Daily Dose

DUB’s Daily Dose: Blazers clinch 3rd straight B.C. crown, ICE back on top, Elick scores first DUB goal and more!

Written by Kevin Shaw on

 

Blazers are B.C. Division Champs

With an 8-2 dismantling of the Prince George Cougars, the Kamloops Blazers have clinched their third straight B.C. Division crown. With six games left in the season, the Blazers have 92 points and a record of 45-15-2-0 and trail the Everett Silvertips (94 points) by two points for the Eastern Conference top spot.

ICE back on top in CHL rankings

When the CHL released their Top-10 Rankings for the week, there was lots of movement as all 10 teams on the list either moved up or down the list.

The Winnipeg ICE moved up to number one in the country after going 14-0-1-1 in their last 16 games and are the first team in the DUB to reach the 100 point mark. Despite going 8-2-0-0 in their last ten contests the Edmonton Oil Kings have fallen to the third spot in the CHL rankings. The West Conference-leading Everett Silvertips have moved up to fourth in the country. The Kamloops Blazers are the last DUB team in the Top-10 as they come in at number seven. The Portland Winterhawks moved out of the Top-10 but still received an honorable mention.

De La Gorgendiere out for remainder of the season

Saskatoon Blades captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere was ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a persistent injury. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2022-23 season.

“Aidan has been battling through an ailment for most of the season, and over the weekend, it finally reached a point where surgery was the only option for him,” stated Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner via saskatoonblades.com. “We will miss his leadership and it certainly is difficult news given how much he means to our team on and off the ice.”

With the move, overage forward Tristen Robins will wear the ‘C’ for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.

“Tristen is the natural choice for us to assume the primary leadership role on the team,” added Priestner. “He has the respect of the entire locker room and leads by example on and off the ice with his work ethic and ability. It’s a great way for him to end his WHL career as we enter the final seven games of the regular season, and prepare for a run in the playoffs.”

Rockets name McFaul director of player personnel

Terry McFaul was named the Kelowna Rockets director of player personnel, he has spent the last 31 years as a scout for the club and in 2020 he was named the head scout.

“I’d like to thank Bruce and the Hamilton family for the opportunity to be the director of player personal for the Rockets,” said McFaul via the Rockets website.

“Our scouting staff and I, we’ve been in the rink lots and enjoy what we do. We’ll continue to find the Rockets players to build our franchise and get our winning tradition back. It’s going to be a challenge for a bit without those early picks, but we’ve always been fortunate to have been lucky with our later picks, hopefully, that continues.”

Elick scores first DUB goal

2006-born Charlie Elick scored his first career DUB goal for the Brandon Wheat Kings in a 2-1 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday night. The Calgary product was playing in his fourth DUB game for Brandon.

The defenseman had finished his season with the Edge School U18 Prep team in the CSSHL U18 league where he had 25 points (9G-16A) in 26 games and four points (1G-3A) in five playoff games.

Three DUB alumni named USports award winners

Nolan Yaremko (Tri-City 2014-19) was named U SPORTS men’s hockey Outstanding Player of the for the 2021-22 season. The Spirit River, AB product averaged almost two points per game with 39 points (19G-20A) in just 20 games for the Mount Royal University Cougars, leading U SPORTS Men’s hockey in scoring.

He played his entire DUB career with the Americans where he had 159 points (67G-92A) in 278 games.

Rylan Toth (Red Deer, Seattle 2014-17) was named U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year after going 11-5-1 with a 2.34 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and four shutouts (a team record) for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The Saskatoon product played 158 DUB games over his three-year career where he compiled a 90-51-13 record with a 2.76 GAA, .906 SV%, and seven shutouts.

Joe Gatenby (Kelowna, Kamloops 2012-18) was named U SPORTS Most Sportsmanlike Player while wearing an “A” for the University of New Brunswick Reds. He had 10 points (2G-8A) in 23 games with UNB while picking up just 12 penalty minutes.

The Kelowna product played in 317 games in the DUB where the defenseman collected 141 points (25G-116A).

Yaremko and University of Alberta defenseman Clayton Kirichenko (Saskatoon, Vancouver, Medicine Hat 2013-17) were both named to the U SPORTS All-Canadian First Team. Queen’s University forward Holden Katzalay (Seattle, Vancouver 2017-18, 2019-20) and Mount Royal University forward Riley Sawchuk (Tri-City, Edmonton 2015-20) were named Second Team All-Canadians.

Katzalay, Sawchuk, and UofA Golden Bears defenseman Dylan Plouffe (Vancouver, Medicine Hat 2014-20) were named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team.

Thompson collects first NHL goose egg

Logan Thompson (Brandon 2014-18) picked up his first career NHL shutout in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night as he stopped all 22 shots directed his way. The 24-year-old goalie from Calgary has played a majority of the 2021-22 season with the Golden Knights AHL affiliate in Henderson where he has played 26 games going 13-9-5 with a 2.77 GAA and .920 SV% with a pair of shutouts. In 11 games with the Golden Knights, Thompson is 6-4-0 with a 2.61 GAA, .920 SV%, and a shutout.

He played his entire 122 game DUB career with the Wheat Kings going 63-41-10 with a 3.26 GAA, .905 SV%, and 4 shutouts for the Manitoba club.