Showing posts with label Buffalo Sabres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffalo Sabres. Show all posts

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Source: Hitmen announcements coming today ... Rasmussen fine, but sits out ... Hockey Canada loses top scout


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 F Egor Babenko (Lethbridge, 2015-17) has signed a two-year two-way contract with Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL) after his rights were acquired from CSKA Moscow. Last season, with Lethbridge, he had 24 goals and 31 assists in 66 games. . . . Babenko was a first-round selection (19th overall) by CSKA in the 2014 KHL junior draft. . . . Babenko, 20, had 124 points, including 53 goals, in 133 games over two seasons with the Hurricanes.
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 The Calgary Hitmen are expected to make at least three hockey operations-related announcements and Taking Note has been told that it could happen as early as today (Monday).
When Taking Note suggested that the Hitmen might prefer to wait until Stampede Week is over — the
JEFF CHYNOWETH
annual Calgary Stampede pretty much owns the Calgary media at this time of July — the response was: “I’m hearing it will be announced (Monday).”
Whenever it happens, the Hitmen are expected to introduce Jeff Chynoweth as general manager, with Dallas Ferguson having been named head coach and Dallas Thompson head scout.
Chynoweth will take over from Mike Moore, who was named the franchise’s vice-president and alternate governor on May 15. Chynoweth spent the past 16 seasons as the general manager of the Kootenay Ice.
Ferguson will replace Mark French, the head coach for the previous three seasons who left to coach in Switzerland. Taking Note also was told Sunday that Ferguson had been in the mix in Spokane before the Chiefs hired Dan Lambert as head coach. Ferguson has been the head coach of the U of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks since 2008-09.
Thompson will fill the vacancy created when the Hitmen chose to terminate Dan Bonar, although the organization has yet to announce his departure. Bonar had been with the Hitmen for 14 seasons, the last six as head scout or director of player personnel.
Thompson, who spent 10 seasons as the general manager of the Prince George Cougars, has been scouting in B.C. for Calgary for the past two seasons.
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F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans didn’t take part in a Sunday scrimmage at the Detroit Red Wings’ development camp in Traverse City, Mich. It was the only scrimmage of the camp. . . . Rasmussen, who was the ninth overall selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, suffered a broken scaphoid in his left wrist in February and didn’t play again last season. . . . He participate in the first two days of Detroit’s development camp and all went well, so he was held out of the scrimmage as a precaution. . . . Detroit’s camp concludes on Tuesday.
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The seventh annual TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference runs Friday and Saturday in Vancouver. Should you attend, you will hear from a number of hockey coaches. But you also will get presentations from the likes of Dr. Lawrence Spriet of the U of Guelph; Jason Dorland, co-owner of Your Mindset Coaching; Pavel Barber, Glenn Carnegie and Jim Vital, all of whom are skills coaches; and Mike Snee, the executive director of College Hockey Inc.
Yes, the Hockey Coaches Conference covers a lot of bases.
If you want to attend but haven’t registered, Taking Note has cut a deal on your behalf. Click right here to register, enter the coupon code TakingNote, and get 20 per cent off your registration fee.
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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have hired Ryan Jankowski as their director of amateur scouting. Jankowski spent the previous four seasons working with Hockey Canada, first as head scout and later as director of player personnel. He oversaw player evaluation and selection for Canada’s national junior team as well as the U-18 and U-17 programs. . . . Before joining Hockey Canada, Jankowski, who is from Calgary, spent 10 years with the Montreal Canadiens and seven with the New York Islanders. . . . The Sabres also announced that they have promoted Jeff Crisp to assistant director of amateur scouting. He spent last season as the club’s head amateur scout.
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G John Chartrand, who played with three major junior teams, was killed in a car accident in Toronto on Friday, his 24th birthday. Chartrand died when his car slammed into the back of a slowing transport truck on Highway 401 around 3 a.m. He was the lone occupant of the car.
Chartrand, who played with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, Barrie Colts and Belleville Bulls, was one of the players involved in the class-action lawsuit filed against the CHL, OHL, QMJHL, WHL and their teams in an attempt to gain minimum wage, vacation pay and other benefits. . . . If you are interested, Chartrand’s affidavit, which was taken in June 2016, is right here.
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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:37 PM
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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Conference finals all tied up ... Series resume Friday ... Kelowna d-man gets NHL deal

Scattershoot

Looking for a good read today? Check out this piece right here by Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who takes a look back at the Blue Jays’ crazy Tuesday night victory and ahead to today’s doubleheader.
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A number of major junior players have signed NHL contracts over the past month or so. I’ve always wondered just how thrilled their junior coaches are to have this stuff going on at this time of the season.
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The next head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips? How about Mark Holick? Holick, who spent this season in Italy, and Everett GM Garry Davidson go back to their days in the BCHL. In fact, they won a silver medal together with the BCHL team at the 2002 Viking Cup in Camrose, Alta. Holick, of course, has ample WHL experience, having been the head coach with the Kootenay Ice and Prince George Cougars.
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G Zach Sawchenko has already played four seasons in the WHL, so what’s left for him to prove with the Moose Jaw Warriors? I would suggest that he is showing maturity beyond his years with his decision to start the next chapter in his life by attending the U of Alberta and starting work on a business degree. If a professional contract shows up four years down the road, he’ll still be there.
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Unlike the rest of us, the WHL is much younger than it used to be. You can bet its teams will be hoping that no other 20-year-olds choose to follow Sawchenko’s example and leave with a year of eligibility remaining.
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As you will note in The MacBeth Report, former WHLer Tim Bozon is leaving North America to play next season in Switzerland. It could be that Bozon, a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 draft, never was the same after surviving a near-fatal run-in with Neisseria meningitis three years ago. You will recall that the WHL set up a trust fund and solicited donations from its fans on behalf of the Bozon family, but never did let those same fans know just how much money was raised.
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ESPN lopped somewhere around 100 folks from its payroll on Wednesday and some of them, like Jayson Stark and Ed Werder, were the best in the business at what they were doing. Of course, ESPN also dumped most of its NHL writers despite the fact the playoffs are in full swing. . . . In Vancouver, the Sun and Province newspapers don’t have a football writer between them, and they actually had a freelancer write the sports lead for Sunday’s Vancouver Sun Run, an event that drew around 40,000 runners. . . . My point? Don’t think for a minute that there is any rhyme or reason to the chopping when the axe starts falling.
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For a good read on exactly what ESPN’s cuts mean to the NHL and hockey in the U.S., check out this piece right here from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star.
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Do you think anyone is enjoying these NHL playoffs more than Nashville Predators D P.K. Subban?
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 F Tim Bozon (Kamloops, Kootenay, 2011-15) has signed a one-year contract with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), he had eight goals and seven assists in 43 games. He also had three goals and three assists in 14 games with the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL). . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) has signed a one-year extension with Feldkirch (Austria, Alps HL). This season, in 40 games, he had 19 goals and 38 assists. He led the league in assists and points.
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 As you will know from Tuesday’s news, G Zach Sawchenko has decided to leave the Moose Jaw Warriors, rather than return for his 20-year-old season, and start working towards a business degree at the U of Alberta in Edmonton, where he will play for the Golden Bears. . . . Greg Ballock of ingoalmag.com spoke with Sawchenko and that conversation, which explains a lot, is right here. . . . It is quite apparent that attending the 2016 NHL draft in Buffalo and not being selected, despite being one of the WHL’s top goaltenders, weighed heavily on Sawchenko and influenced this decision.
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D Devante Stephens of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. Stephens, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He has played three seasons with the Rockets, totalling 57 points, including 19 goals, in 203 regular-season games. This season, he put up career highs in goals (13), assists (22) and points, all in 67 games. . . . Interestingly, the Sabres were able to sign Stephens despite not having a general manager in place; Tim Murray was fired last week.
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The OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads are the first CHL team to advance to a league final. They got there last night by beating the Peterborough Petes, 7-0, to sweep the Eastern Conference final. . . . In the other series, Kris Knoblauch’s Erie Otters posted a 4-3 victory over the host Owen Sound Attack, who are coached by Ryan McGill. That series is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 in Erie on Friday. . . . In the QMJHL, the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 to tie that series, 2-2. They’ll play Game 5 on Friday in Saint John. . . . In the other series, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada posted a 4-2 victory over the visiting Charlottetown Islanders to take a 3-1 lead. That series will resume on Saturday in Charlottetown.
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Joey Burke is the new general manager of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Burke has been with the IceDogs since their inaugural season, when he was the goaltending scout. He was named assistant GM in 2010 and remained in that position until prior to this season, when he was named director of player personnel. . . . Burke’s brother, Billy Jr., is an assistant coach with the IceDogs, who are owned by their parents, Denise and Bill Burke.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Western Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in
NOLAN FOOTE
Kent, Wash. . . . The teams will return to Kelowna for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, the Thunderbirds, who lost for the first time in six road games in these playoffs, thought they had taken an early 1-0 lead, but the goal was disallowed, officials ruling that a Seattle player in the Kelowna crease had kicked the puck into the net. . . . Shortly after that, at 3:09, F Ryan Gropp (3) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Nolan Foote scored his first WHL playoff goal, on a PP, at 8:34, then took the lead just 28 seconds later as F Kole Lind scored his sixth goal. . . . F Nick Merkley (5) gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead at 2:40 of the second period, and F Tomas Soustal (4) made it 4-1 at 4:29 of the third. . . . F Scott Eansor (4) got Seattle to within two goals at 10:54. . . . The Rockets got two assists from F Dillon Dube and one each from Foote, Lind, Soustal and Merkley. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski kicked out 31 shots in another stellar performance. . . . The Rockets held a 15-2 edge in shots in the second period, but only scored once. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . In the four games, Kelowna is 6-25 on the PP, with the Thunderbirds 4-11. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads all playoff skaters in goals (15) and points (27), was held pointless for a second straight game. . . . The Thunderbirds were forced to scratch D Ethan Bear, who blocked a shot, perhaps with a hand, late in Game 3 on Tuesday and wasn’t able to go. . . . D Austin Strand got more playing time as he got what would have been Bear’s PP time. . . . Announced attendance: 5,063.
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At Lethbridge, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs each had a goal and two assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Eastern Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5
BRAYDON BUZIAK
scheduled for Regina on Friday night. . . . They’ll return to Lethbridge for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, Regina took a 1-0 lead as F Braydon Buziak scored his first WHL playoff goal at 9:53 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge tied it at 2:21 of the second period as F Dylan Cozens scored his third goal. . . . Regina went back out front at 9:00 on F Jeff de Wit’s third goal. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis (6) pulled Lethbridge even again, at 9:34. . . . The Pats took control with two late second-period goals, Brooks (5) scoring at 18:06 and F Dawson Leedahl (10) counting at 19:16. . . . Hobbs (4), on a PP, at 7:53, and F Wyatt Sloboshan (3), into an empty net, at 17:04, added goals for the Pats. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats, with Sloboshan getting one. . . . Regina got 24 stops from G Tyler Brown, while Stuart Skinner turned aside 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats, who had the regular-season’s top PP unit, were 0-9 in the series. They went 1-4 in this one. . . . Lethbridge was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Pats scratched F Austin Wagner, who left in the second period of Tuesday’s game, apparently after having absorbed a slash. His absence means Regina now is without three regulars, as F Jake Leschyshyn and D Dawson Davidson have long-term injuries. . . . With Wagner out, de Wit slid into the spot alongside Brooks and F Filip Ahl. . . . F Matt Alfaro again was missing from Lethbridge’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,203.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:14 PM
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Friday, December 9, 2016

Guhle returns from NHL . . . Royals add some firepower . . . Pats, Brooks keep rolling


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The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres have returned D Brendan Guhle, 19, to the Prince George Cougars. Guhle
BRENDAN GUHLE
played three games with the Sabres after they recalled him on an emergency basis due to injuries. . . . The Sabres had D Josh Gorges and D Dmitry Kulikov back for a Friday night game with the visiting Washington Capitals, so they had to return Guhle. Kalikow (back) missed 13 games, while Gorges (foot) sat out three games, all of which Guhle played in. . . . Buffalo D Nicolas Deslauriers (knee) is skating but not yet ready to return after already missing 19 games. . . . While with the Sabres, Guhle played a regular shift, averaging 16 minutes 21 seconds of playing time. . . . Guhle, who has three goals in four games with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Nov. 18, didn’t play against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night. He could be in the lineup tonight (Saturday) for the second game of the doubleheader.
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F Vladimir Bobylev is expected to rejoin the Victoria Royals next week for the remainder of this WHL season. Bobylev, 19, had 67 points, including 28 goals, in 72 games with the Royals last season. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL draft. . . . Bobylev, who is from Lipetsk, Russia, signed with Spartak Moscow of the KHL over the summer. He had a goal and two assists in 20 games with Spartak, before being sent down to Voskresensk of the VHL, where he had one goal and one assist in three games. . . . The Royals have room for Bobylev on their roster as they only had one import — Russian D Marsel Ibragimov — on their roster. . . . Bobylev could be in Victoria in time for the Royals’ next home game -- they are scheduled to play host to the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday night. . . . Last season, Bobylev played a lot with linemates Jack Walker and Tyler Soy. You can look for them to be reunited once Soy returns from an undisclosed injury. Those three combined for 236 points, including 110 goals, last season.
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JUST NOTES:

Brent Dodginghorse, 38, who played two seasons (1997-99) with the Calgary Hitmen, has been re-elected to a fifth term as a councillor with the Tsuut’ina Nation near Calgary. The election was held last week and had a voter turnout of more than 70 per cent. .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Beck Malenstyn forced OT and then scored in the extra session to give the Hitmen a 3-2
BECK MALENSTYN
victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The visitors took a 1-0 lead when F Michael Spacek scored his 15th goal at 4:40 of the first period. . . . Calgary tied it on a PP score by F Jakob Stukel (7) at 17:58. . . . The Rebels went back in front on F Evan Polei’s 12th goal, at 6:57 of the third period. . . . Malenstyn, who has 11 goals, tied it at 14:41 and won it at 2:02 of OT. . . . The winner came as Red Deer G Lasse Petersen, who once played for the Hitmen, skated out near the blue line after a loose puck. Malenstyn got their first and was able to score into the vacated net. . . . “Lasse wasn’t here for a super-long time last (season),” Malenstyn told Postmedia’s Scott Fisher, “but in the time he was here, we got to know each other pretty well. We were pretty good friends when he was here so maybe I’ll have to thank him for this one after the game.” . . . The Hitmen got 33 saves from G Cody Porter. . . . At the other end, Petersen made 27 saves. . . . Calgary was 1-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . The Hitmen (11-14-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (15-12-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 9,631.
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At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer scored twice and added an assist to help the Oil Kings to a 5-1 victory over
LANE BAUER
the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Bauer, who has 21 goals, ran his goal-scoring streak to six games. He’s got eight goals over that time. . . . D Aaron Irving gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead with his 10th goal at 3:25 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke (17) tied it on a PP at 7:55. . . . Irving scored again at 10:58 to put his mates out front for good. . . . Bauer made it 3-1 with his 20th goal at 13:31. . . . Edmonton D Brayden Gorda (3) added insurance at 17:02 of the second period, with Bauer getting his second goal at 14:56 of the third. . . . Gorda also had an assist, while F Davis Koch had two of them. . . . Gorda and Koch each finished plus-5. . . . The Oil Kings got 19 saves from G Patrick Dea, while Brandon’s Jordan Papirny, playing in his hometown, blocked 29. . . . Brandon was 1-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-1. . . . Edmonton and Brandon are tied for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots, each with 30 points. . . . The Oil Kings improved to 14-14-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-13-4) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are 1-5-1 on an eight-game trip that ends in Red Deer tonight. . . . Announced attendance: 8,148.
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At Lethbridge, F Giorgio Estephan broke a 2-2 tie at 14:56 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the
GIORGIO ESTEPHAN
Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . The Hurricanes (16-11-4) have points in 10 straight games (9-0-1). . . . The Tigers (21-10-1) have lost five in a row. . . . D David Quenneville (16) scored both Medicine Hat goals. He gave his guys a 1-0 lead at 13:19 of the first period and pulled them into a 2-2 tie at 10:13 of the third. Both goals came via the PP. . . . Lethbridge F Jordy Bellerive (11) tied the score 1-1 at 10:22 of the second period. . . . D Brennan Riddle scored his first WHL goal at 11:39 of the second to get the Hurricanes into a 2-2 tie. . . . Lethbridge got two assists from each of F Tyler Wong and F Colton Kroeker. . . . F Steve Owre had two assists for the Tigers. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots for Lethbridge. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider turned aside 20 shots as he made his fifth start in search of his 20th victory this season. He leads the WHL with 19. . . . Medicine Hat 2-4 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,854.
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At Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals to beat the Victoria Royals, 5-4, in OT. . . .
RYAN HUGHES
Portland D Henri Jokiharju forced OT when he scored with with 54.6 seconds left in the third period and G Cole Kehler on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Winterhawks won it when F Ryan Hughes scored his 13th goal at 4:05 of extra time. . . . D Caleb Jones, who finished with three assists, had the primary assist on each of the last two goals. . . . The Winterhawks held a 3-1 lead early in the second period but watched as Victoria scored three straight goals. . . . F Brett Clayton’s first goal put Portland out front at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria D Chazz Reddekopp (4) tied it at 11:01. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Colton Veloso (8), at 18:20 of the first, and F Cody Glass (16), on a PP, 30 seconds into the second period. . . . The Royals got the next three goals, with F Dante Hannoun (12) scoring at 0:53 of the second, F Ryan Peckford (9) counting at 6:06 and F Regan Nagy (9) scoring at 5:52 of the third period. . . . Glass added two assists to his goal, while D Keoni Texeira also had two helpers. . . . The Royals got two assists each from Hannoun and F Matt Phillips. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Victoria was 1-5. . . . Kehler finished with 33 saves in earning the victory over Griffen Outhouse, who turned aside 46 shots. . . . Portland (17-13-1) had won two in a row. . . . Victoria (16-13-3) has points in its last three outings (2-0-1). . . . Announced attendance: 4,231.
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At Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 7-3 victory
JAYDEN HALBGEWACHS
over the Raiders. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs had two goals and two assists for the Warriors, taking over the WHL goal-scoring with 24, in the process. He scored the first two goals, at 9:41 and 13:09 of the first period as he ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the best in the WHL this season. . . . F Tanner Jeannot, who also scored twice, upped the lead to 3-0 at 17:28. . . . F Austin Glover (9) scored the Teddy Bear Goal just 32 seconds into the second period and F Tim Vanstone (5) got the Raiders to within one at 3:38. . . . However, F Noah Gregor, who has 15 goals, scored his first of two at 10:48, on a PP, and Jeannot upped it to 5-2 at 2:25 of the third period. . . . Raiders F Spencer Moe’s first goal got them to within two at 11:02. . . . The Warriors put it away on goals from Gregor, at 15:03, and F Brett Howden (14), at 16:24. . . . Howden and Gregor had an assist each. . . . Halbgewachs went into this season with 19 goals and 31 assists in 133 career regular-season games. This season, he has 24 goals and 17 assists in 28 games. He has tied his career-high with 41 points in 28 games; he finished last season with 41 points in 69 games. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko blocked 41 shots, 16 more than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . The Warriors were 1-4 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-6. . . . Moose Jaw (17-6-5) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . Prince Albert (6-23-1) has lost three straight. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Moose Jaw and it’s another Teddy Bear Game. . . . F Brayden Burke (ill) and D Matt Sozanski (hangnail/shoulder) were among the Warriors’ scratches. . . . Announced attendance: 2,171.
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At Prince George, F Donovan Neuls broke a 2-2 tie at 1:33 of the third period and the Seattle
DONOVAN NEULS
Thunderbirds went on to a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . Neuls has eight goals this season. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle’s 19th goal, shorthanded, got the Cougars on the scoreboard first, at 3:07 of the first period. . . . F Sami Moilanen (8) tied it at 10:23. . . . The Cougars went back out front on F Yan Khomenko’s ninth goal, at 11:29. . . . The Thunderbirds tied it on F Keegan Kolesar’s second goal, at 2:22 of the second period. . . . Neuls and Kolesar also had an assist each. . . . Khomenko has nine goals and six assists in 28 games. Last season, he finished with five goals and three assists in 46 games with Everett. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 25 shots for Seattle, two more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 0-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds improved to 16-10-3. . . . The Cougars are 21-8-2. . . . The two teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . . Announced attendance: 2,758.
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At Regina, F Dawson Leedahl scored two goals and drew three assists to lead the Pats to an 8-1 victory
DAWSON LEEDAHL
over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . It was Leedahl’s first five-point game in the WHL. . . . Leedahl, 20, has 12 goals and 25 assists in 28 games this season. Last season, he finished with 12 goals and 15 assists in 48 games with the Everett Silvertips. He already has career single-season highs in assists and points. . . . F Riley Woods scored the Teddy Bear Goal, his fifth goal this season, giving the Pats a 1-0 lead at 11:45 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry, who scored twice and added two assists, got his13th at 13:57 of the first for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Kaden Elder (7) pulled the Broncos to within a goal at 16:15, but Regina went on to score the next six goals. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs had two goals, giving him 13, and an assist, while F Sam Steel and D Sergey Zborovskiy each had two assists. . . . Zborovskiy has three goals and 13 assists over his past five games during which time he is plus-17. . . . Regina F Adam Brooks ran his point streak to 22 games with one assist. Brooks, who is tied with Steel atop the WHL scoring race (48 points), has at least a point in each game in which he has played this season. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown, making his eighth straight start with backup Jordan Hollett hurt, made 26 saves. . . . Swift Current starter Taz Burman gave up four goals on 16 shots in 23:17. Travis Child came on to allow four goals on 29 shots in 36:43. . . . The Pats were 2-3 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Regina (21-2-5) is 5-0-2 in its last seven games. It remains tied with Everett (21-3-5) atop the overall standings. . . . Swift Current (15-10-6) has lost two in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 5,128.
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At Spokane, F Markson Bechtold’s fifth goal, at 18:52 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Chiefs
MARKSON BECHTOLD
beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . F Keanu Yamamoto scored the Teddy Bear Goal, giving his guys a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period. . . . Ice F Barrett Sheen (6) tied it at 9:03. . . . The Chiefs took a 3-1 lead on second-period goals from F Kailer Yamamoto (18), on a PP, at 1:02, and F Jaret Anderson-Dolan (14), at 14:22. . . . Kootenay tied it with a pair of PP goals. F Zak Zborosky scored No. 23 at 18:18 of the second period and F Vince Loschiavo got his ninth at 3:50 of the third period. . . . The Yamamoto brothers each had an assist, as did Anderson-Dolan. . . . The Ice got two assists from D Cale Fleury, with Loschiavo and Zborosky adding one each. . . . G Dawson Weatherill got the victory with 27 saves, four more than the Ice’s Jakob Walter. . . . Kootenay was 2-6 on the PP; Spokane was 1-5. . . . The Chiefs (12-11-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Ice (6-18-8) had points in its previous three games (1-0-2). . . . The Ice had F Kaeden Taphorn back after an 18-game absence. Taphorn was injured on Oct. 7 on a hit by Regina Pats F Austin Wagner, came back for two games on Oct. 21 and 26, and didn’t play again until last night. . . . Announced attendance: 8,322.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Kole Lind struck in OT as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2.
KOLE LIND
. . . Lind scored his 16th goal at 3:17 of extra time. . . . F Nolan Foote’s fifth goal, on a PP, gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead at 18:54 of the first period. . . . The Americans scored the next two goals, both via the PP. . . . F Michael Rasmussen got No. 22 at 2:12 of the second period. . . . D Juuso Valimaki, who spent the early part of the week at home in Finland where he took part in Independence Day celebrations (for more, see blog entry from Tuesday night of this week), gave the home side a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal, at 6:02. . . . The Rockets forged a 2-2 tie when F Calvin Thurkauf got his 13th goal at 8:44 of the second. . . . The Americans got two assists from each of F Tyler Sandhu and F Vladislav Lukin. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . G Evan Sarthou of the Americans blocked 41 shots. . . . Tri-City was 2-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-3. . . . The Rockets (18-11-1) are 5-0-1 in their past six games. . . . The Americans (18-11-3) are 2-0-1 in their last three. . . . Announced attendance: 2,609.
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At Langley, B.C., F Eetu Tuulola’s shootout goal gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the
EETU TUULOLA
Vancouver Giants. . . . F Thomas Foster (7) gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 8:25 of the first period and the teams alternated goals the rest of the way, meaning that the Silvertips didn’t hold a lead until game’s end. . . . Everett F Sean Richards (5) tied it at 3:14 of the second period. . . . Vancouver F Radovan Bondra, who missed a week with a leg injury, put the Giants back out front with his 18th goal, just 25 seconds later. . . . Tuulola tied it with his seventh goal, just eight seconds after Bondra had scored. . . . Yes, the teams scored three times in 33 seconds. . . . Vancouver took the lead again when F Jack Flaman (9) scored at 14:45. . . . Everett D Noah Juulsen’s ninth goal tied it again, at 2:52 of the third period. . . . Vancouver went back out front at 9:05 as F Tyler Benson notched No. 9. . . . The Silvertips forced OT with F Dominic Zwerger’s 11th goal, at 9:57. . . . Everett got two assists from each of F Patrick Bajkov and Jake Christiansen. . . . Juulsen tied his single-season for goals, matching the nine he scored in 68 games in 2014-15. He had seven last season and has nine in 25 games this season. . . . F Alec Baer had two assists for Vancouver, with Foster and Benson adding one each. . . . G Carter Hart stopped 17 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic blocked 48. . . . The Silvertips set a franchise record by recording 27 shots on goal in the second period. The previous record of 26 came at Seattle on Sept. 18, 2009. . . . Everett was 0-3 on the PP; Vancouver’s PP unit never got off the bench. . . . The Silvertips (21-3-5) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are tied with Regina (21-2-5) atop the overall standings. . . . The Giants (11-17-3) have lost two in a row (0-1-1). . . . Announced attendance: 3,015.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m. (TBG)
Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m. (TBG)
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Everett at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Brandon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Spokane vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.
Dec. 9: F Austin Glover, 0:32 2nd period, Moose Jaw 7 at Prince Albert 3. 
Dec. 9: F Riley Woods, 11:45 1st period, Swift Current 1 at Regina 8.
Dec. 9: F Keanu Yamamoto, 4:01 1st period, Kootenay 3 at Spokane 4.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:51 PM
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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Parkers fold team

Lindy Ruff, who played with the Lethbridge Broncos (1976-79), coached his 1,000th NHL game Wednesday night, as his Buffalo Sabres got past the host New Jersey Devils 5-4 in a shootout.
Ruff is the 18th head coach in NHL history to get to No. 1,000. Ruff, Al Arbour (1,500 games with the New York Islanders) and Billy Reay (1,012 with the Chicago Blackhawks) are the only head coaches to get there with just one team.
Ruff was hired to replace Ted Nolan. Since Ruff began in Buffalo with the start of the 1997-98 season, there have been 155 coaching changes in the NHL.
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After two seasons in the Golden Baseball League, the Victoria Seals have ceased operations, effective immediately.
A notice on the team’s website cites “restrictive conditions of the current lease with the City of Victoria along with the unstable state of the Golden Baseball League.”
The Seals, who operated in Victoria for two seasons, were owned by Regina Pats owner Russ Parker and his son, Darren, who served as the team’s president.
“Despite expressing continuous concerns over the current lease agreement at out-dated Royal Athletic Park, the Seals were unable to find an agreement with the City that would address several alarming issues with the operation of a professional baseball team,” the notice reads. “Specifically, the poor field conditions, lack of a permanent outfield fence, unreasonable concession agreement and strained relationship with management at the current facility.
“In addition, the current uncertainty surrounding the makeup of the GBL and the financially demanding geographic layout of the league put added stress on the organization.”
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F Brayden Schenn, who has played eight games with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight for the third straight game. The Kings are to play the visiting Dallas Stars tonight. And there are starting to be whispers that he will be returned to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Schenn, 19, was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times has more right here. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders are celebrating their 40th anniversary and will have the Centennial Cup and the Memorial Cup in the Art Hauser Centre on Dec. 11. Before joining the WHL, the Raiders all but owned the Centennial Cup, which went to the national junior A champion, winning it in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1982. They joined the WHL for 1982-83 and won the Memorial Cup in 1985. . . . Kamloops Blazers D Josh Caron was back skating Wednesday for the first time since suffering a broken collarbone on Sept. 25. He hopes to see game action before month’s end. . . .
The injury-stricken Swift Current Broncos brought in two players for Tuesday’s game with the visiting Portland Winterhawks. The Broncos had D Tanner Clark and F Zac MacKay in the lineup. Clark, 17, is with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, while MacKay, 15, is with the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires. . . . The Broncos also have lost F Andrew Sullivan, an 18-year-old from Calgary who had three points and 82 penalty minutes in 79 career games. Sullivan, who was a seventh-round bantam pick in 2007, has left the team and returned home. . . . The Prince George Cougars announced Wednesday that D Dan Hamhuis of the Vancouver Canucks will serve as Team WHL’s honourary captain next week when the Subway Super Series wraps up at the CN Centre. Hamhuis, who is from Smithers, B.C., played 247 regular-season with the Cougars and is their all-time leading scorer among defencemen. . . . The touring Russian team will play Team WHL in Kamloops on Nov. 17 and in Prince George on Nov. 18. . . . The Russians are 2-0, having swept the first two games from QMJHL teams. . . . The last time the Russians swept two games from one league in this series? That was in 2004 when the Russians beat the QMJHL twice by 4-3 scores, in Quebec City and Montreal. . . .
The visiting Seattle Thunderbirds got a goal and two assists from each of F Colin Jacobs and F Luke Lockhart in beating the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-2. Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 27 shots. . . . Lockhart has four goals and two assists over his last two games. . . . The Thunderbirds, who have won two in a row, are 2-1-1 on their East Division swing; the Raiders have lost 9 of 10. . . . In Regina, the Portland Winterhawks worked overtime to run their winning streak to 10 games. F Brad Ross scored his ninth goal of the season at 1:06 of OT to give the visitors a 5-4 victory over the Pats. . . . The goal originally was credited to F Ryan Johansen, who scored the game’s first goal, his eighth. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi scored his 14th goal to run his points streak to 13 games. . . . Portland F Riley Boychuk forced OT with his second goal of the game at 17:00 of the third period. . . . F Spencer Bennett had three assists for the winners. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 33 shots and now is 9-1. . . . F Thomas Frazee, taken 11th overall by Portland in the 2005 bantam draft, had a goal and two assists for Regina. . . . Portland was without F Oliver Gabriel, who was injured Tuesday in Swift Current. . . . The Winterhawks continue their trip in Saskatoon against the Blades on Friday night. . . . The Blades will be wearing their denim-look jerseys, with Shannon Tweed and some guy named Gene Simmons in attendance. . . .
The Calgary Hitmen erased a three-goal deficit but lost 5-4 in OT to the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. The WHL’s defending champions now have lost 10 straight games. . . . Lethbridge F Mitch Maxwell got the winner on the PP at 1:20 of extra time. Calgary F Kris Foucault, who forced OT with a PP goal at 7:44 of the third, was off for high-sticking when the winner was scored. . . . Lethbridge got two goals from F Alex Kuvaev, a goal and two assist form F Graham Hood, and three assists from F Michael Sofillas. . . . G Adam Brown stopped 26 shots, including all nine he faced in the third period, as the host Kelowna Rockets edged the Edmonton Oil Kings, 2-1. D Tyson Barrie broke a 1-1 tie on the PP at 14:49 of the second period. . . . The Rockets, who not that long ago had a near-empty bandwagon, now have won five in a row and it’s filling up fast. The Rockets now are eighth in the Western Conference, a point up on the Spokane Chiefs and Everett Silvertips, both of whom hold two games in hand. . . . Kelowna F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had one assist, giving him 13 points during the five-game winning streak. . . . The Red Deer Rebels went to a shootout for the first time this season and lost 3-2 to the Giants in Vancouver. The loser point was enough to lift the Rebels into first place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the idle Saskatoon Blades. . . . The shootout went 14 shooters, with Vancouver freshman F Matt Bellerive, who turns 16 on Dec. 7, getting the winner. Bellerive played sparingly and had had just one shift in the third period. . . . Red Deer F Byron Froese, with his 11th, and F Dalton Siwak erased a 2-0 deficit with goals at 11:42 and 12:33 of the third period. . . . Four of the WHL’s top four scorers were in the game. Craig Cunningham (38 points) and Brendan Gallagher (31) of the Giants and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (30) and Byron Froese (30) of the Rebels combined for one point, that being Froese’s goal. . . . Cunningham played in his 280th regular-season game with the Giants, tying the franchise record held by F Mitch Bartley. Cunningham will break the record this afternoon when the Giants meet the Bruins in Chilliwack. Game time is 2 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Red Deer D Aaron Borejko
Vancouver D Luke Fenske

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:49 AM
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Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday . . .

 THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Martin Podlesak (Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2000-02) has been assigned on loan to Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic Extraliga) by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic Extraliga). The loan agreement is until the end of October, and Ceske Budejovice has the option to extend the loan until the end of the season. Podlesak had six goals and four assists in 46 games for Sparta last season.
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Former WHL coach Rob Daum is back at the U of Alberta where he is serving as senior director of player personnel. Daum was a long-time Golden Bears head coach before he ventured into the pro game. He spent last season with the Springfield Falcons, then the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He’ll help Golden Bears head coach Eric Thurston, who lost assistant coaches Russ Hewson and Stan Marple to NAIT where they are coaching the Ooks. . . . Meanwhile, Rocky Thompson, who was dropped as an assistant coach by the Edmonton Oil Kings after last season, is on staff with the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.
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The Saskatoon Blades made a move with their goaltenders on Sunday, assigning Tyler Oswald, 17, to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. That leaves the Blades with three goaltenders on their roster — Steven Stanford, 20; Adam Morrison, 19; and, Adam Iwan, 17. . . . Morrison remains in camp with the Philadelphia Flyers.
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The Red Deer Rebels have assigned F Mason Burr, 16, to the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who play out of Strathmore, Alta. Burr had two assists in four exhibition games with the Rebels. He was a second-round pick, 27th overall, in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . After that move, the Rebels were down to 27 players on their roster, including four players in NHL camps — F Byron Froese (Chicago Blackhawks), G Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota Wild), D Alex Petrovic (Florida Panthers) and D Justin Weller (Phoenix Coyotes).
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F Mark Parrish (Seattle, 1997-98) is in camp with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Parrish, 33, played last season with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and its AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. He didn’t score in 16 NHL games, but had 17 goals in 56 AHL games. His NHL career includes six 20-goal seasons. "He's a guy that can score goals and maybe can supply some depth that we want to take a look at," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told the Buffalo News. "He's been a goal scorer at the NHL level so we're taking a look."
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The Washington Capitals returned G Brandon Anderson, 18, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday. He was in the Capitals’ camp on a free-agent tryout deal.
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F Jason Jaffray (Kootenay, Swift Current, 1998-2002) suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury during a Saturday scrimmage in the camp of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. According to Lindsay Kramer of the Syracuse Post-Standard, “An MRI showed a MCL sprain and also an ACL tear to his left knee. He will be examined Tuesday to determine his exact treatment plan.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:33 PM
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