Showing posts with label Jordan Topping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordan Topping. Show all posts

Sunday, March 19, 2017

WHL's playoff stage is set . . . Last pairings set on final day . . . Post-season begins Friday




F Bud Holloway (Seattle, 2003-08) has signed a two-year contract extension with Skellefteå (Sweden, SHL). He had 11 goals and 11 assists in 26 games this season. Holloway started the season with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL) and had three goals and six assists in 12 games when he was released on Nov. 18. He signed with Skellefteå on Dec. 1.
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The rant is legendary. The NFL’s New York Jets were 2-5 in 2002 and head coach Herm Edwards wasn’t happy.
Addressing a news conference on Oct. 30, Edwards said: “This is what the greatest thing about sports is: You play to win the game. Hello! You play to win the game.”
And then along came the loser point.
The Prince George Cougars, in their 23rd season in the northern city, won their first B.C. Division pennant on Saturday night, despite losing 2-1 in a shootout to the visiting Kamloops Blazers.
This isn’t to slight the Cougars’ accomplishment. After all, you play the hand you’re dealt — and you play by the rules as they are put in front of you — and that’s exactly what the Cougars did. At the end of a gruelling 72-game regular season, the Cougars stood tallest. There is no taking that away from them and the entire organization should hold its head high.
But regulation time on Saturday came to something of a strange conclusion, and it’s something at which the pooh-bahs who are enamoured with the loser point need to look.
Here’s Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen, explaining what happened:
“The game was heading into overtime with 80 seconds to play when Cougars defenceman Brendan Guhle got the puck behind the net and just stood there running time off the clock. Guhle wisely figured it was better to play it safe and lock away the point to clinch than try to go for the win in regulation and run the risk of the Blazers popping one in. He stayed behind the net a full 40 seconds.”
The Cougars went into the game with a two-point edge over the second-place Kelowna Rockets. Prince George, then, needed one point to wrap up first place. With the score 1-1 late in the game, the Cougars knew that the single point was all they needed. 
The loser point, then, has brought us to a point where, as Herm Edwards might say, “There are times when you don't play to win the game.”
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The stage is set for the WHL playoffs to open on Friday and you can bet that teams have fingers crossed in the hopes that the mumps virus doesn’t show up along the trail.
The most recent WHLers to show symptoms — G Jordan Papirny of the Swift Current Broncos and F Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds — may be ready to return to the ice. However, the playoffs also signal the start of the WHL’s secret season, so we may not know how healthy they are until we see the Game 1 lineups.
Papirny hasn’t played since March 7. Barzal, the Western Conference’s top player this season, took part in the warmup on March 10, prior to a game against the visiting Everett Silvertips, but left the ice and hasn’t played since. He has missed five games.
The virus continues to lurk around Western Canadian arenas, too. On Sunday, the NHL’s Calgary Flames revealed that F Michael Ferland has been isolated while they await test results for mumps.
“We’ll probably know in the next day or so,” Brad Treliving, the Flames’ general manager, told Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. “When you start not feeling well, start to show some symptoms, then you have to push pause and make sure that gets checked out.
“That’s the key thing — this is precautionary right now. But until such time that we get a diagnosis one way or another, we’re going to take precautions.”
If Ferland tests positive, the Flames will be the third NHL team impacted by mumps this season, along with the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild.
At least five WHL teams — Seattle, Swift Current, the Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers and Victoria Royals — have had players and coaches with symptoms.
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The Vancouver Giants raised $12,102 for the Kidney Foundation of Canada during a recent promotion that involved them wearing sweaters in honour of Don Cherry, and then auctioning them off. . . . Roxanne Hooper of the Langley Advance has more right here, including the news that “an original Don Cherry ensemble, complete with a signed Don Cherry jacket, shirt and tie . . . fetched the largest donation of $1,810.”
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Jimmy Breslin, a legendary New York City newspaperman, had died at the age of 86. No writer has put grit on a newspaper page the way Breslin did. In fact, he was New York City. . . . He was in bed on the night John Lennon was shot. In two hours, Breslin wrote this column right here. . . . If you haven’t read it, it’s also worth your while to chase down the column he wrote after the assassination of JFK. . . . And if you want more of Breslin’s brilliance, click right here and you’ll find three columns that he wrote about the man who now is POTUS. These columns are from 1990, 1989 and 1988.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
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THE STAGE IS SET . . . 

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Regina vs. Calgary: Opens with games Friday and Saturday in Regina. . . . Regina won season series, 3-1-0; Calgary was 1-2-1.
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon: Opens in Medicine Hat, Friday and Saturday. . . . Season series went to Medicine Hat, 3-1-0.
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer: Opens in Lethbridge on Saturday and Sunday. . . . Lethbridge was 5-0-1 in season series; Red Deer was 1-4-1.
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current: They’ll start with games Friday and Saturday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors won the season series, 4-2-0.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Everett vs. Victoria: They are scheduled to open Friday and Saturday in Everett. . . . The Silvertips were 4-0-0 in the season series; the Royals were 0-3-1.
Prince George vs. Portland: It starts with games Friday and Saturday in Prince George. . . . In the season series, the Cougars were 2-2-0; the Winterhawks were 2-1-1. . . . Interestingly, the WHL website includes dates for only the first four games. Mike Johnston, the Winterhawks’ GM/head coach, told the Portland Tribune that he would prefer a 2-3-2 format. The Cougars want to play 2-2-1-1-1. This one might take some negotiating.
Seattle vs. Tri-City: They’ll get started in Kent, Wash., on Friday and Saturday. . . . Seattle won the season series, 6-2-0.
Kelowna vs. Kamloops: The series begins in Kelowna on Friday and Saturday. . . . Kamloops was 6-3-1 in the season series; the Rockets were 4-6-0.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Edmonton, F Riley Stadel completed his WHL career with an OT goal that gave the Oil Kings a 5-4
RILEY STADEL
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Oil Kings (23-43-6), who won’t be in the playoffs, concluded their season with three straight victories, the last two over Red Deer. In fact, five of Edmonton’s 23 victories came against Red Deer (30-29-13), which finished third in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings scored the game’s first two goals and the last three. . . . D Ethan Cap gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 6:54 of the first period and F Tyson Gruninger (3) made it 2-0 at 8:07 of the second. . . . The Rebels scored the next four goals. . . . F Evan Polei (33) got them to within a goal at 9:38. . . . F Brandon Hagel, who had two goals and two assists, tied it, on a PP, at 19:17. . . . Hagel (31) gave his guys the lead at 11:47 of the third period and F Austin Glover (22), who had two assists, stretched the lead at 14:13. . . . The Oil Kings got close when F Trey Fix-Wolansky got No. 24, on a PP, at 18:29, and F Colton Kehler (18) tied it at 18:59. . . . Stadel won it with his seventh goal of the season. . . . Edmonton got three assists from F Davis Koch and two from F Graham Millar. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 23 shots for Edmonton, with G Riley Lamb turning aside 32 at the other end. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-6. . . . Edmonton F Adam Berg got tossed with a charging major and game misconduct at 4:48 of the third period. . . . The Rebels rested D Colton Bobyk and F Michael Spacek. . . . Announced attendance: 18,102.
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At Portland, it was a memorable night for the Yamamoto brothers as they led the Spokane Chiefs to a 7-2 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Chiefs (27-33-12) won’t be in the playoffs, so this was the final
KEANU YAMAMOTO
game for F Keanu Yamamoto, 20. Head coach Don Nachbaur, with an obvious feel for the moment, had Keanu on a line with his younger brother, Kailer. . . . Keanu finished with two goals, an assist and a fight, while Kailer helped out with three assists. . . . F Riley Wood had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane took a 1-0 lead on F Alex Mowbray’s fourth goal, at 5:57 of the first period. . . . Woods (12) increased that lead, on a PP, at 8:04, after Portland was given a bench minor for having an ineligible player on the bench. F Brett Clayton was listed as a scratch but was dressed. Because he was scratched, he was ineligible. . . . D Henri Jokiharju (9) got Portland on the scoreboard, on a PP, at 11:43, but the Chiefs scored the next four goals. . . . Keanu Yamamoto got two of those, to run his total to 26, with F Eli Zummack (9) and F Hudson Elynuik (29) getting the others. . . . F Riley McKay (3) had Spokane’s other goal, while F Keegan Iverson (26) also scored for Portland. . . . Elynuik and Zummack added an assist each. . . . Jokiharju and Iverson each had an assist for Portland. . . . G Jayden Sittler recorded the victory with 30 saves. . . . Portland G Shane Farkas blocked 27 shots. . . . Spokane was 3-6 on the PP; Portland was 2-4. . . . F Cody Glass, who didn’t play in the final two periods of Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds, was among Portland’s scratches. . . . The Winterhawks (40-28-4) had won their previous three games. They finished in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and now will move into a first-round playoff series with the Prince George Cougars, who finished atop the B.C. Division. . . . Announced attendance: 9,114.
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At Kent, Wash., F Alexander True and F Nolan Volcan each scored twice to lead the Seattle
AUSTIN STRAND
Thunderbirds to a 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Seattle (46-20-6) finished second in the U.S. Division. This victory lifted it two points clear of the Prince George Cougars, something that could come into play in deciding home-ice advantage down the playoff trail. . . . The Thunderbirds will open against the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Giants (20-46-6) lost their last three games. They missed the playoffs for a third straight season and the fourth time in five years. . . . True, who finished with 25 goals, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead 30 seconds into the first period. . . . Volcan, who had 16 goals, made it 2-0 at 8:34. . . . F Elijah Brown (4), and F Matthew Wedman (6) also scored for Seattle. . . . F Johnny Wesley scored his 11th goal for Vancouver, at 15:15 of the third period. . . . D Austin Strand and F Keegan Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle. . . . Strand led the WHL in games played, with 74. He opened the season with the Red Deer Rebels, playing 38 games there before being dealt to Seattle, where he played the final 36 games. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowsi stopped 19 shots. . . . Vancouver starter David Tendeck allowed six goals on 25 shots through two periods. Ryan Kubic played the third, stopping all nine shots he faced. . . . Seattle was 1-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 4,067.
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At Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans were this close ( ) to a first-round series with the Prince George Cougars when they scored three quick goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 6-5, in OT. . . . The
JORDAN TOPPING
Silvertips twice held third-period leads — 4-2 and 5-3 — and it appeared that the Americans would end up fourth in the U.S. Division and in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, meaning a first-round hookup with the Cougars, who won the B.C. Division. . . . However, F Jordan Topping, who had three goals, cut the deficit to one, at 17:44, and D Dylan Coghlan (15) tied it at 18:33, with Topping drawing an assist. . . . Topping, who finished with 28 goals, won it 2:40 into extra time. . . . F Brandson Hein gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 3:07 of the first period, before Tri-City scored twice — F Morgan Geekie (35), on a PP, at 6:12 of the first period, and D Juuso Valimaki (19), at 2:48 of the second. . . . Everett took a 4-2 lead on goals from F Riley Sutter (20), who later left with an apparent injury, at 4:42, Hein (6), at 13:22, and F Brian King (4), at 4:29 of the third period. . . . Topping pulled his side to within a goal at 6:25, only to have Everett F Connor Dewar (14) get it back at 13:48. . . . All that did was set up the Americans for the big finish. . . . Tri-City F Tyler Sandhu had three assists, D Parker Wotherspoon and Coghlan each had two, and Valimaki had one. . . . King and Hein had an assist each for Everett. . . . Tri-City G Rylan Parenteau earned the victory in relief of Evan Sarthou. Parenteau stopped six of seven shots in 17:36, after Sarthou was beaten four times on 23 shots in 44:29. . . . Everett got 39 saves from Mario Petit. . . . Tri-City was 1-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-5. . . . The Silvertips rested D Noah Juulsen, D Lucas Skrumeda, F Dominic Zwerger, F Patrick Bajkov and F Matt Fonteyne. . . . Everett F Devon Skoleski left early with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Silvertips (44-16-12) won the U.S. Division and Western Conference titles and will meet the Victoria Royals, the conference’s second wild-card entry, in the first round. . . . Everett finished with points in its last four games (3-0-1). . . . The Americans (41-28-3) played three games in fewer than 48 hours to close out the regular season. They won all three, twice in OT and once in a shootout. . . .. . . . Announced attendance: 4,190.
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END OF REGULAR SEASON

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Nanaimo has memorandum of understanding with WHL . . . 'Tips forward needs surgery . . . Engele, Lauer hall of famers


G Tomáš Vošvrda (Medicine Hat, 2007-08) has signed a two-year extension with Bayreuth (Germany, DEL2). In 36 games, he is 2.65 and .929. . . . 
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) has signed a one-year extension with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he has 19 goals and 23 assists in 38 games with Znojmo. He started the season with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga), scoring four goals in 11 games.
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 Tracy Samra, the chief administrative officer for the City of Nanaimo, told city council on Monday that “we have a memorandum of understanding with the WHL.”
That would indicate that all is in readiness for a franchise to begin play in the Vancouver Island city next season, depending on the outcome of a March 11 referendum.
“That memorandum sets forward condition precedents that have to happen for the WHL to award a
franchise to play in the City of Nanaimo,” Samra told council.
She went on to say that “there are a number of conditions in that memorandum of understanding. They relate to key decisions that council will have to make if there is a yes vote.”
Taxpayers of Nanaimo will vote in a referendum on March 11 as the city asks for the OK to borrow $80 million in order to build an events centre.
In addressing council, Samra added:
“There is a negotiation that has to take place between the city and the new owners of a franchise for the WHL. One of the things that the city has made very clear in its discussions with the WHL is that we are looking for a 20-year long-term commitment of a WHL franchise to this community. That will be part of the negotiations with a facility lease and license agreement.”
Samra seemed to indicate that there is a WHL franchise out there that has new owners with whom Nanaimo will be negotiating. Or perhaps this is simply an indication that the City of Nanaimo has been told by the WHL that there will be new owners for a franchise and those owners will be involved in negotiations.
Of course, if the March 11 vote is “YES” and no one steps forward in an attempt to purchase the Kootenay Ice, the WHL could always buy the franchise and operate it until new owners are found.
There is precedent within the WHL for that kind of move. In 1995, the WHL bought the Regina Pats from a local group who had planned to sell it to the Ochapowace First Nation for $1.7 million. The WHL later sold the franchise to Diane and Russ Parker of Calgary in time for the 1995-96 season.
The Ice has been for sale since 2012 and is believed to be the only franchise that is on the market at this point in time.
Jeff Chynoweth, the governor, president and general manager of the Ice, couldn’t be reached for comment last night.
Samra also made it clear that the construction of an events centre is based on having a WHL team as the main tenant.
“(A) feasibility and business case study for the events centre is premised on having an anchor tenant,” she said. “The anchor tenant would be the WHL. If there is no WHL team there is no anchor and the business case for the events centre is not made.”
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Kevin Constantine, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, revealed on Wednesday that F Orrin Centazzo won’t play again this season. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald reported that Centazzo has a broken collarbone and will be undergoing surgery.
Centazzo was injured on Friday when he absorbed an open-ice hit from Prince Albert F Kolby Johnson during a 3-1 victory over the host Raiders. Johnson was suspended for three games.
There was some controversy involved, as Johnson originally was given a minor penalty that minutes later was changed to a major, something that didn’t sit well with the Raiders. They later were fined $500 for not providing adequate security at the officials’ exit.
“I think the refs, when they initially made the call, saw our player get up and come off the ice and assumed there was no injury and made a two-minute call,” Constantine told Geleynse. “I can’t tell you why. I saw there was two minutes up there, we had a discussion with the refs and I think they talked it over further and realized that the player had been injured on the play, which I don’t think they had factored into their decision at the time of the call.”
Centazzo, from Marwayne, Alta., was a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2015 bantam draft. A freshman with the Silvertips, he had four goals and five assists in 41 games.
With Centazzo out, the Silvertips have added F Keith Anderson, 19, to their roster. Anderson has played 39 WHL games, 33 of those last season, all with the Victoria Royals. He had a goal and five assists in those games.
Anderson, from Hermiston, Ore., has been with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs, putting up four goals and four assists in 29 games.
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Jerome Engele and Brad Lauer, two men with ties to the WHL, will be among the inductees into the Humboldt and District Sports Hall of Fame on June 24. . . . Engele is from Carmel, a small town just west of Humboldt. He began his hockey career in Humboldt. Engele was a hard-nosed defenceman for five seasons with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a pro career. He later joined the Saskatoon Police Service, retiring as an Inspector in 2015 after 35 years. Through a lot of that time, he served as an assistant coach with the Blades, something he continues to do. . . . Lauer, who was born and raised in Humboldt, played three seasons with the Regina Pats before moving to the pro ranks. He now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . The 2007-08 Humboldt Broncos, who won a national junior A championship, also will be inducted. Their head coach was Dean Brockman, who now is the Blades’ head coach.
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F Crisitiano DeGiacinto, 20, of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires has been suspended for 10 games after taking a headshot major and game misconduct on Sunday. DeGiacinto hit Nic Sicoly of the Guelph Storm, who was bleeding after the hit but returned to the game.
Ted Baker, the OHL vice-president who deals in discipline, admitted that DeGiacinto didn’t “intentionally target the head.” Not only that, Baker said, “he didn’t leave his feet or put his elbow up, but there is contact to the head.”
As Baker reasoned: “Although it was an attempt at a legal body check, there is no tolerance for checking to the head and he is a repeat offender.” Baker said when you factor in all of that, the result is a 10-game suspension.
DiGiacinto drew an eight-game suspension for a headshot major in January 2016. He also was suspended for five games during the 2013-14 playoffs for what was termed bullying after he chased down an opponent and instigated a fight.
In the WHL this season, the longest suspension involving a checking-to-the-head penalty has been five games. That went to F Carter Folk, then of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, from an incident during an exhibition game.
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ECHLDrake Berehowsky, the head coach of the Orlando Solar Bears, suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday night and has had to take a leave of absence from the ECHL club.
“Drake was taken to Florida Hospital where he is receiving medical treatment,” Joe Haleski, the franchise’s chairman and CEO, said in a news release. “I have spoken with Drake and he is in good spirits and eager to get back behind the bench as soon as he receives medical clearance to do so.”
Berehowsky, 45, was the Solar Bears’ head coach in 2012-13. He left to take over as head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he spent two seasons. He signed on as an associate coach with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves last season. He started this season there, but left to take over as Orlando’s head coach on Nov. 14.
While Berehowsky is away, assistant coach John Snowden will run the team. Snowden was in charge last night as the Solar Bears beat the visiting Atlanta Gladiators, 4-0.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his weekly 30 Thoughts on Wednesday. He speculates on Sidney Crosby’s legacy and touches on a whole lot more. It’s all right here.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, the Hitmen watched a 3-0 lead disappear before they were able to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3 in a shootout. . . . The Hitmen have appeared in a franchise-record 21 OT games this season.
BRADY REAGAN
Calgary and Brandon (18) are 1-2 in OT appearances this season. . . . The Regina Pats led the WHL last season by going to OT 20 times. . . . The single-season record for most OT games (23) is shared by the Moose Jaw Warriors (2007-08) and Swift Current Broncos (2005-06) . . . F Beck Malenstyn (11) gave Calgary a 1-0 led at 4:46 of the first period and F Andrei Grishakov upped it to 2-0 at 11:31 with his seventh goal. . . . F Matteo Gennaro’s 35th score left the Hitmen with a 3-0 lead at 1:02 of the second period. . . . F Nolan Patrick got Brandon started with No. 15, at 5:53, and D Kale Clague’s fifth goal, on PP, at 9:08, got the visitors to within a goal. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it when F Reid Duke scored his 34th at 6:41 of the third period. . . . Calgary’s first two shootout shooters — F Jakob Stukel and F Jake Kryski — both scored, while Duke and Patrick were blanked. . . . Calgary got two assists from D Brady Reagan and one each from Stukel and Kryski. . . . Duke and Patrick had an assist each. . . . Calgary G Trevor Martin stopped 29 shots through OT, while Brandon G Travis Child turned aside 21. . . . The Wheat Kings were 1-4 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-2. . . . The Hitmen (23-26-10) have points in five straight (4-0-1). They have moved past Saskatoon and now are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-23-9) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). They hold down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . It was the annual BE BRAVE anti-bullying game and began at 11 a.m. . . . Announced attendance: 10,896.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets unleashed a 53-shot attack as they beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 10-1. . . . One night earlier, the Oil Kings were beaten, 7-0, by the Blazers in Kamloops. . . . The Rockets held a 37-10
ROD SOUTHAM
edge in shots after two periods. . . . Kelowna took a 4-0 lead into the third period where it struck for six goals. . . . F Rod Southam, the Rockets’ captain, scored three times, giving him 13 goals this season. He made it 4-0 at 3:39 of the second period, then completed his first WHL hat trick by scoring at 17:19 and 17:56, the latter on a PP, of the third period. . . . Kelowna’s other goals came from F Nick Merkley (20), F Carsen Twarynski (12), F Tomas Soustal (17), F Dillon Dube (9), D Lucas Johansen (5), F Kyle Topping (11) and F Kole Lind (27). . . . The Rockets got four assists from D James Hilsendager and two from each of Dillon, D Devante Stephens and F Nolan Foote. Johansen, Soustal, Lind, Southam and Twarynski added one each. . . . F Davis Koch (19) scored for Edmonton at 9:34 of the third period. . . . G Brodan Salmond blocked 14 shots for the Rockets. . . . Edmonton starter Patrick Dea gave up eight goals on 48 shots in 53:27. Josh Dechaine finished up, stopping three of five shots in 6:32. . . . Kelowna was 3-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (35-20-5) have points in six straight (5-0-1). They are third in the B.C. Division five points behind Kamloops with two games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (20-36-5) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . Edmonton has been outscored 24-5 in its past three games. Next up is a Friday-Saturday doubleheader in Prince George against the Cougars. . . . Announced attendance: 5,155.


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At Lethbridge, the Moose Jaw Warriors opened up a 3-0 lead en route to a 3-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Warriors clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Despite the loss, the Hurricanes also clinched a playoff spot. They actually had the spot
BRANDEN KLATT
wrapped up before their game ended because the Saskatoon Blades lost their game. . . . F Tanner Jeannot’s 15th goal got the Warriors on the scoreboard at 9:54 of the first period. . . . F Spencer Bast’s ninth goal made it 2-0 just 55 seconds later. . . . F Thomas Foster added more insurance with his 17th goal 20 seconds into the second period. . . . F Jordy Bellerive scored for Lethbridge, getting No. 24 at 12:52 of the third period. . . . F Branden Klatt has two assists for the Warriors, with Bast and Foster adding one each. . . . Klatt has two goals and four assists over his past four games. That gives him 12 points, including 10 assists, in 20 games since coming over from the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Warriors got 32 saves from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots at the other end. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-6 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-3. . . . Moose Jaw (36-17-8) has won four in a row. They are headed to a second-place finish in the East Division as they are 13 points behind Regina and 10 in front of Swift Current. . . . The Hurricanes (36-17-7) had won their previous three games. They are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat and 21 ahead of Red Deer. . . . Announced attendance: 4,521.
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At Saskatoon, the Regina Pats scored the game’s first four goals and went on to post a 4-1 victory over the Blades. . . . F Nick Henry got Regina started with the 29th goal of his freshman season at 9:32 of the
NICK HENRY
first period, on a PP. . . . F Adam Brooks made it 2-0, on another PP, at 5:39 of the second, with F Dawson Leedahl getting his 30th goal, on yet another PP, at 10:55. Leedahl is the Pats’ third 30-goal man this season. . . . F Braydon Buziak’s eighth goal, at 8:45 of the third period, gave Regina a 4-0 lead. . . . F Michael Farren (5) scored for the Blades, on a PP, at 13:26 of the third period. . . . Brooks, who won the WHL scoring title with 120 points last season, also had an assist as he became the second player this season to get to 100 points. Teammate Sam Steel had one assist, running his WHL-leading points total to 106. . . . Henry also added an assist to his goal. He has 67 points in 59 games. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 15 shots in his 40th start this season. He is 26-6-6. . . . The Blades got 43 saves from G Brock Hamm. . . . The visitors held a 35-9 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Regina was 3-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-4. . . . The Blades had F Braylon Shmyr back in the lineup. He had been out since Feb. 4. F Caleb Fantillo, who suffered an injury in practice last week, also returned. . . .  Regina had F Cole Muir make his WHL debut. Muir, who turned 16 on Feb. 14, is from Vista, Man., and has been playing for the midget AAA Yellowhead Chiefs. He was a second-round pick by the Pats in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. . . . Regina (43-9-7) has won two in a row and leads the overall standings by eight points over Medicine Hat. . . . The Blades (23-29-8) have lost five straight (0-3-2) and now are two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,782.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Jordan Topping scored three times and added an assist to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Americans took a 3-0 lead into the
JORDAN TOPPING
second period and never trailed although the Winterhawks twice whittled the deficit to one. . . . Topping, who has 21 goals, provided a 2-0 lead with PP goals at 5:38 and 9:20 of the first period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon made it 3-0 with No 10 at 13:37. . . . Portland got to within a goal on second-period goals from F Keegan Iverson (18), on a PP at 3:45, and F Evan Weinger, at 5:03. . . . Topping completed his hat trick at 17:59, for a 4-2 lead. . . . F Kyle Olson (15) put the Americans up by three goals at 18:53. . . . Weinger added his 20th goal, at 19:55, and F Ryan Hughes’ 25th goal, at 3:08 of the third period, pulled the visitors to within a goal, at 5-4. . . . F Austyn Playfair’s first goal of the season provided the Americans with some insurance at 13:16. . . . The Americans got two assists from D Juuso Valimaki and one from Olson. . . . D Caleb Jones drew two helpers for Portland. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 41 shots. . . . Portland started Cole Kehler in goal, but he left after allowing three goals on 11 shots in 13:37. Shane Farkas finished up, stopping 15 of 18 shots in 44:37. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-3. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen sat out his eighth straight game. The Americans lost the first three without him, but now have won five in a row. . . . Tri-City (36-23-3) has won five straight games. It is third in the U.S. Division, six points behind Seattle and seven ahead of Portland. . . . Portland (32-25-4) has lost three in a row (0-2-1). It holds the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 2,604.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Victoria vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:31 PM
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Sunday, January 15, 2017

Big day for Shirleys . . . Ex-WHL tough guy dies at 56 . . . Americans run table in East Division


Yes, Craig Cunningham, who played in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants and Portland Winterhawks, was in attendance at an AHL game in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday night. It was the first game he has attended since suffering a heart attack during the pregame warmup on Nov 19. That is former Everett Silvertips GM Doug Soetaert, now the general manager of the Tucson Roadrunners, at the left.
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Collin Shirley was all smiles late Saturday night, and it wasn’t all because the Kamloops Blazers captain had scored once and added two assists in a 6-3 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants.
A lot of it was because his younger sister, Sophie, had been named the event’s top forward at the IIHF U-18 World Women’s Championship that concluded Saturday in Zlin, Czech Republic. Team USA beat Canada, 3-1, in the final.
Sophie, 17, finished the tournament with two goals and four assists in five games, tying with three others for the tournament scoring lead.
“She’s good,” Collin, 20, said. “She’s a really good skater and a skilled player. She’s really fast and skilled.”
With a laugh, he added: “It was tough to go home (to Saskatoon) at Christmas time and have her give it to me.”
It didn’t take any prodding to get Collin to admit that he’s awfully proud of his sister. His schedule only allowed him to take in part of one game during the U-18 tournament. But, as luck would have it, he picked the right one, Friday’s semifinal in which Sophie had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 victory over Sweden.
“When ever I get a chance to watch her it’s fun to see how far she’s come over the past two years,” he said. “It’s awesome.”
It’s worth noting that there’s another Shirley who’s a pretty fair player, too. That would be Grace, 15, who has 25 points, including 12 goals, in 20 games with the Saskatoon Stars of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.
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Boris Fistric, who won a Memorial Cup championship with Ernie McLean’s New Westminster Bruins died Friday night in an Edmonton hospital. He was 56.
BORIS FISTRIC
Fistric died of a brain hemorrhage after falling on steps at home and striking his head.
He had worked at Edmonton Exchanger for 32 years.
As per Fistric’s wishes, there won’t be a memorial service.
Fistric, an Edmonton native, played two-plus seasons with the Bruins, totalling 27 goals, 76 assists and 973 penalty minutes — he had seasons of 414 and 460 minutes — in 143 games.
He helped the Bruins to the 1978 WHL championship and Memorial Cup title. In the regular season, he had nine goals, 34 assists and 414 penalty minutes. In 21 playoff games, he had three goals and 16 assists, along with 142 penalty minutes.
He was traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings early in 1979-80, where he had a goal, eight assists and 164 penalty minutes in 23 games.
Fistric, 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, was vastly under-rated as a passer, perhaps because his propensity for taking penalties over-shadowed that part of his game.
He was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the NHL’s 1979 draft.
Fistric played two seasons with their IHL farm team, the Kalamazoo Wings, totalling 15 goals, 57 assists and 788 penalty minutes in 140 regular-season games. He added two assists and 109 penalty minutes in 10 playoff games.
He retired after the 1981-82 season.
Fistric’s son, Marc, played four seasons (2002-06) with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants before going on to a pro career that included 325 NHL games. A hard-hitting defenceman, Marc’s season was halted by back problems after the 2014-15 season.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, G Travis Child stopped 18 shots to earn a shutout in his first start with the Wheat Kings as
TRAVIS CHILD
they beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . Child was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos at the trade deadline on Tuesday. . . . He has two shutouts this season, the first two of his career. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the visiting Ice, 8-3, on Friday night. . . . F Ryan Bettens (2) opened the scoring at 12:31 of the first period, with F Connor Gutenberg (9) making it 2-0 at 7:57 of the second. . . . F Reid Duke (25) added another at 14:53, with D Daniel Bukac rounding out the scoring with his first WHL goal, on a PP, at 17:16 of the second. . . . D Kale Clague had two assists. . . . G Payton Lee turned aside 39 shots for the Ice. . . . Brandon was 1-6 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-3. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick went pointless in his second game back. . . . F Vince Loschiavo, who scored one of the Ice’s goals on Friday night, was scratched from this one. . . . Brandon (22-17-4) has won two in a row. The Wheat Kings hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, eight points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Kootenay (10-27-8) has lost three straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,045.
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At Calgary, the Prince George Cougars scored three times in the third period and beat the Hitmen, 5-4. . .
TY EDMONDS
. Calgary took a 3-2 lead into the third. . . . Prince George F Jansen Harkins, who has 12 goals, scored at 7:20 and 12:54 to put his side oiut front, 4-3. . . . F Radovan Bondra upped that to 5-3 with his 21st goal at 17:24. . . . Calgary F Beck Malenstyn (18) got it back to within one at 18:39. . . . F Josh Maser (3) had given the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 2:10 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Mark Kastelic’s eighth goal, at 10:47. . . . Prince George went back out front when F Brad Morrison scored his 17th goal at 13:54. . . . The Hitmen took the lead on second-period goals from F Jakob Stukel (14), at 8:10, and D Jake Bean (3), on a PP, at 19:23. . . . Bondra also had two assists. . . . The Hitmen got three assists from D Vladislav Yeryomenko and one from Bean. . . . G Ty Edmonds blocked 47 shots for the Cougars in winning his 24th game this season. His 93 career victories are three off the franchise record held by Scott Myers. . . . G Trevor Martin stopped 24 shots for Calgary. . . . Calgary was 1-5 on the PP; Prince George was 0-3 on the PP. . . . Prince George F Jesse Gabrielle was hit with a cross-checking major and game misconduct at the end of the third period. . . . The Cougars went 3-1-0 in playing four games in five nights in Alberta. . . . The Cougars scratched D Sam Ruopp and D Tate Olson, both with undisclosed injuries, and F Aaron Boyd (ill). . . . Prince George (31-12-2) has won three in a row and is atop the overall standings, one point ahead of Regina, although the Pats have five games in hand. . . . The Hitmen (15-20-6) had points in each of their previous two games (1-0-1). They are within four points of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,607.
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At Everett, F Keegan Kolesar’s goal at 4:44 of OT gave the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the
KEEGAN KOLESAR
Silvertips. . . . Kolesar has seven goals this season. . . . Seattle took a 2-0 lead on second-period goals from D Ethan Bear (12), at 8:22, and F Alexander True (11), at 8:46. . . . F Matthew Wedman drew the primary assist on each of those goals. . . . The Silvertips tied it on goals from F Connor Dewar (7), at 10:07, and F Eetu Tuulola (11), at 12:20. . . . Seattle went back out front at 15:32 of the third period when F Mathew Barzal scored his third goal of the season, beating Everett G Carter Hart through the legs. The two were teammates on Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. . . . Everett forced OT when F Matt Fonteyne got No. 13 at 17:23. . . . Bear and Barzal also had an assist each. . . . Seattle got 28 saves from G Rylan Toth, while Hart stopped 34 at the other end. . . . The Thunderbirds were 0-1 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-3. . . . Seattle (22-14-4) has won four in a row and is third in the U.S. Division, three points ahead of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Everett (27-5-8) has points in four straight (2-0-2). It leads the U.S. Division by three points over the Tri-City Americans. The Silvertips have eight games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 8,249, a sellout on Local Heroes Night.
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At Kamloops, line mates Collin Shirley and Lane Bauer combined for a goal and five assists as the Blazers doubled the Vancouver Giants, 6-3. . . . Shirley had a goal and two assists, while Bauer drew
JOE GATENBY
three helpers. Nick Chyzowski, the third member of that line, scored once. . . . The Blazers took a 3-0 first-period lead on goals from F Deven Sideroff (25), Chyzowski (13) and F Rudolfs Balcers (23). . . . F Brendan Semchuk, who is from Kamloops, scored his seventh for the Giants, at 3:59 of the second period. . . . The Blazers jumped back into control on two goals from D Joe Gatenby, at 15:59 of the second period and 3:22 of the third. The latter came via the PP. . . . Gatenby went into this season with five goals in 174 regular-season games, all with the Kelowna Rockets. He has five goals in 44 games with the Blazers, including the first two two-goal games of his career. . . . Vancouver opened the third period with goals from F Brayden Watts,  his fifth, and F Ty Ronning, his 18th, at 5:00 and 10:51. . . . Shirley iced it with a highlight-reel shorthanded score at 14:19. He’s got 18 goals. . . . Balcers and Sideroff added an assist each. . . . F James Malm had three assists for Vancouver, with Watts adding two to his goal. Ronning had one assist. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson, making his 15th straight start, stopped 25 shots. G Connor Ingram, who hasn’t played since being with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, should rejoin the Blazers before they entertain the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck stopped 28 shots. . . . Kamloops was 1-3 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Blazers (26-16-3) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for second in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (16-25-3) have lost five in a row. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson missed his sixth straight game with what was said on Jan. 4 to be a minor injury. . . . Announced attendance: 3,923.
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At Lethbridge, F Alec Baer scored two goals for the second time in three games to help the Hurricanes to a 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Baer had three goals in 39 games with the Vancouver
ALEC BAER
Giants. He has four in three games since being dealt to Lethbridge. . . . The Oil Kings got three goals from F Colton Kehler, who has 14 scores. . . . Lethbridge scored the game’s first three goals, with Baer counting at 1:25 and D Brennan Riddle (4) at 16:00 of the first period, and F Tyler Wong getting No. 31, and the 250th point of his career, at 2:15 of the second. . . . Kehler got his first goal, on a PP, at 3:50. . . . Baer put the home boys up by three again, at 6:34. . . . Kehler answered that one, on a PP, at 19:14. . . . F Egor Babenko (15) scored for Lethbridge at 2:43 of the third period, but Edmonton F Trey Fix-Wolansky replied with his 12th, at 3:01. . . . Lethbridge F Giorgio Estephan’s 22nd goal, at 5:38, ended up being the winner. It also was his 200th career point. . . . The Oil Kings got close as Kehler completed the hat trick at 10:09 and D Conner McDonald (3) scored at 18:32. . . . Lethbridge F Zak Zborosky had two assists, with Wong and Babenko adding one each. . . . Edmonton got two assists from each of D Will Warm and F Davis Koch, with Fix-Wolansky getting one. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist stopped 29 shots for the Hurricanes, nine more than Edmonton’s Patrick Dea. . . . Edmonton was 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-5. . . . D Matthew Robertson made his WHL debut with the Oil Kings. He was their first-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. He was brought in from the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Lethbridge (24-15-6) has points in five straight (4-0-1) and is second in the Central Division. . . . Edmonton (18-22-4) has lost five in a row and now is tied with the Saskatoon Blades for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,577.
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At Portland, F JareT Anderson-Dolan scored two goals and set up another, and F Keanu Yamamoto had two goals as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Winterhawks, 6-5. . . . The Winterhawks had beaten the host
JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN
Chiefs, 5-4, on Friday night. . . . Last night, F Riley Woods (8) gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 1:24 of the first period. . . . Portland F Skyler McKenzie tied it with his 27th goal at 1:55. . . . The Chiefs scored the next three goals, with Anderson-Dolan counting at 9:01, Yamamoto scoring at 9:55 and F Eli Zummack (3) scoring, on a PP, at 4:11 of the second period. . . . The Winterhawks replied with three straight goals. F Alex Overhardt (6) scored on a PP at 5:36, with F Ryan Hughes (16) getting the Winterhawks to within one at 6:13 and McKenzie tying it at 8:26. . . . The Chiefs went up by two as Yamamoto got No. 18 at 11:57 and Anderson-Dolan scored his 22nd at 11:57 of the third. . . . (I wonder how often that happens? The same team scores back-to-back goals at the identical time in back-to-back periods.) . . . F Cody Glass (21) pulled Portland back to within a goal at 18:34. . . . Woods and Zummack each had an assist for Spokane. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld had two assists for Portland, with Glass and Overhardt each getting one. . . . The Chiefs got 38 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler was beaten three times on five shots in 9:55. Shane Farkas finished up in his WHL debut, allowing three goals on 20 shots in 48:04. Farkas, who turned 18 on Thursday, is from Penticton, B.C. . . . This was the fourth meeting of eight this season between these teams. Portland now is 3-1-0, while the Chiefs are 1-2-1. . . . Hughes has a goal in each of the four games. . . . F Keegan Iverson, the team captain, was among the Portland scratches after he didn’t finish Friday’s game due to an undisclosed injury. . . . The Chiefs (18-19-7) had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). They are two points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Winterhawks (22-19-1) are in possession of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot but are just two points ahead of Spokane. . . . Announced attendance: 7,005. . . . F Matt Revel, acquired by the Winterhawks from the Kamloops Blazers at the trade deadline, is scheduled to travel to Portland on Jan. 22. Revel, 20, has been out since Dec. 10 with a collarbone injury that is expected to keep out until some time in February.
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At Regina, F Adam Brooks scored the game’s last two goals to give the Pats a 7-6 OT victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Brooks tied the game with 8.6 seconds left to play and won it 18 seconds into
ADAM BROOKS
OT. The winner was the 100th goal of his career. . . . He finished with two goals, giving him 24, and an assist. . . . The Raiders actually led this one 4-0 after one period on two goals from F Carson Miller, who has seven, and singletons from F Curtis Miske (8) and F Jordy Stallard (10). Miller’s first goal and Stallard’s score came via the PP. . . . Regina got back into it with three straight second-period goals — F Bryan Lockner got his third, and second in two nights, while F Jeff de Wit got No, 5 and F Dawson Leedahl got his 18th. . . . F Parker Kelly’s shorthanded goal restored Prince Albert’s two-goal lead at 6:43 of the third period. He’s got seven goals. . . . Regina F Nick Henry’s 21st goal, on a PP, pulled the home boys back to within one, at 7:48. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe (4) gave them a 6-4 lead at 10:08. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn (17) scored for Regina at 12:09, setting the stage for Brooks’ heroics. . . . Regina got three assists from F Sam Steel, two from D Josh Mahura, and one from de Wit. . . . Steel and Brooks are tied for the WHL scoring lead, each with 73 points. . . . D Vojtech Budik had two assists for the Raiders, with Miller adding one for a three-point night. . . . G Kurtis Chapman, up from the MJHL’s Portage Terriers, made his first career WHL started for Regina and gave up four goals on 13 shots in 20 minutes. He was backed up by Max Paddock, who plays for the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings. Paddock, a nephew to Regina GM/head coach John Paddock, came on in relief and posted his first WHL victory by stopping 13 of 15 shots. . . . The Pats are down to the third and fourth goaltenders on their depth chart. Starter Tyler Brown went out with an undisclosed injury during Friday’s 6-5 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. Backup Jordan Hollett has been out with an ankle injury since before Christmas. . . . The Raiders got 29 saves from Nic Sanders. . . . Prince Albert was 2-5 on the PP; Regina was 1-2. . . . When the Raiders went up 4-0, it meant that the Pats had given up nine straight goals. The Tri-City Americans had scored the game’s last five goals in a 6-5 victory in Regina on Friday. . . . D Connor Hobbs and F Filip Ahl were among Regina’s scratches. . . . The Raiders were without F Simon Stransky, who left Friday’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Red Deer Rebels after absorbing a third-period hit from D Brandon Schuldaus. . . . Regina (28-5-7) had lost its previous two games. It is second in the overall standings, one point behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . Prince Albert (8-33-5) has lost nine in a row (0-6-3). . . . Announced attendance: 5,127.
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At Saskatoon, F Lukus MacKenzie’s shorthanded goal broke a 2-2 tie at 6:58 of the third period and the Blades went on to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . MacKenzie has six goals. . . . F Michael Farren’s fourth goal, on a PP, gave Saskatoon a 1-0 lead at 3:37 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei then scored twice, giving him 19, at 7:04 and 15:08 of the second period, for a 2-1 lead. . . . The Blades tied it on F Gage Ramsay’s sixth goal, on a PP, at 2:18 of the third period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk added insurance for the Blades, his 17th goal going into an empty net at 19:43. . . . Farren also had an assist. . . . F Adam Musil had two helpers for the Rebels. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 20 shots for the Blades, one more than Red Deer’s Lasse Petersen. . . . Saskatoon was 2-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-1. . . . The Blades (17-22-6) have won two in a row and are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Rebels (20-18-6) had won their previous two games. They are third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,173.
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At Swift Current, F Jordan Topping and F Morgan Geekie scored shootout goals to give Tri-City a 4-3
JORDAN TOPPING
victory over the Broncos, allowing the Americans to run the table on their East Division trip. . . . F Ryley Lindgren’s 15th goal, his first since coming over to the Broncos from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier in the week, opened the scoring 25 seconds into the game. . . . F Jordan Topping gave the visitors a 2-1 lead with goals at 9:39 of the first and 9:38 of the second. . . . F Glenn Gawdin (16) and F Tyler Steenbergen (33) put the Broncos back out front by scoring at 1:10 and 6:07 of the third. . . . Geekie’s 25th goal, at 15:04 of the third, on a PP, forced OT. . . . Topping scored in the second round of the circus, with Lindgren replying for the Broncos. Geekie’s third-round goal won it. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had two assists for Swift Current and Steenbergen added one to his goal. . . . Tri-City got 28 stops from G Rylan Parenteau, while Jordan Papirny stopped 29 at the other end. . . . Tri-City was 2-5 on the PP; Swift Current 0-6. . . . The Americans (28-17-3) have won six in a row. They are second in the U.S. Division, 11 points ahead of Seattle, which holds eight games in hand. . . . The Broncos (24-13-8) have lost two straight (0-1-1). They are third in the East Division, three points behind the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Announced attendance: 2,080.
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At Victoria, G Griffen Outhouse stopped 36 shots to lead the Royals to a 3-0 victory over the Moose Jaw
GRIFFEN OUTHOUSE
Warriors. . . . Outhouse turned aside 11 shots in the first period and 15 in the third as he posted his third shutout this season and the seventh of his career, which is in its second season. . . . Outhouse also won his 23rd game this season as he improved his career record to 41-18-7. . . . F Tyler Soy opened the scoring with his 18th goal, at 12:26 of the first period. . . . Victoria went up 2-0 when F Vladimir Bobylev (4) struck on a PP, at 2:26 of the second period. . . . F Matt Phillips got No. 28 at 19:35 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko stopped 27 shots. . . . The Royals were 1-5 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-5. . . . Victoria (23-18-4) had lost its previous three games. It holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Moose Jaw (26-11-7) is 1-1-0 on its B.C. Division tour. The Warriors remain second in the East Division, four points behind the Regina Pats and three ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 5,275.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Calgary, 4 p.m.
Regina at Prince Albert, 4 p.m.
Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Red Deer at Swift Current, 4 p.m.

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