Showing posts with label Michael Rasmussen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Rasmussen. Show all posts

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Hitmen trim two 20-year-olds ... Rasmussen joins Team Canada's camp ... Ex-Royals coach stays in NHL

The last rays of a setting sun bounce off a cloud over
the Monte Lake fire on Thursday night.
We woke up to a whole lot of smoke on Thursday, but it apparently was coming from the Elephant Hill fire, which is the one that has caused so much damage in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area, and not the Monte Lake fire that started late Wednesday afternoon. However, by late afternoon on Thursday most of the smoke had moved away from our area, leaving behind a beautiful evening. . . . However, there was quite a bit of air traffic between Kamloops and Monte Lake at the same time, so they obviously aren't out of the woods there just yet. . . . With high winds and high temps forecast -- we've been around 35 and are headed for at least 37 in a day or two -- the summer of fire doesn't appear to be anywhere near its end.
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THE MacBETH REPORT . . .

F Taylor Stefishen (Prince George, 2010-11) has signed a one-year contract with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, he had 12 goals and 23 assists in 44 games with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus). He led his team in assists and points.
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A LITTLE OF THIS . . .


The Calgary Hitmen are left with four 20-year-olds on their roster after G Cody Porter and D Jaydan Gordon cleared waivers. . . . That leaves the Hitmen with G Nick Schneider, F Jakob Stukel, F Matteo Gennaro and D Brady Reagan as the four remaining 20s on their roster. Each WHL team will have to declare a maximum of three 20s shortly after the new season begins. . . . Porter, from North Vancouver, was 14-16-3, 3.46, .888 in 34 appearances with the Hitmen last season. In 117 regular-season appearances, 42 with the Vancouver Giants and 75 with Calgary — he is 52-42-9, 3.30, .887. . . . Gordon, from Cochrane, Alta., had two goals and six assists in 70 games last season. He played his first two seasons with the Swift Current Broncos. In 172 career games, he has three goals and 13 assists. . . . Porter’s departure leaves Schneider as Calgary’s undisputed No. 1 goaltender. At the moment, veteran Kyle Dumba, 19, would appear to be No. 2 on the depth chart. Chance are, however, that the Hitmen won’t want to go into the season with a 19-year-old in a backup role. . . . Schneider, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers this summer, has signed an entry-level contract as a free agent with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, whose parent company also owns the Hitmen.
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F Michael Rasmussen has been added to Team Canada’s roster for the World Junior Showcase that is scheduled to begin today (Friday) in Plymouth, Mich. . . . Rasmussen, from the Tri-City Americans, had last season cut short by a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. His addition to the roster would seem to indicate that he now is healthy. . . . Rasmussen was added after F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was forced to opt out. He apparently hasn’t yet fully recovered from sports hernia surgery in the spring. . . . F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has had at least two surgical procedures due to sports hernias, also isn’t able to take part. . . . Also unable to take part are F Gabe Vilardi of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and F Adam Mascherin of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers.
Meanwhile, G Carl Stankowski, who backstopped the Seattle Thunderbirds to their first WHL championship last season, was scratched from Hockey Canada’s U-18 selection camp in Calgary due to an undisclosed injury. His spot was filled by Kevin Mandolese of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. . . . Team Canada, under head coach Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, will leave next week for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia. The tournament opens on Aug. 7.
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F Kolten Olynek, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has decided to attend the U of Western Ontario and play for the Mustangs in 2017-18. Olynek, who is from Saskatoon, was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. . . . He split last season between the Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. During his career, he also played with the Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors and Spokane Chiefs. . . . In 253 regular-season games, he had 32 goals and 45 assists.
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D Austin Adam, who played four seasons in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors, is transferring to Simon Fraser U after spending one season at the U of Western Ontario. . . . The 6-foot-6 Adam, 22, is from Surrey, B.C. He had a goal and two assists in 28 games with the Mustangs last season. . . . SFU plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League.
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Mike Fraser, a veteran WHL scout who now works for the Brandon Wheat Kings, also has been writing a column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. Those columns have mostly revolved around the world of WHL scouts and there adventures. However, there has been a change at the Journal and Fraser has chosen to end his column-writing career, at least for now. His last column is right here.
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Really . . . I mean, really . . . how are we doing in Kamloops in this summer of flames? Well, it seems that old friend Jack Knox of the Victoria Times Colonist paid us a recent visit and he quite liked what he saw, except for the fact that his volunteer services weren’t needed, that is. . . . His last column is right here.
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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT . . .

John Urschel sometimes was referred to as the smartest man in football. Urschel, 26, was in line to be the Baltimore Ravens’ starting centre in the upcoming season, that was before he surprised coaches, teammates and observers by announcing his retirement on Thursday. That decision came two days after researchers released the results of a study in which CTE was found in the brains of 110 of 111 deceased football players. . . . There’s more on Urschel’s decision right here.
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THE COACHING GAME . . .

Ben Cooper, a former WHL assistant coach, has signed on with the NHL’s Florida Panthers as their video coach. Cooper, 40, spent the past three seasons as the Vancouver Canucks’ video coach. Prior to that, he worked two seasons (2011-13) with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . He also has experience with Hockey Canada, and was on the coaching staff of Canadian teams that won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the 2009 World Junior Championship.
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TWEET OF THE DAY



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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:45 PM
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Sunday, July 9, 2017

Source: Hitmen announcements coming today ... Rasmussen fine, but sits out ... Hockey Canada loses top scout


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 F Egor Babenko (Lethbridge, 2015-17) has signed a two-year two-way contract with Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL) after his rights were acquired from CSKA Moscow. Last season, with Lethbridge, he had 24 goals and 31 assists in 66 games. . . . Babenko was a first-round selection (19th overall) by CSKA in the 2014 KHL junior draft. . . . Babenko, 20, had 124 points, including 53 goals, in 133 games over two seasons with the Hurricanes.
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 The Calgary Hitmen are expected to make at least three hockey operations-related announcements and Taking Note has been told that it could happen as early as today (Monday).
When Taking Note suggested that the Hitmen might prefer to wait until Stampede Week is over — the
JEFF CHYNOWETH
annual Calgary Stampede pretty much owns the Calgary media at this time of July — the response was: “I’m hearing it will be announced (Monday).”
Whenever it happens, the Hitmen are expected to introduce Jeff Chynoweth as general manager, with Dallas Ferguson having been named head coach and Dallas Thompson head scout.
Chynoweth will take over from Mike Moore, who was named the franchise’s vice-president and alternate governor on May 15. Chynoweth spent the past 16 seasons as the general manager of the Kootenay Ice.
Ferguson will replace Mark French, the head coach for the previous three seasons who left to coach in Switzerland. Taking Note also was told Sunday that Ferguson had been in the mix in Spokane before the Chiefs hired Dan Lambert as head coach. Ferguson has been the head coach of the U of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks since 2008-09.
Thompson will fill the vacancy created when the Hitmen chose to terminate Dan Bonar, although the organization has yet to announce his departure. Bonar had been with the Hitmen for 14 seasons, the last six as head scout or director of player personnel.
Thompson, who spent 10 seasons as the general manager of the Prince George Cougars, has been scouting in B.C. for Calgary for the past two seasons.
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F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans didn’t take part in a Sunday scrimmage at the Detroit Red Wings’ development camp in Traverse City, Mich. It was the only scrimmage of the camp. . . . Rasmussen, who was the ninth overall selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, suffered a broken scaphoid in his left wrist in February and didn’t play again last season. . . . He participate in the first two days of Detroit’s development camp and all went well, so he was held out of the scrimmage as a precaution. . . . Detroit’s camp concludes on Tuesday.
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The seventh annual TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference runs Friday and Saturday in Vancouver. Should you attend, you will hear from a number of hockey coaches. But you also will get presentations from the likes of Dr. Lawrence Spriet of the U of Guelph; Jason Dorland, co-owner of Your Mindset Coaching; Pavel Barber, Glenn Carnegie and Jim Vital, all of whom are skills coaches; and Mike Snee, the executive director of College Hockey Inc.
Yes, the Hockey Coaches Conference covers a lot of bases.
If you want to attend but haven’t registered, Taking Note has cut a deal on your behalf. Click right here to register, enter the coupon code TakingNote, and get 20 per cent off your registration fee.
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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have hired Ryan Jankowski as their director of amateur scouting. Jankowski spent the previous four seasons working with Hockey Canada, first as head scout and later as director of player personnel. He oversaw player evaluation and selection for Canada’s national junior team as well as the U-18 and U-17 programs. . . . Before joining Hockey Canada, Jankowski, who is from Calgary, spent 10 years with the Montreal Canadiens and seven with the New York Islanders. . . . The Sabres also announced that they have promoted Jeff Crisp to assistant director of amateur scouting. He spent last season as the club’s head amateur scout.
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G John Chartrand, who played with three major junior teams, was killed in a car accident in Toronto on Friday, his 24th birthday. Chartrand died when his car slammed into the back of a slowing transport truck on Highway 401 around 3 a.m. He was the lone occupant of the car.
Chartrand, who played with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, Barrie Colts and Belleville Bulls, was one of the players involved in the class-action lawsuit filed against the CHL, OHL, QMJHL, WHL and their teams in an attempt to gain minimum wage, vacation pay and other benefits. . . . If you are interested, Chartrand’s affidavit, which was taken in June 2016, is right here.
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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:37 PM
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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Americans introduce captain, new logo ... Hurricanes captain gets AHL deal ... Ex-P.A. captain to coach in AHL


D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), he had three goals and 13 assists in 44 games. . . .
D Austin Madaisky (Calgary, Kamloops, 2008-12) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had three assists in 19 games.
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 The Tri-City Americans unveiled their 30th anniversary logo on Thursday evening, while also announcing that F Michael Rasmussen is the 29th team captain in the team’s history. . . . Rasmussen, who will be a first-round selection in the 2017 NHL draft, had 32 goals and 23 assists in 50 games this season. His season ended prematurely when he suffered a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. In his two seasons with the Americans, Rasmussen has 50 goals and 48 assists in 114 games. . . . The Americans will be celebrating 30 seasons in the Tri-Cities — Kennewick, Pasco and Richland — in 2017-18. It’s worth noting, though, that the Americans actually are one of the WHL’s original franchises. They started out as the Calgary Buffaloes in 1966-67, the WHL’s first season, and were the Calgary Centennials from 1967-77. After that, they were the Billings Bighorns (1977-82), Nanaimo Islanders (1982-83) and New Westminster Bruins (1983-88).
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F Tyler Wong, who played out his eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season, has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Wong played five seasons with the Hurricanes, putting up 298 points, including 143 goals. From Cochrane, Alta., he was the Hurricanes’ captain for the past two seasons. This season, he totalled 109 points, tying for the WHL lead with 41 goals, in 69 games.
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Coaching Game

 Jeremy Colliton is the new head coach of the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The 32-year-old Colliton, who is from Blackie, Alta., played four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders (2001-05), the last two as team captain. He spent the past four seasons as the head coach of Mora IK in Sweden (HockeyAllsvenskan). In Rockford, Colliton replaces Ted Dent, who was fired following the end of this season.
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Paul McFarland of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs has been named the head coach of the U-18 team that will represent Canada at this summer’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. McFarland also was the team’s head coach a year ago. His assistant coaches will be Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Daniel Jacob of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . The tournament will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czech Republic, in August. . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled to be held in Edmonton. . . . Meanwhile, Dave Struch, the Regina Pats’ assistant GM/assistant coach, has been named head coach of Team Canada Black that will play at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., Nov. 5-11. . . . Struch’s assistant coaches will be Spencer Carbery (OHL’s Saginaw Spirit) and Louis Robitaille (QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres). . . . Luke Pierce, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, will work as an assistant on Team Canada Red. Gilles Bouchard (QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) is the head coach, with B.J. Adams (OHL’s Erie Otters) the other assistant. . . . Ryan Oulahen of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds will be the head coach of Team Canada White. His assistants will be Brett Gibson (Queen’s University) and Eric Landry (QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques).
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:30 PM
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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Rasmussen's season over? . . . Of course, Mom gets her hug . . . Broadcasters thank their mentor


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F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans may not play again this season, due to what the team is saying is a fractured wrist. Rasmussen is believed to have a broken scaphoid in one wrist.
That is a bone in the wrist that, when broken, can be slow to heal, primarily because it doesn’t receive
MICHAEL RASMUSSEN
optimal blood flow due to its location.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Rasmussen is expected to be a first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. From Surrey, B.C., he has 55 points, including 32 goals, in 50 games this season. He last played on Feb. 1.
The Americans are 7-3-0 without him. They started by losing three in a row and now are riding a seven-game winning streak. They will visit the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight and then head for Kelowna and a Saturday night date with the Rockets.
Rasmussen, who doesn’t require surgery, is under the care of Dr. Rodney French, a hand/wrist specialist, in Vancouver, B.C. Dr. French is expected to re-examine Rasmussen in about six weeks.
Tri-City also has been without F Vladislav Lukin (undisclosed injury). He hasn’t played since Feb. 18. Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager, told Taking Note on Thursday that Lukin won’t play this weekend, but that they hope to have him back for a March 10 date with the visiting Prince George Cougars.
Lukin has 55 points, including 24 goals, in 61 games, so getting him back will help take some pressure of the other forwards in Rasmussen’s absence.
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With mumps in its neighbourhood, the WHL issued an edict on Feb. 24 that “instructed all WHL clubs to advise players to refrain from any direct contact with fans at this time.”
You have to think that the WHL wasn’t intending to keep mothers away from sons, though.
But the law of unintended consequences struck in Kamloops on Wednesday night following the Blazers’ 5-4 OT victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Seattle F Ryan Gropp, a 20-year-old who is from Kamloops, likely had played the last game of his hockey career in his hometown. Afterwards, well, here’s Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week . . . 
“Members of Gropp’s family were waiting near the dressing room to see him after the game, but were told to leave by security, which was acting on instructions to keep the general public away from players due to the WHL’s well-documented mumps outbreak.
“A mother just wanted to see her son. That eventually happened in the face of the ever-growing swarm of security guards.
“Words were exchanged, but both parties went their separate ways without much incident.”
Someone who witnessed it told Taking Note: “The Walkie Talkies came out. . . . At first, there was one (security person). Within minutes, there were seven of them.”
Mom didn't leave until getting a hug from her son, which is all she wanted in the first place.
The photo in the above tweet was taken the previous weekend when all the parents were in Kent for parents' weekend.
Hastings’ complete game story is right here.
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The NHL’s Washington Capitals have signed D Lucas Johansen of the Kelowna Rockets to a three-year, entry-level contract. Johansen was selected by the Capitals in the first round of the NHL’s 2016 draft.
This season, Johansen, 19, has 36 points, including 30 assists, in 60 games. Last season, he put up 49 points, 10 of the goals, in 69 games.
Johansen, from Port Moody, B.C., is the younger brother of F Ryan Johansen of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
The Capitals also announced Thursday that they have signed D Colby Williams, a former captain of the Regina Pats, to a two-year, entry-level deal. Williams, 22, has 13 points, three of them goals, in 49 games with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, with whom he signed a one-year deal prior to the season.
Williams, who is from Regina, had 104 points, including 25 goals, in 211 career games over six seasons with the Pats. He served as the team’s captain in 2015-16.
The Capitals selected Williams in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft.
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Three cheers for D Connor Hobbs of the Regina Pats.
The Pats have been atop the WHL’s overall standings for much of this season. However, they have
encountered some adversity of late and their lead has shrunk to five points over the second-place Medicine Hat Tigers, although the Pats do hold two games in hand.
The Tigers are scheduled to play in Regina tonight (Friday) and Hobbs, rather than saying it’s “just another game,” told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that “it’s a huge game.”
“We’ve struggled a little bit as of late,” Hobbs continued, “and Medicine Hat is a good team. They’re closest to us (in the standings). We just have to treat it like it’s the huge game that it is.”
The Pats will play three times in fewer than 48 hours this weekend — they are at home to the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night and then in Brandon for a Sunday (4 p.m.) start against the Wheat Kings.
Regina may get D Jonathan Smart and F Filip Ahl back at some point this weekend. Ahl, who has 24 goals and 17 assists in 45 games, and Smart both have been out since Feb. 20.
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Prior to Wednesday’s game in Kamloops between the Blazers and Seattle Thunderbirds, I received an email from a fan asking if he could come up to the press box and say hello.
“There are four of us coming up for the game,” Jon Whiting, a Thunderbirds’ fan, wrote in the email.
“Hmm, that’s interesting,” I thought. “Sheesh, that’s a long drive just to watch one junior hockey game.”
Whiting showed up beside me in the second intermission and we had quite an enjoyable chat. It turns out that he has a friend who is a pilot and so they hopped in a small plane about 3 p.m., and were having dinner in Kamloops by 5:30.
They flew back to Seattle after the game.
“Walked in my house about 1 a.m.,” messaged Ryland Spencer, one of the flying foursome. “Was a fun trip!”
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Bob Miller, the longtime play-by-play voice of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced his retirement on Thursday, although he will work the team’s last two regular-season games, on April 8 and 9.
CRAIG WEST: Baseball fan.
That announcement may not have meant much to Canadian hockey fans, but it meant a lot to a pair of men who call WHL games. Craig West, the radio voice of the Tri-City Americans, and Mike Benton, who calls Everett Silvertips’ games, both watched the announcement via live stream. You can bet there was a tear or two, because Miller has been a mentor to both men.
Later, West posted this on Facebook:
“Bob truly helped me so much showing me how to treat the game, the players, management and coaches with respect on both sides.
In March 1991 during my first season in the WHL, I made a trip from Spokane to see the Kings play Winnipeg at the Forum. I took a tape and resume to Bob before he went on air. He was gracious and said, ‘Craig, when the season is over I will listen, break this out and be in touch with you.’
In May 1991, the Chiefs clinched the WHL title with a win over Lethbridge in four straight. The night before departure for Quebec City for the Memorial Cup, my home phone rings: ‘Hello Craig, this is Bob Miller.’
After about two minutes he says, ‘You think I'm one of your friends putting you on! Maybe this will convince you . . . please say hi to Debbie and Bryan Maxwell from my wife and I. We went to dinner many times when he was with the Kings.’
I then realized it was him! On his own time, which amounted to a 90-minute phone call, he basically took all the rough edges off my call. ‘Craig, when you say the play comes across the blue line . . . which blue
Mike Benton, voice of the Silvertips.
line? The Chiefs or Seattle?’ ”
Meanwhile, Benton turned to his blog, writing:
“Bob’s name still stands on my resume as a reference, and he went above and beyond to phone the Stockton Thunder for a recommendation when I pursued (and landed) my first broadcasting job in hockey. As many fellow friends in the business can attest to, he was always willing to pick up the phone when you called his house. Whatever he was in the middle of, he was always willing to give you 5-15 minutes of an intimate and warming conversation, whether to catch up or provide solid, raw, and unfiltered career advice.
“He taught me more than just the basic mechanics of handling the flow of play-by-play and preparation: he taught me about the value of being approachable. In the long run, you never know who you may meet, and use that valuable experience to ‘pay it forward.’ ”
Benton’s blog is right here, and he wrote a whole lot more about what Miller means to him.
bentonhockey.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/thank-you-bob-we-smile-because-it-happened/
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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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JUST NOTES:

F Ty Lewis of the Brandon Wheat Kings was back at practice on Thursday. Lewis is second on the Wheat Kings in goals (28) and points (61) and leads in assists (33). He missed Wednesday’s 3-2 OT loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes in which Brandon dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . The Wheat Kings are at home to the Calgary Hitmen on Friday night. . . .
Bill Yuill, the head of Monarch Corporation and the owner of the Everett Silvertips, is chairing a committee in Medicine Hat that wants to manage The Arena, the former home of the Medicine Hat Tigers that has been scheduled for closure. . . . Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News has more right here. . . . 
There was a time when the day of the NHL trade deadline was like a car wreck from which you couldn’t look away. That was then. This is now. On Wednesday, when I flipped on TSN, the talking heads were debating whether they would trade Auston Matthews for Connor McDavid. Click! That was the end of that. . . . Ken Campbell of The Hockey News, meanwhile, writes right here about The Yard Sale for Misfit Toys.
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If you aren’t already, you should be following the Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey). They have been reliving the franchise’s history and it has been a lot of fun that includes a lot of familiar names, like Al Conroy.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

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

Calgary at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Kelowna at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Regina 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:23 PM
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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.

——
Rick Westhead, a senior correspondent for TSN, was tweeting again (@rwesthead) Thursday. Here are a few:
——
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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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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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.
——

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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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Steel, Brooks spark Pats . . . Zborosky, Ice calm Hurricanes . . . Steenbergen, Broncos drop Warriors

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Kelowna, F Conner Bruggen-Cate’s second goal of the season, an empty-netter, was the winner as
CONNER BRUGGEN-CATE
the Rockets beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Collin Shirley’s 15th goal had given the Blazers the lead at 2:12 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind tied with when he scored No. 20, on a PP, at 17:29. . . . The Rockets took their first lead when F Nolan Foote got No. 8, on a PP, at 5:00 of the second period. . . . Bruggen-Cate scored his empty-netter, at 19:17 of the third period. . . . Kamloops F Erik Miller then got his third goal of the season, at 19:35. . . . F Nick Merkley had two assists for the Rockets. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 30 shots for the Rockets, while Dylan Ferguson also stopped 30 for Kamloops. . . . Kelowna was 2-6 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (23-12-2) have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . Kamloops (21-14-2) is third in the B.C. Division, four points behind Kelowna. . . . D Kaedan Korczak, 15, made his WHL debut with the Rockets. From Yorkton, Sask., the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has six goals and 12 assists in 26 games with the midget AAA Yorkton Maulers. He was the 11th overall selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. . . . Kamloops F Luc Smith, who was acquired from the Regina Pats on Tuesday, wasn’t in the Blazers’ lineup. He flew into Kelowna but didn’t get there in time to play. . . . Announced attendance: 6,238.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Zak Zborosky struck for three goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 6-4 victory over
ZAC ZBOROSKY
the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . It was Zborosky’s second career hat trick. He also had one last season when he scored 32 times in 58 games. . . . The Ice got out to a 2-0 lead on goals from F Jake Elmer (3), at 7:27 of the first period, and Zborosky, at 8:55. . . . F Brett Davis (3) pulled Lethbridge to within one at 15:10. . . . The Ice restored its two-goal lead as F Tanner Sidaway (2) scored 28 seconds into the second period. . . . Lethbridge’ F Zane Franklin (4) got that one back at 2:07. . . . The Ice then put it away with three straight goals, Zborosky scored at 5:19 and 12:48 of the second period, and F Austin Wellsby (3) counting at 13:50. . . . Zborosky now has 26 goals, second in the WHL to F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has 29. . . . The Hurricanes got the game’s last two goals, both from F Tyler Wong, who haas 23. . . . The Ice got two assists from F Matt Alfaro, while Elmer added one to his goal. . . . D Igor Merezhko and D Brandon Menell each had two helpers for the visitors. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 30 shots for the Ice. . . . The Hurricanes started G Stuart Skinner, who gave up four goals on 13 shots in 25:19. Ryan Gilchrist finished up by stopping 12 of 14 shots over 25:19. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-5. . . . The Ice (7-22-8) had lost its previous six games (0-5-1). . . . The Hurricanes (18-13-5) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,839.
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At Medicine Hat, F Max Gerlach scored the only goal of a three-round shootout as the Tigers got past the
MAX GERLACH
Calgary Hitmen, 5-4. . . . The Tigers had to come from behind to get to OT. Trailing 4-2 late in the third period, D Clayton Kirichenko (4) scored, on a PP, at 15:28 and F John Dahlstrom, who assisted on Kirichenko’s goal, tied it, at 17:58. . . . Dahlstrom has 17 goals. . . . F Beck Malenstyn gave Calgary a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 5:33 of the first period. . . . The Tigers scored the next two goals, with F Ryan Chyzowski (5) counting at 9:59 and F James Hamblin (8) scoring at 1:42 of the second period. . . . The Hitmen then appeared to take control with three straight goals. . . . F Mark Kastelic (5) scored at 13:47, Malenstyn (12) got his second of the night at 15:51 and F Jakob Stukel scored his 11th at 2:15 of the third period. . . . The Hitmen got two assists from each of F Matteo Gennaro and D Micheal Zipp, with Stukel and Malenstyn adding one apiece. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider stopped 33 shots. He leads the WHL with 24 victories. He has won his last five decisons. . . . The Hitmen got 42 stops from G Cody Porter. . . . Calgary was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-5. . . . The Tigers lost F Chad Butcher, their leading scorer, at 5:55 of the second period after he was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Calgary F Murphy Stratton. . . . The Tigers (26-10-1) have won five in a row and are one point behind the Everett Silvertips and Prince George Cougars, who are tied atop the overall standings. . . . Calgary now is 13-16-3. . . . Announced attendance: 3,808.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Saskatoon
CODY PAIVARINTA
Blades, 5-3. . . . D Cody Paivarinta got the Raiders on the scoreboard with his first career goal, in his 50th game, at 4:35 of the first period. That was the Raiders’ first goal against the Blades this season, in two-plus games. . . . F Luke Coleman made it 2-0 with No. 6, at 12:24, and F Cole Fonstad (6) upped it to 3-0 at 15:45, on a PP. . . . Saskatoon F Jake Christensen (8) scored shorthanded, at 18:04. . . . F Drew Warkentine’s second goal, at 16:57, restored the Raiders’ two-goal lead. . . . The Blades cut into the deficit at 19:05 when F Braylon Shmyr scored on a PP. . . . The Raiders got insurance from F Cavin Leth (9), at 5:32, with Shmyr (16) finishing the scoring at 8:05. . . . F Tim Vanstone had two assists for the winners, with Warkentine and Coleman each adding one. . . . Christensen also had an assist for Saskatoon. . . . The Raiders got 38 stops from G Ian Scott, while Logan Flodell blocked 27 at the other end. . . . Saskatoon was 2-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-6. . . . The Raiders had D Rhett Rhinehart in their lineup as he made his WHL debut. Rhinehart, who turned 15 on Nov. 27, was the 13th overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is eligible for the NHL’s 2020 draft. Rhinehart, who is from Lloydminster, Alta., has four goals and 14 assists in 13 games with the Yale Hockey Academy prep team in Abbotsford, B.C. . . . F Austin Glover (ill) was among the Raiders’ scratches, as was D Vojtek Budik, who is with the Czech Republic’s national junior team although he isn’t on its roster. . . . D Libor Hajek, who was dropped by the Czech Republic’s national junior team before the World Junior Championship began, wasn’t in Saskatoon’s lineup. . . . Saskatoon had F Matt Mosher, 16, in its lineup. From White Rock, B.C., he was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He has six goals and five assists in 16 games with the prep team at the Delta, B.C., Hockey Academy. . . . The Blades had been 2-0-0 against the Raiders, having posted shutouts in both games. . . . Prince Albert (8-26-2) had lost its previous three games. . . . Saskatoon (13-20-4) has lost four in a row (0-2-2). . . . Announced attendance: 2,313.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels got shorthanded goals 16 seconds apart as they beat the Edmonton Oil Kings,
RILEY LAMB
3-0. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 28 shots, 13 of them in the first period, in recording the third shutout of his freshman season. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei scored his 16th goal, while shorthanded, at 11:45 of the second period. . . . F Matt Campese notched his first with the Rebels, also while shorthanded, at 11:57. . . . F Brandon Hagel, who also had an assist, scored No. 17 at 14:51 of the third period to put this one away. . . . The Oil Kings got 39 saves from G Patrick Dea, 19 of them in the first period. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . Red Deer (17-14-6) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The victory allowed the Rebels, who are third in the Central Division, to move four points ahead of Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings (16-16-4) had points in their previous four games (2-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 5,392.
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At Regina, F Adam Brooks and F Sam Steel each had five points as the Pats got past the Brandon
SAM STEEL
Wheat Kings, 7-4. . . . Brooks has 10 points over his last two games, including back-to-back hat tricks. . . . Brandon F Tyler Coulter (12) scored the game’s first goal, at 14:29 of the first period. . . . Regina replied with three straight as F Austin Wagner got No. 15 at 19:33, Brooks scored at 8:30 of the second and F Dawson Leedahl (15) counted at 10:25. . . . The last two of those came via the PP. . . . The Wheat Kings got to within one, at 3-2, when F Reid Duke got his 19th, shorthanded, at 11:24. . . . However, D Connor Hobbs (15), shorthanded, at 15:58 and Brooks, at 3:31 of the third period, but the home side back in control. . . . Still, the visitors got back to within a goal when Coulter scored, at 4:14, and F Ty Lewis added his 17th at 11:00. . . . Steel, who has 24 goals, provided some insurance, at 11:46, and Brooks got No. 20 into an empty net, at 19:04. . . . When the dust had cleared, Steel was leading the scoring race with 59 points, one more than Brooks. . . . Wagner and Leedahl each added an assist, as did Coulter and Duke. . . . G Tyler Brown blocked 31 shots for the Pats. With G Jordan Hollett still injured, Max Paddock of the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings backed up Brown. Paddock is a nephew to John Paddock, the Pats’ GM and head coach. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny made 29 saves. Wagner was unable to beat him on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Brandon was 0-10. . . . The Wheat Kings again were without F Nolan Patrick, who hasn’t played since Oct. 11. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs left at 12:50 of the third period with a kneeing major and game misconduct. . . . D Dawson Davidson, acquired earlier in the day from the Kamloops Blazers, was in Regina’s lineup, but was pointless. . . . F Ben McCartney, a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, has joined the Wheat Kings for a few days, although he didn’t play in this one. A native of Portage la Prairie, Man., he has 13 goals and 12 assists with a prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. . . . Regina (23-3-6) has won two in a row and is two points out of first place in the overall standings. The Pats have five games in hand on the Prince George Cougars and two on the Everett Silvertips, who are tied atop the standings. . . . Brandon (15-15-4) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Kent, Wash., F Sami Moilanen broke a 2-2 tie at 12:12 of the third period as the Seattle Thunderbirds
SAMI MOILANEN
beat the Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . D Ethan Bear (11) gave Seattle a 1-0 lead at 9:39 of the first period, only to have F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (18) pull Spokane even at 15:50. . . . Seattle went back out front on F Scott Eansor’s 17th goal, at 6:02 of the second period. . . . D Tyson Helgesen (4) tied it for the Chiefs at 10:28 of the third period. . . . Moilanen won it with his 12th goal. . . . Bear and Eansor each had an assist. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto drew two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Seattle got 41 stops from G Rylan Toth, while Dawson Weatherill stopped 21 for Spokane. . . . The Thunderbirds were 0-1 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-2. . . . F Alex Mowbray, 20, who was added to the Chiefs’ roster earlier in the day, was in Spokane’s lineup. . . . The Chiefs also welcomed back F Curtis Miske, who hadn’t played since Nov. 27. . . . However, F Wyatt Sloboshan, who didn’t return from the Christmas break, and F Kolby Morrisseau were among Spokane’s scratches. . . . Morrisseau is out with an injury after taking a hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit on Dec. 13 in Kent. Morrisseau, 16, needed attention from both trainers before leaving the ice. He spent some time in hospital after leaving a Sept. being injured during a Sept. 3 exhibition game against the Portland Winterhawks in Everett. That day, Morrisseau left the ice on a stretcher in the third period. . . . The Chiefs had been 2-0-0 in Kent this season, while the Thunderbirds are 1-0-0 in Spokane. . . . Seattle (18-13-3) has won two straight. . . . Spokane (14-14-6) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 6,200.
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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored three goals and added an assist to help the Broncos to a 6-
TYLER STEENBERGEN
1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Broncos had lost seven straight games to the Warriors. . . . Swift Current took control with three first-period goals. . . . G Glenn Gawdin (9) scored at 3:05, with F Aleksi Hopinieme (11) making it 2-0 at 5:28. Steenbergen followed with three straight goals — at 7:42 of the first period, 13:10 of the second and 6:30 of the third. He’s got 25 goals in 36 games after finishing his freshman season with 20 in 67. This was his first career hat trick. . . . Moose Jaw F Brett Howden scored his 16th goal at 17:46, with Broncos F Lane Pederson (16) getting that one back at 18:16. . . . Heponiemi also had two assists, with D Max Lajoie getting two and Pederson adding one. . . . The Broncos got 28 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Moose Jaw started Zach Sawchenko allowed five goals on 40 shots in 55:30. Reliever Brody Willms stopped eight of nine shots in 5:30. . . . The Broncos were 1-4 on the PP; the Warriors’ unit never saw action. . . . The Broncos (19-10-7) have points in five straight (4-0-1). The victory moved them into a second-place tie with the Warriors in the East Division. . . . The Warriors (20-9-5) have lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 2,342.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Parker AuCoin and F Michael Rasmussen each scored twice to help the Tri-City
PARKER AuCOIN
Americans to a 6-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Rasmussen now has 25 goals. . . . AuCoin, who didn’t have even one point over his last 14 games prior to the Christmas break, now has 11 goals. . . . F Skyler McKenzie scored both Portland goals, his first giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at 2:57 of the opening period. His second got Portland to within a goal, at 3-2, at 5:40 of the third period. He’s got 24 goals. . . . Rasmussen tied the game, 1-1, at 3:32 of the second period, on a PP. . . . AuCoin scored back-to-back goals, at 19:07 of the second and 2:14 of the third, for a 3-1 lead. . . . Tri-City F Tyler Sandhu (9) added insurance at 13:41 of the third period, with Rasmussen getting his second goal, on a PP, at 16:13 and F Vladislav Lukin (15) adding another PP goal, at 18:50. . . . D Dylan Coghlan drew three assists for the winners, while D Parker Wotherspoon had two and Rasmussen, Sandhu and Lukin each added one. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 23 shots for Tri-City, while Cole Kehler blocked 26 for Portland. . . . The Americans were 3-9 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 1-3. . . . The Americans have taken five of seven games from Portland this season. Tri-City last won five games from Portland in 2011-12. . . . The Americans (20-15-3) had lost their previous four games. . . . The Winterhawks (19-17-1) have lost three in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,080.
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At Langley, B.C., F Ty Ronning scored 31 second into OT to give the Vancouver Giants a 5-4 victory over
TY RONNING
the Everett Silvertips. . . . Ronning won it with his 12th goal of the season. It was his second straight OT winner. . . . F James Malm had forced OT, completing his first career three-point game — on his father’s birthday — with his ninth goal at 17:08 of the second period. . . . F Eetu Tuulolo (9) gave Everett a 1-0 lead at 4:09 of the first period. . . . The Giants responded with the next three goals. . . . F Alec Baer (3) scored on a PP, at 10:16 of the first period and F Brendan Semchuk (5) counted just 14 seconds later. . . . Vancouver F Owen Hardy (2) made it 3-1 at 12:27. . . . Everett scored three times in the second period to take a 4-3 lead. . . . F Dominic Zwerger, who has 15 goals, got the first two, at 0:41 and 11:45. . . . F Connor Dewar (5) broke the tie at 13:44. . . . F Tyler Benson had two assists for Vancouver, with Baer and Semchuk adding one each. . . . G Ryan Kubic turned aside 30 shots to earn the victory. . . . Everett’s Mario Petit stopped 21 shots. . . . Vancouver was 1-4 on the PP; Everett was 1-6. . . . Everett had been 3-0-0 against Vancouver these season and is 8-0-3 against teams from the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants (14-18-3) have won three in a row. . . . The Silvertips (24-4-6) have points in four straight (3-0-1) and are tied with the Prince George Cougars atop the overall standings. Everett holds three games in hand. . . . Vancouver D Ryan Jones, who suffered a shoulder injury during the exhibition season, played his first game of this season. With only 17 skaters dressed, Jones played on a forward line. . . . Everett head coach Kevin Constantine celebrated his 58th birthday by taking a game misconduct at 9:46 of the second period. According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, Constantine was “angry about Zwerger dive call” at 6:49. . . . Announced attendance: 4,317.


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At Victoria, F Tyler Soy returned to the Royals’ lineup with a bang, his three goals and an assist leading
TYLER SOY
them to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Soy, 19, hadn’t played since suffering an undisclosed injury on Nov. 19. . . . He scored Victoria’s last three goals, giving him 15 goals in 22 games, and his second hat trick this season. He has four in his career, including two in 2014-15. . . . F Matt Phillips (25) and Soy gave the Royals a 2-0 lead, with goals at 1:18 of the first period and 7:31 of the second. . . . F Brad Morrison’s 16th goal got the Cougars close at 8:31. . . . Soy completed his three-goal game by scoring at 15:05 of the second and 28 seconds into the third. . . . D Chaz Reddekopp (6) got Victoria’s last goal, at 15:13. . . . D Ryan Gagnon had two assists for the Royals, while Reddekopp had one. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 42 shots for the Royals. . . . G Ty Edmonds, who stopped 19 shots, made his 189th career regular-season appearance with Prince George, setting a franchise record in the process. . . . Victoria was 0-1 on the PP; Prince George was 0-4. . . . The Royals (18-15-4) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Cougars (26-9-2) had a five-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 5,285.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

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