Moose Jaw trades ex-Chief Fiddler to Prince George

One week after speculating that Todd Fiddler’s Western Hockey League career had reached an end, the Moose Jaw Warriors traded the veteran forward to the Prince George Cougars.

Fiddler, joining his fifth WHL team in as many seasons, was traded Monday for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.

The Warriors announced last week that Fiddler was no longer in their plans and that a trade to another league team was unlikely. Moose Jaw also contacted the WHL about possible tampering issues regarding Fiddler and a Junior A level team. The Warriors won’t pursue that claim now.

Fiddler led the Spokane Chiefs in goals scored last year with 42. Prince George will play at Spokane on Nov. 15.

Americans strengthen U.S. Division

U.S. Division teams are dominating the Western Conference, as all five have more points than every B.C. Division team except Kelowna (24).

Portland, riding an 11-game winning streak, leads the conference with 29 points, five more than Everett, Spokane and Seattle. The Tri-City Americans have moved up to 22 points with a 5-0-0-1 streak.

Boosting Tri-City’s cause is the return of center Parker Bowles from a shoulder injury. Bowles, who totaled 21 goals and 23 assists during his rookie year last season, had two goals and four assists last weekend in his first three games of the season.

Around the league

Just as Victoria welcomed back star forward Steven Hodges, star defenseman Joe Hicketts required surgery for an upper-body injury. Hicketts, considered a possible first- or second-round pick for the 2014 NHL draft, was injured in late October during a game against Kelowna. Hodges, a third-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2012, rejoined the team last Friday after recovering from leg surgery. … Russian Nikita Scherbak is the only rookie among the top 20 in league scoring. The Saskatoon Blades winger is tied for fifth with 27 points, in a group of four that includes Spokane’s Mike Aviani. … Everett, with the third-best winning percentage (.750) in the WHL, is two games into a stretch in which it plays eight of nine games at home. The Silvertips (11-3-2-0) have played just four games against U.S. Division foes, with their combined record of 47-22-0-5. … Moose Jaw’s Travis Brown leads all league defensemen in scoring with 22 points. Spokane’s Reid Gow (20) is tied for second and Jason Fram (16) is tied for ninth. … Kelowna Rockets defenseman Madison Bowey, playing in his first game after being named team captain, had three assists during the first 8:41 last Friday at Prince George. … Brandon’s Jayce Hawryluk was named Canadian Hockey League Player of the Week for the week ending Sunday after he totaled six goals and two assists in three games. … Vancouver Giants defenseman Brett Kulak has scored seven goals in his last 11 games.