THE MacBETH REPORT: Garth MacBeth, who keeps tabs on the European scene for us, is doing it from Phoenix this week. He reports that it “has been warm — between +42 and +45) and interesting.” . . . And here’s what he has dug up for us for this week . . .
D Stuart Kerr (Spokane/Red Deer) signed with Hull (UK Elite Hockey League). He was with Austin (Central Hockey League) last season. . . . D Justin Kurtz (Brandon) signed with Nordsjaelland (Denmark Elitserien). He had nine goals and 16 assists in 36 games with Milan (Italy Serie A), which folded for financial reasons earlier in June. . . . D Jon Klemm (Seattle/Spokane) signed with Straubing (Germany DEL). He split time between Los Angeles and Manchester this season. . . . F Tim Konsorada (Brandon) signed with Lillehammer (Norway Elitserien). He was with Bakersfield (ECHL) last season. . . . D Kevin Young (Medicine Hat/Portland/Kelowna) signed with Weisswasser (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He was with Landsberg (Germany 2.Bundesliga) last season, getting eight goals and five assists in 17 games. . . . F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George/Swift Current/Lethbridge) signed with Odense (Denmark Elitserien). He split time between Arizona (Central Hockey League), San Antonio (AHL), and Grand Rapids (AHL) last season. . . . D Gustav Engman (Spokane) signed with Vita Hästen Norrköping (Sweden Division 1), where he played his minor hockey. He was with Nyköping and Nybro in Sweden Allsvenskan last year, getting one assist and 117 PIM in 41 games with the two clubs. . . . D Filip Novak (Regina) signed with Dinamo Riga (Continental Hockey League). He had two goals and two assists in 45 games with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Extraliga) last season. Dinamo Riga has former Portland assistant coach Julius Supler as its head coach.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have dealt C Josh Lazowski, 17, to the Red Deer Rebels for RW Spencer Edwards, who turns 18 on Nov. 16, and the 64th pick in the CHL’s 2008 import draft. Edwards had four points in 30 games with the Rebels last season. Lazowski had two points in 13 games with Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds used the acquired import pick to take Czech LW Ondrej Palat, 17, who had 37 points in 42 games with the Vitkovice juniors last season. In the first round, with the 42nd pick, Seattle took Swedish D Stefan Warg, who was taken by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2008 draft. . . . The Thunderbirds also announced that LW Jan Eberle, a 19-year-old Czech, won’t be returning. Instead, he will play in the Czech Republic. . . . Eberle and Finnish G Riku Helenius, a first-round selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2006 NHL draft, were Seattle’s two imports last season. Helenius, 20, will play in Tampa Bay’s organization next season.
