THE MacBETH REPORT:
Brothers D Logan (Tri-City, 2001-06) and F Shay (Red Deer, 2000-04) Stephenson have been released from their tryout contracts by Jesenice (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga).
———
JUST NOTES: The U of Alberta Golden Bears have added eight WHL products for the 2011-12 season. According to a U of A news release: “Forwards Levko Koper (Spokane 2006-11), Kruise Reddick (Tri-City 2006-11), Brett Ferguson (Red Deer 2008-11), Jordan Hickmott (Medicine Hat/Prince Albert/Edmonton 2005-11), James Dobrowolski (Prince Albert/Prince George 2007-11) and Travis Toomey (Saskatoon/Seattle 2005-11) will bolster the Golden Bears attack, while defencemen Jordan Rowley (Kamloops/Prince Albert 2005-11), Thomas Carr (Medicine Hat 2008-11), and Barron Smith (London/Peterborough 2008-2011) bulk up the blue-line.” . . . The Golden Bears, the defending Canada West champions, open camp on Sept. 1 under interim head coach Stan Marple. . . . The U of Regina Cougars have added three more former WHLers to their roster. G Lucas Gore (Chilliwack, 2008-11), D Joel Kot (Red Deer, 2007-09) and D Blaine Tendler (Prince Albert, 2006-09). . . . C C.J. Stretch, who holds the Kamloops Blazers’ career games played record (341), has signed on for a second season with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. Stretch, who is from Irvine, Calif., had 21 points in 46 games last season.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Showing posts with label Lucas Gore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucas Gore. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday . . .
 | ||||
| One of the great traditions in sports — the Tri-City Americans and Vancouver Giants shake hands after going hard at each other for four games. The Americans completed a series sweep on Wednesday night. (Photo by CJ Relke) |
Tyler Olsen of the Chilliwack Times has the latest right here. It’s interesting that there aren’t any denials and that some people seem to be ducking and running from the media.
Take that for whatever you want.
Of course, the Bruins could extend the suspense, and perhaps even delay a press conference or two, by continuing their playoff run, couldn't they?
———JUST NOTES: F Hunter Shinkaruk won’t play tonight for the Medicine Hat Tigers as they try to even their series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Shinkaruk has been suspended for one game by the WHL for a hit on Brandon F Brenden Walker in Game 3. Tonight’s game will be played at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. . . . The Wheat Kings are out of their home arena because of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. . . . The Tigers remain without G Tyler Bunz (concussion) and F Tyler Pitlick (ankle). . . . Former Wheat Kings F Mark Derlago set a franchise record Wednesday by scoring three times to lead the Idaho Steelheads to a 7-2 ECHL victory over the Utah Grizzlies in Boise, Idaho. Derlago finished the regular season with 43 goals, one more than the record he established last season.
———
WEDNESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Raiders got two goals from each of F Igor Revenko and F
Brandon Herrod in beating the Saskatoon Blades, 6-3. . . . The Blades lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 in Prince Albert tonight. . . . The Raiders, who lost the first two games in Saskatoon, went back to G Jamie Tucker for this one and he came up with 37 saves. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 44 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,868. . . . The 50/50 was worth $7872.50. . . .In Moose Jaw, G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 25 shots to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 5-0
victory over the Warriors. . . . That series is 2-2 with Game 5 in Cranbrook on Friday. . . . Three of the first four games have ended in shutouts, with the Warriors twice winning by 4-0 scores. . . . A gem from Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “The Civic Centre crowd and the Warriors bench were howling for offside before the opening goal went in. The crowd sarcastically cheered every offside call against the Ice the rest of the evening.” . . . Attendance was 2,744. . . . And here is Gourlie’s injury report: “The Warriors gave defenceman Travis Brown his WHL playoff debut. Matt Franczyk sat in his place. Dallas Ehrhardt (upper body), Cody Beach (knee), Brayden Cuthbert (concussion) along with Matt Grant, Torrin White and Tanner Eberle were all scratched. The Ice only dressed 19 skaters. Drew Czerwonka had his left arm in a sling after taking a big hit in Game 3. Fellow forward Jesse Ismond (upper body) was also out for the second game in a row, along with defenceman Luke Paulsen (shoulder).” . . . The Warriors took 59 of 94 penalty minutes. Gee, do you think this one is starting to heat up? . . .In Prince George, F Shane McColgan had two goals as the Kelowna Rockets doubled the
Cougars 4-2 to sweep that series. . . . The Rockets got off to a 2-0 lead at 3:27 of the second period and were never headed. . . . Kelowna F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had two assists. . . . The Cougars were again without F Brett Connolly (separated shoulder). . . . Attendance was 2,346. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 33 shots, four more than Prince George’s Ty Rimmer. . . .In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks erased a 3-2 deficit with two goals 13 seconds
apart and went on to beat the Silvertips, 5-4. . . . The Winterhawks lead the series 30 with Game 4 in Everett tonight. . . . Everett D Rasmus Rissanen gave his side a 3-2 lead at 9:40 of the second period, via the PP. . . . But F Nino Niederreiter (17:14) and F Ty Rattie (17:27) erased that lead and sent the Winterhawks on their way. . . . Rissanen had two goals for Everett, while F Landon Ferraro had three assists. . . . Attendance was 2,331 and that is not a typo. . . . Everett G Luke Siemens, playing in place of the injuried Kent Simpson (ankle), stopped 45 shots, including a third-period penalty shot attempt by F Sven Bartschi. . . . In Spokane, the Chilliwack Bruins scored the game’s last four goals and beat the
Chiefs 4-3 in OT. . . . F Kevin Sundher got the winner at 3:20 of extra time after G Lucas Gore had made 54 saves. . . . The Chiefs take a 2-1 series lead into tonight’s fourth game in Spokane. . . . The Bruins, down 3-0, tied it with three third-period goals, from F Ryan Howse (3:04), F Robin Soudek (9:22, PP) and Sundher (11:44). . . . Sundher also had an assist. . . . Spokane G James Reid made 21 saves. . . . Attendance was 4,737. . . . Chilliwack D Tyler Stahl may be looking at a suspension after taking an elbowing major and game misconduct at 15:19 of the second period. . . .In Vancouver, F Mason Wilgosh had two goals and an assist as the Tri-City Americans
beat the Giants 5-1 to sweep the first-round series. . . . Last year, the Americans took out the Giants in the Western Conference final. . . . Vancouver head coach Don Hay hadn’t been swept from a playoff series since 1999-2000 when he was coaching the Americans. . . . Hay and former Portland head coach Ken Hodge remain tied for the most playoff victories (101) in WHL history. . . . Tri-City outshot the home side, 28-18. . . . Attendance was 7,064. . . . ———
WEDNESDAY’S CFB COUNT:
Three minors:
Portland F Brad Ross
Spokane F Brady Brassart (double minor)
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday . . .
The exodus of WHL players to the pro ranks has begun now that some teams have had their seasons come to an end.
G Brandon Anderson of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been recalled by the NHL’s Washington Capitals and assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Anderson, 18, was an undrafted free agent when he attended Washington’s training camp last fall. By the time his stint there ended, he had signed a three-year contract with the Capitals.
---
The Capitals added another WHLer to their stable on Saturday when they announced the signing of F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats.
Mitchell, 19, was a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. He played in his 264th regular-season game with the Pats on Saturday night in Saskatoon.
Mitchell finished this season with career highs in goals (18), assists (34) and points (52) in 70 games.
---
F Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs toughie Tie Domi, has told OHL teams not to bother drafting him because he is headed south. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that Max, 15, will play next season in the USHL. He was expected to be an earlier selection in the OHL’s 2011 draft.
“I played junior but (Max’s mother) Leanne and I want our kid to go to college,” Tie Domi told Simmons. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but for us, it was the right decision.”
---
There are four regular-season games remaining.
Here’s what is left to be decided:
1. Who will finish fifth and sixth in the Western Conference? The Chilliwack Bruins are fifth and are out of games. The Vancouver Giants, with one game left, are one point behind the Bruins. The Giants are at home to the Everett Silvertips tonight. . . . The fifth-place finisher plays the No. 4 Tri-City Americans in the first round; the sixth-place finisher draws the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs. . . . Whichever team gets Spokane will open with two games at home as the Chiefs’ home arena isn’t available next weekend.
2. Who will finish ninth and 10th in the Western Conference? The Kamloops Blazers are out of games and have 64 points. The Seattle Thunderbirds are a point back with one game left. They are at home to the Tri-City Americans tonight. The Americans are 8-0-0 against Seattle this season.
Here are the matchups that have been decided:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Saskatoon Blades, who finished on top of the WHL’s overall standings, will face the Prince Albert Raiders, who wound up eighth in the conference. The Blades are 9-0-1 in their last 10; the Raiders have won three straight, including a weekend sweep of the 11th-place Swift Current Broncos.
2. The Red Deer Rebels finished atop the Central Division so are the conference’s No. 2 seed. They get the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round. The Rebels took two from the Oil Kings on the weekend, winning 4-3 on the road Friday and 3-1 at home Saturday.
3. The Medicine Hat Tigers have one game left but have clinched the conference’s third seed. They will play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round. . . . Brandon finished strong, going 7-2-1 in its last 10, but will have to play its first-round home games in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre. . . . The Tigers finish up this afternoon in Calgary. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey goes into the final day leading the scoring race by two points over Spokane F Tyler Johnson.
4. The Kootenay Ice will finish fourth in the conference, which means a first-round matchup with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Ice has been red hot, going 6-0-1 in its last seven.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Portland Winterhawks clinched first place in the U.S. Division and the conference last night as they ran their winning streak to five. They will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round.
2. The Kelowna Rockets finished atop the B.C. Division so are the No. 2 seed for the first round. Remember that the survivors are reseeded by points after the first round. The Rockets will go up against the No. 7 Prince George Cougars in the first round.
---
It’s worth noting that two key players were ejected with major fouls on Saturday night, and their cases will be on the desk of Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s disciplinarian, in the morning.
F Shayne Wiebe of the Brandon Wheat Kings took a boarding major during an 8-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Before leaving, Wiebe scored his 44th goal.
In Kelowna, Rockets F Evan Bloodoff, one of their heart-and-soul guys, was tossed with a charging major during a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Giants.
Neither Brandon nor Kelowna has any regular-season games remaining, so any suspensions would mean playoff games lost. A suspension to either of those players could turn into a key factor in a first-round series.
---
In Brandon last night, F David Toews had two goals and two assists as the Wheat Kings doubled the Moose Jaw Warriors, 8-4. . . . G Hampus Gustafsson had four assists for Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Shayne Wiebe, their captain and a 44-goal man, with a boarding major and game misconduct at 19-01 of the first period. . . . Toews reached the 20-goal mark with his two scores. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Cody Eakin scored two goals and set up another as the Kootenay Ice dropped the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-1. . . .
In Swift Current, F Igor Revenko’s 23rd goal at 19:54 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Broncos. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Marek Viedensky had a goal and an assist, leading the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Blades G Steven Stanford picked up the victory to finish at 40-5-0. . . .
In Medicine Hat, G Deven Dubyk stopped 27 shots to help the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Curtis Valk scored the game’s only goal, his eighth, at 3:14 of the first period. . . . That was Dubyks’ first career shutout. . . . G Mike Snider stopped 30 shots for the Hitmen. . . . F Linden Vey drew an assist on Valk’s goal, giving him 115 points this season. He leads the WHL scoring race by two points over F Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Tigers are in Calgary today, while the Chiefs play in Portland. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice as his Rebels got past the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Nugent-Hopkins finished with 31 goals. . . .
In Chilliwack, the Lucas Gore Show continued its run as the Bruins goaltender stopped 37 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Earlier in the week, Gore established WHL records with 72 saves through three periods and 77 saves through OT in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . He has five shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . Everett has been blanked nine times this season. . . . F Kevin Sundher scored twice for the Bruins -- he has 24 -- and added an assist. . . .
In Prince George, D Sena Acolatse had a goal and three assists as the Cougars dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 5-1. . . . Cougars F Brett Connolly added a goal, his 46th, and two assists. . . . The Blazers, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night when they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the visiting Cougars, finished the season on an eight-game losing streak (0-6-2). . . . Kamloops had Cam Lanigan in goal, ending Jeff Bosch’s run of 23 straight starts. . . . Attendance was 4,770. . . .
In Kelowna, the Vancouver Giants snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Andrej Stastny won it with his 10th goal, breaking a 3-3 tie at 10:48 of the third period. . . . Stastny also had two assists. . . . The Rockets lost F Evan Bloodoff at 10:22 of the first period when he was ejected with a charging major and game misconduct. . . . Bloodoff’s hit was on D Joel Rogers, who recently returned from a concussion. Rogers was taken off the ice on a stretcher and checked out at hospital. . . . Doyle Potenteau has lots more on that game right here at DubNation. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks overcame a 3-2 deficit with three straight goals and then hung on to beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-4. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 48 shots. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round. Portland won nine of 10 games from Everett in the regular season. . . . F Pearce Eviston scored for Portland in his WHL debut. Eviston, 18, signed with the Winterhawks after putting up 38 points in 44 games with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Kruise Reddick and F Brendan Shinnimin each had two goals and two assists to lead the host Tri-City Americans to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Americans had lost five straight games to the Chiefs. . . . F Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Chiefs, giving him 113 points, two off the league lead. Medicine Hat F Linden Vey has 115 points. . . . Spokane had a nine-game winning streak end. . . . Johnson and the Chiefs are in Portland tonight; Vey and the Tigers finish up in Calgary. Johnson has a WHL-high 52 goals.
---
SATURDAY’S CFB COUNT
Six minors:
Moose Jaw F Antonin Honejsek
Kootenay D Joey Leach
Calgary D Alex Roach
Everett F Ryan Harrison
Portland F Brendan Leipsic
Tri-City F Jordan Messier
G Brandon Anderson of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been recalled by the NHL’s Washington Capitals and assigned to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Anderson, 18, was an undrafted free agent when he attended Washington’s training camp last fall. By the time his stint there ended, he had signed a three-year contract with the Capitals.
---
The Capitals added another WHLer to their stable on Saturday when they announced the signing of F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats.
Mitchell, 19, was a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. He played in his 264th regular-season game with the Pats on Saturday night in Saskatoon.
Mitchell finished this season with career highs in goals (18), assists (34) and points (52) in 70 games.
---
F Max Domi, the son of former Toronto Maple Leafs toughie Tie Domi, has told OHL teams not to bother drafting him because he is headed south. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that Max, 15, will play next season in the USHL. He was expected to be an earlier selection in the OHL’s 2011 draft.
“I played junior but (Max’s mother) Leanne and I want our kid to go to college,” Tie Domi told Simmons. “It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but for us, it was the right decision.”
---
There are four regular-season games remaining.
Here’s what is left to be decided:
1. Who will finish fifth and sixth in the Western Conference? The Chilliwack Bruins are fifth and are out of games. The Vancouver Giants, with one game left, are one point behind the Bruins. The Giants are at home to the Everett Silvertips tonight. . . . The fifth-place finisher plays the No. 4 Tri-City Americans in the first round; the sixth-place finisher draws the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs. . . . Whichever team gets Spokane will open with two games at home as the Chiefs’ home arena isn’t available next weekend.
2. Who will finish ninth and 10th in the Western Conference? The Kamloops Blazers are out of games and have 64 points. The Seattle Thunderbirds are a point back with one game left. They are at home to the Tri-City Americans tonight. The Americans are 8-0-0 against Seattle this season.
Here are the matchups that have been decided:
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Saskatoon Blades, who finished on top of the WHL’s overall standings, will face the Prince Albert Raiders, who wound up eighth in the conference. The Blades are 9-0-1 in their last 10; the Raiders have won three straight, including a weekend sweep of the 11th-place Swift Current Broncos.
2. The Red Deer Rebels finished atop the Central Division so are the conference’s No. 2 seed. They get the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round. The Rebels took two from the Oil Kings on the weekend, winning 4-3 on the road Friday and 3-1 at home Saturday.
3. The Medicine Hat Tigers have one game left but have clinched the conference’s third seed. They will play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round. . . . Brandon finished strong, going 7-2-1 in its last 10, but will have to play its first-round home games in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair takes over the Keystone Centre. . . . The Tigers finish up this afternoon in Calgary. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey goes into the final day leading the scoring race by two points over Spokane F Tyler Johnson.
4. The Kootenay Ice will finish fourth in the conference, which means a first-round matchup with the Moose Jaw Warriors. The Ice has been red hot, going 6-0-1 in its last seven.
WESTERN CONFERENCE:
1. The Portland Winterhawks clinched first place in the U.S. Division and the conference last night as they ran their winning streak to five. They will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round.
2. The Kelowna Rockets finished atop the B.C. Division so are the No. 2 seed for the first round. Remember that the survivors are reseeded by points after the first round. The Rockets will go up against the No. 7 Prince George Cougars in the first round.
---
It’s worth noting that two key players were ejected with major fouls on Saturday night, and their cases will be on the desk of Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s disciplinarian, in the morning.
F Shayne Wiebe of the Brandon Wheat Kings took a boarding major during an 8-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Before leaving, Wiebe scored his 44th goal.
In Kelowna, Rockets F Evan Bloodoff, one of their heart-and-soul guys, was tossed with a charging major during a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Giants.
Neither Brandon nor Kelowna has any regular-season games remaining, so any suspensions would mean playoff games lost. A suspension to either of those players could turn into a key factor in a first-round series.
---
In Brandon last night, F David Toews had two goals and two assists as the Wheat Kings doubled the Moose Jaw Warriors, 8-4. . . . G Hampus Gustafsson had four assists for Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Shayne Wiebe, their captain and a 44-goal man, with a boarding major and game misconduct at 19-01 of the first period. . . . Toews reached the 20-goal mark with his two scores. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Cody Eakin scored two goals and set up another as the Kootenay Ice dropped the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes, 7-1. . . .
In Swift Current, F Igor Revenko’s 23rd goal at 19:54 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Broncos. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Marek Viedensky had a goal and an assist, leading the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Blades G Steven Stanford picked up the victory to finish at 40-5-0. . . .
In Medicine Hat, G Deven Dubyk stopped 27 shots to help the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Curtis Valk scored the game’s only goal, his eighth, at 3:14 of the first period. . . . That was Dubyks’ first career shutout. . . . G Mike Snider stopped 30 shots for the Hitmen. . . . F Linden Vey drew an assist on Valk’s goal, giving him 115 points this season. He leads the WHL scoring race by two points over F Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Tigers are in Calgary today, while the Chiefs play in Portland. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice as his Rebels got past the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Nugent-Hopkins finished with 31 goals. . . .
In Chilliwack, the Lucas Gore Show continued its run as the Bruins goaltender stopped 37 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Earlier in the week, Gore established WHL records with 72 saves through three periods and 77 saves through OT in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . He has five shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . Everett has been blanked nine times this season. . . . F Kevin Sundher scored twice for the Bruins -- he has 24 -- and added an assist. . . .
In Prince George, D Sena Acolatse had a goal and three assists as the Cougars dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 5-1. . . . Cougars F Brett Connolly added a goal, his 46th, and two assists. . . . The Blazers, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night when they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the visiting Cougars, finished the season on an eight-game losing streak (0-6-2). . . . Kamloops had Cam Lanigan in goal, ending Jeff Bosch’s run of 23 straight starts. . . . Attendance was 4,770. . . .
In Kelowna, the Vancouver Giants snapped their eight-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Andrej Stastny won it with his 10th goal, breaking a 3-3 tie at 10:48 of the third period. . . . Stastny also had two assists. . . . The Rockets lost F Evan Bloodoff at 10:22 of the first period when he was ejected with a charging major and game misconduct. . . . Bloodoff’s hit was on D Joel Rogers, who recently returned from a concussion. Rogers was taken off the ice on a stretcher and checked out at hospital. . . . Doyle Potenteau has lots more on that game right here at DubNation. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks overcame a 3-2 deficit with three straight goals and then hung on to beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-4. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 48 shots. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Everett Silvertips in the first round. Portland won nine of 10 games from Everett in the regular season. . . . F Pearce Eviston scored for Portland in his WHL debut. Eviston, 18, signed with the Winterhawks after putting up 38 points in 44 games with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Kruise Reddick and F Brendan Shinnimin each had two goals and two assists to lead the host Tri-City Americans to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Americans had lost five straight games to the Chiefs. . . . F Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Chiefs, giving him 113 points, two off the league lead. Medicine Hat F Linden Vey has 115 points. . . . Spokane had a nine-game winning streak end. . . . Johnson and the Chiefs are in Portland tonight; Vey and the Tigers finish up in Calgary. Johnson has a WHL-high 52 goals.
---
SATURDAY’S CFB COUNT
Six minors:
Moose Jaw F Antonin Honejsek
Kootenay D Joey Leach
Calgary D Alex Roach
Everett F Ryan Harrison
Portland F Brendan Leipsic
Tri-City F Jordan Messier
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday . . .
 |
| Goaltender Luke Siemens of the Everett Silvertips thwarts forward Justin Feser of the Tri-City Americans from in close last night at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash. (Photo by John Allen/AridAcres.com) |
Davis, who played in the WHL (Flin Flon, 1974-77), has dropped some big numbers on a couple of teams — like 86 games in suspensions and $4,000 in fines.
Jesse Enns of the Swan Valley Stampeders drew a 40-game suspension after he took a lengthy run at an opposing player with three seconds left in a playoff game with the Portage Terriers on Saturday night.
The kerfuffle took place as the Terriers were finishing off the Sher-Wood Division playoff series.
Two assistant coaches — Dallas Anderson of Swan Valley and Jim Tkachyk of Portage — each drew a 22-game sentence. Their sin? They duked it out at the benches following the game’s conclusion. Each coach also was fined $1,500.
As well, Swan Valley head coach Dwayne Kirkup drew a two-game suspension and a $1,000 fine for picking up a gross misconduct and for not having control of his bench.
So there you have it . . . 86 games and $4,000 in fines and only four people are involved. That has to be some kind of record.
If you haven’t seen the video, it’s right here.
———
F Mitch Fadden’s days with the Tampa Bay Lightning are done.
Fadden (Seattle, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-09) has been placed on waivers by the Lightning and managements intends to release him.
The move comes after Fadden, 22, was arrested earlier this month in Salmon Arm, B.C., and charged with impaired driving, failing to provide a breath sample, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and obstructing a peace officer. The Salmon Arm Observer report is right here.
Fadden was with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, an affiliate of the Lightning’s, but hadn’t played since January because of a blood clot in one leg. When he played, though, he was effective, witness 51 points in 37 games.
———
In Saskatoon last night, the Blades got shootout goals from F Brayden Schenn and F Marek Viednesky as they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 3-2 in a shootout. . . . The Blades now have at least a point from each of their last eight games (7-0-1). . . . F Torrin White forced the OT with his first WHL goal at 10:29 of the third period. White, from Balzac, Alta., was the 21st overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft. His father, Terry, scouts for the Prince George Cougars. . . . Saskatoon lost F Jake Trask on the game’s first shift. Apparently, he may have a concussion. . . . The Blades will finish first in the overall standings; the Warriors are headed for a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. . . .
In Calgary, G Jamie Tucker stopped 34 shots to lead the Prince Albert Raiders to a 6-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . .With the victory, the Raiders clinched at least a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Lethbridge Hurricanes are ninth, four points back with two games to play. A tie for the last playoff spot would necessitate a sudden-death playoff game. . . .
In Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s first four goals and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-3. . . . F Brad Ross scored his 30th goal and added two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland G Keith Hamilton stopped 28 shots. . . . Portland remains atop the Western Conference, one point up on the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Giants, who have lost seven in a row, slipped a spot to sixth, one point behind the Chilliwack Bruins. . . .
In Spokane, Chilliwack G Lucas Gore put on perhaps the best display of goaltending in the WHL this season, but his Bruins still lost to the Chiefs, 2-1 in a shootout. . . . Gore stopped 77 shots — that’s right, 77 shots — through overtime. He turned aside 11 shots in the first period, 32 in the second and 29 of 30 in the third. . . . F Tyler Johnson and F Blake Gal outscored the visitors 2-0 in the shootout. . . . F Ryan Howse gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead with his 51st goal at 19:57 of the second. . . . F Matt Marantz tied it with his 19th at 8:52 of the third. . . . The victory kept the Chiefs within a point of the conference-leading Portland Winterhawks. . . . The loser point lifted the Bruins into fifth, one point ahead of the Vancouver Giants. . . . The fifth-place finisher will meet the Tri-City Americans in the first round; finish sixth and you get Portland or Spokane. . . .
In Kelowna, G Calvin Pickard stopped 23 shots to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-0 victory over the Rockets. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for Pickard. . . . Kelowna, which had won five in a row, has been blanked seven times. . . . The Rockets will finish first in the B.C. Division and be the conference’s second seed in the first round. . . . The Thunderbirds moved into a tie for ninth with the idle Kamloops Blazers, three points behind the Prince George Cougars. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., G Luke Siemens stopped 35 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 2-1 victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . . F Ryan Harrison broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 9:17 of the third period. . . . Siemens, who is 7-10-2, was starting in place of Kent Simpson (ankle). Siemens last won Jan. 7 when he beat the Americans in Everett. . . . Everett ended a seven-game losing streak and moved past the idle Prince George Cougars and into seventh place in the Western Conference. . . . The Americans have dropped five of their last home games after earlier winning 13 in a row. . . . The Americans will finish fourth in the conference.
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WEDNESDAY’S CFB COUNT:
One minor:
Chilliwack D Brandon Manning
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JUST NOTES: D Tanner Sohn, 19, is back with the Saskatoon Blades. Sohn, a 13th round pick of the Blades in the 2006 bantam draft, began this season with the Vancouver Giants and finished it with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. In between, he was dealt to the Blades, who wanted him as a depth defenceman in the playoffs. . . . Capgeek.com has reported the terms of the three-year contract that F Wacey Hamilton of the Medicine Hat Tigers signed with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Hamilton, a 20-year-old free agent, gets US$67,500 per season in the AHL, with his NHL salaries pegged at $690,000, $715,000 and $740,000. He got a $270,000 signing bonus, at $90,000 per year. . . . The New York Rangers have signed D Dylan McIlrath of the Moose Jaw Warriors. He was the 10th overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . The Kamloops Blazers have signed 6-foot-3, 205-pound F Dallas Calvin, 16, to a WHL contract. Calvin was placed on the Blazers’ protected list in September. Calvin, who is from Trail, played this season with the junior B Beaver Valley Nitehawks, picking up 40 points in 40 regular-season games. In the playoffs, he had 17 points in 12 games. . . . F Josh Cowen of the Red Deer Rebels, out since Feb. 19 with a broken hand, may be back halfway through the first round of playoffs.
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If you are of the opinion that there is too much violence in hockey these days, you may be interested in signing this online petition. Check it out right here.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Saturday, February 5, 2011
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| Kamloops head coach Guy Charron (left) and assistant Geoff Smith talk to the troops during a timeout. (Photo by Murray Mitchell/Kamloops Daily News) |
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops Blazers’ infirmary, almost clear of forwards, has started to admit defencemen. Daily News Sports Editor
The Blazers lost two defencemen Friday night but they won the WHL game at Interior Savings Centre, beating the Chilliwack Bruins 2-1 on a third-period power-play goal off the stick of right-winger Jordan DePape.
The Blazers (23-29-3) are eighth in the 10-team Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. But the Bruins (21-26-4), who have lost seven in a row, now reside in the cellar, a point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds, who scored a 3-2 overtime victory in Everett last night.
The Blazers and Bruins will play again tonight, too, this time in Chilliwack. It will be the third game between these teams in a week, and the Blazers will be going for a sweep.
But three defencemen who started this one may not suit up tonight.
The Blazers have just gotten forwards Dalibor Bortnak and DePape back and hope to have captain Chase Schaber back on Wednesday when they entertain the Seattle Thunderbirds.
But, tonight, they definitely will be without Brandon Underwood, who left at 3:30 of the first period with an injury to his left knee that head coach Guy Charron later described as possibly “long-term.”
Kamloops also may be without Austin Madaisky, who was driven backwards into the Chilliwack end boards by Bruins defenceman Brandon Manning at 8:01 of the third period. Madaisky appeared to be severely winded on the play and Charron later said that the veteran defenceman was sore. Whether Madaisky plays tonight may well be a game-time decision.
Manning, meanwhile, almost certainly will be hit with at least a one-game WHL suspension.
The last time Manning played in Kamloops, on Jan. 21, he scored a power-play goal in overtime as the Bruins won, 3-2. That was their last victory.
Last night, Manning was in the dressing room when the winner was scored.
Nine seconds after he had been ejected, the Blazers broke a 1-1 tie when DePape, playing his second game after missing eight with a leg injury, pounded a Brendan Ranford rebound past Chilliwack goaltender Lucas Gore for his 17th goal of the season. It also was DePape’s team-high sixth game-winning goal in 37 games.
Until that goal, it looked like Gore, a 20-year-old from Kamloops, wasn’t going to give up a second goal. He finished with 33 saves, including an amazing right-pad save on Dylan Willick off a Ranford pass nine minutes into the second period, an unbelievable glove save on Ryan Hanes with 15 seconds left in that period and a left-pad stop on DePape at 12:04 of the third.
Gore’s save on his buddy Hanes, who also is from Kamloops, was one of those head-shakers.
“Don’t even ask me about that one. I’ll be hearing about it all summer,” said Hanes, with a laugh.
Gore, who was looking to tie his single-season franchise record with his 20th victory, was the only reason the outcome was in doubt as long as it was.
The Blazers ended up going 2-for-10 on the power play, as Gore was easily his club’s best penalty killer. Early in the second period, the Blazers enjoyed a two-man advantage for 1:23 and absolutely peppered Gore, but with no success.
“He did great,” Kamloops defenceman Bronson Maschmeyer said. “He’s a great goaltender. He kept them in this one.”
The Bruins actually held an 11-9 edge in shots after the first period but, thanks to the power plays, the Blazers had the first 12 shots of the second period.
As Charron said, though, the Blazers “allowed them to stay in the game longer than we would have liked to.”
Centre Colin Smith gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead when he beat Gore with a power-play wrist shot from the slot at 6:24 of the first period.
The Bruins got that one back less than three minutes later when forward Ryan Howse went in alone to beat goaltender Jeff Bosch, who finished with 24 saves.
From that point until DePape’s goal, it was the Lucas Gore Show.
“We’re pressing to score,” Charron said, “and they’re not coming easy.”
JUST NOTES: Referees Trent Knorr and Sean Raphael gave the Bruins nine of 16 minors, three of five majors and game misconduct. . . . The Bruins were 0-for-6 on the power play. . . . Attendance was 4,287 . . . The Blazers hold a 3-2-1 edge in the season series. They also will play in Chilliwack on March 5. . . . G Taran Kozun, who is backing up Bosch with Cam Lanigan (concussion) sidelined, will return to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos after tonight’s game in Chilliwack. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Gore — only reason it was close in the third; 2. Hanes — Lots of grit; 3. Kamloops F Ryan Hanes — Lots of grit; 3. Gore — Outstanding. . . . The Blazers play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Wednesday, then leave Friday for Whitehorse where they will play a ‘home’ game against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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