Virtanen to sit for a bit . . . Bacon and eggs in Brandon . . . Pats' Lang makes move

MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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F Jake Virtanen of the Calgary Hitmen has been suspended for three games for a headshot on F Tanner Kaspick of the Brandon Wheat Kings in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Friday. . . . Virtanen sat out Game 2 on Saturday, and he won’t play tonight or Wednesday in Calgary. . . . Brandon leads the series 2-0, so Virtanen needs at least one Calgary victory if he is going to play again this season. . . . Kaspick left the game after neutral zone hit and hasn’t played since. . . . A video of the play is available right here.
The Hitmen also have been without F Connor Rankin and F Chase Lang, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . Virtanen, Rankin and Lang have combined for 34 playoff points, including 18 goals. . . . The Hitmen have scored 55 goals in their 14 playoff games.
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Mark French, the head coach of the Calgary Hitmen, was fined $1,000 after he slammed a stick against the boards — five times, if you’re counting — and then tossed it onto the ice in the third period of a 9-4 loss in Game 1 in Brandon on Friday night. In Brandon, coaches enter and exit the players’ bench by walking on the ice. If you saw video of the incident, French came close to doing a pratfall as he was leaving. . . . “I don’t have much comment on that other than it probably won’t be happening again due to the fact that I almost fell coming off the ice,” French told Laurence Heinen, who covers the Hitmen for the Calgary Herald. “We’ll leave that there.” . . . Heinen’s story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have perhaps the best promotional deal in all of the WHL with Smitty’s, a local restaurant. If the Wheat Kings score seven goals in a home game, a game ticket presented within seven days is worth a free Lucky 7 breakfast. You have to purchase a beverage, then you get
two eggs, two strips of bacon or two sausages, and two buttermilk pancakes or toast. . . . This season, the Wheat Kings scored at least seven goals on nine occasions in the regular season. . . . On Monday, a tweet from Smitty’s indicated the results:
Eggs: 1,952.5 dozen.
Bacon: 732.2 pounds.
Sausage: 901 pounds.
Pancakes: 11,715.
Loaves of break: 1,065.
Maple syrup: 73 gallons.
Value: $50,255.07.
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There’s a blog out there titled Hodges Heroes that follows the Portland Winterhawks. There usually is some interesting stuff on there. Check it out to see some interesting numbers on the Winterhawks from Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference final against the Kelowna Rockets. . . . According to his numbers, the Winterhawks were 33-for-52 (63 per cent) on face-offs in Game 1 and 37-for-64 (58 per cent) in Game 2. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo was 20-for-24 in Game 2. . . . You will find it right here.
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The Regina Pats announced Monday that, effective June 1, former general manager Chad Lang will leave his position as senior vice-president to become a senior advisor. . . . According to a news release: “In his new role, Chad will work directly with the owners of the Pats, Regina-based Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group (QCSEG). His extensive knowledge and experience will also be utilized with the team’s business and hockey operations.” . . . In the same release, Lang said: “Having been born and raised in Regina, working with my hometown team has been a dream come true. This new role allows me to continue to remain with the organization, but also gives me the ability to fully explore other business opportunities.” . . . Lang has been with the Pats for five years. He was the GM until the Pats hired John Paddock as senior vice-president of hockey operations and head coach prior to this season.
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The Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Generals played in Regina’s Brandt Centre on Saturday afternoon. Yes, the Globetrotters won, this time 77-75 in OT. “Suitably,” reported Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post, “the game featured the shakiest officiating since, well, the Pats-Brandon Wheat Kings playoff series of 2015.”
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I

n the QMJHL, the host Quebec Remparts beat the Moncton Wildcats 5-1 on Monday to take a 3-0 lead in that semifinal. The Remparts get their first chance to close it out tonight at home. . . . In the other series, the Rimouski Oceanic take a 1-0 lead into tonight’s game against the Foreurs in Val-d’Or. . . .
In the OHL, the Erie Otters hold a 2-1 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Erie. . . . The Oshawa Generals and North Bay Battalion are 1-1. They are in North Bay for Game 3 tonight.
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It looks like Indians Trevor Bauer came expecting to fight the Royals today. pic.twitter.com/Ig0BnA1BEz
— Ryan Walton (@RyanWaltonMLB) April 27, 2015

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