Two fans of the Red Deer Rebels
get married in Mexico.

THE MacBETH REPORT:F Max Brandl (Prince Albert, Portland, 2007-09) signed a one-year contract extension with the Landshut Cannibals (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had 11 goals and 19 assists in 47 games for the 2.Bundesliga champion Cannibals. . . .
D Ivan Barenka (Everett, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). He had five goals and 16 assists in 47 games for Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL), where he was an alternate captain for Spartak this season. . . .
F Tyler Maxwell (Everett, Edmonton, 2008-12) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 37 goals and 34 assists in 66 games split between Everett and Edmonton this season. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has the story right here.
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The photo at the top of today’s entry was tweeted by Kasla Millar (@kayla_millar), along with this: “My husband and I got married in Mexico and look what we brought with us! #rebelpride”
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The U of Alberta has hired Ian Herbers as its latest hockey coach.
Herbers (Kelowna, Spokane, Lethbridge, Swift Current, 1984-88) is a former U of A player. He takes over from Stan Marple, who now is the program’s general manager. Marple coached one season after replacing Eric Thurston (Victoria, 1981-84).
Herbers has been coaching for nine seasons, the last three with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. He took over as head coach early this season when Kirk Muller signed on as head coach with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
It was a desire to have the U of A position that ultimately cost Kris Knoblauch his head-coaching position with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice.
Knoblauch completed two season’s as the Ice’s head coach and, in fact, won the WHL’s 2011 championship in Cranbrook. When the U of A posted its head-coaching position, Marple contacted Knoblauch, who expressed an interest but had one year remaining on his contract with the Ice.
Chynoweth provided Knoblauch with a one-week window to explore the situation, but then was led to believe that Knoblauch would fulfil the terms of his contract. Chynoweth later gave Knoblauch a one-year extension, taking him through 2013-14.
It is worth noting that despite the fact Knoblauch was under contract, no one from the U of A contacted Chynoweth to ask for permission to speak with Knoblauch. (I am told that one U of A player has apologized to Chynoweth, via email, for the way all of this was handled.)
However, when Chynoweth learned Friday that Knoblauch was on the U of A’s shortlist and, in fact, was scheduled to be interviewed, he terminated his head coach’s contract.
(Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal has more right here on how the U of A search for a head coach turned into something of a gong show.
(Robin Brownlee, over at oilersnation.com, says the whole thing doesn’t pass the smell test. That’s right here.)
At this point in time, there are two WHL teams without head coaches — the Ice and Brandon Wheat Kings, whose owner, Kelly McCrimmon, fired Cory Clouston earlier this month.
Clouston, of course, is a former Kootenay head coach, but don’t expect him to re-surface with the Ice.
And while you’re at it, you can scratch Dean Chynoweth, Jeff’s brother, off the list, too. Dean is available, having been fired from his position as assistant coach by the New York Islanders when their season ended. Yeah, that was all his fault, just like the Calgary Flames’ woes last season were Ryan McGill’s fault. The Flames, you’ll recall, dropped McGill as an assistant coach after the 2010-11 season.
McGill, of course, is another former Ice coach. He was out of hockey this season. Might he be interested in a return to Cranbrook? Likely not, but never say never.
The Wheat Kings, meanwhile, aren’t likely to hire a head coach unless Clouston finds work elsewhere. He had a year left on his contract, meaning the Wheat Kings are on the hook for that unless he signs on with another organization.
The leading candidate in Brandon, at least at this moment, has to be McCrimmon. He was head coach for seven seasons prior to hiring Clouston, and the team posted 298 regular-season victories with him behind the bench.
Anyway, just for fun, here’s a look at some potential candidates for head-coaching positions — they are presented in no particular order, other than the first one who will at the top of most lists like this:
DAVE HUNCHAK: Presently the associate coach with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Has been WHL coach for eight seasons, four as head guy in Moose Jaw. . . . .Gets lots of credit for amazing turnaround in Kamloops this season. . . . Believed to have window in contract from sometime in June into August that would allow him to move. . . . Won’t move just to become head coach. Has been there and done that. . . . Might be more interested in a position like the Milwaukee head-coaching vacancy than a move within the WHL.
JASON BECKER: Assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars since 2009. . . . Played in WHL (Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, Swift Current, 1990-94). Also played in CIS, WCHL and in Europe. . . . Was a defenceman. . . . Earlier this month was named head coach Team Pacific for the U17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Eager, energetic, enthusiastic.
GLEN HANLON: Has coaching experience in the NHL and in Europe. . . . Former Brandon Wheat Kings goaltender just finished his first season as an assistant with the Vancouver Giants. . . . For family reasons, he isn’t likely to leave B.C.’s Lower Mainland. . . . Should Vancouver head coach Don Hay leave — let’s just say he signs on as an assistant coach under Ken Hitchcock with the St. Louis Blues — Hanlon would be the leading candidate to take over the Giants.
STEVE HAMILTON: Assistant coach with Edmonton Oil Kings for two seasons now. . . . Was GM and head coach of AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for four seasons before joining Oil Kings. . . . Saints went 52-4-4 to win AJHL title in 2009-10. . . . A real up-and-coming candidate.
DAVE LOWRY: Was head coach of Calgary Hitmen for one season (2008-09), going 59-9-4. . . . Promptly moved up to the parent Calgary Flames where he spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach before being dumped after this season.
JON KLEMM: Former WHL and pro defenceman has been an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs for three seasons. . . . Played 773 regular-season NHL games. . . . He’s from Cranbrook.
CHAD MERCIER: General manager and head coach of AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs since April 2006. . . . Former WHL goaltender with WHL coaching experience with the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades. . . . One of these summers his phone is going to ring.
MALCOLM CAMERON: Just complete his first season as an assistant coach under Pat Conacher with the Regina Pats. . . . Was head coach for nine seasons in ECHL, United league and Central league before signing with Regina. . . . Wants to be a head coach again. . . . Gets high marks from Conacher.
DARREN KRUGER: Former WHL defenceman joined the Medicine Hat Tigers’ coaching staff in January 2006. . . . Veteran assistant coach may be ready to take the giant step.
DEAN BROCKMAN: General manager and head coach of SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. . . . Won four titles in six seasons. . . . Has been with the Broncos for 11 seasons. . . . Would he leave the farm?
GORD THIBODEAU: General manager and head coach of AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. . . . Has been with the Oil Barons since 2003-04. . . . Applied for head coaching job at U of Alberta. That position was attractive as he is from Edmonton, his family lives there and he played for the Golden Bears. . . . Perhaps he isn’t prepared to move anywhere other than Edmonton.
MIKE VANDENBERGHE: Former WHL defenceman (Moose Jaw, Brandon, Medicine Hat, 1987-92). . . . Has worked on coaching staffs with Brandon and Moose Jaw. Presently assistant coach with the Warriors. . . . Also has coached at the CIS and junior A levels. . . . Has all the qualifications. . . . But would he leave his home in Regina Beach, Sask., where you can bet that he’s been into Butler’s for fish and chips?
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jomar Cruz has stepped aside as head coach of the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard, a franchise that is based in The Pas. Cruz, a goaltender, played in the WHL with Brandon, Tri-City and Portland (1997-2000). He had been with the Blizzard since 2006.
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The Chicago Blackhawks made it official Tuesday. They have signed two WHL goaltenders – Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips and Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Simpson was a second-round selection in the 2010 NHL draft, while the Blackhawks took Carruth in the seventh round. . . . Had the players not been signed by Friday, they would have been made available in the 2012 draft. . . . Both players are 20 years of age, meaning they are eligible to play one more season in the WHL. But they also are eligible to play professionally so could end up anywhere in Chicago’s organization.
Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts at Large, has been keeping track of who from the 2010 draft has signed and who hasn’t.
It appears that the Edmonton Oilers are working to sign D Brandon Davidson, who completed his eligibility with the Regina Pats this season, but will let Kootenay Ice F Drew Czerwonka re-enter the draft. Both were sixth-round selections in the 2010 draft.
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Barclay Parneta, Tri-City’s prospect
development coach and head scout,
welcomes Parker Wotherspoon
to the Americans.

The Tri-City Americans have signed D Parker Wotherspoon to a WHL contract. He was Tri-City’s first-round selection, 21st overall, in the 2012 bantam draft. A native of Surrey, B.C., Wotherspoon had 54 points in 55 games with the bantam AAA Cloverdale Colts this season. . . . Wotherspoon is likely to play for the major midget Valley West Hawks nexdt season. . . . He is the younger brother of Portland Winterhawks D Tyler Wotherspoon.
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An interesting note from James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun:
“For the first time in 19 years, organizers of the Source for Sports AAA Hockey Challenge have suspended a player indefinitely from their spring and summer hockey tournaments.
Tournament director Darryl Wolski handed the suspension to a 15-year-old player from Winnipeg for reportedly slashing a referee with his stick during the championship final of the 1997 age group division on Sunday at Westman Place. The player in question, who was selected in this year’s Western Hockey League bantam draft, was being escorted off the ice following his ejection from the game.”

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Yesterday, you will recall, I mentioned that there were 32,262 fans in attendance at three hockey games on B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Friday night.
Just to recap, that was 18,890 at an NHL game in Vancouver, 7,044 at an AHL game in Abbotsford and 6,328 at a WHL playoff game in Vancouver.
An emailer has suggested that the total be added to, what with there having been 1,018 fans at a BCHL playoff game in Surrey at the same time.
So make the total 33,280.
Another emailer writes:
“The better bet for a (WHL) team to relocate would be to place a team in Langley . . . great facility and no sour aftertaste . . . too early for the Dub to go back to the ‘Wack. Just a thought . . .”
The 5,500-seat Langley Event Centre is home to the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen.
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Justice never sleeps.
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, has hit F Darren Kramer, the captain of the Spokane Chiefs, with a one-game suspension for shenanigans at the end of Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.
The Chiefs won the game, 5-1.
Kramer was given a roughing minor at 18:02 of the third period. At 20:00, he was penalized for roughing and for leaving the penalty box.
He won’t play tonight in Spokane as the teams meet in Game 6. The Chiefs hold a 3-2 lead.
Should Vancouver win, Game 7 will be played Wednesday in Vancouver.
The Tri-City Americans, who have to be hoping for a seventh game, await the winner of the series.
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A Saturday night with nary a WHL game.
What are we to do?
Well, there was ch-ch-ching moment in the QMJHL, where Gilles Courteau, the commissioner, is certain to add to the league’s coffers after some comments made by Leo-Guy Morrissette, the owner of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
There was a time when the Morrissette brothers ruled the QMJHL, or at least tried to, but now Leo-Guy is the only one left. It’s nice that he helps out the media at times by reverting to the old days when owners, GMs and coaches weren’t afraid to speak their minds, even if they were putting feet in mouth at the same time.
In this instance, Morrissette is alleging that some owners are spending too much money, making it impossible for others to compete.
Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports wraps up this story right here.
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Here’s a good ready, nay, a great read for you. It’s been 50 years since Emile Griffith pummelled Benny (The Kid) Paret to death in a boxing match on live television. Dan Klores looks back right here in a story from the pages of The New York Times. It's amazing how some of the best of sports writing involves boxing or horse racing.
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Some interesting numbers from Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Kootenay Ice.
On his blog (jeffhollick.blogspot.com), he points out that the Ice, the WHL’s defending champion, was 19-5-3 on Nov. 30 and was riding a six-game winning streak.
After which the roof fell in.
From that point through the end of the regular season, the Ice was 17-21-7 and never put together more than back-to-back victories.
Of course, the Ice then was swept from the playoffs by the Edmonton Oil Kings, which means Kootenay won only 17 of its final 49 games.
Hollick also points out that the Ice lost 25 games in which it led or was tied in the third period.
It’s apparent that, as things started to slide, the Ice became a very fragile team, something one might think wouldn’t happen to a team that was coming off a championship season.
But it just goes to show the difference between success and failure at this level can be a very fine line, indeed.
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ON THE MOVE:
G Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips has signed an ATO with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Simpson, 20, was a second-round selection by Chicago in the 2010 NHL draft. . . . F Shane McColgan of the Kelowna Rockets will be joining the Connecticut Whale, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers. He was a fifth-round selection by the Rangers in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . If was a no-brainer, but it seems that F Troy Bourke of the Prince George Cougars has been the first player selected to play for Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic, April 12-22. . . . Two graduating members of the Calgary Hitmen have pretty much decided to go to school, F Jimmy Bubnick to the U of Saskatchewan, which is in his hometown of Saskatoon, and D Brock Sutherland to the U of Manitoba. Sutherland is from Brandon. . . .
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IN THE PROS:
G Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds came on in relief and stopped all eight shots he saw as his Lake Erie Monsters dropped a 4-0 decison to the host Texas Stars in an AHL game last night. Pickard came on with 16:59 left in the third period. D Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades also played for the Monsters. He was minus-1 with one shot on goal and a tripping minor. . . . G Damien Ketlo, who finished up with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, stopped 44 shots as the visiting Colorado Eagles beat the Las Vegas Wranglers 4-3 in an ECHL shootout. Ketlo also stymied four Las Vegas shooters in the circus.
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And, finally, for all the hockey fans out there, right here is Jim Matheson’s Hockey World from the pages of the Edmonton Journal.


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Mark Ferner and his Everett Silvertips have their sights set on a playoff spot.
(Photo by Christopher Mast / mastimages.com)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Were the WHL playoffs to start tonight, the Kamloops Blazers would be opening at home against the Everett Silvertips.
The Blazers, the B.C. Division champions, would be going in as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, with the Silvertips No. 7.
That is where both teams are right now and, when one looks at what’s left on the schedule, the Silvertips have a better than puncher’s chance of finishing right there.
Which brings us to Mark Ferner, the first-year head coach of the Silvertips, who played and coached with the Blazers.
“Knowing the history there, I hope they win . . . I hope they win,” Ferner said Monday. “They haven’t won a round in a long time.”
He paused and chuckled, before adding: “Unless they play us . . . then I hope they don’t win.”
The Silvertips have a league-low 21 victories and just a few weeks ago were last in the 10-team Western Conference. But they have gone 5-4-1 in their last 10 outings and that, combined with 10 loser points, has them on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs for the ninth time in their nine-season existence.
“We just want a chance to play somebody,” Ferner said.
The Silvertips (21-38-10) have three games left, all of them on the road, where they are 7-20-6. They are to play the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday, the Tri-City Americans on Friday and the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday.
Everett goes into the last week one point ahead of the eighth-place Victoria Royals, four up on Seattle and six ahead of the Prince George Cougars.
Everett is 1-1-1 against Kelowna, but they last faced each other on Jan. 18. Against Tri-City, Everett is 2-4-1, including 0-2-1 in Kennewick. The Silvertips hold a 4-2-3 edge over the Thunderbirds, including 1-1-2 in Kent.
“We’ve had a little bit of success against Tri, a little bit of success against Portland . . . we haven’t beaten Kamloops yet,” Ferner said.
The Blazers went 4-0-0 against the Silvertips, winning 5-2 and 3-2 there and 6-1 and 5-2 here.
Lately, however, things have been looking up for the Silvertips.
“The kids are starting to understand that you have to work,” Ferner said, adding that goaltender “Kent Simpson is playing very well for us and we’re better in front of him.
“It’s confidence and work ethic.”
Simpson, 20, has a 19-29-7 record, but is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts. In March, he is 4-0-1 with a 2.77 GAA and a .939 save percentage.
Everett’s roster also boasts Ryan Murray, who may be the league’s top defender.
Murray, an 18-year-old from White City, Sask., is certain to be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft.
“He’s a special player,” Ferner said. “He’s as good as I’ve ever seen at this level. Period.”
Murray missed two months early in the season with a high ankle sprain, then spent a month with Canada’s national junior team. These days, he’s healthy but battling fatigue.
“He just plays too much,” Ferner said. “When games are close, you have to make sure he’s on the ice at the right time.”
Ferner gave his squad Monday off and said he very well may give Murray today off, as well. Everett has two other defencemen — Austin Adams and Nick Walters — out with injuries.
“We just need to get healthy,” Ferner said, noting that former Kamloops winger J.T. Barnett (knee) is back skating and taking contact, so may return in time for the playoffs.
“If he does come back,” Ferner said, “he will play completely different minutes than if he was healthy. But he’s an older body.”
The other former Blazers skater in Everett, defenceman Josh Caron, has been “very, very good for us,” Ferner said.
“We were getting pushed around and we weren’t winning games and our back end wasn’t very good,” Ferner said. “He’s come in and he’s solidified it. He kills penalties and he plays 4-on-4. He’s in our top four (defencemen) right now.”
The Blazers (46-18-5) are to leave this morning for Spokane where they will play the Chiefs (36-23-9) on Wednesday. Kamloops will finish up its regular season going home and home with Prince George, playing here Friday and there Saturday.
The Blazers are four points off the Western Conference lead, which is held by Tri-City (49-17-3), and three back of Portland (48-17-4). The Blazers, then, aren’t officially locked into the No. 2 seed, but all signs are pointing in that direction.
At least they know they will be in the playoffs. Everett can’t say that yet.
“We’re close,” Ferner said. “We’re close.”

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Victoria (22-41-7) has two games remaining, both of them at home against the Winterhawks, who will play there Wednesday and Friday.
Seattle (23-43-2) plays host to the Chiefs tonight, goes to Spokane for a Friday engagement, takes on the visiting Silvertips on Saturday and finishes up in Portland on Sunday.
Prince George (22-45-2) visits the Americans tonight — the Cougars couldn’t hold a 3-1 lead and lost 5-3 to Tri-City on Sunday — before playing home-and-home with Kamloops.
The Cougars are facing long odds, though, and their margin of error is awfully small — with three games to play, they are five points behind the Royals.
JUST NOTES: The Blazers are listing F Chase Schaber (leg) and F Chase Souto (shoulder) as being out day-to-day. . . . The WHL has made it official — the Blazers will open the first round at home on March 23 and 24. Game time both nights will be 7 o’clock.

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THE COACHING GAME:
Former WHLer Victor Gervais is stepping down as general manager/assistant coach of the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Gervais spent five seasons with the Grizzles who are owned by Len Barrie. Barrie also is the head coach, although he hasn’t been behind the bench for a couple of months. The Victoria Times Colonist reports that Barrie is expected to promote assistant coach Rob Doyle to GM and head coach.
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Marlin Murray, the GM/head coach of the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, drew a 12-game suspension for his epic rant and stick-throwing episode from Thursday night’s playoff game against the Winnipeg Saints at the St. James Civic Centre. . . . The Kings also were fined an undisclosed amount. . . . If you haven’t seen Murray in action, the video is right here. He did get his 12 game’s worth.
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Bob Young of the Seattle Times takes a look right here at the ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash., and its financial situation. The ShoWare Centre is home to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, you should be following @WHLFacts)

In Brandon, G Corbin Boes made 34 saves to help the Wheat Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Wheat Kings clinched a playoff spot for the 12th straight season and the 19th time in the last 20 years. . . . D Eric Roy, with his 10th, at 16:56 of the first period and F Michael Ferland, with his 45th, at 0:55 of the second, gave Brandon a 2-0 lead. . . . Both Brandon goals came via the PP and F Brenden Walker assisted on both. . . . F Lukas Sutter got his 28th for the Blades at 5:19 of the second. Sutter had four goals all of last season. . . . The Blades won the season series, 5-3-0. . . . Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ GM/head coach, tells Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that D Dalton Thrower and F Michael Burns are week-to-week. Both were injured in a 2-0 victory over the Raiders in Prince Albert on Wednesday. . . . Saskatoon D Matt Pufahl (broken ankle) hasn’t played since Jan. 28 but may return Friday against Swift Current. . . . The Stanley Cup was in the house and country music start Paul Brandt paid his respects. Brandt is to perform in Brandon tonight. . . . Brandon F Tyrel Seaman (concussion) returned after missing 40 of the team’s last 41 games. . . . The Wheat Kings closed to within a point of the Blades, who are seventh in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Blades, in turn, are one point behind Regina and Kootenay, who are tied for fifth. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Justin Kirsch scored at 2:31 of OT to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Kirsch has 20 goals on the season. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach forged a 2-2 tie at 5:50 of the third period. . . . Beach also assisted on F Cam Braes’s 39th goal. . . . Regina, having clinched a playoff spot one night earlier, chose to make healthy scratches out of F Jordan Weal, their leading scorer, along with F Lane Scheidl and D Martin Marincin. . . . The Warriors have won 15 in a row at home and have at least a point in each of their last 20 games at Mosaic Place. . . . Regina G Adam Beukeboom stopped 38 shots, 20 more than Moose Jaw’s Luke Siemens. . . . The Warriors will be the Eastern Conference’s second seed when the playoffs begin. . . . Regina is tied for fifth with Kootenay. . . .

In Swift Current, F Graham Black scored twice, including once on a penalty shot, as the Broncos beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-3. . . . The Broncos erased a 3-1 deficit with Black’s penalty shot goal, at 15:57 of the second, and three goals in 5:06 early in the third. . . . Black also had an assist and was plus-4. . . . Prince Albert F Mark McNeill scored his 30th goal. . . . Raiders F Justin Maylan had a goal, his 25th, and an assist. . . . Broncos freshman F Coda Gordon scored his 29th goal into an empty net. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde stopped 34 shots, four more than Prince Albert’s Luke Lee-Knight. . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . .

In Edmonton, D Cody Corbett scored twice as the Oil Kings skated to a 7-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Edmonton erased a 2-0 deficit with three goals in 2:26 midway through the second period. . . . Edmonton F T.J. Foster broke a 3-3 tie with his 29th goal at 2:51 of the third period. . . . Corbett has six goals this season. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk picked up one assist but it was a big one — the 100th of this career. He was playing in his 240th regular-season game. . . . Edmonton F Michael St. Croix reached the 100-point plateau with his 42nd goal and an assist. . . . Red Deer D Mathew Dumba had a goal, his 20th, and two assists. . . . Edmonton has won eight in a row. . . . Red Deer took 89 of 156 minutes in penalties handed out by referees Adam Byblow and Fraser Lawrence. . . . Although the online scoresheet doesn’t reflect it, a story right here refers to “a flurry of fights” at 12:33 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck left the game at that point with an apparent shoulder injury. . . . Edmonton is scheduled to play in Red Deer on Saturday. . . . “I didn’t like some of the stuff that went on after the whistles,” Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal told Chris O’Leary of edmontonjournal.com. “It was very cheap and very unprofessional. We picked up an injury from it and that’s going to hurt us down the stretch here. But we’ve got guys we can put in the lineup. We have to go in (to Red Deer) next Saturday night. What comes around, goes around.” . . . Edmonton was 3-9 on the PP; Red Deer was 1-7. . . . Attendance was 16,651. . . . The Oil Kings moved past the idle Tri-City Americans and into first place in the overall standings. Edmonton is a point ahead of Portland and two up on the Americans. . . . The Rebels were eliminated from the playoffs earlier in the evening, when Brandon won. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Emerson Etem scored twice, getting his 60th into an empty net, as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Hurricanes, 3-1. . . . Etem is the first WHLer to 60 since F Layne Ulmer did it with the Swift Current Broncos in 2000-01. . . . The Tigers have won five in a row on the road. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 27 shots. . . . Bob Ridley, the legendary voice of the Tigers, called his 3,000th regular-season game. @WHLFacts points out that Ridley will call his 4,000th game when the Tigers play their 61st game in the 2025-26 season. . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Calgary. Medicine Hat can finish no higher than third. . . .

In Kamloops, the Vancouver Giants scored three third-period goals and beat the Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Marek Tvrdon scored twice for the Giants, giving him 27. . . . Vancouver F Nathan Burns broke a 2-2 tie at 12:35 of the third. He has 12 goals, six of them in eight games against the Blazers. . . . Kamloops was 0-4 on the PP, including a 5-on-3 that lasted 1:39. . . . Vancouver was without F Cain Franson, a 26-goal scorer, who is expected to play today against the visiting Victoria Royals. . . . The Giants remain tied for fourth with Spokane in the Western Conference. They will meet in the playoffs but have yet to decide home-ice advantage. . . .The Blazers are three points behind Portland and two in back of Tri-City in the chase for top spot in the Western Conference. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 26 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 3-0 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Simpson has two shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . F Cody Fowlie scored twice for Everett, giving him 12. He opened the scoring at 3:19 of the first and closed it at 5:05 of the third, the latter on the PP. . . . In between, F Josh Winquist got his 18th while killing a penalty at 1:23 of the third. . . . The victory allowed the Silvertips to move past the Royals into seventh place in the Western Conference. Everett is a point ahead of Victoria, with the Royals four points ahead of Seattle and Prince George. . . .

In Kelowna, F Troy Bourke scored twice and added an assist as the Prince George Cougars edged the Rockets, 3-2. . . . Bourke, who has 16 goals, gave his side a 2-0 lead on the PP at 15:42 of the third and then added an empty-netter. . . . F Spencer Asuchak and F Caleb Belter each had two assists for the Cougars. . . . Prince George G Drew Owsley, who went over 10,000 minutes player for his career, stopped 19 shots. . . . He lost his shutout when D Myles Bell scored his 15th at 16:01 of the third. . . . The Rockets will finish sixth in the Western Conference. . . . The Cougars, with four games left, are four points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks scored three times in the game’s first 2:52 and went on to an 11-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Portland F Nic Petan picked up four goals for his first WHL hat trick. He’s got 13 goals this season. . . . Portland F Brad Ross added three goals, giving him 42, and an assist. . . . Portland players have enjoyed 12 hat tricks this season. . . . Portland also got four assists from F Ty Rattie, two goals and two assists from F Cam Reid and a goal and two assists from F Brendan Leipsic, who was plus-5. . . . Seattle’s Calvin Pickard, who gave up 10 goals on 52 shots, broke the WHL record for career minutes played by a goaltender. . . . Pickard has played 13,721 minutes over 236 games. The record had been held by Kurtis Mucha, who played 13,708 minutes with Portland and Kamloops (2005-10). . . . The Winterhawks moved into first in the Western Conference, a point ahead of idle Tri-City and three ahead of Kamloops. Portland is second in the overall standings, a point behind Edmonton. . . .

In Spokane, F Colin Valcourt’s 16th goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Chiefs a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . F Darren Kramer scored his 21st goal at 13:38 of the third period to forge a 2-2 tie. . . . Valcourt scored at 14:07. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kitchton had two assists, giving him 135 in his career. He moved passed Jared Spurgeon and into fourth on the Chiefs’ career list among defencemen. . . . The Chiefs have four games left and remain tied with Vancouver for fourth in the Western Conference. Vancouver has three games to play. . . . Should they end up tied, the first tiebreaker is victories, and the Giants hold a 38-36 edge at the moment.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Darren Dietz, Saskatoon.
F Brody Sutter, Lethbridge.
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Red Deer at Calgary
Victoria at Vancouver
Everett at Seattle
Prince George at Tri-City
———
In the BCHL on Saturday, the Penticton Vees completed their regular season with a 5-2 loss to the Spruce Kings in Prince George. The loss snapped Penticton’s 42-game winning streak.

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.

John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal offers up his take on the debate — to fight or not to fight — right here.
———
Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes right here about Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart, the son of you know who and you know who. The big news here is that Liam’s father and a few other family members apparently are planning on attending a game or two in Spokane in the immediate future.
———
F Brock Nixon, who played in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers and Calgary Hitmen, scored a shorthanded goal in OT to give the U of Calgary Dinos a best-of-three series sweep over the host U of Manitoba Bisons in a Canada West playoff series. . . . It was a shocker because the Bisons had gone 20-5-3 in the regular season, their best record since 1970-71. . . . Nixon is from Russell, Man. His goal at 6:39 of OT gave the Dinos a 4-3 victory. . . . Nixon also set up a goal by F Reid Jorgensen, Calgary’s captain, who also is a product of the Blazers. . . .
———
In the BCHL, the Penticton Vees made it 40 straight victories with a 5-1 triumph over the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs. . . . The Vees are at home to the Trail Smoke Eaters on Tuesday. . . .
———
Jim Matheson’s Hockey World, from the pages of the Edmonton Journal, is right here. Look for mentions of Brendan Shinnimin, Matt Kassian and Brenden Dillon among others.
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, follow @WHLFacts for lots of facts and numbers.)
In Portland, F Sven Baertschi struck four times, including twice while shorthanded, to lead the Winterhawks to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Baertschi’s game got him back on a two-points-per-game pace. He now has 92 points, including 31 goals, in 46 games. . . . It was his first four-goal game in the WHL and his second hat trick this season. It also was the 10th three-goal game by a Portland player this season. . . . F Ty Rattie added a goal, his 53rd, and an assist. He and Baertschi each was plus-4. . . . F Burke Gallimore scored his 20th goal for Seattle. . . . Portland D Joe Morrow had three assists. . . . The Winterhawks, who are 12-0-1 in their last 13 outings, now have a three-point lead atop the WHL’s overall standings and the Western Conference. The Tri-City Americans, Kamloops Blazers and Edmonton Oil Kings all are three points back. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Justin Kirsch had a goal and two assists to lead the Warriors to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Kirsch, who scored his 19th goal, now has 102 career points in 150 games. . . . The Warriors, who have won 14 in a row at home, scored the game’s first six goals. . . . D Joel Edmundson scored twice for Moose Jaw, giving him three this season. . . . The Hurricanes took 52 of 96 penalty minutes. . . . The Warriors, who have won four in a row, have clinched at least a tie for top spot in the East Division. . . .

In Regina, F Chandler Stephenson scored three goals to lead the Pats to an amazing 6-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Pats scored six third-period goals, the first five in a span of 6:49, to erase a 4-0 deficit. . . . The Wheat Kings led 4-0 with 17 minutes to play in the third period. . . . F Dyson Stevenson tied it at 4-4 at 10:06 and Stephenson broke the tie with his 20th just 10 seconds later. He later added an empty-netter to complete his first WHL hat trick. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had four assists. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl got his 25th goal and added two helpers. . . . Regina D Luke Fenske scored his first goal of the season. . . . F Brenden Walker had a goal, his 26th, and an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings were again without F Kevin Sundher. He missed six games with a concussion, before returning to play in Friday’s 6-2 victory over visiting Lethbridge. . . . The Pats moved past Brandon and into a tie for sixth with Saskatoon in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Wheat Kings. Brandon has six games remaining; the other two have yet to play seven. . . .

In Edmonton, F Kristians Pelss scored at 17:12 of the third period to give the Oil Kings a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . His 24th goal gave the Oil Kings their fourth straight victory. . . . F Michael St. Croix, who had 27 goals last season, got his 40th for Edmonton at 3:37 of the second period. . . . Swift Current D Richard Nedomlel tied it on a PP at 5:26 of the second. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 18 shots, 14 fewer than Swift Current’s Jon Groenheyde. . . . The Oil Kings, who have won four straight, lead the Central Division by eight points over the idle Medicine Hat Tigers, who have six games left. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Brock Montgomery’s 20th goal gave the Kootenay Ice a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Cody Sylvester gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with his 23rd at 4:00 of the second. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart tied it with his 27th at 12:59 of the second. . . . Montgomery broke the tie at 2:23 of the third. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 24 shots, three more than Calgary’s Chris Driedger. . . . The Hitmen had D Jaynen Rissling back after he missed 15 games with a knee injury. . . . The Ice is fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Calgary and three ahead of Saskatoon and Regina. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . The Rebels were able to dress only 16 skaters, including midget AAA forwards Connor Bleackley and Dexter Bricker. . . . F Chad Robinson got Red Deer into a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal at 5:52 of the second. . . . Rebels captain Adam Kambeitz got the winner, his 15th goal of the season, at 4:24 of thet third on a PP. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov stopped 35 shots, including a first-period penalty shot by F Charles Inglis to preserve what was a 1-0 Blades lead. . . . The Blades killed off 22 straight opposition power plays over five games before Kambeitz’s goal. . . . Saskatoon is 0-5-1 in its last six road games. The Blades are on the road for six because the Tim Hortons Brier, aka the Canadian men’s curling championship, is in Saskatoon through next Sunday. . . . Saskatoon, 2-6-2 in its last 10, is tied for sixth with Regina in the Eastern Conference. . . . Despite the injuries, the Rebels won’t go away. They are eight points out of a playoff spot with seven games left. . . .

In Prince George, D Cody Carlson’s PP goal in OT gave the Cougars a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Carlson got his ninth goal just 18 seconds in OT. The Chiefs had been called for too many men at 19:45 of the third. . . . The Cougars had lost seven in a row. . . . Cougars G Drew Owsley stopped 34 shots. . . . Spokane D Corbin Baldwin had forced OT with his sixth goal at 12:28 of the second. . . . F Troy Bourke had three assists for the Cougars, while Reid Jackson drew two helpers. . . . The Cougars were 3-5 on the PP. . . . The Cougars were without F Dalton Siwak, D Dan Gibb, F John Odgers, D Shane Pilling and F Alex Forsberg, all out with injuries. . . . The loser point guarantees the Chiefs of at least a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference. . . . The Chiefs are fourth at the moment, two points ahead of Vancouver. Each team has seven games remaining. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 30 shots as the Silvertips stunned the Tri-City Americans, 4-1. . . . The Silvertips had lost five in a row to the Americans. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist broke a 1-1 tie at 1:03 of the second period. . . . F Josh Birkholz followed with his 28th goal, at 18:27, and F Manraj Hayer got his second 1:17 after that. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin scored his 53rd for the Americans. . . .  Tri-City F Patrick Holland reached 100 points with an assist on his side’s first goal. . . . From Dan Mulhausen of the Americans: “With an assist, Patrick Holland became the third member of the Americans to reach the 100-point mark this season, joining teammates Brendan Shinnimin and Adam Hughesman. Tri-City did not have any player score 100+ points in a season since 2001-02. It marks the first time since 1991-92 (Terry Degner, Brian Sakic and Vladimir Vujtek), and the fourth time ever, that an Americans’ roster has featured three 100-point scorers in the same season.” . . . Everett D Ryan Murray drew an assist for his 100th career point. It came in his 161st game. . . . The Americans now are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Portland. . . . The Silvertips, who have won two in a row, are eighth in the Western Conference, and now are three points ahead of Seattle. . . . The Silvertips, with the fewest victories in the WHL, have triumphs over Portland and Tri-City in the last week. . . .

In Victoria, G Jared Rathjen stopped 29 shots to help the Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Rathjen was making his sixth straight start. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher scored his 40th goal at 17:28 of the second to get his side to within one, at 3-2. . . . Victoria F Ben Walker restored the two-goal lead with his eighth just 29 seconds later. . . . Victoria D Hayden Rintoul got his 16th into an empty net at 18:55 of the third. . . . The same teams meet again today with the first faceoff scheduled for 1:05 p.m. . . . Victoria is seventh in the Western Conference, a point ahead of Everett and four up on Seattle. . . . The Giants are fifth, two ponts behind Spokane. . . .

In Kelowna, F Zach Franko’s goal at 2:31 of overtime gave the Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Rockets beat the Blazers 6-3 in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Last night, the Blazers scored the game’s first two goals, with the Rockets getting the next three. . . . Kamloops D Austin Madaisky forged a 3-3 tie at 17:56 of the second period on the PP. It was his 13th goal, 11 of which have come via the PP. . . . F Brett Bulmer, who had two goals Friday, had a goal, his 32nd, and two assists for Kelowna. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick scored to run his point streak to eight games. . . . The Blazers wrapped up first place in the B.C. Division when Vancouver lost in Victoria. That game ended a few minutes before the one in Kelowna. . . . That means they will at worst be the Western Conference’s second seed when the playoffs begin.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F James Yakubowski, Lethbridge.
F Dominik Uher, Spokane.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Ryley Miller, Brandon.
F Carter Rigby, Kelowna.
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Saskatoon at Edmonton
Prince Albert at Regina
Tri-City at Portland
Vancouver at Victoria
NOTES: Tri-City holds a 5-4-0 edge in the season series with Portland as they prepare for the final game. The Americans won the first five, the Winterhawks the last four, including a 6-4 victory in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday. . . . Seattle visits Prince George for games Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Damien Cox of the Toronto Star:
“Well, whether you look at the NHL or the OHL or any league that currently only penalizes fighters with five-minute major penalties, there’s absolutely no correlation between winning and teams that fight a lot or teams that don’t, no evidence that scrappin’ squads win or lose more than teams that don’t.
“It’s just irrelevant, really. Irrelevant and pointlessly dangerous.
“Again, it’s one thing for professionals to do it, quite another for teenagers getting paid less than $100 a week to trade blows for the amusement of the paying public.
“That’s sick.”
His complete column is right here.
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The WHL, if you were wondering, is on pace for an 800-fight season.
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John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal offers up his take on the debate -- to fight or not to fight -- right here.
———
Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes right here about Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart, the son of you know who and you know who. The big news here is that Liam’s father and a few other family members apparently are planning on attending a game or two in Spokane in the immediate future.
———
The Phoenix Coyotes have signed F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans to a three-year entry-level NHL contract. Shinnimin, an undrafted free agent, attended the Coyotes’ camp prior to this season. . . . In the last few days, Shinnimin has been named the WHL player of the week and player of the month, and the CHL player of the week and player of the month. That came after he put up an amazing 43 points in 14 February games. Shinnimin, who turned 21 on Jan. 7, is from Winnipeg and is represented by Mark MacKay, a former WHL rookie of the year.
———
Russ Parker, the owner of the Regina Pats since 1995, is one of the latest members of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a builder in the sports of baseball and hockey. He has a long-time love affair with baseball, going back to before he managed the Alberta Dodgers in the mid-1960s. He later owned professional teams in Calgary. . . . In fact, if pushed, Parker, a native of Moosomin, Sask., would surely admit that baseball is his first love; yes, even over hockey.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, follow @WHLFacts for lots of facts and numbers.)
In Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored two late goals and beat the Raiders, 4-3. . . . F Cam Braes tied the game at 13:45 of the third, with his 38th score, and F Torrin White won it with his 10th at 15:21. . . . Braes had two goals, while F James Henry had a goal, his 15th, and two assists. Braes and Henry, both 20, were acquired by the Warriors at the trade deadline. . . . Raiders F Chance Braid, a 17-year-old from Chauvin, Alta., opened the scoring with his first point in 54 games. . . . F Justin Maylan drew three assists for the Raiders, while F Anthony Bardaro had a goal, his 31st, and two helpers. . . . Moose Jaw has won three in a row. . . . The Warriors, who lead the East Division, are four points behind the idle Edmonton Oil Kings, who lead the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Brandon, F Brenden Walker scored twice to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia had three assists for Brandon, while F Michael Ferland had two. . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals and the last three. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Kevin Sundher and F Jason Swyripa back from injuries. . . . Brandon D Ayrton Nikkel had one assist and was plus-4. . . . Brandon is 7-0-1 in its last eight and has moved into seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Saskatoon Blades and one ahead of the Regina Pats. . . .

In Calgary, F Cody Sylvester scored his second goal of the game at 3:46 of OT to give the Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blades held a 3-1 lead halfway through the third period. . . . Sylvester scored at 10:18 and F Victor Rask tied it, with his 30th, at 14:01. . . . Sylvester won it with his 22nd goal of the season. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick got his 30th goal for Calgary. . . . F Matej Stransky got his 35th for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger came on after Saskatoon’s third goal. He stopped all six shots he faced and got the victory. . . . The Hitmen, with three straight victories, clinched a playoff spot. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades are sixth, a point behind Kootenay and a point ahead of Brandon. . . .

In Red Deer, G Jon Groenheyde stopped 45 shots to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-0 victory over the Rebels. . . . It was his second 4-0 shutout over the Rebels this season. . . . That is the most saves by a goaltender in recording a shutout this season. There have been 58 shutouts in the WHL this season. . . . Groenheyde has two shutouts this season and two in his career. . . . The Broncos have put up two shutouts this season; the Rebels have been blanked five times. . . . F Brad Hoban had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . F Josh Derko’s eighth goal, at 6:42 of the first, stood up as the winner. . . . The Broncos were 2-2 on the PP. . . . F Taylor Vause scored his 35th goal of the season. . . . The Broncos swept the four-game season series. . . . The Rebels, with eight regulars on the shelf with injuries, are nine points out of a playoff spot with eight games left. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brett Bulmer and F Shane McColgan each had two goals to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 43 shots in picking up his 20th victory. . . . The Blazers held a 46-18 edge in shots, including 22-5 in the third. . . . Bulmer, with his 30th, and McColgan, with his 16th, got the Rockets going with goals 49 seconds apart early in the first period. . . . F Zach Franko had three assists for the Rockets, who clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Kamloops F Jordan DePape, playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury on Oct. 10, scored the Blazers’ last goal, his third of the season. . . . These teams will play tonight in Kelowna with the Blazers needing one point to clinch the B.C. Division pennant. . . . Kelowna clinched a playoff spot and will finish sixth in the Western Conference. The Rockets will face the second-place team from the U.S. Division, either the Portland Winterhawks or Tri-City Americans, in the first round. . . .

In Prince George, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 17 shots, 17 fewer than Prince George’s Drew Owsley. . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer scored his 20th goal. . . . With the victory, the Chiefs, who have won three in a row, moved into fourth place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Vancouver Giants. Those two teams are headed for a first-round clash, with the Chiefs now holding home-ice advantage. Each team has eight games remaining. . . . The Cougars have dropped seven in a row. They are five points out of a playoff spot with eight games left. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Taylor Leier scored the game’s last two goals as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Tri-City Americans, 6-4. . . . The Winterhawks, who have won four in a row from the Americans and 10 of their last 11 overall, took a 4-2 lead in the second period, only to have the Americans tie it on goals by F Adam Hughesman, his 39th, at 12:28 and D Zach Yuen, his 11th, at 15:42. . . . Leier, who has 11 goals, scored at 3:23 of the third to break a 4-4 tie. He added an empty-netter at 19:44. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had one assist for the Americans, who had won their previous seven games. . . . F Oliver Gabriel drew three assists for Portland, while F Brad Ross had two goals, giving him 38, and a helper. . . . F Justin Feser scored twice for the Americans, giving him 34. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots in winning his WHL-leading 40th game. . . . Tri-City’s Ty Rimmer turned aside 33. . . . The teams will meet Sunday in Portland. . . . With the victory, the Winterhawks moved into first place in the overall standings, one point ahead of the Americans, two up on Kamloops and three ahead of Edmonton. . . . Portland is 11-0-1 in its last 12 games. . . . Attendance was 6,121, the second-largest crowd in the Americans’ history in the Toyota Center. . . .

In Vancouver, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Giants, 6-4. . . . Tigers D James Bettauer forged a 4-4 tie with his 20th goal, on a PP, just 35 seconds into the third period. . . . Tigers F Boston Leier broke the tie with his 13th at 5:11 and F Emerson Etem got his WHL-leading 54th goal at 5:45. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison gave up six goals on 19 shots, including three on four shots in the third period, before being hooked. . . . The Tigers were 3-7 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-8. . . . The Tigers went 3-0 on a short but long trip that took them to Prince George and Vancouver. . . . The Giants will catch a ferry to Victoria this morning where they will play the Royals tonight and again Sunday at 1 p.m. . . . Vancouver F Austin Vetterl (leg) was injured in practice this week and the team says he will be out four weeks. . . . Pro cheerleader Cameron Hughes, who was in Kamloops on Friday night, is due in Victoria tonight. . . . The Tigers were playing their 3,000th regular-season game, which means the legendary Bob Ridley, the Tigers’ radio voice, was calling his 2,999th game. . . . Ridley will get to No. 3,000 on Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice visits Medicine Hat. . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Giants slipped a point behind fourth-place Spokane in the Western Conference. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 25 shots to help the Everett Silvertips to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Simpson has one shutout this season and five in his career. . . . It was the sixth time this season that Seattle has been blanked. . . . F Josh Birkholz had a goal, his 27th, and an assist, as did F Reid Petryk, who has 15 goals. . . . D Ryan Murray scored his ninth goal. . . . Seattle took 50 of 76 penalty minutes. . . . The Silvertips were 1-8 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The victory lifted Everett past Seattle and into eighth place in the Western Conference. . . . The Silvertips are a point ahead of Seattle and one behind the seventh-place Victoria Royals. . . . Interestingly, the Silvertips are in possession of a playoff spot despite having the fewest victories (18) of any team in the league. They do have nine loser points, though.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Jesse Forsberg, Prince George.
F Mitch Elliot, Seattle.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES
Swift Current at Edmonton
Calgary at Kootenay
Lethbridge at Moose Jaw
Saskatoon at Red Deer
Brandon at Regina
Tri-City at Everett
Kamloops at Kelowna
Seattle at Portland
Spokane at Prince George
Vancouver at Victoria
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
The WHL has awards to honour executives and head coaches, referees and marketing people and on and on. So, Mr. Commissioner, why aren’t there awards to honour the league’s hardest-working people, the assistant coaches, the trainers/athletic therapists and the equipment managers?

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.

Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans
has had more than one goaltender in his sights
in the month of February.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

 The Brendan Shinnimin Show played in front of 3,654 fans at the ShoWare Centre in Kent, Wash., on Sunday night.
Pick one . . . Amazing! Incredible!! Out of sight!!!
Shinnimin scored the game’s first four goals as his Tri-City Americans beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds 5-1 and moved into first place in the U.S. Division, the Western Conference and the WHL’s overall standings, all at the same time.
But first things first . . .
Shinnimin went into the game with 48 goals this season; he came out with 52, the third player in the WHL to get to 50 this season.
Shinnimin, a 20-year-old from Winnipeg, scored at 16:17 and 19:04 of the first period, and 1:21 and 11:23 of the second. The last three of those came via the PP.
He also drew an assist on a PP goal by F Adam Hughesman at 3:08 of the third period. That goal, his 38th, got Hughesman to 98 points.
The third member of that line, Patrick Holland, picked up four more assists. He has 96 points, including a WHL-leading 73 assists.
But back to Shinnimin. . . .
He now has 115 points and leads the WHL scoring race by 10 points over F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. With 52 goals, Shinnimin is tied with Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie, one behind F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Shinnimin has career highs in goals (52), assists (63) and points (115), having reached those numbmers in 59 games. His previous highs were 34 goals, 62 assists and 96 points, all coming in 60 games last season.
Shinnimin is the first Tri-City skater to get to 50 goals in one season since Dylan Gyori in 1998-99. Gyori finished with 53.
Shinnimin also has goals in 10 straight games, with 21 goals in those games.
Now for the mind-boggling part of this . . .
In his last four games, Shinnimin has put up 19 points, including 11 goals. He has a four-goal game and two three-goal efforts. In 13 February games, Shinnimin has scored 23 goals and added 18 assists. That, folks, adds up to 41 points, which is a good season for a lot of players.
The Americans also have won each of those four games which, combined with other outcomes, has moved them back to the top of the WHL’s overall standings.
G Drew Owsley, a former teammate now with the Prince George Cougars, tweeted: “At this space, @ShinboSlice might score his 60th on me in a couple of weeks. #uhoh”
And there was this tweet from Hughesman: “Congrats to @ShinboSlice for 50 goals. Honestly speechless and have no words to describe/tweet about his month.”
Earlier in the day, Jeremy Schappert, a former Seattle skater who is from Winnipeg, tweeted: “Dear Brendan Shinnimin, How are you doing this?”
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Garth MacBeth, who pens The MacBeth
Report, was in action on the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds lost F Branden Troock to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 19:05 of the second period. According to the online scoresheet, Seattle D Cason Machacek received a game misconduct — there is no explanation or accompanying penalty — at 15:40 of the third period. . . . Tthe Americans were 4-for-8 on the PP. . . . In February, the line of Shinnimin, Holland and Hughesman has totalled 92 points. That is in 13 games. . . . The Americans have won six in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds will play the Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Tuesday. . . .
The Thunderbirds and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska held their annual Hockey Challenge on Saturday and Sunday in Kent, Wash.
Included in the weekend festivities were the Thunderbirds’ two home games, along with the All-Star Game on Saturday that includes local celebrities and media personalities, along with alumni from the WHL team. And, yes, it turns out that Taking Note was represented. Garth MacBeth, who does such a remarkable job on The MacBeth Report, suited up and we have a photograph to prove it. . . . The Hockey Challenge began in 1998, according to a news release, “when hockey-playing Microsoft employees, with the help of the Thunderbirds, took an in-house rivalry public and decided to raise money the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska (RMHC). Since inception, the Challenge has raised more than $4 million for RMHC, which provides a home-away-from-home for children and their families during medical treatment, making each day a little easier.”
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MORE SUNDAY GAMES:
(Once again, this is done with a tip of the hat to @WHLFacts. Follow @WHLFacts on Twitter for even more info.)
In Edmonton, F Mitch Moroz scored twice to help the Oil Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Moroz, who has 15 goals, got the game’s first and third goals as Edmonton took a 3-0 first-period lead. . . . The Hurricanes had won three in a row. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 31 shots in winning his 35th game this season. . . . F Brady Ramsay scored his 23rd goal of the season for Lethbridge. Ramsay, who turned 19 on Feb. 7, had one goal in 57 games last season. He has 23 in 61 this season. . . . The Oil Kings have a 10-point lead over the Medicine Hat Tigers atop the Central Division and lead the Eastern Conference by six points over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .

In Calgary, F Victor Rask broke a 1-1 tie at 8:48 of the third period as the Hitmen edged the Kelowna Rockets, 2-1. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick opened the scoring for Calgary, with his 29th, at 4:57 of the first on a PP. Kelowna had been penalized for having too many men on the ice. . . . F Brett Bulmer pulled Kelowna even with his 29th at 11:07. . . . Rask won it with his 27th. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover stopped 26 shots, four fewer than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . Kelowna has lost three in a row. . . . The Hitmen had F Calder Brooks back after he missed seven games with a shoulder injury. . . . The Hitmen now are fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Medicine Hat and a point up on the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rockets will finish sixth in the Western Conference. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson turned aside 35 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 2-1 OT victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Silvertips were less than a minute away from being blanked for a second straight game when F Josh Winquist pulled them into a 1-1 tie with his 13th goal at 19:09 of the third period. Yes, Simpson was on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . F Ryan Harrison won it with his 18th at 1:07 of extra time. . . . F Cam Reid had scored for Portland, at 2:53 of the second. . . . The Winterhawks had won nine in a row. . . . Everett D Brennan Yadlowski completed his 10-game suspension by sitting this one out. . . . Everett has closed to within a point of Seattle, which holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . Portland and the Kamloops Blazers are one point behind the Western Conference-leading Tri-City Americans, who also lead the overall standings. The Blazers are to play in Portland on Tuesday.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brady Ramsay, Lethbridge.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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In the BCHL, the host Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 37 games, this time beating the Prince George Spruce Kings, 4-1. . . . The Vees next play Thursday when they return to Merritt to play the Centennials. Those teams played in Merritt on Saturday night, with the Vees winning 2-1 in double OT.
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Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz wasn’t in uniform Saturday as the Tigers scored a 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. It seems the veteran goaltender, whose NHL rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers, is battling concussion problems.
Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal blog The Cult of Hockey has more right here.
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F Brady Leavold (Swift Current, Kelowna, 2004-2008) is with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees these days. But the road to the Killer Bees was full of potholes and heroin and Oxycontin and who knows what else. Brian Sandalow of Valley Freedom Newspapers has Leavold’s story right here.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
Paul Kelly, squeezed out as executive director of College Hockey Inc., tells Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe that he isn’t sure where he’s going from here, but . . .
“Ideally, I’d like to stay in hockey,” Kelly told Dupont. “I’m grateful for the opportunity the commissioners gave me, and now I’m going to take some of the advice I’ve given to a lot of college-aged hockey players the last couple of years: back away a bit and not leap at the first thing that comes along. When you do that, it often forecloses what can be even better opportunities.
“But I know I love the game, and would equally love the chance to stay in it, be that with the NHL, a team’s front office, international hockey, wherever.
“I know we did some very good things at CHI, and I know I leave there with it in good hands. I truly believe it has the chance to thrive.’’
So, Mr. Commissioner, why doesn’t the CHL hire Kelly as its president, a move that would allow David Branch to focus entirely on his position as commissioner of the OHL?
Hey, it was just a thought!

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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
Mr. Commissioner, how excited are you that the WHL’s Facebook page is being used to question and debate the move of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria?
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JUST NOTES:
Congrats to former WHLer Roy Sommer, now the head coach of the AHL’s Worcester Sharks. He earned his 500th AHL coaching victory Saturday as the Sharks beat the visiting Hershey Bears, 3-2, in a seven-round shootout. . . . Former Vancouver Giants G Tyson Sexsmith was in goal for the Sharks, who tied it with him on the bench for an extra attacker and then won the shootout. . . . Sommer played two seasons (1975-77) for the Calgary Centennials. . . . He is in his 14th consecutive season as an AHL head coach; this is his sixth season with Worcester. . . . Trivia question: Name the three other AHL coaches with at least 500 victories. . . . Fred (Bun) Cook (636), Frank Mathers (610) and John Paddock (589). . . .
If you were wondering, the BCHL’s Penticton Vees have run their league-record winning streak to 32 games. . . . They scored a 7-5 victory over the visiting Westside Warriors on Saturday night. . . .
The Tri-City Herald has its Best of the West 2012 poll, as compiled by Annie Fowler, right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, the Regina Pats scored three times on the PP and beat the Broncos, 4-1. . . . F Lane Scheidl broke a 1-1 tie with two PP goals, the first just 22 seconds into the third and the second at 2:14. . . . Scheidl has 40 points, including 21 goals, in 55 games. Last season, he finished with 30 points, 10 of them goals, in 48 games. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had three assists and now is tied with Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie for the WHL scoring lead. Each has 89 points. . . . Broncos F Taylor Vause scored his 31st goal. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Drew Czerwonka scored two goals to help the host Kootenay Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Czerwonka, who has 13 goals, hadn’t scored since Dec. 29, although he missed a chunk of time with an injury and was playing his fifth game since his return. . . . Czerwonka’s first goal broke a 2-2 tie at 4:52 of the second period. . . . It was Family Faith Night, something started by Ice G Nathan Lieuwen, and the teams combined for 128 minutes in penalties The Blades took 79 of those. . . . The Ice was 2-for-10 on the PP; the Blades were 1-for-5. . . . Lieuwen stopped 22 shots. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov turned aside 29 shots. . . . Ice F Jonathon Martin shot high and wide on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Blades had won their last two game, while the Ice had lost two in a row. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Sam Mckechnie scored two goals in the game’s first five minutes and the Hurricanes went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Mckechnie has 11 goals. . . . D Daniel Johnston drew assists on both those goals. . . . Lethbridge G Liam Liston stopped 31 shots. . . . The Hurricanes are 11th in the 12-team Eastern Conference and just one point behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . .

In Red Deer, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored six times in the second period and skated to an 8-5 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Rebels took a 2-0 lead into the second period and actually led 3-1 when D Cody Thiel scored his first goal at 7:05. . . . Moose Jaw took the lead on goals by F Cam Braes, his 32nd at 10:13 on the PP, F James Henry, his 12th at 11:44, and F Torrin White, his ninth, at 15:34. . . . Red Deer F Charles Inglis tied it, with his 16th, at 17:09. . . . Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull and Red Deer F Turner Elson, with his 20th, exchanged goals before the period ended and F Justi Kirsch then gave the Warriors the lead for good at 19:38. . . . Kirsch added his 19th goal at 18:08 of the third on the PP. . . . The injury-riddled Rebels dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Red Deer F Joel Hamilton, who scored his fifth goal of the season and later added an assist, was in great discomfort on the bench in the third period. A Saturday night tweet from the Rebels: “F Joel Hamilton is responsive, being transferred to Red Deer Regional Hospital. No update on what the injury is.” . . . Later, this tweet from the Rebels: “The team will give an update on Joel Hamilton's condition in the coming days. Alert, responsive, and good range of motion.” . . .

In Prince George, G Laurent Brossoit turned aside 24 shots as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Cougars, 5-0. . . . Brossoit has three shutouts this season, two of them agains the Cougars and both by 5-0 counts. . . . He now shares the Oil Kings’ modern day single-season record with Alex Archibald and Torrie Jung, and holds the career record with five. . . . The Cougars have been blanked nine times. . . . F Rhett Rachinski scored the game’s first two goals, both in the first period, and completed the hat trick at 19:21 of the third period with a shorthanded goal. He has 22 on the season. . . . Rachinski is the fourth 20-goal man on the Edmonton roster. F Dylan Wruck and F Kristians Pelss have 19 apiece. . . . Edmonton D Keegan Lowe was pointless and minus-4 in Friday’s 5-4 OT loss to the host Cougars. Last night, he had three assists and was plus-5. . . . F Jordan Peddle also had three assists. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk didn’t get a point but finished plus-4. . . . Edmonton had Pelss back from a suspension and F Curtis Lazar and F Mason Geertsen back from injury. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 41 shots to backstop the Silvertips to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Everett F Jari Erricson pulled Everett into a 2-2 tie at 9:29 of the second period on a PP. . . . Erricson has five goals. . . . F Reid Petryk got the winner when he scored his 12th goal at 11:31 of the second. . . . F Josh Birkholz got his 25th into an empty net at 19:12 of the third. . . . Everett F Cody Fowlie had a goal, his 10th, and two assists. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had two assists for the Giants. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning scored his seventh goal of the season as he played in his 295th regular-season game, tying the Giants’ franchise record. He shares it with F Craig Cunningham. . . . Manning should set the record Tuesday when the Giants meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Kelowna, F Dylan Willick’s second goal, at 8:20 of the third period, broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Kamloops Blazers a 3-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Rockets 5-4 in OT in Kamloops on Friday night. . . . The Blazers got the game’s first two goals, both on the PP, late in the first period. D Bronson Maschmeyer got his 10th at 17:54 and Willick added another at 19:53. . . . Willick has 23 goals in 56 games. Last season, he finished with 24 goals in 72 games. . . . D Myles Bell, with his 11th, got the Rockets to within one at 9:00 of the second and F Carter Rigby, with his 16th, pulled them even at 1:59 of the third. Both Kelowna goals came via the PP. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave, beaten four times on eight shots and hooked after one period on Friday, stopped 35 shots to get the victory in this one. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 34 shots. . . . The Blazers, who lead the Western Conference and the WHL’s overall standings, won their 40th game of the season, the first time the team has reached that plateau since the 2006-07 season. . . . The Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings are scheduled to play in Kamloops on Tuesday. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Cam Reid scored three times and set up another to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 7-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Reid, 20, has 19 points, including eight goals, in 14 games since joining the Winterhawks from St. Cloud State at the Christmas break. He had 29 points in 37 games last season at SCS, and had 15 in 22 before leaving this season. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 18 shots for his 34th victory, one shy of the franchise’s single-season record held by Brent Belecki (1997-98). . . . Carruth and Belecki are tied with 79 career victories. The franchise record (105) is held by Darrell May Sr. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi had a goal and two assists, giving him six points in his last two games. . . . F Oliver Gabriel and F Brendan Leipsic added a goal and two assists each for the Winterhawks. . . . F Burke Gallimore got his 20th goal of the season for Seattle. . . .

In Spokane, the Tri-City Americans erased a 1-0 deficit with three straight goals and went on to beat the Chiefs, 5-3. . . . The Americans hold a 5-3 edge in the 12-game season series. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser scored shorthanded at 19:51 of the first to forge a 1-1 tie. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin broke the tie with another shorthanded goal, at 12:18 of the second period, and added a PP score at 17:56 of the second. . . . Shinnimin, who also had an assist, has 34 goals. . . . Shinnimin’s three points moved him into sixth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list. He passed F Stu Barnes (285), who owns a piece of the Americans, and F Dylan Gyori (286) last night. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart got his eighth goal, shorthanded, at 3:25 of the second, but D Sam Grist restored Tri-City’s two-goal lead with his third at 9:12. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer, who appeared to suffered a left-groin injury in a 5-1 loss in Kamloops on Wednesday, stopped 24 shots. He had backed up G Eric Comrie in a 4-2 loss to visiting Portland on Friday night. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 29 shots. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman had two assists, moving him into fourth on the franchise’s career list, ahead of Terry Degner (195). . . .
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Michael Burns, Saskatoon.
F James Henry, Moose Jaw.
F Colton Heffley, Kelowna.
D Myles Bell, Kelowna.
D Damon Severson, Kelowna.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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A Saturday afternoon tweet from Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat258), the play-by-play voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes: “Elton John concert in Lethbridge Apr. 24 sold out in one hour this morning. Fastest-ever sell out for an ENMAX Centre event.”
———
THE WORLD OF TWITTER:
Sometime on the weekend, former WHLer Cody Eakin began following F Ryan Hanes of the Kamloops Blazers on Twitter. Hanes has a well-earned reputation as a chirper on the ice.
Later Saturday, Eakin tweeted this: “WJ Tryouts? Huh? Won't be going if I break your arm. How would you like that? Huh? — my favorite chirp directed at me from hanesr13.”
Meanwhile . . .
F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks, who had two assists in a 7-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., tweeted this:
“Big shout out to the super fans in the crowd today shouting ‘You suck Peters’ every time I touched the ice. How'd that turn out for you.”
———
I never had the good fortune to meet Trent Frayne, a Canadian who was a sports writing giant, but I felt a connection because we both worked at the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Tribune. . . . Frayne died Saturday at the age of 93.
Frayne was a writer and a story teller. And, in the truest sense of the word, he was a wordsmith. He had an ear for conversation and way of turning what he heard into marvellous columns and stories.
Sandra Martin of The Globe and Mail writes about Frayne right here.
Some writers who knew Frayne remember him right here.


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