TUESDAY DUB ROUND-UP, CENTRAL SCOUTING RANKINGS
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – The Moose Jaw Warriors skated in the shadows of the record-setting Winnipeg ICE for most of the Western Hockey League season.
Now, after three games in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, they have everyone’s attention.
The Warriors defeated the visiting ICE 8-4 on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Jagger Firkus and Lynden Lakovic each scored twice for the Warriors, with Ryder Korczak, Eric Alarie, Cosmo Wilson and Martin Rysavy netting singles. Brayden Yager chipped in with four assists.
Zach Ostapchuk, Briley Wood, Vladislav Shilo and Josh Medernach scored for the ICE, who outshot the Warriors 29-25.
The Warriorrs went 2-for-2 on the power play while the ICE went 0-for-2.
Game 4 in the series is Wednesday night in Moose Jaw.
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REBELS 3 BLADES 1
(Red Deer leads best-of-seven series 3-0)
RED DEER, Alta. – Frantisek Formanek, Dwayne Jean Jr. and Kalan Lind each scored as the Red Deer Rebels defeated the visiting Saskatoon Blades 3-1 to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Trevor Wong scored for the Blades, who were outshot 26-23.
Game 4 in the series is Wednesday night in Red Deer.
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THUNDERBIRDS 8 COUGARS 1
(Seattle leads best-of-seven series 3-0)
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Dylan Guenther scored twice and Brad Lambert chipped in with a goal and five assists as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds crushed the Prince George Cougars 8-1 to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Reid Schaefer, Colton Dach, Jared Davidson, Gracyn Sawchyn and Mekai Sanders also scored for the T-Birds, who led 4-0 after the first, and took a 7-1 lead into the third.
Chase Wheatcroft scored for the Cougars, who were outshot 40-20.
Game 4 in the series is Wednesday in Prince George.
NEW YORK – Canadian junior hockey phenom Connor Bedard remains the No. 1 North American prospect for the upcoming NHL Draft, according to the final rankings released Tuesday by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
The Regina Pats star finished the Western Hockey League season with 71 goals and 72 assists for 143 points in 57 games to lead all Canadian Hockey League players in scoring. Bedard, from North Vancouver, B.C., can become the first WHL player selected first overall since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.
Michigan freshman Adam Fantilli, a teammate of Bedard’s on Canada’s 2023 world junior hockey championship squad, is ranked second among North American skaters. Fantilli, of Nobleton, Ont., scored 30 goals and 35 assists in 36 games to lead the NCAA in scoring and claimed the Hobey Baker Award as the best collegiate hockey player in the United States.
Leo Carlsson, a centre for Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League, ranks No. 1 among international skaters.
Brandon Wheat Kings netminder Carson Bjarnason, of Carberry, Man., is the No. 1-ranked North American goaltender and Alexander Hellnemo, a Swedish national who plays for Skelleftea’s junior team, tops the list of international goaltenders.
The NHL Draft is scheduled from June 28-29 and will be hosted by the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
(Canadian Press)
