Thursday . . .

A young WHL forward happened upon a break-in at his billet’s home on Thursday.
According to a source who sent me an email, the score was: Forward 1, Bad Guy 0.
The incident is said to have occurred just before noon on Thursday when the player arrived home to find a burglary in progress.
(The player’s name, I’m sure, will become well known at some point on Friday. However, because the police hadn’t caught the suspect as of late last night, the player shall remain anonymous in this space.)
According to the source, there was “a violent confrontation” with the player emerging with a “minor eye injury, a bruised lip and a very sore hand.”
The alleged burglar, according to the source, “was not so lucky, depositing copious amounts of blood at the scene and on (the player's) shirt which is now DNA evidence with the police.”
The police apparently have a good description of the bad guy.
“Thanks to (the player),” the source wrote, “the billet didn't lose any valuables.”
As well, the player’s billet wrote on Facebook:
“Well, we were broken into this morning, pretty sure the guy won't come back, (the player) was quick to defend the house! What a brave kid! The guy didn't know somebody was home, was he in for a surprise! And thanks to the local police who arrived so fast, and friendly!"
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have dealt D Tanner Sohn, who turns 19 on Nov. 3, to the Vancouver Giants for a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Sohn, who is from Medicine Hat, had four points and 64 penalty minutes in 29 games last season. He was 13th-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2006 bantam draft. . . . The Giants also got F James Henry, 19, back from the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. . . . Sohn, who had eight scraps in those 29 games, told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that he has dropped 30 pounds since last season. He now is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. . . . F Brandon Scholten, whom the Giants dealt to the Prince George Cougars for a fifth-round 2012 draft pick earlier in the day, apparently didn’t see eye-to-eye with head coach Don Hay and hadn’t reported to training camp.
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The Spokane Chiefs have released G Michael Tadjdeh, 19, who came over in November from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 13 games with the Chiefs, he was 5-5-0-0 with a 2.39 GAA and a .916 save percentage. . . . That move leaves the Chiefs with three goaltenders — veteran James Reid, 20, Chris Sharkey, 18, and Mac Engel, 17. . . . The Chiefs have 29 players on their roster, including five who are at NHL camps.
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The health of former QMJHL and NHL coach Pat Burns has taken a turn for the worse. He is at home in Magog, Que., surrounded by family. That story is right here.
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The Tri-City Americans got two players back from NHL camps Thursday and two more are due back on Friday. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin (New York Rangers) and F Justin Feser (Columbus Blue Jackets) arrived back Thursday, with F Patrick Holland (Calgary Flames) and D Spencer Humphries (San Jose Sharks) due back Friday. . . . F Brooks Macek (Detroit Red Wings) and G Alexander Pechurskiy (Pittsburgh Penguins) have moved on to main camps.
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College Hockey, Inc., is coming to Canada, and it’s coming in a big way.
Paul Kelly, the executive director of CHI, announced Thursday that it will hold a by-invitation-only camp in Toronto on Saturday. CHI has invited what it says are “approximately 70 of the top ’94 and ’95 prospects from Greater Toronto to the “inaugural NCAA Collegiate Hockey Summit” which is scheduled for Chesswood Arena.
Also on hand will be coaches from top NCAA Division 1 programs, along with “current and former NHL players and other NHL personnel.”
More from the news release:
“College Hockey, Inc. . . . organized the Summit and as part of the program will conduct an informational presentation to the players and families about the various career alternatives available to elite young players, and the benefits of the NCAA college hockey path.”
The news release concludes with Kelly stating “that College Hockey, Inc. plans to continue to contact and monitor the progress of these Toronto area players throughout the coming season, and to hold similar collegiate summits with elite prospects in other locations across Canada.”
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes’ roster sits at 26, not including three players in NHL camps — G Brandon Anderson (Washington Capitals), F Cam Braes (San Jose Sharks) and F Brody Sutter (Florida Panthers). . . . F Jay Merkley, the third overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, is expected to play for Lethbridge against the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday. Merkley is from Calgary and had 71 points in 33 games with the major bantam Bisons last season. The Hurricanes and Hitmen will meet Friday in Coleman, Alta., then play Saturday at the Kyle Stuart Memorial Arena at Edge School.
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I wasn’t going to mention this, but . . .
The NHL has taken the shootout equation out of the tiebreaker process when it comes to deciding playoff spots.
As veteran columnist Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette writes: “Common sense finally rules with this small step. Now, can we hope the governors also are thinking about taking a giant step forward by shooting down the shootout? I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to happen, but now and then miracles do occur.”
His column is right here. Anyone involved with the WHL at the rule-making level should read this. Please.
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The QMJHL will be the host league for the 2012 Memorial Cup tournament and has received bids from four teams. The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Halifax Mooseheads, Saint John Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes all have placed bids in a desire to be the host team and community. A final decision will be made by an as yet unnamed independent committee that is to begin site visitations early next year. The host team will be named in April. . . . The 2011 Memorial Cup is to be held in Mississauga, Ont., home of the OHL’s St. Michael’s Majors.
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The Calgary Hitmen, the WHL’s defending champions, have welcomed two 20-year-olds back to the fold. F Tyler Fiddler returned form the camp of the Phoenix Coyotes, while F Kris Foucault returned from the Minnesota Wild’s camp. . . . Fiddler had 58 points, including 30 goals, last season, while Foucault had 43 points, including 22 goals. . . . The Hitmen now have four 20-year-olds on the roster, with D Kyle Aschim and D Zak Stebner the other two. However, Aschim is recovering from shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely.
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The Saskatoon Blades have assigned F Hudson Morrison, 16, to the Southwest Cougars of the Manitoba Midget AAA Hockey League. He was a ninth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . At the same time, the Blades were welcoming back D Teigan Zahn, 20, from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Zahn, who returns for his fifth season in Saskatoon, is one of eight 20-year-olds on the Blades’ roster. With a few of those in NHL camps, this situation will take some time to sort itself out.
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The NHL has ruled that F Jeremy Morin of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers is eligible to play in the AHL, even though he is just 19 years of age. Why? Because he was an American player who was drafted before he joined a CHL team. Dave Waddell of the Windsor Star examines the issue right here, and he points out that this may be the opening shot in negotiations between the NHL and the CHL.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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