Sunday's highlights . . .

On the same day that the World Series ends, A-Rod and his headline loving agent reveal that the third baseman who would rather be a shortstop has opted out of his contract with the New York Yankees. Couldn't wait another day, could they? . . . And now we get to play that most-popular of winter games: Which baseball moron, er, owner will give A-Rod the bank this time? . . .

Two sure signs of winter . . . 1. The swans arrive in the South Thompson River on the east side of Kamloops; 2. Bill Belichick drags out the hoodie with the cutoff sleeves. . . . The swans arrived here overnight Thursday. . . . Belichick wore the hoodie Sunday afternoon and wore it as his New England Patriots waltzed past the Washington Redskins. . . . Winter is on its way. . . . If you haven’t already, you best tell your loved ones that you will be busy on Sunday afternoon (in case you have forgotten, it’s Patriots versus Colts). . . .

The highlight of Sunday's NFL game in London between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins? Easy. The crowd booed at the end as New York quarterback Eli Manning repeatedly took a knee to run out the clock. Maybe the CFL should send a couple of teams over there to show the fans how much fun the last minute of a game can be. . . .

Took time early Sunday to look at a hit from a Friday night game that resulted in a two-game suspension to Kelowna Rockets D Luke Schenn. It came late in the second period of a game with the Blazers in Kamloops. After the hit on Kamloops LW Shayne Wiebe, Schenn wasn’t immediately penalized by referee Andy Thiessen. After meeting with linesmen Kris Hartley and Nick Swaine, Thiessen gave Schenn a charging major and a game misconduct. Wiebe was on his knees and needed attention from trainer Colin Robinson before skating off. Schenn was suspended for two games; Wiebe, who has a concussion, didn’t play Saturday and is questionable for a rematch in Kelowna on Tuesday. . . . But after watching the play five or six times, I’ve got to wonder why Schenn was (a) penalized and (b) suspended. . . . On the play in question, Wiebe, 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, is against the boards in a corner in the Kelowna zone. Schenn, 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, coasts into Wiebe from behind and knocks him into the boards. Wiebe’s head hits the glass. . . . Wiebe, who had his back to Schenn, was not parked three feet from the boards; he was pretty much up against the boards. . . . However, there is no intent to run a guy through the boards. Schenn didn’t run at Wiebe, nor did he launch himself in Steve Downie fashion. . . . If that hit is worth a two-game suspension, you have to wonder where this game is going. . . . One NHL scout who was at the game offered: “That was simply a case of a big guy hitting a smaller guy.” . . . So should the big guy be suspended in such instances?

SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
In Calgary, Clayton Cumiskey‘s goal with 1.2 seconds left in the third period gave the Edmonton Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Hitmen. Calgary (11-5-0-1) was coming off a 4-0 home-ice loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Thursday and has lost six of eight. Perhaps the players should bring their skates to practice on Monday. . . . The Oil Kings (5-6-1-2) went in having lost six straight; they also had lost five in a row on the road. . . . Calgary trailed 3-1 in this one before goals 13 seconds apart late in the third period pulled it even. With G Martin Jones on the bench for the extra attacker, the Hitmen got goals from Karl Alzner at 18:52 and Kyle Bortis at 19:05. . . . Cumiskey’s winner came off a 2-on-1 with Brett Breitkreuz. . . . Strangely, Mike Maniago, a former Kamloops Blazers goaltender who is from Calgary, beat the Hitmen on Thursday. On Sunday, Edmonton went with Dalyn Flette, another ex-Blazers netminder who also is from Calgary. Flette was outstanding in making 29 saves. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes got out to a 3-0 second-period lead and went on to beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-2. . . . It was a special victory for Lethbridge head coach Michael Dyck as his wife, Char, had brought a son into the world earlier in the day. . . . Four of the goals came via the PP, as the Hurricanes were 2-for-3 and the Rebels 2-for-9. . . . The Hurricanes (9-7-1-0) are on a five-game winning streak and now are 4-4-0-0 at home. . . . The Rebels (4-11-3-0) are on a seven-game losing streak. . . . Lethbridge had won 4-3 in Red Deer on Saturday. . . . Jacob Dietrich, Adam Chorneyko and Travis Bobbee had Lethbridge out front 3-0 at 18:50 of the second period. . . . Joel Cot got Red Deer on the board at 19:55 of the second period but the Rebels weren’t able to score again until Clayton Bauer found the mark at 19:50 of the third. . . . Red Deer outshot Lethbridge 30-19, including 11-1 in the third period, but G Juha Metsola stood tall for the Hurricanes. . . .

In Portland, the Spokane Chiefs hung a 9-1 licking on the Winter Hawks (2-13-0-0) who now are 1-8-0-0 at home. . . . The Chiefs (11-2-1-1) have won eight in a row and are tied with the Tri-City Americans (12-4-0-0), one point behind the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Giants (11-2-1-2). Vancouver plays in Prince George on Monday night. . . . Spokane got three goals from Judd Blackwater, who has seven on the season. He also had an assist. Ondrej Roman had a goal and three helpers. . . . Jared Cowen, Curtis Kelner, Blackwater and Roman all finished plus-4. . . .

In Seattle, the Wheat Kings, who went into Saturday in Portland on a five-game losing streak, won their second game in a row, beating the Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Brandon (9-6-0-1) beat the Winter Hawks 4-2 on Saturday. . . . Brandon, 2-2-0-1 on its U.S. Division tour, won this one by scoring the game’s last three goals in a 3:16 span early in the third period, after the teams were tied 2-2 after two. . . . A power-play goal by Daniel Bartek at 2:01 of the third period began the Brandon onslaught. . . . Jay Fehr added insurance at 5:02 and Brayden Schenn put it away at 5:17. . . . Brandon outshot Seattle 16-7 in the first period and 16-6 in the third, although the final advantage was only 35-32. . . . Sena Acolotse, playing his 56th career regular-season game, had his first goal for the Thunderbirds (6-3-2-1), who now are 4-1-1-1 at home. . . . Brandon’s Tyler Dittmer didn’t score for the first time in five games. . . . Seattle was without D Scott Jackson (ankle), who was injured in a 2-0 Saturday loss to the Chiefs in Spokane.