Game Report: Red Deer 6 Medicine Hat 5

1ST PERIOD R.D B. Underwood (2)  14:15
R.D C. Bleackley (6) (C. Millette, R. Dieno) 15:57
2ND PERIOD M.H C. Valk (17) (H. Shinkaruk, C. Lanigan) 3:34
R.D C. Millette (7) (R. Dieno, K. Doetzel) 10:24
M.H D. Busenius (3) (H. Shinkaruk, C. Valk) 15:45
M.H C. Valk (18) (S. Jensen, E. Pearce) 18:09 (PP)
3RD PERIOD R.D T. Elson (8) (B. Maxwell, R. Dieno) 0:35
R.D W. Johnson (4) (C. Bleackley, H. Fleury) 1:09
M.H T. Cox (10) (B. Leier) 7:18
R.D B. Maxwell (2) (T. Elson, K. Doetzel) 16:57 M.H E. Pearce (10) (C. Valk, H. Shinkaruk) 19:29 Medicine Hat Cam Lanigan 19/24 Marek Langhamer 6/7 Red Deer Patrik Bartosak 36/41 Medicine Hat 1. Curtis Valk C - Valk's hands were all over this game tonight. Two goals, two assists on this night. Even for a smaller stature player, he has no issues playing in the high traffic areas, especially in front of opposing net. Valk and Hunter Shinkaruk really played well off of each other tonight as Shinkaruk played playmaker on the edges while Valk attacked the middle of the ice and won his fair share of puck battles. 2. Dylan Busenius D - Busenius is the lone, real mobile defenseman the Tigers boast this season. Tallied once tonight on a seeing eyed wrist shot. While Busenius has had some success offensively, he has had some issues in his own zone by tallying a -18 not even halfway into the season. Needs to make better use of his stick and better positioning in the defensive zone. Busenius does have some offensive upside to his game. Red Deer 1. Rhyse Dieno RW - The ex-Tiger had the game of his life tonight. Had 3 assists but they were of the spectacular fashion. He was loaded with no look saucer passes that were connecting and immediately leading to goals. Not sure what the future holds for Dieno on his new club in Red Deer, but with Charles Inglis now departed, they will be looking for someone to pick up the offensive slack and Dieno may be that player for the rest of the season. Feel good story. 2. Hadyn Fleury D - Fleury is one, impressive '96 born player. A rare combination of size and speed. His range makes him tough defensively to deal with while his speed allows him to close gaps. Has a nice outlet pass that will allow him to put up some points. Whether he can become a powerplay option full time remains to be seen. Fleury covers a lot of ice very quickly both through his speed and reach. A player that will be watched closely for the 2014 NHL Draft.

Game Report: Moose Jaw 2 Vancouver 1

1ST PERIOD VAN T. Sieben (3) (D. Sward, M. Geertsen) 3:20

M.J K. McFaull (1) (A. Johnson, J. Edmundson) 18:30 (PP) 2ND PERIOD No Scoring 3RD PERIOD M.J M. Rielly (5) (S. Fioretti, T. Brown) 15:09 Moose Jaw Justin Paulic 15/16 Vancouver Payton Lee 32/34 Moose Jaw 1. Justin Kirsch LW - Likely the best Warriors forward on this night, but overall a poor night for the Warriors' forwards overall. Kirsch is one of the few Warriors forwards who wasn't afraid to shoot although he missed the net on most of his opportunities. Kirsch is a raw offensive player with some decent stick skills. Just needs to look for his own shot more and make the most of his opportunities. The Warriors have a general offensive issue and are looking for anyone to step up and score. 2. Morgan Rielly D - Rielly once again was mostly good on this night. Scored the winner with less than 5 minutes left in the game, so you can add clutch to his long resume. Still had issues with angling players off during rushes. Needs to use his stick more effectively on such plays. Many pundits are suggesting Rielly is lock for Team Canada WJHC. While I agree, he should be on the club, to go as far as saying he should be on the top pair with Ryan Murray out of the lineup might be a bit ambitious. Rielly is definitely a player that you want on the ice when looking for a goal, but not so sure I'd want him out there if protecting a lead. Vancouver 1. Trevor Cheek LW - Cheek went pointless tonight, but felt he should have had a goal that was eventually waved off. Cheek was the player that went around Rielly, on the rush, and beat the goaltender Paulic, but was deemed that the net was off before the puck crossed the line. Cheek is turning into quite the demon on the rush which is allowing him to put up some modest goal totals this season. One of a few bright spots on the Giants this season. 2. Payton Lee G - Lee played well tonight with some luck involved. Tends to get his mind wandering during the game and he allows that softy that ends up killing his team because of its inability to score at the other end. Lee is a solid prospect but he is going to be a tough prospect to gauge because his team figures to get blitzed more and more often as the season goes on. Those shots tend add up and can play with a young goaltenders mind. If Lee can hold up physically and more importantly, mentally, the Giants may have a solid goaltender on their hands if he can survive the season and end up in the Giants good books.

Game Report: Prince Albert 6 Brandon 0

1ST PERIOD P.A M. McNeill (10) (D. Vandane, J. Knutsen) 3:29
P.A C. Perreaux (3) (S. Danyluk, C. Braid) 5:45
P.A Z. Hodder (1) (D. Vandane, M. Winther) 8:41
P.A L. McVeigh (5) (J. Morrissey, D. Conroy) 19:25
2ND PERIOD No Scoring 3RD PERIOD P.A D. Vandane (3) 3:04
P.A J. Morrissey (5) (L. Draisaitl, M. McNeill) 16:12 (PP) Prince Albert Luke Siemens 18/18 Brandon Corbin Boes 38/44 Prince Albert 1. Mark McNeill C - It was good time for McNeill to have a noticable game by tallying once and assisting on another. McNeill is on the very cusp of making the Team Canada World Junior. His calling card will be his versatility as he can play any position, in any role, to go along with being a nice blend of size and speed. It will be interesting to see if McNeill makes the club as I can see the WHL being underrepresented at the WJHC. The QMJHL and OHL figure to take up the bulk of the forward spots. 2. Josh Morrissey D - Impressed with Josh Morrissey's overall game. Morrissey is a 3 zone player. Responsible enough defensively and smooth enough offensively. Brings the responsible play of a Ryan Murray, brings the puckmoving of a Morgan Rielly and can throw a hit like Mathew Dumba. Not quite as polished as those three in those areas but has a hint of those attributes that could be enhanced. Morrissey is an intriguing prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft, as he's not flashy but he protects the puck, makes good reads and keeps the play in front of him. Brandon 1. Jayce Hawryluk C - 2014 draft eligible player was the best forward for the Wheat Kings on an otherwise ugly night. Plays a high energy, gritty style type of game. Relentless on the puck and can make a play once the puck gets around the net. Was -3 on the night, typical of a youngster that is forced to play over his head due to injury, but Hawryluk has the will to improve an will be an interesting prospect to watch over the nest couple of seasons. 2. Eric Roy D - Roy is a 2013 draft eligible known more for his skating and offensive abilities than his defensive game. Roy is one of those players that is all over the map on many draft rankings. On one hand, you have to like his ability to create offense, on the other hand, he has a lot to learn about the defensive game and still need to strengthen up to be able to handle all shapes and sizes. The team that decides to draft Eric Roy will be getting an out and out project. The team missed Ryan Pulock's presence and tonight showed what happens when Eric Roy gets more minutes than he should.

Game Report: Edmonton 5 Moose Jaw 1

1ST PERIOD EDM M. St. Croix (14) (D. Wruck, H. Samuelsson) 10:45 (PP)
2ND PERIOD M.J T. Eberle (4) (M. Rielly, S. Fioretti) 6:07
EDM G. Reinhart (3) (C. Corbett, S. Legault) 8:10 (PP)
EDM T. Foster (12) (M. St. Croix, D. Wruck) 18:56
3RD PERIOD EDM K. Lowe (3) (D. Musil, H. Samuelsson) 2:38
EDM B. Baddock (3) (A. Sautner, S. Shmoorkoff) 13:35 Moose Jaw Justin Paulic 35/40 Edmonton Laurent Brossoit 22/23 Moose Jaw 1. Tanner Eberle LW - Was the player that created the most for the Warriors, physically and offensively. Really battled hard, but it was a give and take kind of night for him. It was Eberle's type of game where there was a lot of dump and chase and a lot of finishing checks. Tanner Eberle does a lot of the little things well to go on top of his pepperpot style of play. Went undrafted this past draft but could have a future in the pro game if he sticks with it. A fun player to cheer for if he's on your side. 2. Morgan Rielly D - Rielly was his usual puck distribution self, not as crisp as I have seen him in the past but had made a nice setup for the lone Warriors goal. Rielly skated miles tonight but had a tough time navigating through the Oil Kings defense. Rielly lost some leverage battles tonight. I can recall him losing angles on Moroz and Lazar on two seperate occassions that allowed prime scoring chances for the Oil Kings. The Warriors lost a lot of heavy lifting and grit from last seasons' club and it shows as Rielly is having to take on more roles. Edmonton 1. Michael St. Croix RW - St. Croix is an offensive wizard. A great knack of knowing when to pass and knowing when to shoot makes him a dual threat. St. Croix has established himself as a great powerplay option during his tenure with the Oil Kings. His all around game is slowly coming around as well as he has had some looks at center this season. St. Croix should lead the team in points this season as long as he stays healthy. 2. Griffin Reinhart D - This could very well have been Reinhart's best game this season, at least out of the ones I viewed. Reinhart was an equal amount offense, defense and toughness.Those are the calling cards of Reinhart that make him appealing. Rangy defender that takes up a lot of space on the ice. Reinhart looked for his shot more tonight and shot the puck with more conviction. Reinhart should get an invite to the Team Canada World Junior Camp. He's at about a 50/50 shot to make the club depending on how Team Canada officials decide on the makeup of the team.

Game Report: Victoria 5 Saskatoon 2

1ST PERIOD VIC B. Magee (10) (R. Gagnon, T. Crunk) 3:10
2ND PERIOD VIC J. Crooks (10) (L. Nelson, B. Cote) 1:46 (PP)
SAS B. Walker (3) (D. Dietz)10:25
VIC J. Crooks (11) (S. Hodges) 12:29 (SH)
VIC A. Gogolev (10) (A. Carroll, B. Walker) 18:58
3RD PERIOD VIC T. Stahl (3) (A. Gogolev, A. Carroll) 3:43
SAS M. Stransky (9) (G. Craig, K. Schmidt) 9:05 (PP) Saskatoon Andrey Makarov 22/26 Alex Moodie 8/9 Victoria Patrik Polivka 29/31 Saskatoon 1. Matej Stransky RW - Continue to be impressed with Stransky's combination of size, strength and puckhandling. Tallied a goal tonight when the game was no longer in doubt. Stransky is off to a somewhat slow start this season, not as slow as some others but not as hot as Josh Nicholls, who has 18 goals early on this season. Stransky was a bit lethargic like some of his other teammates but can still contribute offensively even if he is a bit off. 2. Andrey Makarov G - Even though he let in four through his 2 periods of work, I was still impressed with his play. To say Saskatoon's defense was awful would be an understatement as Victoria controlled the play through 2 periods that pretty much sealed the deal. Makarov held the fort as long as he could but eventually Victoria's attack became too much for Makarov to hold off. To date, Makarov has only missed two periods of hockey between the pipes for Saskatoon. Makarov has pro written all over him. Victoria 1. Alex Gogolev LW - The deal that brought Alex Gogolev from Calgary to Victoria for Zane Jones was a real game changer for both sides. Improved both sides dramatically. In Gogolev, Victoria gets that dynamic scorer it was missing. Can get the puck from A to B and make a play when he gets there. Gogolev has been setting up teammates all year long and calls his own number on occasion. Great find for the Royals that will make him more competitive this season. 2. Tyler Stahl D - Impressed with Stahl's competitiveness and toughness. Really took a lot of the Blades' forwards to task along the end boards, winning his fair share of the battles. Stahl closed the scoring for the Royals on this night. A solid choice to be team captain of this particular club.

Game Report: Edmonton 2 Swift Current 1

1ST PERIOD EDM S. Legault (1) (D. Wruck, T. Foster) 13:11 (PP)
2ND PERIOD EDM S. Legault (2) (C. Lazar, H. Samuelsson) 3:14 (PP)
S.C Z. Mackay (3) (R. Scarlett, J. Derko) 17:35 3RD PERIOD No Scoring Swift Current Eetu Laurikainen 42/44 Edmonton Laurent Brossoit 26/27 Swift Current 1. Zac Mackay C - Mackay tallied the lone goal on the night for the Broncos. Mackay is 2013 draft eligible, scored his 3rd on the season by banking one off Brossoit to cut the defecit to 2-1. MacKay is flying under the radar as a draft eligible while the Broncos boast other high profile draft eligibles in Colby Cave and Dillon Heatherington. Mackay played a fine game tonight in limited minutes, in an otherwise poor game by many of the Broncos forwards. 2. Eetu Laurikainen G - Best player on the Broncos by a country mile tonight. In what I thought may be a question mark on the Broncos heading into the season, Laurikainen has proved to become a strength of the Broncos. Like many Europeoan goaltenders, he is tough to beat down low and plays the position with a lot of composure. His rebound control is top notch. He gave his team a chance to win tonight, especially when the Oil Kings blitzed him early and often. Edmonton

1. Stephane Legault LW - The Oil Kings missed the swiss army knife that is Stephane Legault while he was out with an injury. Legault plays in a variety of situations in a variety of positions that allows everyone else on the team to be slotted in properly. Legault provides depth scoring for the Oil Kings. On this night, he tallied both goals that led the Oil Kings to victory. Gritty, smart player.
2. Laurent Brossoit G - Brossoit has been hold and cold a lot this year. Tonight was one of those nights he was very good, especially in the 3rd period when Swift Current was looking for the equalizer. Brossoit has the benefit of playing in front of an above average defensive corps. But there are those occasions where they do play a bit sloppy and he rises to the occasion. Brossoit has a tendancy to lose focus over the course of 60 minutes, but tonight he was dialed in to make sure the Broncos did not tie the game. Brossoit is likely to be on the short list to get an invite to the Team Canada World Junior Camp.