McKenzie looks at Canada's prospects . . . Benson leads WHL to win . . . Blades' analytics guru gets NHL gig

F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) has signed a one-year contract with Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL). He had been released by Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga) by mutual agreement after scoring five goals and adding six assists in 16 games.

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Bob McKenzie of TSN, hockey’s ultimate insider, took time out from his busy schedule on Tuesday to post a good look at the prospects for the Canadian national junior team’s roster.

Hockey Canada is to issue selection camp invitations on Nov. 29, with the camp scheduled for Dec. 11-15 in Blainville, Que.

Of course, a lot of hockey fans are wondering about the status of C Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who hasn’t played since Oct. 11.

“Patrick isn't expected back for another two-to-three weeks,” McKenzie writes. “He had sports hernia surgery in the off-season. There were fears he would need the same procedure done on the other side, but the prognosis now is for some rest and rehab. It's expected he will be ready before Dec. 11, but how much hockey will he have played?”

As for the goaltending, McKenzie offers:

“Tampa Bay’s 19-year-old prospect Connor Ingram of Kamloops and Philadelphia’s 18-year-old prospect Carter Hart of Everett have been the best Canadian goalies in junior hockey this season. And it really hasn't been close either. Barring unforeseen developments, they are expected to be Team Canada's tandem.”

McKenzie’s complete piece, including all kinds of information, is right here.

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At Edmonton, F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants had a goal and two assists to help Team WHL to a

4-1 victory over a touring Russian side in Game 2 of the CIBC Canada-Russia series. . . . The Russians had won, 3-2, in overtime one night earlier in Prince George. . . . Last night, Team WHL scored three third-period goals for the victory. . . . D Noah Juulsen of the Everett Silvertips, who was Team WHL’s captain, broke a 1-1 tie, taking a nifty cross-ice pass from F Nick Merkley of the Kelowna Rockets and scoring from the back door, at 6:30 of the third period. . . . F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats added insurance at 7:34, taking a lead pass from Benson and speeding down the right side to beat G Anton Krasotkin to the glove side. . . . Benson, whose NHL rights belong to the Edmonton Oilers, iced it with the empty-net goal at 19:12. . . . Merkley, who also drew an assist on Benson’s goal, was terrific in both games. . . . D Kale Clague of the Brandon Wheat Kings had opened the scoring at 9:18 of the second period. . . . Russian F Danila Kvartalnov tied the score at 19:55 of the second. . . . G Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips was solid, with 33 stops. . . . The Russians got 15 saves on 19 shots from Krasotkin in 28:26, with Vladislav Sukhachev stopped 18 of 19 shots in 30:56. . . . Sukhachev started but exited a couple of times with apparent equipment issues. . . . The series resumes Thursday with the Russians meeting Team OHL in North Bay. . . . The WHL handed over a 4-2 points lead to Team OHL, thanks to three points for the victory and the loser point for the OT loss. Team Russia earned two points for the OT victory. . . . Announced attendance: 9,641.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors will be without F Jaxan Kaluski, 17, for an indefinite period that could stretch through the end of this season.

Kaluski suffered a fractured ankle during Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds. He underwent surgery in Saskatoon on Monday.

According to the Warriors, “The surgery was a success and he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

The Warriors say Kaluski will be out indefinitely. He is unlikely to play again this season.

A freshman from Lloydminster, Alta., Kaluski had one assist in 16 games with the Warriors.

A tip of the cap to the Warriors for the update on Kaluski’s condition.

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Cody Nickolet, the Saskatoon Blades' analytics guy, now will spend some of his time working with the NHL's Florida Panthers. It isn’t that long ago when he was keeping track of WHL forward lines and defensive pairings and making them available to media and WHL fans. Yesterday, he tweeted: “Thrilled to be joining the Florida Panthers to track games and prospect data.” . . . He also will continue on as the Blades' director of analytics and one of their scouts.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet posted his lastest 30 Thoughts on Tuesday. As usual, this is a must read for any hockey fan, and it’s right here.

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Well look at this birthday present @CZabby19 💍🎉 pic.twitter.com/OTnN9XX4XT

— levi pierro-zabotel (@lmpierrozabotel) November 8, 2016

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LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, each 28; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, 26; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 25.

GOALS: F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, 16; Steel, F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, each 14; Yamamoto, F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, each 13.

ASSISTS: Shaw, 23; F Brayden Burke, Moose Jaw, 19; Butcher, Glass, each 18; F Tyler Sandhu, Tri-City, 17.

VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, 11; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.

GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.29; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.34; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.

SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .932; Hart, .926; Edmonds, .921; Outhouse, Porter, Ian Scott, Prince Albert, each .920.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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Goaltender heads for Austria . . . Blades add a scout . . . Portland lands defenceman from Preds

F David Hájek (Spokane, 1998-99) signed a one-year contract with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2), he had two goals and five assists in 12 games, and in 16 games with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2), he had two goals and six assists. . . .
F Igor Baček (Tri-City, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract with the Hannover Scorpions (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with Rostock (Germany, Oberliga), he put up 14 goals and 56 assists in 30 games. He led his team and division (Oberliga North) in assists. . . .
F Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-09) signed a one-year contract with the Manchester Storm (England, UK Elite). Last season, with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had nine goals and 15 assists in 45 games.
F Jerred Smithson (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract with Herning (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Smithson didn’t play last season. In 2013-14, with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), he was pointless in 19 games. He had two goals and nine assists in 51 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
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Another American-born player is headed for Austria and the EC Red Bull Salzburg organization.
On Friday, G Nick Vilardo tweeted: “Excited to announce I've signed with EC Red Bull Salzburg organization in Austria. Thankful for the opportunity. All glory to Jesus #RedBull”
Vilardo is an 18-year-old from Clarence, N.Y., who played last season with the U-18 Buffalo Jr. Sabres. In 50 games, he was 1.93 and .923. He also was 2.30 and .901 with the U-18 Jr. Sabres. This season, he appeared ticketed for the NAHL’s Topeka Roadrunners, until choosing to head for Austria.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that F Ryan Savage and F Carson Dimoff, both of Scottsdale, Ariz., had agreed to join the Red Bulls organization.
Meanwhile, F Riley Stotts of Winnipeg, a first-round-selection by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2015 bantam draft, is pondering an offer to join Red Bull but apparently has yet to make a decision.
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The Saskatoon Blades have added Cody Nickolet to their scouting staff. This is an excellent more for the Blades and, of course, for Nickolet, but likely not for WHL fans.
Nickolet, whose Twitter handle is @CodyNickolet, had a banner 2014-15 hockey season. An avid WHL follower, he took it upon himself to make available line combinations and defence pairings for both teams in every regular-season game. He also has tweeted all kinds of WHL-related.
And anyone who took a look at his 2015 NHL draft rankings, well, was there anything available to the general public that was more comprehensive?
One day, Nickolet will be working for an NHL team. Bet on it being sooner than later.
In the meantime, the Blades will be the beneficiaries of his expertise.
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The Portland Winterhawks received an enormous boost on Friday with the news that D Jack Dougherty, 19, had signed with the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Dougherty, a second-round pick by Nashville in the NHL’s 2014 draft, played last season with the U of Wisconsin Badgers.
Upon signing Dougherty, the Predators announced that he is expected to start the season in Portland. Because he was drafted off an NCAA team’s roster, and not a major junior team, Dougherty is eligible to play in the AHL at 19.
Dougherty, from St. Paul, Minn., had nine points, two of them goals, in 33 games during his freshman season with the Badgers.
In 2013-14, he was in the U.S. National Team Development Program. In 23 USHL games, he had 12 points, including four goals, in 23 games. In 55 games with the U-18 national team, he had 22 points, including six goals, in 55 games. He is a candidate to play for the U.S. national junior team this time around.
Here’s Future Considerations on Dougherty: “Dougherty is an intelligent defenseman who tries to blend strong positioning while trying to inflict a physical dimension on his opponent. He isn't the fleetest of foot, but does get where he needs to go. He also makes a strong first pass and has solid offensive instincts.”
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Dave Dupas, 53, has signed on as an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Dupas, who is from Burnaby, B.C., was the head coach of the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings for the previous four-plus seasons. . . . In Fort McMurray, he will work with GM/head coach Tom Keca.
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Schloß Schönbrunn | Schloss Schönbrunn | Vienna, Austria #whlcanes #travelingpuck pic.twitter.com/4R6ycYZZw7

— Kathy Hong (@kayyhong) July 25, 2015

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Oceanic forces MC tiebreaker . . . Nickolet does draft preview up right . . . New deal for Everett coach

G Brett Jaeger (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Saskatoon, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with Dresdner Eislöwen (Germany, DEL2). This season, with the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, DEL2), he had a 3.07 GAA in 15 games. Jaeger has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
G Mark Guggenberger (Portland, Swift Current, Kelowna, 2007-10) signed a one-year contract with the Perth Thunder (Australia, AIHL). This season, with the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), he was 3.46 and .893 in 23 games. He also got into two games with the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), going 1.95 and .905. . . . Guggenberger signed with Perth in December but the club just announced it. He also will work with youth goalies in Western Australia. . . . At present, Perth is in first place in the AIHL with a 6-1-0-1 record.
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The QMJHL-champion Rimouski Oceanic and the host Quebec Remparts will meet in a Memorial Cup tiebreaker tonight. . . . On Wednesday night, the Oceanic dropped the Remparts 4-0, setting up tonight’s tiebreaker, with the winner

moving into Friday’s semifinal against the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets. . . . The OHL-champion Oshawa Generals (3-0) have advanced to Sunday’s final. . . . The other three teams all finished 1-2 — it was the first time that three teams have done that — but the Rockets moved into the semifinal based on a tiebreaking formula. . . . Oceanic G Philippe Desrosiers stopped 27 shots for last night’s shutout. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale allowed four goals on 25 shots before being lifted for Callum Booth, who stopped 17 shots over 27:20. Still, you know that Fucale will start for the Remparts tonight. . . . Rimouski F Justin Samson, in the lineup for an ailing Anthony DeLuca, got the game’s first goal, scoring one second after the expiration of an Oceanic PP, at 14:36 of the first period. . . . Oceanic F Michael Joly finished with a goal and four assists. He now has a tournament-high six points. . . . Rimouski was 2-for-6 on the PP; Quebec was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 10,277. . . . Rimouski was without DeLuca, a 44-goal man in the regular season, due to illness. . . . The Remparts, who never seemed in the last game of the round-robin, lost F Anthony Duclair (shoulder) and F Jérome Verrier (leg) with injuries in the third period. It isn’t known if they will be available tonight. . . . Rimouski has won its last six games at the Pepsi Colisée.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec 0 vs. Rimouski 4 (10,277)
Thursday (tiebreaker): Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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The Kelowna Rockets drew a $500 fine on the weekend after someone in their organization was critical of the referees in Game 1 of the Memorial Cup in Quebec City. The guilty party wasn’t identified, so I asked readers of this blog who they thought it may have been.
All told, there were 117 voters, with general manager Bruce Hamilton getting the most votes (63). Among the five options presented in the poll, Ogopogo came in second (27), followed by play-by-play man Regan Bartel (12), head coach Dan Lambert (9), F Leon Draisaitl (6).
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There isn’t a more devoted observer of the WHL than Cody Nickolet, and he has released the fruit of his labours -- his final WHL rankings of players eligible for the 2015 NHL draft. It is more than 75,000 words in length, so there is a lot of detail. You should check it out right here.
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The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday that Vaughn Karpan, 53, has been named director of professional scouting. Karpan, a veteran scout, played for the Brandon Wheat Kings (1979-80) and is from The Pas, Man. He is preparing for his 11th season with the Canadiens, the past five as a pro scout. Karpan also spent 13 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes.
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Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman reports that the Kootenay Ice may go to camp with seven 20-year-olds on hand. But that won’t include F Ryan Chynoweth or D Lenny Hackman. Chynoweth, the son of Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth, is expected to play junior A, while Hackman apparently is headed to school. . . . Rocca’s story is right here.
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Pat Micheletti, the second-leading scorer in the history of the U of Minnesota Gophers, underwent a kidney transplant on Wednesday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. His new kidney came from his brother, Jerry. . . . Michael Russo of the Minnesota StarTribune has more right here.
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F Owen Sillinger, the son of former WHL/NHL F Mike Sillinger, will play next season with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. This season, Owen played with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He had 64 points, including 25 goals, in 42 games. . . . Sillinger, who will turn 18 on Sept. 23, was selected by the Vancouver Giants in the 10th round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft.
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The Manchester Monarchs, under former Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mike Stothers, are headed to the AHL final. The Monarchs completed a sweep of the Hartford WolfPack on Wednesday night, winning 3-1 in Hartford. . . . The Monarchs are affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings; the WolfPack is with the New York Rangers. . . . The Monarchs will meet either the Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks) or Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings) in the final. That series is 1-1 heading into Game 3 tonight in Grand Rapids.
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The Allen Americans and South Carolina Stingrays will play for the ECHL championship. . . . The Americans beat the visiting Ontario Reign 3-1 in Game 7 of their semifinal series last night, while the Stingrays beat the host Toledo Walleye 1-0 in triple OT of their Game 7. . . . The Americans became the fifth team in ECHL history to win a series after trailing 3-1. . . . The final is scheduled to open Sunday in Allen, Texas.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The Everett Silvertips have signed assistant coach Brennan Sonne to a contract extension through 2015-16. That will be Sonne’s second season on the coaching staff, alongside head coach Kevin Constantine and fellow assistant Mitch Love. . . . Sonne, 28, worked with the forwards and on skill development this season. . . . From Maple Ridge, B.C., Sonne played parts of three seasons with the Silvertips, and also played with the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings.
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The B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League’s Selkirk Saints are in need a head coach as Alex Evin is off to the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs as an assistant coach and goaltender coach. Evin guided the Saints to the BCIHL championship this season, his first as head coach. . . . Bob Hall of the Nelson Daily has more right here.
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Check out this young fellow’s favourite book . . .

Pre K #Grad #BigAce pic.twitter.com/J5r3vuzYnb

— George (@Big_G_09) May 27, 2015

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Oil Kings win opener . . . Another team to hire head coach . . . Three WHLers get NHL deals

F Yannic Seidenberg (Medicine Hat, 2003-04) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 46 games, he had 12 goals and 10 assists. . . .
D Colton Jobke (Kelowna, Regina, 2009-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had four assists in 20 games with the Alaska Aces (ECHL) and he was pointless in 20 games with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). Jobke is a dual Canadian-German citizen. . . .
D Craig Schira (Regina, Vancouver, 2003-09) has signed a two-year contract with Lulea (Sweden, SHL). This season, with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga), he had five goals and 23 assists in 55 games while averaging 24:33 in ice time per game. He also was an alternate captain. . . .
D Daryl Boyle (Brandon, 2004-08) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 44 games, he had 11 goals and 21 assists. He is a dual Canadian-German citizen. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year extension with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). In 51 games, he had 10 goals and 30 assists.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

In Brandon, the Edmonton Oil Kings, the defending Memorial Cup champions, scored two first-period goals en route to a 4-1 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . It was Game 1 of their series, with Game 2 scheduled for Brandon tonight. . . . This is the only first-round series being played with a 2-3-2 format, with the middle three games scheduled for Edmonton. That means tonight’s game takes on even more importance. . . . Brandon was 27-3-6 at home in the regular season. . . . The Oil Kings scored 11 seconds in when F Tyler Robertson, who had one goal in his previous 22 games, found the net. . . . F Brett Pollock made it 2-0 at 11:55. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville scored a PP goal at 17:53 of the second to get his guys back in it. . . . Pollock scored off a PP rebound at 1:35 of the third for a 3-1 lead. . . . F Lane Bauer provided more insurance for the visitors at 9:07. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo had two assists, while Pollock had one for a three-point night. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry was sharp in making 25 saves, five fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-2 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon had won three of four regular-season meetings, although the teams had only met once since Nov. 22. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Stelio Mattheos in the lineup. The Winnipegger was the first selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Edmonton’s lineup included 15 players from last season’s championship club. . . . WHL commissioner Ron Robison presented the Wheat Kings with the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy prior to the game. The trophy is for finishing atop the overall standings in the regular season. . . . Attendance was announced as 3,086. That is 809 below Brandon’s regular-season average crowd.
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Two WHL teams are looking for head coaches. . . . Earlier in the week, the Vancouver Giants revealed that Claude Noel wouldn’t be returning as their head coach. . . . Peter Anholt, who finished the season as the general manager and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has confirmed to Paul Kingsmith of Global TV that he won’t be back on the bench. Anholt is involved in contract negotiations with the Hurricanes. Assuming he gets a deal as GM, he will hire a head coach and a head scout. . . . There’s more from Kingsmith right here.
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The Brandon Sun has covered a lot of Brandon Wheat Kings playoff games over the years. And it always, always, always has gotten a story from the game into the next day’s paper. That streak may come to an end next week when the Wheat Kings’ first-round series with the Edmonton Oil Kings moves to the Alberta capital. . . . Sportsnet requested a change in starting times for Games 4 and, if necessary, 5, both of which are scheduled to be played in Rexall Place on March 31 and April 1. Rather than starting at 7 p.m., the games are to begin at 8 o’clock. . . . With the difference in time zones, that is 9 o’clock in Brandon. . . . The Sun’s deadline is 11:05 p.m., and it’s doubtful that it can be changed enough to make a difference.
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The Tampa Bay Lightning has signed F Brayden Point, 19, of the Moose Jaw Warriors to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Point also signed an ATO (amateur tryout) with the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, and will finish the season there. . . . The Lightning selected Point in the third round of the 2014 NHL draft. . . . This season, he had 87 points, including 38 goals, in 60 games with the Warriors. In 204 career games, he has 236 points, including 99 goals. . . . From Calgary, he was a member of Team Canada as it won gold at the 2015 WJC in Montreal and Toronto.
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The Calgary Flames have signed F Austin Carroll, who turned 21 on Thursday, to an entry-level deal. He led the Victoria Royals in goals (38) and points (77) in the regular season. Carroll, from Calgary, was a seventh-round pick by the Flames in the 2014 NHL draft. . . . In 268 games with the Royals over four seasons, Carroll had 196 points, including 95 goals.
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The Winnipeg Jets have assigned F Axel Blomqvist of the Moose Jaw Warriors to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps. Blomqvist, 20, was acquired by Moose from the Victoria Royals during the season. From Sweden, he finished the season with 59 points, including 25 goals, in 61 games. The 6-foot-6, 212-pounder was a NHL free agent when he signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Jets prior to the 2013-14 season.
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The Edmonton Oilers have signed D Ben Betker of the Everett Silvertips to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Betker, 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, was a sixth-round pick in the NHL’s 2013 draft. From Cranbrook, Betker, 20, had 31 points, including six goals, in 64 gamers this season. In 201 career games, he has 58 points, including 14 goals.
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The AHL’s Toronto Marlies have signed F Jack Rodewald of the Moose Jaw Warriors to an ATO (amateur tryout) for the remainder of this season and to an AHL contract for 2015-16. Rodewald, who turned 21 on Feb. 14, had career highs in goals (35), assists (50) and points (85) this season, all in 71 games. . . . In 255 career games, he put up 166 points, including 76 goals.
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Cody Nickolet, over at Dub From Above, reports that only six WHLers who were selected in the NHL’s 2013 draft haven’t signed NHL contracts. Those six are F Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants (Edmonton Oilers); D Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings (Calgary Flames); D Mitch Wheaton of the Kelowna Rockets (Detroit Red Wings); G Brendan Burke of the Calgary Hitmen (Arizona Coyotes); D Mark McNulty of the Kamloops Blazers (Detroit); and D Kyle Burroughs of the Medicine Hat Tigers (New York Islanders).
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The Medicine Hat Tigers open a first-round series against the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Saturday. The Tigers were a bit banged up down the stretch, but reports out of Medicine Hat indicate that F Anthony Ast, F Matt Bradley and D Tommy Vannelli will be available for Game 1. . . . The Tigers will be without D Ty Lewington, their captain, as he serves a one-game WHL suspension. . . .
The Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen open their first-round series tonight in Calgary. The game will be televised by Shaw with Dan Russell calling the play and Bill Wilms riding shotgun. . . .
The Tri-City Americans are huge underdogs as they open a first-round series with the Rockets in Kelowna tonight. The Americans have five injured players who aren’t expected to play — F Parker Bowles, D Carter Cochrane, D Riley Hillis, F Braden Purtill and F Taylor Vickerman. All five are said to be done for the season. . . . The Rockets aren’t expected to have D Josh Morrissey back for this series, but F Justin Kirkland, who hasn’t played since Feb. 14, might return. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs go into these playoffs having lost eight straight playoff games. The Chiefs open in Everett against the Silvertips tonight. . . . Spokane was swept by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round in 2013 and then was swept by the Victoria Royals a year ago. . . . The Chiefs also go into these playoffs having lost their last five regular-season games. . . .
The starting time for Game 3 between the Medicine Hat Tigers and the host Red Deer Rebels on March 31 has been changed. Originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, it now is listed as TBD (to be determined). . . . Why? According to a note from the Rebels, it is “to accommodate the possibility of a TV broadcast of the game. . . . Game time will either be 7 p.m. or 8 p.m.”

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THE COACHING GAME:

The OHL’s Flint, Mich., Firebirds have signed Terry Christensen as general manager and John Gruden as head coach. The Firebirds are the former Plymouth Whalers franchise. . . . Christensen, 60, has been with the Little Caesars program and with the USA Selects Elite AAA junior program of late. He has coached in the ECHL, NAHL, Colonial league and NCAA. . . . Gruden, 44, has been in USA Hockey’s program. . . . The Firebirds have kept assistant general manager Joe Stefan and head scout Dave McParlan, both of whom were with the Whalers.


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Broncos put up some big numbers . . . Arling era draws to close

The Swift Current Broncos’ board of directors has revealed that the franchise showed a profit of $197,244 for 2013-14.
The announcement was made Thursday night at the team’s annual general meeting.
“It’s been a long road from where we started,” said board chairman Liam Choo Foo in a news release, noting that the starting point four years ago was a $200,000 deficit.
The Broncos play in the smallest market in the 60-team Canadian Hockey League.
“We’ve seen continual growth and we’re optimistic about where we’re going,” he continued, “but by no means are we done working towards where we need to get to”.
Later, Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, tweeted: “The bad news is that attendance was down (59) a game, but good walk-ups paying higher prices and higher concession sales made up for that.”
The Broncos averaged 2,119 fans per game last season, good for 21st in a 22-team league. That was down from 2,178 in 2012-13.
The Broncos have two new directors -- Shane Lacasse, an accountant/partner at Stark and Marsh Chartered Accountants LLP and former Broncos F Jeff Kirwan (1993-98). He is the crop inputs manager at SWT.
The meeting also marked the end of an era as the board announced that “Joe Arling . . . will be stepping down after almost 20 years of dedicated service.”
Say it ain’t so, Joe!
While Arling has been with the Broncos, in one role or another, including chairman, for almost 20 years, he has been around the WHL for a whole lot longer than that.
He played a bit for the Saskatoon Blades in 1970-71, but made a much bigger mark as a coach, working on the staffs of the Billings Bighorns and the Blades.
And a whole lot of hockey people know him as the owner of the Swift Motel. Oh, the stories that have been told around that table!
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The WHL, which most times follows the suit of the NHL when it comes to rule changes, has banned the spin-o-rama move from the shootout and from penalty shots during regulation or overtime.
A spin-o-rama is defined as a “360-degree turn.”
Thankfully, the WHL also has done away with the dry scrape prior to the onset of overtime that it had experimented with during the exhibition season. Instead, a dry scrape will be done through the middle of the ice only prior to a shootout, as in recent seasons.
There also have been a number of changes regarding faceoffs that ensue from pucks ending up out of play.
Now . . . faceoffs will be held in the attacking zone if a shot at the net deflects off a post or crossbar and out of play; if a shot at the goal breaks a pane of glass; if a shot at the net goes off the side of the net and out of play; if a shot at the net goes off the dasher or glass and out of play; if a shot at the net is deflected out of play by a teammate; and if a shot at the net becomes wedged in or on the exterior of that net.
Prior to this, everything hinged on the last player to have touched the puck. If an attacking player had the last touch, the faceoff was moved outside the zone; if a defending player or the goaltender had the last touch, the faceoff was inside the zone.
Among other rule changes announced by the WHL on Thursday:
1. Teams will change ends prior to the start of the five-minute OT period.
2. Should a game need a shootout, teams again will change ends before it begins.
3. Tripping will be called if a player dives and trips an attacking player, regardless of whether he makes contact with the puck.
The complete news release is right here.
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I had been hoping the WHL would do more to crack down on checking from behind and checks to the head. But, unfortunately . . . crickets.
I fear that checking-from-behind minors have become just another penalty, like slashing, elbowing and cross-checking.
During the 66-game exhibition season, referees handed out 29 checking-from-behind minor penalties and one major penalty. That should be considered unacceptable, and it’s time something more was done to get this nasty play out of the game.
Maybe it’s time for the WHL to do what USA Hockey has done and endorse the Look-Up Line. Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times describes it as “an orange warning track painted on the ice designed to reduce paralyzing neck injuries that could result from collisions into the boards.” That line is 40 inches wide.
As Klein wrote, “Its goal is to warn players to use caution when giving and receiving checks in the danger area close to the boards.”
During those same WHL exhibition games, there were 13 minor penalties and one major penalty called for headshots. Again, that is just too many.
BTW, there were 30 fighting majors handed out during those 66 games. Of course, each fighting major carried with it an automatic game misconduct.
That works out to less than one fight (0.45) every two games.
Last season, according to the numbers at hockeyfights.com, there were 679 fights during the regular season, which works out to 0.86 per game.
Tack on the automatic game misconduct, then, and it would appear that fighting in the WHL is cut almost in half.
Maybe it’s time the WHL pooh-bahs gave that some thought.
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The WHL also issued a reminder about its new playoff format, something that it first announced in June.
If you need a refresher, the news release that was issued yesterday is right here.
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Over the past few days, The Oregonian has been counting down the 25 greatest players in the history of the Portland Winterhawks. Portland freelancer Scott Sepich unveils No. 1 right here, while a complete list is right here. . . . Lists like these are always subjective and they’re usually done in the hopes of prompting discussion. So just let me say that I would have had Perry Turnbull a lot higher than No. 13 and, yes, Troy Mick would have been higher than No. 22. If Dennis Holland is No. 2, and that’s fine, then Mick has to be in the top 10.
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Most, if not all, WHL teams will be missing key players as the regular season opens tonight. Those players are in NHL training camps. Daniel Nugent-Bowman points out that it really isn’t fair to the WHL teams because the points on the line at this time of the season can be awfully important come March. . . . He also ponders what can be done about this situation. . . . His column is right here.
BTW, the Calgary Hitmen have nine players off their roster at NHL camps. It isn’t known if any of those players will be back as they begin the franchise’s 20th season on Saturday against the visiting Red Deer Rebels. But it’s safe to say that the Hitmen roster a month from now will look somewhat different than what it is right now.
Laurence Heinen has more right here from the Calgary Herald.
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If you are a WHL fan, you know that there are numerous regular-season previews available in print and on the Internet. That includes the Eastern and Western Conference previews that have appeared on this blog.
But they all pale compared to the preview put together by Cody Nickolet over at the WHL From Above blog.
Give it a look right here.
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Here’s an interesting note from James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun:
“The boys from Brandon give the Wheat Kings plenty of homegrown talent on this year’s roster. In fact, if they all stick this season, Brandonites could fill six of the 12 forward spots in the lineup on any given night, with Tyler Coulter, Brett Kitt, Tanner Kaspick, Duncan Campbell, Ty Lewis (currently injured) and Jesse Gabrielle, whose family moved to the Wheat City a year ago. The ‘Brandon’ Wheat Kings, indeed.”
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While things certainly appear to be looking up in Swift Current, that’s not the case in Prince Albert where Raiders GM Bruno Campese said Wednesday that the team lost money in 2014, something that will be confirmed at the annual general meeting on Sept. 29.
Darryl Mills, the managing editor of the Prince Albert Daily Herald, addresses the Raiders’ situation right here, and he compares it when Winnipeg lost the Jets to Phoenix.
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The Calgary Flames have returned D Eric Roy to the Brandon Wheat Kings. But he has a shoulder injury and could be out for two weeks. . . . The Saskatoon Blades were missing D Ayrton Nikkel and F Wyatt Sloboshan at practice on Thursday. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that both are ill and questionable for tonight’s opener in Prince Albert against the Raiders. . . .
With the teachers’ strike having been settled in B.C., and school scheduled to resume on Monday, the Vancouver Giants have announced “that in celebration . . . any school-aged child who is accompanied by an adult to Saturday’s season-opener against the Victoria Royals will get into the game for free.” Visit the Giants’ website for details. . . .
Bobby Henderson, the GM and head coach of the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen, has agreed to a five-year contract extension that takes him through 2018-19. Last season, his second with the Rivermen, they went 37-13-3-5, for the BCHL’s best regular-season record. . . . The Portland Winterhawks go into the regular season missing two defencemen -- Blake Heinrich has a brain injury, while Josh Hanson is nursing a broken knuckle.