(As of 12:01AM)
PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS:
The Prince George Cougars play four of their next six games against the Victoria Royals, including a doubleheader at the CN Centre tonight and Saturday.
The (22-33-4-4) Cougars have two-in-a-row for the first time in nearly three months.
Prince George has just nine games left.
The (35-24-3-2) Royals, who have lost three in a row, sit second in the BC Division, seven points behind the Kelowna Rockets.
The Cougars have two wins (5-4 and 5-3), a loss (7-1) and an overtime loss (5-4) in four meetings with the Royals this season, but the two teams haven’t played each other since late December.
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE:
BC DIVISION STANDINGS:
Kelowna, 64 games = 38-20-4-2 (82 points)
Victoria, 64 games = 35-24-3-2 (75 points)
Vancouver, 62 games = 32-21-6-3 (73 points)
Kamloops, 65 games = 28-32-1-4 (61 points)
Prince George, 63 games = 22-33-4-4 (52 points)
WESTERN CONFERENCE WILD CARD:
Tri-City, 62 games = 32-22-7-1 (72 points)
Seattle, 62 games = 29-24-7-2 (67 points)
Kamloops, 65 games = 28-32-1-4 (61 points)
Prince George, 63 games = 22-33-4-4 (52 points)
PRINCE GEORGE SPRUCE KINGS:
The Prince George Spruce Kings begin their Mainland Division semi-final when they host the Chilliwack Chiefs tonight and Saturday.
The best-of-seven series will shift to Chilliwack for games three and four on Monday and Tuesday.
The Spruce Kings had seven wins and a tie in eight regular season meetings.
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Chiefs-Spruce Kings first round schedule:
GAME 1 = Friday, March 2nd – Chilliwack @ Prince George – 7PM
GAME 2 = Saturday, March 3rd – Chilliwack @ Prince George – 7PM
GAME 3 = Monday, March 5th – Prince George @ Chilliwack – 7PM
GAME 4 = Tuesday, March 6th – Prince George @ Chilliwack – 7PM
**GAME 5 = Thursday, March 8th – Chilliwack @ Prince George – 7PM
**GAME 6 = Saturday, March 10th – Prince George @ Chilliwack – 7PM
**GAME 7 = Sunday, March 11th – Chilliwack @ Prince George – 7PM
**IF NECESSARY
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BCHL:
MAINLAND DIVISION:
Prince George, 58 games = 33-17-4-4 (74 points)
Langley, 58 games = 25-20-10-3 (63 points)
Surrey, 58 games = 26-22-8-2 (62 points)
Chilliwack, 58 games = 26-26-3-3 (58 points)
Coquitlam, 58 games = 15-38-1-4 (35 points)
CARIBOO COUGARS:
The Cariboo Cougars wrap up their regular season on March 10th (3PM) and 11th (10AM) against the fourth-place Okanagan Rockets in Kelowna.
The (29-6-3-0) Major Midget Cougars have the bye this weekend.
Cariboo has a two-point lead over the second place Valley West Hawks, but Valley West has two games in hand.
The (28-5-2-1) Hawks host last place South Island Saturday (6:30PM) and Sunday (12:45PM) in Surrey before concluding at 10th place North Island March 10th and 11th in Nanaimo.
NHL:
Nashville 4 Edmonton 2
The (24-32-8) Vancouver Canucks host (40-14-9) Nashville tonight.
The Predators lead the Western Conference and are three points behind Tampa for first in the overall standings.
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The Canucks have lost Loui Eriksson for the season with a fractured rib.
He was injured on Sunday against Arizona.
The 32-year-old Eriksson has just 23 points (10 goals) in 50 games.
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The Vancouver Canucks have signed the Kelowna Rockets leading scorer, Kole Lind, to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Lind, who had a natural hat trick in Prince George on Wednesday in the Rockets 7-6 loss to the Cougars, was the Canucks second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
The 19-year-old right winger is 10th in WHL scoring with 85 points (35 goals) in 51 games this season.
BC GIRLS AA BASKETBALL PROVINCIALS:
Quarter-Final
#3 G.W. Graham 68 #6 Duchess Park Condors 64
(The Condors, who won their opener 59-32 over Westsyde of Kamloops, are 1-1 and play again at Noon today against Vernon)
UPDATE: Duchess over Vernon 52-39 to advance to 5th-6th place game Saturday at 11:30am
St. Michaels 73 Smithers 57
(#13 Smithers is 0-2 in the 16-team tournament, having lost its opener 62-37 to Okanagan Mission. Smithers will meet Selkirk at 10:15AM today)
UPDATE: Smithers over Selkirk 59-35 to advance to the 13th-14th place game Saturday morning at
10 against Westsyde of Kamloops.
BC JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL PROVINCIALS:
St. John Brebeuf 42 Duchess Park Condors 32
(#8 Duchess Park is 0-2 in the 24-team tournament having lost its opener 48-34 to Kelowna. The Condors face St. Thomas More on the consolation side today at 12:30PM)
UPDATE: Duchess lost to St. Thomas More 44-35
Claremont 55 PGSS Polars 39
(#23 PGSS is 0-2 and will play again today at 8:30AM against Argyle. The Polars lost their first game 58-44 against Pacific Christian)
UPDATE: PGSS beat Argyle 67-56 and NVSS beat Charles Hayes 52-39
Cowichan 39 Nechako Valley 21
(#24 NVSS meets Charles Hayes today at 9:45 a.m. Nechako Valley lost 57-25 to Kelowna in its opener)
CANADA WEST BASKETBALL:
The medal games are featured this weekend in Canada West basketball.
On the women’s side, the Saskatchewan Huskies visit the Regina Cougars tonight for the gold medal.
The Trinity Western Spartans are home Saturday against the Calgary Dinos in the bronze medal game.
Regina, Saskatchewan and the TWU-Calgary winner will all advance to the Nationals.
Cedars Christian grad Kayla Gordon of Trinity Western is in her senior year.
Gordon is a third-team all-star and the Spartans all-time leading scorer.
On the men’s side, the top-ranked Alberta Golden Bears host the Calgary Dinos Saturday night in the championship game.
The Alberta men whipped the UNBC Timberwolves 98-64 and 80-41 in the quarter-finals in Edmonton.
NBA:
The Toronto Raptors visit the (36-26) Washington Wizards tonight in the NBA.
The (43-17) Raptors lead the Eastern Conference by half-a-game over the (44-19) Boston Celtics.
The Wizards are fourth in the Conference, just half-a-game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.
CURLING:
Sixteen teams will compete in the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier which begins this weekend in Regina.
The Wild Card game goes tonight (Mike McEwen vs. Jason Gunnlaugson)
BC, represented by Sean Geall of Kelowna, will play its first game in Pool ‘A’ Saturday night against Team Canada (Brad Gushue).