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Daily Dose

DUB’s Daily Dose: Big WHL update, all teams cleared, rescheduled games, Schneider scores in NHL debut and more!

Written by Kevin Shaw on

WHL Update

The five remaining WHL teams that were in COVID-19 Protocol have been cleared to return, which means all 22 WHL teams have been allowed to resume activities.

14 games (some that were once postponed) have now been rescheduled and two had their times adjusted:

Tuesday, January 18 – Prince Albert at Edmonton (originally scheduled for Tuesday, January 11).

Tuesday, February 15 – Regina at Winnipeg (originally scheduled for Saturday, January 15).

Monday, March 7 – Regina at Swift Current (originally scheduled for Friday, December 31).

Monday, March 14 – Swift Current at Prince Albert (originally scheduled for Saturday, January 8).

Tuesday, March 15 – Calgary at Winnipeg (originally scheduled for Saturday, January 8). Moose Jaw at Brandon (originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 16).

Wednesday, March 16 – Calgary at Brandon (originally scheduled for Friday, January 7). Moose Jaw at Winnipeg (originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 15). Prince Albert at Swift Current (originally scheduled for Friday, January 7).

Sunday, March 20 – Regina at Winnipeg (originally scheduled for Sunday, January 16). Moose Jaw at Medicine Hat (originally scheduled for Saturday, January 8).

Wednesday, March 23 – Edmonton at Medicine Hat (originally scheduled for Sunday, January 9). Vancouver at Kamloops (originally scheduled for Saturday, January 8).

Tuesday, March 29 – Moose Jaw at Winnipeg (originally scheduled for Monday, January 3)

The WHL also announced today start time changes to two WHL Regular Season games:

– Wednesday, February 23: Prince Albert at Calgary – moved from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. MT

– Saturday, March 12: Vancouver at Portland – moved from 6 p.m. to 5 p.m. PT

Schneider makes NHL debut with Rangers

Braden Schneider (Brandon 2016-21) who was just called up to the Rangers made his debut as the big club played at San Jose in a 3-0 win.

The defenseman from Prince Albert, SK scored in his NHL debut. In just 14:49 of icetime Schneider had three shots, including the goal, threw four hits and had two blocks.

Six WHL alumni named to Czechia for the Olympics

Six WHL alumni were named to the Czechia Men’s Olympic Hockey team:

Jiri Smejkal (Moose Jaw, Kamloops 2014-16) played two seasons in the WHL most of it with the Warriors before ending his career as a Blazer. In 130 WHL games, Smejkal had 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists).

He currently plays for the Lahden Pelicans of Liiga where he has 28 points in 26 games (15 goals, 13 assists).

Michal Spacek (Red Deer 2015-17) also played a pair of seasons in the WHL with the Rebels where he put up decent numbers with 139 points in 120 games (48 goals, 91 assists).

He is currently with Frolunda HC of the SHL where he has 20 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 30 games.

Matej Stransky (Saskatoon 2010-13) played three seasons in the WHL, all with the Blades where he played 213 games where he scored 93 goals and 99 assists.

Stransky is playing with HC Davos of the NL where he had 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 34 contests.

Michal Repik (Vancouver, 2005-08) another three-year WHLer played his entire career with the Giants. The right-winger averaged almost a point-per-game in his WHL career with 168 points (75 goals, 93 assists) in 176 games.

Repik is in his third year with Sparta Praha where he has been captain for all three seasons. In the 2021-22 season, he has notched 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points in 35 games.

Tomas Kundratek (Medicine Hat 2008-10), the lone defender of the group played two seasons for the Tigers where he scored six times and assisted on 52 others in 116 games.

In 34 games for HC Ocelari (Czechia) this year he has eight goals and seven assists in 34 games.

Patrik Bartosek (Red Deer 2011-14) played three seasons with the Rebels winning the CHL goaltender of the year in 2012-13. He played in 145 games he complied an 80-50-11 record and an outstanding 2.59 goals against average and .927 save percentage.

In 11 games with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL, he has a 2-8-1 record with respectable numbers, a 2.80 GAA, and a .911 SV%

Nicholls returns to Storhamar

Josh Nicholls (Saskatoon 2008-13) joined Storhamar in Norway for the remainder of the season. The 6’2″ forward started the season with Kunlun Red Star before being released by the Chinese-based club on December 18, 2021.

In 36 games with the KHL franchise, Nicholls had 16 points (four goals, 12 assists).

The Richmond, BC product played his entire five-year WHL career with the Blades where he played in 332 games scoring 138 times and assisting on 175 others for 313 points.

Blackwater extends stay in Heilbronn

Judd Blackwater (Spokane 2005-08) has signed a two-year extension with Heilbronner Falken in the DEL2. In his first season with the DEL2 club the Lethbridge, AB product has 38 points in 32 games (21 goals, 17 assists).

Blackwater spent his three-year WHL career with the Chiefs where he collected 114 points (50 goals, 64 assists) in 171 games to go with 253 penalty minutes.

Heshka extends with Sport

Shaun Heshka (Everett 2003-06) has signed a two-year extension with Vaasan Sport of the Liiga. The defenseman from Melville, SK has played the last six seasons in Liiga and his first with Sport. in 34 games this year, the defenseman has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists).

The three-year WHLer spent his entire career with the Silvertips where he skated in 204 games picking up 107 points (25 goals, 82 assists).

Kolusz signs extension with Podhale Nowy Targ

Marcin Kolusz (Vancouver 2003-04) has signed an extension with Podhale Nowy Targ in Poland. Even though he has an extension with the club, Podhale has “illusory chances” to play in the playoffs he was loaned to GKS Katowice (of the same league) for the remainder of the season. Kolusz, who plays both forward and defense has picked up 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 28 games.

His lone WHL season was spent with the Giants where he picked up 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 64 games in 2003-04. He was the 17th overall pick in the 2003 CHL Import Draft.

Baddock returned to Laval

Vermillion, AB product Brandon Baddock (Edmonton 2011-16) was returned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL by the Montreal Canadiens. Baddock made his NHL debut earlier this year and has no points in his first appearance. in 23 games with the Rocket, he has six points (two goals, four assists).

He played his entire 255 game career with the Oil Kings where he notched 54 goals and 49 assists for 103 points, where he was the team captain for his final season.

Texeira and Alfaro sign try-outs with the Moose

Keoni Texeira (Portland 2013-18) signed a professional tryout with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The Fontana, CA product played five full seasons with the Winterhawks where he played 344 games. The defenseman picked up 143 points (39 goals, 104 assists).

In 30 games with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL Texeira has 15 points (three goals, 12 assists).

Matt Alfaro (Kootenay, Lethbridge 2013-17) also signed a professional tryout with the Moose. He has spent the last two seasons with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. This season he has 18 points in 17 games (five goals, 13 assists). He has also skated in three games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) where he had an assist.

In his four WHL seasons (mostly with the Ice, before moving to the Hurricanes for the last part of his career) he had 155 points (62 goals, 93 assists) in 263 games.

Nelson loaned to the Roadrunners

Logan Nelson (Victoria 2011-14) was loaned to the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL. The center from Rogers, MN leads the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL in scoring with 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists in 32 games.

Nelson played three WHL seasons, all with the Royals, skating in 179 games notching 159 points (60 goals, 99 assists).