Showing posts with label Mathew Barzal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mathew Barzal. Show all posts

Sunday, May 14, 2017

It's True: Thunderbirds win first WHL title ... Great Dane wins Game 6 in OT ... Stankowski caps off amazing run

SUNDAY’S GAME:


At Regina, F Alexander True scored on his own rebound at 12:36 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Seattle won the WHL championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 4-2, bringing the franchise the first title in its history. . . . The Thunderbirds move on to the Memorial Cup that opens Friday in Windsor, Ont. Also there will be the host Spitfires, the OHL-champion Erie Otters and QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs. . . . The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup. . . . All three championship final games in Regina needed OT, with Seattle taking Game 1, 2-1, on a goal from F Donovan Neuls, and the Pats winning Game 2, 4-3, when D Josh Mahura scored. . . . Last night, True entered the Regina zone on the right side, got off a shot, went to the net and was able to tuck in his own rebound for his 12th goal of these playoffs. . . . Seattle was 3-2 in OT in these playoffs; Regina was 2-5.

Regina F Sam Steel (11) opened the scoring, on a PP, at 7:18 of the first period, the third time in the series that he had scored the game’s first goal. . . . Seattle equalized at 8:55 of the second period as F Sami Moilanen scored his seventh goal. . . . The Pats went ahead 3-1 with two quick goals in the third period, D Josh Mahura (8) pounding in a rebound at 11:50 and F Austin Wagner scoring his playoff-leading 16th goal on a breakaway at 13:12. . . . The Thunderbirds got to within a goal at 14:38 as F Ryan
ALEXANDER TRUE
Gropp (7) scored on a wrist shot from the slot, giving him goals in three straight games. . . . Seattle forced OT as F Keegan Kolesar (12) scored on a slapshot from the left dot, on a PP, at 17:06. Regina D Chad Harrison had been penalized for holding Kolesar. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Ethan Bear, with Gropp and Kolesar adding one apiece. . . . Mahura had an assist for Regina. . . . True, a 19-year-old from Copenhagen, Denmark, put up 22 points, including 12 goals, in 20 playoff games. That followed a regular season in which he had 40 points, including 25 goals, in 66 games. . . . G Carl Stankowski stopped 28 shots for Seattle as he completed what was the No. 1 story of these playoffs. . . . G Tyler Brown made 39 saves for the Pats. . . . Each team was 1-4 on the PP. . . . In the six games, Seattle was 9-27 on the PP, with Regina going 8-24. . . . Seattle lost D Turner Ottenbreit at 9:11 of the second period when he was given a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Wagner, who missed the remainder of that period. Wagner returned for the start of the third period. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks, the captain, returned for the first time since Game 1 when he left with a suspected concussion after taking a hard check from Ottenbreit. Brooks was held pointless. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Regina scratches: D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, with injuries, F Kjell Kjemhus, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . With Brooks back in the lineup, Kjemhus came out. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484, Regina’s 26th sellout of the season. . . . The game signalled the end of the line for the WHL on Shaw TV after a 13-year run.

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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.
Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, was on hand and posted this piece right here.
Tim Pigulski of 701 ESPN Seattle has a gamer right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds began life as the Vancouver Nats (1971-73), then moved to Kamloops and played four seasons (1973-77) as the Chiefs. They relocated to Seattle as the Breakers for the 1977-78 season. After eight seasons, they became the Thunderbirds for 1985-86.
Prior to last season, the closest Seattle had come to winning a WHL title was in 1996-97 when they were swept from the championship final by the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Last season, the Brandon Wheat Kings took out Seattle in the final, 4-1.
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At game’s end, F Mathew Barzal of the Thunderbirds was saluted as the playoff MVP.
However, you could make a pretty good case for Seattle G Carl Stankowski, who is the first starting
CARL STANKOWSKI
goaltender to win a WHL championship in his 16-year-old season since Dan Blackburn did it with the Kootenay Ice in the spring of 2000. Blackburn played in 51 regular-season games and 21 in the playoffs.
Stankowski, who turned 17 on March 9, is from Calgary. The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder played in only seven regular-season games, going 3-0-1, 2.18, .910. Starter Rylan Toth, 20, who led the WHL in regular-season victories (36), went down late in the regular season.
Stankowski stepped into the starter’s role and went 16-4, 2.50, .911. He set franchise records for most victories by a goaltender in one playoff season and most career playoff victories.
Stankowski’s performance brings back memories of Blackburn and Randy Petruk.
In 1995, Petruk was 16 when he took over the Kamloops Blazers’ starting role during Game 2 of the championship final against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Petruk, who had appeared in 27 regular-season games, remained in that role for the remainder of the season as the Blazers won their third Memorial Cup in four seasons.
And then there was the 1971-72 Edmonton Oil Kings. They went 44-22-2 to finish second in the West Division, before winning the playoff title by taking out the New Westminster Bruins, 4-1; the Calgary Centennials, 4-2; and the Regina Pats, 4-1.
Edmonton’s goaltenders were Doug Soetaert, who was 15, and Larry Hendrick, 16. In the regular season, Hendrick played in 46 games, with Soetaert getting into 37. In the playoffs, Soetaert played in six games, while Hendrick’s total seems to have been lost in the shuffle. The WHL Guide was first published prior to the 1972-73 season and doesn’t include any playoff goaltending stats from the spring of 1972.
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F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds led the WHL playoff scoring race, his 31 points leaving him one ahead of Regina F Sam Steel. F Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets, who lost to Seattle in the third round, was third, at 28. . . . F Austin Wagner of Regina led in goals (16), one more than Gardiner. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear was No. 1 in assists, with 20, one more than Kolesar and Steel.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:25 PM
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Saturday, May 13, 2017

Thunderbirds one win from first title ... Game 6 in Regina on Sunday ... Otters, Knoblauch win OHL


F Jordan Hickmott (Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, Edmonton, 2005-11) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 23 goals and 30 assists in 56 games. He led his team in goals and was fifth in the league’s scoring race. . . . 
F Štěpán Novotný (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) signed a one-year extension with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, in 11 games, he had two goals and five assists. Novotný started this season with Žilina (Slovakia, Extraliga), scoring six goals and eight assists in 20 games. He was traded to Nové Zámky on Feb. 7.
D David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has signed a one-year extension with Polonia Bytom (Poland, PHL). This season, he had two goals and six assists in 15 games. He started the season with the Fife Flyers (Scotland, UK Elite), scoring three goals and five assists in 30 games. He signed with Bytom on Jan. 31.
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The Erie Otters won the OHL championship on Friday night, beating the visiting Mississauga Steelheads, 4-3 in OT, to take the Robertson Cup final in five games. . . . F Anthony Cirelli’s 15th goal of the playoffs, on a PP, won it at 2:41 of OT. . . . You may remember Cirelli from the 2015 Memorial Cup championship game when he scored twice, including once in OT, to give the Oshawa Generals a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets in Quebec City. . . . F Taylor Raddysh had Erie’s other three goals. . . . Announced attendance: 6,781. . . . The Otters are coached by Kris Knoblauch, a former WHL player and coach. Knoblauch was the head coach of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice when it won the 2011 WHL championship. He is the third head coach in CHL history to win championships in two leagues. The others? Geoffrey Brandon (@Geoffrey Brandow) points out that the others are Ted Nolan (Soo Greyhounds, OHL, 1991 and 1992; Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL, 2006) and Orval Tessier (Cornwall Royals, QMJHL, 1972; Quebec Remparts, QMJHL, 1973; Kitchener Rangers, OHL, 1981). . . . Erie moves on to the Memorial Cup, along with the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs and the host Windsor Spitfires.
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The Calgary Hitmen have signed D Luke Prokop, the seventh overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Prokop is from Edmonton. He played this season with the Pursuit of Excellent bantam prep team in Kelowna. In 30 games, he had four goals and 37 assists. . . . Prokop’s older brother, Josh, was selected by the Swift Current Broncos in the fifth round of the 2015 bantam draft.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed G Talyn Boyko, who was a third-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. From Drumheller, Alta., Boyko played this season with the bantam prep team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. Boyko, who won’t turn 15 until No. 16, was 2.90, .886 in 18 appearances. In four playoff games, he was 3.66, .876.
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F Alexander Bodunov, who played for the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series with Canada, died in Moscow on Thursday. He was 66. Bodunov was only 20 years of age when he played in the Summit Series. He played on a line with Vyacheslav Anisin and Yuri Lebedev, a unit that was called The Kid Line and The Headache Line. . . . Bodunov also played in a 1974 series against a team of WHA stars.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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Coaching

 Jamey Hicks has been named head coach of the Birmingham, Ala., Bulls, an expansion team that is scheduled to begin play in the SPHL next season. Hicks is a former Bulls captain (1996-2001) and, in fact, was the league’s MVP in 1997-98. Hicks, 47, is a native of Timmins, Ont.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds twice scored two goals less than a minute apart en route to a 7-4 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . This was Seattle’s last home game of the season. The Thunderbirds lead the WHL championship series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Sunday in Regina. . . . Seattle has yet to win its first WHL title. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played Monday in Regina. . . . Last night, Seattle was 3-5 on the PP. In its last two games — Seattle won 6-1 on Wednesday — Seattle is 5-12 with the man advantage. In the five games, Seattle is 8-23. . . . Regina was 1-3 in Game 5 and is 7-20 in the series. . . . “We have to stay out of the penalty box. It’s really simple,” John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, said after Game 5 had ended. . . . Last night, the Pats led 2-0 before the game was four minutes old, but the Thunderbirds pulled even on two quick PP goals. . . . Regina D Josh Mahura (7) scored on a wrist shot from the point through traffic at 1:05 of the first period. . . . F Jeff de Wit (5) made it 2-0 at 3:17 on a shot from the left circle. . . . Mahura and de Wit both were acquired this season from the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Seattle pulled even on two PP goals just 52 seconds apart. . . . D Donovan Neuls (8) scored on a rebound at 5:09 and F Mathew Barzal (6) counted at 6:01, scoring on a wrist shot from the slot. . . . Regina went ahead again, at 9:37 of the second period, when F Dawson Leedahl (12) toe-dragged his way around D Ethan Bear and snapped a shot past G Carl Stankowski. . . . But the Pats skated into penalty trouble again and surrendered two PP goals just 57 seconds apart as Seattle took a 4-3 lead. F Keegan Kolesar (11) scored off a 3-on-1 rush at 16:40 — Regina F Austin Wagner took a roughing minor on the play, putting the hosts right back on the PP — and Barzal got his seventh goal of the playoffs at 17:37, beating G Tyler Brown with a slapshot from the left faceoff circle. . . . Early in the third period, Stankowski stopped Wagner on a breakaway. Shortly after, Seattle F Nolan Volcan scored his fifth goal for a 5-3 lead. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp (6) added more insurance at 3:55 with a goal from the left side. . . . Wagner’s first goal of the series, and 15th of the playoffs, got the Pats to within two, 6-4, at 11:22. . . . Regina F Sam Steel skated in alone off the left boards but wasn’t able to beat Stankowski with 4:19 to play. . . . Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit (3) iced it with the empty-netter at 19:58. . . . Bear and Kolesar each had two assists for Seattle, with Barzal, Gropp and Neuls getting one each. . . . Regina got two assists from D Connor Hobbs and one each from Wagner and Mahura. . . . Barzal has played in 15 playoff games this spring and has at least one point in each of them. . . . Kolesar and Steel now lead the playoff scoring race, each with 29 points. . . . Wagner’s 15 goals has him tied with F Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets for the playoff lead. . . . Stankowski finished with 33 stops, one more than Brown. . . . F Bryan Lockner of the Pats left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Regina scratches: F Adam Brooks, D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, all with injuries, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Announced attendance: 6,223, the largest single-game crowd for the Thunderbirds in the ShoWare Center. The previous record (6,220) was set on March 21, 2015, with the Portland Winterhawks in town.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.
Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle had a game story right here.
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SATURDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.
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SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 6 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)
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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:34 AM
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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Thunderbirds pull even in WHL final ... Six straight goals win it ... Game 5 goes Friday


F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) has signed a two-year contract with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL). This season, he had 11 goals and 10 assists in 48 games with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden, SEL).
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 The Prairie Hockey Academy, which is located in Caronport, Sask., announced on Wednesday that Scott King has signed on as its director of player development. King has been with the Moose Jaw Warriors, as an assistant coach and player development coach. . . . The PHA is Saskatchewan’s first Hockey Canada Sports School. Before joining the Warriors for this season, King was with Hockey Canada as its head skills development coach. . . . King, the son of well-known coach Dave King, played one season (1996-97) with the Kelowna Rockets, before going on to a professional career that included 14 seasons in Germany.
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Taurean White is the new general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. White spent the previous two seasons as the director of hockey operations and head coach with the Kingston Voyagers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. . . . With the Stampeders, he replaces Erik Petersen, who was fired on Feb. 27. Petersen had been GM/head coach for four seasons. He has signed with the Danish team Vojens as head coach for next season.
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In the QMJHL, the visiting Saint John Sea Dogs won the President’s Cup with a 5-1 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Sea Dogs swept the championship series; the finished the playoffs with a 16-2 record. The Sea Dogs got four assists from F Mathieu Joseph in the victory, while F Spence Smallman had two goals and an assist, and F Matthew Highmore added a goal and two helpers. . . . Announced attendance: 3,500. . . .
In the OHL, F Warren Foegele scored three times and added two assists as the Erie Otters beat the host Mississauga Steelheads, 5-2. The Otters lead the championship series, 3-1, with a chance to wrap it up on home ice on Friday night. The announced attendance last night was 4,418. . . .
The 2017 Memorial Cup is to be held in Windsor, Ont., May 19-28, with the OHL’s Spitfires as the host team.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:


KEEGAN KOLESAR
At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds erased a 1-0 deficit with two goals 19 seconds apart and went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-1. . . . The WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is tied 2-2. Game 5 is scheduled for Kent on Friday night, with the teams then returning to Regina for Game 6 on Sunday. A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Regina on Monday. . . . Last night, the Pats got off to a 1-0 lead when F Sam Steel (10) scored, on a PP, at 13:15 of the first period. At that point, the Pats’ PP was 6-11 in the series. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp (5) tied it with his first goal of the series, on a PP, at 16:06. F Mathew Barzal drew an assist on the goal, running his point streak to 14 games. . . . The Thunderbirds went ahead 19 seconds later when F Sami Moilanen (6) stole the puck behind the Regina net and beat G Tyler Brown to the front side for a wrap-around goal. . . . Seattle went up 3-1 at 19:28 when F Mickey Volcan (4) scored on a rebound. . . . The Thunderbirds took complete control with three second-period goals. . . . D Jarret Tyszka (2) scored at 6:51, with F Alexander True (11) counting, on a PP, at 13:52, and F Keegan Kolesar (10) making it 6-1 at 18:51. . . . Kolesar added two assists to his
CARL STANKOWSKI
goal, while D Austin Strand and D Ethan Bear each had two assists and Gropp had one. . . . The Thunderbirds got 18 saves from G Carl Stankowski. . . . Regina starter Tyler Brown was beaten six times on 24 shots through 40 minutes. He sat out the third — the first time in these playoffs that he’s been on the bench — with Jordan Hollett coming on to stop all 12 shots he faced. . . . Seattle was 2-7 on the PP; Regina was 1-3. . . . Regina scratches: F Adam Brooks, D Dawson Davidson and F Jake Leschyshyn, all with injuries, G Max Paddock, F Duncan Pierce and F Owen Williams. . . . Seattle’s scratches: G Rylan Toth (injured), F Elijah Brown, F Tyler Carpendale, F Dillon Hamaliuk, D Jake Lee and F Luke Ormsby. . . . Jon Ryan, the veteran punter with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, took part in the ceremonial faceoff. From Regina, he stayed neutral by wearing a Switzerland t-shirt. . . . Some notes from TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits): The Thunderbirds have set a franchise record for victories in a single playoff year (14). . . . Stankowski has set a Seattle record for most victories in a single playoff year (14). . . . Stankowski also holds the Seattle record for career playoff victories by a goaltender (14). . . . Announced attendance: 4,652.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a game story right here.
Andy Eide of 710 ESPN Seattle has a game story right here.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:42 PM
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Friday, April 28, 2017

Owners prepping plan for new Ice age ... Pats, T-Birds take control; series resume Sunday

Scattershoot

When the host Ottawa Senators opened the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night, there were more than 2,000 empty seats in the Canadian Tire Centre.
The howls of outrage could be heard all the way to Kamloops. Where were the fans?
According to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen, “Ticket prices jump for Round 1 playoff tickets and jump again for Round 2. Those $25-$30 cheap seats in the regular season become $100. Lower-level seats are about $300, rich by local standards even if most other NHL clubs charge more.”
It likely didn’t help, either, that a parking lot close to the arena jacked up its fee fro $20 to $30.
And did I mention that a double bacon cheeseburger and a tall boy beer would total $27.75?
At some point, and perhaps we’re there now, sporting fans are going to tire of paying high prices to watch athletes who pull down much higher salaries than they do. Those in the corporate seats may always be there, but the average folks, I think, have about run out of the funds necessary to watch a lot of professional sports.
I have always found it interesting when people, often media types who can’t remember the last time they had to pay for a ticket, question the loyalty of fans because they, for whatever reason, choose not to fork over their hard-earned dollars, not even for a playoff game.
Of course, then there’s Edmonton, where thousands show up at Rogers Place even when the Oilers are playing a playoff game away from home. Last night, the winner of the 50/50 draw went home with $51,522.
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Two recent headlines of note . . . 
At TheOnion.com: Clogged rain causes Orioles’ dugout to overflow with chewing-tobacco spit.
At The kicker.com: LeBron passes Popovich for most wins by active head coach.
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Saw a young lady today who was wearing those cut up jeans that seem so popular these days. Had a thought: How do you put those on without catching your toes in the holes and causing even more damage?
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I spent 17 years at the Regina Leader-Post, the last 12 as sports editor, and for a lot of that time the Saskatchewan Roughriders weren’t far removed from the youngster next door with the lemonade stand. They were far removed from the big business that they are today. How much have times changed? The organization swallowed another $36,500 in fines on Friday, something that ran the tab to $116,500 since Aug. 2. . . . As Rob Vanstone of The Leader-Post writes right here: “Six figures worth of sanctions do not take into account other questionable moves by the Roughriders.” . . . Ohh, how times have changed!
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Hey, Sportsnet, how about getting rid of the giant computer-generated logos that you love to put up on the hitters’ background on the camera shot from behind home plate? There is a reason why that background is big and blank.
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The Toronto Blue Jays jettisoned backup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on Friday, then went out and blew a 3-1 seventh-inning lead in losing 7-4 to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, who hit three eighth-inning home runs. Can we assume, then, that the 6-17 start wasn’t Saltalamacchia’s fault, even if he was only 1-for-25? . . . The Toronto bullpen now has blown eight of 12 save opportunities.
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The NHL’s Calgary Flames have lost 29 straight games in Anaheim; Calgary last won there on April 25, 2006. The Edmonton Oilers just posted two victories there in three days.
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 D Spencer Humphries (Tri-City, Calgary, 2008-13) has signed a one-year extension with the Stavanger Oilers (Norway, GET-Ligaen). This season, in 45 games, he had 14 goals and 19 assists. Humphries led the league’s defencemen in goals as the Oilers won the Norwegian championship. . . .
F David Vrbata (Calgary, 2000-01) has announced his retirement from hockey. This season, with Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Alps HL), he had fige goals and six assists in 12 games. He had four assists in 12 games with Benátky and Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Vrbata has accepted an offer to work in the marketing department for Czech Extraliga team Mladá Boleslav. He is from Mladá Boleslav.
G Chet Pickard (Tri-City, 2005-09) has signed a two-year contract with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he was 6-14, 2.98, .920 in 26 games.
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 Matt Cockell, the new president and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, says he and partner Greg Fettes will need help to get the WHL franchise back on track.
“We wouldn’t be getting into this if we weren’t confident that we could make it a success,” Cockell told Cranbrook radio station Summit 107 FM. “Of course, in order to do that, we are going to need the help of everybody — we’re going to need the help of the community, we’re going to need the help of the city,
MATT COCKELL
we’re going to need the help of the entire East Kootenay region.”
The WHL’s board of governors unanimously approved the transfer of the franchise from the Chynoweth family to Fettes and Cockell, both of whom have been headquartered in Winnipeg, on Thursday.
Earlier this month, Fettes and Cockell are said to have met with Lee Pratt, the mayor of Cranbrook, for about five hours. Mayor Pratt has told people that he felt “very positive” about the meeting.
"This really is the City of Cranbrook and the East Kootenay region's team,” Cockell said. “That's how my partner, Greg, and I are approaching this, and in order for that partnership to be something that's really exciting and allows everybody to participate, we need to first and foremost get the chance to hear what that means for everybody.
"The franchise in its current state needs some investment, and that's what we're going to do. We're going to come in and we're prepared to invest and engage all the stakeholders. Our sincere hope and commitment is to ensure the long term viability of the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook.”
WHL commissioner Ron Robison told the Cranbrook Townsman that the new ownership’s plans will be “contingent, obviously, on the level of support from the community.”
Robison went one step further, in fact, and used the word “immediately.”
“The attendance levels are at a point where they need to improve immediately,” he said, “and (the new owners) are focused not only on being very engaged in the community but (also) on improving the fan experience in the building.”
The Ice plays in the 4,264-seat Western Financial Place, which also has room for 352 standees. This season, the Ice had the poorest average attendance (1,754) in the 22-team league. that was down from 1,957 in 2015-16 and 2,239 in 2014-15.
There was a time, in the early 2000s, when the Ice drew more than 3,000 fans per game.
Of course, on the other hand, had the taxpayers of Nanaimo voted to allow city council to borrow $80 million that would have gone towards a new arena, the moving vans would be in Cranbrook and the Ice would be moving to Vancouver Island in time for the 2017-18 season.
Nanaimo taxpayers voted 80 per cent not to allow city council to borrow the money, so the Ice now has new owners who are about to get to work in Cranbrook.
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Austria and Korea have advanced to the top division of the IIHF World Championship after finishing in the top two spots at the Division I Group A championship that concluded Friday in Kyiv, Ukraine. . . . Austria finished the tournament in top spot after beating Poland, 11-0, in the final game. The Austria roster includes F Brian Lebler, who was a seventh-round selection by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2003 bantam draft. He had four goals and an assist in five games. . . . Korea finished second after scoring a 2-1 shootout victory over host Ukraine. D Alex Plante, a former WHLer, is on the Korean roster. He had two goals and an assist in three games. . . . Plante was named to the tournament all-star team, was was F Nigel Dawes, another former WHLer, who plays for Kazakhstan. Dawes led the tournament in goals (5) and was tied for the points lead (9), in five games. . . . Former NHLer Jim Paek is the Korean team’s head coach. He won two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . The 2018 World Championship is scheduled to be played in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark.
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In the OHL, the host Erie Otters scored a 4-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack on Friday and now lead the Western Conference final, 3-2. Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday in Owen Sound. The winner of that series will meet the Mississauga Steelheads in the championship final.
In the QMJHL, the host Saint John Sea Dogs blanked the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, 4-0, to take a 3-2 lead in that semifinal. Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday in Chicoutimi. . . . The other semifinal, featuring the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Charlottetown Islanders, resumes today. The Aramada holds a 3-1 lead as they go into Charlottetown for Game 5.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Regina, F Adam Brooks drew four assists to lead the Pats to a 5-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Regina now leads the Eastern Conference, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Lethbridge
ADAM BROOKS
on Sunday. . . . Brooks, the Pats’ captain, has seven points over the last two games. . . . Last night, Regina F Dawson Leedahl broke a 3-3 tie with his 11th goal of these playoffs, at 6:25 of the third period. Leedahl one-time a nifty backhand pass from Brooks, who was cruising behind the Lethbridge net. . . . Leedahl has goals in three straight games. . . . F Josh Tarzwell gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 2:53 of the first period as he scored his first WHL playoff goal. He left shortly after that with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . The Pats tied it as D Josh Mahura (3) scored at 15:37. . . . Lethbridge went back in front when F Ryan Vandervlis, who had eight regular-season goals, scored his seventh of the playoffs, on a PP, at 3:04 of the second period. . . . The Pats took the lead on second-period goals from F Sam Steel (8), on a PP, at 5:10, and F Filip Ahl (3), at 11:29. That was Ahl’s first goal of the series. . . . Lethbridge pulled even at 13:54 as F Egor Babenko got his ninth goal. . . . That set the stage for Leedahl’s winner, with F Austin Wagner (13) adding an empty-netter at 19:57. . . . Shortly after Leedahl’s goal, the Hurricanes found themselves with a 5-on-3 PP for 1:30, but they weren’t able to score. . . . Wagner also had two assists, with Steel and Leedahl adding one each. . . . Vandervlis added an assist to his goal for Lethbridge. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 29 saves, three more than Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner. . . . Regina was 1-2 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-4. . . . The Pats had the speedy Wagner back in the lineup after he missed the previous game with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hurricanes again scratched F Matt Alfaro, and they also took out F Ryan Bowen. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484, the 23rd sellout at the Brandt Centre this season.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of late second-period goals and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Thunderbirds hold a 3-2 lead in the Western
ALEXANDER TRUE
Conference final with Game 6 in Kelowna on Sunday. . . . In a game that featured 18 power-plays and six PP goals, Seattle took advantage of two Kelowna turnovers to grab a 2-0 first-period lead, F Scott Eansor (5) scoring while shorthanded at 3:15 and F Sami Moilanen (4) counting on a breakaway at 10:57. . . . Kelowna pulled even on PP goals from F Calvin Thurkauf (8), at 12:07 of the first period, and F Nick Merkley (6), at 9:23 of the second. . . . Seattle countered with a pair of PP goals in a span of 1:20 late in the period. F Alexander True (6) broke the 2-2 tie at 17:34 and F Ryan Gropp (4) added insurance at 18:54. . . . True added a second goal, on another PP, at 6:57 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube (7) completed the scoring with, yes, another PP goal, at 19:25. . . . Seattle was 3-8 on the PP; Kelowna was 3-10. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal had three assists, with D Turner Ottenbreit adding two and Moilanen one. . . . The Rockets got two assists from D Cal Foote. . . . The Thunderbirds got 37 saves from G Carl Stankowski, while Kelowna’s Michael Herringer turned aside 19. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear took the pregame warmup but it was apparent that he was having difficulty handling the puck and he was scratched. He suffered a hand injury — Taking Note has been told that there is a break — while blocking a shot late in Game 4. . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth was scratched again. He has yet to dress for a playoff game. . . . With Bear out, D Jake Lee, a 16-year-old who played four regular-season games, made his WHL playoff debut with Seattle. . . . Announced attendance: 5,001.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

Seattle at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)
Regina at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-2)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:08 PM
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Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Has mumps virus found Pats? ... Broncos win in OT. Again ... Winterhawks back in it


The Regina Pats are awaiting the results of tests on F Filip Ahl to learn whether the mumps virus has found them.
FILIP AHL
Ahl missed his third straight playoff game on Tuesday night — the Pats dropped a 5-4 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current in a game that went to triple OT.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported after Monday’s Game 3 that Ahl is “undergoing tests for the mumps and won’t be available before Friday’s Game 5.”
Ahl, a 19-year-old freshman from Jonkoping, Sweden, was a fourth-round selection by the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL draft. He had 48 points, including 28 goals, in 54 games with the Pats this season.
The Brandon Wheat Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers, Swift Current Broncos, Victoria Royals and Kamloops Blazers all have had players, coaches or others associated with them impacted by the mumps virus.
The Seattle Thunderbirds revealed early in March that F Mathew Barzal was being tested. But they never released the results of those tests. When Barzal ended up being out for a month, speculation arose that he actually had mononucleosis. The Thunderbirds have only said that Barzal, at the time, had an “illness.”
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MORE ON THE MOVE: D Chaz Reddekopp of the Victoria Royals has joined the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. A seventh-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft, Reddekopp had 10 goals and 33 assists in 51 games this season. He suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot late in the season and missed a chunk of games. . . . D Josh Anderson of the Prince George Cougars will finish the season with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, which is associated with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. This season, his third in the WHL, Anderson had 11 points, three of them goals, in 69 games. He was a third-round selection by Colorado in the NHL’s 2016 draft.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Sean Strange, who was a 10th-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. Strange, who turned 17 on Jan. 25, is from Saanich, B.C., and has played the past two seasons with the South Island Royals of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. This season, he had four goals and 12 assists in 39 games.
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F Graham Millar, who completed his junior eligibility this season, will attend UBC in Vancouver and play for the Thunderbirds next season. Millar, from Penticton, split this season between the Everett Silvertips and Edmonton Oil Kings, totalling 30 points, including 12 goals, in 48 games. . . . In 249 regular-season WHL games, he put up 97 points, 47 of them goals.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching

 Danton Cole is the new head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. Cole, 50, has spent the past seven seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Cole has been coaching for 18 seasons. . . . A Michigan native, he played at Michigan State before going on to a pro career that included a Stanley Cup championship with the 1994-95 New Jersey Devils. . . . Cole replaces Tom Anastos, who had a 78-122-24 record over six seasons.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kent, Wash., F Mathew Barzal scored at 1:30 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 5-4 victory over
MATHEW BARZAL
the Everett Silvertips. . . . Seattle holds a 3-0 lead in the second-round series with Game 4 scheduled for Kent on Friday night. . . . The Thunderbirds swept the Tri-City Americans from a first-round series and now are on the verge of doing the same with the Silvertips. . . . Seattle has done this with Carl Stankowski in goal, after Rylan Toth, who played in 58 regular-season games and led all WHL goaltenders in victories (36), was taken out by an undisclosed injury. . . . Stankowski, a Calgarian who turned 17 on March 9, is 7-0 in the playoffs, after going 3-0-1 in the regular season. . . . The Thunderbirds scored the game’s first three goals, only to have the Silvertips get the next four. . . . Seattle took that 3-0 lead on goals from F Keegan Kolesar (4), at 12:35 of the first period, F Nolan Volcan (3), at 0:32 of the second period and F Alexander True (4), at 3:33. . . . D Aaron Irving (2) got the visitors on the scoreboard at 7:22, with F Eetu Tuulolo getting them to within a goal, on a PP, at 9:41. . . . F Dominic Zwerger (3) tied the score, on a PP, at 13:29, and Tuulolo (6) put Everett out front, at 14:37. . . . Barzal, who finished with two goals and an assist, got Seattle back into a tie at 4:23 of the third period. . . . Zwerger also had two assists for Everett, with Tuulola adding one. . . . Stankowski finished with 14 saves, while Everett’s Carter Hart stopped 28 shots. . . . Everett was 2-3 on the PP; Seattle was 0-2. . . . The Thunderbirds had F Ryan Gropp back in the lineup after he missed the previous four games with what is believed to have been a concussion. Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk chose not to reunite one of the WHL’s top lines — Barzal between F Keegan Kolesar and Gropp — but they were together for the OT winner. Gropp picked up the lone assist. . . . Announced attendance: 5,141.
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At Swift Current, F Glenn Gawdin scored on a PP in triple OT to give the Broncos a 5-4 victory over the
GLENN GAWDIN
Regina Pats. . . . This was the third OT game of the series. The Broncos won Game 1, 2-1, in Regina on Thursday and then beat the visiting Pats, 2-1, on Monday night. . . . The Broncos, who finished third in the East Division, lead the series, 3-1, and can eliminate the Pats, who finished atop the WHL’s overall standings, on Friday night in Regina. . . . Last night, Broncos F Ryley Lindgren broke a 3-3 tie with 2:25 left in the third period, but the Pats tied it when F Dawson Leedahl scored his fourth goal of the game at 19:39 with G Tyler Brown on the bench for an extra attacker. . . . Leedahl had given the Pats a 2-0 first-period lead with goals at 9:10, on a PP, and 15:00. . . . The Broncos pulled even on second period goals from Lindgren, at 15:30, and D Artyom Minulin (1), at 19:42. . . . Lindgren also had two assists for a four-point game. . . . Leedahl put the Pats ahead at 4:12 of the third period. . . . Swift Current then took the lead on goals from F Tyler Steenbergen (8), at 6:19, and Lindgren (8). . . . Leedahl forced OT with his eighth goal. . . . Gawdin won it with his fourth goal of the playoffs, the PP score coming at 9:54 of the third extra period. . . . D Colby Sissons, who scored the winner on Monday, had two assists for the Broncos, with Gawdin and Steenbergen adding one each. . . . F Sam Steel and D Josh Mahura each had two assists for the Pats. . . . The Broncos got 65 saves from G Jordan Papirny, including 31 in OT. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 64 shots for Regina, 36 of them in OT. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP, with the Broncos getting two of their opportunities in OT. . . . The Pats continue to play without F Jake Leschyshyn (knee), F Adam Brooks (suspected knee injury) and F Filip Ahl (mumps symptoms). . . . Broncos F Mackenzie Wight completed his two-game suspension by sitting out this one. He was suspended under supplemental discipline for an unpenalized hit in Game 2 on which Brooks was injured. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks broke a 1-1 tie with three second-period goals en route to a 4-2 victory over
CALEB JONES
the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna still holds a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Portland. . . . They’ll be back in Kelowna for Game 5 on Friday. . . . F Evan Weinger (2) gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 4:06 of the first period, with the Rockets tying it on F Calvin Thurkauf’s second goal, on a PP, at 11:23. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld (4) gave Portland the lead at 5:29 of the second period, on a PP, with D Caleb Jones (1) adding a goal at 16:41 and F Skyler McKenzie getting his fourth goal, shorthanded, at 19:03. . . . Thurkauf added another PP goal at 18:33 of the third period. . . . F Ryan Hughes had two assists for the winners, with Jones and Blichfeld adding one each. . . . Kelowna got two assists from F Reid Gardiner. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler blocked 28 shots, two more than Michael Herringer of Kelowna. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-5. . . . The Winterhawks were upset that Kelowna D Cal Foote wasn’t given a major penalty for a hit on McKenzie at 19:20 of the third period. Foote ended up with a minor penalty for what the Winterhawks felt was a high hit. . . . Announced attendance: 4,407.

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At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-2. . .
BRENNAN MENELL
. The Hurricanes hold a 2-1 lead in the series, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals from F James Hamblin (2), at 12:27 of the first period, and F Mark Rassell (5), at 8:39 of the second. . . . Lethbridge got to within a goal when F Jordy Bellerive (3) scored at 12:13 of the second period and F Giorgio Estephan tied it, on a PP, just 1:04 later. . . . F Tyler Wong’s seventh goal, on a PP, gave the Hurricanes the lead, at 4:04 of the third period. . . . Estephan provided insurance with his seventh goal at 11:28, and D Brennan Menell (4) got the empty-netter at 18:58. . . . Estephan also had an assist for a three-point night. He has seven points, including five goals, in his past two games. . . . Menell had two assists and Wong one for Lethbridge. . . . Hamblin had an assist for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 36 shots for Lethbridge, 10 more than Medicine Hat’s Michael Bullion. . . . The Hurricanes were 2-4 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-1. . . . Medicine Hat took 50 of the game’s 84 penalty minutes, 76 of which were handed out at 19:40 of the third period. . . . D Calen Addison, F Matt Alfaro and F Zak Zborosky were among Lethbridge’s scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 4,563.
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WEDNESDAY GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m. (Kelowna leads, 2-1)
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 2-1)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:18 PM
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