<img src="http://cdn.nhl.com/canucks/images/upload/2007/07/salmonprospects.jpg" class="imageFloatRightFramed">All the numbers were amazingly even after three periods in the Salmon Kings shootout win in Utah. Score 2-2, shot advantage to Utah 28-27, and both teams were collectively even on the plus/minus.

Both leading Conference goal scorers were shutout in regulation time, and for the second night in a row, Olivier Latendresse opened the scoring.

Mike Salekin and Lance Galbraith provided the first period fireworks for the crowd in the E-Centre. Four minutes after serving fighting majors, they staged a rematch. Clearly both had a role to play and they apparently did that well.

Showing character, the Salmon Kings hung in there for another character win. Until this game, both Victoria and Utah were the only ECHL teams to have not gone to a shootout this season. It took six rounds to decide the winner. Wes Goldie made it a 1-0., four rounds later the Grizzlies took the lead, with Dirk Southern responding to tie it 2-2. ECHL goal scoring leader Ryan Kinasweich failed to score on David Shantz, opening the way two rounds later for Mike Hamilton to net the winning goal.

The Salmon Kings are now one point ahead of Utah and are in third place.

MACS MIDGET---Shaw cable will be carrying the finals of the highly scouted Macs Midget tournament from Calgary on New Years day and the day after. Tim Wedderburn made the All-Star Team and was selected Top Defenseman in this tournament in 1997.

NORTH TO ALASKA....The Salmon Kings pocket schedule shows one day off, likely a travel day, as they fly to Anchorage for a three games in three nights on the big Olympic ice surface of the Sullivan Arena. I had the opportunity to see that rink during the 1989 World Juniors, and as I first gazed on it, I was stunned, I thought I was looking at a frozen lake. The first game I saw back in old Memorial Arena was a WHL tilt between the Cougars and Kamloops. My eyes were confused as this time, after a week looking at Sullivan Arena, I thought the Memorial Arena ice was like a postage stamp. There are four Olympic sized rinks in the state of Alaska. Sharing Sullivan Arena with the Aces are the US college team, the U-Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. Both the Seawolves and their counterparts, the A-Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks often have a lot of BC and Alberta boys on their rosters.

HAPPY NEW DECADE!!!