Kennewick vote looks like "No" . . . Hitmen need assistant coach

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Freiburg (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had seven goals and nine assists with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), a goal and nine assists in two games with Sokolov (Czech Republic, 2.Liga), and a goal and three assists in 20 games with Litvinov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . .

F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by Chamonix-Morzine (France, Ligue Magnus) at his request. Last season, with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite), he had four goals and nine assists in 21 games. He also had nine goals and 12 assists in 25 games with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). . . .

F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) has signed a one-year extension with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, he had three assists in 17 games with the Manchester Storm (England, UK Elite) and two goals and an assist in 32 games with Olimpija Ljubljana. . . .

D Colin Joe (Kelowna, Saskatoon, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Jegesmedvék Miscolc (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), he had three goals and 11 assists in 58 games.

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It appears that voters in Kennewick, Wash., have voted against the implementation of a sales tax that would have resulted in improvements to the Toyota Center, the home of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans. . . . As of Thursday night, there were about 2,000 ballots yet to count, with the no side holding a lead of 53 to 47 per cent. . . . According to the Tri-City Herald, “The Kennewick Public Facilities District asked voters to approve a two-tenths of a percent sales tax increase to fund a $35-million upgrade to the (Three Rivers Convention Center). It would have added 2 cents to a $10 purchase in the city.” . . . Wendy Culverwell of the Herald reported earlier in the week that a ‘yes’ vote would have allowed the replacing of “aging equipment, including the 28-year-old ice plant for the hockey arena and the old locker room. The project would have made Toyota Center more accessible to visitors with disabilities, as well by upgrading parking and entrances and increasing seating.” . . . The vote took place on Tuesday, with a voter turnout of 30 per cent. . . . Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager, told Taking Note last night that he will withhold comment until everything is finalized on Aug. 16.

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The Calgary Hitmen are in need of an assistant coach after Trent Whitfield left to join the Providence Bruins, the AHL  affiliate of the Boston Bruins. Whitfield, a 39-year-old native of Alameda, Sask.,
had been with the Hitmen for one season. He played four seasons (1994-98) with the Spokane Chiefs. He also had played four seasons (2009-13) with Providence. . . . Whitfield spent 2014-15 as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. . . . Boston announced Thursday that it has hired Whitfield and Jay Leach as Providence assistant coaches. They will work alongside Kevin Dean, who took over as head coach on July 18. . . . If you are interested in the Hitmen posting, email a resume to assistantcoach@hitmenhockey.com.

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F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, who selected him in the third round of the 2015 NHL draft. . . . Sideroff, a 19-year-old from Summerland, B.C., is in Hockey Canada’s summer evaluation camp for national junior team prospects. . . . According to generalfanager.com, the contract calls for NHL salaries of US$667,500, $742,500 and $742,500, with a $70,000 salary in the AHL. The first year carries $257,500 in performance bonuses, with $182,500 in each of the last two years. Sideroff also gets a $277,500 signing bonus, payable in three annual instalments. . . . Sideroff, a superior skater, had 59 points, including 19 goals, in 63 games last season after missing the start with mononucleosis. . . . In 141 career regular-season WHL games, he has 109 points, including 39 goals.

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The Everett Silvertips have hired Rob Tagle as their athletic trainer. He takes over from Wayne Duncan, who was there for the past two seasons. According to a news release, Duncan “assumes supervision of medical and health needs, and pursuing the objective of injury prevention and minimal recovery time for Silvertips players.” . . . Tagle, 25, previously worked with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. He is from West Freehold, N.J.

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The BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks are looking for an athletic therapist/equipment manager for the 2016-17 season. If you are interested, you can send an email to team president Troy Mick at gm@silverbacks.com. . . . A job description is posted right here.

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Dave Barry, the Miami Herald’s superb columnist, is in Rio de Janiero, so it’s time for the Olympic Summer Games to begin. Barry takes a look at the buildup to the Games right here.

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A Wayne Gretzky rookie card (1979 O-Pee-Chee) has sold for US$465,000, a record for a hockey card. The card sold at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City, N.J. The card is believed to be one of a kind because it has been graded as PSA 10. It is impossible to earn a higher grade.

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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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Patrick Wellar has signed on as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones. Wellar, a 32-year-old from Carrot River, Sask., played four seasons (2000-04) in the WHL, with the Portland Winterhawks and Calgary Hitmen. . . . He was a player-assistant coach last season for the ECHL’s Alaska Aces, getting 14 points, 12 of them assists, in 72 games. . . . During his playing career, he won three ECHL titles and one AHL championship.

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A mint Wayne Gretzky rookie card sold for 465,000 dollars today. I've got one of my own. #timetocashin pic.twitter.com/bKI01UVvoY

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) August 5, 2016

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Mpofu lays down the law . . . Cameron back in coaching game

Some old, some new . . . as I try to catch up after a few days away . . .
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F Carter Proft (Brandon, Spokane, 2010-14) signed a one-year contract with the Kassel Huskies (Germany, DEL). Last season, with Spokane, he had 23 points, 11 of them goals, in 72 games. He has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
D Petr Šenkeřík (Kootenay, Prince George, 2009-10) signed a tryout contract with Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had a goal and two assists in 24 games. In 17 games with Berounští Medvědi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), he had 11 points, four of them goals. . . .
F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL), he had one goal in 23 games. He had four goals and four assists in 15 games with Olimpija Ljubljana, and was pointless in four games with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga). . . .
D Dmitri Sinitsyn (Regina, 2013-14) has signed a two-year, two-way contract with Dynamo Moscow (Russia, KHL). Last season, he had 44 points, including 10 goals, in 69 games with Regina. . . .
F Michal Pšurný (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) signed a one-year extension with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). Last season, he led the league in scoring, putting up 99 points, including 45 goals, in 54 games. He was a first-team all-star. . . .
D Jace Coyle (Spokane, Medicine Hat, 2007-11) signed a one-year contract with Aalborg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, with the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), he had 31 points, including eight goals. He was pointless in three games on loan to the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL). . . .
D Tomáš Troliga (Calgary, 2003-04) signed a tryout contract with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 24 points, 13 of them goals, in 46 games.
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F Vukie Mpofu, the 87th selection in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft, has informed the Red Deer Rebels that he won’t be returning for a second season. Mpofu, 18, is a native of Saskatoon, who had 15 points, including nine goals, in 65 games last season.
He has decided to attend the U of Saskatchewan and study business and marketing as he works toward a law degree.
“He called me and told me he’d thought about it all summer and that his goal was to attend law school,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/GM/head coach, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “He felt it was important for him to start his schooling now (at the U of S) and then in four years enrol in law school in Toronto.”
Sutter told Meachem that he wasn’t surprised to hear from Mpofu.
“I don’t know how driven he was to be a hockey player and I told him that over the phone . . . that if his heart wasn’t in it then it was better to move on to school,” Sutter said. “I kind of had a feeling that something was up at the end of the season. After he got hurt he never had the same drive. His emotion for the game wasn’t the same when he came back and at our year-end meeting I had a feeling he really wasn’t all-in to being a player.”
Mpofu struggled in the second half of the season after returning from a lower-back injury.
 Mpofu told Meachem there wouldn’t be any looking back.
“I’ve had everything I could have ever asked for out of hockey and I’m at a point in my life — now that I’m out of high school — that every decision I make from here on in should be building toward my long-term goals and where I would eventually like to see myself in five to 10 years. That’s pretty much the basis of my decision,” Mpofu said.
“Hockey was a lot of fun for me, but I had to make a decision now for my future.”
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And now for some self-promotion . . .
Jack Finarelli, aka The Sports Curmudgeon, is a friend who writes daily on his blog. He also offers up some recommended readings for his followers.
The other day, he posted this right here:
“Here is one to put on your ‘Wish List’ so that folks can get you a book for your birthday or for Christmas…"
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Meanwhile, The Sports Curmudgeon also took time to dissect a claim by someone that the return of LeBron could put $500 million into the Cleveland economy. I always cringe when people, mostly of a political bent, start talking about how much a tournament or an event will mean to a city’s economy because there always seem to be a lot of numbers thrown around without a whole lot of proof. . . . Well, The Sports Curmudgeon explains the whole thing awfully well right here. Give this a read and the next time you hear/read about how much economic benefit there will be from an event coming to your town, you will feel a bit better informed.
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The Saskatoon Blades, under relatively new ownership and a freshman GM/head coach in Bob Woods, have realigned their scouting department. Doug Molleken, their head scout, now is director of scouting, eastern region, and will be responsible for Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the U.S. Molleken, 54, has signed a two-year extension. . . . Dan Tencer, 28, has been promoted from regional scout to director of scouting, western region, and will focus on Alberta and B.C. . . . Molleken and Tencer will report to Colin Priestner, the franchise’s managing partner who will oversee the bantam and European drafts. . . . There is more on the Blades’ scouting staff right here.
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“Wilfred Rose, 58, spent a career studying the pants pockets of New Yorkers,” writes Joseph Goldstein in The New York Times, “always on the lookout for ‘a nice stiff wallet’ full of cash, or better yet, the fainter outline of a dozen folded bills.” . . . This is the story of a man who may have been the greatest pickpocket in New York City’s history, and you won’t want to miss it. It’s right here.
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The Montreal Canadiens have signed F Nikita Scherbak, their first-round pick in the NHL’s 2014 draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract. Scherbak, from Russia, had 78 points, including 28 goals, in 65 games as a freshman with the Saskatoon Blades last season. Under terms of the CBA between the NHL and NHLPA, Scherbak, who doesn’t turn 19 until Dec. 30, has to play with the Canadiens or the Blades in 2014-15. Of course, the Blades could also choose to trade him. . . .
As you will have noticed in The MacBeth Report, D Dmitry Sinitsyn of the Regina Pats has signed with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow. Sinitsyn, who turned 20 on June 17, may not have returned to the Pats anyway, as the Moscow native would have been a two-spotter -- a 20-year-old and an import. He was a seventh-round pick by the Dallas Stars in the NHL’s 2012 draft. The Pats’ roster also includes German F Maximilian Kammerer, who is preparing for his second WHL season, and Russian D Sergey Zborovsky, who was selected last month in the CHL import draft. . . . Regina finished last season with five other players who could be 20-year-olds on the 2014-15 roster -- F Braden Christoffer, F Patrick D’Amico, G Dawson MacAuley, F Logan McVeigh and F Chandler Stephenson. . . . Another note from The MacBeth Report has F Carter Proft (Brandon, Spokane, 2011-14) having signed with the Kassel Huskies of the German DEL. Proft, who turns 20 on Aug. 30, had 23 points, 11 of them goals, in 72 games last season with the Chiefs. Other 20-year-olds on Spokane’s roster are F Liam Stewart, F Marcus Messier, F Connor Chartier and D Reid Gow. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Brendan De Jong, a seventh-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft out of Victoria. De Jong, 16, had 13 points in 32 games with the Pacific Sea Devils, an elite 15 team at the Pacific Coast Academy.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Malcolm Cameron, who spent last season as head coach of the Regina Pats, now is on staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C. Cameron, 44, guided the Pats to WHL East Division regular-season title last season, but was fired by the franchise’s new owners last month. Prior to last season, he was an assistant coach with the Pats for two seasons. . . . Before joining the Pats, Cameron was an ECHL head coach for eight season. . . .

Jean-François (J.F.) Houle is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors, who are owned by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He takes over from Troy Mann, now the head coach of the AHL’s Hershey Bears. . . . For the past three seasons, Houle, 39, has been head coach of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . He is the son of former Montreal Canadiens F Réjean Houle. . . . The Armada is working on finding a new head coach. . . .

The QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar is looking for a head coach after Eric Veilleux left to become head coach of the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Veilleux, who had been with the Drakkar for two seasons, replaces Trent Yawney, who now is an assistant coach with the Ducks. The Drakkar reached the QMJHL final in each of Veilleux’s seasons. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades have added Shane Endicott (Seattle, 1997-2001) to their staff as the franchise’s first skills coach. Endicott, who is from Saskatoon, spent six seasons in the AHL after being the Pittsburgh Penguins selected him 52nd overall in the NHL’s 2000 draft. He retired after playing in Europe and opened On Ice Connections in Saskatoon. Last season, he helped the U of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s team to its first conference title. . . .

Kevin Kraus (Kamloops, Tri-City, 2006-08) is returning to Vernon as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Vipers. He will work alongside GM/head coach Jason Williamson. A defenceman from Garden Grove, Calif., Kraus played 130 regular-season and 44 playoff games with the Vipers, helping them to two national championships. Kraus, 24, spent last season as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. With the Vipers, he replaces Kris Mallette, now an assistant coach with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. . . .

Kim Dillabaugh has left the Kelowna Rockets after 11 seasons as their goaltending coach. Dillabaugh is moving on to work full-time with the Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings. While working with the Rockets, he also has helped the Kings for the past eight seasons in the area of goaltending development. He will continue in that area with the Kings, but now also will scout for them. The Rockets plan is to hire a goaltending coach to replace Dillabaugh.

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Cougars win big one on road; Holmberg first to 50!

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) has signed with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had one goal in 23 games with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL) and eight points, four of them goals, in 15 games with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .

F Richard Rapac (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2006-07) has signed with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. This season, with Litvonov (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had two points in 17 games. He also was on loan to Most (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) and had two goals in six games.
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MONDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Victoria at Moose Jaw, 2 p.m.
Brandon at Regina, 2 p.m.
Prince Albert at Swift Current, 2 p.m.
Lethbridge at Edmonton, 2 p.m.
Red Deer at Calgary, 4 p.m.
(NOTE: Monday is a holiday as the Prairie provinces celebrate the end of winter or something like that.)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Vancouver, the Giants scored three first-period goals, two of them via the PP, en route to a 7-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants ended a five-game losing streak. . . . D Tyler Morrison, with his sixth, D Mason Geertsen, with his third, and F Jackson Houck (28) got the Giants rolling in this one. . . . Houck hadn’t scored in 10 games. . . . Vancouver F ‘Citizen’ Cain Franson later got his 23rd, and then got No. 24. He also had two assists. . . . Vancouver F Joel Hamilton had a goal, his seventh, and three assists, while Houck also had two assists. . . . F Matt Bellerive, a former Vancouver skater, scored twice for Kamloops, giving him 13. . . . The Giants finished 3-for-4 on the PP. Kamloops was 0-for-3. . . . Vancouver held a 51-21 edge in shots. . . . Kamloops G Cole Kehler, 16, stopped 44 shots, 25 more than Vancouver’s Jared Rathjen. . . . F Johnny Wesley, who signed with the Giants earlier this month, made his WHL debut. . . . Kamloops had F Matt Needham, the team captain, on the bench in a coaching capacity. Injuries have limited Needham to 37 games, including just one since Dec. 29. He last played on Jan. 24. . . . Vancouver D Dalton Thrower (ankle) missed his 11th game. The Giants are 4-5-2 without him. . . . Vancouver (28-23-10) is in sole possession of sixth place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Blazers (12-43-5) are 2-18-1 in 2014. They are again tied with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (12-43-5) in the WHL’s cellar. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Prince George Cougars erased an early 3-0 deficit and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-4. . . . Seattle scored three times in the game’s first 6:48. . . . Prince George F Jansen Harkins broke a 3-3 tie at 5:48 of the second period and drove Seattle G Danny Mumaugh to the bench having allowed four goals on 23 shots. The Cougars promptly scored on their first two shots on G Taran Kozun, who relieved Mumaugh. . . . F Zach Pochiro scored twice, giving him 26, and added an assist for the Cougars, while F Troy Bourke got his 25th goal and had two helpers. . . . Prince George F Todd Fiddler had his 39th goal and an assist. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds came on in relief with his side down 3-0 and stopped 39 of 40 shots. . . . F Jaimen Yakubowski scored twice for Seattle, giving him nine goals. . . . Prince George D Wil Tomchuk missed the early part of the game with skate problems so wasn’t on the ice for any of Seattle’s early goals. At game’s end, he had one assist and was plus-4. . . . The Cougars (25-29-8) are two points behind the Tri-City Americans, who hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . Seattle (37-18-5) is fourth, five points behind the Victoria Royals and eight in front of the Spokane Chiefs. . . .

In Spokane, Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg became the WHL’s first 50-goal man this season in a 5-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Holmberg scored twice, giving him 51, and added an assist. The three points also moved him to 100 on the season and put him into a tie with Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan for the lead in the points derby. . . . Spokane and Portland each has 13 regular-season games remaining. . . . Holmberg has 136 regular-season career goals, 10 behind F Pat Falloon (1988-91), who holds the franchise record. . . . F Mike Aviani helped the Chiefs with his 32nd goal and two assists, while F Adam Helewka had three assists. . . . Helewka, an 18-year-old sophomore from Burnaby, B.C., has 42 points, including 20 goals, in 49 games. Last season, he finished with 27 points, 10 of them goals, in 60 games. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist got his 38th goal of the season. . . . G Carter Hart, 15, made his WHL debut by starting for the Silvertips. He stopped 20 shots. A native of Sherwood Park, Alta., Hart is wearing No. 70. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams turned aside 34 shots. . . . This was Spokane’s 18th straight home-ice victory over Everett. . . . The Chiefs (33-20-5) are fifth in the Western Conference. . . . Everett (28-22-8) is seventh, two points behind Vancouver and four ahead of Tri-City.
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “The @WHLsilvertips should be excited about 1st round pick Tyson Jost. Had a 7 pt game today for @OkanaganRockets and set a franchise record.”
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More from Bartel: “Jost sets new @OkanaganRockets record for points in a season with 72. Old mark of 71 points was held by @TCAmericans Parker Bowles.”


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Johnny Bower singing and swinging

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Casey Pierro-Zabotel (Vancouver, 2007-09) has been released by Lausitzer Füchse (Germany, DEL2). In 28 games, he had 19 points, including four goals. . . .
F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) was released by Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). This season with Medvescak, he had one goal in 23 games. According to Medvescak, Koren will report to Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). . . .
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) signed a three-year contract extension with Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). The deal runs through the 2016-17 season. This season, Courchaine leads the DEL in scoring, with 39 points, including 13 goals, in 29 games. . . .
D Sergei Drozd (Tri-City, 2009-10) was assigned to Neman Grodno (Belarus, Ekstraliga) by Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). This season with Dinamo, Drozd was pointless in seven games. With Neman, he had 16 points, 10 of them goals, in 22 games. . . .
F Travis Ehrhardt (Moose Jaw, Portland, 2004-09) signed for the rest of this season with the Stavanger Oilers (Norway, GET-Ligaen). He was released from a PTO by St. John's Ice Caps (AHL) on Dec 16. In eight games with St. John’s, he had one goal. He is scheduled to arrive in Stavanger on Dec. 27 and may make his debut on Dec. 28 against Vålerenga.
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Here from Hockey Time Machine, as a Christmas gift to you, is a video of former NHL goaltender Johnny Bower singing and swinging with his hit song Honky the Christmas Goose. . . . Enjoy!


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract extension with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and two assists in 39 games for Medvescak last season. He also played for the Slovenian National Junior Team at the Division 1 World Junior Championships, getting four goals and three assists in five games. . . .
F Ryan Keller (Saskatoon, 2001-05) signed a two-year contract with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). He had 21 goals and 28 assists in 71 games with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) last season. You can read the press release in Canada's other official language right here.
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Josh Brown, who covers the Kitchener Rangers for the Waterloo Region Record, reported Tuesday afternoon that the OHL team is “seeking $1 million in damages over a story published in a Michigan student newspaper that claimed the club offered to pay a player to suit up for the team.”
More from Brown: “The defamation suit against The Michigan Daily seeks $500,000 in general damages and $500,000 in punitive damages and was expected to be filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Kitchener Tuesday, according to a team lawyer.”
Brown’s blog report is right here.
Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports has even more right here.
Yes, this is one can of worms!
And this story, it seems, will have some legs. Gee, even Bob McCown and Damien Cox were kicking it around on Prime Time Sports on Tuesday.
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This will be a hot weekend in Cranbrook, no matter what happens with the weather.
That’s because it’s the Kootenay Ice’s Alumni Weekend.
Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s present and GM, reports that “23 players and all the staff from the 2000 WHL championship team and 2002 Memorial Cup team” will be in attendance.
If you’re in the area, there’s a Hot Stove Dinner on Thursday and a golf tournament on Friday.
Oh, and if you’re there perhaps you’ll be able to meet Chad Kletzel, the Ice’s new assistant coach. That’s Chad, not Derek. Apologies to all for my writing Derek in yesterday’s post. And thanks to those of you who pointed out that I wrote Chad, rather than Derek. (Be forewarned that it just may happen again before I get it our of my system. Just ask Matt Needham of the Kamloops Blazers how many times I referred to him as Mike in the early going.)
Anyway, Chad, good luck . . . on the golf course and behind the bench.
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G Alexandre Sirard, who played one game with the Swift Current Broncos in 2008-09 and eight in 2009-10, will attend Selkirk College in Castlegar, B.C., and play for the Saints. They play in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. Last season, he played with the U of Regina Cougars and the junior B Pilot Butte Storm.
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And if you haven't yet heard about the family that stumbled upon a treasure trove of baseball cards, well, you should read this story right here. I know. I know. If only your mother hadn't thrown out that box . . .

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Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Gal Koren (Kelowna, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had one goal and two assists in 36 games for the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) last season.
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It seems the good folks of Medicine Hat are going to have to wait a while longer for a new arena.
Despite the owners of the Medicine Hat Tigers throwing their weight behind the proposed $94.5-million Regional Event Centre, Medicine Hat's city council voted Monday to reject a funding model for the project.
However, as Amanda Stephenson of the Medicine Hat News reports, the project may not be dead, although it might well be on life support.
Her story is right here.
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Bill Shaw is the new head coach of the Eastern Washington University Eagles, who have joined the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. Gary Braun, a former WHL coach, decided to step aside, with Shaw, an assistant coach for three seasons, moving up as head coach. Braun went 115-29-8 in five seasons with the Eagles. At the same time, the Eagles named J.C. Thomas as their assistant coach. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the junior B Spokane Braves of the Kootenay International junior league. Thomas played for Braves from 2001-07. . . . The MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers have signed Chris Poponick as their general manager/director of business operations. The Selkirk native replaces Ken Petrash. Poponick spent 12 seasons as an assistant coach with the junior B Selkirk Fishermen.
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The Chilliwack Bruins now officially are the Victoria Royals. The WHL’s newest franchise, which was sold and relocated to the B.C. capital from Chilliwack, announced its nickname and colours on Monday.
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has the story right here.
Dheensaw also reports on the Royals and school, billets and training camp right here.
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Rocker Rod Stewart’s son Liam, 17, played last season in the Los Angeles Junior Kings program. He has since been selected by the Lincoln Stars in the USHL draft. But he was born in London and is hoping to play for Great Britain. There’s more right here.
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Drew Wilson, the radio voice of the Prince Albert Raiders on CKBI, is already preparing for the 2011-12 season. He ran 10 kilometres in the annual Prince Albert Road Race on Sunday. How did he do? Well, as he puts it: “My motto was slow and steady finishes the 10k.”
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Mark Recchi announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday night, in the aftermath of the Boston Bruins’ victory in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.
Is the 43-year-old Recchi a cinch to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame?
There’s more on that right here.
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While Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, works to purchase the NHL’s Dallas Stars, he also has been buying up hotels. There's more right here.
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It’s safe to say that the NHL — and, by association, the sport of ice hockey — has an image problem.
The good folks at EA Sports, who this week will reveal the name of the player whose likeness will grace the cover of NHL 12, have issued a news release heralding the announcement.
NHL 12, they say, will reignite “the beloved fighting engine that first appeared in NHL 10 with all-new goalie battles. When the action gets heated, send a message by leaving the net, dropping the gloves, and trading punches with rivals during fights.”
As Jeff Blair wrote in The Globe and Mail: “There really is a special place in hell for these people, no? No report on whether you can pick a city of your choice to burn after your team craps the bed in the playoffs.”
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Yes, it’s NHL draft week, with the first round scheduled for Friday and the last six on Saturday. It’ll be held in the Xcel Energy Center, the home arena of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
As usual, TSN will be all over the draft. It’s live coverage begins Friday at 4 p.m. PT.
Veteran analyst Bob McKenzie has released his top 30 draft prospects and here they are:
According to a TSN news release: “Over the past seven years, McKenzie has an 84 per cent accuracy rate in projecting the 30 players selected in the first round. Last year, 25 of McKenzie’s top 30 players were selected in the first round of the draft.”
Six of McKenzie’s top 30 are from the WHL, with three of those being from the Portland Winterhawks, who also own the WHL rights to C Rocco Grimaldi, who is in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
Here is McKenzie’s top 30:
1. C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Red Deer (WHL)
2. D Adam Larsson, Skelleftea (Sweden)
3. C/LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Saint John (QMJHL)
4. LW Gabriel Landeskog, Kitchener (OHL)
5. C Sean Couturier, Drummondville (QMJHL)
6. D Dougie Hamilton, Niagara (OHL)
7. C Ryan Strome, Niagara (OHL)
8. D Ryan Murphy, Kitchener (OHL)
9. C Mika Zibanejad, Djurgarden (Sweden)
10. D Jonas Brodin, Farjestad (Sweden)
11. D Nathan Beaulieu, Saint John (QMJHL)
12. C Mark Scheifele,  Barrie (OHL)
13. D Duncan Siemens,  Saskatoon (WHL)
14. RW Joel Armia, Assat (Finland)
15. RW Tyler Biggs, US U-18
16. LW Sven Bartschi, Portland (WHL)
17. D Jamie Oleksiak, Northeastern (NCAA)
18. LW J.T. Miller, US U-18
19. C Mark McNeill, Prince Albert (WHL)
20. D Joe Morrow, Portland (WHL)
21. D Oscar Klefbom, Farjestad (Sweden)
22. LW Brandon Saad, Saginaw (OHL)
23. C Rocco Grimaldi, US US-18
24. RW Nicklas Jensen, Oshawa (OHL)
25. RW Ty Rattie, Portland (WHL)
26. C Boone Jenner, Oshawa (OHL)
27. LW Matt Puempel, Peterborough (OHL)
28. C Zack Phillips, Saint John (QMJHL)
29. RW Tomas Jurco, Saint John (QMJHL)
30. D Connor Murphy, US U-18

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