Halifax wants 2019 Memorial Cup . . . Czechs load up on WHLers . . . Coaching change in AJHL

D Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Brandon, 2002-04) has signed a two-year extension with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). He has two goals and three assists in 25 games. He also is an alternate captain.

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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads announced on Thursday that they plan on submitting a bid in the hopes of playing host to the 2019 Memorial Cup tournament. . . . From the Mooseheads news release: “The 2018-19 season will celebrate the 25th anniversary season of the Mooseheads. It will also be 20 seasons since the club hosted its only previous Memorial Cup in 2000 when the hometown team electrified the City of Halifax and garnered national attention for the franchise. The fans were possibly the biggest story of the event in the spring of 2000 as 79,877 packed the Scotiabank Centre (then Metro Centre) for the eight-day tournament which at the time was the second-highest total in the history of the Memorial Cup.” . . . Halifax won its only Memorial Cup title in Saskatoon in 2013, beating the Portland Winterhawks, 6-4, in the final. . . . The 2017 tournament will be played in Windsor, Ont. . . . The 2018 tournament, which marks the 100th anniversary of the Memorial Cup, is to be played in Hamilton, Oshawa or Regina.

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The Czech Republic’s national junior team includes seven WHLers on its 22-man roster. . . . Three of the eight defencemen are from the WHL — Vojtěch Budik of the Prince Albert Raiders, Libor Hájek of the Saskatoon Blades and Ondrej Vala of the Kamloops. . . . As well, four of the 12 forwards are from WHL teams — Adam Musil and Michael Špaček of the Red Deer Rebels, Simon Stransky of Prince Albert and Tomas Soustal of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The WHLers are expected to join their Czech teammates in Montreal on Sunday.

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It was 36 years ago last night — Dec. 8, 1980 — when John Lennon was shot down on a sidewalk in New York City. Jimmy Breslin, the legendary columnist, was with the New York Daily News. He was at home that night when he got the call. . . . This link right here will take you to the column he wrote on deadline. This is what newspapering used to be.

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Ryan Howse no longer is an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. According to a news release, Howse “has stepped down . . . for personal and family reasons.” . . . Last season, he was the head coach of the Prince George Coast Inn of the North Cougars, a midget Tier 1 team that won the B.C. championship. . . . Howse played four WHL seasons (2007-11) with the Chilliwack Bruins.

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The AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm has fired general manager/head coach Kevin Higo and replaced him with Matt Keillor. . . . Higo had the rest of this season left on a three-year contract. . . . Keillor has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Storm, while also working as head coach of the midget AAA Storm. . . . The AJHL’s Storm is 7-22-5 and in sixth place in the Viterra AJHL North, 14 points out of fifth. . . . Under Higo, the Storm was 33-108-13.

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The SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers have added Larry Wintoneak to their staff as an assistant coach. He will work alongside GM/head coach Geoff Grimwood. . . . Wintoneak, who has coached in the SJHL with the Flin Flon Bombers, La Ronge Ice Wolves and the Klippers, has been Kindersley’s strength-and-conditioning coach for the past two years. He will continue with those responsibilities while also working as an assistant coach.

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Tweet of the Day

2.12 - Over the past 2 1/2 weeks, @C_Hart70 has improved his career GAA to 2.12, now tied with Cam Ward for the 6th best in WHL history https://t.co/Vixo6A9MCC

— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) December 8, 2016

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Edmonton 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Portland, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. (TBG)

Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (TBG)

Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. (TBG)

Kelowna vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
TBG: Teddy Bear Game.

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