Tuesday . . .

The WHL has doled out its first discipline of the season. The Regina Pats have been fined $500 for “initiating a multiple-fight situation versus Edmonton” on Sunday during a game in the Oil Kings’ tournament. Two Regina players — F Matt Delahey and F Garrett Mitchell — each drew a one-game suspension “for suspequent fight” from that game. . . . As well, Chance Lund of the Seattle Thunderbirds has been suspended for one game for a cross-checking major and game misconduct against the Portland Winter Hawks on Sunday.
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THE 2008-09 STANDINGS
Fines paid by teams this season, showing number of fines and total amount paid:
Regina 1/$500
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LAST SEASON’S STANDINGS
Here’s an unofficial look at fines paid by teams last season, showing number of fines and total amount paid:
Regina 8/$4,500
Saskatoon 6/$3,500
Moose Jaw 3/$3,250
Portland 4/$1,000
Edmonton 2/$750
Lethbridge 1/$500
Brandon 1/$250
Chilliwack 1/$250
Everett 1/$250
Medicine Hat 1/$250
Prince George 1/$250
Seattle 1/$250
Spokane 1/$250
TOTALS 31/$15,250
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Vancouver Giants are having a 2007 Memorial Cup ring made up for former captain Milan Lucic, who now plays for the NHL’s Boston Bruins. The home belonging to Lucic’s parents was broken into in July and he lost his ring and three tournament watches. GM Scott Bonner already has replaced one of the watches and Ewen reports the Giants have placed an order for another ring.
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As reported last week by Jessica Brown of the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Spokane Chiefs have signed Leigh Mendelson as assistant coach under head coach Hardy Sauter. The move became necessary when Sauter was promoted to replace head coach Bill Peters, now the head coach of the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Mendelson spent last season as an assistant coach with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, who won that league’s regular-season and playoff championship. He has extensive junior A experience in the U.S., and also has coached in the ECHL and in Europe. . . . Single-game tickets to home games for the Memorial Cup-champion Chiefs go on sale Thursday.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings will unveil their new website on Friday. It’ll be right there at www.wheatkings.com. . . . No one works harder than Rick Dillabough and his crew at putting fannies in the seats and this new website will be one more example of that. Part of the plan is to have regular on-line play chats. The first one is scheduled for Sept. 15 when fans will be able to visit with Matt Calvert.
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F Stepan Novotny, whom the Kelowna Rockets selected in the CHL’s 2008 import draft, arrived in the Okanagan city on Saturday. One look at Prospera Place and he told Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier: “This is the best rink I’ve ever been in. I know I’m going to be at home here.” . . . Novotny, who is from the Czech Republic, spent last season with the USHL’s Indiana Ice, totaling 11 points in 44 games. Before that, he played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. Novotny, 18 on Sept. 21, is eligible for the NHL’s 2009 draft. “He’s a skilled player who’s been in North America the last two years, so we think he won’t need that extra time to make the transition to our style of hockey (like most Europeans),” Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton said. “We feel he can step up and play on one of our top two lines.” . . . Novotny may end up playing alongside centre Colin Long and left-winger Jamie Benn.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are without F Jordan Hickmott, 18, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers over the summer. He hasn’t skated since having surgery on a toe last week. . . . Prince Albert veteran F Jordan Trach (concussion) is listed as week-to-week. He was injured in camp. . . . The Raiders also are without F Brent Martin (back). He came over from the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season in the deal that had D Jeff May going the other way.
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The Saskatoon Blades have released F Kevin Philip, 18. Philip, who goes about 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, is from Victoria. He joined the Blades last season but suffered a broken jaw and was limited to 36 games. He had four points and 44 penalty minutes. . . . The departure of Philip left the Blades’ roster at 34, including three 1993s, who are too young to play regularly this season.
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Ray Ferraro, who holds the WHL’s single-season goal-scoring record, is leaving Rogers Sportsnet for TSN where he will work as an NHL analyst. Ferraro had been an analyst on Sportsnet’s Edmonton Oilers telecasts. His spot on that crew will be taken by former Oilers forward Louie DeBrusk.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will play at least eight games at KeyArena before making the move to the brand new Kent Events Center. Single-game tickets for those eight game go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. . . . The Thunderbirds still aren’t sure when they will open in Kent. They new facility is scheduled to be completed on Jan. 2. The Thunderbirds have home games scheduled for Dec. 27, 28 and 30 — so one of those games just might be the first game in the new barn. You bet that the Seattle brass is hoping to open in Kent on Dec. 27 — on a night when the Portland Winter Hawks will provide the opposition. The Spokane Chiefs will visit on Dec. 28, with the Chilliwack Bruins there on Dec. 30.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes are down to 28 bodies on their roster, including three goaltenders. The starter, of course, will be Juha Metsola, the 19-year-old sophomore from Finland. The two vying for the backup spot are Brandon Anderson, 16, from Langley, B.C., and Michael Tadjdeh, 17, of Calgary. Anderson was the 50th pick in the 2997 bantam draft. . . . The Hurricanes also signed four players as their camp ended — D Cody Castro, 16, of Peoria, Ariz., F Ryon Moser, 16, of Calgary, D Derek Ryckman, 16, of Red Deer, and F Philip Tot, 15, of Calgary. . . . The Hurricanes took Ryckman with the 199th pick of the 2007 draft and then took Moser at No. 207 and Castro at No. 229. . . . Tot was Lethbridge’s first-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft and is the only 1993-born player still with the Hurricanes. He is likely to play in the Saskatoon tournament this weekend.
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You may be interested to know that Barry Smith is making US$1.25 million to coach this season. That would be the Barry Smith who is head coach of SKA St. Petersburg of the Continental Hockey League. Kamloops Blazers head coach Barry Smith is believed to be making slightly less than that.