Second WHL team hit by mumps ... Cougars "being subsidized by ownership group" ... Goalie scores in AJHL

A second WHL team has been hit by the mumps. Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News reported via Twitter on Friday afternoon that the Medicine Hat Tigers had two players “diagnosed with mumps, while another two have been tested and quarantined.” . . . Apparently, one coach also has been impacted. . . . McCracken later reported that the two players who had been diagnosed were F John Dahlstrom and D Jordan Henderson, neither of whom played against the host Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. The Tigers also scratched F Zach Fischer and F Ryan Chyzowski. . . . Earlier this month, the Brandon Wheat Kings also had mumps in their dressing room. Their stricken players returned to the lineup earlier this week. . . . If you're wondering, Brandon played in Medicine Hat on Jan. 28. . . . The Tigers also remain without D David Quenneville and D Ty Schultz, both of whom are recovering from broken legs suffered while blocking shots. Quenneville, however, is nearing a return. He was injured on Jan. 3 and now has been cleared for full-contact at practices.

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The Prince George Cougars have added Nick Drazenovic to their front office as director of player development. Drazenovic, who is from Prince George, played 281 games with the Cougars, putting up 214 points, including 77 goals. . . . He went on to a professional career that included 12 games in the NHL and more than 500 in the AHL. . . . “Nick will be responsible for developing our current roster players,” general manager Todd Harkins said in a news release, “while also spending one-on-one time with our prospects. He will monitor their progress year-round to ensure that when their time comes to join our team full-time that they are ready to make an impact.”

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There isn’t anything new to report regarding the Kootenay Ice and where they will play next season.

One thing is for certain, though. “We can't continue,” Jeff Chynoweth, the team’s president and general manager, told Jaimie Kehler of CBC News. “We are bleeding bad right now, averaging under 1,700 people a night. That just doesn't work in today's economics of the Western Hockey League.” . . . For now, there aren’t likely to be any developments before March 11 when the citizens of Nanaimo vote in a referendum that could allow the city to borrow $80 million for an events centre that would include an arena large enough for a WHL franchise. . . . Taking Note reported last month that the WHL is preparing two schedules for the 2017-18 season — one that includes Kootenay, and one that includes Nanaimo but not Kootenay. . . . Kehler’s story is right here. . . . The Ice stage Pink the Rink night on Friday and drew 2,690 fans to a 3-2 OT victory over the Saskatoon Blades.

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In Prince George, meanwhile, the EDGEPRO Sports and Entertainment group in its third season owning the Cougars. That group features Greg Pocock, Eric Brewer, Ray Fortier, Dan Hamhuis,

Ernest Ouellet and John Pateman. As the franchise’s president and governor, Pocock has morphed into the group’s public face.

The Cougars’ average announced attendance in 2013-14, the final season under owner Rick Brodsky, was 1,693. That number has reached 3,467 this season, but Pocock said that’s not enough.

“We are happy to see the continued growth of the attendance in our building,” he told play-by-play man Dan O’Connor and Hartley Miller, the analyst on home games, during a 4-3 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Monday afternoon. “It seems to be sustainable growth. It’s not people jumping on a bandwagon that are going to be here today and gone tomorrow.

“Having said that, this team is not making money. This team is being subsidized by the ownership group and that is not a circumstance that is going to continue indefinitely. We are behind in projections as far as numbers go. Although we are happy to see where we are it, we’re not satisfied where we are at either.”

There’s more from Pocock right here in a story that was posted by Miller.

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Jake Morrissey, a former WHL goaltender, scored a goal for the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders on Friday night. Morrissey, who made 32 saves, scored an empty-net goal at 19:59 of the third period to put the cap on a 3-1 victory over the visiting Camrose Kodiaks. . . . Morrissey, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, made WHL stops with the Kelowna Rockets, Vancouver Giants, Saskatoon Blades and Medicine Hat Tigers.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

Adam Brooks has become just the 17th player in @WHLPats history to reach 300 points. He's now in 16th place with 302.

— Kevin Shaw (@theblueliner) February 18, 2017

At Brandon, G Logan Thompson blocked 45 shots to lead the Wheat Kings to a 5-3 victory over the

Regina Pats. . . . Thompson stopped 21 of 23 shots in the third period as the Wheat Kings snapped a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Baron Thompson (3) opened the scoring at 1:42 of the first period. . . . F Nolan Patrick added his 14th at 3:54. . . . F Ty Lewis upped the lead to 3-0 with his 27th goal, on a PP, at 15:47 of the second period. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs got his guys started, on a PP, at 16:20. He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 goals. . . . Brandon D Schael Higson (4) got that one back, on a PP, at 18:58. . . . Regina made it interesting with two third-period goals. . . . F Austin Wagner got his 26th, at 1:34, and F Adam Brooks scored No. 32, on a PP, at 8:11. . . . The Wheat Kings hung on until F Stelio Mattheos got an empty-netter at 18:30. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Brandon got two assists from F Connor Gutenberg, with Matheos adding one to his goal. . . . Hobbs and Brooks each had two assists for Regina. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 24 shots for Regina as he lost for the first time in regulation this season. He now is 12-1-1. . . . The Wheat Kings were 2-3 on the PP; the Pats were 2-5. . . . Brandon (28-22-8) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Regina (41-8-7) remains atop the overall standings, six points ahead of Medicine Hat with three games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,433.

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Martin's mask is a tribute to his late father Jim. "I had someone watching over me tonight (in 3-2 win over Edm) as I always do," he said. https://t.co/rwaTPZj9SF

— Laurence Heinen (@lheinen21) February 18, 2017

At Calgary, F Jakob Stukel scored at 1:52 of OT to give the Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . This was Calgary’s 20th trip to OT this season. The Hitmen are 7-8 in OT and 3-2 in shootouts. . . . The Hitmen had the only three shots of the extra time and won it on Stukel’s 18th goal of the season. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky’s 17th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 9:20 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Andrei Grishakov’s sixth goal, at 7:58 of the second period. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean had two assists. . . . The Hitmen got 23 saves from G Trevor Martin. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea turned aside 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Hitmen (21-26-10) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are two points out of a wild-card spot, but also trail third-place Red Deer by only three points in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (20-33-5) have points in three in a row (2-0-1) after losing 16 in a row. They are nine points out of a playoff spot with 14 games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 6,945.

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At Kelowna, F Kailer Yamamoto scored at 1:01 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Spokane G Jayden Sittler, who had an outstanding game, stopped Kelowna F Nick Merkley at one end and the Chiefs broke out 2-on-1 with Yamamoto scoring off a pass from Hudson Elynuik. . . . The Chiefs are 3-0-0 against Kelowna this season, winning three times in OT. . . Spokane scored the game’s first three goals, then surrendered three in a row. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 33rd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 8:47 of the first period, with F Ethan McIndoe (16) making it 2-0 at 12:24. . . . Elynuik’s 21st goal made it 3-0 at 1:30 of the second period. . . . The Rockets roared back to tie it with Merkley’s 18th goal starting the comeback at 6:39. . . . D Nolan Foote’s 15th goal cut the deficit to one at 17:12. . . . F Calvin Thurkauf tied it at 3:55 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs went back in front at 6:18 when F Hayden Ostir got No. 7. . . . Thurkauf tied it, scoring his second of the game and 29th of the season at 18:55, on a PP. . . . Yamamoto won it with his 33rd goal of the season. . . . Sittler, who also had an assist, finished with 45 saves. . . . The Rockets started G Michael Herringer, who gave up three goals on nine shots in 21:30. Brodan Salmond came on to stop 10 of 12 shots in 39:17. . . . Kelowna was 1-6 on the PP; Spokane was 0-1. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was stitched up at the arena after being struck in the head by a puck off Foote’s stick in the second period. Nachbaur was back for the third period and no one who saw him during his playing days was surprised. . . . Spokane (25-24-9) is eight points out of a wild-card spot. . . . Kelowna (33-20-5) had won three straight. It is third in the B.C. Division, five points behind Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 4,836.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Vince Loschiavo’s goal at 2:16 of OT gave the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Loschiavo scored his 23rd goal of the season on Kootenay’s second shot of OT. . . . F Markson Bechtold had given Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with his seventh goal just 15 seconds into the game. . . . The Ice tied it when F Brett Davis got No. 16 at 13:10 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon went back out front at 5:00 of the third period as F Mason McCarty got his 16th goal. . . . The Ice tied it as F Noah Philp (7) scored at 14:45. . . . Kootenay G Jakob Walter earned the victory with a 28-save performance. . . . The Blades got 28 saves from Logan Flodell. . . . Saskatoon was 0-3 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-5. . . . Kootenay (13-35-10) had lost its previous seven games (0-5-2). It now has one more victory than it managed all of last season. . . . The Blades (23-26-8) have points in five straight (3-0-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 2,690.

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At Lethbridge, F Tyler Wong scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals had taken a 1-0 lead on F Blake Bargar’s fourth goal, at 10:03 of the first period. . . . Wong tied it with his 41st goal at 11:51. . . . Victoria went back out front when F Matt Phillips got his 41st, at 19:59. . . . The home side took a 3-2 lead on second-period goals from F Alec Baer (12), at 2:38, and F Egor Babenko (20), at 7:53. . . . The Royals tied it when F Regan Nagy counted at 11:24, only to have Lethbridge go back ahead on F Zak Zborosky’s 37th at 14:53. . . . Victoria forced OT when Nagy got his second of the game, and 15th of the season, at 18:29 of the third period. . . . Wong added an assist to his goal. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 35 shots for the winners. . . . Victoria got 36 saves from Griffen Outhouse. . . . Lethbridge was 0-1 on the PP; Victoria was 0-4. . . . The Hurricanes (35-16-7) have won two in a row. They are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat with a game in hand. . . . The Royals (31-23-5) have lost three straight (0-2-1). They are tied with Portland for the Western Conference’s wild-card spots. Victoria also is fourth in the B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,653.

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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed en route to a 4-3

victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld got it started with his 25th goal just 59 seconds into the first period. . . . F Ryan Hughes scored his 24th goal at 1:16 of the second period, with Blichfeld getting the lone assist. . . . F Adam Musil (19) got Red Deer on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 2:47. . . . Portland got that one back as F Keegan Iverson got No. 16 at 12:24. . . . F Michael Spacek, who also had an assist, pulled the Rebels back to within a goal with his 25th, at 13:03. . . . F Jake Gricius restored Portland’s two-goal lead with No. 7 at 14:37. . . . D Jared Freadrich (6) added Red Deer’s third goal, at 14:12 of the third period. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 30 shots for Portland and also picked up an assist. . . . The Rebels got 40 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Red Deer was 2-6 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Rebels went 0-3-0 on a three-game U.S. Division swing on which they were outscored 16-8. . . . The Winterhawks (32-23-3) have won two in a row. They are fourth in the U.S. Division, four points behind Tri-City. . . . The Rebels (23-27-9) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). They are third in the Central Division, three points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,724.

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At Prince Albert, the Everett Silvertips scored three second-period goals, two of them via the PP, and went on to beat the Raiders, 3-1. . . . F Eetu Tuulola (14) opened the scoring at 5:14 and F Riley Sutter (16) made it 2-0, on a PP, just 45 seconds later. . . . When F Patrick Bajkov scored his 23rd goal on another PP, at 12:44, it was 3-0. . . . The Raiders got their goal from F Curtis Miske, on a PP, at 18:11 of the third period. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots for Everett. . . . The Raiders got 33 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 1-5. . . . The Raiders lost F Kolby Johnson to a charging major and game misconduct 16:14 of the second period after an open-ice hit on F Orrin Centazzo in the neutral zone. . . . The Silvertips are 4-1-0 and have outscored opponents 12-6 on a six-game East Division swing that ends tonight (Saturday) in Swift Current. . . . Everett (35-12-10) has won four in a row and leads the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle. . . . Prince Albert (15-39-5) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,014.

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At Swift Current, G Jordan Papirny made 42 saves to lead the Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the

Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Papirny turned aside all 15 shots he faced in the first period and 14 of 15 in the second. He is 5-5-2, 2.97, .911 since coming over from the Brandon Wheat Kings in January. . . .   The Broncos got a pair of first-period goals from F Aleksi Heponiemi, at 15:18 and 18:08, the latter via the PP. He’s got 23 goals in his freshman season. . . . F Riley Stotts made it 3-0 with his seventh goal, at 8:48 of the second period. . . . The Tigers got their goal from F Mark Rassell (27), on a PP, at 18:52 of the second. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 31 shots for the Tigers. . . . Swift Current was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . The Tigers were able to dress only 16 skaters as they scratched four players with illness and two with broken legs. . . . Swift Current (30-18-9) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is third in the East Division, five points behind Moose Jaw with a game in hand. . . . Medicine Hat (41-17-1) had a five-game winning streak come to an end. It leads the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . Announced attendance: 2,244.

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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went

on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took a 1-0 lead on D Ethan Bear’s 23rd goal, on a PP, at 2:56 of the first period. . . . The Americans responded by taking a 4-1 lead. . . . F Morgan Geekie’s 32nd goal, on a PP, at 6:48, tied it. . . . D Dakota Krebs scored his second goal of the season, at 9:26, to give the home side the lead. . . . F Tyler Sandhu increased the lead to 3-1 with his 16th goal, at 17:04 of the second period. . . . D Dylan Coghlan’s 12th goal, on a PP, at 19:19, provided more insurance. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (19) got Seattle to within two goals 17 seconds into the third period. . . . Sandhu and Geekie each added an assist for Tri-City. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp each had two assists for Seattle. Gropp had his goal streak end at eight games, but is on a 15-game point streak. . . . G Rylan Parenteau earned the victory with 25 saves. . . . Seattle also got 25 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . Each team was 2-5 on the PP. . . . The Americans (34-23-3) have won three in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds (36-17-5) are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Announced attendance: 3,408.

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At Langley, B.C., the Kamloops Blazers broke a 1-1 tie with four second-period goals in a span of

6:06 and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . F Calvin Spencer sent the Giants out to a 1-0 lead with his 12th goal at 1:53 of the first period. . . . The visitors tied it when F Quinn Benjafield scored No. 12 at 10:25. . . . Kamloops blew it open with the four second-period scores. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers scored two of them, at 7:29, on a PP, and 13:06. He’s got 33 goals. . . . F Lane Bauer’s 33rd goal made is 3-1 at 9:19. . . . F Garrett Pilon (15) upped it to 5-1 at 13:35. . . . The Blazers got their final goal from F Nick Chyzowski (15) at 1:38 of the third period. . . . The Blazers got two assists from each of F Deven Sideroff and F Collin Shirley, with Chyzowski and Bauer adding one each. . . . The Blazers got 24 saves from G Connor Ingram. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 33 for the Giants. . . . Kamloops was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Blazers (35-19-6) are second in the B.C. Division, four points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Giants (18-36-5) have lost four in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,321.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

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

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

Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 6:05 p.m.

Everett at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

Red Deer vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Thunderbirds fly into U.S. lead . . . Pats' streak now at 10 . . . 'Cane train rolls past Raiders

The Prince Albert Raiders revealed on Thursday that F Jordy Stallard, 19, won’t play again this season after undergoing shoulder surgery on Monday. On Friday, the Raiders said that F Carson Miller also has had shoulder surgery and his season is over. As well, F Drew Warkentine is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury that “will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season.” . . . Warkentine, from Prince Albert, was injured during a 3-2 loss to the host Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday. He had two goals and four assists in 32 games and had only recently returned from another injury. . . . Miller, from Yorkton, Sask., turned 17 on Friday. He had seven goals and 12 assists in 46 games as a freshman. He was a first-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.

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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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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, G Logan Thompson stopped 34 shots, 18 of them in the first period, as the Wheat Kings beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Rylan

LOGAN THOMPSON

Bettens (4), at 2:06, and F Tyler Coulter (24), on a PP, at 19:24. . . . The Silvertips got to within a goal when F Eetu Tuulola (12) scored at 4:31 of the third period. . . . Everett G Mario Petit stopped 27 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-2 on the PP; Everett was 1-5. . . . This was Game 1 of Everett’s six-game East Division swing. To prepare, they visited Souris, the hometown of general manager Garry Davidson, on Thursday where they curled and walked the famous Swinging Bridge. . . . The Wheat Kings, who issued a news release earlier in the week saying they had been hit by the mumps, dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. F Caiden Daley, F Reid Duke and F Cole Reinhardt are ill, while F Tanner Kaspick and F Linden McCorrister have undisclosed injuries. . . . D Noah Juulsen and D Lucas Skrumeda both returned to Everett’s lineup. . . . The Silvertips have seven Manitobans on their roster; five of them were in the lineup. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-20-7) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot and are five points behind the third-place Swift Current Broncos in the East Division. . . . The Silvertips (31-12-10) slipped to second in the U.S. Division, a point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett holds one game in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,866.

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At Calgary, F Mark Rassell scored three times to lead the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Rassell, who is from Calgary, has 26 goals, including his first WHL hat trick. . . . The Hitmen

MARK RASSELL

actually led this one 2-0 before the game was three minutes old. . . . D Jaydan Gordon scored his first goal of the season at 1:45. It was his second career goal and came in his 154th game. . . . F Tristen Nielsen added his second goal of the season at 2:51. . . . The Tigers tied it on a pair of PP goals from Rassell, at 6:16 and 13:48, then took the lead when D Jordan Henderson scored his fifth goal at 5:53 of the second period. . . . F Zach Fischer added insurance with No. 28 at 10:19. . . . Rassell completed his hat trick at 6:03 of the third period. . . . F Matt Bradley (26) and D Clayton Kirichenko (9) also scored for the Tigers, who got three assists from F Max Gerlach. . . . F Steve Owre and F Chad Butcher each added two assists for the winners, with Kirichenko and Henderson getting one apiece. . . . The Tigers got 19 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . Calgary starter Trevor Martin allowed three goals on 16 shots in 25:53. Kyle Dumba finished up, stopping 10 of 14 shots in 34:07. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-1. . . . The Tigers (39-16-1) have won three in a row. They lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Hitmen (19-26-9) have lost three straight and are three points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,560.

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Robertson brothers playing their first game together @RogersPlace ✔️ #EDMvsREG pic.twitter.com/2iMmHYuxHM

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) February 11, 2017

At Edmonton, G Jordan Hollett stopped 23 shots as the Regina Pats skated to a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . With the victory, the Pats became the first WHL team this season to clinch a

JORDAN HOLLETT

playoff spot. . . . Hollett, who made his 12th start of the season, usually backs up Tyler Brown. Hollett improved his record to 11-0-1. . . . F Nicholas Bowman (7) gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 6:07 of the first period. . . . The Pats then scored the next three goals. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan (8) tied it at 12:43, with F Filip Ahl getting his 23rd at 14:29. D Dawson Davidson made it 3-1 at 6:29 of the second period. . . . Edmonton D Conner McDonald’s fifth goal got Edmonton back to within a goal at 17:55. . . . Davidson and McDonald both started this season with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Regina F Nick Henry ran his goal streak to five games with No. 26 at 7:19. . . . D Connor Hobbs completed the scoring with his 24th goal — he leads WHL defencemen in goals — at 17:00. . . . Hobbs also had an assist. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, the WHL’s scoring leader, picked up one assist, giving him 97 points. Regina F Adam Brooks, who is second to Steel with 91 points, also had an assist. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 34 shots. . . . Regina was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-4. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm didn’t play after being hit with a three-game suspension after he took a charging major and game misconduct against the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday. Swift Current F Lane Pederson, who was on the receiving end of that hit, was scratched by the Broncos last night in Red Deer. . . . F Jeff de Wit was back in Regina’s lineup after serving a two-game suspension. . . . Prior to the game, the Oil Kings added a pair of defencemen to their roster — Matthew Robertson and Jayden Platz. . . . Robertson, a first-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, is the younger brother of Oil Kings F Tyler Robertson. Matthew had five goals and 11 assists in 26 games with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Platz had seven assists in seven games with the Northern Alberta X-Treme prep team. He was a second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Robertson played against Regina, while Platz didn’t. . . . Regina swept the season series, 4-0-0. . . . The Pats (39-6-7) have won 10 straight games. They lead the overall standings by six points over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Regina also has four games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-32-4) have lost 16 in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 11,833.

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At Kelowna, F Nolan Foote scored three times and G Brodan Salmon recorded the shutout as the Rockets dumped the Vancouver Giants, 6-0. . . . Foote, whose father, Adam, is a former NHL

NOLAN FOOTE

defenceman, has 14 goals in his freshman season. His brother, Cal, a defenceman, is a teammate in Kelowna. . . . Nolan, who won’t turn 17 until Nov. 29, won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2019. . . . F Erik Gardiner opened the scoring with his third goal, on a PP, at 5:23 of the first period. His brother, Reid, drew the secondary assist on the goal. . . . Foote scored the next two goals, both on the PP, at 7:21 of the first and 4:17 of the second. . . . F Leif Mattson scored twice for Kelowna, giving him five goals, with Foote completing the hat trick at 2:36 of the third. . . . The Rockets got two assists form F Kole Lind. . . . Salmond stopped 22 shots in record his second shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 50 shots. . . . The Rockets were 3-7 on the PP; the Giants were 0-6. . . . The Rockets have won 22 straight from the Giants in Kelowna, dating to March 19, 2011. . . . F Bartek Bison made his debut with the Giants after being acquired from the Prince George Cougars a month ago. An 18-year-old from Amsterdam, Netherlands, he had been sidelined with a brain injury since Dec. 3. . . . Kelowna (31-20-4) is tied with the Victoria Royals for third in the B.C. Division, six points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants (18-33-5) are 1-7-2 in their past 10 games. . . . Announced attendance: 5,163.

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Mr. William Wong made the trip down for this #milestone and joined us as the #WongderfulSelfie tonight! #LikeFatherLikeSon #WHLCanes pic.twitter.com/awOf1NeXXS

— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) February 11, 2017

At Lethbridge, F Alec Baer scored twice as the Hurricanes got past the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2. . . .

ALEC BAER

Baer, a 19-year-old from St. Louis Park, Minn., has 11 goals in 52 games this season. He has eight goals in 13 games with Lethbridge after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Baer opened the scoring at 14:30 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert tied it when F Tim Vanstone (9) scored, shorthanded, at 5:30 of the second period. . . . F Matt Alfaro gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal, at 4:50 of the third period, and F Zak Zborosky, who also had an assist, made it 3-1 with No. 34, on a PP, at 14:42. . . . The Raiders cut the deficit to one when F Curtis Miske scored his 12th goal, at 18:36. . . . Baer put it away with an empty-netter at 19:18. . . . G Stuart Skinner earned the victory with 37 stops. . . . At the other end, Ian Scott turned aside 30 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-5. . . . F Tyler Wong, the Hurricanes’ captain, picked up one assist in his 300th regular-season game. . . . The Hurricanes were without G Ryan Gilchrist (flu), so had Adam Swan from the midget AAA Interlake Lightning backing up Skinner. From Ashern, Man., Swan was an 11th-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Hurricanes (33-15-7) have won nine in a row and have points in 15 straight games (13-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Raiders (13-38-5) have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,177.

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Our patient ambassadors Andrew and Guinness had an amazing time at Shriners Night with @pdxwinterhawks! What a game! pic.twitter.com/jMy6WmZqLP

— Shriners Hospital (@SHCPortland) February 11, 2017

At Portland, F Joachim Blichfeld erased a 4-2 third-period deficit and then scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Portland erased 3-1 and 4-2

JOACHIM BLICHFELD

deficits to get it to OT. . . . The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead on F Hudson Elynuik’s 19th goal, at 5:12 of the first period. . . . F Cody Glass (25) tied it, shorthanded, at 15:06. . . . Spokane went ahead 3-1 as F Taylor Ross got his fifth goal at 15:50 of the first and F Keanu Yamamoto (20) counted on the PP at 3:34 of the second. . . . The Winterhawks cut the deficit to one on D Henri Jokiharju’s seventh goal, at 5:04. . . . But the Chiefs got that one back when F Jared Anderson-Dolan ran his goal-scoring streak to six games with No. 30, at 12:02. . . . Blichfeld, who now has 21 goals, scored at 7:51 and 15:31 of the third period to force OT. . . . Jokiharju assisted on both of those goals. . . . Blichfeld was the first to go in the shootout and scored the only goal. He has four game-winners in Portland’s past seven games. . . . Portland F Alex Overhardt also had two assists. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Kailer Yamamoto and one each from Keanu Yamamoto and Elynuik. . . . G Cole Kehler earned the victory, coming on in relief to stop all 17 shots he faced in 32:58. Starter Shane Farkas was beaten four times on 17 shots in 32:02. . . . The Chiefs got 46 saves from Dawson Weatherill. . . . Spokane was 1-4 on the PP; Portland was 0-2. . . . The Winterhawks (30-22-3) hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, 10 points ahead of Spokane. . . . Portland also is two points behind the Tri-City Americans, who are third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Chiefs (22-23-9) have points in two straight (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 8,388.

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At Red Deer, F Tyler Steenbergen scored three goals to take over the WHL goal-scoring lead as the Swift

TYLER STEENBERGEN

Current Broncos beat the Rebels, 4-1. . . . Steenbergen, from Sylvan Lake, Alta., which is next door to Red Deer, has 43 goals, one more than F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Broncos took a 2-0 lead on goals from Steenbergen, at 1:17 of the first period, and F Glenn Gawdin (19), at 11:14 of the second. . . . The Rebels got to within one as F Lane Zablocki (18) scored, on a PP, at 9:26 of the third period. . . . Steenbergen got that one back 27 seconds later and completed his hat trick into an empty net at 19:34. . . . F Riley Stotts has two assists for the Broncos. . . . G Taz Burman earned the victory with 26 saves. . . . The Rebels got 28 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Red Deer was 1-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-6. . . . The Rebels were without F Adam Musil, who was serving a one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Rebels also were fined $500 for Musil’s indiscretion. . . . The Broncos (29-17-8) have won four straight. They are third in the East Division, six points behind the Moose Jw Warriors with two games in hand. . . . The Rebels (23-24-8) have lost three in a row and are third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,665.

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Your Subway Fans Choice Player of the Game... KIRBY DACH!!! pic.twitter.com/kD2OwyewOZ

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) February 11, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Kirby Dach scored his first two WHL goals to help the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Dach, who turns 16 on Jan. 21, was the second-overall selection in the 2016

KIRBY DACH

WHL bantam draft. He is from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., and was added to the Blades’ roster earlier in the week. This was his fifth game this season with Saskatoon. . . . F Josh Paterson (12) gave Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 12:13 of the first period. . . . Dach made it 2-0 at 14:29 of the second period. . . . The Warriors tied it on goals from F Thomas Foster (15), shorthanded, at 15:33 of the second and D Josh Brook (2) just 32 seconds into the third. . . . Dach snapped the tie at 6:18, with F Mason McCarty adding insurance with the empty-netter, at 19:39. . . . Saskatoon G Logan Flodell stopped 22 shots on his 20th birthday. . . . The Warriors got 29 saves from G Brody Willms. . . . Saskatoon was 1-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-4. . . . McCarty was back in Saskatoon’s lineup after missing 27 games with a knee injury. . . . Saskatoon scratched six players with “upper-body” injuries, while the Warriors scratched four with “lower-body” injuries. . . . Saskatoon was without D Jake Kustra and F Braylon Shmyr, both out with brain injuries, along with F Cam Hebig, F Markson Bechtold, F Lukus Mackenzie and F Caleb Fantillo. Fantillo was injured in practice on Thursday. . . . Moose Jaw was missing D Colin Paradis, F Jaxan Kaluski, F Brayden Burke and F Noah Gregor. . . . The Blades (22-26-6) have won two in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Warriors (32-16-8) had been 1-0-1 in their previous two games. They are second in the East Division, 13 points behind the Regina Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 3,182.

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Players out for the third and each coach has a ref at their bench, giving them an earful

— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) February 11, 2017

At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds moved into first place in the U.S. Division with a 6-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Seattle (34-15-5) won its 10th straight game — it is 10-0-1 in its past 11

KEEGAN KOLESAR

games — and now leads the Everett Silvertips by one point. Everett opened a six-game East Division trip with a 2-1 loss in Brandon. . . . F Jordan Topping (16) gave the Americans a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 9:55 of the first period. . . . Seattle responded with the next four goals. . . . F Donovan Neuls (11) tied it, on a PP, at 12:38 and F Keegan Kolesar (15) gave the Thunderbirds the lead at 15:13, also on a PP. . . . There were 15 PPs in this one. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear’s 20th goal, on a PP, made it 3-1 at 12:15 of the second period and F Sami Moilanen added his 17th just nine seconds later. . . . Parker Wotherspoon scored his ninth goal, on a PP, at 16:24, and set the Americans’ franchise record for career points by a defenceman. Wotherspoon has played in 263 games (2012-17). He had shared the record with Tyler Schmidt, who put up 165 points in 320 games (2006-11). . . . The Thunderbirds got third-period insurance from F Ryan Gropp (20), at 3:23, and F Alexander True (17), at 15:44. . . . Gropp has goals in five straight game and points in 11 in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds got three assists from each of Kolesar and F Mathew Barzal, while Bear and Gropp added one apiece. . . . The Thunderbirds got 18 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . Tri-City starter Evan Sarthou was beaten six times on 40 shots in 55:44. Rylan Parenteau finished up with three saves in 4:16. . . . Seattle was 3-8 on the PP; Tri-City was 2-7. . . . D Jarret Tyszka was back in Seattle’s lineup, but the Thunderbirds had two players — D Turner Ottenbreit and Moilanen — not finish the game, both apparently the victims of high hits. . . . Tri-City was without injured F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal man. . . . The Americans (31-22-3) have lost two in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, seven points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Announced attendance: 5,308.

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At Victoria, F Jack Walker and F Tyler Soy scored shootout goals to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the

GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE

Kamloops Blazers. . . . This one featured two of the WHL’s top goaltenders. . . . Griffen Outhouse turned aside 41 shots for the Royals, earning his WHL-leading 30th victory this season. He is in his second season and has a combined 48-21-7 record. . . . The Blazers got 20 saves from Connor Ingram. . . . F Matt Phillips gave the Royals a 1-0 lead with his 39th goal, at 7:21 of the first period. . . . The Blazers tied it when D Ondrej Vala struck for his ninth goal, on a PP, at 11:09. . . . Vala has goals in three straight games. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-5. . . . The Royals (31-21-4) had lost their previous two games. They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kamloops. . . . The Blazers (33-18-6) have points in their past four games (2-0-2). . . . The same two teams will meet again tonight in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 4,466.

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Everett at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Regina at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 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.

Sutter rethinking things after injury ... Blazers, Chiefs make trade ... 'Cane train rolling

F David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Polonia Bytom (Poland, PHL). He had been released by the Fife Flyers (Scotland, UK Elite) on Monday. He had three goals and five assists in 30 games with the Flyers. . . . Turoň told hokej.net: “I wanted to be closer to home because of health problems with my in-laws.” He is from Havirov, Czech Republic. . . .

F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Orlik Opole (Poland, PHL). He had a goal and three assists in 27 games this season with Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He had signed with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Dec. 19 but didn’t appear in a game with them.

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D Alex Alexeyev of the Red Deer Rebels won’t play again this season and Brent Sutter, the team’s owner, general manager and head coach, now is taking an up-close look at everything from what players do in the off-season to how it practises.

“We’ve had some pretty significant injuries to some very important players the last year and a half,” Sutter

ALEX ALEXEYEV

told Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com.

“From a general manager’s perspective, I have to look at certain things. We have to look at the demands we put on these players nowadays, with the off-ice conditioning and the way we practise.These kids are still growing into their bodies. They’re still young players whose bodies are filling out.

“It bothers me, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. Some injuries are fluke things. That being said, it still happens, and it’s been happening here more often than it needs to be and you’d like it to be, especially in the last couple of years.”

Sutter was referring to recent injuries to F Grayson Pawlenchuk, F Reese Johnson, F Conner Bleackley, D Josh Mahura, F Adam Musil and G Rylan Toth.

Sutter has long been an outspoken advocate of having teenagers play other sports in the summer, allowing them to use other muscle groups and to get away from the pressures of hockey.

He also has been cognizant of how much rest his players get but now is wondering if there is more that can be done in that area.

“I’d like to think we’ve done a good job with the rest part, but maybe it’s still not enough,” Sutter said. “There are certain things we need to do differently as a coaching staff. I have to take a serious look at it. You can’t just stick your head in the sand and ignore this.”

Alexeyev was injured when he slid into the boards during the third period of a 4-1 loss to the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday. He underwent surgery Tuesday for an undisclosed “lower-body” injury and, according to Meachem, “will need three to five months to recover.”

Alexeyev, who turned 17 on Nov. 15, is from St. Petersburg, Russia. He had four goals and 17 assists in 21 games.

Meachem’s complete story is right here.

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There is some news on the Brevin Gervais front.

You will recall that Gervais, 17, underwent surgery for a brain aneurysm in Kamloops on Friday. A native of Prince George, he had been playing for the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

Mateo Albinati set up a gofundme page with a goal of $16,000, then shut it down when it raised more than $20,000. On Tuesday, Albinati reopened the page.

“Due to overwhelming support,” he explained, “I have been asked to reopen the go fund me account. Everyone's generosity has already been amazing but every penny still helps. So please continue to spread the word and help the Gervais family.”

That page is right here.

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The Swift Current Broncos have brought back F Brandan Arnold, 19. The Broncos dropped Arnold from their roster on Jan. 11 — he had six points, two of them goals, in 27 games — and he joined the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. He had 12 points, including five goals, in six games with Nipawin. . . . From Dodsland, Sask., he was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in the 2012 bantam draft.

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The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Kyrell Sopotyk, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2016

bantam draft. From Aberdeen, Sask., the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder has 29 goals and nine assists in 35 games with the Prince Albert Mintos of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League. . . . On Tuesday, he scored four times as the host Mintos beat the Saskatoon Blazers, 4-3. . . . The Blazers also made a trade on Tuesday, as they dealt a fourth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft to the Spokane Chiefs for a fifth- and a sixth-round pick in that same draft. The Blazers had two fourth-rounders in that draft — their own and one they acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors for F Jesse Shynkaruk on Nov. 20, 2014. The news release doesn’t specify which pick was sent to Spokane.

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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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JUST NOTES:

G Liam Hughes won’t play again this season for the Edmonton Oil Kings. Hughes, who last played on Oct. 29, is shown as having a “season-ending” injury on the WHL’s weekly roster report that was issued Tuesday. A 17-year-old freshman from Kelowna, he got into seven games this season, going 1-4-2, 3.26, .895 before being injured. . . . The Oil Kings have been going with veteran Patrick Dea, 19, and freshman Josh Dechaine, 18, as their goaltenders. . . .

The Vancouver Giants will be without F Taden Rattie for four games. That’s the length of the suspension he drew for becoming involved in a one-man fight during a game against the host Victoria Royals on Sunday. The incident occurred at 15:32 of the second period in a game won by the Royals, 6-3. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants 3-1 in Langley, B.C., on Friday, and 7-1 in Victoria on Saturday.

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Gordie Dwyer stepped down as head coach of Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL after a Tuesday game and now is head coach of Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss League. Dwyer, 39, was in his second season with Medverscak Zagreg. With Ambri-Piotta, he replaces Hans Kossmann. . . . Dwyer was an assistant coach with Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in December. . . . Medvescak Zagreb hasn’t named a replacement for Dwyer.

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The QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques have added Denny Lambert to their coaching staff. He will work alongside Eric Landry, who took over as head coach on Jan. 23 when Mario Duhamel was fired. Most recently, Lambert, a former NHL player, was an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. Lambert, 47, spent seven seasons (2004-11) with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, the last four as head coach.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Portland, F Joachim Blichfeld scored at 3:58 of OT to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks jumped out front when F Evan Weinger scored his 15th goal at

JOACHIM BLICHFELD

5:24 of the first period. . . . Everett scored two early second-period goals for a 2-1 lead. D Aaron Irvin got his 15th goal, at 3:17, and F Devon Skoleski scored No. 9 just 28 seconds later. . . . F Connor Dewar assisted on both goals. . . . Portland tied it on F Colton Veloso’s 13th goal, on a PP, at 6:02 and took the lead 42 seconds into the third period when F Alex Overhardt got his 10th goal. . . . The Silvertips tied the game, forcing OT, when F Brian King got his second goal of the season at 9:24 of the third period. . . . Blichfeld won it with his 17th goal of the season. . . . On Saturday, Blichfeld scored at 19:56 of the third period as Portland beat the Rockets 5-4 in Kelowna. . . . D Caleb Jones had two assists for Portland, while Blichfeld added one. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 31 shots for the Winterhawks. At the other end, Carter Hart made 42 saves. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-3. . . . The Silvertips continue to play without D Noah Juulsen, who is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Winterhawks (26-21-3) have won four in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points behind Kelowna and seven ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips (30-9-10) have lost five in a row (0-3-2), but they still lead the U.S. Division by six points over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . This game was rescheduled from Jan. 7, when it was postponed due to inclement weather. . . . Announced attendance: 3,406.

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.@WHLHurricanes celebrating a 4-3 shootout win over @bdnwheatkings in #yql pic.twitter.com/u5MT6JC2cD

— Ian Martens (@IMartensHerald) February 1, 2017

At Lethbridge, G Giorgio Estephan scored the only goal of a shootout to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Lethbridge now is 1-3 in shootouts; Brandon is 5-2. . . . The visitors

GIORGIO ESTEPHAN

held 2-0 and 3-2 leads but couldn’t hang on. . . . F Tanner Kaspick scored his 17th goal, on a PP, at 14:05 of the first period and F Nolan Patrick got his ninth at 17:01 for that 2-0 lead. . . . The Hurricanes tied it on second-period goals from F Egor Babenko (16) and F Matt Alfaro (14), on a PP, at 13:58. . . . F Reid Duke’s 31st goal put Brandon back out front at 16:33. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong’s 36th goal, at 6:25 of the third period, forced OT. . . . F Zak Zborosky had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . D Kade Jensen drew two helpers for Brandon. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 31 shots from the Hurricanes, while Logan Thompson blocked 30 shots for Brandon. . . . Brandon was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-7. . . . Brandon was without D Kale Clague, who sat out a one-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred Sunday in Calgary. . . . The Hurricanes (29-15-7) have points in 11 straight games (9-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Wheat Kings (24-19-6) are 1-0-1 in their last two. They are fourth in the East Division, four points behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,410.

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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Brett Davis gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first period. . . . F Mason Shaw, playing with a full visor

JOHN DAHLSTROM

because of a facial laceration from a skate, tied it with his 19th goal, on a PP, at 16:49. . . . Kootenay took the lead with two second-period PP goals. . . . F Jake Elmer (5) scored at 3:57 and Davis added his 14th goal at 5:13 for a 3-1 lead. . . . Medicine Hat D Clayton Kirichenko’s eighth goal, at 6:58, got the Tigers back to within a goal. . . . F Mark Rassell’s 22nd goal, on a PP, tied it at 11:25. . . . F John Dahlstrom broke that tie with his 23rd goal, at 1:42 of the third period. . . . Shaw also had an assist. . . . F Vince Loschiavo had two assists for Kootenay. . . . Medicine Hat started G Nick Schneider, who was beaten three times on 20 shots in 25:13. Michael Bullion came on to finish up and get the victory, stopping all nine shots he faced in 34:46. . . . G Payton Lee blocked 42 shots for the Ice. . . . Kootenay was 2-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-4. . . . The Tigers (35-15-1) have won four in a row. They are third in the overall standings, four points behind the Regina Pats and Prince George Cougars, who are tied for top spot. . . . The Ice (12-32-8) has lost two straight. . . . These teams will play again tonight, this time in Cranbrook, B.C. . . . Announced attendance: 2,904, the smallest crowd in the history of the Canalta Centre, which is in its second season.

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KEEGAN KOLESAR

At Kent, Wash., F Keegan Kolesar scored on a breakaway at 1:07 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The teams combined for three goals in the final 4:09 of the third period in what was a frantic finish. . . . F Deven Sideroff had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:10 of the first period. . . . Seattle tied it on D Ethan Bear’s 18th goal, at 3:43 of the third period. Originally, the goal was disallowed on the ice, but that call was overturned after video review. . . . Seattle’s first goal came on its 44th shot of the game. . . . F Lane Bauer gave the Blazers a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 8:42. . . . Kolesar pulled Seattle even at 15:51 and F Sami Moilanen (15) sent the home team out front at 17:05. . . . However, Bauer’s 31st goal of the season tied it at 18:23. . . . Kolesar won it with his 12th goal. . . . Seattle got three assists from D Turner Ottenbreit, with Bear adding one. . . . Sideroff added two assist to his goal. . . . G Rylan Toth earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . The Blazers got a 57-save effort from G Connor Ingram, who was named the game’s first star. . . . Seattle held a 16-0 edge in shots with 9:37 left in the first period. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Seattle was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (30-15-4) have won six straight and moved into second in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kamloops (31-17-4) is 2-0-1 in its past three outings. It is second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Blazers and Thunderbirds will meet again in Kent on Friday, after Kamloops plays the Winterhawks in Portland on Wednesday. . . . Announced attendance: 4,407.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Portland, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

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Player, family need our help ... Records for Harkins, Sandhu, Wotherspoon, Outhouse ... 'Hawks stun Rockets

F Blair Jones (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had seven goals and 12 assists in 30 games.

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Brevin Gervais, a fourth-round selection by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2015 bantam draft, underwent

BREVIN GERVAIS

emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops on Friday.

Gervais, a defenceman who also is a terrific baseball player, turned 17 on Jan. 15. From Prince George, he was playing with the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. The 6-foot-2, 17-pounder had two goals and eight assists in 36 games.

According to a Facebook posting that included a link to a gofundme site, Gervais underwent a nine-hour operation. The posting indicated that he “has shown great signs since then but still faces a long road to recovery.”

His family indicated that he “has opened eyes for a longer period of time and responded on both sides of body moving both legs and both hands.”

If you would like to help out the family cover travel expenses, the gofundme site is right here.

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D Cale Fleury of the Kootenay Ice was named Saturday as an injury replacement for the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City. From Calgary, Fleury is in his third season with the Ice. He has eight goals and 22 assists in 49 games. . . . Fleury replaces D Jarret Tyszka of the Seattle Thunderbirds, who was injured in a game on Tuesday and hasn’t played since then.

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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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The WHL didn’t schedule any games for Wednesday and Thursday of last week, but is playing right through the Top Prospects Game that is scheduled for Monday in Quebec City.

So if one of your favourite players isn’t in the lineup for the next day or three, it may have nothing to do with an injury.

The WHLers who are scheduled to play in the TPG: D Cale Fleury, Kootenay Ice; D Cal Foote, Kelowna Rockets; F Cody Glass, Portland Winterhawks; D Henri Jokiharju, Portland; F Jake Leschyshyn, Regina Pats; F Kole Lind, Kelowna; F Stelio Mattheos, Brandon Wheat Kings; D Artyom Minulin, Swift Current Broncos; F Nolan Patrick, Brandon; F Nikita Popugaev, Prince George Cougars; F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City Americans; G Ian Scott, Prince Albert Raiders; G Stuart Skinner, Lethbridge Hurricanes; D Juuso Valimaki, Tri-City; and F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane Chiefs.

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I stopped being a typical fan a long time ago. That’s what more than 40 years in sports journalism does to you. I can sit at home and watch a game and talk to the TV screen. But I can’t go to a game and watch live with anything but a critical eye. . . . In a piece right here at seattlepi.com, Jim Moore explains all of that and more.

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I'm officially going by Dan at all Starbucks now....happens way too many times pic.twitter.com/aIW202hwt8

— dennis holland (@denholland7) January 28, 2017

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

@PGCougars @PGCougarfanclub Fan club loud enough to hear all the way up here!! Keep it going!! pic.twitter.com/XnhQwJisfH

— Andy Beesley (@Andy_Beesley) January 29, 2017

At Edmonton, F Jansen Harkins wrote his name in the Prince George Cougars’ record book during an 11-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Harkins drew three assists, the first of which allowed him to become

JANSEN HARKINS

Prince George’s all-time assists leader with No. 153. The previous record had been held by F Troy Bourke (2009-14). . . . F  Radovan Bondra gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 1:16 of the first period. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on D Will Warm’s eighth goal at 2:28. . . . The Cougars went back out front at 6:15 when F Jesse Gabrielle (23) scored, on a PP, at 6:15. . . . Edmonton tied it again, this time on a goal from F Tyler Robertson (12) at 14:14. . . . The Cougars then scored the next seven goals, including three more in the first period. . . . Bondra added another goal, giving him 25, while F Colby McAuley also scored twice. He’s got 18. D Tate Olson (6), F Brad Morrison (20), F Brogan O’Brien (9), F Kody McDonald (11) and D Josh Anderson (1) also scored. . . . The Cougars got two assists from each of D Sam Ruopp, McAuley, O’Brien, McDonald and F Jared Bethune. . . . Morrison picked up one assist, the 100th of his career. . . . F Graham Millar had two assists for Edmonton. . . . G Nick McBride blocked 19 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Oil Kings started G Patrick Dea, who was beaten eight times on 29 shots in two periods. Josh Dechaine gave up three goals on 15 shots in one period. . . . The Cougars went 4-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-3. . . . According to Corey Graham, the radio voice of the Oil Kings, it was the third time in franchise history that they have allowed 11 goals in one game. . . . The Cougars (35-14-3) are tied with Regina atop the overall standings, but the Pats have six games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-27-4) have lost 10 in a row and haven’t won since the Jan. 10 trade deadline. They are six points out of a wld-card spot. . . . These same teams will meet again this afternoon in Edmonton. That may have had something to do with the teams combining for 106 penalty minutes, 65 to the Oil Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 9,321.

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"I don't think we deserved to be up 4-1, the way we were playing" - Jason Smith, Kelowna Rockets #WHL

— Chad Balcom (@hawkeyblog) January 29, 2017

At Kelowna, F Joachim Blichfeld scored at 19:56 of the third period to give the Portland Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Rockets. . . . Blichfeld, a freshman from Frederikshavn, Denmark, also had two assists.

JOACHIM BLICHFELD

The 18-year-old has 38 points, 16 of them goals, in 40 games. . . . The Rockets held a 4-1 lead early in the second period before Portland roared back. . . . F Nick Merkley (12) gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 2:53 of the first period, only to have F Colton Veloso tie it with his 12th goal, on a PP, at 3:58. . . . The Rockets got the next three goals, with D Gordie Ballhorn (2) scoring at 13:45 and F Kyle Topping (10) counting at 14:34. F Reid Gardiner got his third goal at 4:29 of the second period. . . . Merkley assisted on the last two of those goals. . . . F Skyler McKenzie started the comeback with his 31st goal, on a PP, at 8:34 of the second. . . . F Ryan Hughes (22) cut the deficit to one at 9:25 of the third period and F Jake Gricius (4) tied it at 12:51 of the third period. . . . McKenzie also had two assists, including one on the game-winner. The second one was his 100th career point. . . . McKenzie, who turned 19 on Jan. 20, has 59 points in 49 games. He went into this season with 41 points, including 12 goals, in 138 games. . . . G Shane Farkas, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, stopped 31 shots. The Penticton, B.C., native is 2-2-0. . . . The Rockets got 31 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Portland was 2-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . The Winterhawks (25-21-3) have won three in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Rockets (27-19-4) have lost two straight and have fallen to fourth in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Victoria Royals. Kelowna does hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,318.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jakob Stukel and D Jake Bean enjoyed four-point nights as the Calgary Hitmen

JAKOB STUKEL

dumped the Kootenay Ice, 8-3. . . . Stukel scored once, his 16th, and added three assists, while Bean recorded four assists. . . . The Hitmen actually fell behind 2-1 in the first period before opening the second period with four straight goals. . . . Calgary took a 1-0 lead when F Matteo Gennaro scored, on a PP, at 1:01. . . . F Vince Loschiavo and F Brett Davis (12) scored PP goals, at 9:20 and 11:18, to give the Ice that 2-1 edge. . . . Stukel tied it with another PP goal, at 1:19 of the second period and F Luke Coleman (10) gave Calgary the lead at 3:41. . . . Goals from F Andrew Fyten (5) at 4:23 and F Tyler Mrkonjic (5) at 10:50 put the visitors in control. . . . Loschiavo added another goal, his 18th, and also had an assist. . . . Gennaro ended up with two goals, giving him 31 this season. He has 21 goals in January. Last season, he totalled a career-high 18 goals in 42 games with the Prince Albert Raiders and 28 with Calgary. . . . F Beck Malenstyn (20) and F Mark Kastelic (9) also scored for the Hitmen. . . . Calgary got three assists from D Vladislav Yeryomenko, two from F Andrei Grishakov, and one each from Coleman and Mrkonjic. . . . F Colton Kroeker had two assists for the Ice, giving him five points in two games, while D Dallas Hines had two and Davis added one. . . . G Trevor Martin stopped 15 shots for Calgary. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter allowed seven goals on 27 shots over 50:06, with Payton Lee stopping five of six shots over 9:54. . . . The Hitmen were 3-4 on the PP; the Ice was 3-6. . . . Calgary (18-21-9) had lost four in a row (0-1-3). It now is one point out of a wild-card spot. . . . The Ice slipped to 12-31-8. . . . Announced attendance: 1,783.

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Here’s @MasonShaw18 taking that skate up high from Brandon’s Dmitry Osipov. @tigershockey #MHTigers pic.twitter.com/CCQdQut8e8

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) January 29, 2017

At Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley had a goal and two assists to help the Tigers to a 6-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Tigers had to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the latter part of the second p

MATT BRADLEY

eriod. . . . Medicine Hat took a 1-0 lead on F Mason Shaw’s 18th goal, at 2:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Connor Gutenberg (11), on a PP, at 1:58 of the second and F Ty Lewis (23) at 13:05. . . . The Tigers tied it at 13:49 when F James Hamblin scored his 12th goal and took the lead at 19:33 on F Ryan Jevne’s goal. . . . Bradley upped the lead to 4-2 with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 3:46 of the third. . . . F Tanner Kaspick’s 16th goal, at 4:00, got Brandon to within a goal, but the Tigers put it away with goals from F Chad Butcher, his 22nd, at 16:50 and an empty-netter from Jevne, his second goal of the game and eighth of the season. . . . F Zach Russell (3) scored for Brandon at 19:08. . . . The Tigers got two assists from D Kristans Rubins. . . . The Tigers lost Hamblin and Shaw in the first period, both leaving while bleeding from facial injuries. . . . Hamblin, who was injured when he was checked and fell into the boards, returned. Shaw didn’t return after taking a skate to the face. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 18 shots for the Tigers, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson turned aside 29. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-4. . . . Medicine Hat (34-15-1) has won three in a row and is tied with the Everett Silvertips for third place in the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings (23-19-5), who play their third game in fewer than 48 hours today in Calgary, have lost two in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,732.

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At Prince Albert, F Cavin Leth tied the game and then set up the winning goal as the Raiders beat the Moose Jar Warriors, 5-4. . . . Moose Jaw overcame a 3-1 deficit to take a 4-3 lead, only to have Leth tie

CAVIN LETH

the score with his 15th goal, shorthanded, at 4:12 of the third period. . . . The Raiders won it when Leth set up F Cole Fonstand for his ninth goal, on a PP, at 13:35. . . . F Justin Almeida had given Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead at 4:12 of the first period. . . . Prince Albert responded with three straight goals. . . . F Parker Kelly (9) scored at 7:34 of the first period, with F Curtis Miske getting his 10th at 8:15. F Simon Stransky’s 14th goal, on a PP, 15 seconds into the second period gave the home said a 3-1 lead. . . . The Warriors skated to a 4-3 lead with goals from F Brayden Burke, his 16th, on a PP, at 4:03; Almeida, with his second of the game and sixth of the season, at 4:47, and F Thomas Foster (13), at 1:18 of the third period. . . . Stransky also had an assist. . . . Foster and Burke each had an assist for the Warriors. . . . The Raiders got 27 saves from G Nic Sanders. . . . Moose Jaw starter Brody Willms allowed three goals on 11 shots in 20:15. Zach Sawchenko finished up by stopping 12 of 14 shots in 38:26. . . . Prince Albert was 2-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-5. . . . The Raiders improved to 12-35-5. . . . The Warriors (30-13-7) had a four-game winning streak come to an end. They are second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,023.

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Everybody, I'm taking the night off. The legend has this one. @Rebelshockey #mooner #WHL pic.twitter.com/3oPEKVGPH8

— Phil Andrews (@Phil_Andrews_) January 29, 2017

At Red Deer, G Tyler Brown stopped 31 shots in leading the Pats to a 4-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . Brown earned his 20th victory — he is 20-4-6 — in his first appearance since Jan. 13. . . . The Pats

TYLER BROWN

scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Filip Ahl got it started with No. 22, on a PP, at 7:40 of the first period. . . . F Adam Brooks made it 2-0 with another PP goal, this one at 19:43. . . . Regina had a 17-4 edge in first-period shots. . . . Brooks scored again, giving him 28, at 3:17 of the second period. . . . Red Deer’s goal game from F Adam Musil, his 18th, on a PP, at 5:49 of the second. . . . F Wyatt Sloboshan got Regina’s last goal, his fifth, at 3:18 of the third. That was Sloboshan’s first goal in 11 games with the Pats since being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Jan. 2. . . . Sloboshan also had an assist. . . . The Rebels got 34 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Regina was 2-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-5. . . . The Rebels lost D Alexander Alexeyev with an injury to his right leg in the third period. Later, Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, told reporters that “he’s in quite a bit of pain right now. I’m not sure exactly what it is. It doesn’t look good, though.” . . . Regina (33-6-7) has won four in a row and remains tied with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. . . . The Rebels (22-21-7) had won their previous two games. They are third in the Central Division, six points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 5,505.

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At Saskatoon, F Jordy Bellerive scored two goals to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over

JORDY BELLERIVE

the Blades. . . . The Hurricanes now have points in 10 straight games (8-0-2). . . . F Zak Zborosky’s 32nd goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 16:21 of the second period. . . . Bellerive made it 2-0 at 17:49. . . . The Blades got to within a goal when D Jake Kustra scored his first goal at 18:14. . . . That was Kustra’s second career goal and came in his 85th game. . . . Bellerive put it away with a shorthanded goal at 12:14 of the third period. He’s got 23 goals. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes as he improved to 4-2-2 this season. With G Stuart Skinner away at the Top Prospects Game, the Hurricanes didn’t list a backup goaltender on the online game sheet. . . . The Blades got 27 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Lethbridge was 0-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-7. . . . The Hurricanes (28-15-7) are a comfortable second in the Central Division. . . . The Blades (20-24-6) have lost two straight after winning five in a row. They are in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot but hold only a one-point lead over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,124.

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At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear scored at 18:51 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie and give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett, the league’s least-penalized team,

ETHAN BEAR

surrendered a 2-1 lead on two PP goals in the second half of the third period. . . . The Silvertips took a 1-0 lead when F Dominic Zwerger scored his 21st goal at 16:00 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar tied it at 3:56 of the second period. . . . Everett went back out front when F Patrick Bajkov got No. 21 at 15:20. . . . That lead held until 12:54 of the third period when Kolesar got his second goal of the game, and 10th of the season, tipping in a Bear shot on a PP. . . . Bear then won it with his 16th goal of the season. . . . F Mathew Barzal had three assists, while Kolesar had one. . . . Bajkov also had an assist. . . . Seattle G Matt Berlin, in his first start since Dec. 28, stopped 21 shots. . . . The Silvertips got 27 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Seattle was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-2. . . . The Thunderbirds (28-15-4) have won four straight. They are third in the U.S. Division, three points behind the Tri-City Americans and with five games in hand. . . . The Silvertips (30-8-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are tied for third in the overall standings, four points from the top rung. . . . F Dawson Butt, a 16-year-old from Buckley, Wash., played his second game with the Everett. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Dawson is the son of Jamie Butt, who played four seasons (1992-96) with the Tacoma/Kelowna Rockets. . . . Announced attendance: 5,075.

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At Kennewick, Wash., D Dylan Coghlan and F Kyle Olson each had a goal and three assists as the Tri-City Americans skated to an 8-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Tri-City took control of this one with

TYLER SANDHU

three goals before the game was five minutes old. . . . Olson scored his 13th goal at 1:27 of the first period, with Coghlan getting No. 8 at 2:16 and D Parker Wotherspoon counting his eighth, while shorthanded, at 4:26. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 24th goal got Spokane on the scoreboard at 5:59, but the Americans got that one back when F Vladislav Lukin scored his 20th goal at 9:36. . . . F Hudson Elynuik (18) pulled the Chiefs to within two at 9:00 of the second period, but F Jordan Topping restored the three-goal margin with his 14th just three minutes later. . . . Spokane F Eli Zummack (7) made it 5-3 at 16:44. . . . The Americans put it away with three third-period goals. . . . F Tyler Sandhu got his 13th goal, and his 200th career point, at 13:25. He has split 298 regular season games between Tri-City, the Everett Silvertips and Red Deer Rebels. . . . F Morgan Geekie (27) and F Vladislav Lukin (21) added goals before the period ended. . . . Geekie also had two assists, with Topping, Lukin and Wotherspoon picking up one apiece. . . . Wotherspoon’s assist was No. 132 in his career, tying him for first in the franchise’s record book with Tyler Schmidt (2006-11). . . . Anderson-Dolan and Elynuik had an assist each for Spokane. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 35 shots for the Americans. . . . G Dawson Weatherill gave up six goals on 19 shots in 42:16 for the Chiefs, with Jayden Sittler stopping two of four shots in 17:44. . . . The Americans were 0-1 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-4. . . . Tri-City (30-19-3) had lost its previous two games. It is second in the U.S. Division, six points behind the Everett Silvertips, who have five games in hand. . . . Spokane (20-22-8) has lost three in a row (0-2-1) and is five points from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,015.

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Congrats to Royals' GM Cameron Hope & HC Dave Lowry, as the franchise recorded its 200th win since they were hired in the summer of 2012! pic.twitter.com/H1PWwPm7D9

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) January 29, 2017

At Victoria, F Dante Hannoun and F Matt Phillips had two goals each to help the Royals to a 7-1 victory

DANTE HANNOUN

over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals had beaten the Giants, 3-1, in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . They’ll play again today, 5:05 p.m., in Victoria. . . . F Jordan Borstmayer’s fourth goal gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 12:58 of the first period. . . . Victoria scored the next seven goals. . . . Phillips tied it with No. 36 at 17:52 and Hannoun gave the home team a 2-1 lead with his 16th at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Phillips later got No. 37. He’s second in the WHL, one behind F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Royals also got goals from D Scott Walford (4), F Ethan Price (6) and F Carter Folk (4). . . . Victoria got two assists from each of D Chaz Reddekopp and F Regan Nagy, with Walford and Phillips adding one apiece. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots to pick up his WHL-leading 28th victory, one more than Nick Schneider of the Medicine Hat Tigers. He has started a franchise record 23 straight games. He broke the previous record (21), that had been held by Lucas Gore (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck turned aside 26 shots. . . . Victoria was 1-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Royals (28-19-4) have won two straight and have moved into third in the B.C. Division, three points behind the Kamloops Blazers and two ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Giants (17-29-4) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and seven of eight since the trade deadline. . . . Announced attendance: 5,604.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Brandon at Calgary, 4 p.m.

Prince George at Edmonton, 4 p.m.

Kamloops at Everett, 4:05 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

Prince Albert at Swift Current, 4 p.m.

Vancouver at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.

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