Thursday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Brad Cruikshank (Calgary/Edmonton/Lethbridge) signed with the Sheffield Steelers (UK Elite Ice Hockey League) for the rest of this season after giving his current club, Basingstoke Bison of the same league "two weeks notice." This season with Basingstoke, Cruikshank had six goals and four assists in nine games after getting 30 goals and 30 assists
in 62 games for the Bison last season. The cause of his resignation was his desire "to play for a winning side.". Basingstoke, which lost its major sponsor when Zoom Airlines went under in August, is in 10th (last) place in the UK Elite League with two victories in 15 games (2-11-2) while Sheffield is in fifth with a record of 7-2-2.
F Anders Lövdahl (Calgary/Moose Jaw) signed with Borlänge (Sweden Division 1) for the rest of the season. He started the season with Mora (Sweden Allsvenskan) but had no points in 11 games on limited ice time this season. Last season, Lövdahl had 24 goals and 30 assists in 37 games with Borlänge.
---
If you are a real WHL fan you are going to want to get your hands on the Tri-City Americans 2008-09 Media Guide. These are as scarce as hen’s teeth because the team only printed about 50 of them. It’s kind of an experimental thing, a test to see what kind of interest there is in this type of thing. Dan Mulhausen, the Ams’ director of marketing, media and game operations, put this baby together and it’s terrific. Included between its covers are the scores of every regular-season and playoff game ever played by the Americans, along with team records of all kinds and on and on. Too bad every team in the league couldn’t produce something like this.
---
The Americans are getting great mileage out of freshman LW Justin Feser, a 16-year-old from Red Deer who was a ninth-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft. He has 10 points, five of them goals, in 11 games this season. Consider that three of those goals came in a game in Regina where the Americans overcame a 3-0 deficit and won 4-3 in OT. Yes, Feser brought his club back, forcing the extra time with his first WHL hat trick. And then, on Tuesday in Kamloops, he scored in the game’s last minute to force OT as the Americans erased a 4-1 third-period deficit and went on to win in a shootout. . . . Feser has some WHL history, too. His uncle, Collin, played three seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders (1983-86) and was part of the 1985 Memorial Cup championship team. In 1984-85, the Raiders’ scouting staff included a guy named Bob Tory, who now is the Americans’ general manager.
---
The Kelowna Rockets handed out some letters on Thursday. C Colin Long is the 17th captain in franchise history. Quick now, name the other 16. . . . The Rockets, who handle this kind of stuff better than anyone, did it up right with a flashy news conference. . . . Long, 19, was an 11th round pick in the 2004 bantam draft who totaled 100 points last season. . . . The alternates are LW Jamie Benn, C Cody Almond and LW Lucas Bloodoff. . . . As for the other 16 captains, here you go, in chronological order: Scott Thomas, Dave McMillan, Allan Egeland, Dallas Thompson, Burt Henderson, Tyler Prosofosky, Jason Deleurme, Ryan Wade, Curtis Rich, Gavin McLeod, Ryan Cuthbert, Josh Gorges, Brett Palin, Tyler Spurgeon, Chris Ray and James McEwan.
---
D Cameron Cepek of the Prince George Cougars picked up a one-game suspension after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in a 7-3 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Wednesday. He will sit out the Cougars’ game against the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Friday.
---
The Chilliwack Bruins are a hurting hockey team, especially on defence, as they prepare for games Friday, in Kelowna against the Rockets, and Saturday, at home against the Kamloops Blazers. D Matt Strong (shoulder) is scheduled to have surgery Friday and is gone for up to three months, while D Jesse Craige (broken jaw) might sit for another six weeks. . . . The Bruins have lost four straight since Craig was injured Oct. 12 in a 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Hey, it’s tough to find defencemen right now. Everyone, it seems, is in the market for one. That includes the Tri-City Americans, who are carrying just six defencemen.
---
Some great stuff from Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province regarding Giants G Tyson Sexsmith and his record-tying 21st career shutout on Wednesday night. Sexsmith did it wearing a plain white facemask, a radical departure from the mask he wore last season. That mask featured pin-up girls. He is having a new one painted but it hadn’t arrived by Wednesday. Sexsmith told Ewen he hopes to have it by Friday night when the Giants meet the Rebels in Red Deer. Prior to Wednesday, Sexsmith had taken a shutout into the third period of his last four games, but wasn’t able to close out the blank job. "I didn't know whether someone was holding something over me," Sexsmith told Ewen. "I thought it was that white mask, but apparently it's not. "I'll still be happy to get my ladies back." . . . For more, check out Ewen’s blog. There’s a link over there on the left.
---
C Devon Kalinski, 18, had an assist on what turned out to be the winning goal as the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs dumped the host Lloydminster Bobcats 4-1 on Wednesday night. Kalinski left the Kamloops Blazers last week after expressing disgruntlement with his role. He had been a healthy scratch three times in 11 games. The Blazers acquired Kalinski from the Calgary Hitmen in January in an exchange that had C Brock Nixon, 20, go the other way. . . . F Ashton Hewson, 20, who began this season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, also is playing for Bonnyville.
---
WHL goaltenders have put up 19 shutouts to this point in the regular season. They are on track for 103 shutouts this season, which would equal the total from 2005-06. The record high is 141 from 2004-05. There were 88 shutouts last season after 120 in 2006-07.
---
The Everett Silvertips, who visit the Tri-City Americans on Friday and the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday, won’t have D Shayne Brown in their lineup. He has a hip flexor. . . . But Everett LW Jordan Mistelbacher (ankle), who has missed three games, is about ready to return.
---
The Portland Winter Hawks, who beat the Blades 4-3 in OT in Saskatoon on Wednesday night, will play the stumbling Pats in Regina tonight. Gotta think the Pats will be in an ornery mood after being whipped 8-1 by the visiting Blades on Tuesday night. You can look for Portland freshman G Keith Hamilton to make his second straight start – and his second career appearance – in Regina. Hamilton, 16, beat the Blades in his first career appearance.