Americans introduce captain, new logo ... Hurricanes captain gets AHL deal ... Ex-P.A. captain to coach in AHL

D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), he had three goals and 13 assists in 44 games. . . .

D Austin Madaisky (Calgary, Kamloops, 2008-12) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had three assists in 19 games.

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The Tri-City Americans unveiled their 30th anniversary logo on Thursday evening, while also announcing that F Michael Rasmussen is the 29th team captain in the team’s history. . . . Rasmussen, who will be a first-round selection in the 2017 NHL draft, had 32 goals and 23 assists in 50 games this season. His season ended prematurely when he suffered a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. In his two seasons with the Americans, Rasmussen has 50 goals and 48 assists in 114 games. . . . The Americans will be celebrating 30 seasons in the Tri-Cities — Kennewick, Pasco and Richland — in 2017-18. It’s worth noting, though, that the Americans actually are one of the WHL’s original franchises. They started out as the Calgary Buffaloes in 1966-67, the WHL’s first season, and were the Calgary Centennials from 1967-77. After that, they were the Billings Bighorns (1977-82), Nanaimo Islanders (1982-83) and New Westminster Bruins (1983-88).

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F Tyler Wong, who played out his eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season, has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Wong played five seasons with the Hurricanes, putting up 298 points, including 143 goals. From Cochrane, Alta., he was the Hurricanes’ captain for the past two seasons. This season, he totalled 109 points, tying for the WHL lead with 41 goals, in 69 games.

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———

Jeremy Colliton is the new head coach of the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The 32-year-old Colliton, who is from Blackie, Alta., played four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders (2001-05), the last two as team captain. He spent the past four seasons as the head coach of Mora IK in Sweden (HockeyAllsvenskan). In Rockford, Colliton replaces Ted Dent, who was fired following the end of this season.

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Paul McFarland of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs has been named the head coach of the U-18 team that will represent Canada at this summer’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. McFarland also was the team’s head coach a year ago. His assistant coaches will be Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Daniel Jacob of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . The tournament will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czech Republic, in August. . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled to be held in Edmonton. . . . Meanwhile, Dave Struch, the Regina Pats’ assistant GM/assistant coach, has been named head coach of Team Canada Black that will play at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., Nov. 5-11. . . . Struch’s assistant coaches will be Spencer Carbery (OHL’s Saginaw Spirit) and Louis Robitaille (QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres). . . . Luke Pierce, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, will work as an assistant on Team Canada Red. Gilles Bouchard (QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) is the head coach, with B.J. Adams (OHL’s Erie Otters) the other assistant. . . . Ryan Oulahen of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds will be the head coach of Team Canada White. His assistants will be Brett Gibson (Queen’s University) and Eric Landry (QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques).

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Sotheby's just sold this Basquiat 1982 masterpiece for $110 million, smashing a new auction record for the US artist to cheers and applause pic.twitter.com/dhv3TTRnPO

— Jennie Matthew (@jenniematthew) May 19, 2017

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Tip of the hat to Myles Mattila ... WHL conference finals resume today ... Armada into QMJHL final

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to @myles_mattila12 as he receives a $500 Scholarship from @HockeyCanada at the @HC_TELUSCup National Championship!

— Cariboo Cougars (@cariboocougars) April 30, 2017

If you don’t recognize the name Myles Mattila, you should get to a computer and do a search.

While his Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars won’t play in the TELUS Cup final today (Sunday), Mattila is a winner because of his dedication to spreading the word on mental health.

From a hockeycanada.ca story by Derek Jory:

“(Mattila) began volunteering at a local mental health office and participating in youth programs, and he’s now a mental health advocate for Mindcheck.ca, partners with the Canadian Mental Health Association and the driving force behind Mindright.info, a health wellness program designed to educate Cariboo Cougars players, coaches, parents, and supporters about their mental health and the health of others.”

Why did Mattila get so involved in this issue? All because he noticed a few years ago that a long-time friend was struggling.

“It was tough seeing such a good friend go through that and not knowing what was wrong,” Mattila told Jory. “He needed help and it was eye-opening for me not knowing what to do. I realized he likely wasn’t alone in this situation and I vowed to figure out how to help him and anyone else struggling with mental health issues.”

On Saturday, Mattila spoke about mental health awareness at the TELUS Cup awards dinner in Prince George, where he is a Grade 12 student. He also received a $500 Esso Kids Scholarship Award from Hockey Canada.
Remember his name. You're going to be hearing a lot about him down the road.

Jory’s story about Mattila is right here.

——

The WHL could have its Ed Chynoweth Cup finalists decided today (Sunday) when the conference finals resume.

In the Eastern Conference, the Regina Pats hold a 3-2 lead on the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. In the Western Conference, the Seattle Thunderbirds take a 3-2 edge into Kelowna to face the Rockets.

The Hurricanes, who lost 5-3 in Regina on Friday, almost surely will be without F Matt Alfaro, a point-a-game skater who hasn’t played since April 4. F Ryan Bowen, meanwhile, has been in and out of the lineup; he was scratched Friday so obviously is banged up.

The Thunderbirds continue to play without Rylan Toth, who led all WHL goaltenders with 36 regular-season victories. He hasn’t dressed for even one playoff game.

In Toth’s absence, Carl Stankowski, a Calgarian who turned 17 on March 9, has gone 11-2, 2.60, .911. In the regular season, Stankowski played in 358 minutes over seven games, going 3-0-1, 2.18, .910. In the playoffs, he has played 785 minutes over 13 games.

The Thunderbirds are likely to be without D Ethan Bear, who suffered an injury to his left hand when he blocked a shot by Kelowna F Reid Gardiner late in Game 3 on Tuesday. Taking Note has been told that Bear has a broken hand.

Bear didn’t play in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss in Kelowna. He took the warmup prior to Seattle’s 5-3 victory in Kent, Wash., on Friday, but had difficulties handling the puck and was scratched.

Obviously, Bear is a big loss for the Thunderbirds. After all, he put up 70 points, including 28 goals, in 67 regular-season games, and has 16 points, five of them goals, in 11 playoff games.

But it could be that Kelowna misses D James Hilsendager almost as much. Hilsendager, who turned 20 on March 20, left in the first period of Game 4 with an undisclosed injury and was scratched from Friday’s game.

He had three assists in 18 games with the Regina Pats, before being dealt to the Rockets for whom he recorded 24 points, six of them goals, in 46 games. In 15 playoff games, he has a goal and two assists.

However, his value to the Rockets is much more than offence. In his time with the Rockets, he only improved. He has been a stellar defender who added a physical presence to their back end.

It’s only right that Bear’s absence has gotten a lot of notice; after all, he was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 draft and he has an NHL contract in his hip pocket.

But could it be that Hilsendager’s absence will be just as impactful if he can’t answer the bell for Game 6?

——

A run-in between F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and F Dawson Leedahl of the Regina Pats late in Game 4 of their series drew some attention but no suspensions.

The two came together in a scrum at 16:15 of the third period of the game in Lethbridge and, when it was all over, Wong was claiming that he had been bitten by Leedahl.

Here’s what Wong told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:

“It was in the heat of the moment. He made a mistake. I initiated some contact there. That’s part of hockey, the scrums. I hit him high and I feel bad. I’m not a cheap player. I don’t like hitting guys high. I’ll be physical. I’ll play on the edge. So does he.

“He has laid out some big hits on me. I saw an opportunity to get a hit on him. My finger slipped in his mouth and, I don’t know if he meant to or not, but he took a good chunk out of my finger. I had to go and get a tetanus shot and go on antibiotics. That’s not really part of hockey and I think he would take it back if he could.
“It’s behind us and I don’t hold grudges. I’ll come out and play the same way against him as I do against any other player.”

Leedahl and Wong each was given a roughing minor and that was the end of it, at least as far as the WHL is concerned.

However, Wong, a 51-goal scorer in the regular season, has only two assists in the five games against Regina, both of those coming in a 3-1 Lethbridge victory in Game 3. He hasn’t scored a goal since he got two, including the shorthanded OT winner, in the Game 7 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers that vaulted the Hurricanes into the conference final.

The Hurricanes are hoping their captain breaks out in Game 6 at home today.

——

The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada advanced to the QMJHL’s championship final on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over the host Charlottetown Islanders. The Armada won that series, 4-1. . . . It was an emotional game for the Islanders because the father of Charlottetown F Dillon Boucher died on Friday night. “There’s always a bigger picture at play,” Charlottetown general manager and head coach Jim Hulton said in a story posted on the QMJHL website. “This is still a game and yeah, it hurts like hell that we lost, but not anything near the magnitude of what Dillon and his family are going through.” . . . The Armada will meet either the Saint John Sea Dogs or Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the championship series. The Sea Dogs hold a 3-2 lead with Game 6 today (Sunday) in Chicoutimi.

——

Great Britain, including former WHL F Liam Stewart, beat Japan 4-0 on Saturday to win the IIHF World Championship, Division 1 Group B, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the victory, Great Britain earned promotion to Division 1 Group A for next season. Stewart, who played four seasons (2011-15) with the Spokane Chiefs, had two goals and an assist in three games. . . . Great Britain, which allowed only five goals, went 5-0, while Japan finished 4-1. . . . Croatia, under head coach Enio Sacilotto of the Victoria Royals, finished at 1-4 and was fifth in the six-team tournament. The Croats allowed only 17 goals, but struggled to score (14). . . . Lithuania beat Croatia, 3-1, in the third-place game. . . . Sacilotto is the Royals’ director of prospect development and has extensive international coaching experience.

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———

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)

Regina at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-2)

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Wong wins it for 'Canes ... Shorty in OT sends 'Canes to Regina ... Series opens Friday

The Eastern Conference final, featuring the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Regina Pats, will open at the Brandt Centre in Regina with games on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets for those games sold out in about 10 minutes on Tuesday. . . . All eyes are on Regina F Adam Brooks, the team captain, who hasn’t taken a shift since injuring a knee in Game 2 of the second-round series with the Swift Current Broncos that ended in Game 7 in Regina on Monday. . . . “I don't know for sure (if he could return)," John Paddock, the Pats’ GM and head coach, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post on Tuesday. “I’d like to say that I’m hopeful at some time in the series, but that’s me talking. That’s not really (trainer) Greg (Mayer) or the doctors telling me that.” . . . Brooks was in uniform and on the Pats’ bench for the last three games of the series with the Broncos, but he never got on the ice. . . . A prolific scorer, he won the WHL scoring title last season and finished one point behind teammate Sam Steel this season.

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F Alexander Kuvayev (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2010-12) has signed a one-year extension with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). This season, he was pointless in 22 games with Spartak; and had seven goals and three assists in 17 games with Khimik Voskresensk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga).
———

On Tuesday, I mentioned ticket scalpers being in evidence prior to Game 7 between the Swift Current Broncos and the Pats in Regina on Monday night.

It wasn’t long before I heard from Dan Russell, the former host of the popular Vancouver radio show Sportstalk and a man with considerable experience doing WHL play-by-play.

He recalled two instances of seeing scalpers prior to WHL games.

The first was in 1984 at Queen’s Park Arena, the home of the New Westminster Bruins. They were playing the Portland Winterhawks and it was Game 9. Yes, Game 9.

“(They were doing a) rousing business outside,” Russell recalls, “and I remember hearing $75-$100 in those days.”

Russell added: “Portland won the series after trailing 4-3 through seven games. Lol. (Cliff) Ronning was huge (for the Bruins) in that series and scored what many of us felt was the tying goal in the third period (of Game 9), before there was any hint of video review.”

Russell also recalled seeing scalpers in 2005 when the Vancouver Giants were playing the Kelowna Rockets in Game 6 at the Pacific Coliseum.

“It was during the NHL lockout,” he recounted. “Fans were starving (for hockey). Shaw’s TV coverage and heavy Sportstalk radio coverage was the only hockey being talked about in a starved market and it led to crowds that just kept building during series. Game 6 was a sellout with confirmed scalpers doing strong business. The telecast was the most viewed TV show in the market on that night.”
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Finland beat Team Canada 6-3 to conclude round-robin play at the IIHF U-17 World Championship in Poprad, Slovakia, on Tuesday. Finland (4-0-0-0) finished atop Group A, with Canada (2-1-0-1) second. D Jett Woo of the Moose Jaw Warriors had one of Canada’s goals. G Ian Scott of the Prince Albert Raiders gave up five goals on 27 shots before being lifted at 1:24 of the third period. . . . Team Canada will play Sweden (2-0-0-2), the third-place team from Group B, in a Thursday quarterfinal game in Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia. . . . In another game, D Mark Rubinchik of the Saskatoon Blades had two goals, including the winner, and an assist as Russia got past Czech Republic, 5-4. Rubinchik had six points, including two goals, in four round-robin games. Russia will meet Sweden in a quarterfinal game on Thursday. . . . In the other quarterfinal games, it’ll be Finland against Czech Republic and Team USA vs. Switzerland.

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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Liam Ryan, who turned 17 on Jan. 2, to a WHL contract. From New Westminster, B.C., he was a seventh-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. This season, he had 15 goals and 28 assists in 38 games with the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.

——
The Vancouver Giants have signed G Jacob Wassermann, ??, to a WHL contrct. The 6-foot-5 native of Humboldt, Sask., was an eighth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. This season, he played for the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, going 10-13-0, 3.23, .902 in 26 games. In five playoff games, he was 1.81, .947.

——
  The QMJHL lost its defending champion on Tuesday night as the Chicoutimi Sagueneens bet the host Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, 4-3 in OT, in Game 7 of a second-round series. Chicoutimi, which trailed 3-1 with 10 minutes left in the third period, went into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed; the Huskies were No. 2. . . . The Sagueneens next will face the No. 1 Saint John SeaDogs. . . . The other semifinal will have the No. 4 Charlottetown Islanders up against the No. 5 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Armada beat the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan, 7-1, in Game 7 last night.

 ——
  In the OHL, F Warren Foegele scored at 10:40 of OT to give the host Erie Otters a 5-4 victory over the London Knights in Game 7 of their second-round series. The Knights are the defending Memorial Cup champions. . . . The Otters will meet the Owen Sound Attack in the Western Conference final, one that will feature a pair of former WHL coaches. Kris Knoblauch runs the bench for the Otters; Ryan McGill does the same for the Attack. . . . In the Eastern Conference final, it’ll be the Peterborough Petes facing the Mississauga Steelheads. —— There will be a definite WHL flavour to the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2017 inductions on Oct. 7 at Winnipeg’s Canad Inns Polo Park. Included in the Class of 2017 are Murray Bannerman (Winnipeg Clubs, Victoria Cougars, 1973-77), Jim Benzelock (Winnipeg Jets, 1967-68), Laurie Boschman (Brandon Wheat Kings, 1976-79), Pat Falloon (Spokane Chiefs, 1988-91) and Lew Morrison (Flin Flon Bombers, 1967-68), all of whom played in the WHL. Also being inducted will be Rob Martell, a former WHL linesman who went on to a career in the NHL. . . . For more on the complete Class of 2017, check this right here.

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The Brooks Bandits won their second consecutive AJHL championship on Tuesday, beating the host Whitecourt Wolverines, 4-1, to sweep a best-of-seven final. . . . Brooks has won four championships in the past five seasons — 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2017. . . . This time, Brooks went through the playoffs with only one loss, while outscoring its opposition, 75-16. . . . Brooks had finished the regular-season with the AJHL’s best record — 51-5-4. . . . The Bandits now move on to the Western Canada Cup in Penticton, B.C., April 29 through May 7. The five-team tournament will feature the host Penticton Vees, the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, the Bandits and the champions of the SJHL and MJHL. The top two teams in that tournament will advance to the RBC Cup. The Vees hold a 2-1 lead over Chilliwack, having posted a 5-2 home-ice victory before 3,009 fans last night. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Penticton. . . . F Massimo Rizzo, taken 15th overall by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2016 draft, opened the scoring for the Vees, on a PP, with his first BCHL goal. Rizzo has yet to sign with the Blazers or commit to the NCAA route.

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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. If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
 ———

PED statement I'd love to see: "It helped me play better. I thought I could get away with it, turns out I couldn't. See you in 80 games." — Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) April 18, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAME (all times local):

This. 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 #AllAboard #WHLPlayoffs http://t.co/6egYjFwzw3 — #AllAboard (@WHLHurricanes) April 19, 2017

.@tylerwong_5 all smiles after scoring what he said is one of the top goals of his career. The Game 7 OT winner for the @WHLHurricanes #yql pic.twitter.com/ALkkLok8mh — Nick Kuhl (@NKuhlHerald) April 19, 2017

At Medicine Hat, F Tyler Wong scored his second goal of the game, at 3:02 of OT, to give the Lethbridge Hurricanes a 5-4 victory in Game 7 of a second-round series. . . . The Hurricanes are 5-0 in Game 7s in franchise history, with two of those on the road. They now will meet the Regina Pats in the Eastern Conference final. That series will open with games in Regina on Friday and Saturday nights. . . . With the Medicine Hat defenders backing up, Wong skated into the Tigers’ zone and beat G Michael Bullion with a 20-foot wrist shot. . . . Just moments earlier, Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner had made a huge save on Tigers F John Dahlstrom. . . . Wong’s goal sent the Hurricanes into the third round for the first time since 2008. . . . F Zach Fischer (7) had given the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 8:47 of the first period, only to have the Hurricanes score three times before the end of the period. . . . F Jordy Bellerive (4) tied it just nine seconds later. . . . Wong gave the Hurricanes their first lead, at 16:22. . . . F Egor Babenko (7) extended that lead at 19:13, with Wong earning an assist. . . . Medicine Hat went back out front with three goals in the first half of the second period. . . . F Matt Bradley (4) got the Tigers to within a goal at 4:07. . . . F Mark Rassell, who finished with seven goals, then scored twice, at 5:14 and 9:26, to send the home team out front. . . . F Dylan Cozens, a 15-year-old AP, tied it for Lethbridge, with his second goal of the series, at 17:17 of the third period. . . . Cozens also had an assist on Bellerive’s goal. . . . Wong, the captain, won it with his 11th goal of these playoffs. It came 54 seconds after Lethbridge D Brennan Riddle had been sent off for high-sticking. . . . Bellerive added an assist to his goal. . . . Skinner finished with 36 saves, 11 more than Bullion. . . . The Tigers were 1-5 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-3. . . . Just like for Game 6, the Hurricanes scratched D Calen Addison, F Matt Alfaro, F Zak Zborosky, F Ryan Vandervlis and F Zane Franklin, all of them regulars. . . . Lethbridge added F Connor Lyons to the lineup, taking out F Jayden Davis. Both are APs. . . . “I am so proud of the team,” Lethbridge GM Peter Anholt told Taking Note, via text, shortly after game’s end. “(Head coach) Brent (Kisio) and the coaches did such an unreal job of keeping the guys focused. Never looked for excuses. Just played. Faced adversity and overcame it. So proud.” . . . The road team won five of the seven games in this series. The Hurricanes went into Medicine Hat and won Games 2, 5 and 7. . . . Announced attendance: 5,556.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
 ——

THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled
 ——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Game 1) Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Game 1)

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

people buying Scooter drinks pic.twitter.com/uaZHJSZy8y

— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) March 19, 2017

——

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.

—

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.

—

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW . . . 

it's all simple now: match whatever result TC gets, and you have a 3-hour bus ride; if you do worse than that, it's a 15-hour bus ride

— Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb) March 19, 2017

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.

——

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.

——

2016-2017 U.S. DIVISION CHAMPS BABY!!!! pic.twitter.com/CEhQaNmcj1

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) March 19, 2017

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.

——

#OHCAPTAINMYCAPTAIN pic.twitter.com/IRukmwawzD

— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) March 19, 2017

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.

——

Have a night @halbgewachs97 so pumped for you. Please tell me you cracked a smile for 50 😎

— Dryden Hunt (@huntsy22) March 19, 2017

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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@BladesHockey (28-34-9) at @PARaidersHockey (20-44-7). Aside from rivalry, meaningless game for Blades. But, P-A is 1 point behind Edm...

— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) March 19, 2017

...for 10th place in Eastern Conference. Since WHL West has only 10 teams and 12 teams...highest 2 non-playoff teams in East get $$$ from...

— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) March 19, 2017

...WHL. In the case of 10th place in the East for @PARaidersHockey, that's $48,000 towards their bottom line. Big for community-owned team!

— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) March 19, 2017

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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Weird to be so hyped after a loss, but the @PGCougars are BC Division Champs for the first time in franchise history!! Hyped! #United pic.twitter.com/1b40V4aCsY

— Brett Cullen (@BrettCullen_) March 19, 2017

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.

——

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.

——

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.

——

Weird being here for the final time this season. At least I wont be seeing the handshake line this year.

— SpokaneChiefsFanPage (@gochiefsgoblog) March 19, 2017

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.

——

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.

——

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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Is there local offer for Ice? . . . Russians coming to Swift Current, Moose Jaw . . . Everett back on top

Here's the most awesome thing I've seen in awhile. My buddy Craig Cunningham is making amazing progress in his rehab. This kid is a winner pic.twitter.com/Id0mErdN0y

— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) March 9, 2017

———

As if there was any doubt, we now know — officially — with which side of the Nanaimo arena referendum the WHL is riding.

WHL commissioner Ron Robison was quoted in a statement that was issued Tuesday: “Should (Nanaimo) approve the construction of a new events centre facility (that) meets WHL standards, a WHL franchise will enter into a 20-year lease and begin operating out of the Frank Crane Arena next season.”

That promise is said to be included in a memorandum of understanding agreed to and signed by the City of Nanaimo and the WHL. The league has told the City that a Nanaimo franchise would include ownership “of the highest calibre” and that an ownership group would include a local flavour. However, no specifics were included in the statement.

On Wednesday, a source told Taking Note that “there is an offer, and has been for some time, to keep the Ice in Cranbrook.”

That source claims that a local group has “met the price set by the Chynoweth family, but now has been told by the Chynoweths and the league that the offer won’t be considered until after the results of the referendum are known.”

Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s governor, president and general manager, couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday night.

A referendum will be held in Nanaimo on Saturday, with voters being asked:

“Are you in favour of the City of Nanaimo Council adopting Loan Authorization Bylaw 2017 No. 7237 which will authorize Council to borrow a sum not exceeding $80,000,000, repayable over a period of no more than 20 years, for the development and construction of an event centre that will include an ice arena and other related entertainment, cultural and recreation facilities?”

Taking Note was told a while ago that the WHL is preparing two 2017-18 schedules, one that includes the Ice and one that has a Nanaimo franchise in place of Kootenay.

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

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——

The Brandon Wheat Kings were to have played the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Wednesday night, but the game was postponed in the aftermath of what may have been the worst blizzard in that area since 1959. . . . The game was rescheduled for March 15. . . . At the time of the announcement, the Trans-Canada Highway was open from Virden into Saskatchewan, but remained closed from Brandon to Virden. However, there still were an untold number of abandoned big rigs, trucks and cars along the highway, all of which could have interfered with traffic.

——

The 2017 CIBC Canada-Russia Series will stop in Swift Current and Moose Jaw this time around. The six-game series is to run from Nov. 6 through Nov. 16, starting in Moose Jaw on Nov. 6 and Swift Current on Nov. 7. . . . The OHL’s games are scheduled for Owen Sound on Nov. 9 and Sudbury on Nov. 13. The QMJHL stops will be in Charlottetown on Nov. 14 and Moncton on Nov. 16. . . . This will be the 15th annual series, with CHL teams holding a 58-19-7 edge. The Russians have sent better teams as the series has gone on and have won three series since 2010. The CHL won the 2016 series, 13-5. . . . Of the players who played in 2016, 15 were with Team Canada at the 2017 World Junior Championship, while 14 were on the Russian team. Canada won silver, with Russia taking the bronze medal.

——

The Prince Albert Raiders have added F Nikita Krivokrasov, 16, to their roster for the remainder of this season. Krivokrasov was in training camp with the Raiders prior to this season and signed with them at that time. He had 14 goals and 18 assists in 22 games with the U-16 Rocky Mountain Roughriders this season. He is the son of former NHLer Sergei Krivokrasov. Nikita was born in Moscow, Russia, but played some minor hockey in North America so isn’t classified as an import player.

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Hockey Canada broke with tradition on Wednesday and has returned the 2017 national junior team coaching staff for another go-round. Dominique Ducharme, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, is the head coach, with  Tim Hunter of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and Kris Knoblauch of the OHL’s Erie Otters back as assistant coaches. . . . The trio was behind Canada’s bench in January when it won a silver medal, losing the gold to Team USA. . . . “This is a unique opportunity to return an entire coaching staff that came within a shot of winning gold last year,” Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of hockey operations and national teams, said in a news release. “The Program of Excellence Policy Committee unanimously agreed that it was in the best interest of the program to keep this coaching staff together and that their experience will provide us the best opportunity of winning gold in 2018.” . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled to be held in Buffalo, N.Y.

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After 30 yrs with @Milshockey trainer, Dave "Melly" Melnychuk is retiring. Thanks for everything Melly, truly one of a kind & great friend pic.twitter.com/EQwah0QJbQ

— Benny Walchuk (@BennyGX94Sports) March 9, 2017

———

If the WHL playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Saskatoon

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

—

Western Conference

Everett vs. Portland

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Seattle vs. Tri-City

——

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

#ForeverAHitmen @aladd16 Raised to the rafters at #Saddledome in #Calgary pic.twitter.com/1Z3wvzOcQV

— WHL on Shaw TV (@WHLonShawTV) March 9, 2017

At Calgary, the Saskatoon Blades took control of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, at least for now, with a convincing 6-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Blades (27-31-9) have points in four straight (3-0-1) and now lead the Hitmen (25-31-10) by three points as they scrap over the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Saskatoon scored the game’s first six goals, two of them shorthanded, as they skated to victory. . . . F Kirby Dach (6) opened the scoring at 5:08 of the first period. . . . The Blades took control with three second-period goals, from F Gage Ramsay (8), F Mason McCarty (19) and F Josh Paterson (15), the latter shorthanded. . . . F Chase Wouters (6), shorthanded, and D Bryton Sayers (7) also scored for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary got late goals from F Mark Kastelic (11) and F Matteo Gennaro (40). . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk had two assists for Saskatoon, with Paterson adding one. . . . Kastelic also had an assist for Calgary. . . . It is interesting that the Blades got their goals from six players from six different age groups — Dach, born in 2001; Wouters, 2000; Paterson, 1999; Ramsay, 1998; McCarty, 1997; Sayers, 1996. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 16 shots for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary starter Cody Porter allowed four goals on 13 shots in 32:27. Kyle Dumba finished up by stopping 11 of 13 shots in 27:33. . . . Calgary was 0-2 on the PP; Saskatoon was 0-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,607.

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At Kamloops, the Blazers snapped a 2-2 tie with three goals in the first half of the third period en route to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The victory lifted the Blazers (39-23-6), who are

JOE GATENBY

third in the B.C. Division, five points ahead of the fourth-place Royals (37-25-5). Kamloops is three points behind the second-place Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Royals and Blazers will meet again Friday in Kamloops. . . . Victoria took a 2-0 lead on first-period goals from F Matt Phillips, his 47th, at 1:37, and F Ethan Price (7), at 14:43. . . . Phillips now holds the Royals’ record for goals in a single season. He had shared the record with F Tyler Soy, who scored 46 times last season. The franchise record is held by Ryan Howse, who scored 51 times for the Chilliwack Bruins in 2010-11. . . . Kamloops scored the next five goals. . . . D Joe Gatenby halved the deficit with his seventh goal, at 14:59. . . . F Rudolfs Balcers tied it at 16:33 of the second period. . . . F Collin Shirley (27) broke the tie at 1:03 of the third period. . . . The Blazers then broke it open with two goals 22 seconds apart, from F Quinn Benjafield (14), on a PP, at 8:35, and Balcers, his 37th, at 8:57. . . . Gatenby, who also had an assist, was the best player on the ice. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 27 shots, while

MATT PHILLIPS

Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse, in his 60th appearance of the season, blocked 45. . . . Kamloops was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 0-2, including a five-minute PP early in the first period. . . . This one featured a fight six seconds into the game between F Jared Dmytriw of the Royals and Kamloops F Deven Sideroff. Both players received fighting majors and game misconducts. Flash back to Feb. 11. Dmytriw was given a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Sideroff. Sideroff missed one game; Dmytriw drew a three-game suspension. . . . Don Hay, the Blazers’ head coach, said that he “forgot about that situation” and that had he remembered he likely wouldn’t have had Sideroff in the starting lineup. . . . Just 1:28 later, Kamloops D Andrej Vala was handed a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev, who needed help getting off the ice but returned to the game. . . . There’s history there, too, as Vala was given a two-game suspension, under supplemental discipline, for a hit on Victoria F Tyler Soy in that Feb. 11 game. Soy has yet to return to the Royals’ lineup. . . . Hay said he didn’t think Vala’s hit was worth a major, “especially with (Bobylev) coming back, but the ref has to make the call right then.” . . . Jon Keen, who calls the play-by-play of Blazers games on Radio NL, worked his 1,000th game — 499 with the Swift Current Broncos and 501 with Kamloops. . . . Announced attendance: 3,896.

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At Lethbridge, D Brady Poteau scored at 3:50 of OT to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the

BRADY POTEAU

Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Poteau’s first goal of the season came in his 45th game. He started the season with the Regina Pats, recording two assists in 18 games. He now has a goal and nine assists in 27 games with Lethbridge. . . . F Tyler Wong had given the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with his WHL-leading 49th goal at 18:33 of the second period. . . . Wong is riding an 11-game point streak. He has 10 goals and 16 assists over that stretch. . . . D Conner McDonald (8) pulled Edmonton even at 11:02 of the third period. . . . F Egor Babenko drew assists on both Lethbridge goals. . . . G Ryan Gilchrist turned aside 26 shots for the winners. . . . The Oil Kings got 27 stops from G Josh Dechaine. . . . Edmonton was 0-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . F Brian Harris, 18, has joined the Oil Kings, although he didn’t play in this one. He had been with the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. He had 15 goals and 11 assists in 60 games with the Stampeders. The Oil Kings selected Harris in the 11th round of the 2014 WHL bantam draft. . . . Lethbridge (43-17-7) has won seven in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (20-41-5) have lost nine straight (0-8-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,471.

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At Portland, F Cody Glass scored twice and added two assists, leading the Winterhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Glass, who will be a first-round pick in the NHL’s 2017

CODY GLASS

draft, has 89 points in 64 games. . . . With the victory, the Winterhawks clinched a playoff spot. They presently hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, three points behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Winterhawks (36-26-4) have won four in a row and are three points ahead of the third-place Tri-City Americans in the U.S. Division. . . . The Cougars (42-21-5) had won their previous two games. They lead the B.C. Division by two points over the Kelowna Rockets, who hold a game in hand. . . . Glass, who has 29 goals, gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 5:36 of the first period, and F Skyler McKenzie (38) made it 2-0 at 8:53. . . . The Cougars stormed back to take a 3-2 lead, thanks to goals from F Aaron Boyd (9), on a PP, at 13:08, D Brendan Guhle (14), at 18:48, and F Jesse Gabrielle (31), on another PP, just 56 seconds into the second period. . . . Portland took control with the next three goals, from F Keegan Iverson (22), at 10:56 of the second period, Glass, at 3:43 of the third, and F Joachim Blichfeld (28), at 8:09. . . . F Colby McAuley got the Cougars back to within one, at 8:44. He’s got 26 goals. . . . Iverson added an assist to his goal, giving him four straight two-point games. . . . Portland got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and D Henri Jokiharju. . . . F Radovan Bondra drew three assists for the visitors, with Gabrielle and Guhle each getting one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler blocked 29 shots, four fewer than Ty Edmonds of the Cougars. . . . Prince George was 2-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 7,024.

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At Spokane, G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots in recording his ninth shutout of the season as the Everett Silvertips beat the Chiefs, 4-0. . . . Hart now has 19 shutouts in his career. The WHL record for career

CARTER HART

shutouts (26) is held by Tyson Sexsmith (Vancouver Giants, 2005-09). With 19, Hart is tied for sixth in WHL history. . . . F Cal Babych gave the Silvertips a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the season, at 5:48 of the first period. Babych, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, spent most of this season with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. He was playing in his fifth game with the Silvertips. . . . F Devon Skoleski (14) made it 2-0 at 8:16. . . . The Silvertips got their other goals from F Dominic Zwerger (25), at 4:53 of the second period, and D Aaron Irving (7), at 5:57. . . . F Sean Richards drew two assists. . . . The Chiefs got 32 saves from G Jayden Sittler. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips (40-14-11) moved back into first place in both the Western Conference and U.S. Division, one point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. Everett still holds two games in hand. . . . The Chiefs (26-30-10) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and now have been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2006. . . . Announced attendance: 3,721.

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At Swift Current, F Riley Krane’s first WHL goal stood up as the winner as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 4-2. . . . Krane, who turned 17 on Jan. 24, is from Dawson Creek, B.C. An eighth-round

RILEY KRANE

pick in the 2015 bantam draft, he scored his first goal in his fourth game. He played this season with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George. . . . F Bryan Lockner gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at 1:38 of the first period. He’s got four goals. . . . The Broncos pulled even on F Lane Pederson’s 21st goal, at 14:51. . . . Regina went back out front on F Dawson Leedahl’s 33rd goal, at 4:49 of the second period. . . . Krane scored at 8:05. . . . Pederson added his second goal of the game, on a PP, at 16:06 of the third period. . . . Regina F Wyatt Sloboshan provided the insurance with an empty-netter at 19:29. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Regina got three assists from F Adam Brooks, with Sloboshan and Leedahl adding one apiece. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 31 shots. . . . The Broncos got 34 stops from G Taz Burman. . . . Swift Current was 1-5 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . The Broncos lost F Owen Blocker to a kneeing major and game misconduct at 9:29 of the first period. . . . F Austin Wagner (ill) was among Regina’s scratches. . . . The Pats are 4-0-0 in Swift Current this season. . . . Regina (46-12-8) has won two in a row. . . . Swift Current (35-21-10) had a five-game winning streak snapped. . . . Announced attendance: 2,209.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

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

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

Brandon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Regina, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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

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