Cunningham tells his story ... Ingram blanks Czechs ... MJHL losing a franchise

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

I know . . . I know! There were a couple of Little Drummer Boy videos here yesterday. But this one right here — featuring Bing Crosby and David Bowie — is exceptional. Enjoy!

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F Denis Tolpeko (Seattle, Regina, 2003-06) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). Tolpeko was released Tuesday by mutual agreement by Sochi (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and five assists in 31 games with Sochi. . . . 

D Alex Roach (Calgary, 2010-14) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, he had two assists in 12 games with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL). . . .

F Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City, 2007-12) has been released by mutual agreement by Langnau (Switzerland, NL A). He had two goals and seven assists in 12 games. . . .

D Brendan Mikkelson (Portland, Vancouver, 2003-07) has signed a two-year extension with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). This season, he has four goals and five assists in 27 games. He is an alternate captain and leads the team in ice time, averaging 22 minutes 53 seconds per game.

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Craig Cunningham, the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, met with the media on Wednesday. Cunningham had a massive cardiac event prior to a home game on Nov. 19. The fact that he is where he is today is nothing  short of a medical miracle. . . . Craig Reck of Tucson News Now has more right here.

On Tuesday, A.E. Araiza of the Arizona Daily Star filed an all-encompassing piece that is right here.

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G Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers stopped 21 shots on Wednesday as Canada’s national junior team beat Czech Republic, 5-0, in an exhibition game played in Ottawa. Both teams are prepping for the World Junior Championship that opens in Montreal and Toronto on Monday. . . . Canada is 2-0 in preparation games, having beaten Finland 5-0 two nights earlier. G Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips turned aside 25 shots for the shutout in that one. . . . Last night, F Anthony Cirelli (Oshawa Generals) scored twice, with singles coming from F Tyson Jost (North Dakota), F Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) and F Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs). . . . Canada will complete its pre-tournament schedule on Friday when it meets Switzerland in Toronto.

In another Wednesday game, the U.S. beat Switzerland, 4-3. D Caleb Jones of the Portland Winterhawks wasn’t in Team USA’s lineup.

F Calvin Thurkauf of the Kelowna Rockets has been named captain of Switzerland’s national junior team that will play in the World Junior Championship. The Swiss begin play on Dec. 27 when they are scheduled to meet Czech Republic. 

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his latest 30 Thoughts on Wednesday. This week, he opens with an interesting look at the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and analytics. It’s all right here.

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The MJHL is losing a franchise after this season. The OCN Blizzard, which is owned and operated by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), are winding things down and will close the doors after the season. . . . A news release from OCN reads: ”The announcement comes after careful deliberations with Opaskwayak Cree Nation representatives from administration and finance, who presented recommendations to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation leadership. Based on the information presented, the decision was made to proceed with winding down on the operations of the OCN Blizzard.” . . . OCN, which is located near The Pas, Man., entered the MJHL for the 1996-97 season.

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DEC. 19-26:

No Games Scheduled.

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Rockets score early and late in second to win opener . . . MacBeth Report overflowing

So happy my Family and friends could join me today at #OrderOfCanada ceremonies. One never receive this award alone. pic.twitter.com/nsGPPUedBz

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) May 8, 2015

D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a one-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, he had two goals and 21 assists in 48 games with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). DuPont earlier played three seasons (2003-06) with Eisbären Berlin. . . .
F Spencer Machacek (Vancouver, 2005-08) signed a one-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL), he had 35 points, including eight goals, in 43 games. . . .
F Radim Valchar (Portland, Lethbridge, 2007-10) signed a one-year contract with Hokki Kajaani (Finland, Mestis). This season, with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus), he had five goals and 13 assists in 26 games. . . .
F Masi Marjamäki (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-05) signed a one-year contract with Ässät Port (Finland, Liiga). This season, he had four goals and two assists with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). He also had three goals and three assists in eight games on loan to LeKi Lempäälä (Finland, Mestis). . . .
D Brendan Mikkelson (Portland, Vancouver, 2003-07) signed a two-year contract with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). This season, with the Toronto Marlies (AHL), he had 23 points, including nine goals, in 60 games. He was an alternate captain with the Marlies. . . .
F Justin Taylor (Medicine Hat, Red Deer, 1999-2001, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with Peiting (Germany, Oberliga). This season, with Mörrum (Sweden, Division 1), he had six goals and five assists in 18 games. . . .
F Dan DaSilva (Portland, 2002-05) signed one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL), he had 36 points, including 17 goals, in 51 games. . . .
D Derek Meech (Red Deer, 1999-2004) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, SHL). This season, with the Texas Stars (AHL), he had 35 points, 10 of them goals, in 63 games. Malmö won promotion to SHL from Allsvenskan this season. . . .
D Jesse Dudas (Lethbridge, Prince George, Swift Current, Regina, 2003-09) signed a three-week tryout contract with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga). This season, with Jegesmedve Miskolc (Hungary, MOL Liga), he had 43 points, 11 of them goals, in 34 games. Teams in Finland often practise until the end of May. . . .
G Jeff Glass (Kootenay, 2002-05) signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). This season, with Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL), he had a 3.46 GAA and a .885 save percentage in 14 games. . . .
F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 36 points, including 13 goals, in 54 games. . . .
F Jordan Draper (Red Deer, 2007-08) signed a one-year contract with Courbevoie (France, Division 1). This season, with Mont-Blanc (France Division 1), he had 34 points, including 20 goals, in 22 games. He led his team in goals and points, and was fifth in the league’s scoring race. . . .
F Jan Dalecký (Swift Current, 2007-09) signed a one-year extension with Kladno (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). This season, he had five goals and three assists in 34 games.
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pic.twitter.com/yEL9VehCEh

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) May 8, 2015

FRIDAY’S GAME:

In Brandon, F Leon Draisaitl broke a 3-3 tie at 18:50 of the second period as the Kelowna Rockets opened the WHL’s championship final with a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Brandon. . . . F Rihards Bukarts got Brandon on the board during the game’s first PP, scoring his third goal at 4:58 of the first period. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s next three goals in just 3:38. . . . F Tyson Baillie got his 10th goal at 17:41 of the first period, via the PP. . . . F Justin Kirkland scored his third goal 52 seconds into the second to give the visitors their first lead. . . . F Chance Braid, with his fourth goal, gave the Rockets a two-goal lead at 1:19. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it, getting goals 1:57 apart, from F Peter Quenneville, his eighth, on the PP, at 15:58, and Bukarts, at 17:55. . . . Draisaitl scored the goal that would stand up as the winner just 55 seconds later. . . . The difference in the game? The Rockets scored two goals in the first 1:19 of the second and another almost in the last minute of that period. So much for Brandon maintaining momentum, especially after tying the game 3-3. . . . Kelowna D Josh Morrissey had two assists, with Kirkland and Baillie each adding an assist to their goals. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 24 shots, 12 fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Brandon was 2-for-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-for-4. . . . The referees were Chris Crich and Brett Iverson. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier (ankle) had a question mark beside his name on the lineup sheet. He took the warmup and was in the lineup, picking up one assist. He started on a line with Rodney Southam and Riley Stadel. . . . While F Tanner Kaspick was back in Brandon’s lineup, D Kale Clague and F Reid Duke were among the scratches. . . . The Wheat Kings also had F Ty Lewis in the lineup for the first time in these playoffs. Lewis, who is from Brandon, was a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . F Caiden Daley, selected by the Wheat Kings with the 21st overall pick in Thursday’s bantam draft, was in the house. He played this season with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Warriors. . . . Shaw-TV is showing the entire series. . . . The attendance was a season-high 5,502. . . . Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings on CKLQ, has a game story right here. . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier filed this story right here.
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The host Oshawa Generals opened the OHL final last night with a 4-1 victory over the Erie Otters before 6,068 fans. . . . Erie F Connor McDavid had one assist, the fourth time in 16 playoff games that he was held to one point. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Oshawa. . . .
In the QMJHL, the visiting Quebec Remparts beat the Rimouski Oceanic 4-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the championship series. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale stopped 40 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,062. . . . They are scheduled to play Sunday and Wednesday in Quebec City.
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In the AHL, the Utica Comets and Oklahoma City Barons, who went into the fourth OT period on Thursday night, were back at it last night. The Barons won the series opener 2-1. Last night, it was the Comets winning 2-1, this time at 3:32 of the first extra period. . . . The online scoresheet is right here.
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The BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs issued a rather interesting news release this week, as they announced “the addition of eight players for the 2015-16 season. All eight were members of the split-season Connecticut Wolf Pack team that captured the 2015 USA Hockey Tier 1 U18 National Championship in Amherst, N.Y., in April. . . . All told, the Chiefs added a goaltender, a defence man and six forwards from the Wolf Pack. . . . Six of the players are Americans; the other two are from Quebec. . . . There’s more right here.
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If you missed it, ESPN announced Thursday that it won’t renew Bill Simmons’ contract. Jeb Lund greeted that news with ‘A Begrudging Appreciation’ for Rolling Stone. It’s a good read and it’s right here.
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Florence and Kaye Kaminishi of Kamloops celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Friday. You may not know them or know of them, but there is a truly amazing story there. . . . Kaminishi was a promising young baseball player in Vancouver when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941. It wasn’t long before Kaminish and his mother were in an internment camp near Lillooet, B.C., their lumberyard gone, seized by the government. . . . Kaminishi survived all of that and is a man of uncommon grace. For more on his story, click right here.
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#NHLJets announce Andrew Ladd had 'successful surgery' on a sports hernia today in St. L. Expected to be ready for camp in Sept. #bn

— Ed Tait (@WFPEdTait) May 8, 2015

Wonder if a pro sports team ever announced a player underwent 'unsuccessful surgery'? 'Sorry to report the doc really messed up...'

— Ed Tait (@WFPEdTait) May 8, 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.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jannik Hansen (Portland, 2005-06) signed a lockout contract with Tappara Tampere (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 16 goals and 23 assists in 82 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season. Hansen arrived in Finland on Tuesday and will be in Tappara's lineup Thursday against KalPa Kuopio. . . .
D Brendan Mikkelson (Portland, Vancouver, 2003-07) signed a lockout contract with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had three goals and 12 assists in 33 games with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) and one goal and two assists with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Mikkelson is expected to join the club, which includes fellow NHL locked-out players F Mikael Backlund (Kelowna, 2008-09) and F Patrik Berglund in time for Thursday's game against Mora. Mikkelson's signing puts Västerås one over the limit of two non-EU players allowed per team, the other two being Brady Leisenring and David Lundbohm, both Americans. Västerås GM Niklas Johansson says: "We are fully aware and have a plan we will follow. It's no secret that our great need right now is on the back end." Leisenring and Lundbohm are both forwards, with Leisenring having eight goals and seven assists in 13 games to lead the team in scoring so far this season. Lundbohm just returned from a loan to TuTo Turku (Finland, Mestis), where he had five goals and five assists in 15 games, and has yet to play a game for Västerås this season. . . .
F Joffrey Lupul (Medicine Hat, 2000-03) signed a lockout contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (Russia, KHL). He had 25 goals and 42 assists in 66 games with Toronto Maple Leafs last season. . . .
F Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract extension with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A). He has four goals and seven assists in 17 games with Lugano this season. McLean signed a one-year extension with Lugano in March after joining the club in January from the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL). The current extension now ties McLean to Lugano through the end of next season.
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Here’s a little extra from The MacBeth Report, who writes that he “came across this little bit from Greg Wyshynski (Puck Daddy). A fan went after Benn Olson after the game between Coventry and Cardiff in Cardiff on Sunday. Olson and Mike Egener, both with Coventery, are involved.”
Olson and Egener are former WHLers.
The video is right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
F Shane McColgan scored on the PP to break a 2-2 tie and give the visiting Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl pulled the Pats even at 12:10, only to have McColgan score his third goal of the season 53 seconds later. . . . Scheidl also scored a first-period PP goal that ended a Blades’ run of 22 consecutive successful kills. . . . Saskatoon G Andrew Makarov made his ninth straight start. . . . The Blades had a 10-day layoff prior to this game. . . . Regina has lost three straight games now. . . . The Pats lost freshman D Colby Williams in the first period after he took a hit to the head and suffered a deep cut. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Leon Draisaitl scored the only goal of the circus as the Raiders beat the Swift Current Broncos, 2-1. . . . Draisaitl scored his third goal of the season, at 2:47 of the third, via the PP, to tie the score 1-1. . . . A 17-year-old from Cologne, Germany, Draisaitl had three assists in a 5-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. His mother and sister have been in attendance at his last two games. . . . Prince Albert G Luke Siemens improved to 9-3-2 with a 30-save effort . . . The Broncos have played 11 games against East Division and have lost six of them. However, they got loser points in five of those so are 5-1-5, which is a .682 winning percentage. . . . Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Herald reports that the Raiders scratched F Dakota Conroy, D Shayne Gwinner and F Davis Vandane, all of whom were “suspended for violating team rules.” . . .

F Nathan Burns scored the only goal of the circus as the Vancouver Giants beat the Hurricanes 4-3 in Lethbridge. . . . Burns was the only one of eight shooters to score. . . . Vancouver F Dalton Sward forced OT with his third goal of the season at 19:10 of the third. . . .  F Marek Tvrdon had two assists as he ran his point streak to a career-best nine games. . . . Vancouver G Liam Liston, who played 24 games with the Hurricanes last season, stopped 26 shots for his first victory this season. He’s 1-6-0. . . . F Russell Maxwell had his 11th goal and two assists for Lethbridge. He has 19 points after totalling 31 points, including 15 goals, in 72 games last season. . . .

F Colin Smith scored the only goal of the circus to give the Kamloops Blazers a 3-2 victory over the Silvertips in Everett. . . . The victory allowed the Blazers to set a franchise record for consecutive victories (14). . . . The Blazers are 16-0-1 and remain the CHL’s only team not have been beaten in regulation time. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison scored his club’s first goal and it was his 200th career regular-season point. . . . The last WHL team to win 14 in a row? Everett and the Kootenay Ice did it in 2009-10. The Edmonton Oil Kings went on a 22-game run last season that overlapped with the playoffs.

D Mike Aviani had two goals and two assists to lead the host Spokane Chiefs to an 8-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Aviani has 10 goals this season. . . . Chiefs D Brenden Kichton scored his club’s seventh goal — it was his 50th career goal and 200th point. . . . Spokane D Tyler King had a goal and two assists. . . . Spokane F Todd Fiddler scored his ninth and 10th goals. . . . The Chiefs are 7-0-0 at home and 11-5-0 overall.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Sam Grist, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Tanner Moar, Vancouver.
F Jackson Houck, Vancouver.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From WHL fan Terry Massey (@TerryMassey): “Dear @whl why do the pucks keep breaking? #cheap #noslapshotsrestofthegame #rubberpuckshereonin”
This was after two pucks broke just seconds apart during the first period of last night’s game in Regina.
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From Dan Russell (@DanRussellCKNW): “Can a WHL win in October be classified as ‘huge’??? If so, that was a huge win for Saskatoon tonight in Regina.”

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.