Some Tuesday stuff . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Roman Vopat (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, 1994-96) signed a one-year contract with Litvinov (Czech Extraliga). He had eight goals and nine assists in 23 games with Aalborg (Denmark AL-Bank Liga) last season.
---
F Toni Rajala, a fourth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2009 NHL draft, definitely will be joining the Brandon Wheat Kings. Jim Matheson, the Edmonton Journal’s Hall of Fame hockey writer, reported Tuesday that “Rajala, who injured his knee in a scrimmage several weeks back, will be here today, but won't skate with the rookies or the main camp. He will bring his doctor's report from Finland and be examined here, then head over to Brandon.” . . . Rajala has chosen to play in Brandon, rather than report to Ilves, a Finnish elite league team that plays out of Tampere. "He decided he'd rather be in Brandon, learning the North American style,” Kevin Prendergast, the Oilers’ assistant GM, told Matheson. “The bonus is the Wheat Kings are hosting the Memorial Cup next year, so he'll be playing until at least May. He'll get more ice time there than playing third or fourth line against men and only eight to 10 minutes with Ilves, a really good team over there.”
---
The Tri-City Americans have traded G Warren Shymko to the Kelowna Rockets for good ol’ future considerations, which usually means a conditional draft pick. Shymko was a fifth-round pick by the Americans in the 2007 bantam draft. He was in the Americans’ camp before being reassigned to the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers.
---
The Kootenay Ice has trimmed its roster to 30 players by reassigning three players. . . . C Ryan Bloom, 16, is off to the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes, while C Adam Rossignol, 16, will play for the junior B Aldergrove, B.C., Kodiaks, and G Mackenzie Skapski, 15, will join the Fraser Valley Bruins of the B.C. major midget league. . . . The Ice are down to three goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 17 forwards, including three players at pro camps.
---
The Portland Winter Hawks came out of the weekend tournament in Everett with at least three fairly serious injuries. . . . F Ty Rattie (broken thumb) could miss up to six weeks. Rattie was the second overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . F Adam Basford (high ankle sprain) is week-to-week. Basford, 20, was a waiver claim from the Vancouver Giants. . . . D Kyle Madsen (knee) will undergo an MRI but he is expected to miss at least three month. Madsen, 17, is a list player from Kitimat, B.C.
---
The Brandon Wheat Kings announced Tuesday that they have sold 3,302 season tickets, well over last season’s franchise record of 2,780. Of those sold this season, more than 600 are new season-ticket holders. The Wheat Kings are the host team for the 2010 Memorial Cup. Season-ticket holders have until Oct. 15 to purchase Memorial Cup ticket packages. According to a release from the Wheat Kings: “Because the club must provide the Canadian Hockey League with 1,800 seats for this prestigious event, only the first 3,302 season ticket holders will be guaranteed their seats for the championship, scheduled for Brandon’s Keystone Centre May 14-23. However, Wheat Kings’ coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon has approached the CHL in hopes that a block of those will be returned to the host committee.”
---
Let the arguments begin!
The first BMO CHL MasterCard top 10 rankings have been released. As selected by a secret panel of NHL scouts, here they are:
1. Windsor Spitfires (OHL and Memorial Cup champions)
2. Calgary Hitmen (Lost in WHL final)
3. Quebec Remparts (Lost in QMJHL semifinals)
4. Brandon Wheat Kings (Lost in WHL Eastern Conference final)
5. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (Lost in second round of OHL playoffs)
6. Shawinigan Cataractes (Lost in QMJHL final)
7. Saskatoon Blades (Lost in first round of WHL playoffs)
8. Moncton Wildcats (Lost in QMJHL quarterfinals)
9. London Knights (Lost in OHL Western Conference final)
10. Kelowna Rockets (WHL Champions, lost in Memorial Cup final)
Honourable Mention:
Plymouth Whalers (Lost in second round of OHL playoffs)
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (Lost in QMJHL quarterfinal)
Vancouver Giants (Lost in WHL Western Conference final)
---
This has nothing to do with the WHL and everything to do with football. If you check this out, you will find a piece by columnist Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune on what went down with Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila on the weekend. This is column writing at its best.