Bruce Hamilton, the president, governor and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets, was elected chairman of the board of governors at the WHL’s annual meeting in Calgary on Tuesday. Hamilton, who was elected for a two-year term, took over as chairman following the death of Ed Chynoweth in April. . . . “This is a great honour and I am extremely grateful that my peers see me in such a role,” Hamilton said in a release issued by the Rockets. “That being said I know I have huge shoes to fill with the loss of Ed. He was a mentor to me and a dear friend. I have mixed emotions today, I am happy to be elected, but saddened for the reasons.” . . . Hamilton served as chairman from 1998 through the end of the 2003-04 season. He was replaced by Chynoweth. . . . The WHL executive committee, the league’s most powerful board, now comprises Jack Brodsky (Saskatoon Blades), Russ Farwell (Seattle Thunderbirds), Patrick LaForge (Edmonton Oil Kings) and Ron Toigo (Vancouver Giants).
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JUNIOR JOTTINGS: The Prince George Cougars have acquired F Zac Ashdown, 17, from Seattle for a conditional fourth-round bantam pick. Seattle selected Ashdown, who is from Campbell River, B.C., in the second round, 32nd overall, of the 2006 draft. He was with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask., last season. He had 40 points, including 21 goals, in 40 games. . . . The Vancouver Giants, without a permanent radio home last season, have signed a three-year deal with Astral Media, meaning all regular-season and playoff games will be heard on SuperHits 650 CISL, an AM outlet. . . . Nothing official yet, but the Vancouver Province reported a couple of weeks ago that Joey Kenward, the Giants’ radio voice, will call games for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks whenever John Shorthouse is doing games for Sportsnet. That being the case, and assuming Kenward would call Giants’ games when available, the Giants will need a play-by-play man for more than a handful of games.
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THE BANTAM DRAFT: Prince George has signed D Jesse Forsberg, its first pick in the 2008 bantam draft. Forsberg, from Waldheim, Sask., played for the bantam AA Warman Wildcats. Forsberg, 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds, had 22 points in 14 league games and added 13 points in seven games at the Kamloops International Bantam Ice Hockey Tournament. He also had seven points in four games at the Western Canadian championships. . . . Stats courtesy of Alan Caldwell at Small Thoughts at Large. . . . Forsberg is the sixth 2008 first-round pick to sign a WHL deal. . . . Here is a status report on the 2008 first round bantam picks:
- Red Deer, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Burnaby, B.C.
- Portland, Ty Rattie, LW, Airdrie, Alta.
- Saskatoon (from Prince George), Duncan Siemens, D, Sherwood Park, Alta. (signed)
- Edmonton, Michael St. Croix, C, Winnipeg (signed)
- Prince Albert, Mark McNeill, C, Edmonton (signed)
- Saskatoon, Brent Benson, C, Weyburn, Sask. (signed)
- Kamloops, Colin Smith, C, Edmonton (signed)
- Chilliwack, Mitch Topping, D, Red Deer
- Everett, Ryan Murray, D, White City, Sask.
- Brandon (from Kelowna), Klarc Wilson, RW, Edmonton
- Prince George (from Moose Jaw), Jesse Forsberg, D, Waldheim, Sask. (signed)
- Swift Current, Reece Scarlett, D, Sherwood Park, Alta.
- Kelowna (from Brandon), Shane McColgan, C, Manhattan Beach, Calif.
- Seattle, Connor Sanvido, C, Maple Ridge, B.C.
- Kootenay, Brendan Hurley, LW, Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
- Medicine Hat, Dylan Busenius, D, Sherwood Park, Alta.
- Regina, Myles Bell, D, Calgary
- Lethbridge, Phil Tot, C, Calgary
- Calgary, Peter Kosterman, D, Calgary
- Vancouver, Zach Hodder, D, North Delta, B.C.
- Spokane, Mitch Holmberg, RW, Sherwood Park, Alta.
- Tri-City, Zac Yuen, D, Vancouver