February 10, 2012
Posted in BC Edition, Major Junior
BY GLEN ERICKSON/
Kamloops Blazers
The Blazers have managed to supplant the Tri City Americans atop the WHL standings over the past couple of weeks, although the Amerks have a couple of games in hand.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are also in the hunt.
Kamloops has remained quite healthy through the winter months of the schedule, waiting primarily to see when veteran forward Jordan DePape might return from a serious shoulder injury.
Import forward Tim Bozon was a big hit at the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna.
The rookie from Switzerland, who speaks four languages, turned some heads with a nifty dangle in the shootout portion of the Skills Competition.
Bozon, along with goaltender Cole Cheveldave, is a front-runner for the WHL Rookie of the Year award, collecting 27 goals and 26 assists in 52 games.
Cheveldave, who played with the Drumheller Dragons last year and won the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year award, is among the top four keepers in the league with a 2.45 goals against average and .914 save percentage in 39 appearances.
Vancouver Giants
The best news of late may have come in form of four key players returning to the lineup in Vancouver, arguably the nucleus of a team that has played very solid hockey over the past couple of months.
Forward Brendan Gallagher, defenceman David Musil and goaltender Adam Morrison have all returned from various injuries, while import forward Marek Tvrdon returned after serving a two-game suspension for a game misconduct against the Red Deer Rebels.
The Giants are chasing the fourth playoff spot in the Western Conference, which comes with home ice advantage in the first round of the post-season.
It’s a position that will likely go to either the Giants or the Spokane Chiefs.
Vancouver is 13 points clear of the sixth place Kelowna Rockets.
The Giants can also count on head coach Don Hay for the remainder of the season, as his commitments to Hockey Canada and CHL events have been completed for the season.
Kootenay Ice
Kootenay is embroiled in a very tight three-way tussle in the Central Division with Medicine Hat and Calgary.
At Feb. 5, only two points separated the teams in an important race as the division winner earns the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
A glance at the standings confirms the Ice could potentially finish anywhere from second to seventh spot.
The top four teams earn home-ice advantage in the first round.
Kootenay will play eight of 14 games in February at home, with 12 of the 14 against Eastern Conference teams.
The Ice will play three games in three nights in early February, with two home games prior to a pivotal Feb. 12 clash against the Hitmen in Calgary.
Later in the month, the Ice will travel through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, playing four road games in five nights.
The Ice continue to play without Luke Paulsen, listed as out indefinitely with an upper body injury.
Paulsen, in his third season in Cranbrook, is from Winnipeg.
Forward Max Reinhart, still leading the team in scoring with 20 goals and 37 assists, has been nursing a lower body injury.
Kelowna Rockets
Defenceman Damon Severson returned to action after suffering a wrist injury in December, just in time to play a couple of games before participating in the Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
Severson was selected to participate in the Fastest Skater event in the Skills Competition. Teammate Colton Sissons hoisted the winner’s trophy after Team Orr defeated Team Cherry by a 2-1 count.
Following the 2012 Top Prospects Game festivities in Kelowna, the Rockets headed north to Prince George where they captured both ends of a double-header at the CN Centre against the Cougars, running their road winning streak to five games.
The Rockets appear destined for a sixth place finish in the Western Conference, with a sizeable lead over the teams battling for seventh place, while they are well back of the fifth place Vancouver Giants.
Due to various injuries, the Rockets are soldiering on into February without regulars Spencer Main, Jesse Astles, Colten Martin and import Filip Vasko.
Victoria Royals
The Royals are among the healthiest teams in all of the WHL, with only veteran rearguard Tyler Stahl not in town these days.
Stahl remains out-of-action indefinitely with an upper body injury.
The Royals will not leave the Pacific time zone again this season, one that has brought with it some challenging travel to and from Vancouver Island.
Victoria plays only one more stretch of three games in three nights this season, a run to Kelowna, Everett and Vancouver on the WHL’s second last weekend of the season.
The Royals will battle down to the wire with Seattle, Prince George and the resurgent Everett Silvertips for the final two playoff berths.
Victoria has surrendered an average of 4.88 goals per game this season.
Third-year forward Jamie Crooks has scored a goal in six of the Royals last eight games and leads the team in scoring with 56 points in 54 games.
Prince George Cougars
Injuries continue to mount as the Cougars battle for the final playoff berth.
The Cats have made due of late without 19-year-old defenceman Daniel Gibb.
The local product checks in at 6-3 and 205 pounds, providing size, strength and experience on the backend.
Gibb is also known as on of the premier shot blockers in the Western Conference.
The three-year veteran has so far gone undrafted, although head coach Dean Clark suggests he is very coachable and will some day become a very good pro.
Gibb suffered an upper body injury that was thought to keep him out of action for two to three weeks.
The Cats did get some relief when veteran forward Greg Fraser returned to the lineup after missing time due to an upper body injury.
Meanwhile, forward Campbell Elyniuk will return shortly after serving a five-game suspension for a one-man fight, and the accumulation of game misconducts.
Forward John Odgers, the son of former NHLer Jeff Odgers has suffered a season-ending upper body injury shortly after being added to the roster from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
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