ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 22-21-0-1 record (13-8-0-0 at home, 9-13-0-1 on the road, 5-0 in overtime, 1-1 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will open a stretch of four games in six days with a home date against VANCOUVER January 20.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: KOOTENAY is currently carrying 24 players (two goaltenders, nine defensemen and 13 forwards)...The ICE roster is made up of three 1994-born players, 11 1995-born players, three 1996-born players, five 1997-born players, and two 1998-born players...KOOTENAY has seven first-year players on its roster.
DID YOU KNOW: Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU leads the ICE in road scoring with 25 points (10-17-27)...Forward LUKE PHILP is ranked second (12-11-23)...KOOTENAY holds a 29-28-9-2 lifetime record versus SASKATOON (15-13-5-1 at home, 14-15-4-1 on the road, 3-5-7 in overtime)...Forward SAM REINHART is one point behind JARRET STOLL for the ICE franchise lead in career regular season points (286)...REINHART has 19 points (4-15-19) in 13 career regular season games versus the BLADES…Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN set a new KOOTENAY ICE franchise record with appearances in 29 consecutive games (October 24 - January 9)...DESCHENEAU is one goal shy of 100 career regular season goals...PHILP put up his fourth multi-goal game of the season (two goals) January 16 at PRINCE ALBERT…PHILP recorded his 100th career regular season assist January 10 versus SASKATOON...PHILP is three appearances short of 200 career WHL regular season games played...PHILP has collected six points (3-3-6) in his past four games…Forward JON MARTIN surpassed 300 career penalty minutes January 14 at MOOSE JAW...Forward AUSTIN VETTERL is four appearances away from 250 career WHL games played…Forward LEVI CABLE is two points shy of 100 career regular season points...Forward TIM BOZON is four assists short of 150 in his WHL career…Forward MATT ALFARO has recorded six points (1-5-6) in his past six games.
INJURY: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup indefinitely with an upper body injury.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 44 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 21-20-2-1, after 45 games 21-20-2-2 and after 46 games 22-20-2-2.
DRAFTED PLAYERS: SAM REINHART - Buffalo Sabres (1st Round, 2014 NHL Draft), TIM BOZON - Montreal Canadiens (3rd Round, 2012 NHL Draft), RINAT VALIEV - Toronto Maple Leafs (3rd Round, 2014 NHL Draft), JAEDON DESCHENEAU - St. Louis Blues (5th Round, 2014 NHL Draft), TANNER FAITH – Minnesota Wild (5th Round, 2014 NHL Draft).