D Gord Baldwin (Medicine Hat, 2004-07) signed a two-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He had three goals and 11 assists in 26 games with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and five assists in 29 games with the Texas Stars (AHL). The Steelers press release says that Baldwin will attend University of Sheffield Business School while playing for the Steelers. . . .F Keegan Dansereau (Calgary, Swift Current, 2003-09) signed a one-year contract with Olofström (Sweden, Division 1). He had 10 goals and seven assists in 23 games with Mörrum (Sweden, Division 1) last season.
———
The Saskatoon Blades, the only franchise to have played every WHL season since the its inception in 1966-67, appears to be on the verge of being sold. Mike Priestner, an Edmonton-based auto dealer, apparently is the favourite to purchase the Blades. Priestner and Blades majority owner Jack Brodsky both told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that they are talking. . . . There’s more right here. . . . Yes, this is the same Mike Priestner who attempted to purchase the Kamloops Blazers in 2007.———
On Thursday evening, Nugent-Bowman tweeted: “Just talked to Mike Priestner. He said no deal to buy the Saskatoon Blades has been finalized. Status quo from yesterday. #spnews”
———
The Swift Current Broncos have acquired F Connor Sanvido, who is to turn 20 on Sept. 26, and F Andrew Johnson, who will be 19 on Oct. 15, from the Seattle Thunderbirds for a fourth-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Sanvido, from Maple Ridge, B.C., was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft. He had 29 points, including 14 goals, in 72 games last season. In 184 games, he has 53 points, 26 of them goals. . . . Johnson, from Saskatoon, was acquired form the Moose Jaw Warriors at last season’s trade deadline for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick . A second-round pick by the Warriors in the 2009 bantam draft, he had 23 points in 72 games last season. In 189 career games, he has 76 points, including 33 goals. . . . Sanvido’s arrival leaves the Broncos with what would appear to be four potential 20-year-olds, the others being G Eetu Laurikainen, F Graham Black and F Daniel Dale. . . . The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, are down to three – F Mitch Elliot, D Jesse Forsberg and F Seth Swenson.———
The Vancouver Giants have claimed F Tim Traber, 20, off waivers from the Victoria Royals. . . . Vancouver GM Scott Bonner told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that Traber is in Switzerland at the present time, so it has yet to be decided if he will report to the Giants. . . . The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Traber, who is from Quesnel, B.C., is a grinder. He has 32 points in 215 regular-season games, having played two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) and two with the Royals. . . . At the moment, the Giants have F Cain Franson as their lone 20-year-old, although F Marek Tvrdon and D Dalton Thrower also are possibilities. Tvrdon has signed with the Detroit Red Wings, while Thrower has yet to sign with the Montreal Canadiens. . . . Victoria, meanwhile, has four 20-year-olds on its roster — D Jordan Fransoo, F Mitch Deacon, F Logan Nelson and F Ben Walker.———
The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed F Zach Goberis, who was a fourth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Goberis, from Arvada, Colo., had 40 points, including 17 goals, in 39 games with the Colorado Thunderbirds Tier 1 elite minor midget team last season. (A tip of the cap to Small Thoughts at Large for the stats.) . . . Goberis is represented by Turning Point Sports Management.———
Congrats to old friend Lyle Helland, who will be one of three people inducted into the Conexus Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame in Moose Jaw this year. . . . Also going into the hall will be former players Darryl Laplante and Lyle Odelein. . . . Helland, who will be inducted as a builder, was part of the original group that brought the franchise from Winnipeg in 1984. He has served on the team’s board of director and has been a season-ticket holder for 29 years. . . . Odelein (1985-88) had 163 points in 189 games. He is the third-highest scoring defenceman in Warriors history. . . . Laplante (1994-97) had 310 points, including 102 goals, in 212 games. . . . The Warriors will celebrate their Hall of Fame weekend, Oct. 17-19.———
“Last winter, Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey Inc. commissioned an independent survey to better understand the challenges facing non hockey-playing families. The results were stunning,” writes Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press. “A whopping 90 per cent of the 875 families surveyed in Ontario and Nova Scotia kept their kids out of hockey because a) it wasn’t fun, b) it was too time consuming, c) of safety concerns, and d) of affordability. The good news is 73 per cent also said they’d consider putting their kids in the game in future while 40 per cent said they’d definitely consider it.”
That complete story is right here.
———
Alex Rodriguez as a sympathetic figure? William C. Rhoden of The New York Times makes that case right here. Don’t laugh because Rhoden has a convincing argument.
———
There are athletes and there are stars and there are super stars. And then there’s Roger Federer. If you don’t believe it, check out this story right here on the tennis star and a young lady who has fought a couple of rounds with the big C.
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
Posts
