BRITISH COLUMBIA HOCKEY LEAGUE
The defending champion Vernon Vipers won twice in two games during the week ending Dec. 14 to advance into a tie for first place in the Interior Conference, and overall, in the British Columbia Hockey League.
Vernon is 22-8-0 and has five overtime losses, for 49 points in 35 games. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks are tied with Vernon with a 24-10-1 record.
The Nanaimo Clippers lead the Island Division of the Coastal Conference and are one point out of the overall lead. Nanaimo is 22-9-1 and has three overtime losses, for 48 points in 35 games.
The Cowichan Valley Capitals are second in the division, at 20-9-2 and three overtime losses, for 45 points in 34 games.
The Surrey Eagles and Chilliwack Chiefs are tied for the lead in the Mainland Division of the Coastal Conference.
Surrey is 22-12-0 and has two overtime losses, for 46 points in 36 games. Chilliwack is 21-13-0 and has four overtime losses in 38 games.
Veteran Mike Santorelli had two goals and one assist Dec. 12 in Vernon’s 5-4 overtime win over Chilliwack before 1,900 fans in Vernon.
Goalie Mark Sibbald made 32 stops Dec. 13 in Vernon’s 2-0 win over the Powell River Kings before 1,752 fans in Vernon.
Goalie Denis Berube had 27 saves Dec. 12 in Nanaimo’s 5-1 win over the Williams Lake Timberwolves before 2,105 fans in Nanaimo.
Blair Lefebvre contributed two goals and two assists Dec. 14 in Nanaimo’s 4-4 tie against the Victoria Salsa before 1,769 fans in Nanaimo.
Ben Nelson had two goals and one assist Dec. 12 in Cowichan Valley’s 4-3 win over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on home ice in Duncan.
Donald Johnson had three assists Dec. 12 in Surrey’s 5-4 win over Salmon Arm before 1,106 fans in Surrey.
Andrew Kozek totalled two goals and two assists Dec. 14 in Surrey’s 5-2 win over the Coquitlam Express on home ice.
Veteran Tyler Scofield scored three times and added one assist Dec. 11 in the Prince George Spruce Kings’ 6-2 win over the Quesnel Millionaires in Quesnel.
Chris Stevens accumulated two goals and three assists Dec. 12 in Prince George’s 6-3 win over Quesnel before 1,179 fans in Prince George.
Marc Fulton had four assists Dec. 13 in Williams Lake’s 6-5 win over Alberni Valley before 1,554 fans on Alberni Valley’s home ice in Port Alberni.
Goalie Kevin Hachey made 34 stops Dec. 14 in the Trail Smoke Eaters’ 8-0 win over Chilliwack on home ice. Teammate Brandon Gawryletz chipped in with five assists.
Scofield added two goals and two assists Dec. 14 in a 5-4 win over the Merritt Centennials on home ice.
David Jones of Coquitlam continues to lead league scorers, with 70 points, including 44 assists, in 36 games.
Victoria veteran Kyle Greentree, 20, leads the league with 36 goals in 31 games.
Tyler Burton of Chilliwack leads the league with 49 assists in 38 games.
Jeff Pasemko of Nanaimo and Steve Belanger of Vernon share the lead among league goalies.
Pasemko has a 2.62 goals against average in 1,123 minutes. Belanger has a 2.62 goals against average, league-leading ,919 saves percentage and league-leading three shutouts in 848 minutes.
Salmon Arm veteran Patrick LePage leads league goalies with a 17-5-1 won-lost-tied record.
Also, the league averaged 1,359 fans per game in six games Dec. 12. Total attendance was 8,154 for the Dec. 12 games.
Six players from Salmon Arm are on the Interior Conference roster for the Jan. 14 all-star showcase in Coquitlam.
Three players each from Vernon, Williams Lake and Trail, two each from the Penticton Panthers and Merritt, one each from Prince George and Quesnel complete the team.
Four players from Nanaimo are on the Coastal Conference roster. Three players each from Surrey, Chilliwack and Coquitlam, two each from Cowichan Valley, Victoria and Powell River, one each from Alberni Valley and the Langley Hornets round out the team.
Salmon Arm head coach Rylan Ferster will coach the Interior stars. Nanaimo head coach Bill Bestwick will coach the Coastal stars.
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ONTARIO PROVINCIAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
The Aurora Tigers won four times in four games during the week ending Dec. 14 to assume an eight-point overall lead in the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League.
Aurora has a 35-1-0 record, a 17-point advantage in the North Conference and leads the Canadian Junior `A’ Hockey League with a .972 winning percentage. The Newmarket Hurricanes are second in the North, at 26-8-1.
The Georgetown Raiders are first in the West Conference and second overall, at 30-3-2. The Oakville Blades are second in the West, at 24-7-2.
The Hamilton Red Wings are third in the West, at 23-7-1 and two overtime losses, for 49 points in 33 games.
The defending league and Dudley-Hewitt Cup champion Wellington Dukes continue to lead the East Conference. Wellington is 12 points ahead of the Bowmanville Eagles, at 27-5-3 and three overtime losses, for 60 points in 38 games.
Bowmanville has a 21-7-2 record and four overtime losses in 34 games.
The St. Michael’s Buzzers have a nine-point advantage in the South Conference, at 25-8-1 and two overtime losses, for 53 points in 36 games. The North York Rangers are 21-12-2.
Aurora beat the Vaughan Vipers 9-3 Dec. 8 in Vaughan, the Stouffville Spirit 5-1 Dec. 11 in Stouffville, Newmarket 3-1 and the Colingwood Blues 2-1 Dec. 12 and Dec. 14, respectively, on home ice.
Oakville defeated the Streetsville Derbys 5-2 Dec. 9 in Streetsville, the Brampton Capitals 3-1 and Buffalo Lightning 6-3 Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, respectively, in home games.
Aurora veteran Francis Walker remains the league-leading scorer. Walker, 20, has 69 points, including 44 assists, in 30 games.
Brent Varty of Wellington continues to lead league goal scorers. Varty, 20, has 35 goals in 35 games.
Ricky Walton of Hamilton leads the league with 46 assists in 31 games.
Chris Whitley of Aurora continues to lead league and CJAHL goalies, with a 1.38 goals against average in 1,440 minutes. Whitley, 20, leads the league and is tied for the CJAHL lead with five shutouts.
Whitley leads the league and CJAHL with a 23-1-0 won-lost-tied record.
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MANITOBA JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
The five-time champion OCN Blizzard won four times in four games during the week ending Dec. 14 to take a five-point overall lead in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
OCN is first in the Sherwood Division with a 30-5-2 record and two overtime losses, for 64 points in 39 games. The Neepawa Natives also won four times in four games and are second in the division, at 23-13-1 and three overtime losses, for 50 points in 40 games.
The Swan Valley Stampeders are 21-12-2 and have one overtime loss, for 45 points in 36 games.
The Selkirk Steelers won twice in two games, extended their winning streak to nine games and are first in the Addison Division. Selkirk is second overall at 29-8-0 and one overtime loss in 38 games.
The Winkler Flyers are second in the division, with 41 points in 36 games.
Kiel Wilgosh had one goal and one assist Dec. 8 in OCN’s 4-1 win over Swan Valley on home ice in The Pas.
Goalie Jonathan Meyer made 31 stops Dec. 12 in OCN’s 3-0 win over the Portage Terriers before 1,032 fans in Portage la Prairie. Meyer leads league goalies with a 19-2-2 won-lost-tied record in 1,348 minutes.
Veteran goalie Pierre-Olivier Girouard had 33 saves Dec. 13 in OCN’s 6-3 win over the Dauphin Kings in Dauphin. Girouard, 20, leads league goalies with a 2.78 goals against average and .920 saves percentage in 863 minutes.
Jason Butler had two goals and one assist Dec. 14 in OCN’s 7-1 win over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in Waywayseecappo.
Goalie Andrew Loewen made 36 stops Dec. 9 in Neepawa’s 5-2 win over Winkler on home ice.
Gordon Pritchard had two goals Dec. 10 in Neepawa’s 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Saints in Winnipeg.
Defenceman Riley Weselows
