Friday's happenings

Nice touch by the Edmonton Oil Kings having restaurateur Vic Mah drop the ceremonial puck prior to their inaugural game Thursday against the visiting Kootenay Ice. No one has wanted major hockey in Edmonton worse than Mah, who even held 10 shares in the Kamloops Blazers until selling them to Vancouver businessman Tom Gaglardi sometime in the past year. Gaglardi was able to take those shares and others he bought and use them in River City Hockey’s successful attempt to purchase the Blazers from the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society. . . .

Sources have confirmed that Innovation Credit Union has purchased the naming rights to the Centennial Civic Centre in Swift Current. An official announcement is due to be made Tuesday. Not sure what the official name of the arena will be -- Innovation Place? -- but Joe Arling and Co. should know that The ATM is already taken. (That’s the nickname for Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops.) . . . But the imagination runs wild at the possibilities when one considers the possibilities brought on from the initials for Innovation Credit Union, which has 25 locations across Saskatchewan. . . .

C Greg Gardner, 20, has been named captain of the Prince George Cougars. Alternates are D Ty Wishart, 19, D Chris Vanduynhoven, 18, and LW Dana Tyrell, 18. . . .

D Daryl Boyle, 20, has been selected to serve as the 50th captain in the history of the Brandon Wheat Kings. He replaces LW Mark Derlago, who completed his WHL eligibility last season. Alternates will be D Keith Aulie, 18, D Mark Louis, 20 and D Theran Yeo, 20, with C Tyler Dittmer, 20, (at home) and LW Andrew Clark, 19, (road) sharing an A. Interesting that four of those players are 20, meaning one will be gone shortly when teams have to get down to three 20-year-olds.