SATURDAY SPORTS PAGE: BEDARD MELTS ICE, DEADLINE WINNERS & LOSERS

WHL

REGINA – The hottest team in the league was no match for the hottest player on Friday night.

Connor Bedard scored four times on 10 shots and added an assist as the Regina Pats erased a 3-0 second-period deficit and beat the visiting Winnipeg ICE 5-3 in Western Hockey League action.

Tanner Howe also scored for the Pats, who started the night 36 points behind the ICE. The Pats (30-24-2-1) are sixth in the 12-team Eastern Conference.

Matthew Savoie, Carson Lambos and Easton Armstrong scored for the ICE, who lost only their ninth game of the season and now fashion a 48-9-1-0 record.

The ICE outshot the Pats 34-28. Each team went 0-for-2 on the power play.

Elsewhere in the WHL:

BLADES 4 WARRIORS 1

SASKATOON, Sask. – Egor Sidorov scored twice as the Saskatoon Blades defeated the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors 4-1.

Blake Gustafson and Tanner Molendyk also scored for the Blades (40-13-4-1).

Atley Calvert scored for the Warriors (35-22-0-3).

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BLAZERS 8 ROCKETS 1

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Connor Levis scored a goal and added two assists as the Kamloops Blazers burned the visiting Kelowna Rockets 8-1.

Ryan Hofer, Caedan Bankier, Logan Bairos, Jakub Demek, Matthew Seminoff, Ryan Michael and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Blazers (39-11-4-2).

Ethan Neutens scored for the Rockets (23-32-3-0).

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REBELS 6 WHEAT KINGS 3

BRANDON, Man. – Ben King scored twice as the visiting Red Deer Rebels dumped the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-3.

Mats Lindgren, Jace Isley, Kai Uchacz and Jayden Grubbe also scored for the Rebels (39-17-1-3).

Rylen Roersma, Nolan Flamand and Nate Danielson scored for the Wheat Kings (23-27-8-0).

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HURRICANES 3 RAIDERS 0

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Bryan Thomson stopped 31 shots and posted the road shutout as the Lethbridge Hurricanes blanked the Prince Albert Raiders 3-0.

Tyson Laventure, Brayden Edwards and Tyson Zimmer scored for the Hurricanes (32-21-3-3).

Netminder Max Hildebrand stopped 27 of 30 shots for the Raiders (25-30-3-0).

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TIGERS 5 OIL KINGS 2

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Brendan Lee scored twice as the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 5-2.

Tomas Mrsic, Tyler MacKenzie and Cayden Lindstrom also scored for the Tigers (26-24-8-1).

Rhys Pederson and Mason Finley scored for the Oil Kings (8-47-3-0).

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COUGARS 5 CHIEFS 2

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Hudson Thornton scored twice as the Prince George Cougars defeated the visiting Spokane Chiefs 5-2.

Cole Dubinsky, Ethan Samson and Viliam Kmec also scored for the surging Cougars (30-24-4-0).

Carter Streek and Cade Hayes scored for the Chiefs (13-38-3-4).

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SILVERTIPS 10 WINTERHAWKS 3

EVERETT, Wash. – Caden Zaplitny scored twice as the Everett Silvertips defeated the visiting Portland Winterhawks 10-3.

Raphael Pelletier also scored twice for the Silvertips, while Austin Roest, Matthew Paszkiewicz, Jesse Heslop, Ty Gibson, Vincent Lamanna and Jackson Berezowski netted singles for the Silvertips (30-24-2-1).

Gabe Klassen scored twice for the Winterhawks (36-17-2-3), while Ryan McCleary netted a single.

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THUNDERBIRDS 4 AMERICANS 1

KENNEWICK, Wash. – Kyle Crnkovic had a goal and assist as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Tri-City Americans 4-1.

Gracyn Sawchyn, Lucas Ciona and Reid Schaefer also scored for the Western Conference-leading Thunderbirds (46-9-1-1).

Jordan Gavin scored for the Americans (27-24-5-2), who were outshot 26-11.

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GIANTS 4 ROYALS 2

LANGLEY, B.C. – Samuel Honzek scored twice and Carson Haynes chipped in with two assists as the Vancouver Giants beat the visiting Victoria Royals 45-2.

Ty Halaburda and Kyren Gronick also scored for the Giants (23-28-5-2), who outshot the Royals 33-30.

Teague Patton and Carter Dereniwsky scored for the Royals (15-38-6-1).

NHL

Edmonton 6 Winnipeg 3

Anaheim 3 Montreal 2

Vegas 4 New Jersey 3 (SO)

Seattle 4 Columbus 2

Carolina 6 Arizona 1

TRADE DEADLINE WINNERS & LOSERS

The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins loaded up for a potential Stanley Cup run, making bold moves to add talented players in the days leading up to the NHL trade deadline.

Coincidentally, the contenders face off Saturday afternoon in Boston.

The Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers were not as aggressive, seemingly stuck in rebuilds that have relegated them to being sellers this time of year.

Some of the franchises that appeared to win – and lose – over the last month as NHL teams completed 65 deals with a flurry early and a trickle closer to the deadline on Friday afternoon:

WINNERS

New York Rangers: The franchise’s quest to hoist the Cup for the first time since 1994 got a boost with the additions of three-time champion Patrick Kane and four-time All-Star Vladimir Tarasenko. New York has a secure spot in the postseason as the Metropolitan Division’s third-place team, with a comfortable cushion over Pittsburgh and the Islanders, but its chance to advance just got better with a new pair of goal-scorers.

Boston Bruins: The 2011 Stanley Cup champions have an NHL-high 101 points and clearly are not content. Boston acquired defensemen Dmitry Orlov, who helped Washington win it all five years ago; forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored 30 goals for Detroit last season, and depth-enhancing forward Garnet Hathaway.

Ottawa Senators: Determined to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, the Senators added one of the top players available. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun had 28 points in 36 games this season for the Arizona Coyotes and may produce even more with better players and and a motivated team.

Toronto Maple Leafs: After losing six straight opening postseason series, general manager Kyle Dubas seemed to improve the franchise’s chance to advance. Toronto traded for St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly to add scoring depth up front behind Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

New Jersey Devils: Most players added before the deadline are eligible for unrestricted free agency, but 26-year-old winger Timo Meier is not one of them. If the on-the-rise Devils like what they see, they will have an edge over the potential competition to retain the restricted free agent. Meier has developed into a point-per-game player.

New York Islanders: Beating buyers to the punch, the team may have essentially sealed a wild card in the stacked Eastern Conference playoffs by acquiring 30-goal-scorer Bo Horvat from Vancouver more than four weeks before the deadline. Shortly after the deal, the Islanders signed him to an eight-year contract worth $68 million.

LOSERS

Detroit Red Wings: After general manager Steve Yzerman recently confirmed his hunch that the Red Wings still aren’t ready to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, he dealt two key players he didn’t view as part of the team’s long-term plans. Yzerman did acquire a pair of first-round picks in exchange for Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek, but it will take years for those selections to possibly pan out.

Philadelphia Flyers: The team knows it might lose James van Riemsdyk for nothing in free agency this summer, and still could not move him for desperately needed help. The Flyers will not make the playoffs for a third straight year, their longest drought in three decades and the latest misstep is not a good sign.

Vancouver Canucks: A franchise that will miss the playoffs for the third straight year and seventh time in eight years should not be giving up talent like Horvat or a first-round pick, especially for a player such as Hronek. The 25-year-old defenseman is having the best year of his career and has a year left on his contract, but the price paid for him seems steep.

Chicago Blackhawks: Despite having an attractive asset in Kane, the Blackhawks had no leverage because of his no-movement clause. The best Chicago could do was a conditional 2023 second-round draft pick and a fourth-rounder in 2025 from the Rangers, whose conditional pick turns into a first-round selection if the they return to the conference finals.

Buffalo Sabres: Seeking to end an NHL-record 11-season playoff drought, the team was in on talks to trade for Chychrun. The asking price, though, was too high for a franchise that can’t afford to deal assets in the draft in the latest phase of its rebuild.

NBA

The 31-and-33 Toronto Raptors will be looking to bounce back from Thursday’s 119-108 loss to the Washington Wizards when they play them again this afternoon at Capital One Arena. It’s one of six games on the N-B-A schedule. The Wizards have won two straight and are one spot below the Raptors in the Eastern Conference.

BRIER

There are two draws today at the Canadian men’s curling championship in London, Ontario. Some of the interesting matchups include Kevin Koe’s Alberta squad playing Matthew Manuel’s Nova Scotia foursome, and defending champion Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador playing against Mike McEwen of Ontario. Gushue and McEwen won their opening games last night at the Tim Hortons Brier. Saskatchewan (Knapp) faces Manitoba (Dunstone) in Draw 2 on Saturday.

UFC

Jon Jones has spent the past three years at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, focusing on being with family, hunting and getting ready for his big comeback. The 35-year-old hired a team to help him get ready for tonight when he will take a step up to the heavyweight division and attempt to end any doubt that he is the greatest fighter in UFC history. He is on a UFC-best 18-match unbeaten streak, and faces Ciryl Gane of France, who at 11-and-1 is the top-ranked heavyweight. The vacant heavyweight title is the headline event of UFC 285.