THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has been loaned by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers to Ilves Tampere (Finland SM-Liiga) for the coming season, according to the Ilves website. He had 26 goals and 37 assists in 60 games for Brandon (WHL) last season. Rajala, now 19, was selected by the Oilers in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2009 draft. . . .
F Max Brandl (Prince Albert, Portland, 2007-09) signed a one-year contract with the Landshut Cannibals (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had no goals and eight assists in 51 games for the Hamburg Freezers (Germany DEL) last season.
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The news on Rajala is a bit of a shocker. It had been anticipated that Rajala would return to the Brandon Wheat Kings for a second season. In fact, the Wheat Kings passed with a second-round selection in the CHL’s 2010 import draft last month after taking Danish F Mark Mieritz in the first round. . . . Brandon owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon didn't respond to an email request for comment on Sunday.
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G Tyler Weiman (Tri-City, 2000-04) has signed with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks and would seem ticketed to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose as their starter. Weiman signed a one-year, two-way deal after spending the last three seasons with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters. He was a fifth-round selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2002 draft. . . . With the Canucks likely to go with Cory Schneider as Roberto Luongo’s backup, it is likely that Weiman, a 26-year-old from Saskatoon, will open the season as the Moose’s starter. The Moose is Vancouver’s AHL affiliate.
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Shaun Clouston is about to become a WHL head coach again. Clouston, the Medicine Hat Tigers’ associate coach, will be taking over from Willie Desjardins, who is expected to join the NHL’s Dallas Stars as an associate coach. The rumour has been kicking around for a few days, of course, but I only got confirmation from a solid source late Sunday night. . . . Desjardins has been with the Tigers for eight seasons, winning WHL titles in 2004 and 2007. . . . Clouston was fired as head coach of the Tri-City Americans 60 games into the 2002-03 season — he was replaced by Bob Tory — and joined the Tigers the following season. . . . Clouston is the older brother — by 19 months — of Ottawa Senators head coach Cory Clouston. . . . The Stars are believed to be restructuring their coaching staff under head coach Marc Crawford. When last season ended, former NHL players Charlie Huddy, Stu Barnes and Andy Moog were the assistant coaches with Mike Valley the goaltending coach. Moog has since left the Stars.