Thurdsay's notes . . .

D Mitch Versteeg won’t be in the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ lineup Friday when they open the second round of WHL playoffs against the visiting Kootenay Ice. He has been suspended for one game for a hit on Brandon Wheat Kings D Matt McCue in Game 6 of that series on Sunday. The hit, which occurred in the third period, knocked McCue out of the game. It has since been determined that he suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in one knee. The injury won’t require surgery and he is expected to be ready for training camp in September. . . . When the second round begins tonight, all players’ helmets will display the new Ed Chynoweth Cup logo. The WHL’s championship trophy was renamed the Ed Chynoweth Cup a year ago. The decals will honour the long-time WHL president and present chairman of the board who is battling health problems. . . . Patrick Roy and his Quebec Remparts have been getting publicity for all the wrong reasons of late. But it’s worth noting they did set a QMJHL attendance record by drawing 390,711 fans to 35 home games, for an average of 11,163. . . . RW Jordan Knackstedt of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the latest WHLer to join a pro team. Knackstedt, 19, taken by the Boston Bruins in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2007 draft, is joining the AHL’s Providence Bruins. . . .
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Relax, Vancouver Giants fans. G Tyson Sexsmith was back at practice Thursday after enjoying three days off. Sexsmith had done some work with goaltender coach Sean Murray on Wednesday but, other than that, didn’t practice for three days. The Giants boarded their bus and headed for Spokane on Thursday where they’ll open against the Chiefs on Friday. . . . The Tri-City Americans, who haven’t played since completing a sweep of the Blazers in Kamloops on March 26, are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds to open that series on Friday. . . . In the regular season, the teams split eight games, with Tri-City winning once in OT. The Americans had a 29-28 edge in goals scored. . . . Looking for a key? Try the Tri-City power play. It wasn’t good against Kamloops, scoring just four goals in 30 opportunities. It will have to be better than that to beat Seattle, which gave up 10 goals in 44 opportunities in getting past the Kelowna Rockets in seven games in the opening round. . . . While Tri-City head coach Don Nachbaur is working the bench in Game 2 in Kennewick, Wash., on Saturday night, you can bet there will be times when his mind wanders, even if just for a second, to Prince George. That’s because he is to be inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday. Nachbaur played all of his minor hockey in Prince George before going on to a pro career that included 223 NHL games. “It’s not like the NHL Hall of Fame, but it’s recognition from the people who live there honoring people who have made it,” Nachbaur told the Tri-City Herald’s Annie Fowler. “It hasn’t been afforded to a lot of people. To be recognized as an athlete makes you pretty proud. I have a couple of friends there already (Darcy Rota and Stewart Malgunas) and to join them is nice.”
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The Calgary Hitmen open against the Broncos in Swift Current on Friday and the Broncos know they are going to have to contain LW T.J. Galiardi. The 19-year-old Galiardi is the WHL scoring leader, with 13 points, through one round. . . . In their last 30 outings, the Broncos have beaten in regulation time on only five occasions. . . . Calgary took three of four from Swift Current in the regular season. . . . Calgary finished atop the Eastern Conference but has to open on the road because the Juno Awards are booked into the Pengrowth Saddledome. Because of that the series will follow a 2-3-1-1- format. . . . Edmonton Oil Kings F Tomas Vincour has six assists through two games at the IIHF World Under-18 Division 1 championship in Poland. Vincour and his Czech Republic teammates beat Poland 9-0 on Thursday. . . .