Tigers even with Ice; police, firefighters scrap in charity game

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2002-04) has signed a two-year extension with Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had four assists in 18 games with Hradec Kralove. He also was loaned to Litomerice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), where he had 15 points, including seven goals, in 34 games.
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Scott Owens has resigned after 15 seasons as head coach of the Colorado College Tigers. Owens was 324-228-54 as the Tigers' head coach. He resigned after the Tigers put together a 7-24-6 record in what was his worst season at CC.
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Perhaps you are a fan of the TV series Rescue Me, the one that starred hockey fan Denis Leary. If so, you will recall the hockey games in that series that featured teams from the New York City police and fire departments. . . . Well, the NYPD and NYFD teams met up again on Sunday afternoon at Nassau Coliseum. It was the 41st renewal of the charity game and, well, the boys dumped the benches. . . . There’s more, including video, right here.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 14: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday, April 14: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna leads, 2-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 15: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 2-0)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 2, 4, 6 and 7 on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, April 14: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:

 In Medicine Hat, F Steve Owre and F Curtis Valk each scored twice as the Tigers beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-2. . . . The second-round series is tied 1-1 as it heads to Cranbrook for games on Wednesday and Thursday. . . . The Ice took a 2-1 lead into the second period, only to have Valk score two goals 1:07 apart to send the Tigers on their way. . . . Valk, who also had an assist, scored his fifth goal of the playoffs at 5:07 of the second period, tying the game 2-2. . . .  Valk struck again at 6:14 of the third, giving the Tigers a lead they wouldn‘t relinquish. . . . “(Valk) was the best player on the ice tonight for both teams," Ice head coach Ryan McGill told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News. "He played hard. We turned the puck over too many times, because we wanted to be a fancy team. They deserve all the credit for playing hard." . . . Owre scored his first goal of the playoffs at 2:54 of the first and later gave his guys a 4-2 lead at 17:01 of the third. . . . Ice D Jagger Dirk got his fourth goal of the playoffs, a shorthanded effort that gave his side a 2-1 lead at 12:14 of the first. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 22 shots, while the Ice's Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 32. . . . Ice forwards Jaedon Descheneau and Sam Reinhart, who each put up 17 points in a six-game first-round victory over the Calgary Hitmen, were held pointless for a second straight game. . . . There were only four minor penalties called. The Tigers were 0-for-3 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-1. . . . The Tigers were without F Jacob Doty, who was suspended for one game for his role in a line brawl that occurred late in Saturday's series opener. He was the only player to draw a suspension from the melee that occurred with 11.8 seconds left in the Ice's 4-2 victory.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract extension with Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus). He had two goals and 20 assists in 26 games, helping Mulhouse win promotion from Division 1 to Ligue Magnus for next season. . . .
F Milan Kraft (Prince Albert, 1998-2000) signed a two-year contract extension with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 23 goals and 33 assists in 50 games as team captain for Chomutov this season, finishing third in 1.Liga scoring as Chomutov won promotion from the Czech 1.Liga to Extraliga. . . .
D Stefan Langweider (Portland, 2006-07) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and nine assists in 51 games for Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .
F Ryan Kinasewich (Medicine Hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). Kinasewich finished second in Erste Bank Liga scoring this season, getting 25 goals and 29 assists in 49 games for Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia). . . .
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a one-year contract with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). He had five goals and 24 assists in 52 games this season as captain of Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). . . .
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2002-04) signed a two-year contract with Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had 15 goals and 18 assists in 52 games for Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) this season.
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JUST NOTES: The MacBeth Report adds a note about the IIHF World Championship . . . Two more WHL alumni participating in the World Championship. Brent Reiber, who holds a Swiss passport and works out of Switzerland, and Antti Boman (Kamloops, 1991-92) are working the tournament as referees. . . . The NAHL has announced that the Chicago Hitmen won’t ice a team in 2012-13. According to an NAHL news release, “All tendered and veteran players of the Hitmen are now considered free agents.” . . . Prior to last season there was speculation that Finnish G Jonathan Iilahti might end up with the Vancouver Giants, perhaps because the Vancouver Canucks had selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL draft. Iilahti, who turned 20 on April 27, signed a one-year deal Friday with Sport Vaasa (Finland, Mestis).
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mario Amantea is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. He takes over from David Haas, who was dropped early last month. The Mustangs went 31-22-7 this season before being upset by the Olds Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Amantea, a native of Kimberley, B.C., is a veteran coach, having coached in the midget AAA ranks and at the EDGE school in Calgary where he spent three seasons. He left EDGE after the 2010-11 season in order to spend more time with family and business interests. He is a partner and general manager at ZGM Collaborative Marketing in Calgary.
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THE WHL FINAL:
Game 6 . . .
In Portland, F Oliver Gabriel’s second goal of the game, at 17:21 of the third period, gave the Winterhawks a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The series is tied 3-3. . . . Immediately after the game, the teams boarded the same plane – for the fourth time in the series – and headed for Edmonton where Game 7 will be played tonight. . . . By the time this thing ends, the teams will have played the last three games in slightly more than 72 hours. . . . The winner advances to the Memorial Cup tournament that opens Friday in Shawinigan, Que. The host Cataractes, QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs and OHL-champion London Knights await. . . . The WHL champion plays in the tournament’s first game, meeting the host team on Friday. . . . Edmonton got on the board first in Game 6 when F Michael St. Croix scored his sixth goal at 7:53 of the first period. . . . Gabriel, who has five goals in these playoffs, tied the game at 11:07. . . . It’s worth pointing out that Gabriel is from Edmonton. . . . Portland got its first lead at 8:44 of the third period when D Joe Morrow scored his fourth goal. . . . However, the Oil Kings tied it at 11:05 when F Stephane Legault beat Portland G Mac Carruth for his fifth goal. . . . F Cam Reid drew two assists as he was in on both of Gabriel’s goals. . . . Portland won despite the fact that it’s big line of Marcel Noebels between Sven Baertschi and Ty Rattie didn’t get even one point. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 42 shots, including all 18 he faced in the second period. . . . Carruth finished with 30 saves. . . . This was the first game in which Portland had an edge in shots on goal. . . . Portland was 0-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-2. . . . Attendance was 10,947 as the Winterhawks drew a sellout crowd for the fourth straight game. . . . Five of the first six games have been decided by one goal, with Edmonton having won three of them. The exception was Portland’s 5-1 victory in Game 2 in Edmonton. . . . The WHL last had a Game 7 in its championship series in 2007 when the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the visiting Vancouver Giants in double OT. F Brennan Bosch got the winner at 7:16 of the second OT period. . . . This will be the 10th time in league history that the championship has been decided in a Game 7. . . . The Winterhawks franchise has twice been to Game 7 in the final, losing to Medicine Hat in 1987 and to Swift Current in 1993.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: Portland 3 at Edmonton 4 (11,077)
Saturday, May 12: Edmonton 2 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.
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A tidbit about the Shawinigan Cataractes, from Wikipedia: The name ‘Cataractes’ often confuses English-speaking hockey fans. The name literally translates as ‘Cataracts’ meaning ‘Waterfalls’; the team is named for Shawinigan Falls, a prominent waterfall in the city, even though the Cataractes do not have a waterfall on their uniform.
The Cataractes play out of the 4,112-seat Centre Bionest de Shawinigan. The facility opened on Dec. 18, 2008. Prior to that, the Cataractes played in the Jacques Plante Arena.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ben Ondrus (Swift Current, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). He had eight goals and 14 assists in 80 games with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) last season. . . .
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2002-04) was released after his one week tryout with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga).
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It finally happened!
A WHL team ran out of players.
The Portland Winterhawks, with an unheard of 15 players away at NHL camps, have had to cancel a Friday night exhibition game against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Unfortunately for the Winterhawks, they also have had to cancel a Street Fair that was scheduled for Saturday.
“It is a shame about the Street Fair, but we have a lot of player meet and greets coming up this year,” Graham Kendrick, Portland’s director of media and public realtions, told me via email. “Our success the last couple of seasons has seen sponsorship go way up, and they all want player appearances. Our guys will be busy this season.”
The Winterhawks played in a preseason tournament in Kennewick, Wash., on the weekend and were able to dress only 16 skaters. According to a press release, they “lost one player to injury over the weekend and a second to a waiver claim from another team. . . .”
Thus it was felt that they wouldn’t have enough players to compete safely in the exhibition game against Seattle. (The Thunderbirds will play host to the Everett Silvertips on Saturday, 7 p.m., at the ShoWare Center in Kent.)
While the Street Fair has been cancelled, the news release states that “the organization decided to move many of planned Street Fair attractions and events to the opening night game on Friday, Sept. 23.”
With somewhere around 150 WHL players at NHL camps, you can bet there are other teams dangerously low on numbers.
For starters, the Kelowna Rockets, with eight players away, and the Kamloops Blazers, with seven gone, were under the 18-skater limit for a home-and-home weekend series.
The Blazers, also with C Logan McVeigh (concussion) and D Landon Cross (groin) injured, dressed just 15 skaters on Saturday in Kelowna, and lost LW Ryan Hanes to injury early on. The Rockets also had only 15 skaters in uniform for that one.
One night earlier, in Kamloops, the Rockets started with 16 skaters, but lost D Madison Bowey to a knee injury early in the first period. The Blazers went with 15 skaters for that one.
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The player the Winterhawks lost on waivers? It was F Lukas Walter, 18, who was claimed by the Tri-City Americans. He had one goal in three exhibition games with Portland.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Moose Jaw Warriors have hired Jamie Hodson as their goaltending coach. Hodson, from Lenore, Man., was a third-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL’s 1998 draft after a four-year career with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He went on to play nine seasons of pro hockey, in the AHL and ECHL.
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F Killian Hutt, 20, has joined the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Hutt had his 2010-11 season ended by a concussion in December and wasn’t able to return to the Swift Current Broncos. Then they released him prior to training camp as they trimmed the number of 20-year-olds on their roster. . . . RW Jordan DePape of the Kamloops Blazers, who is from Winnipeg, joined the NHL’s Jets for the Young Guns tournament in Penticton, B.C. However, a hip flexor problem that has bothered him since early in training camp has kept him off the ice and out of the Jets’ lineup. He didn’t play in Monday night’s 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames. . . . D Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors is back skating after having his appendix removed on Sept. 1. . . .
Kootenay Ice F Jonathon Martin, a 16-year-old from Winnipeg, drew a four-game suspension for a charging major and game misconduct in a game against the Portland Winerhawks in Kennewick, Wash., on Saturday. This would seem to indicate that the WHL has stepped it up in terms of the suspension game. . . . The Everett Silvertips have reassigned G Andy Desautels, 17, who got into one game last season. A native of White City, Sask., he is expected to play in the SJHL this season. That leaves Everett with three goaltenders on its roster — veterans Kent Simpson, 19, and Luke Siemens, 19, and Austin Lotz, 16, who is from St. Adolphe, Man. Simpson is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on a knee and won’t be completely ready for another couple of weeks. It also means the Silvertips will open the season with Siemens and Lotz as their goaltenders as they wait for Simpson to get healthy. . . . 
The Central league’s Quad City Mallards have signed F Jeremy Boyer (Seattle, Saskatoon, 2006-10), who played out his junior eligibility last season with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos and Yorkton Terriers. He put up 87 points in 50 SJHL games. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have placed F Andrew Herle, 20, on waivers. He put up 24 points in 135 games with the Raiders. . . . If Herle isn’t claimed by another team, he is expected to join the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. . . . That leaves the Raiders with four 20-year-olds on their roster — D James Bettauer, F Brandon Herrod, F Justin Maylan, F Jonathon Parker and F Charles Wells. Herrod (Phoenix) and Parker (Buffalo) are in NHL camps.
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Where is he now? Tim Preston (Seattle, Saskatoon, 1997-2002) no longer plays the game but he still is involved. Gary Ahuja of the Langley Times has his story right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Stanislav Balan (Portland, 2005-06) was reassigned from Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) to SKP Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had eight goals and eight assists in 50 games for Zlin (Slovakia, Extraliga) last season. Balan has been injured and played in only one of Lev's nine exhibition games. The KHL opens its regular season on Wednesday. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He had one goal in three exhibition games for the Capitals. Last season, Lupaschuk had two goals and one assist in 15 games for Kölner Haie (Germany, DEL). Capitals head coach Tommy Samuelsson: "With Ross Lupaschuk, we have found the strong man on the blue line that we were looking for. He can decide games and also take on a leadership role." The Erste Bank Liga regular season opens Friday. . . .
D Paul Albers (Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with the Tohuku Free Blades (Japan, Asia Hockey League). He had 12 assists in 46 games for the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL) last season. Tohuku plays out of Hachinohe, at the northern end of Honshu, the largest island in Japan. The Asia Hockey League begins regular-season play on Sept. 17. . . .
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2003-05) signed a one week tryout contract with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had eight goals and 16 assists in 41 games for Berounsti Medvedi (Czech republic, 1.Liga) and was pointless in one game with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) last season. The Slovakian Extraliga regular season starts Sept. 16.
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By now, you may be aware that F Liam Stewart, the son of actress Rachel Hunter and rocker Rod Stewart, is in camp with the Spokane Chiefs.
He was with the Chiefs during the weekend tournament in Everett. Here’s what one WHL scout saw in a brief look:
“Liam does not look out of place at all. (Spokane head coach Don) Nachbaur had him on the second line and playing on the second PK unit. I thought he didn't look out of place at all. Competed in the corners, skates well; seemed to know what to do and where to go in the period I watched. Granted, it was only one period . . .”
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JUST NOTES: The Brandon Wheat Kings have lost veteran D Brodie Melnychuk, 20, indefinitely with a broken wrist suffered in training camp over the weekend. . . . The Wheat Kings got down to 27 players, including two goaltenders and 10 defencemen following their Sunday intrasquad game. The goaltenders are veterans Corbin Boes and Liam Liston, both 18. . . . The Spokane Chiefs went 3-0 at the Everett tournament on the weekend. Veteran F Anthony Bardaro played two of the games and totalled six points, four of them goals. . . .
Reports out of Kelowna indicate that Rockets F Jason Siebert, the 17th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft, won’t play until at least after Christmas. Siebert, 17, played only 17 games last season because of a broken wrist. The injury hasn’t healed properly and Siebert needs more surgery. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has reported that F Brenden Walker, who suffered a concussion last season in the playoffs, is being held out of the Brandon Wheat Kings’ training camp as a precaution. . . . The Kelowna Rockets have acquired F Carter Rigby, 17, from the Prince George Cougars. The Rockets also got a conditional 2012 sixth-round bantam draft pick. The Cougars ended up with a third-round pick in the 2012 draft. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rigby played most of last season with the junior B Osoyoos Coyotes before finishing with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Rigby, from Penticton, was an eighth-round pick by the Cougars in the 2009 bantam draft. He has been in camp with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . . The Vancouver Giants released F Neil Tarnasky, 19, after a 6-3 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. He had played the previous two seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: Three players have drawn ‘tbd’ suspensions for weekend fouls. . . . F Jesse Mychan of the Everett Silvertips picked up a major and game misconduct for a check to the head during a game against the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. . . . D Dallas Ehrhardt of the Moose Jaw Warriors drew a cross-checking major and game misconduct against the host Regina Pats on Friday night, while F Mike Aviani of Spokane took a boarding major and game misconduct while playing the Seattle Thunderbirds in Everett on Friday.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter