Showing posts with label Johnny Wesley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Wesley. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Warriors, Wheaties split doubleheader ... Pats win ninth straight game . . . 'Cane train rolls through Red Deer


The Everett Silvertips open a six-game East Division swing against the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Friday night. The Silvertips left Everett on Tuesday morning and arrived in Brandon late last night. . . . Mike Benton, their play-by-play man, is blogging on a daily basis and you can read it all right here.
———

History was made in Brandon on Wednesday night as the Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors played a doubleheader of sorts, completing a game that was suspended by fog on Sept. 24 and then playing a regularly scheduled game.
It was only fitting that both games went to OT — Moose Jaw won the suspended game, 4-3, and Brandon took the nightcap, 4-3 — because all six games in the season series have needed extra time. Each team is 3-0-3, meaning each team has nine of a maximum 12 points — yes, both teams have gone home happy from every single game.
The Wheat Kings are the WHL’s defending champions and that Sept. 24 game was their home-opener. However, with humidity in Brandon as high as 100 per cent that day, there were issues with fog in Westman Communications Group Place. As a result, the game was suspended with 5:37 to play in the second period and the Warriors holding a 2-1 lead.
Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun wrote in Wednesday’s newspaper:
“In one of the weirder stat lines you’ll ever find, (Jordan) Papirny of the Swift Current Broncos was Brandon’s starting goalie on Sept 24. He gave up two goals, to Brayden Watts of the Vancouver Giants and Nikita Popugaev of the Prince George Cougars.
“Both teams will have six players potentially in the lineup who didn’t play in the first game. Of the 26 players that Moose Jaw listed on its roster on Sept. 24, eight are gone, while Brandon has parted ways with seven of the 27 it had listed.”
The suspended game started at 6 p.m. They completed the second period, took a two-minute break and played the third.
F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s leading sniper, scored No. 41 on a PP at 18:48 of the third period to tie the game 3-3 and force OT.
F Thomas Foster, who when the game started on Sept. 24 was a member of the Vancouver Giants, won it for Moose Jaw with his 14th goal at 3:37 of OT. Foster had drawn the secondary assist on Halbgewachs’ goal.
When the suspended game resumed, Brandon F Stelio Mattheos, who scored earlier in game (on Sept. 24), scored his 19th goal to tie the game 2-2. Brandon D Dmitry Osipov, who was teammates with Foster in Vancouver on Sept. 24, gave the Wheat Kings a 3-2 lead with his third goal at 7:07 of the third period.
Zach Sawchenko was in goal for Moose Jaw yesterday and earned the victory with 14 saves on 16 shots. Interestingly, Brody Willms had started on Sept. 24 and had stopped 22 of 23 shots.
The Wheat Kings had started Jordan Papirny in goal on Sept. 24, and he was beaten twice on 24 shots. However, he now is with the Swift Current Broncos. Logan Thompson ended up with the loss after being beaten twice on nine shots.
Interestingly, the WHL, without providing an explanation, ruled before the game that no matter what happened Papirny wouldn’t be the losing goaltender.
“While Papirny was the goaltender of record for the Wheat Kings at the time the game was suspended,” the WHL said in a news release, “whomever starts tonight for Brandon will become the goaltender of record — be that Travis Child or Logan Thompson — regardless of the outcome.”
In other words, had Moose Jaw gone on to a 2-1 victory, Thompson would have been the losing goaltender despite not having given up a goal. Why? Because it’s the Dub, I guess.
To top things off, Popugaev, who was playing for the Cougars in Prince George last night, was named the third star in Brandon’s Fog Bowl.
In the nightcap, Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored twice, including the winner just 37 seconds into OT.
Patrick, who has 11 goals, had given Brandon a 1-0 lead at 13:21 of the first period. Brandon F Rylan Bettens (3) upped that to 2-0 at 19:29.
Moose Jaw came back with the next three goals. F Justin Almeida got his seventh at 15:20 of the second period. D Jett Woo (4) tied it at 5:38 of the third period and Halbgewachs, with No. 42, gave the visitors the lead, at 13:11.
Mattheos tied it with his 20th at 18:36.
Brandon got three assists from D Kale Clague and two from F Tyler Coulter. For Moose Jaw, Woo added an assist to his goal.
The Wheat Kings got 31 saves from Thompson, while Sawchenko stopped 33 at the other end.
Each team was 0-2 on the PP.
Announced attendance was 5,187 for the opener and 4,143 for the nightcap.
Brandon, which has been hit by an outbreak of mumps, was without F Caiden Daley, F Reid Duke and F Cole Reinhardt, all of whom were on the WHL’s roster report as being ill as of Tuesday. Brandon head coach David Anning, who missed the previous two games due to illness, was back behind the bench.
Interestingly, referee Fraser Lawrence and linesman Kelsey Mahoney worked both games from start to finish. On Sept. 24, Kyle Scrivens was the other referee, with Tarrington Wyonzek on the lines. On Wednesday, Lawrence and Jeff Ingram were the referees, with Mahoney and Darrell Smurinski working the lines.
The Wheat Kings (26-20-7) hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. They are fourth in the East Division, five points behind the Swift Current Broncos.
The Warriors (32-15-8) are second in the East Division, 11 points behind the Regina Pats, who hold four games in hand, and eight ahead of the Broncos.

——
The Portland Winterhawks are scheduled to meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Saturday. That game is to be televised, as was the one last Saturday in which the host Winterhawks won, 4-3 in a shootout. As you will be aware by now, the game ran long, going past a three-hour window, so the TV station left the game for a newscast and went to local news, despite the game being in OT.
A note from the Seattle Thunderbirds’ latest e-newsletter:
“The T-Birds and Tribune Broadcasting have partnered to broadcast eight games this season on This TV.
“The next game to be broadcast is on Feb. 11 at 7:05 p.m. in (Kent). This TV has addressed the issue from the end of the last T-Birds/Winterhawks broadcast on Feb. 8. This TV will be broadcasting the full game on Feb. 11, including overtime and shootout if they happen.”
——
The Saskatoon Blades, with at least five forwards on the injury list, have brought in F Kirby Dach on an emergency basis. Dach, who turned 16 on Jan. 21, is expected to stay with the Blades for the remainder of the season, something that has been cleared through the WHL and Hockey Alberta. . . . Dach was the second overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. He has one assist in four games with the Blades this season. . . . The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Dach has been with his hometown midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers, putting up six goals and 20 assists in 22 games. . . . He is scheduled to practise with the Blades today (Thursday) and is expected to be in the lineup against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday.
——
If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
——

CORRECTIONS:

There were two errors in a post that I put up here on Tuesday. I wrote that Vancouver Giants D Darian Skeoch, who is listed as being out indefinitely on the WHL’s roster report, was in the lineup Tuesday night in Prince George. He wasn’t. In fact, it appears that an ankle injury may have ended his season. . . . I also wrote that the Tri-City Americans had shut down D Tyler Jette because of a brain injury. I am told that isn’t the case, and that he was shut down with an “upper-body injury” that isn’t a brain injury. . . . Apologies all around.
——
If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
———

JUST NOTES:

Former WHL D Ryan Coghlan is the first player to commit to playing with the Vancouver Island University Mariners, a new team that is based in Nanaimo and will play in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League next season. . . . Coghlan, who is from Nanaimo, had 19 points, including seven goals, in 81 regular-season WHL games. He played 57 games with the Saskatoon Blades and 24 with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . 
Former WHL/NHL D Marc Fistric has joined the Stony Plain Eagles of the Chinook Hockey League, a senior AAA team in contention for the Allan Cup. The Eagles’ roster also includes former NHL/WHL F Ryan Smyth. The Eagles are to open the playoffs on Saturday with Game 1 of a best-of-seven first-round series with the Innisfail Eagles. . . . 
So . . . you are at a bantam hockey tournament and you see a handful of men clutching a cup of coffee in one hand and a notebook in the other, and you wonder that they’re doing. Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works for the Brandon Wheat Kings, details all that and more in his latest column for the Westman Journal. That piece is right here.
———
Concussion Report
No one can recall Nick Bond taking a hit to the head, but the captain of the Springfield, Pa., High School hockey team left Sunday’s game with a headache. Moments later, he collapsed. Surgeons operated to relieve pressure on his brain but Bond, a senior, died Monday afternoon. . . . Michaelle Bond of philly.com has that story right here. . . . “Coaches and parents said that they did not see Bond take any blows to the head and that he did not tell anyone he had been hit,” Bond writes, “but he died from complications from blunt-impact head trauma, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office said Tuesday. The office ruled his death an accident.”
——
You likely are aware that the NHL is embroiled in a lawsuit as it is being sued by a number of former players who claim the league hasn’t been upfront about the repercussions of concussions/brain injuries. The NHL has hired Dr. Rudy Castellani, a neuropathologist and director of the Western Michigan University Center for Neuropathology, as a medical expert, knowing full well that he denies the existence of CTE. . . . Rick Westhead, who is awfully busy these days as a senior correspondent with TSN, reports that Dr. Bennet Omalu, “the neuropathologist whose story was depicted in the movie Concussion, put himself in the midst of the NHL concussion lawsuit on Wednesday.” . . . Dr. Omalu has written a letter to a lawyer representing former players and that letter has been field in U.S. district court in Minneapolis. . . . This is starting to get really interesting and you can bet that the WHL, which continues to allow teenagers to fight during games, is watching closely. . . . Westhead’s story is right here.
———

WEDNESDAY’S OTHER GAMES:

At Calgary, G Tyler Brown earned the shutout while F Sam Steel and D Connor Hobbs each had four
TYLER BROWN
points as the Regina Pats beat the Hitmen, 4-0. . . . Brown, who earned an assist on the winning goal, stopped 28 shots in recording his third shutout this season and the fifth of his career. . . . Steel, the WHL’s leading scorer, gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 9:30 of the first period. . . . The Pats took control with two PP goals 1:51 apart late in the first, with F Nick Henry getting No. 25, at 18:03, and Steel scored his 39th at 19:54. . . . Hobbs’ 23rd goal, on a another PP, rounded out the scoring at 12:04. . . . Hobbs had three assists, with Steel getting two. . . . The Hitmen got 26 saves from G Trevor Martin. . . . Regina was 3-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-6. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 96 points, six more than teammate Adam Brooks, who had one assist. . . . The Pats (38-6-7) have won nine in a row. They lead the overall standings by five points over the Prince George Cougars, who have played six fewer games. . . . The Hitmen (19-25-9) have lost two straight and are one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,116.
——
At Edmonton, F Aleksi Heponiemi snapped a 2-2 tie at 2:47 of the third period as the Swift Current
ALEKSI HEPONIEMI
Broncos beat the Oil Kings, 3-2, handing the home team its 15th consecutive loss. . . . The Broncos went 3-7 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 2-6. . . . F Kaden Elder gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with his 12th goal, at 7:58 of the second period. . . . D Conner McDonald (4) tied it, at 13:49. . . . The Broncos went back out front at 17:12 when F Tyler Steenbergen scored his 40th goal of the season. That is second in the WHL, to F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has 42. . . . Edmonton tied it again when F Artyom Baltruk scored his third goal 59 seconds into the third period. . . . F Ryley Lindgren had two assists for the winners, with Heponiemi and Steenbergen getting one apiece. . . . G Jordan Papirny earned the victory with 23 saves, three fewer than Edmonton’s Patrick Dea. . . . The Oil Kings lost D Will Warm to a charging major and game misconduct at 12:52 of the second period. That was for a hit on F Lane Pederson. . . . Edmonton took 52 of the 91 penalty minutes handed out in this one. . . . The Broncos (28-17-8) have won three in a row. They are third in the East Division, five points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Oil Kings (18-32-4) are eight points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 6,220.
——

At Kamloops, G Connor Ingram stopped 33 shots, 15 of them in the first period, to lead the Blazers to a 6-0 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . That was Ingram’s third shutout this season and the 10th of his
RUDOLFS BALCERS
career. . . . Ingram is 20-9-3 this season, the third season in a row he has won at least 20 games. . . . Ingram picked up the secondary assist on the game’s last goal. That was his first career assist and came in his 146th game. . . . The Blazers got a goal and two assists from F Rudolfs Balcers, who is from Latvia. He leads all freshmen in goals, with five more than F Nick Henry of the Regina Pats. . . . D Nolan Kneen (2) scored the game’s first goal, at 17:05 of the first period. . . . F Garrett Pilon’s 14th goal made it 2-0 at 14:11 of the second period and F Collin Shirley (22) upped it to 3-0 just 40 seconds later. . . . D Ondrej Vala (8), Balcers and F Erik Miller (4) added third-period goals. . . . Pilon also had an assist. . . . Kelowna got 27 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Kamloops was 1-5 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . F Quinn Benjafield (ill) was among Kamloops’ scratches. . . . The Blazers have beaten the Rockets eight straight times in Kamloops. . . . Kamloops (33-18-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1) and is 7-2-2 in its past 11 outings. The Blazers are second in the B.C. Division, seven points behind the Prince George Cougars and seven ahead of the Rockets and Victoria Royals. . . . Kelowna (30-20-4) had won its past three games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,255.
——
At Medicine Hat, F Mason Shaw ran his point streak to 15 games with a goal and assist, leading the
MASON SHAW
Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Shaw has 78 points, including 21 goals, in 54 games. He has 20 points, 12 of them assists, in his past 15 games. . . . That is the third-longest point streak in the WHL this season, behind the 22-game effort turned in by F Adam Brooks of the Regina Pats and a 16-game from Regina D Chase Harrison. . . . F Tim Vanstone (8) gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 7:06 of the first period. . . . Shaw tied it, on a PP, at 5:09 of the second period. . . . Tigers D Jordan Henderson (4) broke the tie at 16:14 and F Zach Fischer’s 27th goal upped the lead to 3-1 at 4:06 of the third. . . . The Raiders got back to within one when F D-Jay Jerome scored his sixth goal at 17:34. . . . G Michael Bullion turned aside 25 shots for the Tigers. . . . At the other end, Ian Scott stopped 36 shots. . . . The Tigers were 1-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-2. . . . Medicine Hat (38-16-1) has won two in a row. The Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Prince Albert (13-37-5) has lost two straight. The Raiders had won their previous four road games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,974.
——
At Prince George, F Johnny Wesley scored in the sixth round of a shootout as the Vancouver Giants
JOHNNY WESLEY
ended an eight-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . The first two shooters in the skills competition — Vancouver’s Ty Ronning and Prince George’s Nikita Popugaev — each scored, but that was it until Round 6. . . . The Cougars took a 1-0 lead when F Jackson Leppard, a first-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal at 9:14 of the second period. It came in his 29th career game, 27 of them this season. . . . Ronning tied it with his 21st goal just 30 seconds later. . . . The Giants took a 2-1 lead when Wesley got his eighth goal, on a PP, at 11:37. . . . Prince George F Jared Bethune (16) forced OT when he scored at 13:32 of the third period. . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck was the game’s first star, with 38 stops. . . . Ty Edmonds stopped 23 shots for the Cougars. . . . Vancouver was 1-3 on the PP; Prince George was 1-4. . . . The Cougars, who beat the visiting Giants 4-1 on Tuesday, again were without D Brendan Guhle and F Jansen Harkins, both of whom have undisclosed injuries. . . . The Giants (18-32-5) had been 0-6-2 in their previous eight games. . . . The Cougars (37-16-4) are 1-0-1 in their past two games. They remain second in the overall standings. . . . Announced attendance: 2,503.
——

At Red Deer, D Brennan Menell scored once and added two assists to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 7-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . Menell, a 19-year-old from Woodbury, Minn., has 51 points, including
BRENNAN MENELL
11 goals, in 52 games this season. Last season, with the Vancouver Giants, he finished with seven goals and 46 assists in 69 games. . . . He has points in 17 of 19 games since the Christmas break, scoring five goals and earning 22 assists in that stretch. . . . F Dawson Martin (7) gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 7:53 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Zane Franklin (5) at 10:23 and F Zak Zborosky (33) at 1:25 of the second period. . . . The Rebels tied it on F Austin Glover’s 17th goal at 3:46. . . . The Hurricanes responded with the game’s next four goals, all on the PP. . . . Menell started it at 10:20 and F Egor Babenko (18) added one at 14:44. F Tyler Wong, playing in his 299th regular-season game, scoed his 39th goal at 7:18 of the third period, and D Calen Addison (6) counted at 17:34. . . . Red Deer got its last goal from F Lane Zablocki (17), at 18:35, and F Jadon Joseph (3) replied for Lethbridge at 19:30. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from F Giorgio Estephan and one each from Wong, Zborosky, Babenko and Franklin. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots for Lethbridge in running his record to 27-13-5. . . . Red Deer starter Lasse Pedersen was beaten five times on 30 shots in 49:09. Riley Lamb finished up with eight saves on 10 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 4-7 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-3. . . . The Hurricanes (32-15-7) now have points in 14 straight games (12-0-2). They are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Rebels (23-23-8) have lost two straight. They are third in the Central Division, seven points ahead of the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Announced attendance: 4,025. . . . Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com has a game story right here. Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, general manager and head coach, wasn’t pleased.
——
At Spokane, the Chiefs erased a 4-3 third-period deficit with three straight goals en route to a 6-5 victory
ELI ZUMMACK
over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Skyler McKenzie’s 34th goal gave the Winterhawks a 4-3 lead at 3:21 of the third period. . . . Spokane F Jaret Anderson-Dolan tied it with his 29th goal, at 7:05 of the third period. A first-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, Anderson-Dolan has 56 points in 53 games. He has seven goals in his past five games. . . . F Eli Zummack gave the Chiefs a 5-4 lead with No. 8 at 10:04 and D Tyson Helgesen (8) made it 6-4 at 11:04. . . . The Winterhawks got back to within a goal when F Alex Overhardt counted his 13th goal, on a PP, at 18:07. . . . The Winterhawks had taken a 1-0 lead on F Colton Veloso’s 16th goal, at 4:53 of the first period, only to have the Chiefs tie it on F Ethan McIndoe’s 12th goal, at 8:57. . . . Overhardt sent the visitors back out front at 11:00, only to have F Alex Mowbray tie it with his second goal of the season, shorthanded, at 17:46. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-2 lead on F Hayden Ostir’s sixth goal, at 12:46 of the second period, with the Winterhawks pulling even when D Brendan De Jong got No. 8 at 16:11. . . . Zummack and F Kailer Yamamoto each had two assists for the Chiefs, with Ostir adding one. . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and F Ryan Hughes, with De Jong getting one. . . . Spokane G Dawson Weatherill blocked 35 shots, two fewer than Portland’s Cole Kehler. . . . Portland was 2-7 on the PP; Spokane was 0-1. . . . The Chiefs (22-23-8) are nine points behind Portland (29-22-3), which holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. Portland had won its previous seven games. It is four points behind the third-place Tri-City Americans. . . . Announced attendance: 3,162.
——

At Victoria, D Ethan Bear broke a 4-4 tie at 7:15 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . Seattle had won 3-1 in Victoria on Tuesday night. . . . Bear’s 19th goal, which tied last
ETHAN BEAR
season’s career high, came via the PP, with F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp assisting. Barzal and Gropp each had four points, the former setting up four goals and the latter scoring once and adding three helpers. . . . The Thunderbirds took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Keegan Kolesar, on a PP, at 3:55, and D Austin Strand (6), at 6:47. . . . D Ralph Jarratt’s second goal got the Royals on the scoreboard at 15:33, but Gropp, who has 19 goals, got that one back, on a PP, at 18:56. . . . Kolesar’s 14th goal, at 8:10 of the second period, sent Seattle to a 4-1 lead. . . . The Royals accounted for the next three goals, the first two on second-period PPs. . . . F Tyler Soy (25) scored at 10:57 and F Matt Phillips got his 38th at 13:03. . . . F Jared Dmytriw tied it with his 10th goal at 2:04 of the third period. . . . Gropp is riding a 10-game point streak, with eight goals and 12 assists over that stretch. He had four goals and three assists in the two-game sweep in Victoria. . . . Barzal has 45 points, including 38 assists, in 27 games this season. He had six assists in the two victories. . . . The Royals got three assists from F Dante Hannoun, while Phillips and Soy each had one. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth turned back 19 shots in winning his 27th game, two off Victoria G Griffen Outhouse, who leads the league. Outhouse finished with 23 saves. . . . The Thunderbirds were 3-5 on the PP; the Royals were 2-6. . . . Seattle F Elijah Brown left Tuesday’s game with an apparent leg injury, but was back in the lineup for this one. . . . The Thunderbirds (33-15-5) have points in 10 straight (9-0-1). They have closed to within a point of the U.S. Division-leading Everett Silvertips, who have a game in hand and are scheduled to open a six-game East Division swing in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Royals (30-21-4) have lost two in a row. They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,965, although there were far fewer than that in the building due to inclement weather. Prior to the game, the Royals announced that all fans who had tickets, whether they were in attendance or not, are eligible to exchange them for ducats to one of two weekend games. The Kamloops Blazers are scheduled to play in Victoria on Friday and Saturday.
——

THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Everett at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Regina at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:04 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Injury bug bites Giants . . . A scout's coldest rinks . . . Weatherill hot in Kent

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

Our countdown to the big day continues with . . . John Lennon and Happy Xmas (War Is Over). . . . It’s right here.
——
The Calgary Hitmen put together their annual Christmas video and this time they brought in some help from their front office. It’s fun and it’s right here.
———
F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had three goals in nine games.
-———
Three WHL players were released from the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp following a 3-0 victory over a team of Canadian university all-stars in Boisbriand, Que., on Tuesday afternoon.
F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who scored one of Team Canada’s goals and was chosen as the game’s first star, F Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets and F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats were sent home after the game.
Team Canada now has 27 players on its roster — three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 15 forwards — with five cuts still to come.
Still on the roster are goaltenders Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips and Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers. Observers seem to think that Hart has a leg up on the No. 1 spot, with Ingram and Michael McNiven of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in competition for the other spot. Ingram and McNiven are likely to split the goaltending duties tonight against the Czechs.
Other WHLers still on the roster are F Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds), D Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen), D Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings), F Dillon Dube (Kelowna), D Noah Juulsen (Everett) and F Sam Steel (Regina).
Yesterday, Hart made four saves as he started and played the first 30 minutes. Ingram came on to play the second half and turned aside 11 shots. McNiven, playing for the U Sports side, blocked 24 shots.
Two of the three goal scorers — Howden and Victor Mete of the OHL’s London Knights — were released after the game.
——
The Edmonton Oil Kings have added F Scott Atkinson, 16, to their roster for a pre-Christmas swing into Saskatchewan. Atkinson, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, plays for the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 20 games there. Last season, he finished with five goals and nine assists in 40 games with the Canadians. . . . Atkinson was in Edmonton’s lineup last night against the host Prince Albert Raiders.
——
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Vancouver Giants have a handful of players who won’t play again until after the Christmas break. . . . D Darian Skeoch (ankle) was injured during a practice last week. F Tyler Popowich, F Dawson Holt and F Johnny Wesley all suffered undisclosed injuries. GM Glen Hanlon told Ewen that Holt will be out for at least three weeks, while Wesley is gone for a month or more. . . . The Giants also are without F Radovan Bondra, who is with Slovakian national junior team. . . . They also have brought in F Hunor Torzsok, 16, from the Delta Hockey Academy. Torzsok, who was born in Budapest, Hungary, is in his second season at Delta. He has five goals and six assists in 14 games with the prep team in the Canada Sport School Hockey League. . . . Ewen’s story is right here.
——
Mike Fraser, who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings out of Edmonton, also writes a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. In his latest jottings, he discusses “my coldest scouting rink visits on the Prairies.” If you think you’ve been in a chilly arena or two, well, you may want to check this out right here.
——
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his latest 30 Thoughts essay on Tuesday afternoon, and he leads off with a piece that involves possible NHL interest in the League of Legends. . . . You may check it out right here.
——
If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
———

JUST NOTES:

F Riley McKay of the Spokane Chiefs has been suspend for four games after becoming involved in a one-man fight during a game against the host Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. McKay has served one game. He will be eligible to return on Dec. 28 when the Chiefs play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .
F Cole Sanford has left the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles to attend the U of Alberta, where he will play with the Golden Bears. The AHL’s San Antonio Rampage had assigned him to the Eagles for whom he had seven goals and eight assists in 19 games. In 260 regular-season WHL games (2012-16), 230 with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the last 30 with the Regina Pats, the native of Vernon, B.C., put up 126 goals and 123 assists.
———



———

TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Medicine Hat, D Ty Schultz scored at 2:09 of OT to give the Tigers an 8-7 — yes, 8-7! — victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . It was his third goal of the season. . . . The Tigers held 2-0, 4-1, 6-4 and 7-6
TY SCHULTZ
leads in this one. . . . Kelowna F Jake Kryski tied it 4-4 with this second goal, and 11th of the season, at 19:24 of the second period. . . . The third period featured six goals, three by each team. . . . The Tigers took a 6-4 lead on goals from F Mason Shaw (9) and D David Quenneville (17), on a PP. Shaw scored at 2:29 and Quenneville at 2:51. . . . Kelowna pulled back into a tie on goals from F Kyle Topping (6) and F Leif Mattson (3), at 6:59 and 8:20. . . . Medicine Hat F Zach Fischer, in his first game after serving a five-game suspension, got his 18th goal at 13:31. . . . Kelowna forced OT when D Braydyn Chizen (2) scored at 14:14. . . . The Tigers got a goal and three assists from F Steve Owre, who has 10 scores, while Butcher added two assists to his goal. His three-point night moved him into the WHL scoring lead with 50 points, two more than F Adam Brooks and F Sam Steel, both of the Regina Pats, and Shaw, who added an assist to his goal. . . . Quenneville also had an assist. The Tigers are 17-0-0 when he has at least one assist; they are 6-10-1 when he doesn’t. . . . F Max Gerlach had a goal, his 21st, and an assist. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko (3) also scored for the Tigers. . . . Kryski had two assists for Kelowna, giving him a four-point night, while F Kole Lind had a goal, his 18th, and three assists. D Cal Foote score once, giving him three, and added two assists, while his younger brother, F Nolan, had two assists. Chizen also had an assist. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 28 shots for the Tigers as he put up victory No. 21, tops in the WHL. . . . Kelowna started Michael Herringer gave up six goals on 21 shots in 42:51. Reliever Brodan Salmond was beaten twice on 12 shots in 19:17. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Fischer had been suspended for a one-man fight. He hit F Matt Fonteyne of the Silvertips during a game in Everett on Dec. 2. . . . F Erik Gardiner made his Kelowna debut, but was pointless. Gardiner, who plays for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, was acquired from the Regina Pats in a deal that had D Jonathan Smart go the other way. . . . The Rockets, playing their fifth game in seven nights, were without F Calvin Thurkauf (Switzerland), F Tomas Soustal (Czech Republic) and F Dillon Dube (Team Canada). Also missing was F Nick Merkley, who was released by Team Canada on Tuesday. As well, D Gordie Ballhorn remains out with a hand injury. . . . Medicine Hat (23-10-1) has won two in a row. . . . Kelowna (19-12-2) has lost two straight (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,932.

——
At Prince Albert, F Austin Glover scored at 1:07 of OT to give the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Glover has 10 goals this season. . . . F Lane Bauer (22) gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 4:04 of the second period. . . . The Raiders took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from D Nick Heid and F Cavin Leth (8), on a PP, at 13:47 and 19:03. . . . Heid’s first career WHL goal came in his 105th game. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving’s 12th goal, on a PP, tied it at 3:58 of the third period. . . . F Drew Warkentine, with his first goal, on a PP, put the Raiders oiut front again, at 6:45. . . . D Will Warm (3) pulled the visitors back into a tie at 14:37. . . . F Parker Kelly had two assists for the Raiders, while Glover had one. . . . G Ian Scott stopped 32 shots for the Raiders, seven more than Edmonton’s Patrick Dea. . . . Prince Albert was 2-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without D Vojtech Budik and F Simon Stransky, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team. . . . The Raiders (7-23-2) had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). . . . The Oil Kings (14-15-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,081.
——
At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first two goals and the last two as they beat the Tri-City
JOSH MASER
Americans, 4-1. . . . F Ethan O’Rourke got the Cougars started with his first goal, on a PP, at 18:12 of the first period. . . . F Jared Bethune (10) made it 2-0, on a PP, at 18:57 of the second. . . . The Americans cut into the lead on F Morgan Geekie’s 17th goal, at 6:14 of the third period. . . . Prince George iced it on goals from F Jansen Harkins (7) and F Josh Maser (2), at 12:59 and 17:18. . . . Maser, 17, has two goals in as many games since joining the Cougars from the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He had seven goals and five assists in six games with the Storm. . . . Prince George got two assists from each of F Kody McDonald and D Josh Anderson. . . . Tri-City D Dalton Yorke played in his 200th regular-season game. He played the first 66 with the Kelowna Rockets and the next 100 with the Prince Albert Raiders. This was No. 34 with the Americans. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 16 saves. . . . Tri-City G Beck Warm stopped 33 shots. . . . The Cougars were 2-7 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . The teams will meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . The Cougars (23-8-2) have won two straight. . . . The Americans (19-12-3) had been 3-0-1 in their previous four games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,357.
——

At Red Deer, F Deven Sideroff scored his second goal of the game on an OT breakaway; to give the
DEVEN SIDEROFF
Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Sideroff has 19 goals in 31 games this season and three of them have come in OT. Last season, he finished with 19 goals in 63 games. . . . Goals from F Spencer Bast (6) and F Rudolfs Balcers (19) at 8:00 of the first period and 1:07 of the second gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (3) got Red Deer on the scoreboard at 6:14. . . . Sideroff restored the Blazers’ two-goal lead, with a PP scored, at 18:32. . . . F Austin Pratt (10) scored on a PP at 1:15 of the third period to cut Red Deer’s deficit to one. . . . F Evan Polei forced OT with his 14th goal at 18:04. . . . Balcers and Sideroff also had an assist each. . . . The Rebels got two assists from D Josh Mahura and one from Polei. . . . With G Connor Ingram (Team Canada) away, G Dylan Ferguson made his third straight start for Kamloops. He made 29 stops. It is the first time this season he has started three in a row. The Blazers are 2-0-1 in the three games, all in the Central Division. . . . The Blazers, outshot 19-3 in the third period, were playing their third game in four nights. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 29 shots. . . . Red Deer was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-6. . . . F Nic Holowko, 19, was pointless in his debut with the Blazers. He was acquired Sunday from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Rebels were without F Michael Spacek and F Adam Musil, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team, while Kamloops D Ondrej Vala has joined them. . . . Also missing from Red Deer’s lineup: F Grayson Pawlenchuk and F Jeff de Wit, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (19-12-2) are 5-0-1 in their last six games. . . . The Rebels (16-12-6) have points in five straight (3-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 4,093.
——
At Kent, Wash., G Dawson Weatherill stopped 29 shots, 16 of them in the third period, to lead the
DAWSON WEATHERILL
Spokane Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Keegan Kolesar gave the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal, at 1:32 of the second period. . . . The visitors scored the last three goals. . . . F Ethan McIndoe got his seventh, at 9:38 of the second. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 17th goal, on a PP, at 9:23 of the second proved to be the winner. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto earned the primary assist on that goal as he ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the WHL. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 20th goal, in his 26th game, into an empty net at 19:59. Last season, he totalled 19 goals in 57 games. . . . Anderson-Dolan has seven goals and two assists over his past five games. In 32 games, he has put up 17 goals and 13 assists. Last season, in 65 games, he had 14 goals and 12 assists. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 30 shots for Seattle. . . . The Chiefs were 1-6 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-3. . . . Spokane F Koby Morrisseau left the game and didn’t return after taking a hard hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit. Before leaving the ice, Morrisseau received attention from both team trainers. Morrisseau, a 16-year-old from Grandview, Man., spent some time in hospital after taking a hit during an exhibition game against the Portland Winterhawks in September. . . . Linesman Zach Brooks needed attention from Seattle trainer Phil Varney after taking a puck to the face earlier in the game. Brooks didn’t miss a shift. . . . Spokane (14-11-6) has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . Seattle (16-12-3) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,510.
——
At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford scored two goals and added an assist to help the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Victoria took a 3-0 lead in to the second period on goals from F Jack Walker (16) at 6:13, Peckford at 7:29, and F Carter Folk (2) at 16:19. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld scored for Portland, getting his 12th goal at 12:33 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Dante Hannoun (13) got that one back just 2:07 later and Peckford got his 11th goal at 3:28 of the third period. . . . The game’s last three goals all came via the PP. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Portland was 1-2. . . . The Royals got three assists from F Matt Phillips, while Walker added one to his goal. . . . The Royals got 32 saves from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler stopped 29 shots. . . . F Vladimir Bobylev was pointless as he returned to the Royals’ lineup after a stint in his native Russia. . . . The teams are scheduled to play again tonight in Victoria. . . . The Royals (17-14-3) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Winterhawks (18-14-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 3,157.
——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
——

TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Dec. 10: D Josh Thrower, 12:13 1st period, Prince Albert 4 at Moose Jaw 5 (SO).
Dec. 10: F Nick Bowman, 13:38 2nd period, Kamloops 3 at Edmonton 2.
Dec. 10: D Troy Murray, 1:51 2nd, Kelowna 7 at Kootenay 3.
Dec. 10: F Max Gerlach, 5:26 1st period, Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 7.
Dec. 10: F Skyler McKenzie 2:21 1st, Everett 2 at Portland 5.
Dec. 10: F Josh Curtis, 6:02 2nd period, Seattle 4 at Prince George 6.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.

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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:39 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, October 17, 2016

Chiefs, Rockets swing deal . . . Four suspensions finalized . . . Jeannot ruins Edmonton comeback




The Spokane Chiefs got a bit older on Monday; the Kelowna Rockets got younger.
In a one-for-one exchange, the Chiefs got F Tanner Wishnowski, 19, for F Colum McGauley, 16.
Wishnowski, a list player from Oakbank, Man., has a goal and an assist in 10 games in his sophomore season. As a freshman, he put up seven goals and six assists in 54 games.
He is expected to join his new team in time for a game against the visiting Everett Silvertips tonight (Tuesday).
McGauley was a fourth-round pick by Spokane in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. He is from Nelson, B.C., and is playing for the junior B Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay Junior International Hockey League. Last season, he had three goals and 15 assists in 39 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox, Sask.
——
The Vancouver Giants have added D Jeff Rayman, 20, to their roster after claiming him off waivers from the Tri-City Americans. They placed him on waivers last week after acquiring G Rylan Parenteau, 20, from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Rayman, from Fernie, B.C., had a goal and seven assists in 86 games over two seasons (2013-15) with the Spokane Chiefs. He had three goals and two assists in 54 games with the Americans last season, and was pointless in seven games this season. . . . With the Giants, he joins F Thomas Foster and Russian D Dmitry Osipov as the 20-year-olds. . . . The Giants, who have won four in a row, all on the road, next play Wednesday when the Saskatoon Blades come calling to Langley, B.C.
——
The Spokane Chiefs will be without F Hudson Elynuik when they play host to the Everett Silvertips tonight. He drew a three-game suspension after taking a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Silvertips F Devon Skoleski in Everett on Friday night. Elynuik has missed one game. He also will miss a game on Friday when the Chiefs open an East Division swing against the Regina Pats. Elynuik will be eligible to return on Saturday in Brandon against the Wheat Kings.
The WHL also firmed up suspensions to a pair of Vancouver Giants. F Johnny Wesley was given a one-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct in a game against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday, while D Darian Skeoch was given one game after he took a charging major and game misconduct in a game against the host Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday. . . . Wesley has served his suspension. Skeoch won’t play tonight against the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
——
F Chad Butcher of the Medicine Hat Tigers has been suspended for three games. He was hit under supplemental discipline after an unpenalized incident during a 7-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Friday. Butcher has missed one game and won’t play in a home-and-home Wednesday-Friday series with the Kootenay Ice.
The Hitmen asked for supplemental discipline, claiming that Butcher had slashed D Jake Bean, who apparently was left with a broken finger. The Hitmen are saying that he is out week-to-week.
“I watched the play and I’ve been slashed a lot harder than that,” Tigers F Steve Owre told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News.“It’s the league’s decision and we’re pretty biased on this side but, I think if you watch it, it was just a hockey play.”
Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told McCracken: “It wasn’t called a penalty. It was kind of a one-handed slash . . . I believe it’s going to be very short because there was no intent. The ref on the ice was in real good position and didn’t call it, so we’re very optimistic it will just be the one game.”
So much for optimism . . . . three games it is.
——
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated convened a media panel and discussed a number of goings-on involving the NHL. One of the questions he asked: What rule — in game or of the greater league — would you get rid of and why.
Sean McIndoe, a writer with Vice Sports, Sportsnet and The Hockey News replied:
“The loser point. It’s completely ridiculous that this league still rewards teams for losing. The rule made a small amount of success when it was introduced in 1999, because the league felt they needed to discourage teams from playing for the tie in overtime. But since ties were eliminated with the introduction of the shootout, that reason doesn’t exist anymore. Yet we’re still stuck with this thing. The league tries to justify it by claiming that the loser point makes playoff races closer, but that’s simply not true. All it really accomplishes is artificially inflating the standings and making everyone’s record look better. Which, of course, is the whole point of the rule. GMs love it, because every year roughly 80% of the league gets to be over .500 in terms of points percentage. That’s completely absurd and makes a mockery of the integrity of the standings, but if you can tell your owner that you had a winning record even though you lost 45 games then you might get to keep your job. It’s a confidence scam, nothing more, and it’s embarrassing that we still have it.
“Even worse, the practical effect of the rule is that teams are encouraged to play for a tie in regulation. Which they do, especially as the season goes on. In every other sport, the end of a deadlocked game is edge-of-your-seat time, but in the NHL it’s when everyone shuts down and tries to run out of the clock so that the magic bonus point fairy will arrive. At some point, years down the road, we’re going to get rid of this thing. And then future generations will look back at the record books and wonder why the standings were all screwed up for decades and everyone was just OK with it.”
The complete roundtable is right here and it’s an interesting read.
———

JUST NOTES:

The Prince Albert Raiders are down to two goaltenders after dropping Curtis Meger, 18, from their roster. He is expected to join the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Meger, from Regina, didn’t get into any games with the Raiders, who now will go with Ian Scott, 17, and Nick Sanders, 18, as their goaltenders. . . . 
The MJHL’s Winkler Flyers have acquired the junior A rights to G Cole Kehler, who will be 19 on Dec. 17, and future considerations from the Swan Valley Stampeders for G Connor Slip, 20, and F Jason Cohan, 20. . . . Kehler, who is 6-1-0, 2.57, .913 with the Portland Winterhawks, is from Altona, Man., which is about a 30-minute drive from Winkler. It could be that Ken Pearson, the Flyers’ GM/head coach, is looking ahead to next season and thinking that maybe, just maybe, Kehler will be available as a 20-year-old. . . .
Portland D Caleb Jones has a shootout winner and an OT winner in the Winterhawks’ last two games. The OT goal was the third of his career, leaving him one away from the franchise record that is shared by Nino Niederreiter, Todd Robinson and Ken Yaremchuk.
——
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
———

MONDAY’S GAME:

At Edmonton, F Tanner Jeannot scored off a rebound at 3:10 of OT to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 5-4 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Moose Jaw led this one 4-2 with less than four minutes to play in
TANNER JEANNOT
the third period. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch scored, shorthanded, at 16:43 to get the Oil Kings to within one. . . . Freshman F Trey Fix-Wolansky’s third goal of the season, at 19:29, with G Liam Hughes on the bench for the extra attacker, tied it. . . . Moose Jaw F Ryan Bowen had given his side a 1-0 lead at 1:04 of the first period. . . . F Lane Bauer, playing in his 200th regular-season game, pulled Edmonton even at 2:59. . . . The Warriors then took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Noah Gregor, at 5:51 of the first, and F Brett Howden, on a PP, at 7:04 of the second period. . . . F Kobe Mohr got the home side back to within one at 7:34 of the third period, only to have Howden get his second of the game, and eighth of the season, at 9:57. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs had two assists for the winners, while Gregor added an assist to his goal. . . . D Aaron Irving drew two assists for Edmonton (3-5-2), which has lost three in a row, all at home. . . . The Warriors improved to 6-2-2. . . . G Zach Sawchenko stopped 34 shots for Moose Jaw, while Hughes turned aside 25 for Edmonton. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 4,729.
——

TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.
Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saskatoon 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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:33 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, October 15, 2016

WHL suspends four players . . . Silvertips win fourth in five nights . . . Broncos open B.C. trek with win



The WHL’s department of justice slapped four players following Friday night games.
F Tanner Jeannot of the Moose Jaw Warriors drew a one-game suspension for a boarding major and game misconduct he took in a 6-4 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev, who was hit on the play, wasn’t injured.
F Hudson Elynuik of the Spokane Chiefs, F Johnny Wesley of the Vancouver Giants and F Chad Butcher of the Medicine Hat Tigers all drew TBD suspensions.
Elynuik was hit with a charging major and game misconduct during a 4-3 OT loss to the visiting Everett Silvertips. That was for a hit on Everett F Devon Skoleski in the third period. Skoleski didn’t play last night against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds.
Wesley was given a headshot major and game misconduct during Vancouver’s 4-3 OT victory over the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.
The WHL chose to suspend Butcher for something that happened in a 7-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. That suspension comes under supplemental decision, meaning that the Hitmen must have filed video and asked the WHL to take a look at whatever happened.
——
D Connor Clouston, 20, has joined the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. He made his debut on Saturday night in a 7-2 loss to the host Chilliwack Chiefs. . . . Clouston was waived last week by the Medicine Hat Tigers as they got down to three 20-year-olds. . . . A native of Medicine Hat, he was a third-round pick by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2011 bantam draft. He split 158 regular-season WHL games between the Blazers, Moose Jaw Warriors and the Tigers. He had three goals and eight assists. 
———
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
———


———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:


At Everett, the Silvertips scored the game’s first three goals and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett (8-1-1) has won four in a row. The Silvertips played four games in
five nights, winning them all and outscoring the opposition, 16-9. . . . Seattle (2-4-1) has lost three straight (0-2-1). . . . F Bryce Kindopp opened the scoring at 4:14 of the first period as Everett scored first for the ninth time in 10 games. . . . F Riley Sutter scored Everett’s other two goals, both via the PP, at 10:00 and 11:55 of the first period. . . . Sutter, who had one goal and three assists in 31 games last season, has four goals and three assists in 10 games this season. . . . F Sami Moilanen, at 14:09 of the first, and D Turner Ottenbreit, at 18:26 of the third, scored for Seattle. . . . Ottenbreit also had an assist. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 23 shots for the winners, while Rylan Toth turned aside 20 for Seattle. . . . Everett was 2-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-8. . . . With Seattle having four 20-year-olds on its roster, one must be scratched every game. This time, it was F Cavin Leth. The Thunderbirds have two weeks from the return of F Ryan Gropp to get down to three 20s. . . . The Silvertips were without F Matt Fonteyne and D Lucas Skrumeda for a third straight game. . . . F Mathew Barzal, 19, who is eligible to return to Seattle, made his NHL debut with the New York Islanders last night. He played 10 minutes 10 seconds (16 shifts), including 1:02 on the PP. He was pointless, but took three minor penalties and won two of four faceoffs in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. One of the minors was for playing the puck while in the penalty box. It came as his first minor penalty was expiring. . . . Announced attendance: 7,678.
——

At Kelowna, the Swift Current Broncos scored three PP goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . This was the opener of a B.C. Division swing for the Broncos (7-2-1). They are 5-0-1 in
their last six games. . . . The Rockets slid to 3-7-0, including three straight losses. The visiting Saskatoon Blades beat them 4-2 on Friday nigiht. . . . The Broncos took over this game with three goals in the first 12:17 of the second period. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi got his third goal 13 seconds into the period, with D Colby Sissons scoring on a PP at 7:44 and F Tyler Steenbergen getting his sixth goal, on another PP, at 12:17. . . . Steenbergen later added an empty-netter. . . . F Lane Pederson had two assists for the visitors, with Sissons, F Glenn Gawdin and Heponiemi each getting a goal and an assist. . . . Broncos G Taz Burman stopped 25 shots, losing his shutout bid to F Tomas Soustal at 18:57 of the second period. . . . Kelowna got 25 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . Swift Current was 3-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . The Rockets were without F Jake Kryski (ill) for a second game, while F Dillon Dube (knee) has yet to play this season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,768.
——
COLTON BOBYK
At Cranbrook, B.C., D Colton Bobyk’s third goal of the season, at 4:43 of OT, gave the Red Deer Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rebels (5-3-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Ice (1-5-4) has lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . . F Evan Polei’s sixth goal, on a PP, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 5:50 of the second period. . . . F Keenan Taphorn pulled the Ice even at 9:58 of the second. . . . Polei also had an assist on the winner. . . . G Riley Lamb blocked 20 shots for the Rebels, 15 fewer than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Red Deer was 1-4 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-6. . . . G Lasse Petersen, acquired Thursday by the Rebels from the Everett Silvertips, wasn’t in uniform for the Rebels. . . . Announced attendance: 1,768.
——

At Lethbridge, F Adam Brooks had a goal and three assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 7-2 victory
ADAM BROOKS
over the Hurricanes. . . . The Pats (6-0-3) remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have suffered a regulation-time loss. . . . The Hurricanes (5-3-2) had been 2-0-2 in their previous four games. . . . Brooks, the WHL’s reigning scoring champion, has three goals and four assists in three games since returning from the camp of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. . . . The Hurricanes actually led this one 2-0 in the second period, with the Pats then scoring seven straight goals. . . . Regina got a goal and two assists from each of F Filip Ahl and D Chase Harrison, while F Jake Leschyshyn and F Sam Steel each had a goal and an assist. . . . Steel moved into the WHL scoring lead with 17 points, including seven goals, for a brief period. Portland F Cody Glass later scored a goal that moved  him into a tie with Steel. . . . F Ryley Lindgren had a goal, his seventh, and an assist for the Hurricanes. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 33 shots for Regina. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner gave up six goals on 43 shots in 50:46, with reliever Ryan Gilchrist stopping five of six shots. . . . Regina was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-8. . . . Regina has won 7-2 in two straight visits to Lethbridge. It won 7-2 in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series last spring. . . . Announced attendance: 3,463.
——
At Medicine Hat, F Radovan Bondra’s goal at 1:49 of OT gave the Vancouver Giants a 2-1 victory
RADOVAN BONDRA
over the Tigers. . . . Bondra has seven goals this season. . . . The Giants (5-7-0) went 4-2-0 on a six-game road swing. They have won four in a row. Keeping in mind that they opened the season with a 1-7-0 stretch. . . . The Tigers are 6-3-1. . . . D Dave Quenneville gave the home side a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 4:48 of the first period. . . . F Ty Ronning tied it for Vancouver at 4:52 of the second period. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic was terrific, with 36 saves. . . . The Tigers got 19 saves from G Nick Schneider. . . . The Tigers were 1-6 on the PP; the Giants were 0-5. . . . The Giants lost D Darian Skeoch with a headshot major and game misconduct at 16:05 of the second period. Medicine Hat D Cameron MacPhee took a cross-checking major and game misconduct at the same time. . . . Announced attendance: 4,003.
——
At Prince Albert, F Ty Lewis scored at 2:00 of OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . It was the second night in a row that the two teams needed extra time to settle
TY LEWIS
things. The Raiders posted a 3-2 OT victory in Brandon on Friday night. . . . The Wheat Kings (3-3-2) had lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . The Raiders, who led 2-1 and 3-2, are 3-5-1. . . . F Reid Duke gave Brandon a 1-0 lead at 18:03 of the first period. . . . The Raiders took the lead on goals from F Nic Holowko, at 19:23 of the first, and F Simon Stransky, shorthanded, at 6:12 of the second. . . . D Garrett Sambrook, who also had an assist, pulled Brandon even at 7:48. . . . Stransky’s second goal of the game, and sixth of the season, put the Raiders back oiut front at 10:44 of the third period. . . . The Wheat Kings forced OT when F Tanner Kaspick scored his seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:51. . . . Holowko and Stansky each had an assist, too. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 35 shots as he became the first goaltender in Brandon franchise history with 100 regular-season victories. . . . G Ian Scott of the Raiders blocked 25 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-5 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-5. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Nolan Patrick for a second straight game, while D Kale Clague has yet to play after returning from the camp of the Los Angeles Kings with an injury. . . . Brandon is carrying four 20-year-olds and F Duncan Campbell sat for the third straight game. The Wheat Kings have two from when Duke returned from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack to get down to three 20s. . . . Announced attendance: 2,212.
——

At Spokane, D Caleb Jones scored the only goal of a three-round shootout to give the Portland
CALEB JONES
Winterhawks a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks (8-3-0) have won three in a row. Portland was playing the last game of an eight-game road trip, its longest of this season. It finished 6-2-0. . . . The Chiefs (2-4-2) have lost three in a row (0-1-2). . . . F Koby Morrisseau’s first goal gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 17:44 of the first period. . . . F Ryan Hughes pulled Portland even at 5:21 of the second period. . . . F Curtis Miske put Spokane back in front at 7:25 of the third period. . . . Portland F Cody Glass notched his sixth goal, at 16:55 of the third period, to force OT. . . . The Winterhawks got 29 saves from G Cole Kehler. . . . G Dawson Weatherill turned aside 28 for the Chiefs. . . . Portland was 0-3 on the PP; Spokane was 0-4. . . . Chiefs trainer Todd Daniels was struck in the face by an errant puck late in the first period. Apparently, he got stitched up in the intermission and was back for the start of the second period. Of course, he was. He’s a hockey guy. . . . Announced attendance: 7,008.
——
At Kennewick, Wash., D Sam Ruopp drew three assists to help the Prince George Cougars to a 5-2
SAM RUOPP
victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Cougars (10-2-0) opened the season with eight straight victories, then lost two in a row, and now have won two straight. . . . The Americans (5-4-0) had their three-game winning streak end. They also had been 4-0-0 at home. . . . F Bartek Bison got the Cougars’ first goal, at 7:45 of the first period. . . . Tri-City F Vladislav Lukin tied the score at 11:59. . . . The Cougars took control with the game’s next two goals, from F Yan Khomenko, at 12:18, and F Brogan O’Brien at 18:52. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle and O’Brien each had a goal and an assist. . . . It was a battle of 20-year-old goaltenders. Ty Edmonds stopped 21 shots for the Cougars, while the Americans’ Rylan Parenteau turned aside 32. Parenteau made his second straight start since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 3,705.
——

SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):


Moose Jaw at Calgary, 2 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.
PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:44 PM
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  © Design byThirteen Letter

Back to TOP