Western Hockey League schedule for Friday, November 30th, 2018

Here's Friday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for November 30th, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Regina Pats (8-17-0-0) at Brandon Wheat Kings (11-7-3-3) 5:30 pm
Moose Jaw Warriors (13-5-3-1) at Edmonton Oil Kings (14-10-2-2) 6:00 pm
Swift Current Broncos (4-19-1-1) at Lethbridge Hurricanes (11-8-3-2) 6:00 pm
Calgary Hitmen (10-13-2-1) at Red Deer Rebels (16-8-1-0) 6:00 pm
Saskatoon Blades (16-9-2-0) at Kamloops Blazers (9-11-1-1) 7:00 pm
Kelowna Rockets (11-15-1-0) at Tri-City Americans (14-9-0-0) 7:05 pm
Kootenay ICE (7-17-3-1) at Seattle Thunderbirds (8-12-3-0) 7:35 pm
Spokane Chiefs (14-8-1-2) at Everett Silvertips (20-7-1-0) 7:35 pm

Western Hockey League roundup for Wednesday, November 28th, 2018

Brandon Wheat Kings 5, Swift Current Broncos 1

Wheat Kings broke away from a 1-1 tie after one, with 2 in the second and 2 more in the third. Luka Burzan had 2 goals and an assist,Cole Reinhardt a goal and assist, Ridly Grieg and Zach Wytinck a goal each, Jiri Patera 31 saves. For Swift Current, Alec Zawatsky scored, Joel Hofer made 33 saves. Attendance was 2,297 at Innovation Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current.

Prince Albert Raiders 6, Edmonton Oil Kings 3

The record now stands at 25-1-0-0 as the Raiders bolted to a 5-1 lead after two and cruised to the win. Parker Kelly led the PA attack with 2 goals and an assist, Max Martin had a goal and assist, Brayden Pachal, Aliaksei Protas and Kody McDonald a goal each, 3 assists for Brett Leason and 31 saves from Ian Scott. For Edmonton, Trey Fix-Wolansky scored all three goals, Dylan Myskiw made 29 saves. 5,449 attended at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Moose Jaw Warriors 3, Kootenay ICE 1

Moose Jaw won by scoring once in each period, in front of 1,970 at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook. Keenan Taphorn, Josh Brook and Jett Woo scored for Moose Jaw, Peyton Krebs for the ICE. Adam Evanoff made 26 saves for the Warriors, Duncan McGovern 26 for Kootenay.

Medicine Hat Tigers 6, Red Deer Rebels 2

A 4 goal third period was the difference in the Tigers' win. Ryan Jevne had a big night with 3 goals and 1 assist, Ryan Chyzowski a goal and assist, James Hamblin and Trevor Longo a goal each and Mads Sogaard 21 saves for Medicine Hat, who went 1-for-3 on the power play. The Rebels got goals from Jeff de Wit and Zak Smith, plus 41 saves from Byron Fancy, in front of 2,584 at Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.

Vancouver Giants 2, Kelowna Rockets 1

Milos Roman's goal at 9:41 of the second broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Giants on to the victory in front of 4,466 at Prospera Place. Dylan Plouffe scored a first period power play goal for Vancouver, Nolan Foote scored short handed midway through the opening period for Kelowna. Trent Miner made 20 saves for the Giants, Roman Basran 32 for the Rockets.

Spokane Chiefs 4, Prince George Cougars 0

Bailey Brkin made 27 saves, Riley Woods scored twice, Cordel Larson and Adam Beckman once each, as the Chiefs blanked Prince George in front of 3,223 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, in a contest that featured a combined 94 minutes in penalties between the two teams. Taylor Gauthier made 27 saves for the Cougars.

Saskatoon Blades 2, Victoria Royals 1

Goals from Kristian Roykas Marthinsen and Zach Huber, plus 30 saves from Dorrin Luding pushed Saskatoon past Victoria, who got a goal from Scott Walford, plus 30 saves from Griffen Outhouse. 4,722 watched at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria.

Everett Silvertips 4, Portland Winterhawks 1

Portland slipped to third in the U.S. Division after Spokane's win vs Prince George and the Hawks' loss at Everett. Portland led after one Wednesday night on a goal by Cross Hanas, but the Silvertips responded with second period goals by Reece Vitelli and Sean Richards, plus third period goals by Martin Fasko-Rudas and Connor Dewar into an empty net. Dustin Wolf made 34 saves for Everett, Shane Farkas 37 for the Winterhawks.

Western Hockey League schedule for Wednesday, November 28th, 2018

Here's Wednesday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for November 28th, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Brandon Wheat Kings (10-7-3-3) at Swift Current Broncos (4-18-1-1) 5:00 pm
Prince Albert Raiders (24-1-0-0) at Edmonton Oil Kings (14-9-2-2) 6:00 pm
Moose Jaw Warriors (12-5-3-1) at Kootenay ICE (7-16-3-1) 6:00 pm
Red Deer Rebels (16-7-1-0) at Medicine Hat Tigers (11-12-1-2) 6:00 pm
Vancouver Giants (17-6-2-0) at Kelowna Rockets (11-14-1-0) 7:05 pm
Prince George Cougars (10-12-1-2) at Spokane Chiefs (13-8-1-2) 7:05 pm
Saskatoon Blades (15-9-2-0) at Victoria Royals (12-8-0-0) 7:05 pm
Portland Winterhawks (14-9-0-2) at Everett Silvertips (19-7-1-0) 7:05 pm

Another comeback win for Americans

Kennewick, WA. -- In a game that could have easily gone bad because of a major penalty short handed situation, the Tri-City Americans didn't panic and stayed the course, once again coming from behind to defeat the Prince George Cougars 5-2 Tuesday night, before 2,638 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

Late in a scoreless first period, Tri-City's Kyle Olson was assessed a major penalty for cross checking, that carried over into the second period. On that opportunity, PG's Vladislav Mikhalchuk scored from Matej Toman and Rhett Rhinehart at 2:47, putting the Cougars on top 1-0. Just a scant 24 seconds later however, Americans' Captain Nolan Yaremko scored his 12th goal, the team's first short handed goal of the season, assisted by Parker AuCoin at 3:11, tying the game 1-1. But 58 seconds after that, still on Olson's penalty, Mikhalchuk scored again for Prince George, from Cole Moberg and Ethan Browne at 4:09, giving the advantage back to the Cougars at 2-1. However, instead of letting it deflate them, Tri-City just became more determined, took over and took control of the game from there, scoring four times and shutting down the visitors, en route to the victory. Isaac Johnson scored his 9th of the season, coming on the power play off a bullet pass from newcomer Aaron Hyman at 9:51 to tie the game 2-2, Krystof Hrabik would bust through the defence for his 7th of the season, assisted by Sasha Mutala and Samuel Stewart at 18:42, putting the Americans on top 3-2 after 40 minutes.

In the third, Mutala scored his 6th of the season from Riley Sawchuk and Connor Bouchard at 6:00 for a 4-2 lead and with the goaltender pulled, Mitchell Brown sent everyone to Burger Ranch with an empty net at 18:02, Johnson drawing the lone helper and Tri-City would skate off with the 5-2 win.

Beck Warm continued his stellar play in goal for the Americans, stopping 39 of 41 shots faced, while his counterpart at the other end, Isaiah DiLaura, stopped 19 of 23 for Prince Gorge. Tri-City went 1-for-5 on the power play, the Cougars were 2-for-4.

With the win, the Americans, winners of two straight, improve to 14-9-0-0 for 28 points, 4th in the U.S. Division, 1 point back of 3rd place Spokane and in possession of the first Wild Card in the Western Conference. Prince George slips to 10-12-1-2 for 23 points and sit 3rd in the B.C. Division, tied with Kelowna and 1 point back of second place Victoria.

Tri-City is off until Friday night, when they host the Kelowna Rockets at Toyota Center at 7:05 pm. Then, on Saturday, December 1st, the Americans hit the road and play Vancouver in the Giants' old stomping grounds, Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Friday's face off in Kennewick is 7:05, with Saturday's puck drop in Vancouver taking place at 7:00 pm. The live broadcast both nights with Craig West begins with the Gesa Credit Union Warm Up Show on Newstalk 870 KFLD and newstalk870.am beginning at 6:45 pm both nights. The Cougars next play Wednesday night at Spokane.

Western Hockey League roundup for November 27th, 2018

Prince Albert Raiders 4, Red Deer Rebels 3

The Raiders built a 3-1 lead after one, then held on late for their 17th straight win. Brett Leason had a goal and assist for Prince Albert, Spencer Moe, Cole Fonstad and Parker Kelly each had a goal, Sergei Sapego 3 assists, Noah Gregor 2 helpers and Ian Scott 28 saves. For the Rebels, Ethan Sakowich, Jeff de Wit and Zak Smith scored goals, Ethan Anders and Byron Fancy made 24 saves. 3,726 sat in on the contest at Red Deer's Enmax Centrium.

Tri-City Americans 5, Prince George Cougars 2

Down 2-1 early in the second, the Ams would rally for four straight to take their second straight win, after dropping their previous three. On a major penalty called against Tri-City's Kyle Olson late in the 1st, the Cougars' Vladislav Mikhalchuk scored on the power play, but the Ams Captain Nolan Yaremko squared it with his team's first short handed goal of the season 24 seconds later. Then, 58 seconds after that, Mikhalchuk scored another power play goal to put PG back on top. Tri-City took over from there, with second period goals from Isaac Johnson on the power play and import Krystof Hrabik, then third period goals from Sasha Mutala and Mitchell Brown into an empty net. Beck Warm was solid once again for the Americans, making 39 saves, while his counterpart for Prince George, Isaiah DiLaura, made 19 saves. 2,638 watched the game at Toyota Center in Kennewick.

Vancouver Giants 5, Saskatoon Blades 3

The Blades scored 3 times in the first, but Vancouver chipped away throughout the night and grabbed the home ice win before 2,476 at the Langley Events Centre. Davis Koch scored twice for the Giants, once on the power play and once into an empty net. Owen Hardy scored, as did Aidan Barfoot and Milos Roman, who scored on the power play. David Tendeck had 23 saves. For Saskatoon, Kirbk Dach had a goal and assist, Josh Paterson and Max Gerlach scored goals and Nolan Maier made 23 saves. Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the power play and 4-of-4 on the penalty kill.

Americans host Cougars tonight

The Tri-City Americans take the Toyota Center ice tonight, hosting the Prince George Cougars.

The Ams, coming off Saturday's 3-2 comeback shootout win over Calgary, enter tonight's contest with a mark of 13-9-0-0 and are led by goaltender Beck Warm, who sports a mark of 12-9, with a 3.01 goals against average, a .904 saves percentage and one shutout. Leading the team in scoring is Captain Nolan Yaremko, with 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points and 35 penalty minutes in 22 games. Tri-City currently stands 4th in the U.S. Division with 26 points, 3 points behind third place Spokane, but in possession of the Western Conference's first Wild Card spot. Prince George sports a mark of 10-11-1-2 for 23 points, third in the B.C. Division. The Cougars are led in scoring by Vladislav Mikhalchuk, who has 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 24 games. Leading goalkeeper is Isaiah DiLaura, who in 8 games has a record of 4-3-0-1, a 2.93 goals against average, a .910 saves percentage and 1 shutout. PG's last game was a 4-1 home loss to Saskatoon this past Saturday.

The Americans have two wins against Prince George this season, taking a pair of road games 5-1 October 23rd and 4-3 in a shootout October 24th.

The puck hits the deck at 7:05 tonight. The live broadcast with Craig West, begins with the Gesa Credit Union Warm Up show on Newstalk 870 KFLD and newstalk870.am beginning at 6:45pm.

Western Hockey League schedule for Tuesday, November 27th, 2018

Here's Tuesday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for November 27th, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Prince Albert Raiders (23-1-0-0) at Red Deer Rebels (16-6-1-0) 6:00 pm
Saskatoon Blades (15-8-2-0) at Vancouver Giants (16-6-2-0) 7:00 pm
Prince George Cougars (10-11-1-2) at Tri-City Americans (13-9-0-0) 7:05 pm

Americans acquire defenseman Aaron Hyman from Regina Pats

Picture from Keith Hershmiller and amshockey.com

Kennewick, WA -- Tri-City Americans General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has acquired right defenseman Aaron Hyman from the Regina Pats fro Brett Clayton and a 3rd round 2019 Bantam Draft pick.

The 20-year-old Hyman is entering his fourth WHL season.

"Aaron upgrades our blue line adding experience and depth," said Tory.

Hyman has participated in two Memorial Cup tournaments over the last two seasons. One with Seattle and one with Regina.

"This season Aaron is having a breakout year offensively. He has added five goals and 19 assists in 25 games played."

Aaron Hyman

		GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Regina	2018-19	25	5	19	24	24
Regina	2017-18	28	2	4	6	10
Seattle	2017-18	26	1	6	7	25
Seattle	2016-17	39	1	7	8	11
Calgary	2016-17	38	1	7	8	10
Calgary	2015-16	38	1	2	3	13

Postion: RD / Height: 6’5 / Weight: 221

Western Hockey League roundup for Sunday, November 25th, 2018

Everett Silvertips 5, Portland Winterhawks 3

A three-goal first period propelled Everett to the win in front of 2,408 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. Martin Fasko-Rudas scored an pair of first period goals for the Silvertips, Reece Vitelli added one as well. LukemOrmsby scored in the second and Connor Dewar tacked on an empty netter in the third. For the Winterhawks, Jared Freadrich scored in the first, Michal Kvasnica in the second and Joachim Blichfeld notched a power play goal in the third. Dustin Wolf had 30 saves for Everett, Shane Farkas 27 for Portland. 

Western Hockey League schedule for Sunday, November 25th, 2018

Here's Sunday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for November 25th, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Everett Silvertips (18-7-1-0) at Portland Winterhawks (14-8-0-2) 5:00 pm

Ams complete comeback with shootout win over Calgary

Kennewich, WA.-- With 3,802 fans at the Toyota Center roaring their approval, the Tri-City Americans rebounded from Friday's disappointment home loss to Kamloops, overcoming yet another two-goal deficit, to defeat the Calgary Hitmen in a shootout 3-2 Saturday night.

The two teams came out fast, but both defenses were strong, allowing just 17 shots on goal between the two teams total. The only one to cross the goal line came off the stick of Calgary's Riley Stotts, assisted by Cael Zimmerman and Josh Prokop at 13:02, giving the Hitmen a 1-0 advantage after the opening 20 minutes.

Calgary would double the lead in the middle stanza, as former American Carson Focht, dealt away in the deal for Jake Bean last season, scored on the power play off an assist from Egor Zamula at 4:12, which would put the visitors up 2-0 through 40 minutes.

The old saying, when in doubt, throw it on goal proved true in the third, as Calgary native Blake Stevenson directed the puck home for his 4th of the season. The unassisted goal, coming at 8:59 of the third, sliced the deficit in half, at 2-1. Then, as the clock ticked away late in regulation and the goaltender barely making it to the bench for the extra attacker, Tri-City's Sasha Mutala brought the raucous crowd to it's feet by firing home his fifth goal of the season, off a strike from Kyle Olson. Isaac Johnson also assisted at 18:36, tying the game 2-2 and send the Ams to extra time for the fifth time on the season.

Both teams had chances in the overtime, in which Tri-City held a 4-2 shots advantage, but neither could score and the contest would head to a deciding shootout, to determine which team would get the extra standings point.

The Americans would shoot first, with Captain Nolan Yaremko getting the nod, but being denied. Stepping up for the Hitmen in round one was Jake Kryski, but he too was unable to score. In round two, Tri-City would get the upper hand with a goal from Olson, Calgary's Stotts was stopped in round two and up stepped Johnson for the Americans, with a chance to win it. The 19 year old from Andover, Minnesota would make no mistake, burying his attempt and sending the crowd home happy with a 3-2 Tri-City win.

The Hitmen outshot the Americans on the night, 40-32. Beck Warm had another stellar night in goal for Tri-City with 38 saves, while Jack McNaughton, playing strong in the Calgary net, made 29 stops. Special teams were tipped in favor of the Hitmen, who went 1-for-4 on the power play and 4-of-4 on the penalty kill.

With the win, the Americans improve to 13-9-0-0 on the season for 26 points, 4th in the U.S. Division, 3 points behind 3rd place Spokane, but in possession of the Western Conference's first Wild Card spot, 3 points ahead of Kelowna. Calgary slips to 10-13-2-1 for 21 points, 5th in the Central, 2 points behind 4th place Medicine Hat and 4 points behind 3rd place Lethbridge. They trail Medicine Hat by 2 points for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Next up for Tri-City, is another home contest this coming Tuesday, November 27th at Toyota Center, as they host the Prince George Cougars, a team they swept on the road in late October. Game time Tuesday is 7:05 pm. The live broadcast with Craig West on Newstalk 870 KFLD and newstalk870.am begins with the Gesa Credit Union Warm Up Show at 6:45 pm. The Hitmen are off until next Friday, November 30th when they play at Red Deer.

Picture credit to Doug Love and amshockey.com

Western Hockey League roundup for Saturday, November 24th, 2018

Moose Jaw Warriors 3, Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 (OT)

Games was scoreless through 40, then the lamp lit four times in the third between the two teams, before Brayden Tracey won it for Moose Jaw at 3:40 of the extra session. The Hurricanes built a 2-0 lead halfway through the third on goals by Taylor Ross and Keltie Jeri-Leon. The Warriors rallied late with goals by Josh Brook on the power play at 16:44 and Tristan Langan with the extra attacker at 18:35, setting the stage for Tracey's heroics in OT. Adam Evanoff had 25 saves for Moose Jaw, Reece Klassen 33 for Lethbridge. Attendance was 3,418 at Mosaic Place.

Swift Current Broncos 3, Edmonton Oil Kings 2

The Broncos won in regulation for the first time this season, in front of  2,420 at Innovation Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current.Andrew Fyten scored with 14 seconds left to put the Broncos up 1-0 after one. The rest of the night's scoring came in the second. Swift Current upped their lead on a Ben King power play goal at 3:53, before the Oil Kings came back to tie it on goals by Brett Kemp at 10:10 and Ethan Cap on the power play at 12:11. Max Patterson then scored 15 seconds later for the Broncos and that held up through a scored third period, in which Edmonton held a 12-5 shots advantage, as the game winner. Isaac Poulter got the call in goal for Swift Current and made 29 saves, while the Oil Kings' Boston Bilous stopped 19-of-22.

Prince Albert Raiders 5, Kootenay ICE 1

The Raiders won for the 16th straight time, 8 off the league record and the 23rd time in 24 starts this season, with 2,003 looking on at Cranbrook's Western Financial Place. The Raiders were led by Brett Leason's 1 goal and 2 assists, with Noah Gregor and Parker Kelly chipping in with a goal and assist each. Brayden Pachal and Ozzy Wiesblatt scored once each. The Kootenay goal was scored by Michael Milne. Donovan Buskey made 22 saves for Prince Albert, Duncan McGovern made 51 for the ICE.

Medicine Hat Tigers 7, Red Deer Rebels 3

Medicine Hat skated to an impressive four-goal road win, before 3,771 at the Enmax Centrium. Bryan Lockner scored twice and added an assist for the Tigers, Tyler Preziuso tallied twice, James Hamblin had a goal and 2 assists, Josh Williams scored once and so did Trevor Longo. Mads Sogaard made 25 saves. For Red Deer, Josh Tarzwell and Arshdeep Bains had a goal and assist each, Chris Douglas scored once and Ethan Anders and Byron Fancy combined for 26 saves.

Portland Winterhawks 4, Seattle Thunderbirds 3

Portland dominated the shot totals with a 45-18 advantage, but had to hold off a late Tbirds push to win the game before 5,357 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Reece Newkirk and Jaydon Dureau scored in the first for the Hawks, wrapped around a Seattle power play goal by Zack Andrusiak. Cody Glass scored early in the second for Portland, Andrusiak countered for the Thunderbirds, then Mason Mannek scored late, giving the Winterhawks a 4-2 lead after two. In the third, Andrusiak completed the hat trick with an extra attacker goal at 19:15, but Portland held on for the win. Shane Farkas got the win for the Hawks, making just 15 saves, while Seattle's Liam Hughes kept pretty busy, amking 41 saves.

Saskatoon Blades 4, Prince George Cougars 1

The Blades got a goal and assist from Max Gerlach, a goal apiece from Seth Bafaro, Eric Florchuk and Kristian Roykas Marthinsen, plus 21 saves from Nolan Maier to win before 3,125 at CN Centre. Mike MacLean scored for the Cougars, Taylor Gauthier made 24 saves.

Spokane Chiefs 3, Kamloops Blazers 1

The Chiefs denied Kamloops a chance to reach the elusive .500 mark with the hone ice win, before 6,089 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. After a scoreless first, Adam Beckman opened the scoring at 15:45 of the second for Spokane, with Luke Toporowski extending the lead with a short handed goal at 18:26. Brodi Stuart brought the Blazers within one at 12:09 of the third, but Beckman's second of the night, into an empty net at 18:58 clinched it for the Chiefs. Bailey Brkin made 17 saves for Spokane, Dylan Ferguson, who has gotten the decision in 11 of the past 14 games, made 19 saves in the first two periods, Dylan Garand made 5 saves in the third for Kamloops.

Tri-City Americans 3, Calgary Hitmen 2 (SO)

The Ams rebounded from Friday's disappointing loss to comeback and tip Calgary in a shootout, before a fine crowd of 3,802 at the Toyota Center. A Riley Stotts goal at 13:02 staked the Hitmen to a 1-0 lead after one. Former Tri-City player Carson Focht scored on the power play for Calgary at 4:12 of the second, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead through 40 minutes. The home squad mounted their comeback in the third. Blake Stevenson scored at 8:59, then with the goaltender barely to the bench for the extra attacker, Sasha Mutala tied it at 18:36 to order up a serving of free hockey. Both teams had chances but the netminders held firm and the game progressed to the deciding shootout, the fourth for the Americans this season. The Hitmen were blanked in the first two rounds, while Tri-City Captain Nolan Yaremko was stopped in round one. But then, Kyle Olson and Isaac Johnson found twine and the Ams grabbed the extra standings point with the comeback win. Beck Warm was stellar in goal for Tri-City with 38 saves, Jack McNaughton had 29 stops for Calgary.

Vancouver Giants 4, Victoria Royals 1

The Giants moved 10 games over .500 with the win before 3,640 at the Langley Events Centre, in a contest that featured 64 minutes in penalties. Davis Koch and Milos Roman had a goal and assist each for Vancouver, Jared Dmytriw scored once as did Justin Sourdif. Trent Miner made 24 saves. For the Royals, Tanner Sidaway scored their goal, Griffen Outhouse made 32 saves. Vancouver was 1-for-5 on the power play and 9-of-9 on the penalty kill.

Everett Silvertips 2, Kelowna Rockets 1   

After a scoreless first, Everett's Connor Dewar scored at 6:43 of the second for a 1-0 lead. The Rockets tied it with a Kyle Topping power play goal at 8:37 of the third, but the Silvertips would get the winner from Dewar at 19:06, to keep their lead over Portland at 7 points in the U.S. Division. Dustin Wolf made 17 saves for Everett, James Porter 40 for Kelowna. 

Western Hockey League schedule for Saturday, November 24th, 2018

Here's Saturday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for Saturday, November 24th, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Lethbridge Hurricanes (11-8-2-2) at Moose Jaw Warriors (11-5-3-1) 12:30 pm
Edmonton Oil Kings 14-8-2-2) at Swift Current Broncos (3-18-1-1) 5:00 pm
Prince Albert Raiders (21-1-0-0) at Kootenay ICE (7-15-3-1) 6:00 pm
Medicine Hat Tigers (10-12-1-2) at Red Deer Rebels (16-5-1-0) 6:00 pm
Seattle Thunderbirds (8-11-3-0) at Portland Winterhawks (13-8-0-2) 6:00 pm
Saskatoon Blades (14-8-2-0) at Prince George Cougars (10-10-1-2) 7:00 pm
Victoria Royals (12-7-0-0) at Vancouver Giants (15-6-2-0) 7:00 pm
Kamloops Blazers (9-10-1-1) at Spokane Chiefs (12-8-1-2) 7:05 pm
Calgary Hitmen (10-13-2-0) at Tri-City Americans (12-9-0-0) 7:05 pm
Kelowna Rockets (11-13-1-0) at Everett Silvertips (17-7-1-0) 7:05 pm

Ams drop return home to Kamloops

Kennewick, WA. -- The crowd of 3,667 settled into their seats at the Toyota Center, excited to see their team for the first time in 34 days, coming of a 7-4 road trip across Canada. However, as is often the case when coming home from a lengthy stretch away from home, things can get a bit a bit messy for the home squad and this one was no exception, as the Kamloops Blazers broke away from a 1-all tie after one, to skate away with a 5-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans.

Orrin Centazzo opened the scoring for the Blazers, assisted by Montana Onyebuchi and Joonas Sillanpaa at 8:50, giving Kamloops a 1-0 lead. Tri-City would strike back in the closing stages of the opening period, to knot the score, as Isaac Johnson scored his 8th of the season from Mitchell Brown and Nolan Yaremko at 18:07, to make it a 1-1 contest through 20. However, it was all Kamloops after that.

Centazzo scored his second of the night, with Luc Smith Smith and Zan Franklin lending a hand on the power play at 4:12 to make it 2-1 Blazers. Nolan Kneen scored a power play goal at 8:10 from Franklin and Smith to make it 3-1. Then it was Quinn Schmiemann, younger brother of Americans' d-man Dom scoring his first career WHL goal, assisted by Connor Zary and Martin Lang on the power play at 14:51, giving the visitors a 4-1 advantage after 40 minutes.

In the third, Tri-City coach Kelly Buchberger swapped goaltenders, inserting Talyn Boyko in the goal for just his second appearance of the season and Onyebuchi was able to slip one past him at 19:44, assisted by Travis Walton and Ryley Appelt, for the final 5-1 margin in favor of Kamloops.

Final shots on the night were 35-31 Americans. Dylan Ferguson was sharp in net for the Blazers with 34 saves, while Beck Warm and Boyko made a total of 26 stops for Tri-City. Kamloops was 3-for-3 on the power play, the Americans were 0-for-6.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 8-10-1-0 in the B.C. Division, still 5 points back of both Prince George and Kelowna in the race for third. Tri-City, which has now dropped three straight, slips to 12-9-0-0 for 24 points, 4th in the U.S. Division, 3 points behind third place Spokane. Next action for the Americans is Saturday night the 24th at home against the Calgary Hitmen, who won 5-2 at Seattle Friday night. Game time at Toyota Center is 7:05 pm. Ar time with Craig West and the Gesa Credit Union Warm Up Show on Newstalk 870 KFLD and newstalk870.am is 6:45 pm. Kamloops next plays at Spokane Saturday night.

Western Hockey League roundup for Friday, November 23rd, 2018

Lethbridge Hurricanes 8, Brandon Wheat Kings 4

3 in the first and 3 in the third did the trick for the Canes, in front of 3,167 at Westoba Place in Brandon. Dylan Cozens led the way for Lethbridge with 3 goals and 3 assists, Ty Kolle scored twice, Jordy Bellerive had a goal and 2 assists, Jake Elmer a goal and assist, Zachary Cox a goal, Calen Addison 5 assists and Carl Tetachuk 30 saves. The Hurricanes went 5-for-6 on the power play. Stelio Mattheos scored twice for Brandon, Ridley Grieg and Connor Gutenberg once each, Jiri Patera and Ethan Kruger combined for 37 saves. The Wheat Kings went 2-for-4 with the extra man.

Moose Jaw Warriors 4, Edmonton Oil Kings 3 (OT)

Tristan Langan scored twice, including the game winner 3:08 into overtime, to lead Moose Jaw to the win. Justin Almeida scored a short handed goal, Kaeden Taphorn's third period marker forced the extra session and Brodan Salmond made 29 saves. Try Fix-Wolansky had a goal and 2 assists for Edmonton, Matthew Robertson a goal and assist, Vince Loschiavo a goal and Dylan Myskiw 23 saves. Attendance was 3,103 at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw.

Red Deer Rebels 3, Kootenay ICE 2

Brandon Hagel's 15th goal of the season, at 19:10 of the third, won it for Red Deer, in front of 2,103 at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook. Dawson Barteaux and Jeff de Wit also scored for the Rebels, Cameron Hausinger scored twice for the ICE. Ethan Anders made 27 saves for Red Deer, Jesse Makaj had 26 saves for Kootenay.

Prince Albert Raiders 7, Medicine Hat Tigers 3

The Raiders ran their record to 22-1-0-0 by cruising to the 4 goal road win. Brett Leason had 2 goals and 2 assists for Red Deer, Parker Kelly had 2 goals, Brayden Pachal and Aliaksei Protas tallied a goal and assist each, Ozzy Wiesblatt scored a goal and Ian Scott stopped 26 shots. For Medicine Hat, Ryan Jevne, Bryan Lockner and Josh Williams scored goals, while Jordan Hollett and Mads Sogaard teamed up for 26 saves. Attendance was 2,888 at Canalta Centre.

Kelowna Rockets 3, Victoria Royals 1

The Rockets built a 2-0  lead, survived a late Victoria comeback attempt, then added an empty netter at the end to win it. After a scoreless first period, Kelowna's Kyle Topping scored a second period power play goal, then in the third, the Rockets' Liam Kindree upped the lead, Victoria struck back late with an extra attacker goal from Kaid Oliver, but Leif Mattson wrapped it up for Kelowna with an empty netter with just 7 seconds left. Roman Basran made 23 saves for the Rockets, Griffen Outhouse 26 for the Royals. Attendance was 5,033 at Propera Place.

Prince George Cougars 5, Regina Pats 3

Prince George withstood a three-goal Pats second period to win before 2,321 at CN Centre. Joel Lakusta and Josh Curtis scored a goal and assist each for the Cougars, Jackson Leppard, Josh Maser and Ethan Browne scored one apiece and Isaiah DiLaura made 30 saves. For Regina, Nick Henry scored all three goals, Max Paddock had 16 saves.

Calgary Hitmen 5, Seattle Thunderbirds 2

Luke Coleman scored twice and added an assist, Mark Kastelic added a pair, Carson Focht a goal and an assist and former Thunderbird Carl Stankowski 24 saves, as the Hitmen won before 4,225 at accesso ShoWate Center in Kent. For Seattle, Matthew Wedman scored short handed, Zack Andrusiak added a marker and Liam Hughes made 32 saves.

Kamloops Blazers 5, Tri-City Americans 1

The Kamloops Blazers spoiled the Tri-City Americans first home game in 34 days, with a three-goal second period. Orrin Centazzo tallied twice for the Blazers, Montana Onyebuchi chipped in a goal and assist, Quinn Schmiemann, brother of the Americans' Dom scored his first career goal and Nolan Kneen scored once for Kamloops, who went 3-for-3 on the power play, 7-of-7 on the penalty kill and received 34 save goaltending from Dylan Ferguson. Tri-City got a first period equalizer from Issac Johnson and little else, with the combo of Beck Warm and Talyn Boyko combining to make 25 saves. The Americans, now 4-4 at home this season, have dropped three straight. 

Western Hockey League schedule for Friday, November 23rd, 2018

Here's Friday's schedule around the Western Hockey League for November 23rd, 2018 (All times Pacific):

Edmonton Oil Kings (14-8-1-2) at Moose Jaw Warriors (10-5-3-1) 5:00 pm
Lethbridge Hurricanes (10-8-2-2) at Brandon Wheat Kings (10-6-3-3) 5:30 pm
Red Deer Rebels (21-1-0-0) at Medicine Hat Tigers (10-11-1-2) 6:30 pm
Regina Pats (8-16-0-0) at Prince George Cougars (9-10-1-2) 7:00 pm
Victoria Royals (12-6-0-0) at Kelowna Rockets (10-13-1-0) 7:05 pm
Kamloops Blazers (8-10-1-1) at Tri-City Americans (12-8-0-0) 7:05pm
Calgary Hitmen (9-13-2-0) at Seattle Thunderbirds (8-10-3-0) 7:35 pm

Western Hockey League roundup for Wednesday, November 21st, 2018

Edmonton Oil Kings 4, Brandon Wheat Kings 1

A three-goal first period for the Oil Kings was the difference in the win, with 3,237 looking on at Westoba Place in Brandon. Quinn Benjafield scored twice for Edmonton, Trey Fix-Wolansky had a goal and assist, Brett Kemp had a goal and Dylan Myskiw 30 saves. For the Wheat Kings, Stelio Mattheos scored the lone goal, Jiri Patera made 31 saves.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 3, Saskatoon Blades 1

Two goals in the third period tipped the scales in favor of the Canes, in front of 2,973 at SaskTel Centre. Two goals in the final minute, the first by Saskatoon's Tristen Robins, the other by Lethbrige's Jadon Joseph, had it tied 1-1 after one. After a scoreless second, Ty Kolle scored at 3:17 of the third for the game-winner and Jackson Shepard dumped one into the empty net at 19:35 for the Hurricanes to wrap it up. Carl Tetachuk made 35 saves for Lethbridge, who now sit 7 points behind Central co-leaders Red Deer and Edmonton. The Blades' Nolan Maier made 25 saves.

Kelowna Rockets 3, Regina Pats 2

Kelowna scored twice in the second and held off the Pats charge in the third to creep within three games of .500 with the win before 4,632 at Prospera Place. Kyle Crosbie in the first and Nolan Foote in the second staked the Rockets to a 2-0 lead, before Captain Jake Leschyshyn put Regina on the board at the 13 minute mark. Foote's second, coming on the power play late in the period, put Kelowna up 3-1 after two. Aaron Hyman's extra-attacker power play goal with 59 seconds left in regulation drew the Pats within one, but they couldn't come up with the equalizer and the home town Rockets held on for the win. Roman Basran made 23 saves for Kelowna, who went 2-for-5 on the power play. The Rockets, who lost 8 of 9 to start the season, have gone 9-4-1-0 since. Regina continues to struggle and now sits 5th in the East, 10 points behind third place Brandon and 7 points behind Medicine Hat for the second Wild Card spot in the East.

Calgary Hitmen 3, Portland Winterhawks 2

Two goals in the first part of the third pulled the Hitmen past Portland, before 5,429 at the Moda Center in Portland. For Calgary, Jake Kryski, Riley Stotts and James Malm scored, Carl Stankowski made 38 saves. Cody Glass and John Ludvig scored for the Hawks, Shane Farkas made 25 saves.

Vancouver Giants 4, Seattle Thunderbirds 2

A two-goal first period was the difference in the Vancouver win. Dylan Plouffe, Lukas Svejkovsky and Bowen Byram tallied a goal and assist each, Milos Roman had a goal and Trent Miner had a goal for the Giants. For Seattle, in front of 6,001 faithful at accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, Zack Andrusiak and Nolan Volcan scored goals, while Liam Hughes made 37 saves. The Thunderbirds, after starting the season 6-1-1-0, have now gone 2-9-2-0, including 1-4-2 in their last 7 at home.

 

Western Hockey League schedule for Wednesday, November 21st, 2018

Here's Wednesday's schedule around the Western Hockey League (All times Pacific):

Edmonton Oil Kings (13-8-1-2) at Brandon Wheat Kings (10-5-3-3) 5:00 pm
Lethbridge Hurricanes (9-8-2-2) at Saskatoon Blades (14-7-2-0) 5:00 pm
Calgary Hitmen (8-13-2-0) at Portland Winterhawks (13-7-0-2) 7:00 pm
Regina Pats (8-15-0-0) at Kelowna Rockets (9-13-1-0) 7:05pm
Vancouver Giants (14-6-0-2) at Seattle Thunderbirds (8-9-3-0) 7:05 pm

Western Hockey League Roundup for Tuesday, November 20th, 2018

Prince Albert Raiders 5, Lethbridge Hurricanes 1

The Raiders' win streak grew to 14 with the win before 2,422 at the Art Hauser Centre, on the strength of a three-goal third period. Brett Leason had a hat trick for Prince Albert, Brayden Pachal a goal and 2 assists, Kody McDonald a goal and assist and Ian Scott 29 saves. Taylor Ross had 1 goal and 14 penalty minutes for Lethbridge, Reece Klassen made 33 saves.

Regina Pats 3, Kamloops Blazers 2

A two-goal second period was the difference for the Pats in their road win before 3,375 at the Sandman Centre. Nick Henry had a goal and assist, Riley Krane and Marco Creta a goal, Max Paddock 33 saves for Regina. Kyrell Sopotyk and Zane Franklin scored goals for Kamloops, Dylan Ferguson made 28 saves.

Everett Silvertips 4, Calgary Hitmen 0

Everett scored 1 in the first and 3 in the third to roll to the win. Dawson Butt, Riley Sutter and Bryce Kindopp had a goal and assist each, Martin Fasko-Rudas a goal and Dustin Wolf 26 saves, before 3,507 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Jack McNaughton made 29 saves for Calgary. The Silvertips now lead Portland by 7 points in the U.S. Division.

Western Hockey League schedule for Tuesday, November 20th, 2018

Here's Tuesday's schedule around the Western Hockey League (All times Pacific):

Lethbridge Hurricanes (9-7-2-2) at Prince Albert Raaiders (20-1-0-0) 5:00 pm
Regina Pats (7-15-0-0) at Kamloops Blazers (8-9-1-1) 7:00 pm
Calgary Hitmen (8-12-2-0) at Everett Silvertips (16-7-1-0) 7:05 pm

Western Hockey League roundup for Sunday, November 19th, 2018

Moose Jaw Warriors 9, Kootenay ICE 1

4 goals in each of the first two periods allowed Moose Jaw to breeze past the ICE before 2,139 at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook. Ryan Peckford had a huge game for the Warriors with 4 goals and an assist, Tyler Smithies has 2 goals and an assist, Brayden Tracey and Yegor Buyalski a goal and assist each, Tate Popple 1 goal and Adam Evanoff 19 saves. Owen Pederseon scored the lone Kootenay goal, Duncan McGovern and Jesse Makaj combined to make 34 saves. Moose Jaw went 3-for-3 on the power play, the ICE did not have a power play opportunity in the game.

Kamloops Blazers 7, Prince George Cougars 3

Kamloops built up a 5 goal lead through 40 minutes and cruised home to the win from there, before 2,301 at CN Centre in Prince George. The Blazers were led by Orrin Centazzo and Luc Smith with 2 goals and 1 assist each, Zane Franklin 1 goal and 4 assists, Martin Lang with 1 goal, Luke Zazula and Nolan Kneen with 3 assists each and Dylan Garand with 25 saves. Kamloops went 2-for-3 on the power play and 8-of-9 on the penalty kill. Prince George scored all three of their goals in the third period, with the lamplighters coming from Cole Moberg on the power play, Connor Bowie and Austin Crossley. Isaiah DiLaura and Taylor Gauthier combined for 31 saves.

Victoria Royals 3, Vancouver Royals 1

Two quality teams played a real nail biter Sunday in front of 3,078 at the Langley Events Centre. Dylan Plouffe opened the scoring for Vancouver, but the Royals responded with goals from Logan Doust and D-Jay Jerome to lead 2-1 after one. That score would hold until the closing moments of regulation, when Victoria's Dino Kambeitz would pop a short handed goal into an empty net with 13 seconds remaining to seal the deal. Griffen Outhouse made 28 saves for the victorious Royals, Trent Miner had 22 saves for the Giants.

Spokane Chiefs 3, Everett Silvertips 2 (OT)

Riley Woods scored all three Spokane goals Sunday night, his 18th of the season coming 2:27 into overtime, pushing the Chiefs past Everett. The win drew Spokane within one point of second place Portland and six points of first place Everett in the U.S. Division. Bailey Brkin picked up his first win in two weeks, making 38 saves. Wyatte Wylie scored a first period power play goal for the 'Tips, Dawson Butt scored at even strength in the second.Dustin Wolf took the overtime loss, while making 21 saves. Max Palage started and made 3 saves on 5 shots faced in 8:42 of work. Attendance at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett was 4,517.

Western Hockey League schedule for Sunday, November 18th, 2018

Here's Sunday's schedule around the Western Hockey League (All times Pacific):

Kamloops Blazers (7-9-1-1) at Prince George Cougars (9-9-1-2) 2:00 pm
Moose Jaw Warriors (9-5-3-1) at Kootenay ICE (7-13-3-1) 3:00 pm
Victoria Royals (11-6-0-0) at Vancouver Giants (14-5-2-0) 4:00 pm
Spokane Chiefs (11-8-1-2) at Everett Silvertips (16-7-0-0) 4:05pm

Western Hockey League roundup for Saturday, November 17th, 2018

Saskatoon Blades 5, Tri-City Americans 3

A three-goal burst in the third won it for Saskatoon. Erik Florchuk scored twice for Saskatoon, Kirby Dach added a goal and 3 assists, Josh Paterson a goal and assist, Randan Schmidt a goal and Nolan Maier 29 saves. For Tri-City, Mitchell Brown, Dom Schmiemann and Parker AuCoin scored goals, Beck Warm made 35 saves. Attendance at SaskTel Centre was 3,832.

Prince Albert Raiders 6, Brandon Wheat Kings 0

Raiders have won 13 straight and are now 20-1-0-0, thanks in part to a 4 goal third period. Sean Montgomery scored twice for the Raiders, Noah Gregor had a goal and an assist as did Brett Leason, Carson Miller and Cole Fonstad each scored once. Ian Scott made 26 saves for his 4th shutout this season and second in his past three games. For Brandon, Jiri Patera made 40 saves. Attendance at Westoba Place in Brandon was 3,678.

Medicine Hat Tigers 2, Swift Current Broncos 0

The Tigers scored twice in the first and made it hold up for the win, in front of 2,382 at Innovation Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current. Ryan Chyzowski scored both Medicine Hat goals, while netminder Mads Sogaard made 48 saves. For Swift Current, who has been shut out three times in their past four games, Joel Hofer made 28 saves.

Kelowna Rockets 3, Edmonton Oil Kings 1

Kelowna scored twice in the second and that was enough to win the contest, played before 8,458 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Despite launching just 13 shots on net, the Rockets were able to get three home. Liam Kindree scored a power play for Kelowna and Coach Adam Foote's son Nolan scored both second period goals for the Rockets, aided by a pair of assists by Leif Mattson. David Kope scored the scored for the Oil Kings just shy of the midway point of the opening period. Roman Basran made 26 saves for Kelowna, Boston Bilous had 10 saves for Edmonton.

Moose Jaw Warriors 3, Lethbridge Hurricanes 2

Moose Jaw scored once in each period to win before 3,498 at Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, in a contest where the two teams combined for 88 minutes in penalties. Tristan Langan scored twice, once on the power play for the Warriors, with Braden Tracey adding a power play goal and Brodan Salmond making 22 saves. For the Hurricanes, Logan Barlage scored, Zachary Cox scored on the power play and Carl Tetachuk made 38 saves. Moose Jaw was 2-for-8 with the extra man, Lethridge was 1-for-3.

Red Deer Rebels 5, Kootenay ICE 4 (OT)

Reece Johnson finished off the hat trick 2:50 into overtime, giving the Rebels the win before 3,782 at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer. Jeff de Wit had a goal and assist, Alex Morozoff a goal, Brandon Hagel 4 assists and Ethan Anders 26 saves for Red Deer. For Kootenay, Connor McClennon tallied 2 goals and 1 assist, Jonathan Smart a goal and assist, Owen Pederson a goal and Jesse Makaj 35 saves. The Rebels were 3-for-4 on the power play, the ICE were 1-for-2.

Kamloops Blazers 5, Prince George Cougars 1

The Blazers cruised to the win, before 2,600 at CN Centre in Prince George. Josh Pillar and Jermaine Loewen scored for the Blazers in the first, Loewen again in the second, Zane Franklin and Luc Smith in the third, before the Cougars' Mike MacLean responded late for Prince George. Dylan Ferguson, who had a no decision and 3 losses in his previous four appearences, made 13 saves for the win for Kamloops. Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier made 31 saves. The Blazers were 3-for-7 on the power play, those 3 being the final 3 goals they scored on the night. Prince George was 0-for-2 on the power play.

Seattle Thunderbirds 6, Portland Winterhawks 4

The Thunderbirds snapped a seven-game winless slide with the win over their arch rivals, before 5,052 at the accesso ShoWare Center. A Jake Gricius power play goal and a goal by Clay Hanus marker staked Portland to a 2-0 lead at 7:59 of the first, but Seattle goals by Jared Davidson and Samuel Huo had it tied 2-all after one. A pair of goals by Matthew Wedman had the T-Birds up 4-2 after two, then in the third the teams traded goals. Andrej Kukuca for the Thunderbirds, Nick Perna for the Hawks, Zack Andrusiak for Seattle and Gricius again for Portland, to make the final score 6-4 in favor of Seattle. Liam Hughes made 51 saves for the T-Birds and Dante Giannuzzi had 30 saves for the Winterhawks. Portland went 2-for-5 on the power play, Seattle was 0-for-3.

Calgary Hitmen 5, Spokane Chiefs 1

The Hitmen rolled to the win before 5,810 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Calgary's Mark Kastelic scored 3, Riley Stotts 2, James Malm had 3 assists, Egor Zamula 2 helpers, Carl Stankowski 33 saves for Calgary. Adam Beckman scored for Spokane, Dawson Weatherill made 24 saves for the Chiefs. The Hitmen were 2-for-2 on the power play, Spokane was 1-for-2.

Victoria Royals 2, Regina Pats 1

A late third period Royals goal was the difference, in front of 5,526 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria. Pats captain Jake Leschyshyn scored in the first, before the Royals Kaid Oliver tied it with a power play goal late. It stayed 1-1 until late in the third, when Victoria's Tanner Sidaway scored at 17:15 to break the tie. The Royals would hold on from there for the win. Griffen Outhouse made 17 saves for Victoria, Max Paddock 25 for Regina.

Everett Silvertips 6, Vancouver Giants 5

The top teams in the U.S. and B.C. Divisions got together Saturday night and Everett came out on top, before 6,789 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Connor Dewar scored twice and added an assist for Everett, Sean Richards scored a pair, with Luke Ormsby and Jake Christiansen notched one apiece. For Vancouver, Davis Koch scored twice, Jared Dmytriw had a goal and 2 assists, Dawson Holt and and Matt Barberis a goal and assist each. In goal, Dustin Wolf made 17 saves for the Silvertips, David Tendeck made 28 stops for Vancouver. Everett was 1-for-5 on the power play, the Giants were 2-for-6.

Third period blitz sends Blades past Ams

Saskatoon, SK -- Three goals in the final 6:07 was the difference Saturday night, as the Saskatoon Blades rallied for a 5-3 win over the Tri-City Americans, before 3,832 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

The Blades scored first just 55 seconds into the contest, as Kirby Dach scored from Dawson Davidson, giving the home team an early 1-0 lead. The lead would last until just past the six minute mark, as Mitchell Brown scored his 2nd of the season for Tri-City, assisted by Samuel Stewart and Riley Sawchuk at 6:06, squaring the game 1-1 after 20 minutes.

After the Americans had enjoyed a 17-8 shots advantage in the opening period, things were much more even in the second, with the two teams combing for 23 shots. Saskatoon connected on the power play with a Josh Paterson goal, assisted by Dawson Davidson and Dach at 7:43, putting the Blades on top 2-1. It didn't take Tri-City long to even it up however. Dom Schmiemann's first with the Americans, off assists from Isaac Johnson and Kyle Johnson, tied the game 2-2 after two.

Midway through the third, the Americans would take the lead on a deflection goal by Parker AuCoin, his 12th goal of the season. Hrabik drew the lone assist at 10:13 that put Tri-City on top at 3-2. Things would swing pretty quickly and decisively in favor of the home team after that. Eric Florchuk scored from Dach at 13:53, Randen Schmidt scored from Paterson and Emil Malysjev at 15:32 and Florchuk scored again from Dach and Kristian Roykas Marthinsen at 17:34. The Americans would empty the net with 1:10 left to no avail and Saskatoon would skate on to the 5-3 victory.

Nolan Maier backstopped his team to the victory, making 29 saves along the way for the Blades. Beck Warm was solid in goal for the Americans once again, making 35 saves. Saskatoon, which outshot Tri-City 40-32, 32-15 over the final two periods, went 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Americans were 0-for-2. With the win, the Blades improve to 14-7-2-0, while Tri-City slips to 12-8-0-0.

The Americans 11-game swing finally has come to an end. Tri-City won 7 of the 11 games and went 2-4 through the East Division. The Americans return to the friendly confines of the Toyota Center in Kennewick for the first time in 34 days next Friday, when they host the Kamloops Blazers, with game time set for 7:05pm. Tickets are available at the Toyota Center box office, Ticketmaster or at the door on game night. Calgary visits the Toyota Center next Saturday, also at 7:05.

Ams wrap up road trip in Saskatoon

The Tri-City Americans finally put the wraps on their lengthy 11-game road trip tonight, as they take on the Saskatoon Blades in a Western Hockey League contest at the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon.

The Americans enter tonight's contest with a record of 12-7-0-0, after last night's hard fought 3-1 loss at Prince Albert. Tri-City carries a road record of 8-4-0-0 into tonight's game, while the Blades sport a home record of 5-3-1-0. The Americans are led in scoring by Captain Nolan Yaremko, who has 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 19 games. Goaltender Beck Warm has played 18 of the 19 games so far for Tri-City, with 11 wins, a 2.86 goals against average and a .906 saves percentage. On special teams, the Americans are 17.5% on the power play and 77.6% on the penalty kill. Saskatoon is led in scoring by Kirby Dach, who has 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points in 22 games. Goaltender Nolan Maier has appeared in 19 games, with 11 wins, a 2.79 goals against average and a .912 saves percentage. The Blades are 21.0% on the power play and 82.3% on the penalty kill. The teams met once last season, with Saskatoon grabbing a 5-2 win November 28th at Toyota Center.

Game time Saturday is 5:00 pm at SaskTel Centre. The live broadcast, with Craig West calling the action, airs on Newstalk 870 KFLD and online at newstalk870.am beginning at 4:45 pm. The Ams finally return home for their first home action in over a month, hosting Kamloops next Friday and Calgary next Saturday, 7:05 pm both nights, at Toyota Center.

Western Hockey League Schedule for Saturday, November 17th, 2018

Here's Saturday's schedule around the Western Hockey League (All times Pacific):

Tri-City Americans (12-7-0-0) at Saskatoon Blades (13-7-2-0)  5:00 pm
Medicine Hat Tigers (9-11-1-2) at Swift Current Broncos (3-17-1-1) 5:00 pm
Prince Albert Raiders (19-1-0-0) at Brandon Wheat Kings (10-4-3-3) 5:30 pm
Kelowna Rockets (8-13-1-0) at Edmonton Oil Kings (13-7-1-2) 6:00 pm
Moose Jaw Warriors (8-5-3-1) at Lethbridge Hurricanes (9-6-2-2) 6:00 pm
Kootenay ICE (7-13-2-1) at Red Seer Rebels (14-5-1-0) 6:00 pm
Portland Winterhawks (13-6-0-2) at Seattle Thunderbirds (7-9-3-0) 6:05 pm
Kamloops Blazers (6-9-1-1) at Prince George Cougars (9-8-1-2) 7:00 pm
Calgary Hitmen (7-12-2-0) at Spokane Chiefs (11-7-1-2) 7:05 pm
Regina Pats (7-14-0-0) at Victoria Royals (10-6-0-0) 7:05 pm
Vancouver Giants (14-4-2-0) at Everett Silvertips (15-7-0-0) 7:05 pm

Raiders outlast Ams for 12th straight win

Prince Albert, SK - Three straight goals in the third, hi-lighted by an empty-netter by the goaltender, brought the Prince Albert Raiders from behind on home ice and to their 12th straight victory, 3-1 over a stubborn Tri-City Americans squad, before an SRO crowd of 2,829 at the Art Hauser Centre.

The game, although scoreless through 40 minutes, featured plenty of hard hitting, fast skating action, with stellar goal tending at both ends. Moving into the third, the offences would finally awaken, with Tri-City's Krystof Hrabik firing a laser past the goaltender for his sixth of the year at 1:11. The goal, assisted by Parker AuCoin, put the Americans on top, 1-0. The lead held for 4 1/2 minutes, until Prince Albert bagged two quick ones to grab the lead for good. Sergei Sapego scored a power play goal from former American Brett Leason at 5:44 to tie the game 1-1, then Brayden Pachal scored from Kody McDonald and Noah Gregor at 7:06 to make it a 2-1 Raider advantage. Tri-City battled hard from there but wasn't able to get the equalizer, allowing Raider goaltender Ian Scott, standing behind and to the left of his goal, to aim for and then deposit the puck into the empty goal at the other end for his first career WHL goal at 19:44, giving Prince Albert their final winning margin of 3-1, securing their 12th consecutive victory and 19th and 20 starts this season. The Americans slip to 12-7-0-0.

The Raiders held a 30-24 shots advantage on the night. Scott made 23 saves for Prince Albert, Beck Warm 27 for the Americans. The Raiders were 1-for-2 on the power play, Tri-City was 0-for-5.

The Americans wrap up their lengthy 11 game road swing with a 5:00 pm contest Saturday in Saskatoon. Prince Albert plays at 5:30 pm in Brandon.

Western Hockey League roundup for Friday, November 16th, 2018

Prince Albert Raiders 3, Tri-City Americans 1

The Raiders won their 12th straight and 19th in 20 starts this season, with the comeback win on home ice, before a standing room only crowd of 2,829 at the Art Hauser Centre. The game featured lots of fast skating and hard hitting, but remained scoreless through 40 minutes, thanks to spectacular goaltending at both ends from Prince Albert's Ian Scott and Tri-City's Beck Warm. It was the Americans who scored first on a Krystof Hrabik goal 71 seconds into the third period, but the Raiders responded with goals from Sergei Sapego on the power play at 5:44 and Brayden Pachal at 7:06 to grab a 2-1 lead. Then, in the dying moments, Prince Albert's goaltender Scott, behind the goal line and to the left of the net, lifted the puck high in the air, sending it over everybody and down the length of the ice and into the open net at the other end for his first career WHL goal, giving the Raiders the hard fought 3-1 win. Scott finished with 23 saves, Warm had 27 for the Americans.

Brandon Wheat Kings 4, Medicine Hat Tigers 1

Two goals in the first and two more in the third propelled the Wheat Kings to the victory before 3,487 at Westoba Place in Brandon. Ben McCartney scored twice for Brandon, Ridly Greig had a goal and 2 assists, Linden McCorrister also scored a goal. Ethan Kruger made 34 saves. For the Tigers, their goal scorer was Baxter Anderson, Jordan Hollett made 49 saves.

Red Deer Rebels 7, Kelowna Rockets 0

Red Deer breezed past the Rockets, getting goals from seven different players. Brandon Hagel had a goal and 2 assists, Carson Sass, Chris Douglas and Alex Morozoff had a goal and assist each, Jeff de Wit and Dallon Melin a goal each and Ethan Anders 28 saves before 4,213 at the Enmax Centrium in Red Deer. For Kelowna, the tandem of James Porter and Roman Basran made 27 saves.

Calgary Hitmen 5, Kootenay ICE 0

2 in the first and 3 more in the third sent Calgary on their to the win in front of 2,397 at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook. For the Hitmen, Ryder Korczak at even strength and Mark Kastelic scored on the power play in the first period and in the third, Jake Kryski at even, Dakota Krebs with a man advantage and Korczak with an extra man again lit the lamp, while Jack McNaughton made 19 saves. Duncan McGovern made 37 saves for Kootenay.

Lethbridge Hurricanes 3, Edmonton Oil Kings 2 (SO)

4,190 at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge watched the home team overcame a two-goal deficit through 40 minutes to win in a shootout. After a scoreless first period, Vince Loschiavo on the power play and Jalen Luypen staked Edmonton to a 2-0 lead after two. The Hurricanes would mount a comeback in the third, with goals by Jake Elmer and Taylor Ross tying the game and forcing free hockey. After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to a deciding shootout. Vladimir Alistrov scored in round one for the Oil Kings and Dylan Cozens responded in round three for Lethbridge. Then, in round five, Ross scored, giving the 'Canes the win and the extra standings point. Reece Klassen made 35 saves for Lethbridge, Dylan Myskiw 29 for Edmonton.

Portland Winterhawks 5, Everett Silvertips 2

Portland drew to within 2 points of first place Everett in the U.S. Division with the win before 4,007 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland. The Winterhawks attack was led by Joachim Blichfeld, with 3 goals and an assist. Jake Gricius had a goal and an assist, Mason Mannek scored a goal, Matthew Quigley dished out 3 assists and Shane Farkas stopped 27 shots. For Everett, Sean Richards and Jalen Price scored goals, Dustim Wolf made 24 saves.

Spokane Chiefs 4, Seattle Thunderbirds 2

Seattle's winless streak stretched to 7, before 5,027 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The game was tied 1-1 after two, following a first period goal by Spokane's Carter Chorney and a second period goal by Seattle's Zack Andrusiak, while the Birds were down a man. In the third, Nolan Reed and Adam Beckman scored, putting the Chiefs up 4-2. The Thunderbirds drew within one on a goal by Tyler Carpendale, but Reid finished it off late for Spokane with an empty netter for the final 4-2 margin. Dawson Weatherill made 32 saves for the Chiefs, Liam Hughes made 35 for Seattle.

Vancouver Giants 10, Regina Pats 4

Vancouver bolted out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back, rolling to the easy win in a penalty filled game before 3,510 at the Langley Events Centre. Milos Roman had 2 goals and an assist for the Giants, Tristan Nielsen and Yannik Valenti scored twice each, Dawson Holt had a goal and assist, Jared Dmytriw, Justin Sourdif and Bowen Byran once each, Trent Miner made 24 saves. For Regina, Nick Henry scored 3 goals while adding an assist, Jake Leschyshyn had a goal and 2 assists, Max Paddock and Dean McNabb combined to Make 35 saves. Vancouver was 3-for-8 on the power play and the Pats were 1-for-6, with the two teams combining for 23 penalties and 72 minutes.

Ams face stern test in PA

The end of their massive 11-game road swing is in sight, but the opponents don't get any tougher than tonight, as the Tri-City Americans play game 10 away from home against the best team in the CHL, the Prince Albert Raiders.

The Raiders enter tonight's contest at the Art Hauser Center an amazing 18-1-0-0, bringing an 11-game win streak with them. Their only loss so far this season, was a 4-3 defeat at the Red Deer Rebels, back on October 6th. Prince Albert is led offensively by former Tri-City American Brett Leason, who stands second in league scoring, with 18 goals and 23 assists, for 41 points. Leason is a +31 and has 9 power play assists. Ian Scott has guarded the goal 16 times in 19 games, recording 15 wins, a 1.50 goals against average and a .946 saves percentage. PA is 9th on the power play at 23.4% and 1st on the penalty kill at 91.9%. The Americans enter tonight's game at at 12-6-0-0, 3rd in the U.S. Division. They are led by Captain Nolan Yaremko, who has 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in 18 games. Beck Warm has played 17 of 18 games, picking up 11 wins, a goals against average of 2.91 and a saves percentage of .905. Tri-City is 19th on the power play at 18.7% and 10th on the penalty kill at 78.4%. The two teams played each other once last season, with the Americans winning 2-0 at Toyota Center on November 14th.

Game time tonight is 5:00pm PST. The live broadcast, with Craig West calling the action, call be hear on Newstalk 870 KFLD and online at newstalk870.am beginning at 4:45pm. The Ams finish their road swing tomorrow night in Saskatoon, returning home to face Kamloops and Calgary next Friday and Saturday.

Western Hockey League schedule for Friday, November 16th, 2018

Here's Friday's schedule around the Western Hockey League (All times Pacific):

Tri-City Americans (12-6-0-0) at Prince Albert Raiders 18-1-0-0) 5:00pm
Medicine Hat Tigers (9-10-1-2) at Brandon Wheat Kings (9-4-3-3) 5:30pm
Kelowna Rockets (8-12-1-0) at Red Deer Rebels (13-5-1-0) 6:00pm
Calgary Hitmen (6-12-2-0) at Kootenay ICE (6-12-2-1) 6:00pm
Edmonton Oil Kings (13-7-1-1) at Lethbridge Hurricanes (8-6-2-2) 6:00pm
Everett Silvertips (15-6-0-0) at Portland Winterhawks (12-6-0-2) 7:00pm
Seattle Thunderbirds (7-8-3-0) at Spokane Chiefs (10-7-1-2) 7:05pm
Regina Pats (7-13-0-0) at Vancouver Giants (13-4-2-0) 7:30pm

Western Hockey League roundup for Wednesday, November 14th, 2018

Prince Albert Raiders 2, Medicine Hat Tigers 0

Brett Leason's 18th goal of the season, coming short handed at 8:58 of the second period, combined with Noah Gregor's 9th of the season at 11:16 of the third, both unassisted, combined with the 43 save goaltending of Ian Scott, powered the Prince Albeert Raiders to a 2-0 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, before 2,176 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. Mads Sogaard shined in goal for the Tigers, making 31 saves. The win is Prince Albert's 11th in a row. The Raiders only loss in 19 games this season came on October 6th 4-3 at Red Deer. Medicine Hat is winless in their last 4.

Tri-City Americans 3, Swift Current Broncos 0

One night after giving up 7 in a loss at Moose Jaw, the Tri-City Americans rebounded for the win at Swift Current. Kyle Olson and Krystof Hrabik scored in the first period, Isaac Johnson into an empty net in the closing moments for the Americans. Beck Warm made 24 saves for his second career WHL shut out. Joel Hofer was solid in goal for the Broncos, making 20 saves, in front of 2,210 at the Innovation Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current. Tri-City is now 8-3 on the road this season, the Broncos are winless in their last four.

Prince George Cougars 4, Kelowna Rockets 3 (OT)

The Cougars scored with 17 seconds left in regulation , then with 6 seconds left in overtime to win. Erik Gardiner staked Kelowna to a 1-0 lead after one, then Prince George took a 2-1 lead after two, on goals by Cole Moberg and Matej Toman. Lane Zablocki and Kyle Topping scored in the third to put Kelowna on top, but Vladislav Mikhalchuk's goal at 19:43 for the Cougars forced the extra session. Just when it looked like the teams were headed for the deciding shootout, Josh Maser found the back of the net at 4:54 of overtime to win it for Prince George, their 5th one-goal win this season. Taylor Gauthier made 28 saves for the Cougars, Roman Basran 29 for the Rockets.

Everett Silvertips 3, Portland Winterhawks 2 (SO)

Everett scored twice in the first, then Portland squared things with a two-goal third period, before the Tips scored twice in the shootout to grab the extra standings point. First period goals for Everett were scored by Connor Dewar and Bryce Kindopp, both on the power play. In the third, Winterhawk goals were scored by Reece Newkirk and Ryan Hughes. Joachim Blichfeld notched a shootout marker for Portland, but Silvertip counters by Dewar and Riley Sutter tipped the scales in favor of Everett. Dustin Wolff made 39 saves to lead Everett to the victory, Shane Farkas had 41 stops for the Winterhawksd. Attendance was 3,346 at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.

Americans bounce back with whitewash of Broncos

Swift Current, SK - Just one night after giving up seven in a pasting at Moose Jaw, the Tri-City Americans, behind the strong goaltending of Beck Warm, rebounded for an impressive 3-0 win over the Swift Current Broncos Wednesday night, before 2,210 fans at the Innovation Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.

After struggling to get anything going the night before at Moose Jaw, the Americans played air tight defense, allowing a season-low four shots against in the first period, while scoring a pair of goals to grab the lead. Kyle Olson scored his 4th of the year, off an assist from Isaac Johnson at 5:20, giving Tri-City a 1-0 lead. Then, they would increase the lead late on a goal at 19:15 by solo effort import Krystof Hrabik, putting the Ams up 2-0 after one.

The two teams would then battle the rest of the way, with solid goalkeeping at both ends turning away numerous scoring opportunities, before Tri-City's Johnson would slide an unassisted goal into an empty net at 19:57, giving the Americans the final victory margin of 3-0.

Beck Warm, playing for the 17th time in 18 games for Tri-City. made 24 saves for his second career WHL shutout. Joel Hofer was solid in net for the Broncos, holding his team in the contest throughout the night with 20 saves. The Americans were 0-for-3 on the power play and 4-of-4 on the penalty kill.

Tri-City, now 12-6-0-0 on the season, sits third in the U.S. Division and now prepares for a Friday contest with the CHL's top team, the Prince Albert Raiders, now 18-1-0-0, after Wednesday's 2-0 win over Medicine Hat. Face-off at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, SK is set for 5:00pm PST. Craig West will have the live play-by-play on Newstalk 870 KFLD and online at newstalk870.am beginning at 4:45pm Friday. The Americans then wrap up their massive 11-game road swing on Saturdat at Saskatoon, then return home to Toyota Center November 23rd, to face the Kamloops Blazers.