Thursday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) signed a three-month contract with Klagenfurt (Austria Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He had 26 goals and 39 assists in 48 games for the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and two goals and six assists in 28 games withthe  Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and Abbotsford Heat (both AHL) last season.
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F Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings is in Los Angeles, awaiting an MRI on a knee that he injured Tuesday. He was injured during Brandon’s camp, and was flown to L.A., so the Kings’ medical staff could check him out. Schenn was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft.
However, Rich Hammond, at L.A. Kings Insider, reported Thursday:
“Brayden Schenn did not have an MRI on his knee (Thursday), and is now scheduled to be evaluated by the medical staff (Friday), so we won’t have an update for another 24 hours or so.”
The early reports out of Brandon indicated that Schenn had only “tweaked” a knee and that it wasn’t believed to be serious.
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Are you ready for Sept. 13?
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have made moves with three veteran players. . . . They placed F Josh Koper, 20, on waivers, while reassigning F Jordan Kochan, 19, and D Lane Werbowski, 19, to junior A. . . . Koper was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers last season but finished up with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Putting him on waivers leaves Edmonton with three 20-year-olds — F Jordan Hickmott, F Mike Piluso and D Adrian Van De Mosselaer. . . . Werbowski was acquired from the Tri-City Americans during last season and had six points in 38 games with Edmonton. . . . Kochan had 10 points in 50 games with the Prince Albert Raiders last season. . . . The Oil Kings will play two exhibition games in Prince George on the weekend and, with four players off to NHL camps, will use three 15-year-olds — F Curtis Lazar, D Mason Geertsen and G Tristan Jarry.
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The Calgary Hitmen have signed F Greg Chase, the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. Chase, from Sherwood Park, Alta., had 77 points in 33 games with the bantam AAA Sherwood Park Flyers last season. He played for the Hitmen in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Red Deer Rebels in Airdrie, Alta.
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The Chilliwack Bruins have signed F Clay Spencer and F Luke Harrison, a pair of 2010 bantam draft picks, to WHL contracts. Spencer, the 29th overall selection, had 66 points in 33 games with a bantam AAA team in Lethbridge last season. Harrison, the 51st overall pick, is from Westbank, near Kelowna, and played bantam in Westside last season. . . . The Bruins earlier signed D Keegan Kanzig, their first-round pick, so have signed their first three selections from the 2010 draft.
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The Kelowna Rockets have placed F Kyle St. Denis on injured reserve and he will remain there until at least Christmas. St. Denis, 19, continues to battle post-concussion syndrome. He and his parents have met with two specialists, both of whom recommended he avoid contact. . . . "It's really hard," St. Denis said in a news release. "I've been training all summer to come back with the intention of playing. This is one of the toughest decisions I've had to make. But hearing the doctors say I can't play made it an easier decision." . . . St. Denis is at home in Trail, B.C., and is re-evaluating his future, including educational options. . . . St. Denis had 40 points in his 17-year-old season, but each of his last two seasons was ended by injury. . . . According to a news release from the Rockets: “Because he can't play due to injury, St. Denis will receive a full four year scholarship from the Rockets through the WHL education program.”
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Are you ready?
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F Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. They took him in the first round, fourth overall, of the 2010 NHL draft. Johansen, 18, had 69 points, including 25 goals, in 71 games with Portland last season. He added 18 points in 13 playoff games. . . . Johansen will be on the Columbus roster at the prospects tournament that is set for Traverse City, Mich., this weekend.
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The Regina Pats have released F Devin Balness, 18, who had eight points in 42 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings last season. . . . The Pats are down to 31 players, including four goaltenders and 18 forwards.
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The ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies have acquired D David Schulz, 24, from the Greenville Road Warriors. The 6-foot-4 Schulz (Swift Current, Spokane, Saskatoon, 2001-06) split the last two seasons between the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs and AHL tams in Lake Erie and Rochester. He was an eighth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL’s 2004 draft. Utah got Schulz and futures for G Dov Grumet-Morris.
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Headline on WHL press release issued Tuesday: 144 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
Headline on WHL press release issued Wednesday: 145 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
Headline on WHL press release issued Thursday: 146 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
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There is nothing tougher than trying to keep track of who is going to NHL camps and who is coming back.
For starters, F Darian Dziurzynski of the Saskatoon Blades, who is one of the 146, actually is recovering from surgery to repair some damage to his nose so won’t be going to camp on a free-agent tryout deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Which might lead to this headline on a WHL press release that might be issued today: 145 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
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Are you?
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The Saskatoon Blades are continuing their attempts to get an international release for Slovakian F Andrej Stastny, who is with a U-20 team in Puchov. . . . Meanwhile, Czech F Matej Stransky, the Blades’ other first-year import, should return from concussion this weekend. . . . F Darian Dziurzynski hopes to play the Blades’ last two exhibition games after recovering from minor surgery on his nose.
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Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that Kevin Prendergast, the former Edmonton Oilers assistant GM, interviewed Wednesday for the head scouting position with Hockey Canada. That spot came available when Al Murray left to take over as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s chief amateur scout. Matheson’s story is right here.