D Mike Egener (Calgary, 2000-04) has signed a two-year deal with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite). He has been cleared by doctors to resume playing after recovering from Guillaume-Barre Syndrome. Last season with Coventry, he had 15 points, including three goals, in 56 games.
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Here is the lead to Annie Fowler's story in Friday's Tri-City Herald:
"The Tri-City Americans will honor one of their own tonight when they host the Regina Pats for the inaugural Shaun Vey Aware Down There Night."Vey, who played for the Americans from 2004-08, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in February. He is in the Tri-Cities to bring awareness and raise funds for men’s health issues. All funds raised will stay local and benefit the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation."
The complete story is right here.
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Last week, when WHL commissioner Ron Robison was involved in a Q and A with fans in Kelowna, he admitted to some concerns regarding attendance in a few centres. One of the spots where things aren't what they used to be is Victoria. Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has more right here.———
It would seem the WHL isn't the only sporting organization that may be keeping a wary eye on its crowd counts. Here's a tweet from Blake Price (@blakeprice1040) of Vancouver radio station Team 1040 from the Canucks' home game last night: "As I look at hundreds of empty seats here, let it be noted that even the LA Lakers said this week that their sellout streak was over at 320."
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Bob Fitzsimmons was the lawyer for the late Mike Webster, the former Pittsburgh Steelers centre whose story is such a big part of League of Denial, both the TV show and the book. Fitzsimmons also is a director of TauMark, the firm that is using brain scans to test for CTE in living ex-football players. So far, nine players have been tested and all have come back positive. And more players, a lot more, want to be tested. There's more right here.
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A bill before the state legislature in Albany, N.Y., would ban tackling in football for youngsters under the age of 14. Dr. Robert Cantu, perhaps the foremost concussion expert in the U.S. and a co-director of Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, appeared in Albany on Thursday.
"Youngsters are particularly vulnerable," said Dr. Cantu said. "We have six youngsters in our brain bank at BU who ... have chronic traumatic encephalopathy shown at the high school level. So this is an entity that is already developing in these players."
Jordan Carleo-Evangelist of the Albany Times Union has more right here.
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Don't blame the Marsh Pegs for the injury suffered by Tampa Bay Lightning star Steven Stamkos on Monday. Stamkos ended up with a broken right leg when he slid into a goal post during the second period of a 3-0 loss to the Bruins in Boston. Fred Marsh of Kamloops, who invented the pegs, told Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times that he has watched the collision a number of times and feels the pegs did what they are meant to do. . . . That story is right here.———
D Eric Roy was back at practice with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Thursday. He missed Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Blades in Saskatoon with an injury incurred when he blocked a shot in a Monday game. He likely will play in the rematch in Brandon on Friday. . . . F T.J. Dumonceaux of the Vernon Vipers isn't going to be suspended by the BCHL for the punch that floored linesman Ryan Dawson on Sunday. . . . There's more right here.
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THURSDAY:
In Edmonton, D Griffin Reinhart had a goal and two assists to help the Oil Kings to a 6-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . This was the Oil Kings' first home game since Oct. 20. . . . They are 8-2-0 in their last 10 outings. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar scored his 14th goal of the season. . . . Edmonton (13-8-1) moved a point ahead of the idle Prince Albert Raiders and into third place in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Warriors have lost three and a row. They are 11th in the 12-team conference, four points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Oil Kings' PP, which hadn't scored in 23 opportunities, was 2-for-3. . . . What was the difference with the PP? “We got a great net-front presence and we got some better puck movement,” Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal said on the team's website. “We changed it up, give it a different look, change sides on it and split up Curtis (Lazar) and Sammy (Henrik Samuelsson) to create some inner competition. If you want that heavy ice time, now you’ve got to go out and earn it.” . . . Before the game, the Warriors added F Erik Benoit, 20, to their roster. Benoit was released earlier by the Seattle Thunderbirds, for whom he had eight points, including three goals, in 19 games this season. Benoit, who played for the Warriors last night, also has played with the Kootenay Ice and Saskatoon Blades. . . . Benoit's presence gives the Warriors three 20-year-olds, the others being F Sam Fioretti and D Jesse Forsberg.———
From Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff), of Vancouver radio station Team 1040: "#Canucks 1st rounder Hunter Shinkaruk watching warm-up from management box with Stan Smyl."
The Canucks were at home to the San Jose Sharks last night. Shinkaruk and his Medicine Hat Tigers meet the Giants in Vancouver tonight.
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From Reid Wilkins (@Reid Wilkins) of Edmonton radio station 630 CHED: "Chris Nilan says fighting is slowly being weeded out of hockey. Will disappear from junior then the NHL."
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