N-H-L L-O-C-K-O-U-T!
That is just in case anyone asks if you know how to spell lockout.
Because it is coming and it’s coming in a big hurry.
The Detroit Red Wings’ annual eight-team prospects tournament that is held in Traverse City, Mich., was cancelled on Thursday. Every year, dozens of junior-aged prospects played for rookie teams in the tournament. But not this year.
The Traverse City wing-ding . . . the five-team Penticton Young Guns tournament that had become a fixture over the last few years . . . a handful of NHL exhbition games in Europe . . . have I missed anything on the list of cancellations.
For what it’s worth, I’m not expecting to see NHL teams in action at all in 2012-13. The gulf between the NHL and NHLPA right now is best described as an abyss. In the end, all you have to do is follow the money, and the biggest stumbling block is going to involve revenue sharing, something the richest franchises don’t even want mentioned.
How bizarre is all of this? Consider that Ed Snider is a big wheel in the NHL. He is the chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a company that owns, among other things, the Philadelphia Flyers and Comcast SportsNet. The first offer made by Snider and the owners to the players called for cap length of five years on player contracts. The Flyers — Snider’s Flyers — signed forward Wayne Simmonds to a new contract this week that is six years in length.
You figure it out!
One other thing . . . the NHLPA has never been led by someone like Donald Fehr. The NHL and its team owners are about to find out what baseball learned a long time ago – Fehr is the real deal.
There won’t be any capitulating by the players this time around.
Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, has never been one to capitulate.
So, hockey fans, get ready to take another one you know where.
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F Brad Hoban, who played 325 games with the Swift Current Broncos, has decided to attend the U of British Columbia (UBC) and play for the Thunderbirds. Hoban put up 176 points, including 69 goals, while with Swift Current. Last season, in 69 games, he had a 53 points, 21 of them goals.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings added some toughness on the back end and firmed up their 20-year-old situation, at least for now, by acquiring D Tyler Yaworski from the Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday. . . . Brandon sent a fifth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft the other way. . . . Yaworski, who has three WHL seasons under his belt, had 23 points and 188 penalty minutes in 71 games last season. . . . Brandon’s other 20s are D Ryley Miller and F Dominick Favreau. . . . The Raiders, meanwhile, are down to three 20-year-olds — F Anthony Bardaro and D Antoine Corbin, along with G Luke Siemens, who was acquired earlier from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The Wheat Kings also revealed that D Dylan Kuczek, an 18-year-old Winnipegger, “has informed the club that he will not be returning.” Kuczek, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, had two points and 27 penalty minutes in 33 games last season.
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The Everett Silvertips have added D Landon Oslanski, 20, to their roster after claiming him on waivers from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Oslanski was selected by the Spokane Chiefs in the third round of the 2007 bantam draft. He played one game with the Chiefs before being dealt to Lethbridge as part of the swap that moved F Kyle Beach to Spokane.
In 207 career games, Oslanski has 70 points, including 16 goals, and 239 penalty minutes.
The addition of Oslanski leaves Everett with five 20s on its roster, the others being G Brandon Anderson, who has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals and could open the season in their organization, and forwards J.T. Barnett, Cody Fowlie and Ryan Harrison. Anderson’s rights were acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings last month.
The Hurricanes’ roster still includes five 20-year-olds — D Daniel Johnston, D Tyler Kizuik, F Graham Hood, F Nick Buonassisi and G Ty Rimmer, the latter having been acquired from the Tri-City Americans in May.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports here that G Andrey Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades “has accepted an invitation to the Buffalo Sabres’ training camp next month.” The move was confirmed by Jay Grossman, Makarov’s agent. . . . Makarov, one of Russia’s top junior-aged goaltenders, was selected in the NHL’s 2012 draft, despite being ranked seventh among draft-eligible goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting. . . . After the draft, Makarov, 19, was in the Florida Panthers’ development camp.
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F Ryan Hanes, a 20-year-old who was placed on waivers by the Kamloops Blazers, hadn't heard from any team or teams as of Thursday evening. "Hopefully, I can go somewhere and play," he wrote in a text last night. . . . With the Blazers a week from training camp, Hanes found himself fifth on the Blazers' 20-year-old depth chart. Assuming he cleared WHL waivers, Hanes now is a free agent.
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David Robinson, who played two-plus seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?), is getting into the coaching game. After spending last season at the U of Calgary, Robinson is returning to his hometown of Vernon and will work as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Vipers. After leaving the Bruins, Robinson finished the 2009-10 season with the Vipers and captained the team the following season.
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And, finally, a tip of the cap in the direction of the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League. The Whalers have made a key signing in the person of Dan Barletta. There aren’t a whole lot of hockey teams who employ organists, but the Whalers now are one of them. There’s more right here.


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The big news on Monday, of course, was the resignation of Paul Kelly as the executive director of College Hockey Inc.
Kelly’s resignation seems to have caught most everyone by surprise.
Todd Milewski, the executive editor of USCHO News (uscho.com), reported that “Kelly was given a choice Monday to resign or be fired as executive director of College Hockey Inc., sources said, and he chose the former.”
No one is talking, at least not yet, but in a text to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN and TSN, Kelly wrote: “Time to move on. I told them I’d give them 2-3 years to get the entity established and operational. It’s been 28 months and it’s time for a new challenge.”
I don’t pretend to have any idea what happened but have to wonder if Kelly perhaps came to the conclusion that without NCAA rule changes he was beating a dead horse.
The situation that is the recruiting battle between the NCAA and CHL will go on forever exactly as it is if the NCAA doesn’t loosen its eligibility regulations. And that isn’t going to happen any time soon. That’s because the NCAA makes rules that govern all of its sports, from football to basketball to hockey to golf to tennis et al. It isn’t about to begin designing special rules for a specific sport.
It was North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol who earlier this month told Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald that “we are going into a back-alley brawl. They are bringing guns. We’re coming with no weapon and one hand tied behind our back.”
Perhaps Kelly got tired of playing the role of a one-armed man wrestling with a bear.
Milewski’s complete story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:
Further to yesterday’s note about the epidemic of WHL injuries. . . . Last weekend, the Prince George Cougars played without an AP in their lineup for the first time in a month. At one point they were missing 10 regulars with injuries, a number that now is at six. . . .
D Austin Madaisky of the Kamloops Blazers will sit for two games after being suspended by the WHL for a cross-checking major he incurred in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Saturday. Madaisky was penalized for a hit on F Alex Gogolev; the Hitmen scored twice on the resulting PP. . . . Madaisky will miss a Wednesday visit by the Victoria Royals and a game in Vancouver against the Giants on Friday.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, F Brad Hoban scored the only goal of the circus and the Broncos beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-4. . . . The Broncos got the game’s first goal, with Hoban scoring his 15th goal on a PP at 7:13 of the first. They then exchanged goals until Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden tied it at 4 with his 28th goal at 7:52 of the third. . . . Swift Current freshman F Coda Gordon got his 28th goal and his seventh in four games. Gordon and Kamloops Blazers F Tim Bozon lead all WHL freshmen in goals. . . . Broncos captain Taylor Vause had a goal, his 34th, and two assists. . . . Howden also had two assists for the Warriors, while F Kenton Miller added two goals, giving him 28, and a helper. . . . The Broncos were 3-7 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-4. . . . The Broncos, with two straight victories, are 15 points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining. . . . The Warriors lead the East Division by 10 points over the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings erased a 3-0 first-period deficit and scored a 5-4 shootout victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Tyler Maxwell and F Martin Gernat scored in the circus for the Oil Kings to end it. . . . F Dylan Wruck’s 20th goal pulled Edmonton into a tie at 19:23 of the third. . . . F Emerson Etem had given the Tigers a 4-3 lead with his 52nd goal at 17:19. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk had a goal, his fifth, and two assists. . . . Tigers D James Bettauer had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . F Curtis Valk had a goal and an assist in his return from injury, but the Tigers were still without G Tyler Bunz, F Hunter Shinkaruk and D Kale Kessy. . . . Tigers G Kenny Cameron stopped 36 shots. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry came on in relief of Laurent Brossoit with his side down 3-0 and stopped 16 of 17. . . . The Oil Kings closed to within one point of the Kamloops Blazers, who lead the WHL’s overall standings and stretched their Central Division lead to eight points over the Tigers. . . . Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun was in attendance and, judging by this column, he liked what he saw. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie got his 50th goal and 100th point on the same play as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 7-2. . . . Rattie finished with two goals and an assist, and now is one point off the WHL scoring lead that is held by F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Rattie is the first Portland skater with 50 goals since F Josef Balej had 51 in 2001-02 and the first with 100 points since F Todd Robinson finished with 109 in 1997-98. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi scored twice, giving him 25. He also continued his pace of two points per game, as he now has 80 in 40. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel had two assists as he ran his point streak to 11 games. . . . Baertschi is on a 10-game tear. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth picked up his WHL-leading 37th victory. . . . The Cougars and Winterhawks meet again tonight in Portland. . . . The victory lifted Portland, which has won seven straight games, into first place in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of the Tri-City Americans, and to within a point of the Kamloops Blazers, who lead the Western Conference and the overall standings. . . . The Cougars remain 10th in the conference but are just two points out of a playoff spot.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Jordan Wyton, Moose Jaw.
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Today’s good read is a good read every week. It’s from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada and it’s right here.
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You absolutely don't want to miss this. . . . Preacher accuses Buzz Aldrin of being a liar and not having landed on the moon. Aldrin lands moonshot on preacher’s chin. It’s right here. . . . Had a WHL referee been present he would have given Aldrin two for instigating, five for fighting and a misconduct. Preacher gets two for roughing.
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AHH, TWITTER:
A tweet was sent out last night from @GMilIerTSN: “EDM F Ales Hemsky has been traded to NSH for D-man Ryan Ellis + 2012 1st (Conditional) more details to come.”
It turned out to be fake.
So be careful what you read/believe over the next six days.
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Meanwhile, Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail takes a look at the week ahead right here.


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Graham James pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse on Tuesday. One of the players whose charges weren’t part of that plea bargain has come forward and spoken with The Canadian Press. This is another devastating read in a week that has been full of them. And good on Greg Gilhooly . . . first of all for speaking out and secondly for saying this: “Let's not lose sight of the fact that the real hero here is Sheldon Kennedy, who came forward 15 years ago when none of us were coming forward. He had to take all of this on his own.”
Sheldon Kennedy . . . a true Canadian hero! That doesn’t mean he’s perfect; it just means he’s someone today’s children can look up to and admire because he is looking out for them.
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Well, that clears up that. . . .
Doug Soetaert, the general manager of the Everett Silvertips, told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that D Ryan Murray isn’t going to be traded.
"Ryan Murray will be drafted as an Everett Silvertip," Soetaert said. "Ryan Murray could have probably played in the National Hockey League this (season). He's that kind of player and has those types of qualities. We were fortunate to have him back a third year.
"If he's back next year, it's a bonus for our hockey club."
Murray has sat out 19 games with a high ankle sprain. He will report to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp in Calgary on Saturday.
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THE COACHING GAME:

DREW SCHONECK

The USHL’s Tri-City Storm fired Drew Schoneck, its general manager and head coach, on Wednesday. Schoneck, a former WHL player and coach, was in his third season with the Storm. He was 29-25-0 in his first season and 19-30-11 last season when his roster was decimated by injuries. This season, the Storm has endured an eight-game losing streak and is 6-15-0, which is the poorest record in the USHL. . . . Schoneck, 38, is the second USHL coach to lose his job in recent days. The Omaha Lancers dumped Bliss Littler last week. Littler also announced his firing via Twitter. . . . Josh Hauge, Schoneck’s assistant coach, has been named the Storm’s interim GM/head coach. Hauge, 32, is in his first season with the Storm after six seasons with the NAHL’s Fairbanks Ice Dogs. . . .
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Schoneck tweeted twice on Wednesday:
“Thanks to all the guys.. We battled and never quit.. Good Luck to you all!!”
Later came this one:
“Thanks to all the billet families, volunteers, office people, players and my staff. It was a blast.. Good luck”
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JUST NOTES: F Kristians Pelss of the Edmonton Oil Kings is on Latvia’s 31-player preliminary roster for the World Junior Championship that opens Dec. 26 in Calgary and Edmonton. The players will gather in Brooks, Alta., for camp that is scheduled to being Dec. 18. The 22-man roster is to be declared Dec. 23. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have recalled F Drake Bodie from the midget AAA Norman Northstars and F Ryan Graham from the midget AAA Calgary Royals Gold. Bodie has 23 points in 21 games with the Thompson, Man.-based Northstars, while Graham had 25 points in 14 games with the Royals. The Blades are trying to cope with some injuries and a two-game suspension to F Jake Trask. . . .
The Regina Pats have assigned F Nils Moser, 18, to the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles. Moser was acquired last season from the Tri-City Americans. He had six points in 41 games last season. He has two assists in 12 games this season as he fights to come back from offseason knee surgery. . . .
D Jace Coyle, who played out his eligibility last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, has been assigned by the AHL’s Texas Stars to the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Coyle was pointless in 11 games with Texas. Coyle played 52 games with Spokane in 2007-08 when Hardy Sauter was an assistant coach with the Chiefs. Sauter now is Idaho’s director of hockey operations and head coach. . . .
F Robin Soudek of the Victoria Cougars drew a ‘tbd’ suspension under supplemental discipline out of Tuesday’s game against the visiting Tri-City Americans. He didn’t play in Wednesday’s rematch. . . .
Head coach Don Hay leaves the Vancouver Giants on Friday to join the Canadian national junior team. He will serve as Canada’s head coach in the World Junior Championship and the selection camp opens Saturday in Calgary. . . . In his absence, Glen Hanlon will run the Giants. He gets his initiation Friday against the visiting Portland Winterhawks. It should be an interesting night — it’s the Teddy Bear game and it’s on Sportsnet. . . . The Giants are 10-2-1 of late. . . .
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In Swift Current, F Brad Hoban broke a 1-1 tie 13 seconds into the third period as the Broncos beat the Red Deer Rebels, 2-1. . . . The Rebels have lost 11 in a row. . . . The Broncos won their second straight. . . . Red Deer F Turner Elson returned from a six-game suspension to score the game’s first goal at 8:05 of the first. . . . Swift Current D Graeme Craig, who is from Red Deer, tied it at 11:05 of the first. . . . The Rebels lost G Patrik Bartosak at 17:14 of the second period with an apparent rib or chest injury. He is to be examined today. . . . He had stopped 24 of 26 shots. Bolton Pouliot came on to stop all six shots he faced. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde made 27 saves in a superb outing. . . .

In Prince George, F Greg Fraser scored at 2:55 of OT to give the Cougars a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his WHL-leading 32nd goal, shorthanded, at 19:48 of the second to get his side to within one, at 3-2. . . . F Nic Petan’s seventh goal, at 4:13 of the third, tied it at 3-3. . . . Fraser finished with two goals and an assist, and he was plus-4. . . . Prince George D Jesse Forsberg took the warmup but left early and didn’t play. He had blocked a shot Tuesday night in a 5-3 loss to Portland. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala had a goal and two assists. . . . Prince George G Drew Owsley stopped 39 shots. . . .

In Kamloops, D Austin Madaisky had a goal and three assists, all on the PP, as the Blazers bounced the Everett Silvertips, 6-1. . . . The Blazers were 5-for-8 on the PP, scoring twice after Everett F Josh Birkholz was given a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct at 2:30 of the first. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick had two goals and, with 17 goals and five assists, is a Cy Young candidate. . . . F Brendan Ranford also scored twice for the Blazers, who have won seven in a row. . . . Everett has lost seven straight. . . . The Blazers start an East Division swing Saturday against the Swift Current Broncos. . . .

In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer had a goal and two assists as the Rockets dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-2. . . . F Nick Buonassisi had a goal and an assist for Lethbridge. He has 12 points over his last 11 games. . . . Lethbridge D Landon Oslanski will be hearing from the WHL office after taking a checking-from-behind major at 17:32 of the third period. . . . The Rockets left after the game on their East Division swing. They open Friday against the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska won’t be there as he heads for Calgary and the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. He is an assistant coach with the Canadian team. Assistant coaches Ryan Cuthbert and Dan Lambert will run the Rockets in Huska’s absence. . . .

In Victoria, F Connor Rankin scored twice as the Tri-City Americans got past the Royals, 6-2. . . . The Americans, with the WHL’s best record (23-7-0), won 6-2 in Victoria on Tuesday. . . . F Mason Wilgosh added three assists for the Americans. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie, 16, stopped 15 shots in improving to 10-3. . . . The Americans have won four in a row, three of those on the road. . . . Victoria has lost three straight and is winless in five in a row at home. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman had a goal and an assist, giving him 286 career regular-season points. That move him past F Stu Barnes, one of the team’s owners, and into fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list. Hughesman has played 296 games.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jaimen Yakubowski, Lethbridge.
D Landon Oslanski, Lethbridge (major)
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To fight, or not to fight? That is the question in Finland and Sweden, where it seems the debate is raging. Risto Pakarinen has the story right here.
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The Minneapolis Star Tribune offers up an editorial on the NHL and fighting, and it is right here.
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Today’s good read comes from Grantland, although it actually is a piece that appeared in the late, great National on Feb. 18, 1990. Written by Johnette Howard, it is a look at Joey Kocur, then the toughest fighter in the NHL.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) was released by Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had one goal and one assist in nine games for Villach this season.
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The WHL’s board of governors awarded hosting rights to the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup to the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday following meetings in Calgary.
The Blades, an original in this league, have never won a league championship or a Memorial Cup. They were the host team for the 1989 Memorial Cup when they lost the final 4-3 to the Swift Current Broncos on an OT goal by Tim Tisdale.
In awarding the tournament to Saskatoon, the governors chose not to go with a bid from either the Kelowna Rockets or Red Deer Rebels.
Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre seats 15,195.
Prospera Place in Kelowna has 6,007 seats, with room for 500 standees, and will be home to the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects festivities, with the skills competition Jan. 31 and the game Feb. 1
Red Deer’s Enmax Centrium had 5,735 seats with standing room for 1,000. Red Deer, however, is prepared to increase capacity to 7,000 seats and to add corporate boxes.
Kelowna played host to the Memorial Cup in 2004. Red Deer has never held the Memorial Cup; in fact, the tournament hasn’t been held anywhere in Alberta since 1974.
So you take in all that information and you’re thinking: Money talks.
And you would be correct.
The economy is in the dumper and there isn’t yet any light on the horizon, and there are WHL teams in deep financial doo-doo (see: Broncos, Swift Current, who drew 1,866 to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars last night). So the more money generated by the Memorial Cup, the better for the small- and mid-market teams.
The scary thing about this is that it would seem that whenever Saskatoon or the Vancouver Giants, Canadian teams who play in large facilities, choose to bid, one of them will get it.
And that’s too bad for teams that are ensconced in smaller venues but such is the nature of this beast.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix began his story with:
“WHL commissioner Ron Robison knew exactly what made Saskatoon a worthy recipient of hosting the 2013 Mastercard Memorial Cup.”
The complete story is right here.
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Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier began his story like this:
“Money talks. That was the underlying message on Wednesday when the Saskatoon Blades were awarded the hosting rights for the 2013 Memorial Cup.”
His complete story should be right here sometime today.
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Here’s how Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate, began his story:
“Perhaps, just perhaps, the Red Deer Rebels bid never stood a chance.”
Sometime today that story should be posted right here.
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It was mentioned here Wednesday that the Prince George Cougars had added F Austin Daae, an 18-year-old from Estevan, Sask., to their roster. It also was mentioned that Austin isn’t believed to be related to Christine Daae. . . . Well, it turns out that he is related to Chrissy, who happens to be his mother. . . . I now am waiting to learn whether Chrissy is able to sing ‘Think of Me.’
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It also was mentioned here Wednesday that an announcement was imminent from the WHL regarding the use of video to explain some suspensions.
That announcement, I’m told, is likely to come today.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have dealt F Matt Marantz to the Regina Pats in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
The Hurricanes had given up a fourth-round 2012 pick to get Marantz, who is from Calgary, from the Spokane Chiefs on Sept. 29. Marantz had five assists in six games with Lethbridge.
Marantz’s departure left the Hurricanes with four 20-year-olds -- F Cam Braes, F Austin Fyten, F Brody Sutter and G Damien Ketlo. However, Fyten is out long term with a knee injury so another decision won’t be needed until he returns.
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The 20-year-old deadline arrives this afternoon with teams (well, most of them) having to declare a maximum of three such players.
The Saskatoon Blades are carrying four 20-year-olds but aren’t required to declare three until sometime next week. That’s because F Darian Dziurzynski didn’t arrive back from pro camp until last week, after which a team is given 14 days to trim its roster if it has more than three 20-year-olds.
The Victoria Royals have released G Braden Gamble, 20, so he will be available in today’s draft. He had a 6.22 GAA and a .816 save percentage in six games this season after going 3.54 and 3.86 in 19 games with the Chilliwack Bruins last season. The Royals have chosen to go with Keith Hamilton, 19, and Jared Rathjen, 17.
Dropping Gamble leaves the Royals with two 20-year-olds, which would seem to indicate that Victoria GM/head coach Marc Habscheid will be adding a player today.
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The photo at the top of this entry is the cover of the newest edition of DubNation.
If you go to DubNation’s link over their on the right, you should be able to click on it and download this season’s first issue.
It includes, among other things, an interview with Jeff Chynoweth, the GM and head coach of the defending-champion Kootenay Ice; a look at the young defencemen with the Kelowna Rockets; a look back at the Billings Bighorns; and, a piece remembering Brad McCrimmon.
Enjoy!
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JUST NOTES: D Joshua Smith of the Prince George Cougars had his suspension set at four games on Wednesday. The WHL website had him out with a ‘tbd’ suspension following a kneeing major and game misconduct in a game against the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Monday. . . . The Portland Winterhawks have moved a Nov. 12 game with the Spokane Chiefs to the Rose Garden. Game time remains at 5 p.m. With the NBA having cancelled the first two weeks of its regular season, that date came open in the Rose Garden. The same teams play the previous night in the Rose Garden, at 7 p.m. . . . F Emerson Etem is the CHL’s player of the week. He had six goals and an assist in three games last week. . . .
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SOME WEDNESDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Cranbrook, the Edmonton Oil Kings took apart the defending-champion Kootenay Ice to the tune of 6-1. . . . The Oil Kings (6-2-1-1) are in first place — they lead the Central Division and the Eastern Conference — for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Ice got two goals from F Curtis Lazar, the second overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. He’s got three goals this season. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had three assists. . . . The Oil Kings went 4-1 on their road swing, winning in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Lethbridge and Cranbrook. . . .
In Red Deer, the Rebels, no doubt disappointed at not being named the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup, beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . The Hurricanes have lost six in a row. . . . The Hurricanes had F Reid Duke, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, in their lineup. Duke is from Calgary. . . .
In Calgary, the Regina Pats erased a late 3-1 defict and beat the Hitmen 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal scored at 17:50 of the third period and F Dyson Stevenson, with G Matt Hewitt on the bench for the extra attacker, tied it with 51 seconds to play. . . . Regina now is 6-2-0. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger, who was acquired from the Tri-City Americans over the summer, made his first appearance with the Hitmen. He stopped 20 shots through OT, then was beaten by Weal and F Morgan Klimchuk in the shootout. . . . Driedger had been slowed by a high ankle sprain (aka lower body injury). . . .
In Swift Current, F Brad Hoban scored this third goal of the game at 19:22 of the third period to break a 4-4 tie and give the Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Hoban has four goals this season. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . D Martin Marincin had a goal and two assists for the Cougars. . . . F Adam Lowry and F Taylor Vause did the same for the Broncos. . . . The Cougars went 2-4-0 in their East Division swing. They next play Saturday in Kamloops. The Cougars left for Kamloops right after last night’s game; the Blazers leave today for Portland where they will play the Winterhawks on Friday night. . . .
In Kelowna, the Medicine Hat Tigers’ two Cy Young candidates continued to roll in a 4-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored three times for the Tigers; he has seven this season. F Emerson Etem added his 13th goal and two assists. . . . Shinkaruk has zero assists to go with his seven goals; Etem is 13-4 in eight games. . . . The Rockets have lost three in a row after opening with three victories. . . . The Tigers spent a week in B.C., and finished 4-1-0. They now go home for five in a row. . . . As the Tigers were getting ready to leave Kamloops after a 5-4 victory Monday afternoon, the legendary Bob Ridley, the club’s bus driver and play-by-play voice, was spotted hustling out of the press box. When it was suggested that the way Etem was playing, he likely could drive the bus, too, Ridley didn’t disagree. . . . The Tigers swept the three star awards — in order, Etem, Shinkaruk and G Tyler Bunz — something that doesn’t happen all that often in Kelowna. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. . . . F Darren Kramer tied the score at 18:33 of the second period and F Dominik Uher won it at 16:18 of the third. . . . Spokane G Luke Lee-Knight — you should check him out on Twitter — stopped 20 shots in his second WHL appearance. . . . This was Brandon’s first game on a U.S. tour. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals in 68 games last season, has five in five outings this time around. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., G Ty Rimmer stopped 29 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 2-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin’s first goal of the season, a shorthanded effort at 19:31 of the second, gave the home boys a 2-0 lead. . . . F Shayne Danyluk spoiled Rimmer’s shutout bid at 17:51 of the third. . . . The Americans have won three in a row and are 4-0 at home. . . . The Raiders, winless in their last seven trips to the Toyota Center, are 2-2 in their U.S. swing.
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Yesterday, we provided a link to a story that took you inside the locker-room of the Boston Red Sox as their season imploded. Today, we provide a look at another angle to that story, this one from veteran U.S. broadcaster Keith Olbermann, who just happens to be friends with Theo Epstein and Terry Francona.
That piece is right here.

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

It seems that the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel is skating on rather thin financial ice. Jeff Hansen of the St. Albert Gazette takes an in-depth look at the situation right here.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, the Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Broncos, 3-1. . . . The Blades had dumped the visiting Broncos 6-3 on Friday night. . . . F Brad Hoban got the game’s first goal, his 16^th, at 5:39 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon’s line of Brayden Schenn, Jake Trask and Curtis Hamilton then scored twice. Schenn got his fourth at 7:31, with Trask getting his 14^th, via the PP, at 10:09. . . . Each of those three, all of whom were blanked Friday, had two points. . . . The Broncos have lost six in a row. . . . Attendance was 2,117. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 35 shots as he improved his record to an amazing 26-3-0. . . . The Blades, winners of five straight, maintained their three-point lead atop the Eastern Conference, while the Broncos are seventh, three points up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Brandon Wheat Kings. . . .
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In Regina, F Jordan Weal scored at 1:20 of OT to give the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Warriors had beaten the Pats 4-3 in Moose Jaw on Friday. . . . One night later, the Warriors opened up a 3-0 lead in the second period, then watched the Pats score four straight goals. . . . Weal forced OT with his 24^th goal at 19:24 of the third period. . . . D Myles Bell had three assists for Regina. . . . F Sebastian Svendsen scored twice for the Warriors before the game was eight minutes old. He’s got 21. . . . Attendance was 5,014. . . . The Pats vaulted into a tie for 10^th with the Prince Albert Raiders in the Eastern Conference, one point out of a playoff spot. . . . The Warriors are fifth, a point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
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In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-2. . . . F Dylan Wruck scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 28. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots. . . . It was Michale Jackson Night and apparently one of the highlights came when Edmonton F T.J. Foster moonwalked after scoring his 19^th goal at 18:36 of the third period to provide some breathing room at 4-2. . . . Attendance was 6,682. . . . This was a big victory for Edmonton as it moved the Oil Kings into sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Raiders, who meet the Hitmen in Calgary today, are tied with the Regina Pats for 10^th, but are just one point out of eighth. . . .
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In Cranbrook, F Elgin Pearce’s 10^th goal, at 3:31 of OT, gave the Kootenay Ice a 4-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Ice scored the game’s first three goals and led 3-0 at 8:11 of the second period. . . . F Mitch Maxwell forced OT with his 13^th goal at 11:15 of the third period. . . . D Reid Jackson scored his first goal of the season for Lethbridge. It came in his 36^th game this season. The 17-year-old from Weyburn, Sask., had four goals in 50 games last season. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 30 shots in his first WHL start. . . . Attendance was 2,701. . . . The Ice, with two straight victories, are third in the Eastern Conference, a point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The loser point allowed the Hurricanes to move into a tie with the Brandon Wheat Kings for eighth. . . .
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In Medicine Hat, the Tigers opened up a 4-1 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Cole Grbavac’s 10^th goal, at 6:52 of the second period, stood up as the winner. . . . F Shayne Wiebe, with his 28^th, and F Mark Stone, with his 26^th, got Brandon to within one late in the second period. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey scored his 34^th goal. He and Spokane Chiefs F Tyler Johnson are tied for the WHL scoring lead, each with 83 points. . . . Medicine Hat F Wacey Hamilton had a goal and two helpers. . . . The Tigers, with four straight victories, are fourth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Kootenay Ice and a point ahead of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Tigers hold two games in hand on Kootenay and three on Moose Jaw. . . .
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In Red Deer, the Rebels won their 11^th straight game, beating the Calgary Hitmen, 5-2. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 shots in running his record to 32-8-3. . . . F Byron Froese scored three times for the Rebels, giving him 27, as the home side was forced to erase a 2-0 deficit. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three assists. . . . Attendance was 5,395. . . . The Rebels are first in the Central Division and just three points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon Blades. However, the Blades hold two games in hand. . . . Red Deer is 11-0-1 in its last dozen games. . . . The Hitmen have lost four in a row. . . .
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In Chilliwack, F Dylan Willick and F Thomas Frazee each scored twice to lead the Kamloops Blazers to a 4-1 victory over the Bruins. . . . The Blazers snapped a five-game losing streak as it won for the fourth time in its last 19 road games. . . . F Brendan Ranford added three assists for the Blazers, while F JT Barnett had a goal and two assists. . . . Willick, perhaps the Blazers’ most consistent player this season, has 16 goals, while Frazee has 22. . . . The Bruins took 59 of 110 penalty minutes. . . . Attendance was 3,748. . . . These two teams will play a home-and-home series on the weekend, opening Friday in Kamloops and finishing Saturday in Chilliwack. . . . The victory moved Kamloops into a tie for seventh with the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Bruins. . . .
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In Spokane, F Mason Wilgosh broke a 4-4 tie at 19:23 of the third period to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Wilgosh scored his 11^th goal off a backdoor feed from F Patrick Holland. . . . The teams meet again Friday night, this time in Kennewick, Wash. . . . F Connor Rankin gave the Americans a 4-2 lead at 15:43 of the third period. . . . The Chiefs tied it on goals by F Tyler Johnson, his WHL-leading 38^th, at 16:05, and F Stephen Kuhn, his third of the game and 17^th of the season, at 18:51 on a PP. . . . F Justin Feser had three assists for the Americans. . . . The Chiefs were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-4. . . . Johnson’s goal ran his point streak to 17 games. . . . Attendance was 10,474. . . . The Chiefs slipped three points back of the Western Conference-leading Portland Winterhawks, with Spokane holding two games in hand. . . . The Americans, 8-1-1 in their last 10, are three points behind Spokane. Tri-City holds three games in hand on Spokane and five on Portland. . . .
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In Everett, the Silvertips opened up a 3-0 lead early in the second period and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Tyler Maxwell scored twice for Everett, giving him 33. He ended up with his WHL-leading 11^th game-winner of the season. . . . Maxwell has 88 career goals, passing F Zach Hamill on Everett’s all-time list and leaving him second only to F Shane Harper (100). . . . The Cougars made it interesting on goals by F Charles Inglis, his 20^th, and F Brett Connolly, his 28^th, at 11:44 and 12:04 of the third period. . . . Maxwell iced it at 16:02. . . . D Ryan Murray had three assists for Everett. . . . F Brendan Rowinski had two goals for Vancouver, while F Spencer Bennett had two assists and Brendan Gallagher, the third member of that line, added two helpers. . . . Attendance was 6,179. . . . The Silvertips meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., today. . . .
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In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick scored three times to help the Rockets to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The victory lifted the Rockets into first place in the B.C. Division, a point up on the Giants. . . . Wudrick has 29 goals. . . . F Cody Chikie, who had a goal and three assists in a 7-3 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars on Friday, had three assists. . . . Attendance was 6,184. . . . The Rockets have won six in a row. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., G Mac Carruth stopped 43 shots to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Portland D William Wrenn had a goal, his first, and an assist, and was plus-4. He is plus-18 in 12 games since leaving the U of Denver and joining the Winterhawks over the Christmas break. . . . F Ty Rattie, F Brad Ross and F Ryan Johansen each had a goal and an assist for Portland. . . . Portland F Craig Cunningham scored once, giving him seven goals in four games against Seattle since being acquired from the Vancouver Giants. . . . Attendance was a ShoWare Centre record of 6,158. It was Teddy Bear Night and the fans tossed 5,031 stuffed animals onto the ice when F Travis Toomey scored for Seattle in the first period. . . . The Thunderbirds fell into the Western Conference cellar, one point out of ninth and two out of eighth. They are at home to the Everett Silvertips today.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Calgary D Peter Kosterman
Tri-City D Matt MacKenzie