Taking Note

The new mask sported by Medicine Hat Tigers G Tyler
Bunz carries photos of two former NHL goaltenders — Kelly
Hrudey of the Los Angeles Kings and Pete Peeters of the
Philadelphia Flyers. Both are former Medicine Hat goaltenders.
(Courtesy Tyler Bunz)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) signed a one-year contract after a successful tryout with Frederikshavn (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). He had two goals and two assists in four games during the tryout. Previously this season, Rumpel had three assists in two games with Trnava (Slovakia, 1.Liga). . . .
F Richard Mueller (Brandon, Saskatoon, Calgary, 1998-2003) signed a one year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after being notified last week that his tryout contract with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL) wouldn’t be extended. He was pointless in seven games with the Tigers. Mueller will travel with Tingsryd to Örebro for their game on Friday with the hopes that all the required paperwork will be completed in time for him to play.
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Post-concussion syndrome has claimed another hockey career.
F Kris Chucko was a 10th-round selection of the Brandon Wheat Kings whose rights later were traded to the Kamloops Blazers. However, he never played in the WHL, choosing instead to skate with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks and then the U of Minnesota Gophers. He went on to be a first-round selection by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2004 draft. Over the last two seasons, he has 43 gams with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, just two last season.
And now he has chosen to retire.
The complete story is right here.
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When he was a mere youngster, Liam Stewart was in New York City for one of his dad’s concerts. (His dad? That would be music legend Rod Stewart). While in the Big Apple, Liam got to see an NHL game involving the Rangers. “From then on,” he told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review, “I told my mom I wanted to do that.” (His mom? That would be actress/model Rachel Hunter.)
Today, Liam Stewart is a 17-year-old forward with the Spokane Chiefs, whose head coach Don Nachbaur sees a lot of potential.
Trimmer’s complete story is right here.
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D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips came out of Tuesday’s 8-2 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings with a high ankle sprain. That, according to the team, will keep him out for up to six weeks.
While the injury isn’t likely to affect his draft status — Murray is likely to be a top five pick in the 2012 NHL draft — he is going to have to hurry back for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp.
That camp is scheduled for early December in Calgary.
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JUST NOTES: The Carolina Hurricanes have signed F Victor Rask of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year NHL deal. Rask, a second-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft, has 10 points in his first eight WHL games. The deal, which includes a US$277,500 signing bonus, pays $550,000, $650,000 and $750,000 in the NHL and $70,000 in the minors. Rask is from Leksand, Sweden. . . . The Clouston brothers go head-to-head tonight in Medicine Hat when Shaun’s Tigers (8-3-0) meet Cory’s Brandon Wheat Kings (7-3-1). The Wheat Kings are on their way home after going 3-2-0 in the U.S. Division. Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun checked it out and reports that Cory holds a 4-1-0 edge in the family series. Their teams met five times in 2002-03 — Cory was with the Kootenay Ice, while Shaun was head coach of the Tri-City Americans. . . . You are free to wonder if there is a side bet, like the winner gets the drumstick on Christmas Day?
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SOME THURSDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Regina, F Victor Rask, whose signing with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes was announced earlier in the day, scored the game’s first goal and the Calgary Hitmen went on to a 3-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Rask, a freshman from Sweden, has seven goals in nine games. . . . The Hitmen now have won three in a row. Once 1-4-1, Calgary now is 4-4-1. . . . Bret (Hitman) Hart, the legendary wrestling star, was in attendance in Regina. . . .
In Kelowna, Rockets D Damon Severson drew a career-high five assists in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Severson, 17, has 12 points, including 10 assists, in 10 games. Last season, he finished with 17 points in 64 games. . . . Regan Bartel, the Rockets’ radio voice, reports that Severson tied F Colin Long’s franchise record for assists in game set in 2007-08. . . . The Rockets halted a six-game losing streak. They started the season 3-0-0 and now are 4-5-1. . . . Vancouver, which has lost three straight, took 86 of the 135 penalty minutes doled out by referees Steve Papp and Nick Swaine. . . . Vancouver D Blake Orban can expect a call from the WHL office after taking an interference major and game misconduct late in the second period. . . . From Bartel’s blog: “(Kelowna) forward Carter Rigby left the game in the second period after crashing into Giants defenceman Blake Orban at centre ice. Rigby had his bell rung on a collision that saw Orban surprisingly tossed from the game after receiving a major and game misconduct for interference.” . . . The Rockets had D Madison Bowey back in the lineup. He missed the regular season’s first nine games after suffering a knee injury during an exhibition game in Kamloops.
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So there I was sitting in a local coffee joint sipping on a coffee (medium, black) and reading the Vancouver Province.
When I got to the editorial page, I about lost the mouthful of java.
Because right there on the editorial page, where a newspaper usually takes politicans to task or discusses other really important issues, like perhaps the price of gas or the future of Libya, was a call for the Vancouver Canucks to trade goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Tampa Bay Lightning for centre Vincent Lecavalier. Seriously!
Anyway . . . Puck Daddy handles it about as well as anyone could, so click right here for that.
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It’s no secret that WHL teams face some awfully tough road trips. Like the Portland Winterhawks, who left Wednesday on a 17-day trek during which they will visit the Dalai Lama, stop by the Taj Mahal, have tea with the Queen, and play nine hockey games. Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports takes a look at some of the longest trips and offers up some movie ideas right here.
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You have got to think a lot of hockey people are keeping close tabs on litigation that is on-going in the U.S., involving football players suing the NFL.
Right now, there are five separate complaints involving more than 125 former NFLers.
There is a whole lot more right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
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