Thursday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: D Kevin Young (Medicine Hat, Portland, Kelowna, 1998-2002) signed a one-year contract with Eindhoven Kemphanen (Netherlands Eredivisie). He had five goals and 16 assists in 38 games with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany 2.Bundesliga) this season. . . .
G Tomas Vosvrda (Medicine Hat, 2007-08) signed a three-year contract with Liberec (Czech Republic Extraliga). He was under contract to Vitkovice (Czech Republic Extraliga) but was loaned out to Havirov (Czech Republic 2.Liga) to start the season (nine games, 3.26 GAA, .898 save percentage). He then was recalled for three games with Vitkovice (40.00 GAA, .600 save percentage) before being loaned to Vitkovice U20 (Czech Republic U20 Extraliga; five games, 2.81 GAA, .904 save percentage; one playoff game, two goals allowed, .926 save percentage). For the playoffs, he was loaned out to Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic 2.Liga; eight games 3.33 GAA, .919 save percentage).
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F Mitch Czibere (Vancouver, Regina, 2005-09) has signed with the Central league’s Laredo Bucks. Czibere played out his 20-year-old season with the MJHL-champion Dauphin Kings, who were the host team for the RBC Cup, the national junior A tournament. . . . Terry Ruskowski, a former WHL player and coach, has been running the Bucks for eight seasons now.
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D Travis Hamonic of the Brandon Wheat Kings has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s New York Islanders. Hamonic, 19, played four seasons in the WHL, mostly with the Moose Jaw Warriors. He was dealt to Brandon, the host team for the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup, at the WHL trade deadline. He was named to the Memorial Cup all-star team. He was selected by the Islanders in the second round of the NHL’s 2008 draft. . . . Hamonic is the fourth player off Brandon’s roster to sign with an NHL team. He joins F Matt Calvert (Columbus Blue Jackets), D Colby Robak (Florida Panthers) and F Brayden Schenn (Los Angeles Kings).
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Robert Dirk (Regina, 1982-88) has been named head coach Team Pacific, the team that will represent Alberta and B.C., at the 2011 U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Dec. 28 to Jan. 4. Dirk is a head coach at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton. . . . Glen Carrier of Maple Ridge, B.C., who scouts for the Chilliwack Bruins, will serve as director of operations. . . . Kris Knoblauch (Red Deer, Edmonton, Kootenay, Lethbridge, 1995-99) will serve as Team Pacific’s assistant coach. He is an assistant coach with the Kootenay Ice. . . . Troy Clifford of Kamloops is the equipment manager. He was the senior trainer for the TRU WolfPack, who play in the B.C. Intercollegiate league, this season.
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More on the NCAA-CHL thing . . .
I’m told that “the big difference between an unofficial visit and an official visit is who pays for it. Basically, Zulinick had to pay for his own airfare to Madison and his lodging once he was there.”
I received that explanation after wondering Wednesday about the difference between an official and unofficial visit to a campus by a NCAA recruit.
In this instance, Morgan Zulinick, a 15-year-old hockey player from Kamloops, spent some time on the U of Wisconsin campus before committing to the school, which is home to the Badgers.
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Tim Fragle is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Fragle was an assistant coach with the Crusaders, whose board of directors chose not to renew the contract of Ross Kenny following the season. Kenny had been GM and head coach for four seasons.