Monday, August 29, 2016

WHL teams busy signing players . . . Warriors closing in on second father-son combo . . . Royals ink brother of NHL d-man

F Blair Jones (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has signed a one-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). Last season, with the Utica Comets (AHL), he had nine goals and six assists in 36 games, and four goals and three assists in 13 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
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D Cole Moberg of North Vancouver, who will turn 16 on Oct. 15, has signed with the Prince George Cougars. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Moberg was listed by the Cougars almost a year ago. Last season, with the midget AAA North Shore Winter Club side, he had 48 points, 21 of them goals, in 57 games.
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The Victoria Royals have signed G Dean McNabb, a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 174-pound McNabb, who is from Davidson, Sask., was 11-5-0, 2.15, .904 in 18 games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . . He is the younger brother of Los Angeles Kings D Brayden McNabb, who played four seasons (2007-11) with the Kootenay Ice.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are a step closer to having the second father-son playing duo in franchise history. On Monday, they signed F Chantz Petruic, 17, of Moose Jaw, whose father Jeff played 148 games with the Warriors (1989-93). Chantz, a 5-foot-10, 178-pound listed player, played last season with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, putting up 28 points, including 21 goals, in 43 games. He also had a goal and two assists in one game with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . The first father-son duo in Warriors’ history was Mark (1984-85) and Matt MacKay (2008-10). . . . The Warriors also signed two other listed players. . . . F Tyler Smithies, a 6-foot-1, 175-pounder, is a 16-year-old from Beaumont, Alta.  Last season, with the midget AAA Leduc Oil Kings, Smithies had 12 points, including five goals, in 33 games. . . . F Jaxan Kaluski, 17, of Lloydminster, Alta., is 6-foot-0 and 178 pounds. Also a listed player, he had 22 points, including 14 goals, in 32 games with the midget AAA Lloydminster Bobcats last season.
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The Swift Current Broncos have signed G Joel Hofer, a 16-year-old out of Winnipeg who was a list player. . . . Hofer spent last season at the Pursuit of Excellence, going 2.92 and .890 in 12 games with the U-16 team, 1.74 and .937 in 15 games with the varsity team, and 3.20 and .887 in six games with the prep team. He was named the Canadian Sports Schools Varsity Hockey League’s top goaltender after leading the league in GAA and save percentage.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Quinn Schmiemann, a native of Wilcox, Sask., to a WHL contract. He was a third-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. Last season, with the Wilcox-based Notre Dame Hounds bantams, he had 22 points, including eight goals, in 38 games. The 6-foot-1, 160-pounder is the younger brother of D Dominic Schmiemann, who was taken by the Swift Current Broncos with the 12th overall pick of the 2014 bantam draft.
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Jim Devellano, a long-time NHL front-office guy who has seven Stanley Cup rings, has bought into the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Devellano won four Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings and three with the New York Islanders. . . . He now is the Spirit’s alternate governor and will also help the marketing people and serve as an ambassador for the franchise. . . . He still is senior vice-president and alternate governor of the Red Wings and vice-president of the Detroit Tigers. Both teams are owned by the Ilitch family.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching
John Madden, 43, is the new head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. He takes over from Jared Bednar, who was named the head coach of the NHL’s Colorado Rockies last week. The Monsters are the reigning AHL champions. . . . Madden has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, but had been fired after last season. . . . He played 13 seasons in the NHL, playing 898 games with Florida, the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils (1998-2012). . . . Columbus assistant GM Bill Zito, who made the announcement, was Madden’s agent at one time.
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