Monday

THE MacBETH REPORT: F/D Ben Clymer (Seattle, 1998-99) signed a one-year contract with Lugano (Switzerland NL A). He had eight goals and 24 assists in 37 regular-season games and two goals and three assists in 10 playoff games with Ingolstadt (Germany DEL) this season. . . .
D Michal Divisek (Seattle, 1994-96) signed a one-year contract with Nice (France Division 1) as player-assistant coach and as head coach for Nice's minor hockey program. He had five goals and 11 assists in 18 regular-season games and three assists in two playoff games for Evry (France Division 2) this season, where he was also the head coach.
———
F Stefan Schneider of the Portland Winterhawks has joined the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Schneider, a 20-year-old free agent, signed a three-year NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks earlier this month. He signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Moose, who are down 2-1 to the Hamilton Bulldogs in a first-round playoff series.
———
Former WHL G Kurt Jory, now 22, has been cleared to return to action after an injury that occurred in November 2008. Jory (Brandon, Moose Jaw, 2005-07) was with the Brock Badgers, an Ontario university team from St. Catharines, when he suffered a skate cut to his throat. He ended up spending three weeks in hospital. The injury led to nerve problems in his back and a shoulder. Jory, who is from Brandon, told the Brandon Sun that when he visited his doctor on Thursday he almost expected to be told his career was over. Instead, he got the OK to resume playing.
———
We bring you news today of a junior hockey league that seems to know what it is doing. Yes, the Ontaro Junior Hockey League, a junior A circuit, has contracted. Seriously. . . . There’s more right here.
———
Veteran WHL observers will remember Pat Conacher, who played two seasons with the Saskatoon Blades and Billings Bighorns (1977-79) before going on to a gritty pro career. His son, Dan, is a centre with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. Darren Zary of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
———
Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald reports that Jim Playfair, the head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat and a former head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, may be back in the NHL before too long. Oh, and Hall also knows what Playfair’s mother thought of THE RANT. That’s right here.
———
Bill Yuill, the owner of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, may be on the verge of purchasing the NAHL’s Texas Tornado. There’s a bit more right here. . . . Rick Brodsky, who owns the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, also owns the NAHL’s Wichita Falls Wildcats.
———
WHL PLAYOFFS
THIRD ROUND
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (2)
(Series tied 1-1)
April 16: Brandon 4 at Calgary 2 (8,669)
April 17: Brandon 2 at Calgary 3 (OT) (8,697)
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Calgary at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
x-April 27: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Vancouver (5)
(Series tied 1-1)
April 16: Vancouver 4 at Tri-City 2 (3,899)
April 17: Vancouver 0 at Tri-City 4 (3,875)
Tuesday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Tri-City at Vancouver, TBD
x-April 27: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
———
Ahh, the mind games of playoff hockey. They are in full force in the series between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Calgary Hitmen.
In a story that appeared in Monday’s Brandon Sun, sports editor James Shewaga points out that a penalty that led to Calgary F Ian Schultz scoring the winning goal in Saturday’s 3-2 OT victory perhaps shouldn’t have been called.
Shewaga writes:
Schultz . . . provided the decisive moment Saturday. With Wheat Kings forward Scott Glennie already serving a minor penalty, Brandon blue-liner Alexander Urbom swung his stick at a flying puck to knock it out of the defensive zone, but was handed a high-sticking penalty by Derek Herman after Schultz reacted as if he had been struck in the face. However, replays confirmed that Schultz — who appeared to embellish the call by snapping his head back in a scene straight out of the Zapruder film — was not, in fact, hit in the head by Urbom’s stick.
While WHL vice-president Richard Doerksen did not personally review video of the call after the game, he said the supervisor of officials in attendance did support the penalty that night.
(Brandon GM/head coach Kelly) McCrimmon was visibly upset on the bench with the overtime penalties on Saturday night, but chose his words carefully on Sunday.
“Well, the officials made the calls that they made and unfortunately we didn’t get through the penalty kill situation,” said McCrimmon. “So overtime was short and as a result, we lost our opportunity to take both games.”
———
Meanwhile, Ian Busby of the Calgary Sun writes that Calgary F Tyler Shattock is questionable for Game 3 after taking a hit from behind from Brandon F Scott Glennie in Game 2.
Here’s what Busby wrote:
Just 46 seconds into overtime, Wheat Kings centre Scott Glennie mashed Hitmen winger Tyler Shattock’s face into the glass, taking a checking from behind penalty.
Shattock wobbled off the ice, and he’s questionable for Game 3 Tuesday in Brandon, which hardly seems like he was embellishing as was claimed by Wheat Kings head coach Kelly McCrimmon after Game 2.
“I take offence to any of our players getting questioned,” said Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson.
“Shatts is a hard-nosed power forward who doesn’t lay on the ice. Kelly is a smart coach. Anytime you can influence the officiating by getting something in the paper, he’s going to do it. That’s what his angle was.
“It was a textbook hit from behind. If we played today, he would be doubtful. With a couple days off, we’ll see if he can get ready.”
———
PLAYOFF NOTES: The Brandon Sun is reporting that D Darren Bestland, who missed the first two games of the Eastern Conference final, may have a facial injury. According to The Sun: “McCrimmon did not confirm, nor deny, reports that Bestland, who did not play in Calgary, received medical treatment for a facial injury in Winnipeg last week.” . . . Bestland didn’t practise on Monday. . . . Only 3,700 tickets for Game 3 had been sold as of Monday at 5 p.m., and you have to wonder at what point the WHL becomes concerned about playoff attendance. Keep in mind that the Tri-City Americans didn’t crack the 4,000-mark for either of the first two games of the Western Conference final. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the Giants had a visitor at their practice facility on Monday. F Brayden Jaw had 34 points in 58 games with the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers this season. He turns 18 on Saturday. The Medicine Hat Tigers selected him with the first pick of the third round in the 2007 bantam draft.