F Chris Francis (Portland, 2006-10) signed a three-month tryout contract with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with the Alaska Aces (ECHL), he had 26 goals and 36 assists in 69 games. . . .
D Mike Card (Kelowna, 2002-06) signed a one-year contract with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). He is a dual Canadian-German citizen. Last season, with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2), he had five goals and 30 assists in 50 games. The Löwen Frankfurt general manager is Rick Chernomaz (Saskatoon, Victoria Cougars, 1979-83), who has been the head coach of Hungary’s national team for three seasons. . . .
D Tomáš Kundrátek (Medicine Hat, 2008-10) signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). Last season, with the Hershey Bears (AHL), he had five goals and 22 assists in 59 games.
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Graham James, already in jail in Laval, Que., for sexually abusing hockey players, pleaded guilty to another charge on Friday and was sentenced to two more years. The latest victim, whose identity is being protected by a publication ban, was in a Swift Current courtroom on Friday, as were Sheldon Kennedy and Todd Holt, both of them victims of James when he was the general manager and head coach of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. . . . Holt and Kennedy were there to show support for the latest victim to come forward. . . . There is more on Friday’s happenings right here and right here.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have acquired F Justin Gutierrez, 20, from the Tri-City Americans for a fourth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Gutierrez, from Anchorage, had 29 points, including 11 goals, in 67 games last season. In four seasons with the Americans, he had 59 points, 18 of them goals, in 186 games. At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, he brings size and experience to a young Lethbridge roster. . . . Gutierrez is the younger brother of former Kamloops Blazers and Everett Silvertips F Moises Gutierrez. . . . Justin Gutierrez joins F Cory Millette as the 20-year-olds on Lethbridge’s roster. Millette was acquired last month from the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Americans, as of now, likely are looking at F Parker Bowles, F Beau McCue and F Brian Williams as their 20-year-olds. They also have D Ty Morrison, who was acquired from the Vancouver Giants during last season, on their roster.——
F Logan Aasman, who spent three seasons with the Everett Silvertips, has signed with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. Aasman is heading into his 20-year-old season. . . . Aasman’s 2014-15 season was interrupted by concussion issues that limited him to 40 games. He had 11 points, two of them goals. . . . Aasman is from Medicine Hat. . . . With Aasman no longer in the picture, Silvertips would appear to have five candidates for their three 20-year-old spots — D Cole MacDonald, F Remi Laurencelle, G Austin Lotz, F Jake Mykitiuk and F Carson Stadnyk.———
THE COACHING GAME:
Dwayne Gylywoychuk, a former Brandon Wheat Kings player and coach, has been named the head coach of
Canada’s national women’s development team for 2015-16. . . . Gylywoychuk lives in Winnipeg. (If you are wondering, that was him and his two daughters in yesterday’s Tweet of the Day.) . . . Delaney Collins of Pilot Mound, a former national team player, will work as his assistant coach. . . . From a Hockey Canada news release: “Gylywoychuk is no stranger to the national program, having piloted the development team to gold at the 2014 Nations Cup. Gylywoychuk also won gold as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2014 Four Nations Cup and gold again at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Under-18 Championship in the same capacity.” . . . Collins played for 12 seasons with the national women’s team. She also is an assistant coach at Mercyhurst U. . . . The NDT will hold a selection camp in Calgary in August, before playing exhibition games against the U.S. U-22 team in Lake Placid, N.Y. . . . The Canadian women are preparing for the Nations Cup in Germany in January. . . . It’s worth noting that Collins’ father, Rod, is opening a hockey academy in Pilot Mound. Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Free Press has more on that story right here.——
Former NHLer Mike Van Ryn is the new head coach of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. Van Ryn spent the past two seasons with the Rangers, last season as associate coach. . . . He replaces Troy Smith, who was fired after last season. . . . The Rangers also announced that Jay McKee, like Van Ryn a former NHL defenceman, has been signed as associate coach. He had been an assistant with the Erie Otters. Also coming on board, as an assistant coach, is Daniel Tkaczuk, who was with the Owen Sound Attack for the past three seasons. . . . Meanwhile, Mike McKenzie has moved up from assistant coach to assistant GM, although he also will have some coaching duties.——
Roy Sommer will make the move to San Jose to coach the Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. The franchise is moving west from Worcester, Mass. . . . Sommer (Calgary Centennials, 1975-77) is preparing for his 18th season as head coach of the Sharks’ AHL affiliate. A native of Oakland, Calif., he holds the AHL record for most games coached (1,344). He has 617 regular-season coaching victories, second only to Hockey Hall of Famer Fred (Bun) Cook’s 636. . . . The Sharks also announced that Ryan Mougenel will return as an assistant coach with the Barracuda and that Charlie Townsend will be back as video coach.
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Rich McKenna has left the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks to take over as head coach of the NAHL’s New Jersey Titans. He had been an assistant coach for two seasons with the Lumberjacks. . . . Former NHL G John Vanbiesbrouck is the Lumberjacks’ GM and director of hockey operations.
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The Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, made it official on Friday — Todd Nelson is their head coach. Nelson, 46, takes over from Jeff Blashill, who moved up as the Red Wings’ head coach following the departure of Mike Babcock. . . . Nelson had finished last season as the interim head coach of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He had joined the Oilers from the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, where he was head coach. . . . Nelson, a former Grand Rapids player and assistant coach, signed a three-year deal with the Griffins. From Prince Albert, he played four seasons (1986-90) with the Raiders.——
The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, have rewarded head coach Troy Mann and assistant coaches Bryan Helmer and Ryan Murphy with multi-year contracts, the length of which weren’t revealed. . . . The Bears finished atop the AHL’s East Division last season.
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Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News tweeted Friday night that “2016 draft prospect Tyson Jost (BCHL Penticton) has narrowed down his NCAA school choice to North Dakota and Denver.” . . . Jost, a 17-year-old forward, is from St. Albert, Alta. The Everett Silvertips selected him with the seventh overall pick in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. He will captain the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in 2015-16, his second season with the team. He had 45 points, including 23 goals, in 46 games last season.
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