ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 27-24-0-1 record (17-9-0-0 at home, 10-15-0-1 on the road, 6-0 in overtime, 1-1 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY, winners of five of their last seven games, will complete a two-game weekend series with BRANDON February 7.
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 32 points (10-22-32)…Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU is ranked second (14-16-30)...The ICE hold a 31-28-3-1 lifetime record versus the WHEAT KINGS (17-13-2-0 at home, 14-15-1-1 on the road, 7-5-0 in overtime)...Tonight marks the first of four meetings this season between KOOTENAY and BRANDON, with all four matchups taking place in the month of February...The ICE recorded the 700th win in club history dating back to the inaugural 1996-97 season in EDMONTON on January 30 versus REGINA...The club's all-time record now stands at 700-517-131...Forward TIM BOZON became the fourth KOOTENAY player to reach 20 goals this season (JAEDON DESCHENEAU, LUKE PHILP, LEVI CABLE) with his tally January 28 at LETHBRIDGE...BOZON is one assist away from 150 in his WHL career…Forward SAM REINHART is five points short of 300 career points...REINHART has 12 goals in 12 career games versus BRANDON...DESCHENEAU is one point shy of 250 career points, and two assists short of 150 career helpers...CABLE is three appearances away from 250 career games played...Forward RYAN CHYNOWETH made his 200th career appearance January 30 against the PATS...The ICE are one of three teams (PORTLAND, TRI-CITY) who 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 52 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 27-21-2-2, after 53 games 28-21-2-2 and after 54 games 29-21-2-2.
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 DEXTER RASMUSSEN and TYLER ADAIR...The Linesmen are GREG SARAUER and MATT SANDERS.