Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: D Harlan Pratt (Seattle, Red Deer, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). Pratt had one goal and seven assists in 42 games with Cologne (Germany DEL) last season.
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If ever you wanted to know how seriously you should take the CHL rankings, well, you need only consider the strange case of the Kamloops Blazers.
Two weeks ago, when the CHL released the ratings for Week 3 of this season, the Blazers received an honourable mention. In the Week 4 ratings, after riding goaltenders Jon Groenheyde and Justin Leclerc to a 2-0-2-0 record as they played four games in five nights – Kamloops gave up 200 shots in the four games and was outshot 20-0 in three overtime periods – the Blazers suddenly appeared at No. 7.
The No. 7-ranked team in the CHL then played well in beating the visiting Prince George Cougars, a team that is fragile and without its two best players, 6-1, on Friday night. The next night, the Blazers got a big relief effort from Leclerc and beat the visiting Chilliwack Bruins, 5-4, in a shootout. And, on Monday afternoon, the Blazers took a 4-2 lead into the second period, then gave up 10 goals – yes, 10 – and lost 12-5 to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers.
And when the CHL released its ratings for Week 5 where were the Blazers? Why, right there at No. 5. Thanks for asking. But it all makes one wonder if anyone is paying attention out there.
Sheesh! Had they given up 20 goals to the Tigers, perhaps the Blazers would have vaulted even higher.
Kamloops is an organization that has battled mediocrity for the better part of 10 seasons now and the struggles, on and off the ice, have been rather well-documented. Now there is some young talent on the roster that would seem to indicate the Blazers are headed in the right direction.
But a team that surrenders 12 goals in one game and is giving up more than 40 shots a game simply can’t be the fifth-ranked team in the 60-team CHL.
And how would you like to be on the Kamloops coaching staff? The Blazers left Kamloops on Wednesday evening, headed for Regina where they open a six-game East Division swing on Friday. Between now and then, head coach Barry Smith is going to have to convince his players that collectively they aren’t nearly as good as a panel of anonymous NHL scouts seems to think.
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By the way, here are what are known as the BMO CHL MasterCard top 10 rankings for Week 5, showing this week’s ranking, record, ranking last week and number of weeks ranked:
1. Calgary Hitmen (7-2-0-0) 1 5
2. Drummondville Voltigeurs (9-1-0-1) 5 4
3. Windsor Spitfires (7-3-0-1) 2 5
4. Gatineau Olympiques (9-3-0-0) 3 4
5. Kamloops Blazers (7-2-2-0) 7 2
6. London Knights (7-2-0-0) 10 4
7. Kitchener Rangers (6-0-0-1) - 1
8. Vancouver Giants (7-2-0-2) - 1
9. Barrie Colts (7-3-0-0) 8 3
10. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (8-4-2-0) - 1
Honourable mention:
Moncton Wildcats (8-3-0-1) - 1
Moose Jaw Warriors (7-4-0-0) - 0
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (7-3-0-0) 4 2
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The WHL pooh-bahs spent the last couple of days in Kelowna talking about this and that and some other things, and you can bet one of the items high on the agenda was attendance. Yes, all of the general managers and governors were there, with the former meeting Tuesday and the latter on Wednesday. Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a piece right here on the soft early-season attendance in some centres.
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F Derek Leblanc, 23, and his brother, Devon, 21, were going to play this season with the Central league’s Rapid City Rush. But that plan is going to have to wait. Derek (Brandon, Calgary, 2003-06) has signed with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He played in his first AHL game on Saturday. Devon (Red Deer, Prince Albert, Seattle, 2004-09) is with Rapid City. . . . The Moose also has signed F Matt Pettinger (Calgary, 1999-2001) to a tryout deal. Pettinger, 29, scored two goals in two games with the Moose last season after being assigned by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. He played in 59 games last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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The Saskatoon Blades will be wearing special jerseys on Nov. 7 when they play host to the Prince Albert Raiders. Check them out right here. . . . This is a terrific promotion and the jersey is magnificent. Love it!
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Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Rebels F Landon Ferraro is in Detroit where the Red Wings’ medical staff is checking over a knee injury that has kept him out of the last five games. He was the Red Wings’ first pick in the NHL’s 2009 draft.
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Here’s a look at the Prince George Cougars’ walking wounded as they prepare to meet the Giants in Vancouver on Friday and the Thunderbirds in Seattle on Saturday: D Dallas Jackson (shoulder); D Garrett Thiessen (shoulder); F Brett Connolly (hip); F Greg Fraser (concussion); F Marek Viedensky (shoulder); and D David Greyeyes (concussion). Only Viedensky might play this weekend. . . . As well, a flu bug is in the Cougars’ dressing room, with D Art Bidlevskii, D Jesse Forsberg, G James Priestner and F Parker Stanfield all missing at least one practice this week. . . . As well, the Cougars have reassigned D Shane Pilling to a midget AAA team in Lethbridge. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, but missed the Cougars’ camp with appendicitis.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Lethbridge, G Lucas Gore, who turns 19 on Oct. 22, stopped 31 shots as the Chilliwack Bruins posted a 1-0 shutout over the Hurricanes. . . . It was Gore’s first career shutout and came after he had watched Mark Friesen play the previous three games. . . . It was the seventh shutout in Bruins’ franchise history – they are into their fourth season – and their second by a 1-0 count. Matt Esposito stopped 26 shots in beating the visiting Kelowna Rockets 1-0 on Jan. 13, 2007. The Bruins have been blanked 1-0 on three occasions. . . . It’s interesting to note that the Bruins, through their first three seasons, were shut out 29 times. At the same time, their goaltenders pulled seven blank jobs. . . . Gore is 1-2-0-0 this season. . . . Attendance was 2,821. . . . The only goal in this one, came from F Dylen McKinlay, his fourth, at 9:34 of the second period. Assists went to F Jamie Crooks and F Kevin Sundher. Crooks was acquired last week from the Saskatoon Blades and may have some good chemistry with the multi-talented Sundher. . . . Lethbridge G Ville Kolppanen stopped 28 shots. . . . The Bruins, who opened a three-game Alberta swing, are 3-5-0-2, while the Hurricanes are 3-7-1-0. . . . The game ended with a multiple-fight situation and you can bet the WHL office will take a long look. Picking up fighting majors were Chilliwack players Colton Grant, Mitch McColm and Shayne Neigum, along with Lethbridge’s Carter Bancks, Cam Braes and Mike Reddington.
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In Everett, F Tyler Maxwell scored two goals and set up another as the Silvertips bounced the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-1. . . . Maxwell, who has six goals, has back-to-back two-goal games. . . . F Byron Froese added a goal and two helpers and F Kellan Tochkin set up three goals for Everett (4-2-0-0). . . . The Raiders (5-7-0-0) are 1-3-0-0 on their U.S. swing. They finish up Friday against the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 31 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,525.