Prime Time Rebels Alumni

On Thursday, the Western Hockey League sent out a release stating 20% of all NHL players who have through the first month of the season are WHL graduates (156 of 778 players).

Here's a list of those players who have suited up for the Red Deer Rebels...

The Day After - Wallin Stands Tall

"I'm still a Red Deer Rebel, I always will be."

No hard feelings.

It would have been quite easy for Jesse Wallin to ride off quietly and leave us all wondering he was thinking. 

Instead, the now former head coach of the Red Deer Rebels invited the local media out for one last chat as his way of saying "thanks" and to share his thoughts on his dismissal.

Rebels: Sutter Makes His Biggest Move Yet

If you thought the winds of chance had already reached gale force levels with the Red Deer Rebels this season... today's events turned things up a couple more notches.

Gone are Jesse Wallin and Charles Inglis.  In comes Jeff Truitt.

The reaction since the news came down at lunch time today has been both large and varied.  I'm not much of a gambler, but I'd be quite confident in wagering that today's events set a new Twitter record for use of the #Rebelshockey hashtag.

Here the "coles notes" version of how the Rebels coaching situation has played itself out...

A Working Class Hero Is Something [Rebels Players Want] To Be

[ Sorry for the long delay between write ups, folks.  The news end of my particular gig has been fairly hectic over the last couple of weeks. ]

It was back to basics for the Red Deer Rebels on Monday as they hit the ice for practice at the Red Deer Arena. 

The Rebels sauntered home over the weekend after going 2-3 on their five game western road trip which (for the record) covered over 2300 kilometres.  The final 700 of those km's were no doubt the most grueling being that they came after a difficult 8-1 loss to the Kelowna Rockets.

With a full week between games [next us is a Saturday night tilt at the Enmax Centrium versus Swift Current] the Rebels finally get a chance to do some real solid prep work for what will be an important stretch of games leading up to the holiday break.

Rebels - Special Teams... Special Indeed

'The killers' have definitely been 'Mr. Brightside' for the Red Deer Rebels.

Despite their penchant for taking some inopportune penalties, the Rebels penalty killing unit has been nothing short of superb in recent games.

Heading into tonight's game at the Enmax Centrium versus the Regina Pats, the Rebels have killed off 66 of their 79 shorthanded situations.  A success rate of 83.5% (one tenth of a percentage point behind fourth place Kelowna.).  Even more more impressive is the fact that the Rebels are 29/30 on the PK over their past 7 games (thanks to Mooner for pointing that out to me).  The team's record over those games... 4-2-1-0, 9 points out a possible 14.

Brent Sutter Takes Over As Rebels GM

He'd long been thinking about making a move to bring a General Manager.  In the end, he needed look no further than in the mirror to find his man.

This afternoon, Red Deer Rebels Owner/President Brent Sutter announced that is taking over as the team's General Manager.

Jesse Wallin will now focus solely on his head coaching duties.

A New Hope

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

Cheesy Star Wars reference?  Absolutely. 

Applicable to the Red Deer Rebels?  Absolutely.

The Rebels are making it very clear that the disastrous, injury-riddled 2012-2013 season is now a thing of the past... the very distant past... and that this is their time to 'strike back!' (insert lightsaber sound effect here)

Rebels Trim Coaching Staff

Chris Neiszner

There will be one less man behind the Red Deer Rebels bench this season.

GM and Head Coach Jesse Wallin announced that the Rebels have not renewed the contract of Assistant Coach Chris Neiszner for the 2012-13 season.

Neiszner, who played four seasons with the Rebels from 2001-05, joined the team's coaching staff prior to the 2010-11 season.

In announcing the move, Wallin made it clear the decision was not based on performance... but instead on the return of some 'help from above."

Rebels Report - Dumba, Bartosak, and Bittner (the new guy)

Got a quick pic with 
Evgeni Malkin while in Vegas.

I'm Baaaack!

What a lovely change it was for this guy to go from sunny and 40+ degrees Celsius in Las Vegas to rainy and 15 degrees back here in Red Deer .  But I suppose a guy has to put up with that kind of thing after having a great time over five days in Sin City.  I'll survive.

There was some hockey flavour to my trip as my buddy and I dropped in on an NHL Awards 'after party' last Wednesday night.  It was pretty cool to be 'just a fan' for a night and meet current NHLers like Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Alfredsson, and Twitter legend Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0).  And, even as a life long Flames fan, it was quite a thrill to meet Mark Messier.  There were plenty more NHLers in the building, unfortunately my knack for recognizing faces isn't what it should be for a guy in my position (though I did manage to shake hands with Henrik Lundqvist).  Regardless, it was a great way to start a holiday.

Rebels Prospects Camp Review

The 2012 edition of Red Deer Rebels Prospects Camp is in the books.

There were no big surprises at this particular camp, which is really a good thing.  As mentioned in my previous blog, prospects camp is all about welcoming the new kids to the Rebels program and evaluating the progress of those who were welcomed last year.

New Kids In Town

What better way to celebrate the arrival of June than to hit the ice for hockey practice!

This weekend, 21 skaters and 3 goaltenders will hit the ice at the Penhold Multiplex for the 2012 Red Deer Rebels Spring Prospects Camp. 

Canada Wins U-18 Bronze, Dumba Named Top Defenceman

Before you ask... no, I did not wake up at 4am to watch this morning's bronze medal game at the World U-18 Hockey Championship.  But I did make my way to the office in time to chat with Mathew Dumba for a few minutes.

Dumba had three assists in Canada's 5-4 OT win over Finland to win bronze to finish the tournament with 5 goals and 7 assists.  He was a fairly easy choice as the Top Defenceman for the tournament.

Here's the transcript of my chat with Mat...

TG - Congrats on winning the bronze, Mat.  What are your overall thoughts on today's game?
MD - "It was a really good game by us.  We came out in the first really strong, up 2-0 going into the second.  The we took 10 minutes in penalties and we were killing the whole period.  That was tough to be in penalty trouble and the Finns are pretty feisty and they fought back just like we expected them too.  But it's a bronze medal [for us] and something to go home with.  Both teams really played hard and in the end we just kinda out-willed them.  We greased one out and it was good to see." 

TG - Was it tough for you guys to get motivated for today's game?  Bronze medal games aren't always easy for Canadian teams to get up for.MD - "No, it wasn't at all.  We've come all this way and to lose and not get anything from it would have been terrible.  It would have been a major failure for us and Hockey Canada.  We wanted to do something to take a little bit of pride home and have that [medal] in our bag to say we won something.  A medal is still a medal.  It's still a world championship with the best teams in the world so we're just satisfied taking home a bronze medal."
TG - You guys played probably your worst game of the tournament in losing 4-3 to Finland in the round-robin.  There must have been some motivation in getting another shot at them in the bronze medal game?MD - "Yeah, for sure.  We really didn't show them our best game in our first game.  But all the teams in this tournament get better in each game and today really showed that.  Both teams had got better and it was a really fast-paced game, high tempo and a lot of fun."

TG - You obviously put up a top of points at the tournament [led all skaters with 12 points] but were you happy with your individual play overall?
MD - "I was very happy with my point production, I kinda just got luck with all of that.  I got on a roll and it was nice but I think I also did a good job of playing defence and shutting down some key players in the tournament.  I maybe would've liked some plays back on the defensive end of things but the tournament goes by way too fast to dwell on those little things.  You just gotta be mentally tough battle through that stuff and I felt I did a really good job of that."

TG - This is the second straight overseas tournament in which you've led Team Canada in scoring [2011 Ivan Hlikna Memorial was the other] obviously something about European-style hockey suits your game.
MD - "Yeah, I guess so.  It kinda just puts me into a position where I can skate, get the puck on net and have a lot of opportunities.  I was pretty fortunate to be placed here in the positions that I was.  To have that powerplay time and be looked at as one of the key players on the team, I just embraced that as much as I could."
TG - Now that the tournament is over, talk about the fun you're having there [Czech Republic] off the ice.
MD - "It's a totally different world over here.  It's fun coming here.  Just to see the scenery and the history that is here is amazing.  Kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm so thankful for it."

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A few other quick thoughts...

- Dumba's play at the U-18's was, for lack of a better term, typical 'Dumba Hockey.'  He was a juggernaut offensively while still having a few off-moments in his own end (as he admitted to in our chat).  But he certainly responded well after being criticized in the wake of his drop in draft ranking.  Next up on his agenda... what is sure to be a long list of NHL teams calling him for pre-draft interviews leading up to June 22nd in Pittsburgh

- Jesse Wallin's coaching resume becomes even more impressive with the job he did at the U-18's.  Canada was right there in every game they played against teams which for the most part are together year-round.  In the case of the USA they have been together for two full years and Canada pushed them to the limit, twice.  The Rebels definitely have the right man at the helm as they look to re-group and get back into the WHL playoffs in 2012-13.

- Hunter Shinkaruk's third goal of the bronze medal game was the overtime winner.  He had 49 goals for Medicine Hat as a 17-year-old.  Even with Emerson Etem moving on is it a stretch to think he could net 60 goals next season? (as Etem did this year)

- Huge props to Cam Moon for getting me Dumba and Wallin to chat with throughout the tournament.  No doubt Mooner has had a great time being with the team in the Czech Republic, will be fun to chat with him when he gets back to Red Deer.

Canada Beats Russia / Catching Up With Kudrna

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A Tough Loss But Strong Showing For Canada's U-18's

It's rare that a Canadian national hockey team can feel good after a loss at any level. But the U-18's definitely have that right after what we saw from them yesterday.

Jesse Wallin's crew battled hard but came up just short in a 5-3 loss to the heavily favoured Americans in Brno, Czech Republic.

Yes, it was a loss. But as Wallin told the Canadian Press he feels his squad is more than ready for the medal round.

“We grew as a team today and that's what we had to do,'' he said. “We have to be that much better for our next game. We can't hang our heads, we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep getting better, keep plugging away and stay the course here.''

Mathew Dumba had another eventful game at both ends of the rink.

On the good side, Dumba netted a goal and an assist for the fourth straight game (earning him player of the games honours for Canada). He now leads all skaters at the tournament with eight points. On the bad side, he was on for two more goals against (albeit one was a powerplay goal by the Americans) in another perfect showcase for Dumba's high risk, high reward style of play.

And what a nice addition Hunter Shinkaruk has been to Canada's roster. He was a late arrival once Medicine Hat was knocked out of the WHL playoffs, but he was solid yesterday in netting a goal and an assist of his own versus the Americans. Brandon Wheat Kings blueliner Ryan Pulock also scored for Canada meaning all three goals in yesterday's game came from Western Hockey Leaguers!

Canada will now hit the ice for quarter-finals action tomorrow (Thursday) versus Russia.

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Once upon a time, there was a time when the name "Raffi" brought to mind warm thoughts of a beloved children's entertainer known for such classics as "Baby Beluga" and "Down By The Bay."

Sadly, Raffi Torres has ruined that for me.

With yet another predatorial hit last night, this time on Chicago's Marian Hossa, the Phoenix Coyotes winger enraged hockey fans yet again. Ironically, the hit came one later to the exact day after Torres (while with Vancouver) nailed Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook with a high hit.

I don't have enough time or desire to re-type Torres' full list of transgressions but safe to say he's done it way too often.

Bottom line... if Sherriff Brendan Shanahan does not do us all a favour and throw the book at him then he himself should perhaps given the boot. Mind you, Shanny has been quite a busy man over the past week or so. He's already dished out more suspensions in the first round than we saw during all of last year's playoffs. Intensity is one thing. But players are crossing the line and not just by a little bit.

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Next year at this time the Bentley Generals will be hosting the 2013 Allan Cup right here in Red Deer. The 2012 AC is on right now in Lloydminster. Today marks day three of round-robin action. Check out www.allancup.ca for all the latest.

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"An Important 'Czech Mark' for Team Canada"

A good bounce back effort for Team Canada today at the World Under-18 Hockey Championship.

Mathew Dumba had a goal and an assist (for the third straight game) as Canada beat the host Czech Republic 6-2, improving their round-robin record to 2-1.

During a quick phone chat right after the game, Wallin told me he really liked what he saw in what he called a 'game seven' situation for his squad.

"It's early in the tournament to be in that position but things happen that quickly. I thought the guys really responded to the challenge. They stepped up."

"We came off a game the other night against Finland where we were just absolutely rotten." Wallin told me, in reference to Canada's 4-3 loss on Saturday. "We had guys on their own page and everybody was cheating, not playing systems and whatnot."

Today's was an important win for Canada in that it clinched them a spot in the quarterfinals. It also sets up a showdown for first place in their pool versus the United States. The task will be a daunting one to say the least.

"The U.S. is undefeated in the tournament, they haven't given up a goal yet. They're a team that's been together for two years so they know each other well and are very organized."

That being said, Wallin is confident that his team has what it takes to get the job done.

"We've got a real good group of players. They're great people, they've really gelled well off the ice. But ultimately the game is played on the ice and they have to play together as a team. And today I really thought they took a step in the right direction."

Wednesday's game versus the United States starts at noon Alberta time and will be shown on TSN.

(NOTE - Thanks to Cam Moon for tearing Jesse away from a conversation with Steve Yzerman so that we could have our phone interview. Sorry about that, Stevie!)

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As we ended our chat, I quickly asked Jesse for a quick thought on Brent Sutter. It's been an eventful few days for Wallin's mentor and Rebels boss. But as you would expect with all that he's been up to, Wallin didn't have much to say at this time.

"I haven't talked to anyone back there [Red Deer] other than my wife so I've only caught what she's told me and what I've found on the internet. He's an excellent hockey coach and I'm excited that he got the opportunity for the World Championships. He'll do an excellent job there."

Sutter Sacked, Bitz Sits While Weber Walks

I have always been a firm believer in "three and out" when it comes to sports.

If a head coach can't make significant progress within three years time... whether it be winning a championship or making the playoffs depending on your goal, or ever just a significant improvement in the standings... then it's time to make a change.

Therefore, it certainly did not surprise me (not that it surprised many others) to see the Calgary Flames and Brent Sutter go their separate ways.

As much as I like Brent as a coach, he really did do a great job while trying to succeed with an extremely inadequate Flames roster, the time for change was obvious. The scary question for Flames is what kind of change is in store?

Earlier this week, Sutter made it clear that he would be more than comfortable in coming back next season to guide a younger, rebuilding Flames team. Days later, he is on the outside. Does that mean GM Jay Feaster (along with President Ken King and principle owner Murray Edwards) are stuck in the 're-tool not re-build' mindset? You have to think that's the case otherwise Sutter would be an ideal candidate to lead such a rebuild given his track record of working with younger players.

That being said (as first tossed out there by @reb_rebellion) would Sutter be a good fit behind the bench in Edmonton? He probably would.

Anyhoo... Brent will no doubt take plenty of time before deciding on his next move. Don't rule out the possibility of him coaching Canada's entry at the World Hockey Championship.

One thing I can most certain of... Jesse Wallin isn't going anywhere. He is firmly entrenched at the Red Deer Rebels' General Manager and Head Coach. And deservedly so as he's doing an admirable job in both roles (though I did have some fans actually tell me he should have been fired after this past season). If Brent does not end up working in the NHL next season, my expectation would be to see him carry out his role as Rebels Owner / President with more of a first hand presence... while also doing a bit more ranchin' out at the homestead.

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Good to see the NHL come down on Vancouver's Byron Bitz, suspending him for two games for his hit to the head on Los Angeles forward Kyle Clifford (who, by the way, will not be playing for the Kings tonight in game two).

Sadly, Sheriff Shanahan dropped the ball by not doing the same with Nashville's Shea Weber. At a time when the NHL is supposedly taking hardline stance on head shots, Weber essentially got a free pass for driving Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass (from behind at that). Regardless of the fact that the Detroit star forward was not seriously injured on the play, Weber's intent to inflict injury was apparent. It was a potentially dangerous play that is simply unacceptable... will be quite interesting to see what happens should a similar incident happen again at some point during the playoffs.

Czeching In with Jesse Wallin

We will find out sometime today what Canada's team will look like for the World U-18 Hockey Championship.

Two things are certain... Mathew Dumba will be on the roster (and is a good bet to wear the "C"). Jesse Wallin will have this team working its collective arses off during each and every shift.

Wallin (along with the voice of the Rebels Cam Moon, who gets the sweet gig of doing media relations for the team) is currently in Toronto. That's where the squad will assemble before heading to the Czech Republic later this week.

Assembling a team for the U-18's is much like it is for the World Championship, you don't necessarily get to choose from the 'cream of the crop' when it comes to players. Nevertheless, Wallin is confident his assembled crew will be a competitive one.

"Our goaltending sounds like it's gonna be solid" Wallin told me when I stopped by his office on Monday. "Our defence, we should have four real solid guys and some good depth. And up front, we're gonna have a good mix of size and skill on our top couple of lines."

"A lot of players are still playing with their club teams so you're basically taking the best of what's available. But at the same time, I think we've got some depth in our country and it may not be the best team we could put together [if we had the whole crop to choose from] but yet I think we'll still put a pretty competitive team together."

As most of you know, this is Wallin's second go-round with the U-18's. He served as an Assistant Coach under Pat Quinn when Canada won gold in 2008. Wallin doesn't foresee any big differences in his role until the tournament gets underway.

"Pat was quite a presence and, of course, very experienced. We just kinda worked around him and supported him. So this time certainly having to be the guy taking that lead will be a great challenge for me, but it's definitely one I'm excited about.

Given the nature of the U-18 tournament, Wallin says having previous experience will definitely come in handy.

"I don't know of any other situation where it happens quite like this. There's no training camp whatsoever. It's just get the team together, get on the plane and go overseas. You really have to get your team to bond in a hurry."

We'll get our first look at how things are coming together when Canada takes on Denmark for its first game of the tournament next Thursday (12th) versus Denmark.

HERE'S THE FULL AUDIO FROM MY CHAT WITH WALLIN THIS PAST MONDAY.

NOTES... Wallin is also looking forward to visiting with some familiar faces while in the Czech Republic (his first time in the country in what will be his fifth trip to Europe overall). Rebels goalie Patrik Bartosak has promised to drop by for at least one day to visit with his junior coach (and his teammate Dumba for that matter). Also, former Rebels sniper Andrej Kudrna, who is playing pro hockey in his native Czech Republic, is hoping to connect with Wallin and Dumba at some point during the tournament.

TNT (Thursday Night Thoughts)

A huge smile came across my face today when I found out that my dear late friend Lorne Starko is being honoured by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

"Coach" Starko, who left us way too early in 2009, is this year's recipient of the Bell Memorial Award which is given each year by the HOF to a distinguished member of Alberta's sports media. Coach is more than deserving of this award for his thirty-plus years of dedicated, passionate coverage of the Red Deer sports scene. Radio. TV. Newspapers. Lorne did it all... and he did it with a smile on his face. Although we all miss him dearly we are all proud of Lorne Starko for the honour he is receiving.

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The Rebels latest injury to forward Turner Elson has left me feeling disappointed in more ways than one.

Firstly, I am disappointed that Turner will be missing both of this weekend's games and quite possibly beyond. He has been a real spark plug for this team on the ice all season long. Off the ice he is one of the "go to" guys when it comes to interviews and can always be counted on for a great sound bite... but that's for me to have to deal with I suppose. Bottom line, its another devastating blow to a Rebels team desperately trying to find a way into the postseason.

Secondly, I am disappointed in the Western Hockey League for its handling of the hit that led to Elson's injury. It occurred in the first period of Tuesday night's game in Moose Jaw as the Warriors' Kenton Miller comes in and drives Elson's head into the glass while he was playing the puck. (you can view the hit at the end of the game's highlight reel at whl.ca) Miller was given just a one game suspension for the hit... not cool!

After watching the hit a couple dozen times, it is clear to me that Miller got off lucky by only being dinged one game. On the play, he targets Elson's head as the primary point of contact and actually rises up as he drives Turner's head into the glass. After some of the multiple game suspensions we have seen the league hand out this season, most notably for the Rebels a six-gamer given to Elson himself and a four-gamer to Petrovic for some dangerous hits last November, a one game suspension in this case is simply unacceptable. So much for taking a hard line stance when it comes to addressing head shots. I admit that supplementary discipline is a touchy issue, but the WHL dropped the ball with this one.

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Sticking with the Rebels... I had a chance to visit today with both Jesse Wallin and Adam Kambeitz before they stepped on the ice for practice.

It goes without saying that Kambeitz is thrilled to be back in the Rebels line up after missing a month with a sprained ankle. The fact that he returned ahead of schedule is an added bonus (his original target date to return was tomorrow vs. Swift Current).

In regards to the Rebels push for a playoff spot, Kambeitz says the players are still feeling loose and feeling confident.

"There's no point in being uptight about anything" noted the Rebels Captain. "We still have an opportunity to make the playoffs and we fully believe in our dressing room that we are going to make the playoffs this year. Obviously we need some help from some other teams. But I think we're just gonna try to stay lose and stay positive and what's gonna happen is gonna happen."

For his part, Wallin is glad to see that his players are taking things in stride as they go about their business.

"We've been trying to approach things that way for the last few weeks. We all understand the situation we're in but squeezing the sticks isn't gonna help any. We know we've got a mountain to climb and we have to take care of our end of the bargain and get all the points that we can."

Admirable talk from the coach and the captain. Unfortunately, the both admit that winning their games isn't enough anymore. They need help, and lots of it, from the out of town scoreboard to erase their eight point deficit.

Here is the full audio from my chats today...

- Jesse Wallin

- Adam Kambeitz

Rebels Kings in Queen City

I suppose you can say that the Red Deer Rebels deserve a 'pat on the back' after their latest win.

Tyson Ness led the way with a goal and an assist as the Rebels beat the Regina Pats last night by a score of 3-2.

The Rebels end their eight game Scotties-induced road trip with a 4-3-1 record. Pretty good by typical standards. But with the Rebels being in the desperate situation that they are in... nine out of a possible sixteen simply isn't enough to help their cause. They are eight points out of a playoff spot with nine games left on their schedule.

Regardless, last night's game was a nice way for GM / Head Coach Jesse Wallin and crew to finish off their extended time away from the Enmax Centrium...

"Just a real gutsy effort at the end of a long trip like this. Feels live we've been gone for two and a half months more so than two and a half weeks. It sometimes can be tough to be engaged at the end of a trip like that and I thought the boys were focused and played really well."

Wallin made particular mention of Ness' solid outing, which earned him first star honours...

"Tenacious. Nesser played the way he does. He was good on the forecheck and good on the penalty kill. He blocked shots and is a talented player and it was good to see him get rewarded with a goal."

Brooks Maxwell and Chad Robinson also scored last night for the Rebels while Deven Dubyk made 20 saves.

Dominik Volek and Jordan Weal each scored powerplay goals for the Pats, who missed out on a chance to move past Saskatoon and into fifth place in the conference.

The Rebels pulled back into town at around 5:30 this morning so today will be rather low key. They return to action at the Enmax Centrium tomorrow night versus Swift Current and Saturday versus Saskatoon.

INJURY NOTE - was hoping to get through the rest of the regular season without having to talk about yet another injury to yet another Rebels veteran, but alas here are... Turner Elson missed last night's game, and will be out for the foreseeable future, after having his bell rung by a hit from behind from Moose Jaw's Kenton Miller on Tuesday. Here's hoping it's nothing serious but it sounds like he could be out a while.

Rebels (Finally) Beat The Tigers!

It was a recipe for disaster.

The Rebels were heading into a road game versus a team they hadn't beaten all season (hardly at all over the past couple of seasons) with just four of their regular defencemen in the lineup. Not gonna lie... I was bracing for the worst.

But those four d-man (Petrovic, Borejko, Thiel, Hak) along with the two call up's (Haydn Fleury, Kevin Pochuk) played admirably in a 6-3 Rebels win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.

They weren't perfect... but they were very, very effective.

GAME SUMMARY

"Hak and Thiel in particular really gave us a lot" coach Jesse Wallin said post-game, "they did a good job of moving the puck, did a real good job of defending. Hakker was out there against Etem and Shinkaruk a lot and did a great job of shutting them down, not giving them a lot."

(Etem still did find a way to score all three Tigers goals. He leads the entire CHL with 47 this season.)

Fleury and Pochuk also held their own in what was a tough spot for the two youngsters.

"They weren't out there a lot, but they did get a fairly regular shift" noted Wallin, "I though they looked comfortable, too. They kept it simple. It was a high-paced game which was an adjustment for them at times. They certainly certainly didn't hurt us and they did a good job of defending."

Once again, the Rebels prospects did an admirable job of stepping up when called upon (ala Feser, Bleackley, Bricker).

No doubt Deven Dubyk was a happy man following last night's game. The 20-year-old netminder earned his first ever win over his former club (while still wearing those gaudy orange pads) making 24 saves in the process.

Tyson Ness, who has been extremely solid for the Rebels of late, scored the first two goals of the game for the Rebels. Charles Inglis scored their next two as he continues to heat up. Turner Elson netted his team leading 19th and John Persson scored the empty netter (actually, he was tripped up while heading in on the empty net and was awarded a goal) to seal the deal.

Once again, the Rebels climb within two points of the Wheaties for the eighth and final playoff spot in the WHL Eastern Conference.

Once again, the Rebels will be challenged to play well in back-to-back games. It certainly won't be easy as they visit the conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday.

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OTHER NOTES...

- The Rebels finish January with a 6-5-1-1 record

- Forward Brooks Maxwell was back in the Rebels lineup after missing a few games with an upper body ailment

- Mathew Dumba will suit up for Team Cherry in tonight's CHL NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna. Last night, he took part in the hardest shot event at the skills competition... clocking in at 91.8 mph.

- Courtesy of @WHLFacts on Twitter... Turner Elson had 14 points in January, the highest total in any single month of his WHL career