A horse named I’ll Have Another is running for history on Saturday at Belmont Park in New York.
And you are going to watch Saturday’s third race in the Triple Crown after I tell you that there is a WHL angle to this horse.
That angle is named Larry Jones — he goes by the nickname Thumper — and he used to play in the WHL.
According to hockeydb.com, Jones played 58 games in 1977-78, splitting them between the Portland Winter Hawks, Medicine Hat Tigers and New Westminster Bruins. He played 13 games with the Lethbridge Broncos and 12 with the Regina Pats in 1978-79.
In 83 games, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound winger had four goals, seven assists and 212 penalty minutes.
It was while with the Bruins that Jones was involved in one of the most legendary bench-clearing brawls in WHL history. That was Feb. 12, 1978, against the Billings Bighorns.
“In the last game of that season (1977-78), we played Billings and pretty much brawled them up to the point that they had become terrified of us,” Jones told Tom Wolski of the Vancouver Province.
Ernie McLean’s Bruins went on to sweep the Bighorns en route to winning the 1978 Memorial Cup.
Jones’s hockey career was ended by back problems. Ultimately, he found relief from a chirorpactor.
It wasn’t quite this easy, but after finding help for his back, Jones wondered why he couldn’t do the same for horses. So he has done just that.
Most recent stories on him have referred to him as an “equine chiropractor,” although he has told Ryan Goldberg of The New York Times that “I’m not a chiropractor, I’m a positionalist.”
And there have been a lot of recent stories because the native of Stettler, Alta., has done a lot of work with I’ll Have Another, a horse that was ridden by Mario Gutierrez during the Kentucy Derby and the Preakness. (Gutierrez has been a regular jockey at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver.)
There was a time when Jones worked at a now-defunct track in Kamloops and then went on to Exhibition Park in Vancouver.
On Saturday, Jones, now 53, will be at Belmont Park in New York.
And if I’ll Have Another should happen to win, Thumper’s legend — he is know for wearing shorts and cowboy boots — will continue to grow.
For more on Jones, check out Goldberg’s story right here.
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F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks can be a deep-thinker, which is why I linked to his blog (Blades of Glory) over there on the right.
In his latest entry, he provides a major junior player’s reaction to the story from The New York Times that detailed the easy access the late Derek Boogaard had to prescription drugs.
Check out Blades of Glory because it’s definitely worth a read.
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You should also check out Thom Beunig’s blog (In the Corner) that also is linked to over there on the right.
He lost one of his best friends on Wednesday and offers up some heartfelt thoughts and memories.
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The NHL has a problem. A big problem. It seems that its teams don’t know the direction in which the league is headed. For example, the Detroit Red Wings, with D Nicklas Lidstrom having retired, have a lot of money to spend under the cap. But they don’t know whether to spend it on skill or gritty shot-blockers. Seriously. . . . Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has an intriguing look at the situation right here.
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F Dillon Wagner, who played out his eligibility this season, has decided to attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds. Dillon played most of his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos, but was traded to the Portland Winterhawks this season and then claimed on waivers by the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . He is a veteran of four WHL seasons, recording 66 points in 212 games. . . .
Three ex-WHLers have decided to go to the U of Lethbridge and play for the Pronghorns. G Damien Ketlo, who finished up his WHL career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season, has made the commitment. Head coach Greg Gatto immediately named Ketlo his starter, replacing the graduated Scott Bowles. . . . Ketlo played most his four-season career with the Regina Pats, before being dealt to Lethbridge this season. . . . Also agreeing to attend the U of L were D Hayden Rintoul and D Cason Machacek. . . . Rintoul played for the Kootenay Ice, who dealt him to the Victoria Royals prior to this season. He put up 144 points in 260 WHL games, and helped the Ice to the 2010-11 championship. . . . Machacek, who is from Lethbridge, finished up with Seattle, after playing for the Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge. He had 28 points and 536 penalty minutes in 245 WHL games.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal has spoken with Kris Knoblauch, the former head coach of the Kootenay Ice. That piece is right here. . . . Knoblauch, you’ll recall, had his contract terminated by the Ice as he was trying to land the head-coaching job with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . . There are some extremely interesting comments from Knoblauch who, among other things, told Daum: “Certainly, there wasn’t a guarantee that the job was mine, but I was under the impression I was a very good candidate. Everything short of the job being guaranteed to me. After this process was over, I’ve heard many names of people being kind of given the same sales pitch of applying.”


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Yesterday, you will recall, I mentioned that there were 32,262 fans in attendance at three hockey games on B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Friday night.
Just to recap, that was 18,890 at an NHL game in Vancouver, 7,044 at an AHL game in Abbotsford and 6,328 at a WHL playoff game in Vancouver.
An emailer has suggested that the total be added to, what with there having been 1,018 fans at a BCHL playoff game in Surrey at the same time.
So make the total 33,280.
Another emailer writes:
“The better bet for a (WHL) team to relocate would be to place a team in Langley . . . great facility and no sour aftertaste . . . too early for the Dub to go back to the ‘Wack. Just a thought . . .”
The 5,500-seat Langley Event Centre is home to the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen.
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Justice never sleeps.
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, has hit F Darren Kramer, the captain of the Spokane Chiefs, with a one-game suspension for shenanigans at the end of Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.
The Chiefs won the game, 5-1.
Kramer was given a roughing minor at 18:02 of the third period. At 20:00, he was penalized for roughing and for leaving the penalty box.
He won’t play tonight in Spokane as the teams meet in Game 6. The Chiefs hold a 3-2 lead.
Should Vancouver win, Game 7 will be played Wednesday in Vancouver.
The Tri-City Americans, who have to be hoping for a seventh game, await the winner of the series.
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A Saturday night with nary a WHL game.
What are we to do?
Well, there was ch-ch-ching moment in the QMJHL, where Gilles Courteau, the commissioner, is certain to add to the league’s coffers after some comments made by Leo-Guy Morrissette, the owner of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
There was a time when the Morrissette brothers ruled the QMJHL, or at least tried to, but now Leo-Guy is the only one left. It’s nice that he helps out the media at times by reverting to the old days when owners, GMs and coaches weren’t afraid to speak their minds, even if they were putting feet in mouth at the same time.
In this instance, Morrissette is alleging that some owners are spending too much money, making it impossible for others to compete.
Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports wraps up this story right here.
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Here’s a good ready, nay, a great read for you. It’s been 50 years since Emile Griffith pummelled Benny (The Kid) Paret to death in a boxing match on live television. Dan Klores looks back right here in a story from the pages of The New York Times. It's amazing how some of the best of sports writing involves boxing or horse racing.
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Some interesting numbers from Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Kootenay Ice.
On his blog (jeffhollick.blogspot.com), he points out that the Ice, the WHL’s defending champion, was 19-5-3 on Nov. 30 and was riding a six-game winning streak.
After which the roof fell in.
From that point through the end of the regular season, the Ice was 17-21-7 and never put together more than back-to-back victories.
Of course, the Ice then was swept from the playoffs by the Edmonton Oil Kings, which means Kootenay won only 17 of its final 49 games.
Hollick also points out that the Ice lost 25 games in which it led or was tied in the third period.
It’s apparent that, as things started to slide, the Ice became a very fragile team, something one might think wouldn’t happen to a team that was coming off a championship season.
But it just goes to show the difference between success and failure at this level can be a very fine line, indeed.
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ON THE MOVE:
G Kent Simpson of the Everett Silvertips has signed an ATO with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Simpson, 20, was a second-round selection by Chicago in the 2010 NHL draft. . . . F Shane McColgan of the Kelowna Rockets will be joining the Connecticut Whale, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers. He was a fifth-round selection by the Rangers in the 2011 NHL draft. . . . If was a no-brainer, but it seems that F Troy Bourke of the Prince George Cougars has been the first player selected to play for Canada at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic, April 12-22. . . . Two graduating members of the Calgary Hitmen have pretty much decided to go to school, F Jimmy Bubnick to the U of Saskatchewan, which is in his hometown of Saskatoon, and D Brock Sutherland to the U of Manitoba. Sutherland is from Brandon. . . .
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IN THE PROS:
G Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds came on in relief and stopped all eight shots he saw as his Lake Erie Monsters dropped a 4-0 decison to the host Texas Stars in an AHL game last night. Pickard came on with 16:59 left in the third period. D Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades also played for the Monsters. He was minus-1 with one shot on goal and a tripping minor. . . . G Damien Ketlo, who finished up with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, stopped 44 shots as the visiting Colorado Eagles beat the Las Vegas Wranglers 4-3 in an ECHL shootout. Ketlo also stymied four Las Vegas shooters in the circus.
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And, finally, for all the hockey fans out there, right here is Jim Matheson’s Hockey World from the pages of the Edmonton Journal.


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.

Kudos to the WHL for putting a link from its website to DubNation, the online magazine that is loaded with WHL-related information. . . . It’s produced by Doyle Potenteau of Kelowna, a veteran hockey writer who follows the Rockets for the Daily Courier. . . . If you haven’t checked out the March edition, get on over to whl.ca and give it a look.
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D Cody Carlson of the Prince George Cougars has signed an ATO with the Central league’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. The team announced the signing Tuesday morning. Carlson had 39 points in 72 in his final season of junior eligibility. . . . G Damien Ketlo, who played out his WHL eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, stopped 27 shots to record his first pro shutout and was the game’s first star last night as the ECHL’s Colorago Eagles, who play out of Loveland, beat the visiting Ontario Reign, 3-0. . . . F Spencer Asuchak of the Cougars made his pro debut in that game. Asuchak, 20, had two shots on goal.
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The Spokane Chiefs confirmed Tuesday morning that D Brenden Kichton has had surgery to repair a broken jaw suffered Friday in Game 1 of their series with the Vancouver Giants. Kitchton was struck in the face by puck early in the third period. He has undergone surgery and is awaiting medical clearance to travel to his family’s home in Spruce Grove, Alta. . . . Kitchton is a first team Western Conference all-star and the conference’s defenceman of the year.
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Another hockey career has come to a sudden end because of concussions. Matt Eagles, the captain of the St. Thomas University Tommies men’s hockey team, has had to walk away from the game. That story is right here. St. Thomas U is in Fredericton, N.B.
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Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail has written an interesting piece about the impact that concussions may have on the NHL playoffs.
“More and more,” he writes, “you get the sense that the 2012 NHL playoffs may well be The Concussion Games, a two-month marathon that could twist and turn on how many times players in (Daniel) Sedin’s category get clocked in the head and are forced out of a team’s lineup.”
That complete column is right here.
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If you read anything today, make it this piece right here. It’s columnist Dave Kindred remembering the legendary Furman Bisher, who left us earlier this month.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers fired head coach Regg Simon on Tuesday. He promptly told Mark Emmert of t he Des Moines Register that it was “one of the happiest days of my life, and I’m glad it happened now rather than later.” . . . Simon is the fourth coach to be fired in the 16-team USHL this season. . . . The Buccaneers are 20-27-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs. . . . A replacement should be named today.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)
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Let’s get this out of the way early. . . . The Spokane Chiefs came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Portland Winter Hawks in the spring of 1996. That is the only time in WHL history a team has done that. . . . There are six playoff games scheduled for tonight and the Saskatoon Blades, Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals all are down 3-0. . . .
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In Winnipeg, F Mark Stone had a goal and an assist to lead the Wheat Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings, the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed, hold a 3-1 series lead over the No. 3 Hitmen and can wrap up the series in Winnipeg on Thursday night. . . . Game 6, if needed, would be played in Calgary on Sunday. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock also had a goal and an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing their first-round home games at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair has taken over Westman Place in Brandon. . . . F Cody Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, returned after missing the first two games with an undisclosed injury. The Hitmen remain without F Victor Rask (leg). . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover came in for Chris Driedger with the Wheat Kings leading 3-0 at 1:53 of the second. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 32 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,563, 15 fewer than attended Game 3. . . .

In Saskatoon, Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem scored all of his club’s goals as the Tigers beat the Blades 3-2 in overtime. . . . This was the first overtime game of this season’s playoffs and it ended at 9:42 as Etem scored his sixth goal of the series. . . . Etem has scored or assisted on the Tigers’ last 10 goals. He leads all playoff scorers, with 10 points, and is tied with Portland F Ty Rattie, each with six goals. . . . The Tigers hold a 3-0 edge and can wrap it up tonight in Saskatoon. . . . Blades F Matej Stransky forced OT with his first goal at 16:52 of the third. . . . F Michael Burns scored Saskatoon’s first goal. He was playing his first game after missing seven with a concussion. . . . Tigers F Dylan Bredo drew two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 32 goals, one fewer than Saskatoon’s Andrej Makarov. . . .

In Regina, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored five first-period goals and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Pats. . . . The Warriors take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 tonight in Regina. . . . Moose Jaw D Joel Edmundson scored 23 seconds into the first period and F Quinton Howden made it 2-0 just 27 seconds later. . . . Howden also had two assists. . . . F James Henry had two assists for the Warriors. . . . F Lane Scheidl got his first two goals of the series for Regina. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach served a one-game suspension for making derogatory comments to the Regina bench in Game 2. . . . Moose Jaw D Travis Brown sat out with an undisclosed injury. . . . Regina F Andrew Rieder left during his first shift with an apparent shoulder injury. He missed the last 16 games of the regular season with a shoulder problem. . . .

In Kelowna, F Sven Baertschi and F Ty Rattie each had two goals and two assists as the Winterhawks doubled the Rockets, 6-3. . . . Portland leads 3-0 and can finish it in Kelowna on Thursday. . . . Rattie and Baertschi have nine points apiece in the series. Rattie is tied for the WHL lead in goals, with six, while Baertschi and teammate Marcel Noebels are tied for the WHL lead, with seven assists. . . . Noebels had three assists last night. . . . Rattie and Baertschi each was plus-4. . . . Portland ended it with two empty-netters. . . . Rattie broke a 2-2 tie at 19:19 of the second period and Baertschi gave the visitors a 4-2 lead at 3:55 of the third. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 38 shots, two fewer than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . . D Damon Severson had two goals for Kelowna, but finished minus-5. . . . The last time Kelowna has been swept? That hasn’t happened since 1994 when the franchise was in Tacoma, Wash., and lost four straight to Portland. . . . The Winterhawks had F Brendan Leipsic back in their lineup after he missed the first two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland D William Wrenn, who was kneed by Kelowna F Brett Bulmer in Game 2, also played. Bulmer, who was given a kneeing major on that play, served the first game of a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . .

In Spokane, D Corbin Baldwin gave the Chiefs a 3-1 lead at 15:56 of the third period and they hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Giants lead the series 2-1 going into Game 4 tonight in Spokane. . . . The Chiefs got first-period goals from D Reid Gow and F Blake Gal. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson cut into that lead with his fourth goal of the series at 3:48 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher got his team’s second goal at 17:30 of the third. . . . The Chiefs turned to Eric Willians in goal after going with Mac Engel in the first two games. Williams made 26 saves, one more than Vancouver’s Adam Morrison. . . . Giants F Jordan Martinook wasn’t able to beat Williams on a penalty shot with 5:48 left in the third period and the Chiefs leading 2-1. . . . Vancouver added F Anthony Ast to its lineup and scratched F Alex Kuvaev. . . . The Chiefs were without D Brenden Kichton (broken jaw). . . .

In Everett, G Ty Rimmer stopped 23 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 4-0 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Americans hold a 3-0 series lead and can end it tonight in Everett. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin, the WHL scoring champ, scored his first two goals of the series as he ran his point streak to 26 games. . . . He scored the game’s first goal at 1:41 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland, who led the WHL in assists during the regular season, took a clipping major and game misconduct at 13:28 of the first period. . . . There was only one minor penalty called in the game, that an elbowing infraction by Everett F J.T. Barnett. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 27 shots. . . . The Silvertips were without F Ryan Harrison and F Manraj Hayer, both of whom were serving suspensions. Harrison is eligible to return tonight; Hayer’s suspenskon was ‘tbd’ . . . The Americans were without D Drydn Dow (broken arm), who was hurt on the check by Hayer. . . . Tri-City F Jesse Mychan left in the second period with a leg injury. . . .

In Victoria, the Kamloops Blazers scored six second-period goals and went on to a 7-5 victory over the Royals. . . . Kamloops holds a 3-0 lead and can win the series tonight in Victoria. . . . The Blazers haven’t won a playoff series since the spring of 1999 when they beat the Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference final. . . . The Royals got three goals from F Jamie Crooks, the first playoff hat trick in Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria franchise history. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham broke a 4-4 tie with his first playoff goal, a shorthanded effort, at 17:26 of the second period. . . . Blazers F J.C. Lipon stretched the lead to 6-4 with a PP goal at 18:48 of the second. Lipon also had two assists, his third straight game with two helpers. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith had a goal and three assists. . . . Kamloops has scored 18 goals in this series, 14 of them in second periods. . . . The Blazers were 3-6 on the PP and also scored two shorthanded goals. . . . Victoria was 0-4 on the PP. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 18 shots, while the Victoria duo of Jared Rathjen and Keith Hamilton combined for 26 saves. Rathjen started and left after Needham’s goal. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber, the team captain, suffered a skate cut to one of his legs and spent the night in hospital. He is to be re-examined and re-evaluated today but isn’t expected to play tonight. . . . According to Mike Walker of CHEK-TV, the teams also combined to hit seven goalposts.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Vanscourt, Vancouver.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Kiefer McNaughton, Vancouver.

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It was open season on the WHL’s referees on two separate occasions not that long ago on a radio station that is headquartered in a city that is home to a WHL franchise.
It all began when the team’s general manager appeared on a postgame show and was, shall we say, a wee bit critical of the officiating.
This GM mostly was concerned about what he repeatedly referred to as “inconsistencies.”
“It gets to a point where enough is enough,” he said following the game. “We certainly will call the league, if they don’t call me first. . . . Enough is enough. When is it going to stop?”
The GM was adamant that team officials want the referees to “call it for both teams . . . up straight and honest.”
“We haven’t bitched and complained all year long,” he continued, “but . . . the noncalls . . . a call (was made) on (one of our players) and seconds earlier the same call could have been made on (one of the other team’s players). All we want to see is consistency. Start from the very first whistle and make sure it happens for 60 minutes.”
Referring to that particular game, the GM said, the referees did a “fantastic job” for the first two periods. “They let us play. All of a sudden . . . (one of our guys) takes a penalty that wasn’t called for 40 minutes.
“It’s frustrating for players and coaches. . . . It certainly has to be messaged out.”
The radio station’s postgame show originates in a lounge with fans in attendance. The GM’s observations were greeted by a rousing ovation.
Three nights later, the GM’s complaints were aired again on the same radio station.
The GM mustn’t have heard from the WHL office because his name has yet to appear on the discipline page on the WHL website.
Which only can mean that the WHL doesn’t have ears everywhere.
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THE MATCHUPS
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Regina (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Brandon (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Saskatoon (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Victoria (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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So . . . you’re wondering which first-round series Shaw TV is going to show. . . . I haven’t been able to find a release or anything making that announcement but have been told the first two games of the series between the Kamloops Blazers and Victoria Royals will be shown. . . . Games 1 and 2 are scheduled for Kamloops on Friday and Saturday nights. Game time both nights from the Interior Savings Centre will be 7 o’clock.
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F Taylor Vause, the captain of the Swift Current Broncos, joined the AHL’s Texas Stars in time to play in their game against the visiting Abbotsford Heat last night. Wearing No. 19, he was pointless with one shot on goal as the Stars dropped a 5-2 decision. . . . The Stars are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. . . . Vause, 20, had 83 points in 72 games in his final season with the Broncos.
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DEPT. OF JUSTICE: F Henrik Samuelsson will sit out the Edmonton Oil Kings’ first two playoff games. He drew a two-game suspension for a clipping major and game misconduct he incurred on Saturday in Red Deer. . . . F Campbell Elynuik of the Prince George Cougars was hit with a three-game suspension after taking a cross-checking major and game misconduct in Kamloops on Friday. Elynuik sat out Saturday’s regular-season finale, so won’t be eligible to play again until the third game of next season.
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G Damien Ketlo of the Lethbridge Hurricanes completed his WHL eligibility with the end of the season and now is joining the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. . . . He went 20-24, 3.60, .902 this season.
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D Cody Carlson, who played out his WHL eligibility with the Prince George Cougars, will be joining the Central league’s Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. He had 39 points in 72 games this season.
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The Edmonton Oilers have signed G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers to a three-year NHL contract. Bunz, who turned 20 on Feb. 11, was a fifth-round selection in the 2010 NHL draft.
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G Calvin Pickard of the Seattle Thunderbirds will be joining the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters this week. He was a second-round selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2010 draft. The Monsters are the Avs’ AHL affiliate.
Pickard has a lot of fans in U.S. Division cities and beyond. Here’s a note from a fan who was at Sunday’s game in Portland where the Thunderbirds, with Pickard in net, absorbed an 8-2 loss:
“With around five minutes to go in Portland (on Sunday), losing 8-2, (goaltender Brendan) Burke for Portland at the other end made a series of huge saves.
As play was stopped, Calvin slapped his stick on the ice a couple of times and held it up high towards the opposing goaltender.”
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Those rumours about the OHL’s Erie Otters moving to Hamilton? Forget them. The Otters have signed a two-year lease to stay at Tullio Arena.
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With the Brandon Wheat Kings having to play their first-round home games in Winnipeg, you’re wondering if the WHL would be a good fit there. Kelly McCrimmon, the owner of the Wheat Kings, thinks the answer is yes. Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun has more right here.
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Erik Brady of USA TODAY has a story right here on some goofy parents. It is parents like these who give them all a bad name.
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Joe Fitzgerald of the Boston Herald has more on goofy parents. That column is right here.
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Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes right here about his friend Furman Bisher, a legendary sports columnist who died on the weekend. Bisher knew Ty Cobb and interviewed ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson.
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And if you’re looking for a chuckle, check out this piece right here from Matthew Hansen of the Omaha World-Herald. It’s about an 11-year-old who got in a spot of trouble when he organized an NCAA basketball pool at his school.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Angel Krstev (Lethbridge, 1999-2000) was assigned on loan by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to Pisek (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) for the rest of this season. He had five assists in 21 games for Sparta this season.
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What’s next? Vanity Fair? GQ?
Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, is featured on the cover of Saskatoon Well Being Magazine, and also is the subject of a feature story.
After checking this out, you may agree that there just might be some truth to the rumour that ZZ Top had Molleken in mind with Sharp Dressed Man.
One thing is for certain, though. The late Maurice (Rocket) Richard would have taken one look at the photos and said: “Two minutes for lookin’ so good.”
Check it out right here.
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Shock waves continue to reverberate throughout the WHL following the Everett Silvertips’ announcement Thursday that they had fired general manager Doug Soetaert.
A front-office official with one team said “shock” best described the feeling in his organization’s office when people reported to work Friday morning.
One other team official told me that “Doug is a respected general manager in our league. Good GMs don’t grow on trees.”
Soetaert, whose contract was due to expire after this season, has yet to comment.
Gary Gelinas, the Silvertips’ president and governor, has said ownership decided now was the time to go in a new direction and that it is hoped a replacement will be in place in time to deal with the offseason.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
The commissioner has yet to respond to any of the questions that have been posted here, all but one of which have come from readers of this blog.
However, I did hear from a WHL team official on Friday, and this person was kind enough to offer some clarification on a few things pertaining to the education situation, all of which was enlightening to me.
It was pointed out that a player in his 21-year-old season, who comes out of the WHL, is able to play an entire season of pro hockey and remain eligible to use his WHL education package.
Such a player could, for example, spend an entire season in the ECHL and enroll in school the following autumn.
However, that player would have to sit out an entire season of hockey before becoming eligible to play in the CIS.
The reason?
CIS rules call for a player to be enrolled by the second semester in order to be eligible to play that season. This is why we see players leaving the pro ranks over the Christmas break and heading to school. That allows them to play that season. If they play a full season of pro and then go to school, they have to sit out one season.
As for the WHL education fund that was referred to in one question, there isn’t such a creature. A player’s education is paid for by the team for which he played. The WHL administers the process, but the liability belongs to the teams.
At least one team budgets an average cost of $6,500 per player in school. So if a team has a dozen ex-players in school, that is an expense of $78,000. Make it 16 players and a team is paying out more than $100,000.
As this person told me, “That is the cost of doing business.”
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, G Damien Ketlo turned aside 41 shots as the Lethbridge Hurricanes doubled the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-2. . . . Ketlo stopped 25 shots through two periods as his teammates built a 2-0 lead on F Graham Hood’s 10th goal at 2:16 of the second, via the PP, and F Juraj Bezuch’s sixth at 16:24. . . . F Mark Stone got his 33rd for Brandon to get his side to within two, at 3-1, at 5:59 of the third. . . . Lethbridge F Max Moline, who had been out since Sept. 30 with a knee injury, got his first of the season at 7:39 of the third. It was his first career goal in 58 games, 54 of which were with the Tri-City Americans prior to this season. From Lethbridge, he was a fifth-round selection of the Americans in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Lethbridge ended a three-game losing streak. . . . Brandon has lost six in a row at home. . . .

In Edmonton, F Michael St. Croix broke a 1-1 tie late in the first period and the Oil Kings skated to a 3-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . St. Croix got his 33rd goal of the season at 19:40. . . . F Mitch Moroz scored Edmonton’s other goals, opening the scoring at 2:58 of the first and upping his side’s lead to 3-1 at 10:14 of the second. He’s got 13 goals. . . . F Charles Inglis scored both Red Deer goals, giving him 15. . . . The Oil Kings lost F Kristians Pelss with a major for checking behind at 14:01 of the third. After the ensuing scrap, the Rebels ended up with a three-minute power play but weren’t able to score. . . . Red Deer D Aaron Borejko came out of that with stitches in his forehead. It’s not known if he will play tonight. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart scored the winning goal in the last second of the third period to give the Kootenay Ice a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Reinhart, who has 22 goals, had opened the scoring at 4:05 of the first period. . . . Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick tied it, with his 22nd, at 15:33 of the third period. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka was back after missing seven games with an undisclosed injury. F Max Reinhart (foot) remains sidelined. . . . Kootenay F Dylen McKinlay had two assists. . . . The Hitmen had won six in a row. Still, they have won 14 of their last 16. . . .

In Portland, F Oliver Gabriel and F Brendan Leipsic scored two goals each to lead the Winterhawks to a 7-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . It was a special night as former coach/player Brent Peterson was inducted into the Winterhawks’ Hall of Fame. . . . Portland has won a franchise-record 19 straight home games. . . . The teams were tied 2-2 when Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored at 17:20 of the first period. . . . Gabriel scored 19 seconds into the second period and Portland was off to the races. . . . F Cam Reid added a goal and two assists for Portland. . . . Winterhawks F Ty Rattie had one assist, as did linemate Sven Baertschi. . . . Portland was 3-for-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-7. . . . D Ryan Murray scored his eighth goal of the season for Everett, while D Josh Caron had two assists. It was the first two-point game of Caron’s career. Caron, 20, has played in 151 regular-season games. . . . Portland D Layne Viveiros, whose father Emanuel played for the Prince Albert Raiders (1982-86), earned his first WHL point, an assist on Portland’s first goal. . . . Emanuel now coaches in Austria, where he also is the Austrian national team’s head coach. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 1-0 deficit with three straight goals and beat the Raiders, 3-2. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk broke a 1-1 tie with his 37th goal 56 seconds into the third period. . . . F Emerson got his WHL-leading 48th goal at 3:28 to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. . . . Those two goals both came via the PP. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 24 shots in winning his 106th career regular-season game, a franchise record. He had shared the record with Matt Keetley (2003-07). . . . Prince Albert F Mark McNeill got his 24th goal on a third-period PP. . . . Etem also had an assist. . . .

In Prince George, F Shane McColgan broke a 1-1 tie at 10:06 of the third period as the Kelowna Rockets got past the Cougars, 2-1. . . . Kelowna F Cody Chikie opened the scoring at 1:42 of the second period. . . . Cougars F Spencer Asuchak tied it at 3:28 of the third. . . . McColgan won it with his 14th goal of the season. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-1 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-5. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades opened up a 3-0 lead midway through the first period and went on to a 6-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . D Dalton Thrower scored twice for the Blades, giving him 14, while G Andrey Makarov stopped 35 shots. . . . Saskatoon has won three in a row. . . . The Warriors had won three in a row and had points in seven straight. . . . Saskatoon F Jake Trask had a goal, his 17th, and two helpers. . . . F Jesse Paradis, a 20-year-old who joined the Blades from the Warriors early in the season, opened the scoring with his 13th at 6:31 of the first, with F Brent Benson getting his eighth at 10:32 and Thrower his 13th at 11:25 via the PP. . . . Thrower and Trask scored early in the second period and the Blades were home free. . . .

In Spokane, F Blake Gal and F Mitch Holmberg scored in the shootout to give the Chiefs a 6-5 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals forced OT with two late third-period goals. F Brandon Magee got his 17th at 16:46 and F Robin Soudek added his 22nd at 19:25. . . . F Ben Walker assisted on both goals. . . . The Royals had trailed 6-3 until F Steven Hodges got his second goal of the game, and 17th of the season, at 16:09 of the second on a PP. . . . Spokane F Dominik Uher had a goal, his 22nd, and two assists. He scored shorthanded in the first period. . . .

In Swift Current, G Adam Beukeboom stopped 27 shots for his first WHL shutout as the Regina Pats blanked the Broncos, 4-0. . . . Beukeboom, 17, is from Calgary. A freshman, he was appearing in his 12th game. . . . The Pats lost three in a row. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had a goal and an assist. The goal, his 31st, opened the scoring at 8:32 of the first period. . . . Weal had had a 13-game point streak snapped on Wednesday in Prince Albert, but later got an assist threw a scoring change. That means he now has a 15-game point streak going. . . . Ch-ch-ching! A third-period line brawl resulted in 94 penalty minutes being handed out. . . . All told, the Broncos took 74 of 126 penalty minutes. . . . The referees were Fraser Lawrence and Tyler (Red) Adair, who perhaps had some trouble putting out the fire in this one. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin’s 30th goal stood up as the winner as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . Shinnimin gave his side a 2-0 lead at 6:30 of the second, via the PP. . . . F Jesse Mychan opened the scoring with his seventh of the season and fourth in 11 games since being acquired from the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Connor Honey, with his third, got Seattle to within one at 17:33 of the second, on the PP. . . . F Justin Feser put it away with two empty-netters in the last minute of the third. He’s got 26 goals this season. . . . The second one was Feser’s 100th regular-season goal. . . . The Americans have won 20 home games for a sixth straight season. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants wasted a 3-0 first-period lead then came back to score a 7-5 decision over the Kamloops Blazers on Gordie Howe Night in the Pacific Coliseum. . . . The Giants led 3-0 when F Nathan Burns scored at 10:02 of the first period. . . . The Blazers tied it with three goals before F Brendan Gallagher scored his 30th at 8:30 of the second to give Vancouver a 4-3 lead. . . . F Jordan Martinook got his 28th at 11:41 to up that to 5-3 and Kamloops chased the rest of the way. . . . Martinook finished with two goals and an assist, while F Taylor Makin had three assists. . . . Martinook has 29 goals, after scoring 11 last season. . . . Burns also scored twice for Vancouver and has 10 on the season. . . . The Blazers got three assists from D Bronson Maschmeyer, 20, who began his career with the Giants in 2008-09. . . . F Dylan Willick scored the Blazers’ WHL-leading 16th shorthanded goal of the season. That is 12 more than they scored all of last season.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Dalton Thrower, Saskatoon Blades.
F Kristians Pelss, Edmonton Oil Kings (major).
D Brad Deagle, Seattle.
F Tim Bozon, Kamloops.
D Austin Madaisky, Kamloops.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Curtis Valk, Medicine Hat.
D Antoine Corbin, Prince Albert.
D Joey Leach, Kootenay Ice.
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In the BCHL on Friday night, the host Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 29 games with a 5-1 victory over the Chilliwack Chiefs. The Vees have tied the BCHL record for most consecutive victories on one season. They share it with the 1989-90 New Westminster Royals. . . . The Vees play in Chilliwack on Tuesday. . . . Attendance in Penticton was 3,886.
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The MJHL has lost two members of its extended family.
What follows is off the MJHL website:
“I was saddened to see Doug Smith an old competitor and MJHL alumnus pass away,” former Selkirk Steelers goaltender Willy Cole said in an email to the MJHL website.
“Doug, or Smitty, as we all knew him, was a feisty competitor when I played against him when he played with the Winnipeg Monarchs (1966-67). And then we hooked up again at Winnipeg Junior Jets training camp. Smitty ended up getting drafted by the Oakland Seals in ’68. Doug was only 63. Too soon!”
Kruk was a former St. Boniface Canadians player and was picked up to play with the Winnipeg Braves, who went on to win the 1959 Memorial Cup, the last year Manitoba won the Cup.
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F Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting had a note from a doctor and everything, but he still got a two-game suspension from the OHL for skipping the Top Prospects Game in Kelowna on Wednesday.
Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press has more right here.
With this decision, one can only assume that someone — the CHL? — will suspend Bobby Orr and Don Cherry, too. After all, the teams were named after them and neither one of them showed up.
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports offers up his take on the Yakupov suspension right here.
When I first heard about this suspension, I burst out laughing. I actually did. A two-game suspension to a player coming off a serious knee injury because he didn’t show up for an exhibition game? Sorry, but I still don’t get it.
I’m thinking that it’s time to cut some of these players some slack. That a player gets suspended for two games for not playing in a game that is nothing but a money grab is silly. Especially when none of that cash would have made its way into his pockets.
Junior hockey operators, Hockey Canada and all the other nations already push these teenagers almost 12 months of the year. If a player is coming off a knee inury, if his own team (never mind that there was a doctor’s slip involved here) believes he would be best-served by rest, well, let him rest.
It is things like this that really make one wonder if a Major Junior Hockey Players Association isn’t somewhere in the not-too-distant future.
I mean, you get two games for missing the Top Prospects Game. You get eight games for flunking a drug test after what all involved agree was inadvertent doping. You get two games for a headshot here and you get eight games for a headshot there.
Someone’s rights might be getting trampled on here. No?
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Angelo Dundee died this week at the age of 90. A boxing trainer, he came from an era when the media and the sporting figures weren’t constantly at odds. Dave Kindred of Grantland writes about The Last Sweet Man in Boxing. That piece is right here.

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Hurricane warning for ISC tonight

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor

It is time to clean out the notebook as the Kamloops Blazers get ready to entertain the Lethbridge Hurricanes tonight at Interior Savings Centre . . .
THE SCHEDULE: The Hurricanes are 17-29-1 and struggling to get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture. They are 12 points out of a playoff spot, so it’s unlikely that they will get there, especially in the loser-point era.
The Blazers (31-10-3) go in having won six in a row, including the first three on this four-game homestand. They are three points behind the Tri-City Americans (34-10-0), who lead the overall standings. The Blazers lead the B.C. Division by 11 points over the Vancouver Giants, who lost 6-3 to the visiting Hurricanes last night.
The Hurricanes, who got two goals and three assists from F Philip Tot last night, are the fourth of the WHL’s weak sisters to face the Blazers since Jan. 1. Kamloops beat the Prince George Cougars three times, and also dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips in that stretch.
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THE MASSEY RATINGS: If you are interested in a statistical analysis of the WHL and its teams, visit www.masseyratings.com.
This website rates the WHL’s 22 teams, taking into account such things as estimated team strength, offence, defence, home-ice advantage and strength of schedule.
The Blazers went into last night’s game ranked No. 2, behind the Americans. Kamloops is ranked highly in all categories except home-ice advantage (11th) and strength of schedule (20th).
The Blazers are 17-6-0 at home. And, as mentioned earlier, they have played some of the poorer teams of late, which has resulted in the strength of schedule ranking.
Interestingly, the Americans are ranked 21st in strength of schedule, with the Portland Winterhawks, who are third overall in the Massey Ratings, at No. 19.
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ROAD, SWEET ROAD: The Blazers are making their points on the road, where they are 14-4-3, for a WHL-best .738 winning percentage. And that is easily the league’s top road record, with the Tri-City Americans next at .652. . . . There are five teams with better home winning percentages than Kamloops (17-6-0, .739). The Americans (19-2-0, .905) are No. 1. . . . After tonight’s game, Kamloops will have 12 home games remaining on its schedule and 15 away from home. . . . This is the Blazers’ last home game in January. They will play five road games before returning home to meet the Spokane Chiefs on Feb. 1.
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POWERING UP: The Blazers are 2-for-15 on the power play over their last three games. So what’s up? “I don’t think we shoot enough,” head coach Guy Charron said after Saturday’s 5-2 victory over the Everett Silvertips at ISC. “We have good puck movement. Our timing is off as far as when to shoot and when not to shoot. When we should shoot we pass and when we should pass we shoot.”
Charron said the recent lack of success isn’t a “big concern” because “I think we have the players to make it a successful power play.”
Left-winger Tim Bozon, who scored twice against Everett, including once on a power-play unit that went 1-for-5, also is of the opinion that more shots are needed.
“We need more one-two passes and shoot,” Bozon said, adding that the Blazers also need to do a better job of getting bodies to the front of the opposition’s net in those situations.
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THE GOALTENDER: Cole Cheveldave is scheduled to start in goal for the Blazers tonight. This will be his seventh straight start and his 23rd in the last 25 games.
Since being a healthy scratch four times in the season’s first seven games, Cheveldave, 18, has started 30 of the club’s 37 games. He is 23-5-3, 2.39, .916.
Cheveldave has played 1,905 minutes, which is closing in on the 2,521 minutes he played last season with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. He was the AJHL’s rookie of the year after going 16-20 with six ties, 2.90, .917.
Cam Lanigan, who backs up Cheveldave, hasn’t played since Dec. 30 when he started a 6-3 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen. Lanigan is 7-4-0, 3.26, .882.
After tonight, the Blazers go to Kent, Wash., for a Friday night engagement with the Thunderbirds. You have to wonder if Lanigan will get that start, with Cheveldave going Saturday against the host Americans.
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MR. MOM: Lethbridge F Max Moline, who turns 19 on Jan. 30, and his fiancee, Kaylee Lyon, became parents on Sunday when Ronald James Winston Moline was born at 1:05 a.m. . . . Moline, who was acquired from the Tri-City Americans for a conditional 2012 fifth-round draft pick, is from Lethbridge. He has played three games this season but hasn’t played since Sept. 30 and the WHL’s latest injury report lists him as being out for at least another month with a lower body injury.
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JUST NOTES: Game time is 7 p.m. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo made his 13th straight start Saturday as the Hurricanes lost 4-2 in Prince George. Last night, the Hurricanes gave Liam Liston his first start since Dec. 6 and he made 38 saves in winning in Vancouver. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber has scored six game-winning goals, leaving him one off the WHL lead held by F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Brendan Ranford, Schaber’s long-time linemate, has five winners. . . . Bozon is on a seven-game point streak, with 12 points, six of them goals, in that stretch. . . . Colin Smith, who centres Bozon and J.C. Lipon, is the WHL’s player of the  week. He had seven points, including three goals, and was plus-6 as the Blazers went 3-0-0 last week. . . . F J.T. Barnett, whom the Blazers dealt to Everett on Nov. 14, has had his season ended by a knee injury. Barnett, 19, played here Saturday despite tweaking a knee while doing some pregame stretching. It turns out that he tore a lateral collateral ligament in one knee. . . . D Brad Lukowich, who spent three seasons (1993-96) with the Blazers, played in his 1,000th professional game Monday as his Texas Stars dropped a 2-0 AHL decision to the host Rockford IceHogs. . . . G Braden Krogfoss of the Vancouver North West Giants is the B.C. Major Midget league’s player of the month for December. Krogfoss, a seventh-round selection by the Blazers in the 2010 bantam draft, was 3-0-0 with a 0.33 GAA and two shutouts last month. He is from Cloverdale.

JUST NOTES:
D Dave Sutter of the Seattle Thunderbirds, F Sven Bartschi of the Portland Winterhawks and F Alessio Bertaggia of the Brandon Wheat Kings are among the 33 players in the Swiss national junior team’s selection camp. . . . That camp is being held in Red Deer. . . . The World Junior Championship opens Dec. 26 in Calgary and Edmonton. . . .
D Tanner Mort, 18, has asked the Spokane Chiefs to trade him. Dave Trimmer reports in the Spokane Spokesman-Review that Mort, “who has sat out seven games . . . requested a trade.” . . . Spokane GM Tim Speltz tells Trimmer: “We want players who are totally engaged. Tanner has had a stretch this year he needed to reflect. Because guys want (something), it doesn’t matter what they want. What matters is what’s best for the team.” . . . Mort has five assists and 11 penalty minutes in 20 games this season, his third with the Chiefs. He played 30 games in 2009-10 and 63 last season when he finished with 16 points. . . . Mort was a fourth-round selection by the Chiefs in the 2008 bantam draft. . . .
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees made it a franchise-record 18 in a row on Saturday, beating the visiting Powell River Kings, 7-2. . . . Freshman Mario Lucia, 18, had three goals, giving him 60 points, including 26 goals, in 31 games. . . . The Vees (30-3-0-2) next play Jan. 4 when they are at home to the Vernon Vipers. . . .
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SATURDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Moose Jaw, F Andrew Johnson scored the winner as the Warriors beat the Kamloops Blazers 4-3 in a shootout. . . . The Warriors are 7-1-2 in their lst 10; Kamloops is 7-2-1. . . . It was the first time this season the Blazers had gone to a shootout. They were the last WHL team to get there. . . . Kamloops, which went 3-2-1 on its East Division swing, led 2-0 early in the second period. . . . The Warriors came back with three straight PP goals, with Johnson tying it eight minutes into the second and D Joel Edmundson giving the home side the lead for the first time at 7:22 of the third. It was his first goal of the season. . . . Kamloops F Chase Souto forced OT at 13:33. . . . Moose Jaw G Spencer Tremblay stopped 43 shots through OT. He gave up one goal in the shootout, made two stops and got help from a post on another attempt. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Carter Rigby scored his 10th goal and added two assists as the Kelowna Rockets droipped the Blades, 5-1. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown turned aside 37 shots. . . . The Rockets were 3-for-8 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-5. . . . Kelowna finished its East Division trek at 2-3-1. . . . The Blades have lost three straight and are just 2-8-0 in their last 10 outings. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings ran their winning streak to 11 with a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Oil Kings, in their fifth season of existence, will complete their pre-Christmas schedule today against the visiting Regina Pats. But Edmonton will go into the break riding high atop the Eastern Conference, its 23-8-3 record leaving it with a one-point lead on the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Alex Gogolev game the Hitmen a 1-0 lead at 7:16 of the first on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Mitchell Moroz tied it with the Teddy Bear goal at 19:46 of the first. . . . F T.J. Foster go the winner, his 16th goal this season, on a PP at 13:58 of the second. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes won their fourth straight game, 4-1 over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes, given up for dead not that long ago, have won four in a row and are 8-2-0 in their last 10 outings and will go into the break feeling good about their game. Still, they are eight points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Hurricanes scored the game’s first three goals, including F Cam Braes’ 20th of the season, a shorthanded effort at 1:31 of the second that stood up as the winner. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 35 shots. . . . Lethbridge D Albin Blomqvist, an 18-year-old freshman from Sweden, scored his first goal of the season in his 28th game. . . . Lethbridge F Juraj Bezuch, a Slovakian freshman who turned 18 on Tuesday, incurred a clipping major at 19:42 of the third. Swift Current D Erik Fleming took a slashing major at the same time. . . . Lethbridge F Graham Hood scored the Teddy Bear goal, on a PP, 45 seconds into the second period. . . . The Broncos have lost four straight. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Hunter Shinkaruk scored two goals to lead the Tigers to a 4-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Shinkaruk has 30 goals, second in the league to Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie, who has 33. Shinkaruk and teammate Emerson Etem, who is with the U.S. national junior team, have 30 apiece. . . . Shinkaruk has 48 points in 36 games; last season, he finished with 42 points, 14 of them goals, in 63 games. . . . The Tigers broke open a 1-1 game with three straight goals, F Scott McKay scoring at 19:42 of the first and Shinkaruk striking twice in the second period, at 8:49 and 19:25. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored two early second-period goals and went on to a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F Tyson Ness gave Red Deer a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the second, and F Turner Elson upped that to 2-0 at 1:05. . . . Regina F Jack Rodewald cut the lead to 2-1 at 9:18 of the third but the Pats weren’t able to equalize. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk stopped 22 shots. . . .

In Spokane, the Portland Winterhawks posted an 8-6 victory over the Chiefs, giving them a 4-0 record against their divisional rivals this season. . . . F Brad Ross had two goals and two assists for the Winterhawks, while F Ty Rattie had a goal, his WHL-leading 33rd, and two helpers. Both players were cut by Canada’s national junior team earlier in the week. . . . The Winterhawks were without F Sven Bartschi, who is attending the Swiss national junior team’s tryout camp. . . . Portland led this one 2-1 just 3:39 into the first period and then never trailed. . . . Spokane F Colin Valcourt scored on a second-period penalty shot to cut Portland’s lead to 3-2. . . . However, Rattie scored 6:20 later on a PP and Ross scored shorthanded eight minutes after that. . . . Ross has 22 goals. . . . F Jarid Hauptman had two goals and an assist for Spokane, with F Marek Kalus chipping in a goal and two assists. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Tri-City Americans exploded for five third-period goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-3. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser started the comeback just 34 seconds into the third period. . . . F Patrick Holland tied it with goals at 2:29 and 4:13. . . . Feser got his 17th, at 6:21, and that stood up as the winner. . . . F Mason Wilgosh added insurance at 18:02. He also had three assists in becoming the 49th player in franchise history to reach 100 career points. . . . This was Wilgosh’s second career four-point night. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 25 shots, 13 fewer than Seattle’s Calvin Pickard. . . . Feser also had two assists, while Holland had one. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman, 20, was held off the scoresheet in his 300th regular-season game. He has 293 points, including 113 goals, in those 300 games. He is the seventh player to play No. 300 in an Americans uniform. . . . Tri-City is 27-7-0, its best-ever record at the Christmas break. . . . In four of the last five seasons, the Americans have had at least 23 victories at the break. . . . The Americans have won eight in a row, the seventh time in franchise history the team has put together a streak of eight or more victories. . . . Tri-City leads the WHL in victories (27), points (54) and winning percentage (.794). . . . They also have the fewest losses (7). . . .

In Prince George, F Cain Franson scored twice to help the Vancouver Giants to a 3-1 victory over the Cougars. . . . Franson had scored once and set up two others Friday as the Giants won 3-2 in Prince George. . . . He has 14 goals. . . . Franson has 10 points in six games against the Cougars. . . . Prince George F Alex Forsberg scored the Teddy Bear goal at 15:26 of the third period on a PP. . . . Earlier, there was a false alarm when a Prince George hit the cross-bar and was ruled no goal. It did result in a few Teddy Bears on the ice, thought. . . . More bears hit the ice with 5:39 to play and the Giants leading 2-0. This time it was a fight involving Cougars D Jesse Forsberg and Vancouver D Luke Fenske that brought out the bears. . . . Must have been tough to maintain any momentum with three separate Teddy Bear-related delays. . . .
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Kristians Pelss, Edmonton.
F Marc McCoy, Red Deer.
D Zach Yuen, Tri-City.
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SATURDAY’S TWEET OF THE DAY:
From freshman F CurtisLazar of the dmonton Oil Kings:
“Solid evening, 2pts for the boys- @MitchMoroz picked up the teddy bear goal and we got Nintendo DS 3D's as a X-mas gift #WHL #Oilkings”
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SATURDAY’S TWEET OF THE DAY, Part 2:
From the Spokane Chiefs:
“The Chiefs want to send out a very special thank you to Dave Trimmer (@SRtrim) for all the years of great journalism. You will be missed and best of luck in the future.”
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F Charlie Coyle, the 28th overall selection in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has left the Boston University Terriers and joined the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. “I’m at the point where I want to just focus on hockey,” he told the Boston Globe. “I just want to set school aside and focus on my pro career and get to (the NHL). That’s why I made the move to go play for Saint John, to put my 100 percent effort toward hockey.” . . . Coyle, 19, is from East Weymouth, Mass. . . . The San Jose Sharks selected him in the 2010 draft. But they dealt his rights to the Minnesota Wild last summer, along with F Devin Setoguchi and a 2011 first-round pick, for D Brent Burns.
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F Ryan Walsh, an all-star player during his QMJHL and Canadian university career, is the latest player to retire due to post-concussion syndrome. Walsh, 33, had been playing with the Clarenville Caribous of the Newfoundland Senior league. "For the most part, I'm fairly healthy,” he told John Browne of the St. John’s Telegram. “I don't have any headaches, which I had when I was younger and had a few concussions. I'm fortunate. It's not that bad. And, at the end of the day, it's just a game.”
The complete story is right here.
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This has nothing to do with hockey, but everything to do with putting people on pedestals.
This is from the blog of Gregg Doyel, a national columnist for cbssports.com:
“Rudy Ruettiger was unmasked this week as a financial fraud, a liar and a swindler who used his fame — and a series of lies — to pump up the profile of his company to unwitting investors, then dump the stock at an enormous profit.”
Rudy Ruettiger? He is the Rudy of Rudy/Notre Dame fame. If you’ve seen the movie . . . RUDY! RUDY!! RUDY!!!
Doyel spins his story into more on Tim Tebow and it’s definitely worth a read.
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For today’s good read, we take you to The Globe and Mail and a piece headlined: Ken Dryden’s call to action for NHL boss Gary Bettman.
It is right here.