Thursday . . .

F Colton Yellow Horn, a former WHL sniper, has signed with the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals. He had 11 points in 24 games with the Jackals last season, his first as a pro. He finished up his WHL career by putting up 97 points with the Tri-City Americans in 2007-08.
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If you haven’t seen it yet, Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts at Large, has taken an interesting look at travel in the WHL in the approaching season. Yes, Brandon will put on more kilometres — or miles, if you prefer — than any other team.
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Former Kamloops Blazers head coach Greg Hawgood has been named head coach of the junior B Kamloops Storm, finalists in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League each of the last two seasons. Hawgood, an all-star defenceman during a five-season career in Kamloops, took over as the Blazers’ head coach on Nov. 7, 2008, following the firing of Dean Clark. At the time, majority owner Tom Gaglardi said that Hawgood, who signed a two-year contract, would be on the Blazers’ coaching staff the following season. However, Hawgood was dismissed last summer as a new coaching staff was put together. . . . Hawgood takes over from Ed Patterson and Steve Passmore, both of whom resigned citing a desire to spend more time with family. . . . Besides coaching the Storm, Hawgood also works at the Kamloops Regional Correction Centre. . . . Hawgood’s son Logan, 16, will be in the Storm’s camp later this month.
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Attention WHL scouts: B.C. Hockey has announced that the Burnaby Winter Club will play host to the 2010 Western Bantam Tier 1 championship, April 8-11, at the Bill Copeland Arena.
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Two men involved in professional athletics, bound together by one city and a disease. This piece right here is worth a read.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Josh Hanson, who was taken in the eighth round of the 2009 bantam draft. The 6-foot-2 Hanson, from Anchorage, played for the bantam AAA Alaska All-Stars and is expected to play this season for the Los Angeles Selects midget AAA team.
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The Chilliwack Bruins have added Peter Hay as a full-time assistant coach under GM/head coach Marc Habscheid. Hay, who is from Chilliwack, was a part-time assistant in 2006-07. . . . Hay joins Dave Archibald and Bob Rouse, both former WHLers and NHLers, on Habscheid’s coaching staff.
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F Bill Vandermeer has signed with the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks, who are preparing for their inaugural season. Vandermeer (Kootenay, 2001-03) spent last season with the now defunct Oklahoma City Blazers and the previous two with the Amarillo Gorillas. He has scored at least 30 goals each of the last three seasons.
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The Kootenay Ice have signed a three-year deal with The Drive 102.9 FM that will keep their games on the station through 2011-12. Jeff Hollick is about to begin his ninth season as the Ice’s radio voice.
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The Swift Current Broncos are in the market for an athletic therapist/equipment manager, having lost Paul Ayotte to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Ayotte had been with the Broncos for four seasons.
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The Prince George Cougars are keeping a close eye on the Canadian entry at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. That’s because Cougars F Brett Connolly hasn’t played since Canada’s tournament opener thanks to a hip flexor injury. Connolly, the WHL and CHL rookie of the year for last season, was injured in Game 1 against Sweden and hasn’t played since. . . . “I've spoken with their doctor, and I think they made the smart decision to not play him (Thursday) and I was happy to hear that,” Cougars GM Dallas Thompson told Jim Swanson of the Prince George Citizen. “From what I am told, there's a 99 per cent chance he'll play in the gold medal game. It was the right decision to let him have a few extra days to get better.” . . . Canada will meet Russia in Saturday’s championship game in Breclav, Czech Republic.