ICE CHIPS: The KOOTENAY ICE enter tonight's action with a 33-29-1-3 record (19-12-1-1 at home, 14-17-0-2 on the road, 6-1 in overtime, 3-3 in shootouts)...Following tonight's contest KOOTENAY will host MEDICINE HAT March 13 before travelling to RED DEER March 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 LUKE PHILP leads the ICE in home scoring with 39 points (12-27-39)...Forward JAEDON DESCHENEAU is second with 37 points (15-22-37)...KOOTENAY holds a 71-42-6-11 lifetime record versus LETHBRIDGE (42-16-2-6 at home, 29-26-4-5 on the road, 8-12-6 in overtime)...Tonight marks the sixth of seven meetings this season between the ICE and HURRICANES with KOOTENAY holding a 4-1-0-0 record in the season series...LUKE PHILP was named the STEEPLES CONSTRUCTION PLAYER OF THE MONTH for FEBRUARY...PHILP, who led the ICE in scoring with 17 points (6-11-17) in FEBRUARY, is one point shy of 200 career points...Forward SAM REINHART leads all active KOOTENAY skaters in scoring versus LETHBRIDGE with 31 points (11-20-31) in 18 games played...Forward TIM BOZON reached the 30-goal mark for the fourth consecutive season February 28 at BRANDON, becoming the first WHL player to record four straight 30-goal campaigns since CHRIS ST. JACQUES (MEDICINE HAT, 2000-01 - 2003-04)...BOZON and Defenseman RINAT VALIEV both appeared in their 100th games in an ICE uniform March 6 versus RED DEER…Defenseman LENNY HACKMAN played in his 200th career game March 7 against the TIGERS…Forward LEVI CABLE scored his 27th goal of the season March 6 versus the REBELS, matching his total output from the previous three seasons combined…Goaltender WYATT HOFLIN is 50 saves shy of the franchise record for saves in a season (1,724), set by TIM WINTERS during the inaugural 1996-97 campaign in EDMONTON...Five of the last six outings for KOOTENAY have been decided by one goal…KOOTENAY has been assessed the fewest penalty minutes in the WHL this season (644).
INJURY: Defenseman TANNER FAITH will be out of the ICE lineup three to five months with an upper body injury.
ONE YEAR AGO: After 66 games of the 2013-14 season the ICE were 37-25-2-2, after 67 games 38-25-2-2 and after 68 games 39-25-2-2.
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 TYLER ADAIR and MARK PEARCE...The Linesmen are MICHAEL BOISVERT and JIM MANIAGO.