A horse named I’ll Have Another is running for history on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York.
And you are going to watch Saturday’s third race in the Triple Crown after I tell you that there is a WHL angle to this horse.
That angle is named Larry Jones — he goes by the nickname Thumper — and he used to play in the WHL.
According to hockeydb.com, Jones played 58 games in 1977-78, splitting them between the Portland Winter Hawks, Medicine Hat Tigers and New Westminster Bruins. He played 13 games with the Lethbridge Broncos and 12 with the Regina Pats in 1978-79.
In 83 games, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound winger had four goals, seven assists and 212 penalty minutes.
It was while with the Bruins that Jones was involved in one of the most legendary bench-clearing brawls in WHL history. That was Feb. 12, 1978, against the Billings Bighorns.
“In the last game of that season (1977-78), we played Billings and pretty much brawled them up to the point that they had become terrified of us,” Jones told Tom Wolski of the Vancouver Province.
Ernie McLean’s Bruins went on to sweep the Bighorns en route to winning the 1978 Memorial Cup.
Jones’s hockey career was ended by back problems. Ultimately, he found relief from a chirorpactor.
It wasn’t quite this easy, but after finding help for his back, Jones wondered why he couldn’t do the same for horses. So he has done just that.
Most recent stories on him have referred to him as an “equine chiropractor,” although he has told Ryan Goldberg of The New York Times that “I’m not a chiropractor, I’m a positionalist.”
And there have been a lot of recent stories because the native of Stettler, Alta., has done a lot of work with I’ll Have Another, a horse that was ridden by Mario Gutierrez during the Kentucy Derby and the Preakness. (Gutierrez has been a regular jockey at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver.)
There was a time when Jones worked at a now-defunct track in Kamloops and then went on to Exhibition Park in Vancouver.
On Saturday, Jones, now 53, will be at Belmont Park in New York.
And if I’ll Have Another should happen to win, Thumper’s legend — he is know for wearing shorts and cowboy boots — will continue to grow.
For more on Jones, check out Goldberg’s story right here.
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F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks can be a deep-thinker, which is why I linked to his blog (Blades of Glory) over there on the right.
In his latest entry, he provides a major junior player’s reaction to the story from The New York Times that detailed the easy access the late Derek Boogaard had to prescription drugs.
Check out Blades of Glory because it’s definitely worth a read.
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You should also check out Thom Beunig’s blog (In the Corner) that also is linked to over there on the right.
He lost one of his best friends on Wednesday and offers up some heartfelt thoughts and memories.
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The NHL has a problem. A big problem. It seems that its teams don’t know the direction in which the league is headed. For example, the Detroit Red Wings, with D Nicklas Lidstrom having retired, have a lot of money to spend under the cap. But they don’t know whether to spend it on skill or gritty shot-blockers. Seriously. . . . Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has an intriguing look at the situation right here.
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F Dillon Wagner, who played out his eligibility this season, has decided to attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds. Dillon played most of his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos, but was traded to the Portland Winterhawks this season and then claimed on waivers by the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . He is a veteran of four WHL seasons, recording 66 points in 212 games. . . .
Three ex-WHLers have decided to go to the U of Lethbridge and play for the Pronghorns. G Damien Ketlo, who finished up his WHL career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season, has made the commitment. Head coach Greg Gatto immediately named Ketlo his starter, replacing the graduated Scott Bowles. . . . Ketlo played most his four-season career with the Regina Pats, before being dealt to Lethbridge this season. . . . Also agreeing to attend the U of L were D Hayden Rintoul and D Cason Machacek. . . . Rintoul played for the Kootenay Ice, who dealt him to the Victoria Royals prior to this season. He put up 144 points in 260 WHL games, and helped the Ice to the 2010-11 championship. . . . Machacek, who is from Lethbridge, finished up with Seattle, after playing for the Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge. He had 28 points and 536 penalty minutes in 245 WHL games.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal has spoken with Kris Knoblauch, the former head coach of the Kootenay Ice. That piece is right here. . . . Knoblauch, you’ll recall, had his contract terminated by the Ice as he was trying to land the head-coaching job with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . . There are some extremely interesting comments from Knoblauch who, among other things, told Daum: “Certainly, there wasn’t a guarantee that the job was mine, but I was under the impression I was a very good candidate. Everything short of the job being guaranteed to me. After this process was over, I’ve heard many names of people being kind of given the same sales pitch of applying.”


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The move to ban fighting from hockey, at least from the major junior level and below, made another advancement Monday with the publication of a story by John Branch in The New York Times.
The story on The Times’ website carried this headline: Junior Hockey on Cusp of a Revolution: Trying to Stop Fighting.
In the story, David Branch, the president of the Canadian Hockey League and the commissioner of the OHL, is quoted as saying: “The appetite is there. The time is certainly right to move forward.”
And here’s Bob Nicholson, the president of Hockey Canada: “The official stance from Hockey Canada is that we want to get rid of fighting as quickly as we can. Our ultimate goal is to remove fighting.”
John Branch writes:
“For decades, debates centered on whether hockey could survive without fighting. It is viewed by some as a necessary thermostat regulating the heat of a physical game, and by others as a way to draw bigger audiences.
“Now the talk is about how long the sport can live with fighting.
“That change has perched hockey at one of the most significant crossroads of its long history, as leaders see an opening to extinguish the game’s tradition of intermittent anarchy, particularly among teenage combatants.”
The fact that The New York Times feels this issue is important enough to cover tells you all you need to know about in which direction the fighting story is headed.
And you have to understand that this has nothing to do with the entertainment value of fighting, or its aesthetics or its impact, positive or negative, on ticket sales.
This is strictly a safety issue. And, in the case of major junior hockey, you could make a case for it being an issue involving safety in the work place.
The complete story is right here.
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From @WHLFacts, via Twitter: “Brendan Shinnimin's LAST 50 goals have been scored in 46 games, which is a faster pace than Etem's 51 in 50. Shinnanigans.”
From Adam Hughesman (@Hughdog17), via Twitter: “Did you know . . . Sidney Crosby has been playing games in the WHL for his rehab, wearing jersey number 24 TC Americans.”
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JUST NOTES:
Scoring adjustments were made on Monday morning, following the Tri-City Americans’ 7-3 victory over the host Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night.
And at the end of the day F Adam Hughesman of the Americans was up to 101 points, making him the team’s second 100-point man. F Brendan Shinnimin, with 115 points, is the other.
The Americans’ roster last contained two 100-point men in 1998-99 when F Dylan Gyori finished with 118 and Scott Gomez had 108.
F Patrick Holland is at 95 points, meaning the Americans are likely to finish with three 100-point men.
The Americans last had three of those in 1991-92 -- Terry Degner, 139; Brian Sakic, 128; and, Vladimir Vujtek, 102. . . .
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F Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks has 52 goals, with a WHL-leading 26 of those having come via the power play. That is the most PP goals in a season by one player since F Eric Fehr of the Brandon Wheat Kings scored 31 in 2004-05. The WHL record (47) belongs to F Jason Krywulak of the 1992-93 Swift Current Broncos. He finished with a league-leading 81 goals that season. . . .
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The Prince Albert Raiders are taking a look at D Zach Hodder, 18, who was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Vancouver Giants in the 2008 bantam draft. Hodder has 24 points in 37 games with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. In the WHL, he started the season with the Giants and was dealt to the Saskatoon Blades, where he played 11 games and picked up three points. . . . Hodder joined the Raiders on Sunday. He will play Wednesday against the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes and then will return to the Express. . . .
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In the end, the gamble cost the Tri-City Americans a fifth-round selection in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. That’s what GM Bob Tory gave the Prince George Cougars for the WHL rights to F Brett Connolly, 19, who is with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Tory was gambling that the NHL team would return Connolly to the WHL before the NHL’s trade deadline. That didn’t happen Monday as the Lightning revealed that Connolly will stay in the NHL where he has 13 points, including four goals, in 48 games. . . .
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will be without F Branden Troock and D Cason Machacek when they visit the Tri-City Americans tonight. Troock will be serving a one-game suspension after taking a cross-checking major in a 5-1 loss to the visiting Americans on Sunday. . . . Machacek received a game misconduct at 15:40 of the third period. Three people have told me Machacek’s stick came in contact with linesman Zack Brooks in the neutral zone and that it appeared to be intentional. Machacek has been suspended pending an investigation of the incident. . . . The Thunderbirds took 75 of 95 penalty minutes. The Americans were 4-for-8 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were, uhh, 0-for-0. Seattle apparently wasn’t happy with the officiating. Ironically, Brooks is from the Seattle area. . . .
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G Tyler Bunz is expected to start tonight for the Medicine Hat Tigers as they meet the Cougars in Prince George. Bunz, 19, hasn’t played since Feb. 12 as he has battled post-concussion syndrome. . . . He is 34-14-4, 2.58, .922, so obviously is a big part of the Medicine Hat club.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Central league’s Arizona Sundogs have fired head coach Marco Pietroniro and assistant coach Chris Bartolone, with David Lohrei taking over as the new head coach. . . . Pietroniro, the only head coach in franchise history, was in his sixth season behind the Sundogs’ bench. . . . Bartolone completed his pro playing career with the Sundogs and his number has been retired by the team. He was an assistant coach for two seasons. . . . Lohrei has coaching experience in the Central league, the ECHL and the USHL. Most recently, he has been working as owner/operator of Maximum Sports Performance in Madison, Wisc. . . . At 16-28-9, the SunDogs have the league’s worst record. . . . The Sundogs are owned by Bill Yuill, who also owns the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.

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Machacek to Thunderbirds; Royer to Americans

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had six goals and 11 assists in 21 games for Val Puisteria (Italy, Serie A) last season. . . .
F Shay Stephenson (Red Deer, 2000-04) and younger brother D Logan Stephenson (Tri-City, 2001-06) signed tryout contracts with Jesenice (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). Shay did not play last
season while Logan had two goals and three assists in 43 games for the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL). In 2009-10, Shay had six goals and 13 assists in 36 games with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) and four goals and two assists in seven games for Vålerenga Oslo (Norway, Get Ligaen).
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Travel with Katy Perry or do play-by-play of the Victoria Royals’ games? Dave Sawchuk chose the former and now Marlon Martens will be doing the latter. Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has that story right here.
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John Scott of the Chicago Blackhawks has had a tough time coming to grips with the death of close friend Derek Boogaard. Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune takes a look at their relationship right here.
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Meanwhile, the Minneapolis StarTribune reported Thursday afternoon that Aaron Boogaard (Calgary, Tri-City, 2002-07) has been arrested “on suspicion of prescription fraud/possession of prescription pills, police said.” Aaron is Derek’s younger brother. The newspaper reported that police have until today at noon to charge him and that charges are expected to be laid this morning. The StarTribune story is right here.
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The Tri-City Americans picked up the rights to F MacKenzie Royer, 19, after he was dropped by the Moose Jaw Warriors. Royer, a second-round bantam draft selection by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2007 bantam draft, put up 11 points in 35 games last season — 16 with the Hitmen and 19 with the Warriors.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have traded D Cason Machacek, 20, to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Machacek, from Lethbridge, had six assists and 183 penalty minutes in 65 games last season. He is preparing for his fourth WHL season, having started with the Kootenay Ice. He was dealt to Lethbridge 20 games into the 2009-10 season. . . . In 205 regular-season games, he has 24 points, four of them goals, and 401 penalty minutes. . . . Lethbridge is left with three 20-year-olds on its roster — F Cam Braes, F Austin Fyten and F Brody Sutter. . . . The Thunderbirds now show Machacek, F Burke Gallimore, D Ryan Button and D Erik Bonsor as their 20s.
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THE COACHING GAME: The ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays are in the market for a head coach after Cail MacLean left to work as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. MacLean, 34, spent two seasons as South Carolina’s head coach, going 88-48-18. Troy Ward, now the Heat’s head coach, was the head coach of the ECHL’s Trenton Titans, MacLean was his captain.
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Congrats to John Greenough for his victory in the CPGA of Saskatchewan Zone Championship at Swift Current-Elmwood on Wednesday. Greenough won the three-round affair by six shots, finishing at 8-under thanks in no small part to a course-record 10-under 61 in the first round. . . . Greenough, an old acquaintance from the days when he kicked around a ball a bit bigger than a golf ball on the east side of Regina, is the golf operations manager at Deer Valley Golf Club, which is located a couple of drives northwest of Regina. . . . His late father, Mark, was one of Saskatchewan’s best amateur golfers, which means the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. . . . Well done, John!
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

It seems that this is a big weekend for more than one Tiger.
While Tiger Woods begins his golf season this weekend in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines near San Diego, an emailer early Thursday informs that one of the most popular players -- who at the same time likely was one of the most unpopular players -- in NHL history is about to make a comeback of sorts.
Apparently, Dave (Tiger) Williams (Swift Current, 1971-74) practised with the Herbert Hawks of the Notekeu Hockey League on Wednesday night in preparation for a game tonight against the visiting Mossbank Blades. Game time is 8:30.
Here’s hoping that Tiger scores at least one goal and treats the fans to the riding of the stick through the neutral zone.
The Notekeu Hockey League -- yes, there is more than one NHL -- features nine teams in communities located in the southwestern side of Saskatchewan.
Mossbank and Herbert go into tonight’s game tied for second place.
Williams, if you are wondering, is to turn 57 on Feb. 3.
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You have to assume that all WHL coaches aspire to be running a bench in the National Hockey League; after all, the NHL is The Show to coaches, too.
However, Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has learned that at least some of the WHL’s coaches aren’t necessarily in a hurry to get to the NHL. Check that story out right here.
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Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News has a look at a young player who has scored more than 100 goals in fewer than 30 games. . . . That story is right here.
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Earlier this season, F Jake Trask had trouble getting playing time. Now he’s on a line with two players off Canada’s national junior team. Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has that story right here.
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JUST NOTES: The Spokane Chiefs have played 48 games this season; the Tri-City Americans have played 45. They have met each other four times, which means they will clash eight more times during this regular season. The first of those eight is Saturday in Spokane. . . . D Cason Machacek of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been suspended for five games for his actions at the end of the second period of what was a 10-2 loss to the host Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday night. It seems he came off the bench at the buzzer and entered into an altercation. He already has served two one-game suspensions this season. . . . F Connor Redmond, who had offseason shoulder surgery, may play his first game of the season for the Vancouver Giants tonight. They are at home to the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Kamloops finishes up a stretch of three road games in four nights on Saturday against the Chilliwack Bruins. The Blazers will meet the Bruins three times in a four-game stretch, with a visit from the Everett Silvertips squeezed in Wednesday. . . . The Kelowna Rockets entertain the Prince George Cougars tonight. That is the first of seven in a row for the Rockets against B.C. Division foes.