SATURDAY DUB ROUND-UP: BLADES WIN, SUTTER STEPS DOWN

REGINA – Tristen Robins had two goals in the first period and the Saskatoon Blades dumped the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-2 in Western Hockey League play on Saturday.

Robins also had an assist in the win while Kyle Crnkovic had a goal and a helper, and Wyatt McLeod also scored for the Blades (11-2-2).

Tate Popple and Brayden Yager responded for the Warriors (7-8-1) and Eric Alarie put up a pair of assists.

Saskatoon goalie Koen MacInnes stopped 28-of-30 shots and Boston Bilous had 24 saves for Moose Jaw.

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COUGARS 6 GIANTS 3

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – The Cougars (2-2-2) got their second win of the season thanks to a four points (one goal, three assists) from Johnny Hooker. Fifteen-year-old defenceman Leslie Mazden had two goals for the Giants (5-2-0).

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AMERICANS 6 SILVERTIPS 2

KENNEWICK, WASH. – Jake Sloan and Samuel Huo each scored and notched two helpers as the Americans (5-5-0) trounced the Silvertips (9-2-0), who dropped just their second game of the season.

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HURRICANES 5 REBELS 2

LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. – The Hurricanes (5-6-2) got a goal and three assists from Liam Kindree as they topped the beleaguered Rebels (2-11-2), who saw Brent Sutter step down as head coach on Saturday.

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WINTERHAWKS 7 CHIEFS 6

SPOKANE, WASH. – Seth Jarvis had two goals and an assist as the Winterhawks (5-4-2) shelled Chiefs (2-5-3) goalie Campbell Arnold with 47 shots.

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ICE 4 RAIDERS 3 (OT)

REGINA – Connor Geekie scored the game-winning goal 2:13 into overtime, leading the Ice (11-4-0) to their fifth-straight victory. The Raiders (4-8-3) are winless in their last three outings.

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RED DEER, Alta. – Brent Sutter has stepped down as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels, which is a team he owns.

Sutter has run the Rebels for 20 seasons and coached them for 15. There was a five-year interruption to be an NHL head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames from 2007 to 2012.

Sutter navigated the Rebels to WHL and Memorial Cup titles in 2001, and coached Canada to world junior men’s hockey gold in 2005 and 2006.

The 58-year-old from Viking, Alta., who won two Stanley Cups as a player with the New York Islanders, remains president and general manager of his WHL club.

Assistant coaches Ryan Colville and Brad Flynn, and assistant general manager Shaun Sutter take over coaching duties for the rest of the season. The search for a new head coach will wait until the off-season.

“After lots of thought and consideration of all the variables that go into being a head coach, at this time I feel this is the right thing for our organization,” Sutter said Saturday in a statement.

“Being involved in the game as long as I have both as a player and head coach, I’ve never looked at the game selfishly. The most important thing has always been what’s best for the hockey club.”

The Rebels are 6-6-2 in a WHL season shortened and delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Red Deer’s players are living in their home rink, Westerner Park Centrium, while they try to complete the season.

“Since we were shut down over a year ago, it has been a very difficult and trying time for all of us, especially the players,” Sutter said.

“In my heart I know this is the right thing to do, and is best for them at this point in time. They need a different voice for the rest of this season and moving forward.”

The Rebels faced the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday after losing to the ‘Canes 6-3 the previous evening.

(CP/Photo: WHL)