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

Some Saturday stuff . . .

Brendan Shinnimin (24) and his Americans teammates
were in the pink Friday night. And you’ve gotta love the tie
on the gentleman just over Shinnimin’s right shoulder. Well done, sir!
(Photo by John Allen, AridAcres.com)

The Tri-City Americans donned their pink jerseys Friday night when they entertained the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.
The Americans won the game, 5-2, before 5,673 fans on was the sixth annual Fred Meyer Breast Cancer Awareness Night.
The fans set a record as the fund-raiser raised a total of $22,258.71, a 10.5-percent increase over last year. It also was the sixth straight season that the total has increased. All told, Americans fans have contributed $92,813 over the event’s history.
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The recruiting war involving American players isn’t going away. Robert Mays in the Boston Globe writes that the NCAA’s Division 1 Legislative Council voted down a proposal that would have swung things in the CHL’s favour. Mays’s story is right here.
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The Swift Current Broncos have lost seven in a row and their playoff hopes are fading. It doesn’t help that F Killian Hutt (concussion) hasn’t played since Dec. 10 and F Justin Dowling (ankle), F Taylor Vause (ankle), F Jordan Evans (concussion) and F Jordan Peddle (two-game suspension) are out. . . . The Broncos lost 4-3 to the visiting Regina Pats on Friday night. That was Regina’s seventh victory in as many games against the Broncos this season. . . . The Broncos have brought back G Derek Tendler, who turned 19 on Jan. 1. Acquired from the Vancouver Giants earlier in the season, he later was assigned to the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints. . . .
F Brayden Schenn of the Saskatoon Blades should be prepared to hear his name a lot in NHL trade talks as Monday’s deadline arrives. Here’s the latest, via Twitter, from Sportsnet columnist Mark Spector: “Hemsky-to-LA trade a non-starter w/o Brayden Schenn coming back to Oil. LA not ready to deal Schenn today. This is a Monday deal, if at all.” . . . Spector also columnized on the subject and that piece is right here. . . .
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The NHL’s Nashville Predators’ lineup on Saturday included D Jon Blum, a product of the Vancouver Giants who is from Long Beach, Calif., and F Blake Geoffrion, who is from Nashville. . . . In other words, the NCAA vs. CHL war isn’t going to end soon. . . .
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There was some ownershjip news in the QMJHL on Saturday, as a chunk of the Quebec Remparts changed hands. The Montreal Gazette has more right here. . . . Meanwhile, the Moncton Times and Transcript reports that the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats badly want to hold an outdoor game. That story is right here.
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On the Ice in the QMJHL, the Victoriaville Tigers beat Saint John 2-1, handing the Sea Dogs their first regulation loss in 2011. The Sea Dogs had picked up points in 22 straight games, going 21-0-1. . . .
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F Shayne Wiebe scored twice last night, and the first one was the 100th of his WHL career, as his Brandon Wheat Kings went on to beat the visiting Regina Pats, 9-3. The Wheat Kings have won nine in a row on home ice. Overall, they have won seven of eight and 13 of 17. . . . Brandon F Matt MacKay had an assist to run his point streak to 17 games. He has 35 points, including 13 goals, over that stretch. Only Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin (21 games) has had a longer streak this season. . . . The Wheat Kings have scored at least seven goals in five of their last 10 games. . . .
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Barring a playoff meeting, the Saskatoon Blades made their final visit to the Crushed Can in Moose Jaw last night. You can bet it was a fun place to be, what with 2,869 fans in the pews. . . . The Blades won 2-1 on F Curtis Hamilton’s shootout goal. . . . Gotta think Blades GM/head coach Lorne Molleken took a long look around before he exited. He has a long history as a player, coach and GM in that building. . . . Actually thought he might toss a water bottle or a stick or something, you know, just for old time’s sake. . . .
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Edmonton D Adrian Van de Mosselaer played in his 209th regular-season game last night and had his first two-goal game in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. He has 15 career goals, seven of them this season. . . . Attendance in Edmonton was a season-high 8,361. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Mark Pysyk, their captain, after he left Friday’s 6-3 loss in Lethbridge in the second period with an upper body injury. . . . F Tyler Pitlick had his first three-goal game as the host Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 7-3. Pitlick, a draft pick of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, has 62 points in 55 games. . . . The Tigers got two goals from F Emerson Etem, who now has 38 goals in 56 games, and that is one more than he scored in 72 games last season as a freshman. . . . The Tigers welcomed back D Patrik Parkkonen (shoulder) last night. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey drew three assists and now leads the WHL with 105 points, two more than Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . .
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F Geordie Wudrick scored the game’s last two goals as the Kelowna Rockets skated to a 4-3 OT victory over the Hitmen in Calgary. Wudrick, who has 36 goals, tied it at 16:33 of the third and won it 59 seconds into OT. . . . Kelowna F Colton Sissons, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, is turning into a force with which to be reckoned. He had a goal and two assists in Calgary, and now has 35 points in 57 games. He has 12 points over his last seven games. . . . Portland F Nino Niederreiter had two goals, including the winner with 33.9 seconds left in the third, as the Winterhawks beat the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), 4-3, in Kent, Wash. . . . The victory was the 100th in the WHL for Winterhawks GM/head coach Mike Johnston. . . . Portland G Keith Hamilton stopped 28 shots in his second straight start in the absence of Mac Carruth. He hasn’t played since being hit by Prince George F Spencer Asuchak on Tuesday. Asuchak, who was given a major and game misconduct, is serving a three-game suspension. . . . Last night, Portland F Ty Rattie left in the third period and didn’t return. . . .
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After a run of five straight OT games, the Kamloops Blazers finally won in regulation, beating the host Kootenay Ice 8-5 in Cranbrook. . . . The Blazers went 4-0-1 on a swing through the Central Division. . . . Kamloops RW Jordan DePape, who is playing on the back end with three defenceman out, had a goal and two assists, and was plus-4. . . . This was the Ice’s first home game since Jeff Chynoweth, the franchise’s president, governor and GM, admitted frustration at attendance figures. On this night, the attendance was 2,514, which is 24 above the season average. . . .
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When Vancouver beat the host Chilliwack Bruins 5-1 last night, it was victory No. 518 for Giants head coach Don Hay. That ties him with the late Pat Ginnell for third on the WHL’s all-time list. . . . Vancouver G Brendan Jensen stopped 16 shots in his first start since Jan. 15. . . . The Spokane Chiefs have beaten Tr-City four straight times after a 3-1 victory over the visiting Americans last night. The Chiefs lead the season series, 6-4-0, with two games remaining. . . . The Americans can clinch a playoff spot with a victory in Vancouver tonight. Tri-City has beaten Vancouver six straight times, including twice this season.
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And now there are five Eastern Conference teams assured playoff spots, with the Edmonton Oil Kings and Brandon Wheat Kings looking like they’ll finish sixth and seventh, or seventh and sixth. That leaves the Prince Albert Raiders and Lethbridge Hurricanes to scrap over the last spot. They’re tied right now, with the Regina Pats three points back. Each of those three teams has nine gmes remaining. . . .
In the Western Conference, the Chilliwack Bruins and Seattle Thunderbirds have some catching up to do. The Bruins are six points behind the eighth-place Prince George Cougars. Yes, Chilliwack has three games in hand but those aren’t worth anything if you don’t win them. . . . The Thunderbirds are eight points shy of that last spot. . . . And how about those Kamloops Blazers. Two weeks ago, they were struggling to hang on to that eighth spot and looking at a five-game trip in the Central Division, that included stops in Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Kootenay, where the Eastern Conference’s Nos. 2, 3 and 4 seeds live. . . . The Blazers lost in OT in Red Deer, won in OT in Medicine Hat and beat the Ice in regulation. Kamloops now is seventh, just a point behind Everett and one up on Prince George.

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

The Portland Winterhawks have a friend in Mitch Lammert, a local hockey player who is battling cancer. Mitch visited the Winterhawks on Thursday and spent some time with the players on the ice and in the dressing room.
That story, from KATU.com, is right here.
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Meanwhile, Jim Beseda of the Oregonian takes a look at the Portland Winterhawks organization and how they’re working just as hard off the ice to as they are on the ice to ensure success. (Did you know the Winterhawks have 40 full-time employees?)
Beseda’s piece is right here.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers, who next play on Wednesday when they visit the Saskatoon Blades, have four players out with concussions. According to Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News, F Sam Dezman, F Tyler Pitlick, D Scott Ramsay and D Matthew Konan all are sidelined with concussions. . . . The Tri-City Americans, having lost G Drew Owsley to a knee injury on Saturday, have brought in G Cam Gorchynski, who had been with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . . The Tri-City Herald’s annual Best of the West poll was in the Sunday paper. If you haven’t seen it, it’s right here. . . .Michael Buble, who owns a chunk of the Vancouver Giants, was a winner at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. His album Crazy Love was saluted as Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. . . .
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Chilliwack, F Adam Hughesman scored two goals to help the Tri-City Americans to a 6-1 victory over the Bruins. . . . Hughesman has 38 goals. . . . F Carter Ashton and F Brendan Shinniman each had a goal and two assists for the visitors, while D Tyler Schmidt drew three assists. . . . G Chris Driedger, starting for Tri-City in place of the injured Drew Owsley (knee), stopped 20 shots in his fourth career start. He was beaten only by F Ryan Howse, who got his 40th goal of the season at 17:35 of the first period. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore set a franchise record by playing in his 49th game of the season. He stopped 34 shots but left trailing 6-1. . . . Braden Gamble relieved him and stopped all five shots he faced. . . . The Bruins, who had won three in a row, were without D Brandon Manning (suspended), D Zach Habscheid (injured), D Jeff Einhorn (injured) and F Tim Traber (broken leg). . . . Attendance was 3,804. . . . The Americans are back within one point of second-place Spokane in the U.S. Division. . . . The Bruins hold down eighth spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Kamloops. Chilliwack now holds three games in hand on Kamloops. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Brett Connolly scored the game’s last two goals as the Prince George Cougars scored a 4-3 OT victory over the Rebels. . . . Connolly tied the game 3-3 at 18:02 of the third period, then won it with his 35th goal this season, on the PP, at 2:33 of extra time. . . . D Sena Acolatse had two assists for the Cougars, who got 39 saves from G Ty Rimmer. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson ran his point streak to 14 games with one assist. . . . Attendance was 4,527. . . . With the loser point, the Rebels, who lead the Central Division, moved seven points clear of the Kootenay Ice and now are within a point of  Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon. . . . The Cougars are sixth in the Western Conference, four points behind Kelowna and four ahead of Everett. . . .
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In Swift Current, D Adrian Van de Mosselaer broke a 2-2 tie at 11:53 of the the third period to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Broncos. . . . Van de Mosselaer has four goals this season. . . . F Jordan Hickmott and F Colton Stephenson had two assists each for Edmonton. . . . And on a weekend when the WHL played its first game in Whitehorse, Edmonton F David Stephens scored his first WHL goal. Stephens is a 17-year-old Whitehorse native. The goal came in his 28th game. . . . F Justin Dowling had a goal, his 19th, and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 25 shots, seven fewer than Swift Current’s Mark Friesen. . . . Attendance was 1,878. . . . Edmonton, which was 0-for-0 on the PP, took three of the game’s four minor penalties. . . . The Broncos were 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of Brandon. . . . The Broncos remain tied for eighth with Prince Albert, just two points ahead of Regina and Lethbridge. . . .
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In Everett, D Zak Stebner scored twice, including the OT winner, as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Stebner scored the game’s first goal, at 9:28 of the first period on a PP, and the last, at 2:22 of extra time. He’s got seven goals this season. . . . Kelowna F Max Adolph scored his third goal of the season. He now has goals in two straight games. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist and F Josh Birkholz forged a 2-2 tie with goals 1:21 apart late in the second period. . . . Kelowna F Shane McColgan had two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 33 shots, four more than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Attendance was 5,574. . . . Kelowna closed to within two points of B.C. Division-leading Vancouver and the Rockets hold one game in hand. The team that wins the B.C. Division will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, meaning home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. the division’s second-place team looks certain to finish fifth in the conference, which is looking like it will mean a first-round date with Spokane or Tri-City, with the U.S. team holding home-ice advantage. . . . Everett is seventh in the conference, four points behind Prince George and three ahead of Chilliwack. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard kicked out 57 shots and the host Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 3-1. . . . Pickard won his 20th game of the season. He is 20-26-8. . . . F Anthony Bardaro gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 10:27 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Travis Toomey tied it at 15:09 of the second and F Colin Jacobs gave his side the lead at 1:57 of the third. . . . F Burke Gallimore got the empty-netter at 19:04. . . . D Ryan Button had three assists for Seattle, while F Brendan Rouse had two. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 34 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,538. . . . The Thunderbirds are last in the Western Conference, but now are just three points behind Chilliwack, which is eight. . . . Spokane is second in the U.S. Division, five points behind Portland and one ahead of Tri-City. The Chiefs now have one game in hand on Portland.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None to report.

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