EVERETT – Everett Silvertips coach Kevin Constantine is becoming quite the handyman, what with the way he’s had to piece together the Silvertips’ lineup with wire and string.
Everett heads into the upcoming three-game weekend still trying to scramble together a lineup because of an injury crisis at forward.
Everett played without five forwards in its 4-2 loss to Kootenay on Tuesday, including its top three centers and top three scorers, forcing the Tips to dress nine defensemen. And it’s possible all five of those forwards could be out again this weekend.
“I’ve never seen this before,” said defenseman Ryan Blatchford, who’s had to fill in at center because of all the injuries. “I’ve been on teams that have had a lot of injuries before, but never concentrated in such a position.”
The Tips are hoping some of those players return this weekend. The closest to returning is center Zach Hamill. Hamill missed the last two games because of blurry vision. However, he’s been practicing at full speed.
“We just didn’t want to rush him back,” Constantine said. “He just played six games in a tournament (the U-17 World Hockey Challenge) and went pretty hard there, so we’re not in a rush to get him back. If he wants to play and is ready to play, then fine. But if he’s not 100 percent we won’t push him back in there.”
Leading scorer Torrie Wheat did not practice Thursday, but it’s hoped he will have recovered enough from his bout with the flu to play tonight.
Left wings Tyler Dietrich and Brennan Zasitko remain sidelined with a concussion and a shoulder injury, respectively, and are not expected to play this weekend.
There is some brighter news. Center Mark Kress practiced with the team for the first time in a month Thursday. Kress has been out since suffering a fractured arm against Swift Current on Dec. 4. Kress won’t play this weekend, but may be ready to return the following weekend.
Meanwhile, the Tips will continue to fill their frontline with defensemen Blatchford and Jonathan Harty.
“We don’t really have a choice right now,” Constantine said. “Harty has played his last five games with us as a forward and we definitely don’t think Harty’s a forward, we think he’s a D and Blatch is a D. Right now that’s all we’ve got and Blatch is very versatile, he jumps up there and does fine.”
Doyle visit: Eric Doyle, the Silvertips’ first-round pick in the 2004 Bantam Draft, is scheduled to join the team today for a brief visit.
Doyle, a 15-year-old defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, is meeting the team in Vancouver and will practice with the team through Monday before returning home Tuesday.
Doyle has seven goals and 15 assists in 25 games for the Calgary Buffaloes of the Alberta Midget Hockey League.
Goal reached: Kress is finally getting his hair cut.
The Silvertips reached their goal of raising $10,000 in the Mark Kress Haircut for Cancer promotion. The $10,000 is being donated to the Providence Medical Center cancer patient assistance fund.
Kress will have his hair cut during the first intermission of Sunday’s home game against Spokane. Charlie Lipp of Snohomish, who turned in the winning auction bid, will perform the cut. The hair will be donated to the Locks of Love program.
Scouting report: Tonight’s game is the first of two in two days between Everett (20-14-6-2) and Vancouver (23-17-1-2). Everett is winless against Vancouver this season, losing twice in regulation and once in overtime.
Vancouver was one of the more active teams leading up to last Monday’s trade deadline, adding depth and experience in deals that produced left wing Cam Cunning, center Ryan Costanzo and defenseman Brett Festerling.
However, the Giants’ nucleus is still centers Gilbert Brule and Adam Courchaine. The 17-year-old Brule is leading the league in scoring with 56 points (23 goals, 33 assists), and the 20-year-old Courchaine is tied for seventh with 48 (19 goals, 29 assists).
Eighteen-year-old Marek Schwarz (16-13-1, 2.82 goals against average, .893 save percentage) is back after missing time while playing with the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships. However, 19-year-old defenseman Andrej Meszaros has yet to play since the World Juniors, where he played for Slovakia, because of a rib injury.
Around the WHL: Everett held steady at No. 7 in this week’s Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll. Seattle retained the top spot, receiving all 16 first-place votes. Lethbridge remained in second and Kelowna held third. … Saskatoon defenseman Mike Green was named the WHL Player of the Week for Jan. 3-9. Green had three goals and five assists as Saskatoon went 3-2.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
