Some Thursday notes . . .

C Brandon Sutter of the Red Deer Rebels has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. They selected him in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft. Sutter, 19, had 49 points with the Rebels this season. He will join the AHL’s Albany River Rats this week. At the NHL level. Sutter will get US$787,500 per season. The number falls to $65,000 if he’s in the minors. . . . Brandon, who got a $262,500 signing bonus, is the son of Brent Sutter, who owns the Rebels and is the head coach of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. . . .
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RW Spencer Machacek, the captain of the Vancouver Giants, has signed a three-year entry level deal with the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2007 draft. . . . No terms yet. . . . Machacek has had a huge season with the Giants, getting career hights in goals (33), assists (45) and points (78) in 70 games. . . . He had three goals and an assist in the Giants’ opening-round sweep of the Chilliwack Bruins. . . .
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It appears that things are really heating up in the series between the Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds. The T-birds hold a 3-2 edge after a 6-2 victory on home ice Thursday night. At game’s end, Kelowna LW James McEwan, who began his career with the Thunderbirds, tackled Seattle G Riku Helenius, prompting something of a scuffle. “It was just one of their guys trying to give his team a spark,” Seattle D Thomas Hickey told Jim Riley of the Seattle Times. "It was a classless move and I don't think they gained anything out of it. We have bigger and better things to worry about than one of their guys making a play like that." . . . McEwan was given a double minor. . . . Helenius, who was beaten by Brady Leavold just 22 seconds into the first period, finished with 25 saves. . . . F Bud Holloway had two goals for Seattle, while Hickey contributed three assists. . . . Kelowna G Kris Westblom, making his fifth straight start, was replaced by Torrie Jung at 12:51 of the first period after being beaten three times on eight shots. . . . Attendance was 3,369. . . . Seattle, which lost the first two games at home and now has won three in row, can wrap it up Saturday in Kelowna. . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier reports seeing this sign in the stands in Seattle: Colin Joe illegally downloads.