Now that's a road trip! . . . WHLers get U.S. camp invitations. . . . Popcorn guy stays with 'Tips

D Alex Plante (Calgary, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with Anyang Halla (South Korea, Asia HL). Last season, with Lørenskog (Norway, GET-Ligaen), he had six goals and nine assists in 43 games. He also led the league with 189 penalty minutes. . . .
F Brandon Kozun (Calgary, 2006-10) signed a one-year contract with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland, KHL). Last season, he had two goals and two assists with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), and five goals and six assists in 23 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
——
Some note from The MacBeth Report on the KHL . . .
The KHL held its annual meeting on Wednesday and confirmed 28 teams for this season, the same number as last season. The only change is that Atlant Mytishchi, which is in the Moscow area, is out and Spartak Moscow returns. . . . Teams will play a 60-game regular-season schedule that will start on Monday, Aug. 24 and end on Thursday, Feb. 18. . . . The playoffs will end no later than April 19. . . . Each team will play every other team twice (home and away), and each team will play six additional games against geographically close teams. That means that Jokerit Helsinki will make one road trip to Khabarovsk and Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, 6,749 km away. Vancouver is closer to Vladivostok at 4,595 km. To put this into a North American perspective, Edmonton to London, England, is 6,811 km. The two NHL franchises separated by the most distance are probably the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers, with Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale being a distance of 4,495 km. . . . Earlier reports stated that the Russian Ministry of Sport is responsible for drafting the schedule and it will be set up to accommodate all Russian National Team games and practices.  . . . Jokerit has said the schedule will be released by the end of June.
———


Six players off WHL rosters have been invited by USA Hockey to attend its summer evaluation camp. . . . G Evan Sarthou and D Brandon Carlo of the Tri-City Americans, F Scott Eansor of the Seattle Thunderbirds, and F Dominic Turgeon, D Caleb Jones and F Paul Bittner of the Portland Winterhawks are expected to attend the evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 1-8.
——
James Stucky, the Everett Silvertips’ equipment manager since the birth of the franchise in 2003, has signed a contract extension. Stucky, 41, is preparing for his 13th season with the Silvertips. . . . The team didn’t announce the length of the extension. . . . He is scheduled to work his 1,500th regular-season game when the Brandon Wheat Kings visit Everett on Oct. 28. . . . It’s worth noting that he has been around the WHL for a long time, having worked as a stickboy with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the late 1980s. He also worked as a game-day assistant with the Tacoma Rockets. . . . Stucky also is one of the founders of the WHL Popcorn Poll, which tracks the quality of popcorn in arenas throughout the league.
———

THE COACHING GAME:

Ron Rolston is the new head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. Rolston, 48, was the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres for 51 games (2012-14). He also spent two seasons (2011-13) as the head coach of Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. . . . Last season, he worked as pro scout with the Coyotes. . . . Also in the AHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that veteran coach Mike Sullivan has been signed as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, while Terry Murray has left the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to work as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . John Hynes, who had been the head coach of the AHL’s Penguins, now is head coach of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
——
Brent Gough is leaving the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors to join the Arizona Bobcats AAA program. . . . Gough, who had been with the Warriors for five seasons, had been the assistant general manager and associate head coach. He will continue as the Warriors’ assistant GM and director of player personnel. . . . According to a Warriors’ news release, he is joint the Bobcats “to help align him with his career goals of coaching in NCAA hockey.” . . . GM/head coach Rylan Ferster announced that Shae Naka is the Warriors’ new assistant coach. Naka worked with the Warriors a couple of seasons ago, before spending last season at the Pursuit of Excellence.
———

Very proud of my two daughters tonight! @emmaaa_39 JV Athlete of the Year @Madietaylor99 Coaches Awards! pic.twitter.com/ZUSnLNII5Y

— Chewy (@millchew) June 19, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Benson heads to POE

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Viktor Gibbs Sjödin (Portland, 2006-08) signed a one-year contract with Enköping (Sweden, Division 1). He had three goals and 13 assists in 43 games with Kallinge/Ronneby (Sweden, Division 1) last season.
---
Despite not making the playoffs in 2012-13, the Moose Jaw Warriors have reported net earnings of $343,888 for their last fiscal year. Season-ticket sales were up a bit and the team’s Booster Club really helped out. . . . All told, gate receipts totalled $1,717, 263. . . . Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
---
D Brandon Carlo, whose WHL rights belong to the Tri-City Americans, has been added to the U.S. under-18 team that will play in the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia, Aug. 5-10. . . . The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Carlo is from Colorado Springs, Colo. He played last season with the Colorado Thunderbirds U16 team, putting up 47 points in 41 games. . . . The Americans selected him in the 10^th round of the 2011 bantam draft. He joined the Americans on March 11 and stayed with them through the end of the 2013 playoffs.
---
F Tyler Benson, selected first overall by the Vancouver Giants in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, will spent the 2013-14 season at the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy (POE) in Kelowna. . . . Benson will play for the U18 midget team under head coach Ryan Wade. . . . Benson had 146 points, including 57 goals, in 33 games with the Edmonton-based Southside Athletic Club Lions bantam AAA team last season. He set a single-season scoring record, breaking the record of 131 that had been set by F Ty Rattie with the Aidrie Xtreme in 2007-08. . . . Benson added 37 points in 11 playoff games as SSAC won the league’s playoff title. He added 13 points in five games at the Western Canadians, as SSAC won that title, too.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

G Brandon Glover of the Seattle Thunderbirds got the WHL a whole lot of publicity, including some pub at SI.com. However, it seems the league doesn’t believe in the axiom that no publicity is bad publicity.
Glover has been suspended for two games after getting into a scrap with G Austin Lotz of the Everett Silvertips on Saturday night. According to the WHL website, the suspension actually is “for game misconduct versus Everett.”
From that same game, the Thunderbirds drew a $500 fine for the goaltenders’ fight, and Seattle D Evan Wardley was suspended for two games after picking up his fourth game misconduct of the season.
Meanwhile, F Jordan Messier of the Moose Jaw Warriors was hit was a three-game suspension for a game misconduct he incurred in a game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Friday. Messier came off the bench during a line change and got involved in a scrap. . . . That suspension ends Messier’s WHL career as he is 20 and the Warriors have only three games remaining.
The Warriors also were fined $250 “for actions of player” in that game.
———

The Tri-City Americans have added D Brandon Carlo, 16, to their roster for the rest of this season. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Carlo, from Colorado Springs, Colo, played this season with the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He put up 47 points, including 10 goals, in 41 games. Carlo was a 10th-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. According to an Americans’ news release: “Under the USA Hockey/Hockey Canada/CHL agreement, Carlo will be limited to six games played for the remainder of the season, including the 2013 WHL playoffs.” . . .
The Americans also announced that they have added F Fraser Bulbuc, 18, to their roster. He had been with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Bulbuc has played in four games with the Americans this season, scoring one goal.
The Kootenay Ice has added F Hudson Elynuik, 15, to its roster for the last four regular-season games. A third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, Elynuik played for the midget AAA Calgary Flames. . . .
The WHL’s draft lottery will be held on March 20. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have added F Matteo Gennaro, 15, and D Brendan Guhle, 15, to their roster. Gennaro, a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, had 21 points in 30 games with the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. He will stay with the Raiders through the weekend’s final regular-season games. Guhle, the third overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, played with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. He had five points in nine playoff games and will remain with the Raiders through the playoffs. . . .
F Henrik Samuelsson of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Samuelsson, the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, was a first-round selection, 27th ovearll, in the 2012 NHL draft. He has 79 points, including 32 goals, in 67 games this season. Last season, the native of Scottsdale, Ariz., had 23 points in 28 regular-season games after joining the Oil Kings following the Christmas break. He added 14 points in WHL playoff games then was named to the Memorial Cup all-star team.
According to capgeek.com, D Joel Edmundson of the Kamloops Blazers will get NHL salaries of $642,500, $717,500 and $867,500 under the terms of the three-year deal he signed with the St. Louis Blues last week. His AHL salary would be $70,000 in each of the three seasons. Edmundson, a second-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft while he was with the Moose Jaw Warriors, also got a signing bonus of $277,500, payable in three annual instalments. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have added F Jordan DePape, 20, to their roster. DePape, who hasn’t played since Nov. 11, left the Kamloops Blazers in order to undergo shoulder surgery. The Rebels acquired him as a free agent on Jan. 10 in the hopes that he would help them in the playoffs. . . . Red Deer has two games remaining, both against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
———
The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
———
MONDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
———






I will let you guess what was on TV last night . . .
———
From Portland Winterhawks F Chase De Leo (@Dels9): “Bachelor season finale tonight, mixed emotions. Excited, but sad it's going to be over. Think with your head Sean, not your hammer. #WifedUp”
———
From Brandon Wheat Kings D Nick Walters (@nickwalters3): “Lindsay Illl love you and treat you right”
———
From former Portland F Brad Ross (@bross1818): “Wow Sean your an idiot can't believe you didn't pick Lindsay. I'm #heartbroken #idmarryyou”
———
And then there was Bachelor fan Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29), who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings but seems to have missed the finale: “Congrats to my alma mater, @ICGaels, for winning the MAAC men's basketball championship tonight and advancing to the NCAA tournament.”
———
From Shawneen Esson (@s_esson): “Seen 2 of the @SCBroncos packing bags at Safeway tonight! Pretty nice to see even if one was tweeting on the job! Lol”

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.