'It makes me cry at my computer . . .'

F Tomáš Vincour (Edmonton, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a one-year contract with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL), he had six goals and five assists in 39 games. . . .
F Kyle Beach (Everett, Lethbridge, Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a tryout contract through Sept. 30 with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, he had four goals in seven games with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL), two goals and an assist in seven games with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL), and two goals and five assists in 39 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL).
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An email arrived in my Inbox on Thursday morning. It was from a former WHL defenceman, who in his playing days could have played on my team, your team or any team. No, he wasn’t an all-star; rather, he was a tough-as-nails, take-no-prisoners defenceman, the kind you can’t win without. Yes, he fought; mostly, though, he played hard, really hard.
“I have had some depression issues in the past,” he wrote, “not to the point where I was thinking of doing anything drastic, but depression none the less.
“Was it from too many concussions? Maybe, not sure.
“My point to all this is, I know there are former players, just like myself, who have the same issues I do, they just hide it. Is it solely a hockey player problem? No, but it makes me cry at my computer when I see these kids killing themselves.
“Keep it in the spotlight, thanks for writing about this topic.”
That email came on the heels of another note, this from the wife of a career coach.
The other day, she wrote: “I read a Facebook status from a player who played for (my husband) on two different teams talking about his battle with depression. I contacted him. He was a tough guy, said he felt the need to live up to that reputation, until now.”
And now I’m wondering just how many former hockey players there are out there who are dealing, or trying to deal, with depression?
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TRADE WIRE:
THE DEAL: The Prince George Cougars acquired D Dominic Thom, 18, from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft.
THE SKINNY: Thom, from Calgary, was a ninth-round pick by Brandon in the 2011 bantam draft. He played in two games with Brandon, both last season, earning one assist. He played 29 games with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs, recording a goal and five assists.
THE ANALYSIS: The Wheat Kings get a draft pick, likely conditional on his being on the Cougars’ roster at a particular date, for a player who wasn’t going to stick with them. The Cougars get to look at a 6-foot-3, 185-pound defenceman who could provide them with some depth on the back end.
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F Axel Blomqvist will be a bit late reporting to the Victoria Royals. That’s because he will play for Team Sweden at a Four Nations tournament in Jönköping, Aug. 29-31. Earlier this summer, Blomqvist, who was acquired by Victoria from the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season, attended Sweden’s national junior evaluation camp. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Blomqvist, 19, hopes to be named to the Swedish team that will play in the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. . . . The 2015 tournament will be split between Montreal and Toronto, running Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . Blomqvist put up 43 points, including 16 goals, in 46 games with the Royals last season. He attended the Winnipeg Jets’ rookie and main camps as an undrafted free agent last season and ended up signing a three-year entry-level deal.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Logan Christensen, who was a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Christensen, from Morden, Man., had 79 points, 34 of them goals, in 54 games at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna last season.
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Teams in the QMJHL have been in camp for a few days now. If you’re wondering why that league always starts so early, Willy Palov of the Halifax ChronicleHerald has the scoop right here.
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A story in Thursday’s Ottawa Citizen begins with this: “A 31-year-old recreational hockey player has been sentenced to 18 months’ probation after a rare criminal conviction for an on-ice collision — a decision that his lawyer says has set a dangerous precedent that could chill participation in such hockey leagues.” . . . Meghan Hurley’s complete story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Ryan Smith, the MJHL’s coach of the year last season, now is the general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. He replaces Dean Brockman, who now is an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades. Smith, from Winnipeg, has a three-year contract with the Broncos. . . . Smith spent five seasons as the GM/head coach with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers.
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Darren Komonoski is back with the junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies, as assistant coach and goaltending coach. Komonoski returns to the Grizzlies after stepping aside for a couple of years. He also works with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. . . . A native of Humboldt, Sask., Komonoski, who lives in Revelstoke, will work with GM/head coach Ryan Parent. The Grizzlies play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
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Matt Cockell (Saskatoon, Seattle, Regina, Spokane, 1996-99) is back with the Brandon Wheat Kings as their goaltending coach. Cockell, from Winnipeg, spent the past two seasons with Hockey Canada after being part of the Wheat Kings’ coaching staff. He was the goaltending coach with the Canadian women’s team that won gold at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi last season. . . . While Cockell was gone, Brent Zelenwich had served as Brandon’s goaltending coach.
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Fernando Pisani, a native of Edmonton who played 402 regular-season games with the Oilers, has joined the U of Alberta Golden Bears as the lead assistant to head coach Ian Herbers. Pisani, 37, was the club’s part-time assistant last season; he now is full-time. He fills the spot created when Ryan Marsh left the Golden Bears to sign on as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oil Kings.
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D MacKenzie Johnston (Kelowna, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, 2009-2014) will attend Mount Royal University and play for the Cougars. A native of Swift Current, Johnston played out his junior eligibility last season, splitting it between the Kelowna Rockets, Prince Albert Raiders and Saskatoon Blades. . . . D Dylan Busenius (Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, Saskatoon), who also played out his junior eligibility last season, has decided to attend the U of Calgary and play for the Dinosaurs. . . . F Connor Sanvido (Seattle, Swift Current, Saskatoon, 2009-13) will attend St. Thomas U in Fredericton, N.B., and play for the Tommies. Sanvido, the 14th overall pick in the WHL’s 2008 bantam draft, played three seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds. He split last season between the Swift Current Broncos and Saskatoon Blades as he completed his junior eligibility. . . . A tip of the hat to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix for tweeting all three of those moves.
The Brandon Wheat Kings revealed Thursday that they have sold 1,907 season tickets, “a slight increase over what the club had sold at the same time last summer.” The Wheat Kings sold more than “2,300 season tickets” last season when their average regular-season attendance was 3,529. . . . The Wheat Kings also announced that Russian D Ivan Provorov, 17, will report to training camp on Aug. 23. Provorov, who played with the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Roughriders last season, was selected in the 2014 CHL import draft. In 2012-13, he played midget hockey in Wilkes-Barre Scranton, Penn.

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Hey @HockeyCanada see this yet ? 30km West of Flin Flon, MB, side of hwy, saluting double gold in Sochi #ourgame pic.twitter.com/9uvADjrnht
— Evan Hammond (@HamWilder) August 15, 2014

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Black tickles the ivories; Driedger talks about his goal

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has signed a B-license card with Bern (Switzerland, NL A). He currently is playing with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B). Signing a B-license allows Sutter to play with Bern on loan once Red Ice season is over. This season with Red Ice, he has 12 points, including three goals, in 42 games. . . .
F Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) signed a B-license card with Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A). He is playing with Red Ice Martigny and is in the same situation as Sutter. Mikhailov is eligible to join Fribourg-Gottéron after Red Ice's season. He leads Red Ice in scoring, with 37 points, including 18 goals, in 42 games.
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If you are a WHL fan who is on Twitter, make sure you are following WHL Facts (@WHLFacts).
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The headline in the Prairie Post reads: 'Johann Sebastian' Black hitting all the right notes. . . . It's atop a story by Brad Brown on F Graham Black, a classical pianist who is having a terrific season with the Swift Current Broncos. That story is well worth reading and it's right here.
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F Jagger Williamson, who was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the sixth round of the 2013 bantam draft, has said he will play next season with the BCHL's Vernon Vipers. Williamson, a 15-year-old from Vernon, is playing for the midget Tier 1 team in Vernon.
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The Concussion Blog, which is linked to over there on the right, has an interesting season-ending look at the NFL and brain injuries. It's well worth a read and it's right here.
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Elliotte Friedman has his weekly compilation 30 Thoughts posted and it is as readable as always. It's right here, and Portland Winterhawks followers should know there is a Nino Niederreiter mention.
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Chris Driedger of the Calgary Hitmen is the sixth goaltender in WHL history to score a goal. He was credited with a Kootenay Ice own goal on Saturday night in Cranbrook. Jefferson Hagen of the Calgary Herald caught up with Driedger and has the story right here. The goal actually was scored by Ice F Zach Franko, whose pass attempt during a delayed penalty call against the Hitmen split the points and travelled the length of the ice and into the open net. Franko and Driedger are offseason training partners.
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Jonny Hogue used to be a stickboy for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. These days you can find him minding the WHL team’s goal. Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has more right here.
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THURSDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
No games scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES:
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Swift Current at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Spokane at Seattle, 7:35 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
The visiting Saskatoon Blades erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 6-3. . . . Blades F Mitch Lipon gave his guys a 3-2 lead with his fifth goal at 1:37 of the third. . . . Saskatoon D Dylan Busenius played in his 300th regular-season game and scored his eighth goal of the season, a shorthanded marker at 9:21 of the third. It stood up as the winner. . . . F Jamal Watson scored twice for Lethbridge. He's got 15. . . . Saskatoon G Troy Trombley turned aside 50 shots. . . . Saskatoon F Austin Adamson scored his first goal and it came in his 37th game. Adamson, who turned 18 on Feb. 2, is from Vancouver. . . . The Hurricanes had won their previous two games. . . . Neither the Blades (15-37-4) nor Hurricanes (11-39-5) will make the playoffs. The Hurricanes continue to hold down last place in the overall standings, their .245 winning percentage slightly ahead of the Kamloops Blazers’ .250. . . .

In Brandon, F Trevor Cox scored twice to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Cox broke a 1-1 tie at 10:47 of the second period and upped the lead to 3-1 just 19 seconds into the third. He's got 18 goals. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford had a goal, his 25th, and two assists. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk ran his point streak to 12 games, the longest in the WHL at present, with two assists. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 23 shots, including one on Brandon F Ryley Lindgren on a second-period penalty shot with the visitors leading 2-1. . . . The Tigers (31-19-3) have won two in a row and are fourth in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind the Calgary Hitmen and five ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . Brandon (27-20-6) is tied with Kootenay (28-21-4) and the Swift Current Broncos (26-20-8) atop the East Division. . . .

In Kamloops, the Edmonton Oil Kings ran their winning streak to a season-high nine games as they got past the Blazers, 4-1. . . . Edmonton F Riley Kieser broke a 1-1 tie with his ninth goal at 2:05 of the third period. . . . Kieser finished with two goals, giving him 10, and an assist. He was the Oil Kings' best skater in this one. . . . The Oil Kings now have won 15 of their last 16 games and 24 of 28. . . . The Kamloops PP unit was 0-for-8 and gave up two shorthanded goals, the last one Kieser’s empty-netter. . . . Kamloops D Sam Grist drew an interference major and game misconduct at 10:12 of the first period for a hit on Edmonton F Reid Petryk, who needed help on the ice but was out on the PP shortly thereafter. . . . It was a dangerous hit and Grist can expect a call from the WHL office today. . . . The Blazers won't play in Edmonton this season, but the Oil Kings played twice in Kamloops. Edmonton won 5-0 on Nov. 8. . . . Edmonton G Tyler Santos, who posted that 5-0 shutout, stopped 31 shots last night. The Oil Kings needed him through the first two periods as they were outshot 27-17. Edmonton held a 21-6 edge in the third, though. . . . The Oil Kings will visit the Kelowna Rockets on Friday for a battle of the conference leaders. . . . The Blazers (11-38-5) have lost seven in a row; they are 1-9-1 since Guy Charron took over as head coach from Dave Hunchak on Jan. 11. The Blazers will play their next five games at home, after which they will hit the road for 10. . . . The Blazers were the better team through two periods but couldn’t get enough pucks past Santos to give them some breathing room. For the most part, Edmonton’s best players didn’t show up until the third period. Perhaps they were looking ahead to Friday. . . . The Oil Kings (38-13-1) are comfortably atop the Eastern Conference standings, five points ahead of Calgary with two games in hand. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets scored four first-period goals and went on to beat the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . The Rockets had 11 players with one point each in that first period, and every skater but two was at least plus-1. . . . Red Deer G Taz Burman was gone 1:34 in to the first period after stopping one of three shots. G Patrik Bartosak came on and finished up. . . . Kelowna held a 22-8 edge in shots after one period. . . . The Rebels scored three times in the third period to make it interesting, the last one coming from F Aspen Sterzer, at 18:13. . . . Sterzer scored Red Deer's last two goals, giving him 24 in 52 games this season. . . . He had two goals in 31 games last season and five in 63 games in 2011-12. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 35 shots. . . . The Rockets (43-7-3) have a 12-point lead atop the overall standings. . . . The Kelowna franchise record for victories (52) was set last season. . . . The Rebels (27-23-4) are eighth in the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Spokane, Seattle G Taran Kozun continued his magical run as the Thunderbirds blanked the Chiefs, 4-0. . . . Kozun stopped 29 shots in posting his third shutout in nine starts with Seattle. Two of the blank jobs have been against the Chiefs. . . . Kozun was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers at the trade deadline. . . . With Kamloops, the 19-year-old from Nipawin, Sask., was 5-19-3, 3.95, .897. With Seattle, he is 8-1-0, 1.31, .957. . . .  Seattle F Justin Hickman had three goals for his first WHL hat trick. He has 18 goals this season, five of them coming over the last two games. . . . The Thunderbirds are 6-0 versus the Chiefs this season. The teams meet again Friday, this time in Kent, Wash. . . . Seattle (34-16-5) is fourth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Victoria Royals and six ahead of the Chiefs (31-17-5). . . . 

In Victoria, Calgary F Pavel Padakin scored on a breakaway at 1:26 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 7-6 victory over the Royals. . . . The Royals looked to be in control after scoring three PP goals and taking a 3-0 lead into the second period. . . . The Royals had dumped the Hitmen 7-2 on Tuesday night. . . . This was the second time this season Victoria has given up seven goals. The Royals lost 7-4 to the visiting Vancouver Giants on Dec. 7. . . . The Hitmen took the first period's last three minors and the Royals scored on each of them. . . . The Hitmen forced OT on third-period goals by F Brady Brassart, at 5:03; F Adam Tambellini, at 6:36, via the PP; and F Mike Winther, at 12:23. . . . Padakin finished with two goals and an assist. He has 19 goals this season. . . . Brassart had a goal, his 24th and two assists. . . . Tambellini's goal was his fifth. . . . F Ben Walker had two goals, giving him 22, and an assist for Victoria. . . . F Logan Nelson was among Victoria's scratches. . . . Royals D Joe Hicketts had two assists. He's got a goal and five assists in four games since returning from an injury. He had last played on Oct. 26. . . . Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson was hired in Calgary when Dave Lowry, now the Royals’ head coach, left for an assistant coaching job with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . The Royals were without G Patrik Polivka for both games. He has an undisclosed injury. Michael Herringer, a ninth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, backed up Coleman Vollrath. Herringer plays for the junior B Kerry Park Islanders who are coached by former WHL toughie Dale Purinton.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Global Lethbridge sports director Paul Kingsmith (@paulkingsmith): "Crazy but true -- @WHLHurricanes record w/@radiopat258 calling the game: 7-39-2-3. Record without @radiopat258 calling: 4-0-0-0."
Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat258) is the radio voice of the Hurricanes.

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Reinhart, Valk put streaks on line tonight

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Stefan Warg (Seattle, Prince Albert, 2008-10) signed a two-year deal with Skellefteå (Sweden, SEL) and is to join the team immediately. This season, he had one assist in 21 games with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) and two assist in three games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). . . .
F Eric Schneider (Tri-City, 1995-96) has signed for the rest of this season with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Bentley, Alta., Generals (Chinook Sr.), he had five points, including three goals, in two games. Last season with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL), he had nine points, three of them goals, in 13 games. He started last season with Bentley, putting up 13 points, including three goals, in 10 games and then signed with Hamburg to finish season.
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Everett is off to Kent, Wash., for a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent) tonight. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips were short five forwards at practice on Monday, with Logan Aasman (finger), Manraj Hayer (undisclosed), Jujhar Khaira (undisclosed), Zane Jones (undisclosed) and Tyler Sandhu (undisclosed) all sitting out. All are likely to sit out again tonight. . . . Patterson also notes that D Ben Betker (undisclosed) practised Monday and may play tonight.
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D Dylan Busenius of the Saskatoon Blades is scheduled to play in his 300th regular-season game later this week. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have lost eight of their last 10 games and find themselves eight points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot as they play host to the Swift Current Broncos tonight. The Broncos lead the season series 4-1-1. . . . Andrew Schopp of the Prince Albert Daily Herald looks at the Raiders’ recent struggles right here. . . . The Eastern Conference is going to be rather interesting down the stretch and the three-point games are likely to have a huge impact. Going into tonight’s play, the Edmonton Oil Kings have 75 points and the Calgary Hitmen have 70. After that, it’s the Medicine Hat Tigers (61), Brandon Wheat Kings and Swift Current (60), Regina Pats (59), Kootenay Ice (58) and Red Deer Rebels (57). They all have played 51, 52 or 53 games. . . . While the Raiders are bordering on next-year country, the Moose Jaw Warriors, Saskatoon Blades and Lethbridge Hurricanes already are there. In the Western Conference, the Kamloops Blazers won’t make the playoffs, while the Prince George Cougars, who are six points out with 17 games remaining, have a tough task ahead of them. . . . All told, 16 of the WHL’s 22 teams have winning percentages above .500. That number was 17 before Prince Albert’s tailspin took them to 23-25-3. . . . F Nikita Scherbak, the WHL’s leading freshman scorer, remains out of Saskatoon’s lineup as the Blades are in Cranbrook to meet the Kootenay Ice tonight. . . . F Sam Reinhart of the Ice takes a 10-game point streak into that game while, in Regina, F Curtis Valk of the Medicine Hat Tigers goes into tonight’s game with the Pats on a 10-game run. Reinhart has 18 points, including eight goals, in those 10 games, while Valk has 15 points, 10 of them goals. It’s the second time this season that Valk has put together a 10-game streak. . . . The longest point streak this season, 18 games, belongs to Everett F Josh Winquist.

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Goaltender Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks accepts congratulations
from Darrell May Sr. after breaking the latter's franchise record for career
victories on Wednesday night.
(Bryan Heim / Portland Winterhawks)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lukas Vartovnik (Everett, 2006-08) was one of seven players released by Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga) for financial reasons. Vartovnik had five goals and three assists in 25 games for Martin this season.
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The Prince George Cougars have acquired F Klarc Wilson, 19, from the Edmonton Oil Kings for a third-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Wilson was taken 10th overall by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . He has 16 points, five of them goals, and 55 penalty minutes in 40 games this season. In 225 career games with Brandon (19) and Edmonton (206), he has 78 points and 332 penalty minutes.
The Cougars, with F Daulton Siwak, 19, and F Alex Forsberg, who turned 18 on Jan. 4, having left them in recent days, get a badly needed forward and one with some experience. Wilson will get a lot more ice time with the Cougars.
Prince George general manager Dallas Thompson is going right down to the wire with Forsberg, who didn’t return to the team after the Christmas break and asked to be traded. He was the first overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft.
Thompson has said that he will only move Forsberg if the gets a substantial return and it seems that as of Wednesday he hadn’t seen anything resembling what he wants.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired F Trevor Cheek, 20, from the Vancouver Giants for a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. It will be a late second-round selection because it originally belonged to the Portland Winterhawks, who gave it up last season in order to land F Cam Reid, a 20-year-old who left St. Cloud State to come to the WHL. . . . Cheek, who is from Vancouver, Wash., began this season with the Calgary Hitmen. They dealt him to Vancouver for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a fifth-rounder in 2014. . . . Cheek had 32 points, including 18 goals, in 39 games with the Giants, after picking up one assist in one game with Calgary. In the previous two seasons, he had 74 points in 124 games with Calgary. . . . The trade leaves Edmonton with Cheek, F T.J. Foster and F Dylan Wruck as it’s three 20-year-old players. . . . The Giants are left with D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, their captain, as their only 20 and he will sit for the next few weeks with a hand injury.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have added some more size with the acquisition of D Mike Simpson, 18, from the Kootenay Ice. The Hurricanes gave up a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick in the exchange. Simpson, 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, is from Semiahmoo, B.C. He has one assist and 47 penalty minutes in 40 games this season, after putting up four points and 52 penalty minutes in 52 games last season. He was a sixth-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . Earlier in the week, the Hurricanes added 6-foot-2, 190-pound F Josh Derko in a deal with the Swift Current Broncos.
As for the Ice, the deal left it with five defencemen on the roster, so obviously something will happen there. But as of last night GM Jeff Chynoweth hadn’t moved either D Joey Leach or F Brock Montgomery, both of whom are 20. You get the feeling that Chynoweth won’t be unhappy if he ends up keeping both of them.
After the Simpson deal, the Ice owns seven selections in the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft, including four fifth-rounders.
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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired D Stewart Coyle, 17, from the Vancouver Giants for a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Unofficially, that is the first 2016 draft pick to change hands. . . . The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Coyle, who is from Sicamous, B.C., was pointless in 10 games with the Kelowna Rockets last season. This season, he had two assists in 17 games with the Giants. . . . The Giants got Coyle and F Tanner Moar from t he Rockets for two draft picks, a fourth in 2014 and a sixth in 2015, on Sept. 17.
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F Tanner Moar has left the Vancouver Giants, apparently choosing to retire rather than continue his WHL career. Moar, 18, is from Canwood, Sask. He had four points in 29 games with the Giants. Last season, he had eight points in 65 games with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Moar was a seventh-round selection by the Rockets in the 2009 bantam draft.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have assigned F Brett Brooks, who turned 18 on Dec. 2, to the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. A Winnipeg native, he had one point in 31 games this season after putting up three points in 38 games last season. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have added F Hunter Smith, 17, of Carlyle, Sask., to their roster. He had four points in nine games with the Carlyle Cougars of the Big 6 Hockey League. . . . Smith was a ninth-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2010 bantam draft. . . .
Bruce Fuhr of the Castlegar Source has more right here on that bizarre situation involving the junior B Beaver Valley Nitehawks and the junior A Trail Smoke Eaters. And, yes, it seems there will be an investigation. . . .
The NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild have once again begun the process that could lead to its moving into the BCHL. Brent Stecker of the Wenatchee World has that story right here.
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A note from Cam Wietzel advises that the 35th anniversary edition of the John Reid Memorial bantam tournament is scheduled for Jan. 17-20 at Servus Place in St. Albert, Alta.
“This tournament,” he notes, “features the top 16 bantam AAA teams in Western Canada and will feature many of the top 14-year-old hockey players in the country.”
He also was kind enough to provide a few tidbits . . .
1. The 2012 WHL bantam draft featured 93 players who were participants in the JRMT. That is an amazing 31 per cent of all invitees from the 2012 edition of the event, who went on to be drafted in to the WHL. 2013 is expecting to be as prolific.
2. The current top three scorers in the WHL — Colin Smith, Nicolas Petan and Brendan Leipsic — all were participants in the JRMT, as were two members of Canada's 2013 U-20 WJHC team — Morgan Rielly and Mark McNeill.
3. Over 60 alumni from the JRMT have gone on to play in the NHL, including Jarome Iginla, Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Eric Staal and Jonathan Toews.
4. This year's tournament features 23 of the top 30 scorers in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League, including South Side Athletic Club's Tyler Benson, who is on pace to shatter the AMBHL scoring record, currently held by Ty Rattie.
5. The all-time single tournament scoring leader is Jonathan Toews, who had 36 points in seven games in 2003.
6. Michael St. Croix, currently with the Edmonton Oil Kings, scored a record 38 points (including 15 as an underage) over two tournaments (2007 and 2008).
7. Thunder Bay won the tournament a record four consecutive years (1997-2000). The 1997 Thunder Bay squad featured three current NHLers — Patrick Sharp, Taylor Pyatt and Alex Auld.
8. Current Oil Kings F Curtis Lazar was named MVP of the 2010 JRMT. His performance at the JRMT was his self-described, “coming out party” in terms of his meteoric rise up the scouts’ rankings. He eventually was selected second overall in the WHL draft and is a potential first-round selection in the upcoming NHL draft.
9. Several coaching staffs from teams attending this year's tournament feature ex-NHLers. Blake Wesley, Dixon Ward, Norm Lacombe, Joby Messier, Kevin Smyth and Mike Needham all will be in St. Albert providing leadership and mentorship to these talented athletes.
10. St. Albert has won its own tournament once — in 1983, led by future NHL sniper Rob Brown.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Calgary Hitmen ran their winning streak to five games with a 6-4 victory over the Warriors. . . . F Brady Brassart had two goals and was plus-5 for the Hitmen, while F Brooks Macek and F Cody Sylvester each had a goal and two assists. . . . Macek scored six seconds into the second period, which is two seconds off the franchise record for fastest goal to start a period. On Tuesday, Macek set a franchise record for fastest goal to open a game when he scored nine seconds into what became a 7-2 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger came on in relief to stop 15 of 16 shots. . . . The Hitmen now are 15-2-1 on the road. . . . The Warriors have lost five in a row. . . .

In Swift Current, F Adam Lowry had a goal and an assist to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Lowry’s first-period goal, his 28th of the season, ran his point streak to 18 games. . . . That equals the longest point streak in the WHL this season. Portland B Brendan Leipsic had an 18-gamer earlier. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen, just back from an appearance with Finland at the World Junior Championship, stopped 34 shots. . . . With G Patrik Bartosak having returned from the Czech national junior team, the Rebels have returned G Grant Naherniak, 16, to the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Regina Pats, 9-4. . . . F Colton Stephenson’s ninth goal of the season, at 9:05 of the first, gave Regina a 3-1 edge. . . . The Raiders then scored four straight goals. . . . Regina had won its previous five games. . . . D Dylan Busenius had three assists for the Raiders, who got goals from nine different players. . . . Prince Albert G Andy Desautels came on at 3-1 and stopped 19 of 20 shots. . . . D Luke Fenske (ill) was among Regina’s scratches. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored five first-period goals on 12 shots and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 7-4. . . . The Giants got back to within one, at 5-4, late in the second period. . . . Lethbridge got two third-period goals from F Jaimen Yakubowski, his 24th and 25th, the latter into an empty net. . . . Four players scored their first goals of the season — F Michael Sofillas and D Adam Henry of the Hurricanes and F Luca Leone and F Travis McEvoy of the Giants. . . . Lethbridge F Reid Duke, who played his first 29 games without a goal, enjoyed his second straight two-goal outing. He also had an assist in this one. . . . The Hurricanes lost F Brady Ramsay at 9:43 of the first period when he was given a match penalty for attempt to injure. . . . The Giants dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Vancouver F Scott Cooke, who suffered an arm injury in Tuesday’s 4-0 loss in Medicine Hat, will be out for at least four weeks. . . . Vancouver went 1-4-0 on a Central Division swing on which it played five games in six nights. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 23 shots as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . The Winterhawks have won 12 in a row. . . . Carruth posted his 106th regular-season victory, a career franchise record. The previous record had been held by Darrell May Sr., who was there to congratulate Carruth. May’s WHL career ended in 1982. . . . Carruth has four shutouts this season and eight in his career. He now shares the Portland career shutout record with Lanny Ramage and Kurtis Mucha. . . . While Carruth has four shutouts this season, he has only two losses. He is 19-2-0. His career record is 106-41-4. . . . Portland F Nic Petan picked up one assist and moved into the lead in the WHL scoring race. He has 69 points, one more than Kamloops F Colin Smith. . . . Portland scratched F Paul Bittner, who was on a six-game point streak, and F Chase De Leo (ill), who had played all 40 previous games this season. . . . The Cougars, who got 46 saves from G Mac Engel, dressed 16 skaters for the second night in a row. They lost 6-4 in Portland on Tuesday. . . .

In Kamloops, F Beau McCue broke a 1-1 tie 30 seconds into the third period as the Tri-City Americans beat the Blazers, 3-1. . . . F Tim Bozon gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead on the PP at 2:53 of the first period. . . . Tri-City D Michal Plutnar tied it on the PP at 11:14 of the second. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots. . . . The Blazers were 1-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Americans had lost their last four games in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers scratched F JC Lipon and D Marek Hrbas. Lipon, who played for Canada at the World Junior Championship, is at home in Regina catching up on some rest. He will join the Blazers in Prince George for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Cougars. Hrbas, who played for the Czech Republic at the WJC, returned to Kamloops on Tuesday night, but was given the night off. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets scored five times in the second period en route to a 6-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The victory, Kelowna’s 16th straight on home ice, lifted the Rockets into first place in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . D Damon Severson and F Ryan Olsen each had a goal and two assists for the Rockets. . . . D MacKenzie Johnston scored his first goal of the season, in 22 games. He has 10 points this season, one more than he scored in 70 games last season. . . . D Madison Bowey (ill) was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Williams stoppd 30 shots as the Chiefs dropped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . F Liam Stewart got the winner for the second straight night. His 10th goal broke a 1-1 tie at 3:16 of the second period. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored his 25th goal of the season for the Chiefs, while F Mike Aviani got his 21st. . . . Spokane F Carter Proft scored the Chiefs’ fourth goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Thunderbirds played three straight games against Spokane and lost each one — 5-2, 4-3 and 4-1. . . . Seattle now has lost 12 straight games.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current
F Joey Baker, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Calgary Hitmen F Calder Brooks (@CalderBrooks): “Just a casual skate with Mike Cammalleri at the Dome today, helping him with his shot and stuff #whatatreat”


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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives today (2 p.m. in B.C., 3 p.m. in Alberta, 4 p.m. in Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:

Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Everett trades F Trent Lofthouse, 18, to Victoria for a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Victoria trades G Jared Rathjen, 18, to Vancouver for a 2013 eighth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Victoria trades D Jesse Zgraggen, 19, to Calgary for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Lethbridge trades F Jay Merkley, 17, to Swift Current for F Josh Derko, 19, and a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Vancouver trades F Trevor Cheek, 20, to Calgary for a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Kootenay trades D Mike Simpson, 18, to Lethbridge for a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Vancouver trades D Stewart Coyle, 17, to Spokane for a 2016 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Edmonton trades F Klarc Wilson, 19, to Prince George for a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

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Happy New Year!
The Prince Albert Raiders served notice Tuesday that they are intent on spoiling the Saskatoon Blades’ Memorial Cup party.
With the WHL trade deadline arriving on Jan. 10, the Raiders began the day with a 12-point lead over the Blades atop the East Division. The Blades, of course, are the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup but have had more ups and downs than a yoyo in the first 38 games of their season.
The Raiders, who haven’t even made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, perhaps sense an opening here, so they and the Medicine Hat Tigers got together Tuesday and agreed to swap five players and two draft picks.
The Raiders acquired D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft from Medicine Hat for D Zach Hodder, 19, F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Connor Hobbs, 15, and a second-round pick in the 2013 draft.
Hobbs is the the only player involved who isn’t in the WHL. A fourth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, he turns 16 on Friday and is with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder has eight points in 22 games.
Busenius, from Edmonton, was in his fourth season with the Tigers. He has 26 points in 37 games this season. The 16th overall pick in the 2008 bantam draft, he gives the Raiders some size – he’s 6-foot-1, 190 pounds – and some more offence from the back end.
Hart had been at home in Spruce Grove, Alta., having asked the Tigers to trade him. A third-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft, he put up 32 points in 67 games as a freshman. This season, he has 10 points in 18 games.
Hodder, from Delta, B.C., was a first-round selection, 20th overall, in the 2008 bantam draft by the Vancouver Giants. He has a history of shoulder problems and has played 87 games with the Giants, Saskatoon Blades and the Raiders over three season. He has three points in 25 games this season.
McVeigh, from Kenaston, Sask., was a second-round selection by the Kamloops Blazers in the 2009 bantam draft. In his third WHL season, he has 23 points in 38 games with the Raiders this season.
On Dec. 31, 2011, the Blazers dealt McVeigh, and a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, to the Raiders for F Brandon Herrod, 20.
Hodder and McVeigh were in the Tigers’ lineup last night as they brought in 2013 with a 7-2 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon. McVeigh scored the Tigers’ first goal, while Hodder was minus-4.
The Tigers meet the Raiders in Prince Albert tonight.
For more on the trade, check out the story right here by Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Daily Herald.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings close out a three-game Alberta swing in Calgary against the Hitmen tonight. F Mike Ferland, 20, has an undisclosed injury and will be re-evaluated today before a decision is made as to whether he will play. He left in the second period of Sunday’s 6-2 loss to the host Edmonton Oil Kings.
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D Sena Acolatse (Seattle, Saskatoon, Prince George, 2006-11) underwent surgery for a broken jaw after being hit in the face by a puck on Saturday as his Worcester Sharks dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Providence Bruins. . . . Acolatse, in his second AHL season, had his jaw broken in two places.
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In the OHL, F Nikolay Goldobin scored four times, the last one in OT, as the Sarnia Sting beat host London 6-5 to end the Knights’ winning streak at 24 games. . . . That is one shy of the OHL record held by the 1983-84 Kitchener Rangers. The Rangers share the CHL record with the QMJHL’s 1973-74 Sorel Eparviers. . . . The WHL single-season record of 22 straight is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . Goldobin, a Russian who isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2014, now has 18 goals. . . . London had won 3-2 in Sarnia on Monday. . . . The Knights actually had a 3-0 first-period lead.
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Concussions and how to prevent them will continue to be a big story in 2013.
Men’s Health magazine has come up with a list of “13 ladies to look for this year.”
No. 3 on the list is Dr. Ann McKee, the co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
There’s more right here.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, the Lethbridge Hurricanes struck for five third-period goals and beat the Broncos, 6-4. . . . The Broncos led this one 4-2 with 13 minutes left in the third period. . . . F Tyler Wong got the visitors to within one at 7:14 and F Sam Mckechnie tied it at 8:05, with his 18th. . . . D Daniel Johnston got the winner, his seventh, at 14:42, via the PP. . . . F Graham Hood wrapped it up with the empty-netter, at 19:51. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry ran his point streak to 15 games with his 25th goal and an assist. . . . Johnston also had an assist, giving him 31 points in 38 games this season. Last season, he finished with 30 points on 55 games. . . . Lethbridge F Brady Ramsay had a goal, his 11th, and two assists. . . . The Hurricanes brought in G Jonny Hogue to backup starter Ty Rimmer as Chris Tai had to leave the club to deal with a family matter. Hogue, 16, was an eight-round bantam draft pick in 2011. Hogue plays for the midget AAA Lethbridge Pronghorns. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades opened up a 7-0 lead and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 7-2. . . . The Blades had lost their previous four games. . . . F Adam Kambeitz had two goals, giving him eight, and an assist for Saskatoon. . . . Blades F Shane McColgan had a goal, his 11th, and an assist on his 20th birthday. . . . Saskatoon G Patrick Johnson stopped 38 shots in earning his first WHL victory. . . . F Josh Nicholls scored his 27th goal for the Blades and now is tied for the WHL lead with F Colin Smith of the Kamloops Blazers and F Todd Fiddler of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Nicholls scored off a turnover high in the Medicine Hat zone. He went in alone on G Cam Lanigan, put his stick between his legs and went upstairs. “I practise that a lot in warm-ups just for fun,” Nicholls told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “It just felt like the right time to do it. I got it off nicely, luckily. I would have looked pretty stupid if I missed that.” . . . Nicholls, F Shane McColgan and D Dalton Thrower had been bench for the third period of a 6-2 loss in Regina on Sunday. . . . And what did Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken think of the goal? “It was a highlight goal,” Molleken told Nugent-Bowman. “Those are things that the fans like to see. I’ll keep my own remarks to myself.” . . . The Blades lost F Nathan Burns in the second period when he didn’t return after being cross-checked from behind by Medicine Hat D Ty Stanton. “It doesn’t look good,” Molleken told Nugent-Bowman. . . . Medicine Hat lost D Kyle Becker following a first-period collision with Saskatoon F Alex Elliott. Becker may be concussed.
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The first time I saw the move that Nicholls used to score last night was in the mid-1980s.
F Theo Fleury of the Moose Jaw Warriors went in alone on G Stacey Nickel of the host Regina Pats, who went down and stacked his pads. Fleury tucked the stick through his legs, reached back and lifted the puck over Nickel’s pads and into the net.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Graeme Craig, Saskatoon

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From hockey fan Chris Cote (@RealChrisCote): “Who needs a winter classic? The @SCBroncos play today.”
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From Everett Silvertips assistant coach Mitch Love (@mlovehockey): “I swear I grab a broken down grocery cart every time I attempt to go to the store. #nomoreshoppingfor this guy”

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