Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: D Kyle Deck (Kamloops/Regina) has signed with Jesenice (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 13 goals and 25 assists in 45 games with Flint (IHL) this season. Deck was traded from Flint to Port Huron on Monday but refused to report.
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The MacBETH REPORT, Part 2: And now to news on how the global economic crisis is affecting hockey . . .
Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana, which plays in the Austrian Erste
Bank Liga, announced in a press release Wednesday that “the
Management Board today unanimously decided to give foreign players
the freedom to choose a new club for the completion of the season
2008-09. In the context of the current economic situation, the Board
has decided to reduce costs in the business.”
Olimpija has nine “foreign” players on its roster, including D Greg Kuznik (Seattle, holds dual Canadian and Slovenian citizenship) and F Frank Banham (Saskatoon).
Danish Club Totempo Hvik Hvidovre, the club of G Rob McVicar
(Brandon), withdrew from the Danish Elitserien and filed for
bankruptcy on Monday after their two main sponsors pulled out on
them. One, car service company Totempo, filed for bankruptcy and the
second, office machine company NRG Scandinavia, is disputing their
sponsorship agreement, saying it was entered into by a sales and
marketing manager at NRG who didn't have the authority and has since
been fired. As a result, the club is short 2 million Danish crowns
(about $428,000 Canadian) in revenue. The players and staff have not
been paid this month.
Another Danish club, Nordsjælland Cobras, are also on the brink of
bankruptcy. The club missed its scheduled January player payroll this
week and the foreign players and coaches have made it clear that they
will not play their next scheduled game on Feb. 10 if they
haven't been paid by then. The club is looking to raise 1 million
Danish crowns (around $224,000 Canadian) before Feb. 9 or else
they will file for bankruptcy. According to the club, the shortfall
is due to sponsorship money that has not been paid due and the
current economic crisis has left club owners unable to cover the
shortfall. In an effort to help, Cobras' arch-rival Rødovre has
announced it will play an exhibition game during the national team
break (now through Feb. 10) against the Cobras, with all
proceeds going to the Cobras. The Cobras have D Justin Kurtz
(Brandon) in their lineup.
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JUST NOTES: F Kyle Beach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes drew a three-game suspension for firing a puck into the stands following a 5-3 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer on Jan. 24. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Taylor Procyshen had two goals and two assists to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-2 victory over the Portland Winter Hawks. . . . It was his second four-point night of his career. . . . The Americans are 21-3-0-1 at home. . . . The Winter Hawks lost nine in a row. . . . The Americans have signed F Max Moline, who plays for the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft.
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In Vancouver, F Casey Pierro-Zabotel broke the franchise’s single-season points record as the Giants scored a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Pierro-Zabotel, who leads the WHL points derby, drew an assist on a goal by F Craig Cunningham that pulled the Giants into a 3-3 tie. . . . Pierro-Zabotel has 88 points, one more than Gilbert Brule scored inn the 2004-05 season. . . . Vancouver F James Henry broke the 3-3 tie at 16:34 of the third period.
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In Edmonton, G James Priestner started in his hometown and stopped 33 shots to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 2-1 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Priestner, who was the game’s first star, is 12-5-1-1 on the season. . . . Brandon is 2-0 on a trip on which they play four games in five nights. . . . The Wheat Kings are 16-1-2-0 in their last 19 outings. . . . Brandon F Scott Glennie scored on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period to give Brandon a 2-0 lead. . . . RW Klarc Wilson, 15, made his WHL debut for the Wheat Kings. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton G Torrie Jung, who stopped 27 shots, beat Brandon F Andrew Clark on a second-period penalty shot.
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In Lethbridge, the Regina Pats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes dressed just 13 skaters as they went without F Kyle Beach, F Dwight King and F Craig Orfino, all of whom are serving suspensions, and D Eric Mestery (head injury) and D Mitch Versteeg (upper body). . . . Regina now is in sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot and is two points behind seventh-place Lethbridge. . . . Brandon scored two first-period goals 31 seconds apart to jump out front 2-0 and made it 3-0 early in the third when D Jesse Dudas scored from outside the Lethbridge blue line. . . . Lethbridge F Zach Boychuk, in his first game since recovering from an ankle injury suffered at the World Junior Championship, scored his side’s first goal.
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In Everett, the Spokane Chiefs went 4-for-7 on the PP as they whipped the Silvertips 9-1. . . . It was the worst loss in the Silvertips’ history. . . . As incredible as it sounds, the Chiefs got goals from nine players. . . . C Mitch Wahl had a goal and three assists. . . . The Chiefs scored seven times in the game’s last 25 minutes. . . . Everett G Thomas Heemskerk went the distance and made 43 saves. . . . Spokane G Dustin Tokarski stopped 19 shots. . . . Spokane has won nine straight; Everett has lost seven in a game.
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In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford broke an eight-game scoring drought as the Blazers edged the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . Ranford scored in his first game back from playing for Team Pacific at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge but then went dry. . . . He broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal early in the third period. . . . C Jim O’Brien scored both Seattle goals and got stoned on a shorthanded breakaway by G Justin Leclerc just moments before Ranford scored what stood up as the winner.
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In Kelowna, D Tyler Myers and F Ian Duval each set up two goals as the Rockets dumped the Prince George Cougars, 4-1. . . . The Rockets held a 33-15 edge in shots on goal.