Monday's musings . . .

Our man on the European beat reports that Jokerit Helsinki has a huge celebration planned for Oct. 27 when it will retire Jari Kurri’s No. 17. It is all part of Jokerit’s 40th anniversary celebrations. Kurri played for Jokerit before coming to the NHL and also during the 1994-95 strike. He had 99 points (51 goals, 48 assists) in 115 games with Jokerit. It will be the fourth number retired by Jokerit, including Esa Tikkanen’s No. 5. Yes, Tikkanen, with whom Kurri played in Finland, wore No. 5. . . . Teemu Selanne also played for Jokerit — he wore No. 8 — and you can bet that number also will be retired once he retires. . . . Trinec (Czech Extraliga) releases F Lauris Darzins (Kelowna) . . . Sonderjysk (Danish Elitserie) releases F Mike Bayrack (Lethbridge/Medicine Hat/Prince George) . . . F Masi Marjamäki (Red Deer/Moose Jaw) signs with Ässät Pori (Finland SM-Liiga) for the rest of this season. He was with Bridgeport (AHL) but had not dressed for even one game this season. He asked to be re-assigned to Finland and the New York Islanders granted his request . . . F Roman Tvrdon (Spokane) signs with Zilina (Slovakia Extraliga). . . .

The writers have spoken and the Calgary Hitmen are once again the WHL’s top team. The Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association poll has the Hitmen in top spot, having traded places with the Vancouver Giants. The Hitmen got 12 first-place votes; the Giants got the other six.
Here are the rankings, showing position, last week, first-place votes and total points (22 for a first, 21 for a second, etc.):
1. (2) Calgary Hitmen (12) 389
2. (1) Vancouver Giants (6) 382
3. (6) Tri-City Americans 341
4. (7) Spokane Chiefs 337
5. (5) Swift Current Broncos 297
6. (10) Regina Pats 294
7. (4) Seattle Thunderbirds 293
8. (3) Medicine Hat Tigers 286
9. (9) Chilliwack Bruins 285
10. (12) Moose Jaw Warriors 230
11. (8) Brandon Wheat Kings 223
12. (11) Kamloops Blazers 187
T13. (15) Lethbridge Hurricanes 175
T13. (14) Everett Silvertips 175
15. (13) Kelowna Rockets 128
16. (20) Kootenay Ice 121
17. (21) Prince George Cougars 95
18. (16) Red Deer Rebels 92
19. (18) Edmonton Oil Kings 88
20. (17) Saskatoon Blades 68
21. (19) Prince Albert Raiders 50
22. (22) Portland Winter Hawks 18
(VOTERS: Everett Herald, Seattle Times, Spokane Spokesman-Review, Chilliwack Progress, Vancouver Province, Kamloops Daily News, Prince George Citizen, Kelowna Capital News, Kelowna Daily Courier, Kootenay Advertiser, Calgary Sun, Edmonton Sun, Red Deer Advocate, Lethbridge Herald, Swift Current Prairie Post, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Prince Albert Daily Herald, Brandon Sun.)

The QMJHL’s P.E.I. Rocket, which plays out of Charlottetown, have sacked head coach Yanick Jean. It is expected that veteran QMJHL coach Guy Chouinard will be introduced as his replacement on Tuesday. Chouinard has won four QMJHL titles during his career and is the league’s all-time leader in coaching victories. . . . The Rocket (7-7-1-0), which has won three straight, is fifth in the eight-team East Division. . . . Take a look at the WHL standings. If every coach whose record is .500 or worse was fired today, we would be waving farewell to 11 of them. . . .

The Red Deer Rebels have assigned F Jordan Draper to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Draper, 18, had one goal in seven games this season. . . . Rebels F J.D. Watt has served his six-game suspension and is eligible to return. . . .

The WHL office fattened its coffers by $1,000 on Monday as it issued three fines resulting from weekend games. . . . Wade Klippenstein, the Prince George Cougars’ assistant coach, was clipped $500 for a game misconduct he received during Saturday’s game in Swift Current. It seems Klippenstein had a difference of opinion with the officiating crew following an icing call. “Wade had a disagreement with them, and he lost,” head coach Drew Schoneck told the Prince George Citizen. . . . Portland Winter Hawks G Kurtis Mucha also felt the wrath of the WHL office. He got into a post-game scrap with Thunderbirds G Jacob DeSerres in Seattle on Saturday for which he was suspended three games. Mucha has served one of those games. Portland and Seattle were fined $250 each for staging battling goaltenders.