Sunday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: D Angel Krstev (Lethbridge, 1999-2000) has signed a contract for the rest of the season with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden Elitserien). He started the season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia KHL), getting one goal and six assists in 21 games for Torpedo, before moving to Brno (Czech Republic Extraliga), where he had four assists in eight games.
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Two former WHL goaltenders met head-on in the MJHL on Saturday night. Justin Leclerc (Lethbridge, Kamloops, 2005-09) stopped 24 shots to help the host Winnipeg Saints beat Joe Caligiuri (Brandon, Prince George, 2006-09) and the Dauphin Kings, 4-0. Caligiuri turned aside 28 shots. Dauphin, the host team for the 2010 Royal Bank Cup, went into Sunday at 42-9-1-0, easily the best record in the Sher-Wood Division. . . . The Saints, at 30-16-3-4, were two points clear of the Selkirk Steelers in the Addison Division.
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Warren Henderson of the Kelowna Capital News takes a look at the number of defencemen who have gone on from the Rockets to play in the NHL. That story is right there.
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SUNDAY:
In Calgary, G Martin Jones stopped 35 shots to spark the Hitmen to a 3-0 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . It was the fourth shutout this season for Jones, who has 12 in his career. . . . F Ian Schultz, with his 18th, and F Joel Broda, with his 27th, had PP goals for Calgary, which was 2-for-2 with the man advantage. The Calgary PP is No. 2 in the league, behind only the Tri-City unit, which went 0-for-5. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick added his 20th into an empty net. . . . F Tyler Shattock had two assists. . . . Tri-City G Alexander Pechurskiy, who had blanked the Oil Kings 7-0 in Edmonton on Friday, stopped 29 shots. . . . The Hitmen are 33-16-1-1 and have won four of five. . . . The Americans, who are first overall, are 37-13-0-2. They went 2-3-0-1 on the Central Division swing but have lost three of four. . . . Attendance was 11,472.
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In Edmonton, D Adrian Van de Mosselaer’s third goal of the season, at 3:07 of OT, gave the Oil Kings a 5-4 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Oil Kings (11-32-4-7) ended a 16-game losing streak. They had been shut out in each of their last two games. . . . The Raiders are 27-23-2-2. . . . Van de Mosselaer went off for high-sticking 56 seconds into OT. . . . The Oil Kings built a 3-1 lead late in the second period, thanks to a pair of goals from F Michael St. Croix. He has 10 this season. . . . Edmonton later stretched that lead to 4-2, only to have the Raiders force OT on goals by F Justin Maylan, his 11th, and F Brandon Herrod, his 32nd. Herrod’s goal came at 18:37 of the third period. . . . Maylan finished with two goals and an assist, as did St. Crois. . . . Edmonton G Cam Lanigan stopped 46 shots, while Prince Albert’s Garrett Zemlak, in his first start since returning from a concussion, turned aside 17 shots. . . . Attendance was 6,063.
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In Kent, Wash., D Dallas Jackson’s shorthanded goal with 54 seconds left in OT gave the Kelowna Rockets a 2-1 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 36 shots through the third period. He was beaten on Kelowna’s only shot of OT. . . . F Shane McColgan scored his 21st goal of the season for Kelowna at 4:04 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart tied it with his fourth at 13:34 of the first. . . . Jackson, a trade-deadline acquisition from the Prince George Cougars, scored his 14th of the season. . . . Each team was 0-for-6 on the PP. . . . Kelowna G Mark Guggenberger stopped 26 shots, including four in OT. . . . Attendance was 4,528. . . . The Rockets (25-25-2-2) moved into a tie with the idle Kamloops Blazers for sixth in the Western Conference. Kelowna has won six in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds (14-29-5-4) have lost nine straight.
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In Langley, B.C., the Portland Winterhawks overcame an early 2-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the host Vancouver Giants, 4-3. . . . F Craig Cunningham, with his 31st, and F Milan Kytnar, with his fifth, on the PP, gave Vancouver a 2-0 edge before the game was six minutes old. . . . F Spencer Bennett’s 15th goal, at 6:49 of the third period, on the PP, tied it. . . . Portland took the lead on goals 48 seconds apart by F Ryan Johansen, his 19th, and F Ty Rattie, his 13th. . . . F Brendan Gallagher got his 31st for Vancouver at 8:39 of the third but the Giants weren’t able to equalize. . . . Portland was 1-for-8 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-for-5. . . . The Winterhawks (32-20-1-1) won a total of 30 games over the previous two seasons. . . . Vancouver (31-20-1-2) had won its two previous games. . . . Attendance was 4,382. . . . Portland F Chris Francis had two assists, giving him eight points on in the three-game weekend — the Winterhawks went 2-1-0-0. Francis put up 22 points in 13 January games. He also has 66 points, one shy of last seaosn’s career high. . . Portland F Luke Walker had one assist to run his point streak to 11 games. He earned 17 points in 11 January games.

Saturday . . .

Teams visiting the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops must be forewarned -- the Lethbridge Hurricanes are the next team scheduled to play there, on Feb. 6.
After watching the last couple of games in the facility, I have reached the conclusion that we may be headed for a Dave Winfield, Darrell Waltrip or Randy Johnson moment.
A young bird has taken up residence in the arena and during Friday’s game between the Blazers and Vancouver Giants, it even landed on the ice surface while play was going on. At one point, with the play in the Kamloops zone, this bird -- well I don’t pretend to be an ornithologist, I believe it is a European starling -- was in the faceoff circle to the left of Vancouver G Mark Segal, bouncing around and pecking at the surface.
(The bird also made its way into the press box as though thinking it might find something to eat up there. As if!)
An ill-placed puck could end up putting a Kamloops game on SportsCentre, replacing one of these bird moments.
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THE MacBETH REPORT: D Harlan Pratt (Seattle, Red Deer, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1994-99) was released by Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erstee Bank Liga). Pratt had one goal and 14 assists in 33 games for Olimpija this season. . . .
F Michal Lukac (Prince George, 2001-02) was returned to Asplöven Haparanda (Sweden Division 1) from loan to Örebro (Sweden Allsvenskan). He had one assist in seven games with Örebro. Before the loan, Lukac had 10 goals and 10 assists in 12 games for Asplöven. . . .
F Roman Tvrdon (Spokane, 1999-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Bad Tölz (Germany Oberliga). He had been without a team so far this season. Tvrdon had 13 goals and 10 assists in 24 games for Metallurg Zhlobin (Belarus) last season.
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Tyler Metcalfe (Seattle, 1999-05) is one of those rare players to have played in the WHL over six seasons. (He played seven games as a 15-year-old.) Now he is the captain of the Alberta Golden Bears and his university career is winding down. Ashley Prest of the Winnipeg Free Press has a story on Metcalfe right here.
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SATURDAY:
An abbreviated roundup as I’ve got some tennis to watch . . .
In Portland, F Chris Francis had a goal and three assists, while Luke Walker had a goal and two assists as the Winterhawks bounced the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent, 6-2, in front of 10,907 fans in the Rose Garden. Walker also picked up a double minor for head-butting, resulting in Jess Rubenstein of theprospectpark.blogspot.com suggesting that he had scored a WWE hat trick. . . . Portland is 8-0 against the Thunderbirds this season. . . . Portland G Ian Curtis (shoulder) sat for a second straight game. Mac Carruth went the distance with Keith Hamilton on the bench. . . .
In Spokane, D Joey Leach scored his third goal and added two assists as the Kootenay Ice edged the Chiefs, 4-3. Leach’s goal, at 7:34 of the third period, gave the Ice a 4-2 lead. F Kyle Beach scored twice for the Chiefs. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Jason Bast scored twice to lead the Warriors to a 4-1 victory over the Regina Pats. The teams split their weekend series, as Regina won at home, 3-2, on Friday. . . . Moose Jaw G Jeff Bosch, who used to play for the Pats, stopped 36 shots and now is 6-0 against his former team. . . . There were 2,910 fans in the Crushed Can. . . . The Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak. . . .
In Everett, the Silvertips edged the Kamloops Blazers 2-1 to set a franchise record with their 14th consecutive win. The 2006-07 club held the previous record. Everett has matched the 14-game streak the Kootenay Ice had end earlier in January. F Shane Harper scored one goal for the Silvertips. He has scored in six straight games, tying the franchise record set earlier in this winning streak by F Byron Froese. . . .
In Kelowna, G Adam Brown stopped 35 shots and F Spencer Main had two goals and an assist as the Rockets dropped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 7-2. The Rockets, who struggled through much of early January, now have won five in a row. . . . The Tigers had a six-game winning streak end. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Jordan Hickmott scored twice and the teams took part in one of those multi-fight situations to end the second period as the Prince Albert Raiders beat the Hurricanes, 5-1. . . . The Raiders had lost eight in a row on the road going into this one. . . . The Hurricanes now have lost four straight. . . .
In Red Deer, G Kraymer Barnstable stopped 26 shots as the Rebels bounced the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-0. . . . The Rebels have won four in a row. . . . Edmonton has lost 16 in a row and has been shutout twice in two nights. . . .
In Swift Current, F Derek Hulak and F Charles Inglis each scored twice as the Saskatoon Blades dropped the Broncos, 7-4. . . . The Blades, who had lost four of five, dropped a 4-3 OT decision to the Broncos in Saskatoon on Friday. . . . Broncos F Cody Eakin scored his WHL-leading 37th goal. . . .
In Langley, B.C., the Vancouver Giants dumped the Prince George Cougars, 7-4, in front of 4,474 fans. The Giants are playing six home games in Langley because the Olympic Winter Games have taken over the Pacific Coliseum. Vancouver used F James Wright, who was returned last week by the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, on defence. The Cougars have lost 13 in a row.

Perception . . . or reality?

Perception . . . reality . . . reality . . . perception.
There is a perception in the WHL that the Vancouver Giants, because of the presence of veteran head coach Don Hay, will get a break now and then when it comes to the officiating.
Of course, you aren’t going to find too many people, if any, who will speak publicly on this subject for fear of a) offending anyone in the powerful Giants organization; b) ruffling feathers in the WHL office; or, c) causing the referees’ union to turn on them.
Regardless, that perception is there.
Which brings us to Friday night at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops, where the Giants overcame a 1-0 deficit with a late third-period power-play goal and beat the Blazers 2-1 in a shootout.
WHL on-ice officials are young men who get paid a relative pittance to do an important job -- important, at least, in terms of the game. And just as the league is developing players, it works to develop officials.
But the officials really are up against it because the coaching in the WHL never has been at a higher level. There are head coaches in the league like Hay, Curtis Hunt, Lorne Molleken, Guy Charron, Craig Hartsburg, Mark Lamb, Rich Preston and Marc Habscheid, all of whom have NHL experience. Others, like Willie Desjardins, have ample international experience.
In other words, the coaches in the WHL have far more experience and at higher levels than most of the on-ice officials.
But for as long as there have been referees and coaches, coaches working the officials has been part of the game. Some observers will tell you that it is, indeed, a fine art with some coaches.
On Friday night, Hay spent a good part of the first period ‘working’ the two referees; either that, or he was campaigning as he mounts a run for political office.
And for most of the game’s first 45 or 50 minutes, Kamloops was, believe it or not, the dominant physical team. The Giants simply couldn’t handle the Blazers’ cycling game, but the visitors took very few penalties.
Kamloops earned a number of scoring chances off its cycling game, too, but some solid play by goaltender Mark Segal and some bad puck luck limited the home team to just the one goal.
While the Blazers established their cycling game, Messrs. Hanson and Papp kept their whistles in their pockets. They chose to let the puck battles go on and on and on, and there were some terrific battles. And the longer the game progressed, the more defenders’ sticks came up to a position parallel with the ice surface, something that, on most nights, is a no-no.
On this night, however, the referees said: Play On!
Until late in the third period, that is.
The Giants forwards finally began to take over the physical part of the game in the last 10 minutes of the third period. James Wright, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward who was returned to Vancouver from the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning last week, started to look at least a bit more comfortable and he became a presence in the Kamloops zone as the Giants worked the corners.
And with the Giants cycling the puck in one corner, Blazers defenceman Bronson Maschmeyer was called for holding.
Was it a penalty? Yes, according to the rule book. No, according to the standard established by the two referees through the game’s first 50 minutes.
Yes, the Giants scored on the power play. And, of course, they went on to win in the shootout.
But if you were at the game, you had to wonder why the officials, who chose not to impose their will on the game for 55 minutes, decided to change their approach and get involved with 4:13 left in the third period.
Was it because of The Don Hay Theory that is whispered about throughout the WHL?
Or is that theory simply perception?
Just asking . . .

Keeping Score

It seems that Milton Bradley, the oft-troubled outfielder who now belongs to the Seattle Mariners, isn’t leaving Chicago quietly. He has been sued for $44,000 in rent, late fees and interest by his Chicago landlord. “If it’s any consolation for the condominium owners,” Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel writes, “the Cubs didn’t really get their money’s worth, either.” . . . Tom Powers, in the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Twelve men in the huddle. Twelve men in the huddle. Twelve men in the huddle . . . That’s all people are talking about. They still are shocked at the high school type of error that doomed the Vikings’ Super Bowl chances.” . . . Hmm, wonder if there might be money to be made by playing host to a commiseration session for fans of the Minnesota Vikings and Saskatchewan Roughriders? . . .
If you weren’t aware, receiver Austin Collie of the Super Bowl-bound Indianapolis Colts was born in Hamilton. His father, Scott, was a receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the time. . . . Congrats to Gary Reed, who has been honoured as All-Athletics.com’s middle-distance runner of the year (2009) in North and Central America. Reed, who grew up in Kamloops and now lives and trains in Victoria, is one of the world’s top 800-metre runners. . . . After Tag Heuer said it would be sticking with Tiger Woods, blogger RJ Currie noted: “There’s a good match: a watchmaker and a two-timer.” . . . At the Australian Open, Serena Williams is listed as weighing 150 pounds. To which a disbelieving Patrick Smith of The Australian wrote: “They should weigh her other thigh next time.” . . . Late Wednesday night, the guesstimation of the crowd count at Hillside Stadium for the torch festivities was 12,000. By early the next afternoon, a talking head was saying it was 15,000. By the end of next week, everyone in the city will have been in attendance. . . .
Mike Freeman, at CBSSports.com, after Sunday’s NFC championship game: “Vikings fans: you wanted him, you got him. There he was and there he goes. For all the good (Brett) Favre did for the Vikings both this season and in this game, he nonetheless had a relapse. Favre is as addicted to risk and chance as a poker player is to chasing the big score.” . . . Not sure who got more face time on Fox-TV in that game, Favre or his wife. . . . Just don’t try telling me that the NFC championship game was a “classic,” because it wasn’t; in fact, as a football game it stunk. What it was: Proof that a game isn’t a classic just because it goes to overtime. . . . I was thrilled to represent all of you here Monday as the cheques from the Christmas Cheer Fund were handed over to representatives of the New Life Mission, the YMCA/YWCA Y Women’s Emergency Shelter and the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home. Each cheque was worth a few pennies more than $21,316. . . .
That was an interesting signing this week when the Minnesota Twins cut a deal with DH Jim Thome. He needs nine home runs to get to 573 and tie former Twins great Harmon Killebrew for 10th on the all-time list. The Twins are moving into a new park, Target Field, this season and it includes a restaurant called 573 Club. . . . David Whitley, over at FanHouse: “Poor Chris Barnes. One day he’s a relatively unknown pro bowler minding his own business. The next day he’s Bobby Riggs in goofy shoes. That day was Sunday, when Barnes was beaten (by a female bowler named Kelly Kulick) in the PBA’s Tournament of Champions. . . . Rule No. 1 in determining whether an activity is a sport: If the best female in the world can beat the best male in the world, it doesn’t qualify. That doesn’t mean Kelly Kulick’s victory isn’t worth celebrating. In one match she rivaled the achievements of such bowling legends as Earl Anthony, Dick Weber and Fred Flintstone.”
Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald, after Sun Life Financial cut a deal for naming rights on the Miami football stadium in which the Super Bowl will be played: “On the scale of corporate sellouts, being named for a Canadian financial company is seen as slightly less embarrassing than being named for a failed Fruit of the Loom subsidiary (Pro Player) or second-tier beer (Land Shark).” . . . That deal, by the way, is worth US$40 million over 10 years. . . . Jeff Blair, at globeandmail.com: “Rumours are rampant that conspiracy specialist Oliver Stone has been hired to do the Vancouver Canucks’ 2009-2010 video retrospective.” . . . Outfielder Tyson Gillies of Kamloops, who now is with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, played against Grant Desme last season in the California League. “He was playing at Stockton while I was in (High Desert),” Gillies told me this week. “This kid can flat out play ball.” Desme, a top prospect with the Oakland A’s, shocked the baseball world a week ago when he announced his retirement in order to enter a Catholic seminary and study to become a priest. . . . The A’s apparently are working to deal him to the Padres.
Cam Hutchinson, in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “Body scanners were used for the first time at Pearson International Airport in Toronto (last) week. Among the discoveries was Vesa Toskala’s five-hole is bigger than first feared.” . . . Veteran forward Ian Laperriere of the Philly Flyers had his custom-designed bridge stolen while he was on a trip. As Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post put it: “That means a guy missing teeth now has missing teeth.” . . . Hamilton added: “The police are looking for suspects, but they’ve already ruled out L.A. Kings centre Oscar Moller.” . . .
Ozzie Guillen’s mug showed up on the big screen during a recent Chicago Blackhawks’ home game and it drew boos from Cubs fans in the audience. None of which bothered the Chicago White Sox’ manager. As he told the Chicago Daily Herald: “Know what I did? I showed them my World Series ring.” . . . You may have heard contaminated ex-major leaguer Mark McGwire mention that he had help hitting home runs from “the man upstairs.” Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: “Apparently, McGwire’s steroid dealer was living in an attic above the gym.”

Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca and gdrinnan.blogspot.com. Keeping Score appears Saturdays.

Friday . . .

It’s Trans-Canada Clash weekend in Regina and Moose Jaw, and Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has written a terrific story on three former Pats — Jamie Heward, Frank Kovacs and Mike Sillinger. They played regularly for the Pats as 16-year-olds when they were known as the PUP line. . . . That story is right here and there are some great memories of just how tough this league used to be.
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Former Saskatoon Blades G Michael Garnett is playing in the Kontintental Hockey League and, in fact, has been named to the all-star team. Cory Wolfe, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix’s fine hockey writer, chatted with Garnett this week and the story is right here.
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So here’s the deal on Tri-City Americans F Brendan Shinnimin from Wednesday night. He received a game misconduct following the shootout in what was a 4-3 loss to the host Red Deer Rebels. According to the online scoresheet, he received a misconduct, of the 10-minute variety, following the overtime period. The online scoresheet is in error. . . . Shinnimin’s actions after the shootout — he was penalized for making an inappropriate gesture in the direction of a referee — resulted in the game misconduct, and he later was suspended for one game by the WHL. . . . If you’re wondering, here is the rule, as supplied by the always co-operative Richard Doerksen of the WHL:
“Three (3) players from each team shall participate in the shootout and they shall proceed in such order as the Coach selects. All players are eligible to participate in the shootout unless they are serving a 10-minute misconduct or have been assessed a game misconduct or match penalty.”
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FRIDAY:
In Regina, F Carter Ashton scored at 18:26 of the third period to give the Pats a 3-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw F Jason Bast had pulled his side into a 2-2 draw at 15:50 of the third period. . . . Regina got goals from D Cody Carlson, his fourth, and F Andrew Rieder, his first. . . . Moose Jaw G Brandon Glover stopped 44 shots, while Regina’s
Damien Ketlo stopped 29. . . . Attendance was 6,510. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-for-4 on the PP; Regina was 0-for-7. . . . They play again Saturday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Pats (23-24-3-1) are five points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. They have points in seven straight games. . . . The Warriors (25-18-4-3) have lost five in a row. The Warriors went into this game having won the first five games in the season series.
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In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings struck for five third-period goals and beat the Hitmen, 6-3. . . . Brandon went 4-0 on its four-game road swing. . . . F Tyler Shattock scored his first two goals with Calgary — he was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers on Jan. 10 — and the second one gave the Hitmen a 3-1 lead at 7:29 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Scott Glennie scored goals 41 seconds part, at 9:10 and 9:51, to tie it and drew an assist on D Colby Robak’s 11th goal at 15:09. . . . Glennie has 15 points, including six goals, in his last six games. . . . Brandon F Brayden Schenn got No. 20 at 16:29 and F Matt Calvert, with his 34th, got the empty-netter. That was his 200th WHL point. . . . Shattock, who has 24 goals, also had an assist. . . . Brandon G Jacob De Serres stopped 26 shots, while Calgary’s Martin Jones turned aside 16. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 9,845. . . . The Wheat Kings (35-16-0-3) have won five straight and now lead the Eastern Conference. . . . The Hitmen (32-16-1-1), who had won three straight, and Kootenay Ice now are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference.
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In Chilliwack, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s first five goals and beat the Bruins, 6-2. . . . The Tigers took control when goals by F Kale Kessy, his 10th, and F Joey Frazer, his 15th, in the last two minutes of the first period gave them a 3-0 lead. . . . Frazer finished with a goal and two assists, while F Bretton Cameron set up two goals. . . . F Linden Vey got his 20th goal for the Tigers. He has 22 points, including seven goals, over his last 11 games. . . . The Bruins were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Tigers were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 3,149. . . . The Tigers, who have won six in a row, are 32-15-3-5 and lead the Central Division by six points. . . . The Bruins (Bruins (23-25-1-5) are seventh in the Western Conferencee, two points behind the Kamloops Blazers and two ahead of the Kelowna Rockets.
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In Edmonton, In Edmonton, G Alex Pechurskiy stopped 20 shots for the shutout as the Tri-City Americans bounced the Oil Kings, 7-0. . . . The shutout was Pechurskiy’s third in 10 appearances. He joined the Americans from a Russian team over Christmas. He is 7-2-0-1 with a 1.60 GAA and a .941 save percentage. . . . F Justin Feser, who scored twice in his hometown of Red Deer earlier in the week, had a goal and three helpers, while F Johnny Lazo had a goal and two assists. . . . The Americans were 2-for-6 on the PP and scored two shorthanded goals — by F Kruise Reddick and Feser 15 seconds apart in the third period. . . . Edmonton G Cam Lanigan stopped 22 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,128. . . . And according to the online scoresheet, it appears that Pechurskiy took a penalty shot at 7:16 of the third period. Here’s what it reads: 3 - T.C Pechurskiy, 7:16 - Penalty Shot , 0 min (PPPENSH). . . . What happened is that Pechurskiy threw his stick in an attempt to thwart Edmonton F T.J. Foster who was killing a penalty. Foster wasn’t able to score on the ensuing penalty shot. . . . The Americans (37-12-0-2) continue to lead the overall standings. They are three points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Oil Kings (10-31-4-7) have lost 15 in a row. They have won only three of their last 35 games. Edmonton hasn’t won since Dec. 18 when it beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 3-1.
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In Everett, C Zack Dailey broke a 3-3 tie with a PP goal at 8:41 of the third period to give the Silvertips a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Silvertips (32-16-2-1) have won 13 in a row, tying a franchise record set in 2006-07. They are at home to the Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night. . . . During the 13-game streak, Everett has won nine games by one goal. . . . The Winterhawks are 30-20-1-1 and are fourth in the Western Conference, five points behind the Silvertips. . . . The winner was Dailey’s second of the game and his seventh score this season. . . . Everett led 2-0 midway through the second period on goals by F Shane Harper, his 32nd, and F Daymond Langkow, his 16th. . . . After Portland F Ty Rattie and Dailey exchanged goals, the Winterhawks tied it on scores from Rattie, at 19:48 of the second, and F Chris Francis, his 22nd, at 3:58 of the third. . . . Dailey also had an assist, while D Ryan Murray had two helpers. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 27 shots, 11 fewer than Portland’s Mac Carruth. . . . Everett was 1-for-6 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-4. . . . Attendance was 7,019.
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In Kamloops, F Craig Cunningham’s shootout goal gave the Vancouver Giants a 2-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Blazers (24-23-2-4), who had won five in a row at home, took a 1-0 lead on C C.J. Stretch’s goal at 6:11 of the second period. . . . Vancouver F Tomas Vincour tied it at 17:40 of the third on the PP. . . . The Giants (30-19-1-2) had lost three in a row. They ended up going 5-5-0-0 on a 10-game road swing. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 32 shots, while Kamloops’ Kurtis Mucha turned aside 31. . . . Cunningham was the only one of five shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Attendance was 4,815.
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In Kelowna, D Tyson Barrie scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Rockets (23-25-2-2) have won four in a row. . . . The Cougars (9-39-1-2) have lost 12 straight. They are 3-20-1-2 on the road. . . . F Alex Rodgers gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead at 18:22 of the second period. . . . Kelowna took the lead on two goals by Barrie, his 11th, shorthanded at 19:32 of the second, and his 12th, on the PP, at 7:09 of the third. . . . The Cougars forced OT when F Nick Bounassisi scored his 12th at 18:37 of the third period. . . . Rodgers drew two goals. . . . With three points, Barrie ran his career total to 153, which is a franchise record. The previous record (152) was held by Josh Gorges, now of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. . . . Prince George G Hudson Stremmel stopped 48 shots, 16 more than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . . Attendance was 6,093.
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In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored the game’s last four goals, three of them in the third period, and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . This was the first meeting of these teams since the Raiders ended the Ice’s 14-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory in Prince Albert on Jan. 23. . . . The Ice (31-16-2-2) now is tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Raiders (26-23-1-2) have lost eight in a row on the road. They are tied with the Swift Current Broncos for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . F Brandon Herrod gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his 31st goal, shorthanded, at 8:20 of the first period. . . . The Ice got two goals from each of D Hayden Rintoul and F Kevin King. . . . Rintoul, who has five goals, scored two PP goals, at 19:04 of the first and 2:09 of the third. . . . F Dustin Sylvester had three assists for the Ice and D Brayden McNabb had two. . . . King also drew one helper. . . . The Ice was 2-for-6 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-5. . . . Prince Albert G Jamie Tucker stopped 21 shots. The Raiders are still with G Garrett Zemlak, who suffered a concussion on Jan. 20. Zemlak made the trip and skated with the Raiders on Thursday, but didn’t dress. He may play Saturday in Lethbridge. . . . G Todd Mathews stopped 30 shots for the Ice. . . . Attendance was 2,943. . . . The Raiders are without D Harrison Ruopp (wrist), who was injured in a fight on Jan. 20.
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In Lethbridge, F Landon Ferraro broke a 1-1 tie at 12:26 of the third period to give the Red Deer Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . All three goals were scored in the final period. . . . Red Deer F Adam Kambeitz got his fifth at 1:46. . . . Lethbridge F Carter Bancks tied it at 9:38 on the PP. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Linden Rowat stopped 31. . . . Attendance was 3,497. . . . The Rebels (27-19-0-4) moved into sixth int he Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors. Red Deer has won four of five. . . . The Hurricanes (16-29-3-2) have lost six of seven.
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In Saskatoon, F Taylor Vause scored at 2:42 of overtime to give the Swift
Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Blades. . . . The Broncos forced OT
on F Michael Stickland’s 15th goal at 14:16 of the third period. . . . Vause’s
goal was No. 11. . . . The Blades got two goals from F Marek Viedensky, who
has nine. His second goal, on the PP at 19:29 of the second period, gave the home team a 3-2 lead. . . . Swift Current G Mark Friesen stopped 31 shots, eight fewer than Saskatoon’s Steven Stanford. . . . Broncos F Cody Eakin scored his 36th goal of the season, shorthanded, at 4:19 of the second. That gave Eakin the WHL goal-scoring lead. It was his third shorthanded goal against the Blades this season. . . . The Blades were 2-for-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 0-for-7. . . . Attendance was 4,107. . . . Saskatoon (33-11-3-3) has slipped to third in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Broncos (26-23-0-3) moved into a tie with the Prince Albert Raiders for the conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Blades are in Swift Current on Saturday night.
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In Spokane, F Kyle Beach scored twice and had an assist as the Chiefs dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent, 4-1. . . . Beach has a career-high 32 goals. . . . Beach, who also got into a scrap with D Scott Ramsay, scored both his goals in the first period as the Chiefs took a 3-1 lead. . . . F Prab Rai scored his 28th goal for the Thunderbirds. . . . The Chiefs (29-18-3-1) moved into a tie with the Portland Winterhawks for fourth in the Western Conference. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 37 shots, 10 more than Spokane’s James Reid. . . . Attendance was 8,713. . . . The Thunderbirds (14-28-4-4) have lost seven in a row. . . . The Chiefs have won six of seven games with the Thunderbirds this season.

Charron bites his tongue after shootout loss

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Given the opportunity, Guy Charron wouldn’t bite. In fact, the only thing he
bit was his tongue.
The head coach of the Kamloops Blazers obviously was disenchanted with the
circumstances that led to his WHL team dropping a 2-1 shootout decision to
the Vancouver Giants before 4,815 witnesses at Interior Savings Centre on
Friday night.
But while his body language, including the clenched jaw, spoke volumes,
Charron chose to bite his tongue and, in the process, keep the WHL office
out of his wallet.
“It’s a well-fought game,” Charron said. “You kind of question the amount of
time we cycled the puck and they never got penalties. Late in the game like
that, in a one-goal game . . . was it a questionable call?
“I’m not going to argue about whether it was a good call or a bad call . . .
with the amount of time we spent in their end and the amount of time they
spent in our end . . . and we get a penalty called against us late in the
game . . . I don’t know.
“I can’t comment on that. It is what it is.”
The Blazers had dominated the Giants by cycling the puck deep in the
Vancouver zone for most of the game’s first 50 minutes. And referees Trevor
Hansen and Steve Papp had chosen for the most part to stay out of the fray.
Then, with the Giants trailing 1-0 but coming on late in the third period,
Blazers defenceman Bronson Maschmeyer was called for holding on forward
James Wright with the play deep in Kamloops territory.
The Blazers were seven seconds from killing the penalty when Vancouver
forward Tomas Vincour, at 17:40, one-timed a 40-footer past goaltender
Kurtis Mucha.
“We were so close to killing it off,” Charron said. “It was one shot and it
hit inside the post and went in. It could easily have hit the post and gone
out. That’s the way it goes.”
The Giants won it with the only goal of the shootout when centre Craig
Cunningham, who leads the WHL points derby, beat Mucha with a deke to the
backhand.
“I don’t look at that as a loss,” Charron said. “The shootout . . . it’s a
crapshoot. I thought we played great for 65 minutes. They have nothing to be
ashamed of in that room. They played their hearts out.”
Don Hay, the Giants’ head coach, said he “didn’t think we played very well” in ending a three-game winning streak.
“I thought Kamloops played very, very hard to get the lead,” said Hay, whose team went 5-5-0-0 on a 10-game road swing. “We took advantage of our opportunities.
“We started to gain momentum in the last 10 minutes of the third and then we took advantage of that power play and that gave us a lot of life. I thought
we played well after that.”
The Blazers, who had won five straight at home, including an 8-1 thumping of
the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday, started this one off by delivering a physical
message. Less than three minutes in, forward Jordan DePape won a fistic
decision over Connor Redmond. Seven minutes later, defenceman Josh Caron
pounded out a victory over former teammate Brett Lyon.
The Blazers, seemingly fueled by the display of aggression, caught fire and
physically dominated Vancouver.
“I think we might have caught them a little off-guard at the start,” offered
defenceman Ryan Funk, the Kamloops captain. “A lot of credit to those guys —
DePape and Caron — for stepping up and letting them know early that they
weren’t going to come into our rink and push us around.
“We played well. There’s not really much you can say negatively.”
The Blazers got their goal at 6:11 of the second period when, with the teams
playing four-on-four, centre C.J. Stretch, from near the goal line on the
left side, looked off Vancouver goaltender Mark Segal and then beat him from
a bad angle.
And for the longest time it looked like Stretch’s 21st goal would stand up
as the Blazers, with Mucha again in control, played extremely well.
“We might have outworked them at times,” said Funk, in something of an
understatement. “Unfortunately, they got a call late in the third period
that definitely helped them out.”
The Blazers could have helped themselves by taking advantage of some of the
chances with which they were presented. Centre Dalibor Bortnak, who was
excellent, shot over an open net, while Segal stoned Maschmeyer, who also
was looking at a gaping net.
“We had golden opportunities,” Charron said. “Empty nets . . . Bortnak,
Maschmeyer . . . we had so many guys who had empty nets. If we could have
sealed those, maybe (Vancouver) wouldn’t have been in the game at all.”
The next big test for the Blazers comes tonight as they play the high-flying
Silvertips in Everett. The Silvertips have won 13 straight games after a 4-3
victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks last night.
“At home we’ve pretty well done what we want to do,” said Charron. “Our
biggest challenge is to be able to play that brand of hockey on the road.
“Now we have to go on the road for three big games against strong teams.
Hopefully, we can generate some of that work ethic there.”
After tonight, the Blazers, with a two-point lead over the seventh-place
Chilliwack Bruins in the Western Conference, meet the Winterhawks in
Portland on Wednesday and the Chiefs in Spokane on Friday.
Kamloops returns home to face the Lethbridge Hurricanes one week from
tonight.
———
The Giants welcomed back centre James Wright, who was returned last week by the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.
“We used him all over. We had him at defence, right wing, left wing,
centre,” Hay said.
In overtime, Wright found himself playing defence.
“He grew up with us.” Hay said. “He knows all about our traditions and our history and our identity. He’s going to fit in really well for us. As he plays more he’s going to contribute more.
“He was penciled in as the first-line centre before he made Tampa. So eventually I’m sure he’ll end up there.”
———
JUST NOTES: This was the fourth time in six games that these two teams
needed extra time to settle things. The Blazers are 1-2-1-2 in the series;
the Giants are 5-0-0-1. . . . The Giants were 1-for-3 on the PP, while the
Blazers were 0-for-4. . . . Mucha finished with 31 saves, while Segal turned
aside 32. . . . “I thought our goalie was the best player on the ice,” Hay said. “He gave us the opportunity to get at least one point and we got two points.” . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Mucha — in a zone; 2. Segal —
gave his club a chance; 3. Bortnak — big body is effective. . . . The
Giants, who are out of the Pacific Coliseum because of the Olympic Winter
Games, will play their next five games in the Langley Events Centre.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Thursday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: G Kevin Nastiuk (Medicine Hat, 2001-05) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Eisbären Berlin (Germany DEL). He had a 2.59 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 26 games with Corpus Christi (CHL) this season. Nastiuk also appeared in one game with Idaho (ECHL) earlier in the season, giving up two goals on 24 shots. . . .
F Frank Banham (Saskatoon, 1992-96) has signed a contract with Lausanne (Swiss NL B) for the rest of this season. He had 30 goals and 32 assists in 43 games for Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .
F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Vålernga Oslo (Norway GET-Ligaen). He had three goals and 12 assists in 33 games for Las Vegas (ECHL) this season.
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Mitchell Blair, who blogs The Blair Necessities and has been around the Regina sports scene for a long time, took one look at the crowd shots from Saskatoon as the Blades beat the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sportsnet on Wednesday night and away he went. Oh, such fun! His take on it is right here but be forewarned — nothing is more fun than Regina versus Saskatoon, so make sure you dig into the comments section.
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Craig MacTavish was in Swift Current on Thursday where he was the keynote speaker at the Special Olympics Breakfast — Training for Life — at the Living Sky Casino.
MacTavish, who was dismissed as head coach of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers after last season, is buddies with Mark Lamb, the Broncos’ GM and head coach. They have been teammates and also coached together over the last while.
So MacTavish arrived in Swift Current in time to help with practice on Wednesday.
"It's just fun. Sometimes you need a break from the regular routine," MacTavish told swiftcurrentonline.com. "We just wanted to come out and have a little fun, and talk a little about hockey, and pass on some things. We weren't out here trying to split the atom or anything (laughing), but it was a good, fun day."
The Broncos next play Friday when they meet the Blades in Saskatoon.
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The Vancouver Giants visit the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday and then return to play a ‘home’ game in the Langley Events Centre. The Giants will play six ‘home’ games there between now and mid-March because of the Olympic Winter Games having taken over Pacific Coliseum. . . . The Giants will have F James Wright and F Milan Kytnar in their lineup in Kamloops. Wright, 19, returned this week from the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, while Kytnar has missed nine games with a shoulder injury. . . . Interestingly, I was told earlier this week — and it was subsequently reported by Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province — that Hockey Canada told the Lightning in early December that it would guarantee Wright a spot on the Canadian national junior team roster if the NHL team would assign him. The Lightning refused, but with Wright’s icetime diminishing, chose to return him late last week. He had five points in 48 games. . . . Ewen also has reported that the Prince George Cougars hope to have F Brett Connolly back from a hip injury on Feb. 10. Connolly has played in only 12 of the Cougars’ 50 games this season because of the hip injury. He hasn’t played since Dec. 5 when a left a game in Kamloops.
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There is a home-and-home series scheduled for this weekend that will be worth watching. The Moose Jaw Warriors meet the Pats in Regina on Friday and the teams play again Saturday in Moose Jaw. Going into the weekend, the Warriors are sixth in the Eastern Conference, nine points ahead of the 10th-place Pats. Regina, with 22 games left, is seven points behind the eighth-place Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Warriors have won the first five games in the season series with Regina. Former Pats G Jeff Bosch has been in goal for all five Moose Jaw victories, three of which have come in Regina. . . . It is going to be interesting to see how loser points figure into the playoff chase as the Pats try to get into the postseason. . . . The Warriors have lost their last four games, but picked up loser points in two of them.
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I am an unapologetic sucker for hockey history, which is why I find it neat that the Portland Winterhawks will hold their annual Salute to the Buckaroos on Feb. 5 when the Seattle Thunderbirds visit the Rose Garden.
According to a Winterhawks’ press release:
“Fans can come and pay tribute to the stars of the Buckaroos teams that finished first eight times and won three championships in their 14 years of existence from 1960-74. Among the former players who will be in attendance on Feb. 5 are Norm Johnson, Art Jones, Connie Madigan, Tom McVie and team founder Harry Glickman.
“In addition, the Winterhawks will have the Lester Patrick Cup on display at the game, the WHL championship trophy the Buckaroos won in 1961, 1965 and 1971. The trophy resides at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This will be the first time many of the Buckaroos will have seen it since their last championship in 1971.”
For more info, visit the Winterhawks’ website.
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In Saskatoon, the Blades are keeping the medics busy. . . . Curt Gogol, who has played up front and on the back end since being acquired from the Kelowna Rockets on Jan. 10, has undergone surgery to repair a thumb injury. He’ll be out up to six weeks. . . . “He was playing with a playing cast, but it kept popping in and out because he dislocated his thumb,” Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ GM and head coach, told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We thought it would be better to get (surgery) done now so that he’s 100 per cent for playoffs.” . . . Gogol was injured during a fight with Calgary Hitmen F Ian Schultz in Saskatoon on Jan. 13. . . . Earlier in the month, D Teigan Zahn had surgery to repair a broken leg and F Curtis Hamilton had a broken collarbone repaired. Both players are gone for the season unless the Blades get deep, deep into the playoffs. . . . The Blades, who now are carrying only 20 healthy players, are at home Friday night to the Swift Current Broncos.
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When Tri-City meets the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Friday, the Americans will be without their leading scorer. F Brendan Shinnimin, who has a team-high 64 points, has been suspended for one game for a game misconduct he incurred at the end of the Americans’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Rebels in Red Deer on Wednesday. The WHL’s online game sheet shows the penalty as a misconduct, but it apparently was a game misconduct, and WHL vice-president Richard Doerksen, who handles discipline, deemed the discretion worthy of a one-game sentence. . . . I am checking to see just what happened here, though, because Shinnimin did take part in the shootout.
———
And here’s one for the Tyson Gillies fans out there. The Philadelphia Daily News has a feature on the outfielder and it’s right here. Note, however, that the photo with the story isn’t of Gillies.
———
There is a new hockey movie in the works. Uhh, it is going to star, among others, Olivia Newton-John.
———
The Kelowna Rockets are going to be willing participants in a study to determine the economic and social impacts of the franchise on the city. That story is right here. That report, which the story indicates will be be released in April, should prove interesting.

Stretch saving best for last

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
C.J. Stretch is finishing up his fifth and final season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
And he is about to begin a week to remember.
Barring the unexpected, Stretch will set the Blazers’ franchise record for career games played when he steps on the ice against the host Spokane Chiefs on Feb. 5.
Stretch will play in his 322nd regular-season game tonight against the Vancouver Giants. Game time at Interior Savings Centre is 7 p.m. That will put him within two games of the franchise record held by Aaron Gionet, a hard-nosed defenceman from Qualicum Beach who walked softly and carried a big stick during five seasons (1998-2003) with the Blazers.
“It means quite a bit to me,” said Stretch, a 20-year-old from Irvine, Calif., who has never met Gionet. “I’m just so thankful and happy that I’ve been able to stay with Kamloops for five years and that I’ve been healthy for that long.”
Stretch, 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, has been remarkably durable. In two of his seasons, he played in all 72 regular-season games. In his first season, there was a handful of healthy scratches; in his third season, he missed four games with a concussion. This season, he drew a four-game suspension for an unpenalized hit on then-Swift Current Broncos defenceman Eric Doyle.
There was a time this season, too, when Stretch wondered whether he would finish his WHL career here. Yes, he heard the rumours as the Jan. 10 trade deadline approached.
“I was a bit (nervous) . . . just a little bit nervous,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to go anywhere but you never know . . . it’s out of your hands.”
Still, the last thing he wanted was to leave here.
“I wanted to stay in Kamloops for my last little bit and finish off the year because I have been here for so long,” he said, before pausing and adding: “And I do call Kamloops home now, so . . .”
But having been here since August 2005, he has watched people come and people go, so he wouldn’t have been at all surprised had he been traded.
“Especially with our track record in my five years,” he said. “We’ve lost coaches, assistant coaches, general managers, owners, captains getting traded . . .”
But through it all Stretch has persevered.
Stretch, who may have the softest hands in the WHL, had his first career five-point game Tuesday.
He scored once and set up four others in an 8-1 rout of visiting Spokane. That gave him 225 career points, leaving him 25th on the Blazers’ all-time list. He is one point shy of Scottie Upshall and five in arrears of Mark Recchi, who just happens to be one of the franchise’s owners.
The Blazers selected Stretch with the 71st overall selection in the 2004 bantam draft. That spring, he had played in KIBIHT with the Jack Bowkus-coached California Wave, so knew something about Kamloops. And an older brother just happened to be pals with then-Blazers defenceman Ray Macias.
“My mom called me during school,” Stretch said, as he recalled draft day. “I was in eighth grade. I was in band class and I was playing the saxophone and I had to leave the class. I was pretty happy.”
Macias, it seems, had been singing the praises of Kamloops and the Blazers to Stretch and his teammates.
“I always wanted to come and play in this league after hearing what Ray would tell me, and after hearing how good this league was,” Stretch said. “That’s why I wanted to come here instead of college.”
Tonight will mark Stretch‘s last home appearance before the Blazers head into the U.S. Division for three games. Kamloops, which has won a season-high five straight at home, will face the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday, the Winterhawks in Portland on Wednesday and the Chiefs two nights later.
The Blazers will return home to face the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Feb. 6.
Since going pointless in four straight games in mid-November, Stretch has 35 points, including 21 assists, in 26 games. On the season, he now has 58 points, including 20 goals, and is tied for 14th in the WHL scoring race. He is two points from breaking into the top 10.
As for next season, well, Stretch isn’t yet prepared to go there. He wants to finish this regular season on a roll and then would love nothing better than to win a playoff game or two. After all, he has played in 12 playoff games and the Blazers have lost them all.
“I’m trying to finish this season . . . and then focus on playoffs and then pretty much figure it out after that,” he said.
He did get a taste of the NHL game in September when he attended the San Jose Sharks’ rookie camp.
“That went well,” he said. “It was a huge experience, especially a California team. I didn’t make it to the main camp but the rookie camp was a huge experience. I learned a lot. It was really fun.”
JUST NOTES: Prior to Tuesday, the last time the Blazers scored eight goals in a game? On Jan. 7, 2009, they beat the visiting Winterhawks, 8-6. . . . The last time the Blazers won a game by seven goals? On Feb. 2, 2008, they beat the Cougars 8-1 in Prince George. . . . The last time a Kamloops player had a five-point night? Tyler Shattock had two goals and three assists in a 7-1 victory over the visiting Cougars on Dec. 28, 2008.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Wednesday . . .

T.J. Mulock, who played in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, Regina Pats and Kamloops Blazers, is going to play in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games . . . for Germany. That story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Carter Rigby, who was an eighth-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. Rigby has 87 points, including 54 goals, in 48 games with the midget AAA Penticton Vees. He also has 121 penalty minutes. He will make his WHL debut on Friday when the Cougars meet the Rockets in Kelowna.
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Columnist Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun takes a look at defencemen Nolan Baumgartner and Brad Lukowich. They played together with the Kamloops Blazers and are together again with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . By the way, MacIntyre has a history in Kamloops, too. He worked at The Daily News. . . . His column is right here.
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And now for something completely different. Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg has the story of the Clear Lake Jets, a team that features the likes of Dale Hawerchuk and Cliff Ronning and Doug Smail. The Jets have pulled out of the Manitoba senior A playdowns after things got a bit rough. That story is right here.
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Former NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly now heads up College Hockey Inc., and he continues to throw mud at major junior hockey. His latest rant is right here and if you read closely he also seems to be slagging Canadian colleges and universities.
———
WEDNESDAY:
In Saskatoon, F Marek Viedensky, a trade-deadline acquisition, scored 29 seconds into overtime to give the Blades a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Viedensky, who was acquired from the Prince George Cougars, won it with his seventh goal of the season, an unassisted effort. . . . The Blades led this one 3-0 at 6:27 of the first period, only to have the Warriors come back and tie it. . . . The visitors forced OT on D Ryan Stanton’s seventh goal at 14:51 of the third period. . . . The Blades (33-11-2-3) had lost three in a row. They now are 17-5-2-0 at home, but they had lost their previous three home games. . . . The Warriors (25-17-4-3) have lost four in a row. . . . The Blades are 4-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-2 on the PP and now is in a 0-for-45 drought. The Blades last scored a PP goal on Jan. 3 during a 6-4 victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . Saskatoon G Adam Morrison stopped 26 shots. . . . Moose Jaw starter Jeff Bosch was beaten three times on five shots. Reliever Brandon Glover stopped 34 of 35 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,560.
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In Chilliwack, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s first four goals as they beat the Bruins, 4-1. . . . The visitors got first-period PP goals from F Tyler Johnson, his 21st, and D Jared Cowen, his sixth. . . . Spokane F Kyle Beach scored his 30th goal, which is a career-high. He had 29 as a freshman with the Everett Silvertips in 2006-07. . . . The Chiefs (28-18-3-1) had lost their last two games, including an 8-1 beating by the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday. . . . The Bruins (23-24-1-5) had won three of four. . . . Spokane G James Reid lost his shutout when F Alexander Wiklund scored 33 seconds into the third period. Reid, who is 5-0 against the Bruins in his career, stopped 22 shots. . . . Spokane was 2-for-8 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 3,336.
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In Kelowna, the Rockets scored four third-period PP goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent, 4-2. . . . The Thunderbirds took a 2-0 lead into the third period on goals by F Burke Gallimore, his 15th, and F Prab Rai, his 27th. . . . But the Rockets scored four PP goals in less than 10 minutes. Two of them came from F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan, who has 16 goals this season. . . . He tied the score at 4:21 and D Tyson Barrie got the eventual winner, his 10th goal this season, at 11:43. . . . Barrie also had two assists, while F Geordie Wudrick, in his second game back from a shoulder injury, had a goal and three helpers. . . . The Rockets were 4-for-7 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 1-for-4. . . . Kelowna (22-25-2-2) now has won three straight. . . . The Thunderbirds (14-27-4-4) have lost six in a row. . . . The Rockets hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot and now are 12 points ahead of the Thunderbirds. . . . Attendance was 6,075.
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In Lethbridge, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s first two goals and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . F Scott Glennie, with his 20th, and D Brodie Melnychuk, with Glennie getting an assist, gave Brandon a 2-0 lead with goals less than four minutes apart late in the first period. . . . Lethbridge F Austin Fyten got that one back at 17:18 of the first, but Brandon added two second-period goals to put it away. . . . F Jay Fehr had three assists for Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings (34-16-0-3) have won four in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (16-28-3-2) have dropped five of six. . . . Brandon G Jacob De Serres stopped 26 shots. . . . Lethbridge opened with Brandon Anderson, who stopped 15 shots through two periods. Linden Rowat played the third, making eight saves. . . . Lethbridge was 0-for-7 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-3. . . . The Wheat Kings lost two defencemen during the game as Alexander Urbom (hip flexor) left in the first period and Mark Schneider (knee) didn’t play in the third. . . . Brandon F Shayne Wiebe was back in the lineup after serving a three-game WHL suspension. . . . Attendance was 3,719.
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In Prince George, the Medicine Hat Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 lead and hung on to beat the Cougars, 5-4. . . . F Matt MacKay’s 19th goal, at 4:29 of the third period, gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. . . . F Bretton Cameron got his 30th goal for the Tigers at 19:52 of the first period. That gave the visitors a 4-0 lead. . . . Attendance was 1,690. . . . Cougars F Nick Buonassisi had a goal and two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Devan Dubyk stopped 36 shots, while Prince George’s Hudson Stremmel turned aside 34. . . . The Tigers (31-15-3-5), who beat the Cougars 9-3 on Tuesday, have won five in a row. . . . The Cougars (9-39-1-1) have lost 11 in a row.
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In Red Deer, F Landon Ferraro scored in the shootout to give the Rebels a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . With Red Deer shooting first, Ferraro was the first shooter. And he was the only one of the six skaters to score in the shootout. . . . The Americans scored the game’s first three goals, only to have the Rebels get the next three. Red Deer F Willie Coetzee tied it with his 21st goal on the PP at 17:156 of the third period. . . . Ferraro had two assists in regulation time, while Kudrna also had an assist. . . . F Justin Feser, who scored the game’s first two goals, and F Brendan Shinnimin both scored their 25th goals of the season for the Americans. . . . If was an exciting night for Feser, who is from Red Deer. . . . F Andrej Kudrna got Nos. 22 and 23 for the Rebels (26-19-0-4). . . . The Americans are 36-12-0-2 and atop the overall standings. . . . The game began 25 minutes later after a pane of glass was broken during the warmup. . . . Attendance was 4,237.

Recchi gets thrill out of lighting Olympic cauldron

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Mark Recchi, now a member of the NHL’s Boston Bruins, put on a lot of miles this week.
But the Kamloops native said Wednesday night that it was more than worth it. Oh, was it ever!
“Oh, gawd, yes!” Recchi said, still basking in the glow of having used the Olympic torch to light the Community Cauldron before a Hillside Stadium crowd estimated at 12,000 people.
“That was like a Game 7 . . . no question,” continued Recchi, who has won Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes. “It’s a different feel but it’s that same energy.”
Recchi, who turns 41 Monday, said the experience was “amazing.”
“It really was . . . oh my gawd,” he said. “It was even better than I thought it was going to be.”
Recchi used the torch to light the cauldron after accepting flame from a torch carried by fellow Olympian Nancy Greene Raine.
“Nancy came up the stairs . . . we touched torches . . . it was amazing,” said Recchi, his voice fairly crackling with excitement some two hours after the fact.
A native of Kamloops, Recchi said he was thrilled to see a lot of familiar faces as he passed through the crowd.
“I walked through everybody and it was, just like, holy doodle . . . it was good,” he said, adding that he was trying to follow the script but found it to be a most emotional experience. “I’m trying to be slow, just remember everything . . . trying to see the people. I saw a lot of people I know.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to have this honour.”
Recchi’s parents, Ruth and Mel, still call Kamloops home but are in Arizona so weren’t able to attend.
Mark played his minor hockey here and later spent two seasons with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. He went on to a wonderful NHL career — he played his first game in 1988 — and has said this will probably be his final season.
He ranks among the NHL’s all-time greats in games played, goals, assists and points, and is a guaranteed Hockey Hall of Famer once he retires from the game and becomes eligible for induction.
His NHL career also had included stints with the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
In 2000, Recchi was honoured as Kamloops’ athlete of the century. The street that runs in front of Interior Savings Centre bears his name — Mark Recchi Way.
Recchi now is one of the Blazers’ five owners and, in fact, he spent part of yesterday afternoon watching the club’s practice and chatting with players at Interior Savings Centre.
In 1998, Recchi experienced the thrill of playing for Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
Asked about his memories of those Games, he doesn’t mention anything that happened on the ice. Rather, he talks of the athletes’ village.”The village . . . it was the coolest thing,” he recalled. “It was the first time that pro hockey players were allowed (to compete in the Games). The amateurs were a little standoffish to us at first. We were professional athletes and they thought we were going to come in and be high-and-mighty.
“But we thought it was just the coolest thing. We came in and, after three or four days, we were all hanging out together. We were in the commons room, sharing stories. It’s special what they do . . . they’re amateurs.”
Recchi had two assists in five games at the 1998 Olympics. Canada ended up finishing in fourth place after losing the third-place game 3-2 to Finland.
On Tuesday evening, Recchi had caught a flight from Boston to Seattle and then to Kelowna, arriving in the Little Apple just before midnight. His brother, Matt, the Blazers’ director of player personnel, picked him up and brought him home.
The two started the return trip this morning at 3 o’clock. Mark had to catch a 6 o’clock flight to Toronto, from where he had arranged a ride to Buffalo.
It will be back to the grind of the NHL schedule on Friday when the Bruins play the Sabres.
However, the thrill of Wednesday night when he lit the Olympic cauldron in his hometown will always be with him.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Jaroslav Kristek (Tri-City, 1998-2000) has been traded by Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic Extraliga) to Zlin (Czech Republic Extraliga) for D David Nosek. Kristek had eight goals and 10 assists in 44 games for Karlovy Vary this season. . . .
F Darren Reid (Medicine Hat, 2001-04) has signed with Heilbronn (Germany 2.Bundesliga) for the rest of this season. He had six goals and two assists in 21 games with Hershey (AHL), two assists in one game with Reading (ECHL), and one goal in two appearances with South Carolina (ECHL) this season. . . .
D Ryan Jorde (Tri-City, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, 1997-2002) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Newcastle Vipers (UK Elite). He went pointless in four appearances with the Hull Stingrays (UK Elite) earlier this season. . . .
F Brad Cruickshank (Calgary, Edmonton Ice, Lethbridge, 1996-98) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Coventry Blaze (UK Elite) after his release from Sheffield Steelers (UK Elite) on Monday afternoon. He had 16 goals and eight assists in 38 games with the Steelers. . . .
F Adrian Foster (Saskatoon, Brandon, 1999-2002) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Frankfurt Lions (Germany DEL). He had two goals and two assists in 10 games with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL) earlier this season.
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Bob Green, the general manager of the Edmonton Oil Kings, sounds like he will stand beside head coach Steve Pleau, at least until the end of this season. That story is right here.
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The stretch run officially has begun. How do we know? We check the WHL discipline file and note the number of coaches who have been fined of late. . . . Portland’s Mike Johnston and Seattle’s Rob Sumner each was touched for $500 after getting the old heave-ho in Seattle on Jan. 23. . . . Of course, Brandon’s Kellky McCrimmon contributed $500 after getting into it with some fans in Prince Albert on Jan. 20, while Chilliwack’s Marc Habscheid anted up $500 after getting tossed in Everett on Jan. 16. . . . And let’s not forget that the Prince George Cougars donated $500 for their second line brawl of the season on Jan. 16 against visiting Vancouver. That was the third such incident of the season for the Giants, who wrote a cheque for $1,000. . . .
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D Luca Sbisa arrived in Portland from Switzerland on Monday. But he wasn’t able to practice Tuesday. Why not? If you can believe it, his luggage, including his hockey gear, went missing. The Oregonian story is right here.
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D Dillon Simpson of the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints has committed to attend the U of North Dakota and play for the Fighting Sioux. Simpson, 16, has 34 points in 47 games this season. The son of former NHLer Craig Simpson, Dillon was selected by the Kelowna Rockets in the eighth round of the 2008 WHL bantam draft.
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TUESDAY:
In Cranbrook, F Scott Glennie’s goal at 3:29 of overtime gave the Brandon Wheat Kings a 6-5 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . The Wheat Kings trailed 5-3 midway through the game. . . . Brandon F Aaron Lewadniuk scored his 25th goal, on the PP, at 18:23 of the second period and F Brayden Schenn tied it, with his 19th, at 12:42 of the third. . . . Glennie also had two assists in this third straight three-point game. . . . Brandon got two assists from F Jay Fehr, who returned after missing six games with a badly cut leg. He set up Glennie’s winner. . . . Schenn finished with two goals. . . . The Ice had won its last eight home games. . . . F Steele Boomer scored his 20th goal of the season for Kootenay. . . . Ice F Dustin Sylvester had one assist. He has 17 points in 10 January games. . . . Ice G Todd Mathews, who made 29 stops, had won a franchise-record 11 straight games. . . . Brandon goaltenders Andrew Hayes and Jacob De Serres combined for 17 saves. . . . Each team was 2-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Wheat Kings (33-16-0-3) have won five of six. . . . The Ice is 30-16-2-2. . . . Attendance was 4,410.
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In Moose Jaw, F Taylor Vause scored 2:30 into overtime to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Vause tipped in D Travis Bobbee’s point shot to win it. . . . Broncos F Cody Eakin tied the score 2-2 with his 35th goal, on the PP, just 36 seconds into the second period. . . . Eakin, F Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats and F Ryan Howse of the Chilliwack Bruins lead the WHL in goals. . . . Moose Jaw G Jeff Bosch stopped 41 shots. . . . Swift Current G Mark Friesen turned aside 25 shots, including a first-period penalty shot by F Antonin Honejsek. . . . The winner was Vause’s second goal of the game. He has 10 on the season. . . . Moose Jaw got a goal, his 21st, and an assist from F Quinton Howden. . . . The Broncos (25-23-0-3) closed to within a point of the eighth-place Red Deer Rebels in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Warriors (25-17-3-3) are 17-6-2-2 at home. . . . Attendance was 2,065.
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In Prince George, F Linden Vey scored three goals and set up two others as the Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Cougars, 9-3. . . . The Tigers, who have won four in a row, improved to 30-15-3-5 and moved two points ahead of the idle Calgary Hitmen atop the Central Division. . . . F Wacey Hamilton scored twice for the Tigers, who got four assists out of F Tristan King. . . . Medicine Hat F Bretton Cameron ended a 13-game drought with his 29th goal on his 21st birthday. . . . F Alex Rodgers had two goals for the Cougars (9-38-1-2), who have lost 10 in a row. . . . Medicine Hat G Devan Dubyk stopped 34 shots. . . . The Tigers were 3-for-12 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 1,663.
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In Kamloops, the Blazers scored on their first two shots and went on to drop the Spokane Chiefs, 8-1. . . . C C.J. Stretch had a goal and four assists, while linemate Brendan Ranford added three goals and an assist. . . . Spokane head coach Hardy Sauter used both his goaltenders — Michael Tadjdeh and James Reid, on two occasions each. . . . Kamloops scored its eight goals on 24 shots. In fact, the Blazers were outshot, 27-24. . . . The Blazers (24-23-2-3) had lost three of their previous four games after a five-game winning streak. . . . The Chiefs (27-18-3-1) are 15-8-2-1 on the road. . . . The last time the Chiefs were touched for eight goals in game? They lost 9-7 to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Feb. 11, 2008. . . . Attendance was 4,030.

Blazers whip Chiefs

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Mark Recchi, one of the Kamloops Blazers’ owners, will light the cauldron as the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay takes over Hillside Stadium tonight.
Linemates C.J. Stretch and Brendan Ranford lit the Blazers’ torch Tuesday night at Interior Savings Centre as the home boys drilled the Spokane Chiefs, one of the WHL’s best defensive teams, 8-1 in front of 4,030 fans.
Originally, this game was to have been played tonight. But it was moved so as not to conflict with the torch relay that is scheduled to hit our town late this afternoon.
With the victory, the Blazers (24-23-2-3) moved back into sixth place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the idle Chilliwack Bruins. Kamloops also closed to within five points of the fifth-place Chiefs (27-18-3-1), although Spokane holds three games in hand. The Chiefs visit the Bruins tonight, while the Blazers next play Friday when they entertain the Vancouver Giants.
“When it rains, it pours,” offered Hardy Sauter, the Chiefs’ head coach, after a game in which he yanked his goaltender three times. In the end, starter Michael Tadjdeh, who at one time was beaten on four straight shots, and James Reid gave up eight goals on just 24 shots.
“We were prepared to play a good team,” said Kamloops head coach Guy Charron. “We played the way we need to play in our building. The guys wanted to put out the right effort that we have to against a good team.
“Obviously, we took advantage of goaltending lapses.”
Stretch, who is closing in on the franchise’s career games played record, had a goal and four assists for the first five-point night of his career. It came in his 321st game, three shy of Aaron Gionet’s franchise record.
Stretch’s previous career high was four points in a game — he had two goals and two assists in a 6-2 victory over the host Prince George Cougars on Feb. 28.
“It feels good,” said Stretch, who has 33 points, including 21 assists, in his last 23 games. “It felt like everything was going my way. Me and Ranford and (Jake) Trask . . . we’re connecting.”
Trask, the third member of that line, had two assists.
“It’s a good feeling,” Stretch said, “especially against the team with the least goals against.”
Stretch scored his 20th goal of the season but lost the team goal-scoring lead to Ranford, who now has 21 after having his first WHL three-goal game and his second four-point outing. He had two goals and two assists on Jan. 8 in a 6-4 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
The hat trick resulted in one hat being tossed onto the ice . . . on the first stoppage following the goal.
The Blazers, sparked by Ranford’s goal at 2:12 of the first period, torched Tadjdeh for two goals on as many shots, with winger Ryan Hanes beating him off the cross-bar at 3:09.
That second goal, coming from the Blazers’ energy line, was as big as any on this night. JC Lipon and Mark Hall, who skate alongside Hanes, drew the assists.
“They know their role,” Charron said. “They have to go out and try to put some pressure on the opposing team, try to keep the puck deep. It’s nice when they’re rewarded, that’s for sure.”
Sauter made his first goaltending switch following Hanes’ goal. On this night, however, Sauter would have needed a sheet of plywood to stop the puck.
“That’s the worst night I can remember in years,” Sauter said.
Defenceman Ryan Funk, centre Dalibor Bortnak and left-winger Matej Bene also scored for the Blazers.
Kamloops goaltender Kurtis Mucha, who was making his 14th start in the club’s last 19 games, was calm, cool and collected throughout this one. He finished with 26 saves, losing his shutout when left-winger Dominik Uher scored on a power play at 12:41 of the second period.
“Our third and fourth lines were hitting guys and creating so much energy for us,” Stretch said. “It was just a good feeling with them going. We need all four lines going to put a couple of wins together, especially with Vancouver coming here Friday.”
JUST NOTES: Each team took seven minor penalties and went 1-for-5 on the power play. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Stretch — it was his puck for 40 minutes; 2. Ranford — continues to play with energy and purpose; 3. Funk — best of the back-enders. . . . Recchi was scheduled to arrive in Kelowna at midnight. He will take part in the torch run and light the cauldron at Hillside Stadium before heading back to Kelowna and catching a 6 a.m. flight to Seattle. From there, it will be on to Buffalo where the Bruins meet the Sabres on Friday night.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Now Johnson wants a second Memorial Cup

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The 2009 World Junior Championship didn’t start all that well for Tyler Johnson.
But it ended just fine, thank you.
Johnson, a 19-year-old from Spokane who is in his third season with the WHL’s Chiefs, played for the U.S. team that won the gold medal in Saskatoon, beating Canada 6-5 in overtime in the final.
Johnson actually got thrown out of his team’s first game — a 7-3 victory over Slovakia — with a high-sticking major and game misconduct. However, it was a case of mistaken identity.
“It was really disappointing,” he said Tuesday night, about 90 minutes before taking the ice against the Kamloops Blazers at Interior Savings Centre. “I was really looking forward to playing in that game and then to have 10 seconds of ice time . . . I stepped on the ice and went across the red line and they blew the whistle.”
The guilty part actually was Jason Zucker, a forward from the U.S. National Under-18 team. Zucker wore No. 16; Johnson was No. 10.
“I couldn’t defend myself because the referee spoke Russian,” said Johnson, who would go on to score three goals and set up two others while twice being named his team’s player of the game. “It was something that was very unfortunate but, at the same time, I thought I bounced back pretty well from it.”
Johnson certainly was able to put it behind him. In fact, following the end of the tournament, the U.S. coaching staff named him one the team’s three best players. That was quite an honour when you consider that the team’s roster included 15 players who have been drafted by NHL teams.
Johnson, who has attended NHL camps with the Minnesota Wild and Phoenix Coyotes, has yet to be drafted.
“It’s strictly a size thing at this point,” one NHL scout said of the 5-foot-9, 175-pound Johnson, “because he’s a really good player.”
Johnson also wasn’t able to complete the final game in Saskatoon. Early in that game, he crashed into the end boards and suffered a bruised hip.
“I had a very big bruise on my hip and it was pretty sore,” said Johnson, who played three or four more shifts before shutting it down. “I had a week off (after the tournament) and it got a lot better.”
During the tournament, he and winger Philip McRae, the son of former NHLer Basil McRae and a regular with the OHL’s London Knights, played together a lot. The likes of Luke Walker (Portland Winterhawks), Kyle Palmieri (U of Notre Dame) and Jeremy Morin (Kitchener Rangers) rotated through the other spot on the line.
“I thought I played pretty well,” Johnson said. “I thought I played my game. The coach was able to put me out with great players. When you’re playing with guys like that, it’s pretty hard to be bad.”
Johnson, a 20-goal man and a defensively responsible centre with the Chiefs, especially enjoyed playing with Walker.
“I grew up in Spokane; he grew up in Castlegar,” Johnson said. “We played against each other in minor hockey all the time. He’s a great player. It’s tough to play against him but it was nice to be on his side for a change. He’s a great guy and I thought we became pretty good friends.”
Of course, Johnson now is something of a celebrity in his hometown. In fact, the Chiefs will celebrate Tyler Johnson Bobblehead Night on Saturday when they play host to the Kootenay Ice.
“I have had a lot of people come up to me and say, ‘Congratulations’,” he said. “But even in Spokane a lot of people didn’t know about the world juniors.
“The biggest reaction I had was in the Saskatoon airport. Probably hundreds of people came up to me and asked me about it and talked to me about it. That was . . . pretty cool.”
What also is pretty cool is that Johnson, whose Chiefs won the 2008 Memorial Cup, is one of two American players to have won World Junior and Memorial Cup titles. Forward Dan Fritsche played for the U.S. team that won the 2004 WJC by beating Canada 4-3 in Helsinki, Finland. He also played for London, which won the 2005 Memorial Cup.
Johnson feels his Chiefs have all the pieces to do it again, too.
“We just need to put everything together,” he said. “Our biggest problem is . . . work ethic and consistency. I think as we get along here people are going to start realizing what we need to do to win games. Eventually everyone will realize that we are able to be that team.”
As for the gold medal, he won in Saskatoon . . . well, he is able to look at it almost every night.
“It’s at my house, hanging up in my bedroom,” Johnson said. “It’s nice to have and it’s something I’ll always remember.
“But I really want another Memorial Cup.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Monday . . .

Bruce Hamilton, the president and GM of the Kelowna Rockets and the chairman of the WHL’s board of governors, was in Vancouver on Monday.
While he did take in the NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Canucks, that wasn’t the main purpose of his visit.
He was there to attend a news conference at which it was announced that he will be among the four inductees into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame this summer.
“(This) is a great honour,” Hamilton told me Monday evening. “I'm just a guy from Saskatoon trying to make our players be good people in the end.”
Hamilton is a former Saskatoon Blades forward (1974-77), who went on to play a bit professionally and was on an Allan Cup winner with the Spokane Flyers.
He helped out the Blades as an assistant coach for a bit and also was a firefighter in Saskatoon before becoming involved in the ownership of the Tacoma Rockets, an expansion franchise that began play in 1991-92 and moved to Kelowna for the 1995-96 season. Since then, the Rockets have appeared in four Memorial Cup tournaments.
Today, an argument could be made that the Rockets are the WHL’s leading franchise.
Because of the Rockets, Kelowna (aka the Little Apple) has played host to a Memorial Cup, which the Rockets won, and to World Junior Championship games and to WHL all-star games and Subway Super Series games.
In the world of major junior hockey, Kelowna is one of THE happening places.
The Rockets average more than 6,000 fans per game in 6,007-seat Prospera Place, and Hamilton will be first to give credit to people like his brother Gavin, the organization’s vice-president of business development, and Gavin’s wife, Anne-Marie, who is the director of marketing and game operations.
And, despite the cyclical nature of junior hockey, the Rockets, more often than not, are a competitive team. The Rockets are, in fact, the WHL’s defending champions. That was the franchise’s third WHL championship in seven seasons.
The credit for that, Bruce Hamilton will tell you, goes to the coaching staff and to super scout Lorne Frey -- his actual title is assistant GM/head scout/director of player personnel -- and his staff for keeping the talent tank full.
Still, it is Bruce Hamilton who is out in front -- he is the franchise’s lightning rod -- and his induction into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame is well deserved.
Going into the hall alongside Hamilton will be Trevor Linden, who went on from the Medicine Hat Tigers (1985-88) to a lengthy NHL career, former NHLer Dallas Drake and Frank Lento, the latter a Hockey Canada and B.C. Hockey executive.
Linden played 19 seasons in the NHL, 16 of them with the Vancouver Canucks, who retired his number (16) last season. In Vancouver, he is perhaps the most popular player ever to have played for the Canucks.
Drake, who is from Trail, played junior B in Rossland and junior A in Vernon.
The banquet and induction ceremony will be held in Penticton on July 23.
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Hamilton’s son, Curtis, a forward with the Saskatoon Blades, had surgery on his broken collarbone Sunday. He has broken the collarbone twice this season, although not in the same spot.
There is not yet a timetable for his return.
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So that is all for Patrice Cormier.
The 19-year-old captain of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, and the captain of Canada’s national junior team, was suspended Monday for the remainder of this QMJHL season and all of the playoffs. That is his penalty for the flying elbow that landed on the head of Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam.
The suspension to Cormier arrives just a few days after the OHL drilled Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian for a Jan. 14 hit that left Barrie Colts forward Matt Kennedy with a head injury. Kassian ended up with a 20-game suspension.
Kassian’s suspensions follows an OHL sentence that was handed down in November. Under the terms of that one, Erie Otters forward Michael Liambas had his season ended by the OHL for a thundering check on Kitchener Rangers defenceman Ben Fanelli. Because he is 20 and was in his last season of eligibility, the OHL effectively ended Liambas’s major junior career.
Now I’m not about to sit here and say that the suspensions were correct, or whether they have been too harsh or not harsh enough.
It is quite evident that the NHL, which has bailed every time it has had the opportunity to set a tone on punishment for hits to the head, is not prepared to act on something that has become all but epidemic.
It is time then for all other levels of hockey to act independently to eradicate this problem before someone dies on the ice in front of a few thousand witnesses. If that should happen -- and, given the video evidence before us on oh, so many sportscasts, that day would appear to be coming sooner rather than never -- there will two victims. Oh, and when that day arrives you can bet that the police will become involved in a big hurry.
In an attempt to prevent that day’s arrival, it is time to put the onus on coaches at all levels of hockey to redefine the term “finishing your check.” It is time for those same coaches to spend more time teaching how to take out an opposing player through angling and bumping, rather than through charging and elbowing.
After all, is it really necessary to try and put an opponent into the third row of the stands when all one is trying to do is separate him from the puck?
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THE MacBETH REPORT: F Jason Miller (Medicine Hat, 1987-1991) has been released by Dresden (Germany 2.Bundesliga).He had seven goals and 20 assists in 29 games this season.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings announced Monday that Tom Cochrane, a seven-time Juno winner, will be part of FanFest during the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup. (To our American readers, the Junos are our Grammys.)
Cochrane will headline the Memorial Cup final weekend social on May 22 in the Keystone Centre’s Manitoba Room. It’s worth noting that Cochrane got a taste of the Prairies on Saturday -- he was playing the casino in Swift Current when the power went out.
Cochrane was born in Lynn Lake, Man., which also is my hometown and the hometown of onetime New York Rangers prospect Steve Andrasick. (Actually, Steve and I both were born in Sherridon, Man., but we grew up in Lynn Lake. To give this a WHL flavour, it’s worth pointing out that Andrasick played for Pat Ginnell’s Flin Flon Bombers in the days of Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach and Wayne Hawrysh et al.)
If you are planning on attending the Memorial Cup, here’s a bit more from the Wheat Kings’ press release:
Cochrane’s concert will be one of four “ticket” events to take place during the championship. Ticket prices, availability, as well as more news regarding this year’s Memorial Cup entertainment plans will be announced shortly.
Other Memorial Cup ticket events will include the Opening Banquet on Thursday, May 13, the Manitoba Homecoming Kick-off Social on Saturday, May 15, as well as the Canadian Hockey League Awards Ceremony at the Westman Centennial Auditorium on May 22.
The 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup will be held in Brandon, May 14-23.
(Yes, Taking Note hopes to be there.)
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SOME SCHEDULING NOTES: The Spokane Chiefs will play the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday (Jan. 26). That game originally was scheduled for the following night (Wednesday, Jan. 27). Instead, the Chiefs will meet the Bruins in Chilliwack on Wednesday. . . . Those changes were made in order to avoid a conflict with the Olympic Torch Relay that will go through Kamloops on Wednesday. . . . Meanwhile, the game between the Kootenay Ice and the Pats that was to have been played Sunday (Jan. 24) in Regina has been moved to Monday, Feb. 1. Sunday’s game was postponed due to horrid weather conditions. Game time at the Brandt Centre on Feb. 1 will be 7 p.m.
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D Luca Sbisa spent Monday travelling to Portland and is expected to be at the Winterhawks’ Tuesday practice at Valley Ice Arena.
Sbisa, 19, was acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Jan. 10, the WHL’s trade deadline. He played for Switzerland in the World Junior Championship, where he suffered an abdominal injury. He has since been getting treatment in Switzerland.
If all goes according to plan, Sbisa will play for the Winterhawks on Friday when they meet the Silvertips in Everett.
He later will join Switzerland for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and will rejoin the Winterhawks at the conclusion of the Games.

Sunday . . .

Yes, it has started already. . . . The Favre Watch. . . . Will he stay, or will he go?
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THE MacBETH REPORT: G Riku Helenius (Seattle, 2007-08) has been reassigned by the Tampa Bay Lightning from Norfolk (AHL) to Södertälje (Sweden Elitserien) for the rest of the season. In 12 games with Norfolk, Helenius had a 5-7-0 record, a 2.75 GAA and a .896 save percentage. He has not played in a game since Dec. 19. The Lightning selected Helenius with the 15th overall pick in the NHL’s 2006 draft.
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The Lightning also reassigned G Dustin Tokarski (Spokane, 2006-09) to Norfolk. He was recalled on Jan. 14 and got into two NHL games, both in relief. He stopped 13 of 16 shots in the two appearances. When recalled from Norfolk, he was 12-13-0, 2.68, .911 in his first pro season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Lightning in the NHL’s 2008 draft. . . . On Sunday, Tokarski stopped 24 shots as the Admirals beat the host Lowell Devils, 1-0.
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SUNDAY:
In Edmonton, the Medicine Hat Tigers completed a weekend sweep of the Oil Kings by beating them 2-1. . . . The Tigers (29-15-3-5) won 9-2 in Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . . The Oil Kings (10-30-4-7) have lost 14 in a row. They last won on Dec. 18 when they beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-1. That is Edmonton’s only victory in its last 18 games. . . . Attendance was announced at 4,250 but the Edmonton Journal’s Mario Annicchiarico reported that there were “no more than 800 fans at Rexall Place.” . . . Edmonton G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots, giving up first-period goals to F Wacey Hamilton, at 2:57, and F Tristan King less than three minutes later. . . . Edmonton got its goal, also in the first period, from D Adrian Van de Mosselaer. He was seventh-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2005.
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In Portland, G Ian Curtis stopped 51 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Giants had won the previous 13 meetings between the teams, including two this season. . . . F Riley Boychuk set up two goals for Portland (30-19-1-1) . . . The Giants are 29-19-1-2. . . . Attendance at Memorial Coliseum was 2,289. . . . The Winterhawks were playing their third game in as many nights, while the Giants didn’t play Saturday. . . . The Giants held a 14-0 edge in shots in the game’s first 12 minutes but weren’t able to score. . . . Portland got its first two goals from F Oliver Gabriel, his sixth, at 12:54 of the second period, and F Tayler Jordan, his second of the season, at 13:39 of the third. . . . Curtis lost his shutout when F Craig Cunningham scored his 30th at 17:39 of the third. . . . Portland F Luke Walker got No. 20 into an empty net. . . . Vancouver G Mark Segal stopped 36 shots. . . . The Giants had two potential goals disallowed. . . . Portland was without D Eric Doyle (ankle). He was injured Saturday but may return Friday in Everett. With Doyle out, Portland used F Stefan Schneider on the back end.
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In Everett, the Silvertips scored three first-period goals and went on to a 3-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips (31-16-2-1) have won 12 in a row, one shy of the franchise record set in 2006-07. The Silvertips entertain the Portland Winterhawks on Friday. . . . The Chiefs (27-18-3-1) had won three of four. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 34 shots. . . . Spokane starter James Reid left after Everett’s third goal, at 17:41 of the first period. He made nine saves, with Michael Tadjdeh coming on to make 18 stops. . . . F Kellan Tochkin scored twice, giving him 18, and F Shane Harper got his 31st as the home team took a 3-0 lead. . . . Harper has goals in eight of the 12 games the club has won since we left 2009. . . . Attendance was 5,812. . . . The Chiefs were without F Blake Gal, who drew a one-game suspension for a checking-from-behind major in a 3-2 victory over the host Tri-City Americans on Saturday. Gal will be eligible to return Tuesday when the Chiefs meet the Blazers in Kamloops.
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In Calgary, F Misha Fisenko scored three times to lead the Hitmen to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Calgary D Michael Stone and F Brandon Kozun each had three assists. . . . Kozun now has 74 points, one behind WHL scoring leader Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Hitmen (32-15-1-1) have won three in a row. . . . The Hurricanes are 16-27-3-2. . . . The Hurricanes led this one 2-0 before giving up six straight goals. . . . The Hitmen were 5-for-7 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-for-7. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 17 shots as he made his ninth straight start. He also won his 20th game of the season. . . . Attendance was 10,132. . . . The Hitmen also got a goal and an assist from F Joel Broda. In Prince Albert, Broda’s father, Gord, who is the vice-president of the Raiders’ board and runs the Broda Construction Group, contributed $25,000 on Saturday to the Haitian relief effort. “It’s hard not to catch the magnitude of the devastation and destruction over there, watching it on the TV,” Gord Broda told John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “It’s truly heartbreaking to see what’s going on over there. They need a lot of help, certainly just basic food and water and medical supplies and stuff. (We’re) just doing our little part to try to help out.” That donation helped the Raiders raise $27,159 during their Saturday victory over the Kootenay Ice.
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In Regina, the Pats were to have played the Kootenay Ice but the game was postponed due to horrid weather conditions. The game has yet to be rescheduled. . . . The Ice, which had played Saturday in Prince Albert, weren’t able to go south to Regina from Saskatoon. They eventually headed for Cranbrook via Kindersley and were hoping to get home early Monday morning. . . . The Pats over-nighted in Swift Current after beating the Broncos on Saturday and were able to get home Sunday morning before parts of the Trans-Canada Highway were closed.

Saturday . . .

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay comes to Kamloops on Wednesday and former WHLer Mark Recchi, who played for Canada in the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, will light the cauldron at Hillside Stadium.
The torch will arrive in Kamloops late Wednesday afternoon, with festivities planned for inside at the Tournament Capital Centre and outside at Hillside Stadium.
Recchi, a right-winger with the NHL's Boston Bruins, is from Kamloops. He was born in the B.C. city on Feb. 1, 1968. He has said this is probably his final NHL season. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, he is a guaranteed Hall of Famer once he becomes eligible.
Recchi is the 13th-leading scorer in NHL history, with 1,469 points.
He is 24th in goals, with 554, just two behind Bruins great Johnny Bucyk and four in arrears of former Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lafleur. Recchi also is 17th in assists, with 915.
Recchi played in game No. 1,540 on Saturday afternoon, moving into a tie for 10th with Bucyk on the alltime list. That is nine behind Detroit Red Wings great Alex Delvecchio.
Recchi played for Canada at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Canada finished fourth in that tournament.
Recchi also is a co-owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, for whom he played two seasons. The team has retired his number (8).
In 2000, he was saluted as Kamloops' male athlete of the 20th century. Mark Recchi Way, which runs in front of Interior Savings Centre, is named after him.
His folks, Mel and Ruth, live in Kamloops, as do brothers Matt and Marty.
The Bruins, who were beaten 2-1 by the visiting Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon (Recchi had a goal disallowed on video review, the eyes in Toronto ruling that he kicked in the puck), visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday and then don't play again until Friday when they travel to Buffalo to play the Sabres. Recchi will take part in the party in Kamloops and then rejoin his Bruins teammates in time for Friday's morning skate.
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F Dave Michayluk (Regina, 1979-82) was honoured Friday night by the IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, who retired his No. 27 during a 1-0 victory over the Fort Wayne Komets. Michayluk’s 16-year pro career included a lengthy stint (1985-92) in Muskegon. Among Michayluk’s accomplishments were 547 regular-season goals and seven all-star selections. He also won two Turner Cup championships with the Lumberjacks. In 1992, he was on the roster of the Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . “Individual success only comes from team success,” Michayluk told the crowd of 2,656. “The people and hockey fans from Muskegon made me and my family welcome here in Muskegon.” . . . Michayluk now farms near Wakaw, Sask.
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SATURDAY:
In Kennewick, Wash., C Mitch Wahl scored at 18:48 of the first period and the Spokane Chiefs never trailed as they went on to beat the host Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . Wahl has 22 goals, five of them in his last four goals. . . . F Tyler Johnson got his 20th to give the Chiefs a 2-0 lead at 10:42 of the second. . . . F Kyle Beach’s 29th turned into the winner. He scored at 10:28 of the third for a 3-1 lead. . . . Tri-City got goals from F Justin Feser, at 12:12 of the second, and F Adam Hughesman, his 17th, at 14:11 of the third on the PP. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 32 shots, while Tri-City’s Alex Pechurskiy turned aside 23. . . . The Americans (36-12-0-1) had their eight-game winning streak snapped. . . . The Chiefs (27-16-3-1) were playing for the first time in a week. . . . Spokane has won four of the seven games between the teams this season. . . . Attendance was 5,591.
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In Chilliwack, C Kevin Sundher set up two goals as the Bruins dumped the Kamloops Blazers, 4-1. . . . The Bruins, 4-3 losers in Kamloops on Friday, led this one 2-0 in the second period. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick got his club to within one at 14:34 of the second, but the Bruins put it away with two third-period goals. . . . Kamloops won the season series, 5-3. . . . Chilliwack went 3-4-0-1 in the season series. . . . F Tim Traber scored his second goal of the season for Chilliwack. Both goals have come in victories over Kamloops. . . . Chilliwack G Braden Gamble turned aside 24 shots, while the Blazers’ Kurtis Mucha stopped 26. . . . The Bruins (23-23-1-5) moved back into sixth place in the Western Conference one point ahead of the Blazers (23-23-2-3). . . . Kamloops was 0-for-6 on the PP; Chilliwack was 0-for-5. . . . On Friday night, Chilliwack was 0-for-7 and the Blazers were 0-for-6. . . . Attendance last night was 3,675.
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In Medicine Hat, F Linden Vey had a goal and four assists as the Tigers whipped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 9-2. . . . F Tristan King added a goal and three assists for the Tigers, who got goals from nine different players. . . . That included freshman F Emerson Etem, who got No. 32. . . . F Cole Grbavac, who rejoined the Tigers following Christmas after leaving them earlier in the season, got his first goal of the season at 11:04 of the third period. He began the season with the Kamloops Blazers, left them and was dealt to the Tigers for F John Stampohar. . . . The Tigers (28-15-3-5) were playing their first game in a week. . . . The Oil Kings (10-29-4-7) have lost 13 in a row. . . . Admission was, yes, 4,006. . . . The teams meet again Sunday in Edmonton.
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In Prince Albert, G Jamie Tucker stopped 33 shots as the Raiders dumped the Kootenay Ice, 5-2. . . . And so ended Kootenay’s 14-game winning streak. . . . The Raiders, who improved to 26-22-1-2, scored twice in each of the first two periods to take a 4-0 lead. . . . The Ice got to within 4-2 in the third period but Prince Albert F Dustin Cameron iced it with an empty-netter, his 25th, at 18:40. . . . F Brandon Herrod had a goal, his 30th, and two assists for the Raiders. . . . Kootenay D Jagger Dirk, the son of former WHL/NHL D Robert Dirk, scored his first WHL goal. . . . Kootenay G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 23 shots. . . . Prince Albert, now 21-6-0-1 at home, was 2-for-6 on the PP; the visitors were 0-for-5. . . . The Ice is 30-16-1-2. . . . Attendance was 2,313.
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In Prince George, F Brett Bulmer scored two goals to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Bulmer, who is from Prince George, had two assists in a 4-1 Kelowna victory on Friday. . . . Kelowna D Collin Bowman had three assists, while F Brandon McMillan and F Shane McColgan each had a goal and two helpers. . . . Kelowna D Tyson Barrie had two assists, while D Dallas Jackson, who moved from Prince George to Kelowna at the trade deadline, had a goal and an assist. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-10 on the PP; the Cougars were 2-for-5. . . . The Rockets are 21-25-2-2. . . . The Cougars (9-37-1-1) have lost nine in a row. . . . Attendance was 1,848.
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In Red Deer, F Landon Ferraro scored twice to help the Rebels to a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Ferraro, who has 10 goals, broke a 1-1 tie at 7:46 of the third period and added his second goal at 18:48. . . . F Willie Coetzee assisted on both of Ferraro’s goals. . . . The Rebels are 25-19-0-4, while the Warriors slipped to 25-17-2-3. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,811. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 shots, nine fewer than Moose Jaw’s Jeff Bosch.
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In Saskatoon, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Blades, 5-2. . . . Saskatoon F Marek Viedensky scored his sixth goal, at 13:46 of the first period, to give the home side a 2-1 lead. . . . Brandon D Darren Bestland tied the score at 16:35 of the first with his second goal. . . . The teams played a scoreless second period. . . . Brandon, which was opening a four-game road trip, got the eventual winning goal from F Matt Calvert at 1:23 of the third. He added an empty-netter, his 33rd of the season, at 19:36. . . . Brandon F Scott Glennie assisted on all three third-period goals, including F Aaron Lewadniuk’s 24th. . . . Brandon G Andrew Hayes stopped 31 shots, five more than Saskatoon’s Steven Stanford. . . . Brandon, which had lost five of its last six road games, was 0-for-2 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-1. . . . Yes, there were two referees. . . . The victory pulled Brandon (31-16-0-3) to within two points of the Eastern Conference-leading Blades (32-11-2-3), who have lost three in a row. . . . Attendance was 4,199. . . . Saskatoon was without F Curtis Hamilton, who is to have surgery Sunday on his broken collarbone. He returned Friday after missing 21 games with a broken collarbone. But, during Friday’s game, he broke the collarbone again, in a different spot than the first time. There is no timetable for his return.
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In Kent, Wash., F Ty Rattie had two goals to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . It was the Thunderbirds’ Teddy Bear Toss game and attendance was 6,151, the largest crowd to watch the team since it moved from Seattle to the ShoWare Center in Kent midway through last season. . . . F Prab Rai’s 26th goal of the season, at 5:44 of the second period, was the Teddy Bear goal -- fans tossed 4,049 stuffed toys on to the ice surface. It cut the home team’s deficit to 2-1 but Portland scored the game’s last four goals. . . . F Chris Francis had a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland F Seth Swenson, a 16-year-old from Parker, Colo., scored his first WHL goal. . . . There were four fights in the game’s last two minutes, with both head coaches -- Rob Sumner of Seattle and Mike Johnston of Portland -- getting the old heave-ho. . . . KA-CHING!!!! . . . No, the teams don’t play each other again Sunday. . . . Portland was 1-for-1 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-5. . . . Portland G Ian Curtis stopped 29 shots, while Seattle’s Calvin Pickard stopped 30. . . . Portland (29-19-1-1), which has beaten Seattle six straight times, had lost five of eight. . . . Seattle (14-26-4-4) has lost five in a row and is 10 points out of a playoff spot.
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In Swift Current, the Regina Pats scored three third-period goals and beat the Broncos 5-2 in a game that was delayed by a power outage. . . . The power went out in the iPlex during the second intermission and was out for close to an hour. The teams were granted a brief warmup before the third period began. . . . It seems that security people started to clear the building during the power outage and there were only about 300 fans left in the stands when the third period began. . . . Attendance was announced at 2,571. . . . Southern Saskatchewan was battered by a blizzard, which no doubt had something to do with the power outage. The Pats ended up spending the night in Swift Current. They are to play host to the Kootenay Ice on Sunday, weather permitting. . . . The Pats took a 2-1 lead into the third period and stretched it to 3-1 on D Colten Teubert’s ninth goal at 3:38 on the PP. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry got his club to within one at 9:17, but Regina F Jordan Weal put it away with goals No. 23 and 24 at 13:14 and 15:24. . . . F Carter Ashton drew assists on both of Weal’s goals. . . . The Pats (22-24-3-1) have won six of their last eight games as they push for an Eastern Conference playoff spot. . . . The Broncos are 24-23-0-3. . . . Regina F Jordan Eberle was held to one assist. He has 71 points in 35 games. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo stopped 34 shots. . . . The Pats had beaten the Broncos 6-5 in a shootout on Friday in Regina.