ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with an 18-17-0-0 record (12-6-0-0 at home, 6-11-0-0 on the road, 5-0 in overtime, 1-0 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will embark on a four-game road trip beginning December 28 at CALGARY.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: KOOTENAY is currently carrying 23 players (two goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13 forwards)...The ICE roster is made up of three 1994-born players, ten 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 63-60-13-4 lifetime record versus CALGARY (40-28-4-1 at home, 23-32-9-3 on the road, 5-9-8 in overtime)...Tonight marks the fourth of seven meetings this season between the ICE and HITMEN, with CALGARY having won two of the three prior encounters...Forward SAM REINHART and Defenseman RINAT VALIEV each recorded points in their 2015 WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP openers December 26...REINHART posted two assists in CANADA's 8-0 victory over SLOVAKIA while VALIEV had one helper in RUSSIA's 3-2 shootout win versus DENMARK...Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU is five goals shy of 100 career regular season goals scored...Forward MATT ALFARO made his 100th career regular season appearance December 16 against KAMLOOPS...Forward ZAK ZBOROSKY appeared in his 100th career WHL regular season game December 13 versus EDMONTON…Defenseman TROY MURRAY is one game short of 100 career regular season appearances...Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN has played in 23 consecutive games, two shy of the ICE franchise record set in 2009 by TODD MATHEWS...KOOTENAY holds a 9-0-0-0 record this season when opening the scoring at home...The ICE are the only EASTERN CONFERENCE team to remain undefeated in overtime and shootouts this season.
TRANSACTION / INJURIES: KOOTENAY has added Defenseman TANNER LISHCHYNSKY (January 5, 1995) from the FLIN FLON BOMBERS of the SASKATCHEWAN JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE...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 35 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 17-16-2-0, after 36 games 18-16-2-0 and after 37 games 18-16-2-1.
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 MATT CASSIDY and REAGAN VETTER...The Linesmen are MIKE BOISVERT and JIM MANIAGO.