Don Hay, the Vancouver Giants' head coach . . . working
on a new coaching strategy?
(Photo by Dan Elliott / Vancouver Giants)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Richard Mueller (Brandon, Saskatoon, Calgary, 1998-2003) signed a one-month contract with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). The club has the option to extend the contract for the duration of the season. Mueller was on a two-week unpaid try-out contract he had signed last week. He had three goals and one assist in 18 games with Ingolstadt (Germnay, DEL) and five goals and five assists in 15 games with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) last season.
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OK. Here’s one that you absolutely have to read. You may even want to bookmark the blog address and revisit it from time to time.
The blog is titled: Eastside Stories — Diary of a Vancouver Beat Cop.
This particular entry details the visit made earlier this week by Tim O’Donovan, the Kamloops Blazers’ communications and media co-ordinator, and six of the team’s veteran players.
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You may be wondering about the photo accompanying this compilation of notes and stuff. That is, of course, veteran Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay in the suit and tie and some hockey gear. What is he doing, you ask? He was taking part in a photo shoot for BC Business Magazine. . . . The Giants open at home to the Victoria Royals on Friday night and then visit the B.C. capital on Saturday. If you were wondering, the Giants will have to over-night in Victoria as the last ferry to mainland on weekends leaves Sidney by the Sea at 9 p.m. So the Giants will catch the ferry Sunday at 7 a.m. . . . The Kamloops Blazers will play doubleheaders in Victoria on Nov. 29-30 and Jan. 27-28. Rather than bus in the day before the first game, the Blazers will go in the day of the game. They then will spent two nights there before catching the ferry the morning after the second game. . . . By the way, Vancouver F Michael Burns will miss both those games with Victoria after being hit with a two-game suspension for a kneeing major he incurred in a Saturday exhibition game.
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It will become official tonight.
The Crushed Can is dead; long live the Crushed Can!
The Brandon Wheat Kings will meet the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight to open the WHL’s 46th regular season, and they’ll do it in Mosaic Place, Moose Jaw’s brand new multi-purpose facility.
The game will be televised on Shaw. The pre-game festivities will include appearances by former Warriors captains Mark MacKay, Mike Keane and Spencer Edwards.
Moose Jaw will be without D Joel Edmundson, who came back from the camp of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues with an ankle injury. He likely will sit for two weeks.
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The Saskatoon Blades have claimed F Jesse Paradis, 20, off waivers from the Warriors.
Paradis has 70 points and 173 penalty minutes in 239 regular-season games, split between the Kelowna Rockets and the Warriors.
His arrival in Saskatoon leaves the Blades with four 20-year-olds — the others being F Darian Dziurzynski, who is in camp with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, F Jake Trask and G Adam Morrison.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are to return some players to junior teams today, meaning D Austin Madaisky will be on his way back to the Kamloops Blazers. The Portland Winterhawks, however, shouldn’t be expecting F Ryan Johansen back. It’s expected that Johansen, the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft and perhaps the team’s most highly touted prospect, will get a long, long look.
Meanwhile, among those on the way back are F Mark McNeill, Chicago to Prince Albert; F Brad Ross, Toronto to Portland; F Josh Nicholls, Toronto to Saskatoon;
D Dylan Buselius, Nashville to Medicine Hat; F Cole Grbavac, Dallas to Medicine Hat; G Tyler Bunz, Edmonton to Medicine Hat; D David Musil, Edmonton to Vancouver; D Brandon Davidson, Edmonton to Regina; D Colton Jobke, Minnesota to Kelowna; D Josh Caron, Minnesota to Kamloops; D Troy Rutkowski, Colorado to Portland; F Michael Ferland, Calgary to Brandon; F Brooks Macek, Detroit to Calgary; F Victor Rask, Carolina to Calgary; D Keegan Lowe, Carolina to Edmonton; D Joey Leach, Calgary to Kootenay; F Patrick Holland, Calgary to Tri-City; F Brody Sutter, Carolina to Lethbridge; F Turner Elson, Calgary to Red Deer; and F Jordan Weal, Los Angeles to Regina.
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JUST NOTES: The NHL’s San Jose Sharks have assigned F Curt Gogol, 20, of the Victoria Royals to their AHL affiliate, the Worcester Sharks. Gogol has signed with the Sharks so is eligible to play in their organization. . . . The Sharks also assigned D Sena Acolatse to Worcester. He played out his eligility last season with the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes got F Brody Sutter back from the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, meaning the WHL team now has four 20-year-olds on its roster. The others are F Cam Braes, F Austin Fyten and G Damien Ketlo. . . . As was mentioned here the other day, G Deven Dubyk didn’t play for the Medicine Hat Tigers in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings in St. Alberta, Alta., on Sept. 5. The on-line game sheet originally indicated that he did play. That now has been corrected. It seems Kenny Cameron’s name should have appeared on the game sheet, as it now does. . . . Cameron and Dawson MacAuley are neck-and-neck in the scrap to back up Tigers’ starter Tyler Bunz. . . . It would appear that the BCHL has delivered a message as it has suspended Penticton Vees F Logan Johnston for 20 games. Johnston, a 20-year-old who is from Penticton and into his fourth season with his hometown team, delivered a hit in a Saturday exhibition game that broke the jaw of Coquitlam Express F Cody Michelle.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have cut some ticket prices by 30 per cent. With the Oil Kings generally seen as a team on the rise with an abundance of young talent, it will be interesting to see how the Edmonton-and-area marketplace responds to this move. Cam Tait of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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As only he can do, Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail suggests that the NHL could cut down on fighting simply by trimming the number of players allowed on team rosters. MacGregor was in the MTS Centre in Winnipeg on Tuesday night as the Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets engaged in two first-minute fights. His piece is right here.
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For today’s good read, we give you a scintillating piece written by former WHLer Brent Severyn (Seattle, Brandon, Saskatoon, 1983-86). Severyn was a pretty good defenceman during his WHL career. In order to get into the NHL and to stay there, he became an enforcer. He now has told his story to Sports Illustrated and it is more than a little engrossing. It is right here. Don't miss this one!

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

An 86-yard punt that takes 1:04?

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Craig Weller (Kootenay, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract with the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). He had four goals and 14 assists in 74 games with the Houston Aeros, Providence Bruins and Chicago Wolves (all AHL) last season. . . .
F Mike Green (Edmonton/Kootenay, 1996-2000) announced his retirement. He had 15 goals and 20 assists for Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany DEL) last season. Green made his announcement through the team's website. . . .
F Mark Brown (Spokane, Prince Albert, 1996-99) signed a one-year contract with Zall am See (Austria Nationalliga). He had four goals and 12 assists in 25 games with Alleghe (Italy Serie A) last season. . . .
D Burke Henry (Brandon, 1995-99) signed a one-year contract with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had seven goals and four assists in 27 games with Olimpija last season. . . .
F Jason Reese (Vancouver, Moose Jaw, Tri-City, 2003-09) signed a tryout contract with Dortmund (Germany Oberliga). He had seven goals and 18 assists in 57 games split between the Texas Brahmas, Arizona Sundogs and Wichita Thunder (all Central Hockey League) season.
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Two days after F Curt Gogol, 19, was benched during a game, the Saskatoon Blades traded him to the Chilliwack Bruins. In exchange for Gogol and an eighth-round 2011 bantam draft pick, the Blades get F Chris Collins, 18.
The Blades acquired Gogol from the Kelowna Rockets in January.
In 58 games with the Blades, Gogol, the son of former WHLer Brent (Calgary, Victoria, Billings, 1976-79), had nine points and 208 penalty minutes.
Curt Gogol attended the San Jose Sharks’ camp as a free agent and came away with a three-year NHL contract.
Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken, concerned with a lack of discipline, had Gogol on the bench for much of a 5-3 victory over the Hitmen on Sunday in Calgary.
“We took far too many unnecessary penalties and the decision has been made that if you take bad penalties, you don't play," Molleken told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
On Saturday, in a 7-1 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer, Molleken benched freshmen forwards Lukas Sutter and Levi Bews.
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Marc Weber of the Vancouver Province reported Tuesday that the Giants may have lost Slovakian F Marek Tvrdon (right shoulder) for the season.
"He goes Thursday to see the surgeon," Giants GM Scott Bonner told the newspaper. "He's out 60 days minimum and, if he gets surgery, it's six months. I'm 90-per-cent sure he's getting surgery.
"He's had an MRI and CT scan already and none of them have been positive. The labrum has nothing to attach to."
Tvrdon, 17, last played Oct. 16 against the Chilliwack Bruins. He had 11 points, including six goals, in 12 games.
Earlier in the season, Swedish F Casper Carning, 19, left the Giants and went home.
So losing Tvrdon means the Giants wouldn’t have any import players on their roster.
However, after Carning left the Giants placed Slovakian F Andrej Stastny, 19, on their protected list. He had been selected by Saskatoon in the 2010 CHL import draft but the Blades weren’t able to secure his release.
The Giants hope to have Stastny join them after the 2011 World Junior Championship ends in Buffalo on Jan. 5.
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Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks is the Vaughn WHL goaltender of the month. Carruth, 18, was 6-1 with a 1.56 GAA and a .952 save percentage in October. . . . F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants is the Husky WHL player of the month. Cunningham 20, put up 36 points in 18 games in September and October. . . . F Andrej Kudrna of the Red Deer Rebels is the CHL player of the week. He had seven points, including four goals, in two games. . . . F Landon Ferraro, the captain of the Everett Silvertips, has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Ferraro, 19, was a second-round selection in the 2009 NHL draft. The Silvertips acquired Ferraro from Red Deer over the summer, in exchange for F Byron Froese, also 19. Ferraro has 11 points, including five goals, in 13 games with Everett. He is a son of former NHL/WHL player Ray Ferraro. . . . The Moose Jaw Warriors have assigned G Brandon Glover to the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Glover, 18, left the Warriors earlier this season and requested a trade. Last season, he was 9-8-6, 3.40, .890. . . . When Spokane beat the Pats 11-1 in Regina on Saturday, it was the first time the Chiefs had scored 11 goals in a road game since Jan. 16, 1999, when they beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 11-2. The last time Spokane scored 11 times at home? That would be Feb. 14, 2009, in an 11-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . It was the seventh time in franchise history that the Chiefs scored in double digits in one game. The record for most goals in one game is 16, set Jan. 30, 1988 in a 16-7 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. The team record for most goals in a road game is 12, set March 22, 1986, in a 12-9 victory over the Victoria Cougars. . . . The visiting Kingston Frontenacs scored a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa 67’s in a Tuesday OHL game. Get this -- the game began at 10:30 a.m. Yes, 10:30 a.m., on a school day. Attendance was 9,826 and, yes, there were a whole lot of school children there. . . . OK. Which WHL team will be first to try that? . . . F Jesse Sinatynski, 18, who was reassigned last week by the Kamloops Blazers, is on his way to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. Originally, it was thought he might end up with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. . . . Ed Boychuk, who refereed in the WHL when it was the Western Major Junior Hockey League, died Monday in Regina. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here. . . .
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Patrick King of sportsnet.ca has an interesting take on Tyler Pitlick and the Medicine Hat Tigers. “The Medicine Hat Tigers are the Western Hockey League’s little, big market,” he writes. “The Tigers are disproving the myth that small market teams can’t compete with larger markets with recruiting high-profile American players.” . . . Read the entire column right here.
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Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports adds some thoughts -- mostly culinary in nature -- to the Pitlick piece. That is right here.
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And, finally, how about an 86-yard punt on a play that took one minute four seconds from start to finish? Seriously. Check it out right here.
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TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
CHILLIWACK 6 at KOOTENAY 2: G Lucas Gore stopped 32 shots for the Bruins (9-5-0), who have won five of six. . . . The Ice (11-4-1) had its seven-game winning streak snapped. . . . The Bruins scored the game’s first six goals, taking a 4-0 with three goals in a 3:44 span early in the second period. . . . F Kevin Sundher and F Robin Soudek each had two assists for the Bruins. . . . F Ryan Howse had a goal, his 15th, and an assist for Chilliwack, which was 2-for-5 on the PP. . . . The Ice was 1-for-5. . . . Ice F Adam Rossignol scored his first career goal to round out the scoring late in the third period. . . . Attendance was 2,259. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Two minors, to Soudek and Chilliwack D Brandon Manning.
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MEDICINE HAT 2 at CALGARY 1: F Linden Vey had a goal and an assist for the Tigers (8-5-0), who handed the Hitmen (4-11-0) their seventh straight loss and their sixth straight on home ice. . . . The Hitmen are 0-5 on a six-game homestand that ends Friday when the Kamloops Blazers hit town. . . . F Emerson Etem broke a 1-1 tie with his ninth goal, on the PP, at 7:52 of the third. . . . Vey, with his sixth, on the PP, scored at 17:12 of the second. . . . Calgary D Ben Wilson, with his first, tied it at 6:22 of the third, also on the PP. . . . Medicine Hat got two assists from F Wacey Hamilton. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 28 shots, seven more than Calgary’s Michael Snider. . . . Medicine Hat was 2-for-6 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-6. . . . Attendance was 7,149. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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SPOKANE 3 at SASKATOON 2: The Chiefs scored three times in the first period and went on to hand the Blades their first home loss of the season. Saskatoon (11-5-0) is 7-1-0 at home. . . . D Jared Cowen, a native of Saskatoon, got what proved to be the winning goal when he scored his third at 19:22 of the first period. That gave the Chiefs (7-7-0) a 3-1 lead. . . . The Chiefs are 2-1-0 on their East Division swing. . . . D Brenden Kichton scored Spokane’s other two goals, at 1:10 and 7:08 of the opening period. He has three. . . . This was Kichton’s first two-goal game in his 134-game WHL career. . . . F Jake Trask, with his first of the season, pulled the Blades to within one at 10:05. . . . F Josh Nicholls, with his seventh, got the Blades to within one, again, at 17:33 of the second. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 22 shots, while Adam Morrison of the Blades turned aside 26. . . . Each team was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 5,121. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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PRINCE GEORGE 2 at KELOWNA 6: F Mitchell Callahan had two goals and two assists for the Rockets (5-10-0), who had lost three in a row. . . . F Geordie Wudrick, with his second of the season, and Callahan, with his sixth, gave Kelowna a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. . . . F Zach Franko, with his fourth, upped that to 3-0 at 2:21 of the third, on the PP, before F Tayler Stefishen, with his third, got the visitors on the board. . . . The Rockets then put it away with three goals in 3:40, with Callahan, D Tyson Barrie, with his second, and D Colton Jobke, with his first, scoring. . . . It was Jobke’s first WHL goal and came in his 83rd game. . . . Barrie also had two assists. . . . The Cougars (9-7-1) had won their last two games, both on the road. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 28 shots, seven more than Prince George’s James Priestner. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-2. . . . Attendance was 6,018. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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RED DEER 1 at SEATTLE 4: F Burke Gallimore scored twice, giving him nine, for the Thunderbirds (6-3-4), who had lost five straight but now have points in 10 of their 13 games. . . . The Rebels (11-6-0) had a three-game win skein end. . . . Gallimore and F Colin Jacobs, with his fifth, scored in the second period. . . . Gallimore added another at 9:06 of the third, before D Matt Dumba got his third for Red Deer at 13:17 of the third on the PP. . . . F Charles Wells got an empty-netter at 19:20. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard, who has started all 13 of his side’s games, stopped 46 shots. He was coming off a 49-save effort in a 3-2 OT loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Saturday. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot turned aside 13 shots. . . . Red Deer was 1-for-6 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-3. . . . Attendance was 2,725. . . . The Thunderbirds open an East Division swing Saturday in Brandon. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Red Deer F Byron Froese.

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

Monday . . .

A veritable potpourri for you to enjoy with your morning coffee . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:

D Ryan Jorde (Tri-City, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, 1997-2002) signed a one-year contract with Gap (France Ligue Magnus). He had no goals and four assists in 20 games with the Hull Stingrays and Newcastle Vipers (both UK Elite) last season.
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It’s true.
Penn State, the home of Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions, is going to have an NCAA Division 1 hockey team.
And it’s primarily because of a man named Terry Pegula, who has given US$88 million to the university, which is located in State College, Pa., to fund the construction of a new arena.
Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia has that story and lots of Pegula right here. It turns out he fell in love with hockey because of the Broad Street Bullies.
And there’s more on that story right here, including speculation on possible conference realignment down the road.
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The Spokane Chiefs have gotten D Brenden Kichton, 18, back from the camp of the Detroit Red Wings. But he’ll miss up to six weeks with a broken finger. He was injured while playing for the Detroit team at the prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich. . . . Earlier on the weekend, the Chiefs got veteran F Levko Koper, 20, back from the camp of the Atlanta Thrashers. He is preparing for a fifth season with the Chiefs. . . . Spokane also has reassigned F Connor Chartier, 16, to the midget AAA ranks in Alberta. He was a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . The Chiefs are down to 25 players, including three goaltenders and 14 forwards.
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When writing earlier about Swiss F Roman Wick, I noted that he had played with the Red Deer Rebels. It turns out he also played in Lethbridge. As noted by Ryan Ohashi, the Hurricanes’ efficient director of communications:
“Roman Wick actually spent two seasons in the WHL and the better part of the second one he played here in Lethbridge.
“The interesting side note to that is that years later when we drafted a then-little known Swiss D-man named Luca Sbisa, Wick ran into him in Switzerland and told him all about what a great experience he had here and in the WHL. Luca was sold and came over unranked then went in the first round of the (NHL) draft that year.
“The extra side note is that the same family that billeted Roman also billeted Luca -- we have decided it has to be something in the food.”
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The Edmonton Oilers trimmed 20 players from their training camp roster on Monday. Among the players assigned to junior teams are G Tyler Bunz (Medicine Hat), F Drew Czerwonka (Kootenay), D Brandon Davidson (Regina), F Curtis Hamilton (Saskatoon), D Martin Marincin (Prince George) and F Kristians Pelss (Edmonton). . . . D Dallas Ehrhardt (Moose Jaw) and F Chase Schaber (Kamloops) were released from tryout agreements and are headed back to the WHL. Ehrhardt didn’t see much ice time with the Oilers as he suffered a knee injury while the prospects were in Penticton, B.C. World from the Warriors camp is that he will be out for up to six weeks with a strained MCL in his right knee. A torn MCL in that same knee cost him almost two months of last season.
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The Phoenix Coyotes have returned F Evan Bloodoff, 20, to the Kelowna Rockets, and D Justin Weller, 19, to the Red Deer Rebels.
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The San Jose Sharks have signed D Curt Gogol, who turns 19 today (Sept. 21), to a three-year NHL contract. The Saskatoon Blades acquired Gogol last season from the Kelowna Rockets. The website CapGeek.com reports that the deal is worth US$530,000, $555,000 and $555,000 in the NHL, and $50,000, $55,000 and $60,000 in the AHL. The contract carries with it an annual $30,000 signing bonus. . . . Gogol had six assists and 120 penalty minutes in 35 games with Kelowna and one goal and 29 penalty minutes in eight games with the Blades last season. In 2008-09, he had five points and 144 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Rockets. . . . He wasn’t selected in the NHL draft.
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The Detroit Red Wings have returned F Mitchell Callahan (Kelowna), F Landon Ferraro (Everett), F Antonin Honejsek (Moose Jaw) and F Brooks Macek (Tri-City).
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The Kootenay Ice is down to 26 players after assigning five 16-year-old players -- F Levi Cable (midget AAA Yorkton Harvest); F Colby Cave (midget AAA Battlefords Stars); D Jeff Hubic (midget AAA Tisdale Trojans), F Jared Iron (midget AAA Beardy’s Blackhawks) and D Mike Simpson (junior B Delta Ice Hawks). . . . Cave was the 13th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft, while Hubic was taken in the fourth round, Simpson in the sixth and Iron in the eighth. . . . The Ice still has two players in NHL camps -- D Brayden McNabb (Buffalo) and F Steele Boomer (Chicago).
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The Chilliwack Bruins got down to 26 players on their roster by assigning F Zane Jones, 16, and D Brett Cote, 16, to undisclosed destinations. Cote was a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft; Jones was taken in the fifth round. . . . The Bruins are carrying three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. . . . They also have three players in NHL camps -- D Roman Horak and D Brandon Manning (both New York Rangers) and F Kevin Sundher (Buffalo).
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has penned a three-part series on the Parker family’s ownership of the Regina Pats. Part 1 is right here.
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The Montreal Canadiens have returned F Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Giants. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings are down to 32 players after returning F Daniel Asham to the midget AAA Winnipeg Wild and D Dylan Kuczek to the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. Kuczek was a second-round pick in the 2009 draft, while Brandon took Asham in the eighth round. . . . As well, D Josh Elmes, 17, is off to join the MJHL’s OCN Blizzard. He was an eighth-round pick in 2008.
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The Wheat Kings continue to prepare for the opening of the season with five goaltenders among the 32 players still on their roster. GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon was believed to be planning on opening with one of two 20-year-olds -- Andrew Hayes or Jacob DeSerres -- and Liam Liston, 17. . . . However, he hasn’t been able to move either of the veterans -- there are a number of 20-year-old goaltenders in the league and two of them (Morgan Clark, from Swift Current to Prince George, and Jeff Bosch, from Moose Jaw to Kamloops) already have been on the move. . . . But McCrimmon also has Ty Rimmer, 18, and Corbin Boes, 17, on his roster. Ironically, Rimmer made the roster a year ago as Hayes’ backup, but was sent to junior A after DeSerres was acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Brandon opens at home to the Regina Pats on Friday. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun also reports that Brandon still has three players -- F Scott Glennie (Dallas), F Brayden Schenn (Los Angeles) and F Mark Stone (Ottawa) -- in NHL camps. As well, F Jens Meilleur, 17, suffered a broken hand in an exhibition game Saturday so is out for a while. . . . Brandon did get F David Toews (New York Islanders) and F Michael Ferland (Calgary Flames) back from NHL camps. Both players practised in Brandon on Monday, although neither skated with their NHL teams because of injuries. Henderson reports that Toews, 20, was diagnosed with a torn labrum in one shoulder, but later was found not to be badly injured. “It was really, really frustrating not to be able to get to play out there,” Toews told Henderson. “I was being pretty negative on myself for a few days there but I was lucky enough to get a second look at it and get a couple doctors opinions and I’m lucky that it’s not as severe as we thought it was at first. So that’s a good thing and I’m taking the positive out of the fact that I don’t need to get surgery and that I can keep playing here is huge for me.” . . . Ferland, 18, has been out for two weeks with a twisted knee. He didn’t take part in contact drills on Monday.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are down to 25 players after releasing C Troy Gasper, 18. He plans on returning to the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. . . . The Raiders, who open Friday in Saskatoon, are carrying two goaltenders, nine defencemen and 14 forwards. . . . The Blades visit Prince Albert on Saturday. . . . D Ryan Button, 19, is in camp with the Boston Bruins. . . . John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald reports that four players are injured -- D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna (wrist), F Shane Danyluk (ankle), F Tyler Paslawski (head) and F Igor Revenko (leg). Danyluk, who was injured Aug. 28, won’t play for a while, while Revenko, who was hurt Saturday, may be back on the ice Tuesday.
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A note from Howie Stalwick, a veteran WHL observer, from the Kitsap Sun of Bermerton, Wash. . . .
Top 10: All-time best NHL players developed in the major junior WHL — 10. Jarome Iginla, RW (Kamloops). 9. Cam Neely, RW (Portland). 8. Clark Gillies, LW (Regina). 7. Grant Fuhr, G (Victoria). 6. Mike Modano, C (Prince Albert). 5. Mark Recchi, RW (Kamloops). 4. Scott Niedermayer, D (Kamloops). 3. Joe Sakic, C (Swift Current). 2. Bryan Trottier, C (Swift Current-Lethbridge). 1. Bobby Clarke, C (Flin Flon). Note: Players who made token appearances in the WHL, like Hall of Fame C Mark Messier (Portland), were not considered.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter