Monday's notes

Walter Nachbaur, the father of Tri-City Americans head coach Don Nachbaur, died Sunday night at his home in Prince George. He had been ill and Don had missed the Americans’ last few games in order to be in Prince George with his family. . . .

From Jim Swanson, the sports editor of the Prince George Citizen:
"Condolences go out to the Nachbaur family today. Walter Nachbaur passed away peacefully at home in Prince George on Sunday after a lengthy illness. Among those at his side was son Don, the former NHL player who is now the head coach of the Tri-City Americans.
"An electrician by trade, Walter was a quiet man who will be remembered as a great father, husband, grandfather, uncle . . . and should always be recalled as perhaps the best hockey dad this city has ever known. Without his support and encouragement for Don, in those days as a teen when Don was focused on training and keeping poisons out of his body while his friends partied every weekend, the NHL might never have met the determined personality that the name Nachbaur brought to the ice.
"Nothing Don accomplished came on a silver platter. Most of the important lessons Don absorbed were learned from his father.
"To Walter’s family, may you celebrate a life that made a difference.
(The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to local Rotary Hospice House.)"

Garth MacBeth, our man who keeps tabs on the European scene has some news today: D Jame Pollock (Seattle) leaves Hershey (AHL) for CSKA Moscow of the Russian Superliga. CSKA is better known as Central Red Army. Pollock joins former junior teammate Oleg Saprykin, Konstantin Pushkarov (Calgary) and Ladislav Kohn (Swift Current) with CSKA. . . .

The Kelowna Rockets are likely to be without F Brady Leavold, 20, when they meet the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Tuesday night. Leavold went head-first into the boards during a Monday practice in Regina. He was treated on the ice by Kelowna trainer Jeff Thorburn and Regina Pats trainer Greg Mayer before being taken to hospital on a backboard. X-rays were negative but Leavold is doubtful for the game in Moose Jaw. . . . The Rockets also will be without F Kyle St. Denis, who hasn’t yet recovered from a concussion suffered Dec. 1. . . .

The Chilliwack Bruins have returned G Lucas Gore to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. He was brought in late last week to sub for Mark Friesen, who was injured in a 6-3 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars on Dec. 4. Friesen is healthy again, so Gore is back in Vernon. . . .

MONDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS
In Kennewick, Wash., RW Blair Macaulay doubled his goal output for this season in leading the Tri-City Americans to a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Americans (23-7-1-0), who have outscored opponents 72-38 at home, have won two straight. . . . The Broncos (17-12-0-5) have lost two in a row. . . . Macaulay scored his third goal of the season shorthanded at 14:01 of the first period, giving his mates a 1-0 lead. He broke a 2-2 tie at 14:50 of the third period what stood up as the winner. . . . Swift Current was 1-for-6 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-2. . . . G Chet Pickard stopped 31 shots for the Americans, but gave one up from centre ice when he deflected D Ryan Molle’s lob from centre ice into the net. That tied the game 2-2 at 12:11 of the third period.