DUBNetwork Feature Game of the Night: September 29, 2019
Lethbridge Hurricanes @ Edmonton Oil Kings 4:00 PM (MDT)
Central Division rivals are set to renew familiarities this afternoon, as the Lethbridge Hurricanes
travel up the highway to visit the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Both teams picked up victories in the opening weekend of the season. Lethbridge defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers, while Edmonton beat the Red Deer Rebels twice.
Customary to the Western Hockey League, both teams are without some key players to start
the year. Lethbridge is without three out of four top scorers from last year. Jake Leschyshyn,
Jordy Bellerive and Nick Henry are all attending NHL training camps and are unlikely to return.
Leschyshyn, currently attending Vegas Golden Knights camp, finished the year with 81 points
after splitting the season between Regina and Lethbridge. Bellerive, a Pittsburgh Penguins
prospect finished last season with 83 points. Jordy has spent his entire career with the
Hurricanes. Henry, the Hurricanes leading scorer last year with 94 points, is currently with the
Colorado Avalanche.
Edmonton is also without their top point producer from last season. Trey Fix-Wolansky
isn’t with the Oil Kings to start the year as the WHL’s fifth-leading scorer from last season is currently with the Cleveland Monsters in training tamp. Trey finished last season with 102 points.
Lethbridge finished last season second in the Central Division, behind only Edmonton. The
Hurricanes, however, were eliminated in a hard-fought, seven-game, first-round playoff series
with the Calgary Hitmen. Lethbridge did receive some great news prior to the weekend as the
seventh-overall selection at the 2019 NHL Draft, Dylan Cozens was returned to them. Cozens
had been attending his first NHL training camp with the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot-3 centre posted 84 points (34G-50A) in 68 games last season with the Hurricanes. Lethbridge will also
look to Calen Addison on defense to produce more this season. Addison, a Pittsburgh
Penguins prospect has produced identical 65 point campaigns the last two seasons with the
Hurricanes.
Edmonton, the defending Central Division champions, also saw the return of one of their
players from NHL training camp this week. Defenceman Matthew Robertson is back with the Oil Kings after his training camp with the New York Rangers. Robertson, who was selected in the second round this past summer, is coming off his best season in the WHL. He finished with 33 points, including tying his career-high in goals with seven. Edmonton will look to first-year Oil King, Riley Sawchuk, to help out newly named captain Scott Atkinson up front. Sawchuk, coming off a 53 point season, was acquired in the off-season from the Tri-City Americans. That
wasn’t the only move the Oil Kings have made especially of late. Earlier this week the Oil Kings
made a couple of moves to help bolster their forward ranks. Edmonton acquired forward Ethan
McIndoe from the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, Edmonton traded
forward Raphael Pelletier to the Swift Current Broncos.
Expected in goal:
• Carl Tetachuk (Lethbridge) – Entering his second season, Tetachuk is coming off an
impressive rookie season. Finishing last season with 24 wins in 37 appearances, including
two shut-outs. He also finished with a 2.88 GAA and a .909 SAV%.
• Todd Scott (Edmonton) – Should play in his third game of the season. He is ranked 10th among goalies with a 2.47 goals against average.
Other action around the WHL:
Medicine Hat (3-1-0-0) vs. Calgary (2-0-1-0): The Tigers are coming off a 10-1 whopping they laid on the Swift Current Broncos. Bryan Lockner is now tied for the league lead in goals with four. Riley Stotts will look to continue his good play after piling up three goals last night against Red Deer.
Winnipeg ICE (2-1-1-0) vs. Regina (1-2-0-0): Regina will look to get back on track following two straight losses. The ICE is coming into this three games in three nights following a win in a 7-6 barnburner and an OT loss to Prince Albert. All three games have been on the road.
Kelowna Rockets (2-0-1-0) @ Vancouver Giants (2-2-0-0): The division rivals will renew acquaintances for the first of eight matchups this season. The Giants have given up an uncharacteristic 10 goals over their last two games.
