The night the coaches (almost) scrapped ... What a rivalry Pats-Warriors had ... Ex-WHLer interim coach with Ravens

F Dustin Boyd (Moose Jaw, 2002-06) has signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had eight goals and six assists in 30 games with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). . . . 

F Parker Bowles (Tri-City, 2011-16) has signed a one-year contract with the Tilburg Trappers (Netherlands, Germany Oberliga). Last season, with the U of Calgary Dinos (Canada West), he had three goals and nine assists in 12 games. . . . 

F Milan Kytnár (Kelowna, Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a one-year contract with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga), he finished with 11 goals and 18 assists in 43 games. . . . 

F Anthony Bardaro (Spokane, Prince Albert, 2008-13) has signed a one-year contract with Asiago (Italy, Alps HL). Last season, with the U of British Columbia Thunderbirds (Canada West), he had 14 goals and 16 assists in 28 games. He led the T-Birds in goals, assists and points, and was fourth in the Canada West scoring race.

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Happy Birthday Al Tuer as we #WBW to when any WHL game could turn sideways & it wasn't uncommon for gloves & coats to drop. 07.19.17 #HFH pic.twitter.com/WhrRTG4UdH

— Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) July 19, 2017

My favourite WHL-related photo showed up on Twitter on Wednesday.

Ahh, yes, those were the days.

It was a Friday night — Nov. 18, 1994 — and the Moose Jaw Warriors were visiting the Regina Pats in what was then the Agridome.

Late in the game, Moose Jaw head coach Al Tuer and his Regina counterpart, Norm Johnston, took off their jackets, climbed up on the back of the players’ boxes and threatened to make like Hulk Hogan and Bret (Hitman) Hart.

The late Roy Antal was The Leader-Post photographer assigned to the game and he just happened to be between the benches when the fun began. Not only did he get this photo, but he also managed to get his left hand in the picture — that’s it at the bottom right.

Shortly after I tweeted to point out that the photo, autographed by both would-be pugilists, hangs in my home, Mick Kartusch, who carries a famous Saskatchewan hockey name, responded: “I remember that night vividly … those Friday night Pats/Warriors games back in the day were gems. . . . Theo’s meltdowns, O’Connor’s ceremonial face-off win, Keane vs. Savard, ’84 bench clearer. Never a dull moment at the dome.”

Which took me back to Feb. 5, 2009, and something that I posted right here below that same photo . . .

There just aren’t fun nights like this in the WHL anymore.

The date was Nov. 18, 1994. It was a Friday night. The Moose Jaw Warriors were visiting the Regina Pats in what was then known as the Agridome. It was a time before corporations purchased naming rights to whatever was for sale. It was a time when hockey games frequently — well, certainly more often than now — included some kind of action that would leave the fans buzzing when they left the arena.

The Pats would win this game, 5-2, but as the fans headed for home the talk centred on two things: 1. Wasn’t that something?, and, 2. How do we get tickets for tomorrow night in Moose Jaw?

This was the night that Al Tuer, the head coach of the Warriors, and Norm Johnston, the Pats’ head coach, scaled the glass behind their teams’ benches and made like they were trying to get at each other. Vince McMahon would have loved it.

Roy Antal, a photographer with the Regina Leader-Post, was in the box between the team’s benches when all heck broke out.

Tuer laughs about it these days. He now scouts for the NHL’s Calgary Flames out of Vernon, B.C.

“There was a line brawl,” Tuer said the other night, “and we ended up with one more guy on the ice than they did. Go figure.”

Tuer laughed.

“Norm called me the next morning,” Tuer added. “He said we should go for a beer.”

Both head coaches drew one-game — yes, one-game! — suspensions.

The next night, the teams met in Moose Jaw and the Warriors won, 5-2. Former NHLer Bill Hicke, then one of the Pats’ owners, coached the Pats; Warriors assistant coach Len Nielsen ran the Moose Jaw bench.

Attendance in Moose Jaw was 3,317. The fire marshal may have been on vacation. The WHL’s 1994-95 Guide lists capacity of the Crushed Can at 3,269 – 2,969 seats and 310 standing.

“Yeah, the rink in Moose Jaw was kind of full that night,” Tuer said.

Of course, he and Johnston weren’t able to attend.

And, no, they never did get together for that beer.

While Tuer scouts for the Flames, Johnston, a school teacher, is head coach of the midget AAA Regina Pats Canadians. He also is involved in mentoring coaches with Hockey Regina. And one of Johnston’s best friends is Graham Tuer, Al’s father.

Yes, the hockey world is a small one. It’s just not as much fun for some of us as it used to be.

(The above photo was taken by Roy Antal of the Regina Leader-Post. I have had it autographed and tried to copy it for use here. I'm not a photographer and that is my flash bouncing back that you see in the middle of it. Hey, I'm a writer . . .)

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UPDATE: Al Tuer now is the head pro scout with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Norm Johnston is preparing for his first full season as the head coach of the Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.

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Shaun Van Allen was named the interim head coach of the Carleton U Ravens on Wednesday, after head coach Marty Johnston left to join the AHL’s Manitoba Moose as an assistant coach. . . . The 49-year-old Van Allen, from Calgary, has been an assistant coach at Carleton for seven seasons. He played two seasons (1985-87) with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a pro career that included 794 NHL games. . . . With the Moose, Johnston will work alongside head coach Pascal Vincent, assistant coach Eric Dubois, developmental goaltending coach Rick St. Croix and video coach Richard Bue. Johnston, 38, had been the Ravens’ head coach for seven seasons.

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The U of Alaska-Fairbanks has promoted Lance West from assistant coach to head coach. He replaces Dallas Ferguson, who left after nine seasons as head coach of the Nanooks to join the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen as their head coach. . . . West was on Ferguson’s staff for the entire nine-season run. . . . College Hockey News has more on West’s promotion right here.

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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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9pm: Light Rainshower 26.1C - Wind: S 41km/h Gusts to 58km/h - Bar: 100.9 kPa v - Hum: 30% #Kamloops #Weather

— Kamloops Weather (@wxKAMLOOPS) July 20, 2017

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Wheat Kings sign three for the future

THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Daniel Spence (Calgary, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with Jokipojat Joensuu (Finland, Mestis). He had a 2.93 GAA and a .915 save percentage in 26 games with Nipissing University (CIS) last season.
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If you’re a hockey fan, you surely have some ideas that you feel would help make the game better at the NHL and major junior levels. . . . Sean McIndoe, over at grantland.com, attacked that very assignment with a whole lot of vim and vigour. His piece is right here. . . . Hey, WHL, give this a read and pay attention. There are a few things in here that could help your game, too.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have signed their first three selections in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft – F Nolan Patrick, who was taken fourth overall, D Kale Clague, who went sixth, and F Tanner Kaspick, who was the 25th player selected. . . . Patrick, from Winnipeg, led that city’s bantam AAA league in scoring last season, with 75 points in 30 games with the Winnipeg Hawks. He is the son of former Wheat Kings F Steve Patrick. . . . Clague had 77 points in 33 games with the Lloydmister Heat of the Alberta bantam AAA league. His father, Jason, is a former WHL goaltender. . . . Kaspick, a Brandon native, had 38 points in 42 games with the midget AAA Wheat Kings.
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The Spokane Chiefs and Chris Moulton, their director of player personnel, have agreed on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2015-16. Moulton, who is from Fernie, B.C., had been with the Chiefs since June 2005. Prior to that, he had worked with the Calgary Hitmen.
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F Anthony Bardaro has decided to attend the U of British Columbia and play for head coach Milan Dragicevic with the Thunderbirds. Bardaro, who is from Delta, B.C., completed his WHL eligibility with the Prince Albert Raiders last season. A sixth-round pick of the Spokane Chiefs in the 2007 bantam draft, he had 190 career points in 268 games.
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F Jakob Stukel of the Vancouver Giants underwent knee surgery this week and may not play again this season. Stukel, who was injured during offseason training, was a second-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He had 43 points, including 30 goals, with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League last season. He also had four points, two of them goals, in six games with the Giants.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mark Ferner is back with the Kamloops Blazers. Ferner was named the club’s associate coach on Wednesday and will work alongside head coach Dave Hunchak. . . . Ferner previously coached the Blazers (2002-06), first as an assistant and then as head coach. He also played for the Jr. Oilers/Blazers (1982-85). . . . He followed up his Kamloops coaching stint with four seasons with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, winning three straight BCHL titles and a pair of national championships. . . . Ferner signed on as head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips prior to 2011-12 but was dismissed during last season. . . .
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From Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice): “BTW, GM/Coach Kelly McCrimmon says @bdnwheatkings Director of Player Personnel position remains vacant, but could be filled shortly.”

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The Tri-City Americans are bringing in F Matthew Gelinas for a pair of weekend games. The Americans are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Friday and the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday. . . . Gelinas, 17, is pointless in five games with the Americans this season. He plays for the midget AAA Calgary Royals. he is from Calgary.
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Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star was in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. He writes here about some his experiences as they relate to the situation in which Oscar Pistorius now finds himself.
Here’s a hint: Kelly wonders if Pistorius isn’t about to become South Africa’s O.J. Simpson.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs. Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, the Blades dumped the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-1 to run their winning streak to 13 games, which equals the franchise’s single season record. . . . The Warriors scored the game’s first goal but that was all. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Markarov stopped 35 shots. . . . The teams were tied 1-1 in the third period when the Blades got goals 33 seconds apart from F Matej Stransky, his 33rd, at 9:22, and F Josh Nicholls, his 39th, at 9:55. . . . F Brenden Walker scored the game’s last two goals, getting an empty-netter at 18:06 and a PP score at 19:12. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Blades F Nathan Burns picked up an assist. He’s got assists in nine straight games. . . . The Blades lost F Michael Ferland to a cross-checking major at 19:12 of the third period. . . . Attendance was 8,611, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. . . . Late in the game, the Blades felt Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull went after F Josh Nicholls. The result was that Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken iced his No. 1 PP unit despite the 4-1 score. The Blades scored on the PP and, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, “Warriors head coach Mike Stothers was livid, yelling at Molleken before getting ejected. he was unavailable after the game.” . . . Molleken told Nugent-Bowman: “I have all kind of respect for Mike Stothers. He’s a good coach and his teams play hard. I don’t believe when you’re up like that to put your No. 1 power-play unit out like that. But it was simply because of McFaull going after Nicholls.” . . .

In Kamloops, G Mac Carruth stopped 27 shots as the Portland Winterhawks blanked the Blazers, 3-0. . . . Carruth now leads the WHL with seven shutouts. He has 11 shutouts in his career. . . . F Brendan Leipsic, who leads the WHL scoring race, had a goal and an assist. . . . He has 105 points, three more than linemate Nic Petan. . . . Leipsic and Petan each scored once in Kamloops. They are tied for the WHL lead, each with 42 goals. . . . The Winterhawks last shutout against Kamloops? G Blake Grenier stopped 31 shots in a 3-0 victory in Portland on Oct. 29, 2004.. . . . The Winterhawks tied a franchise record with their 24th road victory this season. . . . Portland has 101 points and is the first WHL team to 100 points this season. It leads the overall standings by 10 points over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Oil Kings are scheduled to play in Portland on Wednesday. . . . The Winterhawks have reached 100 points in three straight seasons for the first time since 1978-81. . . . Kamloops had won its previous seven games. . . .

In Edmonton, Regina G Matt Hewitt turned aside 53 shots to lead the Pats to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk broke a 2-2 tie with his 30th goal at 9:06 of the third period. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice for Regina, giving him 33. . . . Edmonton held a 55-16 edge in shots. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Prince Albert Raiders overcame a 2-0 deficit and beat the Tigers, 5-2. . . . Raiders F Anthony Bardaro broke a 2-2 tie with his 20th goal at 10:38 of the third period. . . . The Raiders put it away with empty-netters from F Mark McNeill, his 21st, and F Carson Perreaux, his 11th. . . . F Elgin Pearce scored both Medicine Hat goals. He’s got 28.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Nick Zajac, Saskatoon
D Kyle Burroughs, Regina

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Everett Silvertips G Austin Lotz (@lotzy30): “My weakness is shots to the chest . . . if everyone on other teams could take note, that would be great. #logoplease”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Postal worker as I attempted to mail a package to Quebec today: ‘I thought Quebec was in Ontario.’ ”
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From Kelowna Rockets play-by-play voice Regan Bartel (@Reganrant): “Have much respect for many in Blazers organization but I don’t care if @maccarruth31 had 10 arms and was from Mars . . . . . dude deserved a star.”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Tyler Maxwell (Everett, Edmonton, 2008-12) was released by Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) and signed a contract with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). He had seven goals and seven assists in 23 games with Red Bull.

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The OHL’s London Knights won their 23rd straight game last night, beating the host Plymouth Whalers, 4-2. . . . The Knights now own the second-longest winning streak in OHL history, surpassing the 2009-10 Barrie Colts, who won 22 in a row. . . . The OHL record is 25, held by the 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers. . . . The Knights will play the Sting in Sarnia on Monday and the teams will stage a rematch Tuesday in London. Should the Knights sweep that series, they would go for the record on Jan. 4 against the visiting Saginaw Spirit.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Portland, F Paul Bittner had three points as the Winterhawks got past the Tri-City Americans, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks have won eight in a row. . . . Portland had beaten host Tri-City 4-3 on Friday noght. . . . Bittner, who went into the game with two goals in 21 games, scored twice and set up another. . . . Bittner’s second goal, at 11:15 of the third period, came via the PP and broke a 3-3 tie. . . . F Nic Petan got his 25th goal of the season for Portland and F Brendan Leipsic added his 23rd. . . . Portland has taken four of five from Tri-City this season. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth picked up his 104th regular-season victory, one shy of the franchise record held by Darrell May Sr. (1978-82). . . .

In Saskatoon, F Anthony Bardaro struck for three goals in a span of 7:38 in the first period as the Prince Albert Raiders dumped the Blades, 4-2. . . . Bardaro has 14 goals this season. . . . F Logan McVeigh drew an assist on each of Bardaro’s goals. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 40 shots. . . . The Raiders had beaten the visiting Blades 5-4 on Friday, with Bardaro scoring once and adding three assists. . . . Despite being outshot 12-6 in the first 20 minutes, the Raiders had a 4-1 lead. . . . It was Dalton Thrower Bobblehead Night and he scored the game’s first goal. Thrower, a 19-year-old defenceman, scored his third goal of the season at 7:02 of the first period. . . . G Daniel Johnson made his first WHL start, and second appearance, for the Blades. He stopped 19 shots. . . . The Blades have lost three in a row. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Regina Pats scored the game’s first five goals and went on to a 5-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . Regina F Marc McCoy scored twice, giving him four this season. . . . The Warriors had beaten the Pats 4-3 in Regina on Thursday and then gone into Brandon and beat the Wheat Kings 4-3 on Friday. . . . Regina D Colton Jobke returned last night after missing 17 games with a cut hand. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Zach Jones, F Brady Brassart and D Jaynen Rissling each scored his 10th goal as the Calgary Hitmen dumped the Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . The Hurricanes had won 2-1 in Calgary on Friday. . . .


In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox had a goal and two assists as the Tigers beat the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . Cox opened the scoring with his 11th goal at 10:34 of the first period. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 36 shots. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry had his goal-scoring streak snapped at eight games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk missed most of the third period. “It was the knee that he got stitches on (in November), when he was out for a long time,” Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News. “There is still some scar tissue there. He went into the boards and hit the ice pretty hard. It just swelled up to the point, where he just wasn’t able to go. Hopefully, it is nothing very serious. We don’t think it is going to affect him too long.” . . . The Tigers were without D Spenser Jensen (concussion), who was injured on Friday. . . .

In Kamloops, F Tim Bozon and F Cole Ully each scored three times as the Blazers dumped the Vancouver Giants, 9-4. . . . F Chase Souto added a goal and three assists for the Blazers. He was playing on the right wing with Bozon and C Colin Smith, who scored his WHL-leading 27th goal. Smith also leads the WHL in assists (38) and points (65). . . . Ully, playing his second game since returning from a bout of mononucleosis, has 11 goals; Bozon has 24. . . . The Blazers, who had lost their last four games, have surrendered 28 goals over their last five games. . . . Kamloops D Tyler Hansen (ill) left the game in the final minute of the second period. . . . The Blazers also got three assists from each of D Sam Grist and F Matt Needham. . . . F Jackson Houck had three goals for Vancouver, while F Cain Franson had a goal and two assists. . . . The Blazers last scored nine times in a game on March 16 when they beat the Cougars 10-4 in Prince George. . . .

In Everett, F Josh Winquist scored twice as the Silvertips edged the Seattle Thunderbirds, 2-1. . . . Winquist, who has 14 goals, got the winner at 1:56 of OT. . . . Seattle F Seth Swenson forced OT with his 12th goal at 15:27 of the third. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 34 shots. . . . Seattle F Connor Honey left in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . The Silvertips had beaten the host Thunderbirds 2-1 on Friday. . . . Seattle now has lost seven in a row. . . .

In Spokane, F Sam Reinhart had two goals and an assist as the Kootenay Ice exploded for a 7-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Reinhart has 13 goals. . . . The Chiefs led this one early in the second period when Reinhart scored on the PP at 4:26 for a 3-3 tie. . . . Ice F Levi Cable broke the tie at 14:19 and D Tanner Faith got his first goal at 16:46 to provide insurance. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had three assists. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 39 shots. . . . The Chiefs had beaten the Ice 1-0 in Cranbrook on Friday. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals overcame a 3-0 third-period deficit and beat the Prince George Cougars 4-3 in the circus. . . . F Chase Witala had two goals, giving him six, and an assist as the Cougars led 3-0 at 6:28 of the second period. . . . F Brandon Magee pulled the Royals into a 3-3 tie at 17:21 of the third. . . . Magee and F Steve Hodges scored shootout goals to win it. . . . One night earlier, the Royals beat the Cougars, 5-1.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
 F Joey Santucci, Prince Albert
F Marek Kalus, Spokane

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dan Gibb, Prince George
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From Portland Winterhawks F Taylor Peters (@thepistolpete25): “Most goals in the league and not a single nod in the plays of the first half video . . . #typical”

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Last night, the Swift Current Broncos honoured the memories of four players
who died when the team's bus crashed on Dec. 30, 1986. Board signs in memory
of Scott Kruger, Trent Kresse, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff were unveiled, and
Medicine Hat Tigers associate coach Darren Kruger, Scott's brother, took part
in a ceremonial faceoff.
(Swift Current Broncos photo)

The latest issue of DubNation is available and you can get to it by clicking on the cover — that’s JC Lipon of the Kamloops Blazers — right over there on the right.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have lost D Albin Blomqvist, perhaps for the remainder of this season, with a concussion.
Blomqvist, who turns 20 on Jan. 8, has been placed on the 30-day injured list and is at home in Sweden. He went home to Osby for Christmas and will remain there while he hopefully is able to make a full recovery.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Blomqvist, the 12th selection in the CHL’s 2011 import draft, had six points and 117 penalty minutes in 69 games with Lethbridge over two seasons.
Blomqvist, whose 17-year-old brother Axel is a freshman forward with the Hurricanes, hasn’t played since Dec. 5.
Albin Blomqvist is one of more than 37 players to have suffered concussions to this point in the WHL season.
While the league and its teams go to great lengths to hide injury-related information, close scrutiny of the weekly injury reports combined with information compiled from numerous sources reveals that the WHL is likely to finish this season with players having suffered more than 80 concussions.
As the Christmas break began, at least 37 players had suffered concussions, and that doesn’t include players like F Brayden Cuthbert, D Shane Pilling and F Shae Howorko, who suffered concussions last season and have yet to play in the WHL this season. The list does include Kelowna Rockets F Spencer Main, Seattle Thunderbirds F Tyler Alos and Moose Jaw Warriors D Reid Jackson, all of whom have had their seasons or careers ended by concussions this season.
Players like Kootenay F Brock Montgomery and Regina Pats D Dryden Hunt, who have suffered two concussions this season, are counted once.
While the number I have come up with is 37, I would suggest it is more than that, simply because the league and teams aren’t forthcoming with this information and there no doubt is some concussion-related information that has been hidden better than others.
No matter, though. The point is that the WHL needs to do more than it is doing to get the concussion number down a lot lower than it is. Two seasons ago, WHL players incurred around 100 concussions. At that point, the WHL stopped identifying injuries, choosing instead to go to the silly system of reporting injuries as being of the upper- or lower-body variety.
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F Alex Forsberg, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2010 bantam draft, chose not to return to the Prince George Cougars following the Christmas break and has asked for a trade. . . . Forsberg, 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, is from Waldheim, Sask. He will turn 18 on Jan. 4. . . . He went home on Dec. 17 and didn’t return as the Cougars resumed play with a 5-1 loss to the Royals in Victoria last night. . . . Forsberg had 40 points, including 15 goals, in 51 games last season. This season, he has 19 points, nine of them goals, in 31 games. . . . His 19-year-old brother Jesse played three seasons with the Cougars and was the team captain when he asked for a trade last summer. He now is with the Seattle Thunderbirds, who gave up F Colin Jacobs, 19. Seattle also got two 2013 bantam draft picks (fifth- and seventh-rounders). . . .
Before the Christmas break, Cougars head coach Dean Clark, in speaking of Forsberg, told Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen:
“Points aren’t just going to happen. With his skills he’s going to create something but it’s not just going to happen, you have to put the effort out there all the time. Mentally he has to get a little bit stronger.
“If he can understand he has to come back in some half-decent shape he’ll be fine.”
Instead, Forsberg chose not to come back at all.
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The Kamloops Blazers will be without D Ryan Rehill when they play host to the Vancouver Giants tonight. Rehill will be serving a one-game suspension. He was hit with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct in a 7-3 loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Thursday night. The penalty later was changed to a boarding major and he has been handed a one-game suspension.
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Darcy Pindus will work as the head coach of the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings, at least through the end of this season. Pindus, an assistant coach, takes over from the legendary Dwight McMillan, who decided to step aside over the Christmas break after almost 40 years behind the bench. McMillan, 69, had decided this would be his final season, but he has decided to retire just a bit earlier than that. Other than two seasons in the late 1980s, McMillan had been the Red Wings’ coach since 1972. . . . Scott Sabados, the team president, has told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that the position will be re-evaluated after this season. . . . “What (McMillan) has done for the organization can't be measured," Sabados told Harder. "Through some of the times the team has been through, there may not be a Weyburn Red Wings had it not been for a man like Dwight McMillan. It's going to be hard (to see him go). Only time will tell whether it's a goodbye or just a moving forward.”
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G Mitch Gillam of the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs was credited with a goal on Friday night. . . . Gillam, 20, is from Peterborough, Ont., and has committed to Cornell starting next season. . . . He was credited with the game’s first goal, an empty-netter, at 8:36 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs went on to drop a 5-3 decision to the host Surrey Eagles.
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Ken Campbell, veteran columnist with The Hockey News, takes a look right here at how Donald Fehr has played the tune that NHL owners are dancing to during the lockout.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
F Anthony Bardaro had a goal and three assists to help the host Prince Albert Raiders to a 5-4 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Bardaro’s 11th goal broke a 4-4 tie at 15:04 of the third. . . . The teams play again tonight in Saskatoon. The East Division-leading Raiders go in with a 10-point edge on the Blades. . . . Saskatoon F Brett Stovin returned from a six-game absence. He had been out with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos overcame a 4-1 deficit and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-4. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry scored his 24th goal as he ran his goal streak to eight games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Lowry also had three assists. . . . F Coda Gordon helped out with two goals and three assists. . . . F Colby Cave, the third member of the line, had two goals and an assist. . . . Prior to the game, a ceremonial faceoff was held to remember the four Broncos – Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff – who were killed when the team bus crashed on its way to Regina on Dec. 30, 1986. Darren Kruger, Scott’s brother, dropped the puck in the ceremonial faceoff. Darren, the Tigers’ associate coach and Scott‘s brother, played for the 1988-89 Broncos, who won the Memorial Cup. . . . The teams play tonight in Medicine Hat. . . .

In Brandon, D Travis Brown’s eighth goal of the season broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Moose Jaw Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . F Tanner Eberle had a goal and two assists for Moose Jaw, giving him seven points over his last four games. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Michael Ferland, 20, back in their lineup after the Brandon native was reassigned earlier in the day by the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Ferland was a fifth-round pick by the Flames in the 2010 NHL draft. He had 96 points, including 47 goals, with the Wheaties last season. . . . The Wheat Kings now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, with Ferland joining F Nick Bounassisi, D Ryley Miller and D Tyler Yaworski. Brandon has 14 days to get down to the maximum of three. . . . Miller was a healthy scratch last night. . . .

F Todd Fiddler’s unassisted goal at 18:18 of the second period stood up as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Kootenay Ice 1-0 in Cranbrook. . . . G Eric Williams stopped 29 shots for his second shutout this season and the fourth of his career. . . . The Ice had three injured players back in the lineup. F Brock Montgomery had missed six games, while D Joey Leach sat out eight and D Tanner Muth missed seven. . . . They’ll play a rematch tonight in Spokane. . . .

F T.J. Foster had a goal and two assists to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 6-1 victory over the host Red Deer Rebels. . . . Foster, who has 18 goals, also was stymied on a penalty shot late in the third period. . . . The game was officiated by the four C’s – referees Chris Crich and Colin Stefanyk, and linesmen Cody Huseby and Cory Lundquist. . . . Edmonton F Michael St. Croix scored his 14th PP goal of the season, and that’s five more than any other WHLer has this season. . . . The Rebels had won 5-3 in Edmonton on Thursday night. . . . Red Deer is without D Brady Gaudet, who had his right arm in a cast after being injured in Edmonton on Thursday. . . .

G Ty Rimmer stopped 36 shots to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory over the Hitmen in Calgary. . . . F Sam Mckechnie’s 17th goal of the season, at 13:31 of the second, gave Lethbridge a 2-0 lead and stood up as the winner. . . . The Hurricanes had D Adam Henry, 18, in the lineup for the first time this season. He was diagnosed with a heart condition (myocarditis) over the summer and hadn’t been cleared to play. He had 21 points in 60 games as a freshman last season. . . . The teams will clash again tonight in Lethbridge. . . .

G Brendan Burke stopped a career-high 43 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 4-3 victory over the host Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks have won seven in a row and are atop the WHL’s overall standings, seven points ahead of the idle Kamloops Blazers. . . . F Taylor Leier and F Oliver Bjorkstand each scored his 15th goal for Portland. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic came up empty on a first-period penalty shot. . . . F Justin Feser scored twice for Tri-City. He has passed F Brendan Shinnimin and tied F Brian Sakic for fifth on the Americans’ all-time goals list, with 132. Feser also tied Kruise Reddick for seventh on the team’s games-played list, at 315. . . . The Americans, who have lost four straight at home, continue to be without F Marcus Messier (undisclosed injury) and F Phil Tot (undisclosed). . . . Among Portland’s scratches was D Derrick Pouliot (undisclosed). . . . The Americans and Winterhawks will play today, 3 p.m., in Portland. . . .

In Victoria, F Ben Walker had two goals and an assist as the Royals skated to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . They’ll play in Victoria again tonight. . . . Walker has 12 goals. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk broke a 1-1 tie at 18:58 of the first with his second goal of the season. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks had a goal and two assists, and F Brandon Magee had three helpers. . . .

In Vancouver, the Kelowna scored two third-period goals and beat the Giants, 5-3. . . . The Rockets now are within two points of the B.C. Division-leading Kamloops Blazers, who are at home to the Giants tonight. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle, who started the season with the Giants, stopped 24 shots. . . . F Dylen McKinlay scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 12. His second one, the game’s last goal, was shorthanded. . . . D Colten Martin had a goal and two assists for the Rockets. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot but made amends when he scored with 4.8 seconds left in the frame to forge a 3-3 tie. . . . The Giants scored three goals in the second period when they enjoyed a 17-3 edge in shots. . . . The Rockets beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 7-3 on Thursday but had just eight shots on goal through two periods last night. Ahh, the vagaries of junior hockey. . . . The Giants, losers of six of seven, had G Alex Ahnert, 19, on the bench in support of starter Tyler Fuhr. Ahnert plays for the junior B Delta Ice Hawks. . . . The Giants are short a goaltender with No. 1 Payton Lee with Team Pacific at the U17 World Hockey Challenge and Liam Liston having retired earlier in the week. . . . Again among the Rockets’ scratches were G Jordon Cooke (foot) and F Colton Sissons (concussion). . . . With Cooke out, Jake Morrissey, a fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, backed up Whistle. . . . Sissons and Cooke both could return Sunday against visiting Everett.

In Kent, Wash., the Everett Silvertips got 38 saves from G Austin Lotz and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), 2-1. . . . It was Everett’s first victory in five games with Seattle this season. . . . Everett erased a 1-0 deficit on goals by F Carson Stadnyk, at 4:56 of the second, and F Kohl Bauml, at 10:53 of the third. . . . F Ryan Harrison had two assists for Everett. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost six in a row. . . . The teams play again tonight in Everett.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jesse Mychan, Tri-City

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon
D Nick Walters, Everett


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