Kamloops school ends hockey program

F Alexander Gogolev (Calgary, Victoria, 2011-13) has been assigned by Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL) to Ariada Volzhsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). Gogolev signed a one-year contract with Lada in June. Last season, with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL), he had a goal and two assists in 24 games.
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You go to bed on Monday night and you’re part of a hockey team in your hometown.
You wake up Tuesday morning and find out that team is gone. Kaput!
So, Ryan Hanes, how do you feel?

Sad day getting told your not aloud to lace the skates back up in your hometown, really disappointing! Was excited to get back out there.
— Ryan hanes (@HANESR13) July 29, 2014

Hanes, who played in the WHL (Kamloops, Prince George, 2008-13), was planning on playing for the Kamloops-based Thompson Rivers University (TRU) WolfPack this season.
However, TRU announced Tuesday morning that it was dropping its support of the WolfPack hockey team after six seasons.
The hockey program was operated by a society and was a ‘club’ team that played with the support of the athletic department but wasn’t a varsity team. There are baseball and swimming teams that operate under the same system at TRU. Golf and badminton programs were dropped earlier this year.
The hockey program was established “for student/athletes who wanted to continue to play competitive hockey while pursuing their education,” Ken Olynyk, TRU’s athletics and recreation director, said in a news release. “They made every effort possible to maintain the program to this point, but due to economics and a lack of a sustainable model, we have no choice but to dissolve the program.”
A source familiar with the situation has told Taking Note that the hockey program is more than $50,000 in debt.
The WolfPack played in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League, which is left with five  teams -- the Eastern Washington U Eagles, who play out of Cheney, Wash.; the Selkirk College Saints (Castlegar, B.C.); Simon Fraser U (Burnaby, B.C.); the Trinity Western U Spartans (Langley, B.C.); and the U of Victoria.
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F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) says he is working to rebuild his life and his career after becoming involved in a gambling scandal while playing in Denmark last season. Mosienko has signed with the Sheffield Steelers (Great Britain, Elite). The Sheffield Star has more right here.---
Former NHLer Jon Rohloff has filed a concussion-related lawsuit against the NHL. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of Minnesota. . . . According to the filing, Rohloff, who played for the Boston Bruins (1994-97), “suffered multiple head traumas during his NHL career that were improperly diagnosed and treated by the NHL. Mr. Rohloff was never warned by the NHL of the negative health effects of head trauma.“ . . . It’s all right here.
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The Spokane Chiefs have signed F Hayden Ostir of Winnipeg, a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Earlier, the Chiefs signed F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, their first-round selection. . . . Ostir had 75 points, including 35 goals, in 47 games with the bantam AAA-1 team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna last season.
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Unifor, the labour union that is working to organize major junior hockey players, has met with the Ontario’s labour and sports ministers. Rick Westhead of TSN reports that the government may strike a task force “to examine working conditions for players in the Ontario Hockey League,” according to the Unifor president. . . . Westhead’s report is right here.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed Jason Ripplinger, the director of player personnel, and Terry Bonner, the club’s scouting director, to multi-year contract extensions. No other details were released. Both men have been with the organization since 2001. Bonner is the father of Giants general manager Scott Bonner and Kamloops Blazers GM Craig Bonner. . . . Don’t forget that Alan Caldwell, over there at Small Thoughts at Large, is taking a team-by-team look at WHL prospects. There’s a link over there on the right.
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THE COACHING GAME:
If video killed the radio star, it is doing nothing but bolstering the Portland Winterhawks’ coaching staff. The Winterhawks have added Keith McKittrick to their coaching staff as an assistant under GM/head coach Jamie Kompon. . . . McKittrick comes to Portland with an extensive history in the video side of the game, including the last two as assistant coach -- video. . . . Interestingly, Kompon also has a history as a video coach; in fact, he has two Stanley Cup rings as the video assistant with the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. . . . As well, Kyle Gustafson, who is preparing for his 11th season as a Winterhawks assistant, also is a veteran of the video game.
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To the @FedEx guy who delivered this package I love the passion but this ain’t ‘94. @lakings #champs pic.twitter.com/kQvaXCgJFj
— dustin brown (@DustinBrown23) July 29, 2014

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Getting caught up . . .

F David Rutherford (Vancouver, Spokane, 2004-08) has signed a one-year contract with Visby/Roma (Sweden, Division 1). Last season, with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), he had nine points, including six goals, in 21 games. In 27 games with the Arizona Sundogs (CHL), he had 34 points, 14 of them goals. . . .
F Oleg Saprykin (Seattle, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). Last season, with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), he had 18 points, including 10 goals, in 52 games. . . .
F Alexander Gogolev (Calgary, Victoria, 2011-13) was selected by Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL) in Tuesday's KHL expansion draft. Last season, with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL), he had three points, one of them a goal in 24 games. . .
F Igor Bacek (Tri-City, 2005-06) has signed a one-year contract with Rostock Piranhas (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with Lippe-Hockey-Hamm (Germany, Oberliga), he had 46 points, including 13 goals, in 38 games. . . .
F Tomas Netik (Medicine Hat, 2000-01) signed a one-yea contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Last season, with Slovan, he had 14 points, including 11 goals, in 32 games. He was traded to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL) for cash in December, and had a goal and two assists in 16 games there. . . .
F Matt MacKay (Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Brandon, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had four points, including two goals, in 26 games with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He also had three points, including a goal, in 11 games with Red Bull Munich. . . .
F Marek Viedensky (Prince George, Saskatoon, 2008-11) has signed a one-year deal with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga). Last season, he had 23 points, six of them goals, in 54 games with the Worcester Sharks (AHL). . . .
D Shawn Belle (Regina, Tri-City, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). Last season, with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL), he had six points, including three goals, in 39 games. . . .
F Andrew Bailey (Kootenay, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Harzer Falken Braunlage (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with the University of Saskatchewan (CIS), he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 28 games. . . .
F Tyler Metcalfe (Seattle, 1999-2005) has signed a one-year extension with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, Metcalf had 55 points, 27 of them goals, in 42 games. He led the league in goals and was third in points. He led his team in goals and points, and was named to the first all-star team. . . .
D Kalvin Sagert (Kamloops, Lethbridge, Prince George, 2002-08) has signed a one-year contract with the Tønsberg Vikings (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, Sagert had one assist in 11 games with the Wichita Thunder (CHL), 10 assists in 24 games with the San Francisco Bulls (ECHL), and a goal and three assists in 32 games with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL). . . .
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). Last season, with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL), he had four points, including two goals, in 42 games. He has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed a one-year extension with Herne (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, Rumpel led his team in scoring and finished third in the league, putting up 86 points, including 39 goals, in 36 games. He also was pointless in one game with Trnava (Slovakia, 1, Liga). . . .
F Keegan Dansereau (Calgary, Swift Current, 2003-09) has signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with Olofström (Sweden, Division 1), he had 31 points, 16 of them goals in 39 games. . . .
G Chet Pickard (Tri-City, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Odense (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL), he was 5.34 and .854 in six games. In 21 games with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL), he was 3.20 and .875. . . .
D Dustin Friesen (Swift Current, 2000-04) has signed a one-year contract with Ingolstad (Germany, DEL). Last season, with the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, DEL2), he had 33 points, five of them goals, in 54 games.
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 JUNE 17:
Darren Evjen won't be returning as the Swift Current Broncos' associate coach. He had been with the Broncos through four seasons. Mark Lamb, the Broncos' general manager and head coach, said in a news release that "we will be looking to fill the vacant associate coach position after the NHL entry draft." . . . According to the news release, "Evjen will remain with the Broncos in a smaller capacity" that will include working at their hockey school in August.

The Calgary Hitmen signed F Matt Dorsey, a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. From Wenatchee, Wash., Dorsey had 52 points, including 32 goals, in 30 games with the Tier 1 Bantam AAA Arizona Bobcats last season. He is expected to play for the midget AAA Everett Junior Silvertips in 2014-15.

The Portland Pirates, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, have signed Trent Whitfield (Spokane, 1994-98) as an assistant coach. Whitfield, 36, ended his playing career after spending 2013-14 with Bolzano HC, an Italian team that plays in an Austrian league. . . . During his career, he spent parts of seven seasons with the Pirates.
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JUNE 16:
Jason Becker won't be returning to the Prince George Cougars' coaching staff. Becker (Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, Swift Current, 1990-95) has joined the coaching team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton and will coach one of the midget teams. Becker had been with the Cougars since December 2009.

The Everett Silvertips traded D Austin Adam, 19, to the Moose Jaw Warriors for a conditional selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported that the pick starts as an eighth and could become a sixth. . . . Adam played three seasons in Everett. He has 11 points, including four goals, in 127 regular-season games. . . . From Surrey, B.C., he was a fourth-round pick by Everett in the 2010 bantam draft.

The NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets have added Brad Larsen (Swift Current, 1993-97) to their coaching staff as an assistant under head coach Todd Richards. Larsen, who had been the head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, signed a multi-year contract. . . . The Blue Jackets also signed former Everett Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg to a multi-year contract extension. Hartsburg is preparing for his third season with Columbus.
The Blue Jackets then named Jared Bednar (Saskatoon, Spokane, Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, 1990-93) as the new head coach of the Falcons. Bednar spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Falcons. . . . Prior to that, he was the head coach of the AHL's Peoria Rivermen for two seasons. He also worked as an assistant coach with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat for a season.

The ECHL's Toledo Walleye have signed Dan Watson as associate coach, where he will work alongside head coach Derek Lalonde. Watson, who played in Toledo in 2006-07, was an assistant coach with the Walleye from 2009-14. He served as interim head coach after Nick Vitucci resigned in February.
Former NHLer Tony Hrkac has joined the USHL's Madison Capitols as an assistant coach. Hrkac, a star at the U of North Dakota as a player, went on to play 758 games in the NHL. In Madison, he will work with head coach Luke Strand and associate coach Keith Paulsen.
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JUNE 13:
The Prince George Cougars have signed F Jordan Ross to a WHL contract. From Kronau, Sask., Ross, 18, was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the ninth round of the 2011 bantam draft. Last season, with the SJHL's Yorkton Terriers, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Ross had 15 points, including eight goals, in 43 regular-season games. He added eight points, five of them goals, in 14 playoff games. He also played in four RBC Cup games as the Terriers won the national championship.
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JUNE 12:
The Calgary Hitmen introduced Mark French as their new head coach, replacing Mike Williamson, who was fired following last season and has since surfaced with the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Hitmen are preparing for their 20th anniversary season; French is their eighth head coach. . . . French spent the past season as head coach of Medvescak Zagreb, an expansion team that had a 92-point regular-season and made the playoffs. . . . From Milton, Ont., French spent six seasons with the AHL's Hershey Bears, both as assistant and head coach. . . . He has major junior coaching experience with the OHL's North Bay Centennials (1999-2002). . . . The Hitmen also announced that associate coach Brent Kisio also will work as assistant general manager with GM Mike Moore, and that assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk also are returning.

Dave Lowry, the head coach of the Victoria Royals, was named an assistant coach with Canada's national junior team. He will work alongside head coach Benoit Groulx (Gatineau Olympiques) and assistant coach Scott Walker (Guelph Storm). . . . This is Lowry's first coaching assignment under Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence. He had been named head coach of the summer U-18 team in 2009 but stepped down after signing on as an assistant coach with the NHL's Calgary Flames. . . . The 2015 World Junior Championship is scheduled for Montreal and Toronto, Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . Team Canada will hold its summer development camp in Montreal, Aug. 3-9.

Derek Laxdal, the head coach of the Memorial Cup-champion Edmonton Oil Kings, has been named head coach of Canada's summer U-18 team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia, Aug. 11-16. . . . Jody Hull (Peterborough Petes) and Eric Veilleux (Baie-Comeau Drakkar) will be the assistant coaches. . . . This is Laxdal's first assignment in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence. . . . The U-18 team will hold its selection camp in Calgary, Aug. 2-5, and will then head for Europe and the tournament. . . . Canada, which has won 16 of the last 18 tournaments, goes into this one having won six in a row.

The Central league's Missouri Mavericks have signed Richard Matvichuk (Saskatoon, 1989-92) as head coach. A defenceman, Matvichuk played 14 seasons in the NHL, retiring after the 2006-07 season. . . . He was an assistant coach with the Allen Americans each of the last two seasons, helping the team to consecutive CHL championships. . . . He replaces Scott Hillman, who resigned in May and signed on as head coach of the Indianapolis Fuel, the ECHL's newest team.
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JUNE 11:
Following the conclusion of its AGM in Vancouver, the WHL announced that it has changed its playoff format. The new format will be in place for three seasons, starting in 2014-15.
Here's how it will work:
The top three teams in each of the WHL's four division will qualify for the playoffs, along with the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference. Under this system, one division could have five qualifiers with another having three.
In the first round, the team with the best regular-season record in each conference will meet the wild-card team with the poorest record. The second division winner gets the other wild-card team. . . . The second- and third-place finishers in each division will meet in the first round, thus allowing the WHL to take advantage of divisional rivalries.
The second round will feature first-round winners within each bracket, with four teams moving on to conference finals.
According to a WHL news release: "Home-ice advantage through the first two rounds goes to the team that placed higher in the regular-season standings. In the conference finals and WHL championship series, home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record -- regardless of the teams' final standings in their respective divisions."
The WHL also announced it will release its preseason scheduled on June 24 and its regular-season schedule on June 25.

The Prince Geoge Cougars signed F Justin Almeida and D Max Martin, two of their 2014 bantam draft picks, to contracts. . . . Almeida, from Kitimat, B.C., was the fifth overall pick. He is expected to play for the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who are based in Prince George, in 2014-15. Last season, he had 147 points, 80 of them goals, in 70 games with the bantam AAA North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks. . . . Martin, from Winnipeg, was selected in the second round. Last season, with the major bantam AAA Winnipeg Monarchs, he had 59 points, including 18 goals, in 32 regular-season games.
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JUNE 10:
The Brandon Wheat Kings signed F Stelio Mattheos, the first overall selection in the WHL's 2014 bantam draft. . . . Mattheos, from Winnipeg, played last season with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Monarchs, putting up 103 points, including 53 goals, in 35 regular-season games. He captained the Monarchs. . . . This draft marked the first time in franchise history that the Wheat Kings held the first overall pick.

The Saskatoon Blades acquired the rights to G Collin Olson, 20, from the Prince George Cougars for D Joel Lakusta and a sixth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Lakusta, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a seventh-round pick by the Blades in the 2013 bantam draft. He will turn 16 on June 24. . . . Last season, he had 14 points, four of them goals, in 35 games with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Olson, from Apple Valley, Minn., was listed by the Cougars before the 2012-13 season. Last season, he played with the NCAA's Ohio State Buckeyes and the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers. He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the sixth round of the NHL's 2012 draft. . . . Olson got into only two games with the Buckeyes, before joining the Musketeers and going 12-3 with one tie, 2.31, .923.
The trade was the first made by Bob Woods, the Blades' new GM/head coach. He spoke with Olson after making the deal. "Goaltending's an issue we wanted to look at and make sure we have all the options possible. It's a pretty important position," Woods told Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. "We felt it was worth the risk. He's a pretty good goaltender, and with all the research I did on him, there was a lot of good feedback. We want to see if we can maybe steer him in our direction."

The Prince Albert Raiders signed D Cody Thompson and F Josh Maser, both of whom were selected in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Thompson, from Killarney, Man., was taken in the third round. He had 19 points, eight of the goals, in 29 games with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars. . . . Maser, from Penticton, B.C., was a fourth-round selection. He had 127 points, 72 of them goals, in 61 games with the Tier 2 bantam Vees. . . . The Raiders have signed their top three picks from the 1014 draft.

Brian Pellerin, who had been coaching at the Okanagan Hockey Academy, signed on with the Tri-City Americans as associate coach. . . . Pellerin, 44, spent the past three seasons at OHA. . . . He was on the coaching staff of the Portland Winterhawks for four seasons (2004-08). He also spent a season as an associate coach with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage and two seasons as head coach of the Central league's Amarillo Gorillas. . . . A native of Hinton, Alta., his playing career included four seasons (1987-91) with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Dan Price, an assistant coach for two seasons with the Americans, won't be returning.

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Clark to Blades? New owner says "No"

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Alex Gogolev (Calgary, Victoria, 2011-13) signed a two-year contract with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). He had 20 goals and 45 assists in 49 games with the Royals last season. The KHL opened its regular season on Wednesday. . . .


F Peter Mueller (Everett, 2005-07) and D Jim Vandermeer (Red Deer, 1997-2001) each signed a one-year contract with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). Mueller had eight goals and nine assists in 43 games with the Florida Panthers (NHL) and Vandermeer had five goals and five assists in 34 games with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) last season. . . . The Swiss NL A opens its regular season on Thursday. . . .

Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) signed a two-year plus option contract with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B). He had three goals and four assists in 32 games with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL) last season. The Swiss NL B opens its regular season on Sept. 13. . . . Mikhailov, the son of former Soviet Union star Boris Mikhailov, was injured when the Spokane Chiefs bus crashed 12 miles east of Cranbrook while returning home from a road trip in January 1997. The Spokane Spokesman-Review article on the crash can be found right here.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more on the new owners taking over the Saskatoon Blades, including this:
Speculation has swirled that former Prince George Cougars head coach Dean Clark will take over as GM and/or behind the bench after this season.
While Mike Priestner wasn’t guaranteeing anyone’s job indefinitely, he said Clark would not be joining the Blades. Clark told The StarPhoenix the same thing in an interview last month.
They have spoken several times since Mike Priestner made an offer to buy the Blades, but the subject has never come up. Clark currently works in Kelowna as a power lineman.
“He’s out of the business. He has a great job. He’s where he wants to be and needs to be,” Mike Priestner said. “I would say there’s a zero per cent chance if we had to make a change that Dean would be coming in.
“We have a coach (Dave Struch) who’s been here for seven years to earn the chance to be a (head) coach.”
That complete story is right here.
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Yes, it’s only the silly season, but the second Kevin Constantine era in Everett has gotten off to something of a rousing start, hasn’t it? . . . The Silvertips, playing at the Tri-City Americans’ tournament in Kennewick, Wash., whipped the Portland Winterhawks 8-2 on Friday to run their exhibition record to 4-0. They have scored 19 goals, while allowing nine. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist, playing on his 20th birthday, had two goals and an assist. . . . The Silvertips were 3-4 in the exhibition season a year ago. They will close out this preseason by going home-and-home with the Seattle Thunderbirds next weekend.
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The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, welcomed back F Branden Troock to their lineup in a 3-2 victory over the Americans in the Tri-City tournament on Friday. Troock has only recently been cleared to play after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. . . . Seattle also had F Justin Hickman back from a three-game suspension, something that carried over from last season. He also will miss the first three games of the regular season. Hickman scored the winner against Tri-City, the goal coming wiht 49 seconds left in the third period.
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In Prince George, the Cougars ran their record to 3-0 with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton took 68 of the game’s 132 penalty minutes. . . . F Jansen Harkins, 16, drew three assists and now leads the WHL exhibition scoring race with eight points in three games. From North Vancouver, he was the second overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft.
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F Michael Sofillas, 20, has joined the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings after being released earlier in the week by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Sofillas, from Morden, Man., had nine points in 42 games with Lethbridge last season. He missed all of the 2011-12 season with a brain injury. . . . In 2010-11, he had 17 points in 64 games with the Hurricanes.
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In the QMJHL, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles were unable to entice F Nicolas Roy, the first overall selection in the league’s 2013 draft, into their organization. . . . Now he ha been traded to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens for — are you ready? — three first-round draft picks (Baie-Comeau's in 2014, Chicoutimi’s in 2015 and 2016)/ As well, the Screaming Eagles receive the fifth overall pick and the last pick of the second round in the 2014 draft from the league as compensation for Roy not reporting. . . . Roy, 16, is from Amos, Que. He had 33 points in 27 games with a midget AAA team last season.
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From Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports): “As part of #Blades sale, lease extended at CUC for two more years. Lease was to expire after 2013-14 #WHL season. #spnews”
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From Jerome Berube (@Jerome_Berube: “QMJHL teams have until September 30th to apply to host the 2015 Memorial cup. so far only Quebec has shown interest.”
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From Brad Curle (@BCurle_Hitmen), the radio voice of the Calgary Hitmen: “FYI Calgary Hitmen forward Pavlo Padakin has asked to be called Pavel this season. #namechange #FirstHitmenPavelsinceBrendl”

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By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Victoria Royals will be without their leading scorer, veteran forward Alex Gogolev, for a first-round WHL playoff series with the Kamloops Blazers.
Gogolev, who hasn’t played since Feb. 5, was cut by a skate and has had surgery to repair tendon damage in his left leg.
Despite missing the last 20 games, the 20-year-old Gogolev led the Royals in assists (45) and points (65) in only 49 games. He was honoured as the team’s MVP on Sunday and was on crutches at the event.
A 20-year-old from Moscow, Gogolev was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen prior to the start of this season.
The Royals and Blazers will open the series at Interior Savings Centre, playing Games 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday nights. The series then will shift to Victoria’s 2,781-seat Bear Mountain Arena — 7,006-seat Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre is occupied by the Ford world men’s curling championship — for Games 3 and 4 on March 26 and 28.
The Royals, who a couple of weeks ago scratched seven players due to injuries and/or illness, also have been without Patrik Polivka, their starting goaltender, and defenceman Tyler Stahl, their captain.
Polivka, a Czech who turned 19 on March 4, hasn’t played since March 5 when he left after the second period of a 6-0 loss to the host Blazers. When the injury list came out Tuesday, he was shown as being out one to two weeks with an undisclosed injury.
Stahl, who turned 21 on Jan. 29, has had an injury-filled last two seasons. He played in 20 games last season and 41 this season. He played in only six games in February and last played on March 2. The injury list shows him as day-to-day with an undisclosed lower-body injury, but he also has a history of concussions.
The Royals also have been without forwards Luke Harrison and Trent Lofthouse, although the latter may be back in time for Game 1.
The Blazers, meanwhile, wrapped up their regular season in Prince George on Saturday, beating the Cougars 7-0 behind a 31-save performance by goaltender Taran Kozun, who posted his second shutout.
Cole Ully, with two, Kale Kessy, Tim Bozon, Dylan Willick, Deven Sideroff and Connor Clouston scored for the Blazers, while Brendan Ranford drew three assists. Sideroff, playing his second WHL game, scored his first goal, as did Clouston, who was in his fourth game. Sideroff also had an assist and was plus-4.
The Blazers finished 47-20-5, which was their record last season when they won the B.C. Division. This time, they finished nine points behind the Kelowna Rockets (52-16-4).
The Blazers go into the playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed. Victoria, which won just three of its last 17 games, placed sixth, at 35-30-7.
Like the Royals, the Blazers also have injury problems.
Centre Aspen Sterzer (concussion), who last played on Dec. 29, is at home in Calgary and isn’t likely to play again this season.
The Blazers also have been without centres Matt Needham (undisclosed) and Joe Kornelsen (leg).
“Needham is going as scheduled,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said, adding that Needham, who has missed 13 games since last playing on Feb. 15, should skate later this week.
“Kornelsen is probably a question mark,” Charron said. “The kind of injury he has may need more time.”
The Blazers are hoping that Kornelsen, who missed the last six games, is able to skate at some point this week.
Neither defenceman Joel Edmundson nor right-winger JC Lipon played on the weekend. Both sat out, Charron said, for precautionary reasons. The Blazers also scratched veteran defenceman Tyler Hansen on Saturday.
 JUST NOTES: While the Blazers finished with the same record each of the last two seasons, they scored 29 fewer goals this time and cut their goals-against by 31. . . . F Colin Smith, who had one assist on Saturday, led the Blazers in goals (41) and points (106), while tying with Ranford for the lead in assists (65). . . . Smith is the first Kamloops skater with at least 100 points since F Erik Christensen won the WHL’s 2002-03 scoring title with 108 points. . . . Smith also was the only Kamloops player to get into all 72 regular-season games. . . . Blazers F Mitch Friesen earned his first WHL point, an assist, on Saturday. It came in his 45th game. . . . Blazers G Cole Cheveldave finished fifth in GAA (2.38) and 13th in save percentage (.908). He also won 36 games, and only Jordon Cooke of the Kelowna Rockets and Andrey Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades, with 37, won more. . . . Charron won his 144th game as the Blazers’ head coach on Saturday, tying him with Don Hay on the Blazers’ alltime list. Only Ken Hitchcock (291) has more. . . . Hay, now the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, was behind the bench for his 1,000th WHL regular-season game on Saturday, a 5-2 loss in Kelowna. Hay has 577 coaching victories in the WHL. However, his Giants went 21-49-2 and finished with the WHL’s poorest record this season. . . . When the Royals handed out their awards yesterday, D Joe Hicketts of Kamloops was named the top rookie and co-scholastic player of the year.

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Shayne Putzlocher of Trilight Entertainment is off to Berlin and the Berlin Film Festival today as he begins to spread the word about plans to turn the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos into a movie. . . . Oh yes, he’s also looking for financing. . . . Before leaving, he appeared on Saskatoon radio station CKOM and, among other things, touched on the chances that the movie might be filmed in Swift Current. That interview is right here.



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F Tyler Benson of the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Southgate Lions is in the process of rewriting the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League record book. There also is speculation that he may apply for ‘exceptional status’ in order to allow him to play in the WHL next season on a full-time basis, even though he will be only 15 years of age. Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald examines that issue right here.
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If you have always wanted to own a piece of a hockey team, here’s your opportunity.
For $2,000, you now may purchase a share in the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, who are calling this membership campaign ‘Saddle Up For Success’.
According to a news release from the Broncos: “All members hold a vote at the Annual General Meeting, provide influence on the organization through the Board of Directors and receive a charitable tax receipt issued by the City of Swift Current.”
Liam Choo-Foo, the chairman of the Broncos’ board of directors, adds: “I certainly acknowledge those people that stepped forward over 25 years ago as the original members, but as time has gone on we have lost a majority of that membership and it’s now down to less than 100 people. We would like to see it renewed and bring in new energy and enthusiasm as we go through this whole renewal of the Bronco organization.”
If you’re interested in this program, visit www.scbroncos.com.
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While the Broncos were announcing this initiative in an attempt to raise money and help guarantee their future in Swift Current and in the WHL, the league’s pooh-bahs were meeting in Las Vegas.
Yes, that Las Vegas.
You are free to wonder why the pooh-bahs wouldn’t gather in, say, Swift Current, if for no other reason than to spread some goodwill in a community that certainly does a lot to support its franchise.
You have to think the WHL folks left a fair chunk of change in Nevada, but not one penny of it will have done the league any good in terms of marketing or public relations in any of the communities in which it plays.
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The WHL has suspended D Tyler Yaworski of the Brandon Wheat Kings for six games. That’s the result of a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Pats D Luke Fenske in Regina on Saturday. Yaworski is a repeat offender, having served a three-game suspension for the same infraction during a game in Vancouver on Oct. 24. . . . Fenske, who is concussed, didn’t play in Regina’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes last night.
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The way Ryan Lambert of Yahoo! Sports sees it, the NHL is doing less to prevent and deal with concussions than is the NFL. And we all know how much concussion-related heat the NFL is receiving these days.
Lambert explains the way he sees things right here.
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Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland is a prolific writer who also happens to be a fan of all teams Boston. That, however, is something that hampers his thinking only on occasion. The vast majority of the time he writes with clarity and this piece right here is no exception. The title on it is Daring to Ask the PED Question.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and dig in.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, F Jamal Watson scored twice to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Pats. . . . Hurricanes G Ty Rimmer stopped 48 shots. . . . Lethbridge jumped out front 2-0 by 6:03 of the first period and never looked back. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt left at that point, having been beaten twice on four shots. . . . Watson has 14 goals this season. . . . F Sam Mckechnie got his 24th goal for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats scratched D Luke Fenske (concussed) and Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that they lost D Tye Hand with concussion-like symptoms during the game. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Edmonton Oil Kings erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Raiders 4-3 in OT. . . . The winner came from D David Musil at 3:31 of extra time. It was his seventh goal of the season. . . . The Oil Kings have won nine in a row and now hold a 13-point lead over the Calgary Hitmen atop the Eastern Conference. . . . D Davis Vandane gave the Raiders a 3-1 lead at 7:56 of the third on the PP. . . . F Michael St. Croix got his 27th goal at 12:10, on the PP, to get Edmonton to within one, and F Stephane Legault, with his 11th, tied it at 13:29. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 48 shots. . . . The Raiders had won three in a row from Edmonton. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades twice erased deficits en route to a 5-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Blades have won five in a row. . . . F Tanner Eberle’s shorthanded goal gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead at 16:17 of the first period. . . . F Brett Stovin scored goals 33 seconds apart, pulling Saskatoon into a tie at 3:50 of the second. Stovin, who now has seven goals, had scored just once in his previous 23 games. . . . F Brayden Point, who had two goals, gave Moose Jaw a 3-2 lead at 11:11, only to have the Blades come back with three straight goals, the last two from F Brenden Walker, who now has 18 goals. . . . Saskatoon D Duncan Siemens had one assist and was plus-4, while D Darren Dietz was pointless and plus-4. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 50 shots. . . . The Blades now trail the East Division-leading Prince Albert Raiders by six points. The teams meet tonight in Saskatoon. . . .

In Victoria, F Alex Gogolev scored his 20th goal but later left the game with a skate cut as the Royals beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . Gogolev left early in the third period with an apparent skate cut that required immediate medical attention. . . . Cleve Dheensaw in the Victoria Times Colonist reported: “In what may be bad news for the Royals, leading-scorer Gogolev was helped off the ice in the third period with his left skate off and leaving a trail of blood from his foot. The club did not have information about the extent of the cut immediately following the game.” . . . D Joe Hicketts scored his second goal and added an assist for the Royals. . . . Victoria moved into a fifth-place tie with the idle Spokane Chiefs in the Western Conference.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Darren Dietz, Saskatoon
D Ryan Gagnon, Victoria
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “ 'I had Manson and Baumgartner both on me at the same time' — Coach Laxdal reminiscing about his playing days at the Art Hauser #OldTimeWHL”
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “USHL reduces schedule by 4 games going from 64 to 60. When does WHL reduce schedule to eliminate exorbitant amount of 3 games in 3 nights?”

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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
There were 10 games last night and five ended in shutouts. . . . Also when the night was done, three players were tied for the WHL lead in goals, with 36. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth was writing records again as the Winterhawks blanked the Spokane Chiefs, 4-0. . . . Carruth stopped 26 shots as he set a single-season franchise record with his sixth shutout. Lanny Ramage had set the record of five in 2000-01. . . . It also was Carruth’s 10th career shutout, extending his franchise record. . . . The Winterhawks also extended the team franchise record with this season’s 11th shutout. . . . As well, D Troy Rutkowski played in his 221st straight game, tying D Andrew Ference for the franchise’s iron man record. Ference set the record by playing from Feb. 18, 1995 through Oct. 11, 1998. . . . Rutkowski has played in 332 regular-season games. . . . F Taylor Leier got the game’s first goal, his 20th, at 14”22 of the first period. . . . Portland held a 21-1 edge in shots in the opening period. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored twice, giving him 36 goals this season and moving him into a tie for the WHL lead with teammate Nic Petan and F Colin Smith of Kamloops. . . . Petan, the WHL’s points leader, was held of the score sheet and now holds a three-point lead, 93-90, over Leipsix. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie also was blanked and had his 15-game point streak ended. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Michael Ferland scored three times to lead the Blades to a 4-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Saskatoon now has won four in a row. . . . Ferland, who also had an assist, broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal at 6:01 of the second and later added an empty-netter. He’s got six goals now. . . . Ferland was playing in his 200th regular-season game. . . . The Broncos have followed a seven-game winning streak by dropping three of four. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens turned aside 40 shots as the Raiders beat the Calgary Hitmen, 2-0. . . . Siemens put up his fifth shutout this season and the 11th of his career. . . . F Shane Danyluk scored the game’s first goal, his seventh, shorthanded at 11:32 of the second period. He’s got seven goals. . . . F Chase Braid, with his eighth, added insurance at 2:38 of the third. . . .

In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored twice to help the Wheat Kings to a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Hawryluk, who has 15 goals, also scored twice Friday in Brandon’s 3-2 loss in Regina. After his first goal last night, he had been in on seven consecutive Brandon goals, scoring five of them. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock drew five assists for his first career five-point night. . . . Brandon lost D Tyler Yaworski to a headshot major that took Regina D Luke Fenske out of the game. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 23 shots as the Kootenay Ice beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-0. . . . Skapski has four shutouts, all of them this season. . . . F Levi Cable’s shorthanded goal at 7:00 of the second period stood up as the winner. . . . The Ice scored its other two goals via the PP, the last one into an empty net. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had two assists. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart drew one assist and ran his point streak to 16 games, the longest active streak at the moment. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Laurent Brossoit earned his second straight shutout as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Tigers, 6-0. . . . Brossoit stopped 23 shots in putting up his fourth blank job this season and the ninth of his career. He already held the modern-day franchise record. . . . Brossoit and Tristan Jarry have posted seven shutouts in Edmonton’s last 16 games. . . . The Oil Kings have played 53 games and have held the opposition to two or fewer goals in 36 of those. . . . D Ashton Sautner’s second goal this season, at 19:00 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . D Martin Gernat had three assists. . . . F Curtis Lazar and F Henrik Samuelsson each scored his 27th goal. . . . F Michael St. Croix had a goal and an assist to run his point streak to nine games. . . . The defending-champion Oil Kings have won eight straight. . . .

In Prince George, F Alex Gogolev scored the lone goal of the circus as the Victoria Royals beat the Cougars, 2-1. . . . The Cougars had beaten the Royals 6-2 on Friday. . . . Gogolev gave Victoria a 1-0 lead with his 19th goal at 5:41 of the second period. . . . D Dallas Ehrhardt got his fifth to tie it at 18:26 of the third. . . . Gogolev was the seventh shooter in a four-round shootout. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 38 shots through OT. . . .

In Everett, F JC Lipon scored once in regulation time and again in the circus as the Kamloops Blazers got past the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Everett D Landon Oslanski forced OT with his 12th goal, via the PP, at 11:54 of the second. . . . Lipon was the only scorer in a shootout that went four rounds. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith scored his 36th goal. He has goals in five straight games. . . . Everett was able to dress only 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . On top of the injuries they had going into the weekend, Everett was without F Tyler Sandhu, who was injured in Friday’s 2-1 shootout loss to visiting Tri-City, and F Kohl Bauml (ill). . . . Of the 18 players Everett dressed last night, 12 were freshmen. . . . The teams meet again Thursday in Kamloops. . . .

In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 22 shots to lead the Rockets to a 5-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets had beaten the host Giants 5-1 on Friday. . . . Cooke has five shutouts, all this season. . . . The Rockets won their 23rd straight home game, one shy of a franchise record set in 1994-95 when the team played out of Tacoma. . . . F Myles Bell scored twice, giving him 31, and added an assist, while F Colton Sissons had three assists and now has an 11-game point streak. . . . The Rockets scored two shorthanded goals and one on the PP. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Justin Feser scored the game’s last two goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), 4-3, in overtime. . . . Feser tied the game at 18:27 of the third period and won it 27 seconds into OT. . . . Tri-City’s captain has 29 goals this season. . . . Americans G Luke Lee-Knight turned aside 32 shots.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon
D Mason Geertsen, Vancouver (double minor)

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon (major)
F Jens Meilleur, Brandon
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From Everett G Austin Lotz (@lotzy30): “Shopping will be the reason that one day il be homeless #clothesonclothesonclothes”
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From Portland D Troy Rutkowski (@TRutter2): “Would like to thank the @pdxwinterhawks for flying my family and @abawdzy in this weekend. #firstclassorganization”

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