ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 17-17-0-0 record (11-6-0-0 at home, 6-11-0-0 on the road, 5-0 in overtime, 1-0 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will break for the holidays December 17-25 before returning home to host CALGARY December 27.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: KOOTENAY is currently carrying 22 players (two goaltenders, seven defensemen and 13 forwards)...The ICE roster is made up of three 1994-born players, nine 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: KOOTENAY holds a 21-15-1-1 lifetime record versus KAMLOOPS (10-6-1-1 at home, 11-9-0-0 on the road, 5-1-1 in overtime)...Tonight marks the only meeting of the season between the ICE and BLAZERS and first since a 7-3 KOOTENAY win December 6, 2013 at KAMLOOPS...Forward SAM REINHART is attending the TEAM CANADA Selection Camp for the 2015 WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS in TORONTO and MONTREAL...Defenseman RINAT VALIEV has also been named to the TEAM RUSSIA Selection Camp roster for the WORLD JUNIORS... Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU surpassed STEVE DASILVA for sixth among franchise career assist leaders with his 133rd helper December 12 versus PRINCE ALBERT...DESCHENEAU currently sits 11th among WHL scoring leaders with 39 points (17-22-39)...Forward ZAK ZBOROSKY recorded his first career multi-goal game (two goals) and first career overtime winning goal December 12 against the RAIDERS…ZBOROSKY appeared in his 100th career WHL regular season game December 13 versus EDMONTON…Forward LEVI CABLE surpassed his 2013-14 goal total with his 11th tally of the season December 9 versus MEDICINE HAT…Forward MATT ALFARO is one games shy of 100 career regular season games played...Defenseman TROY MURRAY is two games short of 100 career regular season appearances...The ICE have scored a power play goal in 12 of the past 14 games...KOOTENAY holds a 8-0-0-0 record this season when opening the scoring at home.
INJURIES: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup week to week with an upper body injury...Defenseman DYLAN OVERDYK will be out of the KOOTENAY lineup week to week with an upper body injury.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 34 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 17-15-2-0, after 35 games 17-16-2-0 and after 36 games 18-16-2-0.
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).
TONIGHT’S OFFICIALS: The Referees for tonight’s game are KYLE KOWALSKI and NATHAN WIELER...The Linesmen are MIKE BOISVERT and JIM MANIAGO.