F Alex Gogolev (Calgary, Victoria, 2011-13) signed a two-year contract with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). He had 20 goals and 45 assists in 49 games with the Royals last season. The KHL opened its regular season on Wednesday. . . .
Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) signed a two-year plus option contract with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B). He had three goals and four assists in 32 games with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL) last season. The Swiss NL B opens its regular season on Sept. 13. . . . Mikhailov, the son of former Soviet Union star Boris Mikhailov, was injured when the Spokane Chiefs bus crashed 12 miles east of Cranbrook while returning home from a road trip in January 1997. The Spokane Spokesman-Review article on the crash can be found right here.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more on the new owners taking over the Saskatoon Blades, including this:
Speculation has swirled that former Prince George Cougars head coach Dean Clark will take over as GM and/or behind the bench after this season.While Mike Priestner wasn’t guaranteeing anyone’s job indefinitely, he said Clark would not be joining the Blades. Clark told The StarPhoenix the same thing in an interview last month.
They have spoken several times since Mike Priestner made an offer to buy the Blades, but the subject has never come up. Clark currently works in Kelowna as a power lineman.
“He’s out of the business. He has a great job. He’s where he wants to be and needs to be,” Mike Priestner said. “I would say there’s a zero per cent chance if we had to make a change that Dean would be coming in.
“We have a coach (Dave Struch) who’s been here for seven years to earn the chance to be a (head) coach.”
That complete story is right here.
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Yes, it’s only the silly season, but the second Kevin Constantine era in Everett has gotten off to something of a rousing start, hasn’t it? . . . The Silvertips, playing at the Tri-City Americans’ tournament in Kennewick, Wash., whipped the Portland Winterhawks 8-2 on Friday to run their exhibition record to 4-0. They have scored 19 goals, while allowing nine. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist, playing on his 20th birthday, had two goals and an assist. . . . The Silvertips were 3-4 in the exhibition season a year ago. They will close out this preseason by going home-and-home with the Seattle Thunderbirds next weekend.———
The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, welcomed back F Branden Troock to their lineup in a 3-2 victory over the Americans in the Tri-City tournament on Friday. Troock has only recently been cleared to play after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. . . . Seattle also had F Justin Hickman back from a three-game suspension, something that carried over from last season. He also will miss the first three games of the regular season. Hickman scored the winner against Tri-City, the goal coming wiht 49 seconds left in the third period.———
In Prince George, the Cougars ran their record to 3-0 with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton took 68 of the game’s 132 penalty minutes. . . . F Jansen Harkins, 16, drew three assists and now leads the WHL exhibition scoring race with eight points in three games. From North Vancouver, he was the second overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft.———
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From Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports): “As part of #Blades sale, lease extended at CUC for two more years. Lease was to expire after 2013-14 #WHL season. #spnews”
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From Jerome Berube (@Jerome_Berube: “QMJHL teams have until September 30th to apply to host the 2015 Memorial cup. so far only Quebec has shown interest.”
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From Brad Curle (@BCurle_Hitmen), the radio voice of the Calgary Hitmen: “FYI Calgary Hitmen forward Pavlo Padakin has asked to be called Pavel this season. #namechange #FirstHitmenPavelsinceBrendl”
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