AS MOOSE JAW TURNS: The Moose Jaw Warriors pledged $2.5 million towards a new arena complex and on Monday presented a cheque for $500,000 to city council. In each of the next 10 years, the Warriors will hand over $200,000 . . . There is always more on this story at the Moose Jaw Times-Herald’s website which is right here.
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THE MacBETH REPORT: LW Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge/Tri-City) has signed a try-out contract with Salzburg (Austria Erste Bank Liga). That tryout agreement runs through Aug. 31.
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THE COACHING/SCOUTING GAME: The Tampa Bay Lightning’s new ownership group, headed by ex-WHL players Oren Koules and Len Barrie, is redoing virtually every corner of the organization. That includes the scouting staff. Word is that former Hockey Canada head scout Jim Hammett of Kelowna will be named the director of player personnel, replacing Bill Barber, who resigned last month. Hammett has been the Rangers’ head amateur scout.
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A TIP OF THE TAKING NOTE CAP: A big thank you to Joe Pelletier, who runs greatesthockeylegends.com, for the plug he gave Taking Note on Wednesday. I would like to point out, though, that the Memorial Cup history that has been appearing here will expire after the story on the 1996 tournament. That’s all there is; there won’t be more. Simply because I never did get around to compiling the history past that date. . . . If you haven’t checked out, greatesthockeylegends.com, do it; it’s more than worth it, especially because he keeps you up to date on the publishing world as it relates to hockey books. And here’s a taste of Joe’s most-recent posting (although, as he points out, he normally is writing about hockey’s past, not its present or its future): “It sure will be nice to see Darcy Hordichuk and Nolan Baumgartner at the Stanley Cup victory parade next year in Vancouver. Good lord, the Canucks fired Dave Nonis for this? There was all that talk from ownership and new GM Mike Gillis about how the old regime was not willing to make bold moves to get the Canucks to the next level. At least Nonis brought in Roberto Luongo in a ridiculously lopsided trade. So far Gillis has brought in absolutely nothing to improve the Canucks scoring woes.” . . . As an aside to the Vancouver situation, it is awfully interesting to read the Vancouver Province on a daily basis, what with one columnist (Tony Gallagher) supporting Gillis and the other (Ed Willes) questioning the direction the new GM appears to be taking the franchise. Nothing like dueling columnists in the pages of the same sports section.
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ON THE MOVE: The Prince George Cougars have picked up G Kevin Armstrong, 20, from the Memorial Cup-champion Spokane Chiefs for a 2009 fourth-round bantam draft pick. The Chiefs’ depth chart right now shows Dustin Tokarski as the starter and James Reid, a Calgarian who turns 18 on Dec. 15, as No. 2. Reid, who was selected 190th overall by the Everett Silvertips in the 2005 bantam draft, spent last season with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. He later was dropped by Everett and added by Spokane. "Kevin is a good goaltender who deserves an opportunity to play his 20-year-old season in the WHL," Chiefs General Manager Tim Speltz said. "With the success that Dustin Tokarski has had it is clear he will be our starting goaltender next year and with the experience James Reid acquired last year he is ready to be our second netminder." . . . Armstrong was 20-5-1-3, with a 2.17 GAA and a .915 save percentage, with the Chiefs last season. But he wasn’t able to unseat Tokarski, who had that incredible run through the postseason. . . . The Chiefs had acquired Armstrong from the Saskatoon Blades on Jan. 10, 2006. In that deal, the Blades dealt D Evan Haw, 19, Armstrong, who was 17, a third-round pick in the 2006 bantam draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft to Spokane for C Chad Klassen, 20, D Joe Logan, 19, D David Schulz, 19, and G Jim Watt, 19. . . . The deal sets up the Cougars to go with Armstrong and Ian Curtis, 18, as their goaltenders in the approaching season. Curtis was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos in January. . . . With Armstrong as one 20-year-old, the Cougars still have room for two more. Swedish D Patrik Magnusson won’t be back, while F Morgan MacLean, who started the season with the Cougars, finished up with the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. . . .
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Wondering what former WHL D Josh Garbutt is up to? Check it out here.