Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Brad Voth (Medicine Hat, 1996-2002) signed a one-year contract extension with the Cardiff Devils (UK Elite). He had 12 goals and 21 assists in 50 games for the Devils this season, in addition to leading the league in penalty minutes, with 347. . . .
D Victor Bartley (Kamloops, Regina, 2003-09) signed a one-year contract with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden Allsvenskan). He had two goals and 11 assists in 21 games with Utah (ECHL) and two goals in eight games with Bridgeport (AHL) this season.
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Mention the NCAA and the CHL and the feelings between the two organizations, and then sit back and watch the sparks fly.
There aren't too many things that get some people’s blood boiling so quickly.
Late last week, WHL commissioner Ron Robison, speaking as a CHL vice-president, had a few things to say about Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey, Inc.
A couple of days later, Kelly fired back via a College Hockey press release.
Robison’s statements and the College Hockey release both were reported on this blog.
While I was chugging along the Trans-Canada Highway, on my way home from the MasterCard Memorial Cup, one player agent took the time to send me this text:
“Just read Paul Kelly statement. Hypocrisy. No mention or concern of last week’s USHL draft in which several 14-year-olds were drafted.
“The difference? USHL is a farm system for NCAA.
“What’s sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander.”
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I also heard from a WHL exec who recently spoke with a Division 1 assistant coach who has worked as a head coach.
“It is his understanding that the professionalism tag comes from playing with players who have signed professional contracts,” the exec writes. “His interpretation is that WHL contracts and pay are not the deciding factor.”
The response came after the exec asked “what the key difference was between the USHL being NCAA eligible and CHL being ineligible?”
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I’m not going to get into the whole NCAA-CHL thing because it all resembles a spinning wheel -- it just goes round and round.
But I have always found it kind of goofy the way NCAA recruits are allowed to have advisors but not agents. However, in most instances, the chosen advisor ends up as the player’s agent, does he/she not?
As well, Paul Kelly has lambasted the CHL for its drafting and recruiting of 14 year olds.
But what of someone like F Morgan Zulinick of Kamloops, who was a third-round selection of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2009 bantam draft?
Zulinick, now 15 years of age, already has committed to attend the U of Wisconsin and play for the Badgers, beginning in 2012-13. Zulinick made the decision after what he called an unofficial visit to the campus in Madison. Zulinick also said North Dakota and Colorado College were recruiting him, too.
On this so-called unofficial visit, Zulinick and his father, Mitch, had dinner in the home of Badgers head coach Mike Eaves. “He spent every second with us when we were there . . . When we were in the weight room, he left us -- that was the only time he left us,” Morgan told Mark Hunter of the Kamloops Daily News.
If this was an unofficial visit, I’ve just got to ask -- what constitutes an official visit?
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That the Kamloops Blazers were interested in D Corey Fienhage, 20, was first reported on this blog on March 29.
On Wednesday, the Blazers announced that they have signed Fienhage, who played the last two seasons with the U of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the NHL’s 2008 draft.
“Corey is a big physical defenceman who felt that the WHL was the best route for him in order to prepare himself to play pro hockey,” Kamloops GM Craig Bonner said in a press release. “He is a mobile defenceman (who) will have an opportunity to play an important role with our hockey club.”
Fienhage, who is from Apple Valley, Minn., also has played for the USHL’s Indiana Ice.
He was placed on the Blazers’ protected list earlier this year.
Fienhage is the second player to leave the Fighting Sioux in the last while. F David Toews, the younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, has said he wants to play his 20-year-old season in the WHL. His rights are held by the Brandon Wheat Kings, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2005 bantam draft.
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The Blazers also have signed D Tyson Harvey, a second-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. Harvey, who is from Nanaimo, played for the bantam AAA Nanaimo Clippers. He is expected to play next season for the major midget North Island Silvertips.
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G Joe Caligiuri (Brandon, Prince George, 2006-09) has committed to attend the U of Manitoba and play for the Bisons next season. Caligiuri, who helped the Dauphin Kings to the MJHL championship this season, is from Winnipeg.
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Kevin MacKay, the GM and head coach of the Kootenay International junior league’s Kimberley Dynamiters, has joined the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks as assistant GM and associate head coach. He will work under GM/head coach Rylan Ferster.
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Serge Lajoie is the new head coach of the Edmonton-based NAIT Ooks. Lajoie had been an assistant coach through five seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. Lajoie replaces Terry Ballard, who was dropped after more than 12 seasons with the Ooks.