continue to bring other people's players in to win a championship every year," Soetaert told the Everett Herald‘s Nick Patterson. "It catches up to you. You have to get back to creating your identity and bringing your players through your system."Patterson’s story is right here.
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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads are looking for a new coaching staff, reports Willy Panov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. Former NHLer Bobby Smith, who is the club’s
majority owner, is out as head coach, as is associate coach Chris Donnelly. Cam Russell, who started the season as general manager/head coach before Smith took over as coach, remains the GM but won’t be on the bench. Assistant coach Jason Troini has returned to the major midget Dartmouth Ice Dawgs as GM and head coach. Only goaltender coach Eric Raymond will be returning. . . . The Mooseheads were 4-9-1 when Smith moved in; they went 16-34-4 under him, and were swept by the Montreal Juniors in the first round of playoffs.———
The gang from NHL Central Scouting has been in meetings, working to compile their final list before the June draft. There won’t be an official release with players ranked numerically until April 12, but Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com has a look right here at the top 10 from each of the three major junior leagues, as well as some other areas.
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THE PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Seven of the eight first-round series are dust, with only the Medicine Hat Tigers versus Brandon Wheat Kings still on the go. The Tigers, who have won the last two games, take a 3-2 edge into Game 6 tonight in Winnipeg.
The Saskatoon Blades and Kootenay Ice advanced with victories on Sunday night.
Should Medicine Hat win its series, the second-round matchups will be Saskatoon against Kootenay and the Red Deer Rebels versus the Tigers. A Brandon victory, would put the Wheat Kings against the Blades, with the Rebels meeting the Ice.
Should the Wheat Kings win tonight to force a Game 7, that series will be decided Wednesday in Medicine Hat.
The Blades will open the second round at home on Friday night.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Saskatoon Blades beat the Raiders 2-1 in overtime to win that series, 4-2. . . . F Matej Stransky took advantage of a turnover by Raiders G Jamie
Tucker behind his net to score the winner at 4:24 of OT. . . . Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Blades F Marek Viedensky duped Tucker into passing him the puck. “I just heard my name ‘Tucks’ get called,” a teary-eyed Tucker told Wolfe. “I was on my backhand, so I thought it was my guy but I guess it was him.” . . . Viedensky flipped the puck out front to Stransky, who promptly scored the series winner. . . . Moments earlier, Tucker had robbed Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls with a huge glove save. . . . D Antoine Corbin gave the Raidersd a 1-0 lead at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Brent Benson tied it at 12:21 of the second. . . . Stransky, who has three playoff goals, drew an assist on Benson’s goal. . . . Tucker finished with 35 saves, six more than Saskatoon’s Steven Stanford. . . . Attendance was 3,366 as the Art Hauser Memorial Centre was sold right out. . . .In Moose Jaw, the Kootenay Ice jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and went on to beat the Warriors 5-4. . . . The Ice won the series 4-2. . . . This was the
final WHL game in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can) as the Warriors are scheduled to move into a new multiplex in time for next season. . . . D Brayden McNabb gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just 1:36 into the first period. . . . F Max Reinhart and F Matt Fraser upped it to 3-0 with goals 1:04 apart later in the period. . . . The Warriors got back to within 3-2 and 4-3 and 5-4 but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Fraser finished with three goals, giving him five in the series. He gave the Ice a 4-2 lead at 9:12 of the second and a 5-3 edge at 9:22 of the third. . . . Reinhart also had three assists. . . . F Quinton Howden had a goal, his fifth, and an assist for the Warriors. . . . Attendance was 2,727.———
SUNDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
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And now for something completely different. . . .
This is every team’s worst nightmare . . . its season over before it really gets started. But, in truth, it happens a lot because there always are teams in a league that don’t have a chance of winning the championship.
But check this out right here to see what happened to the New York Mets the other day. (Hint: It involves a clip from Family Guy.)
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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