Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02) won’t be re-signed by Mont-Blanc (France Ligue Magnus). He had five goals and 11 assists in 26 games for Mont-Blanc this season. Mont-Blanc finished in 14th (last) place in Ligue Magnus this season and kept its place in the league for next season by beating 13th place Neuilly sur Marne three games to two. . . .
F Sami Sandell (Brandon, 2004-06) has signed a one-year contract extension with Troja-Ljungby (Sweden Allsvenskan). He started the season with LeKi Lempäälä (Finland Mestis), getting 10 goals and seven assists in 17 games. He also had one goal in one game for Ilves Tampere (Finland SM-Liiga) before heading to Sweden. With Troja-Ljungby, Sandell had nine goals and five assists in 23 games. Troja-Ljungby's GM, Jerry Andersson, said: "Sami became a crowd favorite last year and obviously we are very pleased to retain him." . . .
F Ben Thomson (Medicine Hat, 1997-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with EVR Tower Stars Ravensburg (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had 28 goals and 38 assists in 51 games for the Tower Stars this season to finish fifth in 2.Bundesliga scoring.
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WHL PLAYOFFS
FOURTH ROUND
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
(Ed Chynoweth Cup)
Calgary (1E) vs. Tri-City (1W)
(best-of-7)
(all times local)
Friday: Tri-City at Calgary, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Tri-City at Calgary, 8 p.m.
May 4: Calgary at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
May 5: Calgary at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-May 7: Tri-City at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-May 9: Calgary at Tri-City, 5:05 p.m.
x-May 10: Tri-City at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x — if necessary.
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There you have it . . . the schedule for the WHL championship for the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
If it goes seven games, the Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans will play Games 6 and 7 on consecutive nights in two different venues.
And here are the travel plans for the series . . .
The Americans will ride the bus to Calgary for Games 1 and 2, with both teams taking the bus to Kennewick, Wash., for Games 3 and 4.
After that, if necessary, its all jets all the time.
Both teams will fly to Calgary for Game 5, then fly to Kennewick for Game 6, and fly to Calgary for Game 7.
Following the series, the winning team will fly east as the Memorial Cup beings in Brandon on May 14.
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Mike Williamson has covered a lot of ground, and a lot of ice, over the last year.
A former player and coach with the Portland Winterhawks, Williamson was out of the game for two years before signing on as head coach of the Calgary Hitmen last summer.
And now here he is, about to lead his guys into the WHL’s championship final against the Tri-City Americans.
The series opens with two games in Calgary, on Friday and Saturday nights.
“It’s been a bit hairy but it’s certainly good to be here,” Williamson said late Sunday night, taking a break from scoreboard watching and a viewing of Where The Wild Things Are with his children.
With the way in which the Hitmen dispatched the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference final -- Calgary lost the opener and then won four in a row -- it is easy to remember that they came perilously close to bowing out in the first round. In fact, they had to win three straight games after falling behind 3-1 to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
“Our guys had played pretty well other than Game 2,” Williamson said of that first-round series. “In the first game, we were a little bit overanxious, I think. We were so excited and so aggressive that we didn’t really play our game. The second game just was uncharacteristic . . . we didn’t play very well.”
When the Hitmen fell behind 3-1, Williamson said, the fact that he had an experienced roster that included a lot of players who had been to the previous WHL final meant a lot.
“When it was 3-1 our guys were pretty good about realizing that it was one game we had to focus on,” he said. “I think if it had been a younger team or more inexperienced, it would have been tougher for them to buy in. In saying that, it was still close. But the belief at least was there and that was the first thing.”
And now, as he prepares for the final, what is going through his mind?
“To be in the this situation and still be coaching, it’s an unbelievable opportunity,” he said.
Yeah, but what does he do for an encore?
Williamson chuckled and said: “Ahh, we‘ll see where this goes.”
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Jeff Battah won’t be back as an assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars. He joined the Cougars on Dec. 11, 2008, after working as GM/head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. . . . Head coach Dean Clark will work with Jason Becker as his assistant coach. Becker (Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, Swift Current, 1990-95) signed on with the Cougars on Dec. 16. . . . Blaine Russell, the WHL’s playoff MVP with the champion Lethbridge Hurricanes in 1997, will be the Cougars’ goaltending coach. Russell also played goal for the Spokane Chiefs and Prince Albert Raiders (1995-97).
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Greg Pankewicz, who retired as a player a year ago, will return as the Colorado Eagles’ assistant coach. He will be working under president/GM/head coach Chris Stewart. Pankewicz is a former WHL player (Prince Albert, Regina, 1989-91).
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The IHL’s Dayton Gems have fired former NHLer John Marks as their head coach. The move was made on Friday. Marks, 62, almost certainly will find a job elsewhere. A longtime coach, he is the ECHL career leader in games coached, victories and losses.
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Here’s a note I received via email from a follower of the Portland Winterhawks regarding Dean (Scooter) Vrooman’s playoff appearances on radio . . .
“As you are aware, he was providing ice level commentary for the Hawks playoff games.
“At the Rose Garden he was between the benches. However, at the old Memorial Coliseum he was in a corner. . . . Scooter must have had seven or eight sheets of paper (lineups, notes, names, etc.) taped to the glass and boards.
“When I first saw this, I immediately thought . . . ‘Wow, this is a guy who cares.’
“Here was a semi-retired guy who is going to get five to 10 minutes of air time a night, but he is still preparing for the job like he is doing play-by-play for a national television audience.”
We really wouldn’t expect anything but that kind of effort from the Scooter, would we? Here’s hoping that all the young wannabes were paying attention.
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The Central league’s Wichita Thunder introduced Kevin McClelland as the 12th head coach in franchise history on Monday. McClelland is a former head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders who spent the last couple of seasons as head coach of the Central league’s Colorado Eagles. . . . At the same news conference at which McClelland’s hiring was confirmed, F Jason Duda (Saskatoon, Medicine Hat, 1992-95) announced his retirement as a player. Duda, who spent 14 seasons with Wichita, will stay with the team as its assistant coach. He is the franchise career leader in games played (730), goals (337), assists (533) and points (870). He had been the Thunder’s interim head coach since early November.
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The QMJHL final will be an all-New Brunswick affair. The Saint John Sea Dogs advanced Monday with a 7-1 victory over the visiting Victoriaville Tigres. . . . This is the first time in QMJHL history that two teams from the Maritimes have qualified for the final. . . . The Sea Dogs, who had the QMJHL’s best regular-season record, took the semifinal in six games. They will meet the Moncton Wildcats in the final, that is expected to open on Friday. . . . The Wildcats took out the Drummondville Voltigeurs in five games, but lost F Nicolas Deshamps with a leg injury in the last game. Deschamps, who was on crutches after the game, is listed by the team as day-to-day with what head coach Danny Flynn has said is a high ankle sprain. Deschamps, 19, was acquired from the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in January and tied for the QMJHL scoring lead with 96 points, including 39 goals. A second-round selection by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2008 NHL draft, he has signed a pro deal. He has 14 points in 15 playoff games.