Calling all Terriers! . . . Three series one victory from ending

F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 34 points, including 14 goals, in 43 games. . . .
The Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier) announced via Twitter the retirement of D Robert Schnabel (Red Deer, 1997-99). This season, in 53 games, Schnabel had 43 points, 11 of them goals. He was the fifth-leading scorer among league defencemen and was named to the second all-star team. . . .
Among the English Premier first team all-stars: F Michal Psurny (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) of the Manchester Phoenix, who led the league in scoring with 99 points, including 45 goals, in 54 games. . . . F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) of the Basingstoke Bison. . . . Among the second team all-stars: F Robin Kovar (Vancouver, 2001-03) and F Tony Hand (Victoria Cougars, 1986-87), both of the Manchester Phoenix. At 46, Hand led the league in assists (64) and was third with 82 points, in 53 games.
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Portage la Prairie, home of the MJHL’s Terriers, will play host to the Royal Bank Cup in 2015. With that in mind, the Terriers are working hard to reach as many former players, coaches, team officials, executives, etc., as possible in an attempt to bring everyone back for what will be a big week. So if you had anything at all to do with the Terriers, going back to Day 1, you should visit the Terriers’ alumni page right here and sign up.
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Moose Jaw’s city council has decided to write a letter to the Moose Jaw Warriors, expressing concern over the WHL team’s decision to bring back an old logo as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations set for 2014-15. . . . A Canadian Press story that originated with Moose Jaw radio station CHAB is right here. . . . Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports weighs in with more right here.
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The Ulmer brothers, Jeff and Jason, have signed contracts with teams in Austria’s Erste Bank Liga. . . . Jeff, 36, has signed a one-year deal with the Innsbruck Sharks. He had 43 points, including 22 goals, in 53 games with the Sharks this season. . . . Jason, 35, signed a two-year deal with the Linz Black Wings. This season, in 55 games, he had 58 points, including 16 goals. . . . The brothers are from Wilcox, Sask., the home of the Notre Dame Hounds.
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Mountain climbers, especially those whose lives belong to the Everests and K2s of the world, have never been able to explain why they do what they do. Perhaps it was Sir Edmund Hilary, the legendary climber, who came closest when he said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” . . . Whatever it is, Gabriel Filippi has spent a lot of his life chasing it. . . . If you enjoy great reads, this one right here is for you.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Zach Andrusiak of Armstrong, B.C., who was placed on their list in December. Andrusiak, 15, spent this season with the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence’s U18 prep team. In 66 games, he put up 82 points, including 35 goals. On the team, he was second to F Tyler Benson in goals and points. Benson was selected by the Vancouver Giants with the first overall pick of the 2013 bantam draft.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna leads, 3-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

 In Brandon, F Mitch Moroz had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-0 and are able to wrap it up in Brandon tonight. . . . F Riley Kieser gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 16:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it on a PP at 4:38 of the second. He’s got four goals. . . . Moroz broke the tie at 5:40 of the third period and F Curtis Lazar added insurance at 8:38, via the PP. . . . Kieser, Moroz, Lazar, Edmonton D Ashton Sautner and Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb each scored his third goal of these playoffs. . . . F Luke Bertolucci added an empty-netter for Edmonton, his second goal. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots, six fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-for-8 on the PP, with both goals coming with 5-on-3 advantages; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . The Wheat Kings took 53 of 65 penalty minutes. That included a fighting major and game misconduct to D Ryan Pilon at 19:26 of the third period. No one from Edmonton was penalized at the time, leaving one to wonder if Pilon might hear from the WHL office today. . . . Brandon had two 15-year-olds in its lineup as D Kale Clague, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, made his playoff debut, joining F Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick. . . .


In Kent, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets took a 4-1 lead into the third period and hung on for a 5-4 victory over the Thunderbirds. . . . With a 3-0 lead in the series, the Rockets can wrap it up tonight in Kent. . . . The Rockets opened a 2-0 first-period lead on late goals from F Ryan Olsen and F Tyrell Goulbourne, at 18:39 (PP) and 19:03, respectively. . . . Seattle F Ethan Bear cut the lead to 2-1 at 4:12 of the second, but the Rockets took control on goals from F Tyson Baillie at 7:23 and D Madison Bowey, at 9:54. . . . Seattle outscored the visitors 3-1 in the third period but wasn’t able to equalize. . . . F Alexander Delnov got the home side to within 5-4 at 18:43 of the third. . . . D Damon Severson and F Marek Tvrdeon each had two assists for Kelowna, while F Mathew Barzal did the same for Seattle. . . . Severson has nine points in the series’ three games. He has two assists in each game. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots, one more than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Kelowna, which took 11 of 17 minors, was 2-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-10. . . .


 In Victoria, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks go home with a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday in the Moda Center. . . . F Steven Hodges scored a PP goal seven seconds into the third period to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic tied it with his second goal of the game just 1:26 later. . . . F Chase De Leo scored his third goal at 8:05 and it stood up as the winner. . . . Leipsic and teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was held to one assist in this one, have a WHL-leading eight goals. . . . Leipsic also took over the playoff points lead, with 18, one more than Kootenay Ice forwards Jaedon Descheneau and Sam Reinhart. . . . Leipsic has at least one point in each of his club’s eight playoff games. Going back to the regular season, he is riding a 15-game point streak. . . . F Tyler Soy had given Victoria the lead at 6:39 of the first period. . . . Portland got goals from F Adam Rossignol, at 8:06 of the first, and Leipsic, on the PP at 12:18 of the second, to take the lead. . . . F Taylor Crunk, shorthanded, pulled Victoria into a 2-2 tie at 17:11 of the second. . . . D Mathew Dumba had two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke turned aside 27 shots, while Victoria’s Patrik Polivka stopped 34. . . . Portland was 1-for-5 on the PP; Victoria was 1-for-4.
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@HeleneBozon): “Good bye Canada,Time to go back home! 40 days @timbozon94 Terrify,tears,despair,believe,hope,Miracle Thank you everyone.”
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From Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “Here we go finally flying back to europe in couple hours @HeleneBozon #seeyacanada #RehabTime”


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Wheat Kings star hospitalized

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Hnat Domenichelli (Kamloops, 1992-96) has announced his retirement after 12 seasons in Switzerland NL A. He started the season with Lugano, then then transferred to Bern (both Switzerland, NL A). With Lugano, he had seven points, including three goals, in 10 games. With Bern, he put up 17 points, nine of them goals, in 32 games.
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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F Jayce Hawryluk of the Brandon Wheat Kings was taken to Brandon General Hospital
by ambulance after his club’s 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats on Wednesday night.

JAYCE HAWRYLUK

Hawryluk scored three times in the victory and also added an assist, giving him eight points in the first three games of the first-round series. The Wheat Kings hold a 3-0 lead with Game 4 scheduled for Brandon on Friday night.
After the game, Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner/general manager and head coach, reported:
“Jayce was taken to hospital after tonight's game. While concerned the club believes it is not serious. Until we have more information we can not pinpoint the cause. Jayce is resting comfortably.”
Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, is from Roblin, Man. A sophomore, he had 64 points, including 24 goals, in 59 regular-season games. He was a second-round selection by Brandon in the 2011 bantam draft.
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It is pretty much a given in the hockey world that a team’s dressing room belongs to the coaches and players.
It has long been seen as a sanctuary for the players and there often is a coaches’ office attached to it. In most situations, if someone from management wants to see a coach or a player, that person is beckoned upstairs, if you will, for that meeting. If a general manager, for example, needs to be in a dressing room, it oftentimes is only a brief visit.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with the Saskatoon Blades, nor will it be as things evolve there under the ownership of the father-and-son team of Mike and Colin Priestner.
Curtis Leschyshyn, a former Blades defenceman who went on to an NHL career, was an assistant coach in Saskatoon this season. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix quotes Leschyshyn in Wednesday’s newspaper:
Leschyshyn, who revealed last week that he wouldn’t be back with the Blades, said that former owner Jack Brodsky “had ideas, but would respect the decisions that the coaches and (general manager Lorne Molleken) would have. Colin obviously wants to be real involved and be in the locker-room.
"Those were some of the things that, as a player, I never saw in my career nor do I think is part of the game. The room is a very special place for the players. It always should be that way."
Colin Priestner, the franchise’s minority owner and managing partner, said he isn’t about to change his ways.
"Like I said in the first press conference, I felt like I needed to know every player, every employee, every manager and everyone in the organization," he said. "We weren't going to be able to properly identify what we had if I was just going to sit in my office with the door locked all day. That's just not how I operate anyway."
The Priestners, with help from TSN/NHL Network analyst Craig Button, who is a former Calgary Flames GM, are looking for a new general manager and a head coach after dropping Molleken and head coach Dave Struch on Tuesday. It sounds like the new GM and head coach will have to be prepared to have an owner who makes regular visits to the dressing room.
Nugent-Bowman’s complete story is right here.
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A tweet from Kelly Chase (@Chasenpucks39), a former Blades player who was part of a group that attempted to purchase the franchise last summer: “Extremely unfortunate that the @bladeshockey have let go of David Struch great job with very little. May be a blessing.”
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Greg Pocock, a Prince George businessman who heads up a group that is in the process of purchasing the Cougars, has told the Prince George Citizen that the franchise will be staying where it is. “We're not buying a team to move a team, we're buying a team to keep it in Prince George," Pocock told the Citizen‘s Ted Clarke. . . . That story is right here. . . .

Over time, Kelly McCrimmon has become the face of the Brandon Wheat Kings. These days, he is the owner, governor, general manager and head coach coach. Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post takes a look at McCrimmon’s journey right here. . . .

If you are planning to attend Game 5 of the first-round series between the Tri-City Americans and host Kelowna Rockets on Friday, note that the starting time has been moved from 7:05 to 7:30 p.m. . . . The starting time was changed as the game will be televised in Canada on Sportsnet. The Rockets lead the series, 3-1. . . .

D MacKenzie Johnston, 20, has joined the Central league’s Tulsa Oilers for the remainder of the season. Johnston completed his junior eligibility with the Saskatoon Blades. Johnston, who played five seasons in the WHL, was dealt by the Kelowna Rockets to the Prince Albert Raiders early this season, and later traded to the Blades. . . . The Oilers are 32-28-3 and have clinched a playoff spot. . . .

The game-winning goal in the Seattle Thunderbirds’ 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Tuesday night has been changed. F Mathew Barzal had been credited with the goal. It was changed Wednesday to Justin Hickman from Barzal and Ryan Gropp. . . . Following Game 1, the winning goal, that had been credited to Seattle D Shea Theodore, was changed to Gropp. . . .

In the U.S., the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that football players at Northwestern University in Illinois are employees and, as such, are eligible to go through the process of forming a union. . . . There is more on that right here.
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WEDNESDAY'S GAMES:


 In Prince Albert, D Cody Corbett and F Mitch Moroz each had two goals and three assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dropped the Raiders, 6-2. . . . The Oil Kings swept the series. . . . Edmonton took a 3-2 lead into the latter stages of the second period when it got a PP goal from Corbett at 16:26. . . . Moroz, with his second of the game and the series, added another PP goal at 1:38 of the third and F Curtis Lazar scored at 13:57. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had two assists for Edmonton. . . . Edmonton was 3-for-5 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-for-2. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots, 10 fewer than Cole Cheveldave of the Raiders. . . . Edmonton has appeared in the WHL’s last three championship finals. It’s first-round record on those playoffs now is 12-1. . . .


In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored three times and added an assist as the Wheat Kings got past the Regina Pats, 5-4. . . . Hawryluk was taken to Brandon General Hospital after the game, where he was said to be resting comfortably. . . . The Wheat Kings, who lead the series 3-0 and can wrap it up on home ice on Friday night, trailed 4-1 before the game was 14 minutes old. . . . Brandon F Jesse Gabrielle scored the game’s first goal, at 5:29, but the Pats came back with four in a row, the last three in a span of 1:45, with two of those coming from F Dryden Hunt on the PP. . . . D Jesse Zgraggen (7:17), (12:10), F Carter Hansen (12:40) and Hunt (13:55) gave Regina its three-goal lead. . . . Hawryluk scored at 15:39 and 18:01, and Brandon trailed 4-3 going into the second period. . . . F Chad Robinson tied it with a shorthanded goal at 3:19 of the second and Hawryluk got the winner at 15:10 of the third. . . . Hawryluk has four goals and four assists in the series’ three games. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville had three assists. His older brother, Peter, returned to Brandon’s lineup after missing Game 2, as did D Eric Roy. . . . Brandon’s line of Hawryluk, John Quenneville and Gabrielle combined for nine points. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk had two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny, who didn’t practice on Tuesday, stopped 29 shots. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple, out since March 5 with an ankle injury, returned to the ice and stopped 20 shots. . . . Regina was 2-for-4 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-2. . . .


In Swift Current, freshman F Jake DeBrusk scored his third goal of the series at 5:06 of OT as the Broncos got past the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2 with Game 5 in Medicine Hat on Saturday night. . . . DeBrusk, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, has three goals in the series. He had 15 goals in 72 regular-season games, when he had a goal and eight assists in his last six games. . . . The Tigers took a 2-0 first-period lead on two goals by F Curtis Valk, at 7:23 and 8:35. . . . The Broncos got two goals form Graham Black, his first and second of the series, at 1:06 of the second period and 1:01 of the third. . . . F Jay Merkley had two assists for Swift Current, while F Trevor Cox did the same for Medicine Hat. . . . Valk has three goals in the series. . . . The battle between the two European goaltenders continued, as the Broncos’ Eetu Laurikainen, who is from Finland, stopped 40 shots, and Marek Langhamer of the Tigers, who is from Czech Republic, turned aside 42. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-5. . . . F Steve Owre was back with the Tigers after missing five games. . . .


 In Vancouver, F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks dumped the Giants, 6-1, to sweep the first-round series. . . . Portland, the WHL’s defending champion, is 10-0 in its last 10 series against Western Conference opponents. The last time Portland lost to a conference opponent was in the spring of 2010 when Vancouver won a conference semifinal in six games. . . . The Winterhawks are into the second round for a fifth straight season. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic opened the scoring with his WHL-leading fifth goal of these playoffs. That was at 16:09 of the first period, on a PP. . . . Portland had a 3-0 lead when Vancouver F Carter Popoff scored, on a PP, at 9:47 of the second. . . . Leipsic and F Keegan Iverson had a goal and an assist each for Portland, which got 32 saves from G Brendan Burke. . . . Vancouver starter Payton Lee stopped 10 of 13 shots, leaving after Portland’s third goal at 17:05 of the first period. . . . Jared Rathjen came on to turn aside 29 of 32 shots. . . . Rathjen wasn’t on the bench for Game 3, as was indicated here yesterday. The WHL’s online score sheet was in error. Cody Porter, from the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, backed up Lee. . . . Rathjen had needed 15 stitches to close a cut near an eye after he was struck by a puck while on the bench in Game 2 in Portland on Saturday. . . . The Winterhawks, the conference’s No. 2 seed, outscored the No. 7 Giants, 19-7, in the four games. Portland had the WHL’s top-ranked regular-season PP, at 27.5 per cent. It scored six PP goals in 27 opportunities (22.2 per cent) in the series. . . . Vancouver scored one PP goal in 14 opportunities in the four games. . . . Going back to the regular season, the Winterhawks have won 11 in a row and 32 of 33. . . . Including the regular season, Portland went 8-0-0 against Vancouver this season. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot picked up one assist, giving him 47 career playoff points to tie the franchise record held by Glen Wesley (1983-87). . . . Vancouver F Tim Traber was given a major for clipping at 18:21 of the third period for a hit on Portland D Keoni Texeira. Traber, 20, was playing in the final junior game of his career. . . .


 In Spokane, F Austin Carroll celebrated his 20th birthday by scoring twice and adding an assist as the Victoria Royals beat the Chiefs, 6-1. . . . The Royals, who won two OT games on home ice, lead the series 3-0 and can wrap it up tonight in Spokane. . . . The Royals led this one 4-0 after one period on Carroll’s first two goals of the series and singles from F Ben Walker and D Jordan Fransoo. . . . Walker scored 11 seconds into the game, which is four seconds off the WHL record held by F Trevor Linden of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Linden scored seven seconds into a 6-5 victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on April 15, 1988. . . . F Logan Nelson and D Travis Brown each had a goal and an assist for the Royals. . . . F Brandon Magee had three assists for Victoria, which went into this series having lost six straight first-round series, four of which came when it was the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) . . . In those series, the Chilliwack/Victoria teams were 6-24. . . . The Royals were 3-for-6 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-2. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 20 shots. . . . Spokane starter Eric Williams allowed five goals on 22 shots. Garret Hughson came on midway through the third and stopped one of two shots. . . . The Chiefs have lost their last seven playoff games. . . . According to Marlon Martens, the radio voice of the Royals, Victoria set franchise playoff records for fewest shots against in a period (3), fastest goal to start a game or period (0:11), most goals for in a road game (6) and most goals in one period (4). . . .


 In Kennewick, Wash., F Tyson Baillie scored his first goal of these playoffs and added two assists to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets lead the series 3-1 and can wrap it up at home on Friday night. . . . Kelowna, which got a goal and an assist from each of D Madison Bowey and F Justin Kirkland, scored the game’s first three goals. . . . The Americans got to within 3-1 and 4-2 but weren’t able to close the gap to a singleton. . . . F Phil Tot and F Brian Williams each scored his third goal of the series for the Americans. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 25 shots, while Tri-City’s Eric Comrie turned aside 27. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-4. . . .
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
(Edmonton wins, 4-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert 1 at Edmonton 3 (6,584)
Tuesday: Edmonton 4 at Prince Albert 3 (2,881)
Wednesday: Edmonton 6 at Prince Albert 2 (2,727)
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite; F Reid Petryk, day-to-day.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon leads, 3-0)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon 8 at Regina 4 (5,014)
Wednesday: Regina 4 at Brandon 5 (3,547)
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary 7 at Kootenay 6 (OT) (1,992)
Tuesday: Calgary 4 at Kootenay 5 (2,102)
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.
Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Swift Current 3 (2,840)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 2 at Swift Current 3 (OT) (2,890)
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
(Kelowna leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Tri-City, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,041)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (2,010)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Tri-City 3 (2,189)
Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
(Portland wins, 4-0)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.
Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 3 (5,680)
Wednesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 1 (5,142)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
(Victoria leads, 3-0)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane 3 at Victoria 4 (OT) (4,629)
Wednesday: Victoria 6 at Spokane 1 (3,412)
Thursday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
(Seattle leads, 3-0)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle 3 at Everett 1 (4,150)
Tuesday: Everett 3 at Seattle 4 (OT) (5,176)
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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From the Kootenay Ice (@WHLKootenayICE): “Between Games 3 & 4 our fans raised $1,579.27 for the Tim Bozon Trust Fun. Best fans in the world #tb20 #getwelltim”
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One more from the Ice: “Huge high five goes out to local businesses in Cranbrook. They donated $1,525 to the Tim Bozon Trust Fund #kice #tb20 #getwelltim”
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From Darren Steinke (@MHND_Steinke) of the Medicine Hat News: “Always a classic site on the road with #MHTigers in playoffs. Morning skate and Bob Ridley is being interviewed by Regina's CTV.”
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “True Story: When we showed up to the Art Hauser Centre for morning skate today, there was a broom sitting outside the locker room #omen?”


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Goaltender credited with a snipe; Cougars are rolling

D Harlan Pratt (Seattle, Red Deer, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1994-99) has signed with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, Oberliga West). Last season, with Alba Volan Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga), Pratt had 28 points, seven of them goals, in 53 games. . . .
G Ian Gordon (Swift Current, Saskatoon, 1992-95) has signed with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, Oberliga West) as a precautionary third goalie. Last season, Gordon was with Ingolstadt, going 2.49 and .909 in 33 games. He presently is the goaltending coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). . . .
(Note: Frankfurt’s signings of Pratt and Gordon are both as precautions. The signing deadline in Germany was Friday if a player is to be eligible to play this season. . . . Frankfurt’s record this season is 34-0-0, with one overtime victory. It has scored 267 goals and allowed 60 as it pushes for promotion to DEL2 for next season. . . . Frankfurt’s GM is Rich Chernomaz (Saskatoon, Victoria Cougars, 1979-83). Chernomaz also was the head coach of Hungary at WJC D2 this season.)
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In the MJHL, the Selkirk Steelers’ franchise-record winning streak ended at 20 games as they dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the host Portage Terriers on Saturday night. The Steelers tied the MJHL’s single-season record on Friday night, beating the Steinbach Pistons 3-2, and now share that mark with the 2012-13 Dauphin Kings, who also put together a 20-game winning streak.
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G Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen, who was credited with a goal on Saturday night, set a franchise record in the first period of Friday’s 7-4 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. During that period, he made his 3,375th career save, breaking the record that had been held by Martin Jones (2006-10). . . . Jones now is with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
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Neate Sager has more right here on the Friday night fisticuffs between F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice and D Josh Morrissey of the Prince Albert Raiders. As Sager points out, not only was it the first bout of Reinhart’s WHL career, but he had spent only 65 seconds in the penalty box to that point in the entire season.
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If you are in the market for a major junior team, the Sarnia Observer reports that the OHL’s Sarnia Sting franchise is for sale. That story is right here.
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TODAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
None scheduled. Hey, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. Enjoy! . . . Despite my respect for Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning, I’ve got the swaggering Seattle Seahawks, by three.
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SATURDAY'S WHL GAMES:
F Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists and was plus-4 as he led the host Regina Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Stephenson has 24 goals. . . . The Pats are 7-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . F Jack Rodewald, a former Regina skater, had both Moose Jaw goals, giving him 16. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 33 shots. . . . The victory lifted Regina (27-21-5) to within one point of the fifth-place Swift Current Broncos in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Warriors (13-31-8) are 10th in the conference. . . .

In Swift Current, F Troy Bourke scored twice and added an assist to help the Prince George Cougars to a 6-2 victory over the Broncos. . . . It was the sixth game in nine nights in the East Division for the Cougars, who lost the first two and then won four in a row. . . . Bourke has 19 goals this season. He also has a career-high 57 points in 52 games, one more than he scored in 71 games in 2011-12. . . . F Klarc Wilson also scored twice for the Cougars; he’s got 22. . . . Cougars F Todd Fiddler had two assists. . . . Prince George G Adam Beukeboom turned aside 38 shots in evening his record at 3-3-0. . . . Broncos F Nate Burns scored his 20th goal. He’s got 14 points, including four goals, in 12 games since moving from Saskatoon in a January deal. On the season, he has 57 points in 52 games. . . . The Cougars (22-26-7) are six points out of the last Western Conference playoff spot. . . . The Broncos (26-19-8) are one point behind the fourth-place Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference. . . .

F Rihards Bukarts scored twice to help the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Blades in Saskatoon. . . . Bukarts, who served a one-game suspension earlier in the week, has 21 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings halted a three-game losing streak as they played their fourth game in in a five-night road swing. . . . Brandon D Rene Hunter and F Tim McGauley each had two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . The Wheaties were 2-for-9 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-5. . . . The Blades had F Ty Mappin in their lineup as they brought him in from the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys. They had acquired Mappin at the trade deadline, getting him from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round 2015 bantam draft pick. He was the seventh overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings (27-19-6) are tied with Swift Current atop the East Division, but more victories (27-26) puts them in first place. . . . The Blades (14-36-4) are 11th in the 12-team Eastern Conference. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen was credited with the game’s first goal, but the Kootenay Ice came back to score a 5-2 victory. . . . Driedger is the sixth goaltender in WHL history to be credited with a goal, the first since Jordan McLaughlin of the Prince George Cougars scored against the Vancouver Giants on March 5, 2003. The other goaltenders with goals -- Jason Clague, Red Deer Rebels, March 28, 1994; Jeff Calvert, Tacoma Rockets, Dec. 29, 1992; Chris Osgood, Medicine Hat Tigers, Jan. 3, 1991; and, Olaf Kolzig, Tri-City Americans, Nov. 29, 1989. . . . Driedger was credited with the goal when he was the last Calgary player to touch the puck before the Ice scored an own goal in trying to move the puck back to the point in the offensive zone while a delayed penalty was waiting to be called. . . . The Hitmen led this one 2-0 at 5:54 of the first period, but gave up the game’s last five goals. . . . F Tim Bozon scored twice for the Ice, giving him 23, while F Austin Vetterl got his ninth and 10th. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had three assists, running his point streak to 10 games. . . . Ice F Luke Philp had his 12-game point streak halted. . . . Kootenay’s last two goals came into an empty Calgary net. . . . The Ice (27-21-4) is 7-2-1 in its last 10 and is seventh in an awfully tight Eastern Conference where six teams are separated by four points. . . . The Hitmen (32-14-6) are five points behind the Central Division-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .

In Red Deer, F Brian Williams had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans doubled the Rebels, 4-2. . . . Williams has 33 goals. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 27 shots in running his record to 23,17-5. He has a 2.29 GAA with a .932 save percentage. . . . The Americans were 1-for-9 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-for-8. . . . Americans D Josh Thrower was tossed at 18:41 of the first period with a headshot major. . . . The Americans (26-22-5) are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Rebels (27-22-3) own the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. They are one point behind Kootenay and eight up on the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings ran their winning streak to eight games with a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . F Mitch Moroz scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 29 goals this season and tying him for the team led with F Curtis Lazar, who had one goal. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett drew three assists. . . . F Curtis Valk of the Tigers scored the game’s first goal, his 28th. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots. He’s now 33-11-1, 2.28, .912. . . . The Oil Kings have won 14 of their last 15 games. . . . The Oil Kings (37-13-1) lead the Eastern Conference. . . . The Tigers (29-19-3) are fourth, one point ahead of Brandon and Swift Current. . . .

In Portland, G Brendan Burke put up his second shutout in as many nights as the Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 10 games with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Burke stopped 16 shots in posting his third shutout this season. . . . One night earlier, he beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 6-0. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun turned aside 46 shots as his record slipped to 7-1-0 since he was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers at the trade deadline. . . . The Winterhawks held a 22-2 edge in shots in the second period. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal, his 37th, and an assist. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had two assists. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar drew a fighting major and game misconduct when he tried to scrap with an unwilling Brendan Leipsic. On Dec. 17, Leipsic drew a match penalty and a seven-game suspension for a hit that left Kolesar with a concussion. . . . Portland was 2-for-8 on the PP as it received the game’s first seven man-advantage situations. . . . Seattle was 0-for-2. . . . The Winterhawks have outscored the opposition 53-13 during its 10-game winning streak. This is their second 10-game win streak this season; they won 11 straight from Oct. 12 to Nov. 2. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock returned to the lineup after not having played since Jan. 4. . . . Portland (36-12-5) is 10 points behind the Western Conference-leading Kelowna Rockets. . . . Seattle (32-16-5), which is 8-2-0 in its last 10, is fourth, two points in back of the Victoria Royals. . . .

In Everett, F Ivan Nikolishin scored his 13th goal, via the PP, at 4:24 of OT to give the Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett had lost its last six games. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg had forced OT with his WHL-leading 47th goal at 8:34 of the third. . . . Injuries limited Everett to 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Josh Winquist scored his 33rd goal and set up two others. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani completed a three-game WHL suspension for a headshot on Kamloops D Connor Clouston on Tuesday. . . . Spokane got two goals from F Colton Bobyk, who now has four on the season. . . . Each team used both of its goaltenders in this one. . . . Everett (26-19-8) is seventh in the Western Conference, a point behind the Vancouver Giants and three ahead of Tri-City. . . .

In Kelowna, F Myles Bell scored four times and added two assists as the Rockets dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 7-3. . . . With the victory, the Rockets became the first WHL team to clinch a playoff spot. They have 20 regular-season games remaining. . . . One night earlier, in Kamloops, Bell had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 Kelowna victory. . . . On the season, Bell has 61 points, including 35 goals, in 50 games. . . . F Collin Shirley scored twice for Kamloops; he’s got 10. . . . D Austin Douglas scored his first WHL goal for Kamloops. It came in his 22nd game, the first 13 of which were played with Seattle. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-3 on the PP; on Friday night, they were 3-for-5. . . . Kelowna is 7-0-0 against Kamloops this season and has a 34-14 edge in goals. . . . The Blazers hadn’t scored more than two goals in any of the first six games. . . . The Rockets (42-7-3) lead the overall standings by 10 points over Portland. . . . The Blazers (11-37-5) won’t make the playoffs. . . .

D Joe Hicketts scored 36 seconds into OT to give the host Victoria Royals a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . One night earlier, the Giants had beaten the Royals 5-4 in a shootout. . . . Hicketts, who returned to the lineup Friday for the first time since Oct. 26, has five goals this season. He had two assists in his return Friday after missing 34 games. . . . Vancouver erased a 2-0 deficit and forced OT on goals by F Cain Franson, his 20th at 15:10 of the second, and F Ty Ronning, his sixth at 6:22 of the third. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had a goal, his 16th, and an assist. . . . F Ben Walker got his 20th goal of the season for the Royals. . . . Attendance was 7,006 on a Pink the Rink night. . . . The Royals (34-16-3) are third in the Western Conference, six points behind Portland and two ahead of Seattle. . . . The Giants (26-19-9) are sixth.
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From Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning), the radio voice of the Seattle Thunderbirds: “After starting 0-3, @SeattleTbirds finish January 10-4. Last time they had double digit wins in a month, 6 years ago, February 2008 (10-4).”
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From Kootenay Ice G Mackenzie Skapski (@Skaps29): “Got absolutely sniped by @ChrisDriedger. Yes. I repeat. I got sniped by the other teams goalie.... #scoring machine.”

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Oil Kings complete sweep

SUNDAY GAMES:
The Portland Winterhawks won their seventh straight game Sunday, beating the Silvertips 6-2 in Everett. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three times and added an assist for Portland (33-12-5). He’s got 33 goals. . . . Portland, which is 8-0-1 in its last nine, broke a 1-1 tie with three second-period goals. . . . Winterhawks F Brendan Leipsic scored for a fifth straight game. He‘s got 29. . . . The same teams will meet in Portland on Wednesday. That will be the Winterhawks’ third straight game against the Silvertips; Portland won 5-1 at home on Friday. . . . The Silvertips have lost four in a row. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips, who were playing for the fourth time in five nights, “has a hard enough time handling Portland at full strength . . . it becomes a near impossible task when the Tips are down six regulars, including two overagers.” . . . Everett was without F Manraj Hayer, F Tyler Sandhu, both of whom suffered undisclosed injuries in a loss to Seattle on Saturday, D Matt Pufahl (ribs), D Ben Betker (undisclosed), F Zane Jones (undisclosed) and F Logan Aasman (finger). . . .
F Mitch Moroz scored his 26th goal of the season at 3:34 of OT as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the host Calgary Hitmen, 3-2. . . . The victory left Edmonton (34-13-1) with a one-point lead over Calgary (31-12-6) atop the Eastern Conference. . . . The Oil Kings have won five in a row. They had beaten Calgary 7-3 in Edmonton on Friday. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had a goal, his 23rd, and two assists for Edmonton. His goal at 19:39 of the second period forced OT. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots in running his record to 30-11-1. He is the first goaltender in the CHL this season to post 30 victories. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 24 shots and now is just 12 saves shy of Martin Jones’ franchise record for most career saves (3,374, 2006-10). . . . The Oil Kings played without D Reid Petryk, who played in his 300th game on Saturday. He was ejected at 3:10 of the first period in that one, thanks to a boarding major. . . . Calgary F Pavel Padakin, who was hit by Petryk, didn’t play Sunday. . . .
G Taran Kozun turned aside 33 shots to help the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 4-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kozun now is 6-0-0 since joining Seattle from Kamloops in a deadline-day deal last month. . . . F Roberts Lipsbergs scored his 30th goal of the season for Seattle. He is the first Thunderbirds skater with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since F Greg Scott did it (2007-09). . . . Kelowna (40-7-2) was playing its fourth game in five nights, having won the first three, all at home. . . . Seattle (31-15-5) is fourth in the Western Conference, a point behind the Victoria Royals. The Thunderbirds have won nine of their last 10 games.

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Blazers end losing skid

A tip of the cap to the WHL for posting details of the Portland-Red Deer trade from Tuesday. . . . In that exchange the Winterhawks acquired D Mathew Dumba from the Rebels for F Presten Kopeck. Four conditional bantam draft picks were involved. . . . Should Dumba end up in Portland after the World Junior Championship, the Rebels will get second-round bantam picks in 2014, 2015 and 2016. There are conditions on the 2016 selection that could turn it into a third-round pick, all depending on when Dumba would be returned. . . . If Dumba doesn’t go to Portland, the Rebels cough up a third-rounder in 2014, meaning the deal would become Kopeck for that selection.
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The Saskatoon Blades have brought in D Nolan Reid from the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos. Reid, a 15-year-old from Deer Valley, Sask., was the Blades’ first pick, 41st overall, in the 2013 bantam draft. He has 19 points in 23 games with the Argos. . . . Reid is expected to practise with the Blades today and could play Friday and Saturday against the visiting Regina Pats and Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Blades have lost D David Nemecek to the Czech Republic’s national junior team’s selection camp.
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The Portland Winterhawks, about to lose five players to Christmas tournaments, have brought in F Skyler McKenzie, F Colton Veloso and D Justin Greer. . . . McKenzie was an eighth-round pick in the 2013 draft. From Sherwood Park, Alta., McKenzie is playing with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Greer, who is from Edmonton, was taken in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He is playing for the South Side Athletic Club midget AAA team in Edmonton. . . . Veloso, from Winnipeg, plays for the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild.
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The Victoria Royals have acquired F Braden Oleksyn, 17, from the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for F Landon Welykholowa, 17. . . . Oleksyn, from Saskatoon, was pointless in seven games with the Hitmen this season. A third-round bantam draft pick by the Hitmen in 2011, he had 28 points, including 11 goals, in 50 games with the SJHL's La Ronge Ice Wolves last season. . . . Welykholowa, who is from Calgary, had one goal in 18 games with Victoria. He was a third-round pick by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2011 bantam draft. Last season, he played 34 games the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes, putting up 26 points, including 12 goals.
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The WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium runs from Dec. 15 through Dec. 27.
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The Everett Silvertips had lost 15 straight games to the Chiefs in Spokane going into last night’s game. It all began with a devastating setback on March 14, 2010. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald examines the situation right here. . . . BTW, the skid now is at 16 after the Chiefs won 5-3 last night.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Prince Albert, F Curtis Lazar and F Mitch Moroz had two goals each to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 7-5 victory over the Raiders. . . . Edmonton has won seven in a row. . . . Lazar’s 20th goal of the season, at 16:03 of the first, gave the Oil Kings a 2-1 lead and they never trailed after that. . . . Lazar’s second goal, at 17:29 of the third, left Edmonton with a 6-4 lead. . . . Moroz has 19 goals in 31 games. Two seasons ago, he scored 16 times in 66 games; last season, he had 13 scores in 69 outings. . . . F Dakota Conroy had two goals for the Raidersd, giving him 15, while F Leon Draisaitl had a goal, his 18th, and two assists. Draisaitl, who will play for Germany at the World Junior Championship, extended his point streak to seven games. He has 19 points, including eight goals, over that stretch. He has multiple points in 10 of 16 games since Nov. 1. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving, in his first season, had a goal and an assist. He’s got 24 points, seven of them goals, in 31 games. . . . The Oil Kings (21-9-1) and Calgary Hitmen (19-7-5) each has 43 points, tops in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Raiders, who are tied for fifth with the Regina Pats, have lost four in a row. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s first four goals and went on to a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The victory, their eighth in a row, lifted the Rockets atop the overall standings. . . . F Myles Bell’s second goal of the game and 12th of the season, shorthanded at 6:47 of the second, gave Kelowna a 4-0 lead. . . . The Warriors got to within 4-3 when F Scott Cooke got his first goal of the season at 9:26 of the third. . . . F Carter Rigby restored Kelowna’s two-goal lead at 15:01. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 35 shots in running his record to 18-1-2. . . . Kelowna is 2-0 on its East Division swing. . . . The Warriors have lost six in a row and, at 8-20-6, are 14 points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Regina, F Jesse Shynkaruk’s shootout goal gave the Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Pats, snapping a franchise-record 13-game losing streak. . . . Shynkaruk, who is from Saskatoon, scored his first WHL goal in a 5-2 loss to the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Tuesday night. . . . The Blazers hadn’t won since beating the visiting Red Deer Rebels 4-1 on Nov. 5. . . . F Matt Needham gave the Blazers a 3-2 lead with his second goal of the game, and seventh of the season, at 19:07 of the third. . . . However, Regina F Boston Leier forced OT with his second goal of the game, and 22nd of the season, at 19:25. . . . Needham also had an assist, while linemate Cole Ully scored once, his 12th, and added two helpers. Ully’s goal pulled the Blazers into a 2-2 tie at 18:37 of the third. . . . Kamloops G Taran Kozun, who was on the bench when Ully scored, stopped 39 shots through OT. . . . Regina has points in its last three games (2-0-1). . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.

In Lethbridge, F Calder Brooks scored twice to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Brooks has six goals this season. He gave his mates a 2-0 lead at 18:55 of the first and made it 3-1 at 5:33 of the second. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen had a goal, his 15th, and an assist. . . . The Hurricanes had won their previous two home games. . . . Lethbride F Reid Duke got his guys to within 4-3 with his fourth goal at 3:42 of the third. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart iced it with his 10th, into an empty net, at 19:38. . . . The Hitmen are 6-0-1 in their last seven and 8-1-1 in their last 10. . . .

In Spokane, F Mike Aviani broke a 3-3 tie with a PP goal at 16:12 of the third period as the Chiefs beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-3. . . . Spokane scored the game’s first three goals, taking a 3-0 lead on F Dominic Zwerger’s fifth goal at 4:19 of the second. . . . Zwerger was playing his first game since suffering an undisclosed injury on Nov. 8. . . . The Silvertips scored twice in the second and tied it on F Tyler Sandhu’s 13th goal at 8:19 of the third. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored twice, giving him a WHL-leading 35 goals, the last one into an empty net. . . . Holmberg also had an assist, giving him 70 points, four more than Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. . . . G Eric Williams stopped 34 shots for Spokane, 17 more than Everett’s Austin Lotz.
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HAVE A GOOD DAY:
Second baseman Robison Cano, who is in the process of cutting a rather large deal with the Seattle Mariners, will make $45 dollars a minute for the next 10 years. That computes to $65,753 each day for 10 years.
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From Barney Shynkaruk (@bshynk): “@jesseshynkaruk0 made Romans night by tossing him a puck in warm up. Then he scores on a dirty move for shootout winner. #proud parents”
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From former Portland/Kamloops G Kurtis Mucha (@tooka31): “Tweet #200. How to double up your followers? Get a quick NHL call up haha. #thankful #twittertips #bruins #lucky #gobears”
Mucha, who plays for the U of Alberta Golden Bears, practised with the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

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