Game #48 – Lethbridge @ ICE
ICE CHIPS
After a seven game road trip, the ICE return to the ICE Cave inside Wayne Fleming Arena to open a busy month of March.
Winnipeg earned a 4-3 record during those games through the Central Division.
Zach Benson led the way offensively on the trip with 10 points (five goals and five assists) and the shoot out game winning goal in Swift Current. Conor Geekie had nine points (four goals and five assists) while Matthew Savoie had eight points (three goals and five assists).
Following tonight’s game the ICE are back on the road for games in Saskatoon on Friday and Prince Albert Saturday.
Winnipeg will then play five of their next six games on home ice starting Tuesday, March 8th against the Calgary Hitmen.
Starting tonight, the ICE will play 15 games (nine at home, six on the road) over the next 27 days.
ICE VS HURRICANES
Tonight is the finale to the four game regular season series between Winnipeg and Lethbridge (Oct 30 @ Leth 7-0 W / Nov 10 @ Wpg 5-1 W / Tonight @ Leth 3-2 W / Tonight @ Wpg).
Matthew Savoie leads the ICE with seven points (two goals and five assists) in three games versus the Hurricanes.
Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings – Week 17
1. Edmonton Oil Kings
2. Everett Silvertips
3. Winnipeg ICE
4. Charlottetown Islanders
5. Hamilton Bulldogs
6. Shawinigan Cataractes
7. Portland Winterhawks
8. Kamloops Blazers
9. Kingston Frontenacs
10. Flint Firebirds
Following a dominant 12-week run atop the Kia CHL Top-10 Rankings, the ICE clock in at number three following a week that saw the club find the win column once in three outings. Among the top performers for Winnipeg on the week was rookie centre Zach Benson who notched three goals and one assist, bringing him to 41 points on the season, good for seventh in team scoring.
HAUSER SETS CANADIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE GOALTENDING RECORD
Goaltender Daniel Hauser set a new CHL record for games started in a career without a regulation loss.
Dating back to his WHL debut March 15, 2021 versus the Swift Current Broncos, Hauser went 20-0-2 before suffering his first regulation loss January 22, 2022 in Saskatoon.
Scott Olson of the Brandon Wheat Kings previously held the WHL record at 15-0-3 through the 1977-79 seasons. The Ontario Hockey League record is currently held by Alex Nedeljkovic who won 11 consecutive games to open the 2012-13 season with the Plymouth Whalers. In 1973, Maurice Barrette of the Quebec Remparts won his opening 19 games, a mark that still stands in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
WHL HISTORY
With their 11th win of the season October 27th in Calgary, Winnipeg won the most consecutive games to open a WHL season since 2006 eclipsing the previous mark of 10 games set by the 2014-15 Kelowna Rockets and 2006-07 Vancouver Giants.
A 3-1 loss in Edmonton October 29th saw the ICE fall one game short of tying for the longest winning streak in WHL history to start a season. The 1988-89 Swift Current Broncos hold the record of 12 straight wins before losing in Saskatoon October 30, 1988.
WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
ICE defensemen Carson Lambos represented Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer.
It marked the second straight World Junior Hockey Championship where a member of the Winnipeg ICE played for Team Canada. Forward Peyton Krebs had eight points (three goals and five assists) in seven games last year.
Defenseman Maximilian Streule represented Team Switzerland.
OH CANADA
ICE forward Zach Benson took part in the Capital City Challenge November 26th to December 1st in Ottawa winning a Gold medal. In the Gold Medal game, Benson scored the tying goal for Team Black with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation time to force overtime. They beat Team Red 5-4. Benson led all players in the event with seven goals and 12 points.
ICE NAMED WHL PLAYER OF THE MONTH
November – Matthew Savoie 10GP 7-15-22
ICE NAMED WHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov 15 – Matthew Savoie 3GP 2-6-8
Oct 4 – Owen Pederson 2GP 3-3-6
ICE NAMED WHL GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK
Nov 15 – Gage Alexander 2GP 2-0, 1.00, .961
Nov 1 – Daniel Hauser 2GP 2-0, 1.00, .966, 1so
ROSTER
The ICE roster includes 13 forwards, 8 defenseman and 2 goaltenders.
– 14 players who skated for the ICE return from last season (Alexander, Benson, Boucher, Bruce, Geekie, Hauser, Lambos, McClennon, Milne, Muir, Orzeck, Pederson, Smallwood, Zloty).
– 14 players were selected by the ICE in the WHL Prospects Draft (Alexander, Benson, Boucher, Bruce, Edwards, Geekie, Hauser, Lambos, McClennon, Milne, Orzeck, Pederson, Savoie, Zloty).
– 15 players are eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft led by Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie, who were selected first and second overall respectively by the ICE in the 2019 WHL Prospects Draft (Boucher, Brown, Bruce, Friesen, Geekie, Hauser, Milne, Newell, Pederson, Savoie, Streule, Wheatcroft, Zloty).
TRANSACTIONS
JANUARY 2022
28 – reassigned goaltender Noah Stenvig from the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
21 – recalled goaltender Noah Stenvig from the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
20 – signed defenseman Kyle Marsden to a WHL Standard Players Agreement
17 – acquired defenseman Tanner Brown from the Vancouver Giants in exchange for a first round pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft
17 – acquired forward Chase Wheatcroft and a fifth round pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for forward Brayden Edwards, a fourth round pick in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and a second round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft
10 – acquired defenseman Jarod Newell from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a ninth round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
7 – reassigned forward Sequoia Swan to the Winnipeg Freeze (MJHL)
4 – reassigned defenseman Ashton Cumby to the Lloydminster Bobcats U18 AAA (AEHL)
4 – reassigned goaltender Noah Stenvig to the Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
4 – reassigned defenseman Jonas Woo to the Winnipeg Bruins (MU18HL)
DECEMBER 2021
29 – recalled defenseman Ashton Cumby from the Lloydminster Bobcats U18 AAA (AEHL)
27 – recalled goaltender Noah Stenvig from Delta Hockey Academy U17 Prep (CSSHL)
27 – signed forwards Miles Cooper, Hayden Moore and goaltender Noah Stenvig to WHL Standard Player Agreements
27 – recalled defenseman Jonas Woo from the Winnipeg Bruins (MU18HL)
20 – reassigned defenseman Josh Mettimano to The RINK Hockey Academy (CSSHL)
20 – reassigned defenseman Jonas Woo to the Winnipeg Bruins (MU18HL)
15 – acquired forward Alessandro Segafredo from the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for defenseman Martin Bohm and a sixth round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft
15 – recalled defenseman Jonas Woo from the Winnipeg Bruins (MU18HL)
10 – signed defenseman Jonas Woo to a WHL Standard Players Agreement
6 – acquired forward Jack Finley and a seventh round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects
Draft from the Spokane Chiefs in exchange for forwards Chase Bertholet, James Form and a second round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
4 – recalled defenseman Josh Mettimano from The RINK Hockey Academy (CSSHL)
4 – reassigned defenseman Brandt Young to the Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
3 – recalled defenseman Brandt Young from the Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
2 – signed defenseman Josh Mettimano to a WHL Standard Players Agreement
1 – recalled defenseman Omen Harmacy from the Winnipeg Thrashers (MU18HL)
1 – reassigned forward Ty Fraser to the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA (AEHL)
1 – reassigned forward Aiden Oiring to the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy (CSSHL)
NOVEMBER 2021
25 – reassigned defenseman Omen Harmacy to the Winnipeg Thrashers (MU18HL)
24 – recalled defenseman Omen Harmacy from the Winnipeg Thrashers (MU18HL)
20 – recalled forward Ty Fraser from the Lethbridge Hurricanes U18 AAA (AEHL)
13 – recalled forward Aiden Oiring from the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy (CSSHL)
8 – reassigned defenseman Omen Harmacy to the Winnipeg Thrashers (MU18HL)
7 – recalled defenseman Omen Harmacy from the Winnipeg Thrashers (MU18HL)
OCTOBER 2021
23 – acquired a conditional seventh round pick in the 2023 Prospects Draft from the Victoria Royals in exchange for defenseman Anson McMaster
19 – assigned defenseman Brandt Young to Portage Terriers (MJHL)
7 – assigned goaltender Dawson Cowan to Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)
1 – acquired an eighth round pick in 2022 Prospects Draft from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for forward Rhys Raeside
SEPTEMBER 2021
27 – acquired a conditional ninth round pick in 2021 Prospects Draft from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for forward Hayden Pakkala
23 – released defenseman Mike Ladyman
ICE ON AIR
The Winnipeg ICE have teamed up with Bell Media (103.1 FM Virgin Radio, CFRW 1290 AM, 99.9 Bounce FM and CTV) to share the excitement this WHL season.
All regular season and playoff games, presented by Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate, can be heard on CFRW 1290 AM and viewed online at www.winnipegICE.ca with Brian Munz and Kevin Olzsewski.
