Michael FerlandNo. 1 star: Michael Ferland, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Ferland picked up a natural hat trick to give the shorthanded Wheat Kings a three-goal lead, then scored a fourth time in the third period as Brandon beat Prince Albert 6-2. He also added an assist in the third to set a new career high with five points. The 19-year-old is now tied for fourth in the league with 40 goals and ranks eighth with 83 points.

The Wheat Kings won their fourth straight game to pull nine points ahead of ninth-place Red Deer in the Eastern Conference playoff race, despite dressing only 16 skaters due to injuries. They also closed within one point of seventh-place Regina, and sit just six points out of fourth place.

No. 2 star: Ty Rattie, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Rattie notched his fourth hat trick of the season and tied a career high with five points in an 11-2 thrashing of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Rattie put up all of his points in the first two periods, and sat out most of the third period as the Winterhawks called off the dogs (but still kept scoring). Of the 18 skaters dressed by Portland, only three didn't log points. Even goaltender Brendan Burke picked up an assist.

Portland hadn't scored 11 goals in a home game in more than 18 years.

A St. Louis Blues draftee, Rattie ranks second in the CHL with 48 goals (trailing only Emerson Etem) and second in the WHL scoring race with 97 points. He finished with a team-best +5 rating for the game.

No. 3 star: Cody McNaughton, Guelph Storm (OHL)

McNaughton's known more for his toughness than his scoring touch, but he exploded for three goals and two assists in Guelph's stunning 9-1 road shellacking of Plymouth. It was the first career hat trick for McNaughton in his 241st regular-season OHL game.

The ninth-place Storm are battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and clearly brought more urgency than the second-place Whalers, outshooting them 57-31 for the game.

McNaughton scored both goals in the first period as Guelph scored the first eight goals of the game. After the Whalers finally got on the board, McNaughton scored with 27 seconds remaining to complete the hat trick.

Medicine Hat Tigers winger Emerson EtemBack in November, Neate Sager wrote a post here at Buzzing the Net that explored the early season scoring tear of Medicine Hat's Emerson Etem, the Anaheim Ducks prospect selected 29th overall in the 2010 NHL draft.

In the post, Sager wrote:

The speedy wing has a shot, provided he stays healthy and teams don't start shadowing him, at being the WHL's first 60-goal scorer in 11 seasons. (Nationally, John Tavares was the last 70-goal man when he put in 72 for the 2006-07 Oshawa Generals.) He could also rival the '50-in-less-than-60' feat of current Edmonton Oilers right wing Jordan Eberle, who scored 50 goals in 57 games for the Regina Pats two seasons ago on his way to being the Canadian Hockey League player of the year.

Looking back, we know that this is true. Not only did Etem score 50 in fewer than 60 games, but he put together the first 50-in-50 campaign the WHL has seen since Layne Ulmer did it in 2001. Ulmer, of course, was an overage in the 2001 campaign (he was born in 1980) so in

Moncton Wildcats defenceman Patrick DowneThe Moncton Wildcats might just be the best con artists in the QMJHL.

If you take a look at how competitive they are and where they currently rank in the standings you would never think the organization made a conscientious decision to give up a significant amount of talent to go younger at the trade deadline.

Moncton traded away two of their most valuable assets when they sent a pair of 19-year-old defencemen to a couple of teams that are fighting it out in the Telus East Division.

Brandon Gormley was sent to the Shawinigan Cataractes for the QMJHL rights to Michael Matheson and six draft picks. Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Daniel Milan was dealt to the Victoriaville Tigres for two skaters.

The Wildcats also moved fourth-year forward Olivier D'Aoust to the Gatineau Olympiques for a third-round pick in this year's QMJHL draft.

"We traded away two defenceman that have NHL contracts and a veteran forward to go with a younger team," said Moncton head coach Danny Flynn.

"As a result we are

Combing all corners of the country and the blogosphere for your junior hockey headlines ... while Neate is on vacation:

WHL

The Vancouver Giants are waiting to hear the fate of winger Marek Tvrdon today after he was assessed a match penalty for spearing on Wednesday. (The Vancouver Province)

Saskatoon coach-GM Lorne MollekenWhen asked about the WHL commissioner Ron Robison's remarks regarding the idea limiting the number of import goalies in the league, Saskatoon coach-GM Lorne Molleken says: "It's the first I've ever heard of it." (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

In some good news for the Blades,  defenceman Tommy Stipancik has been medically cleared to play. He won't be back in the lineup until next Friday however, so the Blades will be going with four regular D tonight against the Swift Current Broncos.  (Saskatoon StarPhoenix)

A nice story of perseverance today in the Moose Jaw Times Herald about Warriors forward Kenton Miller, who was dropped by three midget AAA teams in one year.

"He is the hardest working guy on the team day in and day out," said Moose Jaw Warriors coach Mike Stothers. "Anyone who works that hard is going to be rewarded." (Moose Jaw Times Herald)

Get excited Vancouver, it's Cody Franson Bobblehead Night! (Vancouver Sun)

OHL

The Oshawa Generals look like the might be back on track after a disastrous start to the season that cost Gens GM Chris DePiero his coaching duties.  (Toronto Sun)

Imagine if you were an outspoken American  goaltender stuck in a hotel room with a Czech netminder who didn't speak any English? Meet Windsor's John Cullen and Jaroslav Pavelka (Y! Sports)

And speaking of Windsor's John Cullen ... he took the blame last night for the Spitfires 4-3 loss last night to the Plymouth Whalers.  (The Windsor Star)

Kingston Frontenacs centre Darcy GreenawayNo. 1 star: Darcy Greenaway, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

On this night, it is great to be named Darcy and have your 19th birthday on the 19th and a last name ending in Y — coincidences shared by this evening's first two stars. Greenaway scored his first major junior hat trick, including the third-period tying and winning goals that lifted the Fronts to a 5-4 comeback win over the Peterborough Petes.

The Petes, who desperately needed to pick up two points to help their playoff chances, took a one-goal lead into the final period against the Ontario league's 19th-place team. Then Greenaway made sure the game played out according to Svobodian phophesy. (That's another way of saying no want seems to want to win.) With 9:41 to play, the Frontenacs cycled the puck effectively and pulled the Petes out of position, allowing Greenaway to pounce on a rebound and flick it by goalie Andrew D'Agostini. During a power play a few minutes later, Greenaway made a smart play to deflect a lead pass into the corner, allowing the Frontenacs to set up in the Petes zone. Eventually, a scramble situation ensued and the 19-year-old native of Wilton, Ont., collected the garbage to flick in the winning goal.

Baie-Comeau Drakkar left wing Raphael BussieresRaphaël Bussières prides himself on making life easier for his teammates, which is why he'll make a fine second or third-round choice in June.

As a third-year junior, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar power winger has an edge in physical maturity over many of his peers in the 2012 NHL draft class. That being said, at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds Bussières offers a nice confluence of size and speed, along with some grit, although he had a nearly-costly major and game misconduct in Baie-Comeau's win over powerful Shawinigan on Wednesday.

"I can go get the puck in the corner and create space for my teammate and I have a good hockey sense," says Bussières, who is ranked 57th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. "I try to bring energy."

Bussières, who came into the QMJHL as the Moncton Wildcats' No. 4 overall pick in 2009 before going to the Drakkar in a trade for Gabriel Bourque, has almost matched his scoring totals from last season. He has has 16 goals and 22 points in 48 games, only one point of what he had in 66 games during his age-17 season. He's also shrugged off missing time due to a concussion early on in the season as has helped the Drakkar become one of the Quebec league's most improved teams.

"We've tried to find to a solution as a team to have the best ending," says Bussières, who surely got a few scouts' attention when he squared off with Red Deer Rebels defenceman Mathew Dumba in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game two weeks ago.

The native of Longeueil in the west end of Montreal notes he's challenged himself to be a more reliable performer on a nightly basis while the Drakkar push to earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"I need to improve my consistency, game after game. Soemetimes I have a good game and then I'm not there the next game."

Francis Beauvillier of the QMJHL's Rimouski OceanicFrancis Beauvillier's stock in trade is his speed — channeling into all facets of the game is probably his challenge.

The 18-year-old Rimouski Océanic centre got some run out of winning the fastest skater competition two weeks at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Kelowna, B.C.. Beauvillier, though, admits game-in, game-out consistency can be daunting for him by times. While his wheels are buttressed by a big-league shot, that has yet to translate into gaudy stats. Through 55 games for Rimouski, he has a Cy Young statline with 19 goals and seven assists for 26. When's he's on, though, he can look like a potential high pick. Beauvillier, who is ranked 62nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, has also shown brief vignettes of brilliance in showcases such as the NHL research, development and orientation camp, along with Top Prospects.

"Intensity," Beauvillier says when asked what is the biggest asset he brings to a team. "My goal is I'll always keep working. I'll never give up on the play."

The native of Sorel-Tracy, Que., who spent two seasons with the late and lamented Lewiston Maineiacs, has helped the Océanic rise to sixth overall in the QMJHL after finishing 13th last season. The move brought him closer to home, but adapting to new surroundings has been a learning experience.

"It's a new team, new town, new billets and all that stuff," Beauvillier says. "It's been going very well. It's very different. No one is doing the same thing as in Lewiston.

"For sure, it's going to help me. It was tough for me in Lewiston, there were older players so there was not a lot of ice time. Now I'm stronger mentally and that's going to help me in the long run."

The Buzzing The Net CHL Chatravaganza returns today at noon ET/1 p.m. AT/9 a.m. PT.

Please join Sunaya Sapurji, Cam Charron, Neate Sager, and a cast of many for the blogetariat's most-attended, widest-ranging approximately one-hour long livechat dedicated to major junior hockey. Between the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League adopting the more compact schedule of its CHL counterparts, mulling over if there is a dearth of big-time goal scorers in major junior and the appropriate way to razz a player who demurred from playing for a particular team, there should be no shortage of topics.

Does there still need to be a reminder this is BYOP — bring your own peanuts? See you soonly.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.