Molleken next Giants' coach? . . . WHL-related NHL draft notes . . . Dillabaugh joins Flyers

So cool to see this outside the @Rutherford_Rink rink for @Smukyou2. pic.twitter.com/6DBUDhF9f0

— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) June 28, 2015

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According to a Saturday afternoon tweet from Jay Janower of Global B.C., the Vancouver Giants are “set to announce Lorne Molleken” as their latest head coach. . . . Molleken sat out last season after being bought out when Edmonton car dealer Mike Priestner bought the Saskatoon Blades. Molleken had been the Blades’ general manager and head coach. . . . Molleken also has coached the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats. He has 603 career WHL coaching victories, good for fourth spot on the WHL’s all-time list. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman, who has covered the Saskatoon Blades for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, reported that the Giants offered Molleken their head-coaching position on an interim basis in November. . . . With the Giants, Molleken will replace Claude Noel, who took over from Troy Ward early last season and wasn’t retained at season’s end. . . . The Giants have missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, including last season.
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The WHL says it had 35 players selected in the two-day NHL draft that wrapped up Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Fla., the home of the Florida Panthers. That included five first-round selections.
First Round
7. D Ivan Provorov, Brandon Wheat Kings, Philadelphia Flyers.
14. F Jake DeBrusk, Swift Current Broncos, Boston Bruins.
16. F Mathew Barzal, Seattle Thunderbirds, New York Islanders.
26. D Noah Juulsen, Everett Silvertips, Montreal Canadiens.
30. F Nick Merkley, Kelowna Rockets, Arizona Coyotes.
Second Round
37. D Brandon Carlo, Tri-City Americans, Boston.
38. F Paul Bittner, Portland Winterhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets.
41. F Ryan Gropp, Seattle, New York Rangers.
47. F Jansen Harkins, Prince George Cougars, Winnipeg Jets.
51. D Brendan Guhle, Prince Albert Raiders, Buffalo Sabres.
Third Round
65. D Andrew Nielsen, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs.
69. F Keegan Kolesar, Seattle, Columbus.
76. G Adin Hill, Portland, Arizona.
79. D Sergei Zborovskiy, Regina Pats, New York Rangers.
84. F Deven Sideroff, Kamloops Blazers, Anaheim Ducks.
Fourth Round
94. F Adam Musil, Red Deer Rebels, St. Louis Blues.
99. F Austin Wagner, Regina, Los Angeles Kings.
105. F Jesse Gabrielle, Regina, Boston.
106. F Adam Helewka, Spokane Chiefs, San Jose Sharks.
112. D Parker Wotherspoon, Tri-City, New York Islanders.
113. F Brad Morrison, Prince George, New York Rangers.
116. F Glenn Gawdin, Swift Current, St. Louis.
Fifth Round
122. D Devante Stephens, Kelowna, Buffalo.
124. D Ethan Bear, Seattle, Edmonton Oilers.
129. D Sam Ruopp, Prince George, Columbus.
131. F Matt Bradley, Medicine Hat, Montreal.
136. F Pavel Karnaukhov, Calgary Hitmen, Calgary Flames.
143. D Connor Hobbs, Regina, Washington Capitals.
147. D Ryan Pilon, Brandon, New York Islanders.
Sixth Round
152. F Giorgio Estephan, Lethbridge, Buffalo.
173. D Colby Williams, Regina, Washington.
Seventh Round
187. D Chaz Reddekopp, Victoria Royals, Los Angeles.
203. F Matteo Gennaro, Prince Albert, Winnipeg.
205. G Evan Smith, Victoria, Nashville Predators.
210. D Tate Olson, Prince George, Vancouver Canucks.
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The Regina Pats led all WHL teams with five players selected off their roster. Here’s a team-by-team look:
5 -- Regina.
4 -- Prince George, Seattle.
3 -- None.
2 -- Brandon, Kelowna, Lethbridge, Portland, Prince Albert, Swift Current, Tri-City, Victoria.
1 -- Calgary, Everett, Kamloops, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Spokane.
0 -- Edmonton, Kootenay, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Vancouver.
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DRAFT NOTES: The OHL had 31 players selected, while 30 were taken out of the QMJHL. . . . There were 17 Russian-born players selected, the most in 11 years. . . . A year ago, there were 37 WHL players drafted. The record is 43 in 2010 and 2005. . . . There were 37 players drafted who played last season in the USHL. . . . The Prince George Cougars had four players selected Saturday after having had five players taken in the previous six drafts. . . . F Cameron Hughes, who will turn 19 on Oct. 9, was selected in the sixth round by the Boston Bruins. He has 13 points, including three goals, in 34 games as a freshman at Wisconsin last season. His WHL rights belong to the Swift Current Broncos. From Edmonton, the Broncos selected him in the ninth round of the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Arizona Coyotes selected then-Portland G Brendan Burke in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, but then chose not to sign him. On Saturday, the Coyotes selected Portland G Adin Hill in the third round. Hill beat out Burke for the No. 1 job in Portland last season, and Burke was dealt to the Calgary Hitmen. . . . G Evan Smith of Parker, Colo.,, played four games with Victoria and finished the season with the NAHL’s Austin Bruins, playing 15 regular-season and six playoff games. Still, the WHL is including him in its 35-player total. . . . D Andrew Nielsen of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who went to Toronto in the third round, is a former Red Deer Rebels’ stick boy. . . . F Marcus Vela of the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen was the only player drafted from a junior A team. Vela, who is from Burnaby, B.C., was a seventh-round pick by Spokane in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. He has committed to the U of New Hampshire. . . .
In the seventh round, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Finnish D Markus Nutivaara, who is 21 years of age. He had four assists in 35 games with Karpat of the Finnish Liiga last season. Nutivaara was the oldest player to be selected in the 2015 draft. . . . You may have noticed that there were 31 selections in the second round on Saturday. The Chicago Blackhawks received the round’s 24th pick (54th overall) as compensation for not signing F Kevin Hayes, a 2010 first-round selection. . . . All told, 211 players were selected. . . . NHL draft picks by birthplace: Canada, 79; U.S., 55; Sweden, 19; Russia, 17; Finland, 13; Czech Republic, 11; Slovakia, 5; Switzerland, 4; Latvia, 3; and, Belarus, China, Germany, Netherlands, Ukraine, each 1. . . . The CHL has scheduled its 2015 import/goaltenders-not-welcome draft for Tuesday.

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Later Saturday, reports began indicating that various undrafted players had accepted invitations to NHL team development camps. . . . F Dryden Hunt of Medicine Hat will go to camp with Montreal. . . . D Turner Ottenbreit of Seattle is off to Washington’s camp. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz will go to Buffalo’s development camp.
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Chris Pronger hasn’t played an NHL game for more than two years. He now is an NHL employee. His name may be among the latest Hockey Hall of Fame inductees when the list is revealed on Monday. . . . None of that prevented his having been traded by the Philadelphia Flyers to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. . . . Crazy? Welcome to the NHL’s salary cap world. . . . Adam Gretz of cbssports.com explains it all right here. . . . Ken Campbell of The Hockey News blogs about it right here.

If Coyotes can get deal with Glendale to stay in force, taxpayers helping pay $500,000 salary of a guy who's won't play and works for NHL.

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) June 27, 2015

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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There were reports on Saturday that Bob Boughner, the head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, is headed to the NHL. Darren Dreger of TSN reported that Boughner is soon to sign on as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks. Peter DeBoer, hired earlier as the Sharks’ head coach, is putting together his coaching staff. . . . Boughner coached the Spitfires to Memorial Cup titles in 2009 and 2010. He then joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach for one season before returning to Windsor.
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Kim Dillabaugh has left the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and signed on with the Philadelphia Flyers. Dillabaugh, who is from Kelowna, spent nine seasons with the Kings, mostly as their director of goaltender development. He was part of two Stanley Cup championships and also helped the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs to a Calder Cup title in 2014-15. . . . With the Flyers, Dillabaugh, 37, will take over from the departed Jeff Reese as goaltending coach. . . . Dillabaugh also has worked with the Kelowna Rockets, serving as an assistant coach and goaltending coach. He helped them to a Memorial Cup title in 2004 and WHL championships in 2005 and 2009. . . . Former NHL G Bill Ranford is the Kings’ goaltending coach. . . . Tim Panaccio of CSN-Philadelphia was the first to report the Flyers had signed Dillabaugh.
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Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Steve Briere as their goaltending coach. Briere is the owner/head instructor of Canadian Professional Goalie Schools. He also works with four U.S. junior teams -- the Topeka Roadrunners (NAHL), Fargo Force and Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL), and Casper Coyotes (WSHL). . . . With Toronto, Briere will replace Rick St. Croix, who was dumped after last season.
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For the love of god people, stop writing articles on the winners and losers in the 2015 NHL Draft. It is pointless to evaluate a draft early

— Shane Malloy (@ShaneMalloy) June 27, 2015

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Wheat Kings into final . . . Rockets one win away . . . Rochester needs a coach

 

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings advanced to the WHL final with an 8-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Brandon won the series 4-1 to reach the championship series for the first time since the spring of 2005. . . . Brandon has won each of its three playoff series this spring in five games, taking out the Edmonton Oil Kings and Regina Pats

before Calgary. . . . The series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup will open in Brandon with games on Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9. . . . The Wheat Kings outscored the Hitmen 29-13 in the five games, twice scoring eight goals and once getting nine. . . . For the second game in a row, the Wheat Kings broke it open with five goals in the second period. In Game 4, Brandon scored five times in 10:25. Last night, it was five times in 6:48. . . . The Hitmen took a 1-0 lead into the second period after F Pavel Karnaukhov scored his sixth goal, on the PP, at 17:22. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy tied it with his third goal at 8:35 of the second and D Ryan Pilon, with his first goal, put the Wheaties out front at 9:41. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick got his seventh goal 10 seconds later and the home team was off and running. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk scored twice, giving him 10, and added two assists, while F John Quenneville also scored twice, giving him 10. Patrick added two assists to his goal, and F Rihards Bukarts drew three assists. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 13th goal. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 31 shots. . . . The Hitmen opened with Mack Shields in goal, after Brendan Burke had started the previous three games. . . . Shields surrendered three goals on 18 shots before Burke came on to give up four on 15. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his sixth goal, a shorthanded effort, into an empty net at 15:24 of the third. . . . Brandon was 2-for-3 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-3. . . . The referees were Brett Iverson and Sean Raphael. . . . Attendance was 5,337. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored at 14:55 of OT to give the Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Rockets lead the Western Conference final, 3-2. They’ll play Game 6 in Portland’s Moda Center on Sunday. . . . Each team now is 3-1 in OT in these playoffs. . . . Despite giving up the winner, Portland G Adin Hill almost stole the show in OT. Kelowna had a 20-4 edge in shots in extra time. . . . Hill finished with 47

saves, five more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Baillie’s eighth goal, and his second OT goal this spring, came off some good work by F Dillon Dube, a 16-year-old from Cochrane, Alta. . . . Baillie also scored the OT goal, 58 seconds into extra time, in Game 2 against the Victoria Royals. . . . Riley Stadel, a defenceman who has been turned into a forward due to Kelowna’s injury situation, scored the game’s first goal at 17:35 of the first period. . . . Portland F Nic Petan ran his point streak to 16 games with the game-tying goal at 16:27 of the third period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . That 16-game streak tied the franchise record set a year ago by F Brendan Leipsic. . . . Petan also tied the WHL record for most career playoff games. This was his 87th game — it’s the fifth season in a row in which the Winterhawks have played into May. He now shares the record with F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04). . . . In four seasons, Stephenson played in 22, 23, 23 and 19 playoff games. Petan has played in 7, 22, 21, 21 and 16 games. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-2 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-1. . . . The referees were Adam Byblow and Steve Papp. . . . The Rockets had F Justin Kirkland back after a two-game absence with an apparent illness. The Rockets haven’t said if it was an upper- or lower-body illness. . . . Kelowna lost F Tyrell Goulbourne in the second period after he checked Portland F Keegan Iverson. Goulbourne left the ice immediately and may have suffered a skate cut to his left leg. . . . One fan who was seated near Kelowna’s bench tweeted that Goulbourne “was screaming in pain as he got on the bench.” . . . Attendance was 6,261. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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In the OHL, the host Oshawa Generals bounced the North Bay Battalion 4-1 to take a 3-2 lead in that semifinal series. Oshawa F Cole Cassels had a goal and an assist. They’ll play Game 6 in North Bay on Sunday. . . . The Erie Otters lead the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 3-2 in the other series. They’ll meet in Game 6 tonight in Erie.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The Buffalo Sabres have fired Chadd Cassidy, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He had been head coach since February 2013, taking over from Ron Rolston, when the latter was promoted to the Sabres. . . . The Americans went 29-41-6 this season and didn’t make the playoffs. . . . The announcement was made by Sabres general manager Tim Murray. According to Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: “The Sabres organization did not make Murray available to explain why he fired Cassidy, whose contract expires at the end of the season. They have not made Murray available since the Amerks season ended on April 17.” . . . Oklobzija also wrote: “Assistant coaches Chris Taylor, John Wroblewski and Bob Janosz weren't mentioned in the news release so it is not known if they will be retained.”
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Incredible night in Brandon yet again! The #BWK have advanced to the #WHL Finals for the first time in 10 years! pic.twitter.com/ApGnvgoVaA

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) May 2, 2015

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'Sudden-Death' Tambellini strikes again . . . 'Hawks romp past Rockets . . . Petan ties franchise mark

F Dustin Johner (Seattle, 1999-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had 23 goals and 23 assists in 51 games. He led his team in goals, assists and points, and was fifth in the league’s scoring race. . . .
F Robin Kovář (Vancouver, Regina, 2001-04) has signed a one-year extension with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). This season, he had 30 goals and 46 assists in 48 games. He led the Phoenix in assists and was fifth in the league’s scoring race.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

Flames @ferdaddy27 taking in the @WHLHitmen playoff series at the 'Dome Kinda think he's cheering for the Wheat Kings pic.twitter.com/hGm1HSPPfB
— Cayla Spiess (@CaylaSpiess) April 29, 2015

In Calgary, F Adam Tambellini scored twice, the second one at 3:07 of OT, as the Hitmen beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 2-1. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the Eastern Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 in Calgary tonight. . . . They’ll play Game 5 in Brandon on Friday night. . . . Brandon had won Game 2, 3-2, in OT on Saturday night when F

Tyler Coulter scored 51 seconds into extra time. . . . Brandon now is 4-1 in OT. . . . The Hitmen now have played in a franchise record eight OT games in these playoffs. They are 5-3, with Tambellini having scored three of the winners. . . . ‘Sudden-Death’ Tambellini? Why not? You may have heard of ‘Sudden-Death’ Mel Hill. He scored three OT goals in one series, sparking the Boston Bruins to a seven-game victory over the New York Rangers in a Stanley Cup semifinal in the spring of 1939. Hill scored in OT in Games 1, 2 and 7. . . . Interestingly, Hill was from Glenboro, Man., which is a couple of slapshots southeast of Brandon. . . . But we digress. . . . Last night, Brandon F John Quenneville opened the scoring at 4:23 of the second period. The Wheat Kings have scored first in each of the three games in this series. . . . Quenneville has a team-high seven playoff goals. . . . Tambellini tied the game, on a PP, at 10:41 of the third period. . . . His winner came from the high slot after Brandon D Ivan Provorov, who uses a freakishly long stick, lost control of the puck as he came out from behind his net. . . . Tambellini now has 12 goals in these playoffs, one behind Portland Winterhawks F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who leads the WHL. Tambellini leads all skaters with 24 points, one more than Bjorkstrand and Portland F Nic Petan. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke stopped 33 shots, three more than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Calgary was 1-for-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-2. . . . Referees were Chris Schlenker and Reagan Vetter. . . . Brandon has won just two of 10 regular-season games in Calgary over the past five seasons. . . . Brandon now is 4-2 on the road in the playoffs; the Hitmen are 5-3 at home. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen sat out the second game of a three-game suspension for a hit on Brandon F Tanner Kaspick in Game 1. . . . Kaspick hasn’t played since absorbing that hit early in the third period. . . . D Kale Clague and F Reid Duke also were among Brandon’s scratches, while the Hitmen were without F Chase Lang and F Connor Rankin. . . . Attendance was 5,387. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored four PP goals en route to a 7-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . .  Portland leads the Western Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for tonight, again in the Moda Center in Portland. . . . The Winterhawks opened a 3-0 lead with two early second-period goals and went on to take a 4-1 lead into the third period where they outscored the visitors, 3-2. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand had two goals and two assists for Portland. He leads playoff scorers with 13 goals. His 24 points are one shy of

Calgary F Adam Tambellini, who leads in that category. . . . Portland F Nic Petan drew three assists as he ran his point streak to 14 games. He has a WHL-high 16 assists. . . . Petan also played in his 85th post-season game, tying the franchise record that had belonged to D Derrick Pouliot. Petan should break that record tonight. The WHL record (87) belongs to F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04). . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from D Adam Henry, and the other goals from F Dominic Turgeon, his eighth, D Keoni Texeira (1), F Chase De Leo (4), F Alex Schoenborn (3) and F Paul Bittner (4). . . . F Leon Draisaitl (5), F Cole Linaker (3) and F Riley Stadel (2) countered for Kelowna. . . . Stadel, a defenceman by trade, started on a wing with Leon Draisaitl and Tyson Baillie. The latter had two assists. . . . The Rockets scratched F Justin Kirkland, who played the first two games of the series after returning from injury, and F Gage Quinney, who left Game 1 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland G Adin Hill turned aside 41 shots. That included a terrific second period in which he stopped 22 of 23 shots. . . . Kelowna starter Jackson Whistle gave up four goals on 18 shots, leaving for Michael Herringer at 13:51 of the second period. Herringer was beaten three times on 22 shots. . . . Portland was 4-for-8 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-for-4. . . . Portland scored three PP goals while Kelowna F Tyrell Goulbourne was in stir. . . . Attendance was 8,510. . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier filed this game story.

Including playoffs, Bjorkstrand has now played a full WHL regular season's worth of games (72). He's scored 76 goals.
— Scott Sepich (@SSepich) April 29, 2015

Leon Draisaitl has not taken a shift in the 3rd period. Rourke Chartier also stapled to bench for #Rockets, said to be "shoulder problem."
— Larry Fisher (@LarryFisher_KDC) April 29, 2015

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D Chad Pietroniro of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar has drawn a 14-game QMJHL suspension for an incident that occurred against the Val-d’Or Foreurs on April 21. From the QMJHL website:
“At the end of the game, both teams start discussing a video that was projected on the giant screen. Two players, including the player at fault, started a fight.
“The linesman broke them up. He then accompanied the player at fault and directed him towards the exit door of the Baie-Comeau bench. The player resisted and then left the ice.
“When both skates had left the ice surface the player turned around and head-butted the linesman, helmet to helmet. A major penalty (code 4.92, category 3) was given to the Baie-Comeau player for physical abuse towards an official.
“The rule is clear in these circumstances, a minimum 20 game suspension should be granted.
“However the Director of Player Safety considered the frustration caused by the inappropriate video, the fact the official wasn’t injured and that the headbutt wasn’t at maximum force when making his decision.”
Pietroniro, who turns 19 on July 8, is from Prescott, Ariz. He had one assist in 19 regular-season games with the Drakkar. Last season, he had one assist in seven games with the Foreurs.
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The Everett Silvertips have had a couple of list players commit to NCAA schools. . . . D Myles Cunningham, a 17-year-old from Minneapolis, has said he will attend Brown University in Providence, R.I. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder played this season at Blake School, a prep school in Hopkins, Minn. . . . G Dayton Rasmussen, a 16-year-old from Eden Prairie, Minn., is off to Denver U. Rasmussen, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, played this season for the Colorado Thunderbirds U-16 side.
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In the QMJHL, the host Quebec Remparts dumped the Moncton Wildcats 7-0 to sweep that semifinal series, 4-0. . . . F Kurt Etchegary had three goals and two assists, with F Anthony Duclair picking up a goal and four assists. . . . G Zach Fucale stopped 25 shots for the shutout. In his last nine starts, he is 9-0 with a .935 save percentage. . . . The Remparts, the host team for the Memorial Cup, will face either the Rimouski Oceanic or Val-d’Or Foreurs in the final. Last night, in Val-d’Or, the Oceanic won 4-2 to take a 3-0 lead. They’ll play again tonight in Val-d’Or. . . .

In the OHL, F Nick Baptiste had four goals and F Connor McDavid drew four assists as the host Erie Otters beat the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, 7-5. Erie leads that series 3-1 as it returns to the Soo for Game 5 on Thursday. . . . McDavid has 14 points in the first four games of the semifinal. In  13 playoff games, he’s got 18 goals and 17 assists. . . . In last night’s other game, F Ryan Kujawinski scored at 10:28 of OT to give the host North Bay Battalion a 2-1 victory over the Oshawa Generals. The Battalion has a 2-1 lead going into Game 4 tonight in North Bay.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders have fired head coach Gordie Dwyer, never mind that the team won its first playoff series in 11 years. The Islanders won a first-round series from the Sherbrooke Phoenix in six games, than was swept by the Quebec Remparts, who will play host to this season’s Memorial Cup. Dwyer, 37, had been there for four seasons.
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Congratulations to @BCHockey_Source Referee Brett Iverson on his Gold Medal Assignment at the World U18 tournament pic.twitter.com/83g9hrAM01
— BCHockeyOfficials (@BCHockey_Refs) April 27, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Conference finals open tonight . . . Pucklandia rocks . . . Giants' prospect staying home

#RedWings employee Al Sobotka swings an octopus prior to Game 4 agst #Lightning. (@GettySport) http://t.co/1OzMil4KTM pic.twitter.com/k0VLYrIaeC
— Sports Photos (@sportsphotos) April 24, 2015

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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BRANDON VS. CALGARY: These teams are meeting in the playoffs for the sixth time in 11 seasons. . . . They last clashed in the spring of 2012 with the Wheat Kings winning a first-round series in five games. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk, who sat out the last three games of the second round, is back skating and could play tonight. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz and F Rihards Bukarts of the Wheat Kings, both of whom went down in Game against Regina, should be available tonight. Both resumed skating on Monday. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke, injured in Game 5 against Regina, isn’t skating yet. . . . The Hitmen were missing F Chase Lang when the second-round ended, while F Adam Tambellini, who leads the post-season points race, and F Connor Rankin had missed time with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Wheat Kings will open with Jordan Papirny in goal; the Hitmen likely will start Mack Shields. . . . Shaw TV will be on the air tonight from Brandon. In fact, it will show the entire Eastern Conference final between the Wheat Kings and Calgary Hitmen. You’ll have Dan Russell calling the play, with analysis by Bill Wilms. Andy Neal will be the host. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk of the Wheat Kings is from Calgary and his NHL rights belong to the Calgary Flames. Yes, he is looking forward to playing the Hitmen. Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun has more right here. ——

KELOWNA VS. PORTLAND: The Winterhawks are in their fifth straight conference final. One year ago, they took out the Rockets in five games. The Rockets were without F Myles Bell, their leading scorer, for that series. . . . This time, both teams appear healthy. Of course, this being the playoffs, we won’t know for sure until lineups are posted. . . . Dan Lambert, in his first season as Kelowna’s head coach after five seasons as an assistant, has been on the losing side of three series with Portland, including 2011 and 2012. . . . Despite rumbling to the contrary, G Jackson Whistle will open for the Rockets, while the Winterhawks, as expected, will counter with Adin Hill. Lambert actually told Whistle on Saturday that he would be starting Game 1. . . . Whistle has put up three shutouts in these playoffs. . . . The teams haven’t played each other since Nov. 21 and 22, so you can forget about trying to read anything into the season series.
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I made a return appearance on the Pucklandia podcast on Thursday evening. If you’ve got some time, feel free to give it a listen. It’s just two guys sitting around and talking all things WHL. . . . It’s right here.
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The WHL announced its conference nominees for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as its outstanding player this season. It’ll be either F Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Portland Winterhawks or F Tim McGauley of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bjorkstrand, who turned 20 on April 10, led the WHL in goals (63) and points (118). He was a third-round selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . McGauley, who will be 20 on July 23, finished third in the scoring race with 105 points, including 42 goals. . . . McGauley is eligible for the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . We’ll find out who wins the award when the WHL holds its awards ceremony in Calgary on May 6.
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The Prince Albert Raiders announced the signing of head coach Marc Habscheid to a four-year contract this week. But they have yet to announce whether general manager Bruno Campese will be back. What’s up with that? . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has that story right here.
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Dennis Coates, a longtime Kamloops lawyer who helped keep junior hockey in Kamloops back in the day, is involved in a lawsuit over a 1926 Model T. . . . Coates was a shareholder when the Junior Oilers/Blazers were community-owned and today is a director with the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society’s sports legacy fund. He received the WHL’s Distinguished Service Award in 2014. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more on the lawsuit right here.
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“Depression and anxiety are the worst kept secrets in professional sports,” writes Hayley Wickenheiser, perhaps the greatest female hockey player in history, at The Players’ Tribune. “In every locker room across the NHL, there are guys who are struggling with the fear of everything — the fear of a bad shift, the fear of pissing off their coach, the fear of getting traded or cut and letting down their family. What also happens in every locker room is that there are teammates, trainers and staff who stay silent too long when a guy struggles.” . . . Wickenheiser was friends with the late Steve Montador and she pours out her heart in this piece right here. . . . At one point, she writes: “We need to do more. The entire hockey community, including league officials, teammates, coaches, trainers, the NHLPA, and the hundreds of former players out there, need to come together and solidify a comprehensive support system for those struggling with depression, anxiety and the aimlessness that comes with finding a second life after hockey. Not in the future. Not next season. Right now.” . . . She’s right!
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F Owen Hardy has decided to play next season with the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers. Hardy, who is from Nanaimo, was selected by the Vancouver Giants with the 42nd overall pick in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. . . . "I knew the coach (Mike Vandekamp) and I liked him very much," Hardy told Scott McKenzie of the Nanaimo Daily News. "I didn't really know who the Giants coach was going to be, so it just seemed like the safer place to go, and it seemed like a very good place to go just from practicing and being with the team all year.” . . . Hardy played this season with Nanaimo’s major midget team. . . . McKenzie’s story is right here.
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From the Prince Albert Daily Herald: “Former Prince Albert Raiders goalie Travis Laycock has been honoured for saving two lives. Brad Wall presented Laycock and seven others with the Saskatchewan Premier’s Commendation Award in Regina on Tuesday to honour the individuals’ various courageous actions. Last July, Laycock jumped into a slough near Bruno to save a couple whose car had gone into the water. Laycock, 43, was a goalie with the Raiders from 1989-92.”
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The SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings held their AGM on Wednesday. Earlier this season, they had announced that they were close to $200,000 in debut and in danger of not answering the bell for 2015-16. At the AGM, it was revealed that the debut has been reduced to about $70,000. Ticket sales increased by about $80,000 after the team went public with its problems in January.
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If you threw your hat on the ice for the @Cavemn10 Hat-Trick we have them signed by Colby at @SC_Stable. Come claim yours!
— SC Broncos (@SCBroncos) April 23, 2015

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Wheaties win in Edmonton . . . Tambellini OT hero . . . Langhamer, Hill pitch shutouts

If you didn’t watch the fifth estate’s episode — The Pain Game: Drugs, Doctors and Pro Sports — you should give it a view. It’s right here.
A lot of the news magazine’s show deals with the late Derek Boogaard and it really is scary stuff.
The foundation for a lot of the show is work done by Len Boogaard, Derek’s father who has retired from the RCMP. Through this, Len has documented the trail of drugs that led to his son’s opiate addiction and, ultimately, to his death.
The document is 23 pages in length and to sit and peruse it, one prescription at a time, really is overwhelming.
“In an effort to better understand the circumstances that contributed to the death of my son,” Len writes, “I requested documentation from team medical staff, outside physicians, the NHL’s substance abuse program, the rehabilitation facilities Derek attended, drug testing facilities and the pharmacies that filled his numerous prescriptions.
“In addition, I have spoken with a number of people who knew Derek and I have analyzed his own personal documents, such as cell phone, bank and email records.
“I was not always provided with the documentation I requested; however, I believe I have obtained information sufficient to construct a time-line of sorts spanning from Derek’s first entry in a rehabilitation facility in September 2009 until his passing.”
The document is heart-breaking and raises all kinds of questions. More than anything, though, it shows how the NHL, a couple of NHL teams, the NHLPA and various doctors — a couple of whom all but run from the fifth estate’s camera — failed Derek Boogaard.
You really need to watch this episode of the fifth estate. And if you haven’t already, read Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard. Written by John Branch of The New York Times, this is a devastating look at how Boogaard went from a fun-loving youngster who was just trying to fit in to an NHL enforcer who was enabled every step of the way.
Package all of this together and you get a look at an unseemly side of the NHL.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Edmonton, G Jordan Papirny stopped 41 shots and the Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last two goals as they beat the Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 2-1 with Games 4 and 5 scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Both games are to be televised by Sportsnet. . . . Last night, Brandon D Macoy Erkamps, in his fourth WHL season but in the playoffs for the first time, broke a 2-2 tie at 6:02 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk had tied it at 2:31 of the third with his third goal of the series. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 1-0 lead on F John Quenneville’s goal with 26.3 seconds left in the first. . . . The Oil Kings scored twice in the second — F Davis Koch at 1:54 and D Ben Carroll, on the PP, at 6:30. . . . The Oil Kings thought they had tied the score late in the third period when F Brandon Baddock had his own rebound go off his chest and past Papirny. But the goal was disallowed after video review. . . . “Hands are tied: you can’t glove it in, you can’t high-stick it in, you can’t use your feet, so I tried to use my body,” Baddock said on the Oil Kings’ website.“They said . . . I kind of directed my shoulders into it, and obviously that’s not allowed.” . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots. . . . Brandon F Braylon Shmyr was unsuccessful on a penalty shot at 16:23 of the first period. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-4 on the PP; Brandon was 0-for-3. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller left the game in the first and didn’t return. He was injured when he hit one of the gates at the Oil Kings’ bench in attempting to check Shmyr. Eller’s status for Tuesday’s game isn’t known. . . . The Oil Kings took out D Marshall Donald and F Brayden Brown, replacing them with D Jake Kohlhauser and G Tyson Gruninger. . . . Brandon had F Duncan Campbell and F Tanner Kaspick back after they missed the first two games. To get them in, Brandon took out F Stelio Mattheos and D Mark Matsuba . . . Attendance was 5,957. . . . Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings, reports that Brandon F Quintin Lisoway is expected to have knee surgery today. Lisoway last played on March 4.

In Calgary, F Adam Tambellini’s goal at 16:36 of OT gave the Hitmen a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The series is 1-1 as it heads for Cranbrook, B.C., and games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Pavel Kamaukhov scored both of Calgary’s regulation-time goals, both via the PP. He also drew an assist on the winner. . . . Kamaukhov gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead at 9:01 of the second period and tied the game 2-2 at 10:31 of the third. . . . F Sam Reinhart got the Ice’s first goal, on a PP, at 17:51 of the second. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 19:36 of the second. . . . Hitmen F Radel Fazleev had two assists, giving him four helpers in two games. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields came on to start the third period and stopped all 19 shots he faced. Starter Brendan Burke had given up two goals on 18 shots. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 30 shots. . . . The Hitmen were 2-for-2 on the PP; the Ice was 1-for-2. . . . D Jake Bean was among Calgary’s scratches. He suffered an apparent ankle injury in the third period of Friday’s game. . . . Attendance was 8,560. . . . Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun has a game story right here.

In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored the game’s only goal as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 1-0, in overtime. . . . The Tigers had won the opener 2-1 on Saturday, so goals have been hard to come by. . . . Cox had two assists on Saturday, so has been in on all three of his side’s goals. . . . The teams now head to Red Deer for games on Wednesday and Thursday nights. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 27 shots in earning his first career playoff shutout. . . . Red Deer G Rylan Toth turned aside 36 shots. . . . Cox finished second in the regular-season points race, with 109 points, including a WHL-leading 80 assists, banked the winner in off Toth. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-5 on the PP; the Rebels were 0-for-3. . . . Medicine Hat had D Ty Lewington, its captain, back in the lineup after he served a one-game WHL suspension. . . . Attendance was 4,006.

In Portland, G Adin Hill turned aside 21 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . It was Hill’s first career playoff shutout. . . . The series is tied 1-1 with the next two games in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday and Thursday nights. . . . F Nic Petan scored the game’s first goal, at 14:23 of the first period. . . . The Winterhawks iced it with empty-net goals from F Dominic Turgeon, at 18:02 of the third, and F Oliver Bjorkstrand, at 18:14. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 36 shots. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 9,119. . . . The game story that freelancer Scott Sepich wrote for The Oregonian is right here. . . . Paul Danzer of The Columbian has a game story right here.
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With the Portland Winterhawks having opened the playoffs with two home games, Scott Sepich, a freelancer who often writes for The Oregonian, looks at the team’s relationship with Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a venue that is 55 years of age and in need of at least some help. . . . That story is right here.
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“More than a quarter of all helmets worn by hockey players, from the NHL to youth leagues, are unsafe, according to an independent study provided to ‘Outside the Lines’ that ranked hockey helmets based on their ability to reduce concussion risk,” writes Steve Fainaru of the ESPN investigative newsmagazine Outside the Lines. “Out of 32 helmets in the marketplace that were tested by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, nine failed to earn a single star on a five-star scale and were classified as ‘not recommended.’ Just one helmet, made by Warrior Sports, received three stars. The rest received one or two stars.” . . . The really scary part of this report is, as Fainaru writes, “Hockey players wearing the ‘not recommended’ helmets risk incurring at least six concussions per season, and in some cases more than eight, according to Virginia Tech.” . . . The complete story, including a chart showing test results, is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Dwayne Kirkup won’t be back as head coach of the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. He had been in the position since May 6, 2013, having joined the Natives after a stint as head coach of the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. He was the MJHL’s coach of the year in 2009-10. . . . This season, the Natives finished 15-42-3, leaving them with the 11-team league’s poorest record.
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LOOK: TV analyst Brian Engblom takes puck to forehead, returns to game after needing stitches http://t.co/hRHZ8KSwhW pic.twitter.com/opGeAdK7Ks
— Eye on Hockey (@EyeOnHockey) March 30, 2015

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