The Flyers Junior Hockey Prospect Report (Jan. 14 – Feb. 2)

Welcome to The Flyers Junior Hockey Prospect Report!   

This 7th edition for the 2023-2024 season covers the period that was in the CHL and BCHL from Sunday January 14th – Sunday February 2nd.

WHL (Western Hockey League) 

Carson Bjarnason #64 (G) – Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

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2023-2024    291613116829198313.14.904
  • (Jan. 14) The Brandon Wheat Kings hosted the Prince Albert Raiders with Carson Bjarnason not dressing for the game.  After a 2-2 first period, the Wheat Kings could only manage 4 shots in the middle frame and were fortunate to escape with the game tied 3-3.  Brandon would break the game open in the third period with three consecutive goals (including a powerplay goal and a shorthanded empty-netter as Ethan Eskit picked up the win in Brandon’s 6-4 victory over the Raiders.
  • (Jan. 20) The homestand continued for the Brandon Wheat Kings as they hosted the Lethbridge Hurricanes.  Backup goaltender Ethan Eskit got the start as once again Carson Bjarnason did not dress for the game.  He may have picked up an injury during his last outing against the Swift Current Broncos when he was replaced at the start of third period.  In this one, Eskit would receive First Star honours as he turned away all 38 shots he faced as the Wheat Kings shutout the Hurricanes 6-0.  Brett Hyland opened and closed the scoring in the game as he now has 23 goals on the season.
  • (Jan. 21) The Brandon Wheat Kings played the final game of their homestand against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers.  Ethan Eskit once again got the start in goal with Carson Bjarnason not dressed due to injury.  Both teams traded goals in the first two periods with the score 3-3, but the Tigers would blow the doors open in the third period with 4 goals on 11 shots to defeat the Wheat Kings 7-3.
  • (Jan. 26) Carson Bjarnason remained on the shelf with injury as the Brandon Wheat Kings travelled to Calgary to face the Hitmen.  Calgary had a rude welcome in store for Brandon as they put four even strength goals past Ethan Eskit to jump out to a 4-0 lead.  Calgary would score the only goal of the second period on the powerplay to take a 5-0 lead, and in the third period would not let up with a shorthanded goal and two even strength goals to crush the Brandon Wheat Kings 8-0.  Alex Garrett stopped all 33 shots he faced for the Hitmen on his way to the shutout.
  • (Jan. 27) The Brandon Wheat Kings travelled to face the Red Deer Rebels once again missing Carson Bjarnason.  The Rebels would jump out to a 2-0 lead in the opening period and add another in the second period to lead 3-0 on 28 shots.  The Wheat Kings would get back into the game with goals by Nolan Flamand on the powerplay for his 12th of the season at 10:48 and Rylen Roersma’s 17th of the season less than two minutes later to make it 3-2.  Both teams would trade goals late in the third period with Brett Hyland getting his 25th of the season, but an empty net goal would hand Brandon a 5-3 loss to Red Deer.
  • (Jan. 28) Playing their third game in three nights and losers of three straight, the Brandon Wheat Kings road trip continued as they visited the Edmonton Oil Kings.  Matteo Michels and Roger McQueen got the Wheat Kings rolling in the right direction with their 10th and 19th of the seasons respectively to put Brandon up 2-0.  In the second period the Oil Kings would get on the board at 1:32, but Jayden Wiens would score twice on the powerplay to give him 13 goals on the season and hand Brandon a 4-1 lead.  To their credit, Edmonton did not fold and scored twice to cut the deficit to 4-3 at the intermission.  The Oil Kings would tie the game 4-4 at 16:51 and force overtime.  In overtime, the comeback would be complete as the Oil Kings defeated the Wheat Kings 5-4 to hand Brandon its fourth straight loss.  Carson Bjarnason remained out due to injury.
  • (Feb. 2) In a pleasant surprise, Carson Bjarnason returned to action and got the start as the Brandon Wheat Kings hosted the Red Deer Rebels.  In the opening period, Bjarnason was tested as the Rebels outshot the Wheat Kings 15-8 but he turned all shots away in a scoreless period.  In the second period Brandon’s Brett Hyland scored two powerplay goals on consecutive powerplays for his 26th and 27th goals of the season to give the Wheat Kings a 2-0 lead.  After the Rebels cut the deficit to 2-1, Roger McQueen added an insurance goal with his 20th of the season at 12:21 to make it 3-1.  In the third period the Wheat Kings would add an empty net goal through Matteo Michels as Brandon defeated Red Deer 4-1 in Bjarnason’s return to the lineup.  Bjarnason stopped 39 of 40 shots allowing only 1 goal in the victory.  Bjarnason was named the Second Star of the game. 

Video courtesy of the WHL    

Carter Sotheran #59 (D) – Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

SEASONGPGAPTS+/-SPIM
2023-2024    4581725+218952
  • (Jan. 15) The Portland Winterhawks hosted the visiting Kamloops Blazers.  In the opening period, Portland would outshoot Kamloops 20-6 and put up a four-spot with goals by Josh Davies (his 30th at 7:15), Gabe Klassen (his 20th at 10:01), James Stefan (his 26th at 13:22), and Josh Zakreski (his 14th at 16:29).  With a 4-0 lead in the second period, the dominance continued as Stefan scored his second of the game by potting his own rebound to make it 5-0 at 8:53.  In the third period, the Winterhawks continued to push the pace as Ryan Miller scored his 4th of the season by finishing a two-on-one at 2:49 to make it 6-0.  The Blazers would break the shutout bid, but Diego Buttazzoni’s 18th of the season would seal a dominating win as the Portland Winterhawks crushed the Kamloops Blazers 7-1.  Carter Sotheran finished the game with no points, a +1 rating, and 2 SOG.
  • (Jan. 17) Portland was back in action as the Winterhawks visited the Kelowna Rockets with Red Wings 2023 first round pick Nate Danielson making his debut after being acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings.  In the first period, James Stefan gave Portland a 1-0 lead with his 28th of the season at 5:28.  After the Rockets tied the game, Danielson would score in his debut game to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead with his 13th at 17:21.  In the second period, Diego Buttazzoni would extend the lead to 3-1 less than a minute in with his 19th of the season.  After the Rockets got one back, the Winterhawks got goals from Kyle Chyzowski (his 12th at 13:05) and Luca Cagnoni (his 9th on the powerplay in the final minute) to give Portland a 5-2 lead.  Kelowna would score twice in the third but could not complete the comeback as the Winterhawks were victorious over the Rockets by a score of 5-4.  Carter Sotheran finished the game with no points, a -1 rating, and 3 SOG.
  • (Jan. 19) The Portland Winterhawks travelled to British Columbia for the first of two consecutive games against the Prince George Cougars.  In the first period, neither side was able to get on the board despite a total of 23 shots combined.  In the second period, the Cougars would break the tie at 13:32 to lead 1-0 even though Portland outshot them 10-5.  In the third period, the Winterhawks got two powerplay goals from Gabe Klassen (his 21st at 2:38 and his 22nd at 9:36) to take a 2-1 lead.  But the lead was short lived as Riley Heidt tied the game 2-2 with a powerplay goal at 12:37 and then scored the game-winner with 45 seconds remaining in regulation to give Prince George a 3-2 win over Portland.  Carter Sotheran did not register a point, had an even rating, and no shots on goal.
  • (Jan. 20) In the return match at the CN Centre a night later, it was Portland that opened the scoring as Nate Danielson slammed home a loose puck for his 14th of the season at 17:17 to give the Winterhawks a 1-0 lead.  Nick Avakyan in the Portland goal made an outstanding save earlier in the period off an odd-man rush to keep in scoreless prior to the Danielson goal.  In the second period, the  Prince George Cougars would tie the game up 1-1 at 12:42 with an even strength goal.  In the third period, Diego Buttazzoni would score a powerplay goal for his 20th of the season at 6:14 with a feed from Carter Sotheran to make it a 2-1 game.  The goal ended up being the winner as the Winterhawks split the games in Prince George with a 2-1 win.  Sotheran finished the game with 1 assist, an even rating, and 3 SOG.

Video courtesy of the Portland Winterhawks

  • (Jan. 26) The Portland Winterhawks hit the road and visited the Tri-City Americans.  The Winterhawks did their damage with the man-advantage in the opening period with powerplay goals by Gabe Klassen (his 23rd at 9:31) and Josh Davies (his 31st at 14:56) to lead 2-0.  In the second period, it was Tri-City’s turn to capitalize on the man advantage as they cut the deficit to 2-1 at 3:14.  Klassen would score his second goal of the game at 15:22 to restore the two-goal lead at 3-1, but the Americans would grab a late goal to make it a 3-2 hockey game.  In the third period, Portland would add 10 shots on goal but neither side would score again as the Winterhawks would pick up a 3-2 road victory over Tri-City.  Carter Sotheran finished the game with no points, an even rating, and 2 SOG.
  • (Jan. 27) The Portland Winterhawks continued their road trip as they visited the Spokane Chiefs.  Portland struck quicky as Luca Cagnoni scored a powerplay goal for his 10th of the season at 1:56 and Tyson Yaremko scored his 2nd of the season to put the Winterhawks up 2-0 at 2:31.  Carter Sotheran would tap in a rebound for his 8th of the season on the powerplay after Marcus Nguyen did the bulk of the work to get the Winterhawks up 3-0.  The Chiefs would score a late goal in the first period and add a second early in the middle frame to make it 3-2 with a pair of powerplay goals.  Both teams would trade goals in the second period as Portland would get both tallies from James Stefan for his 29th and 30th goals of the season to make it a 5-4 lead for the Winterhawks.  The third period only saw both sides combine for 11 shots and the Portland powerplay was the difference in this game going 3 for 4 as the Winterhawks defeated the Chiefs 5-4.  Sotheran finished the game with 1 goal, a -1 rating, and 2 SOG.

Video courtesy of the Portland Winterhawks

  • (Jan. 31) The Portland Winterhawks returned home as they faced the visiting Kelowna Rockets.  In the opening period, Hudson Darby scored a breakaway goal for his 5th of the season at 4:00 to give Portland a 1-0 lead.  Kelowna would strike twice by the middle of the period to take a 2-1 lead, but Carter Sotheran would get an assist as he brought the puck into the slot and put the puck on net for Josh Zakreski to spin home his 16th of the season at 19:04 to tie the game 2-2.  In the second period Kelowna would score twice to take a 4-2 lead, but Marek Alscher would score his 3rd of the season to cut the lead to 4-3.  Neither side would find the back of the net in the final period though as the Portland Winterhawks fell 4-3 to the Kelowna Rockets.  Sotheran finished the game with 1 assist, a +1 rating, and 1 SOG.

Video courtesy of the Portland Winterhawks

  • (Feb. 2) The Portland Winterhawks hosted the Kelowna Rockets on Pride Night at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  Portland wore their Pride Jerseys during the game and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening period with goals from Tyson Jugnauth (his 3rd at 2:41), Marcus Nguyen (his 17th at 3:03), James Stefan (his 31st at 7:04), and Josh Mori (his 1st at 11:39).  It would be more of the same in the second period with the Winterhawks as Jack O’Brien scored a powerplay goal at 8:29, Stefan scored his second of the game at 10:03, Kyle McDonough’s 1st at 10:42, and Nate Danielson’s 15th of the season at 17:27 made it an 8-0 score.  In the third period Stefan would complete his hat-trick 33 seconds in, and would add goals from Hudson Darby and Diego Buttazzoni on route to a massive 11-1 victory for the Portland Winterhawks.  Carter Sotheran finished the game with no points, a +2 rating, 2 SOG, and 4 PIMs.    

QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)

Matteo Mann #76 (D) – Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

SEASONGPGAPTS+/-SPIM
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  • (Jan. 17) The Saint John Sea Dogs hosted the visiting Charlottetown Islanders at TD Station.  In the opening period, the Islanders would take a 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes which included a shorthanded goal.  Even though Tyler Peddle would score his 7th of the season on the powerplay at 9:31, the Islanders would score a third to make it 3-1 even though the Sea Dogs enjoyed a 15-10 shots advantage.  In the second period, Matteo Mann went to the net and deflected home a cross-ice feed from Brody Fournier for his 3rd of the season at 12:05 to cut the lead to 3-2.  Saint John would tie the game 1:09 later as Fournier scored his 16th of the season to make it 3-3.  In the third period, the Islanders would pull away by scoring on the powerplay, at even-strength, and adding an empty-netter as Charlottetown defeated Saint John 6-3.  Mann finished the game with 1 goal, an even rating, and 3 SOG.

Video courtesy of the Saint John Sea Dogs

  • (Jan. 18) The Saint John Sea Dogs hosted the visiting Shawinigan Cataractes.  In the opening frame it was Shawinigan doing the scoring as former Sea Dog Vince Elie was in on two of the three goals to lead 3-0.  After a shorthanded goal at 1:47 made it 4-0, Eriks Mateiko scored his 16th of the season at 13:59 to make it a 4-1 game.  Shawinigan would put the game away in the third period with an empty net goal followed by an even strength marker to hand the Saint John Sea Dogs a 6-1 defeat.  Matteo Mann did not dress for the game.
  • (Jan. 20) The Saint John Sea Dogs travelled to Cape Breton to face the Eagles.  In the opening period the Eagles used special teams to great effect as they scored a shorthanded goal and a powerplay goal to lead 2-0.  The Sea Dogs would cut the lead to 2-1 as Brody Fournier would score his 17th of the season at 15:27.  In the second period, Cape Breton would outshoot Saint John 12-4 and extend their lead to 3-1.  In the final period with the Eagles up 4-1, Saint John would get a penalty shot which was converted by Coen Miller for his 5th of the season at 16:53 to make it 4-2.  But the Eagles would score with seconds remaining in regulation to hand Saint John their third straight loss by a score of 5-2.  Matteo Mann finished the game with no points, a -1 rating, 2 SOG, and 2 PIMs.
  • (Jan. 26) The Saint John Sea Dogs were hoping to end their three game losing streak as they visited the Shawinigan Cataractes.  Offense was a struggle to generate for the Sea Dogs as they only managed 10 shots in the opening two periods.  The Cataractes would have a 3-0 lead midway through the second period when Saint John finally got on the board through Eriks Matieko’s 17th of the season at 10:35 with a nice interception and breakaway.  Shawinigan would add a goal just over five minutes later to take a 4-1 lead into the intermission.  In the third period, Coen Miller’s 6th of the season at 2:36 and Drew Elliot’s 11th goal of the year at 9:26 made it 4-3.  But the Cataractes would add some insurance and hand the Sea Dogs their fourth straight loss by a score of 5-3.  Matteo Mann finished the game with no points, a -2 rating, 1 SOG, and 4 PIMs.
  • (Jan. 27) Looking to bust out of a four game slump, the Saint John Sea Dogs visited the Victoriaville Tigres.  The Sea Dogs converted twice on the powerplay in the opening period and scored four goals on 14 shots to open up a 4-0 lead.  The Sea Dogs got goals from Pavel Simek (his 15th), Egan Beveridge (his 7th), Drew Elliot (his 12th), and Tyler Peddle (his 8th) with an assist credited to Matteo Mann.  Peddle would score his second of the game 16 seconds into the second period but the Tigres would score twice to make it a 5-2 game.  In the third period, both teams would trade goals as Pavel Simek scored his second of the game at 6:54 and Brody Fournier would notch his 18th into an empty net as the Sea Dogs snapped their losing streak with a 7-4 win over the Victoriaville Tigres.  Mann finished the game with 1 assist, an even rating, and no SOG. 

Video courtesy of the Saint John Sea Dogs     

  • (Jan. 28) The Saint John Sea Dogs visited the Gatineau Olympiques at the Centre Slush Puppie.  Saint John was down 1-0 after the first period as the shots were 10-6 in favor of Gatineau with the goal for the OLympiques scored with 4 seconds remaining in the frame.  Gatineau would continue to hold the Sea Dogs at bay with a 15-5 shots advantage in the second period but were more successful as they put four goals past Saint John goaltender Patrick Leaver and chased him from the game up 5-0.  In the third period Eriks Mateiko would score his 18th of the season on the powerplay to break the shutout but the Gatineau Olympique would win the game convincingly by a 7-1 score.  Matteo Mann did not register a point, had a -3 rating, and 1 SOG.
  • (Feb. 2) The Saint John Sea Dogs visited the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.  In the first period, Acadie-Bathurst would score the only goal of the period to lead 1-0.  In the second period the Sea Dogs were outshot 22-9 but managed to score a goal to counter the one scored by Acadie-Bathurst.  At 12:02 Brody Fournier would score his 19th goal of the season to make it a 2-1 deficit heading into the third.  In the third period the Titan would score three consecutive goals to take a 5-1 lead, but goals by Drew Elliot at 14:04 and Coen Miller with 3 seconds left in regulation would make the final score more respectable in a 5-3 loss to the Titan.  Matteo Mann had no points, a -1 rating, and 2 SOG.

OHL (Ontario Hockey League)

Oliver Bonk #59 (D) – London Knights (OHL)

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Denver Barkey #86 (RW) – London Knights (OHL)

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  • (Jan. 14) The London Knights looked to extend their winning streak as they hosted the Owen Sound Attack.  After Max McCue opened the scoring, Oliver Bonk wristed home his 11th of the season from the high slot at 3:51 to quickly put London up 2-0.  Kasper Halttunen’s 21st and Kaleb Lawrence’s 12th made the score 4-0 in what was turning into a romp.  Denver Barkey would make it 5-0 with his 23rd of the season at 16:50.  In the second period, Evan Van Gorp would score his 4th at 12:14 and Barkey would score his second of the game by finishing off a nifty passing play with Julien and Cowan to make it 7-0.  Bonk would score his second of the night all alone in front to make it 8-0 at 4:01 of the third period.  Cowan and McCue would round out the scoring as the Knights pummelled the Attack 10-0.  Barkey finished the game with 2 goals and 1 assist for 3 points, a +3 rating, and 6 SOG.  Bonk ended up with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points, a +3 rating, 4 SOG, and 2 PIMs.   

Video courtesy of the London Knights

Video courtesy of the London Knights

Video courtesy of the London Knights

  • (Jan. 19) The London Knights visited the Kitchener Rangers looking to win their 13th in a row.  After a scoreless opening period, the Rangers scored twice in the opening 2:36 of the second period to take a 2-0 lead.  Kasper Halttunen scored his 22nd of the season at 12:01 cut the lead to 2-1 and make it 17 straight games with a point.  London would tie the game 2-2 with a shorthanded goal by Easton Cowan (his 17th) at 17:02.  In the third period the Knights would keep rolling as Jacob Julien would backhand a rebound from the slot on the powerplay for his 19t of the season at 4:00.  The Knights would seal the deal with an empty net goal through Cowan’s second of the game in the dying seconds as London would defeat Kitchener 4-2.  Denver Barkey finished the game with no points, a -1 rating, and 1 SOG.  Oliver Bonk ended up with 1 assist, a +1 rating, and 4 SOG.  Bonk was named the game’s Second Star.
  • (Jan. 20) The London Knights returned home to face the Kitchener Rangers in the back half of a home and home.  The Knights would jump out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Jacob Julien (his 20th at 5:46) and Evan Van Gorp (his 5th at 6:37).  In the second period it was all London as the Knights scored four in the frame to go up 6-0.  Oliver Bonk drew an assist on Ruslan Gazizov’s shorthanded goal to make it 10 straight games with a point.  Kitchener would score on the powerplay and add an even-strength marker to make it 6-2 after forty minutes.  In the third period, Bonk would backhand his 13th of the season at 6:48 from the slot on the powerplay to make it 7-2.  After the Rangers made it 7-3, Bonk would set up Kasper Halttunen for the powerplay one-timer as he scored his 23rd of the season at 10:56.  Bonk would score his second powerplay goal of the game and get his fourth point of the night from his office in the slot at 14:22.  Evan Van Gorp would add his second of the night at 15:28 as the Knights roughed up the Rangers by a score of 10-3.  Denver Barkey did not dress for the game.  Bonk ended up with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points, a +2 rating, and 3 SOG.  Bonk was named the game’s First Star. 

Video courtesy of the London Knights

Video courtesy of the London Knights

  • (Jan. 26) Winners of 14 straight, the London Knights hoped to keep rolling as they hosted the Peterborough Petes with Denver Barkey out for the second consecutive game.  The Petes would open the scoring but Easton Cowan would score his 20th of the season at 12:08 to tie the game 1-1.  In the second period Ruslan Gazizov would put London up 2-1 with his 19th of the season, but the Petes would escape the period with a 2-2 tie after being outshot 28-16 through two periods.  Neither side would score in a third period dominated by London who outshot Peterborough 18-6 but Petes goaltender Easton Rye stood tall to keep the game tied 2-2 after regulation.  Overtime would not crown a winner and so the game would be decided in the shootout.  In the shootout, Rye stayed hot turning away all three London shooters and Braydon McCallum scored the winner as the Knights winning streak was snapped by the Petes in a 3-2 shootout loss.  Oliver Bonk finished the game with no points, a +1 rating, and 9 SOG.
  • (Jan. 27) The London Knights travelled to Erie to face the Otters looking to start a new winning streak.  It wasn’t the start London was looking for as Erie scored three even strength goals to take a 3-0 lead.  In the second period, Jacob Julien scored a neat between the legs powerplay goal for his 21st of the season at 5:30.  Denver Barkey picked up a secondary assist on the goal in his return to the lineup.  Down 4-1, the Knights would get goals by Max McCue (his 20th at 16:38) and a Sam O’Reilly shorthanded goal (his 15th at 19:01) to make it a 4-3 deficit after two periods.  In the third period, Oliver Bonk would tie the game at 18:41 by slotting home his 15th of the season by being all alone at the side of the net to force overtime.  With neither side able to score in the extra frame the game would go to a shootout.  Barkey would miss for the Knights and the Otters would score twice as the Knights fell in the shootout for the second straight game by a score of 5-4 to the Erie Otters.  Barkey finished the game with 1 assist, a +1 rating, 3 SOG, and 2 PIMs.  Bonk ended up with 1 goal, a -2 rating, and 1 SOG. 

Video courtesy of the London Knights

  • (Jan. 30) Losers of two straight, the London Knights travelled to face the Kitchener Rangers.  In the opening period, Oliver Bonk stayed hot as he tipped in a powerplay goal for his 16th of the season at 6:11 to give London a 1-0 lead.  In the second period, Denver Barkey scored his 25th of the season at 18:36 after being uncontested in front to double the Knights lead to 2-0.  In the third period, Jacob Julien’s 22nd on the powerplay at 1:29 and Landon Sim’s 7th of the season at 17:01 would give London a 4-0 lead.  Backup goaltender Owen Willmore would stop all 24 shots he faced as the Knights defeated the Rangers with a 4-0 shutout victory.  Bonk finished the game with 1 goal, a +1 rating, and 1 SOG.  Barkey ended up with 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points, a +1 rating, and 2 SOG.  Barkey was named the Second Star of the game.

Video courtesy of the London Knights

  • (Feb. 2) The London Knights hosted the visiting Erie Otters to open up February.  The Knights would score goals 36 seconds apart to take a 2-0 lead through Ruslan Gazizov’s 20th and Max McCue’s 21st goals respectively.  The Otters would get a goal back but Easton Cowan would score his 21st of the season  shorthanded with a secondary assist going to Oliver Bonk to make it a 3-1 game at the break.  In the second period the Otters would score shorthanded to make it 3-2 but Denver Barkey would make it three straight shorthanded goals in the game (his 26th at 7:36) to regain the two-goal advantage at 4-2.  In the final frame, the Otters would once again cut the lead to 4-3 but the Knights would hold on and add an empty net goal from Gazizov to win the game by a 5-3 score.  Bonk finished the game with 1 assist, a +2 rating, and 1 SOG.  Barkey ended up with 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points, a +1 rating, 1 SOG, and 2 PIM.  Barkey was named the Second Star of the game.

Video courtesy of the London Knights

BCHL (British Columbia Hockey League)

Ryan MacPherson #7 (C) – Penticton Vees (BCHL)

SEASONGPGAPTSPIM
2023-2024371220326
  • (Jan. 26) The Penticton Vees were back in action after a two week break as they hosted the Chilliwack Chiefs.  Both goaltenders played well and shut the door through two periods of play with the Vees enjoying a 16-10 shots advantage.  In the third period the deadlock would be broken by Chilliwack as they scored two goals in 1:06 to take a 2-0 lead midway through the period.  The Chiefs would add an empty net goal while shorthanded with the Vees pressing to take a 3-0 lead.  The shutout bid for Chiefs goaltender Vladimir Nikitin would be broken at 19:09 as Billy Renfrew scored his 12th of the season but Penticton would fall to Chilliwack by a score of 3-1.  The Vees threw everything but the kitchen sink at Nikitin with a whopping 33 shots on goal in the final period but could not break though.  Ryan MacPherson did not register a point in this game.
  • (Jan. 27) The Penticton Vees hosted the visiting Surrey Eagles.  In the first period the Vees scored the opening goal as Simon Meier scored his 7th of the season at 6:23.  The Eagles would respond just over two minutes later with a powerplay goal to tie the game 1-1.  Penticton couldn’t get much going offensively in the period as they were outshot 7-6.  In the second period, Cade Littler scored his 6th of the season on the powerplay at 11:17 to put the Vees up 2-1.  In the third period the Vees would put the game away with goals by Conyr Hellyer (his 8th at 1:00) and add an empty-netter by Callum Arnott (his 18th at 19:27) as Penticton defeated Surrey 4-1.  Ryan MacPherson was held without a point in this game.
  • (Feb. 2) The Penticton Vees opened up February by travelling to face the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.  In the opening frame Simon Meier scored his 8th of the season on the powerplay to give the Vees the lead, but Salmon Arm would tie the game 1-1 late in the period.  The second period saw a one minute span result in three goals.  It began at 11:45 with Meier’s second of the game followed by Cade Littler’s 7th of the season at 12:10 to make it 3-1 for Penticton, only to see Salmon Arm get a goal back at 12:45.  Anselmo Rego would pad the lead to 4-2 for the Vees with his 5th of the season at 18:34.  Rego would be turned away on a penalty shot in the third period, but Penticton would add an empty net goal from Thomas Pichette to take the win over the Silverbacks by a 5-2 score.  Ryan MacPherson finished the game with 1 assist.              

***

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Manny Benevides

@mannybenevides

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