Wednesday . . .

Questions, questions . . . we’ve got questions:
1. How about former NHL head coach Marc Crawford as the next head coach of the Chilliwack Bruins?
2. Or will the Bruins hire Marc Habscheid?
3. How about Dean Clark, the 13th-winningest head coach in WHL regular-season history, as the next head coach of the Prince George Cougars?
4. Was Habscheid really this () close to signing as GM/head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors before it all fell apart?
5. Would Brent Sutter really give up a prime NHL head-coaching position to return to his beloved (and struggling) Red Deer Rebels?
6. After D Nick Ross scored the Game 7-winning goal that allowed Vancouver to eliminate the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday night, did Giants GM Scott Bonner send a thank you note to his brother Craig?
7. Which AHL team will announce this week that it has fired its head coach?
8. If the Lethbridge Hurricanes don’t re-sign head coach Michael Dyck, could former Kelowna Rockets head coach Jeff Truitt be the man there?
9. If Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay and Kelowna Rockets head coach Ryan Huska both learned how to win while in the Kamloops organization, just what exactly happened to the Blazers?
10. If Portland’s Memorial Coliseum ends up being demolished, could the Winter Hawks end up in Wenatchee, Wash.? No. How about Victoria?
Hey, just asking . . .
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JUST NOTES: The New York Rangers have assigned D Tomas Kundratek, a 1989-born Czech, from the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. . . . The Kelowna Rockets are making noises as though F Kyle St. Denis (concussion) might play at some point in the Western Conference final. He has been out since Feb. 18 and has missed 23 games, 10 of them in these playoffs. . . . The Eastern Conference final, between the Calgary Hitmen and Brandon Wheat Kings, features a matchup of brothers. Calgary D Michael Stone, 18, and Brandon F Mark Stone, 16, are brothers from Winnipeg who had never played against each other prior to this season. . . . It’s worth noting, too, that Calgary’s lineup includes D Alex Plante, 19, and F Carson McMillan, 20, both of whom are from Brandon.
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THIRD ROUND
Conference Finals
(Best-of-7)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (3)
Friday: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
Sunday: Brandon at Calgary, 1 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 5 p.m.
Wednesday: Calgary at Brandon, 5 p.m.
x-Friday, April 24: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 26: Calgary at Brandon, 4 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 28: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vancouver (1) vs. Kelowna (3)
Saturday: Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Kelowna at Vancouver, 5 p.m.
Tuesday: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 23: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 25: Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 27: Vancouver at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 28: Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

x — if necessary.
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THE EAST FINAL:
Calgary has to be favoured over Brandon if only because G Martin Jones is 8-0 with a 0.86 GAA and a .957 save percentage. The Hitmen are deeper on defence, although it could be that Brandon’s bunch is under-rated. Let’s not forget that the Wheat Kings also are 8-0. Brandon’s forwards may be as deep as Calgary’s, and that is really, really deep. In the end, the key figures are Brandon’s goaltenders — Andrew Hayes and James Priestner get to prove their mettle in this one.
THE PICKS:
John Down (11-1), Calgary Herald: Calgary, in five.
Alan Caldwell (11-1), Small Thoughts At Large: Calgary, in five.
Gregg Drinnan (10-2), Kamloops Daily News: Brandon, in seven.
Rob Vanstone (10-2), Regina Leader-Post: Calgary, in 6.
Cory Wolfe (9-3), Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Calgary in 5.
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THE WEST FINAL:
Kelowna has put together two four-game winning streaks in these playoffs, taking out Kamloops in four, then losing the first two games to Tri-City before winning the last four. This is a confident bunch that is playing an intense, physical style. The Giants are the Giants, with G Tyson Sexsmith at his best. But they are going to need more from WHL scoring champ Casey Pierro-Zabotel and sniper Evander Kane to win this series.
THE PICKS:
John Down, Calgary Herald: Kelowna, in 6.
Alan Caldwell, Small Thoughts At Large: Vancouver, in 7.
Gregg Drinnan, Kamloops Daily News: Kelowna, in 5.
Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post: Vancouver, in 6.
Cory Wolfe, Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Kelowna, in 6.