Taking Note

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) and F Tomas Vincour (Edmonton, Vancouver, 2007-10) each signed one-year contracts with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL). . . . Heshka had eight goals and 23 assists in 60 games helping Ässät Pori (Finland, SM-Liiga) win the Finnish championship. . . . Vincour had 18 goals and 21 assists in 53 games with the Texas Stars (AHL) and the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) and two goals and two assists in 17 games with the Dallas Stars (NHL) and Colorado Avalanche (NHL) this season.
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Is the CHL’s decision to ban European goaltenders legal? Is it in violation of Canada’s Competition Act? Might it be a violation of human rights laws? Yahoo! Sports has an interesting piece right here that was written by Fraser Mackinnon Blair, who is a recent graduate of law school.
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Lucas Aykroyd, who does a lot of writing for iihf.com, has an interesting take right here on the CHL’s ban on European goaltenders. He says it’ll be good for the European goaltenders because history shows that the best ones develop at home. He’s got the names and numbers to back that up, too.
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F Justin Feser, who played out his major junior eligibility with the Tri-City Americans this season, has decided to attend St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., and play for the X-Men. . . . Feser, who is from Red Deer, played five seasons with the Americans. This season, he had 106 points, 44 of them goals, in 72 games. He was selected the Western Conference’s player of the year.
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If you haven’t noticed, ESPN is becoming a whole lot more about the sizzle than about the steak. If you don’t believe that, read this piece right here. The network has dumped the Schwab. Yes, that Schwab. The guy you couldn’t stump.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have signed F Dylan Williamson, who was a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Williamson had 41 points, 23 of them goals, in 30 games with the Alberta bantam league’s Calgary Bisons.
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D Brennan Evans (Seattle, Kootenay, 1999-2003) scored the winning goal as the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins won the AHL championship with a 5-2 victory over the Syracuse Crunch on Tuesday night. . . . The Griffins won the series 4-2 after winning the first three games. . . . F Mitch Callahan (Kelowna, 2008-11) had a goal and an assist for the Griffins, while F Landon Ferraro (Red Deer, Everett, 2007-11) had two assists. F Triston Grant (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2000-05) added an assist for Grand Rapids. . . . This is the Griffin’s first championship in the franchise’s 17-year history and the first title in Grand Rapids’ 27-year history in the pro game. . . . The Griffins are the Detroit Red Wings’ AHL affiliate; the Crunch is hooked up with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Adrian Dater of the Denver Post reports that the Colorado Avalanche won’t be taking Portland Winterhawks D Seth Jones with the first pick in t he NHL draft on June 30. Straight goods or posturing. That story is right here.
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The high cost of playing hockey is going up and up and up, kind of like the price of gas. Don Campbell of the Ottawa Citizen has a piece right here on how much it’s going to cost your son to play in the Central Canadian Hockey League, a junior a league based in the Ottawa area. If you must know, the price is going to be $3,750 per player and that’s a 400 per cent increase. . . . Perhaps Hockey Canada should be as concerned with the money factor as it is with the impact of European goaltenders over here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mike Haviland is the new head coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Haviland, 45, has been a pro coach for 14 seasons. He spent this season as associate coach with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. . . . Haviland replaces Mark French, whose contract wasn’t renewed after four seasons behind the bench of the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals. French has since signed on as head coach of the KHL’s Medvescak Zagreb, a Croatian team that is new to the KHL, having played in the Austrian league.

The NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes have extended the contracts of the coaching staff of their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Head coach Ray Edwards and assistants John Slaney and Mike Minard. . . . Edwards, 42, is preparing for his fifth season as the head coach of the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate. He has been head coach for two seasons with each of the Pirates and, before that, the San Antonio Rampage. . . . Slaney is going into his third season as an assistant with the Pirates. He ended his pro career after the 2010-11 season when he played with Plzen HC in Czech Republic. . . . Minard is heading into his third season as the goaltending and video coach with the Pirates.

Matt Thomas, the head coach of the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder this season, is the new head coach of the U of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. Thomas has coached in the ECHL for nine seasons, including the last four-plus with the Thunder. . . . With the Seawolves, he replaces Dave Shyiak, who was fired following the season, his eighth at the school.
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From Spencer Humphries (@shumper5), who completed his WHL eligibility this season with the Calgary Hitmen: “Its official, just signed my first Pro Contract! Ill be playing for Prague of the KHL this year. Leaving early July. #excited #tweetsfromCzech”
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From Regan Bartel (@reganrant): “After 13 seasons they aren’t tired of my act yet. AM1150 and #KelownaRockets have agreed on a new three-year radio deal.”


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