The night the coaches (almost) scrapped ... What a rivalry Pats-Warriors had ... Ex-WHLer interim coach with Ravens

F Dustin Boyd (Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had eight goals and six assists in 30 games with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). . . . 

F Parker Bowles (Tri-City, 2011-16) has signed a one-year contract with the Tilburg Trappers (Netherlands, Germany Oberliga). Last season, with the U of Calgary Dinos (Canada West), he had three goals and nine assists in 12 games. . . . 

F Milan Kytnár (Kelowna, Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a one-year contract with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga), he finished with 11 goals and 18 assists in 43 games. . . . 

F Anthony Bardaro (Spokane, Prince Albert, 2008-13) has signed a one-year contract with Asiago (Italy, Alps HL). Last season, with the U of British Columbia Thunderbirds (Canada West), he had 14 goals and 16 assists in 28 games. He led the T-Birds in goals, assists and points, and was fourth in the Canada West scoring race.

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Happy Birthday Al Tuer as we #WBW to when any WHL game could turn sideways & it wasn't uncommon for gloves & coats to drop. 07.19.17 #HFH pic.twitter.com/WhrRTG4UdH

— Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) July 19, 2017

My favourite WHL-related photo showed up on Twitter on Wednesday.

Ahh, yes, those were the days.

It was a Friday night — Nov. 18, 1994 — and the Moose Jaw Warriors were visiting the Regina Pats in what was then the Agridome.

Late in the game, Moose Jaw head coach Al Tuer and his Regina counterpart, Norm Johnston, took off their jackets, climbed up on the back of the players’ boxes and threatened to make like Hulk Hogan and Bret (Hitman) Hart.

The late Roy Antal was The Leader-Post photographer assigned to the game and he just happened to be between the benches when the fun began. Not only did he get this photo, but he also managed to get his left hand in the picture — that’s it at the bottom right.

Shortly after I tweeted to point out that the photo, autographed by both would-be pugilists, hangs in my home, Mick Kartusch, who carries a famous Saskatchewan hockey name, responded: “I remember that night vividly … those Friday night Pats/Warriors games back in the day were gems. . . . Theo’s meltdowns, O’Connor’s ceremonial face-off win, Keane vs. Savard, ’84 bench clearer. Never a dull moment at the dome.”

Which took me back to Feb. 5, 2009, and something that I posted right here below that same photo . . .

There just aren’t fun nights like this in the WHL anymore.

The date was Nov. 18, 1994. It was a Friday night. The Moose Jaw Warriors were visiting the Regina Pats in what was then known as the Agridome. It was a time before corporations purchased naming rights to whatever was for sale. It was a time when hockey games frequently — well, certainly more often than now — included some kind of action that would leave the fans buzzing when they left the arena.

The Pats would win this game, 5-2, but as the fans headed for home the talk centred on two things: 1. Wasn’t that something?, and, 2. How do we get tickets for tomorrow night in Moose Jaw?

This was the night that Al Tuer, the head coach of the Warriors, and Norm Johnston, the Pats’ head coach, scaled the glass behind their teams’ benches and made like they were trying to get at each other. Vince McMahon would have loved it.

Roy Antal, a photographer with the Regina Leader-Post, was in the box between the team’s benches when all heck broke out.

Tuer laughs about it these days. He now scouts for the NHL’s Calgary Flames out of Vernon, B.C.

“There was a line brawl,” Tuer said the other night, “and we ended up with one more guy on the ice than they did. Go figure.”

Tuer laughed.

“Norm called me the next morning,” Tuer added. “He said we should go for a beer.”

Both head coaches drew one-game — yes, one-game! — suspensions.

The next night, the teams met in Moose Jaw and the Warriors won, 5-2. Former NHLer Bill Hicke, then one of the Pats’ owners, coached the Pats; Warriors assistant coach Len Nielsen ran the Moose Jaw bench.

Attendance in Moose Jaw was 3,317. The fire marshal may have been on vacation. The WHL’s 1994-95 Guide lists capacity of the Crushed Can at 3,269 – 2,969 seats and 310 standing.

“Yeah, the rink in Moose Jaw was kind of full that night,” Tuer said.

Of course, he and Johnston weren’t able to attend.

And, no, they never did get together for that beer.

While Tuer scouts for the Flames, Johnston, a school teacher, is head coach of the midget AAA Regina Pats Canadians. He also is involved in mentoring coaches with Hockey Regina. And one of Johnston’s best friends is Graham Tuer, Al’s father.

Yes, the hockey world is a small one. It’s just not as much fun for some of us as it used to be.

(The above photo was taken by Roy Antal of the Regina Leader-Post. I have had it autographed and tried to copy it for use here. I'm not a photographer and that is my flash bouncing back that you see in the middle of it. Hey, I'm a writer . . .)

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UPDATE: Al Tuer now is the head pro scout with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Norm Johnston is preparing for his first full season as the head coach of the Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.

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Shaun Van Allen was named the interim head coach of the Carleton U Ravens on Wednesday, after head coach Marty Johnston left to join the AHL’s Manitoba Moose as an assistant coach. . . . The 49-year-old Van Allen, from Calgary, has been an assistant coach at Carleton for seven seasons. He played two seasons (1985-87) with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a pro career that included 794 NHL games. . . . With the Moose, Johnston will work alongside head coach Pascal Vincent, assistant coach Eric Dubois, developmental goaltending coach Rick St. Croix and video coach Richard Bue. Johnston, 38, had been the Ravens’ head coach for seven seasons.

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The U of Alaska-Fairbanks has promoted Lance West from assistant coach to head coach. He replaces Dallas Ferguson, who left after nine seasons as head coach of the Nanooks to join the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen as their head coach. . . . West was on Ferguson’s staff for the entire nine-season run. . . . College Hockey News has more on West’s promotion right here.

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9pm: Light Rainshower 26.1C - Wind: S 41km/h Gusts to 58km/h - Bar: 100.9 kPa v - Hum: 30% #Kamloops #Weather

— Kamloops Weather (@wxKAMLOOPS) July 20, 2017

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Portland, P.G. schedule released . . . What if a W had been worth 3 points? . . . Milestone for ex-scoring king

Ethan McIndoe ate lunch with one of his biggest fans, Johanna, on #internationaldownsyndromeday pic.twitter.com/SqfWc8ETZZ

— Spokane Chiefs (@spokanechiefs) March 22, 2017

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The WHL has released the schedule for a first-round playoff series between the B.C. Division-champion Prince George Cougars and the Portland Winterhawks, the Western Conference’s first wild-card team. . . . Portland had wanted a 2-3-2 format; the Cougars had insisted on a 2-2-1-1-1 schedule. . . . In the end, it was decided to go 2-2-1-1-1, but one slight change was made. The series will open in Prince George with games on Friday and Sunday, rather than Friday and Saturday as originally was announced. . . . The teams will play in Portland on March 29 and 30 (Wednesday/Thursday) and then, if necessary, return to Prince George for a game on April 1. . . . If further games are needed, they will be played in Portland on April 3 and in Prince George on April 5.

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The Regina Pats will open the playoffs without F Nick Henry as he sits out a one-game suspension. Henry was suspended after taking a boarding major and game misconduct during a 6-0 victory over the host Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday. . . . The Pats open at home against the Calgary Hitmen on Friday. . . . Henry, the MJHL’s rookie of the year last season with the Portage Terriers, enjoyed a fine first WHL season, finishing second among freshmen in goals (35), assists (46) and points (81). He played in all 72 games.

The WHL also suspended F Adam Berg of the Edmonton Oil Kings after he took a charging major and game misconduct in Sunday’s 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Berg, who will be a 20-year-old, will serve the suspension at the start of next season.

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The WHL has scheduled its bantam draft lottery for this morning (Wednesday) — 11 o’clock Mountain time — in Calgary. The lottery will determine the order of the draft’s first six selections. . . . It involves the six non-playoff teams — the Spokane Chiefs, Saskatoon Blades, Edmonton Oil Kings, Prince Albert Raiders, Vancouver Giants and Kootenay Ice. . . . If you’re interested, the lottery will be carried live on a webcast at whl.ca. . . . The bantam draft is scheduled for Calgary on May 4.

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The WHL plays out its regular-season schedule awarding two points for a victory of any kind, with one point going to an overtime or shootout loser. So what if the WHL had awarded three points for a regulation victory this season, with two points for an OT victory and one for a win in a shootout?

Charlie Seablom, a fan of the Everett Silvertips, decided to find out.

He reports:

“So, is there a difference? Not much. The top nine teams are the same ones but in a different order. The bottom six are the same, too, just in a different order. With the three points per win system there are 11 teams with a .500+ winning percentage and 11 with .499 or worse, which should make some people happy.”

For starters, the Regina Pats and Medicine Hat Tigers still would have run away with the East and Central divisions, respectively.

However, the Seattle Thunderbirds would have put up 128 points and finished atop the U.S. Division, three points ahead of the Everett Silvertips. In reality, the Silvertips wound up two points ahead of the Thunderbirds.

The Prince George Cougars still would have won the B.C. Division, by one point over the Kelowna Rockets.

In terms of playoff matchups, things would have remained the same in the Eastern Conference — Regina vs. Calgary, Medicine Hat vs. Brandon, Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current, and Lethbridge vs. Red Deer.

However, there would have been changes in the Western Conference.

When the playoffs begin this weekend, it’ll be Everett, which finished atop the conference, vs. Victoria, Prince George vs. Portland, Seattle vs. Tri-City, and Kelowna vs. Kamloops.

Under the three-point plan, Seattle would have won the Western Conference title and would open against Victoria.

Portland and Tri-City would have tied for third in the U.S. Division, with the Winterhawks getting the edge on the first tiebreaker (32-31 in victories). That would put Prince George up against Tri-City, which would slide into the first wild-card spot. Everett, then, would draw Portland.

The other series would remain the same — Kelowna vs. Kamloops.

So there you have it, for what it’s worth.

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D Libor Hajek of the Saskatoon Blades has signed a three-year, two-way entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who selected him in the second round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. Hajek, a native of Smrcek, Czech Republic, flew out of Saskatoon on Tuesday, headed to the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. . . . Hajek had four goals and 22 assists in 65 games with the Blades this season. In 134 career games, he has seven goals and 45 assists.

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F Hudson Elynuik of the Spokane Chiefs has joined the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers on an amateur tryout basis for the remainder of this season. Elynuik was selected by the parent Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. This season, he had 73 points, including 29 goals, in 64 games with Spokane. From Calgary, Elynuik, 19, has 53 goals and 84 assists in 209 regular-season WHL games.

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Two WHL officials — referee Brent Iverson and linesman Nathan Van Oosten — will work the IIHF World Championship that is scheduled to be held in Paris, France, and Cologne Germany, from May 5 through May 21. Iverson, from Richmond, B.C., worked at the 2016 World Championship in Russia. Van Oosten, from Surrey, B.C., will be making his World Championship debut after working the lines in the 2017 World Junior Championship in Montreal and Toronto.

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Hey @CZabby19 I'll keep you a little longer I guess! 4 point night and @ColoradoEagles wins! Congrats on 300 Assists 🔥 #proudwife pic.twitter.com/kX7vPqPqxo

— levi pierro-zabotel (@mrszabby10) March 21, 2017

F Casey Pierro-Zabotel recorded his 300th career ECHL regular-season assist on Monday as his Colorado Eagles beat the host Utah Grizzlies, 5-3. He drew four assists in the game, the last one getting him to the milestone.

Pierro-Zabotel, 28, won the WHL’s scoring title when he put up 115 points with the 2008-09 Vancouver Giants.

In 470 career regular-season games, Pierro-Zabotel has 127 goals to go with his 300 assists.

He has played in the ECHL with Wheeling, Cincinnati, Bakersfield, Gwinnett, Florida, Allen and Colorado.

F Louis Dumont, who played in the WHL with the Regina Pats and Kamloops Blazers (1990-94) holds the ECHL’s career assists record, with 566. Dumont played with Tallahassee, Wheeling, Louisiana, Augusta, Pensacola, Mississippi and Utah (1994-2006).

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Tom Anastos has resigned after six seasons as head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. . . . Assistant coach Tom Newton has been named interim head coach while the school searches for a replacement. . . . The Spartans reached the NCAA tournament in Anastos’ first season, but weren’t able to get back in any of the preceding five seasons. This season, they went 7-24-4 (3-14-4 in the Big Ten), putting up the fewest victories since 1977-78. . . . Anastos, who was 78-122-24 as head coach, is a former MSU player (1981-85) and assistant coach (1990-92).

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The Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League have signed Norm Johnston as head coach for 2017-18. Johnston joined the Stars with six games left in the 2016-17 season after Jean Fauchon, who was in his first season, was fired. . . . A veteran junior A owner, general manager and head coach, Johnston last coached on a full-time basis (2008-13) with the Regina Pat Canadians. He is familiar with the Battlefords area as he owned the SJHL franchise there (1988-90). He also did two coaching stints with that team (1983-86, 1988-90). He won an SJHL championship with the Flin Flon Bombers in 1992-93. In 1994-95, he was the head coach of the Regina Pats.

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Had chemo #3 today. Needles in gut. Lamented to nurse about being "soft." She said six-pack abs would be worse. I meant emotionally. #ohwell

— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) March 22, 2017

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MONDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

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

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

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

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Thibodeau gets AJHL record . . . Winterhawks, Thunderbirds on fire . . . Halbgewachs ends drought

F Brett Bulmer (Kelowna, 2008-12) has been released by mutual agreement by Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga). He had two goals and three assists in 23 games.

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HISTORY. MADE. The @WolverinesJrA win 2-1 in OT and Gord Thibodeau stands alone at the top of @TheAJHL coaching ranks. #ymm #AJHL pic.twitter.com/vneO9zDDWB

— Robert Murray 📰 (@NovaCanuck) February 4, 2017

Gord Thibodeau recorded his 833rd coaching victory on Friday, moving to the top of the AJHL’s career list. Thibodeau’s Whitecourt Wolverines scored a 2-1 OT victory over the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons to give him the record. Thibodeau spent 11 seasons (2003-13) as the Oil Barons’ GM and head coach. . . . In his first season with Whitecourt, he also has coached the Lloydminster Blazers, St. Albrert Saints and Lloydminster Bobcats. . . . Thibodeau, who is in his 23rd season as an AJHL head coach, had been tied with Don Phelps, who coached the Calgary Canucks from 1979-2011. . . . Whitecourt’s winning goal came from F Eric Krienke, with the lone assist to F Mitch Lipon, both of them former WHL players.

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There's been a change behind the bench for the @AAAStarsHockey as long time junior hockey coach Norm Johnston has replaced Jean Fauchon.

— Lucas Punkari (@lpunkari) February 3, 2017

The Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League have made a coaching change, with Norm Johnston replacing Jean Fauchon for the remainder of this season. . . . After losing 9-1 to the Mintos in Prince Albert on Thursday, the Stars were 14-21-2 and tied for 10th place, one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Fauchon was in his first season as head coach of the Stars after spending four seasons with them as an assistant coach. . . . Johnston, a school teacher by profession, hasn’t coached since 2013-14 when he was with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He was the general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s North Battleford North Stars for five seasons (1983-86, 1988-90). . . . He spent 1994-95 as head coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats. . . . He will be behind the bench today (Saturday) as the Stars play host to the Yorkton Maulers.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Tyler Coulter and F Nolan Patrick each had four points to lead the Wheat Kings to a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Coulter scored two goals and added two assists, while Patrick

TYLER COULTER

drew four assists. . . . The Wheat Kings took an early 2-0 lead as F Stelio Mattheos (18) and F Meyer Nell (2) scored at 1:21 and 5:07 of the first period. . . . Both of Nell’s goals this season have come with his side shorthanded. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky pulled Edmonton to within one at 9:00, but Brandon put it away with the next three goals. . . . Coulter scored at 14:34 of the first period, while F Ty Lewis (24) counted at 12:35 of the second and F Reid Duke got his 32nd, on a PP, at 15:06. . . . D Will Warm got Edmonton’s second goal, his ninth, at 18:02 of the second and F Davis Koch (14) scored on a PP 27 seconds into the third. . . . Coulter wrapped up the scoring, putting his 22nd goal into an empty net at 19:31. . . . Coulter equalled his career high in goals from last season. . . . Patrick, the consensus No. 1 selection for the 2017 NHL draft, has 22 points, 13 of them assists, in 13 games this season. He has 13 points, including five goals, in seven games since returning from injury. . . . Brandon got two assists from D Kale Clague, with Mattheos adding one to his goal. . . . F Graham Millar had two assists for the Oil Kings, with Koch adding one. . . . G Travis Child earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 27 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-6. . . . With Brandon head coach David Anning ill, assistant coach Don MacGillivray picked up his first WHL coaching victory. . . . The Wheat Kings (25-19-6) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are fourth in the East Division, four points behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Oil Kings (18-30-4) have lost 13 in a row. They are six points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 4,712.

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Cole Kehler doing his best Grant Fuhr impression: he might give up 5, but when they needed him the most, he came up with the huge save late

— Chad Balcom (@hawkeyblog) February 4, 2017

At Everett, F Skyler McKenzie and F Cody Glass each had four points to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-5 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The start of the game was delayed about 30 minutes due to an

SKYLER McKENZIE

accident on I-5 that delayed Portland’s arrival. . . . McKenzie scored twice, running his total to 34, and added two assists, while Glass, who has 72 points, had a goal, his 24th, and three assists. . . . F Brad Ginnell (5) gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 1:14 of the first period. . . . Everett followed with two quick ones, F Bryce Kindopp (7) scoring at 3:48 and F Riley Sutter (15) at 5:21. Kindopp’s goal came on a PP, ending an 0-22 skid. . . . The Winterhawks went back out front on goals from McKenzie, on a PP, at 17:51 and Glass just 30 seconds into the second period. . . . Everett F Devon Skoleski (10) tied it at 3:17. . . . F Ryan Hughes (23), on a PP, and McKenzie scored at 5:54 and 8:37 as the Winterhawks took a 5-3 lead. . . . F Sean Richards (6) but the deficit to one at 14:54, but Portland F Joachim Blichfeld (18) scored with 2.8 seconds left in the period for a 6-4 lead. . . . Everett got back to within a goal when F Dominic Zwerger (22) struck at 13:15 of the third period. . . . D Caleb Jones had two assists for Portland. . . . Everett got four assists from D Aaron Irving, his first career four-point game. Everett F Eetu Tuulola had three assists, with D Kevin Davis adding two. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler finished with 34 saves as he recorded his 20th victory. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart was beaten three times on 11 shots in 24:30 when he was relieved by Mario Petit. He allowed three goals on 17 shots in 33:11. . . . Portland was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 1-3. . . . The Winterhawks (28-21-3) ran their winning streak to six games. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and are nine points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips (30-11-10) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2). They lead the U.S. Division by four points over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Announced attendance: 4,432.

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. @halbgewachs97 had 2-2-4pts in Fridays 6-2 win over Kootenay & was the Warrior of the Game pic.twitter.com/VhB4yNYuGI

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 4, 2017

At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s leading sniper, ended an eight-game drought with

JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS

two goals as the Warriors beat the Kootenay Ice, 6-2. . . . Halbgewachs, who now has 40 goals, also had two assists. . . . F Brett Howden helped out with two goals and one assist. . . . The Warriors led 2-0 before the game was 45 seconds old, with Halbgewachs scoring at 0:30 and Howden counting just 11 seconds later. . . . Halbgewachs scored again at 3:35. . . . The Warriors led 4-0 when F Tristin Langan scored his fifth goal at 4:01 of the second period. . . . F Max Patterson (7) got the Ice on the scoreboard at 5:48, but Howden got that one back with No. 28 at 18:11. . . . Ice F Kaeden Taphorn scored his third goal, assisted by twin brother Keenan, at 1:17 of the third period. . . . F Luka Burzan finished the scoring with No. 12 for the Warriors at 7:10. . . . The Warriors got two assists from each of D Jett Woo and F Brayden Burke. . . . G Brody Willms got the victory with 20 saves. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter allowed three goals on seven shots in 3:35. Payton Lee came on in relief to stop 32 of 35 shots in 56:25. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Warriors (31-14-7) had lost their previous two games. They are comfortably in second place in the East Division, 10 points behind the Regina Pats and nine in front of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Ice (12-34-8) have lost four straight. . . . Announced attendance: 1,709.

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At Prince Albert, F Evan Polei and F Michael Spacek each had two goals as they led the Red Deer

COLTON BOBYK

Rebels to a 6-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Rebels took a 2-0 lead into the second period on goals from Polei, on a PP, at 12:33, and Spacek, at 19:30. . . . The Raiders tied it with a pair of early second-period goals as F Simon Stransky (14) scored, on a PP, at 1:04, and F Sean Montgomery (11) tied it at 4:05. . . . The visitors answered with two more goals, as F Cameron Hausinger scored his sixth at 14:10 and Spacek got his 23rd, on a PP, at 19:03. . . . F Cavin Leth got the Raiders to within a goal with his 17th just 25 seconds later. . . . The Rebels put it away with two empty-netters, as Polei scored No. 24 at 18:09 of the third period and F Lane Zablocki got his 16th at 19:36. . . . D Colton Bobyk had three assists for Red Deer, with F Adam Musil and F Brandon Hagel each adding two. . . . Bobyk had four goals and a career-high 36 assists in 51 games. He went into the season with 44 assists in 160 games. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb earned the victory with 32 stops, five more than Nic Sanders at the other end. . . . The Rebels were 2-3 on the PP; the Raiders were 1-4. . . . Red Deer (23-21-8) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). The Rebels appear headed to a third-place finish in the Central Division. . . . The Raiders (13-36-5) had won their previous two outings. . . . Announced attendance: 2,198.

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At Prince George, F Kole Lind broke a 2-2 tie at 7:23 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets got past the Cougars, 3-2. . . . Lind, who has 24 goals, also scored Kelowna’s first goal, while shorthanded, at

KOLE LIND

8:12 of the first period. . . . F Reid Gardiner gave the visitors a 2-0 lead with his fourth goal, at 18:04. . . . The Cougars tied it with two second-period goals. . . . F Colby McAuley scored No. 19 just 20 seconds into the period, with F Jesse Gabrielle getting his 24th goal at 17:09. . . . F Dillon Dube had two assists for the Rockets. . . . Lind, an 18-year-old from Shaunavon, Sask., has 63 points in 50 games this season. He finished last season with 14 goals and 27 assists in 70 games. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer, in his 100th WHL appearance, earned the victory with 32 stops. Herringer made two appearances with the Victoria Royals in 2012-13; the other 98 have been with the Rockets, including 40 this season. . . . The Cougars got 29 saves from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Kelowna was 0-2 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-5. . . . The Cougars scratched D Brendan Guhle (ankle), while F Tomas Soustal (undisclosed injury) was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . The Rockets (29-19-4) have won two in a row. They are tied with the Victoria Royals for third spot in the B.C. Division, five points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Cougars (36-15-3) had won their previous two games. They lead the B.C. Division by eight points over Kamloops. . . . The game was handled by one referee (Mike Langin), when the other assigned official (Colin Watt) was snowed in at the airport in Vancouver. . . . Announced attendance: 3,038.

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Having to watch @BladesHockey games from a sun-drenched lanai in Hawaii because of the 4 hour time change #roughlife pic.twitter.com/4VTlCbnI2H

— Crystal (@alaylm85) February 4, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Austin Wagner scored twice to help the Regina Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Blades. . . . The Pats took control by scoring the game’s first three goals. . . . F Nick Henry (23) got it started at 11:50,

AUSTIN WAGNER

with Wagner counting 36 seconds into the second period and D Dawson Davidson scoring 5:18 later. . . . Saskatoon D Bryton Sayers got his sixth, on a PP, at 13:56, but Regina D Connor Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, got that one back with No. 22, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . F Braylon Shmyr scored Saskatoon’s other goal, his 26th, on a PP, at 5:32 of the third period. . . . Wagner’s 24th goal, a shorthanded empty-netter, ended the scoring at 17:21. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race with 91, had two assists, as did F Adam Brooks, who trails his teammate by three points. . . . Davidson also had an assist for Regina. . . . Shmyr added one to his goal. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 18 shots for Regina, while Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm blocked 32. . . . Saskatoon was 2-6 on the PP; Regina was 1-7. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk (coach’s decision) was among the Blades’ scratches. . . . F Filip Ahl (ill) was one of Regina’s scratches. . . . Regina lost F Jake Leschyshyn to an undisclosed injury and he isn’t expected to play tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Regina F Jeff de Wit took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 18:27 of the third period for a hit on Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik, who didn’t appear to be injured on the play. . . . Regina (36-6-7) has won seven in a row. The Pats lead the overall standings by four points over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Saskatoon (20-26-6) has lost four straight and is one point away from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,487.

——

At Spokane, F Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored three times and added an assist to lead the Chiefs to a 5-3

JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN

victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Anderson-Dolan broke a 3-3 tie, on a PP, at 11:52 of the third period and then had the primary assist on F Keanu Yamamoto’s 19th goal, at 18:45. . . . Anderson-Dolan has 27 goals and 26 assists in 51 games; he finished last season, his first, with 14 goals and 12 assists in 65 games. Anderson-Dolan, 17, is from Calgary. He was a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Tigers led 2-0 after one period on goals from F James Hamblin (14), on a PP, at 15:53 and F Matt Bradley (23), at 18:46. . . . The Chiefs scored three times in the second period. . . . F Hayden Ostir got his fifth at 2:25. . . . Anderson-Dolan followed with two PP scores, at 8:57 and 12:34. . . . The Tigers tied it when F Tyler Preziuso scored his third goal, at 2:14 of the third period. . . . Yamamoto also had three assists, while F Riley Woods record two. . . . Spokane got 31 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Medicine Hat G Michael Bullion stopped 29 shots. . . . The Chiefs were 3-7 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-4. . . . Spokane (21-22-8) had lost its last three games (0-2-1). The Chiefs are nine points away from a playoff spot. . . . Medicine Hat (36-16-1) had a five-game winning streak halted. It leads the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricane. . . . Announced attendance: 8,564.

——

Winning 4-3 Tuesday night, the @SeattleTbirds have earned points in 7 straight games vs @blazerhockey. Longest such streak in team history.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) February 3, 2017

At Kent, Wash., F Zack Andrusiak scored in the ninth round of a shootout to give the Seattle

ZACK ANDRUSIAK

Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The first four shooters in the skills competition all scored, but the next 12 all came up short. Andrusiak, who has five goals in 40 games, scored on G Connor Ingram to put the hosts ahead. Seattle won it when G Rylan Toth stopped Blazers F Erik Miller. . . . Prior to the shootout beginning, TBird Tidbits tweeted that the Blazers were 5-0 in shootouts against the Thunderbirds. . . . The Blazers had taken a 1-0 lead when F Nic Holowko’s fifth goal of the season, on a PP, at 7:16 of the second period. That was the first PP goal of Holowko’s career; it came in his 183rd game. . . . Seattle F Luke Ormsby (5) tied it at 7:59. . . . Kamloops went back out front when F Deven Sideroff got No. 30, at 11:25. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who is from Kamloops, tied it with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 15:21. . . . F Alexander True had two assists for Seattle. . . . Toth finished with 35 saves through OT, while Ingram stopped 24 shots. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-4. . . . This was the third time in a row these teams went to OT. Seattle had beaten the visiting Blazers, 4-3 in OT, on Tuesday. On Nov. 30, the host Blazers won 4-3 in OT. . . . Seattle (31-15-4) has won seven in a row and moved into second in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the Tri-City Americans. . . . Kamloops (31-18-5) has lost three straight (0-1-2). It is 1-1-2 in a five-game swing into the U.S. Division. The Blazers are second in the B.C Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,259.

——

At Langley, B.C., the Calgary Hitmen, down 2-0 before the game was three minutes old, came back to beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-3 in OT. . . . F Owen Hardy (3) gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 2:27 of the

MATTEO GENNARO

first period and F Johnny Wesley (7) made it 2-0 just 24 seconds later. . . . Calgary F Matteo Gennaro scored for the Hitmen at 5:29 of the second period, but the Giants got that one back as F Ty Ronning (20) counted at 8:27. . . . The visitors responded with the game’s last three goals. . . . F Tristen Nielsen scored his first goal of the season — and second of his career — at 13:08 of the second period. A first-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, Nielsen scored once in three games last season; this season, he has a goal and three assists in 30 games. . . . F Jakub Stukel, who started his career with the Giants, tied the game, on a PP, 54 seconds into the third period. He’s got 17 goals. . . . The Hitmen won it when Gennaro struck for his 33rd goal at 1:09 of OT. . . . Gennaro began this season with 39 goals in 202 games. This season, he has 33 goals and 28 assists in 48 games. . . . Gennaro didn’t score in his last five games in December. He then scored 20 times in January and now has two goals in February. . . . D Brady Reagan drew three assists, while F Beck Malenstyn had two, and Gennaro and Stukel each had one. . . . The Hitmen got 31 stops from G Trevor Martin, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic made 28 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-1 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen were without F Mark Kastelic, who drew a one-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred on Wednesday in Kelowna. . . . Calgary (19-23-9) had lost two in a row. The victory lifted the Hitmen past the Saskatoon Blades and into the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Vancouver (17-30-5) has lost six straight (0-4-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,368.

——

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Vancouver at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Kamloops at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

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

Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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Rematch in Regina

It was Nov. 18, 1994, when Norm Johnston, then the head coach of the Regina Pats, and Al Tuer, who was guiding the Moose Jaw Warriors, discarded their jackets, climbed the glass and met over top of the photographer’s pit between the benches in the Regina Agridome. (For more, check this out right here.)
——————

 Johnston and Tuer were together again on Saturday night at a Regina restaurant to take part in the 60th anniversary celebration for Tuer’s parents.
And just to show that there aren’t any hard feelings, Tuer allowed Johnston to punch him on the chin. Lightly, of course.
This time there weren't any penalties. Just lots of stories.
——————
THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Plihal (Kootenay, 2001-2003) signed a one-year contract with Tappara Tampere (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had six goals and five assists in 41 games with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga) last season.
———
So long as he is the goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, Carey Price will be faced with seasonal challenges. In the offseason, however, he is quite prepared to help others face challenges. Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette details right here how Price plays an integral part in a golf tournament in Richland, Wash.
———
If you aren’t aware, Peter King, who has more contacts in the football than any journalist, is heading up a new website (mmqb.si.com) that is a must visit on a daily basis for NFL geeks. . . . If you are wondering why, well, check out this story right here. . . . Written by Greg A. Bedard, it’s all about rage in the NFL these days: The read-option. . . . More than that, though, it provides great insight into how football coaches share information in the offseason.


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Norm Johnston is stepping back from coaching, at least for now. Johnston, a veteran coach if ever there was one, spent the last five seasons as head coach of the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. The club got to the second round of playoffs and when it was over, even though it was the team’s most-successful season under him, Johnston decided it was time. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
———

The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FIRST ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton wins 4-1)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat wins 4-0)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary wins 4-1)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer wins 4-0)
———
SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Game 1, Friday, in Edmonton)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
(Game 1, tonight, in Calgary)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
FIRST ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Portland wins 4-2)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Kelowna wins, 4-3)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops wins 4-2)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane wins 4-1)
———
SECOND ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Spokane (4)
(Game 1, Friday, in Portland, Veterans Memorial Coliseum)
Kelowna (2) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Game 1, Saturday, in Kelowna)
(Shaw TV will show this series)
———
Some notes from a Spokane news release:
The Western Conference semifinal series is the 10th time Spokane and Portland have met in the postseason.
Five of the series, including four of the last six, have gone the distance.
The Winterhawks won a nine-game series in 1985-86.
The Chiefs won a seven-game series in 1996 as they became the first team in WHL history to rebound from a 0-3 deficit.
Portland won in 1998 and went on to win the Memorial Cup in Spokane.
The Chiefs took Game 7 in 2003.
Their 2010 first round matchup, won by Portland, became the first in WHL history to have the road team win each game. Portland earned an overtime victory in Game 7 in the Spokane Arena.
Spokane had to win Game 6 in each seven-game series to force Game 7.
The Winterhawks won the last series, in 2011, in six games.
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored three times as the Rockets beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 in overtime. . . . Baillie got the winner at 5:10 of extra time, tapping in a pass to the backdoor from D Madison Bowey for the winner. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart had forced OT with a goal at 19:53 of the third period. . . . Five of the seven games needed overtime. Seattle won Games 1, 2 and 3 in OT; the Rockets won Games 6 and 7. . . . The Rockets are the second team in WHL history to win a series despite losing the first three games. Their series-clinching victory came exactly 17 years after the Spokane Chiefs completed such a comeback against the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kelowna was without seven regulars as D Jesse Lees, who took a check to the head from Seattle F Justin Hickman in Game 6, was scratched. . . . When Lees was injured, the Rockets were left with four defencemen. Last night, they added D Joe Gatenby, a second-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Gatenby, who is from Kelowna, made his WHL debut in this one. . . . Seattle was without Hickman and F Connor Honey, both of whom were serving WHL suspensions. . . . It isn’t likely that any of Kelowna’s scratches will be back for the second round – Lees, F J.T. Barnett (ill), F Rourke Chartier (back), D MacKenzie Johnston (shoulder), F Carter Rigby (shoulder, foot), F Colton Sissons (shoulder) and D Mitchell Wheaton (shoulder). . . . By the time the Rockets have played Game 4 of the second round, they will have played six games in nine nights.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (12):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (4):
None


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Lipon 'just wants to play'

JC LIPON
(Hockey Canada photo)

Norm Johnston has been coaching hockey longer than he cares to remember.
A veteran of the SJHL coaching wars, he spent one season (1994-95) as head coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats. A lot of his time that winter was spent cleaning up an organization that was in the ditch. Despite getting things back on track off the ice, he wasn’t invited back after the team went 26-43-3 on it.
A school teacher, Johnston since has coached various minor hockey teams in Regina and presently runs the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.
Last week, Johnston was wearing a rather wide grin. And, while he perhaps wasn’t saying “I told you so,” you can bet he was at least thinking it.
Because Johnston has been one of JC Lipon’s biggest supporters for years now.
Lipon, a right winger in his fourth season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, came under Johnston’s tutelage in Regina’s minor hockey ranks. And now Lipon finds himself in Europe as a member of Canada’s national junior team.
Johnston isn’t surprised.
“I can still remember calling JC and telling him that he had made the bantam team,” Johnston says. “I told JC that I had never coached anyone as small as he was.
“JC’s reply was, ‘I will do anything to play . . . anything to help the team.’ ”
At the time, Lipon was, according to Johnston, “under five feet and less than 100 pounds.”
A couple of years later, Johnston was coaching the Pat Canadians and Lipon was in his camp. History repeated itself.
“He was among the bottom 15-year-olds,” Johnston admits, “but he just wanted to play. We carried 22 players and JC was the last forward we picked.
“I can still remember parents coming up to me and telling me I picked the wrong guy. One parent told me that she understood if her son did not make the team, but that (bleeping) Lipon better not make it either!”
Johnston adds that a lot of hockey people talk about “character.” As he points out, they throw that word around like it’s a penny.
But, he adds, Lipon really does have character. “JC just wants to play,” Johnston says. “Really, this guy will do what it takes to win.”
Now in his fifth season as the Pat Canadians’ head coach, Johnston has brought back five former players to speak to his team and the parents – Lipon, Graham Black of the Swift Current Broncos, Harrison Ruopp (Prince Albert Raiders), James Howden (Clarkson University and Kale Derkson (junior A Notre Dame Hounds).
When Lipon spoke, it was about “work ethic and never give up,” Johnston says.
Today, Lipon is testament to both.
Here’s a guy who is in his fourth WHL season despite having scored only six goals combined in his first two seasons. At least he was consistent, with three goals each season.
From the beginning, though, all he wanted to do was play. After his first season, Lipon figured out that if he scrapped a bit he might get more playing time. So in 2010-11, he got involved in 15 fights, up from four his freshman season.
All the while, though, Lipon was working to become a better player. A national-calibre wakeboarder, he obviously is athletic. That helped him to improve his skating. His work ethic is beyond reproach. But, at the same time, he is extremely coachable.
Early last season, Kamloops head coach Guy Charron put Lipon on the right side of a line with Tim Bozon and Colin Smith.
The chemistry was immediate and Lipon responded with 65 points, including 19 goals. Then he started this season like a house afire. When he left for Team Canada’s selection camp, Lipon had 57 points, including 22 goals, in 34 games.
Seen as the longest of longshots, he earned a roster spot, perhaps grabbing it in the first period of the prospects’ second of two exhibition games when he twice absorbed hits in order to make plays and also set up a goal.
Canada flew to Finland on Saturday. It will play exhibition games there against Finland on Thursday and Sweden on Saturday. Then it’s off to Ufa, Russia, where it opens the World Junior Championship on Dec. 26 against Germany.
Lipon is likely to play on an energy line with Philip Danault of the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres and Anthony Camara of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Danault was a first-round selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL’s 2011 draft. Camara went to the Boston Bruins in the third round of that draft.
Lipon? He has never been drafted. He agreed to a tryout deal with the Colorado Avalanche last summer but the lockout wiped that out.
Of the 23 players on Canada’s roster, 21 have gone through the NHL draft and 20 of those were selected. Only Lipon wasn’t taken.
When Lipon played in the Subway Super Series game in Victoria in November, he admitted to having been star struck when he found himself surrounded by “all those first-round draft picks.”
Well, there are 10 first-round selections on Team Canada’s roster, along with six seconds and three thirds. But Lipon now knows that he fits in with these guys, that he can play at this level.
So don’t be surprised if, before this tournament is over, people have to come to know JC Lipon, the guy who “just wants to play.”

(Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is a gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, gdrinnan.blogspot.com and twitter.com/gdrinnan.)

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Travis Ehrhardt (Moose Jaw, Portland, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) after a successful try-out. Ehrhardt had one goal and six assists in 41 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) last season. The TPS press release (in Finnish) with picture is right here.
———
Another email from a fan of the Whitney Forum:
“Noticed your comment on the Whitney Forum. The place is incredible. Team photos lining the walls from as early as the 1920s, championship banners, hockey hall of fame. Spent 5 years with the Bombers, 4 with Norm Johnston who guided the team to their last championship in 1992-93 restoring the pride to the Bursting B. The Bombers are having a 20th anniversary of that championship September 28-29 with at least 15 of the 23 players returning. There is a story on the Bomber website.”
Indeed, there is news of that reunion right here.
The writer also notes that “an interesting view on youtube is highlights of that series, game 6 in Flin Flon with over 3,000 jammed in the Forum that has a capaciy of 1800 and a jammed Melville Stadium with 10 bus loads from Flin Flon for game 7.”
Having been in Melville for that Game 7, I can attest to the craziness in the building that night. I can only guess at what Game 6 in Whitney Forum must have been like.
———
The Vancouver Giants will open the season with Liam Liston, 19, and Tyler Fuhr, 17, as their goaltenders. . . . On Wednesday, the Giants assigned Payton Lee, 16, to the junior B Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific International league. Lee, a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, is seen as the club’s goaltender of the future. . . . Liston was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes over the summer, while Fuhr, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., and not related to Grant Fuhr, was perhaps the biggest success story of Vancouver’s training camp. He was a fourth-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings the 2010 bantam draft but was a free agent when he arrived in Vancouver’s camp.
———
The Regina Pats spent part of Wednesday helping Habitat for Humanity on a project. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post was there and discovered something of a competition between the city and rural players.
An excerpt from Harder’s story . . .
“I got to go there and work and show the city slickers what to do,” offered forward Dyson Stevenson, who has some carpentry experience working on his family farm near Shaunavon. “I got to use the table saw. I was working with (goaltender Matt Hewitt), he was doing my measurements. I think every three measurements I had to re-cut a board because he had no idea what he was doing. Then he wanted to cut. I let him do the last board. I was pretty scared. I had my glasses on and was about 10 feet away from the tablesaw when he was trying to cut it. I’m surprised he didn’t get his fingers caught in there.”
Harder’s story is right here.
———
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ GM/head coach, “is taking part in the Food Basket Challenge, where he will attempt to live off items from a food bank basket for the next week. Molleken begins his challenge this morning.”
According to Nugent-Bowman, Molleken “receives a basket from the Saskatoon Food Bank, five basic pantry items and a food allowance of $5 for the next seven days.”
That story is right here.
———
Nugent-Bowman also reported that the Blades have ordered all of their defencemen to wear Shot Blockers, plastic guards that fit over their skates and are designed to absorb most of the blow caused by blocked shots.
“It’s a situation where we expect our players to pay a price and part of that is blocking shots,” Molleken told Nugent-Bowman. “It’s a huge part of the game today. We’re hoping that this will prevent any type of foot injury.”
That story is right here.
———
D Ryan Murray was back on the ice with the Everett Silvertips on Wednesday. Murray, who was taken by Columbus with the second overall pick of the 2012 NHL draft, would be going to camp with the Blue Jackets if not for the labour problems at that level.
The Silvertips captain didn’t get shown a whole lot of respect during his first practice.
As Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald wrote: “. . . in his first practice with the team he sacrificed some blood to the hockey gods.”
It turns out that F Ty Mappin caught Murray with an elbow.
"(Mappin) caught me with a little elbow there in the corner," a laughing Murray told Patterson. "It's the way she goes, though. I guess that's my welcome back."
———
If you aren’t aware, Richard Doerksen, who handles discipline for the WHL, already has been busy.
And he dropped the hammer on Wednesday when he suspended Victoria Royals D Tyler Stahl for six games for a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct from a game against the Kelowna Rockets on Friday.
The exhibition season isn’t even over and Doerksen has suspended 10 players for a total of 21 games. Of that total, 14 games have been dished out for checking-to-the-head penalties.
You are free to wonder if this is the season when Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, starts handing out 10- and 20-game sentences.
———
The Moose Jaw Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can) is gone. If you click right here, it will take you to a cbc.ca compilation of photos that mark the demolition of the arena.
———
The Tri-City Americans have added another defenceman to their stable, with the acquisition of Brodie Clowes from the Victoria Royals for a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Clowes will turn 17 on Oct. 30. . . . Clowes, from Calgary, was selected by Victoria in the fifth round of the 2010 bantam draft. . . . The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder played 46 games with the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys, earning 13 points and 56 penalty minutes. . . . Clowes suffered an undisclosed injury in Victoria’s camp and is expected to miss the season’s first month. . . . Even without Clowes, the Americans are carrying nine defencemen, with six of those having been contributors to the Tri-City cause last season.
———
D Derrick Pouliot of the Portland Winterhawks has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . Pouliot, a 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Weyburn, Sask., was the eighth-overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . He had 59 points in 72 games last season, his second with the Winterhawks, and then added 17 points in the playoffs.
———
The Red Deer Rebels kept their roster at 26 after assigning two players and adding two others. . . . F Dexter Bricker, 17, is to join the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks, while F Vukie Mpofu, 16, will play for the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. Both players are from Saskatoon. . . . Red Deer added F Ryley Bennefield, 18, to their roster on a tryout basis. A native of Wetaskiwin, Alta., he had been in camp with the Calgary Hitmen and scored twice in three exhibition games. A second-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2009 bantam draft, he has played three games with Lethbridge and six with the Portland Winterhawks over the last three season. . . . The Rebels also are taking a look at F Wyatt Johnson, 17, who played last season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. He had 45 points in 42 games with the Blazers. He had been in the Vancouver Giants’ camp and will get checked out in Red Deer because he has been out with a concussion.
———
There was some ugliness in an SM-liiga exhibition game between HIFK and Jokerit in Finland recently and a whole whack of suspensions were handed out. That included eight-game suspensions to three coaches.
There’s more right here.

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