That was in response to the huge card (pictured above) that the Saskatoon Blades had on hand at their Friday night game for fans to sign.
Other teams, including the Kamloops Blazers, Kootenay Ice and Portland Winterhawks, also are preparing ‘Get Well’ cards for Tim.
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Marc Dumont at habseyesontheprize.com reported this on Saturday morning:
“Prospect Tim Bozon's battle with meningitis continues to be an difficult fight, as doctors in Saskatoon have decided to
 |
| TIM BOZON |
“His critical condition has progressively worsened ever since it was announced he contracted the sickness a little over a week ago.”
Bozon, a forward with the Kootenay Ice, has been in Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon since Sunday. His parents, Helene and Philippe, arrived from Switzerland on Sunday.
Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Saskatoon Blades, told QMI Agency that Bozon was put into a medically induced coma on Thursday.
---
With F Tim Bozon fighting meningitis in a Saskatoon hospital, these are not easy times for the Kootenay Ice.
However, congrats to everyone associated with the franchise, but especially to Jeff Chynoweth, the franchise’s majority owner, president and general manager. (If you are wondering, Chynoweth has been in Saskatoon, alongside Helene and Philippe Bozon, since Thursday.)
A Friday night victory over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers means the Ice will appear in the playoffs for a 16th straight season.
That, folks, is something!
The Ice was born as the Edmonton Ice and didn’t make the playoffs in either of its two seasons in the Edmonton capital. The franchise relocated to Cranbrook for the 1998-99 season and has made the playoffs each season since then. During that time, it has won three WHL championships and one Memorial Cup.
If you’re wondering about the WHL’s other franchises, here’s a look at each one and its longest stretch of qualifying for the playoffs:
Swift Current Broncos -- 31 (1974-2004; 18 in Swift Current; as Lethbridge Broncos, 1975-86)
Kamloops Blazers -- 24 (1982-2005; first two seasons as Kamloops Jr. Oilers)
Kootenay Ice -- 16 (1999-2014)
Kelowna Rockets -- 15 (1992-2006; first four seasons as Tacoma Rockets)
Medicine Hat Tigers -- 15 (1983-97)
Seattle Thunderbirds -- 14 (1990-2003)
Calgary Hitmen -- 13 (1998-10)
Brandon Wheat Kings -- 12 (2001-12)
Everett Silvertips -- 11 (2004-13; have made playoffs in each season of existence)
Saskatoon Blades -- 11 (1967-77)
Moose Jaw Warriors -- 10 (1997-2006)
Red Deer Rebels -- 10 (1996-2005)
Tri-City Americans -- 10 (2004-13; will be 11 if they qualify this season)
Vancouver Giants -- 10 (2003-12)
Portland Winterhawks 9 (1976-84; first season as Edmonton Oil Kings)
Prince Albert Raiders -- 9 (1984-92)
Prince George Cougars -- 9 (1975-83; all as Victoria Cougars)
Regina Pats -- 9 (1980-88)
Spokane Chiefs -- 9 (1990-98)
Lethbridge Hurricanes -- 7 (1979-85; all as Calgary Wranglers)
Victoria Royals -- 5 (2010-14)
Edmonton Oil Kings -- 4 (2011-14)
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Here’s a hockey-baseball note. . . . Regina’s Dustin Molleken, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander, is in camp with the Milwaukee Brewers. On Friday, he worked a scoreless ninth inning in a 6-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. He struck out one, without giving up a hit or a walk. . . . He is the son of Doug Molleken, a longtime WHL scout who now is the Saskatoon Blades’ director of player personnel. That means, of course, that Dustin is the nephew of Blades general manager Lorne Molleken.
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There are two days of the year when I really, really miss Saskatchewan, a province in which I spent 17 years. Today, as we ‘spring forward’ and I walk around our home and reset all the clocks, is one of them. And that will tell you that the day we ‘fall back’ is the other one.
So don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour . . . unless you live in Saskatchewan or any other place that has sensibly ignored that movement.
And I know that I will forget to reset either my watch or the clock in our car.
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The junior B Fernie Ghostriders of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League are looking for a general manager and head coach after visiting Splitsville with Dale Hladun after one season. . . . Fernie went 24-22-0-6 this season, finishing third in the Eddie Mountain Division. The Ghostriders then lost a best-of-five first-round series in four games to the Kimberley Dynamiters.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Prince Albert (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
(NOTE: Prince Albert, Red Deer and Brandon are tied for eighth, each with 71 points. Prince Albert has four games remaining; the other two have three games left.)
---
Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SUNDAY’S WHL GAME (all times local):
Vancouver at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
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MONDAY’s WHL GAMES (all times local):
No games scheduled.
---
TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Saskatoon at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
---
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, D Colby Harmsworth scored the winning goal as the Calgary Hitmen got past the Blades, 2-1. . . . Harmsworth, 18, is from Saskatoon and played his midget AAA hockey there with the Contacts. He has four goals in 67 games this season, after going scoreless in 46 games as a freshman last season. . . . D Alex Roach scored his 11th goal for Calgary. . . . D Jordan Thomson scored his first goal with the Blades. It came on the PP, ending a 0-for-25 spell. That goal cut Calgary‘s lead to 2-1 but that was as close as the Blades would get. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 43 shots. . . . The Blades have lost eight straight games and 10 in a row at home. . . . D Ayrton Nikkel was among Saskatoon’s scratches. He left Friday’s 6-1 loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hitmen, with five players out, dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. F Cal Babych, F Radel Fazleev, F Linden Penner, F Connor Rankin and F Mike Winther all are out with undisclosed injuries. . . . Calgary was playing its fourth game in five nights. . . . The Hitmen (45-17-7) are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings (47-18-3) atop the Eastern Conference. But the Oilers have two more victories and also hold a game in hand. . . . The Blades (16-47-5) are 11th in the conference. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and two assists as the Kootenay Ice beat the Regina Pats, 3-1. . . . Descheneau set up the game’s first two goals, both on the PP. . . . D Jagger Dirk scored his 10th goal at 3:23 of the first period and F Luke Philp got his 28th at 11:33 of the third. . . . F Sam Reinhart assisted on both goals, as well. . . . Descheneau scored his 42nd goal into an empty net at 19:07. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored for Regina at 16:55 of the third, giving him 29. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 27 shots, one fewer than Regina’s Dawson MacAuley. . . . The Ice won the season series 3-1-0. . . . During the game, the Ice lost D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel to injuries. Cross was injured during a second-period fight with Regina D Jesse Zgraggen. . . . Prior to the game, Phil Andrews, the radio voice of the Pats, tweeted: “Kyle Burroughs and Colby Williams will both miss tonight's game against the Kootenay Ice after taking high hits (Friday) in Lethbridge.” . . . The Ice (39-25-4), with back-to-back victories, is fifth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Pats (38-25-6) lead the East Division by three points over Swift Current. The team finishing first in the East Division will be the conference’s No. 2 seed when the playoffs open. . . . 
In Lethbridge, F Jay Merkley and F Graham Black each scored twice as the Swift Current Broncos dumped the Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Merkley has 30 goals; Black has 33. . . . Black tied the game 2-2 at 3:38 of the second period and then broke the tie at 15:33. . . . Swift Current scored all five of its goals in the second period, with the last three coming in a span of 1:33. . . . D Julius Honka had three assists for the Broncos, while F Coda Gordon scored his 25th goal and added two helpers. . . . The Hurricanes, who have lost 11 in a row, got a goal, his 14th, and an assist from F Brady Ramsay. . . . G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, has joined the Hurricanes and was on their bench and made his WHL debut by playing the third period. He stopped all 11 shots he faced. He spent the season with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, going 13-5-0, 2.74, .916. The Athletics’ season is over so he was free to join the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos swept the season series, 4-0. . . . Swift Current (35-25-9) is sixth in the Eastern Confernce, three points behind the Kootenay Ice, and has clinched a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes (12-52-5) have three games remaining in the franchise’s most abysmal season. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti scored 26 seconds into the game and the Warriors went on to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . It was the Warriors’ third straight victory. . . . Fioretti scored twice, giving him 19 goals, as did F Jack Rodewald, who has 25. . . . F Curtis Lazar scored his 39th for the Oil Kings. It came at 3:47 of the third with his side trailing 3-0. . . . F Brayden Point and F Tanner Eberle each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Edmonton was playing its 500th regular-season game since it entered the WHL as an expansion franchise. . . . Warriors G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller was among Edmonton’s scratches. He left Friday’s game with Brandon after absorbing a hit from Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk. He was ejected with a charging major and has received a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . . The Warriors (20-40-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Oil Kings (47-18-3) are tied atop the conference with the Calgary Hitmen, but Edmonton has two more victories and that’s the first tiebreaker. . . . 
In Prince Albert, the Raiders scored two third-period goals 13 seconds apart and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . F Calder Brooks broke a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 15:42 and F Leon Draisaitl got his 35th at 15:55. . . . Draisaitl, who is eligible for the 2014 NHL draft, has 41 points, including 16 goals, over his past 21 games. . . . F Collin Valcourt drew two assists for the Raiders. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts scored the game’s first and last goals, giving him 27. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride, who has started five of his side’s last six goals, stopped 22 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jens Meilleur and F Peter Quenneville, both of whom are injured, and F Jayce Hawryluk, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension after being ejected from a game on Friday night. . . . Also missing from Brandon’s lineup was owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon, who was ill. . . . The Raiders (33-30-5), who have won four in a row, are tied with the Red Deer Rebels and Brandon Wheat Kings for seventh in the Eastern Conference. One of those teams won’t make it. . . . Brandon (31-29-9) has lost four in a row. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Valk broke a 2-2 with his second goal, his 43rd of the season, 54 seconds into the second period, on a PP. . . . He had No. 44 into an empty net at 18:47 of the third. . . . F Wyatt Johnson scored his 13th goal and added two assists for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 40 shots, in the process becoming, according to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) the first goaltender in franchise history to make more than 2,000 saves in one season. . . . The Tigers (42-23-4) are fourth in the Eastern Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Rebels (33-31-5) are tied with Prince Albert and Brandon for the conference’s last two playoff spots. . . . 
In Portland, F Brendan Leipsic snapped a 1-1 tie at 7:36 of the second period and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . This was a first-round playoff preview. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 45th goal and added an assist, while F Chase De Leo got his 39th goal. . . . Portland G Adin Hill, a 17-year-old from Calgary, made his second WHL start, and his third appearance, stopping 28 shots as he ran his record to 3-0-0. Corbin Boes, 20, was injured in Friday’s 7-3 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds and couldn’t go. Brendan Burke, 18, who has been out with mononucleosis and last played on Feb. 10, was on the bench. . . . The Winterhawks (50-13-5) have won 50 games for a second straight season and the third time in four seasons. . . . Vancouver (31-27-10) is seventh in the Western Conference. . . . 
In Prince George, F Mitch Holmberg scored three times and added an assist as the Spokane Chiefs bounced the Cougars, 8-0. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL with 60 goals, the first WHL player to get there since F Layne Ulmer had 63 for the 2000-01 Swift Current Broncos. . . . Holmberg’s four points left him with a WHL-leading 113, five more than Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani scored his 35th goal and added three assists, while F Keanu Yamamoto had three assists. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 28 shots for his fourth shutout this season and the 10th of his career. Williams, 20, is 31-17-4 this season and 96-74-14 in his career. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-8 on the PP. . . . The Chiefs (38-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and one ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Cougars (26-36-8) are four points out of the conference’s last playoff spot with two games remaining. . . .
In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 20 shots to help the Rockets to a 7-0 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This may have been a first-round playoff preview. . . . Cooke, who is 38-6-4, has four shutouts this season and nine in his career. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley got the game’s first goal, his 23rd, at 9:23 of the first period on a PP. . . . Kelowna was 4-for-4 on the PP. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou turned aside 39 shots. . . . The Rockets (54-10-4), who lead the overall standings, have won 27 home games and 27 on the road. . . . The Americans (28-32-8) are eighth in the Western Conference, two points ahead of Prince George. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., Everett F Josh Winquist set a single-season franchise record for goals as the Silvertips beat the host Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Winquist scored his 43rd goal into an empty net at 18:15 of the third, breaking the record of 42 that had been set by Shane Harper in 2009-10. . . . Winquist broke a 1-1 tie at 13:02 of the second period with his 42nd goal and F Dawson Leedahl gave the visitors a two-goal lead with his seventh at 16:12 on the PP. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz was stellar, making 31 saves. . . . F Zane Jones, a trade deadline acquisition, scored his first goal for Everett. He was playing his fourth game since returning to the lineup. He had been out since Jan. 18. . . . The Silvertips (36-23-9), who have won six in a row, are sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Spokane. Each team has four games remaining. . . . Seattle (39-22-6) is fourth in the conference, two points ahead of Spokane. . . . 
In Victoria, the Royals scored three times in the game’s first 6:05 and then hung on to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Taylor Crunk scoed his eighth goal of the season nine seconds into the opening period. . . . D Brett Cote got his sixth at 4:09, via the PP, and freshman F Tyler Soy scored his 13th at 6:05. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham got his side on the board with his 11th goal at 5:54 of the third and F Matt Revel added his 15th, via the PP, at 15:55. . . . The game drew 7,006 fans, giving the Royals their second straight sellout. They beat the Blazers 5-1 on Friday in front of 7,006 fans. . . . The Royals went 7-1-0 against Kamloops this season. . . . Soy, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has eight points, including six goals, in eight games against Kamloops this season. He also scored twice in a preseason game. . . . Victoria has 47 victories and 98 points with four games remaining. In their eighth season, five in Chilliwack as the Bruins (remember them?) and three in Victoria, the franchise has yet to reach 50 victories or 100 points. . . . An interesting stat from the Royals: With D Joe Hicketts in the lineup, Victoria’s defence corps has produced 26 per cent of its offence. Hicketts missed 36 games earlier in the season; with him gone, that number was 18. . . . The Royals (47-17-4) will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (13-51-5) will set a Kamloops franchise record for fewest victories.---
From Aaron Matthies (@Matthies2): “I’m a @WHLpats season tix holder,and cheering for the pats (Saturday night), but we are all on the same team when we #PrayforBozon!”
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D Jordan Thomson is joining the Saskatoon Blades, at least for three games. The Kamloops Blazers selected Thomson, now 17, with the fourth overall selection of the 2011 bantam draft. He left the Blazers earlier this season and subsequently was traded to the Blades, along with F Mitch Lipon and a first-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft for F Matt Revel, a third-round pick in 2016 and a conditional second-rounder in 2014. . . . After the trade, Thomson joined the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, for whom he has two points in 13 games. He is expected to finish this season with the Kings, who are the host team for the Western Canada Cup. . . . Thomson, who hasn’t said he will join the Blades next season, is expected to practise with Saskatoon today and play Friday against the visiting Kootenay Ice. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds announced Tuesday that their 16th annual Hockey Challenge raised $200,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska. The Hockey Challenge was held Saturday, featuring six different games plus one between the Thunderbirds and Kamloops Blazers. . . . The event now has raised more than $4.5 million in its 16 years of existence. . . .
Nick Vitucci has resigned after almost five years as head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. . . . The resignation is effective immediately. . . . Vitucci will remain with the organization, while assistant coach Dan Watson will serve as head coach through the rest of this season. . . . Toledo, which has lost eight in a row, is 16-31-4 and is fifth in the five-team North Division. Toledo’s 36 points leave it 13th in the 13-team Eastern Conference. 
In Regina, F Dyson Stevenson scored the game’s first three goals, all in the first period, and finished with four as the Pats drubbed the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 8-0. . . . Stevenson scored his first three goals in a span of 6:08, then added a fourth in the third period. . . . He has 33 goals this season. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk had a goal, his 26th, and four assists, while F Chandler Stephenson drew three assists. . . . Klimchuk has 14 points, including seven goals, in his last five games. . . . F Patrick D’Amico scored twice, giving him five this season. . . . Regina G Dawson MacAuley stopped 29 shots for his fourth shutout this season and the fourth of his career. . . . The Hurricanes have lost six in a row and been outscored 42-8 in the process. . . . Lethbridge F Seth Swenson played in his 300th regular-season game. He has played 19 games with Lethbridge, after suiting up 149 times with the Seattle Thunderbirds and 132 times with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Pats (35-22-6) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games and now lead the East Division by eight points over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes (12-47-5) have the WHL’s poorest record. . . .
In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Tigers, 5-2. . . . Edmonton F Riley Kieser tied the game 2-2 with his 12th goal, shorthanded, at 7:14 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller gave his guys the lead, with his sixth goal, at 17:08 of the second. . . . F Henrik Samuelson of the Oil Kings got his 30th just 1:06 after that. He also had an assist, giving him 81 points in 55 games. Last season, he finished with 80 points, including 33 goals, in 69 games. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner scored his eighth goal and drew three assists. In each of his first two seasons, Sautner, a 19-year-old from Flaxcombe, Sask., had two goals and 10 assists. This season, he has 39 points, including 31 assists. . . . Tigers F Markus Eisenschmid took a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on F Ben Carroll at 15:47 of the third period. Before leaving, he fought Edmonton F Curtis Lazar, who took the instigating minor and a game misconduct. . . . These two teams meet again tonight in Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings (44-15-2) are back atop the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the idle Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Tigers (38-22-3) are fourth in the conference, five points ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . .
battle with cancer. He was 50.
It was a wild night in Saskatoon where the Prince George Cougars scored five goals in the first 12 minutes and went on to beat the Blades, 10-6. . . . It ended with Saskatoon D MacKenzie Johnston having to be restrained at the Cougars’ dressing room. . . . F Brad Morrison, 16, had a goal and three assists for the Cougars, who got two goals from each of F Jansen Harkins and F Zach Pochiro. . . . The Cougars scored their first five goals on seven shots. . . . Saskatoon G Nathan Alalouf, in from the junior B Osoyoos, B.C., Coyotes, made his WHL debut in relief of G Troy Trombley after Prince George’s fifth goal. Alalouf, who is replacing the injured Alex Moodie, gave up two goals on eight shots and Tremblay was back to start the second. . . . Saskatoon F Cameron Hebig came up empty on a second-period penalty shot with his side trailing 7-3. . . . Johnston was upset after Cougars F Aaron Macklin roughed up Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak at 19:18 of the third period. . . . The Cougars (20-26-7) remain eight points out of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . The Blades (14-34-4) are 11th in the Eastern Conference. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was there and his report is 
In Calgary, the Tri-City Americans scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Hitmen, 4-1. . . . F Greg Chase got Calgary on the board with his 28th goal at 1:24 of the third period. . . . Tri-City F Brian Williams, with his 30th, got his side even at 3:04 and F Braden Purtill got his eighth at 11:34. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots, while his younger brother, Ty, scored his third goal of the season, giving the Americans a 3-1 lead at 16:46 of the third period. . . . Williams later added an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City F Phil Tot, 20, who is from Calgary, had two assists as he played in his hometown for the final time. . . . The Americans (25-21-5) are 5-0-1 in their last six games; they are eighth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants. . . . The Hitmen (31-13-6) are second in the Central Division, three points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, the Tigers opened up a 5-0 lead in the second period and went on to a 6-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Tigers were 3-for-4 on the PP. . . . F Trevor Cox had a goal, his 15th, and two assists for Medicine Hat, while D Tyler Lewington drew three assists. . . . Among the Ice’s scratches was F Jaeden Descheneau, who has an undisclosed injury. . . . Tigers F Curtis Valk picked up a goal to run his goal-scoring streak to eight games. That’s two games longer than anyone else in the WHL this season. . . . Ice F Luke Philp scored once as he ran his point streak to 11 games, the longest ongoing streak in the WHL. . . . The Tigers (29-17-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Calgary Hitmen and three ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Ice (25-21-4) is eighth in the conference, five points ahead of Prince Albert and one behind the Regina Pats. . . . 
F Brooks Maxwell of the Red Deer Rebels ended a seven-round shootout and gave his guys a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville had forced OT with his 16th goal at 18:18 of the third period. . . . Brandon is 0-1-1 as it plays four games in five nights on an Alberta tour. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts was tossed with a kneeing major at 13:13 of the first period. He had scored his 19th goal of the season at 6:43. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 39 shots. . . . Brandon F Kord Pankewicz didn’t play again after a first-period scrap with Red Deer F Evan Polei. . . . The Rebels (27-21-2) have won five in a row and are sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Swift Current and one ahead of Regina. . . . The Wheat Kings (26-18-6) used the loser point to pull into a tie with the Broncos atop the East Division. . . . 
F Paul Bittner had two goals and two assists to help the host Portland Winterhawks to an 8-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . It was the third meeting between these teams in the last six days, with Portland going 3-0-0 (5-1 and 8-1 at home; 6-2 in Everett). . . . Bittner, who has 14 points in his last seven games, scored his side’s first two goals, breaking a 1-1 tie at 13:20 of the first period with his 16th goal. . . . Portland D Garrett Haar and D Mathew Dumba each had two assists and was plus-4. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored his 30th goal of the season. . . . The Winterhawks have won eight straight games. . . . Everett, which was 1-for-9 on the PP, has lost a season-high five in a row. . . . The Winter hawks (34-12-5) are 9-0-1 in their last 10; they are atop the U.S. Division, six points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Everett (25-18-8) is tied with the Vancouver Giants for sixth in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Spokane Chiefs. . . . 
At Vancouver, F Dalton Sward had two goals and an assist as the Giants beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-3. . . . Sward has 15 goals. . . . The Giants, who are 6-0-0 versus Kamloops this season, opened up a 3-0 lead in the first period, only to have the Blazers get two goals from F Cole Ully, who has 22. . . . Sward then restored the two-goal lead, only to have Kamloops F Collin Shirley get his eighth at 13:40 of the third. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson iced it with his 18th goal at 14:49. . . . Vancouver F Travis McEvoy came up empty on a first-period penalty shot. . . . Kamloops G Cole Kehler, 16, stopped 26 shots, 10 more than Vancouver’s Payton Lee. . . . Vancouver was without D Dalton Thrower (ankle) and F Trent Lofthouse (undisclosed). As well, a flu bug has been making its way through the room and it kept D Brett Kulak, F Luca Leone and F Ty Ronning out of the lineup. . . . The Giants had F Tyler Benson, the first pick in the 2013 bantam draft, in the lineup for his third game this season. He has 72 points in 37 games at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . Vancouver also dressed D Ryely McKinstry, who was the 23rd overall selection in the 2014 draft. McKinstry, who has 20 points in 28 games with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes, made his WHL debut. . . . The Blazers, who lost D Sam Grist and D Connor Clouston to undisclosed injuries on Tuesday, had D Cameron Reagan, 16, and F Quinn Benjafield, who turns 16 on Feb. 2, make their WHL debuts. Also added to the roster was F Deven Sideroff, 16, who played his third game this season. . . . The Giants (25-19-8) are tied with Everett for sixth in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (11-35-5) have lost four in a row as they prepare to go home and home with the Kelowna Rockets this weekend. . . .
In Kelowna, the Spokane Chiefs scored the last three goals of regulation time and then scored the lone goal of a six-round shootout to beat the Rockets, 6-5. . . . Kelowna had one nine in a row at home. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow scored the first and last goals of regulation time, his fourth goal of the season, on the PP at 15:24 of the third period, forcing OT. . . . Chiefs D Jason Fram scored the only goal of the skills competition. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL points derby, had a goal and two assists. He leads the WHL in goals (46) and points (90). . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka had three assists. . . . F Ryan Olsen and D Damon Severson each had a goal and two assists for Kelowna. . . . Attendance was 4,628. . . . The Rockets (40-7-3) are atop the overall standings, 12 points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Chiefs (31-15-4) are fifth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Seattle Thunderbirds and two behind the Victoria Royals.
In Victoria, D Jordan Fransoo scored twice to help the Royals to a 4-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Fransoo, who has eight goals, is wearing the ‘C’ in the absence of injured D Tyler Stahl. . . . D Joe Hicketts also scored twice for Victoria, giving him five goals, while F Steven Hodges had three assists. . . . G Coleman Vollrath, the go-to guy with Patrik Polivka out with an undisclosed injury, stopped 19 shots for the Royals. . . . The Royals set single-season franchise records for victories (34) and points (75), breaking records that had been set by the 2010-11 Chilliwack Bruins. . . . These teams — the Royals, not the Bruins — play tonight in Everett. . . . Victoria F Tim Traber completed his six-game suspension last night, so is eligible to play tonight. . . . 
In Vancouver, the Kelowna Rockets tied a franchise record as they beat the Giants, 6-2. . . . The Rockets won their 51st game, tying the single-season record that was held by the 2002-03 club. . . . Kelowna F Austin Glover scored his first goal in his 33rd WHL gave, 30 of which have been played this season. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle, who was acquired from Vancouver early in the season, stopped 39 shots. . . . The Rockets lost F Colton Sissons, F J.T. Barnett and D Damon Severson to injuries during the game, although Severson did return and finish up. “Everything gets re-evaluated by our (medical) staff in the morning, so I have nothing to really report,” head coach Ryan Huska told the Kelowna Daily Courier. . . . The Rockets and Giants play tonight in Kelowna. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-3. . . . F Brady Brassart had two goals, giving him 33, and two assists for Calgary, while F Cody Sylvester had two goals and an assist. He’s got 41 goals. . . . The Ice led 3-1 with five minutes left in the second period. . . . The loss means the Ice will finish eighth in the Eastern Conference and face the first-place Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round. . . . The Ice plays in Calgary tonight. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti and F Brayden Point each scored twice to help the Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Fioretti has 32 goals, while Point has 23. . . . F Jayson Swyripa scored twice for Brandon, giving him 10. . . . Neither team will be in the playoffs. . . . Warriors D Morgan Rielly will join the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Wednesday. He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . The Warriors play in Brandon tonight. . . . 
In Regina, the Swift Current Broncos scored three times in the circus and beat the Pats, 3-2. . . . The Pats scored two PP goals, the second one from F Lane Scheidl, who has 40 goals, and took a 2-0 lead into the second period. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry got his 45th goal in the second period and D Richard Nedomlel tied it with his seventh at 2:48 of the third. . . . The Broncos outscored the Pats 3-2 in a five-round shootout. . . . The Pats are in Swift Current tonight. . . .
In Red Deer, the Edmonton Oil Kings erased a 1-0 deficit and beat the Rebels, 3-1. . . . The Oil Kings have won 50 games for a second straight season. . . . F Jordan DePape, playing his first game since Nov. 11, scored a PP goal 6:07 into his first appearance with Red Deer. . . . Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie with his eighth goal at 6:59 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar scored h is 37th goal into an empty net. . . . Red Deer plays in Edmonton tonight. . . .
In Kamloops, F Tim Bozon scored two goals and drew two assists to lead the Blazers to a 5-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The loss killed any chance the Cougars had of catching the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . Bozon has 35 goals. . . . F Brendan Ranford had a goal and two assists for the Cougars. . . . Prince George, trailing 5-0, scored two third-period power-play goals. . . . Prince George G Mac Engel got crushed in a goal-mouth scramble in the first period and was taken to hospital with a potential neck injury. He was later released and was on the bus to Prince George with his teammates. . . . The same teams meet tonight in Prince George.
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