Walter goes to Saint John

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Fassa (Italy, Serie A). He had 23 goals and 33 assists in 42 games last season. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had three goals and three assists in 40 games with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien) last season.
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As expected, the WHL’s board of governors voted unanimously Wednesday in Calgary to allow the Brodsky family to sell the Saskatoon Blades to Mike Priestner, an Edmonton-based auto dealer. The sale is expected to close this week.
Following the vote, Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, allowed himself to say a few words and then the cone of silence was put back in place. No one, including former owner Jack Brodsky, Priestner or Steve Hogle, the Blades’ new president, was permitted to speak before a news conference that is scheduled for today in Saskatoon.
Hogle, who had been the vice-president of hockey communications for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, takes over as the Blades’ president and alternate governor, while Colin Priestner, Mike’s son, will relocate to Saskatoon and will be the managing partner
The Blades are the only franchise to have played in every season of the WHL’s history, which began with the 1966-67 season. The Brodsky family has been involved in the Blades’ ownership since 1976.
All of which begs the question: There was no chance that Brodsky’s request to transfer ownership would be rejected, so why was this board of governors’ meeting held in Calgary? Why wasn’t it held in Saskatoon?
Had it been held in Saskatoon, the governors all could have attended a news conference and shown their respect for the Brodskys, and especially for Jack, who has been an active governor for a long time. The entire day could have been turned into a real testimonial for a long-time member of the fraternity, and one who just played an integral role in driving up the value of all franchises.
Priestner is reported to have paid more than $9 million for the Blades.
The way that the WHL has handled this story has become all too familiar, and that’s too bad. By trying to control the message, the WHL has missed a golden opportunity to gain some positive publicity.
Instead of once again dragging out the cone of silence, at the very least there should have been a conference call, allowing the national media to have access to all those involved.
Instead, the WHL worked to bury the story on Wednesday, when this was news. A day later, the news cycle has turned over and the sale of a franchise that occured on Wednesday is already old news.
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F Lukas Walter, 20, has joined the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. Walter had five points in 117 regular-season games with the Tri-City Americans over the last two seasons. He was released by the Americans over the summer and went to camp with the Portland Winterhawks, who released him late last month. . . . Walter, who is from Langley, B.C., is with the Sea Dogs on a tryout basis.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Wednesday that Russian F Alexander Chirva, 17, has been cleared to play. According to the Warriors, Chirva “has received his visa and will be in Moose Jaw Thursday evening. Chirva is expected to skate with his teammates for the first time Saturday, 2:30 p.m., in Caronport.” . . . The Warriors selected Chirva in the 2013 CHL import draft.
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G Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry, 18, was selected in the second round of the NHL’s 2013 draft. He was the Penguins’ first selection. . . . Last season, with the Oil Kings, Jarry was 18-7-0, 1.61, .936. He also put up six shutouts. . . . Jarry will be the Oil Kings’ starting goaltender this season.
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The Regina Pats and Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Wednesday that they have “entered into a partnership” that will cover the remainder of this CFL season and the approaching WHL regular season. According to a news release: “Fans of the Pats and Riders have the opportunity to join the ‘Sea of Green’ at Pats home games in 2013-14 with a special green section in the Brandt Centre.” . . . Players from the Roughriders will be making appearances in the Sea of Green. . . . The partnership will include a special price ($250) on Pats season-tickets for Roughriders season-ticket holders. . . . Pats season-ticket holders “will be provided with a special Ticketmaster code for discounted ticket specials to the final five Riders home games.”
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Dawson Davidson to a WHL contract. Davidson, from Moosomin, Sask., was a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. He will play this season with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, the host team for the Telus Cup, the national midget championship tournament. . . . Last season, he had 49 points in 25 games with the bantam AA Melville Millionaires.
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Brian Wiebe, who covers the BCHL like a blanket, tweeted last night that Surrey Eagles “D Tommy Stipancik (94) has retired due to an undisclosed injury.” . . . Stipancik, from Vancouver, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the third round of the 2010 bantam draft. However, brain injuries — he had four in three years — would limit him to 10 games in 2011-12 and 34 games in 2011-12. In fact, over the last four seasons, he played only 96 games in major midget, the BCHL and the WHL. . . . The Blades released him on Sept. 4, 2012.
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Former Tri-City Americans G Olaf Kolzig, who now owns a chunk of the WHL franchise, has taken over as the goaltender coach for the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . . Tim Leone of pennlive.com has that story right here.
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F Morgan Klimchuk of the Regina Pats won’t be taking part in the Calgary Flames’ training camp. The NHL team reported Thursday that Klimchuk, the 28th overall selection in the 2013 draft, “suffered an abdominal wall strain injury during a recent pre-season game with the Regina Pats . . . and will be unable to participate in training camp with the Flames. Klimchuk will rehab his injury in Calgary with Flames’ personnel. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.”
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The Calgary Flames also announced that they have suspended F Ryan Howse “for failing to report to training camp. The club will have no further comment at this time.” . . . Howse (Chilliwack, 2006-11) was a third-round selection by the Flames in the NHL’s 2009 draft. He put up 217 points, including 140 goals, in 262 games with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?).
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D Julius Honka of the Swift Current Broncos has become quite a story in the WHL’s exhibition season. From Jyvaskyla, Finland, Honka, 17, was selected by the Broncos in the CHL’s 2013 import draft. . . . Last night, Honka scored in his fourth straight exhibition game — he has five goals — as the Broncos beat the visiting visiting Saskatoon Blades, 9-4. . . . Last season, Honka had four goals and 11 assists in 42 games with the JYP U-20 side.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed D Kurtis Rutledge, an eight-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Rutledge, from Calgary, had seven points in 15 games with the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Midget Hockey League last season.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Petr Senkerik (Kootenay, Prince George, 1999-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Berkut Kiev (Ukraine, PHL). He was pointless in one game with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) before being loaned to Havlickuv Brno (Czech Republic, 1.Liga), where he had three assists in 23 games. . . .
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) was released by Dukla Jihlava (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had one goal and three assists in 18 games for Dukla. Karpov was assigned on loan to Dukla by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) in early June. The press release from Dukla says that Karpov's agent is looking for another club to take on the loan assignment. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a contract through the 2013-14 season with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien) after a successful tryout. He has three goals and four assists in 11 games for MoDo this season. In two prior tryouts this season, Svensson was pointless in six exhibition games with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) and had three goals and four assists in 10 games with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B).
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Kelly Hrudey, one of five owners of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, says that bringing a WHL franchise to the Vancouver Island city isn’t even on their current radar, writes Josh Aldrich of the Nanaimo Daily News. “Everyone is aware of it, for sure, but all of our conversations focus on the B.C. Hockey League and our role in it and our contribution to it,” Hrudey told Aldrich.
That story, which focuses on Hrudey’s relationship with the Clippers, is right here. No, the story doesn’t make mention of any talk there may be related to a new arena.
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There is an interesting story about Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart posted on the IIHF website. It’s interesting, not because of is parents, but because it details how he came to get clearance to play internationally for Great Britain, despite the fact that he hasn’t lived there. That story is right here.
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Crooner Michael Buble, whose Christmas CD just happens to be playing in my car these days, was on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. He isn’t expected to play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun was at practice yesterday and his story on Buble’s stint is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Robin Gomez (Calgary, Seattle, 1999-2003) has joined the U of Victoria hockey club as an assistant coach. He will work alongside head coach Harry Schamhart and assistant coach Cole Byers. Last season, Gomez was head coach of the junior B Saanich Braves of the Vancouver Island junior league.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a tryout contract with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien). Svensson has been on two tryout contracts this season, first with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL), where he was pointless in six exhibition games, and then with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B), where he had one goal and three assists in eight games. This latest contract runs through the end of December. . . .
F Ryan Finnerty (Medicine Hat, Swift Current, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He has eight goals and eight assists in 17 games for the Steelers this season; he also is the Steelers’ head coach. The contract extension keeps Finnerty with the Steelers through the 2012-2013 season.
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F Mackenzie Royer of the Tri-City Americans suffered a concussion on Sept. 30.
Royer, a 19-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., had three points in two games when he was injured.
He returned to the practice ice Monday for the first time since being injured.
According to Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald: “He lost an edge once during drills and lost control of the puck a couple of times, but for not having skated for five weeks, he looked pretty good.”
Americans general manager Bob Tory told Fowler: "We are doing what's right for him for his long-term health.”
Royer may have looked pretty good, but it seems he wasn’t feeling too well.
On Tuesday, the Americans announced that Royer was being sent home to recuperate and he has been dropped from their roster and put on the long-term injury list.
If you check out the WHL’s injury list that is dated Nov. 8, you will note that Royer is listed as having an “upper body” injury.
It turns out that it is a concussion.
There are 31 players shown with “upper body” injuries on that list. All 31 of them may have concussions.
The WHL, however, isn’t telling.
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Meanwhile, in the OHL, F Tom Kuhnhackl of the Niagara IceDogs has been hit with a 20-game suspension — yes, 20 games — after he was hit with a charging major and game misconduct in game against the Kitchener Rangers on Friday.
Kuhnhackl was playing his second game with the IceDogs since coming over in a trade with the Windsor Spitfires. He drilled Kitchener D Ryan Murphy as he skated with his head down behind the Rangers net.
“In a website video,” The Canadian Press reported, “the Ontario Hockey League noted that Kuhnhackl made contact with the opponent's head and hit a vulnerable, unsuspecting player. The OHL also considered the speed and distance travelled when making its decision and noted that Murphy was injured on the play.”
Murphy, selected 12th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL’s 2011 draft, has missed Kitchener’s last two games. He has six assists in nine games this season.
Kuhnhackl is the son of Erich Kuhnhackl, who is generally considered as the best player in German hockey history. Tom, a fourth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has five points in six games this season.
David Branch, the OHL’s commissioner, is among the first hockey executives to realize the direction in which the game is going. Branch obviously is most concerned about the respect factor among players and the safety factor. He wants the OHL’s players to respect each other and to recognize when an opponent is vulnerable. Put those two things together and the number of injuries, including concussions, should decline.
The object of the game should be to possess the puck, not to run over and injure an unsuspecting opponent.
Bill Potrecz of the Niagara Falls Review has a look at the story right here.
One of the interesting things is Kuhnhackl’s quote about “finishing his check.” That is hockeyspeak for making especially solid contact with an opponent, and it is something that you can bet Branch is serious about eradicating.
Kuhnhackl, who came out of the hit on Murphy with a leg injury, will be eligible to return to the IceDogs’ lineup on Jan. 6. He is expected to play for Germany in the IIHF World Junior Championship Division I in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Dec. 11-17.
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Something of a shocker out of Everett on Tuesday as the Silvertips sent home F Tyler Maxwell, 20, after he asked for a trade.
Maxwell has played 216 games with Everett and is the franchise’s all-time scoring leader, with 107 goals. But after asking for a move, he was sent home to Manhattan Beach, Calif., and told to wait for the phone to ring.
Here’s what Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald put on his blog:
Maxwell declined to comment about the situation, so we've only got one side of the story. But Tips general manager Doug Soetaert made it sound like Maxwell wasn't really interested in being part of a rebuilding team, and that Maxwell subsequently wasn't being a positive influence in the dressing room. Everett has had players request trades in the past who weren't sent home, so the team's actions in this situation are a departure from the norm. . . . While Soetaert said he would try and accommodate Maxwell, he put no timetable for making a trade.
Patterson also filed a story for the Herald. That story is right here.
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JUST NOTES: F Aaron Hadley, a 10th-round selection by the Vancouver Giants in the 2008 bantam draft, has committed to Western Michigan. Hadley is playing for the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. . . . Assistant coach Cam Tibbett is serving as the interim head coach of the Neepawa Natives while the MJHL team looks for a new head coach. That person would replace Bryant Perrier, who resigned as GM and head coach following a much-publicized haziing incident. As well, three players — forwards Justin Dalebozik, Riley Johnston and Tyler Swerdyiak — have returned to the team after having left. The Natives, who are 1-18-2, also have acquired D Michael Butler from the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Warriors D Morgan Rielly won’t play this weekend with a lower-body injury. Rielly left a weekend game with what appeared to be an injury to his right knee. . . . Moose D Dylan McIlrath (undisclosed) and D Joel Edmundson (ankle) are expected to practise today but Gourlie writes that both are questionable for a Thursday game in Regina against the Pats. . . . Warriors F Sebastian Svendsen (knee) has missed 10 games but may play Thursday.
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In Medicine Hat, the Emerson Etem Show, co-starring Hunter Shinkaruk, continued its run as the Tigers dropped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-3. . . . Etem had two goals — he has 25 in 19 games — and two assists. He leads the WHL in goals and points (43). . . . Shinkaruk had two goals and an assist. Shinkaruk, who isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2013, has 20 goals in 20 games, second only to Etem, and eight assists. . . . The Tigers have scored 83 goals this season. In other words, Etem and Shinkaruk have scored 54.2 per cent of the team’s goals. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk scored his first goal of the season, to go with his 12 assists. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov stopped 41 shots. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone has his season-opening point streak snapped at 18 games. . . .

In Swift Current, F Brooks Macek scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Calgary Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Broncos. . . . It was $2 Tuesday and attendance was 2,237. . . . F Cody Sylvester had two goals for the Hitmen, while F Taylor Vause did the same for the Broncos. . . . Swift Current F Trevor Cameron forced OT with his second goal of the season, at 16:28 of the third period. . . .

In Victoria, F Michael St. Crois had two goals and two assists to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to an 8-2 victory over the Royals. . . . St. Croix is riding an 11-game point streak, with six goals and 13 assists during that time. . . . D Cody Corbett, who joined the Oil Kings from the Minnesota high school ranks late last month, scored his first goal and set up another. . . . The Oil Kings held a 35-19 edge in shots. . . . Victoria F Kevin Sundher (undisclosed) didn’t play the second or third periods. . . . The game was the first in a four-game B.C. tour for the Oil Kings who meet the Giants in Vancouver on Wednesday. . . . The Oil Kings are out of their building, as are the parent Oilers, because of the Canadian Finals Rodeo. . . . From Nov. 25 through Dec. 18, the Oil Kings will play 11 straight home games.
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For today’s good read we go to the Regina Leader-Post and Ian Hamilton, one of our country’s most under-appreciated sports writers.
Hamilton spent some time chatting with Malcolm Cameron, an assistant coach with the Regina Pats, who only sounds as though he’s pals with Reggie Dunlop.
As Pats captain Brandon Davidson told Hamilton: “(Cameron) has been through a lot of things and he has been around hockey for a long time, so he's always got stories for the boys. (The tales) are just thrown out randomly. . . . Most of them are pretty funny, so it's good to hear them. But you never want to be in them."
That story is right here.

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) was released from his tryout contract by Eisbären Berlin. He was pointless in six exhibition games for Eisbären during the tryout. . . .
F Justin Taylor (Red Deer, 2003-04) signed a two-month tryout contract with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 10 goals and 19 assists in 51 games with the Idaho Steelheads and Ontario Reign (both ECHL) last season.
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On a day when Peter Chiarelli, the general manager of the Boston Bruins, said forward Marc Savard’s career may be over because of post-concussion syndrome, the OHL announced that all of its players will wear soft cap shoulder and elbow pads this season.
According to the OHL, its board of governors is adamant that stiffer penalties will be handed out to repeat offenders when it comes to checks to the head.
This all is most admirable and a definite step forward in the drive to cut down on concussions — and it is a move the WHL announced it was making on June 15.
However, as one Twitterer tweeted: “What about fists to the face/head? Where's that crackdown?”
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The Kootenay Ice will have eight players off its roster attending NHL camps. That includes six drafted players — D Brayden McNabb and G Nathan Lieuwen (Buffalo), F Drew Czerwonka (Edmonton), F Cody Eakin (Washington), and F Max Reinhart and D Joey Leach (Calgary). As well, D James Martin (Calgary) and F Joe Antilla (San Jose) have accepted training camp invitations. . . . The Ice, the WHL’s reigning champion, opened training camp on Wednesday. Their annual Blue-White game ends camp on Sunday at noon.
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D Ben Fanelli is returning to the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers after not playing at all last season. The Rangers will hold a news conference today with Fanelli in attendance. Fanelli, 18, hasn’t played since Oct. 31, 2009, when he suffered a fractured skull and various facial fractures after being hit from behind by D Mike Lambas of the Erie Otters.
Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports has a good look at what Fanelli has been through — and the good things he has accomplished of late — right here.
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JUST NOTES: The Tri-City Americans have signed D Clint Filbrandt, 16, who was a 10th-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. Hehad 29 points and 86 penalty minutes with the CNHA Blazers of the Alberta Minor Midget league last season. Filbrandt attended the Americans’ rookie camp and now is in main camp. “Clint had an excellent rookie camp and continued his strong play into main camp,” Americans GM Bob Tory said in a news release. “He will participate in both the Everett and Tri-City tournaments and then return home to Calgary to play this season with his AAA Midget club.” . . . The Prince George Cougars have signed D Marc McNulty of Medicine Hat. The 6-foot-5, 181-pounder was a 10th-round bantam draft pick in 2010. He played last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Alberta Midget league. “He might be the most improved player in our entire camp,” Wade Klippenstein, the Cougars’ assistant general manager, said in a news release. “Initially, he was a 10th-round draft-pick. If the bantam draft was held again tomorrow, I guarantee you he wouldn’t be a 10th round pick.” McNulty will be in the Cougars’ lineup for games in St. Albert, Alta., this weekend. . . .
The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Devin Oakes, 16, and D Tyler Bell, 17, both of whom are listed players. Oakes, from Prince Rupert, B.C., played last season for the midget AAA Pursuit of Excellence prep team in Kelowna, putting up 24 points, including 10 goals, in 41 games. Bell, who is from Regina, is another listed player. Bell has played two seasons with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He had 22 points, including five goals, and 58 penalty minutes in 44 games last season. . . . G Jamie Tucker, who played last season with the Prince Albert Raiders, has cleared WHL waivers and will play this season with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Tucker, now 20, is from Victoria. . . .
TSN made it official on Wednesday. Dennis Beyak, a former radio voice of the Flin Flon Bombers, Saskatoon Blades, Victoria Cougars and Seattle Thunderbirds, will call the play of Winnipeg Jets games on TSN Jets and on Sports Radio 1290 in Winnipeg. . . . Beyak also did a turn as GM of the Tri-City Americans and the Thunderbirds. . . . Brian Munz, a former radio voice of the Prince Albert Raiders on CKBI, will call Jets games on Sports Radio 1290 when Beyak is providing the TV call. . . . Shane Hnidy (Swift Current, Prince Albert, 1991-96) has retired from playing and joined the Jets broadcast crew as an analyst. . . . The Victoria Royals drew a crowd of 1,756 fans to their intrasquad game Wednesday night at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed Dusty Imoo as their goaltending coach. Imoo played in the WHL (New Westminster, Lethbridge, Regina, 1987-91) before moving on to play in the IHL, ECHL and Japan for a total of 15 seasons. He also played for Japan in the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. Imoo takes over from Paul Fricker in Seattle. . . .
The Victoria Times Colonist is reporting that owner Len Barrie is expected to name himself head coach of the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies on Friday. Barrie stepped behind the bench late last season, with then-head coach coach Vic Gervais stepping down to assistant coach, a position he continues to hold.
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Here’s a note from a story written by Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News:
“Though the Tigers don't release their training camp rosters publicly, they did cut a dozen or so players between Monday and Tuesday night and had 46 players between the two teams that played Tuesday. Most of the cuts were 15- and 16-year-olds.”
The Tigers don’t release their training camp rosters publicly? And the WHL office allows this to happen?
Hey, WHL, this is 2011. Isn’t it time all of your teams started to treat their fans with the respect that most businesses give to paying customers?
The Tigers don’t release their training camp rosters publicly? Do they have something to hide? You wouldn’t suppose one of your teams would have an undrafted European practising with it, do you? Nah, that would never happen.
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F Trevor Moore, whose WHL rights are held by the Tri-City Americans, has committed to attend Denver U and play for the Pioneers beginning with the 2013-14 season. The 5-foot-6, 165-pound Moore will play this season for former WHL player/coach Drew Schoneck with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. The Storm selected Moore with the eighth overall pick in the USHL’s 2011 futures draft. Moore, who was listed by the Americans, is from Thousand Oaks, Calif. He had 41 points in 35 games with the L.A. Selects last season.
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Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star has a call for action following Wednesday’s startling death of former WHLer/NHLer Wade Belak. That piece is right here.
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F Matt Kassian hopes to crack the lineup of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild this season. He is an enforcer who played with the Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers. He also is highly intelligent and great conversationalist. And, despite recent happenings, he isn’t about to change his game, nor does he feel there is a need to. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has that story right here.
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Today’s good read comes from Tim Panaccio of csnphilly.com. He writes about former WHLer Todd Fedoruk and the demons he battles on a daily basis. Fedoruk, an NHL enforcer, didn’t play at all last season as he worked to regain his health. He will attend the Vancouver Canucks’ camp as a free agent. Panaccio’s story is right here.

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

Great day for Morrow

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Doug Lynch (Red Deer, Spokane, 1998-2003) signed a contract extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had seven goals and 21 assists in 44 games with Red Bull last season. . . .
F Simon Ferguson (Lethbriodge, Kelowna, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract with Esbjerg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 15 assists in 51 games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) last season. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). He had four goals and 14  assists with Timrå (Sweden, Elitserien) last season. . . .
F Roman Tomanek (Calgary, Seattle, 2004-06) signed a one-year contract with Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 29 goals and 18 assists in 48 games with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) last season.
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You just know that this is going to be a great day for Portland Winterhawks D Joe Morrow.
Morrow, who has played three seasons in Portland, is in Edmonton at the Canadian national junior team’s development camp.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins are expected to announce today that they have signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. They selected him 23rd overall in the NHL’s 2011 draft.
Morrow, who doesn’t turn 19 until Dec. 9, had 49 points, including nine goals, and 67 penalty minutes in 60 games with Portland last season. In 165 regular-season games, he has 16 goals and 71 assists, to go along with 152 penalty minutes.
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Hockey Canada finalized the 22-player roster for the team that will play in the U-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament and five of the skaters are from the WHL. D Matt Dumba (Red Deer), D Derrick Pouliot (Portland), D Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton), D Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw) and F Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat) made the club that will play in the tournament that runs from Monday through Aug. 13 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia. . . . Don Nachbaur, the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, is an assistant coach. The head coach is Steve Spott of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. . . . There is no radio or TV coverage of the tournament. . . . Canada, which has won the tournament each of the last three years, will play an exhibition game against Slovakia in Piestany on Saturday and then opens the tournament against Sweden on Monday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jim Parker of the Windsor Star reports that Bob Boughner is expected to return as head coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires today. After winning back-to-back Memorial Cups, Boughner, who owns a piece of the Spitfires, spent last season as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. . . . Bob Jones, the associate coach under Boughner, was the club’s head coach last season. . . .
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Everett Silvertips may be in the market for a goaltending coach. According to Patterson, “Sources indicate that Sigalet is in line to become the goaltending coach for the AHL's Abbotsford Heat.” . . . Sigalet spent last season working with the Silvertips on a part-time basis. . . .
Greg Ireland is to be named head coach of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack today. Fred Wallace of CFOS Radio reported Tuesday that the job had been offered to Ireland, 46. A coach since 1992, Ireland spent the last eight seasons in the AHL, with the San Antonio Rampage and Grand Rapids Griffins. He will replace Mark Reeds, who guided the Attack to the OHL championship last season and has since signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. . . . Owen Sound assistant coach Terry Virtue, a former WHL player and assistant coach, was on the short list. According to Wallace, Virtue “is expected to remain with the Attack, conceivably with elevated responsibilities.” . . .
The AHL’s Houston Aeros have named Sebastien Laplante and Mike Van Ryn as assistant coaches. They will work with head coach John Torchetti. . . . Laplante, 38, spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Northeastern University. . . . Van Ryn, 32, was an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs last season. . . .
The OHL’s Erie Otters have agreed to two-year contract extensions with head coach Robbie Ftorek, who had one year left on his present deal, and assistant coach Peter Sidorkiewicz.
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JUST NOTES: As speculated late last week, the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat has named Ryan Walter (Kamloops, Seattle, 1984-78) as president. Walter spent last season as the head coach of Canada’s national women’s team after working two seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. The Heat is the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . The BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies have dealt F Evan Richardson, 17, to the Powell River Kings for G Michael Garteig, 20, D Braden Pears, 18, and F Scott Renner, 18. Richardson was selected 15th overall by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2009 WHL bantam draft, but has committed to attend Boston College for the 2013-14 season. Last season, he had 42 points, including 12 goals, in 55 games with the Grizzlies. . . . The Grizzlies apparently were concerned that Richardson may end up in the USHL this season. . . . F Colton Graf (Chilliwack, 2006-08) has chosen to attend Simon Fraser University and play for its hockey club in the B.C. Intercollegiate league. Graf, 21, played the last two seasons with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. He put up 92 points in 111 regular-season games with Dauphin.
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Another former WHL player has had to quit hockey because of post-concussion syndrome.
Eric Doyle (Everett, Swift Current, Portland, 2005-10) has told Jon Keen, the radio voice of the Kamloops Blazers: “Over my career I had five diagnosed concussions . . . and probably two more that weren't. The last three concussions all came pretty close together and were the worst by far.”
Doyle last skated in November with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. He was able to play only 12 games with the Reign, though.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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