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The Prince George Cougars are in the market for an assistant coach, general manager Todd Harkins confirmed to Taking Note on Sunday. They have a vacancy after Michael Hengen left the team after two seasons. . . . "We have had quite a few resumes come in and are slowly sifting through them,” Harkins said. . . . A new assistant coach will work alongside head coach Richard Matvichuk and associate coach Steve O’Rourke, both of whom are starting their first seasons with the Cougars. . . . As for Hengen, he told Taking Note that he has “decided to move on from coaching.” It was, he added, “an absolute dream come true to coach in the WHL.” He had to make a “tough decision,” he continued, “but it’s a very necessary choice that I had to make.” . . . Brent Arsenault, who had been with the organization since 2005 and also was the education advisor, has left the Cougars, too. Harkins said that the Cougars have added Mary LaMarre as the education advisor. She “was Brent’s contact and right-hand person at Prince George Secondary School,” Harkins said.
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 With two of the WHL’s Big Three having left for the NHL over the past month, what about the one who remains? Bruce Hamilton, the majority owner, president and governor of the Kelowna Rockets, told Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Rockets: “I’m 59 and I’m not so sure that’s in line for me right now. I’m happy here right now. We want to win again — that’s the most important thing for us, and to continue to have one of the better franchises in the Canadian Hockey League.” . . . Kelly McCrimmon, the owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings, has signed on with the NHL’s Las Vegas expansion franchise as assistant general manager. Tim Speltz, the long-time general manager of the Spokane Chiefs, is leaving to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as a western scout. . . . Hamilton? Well, he added: “If the right thing came along that interested me, yeah, I would listen. You’d be stupid not to listen.” . . . Fisher’s story is right here. |
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The Everett Silvertips are being ‘Trumped’ on Tuesday. . . . Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has Everett’s Xfinity Arena booked for the entire day, so the Silvertips will be on the outside looking in. Unless, of course, they plan on attending The Donald’s rally, which begins at 7 p.m., although the doors apparently open at 4. . . . The Silvertips wrapped up their main camp with the annual Green vs. Grey intrasquad game on Sunday afternoon.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Brady Nicholas, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. From St. Albert, Alta., the 6-foot-0, 178-pound Nichols had 43 points, 14 of them goals, in 30 games with the bantam AAA St. Albert Saints last season.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors announced the signings of four players, each of them taller than 6-foot-0, following their intrasquad game on Sunday night. . . . D Matthew Benson of Surrey, B.C., played last season with the Delta Hockey Academy Elite 15s. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Benson recorded one goal and 12 assists in 33 games. He will turn 16 on Nov. 24. . . . D Matthew Sanders of Calgary was a fifth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. Sanders, 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, played last season with the bantam AAA Calgary Bisons, scoring seven goals and adding 10 assists in 36 games. . . . F Kale Clouston, 6-foot-4 and 177 pounds, is from Rockyview, Alta. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Last season, with the minor midget AAA Rockeyview Raiders, he had 39 points, including 14 goals, in 62 games. . . . F Brecon Wood of Edmonton also signed. The 6-foot-2, 168-pounder was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 bantam draft. He will turn 16 on Dec. 5. Last season, he had 15 points, four of them goals, in 23 games with the OHA-Edmonton team in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League.
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Want to thank the @MJWARRIORS for their continued support of mental awareness and the honoring of my son Ethan Williams. #SickNotWeak— Chris Williams (@chriswwms) August 28, 2016
When the Moose Jaw Warriors held their intrasquad game on Sunday night, admission was by donation with all proceeds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association in memory of Ethan Williams. . . . It is important that people like Williams not be forgotten. . . . Two years ago, Williams, a Warriors prospect from Winnipeg, took his own life at 16 years of age. . . . Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press explored Williams’ story right here.
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The SJHL has announced that all of its players will wear No. 9 patches this season in honour of the late Gordie Howe, who died on June 20, 2016. Born in Floral, Sask., Mr. Hockey grew up in Saskatoon. . . . “As a league from Mr. Howe’s home province, from what he did for hockey in Saskatchewan and the world, the SJHL’s governors wanted to recognize him somehow,” SJHL president Bill Chow said. “It was decided a No. 9 patch would be worn on the sweaters. Mr. Howe meant a lot to hockey and the Saskatchewan people. He is the epitome of what Saskatchewan hockey is all about — heart, soul, character, dedication and commitment.”
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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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Monument unveiled honouring the dear departed Matroska, arena cat at Admiral Vladivostok: pic.twitter.com/LrNZB0BNnS— Patrick C (@ChunkletsHockey) August 28, 2016
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In Saskatoon, F Kohl Bauml scored twice to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 6-2 victory over the Blades. . . . Everett is 2-0-0 on its six-game East Division swing. . . . F Sam McKechnie got Saskatoon on the board first, with his 14th goal, on a PP, at 6:54 of the first period. . . . The Silvertips scored the game’s next five goals. . . . Bauml, who is from Saskatoon, has 17 goals. He tied the game at 8:17 of the first and gave his guys the lead 28 seconds into the second on a PP. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherback, who was acquired from Saskatoon early in the season, had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Nik Amundrud, who began the season with Everett, gave up five goals on 20 shots before being replaced by Trevor Martin at 9:16 of the second. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen also had two assists. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 26 shots in winning for the second time in as many nights. . . . Saskatoon F Garrett Armour was given a charging major and game misconduct at 9:48 of the second period. . . . Everett was 3-for-4 on the PP; Saskatoon was 2-for-3. . . . The Silvertips now are 23-11-4. . . . The Blades (9-28-3) have lost three in a row. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story 
In Brandon, F Morgan Klimchuk broke a 4-4 tie at 5:43 of the third period and the Wheat Kings went on to a 7-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Klimchuk, who also had an assist, scored his 15th goal in his first game with his new team. He was acquired from the Regina Pats on Friday. . . . Calgary F Jody Stallard, who is from Brandon, gave the Hitmen a 3-1 lead with his fourth goal at 7:01 of the second. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 4-3 lead on goals from F Rihards Bukarts, his 14th, F Nolan Patrick, his 17th, and F Jayce Hawryluk, his 17th, in a span of 3:34 late in the period. . . . Calgary D Michael Zipp scored his second goal of the game, and sixth of the season, at 4:05 of the third to tie it at 4. . . . Patrick also had two assists, while Hawryluk finished with two goals and an assist. He added one of Brandon’s two empty-net goals. F Tim McGauley got the other, his 25th goal this season. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pilon had three assists and was plus-4; D Macoy Erkamps had one assist and also was plus-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (29-7-4) have points in 10 straight (8-0-2). . . . The Hitmen, who play in Regina tonight, are 20-15-3. . . . Calgary, Kootenay and Edmonton are tied for third place in the Central Division. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story 
In Edmonton, F Davis Koch broke a 1-1 tie at 14:00 of the second period as the Oil Kings beat the Kootenay Ice, 3-1. . . . Koch has two goals this season. . . . Edmonton F Brett Pollock opened the scoring at 10:16 of the first, scoring his 17th on a PP. That was Edmonton’s first PP goal in five games. . . . The Ice tied it on F Matt Alfaro’s sixth goal at 10:12 of the second. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer got his 11th goal into an empty net at 19:18 of the third. . . . The Ice was 0-for-7 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-for-3. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots, three more than Kootenay’s Wyatt Hoflin. . . . The Oil Kings were able to dress only 10 forwards, and only four of those are veterans of the Memorial Cup-championship team. . . . The Oil Kings (19-16-5) have won three in a row. The victory allowed them to pull into a tie for third in the Central Division with Kootenay and Calgary. . . . The Ice (21-18-1) had points in each of its previous seven games (6-0-1). . . . Prior to the game, the Ice announced that D Tanner Lishchynsky will stay with the team for the remainder of the season. He went into last night with two assists in four games. A Saskatoon native, he had been with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers. Lishchynsky, who turns 20 on Monday, was a 10th-round pick by the Vancouver Giants in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . 
In Lethbridge, D Brett Cote scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give the Red Deer Rebels a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Lethbridge F Ryley Lindgren and Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell also scored in the shootout. . . . Red Deer F Preston Kopeck forced OT with his 10th goal at 18:09 of the third period. . . . The Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead into the second on goals by F Miles Warkentine, his second, and F Tyler Cooper, his 12th. . . . Red Deer D Nelson Nogier scored his second goal of the season at 17:53 of the second. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 36 shots, five more than Red Deer’s Taz Burman. . . . The Rebels improved to 21-14-5 and remain second in the Central Division. . . . The Hurricanes (9-23-6) have lost four straight. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, G Marek Langhamer turned aside 46 shots, including 25 in the third period, to lead the Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Tigers F Chad Butcher returned from injury to score his 12th goal of the season at 7:11 of the second period. He hadn’t played since Dec. 7, missing seven games with a concussion. . . . Tigers F Curtis Sanford notched his 31st at 7:36 of the third. . . . Broncos F Zac Mackay scored his fourth goal, shorthanded, at 10:45 of the third. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 30 shots. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL with 65 points, had one assist. . . . The Tigers (27-9-2) have won three straight. . . . The Broncos (19-17-4) have lost two in a row. . . . 
In Kamloops, the Blazers scored twice in a shootout and beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-2. . . . F Deven Sideroff got the winner in the fourth round, after teammate Jake Kryski and Vancouver F Jackson Houck had earlier shootout goals. . . . Vancouver D Josh Thrower’s third goal of the season, at 16:15 of the third period, forced OT. . . . Kamloops F Matt Revel had broken a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 9:04 of the third. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff opened the scoring, with his 14th, at 7:17 of the first. . . . Vancouver D Anwar Atwal scored his fifth at 18:41 of the first. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 43 shots, while Vancouver’s Cody Porter turned aside 32. . . . Referees Kevin Bennett and Mike Langin officiated a penalty-free game. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham picked up his 100th career assist on the game’s first goal. . . . Among the Blazers’ scratches were two of their 20-year-olds, D Brady Gaudet, who is injured, and F Mike Winther, who hasn’t scored since Nov. 19. . . . D Conner McDonald, a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, made his WHL with the Blazers. . . . Kamloops (14-23-5) had lost its previous five games. . . . The Giants (18-19-2) had won their previous two games. . . . The loser point allowed Vancouver to pull into a tie with Prince George for third in the B.C. Division. They are five points ahead of Kamloops. . . . Kamloops F Luke Harrison wasn’t suspended by the WHL after taking a charging major and game misconduct in the third period of a 6-4 loss to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night. . . . 
In Portland, G Adin Hill stopped 35 shots for his first WHL shutout as the Winterhawks dumped the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . The Winterhawks held a 50-35 edge in shots. . . . F Evan Weinger’s sixth goal, at 8:55 of the second period, got Portland started. . . . D Anton Cederholm got his fifth at 2:38 of the third and F Miles Koules scored his 14th into an empty net at 18:08. . . . F Keegan Iverson had two assists. . . . Tri-City D Brandon Carlo was back after playing with the U.S. side at the World Junior Championship. . . . The Winterhawks had F Chase De Leo back after his time with the U.S. team. . . . D Layne Viveiros was among Portland’s scratches. . . . The Americans dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. D Tyler Fraser, 17, played his first game this season. . . . F Austin Gray played his first game with Portland. He plays for the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars and leads the B.C. Major Midget League in scoring, with 46 points in 25 games. . . . The Winterhawks (20-17-3), who entertain Seattle tonight, ended a three-game losing skid. . . . The Americans (18-18-2) have lost three in a row (1-1-1). . . .
In Victoria, F Austin Carroll broke a 2-2 tie at 11:57 of the second period and the Royals went on to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Royals had beaten the visiting Chiefs 8-1 on Friday night. . . . Carroll has 26 goals. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto’s 16th goal, at 19:30 of the first, on a PP, gave his guys a 2-1 lead. . . . Victoria D Travis Brown tied it with his 15th at 8:49 of the second. . . . Royals F Tyler Soy scored his 13th into an empty net at 19:14 of the third. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka got his 20th goal of the season. . . . The Royals (20-18-3) have won three in a row. . . . The Chiefs (21-14-3) have lost two straight. . . . The Royals beat the Chiefs 8-1 on Friday night. . . . 
F Aaron Gagnon (Seattle, 2001-07) signed a two-year contract with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL). He had three goals in 10 games with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) and 11 goals and 13 assists in 43 games with the St. John’s Ice Caps (AHL) last season. Gagnon is due in Jönköping next week as HV71 opens its exhibition season on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at JYP Jyväskylä (Finland, SM-Liiga) — their training camp started July 29.
who acquired them from the Prince George Cougars. . . . Khaira, who is from Surrey, B.C., was drafted after playing for the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. He then went to Michigan Tech. I can’t find a clause in the NHL-NHLPA CBA that covers a player drafted from junior who goes to college and then leaves early. But it is speculated that Khaira is eligible to play in the AHL this season. Should the Oilers decide he isn’t quite ready for that avenue, he could end up in Everett. . . . The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Khaira had 25 points, including six goals, in 37 games with Michigan Tech last season. In two seasons with the Spruce Kings, he had 121 points, 39 of them goals, in 112 games.
championship ring that will be an exact replica of the ring that will be given to the players and coaches for winning last season's title.” . . . The presentations to fans will made at a game during the upcoming season.
Rick Emmett is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators. Emmett, an assistant coach with the Gladiators, was promoted after head coach John Wroblewski joined the AHL’s Rochester Americans as an assistant coach. . . . Emmett spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Wroblewski.
Robbie Ftorek, who spent most of five seasons as head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, has been hired by the NHL’s Calgary Flames to work as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. . . . Ftorek will work alongside head coach Troy Ward with the Heat. . . . George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has more 
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