Showing posts with label Tyson Verhelst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tyson Verhelst. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Broncos' first pick opts for Pioneers . . . Concussions end Verhelst's career . . . 'Canes beat Pats in OT


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D Jacson Alexander, 15, has committed to attend the U of Denver and play for the Pioneers, starting with the 2020-21 season. From Victoria, Alexander was the Swift Current Broncos’ first selection, 17th overall, in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 22 points, including nine goals, in 24 games with the Shawnigan Lake School’s bantam team. This season, with the prep team, Alexander, who will turn 16 on Feb. 1, has six points, including five assists, in 10 games.
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The Prince George Cougars may be waiting a while longer before they get D Brendan Guhle back from the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres, their defence corps depleted by injuries, recalled Guhle on Friday and he played three games over the next four days. On Tuesday, he played 15 minutes 55 seconds and had two shot blocks in a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Of the six defencemen dressed by Buffalo, Guhle played the fourth-most minutes. . . . In the three games, Guhle, 19, is pointless with four shots on goal. He is plus-1. His ice time in his first two games was 16:20 and 16:48. . . . The Sabres next play on Friday against the visiting Washington Capitals.
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With G Connor Ingram leaving for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp later this week, the Kamloops Blazers have added G Max Palaga, 16, to their roster. Palaga, who is from Kamloops, plays for the Kamloops-based Thompson Blazers of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . Palaga practised with the Blazers on Wednesday and will back up G Dylan Ferguson on a Central Division trip that opens against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday. The Blazers will play six games in eight days on that trip. . . . The Blazers also will lose sophomore D Ondrej Vala, as he is scheduled to leave Monday after being named to the preliminary roster for the Czech Republic’s team that will play in the World Junior  Championship. . . . The Blazers also learned Wednesday that former NHL F Mark Recchi, who owns a piece of the Kamloops franchise, is among the B.C. Sport Hall of Fame’s class of 2017. The induction dinner is scheduled for April 12 in Vancouver.
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The Kootenay Ice has returned D Bobby Russell to the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Russell, 16, was pointless in four games during his stint with the Ice. . . . Kootenay’s roster now is at 24, including 14 forwards and eight defencemen.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed G Evan Fradette, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. From St. Albert, Alta., he is playing for the minor midget St. Albert Flyers, who are 17-0-0. Fradette has played eight games, going 0.75 and .971. He played last season for the bantam AAA St. Albert Flyers and was 1.81, .925.
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F Craig Cunningham, the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners and a former WHLer, has been Facetiming with teammates from the hospital in which he has been since collapsing on the ice prior to a game on Nov. 19. But, as Jared Clinton of The Hockey News, writes right here, “There’s still no word as to what exactly caused” Cunningham to collapse. . . . Clinton’s piece is right here.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet offers up his latest edition of 30 Thoughts 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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Concussion Report
G Tyson Verhelst has chosen to end his competitive hockey career due to concussion problems. Verhelst, 19, is from Kemnay, Man., a community just west of Brandon. He suffered a concussion while with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives in 2013-14 and then was twice diagnosed with concussions while with the Spokane Chiefs (2014-16). In fact, a concussion prematurely ended last season for him. The Red Deer Rebels acquired his rights from Spokane earlier this season and he had hoped to be able to continue his career. However, he took a fall in October near his billet’s home in Red Deer, hit his head and was diagnosed with yet another concussion. Now, after consulting with doctors, Verhelst has decided to quit hockey and plans on enrolling in Lethbridge Community College in September. . . . Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com has more right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Everett, F Jordan Topping’s OT goal gave the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . .
JORDAN TOPPING
This was an interesting game with the Silvertips taking a 2-0 lead and later having to erase a 3-2 deficit in order to get to extra time. . . . Topping ended it with his second goal in two games since returning from an ankle injury. . . . D Noah Juulsen got his eighth goal at 9:29 of the first period to give Everett a 1-0 lead, with D Jake Christiansen (2) making it 2-0 at 14:34. . . . The Americans got the next three goals. . . . F Morgan Geekie, who has 14, got the first two, at 17:51 of the second and 8:53 of the third. . . . F Kyle Olson (9) gave the Americans a 3-2 lead at 14:36. . . . Everett F Patrick Bajkov tied it with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 18:29. . . . Geekie and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists for the winners. . . . F Dominic Zwerger drew two assists for Everett, while Bajkov added one to his goal. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 26 shots for Tri-City, while Carter Hart blocked 16 at the other end. . . . The Americans were 1-3 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-6. . . . Tri-City (18-11-2) has won two in a row. . . . Everett (20-3-5) is 5-0-1 in its last six and is tied with the Regina Pats atop the overall standings. . . . F Graham Millar returned to the Everett lineup for the first time since Nov. 2. . . . Announced attendance: 3,464.
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At Kelowna, F Calvin Thurkauf scored three goals to lead the Rockets to a 6-1 victory over the Seattle
CALVIN THURKAUF
Thunderbirds. . . . Thurkauf, who has 12 goals, got the game’s first two scores, at 1:06 and 10:54 of the first period. . . . He completed the hat trick with the game’s last goal, at 16:24 of the third period. The Swiss sophomore recorded his first WHL hat trick in his 86th regular-season game. . . . Kelowna got three assists from F Nick Merkley, with F Jake Kryski (7) and F Tomas Soustal (13) each getting a goal and an assist. F Dillon Dube and D Devante Stephens had two assists apiece. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 21 shots. He lost his shutout bid to F Ryan Gropp (9), on a PP, at 11:26 of the second period. . . . Seattle starter Rylan Toth allowed five goals on 23 shots over two periods. Matt Berlin played the third period, giving up a goal on eight shots. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (17-11-1) have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Thunderbirds (15-10-3) had been 4-0-1 in their previous five outings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,721.
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At Lethbridge, D Brennan Menell scored in OT to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats.
BRENNAN MENELL
. . . Menell’s fourth goal came at 3:12 of extra time. . . . The Hurricanes took a 4-2 lead into the third period, only to have the Pats force OT on goals from F Adam Brooks (14), at 5:00, and F Jake Leschyshyn (12), at 11:07. . . . Brooks, who leads the WHL scoring race, ran his point streak to 21 games. Including last season’s playoffs, Brooks has at least a point in 33 straight games. . . . Lethbridge took a 2-0 lead in the first period with F Tanner Nagel (4) scoring at 4:10 and F Ryan Bowen getting his seventh, on a PP, at 13:23. . . . Regina F Sam Steel scored twice before the period ended, at 13:55 and 19:22, giving him 21 goals and forging a 2-2 tie. . . . The Hurricanes regained a two-goal lead with the only goals of the second period, F Tyler Wong (20) scoring at 0:33 and F Jordy Bellerive (10) at 14:24. . . . Wong and Bowen also had two assists each, while Bellerive and Menell each had one. . . . In his last six games, Wong has had 3, 2, 3, 2, 3 and 3 points. . . . Regina got two assists from D Sergey Zborovskiy, who has 14 points, 11 of them assists, over his last four games. . . . G Stuart Skinner turned aside 42 shots for the Hurricanes, while the Pats got 28 saves from Tyler Brown. . . . Regina has Max Paddock of Brandon, a nephew of GM/head coach John Paddock, backing up Brown as Jordan Hollett is injured. . . . Lethbridge was 1-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-3. . . . The Hurricanes (15-11-4) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. . . . Regina (20-2-5) has points in six straight (4-0-2). The loser point was enough to lift the Pats into a tie with the Everett Silvertips atop the overall standings. . . . Regina F Filip Ahl returned after missing one game due to illness. . . . The Pats had won the first two games of the four-game season series — 6-1 and 7-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,796.
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At Medicine Hat, F Adam Musil broke a 2-2 tie with two third-period goals as the Red Deer Rebels beat
ADAM MUSIL
the Tigers, 4-2. . . . Musil, who has 13 goals, scored at 8:56 and then added an empty-netter at 18:54. He has seven goals over his past four games. . . . D Josh Mahura (10) ave Red Deer a 1-0 lead at 17:28 of the first period. . . . The Tigers tied it 2:01 later when F Steve Owre got his ninth. . . . F Evan Polei shot the Rebels out front again, with his 11th, at 17:51 of the second period. . . . Tigers F Ryan Jevne (4) pulled his guys even at 6:58 of the third period. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from D Austin Pratt, while Musil and Polei each had one. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko had two assists for Medicine Hat. . . . D David Quenneville of the Tigers was held off the scoreboard. When he gets at least one assist, they are 15-0-0; when he doesn’t they are 6-9-1. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 26 shots for Red Deer. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider blocked 20 shots. . . . The Rebels (15-12-4) have won two straight. . . . The Tigers (21-9-1) have followed a 10-game winning streak with four straight losses. They had been atop the overall standings, but now are two points back. . . . This was the fourth of six meetings between these teams this season; the Tigers had won the first three. . . . The Tigers now are 19-3-0 in the Eastern Conference, including 9-2-0 in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,974, the smallest regular-season crowd to attend a game in the Canalta Centre, which is in its second season.
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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first five goals as they beat the Brandon Wheat Kings,
JOEL LAKUSTA
5-1. . . . D Joel Lakusta got it started with his first goal, at 18:42 of the first period. . . . The Cougars put it away with three goals in the second period. . . . F Brad Morrison scored twice, giving him 12 on the season, and F Jesse Gabrielle added the other. . . . Gabrielle scored his second goal of the game, and 18th of the season, at 5:09 of the third period. . . . F Kody McDonald had two assists for Prince George. . . . F Stelio Mattheos (12) scored Brandon’s goal, on a PP, at 15:11 of the third period. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 24 shots for the victory. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson turned aside 33 shots. . . . Each team was 1-1 on the PP. . . . The Cougars improved to 21-7-2 and closed to within a point of first place in the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-12-4) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). They went 1-3-1 in the B.C. Division. The trip took a toll, too, as they were able to dress only 17 forwards for this one. . . . Announced attendance: 2,495.
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At Saskatoon, D Jake Bean had a goal and two assists as the Calgary Hitmen overcame a 2-0 deficit and
BECK MALENSTYN
beat the Blades, 4-3. . . . D Libor Hajek gave the Blades a 1-0 lead when he ended a 75-game goal-less skid at 4:54 of the first period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk’s PP goal, his ninth score this season, made it 2-0 at 9:38. . . . Bean’s second goal of the season cut into the lead, on a PP, at 16:37. . . . F Matt Dorsey’s first goal tied the scored at 5:59 of the second. Dorsey’s first goal came in his 18th game of the season. A third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, he has missed the last two seasons with injuries. . . . F Beck Malenstyn added two goals, to give his guys a 4-2 lead. Malenstyn, who has nine goals, found the net at 12:38 of the second and 39 seconds into the third. . . . F Braylon Shmyr got the Blades to within one with his 12th goal, at 16:44. . . . F Jordy Stallard had two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Saskatoon got two assists from D Bryton Sayers, while Shmyr added one to his goal. . . . The Hitmen got 26 saves from G Cody Porter, while Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell stopped 21 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-2 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . The Hitmen (10-14-2), who were played for the fourth time in six nights, have won two in a row. . . . The Blades (11-18-2) are two points ahead of Calgary in the Eastern Conference. . . . D Jake Kustra returned to Saskatoon after missing 21 games. He last played on Oct. 18. . . . Announced attendance: 2,675.
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At Spokane, F Matt Phillips had two goals, including the OT winner, and two assists to lead the Victoria
MATT PHILLIPS
Royals to a 6-5 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs got three goals from F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who has 13 scores. This was his third WHL hat trick. He opened the scoring at 1:41 of the first period, on a PP, with F Markson Bechtold making it 2-0 at 5:54. . . . The Royals scored the next four goals, three of them in the first period. . . . F Jared Dmytriw (8) got a PP goal at 10:37; F Regan Nagy (8) tied it at 13:50; F Dante Hannoun (11) gave the visitors the lead at 15:56. . . . Phillips upped the lead to 4-2 at 11:58 of the second period. . . . Bechtold (4) got his second of the game at 16:49 of the second, and Anderson-Dolan tied the score, on a PP, at 5:55 of the third period. . . . Royals D Marsel Ibragimov (2) put his bunch in front again at 14:05, only to have Anderson-Dolan force OT at 19:01. He’s got two hat tricks in his past six games. . . . Hannoun added an assist to his goal. . . . Bechtold also also had an assist in his return to the lineup. He had been out since Nov. 15 in what was his third injury-related absence this season. . . . The Chiefs also welcomed back F Kailer Yamamoto, their leading scorer. He had been out since suffering an undisclosed injury against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Nov. 19. He had an assist on his first shift after a six-game absence and finished with two helpers. . . . Spokane F Hayden Ostir also had two assists, as did D Tyson Helgesen. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 28 shots for Victoria. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler was beaten three times on six shots in 15:56. Dawson Weatherill came on to stop 13 of 16 shots over 46:12. . . . Victoria was 3-6 on the PP; Spokane was 2-2. . . . The Royals (16-13-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Chiefs (11-11-5) have lost two straight (0-1-1). . . . The Royals continue to play without injured F Tyler Soy, while D Ryan Gagnon served Game 1 of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 2,955.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Edmonton 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Portland, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
TBG: Teddy Bear Game.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 9: Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
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.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:01 PM
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Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Silvertips end Cougars' run . . . Portland powers past Wheaties . . . Giants blank Oil Kings

F Jordan Knackstedt (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2004-08) has signed a one-year contract with Herlev (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, he had 12 goals and 19 assists in 45 games with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL), and three goals and 10 assists in 18 games with the Quad City Mallards (ECHL).
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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres returned D Brendan Guhle, 19, to the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday. Guhle was a second-round selection by the Sabres in the NHL’s 2015 draft. He has signed with the Sabres. Last season, he had 28 points, including 18 assists, in 63 games. He finished the season with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, recording a goal and three assists in six games. . . . The Raiders visit Brandon on Friday and then play host to the Wheat Kings on Saturday night.
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The Red Deer Rebels will be without G Tyson Verhelst, 19, and F Reese Johnson, 18, for a while. . . . Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com reports that Verhelst has an undisclosed injury. Verhelst, who suffered at least two concussions last season, hasn’t played for the Rebels since being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs on Sept. 29. . . . Johnson, who has been plagued by injuries, had shoulder surgery last season and that allowed him to play only 36 games. He injured his other shoulder during an exhibition game and is scheduled for more surgery this month. “He’s had a tough go,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM and head coach, told Meachem. “He has to have his other shoulder done now and hopefully once he gets it done he’ll be a new man and won’t have to worry about shoulder problems anymore. He’s out until the end of March, for sure.” . . . Meachem’s story is right here.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have released D Riley Shamray, 18, from their roster. He is expected to play for the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines. . . . Shamray is from Oak River, Man. The Hurricanes acquired him from the Calgary Hitmen over the summer, giving up a seventh-round 2017 bantam draft pick in the exchange. . . . He was pointless in five regular-season games with Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes now have 23 players on their roster, including two goaltender and seven defencemen.
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The Kelowna Rockets have released F Tate Coughlin, 19, who was into his third season with the WHL team. He had four goals and nine assists in 112 regular-season games. . . . Coughlin, from Victoria, had two goals and two assists in 49 games last season.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, the Portland Winterhawks scored five PP goals and beat the Wheat Kings, 7-6. . . . Goals by D Jordan Wharrie, his first with the Wheat Kings, and F Ty Lewis gave the home side a 2-0 lead before the first period was 13 minutes old. . . . The Winterhawks went back in front with three goals in the first half of the second period, from F Lane Gilliss, F Joachim Blichfeld and D Keoni Texeira, the latter two coming via the PP. . . . Brandon F Tanner Kaspick tied it at 11:44, only to have F Alex Overhardt put Portland out front on another PP, at 14:52. . . . Kaspick, who has five goals, tied it again at 16:14. . . . F Keegan Iverson restored Portland’s lead, on a PP, just 29 seconds into the third period. . . . F Reid Duke, in his first game since returning from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, scored shorthanded at 1:15 and it was tied again. . . . Portland F Cody Glass got the eventual game winner on, yes, another PP, at 2:26. . . . The Winterhawks got insurance when F Evan Weinger scored into an empty net, at 18:52. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick completed the scoring at 19:56. . . . Blichfeld added two assists to his goal, while F Skyler McKenzie had three assists and D Caleb Jones had two. Weinger and Texeira each added assists to their goals. . . . Duke added two assists to his goal and Patrick had one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler made 40 saves, 11 more than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Winterhawks (6-3-0) finished 5-9 on the PP; the Wheat Kings were 2-9. . . . Portland has scored 15 PP goals in nine games. . . . The Winterhawks are 3-2-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Brandon (2-3-1) has lost two in a row. . . . With Duke back, the Wheat Kings have four 20-year-olds on their roster. Able to dress only three per game, they scratched F Duncan Campbell last night. . . . The Winterhawks placed F Rodrigo Abols on waivers as they got down to the maximum of two import players. Abols, 20, is available to each of the other 21 teams. If he clears WHL waivers, he will be made available to OHL and QMJHL teams. . . . Announced attendance: 3,420.
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At Edmonton, G Ryan Kubic stopped 28 shots to help the Vancouver Giants to a 2-0 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . F Radovan Bondra ended a scoreless game in the third period. . . . The Giants were outshot 13-2 in the first period and 20-9 through 40 minutes. . . . Bondra scored his sixth goal at 9:02 of the third period. . . . F Tyler Benson added an empty-netter, while on a PP, at 19:52. . . . The Giants (3-7-0) have won two in a row. They had beaten the Hitmen 5-3 in Calgary on Monday afternoon. . . . The Oil Kings are 3-4-1. . . . Kubic has one shutout this season and five in his career. . . . Edmonton G Liam Hughes blocked 18 shots. . . . The Giants were 1-3 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-3. . . . This was Game 1 in a seven-game homestand for Edmonton. . . . Announced attendance:  5,000.
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At Medicine Hat, G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 40 shots to lead the Victoria Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . F Dante Hannoun’s first goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:22 of the first period. . . . F Blake Bargar’s second goal upped that to 2-0 at 6:00 of the second period. . . . F Max Gerlach’s PP goal got the Tigers on the board at 16:23. He’s got four goals. . . . The Royals put it away with three third-period goals, from F Matt Phillips (3), F Tyler Soy (4) and F Jared Dmytriw (2), the latter into an empty net. . . . Soy also added an assist to his goal. . . . Tigers G Nick Schneider stopped 36 shots. . . . The Royals improved to 4-4-0 with their second straight victory. . . . The Tigers (5-3-0) have lost two in a row, both by 5-1 counts at home. . . . The Royals were 1-4 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-6. . . . Announced attendance: 3,532.
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At Prince George, the Everett Silvertips broke open a scoreless game with three second-period goals and went on to beat the Cougars, 4-0. . . . Prince George (8-1-0) went into the game riding an eight-game season-opening winning streak. . . . The Silvertips now are 5-1-1. . . . The teams meet again Wednesday night in Prince George. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 19 shots to record his first shutout of the season and 11th of his career in his 100th regular-season appearance. . . . F Devon Skoleski scored the game’s first goal at 1:03 of the second period. . . . F Sean Richards, who also had an assist, made it 2-0 at 5:55 and F Dominic Zwerger upped it to 3-0 with his third goal in as many games, at 9:51. . . . F  Brett Kemp completed the scoring at 19:22 of the third period. . . . G Nick McBride blocked 23 shots for the Cougars. . . . Everett was 0-6 on the PP; Prince George was 0-2. . . . F Orrin Centazzo, 16, made his WHL debut with the Silvertips. From Marwayne, Alta., he was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Announced attendance:  2,625.
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At Kent, Wash., F Kailer Yamamoto broke a 1-1 tie 40 seconds into the third period and the Spokane Chiefs skated to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Pavel Kousal’s second goal gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 6:00 of the second period. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor pulled his guys even at 16:33. . . . Spokane F Curtis Miske got the empty-netter, at 19:46 of the third. . . . The Chiefs got a big game from G Dawson Weatherill, who made 44 saves. . . . Seattle got 19 saves from G Rylan Toth. . . . The Chiefs (2-3-0) had lost their previous two games. They play in Kamloops on Wednesday night. . . . The Thunderbirds are 2-3-0. . . . The Chiefs were 0-2 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-4. . . . F Ryan Gropp was pointless in his return to Seattle’s lineup from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. . . . According to TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits), Seattle went into last night’s game have won six in a row at home over the Chiefs, outscoring the visitors 21-9 in the process. Spokane was held to one goal in five of those six games. . . . The game featured the Hamaliuk brothers — Dalton, a defenceman with the Chiefs, and Dillon, a forward with the Thunderbirds. . . . The Thunderbirds learned earlier in the day that F Mathew Barzal, 19, had made the roster of the NHL’s New York Islanders. . . . Announced attendance: 4,019.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Spokane at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Everett at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Portland at Regina, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:57 PM
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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Paper questions Tigers' attendance figures . . . Rebels, Chiefs swap goalies . . . Cougars dynamite on road

The Canalta Centre, the second-year home of the Medicine Hat Tigers, lost $440,000 — that’s $80,000 more than expected — in its first year of operation, reports Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News. . . . There are a couple of interesting notes in his story. . . . For starters, Jeff Dunham, a comedian and ventriloquist, drew the centre’s only sellout during its first year when a crowd of 6,124 showed up on March 18. . . . Gallant also reported that while figures compiled by the WHL indicate that the Tigers’ average attendance for 36 regular-season home games was 4,247, “a study by the News suggests that number was closer to 3,100 — about half the capacity of the one-year-old $75-million arena and one-quarter less than the number of seats in the Medicine Hat Arena.” . . . According to a report presented to a city committee, the total attendance including major events during the facility’s first 12 months of operation was 165,400. According to the report, 16 non-hockey events drew about 51,300 folks. Do the math and it shows that 114,100 fans attended Tigers’ games, an average of 3,083 per game. The WHL’s figures have the Tigers’ regular-season attendance total at 152,912. . . . Gallant’s complete story is right here.
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The WHL is working towards digitizing statistics from the first 30 years of its existence. At the moment, you can only find on-line information from games played after 1996.
“There has been so much change in technology and just managing the new
website and the social media platforms,” Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, told Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun. “There are
reasons why we haven’t got to it, but we will get to it. We have to get
it completed and get it completed soon.”
Bergson dug up some numbers showing that when the QMJHL did it in 2005 “it took 24 people more than 12,000 hours over three years to
snap pictures of 10,000 scoresheets and then input the data.”
According to Bergson, one of the challenges faces by the WHL “is locating all of the scoresheets, which are scattered across Western Canada and the northwestern U.S. after 50 years.”
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The Red Deer Rebels and Spokane Chiefs were involved in an exchange of goaltenders on Wednesday. The Rebels acquired Tyson Verhelst, 19, and a third-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft for G Dawson Weatherill, 17, and a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft. . . . Verhelst played two seasons with Spokane but the Chiefs revealed prior to training camp that he had chosen to quit hockey. As a result, the Chiefs acquired G Jayden Sittler, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . It came out last week that Verhelst, who is from Kemnay, Man., was on the Chiefs’ suspended list and that they were trying to trade him. . . . In 81 games with the Chiefs, he was 34-33-5, 3.31, .889. Last season, he was 23-22-5, 3.16, .892. . . . Verhelst was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Earlier, the Rebels dealt G Rylan Toth, 20, to the Seattle Thunderbirds, indicating at that point that were prepared to go with Trevor Martin, 20, and Riley Lamb, 18, as their goaltenders. . . . The Rebels play this weekend in Moose Jaw, Brandon and Regina. Verhelst will skate in Red Deer over the weekend and then practise with his new teammates next week before seeing game action. . . . Weatherill, from Red Deer, was a second-round selection in 2014. He was 1-1-0, 3.69, .881 in five appearances with the Rebels last season, but hadn’t seen any action this season. . . . In Spokane, he will join Sittler, who also is from Red Deer, and Matt Berlin, an 18-year-old from Edmonton.
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Among the WHL players returned by NHL teams on Wednesday:
Everett Silvertips — F Eetu Tuulola, Calgary Flames.
Kamloops Blazers — G Connor Ingram, Tampa Bay Lightning; F Deven Sideroff, Anaheim Ducks.
Kelowna Rockets — F Dillon Dube, Calgary Flames; F Calvin Thurkauf, Columbus Blue Jackets.
Moose Jaw Warriors — F Brett Howden, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Prince Albert Raiders — G Rylan Parenteau, Vancouver Canucks.
Prince George Cougars — D Sam Ruopp, Columbus Blue Jackets.
Red Deer Rebels — D Josh Mahura, Anaheim Ducks; F Adam Musil, St. Louis Blues.
Saskatoon Blades — D Libor Hajek, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Swift Current Broncos — Max Lajoie, Ottawa Senators; F Lane Pederson, Arizona Coyotes.
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With G Rylan Parenteau, who is to turn 20 on Nov. 16, on his way back from the camp of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, the Prince Albert Raiders’ roster now includes four 20-year-old players. Parenteau joins F Austin Glover, F Tim Vanstone and F Kolten Olynek. That number will swell to five if F Reid Gardiner is returned by the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . Parenteau is one of three goaltenders on the roster, joining sophomore Ian Scott, 17, and newcomer Curtis Meger, 18.
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The Prince George Cougars learned Wednesday that D Sam Ruopp, 20, is on his way back from the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. His arrival will leave Prince George with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Colby McAuley, D Shaun Dosanjh and G Ty Edmonds. . . . Edmonds also is one of three goaltenders on the roster, along with Nick McBride, 19, and Tavin Grant, 18.
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The Calgary Hitmen, meanwhile, placed D Scott Allan on waivers earlier in the week. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder from Denver cleared and now will rejoin the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Allan has played in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Seattle Thunderbirds and Medicine Hat Tigers. In 93 games, he has a goal and three assists. . . . The Hitmen are left with three 20s — F Tyler Mrkonjic, F Taylor Sanheim and D Micheal Zipp.
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The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have returned G Connor Ingram, 19, to the Kamloops Blazers. He will join his teammates in Victoria where the Blazers will play the Royals in a Friday-Saturday doubleheader. . . . Ingram was 34-15-9, 2.61, .922 with the Blazers last season and now is in the running to be on the roster of Canada’s national junior team. . . . The Blazers have been going with Dylan Ferguson, who backed up Ingram last season, and Carter Phair, who was acquiredfrom the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sept. 6. Ferguson has been nursing a tender ankle left over from the first period of a 5-1 loss to the host Kelowna Rockets on Saturday.
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JUST NOTES:

F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds will be out for at least six weeks. Aaron Portzline, who covers the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch, tweeted Wednesday that Kolesar has had “surgery for a supraumbilical hernia. . . . That is a hernia in the area of the navel. . . . Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Aportzline that the hernia didn’t have anything to do with hockey, that it developed on its own. . . . Last season, Kolesar, a 19-year-old Winnipegger, had 30 goals and 31 assists in 64 games with Seattle last season. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, he also brings size to the Thunderbirds’ forward ranks. . . .
G Brandon Kegler, 19, is back with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The native of Leduc, Alta., was released earlier by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Kegler was 3.09, .910 in 22 games with Salmon Arm last season. . . . To make room for Kegler, the Silverbacks dealt G Mike Botiz to the Surrey Eagles for future considerations. . . . 
F Andrew Shaw of the Montreal Canadiens will be on the phone with the NHL’s department of safety today (Thursday) after he drilled D Connor Hobbs of the Washington Capitals into the end boards from behind in a Tuesday exhibition game. Hobbs, who is likely to be returned to the Regina Pats at some point this week, was left face down on the ice. However, he apparently wasn’t injured and returned to the game. . . . 
The Portland Winterhawks are without a director of player personnel with the news that Eric Doyle has left for a scouting position with the NHL’s New York Rangers. Doyle had been Portland’s director of player personnel since 2014. He is a former WHL defenceman, having played five seasons with the Everett Silvertips, Swift Current Broncos and Portland. He moved to Portland as a 20-year-old in 2009-10. . . . 
An interesting note from Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, from the Silvertips’ Tuesday practice: “Everett practised a new drill for the first time. It involved kicking pucks toward the net (from outside the crease). A new WHL rule states that any goal that deflects off a skate from outside the (crease) is a goal — regardless of whether or not there was a ‘kicking motion.’ No surprise that Kevin Constantine’s squad is looking to use any rule change to its advantage.” . . . 
F Owen Hardy of the Vancouver Giants suffered an undisclosed injury during Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the visiting Prince George Cougars and apparently won’t play in weekend games. Hardy, 17, was a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He had five goals and four assists in 45 games last season. This season, he is pointless in three games.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY'S GAME:




At Kelowna, G Ty Edmonds stopped 32 shots to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . The Cougars have opened the season with four straight victories, all on the road. . . . The two head coaches — Richard Matvichuk of the Cougars and Jason Smith of the Rockets — are in their first WHL seasons after combining to play in 1,804 regular-season and 191 playoff games in the NHL. . . . F Jared Bethune gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead with his fourth goal of the season just 56 seconds into the game. . . . Kelowna F Tomas Soustal tied it at 13:53 of the second period, while shorthanded. . . . F Yan Khomenko’s first goal broke the tie at 18:14 of the second period. Bethune picked up the lone assist. . . . G Michael Herringer turned aside 24 shots for the Rockets (1-2-0). . . . The Cougars were 0-5 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-3. . . . The teams now head north for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 4,341.
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THURSDAY'S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:59 PM
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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Chynoweth blows whistle on import draft . . . Royals make front-office move . . . Chiefs goaltender retires



F Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-09) has signed a one-year contract with Katowice (Poland, PHL). Last season, with the Manchester Storm (England, UK Elite), he had 53 points, including 35 assists, in 61 games. This summer, he played with the Sydney Ice Dogs (Australia, AIHL), putting up 15 goals and 16 assists in 21 games. The AIHL regular season ended on Sunday; the Ice Dogs missed the playoffs. . . .
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) has signed a one-year contract with Székesfehérvår (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with Hradec Krålové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 17 goals and 13 assists in 48 games. He tied for the team lead in goals. Courchaine signed a two-year extension with Hradec Krålové in January, but terminated the contract prior to signing with Székesfehérvår.
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Jeff Chynoweth, the president and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, has had enough of the CHL import draft as it presently exists. Chynoweth, the son of the late Ed Chynoweth, the long-time head of the CHL and WHL, told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Townsman on Thursday that too many
CHL teams cut deals with player agents before the draft is even held.
“Until the CHL changes the rules of the import draft, nothing is going to change,” Chynoweth told Rocca. “I know when my dad was in charge of the CHL, he would recognize and strive to address the issues. Right now, to me, it looks like the commissioners of the OHL and QMJHL look the other way and are ignoring a serious problem when it comes to the import draft. It's broken.
“It’s the haves and the have-nots. It’s not a level playing field. Something has to be done about it.”
Chynoweth claims that “the Western Hockey League polices itself against the backdoor deals that go on with the import draft.”
The Ice had the first selection in this year’s import draft and took Russian F Klim Kostin, a 17-year-old who is projected as an early selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. Originally, Chynoweth had high hopes for landing Kostin, but he has signed with the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo.
(The Ice’s other import pick, Russian D Nikita Radzivilyuk, 17, is expected to arrived in Cranbrook this weekend, in time to take part in training camp.)
It long has been known that player agents drive the annual import draft, oftentimes picking and choosing to which teams clients will report. It has been suggested at times that the CHL needs to go to a system in which a player has to opt into the draft and, in doing so, agrees to play for the team that selects him.
Chynoweth has come around to agree with that line of thinking.
“Critics will say an opt-in doesn't guarantee a player is coming,” he told Rocca. “Absolutely it doesn't. But at least you know that Kootenay or London have the same list of players to choose from.
“Until we do that, it's not a level playing field.”
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Enio Sacilotto has moved from the bench to the front office with the Victoria Royals, Sacilotto, a veteran coach, had been a Royals’ assistant coach for  six seasons, going back to their days as the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?). . . . Sacilotto, 58, has been named the Royals’ director of prospect development and also will work as a scout. . . . A vacancy was created earlier in the week when Grant Armstrong, the Royals’ assistant GM, player personnel, signed on with the Brandon Wheat Kings as general manager. . . . The Royals now are looking for a head coach to work alongside Dave Lowry. . . . Sacilotto ran the Royals’ bench at times last season, going 5-6-2 while Lowry was tending to duties as the head coach of Canada’s national junior team.
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If you were wondering why Tim Speltz, then the Spokane Chiefs’ general manager, acquired G Jayden Sittler, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this summer, well, you have your answer. . .


. Tyson Verhelst, a 19-year-old native of Brandon, has chosen to retire. Verhelst played in 81 games for the Chiefs over the past two seasons, including 55 in 2015-16 when he was 23-22-5, 3.16, .892. . . . “It’s a tough one,” Speltz told Thomas Clouse of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “(Verhelst) had an injury. He suddenly lost his passion. When we traded for Sittler, I knew we were in trouble.” . . . . As things now stand, Sittler will open the season as the Chiefs’ starter. The backup is expected to be either Matthew Berlin or Donovan Buskey. Berlin, 18, is from Edmonton and was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Buskey, 16, is from North Vancouver. He was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Speltz stepped down as GM earlier this month in order to join the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs as head western scout. However, he continues to help the Chiefs through the transition.
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F Massimo Rizzo hasn’t signed with the Kamloops Blazers, who selected him 15th overall in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, but he will be in their rookie camp when it opens (today) Friday at the Sandman Centre. . . . Rizzo, from Burnaby, B.C., played for the Penticton Vees as they beat the West Kelowna Warriors 2-0 in a BCHL exhibition game on Wednesday night, then left for Kamloops on Thursday. . . . During an appearance on Radio NL’s Jim Harrison Show earlier this month, Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi indicated that he didn’t foresee a problem in signing Rizzo but acknowledged that the family had said it wanted time to consider the options. . . . One WHL insider told Taking Note on Thursday that the family “told everyone they were thinking college” prior to the draft. . . . After watching Rizzo on the ice and then in Wednesday’s game, Penticton assistant coach Jason Becker, a former WHL player and assistant coach, told Taking Note: “He looked pretty good . . . he’s a special player.” . . . Last season, with the bantam AAA Burnaby Winter Club Bruins, Rizzo had 137 points, including 60 goals, in 61 games.
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F Nick Merkley, who had his 2015-16 season short-circuited by a knee injury that required surgery, won’t attend the Kelowna Rockets’ training camp. Merkley, 19, is skating but hasn’t been cleared for contact. He was a first-round selection by Arizona in the 2015 NHL draft and is expected to rejoin the Rockets at some point. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier also reports right here that the Rockets are expected to begin with F Rod Southam, their captain, G Michael Herringer and F Riley Stadel, a former defenceman, as their 20-year-olds.
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In an intriguing move, the Regina Pats have offered F Nick Henry, 17, a roster spot if he signs a WHL contract. Henry was the MJHL’s rookie of the year last season after putting up 61 points, including 26 goals, in 50 games with his hometown Portage Terriers. . . . Henry, whose rights the Pats acquired from the Everett Silvertips, has made a verbal commitment to attend Western Michigan U, but has agreed to attend the Pats’ training camp. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that and more right here.
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According to Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, F Bradly Goethals is expected to be in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ training camp when it opens on Wednesday. Goethals, 18, won the Manitoba Midget AAA League scoring title with 74 points, including 41 goals, in 43 games with the Eastman Selects. He is from Iles-des-Chenes, Man., and had made a commitment to Bemidji State. . . . Bergson also reported that F Tak Anholt also is expected in camp. Anholt, 18, reported to the Wheat Kings last season but didn’t get into any games, then left for what the team said was personal reasons. He was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 bantam draft. The Wheat Kings acquired Anholt, along with F Reid Duke and D Macoy Erkamps, from the Hurricanes for D Kord Pankewicz, F Brett Kitt and F Ryley Lindgren on Sept. 30, 2014.
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NHLFormer WHLer Jared Bednar is the new head coach of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. He replaces Patrick Roy, who quit earlier this month. . . . According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Bednar and the Avs agreed to a three-year contract. . . . Bednar had been head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, who won the AHL championship last season as the Lake Erie Monsters. Interestingly, Bednar has never played or coached in the NHL. . . . The other finalist was Lane Lambert, a former WHL player and coach, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . . Colorado general manager Joe Sakic made the final decision while in Seattle where his son, Chase, is in the training camp of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Chase, a forward, will turn 16 on Oct. 14. . . . Bednar, 44, played three seasons (1990-93) in the WHL, with the Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . A native of Yorkton, Sask., Bednar has been in the coaching game since 2002-03. . . . Reports that Travis Green, the head coach of the AHL’s Utica Comets, was in the running for the Colorado position weren’t accurate. A source has told Taking Note that Green, a former Portland Winterhawks assistant GM and assistant coach, doesn’t have an out-clause in his contract that would allow him to leave at this time. The Comets are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.
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The NHL’s Las Vegas franchise, which is to begin play in 2017-18, has added yet another WHLer to its front office. Erin Ginnell, who played for five teams (New Westminster Bruins, Calgary Wranglers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos) over two seasons (1985-87), has joined Las Vegas as an amateur scout. . . . Ginnell, the son of the late Pat Ginnell, has been an NHL scout since 2000-01, working with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers. He spent 14 seasons with the Panthers, the last five as their director of amateur scouting. . . . Ginnell’s son, Brad, is in camp with the Portland Winterhawks.  He was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Las Vegas also has added Scott Luce as its director of amateur scouting. He had been Florida’s director of player personnel. . . . Luce and Ginnell both found themselves unemployed when Florida shuffled GM Dale Tallon upstairs and put Tom Rowe in charge. . . . In recent days, Las Vegas has signed at least four other people with WHL experience — Murray Craven (senior vice-president), Kelly McCrimmon (assistant GM), Vaughn Karpan (director of player personnel) and Bruno Campese (amateur scout).
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The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced this week that — wait for it! — each of its regular-season games will be worth three points. . . . Here’s how it will work. . . . If a team wins in regulation time, it gets three points. . . . If a team wins during a five-minute sudden-death OT period, it gets three points. The loser doesn’t get a thing. . . . If a game is decided in 3-on-3 OT, which occurs if the five-minute period doesn’t settle things, the winner gets two points, with the loser getting one. . . . If the game needs a shootout, the winner gets two points and the loser gets one. . . . It is going to be interesting to watch the in-season reaction to see if teams push harder to win in regulation or the first OT period.
There also was this paragraph in the news release: “The 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts will only affect the WCHA standings, while any game that is tied after the 5-on-5 overtime remains officially a tie for NCAA purposes. Thus, the WCHA standings will show Wins, Losses, Ties and 3-on-3/Shootout Wins (W-L-T-3/SW). In this format, W-L-T will add up to games played, with the Tie column signifying how many times a team has been to a 3-on-3 overtime or shootout; and, the 3/SW column representing how many games a team has won in that fashion.”
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:22 PM
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Friday, February 6, 2015

Mr. Hockey in Saskatoon . . . Warriors retire No. 28 . . . Cougars end skid












F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) signed a contract extension (one year plus an option) with Olten (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with Olten, he has 13 goals and 18 assists in 39 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A). Burki has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. . . .
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) has signed a two-year extension with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, with Iserlohn, he has 11 goals and 11 assists in 45 games. Bassen has dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey, made what may well have been his last public appearance on Friday night in Saskatoon. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was there. His story is right here.
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There is another story right here from the Howe family visit to Saskatoon.
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A year ago, Tristen Pfeifer wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Today, even NHL Central Scouting has taken notice. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a good read right here on Pfeifer, an 18-year-old freshman from Arizona who is having an impact on the Everett Silvertips’ back end.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, D Colby Williams had a goal and three assists to lead the Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Pats erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits as they scored the game’s last four goals. . . . Pats F Patrick D’Amico tied it 2-2 with his 16th goal, shorthanded, at 2:32 of the third. . . . Williams broke the tie with his sixth at 8:32. . . . Regina F Jake Leschyshyn, brought in for the game from the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, scored his first goal at 17:41 of the third, on the PP. He was a first-round selection by Red Deer in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft, but was dealt to Regina at the trade deadline last month. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats. . . . D Brycen Martin had two assists for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon G Nik Amundrud stopped 49 shots, 18 more than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . The Pats have beaten the Blades the last 12 times they have met. . . . Regina (29-17-6), which is likely to finish second in the East Division, has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . The Blades slipped to 15-32-3. . . . The Pats are at home to Spokane tonight, while the Blades are in Swift Current. . . .

WHL team logoIn Prince Albert, F Jake DeBrusk scored at 3:32 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . DeBrusk has 31 goals this season. . . . Raiders F Tim Vanstone forced OT with his seventh goal at 3:13 of the third period. . . . The Broncos had a 2-0 lead in the second period, only to have the Raiders tie it. . . . F Jay Merkley gave the Broncos a 3-2 lead with his 12th goal at 1:41 of the third, on a PP. . . . D Max Lajoie had two assists for the Broncos. . . . Merkley also had an assist, while D Brett Lernout had a goal, his 11th, and an assist. . . . D Jesse Lees scored twice for the Raiders, giving him 10. . . . The Broncos had F Coda Gordon back in their lineup. Gordon, 20, had been out since Jan. 7 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Among the Raiders’ scratches was F Kris Schmidli (undisclosed injury). . . . The Broncos (24-23-5), who entertain Saskatoon tonight, are third in the East Division, seven points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . . The Raiders (21-30-2) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and are two points behind Moose Jaw. . . . The Raiders are at home to Calgary tonight. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Spokane Chiefs opened a six-game East Divison swing with a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Prior to the game, the Warriors honoured F Ryan Smyth by retiring his number (28). . . . Chiefs F Riley Whittingham broke a 1-1 tie with his ninth goal at 12:11 of the second period. . . . Spokane F Markson Bechtold made it 3-1 at 17:09 with his sixth goal. . . . Moose Jaw F Axel Blomqvist scored his 20th goal of the season. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Chiefs’ PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . Spokane G Tyson Verhelst stopped 32 shots, six more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Warriors F Jesse Shynkaruk served the second of a three-game suspension. . . . The Chiefs (25-22-4) are fourth in the U.S. Division, two points behind Seattle. Spokane holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. Spokane visits Regina tonight. . . . The Warriors (21-28-4), who will play their next seven games on the road, are fourth in the East Divison, seven points out of a playoff spot. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a story right here on the Smyth pre-game celebration. . . . Gourlie was a busy man; his game story is right here. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 3-1 deficit with four third-period goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-3. . . . The Ice took a 3-1 lead into the second and third periods. . . . Brandon F Quintin Lisoway cut that to 3-2 with his eighth goal, at 4:15 of the third, and D Eric Roy tied it, with his fourth, at 7:33. With seven defencemen dressed, Roy actually moved up to the forward ranks for the third period and also drew an assist on Lisoway’s goal. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his club’s last two goals, at 7:48 and 19:57, the latter into an empty net. . . . McGauley, who also had an assist, has 33 goals. . . . Wheat Kings D Colton Waltz had two assists, as did D Kale Clague. He was playing his first game since Oct. 28 after suffering a wrist injury in early November at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. This was only his 16th game of the season. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau earned his 250th career regular-season assist when he was in on F Luke Philp’s 23rd goal at 11:46 of the first period. . . . F Tim Bozon scored his 21st goal for the Ice and F Levi Cable got his 23rd. . . . Ice D Tanner Lischynsky had two assits. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP as the Ice took the game’s last five minors. . . . The Ice PP was 0-for-1. . . . The Wheat Kings (39-9-5), who lead the Eastern Conference by 10 points over Medicine Hat, have points in their last 11 games (10-0-1). . . . The Ice (27-25-1) has lost two in a row. It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, a point ahead of Edmonton. . . . The same teams meet again tonight in Cranbrook. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Friday right here. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brayden Burke had a goal and two assists to help the Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The game was delayed for about 70 minutes with 17 minutes left in the third period due to a brine leak that helped create a hole in the ice. . . . Burke has five goals. . . . F Trevor Cox, the WHL’s leading scorer, got his 23rd goal and added two assists. He now has 90 points. . . . Cox gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 10:08 of the first, but the Hurricanes scored the next four goals. . . . F Carter Folk tied it with his eighth, at 12:53 of the first, and F Giorgio Estephan got his 13th at 17:14. Burke upped it to 3-1 at 19:02. . . . Hurricanes F Tyler Wong got his 22nd at 9:03 of the second. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his 42nd goal at 14:14 of the second, allowing him to keep pace with Kelowna F Rourke Chartier for the league lead. . . . Lethbridge G Jayden Sittler stopped 34 shots, six more than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . The Hurricanes (14-31-6) have won two in a row. . . . The Tigers (35-14-3) have lost three straight (0-2-1) for the first time this season. . . . The same teams will clash tonight in Medicine Hat. . . .

In Prince George, F Jari Erricson scored twice to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Erricson, who had missed four games with a concussion, has 17 goals. . . . Cougars F Kody McDonald broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal, at 14:19 of the first period. . . . Erricson stretched the lead with second-period goals at 4:54 and 10:40. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo scored his 11th goal and added and assist, while F Edgars Kulda had two assists. . . . Prince George F Aaron Macklin scoed his fourth goal, to open the game’s scoring, but he left later with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 34 shots. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry tied Laurent Brossoit’s franchise career record for most regular-season appearances (147). However, Jarry left at 10:40 of the second period after surrounding four goals on 16 shots. . . . Edmonton F Cole Benson played in his 200th regular-season game. . . . The Cougars (21-31-2) snapped a 12-game losing skid (0-10-2). They are fifth in the B.C. Division, but now just two points behind third-place Kamloops. . . . The Oil Kings (24-24-6), who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, have lost three straight. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Prince George. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored once and added two assists to lead the Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Chartier leads the WHL with 42 goals. . . . His goal, 12 minutes into the second period, broke a 1-1 tie. . . . Rockets F Tyson Baillie scored his 21st goal just 18 seconds later for a 3-1 lead. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley had two assists, while Baillie and F Cole Linaker each had a goal and an assist. . . . Linaker has nine goals. . . . F Deven Sideroff scored his 16th goal and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Kamloops had import defencemen Michael Fora (undisclosed injury) and Patrik Maier (suspected concussion) back in the lineup. . . . The Rockets are 6-0-0 in the season series; the Blazers are 0-5-1. . . . The Rockets (40-8-4) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are the first WHL team to 40 victories. They lead the overall standings by one point over Brandon. . . . The Blazers (20-28-6) have lost two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, a point ahead of Vancouver. . . . The Rockets and Blazers are to meet again tonight, this time in Kamloops. . . .

In Vancouver, F Ty Ronning’s first goal, at 19:02 of the third period, broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Rebels D Colton Bobyk had given his side a 4-3 lead with his third goal at 11:14 of the third. . . . Vancouver F Alex Baer tied it with his 11th at 11:59. . . . Red Deer D Austin Strand took a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Ronning at 17:01 of the third. Ronning scored the winner on the ensuing PP. . . . Giants D Josh Thrower and D Brennan Menell each had two assists. F Zane Jones scored his 25th goal — his seventh since being acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline — and had an assist, while Baer added an assist to his goal. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnson scored No. 21 and added an assist. . . . Red Deer F Conner Bleackley scored his 27th goal, at 15:20 of the first period, for a 2-0 lead. But the Rebels captain later took a hit from D Clayton Kirichenko, left the game and didn’t return. . . . The Giants (21-28-3) had lost four in a row (0-3-1). The victory got them to within a point of third-place Kamloops in the B.C. Division. Vancouver travels to Kent, Wash., to play Seattle tonight. . . . The Rebels (28-16-8), who are in Victoria tonight, are 1-1-1 in their last three. They are second in the Central Division, a point ahead of idle Calgary. . . .

In Everett, F Kohl Bauml scored the game’s first goal with 0.1 second left in the first period and the Silvertips went on to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Everett has a 4-1-1 edge in the season series. . . . F Carson Stadnyk and F Nikita Scherbak each had two assists for Everett, which built a 4-0 lead. . . . F Jordan Topping scored his sixth goal for the Americans, at 17:32 of the third period. . . . Bauml has 25 goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl scored his eighth goal and added an assist for the winners. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 19 shots, six fewer than Tri-City’s Austin Lotz. . . . Everett (33-15-4) has won two in a row and has a five-point leader over Portland atop the U.S. Division. . . . The Americans (24-25-3) are 0-2-1 in their last four. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The same two teams will play again tonight, this time in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Roberts Lipsbergs scored twice and added two assists as his Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . Portland had an eight-game winning streak snapped. . . . Seattle scored the game’s first three goals, only to have Portland roar back and tie it on F Dominic Turgeon’s 16th goal at 5:56 of the third. . . . F Ryan Gropp gave the Thunderbirds a 4-3 lead with a deflection at 7:52. He’s got 21 goals. . . . Lipsbergs added insurance at 14:14. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 36th goal. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists and now holds the Breakers/Thunderbirds franchise record for career regular-season points by a defenceman. It had been held by Craig Channell. . . . Thunderbirds D Evan Wardley scored his fifth goal and added an assist, while D Turner Ottenbreit had two assists. . . . Seattle was 1-for-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-1. . . . The Winterhawks are without F Alex Schoenborn (undisclosed injury). Paul Danzer of the Vancouver Columbian reports that Schoenborn is week-to-week. . . . Seattle (26-19-6) has won three straight and sits third in the U.S. Division, nine points behind Portland. Seattle is at home to Vancouver tonight. . . . The Winterhawks are 31-20-3 and now trail U.S. Division-leading Everett by five points. They’ll play Sunday in Portland.
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