Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Mark Smith (Saskatoon, Tri-City, 1995-97) won’t return to the Cardiff Devils (UK Elite) next season. He had 30 goals and 42 assists in 61 games with Cardiff this season. From the Cardiff press release: “Smith, an electrifying skater and stick handler, struggled with a knee injury throughout last season and will now consider his options for the future.” . . .
Brno (Czech Republic Extraliga) announced a series of moves for next season after keeping its spot in the Extraliga by virtue of finishing in first place in the relegation series. . . . F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) signed a two-year contract extension. . . . F Vaclav Varada (Tacoma/Kelowna, 1994-96) was returned to Vitkovice (Czech Republic Extraliga). . . . F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) won’t be re-signed. . . . Svoboda had eight goals and four assists in 42 games and two goals and two assists in seven games in the relegation series. . . . Varada started the season with Vitkovice, getting two goals and eight assists in 19 games. He was then loaned to Brno, where he had four goals and four assists in 14 regular-season games and one assist in 10 relegation-series games. Varada has one year left on his contract with Vitkovice. . . . Sindel had 11 goals and nine assists in 44 games this season.
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USHL versus WHL.
USHL versus Western Canadian junior A.
USHL versus the world.
What’s the deal?
Well, I went to someone whose opinion I respect and someone who is quite familiar with the WHL, junior A in the west, and the USHL.
I simply asked him for an opinion. And here is what he told me:
1. The WHL is No. 1. The players are bigger, he said, and when you put everything together the WHL’s players are more skilled. He also pointed out that play in the WHL is more structured, which may have something to do with the level of coaching in the WHL never having been better than it is right now.
2. The USHL is No. 2. He said the USHL’s best teams would be “decent” WHL teams. “There is lots of skill,” he said, “but the players are much smaller on average.” He also pointed out that the USHL’s best players are 17 and 18 years of age — because the best 19- and 20-year-olds are at NCAA schools.
3. He said the best BCHL teams — he mentioned Vernon and Penticton — would “be OK” in the USHL. But, he added, the “bottom-end teams wouldn’t stand a chance.” The other side of that, he said, is that the USHL’s weakest teams “would be good/very good BCHL teams.”
The other three junior A leagues — the AJHL, SJHL and MJHL — follow the BCHL in any rankings.
To sum up, he said he is “very impressed” with the USHL “and its calibre of play.” Still, the edge, when it’s one league against the other, he said, has to go to the WHL.
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Chris Stewart, who did a turn as head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders a while back, is returning to coaching after a two-year absence. Stewart, the president and GM of the Central league’s Colorado Eagles, has added the head-coaching duties to his portfolio. The announcement came as the Eagles revealed that they won’t renew the contract of head coach Kevin McClelland, a former NHL player who also coached in Prince Albert. McClelland went 87-30-11 in two seasons with the Eagles. This season, they were first-round playoff losers to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. . . . In previous stints as a CHL coach, Stewart has put up 375 coaching victories, third all-time. . . . Stewart was named Prince Albert’s director of hockey operations and head coach on July 17, 1995. He was fired on Dec. 8, 1997. . . . McClelland took over as the Raiders’ head coach on July 3, 1998. He resigned on June 13, 2000. . . . The future of Eagles assistant coach Greg Pankewicz (Prince Albert, Regina, 1989-91) hasn’t yet been decided. He has been with Colorado, as a player or coach, for seven seasons.
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Another WHL team is trying to erase convicted sexual abuser Graham James from its history. The Calgary Hitmen, whom James served as an owner, general manager and head coach, have removed him from a team photo that hangs in the Pengrowth Saddledome. The CTV outlet in Calgary has that story right here.
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WHL PLAYOFFS
SECOND ROUND
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Medicine Hat (5)
(Calgary wins series 4-2)
April 2: Medicine Hat 2 at Calgary 5 (8,431)
April 4: Medicine Hat 0 at Calgary 4 (6,976)
April 6: Calgary 3 at Medicine Hat 4 (OT) (3,832)
April 7: Calgary 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (4,006)
April 9: Medicine Hat 5 at Calgary 4 (9,004)
April 11: Calgary 3 at Medicine Hat 2 (OT) (4,006)
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Brandon (2) vs. Saskatoon (3)
(Brandon wins series 4-2)
April 2: Brandon 6 at Saskatoon 5 (6,418)
April 3: Brandon 4 at Saskatoon 1 (5,353)
April 7: Saskatoon 5 at Brandon 4 (4,026)
April 9: Saskatoon 4 at Brandon 3 (4,765)
April 10: Saskatoon 2 at Brandon 3 (4,026)
April 12: Brandon 5 at Saskatoon 2 (8,606)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
Tri-City (1) vs. Kelowna (6)
(Tri-City wins series 4-1)
April 2: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 5 (3,977)
April 3: Kelowna 4 at Tri-City 1 (3,812)
April 6: Tri-City 2 at Kelowna 0 (5,231)
April 7: Tri-City 3 at Kelowna 2 (5,368)
April 9: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (OT) (4,334)
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Portland (4) vs. Vancouver (5)
(Vancouver leads series 3-2)
April 3: Vancouver 9 at Portland 6 (5,849)
April 4: Vancouver 7 at Portland 4 (3,757)
April 7: Portland 3 at Vancouver 2 (7,088)
April 9: Portland 3 at Vancouver 5 (8,828)
April 10: Portland 5 at Vancouver 4 (6,418)
Tuesday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 1 (5,589)
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THIRD ROUND
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7)
(x — if necessary)
(All times local)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Calgary (1) vs. Brandon (2)
Friday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Brandon at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Brandon, 6 p.m.
April 21: 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)
Friday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7::35 p.m.
Tuesday: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
April 22: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 24: Vancouver at Tri-City, 1 p.m.
x-April 26: Tri-City at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-April 27: Vancouver at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
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MONDAY:
In Portland, F Tomas Vincour broke a 1-1 tie at 7:25 of the second period and the Vancouver Giants went on to a 3-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The Giants won the series 4-2 and now will meet the Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference final. That series opens with Friday and Saturday games in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Vincour’s goal, his fifth of the playoffs, came via the PP. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had given Vancouver a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal at 8:02 of the first period. . . . F Nino Niederreiter scored a PP goal just 31 seconds later. . . . Gallagher has nine goals in these playoffs; Niederreiter scored eight. . . . F James Henry gave Vancouver some insurance with a PP goal at 9:31 of the third. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-5. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 32 shots in running his playoff record to 8-2. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots. . . . The Giants were without F J.T. Barnett (shoulder), who might not play again this season. . . . The Giants also were without F Brett Breitkreuz (undisclosed), while Portland reamined without D Taylor Aronson (shoulder). . . . The Winterhawks, who hadn’t played in the playoffs since the spring of 2006, were done in by their inability to win on home ice. They played six home playoff games in two rounds and lost them all. At the same time, they won six of seven road games. . . . The Giants, meanwhile, now are 5-0 on the road. . . . Attendance at the Rose Garden was 5,589. . . . The start of the second period was delayed by about 15 minutes after a fan was injured while taking part in a broomball game during the intermission. The male fan fell and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. . . . Portland D Luca Sbisa, whose NHL rights belong to the Anaheim Ducks, is likely to be assigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The Moose is preparing to open a first-round playoff series against the Hamilton Bulldogs on Thursday.
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PLAYOFF NOTES: The Calgary Hitmen know that they are going to have to raise their game to another level if they are to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference final. That series opens Friday in Calgary and the Calgary Herald takes a look right here. . . . If you hadn’t already guessed, Shaw TV will cover the series between Calgary and Brandon.