Friday . . .

Someone asked earlier about C Paul Van de Velde, whom the Kamloops Blazers selected with the 46th pick of the 2005 bantam draft. Van de Velde, 17, from Mariapolis, Man., no longer is with the Blazers. He left the team after asking for guarantees that the team wasn’t prepared to grant him. A talented offensive player, Van de Velde is coming off a terrific season with the midget AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, who play out of Morden, Man. But he had a poor training camp this week and was invisible in Wednesday’s intrasquad game. He missed a glorious opportunity to play in some exhibition games and earn the third-line centre spot with a team that could use his imagination and creativity on offence. His MJHL rights are held by the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. . . .

The Brandon Sun’s Rob Henderson notes that the Wheat Kings had five players in their rookie camp who are trying to follow in big brother’s skates and play in the WHL. Jordan DePape (brother Ryan, Prince Albert Raiders), Dallas Ehrhardt (Travis, Moose Jaw Warriors), Scott Glennie (Donnie, Chilliwack Bruins), Brayden Schenn (Luke, Kelowna Rockets) and Mark Stone (Michael, Calgary Hitmen) have brothers who were in the WHL last season. Meanwhile, brothers Wheaton and Sanfred King both were in Brandon’s camp, while Brandon Regier is with the Wheat Kings and his brother Jeff is in camp with the Everett Silvertips. Of the Brandon prospects, DePape, Ehrhardt, Regier, Stone and Wheaton King all are 15 years of age so will have to wait a year until they are allowed to play a full season. . . . C Rylan Schwartz, 17, is in Brandon’s camp even though he has committed to attend Colorado College in a year or two. He told the Brandon Sun that while he is committed to the NCAA route, he is “still thinking a little bit about it.” He was second in the Saskatchewan midget AAA league scoring race last season, notching 83 points in 41 games with the Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask. He will return to the Hounds if he doesn’t change his mind and stay with Brandon. . . .

After the mention here yesterday of the Portland Winter Hawks signing F Aaron McGill and his being the third player from the Portland area to make the team’s roster, I received an e-mail adding a player to that list. That would be RW Grant Sasser, who played with the Winter Hawks from 1982-84. . . . As an aside, it was pointed out that Dwight Boss, another Portland product, played for the Seattle Breakers and New Westminster Bruins (1982-84). His mother, Jann, ran the Winter Hawks for a number of years. What? You thought Ken Hodge was running the franchise? Sorry. . . .

Former NHLer Jim Sandlak, who did a tour of duty with the Vancouver Canucks, has signed on as an assistant coach with the OHL's Sarnia Sting. . . .