Paddock cracking whip in Regina . . . Tigers' defence hurting . . . Seattle on five-game roll

F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has been released from a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) that was signed on Jan. 10. He didn’t appear in a game for Mladá Boleslav. This season, he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga) when he was released on Dec. 31. . . . 

F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) has been released by Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga). He had nine goals and 21 assists in 23 games.

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John Paddock, the general manager and head coach of the Regina Pats, had seen enough. Although it was riding high atop the CHL rankings, Paddock knew that the ship was leaking. 

That was before Friday evening, when the Pats jumped out to 4-0 and 5-1 first-period leads over the Tri-City Americans, before watching it all fall apart as the visitors stormed back for a 6-5 victory.

Paddock, tired of undisciplined play and bad penalties, reacted Saturday by scratching D Connor Hobbs and F Filip Ahl before a game against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders.

How’d that work?

Well, the Raiders scored the game’s first four goals, all in the first period, at which point the Pats had been outscored 9-0 over a stretch of 61 minutes 27 seconds and all on home ice.

On Saturday, it took two goals from F Adam Brooks, one with nine seconds left to play in regulation time and the other in OT, to give Regina a 7-6 victory.

The Pats travelled to Prince Albert for a Sunday game, giving Paddock lots of time to ponder what has been happening. He put Ahl and Hobbs back into the lineup, but took out F Austin Wagner and the Pats responded with a 5-1 victory. Hobbs responded to his benching with two goals and an assist.

The Pats, who have been the No. 1 team in the CHL rankings, likely will lose their spot this week because of their performance in those two home games. It will be interesting to see how they respond.

They have some time to practise before entertaining the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday and visiting the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers don’t play again until Wednesday when they visit the Saskatoon Blades.

Already without D David Quenneville, who hasn’t played since Jan. 3 when he suffered a broken fibula

while blocking a shot, they now have lost D Ty Schultz. He left in the first period of Friday’s 7-3 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Yes, he ended up with a broken fibula after blocking a shot.

When he was injured, Quenneville, an 18-year-old from Edmonton, had 48 points, 20 of them goals, in 38 games.

Schultz, a 19-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., was having a career season offensively, with 21 points, 18 of them assists, in 44 games when he went down. He has equalled his career high in goals (3) and surpassed the 14 assists he recorded in 2014-15.

If things really do come in threes, that should be it for the Tigers and broken  feet from blocked shots. Last season, the Tigers lost F Steve Owre on Dec. 1 when he ended up with a broken ankle after being hit by a Quenneville shot. Owre, who had 24 points in 24 games when he was injured, didn’t play again until Jan. 25. He finished with 52 points, including 20 goals, in 55 games.

With Quenneville and Schultz out and the WHL trade deadline having passed us by, what happens with Medicine Hat now?

Well, the Tigers’ acquisition of D Jordan Henderson, 19, from the Saskatoon Blades on Jan. 5 for a fifth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft looms large. Henderson’s experience will be key to helping the Tigers through this rough spot.

As well, veteran Clayton Kirichenko, 20, will no doubt be asked to shoulder more of the load. He already is having a banner season, with career highs in assists (32) and points (37).

Latvian freshman Kristians Rubins, who turned 19 on Dec. 11, is also sure to be asked for more. He’s 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and was with Latvia at the World Junior Championship, so wanting more from him shouldn’t be much of a reach.

Quenneville isn’t expected back for at least a month, and Schultz, depending on what the X-rays showed, could be gone at least that long.

Really, though, there’s no reason for panic in The Hat. After all, the Tigers are 30-13-1 and leading the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricanes and 14 over the third-place Red Deer Rebels.

For a while, at least, the Tigers will be playing with house money.

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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Matteo Gennaro completed his first career hat trick at 1:44 of OT to give the Hitmen a 6-5

MATTEO GENNARO

victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Calgary held a 5-3 lead in the third period but had to go to OT to win it. . . . D Igor Merezhko (2) gave Lethbridge the lead at 6:59 of the first period, only to have Calgary D Micheal Zipp (4) tie it 35 seconds later. . . . F Tyler Wong put the visitors back out front with No. 32 at 2:48 of the second period. . . . Calgary then scored three straight, with F Luke Coleman counting his eighth at 6:05 of the second, Gennaro getting his first of the game at 11:14, and D Brady Reagan (3) scoring at 13:29. . . . Wong’s 33rd got Lethbridge to within one at 1:11 of the third period, but Gennaro that one back at 7:14. . . . Lethbridge forced extra time as F Alec Baer (8) scored a PP goal at 8:10 and D Calen Addison got his sixth at 11:16. . . . Gennaro won it with his 22nd goal of the season. His first hat trick came in his 241st game. . . . Calgary got two assists from F Andrei Grishakov, while Zipp added one to his goal. . . . F Giorgio Estephan drew two assists for Lethbridge, with Wong and Baer each getting one. . . . The Hitmen got 16 saves from G Trevor Martin. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner made 28 saves, while Ryan Gilchrist stopped the only shot he faced in a 56-second appearance in the third period. . . . Lethbridge was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (16-20-6) are two points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings and Saskatoon Blades, who are tied for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . Lethbridge (24-15-7), which was playing its third game in three nights, has points in six straight (4-0-2) and is third in the Central Division, six points behind the Medicine Hat Tigerrs. . . . Announced attendance: 7,083.

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At Prince Albert, F Sam Steel had a goal and two assists to help the Regina Pats to a 5-1 victory over the

MAX PADDOCK

Raiders. . . . Steel is the WHL’s leading scorer, with 76 points, one more than teammate Adam Brooks, who had one assist. . . . D Connor Hobbs, who had been a healthy scratch on Saturday when the Pats beat the visiting Raiders 7-6 in OT, scored twice and added an assist. . . . Steel got the Pats started with his 32nd goal, at 7:19 of the first period. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe (5) tied it at 7:06 of the second period. . . . Regina scored the next four goals. . . . F Filip Ahl, who had joined Hobbs as a healthy scratch on Saturday, got No. 20 at 10:24, with Hobbs giving Regina a 3-1 lead at 13:14. . . . Hobbs, who has 19 goals, scored again at 9:03 of the third period and F Dawson Leedahl, who also had an assist, closed it out with his 19th goal just eight seconds later. . . . Ahl is the Pats’ fourth 20-goal man this season, and they have three others each with 19. . . . The single-season record for most 20-goal scorers is 12 (Medicine Hat Tigers, 1985-86; Portland Winterhawks, 1980-81). . . . Regina G Max Paddock, 16, stopped 33 shots in his second career start. He is 3-0-0, 1.89, .938 in three appearances this season. . . . G Ian Scott turned aside 34 shots for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert was 0-3 on the PP; Regina was 0-4. . . . Both teams were playing for the third time in fewer than 48 hours. Regina went 2-1-0; the Raiders were 0-2-1. . . . Regina (29-5-7) has won two straight. . . . Prince Albert (8-33-5) has lost 10 in a row (0-7-3). . . . Announced attendance: 1,958.

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At Kent Wash., D Ethan Bear set up three goals as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Spokane Chiefs, 6-4. . . . Bear, who has seven points over his past three games, has 37 points, including 25 assists, in 39

ETHAN BEAR

games. . . . The Thunderbirds controlled this one with two three-goal bursts. . . . They took a 3-0 lead on goals from D Austin Strand (2), on a PP, at 6:10 of the first period; D Jarret Tyskza (5), at 9:31; and F Sami Moilanen (13), at 4:59 of the second. . . . The Chiefs got to within a goal when F Hayden Ostir (4) and F Kailer Yamamoto, on a PP, scored at 10:22 and 13:13 of the second. . . . But Seattle responded to that with the next three goals to put it away. . . . F Alexander True counted, on a PP, at 16:14 of the second period. F Ryan Gropp got his 11th at 4:25 of the third, and True added his 13th, on another PP, at 12:39. . . . The Chiefs got the game’s last two goals, from F Ondrej Najman (2), at 14:32, and Yamamoto, at 19:07. He’s got 28 goals. . . . F Mathew Barzal and F Nolan Volcan had two assists each for Seattle, with Moilanen adding one. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan and F Keanu Yamamoto each had two assists for the Chiefs. . . . D Turner Ottenbreit of the Thunderbirds recorded one assist and now has a career-high 17 points in 41 games. Last season, he finished with 16 in 69. . . . G Rylan Toth earned the victory with 29 saves, five more than Spokane’s Jayden Sittler. . . . Seattle was 3-3 on the PP; Spokane was 1-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (23-14-4) have won five in a row and are third in the U.S. Division, nine points behind the Tri-City Americans but with seven games in hand. . . . The Chiefs (18-20-7), who were playing their third game in as many days, are two points out of a wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,003.

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At Swift Current, F Aleksi Heponiemi scored the only goal of a three-round shootout as the Broncos beat

ALEKSI HEPONIEMI

the Red Deer Rebels, 5-4. . . . Heponiemi had scored his 16th goal, at 3:42 of the first period, to give the home boys a 1-0 lead. From that point on, the teams alternated goals. . . . F Austin Glover pulled Red Deer into a tie at 7:19. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen’s 34th goal, on a PP, gave the Broncos a 2-1 lead at 9:27. . . . Glover’s 15th goal tied it 2-2, at 12:06 of the second period. . . . F Kaden Elder (9) put Swift Current back out front, at 17:20. . . . Red Deer F Michael Spacek tied it, again, at 5:30, only to have the Broncos go ahead when D Colby Sissons (6) scored, at 9:00. . . . Spacek forced OT with his 19th goal, at 17:45. . . . Heponiemi also added an assist. A freshman from Finland who turned 18 on Jan. 9, he now has 54 points, including 38 assists, in 46 games. . . . G Jordan Papirny got the victory with 33 saves. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb also made 33 saves. . . . Swift Current was 1-2 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Broncos (25-13-8) finished a stretch of three games in as many days at 1-1-1. They are third in the East Division, one point behind the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Rebels (20-18-7) are a comfortable third in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 1,845.

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Kelowna at Everett, 2:05 p.m. (Martin Luther King Day)

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

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

Injury bug bites Giants . . . A scout's coldest rinks . . . Weatherill hot in Kent

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

Our countdown to the big day continues with . . . John Lennon and Happy Xmas (War Is Over). . . . It’s right here.

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The Calgary Hitmen put together their annual Christmas video and this time they brought in some help from their front office. It’s fun and it’s right here.

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F Ashton Rome (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, Kamloops, 2002-06) has been released by the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). He had three goals in nine games.

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Three WHL players were released from the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp following a 3-0 victory over a team of Canadian university all-stars in Boisbriand, Que., on Tuesday afternoon.

F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who scored one of Team Canada’s goals and was chosen as the game’s first star, F Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets and F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats were sent home after the game.

Team Canada now has 27 players on its roster — three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 15 forwards — with five cuts still to come.

Still on the roster are goaltenders Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips and Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers. Observers seem to think that Hart has a leg up on the No. 1 spot, with Ingram and Michael McNiven of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in competition for the other spot. Ingram and McNiven are likely to split the goaltending duties tonight against the Czechs.

Other WHLers still on the roster are F Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds), D Jake Bean (Calgary Hitmen), D Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings), F Dillon Dube (Kelowna), D Noah Juulsen (Everett) and F Sam Steel (Regina).

Yesterday, Hart made four saves as he started and played the first 30 minutes. Ingram came on to play the second half and turned aside 11 shots. McNiven, playing for the U Sports side, blocked 24 shots.

Two of the three goal scorers — Howden and Victor Mete of the OHL’s London Knights — were released after the game.

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The Edmonton Oil Kings have added F Scott Atkinson, 16, to their roster for a pre-Christmas swing into Saskatchewan. Atkinson, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, plays for the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He has 14 goals and 14 assists in 20 games there. Last season, he finished with five goals and nine assists in 40 games with the Canadians. . . . Atkinson was in Edmonton’s lineup last night against the host Prince Albert Raiders.

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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Vancouver Giants have a handful of players who won’t play again until after the Christmas break. . . . D Darian Skeoch (ankle) was injured during a practice last week. F Tyler Popowich, F Dawson Holt and F Johnny Wesley all suffered undisclosed injuries. GM Glen Hanlon told Ewen that Holt will be out for at least three weeks, while Wesley is gone for a month or more. . . . The Giants also are without F Radovan Bondra, who is with Slovakian national junior team. . . . They also have brought in F Hunor Torzsok, 16, from the Delta Hockey Academy. Torzsok, who was born in Budapest, Hungary, is in his second season at Delta. He has five goals and six assists in 14 games with the prep team in the Canada Sport School Hockey League. . . . Ewen’s story is right here.

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Mike Fraser, who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings out of Edmonton, also writes a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. In his latest jottings, he discusses “my coldest scouting rink visits on the Prairies.” If you think you’ve been in a chilly arena or two, well, you may want to check this out right here.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his latest 30 Thoughts essay on Tuesday afternoon, and he leads off with a piece that involves possible NHL interest in the League of Legends. . . . You may check it out right here.

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

If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.

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JUST NOTES:

F Riley McKay of the Spokane Chiefs has been suspend for four games after becoming involved in a one-man fight during a game against the host Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. McKay has served one game. He will be eligible to return on Dec. 28 when the Chiefs play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .

F Cole Sanford has left the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles to attend the U of Alberta, where he will play with the Golden Bears. The AHL’s San Antonio Rampage had assigned him to the Eagles for whom he had seven goals and eight assists in 19 games. In 260 regular-season WHL games (2012-16), 230 with the Medicine Hat Tigers and the last 30 with the Regina Pats, the native of Vernon, B.C., put up 126 goals and 123 assists.

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WHL Trading deadline in 4 weeks away and no shortage of teams are calling #WHLGiants GM Glen Hanlon.

— NEWS 1130 Sports (@NEWS1130Sports) December 13, 2016

Tyler Benson on trade rumours : "The thought of leaving Van has never crossed my mind, main focus is getting into playoffs." #WHLGiants .

— NEWS 1130 Sports (@NEWS1130Sports) December 13, 2016

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

50 - Already with a goal & 2 assists tonight, @tigershockey Chad Butcher just became the first WHL'er to reach 50 points this season

— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) December 14, 2016

At Medicine Hat, D Ty Schultz scored at 2:09 of OT to give the Tigers an 8-7 — yes, 8-7! — victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . It was his third goal of the season. . . . The Tigers held 2-0, 4-1, 6-4 and 7-6

TY SCHULTZ

leads in this one. . . . Kelowna F Jake Kryski tied it 4-4 with this second goal, and 11th of the season, at 19:24 of the second period. . . . The third period featured six goals, three by each team. . . . The Tigers took a 6-4 lead on goals from F Mason Shaw (9) and D David Quenneville (17), on a PP. Shaw scored at 2:29 and Quenneville at 2:51. . . . Kelowna pulled back into a tie on goals from F Kyle Topping (6) and F Leif Mattson (3), at 6:59 and 8:20. . . . Medicine Hat F Zach Fischer, in his first game after serving a five-game suspension, got his 18th goal at 13:31. . . . Kelowna forced OT when D Braydyn Chizen (2) scored at 14:14. . . . The Tigers got a goal and three assists from F Steve Owre, who has 10 scores, while Butcher added two assists to his goal. His three-point night moved him into the WHL scoring lead with 50 points, two more than F Adam Brooks and F Sam Steel, both of the Regina Pats, and Shaw, who added an assist to his goal. . . . Quenneville also had an assist. The Tigers are 17-0-0 when he has at least one assist; they are 6-10-1 when he doesn’t. . . . F Max Gerlach had a goal, his 21st, and an assist. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko (3) also scored for the Tigers. . . . Kryski had two assists for Kelowna, giving him a four-point night, while F Kole Lind had a goal, his 18th, and three assists. D Cal Foote score once, giving him three, and added two assists, while his younger brother, F Nolan, had two assists. Chizen also had an assist. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 28 shots for the Tigers as he put up victory No. 21, tops in the WHL. . . . Kelowna started Michael Herringer gave up six goals on 21 shots in 42:51. Reliever Brodan Salmond was beaten twice on 12 shots in 19:17. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Fischer had been suspended for a one-man fight. He hit F Matt Fonteyne of the Silvertips during a game in Everett on Dec. 2. . . . F Erik Gardiner made his Kelowna debut, but was pointless. Gardiner, who plays for the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, was acquired from the Regina Pats in a deal that had D Jonathan Smart go the other way. . . . The Rockets, playing their fifth game in seven nights, were without F Calvin Thurkauf (Switzerland), F Tomas Soustal (Czech Republic) and F Dillon Dube (Team Canada). Also missing was F Nick Merkley, who was released by Team Canada on Tuesday. As well, D Gordie Ballhorn remains out with a hand injury. . . . Medicine Hat (23-10-1) has won two in a row. . . . Kelowna (19-12-2) has lost two straight (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,932.

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At Prince Albert, F Austin Glover scored at 1:07 of OT to give the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Glover has 10 goals this season. . . . F Lane Bauer (22) gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 4:04 of the second period. . . . The Raiders took a 2-1 lead on second-period goals from D Nick Heid and F Cavin Leth (8), on a PP, at 13:47 and 19:03. . . . Heid’s first career WHL goal came in his 105th game. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving’s 12th goal, on a PP, tied it at 3:58 of the third period. . . . F Drew Warkentine, with his first goal, on a PP, put the Raiders oiut front again, at 6:45. . . . D Will Warm (3) pulled the visitors back into a tie at 14:37. . . . F Parker Kelly had two assists for the Raiders, while Glover had one. . . . G Ian Scott stopped 32 shots for the Raiders, seven more than Edmonton’s Patrick Dea. . . . Prince Albert was 2-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without D Vojtech Budik and F Simon Stransky, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team. . . . The Raiders (7-23-2) had lost their previous four games (0-3-1). . . . The Oil Kings (14-15-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 2,081.

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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first two goals and the last two as they beat the Tri-City

JOSH MASER

Americans, 4-1. . . . F Ethan O’Rourke got the Cougars started with his first goal, on a PP, at 18:12 of the first period. . . . F Jared Bethune (10) made it 2-0, on a PP, at 18:57 of the second. . . . The Americans cut into the lead on F Morgan Geekie’s 17th goal, at 6:14 of the third period. . . . Prince George iced it on goals from F Jansen Harkins (7) and F Josh Maser (2), at 12:59 and 17:18. . . . Maser, 17, has two goals in as many games since joining the Cougars from the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He had seven goals and five assists in six games with the Storm. . . . Prince George got two assists from each of F Kody McDonald and D Josh Anderson. . . . Tri-City D Dalton Yorke played in his 200th regular-season game. He played the first 66 with the Kelowna Rockets and the next 100 with the Prince Albert Raiders. This was No. 34 with the Americans. . . . G Ty Edmonds earned the victory with 16 saves. . . . Tri-City G Beck Warm stopped 33 shots. . . . The Cougars were 2-7 on the PP; the Americans were 0-4. . . . The teams will meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . The Cougars (23-8-2) have won two straight. . . . The Americans (19-12-3) had been 3-0-1 in their previous four games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,357.

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Hey, @blazerhockey. Not trying to point fingers here but the screen under the scoreboard was working before you guys hit it with a puck...

— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 14, 2016

At Red Deer, F Deven Sideroff scored his second goal of the game on an OT breakaway; to give the

DEVEN SIDEROFF

Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Sideroff has 19 goals in 31 games this season and three of them have come in OT. Last season, he finished with 19 goals in 63 games. . . . Goals from F Spencer Bast (6) and F Rudolfs Balcers (19) at 8:00 of the first period and 1:07 of the second gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . F Cameron Hausinger (3) got Red Deer on the scoreboard at 6:14. . . . Sideroff restored the Blazers’ two-goal lead, with a PP scored, at 18:32. . . . F Austin Pratt (10) scored on a PP at 1:15 of the third period to cut Red Deer’s deficit to one. . . . F Evan Polei forced OT with his 14th goal at 18:04. . . . Balcers and Sideroff also had an assist each. . . . The Rebels got two assists from D Josh Mahura and one from Polei. . . . With G Connor Ingram (Team Canada) away, G Dylan Ferguson made his third straight start for Kamloops. He made 29 stops. It is the first time this season he has started three in a row. The Blazers are 2-0-1 in the three games, all in the Central Division. . . . The Blazers, outshot 19-3 in the third period, were playing their third game in four nights. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen stopped 29 shots. . . . Red Deer was 1-4 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-6. . . . F Nic Holowko, 19, was pointless in his debut with the Blazers. He was acquired Sunday from the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Rebels were without F Michael Spacek and F Adam Musil, both of whom are with the Czech Republic’s national junior team, while Kamloops D Ondrej Vala has joined them. . . . Also missing from Red Deer’s lineup: F Grayson Pawlenchuk and F Jeff de Wit, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Blazers (19-12-2) are 5-0-1 in their last six games. . . . The Rebels (16-12-6) have points in five straight (3-0-2). . . . Announced attendance: 4,093.

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At Kent, Wash., G Dawson Weatherill stopped 29 shots, 16 of them in the third period, to lead the

DAWSON WEATHERILL

Spokane Chiefs to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Keegan Kolesar gave the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal, at 1:32 of the second period. . . . The visitors scored the last three goals. . . . F Ethan McIndoe got his seventh, at 9:38 of the second. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan’s 17th goal, on a PP, at 9:23 of the second proved to be the winner. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto earned the primary assist on that goal as he ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the WHL. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto scored his 20th goal, in his 26th game, into an empty net at 19:59. Last season, he totalled 19 goals in 57 games. . . . Anderson-Dolan has seven goals and two assists over his past five games. In 32 games, he has put up 17 goals and 13 assists. Last season, in 65 games, he had 14 goals and 12 assists. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 30 shots for Seattle. . . . The Chiefs were 1-6 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-3. . . . Spokane F Koby Morrisseau left the game and didn’t return after taking a hard hit from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit. Before leaving the ice, Morrisseau received attention from both team trainers. Morrisseau, a 16-year-old from Grandview, Man., spent some time in hospital after taking a hit during an exhibition game against the Portland Winterhawks in September. . . . Linesman Zach Brooks needed attention from Seattle trainer Phil Varney after taking a puck to the face earlier in the game. Brooks didn’t miss a shift. . . . Spokane (14-11-6) has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . Seattle (16-12-3) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 4,510.

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At Victoria, F Ryan Peckford scored two goals and added an assist to help the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Victoria took a 3-0 lead in to the second period on goals from F Jack Walker (16) at 6:13, Peckford at 7:29, and F Carter Folk (2) at 16:19. . . . F Joachim Blichfeld scored for Portland, getting his 12th goal at 12:33 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Dante Hannoun (13) got that one back just 2:07 later and Peckford got his 11th goal at 3:28 of the third period. . . . The game’s last three goals all came via the PP. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Portland was 1-2. . . . The Royals got three assists from F Matt Phillips, while Walker added one to his goal. . . . The Royals got 32 saves from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler stopped 29 shots. . . . F Vladimir Bobylev was pointless as he returned to the Royals’ lineup after a stint in his native Russia. . . . The teams are scheduled to play again tonight in Victoria. . . . The Royals (17-14-3) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Winterhawks (18-14-1) had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 3,157.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Kootenay, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.

Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.

Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.

Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).

Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.

Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.

Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 

Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.

Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.

Dec. 10: D Josh Thrower, 12:13 1st period, Prince Albert 4 at Moose Jaw 5 (SO).

Dec. 10: F Nick Bowman, 13:38 2nd period, Kamloops 3 at Edmonton 2.

Dec. 10: D Troy Murray, 1:51 2nd, Kelowna 7 at Kootenay 3.

Dec. 10: F Max Gerlach, 5:26 1st period, Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 7.

Dec. 10: F Skyler McKenzie 2:21 1st, Everett 2 at Portland 5.

Dec. 10: F Josh Curtis, 6:02 2nd period, Seattle 4 at Prince George 6.
Dec. 10: F Tyler Sandhu, 0:36 1st period, Victoria 3 at Tri-City 4.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) signed a two-year contract extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 29 goals and 29 assists in 51 games for Klagenfurt this season. Lundmark led Klagenfurt in scoring this season, one point ahead of John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06), and finished fifth in the league.
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Former Tri-City Americans assistant coach Scott Beattie now is the head coach of Olten, a professional team in Switzerland.
One of his players, D Ronny Keller, suffered what is believed to be some permanent paralysis after being checked from behind during a game on Wednesday.
“There’s just absolutely no place in the game for contact from behind,” Beattie said. “Players have got to start to realize that.”
Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post spoke with Beattie on how he and his team are dealing with the situation. That story is right here.
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Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star takes a look right here at the Wednesday night fight between Frazer McLaren of the Toronto Maple Leafs and David Dziurzynski of the Ottawa Senators.
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The Saskatoon Blades will be without F Michael Ferland and perhaps D Dalton Thrower tonight when they play host to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Neither Ferland nor Thrower practised Thursday due to undisclosed injuries.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix also reports that the Blades will retire No. 7 tonight in honour of Gerry Pinder, who starred as a forward with the club for two seasons (1965-67). He had 221 points, including 112 goals, in 109 games over the two seasons.
The Blades have retired five other numbers — Brent Ashton (7), Bob Bourne (12), Wendel Clark (22), Bernie Federko (15) and Brian Skrudland (10).

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have received all necessary paperwork involved in gaining a USA Hockey release for F Jesse Gabrielle, 15, so he is eligible to play tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . However, the Wheat Kings have announced that F John Quenneville won’t play again this season due to an undisclosed injury.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed D Ty Schultz, who was the 16th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Schultz had 26 points in 36 games with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians.

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According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, the Vancouver Giants have brought in D Jake Kohlhauser for a look-see as time runs out on their season. Kohlhauser, who turned 17 on Jan. 28, should get a look as the Giants go home-and-home with the Victoria Royals tonight and Saturday. . . . Kohlhauser, a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, played for the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. 
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Former WHL F Chase Schaber (Calgary, Kamloops (2007-12) has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Schaber, who turned 22 on Jan. 3, should make his debut tonight or Saturday against the visiting Gwinnett Gladiators. . . . Schaber, who is from Red Deer, played this season with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, putting up 18 points in 19 games.

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The Victoria Royals have been fined $1,500 and hit with nine games in suspensions for their actions during the third period of a 6-0 loss to the host Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday.
Head coach Dave Lowry was suspended for one game, because he is deemed responsible for his club’s conduct. Lowry is eligible to return tonight against the visiting Vancouver Giants after sitting out a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday.
Lowry watched that game in a Kelowna hotel room.
“It cost me $7.95 to watch it,” Lowry, who thankfully hasn’t lost his sense of humour, told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.
Forward Tim Traber drew a six-game suspension for coming onto the ice during a line change and initiating a one-man fight. He will be eligible to return for the Royals’ last regular-season game, in Everett against the Silvertips, on March 16.
Defenceman Keegan Kanzig will sit for two games for his one-man fight. Kanzig sat out Tuesday’s game in Kelowna and won’t play tonight. he will be eligible to return in Vancouver on Saturday.
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A stick tap to AP for sending me this note yesterday:
“As a follow up to your note about the Alta AAA overtime marathon, (Wednesday) night in Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Blazers and Moose Jaw Generals played four overtime periods. The Blazers won 3-2 on a goal by Jackson Michalenko. The goalies were Evan Weninger and Ryland Pashovitz, who each made more than 50 saves in the game that lasted 127 minutes. With the win the Blazers won the series 3 games to 1. Players of the game were Pashovitz and Michalenko.”
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F Graham Hood of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been hit with a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a boarding major for a hit on Red Deer D Devan Fafard during the visiting Rebels’ 4-0 victory on Wednesday night. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Fafard “required facial stitches, was re-examined Thursday and is listed as day-to-day.”
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
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From sports reporter Paul Buker of The Oregonian in Portland: “Attn: Jeff Hubert, new WHL media relations guy and 'bleep runs downhill' expert. OK, you've got a 24-hour grace period before we make …”
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Buker, cont’d: “...fun of you, question your job performance, or complain that you aren't returning calls #mediawhocovermosthatedfranchiseinWHL”
There are those in the Portland media who have had problems contacting folks in the WHL office since late Novemberr. Jeff Hubert has taken over from Cory Flett as the WHL’s director, communications.


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