Wednesday's stuff . . .

Let’s make it two days in a row with a mention of former Kamloops Blazers F Matt Wray. . . . Yesterday, we had Wray here because he had been traded by the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. . . . Today, we hear more about the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Wray, who turns 20 on Nov. 22. It turns out that the Qualicum Beach, B.C., native also is a lacrosse player. Right now, in fact, he is in Brampton, Ont., with the junior A Excelsiors who begin play in the best-of-three Minto Cup final series with the Orangeville Northmen on Friday night.
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The Spokane Chiefs open their training camp with scrimmages on Thursday and Czech F Dominik Uher will take part. The 6-foot-0, 178-pound Uher was the Chiefs’ lone selection in the CHL’s 2009 import draft. He had 46 points in 38 games with HC Trinec in the Czech Republic last season and added 11 points in nine playoff games. Uher, who won’t turn 17 until Dec. 31, is eligible for the NHL’s 2011 draft. . . . The Chiefs’ other import is veteran D Stefan Ulmer, who turns 19 on Dec. 1. The Austrian is preparing for his third season in Spokane. He had 40 points in 63 games last season.
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F Mike Sillinger (Regina, 1987-91) announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday. Sillinger, 38, underwent hip surgery last season and said that if he re-injured the hip he would be looking at hip-replacement surgery. Sillinger was selected by the Detroit Red Wings with the 11th pick in the 1989 draft. He would go on to play 17 NHL seasons and see action with 12 different teams. He is expected to make his home in his hometown of Regina, where he will coach minor hockey and be involved with the Pats in some capacity. You can read about Sillinger’s decision right here.
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The Prince George Cougars have placed G Joe Caligiuri, 20, on waivers, clearing the way for recently acquired James Priestner, 18, to be the starter. It’s expected that Red Deer native Michael Salmon, who turns 17 on Friday, will end up as Priestner’s backup. . . . How goofy is the game of hockey? A year ago, Caligiuri was with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Priestner was with the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers dealt Priestner to the Wheat Kings who, in turn, sent Caligiuri to the Cougars. Now the Cougars have acquired Priestner from Brandon and, as a result, Caligiuri is out of work. . . . Wait. There’s more. . . . If anyone is to push Priestner and Salmon, it will be Graham Hildebrand, 18, a Saskatoon native who played one game with – you guess it! – Brandon in 2007-08.
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G Dalyn Flette, 19, is in camp with the Wheat Kings as he tries to get his WHL career back on track. Flette, who is from Calgary, was selected by the Kamloops Blazers in the third round of the 2005 bantam draft. He played with the Blazers in 2006-07 before moving on to the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings. He got into 28 games with the Oil Kings in 2007-08, but only played in 11 games last season as he was bothered by an ankle injury that needed surgery. He finished up the season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks and was released by the Oil Kings. . . . It turns out that Flette actually was going to attend camp with Prince George. But that was before the Cougars acquired G James Priestner from the Wheat Kings last week. . . . Flette actually was en route to Prince George when the trade was made.
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F Jordan Lane, who goes 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, is vying for a 20-year-old spot with the Prince George Cougars. He played last season with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, picking up one assist and 68 penalty minutes in 43 games. He has been waived through the QMJHL. . . . The Cougars’ other 20-year-olds, at the moment, are F Tyler Halliday, D Dallas Jackson and F Alex Rodgers. Halliday is coming off offseason surgery on a hand.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed two more players – D Travis Brown and F Jordan Wyton. . . . Brown was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft from the Winnipeg Monarchs. He had 16 points in 29 games. . . . From Lethbridge, Wyton was a ninth-round pick in the 2008 draft so is able to play regularly this season.
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F Stanislav Galiev, the first overall selection in the CHL’s 2009 import draft, is scheduled to leave Russia this week and head for the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. He is expected to arrive in Saint John on Sunday. According to a release from the team: “The Sea Dogs must now await clearance from the International Ice Hockey Federation for Galiev to skate with the team. Galiev's transfer to the Canadian Hockey League has been challenged by Moscow Dynamo, a Russian club who own the highly touted NHL prospect's European rights.” . . . Last season, Galiev, 17, had 64 points in 60 games with the USHL’s Indiana Ice. He had three points in four games for Russia at the recently completed Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament.
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F Jeremy Boyer, 19, has asked the Seattle Thunderbirds to trade him. Boyer, from Saskatoon, will turn 19 on Sept. 28. He is preparing for his fourth WHL season. Seattle selected him in the second round of the 2005 bantam draft. He had 56 points, including 21 goals, last season. . . . Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large has run the numbers and reports that, without Boyer, Seattle only has 85 returning goals on its roster, easily the lowest such figure in the WHL. According to Caldwell, the Lethbridge Hurricanes, at 115, are second on that list.
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D Steve Makway (Kootenay, Tri-City, 2000-03) has signed with the Central league’s Mississippi RiverKings. He spent two seasons there before splitting last season between the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones and Las Vegas Wranglers. He played 18 games with Cincinnati and 47 with Las Vegas. He totaled 15 points and 185 penalty minutes in the regular season.
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F Troy Ofukany (Kelowna, Regina, Red Deer, 2004-08) has signed with the Central league’s Wichita Thunder. He had 36 points and 122 penalty minutes in 62 games last season, his first as a pro, with the Thunder. He was named the Thunder’s most improved player at season’s end.
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D Tyson Newell, 18, of the Prince Albert Raiders is recovering from a broken jaw. Newell, who is from Prince Albert, was struck in the face by a shot from D Ryan Button during Sunday’s intrasquad game. He has been checked over by a surgeon in Saskatoon who doesn’t think Newell will need surgery. Newell, who played for the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos last season, isn’t likely to play for at least six weeks.
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D David Schulz (Swift Current, Spokane, Saskatoon, Kelowna, 2001-07) has re-signed with the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs. Last season, his second as a pro, he had 11 points and 65 penalty minutes in 58 games. He also got into eight games with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters.
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F Evander Kane, who was taken by the Atlanta Thrashers with the fourth pick of the NHL’s 2009 draft, had two fights in a Vancouver Giants’ scrimmage on Tuesday. Kane, who had 96 points and 89 penalty minutes in 61 regular-season games last season, dropped the mitts with veterans Brendan Gallagher and James Henry. . . . D Ryan Funk, 20, had offseason shoulder surgery and hasn’t been cleared for contact. He was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades after last season.
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Sophomore F Cameron Abney, 18, wasn’t allowed to take part in Day 1 of the Everett Silvertips’ training camp on Wednesday. Abney, who had four points and 103 penalty minutes in 48 games last season, was late for Monday morning’s scrimmage, so new head coach Craig Hartsburg chose to make an example out of him. "I certainly wasn't looking to (send a message), but it's the way it is," Hartsburg told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald. "We want to do things right and hopefully it's a good learning lesson. They're all young players who have to understand there's a big responsibility to being a part of this program." . . . Abney, a third-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s 2009 draft, will be on the ice Thursday.