Giants Jump Above .500 with Win in Prince George

Quesnel native Tim Traber had the winning goal late in the second period as the Vancouver Giants downed the Prince George Cougars 5-3 at the CN Centre on Saturday night. The G-Men also got goals from Jackson Houck, Blake Orban, Dalton Thrower and Cain Franson while Jared Rathjen made 31 saves for his fourth win of the season. The win improved Vancouver's record to 12-11-4-2 and marked the ninth straight game that the Giants have picked up at least a single point.

Houck opened the scoring at 3:52 of the first when he chipped a rebound past Prince George goalie Ty Edmonds for his 13th goal of the year. Orban made it 2-0 later in the frame on a one-timer after Joel Hamilton found him in the slot with a pass from the bottom of the left circle. Thrower added his name to the score sheet with a shot from the right point, but the Cougars countered before the end of the period when Marc McNulty beat Rathjen with a long shot through traffic.

The Cougars carried the momentum from their opening goal into the second period and came back to tie the game. First, Alex Forsberg deflected a McNulty shot into the Vancouver net, and Sam Ruopp made it 3-3 with a point shot of his own. Traber scored the eventual winner late in the stanza, burying a chance in the slot after a nice pass from Thomas Foster off the left wing.

Prince George had a couple of good chances in the third to tie the game again, but Rathjen kept the puck out, and Franson added an empty net goal with less than a minute remaining to clinch the victory for the G-Men.

The Giants get back at it on Tuesday night when they face the Kelowna Rockets for the first time this season in the Okanagan. The puck drop is set for 7:00pm. Tune-in to TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca for the play-by-play.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Cain Franson - Vancouver
2. Todd Fiddler - Prince George
3. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Cougars

The Vancouver Giants will face the Prince George Cougars for the second time in as many nights on Saturday evening at the CN Centre. The Cougars emerged victorious on Friday, edging the G-Men 6-5 in a shootout.

Vancouver held the lead on three separate occasions on Friday but had to settle for just the single point after the Cougars staged a late comeback. Dalton Sward put in a first star performance for Vancouver, scoring a hat-trick in his 200th WHL game. The G-Men fired a season-high 51 shots on net and went 2-for-3 on the man advantage on Friday as well. Despite the loss, the Giants have now picked up at least a point in eight straight games.

The Cougars won on home ice for just the fifth time this season by beating Vancouver on Friday night. The Prince George club was without captain Troy Bourke as well as forwards Zach Pochiro, David Soltes and defenseman Raymond Grewal among others. Chase Witala had two goals in the victory over the Giants. The Prince George native now sits tied with Bourke for the team lead in points with 29 and also leads the club in goals with 18.

Where: CN Centre; Prince George, BC

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca.

Sward Scores Hat-Trick; Giants Lose 6-5

Dalton Sward scored a hat-trick in his 200th game in the WHL, but it wasn’t enough as the Vancouver Giants fell to the Prince George Cougars 6-5 in a shootout. Arvin Atwal and Brett Kulak also found the net in the losing cause.

The G-Men found the net early as Atwal scored his first of the season in the first three minutes of a game when he beat Prince George goalie Ty Edmonds with a point shot on the power play. Sward made it 2-0 for Vancouver when he netted his first of the evening on a shorthanded breakaway, but the Cougars got one back 13 seconds later when Klarc Wilson beat Payton Lee through the five-hole.

The Prince George club tied the game in the second period on a strange goal when Jansen Harkins threw the puck to the slot from the left corner, and it bounced off Kulak’s stick and past Lee. Sward tallied his second of the game, knocking the rebound of a Thomas Foster shot into an open net to put the Giants ahead again, but Alex Forsberg leveled the score before the end of the stanza to send the teams to the dressing room tied 3-3.

The Cougars took their first lead of the hockey game in the early stages of the third when Chase Witala picked up his 17th goal of the year to put the Cougars ahead. The G-Men bounced back again though, scoring twice in 55 seconds to regain the lead. First, Kulak scored a power play goal with a drive from the blue line before Sward completed his hat-trick with a shot from the right wing that found its way though Edmonds and into the net. Prince George wouldn’t be deterred though as Witala scored again in the late going with a quick shot right off a face-off to send the game to overtime.

Marc McNulty thought he had won the game early in the extra period when he wired a shot off the post from the high slot, and the red light came on, but the referee waved the goal off and play continued. A subsequent review would show that the puck never crossed the goal line, and with neither side able to find a winner, the game went to a shootout. Cain Franson was the only Vancouver player to score in the skills contest while Forsberg and Witala beat Lee to give the Cougars their first win over the Giants this season.

The two teams will face-off again tomorrow night at the CN Centre. Listen to the play-by-play on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the puck drop at 7 o’clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Dalton Sward - Vancouver
2. Peter Kosterman - Prince George
3. Chase Witala - Prince George

Ast Wins National Young Volunteers of the Year Award

Congratulations are in order for Giants forward Anthony Ast who has won the Canadian Diabetes Association's National Young Volunteers of the Year Award.

Here's the press release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants would like to congratulate forward Anthony Ast on being awarded the Canadian Diabetes Association's National Young Volunteers of the Year Award.

Ast, a Richmond native, is one of three recipients of the award which recognizes the work of someone up to age 29 who has significantly contributed to supporting people living with diabetes. 


The 18-year old was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in January of 2002 and has since become an advocate for helping young diabetic athletes fulfill their dreams.

Ast went to Camp Kakhemela, a summer camp for young diabetics, shortly after his diagnosis. The camp taught him how to live with diabetes, and was also an opportunity for him to get away from doctor’s visits.

Ast has since given back to Camp Kakhemela in various ways including through a contest by TELUS last spring. He shared photos and testimonials through the Give Where We Live campaign and was chosen as one of the ten winners who received a $10,000 donation to a charity of their choice.

Ast chose to donate the money to Camp Kakhemela, his childhood camp, and said, "I've always wanted to be involved in raising money for things that are close to my heart- obviously diabetes and diabetes research stand out- but for me this was a little bigger since Camp Kakhamela was my first ever experience going away, and it's where I gained the confidence to do my first insulin shot. I hope the money will help kids just like me realize that diabetes isn't something that has to hold you back. Once you learn how to live with it you can literally do anything you want. Camp taught me to find the positive amongst all the negative."

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Cougars

The Vancouver Giants will visit the CN Centre to take on the Prince George Cougars on Friday night in the first of back-to-back games between the teams in PG. The Giants have won all three games in the season series thus far.

Vancouver hasn't played in a week after beating the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 last Friday at the Pacific Coliseum. The G-Men have now picked up at least a point in seven straight games and sit eighth in the Western Conference standings, three points clear of the ninth-place Cougars. Friday's game marks the start of a busy week for the Giants as they'll play six games in the next nine nights. Vancouver's divisional record sits at 7-1-0-0.

The Cougars last played on Saturday when they lost 5-1 to the Red Deer Rebels on the road, but captain Troy Bourke was in the line-up for Team WHL on both Wednesday and Thursday night in the two Subway Super Series games against Russia in Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta. This weekend's games are crucial for the Cougars as they could find themselves as far as seven points behind the Giants if they lose both contests but could overtake Vancouver in the standings with two regulation wins.

Where: CN Centre; Prince George, BC

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:00pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca.

Vancouver Giants This Week: November 28, 2013

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G-Men Fly Past Thunderbirds 6-3

Trace Elson scored his first WHL goal and picked up a Gordie Howe hat-trick to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 6-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night. With the win, the G-Men climbed to .500 on the season and moved to within one point of Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. Vancouver also got goals from Rob Trzonkowski, Brett Kulak, Luca Leone, Joel Hamilton and Jackson Houck in the victory.

The T-Birds opened the scoring less than three minutes into the first when Jared Hauf's point shot found its way past Vancouver goalie Jared Rathjen through traffic. Vancouver responded to tie the game a few moments later when Trzonkowski, who was making his return to the lineup after missing 23 games due to injury, deflected a long shot from Dalton Sward past Thunderbirds net minder Danny Mumaugh. Late in the stanza, Hauf stepped up and laid a big open ice hit on Ty Ronning in the neutral zone, and Elson came to his teammate's defence, dropping the mitts with Hauf despite the face that the Seattle defenseman was eight inches taller and 35 pounds heavier than him.

Elson would net his first goal in the WHL in the second period when Carter Popoff found him in the slot with a pass from behind the net, and the native of St. Albert, Alberta buried it to put Vancouver ahead 2-1. Kulak extended the lead with his 10th of the year on a shot from the point that got past Mumaugh through the screen of Elson who was parked in front of the net, but Jaimen Yakubowski pulled the T-Birds back to within one goal when he hammered a rebound past Rathjen at the other end of the ice less than two minutes after Kulak's goal. Vancouver struck twice more before the end of the period to take a three goal lead to the break and chase Mumaugh from the Seattle crease. Leone tallied his first of the season when he scored on a sharp angle shot from the left circle, and Hamilton picked up his third of the year with less than 12 seconds left in the period on a shot from the high slot.

Houck added his name to the score sheet in the third period with a one-timer from in front of the net to put the Giants ahead by four. Vancouver got into penalty trouble later in the frame and gave Seattle six power plays. Fortunately for the Giants, the T-Birds were only able to convert once when Roberts Lipsbergs scored a pretty goal off the right wing by tucking the puck inside the post, and Vancouver stretched its point streak to seven games.

The Giants will now have an entire week off before they visit the Prince George Cougars for a double-header on Friday and Saturday. Both games are 7:00pm face-offs and can be heard on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Trace Elson - Vancouver
2. Carter Popoff - Vancouver
3. Jackson Houck - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Thunderbirds

The Vancouver Giants (10-11-4-1) will host the Seattle Thunderbirds (12-8-1-3) at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night in the third meeting of the season between the Western Conference opponents. The T-Birds have taken both games against the Giants this year, winning 6-0 on September 25th and 5-3 on October 26th.

The Vancouver club is coming off a two game US Division road trip where the G-Men picked up two of a possible four points after back-to-back overtime losses to Tri-City and Spokane. The Giants have secured at least a point in their last six straight games and sit in eighth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Prince George Cougars and three points behind the Thunderbirds. Cain Franson has been hot of late for the G-Men as he rides a six game point streak into Friday night's contest.

After a strong start to the season that saw the T-Birds win eight of their first ten games, the Seattle squad has come crashing back down to earth in November. Since the start of the month, the Thunderbirds have gone 1-5-1-1, and their opponents have averaged over 4.6 goals-per-game in that stretch. Anaheim Ducks draft pick Shea Theodore leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 14 assists from the blue line.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:30pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 7:00pm.)

Vancouver Giants This Week: November 21, 2013

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Chiefs Come Back to Beat Giants in OT

Carter Proft scored the winning goal 1:14 into overtime as the Spokane Chiefs came from behind to defeat the Vancouver Giants 5-4 on Wednesday night. Carter Popoff, Trent Lofthouse, Cain Franson
and Dalton Thrower scored for Vancouver in the loss.

The Giants got into penalty trouble early in the first, and the Chiefs made them pay for it. Tim Traber took a roughing minor off the opening face-off, and Mike Aviani found the net in the first minute, knocking a centring pass from Mitch Holmberg past Payton Lee to put Spokane ahead. The G-Men responded to tie the game later in the period with a shorthanded goal when Popoff forced a turnover at the Chiefs' blue line and skated in alone on Spokane goalie Eric Williams, scoring with a deke to the forehand. However, the Chiefs would retake the lead a couple of minutes later when Connor Chartier chipped a rebound into the Vancouver net as Mason Geertsen looked on from the penalty box.

The G-Men tied the game in the first two minutes of the middle frame when Lofthouse walked down the left wing and fired a hard wrister into the top right corner of the net. Franson put Vancouver ahead just after the midway mark of the period when he picked off a pass in the Spokane zone and found himself alone in the slot where he beat Williams cleanly for his seventh of the season.

The Giants extended the lead in the third when Thrower wired a slap shot from the point on the power play that found the back of the net to make it 4-2. But the Chiefs stormed back. Holmberg, the WHL's leading scorer, tallied a pretty goal on a breakaway before Jeremy McIntosh beat Lee on a point shot to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Spokane picked up the win when Tyler King stepped into a hard slapper from the right point, and Carter Proft tipped it into the net to end the game.

The Giants picked up two of a possible four points on their US road trip. They will now return home to host the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night. The face-off is set for 7:30pm. Call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com for tickets.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Tyler King - Spokane
2. Mitch Holmberg - Spokane
3. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Chiefs

The Vancouver Giants (10-11-3-1) will play their second game in as many nights when they visit the Spokane Chiefs (15-7-0-1) on Wednesday evening. The game will mark the second and final meeting between the teams this season. The Chiefs took the first game 6-4 at the Pacific Coliseum on November 1st.

Vancouver is coming off a disappointing 2-1 overtime loss to the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick on Tuesday night. Despite heavily outshooting the Americans, the G-Men had to settle for the single point. Vancouver now has a record of 1-5-2-0 against teams from the US Division. The Giants were unable to score on the power play on Tuesday, but they also didn't concede any power play goals. The Vancouver penalty kill currently sits fifth in the WHL at 83.04 per cent.

The Chiefs haven't played since Saturday when they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Regina Pats on home ice. Mitch Holmberg and Mike Aviani have continued to do the bulk of the offensive heavy lifting for Spokane. Holmberg leads the WHL in points with 55 while Aviani sits in sixth with 35 points. The Chiefs also boast the second best power play in the league as they've scored on 28.57 per cent of their power play opportunities.

Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Coliseum; Spokane, WA

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Giants Drop OT Decision in Tri-City

Parker Bowles scored in overtime to lift the Tri-City Americans to a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Giants at the Toyota Center on Tuesday night. Travis McEvoy had the lone goal for the Giants who outshot the Americans 38-17 in a losing cause.

The Giants dominated the opening period, peppering 16-year-old goaltender Evan Sarthou with a number of shots. McEvoy and Dalton Thrower both hit goal posts early in the game while Jackson Houck was stopped on a great chance as well. The G-Men finally found the net when McEvoy found himself alone in front of the net and was able to knock the rebound of a Thrower point shot across the goal line. The Americans found an equalizer late in the period after a turnover in the Vancouver zone allowed Connor Rankin to get a shot away, and Brian Williams buried the rebound to even the score with less than eight seconds to go in the stanza.

Much like the game between the two teams in Vancouver on Saturday, the rest of the night was a defensive showdown. Neither side scored in the second period, and both goaltenders came up big at different points. Jared Rathjen made a big breakaway save on Brian Williams late in the period to keep the game tied at 1-1.

The Giants controlled the majority of the third period but Sarthou stood strong. Vancouver was given a power play in the late stages of the frame, but despite a number of chances, the G-Men couldn't find a go-ahead goal. Rathjen was called into action again before the end of the third when he made a big right pad save on Braden Purtill on a partial break to send the game to overtime.

Bowles ended the game 1:32 into the extra period when a turnover at the Vancouver blue line allowed him to walk in alone on net, and he beat Rathjen between the legs to secure the victory for the Americans.

The Giants will wrap up their two-game trip in the US on Wednesday evening against the Spokane Chiefs. Hear the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the opening face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Evan Sarthou - Tri-City
2. Parker Bowles - Tri-City
3. Jared Rathjen - Vancouver

Cooke Dealt to Warriors

The Vancouver Giants shipped forward Scott Cooke to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday in exchange for a sixth round bantam draft pick. Cooke has yet to play a regular season game this year after missing time with a lower body injury.

Here's the release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants have traded 19-year old forward Scott Cooke to the Moose Jaw Warriors for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.

Cooke played 79 games with the Giants over the last four seasons, registering 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) and 171 penalty minutes in those games. The White Rock native has yet to play a game this season because of injury.

"Scott has been a heart and soul player and person for this organization," said Giants' Executive Vice President and General Manager Scott Bonner. "We'd like to thank him for his contributions and wish him all the best in Moose Jaw."

Cooke's Stats:

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Americans

The Vancouver Giants (10-11-2-1) will play the first of a two game US Division road trip when they visit the Tri-City Americans (13-10-0-2) on Tuesday evening. The G-Men are coming off a 5-2 win over Tri-City at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday night.

Vancouver scored five goals in the third period on Saturday after the game remained scoreless through 40 minutes. The victory over the Americans marked the first win for the G-Men against a US Division team as Vancouver has now gone 1-5-1-0 against teams from south of the 49th parallel. Carter Popoff had a goal and two assists in the win. The 18-year-old now has six goals and 20 assists on the season and sits tied with Brett Kulak for the team lead in points.

Despite the loss to Vancouver, the Americans have won five of their last seven games. Tri-City has also been very good at home, winning eight of 11 games at the Toyota Center this season. The Americans also have the fourth best penalty kill in the WHL as they've allowed only 16 goals on 100 shorthanded situations. Brian Williams and Connor Rankin have done the bulk of the scoring for Tri-City this year as the two forward have combined for 49 points.

Where: Toyota Center; Kennewick, WA

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Eder Reassigned to Munich

The Giants announced on Monday that German forward Andreas Eder has been re-assigned to Munich. The 17-year-old scored two goals in 18 games with the Giants, finding the net against the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos during Vancouver's six-game East Division road trip. Eder had been a healthy scratch in a number of games in recent weeks.

Here's the release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants have reassigned 17-year old German forward Andreas Eder to Munich.

Eder, who was selected 61st overall in the 2013 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft by the Giants, had 2 goals and 1 assist (3 points) in 18 games with Vancouver.

"Andy is a great kid but with the returning players, we didn't feel it was fair to keep him if he wasn't going to dress every game," said Giants' Executive Vice President and General Manager Scott Bonner. "He's only 17 and needs to develop his play."

Eder's Stats:

Giants Defeat Americans 5-2

Carter Popoff had a three point night to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday night. The Giants got goals from Popoff, Dalton Thrower, Tyler Morrison, Cain Franson and Jackson Houck to pick up their first win over a US Division team this season.

The game was scoreless after one period, but it was the Giants who had the better of the chances in the opening frame. Tyler Benson, who made his WHL debut, had an early chance at the side of the net before Franson was stopped by Americans goalie Eric Comrie on a partial break. Vancouver had to kill off a lengthy Tri-City power play as well after Mason Geertsen took two minor penalties on the same play, but the Giants penalty kill, which only allowed one goal on eight opportunities against Medicine Hat on Friday, was successful in keeping the Americans off the board.

Franson was denied again early in the second when he hammered a one-timer off Comrie's mask from the right circle while Giants goalie Payton Lee made a couple of big saves in the latter half of the middle stanza including an impressive stop with his right pad on a redirected Tri-City point shot. Comrie responded with a few nice saves of his own on a Vancouver power play late in the period, stopping a Brett Kulak point shot and denying Houck on the rebound as well to keep the game scoreless through 40 minutes.

The Americans got into penalty trouble early in the third, and the Giants finally opened the scoring 1:37 into the period when Popoff beat Comrie with a one-timer from the top of the left circle on the man advantage. Shortly thereafter, the G-Men went to the power play again, and Thrower netted his seventh of the season on a slap shot from the right boards that found the top left corner. Connor Rankin put the Americans on the board when he walked out of the right corner and beat Lee from in close on a Tri-City power play, but Morrison answered back for Vancouver with a long wrist shot that got through Comrie to make it 3-1. Mitch Topping would pull Tri-City to within one, but Franson and Houck added empty netters to clinch the victory for Vancouver.

The Giants will now head south of the border for a two game trip to Tri-City and Spokane. The G-Men and Americans will renew acquaintances on Tuesday night. Catch the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Carter Popoff - Vancouver
2. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver
3. Mitch Topping - Tri-City

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Americans

The Vancouver Giants (9-11-2-1) will host the Tri-City Americans (13-9-0-2) on Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. The game marks the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Americans swept the season series last year, going 4-0 against Vancouver.

Saturday will be a big night at the Coliseum. The Giants will wear special uniforms to honour the 1945-46 Vancouver White Spots of the Pacific Coast Junior League, and Gordie Howe will be on hand for the ceremonial puck drop. First overall pick Tyler Benson will make his WHL debut for the G-Men as well. The 15-year-old has 43 points in 20 games with the Pursuit of Excellence program in the Okanagan. Vancouver is coming off a 3-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday evening.

The Americans played at home on Friday as they defeated the Regina Pats 5-3. Tri-City sits in fifth in the Western Conference, seven points up on the eighth place Giants. Brian Williams leads the Americans offensively with 18 goals and nine assists in 24 games while goaltender Eric Comrie has been solid with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. He's also posted two shutouts.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Rathjen Backstops Giants to Win Over Tigers

Jared Rathjen made 31 saves to help the Vancouver Giants to a 3-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday evening. The G-Men got goals from Ty Ronning, Jackson Houck and Dalton Sward in the victory.

Ronning gave Vancouver the early lead 5:03 into the game when Brett Kulak drove the net, and the 16-year-old was there to chip the rebound past Tigers goalie Daniel Wapple for his third of the season. Vancouver was given a five-on-three power play later in the period after Ty Stanton and Cole Sanford took penalties for Medicine Hat, and Houck converted on the man advantage to double the Giants' lead. The G-Men added another goal before the end of the first when Sward willed the puck over the goal line on a wraparound.

The second period was much quieter than the first. Neither side generated many scoring chances until the Tigers found their first of the game when Tommy Vannelli wired a slap shot past Rathjen from the left circle on the power play. Houck was robbed by Wapple in the late going as the Medicine Hat goaltender made a nice right pad save to keep the puck out.

Rathjen came up big for the Giants in the third, making a couple of huge stops as the Tigers turned up the pressure, trying to fight back into the game. Miles Koules did find the net with his eighth of the season, but Rathjen stood strong the rest of the period, making a couple of phenomenal stops in the final minute when the Tigers had their goalie pulled. Emotions boiled over at the end of the game with a large scrum around the Vancouver net. Dalton Thrower and Hunter Shinkaruk dropped the gloves with Thrower picking up a decisive victory.

The Giants will be right back at it at the Coliseum on Saturday for White Spot Legends night. The G-Men will wear special jerseys, Gordie Howe will be on hand for the ceremonial face-off and first overall bantam pick Tyler Benson will make his WHL debut. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Jared Rathjen - Vancouver
2. Dalton Sward - Vancouver
3. Tommy Vannelli - Medicine Hat

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Tigers

The Vancouver Giants (8-11-2-1) will host the Eastern Conference leading Medicine Hat Tigers (15-3-3-0) on Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum. The match-up is the first of two meetings in the season series between the teams. The Tigers will be back at the Coliseum on January 22nd.

The Giants had a good week of practice after falling to the Everett Silvertips in overtime on Monday afternoon. The G-Men sit one point back of the Prince George Cougars for eighth in the Western Conference, but Vancouver holds two games in hand. Friday's game will be an opportunity for the Giants to improve their record against Eastern Conference teams as Vancouver has gone 1-5-1-1 against teams from the East, with their lone victory coming over the Calgary Hitmen in overtime.

The Tigers enter Friday's action as the second best team in the WHL, sitting only one point back of the Portland Winterhawks. The game against the Giants will be the fourth of a five game road trip for Medicine Hat. The Tigers have won their last four in a row as well as eight of their last nine games. The Medicine Hat club is led by Canucks first rounder Hunter Shinkaruk who has five goals and eight assists in 13 games this year.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:30pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Round Table starts at 6:00pm.)

Elson Joins Giants

The Vancouver Giants announced on Thursday that forward Trace Elson has joined the team. Elson was the leading scorer on the Whitecourt Wolverines of the AJHL, prior to joining the G-Men. The 18-year-old put up two assists in four games for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge en route to a bronze medal earlier this month.

Here's the full release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants have added 18-year old right-winger Trace Elson to their active roster after being placed on their Protected Player List earlier in the season.

The St. Albert native was the captain of the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL).

Elson had been leading the AJHL in scoring with 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 20 games for the Wolverines when he left to represent Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge.

The 5'10", 181lbs forward played five games with the Red Deer Rebels in the 2011-2012 season where he registered an assist.

Vancouver Giants This Week: November 14, 2013

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G-Men Fall to Everett in OT

Ivan Nikolishin scored 1:07 into overtime as the Everett Silvertips edged the Vancouver Giants 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Comcast Arena. Vancouver got goals from Dalton Sward, Trent Lofthouse and Carter Popoff in the loss.

Neither team found the net in the first period, despite scrambles at both ends of the ice. Payton Lee made a big save on Joshua Winquist on a shorthanded breakaway while Thomas Foster and Joel Hamilton both had good chances in the Everett end as well, but the game remained scoreless through 20 minutes.

Sward gave the Giants the lead early in the second period when he forced a turnover at the Silvertips’ blue line and skated in all alone, beating Daniel Cotton cleanly. Everett responded with an equalizer 59 seconds later as Darcy DeRoose shoveled a rebound past Lee for his first WHL goal. The Silvertips took the lead late in the middle frame on Winquist’s 16th of the season as he completed a nice passing play that also involved Mirco Mueller and Manraj Hayer.

Vancouver tied the game in the first minute of the third when Lofthouse deflected a Brett Kulak point shot into the Everett goal, but Carson Stadnyk restored the Silvertips’ lead just before the six-minute mark when his centring pass off the right wing tipped off Mason Geertsen and into the Vancouver net. Popoff made it 3-3 late in the third, scoring on the backhand after a good pass from Sward off the left wing.

The Silvertips ended the game in the extra period after Lee came out of his net to handle the puck and turned it over to Jujhar Khaira, allowing the Everett forward to find Nikolishin in front for the winning goal.

The Giants will be back in action at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night when they host Hunter Shinkaruk and the Medicine Hat Tigers. The puck drop is set for 7:30pm. For ticket information, visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Manraj Hayer - Everett
2. Dalton Sward - Vancouver
3. Darcy DeRoose - Everett

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Silvertips

The Vancouver Giants (8-11-1-1) will visit the Everett Silvertips (13-3-3-0) on Monday afternoon in the third meeting in the season series between the two teams. The G-Men are 0-2 against the 'Tips after 4-1 and 6-5 losses on September 27th and October 25th respectively.

Vancouver is coming off a big 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night at the Coliseum. Brett Kulak scored twice while Jackson Houck had a goal as well. Both Kulak and Houck sit tied for the team lead in goals with nine apiece while Kulak leads the team in points with 22. The G-Men have had a tough time against teams in the US Division thus far, going 0-5 against clubs from south of the border this season.

The Silvertips also played on Saturday evening, falling 4-3 to the Tri-City Americans in a shootout. Despite the loss, the Everett club has picked up seven of a possible 10 points in the month of November and has only lost twice in regulation time on home ice this year. 20-year-old Joshua Winquist has been a big offensive catalyst for the 'Tips, netting 15 goals and 18 assists in 19 games. Winquist's 33 points are good enough for fourth in league scoring.

Where: Comcast Arena; Everett, WA

When: 2:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 1:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Giants Down Cougars 5-1

Brett Kulak scored two goals while Dmitry Osipov netted his first WHL goal as the Vancouver Giants cruised to a 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. With the victory, the G-Men moved into eighth in the Western Conference.

Kulak opened the scoring for the Giants just over five minutes into the first period when he beat Cougars goalie Ty Edmonds cleanly with a hard slap shot from the point on the power play. Prince George equalized in the late stages of the stanza with a power play marker of their own when Troy Bourke scored with a long shot that eluded Payton Lee.

The G-Men took control of the game in the second. Osipov scored the eventual winning goal at 3:32 with a sharp angle shot from the left circle. Jackson Houck made it 3-1 with his ninth of the year, knocking a rebound past Edmonds who was pulled from the game after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Kulak added another power play marker before the end of the frame, giving the Giants a three goal lead through 40 minutes.

Vancouver controlled the third period as well, out shooting the Cougars 12-4. Tim Traber added the fifth and final goal for the Giants when he beat Brett Zarowny on the short side with a wrister off the left wing.

The Giants will travel down the I-5 on Monday for an afternoon game against the Everett Silvertips. The Pre-Game Show gets underway at 1:30pm followed by the face-off at 2:00pm on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Game Summary

Video Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
2. Jackson Houck - Vancouver
3. Dmitry Osipov - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Cougars

The Vancouver Giants (7-11-1-1) will host the Prince George Cougars (7-10-1-3) at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday evening. The game marks the third meeting between the teams this season. Vancouver is 2-0 in the season series after 6-5 and 3-2 victories in Prince George on October 29th and 30th respectively.

The Giants have been off since Tuesday after falling 3-0 to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday night. Vancouver sits two points ahead of the last place Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference standings while the G-Men are also only two points back of the eighth place Cougars with a game in hand. The Giants have posted an impressive record of 6-1-0-0 against BC Division opponents but are only 2-6-0-0 on home ice this season.

The Cougars played on Friday night, falling 5-2 to the Kelowna Rockets in the Okanagan. Prince George's top two scorers, Chase Witala and Troy Bourke, were both held off the score sheet in the loss. The Cougars have added a new face to their roster since they last faced the Giants as they acquired forward Todd Fiddler from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick. Fiddler has posted 10 points in 15 games played this season.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Vancouver Giants This Week: November 7, 2013

Click here to listen to this week's show.

Jarry Blanks Giants

Delta native Tristan Jarry stopped all 37 shots he faced to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday evening. Cody Corbett, Aaron Irving and Curtis Lazar had the Edmonton goals while Payton Lee made 24 saves between the pipes for Vancouver in a losing cause.

Corbett opened the scoring for the visitors in the first period when he scored off the rush after a nice give-and-go play with former Giant Riley Kieser. Irving extended the Edmonton lead in the latter stages of the stanza when he knocked the rebound of a Brandon Baddock shot past Lee from the high slot.

The Giants turned up the pressure in the second and had a couple of glorious opportunities to get on the board. Jackson Houck nearly scored off a scramble in the Oil Kings' crease but couldn't will the puck into the net. Travis McEvoy thought he had tied the game when Jarry dropped a long shot into his feet, and McEvoy chipped the loose puck into the net, but referee Steve Papp blew his whistle before the puck crossed the line. Vancouver had a flurry of chances around the Edmonton net in the final minute of the frame. Cain Franson batted a puck out of mid-air towards the net, but Jarry made a big save and the G-Men couldn't bury the rebound.

Giants captain Dalton Thrower was levelled behind the Vancouver net in the first minute of the third period when Edmonton's Mitch Moroz laid him out with a questionable hit. There was no penalty called on the play, and Thrower, who remained down on the ice after the high hit, stayed in the game. Edmonton added its third goal of the game with just over five minutes remaining when Lazar scored on a hard snap shot from the high slot.

Vancouver returns to action on Saturday night when the Prince George Cougars visit the Rink on Renfrew. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

3 Stars:

1. Tristan Jarry - Edmonton

2. Riley Kieser - Edmonton

3. Payton Lee - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Oil Kings

The Vancouver Giants (7-10-1-1) will take on the Edmonton Oil Kings (9-7-0-1) at the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday night in the first of three meetings between the teams this season. Edmonton went 2-0 against Vancouver last year, winning both games against the Giants by scores of 5-1 and 5-0.

The Giants are coming off a couple of well deserved days off after a stretch of eight games in 11 days. Vancouver won on the road in Kamloops on Saturday, edging the Blazers 4-3 in a shootout. Jackson Houck had an assist in the win, extending his point streak to seven games. The G-Men have an opportunity to vault themselves into eighth in the Western Conference on Tuesday as a win over the Oil Kings would move Vancouver ahead of the Prince George Cougars in the standings.

The Oil Kings have won four of their last five games and are coming off a Sunday night victory over the Calgary Hitmen. The Edmonton club is led by first round NHL picks Griffin Reinhart, Curtis Lazar and Henrik Samuelsson. The three have combined for 51 points thus far this year while Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tristan Jarry has been strong between the pipes, posting a 2.37 goals-against average in 16 games played.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 or teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Giants Outlast Blazers in Shootout

Brett Kulak scored the winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout to lift the Vancouver Giants to a 4-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers at the Interior Savings Centre on Saturday night. With the win, the Giants have now won four of their last five games and completed a stretch of eight games in 11 days with a record of 5-3. The G-Men got goals from Blake Orban, Dalton Thrower and Thomas Foster.

The Giants opened the scoring 25 seconds into the game when Orban’s shot from the right point found the back of the net as Kamloops goalie Bolton Pouliot couldn’t track the puck through traffic. The Blazers tied the game just after the five minute mark when Collin Shirley, who was acquired from the Kootenay Ice last month, netted his first goal as a Blazer, deflecting a point shot between the legs of Payton Lee.

Vancouver retook the lead on a power play in the second period when Thrower’s slap shot from the point hit the crossbar, bounced off Pouliot’s back and trickled across the goal line.

The Giants held the lead until the latter half of the third period when Nick Chyzowski tallied his first WHL goal to tie the game for Kamloops. Vancouver bounced back to retake the lead just over a minute later when Foster buried a one-timer from the slot after a pretty pass from behind the net by Travis McEvoy. The Blazers wouldn’t be deterred though as Chyzowski went hard to the net and a rebound ricocheted off him and across the goal line to make it 3-3.

Kamloops out shot Vancouver 4-1 in the overtime period, but neither side scored the winner. Cain Franson and Kulak found the net in the shootout while Matt Needham had the lone goal for the Blazers in the skills contest.

The G-Men will be back at the Coliseum on Tuesday evening to face the Edmonton Oil Kings. For ticketing information, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Nick Chyzowski - Kamloops
2. Aspen Sterzer - Kamloops
3. Collin Shirley - Kamloops

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Blazers

The Vancouver Giants (6-10-1-1) will play their third game in the season series with the Kamloops Blazers (5-10-1-0) on Saturday night at the Interior Savings Centre. The G-Men are 2-0 against Kamloops this season as they defeated the Blazers 5-1 on October 18th and 4-1 on October 27th.

Vancouver lost a high scoring affair on home ice Friday night, falling 6-4 to the Spokane Chiefs. Jackson Houck extended his goal scoring streak to four games in the loss. Saturday's match-up will mark the eighth game in 11 nights for the Vancouver club. The G-Men have done well within the BC Division, going 5-1 thus far. Vancouver's only divisional loss came back on the opening night of the regular season against Victoria.

The Blazers last played on Wednesday when they edged Spokane 5-4 on home ice. Aspen Sterzer, who scored just six seconds into Kamloops' last meeting with Vancouver, had two goals in the victory over the Chiefs. Cole Ully also chipped in with three points. The Blazers sit three points back of the Giants in last place in the Western Conference heading into Saturday's game, but Kamloops holds two games in hand on Vancouver.

Where: Interior Savings Centre; Kamloops, BC

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Helewka Scores Four as Chiefs Defeat Giants

Adam Helewka scored four goals to lead the Spokane Chiefs to a 6-4 win over the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night. Jackson Houck, Travis McEvoy, Brett Kulak and Cain Franson had the Vancouver goals in a losing cause.

Giants goalie Jared Rathjen was forced to make a couple of big saves early in the game for Vancouver on a 5-on-3 penalty kill after Mason Geertsen and Travis McEvoy took minor penalties on the same play, but he was equal to the task, keeping the game scoreless. The Chiefs found the opening goal later in the frame when Dominic Zwerger pounced on a loose puck in the slot and wired it off the left post and into the net. Houck would equalize for the Giants before the end of the period when he deflected a Geertsen point shot past Chiefs goalie Eric Williams to extend his goal scoring streak to four games.

Spokane retook the lead at 7:13 of the middle frame when Mike Aviani tapped the puck across the goal line at the right post for his 15th of the season. He nearly scored again a few moments later when Rathjen turned the puck over in his own zone, giving Aviani a shorthanded break, but the Vancouver net minder recovered to make a nice left pad save. The Chiefs made it 3-1 in the latter half of the period when Helewka scored with a wrist shot from the slot.

Helewka netted his second of the evening early in the third with a shot from the high slot through traffic to give Spokane a three goal lead, but McEvoy made it a two-goal game once again when he knocked a Kulak centring feed past Williams off the rush. Kulak found the back of the net himself on the power play with 6:49 to go when his long slapper eluded Williams before Rathjen was called into action once again shortly after Kulak's goal when he stopped Adam Hascic on a breakaway. Helewka struck again on the power play to make it 5-3 and then scored his fourth of the night 30 seconds later to give the Chiefs the needed insurance. Franson picked up his fifth of the year with exactly a minute remaining, hammering a one-timer past Williams from the right circle, but it was too little, too late for Vancouver.

The Giants will head out on the road to face the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday evening. Hear the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show gets underway at 6:30pm, followed by the opening face-off at 7:00pm.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Mitch Holmberg - Spokane
2. Adam Helewka - Spokane
3. Mike Aviani - Spokane

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Chiefs

The Vancouver Giants (6-9-1-1) will host the Spokane Chiefs (11-5-0-0) on Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum in the first of two meetings between the teams this season. Last year, the two clubs split the season series, each winning on home ice.

The G-Men enter Friday's action on a roll after back-to-back wins in Prince George preceded by a win over the Blazers in Kamloops last weekend. Dalton Thrower had the OT winner on Wednesday against the Cougars while Jackson Houck found the back of the net for a third consecutive game to give him seven goals on the season. Jared Rathjen made 34 saves in goal for Vancouver to pick up his first victory of the year.

The big story for the Chiefs this season has been the offensive production of Mitch Holmberg who leads the WHL in points with 38 in 16 games. The Sherwood Park, Alberta native is on pace to put up 81 goals and 90 assists. Entering Friday's action, the Chiefs sit in sixth in the Western Conference but have lost their last two straight after falling to Portland on Saturday before dropping a 5-4 decision in Kamloops on Wednesday night.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:30pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 7:00pm.)

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 or teamradio.ca.