WHL THIS WEEK: LOOKING AHEAD…
Calgary, AB – The 2009-10 Western Hockey League regular season enters its final weekend of action ahead of the Christmas break with 19 games on the schedule for Friday and Saturday night.
The season for Teddy Bear / Toque Toss keeps rolling along this weekend with four more WHL Clubs gearing up for the fan-favorite event. On Friday night, the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Saskatoon Blades host their events, while the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Prince George Cougars host their events on Saturday night.
In Brandon, MB, the Wheat Kings are encouraging fans to Get in the Holiday Spirit for Friday night’s contest versus the Moose Jaw Warriors by bringing a new, unwrapped toy or a non-perishable food item for donation to the Westman & Area Christmas Dinner.
In Everett, WA, the Silvertips continue their Christmas House Holiday Drive this weekend. At every ‘Tips’ home game through December 18th, representatives from Christmas House will be collecting toy, stuffed animal and monetary donations. Fans who donate will be eligible to win great Silvertips prizes.
In Cranbrook, B.C, Friday night is Kellogg’s / Food Bank Night when the Kootenay Ice host the Red Deer Rebels. Fans are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items to the Cranbrook and Kimberley Food Bank.
In Prince George, B.C., the Cougars continue their Christmas Campaign this Friday when the Kamloops Blazers come to town, and are encouraging fans to bring non-perishable food items for donation to the Prince George Food Bank.
NINE WHL PLAYERS NAMED CANADA’S WORLD JUNIOR TEAM…
TORONTO, Ont. – Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) announced Wednesday the 22 players who will comprise Canada’s National Junior Team at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. from December 26, 2010 through January 5, 2011.
Nine of the 22 players announced to the roster are from the Western Hockey League, including 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship Silver Medalists Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs and Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Also named to the roster is Tri-City Americans forward Carter Ashton, Kelowna Rocket and reigning WHL Defenceman of the Year Tyson Barrie, the Prince George Cougars’ Brett Connolly, Swift Current Broncos forward Cody Eakin, the Saskatoon Blades’ Curtis Hamilton, Moose Jaw Warriors forward Quinton Howden and the first WHL player selected at the 2010 NHL Draft Portland Winterhawks stand-out Ryan Johansen.
Over the past 10 World Junior Championship tournaments, 93 WHL players, representing over 40% of Team Canada’s National Junior roster, helped Canada capture five consecutive Gold medals, four Silver medals and one Bronze medal.
For more, click HERE…
63 WHL PLAYERS GET CALLED FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY OVER HOLIDAYS…
Calgary, AB — The Western Hockey League is proud to announce that 63 WHL players have been selected to play for their respective countries in international tournament in December and January.
49 WHL players have already been named to rosters for upcoming international tournament and tournaments currently underway, while another 14 WHL players have been invited to the selection camps of their respective countries’ national teams.
For the entire article, click HERE…
WHL ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH REMAX…
Calgary, AB – The Western Hockey League in association with RE/MAX of Western Canada are proud to announce the launch of a new 3-year partnership that includes grassroots programming with all Canadian WHL Markets along with brand integration across various WHL broadcast and online properties.
As a proud sponsor of the WHL, RE/MAX will be highly visible in all 17 Canadian WHL markets. RE/MAX will also run an exciting promotion during the 2010-11 season – The RE/MAX Home Team Contest – giving fans the chance to win a $10,000 Home Improvement Package.
Read more HERE…
FRIDAY NIGHT WHL HOCKEY ON SHAW…
Kris Foucault and the Calgary Hitmen (10-22-2-0) welcome Shane McColgan and the Kelowna Rockets (18-15-0-0) on Friday night.
Friday’s contest between the Hitmen and Rockets can be seen live throughout western Canada on SHAW and SHAW Direct channel 299 (7:00pm MST).
The Hitmen are coming off Wednesday’s 3-2 setback in Cranbrook, B.C., to the Kootenay Ice, snapping a three-game winning streak, and currently reside in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. All three of the Hitmen’s wins on their recent win streak came on home ice. Foucault saw a six-game point streak come to an end after being held off the score sheet on Wednesday.
The Rockets are coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Hurricanes in Lethbridge on Wednesday night for their first victory in Lethbridge since 2003, and currently sit in second place in the B.C. Division. The Rockets are 2-2 through four games of a five-game Alberta road trip. McColgan leads the Rockets with 23 assists this season.
It’s the first of two meetings this season between the Rockets and Hitmen. The Hitmen took two of three meetings versus the Rockets last year.
SHAW will broadcast 30 WHL games during the 2010-11 season. For the entire WHL on SHAW broadcast schedule, click HERE
KEY WEEKEND MATCH-UPS…
Red Deer Rebels vs Kootenay Ice
Friday, Dec. 17 @ Kootenay; Saturday, Dec. 18 @ Red Deer
Kevin King and the Kootenay Ice (22-9-1-2) take on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the Red Deer Rebels (21-9-1-3) for a home-and-home series between the two top teams in the Central Division on the final weekend of action before the Christmas break.
The Ice edged the visiting Calgary Hitmen 3-2 on Wednesday night in Cranbrook to improve to 4-2-1 in December, and currently hold a slim one-point lead over the Rebels for first place in the Central Division. Kootenay has suffered back-to-back losses just once this season. King returned to the line-up on Wednesday after sitting out three games with an elbow infection, and scored his 15th goal of the season in the win.
The Rebels are coming off a 3-1 triumph over the visiting Chilliwack Bruins on Wednesday, snapping a season-high three-game losing skid, and sit one point back of Kootenay and two points ahead of Medicine Hat in second place in the Central Division. The Rebels have surrendered only 76 goals this season for the best defensive record in the WHL. Nugent-Hopkins picked up two assists in Wednesday’s victory over the Bruins, only hours after being released from Canada’s world junior team selection camp.
This weekend’s home-and-home series marks the fourth and fifth meetings of the season between the Central Division rivals. The Rebels won two of the first three meetings versus the Ice, with both of their wins coming in Red Deer.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE – December 17 – 18
All times local
WATCH WHL HOCKEY LIVE ON WHL LIVE ON DEMAND
Friday, Dec. 17
Moose Jaw @ Brandon; 7:30
Kelowna @ Calgary; 7:00 **Live on SHAW**
Chilliwack @ Edmonton; 7:00
Spokane @ Everett; 7:35
Red Deer @ Kootenay; 7:00
Medicine Hat @ Lethbridge; 7:00
Kamloops @ Prince George; 7:00
Prince Albert @ Regina; 7:00
Swift Current @ Saskatoon; 7:05
Vancouver @ Tri-City; 7:05
Saturday, Dec. 18
Tri-City @ Everett; 7:05
Lethbridge @ Medicine Hat; 7:30
Brandon @ Moose Jaw; 7:00
Regina @ Prince Albert; 7:00
Kamloops @ Prince George; 7:00
Kootenay @ Red Deer; 7:30
Edmonton @ Saskatoon; 7:05
Portland @ Seattle; 7:05
Vancouver @ Spokane; 7:00
