D Lukas Bohunicky (Kootenay, 2005-07) signed a two-year contract with Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had three assists in 32 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, Extraliga) and three assists in 12 games with the Missouri Mavericks (CHL) last season. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, 2001-05) signed a four-game tryout contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had two goals and 10 assists in 17 games with the Las Vegas Gamblers (ECHL) and five goals and one assist in 12 games with Sundsvall (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season.
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The Kelowna Rockets, with injuries having taken out two of their 20-year-olds, have added F Cody Fowlie, 20, who had been released by the Everett Silvertips. Fowlie had 40 points in 72 games with Everett last season. . . . Fowlie, from Airdrie, Alta., is expected to be in Kelowna’s lineup on Wednesday when it opens a four-game Central Division trip in Medicine Hat against the Tigers. . . . The Rockets now have four 20s on their roster, although D Mitchell Chapman (ankle) and F J.T. Barnett (knee) are on the shelf. Also on the roster is F Dylen McKinlay.
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The Kamloops Blazers returned from a 5-0-0 Central Division swing and promptly traded D Brady Gaudet, 18, to the Red Deer Rebels for a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Gaudet, from Redvers, Sask., was the 10th overall selection in the 2009 draft. . . . Gaudet was scratched from the Blazers’ 6-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Saturday, leading one to think the deal was close to being made, if not completed, at that time. . . . A move had been imminent in Kamloops, simply because the Blazers had been carrying nine defencemen and two freshmen, Ryan Rehill and Jordan Thomson, have shown they are more than capable. . . . D Austin Madaisky, 20, who is eligible to return to the Blazers, remains with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, although he has been scratched from each of their first four games.
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When F Daniel Asham, 18, informed the Brandon Wheat Kings late last week that he has had enough of hockey and chose to leave the team and when F Jason Swyripa (wrist) suffered a long-term injury, the Brandon Wheat Kings were left a bit short of experienced forwards. So the Wheat Kings reached out Monday and picked up F Chad Robinson, 19, from the Red Deer Rebels for a conditional 2014 seventh-round bantam draft pick. . . . Robinson is from Minnedosa, Man., which is located three slapshots north of Brandon. . . . Robinson has two points in nine games with the Rebels this season. In 129 career games with Red Deer, he has 44 points, including 11 goals. . . . “It was sort of a mutual agreement, I guess you could say,” Robinson told James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun. “I just wasn’t in the team’s plans for this year and moving forward I thought it would be more beneficial to ask for a trade out of there and move on … And absolutely, (Brandon) was at the top of the list.” . . . Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner and GM, told Shewaga that Swyripa is to see a specialist in Calgary today but that the could be out for two months.” . . . The Wheat Kings continue their road swing in Victoria against the Royals tonight. Brandon is 1-2-0 with four games left on the trip. . . . David Anning, Brandon’s new assistant coach, has joined the club and will work tonight’s game.
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The Tri-City Americans will visit the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday and the teams will play in Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, the first game in that facility this season. According to a Winterhawks news release, the teams will play “for the first time on the refurbished ice surface at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Construction crews have spent several months replacing the ice plant in the building and bringing the ice sheet to regulation size. In addition, both the Coliseum and Rose Garden have new boards, glass and benches this season.”
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The Prince Albert Raiders have assigned D Mackenze Stewart, 17, to the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. Stewart, who is from Calgary, had two penalty minutes in six games with the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert is carrying 23 players, including 13 forwards and eight defencemen.
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F Andrew Rieder, who was released by the Regina Pats earlier this month as they got down to three 20-year-olds, has surfaced with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. . . . He will be wearing No. 9 on Thursday when the London Knights visit the Petes.
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G Payton Lee, 16, was on the ice with the Vancouver Giants on Monday, but head coach Don Hay won’t say if he will start Wednesday against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Hay did tell Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that “"he's going to get an opportunity some time." . . . Lee is expected to be back with his regular team, the junior B Richmond Sockeyes, for a Friday game. With the Sockeyes, he is 4-1-0, 1.81, .939. . . . Interestingly, the Giants other two goaltenders, Liam Liston and Tyler Fuhr, both have been in Brandon’s organization. . . . The Giants take a 2-8-0 record into Wednesday’s game.
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Kevin Constantine, a former NHL head coach who was the first head coach of the Everett Silvertips (2003-07), has been fired as head coach of Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss National League A. . . . Ambri-Piotta is last in the league standings, with seven points from 14 games. Serge Pelletier was hired to replace Constantine. . . . Constantine, 54, was in his third season with Ambri-Piotta. He is signed through 2013-14.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Alan Caldwell (Alan@smallatlarge): “Since September 24 (exactly 4 weeks ago), Red Deer has made eight trades. EIGHT. Clearly G.M. Sutter is not happy with his roster.”
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“We’re not going to educate the invertebrates of professional hockey or fans who see the game as a surrogate for the Roman arena any time soon,” writes columnist Stephen Hume in the Vancouver Sun. “But perhaps we can do something about changing the culture gradually by eliminating such stuff from minor hockey, where parents and the public have a say.”
Hume’s complete piece is right here.
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