Seattle head coach off to NHL ... Change the import draft? Why not? ... Portland got "a stud"

F Roman Tománek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) has signed a one-year contract with Freiburg (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had one goal and three assists in 17 games. He was loaned to Dukla Trenčín (same) on Jan. 3, and had a goal and three assists in nine games. . . .

F Jacob Doty (Seattle, Medicine Hat, 2009-14) has signed a one-year contract with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, with the Chicago Wolves (AHL), he had one assist in four games; he also had five goals and six assists in 11 games with the Missouri Mavericks (ECHL).

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In honor of his departure, here are my 4 favorite photos of Steve Konowalchuk. pic.twitter.com/MFshARDLnj

— Brian Liesse (@BrianLiesse) June 28, 2017

STEVE KONOWALCHUK

The WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds are looking for a new head coach after the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks announced on Wednesday that they have signed Steve Konowalchuk as an assistant coach.

Konowalchuk, 44, was the Thunderbirds’ head coach for six seasons. The Thunderbirds reached the WHL final in 2016, where they lost to the Brandon Wheat Kings. In 2017, the Thunderbirds won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, beating the Regina Pats, 4-2, in the best-of-seven final. That was the Thunderbirds’ first WHL title.

Would think @SeattleTbirds assist. coach @MattODette will be given consideration for HC job.  Great with the D and PK, previous experience.

— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) June 28, 2017

Konowalchuk was 219-176-37 in regular-season games with Seattle. He joined the Thunderbirds on June 16, 2011, after spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. He also played in the NHL, with the Washington Capitals and Colorado, after spending two seasons (1990-92) with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.

Of the U.S. Division’s five teams, only Portland (Mike Johnston) and the Tri-City Americans (Mike Williamson) will return with the same head coach as last season.

The Everett Silvertips, who finished on top of the division, didn’t renew head coach Kevin Constantine’s contract. He will coach in South Korea next season. Dennis Williams is Everett’s new head coach.

The Spokane Chiefs have hired Dan Lambert, a former WHL star defenceman who coached in Kelowna, to replace Don Nachbaur, the head coach for the previous seven seasons. Nachbaur now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Los Angeles.

The Kings also signed Dave Lowry, the head coach of the Victoria Royals for the previous five seasons, as an assistant coach. The Royals have since promoted assistant coach Dan Price to head coach.

At the moment, Seattle and the Calgary Hitmen are the only two of the WHL’s 22 teams without head coaches. The Hitmen are looking to replace Mark French, who left after three seasons to coach in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the Ducks also added Mark Morrison to their staff as an assistant coach. Morrison, 54, is a former WHL player (Victoria Cougars, 1979-83). He spent four seasons (2007-11) as the GM/head coach of the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. For the past six seasons, he has been assistant coach in the Winnipeg Jets’ organization, first with the St. John’s IceCaps and for the past two seasons with the Manitoba Moose.

Last 5 head coaches to win @TheWHL moved to pro next season. 2013 (Green),2014 (Laxdal),2015 (Lambert), 2016 (McCrimmon), 2017 (Konowalchuk)

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) June 29, 2017

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The CHL’s 2017 import draft was held Wednesday and I posted a lengthy look at the WHL teams and their selections a short while after it ended.

Included in that report was a link to a Saskatoon StarPhoenix story in which Blades general manager Colin Priestner commented on the intricacies of this draft.

Shortly after I posted that piece, I heard from Jeff Hollick, a former long-time radio voice of the Kootenay Ice. Hollick sent me a link to a piece that he had written for dubnetwork.ca on how to provide teams with a more level playing field in the import draft. That piece is right here.

As the Ice’s play-by-play voice, Hollick would have spent a lot of time around Jeff Chynoweth, then the team’s general manager. While not necessarily opposed to the draft, Chynoweth wasn’t reluctant in voicing his objections to the way it is conducted.

In the WHL, most owners and general managers look upon it as a necessary evil. But few, if any, enjoy it.

So why not do away with it? Why not just pull the plug on it? Teams no longer are allowed to draft European goaltenders, so why not just dump the draft altogether?

(If you’re wondering, USHL teams are allowed to use import goaltenders, but each one counts as two imports. USHL teams are allowed six import players, but two of them must be Canadians.)

In place of the draft, why not allow teams to list players, just like they do with North American players? Why not allow teams to start listing European players at 16 years of age?

The only difference would be that each team would be allowed to list only a set number of Europeans, say three. There are a gazillion European skaters available, so numbers wouldn’t be an issue.

That would allow teams to scout players, list them and then try to sell them on the organization. If that doesn’t work, the team could simply drop the player from its list and move on.

That also might do away with the messy system now in place where teams can end up with three or four import skaters in their training camp, knowing full well that two of them will have to go.

Seriously, almost anything is better than the system now in place.

However, nothing will change. Why not?

Because, as one general manager told Taking Note, “The OHL and QMJHL would never agree. They like their dominance in that draft.”

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IMPORT DRAFT NOTES:

The Portland Winterhawks selected one player, taking Swedish F Samuel Fagemo, 17, with the 28th pick. One WHL general manager told Taking Note that Fagemo is “a stud,” but that he doesn’t expect Portland to bring him over until 2018-19. That’s because Portland’s roster already includes two solid imports in Finnish D Henri Jokiharju and Danish F Joachim Blichfeld. . . . Jokiharju was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday. . . . Blichfeld was taken by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. . . . Each WHL team is allowed to keep two import players. Were Portland to have Fagemo and Blichfeld in camp and then have Jokiharju come back, they would have two weeks from his return to trade one of the veterans or release Fagemo. “And,” said the GM, “they aren’t going to trade Blichfeld.” . . .

The Vancouver Giants selected Slovakian F Milos Roman with the fifth pick and are hoping that he slots into their top six forwards. They took German F Yannik Valenti in the second round, 56th overall, but Steve Ewen of Postmedia reports they don’t plan on having him here until 2018-19. “Their thinking,” Ewen writes, “is that they’ll need a boost offensively then, with (Brad) Morrison and (Ty) Ronning graduated and (Tyler) Benson likely playing in the Edmonton Oilers’ system as a 20-year-old. Valenti put up 20 goals and 23 assists in 40 games last season with Jungadler Mannheim, a team in the German Junior League.” . . . Ewen’s story is right here. . . .

A year ago, the Giants had the fourth overall pick and took Czech F Filip Zadina. As Ewen points out, Zadina chose not to report and the Giants dropped him. On Wednesday he was selected by the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads with the 10th pick and quickly tweeted that he is “really excited to be part of great organization.” . . . 

Meanwhile, the OHL’s Flint Firebirds and the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders both selected Nikita Alexandrov in the first round of the CHL import draft. . . . Flint took Russian D Nikita Alexandrov and, a few picks later, Charlottetown took F Nikita Alexandrov, who has played the past five seasons in Germany. . . . Flint’s Alexandrov, who apparently is 6-foot-5 and 155 pounds, is 18. The Islanders’ Alexandrov, who is 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, will turn 17 on Sept. 16.  

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G Michael Herringer, who played out his junior eligibility with the Kelowna Rockets last season, has decided to attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. . . . From Comox, B.C., Herringer began his WHL career by playing two games with the Victoria Royals in 2012-13. He played three seasons (2014-17) with the Royals and was their starter each of the past two seasons. In 115 career regular-season appearances, he was 71-29-5, 2.88, .904.

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I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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The KHL is only a few days from the opening of training camps for the 2017-18 season. Patrick Conway of Conway’s Russian Hockey Blog has been filling us in on the KHL’s coaches, and he’s back right here with a look at the Chernyshyov Division. This is where veteran coach Mike Keenan is hanging his hat this season.

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Trent Cull is the new head coach of the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Cull takes over from Travis Green, who now is the Canucks’ head coach. . . . Cull, 43, had been an assistant coach with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. In fact, he spent eight of the previous 11 seasons with the Crunch. . . . He also spent three seasons (2010-13) as the head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.

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A young player making a difference - congratulations @myles_mattila12 on your @BCHockey_Source award for promoting youth mental health.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 29, 2017

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The coach and the national security advisor ... Lambert's in Spokane ... Ex-WHLers ECHL champs

A zamboni dragged the infield at Royal Athletic Park before @HarbourCats home opener. pic.twitter.com/M2vDJccx79

— Tom Hawthorn (@tomhawthorn) June 6, 2017

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F Tomáš Vincour (Edmonton, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a one-year extension with Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, in 39 games, he had nine goals and 13 assists.

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The NHL’s Anaheim Ducks announced Friday that Rich Preston would be back for a second season as an assistant coach, alongside head coach Randy Carlyle and fellow assistant Trent Yawney.

Preston and I were in Regina at the same time back in the day — I was at the Regina Leader-Post and he was coaching the Pats — so have known each other for a while.

More recently, he spent four seasons (2009-13) as the general manager and head coach of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Anaheim’s announcement gives me reason to re-post one of my favourite stories from my stint with the late Kamloops Daily News.

Here it is, from Oct. 1, 2009 . . . 

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Rich Preston has had friends in high places.

Preston, the general manager and head coach of the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes, is friends with Condoleeza Rice, who was the first African-American woman to hold the office of United States Secretary of State.

Preston, a 57-year-old native of Regina, and Rice, a 54-year-old native of Birmingham, Ala., became

RICH PRESTON

friends while both were attending the University of Denver in the early 1970s.

Preston was there on a hockey scholarship; Rice was earning a BA in political science, which she got in 1974 at the age of 19.

Preston said her family — her father, John, was an assistant dean and also taught — followed the hockey team closely and would have the team over to their home for dinner once every season.

At one point, Preston said Rice asked him out.

"It was one of those dances where the girls ask the guys," said Preston, before his squad met the Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday night at Interior Savings Centre. "Still, it was in 1972-73 . . . but I was Canadian."

In other words, eyebrows were raised when the two of them showed up at the dance.

Later, the two would go their separate ways.

After a stop at Stanford University, Rice ended up in the White House as President George W. Bush's National Security Advisor.

Preston wound up as an assistant coach with the NHL's San Jose Sharks.

And so it was that with the Sharks scheduled to play in Washington, Preston decided it would be nice to

CONDOLEEZA RICE

at least say hello.

To make a long story shorter, Preston eventually got through to Rice's personal assistant and asked to leave a message for Rice.

"I said, 'Just tell her Sergeant Preston called. She'll know who it is,' " a chuckling Preston recalled. His nickname while playing hockey at Denver was Sergeant Preston, after the legendary Mountie, of course. Preston told the assistant when the Sharks were to be in Washington and at what hotel they would be staying.

When the team arrived and he got to his room, there was a message from Rice awaiting him.

"So I called her back," he said, "and we talked for about 20 minutes."

As the conversation wound down, Rice told Preston that she would love to meet him for coffee but that she "had a meeting with the President" at 5:30, which was minutes away, immediately after which she was flying to Europe for a NATO meeting.

Preston's response?

A laughing Preston said: "I told her, 'Can't you postpone the NATO meeting?’ “

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In her biography — Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me — Rice refers to Preston as “the captain of the hockey team and my first real crush.”

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As expected, the Spokane Chiefs announced on Monday that they have signed Dan Lambert as their new head coach. He is the 12th head coach in franchise history. . . . Lambert, 47, will be introduced to the Spokane fans and media at a news conference this afternoon (Tuesday) at Spokane Arena. . . . Lambert, who captained the Swift Current Broncos when they won the 1989 Memorial Cup, was fired by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, on May 26. That was part of a regime change in Buffalo, where Lambert had spent 2015-16 as an assistant coach with the Sabres before being assigned to Rochester. . . . Prior to that, Lambert spent six seasons with the Kelowna Rockets, the first five as an assistant coach. In 2014-15, his one season as Kelowna’s head coach, he guided the Rockets to a WHL title (53-13-6) and into the Memorial Cup, where they lost the final, 2-1 in OT, to the OHL-champion Oshawa Generals. . . . The length of Lambert’s contract wasn’t disclosed. . . . Lambert replaces Don Nachbaur, the Chiefs’ head coach for the previous seven seasons. He and the team went their own ways after their season ended, even though Nachbaur had a year remaining on his contract.

There now are three WHL teams without head coaches — the Calgary Hitmen, Kootenay Ice and Victoria Royals.

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F Boston Maxwell has signed a WHL contract with the Prince George Cougars. From Saskatoon, Maxwell was a fourth-round selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. This season, with the bantam AA Saskatoon Stallions, he had 22 goals and 21 assists in 30 games. He will play with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts in 2017-18.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed F Peyton McKenzie to a WHL contract. A native of Sherwood Park, Alta., he was a third-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. This season, he had 16 goals and 20 assists in 27 regular-season games with the bantam AAA Sherwood Park Flyers. He added six goals and six assists in 10 playoff games.

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Former WHL scoring champion F Casey Pierro-Zabotel had a goal and an assist and was named the game’s first star as the Colorado Eagles beat the South Carolina Stingrays 2-1 on Monday in North Charleston, S.C., to sweep the ECHL’s best-of-seven championship final. . . . The Eagles won four one-goal games. . . . Pierro-Zabotel, who won the WHL’s 2008-09 scoring title while with the Vancouver Giants, opened the scoring at 17:10 of the first period with his fourth goal of the playoffs. He added an assist, his 11th, on F Luke Salazar’s tie-breaking goal at 1:19 of the second period. . . . Pierro-Zabotel has won back-to-back Kelly Cups, as he was with the Allen Americans a year ago. . . . Colorado’s lineup last night also included former WHLers D Mason Geertsen (Edmonton, Vancouver, 2011-15), D Sean Zimmerman (Spokane, 2003-07), F Johnny Lazo (Tri-City, 2007-10), D Teigan Zahn (Saskatoon, 2006-11), F Cam Maclise (Edmonton, 2009-10), F Ryan Harrison (Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2008-13) and G Kent Simpson (Everett, 2008-12), who backed up last night. . . . Zimmerman is the team captain. . . . F Jackson Houck (Vancouver, Calgary, 2011-16) also is on Colorado’s roster, although he hadn’t played since May 13. . . . The Eagles won their last eight games. They also set an ECHL playoff record with six OT victories. . . . Announced attendance: 5,519. . . . Former Prince Albert Raiders head coach Chris Stewart (1995-98) is Colorado’s president and general manager, while Ryan Tobler, who played with Saskatoon, Calgary, Swift Current and Moose Jaw (1994-97), is an assistant coach.

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The Kootenay Ice’s new owners have set a target of 2,500 season-ticket holders. The Ice went into this season having sold 1,315.

The #Driveto25 continues, with 1029 Season Seats Sold so far. #ICECountry pic.twitter.com/gJhBBZJ8qI

— Kootenay ICE (@WHLKootenayICE) June 5, 2017

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Kennewick vote looks like "No" . . . Hitmen need assistant coach

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Freiburg (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had seven goals and nine assists with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), a goal and nine assists in two games with Sokolov (Czech Republic, 2.Liga), and a goal and three assists in 20 games with Litvinov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . .

F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by Chamonix-Morzine (France, Ligue Magnus) at his request. Last season, with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite), he had four goals and nine assists in 21 games. He also had nine goals and 12 assists in 25 games with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). . . .

F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) has signed a one-year extension with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, he had three assists in 17 games with the Manchester Storm (England, UK Elite) and two goals and an assist in 32 games with Olimpija Ljubljana. . . .

D Colin Joe (Kelowna, Saskatoon, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Jegesmedvék Miscolc (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), he had three goals and 11 assists in 58 games.

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It appears that voters in Kennewick, Wash., have voted against the implementation of a sales tax that would have resulted in improvements to the Toyota Center, the home of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. . . . As of Thursday night, there were about 2,000 ballots yet to count, with the no side holding a lead of 53 to 47 per cent. . . . According to the Tri-City Herald, “The Kennewick Public Facilities District asked voters to approve a two-tenths of a percent sales tax increase to fund a $35-million upgrade to the (Three Rivers Convention Center). It would have added 2 cents to a $10 purchase in the city.” . . . Wendy Culverwell of the Herald reported earlier in the week that a ‘yes’ vote would have allowed the replacing of “aging equipment, including the 28-year-old ice plant for the hockey arena and the old locker room. The project would have made Toyota Center more accessible to visitors with disabilities, as well by upgrading parking and entrances and increasing seating.” . . . The vote took place on Tuesday, with a voter turnout of 30 per cent. . . . Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager, told Taking Note last night that he will withhold comment until everything is finalized on Aug. 16.

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The Calgary Hitmen are in need of an assistant coach after Trent Whitfield left to join the Providence Bruins, the AHL  affiliate of the Boston Bruins. Whitfield, a 39-year-old native of Alameda, Sask.,
had been with the Hitmen for one season. He played four seasons (1994-98) with the Spokane Chiefs. He also had played four seasons (2009-13) with Providence. . . . Whitfield spent 2014-15 as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. . . . Boston announced Thursday that it has hired Whitfield and Jay Leach as Providence assistant coaches. They will work alongside Kevin Dean, who took over as head coach on July 18. . . . If you are interested in the Hitmen posting, email a resume to assistantcoach@hitmenhockey.com.

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F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, who selected him in the third round of the 2015 NHL draft. . . . Sideroff, a 19-year-old from Summerland, B.C., is in Hockey Canada’s summer evaluation camp for national junior team prospects. . . . According to generalfanager.com, the contract calls for NHL salaries of US$667,500, $742,500 and $742,500, with a $70,000 salary in the AHL. The first year carries $257,500 in performance bonuses, with $182,500 in each of the last two years. Sideroff also gets a $277,500 signing bonus, payable in three annual instalments. . . . Sideroff, a superior skater, had 59 points, including 19 goals, in 63 games last season after missing the start with mononucleosis. . . . In 141 career regular-season WHL games, he has 109 points, including 39 goals.

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The Everett Silvertips have hired Rob Tagle as their athletic trainer. He takes over from Wayne Duncan, who was there for the past two seasons. According to a news release, Duncan “assumes supervision of medical and health needs, and pursuing the objective of injury prevention and minimal recovery time for Silvertips players.” . . . Tagle, 25, previously worked with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. He is from West Freehold, N.J.

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The BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks are looking for an athletic therapist/equipment manager for the 2016-17 season. If you are interested, you can send an email to team president Troy Mick at gm@silverbacks.com. . . . A job description is posted right here.

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Dave Barry, the Miami Herald’s superb columnist, is in Rio de Janiero, so it’s time for the Olympic Summer Games to begin. Barry takes a look at the buildup to the Games right here.

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A Wayne Gretzky rookie card (1979 O-Pee-Chee) has sold for US$465,000, a record for a hockey card. The card sold at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City, N.J. The card is believed to be one of a kind because it has been graded as PSA 10. It is impossible to earn a higher grade.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Patrick Wellar has signed on as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones. Wellar, a 32-year-old from Carrot River, Sask., played four seasons (2000-04) in the WHL, with the Portland Winterhawks and Calgary Hitmen. . . . He was a player-assistant coach last season for the ECHL’s Alaska Aces, getting 14 points, 12 of them assists, in 72 games. . . . During his playing career, he won three ECHL titles and one AHL championship.

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A mint Wayne Gretzky rookie card sold for 465,000 dollars today. I've got one of my own. #timetocashin pic.twitter.com/bKI01UVvoY

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) August 5, 2016

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Go West, young men, go West!

It was in the early 1980s when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s leader, admitted that his greatest fear had to do with NHL teams moving affiliate teams into Western Canada and setting up a new league.

At the time, he said he could see the day when pro teams were in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Regina and Saskatoon, just for starters.
The Saskatoon Blades are near the end of lease negotiations with the SaskTel Centre. When the papers are signed, the Blades will again have hockey exclusivity in the building. That is something that Chynoweth, all those years ago, felt was of the utmost importance and something that most, if not all, WHL teams insist upon in their leases.
Now here we are more than 30 years later and NHL teams are moving affiliates west, just not into Canada.
The AHL made it official on Thursday — it will have a five-team Pacific Division next season, with all teams located in California.
The Anaheim Ducks will move the Norfolk, Va., Admirals to San Diego; the Calgary Flames will move the Adirondack Flames from Glens Falls, N.Y., to Stockton; the Edmonton Oilers will move the Oklahoma City Barons to Bakersfield; the Los Angeles Kings are moving the Manchester, N.H., Monarchs to Ontario; and the San Jose Sharks are taking the Worcester, Mass., Sharks and relocating them to, yes, San Jose.
The Adirondack Flames are in their first season in Glens Falls, after relocating from Abbotsford, B.C. Adirondack head coach Ryan Huska left the Kelowna Rockets after last season to sign with the Flames.
Mike Stothers, who left the Moose Jaw Warriors after last season, is the first-year head coach of the Monarchs.
San Jose will play its AHL affiliate out of its home building — the SAP Center. Interestingly, San Jose is planning on scheduling Saturday doubleheaders, with the AHL team playing matinees and the NHL team playing at night.
The primary reason for the moves is to get affiliate players closer to the parent clubs to make it that much easier for recalls. Scheduling details are scarce but the five Pacific Division teams will play fewer games than other AHL teams. That and less travel should result in more practice time, all of which should make for happy coaches and better development.
There also is speculation that more NHL teams will get involved in moving their AHL teams in the near future.
The Vancouver Canucks are in their second season with the AHL’s Utica, N.Y., Comets. Pat Conacher, a former head coach of the Regina Pats, is the Comets’ director of hockey operations, with Travis Green, the former assistant GM and assistant coach with the Portland Winterhawks, the head coach.
There is speculation that the Canucks will move the franchise to Abbotsford or Langley, B.C. The Abbotsford Centre seats 7,046 and no longer is home to a hockey team. The 5,276-seat Langley Events Centre is home to, among other things, the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen and the National Lacrosse League’s Vancouver Stealth.
Jim Benning, the Canucks’ general manager, told TSN Radio Vancouver on Thursday that his organization will continue to monitor the situation.
“We're really happy in Utica — players love it there,” Benning said. “We'll continue to monitor it.”
The Winnipeg Jets’ AHL affiliate is in St. John’s, Nfld. There have been rumours since the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg that the Jets would like to have that franchise in Thunder Bay, Ont. That’s hardly close to the Pacific Northwest or California, but it’s closer than Newfoundland.
The Arizona Coyotes, who are hooked up with the AHL’s Portland, Me., Pirates, also are said to be interested in having a team closer to Phoenix.
Some of the communities being vacated by AHL teams are expected to end up being home to ECHL franchises. There also is speculation that the QMJHL would like to expand by two teams and is looking at the vacant arenas.
What impact, if any, will this have as far as the WHL is concerned?
I doubt that there will be any immediate impact, but it certainly could have repercussions down the road.
When these AHL teams get relocated and organized, you can bet that they will be pouring resources into minor hockey programs as they attempt to attract fans. Eventually, that will mean more and better hockey players coming out of those areas.
It all could lead to a WHL team with a completely American roster. Don't scoff. The Portland Winterhawks have 12 players on their 23-man roster right now.


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