Hosting MC expensive proposition . . . Broncos having Black Friday sale . . . Cougars beat Pats

pic.twitter.com/PoFGO2mQxR

— brendan leipsic (@19LEIP) November 23, 2016

———

F Konstantin Panov (Kamloops, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Yuga Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). In 32 games, the team captain has seven goals and three assists.

-———

If you are wondering why your favourite Canadian WHL team hasn’t gotten involved in trying to play host to a Memorial Cup tournament, well, it likely comes down to dollars and sense.

Here’s Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports:

“Hosting the Memorial Cup has become a big financial commitment for many cities and teams. When the OHL’s London Knights hosted the event in 2005, for example, their financial guarantee was between $1.5 and $1.9 million. The Knights are one of the OHL’s banner franchises and their arena, the Budweiser Gardens, seats 9,090 for hockey. It was no surprise when they were also awarded the 2014 hosting rights.

“When Saskatoon hosted the event in 2013 their tournament guarantee fell short, leaving taxpayers on the hook for close to $700,000. Profits fell about $1 million short, so the province had to pay $667,797 with the city of Saskatoon covering the remainder. The Blades had given the CHL a guarantee of $3.5 million to host the tournament at the Credit Union Centre which seats roughly 13,000.”

Sapurji’s complete story is right here.

——

The Victoria Royals have acquired F Spencer Gerth, 18, from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Gerth, from Langley, adds some size to the Royals’ forward ransk. He has two goals in 14 games with Everett this season. . . . Last season, in 52 games, he had one assist. In 2014-15, he had eight goals and 14 assists in 52 games with the junior B Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

——

The Swift Current Broncos are getting in on the Black Friday madness. According to a news release: “As part of Black Friday, the Broncos will have 2016-17 season-tickets for sale at half price. This includes tickets to all 24 remaining regular-season home games at the Credit Union i-Plex.” . . . A trip to the Broncos’ website shows that their top-priced season-tickets carry regular prices of $589.86, $438.53, $424.68 and $374.58. . . . The sale runs Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a “limited number of select seats available at half price. . . . The promotion is in-person only and all tickets must be paid in full at time of purchase.”

——

The grand pooh-bahs of hockey have been talking some of late about the draft. Recent conversation included representatives from the NHL, NHLPA, CHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and the USHL. . . . Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has more on what’s going on in his weekly 30 Thoughts, and it’s all right here.

——

Interested in what has been happening in the KHL? Patrick Conway has his weekly team-by-team look right here.

——

If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

If you enjoy stopping here on a regular basis, please feel free to help the cause by visiting the bottom of this post and making a donation. This is more a labour of love than anything else, and every little bit helps keep coffee and donuts on the table.

———

JUST NOTES:

The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Jaydon Dureau, 15, who was an eighth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Dureau, who will turn 16 on Jan. 20, is from White City, Sask. Last season, he had 37 points, 12 of them goals, in 38 games with the bantam AAA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he has 10 points, including six goals, in 13 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. . . .

The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped F Tak Anholt, 18, from their roster.  There was no word on where Anholt, who is from North Vancouver, might play. He had one goal and one assist in 15 games with the Wheat Kings. . . . He was a second-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings are carrying 24 players, including eight defencemen and 14 forwards. . . .

The Calgary Hitmen have dropped G Nik Amundrud, 19, from their roster and he has joined the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Amundrud, who is from Melfort, Sask., hadn’t played for the Hitmen since the exhibition season due to an undisclosed injury.

———

Happy 73rd b'day to '66 Calder runner-up Bert Marshall. The hard-nosed D-man was a -39 for Golden Seals in 72-73 & +48 for Isles in 76-77. pic.twitter.com/uMNT0LgUu8

— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) November 23, 2016

———

TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Adam Musil scored three times and G Riley Lamb recorded the shutout as the Red Deer

ADAM MUSIL

Rebels beat the Hitmen, 3-0. . . . Lamb stopped 26 shots in earning the second shutout of his freshman season. . . . Musil, who went into the game with three goals, got things started at 19:24 of the first period. . . . He added a second goal at 16:01 of the second and completed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 19:17 of the third. . . . It was Musil’s first three-goal game and came in his 217th regular-season game. . . . F Michael Spacek and F Brandon Hagel each had two assists. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter stopped 24 shots. . . . The Rebels were 0-4 on the PP; the Calgary PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . The Rebels (11-10-3) had last their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Hitmen are 8-10-2. . . . The Hitmen welcomed back D Jakob Lapointe, F Andrew Fyten and F Jordy Stallard from injuries and F Taylor Sanheim from suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 5,418.

——

At Moose Jaw, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 2-1 second-period deficit with four straight goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Tigers (17-5-1) have won six in a row. . . . The Warriors (13-5-4) had earned points in each of their previous four games (2-0-2). . . . F Matt Bradley gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal at 15:17 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs (15) then scored twice for the Warriors, getting a shorthanded goal at 19:27 and adding a PP score at 5:45 of the second period. . . . F John Dahlstrom (11) pulled the visitors even at 10:27 and F Zach Fischer (14) put them out front at 15:58. . . . The Tigers really took control as F Max Gerlach (14) struck on a PP at 5:37 of the third period and D Ty Schultz (2) made it 5-2 at 9:30. . . . F Nikita Popugaev scored his 17th goal for the Warriors at 14:55 of the third period. F Brayden Burke picked up an assist on the goal for his first point in three games since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Steve Owre and F Mason Shaw each had two assists for the Tigers. . . . F Noah Gregor had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . G Nick Schneider blocked 24 shots for Medicine Hat, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 39. . . . Schneider has won nine straight starts to improve to 16-2-0. He leads the WHL in victories. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,038.

——

Congratulations are definitely in order tonight for Equip. Manager @chicodhanjal who's working his 600th career @TheWHL game tonight in PG! pic.twitter.com/DK0lwzLUHL

— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) November 23, 2016

At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first three goals, all in the first period, and went on to score a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Prince George (18-4-2) has won four in a row. . . . Regina (16-2-3) lost for the second time in regulation time on this B.C. Division trip. . . . Going into the game, the Cougars were 7-2-1 in their previous 10 games, and the Pats had been 9-1-0. . . . D Brendan Guhle, in his first game with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, scored his third goal, on a PP, at 9:30 of the first period. . . . F Jansen Harkins (5) made it 2-0 at 13:05 and F Colby McAuley (9) upped it to 3-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Austin Wagner (10) got Regina on the scoreboard at 16:10. . . . The teams played a goal-less second period, before D Sergey Zborovskiy (2) pulled the visitors to within a goal, on a PP, at 2:55 of the third. . . . The Cougars put it away with empty-netters from F Kody McDonald (6) and F Jesse Gabrielle (12). . . . Harkins, McAuley and McDonald each had one assist. . . . Regina D Chase Harrison ran his point streak to a WHL-best 16 games with a third-period assist. . . . F Adam Brooks of the Pats also had an assist, running his point streak to 15 games. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 27 shots for the winners, while Tyler Brown stopped 24 at the other end. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . Prince George D Sam Ruopp sat out the sixth game of an eight-game suspension. . . . Regina has brought in G Curtis Chapman from the MJHL’s Portage Terriers after G Jordan Hollett was injured Sunday in Victoria. . . . The Cougars will get another test on Saturday when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . Prince George F Josh Curtis left in the first period and didn’t return after taking a hit from Regina D Connor Hobbs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,287.

——

The last 5-game goal streak for the T-Birds was by Branden Troock in 2013-14, Roberts Lipsbergs had a six-gamer in 2012-2013

— Andy Eide (@AndyEide) November 23, 2016

At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first four goals and went on to a 5-2 victory

SCOTT EANSOR

over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Seattle took a 3-0 lead into the second period on goals from D Jarret Tyszka (1) at 2:26, F Donovan Neuls (5) at 6:29 and F Scott Eansor (11) at 19:50. . . . Eansor, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, now has goals in five straight games. . . . D Reece Harsch (2) made it 4-0 at 1:18 of the third period. . . . The Oil Kings made it interesting as they cut the deficit in half on goals from F Tyler Robertson (7) at 10:20 and D Brayden Borda (2) at 11:21. . . . Seattle F Sami Moilanen scored his fifth goal into an empty net, at 19:02. . . . F Nolan Volcan had two assists for the Thunderbirds, while Tyszka, Eansor, Moilanen and Neuls each had one. . . . G Rylan Toth made 23 stops for the Thunderbirds. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea, making his ninth straight start, turned aside 32 shots. . . . Seattle was 0-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds (11-8-2) are 4-0-1 in their past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (10-11-2) had won their previous two games. They also had won three straight road games. . . . The Thunderbirds have added G Matt Berlin to their roster with G Carl Stankowski out with an undisclosed injury. Berlin had been with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,006.

——

At Swift Current, F Ryan Graham and F Lane Pederson each had a goal and three assists to help the

TYLER STEENBERGEN

Broncos to a 5-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Broncos acquired Graham from the Blades on Sunday as Saskatoon got down to the maximum of three 20-year-olds. . . . Graham, who has two goals this season, scored the game’s second goal, at 18:35 of the first period, and it turned out to be the winner. . . . Pederson’s 12th goal, a PP score, got things started at 9:50 of the first period. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen scored twice, giving him 18 goals in 25 games. Last season, he finished with 20 goals in 67 games. He also leads the WHL in power-play goals, with 10, three more than he scored last seaosn. . . . F Logan Christensen scored for the Blades, getting a PP goal at 18:59 of the third period. He’s got six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Travis Child. . . . Brock Hamm stopped 25 shots for the Blades. . . . The Broncos were 2-5 on the PP; the Blades were 1-4. . . . The Broncos (12-7-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Blades (9-15-1) have lost four in a row. They had won five in a row in Swift Current before this one. . . . Announced attendance: 1,758.

——

At Victoria, F Matt Phillips enjoyed a four-point night in leading the Royals to a 6-2 victory over the

MATT PHILLIPS

Kelowna Rockets. . . . Two nights earlier, the visiting Rockets had won, 5-1. . . . The Royals (14-9-2) were 4-7 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (13-11-0) had won their previous two games. . . . Phillips, who has 15 goals, snapped a 2-2 tie, on a PP, at 16:37 of the second period. . . . F Ryan Peckford (7) added insurance at 7:09 of the third period. . . . Phillips and D Mitchell Prowse (1) added PP goals before game’s end. . . . D Scott Walford and D Chaz Reddekopp each had two assists for the winners, while F Jack Walker and Peckford each had a goal and an assist. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind scored his 12th goal. He has goals in six of his past seven games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 35 shots, two more than Kelowna’s Michael Herringer. . . . The Royals were 0-7 on the PP. . . . Victoria now is 6-0-0 on Tuesdays this season. . . . The Royals were without F Tyler Soy, who could miss three weeks with a shoulder injury. He was injured in the Royals’ 5-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,452.

——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Spokane at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Red Deer vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Gatenby burns ex-mates . . . Giants, Rebels cut deal . . . New deal for Nachbaur . . . Warriors stun Wheat Kings

D Joe Gatenby went into opening night with five goals in 174 career regular-season games with the Kelowna Rockets.

In his first game with the Kamloops Blazers on Friday night, he scored twice and added an assist in a 9-2 victory over the visiting Rockets. (Originally, he was credited with two assists, but one was taken

JOE GATENBY

away at some point after the game.)

It was his first career two-goal game and his second three-point outing.

“Joe Gatenby was probably our best player,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said after his side had torched the short-staffed Rockets — they dressed 15 skaters — for six power-play goals on 10 opportunities.

(You’re right . . . it’s not a good idea to give up 10 PP chances when you’ve only got 15 skaters dressed.)

Anyway . . . 

“We were fortunate that we were able to capitalize on our power play early,” said Gatenby, a Kelowna native whose first goal came with the man advantage. 

Gatenby’s second goal was credited to freshman F Scott Mahovlich, but was switched during the second intermission.

“I felt kind of bad about that,” said Gatenby, knowing that it would have been Mahovlich’s first WHL goal. “I’m not sure about really what happened there.”

What happened is that the Rockets were having one of those nights. In this case, G Brodan Salmon, while being pressured, reached out with his stick to pull the puck underneath him. However, the puck went right underneath him and into the net. The goal was given to Mahovlich, who was the closest Kamloops player to the puck at the time. However, the official scorekeeper reviewed the play and the goal was given to Gatenby, because he had been the last of the Blazers to touch the puck.

“I didn’t know what happened,” Gatenby said with a chuckle.

Gatenby was acquired by the Blazers in the hopes that he would give them a strong defensive game and eat up a lot of the minutes that came available with the graduation of Ryan Rehill, who played a regular shift and also was a stalwart on the power-play and penalty-killing units. So far, so good.

“I’m really enjoying my time,” Gatenby said. “I really like my teammates and the coaching staff has been really good and really easy to work with.”

And don’t look now but he’s tied for the WHL lead in goals and points, as the Blazers go into Kelowna for a Saturday night rematch.

“I’m really good friends with pretty much the whole team,” Gatenby said as he looked ahead to tonight. “I’m focused on the Blazers right now but I know how tough it is (to lose like that). We also had a lot of fortunate power plays. They’re going to bring more to the rink tomorrow.”

——

The Vancouver Giants announced late Friday night that they have acquired F Taden Rattie, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Rattie, from Airdrie, Alta., is the younger brother of former Portland Winterhawks sniper Ty Rattie. . . . Taden, 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, had one goal in 25 games with the Rebels last season. He is expected to join the Giants in time to play tonight against the host Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett beat the Giants, 7-3, in Langley on Friday night. . . . The Rebels had acquired the younger Rattie from Portland on Dec. 28 for a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft. He never did play for the Winterhawks; in fact, he had committed to Western Michigan before he chose to join the Rebels.

——

The Spokane Chiefs have signed head coach Don Nachbaur to a contract extension that runs through 2017-18. That would be his 20th season as a WHL head coach. Nachbaur, who is into his seventh season as the Chiefs’ head coach, was beginning the final season of his contract. . . . Nachbaur also has been head coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans. In fact, he is atop the all-time coaching victories list with the Chiefs (234) and Americans (235). . . . The Chiefs open the regular season against the host Americans on Saturday night. That will move Nachbair into a tie with Mike Babcock for most Chiefs games coached (424). . . . Nachbaur also is one of only four men to have recorded more than 600 WHL regular-season coaching victories. He is third on the all-time list, at 665, behind Ken Hodge (742) and Don Hay (675). Lorne Molleken (626) is the fourth member of the 600 Club.

——

The Calgary Hitmen have placed G Nik Amundrud on the injured list with an undisclosed injury suffered during the exhibition season. Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, reports that Amundrud, who will turn 19 on Oct. 20, is “expected to be sidelined until December.” . . . With Amundrud out of the picture, at least for now, the Hitmen go into the season with two goaltenders — Cody Porter, 19, and Kyle Dumba, 18. . . . Amundrud was 10-7-0, 2.53, .899 in 21 appearances with the Hitmen last season after coming over from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Porter, who turned 19 on Friday, was 24-11-2, 2.98, .885 in 41 games after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Dumba, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, got into 10 games, going 2-3-2, 4.30, .857.

——

The Medicine Hat Tigers have added G Jake Morrissey, 19, to their roster after he was released by the Vancouver Giants. . . . Morrissey was 1-6-0, 5.07, .853 in 10 appearances with the Giants last season. He also played with the Saskatoon Blades and two AJHL’s teams — the Drayton Valley Thunder and Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . In 2014-15, Morrissey was 8-1-1, 1.98, .932 in 11 games with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . With starter Nick Schneider in camp with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, the Tigers needed someone to partner with Duncan McGovern, 16, on their roster. . . . McGovern, from Winnipeg, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He got into six exhibition games, going 3-0-0, 2.00, .925 in 240 minutes. He also recorded two shutouts. . . . In 25 career appearances, split among Kelowna, Vancouver and Saskatoon, Morrissey is 9-9-1, 3.60, .885. Kelowna selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft.

——

The Prince Albert Raiders have signed F Zack Andrusiak, an 18-year-old list player from Yorkton, Sask. He had 51 points, including 32 goals, in 32 games with the junior B Kamloops Storm last season. He also played in 15 games with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, recording two assists. In 2014-15, he was pointless in seven games with the Tri-City Americans, while putting up 38 points, 14 of them goals, in 37 games with the junior B North Okanagan Knights. . . . He is a nephew of former Seattle Thunderbirds assistant coach Perry Andrusiak, who also did a stint as the Regina Pats’ assistant GM.

———

JUST NOTES:

D Ryely McKinstry no longer is shown on the roster of the Vancouver Giants. Concussion-related issues limited him to 11 games last season. The 18-year-old Calgarian was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . 

The Calgary Hitmen have released F Justyn Gurney, 16, from their roster. Gurney, from Delta, B.C., was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He is expected to join the major midget West Valley Hawks. . . . 

D Jacob Cardiff, 20, has joined the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of his hometown of Wilcox, Sask. Cardiff spent the previous three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, but was released and cleared 20-year-old waivers.

———

Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

———

I think he cut in line @SieraBearchell #missuniversecanada #mjwarriors #mosaicplace @bdnwheatkings @TheWHL #CityMJ #UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/7ASkb0YiAU

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) September 24, 2016

———

FRIDAY GAMES:

At Calgary, F Taylor Sanheim scored in the fifth round of a shootout as the Hitmen beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . The Hitmen thought they had won with 29.3 seconds left in OT but a potential goal was waved off after video review. Both teams had gone to their dressing rooms, so had to return to the ice. . . . F Zak Zborosky gave the Ice a 1-0 lead at 19:23 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Murphy Stratton’s PP goal at 3:58 of the second. . . . Kootenay went back in front when F Tanner Sidaway scored at 19:31. . . . The Hitmen forced OT on F Tyler Mrkonjic’s goal at 1:18 of the third. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter turned aside 28 shots, one more than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,524.

——

At Kamloops, D Joe Gatenby scored two goals, set up another and was named the game’s first star as the Blazers powered their way to a 9-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, with six players at NHL camps, dressed only 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . Kamloops was 6-10 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-8. . . . Gatenby was acquired from the Rockets in a summer deal that sent F Jake Kryski the other way. Gatenby’s brother, Dan, who was scratched last night, also moved to Kamloops in the exchange. Joe went into the game with five goals in 174 regular-season games with the Rockets. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind forged a 1-1 tie 34 seconds into the second period. . . . Kamloops scored the next four goals, with the last three of them coming on the PP. . . . Kamloops F Jackson Shepard scored twice, while F Collin Shirley had a goal and two assists. D Dawson Davidson, F Scott Mahovlich and Conner McDonald, a defenceman who played right wing in this one, each had two assists and F Rudolfs Balcers scored once and added an assist, as did D Luke Zazula and F Spencer Bast. . . . Lind and F Jake Kryski each had a goal and an assist for Kelowna. . . . Kamloops fans chanted ‘Warm Up the Bus’ and ‘We Want 10’ as time wound down on the third period. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson stopped 29 shots. Kelowna starter Michael Herringer gave up four goals on 18 shots, with Brodan Salmond coming on at 4:56 of the second period. He was beaten five times on 16 shots. . . . The game marked the head-coaching debut of Kelowna’s Jason Smith, a former WHL defenceman (Regina, 1991-93) who went on to play 1,008 regular-season and 68 playoff games in the NHL. His only coaching experience prior to signing with the Rockets was two seasons (2014-16) as an assistant with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Smith is the Rockets’ fourth head coach in four seasons after Ryan Huska had been in charge for seven seasons. . . . The Blazers now head out for seven straight road games, starting tonight in Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,063. That was the second-smallest home-opener crowd since the Blazers’ home arena opened in time for the 1992-93 season. Last season, attendance at the opener was 3,937 as Kelowna posted a 7-3 victory.

——

Tonight marks the start of broadcasting 47 years of Tigers hockey.  Still a rush.

— Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT) September 23, 2016

At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-2, with four of the game’s goals coming via the PP. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 first-period lead and never trailed. . . . D Calen Addison scored the game’s first goal, his first in the WHL. Lethbridge selected him second overall in the 2015 bantam draft. He also drew an assist on the game’s second goal. Early last season, with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings, he suffered a broken leg that required surgery. . . . Both goals came on the PP. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-6. . . . Hurricanes F Ryley Lindgren had a goal and two assists. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 41 shots for the winners, while Duncan McGovern stopped 16 for the visitors. . . . Announced attendance: 5,009.

——

Welcome to the WHL @branden_crowe. Calling his first WHL regular season game from his cell phone thanks to Internet issues in Moose Jaw.

— Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29) September 24, 2016

At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot scored 29 seconds into OT to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, with F Jayden Halbgewachs forcing OT when he scored with 4.7 seconds left in the third period. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick, who missed all of the exhibition season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in July, was in the Wheat Kings’ lineup and scored the game’s first goal at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Stelio Mattheos gave Brandon a 2-0 lead at 18:22. . . . Moose Jaw cut into the lead at 18:09 of the third period when F Ryan Bowen scored. . . . D Matt Sozanski had two assists for the Warriors. . . . Halbgewachs, Patrick and Mattheos each had one assist. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 32 shots, one more than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Warriors were 0-2 on the PP; the Wheaties were 0-5. . . . Darryl Anning, 30, the youngest head coach in the WHL, made his debut with the Wheat Kings, although he had served as the team’s interim head coach for a bit last season while Kelly McCrimmon was with Canada’s national junior team. . . . McCrimmon, who also had been the team’s GM, now is assistant GM with the NHL’s Las Vegas franchise. Grant Armstrong moved over from the Victoria Royals to take over as Brandon’s GM. . . . Announced attendance: 3,744.

——

At Red Deer, D Aaron Irving, named team captain earlier in the day, scored 26 seconds into OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Akash Bains gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 3:31 of the first period, with F Tyler Robertson tying it at 5:50. . . . Red Deer went back out front when F Evan Polei, who was injured in the preseason, scored at 19:30. . . . Edmonton D Kyle Yewchuk forced OT with a goal at 17:27 of the third period. . . . One of the assists on Irving’s winner went to F Lane Bauer. Irving and Bauer were returned by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in time to play in the opener. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb, who was 1.98, .940 in three exhibition games, blocked 30 shots. . . . The Oil Kings were 0-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 5,274.

——

At Regina, F Simon Stransky’s second goal, at 2:57 of OT, gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Stransky, who returned from the Boston Bruins’ rookie camp on Thursday, also had an assist. . . . Raiders F Kolten Olynek added a goal and an assist. . . . Regina got a goal and an assist from D Chase Harrison. . . . Regina F Riley Woods scored the first goal of this regular season, sniping at 1:22 of the first period. . . . Stransky’s first goal, at 4:24 of the third, pulled the visitors into a 2-2 tie. . . . Olynek put the Raiders out front at 5:32. . . . Regina F Braydon Buziak forced OT at 15:12. . . . Prince Albert G Ian Scott was outstanding, with 42 saves, 12 more than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . The Raiders were 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without F Drew Warkentine as he completed a three-game suspension he picked up during the exhibition season. . . . Each team still has five players at NHL camps. . . . Announced attendance: 4,830.

——

At Swift Current, F Jesse Shynkaruk, who came to camp hoping to land a 20-year-old spot, scored twice and added an assist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Broncos, 5-1. . . . It was the first game of the Broncos’ 50th season. . . . D Mark Rubinchik added three assists for the Blades, with F Mason McCarty getting a goal and an assist, and F Braylon Shmyr chipping in two assists. . . . The game’s starting goaltenders, Logan Flodell of the Blades and Taz Burman of the Broncos, both are former Seattle Thunderbirds stoppers. . . . Flodell made 21 saves, losing his shutout when D Artyom Minulin scored on a PP at 19:28 of the third period. . . . Burman turned aside 28 shots. . . . Saskatoon was 1-7 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-4. . . . F Cole Johnson, who was limited by injury to 10 games over the past two seasons, was in Swift Current’s lineup. Johnson, 18, was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Les Lazaruk, the veteran radio voice of the Blades, points out that Saskatoon opened against the Broncos for only the second time. The first time was on Oct. 8, 1967, which was the Broncos’ first home game. . . . Yes, they opened seasons in October back in the day. . . . This marked Dean Brockman’s first game as the Blades’ head coach. He moved up from assistant coach when Bob Woods left for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Former WHL D Emanuel Viveiros was behind the Broncos’ bench for the first time as their head coach. He replaced Mark Lamb, who now is head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. . . . Announced attendance: 2,316.

——

Great Tribute to Charlie Hodge. Kudos to the Vancouver Giants pic.twitter.com/To7lIIagXo

— Shane Malloy (@ShaneMalloy) September 24, 2016

At Langley, B.C., F Graham Millar and F Devon Skoleski each scored twice to help the Everett Silvertips to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Everett, which according to the prognosticators will have trouble scoring goals, struck four times in the game’s first 11:27. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had three assists for Everett, while D Jake Christiansen had a goal and an assist. D Lucas Skrumeda and F Patrick Bajkov helped out with two assists. . . . The Giants got two goals from F Dawson Holt and two assists from F Johnny Wesley. . . . Everett G Mario Petit stopped 20 shots, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 26. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Giants were 0-3. . . . Vancouver D Matt Barberis left in the second period and didn’t return. . . . This was the first regular-season game for the Vancouver tandem of general manager Glen Hanlon and head coach Jason McKee. Hanlon replaced Scott Bonner, who had been the only GM in franchise history before moving to The Sports Corporation as a player agent. McKee takes over from Lorne Molleken, who was fired with a couple of games left in the 2015-16 season. McKee, 37, had been with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for 10 seasons, the past seven as GM/head coach. . . . It was the Giants’ first regular-season game of this season in their new home, the Langley Events Centre. They had called Pacific Coliseum home since arriving for the 2001-02 season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,875.

——

At Victoria, F Colby McAuley scored twice to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Cougars also got a big game from their penalty killers, who were 9-for-9. . . . D Max Martin gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 6:53 and McAuley upped it to 2-0 at 9:49. . . . F Ty Westgard cut into the lead at 15:03 of the second, but the Cougars were able to hang on until McAuley got an empty-netter at 19:03 of the third. . . . F Kody McDonald had two assists for the visitors. . . . The Cougars got 30 saves from G Ty Edmonds, while Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse stopped 17 shots. . . . Prince George was 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Royals were without F Carter Folk, 20, as he served Game 3 of a five-game suspension he incurred during the exhibition season. . . . Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk picked up his first victory in his first regular-season game. He replaced Mark Holick, who parted company with the Cougars with a year left on his contract and now is coaching in Italy. . . . Announced attendance: 6,539.
——

SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.

Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

——

SUNDAY GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 2:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

No price increase in Brandon . . . Franchise record for Bow . . . Blades stun Hitmen

F Michal Řepík (Vancouver, 2005-08) has signed for the rest of this season with Zug (Switzerland, NL A). He was released by Pelicans Lahti (Finland, Liiga) on Friday for financial reasons. He was the Pelican’s leading scorer, with 31 points, including nine goals, in 48 games. . . . Řepík will replace F Josh Holden (Regina, 1994-98), who is starting a five-game suspension for slashing in a game against Kloten on Jan. 31. . . .
F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) has been released by Pelicans Lahti (Finland, Liiga) for financial reasons. This season with the Pelicans, Redenbach had 29 points, including six goals, in 40 games. He was second in team scoring. . . . According to a Pelicans’ news release, Redenbach has signed with Davos (Switzerland, NL A) but there hasn’t been confirmation from Davos. . . . Pelicans CEO Ilkka Kaarna said: "We released the import players for economic reasons. This season has been financially challenging. . . . These player transfers result in significant economic benefit for the club."
———


The Brandon Wheat Kings won’t be raising season-ticket prices before the 2015-16 season gets here. Kelly McCrimmon, the team’s owner, general manager and head coach, informed fans of that news in a letter.
“Season-ticket prices for the 2015-16 season are unchanged, $425 if purchased in advance of the June early-bird deadline, and increasing to $450 after the early-bird deadline, identical to this current season,” McCrimmon wrote. “Renewing now allows you to save $25 and enjoy Wheat Kings hockey next season for under $12 per game, once again the least expensive season ticket in the entire Western Hockey League.”
———
F Morgan Klimchuk and F Jayce Hawryluk of the Wheat Kings got to play the part of Zambonis on Thursday as they helped escape artist Dean Gunnarson prepare for the taping of an episode of his OLN series Escape Or Die that is to premiere in April. Today in Winnipeg Gunnarson will be hooked up to two Zambonis at the neck, arms and waist and, well, Graeme Bruce of the Brandon Sun has more right here.
———
More than 25 years have passed since Tom Cochrane and Red Rider released an album that included the song Big League. It found an audience then and it continue to have an audience today. Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post sat down with Cochrane to talk about that song and the resulting story is right here. . . . By the way, Cochrane, who is from Lynn Lake, Man., has a new album, Take It Home, that dropped on Tuesday.
———
You’re not yet tired of hearing or reading about Evander Kane? Good, because Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has more on Kane in his weekly 30 Thoughts. . . . The latest edition is right here.
———



The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Jake Hobson, 15, who was a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. From Prince Albert, he is playing for the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos. He has 21 points, including eight goals, in 40 games. . . . Jake is the son of Doug Hobson, who played four seasons (1984-88) with the Prince Albert Raiders and later coached with the Victoria Cougars, Prince George Cougars and Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Winterhawks also announced that they have signed D Jackson Caller, a seventh-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Caller, from Kamloops, has 17 points, seven of them goals, in 22 games with the Pursuit of Excellence prep team that plays out of Kelowna.
———

FRIDAY’S GAMES

B.C. DIVISION: Things tightened up as the Kamloops Blazers won in a shootout, the Prince George Cougars won in regulation and the Vancouver Giants lost. . . . When the night was done, Kamloops have moved past Vancouver and back into third place, which is the division’s last playoff spot. The Giants are a point behind the Blazers, with the Cougars two points behind Kamloops. . . . It is quite likely that only one of those three teams will make the playoffs.
U.S. DIVISION: Nothing changed as Everett, Portland and Spokane won, while Seattle lost in a shootout and Tri-City lost in regulation. The loser point left third-place Seattle five points ahead of Spokane, which holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Tri-City. . . . It still appears that all five U.S. Division teams will qualify for the playoffs.
EAST DIVISION: Brandon lost in OT and the loser point kept it within two points of Kelowna, which is atop the overall standings. . . . Swift Current beat Regina and now trails the second-place Pats by 10 points. Each team has 17 games left. . . . Moose Jaw won and now is eight points out of a playoff spot.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Medicine Hat, Calgary, Red Deer and Kootenay all lost. . . . Lethbridge won, again, and it’s OK to wonder if Peter Anholt is the Eastern Conference’s coach of the year.
———
In Regina, G Landon Bow set a Swift Current franchise record as the Broncos beat the Pats, 5-0. . . . Bow, who stopped 44 shots, has seven shutouts this season and that’s a franchise single-season record. . . . Bow had been sharing the record with Mark Friesen (2010-11), Ian Gordon (1993-94) and Bryce Wandler (1999-2000). . . . Bow has 10 shutouts in his career. . . . After the game, Gordon tweeted: “Congrats @LandonCBow on breaking my single season shutout record. @SCBronccos #greatmemories.” . . . Broncos G Jay Merkley scored his 14th goal at 7:00 of the first period and it stood up as the winner. . . . F Colby Cave scored three times, giving him 25 goals. . . . G Glenn Gawdin had two assists. . . . Broncos D Ayrton Nikkel didn’t get any points but finished plus-4. . . . Regina is without F Adam Brooks and F Taylor Cooper, two of its top scorers. Both have undisclosed injuries. . . . The Pats are second in the East Division, with the Broncos third. That means this very well may have been a first-round playoff preview. . . . Swift Current (26-24-5) is 10 points behind the Pats (30-18-7), who had been 4-0-2 in their previous six games. . . .

In Brandon, F Liam Stewart scored 27 seconds into OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Stewart scored his 20th goal of the season off a Tyson Helgeson rebound. . . . The Chiefs erased a 4-1 deficit and Stewart drew the primary assist on the last two goals. . . . The last two of those goals came via the PP, with F Markson Bechtold getting his seventh goal at 8:08 of the third period and F Dominic Zwerger getting his 13th at 17:09. . . . Zwerger had two goals. . . . The tying goal came after Brandon was penalized for having too many men on the ice. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-4 on the PP; Brandon was 2-for-8. . . . Spokane D Jason Fram drew an assist on each of his club’s last three goals. . . . F Ryan Duke scored twice for Brandon, giving him 20. He is the fifth player on the roster with at least 20 goals. . . . Duke’s second goal gave Brandon a 4-1 lead at 17:27 of the second period. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley had two assists, running his point streak to 12 games. He has 25 points, including 16 assists, over those 12 games. . . . Spokane G Tyson Verhelst, a freshman from Brandon, stopped 33 shots, as did Brandon G Jordan Papirny. . . . F John Quenneville returned to Brandon’s lineup after sitting out four games with a suspected concussion. . . . The Wheat Kings are still without G Alex Moodie (suspected concussion), D Ivan Provorov and F Jayce Hawryluk, the latter two with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Chiefs (27-24-4) are 3-2-0 on an East Division swing that ends tonight in Swift Current. . . . The Wheat Kings (41-9-6), who had won six straight, are 12-0-2 in their last 14 outings. . . .

In Calgary, G Nik Amundrud stopped 35 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Calgary had won its previous nine games. . . . The Hitmen had won six in a row at home, outscoring the opposition 39-6 in the process. . . . Saskatoon D Schael Higson broke a 2-2 tie with his first goal at 14:52 of the second period. . . . F Cameron Hebig added insurance with his 14th goal at 10:40 of the third. . . . Hebig also had two assists. . . . Saskatoon F Mitch Skapski had two assists. . . . Calgary F Terrell Draude scored his ninth goal and also had an assist. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, on his 20th birthday, turned aside 21 shots. . . . The Blades (16-35-3) snapped a four-game losing skid. . . . The Hitmen (32-18-5) won the season series, 3-1-0. . . . Calgary is second in the Central Division, five points ahead of Red Deer. . . . Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Red Deer, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored two first-period goals and went on to a 2-1 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Jamal Watson scored his 21st goal at 16:25 and F Florian Baltram got his fifth, shorthanded, at 17:38. . . . Red Deer F Preston Kopeck got his 16th goal, on a PP, at 4:18 of the third. . . . Watson also had an assist. . . . Lethbridge G Jayden Sittler, who is from Red Deer, stopped 26 shots. . . . The Hurricanes didn’t list a backup goaltender on the online game sheet, so perhaps Stuart Skinner is injured. . . . Red Deer F Conner Bleackley, the team captain, is out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Lethbridge (17-32-6) is 5-1-1 in February. . . . The Rebels (28-18-8) have lost three in a row. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Brody Willms stopped 32 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Willms, 16, was making his fourth career WHL start. . . . F Tanner Eberle and F Brayden Point each scored twice for Moose Jaw. . . . Eberle’s first goal, 28 seconds into the second period, was shorthanded. He’s got 29 goals. . . . Point has 23 goals. . . . Ice F Austin Vetterl’s ninth goal, while shorthanded, ended Willms’ shutout bid at 10:38 of the third period. . . . Warriors F Axel Blomqvist scored his 21st goal and added an assist. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-7 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin surrendered four goals on 20 shots in 44:43. Declan Hobbs, who was brought in from the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts for the weekend, came on to stop all 10 shots he faced. . . . Ice G Keegan Williams, who usually backs up Hoflin, was a healthy scratch. . . . Moose Jaw had F Jesse Shynkaruk back from a three-game suspension and F Jaimen Yakubowski returned from a four-game injury-related absence. . . . The Ice was without head coach Ryan McGill for a second straight game with what the team is calling “general body soreness.” In his absence, assistant Jay Henderson ran things. . . . The Warriors (22-29-4) had lost their previous two games. They are 1-1-0 on a seven-game road trip. . . . The Ice is 28-27-1. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Prince George Cougars scored three first-period goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 41 shots. . . . The Cougars scored their first three goals on only four shots as they lead 3-0 at 7:24 of the first period. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored two of the early Cougars goals, giving him 12. . . . The Tigers got the deficit to 3-2 when F Steve Owre scored his 14th at 8:28 of the third. . . . Cougars F Jari Erricson got the insurance into an empty net at 19:25. He’s got 19 goals. . . . Medicine Hat F Mark Rassell was penalized for high-sticking at 15:13 of the first period. It was his first penalty of the season and came in his 48th game. . . . F Chase Witala had two assists for the Cougars. . . . The Cougars had dropped seven straight games to the Tigers. . . . Prince George (22-32-4) had lost its previous three games (0-1-2). . . . The Tigers (36-17-3) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Portland, F Chase De Leo and F Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice as the Winterhawks dumped the Tri-City Americans, 7-1. . . . Tri-City scored the game’s first goal when F Jordan Topping got his seventh at 3:19 of the first period. . . . Tri-City took that 1-0 lead into the second period when Portland exploded for six goals in 13 minutes. . . . Bjorkstrand has 39 goals. . . . De Leo, who has 29, scored his 100th regular-season goal. . . . Portland F Miles Koules had a goal, his 23rd, and two assists, while D Blake Heinrich, F Nic Petan, D Brendan De Jong and F Evan Weinger each had two assists. . . . Portland D Josh Hanson scored his first goal of the season. He has five in 301 career regular-season games. . . . Portland D Keoni Teixeira was pointless but finished plus-4. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 41 shots, 23 more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . The Winterhawks (32-20-4) are 1-1-1 in their last three. . . . The Americans are 26-27-3. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers scored the only two goals of the shootout and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . F Cole Ully and F Jake Kryski scored for Kamloops in the skills competition, while F Mathew Barzal and D Shea Theodore came up short for Seattle. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls forced OT with his sixth goal at 19:59 of the second period. Actually, he scored with 0.9 showing on the clock. . . . D Ethan Bear scored his 10th goal of the season for Seattle, on a PP, at 1:59 of the first period. . . . Kamloops got goals from F Joel Hamilton, his 11th, shorthanded, 59 seconds into the second and F Matt Needham, his 18th, at 13:53 of the second. . . . Hamilton had played 21 games without scoring. It was his first goal for Kamloops since being acquired at the trade deadline in January. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 26 shots, three fewer than Seattle’s Logan Flodell. . . . Flodell, who joined Seattle when G Danny Mumaugh chose to retire, made his fifth career start, his fourth this season. His first three starts were against Prince George. His fourth was against Vancouver. . . . Kamloops D Marc (Jimmy) McNulty had two assists in a solid effort. . . . This was a very uneven game with a lot of turnovers and about two month’s worth of poor passes. . . . Head coach Don Hay of the Blazers celebrated his 61st birthday with his 631st WHL victory. . . . The Blazers (22-29-6) have won two in a row. They are 3-0-0 against Seattle this season, with all three games decided by one goal. . . . The Thunderbirds are 28-20-7. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s first five goals and went on to a 7-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The game ended with a verbal exchange between the benches. . . . At game’s end, Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, tweeted: “Royals forward Austin Carroll narrowly misses Lucas Johansen's head and fight breaks out. Lambert/Mallette have choice words for Dave Lowry.” That would be Kelowna head coach Dan Lambert and assistant coach Kris Mallette; Dave Lowry is the head coach of the Royals. . . . Kelowna F Rodney Southam opened the scoring with his eighth goal at 1:08 of the first period. But he is looking at a suspension after instigating a fight in the game’s last five minutes. . . . D Cole Martin and F Cole Linaker each had two goals for the Rockets. Martin, who finished plus-4, has five goals; Linaker has 12. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl had three assists, as did D Madison Bowey, while F Nick Merkley had two. . . . F Austin Carroll scored his 30th goal for the Royals. . . . Draisaitl has 23 points, including 16 assists, in 16 games with the Rockets. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 22 shots. . . . The Rockets again were without G Jackson Whistle (appendectomy) and F Tyson Baillie (concussion). . . . The Rockets (43-9-4) lead the overall standings by two points over Brandon. . . . The Royals (30-21-4) had their four-game winning streak come to an end. . . .

In Everett, G Carter Hart stopped 22 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 6-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Hart, a 16-year-old freshman from Sherwood Park, Alta., has three shutouts. . . . Everett F Remi Laurencelle scored twice, giving him 17. His first goal, 1:19 into the game, stood up as the winner. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Everett D Lucas Skrumeda scored his first goal, while D Tristan Pfeiffer got his second. . . . D Noah Juulsen, F Brayden Low and F Ivan Nikolishin each had two assists. . . . Everett was 2-for-2 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-for-4. . . . Everett (35-16-5) is 2-0-1 in its last three. . . . The Giants (23-30-3) had won their previous two games. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported that the Giants were without D Arvin Atwal due to a “team-imposed suspension.” . . . Patterson’s game story is right here.
———

SATURDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Regina at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Victoria at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
———

Here's Spokane HC Don Nachbaur after the 5-4 OT win at Brandon. #driveforfive pic.twitter.com/IvE26MFVdu
— Fake Mike Johnston (@FakeMikeJ) February 14, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Saturday in the WHL: Four shutouts, three shootouts and a six-point game

There was a lot of hockey news during the week, a lot of it involving the AHL and ECHL. Mark Spector of Sportsnet takes a look at what all transpired and also tosses in a few notes. That’s all right here.
———
So . . . there were these two high school girls hockey teams playing a game in Fargo, N.D., on Friday. Spectators and school officials noticed the Zamboni wasn’t being operated in the usual smooth way. It wasn’t long before police arrived, arrested the driver for suspicion of DUI. . . . There is more right here.
———
If you’re into numbers, here’s a Saturday night NHL note for you. G Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks wears No. 31. He stopped 31 shots in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. It was Niemmi’s 31st career shutout. He is 31 years of age. Saturday was Jan. 31. . . . Seriously.
———

SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 26 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Shields has two shutouts this season and five in his career. . . . F Jake Virtanen had a goal, his 14th, and three assists. . . . F Adam Tambellini scored twice, giving him 37, and added an assist. He’s got 14 points, 11 of them goals, in his last seven games. . . . D Jake Bean tied the Calgary franchise record for points in a freshman season. Bean had one assist, giving him 32 points in 40 games. Bean now shares the record with Matt Kinch (1996-97). . . . F Connor Rankin’s 26th goal, at 1:42 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . “We were reluctant to get traffic and reluctant to put pucks on net,” Steve Hamilton, the Oil Kings’ head coach, said on the team’s website. “Quite honestly, just didn’t have a ton of time or space today, and it’s a credit to Calgary. They did a good job of executing their game plan, and we didn’t generate much.” . . . The Hitmen (29-17-5) have won a season-high six in a row and now are second in the Central Division, one point ahead of Red Deer. Calgary has put up three shutouts in its past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (24-22-6) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Ivan Provorov earned four assists, all on the PP, as the Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Warriors, 6-0. . . . He’s got 50 points, including 39 assists, in 45 games. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 21 shots as he picked up his 30th victory of the season and his fourth shutout. In his career, he has five shutouts. He is 30-7-4 this season. . . . Wheat Kings F Tim McGauley drew three assists. He also got into a scrap with Moose Jaw F Brayden Point. . . . Brandon F Steve Patrick scored his 23rd goal. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun notes: “Patrick has 23 goals in his first WHL season, matching the number scored by his father, Steve, in his rookie season with Brandon in 1978-79.” . . . Brandon was 4-for-6 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw F Jesse Shynkaruk took an interference major and game misconduct at 10:23 of the third period. Brandon F John Quenneville was the victim on that play. He left the game and didn’t return. . . . The Wheat Kings beat the visiting Warriors 6-4 on Friday. . . . G Alex Moodie was among Brandon’s scratches after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Thomas Spence, an 18-year-old from Moose Jaw, served as Brandon’s backup last night. Spence, who plays for the junior B Regina Capitals, spent a night on the Calgary Hitmen bench on Jan. 6. . . . The Wheat Kings (37-9-5) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. . . . The Warriors (20-27-4) have lost three in a row and are seven points out of a playoff spot. . . .

In Saskatoon, G Nik Amundrud stopped 29 shots to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . He’s got three shutouts this season. . . . D Brycen Martin, who came to Saskatoon from the Broncos, and F Brett Stovin each had a goal and two assists as the Blades scored three PP goals. . . . Martin has five goals; Stovin has 20. . . . The Blades were 3-for-9 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-5. . . . The Broncos remain without D Dillon Heatherington (4-6 weeks), F Coda Gordon (1-3 weeks), D Jordan Harris and F Cole Johnson. The latter two are out indefinitely. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . . The Blades improved to 15-31-3 and now are 2-3-0 in the season series. . . . The Broncos (23-23-5) had beaten the visiting Blades 6-2 on Friday and are 3-1-1 in the season series. . . . Swift Current is third in the East Division, seven points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . He’s got 17 points, including seven goals, in 11 games since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Draisaitl was selected third overall by the Oilers in the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart was selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres. He had his 10-game point streak ended by the Rockets. . . . Kelowna G Rourke Chartier opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 5:22 of the first period. He’s got 41 goals, moving him back into a tie with Medicine Hat F Cole Sanford for the WHL lead. . . . Rockets D Riley Stadel and F Tyson Baillie each had two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 25 shots as he earned his 30th victory of the season. He is 30-7-3. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . The Rockets (39-8-4) are 5-0-1 in their last six outings. They continue to lead the overall standings by three points over Brandon. . . . The Ice (27-24-1) holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point ahead of Edmonton. . . .

In Red Deer, the Prince Albert Raiders got the shootout’s only two goals to beat the Rebels, 6-5. . . . Red Deer trailed 5-2 early in the third period but staged a three-goal comeback to force OT. . . . F Riley Sheen scored twice, giving him 15, and F Conner Bleackley tied it 5-5 with his 24th goal at 13:13. . . . The Raiders got shootout goals from F Simon Stransky and F Reid Gardiner to win it. . . . Gardiner scored twice in regulation, giving him 24 goals. . . . Raiders D Jesse Lees drew three assists. . . . Sheen also had an assist for a three-point night. . . . D Colton Bobyk had three assists for the Rebels and F Connor Gay had two. . . . The Raiders were 2-for-4 on the PP; the Rebels were 2-for-3. . . . Prince Albert was without D Mackenze Stewart. He got a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct in Friday’s 10-1 loss in Calgary. . . . The Raiders (21-28-1) are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Rebels (27-15-8) have lost three in a row (0-1-2) and now are third in the Central Division, one point behind Calgary. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Austin Wagner’s two goals helped the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Pavel Skumatov got the Hurricanes on the board first, scoring his fifth goal at 19:56 of the first period. . . . The Pats took control with four goals in 6:01 in the second half of the second period. . . . F Adam Berg got it started with his first goal at 10:24. Wagner, who has 16 goals, gave Regina the lead at 13:30 and F Sam Steel gadded his 12th goal, on the PP, at 15:01. F Patrick D’Amico ended the onslaught with his 15th at 16:25. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper scored his 20th goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Lethbridge was able to dress only 16 skaters. Included in its scratches was F Tyler Wong. . . . The Pats held a 48-30 edge in shots. . . . The Pats (27-17-6) snapped a six-game losing skid (0-3-3) and appear headed to a second-place finish in the East Division. . . . The Hurricanes (12-31-6) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Vancouver, the Kamloops Blazers scored on their first two shootout attempts and took a 3-2 victory over the Giants. . . . F Cole Ully and F Jake Kryski gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead in the shootout and that was that. . . . Ully had scored his 25th goal at 1:38 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson tied it with his 12th goal at 19:57. . . . Blazers D Marc McNulty got his sixth goal at 13:18 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Zane Jones forced OT with his 24th goal at 14:10 of the third. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots, two more than Vancouver’s Cody Porter. . . . The Blazers had D Ryan Rehill back after a one-game suspension, but D Michael Fora and D Patrik Maier remain out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (20-26-6) are third in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of Vancouver and four up on Prince George. . . . The Giants (20-28-3) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . .

In Prince George, G Taran Kozun stopped 20 shots to help the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kozun has eight shutouts in his career, two this season. . . . F Ryan Gropp scored his 20th goal of the season 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Seattle F Calvin Spencer scored his fifth goal at 10:10 of the first and it proved the winner. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had one assist, moving him into a tie with Craig Channell for the franchise record for most career points by a defenceman. . . . The Cougars were without F Josh Anderson and D Josh Connolly, both of whom drew ‘tbd’ suspensions for incidents in Friday’s game that was won, 9-2, by the Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle (25-19-6) has won two in a row and is third in the U.S. Division. . . . The Cougars (20-31-2) have lost 12 straight (0-10-2). . . .

In Portland, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three goals and added three assists as the Winterhawks doubled the Everett Silvertips, 6-3. . . . The Silvertips took a 2-1 lead into the second period and nursed it until Bjorkstrand scored his second goal at 19:50. . . . Portland then outscored the visitors 4-1 in the third, with Bjorkstrand getting his 35th goal and drawing assists on the other three goals. . . . Winterhawks F Nic Petan scored once, his 10th, and added three assists, while F Paul Bittner, the third member of that line, had three assists. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two goals, giving him 26. . . . Only five Winterhawks earned at least a point. . . . Bjorkstrand has 70 points in 40 games. A truly gifted offensive talent from Herning, Denmark, he has 242 points, including 116 goals, in 174 regular-season games. Including 42 playoff games, he has 296 points, 140 of them goals. . . . The Silvertips got a goal, his sixth, and two assists from D Noah Juulsen. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 22 shots, eight fewer than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Portland was 1-for-2 on the PP; Everett was 2-for-4. . . . The Winterhawks (31-19-3) have won eight in a row and now are one point behind the U.S. Division-leading Silvertips (31-15-4). . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., D Jack Walker had the only goal of a shootout to give the Victoria Royals a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Tri-City F Richard Nejezchleb forced OT when he scored with 52.1 seconds left in the third period and G Eric Comrie on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Nejezchleb scored twice in this one, giving him 15. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase had given his side a 2-1 lead with his 15th goal at 1:39 of the third period. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 22 shots, seven fewer than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . The Royals (28-20-4) are headed to a second-place finish in the B.C. Division. . . . The Americans (24-24-3) have lost three in a row. They are fifth in the U.S. Division but hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . .

In Spokane, D Jason Fram came through in a big way for the Chiefs as they got past the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Fram forced OT with his ninth goal of the season on a PP at 11:04 of the third period. He then scored the game-winner in the shootout. . . . F Dryden Hunt scored for the Tigers in the shootout, with F Dominic Zwerger scoring for the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs had been outscored 18-1 in their previous five games. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review reported that Spokane forwards “had been scoreless for more than 344 minutes, back to a Jan. 16 game at Everett.” . . . F Liam Stewart ended that dry spell at 17:29 of the first period. . . . That goal ended a team scoreless drought of more than 223 minutes. . . . Talk about high drama! Tigers F Cole Sanford, who is tied for the WHL lead with 41 goals, was presented with a penalty shot with 28 seconds left in the third period and the score 3-3. Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped him. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton had a goal, his sixth, and two assists. . . . The Chiefs (24-21-4) had been 0-6-1 in their previous seven games. They had been blanked in three straight games. . . . The victory lifted Spokane into sole possession of fourth place in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle and one ahead of Tri-City. . . . The Central Division-leading Tigers (35-12-3) had a six-game winning streak snapped.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.