Giants down to three 20s. . . . A retirement in P.A.

D Ray Macias (Kamloops, 2002-07) has signed a two-week tryout contract with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite), he had two goals and three assists in eight games. . . .
F Martin Podlešák (Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2000-02) was granted his release by the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite) for personal reasons. Last season, with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had three goals and four assists in 23 games. He also had a goal in three games with Litoměřice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). . . .
F Clinton Pettapiece (Tri-City, Medicine Hat, 2003-06) was released by Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Last season, with the Dordrecht Lions (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 61 points, including 22 goals, in 36 games. . . .
F Tomáš Troliga (Calgary, 2003-04) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after a successful tryout. Last season, with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 24 points, including 13 goals, in 46 games.
---



The Vancouver Giants have settled on their three 20-year-olds, at least for now. They placed F Travis McEvoy on waivers on Tuesday, leaving them with F Matt Bellerive, F Joel Hamilton and F Dalton Sward. . . . McEvoy, from Thorsby, Alta., has 49 points, 23 of them goals, in188 regular-season WHL games. He played 111 of those with the Giants, after starting his career with 77 games with the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Bellerive, from North Vancouver, is with the Giants for a second go-round. He played 98 games with them through the end of 2011-12, when he was dealt to the Red Deer Rebels. Last season, the Rebels traded him to the Kamloops Blazers, who sent him to the Giants this summer. In 227 games, he has 97 points, 43 of them goals. . . . Hamilton put up 46 points, including 13 goals, in 70 games with the Giants last season. From Cochrane, Alta., he played his first two seasons with Red Deer, recording 57 points, 14 of them goals, in 114 games. . . . Sward, from Abbotsford, is entering his fifth sesaon with the Giants. He has 96 points, including 48 goals, in 237 games.
---
The Swift Current Broncos released veteran F Justin Spagrud, 19, on Tuesday. Spagrud, from Gull Lake, which is just west of Swift Current, was pointless in 39 games last season. In 2012-13, he had three goals and two assists in 39 games.
---
F Carson Perreaux, who turns 20 on Dec. 28, has left the Prince Albert Raiders, choosing to end his WHL career in order “to pursue education and work opportunities,” according to a news release. . . . In 186 games with the Raiders, the Brandon native had 58 points, including 32 goals. . . . “He’s decided it’s time for him to step away,” Raiders GM Bruno Campese told Andrew Schopp of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. “He’s been a great citizen. He and his family have been very dedicated to the Raiders organization and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” . . . The Raiders, who now are carrying 29 players, still have four 20-year-olds on their roster -- F Calder Brooks, F Dakota Conroy, F Jayden Hart and D Sawyer Lange. . . . The Raiders also are down to two goaltenders -- Nick McBride, 17, and Rylan Parenteau, who turns 18 on Nov. 6. McBride, from Maple Ridge, B.C., was 12-7-2/2.95/.908 as a freshman last season. Parenteau, from Saskatoon, has played 69 minutes with the Raiders over the last two seasons.
---
The Kamloops Blazers have signed F Garrett Pilon, 16, who has been returned to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. . . . The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Pilon, the son of former NHL/WHL D Rich Pilon (Prince Albert, 1985-88), was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Last season, Garrett had 29 points, including 10 goals, in 43 games with the contacts.
---
If you were one of the viewers who stayed up into the wee hours of Tuesday morning to watch No. 6 Milos Raonic and No. 11 Kei Nishikori play in the U.S. Open, Juan Jose Vallejo of Rolling Stone has his take right here.
---
Magnus Carlsen is a 23-year-old Norwegian who already is being billed as perhaps the best chess player in history. He’s in St. Louis these days and Dave McKenna of Deadspin takes a look right here.
---




Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Ty Mappin, who suffered a brain injury last week, has resumed skating but hasn’t been cleared for contact. . . . The Blades released F Nick Gomerich, 18, on Tuesday. Last season, as a freshman, he had five points in 44 games. From Nanaimo, B.C., he was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds have added Bear Trapp to their staff as an assistant coach. He will work alongside GM/head coach Clint Mylymok. Trapp is the son of former WHL F Doug Trapp (Regina, 1982-85) and the grandson of former WHL coach and longtime scout Barry Trapp.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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.

Rick Brodsky, the owner of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, appeared on CKNW’s SportsTalk with Dan Russell on Thursday night. The three-hour talk show is based in Vancouver.
Brodsky, who has been involved at the ownership level in three cities and also did a lengthy stint as chairman of the WHL’s board of governors, displayed an honesty that really was a breath of fresh air in this day of upper- and lower-body injuries.
He told Russell that the Cougars’ problems in Prince George are, to a large degree, self-inflicted because the team hasn’t been the team management has wanted it to be. He also pointed out that the sinking lumber-based in that city economy has been a major factor in the dropoff in attendance.
Brodsky also admitted to Russell that he talked with Chilliwack interests last spring after the Bruins were sold and in the process of relocating to Victoria.
Furthermore, Brodsky said that the Cougars are solidly in Prince George and that he has absolutely zero interest in selling the franchise. But, he told Russell, he would look into any situation that might arise should there be anything viable out there.
Without that, Brodsky said, the Cougars are rolling up their sleeves and working hard.
Brodsky also talked about Winnipeg, Fort McMurray, Nanaimo . . . from his and the league’s perspective.
As mentioned, this was an interesting interview simply because Brodsky didn’t try to duck and run from any of Russell’s questions.
You are able to listen to the interview right here. It’s in Hour 3 of the Thursday, Jan. 19 program.
———
Goodness knows there are enough stories out there about concussions and hazing and headshots and fighting and all the rest.
So how about one about how three players from the Prince Albert Raiders — Shane Danyluk, Josh Morrissey and Carson Perreaux — saved the life of a six-week-old puppy?
Hey, nothing like a warm-puppy story to warm the cockles of your heart on a cold January day.
The complete story is right here.
———
WHL players have taken part in 1,004 fights to this point in the season. At the end of the 2010-11 regular season, there had been 1,713 scraps.
What this means is that fighting in the WHL is down marginally, from 2.16 fights per game last season to 2.02 this time around.
In last season’s 70 playoff games, there were 45 fights, an average of 0.64 per game.
Darren Kramer of the Spokane Chiefs led the WHL with 46 bouts last season and is the leader again this season, with 18.
The Chiefs will hold a bobblehead night in his honour on Saturday. Not only will the doll’s head bobble, but so will the gloves.
This is progress?
———
JUST NOTES:
F Josh Nicholls is expected to return to the Saskatoon Blades’ lineup tonight as they play host to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Nicholls had 35 points, including 20 goals, in 30 games when he left a Dec. 3 game with a knee injury. Nicholls missed 16 games. . . . He has spent a few games helping the coaches run the Blades’ bench. On Thursday, Nicholls tweeted: “I have decided to step down from my duties as Assistant Coach with the Blades. I will remain with the team in another capacity #reggiedunlop” . . . Nicholls is expected to go right back onto the Blades’ top offensive line, alongside Matej Stransky and Brent Benson. . . . Meanwhile, G Andrey Makarov (concussion) has returned to practice but isn’t expected to play until next week. . . . Alex Moodie, 16, is expected to start for the Blades tonight and perhaps again Saturday against the visiting Victoria Royals. He has made 11 appearances since Dec. 29. . . .
The Regina Pats may have D Brandon Underwood back in the lineup tonight when they meet the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers. Underwood has missed 18 games with a fracture ankle. He was injured Dec. 4 when he blocked a shot in a game against the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . .
An interesting tidbit from Dave (Crash) Cameron of the Edmonton Sun, on the Oil Kings line that has Tyler Maxwell with Michael St. Croix and Dylan Wruck: “Since acquiring Maxwell from the Everett Silvertips, the line combo of the Californian with St. Croix and Wruck wracked up 104 points in the 21 games together. Maxwell had 30 points (13G, 17A), Wruck 35 (13G, 22A) and St. Croix 39 (15G, 24A).”
———
F Rocco Grimaldi, a second-round selection by the Florida Panthers in the NHL’s 2011 draft, has been shut down by the U of North Dakota hockey team. Grimaldi, who is to turn 19 on Feb. 8, is to have surgery to repair damage to a knee. Grimaldi’s WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks.
The Grand Forks Herald has more on Grimaldi right here.
———
D Dougie Hamilton of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs has been suspended for 10 games for a check to the head of F Michael MacDonald of the Sudbury Wolves on Jan. 13. MacDonald came out of it with a concussion. Hamilton, who has 50 points in 34 games, was taken ninth overall by the Boston Bruins in the NHL’s 2011 entry draft. He played for the Canadian junior team at the recently completed World Junior Championship. . . . He will be eligible to return to the lineup on Feb. 12. . . .
Meanwhile, the QMJHL has suspended D Alex Filiatrault of the Val d'Or Foreurs for seven games after a knee-on-knee hit on F Anthony Duclair of the Quebec Remparts on Saturday. Filiatrault ended up with an automatic one-game suspension and the league added six more on Thursday. Duclair is expected to sit for more than a week with a bruised knee.
By the way, Patrick Roy, the Remparts’ GM and head coach, drew a $2,500 fine for referring to the on-ice officials as a “disgrace” after a Jan. 4 loss to the Victoriaville Tigres. Roy now has been fined three times this season for a total of $7,000.
Meanwhile, the Moose Jaw Warriors await word from the WHL office as to the length of suspension to D Dylan McIlrath, who took out Victoria Royals D Jesse Zgraggen with an elbow to the head on Wednesday night.
“I know my thought process coming in wasn’t to hit him up high,” McIlrath told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald on Thursday. “I wanted to ride him into the boards and make a routine hip check, like I’ve done so many times before,” McIlrath said. “It was just a bang-bang play. It’s unfortunate.
“I saw him on the ice. Obviously, I didn’t want to see anyone to get injured. I felt bad right after it happened. He went down pretty hard. It’s tough to see.”
McIlrath is a repeat offender, having sat out three games after a charging major he incurred on Nov. 23 for a hit on F Trevor Cheek of the Calgary Hitmen.
Prior to this season, McIlrath, a first-round selection by the New York Rangers in the 2010 NHL draft, had never been suspended.
———
There was some tremendously interesting news out of the BCHL on Thursday after the board of governors held its semi-annual meeting in Richmond.
For starters, the governors voted to trim the number of regular-season games from 60 to 56.
That will cut down on the number of mid-week games, allowing teams to schedule the bulk of their games on Friday and Saturday nights.
The BCHL also will hold a massive showcase event on Sept. 7-9 in which each team will play twice. Those games will count as regular-season games, with the season beginning in earnest on Sept. 14. It will end on March 10, 2013.
What that means is that each team, with the exception of the team that plays host to the showcase, will play 27 home games.
For more, including a new conference alignment and more, check right here.
———
David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail is reporting that “the results of an RCMP investigation into Len Barrie’s financial dealings with his former Bear Mountain golf resort and real-estate development” near Victoria have been turned over to the B.C. Attorney General’s office.
That story is right here.

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.