SUNDAY SPORTS PAGE: WHL, NHL, SUPER BOWL

REGINA – Connor Bedard scored three goals and added two assists as the Regina Pats defeated the short-handed Moose Jaw Warriors 8-4 in Western Hockey League action on Saturday night.

It was Bedard’s sixth hat trick of the season and his performance helped pad his lead atop the WHL scoring race. He has 96 points, 21 more than Logan Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers.

Alexander Suzdalev, Tye Spencer, Borya Valis, Zane Rowan and Tanner Howe all scored once for the Pats (25-22-2-1).

Martin Rysavy scored twice for the Warriors (33-17-0-3), while Eric Alarie and Brayden Yager scored once. The visitors led 2-1 after the first period but trailed 5-4 heading into the third.

Earlier in the day, the WHL announced that Warriors’ netminder Connor Ungar, defencemen Max Wanner and Marek Howell, and centre Lynden Lakovic were suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into possible violations of team rules and the WHL Standard of Conduct Policies.

Ungar leads the lead in saves percentage with a 0.925 mark, and is third in wins with 26. Wanner was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers.

Elsewhere in the WHL:

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WHEAT KINGS 3 HITMEN 2

BRANDON, Man. – Dawson Pasternak scored the game-winning goal at 4:56 of the third period as the Brandon Wheat Kings edged the visiting Calgary Hitmen 3-2.

Brett Hyland and Evan Groening also scored for the Wheat Kings (21-22-7-0).

Chase Valliant and Carter Yakemchuk scored for the Hitmen (23-22-5-2).

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ICE 7 OIL KINGS 1

WINNIPEG, Man. – Owen Pederson scored twice, and Conor Geekie and Connor McClennon each had a goal and assist as the Winnipeg ICE beat the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings 7-1.

Carson Lambos, Zach Benson and Matthew Savoie also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading ICE (40-7-1-0).

Mason Finley scored for the Oil Kings (8-41-3-0).

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REBELS 2 AMERICANS 1 (SO)

KENNEWICK, Wash. – Ben King and Frantisek Formanek scored in a five-round shootout to give the visiting Red Deer Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans.

Jace Isley scored a short-handed goal in regulation time for the Rebels (36-12-1-3).

Adam Mechura scored in regulation for the Americans (25-19-4-2), and added one in the shootout.

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RAIDERS 4 BRONCOS 1

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Keaton Sorensen scored a goal and added two assists as the Prince Albert Raiders defeated the Swift Current Broncos 4-1.

Niall Crocker, Ryder Ritchie and Harrison Lodewyk also scored for the Raiders (20-28-3-0).

Caleb Wyrostok scored for the Broncos (24-22-1-2).

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THUNDERBIRDS 3 WINTERHAWKS 0

PORTLAND, Ore. – Thomas Milic stopped 36 shots, including 11 in the final period, as the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds knocked off the Portland Winterhawks 3-0.

Sam Popowich, Brad Lambert and Kevin Korchinski all scored for the Western Conference-leading Thunderbirds (38-9-1-1).

Netminder Dante Giannuzzi stopped 29 of 32 shots for the Winterhawks (36-11-2-2).

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SILVERTIPS 2 CHIEFS 1 (SO)

EVERETT, Wash. – Austin Roest’s shootout goal proved to be the difference as the Everett Silvertips outlasted the visiting Spokane Chiefs 2-1.

Brayden Crampton gave the Chiefs (9-35-2-4) a 1-0 lead at 7:11 of the first period, and Jackson Berezowski scored at 7:08 of the third period to tie the game for the Silvertips (27-22-2-0).

The Silvertips outshot the Chiefs 37-33.

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TIGERS 3 HURRICANES 2 (SO)

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Shane Smith’s goal in the seventh round of a scoreless shootout lifted the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Rhett Parsons and Brendan Lee scored in regulation for the Tigers (22-22-7-1).

Joe Arntsen and Jett Jones scored for the Hurricanes (28-18-3-3)..

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ROYALS 6 GIANTS 2

LANGLEY, B.C. – Tanner Scott had two goals and added an assist as the visiting Victoria Royals beat the Vancouver Giants 6-2 at Langley Events Centre.

Brayden Schuurman, Teydon Trembecky, Justin Kipkie and Austin Zemlak also scored for the Royals (15-32-5-1), who outshot the hosts 35-21.

Dylan Anderson and Connor Dale scored for the Giants (20-25-4-2).

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BLAZERS 5 COUGARS 4

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Matthew Seminoff’s second goal of the game, scored with eight seconds left in the third period, snapped a 4-4 tie and give the Kamloops Blazers an exciting win over the visiting Prince George Cougars.

Fraser Minten, Connor Levis and Ryan Hofer also scored for the Blazers (33-10-4-2). Logan Stankoven chipped in with three assists.

Ondrej Becher scored twice for the Cougars (24-22-4-0), while Cole Dubinsky and Koehn Ziemmer netted singles.

The Cougars outshot the Blazers 43-34.

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BLADES 4 ROCKETS 2

KELOWNA, B.C. – Jordan Keller scored twice and Trevor Wiens had two assists as the visiting Saskatton Blades tripped the Kelowna Rockets 4-2.

Conner Roulette and Jayden Wiens also scored for the Blades (34-13-3-1). Wiens chipped in with two assists as well.

Gabriel Szturc scored both goals for the Rockets (17-30-3-0), who were outshot 39-18.

NHL SCOREBOARD

Winnipeg 4 Chicago 1

Columbus 4 Toronto 3

Detroit 5 Vancouver 2

Calgary 7 Buffalo 2

Edmonton 6 Ottawa 3

Montreal 4 N.Y. Islanders 3 (OT)

Washington 2 Boston 1

Tampa Bay 3 Dallas 1

Colorado 5 Florida 3

N.Y. Rangers 6 Carolina 2

Nashville 2 Philadelphia 1 (OT)

St. Louis 6 Arizona 5 (OT)

Minnesota 3 New Jersey 2 (SO)

Los Angeles 6 Pittsburgh 0

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will meet later today in the 57th Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona. The all-star cast of players in the trenches should decide the champion, according to most NFL pundits. The Eagles reached this point mainly because of a dominant offensive line that allowed Q-B Jalen Hurts to thrive. Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid and his star Q-B Patrick Mahomes are aiming to win their second Super Bowl championship in four seasons.

(Canadian Press/Photo: Keith Hershmiller Photography)