F Colton Orr, a former WHLer now with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, has had 252 fights in his hockey career, according to hockeyfights.com.
The Globe and Mail delves into the Orr situation in an editorial right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks, who have been banned from the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft, added a pair of eighth-round selections on Friday. They dealt the rights to D Troy Stecher, 18, to the Victoria Royals for two eighth-round picks in the 2013 draft. . . . Although it is well past the Jan. 10 trade deadline, WHL teams are allowed to move players who are on their protected lists but not on their rosters. . . . The Winterhawks acquired Victoria’s eighth-round selection and one that originally belonged to the Vancouver Giants. . . . Portland had selected Stecher with the 149th pick of the 2009 bantam draft. From Richmond, B.C., Stecher is in his third season with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees — he is the team captain — and went into the weekend with 36 points in 39 games.
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John Blanchette, a columnist with the Spokane Spokesman-Review, writes right here about Travis Green and the Portland Winterhawks. Green once was a highly popular player with the Spokane Chiefs. Now, as the column’s headline reads, Gree is the “ringleader of Hawks’ jailbreak.”
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti’s PP goal with 0.1 second left in OT gave the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Warriors had lost 10 in a row. . . . Fioretti had forced OT with his 23rd goal at 3:09 of the third period. . . . F Sam Reinhart scored his 24th goal for the Ice. . . . The Warriors were without G Daniel Wapple, who suffered an undisclosed injury in a practice collision with Fioretti on Thursday. The Warriors brought in G Zach Sawchenko, who turned 15 on Dec. 30, from the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos to back up Justin Paulic. . . . Ice F Brock Montgomery, 20, made his final regular-season appearance in his hometown. A note from Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “Montgomery enjoyed a special moment during the first-period intermission when the Ice allowed him to take part in the Timbits hockey game with his five-year-old twin brothers Rylan and Blake. while their father, Rod, was also on the ice. . . .

In Swift Current, F Adam Lowry scored his 32nd goal on the PP at 4:34 of OT as the Broncos escaped with a 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Broncos F Colby Cave had tied the game at 18:56 of the third with his 14th score. He also had two assists. . . . Swift Current has won seven in a row, while Regina has lost six straight. . . . The Pats erased a 3-2 deficit with two third-period goals. . . . F Chandler Stephenson scored his 10th goal at 7:16 to tie the score, and F Trent Ouellette, with his ninth, gave Regina the lead. . . . D Brycen Martin scored his first goal for the Broncos, pulling them into a 2-2 tie at 8:24 of the second period, via the PP. He also had two helpers. . . . Broncos F Chance Lund, playing in his 300th regular-season game, gave his side a 3-2 lead at 19:11 of the second, with his 11th goal. . . . Regina F Marc McCoy (knee) was back after missing nine games. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes ereased a 2-0 first-period deficit with five straight goals and went on to beat the Calgary Hitmen, 6-4. . . . D Macoy Erkamps scored his fourth goal of the season to open the second period and also had three assists. . . . F Cody Sylvester scored twice for Calgary, giving him 25. . . . F Josh Derko, playing in his first game since Dec. 4 when he was with Swift Current, scored his fourth goal this season. . . .

In Red Deer, D Eric Roy’s goal 55 seconds into OT gave the Brandon Wheat Kings a 2-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Chad Robinson, who drew an assist on the winner, got his 11th goal at 15:04 of the first period to open the scoring. . . . Red Deer tied it 2:34 later when F Joel Hamilton scored shorthanded, his seventh goal this season. . . . Roy has eight goals. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock has been fitted with a playing cast to protect an injured wrist and he was back in the lineup after missing five games. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 43 shots. . . .

In Kamloops, F Colin Smith had two goals and an assist as the Blazers dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Smith’s linemates, JC Lipon and Tim Bozon, each had two points. Lipon scored once and set up another; Bozon had two assists. . . . Former Kamloops D Scott Niedermayer in a 40-minute pregame ceremony as his number (28) was retired. . . . Kamloops had 41 shots on goal, two nights after firing 69 at Everett G Austin Lotz in a 4-3 OT victory. . . .

In Prince George, G Austin Lotz stopped 40 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . It was head coach Mark Holick’s first game behind the Cougars’ bench since his hiring was announced on Wednesday. . . . Everett trailed 2-1 until F Manraj Hayer tied it at 9:43 of the third period. . . . F Kohl Bauml scored his second goal of the game, and 17th this season, at 10:56 to win it. . . . Cougars D Rinalds Rosinskis, who leads the WHL in s’s, scored his first WHL goal to give his guys a 2-1 second-period lead. . . . Lotz was coming off a 65-save performance in a 4-3 OT loss in Kamloops on Wednesday. . . .

In Spokane, G Mac Carruth turned aside 36 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 3-0 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Portland was 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . Carruth has five shutouts this season and eight in his career. He tied the franchise single-season record for shutouts and set the career record. He shares the single-season record with Lanny Ramage. . . . F Ty Rattie scored his 24th goal and added an assist, while F Nic Petan got his 32nd goal and also had an assist. . . . Portland D Seth Jones drew two helpers. . . . Petan leads the WHL with 83 points, five more than teammate Brendan Leipsic. . . . Spokane F Riley Whittingham came up dry on a third-period penalty shot with his side trailing 2-0. . . . D Troy Rutkowski became the Portland franchise leader in games played. This was his 327th regular-season game, one more than D Kevin Haupt. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Medicine Hat Tigers came from behind three times and beat the Tri-City Americans, 6-5. . . . The Tigers trailed 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3, before they scored three straight third-period goals to take control. . . . F Logan McVeigh tied the score with his 14th at 7:32. F Curtis Valk got No. 28 to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead at 10:43 and F Boston Leier upped it to 6-4 at 14:44. He’s got nine goals. . . . F Jesse Mychan had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist for the Americans, while F Justin Feser had a goal, his 27th, and two assists. . . .

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored four times to lead the Royals to a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Giants held a 3-2 lead in the second period when Magee began a run of three straight goals. He had opened the game with his 20th goal at 3:52 of the first. . . . He scored PP goals at 8:05 and 13:38 of the second and added an even-strength marker 32 seconds into the third. . . . F Alex Gogolev assisted on all four of Magees goals. . . . F Brandon Fukishimi scored Victoria’s other two goals, meaning Brandon’s accounted for all six snipes. . . . The Royals were 3-for-5 on the PP in winning their sixth straight game. . . . F Jackson Houck had two goals, giving him 15, for Vancouver. His first goal, which gave Vancouver a 3-2 lead at 4:52 of the second, came via a penalty shot. . . . The Royals lost D Tyler Stahl to a checking-to-the-head major at 9:22 of the first period. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Tyson Baillie scored at 3:38 of OT to give the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . The Rockets overcame a 3-1 deficit to win their fifth straight game. . . . F Dylen McKinlay scored his 18th goal, shorthanded, at 7:55 of the second to get the visitors to within one. . . . F Zach Franko pulled Kelowna into a 3-3 tie with his 20th goal at 17:33 of the third. . . . Baillie has 16 goals. . . . Seattle has lost three in a row.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Cole Ully, Kamloops
D Kolton Dixon, Victoria
F Mitch Elliot, Seattle

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Tyler Stahl, Victoria (major)


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jared Aulin (Kamloops, 1997-2002) signed a two-year contract extension with Örebro (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Aulin finished third in Allsvenskan scoring with 25 goals and 33 assists in 49 games this season. . . .
F Derek Ryan (Spokane, 2003-07) and D Harlan Pratt (Seattle, Red Deer, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1994-99) each signed one-year contract extensions with Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). Ryan had 25 goals and 24 assists in 50 games, good enough for ninth place in the league scoring race, while Pratt had five goals and 14 assists in 48 games. Club director Gabor Ocskay: "Derek Ryan and Harland Pratt were the pillars of this year's team, and a similar role is expected in the 2012-13 season. We are delighted to have signed them." . . .
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-2007) signed a one-year contract with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had three goals and 12 assists in 39 games with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden, Allsvenskan) and four goals and five assists in six games with SønderjyskE Vojens (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga) this season.
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Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, reports that a move is afoot to erect a monument alongside the Trans-Canada Highway that would be in memory of the four players who died there on Dec. 30, 1986 when the WHL team’s bus crashed while en route to Regina. There is more right here.
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So how were things in Chilliwack after the Bruins left town and the BCHL’s Chiefs moved into Prospera Centre. Well, they say they had 1,100 season-ticket holders and averaged 2,000 sold tickets per game. That’s enough for president Glen Ringdal to say the season with an unqualified success. Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times has more right here.
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The Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs open their second-round series on Friday in Kennewick, Wash. That game won’t be televised but the next three games definitely will be. The teams have announced that their flagship stations, KVEW/KXLY and KHQ/SWX, will carry Game 2 from Kennewick on Saturday and Games 3 and 4 from Spokane on Wednesday, April 11, and Friday, April 13. Kevin Uretsky will call the play with Kevin Sawyer handling the analysis. KVEW-TV’s My Network in the Tri-City area has the option on Games 5, 6 and 7, as well.
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Columnist John Blanchette of the Spokane Spokesman-Review takes a look at the move that put Eric Williams in as the Spokane Chiefs’ starter after two games of these playoffs. That piece is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed D Sam Ruopp, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. Ruopp, from Zehner, Sask., is the younger brother of Prince Albert Raiders D Harrison Ruopp. . . . Sam played this season with the midget AAA Regina Pats Canadians, picking up 10 assists in 41 games.
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F Tyler Johnson of the Norfolk Admirals is the AHL’s player of the month for March. He had a league-high 22 points, 11 of them goals, and was plus-13 in 12 games. Johnson, in his first AHL season, is a product of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. . . . If you aren’t aware, the Admirals have won their last 23 games. That’s right . . . 23 straight games. . . . Johnson signed as a free agent with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
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The Spokane Spokesman-Review reports that Vern Kneeshaw died Sunday at the age of 90. Kneeshaw was a goaltender with the 1948-49 Spokane Flyers, who won the U.S. national senior amateur championship. . . . Kneeshaw also was an off-ice official with the Spokane Chiefs. . . . According to the newspaper, “A memorial service for Kneeshaw will be held on Friday at 1 p.m. at the First Assembly of God church in Spokane.”
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former Everett Silvertips associate head coach coach Jay Varady has signed on for two more seasons with Les Ducs d’Angers of France’s Ligue Magnus. In his first season, Varady guided Les Ducs to an 18-8 record, second only to the rival Les Dragons de Rouen. . . . Angers won two playoff series, taking out Caen 3-0 and Briancon 3-1, before losing in four games (3-1) to Rouen.
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PLAYOFF ODDS AND ENDS:
The Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are about to go head-to-head for the sixth time, and the second time in as many years. The Chiefs won a second-round series in six games last season. . . . The teams staged one of the great series in WHL history in the spring of 2008 when the Chiefs won in seven games, five of which went into OT. And three of those went to double OT. . . . These teams are no strangers to extra time. A year ago, the last three games of that six-game series needed OT. In fact, 11 of the last 16 playoff games between these teams have gone to OT. So if you’re going to Friday’s opener, you best tell the babysitter that you’ll be late getting home. . . .
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings are into the second round for the eighth time in 11 seasons. This time, they’ll meet the Edmonton Oil Kings in a series that opens Friday in the Alberta capital. Amazingly, this will be the first playoff meeting – at least in a best-of series – between these teams. Brandon and Edmonton were in the league from 1967 through 1976, after which the Oil Kings relocated to Portland. They never once met in the playoffs during that time. . . . Brandon and Edmonton did play in one of those round-robin series in 1978-79. The Flin Flon Bombers moved to Edmonton for that season and the Oil Kings were eliminated after a first-round round-robin series in which Brandon (7-1) and Saskatoon (3-5) advanced and Edmonton was eliminated. (That’s right it was a double home-and-home round-robin!). . . . By the next season, the Oil Kings were the Great Falls Americans, who lasted 28 games before folding. . . .
F Ryan Harrison of the Everett Silvertips took a charging major and game misconduct in Game 4 of their series loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on March 28. His suspension now has been set at four games, so he will miss the first four games of next season, assuming he is back in the WHL. . . . Harrison, an NHL free agent, is finishing up the season with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, who are affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche. . . . Shaw-TV announced Tuesday that its series of choice in the second round will feature the Moose Jaw Warriors and Medicine Hat Tigers. That series opens Friday at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw.
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And now for something completely different . . .
Taliah Aquilini and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Franceso, are well on their way to a divorce. Francesco, of course, owns the Vancouver Canucks. Taliah says that Canucks fans needn’t worry about any of this harming their beloved team. That story is right here. . . . Meanwhile, if you haven’t seen it already, there is something right here about a couple of hockey players’ girlfriends having some kind of scrap. . . . Only in Vancouver, you say. You may be right. . . .

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Connor Rankin (27) of the Tri-City Americans and Zach Franko (9) of the
Kelowna Rockets battle for position Friday night in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo courtesy John Allen/Tri-City Americans)

SOME FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
F Emerson Etem scored four times but it wasn’t enough as his Medicine Hat Tigers dropped a 5-4 decision to the Royals in Victoria. The Tigers, who are to play the Giants in Vancouver tonight, had beaten the host Royals 4-2 on Thursday. . . . On Friday, Victoria D Hayden Rintoul, the team captain, broke a 4-4 tie with 24 seconds left in the third period. Rintoul, who was acquired from the Kootenay Ice over the summer, had two goals and two assists, while F Kevin Sundher, healthy after fighting off a flu bug, had four assists. . . . The Tigers have scored 22 goals in six games; Etem has 11 of those scores in just five games. Etem could have had five goals but came up short on a second-period penalty shot on G Keith Hamilton. . . . With 11 goals and no assists (11-0), Etem is an early favourite for the Cy Young Award. . . . Etem has had two four-goal games in his career, the other coming in his freshman season. . . . Medicine Hat was without F Cole Grbavac, its captain, on Friday. He apparently has a minor injury of some kind. . . . The Royals, already without D Tyler Stahl (concussion), now are without D Zach Habscheid, who is believed to have a concussion after being hit from behind by Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy on Wednesday night. Kessy, who was given a double minor, now is under one of those TBD suspensions. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Prince Albert Raiders got three goals from D Tyler Vanscourt as they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-0. The Thunderbirds slipped to 0-3-0 with the loss. . . . Raiders G Eric Williams stopped 36 shots for his first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . Vanscourt, who was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs last month, scored his first three goals of the season. He went into the game with five goals in 90 regular-season games. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets lost for the first time i four games this season as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Tri-City Americans. . . .  Tri-City got two goals from F Adam Hughesman and 27 saves from freshman G Eric Comrie. . . . The Rockets were the last of the WHL’s 22 teams to taste defeat this season. . . .
F Michael Ferland had three goals as the host Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Prince George Cougars, 6-3. . . . It was the second three-goal regular-season game of Ferland’s career. He also has two playoff hat tricks. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had three assists. He leads the WHL scoring race with 16 points in six games. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who is in his second season but isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2013, had a goal and two assists. . . . The Wheat Kings now are headed out on a 13-day swing during which time they will play seven games. They open Wednesday in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . .
Mark Ferner picked up his first victory as head coach of the Everett Silvertips as they beat the visiting Portland Winterhawk, 4-2, behind 40 saves from G Kent Simpson. . . . The Silvertips now are 1-1-2. . . . Portland had D Joe Morrow and D Tyler Wotherspoon in its lineup for the first time this season. Morrow had been with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins; Wotherspoon is had offseason shoulder surgery. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Martin Gernat scored twice to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Warriors. Gernat, in his first season, has 10 points, including five goals, in six games. . . . D Collin Bowman was in the Warriors’ lineup for the first time this season, having returned from the AHL’s Connecticut Whale. . . . The Oil Kings are without D Griffin Reinhart, who is under a TBD suspension for a kneeing major in a game against the visiting Kootenay Ice on Wednesday. . . .
In Regina, the Pats beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-4 in a shootout. . . . The Hurricanes tied the game 4-4 when F Brody Sutter scored on a penalty shot at 18:24 of the third period.
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JUST NOTES: Hockey Canada has added Scott Walker, who is in his first season as the head coach of the OHL’s Guelph Storm, to the coaching staff of the national junior team. Walker replaces Pascal Vincent, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Don Hay of the Vancouver Giants is the national junior team’s head coach, while the other assistants are George Burnett of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls and Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Logan Harland, who was reassigned earlier in the week by the Vancouver Giants, now is with the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have F Darian Dziurzynski back after he was returned by the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Dziurzynski, 20, had 57 points, including 35 goals, and 125 penalty minutes in 72 games last season. . . . His return leaves the Blades with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Michael Burns, F Jesse Paradis and F Jake Trask. . . . The WHL’s 20-year-old declaration day is Oct. 13, but the Blades will have 14 days after Dziurzynski’s return to make their decision because he is coming back from a professional team.
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Jim Thomson, a former NHL enforcer, found himself in Don Cherry’s crosshairs on Thursday night. Thomson then came out Friday and blasted fighting in hockey. He also can’t understand why major junior hockey is working to elminate headshots but still allows fighting.
As he told Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports:
“How does it make sense that we’re taking these headshots out but I’m still allowed to drop my gloves and land three bombs on your melon – hit you square in the skull with three punches – but we’re taking head shots out?”
Sapurji’s complete story is right here.
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Today’s good read comes from John Blanchette, a columnist with the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Blanchette writes about Joe Tofflemire, who went from Post Falls, Idaho, which is near Spokane, to an NFL career as an offensive lineman.
He was buried Monday, dead at 46, another former NFLer who left this world far too soon.
Blanchette’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Check out the cap that Mason Carter is wearing as he
meets his pal, Dog the Bounty Hunter.

Mason Carter is a 16-year-old hockey fan who lives in Teulon, Man.
He recently received some help from the Rainbow Foundation, which granted him a wish.
That wish was to meet Dog the Bounty Hunter (aka Duane Chapman).
That meeting recently took place and you can bet that the Tri-City Americans are loving the cap that Mason chose to wear for the meet and greet.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Lee Goren (Saskatoon, 1995-96) signed a contract for the rest of the season with Bern (Switzerland NL A) after his release by the Straubing Tigers (Germany DEL) on Sunday. He had 12 goals and 25 assists in 33 games for Straubing this season. . . .

F Kyle Wanvig (Edmonton/Kootenay, Red Deer, 1997-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Poprad (Slovakia Extraliga) after his release by the Augsburger Panther (Germany DEL). He had five goals and 10 assists in 37 games for the Panther this season. . . .

D Gennady Razin (Kamloops, 1996-98) and D Deron Quint (Seattle, 1993-96) signed two-year contract extensions with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). Razin has three goals and six assists in 48 games and Quint has 17 goals and 10 assists in 48 games this season for Traktor.

———The Portland Winterhawks have lost a second player to serious injury.
Last week, they announced that F Oliver Gabriel would be having shoulder surgery so won’t play again this season.
Now it’s D Brett Ponich who has a date with a surgeon. Ponich, 19, will have surgery Thursday to repair a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). The surgery may cost him the rest of his season.
Ponich, who has played 249 games over five seasons with Portland, was injured Jan. 18 in a 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. He has 12 assists in 45 games and is plus-23.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Ponich was a second-round selection of the St. Louis Blues in the NHL’s 2009 draft. He has signed with the Blues.
The loss of Ponich is a big hit to the Winterhawks, who remain on top of the Western Conference, although the Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans are nipping at their heels.
Ponich, whose size is an intimidating factor out there, is as good as any shut-down defenceman in the WHL.
And now how prescient do the Winterhawks look for having landed D William Wrenn.
Wrenn, 19, left the U of Denver Pioneers and joined the Winterhawks at the Christmas break. He has six assists and is plus-18 in just 12 games with Portland. And you can bet he will be playing an increased role with Ponich gone, as will D Derrick Pouliot, the 16-year-old from Weyburn, Sask., who was the first overall pick in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft.
As for Gabriel, he had surgery on his right shoulder last week in Columbus, Ohio, and has begun the recovery and rehabilitation process. He has signed with the NHL’s Blue Jackets, having attended their 2010 training camp as an undrafted free agent.
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John Blanchette, the sports columnist at the Spokane Spokesman-Review, takes a look at exactly what it is that has the Spokane Chiefs going in the right direction. Blanchette’s column on head coach Don Nachbaur and his impact on the Chiefs is right here.
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Bob Florence of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix takes a look at Les Lazaruk, who has called the play for more than 1,300 games involving the Saskatoon Blades. About all that is missing is a summary of Lazaruk's Strat-O-Matic baseball days. That piece is right here.
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The Red Deer Rebels take their 11-game winning streak into Saskatoon tonight to face the Blades, who, at 38-10-2, boast the WHL’s best record. The Blades have won 16 of their last 20 outings. . . . The Rebels are three points in arrears of the Blades. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper leads the WHL in victories (33), GAA (1.83), save percentage (.933) and shutouts (10). Kuemper just happens to be from Saskatoon. . . . F Cody Chikie of the Kelowna Rockets is the WHL’s player of hte week. He had seven points, including six assists, in two games. . . . Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’S goaltender of the week. He was 3-1-0 last week, with a 1.25 GAA and a .965 save percentage. . . . The Calgary Hitmen and Kootenay Ice were fined $250 each for warmup violations prior to weekend games. . . . F Ryan Harrison of the Everett Silvertips drew a one-game suspension for a checking-from-behind major he incurred Sunday during a 2-1 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle F Travis Toomey is under one of those tbd (to be determined) suspensions under supplemental discipline for something that happened in that loss to Everett on Sunday.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

F Cody Eakin, who has been out with a hand injury, is getting ready to play his first game with his new WHL team, the Kootenay Ice, which acquired him on Jan. 9 in a blockbuster deal with the Swift Current Broncos. Eakin is from Winnipeg and Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun chats with Eakin right here. . . . If you weren’t aware, Penton’s father, Bruce, covered the Brandon Wheat Kings in the early 1970s and now works at the Medicine Hat News.
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John Blanchette, a columnist with the Spokane Spokesman-Review, took in Saturday’s Rockstar Outdoor Hockey Classic, the first outdoor game in WHL history. His column is right here.


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Apologies to the SJHL. One of the league’s coaches got me pointed in the right direction. If you click on TRANSACTIONS on the website, the first thing that comes up is suspensions, with the transactions further down the page. . . . It would appear that SJHL teams were involved in 14 trades on Jan. 10.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, the Hitmen erased a 1-0 deficit with two goals 74 seconds apart and went on to beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-1. . . . It was the third straight game between the teams, who split Wednedsay and Friday games in Lethbridge. . . . F Chase Clayton, with his second goal of the season, and D Kyle Schmidt, with his third, scored at 13:00 and 14:14. . . . F Austin Fyten, with his 18th, had opened the scoring for Lethbridge. . . . D Spencer Humphries, with his third, got the empty-netter. . . . Attendance was 11,591. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 34 shots, including 11 in the third period when the Hitmen were outshot 11-2. . . .
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In Moose Jaw, F Sebastian Svendsen broke a 2-2 tie early in the third period as the Warriors edged the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . The goal was Svendsen’s 18th this season, but his first since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Jan. 10. . . . F AJ Johnson got Moose Jaw on the scoreboard with his third of the season at 3:35 of the first period and the teams exchanged goals after that. . . . F Kristians Pelss scored both Edmonton goals, giving him seven. . . . D Dylan McIlrath got his fourth of the season for Moose Jaw on a second-period PP. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-6 on the PP. . . . The winner came via the PP just 35 seconds into the third period. . . . Attendance was 2,466. . . . Edmonton D Marek Hrbas likely will be hearing from the WHL office after taking a boarding major and game misconduct in the second period. . . . The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes due to a broken radiator hose on the Zamboni. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports: “The Warriors suffered a potential major blow when captain Spencer Edwards just failed to convert on a partial breakaway chance and was taken heavily into the boards by Edmonton defenceman Adrian Van de Mosselaer. Van De Mosselaer was given a penalty, but Edwards went straight to the locker room favouring his shoulder. His status was uncertain post-game and was expected to be updated today.” . . .
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In Swift Current, F Brett Ferguson had a goal and an assist to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Broncos. . . . Ferguson, who has 12 goals, also was plus-4. . . . F Byron Froese got his 20th goal of the season for Red Deer. . . . F Justin Dowling, with his 13th, broke Red Deer G Dawson Guhle’s shutout bid at 16:31 of the third period. . . . Guhle finished with 23 saves. . . . Attendance was 1,787. . . . From Josh Aldrich of the Red Deer Advocate: “The game had an early first intermission when a pane of glass was broken by a shot in the Broncos’ end and a replacement could not be found. Eventually an old sign was cut to fit the slot and the final 5:51 of the first period was played after the break.” . . . The Rebels went 4-0 on a five-night swing into the East Division, also winning in Moose Jaw (4-0), Brandon (2-1, shootout) and Prince Albert (6-0). . . .
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In Everett, the Spokane Chiefs jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the game was four minutes old and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . D Jared Cowen, with his 10th goal, and F Tyler Johnson, with his WHL-leading 34th, had the Chiefs out front by the 1:28 mark. . . . Cowen’s goal was scored on a play in which the puck went through the mesh. Play continued and the goal was awarded via video review upon the next stoppage. . . . Everett head coach Craig Hartsburg replaced starting G Luke Siemens with Kent Simpson, but the Chiefs went up 3-0 when F Dominik Uher notched his 11th goal on the PP at 3:08. . . . F Ryan Harrison scored Everett’s goal, his 16th of the season, at 11:28 of the second. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 32 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,957. . . . Johnson also had an assist and now is second in the WHL scoring race, his 70 points just two behind F Linden Vey of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., the Vancouver Giants came from behind to edge the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-3. . . . The victory put the Giants atop the B.C. Division, two points ahead of the idle Prince George Cougars. . . . F Marcel Noebels scored his 15th goal at 14:31 of the first period to give Seattle a 2-1 lead. . . . The Giants scored the next three goals, with F Brendan Gallagher equalizing with his 28th at 5:25, and F Spencer Bennett putting the Giants out front at 14:32 on the PP. . . . F Brendan Rowinski upped Vancouver’s lead to 4-2 at 9:06 of the third period. . . . F Travis Toomey had two goals for Seattle, giving him 15. . . . Bennett had two goals for Vancouver, giving him 21. He has 14 points, nine of them goals, in nine games with Vancouver, which acquired him from the Portland Winterhawks on Dec. 30. . . . Gallagher also had two assists. . . . Attendance was 3,176.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Spokane D Jared Cowen

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Forward Carter Ashton (7), in his debut with the Tri-City
Americans on Friday, hangs around Kamloops goaltender
Cam Lanigan in the hopes of finding a loose puck.
(Photo courtesy John Allen/Tri-City Americans)

Here is the beginning of an interview between Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and F Brayden Schenn, who joined the Saskatoon Blades in a trade from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Monday.
The SP: In Saskatoon, you might be more popular than Santa Claus right now. What’s the most interesting reaction you’ve had from a fan since joining the Blades this week?
Schenn: Well, I was in a public bathroom and a guy put his arm around me
while I was (at the urinal).
The SP: So, you’re feeling the love?
Schenn: Yes, I have felt the love coming from Saskatoon and it’s good to
have. I just can’t wait to start playing games.
The complete interview is right here.
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You may have heard that the first outdoor game in WHL history is to be played today in Spokane. John Blanchette of the Spokane Spokesman-Review takes a look at the spectacle right here.
However, as KREM-TV reports right here, there has been rain.
As of 11:30 p.m. PT on Friday, The Weather Network was calling for showers in the morning with cloudy skies and highs of plus-6 C in the afternoon.
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After a story appeared here Friday on Medicine Hat Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk, I was reminded that his WHL career actually started at a much younger age. He was actually in a photo taken by Dave Chidley of the Calgary Sun that won a National Newspaper Award in 1997. . . . The photo was taken on Oct. 15, 1997. Shinkaruk was two days past his third birthday at the time. . . . He was on the ice prior to a game as part of a Junior Fan promotion. . . . Check out that photo right here.
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Wondering how Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province is doing as he continues to crush the tumour with humour? Well, one of the two titanium rods that was surgically implanted in his back has snapped. . . . Check out Ewen’s blog right here.
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JUST NOTES: The CHL’s Top Prospects game is scheduled for Thursday, and perhaps someone out there is able to explain how it is that Edmonton Oil Kings F Michael St. Croix won’t be there. Then, again, maybe they can’t. I realize there’s more to this game than numbers but, sheesh, compare St. Croix’s stats to, say, those of Red Deer Rebels F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and get back to me. . . . Thanks to those who responded for a count of junior A trades made on Monday. In the AJHL, there were nine or 10 trades, while there were 13 in the MJHL and 11 in the BCHL, six of which involved the Prince George Spruce Kings. The SJHL has yet to post any trades made after Jan. 3. . . . The Central league’s Wichita Thunder has acquired F Dustin Donaghy, 21, from the Allen Americans for futures. Donaghy (Spokane, Lethbridge, 2007-10) had seven points and 43 penalty minutes in 23 games with Allen.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Mark McNeill set up two goals to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 4-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Raiders have won five of six. . . . Prince Albert G Eric Williams stopped 29 shots. . . . The Warriors have lost three in a row and have scored only three goals in those losses. . . . The Warriors are scheduled to play in Prince Albert tonight. . . . F Cody Beach (head) and F Antonin Honejsek (charley horse) both sat out for Moose Jaw. . . .
In Regina, the Edmonton Oil Kings completed a sweep of the season series with the Pats as they posted a 4-1 victory. . . . The outcome put a damper on the Pats’ celebrations — they honoured Mike Sillinger in a pregame ceremony. . . . The Oil Kings went 4-0 in the season series, outscoring the Pats 27-8 in the process. . . . The Pats scored the first goal last night, but the Oil Kings got the last four. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck ran his point streak to nine games with a goal and an assist. . . . Edmonton has won 14 of its last 21 games. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 19 shots. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 34 shots. In his previous start, Hewitt turned aside 59 shots in a 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday. . . .
In Swift Current, the Saskatoon Blades got out to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Broncos, 5-2. . . . The Broncos cut the deficit to 3-2 with goals 1:04 apart early in the second period, but F Chris Collins, with his seventh, restored the two-goal edgee at 5:57 of the second and F Darius Dziurzynski, with his second of the game and 21st of the season, iced it at 8:37 of the third. . . .
In Brandon, the Red Deer Rebels got two shootout goals and beat the Wheat Kings, 2-1. . . . The Rebels have won three straight. . . . F Colten Mayor, with his fifth of the season, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 13:17 of the first period. . . . Brandon tied it 1-1 on F Jens Meilleur’s first WHL goal at 6:41 of the second. . . . Meilleur, a 17-year-old from Elie, Man., has three points in 15 games. . . . Red Deer got shootout goals from F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Daulton Siwak, while only F Mark Stone could counter for Brandon. . . . Brandon is 0-7 in shootouts this season. . . . G Michael Tadjdeh stopped 38 shots in his Brandon debut. Tadjdeh, 19, who has WHL experience with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Spokane Chiefs, had been with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. The Wheat Kings have been going with a pair of 17-year-olds, however Corbin Boes suffered a concussion during an 8-4 loss to the Raiders in Prince Albert on Wednesday and Liam Liston, who was on the bench last night, has a hamstring problem. . . . Tadjdeh also picked up an assist on Meilleur’s goal. . . . F Byron Froese was back in Red Deer’s lineup after serving a two-game WHL suspension. . . .
In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen in a game that included a line brawl at 19:30 of the third period. . . . Ch-ch-ching! . . . The teams compiled 180 penalty minutes, 97 of them to the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes, who scored the game’s first three goals, got two scores from F Cam Braes, who now has 20. . . . F Brody Sutter added two assists for the winners. . . . Calgary was 0-for-8 on the PP. . . . The teams meet for a third straight time Sunday afternoon in Calgary. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Kevin King scored twice as the Kootenay Ice got past the Spokane Chiefs 6-2 in a game that included 136 minutes in penalties. . . . The teams are to meet again this afternoon in Spokane in the first outdoor game in WHL history. . . . King now has 20 goals this season. . . . He scored 2:33 apart early in the second period to give the Ice a 5-1 lead. . . . F Matt Fraser and F Max Reinhart each had a goal and two helpers for the Ice. . . . F Tyler Johnson scored his WHL-leading 32nd goal for the Chiefs. . . . F Cody Eakin (hand), who was acquired by the Ice from the Swift Current Broncos on Monday, didn’t play. . . . Attendance was 2,535. . . . The Ice was 3-for-5 on the PP. . . .
In Prince George, F Taylor Stefishen scored twice to lead the Cougars to a 7-3 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . The Bruins had beaten the Cougars 5-2 in Chilliwack on Wednesday. . . . The teams will play in Prince George against tonight. . . . D Jesse Forsberg added a goal and two assists for the Cougars, who also got two assists from D Martin Marincin. . . . Stefishen hass 11 goals. . . . F Ryan Howse got his 28th goal for the Bruins. . . . The Cougars were 3-for-6 on the PP, while the Bruins went 0-for-5. . . . Bruins D Brandon Manning (leg), who hadn’t played since Dec. 31, was back in the lineup. . . .
In Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead in the first period as they outshot the host team, 19-9. . . . F Sven Bartschi scored his 24th goal and F Ryan Johansen had two assists for Portland. . . . G Geordie Wudrick scored twice for Kelowna, including an empty-netter. He has 24 swcores. . . . His first goal got the Rockets to within one and F Shane McColgan tied it with his 15th at 11:59 of the second. . . . F Zach Franko gave the Rockets a 4-3 lead at 18:10 of the second with his ninth. . . . Wudrick also had two assists, while D Tyson Barrie drew three helpers. Barrie now has 201 career points. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 43 shots. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Adam Hughesman scored two goals and set up two others as the Tri-City Americans beat the Kamloops Blazers, 7-3. . . . F Carter Ashton, playing his first game with the Americans after being acquired from the Regina Pats early in December, had a goal and an assist. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the third member of that line, had two assists. . . . Hughesman broke a 1-1 tie with his 25th and 26th goals 3:20 apart in the second half of the first period. . . . D Tyler Schmidt and D Brock Sutherland each had two assists for the Americans. . . .
In Vancouver, F Spencer Bennett’s second goal of the game broke a 2-2 tie as the Giants beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Giants have won five of six. . . . Bennett, who has 18 goals, scored the winner at 12:49 of the third period on the PP. . . . Bennett has 10 points, including six goals, in seven games since joining the Giants in a trade from the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem gave his side a 2-1 lead at 5:25 of the second period with his 24th goal. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Rowinski tied it at 14:16 with his ninth. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had three assists for the Giants. . . . Gallagher, Rowinski and Bennett are playing on a line together. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal made 30 saves. . . . According to Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun, Giants D Joel Rogers left in the first period after taking “a bump to the head.” Rogers won’t play tonight in Kennewick, Wash., against the Tri-City Americans or Sunday in Kent, Wash., against the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .
In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard stopped 35 shots to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals, with F Brendan Rouse and F Marcel Noebels scoring the first period and F Chance Lund counting in the second. . . . F Landon Ferraro got Everett’s goal, his ninth, at 3:53 of the third.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Swift Current D Richard Nedomlel