On Wednesday, the Western Hockey League announce that Prince Albert Raider defenceman Trevor Thurston was handed out a five game suspension, as a result of a sequence of plays that occurred in the final 30 seconds of a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday afternoon.
Thurston received a pair of five minute majors penalties, a charging and cross checking major. The charging call was a result of the d-man planting a high hit on Brayden Boehm just inside the Raider blue line. After the whistle, he laid a cross check on Rhett Parsons during a scrum, which resulted in another five minute call, and he was immediately kicked out of the game.
Thurston was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this season as part of the trade that sent Tyson Laventure and Ross Stanley to Alberta. He is in his third WHL season, and playing for his third team. This season, he is second in penalty minutes in the entire league with 99. Simon Kubicek of the Edmonton Oil Kings leads the league with 104, but he’s played in 15 more games than Thurston.
The Raiders most recently won a 1-0 affair against the Hitmen in Calgary, with Tikhon Chaika registering his first WHL shutout. Thurston served the first game of his suspension in that game. He is eligible to return to the lineup on Tuesday, March 8, when the Raiders host the Hurricanes.
Prince Albert is back in action on Friday night when they visit the Red Deer Rebels. Puck drop is at 8pm.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
