FRIDAY’S WHL MATCH-UPS
REBELS BATTLE BLADES – Matt Bellerive and the Red Deer Rebels (6-7-0-0) welcome Nathan Burns and the Saskatoon Blades (6-6-0-2) for one of eight Western Hockey League contests on Friday night.
The Rebels have lost three straight, including a 5-2 setback to Calgary in their most recent outing last Saturday, and currently sit in fifth place in the Central Division. Red Deer is 3-4-0-0 at home this season. Bellerive ranks second on the Rebels with five goals and 11 points.
The Blades have been idle since last Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge, snapping a string of eight straight games in which they’d earned at least a point. The Blades are 3-4-0-2 on the road this season. The Blades’ power play ranks first in the WHL with a 29.2% success rate.
It’s the second meeting of the season between the Blades and Rebels. Red Deer posted a 4-2 win in Saskatoon on October 1st in the first meeting.
Elsewhere on Friday, Tim Bozon and the Kootenay Ice (6-5-2-0) take on Chase De Leo and the Portland Winterhawks (9-3-0-1).
The Ice have been off since splitting a pair of games in Edmonton versus the Oil Kings last Saturday and Sunday, and expect new acquisitions Tim Bozon and Landon Cross to be in the lineup on Friday. The Winterhawks have won their last six games, with De Leo netting five goals and seven points in that span.
In Prince George, B.C., Alex Forsberg and the Prince George Cougars (6-7-0-1) host Jake Virtanen and the Calgary Hitmen (9-3-1-1) on Friday night.
The Cougars last saw action on Saturday, losing 3-2 in Kelowna for their third setback in four games, and currently sit in third place in the B.C. Division. The Hitmen saw a four-game win streak snapped with a 4-3 overtime loss in Vancouver on Wednesday night.
In Regina, SK, Chandler Stephenson and the Regina Pats (7-6-0-0) host Mitch Moroz and the Edmonton Oil Kings (7-6-0-1) on Friday night.
The Pats saw a six-game winning streak snapped with a 3-1 defeat to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday. The Oil Kings have won two straight and three of their last four outings.
In Spokane, WA, Mitch Holmberg and the Spokane Chiefs (10-3-0-0) go up against Jayce Hawryluk and the Brandon Wheat Kings (7-5-0-0) on Friday.
The Chiefs have been idle since dropping a 4-1 decision to the visiting Victoria Royals last Saturday, and currently own a share of first place in the overall WHL standings. The Wheat Kings skated to a 6-3 win over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers last Saturday for their second straight triumph.
In Kennewick, WA, Brian Williams and the Tri-City Americans (6-8-0-1) welcome Mathew Barzal and the Seattle Thunderbirds (9-3-0-1) for a U.S. Division battle on Friday.
The Americans downed the visiting Swift Current Broncos 4-1 on Tuesday for their second win in three games. The Thunderbirds have been led by 16-year-old Barzal, who paces the team in scoring with 19 points.
In Vancouver, B.C., Jackson Houck and the Vancouver Giants (3-7-1-1) host Josh Winquist and the Everett Silvertips (8-2-2-0) on Friday.
The Giants edged the visiting Calgary Hitmen 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday for their second straight win. The Silvertips posted wins over the Kamloops Blazers and the Swift Current Broncos last weekend.
In Victoria, B.C., Logan Nelson and the Victoria Royals (9-6-0-0) take on Myles Bell and the Kelowna Rockets (7-2-0-2) for the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams.
The Royals are coming off their 4-1 win in Spokane last Saturday for their sixth victory in seven games, and currently lead the B.C. Division. The Rockets fell 2-1 to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday, and currently sit two points back of Victoria in the B.C. Division standings.
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