ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 19-17-0-0 record (13-6-0-0 at home, 6-11-0-0 on the road, 5-0 in overtime, 1-0 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will continue a four-game CENTRAL DIVISION road trip December 30 at MEDICINE HAT.
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 64-60-13-4 lifetime record versus CALGARY (41-28-4-1 at home, 23-32-9-3 on the road, 5-9-8 in overtime)...Tonight marks the fifth of seven meetings this season between the ICE and HITMEN, with KOOTENAY having won the previous two 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...REINHART added one assist in CANADA’s 4-0 victory against GERMANY December 27…Forward LEVI CABLE set a new career high for goals in a game (four) and points (five) December 27 versus CALGARY…CABLE now has 15 goals this season, eclipsing his previous personal best of 14 set in 2012-13… Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN set a new career high for saves in a game with 51 December 27 against the HITMEN…HOFLIN has played in 24 consecutive games, one shy of the ICE franchise record set in 2009 by TODD MATHEWS…Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU is four goals shy of 100 career regular season goals scored...Defenseman TROY MURRAY appeared in his 100th career WHL regular season game December 27 versus CALGARY...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…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 36 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 18-16-2-0, after 37 games 18-16-2-1 and after 38 games 18-17-2-1.
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).