Tri-City Americans hit the ice for 2021 hockey season. Expect some changes
After a 2019-20 Western Hockey League season that got cut short because of the pandemic, and a very shortened spring of 2021 season — also because of the pandemic — the league hopes to run a full season for 2021-22.
There will definitely be some changes.
The U.S. Divisions teams won’t be playing Eastern Conference squads. And already the WHL has tweaked the October portion of the schedule, in which U.S. Division teams won’t play against Canadian teams because of the border crossing limitations.
This season’s version of the Tri-City Americans, which starts with a home opener against the Portland Winterhawks on Friday (7:05 p.m. puck drop), has a new head coach.
Stu Barnes — one of the original Americans stars who went on to a long NHL playing career — will take over for Kelly Buchberger as head coach. Barnes, of course, also is a part owner of the team.
Barnes has some talent on this squad, starting with the goaltending.
Talyn Boyko was drafted recently by the New York Rangers, and is in camp with them.
But. The Ams also have Tomas Suchanek on the roster. He played for the Czech World Juniors 18’s.
Among the forwards is Samuel Huo, Connor Bouchard and Parker Bell.
Top defensemen include Mitchell Brown and Marc Lajoie.
Americans schedule
All start times 7:05 p.m. unless noted otherwise.
October
- 1 — PORTLAND
- 2 — at Spokane
- 9 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.
- 15 — SPOKANE
- 16 — at Portland, 6 p.m.
- 22 — SEATTLE
- 23 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.
- 30 — SEATTLE, 6:05 p.m.
November
- 5 — SEATTLE
- 6 — at Seattle, 6:05 p.m.
- 12 — at Everett
- 13 — PORTLAND, 6:05 p.m.
- 19 — at Prince George, 7 p.m.
- 20 — at Prince George, 7 p.m.
- 24 — at Everett
- 26 — VANCOUVER
- 27 — at Seattle, 6:05 p.m.
December
- 1 — VICTORIA
- 3 — at Everett
- 4 — PRINCE GEORGE, 6:05 p.m.
- 10 — EVERETT; 11 — EVERETT, 6:05. p.m.
- 14 — SEATTLE; 17 — at Victoria
- 18 — at Victoria
- 19 — at Vancouver, 2 p.m.
- 28 — at Portland, 7 p.m.
- 29 — PORTLAND
- 31 — SPOKANE
January
- 1 — at Spokane
- 7 — SEATTLE; 8 — EVERETT, 6:05 p.m.
- 9 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
- 12 — at Everett; 14 — KAMLOOPS
- 15 — at Portland, 6 p.m.
- 16 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
- 21 — PORTLAND
- 22 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.
- 28 — EVERETT; 29 — at Spokane
- 30 — at Portland, 5 p.m.
February
- 1 — PRINCE GEORGE
- 4 — PORTLAND; 5 — KELOWNA, 6:05 p.m.
- 9 — at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
- 11 — at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
- 12 — at Kelowna
- 15 — at Seattle;
- 18 — PORTLAND
- 19 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.
- 21 — at Kelowna, 2:05 p.m.
- 25 — EVERETT; 26 — at Spokane
March
- 4 — SEATTLE; 5 — at Portland, 6 p.m.
- 6 — at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
- 11 — VANCOUVER; 12 — at Spokane
- 15 — at Seattle
- 16 — at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
- 18 — SEATTLE; 19 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.
- 25 — at Portland, 7 p.m.
- 26 — SPOKANE
- 27 — SEATTLE, 4:05 p.m.
April
- 1 — at Seattle;
- 2 — EVERETT, 6:05 p.m.
West Coast League
Chiawana graduate Caden Kaelber was named a first-team West Coast League all-star recently. Kaelber was a relief pitcher for the Walla Walla Sweets.
He pitches for Washington State University during the school year.
Kaelber had a number of Sweets teammates who also were named to the WCL all-star team.
Catcher Colin Wetteran, who plays collegiately for St. John’s University, was also a first-team selection.
Making the second team was starting pitcher Travis Craven, who competes for Whitman University.
Honorable mention selections were Paul Myro (Oregon State) and Parker Price (Northwest Nazarene University).
Cross country
Kamiakin senior Isaac Teeples says he’s considering running for one of the following schools: BYU, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Washington and Washington State.
Kamiakin boys coach Matt Rexus said the Tar Heels sent coaches to the jamboree at the beginning of this month to watch Teeples run.
A couple of weekends ago, the Braves were scheduled to run in the Fort Steilacoom Invite, but it was canceled.
So the organizers of the Apple Ridge Invite in the Yakima area allowed Kamiakin to enter the race, even though it was after the registration deadline.
Teeples set a course record in Yakima, finishing the 3-mile course in 14 minutes and 26 seconds — 23 seconds better than the old mark.
Teeples is ranked 15th in the nation among high schoolers.
Grayson Wolcott, Teeples’ senior teammate, placed third in the meet at 15:16.
Kennewick’s Macy Marquart won her heat race, and finished with the top girls overall time at 17:29.
High-A West
The Tri-City Dust Devils finished their first season as a Los Angeles Angels affiliate Sept. 19, posting a 43-68 record, which includes nine canceled games due to covid.
The 2022 schedule was also released this past week.
The season will begin April 8, 2021 with a three-game series at Hillsboro.
Remember, the 2021 season got a late start, beginning in early May.
Next season, assuming things are OK with the pandemic, the season begins in early April and will end Sept. 11.
Teams will play 132 regular-season games — 66 home games.
Eugene and Spokane played a best-of-5 series for the championship, with Eugene winning 3 games to 1.
NWAC signings
▪ Bailee Noland, who prepped at Hermiston and played softball in 2019 for Salt Lake City Community College, has transferred to play at Walla Walla Community College.
▪ Hermiston High grad Maralyne Pacheco will be playing women’s soccer for Blue Mountain Community College.