Have I mentioned lately how much I hate loser points?
Well, let us pause for a few moments to consider the case of the Columbia Valley Rockies, a junior B team from Invermere, B.C., that plays in the Kootenay International junior league.
Now . . . I don’t have anything against the Rockies. Nothing at all.
But consider that the Rockies have lost six of their last 11 games. You would think that would mean they are under .500 in their last 11 games. Right? Actually, thanks to today’s goofy rules, you would be wrong.
You see, the Rockies have been in five straight shootouts and they have lost them all. Furthermore, they have been in six shootouts in their last seven games — they are 2-0-5 (the KIJHL puts OT and shootout losses in the same category in its standings) over that stretch.
Get this! In their last 11 games, the Rockies are 5-0-6. That means they have picked up 16 points in their last 11 games even though they have lost six of those games.
Going into those 11 games, there were 22 points up for grabs — so you could say the Rockies earned 16 of a possible 22 points.
Except that only five of those games turned out to be two-pointers, while six ended up being three-pointers. Which means you also could say the Rockies picked up 16 of 28 points.
Except that one team can’t get three points for a victory.
Ahh, the whole thing is a mess.
Yes, it’s time to stop handing out loser points like suckers on Halloween.
———
The Kelowna Rockets have dealt D Riley McIntosh, 18, to the Tri-City Americans for a fifth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. The Rockets selected McIntosh, a 6-foot-5, 205-pounder from Coquitlam, B.C., with the 39th pick of the 2005 draft. “This move will allow Riley to get more ice time with a very good hockey club,” Kelowna GM Bruce Hamilton said in a release. “He’s a third-year defenceman and this will give him a better chance to succeed in the Western Hockey League.” McIntosh had seven points and 70 penalty minutes in 104 games with the Rockets. . . . The Chilliwack Bruins now have gone more than three complete games without scoring on the Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets posted back-to-back shutouts — 5-0 and 6-0 — in late October and beat the Bruins 3-0 on Saturday night. Kelowna freshman G Adam Brown put up the first two shutouts; veteran Kris Lazaruk earned the blank job Saturday. Chilliwack is back in Kelowna on Dec. 6 and goes into that one knowing it hasn't scored on the Rockets in 185 minutes 57 seconds. The last time the Bruins scored versus Kelowna was March 12.
———
C Jordan Weal was a healthy scratch Saturday as the Regina Pats beat the Cougars 7-1 in Prince George. Weal is a 16-year-old who leads all freshmen WHLers in assists (25) and points (34). “There were indications of him getting a little bit tired,” Regina head coach Dale Derkatch told the Regina Leader-Post. “Like any of the other players, there’s a time when I have to do that. I knew this was going to be a tough thing for him, because he had never been sat before in his life. It happens to everyone. Honestly, I think you learn a lot from watching the game. Coupled with feeling a little bit tired, he was starting to take shortcuts on the ice a little bit and not doing the little things, which is understandable. He’s16. We had a good talk and I am sure he’ll come back with a very good effort.” . . . The Pats continue their B.C. tour against the Bruins in Chilliwack on Tuesday. . . . The Pats are without D Mike Scarborough, who suffered a broken nose and a concussion in Friday’s 8-5 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops. He will be out at least two weeks and perhaps won’t play again until after the Christmas break. . . . Regina has brought in D Myles Bell, 15, and D Tyler Pankovich, 15. Bell, who plays for a midget AAA team in Calgary, was the 17th overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft, while Pankovich, from Abbotsford, B.C., was taken in the ninth round.
———
The Edmonton Oil Kings won two home games on the weekend — 4-0 over the Moose Jaw Warriors and 5-3 over the Prince Albert Raiders — and now are riding a four-game winning streak. . . . The Oil Kings (13-14-1-3) are eighth in the 12-team Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (14-12-0-1), who hold four games in hand. . . . While the Raiders have lost eight straight, the Oil Kings tied a franchise record with their fourth straight victory. Of course, their history started last season. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Giants head coach Don Hay is thinking about giving D Jon Blum some extra work. So opposing teams shouldn’t be startled if they see Blum taking a spin or two on the right side with LW Evander Kane and C Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who just happen to be two of the WHL’s leading scorers. Blum saw some time there during a 5-3 loss to the host Tri-City Americans on Saturday and Hay apparently liked what he saw. He should have as the trio scored two goals. . . . Vancouver, now 21-2-0-3, is at home to Regina on Wednesday night. . . . Kane had his 22-game point streak end on Saturday night. It turns out he originally was credited with an assist on a Pierro-Zabotel goal. But after the game that assist was credited to Blum.
———
The Calgary Hitmen dumped the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings 4-1 in front of 18,105 fans on Sunday. Yes, it was the annual Teddy Bear Game. And, after F Brandon Kozun scored Calgary’s first goal at 7:47 of the first period, fans responded by tossing more than 22,000 stuffed toys — the unofficial count is 22,722 — onto the ice surface. The game was delayed about 30 minutes as volunteers cleared the ice. . . . The Hitmen (24-4-1-0) have won 11 straight games. . . . Calgary opens a five-game U.S. Division swing on Wednesday in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . . The Saskatoon Blades beat the Cougars 7-3 in Prince George on Sunday before 2,054 fans, the smallest crowd in the CN Centre which the franchise moved into for the 1995-96 season.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Maniago remembered as 'nice guy'
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
When James Priestner thinks of fellow goaltender Michael Maniago, he always
will remember the peanut butter.
“He used to aways have this big jar of peanut butter he kept in this room,”
Priestner said Sunday evening from Calgary, where his Brandon Wheat Kings
had just dropped a 4-1 WHL decision to the Hitmen. “He would eat it all day
long to try and gain weight. He was so skinny and he could not gain weight.
“All day long he would eat tablespoons of peanut butter to try and put on a
couple of pounds. He would take every supplement possible to try and gain
weight but he couldn’t do it.”
Maniago, 20, died in a car accident in his hometown of Calgary early
Saturday morning.
“He was such a nice guy . . . it’s so bizarre to hear something like that
happens. It’s so sad,” Priestner said.
Priestner, 17, attended his first Blazers training camp in the late summer
of 2006. Maniago was the first player he met here and the two ended up
rooming together for a while.
“Once I found out I was going to the Everett tournament . . . I didn’t have
any dress clothes,” recalled Priestner, who was traded by the Blazers to
Brandon earlier this season. “He gave me a nice suit to wear. I roomed with
him on the road. He was such a nice guy, so welcoming. I went for dinner
with him and his family.”
Dean Clark, meanwhile, will remember Maniago’s smile.
“That’s all he ever did . . . was smile,” Clark, the former general manager
and head coach of the Blazers, said Saturday night from Edmonton.
“He was a really good kid,” Clark said. “He was an excellent kid. He never
had a bad thing to say about anyone.”
Maniago spent slightly more than two seasons with the Blazers.
According to a report filed by the Calgary Police Department, the accident
occurred at 2:26 a.m.
“A (Volkswagen) Jetta was southbound on Sun Valley Blvd SE,” the report
reads. “This vehicle was being driven by a 20-year-old Calgary man and had
three other occupants. A Toyota 4Runner was being driven northbound on
Chaparral Blvd SE by a 19-year-old female with three other occupants.
“At the intersection of Marquis of Lorne Tr. SE, the Toyota . . . initiated
a left turn. The VW Jetta was traveling straight through the intersection
and was struck on the driver side causing severe damage to both vehicles.
“The driver of the VW Jetta passed away at the scene. The three other
passengers of this car were transported to hospital, one with serious
injuries. The driver of the Toyota . . . was not injured; one male passenger
was taken to hospital with minor injuries” and later was released.
The report concluded: “Alcohol was a factor in this collision.”
According to the Calgary Sun: “Insp. Vic Trickett said alcohol was a factor
. . . on the part of the SUV.”
The Lethbridge Herald reported Saturday night that “a friend of Maniago’s
said he was going to pick up pizza with his younger brother Matthew and two
friends when the crash occurred.”
Jacalyn Fenske, a 24-year-old friend of Maniago’s, said he was living at
home and working at World Pro Goaltending.
Fenske told the Calgary Herald that Maniago’s brother Matthew, 18, came out
of the accident with a lacerated scalp.
“I know (Michael) and his brother were really close,” said Priestner, who
met Matthew in Kamloops two years ago.
The Herald reported that one passenger suffered “serious abdominal injuries”
and another “was treated for a fractured leg.”
Maniago was selected by the Blazers with the 73rd pick of the 2003 bantam
draft. He joined the Blazers as a 16-year-old, beating out Scott Gudmandson
for the backup job behind Devan Dubnyk. After the Blazers acquired
goaltender Dustin Butler from the Prince Albert Raiders prior to the 2006-07 season,
Maniago was dealt to the Hurricanes on Oct. 24, 2006, along with a 2008
seventh-round bantam pick, for a 2008 third-round pick.
Maniago, who was 12-14-4 in 41 appearances with the Blazers, split the
Lethbridge goaltending with Juha Metsola during the 2007-08 regular season
but the freshman Finn took over as the starter as the Hurricanes made a
playoff run that took them into the WHL final, where they lost to the
Spokane Chiefs. Rather than return as a 20-year-old, Maniago, a second
cousin to former NHL goaltender Cesare Maniago, chose to go home to Calgary
and go to work.
Last season, he went 25-14-2-3 as the Hurricanes went 45-21-2-4 and finished
second in the Central Division.
“He cared about people,” Jeff Battah, the general manager and head coach of
the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder, told the Herald. Battah was the
Hurricanes’ goaltending coach while Maniago was with them. “He went out of
his way to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
“He came to Lethbridge as a kid from Kamloops who had never been developed
and we put in time and effort and he repaid us. He repaid us and he was a
big part of what happened last (season).”
Lethbridge general manager Roy Stasiuk, who swung the deal to acquire
Maniago, told the Herald: “He was competitive, a great kid who worked very
hard. It’s a terrible end to a great man’s life.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Daily News Sports Editor
When James Priestner thinks of fellow goaltender Michael Maniago, he always
will remember the peanut butter.
“He used to aways have this big jar of peanut butter he kept in this room,”
Priestner said Sunday evening from Calgary, where his Brandon Wheat Kings
had just dropped a 4-1 WHL decision to the Hitmen. “He would eat it all day
long to try and gain weight. He was so skinny and he could not gain weight.
“All day long he would eat tablespoons of peanut butter to try and put on a
couple of pounds. He would take every supplement possible to try and gain
weight but he couldn’t do it.”
Maniago, 20, died in a car accident in his hometown of Calgary early
Saturday morning.
“He was such a nice guy . . . it’s so bizarre to hear something like that
happens. It’s so sad,” Priestner said.
Priestner, 17, attended his first Blazers training camp in the late summer
of 2006. Maniago was the first player he met here and the two ended up
rooming together for a while.
“Once I found out I was going to the Everett tournament . . . I didn’t have
any dress clothes,” recalled Priestner, who was traded by the Blazers to
Brandon earlier this season. “He gave me a nice suit to wear. I roomed with
him on the road. He was such a nice guy, so welcoming. I went for dinner
with him and his family.”
Dean Clark, meanwhile, will remember Maniago’s smile.
“That’s all he ever did . . . was smile,” Clark, the former general manager
and head coach of the Blazers, said Saturday night from Edmonton.
“He was a really good kid,” Clark said. “He was an excellent kid. He never
had a bad thing to say about anyone.”
Maniago spent slightly more than two seasons with the Blazers.
According to a report filed by the Calgary Police Department, the accident
occurred at 2:26 a.m.
“A (Volkswagen) Jetta was southbound on Sun Valley Blvd SE,” the report
reads. “This vehicle was being driven by a 20-year-old Calgary man and had
three other occupants. A Toyota 4Runner was being driven northbound on
Chaparral Blvd SE by a 19-year-old female with three other occupants.
“At the intersection of Marquis of Lorne Tr. SE, the Toyota . . . initiated
a left turn. The VW Jetta was traveling straight through the intersection
and was struck on the driver side causing severe damage to both vehicles.
“The driver of the VW Jetta passed away at the scene. The three other
passengers of this car were transported to hospital, one with serious
injuries. The driver of the Toyota . . . was not injured; one male passenger
was taken to hospital with minor injuries” and later was released.
The report concluded: “Alcohol was a factor in this collision.”
According to the Calgary Sun: “Insp. Vic Trickett said alcohol was a factor
. . . on the part of the SUV.”
The Lethbridge Herald reported Saturday night that “a friend of Maniago’s
said he was going to pick up pizza with his younger brother Matthew and two
friends when the crash occurred.”
Jacalyn Fenske, a 24-year-old friend of Maniago’s, said he was living at
home and working at World Pro Goaltending.
Fenske told the Calgary Herald that Maniago’s brother Matthew, 18, came out
of the accident with a lacerated scalp.
“I know (Michael) and his brother were really close,” said Priestner, who
met Matthew in Kamloops two years ago.
The Herald reported that one passenger suffered “serious abdominal injuries”
and another “was treated for a fractured leg.”
Maniago was selected by the Blazers with the 73rd pick of the 2003 bantam
draft. He joined the Blazers as a 16-year-old, beating out Scott Gudmandson
for the backup job behind Devan Dubnyk. After the Blazers acquired
goaltender Dustin Butler from the Prince Albert Raiders prior to the 2006-07 season,
Maniago was dealt to the Hurricanes on Oct. 24, 2006, along with a 2008
seventh-round bantam pick, for a 2008 third-round pick.
Maniago, who was 12-14-4 in 41 appearances with the Blazers, split the
Lethbridge goaltending with Juha Metsola during the 2007-08 regular season
but the freshman Finn took over as the starter as the Hurricanes made a
playoff run that took them into the WHL final, where they lost to the
Spokane Chiefs. Rather than return as a 20-year-old, Maniago, a second
cousin to former NHL goaltender Cesare Maniago, chose to go home to Calgary
and go to work.
Last season, he went 25-14-2-3 as the Hurricanes went 45-21-2-4 and finished
second in the Central Division.
“He cared about people,” Jeff Battah, the general manager and head coach of
the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder, told the Herald. Battah was the
Hurricanes’ goaltending coach while Maniago was with them. “He went out of
his way to make them feel welcome and comfortable.
“He came to Lethbridge as a kid from Kamloops who had never been developed
and we put in time and effort and he repaid us. He repaid us and he was a
big part of what happened last (season).”
Lethbridge general manager Roy Stasiuk, who swung the deal to acquire
Maniago, told the Herald: “He was competitive, a great kid who worked very
hard. It’s a terrible end to a great man’s life.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Keeping Score
After the NFL reinstated Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam (Pacman) Jones, who had been in an alcohol rehab facility, Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote: “PacRat doesn’t have a drinking problem. He’s got a stupid problem. You can’t rehab stupid, OK?” . . . Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, on Jones getting another chance from the NFL: “As I’ve said before, it’s all part of the NFL’s tough new ‘32 strikes and you’re out’ policy.” . . . Headline at Fark.com: “Pacman gets 10,000 points, another life.” . . . Reggie Hayes, in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel: “Babe Ruth’s last road uniform, from the 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers, was sold for $310,500 at the Louisville Slugger Museum. It’s historic because he wore it when he first met Madonna.”
Kelly Frank recently was fired after five seasons as Raymond, the mascot representing the Tampa Bay Rays. Which only goes to prove, according to Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Everybody doesn’t like Raymond.” . . . TRU’s volleyball teams play their final home games of 2008 tonight at the Tournament Capital Centre and they’re calling it Food Bank Night. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the TRU Student Food Bank. In return, your name goes into a draw for a backpack full of WolfPack gear or a team jacket. One of each will be given away at halftime of each game. They’re playing the U of Saskatchewan Huskies, with the women on the floor at 5 p.m., and the men following — geez, aren’t men always following women? — at 6:30. . . . While you’re there, say hi to Larry Read, the hardest-working man in Canadian university sports.
Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “I read this week that the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t trade Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Andrej Meszaros because they have ‘no movement’ clauses. This sounds like something that should be discussed with a physician.” . . . One more from Hutchinson: “When I heard there was going to a bailout of the Big 3, I thought, ‘Why would taxpayers’ money be used to help the Raptors, Blue Jays and Maple Leafs?’ ” . . . Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Montreal and Calgary played Sunday evening for the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup championship. Nice trophy name. What, ‘Dull Cup’ already was taken?” . . . One more from Cote: “Aging George Steinbrenner officially handed over control of the Yankees to his son Hal this week. Sounds like a good idea, and it made me wonder: Mustn’t Al Davis have kids?”
Did you know: The NHL plans on having six teams open the 2009-10 regular season in Europe and hopes to have eight teams do it to begin the 2010-11 season. This season, you’ll recall, began with four teams across the pond. . . . “The CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos announced Thursday that Danny Maciocia was stepping down as head coach,” writes Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post. “Maciocia now will go back to his old job — as a jockey.” . . . A third shot from the aforementioned Hutchinson: “LeBron James is expected to leave Cleveland at the end of the 2010 season. He says he has always wanted to play for Brian Burke.” . . . Janice Hough, the West Coast Sports Babe: “Eddie Jordan was fired as coach of the Washington Wizards after the team got off to a 1-10 start. What does it say about the U.S. when we can fire a lousy coach after a month, but for a lousy president, we have to wait four years?”
Isn’t it absolutely amazing how Brian Burke was able to orchestrate his departure from the Anaheim Ducks and his arrival in Hogtown as the grand pooh-bah of the Toronto Maple Laffs and there has been nary a word from the NHL office? Is there any other employee of any NHL team who could have pulled off a stunt like this while a season is in progress? . . . And what happens to Burke’s ego when he, like so many others before him, is unable to lift the Maple Leafs out of the dumpster? . . . General Motors has ended its US$7-million-a-year promotional deal with golf’s Tiger Woods. Perhaps the CEO needed to fill up his private jet for another trip to Washinton, D.C. . . . Somehow, it’s doubtful that Tiger will miss the dough. As Barry Rozner of the Chicago Daily Herald points out: “Tiger Woods earned more in six tournaments this year ($5.77 million) than Jack Nicklaus took home in 594 starts ($5.73 million) on the PGA Tour.”
It’s been over a year since Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and his wife divorced after 25 years of marriage. Using her alimony, Kim Shrigley has set up a hair and nail salon in Knoxville. And, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, she’s calling it Alimony’s. By the way, anyone who is receiving alimony will get a 15-per-cent discount at Alimony’s. . . . Remember when the Montreal Canadiens were the Flyin’ Frenchmen? It seems like a million years ago, doesn’t it? Especially after you read this quote from Tomas Plekanec: “We didn’t forecheck.” The Habs beat the Red Wings in Detroit, 3-1, on Wednesday but you have to ask yourself: Is this what the game has come to? If the answer is yes, well, it’s a real shame.
Have you noticed how many people drive around at night without their headlights on? Like, do these people walk around their homes in the dark, or what? . . . Free-agent bat Manny Ramirez has yet to sign with anyone, but you know that his agent, Scott Boras, is doing all he can for his client. Here’s Dan Daly, in the Washington Times: “Scott Boras, of course, tells us his client isn’t nearly as self-absorbed as he’s made out to be. To prove his point — and increase his market value — Boras will probably have him return to the Dominican Republic in the next few days and organize the Million Manny March.” . . . One more from Daly: “Did you see Tony Romo, the Cowboys’ heartthrob/quarterback, took a homeless man to the movies recently? Unless, of course, it was just Bill Belichick messin’ with him.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News.
He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca.
Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
Kelly Frank recently was fired after five seasons as Raymond, the mascot representing the Tampa Bay Rays. Which only goes to prove, according to Todd Dewey of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “Everybody doesn’t like Raymond.” . . . TRU’s volleyball teams play their final home games of 2008 tonight at the Tournament Capital Centre and they’re calling it Food Bank Night. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items for the TRU Student Food Bank. In return, your name goes into a draw for a backpack full of WolfPack gear or a team jacket. One of each will be given away at halftime of each game. They’re playing the U of Saskatchewan Huskies, with the women on the floor at 5 p.m., and the men following — geez, aren’t men always following women? — at 6:30. . . . While you’re there, say hi to Larry Read, the hardest-working man in Canadian university sports.
Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “I read this week that the Tampa Bay Lightning can’t trade Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Andrej Meszaros because they have ‘no movement’ clauses. This sounds like something that should be discussed with a physician.” . . . One more from Hutchinson: “When I heard there was going to a bailout of the Big 3, I thought, ‘Why would taxpayers’ money be used to help the Raptors, Blue Jays and Maple Leafs?’ ” . . . Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Montreal and Calgary played Sunday evening for the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup championship. Nice trophy name. What, ‘Dull Cup’ already was taken?” . . . One more from Cote: “Aging George Steinbrenner officially handed over control of the Yankees to his son Hal this week. Sounds like a good idea, and it made me wonder: Mustn’t Al Davis have kids?”
Did you know: The NHL plans on having six teams open the 2009-10 regular season in Europe and hopes to have eight teams do it to begin the 2010-11 season. This season, you’ll recall, began with four teams across the pond. . . . “The CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos announced Thursday that Danny Maciocia was stepping down as head coach,” writes Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post. “Maciocia now will go back to his old job — as a jockey.” . . . A third shot from the aforementioned Hutchinson: “LeBron James is expected to leave Cleveland at the end of the 2010 season. He says he has always wanted to play for Brian Burke.” . . . Janice Hough, the West Coast Sports Babe: “Eddie Jordan was fired as coach of the Washington Wizards after the team got off to a 1-10 start. What does it say about the U.S. when we can fire a lousy coach after a month, but for a lousy president, we have to wait four years?”
Isn’t it absolutely amazing how Brian Burke was able to orchestrate his departure from the Anaheim Ducks and his arrival in Hogtown as the grand pooh-bah of the Toronto Maple Laffs and there has been nary a word from the NHL office? Is there any other employee of any NHL team who could have pulled off a stunt like this while a season is in progress? . . . And what happens to Burke’s ego when he, like so many others before him, is unable to lift the Maple Leafs out of the dumpster? . . . General Motors has ended its US$7-million-a-year promotional deal with golf’s Tiger Woods. Perhaps the CEO needed to fill up his private jet for another trip to Washinton, D.C. . . . Somehow, it’s doubtful that Tiger will miss the dough. As Barry Rozner of the Chicago Daily Herald points out: “Tiger Woods earned more in six tournaments this year ($5.77 million) than Jack Nicklaus took home in 594 starts ($5.73 million) on the PGA Tour.”
It’s been over a year since Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and his wife divorced after 25 years of marriage. Using her alimony, Kim Shrigley has set up a hair and nail salon in Knoxville. And, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel, she’s calling it Alimony’s. By the way, anyone who is receiving alimony will get a 15-per-cent discount at Alimony’s. . . . Remember when the Montreal Canadiens were the Flyin’ Frenchmen? It seems like a million years ago, doesn’t it? Especially after you read this quote from Tomas Plekanec: “We didn’t forecheck.” The Habs beat the Red Wings in Detroit, 3-1, on Wednesday but you have to ask yourself: Is this what the game has come to? If the answer is yes, well, it’s a real shame.
Have you noticed how many people drive around at night without their headlights on? Like, do these people walk around their homes in the dark, or what? . . . Free-agent bat Manny Ramirez has yet to sign with anyone, but you know that his agent, Scott Boras, is doing all he can for his client. Here’s Dan Daly, in the Washington Times: “Scott Boras, of course, tells us his client isn’t nearly as self-absorbed as he’s made out to be. To prove his point — and increase his market value — Boras will probably have him return to the Dominican Republic in the next few days and organize the Million Manny March.” . . . One more from Daly: “Did you see Tony Romo, the Cowboys’ heartthrob/quarterback, took a homeless man to the movies recently? Unless, of course, it was just Bill Belichick messin’ with him.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News.
He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca.
Keeping Score appears Saturdays.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Former WHL goaltender killed in car crash
Mike Maniago, a goaltender who split four WHL seasons between the Kamloops Blazers and Lethbridge Hurricanes, was killed in a car accident in Calgary early Saturday morning. Maniago was 20.
Maniago, from Calgary, joined the Blazers – he was the 73rd selection in the 2003 bantam draft – as a 16-year-old and backed up Devan Dubnyk. He was traded to the Hurricanes on Oct. 24, 2006, along with a 2008 seventh-round bantam pick, for a 2008 third-round pick.
Maniago split the goaltending with Juha Metsola during the 2007-08 regular season but the freshman Finn took over as the starter as the Hurricanes made a playoff run that took them into the WHL final where they lost to the Spokane Chiefs. Rather than return as a 20-year-old, Maniago, a second cousin to former NHL goaltender Cesare Maniago, chose to go home to Calgary where he said he was going to go back to school.
Few details of the accident are known.
According to the Lethbridge Herald:
“A friend of Maniago’s said he was going to pick up pizza with his younger brother Matthew and two friends when the crash occurred.
”Police said the SUV began to turn left at the intersection and struck the Jetta on the driver side about 2:26 a.m.”
Here is a report from CTV in Calgary:
“Police say alcohol was a factor in an early morning crash that killed one man and sent four others to hospital.
“The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday in the southeast when an SUV and a car collided at Sun Valley Boulevard and Highway 22X.
“The driver of the car, a 20-year-old Calgary man, died at the scene. Three of his passengers, all between 18 and 20 years of age, were rushed to hospital with non life-threatening leg, head and neck injuries. One male passenger from the SUV was taken to hospital with minor injuries but has since been released.
“Police say their initial investigation reveals alcohol was a factor in this collision, but police are providing no other details.
“The victim's name hasn't been released.”
---
Former WHL goaltender Kurt Jory, who is from Brandon, was taken to hospital in Windsor on Saturday after his neck was cut by a skate in a goalmouth scramble during the third period of a Canadian university game. He was listed in stable condition last night. The 21-year-old Jory, who played in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors (2005-07), is a freshman with the Brock Badgers, who play out of St. Catharines, Ont. According to Canwest News Service, a vein in Jory neck was severed “when Danny Anger of the Windsor Lancers crashed into the net during the Ontario University Athletics game, which ended with 15 minutes remaining in the third period and Windsor leading 6-1.” Lancers head coach Kevin Hamlin told CNS: “(Anger) was hit and tried to leap over the goaltender, but in the process, cut him with his skate.” . . . Later Saturday night, Brock head coach Murray Nystrom told the Brandon Sun that Jory had had successful surgery and was “in good spirits.”
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JUST NOTES: Linesman Ryan Dawson, who was injured in a skirmish as the game in Kamloops ended Friday night, isn’t seriously hurt. Word from the WHL office is that Dawson twisted his left knee, that a doctor checked him out after the game and that he is “sore but all is good.” Dawson was injured when players ended up on top of him as two fights broke out at the conclusion of a game between the Blazers and Regina Pats. . . . The Portland Winter Hawks have assigned D David Watt, 17, to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. He was the 93rd pick in the 2005 bantam draft. . . . D Steve Marr, a Kamloops native who was a defensive stalwart and captain with Medicine Hat, is skating with the Tigers as he waits for a chance to play in Europe. Marr, 24, has been with the Tigers since Oct. 13. “He has really helped us," Willie Desjardins, the Tigers’ GM and head coach, told the Medicine Hat News. "He comes to the rink, and he has lots of fun at the rink. I think he has been really great for the guys in the room. We were going through a little bit of a tough time (during a three game skid in late October and early November). It wasn't a lot of fun, and I think Marrsie made a difference in helping us kind of get out of a slump."
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In a game featuring the two latest members of the 400-victory club, Don Nachbaur’s host Tri-City Americans beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-3. It was the second regulation-time loss this season for the Giants, who had won seven in a row. . . . According to research done by Dan Mulhausen of the Americans and Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald, this was the first time two coaches each with 400 victories had gone head-to-head since Nov. 19, 1988, when Ken Hodge and the Portland Winter Hawks scored a 3-0 victory over Doug Sauter and the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. Attendance that night was 6,792. . . . Nachbaur has 401 victories, while Hay has 409. . . . Attendance in Kennewick, Wash., was 4,252. The Americans have won five in a row now. They also are 12-1-0-0 at home. . . . F Adam Hughesman drew an assist on each of the Americans’ first three goals as they build a 3-0 lead early in the second period. . . . Vancouver C Evander Kane was plus-2 but had his 22-game point streak come to an end. He went into the night with at least one point in every game he had played this season. . . . F Mitch Fadden had a goal and an assist for the Americans. He has five goals and nine helpers in 10 games since being acquired from Lethbridge.
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D Keith Aulie’s first goal of the season and the seventh of his career gave the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. Aulie broke a 2-2 tie at 19:47 of the third period, just 3:41 after F Sean Ringrose had pulled the Tigers into the tie. The Tigers hadn’t lost in regulation time in their previous nine games. . . . F Steve Oursov and F Connor Redmond erased a 1-0 deficit with their first goals of the season and F Landon Ferraro won it as the Red Deer Rebels edged the visiting Swift Current Broncos, 4-3. Ferraro gave Red Deer a 4-2 lead at 15:51 of the third period. . . . G Justin Leclerc stopped 42 shots to lead the Kamloops Broncos to a 4-2 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane. The Chiefs, at home for the first time after playing seven on the road, are 10-3-0-0 at home. C C.J. Stretch drew assists on the Blazers' second and third goals. . . . F Dustin Sylvester scored three times, the last two into an empty net, as the visiting Kootenay Ice doubled the Everett Silvertips 6-3. The Ice scored the game’s last three goals.
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G Torrie Jung stopped 15 shots to help the host Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. It was the second shutout of the season for Jung and the third of his career. . . . In Kelowna, G Kris Lazaruk, the 20-year-old who replaced Jung with the Rockets, stopped 11 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. It was the second shutout of the season for Lazaruk, who has five in his career. . . . In Prince George, G Damien Ketlo, beaten six times one night earlier, stopped 27 shots and sparked the Regina Pats to a 7-1 victory over the Cougars. F Brett Leffler had two goals for Regina, which lost 8-5 in Kamloops on Friday.
Maniago, from Calgary, joined the Blazers – he was the 73rd selection in the 2003 bantam draft – as a 16-year-old and backed up Devan Dubnyk. He was traded to the Hurricanes on Oct. 24, 2006, along with a 2008 seventh-round bantam pick, for a 2008 third-round pick.
Maniago split the goaltending with Juha Metsola during the 2007-08 regular season but the freshman Finn took over as the starter as the Hurricanes made a playoff run that took them into the WHL final where they lost to the Spokane Chiefs. Rather than return as a 20-year-old, Maniago, a second cousin to former NHL goaltender Cesare Maniago, chose to go home to Calgary where he said he was going to go back to school.
Few details of the accident are known.
According to the Lethbridge Herald:
“A friend of Maniago’s said he was going to pick up pizza with his younger brother Matthew and two friends when the crash occurred.
”Police said the SUV began to turn left at the intersection and struck the Jetta on the driver side about 2:26 a.m.”
Here is a report from CTV in Calgary:
“Police say alcohol was a factor in an early morning crash that killed one man and sent four others to hospital.
“The crash happened around 2:30 a.m. Saturday in the southeast when an SUV and a car collided at Sun Valley Boulevard and Highway 22X.
“The driver of the car, a 20-year-old Calgary man, died at the scene. Three of his passengers, all between 18 and 20 years of age, were rushed to hospital with non life-threatening leg, head and neck injuries. One male passenger from the SUV was taken to hospital with minor injuries but has since been released.
“Police say their initial investigation reveals alcohol was a factor in this collision, but police are providing no other details.
“The victim's name hasn't been released.”
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Former WHL goaltender Kurt Jory, who is from Brandon, was taken to hospital in Windsor on Saturday after his neck was cut by a skate in a goalmouth scramble during the third period of a Canadian university game. He was listed in stable condition last night. The 21-year-old Jory, who played in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors (2005-07), is a freshman with the Brock Badgers, who play out of St. Catharines, Ont. According to Canwest News Service, a vein in Jory neck was severed “when Danny Anger of the Windsor Lancers crashed into the net during the Ontario University Athletics game, which ended with 15 minutes remaining in the third period and Windsor leading 6-1.” Lancers head coach Kevin Hamlin told CNS: “(Anger) was hit and tried to leap over the goaltender, but in the process, cut him with his skate.” . . . Later Saturday night, Brock head coach Murray Nystrom told the Brandon Sun that Jory had had successful surgery and was “in good spirits.”
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JUST NOTES: Linesman Ryan Dawson, who was injured in a skirmish as the game in Kamloops ended Friday night, isn’t seriously hurt. Word from the WHL office is that Dawson twisted his left knee, that a doctor checked him out after the game and that he is “sore but all is good.” Dawson was injured when players ended up on top of him as two fights broke out at the conclusion of a game between the Blazers and Regina Pats. . . . The Portland Winter Hawks have assigned D David Watt, 17, to the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. He was the 93rd pick in the 2005 bantam draft. . . . D Steve Marr, a Kamloops native who was a defensive stalwart and captain with Medicine Hat, is skating with the Tigers as he waits for a chance to play in Europe. Marr, 24, has been with the Tigers since Oct. 13. “He has really helped us," Willie Desjardins, the Tigers’ GM and head coach, told the Medicine Hat News. "He comes to the rink, and he has lots of fun at the rink. I think he has been really great for the guys in the room. We were going through a little bit of a tough time (during a three game skid in late October and early November). It wasn't a lot of fun, and I think Marrsie made a difference in helping us kind of get out of a slump."
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In a game featuring the two latest members of the 400-victory club, Don Nachbaur’s host Tri-City Americans beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-3. It was the second regulation-time loss this season for the Giants, who had won seven in a row. . . . According to research done by Dan Mulhausen of the Americans and Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald, this was the first time two coaches each with 400 victories had gone head-to-head since Nov. 19, 1988, when Ken Hodge and the Portland Winter Hawks scored a 3-0 victory over Doug Sauter and the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. Attendance that night was 6,792. . . . Nachbaur has 401 victories, while Hay has 409. . . . Attendance in Kennewick, Wash., was 4,252. The Americans have won five in a row now. They also are 12-1-0-0 at home. . . . F Adam Hughesman drew an assist on each of the Americans’ first three goals as they build a 3-0 lead early in the second period. . . . Vancouver C Evander Kane was plus-2 but had his 22-game point streak come to an end. He went into the night with at least one point in every game he had played this season. . . . F Mitch Fadden had a goal and an assist for the Americans. He has five goals and nine helpers in 10 games since being acquired from Lethbridge.
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D Keith Aulie’s first goal of the season and the seventh of his career gave the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. Aulie broke a 2-2 tie at 19:47 of the third period, just 3:41 after F Sean Ringrose had pulled the Tigers into the tie. The Tigers hadn’t lost in regulation time in their previous nine games. . . . F Steve Oursov and F Connor Redmond erased a 1-0 deficit with their first goals of the season and F Landon Ferraro won it as the Red Deer Rebels edged the visiting Swift Current Broncos, 4-3. Ferraro gave Red Deer a 4-2 lead at 15:51 of the third period. . . . G Justin Leclerc stopped 42 shots to lead the Kamloops Broncos to a 4-2 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane. The Chiefs, at home for the first time after playing seven on the road, are 10-3-0-0 at home. C C.J. Stretch drew assists on the Blazers' second and third goals. . . . F Dustin Sylvester scored three times, the last two into an empty net, as the visiting Kootenay Ice doubled the Everett Silvertips 6-3. The Ice scored the game’s last three goals.
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G Torrie Jung stopped 15 shots to help the host Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. It was the second shutout of the season for Jung and the third of his career. . . . In Kelowna, G Kris Lazaruk, the 20-year-old who replaced Jung with the Rockets, stopped 11 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Chilliwack Bruins. It was the second shutout of the season for Lazaruk, who has five in his career. . . . In Prince George, G Damien Ketlo, beaten six times one night earlier, stopped 27 shots and sparked the Regina Pats to a 7-1 victory over the Cougars. F Brett Leffler had two goals for Regina, which lost 8-5 in Kamloops on Friday.
Jiggs in a trouble-spot
Jiggs McDonald, the longtime radio voice of the New York Islanders and one of the most-respected media people in NHL history, is stranded in Bangkok, Thailand.
His dauther, Susan DeSimone, has written various media outlets as she attempts to bring international attention to the situation involving her mother and father.
“He and my Mom are stranded in Bangkok because of the political situation there,” DeSimone writes. “They were on their last day of their Asian tour and were scheduled to be departing Bangkok, but protesters have taken over the airport and they can’t fly out.
“The tour company is trying to find alternate ways to get their 80-some passenger group out of there, but there aren’t too many safe alternatives.
“At first they were told the conflict would resolve quickly, but it now appears that it will last much longer and there may be violence in the city between the two major groups — or a military coup.
“We are trying to put pressure on the (Canadian) government to get them out of there. Some countries are sending planes into a Thai military base to get their citizens out. So far, there hasn’t been much response from the (Canadian) embassy there.”
DeSimone is posting updates on her Dad’s Facebook page, which is right here.
And the Los Angeles Times, for one, already has a story about the situation on its website. That story is right here.
His dauther, Susan DeSimone, has written various media outlets as she attempts to bring international attention to the situation involving her mother and father.
“He and my Mom are stranded in Bangkok because of the political situation there,” DeSimone writes. “They were on their last day of their Asian tour and were scheduled to be departing Bangkok, but protesters have taken over the airport and they can’t fly out.
“The tour company is trying to find alternate ways to get their 80-some passenger group out of there, but there aren’t too many safe alternatives.
“At first they were told the conflict would resolve quickly, but it now appears that it will last much longer and there may be violence in the city between the two major groups — or a military coup.
“We are trying to put pressure on the (Canadian) government to get them out of there. Some countries are sending planes into a Thai military base to get their citizens out. So far, there hasn’t been much response from the (Canadian) embassy there.”
DeSimone is posting updates on her Dad’s Facebook page, which is right here.
And the Los Angeles Times, for one, already has a story about the situation on its website. That story is right here.
Some Friday notes . . .
LW Evander Kane, back after missing three games with a bruised heel, ran his point streak to 22 games as the Vancouver Giants dumped the host Chilliwack Bruins, 5-1. . . . The Giants held a 46-19 edge in shots. . . . G Shayne Barrie stopped 22 shots as the host Everett Silvertips blanked the Portland Winter Hawks, 3-0. It was Barrie’s first WHL shutout. Portland now has lost six straight. . . . The Toyota Centre in Kennewick, Wash., was sold right out (5,858) and the Tri-City Americans rewarded their fans with a 5-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. The victory was the 400th in the WHL for Tri-City head coach Don Nachbaur, the 11th coach in WHL history to reach that milestone. . . . The Chiefs scored the game’s first goal and then gave up five straight, including a penalty-shot score by F Johnny Lazo. F Taylor Procyshen had three assists for the Americans. . . . “It’s a pretty big milestone,” Tri-City goaltender Chet Pickard told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. “We are proud of him. Not many coaches get 400, and to play for him and have it be against Spokane, there’s no better story than that.” Procyshen told Fowler: “The guys played really hard and were rewarded for it. It was nice to get this for Don. He’s done a lot of work for this organization and has piled up a lot of wins.”
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The WHL office will be busy over the next few days. There were multi-fight situations in Kamloops where the Blazers beat the Pats 8-5 and in Lethbridge where the Hurricanes doubled the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-2. As well, Kamloops RW Tyler Shattock got an interference major and game misconduct and almost certainly won’t play Saturday night in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . . LW Steve Oursov returned to the Red Deer Rebels’ lineup after missing 21 games with a broken hand. The Rebels beat the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-2. F Landon Ferraro scored twice for the Rebels. He has 17 goals this season and 30 in his career. His father, Ray, holds the WHL’s single-season record, having scored 108 for the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1983-84.
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D Thomas Hickey had the winner as the host Seattle Thunderbirds got past the Kootenay Ice, 4-1. The Thunderbirds then climbed aboard their bus and headed for Portland and a Saturday game with the Winter Hawks. Faceoff is at noon. Yes, noon. That will avoid an evening conflict with the Oregon-Oregon State college football game. Hickey had played Wednesday and Thursday in the ADT Challenge in Swift Current and Prince Albert. He arrived back in Seattle just in time to get into Friday’s game. Kootenay is 11-2-0-1 at KeyArena. . . . In Calgary, F Kyle Bortis had two goals and two assists as the Hitmen dropped the Swift Current Broncos, 9-7. Still, Bortis was minus-1 in what obviously was a goofy affair. The Broncos torched two Calgary goaltenders for seven goals on 14 shots. Starter Martin Jones was beaten five times on 10 shots; reliever Michael Snider stopped two of four shots. . . . When the night ended, Calgary F Brett Sonne was the WHL’s leading scorer, with 42 points, one more than Vancouver’s Casey Pierro-Zabotel and two more than Calgary’s Brandon Kozun. Sonne had a goal and two assists against Swift Current, while Kozun set up three goals.
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F Curtis Hamilton (knee), returned from a 14-game absence, to score a goal as the host Saskatoon Blades defeateed the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. Hamilton scored his club’s third goal, providing some insurance. . . . Saskatoon G Braden Holtby made his 139th appearance, second on the club’s all-time list behind Trevor Robins (150). Holtby had been tied with Norm Maracle and Ron Loustel. . . . Saskatoon concluded an 11-game homestand at 7-3-1-0. . . . The Blades open a B.C. swing in Prince George on Sunday. . . . Hamilton will turn 17 on Thursday, a day after the Blades play in his hometown of Kelowna. . . . Brad Boutilier has left his position as the Blades’ marketing director. He is returning to his hometown (Swift Current) where he will work for the Cypress Health Region.
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Thanks to members of the Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association for many of the above tidbits.
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The WHL office will be busy over the next few days. There were multi-fight situations in Kamloops where the Blazers beat the Pats 8-5 and in Lethbridge where the Hurricanes doubled the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-2. As well, Kamloops RW Tyler Shattock got an interference major and game misconduct and almost certainly won’t play Saturday night in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . . LW Steve Oursov returned to the Red Deer Rebels’ lineup after missing 21 games with a broken hand. The Rebels beat the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-2. F Landon Ferraro scored twice for the Rebels. He has 17 goals this season and 30 in his career. His father, Ray, holds the WHL’s single-season record, having scored 108 for the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1983-84.
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D Thomas Hickey had the winner as the host Seattle Thunderbirds got past the Kootenay Ice, 4-1. The Thunderbirds then climbed aboard their bus and headed for Portland and a Saturday game with the Winter Hawks. Faceoff is at noon. Yes, noon. That will avoid an evening conflict with the Oregon-Oregon State college football game. Hickey had played Wednesday and Thursday in the ADT Challenge in Swift Current and Prince Albert. He arrived back in Seattle just in time to get into Friday’s game. Kootenay is 11-2-0-1 at KeyArena. . . . In Calgary, F Kyle Bortis had two goals and two assists as the Hitmen dropped the Swift Current Broncos, 9-7. Still, Bortis was minus-1 in what obviously was a goofy affair. The Broncos torched two Calgary goaltenders for seven goals on 14 shots. Starter Martin Jones was beaten five times on 10 shots; reliever Michael Snider stopped two of four shots. . . . When the night ended, Calgary F Brett Sonne was the WHL’s leading scorer, with 42 points, one more than Vancouver’s Casey Pierro-Zabotel and two more than Calgary’s Brandon Kozun. Sonne had a goal and two assists against Swift Current, while Kozun set up three goals.
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F Curtis Hamilton (knee), returned from a 14-game absence, to score a goal as the host Saskatoon Blades defeateed the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. Hamilton scored his club’s third goal, providing some insurance. . . . Saskatoon G Braden Holtby made his 139th appearance, second on the club’s all-time list behind Trevor Robins (150). Holtby had been tied with Norm Maracle and Ron Loustel. . . . Saskatoon concluded an 11-game homestand at 7-3-1-0. . . . The Blades open a B.C. swing in Prince George on Sunday. . . . Hamilton will turn 17 on Thursday, a day after the Blades play in his hometown of Kelowna. . . . Brad Boutilier has left his position as the Blades’ marketing director. He is returning to his hometown (Swift Current) where he will work for the Cypress Health Region.
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Thanks to members of the Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association for many of the above tidbits.
Blazers win a goalfest
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Old-time hockey was back in town Friday night, at least for 40 minutes.
For two periods of Friday night’s WHL game, Regina and Kamloops threw away the X’s and O’s, the clipboards and the systems. This was shinny, plain and simple. It was river hockey without the puck getting lost in the snowbank.
This was Garth and Wayne on the road in front of your house. Game on!
“That was 1990 hockey,” Kamloops general manager Craig Bonner said at one point during his Blazers’ 8-5 victory over the Pats before 4,375 well-entertained fans at Interior Savings Centre.
This one had a little bit of everything — although, yes, good goaltending and solid defence were in short supply at times — and the old mausoleum was noisier than during any previous game this season.
The Blazers, who trailed 5-3 just four minutes into the second period, scored the game’s last five goals, with the last two going into an empty Regina net, as Kamloops halted a two-game losing skid.
Asked what goes through a coach’s mind as river hockey takes over a game, Kamloops head coach Barry Smith replied: “You keep preaching and preaching because everybody sees their cookie and says, ‘Oh, I want to get that chance. Look, it’s wide open.’
“It took a while to get through our heads but in the third period we did the right things. And that was the difference with the one-goal lead.”
That and the ability to kill a four-minute Regina power-play after Kamloops right-winger Tyler Shattock was ejected at 4:18 of the third period with an interference major for a hit on defenceman Mike Scarborough.
The Pats, down 6-5 at the time, had good puck possession for a lot of the power play but were kept to the outside and didn’t muster so much as one shot. The power play ended four minutes in when sniper Jordan Eberle, who was ineffective as he played his third game in as many nights after playing a doubleheader against a touring Russian side, was penalized for high-sticking.
“The players did a real good job to lock it down . . . in the third period,” Smith said. “We did a great job. We gave up no shots on their five-minute power play.
“And we moved pucks well; it wasn’t like we were sitting back.”
No, they weren’t. As a matter of fact, the Blazers held a high-scoring Regina team, which now has lost three straight to fall to 15-11-1-3, to seven third-period shots, while getting seven themselves.
“They deserved it,” Regina head coach Dale Derkatch said of the Blazers.
“They battled back. They played hard. And in the third period they did what they had to do and they didn’t give us anything, which I don’t understand . . . not after the first couple of periods when we could put pressure on them.”
As for not scoring on the major penalty . . .
“That’s what I thought would determine how the game would go,” Derkatch said, “and it did.”
The Blazers did an effective job on Regina’s big line — Jordan Weal between Eberle and Michael MacAngus. Eberle was minus-4 and each of the others was minus-2.
“They get a lot of minutes and they’re our main guys,” Derkatch said. “Our top line was a minus and that doesn’t help.”
When Regina winger Matt Strueby scored his second goal, just 3:54 into the second period, the Pats had a 5-3 lead. Smith watched the replay on the clock and shook his head.
He said later he was “very close” to yanking goaltender Justin Leclerc, who gave up five goals on 16 shots through two periods.
“I’m sure they were very close with their guy, too,” Smith said with a laugh. “Some nights the team has to bail (Leclerc) out. In the end, we got the win. We did the right thing.”
Kenton Dulle, in his first game back after missing five with an arm injury, scored twice for Kamloops, the last one an empty-netter. Nick Ross, Jimmy Bubnick, Brendan Ranford, Shattock, Giffen Nyren and Brady Calla, also into an empty net, had the Blazers’ other goals.
Mitch Czibere, Graham Hood and Brett Leffler also scored for Regina, which got 26 saves from goaltender Damien Ketlo.
The victory was especially sweet for Ross, who was acquired from Regina in a deal last season.
“I really wanted this one bad,” said Ross, who added that he only knows about half the players on the Pats. “Everyone really wanted this one. You like to win one for a teammate. It felt really good.”
Regina defenceman Victor Bartley, who went the other way in that trade, had one assist and was involved in a fight at game’s end. As he left the ice he appeared to be exchanging greetings — Christmas, no doubt — with the Kamloops bench.
JUST NOTES: Referees Dan Cowley and Trevor Hanson gave Regina 12 of 18 minors, four of nine majors and one of two misconducts. Kamloops took the lone game misconduct. . . . The Blazers were 2-for-7 on the power-play; the Pats were 0-for-2. . . . Linesman Chris Sweeting went down with an injury to his left knee in a two-fight skirmish at game’s end. . . . Considering this is the only meeting of the season between these teams there was a lot of nastiness on display. . . . The last time Kamloops scored eight goals in a game? It was Feb. 2, in an 8-1 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Bubnick’s goal, the Blazers’ second of the game, was his 12th of the season, but his first since Oct. 25. He had gone 12 games without scoring. . . . Kamloops C Scott Wasden had an assist and also engaged in two bouts. He had gone 11 games without a point. . . . The Blazers left for Spokane shortly after the game. They will play the Chiefs there tonight but are almost certain to be without Shattock, who will be suspended while the league investigates his hit on Scarborough. . . . Fifteen minutes after the game, Scarborough was walking under his own power as his father, Joe, took him to Royal Inland Hospital. After the hit, Scarborough, who played last season with the Red Deer Rebels, was in shock on the ice as he tried to get to his feet before medical staff got him laying down again. . . . Regina D Colten Teubert, like Eberle, looked spent at times after playing against the Russians in Swift Current on Wednesday and Prince Albert on Thursday.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Daily News Sports Editor
Old-time hockey was back in town Friday night, at least for 40 minutes.
For two periods of Friday night’s WHL game, Regina and Kamloops threw away the X’s and O’s, the clipboards and the systems. This was shinny, plain and simple. It was river hockey without the puck getting lost in the snowbank.
This was Garth and Wayne on the road in front of your house. Game on!
“That was 1990 hockey,” Kamloops general manager Craig Bonner said at one point during his Blazers’ 8-5 victory over the Pats before 4,375 well-entertained fans at Interior Savings Centre.
This one had a little bit of everything — although, yes, good goaltending and solid defence were in short supply at times — and the old mausoleum was noisier than during any previous game this season.
The Blazers, who trailed 5-3 just four minutes into the second period, scored the game’s last five goals, with the last two going into an empty Regina net, as Kamloops halted a two-game losing skid.
Asked what goes through a coach’s mind as river hockey takes over a game, Kamloops head coach Barry Smith replied: “You keep preaching and preaching because everybody sees their cookie and says, ‘Oh, I want to get that chance. Look, it’s wide open.’
“It took a while to get through our heads but in the third period we did the right things. And that was the difference with the one-goal lead.”
That and the ability to kill a four-minute Regina power-play after Kamloops right-winger Tyler Shattock was ejected at 4:18 of the third period with an interference major for a hit on defenceman Mike Scarborough.
The Pats, down 6-5 at the time, had good puck possession for a lot of the power play but were kept to the outside and didn’t muster so much as one shot. The power play ended four minutes in when sniper Jordan Eberle, who was ineffective as he played his third game in as many nights after playing a doubleheader against a touring Russian side, was penalized for high-sticking.
“The players did a real good job to lock it down . . . in the third period,” Smith said. “We did a great job. We gave up no shots on their five-minute power play.
“And we moved pucks well; it wasn’t like we were sitting back.”
No, they weren’t. As a matter of fact, the Blazers held a high-scoring Regina team, which now has lost three straight to fall to 15-11-1-3, to seven third-period shots, while getting seven themselves.
“They deserved it,” Regina head coach Dale Derkatch said of the Blazers.
“They battled back. They played hard. And in the third period they did what they had to do and they didn’t give us anything, which I don’t understand . . . not after the first couple of periods when we could put pressure on them.”
As for not scoring on the major penalty . . .
“That’s what I thought would determine how the game would go,” Derkatch said, “and it did.”
The Blazers did an effective job on Regina’s big line — Jordan Weal between Eberle and Michael MacAngus. Eberle was minus-4 and each of the others was minus-2.
“They get a lot of minutes and they’re our main guys,” Derkatch said. “Our top line was a minus and that doesn’t help.”
When Regina winger Matt Strueby scored his second goal, just 3:54 into the second period, the Pats had a 5-3 lead. Smith watched the replay on the clock and shook his head.
He said later he was “very close” to yanking goaltender Justin Leclerc, who gave up five goals on 16 shots through two periods.
“I’m sure they were very close with their guy, too,” Smith said with a laugh. “Some nights the team has to bail (Leclerc) out. In the end, we got the win. We did the right thing.”
Kenton Dulle, in his first game back after missing five with an arm injury, scored twice for Kamloops, the last one an empty-netter. Nick Ross, Jimmy Bubnick, Brendan Ranford, Shattock, Giffen Nyren and Brady Calla, also into an empty net, had the Blazers’ other goals.
Mitch Czibere, Graham Hood and Brett Leffler also scored for Regina, which got 26 saves from goaltender Damien Ketlo.
The victory was especially sweet for Ross, who was acquired from Regina in a deal last season.
“I really wanted this one bad,” said Ross, who added that he only knows about half the players on the Pats. “Everyone really wanted this one. You like to win one for a teammate. It felt really good.”
Regina defenceman Victor Bartley, who went the other way in that trade, had one assist and was involved in a fight at game’s end. As he left the ice he appeared to be exchanging greetings — Christmas, no doubt — with the Kamloops bench.
JUST NOTES: Referees Dan Cowley and Trevor Hanson gave Regina 12 of 18 minors, four of nine majors and one of two misconducts. Kamloops took the lone game misconduct. . . . The Blazers were 2-for-7 on the power-play; the Pats were 0-for-2. . . . Linesman Chris Sweeting went down with an injury to his left knee in a two-fight skirmish at game’s end. . . . Considering this is the only meeting of the season between these teams there was a lot of nastiness on display. . . . The last time Kamloops scored eight goals in a game? It was Feb. 2, in an 8-1 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Bubnick’s goal, the Blazers’ second of the game, was his 12th of the season, but his first since Oct. 25. He had gone 12 games without scoring. . . . Kamloops C Scott Wasden had an assist and also engaged in two bouts. He had gone 11 games without a point. . . . The Blazers left for Spokane shortly after the game. They will play the Chiefs there tonight but are almost certain to be without Shattock, who will be suspended while the league investigates his hit on Scarborough. . . . Fifteen minutes after the game, Scarborough was walking under his own power as his father, Joe, took him to Royal Inland Hospital. After the hit, Scarborough, who played last season with the Red Deer Rebels, was in shock on the ice as he tried to get to his feet before medical staff got him laying down again. . . . Regina D Colten Teubert, like Eberle, looked spent at times after playing against the Russians in Swift Current on Wednesday and Prince Albert on Thursday.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Blazers box
THE SCORE
Kamloops 8, Regina 5
WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers played run-and-gun for two periods and then shut down the
visitors in the third to escape with the victory.
THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (12-14-0-3) are sixth in the Western Conference, four polints
behind the Everett Silvertips (14-10-3-0) and two ahead of the Seattle
Thunderbirds (11-13-1-2).
THE HIT
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes at 4:18 of the third period after
Kamloops RW Tyler Shattock checked Regina D Mike Scarborough in the Regina
zone. Scarborough, who is from North Saanich, was caught off balance and
went heavily into the end boards. After getting up to his knees, he was laid
down, immobilized, placed on a backboard and removed on a stretcher. His
father, Joe, later took him to Royal Inland Hospital for X-rays. He has a
suspected broken nose and broken cheekbone.
THE FIGHT
At 15:54 of the second period, Regina F Garrett Mitchell and Kamloops F Cole
Grbavac squared off in the best fight seen in The ATM this season. They were
two tired sluggers when it ended.
THE GENERAL MANAGERS
Craig Bonner, the Blazers’ general manager, and his Regina counterpart,
Brent Parker, watched the game together from Bonner’s box. It’s not believed
that any trades were consummated.
THE SCRATCH
Kamloops C Jake Trask was a healthy scratch. The freshman from Saskatoon is
goalless in six games since a six-game scoring streak ended.
THE DEFENCEMAN
D Zak Stebner, who was acquired Wednesday from the Prince Albert Raiders for
D Jordan Rowley, was in the Blazers’ starting lineup. He was selected as the
game’s third star in the building.
THE BAND
The Aberdeen Elementary school band was in the building for your listening
pleasure. The band drew quite an audience during its pregame performance and
an nice round of applause following O Canada.
THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS
1. RW Brady Calla, Kamloops. Hardest worker out there.
2. LW Matt Strueby, Regina. Best of the Pats.
3. D Nick Ross, Kamloops. A goal and coolness on the back end.
NEXT UP
The Blazers meet the Chiefs in Spokane tonight before returning home to face
the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Kamloops 8, Regina 5
WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers played run-and-gun for two periods and then shut down the
visitors in the third to escape with the victory.
THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (12-14-0-3) are sixth in the Western Conference, four polints
behind the Everett Silvertips (14-10-3-0) and two ahead of the Seattle
Thunderbirds (11-13-1-2).
THE HIT
The game was delayed for about 10 minutes at 4:18 of the third period after
Kamloops RW Tyler Shattock checked Regina D Mike Scarborough in the Regina
zone. Scarborough, who is from North Saanich, was caught off balance and
went heavily into the end boards. After getting up to his knees, he was laid
down, immobilized, placed on a backboard and removed on a stretcher. His
father, Joe, later took him to Royal Inland Hospital for X-rays. He has a
suspected broken nose and broken cheekbone.
THE FIGHT
At 15:54 of the second period, Regina F Garrett Mitchell and Kamloops F Cole
Grbavac squared off in the best fight seen in The ATM this season. They were
two tired sluggers when it ended.
THE GENERAL MANAGERS
Craig Bonner, the Blazers’ general manager, and his Regina counterpart,
Brent Parker, watched the game together from Bonner’s box. It’s not believed
that any trades were consummated.
THE SCRATCH
Kamloops C Jake Trask was a healthy scratch. The freshman from Saskatoon is
goalless in six games since a six-game scoring streak ended.
THE DEFENCEMAN
D Zak Stebner, who was acquired Wednesday from the Prince Albert Raiders for
D Jordan Rowley, was in the Blazers’ starting lineup. He was selected as the
game’s third star in the building.
THE BAND
The Aberdeen Elementary school band was in the building for your listening
pleasure. The band drew quite an audience during its pregame performance and
an nice round of applause following O Canada.
THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS
1. RW Brady Calla, Kamloops. Hardest worker out there.
2. LW Matt Strueby, Regina. Best of the Pats.
3. D Nick Ross, Kamloops. A goal and coolness on the back end.
NEXT UP
The Blazers meet the Chiefs in Spokane tonight before returning home to face
the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Derkatch revisits scene of devastating loss
It’s been almost 25 years since lightning hit the Regina Pats’ outhouse that
night in Memorial Arena.
Dale Derkatch was there that night, one of the key players on a very good
Regina team that was coached by Bob Strumm.
At the invitation of someone who has known him for a long time, Derkatch,
now the Pats’ head coach, revisited the scene of the crime Thursday
afternoon. It was interesting to watch his face as the memories came
flooding back.
He had revisited Memorial Arena once before, having coached the Notre Dame
Hounds at KIBIHT a few seasons ago. But on that occasion he had other things
on his mind than 1984.
“The faceoff was right there,” he says. He is standing to the left of the
arena entrance and pointing to the nearest faceoff circle.
The faceoff, Derkatch recalls, came about after Dean Evason, the starry
centre of Bill LaForge’s Kamloops Junior Oilers, had been stymied on a
breakaway, Regina goaltender Jamie Reeve making the save and preserving a
3-2 lead with 20 seconds remaining in the third period.
It was May 8, 1984 and there were at least 18,000 people in the old barn —
really, do you know anyone who wasn’t there? — hoping their favourites would
be able to find some life. With time running out, however, the Pats held a
3-2 lead in the best-of-seven WHL championship final. And they led the game,
3-2. They were 20 ticks of the clock away . . .
Derkatch’s right hand comes up and he starts pointing. Off the faceoff, the
puck went into the corner. That one right there. Then it went back to the
point . . . right there. Then it came down the wall and the centring pass
went to Evason who was right there . . . and he points to the low slot.
Evason, who would go on to coach the Blazers and now is an assistant coach
with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, a team for which Derkatch once scouted,
beat Reeve to tie the game.
There were 12 seconds left in the third period. Twelve ticks of the clock .
. .
To hear Derkatch tell it, Ryan Stewart’s overtime winner 13 minutes later
was anticlimactic.
“I still remember crying in the dressing room while wearing my sweater,” he
told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post. “I had family at the game. My
grandparents and my aunt and uncle were waiting for me outside the dressing
room. I didn’t want to go out of the dressing room and see them.
“Awful . . .”
As for Game 7, which was played the next night . . .
“It’s tough to come back from losing like that,” said Derkatch, who scored
both his club’s goals in a 4-2 loss.
The passage of time heals most wounds and this one, it seems, is almost at
that point. Except for this one little scab.
“The victory was a credit to them,” Derkatch says, adding that he came to
know many of the Kamloops players. “They’re good guys . . . good people.”
Pause . . .
“But,” he adds, “I really feel that we were the better team. We had more
experience. They had some young guys . . . like (Rob) Brown and (Greg)
Hawgood . . . guys who were just starting out.”
The conversation adjourns to a coffee shop across the street. The spectre of
the old rink looms large as Derkatch talks hockey.
What kind of person is Dale Derkatch, who isn’t an inch taller than his
playing height of 5-foot-5? As he pours cream into his coffee, a couple of
drops end up on the floor. He grabs a napkin and wipes the counter and the
floor. That tells you a lot about the guy who was known as The Rat when he
played.
What he lacked in stature, he made up for with an unmatched intensity and a
desire to score goals. He loved to score the way you and I love to breathe.
Because he was 5-foot-5 — well, he still is — he says there are people who
expect his teams to be small. They are wrong.
“When I played, I liked me,” he explains with a chuckle, “and everyone else
big, and that’s how it used to be.”
When he played, he totaled 491 points, 222 of them goals, in 204
regular-season WHL games. You wonder if his players, and those on other
teams for that matter, realize that this man played the game like a maestro.
His stick was his baton and the game was his music.
“Dale was ahead of the game, anticipating what was going to happen, and then
making it happen with skill and passion,” Strumm, now a pro scout for the
NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, says. “The passion was second to none. I’ve
never seen anyone like it . . . a love of the game and a passion for
winning.”
Derkatch is older now — he is 44 — and he’s got a world of experience behind
him. He has played in Europe — in Italy, Finland, Germany and Switzerland —
and spent four years as the director of hockey at the Athol Murray College
of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask. He was responsible for 12 teams there — male,
female and all ages through junior A.
It says something about Derkatch that during his stay there he spent one
season coaching the school’s second midget team. It is a team that doesn’t
win very often. Today, the first team is atop the Saskatchewan midget AAA
league standings, at 14-3-0-1. The other team, the one Derkatch coached, is
1-16-1-0. It happens like that every season.
Derkatch had tasted success everywhere he had played. Now that he was into
coaching, he thought it would be a worthwhile exercise to find out how the
other half lived.
“I wanted to experience losing,” he says.
It was, he says, a very worthwhile exercise. He learned about motivating
athletes who know going in that their chances for success are slim. It was,
he admits, a challenge to give them something different each day.
But he persevered. And he grew.
And today he’s back in Regina as the head coach of the team whose logo and
tradition have always meant so much to him.
Unlike Notre Dame, where he had his fingers in all the pies, now, he says,
“I just coach hockey . . . and I love it.”
He loves the practices just like he did when he played.
“There isn’t the stress of games during practices,” he reasons. “Even at 30,
I loved to practice. I don’t see how guys don’t like it.”
And he slowly is getting used to the changes in the game, many of them
brought on by expansion — there are 22 teams now; there were 13 in
Derkatch’s rookie season (1981-82).
That season, at 17, Derkatch was on Regina’s third line. He totaled 142
points in 71 games. Do the math.
As a head coach, he has a centre, Jordan Weal, on his first line who is 16
years of age.
“He’s good,” Derkatch says. And then, with a grin, he adds: “I could play
with him.”
With that, Derkatch walks out of the coffee shop and begins the stroll back
to the hotel in which the Pats are ensconced.
As he crosses the street, he glances one more time at Memorial Arena, a
place where memories were made.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
night in Memorial Arena.
Dale Derkatch was there that night, one of the key players on a very good
Regina team that was coached by Bob Strumm.
At the invitation of someone who has known him for a long time, Derkatch,
now the Pats’ head coach, revisited the scene of the crime Thursday
afternoon. It was interesting to watch his face as the memories came
flooding back.
He had revisited Memorial Arena once before, having coached the Notre Dame
Hounds at KIBIHT a few seasons ago. But on that occasion he had other things
on his mind than 1984.
“The faceoff was right there,” he says. He is standing to the left of the
arena entrance and pointing to the nearest faceoff circle.
The faceoff, Derkatch recalls, came about after Dean Evason, the starry
centre of Bill LaForge’s Kamloops Junior Oilers, had been stymied on a
breakaway, Regina goaltender Jamie Reeve making the save and preserving a
3-2 lead with 20 seconds remaining in the third period.
It was May 8, 1984 and there were at least 18,000 people in the old barn —
really, do you know anyone who wasn’t there? — hoping their favourites would
be able to find some life. With time running out, however, the Pats held a
3-2 lead in the best-of-seven WHL championship final. And they led the game,
3-2. They were 20 ticks of the clock away . . .
Derkatch’s right hand comes up and he starts pointing. Off the faceoff, the
puck went into the corner. That one right there. Then it went back to the
point . . . right there. Then it came down the wall and the centring pass
went to Evason who was right there . . . and he points to the low slot.
Evason, who would go on to coach the Blazers and now is an assistant coach
with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, a team for which Derkatch once scouted,
beat Reeve to tie the game.
There were 12 seconds left in the third period. Twelve ticks of the clock .
. .
To hear Derkatch tell it, Ryan Stewart’s overtime winner 13 minutes later
was anticlimactic.
“I still remember crying in the dressing room while wearing my sweater,” he
told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post. “I had family at the game. My
grandparents and my aunt and uncle were waiting for me outside the dressing
room. I didn’t want to go out of the dressing room and see them.
“Awful . . .”
As for Game 7, which was played the next night . . .
“It’s tough to come back from losing like that,” said Derkatch, who scored
both his club’s goals in a 4-2 loss.
The passage of time heals most wounds and this one, it seems, is almost at
that point. Except for this one little scab.
“The victory was a credit to them,” Derkatch says, adding that he came to
know many of the Kamloops players. “They’re good guys . . . good people.”
Pause . . .
“But,” he adds, “I really feel that we were the better team. We had more
experience. They had some young guys . . . like (Rob) Brown and (Greg)
Hawgood . . . guys who were just starting out.”
The conversation adjourns to a coffee shop across the street. The spectre of
the old rink looms large as Derkatch talks hockey.
What kind of person is Dale Derkatch, who isn’t an inch taller than his
playing height of 5-foot-5? As he pours cream into his coffee, a couple of
drops end up on the floor. He grabs a napkin and wipes the counter and the
floor. That tells you a lot about the guy who was known as The Rat when he
played.
What he lacked in stature, he made up for with an unmatched intensity and a
desire to score goals. He loved to score the way you and I love to breathe.
Because he was 5-foot-5 — well, he still is — he says there are people who
expect his teams to be small. They are wrong.
“When I played, I liked me,” he explains with a chuckle, “and everyone else
big, and that’s how it used to be.”
When he played, he totaled 491 points, 222 of them goals, in 204
regular-season WHL games. You wonder if his players, and those on other
teams for that matter, realize that this man played the game like a maestro.
His stick was his baton and the game was his music.
“Dale was ahead of the game, anticipating what was going to happen, and then
making it happen with skill and passion,” Strumm, now a pro scout for the
NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, says. “The passion was second to none. I’ve
never seen anyone like it . . . a love of the game and a passion for
winning.”
Derkatch is older now — he is 44 — and he’s got a world of experience behind
him. He has played in Europe — in Italy, Finland, Germany and Switzerland —
and spent four years as the director of hockey at the Athol Murray College
of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask. He was responsible for 12 teams there — male,
female and all ages through junior A.
It says something about Derkatch that during his stay there he spent one
season coaching the school’s second midget team. It is a team that doesn’t
win very often. Today, the first team is atop the Saskatchewan midget AAA
league standings, at 14-3-0-1. The other team, the one Derkatch coached, is
1-16-1-0. It happens like that every season.
Derkatch had tasted success everywhere he had played. Now that he was into
coaching, he thought it would be a worthwhile exercise to find out how the
other half lived.
“I wanted to experience losing,” he says.
It was, he says, a very worthwhile exercise. He learned about motivating
athletes who know going in that their chances for success are slim. It was,
he admits, a challenge to give them something different each day.
But he persevered. And he grew.
And today he’s back in Regina as the head coach of the team whose logo and
tradition have always meant so much to him.
Unlike Notre Dame, where he had his fingers in all the pies, now, he says,
“I just coach hockey . . . and I love it.”
He loves the practices just like he did when he played.
“There isn’t the stress of games during practices,” he reasons. “Even at 30,
I loved to practice. I don’t see how guys don’t like it.”
And he slowly is getting used to the changes in the game, many of them
brought on by expansion — there are 22 teams now; there were 13 in
Derkatch’s rookie season (1981-82).
That season, at 17, Derkatch was on Regina’s third line. He totaled 142
points in 71 games. Do the math.
As a head coach, he has a centre, Jordan Weal, on his first line who is 16
years of age.
“He’s good,” Derkatch says. And then, with a grin, he adds: “I could play
with him.”
With that, Derkatch walks out of the coffee shop and begins the stroll back
to the hotel in which the Pats are ensconced.
As he crosses the street, he glances one more time at Memorial Arena, a
place where memories were made.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
Stebner hoping to make good music with new team
By MARK HUNTER
Daily News Sports Reporter
Zak Stebner never could have imagined that one of his first duties with the
Kamloops Blazers would be to play bass guitar for Bryan Adams.
But that’s what Stebner, whom the Blazers acquired from the Prince Albert
Raiders on Wednesday, was faced with after his first practice with Kamloops
on Thursday.
“I met a few of the guys before practice, and I hear we’re having a little
(air) band concert,” said Stebner, an 18-year-old defenceman. “I’ll do my
best, I’m playing the bass in (Jake) Trask’s group, so it should be good. .
. . We’re playing Summer of ‘69.”
Stebner will play his first game with the Blazers today, 7 p.m., against the
Regina Pats at Interior Savings Centre.
The Blazers traded defenceman Jordan Rowley to Prince Albert in exchange for
Stebner, who had 10 points, three of them goals, in 31 games this season.
Stebner also had 46 penalty minutes, and is plus-5.
But, like the Raiders, who have lost six straight and are 13-18-0-0, Stebner
has struggled of late. In October, Stebner had two goals and six assists in
14 games. In November, he has one assist through 12 games.
Because of the recent struggles for him and the team, he wasn’t surprised to
learn of the move.
“We had a lot of 18-year-old defenceman, they were piling up,” said Stebner.
“The team was looking for a change, with a five-game slide. It’s a shock to
be traded, but something had to change.”
When Stebner found out, he went to his hometown, Saskatoon, and picked up
his dad. They drove to Hinton on Wednesday night, then made it to Kamloops
in time for yesterday’s practice.
Stebner, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 200 pounds, was chosen 32nd overall
in the 2005 bantam draft by the Red Deer Rebels. He played two games in Red
Deer as a 15-year-old and one as a 16-year-old.
After 24 games with the Rebels last season, Stebner was traded to Prince
Albert and ended the season with two goals and eight assists in 64 games.
He spent a lot of time working on the penalty kill with the Raiders this
season. That should help the Blazers, who are 20th in the league on the
penalty kill at 75.5 per cent.
“I was usually one of the first out there for the penalty kill, so I took
pride in that,” said Stebner, who knew Trask, Jimmy Bubnick and Justin
Leclerc from his Saskatoon days. “Here . . . they’re looking for me to be
gritty down low.”
Tonight will be Stebner’s first game — he’ll be wearing No. 25 — but it will
be against a familiar opponent.
“I’ve played Regina four or five times already,” he said. “I know what they
bring to the table and who to watch for.
“It helps out to know what kind of players they have, so it should make it a
little easier.”
———
The Blazers got some good news on the injury front as right-winger Kenton
Dulle has been cleared to play.
Dulle, a 20-year-old, has been out with an arm injury since Nov. 9, when
Kamloops lost 7-5 to the host Portland Winter Hawks. Dulle had two goals in
that game, and has scored 10 goals to go along with 12 assists.
Defenceman Kurt Torbohm is not yet skating as he tries to return from a
concussion that has had him on the shelf since Nov. 15.
———
JUST NOTES: Stebner is a second cousin to Layne Ulmer, who had 315 points,
161 of them goals, in 261 games with the Swift Current Broncos between
1997-2001. . . . The Blazers are 11-14-0-3 and sixth in the Western
Conference. . . . The Pats are 15-10-1-3 and fifth in the Eastern
Conference. . . . Regina C Jordan Eberle has 19 goals, the second-most in
the WHL, and seven game-winning goals, tops in the league. . . . Pats C
Jordan Weal has 34 points, which is most among rookies. . . . The Kelowna
Rockets have signed their first pick in May’s bantam draft, C Shane
McColgan, to a standard player contract. McColgan, a 15-year-old from
Manhattan Beach, Calif., is set to make his WHL debut on Dec. 16, when the
Rockets play the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . There’s always more WHL news at
gdrinnan.blogspot.com.
mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca
Daily News Sports Reporter
Zak Stebner never could have imagined that one of his first duties with the
Kamloops Blazers would be to play bass guitar for Bryan Adams.
But that’s what Stebner, whom the Blazers acquired from the Prince Albert
Raiders on Wednesday, was faced with after his first practice with Kamloops
on Thursday.
“I met a few of the guys before practice, and I hear we’re having a little
(air) band concert,” said Stebner, an 18-year-old defenceman. “I’ll do my
best, I’m playing the bass in (Jake) Trask’s group, so it should be good. .
. . We’re playing Summer of ‘69.”
Stebner will play his first game with the Blazers today, 7 p.m., against the
Regina Pats at Interior Savings Centre.
The Blazers traded defenceman Jordan Rowley to Prince Albert in exchange for
Stebner, who had 10 points, three of them goals, in 31 games this season.
Stebner also had 46 penalty minutes, and is plus-5.
But, like the Raiders, who have lost six straight and are 13-18-0-0, Stebner
has struggled of late. In October, Stebner had two goals and six assists in
14 games. In November, he has one assist through 12 games.
Because of the recent struggles for him and the team, he wasn’t surprised to
learn of the move.
“We had a lot of 18-year-old defenceman, they were piling up,” said Stebner.
“The team was looking for a change, with a five-game slide. It’s a shock to
be traded, but something had to change.”
When Stebner found out, he went to his hometown, Saskatoon, and picked up
his dad. They drove to Hinton on Wednesday night, then made it to Kamloops
in time for yesterday’s practice.
Stebner, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 200 pounds, was chosen 32nd overall
in the 2005 bantam draft by the Red Deer Rebels. He played two games in Red
Deer as a 15-year-old and one as a 16-year-old.
After 24 games with the Rebels last season, Stebner was traded to Prince
Albert and ended the season with two goals and eight assists in 64 games.
He spent a lot of time working on the penalty kill with the Raiders this
season. That should help the Blazers, who are 20th in the league on the
penalty kill at 75.5 per cent.
“I was usually one of the first out there for the penalty kill, so I took
pride in that,” said Stebner, who knew Trask, Jimmy Bubnick and Justin
Leclerc from his Saskatoon days. “Here . . . they’re looking for me to be
gritty down low.”
Tonight will be Stebner’s first game — he’ll be wearing No. 25 — but it will
be against a familiar opponent.
“I’ve played Regina four or five times already,” he said. “I know what they
bring to the table and who to watch for.
“It helps out to know what kind of players they have, so it should make it a
little easier.”
———
The Blazers got some good news on the injury front as right-winger Kenton
Dulle has been cleared to play.
Dulle, a 20-year-old, has been out with an arm injury since Nov. 9, when
Kamloops lost 7-5 to the host Portland Winter Hawks. Dulle had two goals in
that game, and has scored 10 goals to go along with 12 assists.
Defenceman Kurt Torbohm is not yet skating as he tries to return from a
concussion that has had him on the shelf since Nov. 15.
———
JUST NOTES: Stebner is a second cousin to Layne Ulmer, who had 315 points,
161 of them goals, in 261 games with the Swift Current Broncos between
1997-2001. . . . The Blazers are 11-14-0-3 and sixth in the Western
Conference. . . . The Pats are 15-10-1-3 and fifth in the Eastern
Conference. . . . Regina C Jordan Eberle has 19 goals, the second-most in
the WHL, and seven game-winning goals, tops in the league. . . . Pats C
Jordan Weal has 34 points, which is most among rookies. . . . The Kelowna
Rockets have signed their first pick in May’s bantam draft, C Shane
McColgan, to a standard player contract. McColgan, a 15-year-old from
Manhattan Beach, Calif., is set to make his WHL debut on Dec. 16, when the
Rockets play the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . There’s always more WHL news at
gdrinnan.blogspot.com.
mhunter@kamloopsnews.ca
Blazers scouting report
REGINA PATS at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS
Today, 7 p.m., Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)
REGINA (15-10-1-3): The Pats last played Saturday when they lost 4-1 to the
Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . One day earlier, Regina was beaten 4-1 by the
Broncos in Swift Current. . . . Regina is fifth in the Eastern Conference,
one point behind the Kootenay Ice and one ahead of the Broncos. . . . In the
computerized Massey Ratings, the Pats slid four spots to 13th last week. . .
. This is the first game of a five-game B.C. Division tour for Regina. . . .
Former Blazers D Victor Bartley, 20, is the Pats’ captain. . . . Bartley,
Matt Delahey and Colten Teubert are the Pats’ big three on the back end.
Teubert was selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 13th pick of the 2008
NHL draft. Delahey was taken by the New Jersey Devils with the 112th pick. .
. . Teubert and RW Jordan Eberle played in the ADT Challenge games Wednesday
and Thursday. . . . The Pats claimed D Scott Gabriel, 20, off waivers from
the Portland Winter Hawks last week but he chose to stay with the AJHL’s
Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . In their last six games, the Pats have gone
2-4-0-0 and have scored only 11 goals. Of those 11 goals, nine have come
from Eberle, who has 89 career goals, Brett Leffler and Michael MacAngus. .
. . Injuries: None.
————————
KAMLOOPS (11-14-0-3): In their last game, the Blazers were 6-1 losers to the
visiting Vancouver Giants on Saturday. . . . Kamloops is sixth in the
Western Conference, four points behind the Everett Silvertips and two ahead
of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Blazers are 1-5-0-1 in their last
seven outings and have been outscored 36-20 in the process. . . . Kamloops
is 9-7-0-1 at home, meaning tonight is the halfway mark of their 36-game
home schedule. . . . After tonight, Kamloops has eight games remaining — six
of them on the road — before the Christmas break. . . . RW Kenton Dulle
(arm) is scheduled to return after a five-game absence. The Blazers went
1-4-0-0 without him. . . . The Blazers meet the Chiefs in Spokane on
Saturday night and return home to face the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday. . .
. D Zak Stebner, 18, acquired Wednesday from the Prince Albert Raiders for D
Jordan Rowley, will make his debut tonight. He is expected to be partnered
with Michal Siska. . . . In the computerized Massey Ratings, the Blazers are
up one to 17th after last week. . . . Injuries: C Mark Hall (knee, out), D
Kurt Torbohm (concussion, out), RW Kenton Dulle (arm, probable).
— GREGG DRINNAN
Today, 7 p.m., Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)
REGINA (15-10-1-3): The Pats last played Saturday when they lost 4-1 to the
Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . One day earlier, Regina was beaten 4-1 by the
Broncos in Swift Current. . . . Regina is fifth in the Eastern Conference,
one point behind the Kootenay Ice and one ahead of the Broncos. . . . In the
computerized Massey Ratings, the Pats slid four spots to 13th last week. . .
. This is the first game of a five-game B.C. Division tour for Regina. . . .
Former Blazers D Victor Bartley, 20, is the Pats’ captain. . . . Bartley,
Matt Delahey and Colten Teubert are the Pats’ big three on the back end.
Teubert was selected by the Los Angeles Kings with the 13th pick of the 2008
NHL draft. Delahey was taken by the New Jersey Devils with the 112th pick. .
. . Teubert and RW Jordan Eberle played in the ADT Challenge games Wednesday
and Thursday. . . . The Pats claimed D Scott Gabriel, 20, off waivers from
the Portland Winter Hawks last week but he chose to stay with the AJHL’s
Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . In their last six games, the Pats have gone
2-4-0-0 and have scored only 11 goals. Of those 11 goals, nine have come
from Eberle, who has 89 career goals, Brett Leffler and Michael MacAngus. .
. . Injuries: None.
————————
KAMLOOPS (11-14-0-3): In their last game, the Blazers were 6-1 losers to the
visiting Vancouver Giants on Saturday. . . . Kamloops is sixth in the
Western Conference, four points behind the Everett Silvertips and two ahead
of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Blazers are 1-5-0-1 in their last
seven outings and have been outscored 36-20 in the process. . . . Kamloops
is 9-7-0-1 at home, meaning tonight is the halfway mark of their 36-game
home schedule. . . . After tonight, Kamloops has eight games remaining — six
of them on the road — before the Christmas break. . . . RW Kenton Dulle
(arm) is scheduled to return after a five-game absence. The Blazers went
1-4-0-0 without him. . . . The Blazers meet the Chiefs in Spokane on
Saturday night and return home to face the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday. . .
. D Zak Stebner, 18, acquired Wednesday from the Prince Albert Raiders for D
Jordan Rowley, will make his debut tonight. He is expected to be partnered
with Michal Siska. . . . In the computerized Massey Ratings, the Blazers are
up one to 17th after last week. . . . Injuries: C Mark Hall (knee, out), D
Kurt Torbohm (concussion, out), RW Kenton Dulle (arm, probable).
— GREGG DRINNAN
Thursday . . .
The Swift Current Broncos are not at all happy with their city, which has landed the 2010 Ford World women’s curling championship. The curling is scheduled for March 20-29, 2010, right smack-dab in the middle of the start of the WHL playoffs. Becky Anderson of the Prairie Post has done a bang-up job of laying this one out for all to read.
---
“Right now we are a team without a home,” Joe Arling, the chairman of the Broncos’ board, told Anderson. “I understand the impact it has for the community, but the timing of it is not good,” he said. “You couldn’t pick a worse 10 days.”
---
Dean Chynoweth, the Broncos’ GM and head coach, added: “The problem for me is the process that took place and that we weren’t included in it. The feelings are obviously mixed (because) we thought we weren’t included in the process. We’re the main tenant of this building and it will be an unprecedented situation of a team being out of their building the entire playoffs.”
---
And even WHL commissioner Ron Robison has expressed disappointment.
“We raised the concern,” said Robison, referring to his dealing with City council in October, “because we have the ability to accommodate other events during the regular season, but not during playoffs and this obviously creates a major challenge for us. We’re very disappointed to learn that the event will be held, as it will represent a conflict for the Broncos and their fans.”
Of course, the City of Swift Current spent big money upgrading its arena to meet WHL-imposed standards, something for which all involved are thankful. But, Robison pointed out to the Prairie Post: “Quite frankly, it was for the long-term viability of the franchise and now to schedule an event during the playoffs seems somewhat contradictory to the original intent of the facility, from our standpoint.”
Robison also gave the first hint as to what the WHL might do for the Broncos’ first-round series.
“It might mean for instance that the games are going to be played in Winnipeg or Victoria or markets that are most appealing to the league,” Robison explained, adding that the league never has been in this predicament before.
“At this point in time, it is too early to speculate, but most of these smaller facilities outside a Western Hockey League centre are facilities that would not be of standard for broadcast requirements.”
---
Meanwhile, Mayor Sandy Larson offered Anderson this explanation:
“We knew that we would inconvenience our Broncos, but they are a long-time partner of ours, and in turn there is a vast interest in our community to host all sporting events, but we definitely knew that we would be inconveniencing our Broncos at a very difficult time, because they will be going to the playoffs.
“We have a long-established working relationship, a fantastic partnership, with the Broncos and I am a little surprised with their comments.”
---
City council is represented on the Broncos’ board of directors by Jarrod Shafer.
“It’s been our hope that as partners working together — the Broncos, the Western Hockey League and the City — and with basically a little better than (a year) to sort of be prepared and get ready for it, that we can come to a mutual resolution that might be an inconvenience for the Broncos, but would still make the best of the situation,” Shafer told the Prairie Post. “The City thinks we have been a pretty good partner with the Broncos. Anytime we (have) been asked to enhance the facility or give them extra opportunities to earn revenue, we’ve done that.
“We didn’t want this to hurt them financially, we just hoped as three partners working together -- the WHL, the Broncos and the City -- they would be able to come to an agreement where there would be some compensation.”
Shafer also said: “The Broncos should be upset, the Broncos’ main concern is the Broncos, and there is no question about that. . . . We just thought . . . (hosting the Worlds) would be one of those things that the Broncos would grudgingly support, (because it’s) an event that means so much to the organization and to the businesses that support their club.”
---
Grudgingly support? You kick your main tenant out into the street at the most important time of its business year and you expect support of any kind? Are you nuts, or what? . . . The mayor is surprised by the Broncos' reaction? Surely, you jest, Your Honour. . . . The bottom line is this . . . The City is saying to the Broncos, you’re long-term tenants, you’re not going anywhere and it’s time you learned just who sets the agenda in these parts. So suck it up, Princess, and take one for the City. . . . Of course, the City believes that the Broncos will never, ever leave. Which only means that some folks have short memories. Or maybe they enjoyed the seasons of 1974-75 through 1985-86 when the Broncos played out of Lethbridge? This time, they may be playing out of Victoria and someone best hope they don't fall in love with the ocean air.
All of this begs two questions: 1. Have the Broncos stroked the City off their Christmas card list; and, 2. What kind of welcome will Shafer get at the next Broncos’ board meeting?
---
The WHL has made three roster changes for Thursday’s ADT Challenge game in Prince Albert against the touring Russian side. . . . D Eric Doyle of the Broncos didn’t get to face the Russians in Swift Current, but he got the call prior to Thursday’s game. Doyle will replace Kootenay Ice D John Negrin (flu) for the final game of the Canada-Russia series. The WHL beat the Russians 5-0 in Swift Current on Wednesday night. . . . F Dustin Cameron of the Prince Albert Raiders also has been added to the WHL roster. He replaces RW Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, who has been sidelined by a bruised heel. . . . As well, F Derek Hulak of the Saskatoon Blades gets onto the roster, replacing Calgary Hitmen F Brandon Kozun, who was injured in Wednesday’s game.
---
JUST NOTES: The Saskatoon Blades have assigned F Cody Chikie, 17, to the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. A native of St. Alberta, Alta., he had four assists in 13 games with the Blades, who now are carrying 23 players. . . . Saskatoon C Milan Kytnar has been named to the Slovakian national junior team that will play at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Slovakia opens Dec. 27 against Latvia. Kytnar, 19, has 19 points in 26 games with the Blades, who acquired him from the Kelowna Rockets. Kytnar was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft. . . . Big news out of Kelowna today where the Rockets have announced that they have signed C Shane McColgan, the 13th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. McColgan, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was in the Rockets’ training camp and left a rather favourable impression. In fact, some observers felt the 15-year-old would have made the Rockets were it not for the WHL’s age restriction. Now that he is signed, the Rockets plan on playing McColgan for the first time on Dec. 16 in Red Deer against the Rebels. He also will play against the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Dec. 17. McColgan, the only American player selected in the first round of the 2008 draft, has 31 points in 24 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings where he plays for head coach Jack Bowkus, who is a product of the Saskatoon Blades. Once the Kings’ season is over, McColgan will join the Rockets on a full-time basis.
---
“Right now we are a team without a home,” Joe Arling, the chairman of the Broncos’ board, told Anderson. “I understand the impact it has for the community, but the timing of it is not good,” he said. “You couldn’t pick a worse 10 days.”
---
Dean Chynoweth, the Broncos’ GM and head coach, added: “The problem for me is the process that took place and that we weren’t included in it. The feelings are obviously mixed (because) we thought we weren’t included in the process. We’re the main tenant of this building and it will be an unprecedented situation of a team being out of their building the entire playoffs.”
---
And even WHL commissioner Ron Robison has expressed disappointment.
“We raised the concern,” said Robison, referring to his dealing with City council in October, “because we have the ability to accommodate other events during the regular season, but not during playoffs and this obviously creates a major challenge for us. We’re very disappointed to learn that the event will be held, as it will represent a conflict for the Broncos and their fans.”
Of course, the City of Swift Current spent big money upgrading its arena to meet WHL-imposed standards, something for which all involved are thankful. But, Robison pointed out to the Prairie Post: “Quite frankly, it was for the long-term viability of the franchise and now to schedule an event during the playoffs seems somewhat contradictory to the original intent of the facility, from our standpoint.”
Robison also gave the first hint as to what the WHL might do for the Broncos’ first-round series.
“It might mean for instance that the games are going to be played in Winnipeg or Victoria or markets that are most appealing to the league,” Robison explained, adding that the league never has been in this predicament before.
“At this point in time, it is too early to speculate, but most of these smaller facilities outside a Western Hockey League centre are facilities that would not be of standard for broadcast requirements.”
---
Meanwhile, Mayor Sandy Larson offered Anderson this explanation:
“We knew that we would inconvenience our Broncos, but they are a long-time partner of ours, and in turn there is a vast interest in our community to host all sporting events, but we definitely knew that we would be inconveniencing our Broncos at a very difficult time, because they will be going to the playoffs.
“We have a long-established working relationship, a fantastic partnership, with the Broncos and I am a little surprised with their comments.”
---
City council is represented on the Broncos’ board of directors by Jarrod Shafer.
“It’s been our hope that as partners working together — the Broncos, the Western Hockey League and the City — and with basically a little better than (a year) to sort of be prepared and get ready for it, that we can come to a mutual resolution that might be an inconvenience for the Broncos, but would still make the best of the situation,” Shafer told the Prairie Post. “The City thinks we have been a pretty good partner with the Broncos. Anytime we (have) been asked to enhance the facility or give them extra opportunities to earn revenue, we’ve done that.
“We didn’t want this to hurt them financially, we just hoped as three partners working together -- the WHL, the Broncos and the City -- they would be able to come to an agreement where there would be some compensation.”
Shafer also said: “The Broncos should be upset, the Broncos’ main concern is the Broncos, and there is no question about that. . . . We just thought . . . (hosting the Worlds) would be one of those things that the Broncos would grudgingly support, (because it’s) an event that means so much to the organization and to the businesses that support their club.”
---
Grudgingly support? You kick your main tenant out into the street at the most important time of its business year and you expect support of any kind? Are you nuts, or what? . . . The mayor is surprised by the Broncos' reaction? Surely, you jest, Your Honour. . . . The bottom line is this . . . The City is saying to the Broncos, you’re long-term tenants, you’re not going anywhere and it’s time you learned just who sets the agenda in these parts. So suck it up, Princess, and take one for the City. . . . Of course, the City believes that the Broncos will never, ever leave. Which only means that some folks have short memories. Or maybe they enjoyed the seasons of 1974-75 through 1985-86 when the Broncos played out of Lethbridge? This time, they may be playing out of Victoria and someone best hope they don't fall in love with the ocean air.
All of this begs two questions: 1. Have the Broncos stroked the City off their Christmas card list; and, 2. What kind of welcome will Shafer get at the next Broncos’ board meeting?
---
The WHL has made three roster changes for Thursday’s ADT Challenge game in Prince Albert against the touring Russian side. . . . D Eric Doyle of the Broncos didn’t get to face the Russians in Swift Current, but he got the call prior to Thursday’s game. Doyle will replace Kootenay Ice D John Negrin (flu) for the final game of the Canada-Russia series. The WHL beat the Russians 5-0 in Swift Current on Wednesday night. . . . F Dustin Cameron of the Prince Albert Raiders also has been added to the WHL roster. He replaces RW Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, who has been sidelined by a bruised heel. . . . As well, F Derek Hulak of the Saskatoon Blades gets onto the roster, replacing Calgary Hitmen F Brandon Kozun, who was injured in Wednesday’s game.
---
JUST NOTES: The Saskatoon Blades have assigned F Cody Chikie, 17, to the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. A native of St. Alberta, Alta., he had four assists in 13 games with the Blades, who now are carrying 23 players. . . . Saskatoon C Milan Kytnar has been named to the Slovakian national junior team that will play at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa. Slovakia opens Dec. 27 against Latvia. Kytnar, 19, has 19 points in 26 games with the Blades, who acquired him from the Kelowna Rockets. Kytnar was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL draft. . . . Big news out of Kelowna today where the Rockets have announced that they have signed C Shane McColgan, the 13th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. McColgan, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was in the Rockets’ training camp and left a rather favourable impression. In fact, some observers felt the 15-year-old would have made the Rockets were it not for the WHL’s age restriction. Now that he is signed, the Rockets plan on playing McColgan for the first time on Dec. 16 in Red Deer against the Rebels. He also will play against the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Dec. 17. McColgan, the only American player selected in the first round of the 2008 draft, has 31 points in 24 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings where he plays for head coach Jack Bowkus, who is a product of the Saskatoon Blades. Once the Kings’ season is over, McColgan will join the Rockets on a full-time basis.
Bartley on way back to Kamloops
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Victor Bartley spent Wednesday night on a bus hurtling through the night on
his way back to Kamloops.
While his Regina Pats teammates watched a movie — well, if you insist, it
was Beerfest — and laughed in the background, the 20-year-old from Maple
Ridge remembered . . .
“I was a Kamloops Blazer for four years,” Bartley said. “That was some of
the best years of my life. But coming to Regina . . . it was a whole new
place . . . I really don’t know how to explain it. It’s what I needed and
it’s worked out for the best for me.”
Bartley was a Kamloops regular until the evening of Jan. 4 when, shortly
after a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans, he learned that he
had been traded to Regina. In a swap of four defencemen, Bartley headed
east, along with Ryan Bender, in exchange for Nick Ross, Spencer Fraipont
and a 2008 fourth-round bantam draft pick.
Bender now is at the U of Regina, while the Blazers released Fraipont over the
summer.
So when the teams meet Friday, 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre, some fans
are sure to be looking at it as the undrafted Bartley versus Ross, 19, a
first-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2007 draft.
Bartley chooses to take the high road and not respond to questions about
what all went on with the Blazers last season, including changes in
ownership and coaches. He prefers to talk about his new life in Regina.
“Life’s been great,” he said. “Last season didn’t quite work out like I
planned. But I ended up with a lot of confidence so that was good. I came
back this season and have played well so far, so things are going good.
“Things have been great. I had a great summer of training and came here in
great shape. And I’m playing a lot of minutes . . . three of us play about
30-35 minutes a game.”
Included in the heavily used trio are Colten Teubert, a first-round
selection of the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL’s 2008 draft, and Matt
Delahey, who was taken in the fourth round by the New Jersey Devils.
Bartley is the Pats’ sixth-leading scorer. He has 19 points, including five
goals, and 41 penalty minutes in 29 games. He also is plus-4.
On top of that, he finds himself as the captain of the oldest major junior
hockey team in Canada.
“Great . . . it’s great,” Bartley said of wearing the ‘C’ for the
tradition-laden Pats. When he was told he was to be captain, he said his
reaction was: “Wow! This is pretty big.”
As for his team, Bartley said fans attending Friday’s game can look for a
“very skilled team.”
“We play a lot offence,” he added. “We jump on everything and take
everything to the net. Our forecheck is one of the main things that gets our
team going every night. We’re a fairly physical team usually all game long.”
The Pats are coming off two 4-1 setbacks — to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on
Saturday and the Broncos in Swift Current on Friday.
They haven’t played in Kamloops since Nov. 22, 2006, when Blazers goaltender
Dustin Butler stopped 11 shots in a 4-0 victory.
“I can’t wait (for Friday’s game),” Bartley said. “I’ve been talkng to my
billets (Lorrie and Gary Franoff) and it’s going to be exciting to see them
and to see a couple of buddies.
“It’s going to be nice to get back to Kamloops. I played there for four
seasons so it’s special place for me.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
Daily News Sports Editor
Victor Bartley spent Wednesday night on a bus hurtling through the night on
his way back to Kamloops.
While his Regina Pats teammates watched a movie — well, if you insist, it
was Beerfest — and laughed in the background, the 20-year-old from Maple
Ridge remembered . . .
“I was a Kamloops Blazer for four years,” Bartley said. “That was some of
the best years of my life. But coming to Regina . . . it was a whole new
place . . . I really don’t know how to explain it. It’s what I needed and
it’s worked out for the best for me.”
Bartley was a Kamloops regular until the evening of Jan. 4 when, shortly
after a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans, he learned that he
had been traded to Regina. In a swap of four defencemen, Bartley headed
east, along with Ryan Bender, in exchange for Nick Ross, Spencer Fraipont
and a 2008 fourth-round bantam draft pick.
Bender now is at the U of Regina, while the Blazers released Fraipont over the
summer.
So when the teams meet Friday, 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre, some fans
are sure to be looking at it as the undrafted Bartley versus Ross, 19, a
first-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2007 draft.
Bartley chooses to take the high road and not respond to questions about
what all went on with the Blazers last season, including changes in
ownership and coaches. He prefers to talk about his new life in Regina.
“Life’s been great,” he said. “Last season didn’t quite work out like I
planned. But I ended up with a lot of confidence so that was good. I came
back this season and have played well so far, so things are going good.
“Things have been great. I had a great summer of training and came here in
great shape. And I’m playing a lot of minutes . . . three of us play about
30-35 minutes a game.”
Included in the heavily used trio are Colten Teubert, a first-round
selection of the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL’s 2008 draft, and Matt
Delahey, who was taken in the fourth round by the New Jersey Devils.
Bartley is the Pats’ sixth-leading scorer. He has 19 points, including five
goals, and 41 penalty minutes in 29 games. He also is plus-4.
On top of that, he finds himself as the captain of the oldest major junior
hockey team in Canada.
“Great . . . it’s great,” Bartley said of wearing the ‘C’ for the
tradition-laden Pats. When he was told he was to be captain, he said his
reaction was: “Wow! This is pretty big.”
As for his team, Bartley said fans attending Friday’s game can look for a
“very skilled team.”
“We play a lot offence,” he added. “We jump on everything and take
everything to the net. Our forecheck is one of the main things that gets our
team going every night. We’re a fairly physical team usually all game long.”
The Pats are coming off two 4-1 setbacks — to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on
Saturday and the Broncos in Swift Current on Friday.
They haven’t played in Kamloops since Nov. 22, 2006, when Blazers goaltender
Dustin Butler stopped 11 shots in a 4-0 victory.
“I can’t wait (for Friday’s game),” Bartley said. “I’ve been talkng to my
billets (Lorrie and Gary Franoff) and it’s going to be exciting to see them
and to see a couple of buddies.
“It’s going to be nice to get back to Kamloops. I played there for four
seasons so it’s special place for me.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
A busy, busy Thursday . . .
The Tri-City Americans have signed head coach Don Nachbaur to a one-year contract extension that will take him through 2009-10. Ironically, the Americans made the announcement while Nachbaur was in Swift Current with the WHL team that was playing a touring Russian side in the ADT Challenge. In Nachbaur’s absence, assistant coach Terry Virtue ran the bench in Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . Nachbaur will be back for Friday’s game against the visiting Spokane Chiefs. He goes into that game with 399 WHL coaching victories, 197 of them with the Americans and the remainder with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Nachbaur is the reigning WHL coach of the year after guiding the Americans to the league’s best regular-season record. The Kamloops Blazers actually explored the possibility of hiring him over the summer but weren’t able to get permission to speak with him as he had one year left on his contract.
———
The Kamloops Blazers and Prince Albert Raiders swapped 18-year-old defencemen on Wednesday. Jordan Rowley heads for the Raiders, with Zac Stebner joining the Blazers. The Raiders are hoping that Rowley, the 26th pick in the 2002005 bantam draft, can add some offence to their back end and also spark their power play. The Blazers are looking for some physical play in their zone from Stebner, the 32nd pick in that same draft. He was drafted by the Red Deer Rebels and was sent to the Raiders last season for G David Aime.
———
The WHL whipped a touring Russian side 5-0 in Swift Current on Wednesday night in the fifth game of this season’s ADT Challenge. RW Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats scored a couple of PP goals and set up another for the WHL, which was 4-for-8 with the extra man. “It was fun being on the opposite side,” Eberle told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “They have a good atmosphere here and they love their hockey so it was kind of nice. I know they probably hate me and (Pats defenceman Colten Teubert) a lot but we’re on the right team tonight. They definitely supported us.” . . . Eberle was on a line with Brandon Wheat Kings forwards Matt Calvert and Brayden Schenn. . . . G Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans stopped 16 shots. . . . The WHL’s other goals came from Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Tyler Ennis (Medicine Hat Tigers) and Calvert. D Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds had three assists. . . . The WHL is 12-1 against Russia in this series. This season’s version concludes Thursday night in Prince Albert.
———
The Seattle Thunderbirds are getting closer to moving into their new arena — the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. The Thunderbirds announced Wednesday that single-game tickets for games in the new digs will go on sale Dec. 3. Tickets for games scheduled for Jan. 4 through March 15 will be available off the Thunderbirds’ website on Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Single-game tickets for games scheduled for Dec. 27, 28, 30 and Jan. 3 will go on sale Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. Be aware, however, that a location for the latter four games has yet to be announced. That announcement is anticipated sometime in the next two weeks. . . . Note, too, that single-game ducats will only be available online through Dec. 16. It is expected that the ShoWare Center box office will be open by Dec. 16. The Thunderbirds also will take phone orders after that date. . . . If you’re wondering, single-game tickets prices will remain the same — $22. There also will be single-game family zone tickets ($16 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under) available. . . . A limited number of club seats may be available, at $40 a pop. . . . You can expect a service fee on top of those prices.
———
JUST NOTES: RW Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the Boston Pizza CHL player of the week. He had eight points over three games. . . . The Brandon Sun points out that Wheat Kings D Mark Schneider has scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his WHL career. Brandon acquired Schneider, 18, from the Kamloops Blazers for a draft pick earlier this season. . . . The Sun also reports that former Wheat Kings RW Mark Derlago, 22, has been recalled by the AHL’s Manitoba Moose from the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Derlago has 20 points, including 11 goals, in 12 games with the Condors. . . . Sweden has named its roster for the 2009 World Junior tournament. You can read about it right here.
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Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun has reported that the Edmonton Oilers are scouting out locations for an AHL franchise. They presently run the Springfield Falcons and have a deal with them through 2009-10. Edmonton officials were in Oklahoma City last week. The Oklahoma City Blazers consistently lead the Central league in attendance or is close to the top. Doug Sauter, a veteran of the WHL wars as a player, GM and head coach, runs the Blazers. . . . The Falcons are coached by Jeff Truitt, who moved there from the Kelowna Rockets.
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In Wednesday’s only game, the host Tri-City Americans got two goals from captain Taylor Procyshen as they beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . . Freshman G Drew Owsley stopped 13 shots for the Americans in running his record to 4-0-0-0. . . . The Ams are 10-1-0-0 at home with the Spokane Chiefs coming to town on Friday and the Vancouver Giants on Saturday. . . . Tri-City assistant coach Terry Virtue ran the bench with head coach Don Nachbaur in Swift Current with Team WHL. . . . Procyshen, 20, has 161 career points and is tied for 23rd place on the team’s all-time list, with Darrell Hay, the son of Vancouver head coach Don Hay, and Ken McKay.
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The CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10 for Week 11, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts (team, record, last week, weeks in rankings):
1. Windsor Spitfires (22-2-0-0) 1 11
2. Shawinigan Cataractes (22-4-0-0) 2 8
3. Calgary Hitmen (22-4-1-0) 4 6
4. Vancouver Giants (20-1-0-3) 5 9
5. Moncton Wildcats (19-2-2-1) 3 10
6. London Knights (19-5-0-1) 6 8
7. Brampton Battalion (18-6-0-0) 7 3
8. Drummondville Voltigeurs (19-4-0-2) 9 7
9. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (19-6-1-0) — 7
10. Medicine Hat Tigers (16-7-2-3) — 1
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DYNAMITER UPDATE: OK. We have established that the Kimberley Dynamiters have the greatest nickname in hockey today. For the uninitiated, the Dynamiters are a junior B team that plays in the Kootnenay International Junior Hockey League. . . . The latest news out of the Dynamiters camp has F Sam Mellor, who turned 16 on Nov. 21, having made a commitment to the U of Alaska/Anchorage. He has 14 points, four of them goals, in 21 games. . . . The Dynamiters are 9-11-2 and in fifth place in the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference.
———
If you’re a fan of the Kelowna Rockets, you will want to check out this feature, written by Glen Erickson, that appears on the Hockey’s future website. It’s an interesting look at Kelowna D Tyson Barrie, some of which focuses on the relationship between him and his father, Len, who owns a chunk of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Erickson’s story is right here.
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The Kamloops Blazers and Prince Albert Raiders swapped 18-year-old defencemen on Wednesday. Jordan Rowley heads for the Raiders, with Zac Stebner joining the Blazers. The Raiders are hoping that Rowley, the 26th pick in the 2002005 bantam draft, can add some offence to their back end and also spark their power play. The Blazers are looking for some physical play in their zone from Stebner, the 32nd pick in that same draft. He was drafted by the Red Deer Rebels and was sent to the Raiders last season for G David Aime.
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The WHL whipped a touring Russian side 5-0 in Swift Current on Wednesday night in the fifth game of this season’s ADT Challenge. RW Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats scored a couple of PP goals and set up another for the WHL, which was 4-for-8 with the extra man. “It was fun being on the opposite side,” Eberle told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “They have a good atmosphere here and they love their hockey so it was kind of nice. I know they probably hate me and (Pats defenceman Colten Teubert) a lot but we’re on the right team tonight. They definitely supported us.” . . . Eberle was on a line with Brandon Wheat Kings forwards Matt Calvert and Brayden Schenn. . . . G Chet Pickard of the Tri-City Americans stopped 16 shots. . . . The WHL’s other goals came from Zach Boychuk (Lethbridge Hurricanes), Tyler Ennis (Medicine Hat Tigers) and Calvert. D Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds had three assists. . . . The WHL is 12-1 against Russia in this series. This season’s version concludes Thursday night in Prince Albert.
———
The Seattle Thunderbirds are getting closer to moving into their new arena — the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash. The Thunderbirds announced Wednesday that single-game tickets for games in the new digs will go on sale Dec. 3. Tickets for games scheduled for Jan. 4 through March 15 will be available off the Thunderbirds’ website on Dec. 3 at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Single-game tickets for games scheduled for Dec. 27, 28, 30 and Jan. 3 will go on sale Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. Be aware, however, that a location for the latter four games has yet to be announced. That announcement is anticipated sometime in the next two weeks. . . . Note, too, that single-game ducats will only be available online through Dec. 16. It is expected that the ShoWare Center box office will be open by Dec. 16. The Thunderbirds also will take phone orders after that date. . . . If you’re wondering, single-game tickets prices will remain the same — $22. There also will be single-game family zone tickets ($16 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under) available. . . . A limited number of club seats may be available, at $40 a pop. . . . You can expect a service fee on top of those prices.
———
JUST NOTES: RW Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the Boston Pizza CHL player of the week. He had eight points over three games. . . . The Brandon Sun points out that Wheat Kings D Mark Schneider has scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his WHL career. Brandon acquired Schneider, 18, from the Kamloops Blazers for a draft pick earlier this season. . . . The Sun also reports that former Wheat Kings RW Mark Derlago, 22, has been recalled by the AHL’s Manitoba Moose from the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Derlago has 20 points, including 11 goals, in 12 games with the Condors. . . . Sweden has named its roster for the 2009 World Junior tournament. You can read about it right here.
———
Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun has reported that the Edmonton Oilers are scouting out locations for an AHL franchise. They presently run the Springfield Falcons and have a deal with them through 2009-10. Edmonton officials were in Oklahoma City last week. The Oklahoma City Blazers consistently lead the Central league in attendance or is close to the top. Doug Sauter, a veteran of the WHL wars as a player, GM and head coach, runs the Blazers. . . . The Falcons are coached by Jeff Truitt, who moved there from the Kelowna Rockets.
———
In Wednesday’s only game, the host Tri-City Americans got two goals from captain Taylor Procyshen as they beat the Everett Silvertips, 2-1. . . . Freshman G Drew Owsley stopped 13 shots for the Americans in running his record to 4-0-0-0. . . . The Ams are 10-1-0-0 at home with the Spokane Chiefs coming to town on Friday and the Vancouver Giants on Saturday. . . . Tri-City assistant coach Terry Virtue ran the bench with head coach Don Nachbaur in Swift Current with Team WHL. . . . Procyshen, 20, has 161 career points and is tied for 23rd place on the team’s all-time list, with Darrell Hay, the son of Vancouver head coach Don Hay, and Ken McKay.
———
The CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10 for Week 11, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts (team, record, last week, weeks in rankings):
1. Windsor Spitfires (22-2-0-0) 1 11
2. Shawinigan Cataractes (22-4-0-0) 2 8
3. Calgary Hitmen (22-4-1-0) 4 6
4. Vancouver Giants (20-1-0-3) 5 9
5. Moncton Wildcats (19-2-2-1) 3 10
6. London Knights (19-5-0-1) 6 8
7. Brampton Battalion (18-6-0-0) 7 3
8. Drummondville Voltigeurs (19-4-0-2) 9 7
9. Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (19-6-1-0) — 7
10. Medicine Hat Tigers (16-7-2-3) — 1
———
DYNAMITER UPDATE: OK. We have established that the Kimberley Dynamiters have the greatest nickname in hockey today. For the uninitiated, the Dynamiters are a junior B team that plays in the Kootnenay International Junior Hockey League. . . . The latest news out of the Dynamiters camp has F Sam Mellor, who turned 16 on Nov. 21, having made a commitment to the U of Alaska/Anchorage. He has 14 points, four of them goals, in 21 games. . . . The Dynamiters are 9-11-2 and in fifth place in the Eddie Mountain Division of the Kootenay Conference.
———
If you’re a fan of the Kelowna Rockets, you will want to check out this feature, written by Glen Erickson, that appears on the Hockey’s future website. It’s an interesting look at Kelowna D Tyson Barrie, some of which focuses on the relationship between him and his father, Len, who owns a chunk of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Erickson’s story is right here.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Gwilliam's season comes to an end
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Malcolm Gwilliam’s U.S. college hockey season is over.
Gwilliam, a 23-year-old product of Kamloops minor hockey, was hospitalized in Minneapolis on Nov. 16 when he took ill in the Michigan Tech Huskies’ locker room prior to a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He has since been released from hospital and is scheduled to travel back to Houghton, Mich., the home of the Huskies, sometime today.
The nature of his illness hasn’t been disclosed.
“Malcolm will make a full recovery and will be able to play again in the future,” Michigan Tech head coach Jamie Russell, who is from Kamloops, told The Daily News in an email on Wednesday. “He is done for this season.
“Malcolm had a medical issue unrelated to any hockey injury, at the rink prior to our game. He went to the hospital and remained there when the team traveled back to Michigan.”
The Gophers went on to win the game, 3-0, one day after the teams had played to a 2-2 tie. Gwilliam had taken a regular shift in the Nov. 15 game.
Gwilliam, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior right-winger, couldn’t be reached for comment. His parents, Deborah and Terry, who live in Campbell River, were in Minneapolis to watch the two games.
Gwilliam was born in Campbell River but moved to Kamloops with his family in 1992. His parents have since moved back to Campbell River.
He played all of his minor hockey in Kamloops, finishing with the bantam AAA Jardine’s Blazers. He went on to play for the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles and Grande Prairie Storm before going to Michigan Tech.
“It was a scary situation and a huge blow to our team as Malcolm is our first-line (right winger) and plays on our top (power-play) unit and kills penalties,” Russell said. “We are all elated he is going to be OK.”
After the Nov. 16 game, a team spokesman told the Minneapolis StarTribune that Gwilliam’s medical problem was serious, but that it wasn’t life-threatening, nor was it hockey-related.
Gwilliam is in his fifth season at Michigan Tech and already had received NCAA clearance to play one more season. That came after his sophomore season was ended by injury before it even started.
He played in 32 games as a freshman (2004-05), sat out 2005-06, was one of five players to get in all 40 games in 2006-07 and played in 36 games last season.
Russell said that with this season-ending illness “we can appeal to get Malcolm a sixth year of eligibility due to ‘special circumstances.’ We have not discussed this option yet with Malcolm but it is a possibility.”
The Huskies, who play out of Houghton, Mich., are on the road at Bemidji State on Friday and Saturday nights. Michigan Tech has played eight of its first 12 games on the road, where it is 1-6-1. Overall, the Huskies are 2-9-1; they are 1-8-1 within the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Prior to two games against the visiting Minnesota State Mavericks last weekend, the Huskies put Gwilliam’s number (9) on their helmets.
Gwilliam, a graduate of Sa-Hali Secondary, had six points, including two goals, in nine games.
A business administration major whom Russell said is a “very good student,” Gwilliam could begin work on his MBA in the spring.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Daily News Sports Editor
Malcolm Gwilliam’s U.S. college hockey season is over.
Gwilliam, a 23-year-old product of Kamloops minor hockey, was hospitalized in Minneapolis on Nov. 16 when he took ill in the Michigan Tech Huskies’ locker room prior to a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
He has since been released from hospital and is scheduled to travel back to Houghton, Mich., the home of the Huskies, sometime today.
The nature of his illness hasn’t been disclosed.
“Malcolm will make a full recovery and will be able to play again in the future,” Michigan Tech head coach Jamie Russell, who is from Kamloops, told The Daily News in an email on Wednesday. “He is done for this season.
“Malcolm had a medical issue unrelated to any hockey injury, at the rink prior to our game. He went to the hospital and remained there when the team traveled back to Michigan.”
The Gophers went on to win the game, 3-0, one day after the teams had played to a 2-2 tie. Gwilliam had taken a regular shift in the Nov. 15 game.
Gwilliam, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior right-winger, couldn’t be reached for comment. His parents, Deborah and Terry, who live in Campbell River, were in Minneapolis to watch the two games.
Gwilliam was born in Campbell River but moved to Kamloops with his family in 1992. His parents have since moved back to Campbell River.
He played all of his minor hockey in Kamloops, finishing with the bantam AAA Jardine’s Blazers. He went on to play for the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles and Grande Prairie Storm before going to Michigan Tech.
“It was a scary situation and a huge blow to our team as Malcolm is our first-line (right winger) and plays on our top (power-play) unit and kills penalties,” Russell said. “We are all elated he is going to be OK.”
After the Nov. 16 game, a team spokesman told the Minneapolis StarTribune that Gwilliam’s medical problem was serious, but that it wasn’t life-threatening, nor was it hockey-related.
Gwilliam is in his fifth season at Michigan Tech and already had received NCAA clearance to play one more season. That came after his sophomore season was ended by injury before it even started.
He played in 32 games as a freshman (2004-05), sat out 2005-06, was one of five players to get in all 40 games in 2006-07 and played in 36 games last season.
Russell said that with this season-ending illness “we can appeal to get Malcolm a sixth year of eligibility due to ‘special circumstances.’ We have not discussed this option yet with Malcolm but it is a possibility.”
The Huskies, who play out of Houghton, Mich., are on the road at Bemidji State on Friday and Saturday nights. Michigan Tech has played eight of its first 12 games on the road, where it is 1-6-1. Overall, the Huskies are 2-9-1; they are 1-8-1 within the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Prior to two games against the visiting Minnesota State Mavericks last weekend, the Huskies put Gwilliam’s number (9) on their helmets.
Gwilliam, a graduate of Sa-Hali Secondary, had six points, including two goals, in nine games.
A business administration major whom Russell said is a “very good student,” Gwilliam could begin work on his MBA in the spring.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday's stuff . . .
THE MacBETH REPORT: F Tomas Oravec (Kelowna) has been released by Zaglebie Sosnowiec (Poland). He was pointless in 13 games for them this season.
———
Dave Sheldon, who works in the Vancouver Giants’ front office and also calls their games on AM650, has forwarded a link to five interviews he did last week. It was part of the Stanley Cup Legends promotion the Giants held for Friday night’s game. Included are interviews with . . .
Dave Schultz: Spoke of his toughest fights and also the impact of
Philadelphia being the first 'expansion' team to win the Stanley Cup;
Johnny Bower: Great story about the genesis of the poke check;
Steve Shutt: Shared his story about how the Habs knocked off the Flyers for the Stanley Cup . . . in preseason;
Gerry Cheevers: Tells us about the beginning of stitches on the mask and
also why the Bruins never beat the Habs when it counted; and,
Yvan Cournoyer: Tells us that the 10 Stanley Cups were great . . . but that there was something in his career that was better.
Check it all out right here.
———
JUST NOTES: A couple of players and a head coach will be missing Wednesday night when the Everett Silvertips meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. The Americans will be without head coach Don Nachbaur and G Chet Pickard, both of whom will be with the WHL team taking part in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, as will LW Kyle Beach of Everett. The fifth game in the six-game series takes place Wednesday in Swift Current with Game 6 in Prince Albert on Thursday. . . . With Pickard gone, the Americans are expected to start freshman Drew Owsley in goal. He is 3-0-0-0 with a 2.80 GAA and a .883 save percentage. . . . With Vancouver Giants LW Evander Kane (bruised heel) unable to play for the WHL on Wednesday, Calgary Hitmen F Brandon Kozun will slide into the lineup. Kozun was named to the original WHL team was only to have played in the game in Prince Albert. . . . Portland F Tayler Jordan will sit out the Winter Hawks’ next three games. He drew a two-game suspension for a gross misconduct he incurred at Seattle on Saturday, and got one game for a cross-checking major and game misconduct in the same outing. . . . In case you missed it, veteran F Claude Lemieux has signed with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and is to report to their AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass. Lemieux, as readers of this blog were the first to learn, had been with the Asia league’s China Sharks.
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Hey, you have to love the North Iowa Outlaws of the North American Hockey League. They will be at home to the Owatonna Express on Wednesday and have decided that this will be a special night for one turkey. Here’s the press release:
“Mason City, Iowa — As millions of Americans from coast to coast load up on white and dark meat this week, the North Iowa Outlaws will be making sure one bird doesn't find its way onto a carving station. During the first intermission of the Outlaws' home game on Wednesday night, one lucky bird will be receiving an official pardon for the holiday season.
"We figured that since the president pardons a turkey each year, Outlaws' Nation needs to pardon its own turkey as well" said Outlaws' general manager Steve Strasheim.
With Outlaws' Nation leader Doc Hockeyday presiding over the festivities, the turkey will be guaranteed not to be eaten during this Thanksgiving or the upcoming December celebrations, during the brief ceremony held during the game.”
Hey, is that special, or what?
Now here’s hoping that the game doesn’t turn into a turkey.
———
For anyone following the venture back into baseball being made by the owners of the Regina Pats, you should know that their baseball team — the Victoria Seals — has a field manager and director of player personnel.
Seals owners Russ and Darren Parker, who are father and son, have revealed that former major leaguer Darrell Evans will fill both roles for the Golden Baseball League team.
———
And, finally, there’s more from the Moose Jaw Times-Herald on the situation regarding that city’s multiplex — to build or not to build. . . . You can read the story from Monday’s city council meeting right here. . . . .But also make sure you read the comments after the story.
How can you not enjoy reading comments when “June from Sask” writes: Uh, JayJay? Learn how to use an apostrophe; and Spell Check. If this were eating, you'd be slobbering. Sorry; it's just the latent proof reader in me coming out. I'm part of the vast majority and I DON'T want it downtown.
———
Dave Sheldon, who works in the Vancouver Giants’ front office and also calls their games on AM650, has forwarded a link to five interviews he did last week. It was part of the Stanley Cup Legends promotion the Giants held for Friday night’s game. Included are interviews with . . .
Dave Schultz: Spoke of his toughest fights and also the impact of
Philadelphia being the first 'expansion' team to win the Stanley Cup;
Johnny Bower: Great story about the genesis of the poke check;
Steve Shutt: Shared his story about how the Habs knocked off the Flyers for the Stanley Cup . . . in preseason;
Gerry Cheevers: Tells us about the beginning of stitches on the mask and
also why the Bruins never beat the Habs when it counted; and,
Yvan Cournoyer: Tells us that the 10 Stanley Cups were great . . . but that there was something in his career that was better.
Check it all out right here.
———
JUST NOTES: A couple of players and a head coach will be missing Wednesday night when the Everett Silvertips meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. The Americans will be without head coach Don Nachbaur and G Chet Pickard, both of whom will be with the WHL team taking part in the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, as will LW Kyle Beach of Everett. The fifth game in the six-game series takes place Wednesday in Swift Current with Game 6 in Prince Albert on Thursday. . . . With Pickard gone, the Americans are expected to start freshman Drew Owsley in goal. He is 3-0-0-0 with a 2.80 GAA and a .883 save percentage. . . . With Vancouver Giants LW Evander Kane (bruised heel) unable to play for the WHL on Wednesday, Calgary Hitmen F Brandon Kozun will slide into the lineup. Kozun was named to the original WHL team was only to have played in the game in Prince Albert. . . . Portland F Tayler Jordan will sit out the Winter Hawks’ next three games. He drew a two-game suspension for a gross misconduct he incurred at Seattle on Saturday, and got one game for a cross-checking major and game misconduct in the same outing. . . . In case you missed it, veteran F Claude Lemieux has signed with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and is to report to their AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass. Lemieux, as readers of this blog were the first to learn, had been with the Asia league’s China Sharks.
———
Hey, you have to love the North Iowa Outlaws of the North American Hockey League. They will be at home to the Owatonna Express on Wednesday and have decided that this will be a special night for one turkey. Here’s the press release:
“Mason City, Iowa — As millions of Americans from coast to coast load up on white and dark meat this week, the North Iowa Outlaws will be making sure one bird doesn't find its way onto a carving station. During the first intermission of the Outlaws' home game on Wednesday night, one lucky bird will be receiving an official pardon for the holiday season.
"We figured that since the president pardons a turkey each year, Outlaws' Nation needs to pardon its own turkey as well" said Outlaws' general manager Steve Strasheim.
With Outlaws' Nation leader Doc Hockeyday presiding over the festivities, the turkey will be guaranteed not to be eaten during this Thanksgiving or the upcoming December celebrations, during the brief ceremony held during the game.”
Hey, is that special, or what?
Now here’s hoping that the game doesn’t turn into a turkey.
———
For anyone following the venture back into baseball being made by the owners of the Regina Pats, you should know that their baseball team — the Victoria Seals — has a field manager and director of player personnel.
Seals owners Russ and Darren Parker, who are father and son, have revealed that former major leaguer Darrell Evans will fill both roles for the Golden Baseball League team.
———
And, finally, there’s more from the Moose Jaw Times-Herald on the situation regarding that city’s multiplex — to build or not to build. . . . You can read the story from Monday’s city council meeting right here. . . . .But also make sure you read the comments after the story.
How can you not enjoy reading comments when “June from Sask” writes: Uh, JayJay? Learn how to use an apostrophe; and Spell Check. If this were eating, you'd be slobbering. Sorry; it's just the latent proof reader in me coming out. I'm part of the vast majority and I DON'T want it downtown.
Monday . . .
Annika Sorenstam concluded her wonderful career on the LPGA Tour on Friday when she missed the cut at the ADT Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla.
As one of the greatest golfers in history, Sorenstam should have been greeted with applause and accolades. Instead, she was given a tin cup – or whatever the drug testers hand you – and told to fill it.
Despite the fact, she had been tested two weeks earlier, Sorenstam, following the final round of her professional career, was tested again.
Her name, apparently, had been randomly selected and, as LPGA general counsel Jill Pilgrim put it: “We followed our protocol. Nobody is treated differently or special.”
Well, there are times when protocol should be ignored. That was one of those times.
Another one of those times involves the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge that moves into Swift Current on Wednesday and Prince Albert on Thursday. A team of WHL players will meet a touring Russian side in both venues as the visitors conclude their six-game visit.
Unfortunately, followers of the Broncos and Raiders, who are being asked to fork over hard-earned dollars for these games, won’t get to watch any of their favourites play against the Russians.
Officials from Hockey Canada, the CHL and the WHL will tell you, as it says in a press release posted on the WHL website, that “the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge is an important part of the selection process” for the national junior team. Which it may well be.
But that doesn’t excuse the WHL’s powers-that-be for what is a monumental error. If the league is going to ask two of its cities to play host to these games every year, then fans who are being asked to purchase tickets should be guaranteed, in return, that they will be able to watch one or two of their favourite players.
There is no reason why, for example, D Eric Doyle of the Broncos shouldn’t play Wednesday in Swift Current, or why LW Dustin Cameron or G Steven Stanford of the Raiders shouldn’t be on the ice Thursday in Prince Albert. It is absolutely shameful that the local teams won’t be represented in the WHL team’s lineup. And, no, such players shouldn’t be added as injury replacements – they should have been on the original roster.
The Russians played Monday night in St. Catharines, Ont., where the Niagara IceDogs were represented by D Alex Pietrangelo and F Andrew Agozzino.
The tour opened in Sydney, N.S., where the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had three players in the QMJHL team’s lineup – G Olivier Roy, D Mathieu Brodeur and F Nick MacNeil.
When the tour moved to Saint John, N.B., the Sea Dogs were represented by D Alex Grant, D Yann Sauve, D Simon Despres and F Steven Anthony.
And when it stopped in Guelph, the OHL’s Storm had F Peter Holland F Anthony Nigro in the OHL team’s lineup.
Only fans in Swift Current and Prince Albert won’t get to watch any of their favourites.
This simply is one more time when protocol should have been ignored.
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F Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants won’t play in the ADT Challenge games, despite having been named to the WHL team. But he hopes to return from a heel injury and play Friday against the host Chilliwack Bruins. Kane, who has missed three games, was the WHL’s leading scorer when he went out with a bruised heel. . . . D Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds will captain the WHL team that is to play a touring Russian side in the last two games of the 2008 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. Alternates will be F Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, F Tyler Ennis of the Medicine Hat Tigers and F Dana Tyrell of the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mikhail Fisenko of the Vancouver Giants will play for the Russian team in both those games. Fisenko, 18, is in his first WHL season. He is from Magnitogorsk and has 11 points in 22 games with Vancouver.
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Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress is reporting that Bruins forward Jadon Potter, who was injured Friday when he crashed headfirst into the endboards, has “damage to his sixth and seventh veterbrae and that means a return to the ice is not a 100 per cent sure thing.” . . . Potter was injured during a 2-0 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . “It’s going to be a long and slow healing process,” Bruins GM Darrell May told Welsh. “I’ve been told he’ll be wearing a neck brace for eight weeks. Any damage to the neck and that area is very serious. It’s certainly as bad as we’ve seen around here.”
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JUST NOTES: F Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the Boston Pizza WHL player of the week. He had eight points, six of them goals, as the Wheaties went 2-0-0-1 last week. . . . Ryan Holfeld of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the WHL nominee as the CHL’s ADT goaltender of the week. He had a 1.00 GAA and a .970 save percentage in going 2-0-0-0 last week. . . The Wheat Kings should have D Colby Robak (shoulder) back for a three-game road swing that opens against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge on Friday. He has missed four games. . . . Brandon F Jesse Hall (knee) has missed three weeks but is close to returning. . . . D Scott Gabriel, 20, who was claimed by Regina off waivers from the Portland Winter Hawks last week, has told Pats GM Brent Parker that he won’t report. Gabriel wants to finish his junior career with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Gabriel is from Edmonton. . . . The Prince George Cougars have released F Colby Kulhanek, 19. He had 11 points and 48 penalty minutes in 27 games with the Cougars. Kulhanek, who is from Port Coquitlam, B.C., also has played with the Chilliwack Bruins and Red Deer Rebels. . . . The QMJHL has suspended F Frederick Roy of the Quebec Remparts for 15 games after he cross-checked an opponent in the face during a game against the Montreal Juniors on Friday. That includes a one-game automatic suspension for the game misconduct that accompanies the cross-checking major. According to a QMJHL press release: “This gesture took place after a stoppage in play, hits were exchanged with a final blow going to the face of the opposing player. The decision was rendered after reviewing the videotape of the incident and consulting all concerned parties.” And, yes, Frederick is one of Patrick Roy’s sons, which means he is the brother to Jonathan, the Remparts goaltender who drew a seven-game suspension for his part in a one-sided fight last season. And, yes, the latest Roy shenanigans are available on YouTube. Check it out right here.
As one of the greatest golfers in history, Sorenstam should have been greeted with applause and accolades. Instead, she was given a tin cup – or whatever the drug testers hand you – and told to fill it.
Despite the fact, she had been tested two weeks earlier, Sorenstam, following the final round of her professional career, was tested again.
Her name, apparently, had been randomly selected and, as LPGA general counsel Jill Pilgrim put it: “We followed our protocol. Nobody is treated differently or special.”
Well, there are times when protocol should be ignored. That was one of those times.
Another one of those times involves the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge that moves into Swift Current on Wednesday and Prince Albert on Thursday. A team of WHL players will meet a touring Russian side in both venues as the visitors conclude their six-game visit.
Unfortunately, followers of the Broncos and Raiders, who are being asked to fork over hard-earned dollars for these games, won’t get to watch any of their favourites play against the Russians.
Officials from Hockey Canada, the CHL and the WHL will tell you, as it says in a press release posted on the WHL website, that “the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge is an important part of the selection process” for the national junior team. Which it may well be.
But that doesn’t excuse the WHL’s powers-that-be for what is a monumental error. If the league is going to ask two of its cities to play host to these games every year, then fans who are being asked to purchase tickets should be guaranteed, in return, that they will be able to watch one or two of their favourite players.
There is no reason why, for example, D Eric Doyle of the Broncos shouldn’t play Wednesday in Swift Current, or why LW Dustin Cameron or G Steven Stanford of the Raiders shouldn’t be on the ice Thursday in Prince Albert. It is absolutely shameful that the local teams won’t be represented in the WHL team’s lineup. And, no, such players shouldn’t be added as injury replacements – they should have been on the original roster.
The Russians played Monday night in St. Catharines, Ont., where the Niagara IceDogs were represented by D Alex Pietrangelo and F Andrew Agozzino.
The tour opened in Sydney, N.S., where the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had three players in the QMJHL team’s lineup – G Olivier Roy, D Mathieu Brodeur and F Nick MacNeil.
When the tour moved to Saint John, N.B., the Sea Dogs were represented by D Alex Grant, D Yann Sauve, D Simon Despres and F Steven Anthony.
And when it stopped in Guelph, the OHL’s Storm had F Peter Holland F Anthony Nigro in the OHL team’s lineup.
Only fans in Swift Current and Prince Albert won’t get to watch any of their favourites.
This simply is one more time when protocol should have been ignored.
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F Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants won’t play in the ADT Challenge games, despite having been named to the WHL team. But he hopes to return from a heel injury and play Friday against the host Chilliwack Bruins. Kane, who has missed three games, was the WHL’s leading scorer when he went out with a bruised heel. . . . D Thomas Hickey of the Seattle Thunderbirds will captain the WHL team that is to play a touring Russian side in the last two games of the 2008 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. Alternates will be F Zach Boychuk of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, F Tyler Ennis of the Medicine Hat Tigers and F Dana Tyrell of the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mikhail Fisenko of the Vancouver Giants will play for the Russian team in both those games. Fisenko, 18, is in his first WHL season. He is from Magnitogorsk and has 11 points in 22 games with Vancouver.
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Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress is reporting that Bruins forward Jadon Potter, who was injured Friday when he crashed headfirst into the endboards, has “damage to his sixth and seventh veterbrae and that means a return to the ice is not a 100 per cent sure thing.” . . . Potter was injured during a 2-0 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . “It’s going to be a long and slow healing process,” Bruins GM Darrell May told Welsh. “I’ve been told he’ll be wearing a neck brace for eight weeks. Any damage to the neck and that area is very serious. It’s certainly as bad as we’ve seen around here.”
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JUST NOTES: F Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the Boston Pizza WHL player of the week. He had eight points, six of them goals, as the Wheaties went 2-0-0-1 last week. . . . Ryan Holfeld of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the WHL nominee as the CHL’s ADT goaltender of the week. He had a 1.00 GAA and a .970 save percentage in going 2-0-0-0 last week. . . The Wheat Kings should have D Colby Robak (shoulder) back for a three-game road swing that opens against the Hurricanes in Lethbridge on Friday. He has missed four games. . . . Brandon F Jesse Hall (knee) has missed three weeks but is close to returning. . . . D Scott Gabriel, 20, who was claimed by Regina off waivers from the Portland Winter Hawks last week, has told Pats GM Brent Parker that he won’t report. Gabriel wants to finish his junior career with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Gabriel is from Edmonton. . . . The Prince George Cougars have released F Colby Kulhanek, 19. He had 11 points and 48 penalty minutes in 27 games with the Cougars. Kulhanek, who is from Port Coquitlam, B.C., also has played with the Chilliwack Bruins and Red Deer Rebels. . . . The QMJHL has suspended F Frederick Roy of the Quebec Remparts for 15 games after he cross-checked an opponent in the face during a game against the Montreal Juniors on Friday. That includes a one-game automatic suspension for the game misconduct that accompanies the cross-checking major. According to a QMJHL press release: “This gesture took place after a stoppage in play, hits were exchanged with a final blow going to the face of the opposing player. The decision was rendered after reviewing the videotape of the incident and consulting all concerned parties.” And, yes, Frederick is one of Patrick Roy’s sons, which means he is the brother to Jonathan, the Remparts goaltender who drew a seven-game suspension for his part in a one-sided fight last season. And, yes, the latest Roy shenanigans are available on YouTube. Check it out right here.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday . . . and Saturday leftovers
Marc Weber of the Vancouver Province is reporting that F Jadon Potter, the Chilliwack Bruins’ leading scorer, “will spend the next two months in a solid neck brace.” Potter was injured Friday night during a 2-0 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans. Potter dove in an attempt to make a defensive lay and ended up sliding hard into the end boards. The game was delayed about 30 minutes while medical staff tended to Potter on the ice. He was placed on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to Chilliwack General Hospital, before being transferred to Vancouver General Hospital at about 1 a.m. He had an MRI there, was fitted with a brace and released from hospital on Saturday night. The Bruins have yet to release an injury update. “It’s a neck injury, so obviously it’s serious,” Bruins GM Darrell May told Weber. “But, considering the severity of the incident, this is a good outcome. He’ll have to wear a neck brace for six to eight weeks and he’ll have more tests during that time.”
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JUST NOTES: Chet Pickard became the winningest goaltender in Tri-City Americans history on Friday when he blanked the Bruins 2-0 in Chilliwack. That was his 84th regular-season victory, one more than Carey Price. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick scored his first WHL hat trick on Saturday as the Americans whipped the host Everett Silvertips, 7-2. That halted Everett’s four-game winning streak. Tri-City scored the game’s last five goals. . . . In Saskatoon on Saturday, Brandon F Scott Glennie scored three times, getting the third one 12 seconds into OT, as the Wheat Kings dumped the Blades, 5-4. Glennie has two streaks going – he has points in six straight and goals in four straight. . . . Brandon, which picked up five of a possible six points in its last three games, will play eight of its next nine games on the road. . . . Seattle LW Prab Rai turned 19 on Saturday and celebrated by scoring twice and setting up three other goals as the Thunderbirds dumped the visiting Portland Winter Hawks, 6-1. Rai has a team-high 29 points, including 16 goals. . . . The WHL didn’t schedule any games on Sunday, giving everyone the opportunity to watch the Grey Cup game, the Canadian Football League’s championship final. And the WHL also has just one midweek game scheduled – Everett at Tri-City on Wednesday – as it makes way for the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge games. A touring Russian side will play a team of WHL players on Wednesday in Swift Current and on Thursday in Prince Albert. . . . G Adam Brown, 17, picked up two weekend victories as the Kelowna Rockets swept a doubleheader from the Cougars in Prince George. Brown went the distance in both games after veteran G Kris Lazaruk, 20, suffered a knee injury in the Friday morning skate. The Rockets dressed a couple of Prince George area goaltenders – Marcus Beasley and Tim Zwiers – as backups to Brown.
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JUST NOTES: Chet Pickard became the winningest goaltender in Tri-City Americans history on Friday when he blanked the Bruins 2-0 in Chilliwack. That was his 84th regular-season victory, one more than Carey Price. . . . Tri-City F Kruise Reddick scored his first WHL hat trick on Saturday as the Americans whipped the host Everett Silvertips, 7-2. That halted Everett’s four-game winning streak. Tri-City scored the game’s last five goals. . . . In Saskatoon on Saturday, Brandon F Scott Glennie scored three times, getting the third one 12 seconds into OT, as the Wheat Kings dumped the Blades, 5-4. Glennie has two streaks going – he has points in six straight and goals in four straight. . . . Brandon, which picked up five of a possible six points in its last three games, will play eight of its next nine games on the road. . . . Seattle LW Prab Rai turned 19 on Saturday and celebrated by scoring twice and setting up three other goals as the Thunderbirds dumped the visiting Portland Winter Hawks, 6-1. Rai has a team-high 29 points, including 16 goals. . . . The WHL didn’t schedule any games on Sunday, giving everyone the opportunity to watch the Grey Cup game, the Canadian Football League’s championship final. And the WHL also has just one midweek game scheduled – Everett at Tri-City on Wednesday – as it makes way for the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge games. A touring Russian side will play a team of WHL players on Wednesday in Swift Current and on Thursday in Prince Albert. . . . G Adam Brown, 17, picked up two weekend victories as the Kelowna Rockets swept a doubleheader from the Cougars in Prince George. Brown went the distance in both games after veteran G Kris Lazaruk, 20, suffered a knee injury in the Friday morning skate. The Rockets dressed a couple of Prince George area goaltenders – Marcus Beasley and Tim Zwiers – as backups to Brown.
A guest column . . .
This column by Sports Editor Jim Swanson appears in Monday's Prince George Citizen . . .
PRINCE GEORGE — Now is not the time to change the head coach.
No longer quiet whispers around CN Centre, this weekend brought openly stated questions of when the Prince George Cougars would make a change behind the bench.
From those involved with the visiting team, to media and off-ice officials, that option was the topic of debate. There was even a hint from the fans with a “we want a coach” chant starting up on Friday, the first of back-to-back losses to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
But it’s not the time. It’s not the right move.
For starters, a blunt assessment — with the level of talent on this club, and the age and experience discrepancy among that talent, this team isn’t a contender. Too many mistakes have been made in the drafting and recruiting process, forcing general manager Dallas Thompson into stop-gap trading.
A little secret about the WHL — with rare exceptions, players acquired in trades should never be viewed as saviours. Instead, think of the reasons the bandages were available — because they were deemed expendable by other WHL clubs, who had evaluated their play and saw deficiencies.
Break things down with the back end — a good starting point because the Cougars are second-last in goals allowed.
Goaltender Kevin Armstrong is making his third WHL stop, and Joe Caligiuri was cut by Brandon this year. Cameron Cepek and Dallas Jackson, the top two defencemen on the team, are both with their third WHL clubs, and that’s not an accident. Cody Hobbs was destined for demotion to Tier 2 last year, about to be cut by the Chilliwack Bruins, when the Cougars offered up a seventh-round bantam pick. Colin Scherger was unlisted and a walk-on at camp.
It’s time for this team’s scouting staff, and those making decisions at the draft table, to finally answer for their work. Of the players chosen in 2004 and 2005, making them 18- and 19-year-olds at this point, an important age for a junior hockey team, only one is with the Cats — captain Dana Tyrell.
There is no other word for that productivity — FAILURE. Clearly, changes are needed.
So, evidence presented, are the coaches to blame? They share in it, but they are far from the root of the problem.
The main reason the Cougars should not make the coaching move now is because a statement has to be made to stop the cycle of reactionary, rather than visionary, decisions.
With the exception of the hiring of Stan Butler as head coach, the Cougars have always filled that position under duress. And the results have been predictable.
Dale Marquette — named interim head coach when Doug Hobson was fired. Ed Dempsey — granted the job almost by default when Butler resigned late in the 1997 off-season. Lane Lambert — lured away from Moose Jaw in October of 2003 when Dempsey’s much-too-long tenure was finally capped.
Mike Vandekamp — an eager late-summer fill-in when the relationship soured between the Cougars and Lambert. Drew Schoneck — air-lifted by his long-time friend Thompson when a combination of losing and poor off-ice choices forced the team to clean out the coaching offices.
Aside from Butler, who was hired the right way, only one of those coaches has gone on to better things. Lambert, whose time here will be remembered for the ongoing battles with star player Dustin Byfuglien, is a head coach in the American Hockey League, and no one in hockey will be surprised if he lands on an NHL bench.
All these factors have caused the Cougars to come up short in the hiring practice. When you conduct a search in October or November, the stack of resumes is rather short. Do the job search in April and May, and there’s a far better chance the right candidate will come along.
I don’t think anyone expects Schoneck to be back next season. What happens to him and assistant Wade Klippenstein, with both in the final years of their contracts — it’s not hard to come up with a theory. Schoneck is set free, while Klippenstein’s scouting skills are put to good use; he’s a former head scout, and did good work in that area for the Moose Jaw Warriors. That clears the deck to put a whole new coaching staff in place well before the 2009 training camp commences.
For the franchise to force its way into the coach-search marketplace right now is only going to revive the same history that has chopped this franchise off at the knees for more than a decade.
As painful as it very well could be for the next four months, this crippled patient requires patience. Finally, patience.
PRINCE GEORGE — Now is not the time to change the head coach.
No longer quiet whispers around CN Centre, this weekend brought openly stated questions of when the Prince George Cougars would make a change behind the bench.
From those involved with the visiting team, to media and off-ice officials, that option was the topic of debate. There was even a hint from the fans with a “we want a coach” chant starting up on Friday, the first of back-to-back losses to the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
But it’s not the time. It’s not the right move.
For starters, a blunt assessment — with the level of talent on this club, and the age and experience discrepancy among that talent, this team isn’t a contender. Too many mistakes have been made in the drafting and recruiting process, forcing general manager Dallas Thompson into stop-gap trading.
A little secret about the WHL — with rare exceptions, players acquired in trades should never be viewed as saviours. Instead, think of the reasons the bandages were available — because they were deemed expendable by other WHL clubs, who had evaluated their play and saw deficiencies.
Break things down with the back end — a good starting point because the Cougars are second-last in goals allowed.
Goaltender Kevin Armstrong is making his third WHL stop, and Joe Caligiuri was cut by Brandon this year. Cameron Cepek and Dallas Jackson, the top two defencemen on the team, are both with their third WHL clubs, and that’s not an accident. Cody Hobbs was destined for demotion to Tier 2 last year, about to be cut by the Chilliwack Bruins, when the Cougars offered up a seventh-round bantam pick. Colin Scherger was unlisted and a walk-on at camp.
It’s time for this team’s scouting staff, and those making decisions at the draft table, to finally answer for their work. Of the players chosen in 2004 and 2005, making them 18- and 19-year-olds at this point, an important age for a junior hockey team, only one is with the Cats — captain Dana Tyrell.
There is no other word for that productivity — FAILURE. Clearly, changes are needed.
So, evidence presented, are the coaches to blame? They share in it, but they are far from the root of the problem.
The main reason the Cougars should not make the coaching move now is because a statement has to be made to stop the cycle of reactionary, rather than visionary, decisions.
With the exception of the hiring of Stan Butler as head coach, the Cougars have always filled that position under duress. And the results have been predictable.
Dale Marquette — named interim head coach when Doug Hobson was fired. Ed Dempsey — granted the job almost by default when Butler resigned late in the 1997 off-season. Lane Lambert — lured away from Moose Jaw in October of 2003 when Dempsey’s much-too-long tenure was finally capped.
Mike Vandekamp — an eager late-summer fill-in when the relationship soured between the Cougars and Lambert. Drew Schoneck — air-lifted by his long-time friend Thompson when a combination of losing and poor off-ice choices forced the team to clean out the coaching offices.
Aside from Butler, who was hired the right way, only one of those coaches has gone on to better things. Lambert, whose time here will be remembered for the ongoing battles with star player Dustin Byfuglien, is a head coach in the American Hockey League, and no one in hockey will be surprised if he lands on an NHL bench.
All these factors have caused the Cougars to come up short in the hiring practice. When you conduct a search in October or November, the stack of resumes is rather short. Do the job search in April and May, and there’s a far better chance the right candidate will come along.
I don’t think anyone expects Schoneck to be back next season. What happens to him and assistant Wade Klippenstein, with both in the final years of their contracts — it’s not hard to come up with a theory. Schoneck is set free, while Klippenstein’s scouting skills are put to good use; he’s a former head scout, and did good work in that area for the Moose Jaw Warriors. That clears the deck to put a whole new coaching staff in place well before the 2009 training camp commences.
For the franchise to force its way into the coach-search marketplace right now is only going to revive the same history that has chopped this franchise off at the knees for more than a decade.
As painful as it very well could be for the next four months, this crippled patient requires patience. Finally, patience.
The Giants Way too much for Blazers
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Vancouver Giants have played 24 games this WHL season; they have been beaten once in regulation time.
Do the math . . . and you realize that computes to three regulation-time losses over the course of a 72-game regular season.
One.
Two.
Three.
The Giants’ most-recent non-loss came Saturday night when they skated to a 6-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers before 4,826 fans at Interior Savings Centre.
Like a youngster dissecting a grasshopper, the Giants, who are what most teams want to be when they grow up, methodically took apart the Blazers. It was evident that the home team wanted to be aggressive from the get-go, but the Giants scored on two of three first-period power-play opportunities and that took care of that game plan.
“I don’t want to use (the word) domination but we played our game . . . we played Giants hockey,” offered Vancouver defenceman Jon Blum, who scored twice as his club won its sixth straight and for the 13th time in its last 14 outings. “That’s what we can do when we’re rolling four lines and using all six defencemen. . . . Our strength is in our systems even when we’re missing one of our top defencemen and our top scorer.”
The Giants, who erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Blazers 6-4 in Vancouver on Friday night, are playing without defenceman Mike Berube (broken arm) and centre Evander Kane (heel), who has 37 points in 21 games.
“I thought we got off to a great start,” Vancouver head coach Don Hay said. “Jon Blum has been playing really, really outstanding all season long. He got us going.
“Kamloops came out and tried to play aggressively. The power play gave us life early in the game and we took advantage of it.”
Blum, a 20-year-old from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., who is the team captain, got his club going with a power-play goal at 5:20 of the first period. Kamloops centre Alex Rodgers blocked the first shot, only to have the rebound land on a tee and Blum hammered it past goaltender Jon Groenheyde.
“That,” said an NHL scout, “was an NHL shot.”
Blum later added a second goal, using his left skate to kick a pass into shooting position, then putting the puck through Groenheyde to give the visitors a 4-0 lead. It was Blum’s 11th goal of the season, to go along with 19 assists.
Asked where Blum rates among the numerous world-class defencemen he has coached, Hay referenced a couple of former Kamloops players: “People like Scott Niedermayer and Darryl Sydor are right there . . . Jon is right there, too. They’re all really intelligent and really competitive.
“People don’t give Jon enough credit for his competitiveness. It was the same with Niedermayer. Scotty came to this league because he wanted to play against the best. Jon is the same way. He works hard. He competes hard. He wants to win and I think that’s a really important factor in his success.”
Blum, who was selected by the Nashville Predators with the 23rd pick of the 2007 NHL draft, shrugs it off. The key, he said, is the systems.
“We come every day to the rink wanting to have fun and learn,” he said. “Don has us playing systems and whenever you combine these sorts of systems you’re going to have success and that’s why we’ve been one of the top teams the past four years.”
It is the Giants way.
“It wins championships,” added Blum, who has been part of 47, 45 and 49 victories in his first three regular seasons. This time around, the Giants already are 20-1-0-3. Blum also has appeared in 50 playoff games in three springs; by comparison, the Blazers have been in 52 over the last 10 seasons.
The Giants way also involves the passing of the torch.
“My first year,” Blum said, “my defensive partner was Mark Fistric and he was also the captain. My second year Brett Festerling was the captain. I learned a lot from those two guys. . . . I looked up to them . . . they taught me a lot of stuff. Now it’s my turn to teach guys like (Bronson) Maschmeyer and (Neil) Manning the little things of the game that can really help them . . . what the coaches expect day in and day out, what management wants.
“We have high expectations here in Vancouver and whenever you can have the young guys following the leaders it has to be good for the team.”
Young guys like forwards James Wright, 18, and Brendan Gallagher, 16, both of whom scored Saturday. Defenceman Brent Regner and right-winger Garry Nunn also scored for the visitors, who got 28 saves from goaltender Jamie Tucker, 17, who ran his record to 6-0-0-1.
The Giants also got three assists from centre Casey Pierro-Zabotel, the Kamloops minor hockey product who now is one point out of the WHL scoring lead.
“I’m much more comfortable,” said Pierro-Zabotel, 20, who joined the Giants a year ago from the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. “It seems I’m playing with a lot more confidence. I just try to work hard for Don every day.”
Ever since arriving in Vancouver, Pierro-Zabotel said, “I have worked on my defensive game and puck protection down low. We work on that in practice every day and it’s really helped and paid off for me. I have learned so much from Don and the rest of the coaches.”
“What he’s done better,” Hay said, “is really improve his competitive level. His tempo was slow when he came to us, not because he didn’t work but because he was used to playing a lot of minutes and he took long shifts. We’re really pushing him to go shorter shifts, go harder, work at both ends of the ice . . . improve his game.
“He is so strong with the puck . . . he really makes good plays all the time.”
Which was the case Saturday night and Pierro-Zabotel enjoyed every minute of it.
“I love coming here,” he said, “and winning.”
Right-winger Brady Calla was credited with the Blazers’ goal, which came in the third period with his side down 5-0.
JUST NOTES: Referee Matt Kirk gave the Giants six of 11 minors and one of two majors. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the power play, with all three opportunities coming in the first period. The Blazers were 0-for-4. . . . Groenheyde made 36 saves and oftentimes could have sued for nonsupport, which has been the case in each of his last three starts. He is 0-5-0-1 in his last six starts. . . . LW Brett Lyon, acquired Nov. 10 from the Giants, was a healthy Kamloops scratch.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
Daily News Sports Editor
The Vancouver Giants have played 24 games this WHL season; they have been beaten once in regulation time.
Do the math . . . and you realize that computes to three regulation-time losses over the course of a 72-game regular season.
One.
Two.
Three.
The Giants’ most-recent non-loss came Saturday night when they skated to a 6-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers before 4,826 fans at Interior Savings Centre.
Like a youngster dissecting a grasshopper, the Giants, who are what most teams want to be when they grow up, methodically took apart the Blazers. It was evident that the home team wanted to be aggressive from the get-go, but the Giants scored on two of three first-period power-play opportunities and that took care of that game plan.
“I don’t want to use (the word) domination but we played our game . . . we played Giants hockey,” offered Vancouver defenceman Jon Blum, who scored twice as his club won its sixth straight and for the 13th time in its last 14 outings. “That’s what we can do when we’re rolling four lines and using all six defencemen. . . . Our strength is in our systems even when we’re missing one of our top defencemen and our top scorer.”
The Giants, who erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Blazers 6-4 in Vancouver on Friday night, are playing without defenceman Mike Berube (broken arm) and centre Evander Kane (heel), who has 37 points in 21 games.
“I thought we got off to a great start,” Vancouver head coach Don Hay said. “Jon Blum has been playing really, really outstanding all season long. He got us going.
“Kamloops came out and tried to play aggressively. The power play gave us life early in the game and we took advantage of it.”
Blum, a 20-year-old from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., who is the team captain, got his club going with a power-play goal at 5:20 of the first period. Kamloops centre Alex Rodgers blocked the first shot, only to have the rebound land on a tee and Blum hammered it past goaltender Jon Groenheyde.
“That,” said an NHL scout, “was an NHL shot.”
Blum later added a second goal, using his left skate to kick a pass into shooting position, then putting the puck through Groenheyde to give the visitors a 4-0 lead. It was Blum’s 11th goal of the season, to go along with 19 assists.
Asked where Blum rates among the numerous world-class defencemen he has coached, Hay referenced a couple of former Kamloops players: “People like Scott Niedermayer and Darryl Sydor are right there . . . Jon is right there, too. They’re all really intelligent and really competitive.
“People don’t give Jon enough credit for his competitiveness. It was the same with Niedermayer. Scotty came to this league because he wanted to play against the best. Jon is the same way. He works hard. He competes hard. He wants to win and I think that’s a really important factor in his success.”
Blum, who was selected by the Nashville Predators with the 23rd pick of the 2007 NHL draft, shrugs it off. The key, he said, is the systems.
“We come every day to the rink wanting to have fun and learn,” he said. “Don has us playing systems and whenever you combine these sorts of systems you’re going to have success and that’s why we’ve been one of the top teams the past four years.”
It is the Giants way.
“It wins championships,” added Blum, who has been part of 47, 45 and 49 victories in his first three regular seasons. This time around, the Giants already are 20-1-0-3. Blum also has appeared in 50 playoff games in three springs; by comparison, the Blazers have been in 52 over the last 10 seasons.
The Giants way also involves the passing of the torch.
“My first year,” Blum said, “my defensive partner was Mark Fistric and he was also the captain. My second year Brett Festerling was the captain. I learned a lot from those two guys. . . . I looked up to them . . . they taught me a lot of stuff. Now it’s my turn to teach guys like (Bronson) Maschmeyer and (Neil) Manning the little things of the game that can really help them . . . what the coaches expect day in and day out, what management wants.
“We have high expectations here in Vancouver and whenever you can have the young guys following the leaders it has to be good for the team.”
Young guys like forwards James Wright, 18, and Brendan Gallagher, 16, both of whom scored Saturday. Defenceman Brent Regner and right-winger Garry Nunn also scored for the visitors, who got 28 saves from goaltender Jamie Tucker, 17, who ran his record to 6-0-0-1.
The Giants also got three assists from centre Casey Pierro-Zabotel, the Kamloops minor hockey product who now is one point out of the WHL scoring lead.
“I’m much more comfortable,” said Pierro-Zabotel, 20, who joined the Giants a year ago from the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. “It seems I’m playing with a lot more confidence. I just try to work hard for Don every day.”
Ever since arriving in Vancouver, Pierro-Zabotel said, “I have worked on my defensive game and puck protection down low. We work on that in practice every day and it’s really helped and paid off for me. I have learned so much from Don and the rest of the coaches.”
“What he’s done better,” Hay said, “is really improve his competitive level. His tempo was slow when he came to us, not because he didn’t work but because he was used to playing a lot of minutes and he took long shifts. We’re really pushing him to go shorter shifts, go harder, work at both ends of the ice . . . improve his game.
“He is so strong with the puck . . . he really makes good plays all the time.”
Which was the case Saturday night and Pierro-Zabotel enjoyed every minute of it.
“I love coming here,” he said, “and winning.”
Right-winger Brady Calla was credited with the Blazers’ goal, which came in the third period with his side down 5-0.
JUST NOTES: Referee Matt Kirk gave the Giants six of 11 minors and one of two majors. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the power play, with all three opportunities coming in the first period. The Blazers were 0-for-4. . . . Groenheyde made 36 saves and oftentimes could have sued for nonsupport, which has been the case in each of his last three starts. He is 0-5-0-1 in his last six starts. . . . LW Brett Lyon, acquired Nov. 10 from the Giants, was a healthy Kamloops scratch.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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