Showing posts with label Steve Owre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Owre. Show all posts

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Everett clinches division, conference titles . . . History in Prince George . . . Halbgewachs finishes with flurry



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WHAT WE KNOW . . . 

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Regina vs. Calgary: The Pats finished atop the overall standings; the Hitmen earned the conference’s second wild-card spot on Friday. Season series: Regina, 3-1-0; Calgary, 1-2-1. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Regina.
Medicine Hat vs. Brandon: The Tigers finished first in the Central Division; Brandon, the WHL’s defending champion, was in the conference’s first wild-card spot. Brandon will play home games in Dauphin, Man., as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair rules the Keystone Centre complex. Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-3-0. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Medicine Hat.
Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current: The Warriors were second in the East Division, finishing five points ahead of the third-place Broncos. Season series: Moose Jaw, 4-2-0; Swift Current, 2-4-0. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Moose Jaw.
Lethbridge vs. Red Deer: The Hurricanes finished a comfortable second in the Central Division, 23 points ahead of the third-place Rebels. Season series: Lethbridge, 5-0-1; Red Deer: 1-4-1. Opens: Saturday and Sunday, in Lethbridge.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE:
Everett vs. Victoria: The Silvertips led the U.S. Division and the Western Conference, so draw the second wild-card entry, the Royals, who have lost seven straight (0-6-1), including two in a row to Everett this weekend. Season series: Everett, 4-0-0; Victoria, 0-3-1.
Kelowna vs. Kamloops: The Rockets wound up second in the B.C. Division, one point behind the Prince George Cougars. The difference? One loser point — Prince George finished with six; Kelowna had five. The Blazers were five points in arrears of Kelowna. Season series: Kelowna, 4-6-0; Kamloops: 6-3-1. Opens: Friday and Saturday, in Kelowna.
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WHAT WE DON’T KNOW . . . 


The combatants in two Western Conference series have yet to be decided, with the Prince George Cougars, who finished first in the B.C. Division, and the Seattle Thunderbirds, second-place finishers in the U.S. Division, awaiting opponents. One of them will get the Portland Winterhawks, the other the Tri-City Americans.
Portland goes into today’s games in third place, one point ahead of Tri-City. Both teams are at home, the Winterhawks to the Spokane Chiefs, who didn’t make the playoffs, and the Americans to the Everett Silvertips, who are the conference’s No. 1 seed.
A source has told Taking Note that there is some behind-closed-doors intrigue to a possible series featuring Prince George and Tri-City. According to the source, should that series transpire, the Americans want a 2-3-2 format, while the Cougars are asking for the traditional 2-2-1-1-1 format.
Stay tuned. . . .
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, the Wheat Kings, with six regulars scratched, were no match for Regina as the Pats wheeled their way to a 6-0 victory. . . . The Wheat Kings were without D Garrett Sambrook (ill), D Kale Clague, F
SAM STEEL
Tanner Kaspick, F Nolan Patrick, F Reid Duke and F Tyler Coulter (WHL suspension). Then they lost F Meyer Nell and D Daniel Bukac in the third period. . . . Bukac was injured at 13:44 of the third period on a hit by F Nick Henry, who drew a boarding major and game misconduct. . . . "When you look at it,” John Paddock, the Pats’ GM/head coach, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, the contact of the two guys happened quite a bit before the boards. I understand why it’s a boarding penalty, but there’s nothing malicious or dirty from Nick. He’s the kind of guy who’s probably going to win the gentlemanly player (award) in the next two years. But until we hear something for sure it’s something to be a little bit worried about. Everybody reads it differently.” . . . The game had no bearing on the final standings. . . . Regina (42-12-8) goes into the playoffs having won eight in a row. . . . Brandon (31-31-10) has lost two straight, having dropped a 6-1 decision in Regina on Friday night. . . . G Jordan Hollett recorded his second shutout of the season with 34 saves. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks had a goal, his 43rd, and two assists. Brooks, who won last season’s scoring title with 120 points, finished with 130 points, second to teammate Sam Steel, who had 131. Brooks led the WHL in assists, with 81. . . . Steel was blanked last night. . . . F Austin Wagner scored his 30th goal, giving the Pats six skaters with at least 30 goals. . . . D Connor Hobbs scored his 31st goal, to set a Pats’ single-season record for goals by a defenceman. He finished with one more than John Miner (1984-85). . . . D Jonathan Smart (3), F Dawson Leedahl (35) and F Filip Ahl (29) also scored. . . . Regina got two assists from each of D Sergey Zborovskiy and D Chase Harrison. . . . Regina won the season series, 6-1-1. . . . The Wheat Kings got 38 saves from G Logan Thompson. . . . Regina was 0-1 on the PP; Brandon was 0-7. . . . F Braden Schneider, the 12th overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, made his WHL debut with Brandon. From Prince Albert, he had 12 goals and 19 assists in 35 games with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos this season. . . . F Robbie Holmes was among Regina’s scratches after he was suspended for one game under supplemental discipline — at hit on which Duke was injured — after Friday’s 6-1 victory over the visiting Wheat Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 5,621.
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At Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s last three goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice.
KYLE DUMBA
. . . The game didn’t mean anything to the final standings. . . . Calgary (30-32-10) has won two in a row, having posted a 6-1 victory over the host Ice on Friday. . . . The Ice (14-46-12) finished the season on a 10-game skid (0-8-2). . . . D Jake Bean gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead with his eighth goal, at 3:57 of the second period. . . . F Vince Loschiavo tied it with No. 28 at 12:11. . . . The Hitmen won it with three third-period goals. . . . G Andrei Grishakov (11) provided a 2-1 lead at 11:45. . . . F Matt Dorsey (3) added insurance at 14:20. . . . D Brady Reagan (7) got the empty-netter at 19:34. . . . Calgary got two assists from each of F Matteo Gennaro and F Mark Kastelic. . . . G Kyle Dumba stopped 16 shots for Calgary. . . . Ice G Payton Lee, in the final game of his WHL career, turned aside 30 shots. . . . Kootenay was 0-2 on the PP; Calgary was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen will meet the Regina Pats in the first round of the playoffs. . . . The Ice won’t participate. . . . Announced attendance: 11,410.
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At Everett, D Kevin Davis had three assists to lead the Silvertips to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals.
KEVIN DAVIS
. . . The victory allowed the Silvertips (44-16-11) to clinch first place in the Western Conference and the U.S. Division. . . . The Royals (37-29-6) will finish in the conference’s second wild-card spot, meaning they will meet the Silvertips in the first round. . . . Everett goes in having won three straight; Victoria has lost seven straight (0-6-1). . . . Last night, the Silvertips opened a 5-0 lead. . . . They really took control with three first-period goals, from F Brandson Hein (3), F Patrick Bajkov (29) and F Cal Babych (2). The latter two came via the PP. . . . F Riley Sutter (19) added a second-period PP goal, and F Matt Fonteyne made it 5-0 with his 20th goal at 19:46. . . . The Royals got third-period goals from F Vladimir Bobylev (9) and F Ethan Price (8). . . . D Aaron Irving and F Dominic Zwerger each had two assists for Everett. . . . The Silvertips got 25 saves from G Carter Hart. . . . Victoria G Dylan Myskiw blocked 28 shots. . . . Everett was 3-6 on the PP; Victoria was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,989.
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At Medicine Hat, F Steve Owre had a goal and three assists to help the Tigers to an 8-7 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Tigers trailed 6-5 going into the third period, but tied it on F Mark
STEVE OWRE
Rassell’s 36th goal, on a PP, at 4:59. . . . F Egor Babenko (24) put Lethbridge back ahead at 5:20. . . . Medicine Hat F James Hamblin tied it with his second goal of the game, and 23rd this season, at 8:33. . . . D David Quenneville got the winner, on a PP, at 12:28. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Owre has 26 goals. . . . D Brad Forrest (3), F Mason Shaw (27) and F Max Gerlach (34) also scored for the Tigers, who got three assists from F Chad Butcher, who finished the season with 103 points, two from D Clayton Kirichenko and one each from Hamblin, Gerlach, Shaw and Rassell. . . . F Tyler Wong scored twice for Lethbridge, giving him 51, and added two assists. He is the first Lethbridge skater with 50 goals since F Shane Willis in 1997-98. . . . Wong and F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos led the WHL in goals this season. . . . D Calen Addison (9), F Ryan Vandervlis (8), F Tanner Nagel (10) and F Alec Baer (15) had Lethbridge’s other goals. . . . Lethbridge got three assists from F Giorgio Estephan, two from each of Babenko and D Brennan Menell, and one from Addison. . . . All four goaltenders got into the game. . . . Medicine Hat starter Michael Bullion allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period, but left when he reportedly felt ill. Duncan McGovern, who spent most of this season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, gave up four goals on 23 shots over the last two periods. . . . The Tigers already are without G Nick Schneider, who the club said had returned home with an illness. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 24 shots in 22:30. Adam Swan finished up, stopping 17 of 21 shots in 35:51. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-2. . . . F Zach Fischer of the Tigers sat this one out with back spasms. . . . F Matt Bradley was among Medicine Hat’s scratches as he served a one-game suspension assessed after he took a spearing major and game misconduct during Friday’s 5-1 victory in Lethbridge. . . . The Tigers (51-20-1) have won two in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (44-21-7) have lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,390.
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At Moose Jaw, F Jayden Halbgewachs scored four times and added three assists to reach the 50-goal and 100-point marks, leading the Warriors to a 10-5 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
Warriors (42-21-9) had lost their previous five games (0-4-1). . . . The Broncos (39-23-10) finished third in the East Division, ?? points behind the Warriors. . . . The teams will open a first-round playoff series in Moose Jaw on Friday. . . . Halbgewachs, who finished with 101 points, became the WHL’s fifth 50-goal scorer and its fifth 100-point man this season. . . . F Riley Stotts (9) gave the Broncos a 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the first period. . . . F Brett Howden tied it at 3:35. . . . The Broncos went back out front at 7:15 as F Conner Chaulk scored his ninth goal, on a PP. . . . The Warriors took control with the next three goals, with Halbgewachs, F Noah Gregor (26) and Howden scoring. . . . Howden, who has 38 goals, completed a hat trick, on a PP, at 12:03 of the second period. He also had two assists. . . . Halbgewachs finished his scoring night with three goals in a span of 7:13 early in the third period. . . . F Justin Almeida (11) added another goal for Moose Jaw, while Gregor scored the game’s last goal, his second of the game. . . . Chaulk scored twice for the Broncos, with F MacKenzie Wight (1) and F Ryley Lindgren (27) also scoring. . . . The Warriors got three assists from F Brayden Burke, two from F Tanner Jeannot, and one from Almeida. . . . D Artyom Minulin had three assists for Swift Current, with F Aleksi Heponiemi getting two, and Lindgren one. . . . The Warriors got 16 stops from G Zach Sawchenko. . . . Swift Current G Bailey Brkin made his WHL debut in this one, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots. With Jordan Papirny (mumps) out, Brkin has been backing up Taz Burman. . . . Brkin, 17, spent this season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. . . . Moose Jaw was 3-6 on the PP; Swift Current was 2-4. . . . The Warriors have added D Matthew Benson, who turned 16 on Nov. 24, to their roster. From Vancouver, he had four goals and 10 assists in 30 games with the Delta Hockey Academy prep team this season. A list player, he was pointless in three earlier games with the Warriors. He went pointless last night, but was plus-2. . . . The Warriors were without F Thomas Foster, who served a one-game suspension that was handed down under supplemental discipline following Friday’s 2-1 loss in Swift Current. . . . The Broncos’ scratches included F Lane Pederson, who was injured on Friday, G Jordan Papirny (mumps), D Colby Sissons, D Max Lajoie, F Kaden Elder and F Ryan Graham, all of them key performers. . . . Matthew Gourlie, a contributor at the DUBnetwork.ca, tweeted later that Emanuel Viveiros, the Broncos’ head coach, said Papirny and Sissons have been cleared to return to practice. In fact, all of the absentees should be ready for Game 1. . . . The Warriors won the season series, 4-2-0. . . . Announced attendance: 3,781.
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At Prince Albert, the Raiders scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-1. . . . F Mason McCarty gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 21st goal, on a PP, at 5:39 of the first period. . . . The Raiders tied it when F Simon Stransky scored at 5:24 of the second period and took the lead on Stransky’s 22nd goal, on a PP, at 11:35. . . . F Curtis Miske added insurance with his 20th goal, on another PP, at 18:06. . . . The Raiders got third-period goals from F Adam Kadlec (5) and D Cody Paivarinta (2). . . . Miske and Stransky added an assist apiece. . . . G Ian Scott earned the victory with 24 saves, two fewer than Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm. . . . Prince Albert was 2-3 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-3. . . . Neither the Raiders (21-44-7) nor Blades (28-35-9) qualified for the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 2,953.
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At Prince George, the Cougars won the first B.C. Division title in their 23-year history in the northern city
DYLAN FERGUSON
with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The loser point was enough to clinch top spot in the division, one point ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Blazers won the game when F Brodi Stuart, who turned 17 on March 10, scored in the eighth round of the shootout. Because shootout goals aren’t counted in individual statistics, Stuart’s line will continue to show him with no goals in three games. . . . F Collin Shirley (28) gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead, on a PP, 23 seconds into the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it when D Brendan Guhle scored his 15th goal, at 14:56. . . . With the Blazers shooting first in the skills competition, F Lane Bauer gave them a 1-0 lead, only to have F Nikita Popugaev equalize. . . . F Nick Chyzowski scored for Kamloops in the sixth round, with the Cougars then getting a goal from F Kody McDonald. . . . That set the stage for Stuart, a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft who is from Langley, B.C. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 30 shots through OT for the Cougars. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson was chosen as the game’s first start, thanks to a 47-save performance. . . . Kamloops was 1-2 on the PP; Prince George was 0-4. . . . The Blazers went north without G Connor Ingram, F Deven Sideroff, F Luc Smith and D Dallas Valentine. . . . D Devan Harrison, a second-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, made his WHL debut with Kamloops. . . . The Cougars had won, 3-1, in Kamloops on Friday. . . . The Cougars (46-21-5) have won four in a row. They will meet either the Portland Winterhawks or Tri-City Americans in the opening round of the playoffs. . . . The Blazers (41-25-6) finished third in the B.C. Division and will meet Kelowna in the first round for the second straight season. The Rockets was a seven-game series a year ago. . . . Announced attendance: 5,806.
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At Red Deer, the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Rebels, 4-1, winning on the road for the first time in
BRIAN HARRIS
regulation time since Dec. 28. . . . The teams will meet again today in Edmonton. . . . F Lane Zablocki gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 1:27 of the first period, but it was all Edmonton after that. . . . F Brian Harris scored his first WHL goal — it came in his fourth game — at 2:57. . . . D Anatolii Elizarov (7) put the visitors out front at 13:26. . . . F Riley Stadel, who hadn’t played since Feb. 12, scored his sixth goal — and first with Edmonton since moving over from the Kelowna Rockets in January — at 14:11, then drew an assist on F Graham Millar’s 12th goal, an empty-netter, at 18:27 of the third period. . . . Edmonton’s Robertson brothers — Matthew and Tyler — each had an assist. . . . G Josh Dechaine earned the victory with 33 saves. . . . The Rebels got 22 stops from G Lasse Petersen. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky was among Edmonton’s scratches. . . . The Oil Kings (22-43-6) have won their past two games. . . . The Rebels (30-29-12) had points in each of their previous seven games (5-0-2). . . . Prior to the game, Red Deer trainer Dave (Radar) Horning was presented with a WHL Milestone Award. He was with the Prince Albert Raiders for three seasons before joining the Rebels for 1994-95. . . . Announced attendance: 7,135.
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At Kent, Wash., F Colton Veloso scored two goals and added an assist as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . The victory allowed the Winterhawks (40-27-4) to remain third in the
COLTON VELOSO
U.S. Division, a point ahead of the Tri-City Americans. Portland has won three in a row and eight of nine. . . . Seattle (45-20-6), which had won its previous four games, had its hopes dashed for a first-place finish in the division. . . . Veloso, who has 18 goals, gave his guys a 2-0 lead, scoring at 17:57 of the first period and 6:16 of the second. . . . F Ryan Gropp (35) scored for Seattle at 10:15. . . . The Winterhawks put it away with third-period goals from F Alex Overhardt (41) at 3:39 and D Keoni Texeira (12), an empty-netter, at 19:21. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 31 shots for Portland, six fewer than Seattle’s Matt Berlin. . . . Portland was 0-2 on the PP; Seattle was 0-3. . . . G Rylan Toth, who led the WHL with 36 victories, was among Seattle’s scratches. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal (suspected mumps) missed his fourth straight game, but the Thunderbirds got back F Scott Eansor after a 29-game absence. He last played on Jan. 14. Also returning was D Jarret Tyszka, who had been out since Feb. 24, and D Reece Harsch, out since March 4. . . . The Winterhawks lost F Cody Glass, their leading scorer, to an undisclosed injury in the game’s first half. He’s got 94 points, 32 of them goals, in 69 games. . . . Announced attendance: 6,173.
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At Spokane, F Jordan Topping and F Vladislav Lukin scored shootout goals to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Americans (40-28-3) are fourth in the U.S. Division, one
JORDAN TOPPING
point behind the Portland Winterhawks going into the final day of the regular-season. The Americans will entertain the Everett Silvertips, who have clinched first place, while the Winterhawks are at home to the Chiefs (26-33-12), who have lost nine straight (0-6-3). . . . The third-place team will meet Seattle in the first round; the fourth-place finisher will get the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and hit the highway to face the B.C. Division-champion Prince George Cougars. . . . The Chiefs held 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3 leads in this one. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto’s 24th goal gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 1:39 of the first period. A 20-year-old from Spokane, Yamamoto was playing his final WHL home game and his last home game with his brother, Kailer. . . . The Chiefs went up 2-0 on F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s goal, at 4:31. . . . Tri-City got its first goal from F Parker AuCoin, on a penalty shot, at 15:34. He’s got 21 goals. . . . D Ty Smith got that one back for Spokane on a PP, at 17:53. He’s got five goals. . . . The Americans pulled even on second-period goals from Topping (25), at 5:39, and Lukin (26), on a PP, at 15:50. . . . Anderson-Dolan put Spokane ahead again, with No. 39, at 8:54 of the third. . . . F Tyler Sandhu, who had let the game earlier for repairs after suffering a facial injury, forced OT with his 23rd goal, at 13:12. . . . F Riley Woods gave Spokane the edge with a goal in the first round of the shootout, but Topping scored in the second round and Lukin won it in the third. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto had two assists, with Keanu Yamamoto, Anderson-Dolan and Smith getting one each. . . . The Americans got two assists from Sandhu, and one from Topping. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 35 shots for Tri-City, four more than Spokane’s Donovan Buskey. . . . The Americans were 1-2 on the PP; the Chiefs were 1-5. . . . F Max James was back in Tri-City’s lineup on Friday, after a three-game absence. But he was scratched from this one. . . . Announced attendance: 10,118.
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At Langley, B.C., F Kole Lind scored his 30th goal and added an assist as the Kelowna Rockets downed
KOLE LIND
the Vancouver Giants, 5-2. . . . The Giants took a 1-0 lead when F Calvin Spencer scored his 16th goal, on a PP, at 7:19 of the first period. . . . Lind got that one back just 26 seconds later. . . . F Jordan Borstmayer put the Giants back out front at 8:08. . . . The visitors took a 3-2 lead before the period ended, with D Nolan Foote (19) scoring, on a PP, at 14:23 and F Leif Mattson adding his ninth goal, at 16:41. . . . D Devante Stephens (13) added insurance at 19:01 of the second period and F Reid Gardiner got his 18th goal in 28 games 11 seconds later. . . . F Carsen Twarynski had two assists for Kelowna. . . . G Michael Herringer had 29 stops and an assist for the Rockets. . . . Vancouver starter Ryan Kubic allowed five goals on 25 shots through two periods. David Tendeck stopped all seven shots he saw in the third period. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (45-22-5) will finish second in the B.C. Division and meet the Kamloops Blazers in the first round. . . . The Giants (20-45-6) didn’t qualify. . . . Announced attendance: 4,423.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.
END OF REGULAR SEASON

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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Priestner not going anywhere ... Giants to stage special night ... Sideroff ties WHL record


The Saskatoon Blades are losing money and they just might miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season. However, owner Mike Priestner says they aren’t going anywhere, nor is he interested in selling them. “I’m a thousand per cent patient,” he told Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix in a story that is right here. . . . Priestner wouldn’t talk about the lawsuit that is making its way through the legal system asking that teams pay minimum wage and other benefits to players — there is a WHL directive instructing teams not to discuss it — but he does talk about wins and losses, profits and losses, and more.
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A tip of the cap to the Vancouver Giants for going the extra mile to promote organ donor awareness.
The Giants are teaming up with Don Cherry, his family and the Kidney Foundation of Canada to hold Don Cherry Night on March 14 when the Giants play host to the Victoria Royals at the Langley Events Centre.
From a Giants news release:
“The Giants will wear special Don Cherry jerseys for the game as part of a national effort to increase both awareness and organ transplant rates by 50 per cent over five years. Canada has fallen to 23rd in the world in terms of organ donation rates, and approximately 4,500 Canadians are waiting for an organ with about 80 per cent of those needing a kidney. This is a cause that hits close to home for the Cherry family.”
Don Cherry said: “When I was coaching the Boston Bruins, my son Tim had a transplant. Lucky for him, his sister, Cindy, gave him a kidney. We’re promoting organ transplants here, you can do your job, do your part, and step up to the plate.”
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D Jacob Bernard-Docker, a fifth-round selection by the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft, has committed to attend the U of North Dakota and play for the Fighting Hawks starting in 2019-20. From Canmore, Alta., Bernard-Docker has 20 points, including seven goals, in 52 games with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
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The MJHL’s OCN Blizzard will be around for a while longer, after all. The Opaskwayak Cree Nation had announced that the Blizzard would be suspending operations before another season arrives. On Wednesday, however, the Blizzard announced that it has been saved. From a news release: “The Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief and Council announced they’ve passed a motion to allow the OCN Blizzard Jr. A hockey club the opportunity to self-sustain in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for the 2017-18 season, upon MJHL approval.” . . . The complete news release is right here.
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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Giorgio Estephan scored 46 seconds into OT as the Lethbridge Hurricanes beat the Wheat
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Kings, 3-2. . . . The Wheat Kings didn’t touch the puck in extra time before Estephan won it with his 28th goal of the season. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 13:24 of the first period. . . . The Wheat Kings went ahead 2-1 on goals from F Tyler Coulter (27), at 19:20, and F Nolan Patrick (17), at 9:17 of the second period. . . . F Alec Baer’s 13th goal of the season, at 14:37 of the second, tied it. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from each of D Brennan Menell and D Calen Addison. Baer added an assist to his goal. . . . Coulter also had an assist. . . . The Hurricanes got 32 saves from G Stuart Skinner. . . . G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots for the home side. . . . Lethbridge was 1-6 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . The Hurricanes (40-17-7) have won four in a row. They remain second in the Central Division, four points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-26-10) have dropped six in a row (0-4-2). They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,177.
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At Edmonton, F Colton Kroeker and F Vince Loschiavo each had a goal and two assists to help the
VINCE LOSCHIAVO
Kootenay Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . The Ice took a 2-0 lead on goals from D Cale Fleury (11), on a PP, at 3:55 of the first period and Loschiavo (24) at 5:15. . . . F Davis Koch scored his 20th goal, at 8:30, to get the Oil Kings to within a goal. . . . The Ice took control on second-period goals from D Dallas Hines (4), on a PP, at 1:48, and Kroeker (16), at 19:04. . . . D Conner McDonald scored his seventh goal, getting the Oil Kings to within two, at 17:18 of the third period. . . . F Brett Davis (17) iced it for the Ice with an empty-netter at 18:38. . . . G Payton Lee stopped 30 shots to earn the victory. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 25 shots. . . . Kootenay was 2-5 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . The Ice (14-38-10) had lost its previous three games. . . . The Oil Kings (20-39-5) have lost seven in a row (0-6-1). . . . Announced attendance: 6,671.
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At Everett, F Kailer Yamamoto was in on each Spokane goal as the Chiefs beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Yamamoto scored Spokane’s second goal, his 36th, and drew assists on the other three. A Spokane
KAILER YAMAMOTO
native who is expected to be a first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. Yamamoto has 81 points in 55 games this season. In 180 career games, he has 209 points, including 78 goals. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 34th goal, on a PP, at 11:17 of the first period, gave Spokane a 1-0 lead. . . . Yamamoto made it 2-0 at 17:25 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs went up 3-0 on F Keanu Yamamoto’s 24th goal, on a PP, at 1:13 of the third period. . . . Everett got its goal from F Riley Sutter (17), on a PP, at 13:35. . . . Spokane F Riley Woods (11) put it away with an empty-netter at 17:34. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Hudson Elynuik, while Anderson-Dolan added one. . . . G Jayden Sittler earned the victory with 32 saves. . . . The Silvertips got 29 saves from Carter Hart. . . . Spokane was 2-6 on the PP; Everett was 1-5. . . . Mitch Love, an Everett assistant coach, got the ol’ heave-ho 56 seconds into the third period. He did it up right, though, as he took a minor penalty before getting ejected and then another one on the way out. . . . The Chiefs (26-27-9) had lost their previous three games. They have 10 games remaining and are nine points away from a playoff spot. . . . The Silvertips (38-14-10) have lost two in a row. They are tied with Seattle for first place in the U.S. Division. Everett has two games in hand.. . . Announced attendance: 3,519.
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At Kamloops, F Deven Sideroff scored at 1:52 of OT to give the Blazers a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . All four games of the season series went to extra time, with each team going 2-0-2. . . . Kamloops won twice in OT; Seattle won once in OT and once in a shootout. . . . Kamloops G Connor
DEVEN SIDEROFF
Ingram made a right pad save on Sea F Donovan Neuls, who had gotten away from Sideroff to go in alone, moments before Sideroff went down the right side and scored the winner, his second goal of the game and 35th this season. It was his 10th game-winner, tying him for the WHL lead with F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Ingram got the lone assist on the winner, his third assist this season. Those assists have come in his past seven games after he went 146 games before getting No. 1. . . . Sideroff’s fifth OT goal this season ties the WHL’s single-season record. He now shares that mark with F Eric Fehr, who did it with the 2004-05 Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . If you’re wondering, F Brian Propp of the Wheat Kings holds the single-season record for game-winning goals (16), from 1978-79. . . . Kamloops took a 1-0 lead at 8:47 of the first period when F Garrett Pilon’s centring pass was deposited into the Seattle net by Thunderbirds F Ryan Gropp, a Kamloops native who, barring playoffs, was playing his last WHL game in his hometown. . . . Pilon has 18 goals. . . . The Blazers went up 2-0 at 9:41 when F Luc Smith scored No. 11. . . . Seattle tied it on a pair of Gropp goals, at 11:15 of the first and 18:11 of the second period. He’s got 31 goals. . . . F Keegan Kolesar gave Seattle a 3-2 lead at 3:22 of the third period. . . . Kamloops D Dallas Valentine (2) tied it at 5:30 and Sideroff put his guys out front at 10:02. . . . The Thunderbirds forced OT when Kolesar scored his 24th goal, with 12.4 seconds left on the clock and G Rylan Toth on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Blazers got two assists from each of F Rudolfs Balcers and F Quinn Benjafield, while Pilon added one. . . . F Mathew Barzal had three assists for Seattle, with Gropp picking up one. . . . Ingram finished with 31 saves, three more than Toth. . . . Seattle was 0-3 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-4. . . . The Thunderbirds were without D Jarret Tyszka, F Scott Eansor and D Ethan Bear, three top-end skaters who are sidelined with injuries. They had D Jake Lee, 15, from Sherwood Park, Alta., and F Ian Briscoe, 17, from Winnipeg, in the lineup. . . . The Blazers (38-21-6) had lost their previous two games. With this victory, they clinched a playoff spot and moved to within three points of the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars. . . . The Thunderbirds (40-18-6) have points in three straight (2-0-1). The loser point allowed them to move into a tie with Everett atop the U.S. Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,560.
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At Kelowna, F Calvin Thurkauf scored two goals and set up another to lead the Rockets to a 5-1 victory
CALVIN THURKAUF
over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Thurkauf, who has 32 goals, gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 4:27 of the second period. . . . F Kyle Topping (13) made it 2-0 at 9:53. . . . Thurkauf scored again at 11:08, for a 3-0 lead, and F Nick Merkley’s PP goal at 15:32 made it 4-0. . . . Merkley has 23 goals. . . . The Cougars got a goal from F Radovan Bondra, his 30th, at 1:04 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube (13) closed out the scoring, on a PP, at 15:17. . . . The Rockets got two assists from each of F Reid Gardiner and D Cal Foote, with Dube adding one. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Cougars got 32 stops from G Ty Edmonds. . . . The Rockets were 3-10 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-2. . . . Prince George was without F Colby McAuley (one-game suspension), D Brendan Guhle and F Brad Morrison, the latter two out with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Rockets (38-21-5) have won two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, a point behind Kamloops. . . . The Cougars (40-20-5) journeyed south for a single game. They now return home to face the Kamloops Blazers in a Friday-Saturday doubleheader. The Cougars lead the B.C. Division by three points over Kamloops, each with seven games remaining. . . . Announced attendance: 5,121.
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At Moose Jaw, F Yan Khomenko broke a 3-3 tie at 9:36 of the third period as the Warriors edged the
YAN KHOMENKO
Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. . . . Khomenko won it with his 14th goal of the season. . . . The Warriors led this one 3-0 early in the second period, only to have the visitors tie it in the third period. . . . The Warriors went up 3-0 on goals from F Brett Howden (34), at 5:29 of the first period, F Tanner Jeannot (17), at 13:08, and F Jayden Halbgewachs (45), at 5:29 of the second. . . . The Calgary comeback began when F Jake Kryski scored No. 17, at 9:14 of the second. . . . F Matteo Gennaro got his 38th at 1:54 of the third, and D Brady Reagan (6) tied it at 8:08. . . . D Matt Sozanski and D Josh Brook each had two assists for Moose Jaw, with Halbgewachs getting one. . . . The Warriors got a big game from G Zach Sawchenko, who stopped 33 shots. . . . Calgary starter Trevor Martin gave up two goals on 10 shots in the first period before leaving with an apparent ankle injury. Kyle Dumba finished up with 16 saves on 18 shots over 38:35. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-2. . . . The Warriors (39-17-8) have won seven in a row. They are second in the East Division, 10 points behind Regina and 12 ahead of Swift Current. . . . The Hitmen (24-29-10) have lost two straight. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Saskatoon. . . . Announced attendance: 2,843.
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At Prince Albert, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s last three goals, including one in OT from F
STEVE OWRE
Steve Owre, to beat the Raiders, 6-5. . . . F D-Jay Jerome’s eighth goal, at 5:56 of the third period, had given Prince Albert a 5-3 lead. . . . F John Dahlstrom got the Tigers to within a goal with his 25th, at 9:14, and F Mark Rassell tied it, on a PP, at 14:04. He’s got 32 goals. . . . Owre won it with his 23rd goal of the season. . . . The Tigers opened the scoring when F Mason Shaw (26) counted at 6:42 of the first period. . . . The Raiders took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Curtis Miske (18), on a PP, at 7:56, and F Cavin Leth (20), at 5:19 of the second period. . . . Rassell tied it while shorthanded at 14:39. . . . Goals from Leth, at 1:19 of the third period, and F Parker Kelly (14), at 4:01, gave the home side a 4-2 lead. . . . The Tigers cut into that when F Matt Bradley got No. 30, at 5:13. . . . Bradley, Owre and Shaw each had one assist. . . . Miske had two assists for the Raiders, with Kelly getting one. . . . G Michael Bullion earned the victory with 36 stops. . . . The Raiders started G Ian Scott, who gave up four goals on 30 shots in 50:23. Nic Sanders finished up, allowing two goals on 11 shots in 10:08. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . Medicine Hat (45-18-1) has won three straight. The Tigers lead the Central Division by four points over Lethbridge. . . . The Raiders (17-40-7) were eliminated from the playoff picture with the loss. . . . Announced attendance: 2,005.
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At Langley, B.C., F Keegan Iverson and F Jake Gricius had two goals each as the Portland Winterhawks
KEEGAN IVERSON
unleashed a 55-shot attack in a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Iverson, who has 20 goals, scored a pair of PP goals, giving his guys a 1-0 lead at 8:23 of the first period and putting them ahead 3-0 at 15:51 of the second. . . . In between, Gricius scored his eighth goal. . . . D Matt Barberis (10) scored for Vancouver, on a PP, at 2:47 of the third period. . . . F Matt Revel (8) scored his first goal for the Winterhawks, an empty-netter, at 18:10. Revel started the season with the Kamloops Blazers but suffered a collarbone injury in December. The Winterhawks picked him up on 20-year-old waivers in January. . . . Gricius got Portland’s last goal at 19:02. . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from D Caleb Jones. . . . G Cole Kehler stopped 17 shots for Portland. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic blocked 51 shots. . . . The Winterhawks were 3-5 on the PP; the Giants were 1-3. . . . Portland (33-26-4) had lost its previous four games (0-3-1). The Winterhawks are in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, five points behind Victoria. . . . Vancouver (19-40-5) has lost four straight. . . . The Giants and Winterhawks will meet in Portland on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . Announced attendance: 3,113.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

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

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:09 AM
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Saturday, February 25, 2017

WHL teams working against mumps . . . Edmond sets P.G. record . . . Victoria d-man spins record, too




The WHL isn’t in lockdown mode, but it is into prevention in a big way as it hopes to avoid a full-blown outbreak of mumps.
The league issued a news release on Friday evening that began:
“The Western Hockey League was informed of confirmed cases of mumps within one of our member  clubs in early February. Since that time, the WHL has been working closely with its team services committee, all 22 WHL member clubs and their training staff members as well as the applicable health authorities to ensure proper steps are being taken to minimize the spread of the virus.”
To date, it has been confirmed that players and staff with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Medicine Hat Tigers have been diagnosed with mumps over the past couple of weeks. As well, Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels, indicated on Thursday while discussing the mumps outbreak with rdnewsNOW that “they had a situation occur in Swift Current” with the Broncos.
You can bet that all WHL teams are working on prevention.
“All WHL clubs were also asked to review vaccination histories of players and team staff and strongly recommend vaccination if necessary,” the WHL news release continued. “The medical and training staff members of each WHL club and the WHL office are on alert for anyone displaying mumps symptoms, including officials, and isolating individuals as required.”
In Kamloops, Blazers athletic trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson, who worked his 1,500th game on Friday night, said he and his staff have been doing a lot of cleaning with bleach and are using their electrolysed washing system a lot more than they normally do. They also are making sure that water bottles are cleaned every day.
The WHL has asked teams to limit contact between players and fans, so teams are suspending minor hockey promotions and other appearances that might put players in close proximity to fans.
On Friday, for example, the Blazers, who were at home to the Kelowna Rockets, cancelled the pregame Timbits promotion that normally has a minor hockey player on the ice with them for the anthem. Security staff at the Sandman Centre also acted to limit post-game contact between players and fans in the arena’s lower reaches.
In Red Deer, the Rebels cancelled a post-game autograph session that would have have involved players and fans interacting.
The Rebels notified their fans via tweet: “There is currently a mumps outbreak and for player safety we cannot hold post-game autographs tonight.”
The Calgary Hitmen also cancelled a post-game autograph session last night.
This isn’t a problem affecting only the WHL. On Friday afternoon, the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks revealed that one player, D Troy Stecher, has been diagnosed with mumps and at least four others are showing symptoms.
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Andy Eide of ESPN 710 Seattle posted a Seattle Thunderbirds notebook prior to Friday’s games that included some interesting info. . . . D Ethan Bear now holds the Thunderbirds record for career goals by a defenceman, but he isn’t likely to reach the points record that is held by Shea Theodore. . . . Meanwhile, head coach Steve Konowalchuk needs three victories to tie Don Nachbaur for second place on the franchise’s career list. Nachbaur, now the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, ran the Seattle bench from 1994-2000. . . . Eide’s complete notebook is right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Calgary, F Steve Owre scored twice and added an assist to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Tigers took a 3-1 lead into the second period. . . . Calgary F Jakob
STEVE OWRE
Stukel gave his guys a 1-0 lead, on the PP, at 5:59 of the first period. . . . Owre tied it at 9:28 and D Brad Forrest’s second goal of the season gave the visitors the lead at 13:02. Owre, who assisted on Forrest’s goal, got No. 22 at 18:45 for a 3-1 lead. . . . Stukel’s 20th goal got the Hitmen to within a goal at 4:19 of the second period, but F Tyler Preziuso (4) got that one back at 4:51. . . . The Hitmen got back to within one when F Andrei Grishakov counted at 11:46. . . . The Tigers went ahead 5-3 as F Mason Shaw got his 24th at 17:02. . . . Grishakov closed the scoring with his ninth goal at 19:37 of the third period. . . . The Tigers got two assists from each of F Zach Fischer and F Chad Butcher. . . . Fischer wore No. 9 for the final time as the Tigers will retire it tonight in honour of the late Tom Lysiak. . . . Grishakov also had an assist, while F Matteo Gennaro had two of them. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean earned one assist, giving him 100 for his career. . . . The Tigers got 33 saves from G Nick Schneider, who earned his 31st victory. He has won his last nine starts against Calgary, six of them this season. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba stopped 25 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-3 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-2. . . . David Quenneville, one of the WHL’s highest-scoring defencemen, was back in the Tigers’ lineup. He had been out since Jan. 3 with a broken leg suffered while blocking a shot. When he was injured, he had 48 points, 20 of them goals, in 38 games. He was pointless and plus-2 last night. . . . The Tigers also had D Kristians Rubins and F Ryan Chyzowski back after their brushes with mumps, but F James Hamblin and D Jordan Henderson remained out. . . . Medicine Hat (43-18-1) is 6-0-0 against Calgary this season. The Tigers lead the Central Division by six points over Lethbridge. . . . The Hitmen (23-27-10) had points in their previous five games (4-0-1). They are tied with Saskatoon for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,031.
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At Everett, F Dominic Zwerger scored a goal and added three assists to lead the Silvertips to a 4-1
DOMINIC ZWERGER
victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Patrick Bajkov (24) gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the first period. . . . The Winterhawks tied it when F Joachim Blichfeld got No. 26, on a PP, at 15:08. . . . Zwerger broke the tie with his 24th goal, on a PP, at 17:50. . . . The Silvertips got insurance from D Jake Christiansen (5) at 14:20 of the second period. . . . D Noah Juulsen sealed the victory with his 12th goal at 11:59 of the third period. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had two assists for Everett, as did Bajkov. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 42 shots for Everett in posting his 79th career victory, 26 of them this season. He leads the WHL with a 1.93 GAA. . . . At the other end, Cole Kehler stopped 28 shots. . . . Everett was 1-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-6. . . . F Matt Revel (collarbone), who last played on Dec. 10, was in Portland’s lineup. The Winterhawks acquired him off waivers from Kamloops in January as the Blazers got down to three 20-year-olds. . . . The Silvertips (37-12-10) have won six in a row. They lead the U.S. Division by three points over Seattle and hold two games in hand. . . . Portland (32-26-4) has lost four straight (0-3-1). It holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,513.
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At Kamloops, F Cole Lind scored once and added three assists as the Kelowna Rockets dropped the Blazers, 8-2. . . . The Rockets had dropped seven straight games in Kamloops. . . . F Garrett Pilon gave
KOLE LIND
the Blazers a 1-0 lead at 1:28 of the first period, but the Rockets scored the next eight goals, the first three of those coming in the first period. . . . F Rod Southam’s 14th goal got Kelowna even at 4:31 of the first and F Tomas Soustal (18) gave the visitors the lead at 13:48. . . . F Nick Merkley’s 21st goal made it 3-1 at 18:19. . . . Kelowna added two more goals in the second period — D Lucas Johansen got No. 6, Lind scored his 28th, on a PP, and F Dillon Dube notched No. 10. . . . In the third period, F Reid Gardiner added his eighth goal, shorthanded, and F Carsen Twarynski got his 13th. . . . F Luc Smith (10) had the Blazers’ second goal. . . . The Rockets got two assists from each of F Calvin Thurkauf and Twarynski, and one each from Merkley, Southam and Dube. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 23 shots to earn the victory. . . . Kamloops starter Connor Ingram allowed six goals on 26 shots in 28:30, with Dylan Ferguson finishing up, stopped 13 of 15 shots in 31:29. . . . Ingram went in riding back-to-back shutouts and a shutout streak of 178:07. That ended at 182:38. . . . The longest shutout streak in the WHL this season (193:48) belongs to Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kelowna was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 0-3. . . . It was the first time the Blazers had given up at least eight goals since Jan. 22, 2016, when they lost 9-4 to the Cougars in Prince George. The last time Kamloops gave up eight goals at home? On Oct. 24, 2014, the Brandon Wheat Kings won 8-5 in Kamloops. . . . This was the final game of a season series that the Blazers won, 6-3-1. The Rockets finished 4-6-0. . . . Kamloops trainer Colin (Toledo) Robinson worked his 1,500th WHL game. Robinson is in his 11th season with the Blazers. He also spent five seasons with each of the Swift Current Broncos and Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets (36-20-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) to get to within three points of the second-place Blazers in the B.C. Division. Kelowna has two games in hand. . . . The Blazers (37-20-6) had won their previous three games. They trail B.C. Division-leading Prince George by three points. . . . Kamloops climbed on to its bus after the game and headed for Everett and date tonight with the Silvertips. The Rockets, meanwhile, went south for games with the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight and Spokane Chiefs on Sunday. Yes, three games in three different cities in fewer than 48 hours. . . . Announced attendance: 4,661.
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At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes built up a 4-1 lead en route to a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings.
MATT ALFARO
. . . F Giorgio Estephan (27) got Lethbridge started at 1:16 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick tied it with his 16th goal, on a PP, at 5:37. . . . The Hurricanes scored the next three goals. . . . F Zak Zborosky (39) broke the tie at 7:13 of the first, with F Matt Alfaro making it 3-1 at 17:10. . . . Alfaro added his 20th goal of the season at 10:14 of the third period for a 4-1 edge. . . . The Wheat Kings made it interesting with third-period PP goals from F Ty Lewis (28), at 14:17, and F Tyler Coulter (25), at 17:28. . . . F Tyler Wong and D Brennan Menell had two assists each for the winners, while Zborosky added one. . . . Brandon got two assists from each of D Kale Clague and Lewis, with Patrick getting one. . . . G Stuart Skinner blocked 25 shots to earn the victory over Logan Thompson, who made 32 saves. . . . Brandon was 3-5 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-3. . . . Lethbridge (37-17-7) is second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat with a game in hand. . . . The Wheat Kings (28-24-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). They are fourth in the East Division, five points behind Swift Current. Brandon is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, nine points ahead of Calgary. . . . Announced attendance: 4,090.
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At Prince George, G Ty Edmonds set a franchise record for career victories as the Cougars beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . Edmonds stopped 19 shots in earning his 27th victory of this season and No. 96 in his career with the Cougars. He had shared the record with Scott Myers (1996-2000). . . . F Jansen Harkins opened the scoring, giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal at 3:38 of the first period. . . . F Nikita Popugaev made it 2-0 with No. 26 at 7:07. . . . The Cougars took a 3-0 lead at 12:44 of the second period as F Jesse Gabrielle scored his 27th goal, shorthanded. . . . The Oil Kings got their goal from F Trey Fix-Wolansky (21), on a PP, at 7:14 of the third period. He broke the Oil Kings’ record for goals by a freshman that had been held by F Curtis Lazar (2011-12). . . . D Josh Anderson (2) scored the Cougars’ final goal, at 7:35. . . . Harkins and Gabrielle added an assist each. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine stopped 38 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Prince George was 0-5. . . . The Cougars lost F Colby McAuley to a headshot major and game misconduct at 9:56 of the second period after a hit on Edmonton F Ty Gerla, who left and didn’t return. . . . Prince George D Brendan Guhle (ankle) remains week-to-week, while F Tanner Wishnowski, who was acquired from Spokane in January, is back skating. He has been out with a concussion since Nov. 19. . . . Prince George (39-19-5) had lost seven of nine and was 0-2-1 in its previous three games. It leads the B.C. Division by three points over Kamloops. . . . Edmonton (20-37-5) has lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . These teams will meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 4,040.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels got off to a 3-0 lead and went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 6-4. . . . Red Deer
AUSTIN GLOVER
grabbed that lead with three goals in a span of 3:38 in the first period. . . . F Austin Pratt started it with No. 13 at 9:49. . . . F Cameron Hausinger added his seventh goal at 11:35. . . . F Austin Glover made it 3-0, shorthanded, at 13:27. . . . Ice D Cale Fleury’s ninth goal, on a PP, got his guys on the scoreboard at 13:53. . . . Red Deer F Evan Polei got that one back with his 27th, on a PP, 48 seconds into the second period. . . . The Ice got to within a goal when D Kurtis Rutledge (3) scored at 18:55 of the second and F Fedor Rudakov got No. 5 at 8:46 of the third period. . . . The Rebels put it away with two quick goals, F Michael Spacek getting his 26th, on a PP, at 12:23 and Glover adding his 19th at 13:06. . . . F Colton Kroeker scored the Ice’s last goal, his 14th at 19:24. . . . Polei and F Akash Bains had two assists each for Red Deer, while Glover and Spacek had one apiece. . . . The Ice got two assists from each of F Vince Loschiavo and F Michael King. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 25 shots for the Rebels. . . . The Ice got 33 stops from G Jakob Walter. . . . Red Deer was 2-7 on the PP; Kootenay was 1-7. . . . The Rebels (25-27-10) have points in three straight games (2-0-1). They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Ice (13-37-10) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,477.
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At Regina, F Sam Steel erupted for four goals and also had an assist to lead the Pats to a 7-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race, had gone eight games
SAM STEEL
without a goal. He now has 111 points, 10 more than teammate Adam Brooks, who won the scoring title last season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 15 shots in earning his fourth shutout of the season and the sixth of his career. . . . Steel scored the game’s first three goals, the first two coming via the PP, at 2:39 and 10:14 of the second period. He completed the hat trick at 18:12. His fourth goal, No. 43 on the season, made it 6-0 at 8:38 of the third period. . . . Regina also got goals from F Jeff de Wit (8), F Nick Henry (30) and D Connor Hobbs (27). . . . Henry, who also had three assists, is the Pats’ fourth 30-goal man, while Hobbs leads all WHL defencemen in goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl and Brooks each had two assists. . . . The shots were 51-15 and that’s a palindrome. . . . The Broncos started G Jordan Papirny, who surrendered five goals on 37 shots in 42:55. Taz Burman finished up, allowing two goals on 14 shots in 17:04. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-2. . . . Regina is 5-0-0 in the season series. . . . The Pats dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. They scratched F Jake Leschyshyn, who is done for the season with a knee injury, D Jonathan Smart and F Filip Ahl. . . . The Broncos had F Lane Pederson back in the lineup for the first time since Feb. 8, but he left at 2:01 of the second period with a charging major and game misconduct. Regina F Robbie Holmes, who took the hit, left with an apparent shoulder injury and didn't return. . . . The Pats also lost F Braydon Buziak to an undisclosed injury during the game. . . . Regina (44-9-7) has won three in a row and leads the overall standings by eight points over Medicine Hat with two games in hand. . . . Swift Current (30-19-10) had points in its previous two games (1-0-1). The Broncos are third in the East Division, 10 points behind Moose Jaw and five ahead of Brandon. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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At Saskatoon, the Blades snapped a five-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over the Prince Albert
BRAYLON SHMYR
Raiders. . . . F Josh Paterson gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his 14th goal, at 12:41 of the second period. . . . F Curtis Miske (16) pulled the Raiders even at 14:26. . . . Saskatoon broke the tie when F Braylon Shmyr got his 28th goal, on a PP, at 15:03. . . . D Libor Hajek added insurance with his fourth goal at 15:19 of the third period. . . . The Blades got two assists from F Jesse Shynkaruk, while Shmyr added one. . . . Saskatoon G Logan Flodell stopped 29 shots, while the Raiders’ Ian Scott turned aside 20. . . . Saskatoon was 1-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-6. . . . The Blades have won four of the first five meetings between these teams this season. They will meet again tonight in Prince Albert. . . . Saskatoon (24-29-8) had been 0-3-2 in its previous five games. It is tied with Calgary for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Raiders (16-40-6) had points in each of their past two games (1-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,541.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Austyn Playfair scored two goals and added two assists as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-3. . . . Playfair had one goal and one assist over his
AUSTYN PLAYFAIR
previous 19 games. He now has seven points, three of them goals, in 27 games. . . . The Americans took a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from F Kyle Olson, who has 17, at 0:53 and 3:43 of the first period. . . . D Jarret Tyszka (6) scored for Seattle at 8:51, but the Americans took control with the next four goals. . . . Playfair got it started 27 seconds into the second period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko (8) gave the home side a 4-1 lead at 3:09 and F Keltie Jeri-Leon (2) upped it to 5-1 at 4:47. . . . F Brett Leason added another Tri-City goal, his seventh, at 8:06. . . . F Keegan Kolesar (20) and D Austin Strand (7) also scored for Seattle. . . . Playfair added his third goal of the season at 19:28 of the second period. . . . Yaremko, D Parker Wotherspoon and F Max James had two assists apiece for the Americans. . . . Tri-City G Rylan Parenteau stopped 36 shots. . . . G Carl Stankowski made his fourth appearance of the season with Seattle, but only his first since Oct. 14. He is one of three goaltenders on the team’s roster. . . . Stankowski left after giving up two goals on five shots in 3:43. Rylan Toth came on and was beaten four times on eight shots in 24:22. Stankowski went back in and finished up, stopping 15 of 16 shots in 31:53. . . . Seattle was 2-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-4. . . . The Americans again were without F Michael Rasmussen, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1. As well, F Vladislav Lukin is expected to be out for two weeks with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Thunderbirds welcomed back F Nolan Volcan and F Keegan Kolesar back in the lineup. Volcan last played on Feb. 24, while Kolesar had missed one game. . . . The Americans (37-23-3) won their sixth straight game. They are third in the U.S. Division, four points behind Seattle and nine ahead of Portland. . . . The Thunderbirds (38-18-5) had won their previous two games. They are second in the U.S. Division, three points behind Everett. . . . Announced attendance: 5,318.
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At Langley, B.C., D Scott Walford tied a franchise record in leading the Victoria Royals to a 6-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Walford had a goal and three assists, his four points equaling the Royals
SCOTT WALFORD
record for points in a game by a defenceman. . . . Walford now shares the record with Chaz Reddekopp (2014-15), Joe Hicketts (2014-15), Travis Brown (2013-14 and 2014-15) and Brandon Manning (2009-10 and 2010-11). . . . Walford, who turned 18 on Jan. 12, has 23 points in 49 games this season. . . . The Royals also tied a franchise record for PP goals in one game, with five. The Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) went 5-13 in a 6-1 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Oct. 2, 2010. . . . F Vladimir Bobylev (6) gave the Royals a 1-0 lead, on a PP, at 7:25 of the first period. . . . Vancouver F Ty Ronning (23) tied it at 10:07 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker followed with two PP goals, giving him 27, at 12:39 and 17:55. . . . The Giants cut the deficit to one as D Matt Barberis scored his ninth at 19:10. . . . The Royals restored the two-goal lead when F Matt Phillips scored No. 43 just 39 seconds into the third period. . . . F Johnny Wesley (9), on a PP, pulled the Giants back to within one at 9:10, but Victoria put it away with the next two goals, both on the PP, as F Dante Hannoun (20) scored at 12:36 and Walford counted his sixth at 16:04. . . . Vancouver F Calvin Spencer closed the scoring with his 13th goal, at 18:08. . . . Phillips, Hannoun, Bobylev and F Regan Nagy each had two assists, with Walker adding one. . . . The Giants got two assists apiece from F Brayden Watts and F James Malm, and one from Wesley. . . . The Royals got 23 saves from G Griffen Outhouse, who earned his 31st victory, one shy of the franchise single-season record set last season by Coleman Vollrath. . . . G Ryan Kubic stopped 41 shots for the Giants. . . . Victoria finished 5-6 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Royals (33-23-5) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are fourth in the B.C. Division, six points behind Kelowna. Victoria holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, three points ahead of Portland. . . . The Giants (19-37-5) now head to Victoria for games tonight and Sunday. . . . Announced attendance: 4,125.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:34 AM
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