Latest news with #AndrewCristall
Winnipeg Free Press
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Chiefs complete sweep of Winterhawks, advance to WHL championship series
PORTLAND – Andrew Cristall had two goals and one assist in leading the Spokane Chiefs to a 6-4 win and 4-0 sweep of the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League Western Conference championship series on Thursday. Coco Armstrong, Shea Van Olm, Owen Martin and Rasmus Ekstrom also scored for Spokane. Dawson Cowan made 39 saves. The Chiefs will face the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL championship series next. Medicine Hat swept the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference championship series. Alex Weiermair, with two goals, Josh Zakreski and Ryan Miller replied for Portland. Ondrej Stebetak kicked out 39-of-44 shots. Zakreski's power-play goal 24 seconds into the third period put the Winterhawks ahead 4-3. However, Ekstrom kick-started a run of three unanswered goals at 14:13 that was capped off by Van Olm's empty-netter with 1:33 remaining. This roundup was generated automatically with a CP-developed application. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
WHL playoffs: Harrington scores in OT, Chiefs edge Winterhawks 6-5
SPOKANE – Chase Harrington scored at 2:25 of overtime and the Spokane Chiefs survived a third-period collapse to salvage a 6-5 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League playoff action on Sunday at Veterans Memorial Arena. Andrew Cristall scored three goals in regulation for the Chiefs, while Assanali Sarkenov scored twice and added an assist. The Chiefs grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference Championship. Nathan Mayes and Owen Martin each chipped in with two assists. Diego Buttazzoni and Kyle Chyzowski each had a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks, who were outshot 44-33. Josh Zakreski, Ryan Miller and Max Psenicka netted singles. The Winterhawks lost Friday's series opener 10-4. The Winterhawks led 2-1 after the first period and the teams were tied 3-3 heading into the third. The Chiefs led 5-3 with under eight minutes to go in the third before the Winterhawks rallied to tie the game. The Chiefs went 1-for-2 on the power play, while the Winterhawks were 1-for-1. Game 3 is Wednesday in Portland, Ore. * This roundup was generated automatically with a CP-developed application. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2025.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vancouver Giants playoff preview: Can they limit Spokane scoring star Andrew Cristall?
A scheduling conflict means the Vancouver Giants get to host the first two games of their opening round playoff series. Spokane Chiefs star winger Andrew Cristall is still bound to feel right at home with that. Cristall, 20, is a Vancouver native who was the WHL's leading scorer this regular season, amassing 48 goals and 132 points. It's the second-highest point total in the league in a season in the past decade, trailing only the 143 points Connor Bedard totalled in 2022-23. Cristall played for Burnaby Winter Club and St. George's Academy growing up. He was part of a Vancouver Vipers spring team that included North Vancouver's Bedard, and a host of other top up-and-comers. He will undoubtedly have a large contingent of family and friends at the Langley Events Centre stands when the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal starts on Friday (7 p.m.). The No. 3-seeded Chiefs (45-20-1-2) have home-ice advantage against the No. 6-seeded Giants (34-26-8-0) and would normally host the first two games. Spokane Arena is the site of an NCAA women's basketball regional tournament this weekend, so the LEC will also have Game 2 on Sunday afternoon (4 p.m.). The Chiefs are slated to host the next three games after that. 'I think their No. 1 line is one of the top-scoring lines in the history of the league,' Giants captain and defenceman Mazden Leslie said of Cristall, 109-point man Berkly Catton, and 49-goal scorer Shea Van Olm. 'That's obviously a focus for us. We want to try to limit them as much as we can. 'Having the puck and making them play defence is a main thing. That's not what they want to be doing. You want to keep it down low in their zone and not turn it over.' Ryan Lin, who is Leslie's usual defence partner, added, 'If we can get 40 seconds in their zone with that line on the ice, we'll take that any time.' Cristall, who is a Washington Capitals prospect, was the big-ticket addition at the WHL's January trade deadline, coming to the Chiefs from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for centre Hayden Paupanekis, 18, and five draft picks, including two first-rounders. In 29 games with Spokane, Cristall notched 22 goals and 72 points. His Chiefs' total alone would have put Cristall 32nd in league scoring for the season. Cristall had three goals and 10 points in five games versus the Giants this season. That included two goals and four points in two games with Spokane. The Giants were 0-3-0-1 against the Chiefs this season. 'He's pretty dynamic. He's a passer, but he can be a shooter, too, which makes him a double threat,' Lin said of Cristall. 'He baits guys (into chasing him when he has the puck and opening up one of his teammates for a pass) really well, so you need to be disciplined.' The Giants have been decidedly better on home ice (21-10-3-0) than on the road (13-16-5-0) so getting the start at the LEC should give them confidence. It also gives Giants coach Manny Viveiros last line change in the first two games, and an opportunity to try to match lines with Spokane's top trio. You would expect the Giants to try to get their No. 1 defensive pairing of Leslie and Lin and the forward unit Jaden Lipinski, Tyler Thorpe and Maxim Muranov out against Cristall, Catton and Van Olm as often as possible. Lipinski (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), Thorpe (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and Muranov (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) have shown the ability to wear down opponents with their forechecking and cycle game. Vancouver does head into the playoffs with six wins in their final 10 games, and rookie goaltender Burke Hood, 17, has been superb. He has won five of his final six starts, has a save percentage of .961 (199-of-207) in that span and was named first star in three of those games. 'He doesn't act 17. With him between the pipes, any game can be ours,' Lin said. Vancouver does have several younger players in key roles, which isn't always standard operating practice in the WHL. Besides Hood, there is Lin, 16, a rookie who plays as much as anyone on the team. There is also sophomore winger Cameron Schmidt, 18, who was Vancouver's top scorer in the regular season, with 40 goals and 78 points. Schmidt was the No. 8 prospect for this summer's NHL Draft in a list that TSN's Craig Button's put out this week. 'I got to dip my toes in last year, which was nice,' Lin said of playing in three games last year in Vancouver's five-game first-round loss to the Everett Silvertips. 'I kind of know what it's going to be ramped up to. I think it's about staying in the present, just worrying about your next shift.' Viveiros (in 2019-20) and Giants associate coach Adam Maglio (in 2020-22) are both former Spokane head coaches. sewen@ First Round Spokane vs. Vancouver Friday at Langley, 7 p.m. Sunday at Langley, 4 p.m. April 2 at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. April 3 at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. *April 5 at Spokane, 6:05 p.m. *April 7 at Langley, 7 p.m. *April 9 at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. *If necessary Want to own a hockey team in Chilliwack? The WHL has a brand new one for sale Vancouver Giants open first-round playoff series at home against Spokane Friday Vancouver Giants: Has Mazden Leslie done enough to get an NHL contract?
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Victory+ and WHL Come Together on Most Comprehensive Streaming Deal in Junior Hockey History
Victory+™ Will be the Streaming Home to the 2025 WHL Playoffs & 2025/26 WHL Regular Season CALGARY, ALBERTA / / March 20, 2025 / Victory+, the premier sports streaming service owned by Western Canadian tech company A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), and the leading free, ad-supported streaming service for live and on-demand sports content, is proud to announce a groundbreaking multi-year deal with the Western Hockey League (WHL). The deal will see the WHL regular season and playoff games streamed for free on Victory+ starting with the 2025 WHL Playoffs. This will be the first time in the WHL's history that their games will be available to stream for free to fans around the world, marking a new chapter in the accessibility of live sports. The WHL, the world's finest development league for junior hockey players, is set to deliver thrilling playoff action to millions of fans, with all games available to stream globally on Victory+ starting on March 28, 2025. Operating in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest United States, the WHL aligns with the Victory+ mission to provide fans with high-quality, easily accessible sports content, creating an exciting new opportunity for hockey enthusiasts. Through this groundbreaking partnership between Victory+ and the WHL, hockey fans can look forward to enjoying a completely new content ecosystem focused entirely on hockey's next generation of stars. Victory+ and the WHL will offer free livestreaming of more than 700 WHL Regular Season games featuring all 22 WHL Clubs, the WHL Playoffs, classic games from the WHL archives, and unique on-demand content. Fans of the WHL are familiar with the current star-studded cast of players, including Gavin McKenna, Andrew Cristall, and Berkly Catton, while hockey fans also know a strong collection of WHL Alumni, including Connor Bedard, Leon Draisaitl, Mathew Barzal, Jarome Iginla, Shea Weber, Mike Modano, and more. For nearly 60 years, the WHL has served as a direct pipeline to the NHL, with nearly 2,200 players selected in the NHL Draft since 1967 and 130 former WHL players spread across 32 NHL opening night rosters for the 2024-25 season. "I spent my youth cheering for the WHL team in my community, so it's been a personal milestone for me to help bring junior hockey to a new generation of fans," said Neil Gruninger, President and CEO of A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC), the parent company of Victory+. "It's a privilege to be working alongside WHL leadership and owners who share our fan-first vision. This is a major step in our mission to make sports content more accessible to fans everywhere and we're excited to build on the amazing work already being done to shine a spotlight and grow the world of junior hockey." The WHL Playoffs will be available on Victory+ without geo-restrictions, giving fans the opportunity to follow their favorite teams and players on the road to the championship. With Victory+ offering a free, ad-supported streaming service, this ensures that the game is accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or what devices they use, including Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android and web browser. "The WHL envisions a massive opportunity to bring fans closer to the game with unlimited access through Victory+," commented WHL Commissioner Dan Near. "WHL players and Clubs are deeply connected to our communities, and we represent the No. 1 passion point for hockey fans in the majority of markets in which we operate. This alliance with Victory+ will vastly extend the reach of the WHL product and give hockey fans around the world visibility to our great players competing at the very highest level of junior hockey." The WHL Playoffs will be available to stream live and on-demand starting March 28, 2025, and continuing until the beginning of the WHL Championship Series. Fans will be able to watch the complete 2025/26 WHL season beginning in September 2025. Victory+ continues to enhance the fan experience by offering both live events and exclusive content from a variety of sports leagues. Fans can find more information on where to download the Victory+ app here and additional updates and future offerings can be found at ABOUT APMC and Victory+ A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) is a media and technology company focused on providing innovative solutions to consumers and brands. APMC is a leader in Safe Streaming™ delivering an end-to-end solution to brands and platforms with an emphasis on unlocking incremental revenue. Utilizing proprietary streaming and monetization technologies, APMC reaches millions of homes globally through its products including Dude Perfect Streaming Service, Glitch+™, Victory+™ and Safe Exchange™. Victory+ a groundbreaking FREE end-to-end, direct to consumer, sports streaming service made for fans, by fans. Featuring free regional broadcasts of various sports teams including the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks, Victory+ is also the home to a library of on-demand, premium sports-based, outdoors, and extreme sports content. Visit and to learn more. LinkedIn: Media Contact:Contact | media@ | info@ About the Western Hockey League Regarded as the world's finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL offers a world-class player experience featuring three key cornerstones: hockey development, education, and a safe and positive environment for all participants. A diverse and inclusive organization, the WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 16 located in Western Canada and six in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for close to 60 years. The WHL is also a leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada's National Junior Hockey Team. LinkedIn: Contact Information Madeleine Moench madeleine@ Jeremy Mason Chief Brand Officermedia@ SOURCE: A Parent Media Co. Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
