D Ray Macias (Kamloops, 2002-07) signed a one-year contract with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). He had nine goals and nine assists in 39 games with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season. . . .
F Levi Nelson (Swift Current, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract with Ritten/Renon (Italy, Serie A). He had 10 goals and 14 assists in 32 games with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL), three goals and three assists in 10 games with the Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL), and one goal and one assist in 11 games with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL) last season. . . .
F Tyler Beechey (Edmonton/Kootenay, Calgary, 1997-2002) signed a one-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He had 14 goals and 16 assists in 34 games with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL) last season., This will be Beechey’s seventh season in the DEL.
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The WHL has had another player retire due to post-concussion syndrome.
F Brent Benson, who was the sixth overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft, won’t play in his 20-year-old
season.Benson suffered at least two brain injuries last season and is believed to have had at least five during his career.
From Weyburn, Sask., Benson had 18 points in 64 games with the Saskatoon Blades as a 16-year-old. He added 44 points in 65 games as a sophomore, and 37 in 62 games in his third season.
Last season, he was dealt to the Swift Current Broncos for D Graeme Craig on Oct. 18. He had three assists in 11 games with the Blades and a pair of helpers in 10 games with the Broncos before being shut down.
Benson put up 105 points, including 35 goals, in 216 regular-season games.
Earlier this summer, Swift Current F Shea Howorko, 19, revealed that he has had to quit playing due to post-concussion syndrome.
The Broncos selected Howorko, who is from Swift Current, in the second round of the 2009 bantam draft.
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In a deal involving two 17-year-old defencemen, the Prince George Cougars have dealt Jordan Harris to the Swift Current Broncos for Zack Gonek.
Harris, who is from Prince Albert, had told the Cougars he would prefer to play closer to home. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder was the 10th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He started last season with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos and put up 12 assists in 21 games. However, he suffered a concussion and missed significant playing time. He joined the Cougars early in January and finally played on Feb. 6. In 17 games with Prince George, he had five assists.
Gonek, who is from St. Albert, Alta., was taken by the Broncos with the 13th pick of the 2011 bantam draft. Last season, with the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders, he had four points in 24 games.
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Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, tweeted Wednesday afternoon that F Dakota Odgers “is going to be out until Nov/Dec after shoulder surgery.” Odgers, the 17-year-old son of former WHL and NHL F Jeff Odgers, was pointless in eight games with the Broncos last season. He was a second-round pick by the Broncos in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Mullin also noted that F Ty McLean, 18, has been invited to the Broncos’ training camp. McLean, from Redvers, Sask., had one assist in 24 games with the Regina Pats last season. He was a fifth-round selection by the Pats in the 2010 bantam draft.
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The Saskatoon arena that is home to the Blades may soon be getting a new name. Kevin Menz of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the credit unions involved purchasing the naming rights to Credit Union Centre won’t be renewing the deal when it expires on Oct. 31, 2014. . . . There’s more right here.———
F Jordan Wyton, 20, has signed with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. Wyton, from Lethbridge, played the last three seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Last season, in 35 games, he had 10 points. He spent some time on the shelf with a brain injury. In fact, he played on three games between Nov. 11 and Feb. 22 with what is believed to have been a brain injury. . . . In 173 regular-season games, he had 40 points, including 12 goals.———
Billy Moores, one of the really good guys in the game of hockey, is back with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, this time as the director of coaching development and special projects. . . . Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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Brian Cobb has been hired by the Spokane Chiefs as director of public/media relations. Cobb worked as an intern in public relations and marketing with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2011-12. With the Chiefs, he takes over from Jay Stewart, who had held that position since 2000 and now is vice-president of sponsorships.———
One of these days, perhaps Friday, Major League Baseball will hand out some more suspensions in the Biogenesis doping scandal. But what about other sports? Should they be concerned? . . . Allen Barra of The Atlantic points out right here that there is a whole lot more to this story than baseball, but some other sports don’t seem to care.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have hired James Eccles as their new general manager and head coach. For the past two seasons, Eccles has been head coach of the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who play out of Kelowna. He replaces Kevin Kraus, who now is an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
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From Lukas Walter (@Lukaswalter9): “Well off to @pdxwinterhawks camp in August couldn’t be more excited and would like to thank the @TCAmericans and hope to see everyone in exys”
Walter, a 20-year-old forward, had three points in 68 games with the Americans last season. The Winterhawkshave two other 20-year-olds on their roster — F Shane McColgan and D Garrett Haar.
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