ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 29-27-1-1 record (18-12-1-0 at home, 11-15-0-1 on the road, 6-1 in overtime, 1-1 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will play the next five games away from home beginning February 21 at SPOKANE.
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: Forwards JAEDON DESCHENEAU (15-21-36) and LUKE PHILP (11-25-36) lead the ICE in home scoring with 36 points...KOOTENAY holds a 26-16-3-2 lifetime record versus EDMONTON (16-5-1-1 at home, 10-11-2-1 on the road, 5-3-2 in overtime)...Tonight marks the sixth and final meeting this season between the ICE and OIL KINGS with KOOTENAY holding a 3-2-0-0 record in the season series…Forward SAM REINHART is one point short of 300 career points...DESCHENEAU passed DUSTIN SYLVESTER for fourth in ICE all-time scoring February 11 versus the TIGERS...DESCHENEAU, who now has 257 career points, is one game short of 250 career appearances...Forward MATT ALFARO matched a career high with three points (two goals, one assist) February 17 at LETHBRIDGE...ALFARO also recorded his first career power play goal February 17 against the HURRICANES...Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN surpassed 5,000 career minutes played February 17 at LETHBRIDGE...KOOTENAY matched a franchise record for fastest goal from the start of a period away from home (TIM BOZON, 0:08 third period) February 17 against the HURRICANES...The record was originally set December 18, 1998 by STEVE McCARTHY at RED DEER...BOZON, who has scored 12 goals in his last 12 games, recorded his second hat-trick of 2015 February 15 against the BLADES...Defenseman TANNER LISHCHYNSKY is one appearances shy of 100 career games played...Forward RYAN CHYNOWETH is one game short of 100 appearances in an ICE uniform...Assistant Coach JAY HENDERSON posted a 1-1-0-0 record as acting head coach February 11 and February 13...HENDERSON now holds a career coaching record of 5-5-1-0, having previously acted as head coach from December 13, 2013 - January 4, 2014...KOOTENAY scored five goals in a period for the second time this season February 11 versus the TIGERS (second period).
INJURY: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup four to six months with an upper body injury.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 58 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 32-22-2-2, after 59 games 33-22-2-2 and after 60 games 34-22-2-2.
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 REID ANDERSON and KEVIN WEBINGER...The Linesmen are MICHAEL BOISVERT and JIM MANIAGO.