A humorous text exchange with a WHL coach on Tuesday morning after he had seen the photo from inside the Whitney Forum that was posted here . . .
COACH: Just read your blog this a.m. Flin Flon was a tough place to play. Had a chuckle to myself this morning. Some good memories.
ME: Long bus rides to Flin Flon for some players!
COACH: And coaches! I did both.
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Marty Aalto of Port Orchard, Wash., with a note on the toughest rink debate:
“What about Queen's Park in New West? I only went there once in the Big Bad Bruins era but it scared the heck out of me. . . .  It's tough for anyone to really appreciate the Bruins of the mid-’70s if you weren't actually there to see it.”
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) signed a try-out contract with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). Meidl had no points in seven games with Michalovce (Slovakia, 1.Liga) and two goals in seven games with Prostejov (Czech Republic, 2.Liga) last season. . . .
D Jordan Henry (Moose Jaw, Red Deer, 2003-07) signed a three-week try-out contract with Södertälje (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had two goals and nine assists in 68 games with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) and the Chicago Wolves (AHL) last season.
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Troy Mick, a former WHL player and coach, has stepped aside as head coach of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He will stay on as the club’s general manager and will retain his status as a minority owner.
“This was a very tough decision but the right one for the players and the franchise,” Mick said in a statement issued by the club. “I needed to be a full-time coach for the players and I could not fulfil those commitments as my other duties were always getting in the way.”
The new head coach is Scott Robinson, a former Salmon Arm assistant coach and a two-time BCHL coach of the year.
Robinson, a native of Salmon Arm, spent the last two seasons as head coach of the NAHL’s Dawson Creek Rage. The franchise folded after last season.
The SilverBacks, who are 0-2 after the opening weekend of regular-season play, hold their home-opener Friday against the Vernon Vipers.
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Ryan Hanes is a defenceman trying to crack the roster of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers. No, Ryan Hanes used to play with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazesrs and now is a forward with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Yes, there are two Ryan Hanes, and both are 20 years of age. . . . Josh Brown of the Kitchener-Waterloo Record has more right here.
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Ron Robison, the commissioner of the WHL, has told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that the WHL’s 20-year-old rule isn’t about to change.
Harder writes:
“That’s the official word from WHL commissioner Ron Robison, who said Tuesday the league won’t increase its three-player overage limit to accommodate the potential for an influx of talent from an NHL work stoppage.”
Robison also told Harder that the league won’t change its approach to import players.
Pats head coach Pat Conacher had told Harder he would like to see teams given five 20-year-old/import slots to use as they see fit.
“There has not been any discussion at this point in time,” Robison told Harder. “We’re continuing on with the same ratios of three overage players and two import players. We’re comfortable overall in where we are in that regard. The whole thing is subject to change from time to time. But we’re happy with the complement the way it is right now.”
What this means is that the WHL continues to see its role as a developmental league first and an entertainment vehicle second.
Harder’s complete story is right here.
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D Mitchell Wheaton, 17, is to return to the Kelowna Rockets this week after having committed to the WHL team. The 6-foot-5 Wheaton was a 10th-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. He opened camp with the Rockets, but then returned to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . Last season, he had 14 points and 62 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Saints.
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The Portland Winterhawks appear to be down to four goaltenders now that Jarrod Schamerhorn, a 17-year-old from Kelowna, has been assigned to the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers.
Schamerhorn, who has signed with the Winterhawks, played last season with the major midget Kootenay Ice.
That leaves the Winterhawks with returnees Mac Carruth,, 20, and Brendan Burke, 17, along with Cam Lanigan, 20, and Brendan Jensen, 19. Carruth, however, has signed with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and is expected to start the season in their organization.
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D Ryan Murray, who was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the second pick of the 2012 NHL draft, will begin making his way to Everett today.
Murray, 18, is the captain of the Everett Silvertips and, without an NHL labour dispute, would have been given a good shot to make the Blue Jackets’ roster.
Instead, it would seem that he will start the season in the WHL.
But what happens if top prospects start their season in major junior and then there is a settlement between the NHL and the NHLPA?
Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch takes a look right here.
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The AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons swung a deal Tuesday that landed them F Danny Gayle, 20, who was released earlier by the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Gayle had 39 points in 61 games with the Hitmen last season but lost out in the 20-year-old numbers game. . . . The Oil Barons sent F Jessey Touchette, an 18-year-old from Fort McMurray, to the Lloydminster Bobcats for Gayle’s rights.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have their roster at 29 players after assigning G Keelan Williams, 16, to the midget AAA Calgary Rangers; D Nathyn Mortlock, 16, and F Alex Mowbray, 16, also were assigned. Mortlock played last season with the midget AAA UFA Bisons who play out of Strathmore, Alta., while Mowbray was with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. . . . The Tigers are carrying three goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 16 forwards. That includes Czech G Marek Langhamer, 18, who arrived in Medicine Hat late last week. He was a seventh-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . The other goaltenders on the roster are Kenny Cameron and Dawson MacAuley. Cameron, 19, got into 14 games with the Tigers last season, while MacAuley, 18, played in one.
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The ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors have offered an amateur tryout deal to RW Justin Bieber.
"Very rarely do you see this combination of skill and toughness," said Condors head coach Matt O'Dette in a press release. “We share a common Canadian heritage since we both hail from Ontario. I've scouted some video of him online skating with my hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I think he could provide some elusive speed up front for us. Plus, he's a right-handed shot which we've been looking to add.”
The Bakersfield Californian has more right here.
Bieber is 18 years of age, which makes you wonder why a junior team hasn’t offered him a contract and guaranteed him a spot on the roster. Sheesh, the guy has 17 million Twitter followers so you have to think having him on the roster would be worth an immediate boost to attendance. It might not do much for beer sales, though.
And, sheesh, just imagine Bieber Bobblehead Night!

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Jesse Pearson was an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings last season, his playing career having been derailed by post-concussion syndrome.
But just the other day, the Oil Kings added Sean Brown to their coaching staff, filling a spot that had been held by Pearson.
So . . . whatever happened to Jesse Pearson?
“Things are going well, just working, trying to make money and figuring out classes for next semester,” Pearson, a 21-year-old native of Winnipeg, told me. “Nothing too exciting.”
Pearson actually has returned to Winnipeg where he plans to attend the U of Winnipeg.
Unfortunately, he still has remnants of post-concussion syndrome.
Asked if everything had cleared up, he replied: “No, not really. My head is good but, regardless, I'm always gonna have headaches that I can't get rid of sometimes.”
Pearson’s WHL career amounted to 53 games with the Oil Kings. He played 35 in 2008-09, sat out the 2009-10 season and played 18 games in 2010-11. His career ended after a fight with F Curt Gogol of the Chilliwack Bruins.
But Pearson has a championship ring, thanks to his stint on the coaching staff last season.
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Mark Ferner, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, went to sleep Saturday night with a smile on his face. He woke up today and the smile was still there.
That’s because D Ryan Murray is to report to the Silvertips this week.
TSN reported Saturday that Murray will report despite concerns from his agent, Rick Valette. Yes, Valette was once the GM of the Prince Albert Raiders.
According to TSN, “Valette is concerned that if there is an NHL lockout that lasts several months, when and if the NHL season does begin, Murray will not be allowed to join the Blue Jackets.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets selected Murray with the second pick of the NHL’s 2012 draft.
Bob McKenzie of TSN reported earlier that “there is an agreement in principal between the NHL and the CHL that will allow players to join their NHL clubs should the season start late, but there may be a time limit involved.”
Valette is attempting to get a guarantee in writing that Murray will be allowed to move to the Columbus Blue Jackets whenever the NHL season gets started. That guarantee hasn’t been forthcoming, but Murray will head for Everett regardless.
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The Calgary Hitmen have five 20-year-olds on their roster after having released F Danny Gayle. Gayle, from Calgary, had 39 points, including 15 goals, in 61 games last season. In fact, he had career highs in goals, assists (24) and points. . . . Gayle played 34 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2009-10 and was dealt to the Hitmen early in 2010-11. He has 70 points in 162 career regular-season games. . . . F Trevor Cheek, F Alex Gogolev, D Spencer Humphries, F Brooks Macek and F Cody Sylvester are the 20s remaining on Calgary’s roster. . . . Gogolev, who is from Moscow, would be a two-spotter (20-year-old import) should the Hitmen keep him. Cheek won’t turn 20 until Dec. 29.
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JUST NOTES: The Red Deer Rebels are down to 26 players after assigning two on Saturday night. G Grant Naherniak, 16, is from Moose Jaw and will join the midget AAA Moose Jaw Warriors. D Kevin Pochuk, 17, is from Winnipeg and is off to the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. . . . Naherniak was a fifth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft; Pochuk was taken in the fifth round of the 2010 bantam draft.
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The ECHL’s Elmira Jackals are looking for a head coach following the resignation of Pat Bingham on Saturday. . . . "Pat made this decision solely on what was best for his family,” Elmira GM Matt Hufnagel said in a news release. “An opportunity outside of professional hockey presented itself and he took it. While unfortunate that Pat won't be coaching the Jackals this season, we wish him, his wife, and his son the best," said Jackals general manager Matt Hufnagel.” . . . Bingham, 44, is a Vancouver native who played in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers and New Westminster Bruins (1985-89). He was head coach of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2010-11 and the Jackals last season.

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ASK THE BLOGGER:
Who covered for Bob Ridley when he missed that game in 1973?
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Here is Bob Ridley’s answer: “It was my colourman Larry Plante. He was with me for 25 years.”
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JUST NOTES:
F Marek Trvrdon of the Vancouver Giants drew a three-game suspension for the match penalty he took for spearing in a 2-1 victory over the host Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. . . .
The injury bug is taking a chunk out of the Tri-City Americans. F Mason Wilgosh, F Malte Stromwall, F Tyson Dallman (knee), F Marcus Messier and F Jesse Mychan (thumb) all are injured. Mychan, who was hurt on Tuesday, is to have surgery on Monday to repair a broken thumb. Dallman was injured during a 5-1 loss in Kamloops on Feb. 8 and could miss up to six weeks. . . . You wonder if the Americans aren’t into survivor mode, where they are more concerned about getting healthy than they are about where they finish in the standings. . . . At the same time, Tri-City GM Bob Tory has told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald that there isn’t anything knew on the Brett Connolly front. The Lightning acquired Connolly’s rights from the Prince George Cougars on Jan. 10, but he continues to be with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. "I've been in conversation with (Lightning GM) Steve Yzerman,” Tory told Fowler, “but they have until the 27th to make their decision. We'll see at that point.” . . . The NHL trade deadline Feb. 27. NHL teams are able to return major junior-eligible players until that date. . . . Fowler also reports that F Parker Bowles, 16, will join the Americans on Monday from the major midget Okanagan Rockets, who are based in Kelowna. He goes into the weekend with 63 points, including 30 goals, in 34 games. The plan is for Bowles to play one game, agianst the Everett Silvertips on Tuesday, and then return to the Rockets. . . .
There are reports that F Cam Cunning (Kamloops, Vancouver, 2002-05) has retired. A Friday tweet from @dcmahiban: “Former #NHLFlames prospect and #AHLHeat forward Cam Cunning has retired to become a firefighter.” . . .
In the BCHL, the host Penticton Vees erased a 4-2 third-period deficity and beat the Vernon Vipers 6-4 for their league-record 33rd straight victory. . . .
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, D Darren Dietz scored four times in the game’s first two periods as the Blades beat the Swift Current Broncos, 7-3. . . . Dietz, who now has 14 goals, later hit a goal post while killing a penalty as he came that close to a five-goal night. . . .The Blades, who had lost three in a row, were leading 4-3 when Dietz scored his third and fourth goals 29 seconds apart in the last minute of the second period. . . . The Blades were 3-5 on the PP. . . . Saskatoon is 4-0 against the Broncos this season. . . . F Coda Gordon scored twice for the Broncos, giving him 25. . . . Dietz is one of eight defencemen to score four goals in a game in WHL history. How did he find out he had tied a WHL record? He took a penalty late in the game and the officials in the penalty box informed him. . . .

In Moose Jaw, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots as the Warriors dropped the Medicine Hat Tigers, 6-0. . . . Siemens, who is 29-10-4, has four shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . Moose Jaw has won six in a row. . . . F Quinton Howden scored twice for the Warriors, who were 5-8 on the PP. He has 27 goals. . . . F Cam Braes added a goal, his 34th, and two assists. . . . The Tigers took 72 of 140 penalty minutes. . . . The Tigers were without G Hunter Shinkaruk, F Curtis Valk, D Kale Kessy, F Gavin Broadhead and G Tyler Bunz, all of whom are injured. F Brendan Hurley sat out Game 5 of a six-game suspension. . . . Those six all are expected to miss tonight’s rematch in Medicind Hat. . . . The Tigers also lost F Riley Sheen, who left in the second period after a fight with F Jordan Wyton. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem had his point streak snapped at 19 games. . . . Moose Jaw F James Henry drew two assists, giving him 201 career points. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that the head coaches, Shaun Clouston of Medicine Hat and Moose Jaw’s Mike Stothers, “leaned over the bench to yell at each other.” That came after there were five fights in a span of 2:10 in the third period. . . . “I don’t know what they were thinking,” Stothers told Gourlie. “How many guys do you have to get beat up? And then they kept sending more guys out.” . . .

In Brandon, F Mark Stone had a goal and four assists to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Stone, who has 38 goals, leads the WHL scoring race, with 99 points. He is on an 11-game point streak. . . . Brandon F Michael Ferland had two goals, giving him 36, and a helper. . . . B Brenden Walker, the third member of that line, had a goal and two assists. . . . F Bruno Mraz, a Slovakian freshman, scored his first WHL goal for Brandon, which counted the game’s first six goals. . . . Mraz, 18, also has 13 assists in 53 games. . . . Brandon dressed 17 skaters, with F Kevin Sundher, F Tyrel Seaman and F Alessio Bertaggio all sitting this one out. . . . Brandon has won three in a row and six of seven. . . . Prince Albert D Tyler Yaworski left in the first period with an apparent shoulder injury after being checked into a stanchion. . . . The same two teams will play again tonight in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings are mourning the loss of former player Mac Beaton, who died Tuesday. He was 83. Beaton was a member of the team that played in the 1948-49 Memorial Cup final. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored four of the game’s first five goals and went on to a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . F Joe Antilla had a goal, his 11th, and two assists for the Ice, as did F Max Reinhart. He has 22 goals. D Jonathon Martin’s sixth goal gave the Ice a 4-1 lead at 12:42 of the second. . . . F Dominick Uher scored twice for the Chiefs, at 16:45 of the second and 11:17 of the third. . . . Uher has 24 goals. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka, who scored his 14th goal in the first, left in the second with an undisclosed injury. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 25 shots. . . . The Chiefs have lost three straight. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brody Sutter and F Jaimen Yakubowski scored goals 43 seconds apart in the last minute of the second period and the Hurricanes went on to beat the Regina Pats, 6-4. . . . Sutter had tied the game 3-3 on a PP at 17:36 of the second. He then scored on another PP at 19:11 . . . Sutter has 28 goals. . . . Yakubowski got his 12th at 19:54 for a 5-3 lead. . . . F Brady Ramsay and F Phil Tot each had a goal and two helpers for Lethbridge. . . . F Dyson Stevenson had two goals for Regina, with D Martin Marincin helping out with a goal and two assists. . . . Lethbridge was 4-7 on the PP. . . . The Pats lost D Luke Fenske to a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct at 6:23 of the second. . . .

In Kamloops, F Charles Inglis broke a 2-2 tie at 17:37 of the third period and G Bolton Pouliot got his first WHL victory as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Blazers, 3-2. . . . Pouliot was making his seventh start of the season but his first since Dec. 9. . . . He stopped 37 shots, including a tremendous glove save on D Austin Madaisky who wired a one-timer off a back-door pass from F Colin Smith. . . . After the game, Madaisky tweeted: “Gunna have nightmares about that one #backdoor #glovesave #2minsleft.” . . . The Blazers held a 16-3 edge in shots in the third period. Pouliot stopped all 16. . . . Kamloops F Chase Schaber, the team captain, wasn’t on the bench for the third period. He has an undisclosed injury and is questionable for tonight’s game with the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . Red Deer had three midget AAA players in their lineup. D Kevin Pochuk (Winnipeg Wild) scored his first WHL goal. F Scott Feser (Red Deer Optimist Rebels) drew an assist on Pochuk’s goal. F Dexter Bricker (Swift Current Legionnaires) played with some spunk. . . . Red Deer D Alex Petrovic had a goal and an assist and was plus-2 in a monster game. . . . Inglis now has scored two game-winners for two different teams in Kamloops this season. He scored for the Prince George Cougars when they beat the Blazers 1-0 in the season-opener for both teams. . . . The Rebels are eight points out of a playoff spot but hold three games in hand on Brandon. . . .

In Kelowna, the Calgary Hitmen scored three PP goals and beat the Rockets, 7-1. . . . Calgary went 3-5 on the PP. . . . The Hitmen are 2-0 on a B.C. swing, having beaten the Victoria Royals 5-3 on Wednesday. The Hitmen also are 2-0 since head coach Mike Williamson tossed water bottles during a 4-0 loss to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday. . . . F Danny Gayle scored twice for Calgary, giving him 14. . . . F Brady Brassart, who is from Vernon, B.C., got the game’s first goal, his 20th, and drew an assist on the second. . . . F Alex Gogolev helped out with a goal, his 23rd, and two assists. . . . F Victor Rask got his 25th goal and was plus-3 for Calgary. . . . G Chris Driedger lost his shutout bid with 36 seconds to play when Kelowna D Madison Bowey scored a shorthanded goal. . . . Rockets F Brett Lyon returned after serving a six-game suspension. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his 20th goal to tie the game on a PP at 5:00 of the second. . . . F Steven Hodges, with his 18th, gave Victoria the lead at 12:22. . . . The Cougars took 55 of 104 penalty minutes. . . . Prince George was 0-7 on the PP, while the Royals were 2-5. . . . The Royals pulled into a tie with Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. They are three points ahead of Everett and four up on Prince George. . . .

In Vancouver, F Cain Franson had a goal and an assist and was the game’s first star as the Giants beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-2. . . . It was only fitting that Franson have a good night because his older brother, D Cody Franson of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, was inducted into the Giants’ Ring of Honour last night. . . . Vancouver D Brett Kulak had two assists and was plus-5. . . . Giants D David Musil had one assist and was plus-4. . . . Vancouver F Jordan Martinook continued his break-out season with two goals, giving him 32. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher got the game’s first goal, his 35th. . . . The Oil Kings, down 2-0, tied it with PP goals from F Tyler Maxwell, his 35th, and F Rhett Rachinski, his 24th, in the second period. . . . F Matt Bellerive broke the tie at 16:45 and Martinook provided insurance at 11:05 of the third. . . . Rachinski has eight goals in his last seven games. . . . The Giants now are four points ahead of fifth-place Spokane in the Western Conference. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 26 shots in winning his 31st game. . . . Edmonton went 3-2-1 on a road swing that included five games (2-2-1) in the B.C. Division. . . . The Giants went 3-0-0 against Edmonton this season, holding a 13-5 edge in goals. . . .

In Everett, G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots for his WHL-leading 36 victory of the season as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Carruth set the Winterhawks’ single-season record for victories. The previous record was held by Brent Belecki. . . . F Oliver Gabriel, F Taylor Leier and F Sven Baertschi each had a goal and an assist for Portland. . . . In his last eight games, Baertschi has 18 points, including nine goals. He has scored in each of his club’s last five games. . . . On the season, he has 75 points in 38 games. Might he end up averaging at least two points per game? . . . Portland F Ty Rattie picked up his 45th goal. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 43 shots. . . . I am told the Portland play-by-play voice Todd Vrooman had some minor health problems and was subbed for to start the second period. Who took over? None other than his father, Dean (Scooter) Vrooman, the former long-time voice of the Winterhawks. . . . “Hawk fans got a treat,” one fan told me. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin and F Connor Rankin each had two goals to help the Americans to a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Shinnimin, who has 39 goals, also had an assist. . . . In eight February games, Shinnimin has 20 points, including 10 goals. . . . Due to injuries, the Americans were able to dress only 10 forwards. . . . Seattle got two goals from F Connor Honey, giving him six. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 36 shots, 12 fewer than Seattle’s Calvin Pickard. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost eight of 10.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current.
D Tanner Muth, Kootenay.
D Luke Fenske, Regina (minor, major).
D Zach Yuen, Tri-City.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Dylan McIlrath, Moose Jaw.
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Do you love watching your child play hockey or baseball or any other sport? Do you tell your child that you loved watching him or her play?
Did you know:
“Nearly 75 percent of kids who play organized sports quit by age 13. Some find that their skill level hits a plateau and the game is no longer fun. Others simply discover other interests. But too many promising young athletes turn away from sports because their parents become insufferable.”
For more, check this out right here.


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There's a Beach in Moose Jaw

So there I was, sitting in the seats at Interior Savings Centre and watching Team WHL go through its practice paces when I got an email. Mr. Anonymous had posted this message to my blog: “Gregg, any truth to the rumor of Beach and Sylvester coming to Kamloops? I hear it’s as good as done.”
I ran that past a member of the Blazers’ hierarchy, who pretty much scoffed at the idea.
And it wasn’t but a few minutes later that word broke that F Cody Beach had been traded, but not to the Blazers.
Beach was part of a five-player deal between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Calgary Hitmen. Each of the five players involved is 18 years of age.
The Hitmen dealt Beach and F Mackenzie Royer to the Warriors for G Brandon Glover, F Nathan MacMaster and F Danny Gayle.
Beach is from Kelowna and Royer is from Spruce Grove, Alta. MacMaster and Gayle both are from Calgary, while Glover is from North Saanich, B.C.
The Hitmen are the WHL’s defending champions, but right now are riding a 12-game losing streak and have the league’s poorest record.
The Hitmen obviously are looking for a fresh infusion of energy and enthusiasm.
They get Gayle, a sophomore who has 10 points in 18 games, which equals his 34-game output of last season, and MacMaster, who has 13 points, including five goals, and 21 penalty minutes in 22 games. In two previous season, he totaled 19 points in 113 games.
Glover left the Warriors early in the season, apparently feeling he deserved more playing time. Last season, he went 9-8-6 with a 3.40 GAA and .890 save percentage while backing up Jeff Bosch. Glover had been with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals.
His arrival in Calgary will leave the Hitmen with three goaltenders, the other two being Michael Snider, who is 3-10-1, 3.60, .870, and Juraj Holly, who is 1-5-0, 3.92, .872. Snider, 19, backed up Martin Jones each of the last two seasons. Holly, 19, is Slovakian and was selected in the 2010 CHL import draft.
"We'll have to figure that out," GM Kelly Kisio told John Down of the Calgary Herald, in reference to the goaltending situation. "Are we done dealing? If something comes along, maybe there's more but right now we'll let things play out and see how they end up."
Beach is the younger brother of former WHL protagonist Kyle Beach, and the Warriors are hoping he will bring some of that edgy play to their roster.
Beach, a fifth-round pick by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has 15 points and 73 penalty minutes in 17 games. Last season, Beach had 14 points and 157 penalty minutes in 51 regular-season games.
“From our end we’ve been able to add what we believe is a proven top-six power forward in Cody Beach,” Alan Millar, the Warriors’ director of hockey operations, told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “We feel that he brings the presence and the scoring . . . we needed in our offence, coupled with the fact that he’s 18 years old and fits in with where we think our team can be this season and beyond.”
Royer has two points in 16 games this season. Over the previous two seasons, he had 16 points and 79 penalty minutes in 82 games.
Interestingly, the Hitmen are scheduled to play in Moose Jaw on Sunday night.
Also interesting is the fact that the Warriors didn’t acquire a defenceman in the deal. With Dylan McIlrath winging his way to New York in order to have an MRI under the watchful eyes of the Rangers’ medical staff, the Warriors are down to five defencemen.
Gourlie reports that the Warriors are going to bring in Travis Brown, a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, from the midget AAA Winnipeg Monarchs for the weekend. They will play in Brandon on Saturday before scurrying home to face the Hitmen.
McIlrath, the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft, suffered a knee injury last weekend, the extent of which isn’t yet known.
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The roster for Team West has been announced. Team West, which represents Manitoba and Saskatchewan, is one of the teams that will compete at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge that is to be played in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Man., starting on Dec. 29. I could put all the names here, but won’t do that because Alan Caldwell has the roster with WHL affiliations over at Small Thoughts at Large.
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Meanwhile, on the ice, the Portland Winterhawks improved to 19-3-1 on Tuesday with a 4-2 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . Portland has won 13 of its last 14 games. It finished its East Division tour at 5-1-0. . . . F Ryan Johansen and F Nino Niederreiter had a goal and an assist each for Portland. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel had two assists. . . . The Wheat Kings, who were only 1-for-8 on the PP, including 0-for-4 in the last half of the third period, fell back to 11-12-1, meaning there now are 16 of the 22 teams at .500 or better. . . . Brandon had won three in a row overall and four straight at home. . . . The Wheat Kings lost D Rene Hunter in the second period with an apparent leg injury. . . . Portland F Brad Ross returned after serving a two-game suspension. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had one assist, giving him 39 points. He is one behind F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants, who leads the scoring race. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi was held off the scoresheet. The freshman Swiss sensation had his point streak halted at 16 games. That ties Vancouver Brendan Gallagher for the longest point streak of the season. Gallagher put up 28 points in his streak, which ran from Sept. 24 to Oct. 27. Bartschi had 27 points in his streak.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.

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