Blazers release one vet, trade another . . . Winterhawks have decision to make . . . Wheaties drop Thompson brothers

F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) has signed a one-year contract with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, he had nine goals and 16 assists in 41 games with Pardubice. However, he was without a contract and was training in Finland. He arrived back in Pardubice on Saturday evening.

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The Kamloops Blazers have moved out two players off last season’s roster. . . . F Matt Campese, who turns 19 on Dec. 10, was released, while D Cam Reagan, 19, was traded to the Prince Albert Raiders

for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2019 bantam draft. . . . Campese was a third-round pick by the Victoria Royals in the 2012 bantam draft. He had one assist in two games with the Blazers this season, after recording eight goals and four assists in 56 games last season. In 95 career regular-season games, 16 of them with Victoria, he has 10 goals and six assists. He is the son of former WHL GM, coach and goaltender Bruno Campese, who now scouts for the NHL’s Las Vegas franchise. . . . Reagan, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a fourth-round pick by Kamloops in the 2012 bantam draft. He had five assists in 61 games last season, but didn’t get into either of the Blazers’ first two games this season. . . . The Blazers, who next play Friday against the host Royals, now have 26 players on their roster, including three goaltenders and nine defencemen. . . . That includes three players at NHL camps — G Connor Ingram (Tampa Bay Lightning), F Garrett Pilon (Washington Capitals) and F Deven Sideroff (Anaheim Ducks).

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Among the latest players to return to the WHL from NHL teams:

Brandon Wheat Kings — F Tanner Kaspick, St. Louis Blues; D Kale Clague, Los Angeles Kings.

Kelowna Rockets — D Devante Stephens, Buffalo Sabres; D Braydyn Chizen, Minnesota Wild.

Medicine Hat Tigers — F John Dahlstrom, Chicago Blackhawks.

Moose Jaw Warriors — G Zach Sawchenko, Nashville Predators.

Portland Winterhawks — F Keegan Iverson, Minnesota Wild; F Rodrigo Abols, Vancouver Canucks.

Prince Albert Raiders — D Vojtech Budik, Buffalo Sabres.

Prince George Cougars — D Josh Anderson and F Brogan O’Brien, Colorado Avalanche; D Tate Olson, Vancouver Canucks.

Red Deer Rebels — F Brandon Hagel, Buffalo Sabres.

Vancouver Giants — F Radovan Bondra, Chicago Blackhawks; D Darian Skeoch, Anaheim Ducks.

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With the Portland Winterhawks getting back F Keegan Iverson (Minnesota Wild) and Latvian F Rodrigo Abols (Vancouver Canucks) back on Monday, they now have two 20-year-olds on their roster. . . . The Winterhawks’ roster also features two freshmen imports — F Joachim Blichfeld of Frederikshavn, Denmark, and D Henri Jokiharju of Oulu, Finland. Now that Abols is back, the Winterhawks will have to trade him or release one of the other two. . . . Teams aren’t allowed to trade first-year imports; they can only be released, in which case they are placed on waivers and can be claimed by another team. . . . You can bet that Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston was paying attention Sunday when the Everett Silvertips gave up a third-round bantam draft pick to get Austrian F Dominic Zwerger, who also is 20, from the Spokane Chiefs.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped brothers Baron and Tyler Thompson from their roster. Neither was in the Brandon lineup for its season-opening weekend games. . . . The Thompsons are from Lakeville, Minn. . . . Tyler, 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, had two goals and an assist in eight games with the Victoria Royals last season. He was a third-round pick by the Royals in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings acquired both Thompsons in an Aug. 31 deal with Victoria that featured five players, four bantam draft picks and a conditional pick. . . . The Wheat Kings have 21 players in town, with two others — F Reid Duke (New York Rangers) and D Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia Flyers) — at NHL camps. . . . D Kale Clague was returned by the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

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The Prince George Cougars visit the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C., in Tuesday’s only WHL game. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has a look right here at what’s in store for the two teams, who’s hurt, who’s back from the NHL and who isn’t.

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Darren Steinke, a former Medicine Hat News sports reporter who now freelances out of Saskatoon, was in attendance on Sunday as the Blades celebrated the lives of Gordie Howe and his wife, Colleen. . . . How did the Blades do? . . . “The Blades hit all the positive checkmark points,” he writes on his blog, “which included ones you didn’t even think of.” . . . His complete report is right here. . . . And a big tip of the cap to Blades president Steve Hogle for the work he put into this really special event.

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JUST NOTES:

We got the first ch-ch-ching of the season on Monday when the WHL fined the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers $500 apiece for the multi-fight situation (aka garage sale) they staged on Saturday night in The Hat. . . . 

The Lethbridge Hurricanes have returned F Connor Lyons, 17, to the midget AAA Hurricanes. Lyons, a list player, has signed a WHL contract. The son of former Hurricanes sniper Corey Lyons, Connor was pointless in three exhibition games and Friday’s regular-season opener. Last season, he had 23 points, seven of them goals, in 34 games with the midget AAA club. . . . The WHL Hurricanes are down to 25 players, including two goaltenders and eight defencemen. . . . 

The Tri-City Americans have signed D Tyler Jette, 18, to a WHL contract. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Jette is from Farmington, Minn. Jette, who is expected to join the Americans today (Tuesday), is coming off three seasons with the Farmington High team of the USHSL. Last season, he had 22 points, including five goals, in 22 games. . . . Jette actually started last season with the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder. He was pointless in two games before returning to his high school team. . . . He was nominated for the 2015-16 Reed Larson Award as the top senior defenceman in Minnesota. Jette also was one of 10 finalists for the Mr. Hockey Award that goes to the state’s top high school player. . . . 

The OHL’s Erie Otters have released F Haydn Hopkins “in support of his pursuit to play out his 19-year-old season closer to home in Western Canada,” according a news release from the team. . . . Hopkins, from Victoria, was a 12th-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2012 bantam draft. He has three goals and seven assists in 53 regular-season WHL games, split among the Blades (4), Prince George Cougars (33) and Vancouver Giants (16). . . . Last season, he had a goal and three assists in 31 games with the Otters. He was pointless in the first two games of this season.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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MONDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY GAME (all times local):

Prince George vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Chiefs get Carter . . . Cougars change imports . . . A conversation with M.J.

My wife, Dorothy, is one of the co-honourees — along with her friend Margaret Thompson — of the 2016 Kamloops Kidney Walk. Each year, the walk salutes someone who has worked to shine a light on kidney transplants and organ donorship. Dorothy, who had a kidney transplant almost three years ago, will take part in her third straight Kidney Walk on Sept. 25.

The hockey community, especially those of you who stop by here, have always been terrific in supporting her. If you would like to be part of her team and sponsor her, please click right here.

F J.T. Barnett (Vancouver, Kamloops, Everett, Kelowna, 2008-13) assigned by CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL) to their farm club, Zvezda Chekhov (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). . . .

F James Wright (Vancouver, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL). Last season, with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), he had 14 goals and 27 assists in 73 games. . . . There now are three former Vancouver Giants with Admiral: Wright, Jon Blum, and Mikhail Fisenko. All were teammates in 2008-09.

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Scott Carter is the new general manager of the Spokane Chiefs. He takes over from Tim Speltz, who left after 26 years in the position. Speltz now is the director of western area scouting with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

Carter, who turned 55 on Thursday, was born and raised in Penticton. He helped bring the junior A 

Vees back to relevancy and was their managing partner. He also did a stint as president and general manager, and was named the BCHL’s executive of the year in 2005.

Carter was a co-founder of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, which is based in Penticton. He was inducted into the hall in 2012.

In the business world, he became involved with Vaughn Custom Sports in 1983, and has been part-owner and president since 1996.

In 1994, he helped bring the Western Professional Hockey League into being, later selling his shares in order to become a full partner in Vaughn.

He also has scouted for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. Most recently, he has done consulting work with the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, working with the academies to help them maintain certain standards.

“We draft and sign what we call ‘Chief type’ players,” Brett said in a news release, “and wanted a guy that would fit into that culture but also bring new ideas. We’re always looking for ways to get better. The more I got to know Scott and checked in with his references, it was clear that we made the right choice.”

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The Prince George Cougars added one import to their roster while dropping another on Thursday. . . . F Yan Khomenko, 18, of St. Petersburg, Russia, is in, while Swedish F Axel Jonsson Fjallby is out. . . . The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Khomenko had five goals and four assists in 45 games with the Everett Silvertips last season. They selected him in the CHL’s 2015 import draft. . . . Fjallby, 18, was a fifth-round pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2016 NHL draft. The Cougars selected him in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. He is likely to play this season with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. . . . Prince George’s other import is sophomore F Bartek Bison, who is from Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Logan Doust to a WHL contract. Doust, from North Vancouver, was a ninth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. He played last season with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team. His regular-season stats aren’t available, but Small Thoughts At Large has him with a goal and three assists in five games at the St. Albert tournament and two goals in five games with the Wild at the U-16 B.C. Cup. . . . The Blades also signed F Josh Bruce, 18, who is from Surrey, B.C. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 185-pounder had 28 points, including 12 goals, in 39 games with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League.

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed F Jayden Davis and F Connor Lyons, both of whom are list players. . . . Davis, who will turn 17 in November, is from Alameda, Sask. Last season, his second with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, the 5-foot-10, 175-pounder had 23 points, 10 of them goals, in 39 games. . . . Lyons, 17, is a list player from Lethbridge. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder played last season with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes, putting up 23 points, including seven goals, in 34 games. His father, Corey, is a former Hurricanes forward.

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The Kootenay Ice has signed F Blake Allan, a third-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. Allan, from Humboldt, Sask., had 40 points, including 18 goals, in 30 games with the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos last season.

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Portland-based journalist Dwight Jaynes is the host of a podcast these days — the Podfather Godcast — and he interviewed Mike Johnston, the vice-president, general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, the other day. There is lots right here, including Johnston’s being fired last season from his position as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. As usual, Johnston is open and honest.

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It is going on a year since former Brandon Wheat Kings scoring star Brian Propp had a stroke. Today, after a month in Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia and a whole lot of hard work, and with some help from a “robotic gait-training system,” Propp is well on the road to recovery. He now is working at giving back. . . . Brian Hickey of PhillyVoice has more right here.

www.phillyvoice.com/recovering-stroke-former-flyer-brian-propp-establishes-scholarship-program/

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

In Kennewick, Wash., F Devon Skoleski’s goal ended a six-round shootout and gave the Everett Silvertips a 5-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks (3-0-1). F Orrin Centazzo also scored for Everett (2-2-1) in the shootout, while F Skyler McKenzie did the same for Portland. The Winterhawks held 3-0 and 4-1 leads, only to have Everett score three straight goals. F Brian King got the Silvertips’ last two goals, at 8:30 and 15:33 of the third period. F Connor Dewar scored his fourth goal of the preseason for the Silvertips. F Graham Millar had three assists for Everett. Portland got two goals from F Bronson Sharp and two assists from McKenzie. . . . F Jansen Harkins scored his second goal 53 seconds into OT to give the Prince George Cougars a 5-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. The Cougars held 3-0 and 4-3 leads, only to have F Jared Legien force OT with his second goal of the game at 19:26 of the third period. F Jesse Gabrielle and D Max Martin each had three assists for the Cougars (2-2-0). The Ice (0-0-1) got two assists from F Max Patterson. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Simon Stransky had a goal and two assists to lead the Raiders to a 5-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. F Drew Warkentine and F Reid Gardiner had two assists each for the winners. The Blades got two assists from D Anthony Bishop. Saskatoon held a 42-26 edge in shots. The Raiders are 1-1-0; the Blades 2-2-0.

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Hearing disgruntled @WHLGiants D Brennan Menell is talking with the Fargo Force of the USHL.

— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) September 8, 2016

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.