F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) signed a contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). According to Kazakh news reports, Armstrong is in Prague waiting for his visa. He had two assists in two games with Utah Grizzles (ECHL) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hannover Indians (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) after a successful tryout. Blatny had two goals and four assists in his four-game trial with the Indians.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed D Brandon Manning of the Chilliwack Bruins to a three-year NHL contract. Manning, 20, was never selected in the NHL draft. According
to CapGeek.com, the contract calls for AHL salaries of US$60,000, $60,000 and $65,000, with NHL salaries of $690,000, $715,000 and $740,000. . . . Manning received a $270,000 signing bonus payable in three $90,000 instalments. . . . He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 points, including 10 goals, in 20 games with the Bruins this season. A native of Prince George, he is in his third season with the Bruins. . . . Manning, the Bruins’ captain, attended training camp with the NHL’s New York Rangers.———
The New York Islanders recalled D Travis Hamonic, 20, from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Tuesday. Hamonic (Moose Jaw, Brandon, 2006-10) has seven points in 19 games as an AHL freshman. He was a second-round pick by the Isles in the 2008 NHL draft. . . . It is anticipated that he will make his NHL debut tonight against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.———
Marc Fakler has been named GM and head coach of the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings, who will return to the NAHL next season. These days, he is the associate director of hockey operations/director of player advancement and bantam major head coach for the West Michigan Hounds AAA club. He has four years experience as an assistant coach at Western Michigan and two at Robert Morris.
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F Garth Murray (Regina, 1998-2002) has signed with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Murray, 28, played last season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat; in fact, he was the team captain. He had 31 points and 169 penalty minutes in 80 games. His pro career includes 355 AHL games and 116 in the NHL, with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes. He was a third-round selection by the Rangers in the 2001 NHL draft.———
D Dylan McIlrath is back skating with the Moose Jaw Warriors. McIlrath, who was in New York last week for an MRI on an injured knee, took part in an optional skate Monday and returned to practice on Tuesday. He has a strained MCL and is listed as day-to-day. . . . The New York Rangers selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . The Warriors, who face the Raiders in Prince Albert tonight, will have F A.J. Johnson (mononucleosis) back tonight after missing eight games. . . . D Shayne Gwimmer, 16, will make his WHL debut with the Warriors. Gwinner, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, was brought in from the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who are based in Strathmore, Alta. . . . The Chilliwack Bruins will be without D Jesse Pauls for up to four months. He had surgery after suffering a broken leg in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. Pauls, who is from Chilliwack, had 14 points in 21 games. . . . ———
SOME TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Kamloops, F Dalibor Bortnak scored 54 seconds into OT to give the Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F JT Barnett, who had gone 10 goals without a goal, had a goal and two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Matt Needham, the eighth pick in the 2010 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal for Kamloops. It was his second WHL game. . . . The Pats are 1-0-2 on their B.C. Division swing. . . . ———
In Red Deer, F Daulton Siwak had a goal and three assists as the Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-0. . . . G Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots in posting his WHL-leading fourth shutout of the season. He has 10 career blank jobs. . . . Siwak, a second-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, went into the game with five points in 24 games. Last season, he totaled five points in 61 games. . . . ———
In Medicine Hat, F Linden Vey had two goals and three assists to lead the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Vey, with 17 points in his last five games, moved into top spot in the WHL scoring race. He now has 43 points, including 16 goals, and holds a two-point lead over F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Tyler Pitlick added two goals for Medicine Hat, giving him 10. . . . Medicine Hat F Emersom Etem scored his 15th goal and added two assists. . . . ———
In Calgary, F Jimmy Bubnick had two goals and an assist to help the Hitmen to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Edmonton. . . . Bubnick, in his fourth WHL season, has 151 career points. . . . The Hitmen had lost nine straight games at home. . . . Calgary has won two of three after losing 12 in a row. . . . Attendance was announced as 7,165. However, Dan Toth reported in the Calgary Herald that “only a couple of thousand fans braved the frigid weather.” . . .———
In Saskatoon, F Curtis Hamilton and D Duncan Siemens had a goal and two assists apiece to lead the Blades to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . D Stefan Elliott scored his eighth goal of the season and it was his sixth game-winner. . . . Elliott also was plus-5, while Swift Current F Cody Eakin and D Reece Scarlett each was minus-5. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls had two assists. . . . Hamilton, who switched from No. 9 to No. 13 prior to this season, scored his 13th goal. He had worn No. 9 through three seasons, but injuries limited him to 26 games last season. He now has 32 points in 23 games. . . . With F Marek Viedensky (concussion) sidelined, Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken moved Jake Trask up between Hamilton and Nicholls. Trask, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers, responded with a goal and an assist. . . . Swift Current is without D Tanner Muth (collarbone), F Stepan Novotny (knee), F Brenden Sylvester (back), F Taylor Vause (hamstring) and F Dillon Wagner (knee).———
TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Medicine Hat F Ryan Harrison.
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