Lajoie gives Broncos joy . . . Raiders end five-game drought . . . McAndrews big for Chiefs

F Ryan Kinasewich (Medicine Hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 13 goals and 11 assists in 28 games.
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ROOT Sports has announced its eight-game TV schedule that features Friday night WHL games that include U.S. Division teams.
The schedule opens Jan. 16 with the Tri-City Americans in Vancouver to face the Giants. Once again, Ian Furness will handle the play-by-play with analysis from former D Kevin Sawyer.
The schedule:
Jan. 16 -- Tri-City at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 -- Everett at Kelowna - 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 6 -- Portland at Seattle - 7:35 p.m.
Feb. 20 -- Tri-City at Everett - 7:35 p.m.
Feb. 27 -- Spokane at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
March 6 -- Seattle at Portland, 7 p.m.
March 13 -- Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
March 20 -- Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

A scheduled game that was to have had the Medicine Hat Tigers in Victoria to play the Royals was postponed until tonight. The Tigers had problems getting through the Interior of B.C., due to highway closures for avalanche control. . . . The highway opened late Wednesday morning and the Tigers were able to catch an evening ferry to Victoria.
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In Prince Albert, G Rylan Parenteau stopped 44 shots to lead the Raiders to a 5-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . F Tim Vanstone scored twice for the Raiders, giving him five this season. He opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 12:58 of the first period. . . . F Brayden Point, who played for Canada at the WJC, returned to the Warriors’ lineup. He drew an assist on F Jack Rodewald’s 20th goal of the season, running his point streak to 13 games. . . . The Warriors scratched D Connor Clouston and F Axel Blomqvist, both of whom were acquired in trades this week. . . . D Dalton Yorke and F Kris Schmidli, acquired by the Raiders from Kelowna in the deal for F Leon Draisaitl, both played. . . . The Raiders(17-23-1) snapped a five-game losing skid and closed to within a point of the Warriors, who are fourth in the East Division. . . . Moose Jaw (16-22-4) has lost two in a row. . . .

In Swift Current, D Max Lajoie scored the only goal of a five-round shootout to give the Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk forced OT with a PP goal at 19:11 of the third period. He scored twice, giving him 22. . . . The Hitmen held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 but found themselves tied 3-3 after Broncos F Colby Cave got his 19th goal at 8:56 of the third. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin gave the Hitmen a 4-3 lead with his 20th goal at 9:23. . . . Lajoie had three assists, all in the third period. . . . F Adam Tambellini and D Travis Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 43 shots, six more than Calgary’s Mack Shields. . . . The Broncos lost F Coda Gordon to an undisclosed injury in the first period. . . . G Brendan Burke, acquired Tuesday from the Portland Winterhawks, was on Calgary’s bench backing up Shields. . . . The Hitmen were without F Taylor Sanheim, who drew a two-game suspension for a headshot major and game misconduct he incurred Tuesday night in Moose Jaw. . . . The Broncos (20-17-4) had lost their previous two games. . . . The Hitmen (22-15-4) had won two straight. The loser point lifted them into second in the Central Division, a point ahead of the Red Deer Rebels. . . .

In Regina, G Tyler Brown stopped 25 shots to help the Pats to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Braden Christoffer, in his first game as the Pats’ captain, opened the scoring on the PP at 10:29 of the first period. . . . He’s got 14 goals. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak tied it, with his 19th goal, at 13:05. . . . Regina F Pavel Padakin broke the tie with his 10th goal at 16:54 of the second. . . . Pats F Jesse Gabrielle added insurance with his 14th goal at 13:18 of the third. . . . The Pats scratched G Daniel Wapple (groin), so G Tyler Fuhr of the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins was on the bench. . . . F Taylor Cooper and D Connor Hobbs, acquired in deals this week, were in Regina’s lineup. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 32 shots. . . . Regina (25-12-3) is 5-0-1 in its last six. . . . Everett (24-12-4) had won its last three games, all on an East Division swing. . . .

In Prince George, G Evan Sarthou turned aside 33 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . Americans’ F Justin Gutierrez broke a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal, on a PP, at 16:38 of the second period. . . . F Nolan Yaremko, one of three affiliate players in Tri-City’s lineup, scored his first goal at 9:27 of the third period for a 4-2 lead. . . . Cougars F Brad Morrison got his 15th goal at 14:12, on a PP, but Americans F Richard Nejezchleb iced it with his 11th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:52. . . . F Chase Witala had three assists for the Cougars. . . . The Americans (19-19-2) snapped a four-game losing skid. They are fifth in the U.S. Division, two points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Cougars slipped to 20-22-0. . . .

In Spokane, F Devon McAndrews scored his first two goals to help the Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . McAndrews broke a 1-1 tie at 9:13 of the second period and added insurance at 1:50 of the third. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand, in his first game since playing for Denmark at the WJC, got his 22nd goal at 14:07 of the first period. . . . Spokane scored the game’s last four goals. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto had two assists. . . . Chiefs F Adam Helewka scored his 21st goal into an empty net at 18:32 of the third. . . . Spokane D Jason Fram counted his eighth goal and added an assist. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 38 shots, six fewer than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Hill, who had put up back-to-back shutouts, had his shutout string end at 174:38. According to Todd Vrooman, the Winterhawks’ play-by-play voice, that is just 1 minute 16 seconds shy of Brendan Burke’s franchise record. . . . F Nic Petan, who played for Canada at the WJC, wasn’t in Portland’s lineup, but Danish F Oliver Bjorkstrand was back. . . . D Adam Henry, acquired Tuesday from Saskatoon, made his debut with Portland. . . . The Chiefs (22-14-3) had lost their previous two games. They are second in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of Portland. . . . The Winterhawks (21-18-3) had won their previous two games. . . .

In Kelowna, F Leon Draisaitl scored a goal and added an assist in the second period as the Rockets beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-2. . . . Draisaitl, who was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday, was playing his first game after being returned to the WHL by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . Draisaitl drew an assist on a PP score by F Gage Quinney that broke a 1-1 tie at 1:13 of the second period. . . . Draisaitl scored the Rockets’ third goal at 5:00 of the second. . . . F Jakob Stukel scored his third goal of the season at 12;44 of the third to get the Giants to within one. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier got his WHL-leading 36th goal into an empty net at 19:00. . . . F Dillon Dube drew two assists for Kelowna. . . . Rockets G Jackson Whistle stopped 39 shots, 10 more than Vancouver’s Cody Porter. . . . The Rockets (32-6-3) have won three in a row. . . . Vancouver (18-20-2) was 2-0-1 in its previous three games.
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News - The new Score Clock at the @BrandtCentre is coming January 23rd! http://t.co/ORUcg64CsJ pic.twitter.com/gvIiMf8T7v
— Regina Pats (@WHLpats) January 7, 2015

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Three trades for which to give thanks . . . Oil Kings snap losing skid

F Marcel Noebels (Seattle, Portland, 2010-12) signed a three-year contract with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) after his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) was dissolved. That deal had one year remaining on it. Last season, with the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL), he had three goals and eight assists in 52 games.
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The Victoria Royals have dealt D Jake Kohlhauser, 18, to the Edmonton Oil Kings for a conditional eighth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Kohlhauser, from St. Albert, Alta., had been acquired by the Royals from the Vancouver Giants prior to last season for an undisclosed conditional draft pick. Vancouver selected him in the second round of the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Kohlhauser had three assists in 47 games with the Royals over parts of two seasons. He was pointless in seven games this season. . . . The Royals, who meet the Rebels in Red Deer tonight, might see Kohlhauser on Wednesday when they play in Edmonton.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have traded D Scott Allan to the Seattle Thunderbirds for a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Allan, 18, is from Thornton, Colo. He was pointless in three games with the Tigers this season. Last season, he was pointless in 34 games. . . . “We are down to five defencemen heading into a very busy time in our schedule,” Seattle general manager Russ Farwell said in a news release in explaining the move. “We feel there is huge potential with Scott and look forward to adding him to our team.” . . . Shea Theodore (elbow), who was hurt while in camp with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, is injured. As well, Ethan Bear took a hard hit late in a weekend game and may also be out. As well, Evan Wardley would appear to be facing a WHL suspension for a weekend hit on Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. Wardley was given a charging major and game misconduct on the play in question.
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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired F Devon McAndrews, 19, from the Tri-City Americans for an undisclosed conditional pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound McAndrews, from Edmonton, played 54 games over two seasons with the Americans, recording three goals and five assists. The Americans, who now are carrying 14 forwards, had acquired him from the Medicine Hat Tigers early in 2012-13 for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He was pointless in two games this season. . . . "With our current injury situation, we have an opportunity for Devon to come in and help us and our group of forwards," explained Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz in a news release. "Devon plays the left side and has good size which fills two needs for our team right now." . . . The Chiefs also released F Spencer Meyer, 18, who was pointless in three games this season. Last season, he was pointless in 26 games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He also went pointless in three games with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2012-13. . . . Meyer, from Surrey, B.C., was a fourth-round pick by Prince Albert in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, the 14th overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft, remains with the Chiefs and is likely to stay through Friday. He is pointless in three games.
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The host Edmonton Oil Kings snapped a three-game home-ice losing streak wit a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings in Monday's lone WHL game. . . . (It was a holiday in Canada, so perhaps one might have thought there would be more than one afternoon game. No?) . . . F Mads Eller had a goal and two assists for Edmonton, with F Cole Benson scoring twice, the second multi-goal game of his career. Benson, 19, was playing in his 169th regular-season game. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner played in his 200th career regular-season game, all with the Oil Kings.
Brandon D Eric Roy (shoulder) played his first game on Saturday and was in the lineup again on Monday. He picked up an assist in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Hitmen in Calgary. Roy returned to Brandon from the camp of the NHL’s Calgary Flames with the injury. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have lost F Brayden Burke for at least two months with an undisclosed injury. Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Burke, who is pointless in one game this season, was injured in a practice last week. Burke, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, was a seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Meachem also reports that freshman D Hugo Jansons, who has yet to play this season due to injury, is back at practice. However, there is no date set for his regular-season debut. Jansons, 17, is from Riga, Latvia.

Winterhawks' streak reaches 11

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Andrej Kudrna (Vancouver, Red Deer, 2008-11) was released by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had yet to play a game this season.
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As Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts at Large tweeted on Friday, the Calgary Hitmen got back D Alex Roach, 20, from the NHL's Los Angeles. . . . Roach played three games with the ECHL's Ontario Reign, earning three assists. . . . The Kings signed him as an undrafted free agent. . . . Roach, from Quesnel, B.C., has 83 points, 23 of them goals, in 184 games with the Hitmen. . . . His return leaves the Hitmen with four 20-year-olds, one over the roster limit. They will have 14 days to move Roach, D Jesse Zgraggen, F Brady Brassart or D Jaynen Rissling.
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The OHL's Erie Otters ran their winning streak to a franchise-record 11 games on Saturday as they dumped the host Niagara Ice Dogs, 6-0. Kris Knoblauch, a former WHL player and coach, is the Otters' head coach. . . . The Otters are scheduled to meet the Knights in London this afternoon.
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You likely are aware that the legendary Bobby Orr has written a book in which he makes the case that fighting belongs in hockey, at least at the NHL level. If you missed it, The Globe and Mail carried an excerpt from that book right here. . .
Ken Dryden, the former goaltending great, disagrees. Dryden's piece from Saturday's Globe and Mail is right here.
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Mike Beamish of the Vancouver Sun, who normally spends his time covering the B.C. Lions, had a couple of good reads in Saturday's sports section, both of them involving Pavel Bure. The first one is right here, with the other right here. . . . The first of those involves a confession from Beamish, who admits to once asking Bure for his autograph. The second story is about how Igor Kuperman played a role in Bure ending up with the Vancouver Canucks, who retired his number (10) last night.
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SUDBURY SATURDAY NIGHT:
In Lethbrige, F Jessey Astles had two goals and two assists as the Tri-City Americans dropped the Hurricanes, 8-1. . . . The Hurricanes have played 17 games this season and won only two of them. They are  2-12-3 and already nine points out of a playoff spot. . . . Astles, who has a career-high four goals this season, went into the game with two assists in 16 games. He also was plus-4. . . . Going into this season, Astles had seven goals in 179 games. . . . F Devon McAndrews, who joined the Americans from the AJHL this week, had a goal, his first, and two assists. He also finished plus-4. He had two assists in 13 games with the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 24 shots for the victory; his brother Ty, 16, scored his first WHL goal. . . . The Americans have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . F Parker Bowles scored for a second straight game for the Americans. He had missed the season's first 18 games as he recovered from offseason shoulder surgery. . . .

In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game's last three goals and beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . Kelowna F Carter Rigby picked up an assist in his first game this season after recovering from shoulder woes. . . . The Rockets had beaten the host Cougars 7-6 in a shootout on Friday night. . . . Kelowna (11-2-2) has won four straight and leads the B.C. Division by three points over the Victoria Royals (10-8-1), who have played three more games. . . . F Tyrell Goulbourne was scratched by the Rockets after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday. . . .

In Victoria, the Royals scored the game's first three goals and beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-1. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges, who played his first game of the season on Friday, drew two first-period assists. He had been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. . . . This was the first time in four opportunities that Victoria head coach Dave Lowry had earned the victory over Red Deer GM/head coach Brent Sutter. Lowry was an assistant under Sutter for three seasons with the NHL's Calgary Flames. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos scored six third-period goals and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 7-6. . . . Saskatoon actually took a 5-1 lead into the third period. . . . Swift Current F Graham Black tied it at 11:36 of the third period and F Connor Sanvido won it at 19:15. . . . Black finished with two goals and two assists, getting a goal and two helpers in the third period. . . . Saskatoon F Matt Revel scored a natural hat trick, getting three goals in 10:53, the first coming in the first period and last two in the second. . . . Swift Current had a 23-7 edge in third-period shots. . . . Saskatoon F Nikita Scherbak, a Russian freshman, ran his point streak to 11 games with a first-period assist. . . . Tweet from Blades radio voice Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice): "I believe it was the late, great Jack Buck who said it, but I can't believe what I just saw. @bladeshockey L 7-6 in Swift. Led 5-1 after 40." . . . The Broncos have won four in a row; the Blades have lost four straight. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Dakota Conroy scored at 2:53 of OT to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Raiders D MacKenzie Johnston had forced extra time with a goal at 16:47 of the third period. It was his first goal of the season. . . . Johnston, 20, who was acquired last month from the Kelowna Rockets, has nine goals in 246 career games. . . . The Raiders (11-6-1) lead the East Division and are one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading Medicine Hat Tigers (11-3-2). . . .

In Everett, G Daniel Cotton stopped 16 shots as the Silvertips blanked his old club, the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-0. . . . Cotton has three career shutouts, one this season. . . . All of his shutouts have been with Everett. He played 18 games with Seattle -- one in 2010-11 and 17 in 2011-12 -- before he ended up in Everett. . . . F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him 13 on the season. . . . Everett held a 12-2 edge on shots in the first period and 11-5 in the second. . . . The Silvertips (11-3-2) are three points off the U.S. Division lead. . . . The Silvertips have added F Darcy DeRoose, 18, to their roster, although he didn't play in this one. A native of Weyburn, Sask., he had been with the SJHL's Estevan Bruins, for whom he had 12 points, eight of them goals, in 14 games. Earlier in his career, he played three games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl didn't play as he is awaiting word on a suspension after a checking-from-behind major in Friday's 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Seattle was without F Roberts Lipsbergs (undisclosed injury) and D Evan Wardley, who is awaiting word on a suspension after he took out Portland F Adam De Champlain one night earlier during a 5-2 loss in Kent, Wash. . . .

In Kamloops, D Brett Kulak's shootout goal gave the Vancouver Giants a 4-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . The Giants have won four of five, with the victories all coming on the road. In the last week, they won twice in Kamloops and twice in Prince George. . . . Blazers F Nick Chyzowski, 16, scored his first two WHL goals, pulling his side into 2-2 and 3-3 ties in the third period. He is the son of former Blazers F Dave Chyzowski. . . . F Aspen Sterzer had three assists for Kamloops. . . .

In Spokane, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 11 games with a 3-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The defending-champion Winterhawks have the WHL's best record, at 14-3-1. . . . Portland has won six in a row on the road. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored the game's first goal to run his point streak to 12 games. . . . Portland F Nic Petan drew an assist on that goal and is riding an 11-game point streak. . . . Petan finished with three assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg had his season-opening point streak stopped at 17 games. He put up a league-leading 42 points over that stretch. . . . The Winterhawks next play Wednesday against the visiting Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs (12-5-0) are three points in back of the Winterhawks.
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The NHL had one of its dimmer moments Saturday when it announced that Philadelphia Flyers G Ray Emery wouldn't be suspended for his Friday night assault on Washington Capitals G Braden Holtby. . . . Apparently, the NHL doesn't have a rule that covers an assault on an unwilling dance partner. . . . John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal gives the NHL a few jabs right here.
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From Hall of Fame hockey writer Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) of the Los Angeles Times: "NHL once suspended Sean Avery for conduct detrimental to the game but won't invoke clause to suspend Ray Emery for (Friday) night's craziness?"
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From columnist Gary Lawless (@garylawless) of the Winnipeg Free Press: "so if the #blackhawks score a couple more should we expect a line brawl featuring 1 of #nhljets beating up someone who doesn't want to fight."
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From TSN's Dave Hodge (@TSNDaveHodge): "There's nothing in the rule book that allows the NHL to suspend Ray Emery, which means there's nothing that covers stupid stuff."

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Marek Curilla (Kootenay, Medicine Hat, 2005-06) signed for the rest of the season with Csíkszereda Miercurea-Ciuc (Romania, MOL Liga). Last season, Curilla had 17 points, six of them goals, in 40 games with Most (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) and seven points, including two goals, in 10 games with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga). . . .
F Joni Lindlöf (Kelowna, Lethbridge, 2002-04) has been loaned to Almtuna (Sweden, Allsvenskan) by Wings Arlanda (Sweden, Div 1). With the Wings, he had 18 points, including 10 goals, and was plus-15 in 12 games. . . .
F Malte Strömwall (Tri-City, 2011-13) had been loaned to Troja-Ljungby (Sweden, Allsvenskan) by Växjö (Sweden, SHL). This season, he has one assist in 14 games with Växjö.
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1. The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped D Dominic Thom, 17, from their roster. He is expected to join the AJHL's Calgary Mustangs. . . . Thom was selected in the ninth round of the 2011 bantam draft. He had one assist and was plus-3 in two games with the Wheat Kings this season. . . . Brandon is taking 24 players, including two goaltenders and 15 forwards, on its U.S. Division swing that opens Friday in Spokane against the Chiefs.

2. The female football fan who got punched by the guy wearing a New York Jets sweater? She has been charged with simple assault and disorderly content. There's more right here.

3. The Monday Morning Quarterback site is doing a lot of work this week with concussion-related stories. There's a good one right here, written by Richard Deitsch, about network television and the tightrope it walks in reporting on the issue.

4. It was a big night for the Thrower family on Wednesday, what with the Calgary Hitmen in Vancouver to play the Giants. Dalton, a defenceman, is the captain of the Giants. Younger brother Josh is a defenceman with the Hitmen. . . . Their sister, Danae, sang O Canada prior to the game. . . . Their parents, Melanie and Murray, were in the stands. . . . Andy Prest of the North Shore News has a good read right here on the Thrower family — it hasn't been easy for them to get to this point in their lives.

5. Someone asked me the other day if I had read any good books lately. Well, I have had some time on my hands, so the answer is "Yes!" . . . Here are a few titles. . . .
Detroit: An American Autopsy, by Charlie LeDuff, is an incredible look at the Motor City and provides more than a hint at how the city ended up in such dire straits. I think I read something the other day about a former mayor drawing a 38-year jail sentence. . . . Highly recommended. . . .
Whitey Bulger: America's Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt that Brought Him to Justice, written by Boston Globe reporters Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy, reads like fiction but isn't. . . . Best book I've read to this point in 2013. . . .
An Accidental Sportswriter, by Robert Lipsyte, provides a neat look at the life of a newspaper columnist who spent a whole lot of time around Muhammad Ali. Lipsyte now is ESPN's ombudsman and is a superb essayist. . . .
Northern Light (The enduring mystery of Tom Thomson and the woman who loved him), written by Roy MacGregor, explores the demise of artist Tom Thomson from every angle. An engrossing read. . . .
Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap Stories, written by, yes, Randy Bachman, is similar to his CBC radio program, only without the music, unless you want to supply that on your iPod. Lots of good stories here. . . .
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures is another essay-filled work by author Malcolm Gladwell. Lots of food for thought here. . . .
There has been some fiction, too. . . . The Racketeer, by John Grisham, is good mind candy, as is The Innocent, by David Baldacci. This was the first Baldacci book I have read, and I will certainly read more of his stuff. . . . I also enjoyed Black Fridays, by Michael Sears, about a bad boy trying to do good in the world of high finance. . . .

6. So . . . when did the St. Louis Cardinals lose the ability to catch a baseball? Oh boy, that was embarrassing. . . . According to ESPN Stats & Info, "Game 1 winner: wins World Series 62% of time; has won 21 of last 25 World Series."

7. The Tri-City Americans have added F Devon McAndrews, 18, to their roster. They acquired his rights from the Medicine Hat Tigers a year ago for a conditional sixth-round 2014 bantam draft pick. . . . McAndrews has been with the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound McAndrews had two assists and 27 penalty minutes in 13 games with the Saints this season, after getting 15 points, five of them goals, and 71 penalty minutes in 52 games last season. . . . "He’s a guy I identified over a year ago who I thought would help our team,” Bob Tory, the Americans' general manager, told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald. "The fact he is coming now is good news for us. We are in a transition with our team. The ability to add a new players gives up depth and options to look at things in the future. Obviously we can’t carry 16 forwards when everyone is healthy, so it puts pressure on the players here to perform.” . . . Fowler adds that McAndrews' father, Stewart, was a linebacker with the U of Albert Golden Bears and played one season with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos.

JUST NOTES:
In Vancouver, F Alec Baer, 16, had a goal and two assists in the first period and the Giants went on to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Tim Traber got the winner at 2:04 of extra time. . . . The Giants, who led 3-0 in the first period, have won two in a row at home after an eight-game losing skein. . . .
In Regina, the Pats had a six-game winning streak snapped as they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride, 16, stopped 42 shots to earn his first WHL victory in his second start. . . . G Mac Engel, 20, made his first start for the Pats. . . .
In Medicine Hat, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to six games with a 5-3 victory over the Tigers. . . . Portland F Shane McColgan, 20, who was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades over the summer, played his first game after offseason surgery. . . . Todd Vrooman, the radio voice of the Winterhawks, pointed out that there were 17 American-born players involved in this one -- 11 with Portland and six with Medicine Hat. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings opened an eight-game road swing with a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Cody Corbett, D Dysin Mayo and D Griffin Reinhart, all out with undisclosed injuries.

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The Tri-City Americans were involved in a couple of trades on Monday. . . . First, they acquired the WHL rights to F Devon McAndrews, 17, from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is from Edmonton and is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. He has one assist and 14 penalty minutes in eight games. McAndrews, a list player, attended the Tigers’ training camp. . . . Later, the Americans sent D Kaleb Denham, 16, to the Red Deer Rebels for a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2015. Denham, a sixth-round pick by the Americans in 2011, is with the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Rebels and the plans are to leave him. After making the deal, the Rebels announced that they have signed Denham.
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The Vancouver Giants have released Czech F Alex Kilnar, 19, who was selected in the CHL’s 2012 import draft but was a healthy scratch from three of the club’s four games. . . .
The Giants have had their share of problems in trying to fill their second import slot. Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has more right here, while Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province takes a look right here.
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The Kootenay Ice has released Czech F Petr Vesely, 18, and assigned D Kyle Krabben, 17, to a team to be determined. . . . Vesely, a first-round pick in the CHL’s 2012 import draft, was pointless in one game; Krabben was pointless in two games. . . . The Ice now is carrying 22 players, including seven defencemen and 13 forwards.
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The defending-champion Edmonton Oil Kings have signed general manager Bob Green to a three-year contract extension that includes an option on a fourth season. . . . Green is the only GM the franchise has known. In the fifth season with him at the helm, the Oil Kings won the WHL championship. . . . Green was honoured as the WHL’s 2011-12 executive of the year.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the veteran radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “Random thought 7: The @Kelowna Rockets have one win, same as @SCBroncos, yet three fewer points. Loser points make me laugh. #garybettman”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Paul D. Anderson (@PaulD_Anderson): “The two lawsuits filed Friday bring the total to 155 concussion-related lawsuits v. NFL. There are now 3,689 former players suing the #NFL.”
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