Monday, August 31, 2009

Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: Kazakh media is reporting that G Jeff Glass (Kootenay, 2002-05) has signed with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan KHL) but there is as yet no confirmation from the club. Glass had a 3.22 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 41 games for Binghamton (AHL) last season. . . . F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland SM-Liiga). He had 24 goals and 44 assists in 43 games for Odense (Denmark AL-Bank Liga) last season. According to SaiPa head coach Ari-Pekka Selin, the initial plan is to have Redenbach play centre on a line with Shayne Toporowski (Prince Albert, 1991-95).
F Paul Deniset (Kamloops, Swift Current, Vancouver, Prince Albert, 1998-2002) has been released by Rødovre (Denmark AL-Bank Liga), along with the team's other two North Americans, for financial reasons. Rødovre general manager Brian Møller said: "We are obviously disappointed at having to say goodbye to the three talented and likeable players, but if we must demonstrate financial accountability — and we must — there is no way around it. It is our task to ensure hockey in Rødovre's future and unfortunately it requires drastic action such as this." Deniset had 13 goals and 22 assists in 46 games split between Bietigheim and Schwenningen (both Germany 2.Bundesliga) last season.
F Tomas Polak (Red Deer, 2007-09) signed with Gazprom-OSU Orenburg (Russia High League). He had six goals and six assists in 33 games for Red Deer last season.
———
The Swift Current Broncos have signed F Dane Muench, 17, and D Graeme Craig, 16. . . . Muench, who is from Martensville, Sask., had 54 points in 50 games with the SJHL‚s Battlefords Stars last season. He wsa a fourth-round selection by the Broncos in the WHL’s 2007 bantam draft. Unfortunately for all you conspiracy theorists out there, he isn’t related to Kevin Muench, the WHL’s director of officiating. . . . The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Craig, from Red Deer, had 26 points in 39 games with the midget AAA Red Deer Chiefs last season. He was a third-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders are in the market for a new business manager, following the resignation of Sharon Martin. She had been with the club for five years but is moving to Cold Lake, Alta. Her last day with the Raiders will be Sept. 18.
———
It would seem the exhibition series against a touring Russian team hasn’t yet outlived its usefulness. The CHL has announced that it has entered into a three-year deal with Subway and the series, to be played in November, now will be known as the Subway Super Series. The CHL is to begin announcing game dates and locations later this week.
———
It would appear that D Keegan Lowe, 16, is on the verge of locking up a spot with the Edmonton Oil Kings. After two seasons at Shattock-St. Mary’s, the prep school in Minnesota, Lowe, the son of Kevin Lowe, the Edmonton Oilers' president of hockey operations, has drawn praise from the Oil Kings‚ coaching staff. "He's been excellent. He's surpassed our expectations as far as how he's matured both physically and emotionally," head coach Steve Pleau told freelancer Chris O’leary for a story that appears in Monday’s Edmonton Journal. "I think he's ready to — I don't think, I know — he's ready to take the next step and play at this level.” Keegan has chosen to give up his NCAA eligibility to play in the WHL and that’s fine with his father. "The last two years,” Kevin told O’leary, “he couldn't have a better place to grow and develop in hockey, but now he's ready to move on to the next level. Everybody views the Canadian Hockey League as the best development league in the world, so if you're trying to be the best you can, you might as well be in the best league." . . . Should Keegan, a sixth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, stick with the Oil Kings, you have to think Mom will be happy to have her boy at home, too.
———
The Regina Pats got their roster down to 31 players, including four goaltenders and 10 defencemen, Monday by reassigning four players — D Koltyn Miller, 18, heads for the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings; D Tyler Pavkovich, 16, will play for the major midget Fraser Valley Bruins in B.C.; and F Michael Sagen, 16, and F Chandler Stephenson, 15, will join the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. . . . Stephenson was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft, while Sagen and Pavkovich were taken in the eighth and ninth rounds of the 2008 draft. . . . Miller, who played 38 games with the Pats last season, left on his own. He will join the Kings, the host team for the 2010 Royal Bank Cup tournament.
———
The Prince George Cougars released 16 players Monday, including G Graham Hildebrand, 18, and G Luke Hernandez, 18, both of whom were hoping to land the job as the backup to James Priestner. That spot now is likely to go to Michael Salmon, 16.
———
The Saskatoon Blades got their roster down to 32 on Monday but are preparing for the loss of 10 players to pro camps. They did reassign G Tyler Oswald, 16, to the midget AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, who are based out of Morden, Man. . . . The Blades now have three goaltenders in camp, with Matthew Krahn, 18, and Chris Sharkey, 17, vying to back up veteran Adam Morrison, 18.
———
The Everett Silvertips have acquired G Luke Siemens, 17, from the Chilliwack Bruins for an undisclosed conditional bantam draft pick. Siemens, from Delta, B.C., was a seventh-round bantam pick by the Bruins in 2007. He played last season for the junior B Summerland Sting. The Silvertips expect to open the season with Thomas Heemskerk, 19, and Kent Simpson, 17, as their goaltenders. Siemens would be used as an emergency backup.
———
This doesn’t have anything to do with hockey, but rather is kind of a mental scrambler that you should see if you can wrap your brain around.
Tom Wyllie, the vice-president for communications for the NFL’s Houston Texans, had this to say after the club reduced the size of beer servings at games from 24 ounces to 20 but left the price at $7.75:
“If we’d served 24 ounces this year, the price would be higher. Honestly, it was more of a responsibility decision. It wasn’t a business decision. . . . We wanted to do the most responsible thing.”
Makes sense. Right?

  © Design byThirteen Letter

Back to TOP