Ex-coach: Depression, anxiety among factors in players leaving

It happens every August as WHL teams get their training camps rolling.
Some veteran players don’t show up. For one reason or another, they decide to move on to other things.
A lot of these players would be going into their 20-year-old seasons. Are they tired of the grind? Are they concerned about getting caught up in the 20-year-old game and its uncertainties, with each team being allowed to keep only three of them?
Some of the departing players are younger, perhaps feeling the impact of injuries or not wanting to be away from home anymore.
One former WHL coach wonders if this is just a sign of the times.
“Kids in general today do not have the same character required by people who have been in the game for 20-plus years,” he said. “Players have changed; managers, owners, coaches have not.
“The idea of ‘earning’ something seems to have gone by the wayside. Once a player gets drafted, it’s expected by the player, parents and agent for the ‘team’ to make him a player. (That is) unfortunate, but very true.”
This former coach also pointed a finger at the rigours of being a major junior hockey player.
These days, hockey at this level offers little in the way of down time. As a result, he said, “Players are getting worn out by pushing themselves in the off-season. Whatever happened to playing another sport?”
He suggests that hockey’s push to being a year-round sport has taken a lot of the “fun” out of the game.
“It’s a game,” he said. “But we do not treat it like a game. It’s all or nothing. TSN thrives on the business and compete part of the game. Rogers will do the same. It’s big business in the CHL.”
The former coach also touched on a couple of things that don’t get a whole lot of play in the hockey world.
“Depression and anxiety play a huge part in all of this,” he said. “The stress and pressure for a player to reach his ‘potential’ is a lot of times insurmountable. When you have been the best from 10-15 (years of age) in a small pool, expectations become unrealistic. Jump in the big pool, and the sharks eat you.”
It all adds up to a lot of burnout and pressure, he said, adding that “I would easily say that 75 per cent of players in the entire pool of players fall because of unrealistic expectations.”
Another former WHL coach wonders if some players who leave before their 20-year-old seasons would stay if they had no-trade clauses.
“The 20-year-olds don’t want to be suitcases and would like to play but not get traded,” he suggested. “As you have seen over the years, there is that the glut of 20-year-olds at the start of the season and players get moved or dropped to junior A. The kids are smarter now and don't like it.
“If the WHL wants to change this, then they need to open up the 20-year-olds to five or maybe even seven, and then they won’t quit.”
The ex-coach also is of the opinion that such a move would only help the WHL’s product.
“It would give better value to the $20,” he reasoned. “I also think that this would help the NHL coaches coming to the WHL as they won’t have to do skills and progression drills . . . just systems.”
From time-to-time, there has been talk among WHL officials about increasing the 20-year-old roster limit. However, it won’t happen without support from the OHL and QMJHL and, to date, that support hasn’t been there.
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G Brett Zarowny didn’t report to training camp with the Prince George Cougars. Zarowny, 19, was a third-round bantam draft pick in 2010. From Edson, Alta., Zarowny played two seasons with the Cougars. He was 9-19-0/3.74/.886 in 2012-13; last season, he went 3-10-2/4.23/.885. . . . A groin injury suffered in late November limited Zarowny to 17 games last season. . . . Cougars head coach Mark Holick told Taking Note that Zarowny “has decided to go to school.”
With Zarowny gone, it would appear that the top two goaltenders on the Cougars’ depth chart would be Ty Edmonds, 18, and Adam Beukeboom, 20, with Matt Kustra, 17, perhaps third. Edmonds got into 55 games last season, going 19-19-6/3.85/.887. With Zarowny hurt, Beukeboom came on to play in 14 games, going 5-8-0/4.25/.887. Kustra was an eight-round bantam draft pick in 2012.
The Cougars’ roster shows four 1994-born players, the others being F Chance Braid, F Jari Erricson and D Wil Tomchuk.
Holick told Taking Note that Erricson is in camp and has been cleared to participate. Erricson had one assist in four games last season before suffering a season-ending brain injury during a fight with F Jessey Astles of the Tri-City Americans on Sept. 22.
In 192 career games, the first 129 with the Everett Silvertips, Erricson, who is from Prince George, has 62 points, including 26 goals.
There is more good news in Prince George as F David Soltes, a 19-year-old Slovakian, is on the training camp roster. He had his freshman season ended by a knee injury after just 15 games. He had four goals and one assist in those 15 games.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed Russian F Pavel Skumatov, 17, who was their second-round selection in the CHL’s 2014 import draft. He is from Mescherskoye. The 6-foot-0, 165-pounder played for Vityazi Chekhov in the U20 MHL last season. He was one of the youngest players on his team and had two assists in 26 games.
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Stay home, or hand over big bucks and go to the game. Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle has that argument with himself right here.
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More rosters added/updated with cuts. http://t.co/mRUqirz94K Still nothing available from Edmonton, Kelowna, Medicine Hat.
— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) August 23, 2014

It's nothing new, same teams every year. Slightly disappointing that some teams make it so difficult for their fans to follow their camps.
— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) August 23, 2014

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End of an era in Saskatoon today?

THE MacBETH REPORT:

 F Frantisek Mrazek (Red Deer, 1997-99) was released from his tryout with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, KHL). He had 18 goals and 10 assists in 44 games with Landshut (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season. . . .



F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) was released by Yuzhny Ural Orsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga) so he could sign a one-year contract with Esbjerg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga), the club with which he played his minor hockey. He had six goals and nine assists in 52 games with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season. Starkov was born in Russia but moved to Esbjerg when he was three when his father Oleg signed with the club. Oleg Starkov played nine seasons with Esbjerg after 10 years in the Soviet league. Oleg represented the Soviet Union at the 1983 World Junior Championship in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where he finished fourth in scoring with six goals and six assists in seven games, eight points behind scoring champion Vladimir Ruzicka, one point ahead of Canada’s scoring leader Dave Andreychuk, and two points ahead of a 17-year-old Mario Lemieux. . . .

F Martin Tomasek (Red Deer, 1996-97) signed a one-year contract with Feldkirch (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and seven assists in three games with Karvina (Czech Republic, 2. Liga) and 19 goals and 26 assists in 22 games with Neuilly-sur-Marne (France, Division 1) last season. . . .

F Martin Ruzicka (Everett, Lethbridge, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 40 goals and 43 assists in 52 games with Trinec last season. Ruzicka led Extraliga in scoring (by 25 points), goals (by 13 goals), and assists (by four over ex-NHL player Martin Straka) last season. . . .


F Lukas Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-07) signed a one-year contract with Landshut (Germany, DEL2) after a successful tryout. He had one goal and four assists in 31 games with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), one assist in five games on loan to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), and no points in two games with Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) last season. . . .



F Jakub Klepis (Portland, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract extension with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). He had 20 goals and 18 assists in 45 games with Lev last season to lead the team in goals, assists, and scoring.
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Chris Peters of The United States of Hockey writes:
“More research on head trauma is coming out with increased regularity and hopefully those that are running college and junior hockey leagues are paying extremely close attention. This is one of the biggest and most important issues in modern sport. If rules and equipment can’t make a difference, it’s the individuals that have to find a way to.
“That could mean more, stricter rules, but more than anything teams and leagues should be examining how they are going about identifying high-risk incidents, while also examining the diagnosis and treatment of concussions and head trauma in a sports setting.
“The adults in charge of the leagues making money off of these players need to do right by their young people. How to do that in the most effective manner may take years to discover, but the search has to start now, if it hasn’t already. It could be the difference between a few days on the sidelines and the end of a career. Or worse, a life forever altered.”
That entire piece is right here.
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Dan Russell’s Sportstalk will debut on Vancouver radio station CISL (AM 650) on Sept. 29 at 9 p.m.
From a news release:
“Some exciting changes are planned to refresh Sportstalk, starting with the show’s new Sunday to Thursday night time slot. In addition, veteran sports mind Lee Powell will be joining the proceedings. With 35 years of local experience, Powell’s knowledge and credibility run deep when it comes to sports in Vancouver.
“Longtime producer Heath Morgan will be continuing with the Sportstalk team.”
Russell did his final show as the host of Sportstalk on CKNW 980 on Friday night. CKNW had informed him earlier in the summer that his contract wouldn’t be renewed when it expired on Aug. 31.
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It almost certainly will be the end of an era in the WHL today as the board of governors gathers in Calgary today where it is expected to vote unanimously in favour of allowing Saskatoon Blades owner Jack Brodsky to sell the franchise to Edmonton-based auto dealer Mike Priestner. . . . The sale needs two-thirds of the 22 governors to vote in favour in order to pass. But it is expected to be unanimous, simply because of Brodsky’s long-standing relationship with the WHL. The franchise has been in the Brodsky family since 1976. . . . With the sale price said to be north of $9 million, you can bet there will a lot of smiles around the governors’ table today. . . . The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that Steve Hogle, the vice-president of hockey communications with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, is expected to take over as the Blades’ president.
Matheson’s complete story is right here.
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The Saskatoon Blades have received clearance to use Russian F Nikita Sherbak, who won’t turn 18 until Dec. 30. . . . The Blades received clearance from the IIHF on Tuesday morning, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. . . . Sherbak’s former team, Kapitan Stupino, a Russian junior club, had refused to issue him a release. . . . Sherbak, who had been spending a lot of time riding the bike, skated with the Blades on Tuesday.
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The Prince George Cougars have released G Mac Engel, 20, meaning they will open the season with Brett Zarowny, 18, and Ty Edmonds, 17, as their goaltenders. Zarowny is heading into his second season with the Cougars; Edmonds, from Winnipeg, played last season for the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. . . . The Cougars also released F Jarrett Fontaine, 18. In 133 games with the Cougars over two seasons, the 5-foot-5 Fontaine, who is from Humboldt, Sask., had 27 points, including 10 goals.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Patrick Bajkov, D Jordan Wharrie and D Lucas Skrumeda. . . . Bajkov, who turns 16 on Nov. 27, was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Nanaimo, B.C., native had 31 points, including 20 goals, with the major midget North Island Silvertips last season. . . . Wharrie, 16, was taken in the fifth-round of the 2012 bantam draft. From Port Moody, B.C., he had two points in 39 games with the major midget Vancouver North East Chiefs. . . . Skrumeda, a list player, is to turn 17 on Oct. 7. From St. Andrews, Man., he had 28 points in 43 games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers last season.
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The Portland Winterhawks, the WHL’s defending champions, have nine players heading out to NHL training camps — F Oliver Bjorkstrand, Columbus Blue Jackets; G Brendan Burke, Phoenix Coyotes; F Anton Cederholm, Vancouver Canucks; F Adam de Champlain, Vancouver; D Garrett Haar, Washington Capitals; F Taylor Leier, Philadelphia Flyers; F Brendan Leipsic, Nashville Predators; F Nic Petan, Winnipeg Jets; and D Derrick Pouliot, Pittsburgh Penguins.
All are draft picks, with the exception of de Champlain, who is a free-agent invitee.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are preparing to have three players depart for NHL camps — D Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs; D Travis Brown, Chicago Blackhawks; and F Tanner Eberle, Montreal Canadiens. Rielly and Brown were draft picks; Eberle is on a free-agent tryout.
The 19-year-old Rielly was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2012 NHL draft. He joined the AHL’s Toronto Marlies when the Warriors’ last season ended, getting into 14 regular-season and eight playoff games. Based on all of that, you have to think he will be given every opportunity to stick with the Maple Leafs.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will have four roster players attending NHL camps — D Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks; F Alexander Delnov, Florida Panthers; F Mitch Elliot, Vancouver Canucks; and D Jared Hauf, Philadelphia Flyers. Theodore and Delnov are draft picks; Elliot and Hauf are free-agent invitees. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock, who was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery and won’t attend the NHL team’s camp.
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From Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan (@petan19): “Thankful to be living on a houseboat this year. #portland #view.”
He included this photo.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1995-2001) signed a contract with AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien) for the rest of this season. Beech, who signed a "game-by-game" contract with AIK in December, has two goals in two
games with AIK. He started the season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), getting two goals and six assists in 21 games before his release in November. . . .

G Marek Schwarz (Vancouver, 2004-05) was traded by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for G Marek Pinc. Schwarz has a 3.84 GAA and an .890 save percentage in 16 games with Sparta this season. . . .


D Darcy Werenka (Lethbridge, Brandon, 1989-1993) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Kapfenberg (Austria, National Amateur). Werenka has not played so far this season. Last season, he had four goals and 20 assists in 26 games for Rouen (France Ligue Magnus). Werenka has dual Canadian-Austrian citizenship.
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TANNER MORT

The Spokane Chiefs have shut down D Tanner Mort, 19, “for the foreseeable future after he and the organization reassessed his injury situation,” according to a news release issued by the team on Friday.
Mort, from Post Falls, Idaho, was in his fourth season with the Chiefs. He suffered a suspected concussion on Oct. 12, during a 5-1 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops.
He suffered what the Chiefs are calling “an upper body injury.”
"Tanner's injury has steadily improved,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said in the news release, “but he is still experiencing some discomfort so we all agreed that it would be best to shut him down to rest and recover."We are all willing to be patient with the process and understand that Tanner's health is the number one priority.”
Mort has 32 points in 137 career regular-season games with the Chiefs.
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Three Friday afternoon tweets from TSN’s Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie):
1. “NHL teams have until Fri Jan 18 to return underage juniors to their respective teams or they must be put on the NHL roster.”
2. “If an underage junior plays 6 NHL games this season, it burns a year of entry-level contract.”
3. “Underager can be returned to jr until April 3 (NHL trade deadline/roster freeze). If played in 5 NHL or less games, no contract year burned.”
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Put your team in front of a bus and you will get a three-game suspension. At least that’s what happened to Terry Jones, the head coach of the junior B Beaver Valley NiteHawks. There’s more right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, D Nick Walters drew three assists to help the Brandon Wheat Kings end a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The victory moved Brandon, which is last in the 12-team Eastern Conference, to within a point of the Warriors and kept them within a point of the Kootenay Ice. . . . Walters was acquired from the Everett Silvertips on Thursday. He had nine assists in 35 games with Everett this season. . . . This was the first three-point game of Walters’ career and came in his 146th regular-season game. . . . According to Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, “Walters . . . drove from Everett to Abbotsford, B.C., at 5 a.m., caught a flight to Calgary, then flew to Regina where the Wheat Kings bus picked him up to drive him to Moose Jaw.” . . . Brandon D Rene Hunter scored his first goal of the season and was plus-4. . . . The Warriors have lost six straight games. . . . Among Brandon’s scratches were F Jayce Hawryluk (ill) and D Ryan Pulock (wrist). . . . F Ben Duperreault, who plays for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, made his debut with the Warriors, who were without F Jordan Wyton (undisclosed) and F Torrin White (mononucleosis). . . . Moose Jaw is without D Morgan Rielly, who is in Toronto preparing for the Maple Leafs’ training camp. . . .

In Swift Current, F Adam Lowry ran his point streak to 19 games as the Broncos beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. . . . Lowry drew an assist on F Colby Cave’s empty-netter at 19:52 of the third period and now has the longest point streak in the WHL this season. . . . Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 43 shots. . . . Broncos F Jay Merkley broke a 1-1 tie at 2:25 of the third period. He’s got 16 goals. . . . There was only one minor penalty called in the game, that to Swift Current F Daniel Dale for goaltender interference at 3:00 of the second period. . . . The Raiders were without F Mark McNeill (ill). . . .

In Regina, the Calgary Hitmen won their sixth straight game and 30th of the season, beating the Pats, 6-1. . . . F Brady Brassart and F Jake Virtanen had two goals each for Calgary. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek may not be the second-coming of ‘Sudden-Death’ Mel Hill, but there has to be a nickname for him. He set a franchise record by scoring nine seconds into a game earlier this week, and then counted six seconds into the second period in the next game. Last night, he scored 13 seconds into the game. . . . Macek has 23 goals this season. . . . The line of Macek, Brassart and Cody Sylvester, who had two assists, has 38 points over its last six games. . . . The Hitmen lead the Eastern Conference and are three points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings atop the Central Division. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s first three goals and beat the Blades, 3-1. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 34 shots. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov, in his first appearance since playing for Russia at the World Junior Championship, turned aside 29 shots. . . . Red Deer F David Volek scored his fourth goal in nine games with the Rebels, while F Rhyse Dieno got his 11th goal in 23 games. . . . D Matt Dumba was in Red Deer’s lineup. He leaves today for training camp with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry set a club record as the Oil Kings blanked the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-0. . . . Jarry stopped 23 shots for his WHL-leading fourth shutout this season and the fourth of his career. That is a single-season record. He had shared the record with Torrie Jung and Laurent Brossoit. . . . Jarry has recorded back-to-back blank jobs — he turned aside 24 shots in a 5-0 victory over visiting Vancouver on Saturday. . . . F Trevor Cheek scored his first goal with Edmonton, and his 19th this season. He came over from Vancouver in a trade earlier in the week. . . . D Keegan Lowe had two assists. . . . This is the Oil Kings’ lone three-game weekend of the season. They are in Saskatoon tonight and in Medicine Hat on Sunday. . . . D Griffin Reinhart played for the Oil Kings. He leaves today for the training camp of the NHL’s New York Islanders. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Brock Montgomery and F Sam Reinhart scored three times each as the Kootenay Ice beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 7-5. . . . Montgomery’s third goal, his 18th, came via the PP and broke a 5-5 tie at 16:42 of the third. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had three assists for the Ice, which has won seven in a row. . . . Reinhart completed his hat trick with an empty-netter, giving him 19 goals this season. . . . F Elgin Pearce, a former Ice skater, had two goals, giving him 18, and an assist for the Tigers. . . . The Ice was 3-for-5 on the PP. . . . F Boston Leier had a goal and two helpers for the Tigers. . . . According to Ice radio voice Jeff Hollick, it was the second time two Kootenay players have had hat tricks in the same game. F Marek Svatos and F Tyler Beechey did it in a 10-7 victory over Medicine Hat in January 2001. . . . Earlier Friday, the Ice named D Joey Leach, 20, as its new captain. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 deficit with four straight goals and beat the Tri-City Americans, 6-3. . . . Kelowna has won 17 in a row on home ice. . . . The Rockets next play at home Tuesday against the Spokane Chiefs. A Kelowna victory would tie the franchise record for longest home-ice winning streak. . . .  F Dylen McKinlay had two goals and two assists for the Rockets. . . . The Rockets have won eight in a row and now lead the B.C. Division by four points over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 26 shots as he put up his 15th straight victory. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell left in the third period after checking Tri-City D Zach Yuen from behind. Bell received a major and game misconduct; Yuen was helped off the ice but returned. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser picked up an assist for his 296th career point. He is four points from becoming the seventh player in Tri-City history to get to 300. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored four third-period goals and beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-2. . . . D Troy Rutkowski scored his 13th goal and added two assists. . . . F Brendan Leipsic of the Winterhawks broke a 2-2 tie at 15:06 of the third period on a PP. . . .
Starting with Leipsic's goal, Portland scored three times in a span of 1:39. . . . Leipsic also had an assist and now is on an 11-game point streak. He had an 18-game run earlier in the season. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had a goal and an assist. He leads the WHL scoring race with 71 points. . . . Petan and Spokane F Todd Fiddler each scored his 28th goal, one shy of the WHL lead held by Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls. . . . This was the Chiefs’ first visit to Portland this season. . . . Prior to the game the Winterhawks assigned F Alex Schoenborn, 17, to the BCHL’s, errrr, NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild. He had two points in 18 games with Portland. . . . The Winterhawks also assigned D Layne Viveiros, 17, to the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks for the balance of this season. He had three assists in 20 games in his second season in Portland. Last season, he finished with three assists in 39 games. He was a ninth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .

In Prince George, G Brett Zarowny stopped 44 shots to lead the Cougars to a 1-0 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Zarowny, a 17-year-old freshman from Edson, Alta., evened his record at 9-9-0 as the Cougars halted a seven-game losing streak. . . . Sophomore forward Jordan Tkatch scored the game’s only goal, getting his fourth of the season at 12:15 of the second period. . . . Zarowny stopped 23 shots in the third period to post his third shutout of the season. . . . This was the first time the Blazers have lost 1-0 since March 12, 2011, when Kelowna’s Adam Brown stopped 33 shots and the host Rockets won 1-0 in a shootout. . . . The Cougars took all three of the game’s minor penalties. . . . D Rinalds Rosinkis, who played for Latvia at the World Junior Championship, was back in the Cougars’ lineup. . . . Kamloops had F JC Lipon and D Marek Hrbas back in the lineup. Both played at the WJC, Lipon with Canada and Hrbas with the Czech Republic. . . . The Blazers, who have lost two in a row after having won three straight, and Cougars meet again tonight in Prince George. . . .

In Everett, the home side struck for seven goals for the first time this season and beat the Victoria Royals 7-4 in the Silvertips’ first game with GM Garry Davidson running the bench. . . . Davidson replaced Mark Ferner as head coach earlier in the week. . . . Everett has won four of six. . . . F Ryan Harrison scored twice for Everett, with both goals into an empty net. . . . F Tyler Sandhu had three assists for Everett. . . . The victory lifted Everett into seventh place in the Western Conference, a point ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon
F Myles Bell, Kelowna (major)
F Mikulas Rimmel, Spokane

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Swift Current D Reece Scarlett (@reecescarlett7): “Just got stuck for 45 mins. Thanks to the gentlemen that stopped and helped.. Still no thanks to you and your snowplowing swifty”
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From Paul Buker (@Pnbuker), a sports writer with The Oregonian: “Going to Winterhawks game vs. Spo, 7 p.m. Ladies night. They’re giving away a $7,000 pair of earrings. If a player’s mom wins this there . . .”
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Buker, cont’d: “. . . is a $200,000 reward for the first fan to report this egregious extra benefit to the WHL office in Calgary”

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The Tri-City Americans held a Christmas party
with their booster club on Sunday evening and
defencemen Justin Hamonic (left) and Drydn
Dow broke out the seasonal sweaters for
the occasion. Well done, merry gentlemen!

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed a contract until the end of this season after a successful try-out with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, Oberliga). He has 12 goals and five assists in seven games for Löwen.
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In the OHL, the London Knights ran their winning streak to 21 games on Sunday, beating the visiting Kingston Frontenacs 6-5 in OT. . . . The 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers hold the OHL record, at 25 straight.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Brooks Macek had two goals and an assist to help the Hitmen to a 6-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Rockets had won the first four games of a five-game Alberta swing and had won six straight overall. . . . Calgary F Cody Sylvester scored his 20th goal while the Hitmen were two men short early in the second period. . . . Calgary F Chase Clayton left the game in the first period after absorbing a heavy check from Kelowna F Tyrell Goulbourne. . . . The Rockets were without G Jordon Cooke (undisclosed injury), so brought in Jake Morrissey, a fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, to back up Jackson Whistle. Morrissey, the younger brother of Prince Albert D Josh Morrissey, is from Calgary where he plays for the midget AAA Royals. . . . Whistle went down in the second period with an apparent leg injury and Morrissey came on to play the third, giving up three goals on 10 shots in his WHL debut. . . . The Hitmen are 15-3-1 in their last 19 games, with the Edmonton Oil Kings coming to town Tuesday. . . .

In Edmonton, F Michael St. Croix, who hadn’t scored in eight games, struck for four goals as the Oil Kings dropped the Regina Pats, 8-1. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row. . . . St. Croix, who has 19 goals, scored all four goals on the PP as the Oil Kings went 5-for-7 with the man advantage. . . . He scored once in the second and three times in the third. . . . F T.J. Foster added two goals, giving him 18, and two assists for Edmonton, while F Dylan Wruck had four helpers. . . . Foster has the only other four-goal game in the Oil Kings’ modern-day history. He did it earlier this season. . . . The Oil Kings close out the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule by meeting the Hitmen in Calgary on Tuesday. . . .

In Prince George, G Brett Zarowny stopped 35 shots as the Cougars edged t he Vancouver Giants, 2-1. . . . The teams played three games in three nights. Vancouver, playing at home, won 2-1 on Friday. The scene shifted to Prince George for a Saturday game, which the Cougars, and Zarowny, won, 6-0. . . . Last night, F Trevor Cheek gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead at 14:33 of the second period. . . . Cougars F Alex Forsberg tied it at 17:47, and F Carson Bolduc won it with his second goal of the season at 6:02 of the third. . . . Attendance on Teddy Bear Night was announced at 4,029. . . . Forsberg also scored the Cougars’ Teddy Bear goal last season, albeit in a 3-1 loss to Vancouverr. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 35 shots to lead the Raiders to a 3-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Siemens has four shutouts this season and 10 in his career. . . . F Carson Perreaux, who is from Brandon, had his sixth goal and an assist for the Raiders. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes returned from an undisclosed injury to stop 40 shots. . . . The Raiders, who won 21 games all of last season, go into the Christmas break with a 22-11-3 record. . . . Prince Albert leads the East Division by eight points over the Saskatoon Blades (19-14-1). . . . Those two teams will come off the break and go home-and-home, playing Dec.28 in Prince Albert and Dec. 29 in Saskatoon. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to five games as they got past the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Portland is 5-0-0 against Everett this season. . . . F Nic Petan’s 22nd goal gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at 7:34 of the second period and Everett wasn’t able to catch up. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic left with a charging major and game misdoncut at 15:32 of the second period. . . . The Winterhawks, who lead the WHL’s overall standings by three points over the Kamloops Blazers, visit the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner shot wide on a third-period penalty shot against Everett G Austin Lotz, who stopped 28 shots. . . .

In Swift Current, G Landon Bow stopped 20 shots and F Adam Lowry scored the game’s last three goals as the Broncos dumped the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . The shutout was the first of Bow’s WHL career. . . . Lowry, who has three hat tricks this season, was playing in his 200th career regular-season game. He now has 21 goals and is on an 11-game point streak. Last season,  . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 50 shots.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Colin Jacobs, Prince George (double minor)

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From former WHLer Spencer Asuchak (@Asuchak16): “@alexforsberg27 guaranteed me he would score the teddy bear goal. Even bet me a 24 pack of coke and 6 bags of chips. #greats @PGCougars”


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The MacBETH REPORT:
F Justin Keller (Kelowna, 2003-06) agreed to a transfer for the rest of this season from Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) to the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had nine goals and 14 assists in 29 games for Red Bull this season. The Capitals have six forwards out with injuries and approached Red Bull and Keller to gauge their interest in a move.
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The WHL in Nanaimo?
Sorry, Chilliwack, but it would appear to be closer than it has ever been.
Robert Barron of the Nanaimo Daily News had a story late in the week involving meetings between Mayor John Ruttan, city staff and RG Properties, owners of the WHL‘s Victoria Royals. RG Properties also is in the arena management business.
RG Properties, you may recall, purchased the franchise that was the Chilliwack Bruins and relocated it to Victoria.
"We're at the very early stages to determine how interested the city is in pursuing this," Graham Lee of RG Properties told Barron. "It would create an interesting rivalry between Victoria and Nanaimo if a WHL team was established here. It would be a good fit for the two cities and the league."
You can bet the message to the good people of Nanaimo is: Build it and we will come.
As soon as an arena with at least 5,000 seats is built there will be a WHL team calling Nanaimo home, either via relocation or expansion. Bet on it!
Many of the WHL’s other 21 teams aren’t all that thrilled with having to travel to Vancouver Island with only one team over there. It is a costly proposition — if you play a night game, you can't get off the ferry until the next morning and that means a hotel night — and the logistics caused by travel are most problematic.
Barron’s complete story is right here.
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If you haven’t already seen this piece by Charles P. Pierce of Grantland, it is linked here for your Sunday morning reading enjoyment. This pretty much sums up how it is that the NHL got to where it is today.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three third-period goals and beat the Warriors, 4-2. . . . The Wheat Kings had beaten the Warriors 4-2 in Brandon on Friday. . . . This is Brandon’s first two-game winning streak since it open the season at 4-0-0. . . . Last night, Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti’s 19th goal gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead at 15:09 of the second period. . . . Brandon F Chad Robinson tied it at 14:52 of the third, with F Taylor Cooper’s second goal of the season, at 17:52, standing up as the winner. . . . Robinson added an empty-netter, his seven goal this season. . . . Moose Jaw freshman F Josh Uhrich’s first WHL goal just 36 seconds into the game launched the teddy bears. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades ran their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades played those games over an eight-day stretch. . . . Saskatoon F Matej Stransky scored twice, giving him 21 goals this season. He has at least one goal in each of his last seven games. . . . F Nathan Burns had a goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon G Alex Moodie stopped 25 shots in running his record to 4-0-0 since taking over for Andrey Makarov, who is with Russia’s national junior team. . . .

In Calgary, G Mack Shields stopped 18 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Shields, a 17-year-old from Saskatoon, record his first career shutout as he improved his record to 5-2-1. He backs up Chris Driedger with the Hitmen. . . . F Greg Chase got the game’s first goal, at 1:46 of the first period. . . . F Cody Sylvester, who drew the lone assist on Chase’s eighth goal, added his 19th, shorthanded, at 19:18 of the third period. . . . Regina was 0-for-10 on the PP. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Comrie turned aside 36 shots as the Tri-City Americans edged the Chiefs, 2-1. . . . F Justin Feser, with his 19th, and F Malte Strömwall, with his 11th, gave Tri-City a 2-0 lead with early third-period goals. . . . It was Teddy Bear Toss night and the Chiefs were in danger of being blanked before D Reid Gow scored at 16:46 of the third. . . . Comrie had lost his last six decisions before this game. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings erased a 2-1 deficit with four straight second-period goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 5-2. . . . F Steven Hodges gave the visitors a 2-1 lead at 2:56 of the second period, but Edmonton F Michael St. Croix tied it at 5:24, on the PP, and F T.J. Foster put the home side out front at 7:50. . . . The teams combined for an even 100 penalty minutes, with Edmonton taking 55 of those. . . .

In Red Deer, the Kelowna Rockets improved to 4-0 on an Alberta swing as they beat the Rebels, 6-1. . . . F Dylen McKinlay had three assists for the Rockets. . . . The Rockets are 3-0 versus Red Deer this season, with G Jackson Whistle putting up all three victories. . . . F Myles Bell scored his 20th goal of the season for Kelowna, which gave up the game’s first goal and then scored six in a row. . . . D Mitchell Wheaton got the Rockets started with his first WHL goal in his 32nd game. . . . Whistle stopped 28 shots in improving his record to 7-1-0. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, is six points behind the second-place Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference and holds four games in hand. . . . The Rockets will use up one of those games when they play in Calgary this afternoon. . . .

In Prince George, G Brett Zarowny stopped 23 shots and F Chase Witala had four points as the Cougars blanked the Vancouver Giants, 6-0. . . . The Giants had beaten the visiting Cougars 2-1 on Friday night; the teams play again this afternoon in Prince George. . . . Zarowny, a 17-year-old freshman from Edson, Alta., has two shutouts this season. . . . Witala had a goal, his fourth, and three assists. . . . F Colin Jacobs, just back from a six-game suspension, scored the game’s first goal, his 11th. Jacobs, who also had two assists, hadn’t played since Nov. 30. . . . Prince George D Rinalds Rosinskis played his last game before joining the Latvian national junior team. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Dylan Busenius scored a PP goal in OT to give the Tigers a wild 7-6 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Busenius got his sixth goal of the season at 3:01 of OT with Kamloops F Tim Bozon off for tripping. . . . Kamloops, which gave up 10 power plays in a 4-2 loss in Lethbridge on Friday, ran into penalty problems again in this one. The Tigers were 3-for-8 with the man advantage; the Blazers were 0-for-3. . . . Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton, who went into the game with a goal and two assists in 21 games, had a goal and three helpers in this one. . . . Kamloops D Joel Edmundson had a goal and three assists. . . . Stanton gave Medicine Hat a 6-4 lead at 1:50 of the third. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham cut into the lead with a shorthanded gol at 11:26 and Edmundson tied it at 14:34. . . . The Blazers lost F Aspen Sterzer at 7:26 of the third period when he was hit with a major penalty and game misconduct for checking to the head after a hit on F Trevor Cox. Sterzer was playing his fourth game since he served a one-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major on Dec. 7 against the visiting Prince George Cougars. . . . Sterzer’s departure left the Blazers with nine forwards. . . . There was a situation during this game in which the Blazers scored a goal but play went on until the next stoppage, after which it went to video review. The stoppage was to hand out three minor penalties. The goal was awarded to Kamloops, meaning time was reset back to that point. But the penalties were handed out, just the same. I got caught by this rule last season and it was pointed out to me that the penalties are called. Under rule 78.6, “Any penalties signalled during the period of time between the apparent goal and the next stoppage of play shall be assessed in the normal manner, except when a minor penalty is to be assessed to the team scored upon, and is therefore nullified by the scoring of the goal. If an infraction happens after the first stoppage of play following an apparent goal (infraction after the whistle) by either team, it is assessed and served in the normal manner regardless as to the decision rendered by the Video Goal Judge.”

In Portland, F Taylor Leier scored the game’s first two goals and the Winterhawks went on to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle took 99 of the game’s 163 penalty minutes. Merry Christmas! . . . Seattle made a goaltending change at 5:01 of the first period, with Brandon Glover, who was beaten twice on four shots, leaving in favour of Danny Mumaugh, a 16-year-old from Denver who was making his WHL debut. He stopped 29 of 31 shots. . . . Leier’s first goal was for the Teddy Bears. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists and now is tied for second in the WHL scoring race. He and F JC Lipon of the Kamloops Blazers are at 57 points, five behind F Colin Smith of Kamloops. . . . The victory lifted the Winterhawks to the top of the overall standings. They have 55 points, one more than Kamloops which has played five more games. . . . The Winterhawks are in Everett this evening.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Bryson Gore, Moose Jaw
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon
D Jagger Dirk, Kootenay
D Tanner Faith, Kootenay
D Ashton Sautner, Edmonton
D Landon Cross, Kamloops
F Connor Honey, Seattle
D Marc McNulty, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Cody Sylvester, Calgary
F Aspen Sterzer, Kamloops (major)
F Elgin Pearce, Medicine Hat
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Erin in PDX (@girlonavespa21): “Coaches Travis Green and Steve Konowalchuk got up close and personal with each other at the end of the Winterhawks/T’birds #whlrivalrytilt”
Two more WHL coaches exchange late-game Christmas greetings. In this instance, both drew bench minors, albeit at game’s end.

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