Blazers get Bauer from Oil Kings, add d-man . . . Blades land Johnson

WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 12.

Players: 21.

Bantam draft picks: 15.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 1.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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The Edmonton Oil Kings made their second trade in as many days as they moved out another veteran 20-year-old. This time, they dealt F Lane Bauer and a seventh-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft to the Kamloops Blazers for D

LANE BAUER

Conner McDonald, 17, a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft and a fifth-rounder in 2018.

On Wednesday, the Oil Kings sent D Aaron Irving, 20, their captain, and a seventh-round pick in 2017 to the Everett Silvertips for F Graham Millar, 20, F Brett Kemp, 16, and a first-round pick in the 2018 draft.

McDonald, like Irving, is a right-hand shot so should fit in well on the Edmonton depth chart. He had one goal and 12 assists in 36 games with the Blazers this season. From Delta, B.C., he has a goal and three assists in 48 career regular-season games.

McDonald, who is expected to play for the Oil Kings when they visit the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday, was a second-round pick by the Blazers in the 2014 bantam draft.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Bauer, from Anchorage, Alaska, was in his fourth season in Edmonton. This season, he had 25 goals and 15 assists in 40 games. In 231 career games, he has 176 points,

CONNER McDONALD

including 86 goals, including 29 goals and 36 assists in 72 games in 2015-16.

Bauer becomes the only American on the Blazers’ roster.

The Blazers, who meet the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night, now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, including F Matt Revel, who went down with a long-term undisclosed injury prior to Christmas. The other two are D Dallas Valentine and F Collin Shirley. The Blazers, who are scrapping with the Rockets for second place in the B.C. Division, have until Jan. 10 to get down to three 20s.

Meanwhile, the Blazers have added D Tylor Ludwar, 17, to their roster and the plan is to keep him for the remainder of this season. Ludwar had been the captain of the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Ludwar, from Regina, had 14 goals and eight assists in 20 games with the Pat Canadians. A list player, Ludwar was pointless in two games with the Blazers earlier this season.

The addition of Ludwar leaves the Blazers with eight defencemen on their roster.

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The Saskatoon Blades have acquired F Cole Johnson, 18, from the Swift Current Broncos for two WHL bantam draft picks — a seventh-round selection in 2017 and a fifth-rounder in 2018.

The seventh-round pick originated with the Regina Pats, while the fifth-rounder started with the Red

COLE JOHNSON

Deer Rebels. The Blades acquired both picks in a deal that had F Cameron Hausinger go to the Rebels.

From Marwayne, Alta., the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Johnson had four goals and six assists in 34 games with the Broncos this season. In 44 career games, he has five goals and six assists.

Johnson was a second-round selection by the Broncos in the 2013 bantam draft.

The Blades, with four forwards out with long-term injuries, acquired Johnson to add some depth to their roster.

“We currently have four forwards out of the lineup with longer-term injuries, so bringing in Cole will help shore up some holes in the roster and provide some help to our 1998 group moving forward,” Saskatoon general manager Colin Priestner said in a news release. “Cole’s an intriguing player. He had a lot of success in bantam and midget until his shoulder injury set him back.”

Johnson missed almost all of the previous two seasons with a shoulder injury. In 2013-14, his final season of midget AAA hockey, he put up 28 goals and 17 assists in 31 games with the Lloydminster, Alta., Bobcats. However, he played only 10 games over the next two seasons -- one with the Broncos in 2014-15 and nine in 2015-16.
Johnson will be available to the Blades Friday night when they meet the Warriors in Moose Jaw.

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Dorothy on top of the world . . . Sheldon Kennedy honoured . . . Blazers add two young d-men

Dorothy, aka Wonder Woman, was on
top of the world Friday in Kamloops.

A year ago, Dorothy, my good wife, wasn't strong enough to force down the foot rest on the recliner in which she sits when watching TV.
On Friday, she hiked to the top of Kenna Cartwright Park in Kamloops.
That is why she is known as Wonder Woman in these parts.
To those of you who have followed her story here and have offered support, we were thinking of you on our 50-minute walk. Your support means so much and we won't ever forget it.
From the four of us, including Joanna and Todd, we hope you had a Merry Christmas and a quiet Boxing Day, and that 2015 is full of good cheer.
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F Štěpán Novotný (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) has signed for the rest of this season with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, with Žilina (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 10 goals and five assists in 27 games. He was released by Žilina at his request. . . .
F Juraj Šimek (Brandon, 2006-07) has signed for the rest of this season with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga). This season, with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A), he had six goals and seven assists in 33 games.
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The word 'hero' often gets tossed around far too easily, like a dime, when it should be used more like a manhole cover. But it is entirely appropriate when referring to Sheldon Kennedy, the former WHL and NHL player who was sexually abused by former Swift Current Broncos general manager and head coach Graham James. On Friday, Kennedy, who now is an advocate for victims of child abuse, was named to the Order of Canada. . . . Kennedy, 45, works tirelessly on behalf of young people. . . . But, as he said, he isn't doing it for awards. “For me," he told The Canadian Press, "I’m not doing this work to win awards for Sheldon Kennedy. I’m doing this work because I understand the damage that this crime has on our kids And it’s killing our kids.” . . . Kennedy would know. He has been down that road. . . . If you haven't already, read his book, Why I Didn't Say Anything. . . . In the meantime, there are a couple of stories on the Order of Canada right here and right here. . . . Yes, Sheldon Kennedy is a true Canadian hero.

From everyone who works with you at the @yycCAC thank you @ShelKenn and congratulations on your Order of Canada! pic.twitter.com/ym9rDPeC2Z
— Sheldon Kennedy CAC (@yycCAC) December 27, 2014

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The Kamloops Blazers will get a look at D Dawson Davidson, 16, and D Conner McDonald, 15, over the next four games. . . . Davidson, a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, is from Moosomin, Sask., and plays for the midget AAA Moose Gaw Generals. He has five goals and nine assists in 26 games. . . . McDonald, from Delta, B.C., was a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. He has six goals and six assists in 15 games with the Delta Hockey Academy prep team. . . . Meanwhile, D Nolan Kneen, who played in four games with the Blazers prior to Christmas, is back with the major midget Okanagan Rockets. He was the third overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Blazers will have D Patrik Maier in their lineup tonight when they meet the Rockets in Kelowna. He returned to the Blazers after not cracking the lineup of the Slovakian junior team. However, D Michael Fora will miss four games as he plays for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship. . . . Kamloops also should have D Brady Gaudet, 20, back in its lineup tonight. He has missed 18 games with a shoulder injury.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have brought in F Wyatt Bear, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Bear is from Hodgson, Man., and plays for Interlake Lightning of the Manitoba Midget AAA League. In 25 games, he has six goals and eight assists. . . . The Thunderbirds are at home to the Portland Winterhawks tonight.
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Major junior hockey is under fire these days as it faces the possible unionization of its players, as well as at least three lawsuits. Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail takes a look right here at just what's going on. ---
Lou Lamoriello, the long-time general manager of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, fired head coach Pete DeBoer on Friday. Rich Chere of nj.com takes a look right here at what's happening with the Devils. . . . BTW, speculation last night had former Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean as the Devils' next head coach.
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The West Virginia Mountaineers won't have quarterback Clint Trickett in the lineup on ?? when they meet the Texas A&M Aggies in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Monday in Memphis. Trickett, a senior, has retired after suffering five concussions in 14 months. He hid two of those concussions from trainers. . . . There's more right here.
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#OrderofCanada appointments never happen without help. I want to thank the many many people that have helped me and continue to help #THANKS
— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) December 26, 2014

Stands are full. Bars are full. TSN ad spots are full. Lots of people making lots of money from WJC, except, of course, the players.
— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) December 27, 2014

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Hitmen get a surprise . . . Paddock heading home

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but the Calgary Hitmen now have three import players and, of course, they only have two spots to fill. F Pavel Padakin, who was supposed to play in the KHL this season, is back with the Hitmen. HC Donbass Donetsk, the team with which Padakin had signed, has taken a leave from the KHL due to the political situation in Ukraine. Padakin, 20, will also join the Calgary Flames team at a rookie tournament in Penticton next week. . . . Laurence Heinen of the Calgary Herald has more right here.
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The Regina Pats have three veteran goaltenders battling for two spots on their roster as they head into the weekend. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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It will be a homecoming of sorts tonight for John Paddock, the first-year head coach of the Regina Pats, who are scheduled to meet the Wheat Kings in Brandon.
Paddock is from Oak River, Man., which is a couple of wrist shots from Brandon. He also played for the Wheat Kings, albeit in the early 1970s.
“I definitely feel a connection,” Paddock told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “I know (Wheat Kings owner/GM/head coach) Kelly (McCrimmon) pretty well. I’ve definitely seen him every year for many years, if nothing else at (Clear Lake). We play the odd round of golf together, talk about different things in hockey. I obviously called him before things got going too far here (with the Pats).
“There’s a connection to him, there’s a connection to the area. Within a 40-minute drive I have two brothers and a sister and my mom and nieces and nephews. And it’s the same rink. It has been fixed up but . . . it’s where you played. The last time I had a meaningful game there was a long time ago. It’s not something I’m going to think about too much … but Brandon is significant to me.”
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F David Brumm, 17, who is from Maple Grove, Minn. A list player, he spent last season with a midget team in the Omaha Lancers program, where he had 104 points, 50 of them goals, in 82 games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Conner McDonald, a second-round pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Last season with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team, he had 49 points, 16 of them goals, in 70 games. This season, he is expected to play for the U-18 team at the Delta, B.C., Wild Hockey Academy.
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The Regina Pats have signed F Erik Gardiner, who was a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, he was the captain of the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos, for whom he put up 61 points, including 24 goals. Gardiner, who is from Humboldt, has been assigned to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos.
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In the 2013-14 school year, there were an estimated 2,974 sports-related concussions in Minnesota high schools., with football and boys and girls hockey leading the way. A new study from the Minnesota Department of Health has been released, and there is more right here.
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Joan Rivers, one of the greatest comics of our time, died Thursday in Manhattan. She was 81. No one had a sharper wit or an edgier knife than Rivers, who loved to skewer the rich and famous, including herself. The New York Times’ obituary is right here.
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UGH!!!! RT @bruce_arthur: "I think Bulaga may have gotten a little concussion-like symptom there." — Cris Collingsworth, getting there.
— The Concussion Blog (@concussionblog) September 5, 2014

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