They come in droves. Young and old alike. Dressed in team jerseys, waving American flags and tossing confetti.

SPOKANE -- Brendan Shinnimin had two goals and an assist to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-3 victory Saturday over the Spokane Chiefs at Spokane Arena.

No fans, no media, no scouts. The Best of the West voting is done by the insiders — players, management and broadcasters from the 10 clubs in the Western Conference of the Western Hockey League.

In a heated battle between the top two teams in the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks used a combination of speed, skill and solid goaltending to pull within one point of the Tri-City Americans in the standings.

The Portland Winterhawks are climbing the Western Hockey League standings, and just three points separate them from the Tri-City Americans, who have led the U.S. Division pretty much since the start of the season.

The Tri-City Americans and Kamloops Blazers already have secured playoffs spots. Now it's just a matter of where they will finish in the Western Conference standings.

KENNEWICK — Sometimes, what's least expected has the biggest impact.

It seems a good week of practice was just what the Tri-City Americans needed.

KENNEWICK -- It has been almost a year since Michelle Simpson of West Richland was told she had breast cancer.

CALGARY, Alberta -- The Tri-City Americans have gone from winning 13 consecutive games to winning just three of their last 10 games after a 4-1 loss Sunday to the Calgary Hitmen at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

When your last name is Messier, hockey is part of your DNA, and your first shoes are a pair of skates.

RED DEER, Alberta -- Mathew Dumba scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 3-2 victory Friday over the Tri-City Americans at Enmax Centrium.

Brendan Shinnimin scored the game-winning goal with just 32.2 seconds remaining in overtime to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-4 victory Wednesday over the Edmonton Oil Kings at Rexall Place.

KENNEWICK -- Seeing your name come up on the screen during the Western Hockey League bantam draft is exciting. An honor even.

KENNEWICK -- With first place in the Western Conference on the line, it was only fitting the game came down to a shootout.

KENNEWICK -- The Spokane Chiefs did what no other team has done in three months -- beat the Tri-City Americans at Toyota Center.

KENNEWICK -- The Tri-City Americans have held the top spot in the Western Hockey League for weeks, climbing to the top with the help of a 13-game winning streak and a stellar record on home ice.

Despite three losses last week, the Tri-City Americans (34-10-0-0) remained atop the Canadian Hockey League poll for the third consecutive week.

KENNEWICK -- Home sweet home.

PORTLAND -- For just the second time this season, the Tri-City Americans dropped two games in a row.

SPOKANE -- Playing their third road game in four days, the Tri-City Americans finally ran out of gas Saturday night.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Tri-City Americans haven't lost back-to-back games since the second week of the season, and they weren't about to do it again Friday night.

KENNEWICK — Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory announced today that his Western Hockey League club has extended the contract of head coach Jim Hiller.

KENNEWICK -- The Tri-City Americans have put their loss to B.C. Division-leading Kamloops behind them.

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia -- When the target is on your back, eventually someone will hit the bull's-eye.

Bob Tory knows he has a good team, but the general manager of the Tri-City Americans wanted to add a little more icing to the cake.

KENNEWICK -- Today is the Western Hockey League trade deadline, but many general managers in the league were busy at work Monday, tweaking their lineups for the playoff run.

EVERETT -- Home or on the road, the Tri-City Americans keep on winning.

KENNEWICK -- Toyota Center has become a house of horrors for the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Michal Plutnar knew he would have to leave the Czech Republic to pursue his hockey dreams.

Wednesday was like Christmas all over again for the Americans.

KENNEWICK -- In a battle between division leaders, the Tri-City Americans defended home ice Wednesday night in a tilt against the East-leading Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Tri-City Americans finished the first half of their season with a 4-1 victory over Spokane on New Year's Eve.

TECUMSEH, Ontario -- Evan Allen and Hudson Fasching scored two goals apiece as the United States grabbed a semifinal berth at the 2012 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 4-2 win over Pacific in Tecumseh, Ontario.

Last year's New Year's Eve bash between the Tri-City Americans and Spokane Chiefs was put on ice because of a hole in the ice. Saturday night, the only hole was the one Spokane dug for itself.

A short-handed goal in hockey is like a pick-six in football. Both can change the game in a hurry and suck the life out of the opposing team.

KENNEWICK — The last time Tri-City played Kelowna, the Rockets laid a 6-2 hurtin’ on the Americans at Prospera Place.

KENNEWICK -- 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the rink,
Not a creature was stirring, and the Zamboni was catching 20 winks;
The stockings were hung on the dasher boards with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The players were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of the Memorial Cup danced in their heads.

The Tri-City Americans went into the holiday break with the best mark in franchise history at 27-7-0-0 and on an eight-game win streak.

Tri-City Americans forward Patrick Holland was selected WHL Player of the Week on Monday.

KENT -- It's never over until the final horn sounds.

A Merry Christmas indeed.

The Tri-City Americans were in a giving mode Thursday, entertaining their adoptive family.

KENNEWICK — Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory announced today that Brian Sandy, the team’s chief marketing oficer and senior Vice President of business operations, will resign his position with the club after the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers hired him as senior director of premium seating sales and service.

KENNEWICK -- Before this season, Ty Rimmer had never beaten Portland.

EVERETT -- Patrick Holland had two goals and rookie Brian Williams scored what would be the game-winner as the Tri-City Americans beat the Everett Silvertips 5-1 on Saturday night at Comcast Arena to run their win streak to five games.

The Tri-City Americans head into Everett tonight with the best record in the Western Hockey League in one hand and a four-game win streak in the other.

VICTORIA, British Columbia — The Tri-City Americans finished their back-to-back Western Hockey League series against the Victoria Royals with a 5-3 victory Wednesday night at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.

Justin Feser and Brendan Shinnimin each scored two goals, while goalie Ty Rimmer stopped 30 of 32 shots, as the Tri-City Americans defeated the Victoria Royals 6-2 on Tuesday night in Western Hockey League play at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.

The last time the Tri-City Americans played a Western Hockey League game in Victoria, British Columbia, was March 19, 1993.