Wednesday . . . early

The late Ed Chynoweth, the longtime president of the WHL, will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, which is located in Regina, on June 13. Chynoweth, who was born in Dodsland, Sask., was inducted posthumously into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto last fall. He died just over a year ago after a battle with cancer. The WHL has named its championship trophy the Ed Chynoweth Cup. . . . The 1957 Flin Flon Bombers, who won the Memorial Cup while playing out of the Saskatchewan junior league, also will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. The Bombers’ roster included two players who would go on to coach in the WHL, Pat Ginnell and Mel Pearson, as well as Cliff Lennartz, who filled in during the odd Ginnell suspension. Also on the Bombers’ roster was long-time friend Ted Hampson, who now scouts for the Colorado Avalanche.
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The Prince Albert Raiders announced Wednesday that they won’t be renewing head scout Dave O'Brien’s contract when it expires May 31. O’Brien has been the club’s head scout since June 2001. According to a press release, the Raiders are “in the process of restructuring their scouting and will be accepting applications for the new position of director of player personnel immediately.”
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Balsillie versus Bettman is going to be better than Predator vs. Alien, or The Dark Knight versus Batman. I kid you not. . . . And if you’re looking for an impossible task, try explaining to the aspiring hockey fan in your family why Bettman wants to keep an NHL team in Phoenix, where a losing team has no chance of creating any excitement, rather than allow it to be moved to southern Ontario, where the Maple Leafs have proven that fans will buy tickets regardless of a team’s record. . . . But wait . . . there is word that Alexander Medvedev, the billionaire who owns the Continental Hockey League, is eager to buy into the NHL. Maybe Bettman will allow Medvedev to purchase the Coyotes and move them to Minsk.
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WHL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL (all times local):
Friday: Kelowna 3 at Calgary 1
Saturday: Kelowna 5 at Calgary 2
Monday: Calgary 0 at Kelowna 2
Wednesday: Calgary at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Kelowna at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday: Calgary at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Kelowna at Calgary, 7 p.m.

x -- if necessary.
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THE PICKS:
John Down (13-1), Calgary Herald: Calgary, in 6.
Jeff Bromley (12-2), Kootenay NewsAdvertiser: Calgary, in 6.
Alan Caldwell (12-2), Small Thoughts At Large: Calgary, in 6.
Scott Fisher (12-2), Calgary Sun: Calgary, in 6.
Dan Russell (11-3), CKNW Radio, Vancouver, and Shaw Cable: Calgary, in 5.
Gregg Drinnan (11-3), Kamloops Daily News: Kelowna, in 6.
Rob Vanstone (11-3), Regina Leader-Post: Calgary, in 4.
Cory Wolfe (11-3), Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Kelowna, in 6.
Kevin Mitchell (10-4), Saskatoon StarPhoenix: Calgary, in 7.