Showing posts with label Markson Bechtold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Markson Bechtold. Show all posts

Thursday, February 9, 2017

WHL in court: More facts and figures from big business of junior hockey


F J.T. Barnett (Vancouver, Kamloops, Everett, Kelowna, 2008-13) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Timrå (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, he was pointless in one game with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), had seven goals and three assists in 24 games with Zvezda Chekhov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga, CSKA farm team), and was pointless in three games with Amur Khabarovsk (Russia, KHL). . . . He was traded by CSKA to Amur on Dec. 13, then released by Amur on Jan 30.
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 I was wrong — oh, was I! — when I wrote earlier in the week that the biggest story involving the WHL over the next while would involve the future of the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook and the City of Nanaimo’s desire to build a new arena.
No . . . no . . . no!
The biggest story — and it’s huge — continues to unfold in a Calgary courtroom.
If you’re late to this, about 400 present and former major junior hockey players are seeking certification for a class-action lawsuit that, if successful, would result in WHL and OHL teams, which operate under
the CHL umbrella, having to pay minimum wage and assorted other benefits such as vacation pay.
This week, lawyers have been arguing both sides in a Calgary courtroom. Early on, Justice Robert Hall ordered the unsealing of financial statements and tax returns once certain personal information has been redacted, a process that now is underway.
In the meantime, some information is starting to trickle out.
On Thursday, we got our first glance at a tax-related document when Justice Hall gave permission for the media to look at and report on the Portland Winterhawks’ tax return for the period June 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016.
For that period, the Winterhawks declared gross revenues of US$5,657,050 and a net loss of $191,955, numbers that didn’t sit well with Ted Charney, a lawyer representing the players in this case.


According to the Form 1120 filed by the Winterhawks, they paid $382,568 in “compensation of officers” and $1,737,330 in salaries and wages. All told, $771,409 was paid in rent and $1,671,881 went to “other deductions,” for which there isn’t an explanation provided.
Total deductions added up to $5,607,710, leaving that net loss of $191,995.
According to the WHL’s attendance report for 2015,16, the Winterhawks drew 252,124 fans to 36 home games, an average of 7,004 per game. Only the Calgary Hitmen, at 8,217, had a higher average attendance.
Late last year, Justice Hall ordered teams to produce financials and tax returns for five years, starting with 2011.
In 2014,15, Portland’s average attendance was 6,980, while it was 7,329 in 2013-14, 6,687 for 2012-13, and 6,075 for 2011-12.
We haven’t yet seen earlier tax returns, but according to a report for the plaintiffs by forensic accountant Ronald Smith, the Winterhawks, under “compensation of officers,” paid out $263,025 in 2012, $292,375 in 2013, $354,781 in 2014 and $393,468 in 2015.
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Included in the same Ronald Smith-prepared chart that contained Portland’s “compensation of officers” were annual “management fees” paid by the Red Deer Rebels.
According to this chart, the Rebels, starting in 2012 and running through 2016, paid “management fees” of $652,600, $400,000, $700,000, $725,000 and $1,490,000, respectively.
Smith wrote: “Based on the large increase in the fiscal 2016 management fees, it appears that a significant portion of those management fees may be a distribution of profit.”
Red Deer management — the franchise is owned by Brent Sutter, who also is the team’s general manager and head coach — hasn’t commented.

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Rick Westhead, a senior correspondent for TSN, was tweeting again (@rwesthead) Thursday. Here are a few:
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After perusing all of these numbers and more, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wrote:
“We’re beginning to see why the Canadian Hockey League was so desperate to keep the details of its financial situation away from the prying eyes of the media and public. But if you’re going to pay the vast majority of your employees poverty wages, you’re also going to have to justify it by opening your books for all to see.
“And what we’re seeing so far doesn’t look great for the CHL.”
As all of this continues to unfold in that Calgary courtroom — it had been hoped things would wrap up today (Friday), but they now are expected to run through Wednesday and perhaps longer — people are learning that major junior hockey is big business.
“In the coming days,” Campbell wrote, “we’re about to find out that there is some big money out there in junior hockey and not much of it is going to the players. We’re going to learn that teams are paying their non-playing employees hundreds of thousands of dollars, even more than a million dollars, while many of the players earn $50 a week. For most teams, the amount they pay in salaries and benefits to non-players dwarfs the entire expense budget (which includes equipment, travel and scholarships), and in many cases is double the entire amount they spend on players.”
There was some interesting news involving the Kelowna Rockets, too, as Campbell pointed out that Smith’s report indicates the Rockets “have a wholly-owned subsidiary that provides the team with bussing services, which means transportation costs are being paid to a company that the Rockets already own.”
Smith wrote: “We do not know if the subsidiary is profitable or not.”
In the coming days, we are going to learn that nothing is cut and dried about any of this business. The more we hear and read, the more we realize that major junior hockey is a large, multi-faceted business with a whole lot of layers. What you are seeing when you walk into an arena and the puck is dropped is only the tip of the iceberg.
Campbell’s complete piece is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

The Prince Albert Raiders have lost F Jordy Stallard, 19, for the rest of this season after he underwent shoulder surgery on Monday. The Brandon native is at home recovering. . . . Jeff D’Andrea of paNOW reports that the Raiders have more injury issues, too. “Rookie Carson Miller missed Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to the Medicine Hat Tigers,” D’Andrea wrote, “and will be evaluated for a shoulder injury on Friday. Drew Warkentine was withdrawn from Wednesday’s game due to a lower body injury.” . . .
Meanwhile, the Saskatoon Blades have one forward ready to return from injury, with another close to getting back in the lineup. F Mason McCarty has missed 27 games with a knee injury but should play tonight against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. McCarty had 14 goals and nine assists in 26 games when he was injured on Nov. 25. . . . Meanwhile, F Markson Bechtold, who was injured in his third game after being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs, is close to returning but isn’t expected to play tonight. . . . However, Ryan Flaherty of Global-TV in Saskatoon tweeted Thursday that F Caleb Fantillo was “hurt at practice today. Blades back down to 19 skaters.” . . . 
F Michael Rasmussen, a 32-goal scorer and a projected first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, has an undisclosed injury and isn’t expected to play tonight against the host Seattle Thunderbirds and may also miss Saturday’s game in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . .
The Vancouver Giants, coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Cougars in Prince George on Wednesday, are scheduled to meet the Rockets in Kelowna tonight. The Rockets have beaten the Giants in each of their last 21 meetings in Kelowna, going back to March 19, 2011. . . . The Rockets likely will be a little ornery, having lost 6-0 to the host Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday.
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THURSDAY GAMES:

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

Everett at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Regina at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:43 PM
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Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Blades, Chiefs swap four . . . Seven WHLers on Team Canada . . . Sideroff deadly in OT


MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

Today we have a true WHL flavour to our musical opening. It’s Michael Bublé, who owns a chunk of the Vancouver Giants, and Mariah Carey, with All I Want For Christmas Is You, and it's right here.
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It’s your lucky day, because right here is another Christmas video. If you haven’t heard this song, give it a listen. It’s a catchy one from Chris Rea, who is . . . Driving Home for Christmas.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings always have a grand time with their Christmas video. Their latest one is no exception, and it’s right here.
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F J.T. Barnett (Vancouver, Everett, Kelowna, 2008-13) has been traded by CSKA Moscow to Amur Khabarovsk (both Russia, KHL) for "monetary considerations.” Barnett was pointless in one game with CSKA and had seven goals and three assists in 24 games with Zvezda Chekhov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). . . .
D Filip Novák (Regina, 1999-2002) has been released by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had three assists in 11 games. Earlier this season, he had a goal and two assists in nine games with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga).
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The Saskatoon Blades have acquired F Markson Bechtold, 20, D Evan Fiala, 19, and a conditional sixth-round WHL bantam draft selection in an undisclosed year from the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for F and Wyatt Sloboshan, 19, D Nolan Reid, 18, and a third-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. (At a guess, the
conditional pick will be in 2018 and it will hinge on whether Fiala plays as a 20-year-old in 2017-18.)
The trade was announced after the Blades were beaten, 3-2 in OT, by the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday night.
The acquisition of Bechtold left the Blades with four 20-year-olds, one over the maximum, so they have placed F Kolten Olynek on waivers. The Blades had acquired Olynek on waivers from the Prince Albert Raiders earlier in the season.
The Blades now have Bechtold, F Jesse Shynkaruk and D Bryton Sayers as their 20-year-olds.
It would appear that the Blades (13-18-3) were wanting to shake things up in their dressing room. That doesn’t mean anything untoward has been happening, just that management is looking for a different mix.
The Blades have picked it up a bit of late — they are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games — as they go into two important weekend games. They are one point out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot that is held by the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings (13-14-4). The teams meet Friday in Brandon and Saturday in Saskatoon.
Bechtold, from Strathmore, Alta., has five goals and three assists in 13 games this season. He has three goals and an assist in five games since returning from an undisclosed injury. A third-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2011 bantam draft, Bechtold has 93 points, 35 of them goals, in 211 regular-season games.
Fiala, from Clavet, Sask., has two goals and seven assists in 32 games this season. The Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2012 bantam draft. In 157 regular-season games, he has eight goals and 32 assists.
Bechtold and Fiala are expected to join the Blades on Friday in time for the game in Brandon.
Sloboshan, the Blades’ captain, is from Vanscoy, Sask. He was a third-round pick by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2012 bantam draft. This season, he has four goals and 12 assists in 30 games. In 145 career games, all with Saskatoon, he has 91 points, including 33 goals.
Reid, from Deer Valley, Sask., was a second-round selection by the Blades in the 2013 bantam draft. Last season, he had four goals and 22 assists in 72 games. This season, he has 11 assists in 34 games. In 161 career games, all with the Blades, he has 48 points, seven of them goals.
Sloboshan, who hasn't played since Dec. 6 because of an undisclosed injury, and Reid are expected in Spokane before the Chiefs meet the visiting Prince George Cougars on Saturday.
Like the Blades, the Chiefs are chasing a playoff spot. At 14-12-6, they are one point out of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and five points short of third place in the U.S. Division.
Getting the 2017 third-round draft pick was important for the Chiefs as they traded a conditional third-rounder to the Red Deer Rebels, along with G Tyson Verhelst, who has since retired, for G Dawson Weatherill and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2018.
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After beating Czech Republic 8-0 in an exhibition game on Wednesday night in Boisbriand, Que., the Canadian national junior team made its last cuts.
Released were G Michael McNiven of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, F Sam Steel of the Regina Pats, F Zach Senyshyn of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, D Guillaume Brisebois of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and D Samuel Girard of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes.
McNiven’s release means that Team Canada will go with two WHL goaltenders — Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips is expected to go into the pre-World Junior Championship games as the starter, with Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers backing him up.
Last night, Ingram stopped six shots and McNiven 11 in the victory over Czech Republic.
Other WHLers on the 22-player roster are F Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds), F Dillon Dube (Kelowna Rockets), D Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen), D Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings) and D Noah Juulsen (Everett).
The roster features seven players from each of the WHL and QMJHL, with six from the OHL and two from the NCAA. The two NCAA skaters are D Dante Fabbro (Boston U), whose WHL rights belong to the Seattle Thunderbirds) and F Tyson Jost (North Dakota), whose WHL rights were acquired by Regina from Everett earlier this season.
Team Canada will move today from Boisbriand to Mont-Tremblant, Que., where it will prepare for exhibition games against Finland (Montreal, Dec. 19), Czech Republic (Ottawa, Dec. 21) and Switzerland (Toronto, Dec. 23).
The 2017 World Junior Championship opens Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal.
There is more on the Canadian roster right here.
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JUST NOTES:

F Dylan Holloway, who was selected by the Everett Silvertips in the sixth round of the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, has committed to the U of Wisconsin where he will play for the Badgers. Holloway, 15, is from Bragg Creek, Alta., and plays for the midget AAA Calgary Flames. 
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Kootenay, F Tyler Steenbergen broke a 2-2 tie at 13:17 of the second period and the Swift Current
COLE JOHNSON
Broncos went on to a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Steenbergen has 22 goals. . . . F Vince Loschiavo (11), who also had an assist, got the Ice on the scoreboard first, just 35 seconds into the game. . . . The Broncos took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Conner Chaulk (3), at 13:29, and F Ryan Graham (10), at 16:49. . . . F Matt Alfaro’s 10th goal pulled the Ice into a tie at 18:43. . . . Steenbergen broke the tie and F Cole Johnson (4), who also had an assist, added insurance at 15:59. Johnson was playing his first game since Dec. 2. . . . Broncos F Aleksi Heponiemi added his eighth goal at 13:15. . . . The Broncos got 21 stops from G Travis Child. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 38 shots for the Ice. . . . Swift Current (16-10-7) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Ice (6-20-8) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . The Broncos welcomed back F Glenn Gawdin, their captain, who last played on Oct. 28. He missed 19 games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,506.
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At Lethbridge, F Deven Sideroff scored in OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 3-2 victory over the
DEVEN SIDEROFF
Hurricanes. . . . Sideroff also scored in OT on Tuesday night as the Blazers won, 4-3, over the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . The Blazers now are 3-0-1 on a six-game jaunt through the Central Division. They are 2-0-1 in their last three games, each of which has been decided in OT. . . . Sideroff, who scored twice in Lethbridge, now has 21 goals. He leads the WHL with seven game-winners, four of them in his last seven games. Four of his winners have come in extra time. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead on goals from F Brett Davis (2), at 5:42 of the first period, and F Egor Babenko (10), on a PP, at 19:22 of the second period. . . . The Blazers tied it on third-period goals from F Travis Walton (2), at 7:48, and Sideroff, at 15:08. . . . Babenko also had an assist. . . . G Dylan Ferguson stopped 25 shots for the winners. With starter Connor Ingram with Canada’s national junior team, Ferguson has made four straight starts. In those games, he is 3-0-1, 2.15, .932. . . . The Hurricanes got 26 stops from Stuart Skinner. . . . Lethbridge was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-4. . . . Kamloops (20-12-2), which was playing its fourth game in five nights, has points in seven straight (6-0-1). . . . Lethbridge (18-11-5) has points in 13 in a row (11-0-2). . . . The Hurricanes had won their previous five games, and had won six in a row on home ice. . . . Announced attendance: 2,871.
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At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs continued to torch opposing teams, this time scoring a goal and
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
adding two assists as the Warriors beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Halbgewachs, 19, leads the WHL with 28 goals and is tied for the scoring lead, with 50 points, in 31 games. He has scored at least once in each of his past 10 games. The WHL record for longest goal-scoring streak is 18 games and is held by F Cliff Ronning, who did it with the New Westminster Bruins in 1984-85. Halbgewachs went into this season with single-season career highs of 15 goals and 41 points, both set in 69 games last season. . . . Last night, Halbgewachs scored the game’s first goal, at 16:01 of the second period. He drew an assist on F Noah Gregor’s 17th goal, on a PP, at 19:12. . . . Raiders D Loch Morrison was serving a slashing minor when Gregor scored. “I thought it was a weak call,” Prince Albert associate coach Dave Manson told Jeff D’Andrea of paNow.com. “It was something that was going on all night and they let it go for the first period and a half and they for some reason, they decided to call it there. It was a terrible call but those things happen. We have to kill that penalty in order to stay in it. They got one off of it and that put the nail in the coffin for us.” . . . F Tanner Jeannot (10) made it 3-0 at 1:28 of the third period and D Josh Brook added his fourth at 17:01, with Halbgewachs drawing his second assist. . . . Brook and Gregor also had an assist apiece, while F Nikita Popugaev had two of them. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Burke had an assist to run his point streak to 10 games. . . . Warriors G Zach Sawchenko stopped 29 shots, losing his shutout bid when F Austin Glover (11) scored at 17:37 of the third period. . . . G Ian Scott stopped 42 shots for Prince Albert. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-4 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-6. . . . The Warriors were without D Matt Sozanski for a sixth straight game, while F Tristin Langan missed his third in a row. . . . Warriors F Brett Howden, released Tuesday by the Canadian national junior team, was back in the lineup and had an assist. . . . Prince Albert was without D Vojtech Budik and F Simon Stransky, both of whom played for the Czech Republic’s national junior team in an 8-0 loss to Canada in an exhibition game in Boisbriand, Que., on Wednesday. . . . Moose Jaw improved to 19-7-5. . . . The Raiders (7-24-2) are 1-1-1 in their last three games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,726.
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At Prince George, D Brendan Guhle snapped a 3-3 tie at 16:31 of the second period and the Cougars
TY EDMONDS
went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 5-3. . . . One night earlier, the Cougars had beaten the Americans, 4-1. . . . The doubleheader sweep allowed the Cougars (24-8-2), who have won three in a row, to move back into first place in the overall standings. They are one point ahead of the Everett Silvertips (22-4-5), who hold three games in hand, and two ahead of the Regina pats (21-2-6), who have played five fewer games. . . . Last night, the Cougars jumped out front 2-0 when F Brad Morrison (14) and F Jared Bethune (11) scored 39 seconds apart midway through the first period. . . . The visitors tied it on goals from F Morgan Geekie (18), at 17:57, and F Michael Rasmussen (23), at 0:19 of the second period. . . . F Brogan O’Brien’s fifth goal, at 2:00 of the second, put the Cougars back into the lead, but Tri-City F Jordan Topping tied it with his third goal, at 13:26. . . . Guhle broke that deadlock, and F Kody McDonald added insurance with his eighth goal, on a PP, at 5:08 of the third period. . . . The Cougars got two assists from F Colby McAuley, while O’Brien, Guhle, McDonald and Bethune added one each. . . . Geekie and Topping had an assist each for Tri-City. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 22 shots for the Cougars, as he won for the 19th time this season. . . . The Americans got 32 saves from G Rylan Parenteau. . . . The Cougars were 1-7 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . The Americans (19-13-3) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 2,855.
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At Saskatoon, F Davis Koch scored his second goal of the game 11 seconds into OT to give the
DAVIS KOCH
Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Blades. . . . The Oil Kings overcame a 2-0 first-period deficit before winning it on Koch’s ninth goal of the season. . . . The Blades got a pair of first-period PP goals, with F Josh Patterson (7) scoring at 9:34 and F Chase Wouters (4) at 10:34. . . . D Anatolii Elizarov’s third goal, at 19:14 of the first, got the Oil Kings to within one. . . . Koch, who finished last season with nine goals, tied the score at 5:32 of the third period. . . . F Tyson Gruninger had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Koch, 18, now has 36 points in 33 games, after totalling 23 in 58 games last season and 25 in 52 in 2014-15. . . . The Oil Kings had a 46-17 edge in shots. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 15 shots to earn the victory over Logan Flodell, who turned aside 43. . . . Saskatoon was 2-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-4. . . . The Oil Kings went 4-0-0 against the Blades, who would up 0-3-1 against the Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton (15-15-3) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). . . . Saskatoon (13-18-3) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,056.
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At Victoria, F Ilijah Colina scored his first WHL goal at 8:33 of the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie and
ILIJAH COLINA
giving the Portland Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Royals. . . . Colina, 16, is from North Delta, B.C. He has a goal and three assists in 14 games. Portland selected him in the eighth round of the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The Winterhawks, who had lost 5-1 in Victoria one night earlier, took a 2-0 lead on goals from D Connor MacEachern, his first, at 4:32 of the first period and F Skyler McKenzie, his 21st, at 8:28. . . . F Ryan Peckford’s 12th goal, at 10:21, got the Royals to within one, but Portland F Cody Glass scored his 17th at 18:41 for a 3-1 lead. . . . The Royals tied it on second-period PP goals from F Matt Phillips (23), at 9:09, and F Dante Hannoun (14), at 13:35. . . . Glass also had two assists, giving him 48 points in 34 games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 27 points, including 10 goals, in 65 games. . . . F Evan Weinger also had two assists for Portland. . . . The Royals got three helpers from F Jack Walker and two from D Chaz Reddekopp, with Phillips adding one to his goal. . . . The Winterhawks got 32 saves from G Michael Bullion, while Griffen Outhouse stopped 23 for Victoria. . . . Victoria was 3-8 on the PP; Portland was 1-6. . . . The Winterhawks are 19-14-1; the Royals are 17-15-3. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon returned after serving a four-game suspension. He played in his 283rd regular-season game, all with the Royals. That is tied for second, with F Logan Fisher, for second on the franchise’s all-time list. F Brandon Magee (318) holds the franchise record after playing with the Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria. If Gagnon plays the remainder of the Royals’ games, he will finish at 320. . . . Announced attendance: 3,568.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Lethbridge at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Kamloops at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Seattle, 7:35 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

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

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:58 PM
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Friday, December 9, 2016

Guhle returns from NHL . . . Royals add some firepower . . . Pats, Brooks keep rolling


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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have returned D Brendan Guhle, 19, to the Prince George Cougars. Guhle
BRENDAN GUHLE
played three games with the Sabres after they recalled him on an emergency basis due to injuries. . . . The Sabres had D Josh Gorges and D Dmitry Kulikov back for a Friday night game with the visiting Washington Capitals, so they had to return Guhle. Kalikow (back) missed 13 games, while Gorges (foot) sat out three games, all of which Guhle played in. . . . Buffalo D Nicolas Deslauriers (knee) is skating but not yet ready to return after already missing 19 games. . . . While with the Sabres, Guhle played a regular shift, averaging 16 minutes 21 seconds of playing time. . . . Guhle, who has three goals in four games with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 18, didn’t play against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night. He could be in the lineup tonight (Saturday) for the second game of the doubleheader.
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F Vladimir Bobylev is expected to rejoin the Victoria Royals next week for the remainder of this WHL season. Bobylev, 19, had 67 points, including 28 goals, in 72 games with the Royals last season. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. . . . Bobylev, who is from Lipetsk, Russia, signed with Spartak Moscow of the KHL over the summer. He had a goal and two assists in 20 games with Spartak, before being sent down to Voskresensk of the VHL, where he had one goal and one assist in three games. . . . The Royals have room for Bobylev on their roster as they only had one import — Russian D Marsel Ibragimov — on their roster. . . . Bobylev could be in Victoria in time for the Royals’ next home game -- they are scheduled to play host to the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday night. . . . Last season, Bobylev played a lot with linemates Jack Walker and Tyler Soy. You can look for them to be reunited once Soy returns from an undisclosed injury. Those three combined for 236 points, including 110 goals, last season.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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JUST NOTES:

Brent Dodginghorse, 38, who played two seasons (1997-99) with the Calgary Hitmen, has been re-elected to a fifth term as a councillor with the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary. The election was held last week and had a voter turnout of more than 70 per cent. .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Beck Malenstyn forced OT and then scored in the extra session to give the Hitmen a 3-2
BECK MALENSTYN
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors took a 1-0 lead when F Michael Spacek scored his 15th goal at 4:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on a PP score by F Jakob Stukel (7) at 17:58. . . . The Rebels went back in front on F Evan Polei’s 12th goal, at 6:57 of the third period. . . . Malenstyn, who has 11 goals, tied it at 14:41 and won it at 2:02 of OT. . . . The winner came as Red Deer G Lasse Petersen, who once played for the Hitmen, skated out near the blue line after a loose puck. Malenstyn got their first and was able to score into the vacated net. . . . “Lasse wasn’t here for a super-long time last (season),” Malenstyn told Postmedia’s Scott Fisher, “but in the time he was here, we got to know each other pretty well. We were pretty good friends when he was here so maybe I’ll have to thank him for this one after the game.” . . . The Hitmen got 33 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . At the other end, Petersen made 27 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (11-14-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (15-12-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 9,631.
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At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer scored twice and added an assist to help the Oil Kings to a 5-1 victory over
LANE BAUER
the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bauer, who has 21 goals, ran his goal-scoring streak to six games. He’s got eight goals over that time. . . . D Aaron Irving gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal at 3:25 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke (17) tied it on a PP at 7:55. . . . Irving scored again at 10:58 to put his mates out front for good. . . . Bauer made it 3-1 with his 20th goal at 13:31. . . . Edmonton D Brayden Gorda (3) added insurance at 17:02 of the second period, with Bauer getting his second goal at 14:56 of the third. . . . Gorda also had an assist, while F Davis Koch had two of them. . . . Gorda and Koch each finished plus-5. . . . The Oil Kings got 19 saves from G Patrick Dea, while Brandon’s Jordan Papirny, playing in his hometown, blocked 29. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-1. . . . Edmonton and Brandon are tied for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots, each with 30 points. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 14-14-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-13-4) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are 1-5-1 on an eight-game trip that ends in Red Deer tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 8,148.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan broke a 2-2 tie at 14:56 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Hurricanes (16-11-4) have points in 10 straight games (9-0-1). . . . The Tigers (21-10-1) have lost five in a row. . . . D David Quenneville (16) scored both Medicine Hat goals. He gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 13:19 of the first period and pulled them into a 2-2 tie at 10:13 of the third. Both goals came via the PP. . . . Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive (11) tied the score 1-1 at 10:22 of the second period. . . . D Brennan Riddle scored his first WHL goal at 11:39 of the second to get the Hurricanes into a 2-2 tie. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from each of F Tyler Wong and F Colton Kroeker. . . . F Steve Owre had two assists for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots for Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider turned aside 20 shots as he made his fifth start in search of his 20th victory this season. He leads the WHL with 19. . . . Medicine Hat 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,854.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-4, in OT. . . .
RYAN HUGHES
Portland D Henri Jokiharju forced OT when he scored with with 54.6 seconds left in the third period and G Cole Kehler on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Winterhawks won it when F Ryan Hughes scored his 13th goal at 4:05 of extra time. . . . D Caleb Jones, who finished with three assists, had the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Winterhawks held a 3-1 lead early in the second period but watched as Victoria scored three straight goals. . . . F Brett Clayton’s first goal put Portland out front at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria D Chazz Reddekopp (4) tied it at 11:01. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Colton Veloso (8), at 18:20 of the first, and F Cody Glass (16), on a PP, 30 seconds into the second period. . . . The Royals got the next three goals, with F Dante Hannoun (12) scoring at 0:53 of the second, F Ryan Peckford (9) counting at 6:06 and F Regan Nagy (9) scoring at 5:52 of the third period. . . . Glass added two assists to his goal, while D Keoni Texeira also had two helpers. . . . The Royals got two assists each from Hannoun and F Matt Phillips. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Kehler finished with 33 saves in earning the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who turned aside 46 shots. . . . Portland (17-13-1) had won two in a row. . . . Victoria (16-13-3) has points in its last three outings (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,231.
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At Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 7-3 victory
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
over the Raiders. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs had two goals and two assists for the Warriors, taking over the WHL goal-scoring with 24, in the process. He scored the first two goals, at 9:41 and 13:09 of the first period as he ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . F Tanner Jeannot, who also scored twice, upped the lead to 3-0 at 17:28. . . . F Austin Glover (9) scored the Teddy Bear Goal just 32 seconds into the second period and F Tim Vanstone (5) got the Raiders to within one at 3:38. . . . However, F Noah Gregor, who has 15 goals, scored his first of two at 10:48, on a PP, and Jeannot upped it to 5-2 at 2:25 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe’s first goal got them to within two at 11:02. . . . The Warriors put it away on goals from Gregor, at 15:03, and F Brett Howden (14), at 16:24. . . . Howden and Gregor had an assist each. . . . Halbgewachs went into this season with 19 goals and 31 assists in 133 career regular-season games. This season, he has 24 goals and 17 assists in 28 games. He has tied his career-high with 41 points in 28 games; he finished last season with 41 points in 69 games. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko blocked 41 shots, 16 more than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . The Warriors were 1-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-6. . . . Moose Jaw (17-6-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . Prince Albert (6-23-1) has lost three straight. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Moose Jaw and it’s another Teddy Bear Game. . . . F Brayden Burke (ill) and D Matt Sozanski (hangnail/shoulder) were among the Warriors’ scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 2,171.
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At Prince George, F Donovan Neuls broke a 2-2 tie at 1:33 of the third period and the Seattle
DONOVAN NEULS
Thunderbirds went on to a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Neuls has eight goals this season. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle’s 19th goal, shorthanded, got the Cougars on the scoreboard first, at 3:07 of the first period. . . . F Sami Moilanen (8) tied it at 10:23. . . . The Cougars went back out front on F Yan Khomenko’s ninth goal, at 11:29. . . . The Thunderbirds tied it on F Keegan Kolesar’s second goal, at 2:22 of the second period. . . . Neuls and Kolesar also had an assist each. . . . Khomenko has nine goals and six assists in 28 games. Last season, he finished with five goals and three assists in 46 games with Everett. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle, two more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 0-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds improved to 16-10-3. . . . The Cougars are 21-8-2. . . . The two teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.
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At Regina, F Dawson Leedahl scored two goals and drew three assists to lead the Pats to an 8-1 victory
DAWSON LEEDAHL
over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . It was Leedahl’s first five-point game in the WHL. . . . Leedahl, 20, has 12 goals and 25 assists in 28 games this season. Last season, he finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 games with the Everett Silvertips. He already has career single-season highs in assists and points. . . . F Riley Woods scored the Teddy Bear Goal, his fifth goal this season, giving the Pats a 1-0 lead at 11:45 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry, who scored twice and added two assists, got his13th at 13:57 of the first for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Kaden Elder (7) pulled the Broncos to within a goal at 16:15, but Regina went on to score the next six goals. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs had two goals, giving him 13, and an assist, while F Sam Steel and D Sergey Zborovskiy each had two assists. . . . Zborovskiy has three goals and 13 assists over his past five games during which time he is plus-17. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks ran his point streak to 22 games with one assist. Brooks, who is tied with Steel atop the WHL scoring race (48 points), has at least a point in each game in which he has played this season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, making his eighth straight start with backup Jordan Hollett hurt, made 26 saves. . . . Swift Current starter Taz Burman gave up four goals on 16 shots in 23:17. Travis Child came on to allow four goals on 29 shots in 36:43. . . . The Pats were 2-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Regina (21-2-5) is 5-0-2 in its last seven games. It remains tied with Everett (21-3-5) atop the overall standings. . . . Swift Current (15-10-6) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,128.
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At Spokane, F Markson Bechtold’s fifth goal, at 18:52 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Chiefs
MARKSON BECHTOLD
beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto scored the Teddy Bear Goal, giving his guys a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period. . . . Ice F Barrett Sheen (6) tied it at 9:03. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from F Kailer Yamamoto (18), on a PP, at 1:02, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (14), at 14:22. . . . Kootenay tied it with a pair of PP goals. F Zak Zborosky scored No. 23 at 18:18 of the second period and F Vince Loschiavo got his ninth at 3:50 of the third period. . . . The Yamamoto brothers each had an assist, as did Anderson-Dolan. . . . The Ice got two assists from D Cale Fleury, with Loschiavo and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Dawson Weatherill got the victory with 27 saves, four more than the Ice’s Jakob Walter. . . . Kootenay was 2-6 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (12-11-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Ice (6-18-8) had points in its previous three games (1-0-2). . . . The Ice had F Kaeden Taphorn back after an 18-game absence. Taphorn was injured on Oct. 7 on a hit by Regina Pats F Austin Wagner, came back for two games on Oct. 21 and 26, and didn’t play again until last night. . . . Announced attendance: 8,322.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Kole Lind struck in OT as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2.
KOLE LIND
. . . Lind scored his 16th goal at 3:17 of extra time. . . . F Nolan Foote’s fifth goal, on a PP, gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead at 18:54 of the first period. . . . The Americans scored the next two goals, both via the PP. . . . F Michael Rasmussen got No. 22 at 2:12 of the second period. . . . D Juuso Valimaki, who spent the early part of the week at home in Finland where he took part in Independence Day celebrations (for more, see blog entry from Tuesday night of this week), gave the home side a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal, at 6:02. . . . The Rockets forged a 2-2 tie when F Calvin Thurkauf got his 13th goal at 8:44 of the second. . . . The Americans got two assists from each of F Tyler Sandhu and F Vladislav Lukin. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . G Evan Sarthou of the Americans blocked 41 shots. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-3. . . . The Rockets (18-11-1) are 5-0-1 in their past six games. . . . The Americans (18-11-3) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . Announced attendance: 2,609.
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At Langley, B.C., F Eetu Tuulola’s shootout goal gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the
EETU TUULOLA
Vancouver Giants. . . . F Thomas Foster (7) gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first period and the teams alternated goals the rest of the way, meaning that the Silvertips didn’t hold a lead until game’s end. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (5) tied it at 3:14 of the second period. . . . Vancouver F Radovan Bondra, who missed a week with a leg injury, put the Giants back out front with his 18th goal, just 25 seconds later. . . . Tuulola tied it with his seventh goal, just eight seconds after Bondra had scored. . . . Yes, the teams scored three times in 33 seconds. . . . Vancouver took the lead again when F Jack Flaman (9) scored at 14:45. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen’s ninth goal tied it again, at 2:52 of the third period. . . . Vancouver went back out front at 9:05 as F Tyler Benson notched No. 9. . . . The Silvertips forced OT with F Dominic Zwerger’s 11th goal, at 9:57. . . . Everett got two assists from each of F Patrick Bajkov and Jake Christiansen. . . . Juulsen tied his single-season for goals, matching the nine he scored in 68 games in 2014-15. He had seven last season and has nine in 25 games this season. . . . F Alec Baer had two assists for Vancouver, with Foster and Benson adding one each. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic blocked 48. . . . The Silvertips set a franchise record by recording 27 shots on goal in the second period. The previous record of 26 came at Seattle on Sept. 18, 2009. . . . Everett was 0-3 on the PP; Vancouver’s PP unit never got off the bench. . . . The Silvertips (21-3-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are tied with Regina (21-2-5) atop the overall standings. . . . The Giants (11-17-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,015.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Everett at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Spokane vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

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

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:51 PM
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

THE MacBETH REPORT:
SM-liigaF Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a contract for the rest of this season with SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland, SM-Liiga) after his release by Växjö (Sweden, Elitserien). He had five goals and three assists in 37 games with Växjö this season. Moran was released after Växjö signed American F Ryan Lasch, which put the club over the Swedish limit of two non-European Union citizens per team — ex-NHL/AHL D Noah Welch is the other non-EU player on Växjö. Lasch, who was playing in the Anaheim Ducks farm system this season, led SM-Liiga in scoring last season with 24 goals and 38 points in 59 games for Pelicans Lahti.
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It was a ch-ch-ching kind of day in the WHL office on Tuesday as $2,250 in fines were handed out. Toss in another $1,500 from the previous few days, and the coffers are swollen these days.
Rich Preston, the GM/head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, paid $500 for getting tossed from a 7-1 loss to the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Sunday.
It’s interesting to note that Preston was seething after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Rebels in Red Deer on Saturday night. The Hurricanes went ahead 2-1 at 16:28 of the third period, only to have the Rebels tie it at 18:28.
Preston felt his club got the short end of the stick in that one.
Preston told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate that he felt the Rebels should have penalized right before the tying goal.
“It was a tripping call. They (referees Adam Bylbow and Reagan Vetter) put their whistles away and it ends up in our net,” Preston told Meachem. “Our guy has the puck, he gets tripped, they (Rebels) get it and it’s in the net. But that happens.
“We blew two one-goal leads and that was the difference. At least one of those should have been the winner. But we gained a big point and now we have to move on. That’s all you can do.”
After that, you know that Preston likely wasn’t happy to show up in Edmonton, look out at the referees and see — you guessed it — Byblow and Vetter.
Meanwhile, Lethbridge also was fined $750 because the line brawl in Edmonton was its second of the season. The Oil Kings got touched for $500 for their part in the donnybrook.
As well, each team was fined $250 because the goaltenders — Laurent Brossoit of the Oil Kings and Ty Rimmer of the Hurricanes — also fought.
On Monday, the WHL fined the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos each $500 for a line brawl in Swift Current on Saturday. As well, Calgary Hitmen GM Kelly Kisio paid $500 for postgame comments to officials after a 4-2 loss in Lethbridge on Friday.
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James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun, tweeted Tuesday that “sources confirm Dauphin of the MJHL fined $2,500 after being accused of contacting PG Cougars' Daulton Siwak without authorization.”
Later, Shewaga reported that the WHL had filed a complaint “on the behalf” of the Cougars. . . . Siwak, 19, left the Cougars on Jan. 6 and is under suspension until Feb. 10, after which he is expected to join Dauphin. . . . Shewaga reports: “Siwak has not yet played a game for the Kings, who were fined after an investigation by a joint committee of members of Hockey Manitoba, the WHL and the MJHL who operate under a recruiting agreement.”
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THE COACHING GAME:
The BCHL’s Cowichan Capitals have made a coaching change, with assistant coach Aaron Plumb taking over as head coach from Jim Ingram.
According to a statement on the team’s website, the move was made “after much discussion between management, ownership and coaching staff” and it was made by “mutual agreement.”
“In what has been a year with some difficult challenges,” the statement continued, “it was felt that the best interest of the team, moving forward, would be best served by a coaching change.”
Plumb will be helped by assistant coach Darren Rodney.
The Capitals are 10-26-1-3 and in fifth place in the five-team Island Division.They are 18 points out of fourth but do hold six games in hand on the Power River Kings.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added F Markson Bechtold to their roster for a pair of road games. They’ll play in Kamloops on Friday and in Portland on Saturday.
Bechtold, 16, was a third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. From Strathmore, Alta., he is playing for the midget AAA UFA Bisons. He has 28 points and 64 penalty minutes in 30 games.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings will be without G Corbin Boes (knee) indefinitely after he was injured in Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . The means Curtis Honey, 18, is Brandon’s starter for the foreseeable future. He will start tonight against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . G Jordan Papirny, who plays for the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, has joined the Wheat Kings for now. He was a first-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, F Pavlo Padakin broke a 2-2 tie at 4:40 of the third period as the Calgary Hitmen scored a 3-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Padakin, an 18-year-old from Kiev, Ukraine, has 15 goals. . . . The Hitmen trailed 2-0 late in the second period. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 30 in 47 games. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 45 shots, including a first-period penalty shot attempt by F Cody Sylvester, wo later got his 26th goal to tie the score at 19:58 of the second. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks put up their third straight shutout as they beat the Silvertips, 6-0. . . . The Winterhawks (40-7-3) became the first team to 40 victories this season and also are the first to clinch a playoff spot. . . . G Brendan Burke stopped 17 shots to post his second straight shutout and his fourth of the season. . . . The Winterhawks have recorded a team-record 10 shutouts this season. . . . F Nic Petan, the WHL scoring leader, had a goal and two assists, while F Ty Rattie scored twice. . . . Rattie is riding a 14-game point streak. . . . Petan has 34 goals, one behind F Todd Fiddler of Spokane, who leads the WHL. . . . Portland is 8-0-0 against Everett this season. . . . G Daniel Cotton went the distance for Everett. He made 35 saves while being backed up by Bryce Fink, a 19-year-old from Gig Harbor, Wash., who plays for the Seattle Totems of the Western States Hockey League. He filled in for Austin Lotz (foot). . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips are likely to bring in G Nik Amundrud for the weekend. Amundrud, a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, plays for the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans. . . . The Winterhawks started a strech of four games in five nights with this one. They are at home to the Kamloops Blazers tonight. . . . The Winterhawks remain without D Derrick Pouliot (high ankle sprain). . . . Everett F Josh Winquist departed with an injury in the second period. . . . By game’s end, the Silvertips were without Lotz, Winquist, D Ryan Murray (shoulder), F Ryan Harrison (concussion), D Austin Adam (concussion), D Ayrton Nikkel (finger) and F Lucas Grayson (undisclosed). . . .

In Victoria, F Leon Draisaitl scored the only goal of the circus and the Prince Albert Raiders got past the Royals, 6-5. . . . The Raiders forced OT when F Mark McNeill scored with 0.1 seconds left in the third period. Draisaitl drew the lone assist on McNeill’s 19th goal. . . . D Davis Vandane had a goal, his seventh, and two assist for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert got shorthanded goals from Vandane and F Shane Danyluk. Vandane gave the Raiders a 3-2 lead at 19:02 of the first period as the visitors erased a 2-0 deficit. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . D Shea Theodore scored twice for Seattle, which got 29 saves from G Brandon Glover. . . . F Alex Delnov had three assists. . . . Seattle D Griffin Fould scored his first WHL goal. It came in his 26th game this season and the 40th of his career. . . . The Thunderbirds hold down the Western Conference’s eight and last playoff spot. They are three points behind Everett and sixahead of Prince George. . . . There was a two-fight situation at 19:38 of the third period. Although the goaltenders — Glover and Prince George’s Mac Engel — didn’t scrap, they got tossed for at least making motions as though there were going to square off.


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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:47 AM
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