THE MacBETH REPORT:

Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga) announced it won’t offer contracts for next season to seven players, including F Pavel Brendl (Calgary, 1998-2001). He had five goals and three assists in 20 games for Pardubice this season. . . .




F Yannic Seidenberg (Medicine Hat, 2003-04) signed a two-year contract with Munich (Germany, DEL). He had seven goals and 18 assists in 50 games with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL) this season.
———



Bill Gallacher, the owner of the Portland Winterhawks, has spoken out, at least a little bit, in a question-and-answer session with Paul Buker of The Oregonian.
Gallacher doesn’t comment on specifics involving the whack his franchise took in November when it was fined $200,000 and had a bunch of bantam draft picks taken away. But the one thing he didn’t do was repent.
“I am 190 percent behind the guys in Portland,” the Calgary-based Gallacher tells Buker. “It has been disappointing, and frustrating. We've got to be careful about talking in specifics because of the league and where they are but I'm still hopeful, I really am. There is no better human being that I run into than Mike Johnston. So that should say everything that needs to be said about all of that.”
That complete interview is right here.
———
There isn’t a better faceoff man in the WHL today than Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks. He is a primary factor in Portland’s penalty-killing unit being as good as it is. He also is a veteran of 60 playoff games. On top of that, he is a fine writer in his own right. So Paul Buker of The Oregonian asked Peters about the intensity of playoff hockey. . . . Peters’ response, in his own words, is right here.
———
The Tri-City Americans have signed F Ty Comrie, who was a third-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He is the younger brother of Tri-City G Eric Comrie. . . . Ty, 5-foot-11 and 150 pounds, had 49 points, including 23 goals, in 35 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. . . . The Comries are from Newport Beach, Calif. . . . The Americans have signed their first five selections from the 2012 draft — D Parker Wotherspoon, F Braden Purtill, D Tyler Fraser and G Evan Sarthou. Comrie and Sarthou were teammates with the Jr. Kings. . . . “Ty is an elite talent at the 1997-age group, turning down five NCAA scholarship opportunities to join our program,” Bob Tory, the Americans’ GM, said in a news release, “and continues to make rapid improvements to his overall game. He is gifted with offensive creativity and, since being drafted, continues to excel among his peers as he has gained size and strength.”
———
The Prince George Cougars have signed D Shane Collins, who was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Collins, from Rosetown, Sask., had 24 points, four of them goals, in 39 games with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . . The Cougars have signed six of the 11 players taken in the 2012 draft — Collins, F Jansen Harkins, F Brad Morrison, D Tate Olson, F Aaron Boyd and G Matt Kustra.
———
F Tim Bozon of the Kamloops Blazers will play for France at the IIHF world championship that is to open in Stockholm and Helsinki on Friday. Bozon, who turned 19 on March 24, was a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He finished this season with 91 points, but suffered a hand injury in the playoffs and missed seven games. . . . France opens against Slovakia on Friday.
———

D Marek Hrbas won’t be returning to the WHL for his 20-year-old season. Hrbas, whose return was doubtful anyway because he would be a two-spotter, has signed a two-year contract to play for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga. Hrbas is from Plzen; Sparta Praha plays out of Prague. . . . Hrbas came over as a 16-year-old and played for the USHL’s Fargo Force. He then played one season with the Edmonton Oil Kings before being traded to Kamloops, where he played the last two seasons.
———
The Lethbridge Hurricanes have re-signed three members of their on-ice support staff to one-year contracts. . . . Carolyn Glover returns for a sixth season as the club’s head trainer and athletic trainer. . . . Bob Fretts, the assistant trainer, will be back again. According to a news release, Fretts “has been involved with the team since the beginning.” . . . Steve Szilagyi, the strength and conditioning coach, is coming back for a fourth season.
———
The NHL held its draft lottery on Monday and there were only two changes — the Florida Panthers, who were favoured to get the first pick, will select second, with the Colorado Avalanche moving up to No. 1. . . . The Avalanche are expected to select D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks with that No. 1 pick, and there’s something neat about that. Because it was while his family was living in Denver — his father, Popeye, was playing for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets – that Seth began playing hockey. . . . Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has more right here.
———
Don Cherry is the gift that just keeps on giving. . . . By now you are aware of his latest Saturday night rant in which he said female reporters have no place in NHL locker-rooms. . . . Well, back in the day, it seems that Cherry may have been the first head coach in NHL history to open his team’s dressing room to female reporters. Robin Herman, then with The New York Times, tries to tweak Cherry’s memory right here. . . . We can only wait and wonder what Cherry will say, if anything, now that an active professional athlete has stood up and said: “I’m gay.” . . . Herman, by the way, once rode the bus with the Brandon Wheat Kings on a road trip to Flin Flon. You can bet she got some interesting stories on that trek. Come to think of it, she may have been the first female reporter ever to do that, too.
———
The Red Deer Rebels are looking for an athletic therapist after Terence Robertson told the team he is leaving. Robertson had been with the Rebels through nine seasons. . . . Robertson will work the Rebels’ prospects camp May 31 through June 2 and then will begin a new job with Collegiate Athletic Therapy & Sports Medicine in Red Deer.
———
Jacques Beaulieu, the head coach of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, is facing two assault charges after a weekend incident. On top of that, police are looking to the role his 20-year-old son, Nathan, played in it all. According to Jennifer O’Brien and Patrick Maloney of the London Free Press, the incident occurred Saturday night at a home following a charity golf tournament. Nathan, who spent this season with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, now is with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens for the playoff run. . . . That story is right here.
———

PLAYOFF NOTES:
Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal reports that F Trevor Cheek of the Oil Kings is “questionable” for Game 7 tonight. He was injured in Game 5 and played just one shift in Game 6. . . . Daum reports that if Cheek doesn’t play, the Oil Kings are likely to dress seven defencemen, with Stephen Shmoorkoff getting back in the lineup. The Oil Kings already are without D Griffin Reinhart and F Luke Bertolucci due to injuries. . . . The Portland Winterhawks are waiting at home for the winner of tonight’s game. Portland is the seventh team to make three consecutive trips to the WHL final. The Red Deer Rebels (2001-03), Medicine Hat Tigers (1986-88) and Kamloops Blazers (1984-86) appeared in three straight; the New Westminster Bruins (1975-78), Edmonton Oil Kings (1969-72) and Flin Flon Bombers (1968-71) were in four in a row. . . . This will be the Winterhawks' 11th appearance in the WHL final; they won it all in 1982 and 1998. . . . It will be a quick turnaround for the Eastern Conference winner as the final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup begins with games Friday and Saturday in Portland’s Rose Garden.
———
The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Series tied, 3-3; Game 7 in Calgary today, 7 p.m. MT; on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland wins series, 4-1)
———






CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton/Calgary winner
(Series opens Friday and Saturday in Portland)
———
Here is the scheduled for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Game 1: Friday, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, May 7, at Calgary/Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, May 8, at Calgary/Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Game 5: Friday, May 10, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Game 6: Sunday, May 12, at Calgary/Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Game 7: Monday, May 13, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x – if necessary
———
MONDAY’S GAME:
No Game Scheduled.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None


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“Brain injury,” writes Matt Calkins of the U-T San Diego. “Say it with me now. Brain injury. Not head injury. Not concussion. Not getting dinged, seeing stars. or having your bell rung.”
Calkins’ complete column is right here.
———
In case you missed it, Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, had this on his blog on Friday:
“The Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops is getting a new score clock in time for next season. The new clock includes new high definition video boards which were desperately needed. The score clock at ISC is nine years old.”
Apparently, things aren’t quite official, what with it going to Kamloops city council for final approval this week.
But it is exciting to have Kelowna radio people concerned about what’s happening in Kamloops.
———

Prior to Sunday’s WHL Eastern Conference final game in Calgary, Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal wrote a nifty blog entry that centres on Oil Kings general manager Bob Green and what he does during games. That piece is right here.
———








The Red Deer Chiefs successfully defended their Canadian midget AAA championship (Telus Cup) with a 5-0 victory over the Ottawa Jr. 67’s in Sault  Ste. Marie, Ont., on Sunday. . . . The Chiefs are the fourth team to win back-to-back titles, the others being the Couillard/Gouverneurs de Ste-Foy (1978, 1979), Prince Albert Mintos (2006, 2007) and Notre Dame Hounds (2009 and 2010). . . . Red Deer G Matt Zentner stopped 27 shots for the shutout. . . . Zentner was a 10th-round selection by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . Chase Thudium, Trey Degraaf, Ryker Lee, Chris Gerrie and Ian McLellan had the goals. . . . The 2014 tournament will be held in Moose Jaw, with the Moose Jaw Generals as the host team.
———

 The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Series tied, 3-3; Game 7 in Calgary on Tuesday night; on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland wins series, 4-1)
———






CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton/Calgary winner
(Series opens Friday and Saturday in Portland)
———
SUNDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, F Brooks Macek scored Calgary’s last two goals as the Hitmen came from behind to beat the Oil Kings, 4-3. . . . Macek tied the game at 7:56 of the third period, via the PP, and won it 6:59 of OT. . . . “It was a nice pass from Greg (Chase),” Macek told Crash Cameron of the Edmonton Sun. “He saw me, dropped it to me and I just saw top shelf, far side and I took it. Nobody wanted it to be our last game. Nobody thought anything about a Game 7, we just wanted to focus period by period.” . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger was tremendous in making 36 saves. . . . When the game ended, folks were talking about a second-period save he made on Edmonton F T.J. Foster to keep the score at 2-0. "That was a desperation move," Driedger told Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun. "I threw out an arm and, luckily got it. You don't make those too often. Most of the time, they're going to find the back of the net. It was nice to get one in a game like this." . . . Edmonton took at 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Brady Brassart scored on a PP just seven seconds into the period to get Calgary to within one. . . . Brassart has nine goals this spring; Macek has eight. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner opened the scoring at 13:27 of the first. It was his third goal of the series; he had two goals in 62 regular-season games. He has four goals in 121 career regular-season games. In 26 playoff games, he has scored three times. . . . Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, pointed out that Macek scored at 6:59 of overtime and at 6:59 Mountain Time. . . . The Hitmen are 3-0 in playoff OT games against the Oil Kings. . . . Calgary is 5-2 in OT games in these playoffs, including 2-0 against Edmonton. The Oil Kings are 0-3. . . . Game 7 will be played Tuesday in Edmonton. The WHL final opens Friday in Portland.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None
———

From sportscaster Renaud Lavoie (@RenLavoieRDS): “Dean Chynoweth is a strong candidate to be the next Avalanche coach. He's working for the farm team (ahl) of the Avalanche as the head coach”


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No reason for Blazers to hang their heads

As the players from the Kamloops Blazers disperse following the end of another WHL season, they should be leaving with their heads held high.
After all, they have made this city’s WHL franchise relevant again.
For the last two seasons, Kamloops has not been the place WHL teams come to for a little R&R. No longer do they come here to see a movie, walk around Aberdeen Mall, leave a little sweat at Interior Savings Centre and leave with the two points.
The Blazers reached the WHL’s championship final in 1999, when they won the first game and then lost four straight to the Calgary Hitmen.
Who knew then that the glory days were over? Who knew then of what was to follow?
For 12 consecutive seasons, the Blazers either were eliminated in the first round (10 times) or didn’t qualify for the playoffs. Seven times the Blazers were swept from the first round. Of the 45 playoffs games in which they took park during that stretch, they won only five.
Having to play the Blazers in the playoffs was like Christmas morning all over again. The last few weeks of recent WHL seasons were like the Kentucky Derby as teams jockeyed for position in hopes of playing the Blazers in late March.
Hockey in April in these parts? That was a distant memory.
Not anymore.
Over the last two springs, the Blazers have played 26 postseason games, winning 16 of them.
The Blazers finished atop the B.C. Division in 2011-12, the first time that had happened since 2001-02, before their season ended in a gloriously exciting seven-game second-round series with the Portland Winterhawks.
This season, the Blazers set a franchise record with 14 straight victories, including five in a row in a mid-October ransacking of the Central Division. There was a time this season when the Blazers were No. 1 in the CHL rankings. (I grant you that those rankings often have more holes in them than the nets at ISC, but they do provide some insight into who’s good and who isn’t.)
When the Blazers played their game this season — when they skated hard, forechecked hard, and made life miserable for opposing defencemen behind their icing line — they were a good team. When they played with controlled aggression, they were very good.
It was when they tried to be bruising and intimidating, when they tried to play between the whistle and the drop of the puck, rather than between the whistles, that they found themselves in trouble.
In the end, the Blazers were eliminated by the Winterhawks on Friday night, losing the best-of-seven Western Conference final in five games. There is no shame in losing in the WHL’s Final Four. And there certainly is no shame in losing to the Winterhawks, a team that has raised the performance bar and will be tough to beat in the championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
But where do the Blazers go from here?
As is always the case in junior hockey, there will be roster changes.
The three 20-year-olds — captain Dylan Willick, five-year veteran Brendan Ranford and winger Kale Kessy — have used up their eligibility.
Of the 20 players who dressed Friday, eight were 1993-born, with four of those being defencemen. With teams allowed to carry only three 20-year-olds, a maximum of three of them could return next season.
Colin Smith and JC Lipon, the two most consistent forwards, are 1993-born and eligible to turn pro. Smith’s NHL rights are held by the Colorado Avalanche, although he has yet to sign a contract, while Lipon almost certainly will be selected in the NHL draft in June.
That would leave Tim Bozon as the top returning forward, at least in terms of points, but he would need to find new linemates. Cole Ully and Matt Needham move up the depth chart, perhaps to the very top.
On the back end, there obviously is work to be done. Joel Edmundson and Marek Hrbas won’t be back, the former to the St. Louis Blues organization, the latter to a pro team in his native Czech Republic. Tyler Hansen, his faith of utmost importance to him, amost certainly will go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and not return for his 20-year-old season.
In terms of preparation for the future, the Blazers’ braintrust first will get through Thursday’s bantam draft.
And then there is the matter of the general manager, the head coach and the associate coach — Craig Bonner, Guy Charron and Dave Hunchak. Their contracts will expire before another season gets here.
There were rumours last summer that Bonner, now through five seasons as the GM here, might end up with the Dallas Stars, the NHL team owned by Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi. Those rumours are bound to surface again.
But who knows what’s going on with Charron and Hunchak, who have proven to be a successful tandem? In the world of hockey, it is most unusual for a team to have the kind of season the Blazers just had without the coaches receiving contract extensions at some point.
These days, Gaglardi is rather busy with his NHL team, as he sweeps parts of the hockey operation clean following a non-playoff campaign. General manager Joe Nieuwendyk left on Sunday, with a replacement, Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill, to be introduced today. There will be changes on the coaching staff, too.
“In Dallas, a town where hockey has always had to struggle for attention, the Stars have finally collapsed into irrelevance,” Allan Muir of SI.com wrote yesterday. “Gaglardi knew he couldn’t sell the same weak tea next season.”
That’s one thing Gaglardi doesn’t have to worry about in Kamloops, thanks to players like Smith, Lipon, Ranford and Willick, all of whom drank the weak tea and helped make it stronger.

(Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, gdrinnan.blogspot.ca and twitter.com/gdrinnan.)

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Hey, all my pals in the Portland media. Yeah, I’m talking to you Paul Buker. And you Scott Sepich and Jason Vondersmith. Yes, and you Kerry Eggers, even though we’ve never met.
Don’t you folks be getting your hopes up. Heck, don’t be putting fresh batteries in the digital recorder. Forget about booking the photographers. You won't be needing a new notebook.
Because I’m told your long-awaited date with the WHL commish is going to have to wait.
A source familiar with all the goings-on has told me that “for the first time in WHL history,” at least to his knowledge, the news conference that has in past seasons preceded the WHL’s championship final “has been cancelled.”
———
Just when you thought we were out of the dinosaur age, along comes Canada’s daft grandpa with an attempt at taking us back to days of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Of course, I am referring to Don Cherry and his Neanderthal-like performance last night on the people’s corpse (aka CBC). . . . Now, to be clear, I didn’t see it – I haven’t watched the man in a long, long time – but I knew something had happened just because Twitter about blew up. . . . At the end of the day, I would suggest that Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail addressed things as well as anybody, and his column is right here.
And then there was veteran sports reporter Karin Larsen (@CBCLarsen), who tweeted: “I’m embarrassed by and for Don Cherry and for CBC. Sorry.”
Larsen is right. It is sorry. Unfortunately, it isn't unexpected.
———
Dr. Charles Tator is a pre-eminent expert on the brain, brain injuries and the prevention of same. He also has been a lover of the Toronto Maple Leafs for a long, long time. These days, the Leafs are the NHL’s leading practitioners of the pugilistic side of hockey. So what does he think when he’s at a game and there is a fight? “You know what? My heart races,” Dr. Tator told Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post. “I worry about that brain that is being pummelled. It really is a sad event, to me, when it happens. Because virtually every day in my practice, I see people who have had brain injuries of one sort or another, and these folks suffer terribly.” . . . Fitz-Gerald’s column is right here, and be sure to read the comments. Oh, by they way, this piece also includes statistical evidence that fighting has very little to do with the outcome of games.
———
Columnist Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe has an intriguing piece right here that takes a moment-by-moment look at the conclusion of the manhunt in Boston. “What you’re about to read,” he writes, “is how it all ended. The denouement. It is a story of remarkable drama, bravery, and terror, and it is based on interviews with Watertown police and fire officials, State Police and Boston police, including Dan Linskey, the superintendent in chief of the Boston Police Department.”
———
The QMJHL has a donnybrook one night, and the fines and suspensions are announced the following morning.
The QMJHL has a game decided by an overtime goal that was preceded by an uncalled offside and there is a news release in less than 24 hours.
If you missed it, the host Baie-Comeau Drakkar scored a 2-1 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday night, with the winning goal coming off a play that was offside, but not called, at the blueline.
Here is the statement from Gilles Courteau, the QMJHL commissioner:
“It is unfortunate that the result of a game was determined by an offside goal without the possibility of a video review. It is for that reason that as a league, we are taking the initiative to bring this addition to the Canadian Hockey League. We will therefore formulate a directive, beginning next season, allowing video review for all offside goals. The QMJHL has a very competent and passionate group of officials; because of the fast-paced nature of hockey sometimes things go unnoticed on the ice. It is for this reason that a technological aid will allow officials, during this type of situation, to make adjustments, if necessary, in order to make the right decision.”
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Former WHL sniper and coach Troy Mick is about to add to his job description with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Randy and Terry Williams are in the process of selling the franchise to a group headed up by Mick, who started this season as general manager and head coach before bringing in Scott Robinson to handle the coaching. . . . Under new ownership, Mick will be president, general manager and head coach. The new group won’t renew Robinson’s contract.

Rick Swan is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. Swan, who signed a three-year extension, actually was promoted, after serving as the club’s assistant GM and assistant head coach under Chad Mercier. . . . Swan had been the head coach of the midget AAA Edmonton Knights of Columbus team before joining the Pontiacs. . . . Mercier resigned from both positions earlier this month.
———
 
The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Edmonton leads series, 3-2; Game 6 in Calgary today, 4 p.m. MT; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland wins series, 4-1)
———
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton/Calgary winner
(Series opens May 3 and 4 in Portland)
———
SATURDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None

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Congrats to Larry Popein, who is going to be saluted by the good folks of his hometown. The Pope, who had a stellar NHL career and now lives right here in River City, will be inducted into the Yorkton, Sask., Sports Hall of Fame later this summer. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Popein, who will hit 83 in August, played 448 NHL games and also spent six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks of the professional Western Hockey League. . . . The Pope, I’m told, is feeling better after a stint in hospital earlier this month. . . . Headline from ProFootballMock.com: Aaron Rodgers: Pay me like Tony Romo, or I’ll start playing like him. . . . A few days after that appeared, Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers agreed to a five-year, US$110-million deal. . . . Coincidence? . . .
Dwight Perry, in the Seattle Times: “Newcastle United fan Barry Rogerson, caught on video punching a police horse in a postgame riot, told the London Mirror: a) ‘I reacted stupidly. I did not go out to attack a horse,’ or, b) ‘Mongo love Newcastle United.’ ” . . . Defenceman Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks has been listed as day-to-day for three weeks. So you are free to wonder what it means when the Canucks say that goaltender Cory Schneider is day-to-day with a “body” injury. . . . One thing it means is that once again all of Vancouver is in love with Roberto Luongo. . . . Scott Brown, the Vancouver Sun’s sports editor, tweeted: “Canucks clear up speculation about Schneider’s health by letting us know he has a ‘body injury’. We now know his mind & soul are ok.” . . .
If you weren’t aware, that was Steve Williams, Tiger Woods’ ex-caddy, on the bag for Adam Scott when he won the Masters earlier this month. “Is it just me,” writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, “or have you, too, noticed that all of Tiger’s exes seem to be doing pretty well for themselves?” . . . If you’re looking for some fun on a slow day, head on over to the Halston Connector and cruise it by driving the speed limit. . . . Dare you. . . . A note from former Washington Times columnist Dan Daly: “Now that the name change in New Orleans is official, it’s probably only a matter of time before the NBA starts marketing Pelican briefs.” . . .
“What do you call Kentucky forward Nerlens Noel being the consensus No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft?” asks RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com. “The first Noel.” . . . Here’s Currie, again: “Did I hear the San Antonio Spurs signed Tracy McGrady for his playoff experience? Isn’t that like adding Charlie Brown to your kicking team?” . . . If you missed it, former Vancouver Giants forward Milan Lucic was a healthy scratch with the Beantown boys last weekend. And if you saw that coming a year ago, move to the head of the line. . . .
The way Tim Cowlishaw, a columnist with the Dallas Morning News, has it figured, Glen Gulutzan is done as the head coach of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and Guy Carbonneau is the best candidate as a replacement. . . . Why not the Kamloops Blazers’ coaching tandem of Guy Charron and Dave Hunchak? They’ve done a great job here, their contracts are up and Tom Gaglardi owns both teams. . . . From Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel: “NBC Sports announcer Al Michaels was arrested last Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. NBC officials had no comment, but they privately shouted, ‘Do you believe in designated drivers?’ ” . . .
If you’re into pond hockey, you may want to think about entering the inaugural Montana Pond Hockey Classic. It’s scheduled for Foys Lake near Kalispell, Feb. 21-23, 2014, and registration already is open. For more info, visit www.PondHockeyClassic.com. . . . Cam Hutchinson of the Saskatoon Express wonders: “How many things are more boring than a between-periods interview with an NHL player?” . . . Maybe an interview with an NHL coach in the middle of the second period? . . . Bill Littlejohn, on Dwight Howard getting his 9,000th rebound last week, 14 days faster than Wilt Chamberlain did: “Wilt’s 9,000th rebound was a New York Knicks cheerleader dumped by her boyfriend.” . . .
You may have heard that David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox dropped a bomb at Fenway Park a week ago. In addressing the crowd, Big Papi said: “This is our f------ city and nobody is going to dictate our freedom.” . . . As Len Berman of ThatsSports.com noted: “OK, it wasn’t quite ‘Give me liberty or give me death,’ but he made his point.” . . . Jennifer Joyce of Kamloops is back on Athletics Canada’s board of directors. Joyce, a hammer thrower, is the female athlete representative and her term runs through April 2015. . . . When the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup later this summer does Brian Burke get a ring? . . .
Shane Battier of the Miami Heat happened to mention that, when it came to beer, he drank only Bud Light during a 27-game NBA winning streak. So the Bud Light folks sent him 1,100 free cases of the stuff. . . . Battier is making US$3.135 million this season. . . . And what did Battier think of the delivery? He told The Associated Press: “My house isn’t that big to house all that. I’ll have a whole new slew of friends today.” . . . After the New York Jets let everyone know they would be taking the best available athlete with their first pick in the NFL draft, CBS-TV’s David Letterman noted: “It’s the same strategy the Kardashian sisters use.”

(Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, gdrinnan.blogspot.ca and twitter.com/gdrinnan. Keeping Score appears Saturdays, except when it doesn’t.)

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). He had no points in three games with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), eight goals and 16 assists in nine games with Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga), and 17 goals and 18 assists in 33 games after joining Krefeld at the end of October.
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Focus Features has taken out an option on a series of stories about the late Derek Boogaard that appeared in The New York Times. That series, written by John Branch, was titled Punched Out: The Life and Death of a Hockey Enforcer. . . . There’s more right here.
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Dave Dotan, a former WHL defenceman (Prince Albert, 2007-10), and a few other Simon Fraser University business students have hooked up with some hockey players and are in the process of launching Potential Apparel. Proceeds from the project will be used to help disadvantaged youths get into sports. Philip Raphael has the story in the Richmond News and it’s right here.
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F Marek Tvrdon has been assigned by the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Tvrdon’s season with the Vancouver Giants was halted by a blood clot in one shoulder. He had 22 points in 18 games at the time. In 90 career games, the native of Nitra, Slovakia, had 107 points in 90 career games. Tvrdon was a fourth-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . Tvrdon didn't play last night as the Griffins opened the AHL playoffs with a 3-0 loss to the host Houston Aeros.
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The host Baie-Comeau Drakkar scored in OT to beat the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in a QMJHL playoff game last night. The Armada leads the best-of-seven semifinal 3-2 with Game 6 in Blainville-Boisbriand on Sunday.  The winner will meet the Halifax Mooseheads, who are 12-0 in the playoffs, in the championship final. . . . The teams were without 12 players, including all four of their regular goaltenders, following a donnybrook after Game 4 on Wednesday. . . . Drakkar G Simon Lemieux stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. . . . The Armada was down to its fourth goaltender, Marc-Antoine Turcotte, by the time the game ended. Storm Phaneuf made 20 saves before leaving with an injury. Turcotte finished with six saves. . . . Penalties? Only four minors were handed out.
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A couple of quick notes . . . The OHL’s London Knights have advanced to the OHL final. The let a 4-0 lead get away last night before beating the Plymouth Whalers 5-4 in OT. . . . London F Max Domi had five points, including the winner 22 seconds into OT. . . . London won the series, 4-1. . . . The Knights will meet either the Barrie Colts or Belleville Bulls in the final. The Bulls beat the visiting Colts 3-1 last night. The Colts hold a 3-2 lead with Game 6 in Barrie tonight. . . . In the QMJHL, the P.E.I. Rocket isn’t going anywhere. A local group has reached a tentative agreement to purchase the franchise from the Savard family. Jason Malloy of The Guardian has more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mike Madill is the new general manager and head coach of the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers. Madill is a former Las Vegas defenceman and team captain. Madill, who turns 31 next month, played five of the last six seasons with the Wranglers, but has retired to take on these roles. He replaces Ryan Mougenel, whose contract wasn’t renewed after four seasons (151-111-26).

Former WHL defenceman and coach Terry Virtue has been named the varsity head coach of the Canon-McMillan Hockey Association in Pennsylvania. Virtue was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack (2010-12) after working for three seasons with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans.
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 The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Edmonton leads series, 3-2; Game 6 in Calgary on Sunday; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland wins series, 4-1)
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CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton/Calgary winner
(Series opens May 3 and 4 in Portland)
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings struck three times in the first period and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . D Martin Gernat opened the scoring at 7:38, then F Henrik Samuelsson and F Travis Ewanyk scored 44 seconds apart late in the period. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 shots. He lost his shutout bid when F Brooks Macek scored a PP goal at 15:04 of the third. . . . Going into the game, the Hitmen were 4-1 at Rexall Place this season. . . . Edmonton had D Cody Corbett (knee) back after he was injured in Game 2. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen returned after serving a two-game suspension for the hit that injured Corbett. . . . Edmonton F Trevor Cheek didn’t return after a first-period collision with Calgary D Spencer Humphries. . . . Edmonton is without injured D Griffin Reinhart and F Luke Bertolucci. . . . Attendance was 11,074, the largest crowd in these WHL playoffs. . . . The Hitmen, who held a players only meeting after last night’s loss, are 7-1 at home in these playoffs. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie had a goal and an assist to help the Winterhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Rattie’s 15th goal, off a shorthanded breakaway, gave Portland a 3-1 lead at 10:05 of the third period. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier broke a 1-1 tie at 4:23 of the second. . . . Rattie leads playoff scores in goals (15) and points (30). . . . Rattie had 12 points in the five games with Kamloops and was named the series’ MVP. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth allowed seven goals in the five games, with five of those coming in a 5-1 loss in Game 3. . . . He is 12-3, 1.62, .935 in these playoffs. In his playoff career, he is 45-22, 2.78, .917.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
D Joel Edmundson, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None
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From Paul Buker (@Pnbuker) of The Oregonian, about 90 minutes before game time: “Hawks' media mogul Graham Kendrick says no word yet from WHL on the status of Keegan ‘killer’ Iverson. Might be OK, I suppose it's ...”
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More from Buker: “..also possible Iverson is fined $200,000, his cell phone is confiscated, and he is forced to take a 60 minute timeout #Judgedredd”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “I gotta say, the WHL final series kickoff press conference in Portland w/ commish Ron Robison could be must-see Internet streaming.”
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One more from Sepich: “I just want to mention that over the last 2 years, Guy Charron has been as classy, humble and honest as anyone in sports I've interviewed.”
Allow me to echo that statement. Hockey needs more coaches like Guy Charron.


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