Americans goalie Alex Pechurskiy got a new set of pads and a new helmet last week. While the pads still need a little seasoning, his helmet is a thing of beauty.

The Western Hockey League website unintentionally cheated Americans defenseman Brock Sutherland of his goal late in the third period against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday.

In Week 20 of the Canadian Hockey League poll, the Americans held on to their No. 4 ranking after earning 3 of 6 points on their Central Division road trip. The Saksatoon Blades moved up one spot to No. 5, while the Brandon Wheat Kings leapfrogged from 10th to eighth. The Saint John Sea Dogs remained in the top spot.

Every time the Americans score five goals or more during a home game, fans can turn in their game ticket for a free burger at Burger Ranch in Kennewick and Pasco.

There are just nine home games remaining for the Americans this season.

The Americans (36-12-0-2) remained in fourth place in the weekly CHL poll after winning two of three games last week.

Kamloops sports editor Gregg Drinnan has his mouse on the pulse of the hockey world. He has sources that many of us can only dream of -- and sources that feed him information like the following:

I was surprised when I peeked into the Spokane radio booth Saturday night at Toyota Center and saw Chiefs PR man Jay Stewart.

Josh Romeike was thrilled to get a call from the Americans to play backup goalie Saturday night against Portland. The only problem was that he had to miss the morning skate because he had to work.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Here's a feature from the Pittsburgh Penguins website about Alex Pechurskiy making his surprise NHL debut.

The Americans jumped from sixth to fourth in this week's CHL poll and are the highest-ranked WHL team in the poll. Saskatoon is sixth, Medicine Hat, making its first appearance, is ninth, while Brandon slipped from ninth to 10th.

The Tri-City Americans are going Nuclear.

KENNEWICK — If it has a motor, Chip Hanauer wants to drive it.

I was so looking forward to watching Mitch McColm play his first game at Toyota Center since his trade last spring to Chilliwack.

In what he thought was just another game on the bench, Josh Romeike came within an hour of getting his first WHL start.

Josh Romeike put on a hockey uniform Friday night for the first time this year, but it wasn't the one he wore for the Tri-City Titans for two seasons.

In the eight seasons I've covered the Americans, I have seen a lot of black eyes, stitches on chins and some pretty nasty bruises, but nothing compares to Brock Hirsche's face.

Olie Kolzig let out a little groan Thursday when he stepped over the boards at the start of practice.

Spencer Asuchak spent nearly a year and a half with the Tri-City Americans, but after having the fight for ice time on a daily basis, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward needed a change of venue.

Don Nachbaur may be 2,600 miles from Toyota Center, but the former Tri-City Americans coach is still winning on New Year's Eve.

The annual New Year's Eve game with Spokane is Thursday. In the 19 previous year's of the game, the Americans lead the series 12-5-0-1 with one tie. Last year, Tri-City beat Spokane 6-1 before a New Year's Eve record crowd of 6,042.

Hockey players in the WHL didn't get much of a Christmas break this year -- about a week from start to finish -- and with games scheduled two days after Christmas, some had a few difficulties getting back.

Don't want to leave the comfort of your couch to watch the Tri-City Americans play on the road? Then don't.

It's Christmas time, so that means mid-season grades for the Americans. I thought it might be fun for the fans to offer up their opinion on overage defenseman Brett Plouffe. I've given you a short synopsis of his season.

Despite winning three of four games last week, the Tri-City Americans (24-9-0-0) remained eighth in this week's Canadian Hockey League poll.

Saturday, the Americans will hold their annual Teddy Bear Toss game against the Portland Winterhawks. Last year, Mitch Fadden scored the first goal to bring a shower of stuffed animals to the ice. Who do you think will score the Americans' first goal this year?

Americans goalie Drew Owsley debuted his new mask a couple of weeks ago, but from where I sit at Toyota Center, it's hard to see exactly what Mr. Owsley had put on his mask. So, I asked to see it.

A couple of wins and the Americans are moving back up the ladder in the CHL poll. Albeit just one spot this week -- from ninth to eighth -- but you have earn your street cred back after dumping a couple of games at home.

A couple of losses over the weekend ended up dropping the Americans two spots in the weekly CHL poll. Tri-City came in at ninth this week, behind fellow WHL teams Saskatoon (fourth) and Calgary (eighth). The Windsor Spitfires remained in the top spot.

I knew something was up Saturday night when I saw Cody Castro give Tanner Olstad a big hug out by the team benches.

Former Americans defenseman Shane Gimas was in the house Wednesday night. I caught up with him down on the concourse enjoying a cold one (they grow up so fast). He's through with college baseball, plays some senior hockey and is working in the oil fields in Saskatchewan. Shane comes back to town once in awhile to see his former billets Steve and Amy. He's here for the weekend and promised me a little time to catch up before he leaves.

At 18-6-0-0, the Americans are one of the top teams in WHL, but their stock fell a point in the CHL poll, coming in at seventh this week, down a spot from sixth.

Celebrating Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November in Canada is hard to do if you are from the United States.

The last time the Vancouver Giants were in town, Todd Kennedy didn't make the trip. A minor fender bender kept the 6-3, 212-pound forward north of the border.

The Americans are one-third of the way through their 72-game schedule heading into tonight's game against Portland.

It's that time of year when general managers start trying to find the missing pieces for their teams.

Today is Veterans Day, or if you are from Canada, Remembrance Day. But no matter where you are from, it's a day to remember those who fought for our freedom and defended our countries.

The Tri-City Americans Booster Club held its annual Bowl with the Americans event Sunday at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick.

I try to keep up with some of the former Americans players. Today, I came across this little tidbit on former D-man Logan Stephenson (2002-06). I'm not surprised by this. Logan always was tough as nails and not one to take any crap. During his three previous seasons in the AHL, he averaged about 90 PIMs a season. He has 15 career fights in the AHL, including two this season.

Goalie Chet Pickard was nearly perfect in his second professional appearance as he led the Milwaukee Admirals to a 2-1 win over the IceHogs in Rockford on Saturday night.

On a day they climbed to fifth in the CHL poll, the Amerians lost a 5-2 game to Chilliwack. By looking at the teams and records in the poll, it may not hurt them too much. No. 1 ranked Calgary lost to Kelowna on Wednesday. We'll see if the mighty fall. You never know what the panel of NHL scouts will do next.

It's nice to see the WHL brass take notice of Brendan Shinnimin.

After losing five straight games after a hot start, the Kamloops Blazers fired coach Barry Smith.

For those of you (me included) who weren’t able to make the trip to Spokane on Saturday for the Americans wild win over the Chiefs, here’s a little clip of Tri-City goalie Drew Owsley robbing Jared Cowen of a goal in the third period.

Riding a 6-game win streak that includes road wins over Kelowna and Vancouver, the Tri-City Americans broke into the CHL Top 10 poll today, coming in at No. 10. Here are the results, voted on by a panel of NHL scouts.

For those of you who took a good look at the Brandon Wheat Kings roster Wednesday night, you would have noticed Wheaton King wearing No. 18.

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been down to the rink for practice. With the team on the road, my son's football games and having to whittle my vacation days down by mid-December, it leaves little time to watch the Americans work on their power play.

If ever there was a good player on a bad team, it's Portland Winterhawks goalie Kurtis Mucha.

Kyle Beach got a standing ovation Saturday night at Toyota Center. In fact, he got two.

He's baaack!