Well, it was a strong first period as the Portland Winterhawks potted three goals on seven shots within the first ten minutes of the game. Luke Wilfley started things off while shorthanded, taking a pass from the corner to score in front. Five minutes later, captain Nathan Brown put the home squad up by two as the Hawks stripped the puck in the Tigers’ zone. A fake attempted wraparound left the net wide open for Brown. The ink had barely dried on the scoresheet when Sam Spehar tipped in a Cameron Jacobsen shot from the blueline.
Then came the second period.
Three straight goals by the Tigers, two within 15 seconds of each other near the start of the period, and all of a sudden, it was tied. Jordan Duguay then broke the tie with a wraparound. That lead lasted less than two minutes. The goals kept coming as Jordin St. Louis rifled one from the faceoff dot to restore the lead. With just over thirty seconds left in the second period, Liam Ruck of the Tigers posted a hat trick goal and tied the game.
Nothing was settled in the third period, so the two squads went to overtime. With just over 40 seconds left in the frame, the Tigers took advantage in the Hawks’ zone by controlling the puck and making things impossible for the Hawks as Avery Laliberte broke his stick, leaving Portland with just two players with sticks. After working the puck around, Liam Ruck found Tyler Moss for the shot and the win. Ruck had three goals and two assists in the contest. Medicine Hat controlled the shots 49-29, including 24 during the wild second period. Both teams saw goose eggs on the power play, with Portland going 0-for-3 and Medicine Hat 0-for-1.
Next up for Portland is a double shot against the Spokane Chiefs. The Chiefs have lost once in regulation and once in a shootout, with 11 wins in 13 games. Portland remains in second place, well back of Spokane. Five of the six BC Division teams are actually ahead of the Hawks in points.
The WHL made an announcement concerning the expansion of the league. The WHL has finally secured an expansion franchise for Chilliwack, set to start next season. Chilliwack did have a franchise for six seasons as the Bruins before it abruptly moved to Victoria, displacing the ECHL Victoria Salsa and becoming the Royals. Currently, the BCHL Chilliwack Chiefs operate there, and chances are they will relocate at the end of the season.
The ownership group, comprised of Jeremy Colliton, Brett Motherwell, Mason Raymond, Mario Amantea, and Patrick Lathrop, will see Colliton act as Governor, General Manager, and Head Coach of the new team. Colliton has a pedigree in coaching, having served as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks for a couple of seasons, an assistant coach for the NY Islanders for a couple of years, and a coaching stint in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks.
Mason Raymond and Mario Amantea are also part of the ownership group. Details on who will serve as President of the incoming franchise have yet to be clarified.
The conferences will see 13 teams in the West and 11 in the East, with six of those in the BC Division alone. The top eight in each conference advance to the playoffs, which will make competition even tougher. As part of the expansion process, all the other teams will have to expose a couple of players from each team for the expansion franchise to draft. The new team will also have draft selections of talent born in 2012.
The CHL rankings finally have Val-d’Or Foreurs atop the poll. They have played second fiddle to the Spokane Chiefs for a few weeks now and are finally getting recognized for their impressive record. Spokane is second, followed by the Guelph Storm, London Knights, and Victoriaville Tigres. The bottom five feature the Quebec Remparts, Victoria Royals, and Flint Firebirds. Entering the poll this week are the Kingston Frontenacs and the Red Deer Rebels.
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