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Looking for a good read today? Check out this piece right here by Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, who takes a look back at the Blue Jays’ crazy Tuesday night victory and ahead to today’s doubleheader.
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A number of major junior players have signed NHL contracts over the past month or so. I’ve always wondered just how thrilled their junior coaches are to have this stuff going on at this time of the season.
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The next head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips? How about Mark Holick? Holick, who spent this season in Italy, and Everett GM Garry Davidson go back to their days in the BCHL. In fact, they won a silver medal together with the BCHL team at the 2002 Viking Cup in Camrose, Alta. Holick, of course, has ample WHL experience, having been the head coach with the Kootenay Ice and Prince George Cougars.
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G Zach Sawchenko has already played four seasons in the WHL, so what’s left for him to prove with the Moose Jaw Warriors? I would suggest that he is showing maturity beyond his years with his decision to start the next chapter in his life by attending the U of Alberta and starting work on a business degree. If a professional contract shows up four years down the road, he’ll still be there.
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Unlike the rest of us, the WHL is much younger than it used to be. You can bet its teams will be hoping that no other 20-year-olds choose to follow Sawchenko’s example and leave with a year of eligibility remaining.
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As you will note in The MacBeth Report, former WHLer Tim Bozon is leaving North America to play next season in Switzerland. It could be that Bozon, a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 draft, never was the same after surviving a near-fatal run-in with Neisseria meningitis three years ago. You will recall that the WHL set up a trust fund and solicited donations from its fans on behalf of the Bozon family, but never did let those same fans know just how much money was raised.
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ESPN lopped somewhere around 100 folks from its payroll on Wednesday and some of them, like Jayson Stark and Ed Werder, were the best in the business at what they were doing. Of course, ESPN also dumped most of its NHL writers despite the fact the playoffs are in full swing. . . . In Vancouver, the Sun and Province newspapers don’t have a football writer between them, and they actually had a freelancer write the sports lead for Sunday’s Vancouver Sun Run, an event that drew around 40,000 runners. . . . My point? Don’t think for a minute that there is any rhyme or reason to the chopping when the axe starts falling.
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For a good read on exactly what ESPN’s cuts mean to the NHL and hockey in the U.S., check out this piece right here from Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star.
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Do you think anyone is enjoying these NHL playoffs more than Nashville Predators D P.K. Subban?
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Road teams are now 25-19 in the NHL this postseason. Home team win pct in the playoffs (currently .432) has declined each year since 2013.— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 27, 2017
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F Tim Bozon (Kamloops, Kootenay, 2011-15) has signed a one-year contract with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL), he had eight goals and seven assists in 43 games. He also had three goals and three assists in 14 games with the Manchester Monarchs (ECHL). . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) has signed a one-year extension with Feldkirch (Austria, Alps HL). This season, in 40 games, he had 19 goals and 38 assists. He led the league in assists and points.
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As you will know from Tuesday’s news, G Zach Sawchenko has decided to leave the Moose Jaw Warriors, rather than return for his 20-year-old season, and start working towards a business degree at the U of Alberta in Edmonton, where he will play for the Golden Bears. . . . Greg Ballock of ingoalmag.com spoke with Sawchenko and that conversation, which explains a lot, is right here. . . . It is quite apparent that attending the 2016 NHL draft in Buffalo and not being selected, despite being one of the WHL’s top goaltenders, weighed heavily on Sawchenko and influenced this decision.
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D Devante Stephens of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. Stephens, 19, is from Surrey, B.C. He has played three seasons with the Rockets, totalling 57 points, including 19 goals, in 203 regular-season games. This season, he put up career highs in goals (13), assists (22) and points, all in 67 games. . . . Interestingly, the Sabres were able to sign Stephens despite not having a general manager in place; Tim Murray was fired last week.
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The OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads are the first CHL team to advance to a league final. They got there last night by beating the Peterborough Petes, 7-0, to sweep the Eastern Conference final. . . . In the other series, Kris Knoblauch’s Erie Otters posted a 4-3 victory over the host Owen Sound Attack, who are coached by Ryan McGill. That series is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 in Erie on Friday. . . . In the QMJHL, the host Chicoutimi Sagueneens beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3 to tie that series, 2-2. They’ll play Game 5 on Friday in Saint John. . . . In the other series, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada posted a 4-2 victory over the visiting Charlottetown Islanders to take a 3-1 lead. That series will resume on Saturday in Charlottetown.
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Joey Burke is the new general manager of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Burke has been with the IceDogs since their inaugural season, when he was the goaltending scout. He was named assistant GM in 2010 and remained in that position until prior to this season, when he was named director of player personnel. . . . Burke’s brother, Billy Jr., is an assistant coach with the IceDogs, who are owned by their parents, Denise and Bill Burke.
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Just a damn shame so many talented people doing Shaw TV across western Canada will be out of work. Especially my friends doing @WHLonShawTV— Kelly Remple (@SilverFoxTalks) April 26, 2017
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
Noticeable difference in SEA ability to exit the zone cleanly without #Oilers prospect Ethan Bear in the line-up, KEL bringing pressure #WHL— Andy Levangie (@AndyLevang) April 27, 2017
At Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals en route to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Western Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in
Kent, Wash. . . . The teams will return to Kelowna for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, the Thunderbirds, who lost for the first time in six road games in these playoffs, thought they had taken an early 1-0 lead, but the goal was disallowed, officials ruling that a Seattle player in the Kelowna crease had kicked the puck into the net. . . . Shortly after that, at 3:09, F Ryan Gropp (3) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead, on a PP. . . . The Rockets tied it when F Nolan Foote scored his first WHL playoff goal, on a PP, at 8:34, then took the lead just 28 seconds later as F Kole Lind scored his sixth goal. . . . F Nick Merkley (5) gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead at 2:40 of the second period, and F Tomas Soustal (4) made it 4-1 at 4:29 of the third. . . . F Scott Eansor (4) got Seattle to within two goals at 10:54. . . . The Rockets got two assists from F Dillon Dube and one each from Foote, Lind, Soustal and Merkley. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. . . . Seattle G Carl Stankowski kicked out 31 shots in another stellar performance. . . . The Rockets held a 15-2 edge in shots in the second period, but only scored once. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-5. . . . In the four games, Kelowna is 6-25 on the PP, with the Thunderbirds 4-11. . . . Kelowna F Reid Gardiner, who leads all playoff skaters in goals (15) and points (27), was held pointless for a second straight game. . . . The Thunderbirds were forced to scratch D Ethan Bear, who blocked a shot, perhaps with a hand, late in Game 3 on Tuesday and wasn’t able to go. . . . D Austin Strand got more playing time as he got what would have been Bear’s PP time. . . . Announced attendance: 5,063.
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| NOLAN FOOTE |
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#Lethbridge #Hurricanes netminder @ssskipy_74 stops Nick Henry of the #Regina #Pats on a partial breakaway. #WHL. pic.twitter.com/3NRi4elk64— Darren Steinke (@StanksSports) April 27, 2017
At Lethbridge, F Adam Brooks and D Connor Hobbs each had a goal and two assists to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Eastern Conference final is tied, 2-2, with Game 5
scheduled for Regina on Friday night. . . . They’ll return to Lethbridge for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Last night, Regina took a 1-0 lead as F Braydon Buziak scored his first WHL playoff goal at 9:53 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge tied it at 2:21 of the second period as F Dylan Cozens scored his third goal. . . . Regina went back out front at 9:00 on F Jeff de Wit’s third goal. . . . F Ryan Vandervlis (6) pulled Lethbridge even again, at 9:34. . . . The Pats took control with two late second-period goals, Brooks (5) scoring at 18:06 and F Dawson Leedahl (10) counting at 19:16. . . . Hobbs (4), on a PP, at 7:53, and F Wyatt Sloboshan (3), into an empty net, at 17:04, added goals for the Pats. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats, with Sloboshan getting one. . . . Regina got 24 stops from G Tyler Brown, while Stuart Skinner turned aside 28 shots for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats, who had the regular-season’s top PP unit, were 0-9 in the series. They went 1-4 in this one. . . . Lethbridge was 0-2 on the PP. . . . The Pats scratched F Austin Wagner, who left in the second period of Tuesday’s game, apparently after having absorbed a slash. His absence means Regina now is without three regulars, as F Jake Leschyshyn and D Dawson Davidson have long-term injuries. . . . With Wagner out, de Wit slid into the spot alongside Brooks and F Filip Ahl. . . . F Matt Alfaro again was missing from Lethbridge’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,203.
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| BRAYDON BUZIAK |
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)
Kelowna vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)
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1. The new owners of the Regina Pats, who officially took over the franchise on Monday, have a vision for the future, and that vision includes a code of conduct. All of this is to be put in writing and it is something that will guide the franchise and all of its people into the future. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story 
2. The Prince Albert Raiders have signed G Ian Scott, the ninth overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. Last season, Scott was 3.12 and .916 with the bantam AAA Calgary Northstar Sabres. He was the Alberta bantam league’s top goaltender for the South Division.
3. The Calgary Hitmen have signed F Mark Kastelic, the 41st overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. Kastelic, from Phoenix, had 38 points, including 22 goals, in 38 games with the Tier 1 Bantam AAA Phoenix Junior Coyotes last season. He has been invited to USA Hockey’s U-15 camp in Amherst, N.Y., July 14-20. 
4. Two months after spending a month in a Saskatoon hospital, F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice was back on the ice somewhere in France. Bozon was stricken with Neisseria Meningitis during an Ice road swing and, at one point, was in critical condition and in a medically induced coma. . . . There is more on his return to the ice 
Dwight Mullins (Lethbridge, Calgary, Saskatoon, 1982-88) has left the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals and joined the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen. . . . Mullins, 47, had been the Jackals’ head coach for two seasons. . . . He now is Evansville’s director of hockey operations and head coach. . . . Elmira has an affiliation with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres; Evansville has been affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the past two seasons. . . . In Evansville, Mullins will replace Jeff Pyle, who was fired after just one season with the IceMen.
John Goodwin has signed on as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, where he will work alongside Paul McFarland. . . . Goodwin spent last season as an assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion. . . . He has previous OHL coaching experience as an assistant coach and head coach with the Oshawa Generals. . . . As a player, Goodwin put up 389 points, including 133 goals, in 201 games over three seasons (1978-81) with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Pat Mikesch has moved up to become head coach of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, taking over from Derek Lalonde, who on Monday was named head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. . . . Mikesch, who has been with the Gamblers for three seasons, was the director of player personnel and associate coach under Lalonde.
In Regina, Kootenay F Sam Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal in the second period and the Ice went on to a 3-1 victory over the Pats. . . . Reinhart’s 25th goal ran his point streak to 13 games, the longest in the WHL at the moment. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau had his point streak ended at 12 games. . . . The Ice continued its march toward an Eastern Conference playoff spot. All but written off before Christmas, the Ice has closed to within one point of the Saskatoon Blades, who hold down the eighth and final playoff spot. . . . The Blades hold three games in hand. . . . The Pats have lost seven in a row and are eight points out of eighth. . . .
In Swift Current, G Justin Paulic stopped 32 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 5-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos had won seven in a row going into this one. . . . The Warriors have won two in a row after a 10-game losing skid. . . . Ch-ch-ching! The teams engaged in a multiple-fight situation at 19:52 of the third period. . . . The Broncos lost F Graham Black to an elbowing major and game misconduct at 18:51 of the third period. . . . By game’s end, the Broncos had taken 116 of 179 penalty minutes. . . . Warriors F Tanner Eberle scored the winning goal, his 10th goal this season. It came on a penalty shot at 6:24 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Adam Lowry had two assists. . . . 
In Edmonton, F Curtis Lazar broke a 2-2 tie at 12:05 of the second period and the Oil Kings went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Lazar scored twice, giving him 23. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 47 shots. With G Corbin Boes having suffered an undisclosed injury in a 2-1 OT victory in Edmonton on Friday, the Wheat Kings had Jordan Papirny on the bench backing up Honey. Papirny, from Edmonton, plays for the midget AAA South Side Athletic Club Athletics. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had a goal, his 14th, and two assists, while F Henrik Samuelsson drew three helpers. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row and lead the Eastern Conference by seven points over the Calgary Hitmen, who have two games in hand. . . . 
In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno forced OT and then won the game in the circus as the Rebels got past the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . The teams played through two scoreless periods and struck four times in 7:06 in the second half of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno forced OT with his 15th goal at 18:28 of the third period. . . . Dieno was the only one of six shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Lethbridge D Macoy Erkamps scored his fifth goal to open the scoring. He’s got eight points in his last three games. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 43 shots. . . .
In Prince George, G Mac Engel stopped 21 shots to help the Cougars to a 4-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for Engel. He has six shutouts in his career. . . . F Colin Jacobs scored twice, giving him 17. . . . F Jake Mykitiuk got his first of the season. . . . D Rinalds Rosinskis had three assists. . . . The victory was the first for Mark Holick as head coach of the Cougars. He worked his first game Friday as the Cougars dropped a 3-2 decision to the Silvertips. . . . Everett picked up five points on a four-game B.C. Division swing. . . . Judging by messages on Twitter early today, Brock Hirsche is leaving the Cougars. Hirsche, 20, had his season, and his WHL career, ended by shoulder problems before Christmas and had been helping with the coaching. . . .
In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored two more goals as the Royals beat the Vancouver Giants, 4-1. . . . Magee, who has 25 goals, scored four times in a 6-4 victory over visiting Vancouver on Friday. . . . Victoria F Brandon Fushimi also scored last night, after getting two on Friday. . . . The two Brandons combined for nine goals in the two games. . . . The other goal went to F Jamie Crooks, who scored his 100th regular-season goal. . . . Victoria’s line of Magee, Alex Gogolev and Steve Hodges has 42 points in its last eight games. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson got his 20th goal. . . . The Royals were without D Tyler Stahl, their captain, after he took a headshot major in a 6-4 victory over the visiting Giants on Friday. . . . The Royals won their seventh straight game, setting a Chilliwack-Victoria franchise record. . . . The Giants have lost six in a row. . . .
In Spokane, F Curtis Valk broke a 3-3 tie at 7:54 of the third period as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Chiefs, 4-3. . . . Valk’s 29th goal came via the PP. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan stopped 55 shots, including 22 in the second and 20 in the third, and earned the lone assist on the winner. . . . F Todd Fiddler scored twice for the Chiefs, giving him a WHL-leading 35 goals. He also had an assist. . . . Fiddler tied a franchise record (fastest goal to open a period) when he scored eight seconds into the third. . . . 
In Kelowna, the Rockets won their 21st straight home game, dropping the Prince Albert Raiders, 6-2. . . . Kelowna, which has won six straight, scored three times in the first period and led 6-0 midway through the third. . . . F Cody Fowlie scored twice for Kelowna, giving him 13, while F Tyson Baillie had a goal, his 17th, and two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 18 shots to win his 20th straight start. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Oliver Bjorstand scored three times an G Brendan Burke got the shutout as the Winterhawks dropped the Tri-City Americans, 7-0. . . . It was Nuclear Night in Kennewick, but things didn’t go well for the home team which suffered its worst defeat of the season. . . . Burke, who is 15-4-1, stopped 25 shots in posting his third shutout this season. Portland has put up back-to-back blank jobs. . . . After the game, Burke tweeted: “It was great having my grandma @cbgrands and my grandpa in the stands tonight. Made the drive all the way from red deer #support #loveyou” . . . Bjorkstand, from Denmark, has 20 goals, the first freshman to that mark this season. This was his first hat trick. . . . F Chase De Leo had three assists, while F Nic Petan, the WHL’s leading scorer, had a goal, his 33rd, and an assist. . . . F Brendan Leipsic, who is second to Petan, had two goals, getting him to 32, and an assist. . . . Petan has 85 points, four more than Leipsic. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie picked up one assist, running his point streak to 13 games. He's got 19 points in 10 games since returning from the World Junior Championship. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser had his point streak end at 11 games. . . . The Winterhawks continue to be without D Derrick Pouliot, who has a high-ankle sprain.
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