ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 27-26-0-1 record (17-11-0-0 at home, 10-15-0-1 on the road, 6-0 in overtime, 1-1 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will continue a season-high seven game home stand February 13 versus MOOSE JAW.
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 LUKE PHILP leads KOOTENAY in home scoring with 33 points (11-22-33)…Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU is ranked second (14-17-31)...The ICE hold a 64-40-9-2 lifetime record versus the TIGERS (38-16-4-1 at home, 26-22-5-1 on the road, 5-7-6 in overtime)...Tonight marks the fifth of seven meetings this season between KOOTENAY and MEDICINE HAT, with the ICE holding a 1-2-0-1 record in the season series...Forward SAM REINHART was named the STEEPLES CONSTRUCTION PLAYER OF THE MONTH for January...REINHART recorded 14 points (4-10-14) in 12 games played, including a ten-game point streak from January 10-30...DESCHENEAU recorded his 250th career point with an assist February 6 versus BRANDON...DESCHENEAU is the fifth player in franchise history to reach the 250-point mark with the ICE (SAM REINHART, JARRET STOLL, NIGEL DAWES, DUSTIN SYLVESTER)...DESCHENEAU and Forward TIM BOZON are both one assist away from 150 career helpers…REINHART is four points short of 300 career points...Forward LEVI CABLE is one appearance away from 250 career games played...KOOTENAY is one of two WHL teams (TRI-CITY) to remain undefeated in four on four overtime this season.
INJURY: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the KOOTENAY lineup four to six months with an upper body injury.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 54 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 29-21-2-2, after 55 games 30-21-2-2 and after 56 games 31-21-2-2.
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 CLAYTON HALL and BRETT IVERSON...The Linesmen are TYLER JENSEN and MIKE ROBERTS.