Wheaties one win from final . . . Rockets pull even with 'Hawks . . . Howse is coach of year

F Dustin Cameron (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2004-10) has signed a one-year contract with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had 19 goals and 31 assists in 51 games. He led his team in goals, assists and points. . . .
F Danis Zaripov (Swift Current, 1998-99) has signed a two-year extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL). This season, in 60 games, he had 64 points, including 24 goals. An alternate captain, he was third in the league’s scoring race.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings struck for five second-period goals as they ran away with a 8-3 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the Eastern Conference final 3-1 and get their first chance to wrap it up at home on Friday night. . . . The Wheat Kings have outscored the Hitmen 21-11 in the four games. . . . Last night, Calgary F Layne Bensmiller’s first WHL playoff goal gave his side a 1-0 lead at 13:46 of the first period. . . . That goal also gave the Hitmen their first lead of the series; they won Game 3 in OT. . .

. However, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s next five goals. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it with his eighth goal, as he tipped home a point shot by D Reid Gow at 19:00 of the first. . . . F Jayce Hawrylyk (8), F Braylon Shmyr (3), F Morgan Klimchuk (2) and F Nolan Patrick (6) scored in a span of 9:10 as the visitors took control. . . . Shmyr and Klimchuk both are from Calgary, while Klimchuk was a first-round selection by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Klimchuk’s goal resulted in a goaltending change for Calgary, with Mack Shields replacing Brendan Burke. The Wheat Kings then scored on each of their first two shots on Shields. . . . Calgary F Pavel Karnaukhov got his fifth goal at 15:58 of the second period, cutting the Brandon lead to 5-2. However, the Wheat Kings got that one back 30 seconds later when F Tyson Coulter scored his fifth goal. . . . By the time it was over, the Wheat Kings had eight separate goal scorers. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his seventh and added two assists, while Klimchuk added two helpers to his goal, and F Tim McGauley drew two assists. . . . Hawryluk and F John Quenneville each had a goal and an assist. . . . D Jake Bean and D Travis Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . On the PP while trailing 7-3, Calgary put Burke on the bench for the extra attacker with more than seven minutes left in the third period. Brandon D Colton Waltz hit the empty net for his first WHL playoff goal at 12:49. . . . If you are looking for a key, it may have been each team’s PP. Calgary was 0-for-3 on the PP when Brandon scored on its first PP, that goal coming from Hawryluk at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-7. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 28 shots. . . . Brandon scored eight goals on 30 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings again scratched, among others, D Kale Clague, F Reid Duke and F Tanner Kaspick. . . . The Hitmen were again without F Chase Lang, F Connor Rankin and F Jake Virtanen. Virtanen served Game 3 of a three-game suspension for a hit on Kaspick in Game 1. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson left in the third period after absorbing a hit from Brandon F John Quenneville. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Steve Papp. . . . The attendance was 5,672. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Portland, F Tyrell Goulbourne’s first goal of these playoffs stood up as the winner as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night, with Game 6 back in Portland on Sunday. . . . The Rockets held a long team meeting after dropping a 7-3 decision on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Portland F Chase De Leo opened the scoring with his fifth goal, just 1:12 into the first period. . . . Kelowna scored the game’s next three goals. . . . F Leon Draisaitl tied the score with his sixth goal at 7:50 of the first. . . . F Chance Braid broke the tie

with his second playoff goal, at 2:40 of the second. . . . Goulbourne, who had come up short on two earlier shorthanded breakaways, stretched the lead to 3-1 at 9:16 of the second, on a PP. . . . Portland F Nic Petan ran his point streak to 15 games with his ninth goal at 12:03 of the second. He also set a franchise record by playing in his 86th career playoff game. The previous record had been held by D Derrick Pouliot. . . . Petan is tied with Calgary F Adam Tambellini for the playoff scoring lead, each with 25 points. . . . Portland was presented with a late PP when Kelowna D Madison Bowey took a delay-of-game penalty at 19:04 of the third period. The Winterhawks put G Adin Hill on the bench for the extra attacker but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley had two assists, while Draisaitl added an assist to his goal. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle was the game’s first star, with 40 saves, just one night after being yanked. . . . Hill turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Rockets added F Rourke Chartier to their scratches. With him out, perhaps with a shoulder injury, D Mitchell Wheaton checked into the lineup. . . . The Rockets continued to play without F Gage Quinney and F Justin Kirkland. . . . With Chartier out and Wheaton back in, D Devante Stephens moved up to the forward ranks. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-6. . . . The referees were Jeff Ingram and Brent Iverson. . . . Attendance was 8,629.
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Marty Klyne, a long-time Regina businessman, has joined the Regina Pats as their chief operating officer. According to a news release, Klyne “will be responsible for all facets of the business, focusing on fan experience and operational excellence. His responsibilities include revenue, sales growth, costs and financial goal management.” . . . Klyne is a former publisher and CEO of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post. He also was president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation and COO of the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority (now the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission.
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It appears that the Wenatchee Wild be in the BCHL’s Mainland Division when next season gets here. Brian Wiebe, over at Brian’s Banter, has more, including a chart showing the mileage between Wenatchee and the other Mainland Division teams. Keep in mind that the Prince George Spruce Kings are in that division. . . . Brian’s Banter is right here. There also is a link to it over there on the right.
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In the QMJHL, the Rimouski Oceanic blanked the host Val-d’Or Foreurs 6-0 last night to sweep the semifinal series, 4-0. The Oceanic will meet the Quebec Remparts in the championship final. Because the Remparts are the host team for the Memorial Cup, both teams advance to the championship tournament.
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In the OHL, D Stephen Desrocher broke a 2-2 tie at 8:23 of the third period to give the visiting Oshawa Generals a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion. . . . That semifinal is 2-2 with Game 5 in Oshawa on Friday night. . . . The other series, with the Erie Otters holding a 3-1 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, continues tonight in the Soo. Erie has won three straight games in that series.
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Ryan Howse, who starred with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (2007-11), has been named Prince George’s minor hockey coach of the year for his work with a Bantam Tier 2 team. Howse, 23, was a third-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2009 draft.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach Troy Smith, while re-signing general manager Murray Hiebert. . . . Smith’s contract was to expire in July. . . . Hiebert now is signed through 2017-18. . . . The Rangers went 32-26-10 in the regular season, then lost a first-round playoff series to the London Knights in six games. . . . It is believed that assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, a former NHLer, is in the running as the next head coach. The Rangers also are negotiating for the return of Mike McKenzie, another assistant coach.
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The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats have announced that Gord Thibodeau now is their general manager and head coach. Garry VanHereweghe, who also is a coach with the Bobcats, had been the GM. VanHereweghe stays on as coach and assistant GM. All of this was agreed to when Thibodeau was hired on May 1. . . . The Bobcats also announced that assistant coach Kris Wiebe is returning, as are Curtis Johnson, the strength and conditioning coach, and athletic therapist Jeff Sotkowy. They also have hired Tom Keca as head scout.
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Brent Clarke has resigned as head coach of the Federal Hockey League’s Watertown Wolves, this season’s playoff champions. The Wolves, in their inaugural season, won the regular-season title and went on to win the Commissioner’s Cup. Clarke was named the FHL’s coach of the year.
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If I followed hockey more I'd probably know in advance that I'm about to get all these stupid tweets... Still not a hockey coach.

— Michael T. Babcock (@mikebabcock) March 13, 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.

Oil Kings win fourth straight . . . Bittner fills his hat . . . Soy, Royals win in OT

F Tim Traber (Chilliwack/Victoria, Vancouver, 2009-14) was assigned on loan by Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A) to Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with Genève-Servette, Traber, who is a dual Canadian-Swiss citizen, had one goal in 29 games.
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F Jackson Keane, a fourth-round pick by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, has committed to the U of North Dakota. Keane, 17, is the son of former WHL/NHL F Mike Keane. . . . Jackson has 36 points in 34 games with the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues.
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If you’re interested in what’s going on in the BCHL, you have to start visiting Brian’s Banter, a blog maintained by Brian Wiebe. It’s right here, and there’s also a link over there on the right. . . . The junior A trade and roster deadlines are up, too, and he has been doing a terrific job of tracking all the moves.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Brandon Ralph broke a 1-1 tie at 16:55 of the second period and the Edmonton Oil Kings went on to a 4-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Ralph has three goals this season. . . . F Brandon Baddock and F Luke Bertolucci each had two assists for Edmonton, while Ralph added one assist. . . . The Oil Kings had F Mads Eller and F Edgars Kulda back in their lineup. Eller had been with Denmark at the WJC; Kulda missed 24 games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry made 36 saves, seven more than Regina’s Tyler Brown. . . . Regina was 0-for-9 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-5. . . . The Oil Kings have killed off 41 straight opposition power-play opportunities. . . .The Oil Kings (20-16-5) have won four in a row. . . . The Pats (25-13-3) had been 5-0-1 in their previous six games. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn made his WHL debut with the Pats and is expected to play again tonight against visiting Prince Albert. . . . The Oil Kings are in Moose Jaw tonight. . . . 

In Moose Jaw, F Dawson Leedahl had two goals and an assist as the Everett Silvertips dumped the Warriors, 6-2. . . . Leedahl has five goals this season. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak broke a 2-2 tie at 5:55 of the second period with his 20th goal. . . . Everett D Jordan Wharrie had tied it 2-2 with his first goal at 4:07. . . . F Tanner Eberle scored his 20th goal of the season for Moose Jaw. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 25 shots. . . . G Zach Sawchenko made his ninth straight start for the Warriors. He stopped 20 shots, but left with his side trailing 5-2 after Everett F Kohl Bauml notched his 18th goal at 5:47 of the third period. . . . The Silvertips (25-12-4) are 4-1-0 on a six-game East Division trip that concludes tonight in Swift Current. . . . The Warriors (16-23-4), who are at home to Edmonton tonight, have lost three in a row. They are 1-9-1 in their last 11 outings and now trail fourth-place Prince Albert by a point in the East Division. . . . After the game, Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald tweeted that Warriors head coach “Tim Hunter opened the Warriors room to media post-game. Unusual move and clearly a message about accountability being sent to the players.” Nothing like punishing your players by making them face the media. . . . Gourlie’s game story is right here. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Reid Gardiner’s PP goal at 1:05 of OT gave the Raiders a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Gardiner, who scored twice, now has 21 goals this sesaon. . . . The Broncos trailed by a goal three times and each time came back to tie it. . . . Swift Current F Calvin Leth forced OT with his second goal of the season at 14:36 of the third. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk got his 23rd goal. . . . Raiders F Kris Schmidli scored his first goal for the Raiders, and sixth of the season, after coming over from the Kelowna Rockets. He also had two assists. . . . D Jordan Thomson scored his third goal of the season in his first game with the Broncos. He was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades earlier in the week. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 37 shots, six more than Prince Albert’s Rylan Parenteau. . . . Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, reported late Friday afternoon that the Broncos will be without F Coda Gordon for “likely a few weeks” with an undisclosed injury. He was injured Friday in a 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Raiders (18-23-1), who are in Regina tonight, have won two in a row. . . . The Broncos now are 20-17-5. They are at home to Everett tonight. . . .

In Cranbrook, G Taz Burman turned aside 30 shots to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 3-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Rebels scored the game’s first three goals in winning their seventh straight game in Cranbrook. . . . F Jeff de Wit got it started with his second goal at 2:16 of the first period. . . . F Preston Kopeck added his 11th at 19:48 of the first and F Riley Sheen got his 10th, via a PP, at 13:26 of the third. . . . D Cale Fleury scored his first goal for the Ice at 15:40 of the third. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart, who played for Canada at the WJC, was back in the lineup. He missed a couple of third-period shifts after blocking a shot with a foot. He was being examined by medical staff after the game. . . . Among the Ice’s scratches was D Rinat Valiev (ill). . . . The Rebels (22-14-5) have won two in a row and are a point ahead of third-place Calgary in the Central Division. The Rebels are at home to Brandon tonight. . . . The Ice (21-19-1), which entertains Saskatoon tonight, has lost two straight and is two points behind fourth-place Edmonton in the Central Division. . . . Kootenay plays host to Saskatoon tonight. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here, including an amusing anecdote involving the Fleury brothers. . . .

In Lethbridge, G Jayden Sittler stopped 40 shots in his debut as the Hurricanes dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . Sittler was acquired this week from the Victoria Royals. . . . G Nik Amundrud stopped 30 shots for Saskatoon. . . . F Giorgio Estephan scored two goals and set up another for the Hurricanes. Estephan has six goals. . . . The Hurricanes built up a 4-0 lead before F Cameron Hebig scored his ninth goal for Saskatoon at 11:51 of the third period. . . . F Tyler Wong scored his 14th goal for Lethbridge, while F Jamal Watson had two assists. . . . The Hurricanes (10-23-6) snapped a four-game losing skid (0-3-1). . . . The Blades (9-29-3), who play in Cranbrook tonight, have lost four in a row and now will be the last of the WHL’s 22 teams to reach 10 victories. . . . Calgary visits Lethbridge tonight, while the Blades are in Cranbrook to face Kootenay. . . .

In Kamloops, F Dillon Dube ended a seven-round shootout with a goal that gave the Kelowna Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Blazers. . . . F Deven Sideroff, Kamloops’ third shooter, gave his side a 1-0 lead, only to have Kelowna F Nick Merkley tie it. . . . F Leon Draisaitl, in his second game with Kelowna, forced OT with a big-time goal at 16:22 of the third period. He went wide on Kamloops D Patrik Maier and whistled a quick shot just under the crossbar. . . . Other than that, though, Draisaitl was average, obviously lacking in familiarity with his teammates, and vice versa, and needing time to adjust to more playing time than he received with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . F Luke Harrison gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead with his eighth goal at 9:07 of the second period. . . . Blazers G Connor Ingram was outstanding, with 38 saves. Including the shootout, he beat Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, the WHL’s leading sniper, on breakaways. . . . Kelowna G Jake Morrissey, who hadn’t started since Dec. 3, stopped 35 shots. . . . The Rockets, presented with a PP in OT, put Merkley, Chartier, Draisaitl and F Tyson Baillie on the ice and fired away. But the Blazers, with D Ryan Rehill and Sideroff blocking shots, and Ingram standing tall held the visitors at bay. Kelowna’s second PP unit comprised Draisaitl, F Gage Quinney, D Cole Martin and F Justin Kirkland. . . . Of course, the Rockets didn’t dress D Madison Bowey or D Josh Morrissey, both of whom played for Canada at the WJC. . . . The Rockets, who were 0-for-6 on the PP, have beaten the Blazers in 15 straight games, including an 8-0-0 run last season and 5-0-0 this season. . . . Kelowna (33-6-3) has won four in a row. The Rockets are at home to Medicine Hat tonight. . . . The Blazers, who play in Spokane tonight, are 14-23-6. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Richard Nejezchleb scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . D Shea Theodore, in his first game since playing for Canada at the WJC, had two goals, giving him four, and an assist for Seattle. . . . The Thunderbirds led 3-1 late in the third period. . . . Nejezchleb scored his 12th goal at 17:58 and F Brian Williams tied it with his 12th at 18:29. . . . The Americans gave G Eric Comrie the weekend off after his stint with Canada at the WJC. . . . Americans G Evan Sarthou stopped 21 shots through OT, while Seattle’s Taran Kozun turned aside 34. . . . The Americans (20-19-2) have won two straight and are within a point of the fourth-place Thunderbirds in the U.S. Division. . . . The Thunderbirds (19-16-5) have lost two straight. . . . Both teams are off tonight. They’ll play Sunday in Kent, Wash, in a game rescheduled from tonight to avoid a conflict with the NFL playoff game that has the Carolina Panthers in Seattle to play the Seahawks. . . .

In Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored at 1:03 of OT to give the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Soy has 15 goals this season. He has goals in three straight and points in eight straight. . . . The Cougars got two first-period shorthanded goals, from F Chase Witala, his 23rd, and F Aaron Boyd, his third, to take a 2-1 lead. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his second of the game, and 13th of the season, at 3:39 of the second, on a PP, to tie it at 2. . . . D Travis Brown had two assists for Victoria, running his point streak to eight games. He leads WHL defencemen with 41 points. . . G Patrick Gora, who left the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks this week, was backing up for the Cougars, who got 33 saves from Ty Edmonds. . . . G Coleman Vollrath stopped 20 shots for the Royals. . . . Victoria improved to 21-19-3, while the Cougars are 20-22-1. Victoria is four points ahead of the third-place Cougars in the B.C. Division. . . . The same teams meet again tonight in Victoria. . . .

In Spokane, F Paul Bittner scored three times to lead the Portland Winterhawks to a 5-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Bittner’s second goal, a shorthanded effort at 13:14 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie. . . . He got his third of the night, and 18th of the season, in an empty net at 19:06. . . . The Winterhawks had been 0-3-0 against Spokane this season. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had two assists, running his point streak to 16 games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand enjoyed his first WHL four-point game with his 23rd goal and three assists. . . . Chiefs F Kailer Yamamoto had an assist to run his point streak to nine games. He’s got 18 points over that stretch. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka scored twice, giving him goals in six straight games and 23 on the season. . . . Portland F Alex Schoenborn came up empty on a third-period penalty shot with his side ahead 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks are 22-18-3. . . . The Chiefs slipped to 22-15-3. . . . The teams are tied for second in the U.S. Division, although Spokane has three games in hand. . . . The Chiefs entertain Kamloops tonight, while Portland is at home to Vancouver. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review has a game story right here. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 5-3. . . . Giants F Jesse Roach broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth goal at 17:48 of the first. . . . Vancouver F Carter Popoff scored his 17th, shorthanded at 4:52 of the second, and the Tigers weren’t able to equalize. . . . F Thomas Foster and F Tyler Benson each had two assists for the Giants. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his 32nd goal. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Tigers were 1-for-5. . . . F Ty Ronning made his season debut with the Giants. He had been out since breaking a collarbone during the exhibition season. . . . Former Tigers GM/head coach Willie Desjardins was in attendance. He is now the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . In a wonderful move, the Giants held a ceremony and retired the seat belonging to long-time NHL goaltender/scout Charlie Hodge. Well done! Hopefully, there were some Nanaimo bars there for him. . . . The Giants (19-20-2) are fourth in the B.C. Division, a point behind Prince George. . . . The Tigers (28-10-2) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . The Giants are in Portland tonight, while the Tigers visit Kelowna. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on the Giants right here.
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Rebels players, and coaches, rescue vehicle from snowbank in Cranbrook. #allinadayswork #isthatsutteratthewheel? pic.twitter.com/WImRmkcEUB
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 9, 2015

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New lease in Lethbridge; look back at Schenn deal

G Thomas Heemskerk (Kootenay, Everett, Moose Jaw, 2007-11) has signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with the Quad City Mallards (CHL), he was 2.73 and .907 in 31 games. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). Last season, with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, SEL), he had 22 points, including six goals, in 52 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Alexander Delnov (Seattle, 2012-14) signed a two-year, two-way contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Seattle, he had 63 points, including 29 goals, in 71 games.
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1. With G Dustin Tokarski having gotten the call with the Montreal Canadiens, Elliotte Friedman got to wondering: Whatever happened to Devan Dubnyk? . . . Friedman, of HNIC fame, answers that question and more in his latest 30 Thoughts. It’s all right here.

2. The Lethbridge Hurricanes have a new 15-year lease from the City of Lethbridge for the Enmax Centre. The lease, which runs through 2028-29, actually is for 17 years as it covers two seasons retroactively. Yes, negotiations actually began in April 2011. According to a news release from the City: “The new agreement includes a limited risk-reward structure that will result in fluctuating annual lease payments to the City based on 12 per cent of net ticket revenues each season. Also included is a commitment by the Hurricanes to pay the remainder of the club’s $2.5-million capital contribution to the (facility) renovations in 13 annual installments of $166,667, beginning in 2016. Two initial installments have already been paid.”

3. The AJHL held its annual meeting on the weekend in Red Deer and came up with a couple of interesting rule changes. It has the adopted the rule that prohibits a team that ices the puck from making any player substitutions. It also has decided that it won’t allow player substitutions by an offending team when “any player, excluding the goaltender, shoots or bats the puck directly out of the playing surface while in the defensive zone.” . . . After striking a committee to study whether to hold a player draft, and after hearing from that committee, the AJHL’s board of governors voted not to move forward in that area. . . . Each of the AJHL’s 16 teams will play 60 games in a regular season that will open on Sept. 5.

4. The junior B Port Moody Panthers, who play in the Pacific Junior Hockey League, made it official on Monday. They have hired the ubiquitous Brian Wiebe as their director of media and communications. According to a news release, he “volunteered with the Panthers in the same role in 2013-14, but will expand his duties in the upcoming season.” . . . Here’s more from that news release: “In addition to working with Port Moody, Wiebe is the assistant instructor and admissions co-ordinator for the Radio Arts and Entertainment Program at BCIT. He is also the play-by-play voice for SFU men's hockey, media relations director for BC Superweek, media manager for the Odlum Brown VanOpen and podcast host for the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League.” . . . As a writer, Wiebe contributes to the BCHL’s Smart Hockey magazine and has a blog, Brian’s Banter, that covers a whole lot of hockey. There’s a link to it over there on the right.

5. The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Dominic Schmiemann, who was the 12th overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Schmiemann, from James River Bridge, Alta., had 15 points, three of them goals, in 33 games with the bantam Notre Dame Hounds last season.

6. The Regina Pats have signed F Luc Smith, a 6-foot-5, 202-pounder who was taken in the third round of the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. Smith had 11 points, including eight goals, with the midget AAA St. Albert Sports Raiders last season. Smith took part in the Pats spring prospects camp on the weekend.

7. The BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs are hoping the city will give them a break in the cost of renting ice so that they can at least get into a breakeven situation over the next couple of seasons. Eric Plummer of the Alberni Valley Times has a piece right here that includes some numbers, if you are wondering what it costs to operate a junior A franchise.

8. It was a tough day for the New York Mets, who lost a game, their hitting coach, a veteran reliever and a top pitching prospect. First, the Mets were beaten, 5-3, by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Then, New York fired its hitting coach, Dave Hudgens, and released reliever Jose Valverde, who gave up four runs over the final two innings in what was a horrible collapse. As well, Noah Syndergaard, a top prospect, was diagnosed with a strained elbow. Tim Rohan of The New York Times has more right here on what was not a good day for the Mets.

9. On Jan. 9, 2011, F Brayden Schenn was with the Brandon Wheat Kings and was one of the top skaters in the WHL. The next day, the Wheat Kings dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades. . . . How did that trade work out? More than three years later, Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large has an intriguing look at it right here.

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Walter goes to Saint John

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Fassa (Italy, Serie A). He had 23 goals and 33 assists in 42 games last season. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had three goals and three assists in 40 games with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien) last season.
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As expected, the WHL’s board of governors voted unanimously Wednesday in Calgary to allow the Brodsky family to sell the Saskatoon Blades to Mike Priestner, an Edmonton-based auto dealer. The sale is expected to close this week.
Following the vote, Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, allowed himself to say a few words and then the cone of silence was put back in place. No one, including former owner Jack Brodsky, Priestner or Steve Hogle, the Blades’ new president, was permitted to speak before a news conference that is scheduled for today in Saskatoon.
Hogle, who had been the vice-president of hockey communications for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, takes over as the Blades’ president and alternate governor, while Colin Priestner, Mike’s son, will relocate to Saskatoon and will be the managing partner
The Blades are the only franchise to have played in every season of the WHL’s history, which began with the 1966-67 season. The Brodsky family has been involved in the Blades’ ownership since 1976.
All of which begs the question: There was no chance that Brodsky’s request to transfer ownership would be rejected, so why was this board of governors’ meeting held in Calgary? Why wasn’t it held in Saskatoon?
Had it been held in Saskatoon, the governors all could have attended a news conference and shown their respect for the Brodskys, and especially for Jack, who has been an active governor for a long time. The entire day could have been turned into a real testimonial for a long-time member of the fraternity, and one who just played an integral role in driving up the value of all franchises.
Priestner is reported to have paid more than $9 million for the Blades.
The way that the WHL has handled this story has become all too familiar, and that’s too bad. By trying to control the message, the WHL has missed a golden opportunity to gain some positive publicity.
Instead of once again dragging out the cone of silence, at the very least there should have been a conference call, allowing the national media to have access to all those involved.
Instead, the WHL worked to bury the story on Wednesday, when this was news. A day later, the news cycle has turned over and the sale of a franchise that occured on Wednesday is already old news.
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F Lukas Walter, 20, has joined the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. Walter had five points in 117 regular-season games with the Tri-City Americans over the last two seasons. He was released by the Americans over the summer and went to camp with the Portland Winterhawks, who released him late last month. . . . Walter, who is from Langley, B.C., is with the Sea Dogs on a tryout basis.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Wednesday that Russian F Alexander Chirva, 17, has been cleared to play. According to the Warriors, Chirva “has received his visa and will be in Moose Jaw Thursday evening. Chirva is expected to skate with his teammates for the first time Saturday, 2:30 p.m., in Caronport.” . . . The Warriors selected Chirva in the 2013 CHL import draft.
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G Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry, 18, was selected in the second round of the NHL’s 2013 draft. He was the Penguins’ first selection. . . . Last season, with the Oil Kings, Jarry was 18-7-0, 1.61, .936. He also put up six shutouts. . . . Jarry will be the Oil Kings’ starting goaltender this season.
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The Regina Pats and Saskatchewan Roughriders announced Wednesday that they have “entered into a partnership” that will cover the remainder of this CFL season and the approaching WHL regular season. According to a news release: “Fans of the Pats and Riders have the opportunity to join the ‘Sea of Green’ at Pats home games in 2013-14 with a special green section in the Brandt Centre.” . . . Players from the Roughriders will be making appearances in the Sea of Green. . . . The partnership will include a special price ($250) on Pats season-tickets for Roughriders season-ticket holders. . . . Pats season-ticket holders “will be provided with a special Ticketmaster code for discounted ticket specials to the final five Riders home games.”
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Dawson Davidson to a WHL contract. Davidson, from Moosomin, Sask., was a third-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. He will play this season with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, the host team for the Telus Cup, the national midget championship tournament. . . . Last season, he had 49 points in 25 games with the bantam AA Melville Millionaires.
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Brian Wiebe, who covers the BCHL like a blanket, tweeted last night that Surrey Eagles “D Tommy Stipancik (94) has retired due to an undisclosed injury.” . . . Stipancik, from Vancouver, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the third round of the 2010 bantam draft. However, brain injuries — he had four in three years — would limit him to 10 games in 2011-12 and 34 games in 2011-12. In fact, over the last four seasons, he played only 96 games in major midget, the BCHL and the WHL. . . . The Blades released him on Sept. 4, 2012.
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Former Tri-City Americans G Olaf Kolzig, who now owns a chunk of the WHL franchise, has taken over as the goaltender coach for the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . . Tim Leone of pennlive.com has that story right here.
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F Morgan Klimchuk of the Regina Pats won’t be taking part in the Calgary Flames’ training camp. The NHL team reported Thursday that Klimchuk, the 28th overall selection in the 2013 draft, “suffered an abdominal wall strain injury during a recent pre-season game with the Regina Pats . . . and will be unable to participate in training camp with the Flames. Klimchuk will rehab his injury in Calgary with Flames’ personnel. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.”
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The Calgary Flames also announced that they have suspended F Ryan Howse “for failing to report to training camp. The club will have no further comment at this time.” . . . Howse (Chilliwack, 2006-11) was a third-round selection by the Flames in the NHL’s 2009 draft. He put up 217 points, including 140 goals, in 262 games with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?).
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D Julius Honka of the Swift Current Broncos has become quite a story in the WHL’s exhibition season. From Jyvaskyla, Finland, Honka, 17, was selected by the Broncos in the CHL’s 2013 import draft. . . . Last night, Honka scored in his fourth straight exhibition game — he has five goals — as the Broncos beat the visiting visiting Saskatoon Blades, 9-4. . . . Last season, Honka had four goals and 11 assists in 42 games with the JYP U-20 side.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed D Kurtis Rutledge, an eight-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Rutledge, from Calgary, had seven points in 15 games with the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Midget Hockey League last season.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Kris Russell (Medicine Hat, 2003-07) has returned to Finland and TPS Turku (SM-Liiga) after recovering from an undisclosed injury suffered in the first shift of his second game with TPS on Sept. 30. Video highlights showed that he had a shot go off the inside of his right foot. Russell was expected to arrive in Turku on Tuesday and will play in Friday's game against Jokerit Helsinki. He has one goal and one assist in the two games he has played with TPS this season. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He started the season with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), where he had one goal and three assists in nine games. Ross is scheduled to join Augsburg in time for practice today.
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The Swift Current Broncos have assigned F Dakota Odgers, 16, to the midget AAA Yorkton Harvest. Odgers was the 24th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He had 12 penalty minutes in six games with the Broncos. Last season, in 43 games with the Harvest, he had 36 points, including 19 goals, and 35 penalty minutes.
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According to Brian Wiebe, who keeps close tabs on the BCHL, G Adam Todd, 18, who got into 11 games last season with the Saskatoon Blades, was involved in a trade on Tuesday as he moved from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . The Smokies then dropped G Braden Krogfoss, 17, from their roster. Krogfoss was an eighth-round selection of the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. He had a good camp with the Blazers prior to this season before going to Trail.
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TUESDAY’S STUFF:
The Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals as they opened a seven-game road trip with a 7-6 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock got his side to within one, at 6-5, at 8:38 of the third and D Ryley Miller tied it at 10:28. . . . Pulock got the winner just 22 seconds after that and that was the first time Brandon led in this one. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia also scored twice for Brandon. . . . F Elgin Pearce had two goals for the Tigers. . . . Brandon trailed 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 in this one. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-2. . . . F Torrin White had two goals and two assists, with three of his points coming via the PP. . . . White, a 17-year-old sophomore from Balzac, Alta., has eight points in 10 games. He had 17 points in 62 games last season. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers remained the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time as they dumped the Rebels 4-0 in Red Deer. . . . Freshman G Taran Kozun stopped 32 shots for his first WHL shutout. . . . F Colin Smith had a goal and two assists. F Tim Bozon added two goals and F JC Lipon had two assists, giving that line a seven-point night. . . . The Blazers improved to 9-0-1 as they ran their winning streak to seven. They meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton tonight. . . . Lipon, who has won back-to-back WHL and CHL player of the week honours, now has a WHL-leading 24 points, three more than Smith. . . . The Smith-Bozon-Lipon line has combined for 60 points in 10 games. . . . With 19 points, the Blazers are off to the best 10-game start in franchise history. . . . The Rebels have followed a three-game winning streak with two straight losses. . . .

The Tri-City Americans won their fourth straight game, beating the host Prince Albert Raiders 2-1 in a shootout. . . . According to the WHL’s online scoresheet, Tri-City F Jesse Mychan pulled the visitors into a 1-1 tie at 2:02 of the third period. However, according to an Americans news release, F Connor Rankin got the equalizer. . . . F Brian Williams and Rankin then scored in the circus, while Prince Albert was blanked. . . . Tri-City D Brodie Clowes (shoulder) played his first game with the Americans. He was acquired from the Victoria Royals on Sept. 12. . . . However, the Americans were without D Mitch Topping (undisclosed) and F Ryan Chynoweth (shoulder). Topping was injured Saturday in Brandon. Chynoweth went down Sunday in Moose Jaw. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row on their East Division swing and five straight on the road, face the Blades in Saskatoon tonight. Tri-City is 1-14 in Saskatoon, with that lone victory in 1995-96. . . . The Raiders are off until Friday when they play host to the Everett Silvertips. . . .

G Chris Driedger stopped 30 shots to lead the Calgary Hitmen to a 5-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Driedger has one shutout this season and four in his career. . . . F Zane Jones scored twice for Calgary. . . . G Mac Engel, acquired by the Cougars from the Spokane Chiefs on Monday, came in at 13:59 of the second period, with his side trailing 5-0, and stopped all 20 shots he faced. . . . Prince George started G Brett Zarowny, meaning G Devon Fordyce was a scratch. In fact, he is headed home to Cochrane, Alta., to await a move. . . . Calgary F Brooks Macek drew three assists, running his point streak to 10 games. . . . The Hitmen set a franchise record for shots in one period, when they had 27 in the second. . . .

Russian F Alex Delnov had two goals and two assists to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 6-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Delnov has four goals. . . . Seattle has won three in a row and four of five. . . . F Connor Sanvido, with his first two goals of the season, and F Luke Lockhart also had two goals for Seattle. Lockhart’s second was an empty-netter. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored his 10th of the season for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton had two assists, giving him a career total of 147 points. That broke the Chiefs’ franchise record of 146 assists by a defenceman that had been held by Frank Evans (1988-92). Kichton also holds the franchise career records for goals (48) and points (195) by a defenceman.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Joey Santucci, Prince Albert
F Matt Needham, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F JC Lipon, Kamloops
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Portland Winterhawks G Brendan Burke (@bburke_1): “First time ever watching a debate not gonna take sides on twitter because I don’t feel like being criticized right now #debate”


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Well, if that really was the debut day for the Canadian Hockey League Players’ Association, let’s just say it was rather inauspicious.
I mean, the worst movie you ever saw had a better debut.
It began with a tweet from the CHLPA:
“NEWS FLASH*** George Laraque signs on with the CHLPA as Executive Director”
Uhh, the gentleman’s name is Georges.
Later, Laraque apparently was to have appeared on a Toronto sports radio show. For some reason, he didn’t make it.
A report by The Canadian Press included this sentence: “Messages for Laraque weren’t returned.”
At the same time, David Branch, who heads up the CHL, was telling The Canadian Press that he knows nothing about the union and that he hasn’t been contacted by anyone from the CHLPA.
There was considerable CHLPA-related chatter on Twitter until later in the afternoon (Pacific time). That’s about when it got blown out of the twitterverse with the news that Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger were engaged.
Oh well, there’s always tomorrow. But, at least for now, the C in CHLPA doesn’t stand for credible.
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Here’s Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun:
While CHLPA spokesman Derek Clarke told the Windsor Star that the union has representatives on all 60 CHL teams, Brandon Wheat Kings goalie Corbin Boes said he has never been contacted personally and doesn’t know of any other players who have.
“That’s the first I’ve ever heard of it,” he said. “Very surprising stuff for me.”
“I read an article (Monday) about it and I saw today Georges Laraque is the executive director, but I don’t know a whole lot,” he continued. “I’d probably have to look more into it, but I guess in some ways it could be beneficial to players, but I don’t really see how it’s necessary, I guess.”
Clarke’s assertion in the Star that “99.9 per cent of the players on active rosters last year know about it” but have been asked to keep tight-lipped for now also seems dubious given the comments of former Wheat King and current Vancouver Giant goaltender Liam Liston, a WHL veteran who is apparently part of the other 0.1 per cent, tweeting, “You’d think that the CHL players might get contacted about this whole CHLPA thing . . . but that would make too much sense.”
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Scott Stinson of the National Post writes: “The CHL and its member leagues did not know anything about it. Players quoted in various stories are similarly uninformed, despite assurances from the CHLPA that an ‘overwhelming’ number of them support the initiative. And, most significantly, the people behind the organization have been cloaked in mystery.”
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Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal writes that neither Oil Kings captain Mark Pysyk nor any of his teammates seem to have heard from the CHLPA, nor do they know any more than anyone else about what’s going on.
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Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports takes a look at the CHLPA and what it’s up against if it hopes to gain certification in Ontario. That piece is right here. . . . She also found a couple of OHL players who heard from people purporting to be from a potential union/association, but neither player sounds too impressed.
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Meanwhile, in other news . . .
F Brayden Cuthbert of the Moose Jaw Warriors hasn’t played since Jan. 22, 2011, when he was nailed in open ice by Red Deer Rebels D Mathew Dumba. Since then, Cuthbert has been dealing with post-concussion syndrome. Cuthbert, 18, is in Moose Jaw and is skating, but has yet to receive medical clearance to return to full-contact workouts. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has that story right here.
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The junior B Kimberley Dynamiters, who play in the Kootenay International Junior league, have announced that they have added Kris Knoblauch to their coaching staff. He will work alongside head coach Roman Vopat and fellow assistants Jordan Freeman and Todd White. . . . Knoblauch spent the last two four seasons with the Kootenay Ice, the latter two as head coach. He lost his job when he agreed to be interviewed for the head-coaching position with his alma mater, the U of Alberta Golden Bears, while still under contract with the Ice.
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The Everett Silvertips have welcomed Lisa Rody, the wife of former WHL linesman Vaughan Rody, as their host family co-ordinator. She replaces Pat Jones, who had filled that spot since the Silvertips’ inaugural season (2003-04). She stepped down over the summer. . . . The Rodys have billeted players since 2004. Vaughan has worked the last 13 years as an NHL linesman after spending 10 seasons in the WHL. . . . As well, the Silvertips announced that Darren Parsons is returning for a second season as education co-ordinator. Parsons, originally from Prince Albert, played in the WHL with the Regina Pats and Brandon Wheat Kings (1986-89). He is a teacher at Lake Stevens Middle School.
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Hockey’s history is one of the most under-served areas of the game. Far too many leagues and teams have poor accounts of what happened back in the day.
The BCHL’s Merritt Centennials are preparing for their 40th anniversary season and are hoping to reconnect with a lot of the past.
The Centennials are looking for statistics and rosters from a number of seasons.
"The Centennials have never really had an accurate compilation of all-time statistics and we're close to getting there," Brian Wiebe, the team’s media and communications co-ordinator, said in a news release. "Out of 39 seasons, only a handful are missing."
Wiebe is hoping the team will be able “to compile all-time franchise leaders in goals, assists, points and penalty minutes for forwards and defencemen.”
As well, he said, “Because win-loss records are proving to be very hard to come by, for goaltenders we're just focusing on games-played, goals-against-average and hopefully, save percentage.”
Wiebe isn’t looking for originals to keep.
“All materials submitted will be returned if they are originals,” he said."
The team also would like to get scans of historic Cents photos that any fans may have.
The Centennials are missing full player stats and/or rosters for the following seasons:
1973-74
1976-77
1977-78
1978-79
1980-81
1981-82
1989-90
If you might be able to able, please contact Wiebe at 604-916-8448 or via email at info@merrittcentennials.com.
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The Victoria Times Colonist reports that there are a couple of players with familiar surnames in camp with the BCHL’s Victoria Frizzlies. . . . F Daniel Nachbaur, 17, is the son of Spokane Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur. Daniel spent last season with the NAHL’s Wenatchee, Wash., Wild. . . . D Logan Hawgood of Kamloops is the son of Greg, a former Blazers star and head coach. Logan, 19, played last season with the Helena Bighorns of the American West League.

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