Showing posts with label Zack Andrusiak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zack Andrusiak. Show all posts

Friday, February 3, 2017

Thibodeau gets AJHL record . . . Winterhawks, Thunderbirds on fire . . . Halbgewachs ends drought

F Brett Bulmer (Kelowna, 2008-12) has been released by mutual agreement by Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga). He had two goals and three assists in 23 games.
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Gord Thibodeau recorded his 833rd coaching victory on Friday, moving to the top of the AJHL’s career list. Thibodeau’s Whitecourt Wolverines scored a 2-1 OT victory over the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons to give him the record. Thibodeau spent 11 seasons (2003-13) as the Oil Barons’ GM and head coach. . . . In his first season with Whitecourt, he also has coached the Lloydminster Blazers, St. Albrert Saints and Lloydminster Bobcats. . . . Thibodeau, who is in his 23rd season as an AJHL head coach, had been tied with Don Phelps, who coached the Calgary Canucks from 1979-2011. . . . Whitecourt’s winning goal came from F Eric Krienke, with the lone assist to F Mitch Lipon, both of them former WHL players.
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The Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League have made a coaching change, with Norm Johnston replacing Jean Fauchon for the remainder of this season. . . . After losing 9-1 to the Mintos in Prince Albert on Thursday, the Stars were 14-21-2 and tied for 10th place, one point out of a playoff spot. . . . Fauchon was in his first season as head coach of the Stars after spending four seasons with them as an assistant coach. . . . Johnston, a school teacher by profession, hasn’t coached since 2013-14 when he was with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He was the general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s North Battleford North Stars for five seasons (1983-86, 1988-90). . . . He spent 1994-95 as head coach of the WHL’s Regina Pats. . . . He will be behind the bench today (Saturday) as the Stars play host to the Yorkton Maulers.
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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Brandon, F Tyler Coulter and F Nolan Patrick each had four points to lead the Wheat Kings to a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Coulter scored two goals and added two assists, while Patrick
TYLER COULTER
drew four assists. . . . The Wheat Kings took an early 2-0 lead as F Stelio Mattheos (18) and F Meyer Nell (2) scored at 1:21 and 5:07 of the first period. . . . Both of Nell’s goals this season have come with his side shorthanded. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky pulled Edmonton to within one at 9:00, but Brandon put it away with the next three goals. . . . Coulter scored at 14:34 of the first period, while F Ty Lewis (24) counted at 12:35 of the second and F Reid Duke got his 32nd, on a PP, at 15:06. . . . D Will Warm got Edmonton’s second goal, his ninth, at 18:02 of the second and F Davis Koch (14) scored on a PP 27 seconds into the third. . . . Coulter wrapped up the scoring, putting his 22nd goal into an empty net at 19:31. . . . Coulter equalled his career high in goals from last season. . . . Patrick, the consensus No. 1 selection for the 2017 NHL draft, has 22 points, 13 of them assists, in 13 games this season. He has 13 points, including five goals, in seven games since returning from injury. . . . Brandon got two assists from D Kale Clague, with Mattheos adding one to his goal. . . . F Graham Millar had two assists for the Oil Kings, with Koch adding one. . . . G Travis Child earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 27 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-2 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-6. . . . With Brandon head coach David Anning ill, assistant coach Don MacGillivray picked up his first WHL coaching victory. . . . The Wheat Kings (25-19-6) have points in three straight (2-0-1). They are fourth in the East Division, four points behind the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Oil Kings (18-30-4) have lost 13 in a row. They are six points out of the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 4,712.
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At Everett, F Skyler McKenzie and F Cody Glass each had four points to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-5 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The start of the game was delayed about 30 minutes due to an
SKYLER McKENZIE
accident on I-5 that delayed Portland’s arrival. . . . McKenzie scored twice, running his total to 34, and added two assists, while Glass, who has 72 points, had a goal, his 24th, and three assists. . . . F Brad Ginnell (5) gave Portland a 1-0 lead at 1:14 of the first period. . . . Everett followed with two quick ones, F Bryce Kindopp (7) scoring at 3:48 and F Riley Sutter (15) at 5:21. Kindopp’s goal came on a PP, ending an 0-22 skid. . . . The Winterhawks went back out front on goals from McKenzie, on a PP, at 17:51 and Glass just 30 seconds into the second period. . . . Everett F Devon Skoleski (10) tied it at 3:17. . . . F Ryan Hughes (23), on a PP, and McKenzie scored at 5:54 and 8:37 as the Winterhawks took a 5-3 lead. . . . F Sean Richards (6) but the deficit to one at 14:54, but Portland F Joachim Blichfeld (18) scored with 2.8 seconds left in the period for a 6-4 lead. . . . Everett got back to within a goal when F Dominic Zwerger (22) struck at 13:15 of the third period. . . . D Caleb Jones had two assists for Portland. . . . Everett got four assists from D Aaron Irving, his first career four-point game. Everett F Eetu Tuulola had three assists, with D Kevin Davis adding two. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler finished with 34 saves as he recorded his 20th victory. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart was beaten three times on 11 shots in 24:30 when he was relieved by Mario Petit. He allowed three goals on 17 shots in 33:11. . . . Portland was 2-3 on the PP; Everett was 1-3. . . . The Winterhawks (28-21-3) ran their winning streak to six games. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot and are nine points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips (30-11-10) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2). They lead the U.S. Division by four points over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Announced attendance: 4,432.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Jayden Halbgewachs, the WHL’s leading sniper, ended an eight-game drought with
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
two goals as the Warriors beat the Kootenay Ice, 6-2. . . . Halbgewachs, who now has 40 goals, also had two assists. . . . F Brett Howden helped out with two goals and one assist. . . . The Warriors led 2-0 before the game was 45 seconds old, with Halbgewachs scoring at 0:30 and Howden counting just 11 seconds later. . . . Halbgewachs scored again at 3:35. . . . The Warriors led 4-0 when F Tristin Langan scored his fifth goal at 4:01 of the second period. . . . F Max Patterson (7) got the Ice on the scoreboard at 5:48, but Howden got that one back with No. 28 at 18:11. . . . Ice F Kaeden Taphorn scored his third goal, assisted by twin brother Keenan, at 1:17 of the third period. . . . F Luka Burzan finished the scoring with No. 12 for the Warriors at 7:10. . . . The Warriors got two assists from each of D Jett Woo and F Brayden Burke. . . . G Brody Willms got the victory with 20 saves. . . . Ice starter Jakob Walter allowed three goals on seven shots in 3:35. Payton Lee came on in relief to stop 32 of 35 shots in 56:25. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Warriors (31-14-7) had lost their previous two games. They are comfortably in second place in the East Division, 10 points behind the Regina Pats and nine in front of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Ice (12-34-8) have lost four straight. . . . Announced attendance: 1,709.
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At Prince Albert, F Evan Polei and F Michael Spacek each had two goals as they led the Red Deer
COLTON BOBYK
Rebels to a 6-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Rebels took a 2-0 lead into the second period on goals from Polei, on a PP, at 12:33, and Spacek, at 19:30. . . . The Raiders tied it with a pair of early second-period goals as F Simon Stransky (14) scored, on a PP, at 1:04, and F Sean Montgomery (11) tied it at 4:05. . . . The visitors answered with two more goals, as F Cameron Hausinger scored his sixth at 14:10 and Spacek got his 23rd, on a PP, at 19:03. . . . F Cavin Leth got the Raiders to within a goal with his 17th just 25 seconds later. . . . The Rebels put it away with two empty-netters, as Polei scored No. 24 at 18:09 of the third period and F Lane Zablocki got his 16th at 19:36. . . . D Colton Bobyk had three assists for Red Deer, with F Adam Musil and F Brandon Hagel each adding two. . . . Bobyk had four goals and a career-high 36 assists in 51 games. He went into the season with 44 assists in 160 games. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb earned the victory with 32 stops, five more than Nic Sanders at the other end. . . . The Rebels were 2-3 on the PP; the Raiders were 1-4. . . . Red Deer (23-21-8) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). The Rebels appear headed to a third-place finish in the Central Division. . . . The Raiders (13-36-5) had won their previous two outings. . . . Announced attendance: 2,198.
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At Prince George, F Kole Lind broke a 2-2 tie at 7:23 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets got past the Cougars, 3-2. . . . Lind, who has 24 goals, also scored Kelowna’s first goal, while shorthanded, at
KOLE LIND
8:12 of the first period. . . . F Reid Gardiner gave the visitors a 2-0 lead with his fourth goal, at 18:04. . . . The Cougars tied it with two second-period goals. . . . F Colby McAuley scored No. 19 just 20 seconds into the period, with F Jesse Gabrielle getting his 24th goal at 17:09. . . . F Dillon Dube had two assists for the Rockets. . . . Lind, an 18-year-old from Shaunavon, Sask., has 63 points in 50 games this season. He finished last season with 14 goals and 27 assists in 70 games. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer, in his 100th WHL appearance, earned the victory with 32 stops. Herringer made two appearances with the Victoria Royals in 2012-13; the other 98 have been with the Rockets, including 40 this season. . . . The Cougars got 29 saves from G Ty Edmonds. . . . Kelowna was 0-2 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-5. . . . The Cougars scratched D Brendan Guhle (ankle), while F Tomas Soustal (undisclosed injury) was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . . The Rockets (29-19-4) have won two in a row. They are tied with the Victoria Royals for third spot in the B.C. Division, five points behind the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Cougars (36-15-3) had won their previous two games. They lead the B.C. Division by eight points over Kamloops. . . . The game was handled by one referee (Mike Langin), when the other assigned official (Colin Watt) was snowed in at the airport in Vancouver. . . . Announced attendance: 3,038.
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At Saskatoon, F Austin Wagner scored twice to help the Regina Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Blades. . . . The Pats took control by scoring the game’s first three goals. . . . F Nick Henry (23) got it started at 11:50,
AUSTIN WAGNER
with Wagner counting 36 seconds into the second period and D Dawson Davidson scoring 5:18 later. . . . Saskatoon D Bryton Sayers got his sixth, on a PP, at 13:56, but Regina D Connor Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, got that one back with No. 22, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . F Braylon Shmyr scored Saskatoon’s other goal, his 26th, on a PP, at 5:32 of the third period. . . . Wagner’s 24th goal, a shorthanded empty-netter, ended the scoring at 17:21. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, who leads the WHL scoring race with 91, had two assists, as did F Adam Brooks, who trails his teammate by three points. . . . Davidson also had an assist for Regina. . . . Shmyr added one to his goal. . . . G Tyler Brown stopped 18 shots for Regina, while Saskatoon’s Brock Hamm blocked 32. . . . Saskatoon was 2-6 on the PP; Regina was 1-7. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk (coach’s decision) was among the Blades’ scratches. . . . F Filip Ahl (ill) was one of Regina’s scratches. . . . Regina lost F Jake Leschyshyn to an undisclosed injury and he isn’t expected to play tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Regina F Jeff de Wit took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 18:27 of the third period for a hit on Saskatoon D Mark Rubinchik, who didn’t appear to be injured on the play. . . . Regina (36-6-7) has won seven in a row. The Pats lead the overall standings by four points over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Saskatoon (20-26-6) has lost four straight and is one point away from a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,487.
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At Spokane, F Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored three times and added an assist to lead the Chiefs to a 5-3
JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN
victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Anderson-Dolan broke a 3-3 tie, on a PP, at 11:52 of the third period and then had the primary assist on F Keanu Yamamoto’s 19th goal, at 18:45. . . . Anderson-Dolan has 27 goals and 26 assists in 51 games; he finished last season, his first, with 14 goals and 12 assists in 65 games. Anderson-Dolan, 17, is from Calgary. He was a first-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Tigers led 2-0 after one period on goals from F James Hamblin (14), on a PP, at 15:53 and F Matt Bradley (23), at 18:46. . . . The Chiefs scored three times in the second period. . . . F Hayden Ostir got his fifth at 2:25. . . . Anderson-Dolan followed with two PP scores, at 8:57 and 12:34. . . . The Tigers tied it when F Tyler Preziuso scored his third goal, at 2:14 of the third period. . . . Yamamoto also had three assists, while F Riley Woods record two. . . . Spokane got 31 saves from G Dawson Weatherill. . . . Medicine Hat G Michael Bullion stopped 29 shots. . . . The Chiefs were 3-7 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-4. . . . Spokane (21-22-8) had lost its last three games (0-2-1). The Chiefs are nine points away from a playoff spot. . . . Medicine Hat (36-16-1) had a five-game winning streak halted. It leads the Central Division by six points over the Lethbridge Hurricane. . . . Announced attendance: 8,564.
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At Kent, Wash., F Zack Andrusiak scored in the ninth round of a shootout to give the Seattle
ZACK ANDRUSIAK
Thunderbirds a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The first four shooters in the skills competition all scored, but the next 12 all came up short. Andrusiak, who has five goals in 40 games, scored on G Connor Ingram to put the hosts ahead. Seattle won it when G Rylan Toth stopped Blazers F Erik Miller. . . . Prior to the shootout beginning, TBird Tidbits tweeted that the Blazers were 5-0 in shootouts against the Thunderbirds. . . . The Blazers had taken a 1-0 lead when F Nic Holowko’s fifth goal of the season, on a PP, at 7:16 of the second period. That was the first PP goal of Holowko’s career; it came in his 183rd game. . . . Seattle F Luke Ormsby (5) tied it at 7:59. . . . Kamloops went back out front when F Deven Sideroff got No. 30, at 11:25. . . . F Ryan Gropp, who is from Kamloops, tied it with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 15:21. . . . F Alexander True had two assists for Seattle. . . . Toth finished with 35 saves through OT, while Ingram stopped 24 shots. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-4. . . . This was the third time in a row these teams went to OT. Seattle had beaten the visiting Blazers, 4-3 in OT, on Tuesday. On Nov. 30, the host Blazers won 4-3 in OT. . . . Seattle (31-15-4) has won seven in a row and moved into second in the U.S. Division, one point ahead of the Tri-City Americans. . . . Kamloops (31-18-5) has lost three straight (0-1-2). It is 1-1-2 in a five-game swing into the U.S. Division. The Blazers are second in the B.C Division. . . . Announced attendance: 4,259.
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At Langley, B.C., the Calgary Hitmen, down 2-0 before the game was three minutes old, came back to beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-3 in OT. . . . F Owen Hardy (3) gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 2:27 of the
MATTEO GENNARO
first period and F Johnny Wesley (7) made it 2-0 just 24 seconds later. . . . Calgary F Matteo Gennaro scored for the Hitmen at 5:29 of the second period, but the Giants got that one back as F Ty Ronning (20) counted at 8:27. . . . The visitors responded with the game’s last three goals. . . . F Tristen Nielsen scored his first goal of the season — and second of his career — at 13:08 of the second period. A first-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, Nielsen scored once in three games last season; this season, he has a goal and three assists in 30 games. . . . F Jakub Stukel, who started his career with the Giants, tied the game, on a PP, 54 seconds into the third period. He’s got 17 goals. . . . The Hitmen won it when Gennaro struck for his 33rd goal at 1:09 of OT. . . . Gennaro began this season with 39 goals in 202 games. This season, he has 33 goals and 28 assists in 48 games. . . . Gennaro didn’t score in his last five games in December. He then scored 20 times in January and now has two goals in February. . . . D Brady Reagan drew three assists, while F Beck Malenstyn had two, and Gennaro and Stukel each had one. . . . The Hitmen got 31 stops from G Trevor Martin, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic made 28 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-1 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen were without F Mark Kastelic, who drew a one-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct he incurred on Wednesday in Kelowna. . . . Calgary (19-23-9) had lost two in a row. The victory lifted the Hitmen past the Saskatoon Blades and into the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Vancouver (17-30-5) has lost six straight (0-4-2). . . . Announced attendance: 3,368.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Vancouver at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Brandon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
No Games Scheduled.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:23 PM
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Friday, October 21, 2016

B.C. gov't exempts WHL teams from minimum wage law . . . Pats' bid tied up in lease talks . . . Pats lovin' shorthanded play


F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by mutual agreement by Katowice (Poland, PHL). He had five goals and four assists in eight games. . . .
F Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had nine goals and 16 assists in 56 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) 56 GP, and three goals and two assists with the  Bakersfield Condors (AHL).
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 “The B.C. government has exempted the province’s six major junior hockey teams from having to pay their players minimum wage,” writes Rob Shaw of the Vancouver Sun, “after threats from the Western Hockey League that teams might not survive a class-action lawsuit on the issue unless the government quickly changed the law in their favour.” . . . The exemption came on Feb. 16 and was made while a class-action lawsuit by former CHL players is making its way through the legal system. That lawsuit was filed in Toronto and Calgary but hasn’t yet been certified. . . . Shaw’s story is right here.
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Meanwhile, both of the Vancouver Sun’s political columnists — Ian Mulgrew and Vaughn Palmer — chose to hold the B.C. government’s feet to the fire over this move. . . . Mulgrew has some questions in a piece headlined: Forecheck, back check — how about a junior hockey paycheque? . . . Mulgrew writes: “The sad legacy of how National Hockey League owners exploited players for much of the 20th century apparently lives on in major junior hockey. Astoundingly, owners of B.C.’s six profit-driven teams seem to have persuaded the provincial Liberal cabinet to bring back indentured labour.” . . . Mulgrew’s column is right here. . . . Palmer’s piece carries the headline: Liberals ‘save’ hockey in B.C., but do so on the sly. . . . “The Liberals made the change after extensive lobbying from the league,” Palmer writes, “which was facing a court challenge on the failure to pay minimum wage and concerned about economic pressures on its teams were they obliged to pay up. The Liberals bought the argument but did so in the quietest fashion. The waiver was approved by cabinet order on Feb. 15, with no followup press release nor much else to draw attention to what they’d done.” . . . Why so quiet? Why the secrecy? . . . Palmer’s column is right here. . . . The really interesting thing about all of this: The six B.C. teams seem to have said they would be in danger of financial collapse if they had to pay minimum wage, but they weren’t required to turn over any financials to prove such claims.
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When Diane and Russ Parker owned the Regina Pats, and their son, Brent, was the general manager, it seemed that there would be a nasty battle every time the lease with what now is the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd., came up for renewal. Now the Pats have relatively new owners — the Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group — and guess what? Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that “an impasse in negotiations for a new lease at the Brandt Centre threatens to derail the Regina Pats’ bid for the 2018 Memorial Cup.” . . . Anthony Marquart, the president of QCSEG, told Harder: “We’re very concerned. We’re at the point now where we’re being put at risk and the community is being put at risk. We won’t be in a position to host a Memorial Cup unless this lease is finalized.” . . . Harder’s story is right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds got down to three 20-year-olds on Thursday by sending F Cavin Leth to the Prince Albert Raiders for F Zack Andrusiak, 18, and a third-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . The move left the Thunderbirds with F Scott Eansor, F Ryan Gropp and G Rylan Toth as their 20s. . . . The Raiders now have Leth, F Austin Glover and F Tim Vanstone as their 20s. . . . Andrusiak, from Yorkton, Sask., had a goal and an assist in eight games with the Raiders. . . . Leth had three assists in five games with Seattle. He was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos on Jan. 4 for D Sahvan Khaira. Last season, in 36 games with the Thunderbirds, he had six goals and seven assists. . . . In 199 career regular-season games, Leth has 21 goals and 22 assists.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors and the Wheat Kings will convene earlier than usual in Brandon on Feb. 8 in order to complete a game that got fogged out on Sept. 24. You may recall that player safety became a concern due to fog and the game was halted with the Warriors leading 2-1 at 14:23 of the second period. . . . The teams will complete that game on Feb. 8, starting at 6 p.m. The regularly scheduled game will follow at 7:30 p.m. . . . Check out the Wheat Kings’ website for details on tickets.
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JUST NOTES:

The Victoria Royals have dropped F Keith Anderson from their roster. He is expected to join the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Anderson, 19, is from Hermiston, Ore. He was a sixth-round pick by the Royals in the 2012 bantam draft. Last season, he had a goal and five assists in 33 games with Victoria. This season, he was 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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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, D Kale Clague, in his first game of the season, had a goal and two assists to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Clague was injured while in camp
KALE CLAGUE
with the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 21. . . . F Tanner Kaspick also had a goal and two assists for Brandon, with F Reid Duke and D James Shearer each getting a goal and an assist. . . . Shearer was back in Brandon’s lineup for the first time this month. The Wheat Kings also have F Barron Thompson back in camp after having dropped him from their roster for what Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has referred to as “an off-ice issue.” However, Thompson didn’t play last night . . . Wheat Kings F Nolan Patrick also was scratched again. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 32 shots for Brandon, with Stuart Skinner blocking 32 for the visitors. . . . Brandon was 1-3 on the PP; Lethbridge was 1-5. . . . The Wheat Kings (4-3-2) are 2-0-1 in their last three outings. . . . The Hurricanes (5-6-2), who continue to be without F Egor Babenko, have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Tyler Coulter at 12:35 of the first period with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on F Giorgio Estephan. That will take Coulter out of Saturday’s game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs, for starters. . . . Announced attendance: 3,707.
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At Edmonton, F Trey Fix-Wolansky broke a 1-1 tie at 7:09 of the second period and the Oil Kings
TREY FIX-WOLANSKY
went on to a 3-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Fix-Wolansky, who was acquired from Prince Albert for a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft on Sept. 7, has four goals in his freshman season. He also drew two assists in this one. . . . The Raiders got the game’s first goal, from F Parker Kelly, at 2:40 of the first period. . . . Edmonton D Will Warm’s first goal tied it, at 14:17. Fix-Wolansky drew an assist on the play. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving got the game’s last goal, on a PP, at 17:28 of the third period. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 32 shots. . . . G Ian Scott of the Raiders turned aside 35. . . . The Oil Kings were 1-2 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-3. . . . Edmonton (4-5-2) had lost its previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Raiders are 3-6-1. . . . F Cavin Leth, acquired Thursday from the Seattle Thunderbirds, was in Prince Albert’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 6,798.
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At Kamloops, F Rudolfs Balcers had two goals and an assist in the first period as the Blazers got
RUDOLFS BALCERS
started towards what would be a ?? victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Balcers, a smooth-skating Latvian, has five goals this season. . . . The Blazers took a 1-0 lead on F Deven Sideroff’s fifth goal, at 1:14 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Mason McCarthy tied it with his eighth goal at 7:42. . . . It was all Blazers after that, with Balcers scoring at 11:49 and 17:32. . . . Sideroff added two assists to his goal, while D Shaun Dosanjh also had two helpers. D Ondrej Vala had a goal and an assist, as did F Spencer Bast. . . . The Blades had problems handling the Kamloops speed on the forecheck and constantly turned the puck over at the Saskatoon blue line. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram was sharp with 28 saves. Fred Brathwaite, Hockey Canada’s goaltending consultant, was in the house as Ingram is a candidate for Canada’s national junior team. . . . The Blades got 24 saves from G Logan Flodell. . . . Each team was 0-6 on the PP. . . . The Blazers (6-6-0) have won two in a row and are 4-0-0 at home. . . . The Blades (6-4-1) are 2-2-0 in B.C. Their trip concludes Saturday night in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 3,382.
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At Kelowna, the Rockets scored twice in the first 45 seconds of the opening period — they led 4-0 at
JAKE KRYSKI
4:48 — and went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . F Jake Kryski’s third goal got things started at 0:23 and F Riley Stadel made it 2-0 just 22 seconds later. . . . D Nolan Foote upped it to 3-0 at 4:10 and F Calvin Thukauf made it 4-0 at 4:48. . . . The Americans got two first-period goals, from D Brendan O’Reilly at 9:12 and F Max James at 15:40. . . . Kryski also had an assist. . . . D Dylan Coghlan drew two assists for Tri-City, with James getting one. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer won it with 18 saves. . . . Tri-City starter Rylan Parenteau was beaten four times on seven shots. Reliever Beck Warm came on to stop 34 shots in 38:37. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (5-7-0) have won two straight. . . . The Americans are 6-5-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,766.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., the Medicine Hat Tigers took a 2-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the
MASON SHAW
Kootenay Ice, 4-1. . . . The Tigers had beaten the visiting Ice 10-3 on Wednesday night. . . . Last night, F John Dahlstrom got his fifth goal at 13:50 and F Steve Owre, with his first, made it 2-0 at 19:01. . . . F Matt Alfaro’s fourth goal, at 9:00 of the second period, got the Ice on the board. . . . F Mark Rassell’s seventh goal gave the Tigers some insurance at 11:50 of the second. . . . F Matt Bradley added insurance with his sixth goal, an empty-netter, at 18:57 of the third period. . . . Tigers F Mason Shaw had three assists, while Owre and Dahlstrom each had one. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 25 shots for the winners. . . . The Ice got 33 stops from G Jakob Walter. . . . The Tigers were 1-5 on the PP; the Ice was 0-2. . . . The Tigers (8-3-1) are 3-0-1 in their last four games. . . . The Ice (1-7-4) has lost six in a row (0-4-2). . . . The Tigers were without F Chad Butcher (suspension) and F Zach Fischer (flu). . . . Announced attendance: 1,806.
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At Red Deer, the Rebels scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-1. . . . Red
MICHAEL SPACEK
Deer (6-3-2) has won four straight. . . . The Hitmen (3-4-1) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . F Jakob Stukel gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 1:18 of the first period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev scored his first WHL goal for the Rebels at 4:43 and he drew the only assist on F Michael Spacek’s goal at 10:04. . . . Spacek has six goals. . . . D Colton Bobyk’s fourth goal provided insurance, via the PP, at 15:03 of the second period. . . . Red Deer F Brandon Hagel got the empty-netter at 17:21 of the third. . . . Rebels F Evan Polei had two assists, with Spacek adding one to his goal. . . . The Rebels got 31 stops out of G Riley Lamb. . . . G Cody Porter blocked 37 shots for the Hitmen. . . . Red Deer was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-6. . . . Announced attendance: 4,809.
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At Regina, the Pats scored three goals in the second period — each of them while shorthanded — en
AUSTIN WAGNER
route to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Regina now has a WHL-leading nine shorthanded goals in only 11 games. . . . The Pats (8-0-3) remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost in regulation time. . . . The Chiefs are 3-5-2. . . . F Luc Smith gave Regina a 1-0 lead at 6:31 of the first period, with Spokane F Curtis Miske equalizing, on a PP, at 14:59. . . . The shorthanded flurry began with F Austin Wagner scoring at 3:41. He added another one at 10:52. F Jake Leschyshyn scored the third shorthanded snipe at 12:14. . . . Wagner has five goals; Leschyshyn has six. . . . Chiefs F Ethan McIndoe’s first goal, on a PP at 5:21 of the third period, rounded out the scoring. . . . G Jordan Hollett stopped 28 shots for Regina, one more than Spokane’s Jayden Sittler. . . . Spokane was 2-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 5,259.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead and went on to a 3-1
RYLAN TOTH
victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Nolan Volcan, at 16:06, and D Ethan Bear, at 18:34, got Seattle started. . . . F Skyler McKenzie’s eighth goal, at 3:45 of the second period, got Portland to within one. . . . Seattle F Matthew Wedman iced it with an empty-netter at 19:00 of the third period. . . . The Thunderbirds got 32 stops from G Rylan Toth. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler made 25 saves. . . . Seattle was 1-2 on the PP; Portland was 1-3. . . . The Thunderbirds (3-4-1) had lost their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Winterhawks (8-5-0) have lost two in a row. . . . F Ryan Gropp was among Seattle’s scratches. He is out with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Mathew Barzal, who is eligible to return to Settle, was scratched again by the New York Islanders. He has played in only one game this season. . . . Announced attendance: 3,634.
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At Victoria, the Royals tied the franchise record for most goals in one game for the second game in a
DANTE HANNOUN
row as they bounced the Swift Current Broncos, 9-2. . . . On Tuesday, the Royals beat the visiting Saskatoon Blades, 9-3. . . . The original record was set on Feb. 2, 2010, when the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) beat the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes, 9-2. . . . F Dante Hannoun had two goals and an assists for the Royals. F Ryan Peckford, who had a goal and five assists on Tuesday, had a goal and two assists in this one, as did F Matt Phillips and F Regan Nagy. D Ryan Gagnon and D Chaz Redekopp each drew two assists. . . . F Aleksi Heponiemi had a goal and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Victoria was 4-8 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-7. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots for Victoria. . . . The Broncos got 14 saves from starter Taz Burman, who gave up five goals. Travis Child came on in relief to turn aside 24 of 28 shots in 43:37. . . . The Royals (7-5-0) have won three straight. . . . The Broncos are 8-4-1. They are 2-2-0 on their B.C. trip. . . . Announced attendance: 4,962.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Spokane at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Tri-City at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Regina at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saskatoon at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Swift Current vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:19 PM
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

Gatenby burns ex-mates . . . Giants, Rebels cut deal . . . New deal for Nachbaur . . . Warriors stun Wheat Kings


D Joe Gatenby went into opening night with five goals in 174 career regular-season games with the Kelowna Rockets.
In his first game with the Kamloops Blazers on Friday night, he scored twice and added an assist in a 9-2 victory over the visiting Rockets. (Originally, he was credited with two assists, but one was taken
JOE GATENBY
away at some point after the game.)
It was his first career two-goal game and his second three-point outing.
“Joe Gatenby was probably our best player,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said after his side had torched the short-staffed Rockets — they dressed 15 skaters — for six power-play goals on 10 opportunities.
(You’re right . . . it’s not a good idea to give up 10 PP chances when you’ve only got 15 skaters dressed.)
Anyway . . . 
“We were fortunate that we were able to capitalize on our power play early,” said Gatenby, a Kelowna native whose first goal came with the man advantage. 
Gatenby’s second goal was credited to freshman F Scott Mahovlich, but was switched during the second intermission.
“I felt kind of bad about that,” said Gatenby, knowing that it would have been Mahovlich’s first WHL goal. “I’m not sure about really what happened there.”
What happened is that the Rockets were having one of those nights. In this case, G Brodan Salmon, while being pressured, reached out with his stick to pull the puck underneath him. However, the puck went right underneath him and into the net. The goal was given to Mahovlich, who was the closest Kamloops player to the puck at the time. However, the official scorekeeper reviewed the play and the goal was given to Gatenby, because he had been the last of the Blazers to touch the puck.
“I didn’t know what happened,” Gatenby said with a chuckle.
Gatenby was acquired by the Blazers in the hopes that he would give them a strong defensive game and eat up a lot of the minutes that came available with the graduation of Ryan Rehill, who played a regular shift and also was a stalwart on the power-play and penalty-killing units. So far, so good.
“I’m really enjoying my time,” Gatenby said. “I really like my teammates and the coaching staff has been really good and really easy to work with.”
And don’t look now but he’s tied for the WHL lead in goals and points, as the Blazers go into Kelowna for a Saturday night rematch.
“I’m really good friends with pretty much the whole team,” Gatenby said as he looked ahead to tonight. “I’m focused on the Blazers right now but I know how tough it is (to lose like that). We also had a lot of fortunate power plays. They’re going to bring more to the rink tomorrow.”
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The Vancouver Giants announced late Friday night that they have acquired F Taden Rattie, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Rattie, from Airdrie, Alta., is the younger brother of former Portland Winterhawks sniper Ty Rattie. . . . Taden, 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, had one goal in 25 games with the Rebels last season. He is expected to join the Giants in time to play tonight against the host Everett Silvertips. . . . Everett beat the Giants, 7-3, in Langley on Friday night. . . . The Rebels had acquired the younger Rattie from Portland on Dec. 28 for a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft. He never did play for the Winterhawks; in fact, he had committed to Western Michigan before he chose to join the Rebels.
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The Spokane Chiefs have signed head coach Don Nachbaur to a contract extension that runs through 2017-18. That would be his 20th season as a WHL head coach. Nachbaur, who is into his seventh season as the Chiefs’ head coach, was beginning the final season of his contract. . . . Nachbaur also has been head coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans. In fact, he is atop the all-time coaching victories list with the Chiefs (234) and Americans (235). . . . The Chiefs open the regular season against the host Americans on Saturday night. That will move Nachbair into a tie with Mike Babcock for most Chiefs games coached (424). . . . Nachbaur also is one of only four men to have recorded more than 600 WHL regular-season coaching victories. He is third on the all-time list, at 665, behind Ken Hodge (742) and Don Hay (675). Lorne Molleken (626) is the fourth member of the 600 Club.
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The Calgary Hitmen have placed G Nik Amundrud on the injured list with an undisclosed injury suffered during the exhibition season. Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, reports that Amundrud, who will turn 19 on Oct. 20, is “expected to be sidelined until December.” . . . With Amundrud out of the picture, at least for now, the Hitmen go into the season with two goaltenders — Cody Porter, 19, and Kyle Dumba, 18. . . . Amundrud was 10-7-0, 2.53, .899 in 21 appearances with the Hitmen last season after coming over from the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Porter, who turned 19 on Friday, was 24-11-2, 2.98, .885 in 41 games after being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Dumba, a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, got into 10 games, going 2-3-2, 4.30, .857.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have added G Jake Morrissey, 19, to their roster after he was released by the Vancouver Giants. . . . Morrissey was 1-6-0, 5.07, .853 in 10 appearances with the Giants last season. He also played with the Saskatoon Blades and two AJHL’s teams — the Drayton Valley Thunder and Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . In 2014-15, Morrissey was 8-1-1, 1.98, .932 in 11 games with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . With starter Nick Schneider in camp with the NHL’s Calgary Flames, the Tigers needed someone to partner with Duncan McGovern, 16, on their roster. . . . McGovern, from Winnipeg, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He got into six exhibition games, going 3-0-0, 2.00, .925 in 240 minutes. He also recorded two shutouts. . . . In 25 career appearances, split among Kelowna, Vancouver and Saskatoon, Morrissey is 9-9-1, 3.60, .885. Kelowna selected him in the fifth round of the 2012 bantam draft.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have signed F Zack Andrusiak, an 18-year-old list player from Yorkton, Sask. He had 51 points, including 32 goals, in 32 games with the junior B Kamloops Storm last season. He also played in 15 games with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, recording two assists. In 2014-15, he was pointless in seven games with the Tri-City Americans, while putting up 38 points, 14 of them goals, in 37 games with the junior B North Okanagan Knights. . . . He is a nephew of former Seattle Thunderbirds assistant coach Perry Andrusiak, who also did a stint as the Regina Pats’ assistant GM.
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JUST NOTES:

D Ryely McKinstry no longer is shown on the roster of the Vancouver Giants. Concussion-related issues limited him to 11 games last season. The 18-year-old Calgarian was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . 
The Calgary Hitmen have released F Justyn Gurney, 16, from their roster. Gurney, from Delta, B.C., was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He is expected to join the major midget West Valley Hawks. . . . 
D Jacob Cardiff, 20, has joined the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of his hometown of Wilcox, Sask. Cardiff spent the previous three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, but was released and cleared 20-year-old waivers.
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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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FRIDAY GAMES:

At Calgary, F Taylor Sanheim scored in the fifth round of a shootout as the Hitmen beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-2. . . . The Hitmen thought they had won with 29.3 seconds left in OT but a potential goal was waved off after video review. Both teams had gone to their dressing rooms, so had to return to the ice. . . . F Zak Zborosky gave the Ice a 1-0 lead at 19:23 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on F Murphy Stratton’s PP goal at 3:58 of the second. . . . Kootenay went back in front when F Tanner Sidaway scored at 19:31. . . . The Hitmen forced OT on F Tyler Mrkonjic’s goal at 1:18 of the third. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter turned aside 28 shots, one more than the Ice’s Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 1-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 7,524.
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At Kamloops, D Joe Gatenby scored two goals, set up another and was named the game’s first star as the Blazers powered their way to a 9-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, with six players at NHL camps, dressed only 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . Kamloops was 6-10 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-8. . . . Gatenby was acquired from the Rockets in a summer deal that sent F Jake Kryski the other way. Gatenby’s brother, Dan, who was scratched last night, also moved to Kamloops in the exchange. Joe went into the game with five goals in 174 regular-season games with the Rockets. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind forged a 1-1 tie 34 seconds into the second period. . . . Kamloops scored the next four goals, with the last three of them coming on the PP. . . . Kamloops F Jackson Shepard scored twice, while F Collin Shirley had a goal and two assists. D Dawson Davidson, F Scott Mahovlich and Conner McDonald, a defenceman who played right wing in this one, each had two assists and F Rudolfs Balcers scored once and added an assist, as did D Luke Zazula and F Spencer Bast. . . . Lind and F Jake Kryski each had a goal and an assist for Kelowna. . . . Kamloops fans chanted ‘Warm Up the Bus’ and ‘We Want 10’ as time wound down on the third period. . . . Kamloops G Dylan Ferguson stopped 29 shots. Kelowna starter Michael Herringer gave up four goals on 18 shots, with Brodan Salmond coming on at 4:56 of the second period. He was beaten five times on 16 shots. . . . The game marked the head-coaching debut of Kelowna’s Jason Smith, a former WHL defenceman (Regina, 1991-93) who went on to play 1,008 regular-season and 68 playoff games in the NHL. His only coaching experience prior to signing with the Rockets was two seasons (2014-16) as an assistant with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Smith is the Rockets’ fourth head coach in four seasons after Ryan Huska had been in charge for seven seasons. . . . The Blazers now head out for seven straight road games, starting tonight in Kelowna. . . . Announced attendance: 4,063. That was the second-smallest home-opener crowd since the Blazers’ home arena opened in time for the 1992-93 season. Last season, attendance at the opener was 3,937 as Kelowna posted a 7-3 victory.
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At Lethbridge, the Hurricanes doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-2, with four of the game’s goals coming via the PP. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 first-period lead and never trailed. . . . D Calen Addison scored the game’s first goal, his first in the WHL. Lethbridge selected him second overall in the 2015 bantam draft. He also drew an assist on the game’s second goal. Early last season, with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings, he suffered a broken leg that required surgery. . . . Both goals came on the PP. . . . Lethbridge was 2-5 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-6. . . . Hurricanes F Ryley Lindgren had a goal and two assists. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 41 shots for the winners, while Duncan McGovern stopped 16 for the visitors. . . . Announced attendance: 5,009.
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At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot scored 29 seconds into OT to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Warriors scored the game’s last three goals, with F Jayden Halbgewachs forcing OT when he scored with 4.7 seconds left in the third period. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick, who missed all of the exhibition season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in July, was in the Wheat Kings’ lineup and scored the game’s first goal at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Stelio Mattheos gave Brandon a 2-0 lead at 18:22. . . . Moose Jaw cut into the lead at 18:09 of the third period when F Ryan Bowen scored. . . . D Matt Sozanski had two assists for the Warriors. . . . Halbgewachs, Patrick and Mattheos each had one assist. . . . Moose Jaw G Brody Willms stopped 32 shots, one more than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Warriors were 0-2 on the PP; the Wheaties were 0-5. . . . Darryl Anning, 30, the youngest head coach in the WHL, made his debut with the Wheat Kings, although he had served as the team’s interim head coach for a bit last season while Kelly McCrimmon was with Canada’s national junior team. . . . McCrimmon, who also had been the team’s GM, now is assistant GM with the NHL’s Las Vegas franchise. Grant Armstrong moved over from the Victoria Royals to take over as Brandon’s GM. . . . Announced attendance: 3,744.
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At Red Deer, D Aaron Irving, named team captain earlier in the day, scored 26 seconds into OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . F Akash Bains gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at 3:31 of the first period, with F Tyler Robertson tying it at 5:50. . . . Red Deer went back out front when F Evan Polei, who was injured in the preseason, scored at 19:30. . . . Edmonton D Kyle Yewchuk forced OT with a goal at 17:27 of the third period. . . . One of the assists on Irving’s winner went to F Lane Bauer. Irving and Bauer were returned by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in time to play in the opener. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots. . . . Red Deer G Riley Lamb, who was 1.98, .940 in three exhibition games, blocked 30 shots. . . . The Oil Kings were 0-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 5,274.
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At Regina, F Simon Stransky’s second goal, at 2:57 of OT, gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Stransky, who returned from the Boston Bruins’ rookie camp on Thursday, also had an assist. . . . Raiders F Kolten Olynek added a goal and an assist. . . . Regina got a goal and an assist from D Chase Harrison. . . . Regina F Riley Woods scored the first goal of this regular season, sniping at 1:22 of the first period. . . . Stransky’s first goal, at 4:24 of the third, pulled the visitors into a 2-2 tie. . . . Olynek put the Raiders out front at 5:32. . . . Regina F Braydon Buziak forced OT at 15:12. . . . Prince Albert G Ian Scott was outstanding, with 42 saves, 12 more than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . The Raiders were 1-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-3. . . . The Raiders were without F Drew Warkentine as he completed a three-game suspension he picked up during the exhibition season. . . . Each team still has five players at NHL camps. . . . Announced attendance: 4,830.
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At Swift Current, F Jesse Shynkaruk, who came to camp hoping to land a 20-year-old spot, scored twice and added an assist as the Saskatoon Blades beat the Broncos, 5-1. . . . It was the first game of the Broncos’ 50th season. . . . D Mark Rubinchik added three assists for the Blades, with F Mason McCarty getting a goal and an assist, and F Braylon Shmyr chipping in two assists. . . . The game’s starting goaltenders, Logan Flodell of the Blades and Taz Burman of the Broncos, both are former Seattle Thunderbirds stoppers. . . . Flodell made 21 saves, losing his shutout when D Artyom Minulin scored on a PP at 19:28 of the third period. . . . Burman turned aside 28 shots. . . . Saskatoon was 1-7 on the PP; Swift Current was 1-4. . . . F Cole Johnson, who was limited by injury to 10 games over the past two seasons, was in Swift Current’s lineup. Johnson, 18, was a second-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Les Lazaruk, the veteran radio voice of the Blades, points out that Saskatoon opened against the Broncos for only the second time. The first time was on Oct. 8, 1967, which was the Broncos’ first home game. . . . Yes, they opened seasons in October back in the day. . . . This marked Dean Brockman’s first game as the Blades’ head coach. He moved up from assistant coach when Bob Woods left for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Former WHL D Emanuel Viveiros was behind the Broncos’ bench for the first time as their head coach. He replaced Mark Lamb, who now is head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. . . . Announced attendance: 2,316.
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At Langley, B.C., F Graham Millar and F Devon Skoleski each scored twice to help the Everett Silvertips to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Everett, which according to the prognosticators will have trouble scoring goals, struck four times in the game’s first 11:27. . . . F Matt Fonteyne had three assists for Everett, while D Jake Christiansen had a goal and an assist. D Lucas Skrumeda and F Patrick Bajkov helped out with two assists. . . . The Giants got two goals from F Dawson Holt and two assists from F Johnny Wesley. . . . Everett G Mario Petit stopped 20 shots, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 26. . . . The Silvertips were 2-4 on the PP; the Giants were 0-3. . . . Vancouver D Matt Barberis left in the second period and didn’t return. . . . This was the first regular-season game for the Vancouver tandem of general manager Glen Hanlon and head coach Jason McKee. Hanlon replaced Scott Bonner, who had been the only GM in franchise history before moving to The Sports Corporation as a player agent. McKee takes over from Lorne Molleken, who was fired with a couple of games left in the 2015-16 season. McKee, 37, had been with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints for 10 seasons, the past seven as GM/head coach. . . . It was the Giants’ first regular-season game of this season in their new home, the Langley Events Centre. They had called Pacific Coliseum home since arriving for the 2001-02 season. . . . Announced attendance: 4,875.
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At Victoria, F Colby McAuley scored twice to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Cougars also got a big game from their penalty killers, who were 9-for-9. . . . D Max Martin gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead at 6:53 and McAuley upped it to 2-0 at 9:49. . . . F Ty Westgard cut into the lead at 15:03 of the second, but the Cougars were able to hang on until McAuley got an empty-netter at 19:03 of the third. . . . F Kody McDonald had two assists for the visitors. . . . The Cougars got 30 saves from G Ty Edmonds, while Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse stopped 17 shots. . . . Prince George was 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Royals were without F Carter Folk, 20, as he served Game 3 of a five-game suspension he incurred during the exhibition season. . . . Cougars head coach Richard Matvichuk picked up his first victory in his first regular-season game. He replaced Mark Holick, who parted company with the Cougars with a year left on his contract and now is coaching in Italy. . . . Announced attendance: 6,539.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

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