THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Dan DaSilva (Portland, 2002-05) was released by mutual agreement by Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL). He had one assist in 15 games this season with Poprad. . . .
F Justin Mapletoft (Red Deer, 1996-2001) was released by the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had six assists in 14 games for the Wild Wings this season. . . .
After the first day of his tryout, F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) has signed a contract  with the DEG Metro Stars Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) for the rest of this  season. Loyns had one goal and one assist in nine games with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) this season. Last season, he had six goals and 11 assists in 21 games for Val Pusteria (Italy, Serie A). . . .
D Darrell Hay (Tri-City, 1996-2000) has rejoined Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after being released last week by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal in 20 games for Liberec this season. Last season, Hay had five goals and 10 assists in 52 games for Mlada Boleslav. The contract is for the remainder of this season. . . .
Joining Hay in Mlada Boleslav is F Andrej Podkonicky (Portland,  1996-98). Podkonicky was assigned on loan to Mlada Boleslav for the rest of the season by Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had three goals and three assists in 16 games with Brno this season. Podkonicky was with Liberec last season, getting nine goals and 19 assists in 52 games for the club. . . .
F Patrik Valcak (Lethbridge, Kelowna, 2003-04) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga) after his release by Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had no points in eight games with Trinec this season. Valcak had four goals and 15 assists in 23 games for Olofström (Sweden, Division 1) last season.
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Reports on Wednesday night — the first of which I think came from Mark Stepneski of ESPNDallas.com — indicate that the NHL’s board of governors has approved Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, as the new owner of the Dallas Stars.
The board, which isn’t scheduled to meet until early next month, apparently held a fax vote and Gaglardi’s ownership was approved.
Next up is a hearing in bankruptcy court in Delaware on Friday morning. The sale of the franchise is expected to be granted approval there.
That being the case, the Stars are expected to hold a news conference on Monday at which Gaglardi will be introduced as the owner.
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Remember the song Needles and Pins, by The Searchers. If it isn’t already, you have to wonder if it is a favourite song of F Branden Troock of the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Jim Riley, who covers the Thunderbirds on a freelance basis for the Seattle Times, has written an interesting piece on Troock and how acupuncture is helping him overcome a problem with headaches. It is especially interesting when you realize that Troock was thought to have been suffering with post-concussion syndrome. It turned out to be a neck problem that, as Seattle athletic therapist Phil Varney told Riley, “was mimicking concussion symptoms.”
That story is right here.
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JUST NOTES: Congratulations to head coach Mike Williamson of the Calgary Hitmen, who got his 300th coaching victory Sunday. Williamson, in his third season with the Hitmen, also was head coach of the Portland Winterhawks; in fact, his first 219 regular-season victories came with Portland. Hitmen team captain Cody Sylvester presented Williamson with the game puck from No. 300 on Wednesday. Williamson is the 19th coach in the WHL history to get to 300. . . . The Prince George Cougars released F Tayler Thompson, 18, on Monday. Thompson had four points in 16 games. He also was minus-15. . . . The Tri-City Americans were working for Habitat for Humanity on Wednesday. Check out the photos right here. . . .
F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants signed a three-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. Gallagher, 19, was a fifth-round selection by Montreal in the 2010 NHL draft. Gallagher has 31 points, including 18 goals, in 18 games with the Giants this season. . . . The Everett Silvertips have signed F Carson Stadnyk, 16, to a WHL contract. Stadnyk, from Saskatoon, was an eight-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. He is playing with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts and has 27 points, including 15 goals, in 16 games. . . .
The NBA has cancelled games through Dec. 15, so the Portland Winterhawks have moved a Dec. 2 game against the Everett Silvertips to the Rose Garden. Game time will be 7 p.m. . . . Everett has assigned F Michael Bell, 16, to a BCHL team yet to be determined. He was pointless in 10 games with Everett. . . .
After a long run, Ben Wiebe has stepped aside as governor for the Swift Current Broncos. Wiebe will remain on the board of directors — he has had a chair there since the Broncos returned from Lethbridge in time for the 1986-87 season. He had been the governor for 17 years. Al Stewart is the club’s new governor, with GM/head coach Mark Lamb the alternate governor. Stewart has experience as alternate governor and chairman of the Broncos’ board. As well, Liam Choo-Foo is the new chairman of the board, with Kyle McIntyre the secretary. . . .
G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers was struck in the head by an errant clearance as he was on the WHL’s bench during a 5-2 victory over the Russians in the Subway Super Series game in Regina on Wednesday night. He left the bench almost immediately and was taken to hospital for tests. There was no news as of late last night. Bunz is scheduled to start tonight Super Series finale in Moose Jaw. . . . However, Bunz did Tweet a note: “Congrats to the boys for the series clinching win! sorry I couldnt cheer you on! Big game by @cpickard1! Your the maaan.” . . .
David La Vaque of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that F Ben Walker, the captain of the high school Edina Hornets, is leaving to sign with the Victoria Royals. The Hornets are coached by former NHL D Curt Giles, who confirmed the move. According to La Vaque: “Walker contributed to the Hornets' Class 2A state title run in 2010. As a junior last season he scored 18 goals and added 14 assists. Known for his speed, the 5-foot-10, 174-pound Walker scored 14 goals and added 13 assists playing 24 games for Team Southwest of the Elite League this fall.” Giles and Marc Habscheid, the Royals’ GM/head coach, were teammates on the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars in the late 1980s.
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SIT DOWN BOYS:
The WHL has suspended F Jesse Mychan for 10 games after he picked up a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct for a hit on D Jesse Forsberg of the the visiting Prince George Cougars on Saturday. The WHL’s reasons for suspension included Mychan leaving his feet to deliver the hit, Forsberg being injured on the play (he is shown as being out week to week) and that it is Mychan’s third suspension this season. . . . F Charles Inglis of the Cougars drew a one-game suspension for the charging major he picked up for a hit on Everett F Josh Birkholz, who is out day-to-day. . . .
The OHL has issued two more lengthy suspensions, along with one for which it is getting some heat. F Dean Pawlaczyk of the Saginaw Spirit drew a 15-game sentence for a checking-to-the-head major assessed in a game against the Plymouth Whalers on Nov. 6. . . . F Alex O’Neil of the Brampton Battalion got a 10-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major against the Niagara IceDogs on Nov. 11. . . . F Ryan Rupert of the London Knights got five games for a slashing major he incurred against the Soo Greyhounds on Nov. 11. A lot of observers expected Rupert to draw far more than five games for his violent slash at an opposing player, especially after it resulted in a post-game melee. When all was said and done, the OHL has suspended eight players, including Rupert, for a total of 19 games.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Theo Fleury, who was in Lloydminster for a fund-raising game:
“Standing outside BP's and some kid asks Ron Duguay if he's Bon Jovi. Best thing I've heard in a longtime. That's funny.”

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

The Swift Current Broncos have sold fewer than 1,500 season tickets, after reaching more than 1,700 last season. 

And you wonder just how long the Broncos can survive, what with expenses continuing to rise across the WHL.

“I’m not sure that there’s a team out there that’s been able to cut costs,” Al Stewart, the chairman of the organization’s board of directors, told Matthew Liebenberg of the Prairie Post. “So as the budgets continue to rise we need to continue to generate higher and higher levels of income and our single biggest lever to income is season tickets and walk-up tickets. . . .

“We have fantastic fans here. On an average night more than 10 per cent of the people of Swift Current come to a hockey game. No other team could brag about that number. The problem that we have is that we have great fans, we just don’t have enough of them.”

The Broncos will hold their annual general meeting on Wednesday.

Liebenberg’s complete story is right here.

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The Spokane Chiefs didn’t take long to get down to three 20-year-olds following the return of F Darren Kramer from the camp of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. On Thursday, the Chiefs dealt F Matt Marantz to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a fourth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Marantz, who is from Calgary, had 42 points, incouding 20 goals, in 68 games with the Chiefs last season. . . . The Chiefs now have Kramer, F Steven Kuhn and D Corbin Baldwin as their three 20-year-olds. . . . Spokane is carrying 24 players, including three goaltenders and 12 forwards.

Meanwhile, Marantz becomes the fifth 20-year-old on the Hurricanes’ roster, although F Austin Fyten (knee) will be out indefinitely and could end up on the long-term injury list. Apparently, more will be known next week.

But the Hurricanes also have F Cam Braes, the recently named team captain, F Brody Sutter and G Damien Ketlo, who was acquired from the Regina Pats a couple of weeks ago.

WHL teams have until Oct. 13 to get down to a maximum of three 20-year-olds.

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The Seattle Thunderbirds have acquired D Braeden (Bunny) Laroque, 19, from the Edmonton Oil Kings in exchange for a 2012 bantam draft pick. Neither team disclosed specifics involving the draft pick. Laroque, from Saskatoon, is into his third WHL season. He had six points and 32 penalty minutes in 54 games with Edmonton last season. Edmonton selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 bantam draft. . . . It was interesting that Edmonton players were tweeting their farewells to Laroque about five hours before either team announced the trade.

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Esther Madziya is the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ new communications and public relations manager. She takes over from Ryan Ohashi effective Oct. 1, with Ohashi moving north to join the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Madziya has been working at CJOC 94.1 as half of a morning show — Mark and Esther in the Mornings. . . . She also has worked in the electronic media in Saskatoon where she covered tthe Blades.

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JUST NOTES: F Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who won the WHL’s 2008-09 scoring title, was traded Thursday by the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers to the Bakersfield Condors for future considerations. He is under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2007 draft. Last season, he had 34 points, 14 of them goals, in 42 games with Wheeling. He also had 20 points in 25 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones after being loaned to them by the Nailers. . . . The Condors also have signed F Thomas Frazee, who concluded his WHL career last season with the Kamloops Blazers. Frazee had committed to the U of Calgary Dinos but obviously has decided to forego that at least for now. . . .

There are a couple of important NHL deadlines approaching. NHL teams have until Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, to sign junior-aged players who were drafted in the fourth round or later, otherwise those players can’t play in the NHL. The deadline for those players selected in Rounds 1, 2 and 3 is Tuesday, 5 p.m. ET. . . .
It appears more and more likely that the Portland Winterhawks won’t get D Joe Morrow back, at least not for a while. Morrow, 19, has signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins and reportedly has had a fine training camp. The Penguins also are missing veteran D Brooks Orpik, who is recovering from offseason abdominal surgery and Morrow could help fill that hole, at least in the short term. . . . Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, reports that “F Dillon Wagner isn't with the team as he sustained a knee injury on Wednesday. No word of severity yet.” The Broncos are in Brandon tonight and Moose Jaw on Saturday. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers have returned F Gavin Broadhead, 16, to the midget AAA Tigers. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. His father, Curt, also played for the Tigers (1977-81).

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If you have been following the attempt by Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, to purchase the NHL’s Dallas Stars, you may be wondering how a team from Texas ends up in a bankruptcy court in Delaware.

Steven Church and Dawn McCarty of Bloomberg Businessweek explain it all right here.

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F Travis Ewanyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings underwent shoulder surgery on Thursday morning. Shortly thereafter, he tweeted: “Surgery went well. Now the work begins to get back on the ice and be at 100% as soon as possible.”

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It is looking more and more as though F Brett Connolly of the Prince George Cougars will open the NHL season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After all, he has been playing on a line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis. On top of which, Connolly scored twice on Thursday night as the Lightning beat the host Montreal Canadiens, 4-0.

First, however, Connolly is going to have to visit his favourite tailor.

Why?

Well, here’s a tweet from him right after Thursday’s game:

 “Great game at the bell center. Even better prank the boys pulled. Cut the legs right off my dress pants. Nothing you can do but laugh.”

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Today’s good read comes from Brett Popplewell, who tells the Derek Boogaard story for Sportsnet Magazine, which hit shelves this week.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, click right here and be prepared for an engrossing and sad, sad story.

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