Wednesday, March 18, 2015

ICE Media Notes

ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 36-29-1-3 record (21-12-1-1 at home, 15-17-0-2 on the road, 6-1 in overtime, 3-3 in shootouts)... KOOTENAY has clinched a playoff berth for the 17th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the WHL...The ICE will also finish with a .500 or better record for a WHL record 16th straight season...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will conclude the regular season with a home and home series versus CALGARY beginning March 20 in CRANBROOK.

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: Forwards LUKE PHILP (16-20-36) and JAEDON DESCHENEAU (14-22-36) lead the ICE in road scoring with 36 points...KOOTENAY holds a 72-42-13-4 lifetime record versus LETHBRIDGE (43-16-6-2 at home, 29-26-7-2 on the road, 8-12-6 in overtime)...Tonight marks the seventh and final meeting between the ICE and HURRICANES with KOOTENAY holding a 5-1-0-0 record in the season series...Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN broke an 18 year-old ICE franchise record with his 1,725th save of the season March 13 versus MEDICINE HAT...The previous record of 1,724 saves was set by TIM WINTERS during the inaugural 1996-97 campaign in EDMONTON...HOFLIN also recorded a franchise record 35th victory this season March 14 at RED DEER (33 saves)...The previous record of 34 wins had been shared by DAN BLACKBURN (1999-2000), JEFF GLASS (2004-05) and MACKENZIE SKAPSKI (2012-13)...LUKE PHILP recorded his 200th career point (goal) March 10 versus LETHBRIDGE...PHILP is the 14th player in franchise history to amass 200 points with the club...JAEDON DESCHENEAU reached the 30-goal mark for the third consecutive season March 10 against the HURRICANES...DESCHENEAU is the fourth player in franchise history to put up three consecutive 30-goal campaigns (JARRET STOLL from 1999-2000 - 2001-02, NIGEL DAWES from 2002-03 - 2004-05, RYAN RUSSELL from 2004-05 - 2006-07)...AUSTIN VETTERL made his 200th career appearance in a KOOTENAY uniform March 14 against the REBELS...SAM REINHART is three appearances shy of 250 career games played...TIM BOZON has 11 goals in 12 career games versus LETHBRIDGE...The ICE hold the second-best road penalty kill in the WHL at 84.2 percent.

STREAK: AUSTIN VETTERL has recorded points in each of his last three games (3-5-8).

INJURY: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup three to five months with an upper body injury.

ONE YEAR AGO: After 69 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 39-26-2-2, after 70 games 39-27-2-2, after 71 games 39-27-2-3 and after 72 games 39-28-2-3.

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).