F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) has signed a one-year contract with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he had 13 points, two of them goals, in 32 games. He was the team captain. . . .
F Alexander Kuvaev (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2010-12) has signed a two-year extension with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). This season, with Severstal, he had two assists in 10 games. He also played with Almaz Cherepovets (Russia, MHL), leading the team in scoring with 39 points, including 17 goals, in 35 games. . . . The MHL is Molodezhnaya Hokkeynaya Liga or Junior Hockey League, Russia's national junior league. . . .
F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a three-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). This season, with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL), he had 30 points, including 13 goals, in 37 games. He was drafted in the fourth round of the KHL’s 2009 junior draft by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which traded his rights to Yugra on Wednesday for Yugra's first-round selection in the 2015 KHL draft.---
1. Jon Rosen, the former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips who now is the L.A. Kings Insider, took time out from a visit to Wrigley Field this week to chat with F Jarret Stoll. Mostly they talked about Stoll’s connection to Yorkton and to the SJHL’s Terriers. You may recall that Stoll arranged to pay for some team meals as the Terriers made a run to the RBC Cup title last week. As I suspected, it turns out that superstition had something to do with it. . . . Rosen’s piece is right here and it really does show that you can take the boy to Los Angeles but you can’t take Yorkton out of the boy. Great stuff!
2. The 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference has added more presenters to its roster. . . . Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s head scout, will do a presentation on player evaluation. . . . Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, will do a session on passing skills. . . . Enio Sacilotto, a long-time coach who now is an assistant with the Victoria Royals, will handle small area games. . . . Jeff Compton, who also is on the Royals’ staff, will deal with Hockey IQ. . . . For more info, click on the conference’s ad at the top of this page. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 18-19 at the U of British Columbia in Vancouver.
3. “Well, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are upon us and we’re staring down the barrel of a strike,” writes columnist George Johnson of the Calgary Herald. “And not a Gary Bettman sighting to be had.” . . . This time, it’s the CFL that’s on the verge of going over a cliff. Seriously. . . . Johnson’s take is right here.
4. D Derrick Pouliot, who completed his junior eligibility with the Portland Winterhawks this season, had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for up to six months., Pouliot was taken eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has signed an NHL contract. He was honoured this season as the WHL’s top defenceman.
5. The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes to a three-year contract extension. Hawes had one year left on this contract, so now is signed through 2017-18. . . . He is preparing for his 10th season with the organization. He has been the GM since November 2010.
---
THE COACHING GAME:
The Allen Americans, who won the Central league championship earlier this month, have signed head coach Steve Martinson through 2015-16. He just completed his second season with the Americans and has won back-to-back championships.---
Scott Hillman has resigned as head coach and director of hockey operations of the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks, who play out of Independence. He had filled those positions since the Mavericks began play in the league in 2009-10. . . . The Mavericks made the playoffs in each of Hillman’s five seasons with them. This season, they won a franchise-record 44 games and had the league’s best regular-season record.---
MEMORIAL CUP
(at London, Ont., all times Eastern)
(all games televised by Sportsnet)
Friday: Val-d’Or 1, London 0 (8,863)
Saturday: Guelph 5, Edmonton 2 (8,842)
Sunday: Edmonton 5, London 2 (8,863)
Monday: Guelph 6, Val-d’Or 3 (8,796)
Tuesday: Val-d’Or 4, Edmonton 3 (2OT) (8,745)
Wednesday: Guelph 7, London 2 (8,863)
Thursday: No game scheduled.
Friday's semifinal: Val-d'Or vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday: No game scheduled.
Sunday: Final, 4 p.m.
---
WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
F Scott Kosmachuk scored his first three goals of the tournament to lead the OHL-champion Guelph Storm to a 7-2 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Storm (3-0) had already clinched a berth in Sunday’s final. . . . The loss eliminated the Knights (0-3) from the tournament. . . . Without the need for tiebreaker, today will be an off-day in London. . . . Friday’s semifinal will feature the QMJHL-champion Val-d’Or Foreurs (2-1) and the WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings (1-2). The Foreurs beat the Oil Kings 4-3 in double OT on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Kosmachuk got the Storm started with two first-period goals, at 5:46 and 12:44, the latter via the PP. . . . London got on the board at 17:05 as F Brett Welchyka scored a PP goal. . . . F Tyler Bertuzzi restored Guelph’s two-goal lead with a PP goal at 2:23 of the second, only have London F Josh Anderson cut into that lead at 5:34. . . . However, the Storm took control on Bertuzzi’s second goal, and fifth of the tournament, at 16:05 and a PP goal by F Jason Dickinson at 1:20 of the third. . . . Kosmachuk completed the hat trick at 8:01. . . . Storm F Marc Stevens finished off the scoring at 1714. . . . Guelph G Justin Nichols stopped 45 shots. . . . London starter Anthony Stolarz turned was beaten three time on 17 shots, leaving at 2:23 of the second period with his side down 3-1. Reliever Jake Patterson stopped 17 of 21 shots. . . . Guelph was 3-for-6 on the PP; London was 1-for-4. . . . Storm F Zack Mitchell was ejected with a kneeing major at 6:56 of the first period. London F Dakota Mermis, who was on the receiving end of the hit, returned to the game. . . . The Storm was without D Chadd Bauman after he was suspended for the duration of the tournament for a kneeing major he incurred for a hit on Val-d’Or D Guillaume Gelinas on Monday night. Gelinas, who was named the QMJHL’s top defenceman this season, won’t play again in the tournament. . . . The Knights were appearing in their third straight Memorial Cup. They are the first team to play in three in a row and not win even one championship.
---
From Josh Brown (@BrownRecord), during last night’s game: “I'm thinking there is soon going to be tons of semi and final Mem Cup tix available soon.”
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
