It’s your lucky day because I bring word that a new issue of DubNation is available. Yes, right now!
The latest edition has Dave Lowry, the first-year head coach of the Victoria Royals, on the cover to go with a story on him.
Among other things in this edition are a look at hockey in Seattle and a look back at Ernie (Punch) McLean’s WHL days.
It is available in flip-page or PDF.
To get it, you can click right here.
Or go over to the right side of this page, click on DubNation and then on MAGAZINE.
DubNation is put together — planned, designed and laid out — by Doyle Potenteau, the Kelowna Daily Courier’s veteran hockey writer.
Enjoy!
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There is little doubt but that the NHL lockout is being felt in the WHL.
For example, the Regina Pats got D Colton Jobke, 20, back from the AHL’s Houston Aeros on Thursday. Were it not for the lockout, he almost certainly would have gotten a longer look and may well have ended up somewhere in the Minnesota Wild’s organization.
On Saturday, the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs shipped out six players, with G Mac Carruth, 20, finding himself on his way back to the Portland Winterhawks.
This, of course, makes things awfully interesting in Portland, where the Winterhawks opened the season with two goaltenders — Brendan Burke, 17, and Cam Lanigan, 20.
Carruth played the last three seasons in Portland, while Lanigan was claimed off waivers from the Kamloops Blazers over the summer.
Carruth went 73-30-3 over the last two regular seasons and then helped get the Winterhawks into the WHL’s championhip final each of the last two seasons.
Lanigan, meanwhile, has had a spotty WHL career with stops in Edmonton, Kamloops and now Portland. But he has been really strong with the Winterhawks in the early part of this season, going 3-0-0, 1.00, .960.
If nothing else, his performance this season should ensure Lanigan gets a look from someone else should he be the odd goaltender out in Portland.
BTW, the IceHogs assigned two other ex-WHLers — F Byron Froese and G Kent Simpson — to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
Simpson, like Carruth, is a 20-year-old and one supposes he could still end up back with the Everett Silvertips.
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Tyler Bunz, another 20-year-old goaltender, has been assigned from the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons to the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Bunz played the last four seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
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F Matt Barzal, taken first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft, was taken to hospital in Prince George on Saturday with what is believed to be a concussion. . . . Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen reports that Barzal, who plays for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs, was injured in the second period. He was taken to hospital during the intermission. . . . The Chiefs dropped a 4-0 decision to the Cariboo Cougars. . . . Barzal attended the Thunderbirds’ training camp but hasn’t signed a WHL contract.
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The Vancouver Giants have assigned D Arvin Atwal to the junior B North Delta Devils of the Pacific International junior league. Atwal, who turns 17 on Nov. 26, is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to play until sometime in November.
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The AHL’s Abbotsford Heat has signed D Steve McCarthy, 31, who hasn’t played in the NHL since 2007-08 when he was with the Atlanta Thrashers. . . . McCarthy played three WHL seasons, one with the Edmonton Ice and two with the Kootenay Ice. In 1996, he was the Ice’s first bantam draft pick when he went first overall. . . . McCarthy, who is from Trail, B.C., played last season with the Swiss Elite League’s Zurich Lions, who won the championship under head coach Bob Hartley. Hartley now is head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, the Heats’ parent club.
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SATURDAY’S STUFF:
D Ryan Pulock celebrated his 18th birthday with two goals as the host Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Red Deer Rebels, 2-1. . . . Pulock tied the game 1-1 at 9:43 of the second and got the winner, via the PP, at 1:19 of the third. . . . Brandon F Nick Buonassisi had two assists. . . . Pulock has 11 points, four of them goals, in seven games. He also is plus-11. . . .

The Edmonton Oil Kings broke open a scoreless game with three PP goals in the second period and went on to beat the visiting Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . The Oil Kings finished 3-5 on the PP; the Blades were 1-9. . . . The Blades have given up eight PP goals in their last two games, losing them by a cumulative 14-2. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit picked up two assists, to go with his 27 saves. Oh, he also had a minor penalty. A victory. An assist. A penalty. Is that some kind of Terry Sawchuk hat trick? . . . Brossoit went into the game with three assists in 101 career regular-season games. . . . Edmonton D Keegan Lowe (foot) missed his third straight game. . . . Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower, a second-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL draft, was a healthy scratch for the second time in two nights. . . . The Blades (2-5-0) have lost three in a row as they prepared to face the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday. . . .

G Daniel Wapple got his first WHL victory in his first home start as the Moose Jaw Warriors dumped the Portland Winterhawks, 4-2. . . . Wapple, who made 32 saves, lost his shutout in the last half of the third period. . . . F Sam Fioretti had a goal and two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch returned from a four-game WHL suspension. . . .

The host Swift Current Broncos scored the game’s first two goals and then hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . G Eetu Laurikainen made 25 saves for the Broncos, who have points in all seven games they have played. . . . F Ryon Moser scored his fourth goal for the Broncos. He is riding a season-opening seven-game point streak. . . .

The line of Colin Smith between Tim Bozon and JC Lipon totalled nine points as the Kamloops Blazers dropped the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1. . . . Lipon had two goals and an assist, with Bozon scoring his fifth of the season and adding two assists, and Smith drawing three helpers. . . . Lipon has 12 points, nine of them assists, in six games, while Smith has 11 points and Bozon has 10. . . . Lipon is tied for the WHL points lead and is No. 1 in assists. . . . The Blazers are 5-0-1 and alone atop the Western Conference. . . . The Tigers went 0-2-1 in a quick trip into the B.C. Division. . . .

F Rourke Chartier, the 15th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his first two WHL goals and set up another to help the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 7-5 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Rourke’s father, Marc, played in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades, New Westminster Bruins and Billings Bighorns (1977-81). . . . D Myles Bell, who has been spending some time of late playing up front with Kelowna, had a goal and three assists. . . .

D Shea Theodore scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . Russian F Alex Delnov broke a 2-2 tie at 4:08 of the third period. At that point all five goals had come via the PP. . . . In the end, six of the seven scores came with the man advantage. . . . For the second night in a row, Seattle was awarded a penalty shot because an opposing player covered the puck in his crease. This time, Delnov couldn’t beat G Austin Lotz. (On Friday, Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped F Connor Honey). . . . Lotz left with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Cole Holowenko to open the third. Holowenko was beaten on two of the first three shots he faced. . . .

G Eric Williams ran his record to 2-0 as Spokane’s unchallenged starter as the host Chiefs beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-2. . . . Williams stopped 27 shots, one night after he and the Chiefs beat the visiting Victoria Royals, 5-3. . . . The Chiefs released G Mac Engel, 19, on Friday and are trying to trade him. With that move, Williams, 19, took over as the starter. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg got his WHL-high eighth goal of the season. . . .

F Logan Nelson tied the game late in the third period and then scored the only goal of the shootout as the Victoria Royals beat the Tri-City Americans 4-3 in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Nelson scored his second goal of the game and third of the season with 34.1 seconds to play in the third period. . . . G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots for the Royals and then was perfect in the circus. . . . F Brian Williams received credit for Tri-City’s first goal when Victoria scored an own goal with a delayed penalty being called on the Americans. With Tri-City D Zach Yuen to be called for slashing, Victoria F Jamie Crooks tried to centre the puck from behind the Americans net and had the puck go all the way down the ice and into the empty net. . . . “I’ve never see it before, and I’m old,” Tri-City head coach Jim Hiller told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald.
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CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
F Marc McCoy, Red Deer
F Alex Forsberg, Prince George
D Nick Walters, Everett (double minor)
F Luke Harrison, Victoria
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CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
F Jason Swyripa, Brandon
F Jayce Hawryluk, Brandon
F Mitch Moroz, Edmonton
F Jessey Astles, Saskatoon
D Joel Edmundson, Moose Jaw
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TWEET OF THE DAY I:
From Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) who covers the Warriors for the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “Having technical issues was bringing back flashbacks of life in the Civic Centre. Don’t miss those issues, but I still miss the Crushed Can.”
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice), the play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades: “My hand is up but if @bladeshockey get spanked again tonight vs @EdmOilKings, somet players might not find themselves at Memorial Cup in May”
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Brandt Snedeker has become one of the PGA tour’s best players. His caddy is Scott Vail, the 38-year-old son of former NHLer Eric Vail, a Calder Trophy winner. Tim Wharnsby of cbc.ca checks in with Scott Vail right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2000-01) signed a one-year contract extension with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). Galbraith led the league in scoring and assists, was a first team all-star selection, and was the Elite League Player of the Year as he posted 38 goals and 63 assists in 58 games for the Clan last season. . .  .
F Tyker Czuba, who played in one playoff game for Red Deer in 2003, signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedve (Hungary, MOL Liga). He had 27 goals and 11 assists in 25 games for Montpellier (France, Division 1) last season. Czuba finished in a tie for most goals in Division 1 last season.
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The latest edition of DubNation is available right here.
It’s more than 70 pages of major junior-related stuff, including some terrific photos, a feature on Portland Winterhawks star Sven Baertschi, a look at the artwork done by Taylor Vause of the Swift Current Broncos, a flashback to when Don Cherry played in the Memorial Cup.
It’s all created by Doyle Potenteau and it’s all free.
So . . . check it out!
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The NHL draft had hardly ended Saturday when the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Post-Dispatch, “notified four amateur scouts that they will not be back with the club — Brian Bates, Andrew Shaw, Artem Telepin and John Williams, who was assistant director of amateur scouting.” . . . Portzline reports that “Bates, Telepin and Williams had been with the Blue Jackets since before they took the ice for their inaugural season in 2000-01. Williams, who scouted Western Canada and especially the Western Hockey League, had a heavy hand in the Blue Jackets' last two No. 1 draft picks, Ryan Johansen (2010) and Ryan Murray (2012).”
It was only a year ago (June 7, 2011) when the Blue Jackets dumped Don Boyd, who was the assistant general manager, and Bob Strumm, their director of pro scouting.
“We believe it was time to make changes in key areas of our organization as we strive to build a championship-caliber team,” Scott Howson, the team’s VP of hockey operations and GM, said at the time.
Boyd had started with Columbus as director of amateur scouting in 1999. Strumm also had been there since 1999.
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It would seem that large goaltenders remain in vogue with NHL teams. The Goalie Guild (@The Goalie Guild) tweeted a draft breakdown by height. . . . Two at 6-foot-5. . . . Five at 6-foot-4. . . . Three at 6-foot-3. . . . Five at 6-foot-2. . . . Seven at 6-foot-1. . . . One each at 6-foot-0 and 5-foot-11. . . .
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Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail reports right here that Hockey Calgary’s desire to remove body checking for peewee players (ages 11 and 12) has been shot down after the city’s 24 associations voted, via secret ballot, to defeat two motions that would have gotten rid of checking prior to next season.
Never mind that a five-year-old study, comparing injuries in this age group between Alberta and Quebec, where hitting isn’t allowed, “showed there was a 33 per cent increase in injuries in Alberta and a higher risk of concussion,” Maki writes.
It will be interesting to see if Hockey Calgary experiences a decrease in registration as those youngsters who don’t want to be banged around gravitate to soccer or baseball or something less physical.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Gerad Adams (Regina, Kelowna, 1995-99) signed a two-year contract extension as player and head coach for the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). He had eight goals and nine assists in 56 games this season, his seventh in Cardiff.
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If you scoot on over to DubNation — there’s a link over there on the right — you will find the latest production from the computer of Doyle Potenteau. It’s the March edition and it’s full of WHL-related news, feature stories and photographs. . . . D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips is profiled. There’s a look back at Ray Ferraro . . . and a whole lot more. . . . Enjoy!
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SOME PRO NEWS: F Garett Bembridge (Saskatoon, 1997-2001) has signed with the Central league’s Wichita Thunder. He had been playing for Valpellice in Italy, totalling 28 points in 36 games. . . . F Taylor Vause, who signed with the AHL’s Texas Stars after completing his junior eligibility this season with the Swift Current Broncos, scored his first pro goal on Sunday in a 4-2 victory over the host Toronto Marlies. Vause was playing his third AHL game. . . . Also on Sunday, G Jon Groenheyde, who also finished his junior career with Swift Current, picked up his first pro victory. Groenheyde stopped 23 shots as the host Allen Americans downed the Wichita Thunder 3-1 in a Central league game. That was Groenheyde’s second start; he gave up two goals on 27 shots the first time out. He is one of three goaltenders on the roster, including Rejean Beauchemin (Prince Albert, 2002-05).
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Prior to the start of the just-completed regular season, the WHL announced it was implementing a social media policy.
After its annual general meeting in June, the league announced: “The WHL has adopted a Social Media and Networking Policy designed to educate players and all members of the WHL community on the risks associated with this new medium. The policy contains guidelines for using social media in a responsible manner and areas which would constitute a League violation.”
Now I haven’t seen a copy of that policy but I’m thinking it was violated at some point after Saturday’s playoff action.
I didn’t see it but I am told that a player who shall go unnamed tweeted this:
“Never seen such bullshit refing in my life. #conspiracy #anythingfortricity what a f'en joke”
Except that he didn’t write ‘f’en’, preferring to spell it out in case there was any doubt.
Apparently, the tweet was deleted about an hour after it first showed up.
Could be an interesting test for the WHL’s social media policy, whatever it is.
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On behalf of my media brethren, a reminder to all WHL teams . . .
According to the WHL’s Media Services Policy, “Players coaches and other team personnel will be available upon request for media interviews up to 90 minutes before game time.”
That rule stands for regular-season games and for playoff games.
I offer this reminder after being informed Saturday by a veteran coach that he wasn’t aware of that rule.
It is on Page 26 of the WHL’s 2011-12 Guide.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: D Darren Dietz of the Saskatoon Blades is under a ‘tbd’ suspension for a slashing major and game misconduct in Game 1 against the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Friday. The victim was Tigers F Emerson Etem. Dietz didn’t play in Game 2 on Saturday. . . . The Regina Pats requested supplemental discipline for a hit by Moose Jaw F Cody Beach in Game 1 against the host Warriors. The WHL office didn’t grant the request, so the Pats are $500 lighter. . . . There are a few other players awaiting word on discipline. . . . Kelowna F Brett Bulmer took a kneeing major and game misconduct in Game 2 of the Rockets series with the Winterhawks in Portland on Saturday. . . . Everett had two players ejected from a 3-1 loss to the host Tri-City Americans in Game 2. F Ryan Harrison drew an interference major and game misconduct, while F Cody Fowlie got tossed with a checking-from-behind major. . . . As well, Portland F Oliver Gabriel drew a game misconduct in Game 2 after taking a minor penalty. I don’t know that whatever he did was a suspendable offence, however.
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To date, there have been 17 playoff games played. During those games, WHL referees have handed out 36 misconduct penalties, along with six game misconducts and 10 majors, six of which were for fighting.
Yes, sirree! In 17 games there have been three fights. In total. That’s all.
During the 792-game regular season, there were 790 fights, or an average of one scrap before game. (Thanks to hockeyfights.com for compiling those numbers.)
A few weeks ago, WHL commissioner Ron Robison was talking about how fighting was down in the league. Well, he was right. The number of fights per game fell by .08.
Last season, there were 857 fights, an average of 1.08 per game.
In last season’s playoffs, teams combined to play 70 games. There were 24 fights, an average of 0.34 per game.
Please tell me again why fighting is such an integral part of the game?
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, D Keegan Lowe’s goal at 16:48 of the third period broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Oil Kings, who had the WHL’s best record in the regular season, take a 2-0 lead into Cranbrook for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday. . . . Edmonton has won its last 13 games. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who stopped 22 shots, preserved the tie with a big save off F Sam Reinhart with 38 seconds left in the third. . . . Lowe’s goal was his first of the series and his second in six career playoff games. He had three goals in 72 games during the regular season and has seven in 212 career regular-season games. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen turned aside 41 shots. . . . The Ice got the game’s first goal, with F Drew Czerwonka scoring a minute into the first period. . . . The teams alternated goals after that, with the Ice leading 2-1 after one period and 3-2 after two. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar, the second overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, tied the game with his second goal in two games at 15:05 of the third. . . . Lowe won it 1:43 later. . . . Edmonton was 2-7 on the PP; the Ice was 0-4. . . . The Oil Kings were without F Henrik Samuelsson, who completed a two-game suspension for a clipping major he incurred in the regular season’s final game. . . .
Columnist John MacKinnon the Edmonton Journal took in Game 2 and filed this piece.

In Winnipeg, Brandon F Michael Ferland broke a 1-1 tie at 8:01 of the second period and the Wheat Kings went on to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings hold a 2-1 lead in the series with Games 4 and 5 in Winnipeg on Tuesday and Thursday nights. . . . The Wheat Kings are 11-4-0 in games played at the MTS Centre, including 4-3 in playoff games. . . . The Wheat Kings are playing their home games at the MTS Centre because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored perhaps the game’s biggest goal, giving his side a 3-1 lead at 19:41 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Kevin Sundher made it 4-1 at 4:56 of the third. That was Sundher’s first goal of the playoffs and his first goal since Feb. 10. Two games later, he suffered a concussion, then tried to come back on March 2, wasn’t able to continue and didn’t play again until Game 1 of this series. Sundher also had an assist and was named the game’s first star. . . . If he’s healthy, Sundher, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, can be a difference-maker. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 26 shots, 12 fewer than Calgary’s Brandon Glover, who started his second straight game after Chris Driedger played in the opener. . . . Brandon was 1-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-1. . . . Attendance in the home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets was announced as 3,578. . . . F Cody Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, missed the first two games with an undisclosed injury. He travelled to Winnipeg but didn’t play in Game 3. . . . Calgary F Victor Rask (leg) didn’t make the bus trip to Winnipeg but still could join the team there this week.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Max Reinhart, Kootenay.
F Brock Montgomery, Kootenay.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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There aren’t any WHL games scheduled for tonight. Seven series will resume on Tuesday.
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Lem Barney is in the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and yet if he had it to do all over again he wouldn’t play football. Why? Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes about Barney and his concussion history right here.
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In the Boston Globe’s weekly hockey notebook, Fluto Shinzawa looks at the NHL and the impact of new statistics and data. Give it a read and you will realize that hockey is unlikely to ever go the way of baseball when it comes to that area of the game.


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.

A new edition of DubNation is available. The link is over there on the left.
Enjoy!

DubNation has arrived!

It’s here!
DubNation, the ezine produced by Doyle Potenteau, is on the website and available for you to download as a PDF.
Yes, it’s free.
And it’s 31 pages in length, with stories and columns and all the rest.
You will find it right here!
 gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
 gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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