pic.twitter.com/cyRZouw47f
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) January 29, 2015

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Cougars d-man gets five games . . . Heid's season over . . . Ice wins at Hockey Hooky

My boy @Gropper8 shakes hands with legend Don Cherry after BMO Top Prospects Game #memoryofalifetime pic.twitter.com/EkocSrdkEJ
— Colleen Gropp (@colleengropp) January 23, 2015

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has signed the for rest of this season with Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga). This season, with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2), he had seven goals and five assists in 29 games. He was released at his request by Crimmitschau on Jan. 8.
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D Sam Ruopp of the Prince George Cougars has been suspended for five games after taking a kneeing major and game misconduct in a 6-1 loss to the visiting Everett Silvertips on Tuesday. Ruopp, the Cougars’ captain, drew a two-game suspension for the same infraction earlier in the season. . . . Ruopp has missed one game already, and won’t play tonight in Medicine Hat.
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The Portland Winterhawks revealed Thursday that D Nick Heid, 17, underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and won’t play again this season. . . . “Nick is a big part of our future and this surgery will help ensure he’s healthy for training camp in August,” Jamie Kompon, the team’s GM and head coach, said in a news release. . . . Heid, from Fridley, Minn., was in his first season with the Winterhawks. He last played on Jan. 9. Heid was pointless in 17 games. . . . Late Thursday afternoon, Heid tweeted: “Tough decision to make, but having my shoulder repaired will help ensure that I am ready for next season. Thanks to everyone for your support and good luck to the @pdxwinterhawks the remainder of the season.”
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The OHL’s Sarnia Sting franchise is in the process of changing hands. When all is said and done, former NHL D Derian Hatcher and David Legwand, a forward with the Ottawa Senators, will own the Sting. . . . Terry Bridge of the Sarnia Observer has more right here.
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If you are into podcasts, you can’t go wrong with the latest effort at Pucklandia. It features former WHL F Oren Koules, who is a producer of the Saw movies as well as the hit TV show Two And A Half Men. He also is the father of Portland Winterhawks F Miles Koules. There are some great stories told right here.
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I made mention in this space yesterday of a pair of tweets from former NHL referee Paul Stewart. He writes regularly for The Huffington Post and on Thursday he wrote a length on the Zac Rinaldo hit on Kris Letang and the role that coaches are, or aren’t, playing when it comes to player safety in hockey. That piece is right here.
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When given the opportunity, I will be sure to watch the documentary Red Army, a film about perhaps the greatest hockey team in the history of the sport. The Red Army team dominated internationally in the 1970s and into the ’80s. . . . Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated has more right here, including a thrilling anecdote involving the night in 1987 when Wayne Gretzky invited the Soviet’s teams Green unit to his folks’ home in Brantford, Ont., for a barbecue.
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If you haven’t already seen this right here, it is every minor hockey player’s worst nightmare -- a ranting parent. Only this one is different. He hits the glass and, well, watch for yourself.
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Michael Powell of The New York Times was there Thursday when New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, one of the great actors of our time, spoke to the media about the inflation and deflation of footballs. Powell’s piece is right here and it really is funny.
Later in the day, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady chatted with the media and, yes, he denied, denied, denied. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times has more right here.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

In Edmonton, F Tim Bozon scored three goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 5-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . It was Edmonton’s sixth annual CN Hockey Hooky promotion. The game began at 11:30 a.m., and attendance was announced at 10,396. . . . According to the Oil Kings’ website, about 7,000 school students were in attendance. . . . The Oil Kings led 3-1 late in the second period when the Ice tied it on goals by Boson, at 17:28, and D Tyler King, at 19:11. . . . King has seven goals. . . . Bozon broke the tie with his third goal, and 17th of the season, on a PP at 1:18 of the third. . . . Ice F Levi Cable provided insurance with his 20th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:42. . . . F Brett Pollock scored twice, giving him 21, and added an assist for Edmonton. His 20th goal of the season was his 100th career point. . . . It was Bozon’s fourth career hat trick -- he has two with the Ice after putting up two with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Ice D Rinat Valiev had two assists. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 28 shots, six fewer than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . The Ice was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-3. . . . The Ice (24-22-1) is fifth in the Central Division, one point behind Edmonton and four in back of Calgary. . . . The Oil Kings (22-19-6) still hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here.
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God Bless Miss Canada. By the looks of that score, she is also an advocate of bigger nets pic.twitter.com/mVmPWcmFKE
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) January 23, 2015

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