2011-12 WHL Thread (Hitmen/Rebels/Hurricanes/Tigers!)

[Drake]

I totally forget WHL highlights could be found their website, I'm glad I did come across it again because the goal I saw Jake Virtanen score on Sportsnet Connected was very beautiful!

From January 4th in Vancouver, starts around the 42 second mark:

http://www.whl.ca/video/index/id/1325867622

[Flickered Flame]

Don't look now but the Hitmen have won 8 in row after a 5-1 win in Red Deer! Now 10 pts up on the Rebels.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

Don't look now but the Hitmen have won 8 in row after a 5-1 win in Red Deer! Now 10 pts up on the Rebels.

And three of those wins were against very strong Kamloops, Moose Jaw and Edmonton teams!

Only Portland has a better record in the past 10 games.

[Resolute 14]

Back on the winning track last night, but looks like it was a rough game. I'm guessing Roach will get a suspension for that check to the head major? Also, the box score must be wrong, otherwise how did Trzonkowski get a fighting major in the first with no PG player also going off?

Hard to believe we are in striking distance of 3rd in the conference.

[Flickered Flame]

The Hitmen are really rolling, after beating the Rebels 6-2 tonight, the Hitmen have now won 15 of their last 17 games. Unreal considering what happened last year.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

The Hitmen are really rolling, after beating the Rebels 6-2 tonight, the Hitmen have now won 15 of their last 17 games. Unreal considering what happened last year.

Could be the dark horse of the east come the playoffs like Kootney was last year..

[Flickered Flame]

Emerson Etem scored his 49th goal of the season tonight, that is 49 goals in 48 games. He will likely get 50 in 50 or 50 in 49, that is incredible at any level.

[Resolute 14]

Wonder when the last time that happened was? Scoring 50 in the Dub is just as rare as doing it in the NHL these days. 50 in 50 would be just as ridiculous.

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Wonder when the last time that happened was? Scoring 50 in the Dub is just as rare as doing it in the NHL these days. 50 in 50 would be just as ridiculous.

Curle and Thrower mentioned on the broadcast tonight was Brendl. He scored his 50th in his 43rd game.

[Beerfest]

Watch out for Shinkaruk also.

He's 2013 draft eligable.

40 goals in 55 games, he could possibly approach 50 goals this year also.

[Sylvanfan]

I remember a Blazers game back in 1996 when Hnat Dominichelli needed a hat trick to score 50 goals in 50 games. He didn't pull it off, but some guy on the team namedIginla I think scored 5 goals that night putting him at 50 in as many games. I heard he went on to do alright in the NHL. I was too cheap to toss my hat on the ice after 3 goals...but when he scored 2 in the last 5 minutes to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 6-5 lead...I felt compelled to toss my hat.

So 50 in 50 is a great accomplishment, even in Junior.

[Drake]

I know these is a WHL thread but these still has to do with major junior hockey, these is pretty damn impressive the Penticton Vees of the BCHL won their 30th consecutive game last night breaking the old BCHL record.
The New Westminster Royals held the old record @ 29 in 89-90.

[Drake]

What the hell happened that lead to Mike Williamson to throw 2 water bottles from the bench?????

Did he also really toss the bottles during play???

[Resolute 14]

Yes he did, and the WHL should be embarrassed by the performance of its referees tonight.

The officials lost control when they called Glover for delay of game even though there were two Kootenay players on top of him when he covered the puck. Kootenay scored to make it 2-0 at that point. After that, Watt especially let his ego get the better of him and made it a one-sided game. The first instigator Calgary took was legit, the second was weak, and the third was a complete joke. In the third one, Cheek got an instigator even though the Kootenay player threw the first punch.

Basically, Calgary got called on anything, but Kootenay was hooking and holding all night long. Williamson finally lost it when a Calgary player got decked away from the puck. Papp, I think, watched it and made no call. Williamson threw the first bottle, and when the ref's arm went up to call him, he threw the second bottle.

Even the media in the press box were wondering if Papp and Watt were going to be named the first and second stars tonight.

[Resolute 14]

That all being said, the Ice clearly deserved the win. The only real teamwork the Hitmen showed most of the night was in defending their teammates with their fists.

[Red John]

How about some attention for the Kamloops Blazers, the No. 1 team in the WHL and No. 3 in Canada right now.

After a tough few years, the team has really bought into Guy Charron's system. Some nice young players coming up but no real star player. Dave Hunchak formerly of the Warriors is in as associate head coach and has done a good job providing a link between players and Charron.

No star player, only one drafted guy (Austin Madaisky) and a 40-12-4 record...incredible.

Tim Bozon is going to be quite a NHL player...some may have seen his breakaway move at the Top Prospects competition last week, another Swiss guy who is trying to emulate Niederreiter and Baertschi. Watch for him at the draft this year.

Colin Smith, Marek Hrbas and goalie Cole Cheveldave are all 19-year olds who went undrafted last year but could get picked this summer or sign as FA's.

Some great prospects shaping up for the 2013 draft as well in Matt Needham and Calgary product Cole Ully.

Throw in older leaders like Dylan Willick, Chase Schaber (former Hitman) and Brandon Herrod and you have a team ready to make a run this year and will likely return mostly intact next year as well.

Team is still lacking some size and grit but appears to have plenty of spunk and character. Just watched them win back to back against Kelowna, including a 5-4 OT win on Friday which they trailed 4-1.

Well done Blazers.

[Flickered Flame]

Etem with 2 goals tonight, his 50th game, gives him 51 goals on the season.

[Resolute 14]

Kris Foucault recalled by Minnesota, and if Clutterbuck can't go, will make his NHL debut tomorrow against Anahiem.

Given how his junior career was going nowhere with Kootenay, that trade to Calgary may well have turned him from a CIS-to-the-real-world player into an NHLer.

[Resolute 14]

Also, Ian Schultz was recalled by Montreal (along with Ryan White), and could make his debut tonight!

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=616576

[Drake]

The Penticton Vees now have won 41 in a row after beating the Trail Smoke Eaters 10-0 last night. That's a North American junior league record.


http://pentictonvees.wordpress.com/2...erican-record/