T-Birds, 'Canes win openers ... Estephan, Bear opening-night stars ... CTE found in ex-juniors

The Kelowna Rockets opened the Western Conference final against the host Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., last night without D Cal Foote, who will be a first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. He was completing a three-game WHL suspension. . . . The Rockets also were missing D Braydyn Chizen, who is out with a leg injury suffered in the previous round against the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Minus those two veterans, the Rockets had two young defencemen in the lineup — Kaedan Korczak, who turned 16 on Jan. 29, and Konrad Belcourt, who will be 17 on May 4. . . . F Erik Gardiner, who also was injured against Portland, was back in Kelowna’s lineup.
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 As expected, G Carl Stankowski, who turned 17 on March 9, made his ninth straight start for the Thunderbirds. He has played every one of Seattle’s playoff games with G Rylan Toth, 20, out with an undisclosed injury.
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 Just a thought: If the Thunderbirds play in Kent, shouldn’t they be the Kent Thunderbirds? Or will the Thunderbirds move back to Seattle if/when the big city gets an NHL-type facility?
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 Doug Weight, the head coach of the NHL’s New York Islanders, was in attendance at the game in Kent. The Islanders selected Seattle F Mathew Barzal in the first round of the 2015 NHL draft. Barzal started this season with the Islanders before eventually being returned to Seattle.
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 In Regina, the Lethbridge Hurricanes had two of their five injured regulars back for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference against the host Pats. F Zak Zborosky and F Zane Franklin returned, but F Matt Alfaro, F Ryan Vandervlis and D Calen Addison remain out.
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#Regina #Pats captain Adam Brooks is at the bottom of a scrum his first shift back from injury. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/p0V54uaTpe — Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 22, 2017

The Pats were without D Dawson Davidson, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers in January. He was injured in Game 7 against the Swift Current Broncos. John Paddock, the team’s GM/head coach, has said Davidson will be out for a while. . . . Regina had F Adam Brooks, its captain, in the lineup and he played after missing the previous five games. He suffered a knee injury in Game 2 against the Broncos. He was in uniform for the last three games of that serious, but never got on the ice. Last night, Brooks took his first shift shortly after the Pats had taken an early 1-0 lead. Yes, the crowd roared when Brooks left the bench.
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 Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press points out that “this is the kind of (NHL) playoffs where the winner of the office pool will be the guy who thought PK Subban still played for the Canadiens.” . . . Yeah, or the guy who tried to select Wayne Gretzky in the fourth round.

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F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) announced his retirement through the website of the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). The team captain, he had 11 goals and 28 assists in 51 games this season. . . . F Devin Setoguchi (Saskatoon, Prince George, 2003-07) has signed a two-year contract with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). This season, he had four goals and eight assists in 45 games with the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), and three assists in nine games with the Ontario Reign (AHL). . . . D Dominik Bittner (Everett, 2011-12) has signed a two-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). This season, he had a goal and four assists in 36 games with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). . . . F Justin Kirsch (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 2009-13) has signed a one-year extension with the Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2). This season, he had 18 goals and 21 assists in 52 games.
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  Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post wrote a column this week that marked his 30th anniversary — or, rather, one of them — at his favourite newspaper. The reasons I mention this isn’t because I was the assistant sports editor there at the time, but because it is amazing to read this and realize just how many people worked in that sports department. Yes, those were the days, my friends. . . . Vanstone’s piece is right here.
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 The finalists will be decided today at the IIHF’s U-17 World Championship in Poprad, Slovakia. It’s Finland against Russia in the first semifinal, with Team USA and Sweden meeting in the second game. . . . The winners will play in Sunday’s final in Poprad. . . . Meanwhile, in Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia, Latvia beat Belarus, 3-2, on Friday in Game 2 of the best-of-three relegation series. It’s tied 1-1 and will be decided on Sunday. D Vladislav Yeryomenko of the Calgary Hitmen had an assist for Belarus.
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 If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there. If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com. If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.
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“A researcher at Boston University says she has diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in the brains of four former junior hockey players,” writes Rick Westhead, a senior reporter at TSN. “Neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee made the diagnoses over the past two years. Each of the four former junior players – none of whom advanced to the National Hockey League – committed suicide before the age of 30, she said. . . . Only one of the players has been identified. Drew Mulligan, who was 22 when he committed suicide, played for the Springfield, Mass., Pics of the Empire Junior Hockey League. . . . Westhead’s story is right here.
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USA Hockey will go into the 2018 World Junior Championship with the same coaching staff that guided it to a gold medal earlier this year in Toronto and Montreal. . . . Bob Motzko, the head coach at St. Cloud State, is back for a second go-round as Team USA’s head coach. Also returning are assistant coaches Greg Brown (Boston College), Kris Mayotte (Providence), Steve Miller (Air Force) and Grant Potulny (Northern Michigan). . . . The 2018 tournament is to be held in Buffalo, Dec. 26, 2017, through Jan. 5, and will feature an outdoor game between Team Canada and the Americans on Dec. 29.
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 The ECHL’s Rapid City Rush fired head coach Mark DeSantis on Friday. The announcement was made by general manager Joe Ferras, who had been the head coach before DeSantis was moved up from his post as an assistant. The Rush was 38-47-11 under DeSantis.
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Just in time for Game 1 vs Pats our behind the scenes Vlog #6 is up. @CTVAllieMiller & I get a little excited.. https://t.co/0JLWMWyL7m pic.twitter.com/gEjTmOlzDo — Kaella Carr (@CTVKaellaCarr) April 21, 2017

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Friendly fire in visitors broadcast booth. pic.twitter.com/Q6kpT2THOL — Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) April 22, 2017

At Kent, Wash., D Ethan Bear broke a 4-4 tie with a PP goal with 11.2 seconds left in the third period to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . They’ll play Game 2 of the

ETHAN BEAR

Western Conference final tonight in Kent. . . . Seattle was on only its second PP of the game — it finished 1-2 — when there was a face-off in Kelowna’s zone. The puck came to Bear and he hammered home a slap shot from the top of the left circle for his fourth goal of these playoffs. . . . Just 35 seconds earlier, Seattle G Carl Stankowski had stopped Kelowna D Devante Stephens on a shorthanded breakaway. . . . The Rockets, who were 3-6 on the PP, had tied the game 4-4 with a pair of third-period PP scores. . . . F Tomas Soustal (3) cut Kelowna to within a goal at 5:53 and F Calvin Thurkauf (6) tied it at 15:00. . . . Earlier, the Thunderbirds scored first for a ninth straight playoff game when F Ryan Gropp got his second goal at 10:00 of the first period. . . . The Rockets took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Kole Lind (4), on a PP, with 6.2 seconds left in the first period, and F Reid Gardiner, his WHL-leading 13th, at 1:09 of the second. . . . The Thunderbirds pulled even when F Alexander True (5) scored with 2.6 left in the second. . . . Seattle then scored two goals three minutes apart to start the third period. . . . D Turner Ottenbreit (1) counted at 0:52 and F Sami Moilanen (3) added another goal at 3:52. . . . Moilanen added two assists to his goal, while Gropp had one. . . . The Rockets got two assists from Gardiner, with Thurkauf adding one. . . . Stankowski stopped 29 shots in running his record to 9-0. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds had their big line — Mathew Barzal between Keegan Kolesar and Gropp — together to start a game for the first time in a while. . . . As a result of Gropp rejoining that line, F Donovan Neuls moved back to play on a line with True and Tyler Adams. . . . Announced attendance: 4,001. ——

#Lethbridge #Hurricanes goaltender @ssskipy_74 dives across his crease to make a save. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/5RGX9T9brE — Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 22, 2017

At Regina, F Giorgio Estephan scored twice, the second into an empty net, to help the Lethbridge

GIORGIO ESTEPHAN

Hurricanes to a 3-1 victory over the Pats. . . . They’ll play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final tonight in Regina. . . . Last night, F Austin Wagner’s 11th goal gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at 1:10 of the first period. . . . The Hurricanes, who have won four straight road games, tied it on Estephan’s first goal of the game, at 13:23 of the second period. . . . The Hurricanes took their first lead at 1:59 of the third period when F Jordy Bellerive scored his fifth goal, on a PP. . . . The Pats thought they had tied it at 8:21 of the third when Wagner got the puck into the Lethbridge net. However, the goal was disallowed after a video review during which it was ascertained that the net was off its moorings before the puck entered the net. . . . Estephan iced it with his 10th goal, into an empty net, at 18:38. . . . D Igor Merezhko had two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Hurricanes got 36 saves from G Stuart Skinner, while Regina’s Tyler Brown stopped 22 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 1-3 on the PP; Regina was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484. . . . Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, was in attendance and posted his game piece right here.

Canes gather at centre ice.. raise their sticks and salute the crowd.officials also booed off the ice.. this will be a long series #WHL — Warren Woods (@WoodsyCJME) April 22, 2017

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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Seattle leads, 1-0) Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 1-0)
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Tigers into conference final; Williamson dumped by Hitmen

F Tim Traber (Chilliwack/Victoria, Vancouver, 2009-14) has signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Vancouver, Traber had 23 points, including 12 goals, in 64 games. According to a Genève-Servette news release, Traber has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), Ross had 28 points, including eight goals, in 39 games. On Feb. 17, he moved to Asiago (Italy, Serie A), where he had seven points, two of them goals, in six games. . . .
F Tyson Mulock (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Regina, 1999-2003) has signed a two-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he had 33 points, 16 of them goals, in 48 games. . . .
D Patrick Baum (Swift Current, 1997-98) has signed a one-year contract with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2). This season, Baum played with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), getting 13 points, including three goals, in 47 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year extension with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He started this season with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), getting six points, five of them goals, in 13 games. He signed with Schwenningen in December, and put up 13 points, including eight goals, in 24 games. . . .
F Daniel Boháč (Spokane, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Boháč began the season with Slovan Ustecti Lvi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), putting up 23 points, including 12 goals, in 35 games. He was loaned to Ceske Budejovice in December, where he had seven points, three of them goals, in 16 games. . . .
F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 50 games, he had 51 points, including 16 goals. . . .
F Matt Pettinger (Calgary, 1999-2000) signed a one-year extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). This season, in 47 games, he had 28 points, 12 of them goals.
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There now are three WHL teams looking for head coaches, with the Calgary Hitmen having started searching on Wednesday.
The Hitmen went 48-17-7 and finished tied atop the Eastern Conference with the Edmonton Oil Kings (50-19-3), who held the tiebreaker with more victories. However, the Hitmen weren't able to get out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in six games to the Kootenay Ice.
Calgary head coach Mike Williamson paid the price on Wednesday when the Hitmen announced they won't exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15.
Mike Moore, the team's general manager and vice-president of business operations, made the announcement.
“Under Mike’s leadership, the Calgary Hitmen were a team that challenged for the top position in our conference,” Moore said in a news release. “It was a difficult decision for us today, but we believe that a change is necessary in order for our team to reach the next level of success."
Williamson just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Hitmen. In his first season, 2009-10, they won the WHL championship and reached the Memorial Cup semifinal in Brandon.
Williamson put up a 210-129-13 reglar-season record with the Hitmen, who made the playoffs in four of his five seasons. They twice lost out in the first round and once were beaten in the Eastern Conference final.
According to the news release, "Associate coach Brent Kisio, assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk will remain with the team."
The Hitmen, who are owned by the NHL's Calgary Flames, are preparing for their 20th anniversary season.
George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has more on Williamson's departure right here.
The Kamloops Blazers and Saskatoon Blades also are looking for head coaches, and you have to think someone from both organizations will be contacting Williamson, if they haven’t already. His 429 head-coaching victories have him in 11th spot on the all-time list.
The Blazers have yet to clarify the status of Dave Hunchak, who didn't complete his first season as head coach. He left the team on Jan. 10 and the Blazers announced Jan. 12 that he was on a leave of absence. General manager Craig Bonner has since admitted that he is looking for a head coach, but nothing more has been said on Hunchak's situation. Hunchak’s contract with the Blazers runs through the 2014-15 season.
The Blades underwent an ownership change during the season and will need a new coaching staff, with head coach Dave Struch, assistant coach Curtis Leschyshyn and goaltending coach Tim Cheveldae all gone.
Colin Priestner, the Blades’ governor and managing partner, has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he doesn’t expect to hire a general manager or a head coach before the bantam draft that is scheduled for May 1.
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The NHL now is facing three concussion-related lawsuits. A third one, featuring retired players Bill Bennett, Dave Christian and Reed Larson, was filed this week in federal court in Minneapolis. There is more right here.
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D Keegan Kanzig of the Victoria Royals will finish his season with the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Kanzig was a third-round pick by the Flames in the 2013 NHL draft. . . . Kanzig had eight points, three of them goals, in 63 games with the Royals this season.
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The Heat also has added D Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the rest of this season. . . . Roy had 44 points, 11 of them goals, in 66 games with Brandon this season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Medicine Hat wins, 4-3)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 9 (3,624)
Monday: Medicine Hat 2 at Kootenay 1 (2,732)
Wednesday: Kootenay 1 at Medicine Hat 4 (4,006)
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
WESTERN CONFERENCE

KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Saturday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE

EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 26: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored twice to break a 1-1 tie and the Tigers went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-1, in Game 7 of a second-round series. . . . The No. 4-seeded Tigers move into the Eastern Conference final that will open in Edmonton against the No. 1 Oil Kings on Friday night. Shaw-TV will televise all games in that series. . . . The Ice held a 3-1 lead in this series but wasn't able to get that fourth victory. . . . Cox, an 18-year-old from Surrey, B.C., scored his seventh goal of these playoffs 11 seconds into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie. He added a second goal at 11:19. . . . F Cole Sanford, who assisted on both of Cox's goals, iced it with an empty-netter at 17:49. . . . The Tigers' line of Sanford, Cox and Curtis Valk combined for 37 points, including 17 goals, in the seven games. . . . Ice D Landon Peel scored the game's first goal, just 41 seconds into the first period. . . . Medicine Hat F Steve Owre tied it at 6:44. . . . Cox has 21 points in 13 playoff games. He is one point off the playoff scoring lead held by F Sam Reinhart of the Ice. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 43 shots and was the first star in the building. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 24 shots. . . . The Tigers had the only two PP opportunities of a scoreless first period, but the Ice ended up with a 16-8 edge in shots. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-1. . . . The Ice was 1-for-22 on the PP in the seven games. . . . The Tigers are 5-1 in Game 7s over the past 12 playoff years. . . . In franchise history, the Ice is 1-4 in Games 7s.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “0 - This was the first time since 2000 that we went an entire round without having a single overtime game (excluding the WHL final).”
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From Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “Death. Taxes. Inconsistent OHL justice. Questionable Q reffing. WHL brawls. #CircleOfLife”


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Richard Doerksen, the WHL's vice-president, hockey, presents the Scotty Munro
Memorial Trophy, which goes to the regular-season champion, to a representative
of the Portland Winterhawks late in the regular season. Just wondering, but might
that be Mike Johnston in disguise? (The picture arrived via Twitter on
Wednesday evening. Nice to know someone has a sense of humour.)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jeremy Williams (Swift Current, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had six goals and nine assists in 28 games with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B) and 17 goals and 13 assists in 24 games with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) this season. . . .

F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract with Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had five goals and three assists in 37 games with Växjö (Sweden, Elitserien) and five goals and 10 assists in 14 games with SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland, SM-Liiga) this season. The head coach of Linz is Rob Daum, who coached, either as the head man or as an assistant, with Prince Albert, Swift Current, and Lethbridge.
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Dennis Lehane, the author of Mystic River and Shutter Island, just to name two terrific books, is from Boston. He has written a piece for The New York Times that is headlined Messing With the Wrong City. . . . It is good and it is right here.
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F Adam Lowry of the Swift Current Broncos is the Eastern Conference’s player of the year. Lowry, who has played for the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps since the WHL season ended, signed with the parent Winnipeg Jets of the NHL earlier this week. He was a third-round selection in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . Lowry, a son of Victoria Royals head coach Dave Lowry, had 88 points, including 45 goals, this season. As Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Brandon Wheat Kings, pointed out on Twitter, Lowry scored 21.8 per cent of the Broncos’ goals and was in on 42.7 per cent of them.
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The Western Conference’s player of the year will be revealed today. I wasn’t given a vote, but had I, it would have gone to Tri-City Americans F Justin Feser.
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I’m not about to pretend that the late Herb Brooks and I were friends, but we did spend a few intermissions talking hockey in the late, great Crushed Can in Moose Jaw. He loved nothing better than to while away the time talking about our game. . . . So I was pleased to see that St. Cloud State University has announced it will rename its National Hockey and Event Center in honour of Brooks. The facility is to be known as the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
From College Hockey News: “Brooks coached the 1986-87 Huskies (25-10-1) to third-place at the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship. And, acting on a promise he made to the late hockey great John Mariucci, Brooks worked with St. Cloud State officials to elevate Husky Hockey to a NCAA Division I program. He also helped secure construction funding for the arena that bears his name. . . . The $14.7-million renovation and expansion, including a four-story atrium, expanded suites, club-level seating and more, is expected to be complete by mid-June. A campaign to fund remodeled locker rooms and a training area for men's and women's hockey is under way. Plans call for additional suites, club lounges and further development of a concert and event-ready facility.”
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Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports takes a look right here at Travis Green, the 42-year-old interim head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, as he prepares to take his (and Mike Johnston’s team) into the Western Conference final against the Kamloops Blazers.

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The QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan recently changed hands for $3.4 million. The P.E.I. Rocket now is for sale and is said to have a price tag of $3.5 million hanging from its cap. Speculation in hockey circles is that a WHL owner was approached to see if his team was available and he said, yes, for $9 million. Hmmmm. . . .
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F Markus McCrea, 21, has committed to attend Selkirk College and play for the Saints, who are located in Castlegar and play in the B.C. Intercollegiate League. McCrea, from Canyon Lake, Calif., spent three seasons (2008-11) with the Everett Silvertips. He has played the last two seasons with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars and Youngstown Phantoms, totaling 38 goals, including 22 goals, in 108 games. McCrea plans to enroll in Selkirk’s Business Administration program.
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Who will be the No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft? “To me, (Seth Jones) is as clear-cut a No. 1 as you can be,” former NHL GM Craig Button told Kevin Allen of USA TODAY Sports. . . . Jones, of course, is finishing up his first major junior season with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. . . . Allen’s complete story is right here.
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In Red Deer, the Rosetown Redwings beat the Kenora Thistles 8-0 in Allan Cup play. The Rosetown roster is full of former WHLers, starting with head coach Keegan McAvoy and including the likes of F Shane Endicott, D Derek Endicott, F Dean Beuker and F J.J. Hunter. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that today’s quarterfinals feature Rosetown (1-1) against the Stony Plain Eagles (0-2) and the Fort St. John Flyers (1-1) against Kenora. . . . The Clarenville, Nfld., Caribous (2-0) and Bentley Generals (2-0) are through to the semifinals. . . . The championship final is to be televised by TSN on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MT.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Spokane Chiefs announced Wednesday that assistant coach Jon Klemm is leaving the club “citing the desire to be closer to his family.” . . . Klemm was the Chiefs’ captain when they won the Memorial Cup in 1991 and later went on to an NHL career that included two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. He returned to the Chiefs as an assistant coach in 2009 and has filled that position for four years. . . . According to a Chiefs’ news release, Klemm “will return to Dallas after getting married this summer. His four teenage children live in Chicago.” . . . "I will get more opportunities to see my kids and see my son play hockey. I haven't seen him play in three years. This move gives me flexibility in the winter months," Klemm said. . . .

The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have moved assistant coach Darren Keily to director of hockey operations — he also is assistant GM — and signed Jeff Reid as assistant coach. Reid, who has a lot of junior B and junior C coaching experience, has worked in the OHL as an assistant coach with the Owen Sound Attack (2007-10). He will work alongside head coach Todd Gill, who has completed two seasons with the Frontenacs.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
Series opens tonight in Edmonton; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.
Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald sets the scene right here.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
Series opens Friday in Portland.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
No games scheduled.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (16):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a contract for the rest of this season with SaiPa Lappeenranta (Finland, SM-Liiga) after his release by Växjö (Sweden, Elitserien). He had five goals and three assists in 37 games with Växjö this season. Moran was released after Växjö signed American F Ryan Lasch, which put the club over the Swedish limit of two non-European Union citizens per team — ex-NHL/AHL D Noah Welch is the other non-EU player on Växjö. Lasch, who was playing in the Anaheim Ducks farm system this season, led SM-Liiga in scoring last season with 24 goals and 38 points in 59 games for Pelicans Lahti.
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It was a ch-ch-ching kind of day in the WHL office on Tuesday as $2,250 in fines were handed out. Toss in another $1,500 from the previous few days, and the coffers are swollen these days.
Rich Preston, the GM/head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, paid $500 for getting tossed from a 7-1 loss to the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Sunday.
It’s interesting to note that Preston was seething after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Rebels in Red Deer on Saturday night. The Hurricanes went ahead 2-1 at 16:28 of the third period, only to have the Rebels tie it at 18:28.
Preston felt his club got the short end of the stick in that one.
Preston told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate that he felt the Rebels should have penalized right before the tying goal.
“It was a tripping call. They (referees Adam Bylbow and Reagan Vetter) put their whistles away and it ends up in our net,” Preston told Meachem. “Our guy has the puck, he gets tripped, they (Rebels) get it and it’s in the net. But that happens.
“We blew two one-goal leads and that was the difference. At least one of those should have been the winner. But we gained a big point and now we have to move on. That’s all you can do.”
After that, you know that Preston likely wasn’t happy to show up in Edmonton, look out at the referees and see — you guessed it — Byblow and Vetter.
Meanwhile, Lethbridge also was fined $750 because the line brawl in Edmonton was its second of the season. The Oil Kings got touched for $500 for their part in the donnybrook.
As well, each team was fined $250 because the goaltenders — Laurent Brossoit of the Oil Kings and Ty Rimmer of the Hurricanes — also fought.
On Monday, the WHL fined the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos each $500 for a line brawl in Swift Current on Saturday. As well, Calgary Hitmen GM Kelly Kisio paid $500 for postgame comments to officials after a 4-2 loss in Lethbridge on Friday.
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James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun, tweeted Tuesday that “sources confirm Dauphin of the MJHL fined $2,500 after being accused of contacting PG Cougars' Daulton Siwak without authorization.”
Later, Shewaga reported that the WHL had filed a complaint “on the behalf” of the Cougars. . . . Siwak, 19, left the Cougars on Jan. 6 and is under suspension until Feb. 10, after which he is expected to join Dauphin. . . . Shewaga reports: “Siwak has not yet played a game for the Kings, who were fined after an investigation by a joint committee of members of Hockey Manitoba, the WHL and the MJHL who operate under a recruiting agreement.”
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THE COACHING GAME:
The BCHL’s Cowichan Capitals have made a coaching change, with assistant coach Aaron Plumb taking over as head coach from Jim Ingram.
According to a statement on the team’s website, the move was made “after much discussion between management, ownership and coaching staff” and it was made by “mutual agreement.”
“In what has been a year with some difficult challenges,” the statement continued, “it was felt that the best interest of the team, moving forward, would be best served by a coaching change.”
Plumb will be helped by assistant coach Darren Rodney.
The Capitals are 10-26-1-3 and in fifth place in the five-team Island Division.They are 18 points out of fourth but do hold six games in hand on the Power River Kings.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added F Markson Bechtold to their roster for a pair of road games. They’ll play in Kamloops on Friday and in Portland on Saturday.
Bechtold, 16, was a third-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. From Strathmore, Alta., he is playing for the midget AAA UFA Bisons. He has 28 points and 64 penalty minutes in 30 games.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings will be without G Corbin Boes (knee) indefinitely after he was injured in Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . The means Curtis Honey, 18, is Brandon’s starter for the foreseeable future. He will start tonight against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . G Jordan Papirny, who plays for the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Athletics, has joined the Wheat Kings for now. He was a first-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Medicine Hat, F Pavlo Padakin broke a 2-2 tie at 4:40 of the third period as the Calgary Hitmen scored a 3-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Padakin, an 18-year-old from Kiev, Ukraine, has 15 goals. . . . The Hitmen trailed 2-0 late in the second period. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored twice for the Tigers, giving him 30 in 47 games. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 45 shots, including a first-period penalty shot attempt by F Cody Sylvester, wo later got his 26th goal to tie the score at 19:58 of the second. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks put up their third straight shutout as they beat the Silvertips, 6-0. . . . The Winterhawks (40-7-3) became the first team to 40 victories this season and also are the first to clinch a playoff spot. . . . G Brendan Burke stopped 17 shots to post his second straight shutout and his fourth of the season. . . . The Winterhawks have recorded a team-record 10 shutouts this season. . . . F Nic Petan, the WHL scoring leader, had a goal and two assists, while F Ty Rattie scored twice. . . . Rattie is riding a 14-game point streak. . . . Petan has 34 goals, one behind F Todd Fiddler of Spokane, who leads the WHL. . . . Portland is 8-0-0 against Everett this season. . . . G Daniel Cotton went the distance for Everett. He made 35 saves while being backed up by Bryce Fink, a 19-year-old from Gig Harbor, Wash., who plays for the Seattle Totems of the Western States Hockey League. He filled in for Austin Lotz (foot). . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips are likely to bring in G Nik Amundrud for the weekend. Amundrud, a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, plays for the midget AAA Tisdale, Sask., Trojans. . . . The Winterhawks started a strech of four games in five nights with this one. They are at home to the Kamloops Blazers tonight. . . . The Winterhawks remain without D Derrick Pouliot (high ankle sprain). . . . Everett F Josh Winquist departed with an injury in the second period. . . . By game’s end, the Silvertips were without Lotz, Winquist, D Ryan Murray (shoulder), F Ryan Harrison (concussion), D Austin Adam (concussion), D Ayrton Nikkel (finger) and F Lucas Grayson (undisclosed). . . .

In Victoria, F Leon Draisaitl scored the only goal of the circus and the Prince Albert Raiders got past the Royals, 6-5. . . . The Raiders forced OT when F Mark McNeill scored with 0.1 seconds left in the third period. Draisaitl drew the lone assist on McNeill’s 19th goal. . . . D Davis Vandane had a goal, his seventh, and two assist for the Raiders. . . . Prince Albert got shorthanded goals from Vandane and F Shane Danyluk. Vandane gave the Raiders a 3-2 lead at 19:02 of the first period as the visitors erased a 2-0 deficit. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . D Shea Theodore scored twice for Seattle, which got 29 saves from G Brandon Glover. . . . F Alex Delnov had three assists. . . . Seattle D Griffin Fould scored his first WHL goal. It came in his 26th game this season and the 40th of his career. . . . The Thunderbirds hold down the Western Conference’s eight and last playoff spot. They are three points behind Everett and sixahead of Prince George. . . . There was a two-fight situation at 19:38 of the third period. Although the goaltenders — Glover and Prince George’s Mac Engel — didn’t scrap, they got tossed for at least making motions as though there were going to square off.


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Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a two-year contract with the Växjö Lakers (Sweden Elitserien). He had 20 goals and 51 assists in 79 games for the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) this season. Växjö won promotion to Elitserien, Sweden's top league, earlier this month. Växjö GM Henrik Evertsson: "Brad is a skilled centre with Elitserien experience. We feel he is an important and exciting piece for our team." Moran played two seasons in Elitserien for Skellefteå (2008-10), where he had 25 goals and 57 assists in 110 league games and was an assistant captain during his second season there.
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JUST NOTES: D Martin Marincin of the Prince George Cougars has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He was a second-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft. Marincin had 56 points, including 14 goals, in 67 games in his freshman season with the Cougars. . . . F Cody Eakin of the Kootenay Ice is the WHL’s player of the week. He had two goals and two assists as the Ice opened the Eastern Conference final with two victories over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. The series resumes tonight in Cranbrook. . . . The Ice goes into that game having won a franchise-record nine straight playoff games. It also has set a franchise record by winning six of those on the road. . . . The Ice will have F Sam Reinhart in the lineup from now through season’s end. Reinhart, the 15th overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, is fresh off the Telus Cup in St. John’s Nfld., where he put up 20 points, including seven goals, in seven games for the Vancouver-North West Giants. . . . As of late Monday night, the WHL hadn’t changed the suspension to Medicine Hat F Cole Grbavac from ‘tbd’ to a definite length. He was suspended under supplemental discipline for a hit on Ice F Steele Boomer in Game 1. Neither player dressed for Game 2, and Boomer is expected to miss at least two more games with a suspected concussion.
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Dave Shoalts of The Globe and Mail reports that Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, “has agreed to a price and most of the terms for buying the Dallas Stars – and if he can steer it through bankruptcy court with the bankers in charge of the sale, the Vancouver businessman will be the NHL team’s new owner.”
That story is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
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