Three former WHLers have committed to attend the U of Manitoba in Winnipeg and play for the Bisons. . . . F Paul Ciarelli, a native of Winnipeg, played the last four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Aaron Lewadniuk, who is from Carman, Man., played two seasons (2008-10) with the Wheat Kings, before playing the last two seasons in the ECHL. . . . D Brock Sutherland, who is from Brandon, spent this season with the Calgary Hitmen. He also played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans.
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Adam Proteau of The Hockey News looks at the menace that is shot-blocking and where the Stanley Cups playoff are headed. It’s right here and it isn’t pretty.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jim McKenzie (Moose Jaw, Victoria, 1985-89) has agreed to a two-year contract extension as head coach of the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. The deal carries through 2013-14. . . . McKenzie, 42, took over as head coach from the fired Kevin Patrick on Jan. 13 and went 8-19-6 as the Lumberjacks completed their second season in the USHL. . . .
Cary Eades is the new GM and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. Eades took the job a week after the U of North Dakota chose not to renew his contract as associate head coach. With the Stampede, he replaces Kevin Hartzell, who was dropped by a new ownership group after seven seasons with the organization.
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THE WHL FINAL:
The Edmonton Oil Kings and the Winterhawks meet tonight in Portland in Game 6. The Oil Kings lead the series 3-2 and can end it with a victory. A Portland victory sends the series back to Edmonton for Game 7 on Sunday. Yes, on Sunday!
The Oil Kings, Portland F Sven Baertschi told Kris Anderson of the Portland Tribune, “know that we're a little better than them. And we know that, too. We got enough skill and enough talent, and we have players who work hard enough to make sure we win those games.”
Anderson’s complete story is right here.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: Portland 3 at Edmonton 4 (11,077)
Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.

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JUST NOTES: The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads have acquired F Aaron Lewadniuk (Brandon, 2008-10) from the Ontario Reign in exchange for the rights to F Geoff Irwin. Lewadniuk had 31 points, including 17 goals, in 69 games for the Reign last season, his first as a professional. . . . Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets on AM1150, reportes that Latvian F Zemgus Girgensons, 17, won’t be joining the WHL team. Girgensons, selected by Kelowna with the 54th pick in the 2011 CHL draft, will return to the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. "His agents have basically avoided us on a steady basis here,” Bruce Hamilton, Kelowna’s president and GM, told the radio station. “We have talked to his father a couple of times and I think they have been convinced by the team in the USHL, Dubuque, to remain there this year and try to go through the draft from there." . . . The Rockets expect their other selection, Slovakian F Philip Vasko, to arrive in Kelowna next week. . . . D Adrian Van de Mosselaer (Edmonton, 2007-11) has signed with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. He played out is WHL eligibility with the Oil Kings last season, picking up 22 points and 137 penalty minutes in 66 games.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Eric Thurston, who coached the U of Alberta Golden Bears last season, has signed on with the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation. According to Evan Daum of southcampussports.com, Thurston will “be tasked with helping Hungary develop its grassroots hockey system after the Hungarian government identified hockey as one of five sports it would be targeting to improve moving forward.” He also will work with the federations junior teams. . . . Edmonton broadcaster Bob Stauffer first reported Thurston’s move. . . . For more, check out Daum’s report right here. . . .
Brian Renfrew has joined the U of Nebraska-Omaha as an assistant coach. Renfrew spent the last eight seasons at Michigan State; he was the Spartans’ associate coach for the last three seasons. With UNO, Renfrew replaces Mike Guentzel, who now is at Minnesota.
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The Habscheids are back together for a third WHL season. Marc, the general manager and head coach of the Victoria Royals, has coached his son Zach, now a 19-year-old defenceman, for the last two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. Cleve Dheensaw takes a look at their relationship right here.
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MERRY TWEETINGS:
Courtesy of Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun, who on Monday morning tweeted:
1. Costco ALREADY has Christmas decorations out. It's cold today but not that bad.
2. The funny thing is air conditioners are besidr those Christmas decorations at Costco.
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Jingle bells, jingle bells . . .

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Monday . . .

THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
d-Brandon (15) 37-16-1-3-78
d-Calgary (18) 36-16-1-1-74
Saskatoon (18) 36-12-3-3-78
Kootenay (16) 34-17-3-2-73
Medicine Hat (14) 32-18-3-5-72
Red Deer (17) 30-21-0-4-64
Prince Albert (16) 28-23-3-2-61
Moose Jaw (19) 26-19-5-3-60
Swift Current (16) 28-25-0-3-59
Regina (16) 24-25-3-4-55
Monday: No games scheduled.
Tuesday: Regina at Brandon; Moose Jaw at Kootenay; Lethbridge at Red Deer; Calgary at Swift Currrent.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (19) 38-13-0-2-78
d-Vancouver (15) 33-20-1-3-70
Everett (17) 34-18-2-1-71
Portland (15) 34-20-2-1-71
Spokane (17) 31-20-3-1-66
Kelowna (15) 28-25-2-2-60
Kamloops (15) 26-25-2-4-58
Chilliwack (16) 24-26-1-5-54
x — clinched playoff spot.
Monday: No games scheduled.
Tuesday: Seattle at Tri-City.
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F Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats scored three times on the weekend to end a bit of a slump (one goal in his previous four games) and take over the WHL goal-scoring lead, with 39. . . . Keep in mind that Eberle has played in only 41 games. . . . All told, he has 79 points in those 41 games and now is second in the WHL points derby, two in arrears of Vancouver Giants F Craig Cunningham. The leader has played in 57 games. . . . The Pats, who are five points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot and have picked up at least a point in four straight games (1-0-0-3), play the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Tuesday. . . . Brandon F Matt Calvert has 12 points on an eight-game point streak, while teammate Aaron Lewadniuk has nine points in what also is an eight-game streak.
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F Colin Lidster, who never played in the WHL after being selected by his hometown Kamloops Blazers in the 2004 bantam draft, has retired. Lidster, 20, was traded by the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Trail Smoke Eaters over the summer. On Oct. 8, the Smokies dealt him to the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm and, on Jan. 10, his rights were shipped to the Prince George Spruce Kings. He never reported to the Spruce Kings and told me Sunday night that he has retired. He is living in Calgary and working the oil rigs.
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The Tri-City Americans open a stretch of six games in eight nights when they play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent on Tuesday. The Americans go into the week tied with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades for first place overall. . . . The Americans hold four games in hand on Brandon and one on Saskatoon. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland is likely to play with a full cage after getting some teeth pushed back during a scrap with Calgary Hitmen F Cody Beach on Jan. 31. Holland has 14 points in his last 16 games, including three in a 5-4 shootout victory over the host Vancouver Giants. Holland also had the shootout winner in that game.
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Red Deer Rebels F Nathan Green, who suffered a broken leg on Nov. 22 and later underwent surgery, is getting closer to a return to action. Green, 20, was to have screws removed from his left leg on Tuesday and is likely to resume skating within two weeks. He had 22 points in 25 games with the Rebels, who acquired him from the Brandon Wheat Kings during the offseason, and hopes to be at the top of his game when the playoffs get here.
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The Kootenay Ice go into this week at 34-17-3-2, which has it in sixth place overall and fourth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Ice will finish over .500 for an 11th straight season — the longest active such streak in the WHL. . . . Since Oct. 30, the Ice is 29-6-3-2. . . . The Ice, which is 23-13-3-2 against Eastern Conference teams, is home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . . Ice F Dustin Sylvester has 233 career regular-season points. That’s fifth on the Ice’s franchise list, just one behind Dale Mahovsky and two behind Steve DaSilva. Jarrett Stoll (286) is No. 1, followed by Nigel Dawes (272).
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F Ryan Kinasewich, the captain of the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, is on his way to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Kinasewich (Tri-City, Medicine hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) is Utah’s all-time leading scorer and was leading the ECHL in points (70) and tied for the league lead in goals (32) at the time he got the call. . . . Kinasewich played 24 games for Bridgeport in 2007-08, and also has AHL experience with Hamilton and Lake Erie.
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This is the 50th season of professional hockey in Muskegon, Mich. But it appears there won’t be a 51st season. The IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks won’t be back as they disappear to make room for a USHL franchise. That story is right here.
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F Mike Ferland of the Brandon Wheat Kings is out indefinitely after breaking a bone in one hand during a fight with F Brock Montgomery of the Kootenay Ice on Friday. Ferland is to undergo further examination Tuesday. Ferland, in his freshman season, has 24 points and 83 penalty minutes in 55 games.