Early Thursday notes

The Spokane Chiefs have released G Darcy Kuemper, 17, leaving them with three goaltenders on their roster. Veterans Kevin Armstrong, 19, and Dustin Tokarski, 18, are joined by James Reid, 17. . . . The Chiefs' roster is at 26 -- three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades picked up D Curtis Patterson, 20, from the Prince George Cougars for a conditional bantam draft pick -- the Cougars get a 2009 seventh-round pick if Patterson makes the Blades' roster. Patterson, who is from Saskatoon, has 15 points and 129 penalty minutes in 154 WHL games. He joins two other Saskatoon natives -- C Chris Durand and RW Michael Kaye -- as the Blades' 20-year-old players. Durand was acquired from Prince George over the offseason, while Kaye came over from the Tri-City Americans. . . . The deal leaves the Cougars with G Real Cyr, C Greg Gardner and D Kalvin Sagert as 20-year-olds. There also is a possibility that C Nick Drazenovic could be returned by the NHL's St. Louis Blues, with whom he has signed. . . .

The Prince George Cougars have released LW Steven Kajic, 19. The Kelowna native will join the BCHL's Westside Warriors. . . .

The Tri-City Americans have added two players to their roster -- D Paul Levarsky, 18, from Surrey, B.C., and D Brayden Nargang, who turns 19 on Sept. 28 and is from Edenwold, Sask. Levarsky played 17 games with the Red Deer Rebels last season and also was with the BCHL‘s Merritt Centennials for a bit. He went to camp with the Everett Silvertips this time around and was released on Monday. Nargang played 67 games with the Portland Winter Hawks in 2005-06 and five last season when he also played for the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. Nargang had been in camp with the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings before being released. Levarsky and Nargang will play for the Americans this weekend. . . . The Americans also released Czech D Josef Tichy, whom they selected in the 2007 import draft. He will return to his club team, HC Opava. . . .

The Prince George Cougars, who go home and home with the Kamloops Blazers this weekend, will be without five players who are at NHL camps -- D Patrick Magnusson (Detroit), RW Evan Fuller (Vancouver), D Jesse Dudas (Columbus). LW Dana Tyrell (Team Canada/Tampa Bay) and D Ty Wishart (Team Canada/San Jose). As well, C Nick Drazenovic, 20, will go to camp with the St. Louis Blues. . . . The WHL reports that its teams will have 111 players attending NHL camps. For a complete list, go to www.whl.ca . . .

There have been rumours circulating that Prince George is shopping D Ty Wishart, 19, who is with Team Canada and then will go to camp with the San Jose Sharks, with whom he has signed. However, Prince George GM Dallas Thompson has told the Prince George Citizen that he isn¹t trying to deal the defenceman from Comox, B.C. “I have not had one conversation regarding
(Wishart),” said Thompson, who also admitted that his roster doesn’t include any untouchable players when it comes to trade talks. . . . Citizen sports editor Jim Swanson points out that Thompson would love to recoup the 2008 first-round bantam pick that he gave up a year ago in order to land RW Devin Setoguchi from the Saskatoon Blades. So, perhaps, Wishart might be at least part of the price to get back into the first round. . . .

You can bet there also will be rumours involving Kamloops Blazers D Keaton Ellerby, who is with Team Canada and will attend the Florida Panthers’ camp before returning to the WHL. The Blazers have depth on defence and, like most teams, could use an experienced forward with some touch in the offensive zone. Ellerby, who turns 19 on Nov. 5, was the 10th overall pick
in the NHL’s 2007 draft and would seem to be the most marketable commodity on the Kamloops blue line. . . .

Former Brandon Wheat Kings G Ron Hextall will be one of the inductees into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 17 in Winnipeg. Hextall, 43, who played three seasons (1981-84) with the Wheat Kings, now is the Los Angeles Kings’ assistant general manager and also serves as the GM of their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. . . .

Our European correspondent reports that F Brad Mehalko (Lethbridge, Prince George, Calgary) has signed with Thurigen in Germany’s Oberliga (the third level). He spent last season in the Norwegian Elitserien with Frisk-Asker. . . . He also reports that Hayley Wickenheiser first approached the Swedish team AIK in Stockholm, which plays in that country‘s second level -- Allsvenskan. AIK said thanks but no thanks, so she landed at Arboga, where she is on a tryout.