F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2000-01) has been released by the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite) after the British government refused his visa application. Dundee won’t pursue an appeal of the rejection. Last season, with the Heerenveen Flyers (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 38 points, including 17 goals, in 22 games.
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CONCUSSION REPORT:
Tye Hand has decided that an eighth concussion might be one too many, so his hockey career is over.“I have had seven concussions,” Hand told Taking Note on Thursday, “so this summer I decided it was time for me to
start doing other things. It was a tough decision but I have to do what is best for my health moving forward.”Hand, 19, is from Yellowknife, NWT. He played two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats, earning two assists in 31 games in 2012-13 and going pointless in 21 games last season.
A 6-foot-3, 185-pound defenceman, he was a second-round pick by the Everett Silvertips in the 2010 bantam draft.
Hand played bantam AAA at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna, then spent 2011-12 with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, with whom he was named to the South Division’s All-Rookie team.
On Sept. 15, 2012, the Pats acquired him from Everett for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft.At the time, Regina GM Chad Lang said: “Tye is a big, physical stay-at-home defenceman. That rugged presence will add a lot to our back end. . . .”
Before Hand was done in the WHL, he had suffered three concussions, the last one, he said, occurring on Dec. 14.
He said he was first concussed while playing minor hockey in Yellowknife. While at Pursuit of Excellence, he said, he incurred two concussions, and had another one while in the AJHL.
The last brain injury, No. 7, occurred on Dec. 14 against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. It was 36 seconds into the game when he was knocked into the end boards from behind.
On Dec. 31, the Pats announced that they were shutting him down.
The news release read: “The decision was made after discussion between the Regina Pats’ medical staff, hockey operations department and Tye Hand that, due to multiple concussions in consecutive years, it is in the best interest for Tye’s long term health and future that he spend the rest of the year recovering. Hand’s status will be re-evaluated in the off-season.”
Hand now is at home in Yellowknife and plans to stay there at least for a year. Next fall, he hopes to go to school.
While he is disappointed to be leaving hockey, the good news is that he is symptom-free.
“I’m just unsure as to what another concussion would do to me,” Hand said.
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An email from a reader of Taking Note:
“Just wanted to say as a former Western League player who has gone through concussions and depression I appreciate everything you are trying to do by raising awareness on the issues. Keep up the good work!”
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Bob Tory, the part-owner, governor and general manager of the Tri-City Americans, has started campaigning to get a new building for his WHL franchise.
He posted a few tweets with that theme this week:“Time has come for a new arena in Tri-City. We need our fans to speak loud and proud.”
“Tri-City Americans bring tremendous value to the quality of life in the Columbia Basin. We need your support for change. #New Building”
“Branding Tri-City. The Americans have been doing this for years. #New Building”
“Toyota Center in need (of) major capital improvements. Stay tuned.”
“Tri-City deserves first-class facilities. Time for a new building.”
“Off to Cheney WA today to play the Chiefs in a beautiful facility on EWU campus. Time for a new building in Tri-City.”
“Let’s brand Tri-City with improvements not just thoughts and wishes.”
On Thursday, with his club entering the final season of its lease, Tory took to Instagram in an attempt to connect with Americans’ fans.
“The Toyota Center is in need of major capital improvements,” Tory wrote. “It’s time for a new building in the Tri-Cities, which is long overdue. We need public support to generate interest in change.
“Let’s brand the Tri-City community with improvement, not just thoughts and wishes.
“Tri-Cities deserves to have first-class facilities for first-class fans. We need our fans to be loud and proud. Support this idea by liking this message and sharing.
“Thank you.”
The 5,734-seat Toyota Center opened in 1988. After being privately owned, the City of Kennewick took it over in August of 2000. The Americans have played there since 1988-89, the team’s first season in the Tri-Cities.
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The Regina Pats now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, having released G Dawson MacAuley, who has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . The departure of MacAuley, who is from Prince Albert, leaves the Pats with Daniel Wapple and Tyler Fuhr as their goaltenders. . . . MacAuley was 0-1/5.86/.786 in 61 minutes of exhibition play. Last season, he played in 50 regular-season games with Regina, going 25-16-4/3.24/.899. . . . Wapple is from Saskatoon; Fuhr is from Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Pats are left with four 20s on their roster -- F Patrick D’Amico, F Braden Christoffer, F Logan McVeigh and F Chandler Stephenson.Also on Thursday, the Pats released F Dane Schioler, 18, who was a second-round bantam draft pick in 2011. He is expected to join the MJHL’s Portage Terriers.
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The City of Medicine Hat’s public services committee has recommended that each ticket sold for a function in the under-construction Event Centre should carry a $2.15 user fee. The money would be applied to the cost of the facility. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers, however, have come out against user fees. Gillian Slade of the Medicine Hat News has more right here.---
Larry Stone, a sports columnist with the Seattle Times, is hardly alone when he admits to not having been much a supporter of MLB commissioner Bud Selig a few years ago. Over time, however, Stone has come around to the other side. . . . Why? He explains right here.
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The iPod is dead. Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times has the obit right here.
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Twelve years ago, Chris Nowinski was trying to carve out a career in the world of professional wrestling. Today, he is one of the most influential people in sports. . . . There is more right here.
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Richard Kiel, known as Jaws by fans of the James Bond films, died this week at the age of 74. Of course, there was much more to the big man than a couple of Bond movies. . . . Bruce Weber of The New York Times has Kiel’s obituary right here.
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The home of the Everett Silvertips got a new name this week. Formerly, it was known as Comcast Arena. Now it’s Xfinity Arena. Xfinity is a phone, cable and internet provider. . . . The Spokane Chiefs got down to 29 players by releasing F Taylor Ross from their roster. Ross, 16, was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He will join the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos, who play out of Wilcox, Sask. The Chiefs are carrying three goaltenders, 11 defencemen and 15 forwards. Of that bunch, 10 are freshmen. . . . D Dylan Busenius, who played out his junior eligibility last season, will attend the U of Calgary and play for the Dinosaurs. From Sherwood Park, Alta., he split last season between the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders. He played the first three-plus seasons of his WHL career with the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
F Trent Lofthouse, 20, who was released from the Portland Winterhawks‘ camp, has joined the AHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. He had 15 points, including 10 goals, with the Vancouver Giants last season, and also has played with the Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals. . . . The Oil Barons also signed F Michael Sauer, who played last season with the midget Cleveland Barons of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. The Bemidji, Minn., native had 32 points, including 13 goals, in 35 games. Sauer, who turns 19 on Nov. 15, signed with the Tri-City Americans on Aug. 29, 2013, after having been placed on the WHL team’s protected list. He has yet to play a WHL regular-season game. . . .
F Kristian Ferletak of the Victoria Royals can expect a call from the WHL office after he took a major penalty for goaltender interference and a game misconduct in an exhibition game on Thursday night. He collided with Vancouver Giants G Ryan Kubic at 8:18 of the second period. Kubic finished with 17 saves in a 3-0 victory over the host Royals. . . . In last night’s other game, F Lucas Nickles scored for the fourth straight game as the Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 in OT in Cheney, Wash. F Brandon Carlo won the game with a PP goal just 46 seconds into OT.
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It's the time of year when WHL teams act like junior A clubs are farm teams. Players aren't "reassigned" to junior A, they're released.
— Brian Wiebe (@Brian_Wiebe) September 12, 2014
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.
G Shannon Szabados, who is a double Olympic gold medallist, will sign with the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths. Szabados, 27, plans on finishing this season with the Cottonmouths. . . . According to The Canadian Press: Szabados previously played provincial college hockey (at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) with current Cottonmouth players Jordan Draper, Andy Willigar and captain Kyle Johnson. She will become the first woman to play in the SPHL since its inception 10 years ago.” . . . Szabados expects to officially sign her contract on Thursday, at which time she will be introduced at a news conference. . . . The Cottonmouths’ head coach is Jerome Bechard (Moose Jaw, 1985-90). . . . Szabados, then 16, was in training camp with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans prior to the 2002-03 season, getting into some preseason action. She later played 50 seconds in one regular-season game.
At Prince Albert, F Leon Draisaitl scored twice and added two assists to lead the Raiders to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Draisaitl, who has 34 goals, broke a 2-2 tie at 19:08 of the second period on the PP. He later added an empty-netter. . . . In 16 games since Feb. 1, Draisaitl, a sophomore from Cologne, Germany, has 36 points, including 15 goals. He has 12 multi-point games in that stretch and has been held pointless just once. . . . Raiders D Josh Morrissey scored his 26th goal and added an assist. . . . F Jake Virtanen scored twice, giving him 42, for Calgary. . . . Prince Albert G Nick McBride, making his fourth start in five games, stopped 32 shots. . . . A note from Andrew Schopp of the Prince Albert Daily Herald: “McBride is the first 16-year-old keeper since Aaron Sorochan in 2001 to remain on the (Raiders’) roster for an entire season.” . . . The Hitmen, who were playing the fourth game on a five-game road trip that ends tonight in Saskatoon, had been 3-0-0 against the Raiders this season. . . . The Raiders (32-30-5), who have won three straight, are ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Red Deer Rebels and Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings are in Prince Albert tonight. . . . The Hitmen (44-17-7) have lost two in a row and now are two points behind the conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . 
At Saskatoon, D Dallas Valentine scored twice to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 6-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Valentine, who has three goals, broke a 1-1 tie at 5:45 of the second period. . . . A 17-year-old from Lousana, Alta., Valentine went into the game with one goal in 77 regular-season games over two seasons. . . . Warriors G Zach Sawchenko stopped 25 shots. . . . Warriors F Bryson Gore scored his ninth goal and added two assists, while F Tanner Eberle picked up his 20th goal of the season and added an assist. . . . G Brandon Kegler made his first WHL appearance when he came on to relieve Troy Trombley to start the third period. Kegler was beaten twice on 11 shots; Trombley had given up four goals on 22 shots. . . . Saskatoon D Ayrton Nikkel left in the first period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . Blades head coach Dave Struch summed things up when he told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix: “Two fundamental parts of the game – stopping the puck and scoring a goal – we had a real tough time with tonight.” . . . The Warriors (19-40-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference, 10 points ahead of the Blades (16-46-5). . . .
At Brandon, F Mads Eller and F Curtis Lazar each scored twice as the Edmonton Oil Kings doubled up on the Wheat Kings, 6-3. . . . The Oil Kings led 4-0 before the game was 13 minutes old, with three of the goals coming in a span of 1:47. . . . Eller has eight goals; Lazar has 38. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots in winning for the 41st time this season. . . . Jarry is 67-23-4 in 101 career regular-season appearances. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost 11 of their past 14 games. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville missed his eighth straight game with an undisclosed injury, while F Jens Meilleur sat out his third straight game. . . . F Jayce Hawryluk, who leads Brandon in assists (40) and points (64), was ejected after taking a charging major at 11:15 of the second period. . . . Edmonton (47-17-3) leads the Eastern Conference by two points over Calgary. The Oil Kings have three more victories and a game in hand. . . . The Wheat Kings (31-28-9) are tied for seventh with the Red Deer Rebels in the Eastern Conference. . . . 
At Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and two assists to help the Kootenay Ice to a 5-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Descheneau has set career highs with 41 goals, 50 assists and 91 points, in 65 games. Last season, in 69 games, he had 78 points, including 30 goals. . . . F Sam Reinhart had two assists for the Ice, while F Zach Franko scored his 21st goal and added an assist. . . . D Tommy Vannelli, who hadn’t played since Feb. 14, scored his 14th goal for the Tigers. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 30 shots. . . . The teams evenly split six games this season, each winning three times at home. . . . The Ice (38-25-4) clinched a playoff spot for the 16th straight season. Kootenay is fifth in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the Tigers (41-23-4). . . . 
At Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak turned aside 33 shots and the Rebels scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black got his 31st goal at 10:41 of the first period. . . . F Wyatt Johnson tied the game at 19:27 of the first and F Aspen Sterzer broke the tie at 17:56 of the second. . . . Johnson has 12 goals; Sterzer has 27. . . . The Rebels also scored in the last minute of the second as F Adam Musil got his ninth goal at 19:03. . . . The Rebels (33-30-5) are 4-0-1 in their last five. They are tied for seventh with Brandon in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Prince Albert. . . . 
At Portland, F Brendan Leipsic scored twice and added two assists, helping the Winterhawks to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Leipsic has 36 goals and 49 assists in 55 games this season. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 44th goal and added two assists. He has 100 points, the third WHLer to get there this season. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba scored twice and set up another. . . . Dumba has 17 points, including five goals, and is plus-23 in 22 games since coming over from the Red Deer Rebels after the World Junior Championship. . . . The Winterhawks are 6-2-2 against the Thunderbirds this season. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had two assists, giving him 201 points in 243 career regular-season games. He has 66 points, 49 of them assists, in 54 games this season. The 49 assists are a career high, one more than he had in 72 games in 2011-12. . . . F Mathew Barzal had two assists for Seattle, which tied the game 3-3 on second-period PP goals from D Shea Theodore, his 19th, and F Ryan Gropp, his 16th. . . . Bjorkstrand broke the tie with a PP goal at 19:22 of the second and Dumba added insurance at 5:35 of the third. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes left the game in the second period. He was shaken up during a scramble, stayed in for a bit and then departed. That allowed Adin Hill, a 17-year-old from Calgary, to make his second WHL appearance. Brendan Burke was Portland’s starter before coming down with mononucleosis. . . . Hill, who entered a 3-3 game, stopped all 12 shots he faced and got the victory. He now is 2-0 and has allowed one goal on 41 shots. . . . The Winterhawks were 3-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 3-for-7. . . . The Winterhawks (49-13-5), the Western Conference’s second seed, appear headed for a first-round matchup with the Vancouver Giants, who are in Portland tonight. . . . Seattle (39-21-6) is fourth in the conference, four points ahead of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . 
At Prince George, the Spokane Chiefs scored four third-period goals and beat the Cougars, 4-2. . . . The Cougars took a 2-0 lead into the third period on second-period scores from F Troy Bourke, his 27th, and F Todd Fiddler, his 46th. . . . Fiddler’s goal ran his point streak to 19 games. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka got his guys started with his 22nd goal, on the PP, at 3:32 of the third. . . . F Mike Aviani tied it at 4:48 and F Keanu Yamamoto gave the Chiefs the lead with his 10th goal at 14:59. . . . Aviani got his 34th into an empty net to add insurance. . . . Chiefs G Garret Hughson stopped 34 shots. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow had three assists. The 19-year-old from Killarney, Man., has 59 points, including 53 assists, in 60 games. . . . Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg picked up two assists, giving him a WHL-leading 109 points. He holds a two-point lead over Portland F Nic Petan. . . . The Chiefs (37-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, four points behind Seattle. . . . The Cougars (26-35-8) are ninth, four points out of the conference’s last playoff spot. . . . 
At Kennewick, Wash., the Everett Silvertips won their fifth straight game, beating the Tri-City Americans, 4-2. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 32 shots. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin broke a 1-1 tie with his 17th goal, via the PP, at 8:30 of the second period. . . . F Logan Aasman made it 3-1 with his third goal at 18:31. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots. . . . Everett (35-23-9) is sixth in the Western Conference. It is 7-0-1 in its last eight and now trails Spokane by only one point. . . . The Americans (28-31-8) are eighth in the conference, four points ahead of Prince George, which has three games remaining. . . . 
At Victoria, F Ben Walker drew four assists, leading the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Royals took a 4-0 lead into the last minute of the second period, with Walker in on each of the goals. . . . Victoria was playing at home for the first time since Feb. 12. . . . The Royals went 8-1-0 on the road in February; at home, they were 11-1-1. In the process, they established franchise records for home and road victories in a single month. . . . Victoria leads the season series with Kamloops 6-1-0 with the final game on the Island tonight. . . . F Axel Blomqvist and F Brandon Magee each scored his 24th goal of the season for Victoria. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy, who is in his first WHL season, faced the Blazers for the 15th time in his young career, including preseason, regular season and playoffs. He was held off the scoresheet, but has eight points, five of them goals, in seven games against the Blazers this season. He also scored twice in a preseason game against Kamloops. . . . Victoria had a 40-18 edge in shots on goal. . . . The Royals have outscored the Blazers 9-0 in the third period of games in Victoria this season. . . . The Blazers have three players sidelined with broken jaws -- D Sam Grist, F Luke Harrison and F Tyson Ness. . . . The Royals (46-17-4) will be the No. 3 seed for the opening round of playoffs. . . . The Blazers (13-50-5) have lost six in a row. They are 3-21-1 since Guy Charron stepped in as head coach, replacing Dave Hunchak. 
been rumours, pretty much since the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and became the Jets, that the NHL team is interested in owning a WHL franchise that would play out of the city's MTS Centre.
1. This will be a big weekend in Prince Albert where the Raiders will salute Mike Modano, the best player in the franchise's history, and retire his number (9). . . . The emcee of Friday's gala celebration will be Kevin Smook, the radio voice of the Raiders during Modano's seasons in Prince Albert. . . . Smook also is to be congratulated on his recent successful foray into provincial politics in Alberta where he was elected as a municipal councillor in Division 1 of the Beaver County area. . . . The Regina Pats will provide the opposition in Prince Albert on Friday night.
3. D Joe Hicketts of the Victoria Royals will be out indefinitely. It seems he suffered some sort of injury last weekend and has since had upper-body surgery. Thanks to the WHL's inane rules about disclosing injuries, you are free to speculate on the injury.
In Regina, G Dawson MacAuley stopped 36 shots as the Pats beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 3-0, to end a three-game losing skid. . . . MacAuley's second career shutout, and second this season, came in his 23rd game. It was his 15th appearance this season. . . . The game was scoreless going into the third period when F Boston Leier scored twice. He's got 11 goals this season. . . . The Pats had D Tye Hand back after he sat out 10 games with concussion-like symptoms, which may or may not mean he had a brain injury. He did miss time late last season with a brain injury. . . . On this night, he was plus-2 and got into a fight. . . . The Warriors had F Jayden Halbgewachs, 16, in their lineup for the first time this season. A first-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, the Warriors acquired him from the Kamloops Blazers last season. He has 16 points in 10 games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . .
In Saskatoon, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game's last three goals and beat the Blades, 4-3. . . . Tigers F Steve Owre broke a 3-3 tie at 10:20 of the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherback scored twice, running his point streak to nine games. He's got 16 points over that stretch. The Russian rookie has 11 goals. . . . The Tigers, who have won three straight, continue to play without F Hunter Shinkaruk (hip). . . . Medicine Hat F Blake Penner left in the third period with an injured right knee. He was injured after taking a hit from Saskatoon D David Nemecek. . . .
In Red Deer, the Kootenay Ice scored two third-period goals to force overtime and then got the only goal of the shootout to beat the Rebels, 4-3. . . . The Ice has won two in a row. . . . The Rebels head out on a western swing having lost five straight, all at home. . . . F Ryan Chynoweth's second goal with the Ice tied the game at 11:20 of the third period. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart scored the only goal of the shootout. . . . F Jaeden Deschenau scored twice for the Ice, giving him 13. . . .
In Kamloops, the Blazers got two goals from F Aspen Sterzer as they beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-4, and ended a four-game losing skein. . . . Sterzer broke a 4-4 tie with his eighth goal of the season at 10:21 of the third period. He went into the season with seven career goals in 104 regular-season games over three seasons. . . . Sterzer also had an assist, while F Cole Ully had a goal and two helpers. . . . Trailing 3-0 in the second period, the Chiefs changed goaltenders, with Eric Williams replacing Garret Hughson, and tied the game before the end of the period. . . . F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL with 18 goals, tied the game at 19:59 of the second. . . .
In Prince George, D Dalton Thrower scored at 3:13 of OT to give the Vancouver Giants a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . The Giants had won 6-5 in Prince George on Tuesday night. . . . Cougars F David Soltes scored with 24.1 seconds left in the third period to force OT. . . . All three Vancouver goals were unassisted. . . . Cougars F Chase Witala had his goal-scoring streak stopped at six games. He did pick up an assist on Soltes' goal. . . . Five of the Cougars' six home games have gone into OT. The Cougars are 1-1-1-2 in those five games, meaning they have an OTW, an OTL, a shootout win and two shootout losses. . . .
In Portland, the Winterhawks got two quick first-period shorthanded goals and went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2, as they ran their winning streak to nine. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier scored a PP goal 52 seconds into the first period, the third straight game in which the Winterhawks have scored in the game's opening minute. . . . F Chase De Leo and F Nic Petan struck for shorthanded goals just 53 seconds apart to give the home side a 3-0 lead late in the first period. . . . The Winterhawks moved back into first place in the Western Conference and now lead the U.S. Division and the WHL's overall standings by a point over the Seattle Thunderbirds. Those two teams will meet Friday in Kent, Wash. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost four straight in the U.S. Division. . . . Brandon played without D Rene Hunter, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Kent on Tuesday. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk sat out in a coach's decision.
F Rourke Chartier, who took a headshot from Kamloops Blazers F Devin Oakes on Friday night, had a goal and two assists Saturday as the host Kelowna Rockets beat the Vancouver Giants, 6-1. . . . Oakes drew one of those TBA suspensions from the WHL office so, for starters, he won’t play Sunday against the Giants in Burnaby’s Bill Copeland Arena. . . . Chartier played with a full cage to protect a small cut near his right eye. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie also had a goal and two helpers. He’s got eight points in four games. . . . The Rockets finished the preseason at 3-1.
In Prince George, the Cougars improved to 4-0 with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. Freshman F Jansen Harkins had an assist for the Cougars; he’s got nine points in four games and is tied with Everett F Manraj Hayer atop the preseason scoring leaderboard.
In another game in Kennewick, the Everett Silvertips got past the Kootenay Ice 8-6 to improve to 5-0. . . . F Manraj Hayer had two goals and an assist for Everett. . . . The Silvertips have outscored the opposition, 27-15.
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