Red Deer Rebels defenceman Mathew DumbaNo. 1 star: Mathew Dumba, Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

The fact his Rebels have posted back-to-back shutout wins without dressing a full complement of defencemen speaks volumes for what Dumba is already capable of at the tender age of 17. The smooth-skating defenceman whom TSN's Bob McKenzie has fifth on his NHL draft list was the game's first star as the Rebels, whose injury list is nearly as long as that of the Edmonton Oilers (omen?), edged the Kootenay Ice 2-0 for a big road win.

Thanks to Dumba, who notched an assist, the Rebels survived despite losing their only veteran defender, Florida Panthers first-rounder Alex Petrovic, due to injury. They finished the game with four defencemen and not counting Dumba, the other three had a total of 75 games' major junior experience. That probably highlights how much Rebels coach Jesse Wallin had to lean on Dumba in order to secure two much-needed points.

Rebels goalie Deven Dubyk handled 24 shots for his second consecutive shutout. The win kept Red Deer four points out of the final playoff berth with two games in hand on eighth-place Brandon.

No. 2 star: Daulton Siwak, Prince George Cougars (WHL)

Thanks in large part to Siwak's three points, which included two third-period game-tying goals, the worst team in the West beat the worst in the East in the Dub as the Cougars upset the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-4 in overtime. Siwak, an Albertan who is no stranger to being an Oil Kings nemesis — he was with the Red Deer Rebels when they ousted Edmonton in the playoffs last season — scored a breakaway goal with 9:48 left that forced overtime. It was Siwak's best night for the Cougars since he came over in a trade for centre Charles Inglis six weeks ago. The 18-year-old Siwak and rookie Alex Forsberg also collaborated on a pair of goals.

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles right wing William CarrierThe Cape Breton Screaming Eagles may not be having a stellar season this year but there is definitely reason for optimism when training camps rolls around in September.

Cape Breton decided to be a seller during the QMJHL's final trading period with 10 separate deals being faxed to the league's head office which made the team significantly younger. The hope for the Screaming Eagles is it sets up them up to be a force in the Maritimes Division. Cape Breton moved several established players and NHL draft picks as part of their youth movement, including Montreal Canadiens pick Morgan Ellis and Florida Panthers selection Logan Shaw.

One player that was highly sought after but did not budge from Cape Breton is forward William Carrier. The 17-year-old winger from Pierrefonds, Que., is considered to be a major piece in the Screaming Eagles' puzzle for the next couple of seasons. The 6-foot, 205-pounder, who is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2013, is second in team scoring with 21 goals and 54 points in 51 games and has cracked the top 30 in league scoring.

"Willie has really taken ownership of his game this season," Cape Breton head coach Ron Choules says. "Once he realized that he needed to work a little harder in practice it started to come together for him because he has a tremendous amount of skill."

On Thursday in Gatineau, Carrier chipped in with a three-goal performance and was named the game's first star despite the Screaming Eagles losing the match 6-5. It's rare to see a visiting player get that honour when his team loses.

Plymouth Whalers coach-GM Mike Vellucci is one of the best in the business at molding competitive hockey teams season after season — but when he gets ejected from a game, he does it big time.

It is no laughing matter for the Whalers that their coach received a five-game suspension for mimicking the universal "you ... are ... outta ... here!" gesture during a heated Whalers-Windsor Spitfires game on Feb. 4. At the same time, it's not actually unheard of for the long-time coach, who can work a crowd as well as anyone playing a big stage in Las Vegas.

It is not a drawback, it's a virtue. Who wants to see three coaches standing robotically behind the bench as seems to be the case in almost every other rink in North America? Vellucci's willingness to pour his heart into riding a referee reflecgts a coach who is comfortable in his own skin; as does the fact Vellucci has sported dyed-pink hair during the Whalers' annual breast cancer research fundraising initiative. In a bid to capture the spirit of the thing, it's time to vote for what's been the greatest Mike Vellucci exit of the past few seasons.

Take my poll!

Below the jump, for your consideration, the candidates:

So much for the hometown team playing well being the best revenge. Halifax Mooseheads rookie phenom Nathan MacKinnon, who's projected to go first overall in the 2013 NHL draft, surely knew what he was in for when he played his first QMJHL game in Baie-Comeau, the team that he declined to play for after it drafted him first overall.

The Drakkar are having a nice, respectable season after being a bottom-feeder last winter. Nevertheless, when MacKinnon came to town on Wednesday, the 16-year-old centre got the same treatment other athletes who have declined to go to the team which drafted them — it's like they think they should have some say in their athletic future or something! — when they played the squad they spurned. Like Eric Lindros when he played against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 1991 Ontario Hockey League final or when he visited Le Colisée in Quebec City for the first time after he was traded from the old Nordiques to the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, MacKinnon got something extra in Baie-Comeau.

As Matthew Wuest put it, the Drakkar took out a "half-page colour ad, which appeared in French in Plein Jour de Baie-Comeau, encouraged fans to come cheer on the Drakkar against a player who made the choice to not come to Baie-Comeau," as if the fans there needed to be told. Whether that had any effect on two spectators' choice of costume, we'll never know. In any event, two men showed up wearing outfits consisting of makeshift cloth diapers (hey, at least they respect the green movement) and rubber ducky flotation devices. To top it off, they appear to be wearing bows in their hair.

You can just picture them determining that their intent wasn't clear enough: Hey, make sure it's clear that you're not just calling MacKinnon a baby, but you're calling him a baby GIRL. That is real enlightened.

MacKinnon ended up scoring the only Mooseheads goal, but the Drakkar won 2-1 in the shootout after their own 16-year-old rookie, Philippe Cadorette, faced him down in the breakaway contest. "I didn't mind it, to be honest with you, " he told Mooseheads play-by-play man John Moore. "Those things don't bother me. Fans are going to be fans. It's something that you got to deal with. You can't let it get you distracted."

When the play-by-play announcer deems it necessary to clarify, "I haven't been drinking people, trust me, people, this is something that's out of Twilight Zone!" then you know something bizarre is unfolding on the ice.

As many hockey spectators know, a goalie must stay in his crease on a penalty shot until the shooter touches the puck. Game officials chose to strictly enforce this rule during the shootout between  Ontario Junior Hockey League rivals Cobourg Cougars and Kingston Kimco Voyageurs. Emotions were already running high after public accusations of goalie-running in the teams' previous tilt four days earlier; as one hometown broadsheet put it, "Charlie Finn was injured late in the contest, run over by a rogue Cougar who escaped incarceration."

(Rogue cougar? Incarceration? Sounds like a headline we'll read about Lindsay Lohan in about 10 years.)

So when the teams went to the breakaway contest and referees Gord Miles and Brian Park gave Cobourg's Dylan Goddard three re-takes in the first round of the shootout because Kingston goalie Justin Gilbert kept violating the rule, everything boiled over. After his third violation, Gilbert was ejected.

Goddard, on his fourth try, predictably scored on the backup netminder coming in cold off the bench, which sent the Voyageurs off the deep end to the tune of 24 games in suspensions and $1,500 in fines.

It's a long clip, but it's worth it. It's got a near-skirmish between Kingston's Ludlow Harris and Cobourg goalie Emerson Verrier after the first shootout try, self-professed homer play-by-play man Bob Benham going Jack Edwards Defcon-5 as the Voyageurs bench melts down ("Kingston is showing themselves for what they really are!") and the statistician overheard in the background wondering how to record all the penalties. Then there's the ugly part — a Kingston player swung his stick in the direction of a fan while leaving the ice.

Combing all corners of the country and the blogosphere for your junior hockey headlines ...

WHL

Montreal Canadiens prospect Brendan Gallagher could tie and break the Vancouver Giants' career goals record on Friday night. (Vancouver Sun)

Big home-and-home this week between Kelowna and Kamloops. (Kamloops Daily News, Kelowna Capital News)

The Spokane Chiefs are one tired team. (Spokane Spokesman-Review)

Updating the Western Conference playoff race. Do the Victoria Royals know they are in one? (Everett Herald)

With goalie Corbin Boes back, the Brandon Wheat Kings are hopeful of doing some streaking. The winning kind. It's a little cold for the other kind. (Luber's Lounge)

OHL

They were opponents in the world junior, now Scott Harrington and Jarred Tinordi are defence partners again in London. (London Free Press, Windsor Star)

Who is the league's best NHL draft prospect not wearing No. 10 for Sarnia? (In The O)

New York Islanders first-rounder Ryan Strome had four points in his return to

Owen Sound Attack centre Artur GavrusNo. 1 star: Artur Gavrus, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Gavrus had his best game since rejoining the Attack after missing two months due to a concussion sustained after being checked by London's Max Domi. The 18-year-old Belarusian scored two goals, including the game-winner as the Attack beat the Brampton Battalion 4-2 to complete back-to-back road wins. His contributions were vital, considering the Attack were coming off a tight turnaround after playing an overtime game on Wednesday and spent much of the game on the defensive, getting outshot 47-22. St. Louis Blues draft pick Jordan Binnington was sharp in goal with 45 saves for Owen Sound.

Gavrus brokje the seal on a game that was scoreless deep into the second period by taking a Gemel Smith feed and potting a goal off his own rebound in the second period. In the third, Gavrus he some great anticipation and deft hands on the eventual game-winner. As teammate Chris Bigras teed up a point shot, Gavrus anticipated the ricochet off the end boards and cut across the goalmouth before Brampton's Dylan Blujus could reroute him, then backhanded the puck past Battalion goalie Keegan Wilson for a 3-1 lead that stood.

No. 2 star: Seth Griffith, London Knights (OHL)

Say hello to the new goal scoring leader in the Ontario league. Griffith, who's undrafted, had a natural hat trick in London's 5-0 romp at Windsor. He showed off a laser-pinpoint wrist shot, particularly on his first goal when he patiently trailed the play and created a slew of open ice for himself before rookie Bo Horvat slid the puck to him from the left-wing corner. The three goals gave Griffth, who hasn't missed a game in the past two seasons, 39 on the season, one ahead of Ottawa's Tyler Toffoli.

When the Victoria Royals traded star centre Kevin Sundher to the Brandon Wheat Kings at the trade deadline, it undoubtedly deflated their talent upfront, but it also paved the way for their up-and-coming forwards to run the offence.

This opportunity has not been taken lightly by 17-year-old Steven Hodges. He has flourished since taking on a bigger offensive role with the Royals, notching four goals and 10 points in 13 games since the trade.

"Kevin was a huge part of this team," says Hodges. "He made an impact in the offensive zone and defensively as well. I feel I had to step up my game and help void his loss. I also have to be a bigger voice in the dressing room. Nobody wanted to see Kevin go, but with it my work load has definitely gotten bigger with the Royals."

Even though the Royals (17-33-2-4) were clearly sellers at the deadline, they still have a great shot at making the playoffs. They currently are tied with the Seattle Thunderbirds for seventh place in the WHL's Western Conference. The Everett Silvertips are hot on the Royals' trail though. The 'Tips are only three points back and have two games in hand.

"The playoffs are definitely our goal," says Hodges. "We can definitely reach that goal by playing a full 60 minutes and coming to the rink every night looking to get the win. A lot of guys have been stepping up. We are an underrated team."

With opportunity also comes pressure. Hodges will be heavily counted on for offensive production down the stretch for the Royals.

"I definitely know there is more pressure on me now," says Hodges, who has17 goals and 36 points in 54 games. "I'm happy to have it though. I want to be a player looked upon for the big goal."

Hodges has stood out as one of the league's top draft eligible talents upfront. The 5-foot-11, 167-pound centre was ranked 55th among North American skaters in NHL's Central Scouting Service's mid-term rankings. That was 15th among skaters in the WHL.

"It's nice to be noticed and talked about," says Hodges. "They [Central Scouting] don't draft the players though, so I need to work hard to impress the scouts that do."

A year ago very few would have guessed Hodges would be ranked as high. He played sparingly for the then-Chilliwack Bruins and only scored 11 points throughout 58 games last year. Nevertheless, the Delta, B.C., native has shown vast improvements in his game this season. The major improvement seems to be in his confidence. Hodges, who once rushed plays, has been more patient and poised with the puck.

"Hodges' maturity this year from last year has been impressive," says Andy Neal, host of WHL Central on Shaw Television. "He has been a stronger player physically on the puck and faster too. He has used his shiftiness to make players miss in tight situations. His confidence improving can be credited too. He has worked very hard to get where he is at. He is living up to the great offensive skills that he possesses."