Wednesday . . .

Bruce Hamilton, the president and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets, could hardly contain himself Wednesday night.
It was the night before the annual WHL bantam draft and it almost was as though he had cashed in a first-round pick a bit early.
“We got Colton Sissons to commit,” he said, “and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”
The Rockets acquired the rights to Sissons from the Saskatoon Blades in January, in exchange for veteran F Curt Gogol.
The 6-foot-0, 173-pound Sissons, 16, played for the BCHL’s Westside Warriors, picking up 22 points in 58 games.
Hamilton fully expects Sissons, a native of North Vancouver, to be in the Rockets’ lineup next season.
The Rockets also picked up a 2011 third-round bantam pick in the deal with Saskatoon.
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The Kamloops Blazers, meanwhile, are in a quandary.
Their braintrust went to bed Wednesday night feeling as though it is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.
It seems that F Matt Needham of Penticton has told them that he won’t commit to the WHL until he has completed at least his 2010-11 season. Part of the Kamloops braintrust doesn’t feel that it is in a position to roll the dice with the No. 8 pick on something that isn’t a sure thing. Part of the braintrust, on the other hand, seems prepared to go ahead and select Needham.
In the end, the decision will be made by GM Craig Bonner.
You can bet he didn’t sleep too well on Wednesday night. Don't be surprised if he climbs out of bed and decides to take the best available defenceman.
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D Kevin Connauton of the Vancouver Giants has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Connauton, selected by the Canucks with the 83rd pick of the 2009 NHL draft, left Western Michigan to join the Giants. In his one WHL season, he set franchise records for goals (24) and points (72) by a defenceman. He was named a Western Conference all-star.
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F Lance Bouma, the captain of the Vancouver Giants, has joined the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. Bouma was selected by the Calgary Flames, the Heat’s parent club, in the third round of the 2008 NHL draft. . . . The Heat is preparing to meet the Hamilton Bulldogs in the second round of the AHL playoffs.
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Steve Junker (Spokane, 1988-92) has returned to his hometown to coach. Junker, who has played in Europe since 1997, is the new GM and head coach of the junior B Castlegar Rebels of the Kootnenay International league. As a player, Junker was on teams that won the Memorial Cup, Turner Cup (IHL) and Calder Cup (AHL). He also played for Canada in the world junior championship. . . . Junker replaces Brent Heaven, whose contract wasn’t renewed after he spent three seasons as head coach.
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F Kyle Beach of the Spokane Chiefs has made it to the NHL. Beach was one of eight players recalled Thursday by the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Beach, the 11th overall pick in the 2008 NHL draft, joined Rockford after the Chiefs’ season ended. He led the IceHogs with three playoff goals. . . . The Blackhawks are preparing to begin a second-round playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province is speculating that the Vancouver Giants may end up acquiring F Landon Ferraro from the Red Deer Rebels. That story is right here.
With the instantaneous reaction time provided by the Internet, speculation such as this leads to things like this: Red Wings prospect Landon Ferraro on the outs with Red Deer. . . . That’s just one off the blog headlines that I spotted on the Internet after first seeing Ewen’s story. Of course, that headline could have been written after head coach Jesse Wallin scratched Ferraro (and F Andrej Kudrna) from what turned out to be Red Deer’s final playoff game.
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The Forsberg brothers are eager to play together with the Prince George Cougars. Jesse just completed his first season as a Cougars defenceman; Alex, a forward, is expected to be selected by the Cougars with the first pick of Thursday’s bantam draft. Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has that story right here.