Taking Note

This blog will be silent for a few days.
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Chances are that Greg Pankewicz woke up Sunday morning and thought: “What have I done?”
And by the time he sat down in front of a computer, exactly what it is that he did may well have at least started to sink in.
Because when you do what he did, well, in this Internet-ruled world there isn’t any hiding.
Pankewicz (Prince Albert, Regina, 1989-91) is an assistant coach with the Central league’s Colorado Eagles. He got a bit irate during an on-ice altercation on Saturday night and divested himself of a few items of clothing, including jacket, shirt and undershirt, all of which ended up on the ice.
If you haven’t seen it already, it’s right here.
Pankewicz isn’t the first coach to protest in this unusual fashion.
On Oct. 30, 1990, with his Swift Current Broncos having blown a 7-3 lead and now trailing the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, 9-8, Graham James, according to the Regina Leader-Post, “ran on to the ice and screamed at referee Kevin Muench. He charged the referee relentlessly and had to be restrained by Broncos players and both linesmen.
“He returned to the bench and threw sticks and water bottles on the ice. James then removed his jacket, tie, shirt and a shoe before his players escorted him back to the dressing room.”
Later, James was fined $2,000 and suspended for six games.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors held their annual skills competition on Sunday. Results are right here. . . . Hardest shot? F Joel Edmundson, who twice hit 98 miles per hour.
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I found a great quote in a story by Matt Coxford of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.
The Saskatoon Blades went into Cranbrook and beat the Kootenay Ice 5-3 on Saturday night. The Blades were presented with seven PP opportunities, while the Ice received three.
Following the game, Coxford wrote:
“Asked if he was willing to absorb a fine from the WHL by talking about the refereeing, (Ice head coach Kris) Knoblauch graciously declined.”
Well, Knoblauch didn’t really decline.
Here’s what he told Coxford: "I can comment if the officiating is good, and I can't comment on the officiating when it's bad, so I won't comment.”
I think the message got delivered.
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JUST NOTES: F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 13 points and was plus-6 in three games, all of which Brandon won. . . . Michael Snider of the Calgary Hitmen is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0, 0.96, .971 last week, with both victories coming on the road. . . .
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Some notes of interest from the Kootenay Ice’s weekly release:
The Ice will finish 2010-11 with an above-.500 record for the 12th consecutive season, which is the longest active streak in the WHL.
Kootenay has clinched a playoff spot for the 13th consecutive season and has tied Calgary for the longest active streak in the WHL.
Kootenay, which leads the League in shorthanded goals with 17, set a franchise single-season record for most shorthanded goals on Saturday against visiting Saskatoon. The previous record (16) was set in 2000-01 and tied in 2002-03.
Ice F Kevin King is tied for the WHL in shorthanded goals, with five. F Cody Eakin has four, all in just 13 games with the Ice.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Chandler Stephenson broke a 2-2 tie with 36.5 second left in the third period as the Regina Pats beat the Hitmen 3-2 in front of 20,888 fans. . . .  Stephenson, a 16-year-old from Saskatoon, has six goals. . . . The Hitmen had beaten the Pats 2-1 in a shootout in Regina on Friday. . . . The attendance set a CHL record, breaking the previous mark of 20,081 set on Dec. 20, 2004, at an OHL game between the Kingston Frontenacs and Ottawa 67’s at what was then known as the Corel Centre. . . . It was the second outdoor game in WHL history. On Jan. 15, in Spokane, the Chiefs beat the Kootenay Ice 11-2 before 7,075 fans at Avista Stadium. . . . Calgary F Kris Foucault tied the game 2-2 with his 20th goal at 8:46 of the third. . . . The Pats, who had lost three in a row, moved to within five points of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. They have 11 games remaining. . . . The Hitmen are 13 points out with 12 games remaining. . . .
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In Lethbridge, F Brody Sutter’s goal at 1:09 of OT gave the Hurricanes a 2-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The teams were scoreless into the third period. . . . F Colten Mayor scored for Red Deer at 5:45 of the third. . . . F Russell Maxwell tied it on a PP at 12:57. . . .. Sutter won it with his 10th of the season. . . . Lethbridge G Brandon Anderson stopped 30 shots, 10 more than Red Deer’s Darcy Kuemper. . . . Attendancee was 3,746. . . . The Rebels were in extra time for a fourth straight game. All four games ended in OT, with Red Deer winning twice. . . . The victory kept Lethbridge ninth in the Eastern Conference, three points behind the Prince Albert Raiders. The Hurricanes have a game in hand. . . . The Rebels were without F Josh Cowen (hand), F John Persson and D Matthew Dumba (knee). Cowen and Persson were injured in a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. . . . Cowen had surgery Sunday after suffering a broken hand when he was hit from behind by Kamloops D Josh Caron. The Red Deer Advocate reports that Cowen had a titanium plate and some screws put in the hand, and that he will be out at least three weeks. . . . Caron was hit with a three-game suspension. . . . Persson is said to be nursing bumps and bruises and should play later this week. . . . Dumba has been out for 10 days.
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In Kennewick, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Tri-City Americans 5-1, moving to the top of the Western Conference standings in the process. . . . F Darren Kramer, who leads the WHL with 39 fighting majors, scored his sixth goal of the season at 15:44 of the first period to break a 1-1 tie. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 28 shots. . . . Spokane F Brady Brassart wasn’t able to score on a third-period penalty shot. . . . Attendance was 5,691. . . . The Chiefs moved one point ahead of the idle Portland Winterhawks, who hold two games in hand. . . .. The Americans, who have lost two in a row, are five points behind Portland with one game in hand. The Americans have three games in hand on the Chiefs.
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MONDAY’S CFB COUNT:
Two minors:
Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick
Spokane F Kenton Miller
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
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