Two WHLers in KHL camp ... Medicine Hat chasing tournament; Gas City wants U-17 WHC

F Brandon McMillan (Kelowna, 2006-10) had his KHL rights traded by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, KHL) to Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL) for monetary compensation. He started last season with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL), recording nine goals and six assists in 31 games. He moved to Torpedo on Nov. 21, where he had five goals and four assists in 24 games. . . . 

F Brock Montgomery (Kootenay, 2009-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Tilburg Trappers (Netherlands, Germany Oberliga). Last season, he had two goals and four assists in 12 games with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), and eight goals and eight assists in 22 games with the Adirondack Thunder (ECHL).

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With KHL teams having opened training camps in preparation for a new season, at least two WHLers are with one of the teams on a tryout basis. . . . D Anatoliy Yelizarov, 19, of the Edmonton Oil Kings and F Vladislav Lukin, 20, of the Tri-City Americans are skating with HC Salavat Yulaev. . . . Yelizarov, who isn’t expected to return to Edmonton for a third season, had seven goals and six assists in 67 games last season. In 125 games over two seasons, he has nine goals and 13 assists. . . . The Oil Kings likely will opening training camp with sophomore F Artyom Balturak and F Andrei Pavlenko as their imports. Both are from Belarus; Pavlenko was selected earlier this month in the CHL import draft. . . . Lukin, meanwhile, has told the Americans that he wants to come to camp, even though he would be in tough as a two-spotter -- a 20-year-old import. He has played three seasons with Tri-City, putting up 118 points, including 54 goals, in 183 games. Last season, he had 26 goals and 32 assists in 63 games.

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City council in Medicine Hat has given its support to a local group that wants to play host to the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in 2018. . . . Ron Webb, who chairs the committee, appeared before City Council on Tuesday night. . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled for Nov. 1-12. . . . This year, for a second straight year, the tournament will be played in the B.C. communities of Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, Nov. 5-11. . . . Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News has more right here.

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I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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Jordan Smith has signed on as an associate coach with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, where he’ll work alongside head coach Cory Stillman and assistant coach Darryl Moxam. Smith played four seasons (2001-05) with his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He spent the past four seasons coaching with the NOJHL’s Soo Thunderbirds.

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Adam Redmond is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys, who are under new ownership. Redmond is a former Grizzlys assistant coach. For the past two seasons, Redmond has been the assistant GM/associate coach with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. . . . Redmond will be joined behind the bench by Joe Murphy, a former Grizzlys player. . . . Dana Lattery had been the director of hockey operations and head coach for the previous two seasons, and now is acting as an advisor. Lattery had worked as an Olds assistant coach for three-plus seasons before that.

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B.C. NDP fired up over gov't order . . . Hey, where's Phillips? . . . Five WHL cities involved in 2019 WJC bids

Hey @cariboocougars! Check out the bling you can get when you win a National CIS Championship! #alumni @CaribooCougAlum #truenorth #strong pic.twitter.com/zavomqgbSs

— Melissa Willick (@MJWillick) October 26, 2016

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The B.C. New Democratic Party is furious after learning that the provincial Liberal government passed an Order in Council on Feb. 16 that exempts the province’s six WHL teams from minimum wage legislation. . . . “The government did it, essentially, in secret and they’ve thrown out the Employment Standards Act, the law, in order to satisfy a small group of employers,” Shane Simpson, the NDP’s spokesperson on jobs, labour and skills, told Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week. . . . Simpson added: “It’s also concerning that between the owners of the teams, they gave over $200,000 to the Liberals in donations. It’s a decision that was done quietly behind closed doors by the look of it.” . . . In a news release, the NDP pointed out: “Collectively, five of the six team owners . . . have donated in excess of $200,000 to Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal Party.” . . . The news released carries this headline: Clark quietly rewards donors with minimum wage exemption for young hockey players. . . . In his story, Hastings points out that “Tom Gaglardi is majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers Hockey Club, which has made two donations totalling $2,900 to the B.C. Liberals since 2005, according to Elections BC. Sandman Hotels, owned by the Gaglardis through the family’s Northland Properties company, has made 27 donations totalling $109,875. Sandman also donated $300 to the NDP.” . . . Hastings’ story is right here.

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MATT PHILLIPS

While at Tuesday’s game between Victoria and the host Kamloops Blazers, someone mentioned that Royals F Matt Phillips wasn’t on the WHL team that will play a travelling Russian side on Nov. 7 and 8 in Prince George and Edmonton. . . . I didn’t believe him, until I checked the roster, that is. . . . If the 5-foot-6 Phillips isn’t the best forward in the WHL, he at least is in the conversation. It really is this simple: If Phillips isn’t on the roster, the WHL isn’t icing its best team. . . . Of course, Phillips likely will be a late addition to the roster, what with those responsible having named two injured players to the roster in F Dillon Dube (knee) of the Kelowna Rockets and Nolan Patrick (sports hernia surgery) of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Still, being named as an injury replacement isn’t the same as being selected to the original roster. But why do I think that Phillips, who was a sixth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL's 2016 draft, will use that slight as more fuel for the fire that burns inside him?

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have placed F Duncan Campbell, 20, on waivers as they got down to the maximum of three 20-year-olds on their roster. They will go with G Jordan Papirny, F Reid Duke and F Tyler Coulter. . . . Campbell, who is from Brandon, was pointless in six games this season. Last season, he had 10 goals and 12 assists in 72 games, after putting up 12 goals and nine assists in 68 games as a freshman in 2014-15. . . . If Campbell clears waivers, he will be a free agent.

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F Ryan Graham, who has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury, is back practising with the Saskatoon Blades. He might get into the lineup at some point this weekend. . . . Graham had 22 goals and 24 assists in 71 games last season. . . . Graham’s return will leave the Blades with four 20-year-olds, so something will have to give. The others are F Kolten Olynek, D Bryton Sayers and F Jesse Shynkaruk.

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The Hockey Canada pooh-bahs gathered in Calgary on Monday and Tuesday to hear bids from cities wanting to play host to the 2019 World Junior Championship. . . . There are believed to have been five presentations. Vancouver and Victoria made a combined presentation, as did Saskatoon and Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, and London, Ont., and Windsor. As well, a group from Ottawa made a presentation. . . . TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that former NHL/WHL D Chris Phillips and Wade Redden were part of the Ottawa presentation. . . . Hockey Canada didn’t release any information on the presentations; in fact, it didn’t confirm who was involved in the presentations. . . . An announcement awarding the tournament to one of the groups is expected in late November or early December. . . . The 2017 tournament is scheduled for Montreal and Toronto, with the 2018 event in Buffalo.

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If you’re wondering what’s happening in the KHL, Patrick Conway of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog has a team-by-team update right here.

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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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Interested in the @SJHL_IceWolves HC/GM job? Call President Mike Bell @ (306) 425-7634. Email him: mike.larongeems@sasktel.net #SJHL

— Braden Malsbury (@BradenMalsbury) October 26, 2016

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Video: Looks like Bishop lost some teeth after taking a shot to the mask https://t.co/5eXlQNx8Vc

— Cam Tucker (@CamTucker_Sport) October 26, 2016

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Edmonton, D James Shearer broke a 2-2 tie at 2:23 of the third period and the Brandon Wheat Kings, despite being outshot 45-16, went on to beat the Oil Kings, 5-3. . . . Shearer has two goals this season. . .

JORDAN PAPIRNY

. Brandon led this one 2-0 before it was five minutes old, with F Tanner Kaspick getting his ninth goal at 1:27 and F Stelio Mattheos getting his fourth, on a PP, at 4:48. . . . The Oil Kings tied it when F Kole Gable scored his first goal, at 19:33 of the second period, and F Trey Fix-Wolansky got his fifth, at 1:43 of the third. . . . D Kale Clague added insurance for Brandon at 10:53. . . . That turned into the winner when F Lane Bauer got his fifth goal for Edmonton, at 18:29, with G Liam Hughes out for the extra attacker. . . . Brandon F Tak Anholt got the empty-netter at 19:46. . . . Clague also had two assists. He returned to the Wheat Kings from the camp of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings with an injury and has played only three games. He has two goals and seven assists. . . . F Ty Lewis added three assists for Brandon, while Shearer also had an assist. . . . Fix-Wolansky had an assist for Edmonton. A 17-year-old freshman from Edmonton, he’s got five goals and seven assists in 12 games. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny, who is from Edmonton, stopped 42 shots. . . . Hughes turned aside 11. . . . The Wheat Kings (6-3-2) have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Oil Kings (4-6-2) are 1-1-1 in their last three. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Tyler Coulter, 20, as he completed a two-game suspension. . . . They also were without two other 20-year-olds — they have waived F Duncan Campbell, while F Reid Duke was scratched following the death of an uncle. . . . Announced attendance: 5,643.

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At Kamloops, F Dante Hannoun’s third-period power-play broke a 1-1 tie and the Victoria Royals went on

DANTE HANNOUN

to a 2-1 victory over the Blazers. . . . Hannoun scored his fifth goal of the season 49 seconds into the third period, redirecting a point shot by D Chaz Reddekopp past G Connor Ingram. . . . The Blazers took a 1-0 lead on D Conner McDonald’s first goal, a PP score at 3:31 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker’s eighth goal tied the score at 4:45 of the second. . . . Walker also had an assist. . . . The game offered up a terrific goaltending duel. Griffen Outhouse of the Royals blocked 33 shots, four fewer than Ingram. . . . The Blazers held an 11-6 edge in shots in the first period. However, Victoria outshot the Blazers 33-23 over the last two periods, including 17-8 in the third. . . . Kamloops was 1-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . The Royals improved to 8-6-0. . . . The Blazers (7-7-0) had a three-game winning streak end as they lost at home for the first time in six games. . . . D Joe Gatenby of the Blazers sat this one out with a one-game suspension. . . . The Blazers continue to be without D Dallas Valentine (elbow). . . . Announced attendance: 3,153. That is the fifth-smallest regular-season crowd in the history of the Blazers’ home arena, which opened in the fall of 1992.

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At Moose Jaw, the Spokane Chiefs scored three times in each of the last two periods as they beat the

HUNTER ELYNUIK

Warriors, 6-2. . . . Warriors F Brett Howden scored his ninth goal 14 seconds into the first period. However, he left the game midway through the first with an undisclosed injury. . . . Spokane D Jeff Faith tied it with his first goal, 26 seconds into the second period, and F Hudson Elynuik’s second goal, just 42 seconds later, made it 2-1. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto upped the lead to 3-1 at 3:25 with his eighth goal. . . . With that, the Warriors changed goaltenders, Brody Willms coming in for Zach Sawchenko. . . . F Nikita Popugaev got the Warriors to within one, his ninth goal coming just 14 second after the goaltending change. . . . But the Warriors couldn’t equalize. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto (3), F Tanner Wishnowski (2) and Elynuik had third-period goals for the Chiefs. Yamamoto scored 46 seconds into the period and Wishnowski got his goal at 1:27. . . . The Warriors obvious had some early-period issues. . . . Kailer Yamamoto added two assists to his goal, while Keanu Yamamoto, Wishnowski and Elynuik each had one. . . . G Jayden Sittler stopped 19 shots for the winners. . . . Sawchenko gave up three goals on 10 shots. Willms came on to stop 18 of 21 shots. . . . Spokane was 1-7 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-4. . . . The Chiefs (4-6-2) had lost their previous two games on their East Division swing. . . . Announced attendance: 3,187.

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At Portland, F Vladislav Lukin scored twice, including the winner, as the Tri-City Americans beat the

VLADISLAV LUKIN

Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Lukin, who has eight goals, broke a 3-3 tie at 13:53 of the third period. . . . D Kurtis Rutledge gave the Americans a 1-0 lead with his first goal, at 13:53 of the first period. . . . F Keegan Iverson, playing in his 250th regular-season game, scored his sixth goal, on a PP, to pull Portland even at 15:27. . . . Lukin’s PP goal, at 7:57 of the second period, and a score by F Parker AuCoin, at 8:34, gave Tri-City a 3-1 lead. . . . The Winterhawks tied it on goals from F Evan Weinger, his fifth, at 19:42 of the second, and F Cody Glass, his seventh, at 2:37 of the third period. . . . D Juuso Valimaki had two assists for Tri-City, while AuCoin added an assist to his goal. . . . Glass, a sophomore, also had an assist. He has seven goals and 14 assists in 14 games this season. . . . The Americans (8-5-1) have points in each of their last three games (2-0-1). . . . The Winterhawks (8-6-0) have lost three in a row. . . . With the Winterhawks up against Game 1 of the World Series and the Portland Trail Blazers’ home-opener, the announced attendance: 2,202. That is the smallest regular-season crowd in Portland since Oct. 20, 2010, when an announced crowd of 1,666 watched the Winterhawks beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-0.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Prince George vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Brandon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

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

Game fogged out in Brandon . . . Two six-point nights in WHL . . . Tri-City sniper scores four times

Prior to the start of this season, the WHL brought in a rule involving pucks that go into nets off skates. According to the WHL, “Unless the puck is in the goal crease, a puck that enters the net off a player's skate shall be ruled a goal. This will eliminate the need for a decision by the referee and/or video goal judge as to whether it was a distinct kicking motion or not.”

The new rule came into play on Friday in Calgary during a game between the Hitmen and Kootenay Ice.

The Ice led 2-1 when Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic scored at 1:18 of the third period. Eventually, the game went into OT. Calgary F Mark Kastelic thought he had won the game with 29.3 seconds left in OT.

From the WHL web site:

“In the overtime period, the Hitmen were able to jam a puck past Ice goaltender Payton Lee during a goal-mouth scramble. Igniting the red light, Calgary emptied from its bench, celebrating what appeared to be a victory. Meanwhile, Lee protested and his teammates headed down the hallway to the dressing room.

“Across the ice at the timekeeper’s box, on-ice officials were on the phone with video review and quickly overturned the goal, bringing both teams back to the ice.”

So . . . what happened?

According to a tweet from Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, “Video review showed the puck was kicked in. New rule only allows a kick outside the blue crease. He was in the crease.”

Eventually, F Taylor Sanheim’s shootout goal gave Calgary a 3-2 victory.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers are into their second season in the Canalta Centre, but they still aren’t in what is supposed to be a $1.5-million dressing room. In fact, construction on that dressing room hasn’t even started. . . . Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News has more right here.

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As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Brandon Sun are asking fans to help pick the franchise’s Dream Team — the top 20 players in franchise history.

The online project allows fans to select two goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards from a list

of 50 that is provided. Voting is to begin on Monday at wheatkings.com.

The names on the ballot:

Goalies — Glen Hanlon, Ron Hextall, Trevor Kidd, Tyler Plante.

Defencemen — Keith Aulie, Daryl Boyle, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Don Dietrich, Burke Henry, Dean Kennedy, Justin Kurtz, Brad McCrimmon, Cam Plante, Dwayne Pentland, Ivan Provorov, Ryan Pulock, Wayne Ramsey, Wade Redden, Colby Robak.

Forwards — Ray Allison, Rick Blight, Dan Bonar, Laurie Boschman, Matt Calvert, Dave Chartier, Ron Chipperfield, Ryan Craig, Cory Cyrenne, Bill Derlago, Chris Dingman, Eric Fehr, Ray Ferraro, Scott Glennie, Kelly Glowa, Jayce Hawryluk, Bobby House, Mike Leclerc, Byron Lomow, Dale McMullin, Marty Murray, Robbie Neale, Steve Patrick, Brian Propp, Darren Ritchie, Peter Schaefer, Brayden Schenn, Mark Stone, Ryan Stone, Jordin Tootoo, Terry Yake.

Results of the voting will be revealed in January.

The Wheat Kings, who won the Ed Chynoweth Cup last season, dropped the puck on the 50th anniversary party at home on Saturday night. On hand to help things get started were some familiar names, like former team captains Bob Ash, Bill Fairbairn and Ted Taylor. Also there were Bruce Bonk Jack Borotsik, Ray Brownlee, Bob Clyne, Roy McLachlan and Ted Temple, all of whom played on Brandon’s first WCHL team in 1967-68.

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JUST NOTES:

F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds has suffered an undisclosed injury while in the training camp of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. On Saturday afternoon, Aaron Portzline, who covers the Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch, tweeted: “Add LW Keegan Kolesar to the (Columbus) injured list. Club not saying what the injury is.” . . . Kolesar, 19, had 61 points, including 30 goals, in 64 games with Seattle last season, his third in the WHL. The Blue Jackets selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . 

When Everett scored seven goals in beating the host Vancouver Giants, 7-3, on Friday night, the Silvertips matched their single-game goal-scoring high from last season. They counted seven times in a 7-4 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane on Dec. 16. . . . 

The Kamloops Blazers opened with a 9-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday. It marked the third time in franchise history that the Blazers had scored nine times in a home-opener against Kelowna. Kamloops won 9-5 on Sept. 29, 1982, and on Oct. 2, 1983. . . . The Blazers’ most lopsided home-opening victory came on Sept. 23, 1994 when they beat the Portland Winterhawks, 11-1. 

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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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California DMV joins the salutes to Scully, gives every car a VIN number.

— Mark Whicker (@MWhicker03LANG) September 25, 2016

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SATURDAY GAMES:

And I thought not having Internet in Mosaic Place was problematic last night. Fog postpones end of MJ-BWK game. Warriors lead 2-1.

— Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) September 25, 2016

At Brandon, the Moose Jaw Warriors held a 2-1 lead over the Wheat Kings when the game was suspended due to a persistent problem with fog on the ice. . . . Humidity in Brandon was as high as 100 per cent on Saturday. . . . Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was in the building and a decision was made at 14:23 of the second period to suspend the game. The Wheat Kings later released this statement: “Due to the safety of the players, the WHL has postponed the conclusion of tonight’s game. The balance of this game will be played at a date to be determined.” . . . Later, the decision was made to finish the game on Nov. 2 when the Warriors next are scheduled to visit Brandon. Players who now are in NHL camps will be back by then so both teams will have rosters different from what was on display last night. . . . F Brayden Watts gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 11:23 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos tied it 31 seconds into the second period. . . . The Warriors took a 2-1 lead when F Nikita Popugaev scored at 14:23 of the second period, at which point the game was halted. . . . The Warriors had beaten the visiting Wheat Kings 3-2 in OT on Friday night. . . . Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reported that Wheat Kings G Jordan Papirny was watching the video screen whenever the puck was in the Moose Jaw zone because he couldn’t see it through the fog. . . . In Brandon, the player benches are across the ice from each other. Brandon head coach David Anning told Bergson that the fog was so thick at ice level he could hardly see the Warriors’ bench. . . . Announced attendance: Unavailable.

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Delayed at the first-ever Oil Kings game at #RogersPlace. Man-lift broken-down on the ice. #cursed pic.twitter.com/l9EKrOtrfw

— Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29) September 25, 2016

At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer’s shootout goal gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . This was the first hockey game to be played at Rogers Place, the new arena that will be home to the Oil Kings and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. It was 90 minutes later in starting after a hydraulic lift broke down on the ice surface prior to the pregame warmups. . . . Bauer had been in camp with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, but was returned in time to play in the season-opening doubleheader. D Aaron Irving was returned with Bauer and scored the OT winner on Friday when the Oil Kings won 3-2 in Red Deer. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky of the Oil Kings scored the first goal in the new facility, 22 seconds into the second period, on a PP, as he snapped home a shot from the top of the right circle. . . . Later, the Oil Kings thought Fix-Wolansky had scored in OT but officials waived it off. . . . F Evan Polei and F D-Jay Jerome gave Red Deer a 2-1 lead early in the second period, only to have Bauer tie it at 12:16. . . . Jerome’s second goal of the game put Red Deer out front at 13:50. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Robertson tied it again, at 18:40 of the second. . . . Irving had two assists, while Fix-Wolansky, Bauer and Robertson each added an assist to their goals. . . . F Jordan Roy had two assists for the Rebels, with Jerome also getting an assist. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots for Edmonton, with Trevor Martin blocking 41 for the Rebels. . . . Edmonton was 3-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 18,102.

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Wyatte Wylie "from Everett, Washington" gets the loudest cheer here during introductions

— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) September 25, 2016

At Everett, F Matt Fonteyne broke a 1-1 tie at 18:13 of the second period and the Silvertips went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Silvertips swept the weekend doubleheader, having won 7-3 in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . F Graham Millar, with his third goal in two games, got Everett going at 3:30 of the first period. . . . F Jack Flaman pulled the Giants even at 16:53 of the second. . . . F Brett Kemp added some Everett insurance at 4:15 of the third. . . . F Patrick Bajkov and D Kevin Davis each had two assists for Everett. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 12 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 28. . . . Everett was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-4. . . . The Giants, already without injured forwards Tyler Benson and Thomas Foster and D Ryely McKinstry (concussion), lost D Matt Barberis and D Marcus Kichton on Friday. They brought in D Alex Kannok-Leipert of Regina to help out last night. Kannok-Leipert, 16, was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . F Taden Rattie, whose acquisition from the Red Deer Rebels was announced late Friday, was in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,308.

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Whoa.. last night's 9-2 Blazer W most lopsided Blazer win vs Kel in 227 meetings reg season/p'offs since Rockets moved to Kel in 1995.

— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) September 24, 2016

At Kelowna, Riley Stadel, a defenceman turned forward, scored twice to help the Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Stadel scored twice in 56 games last season. . . . The Blazers had beaten the visiting Rockets 9-2 on Friday night. . . . The Rockets dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. That included freshman F Nolan Foote, who had been out with mononucleosis. . . . D Cal Foote, Nolan’s older brother, had three assists for Kelowna, with F Rod Southam getting two. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer blocked 25 shots, losing his shutout bid at 11:23 of the third period when F Rudolfs Balcers scored on a PP. . . . Kamloops starter Dylan Ferguson was beaten twice on 14 shots in the first period. Carter Phair played the last two periods, stopping 16 of 19 shots. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 5,348.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., D Micheal Zipp scored with 42 seconds left in OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . It was the second night in a row that the two teams went to extra time. On Friday, in Calgary, the Hitmen won 3-2 in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Andrew Fyten opened the scoring at 7:22 of the first period. . . . The Ice tied it when D Cale Fleury scored at 3:26 of the second. . . . The Hitmen got 31 stops from G Kyle Dumba, while Payton Lee turned aside 34 for the Ice. . . . Calgary was 0-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 1,997.

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Those wondering on the 2nd Fischer goal, new #WHL rule puck can be kicked so long as skate doesn't leave 1 foot off ice & not in blue paint

— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) September 25, 2016

At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored four PP goals en route to a 9-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . One night earlier, the host Hurricanes had posted a 4-2 victory. . . . A third-period donnybrook resulted in 142 penalty minutes and no doubt will result in — ch-ch-ching! — fines and suspensions. . . . F Chad Butcher had a goal and five assists for the Tigers, with F Zach Fischer scoring three times and D Clayton Kirichenko earning three assists. F Mark Rassell had two goals and an assist, F Matt Bradley scored once and added an assist, and F Mason Shaw had two assists. . . . Fischer, a 19-year-old from Lloydminster, Alta., had eight goals in 35 games last season after scoring four times in 54 games as a freshman in 2014-15. . . . Freshman D Calen Addison had two assists for Lethbridge, giving him four points in two games, and F Zane Franklin had a goal and an assist. . . . Tigers G Duncan McGovern stopped 15 of 17 shots, with Jake Morrissey playing the last 12:11 and allowing one goal on three shots. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner was beaten six times on 34 shots, with reliever Ryan Gilchrist stopping 11 of 14. . . . The  Tigers were 4-8 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 2-10. . . . Referees Chris Crich and Adam Bloski doled out 190 minutes in penalties, including a game misconduct to Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio. . . . Announced attendance: 4,178.

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Thousands cheering a goal at the @pdxwinterhawks game? Doesn't phase this girl. Her sleep game is strong. #gohawks pic.twitter.com/knUVRpAIeq

— Lee Clarkson (@LClarkson20) September 25, 2016

At Portland, F Ryan Hughes had a goal and two assists, while F Evan Weinger had three assists, as the Winterhawks opened with a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The teams exchanged goals and were 3-3 early in the third period when the Winterhawks exploded for four goals. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls pulled his mates into a 3-3 tie 31 seconds into the third period. . . . Portland F Cody Glass broke the tie at 12:19 and F Brendan De Jong added insurance, on a PP, at 14:53. . . . The game’s last goal, at 19:40, went to Portland F Brad Ginnell, a grandson to the late Pat Ginnell, who was a legendary WHL coach and executive. . . . Glass also had an assist, while D Keoni Texeira had a goal and an assist. . . . The game marked a successful return to the Portland bench for GM/head coach Mike Johnston after a two-year absence. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 27 shots for Portland, one fewer than Seattle’s Rylan Toth. . . . The Winterhawks were 2-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 8,705.

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At Prince Albert, F Jake Leschyshyn scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Regina Pats to a 4-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . That allowed the Pats to split the weekend series, the Raiders having won 4-3 in OT in Regina on Friday. . . . F Kolten Olynek gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead with a PP goal at 7:23 of the second period. . . . F Lane Zablocki’s PP goal pulled Regina into a tie at 9:48. . . . F Braydon Buziak got what proved to the winner at 17:01. . . . Leschyshyn, who had scored the game’s first goal, got the empty-netter at 17:57 of the third. . . . Zablocki added an assist to his goal. . . . The Raiders got two assists from F Simon Stransky, giving him five points in two games. . . . F Austin Glover had a goal and an assist for for the Raiders. . . . Regina G Jordan Hollett stopped 28 shots, 13 fewer than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . Regina was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-7. . . . The Raiders were without D Loch Morrison and D Cody Paivarinta, so had D Adam Herold, 15, in their lineup. From Montmartre, Sask., he was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . The Raiders also got back F Drew Warkentine after he finished serving a three-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 2,719.

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@TCAmericans posed for an 8-3 victory picture! Good job Ams! pic.twitter.com/MNM1GgsYqZ

— Kyle Houtz (@Houtzenstein) September 25, 2016

At Kennewick, Wash., F Michael Rasmussen and F Vladislav Lukin combined for seven goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs, 8-3. . . . Rasmussen, seen as a likely early first-round selection in the 2017 NHL draft, scored the game’s first three goals, completing the hat trick at 16:22 of the first period. He got his fourth goal at 19:00 of the second. . . . It was the first four-goal game for a Tri-City player since F Brendan Shinnimin did it on Feb. 26, 2012, in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. . . . Rasmussen, 18, from Surrey, B.C., had 18 goals — including one two-goal game — in 63 games as a freshman last season. He was the seventh-overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Lukin, a Russian in his third season, scored two second-period goals and then got the game’s final goal, at 17:20 of the third period. He also had three assists, giving him a six-point night. . . . Lukin had 48 points, including 21 goals, last season, after putting up 12 points, seven of them goals, in 52 games in 2014-15. This was his first WHL hat trick. . . . F Morgan Geeie had a goal and two assists for Tri-City. F Tyler Sandhu and F Parker AuCoin each had three assists for the winners, with D Juuso Valimaki getting two. . . . The Chiefs got a goal and two assists from each of the Yamamoto brothers, Keanu, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, and Kailer. D Ty Smith added two assists. . . . G Warm Beck blocked 23 shots for the Americans. Spokane starter Jayden Sittler surrendered four goals on 25 shots, with Matt Berlin coming on to stop six of seven. . . . Announced attendance: 4,352.

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At Victoria, F Kody McDonald scored twice as the Prince George Cougars skated to a 5-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Cougars swept the two games on Vancouver Island as they had won 3-1 on Friday night. . . . On Saturday, they took control with goals 10 seconds apart early in the first period. F Justin Almeida opened the scoring at 6:10 and McDonald added another at 6:20. . . . F Brad Morrison and F Jared Bethune each had four assists for the Cougars, while F Colby McAuley scored his third goal in two games. . . . G Nick McBride stopped 36 shots for the Cougars. Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse allowed three goals on six shots in 9:09. Dylan Myskiw came on to finish up and stopped 20 of 22. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 3,795.

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SUNDAY GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 2:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

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Rimmer undergoes cancer surgery . . . Donaldson family remembers Ryan . . . Hitmen streak hits nine

F Štěpán Novotný (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) has signed for the rest of this season with Žilina (Slovakia, Extraliga). Novotný started this season with Žilina but moved to Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga) in December. In 33 games with Žilina, he has 10 goals and seven assists. He had three goals in 13 games with Nitra.
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Further down, under Tweet of the Day, you will find four tweets from G Ty Rimmer (Brandon, Prince George, Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2009-13). Rimmer, 22, is the latest young hockey player to have been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Among the former WHL players who have been faced with this disease are Cody Smuk, Brandon Davidson and Dylan Tait.
Rimmer has had surgery and all signs point to his making a complete recovery.
In his tweets, he encourages young men to get checked out and to be quick to see a doctor if anything irregular is noticed.
Let’s not forget that Cole Hamblin, a former WHLer, lost his battle with a rare form of cancer, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, early in November.
Please allow me to point out the importance of early diagnosis. I have twice been treated for basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. The first time, the dermatologist told me that if you were to get skin cancer, this was the one to get. That diagnosis involved a spot on one forearm.
The second time we dealt with spots on both hands that I had written off as nothing more than dry skin.
I now am more careful than ever before in terms of exposure to the elements, meaning I put on sun screen even on the cloudy days.
I also had a colon cancer test come back “mildly positive,” as my family doctor explained to me, late last fall. That led to a colonoscopy early in January. Thankfully, it didn’t find anything.
With the prevalence of cancers today, I would ask anyone with any suspicions to see a doctor. Early diagnosis is of the utmost importance.
Just ask Ty Rimmer.
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Want to get a look at the new arena in Medicine Hat — the Medicine Hat Regional Event Centre (aka The House that Bob Built)? It looks to be shaping up quite nicely. . . . Click right here and take a look at a video from CHAT-TV. (Tip of the hat to Kim Johnston for providing the link.)
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Jackson Caller, 15, who was a seventh-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Caller, from Kamloops, plays for the midget prep team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. He has 13 points, including three goals, in 29 games. The academy shows him at 6-foot-1 and 167 pounds. . . .
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported Wednesday that F Logan Aasman, 19, is back skating with the Everett Silvertips. Aasman, who has been out since Nov. 30 because of a concussion, had been at home in Medicine Hat recovering. He returned to Everett last week and is practising in a no-contact jersey. If all goes well, Aasman might return to the Silvertips’ lineup around month’s end. . . . Aasman had eight points, two of them goals, in 25 games when he was injured. In 108 career games, he has 26 points, including seven goals. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings, who are one point out of first-place overall, are showing D Kale Clague as being out week-to-week. Clague returned from a wrist injury last week but was injured Sunday, in his third game back. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville (suspected concussion) practised Wednesday, while F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury) remains out, as is D Ivan Provorov (undisclosed injury) and G Alex Moodie (suspected concussion). . . .
F Quinn Benjafield of the Kamloops Blazers ended up with a four-game suspension for a headshot major and game misconduct he took Saturday against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. He hit F Tyson Baillie, who is listed by the Rockets as being out week-to-week. Benjafield has sat out one game so far. . . . The Blazers and Tri-City Americans each were fined $250 for warmup violations prior to Monday afternoon’s game in Kamloops. Tri-City D Riley Hillis came out of that with a one-game suspension for a game misconduct he incurred. Interestingly, there isn’t anything on the online game sheet that indicates that Hillis was ejected. He served the suspension last night as the Americans played in Everett. . . .
D Alec Capstick of Langley, B.C., has committed to the U of Notre Dame where he will play hockey for the Irish. . . . Capstick, who will turn 16 on Feb, 18, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the fourth round of the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. . . . He is playing at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. . . .
The Vancouver Giants are another WHL team to have gotten Hockey Hooky fever. They’ll play host to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Wednesday with the game starting at noon. The Warriors also will play a Hockey Hooky game in Victoria on Tuesday. That game is to start at 12:05 p.m.
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The Donaldson family — mother Dana, father Doug and sister Kirsten — are determined that the life of their son and brother, Ryan, won’t have been for naught.
They are convinced that concussions suffered while playing hockey led to his suicide last February at the age of 17.
Gary Ahuja of the Langley Times has an extensive piece right here on the Donaldson family.
“Concussions and even simple brain shaking cause changes in the brain that cause the sufferer to lose control over their impulses,” Dana told Ahuja. “Basically, they make impulsive decisions. That is what Ryan did, he made an impulsive life-ending decision.
“That was not him and all his many friends need to know it was the brain injury that caused his death.
“Anyone who knew him knows he was full of life and positive.”
The family’s goal is to make sure no one else goes through what they have experienced in the past year.
“One of the biggest things for us is that we have come to realize with concussions, if we could go back, we would change exactly how we dealt with Ryan,” Doug said.
“Once a player has had one concussion, they know what the questions are and how they are going to answer them so they can get back in the game,” he said.
“With the baseline test, you can take that away from a player.”
The Donaldsons are organizing the inaugural Ryan Donaldson Memorial Tournament. Individual players will register for the tournament, teams will be selected via a draft and fun will be had by all.
Proceeds will be used to provide access to baseline testing to any players who want it. There also are plans to set up a trust fund that will be used to aid families who are dealing with concussions.
It is worth noting, too, that the Donaldsons donated their son’s organs as they took him off life support.
“We figured he was such a giving kid, this is what he would have wanted to do,” Dana told Ahuja.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, G Nick McBride stopped 24 shots to lead the Raiders to a 3-0 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . It was McBride’s second shutout of the season and second of his career. It was his first victory in 12 decisions, too. . . . Raiders F Tim Vanstone scored his eighth goal at 2:56 of the second period and it stood up as the winner. . . . The Raiders struck for three goals in 4:07, with F Colton Heffley getting his fifth at 6:41 and F Matteo Gennaro getting No. 9 at 7:03. . . . Chiefs G Garret Hughson stopped 27 shots. . . . F Craig Leverton had two assists. . . . Eleven of the 16 minor penalties called in the game were for roughing. . . . Each team was 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . Vanstone left in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . The Raiders (23-31-2) have won two in a row. They have 16 games remaining and are seven points out of a playoff spot. . . . Spokane (26-24-4), which has been shutout in five of its last 11 games, is 2-2-0 on its six-game East Division trip. The Chiefs, who are in Brandon on Friday, hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Jeff D’Andrea of panow.com has a game story right here. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored five second-period goals and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-3. . . . Ice F Levi Cable, who was playing his 250th game, got the game’s first goal, his 24th, just 59 seconds into the first period. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau picked up his 150th career assist on Cable’s goal. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his WHL-leading 44th goal on a PP at 2:54 of the second. He’s riding a 12-game point streak. . . . Ice D Rinat Valiev broke the tie with his eighth goal at 11:07 and the Ice added four more before the period ended. . . . Cable and Valiev each had two assists, as did F Luke Philp. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon scored his 22nd goal and added his 150th career assist. . . . Descheneau added his 25th goal, while F Sam Reinhart got No. 13. . . . With head coach Ryan McGill ill and unavailable, assistant coach Jay Henderson ran the Kootenay bench. . . . The Ice had D Tanner Faith back on their bench, but he was in the role of an assistant coach. He is recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery. . . . The Tigers were without D Ty Stanton (ill), but had D Tyler Lewington, their captain, back from a one-game suspension. . . . The Ice (28-26-1) had lost its previous three games. It owns the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, one point up on Edmonton. . . . The Tigers (36-16-3) lead the Central Division by six points over Calgary. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Jamal Watson scored twice and set up another to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Watson has 20 goals. . . . The Hurricanes erased a 2-1 deficit with three straight goals. . . . F Jack Rodewald gave Moose Jaw a 2-1 lead with a shorthanded goal at 2:08 of the second. He’s got 25 goals. . . . Lethbridge F Mike Winther tied it with his ninth goal, on a PP, at 14:53. . . . F Johnny Wesley got his third goal at 18:30, on another PP, and Watson upped the lead to 4-2 at 2:48 of the third. . . . Moose Jaw F Jiri Smejkal, who had two assists, cut the deficit to one with his ninth goal at 12:57. . . . The Hurricanes iced it with a pair of shorthanded empty-netters, from Watson and D Andrew Nielsen, his seventh. Nielsen also had two assists. . . . Smejkal has 23 points in 54 games, with six of the points coming in two games against the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner turned aside 38 shots, 16 more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . D Reid Zalitach played his first game for the Warriors since Nov. 1. He had left the club for personal reasons. . . . The Hurricanes now are 16-32-6. . . . The Warriors (21-29-4), who are nine points out of a playoff spot with 18 games to play, have lost two in a row. This was the first of seven straight road games as the Canadian women’s curling championship has taken over their home arena. . . .

In Calgary, the Hitmen ran their winning streak to nine games with a 4-3 five-round shootout victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Brad Morrison scored for the Cougars in the first round of the shootout, with F Adam Tambellini countering for the Hitmen in the second round. . . . F Connor Rankin won it in the fifth round. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 49 shots through OT. . . . Morrison forced OT with his 20th goal at 12:00 of the third period. . . . The Hitmen led 2-0 in the second period, only to have the Cougars tie it on D Tate Olson’s fifth goal, on a PP, at 1:20 of the third. . . . F Jake Virtanen shot Calgary back into the lead with his 15th goal at 11:13. . . . Tambellini had two assists, while D Travis Sanheim scored his 11th goal and added an assist. . . . Calgary F Kenton Helgesen, the team captain, scored his 18th goal of the season in what was his 250th career game. . . . Morrison also had an assist, while F Zach Pochiro got his 10th goal and added an assist. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke stopped 19 shots. . . . The Hitmen (32-17-5) are second in the Central Division, six points behind Medicine Hat. . . . The Cougars (21-32-4) are 0-1-2 in their last three games. They are fifth in the B.C. Division, but just three points behind third-place Vancouver. . . .

In Vancouver, F Carter Popoff scored twice to help the Giants to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer scored his 18th goal at 9:42 of the first period. . . . The Giants scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Popoff tied it at 7:33 of the second period and F Vladimir Bobylev got his third just 44 seconds later. . . . Popoff, who has 22 goals, iced it with an empty-netter at 19:34 of the third. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter stopped 31 shots. . . . Giants G Payton Lee, who has been out with a hand injury, was on the bench backing up Porter. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry blocked 21 shots. He played in his 148th career game to set a franchise record. He had shared the mark with Laurent Brossoit. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson had two assists. . . . Vancouver D Arvin Atwal was eligible to return from a WHL suspension, but he was a healthy scratch. . . . Vancouver (23-29-3) has won two in a row and has moved into third place in the B.C. Division, one point ahead of idle Kamloops. The Giants have a game in hand. . . . Edmonton (25-26-6) has lost two straight; it went 1-3-0 on a trip into the B.C. Division, scoring only six goals in the process. The Oil Kings hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has a game story right here. . . .

In Everett, the Tri-City Americans erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits as they beat the Silvertips 4-3 in a shootout. . . . F Vladislav Lukin scored the lone goal of the three-round shootout. Lukin, a freshman from Ufa, Russia, isn’t believed to be related to former Kamloops Blazers captain Jaret Lukin. . . . This really was a wild one. . . . Everett led 2-0 after one period — on goals from F Patrick Bajkov, his 20th, and Remi Laurencelle, his 15th — and took that lead into the third. . . . The Americans tied it on D Brendan O’Reilly’s first goal, at 7:23 of the third, and F Lucas Nickles’ 20th just 12 seconds later. . . . F Nikita Scherbak put Everett back out front with his 23rd goal at 12:05. . . . Tri-City pulled even on F Beau McCue’s 21st goal at 14:28. . . . D Brandon Carlo had two assists for the Americans. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 26 shots through OT, three more than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . F Parker Bowles was among the Americans’ scratches. Bowles, who leads the Americans in assists and points, left a 3-0 loss in Kamloops on Sunday with an apparent injury to his left arm or shoulder. . . . The Americans also scratched D Riley Hillis (suspended), D Tyler Morrison (undisclosed injury) and D Dylan Coghlan (undisclosed injury). Tri-City F Braden Purtill moved back to defence for this one. . . . The Americans (26-26-3) are fifth in the U.S. Division, but are in the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Everett (34-16-5) leads the U.S. Division by seven points over idle Portland. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.
———

THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled.

FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Saskatoon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Tri-City at Portland, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
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(1/4) Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The tumor was surgically removed and I am on my way to a full recovery!
— Ty Rimmer (@Rimms35) February 12, 2015

(2/4) The more awareness we can raise about this the better! So I would like to encourage all young men to get themselves checked out.
— Ty Rimmer (@Rimms35) February 12, 2015

(3/4) This disease can manifest very quickly, and may advance rapidly. So please dont hesitate to talk to your doctor if you notice anything
— Ty Rimmer (@Rimms35) February 12, 2015

(4/4) Thankyou to my family, friends, doctors, and the entire @EdmontonOilers organization for being so supportive during this time!
— Ty Rimmer (@Rimms35) February 12, 2015

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

2016 Memorial Cup host to be decided today . . . Everett D-man opens with Sharks

The WHL’s board of governors began meeting in Calgary on Tuesday, with the goal of selecting a host team/city for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . The league is expecting to make an announcement today at around 2:15 p.m. Calgary time. . . . That tournament will be played in either Red Deer or Vancouver, as the Rebels and Giants both entered bids.
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Players with the Tri-City Americans are making a conscious effort to be careful with how they handle social media. . . . “In today’s day and age, the guys have to be very careful,” head coach Mike Williamson told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “They are public figures. They are in the spotlight and sometimes things get misconstrued when you put something out on social media. We haven’t told them not to do it, but we remind them to be smart and represent themselves, their families and the team in a professional manner. Things can get magnified and it stays with them forever.” . . . That story is right here.
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G Eric Comrie stopped 43 shots and F Vladislav Lukin scored twice to lead the visiting Tri-City Americans to a 4-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday night. . . . Lukin, a freshman from Ufa, Russia, isn’t related to former WHL F Jarret Lukin (Kamloops, Medicine Hat, 2000-05), who is from Fort McMurray, Alta. . . . In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle stopped 18 shots as the Rockets ran their record to 7-0-0 with a 4-0 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. Whistle has four career shutouts, one in each of his first four seasons. Since the start of the 2012-13 season, when he was acquired from the Vancouver Giants, Whistle is 40-6-1. . . . F Carter Rigby had two goals and an assist for Kelowna.
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There has been a change at the top of the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ organizational structure. The board of directors has voted in Doug Paisley as its president, replacing Brian McNaughton. Reid Williams was voted in as vice-president. . . . McNaughton remains on the board, but no longer is an executive member. . . . Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald has more on the Hurricanes right here. He also explains why he thinks that the team’s latest trade with the Brandon Wheat Kings is a good one . . . for the Hurricanes.
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The BCHL’s Penticton Vees announced Tuesday that they have received a commitment from F Tak Anholt, 16, for the 2015-16 season. . . . Anholt’s WHL rights belong to the Brandon Wheat Kings, who acquired them from the Lethbridge Hurricanes last week in the deal that involved F Reid Duke and D Macoy Erkamps also moving to the Wheat City. . . . Anholt is playing at Yale Hockey Academy in Abbotsford, B.C. He has eight points, including six goals, in his first two games with the U-18 prep team. . . . Lethbridge selected him in the second round of the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . .
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Apologies to Angela MacIsaac for having attributed quotes to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province here the other day, when they actually were from a game story she had written for the Kelowna Daily Courier. . . . Ang has been doing some freelancing for the Daily Courier, an arrangement that soon will end as she heads for Spokane and a life of wedded bliss. . . . Are you ready, Spokane? . . . You are able to follow her on Twitter (@that_angela). Be aware that her tweeting from Rockets’ games is one of a kind. LOL!
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT:

It is a story that is becoming all too familiar. A hockey player suffers one brain injury, then another, and another. Finally, while still a teenager, he has to walk away from the game that has meant so much to him. . . . Ryan Cooke of the Truro, N.S., Daily News has another of those stories right here.
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James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun, tweets that Wheat Kings F John Quenneville will be out for a “couple weeks” with an undisclosed injury, while D Eric Roy (shoulder) is back skating. Roy, who returned from the camp of the NHL’s Calgary Flames with a shoulder injury, practised without restrictions on Tuesday. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have released D Ben Verrall, 18, and he is expected to join the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. From Saskatoon, Verrall played in three exhibition games with the Raiders but didn’t get into any regular-season games. . . . The Raiders now are carrying 24 players, including 14 forwards and eight defencemen. . . .
Mirco Mueller, who played the last two seasons with the Everett Silvertips, is one of seven defencemen on the the opening-night roster of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Mueller, 19, is from Switzerland. The Sharks selected him with the 18th overall pick in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . The Kamloops Blazers have released sophomore F Eric Krienke, 18. He was pointless in three games this season and has seven points, three of them goals, in 53 career regular-season games. The Calgarian was a ninth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Kamloops’ roster now is at 25, including 14 forwards and three goaltenders. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors have released D Christos Zinis, 17, and he is expected to join the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes. Zinis, from Broomfield, Colo., played one game for the Warriors last season, but didn’t see any regular-season action this time around. . . . He was an eighth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
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Marco Gonzales just won his second game in NLDS. Only 403 fans combined saw his two home starts in Saskatoon in the WMBL three years ago.
— Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) October 8, 2014