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F Josh Nicholls (Saskatoon, 2008-13) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), he had 11 goals and 21 assists in 30 games. . . .
F Denis Rehák (Prince George, 2003-04) has transferred from Žilina to Nové Zámky (both Slovakia, Extraliga). Details of the move weren’t disclosed. He had a goal and six assists in 46 games with Žilina. . . .
F Štěpán Novotný (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) was transferred from Žilina to Nové Zámky (both Slovakia, Extraliga). Details weren’t disclosed. He had six goals and eight assists in 20 games with Žilina.
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F Jordy Stallard of the Prince Albert Raiders underwent shoulder surgery on Monday and won’t play
again this season. He is expected to be ready for the opening of training camp in August.
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| JORDY STALLARD |
Stallard, a 19-year-old from Brandon, was injured in a game against the host Calgary Hitmen on Jan. 22.
The Raiders acquired Stallard from the Hitmen on Jan. 10. He had 10 points, including six goals, in eight games with Prince Albert. He had put up four goals and three assists in his last four games.
He finished this season with 37 points, 14 of them goals, in 40 games.
Stallard was a fifth-round selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2016 draft.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: The WHL handed out four games in suspensions and $1,250 in fines following weekend games. . . . F Cameron Hausinger of the Red Deer Rebels received a two-game suspension for a hit on Blades D Jake Kustra in Saskatoon on Saturday night. Hausinger had been given a headshot major and game misconduct, but the penalty later was changed to a charging major. Kustra, who was taken from the ice on a stretcher and was taken to hospital, was left with a facial laceration and a brain injury. He is out indefinitely. . . . Red Deer D Colton Bobyk, who levelled Blades F Braylon Shmyr later in that same game, wasn’t disciplined. Shmyr also has a brain injury and will be out indefinitely. . . . F Jeff de Wit of the Regina Pats was given two games after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Blades D Mark Rubinchik in Saskatoon on Friday night. Rubinchik wasn’t injured on the play. . . . Meanwhile, the Lethbridge Hurricanes were fined $750 and the Moose Jaw Warriors $500 for the line brawl that occurred during their game in Lethbridge on Saturday. It was the Hurricanes’ second such incident this season, thus the difference in fine amounts.
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Portland’s CW, a local television station, has apologized via its Facebook page to viewers after it pulled the plug prematurely on the telecast of a game between the Seattle Thunderbirds and host Winterhawks on Saturday night. With about three minutes left in a five-minute OT period, the clock struck 10 p.m., and the station switched to a newscast. The Winterhawks went on to win the game, 4-3 in a shootout.
“We sincerely apologize for the disruption in coverage of Saturday’s game,” read the apology issued by the station, “and are taking action now to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Thank you for your viewership!”
Nothing has been heard from the WHL, the Winterhawks or the Thunderbirds.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports in his weekly 30 Thoughts that “word at the CHL Top Prospects’ Game last week was that Regina’s Memorial Cup bid did not to unnoticed. The Saskatchewan capital is in the conversation.” . . . The lead to this week’s piece involves a junior B team in B.C. that is 0-40-3. It’s good stuff, as usual, and it’s all right here.
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Marko Kardum, a farmer in Central Saanich, B.C., was out clearing a little snow on Monday night when the police showed up. The fact that Kardum was driving a Zamboni may have something to with it. . . . Katie Derosa of the Victoria Times Colonist tracked him down and has his story 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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INJURY NOTES:
The WHL’s weekly roster report shows some of the league’s top players on the shelf, listed as being out either week-to-week or indefinitey, all with undisclosed injuries.
Noah Juulsen of the Everett Silvertips, one of the WHL’s top defencemen, is week-to-week, so likely won’t play on the East Division swing that opens Friday in Brandon. He last played on Jan. 20.
F Tomas Soustal of the Kelowna Rockets hasn’t played since Jan. 28 and also is shown as being out week-to-week.
F Noah Gregor of the Moose Jaw Warriors has been sidelined since Jan. 7 and is out week-to-week. He had 52 points, including 20 goals, in 42 games when he was injured.
D Brendan Guhle wasn’t in the Prince George Cougars lineup last night against the visiting Vancouver Giants. He won’t play tonight (Wednesday) either. He last played on Jan. 29.
F Scott Eansor of the Seattle Thunderbirds was day-to-day in last week’s roster report, but that was changed to week-to-week for the report issued Tuesday. He hasn’t played since Jan. 14.
F Braylon Shmyr of the Saskatoon Blades also is shown as being out week-to-week after suffering a brain injury in a game on Saturday night.
F Jake Leschyshyn of the Regina Pats is out indefinitely after apparently being injured on Friday in Saskatoon.
D Alexander Alexeyev of the Red Deer Rebels hasn’t played since Jan. 28 and won’t play again this season after undergoing surgery to repair an undisclosed lower-body injury last week.
The Vancouver Giants are listing F Tyler Benson (groin) as being out indefinitely. Benson last played on Jan. 2 and originally was said to have a minor injury.
Meanwhile, the Tri-City Americans revealed that D Seth Bafaro, a 16-year-old from Revelstoke, B.C., has been shut down for the season. He has a shoulder injury that requires surgery. Bafaro, with one assist in 28 games as a freshman, played on Jan. 28 and 29 after being out since Jan. 13.
Bafaro is the second defenceman the Americans have shut down this season. Tyler Jette, 18, suffered an "upper-body" injury and had his season end before he had played a game. The Americans announced on Jan. 24 that he was done, at least for now.
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Boys making the best out of a bad situation. #puteminacoffin #Strandbrook pic.twitter.com/usUgNP7cXS— Mark Rassell (@Mark_Rassell) February 7, 2017
The Medicine Hat Tigers were able to leave Cranbrook and head for home on Tuesday after behind snow-stayed since early Sunday morning. They were on their way home from Kennewick, Wash., after beating the Tri-City Americans, 6-5, on Saturday night when their progress was halted by highways closed due to a heavy snowfall.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
#WHL VAN/PG: @PGCougars Jesse Gabrielle takes home fifth 3-point game of season, collecting one in every month.— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) February 8, 2017
At Prince George, F Jesse Gabrielle had a goal and two assists to lead the Cougars to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Radovan Bondra, who was acquired from the Giants earlier in the season,
gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 9:36 of the first period. He’s got 26 goals, seven of them in 14 games with Prince George. . . . F Jack Flaman (13) pulled the Giants even at 8:10 of the second period. . . . F Jared Bethune snapped the tie with his 15th goal, at 13:47. . . . F Nikita Popugaev added insurance at 5:34 of the third period, with his 15th goal. . . . Gabrielle, who assisted on those last two goals, got No. 26 at 12:29. . . . Gabrielle now has 47 points in 45 games. . . . D Sam Ruopp had two assists for the Cougars, while Bethune added one to his goal. . . . The Cougars got 25 saves from G Nick McBride. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 29 shots. . . . The Giants were 0-2 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-3. . . . F Jansen Harkins and D Brendan Guhle were among the Cougars’ scratches. . . . The Cougars (37-16-3) had lost their previous two games. The are second in the overall standings, four points behind the Regina Pats. However, the Pats hold six games in hand. The Cougars also lead the B.C. Division by eight points over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants (17-32-5) have lost eight in a row (0-6-2). . . . These same teams will clash again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 2,511.
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| JESSE GABRIELLE |
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Tonight was 43rd meeting between Victoria/Chilliwack and Seattle. Only once, 12/16/14, has the game been decided by one goal in regulation.— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) February 8, 2017
At Victoria, F Ryan Gropp scored three times as the Seattle Thunderbirds skated past the Royals, 3-1. . . . Gropp’s third goal was his 18th this season and the 100th in 238 career games. It was Gropp’s first hat
trick this season and the fifth of his career. He had two last season when he scored a career-high 34 goals. . . . Gropp, a 20-year-old from Kamloops, gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 9:00 of the first period. . . . F Dante Hannoun’s 19th goal, on a PP at 18:36, tied it, 1-1. . . . Gropp struck for his second goal at 19:42 of the first and he completed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 18:59 of the third. . . . F Mathew Barzal drew assists on Gropp’s first two goals. . . . Victoria was 1-4 on the PP; Seattle was 0-3. . . . G Matt Berlin earned the victory with 17 saves. He is 5-0-2 in nine appearances with Seattle this season. . . . Victoria got 29 saves from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . The Thunderbirds had D Jake Lee make his WHL debut. From Sherwood Park, Alta., Lee was a first-round selection by Seattle in the 2016 bantam draft. He plays for the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . However, Seattle F Elijah Brown, a first-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft, left in the sec ond period with an apparent injury to his right leg. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker played in his 300th career regular-season game. He has played all 300 regular-season games with the Royals. He has 231 points, including 94 goals. Over the last two seasons, Walker has put up 139 points, including 60 goals, in 123 games. . . . The Thunderbirds (32-15-5) have points in nine straight games (8-0-1). They are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. Each team has played 52 games. Everett is scheduled to open a six-game East Division swing in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Royals (30-20-4) had a four-game winning streak end. They are tied with the Kelowna Rockets for third in the B.C. Division, five points behind Kamloops. . . . The teams will play again tonight in Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 3,085.
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| RYAN GROPP |
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Regina at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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Hunt, D Tye Hand, D Luke Fenske and D Colby Williams all have been out with “upper-body injuries.” Each of the players is believed to be concussed, with Hunt and Williams both out with their second concussions of this season. . . . The Pats have gone over the 300-game mark for man-games lost to injury and illness.
The Everett Silvertips have signed head scout Bil La Forge through the 2014-15 season. La Forge is in his fifth season with Everett and his second as the organizations’s head scout. La Forge, 38, also has worked for the Tri-City Americans and Lethbridge Hurricanes. La Forge, who is from Edmonton, is the son of the late Bill La Forge, who was a well-known junior hockey coach and coached in the WHL with the Regina Pats, Kamloops Blazers and Tri-City Americans.
In Kennewick, Wash., F Connor Rankin scored three times and added two assists as the Tri-City Americans got past the Kootenay Ice, 6-4. . . . The victory was the 40th of the season for the Americans, the seventh straight season in which they have done that. That equals the WHL record that is shared by the Kamloops Blazers (1989-96) and Regina Pats (1979-86). . . . The Americans are the only franchise to accomplished it with all seven seasons coming since the institution of the bantam draft. . . . “It’s a pretty special night,” Tri-City GM Bob Tory told me, “considering all the injuries this season. I am very proud of my players and our program.” . . . In reference to Tory, head coach Jim Hiller told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald: “I’m pretty happy for the guy who has done more work than anyone to make it happen.” . . . F Tyler Fraser made his WHL debut with the Americans, the ninth affiliated player to get into their lineup this season. . . . The Ice held a 3-2 lead halfway through the game. . . . Rankin, who got his 30th goal into an empty net, tied the score at 10:13 of the second and F Mitch Messier broke the tie 17 seconds into the third period. . . . Rankin scored at 14:56, before F Jaedon Descheneau got his 25th goal at 18:42. . . . Descheneau also had two assists. . . . Tr-City got a goal and two assists from each of Rankin’s linemates, Brian Williams and F Parker Bowles. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski, who set a single-season franchise record with his 58th appearance on March 1, played in his 61st game. The previous record had been shared by Clayton Pool (1998-99), Jeff Glass (2003-04) and Nathan Lieuwen (2011-12). . . . Tri-City G Troy Trombley stopped 33 shots in running his record to 8-2-0. . . . The Americans remain fourth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Ice is eighth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and six ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who have five games left. . . .
In Kamloops, F Cole Linaker broke a 2-2 tie at 9:15 of the third period to give the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Blazers. . . . Linaker has two goals this season. He scored his first on one on Dec. 30 in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . The Blazers, who had won their previous four games, led 2-0 at 6:09 of the first period but didn’t score again. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford scored his 20th goal and it was his 350th career point, leaving him sixth in franchise history. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell, who sat out a game after suffering a leg injury in Kamloops on Sunday, scored his 37th goal. . . . Kamloops continues to be without F Matt Needham, who hasn’t played since Feb. 15. . . . The Rockets can wrap up first place in the B.C. Division with a regulation-time victory over the Blazers tonight in Kelowna. . . . The Rockets, with 100 points, hold a five-point leave and Kamloops has three games remaining. . . . 
In Victoria, F Jack Walker broke a 3-3 tie at 4:26 of the third period as the Royals dropped the Vancouver Giants, 5-3. . . . The Royals had lost their previous 11 games. . . . Walker’s eighth goal of the season came off an assist from his older brother, Ben. . . . F Brandon Magee got his 30th goal for Victoria when he scored shorthanded at 7:36 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Alex Baer, a Minnesota high school star playing in his third WHL game, scored his first goal at 17:00 of the second period, pulling his side into a 3-3 tie. . . . Giants F Cain Franson had his 28th goal and two assists. . . . Victoria got two goals and an assist from Steven Hodges. He’s got 27 goals. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Eastern Conference and appear headed to a first-round matchup with Kamloops. . . .
In Brandon, F Henrik Samuelsson and F Stephane Legault scored in the circus as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . With the victory, Edmonton clinched its second straight Eastern Conference pennant. . . . Samuelsson was back after serving a two-game WHL suspension. . . . Legault had a goal, his 12th, and an assist in regulation time. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored with 36.7 seconds left in the third period to force OT. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 43 shots. . . . Edmonton has won five straight; Brandon has lost seven of eight. . . . The Oil Kings, who have four games remaining, have 48 victories, two shy of the franchise’s single-season record. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle, a 15-year-old who left the Minnesota high school ranks and joined the Wheat Kings earlier in the week, wasn’t in the lineup. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Josh Nicholls scored two shorthanded goals and added an assist as the Blades dropped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-3. . . . Nicholls has 44 goals. . . . The Blades scored the game’s first four goals. . . . F Boston Leier scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 17. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov turned aside 40 shots. . . . The Blades will win the East Division pennant and are one point behind the Calgary Hitmen, who are second in the Central Division and third in the Eastern Conference. The teams are reseeded by points after the first round. . . .
In Moose Jaw, Swift Current F Adam Lowry scored two first-period goals and the Broncos beat the Warriors, 2-1. . . . Lowry’s second goal, at 15:58, was his 200th career point. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon drew two assists. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 17 shots in his 22nd consecutive start. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen turned aside 25 shots. . . . 
In Regina, the Pats scored six times in the second period and dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-2. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice for Regina, giving him 37. . . . Regina F Mogan Klimchuk scored his 35th goal. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 28 shots. . . . Although he didn’t play last night, the Pats have added D Sean Whelan to their roster. He had been with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers and their season is over. . . . The Raiders, who have lost four in a row, can finish no higher than fifth in the Eastern Conference. They now are three points ahead of Swift Current. . . . Regina, which won’t make the playoffs, has won four of five. . . . 
In Red Deer, F Tyson Ness scored twice to help the Rebels to a 4-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s first three goals. . . . F Rhyse Dieno scored his 27th goal for the Rebels. . . . Ness has 17 goals. . . . F Brady Ramsay scored his 12th goal of the season for Lethbridge. He last scored on Jan. 1. He went 23 games between goals. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Graham Hood, their captain, who drew a two-game suspension for a hit on D Devan Fafard of the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night. . . . The Rebels, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference, will have home-ice advantage in the first round. They have three games remaining and are five points Calgary, which has yet to play five games. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs erased a 2-0 deficit and beat the Everett Silvertips, 6-3. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia scored three times and added an assist for the Chiefs. Bertaggia, who completed the hat trick into an empty, net, has 26 goals. . . . Everett F Brayden Low scored his first WHL goal in his 44th game. The 18-year-old from Richmond, B.C., has played in 39 games this season. He played five games with the Portland Winterhawks over the previous two seasons. . . . Everett held 2-0 and 3-2 leads. . . . Bertaggia tied it at 17:51 of the second and broke the tie at 6”30 of the third on the PP. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him 23. . . . The Chiefs are fifth in the Western Conference, a point behind Tri-City. . . . Everett is eighth, three points behind Seattle and four ahead of Everett. . . . Seattle and Everett each has four games remaining; Prince George has six games left. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Jake Mykitiuk scored in the circus to give the Prince George Cougars a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . D Taylor Green got his second goal of the season for Seattle, via the PP, at 15:30 of the first. . . . Cougars F Troy Bourke tied it with his 14th at 4:42 of the second. . . . Mykitiuk scored in the fifth round of the shootout. . . . The Thunderbirds are seventh in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Everett.
skating with the Rebels for a couple of weeks and took part in his first full-contact practice on Monday.
the Kamloops Blazers and Medicine Hat Tigers, had been Calgary’s director of business operations. This is Moore‘s 16th season in the WHL, his fifth with the Hitmen. . . According to a news release, “His hockey operations duties will be in addition to his current responsibilities of operating the business side of the organization.” . . . Kelly Kisio is the team’s general manager, executive vice-president and alternate governor.
The Dallas Stars have signed F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Peters, who turned 21 on Jan. 24, has 111 points in 313 career regular-season games with the Winterhawks. This season, he has 37 points in 62 games. Peters is one of the WHL’s top penalty-killing forwards and a superb defensive player. He also is a terrific faceoff man.
The New York Rangers have signed — or are close to signing — F Josh Nicholls of the Saskatoon Blades to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Nicholls was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft but never signed. This season, he has 73 points, including 41 goals, in 65 games. . . . Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted: “Nicholls contract with NYR is standard three-year entry level deal, listed with annual cap hit of $925K. Gets SB of $92.5K in each of 3 yrs.” . . . At the same time, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reported that Gerry Johannson, who is Nicholls’ agent, wouldn’t confirm a deal, but said he hoped to have something done today.
this season on Nov. 28 for his role in what the league called “a series of violations” of its regulations. . . . Kariya, according to a news release, “will oversee the team’s in-game video scouting, helping the coaching staff make adjustments between periods. He will also assist with players’ skill development at practices.” . . . Veteran assistant coach Kyle Gustafson handled the video work for the last number of seasons, but moved to the bench when assistant GM/assistant coach Travis Green moved up following Johnston’s suspension. . . . Kariya, who is from Vancouver, played at the U of Maine before going on to a pro career that included 65 games with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. He played in Europe before retiring after the 2009-10 season. . . . Johnston was on the Canucks’ coaching staff when Kariya played there.
In Calgary, D Eetu Laurikainen stopped 36 shots as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Hitmen, 3-1. . . . F Adam Lowry of the Broncos broke a 1-1 tie withhis 431st goal at 17:20 of the first period. . . . All four goals were scoed in the first period. . . . D Dillon Heatherington had two assists for the winners. . . . The Hitmen had D Alex Roach back in the lineup after he missed five games with a shoulder injury. . . . 
In Kennewick, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored two first-period goals and went on to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs scored his 23rd goal at 14:00 of the first and it stood up as the winner. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart got his 20th goal into an empty net. . . . Tri-City G Troy Trombley stopped 28 shots in losing for the first time in his seven straight starts. . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover also stopped 28 shtos. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser played in his 312th consecutive game, breaking the WHL record that had been held by D Dwayne Newman (Brandon, Victoria, 1987-92). . . . 
In Prince George, F Colin Smith had two goals and an assist as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . Smith’s first goal was the 100th of his career; the second one was his 40th of the season. . . . Smith has 99 points this season. . . . The Blazers are five points shy of the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who hold one game in hand. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford tied the franchise record for career regular-season games played (341). He should break the record he now shares with F C.J. Stretch (2005-10) tonight when the Blazers meet the visiting Vancouver Giants. . . . The Cougars took 87 of the game’s 164 penalty minutes, most of which came in the third period as things degenerated a bit. . . . 
In Vancouver, F Carter Popoff scored at 1:06 of OT to give the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Giants used the game to celebrate Gordie Howe’s 85th birthday (he actually turns 85 on March 31). . . . Lethbridge F Sam Mckechnie scored his 26th goal at 7:28 of the third to force extra time. . . . The Hurricanes had trailed 3-1 after the first period. . . . F Russell Maxwell scored twice for Lethbridge, giving him 21. . . . Popoff has 13 goals. . . . The Giants had F Alec Baer, 15, in the lineup for the first time. The Minnesotan was awarded a penalty shot at 17:33 of the third period, with the score tied 4-4. Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer, who stopped 31 shots, thwarted him. . . . The Giants revealed that D Reid Zalitach’s season is over. He suffered a knee injury in Wednesday’s 5-3 victory in Kamloops. . . . 
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