THE MacBETH REPORT:
F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 10 goals and 11 assists in 49 games for Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga) last season. . . .
D Vladimir Sicak (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) and D Josef Melichar (Tri-City, 1997-99) signed one-year contracts with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Sicak had five goals and 12 assists in 49 games for Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga); Melichar had five assists in 41 games with Linköping (Sweden, Elitserien) and one assist in 12 games on loan to Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, Extraliga) last season.
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First came the news Tuesday afternoon that Mark Ferner had resigned after four seasons as general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers.

MARK FERNER

Then came the news that the WHL’s Everett Silvertips had scheduled a news conference for this afternoon, at which they will introduce their new head coach.
And then came a news release from the BCHL that contained this opening paragraph:
“The British Columbia Hockey League announced Wednesday that the Vernon Vipers have hired Jason Williamson as their new head coach after Mark Ferner accepted a job with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.”
So much for Everett’s secret.
Ferner, 45, played three seasons with the WHL’s Kamloops Junior Oilers/Blazers before going on to a pro career. He later turned to coaching and was on the Blazers’ staff for one season as an assistant coach and two as associate before taking over as head coach early in the 2004-05 season.
The Blazers finished 19-27-6 under Ferner that season. He was fired early the next season with the Blazers at 16-16-0.
The Vipers, in four seasons under Ferner, went 165-51-7, winning three straight BCHL titles (2008-09, 2009-10 and 2009-11) and national titles in 2009 and 2010. They lost in the RBC Cup championship game in 2011.
Williamson, 30, Ferner’s assistant for all four seasons, already has taken over as the Vipers’ GM and head coach.
In Everett, Ferner, who is a Regina native, replaces Craig Hartsburg who left after two seasons to accept the position as associate coach with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
Ferner’s signing leaves only the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats as WHL teams without head coaches.
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THE COACHING GAME:

BRAD LAUER

I was told Tuesday evening that Brad Lauer, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach alongside Cory Clouston with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, is to be named an assistant coach with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Mark Holick just completed his first season as head coach of the Crunch, which is affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. . . . Holick is a former head coach of the WHL’s Kootenay Ice; Lauer was an assistant coach with the Ice when Clouston was the head coach. . . .
Clouston, who has yet to find a coaching job after being fired by the Senators following the end of last season, was interviewed by the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL draft. The Red Wings have an opening for an assistant coach or two. . . .
As expected, John Torchetti is the new head coach of the AHL’s Houston Aeros. The parent Minnesota Wild made the announcement Tuesday. . . . Torchetti, 46, had been an associate coach with the Atlanta Thrashers, who, of course, now are the Winnipeg Jets. . . . Torchetti replaces Mike Yeo, who now is head coach of the Wild. . . .
Colin O’Hara is the new GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He signed a three-year contract. O’Hara replaces Tim Kehler, who resigned last week despite having two years left on his three-year deal. . . .
Tom McCarthy is the new head coach of the North Bay Trappers, who play in the junior A Northern Ontario junior league. McCarthy was the 10th overall selection in the NHL’s 1979 draft, taken by the Minnesota North Stars.
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JUST NOTES: F Sven Bartschi of the Portland Winterhawks signed a three-year deal with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. He was the 13th overall selection in the 2011 NHL draft. Bartschi is in Calgary attending the Flames’ development camp. Bartschi, from Switzerland, had 85 points, including 34 goals, in his freshman WHL season, then added 27 points in 21 playoff games. . . .
One WHL team has offered season tickets to William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are touring around Canada these days. In fact, the Duke took time out for a little street hockey on Tuesday in Yellowknife. . . . Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports takes a look at the season-ticket offer right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

You have to think that things are out of control in the NHL when teams like the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets are driving the free-agent market.
And when some teams are spending like drunken sailors just to get to the salary cap floor you only can shake your head and wonder how we will react a year from now when owners are involved in CBA negotiations and pleading poverty.
Bizarre, or what?
Sheesh, the Dallas Stars, who don’t even have an owner, signed five players, spending almost US$20 million in the process.
All told, teams spent more than $260 million and, you’re right, F Brad Richards has yet to sign. When he does, likely this morning, that will take the total to more than $300 million; in fact, more than $320 million.
If major junior players need motivation, all they have to do is remember that 20 goals and 50 points in the same season now will get you at last $4 million per season in The Show.
I didn’t follow the free-agent frenzy on TV; instead, I kept pace, or tried to, via Twitter.
Here, then, are some of my favourite tweets (the last one features the day's best statistics):
From: @Proteautype
Sent: Jul 1, 2011 4:13p
Some say NHLers are overpaid; compared to the real world, of course they are. But Gary Bettman makes $7+ million a yr. Perspective, people.
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From: @Russostrib
Sent: Jul 1, 2011 4:02p
Christian Ehrhoff makes $1.3 million more than Sidney Crosby next year. These next labor talks should be a doozy
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From: @DamoSpin
Sent: Jul 1, 2011 3:06p
RT @yyzsportsmedia: Panthers prez sounds pretty giddy today.  Guarantee he will site to today as a key reason when he eventually fires talon years from now
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From: @DarrenDreger
Kris Versteeg doesn't have a twitter acct, so he asked me to post this quote," I'm takin my toe drag to south beach". Not much else to say.
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From: @dshoalts
Sent: Jul 1, 2011 3:21p
Serious problem with priorities here. RT @darrenrovell: Avg US consumer drank 476 cans of soda and 243 bottles of beer in 2010.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Colin O’Hara is expected to be named the new head coach of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He was the club’s associate coach last season. Prior to that, he was the GM/head coach of the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks until resigning on Feb. 10, 2010 with the club in last place in the Bauer Conference. O’Hara, who had a year left on his contract when he left Nipawin, will replace Tim Kehler, who resigned earlier this week with two years left on a three-year contract signed July 1, 2010.
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JUST NOTES: In the middle of Friday’s free-agent silliness, the St. Louis Blues announced that they have signed F Cody Beach of the Moose Jaw Warriors to a three-year contract. He was a fifth-round pick by the Blues in the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . The Tampa Bay Lightning announced the signing of Prince George Cougars F Brett Connolly, something that you read about here a couple of weeks back. Connolly was the sixth overall selection in the 2010 NHL draft. For details on Connolly's contract or, for that matter, any of the other myriad of deals that were signed on Friday, head on over to capgeek.com. . . . F Colin Smith of the Kamloops Blazers, another player who wasn’t selected in the NHL draft, will attend the Edmonton Oilers’ prospect camp next week. He is from Edmonton. . . . D Benn Olson (Kamloops, Seattle, 2004-08) has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Last season, Olson, 24, played with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones (43-1-3—4-153), the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals (1-0-0—0-0) and Bridgeport (17-0-3—3-78).
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Former WHL D Victor Bartley continues to chase the NHL dream. Check out this story by Robert Mangelsdorf of the Maple Ridge News.
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It looks as though the U.S. college hockey scene is in for a seismic change. The Big Ten Hockey Conference is scheduled to begin play in 2013-14 and a lot of schools with big-time hockey programs now are exploring their options.
Brad Elliott Scholssman of the Grand Forks Herald has more right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter