Tuesday . . . late

Today’s big news involves Moose Jaw and, yes, it looks as though the road has been cleared for the building of a new arena. But, this being Moose Jaw, you get the feeling that there is more to this story that has yet to be written. Perhaps another petition or something like that. . . . Interesting that it took a Regina judge to remove the latest road block. . . . The Moose Jaw Times-Herald has the latest right here . . . and, as usual, make sure you scroll down and read the comments. I mean, there has to be a book or a TV or something in there somewhere.
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Among the cuts from the Prince Albert Raiders camp was LW Cole Penner, 17. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2006 bantam draft. The Raiders have assigned him to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. . . . It seems that GM/head coach Bruno Campese visited all players during the offseason and stressed the importance of conditioning. When Penner showed up lacking in that area, he was gone. "We set certain expectations of our players," Campese told Adam Hawboldt of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, "but, quite simply, (in Cole's case) they were not met. We clearly set out our expectations and at this point he hasn't met those conditions, so he's been reassigned." . . . Penner told Collin Gallant of the Medicine Hat News: “There’s nothing a guy can do but work hard and try to get back up.” Penner also told Gallant that he isn’t sure what he will do.
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Among the 11 players reassigned by the Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday was D Jordan Principalli, 19, who headed for the BCHL’s Quesnel Millionaires. His BCHL rights were swapped in a four-team weekend deal. . . . Kamloops is down to 32 players, including three goalies, as it prepares to open its exhibition season Friday in Ladner, B.C., against the Vancouver Giants. . . . Slovakian C Dalibor Bortnak has been cleared to play for the Blazers. His club team in Slovakia has granted him his release and he is expected to practise with the team on Wednesday. . . . Kamloops C Mark Hall (knee) remains sidelined and could be our for another two weeks. . . . Kamloops also signed four players to WHL contracts on Tuesday. D Brandon Underwood, a 16-year-old from San Diego, has had a fine camp and has a chance to stick. He’s a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who played for the midget AAA Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Also signing were forwards Cole Grbavac, Neil Landry and Uriah Machuga. Machuga, from Norco, Calif., is out of the California Wave program. Grbavac, 17, is from Calgary and played last season for the midget AAA Buffaloes. Landry was a fifth-round pick by the Blazers in the 2007 bantam draft. He played last season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers.
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Veterans Scott Doucet and Kirt Hill duked it out during the Regina Pats’ intrasquad game on Tuesday and Hill came out of it with a broken thumb. Both players are 20 years of age and the injury could take Hill out of the lineup for a while. . . . Did you know: Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips veteran Kyle Beach and Chicago Cubs starter Rich Harden are second cousins. Beach, of course, was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2008 NHL draft. The two haven’t yet met but they have spoken and are planning to meet sometime after Beach arrives for camp next month. . . . By the way, Beach had sports hernia season over the summer and took two completes away from training. Gotta think he’ll be refreshed and reinvigorated, which can only mean bad news for opponents. . . . Among Everett’s Tuesday cuts was G Trevor Gutierrez, younger brother of former Kamloops/Everett RW Moises Gutierrez. . . . Everett F Ryan White, a 17-year-old from Parker, Colo., remains in camp. Too bad he didn’t play last season when D Ryan White, 20, played for the Kamloops and Prince Albert and F Ryan White, 19, was in Calgary.
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Note that I have added two new blog links to the list at the left. . . . Evan Hammond is the radio voice of the BCHL’s Port Alberni Bulldogs and often has some interesting things to say. Besides, he’s the son of former Flin Flon Bombers goaltender Cal Hammond and that’s good enough for me. . . . Also linked over there is The Red Deer Scene, which belongs to Andrew Walker. His blog includes regular updates on the Red Deer Rebels.
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Found an interesting note on Hammond’s blog that involved something I have long thought more coaches should try:
“The Bulldogs camp over the weekend was the smallest I have witnessed in all my years of covering a junior hockey team,” Hammond wrote. “Only 30 or so players were out there so competition was fierce. From what I can see, it seems that Bulldogs head coach Bryant Perrier has made this less of a training camp, and more of a practice and tuneup. I like the thinking. . . . Recruit the kids you want, and then start as soon as possible making the team you want and working on hitting the ground RUNNING. The camp over the weekend even had power play practice. These guys aren't messing around!”
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There also has been some neat stuff on Hammond’s blog involving the relationship between his community and wrestler Travis Cross. Just another wonderful story about the love between a smaller community and an amateur athlete. Great stuff!