Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Martin Filo (Moose Jaw, 200709) and F Tomas Troliga (Calgary, 2003-04) signed one-year contracts with Dukla Trencin (Slovakia Extraliga). Filo had 12 goals and 18 assists in 67 games for the Warriors. Troliga had 11 goals and 16 assists in 33 games with Presov (Slovakia 2.Liga) last season. . . . With these signings, Dukla released F Robin Kovar (Vancouver, 2001-03) from his tryout contract. Kovar had 15 goals and 16 assists in 51 games for Liptovsky Mikulas (Slovakia Extraliga) last season, and was scoreless in three exhibition games for Dukla this season.
———
The Brandon Wheat Kings, the host team for the 2010 Memorial Cup, have dealt away one-half of their goaltending tandem from last season. James Priestner, 18, has been dealt to the Prince George Cougars for a 2011 third-round bantam draft pick and the rights to D Aaron Ness, 19, who is from Bemidji, Minn., and played last season at the U of Minnesota. He was a second-round pick, 40th overall, by the New York Islanders in the NHL’s 2009 draft. . . . Should Ness, voted the top player in Minnesota in his senior year in high school, report to Brandon, the Cougars will get a 2011 fifth-round bantam pick.
Andrew Hayes, 19, now is the only veteran goaltender on Brandon’s roster, leaving one to wonder if Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner/GM/head coach, doesn’t have another move or two up his sleeve. . . . When the Wheat Kings open camp, Ty Rimmer, 17, and Liam Liston, 16, will be scrapping for the backup job. Rimmer was a 14th-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, while Brandon took Liston in the third round in 2008.
In Prince George, Priestner will be reunited with Dean Clark, who over the summer signed a five-year deal as the Cougars’ head coach. While in Kamloops, Clark selected Priestner with the 31st pick of the 2006 bantam draft. . . . Over the summer of 2007, Priestner’s father, Mike, attempted to buy a piece of the Blazers and Clark threw in with him. Tom Gaglardi, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor ended up buying the Blazers. Clark was fired as GM/head coach on Nov. 7, 2007, and ended up working for the Mike Priestner Automotive Group in St. Albert, Alta. On Sept. 29, 2008, the Blazers traded James Priestner to Brandon for a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . The Blazers used that pick, 62nd overall, to select F Brandon Morley out of Burnaby. He is in training camp with the Blazers.
The Cougars’ roster now includes Priestner and veteran G Joe Caligiuri, 20, who started last season with the Wheat Kings but was dealt to Prince George by Brandon after it acquired Priestner from Kamloops.
———
The Regina Pats have everyone in camp who was expected — all 90 players — but weren’t able to land F Drew George, who led the Telus Cup-champion Notre Dame Hounds in scoring last season. George, a list player who is from Regina, decided to play for the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers in order to keep his NCAA options open. “I was disappointed . . . but we’re not going to beg anybody to play here either,” Pats GM Brent Parker told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “We laid out our best-case scenario for him and the opportunity that existed for him. We hoped he would come in but he has chosen that route and that’s fine. I respect his decision. I don’t believe it was the right one but I respect his decision.” . . . Harder also reports that the Pats have former WHL G Ryan Cyr back as their goaltending consultant and expect to have Todd Strueby back as a part-time assistant coach. . . . Regina also has added LW Colton Graf, 19, who scored one goal in 24 games over two seasons (2006-08) with the Chilliwack Bruins and played last season with the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars.
———
G Kraymer Barnstable, 19, who was released by the Vancouver Giants last season, is expected to go to camp with the Red Deer Rebels. He spent a lot of last season with the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds. . . . Also in main camp with the Rebels will be F Tyler Skauge, 19, who played 52 games with the Everett Silvertips in 2007-08 and played 32 games with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits last season. . . . D Nick Bell, taken in the 10th round of the 2005 bantam draft by the Prince George Cougars, also is expected in camp with the Rebels. Bell, 19, played last season with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
———
Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Blades F Curtis Hamilton, who didn’t have even one fight in his rookie season, took boxing lessons over the summer. In fact, Hamilton, who is from Kelowna (yes, his father is Rockets’ president/GM Bruce Hamilton), sometimes worked out in the ring with former WHLer Scott Wasden, who is 21 and headed for UBC. “The last time I was sparring with him, he caught with a right,” Hamilton told Wolfe, “and my cheek’s been sore ever since.”
———
If you scoot on over to Coming Down the Pipe — there’s a link over there on the left — you’ll find a piece by Dean Millard speculating about the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals and their desire to play an outdoor game on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower. . . . That brings back memories of one of the greatest of all April Fool’s stunts. I can’t remember exactly when it was, but it was a number of years ago, when the Sabres issued a press release stating that they would be holding their next training camp on an aircraft carrier. It was hilarious. . . . As for the Norfolk rumours, Keith Phillips of the Admirals said: “We have seen that article. I'm not sure where a blogger in Edmonton is getting such information. We do not have any plans to play a game on an aircraft carrier this season.”