ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 21-19-0-1 record (13-7-0-0 at home, 8-12-0-1 on the road, 5-0 in overtime, 1-1 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will begin a three-game road trip in MOOSE JAW January 14.
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 home scoring with 24 points (12-12-24)...Forward LUKE PHILP is ranked second (7-15-22)... KOOTENAY holds a 29-27-9-2 lifetime record versus SASKATOON (15-12-5-1 at home, 14-15-4-1 on the road, 3-5-7 in overtime)...Tonight's game marks the second of four meetings this season between the ICE and BLADES with SASKATOON having won the opening matchup October 22...Since November 1, the ICE have a record of 18-6-0-1…Forward SAM REINHART captured a Gold Medal with TEAM CANADA at the 2015 WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS, while Defenseman RINAT VALIEV won a Silver Medal with TEAM RUSSIA...REINHART tied for the tournament scoring lead with 11 points (5-6-11) and is the third ICE player to win Gold for CANADA at the WORLD JUNIORS (NIGEL DAWES & JEFF GLASS - 2005)…Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN holds the franchise record for most consecutive appearances in goal (29), breaking the previous mark of 25 (TODD MATHEWS) December 30 at MEDICINE HAT…HOFLIN leads all WHL goaltenders in both minutes played (2,231) and is ranked second in saves (1,228)...DESCHENEAU is tied for 11th in WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE scoring with 49 points (21-28-49)…DESCHENEAU sits fifth among all-time franchise points leaders (239 points)...DESCHENEAU is also tied with MAX REINHART for fourth in career assists with 141...DESCHENEAU is two goals shy of 100 career regular season goals...PHILP is two assists short of 100 career regular season assists...Defenseman CALE FLEURY scored his first career WHL goal January 9 versus RED DEER...Defenseman TYLER KING played in his 200th career WHL regular season game January 3 at EDMONTON...Forward JON MARTIN recorded his second multi-goal game of the season (two goals) January 2 against the REBELS…Both of MARTIN's multi-goal games have come at RED DEER…KOOTENAY has been assessed the fewest penalty minutes (419) in the EASTERN CONFERENCE...The ICE are 10-0-0-0 when opening the scoring at home this season.
TRANSACTION / INJURIES: KOOTENAY has acquired Defenseman LENNY HACKMAN from the LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES for a 12th Round selection in the 2015 WHL BANTAM DRAFT...Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup indefinitely with an upper body injury...Defenseman RINAT VALIEV will be out of the KOOTENAY lineup day to day with an illness.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 41 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 19-19-2-1, after 42 games 20-19-2-1 and after 43 games 21-19-2-1.
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 MIKE CAMPBELL and CURTIS MAROUELLI...The Linesmen are JEREMI DEL CAMPO and ANTHONY GUZZO.