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COMEBACK KID DERLAGO HELPING WHEATIES STAY IN HUNT – Mark Derlago is enjoying a productive 2005-06 campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
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rThe 19-year-old Brandon, MB, product – in his second WHL campaign – currently shares the team lead with 20 goals and ranks second in scoring behind Codey Burki with 43 points.
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rWhile Derlago’s stats may not place him among the league’s top offensive producers, what’s impressive is the fact that he’s managed success after a long and arduous recovery from a serious neck injury that saw him miss the entire 2004-05 season.
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r”It was tough to come back from that (injury),” said Derlago, who suffered a broken vertebra in his neck after absorbing a hit in the Wheat Kings’ final pre-season contest before the start of the 2004-05 campaign. “It’s a pretty significant accomplishment, I’ve been told, and I’m just glad to be back and able to put it all behind me.”
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rAfter posting eight goals and 28 points in 2003-04, and garnering the Wheat Kings Rookie of the Year honors, Derlago was expected to be a big part of the Wheaties’ 04-05 plans. Derlago said it was tough to watch from the sidelines as the Wheat Kings marched to their third East Division title in four years, and then battled all the way to the 2005 WHL final.
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r”It was frustrating to watch the team do so well, and know you can’t be there helping them,” he said. “But, I had to stick with it and work hard, knowing I had a chance to play this year.”
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rDerlago’s return to the Wheat Kings has helped strengthen a team that, entering the 05-06 season, was in transition. The Wheat Kings lost their top five scorers from last season and were fielding a much younger team that was expected to struggle this season.
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rHowever, despite a slow start to the season, the Wheat Kings have managed to stay competitive and are currently leading a heated battle with Prince Albert for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division entering the final three weeks of the regular season.
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r”We had a slow start, but we have picked it up since then,” said Derlago. “Now we’re in a playoff spot, so we need to focus on having a strong finish, and hopefully we find ourselves playing in the post-season.”
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rWhile Derlago has played a large role for the Wheat Kings, both offensively and as a leader, he says it has required contributions from everyone in the line-up, including some of the new faces, to help the team to where it is right now.
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r”Guys have definitely picked it up with their intensity over the last little while,” said Derlago.
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r”Getting (defenseman) Dustin Kohn was a big addition for us,” he said of the Wheat Kings’ trade deadline acquisition from Calgary. “He’s been great for us, and has really helped our power play, which had been struggling.”
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rWith a three-point lead over the Raiders, and just eight games remaining on the schedule, the Wheat Kings’ fate is in their own hands. Derlago says the goal of making the playoffs comes down to one simple task – winning.
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r”We just have to keep winning,” he said. “Neither us nor (the Raiders) have given up, so we know that we have to make sure we take care of our business.
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r”We have (a game) against them, which is really big, and we have to make sure we come out on top,” he said.
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rJesse Watts
rwhl.ca
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rWHL WEEKLY KEY PERFORMERS
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rEric Hunter, Prince George Cougars – Hunter has scored three goals and seven points to go with a +5 rating in his last three games, helping the Cougars to a 2-0-1-0 record in that span. Hunter currently ranks 12th in the WHL in scoring, and has surpassed his previous career highs for goals, assists and points in a season. Click here for WHL scoring leaders.
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rJustin Keller, Kelowna Rockets – Keller has scored five goals and six points in his last five games, helping the Rockets extend their win streak to six games and move past Kootenay into second place in the B.C. Division. He currently ranks second in the WHL with 46 goals this season. Click here for WHL goal leaders.
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rRoman Tomanek, Seattle Thunderbirds – Tomanek has one goal and four assists in his last three games, helping the Thunderbirds to a 2-1 record in that span. He is currently tied for 11th in the WHL in game-winning goals. Click here for game-winning goal leaders.
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rAlexander Edler, Kelowna Rockets – Edler has scored two goals and four points in his last five outings, helping the Rockets stretch their win streak to six games. He currently leads all rookie defensemen and ranks sixth among all WHL rearguards in scoring. Click here for defensemen scoring leaders.
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rLeland Irving, Everett Silvertips – Irving is 2-1-0-1 with one shutout in his last four starts and has allowed just four goals on 91 shots for a .956 save percentage and a 0.980 goals-against average. He has appeared in 59 of Everett’s 63 games this season, and ranks second among all WHL netminders in goals-against average and save percentage. Click here for goaltending leaders.
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rTHE PLAYER’S PERSPECTIVE
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rThere is no questioning the importance of 19-year-old center Brandon Dubinsky to the success of the Portland Winter Hawks.
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rThe product of Anchorage, AK, has been one of the most dangerous weapons in the Winter Hawks’ offensive arsenal during his four-year WHL career, possessing great speed, skill and a knack for getting under his opponents’ skin.
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rDubinsky, a New York Rangers prospect, had been enjoying a tremendous start to the 2005-06 WHL season, scoring 18 goals and 52 points in his first 36 games, and helping the Hawks to a 20-15-1-2 record until a knee injury sidelined him for the better part of January and February.
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rWithout their offensive catalyst, the Hawks struggled to a 2-14-0-2 record, including suffering through a lengthy 11-game losing skid.
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rNow back in the Hawks’ line-up, Dubinsky has helped the team rebound to a 4-1-0-2 record since his return.
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rWith the Hawks now embroiled in a battle for playoff positioning in the tight U.S. Division, Dubinsky will be as important as ever to the team as they march towards the post-season.
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rBrandon Dubinsky’s Perspective
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rOn dealing with an injury…
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r”It was pretty devastating. I had to go through lost of physical therapy – three or four times a week – and I had to find a way to work out and do things to keep myself in somewhat decent shape. At the same time, our team was struggling, so that made it even tougher. I’m just glad to be back and be able to help out again.”
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rOn his play this season…
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r”I feel like I really improved my skating and strength during the off-season, which really helped my game this year. I wanted to become the go-to guy here this year, and do my best to help the team. I think I’ve had a pretty good year. But there are always things to work on, like being more defensively responsible, and playing a more two-way game rather than just be offensive-minded.”
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rOn attending New York Rangers’ camp…
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r”It was pretty awesome. You watch those guys, and the work ethic they have, and it really show you what you need to get to the next level. Being able to sit around in the dressing room with the guys you grew up watching is pretty neat. It’s definitely something I’ll remember for a long time. Hopefully, I get the chance to go there again, and maybe one day play on that team.”
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rOn the Winter Hawks’ youth…
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r”We’ve got a few 16-year-olds who have been great. Kurtis Mucha has really stepped up for us over the last while and really stolen some points for us in the last few games, which gives us more confidence. Colton Sceviour has stepped up and is playing a regular shift, which not many 16-year-old get the chance to do, and he’s really tried to add some grit to our line-up.”
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rOn the coming stretch run to the playoffs…
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r”We need to be confident. We feel we have a pretty good team that can go out and compete and have a chance to win. We have a lot of talented players, but we just need to come together and work hard. We’re starting to get healthy now, and as soon as we get our guys back, we can try and make some noise down the stretch and, hopefully, into the playoffs”
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rJesse Watts
rwhl.ca
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rWHL THIS WEEK – News and Notes
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rVancouver Giants F Gilbert Brule has been named the Husky WHL Player of the Month for February…Kelowna Rockets F Justin Keller has been named the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending February 26th…Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights G Brent Krahn, a WHL graduate, has been named the CCM/Vector AHL Player of the Week…Victoria Salmon Kings G B.J. Boxma, a former member of the Kootenay Ice and Swift Current Broncos, has been named the RBK Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week…Prince Albert Raiders F Brett Novak played his 319th career game for the Raiders on Friday, February 24th, setting a new franchise record for most career games played by a Raider…Prospects Magazine has named Calgary Hitmen G Justin Pogge as the top player on the CHL…Former Prince George Cougars D Dustin Byfuglien scored a goal in his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, March 1st.
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rComcast Jersey-Off-The-Back Auction Raises Over $18,000
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rThe Spokane Chiefs raised $18,775 dollars on Saturday, February 25th through the Comcast Jersey off the Back Auction on Friday night when the Tri-City Americans visited the Spokane Arena. The proceeds from the auction go to benefit the Spokane Chiefs Education Fund.
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rThe $18,775 was up from the $12,800 that the Chiefs raised for the Education Fund during last year’s auction.
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rDuring the intermissions, the Chiefs put 30 game worn jerseys in a live auction, including the current 23 players as well as six former players that played for the team this year. Boomer the Bear’s jersey was also auctioned off to help raise money for the Continuing Education Fund.
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rEach player in the WHL is awarded with one year of tuition for each season they play in the WHL after their junior career is over. The fund also pays for current players who are attending college while in Spokane. The total is a club record raised in a Jersey off the Back Auction.
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