Tip of the hat to Myles Mattila ... WHL conference finals resume today ... Armada into QMJHL final

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to @myles_mattila12 as he receives a $500 Scholarship from @HockeyCanada at the @HC_TELUSCup National Championship!

— Cariboo Cougars (@cariboocougars) April 30, 2017

If you don’t recognize the name Myles Mattila, you should get to a computer and do a search.

While his Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars won’t play in the TELUS Cup final today (Sunday), Mattila is a winner because of his dedication to spreading the word on mental health.

From a hockeycanada.ca story by Derek Jory:

“(Mattila) began volunteering at a local mental health office and participating in youth programs, and he’s now a mental health advocate for Mindcheck.ca, partners with the Canadian Mental Health Association and the driving force behind Mindright.info, a health wellness program designed to educate Cariboo Cougars players, coaches, parents, and supporters about their mental health and the health of others.”

Why did Mattila get so involved in this issue? All because he noticed a few years ago that a long-time friend was struggling.

“It was tough seeing such a good friend go through that and not knowing what was wrong,” Mattila told Jory. “He needed help and it was eye-opening for me not knowing what to do. I realized he likely wasn’t alone in this situation and I vowed to figure out how to help him and anyone else struggling with mental health issues.”

On Saturday, Mattila spoke about mental health awareness at the TELUS Cup awards dinner in Prince George, where he is a Grade 12 student. He also received a $500 Esso Kids Scholarship Award from Hockey Canada.
Remember his name. You're going to be hearing a lot about him down the road.

Jory’s story about Mattila is right here.

——

The WHL could have its Ed Chynoweth Cup finalists decided today (Sunday) when the conference finals resume.

In the Eastern Conference, the Regina Pats hold a 3-2 lead on the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. In the Western Conference, the Seattle Thunderbirds take a 3-2 edge into Kelowna to face the Rockets.

The Hurricanes, who lost 5-3 in Regina on Friday, almost surely will be without F Matt Alfaro, a point-a-game skater who hasn’t played since April 4. F Ryan Bowen, meanwhile, has been in and out of the lineup; he was scratched Friday so obviously is banged up.

The Thunderbirds continue to play without Rylan Toth, who led all WHL goaltenders with 36 regular-season victories. He hasn’t dressed for even one playoff game.

In Toth’s absence, Carl Stankowski, a Calgarian who turned 17 on March 9, has gone 11-2, 2.60, .911. In the regular season, Stankowski played in 358 minutes over seven games, going 3-0-1, 2.18, .910. In the playoffs, he has played 785 minutes over 13 games.

The Thunderbirds are likely to be without D Ethan Bear, who suffered an injury to his left hand when he blocked a shot by Kelowna F Reid Gardiner late in Game 3 on Tuesday. Taking Note has been told that Bear has a broken hand.

Bear didn’t play in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss in Kelowna. He took the warmup prior to Seattle’s 5-3 victory in Kent, Wash., on Friday, but had difficulties handling the puck and was scratched.

Obviously, Bear is a big loss for the Thunderbirds. After all, he put up 70 points, including 28 goals, in 67 regular-season games, and has 16 points, five of them goals, in 11 playoff games.

But it could be that Kelowna misses D James Hilsendager almost as much. Hilsendager, who turned 20 on March 20, left in the first period of Game 4 with an undisclosed injury and was scratched from Friday’s game.

He had three assists in 18 games with the Regina Pats, before being dealt to the Rockets for whom he recorded 24 points, six of them goals, in 46 games. In 15 playoff games, he has a goal and two assists.

However, his value to the Rockets is much more than offence. In his time with the Rockets, he only improved. He has been a stellar defender who added a physical presence to their back end.

It’s only right that Bear’s absence has gotten a lot of notice; after all, he was a fifth-round selection by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 draft and he has an NHL contract in his hip pocket.

But could it be that Hilsendager’s absence will be just as impactful if he can’t answer the bell for Game 6?

——

A run-in between F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and F Dawson Leedahl of the Regina Pats late in Game 4 of their series drew some attention but no suspensions.

The two came together in a scrum at 16:15 of the third period of the game in Lethbridge and, when it was all over, Wong was claiming that he had been bitten by Leedahl.

Here’s what Wong told Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:

“It was in the heat of the moment. He made a mistake. I initiated some contact there. That’s part of hockey, the scrums. I hit him high and I feel bad. I’m not a cheap player. I don’t like hitting guys high. I’ll be physical. I’ll play on the edge. So does he.

“He has laid out some big hits on me. I saw an opportunity to get a hit on him. My finger slipped in his mouth and, I don’t know if he meant to or not, but he took a good chunk out of my finger. I had to go and get a tetanus shot and go on antibiotics. That’s not really part of hockey and I think he would take it back if he could.
“It’s behind us and I don’t hold grudges. I’ll come out and play the same way against him as I do against any other player.”

Leedahl and Wong each was given a roughing minor and that was the end of it, at least as far as the WHL is concerned.

However, Wong, a 51-goal scorer in the regular season, has only two assists in the five games against Regina, both of those coming in a 3-1 Lethbridge victory in Game 3. He hasn’t scored a goal since he got two, including the shorthanded OT winner, in the Game 7 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers that vaulted the Hurricanes into the conference final.

The Hurricanes are hoping their captain breaks out in Game 6 at home today.

——

The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada advanced to the QMJHL’s championship final on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over the host Charlottetown Islanders. The Armada won that series, 4-1. . . . It was an emotional game for the Islanders because the father of Charlottetown F Dillon Boucher died on Friday night. “There’s always a bigger picture at play,” Charlottetown general manager and head coach Jim Hulton said in a story posted on the QMJHL website. “This is still a game and yeah, it hurts like hell that we lost, but not anything near the magnitude of what Dillon and his family are going through.” . . . The Armada will meet either the Saint John Sea Dogs or Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the championship series. The Sea Dogs hold a 3-2 lead with Game 6 today (Sunday) in Chicoutimi.

——

Great Britain, including former WHL F Liam Stewart, beat Japan 4-0 on Saturday to win the IIHF World Championship, Division 1 Group B, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the victory, Great Britain earned promotion to Division 1 Group A for next season. Stewart, who played four seasons (2011-15) with the Spokane Chiefs, had two goals and an assist in three games. . . . Great Britain, which allowed only five goals, went 5-0, while Japan finished 4-1. . . . Croatia, under head coach Enio Sacilotto of the Victoria Royals, finished at 1-4 and was fifth in the six-team tournament. The Croats allowed only 17 goals, but struggled to score (14). . . . Lithuania beat Croatia, 3-1, in the third-place game. . . . Sacilotto is the Royals’ director of prospect development and has extensive international coaching experience.

——

If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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———

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)

Regina at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Regina leads, 3-2)

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Broncos, Pats going to Game 7 ... Wagner big for Regina ... Mattheos sparks Canada

@thewhl all going according to plan. No suspension for 27Pats, scores 2 goals. Your master plan is working so far.

— Bryce Martin (@84brycemartin) April 16, 2017

The WHL chose not to suspend F Austin Wagner of the Regina Pats after he took a kneeing major and game misconduct in Game 5 of their series with the Swift Current Broncos on Friday night. That means Wagner was in the lineup last night for Game 6 in Swift Current. . . . Oh, was he! . . . He had two goals and an assist, and was named the game’s first star, as the Pats posted a 5-3 victory and tied the second-round series, 3-3. . . . One night earlier, Wagner had been tossed at 8:52 of the third period after hitting Broncos F Ryley Lindgren. . . . Lindgren went down and left the ice, but returned a couple of minutes later.

——

The Pats also had F Adam Brooks dressed for a second straight game. Brooks, who suffered a knee injury in Game 2, didn’t play even one shift in Game 5 on Friday and didn’t get on the ice in Game 6, either. . . . So why was he in uniform? Brooks, who is in his final season of junior eligibility, had a brilliant career with Regina — he put up 250 points over the past two seasons and won last season’s scoring title. The Pats went into Friday trailing 3-2 in the series and John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, felt that if they were to be eliminated, Brooks deserved to be in uniform for the end of his junior career. . . . Brooks isn't expected to play on Monday, either.

——

The Swift Current Broncos were without F Lane Pederson as they met the visiting Regina Pats in Game 6 of their series last night. Pederson left Game 5 in the first period after taking a check from Regina F Dawson Leedahl. . . . F Logan Barlage went into the spot created by Pederson’s absence.

——

The Broncos and Pats will play Game 7 in Regina on Monday night. Don’t forget that the Broncos have already played in a Game 7 on the road in these playoffs. They went into Moose Jaw and beat the Warriors, 3-2, on April 3. . . . In fact, the Broncos are 4-3 on the road in these playoffs.

——

According to Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, F Reid Gardiner’s six-point outing on Friday night was a franchise playoff single-game record. . . . Gardiner had four goals and two assists in a 6-2 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . . Bartel didn’t indicate who held the previous record. . . . BTW, Gardiner has two hat tricks in these playoffs, both of them in series-clinching victories.

——

The WHL has lost two of its division winners, and the other two are hanging on. . . . The Regina Pats, who won the East Division and finished atop the overall standings, now are tied 3-3 with the Swift Current Broncos. They’ll play Game 7 in Regina on Monday. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers, who were first in the Central Division, face elimination tonight when they meet the host Lethbridge Hurricanes, who lead the series, 3-2. A seventh game would be played Tuesday in The Hat. . . . The Prince George Cougars, who won the B.C. Division by a point over the Kelowna Rockets, were eliminated in the first round. . . . The Everett Silvertips, who finished first in the U.S. Division by two points over Seattle, were swept by the Thunderbirds on Friday night.

——

The Western Conference final, featuring the Rockets and Thunderbirds, will open with games Friday and Saturday in Kent, Wash. . . . The Eastern Conference final also is expected to begin on Friday. Who and where has yet to be determined.

——

The Anaheim Ducks got a couple of breaks in their 3-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday and that’s enough to think they just may win the Stanley Cup. . . . The Flames had a goal disallowed on video review and the winning goal bounced off Calgary F Lance Bouma, who was 20 feet from the Flames’ net.

——

Of course, you are aware that Anaheim now has won 29 straight home games — regular season and playoff — from Calgary. Is that the whackiest streak in sports today? . . . At one point last night, the Anaheim crowd was chanting: “You can’t win here.” . . . Hard to argue with that.

———

F Stelio Mattheos scored in OT to give Team Canada a 4-3 victory over Slovakia at the IIHF U-18 World Championship in Poprad, Slovakia, on Saturday. Mattheos, who plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings, had two goals in the game, the second coming at 2:38 of OT. . . . F Kyle Olson of the Tri-City Americans also scored for Canada, which got 26 saves from G Ian Scott of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Finland (2-0-0-0) leads Group A with six points, while Canada (1-1-0-0) is a point behind. In IIHF events, teams get three points for a regulation victory, two for an OT victory, one for an OT loss and nothing for a regulation loss. . . . Team Canada next plays Monday when it meets Switzerland. On Tuesday, Canada will face Finland in its final round-robin game.

Meanwhile, Hockey Canada has added F Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks to its roster. Glass, who will be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, had 94 points, 32 of them goals, in 69 regular-season games with the Portland Winterhawks this season.

——

Croatian head coach Enio Sacilotto

Former Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart is on the roster of Great Britain’s team that will play in the IIHF World Championship (Division 1, Group B) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from April 23-29. . . . This will be Stewart’s first appearance at a world tournament. He was selected to Great Britain’s team two years but couldn’t play due to injury. . . . Stewart, now 24, played four seasons (2011-15) with Spokane. This season, the son of rocker Rod Stewart and actress/model Rachel Hunter played in Great Britain for the Coventry Blaze. He had 20 points, including nine goals, in 49 games. . . . The Croatian team that will play in Belfast is coached by Enio Sacilotto, the director of prospect development for the WHL’s Victoria Royals. . . . The tournament also features teams from the Netherlands, Japan, Estonia and Lithuania. Croatia and Great Britain open the tournament by facing each other on April 23.

——

MORE ON THE MOVE: According to Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, G Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips will be joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. He was a second-round selection by the Flyers in the 2016 NHL draft. Hart signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers in October.

——

If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

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———

Being in this rink brings back so many great memories of road trips with @gdrinnan. pic.twitter.com/cLaAfhd69g

— Rob Vanstone (@robvanstone) April 16, 2017

———

SATURDAY’S GAME:

45 years ago tomorrow - the last time the @WHLPats played a Game 7 at home. The 1971-72 Pats defeated Flin Flon 3 games to 2 with 2 ties.

— Kevin ShaWWWWWWW (@theblueliner) April 16, 2017

At Swift Current, Regina linemates Filip Ahl, Wyatt Sloboshan and Austin Wagner each had three points

AUSTIN WAGNER

as the Pats beat the Broncos, 5-3. . . . The Pats, who scored the game’s last four goals as they erased a 3-1 deficit, have won two in a row to tie the series, 3-3. . . . They’ll decide it Monday in Regina. . . . One night earlier, the Pats stayed alive with a 3-2 home-ice victory in Game 5. . . . Last night, Wagner finished with two goals and an assist, while Sloboshan and Ahl each had a goal and two helpers. Each finished plus-4. . . . Sloboshan is the centre on that line, filling the spot that normally belongs to the injured Adam Brooks. . . . Wagner gave the Pats a 1-0 lead at 7:24 of the first period. . . . D Artyom Minulin (2) pulled the Broncos into a 1-1 tie at 11:41. . . . Swift Current appeared to take control with two early second-period goals, F Arthur Miller getting his first playoff goal at 0:29 and F Glenn Gawdin (6) scoring at 2:27. . . . Regina got back into it with two goals in the last 1:30 of the second period. . . . D Josh Mahura (2), who was plus-5, got the Pats to within a goal at 18:36. . . . Sloboshan (2) tied it at 19:35. . . . Wagner’s eighth playoff goal, coming at 1:15 of the third period, proved to be the winner. . . . Ahl’s first playoff goal provided insurance at 5:48. . . . Regina D Sergey Zborovskiy had an assist and was plus-5. . . . Gawdin added two assists to his goal, while Miller also had an assist. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 34 shots, 11 more than the Broncos’ Jordan Papirny. . . . Regina was 0-2 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 2,890. Tickets went on sale Saturday morning and the game was sold out in eight minutes. . . . Darren Steinke, the Travellin’ Blogger, was there and his blog post is right here. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post was there, too, and his story is right here.

——

SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 6 p.m. (Lethbridge leads, 3-2)

——

MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 3-3)

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Final WHL weekend: What's on the line? . . . Nanaimo team may move . . . Sacilotto off to Croatia

F Jeremy Williams (Swift Current, 2000-04) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had 19 goals and 17 assists in 43 games. . . .

F Dan DaSilva (Portland, 2002-05) has signed a one-year extension with Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He was second in the league’s scoring race this season, putting up 70 points, including 31 goals, in 53 games. . . .

F Byron Ritchie (Lethbridge, 1993-97) has announced his retirement. This season, he had four goals and 15 assists in 35 games with MODO Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He was team captain for two seasons. . . . Ritchie has yet to fully recover from a concussion he suffered in January. Ritchie told Örnsköldsvik newspaper Allehanda: "I do not know if I understand it yet, to be honest. It is a strange feeling that I never had. I have not been able to train at all. I've only been walking the dogs. In the afternoons and evenings, I often get headaches and fatigue. It affected me a lot the first month. I slept really all the time, but now I can live normally. Except that I can't work out. I'm going to focus on being a father now. I want to be involved in my children's sports activities. It feels good that I can focus on the family now."

———

We are into the final three days of the WHL’s 2016-17 regular season, and you are wondering what’s up for grabs.

Well, of the 16 available playoff spots only one — the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot — is still available.

The Calgary Hitmen have a three-point edge over the Saskatoon Blades, each team having two games remaining. The Hitmen will go home-and-home with the Kootenay Ice, while the Saskatoon Blades do the same with the Prince Albert Raiders. To the winner goes a first-round matchup with the Regina Pats, the best team in the WHL during this regular season.

In the East Division, the second-place Moose Jaw Warriors and third-place Swift Current Broncos will meet in the first round. They will play a home-and-home series this weekend — the Warriors hold a 3-1-0 edge — which means these teams could end up playing nine straight games against each other.

In the Central Division, the pennant-winning Medicine Hat Tigers and the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings will be first-round opponents. The Wheat Kings will be the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card team. The Tigers won three of the four regular-season games between the teams. Don’t forget that Brandon will play its first-round home games in Dauphin, Man., where the Credit Union Centre has 1,763 seats and room for 247 standees.

Meanwhile, the second-place Lethbridge Hurricanes will tangle with the third-place Red Deer Rebels. The Hurricanes are 23 points ahead of the Rebels going into the final weekend. In the season series, Lethbridge was 5-0-1; Red Deer was 1-4-1.

In the Western Conference, we know the eight playoff teams . . . we just don’t know where they will finish. Seriously! Not one of the eight teams knows where it will wind up or who it will meet in the opening round.

In the B.C. Division, the first-place Prince George Cougars hold a two-point lead over the Kelowna Rockets, who are three points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers. All three have two games remaining — the Cougars go home-and-home with the Blazers, while the Rockets to the same with the Vancouver Giants.

The fourth-place Victoria Royals can’t advance within the division but will go into the playoffs as a wild-card entry. They hold down the first wild-card spot, one point ahead of the Tri-City Americans. The Royals will finish up against the Everett Silvertips, playing one at home and one on the road. The Americans will go home-and-home with the Spokane Chiefs, before a Sunday meeting with the Silvertips.

The Americans also are fourth in the U.S. Division, three points behind the Portland Winterhawks, who have two games remaining. The Winterhawks, who can’t move up in the division, have two games left — against the Seattle Thunderbirds and Spokane Chiefs.

The Thunderbirds go into the weekend leading the U.S. Division by a point over the Silvertips. If it comes down to Sunday night, the Thunderbirds are at home to Vancouver, while the Silvertips visit the Americans.

No matter how it all unfolds, though, the playoffs will begin on March 24.

——

The WHL has suspended F Tyler Coulter of the Brandon Wheat Kings for three games after he took a charging major and game misconduct during a 6-3 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncos on Tuesday. Coulter sat out Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over the Warriors in Moose Jaw and will miss Brandon last two regular-season games this weekend. . . . The Tri-City Americans will be without F Landon Fuller for one game after he was suspended for a charging major and game misconduct during a 6-1 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Tuesday. . . . The Americans will get back D Dakota Krebs after he served a one-game suspension for a cross-checking major and game misconduct during a 5-1 loss to the visiting Everett Silvertips on Saturday.

——

The WHL honoured the late Norbert Heinzelmann with one of its 2016-17 Distinguished Service Awards prior to a game in Kelowna on Wednesday night. Heinzelmann, who died on Sept. 2 at the age of 57, was Kelowna’s head scorekeeper and also the head of its off-ice officials since the franchise relocated from Tacoma, Wash., in 1995.

In Kamloops, the Blazers, their off-ice officials and some media members raised $1,015 in memory of Pat Rozek and presented it to the Darcy Robinson Memorial Foundation. The foundation helps Kamloops children who otherwise couldn’t afford to play hockey.

Rozek, who died on Dec. 22 at the age of 64, had been the Blazers’ official scorekeeper for 25 years. He also worked the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and numerous other such events.

Rozek would seem to be a prime candidate for a Distinguished Service Award, too.

——

Ken Wagner, the majority owner of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, told a news conference on Thursday that the franchise needs help. In fact, Wagner said that without some local ownership, the team may move elsewhere on Vancouver Island. . . . Wagner told the news conference: “We’ve hit a wall in Nanaimo as an ownership. We’ve tried for a lot of years to make it work. . . . We are done writing cheques. We’re spent out. . . . The business side of it is the numbers are the numbers. The emotional side is we don’t want to move the club.” . . . If local ownership isn’t found in the next two weeks, Wagner said he is looking at moving the franchise or shutting it down. . . . Greg Sakaki of the Nanaimo News Bulletin has more right here.

——

If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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———

ENIO SACILOTTO

Enio Sacilotto of the Victoria Royals has been named head coach of the Croatian national team that will play in the 2017 IIHF World Championship (Division 1, Group B) in Belfast, Ireland, from April 23 through April 29. . . . Sacilotto was an assistant coach with the Royals from 2011-16 before being named director of prospect development and WHL scout prior to this season. . . . Croatia will be in a group with Estonia, Great Britain, Japan, Lithuania and the Netherlands. The tournament winner will be promoted to Division 1, Group A. . . . Sacilotto isn’t a stranger to Croatia, having worked as the Croatian Ice Hockey Federation’s U-18 and U-20 head coach in 2009-10. He also was head coach of Medvescak Zagreb, a Croatian team, when it was in the Austrian league in 2009-10. . . . Sacilotto, who is from Vancouver, B.C., will return to the Royals when the tournament in Ireland is over.

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Players of the national women's team of Russia support your decision #BeBoldForChange pic.twitter.com/9c7Qnr6fV0

— Ludmila Belyakova (@belyakova9) March 16, 2017

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If the playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Calgary

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

—

Western Conference

Seattle vs. Tri-City

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Everett vs. Portland

——

THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kelowna, 7:35 p.m.

Calgary vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Everett at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

——

SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

——

SUNDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Edmonton, 4 p.m.

Spokane at Portland, 5 p.m.

Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 5:05 p.m.

END OF REGULAR SEASON

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Chynoweth blows whistle on import draft . . . Royals make front-office move . . . Chiefs goaltender retires

F Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-09) has signed a one-year contract with Katowice (Poland, PHL). Last season, with the Manchester Storm (England, UK Elite), he had 53 points, including 35 assists, in 61 games. This summer, he played with the Sydney Ice Dogs (Australia, AIHL), putting up 15 goals and 16 assists in 21 games. The AIHL regular season ended on Sunday; the Ice Dogs missed the playoffs. . . .

F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) has signed a one-year contract with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 17 goals and 13 assists in 48 games. He tied for the team lead in goals. Courchaine signed a two-year extension with Hradec Králové in January, but terminated the contract prior to signing with Székesfehérvár.

-——

Jeff Chynoweth, the president and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, has had enough of the CHL import draft as it presently exists. Chynoweth, the son of the late Ed Chynoweth, the long-time head of the CHL and WHL, told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Townsman on Thursday that too many

CHL teams cut deals with player agents before the draft is even held.

“Until the CHL changes the rules of the import draft, nothing is going to change,” Chynoweth told Rocca. “I know when my dad was in charge of the CHL, he would recognize and strive to address the issues. Right now, to me, it looks like the commissioners of the OHL and QMJHL look the other way and are ignoring a serious problem when it comes to the import draft. It's broken.

“It’s the haves and the have-nots. It’s not a level playing field. Something has to be done about it.”

Chynoweth claims that “the Western Hockey League polices itself against the backdoor deals that go on with the import draft.”

The Ice had the first selection in this year’s import draft and took Russian F Klim Kostin, a 17-year-old who is projected as an early selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft. Originally, Chynoweth had high hopes for landing Kostin, but he has signed with the KHL’s Moscow Dynamo.

(The Ice’s other import pick, Russian D Nikita Radzivilyuk, 17, is expected to arrived in Cranbrook this weekend, in time to take part in training camp.)

It long has been known that player agents drive the annual import draft, oftentimes picking and choosing to which teams clients will report. It has been suggested at times that the CHL needs to go to a system in which a player has to opt into the draft and, in doing so, agrees to play for the team that selects him.

Chynoweth has come around to agree with that line of thinking.

“Critics will say an opt-in doesn't guarantee a player is coming,” he told Rocca. “Absolutely it doesn't. But at least you know that Kootenay or London have the same list of players to choose from.

“Until we do that, it's not a level playing field.”

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Enio Sacilotto has moved from the bench to the front office with the Victoria Royals, Sacilotto, a veteran coach, had been a Royals’ assistant coach for  six seasons, going back to their days as the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?). . . . Sacilotto, 58, has been named the Royals’ director of prospect development and also will work as a scout. . . . A vacancy was created earlier in the week when Grant Armstrong, the Royals’ assistant GM, player personnel, signed on with the Brandon Wheat Kings as general manager. . . . The Royals now are looking for a head coach to work alongside Dave Lowry. . . . Sacilotto ran the Royals’ bench at times last season, going 5-6-2 while Lowry was tending to duties as the head coach of Canada’s national junior team.

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If you were wondering why Tim Speltz, then the Spokane Chiefs’ general manager, acquired G Jayden Sittler, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this summer, well, you have your answer. . .

. Tyson Verhelst, a 19-year-old native of Brandon, has chosen to retire. Verhelst played in 81 games for the Chiefs over the past two seasons, including 55 in 2015-16 when he was 23-22-5, 3.16, .892. . . . “It’s a tough one,” Speltz told Thomas Clouse of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “(Verhelst) had an injury. He suddenly lost his passion. When we traded for Sittler, I knew we were in trouble.” . . . . As things now stand, Sittler will open the season as the Chiefs’ starter. The backup is expected to be either Matthew Berlin or Donovan Buskey. Berlin, 18, is from Edmonton and was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Buskey, 16, is from North Vancouver. He was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Speltz stepped down as GM earlier this month in order to join the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs as head western scout. However, he continues to help the Chiefs through the transition.

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F Massimo Rizzo hasn’t signed with the Kamloops Blazers, who selected him 15th overall in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft, but he will be in their rookie camp when it opens (today) Friday at the Sandman Centre. . . . Rizzo, from Burnaby, B.C., played for the Penticton Vees as they beat the West Kelowna Warriors 2-0 in a BCHL exhibition game on Wednesday night, then left for Kamloops on Thursday. . . . During an appearance on Radio NL’s Jim Harrison Show earlier this month, Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi indicated that he didn’t foresee a problem in signing Rizzo but acknowledged that the family had said it wanted time to consider the options. . . . One WHL insider told Taking Note on Thursday that the family “told everyone they were thinking college” prior to the draft. . . . After watching Rizzo on the ice and then in Wednesday’s game, Penticton assistant coach Jason Becker, a former WHL player and assistant coach, told Taking Note: “He looked pretty good . . . he’s a special player.” . . . Last season, with the bantam AAA Burnaby Winter Club Bruins, Rizzo had 137 points, including 60 goals, in 61 games.

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F Nick Merkley, who had his 2015-16 season short-circuited by a knee injury that required surgery, won’t attend the Kelowna Rockets’ training camp. Merkley, 19, is skating but hasn’t been cleared for contact. He was a first-round selection by Arizona in the 2015 NHL draft and is expected to rejoin the Rockets at some point. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier also reports right here that the Rockets are expected to begin with F Rod Southam, their captain, G Michael Herringer and F Riley Stadel, a former defenceman, as their 20-year-olds.

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In an intriguing move, the Regina Pats have offered F Nick Henry, 17, a roster spot if he signs a WHL contract. Henry was the MJHL’s rookie of the year last season after putting up 61 points, including 26 goals, in 50 games with his hometown Portage Terriers. . . . Henry, whose rights the Pats acquired from the Everett Silvertips, has made a verbal commitment to attend Western Michigan U, but has agreed to attend the Pats’ training camp. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that and more right here.

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According to Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun, F Bradly Goethals is expected to be in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ training camp when it opens on Wednesday. Goethals, 18, won the Manitoba Midget AAA League scoring title with 74 points, including 41 goals, in 43 games with the Eastman Selects. He is from Iles-des-Chenes, Man., and had made a commitment to Bemidji State. . . . Bergson also reported that F Tak Anholt also is expected in camp. Anholt, 18, reported to the Wheat Kings last season but didn’t get into any games, then left for what the team said was personal reasons. He was a second-round selection by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 bantam draft. The Wheat Kings acquired Anholt, along with F Reid Duke and D Macoy Erkamps, from the Hurricanes for D Kord Pankewicz, F Brett Kitt and F Ryley Lindgren on Sept. 30, 2014.

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Former WHLer Jared Bednar is the new head coach of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. He replaces Patrick Roy, who quit earlier this month. . . . According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Bednar and the Avs agreed to a three-year contract. . . . Bednar had been head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, who won the AHL championship last season as the Lake Erie Monsters. Interestingly, Bednar has never played or coached in the NHL. . . . The other finalist was Lane Lambert, a former WHL player and coach, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . . Colorado general manager Joe Sakic made the final decision while in Seattle where his son, Chase, is in the training camp of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Chase, a forward, will turn 16 on Oct. 14. . . . Bednar, 44, played three seasons (1990-93) in the WHL, with the Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . A native of Yorkton, Sask., Bednar has been in the coaching game since 2002-03. . . . Reports that Travis Green, the head coach of the AHL’s Utica Comets, was in the running for the Colorado position weren’t accurate. A source has told Taking Note that Green, a former Portland Winterhawks assistant GM and assistant coach, doesn’t have an out-clause in his contract that would allow him to leave at this time. The Comets are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks.

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The NHL’s Las Vegas franchise, which is to begin play in 2017-18, has added yet another WHLer to its front office. Erin Ginnell, who played for five teams (New Westminster Bruins, Calgary Wranglers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos) over two seasons (1985-87), has joined Las Vegas as an amateur scout. . . . Ginnell, the son of the late Pat Ginnell, has been an NHL scout since 2000-01, working with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers. He spent 14 seasons with the Panthers, the last five as their director of amateur scouting. . . . Ginnell’s son, Brad, is in camp with the Portland Winterhawks.  He was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Las Vegas also has added Scott Luce as its director of amateur scouting. He had been Florida’s director of player personnel. . . . Luce and Ginnell both found themselves unemployed when Florida shuffled GM Dale Tallon upstairs and put Tom Rowe in charge. . . . In recent days, Las Vegas has signed at least four other people with WHL experience — Murray Craven (senior vice-president), Kelly McCrimmon (assistant GM), Vaughn Karpan (director of player personnel) and Bruno Campese (amateur scout).

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The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced this week that — wait for it! — each of its regular-season games will be worth three points. . . . Here’s how it will work. . . . If a team wins in regulation time, it gets three points. . . . If a team wins during a five-minute sudden-death OT period, it gets three points. The loser doesn’t get a thing. . . . If a game is decided in 3-on-3 OT, which occurs if the five-minute period doesn’t settle things, the winner gets two points, with the loser getting one. . . . If the game needs a shootout, the winner gets two points and the loser gets one. . . . It is going to be interesting to watch the in-season reaction to see if teams push harder to win in regulation or the first OT period.

There also was this paragraph in the news release: “The 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts will only affect the WCHA standings, while any game that is tied after the 5-on-5 overtime remains officially a tie for NCAA purposes. Thus, the WCHA standings will show Wins, Losses, Ties and 3-on-3/Shootout Wins (W-L-T-3/SW). In this format, W-L-T will add up to games played, with the Tie column signifying how many times a team has been to a 3-on-3 overtime or shootout; and, the 3/SW column representing how many games a team has won in that fashion.”

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Commissioner urges shareholders to sell 'Canes . . . Portland gets small reprieve . . . Bjorkstrand to worlds

MONDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was in Lethbridge on Monday evening to speak to Hurricanes’ shareholders. The gathering was closed to the public and to the media.
Afterwards, Robison told local media that he had told shareholders that “given the team’s current financial position, I recommend they strongly consider private ownership.”
The franchise has been headed in that direction since its last annual general meeting. At that meeting, a motion was put forward asking that shareholders entertain a sale. Next up will be a special meeting at which shareholders will vote on whether to hold a vote on the sale. The date for that meeting will be set sometime in the next three weeks.
Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more right here.
One paragraph in Kingsmith’s report reads: “Should shareholders choose to sell, they would have a say in who the team is sold to, although final approval rests with the WHL’s board of governors. Robison stresses the league favours local owners, and points to the Kamloops Blazers as the ideal template of how a team can successfully transition from community to private ownership.”
The Blazers were sold by shareholders to Tom Gaglardi, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor prior to the 2007-08 season. While those five all have ties to Kamloops, it would be a reach to call any of them “local.” Recchi is the only one of the five who was born in Kamloops, but his appearances here have lessened with time.
Also, perhaps Robison has forgotten how messy things were around Kamloops in the months leading up to the sale. Sheesh! I seem to recall both parties appearing in B.C. Supreme Court before all the smoke had cleared. And we won’t even get into the hullabaloo that took place when Mike Priestner, now the owner of the Saskatoon Blades, got involved by making an offer to purchase the Blazers. At one point, Jim Pattison — yes, that Jim Pattison! — was said to be contemplating making an offer.
Perhaps the commissioner has forgotten that the Blazers’ shareholders voted during the summer of 2006 not to sell the franchise. At that time, it wasn’t a case of not selling to the Gaglardi group; it was a case of not wanting to sell to anyone.
Over the winter of 2006-07, a lot of shares changed hands and ended up with folks who voted to sell to the Gaglardi group at a meeting during the summer of 2007.
Under new ownership, the Blazers have struggled, on and off the ice, to find an identity. They have missed the playoffs three of the last five seasons, including each of the last two. They were eliminated four times in the first round, lost out once in the second round, and reached the Western Conference final once. They have had six head coaches — seven if you count Guy Charron twice — and two interim head coaches in eight seasons.
In 2006-07, the last season under community ownership, the average attendance was 4,787. In 2007-08, the first season under new ownership, it was 4,562. It slid to 4,132, before reaching 4,825 in 2012-13 when the Blazers had a 99-point regular season. However, attendance slipped to 4,148 the following season. This season’s average was 3,994.
The one really good thing that came out of the sale is that the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, which sold the franchise, has invested the money it received from the sale and now puts money into the community through its Sports Legacy Fund.
Since 2009, the society has issued $2,158,287 in grants to 84 organizations. Earlier this year, 27 organizations shared in $325,000 in grants.
For more on the terrific work being done by the society, click right here.
Under terms of the sale of the Blazers, the society retained the right to buy back the franchise at the original sale price should the Gaglardi group ever choose to sell.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed general manager Peter Anholt to a three-year contract. Anholt took over as GM/head coach on Dec. 10, with the Hurricanes having fired GM Brad Robson and head coach Drake Berehowsky. . . . Anholt is adamant that he won’t return as head coach, and that he will hire a coach after the bantam draft. . . . “I certainly have a type of coach I’m looking for,” Anholt said on Monday. “I would like it to be a teacher, somebody that’s going to relate well with the young players. And it would be nice to have experience in our league.” . . . If that, indeed, is what Anholt is looking for, you have to wonder if he might take a look at someone like Victoria Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto. . . . Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more on the Anholt signing right here.
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The WHL has revealed that it has returned Portland’s 2017 first-round bantam draft pick to the Winterhawks. . . . On Nov. 28, 2012, the WHL ruled that the Winterhawks wouldn’t be permitted to take part in the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft and also took away first-round selections in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. As well, the Winterhawks were fined $200,000 and GM/head coach Mike Johnston was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. . . . The Winterhawks were ruled to have broken player-benefit rules, including flying in parents to watch games, supplying some players with cell phones and paying some players off-season training allowances. . . . The last paragraph of Monday’s news release reads: “The WHL and the Portland Winterhawks will not be making any further comment on this matter.” . . . While the Winterhawks wouldn’t make any official comment, one insider told Taking Note that this was “total vindication.”
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Doug Kerslake, who played with the 1970-71 Edmonton Oil Kings who reached the Memorial Cup, has died. Kerslake, who was born in Saskatoon, was 65. . . . There is an obituary right here.
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F Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Portland Winterhawks will join Denmark at the IIHF World championship tournament that is being played in Czech Republic. Bjorkstrand, whose NHL rights belong to the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored 76 goals in 76 games this season. He had 63 goals in 59 regular-season games and followed that up with 13 goals in 17 playoff games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed G Dylan Ferguson, who was an eighth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Ferguson, from Lantzville, B.C., will turn 17 on Sept. 20. He played the last two seasons for the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Athol Murray College in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he was 17-7-0, 2.70, .907. . . . One would think that Connor Ingram, 18, goes into training camp in August as the No. 1 goaltender. Barring a transaction, that would leave Ferguson to scrap with returnee Cole Kehler, who turns 18 on Dec. 17, for the backup position. Ingram got into 52 games this season, while Kehler played in 21.
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“The Crown wants a ‘safety plan’ in place to protect the fiancée of a former Kamloops Blazers defenceman facing a domestic-assault allegation,” writes Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week. “Cory Crichton was charged last week with assault causing bodily harm in relation to an April 19 altercation with his fiancée.” . . . Crichton, who is from Kamloops, played four games with the Blazers in 1987-88 and 55 in 1988-89. . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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Have you ever wondered what suggestions are made when a team goes public in its search for a new nickname? In this case, it’s the U of North Dakota, which is looking to replace Fighting Sioux as its nickname. . . . Chris Peters of cbssports.com has more right here, and a lot of it isn’t pretty.
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No doubt you have tuned into a sporting event, either on radio or TV, and had one of the broadcasters check in with his “Keys to the Game.” And no doubt you have reacted with: “No kidding!” . . . Well, Fox Sports San Diego has taken “Keys to the Game” to a new level. . . . Check it out right here and you will never again look at “Keys to the Game” in the same light.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Colin Chaulk is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. Chaulk, 38, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. . . . Chaulk replaces Brent Hughes, who was fired after a 23-46-3 season. This was the Beast’s first season in the ECHL.

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Foreurs, Oil Kings in semifinal; Stoll talks Yorkton and Terriers

F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) has signed a one-year contract with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he had 13 points, two of them goals, in 32 games. He was the team captain. . . .


F Alexander Kuvaev (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2010-12) has signed a two-year extension with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). This season, with Severstal, he had two assists in 10 games. He also played with Almaz Cherepovets (Russia, MHL), leading the team in scoring with 39 points, including 17 goals, in 35 games. . . . The MHL is Molodezhnaya Hokkeynaya Liga or Junior Hockey League, Russia's national junior league. . . .

F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a three-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). This season, with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL), he had 30 points, including 13 goals, in 37 games. He was drafted in the fourth round of the KHL’s 2009 junior draft by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which traded his rights to Yugra on Wednesday for Yugra's first-round selection in the 2015 KHL draft.
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1. Jon Rosen, the former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips who now is the L.A. Kings Insider, took time out from a visit to Wrigley Field this week to chat with F Jarret Stoll. Mostly they talked about Stoll’s connection to Yorkton and to the SJHL’s Terriers. You may recall that Stoll arranged to pay for some team meals as the Terriers made a run to the RBC Cup title last week. As I suspected, it turns out that superstition had something to do with it. . . . Rosen’s piece is right here and it really does show that you can take the boy to Los Angeles but you can’t take Yorkton out of the boy. Great stuff!

2. The 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference has added more presenters to its roster. . . . Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s head scout, will do a presentation on player evaluation. . . . Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, will do a session on passing skills. . . . Enio Sacilotto, a long-time coach who now is an assistant with the Victoria Royals, will handle small area games. . . . Jeff Compton, who also is on the Royals’ staff, will deal with Hockey IQ. . . . For more info, click on the conference’s ad at the top of this page. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 18-19 at the U of British Columbia in Vancouver.

3. “Well, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are upon us and we’re staring down the barrel of a strike,” writes columnist George Johnson of the Calgary Herald. “And not a Gary Bettman sighting to be had.” . . . This time, it’s the CFL that’s on the verge of going over a cliff. Seriously. . . . Johnson’s take is right here.

4. D Derrick Pouliot, who completed his junior eligibility with the Portland Winterhawks this season, had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for up to six months., Pouliot was taken eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has signed an NHL contract. He was honoured this season as the WHL’s top defenceman.

5. The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes to a three-year contract extension. Hawes had one year left on this contract, so now is signed through 2017-18. . . . He is preparing for his 10th season with the organization. He has been the GM since November 2010.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Allen Americans, who won the Central league championship earlier this month, have signed head coach Steve Martinson through 2015-16. He just completed his second season with the Americans and has won back-to-back championships.
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Scott Hillman has resigned as head coach and director of hockey operations of the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks, who play out of Independence. He had filled those positions since the Mavericks began play in the league in 2009-10. . . . The Mavericks made the playoffs in each of Hillman’s five seasons with them. This season, they won a franchise-record 44 games and had the league’s best regular-season record.
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MEMORIAL CUP
(at London, Ont., all times Eastern)
(all games televised by Sportsnet)
Friday: Val-d’Or 1, London 0 (8,863)
Saturday: Guelph 5, Edmonton 2 (8,842)
Sunday: Edmonton 5, London 2 (8,863)
Monday: Guelph 6, Val-d’Or 3 (8,796)
Tuesday: Val-d’Or 4, Edmonton 3 (2OT) (8,745)
Wednesday: Guelph 7, London 2 (8,863)
Thursday: No game scheduled.
Friday's semifinal: Val-d'Or vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday: No game scheduled.
Sunday: Final, 4 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
F Scott Kosmachuk scored his first three goals of the tournament to lead the OHL-champion Guelph Storm to a 7-2 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Storm (3-0) had already clinched a berth in Sunday’s final. . . . The loss eliminated the Knights (0-3) from the tournament. . . . Without the need for tiebreaker, today will be an off-day in London. . . . Friday’s semifinal will feature the QMJHL-champion Val-d’Or Foreurs (2-1) and the WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings (1-2). The Foreurs beat the Oil Kings 4-3 in double OT on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Kosmachuk got the Storm started with two first-period goals, at 5:46 and 12:44, the latter via the PP. . . . London got on the board at 17:05 as F Brett Welchyka scored a PP goal. . . . F Tyler Bertuzzi restored Guelph’s two-goal lead with a PP goal at 2:23 of the second, only have London F Josh Anderson cut into that lead at 5:34. . . . However, the Storm took control on Bertuzzi’s second goal, and fifth of the tournament, at 16:05 and a PP goal by F Jason Dickinson at 1:20 of the third. . . . Kosmachuk completed the hat trick at 8:01. . . . Storm F Marc Stevens finished off the scoring at 1714. . . . Guelph G Justin Nichols stopped 45 shots. . . . London starter Anthony Stolarz turned was beaten three time on 17 shots, leaving at 2:23 of the second period with his side down 3-1. Reliever Jake Patterson stopped 17 of 21 shots. . . . Guelph was 3-for-6 on the PP; London was 1-for-4. . . . Storm F Zack Mitchell was ejected with a kneeing major at 6:56 of the first period. London F Dakota Mermis, who was on the receiving end of the hit, returned to the game. . . . The Storm was without D Chadd Bauman after he was suspended for the duration of the tournament for a kneeing major he incurred for a hit on Val-d’Or D Guillaume Gelinas on Monday night. Gelinas, who was named the QMJHL’s top defenceman this season, won’t play again in the tournament. . . . The Knights were appearing in their third straight Memorial Cup. They are the first team to play in three in a row and not win even one championship.
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From Josh Brown (@BrownRecord), during last night’s game: “I'm thinking there is soon going to be tons of semi and final Mem Cup tix available soon.”


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