Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Richard Mueller (Brandon, Saskatoon, Calgary, 1998-2003) has signed a two-year contract with the Kassel Huskies (Germany DEL). He had two goals and six assists in 23 games for the Hamburg Freezers (Germany DEL) this season. . . .
F Glen Goodall (Seattle, 1984-90) won’t be re-signed by Ingolstadt (Germany DEL) after 11 seasons with the club. Goodall, the team captain this season, had five assists in 35 games for Ingolstadt. He has played in Germany since 1993. Goodall holds the WHL career games played (399) and goals (262) records, and is fifth in assists (311) and second in points (573).
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Former NHLer Trevor Letowski has signed on as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. Letowski, whose NHL career featured 616 games, spent the last two seasons with Astana Barys of the Continental league. Letowski, 33, is a former Sting player. He replaces Greg Walters, who left his position as associate coach following the season. Walters had been with the Sting for eight years. Letowski, who doesn’t have any coaching experience, will work under GM/head coach Dave McQueen.
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Mike Vandekamp, who took a turn as head coach of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, has moved on to coach in the Allan Cup tournament that opens Monday in Fort St. John, B.C., which just happens to be his hometown. Vandekamp, now the GM and head coach of the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm, is helping the host team, the Fort St. John Flyers. The Bentley Generals, under head coach Brian Sutter, are back to defend their Canadian senior hockey title.
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Freelance writer Scott Sepich, who often writes on the Portland Winterhawks for The Oregonian, takes a good look back and a glance into the future right here.
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WHL PLAYOFFS
THIRD ROUND
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (2)
(Brandon leads series 1-0)
Friday: Brandon 4 at Calgary 2 (8,669)
Saturday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
Wednesday: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
x-April 23: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
x-April 25: Calgary at Brandon, 5 p.m.
x-April 27: Brandon at Calgary, 6 p.m.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Vancouver (5)
(Vancouver leads series 1-0)
Friday: Vancouver 4 at Tri-City 2 (3,899)
Saturday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:35 p.m.
Tuesday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 23: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-April 25: Tri-City at Vancouver, TBD
x-April 27: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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FRIDAY:
In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings fell behind 1-0 and then scored the next three goals as they beat the Hitmen, 4-2, in the Eastern Conference final opener. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Calgary on Saturday. . . . Brandon has won six straight road games in these playoffs. . . . D Zak Stebner gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 10:37 of the first period, on the PP. . . . Brandon F Toni Rajala tied it five minutes later, on the PP. . . . D Travis Hamonic gave Brandon its first lead at 2:37 of the second period and F Brayden Schenn got the eventual winner at 9:03 of the third. . . . Calgary F Joel Broda pulled his guys to within one at 17:41 of the third, but Brandon F Matt Calvert iced it with an empty-netter at 19:59. . . . Broda has nine goals in these playoffs, while Schenn has eight. . . . Brandon was 1-for-3 on the PP; Calgary has 1-for-2. . . . Brandon G Jacob DeSerres, who is from Calgary, stopped 33 shots. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones turned aside 26 shots. . . . Attendance was 8,669. . . . Referees Matt Kirk and Chris Savage handed out five minor penalties, three to Calgary. . . . Brandon was without D Darren Bestland (undisclosed) and D Ryley Miller (jaw), while Calgary was minus D Kyle Aschim (upper body).
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In Kennewick, Wash., Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 42 shots to lead the Giants to a 4-2 victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . . This was the opener of the Western Conference final, with Game 2 set for the Toyota Center on Saturday night. . . . Segal, much-maligned as the Vancouver weak link when these playoffs began, now is 9-2 in this postseason. . . . Vancouver is 6-0 on the road in the playoffs. . . . The Americans took a 2-1 lead into the second period after D Tyler Schmidt scored two PP goals, the first just 35 seconds into the game and the second at 19:29. . . . F James Henry got the Giants on the board at 16:42. . . . F Brendan Gallagher tied the game, with his 10th playoff goal, at 1:45 of the second and F Greg Lamoureux, who had one goal in 42 regular-season games, got his first WHL postseason score in his fourth game at 4:18 to put the visitors in front. . . . Vancouver F Tomas Vincour added a PP goal, his sixth, at 10:28 of the third. . . . Giants D Nolan Toigo set up three goals and was plus-3. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman had two assists. . . . Tri-City G Drew Owsley stopped 19 shots. . . . The Americans were 2-for-9 on the PP; the Giants were 1-for-7. . . . Tri-City enjoyed a 5-on-3 PP late in the third period for 1:28 but only managed one shot on goal as the Giants tightened up defensively. . . . Attendance was 3,899.