McGill to coach Wheat Kings? . . . Heffley to join Tigers . . . Warriors' ticket sales up

The championship rings received by the two Canadian gold medal teams. World Junior (L) World Championship (R). pic.twitter.com/TOj2We7K86

— Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) June 11, 2015


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Ryan McGill as the next head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings? . . . Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press weighs in right here on the decision facing Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Wheat Kings.
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F/D Colton Heffley, who played out his junior eligibility this season, will attend Dalhousie University and play for the Tigers. Heffley, from Swift Current, played in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Heffley was a second-round selection by the Rockets in the 2009 bantam draft. After playing four-plus seasons — 270 regular-season games — with the Rockets, he was dealt to the Raiders on Dec. 2 for a fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors early bird season-ticket deadline passed by and the team revealed that sales are ahead of last season. They have sold 2,154 season tickets, up 212 from the 1,942 they had sold a year ago.
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In the AHL, the host Utica Comets scored a 3-2 victory over the Manchester Monarchs in Game 3 of the Calder Cup final. . . . The Monarchs hold a 2-1 edge going into Game 4 in Utica on Friday. . . . F Cal O’Reilly had a goal, his first of the playoffs, and an assist for the Comets. . . . The Monarchs lost G Jean-Francois Berube to an undisclosed injury at 7:51 of the first period, with Patrik Bartosak, who wasn’t dressed for Games 1 or 2, coming on to replace him. Bartosak (Red Deer Rebels, 2011-14) stopped 27 of 29 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,835.
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In the ECHL, the South Carolina Stingrays beat the visiting Allen Americans 4-1 to force a seventh game in the Kelly Cup final. . . . Game 7 is scheduled for Allen on Sunday. . . . The series followed a 3-3-1 format. . . . The Stingrays scored the game’s first three goals. . . . Attendance was 4,078.
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The junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League held its annual meeting last weekend in Osoyoos. As Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman reports right here, expansion and the suspensions of traded players who refuse to report were among the items on the agenda.
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Actor Vince Vaughn at rink side. He paid for dinner last night for Tampa Bay coaches, staffers. And he's a Blackhawks fan.

— Helene Elliott (@helenenothelen) June 11, 2015

The @NHLBlackhawks tie the #StanleyCup Final at 2-2 and Vince approves. pic.twitter.com/p2MR5PEf7y

— NHL (@NHL) June 11, 2015

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Whatever happened to Kimbi Daniels? . . . McCrimmon in the NHL? Why not? . . . Oil Kings sign forward

The fun starts in Quebec City today as the Memorial Cup opens with the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets meeting the host Quebec Remparts.
With that in mind, Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province revisits the 1989 tournament with a focus on Kimbi Daniels, who played in that event and had a seemingly bright hockey future. Daniels and the Swift Current Broncos won that tournament in Saskatoon.
Now the Rockets are hoping to win it. Lorne Frey, their assistant GM, was an assistant coach with the Broncos; Dan Lambert, the Rockets’ head coach, was an offensive force as a defenceman.
That piece is right here.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday: Kelowna vs. Quebec, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Rimouski vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: Quebec vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Monday: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 29: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31: Championship game, TBA
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The Toronto Maple Leafs — yes, they introduced Mike Babcock as their latest head coach on Thursday — have added Jim Paliafito as their director of player evaluation. He had been the general manager of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit.
The Leafs’ front office also includes Mark Hunter, who had been the general manager of the London Knights, and Kyle Dubas, the former GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
All of this prompted Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press to write:
“The Leafs have Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas just below president Brendan Shanahan on the hockey management side. If they add a third in a vice-president or assistant GM role, Kelly McCrimmon and his unparalleled knowledge of the Western Hockey League is a first and last call kind of guy.
“McCrimmon is owner, GM and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings and is as sharp a hockey mind as one will come across. McCrimmon has an MBA and has successfully operated the Wheat Kings since 1992. He knows players, he knows business and he knows hockey. He’s a first-rate person. The Leafs, or any NHL club for that matter, would be lucky to have him.”
Lawless is correct, of course, and you might wonder why no NHL team has yet made such a call. Perhaps it’s because the GM making that call would have to have supreme confidence in his own abilities and be capable of continuing his life without feeling McCrimmon was after his job.
Sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Or have you never wondered how it is that the late Ed Chynoweth never was given the opportunity to run an NHL team?
The complete Lawless piece is right here. He also makes a good point about NHL coaches and salary disclosure.
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The BCHL’s Penticton Vees have done a lot of winning under Fred Harbinson, their GM and head coach. Don’t think for a moment that no one has noticed. As Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province writes right here, Harbinson appears to be on the radar of the U of Wisconsin Badgers and the Vancouver Giants.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes have extended the contract of head coach Martin Bernard through the 2016-17 season. His contract was to expire after next season.
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Dan Muse is the new head coach of the USHL’s Chicago Steel. Muse had been an assistant coach at Yale U for six seasons. . . . The Steel also announced that Larry Robbins has purchased majority interest in the franchise. According to a news release, Robbins is“a Chicagoland native, professional investor and hockey enthusiast.”
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The MJHL’s Neepawa Natives have signed Jim Fuyarchuk as their new head coach. Most recently he worked as head coach of the U-18 Miskolci Jegesmedvek club in Hungary. . . . Prior to that, he worked four seasons with the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines. He also has been head coach of the now-defunct Brandon U Bobcats and spent five seasons in the Super League in Great Britain. . . . Fuyarchuk replaces Dwight Kirkup, who had been head coach for the previous two seasons.
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The fourth annual Bauer BCHL Showcase is scheduled for Sept. 24-27 at Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. According to a news release, “An extra day has been added to this year's Showcase in order to allow all games to be played on Prospera Centre's main ice surface.” . . . Matchups will be announced after the BCHL’s annual general meeting, June 4-6. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed F Colton Kehler, who was a seventh-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Kehler, from Port Coquitlam, B.C., will turn 18 on June 27. . . . This season, the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder had two goals in nine games with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals and nine goals and seven assists in 41 games with the Langley Rivermen. . . . He was a prolific scorer in major midget, scoring 41 times in 40 games for the Vancouver-North East Chiefs in 2012-13. . . . Kehler had committed to Clarkson before changing his mind and signing with the Oil Kings. . . .
If you have been wondering, the annual Young Guns preseason NHL tournament will be held in Penticton, Sept. 11-14. The Vancouver Canucks will again play host to the tournament that also will feature prospects from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. . . . The Oilers’ lineup is likely to include F Connor McDavid. . . . Tickets go on sale July 10. . . . There’s more right here, including a schedule.
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OMG :) Found this in a box. Hilarious! #TheGoonSquad #NewWestBruins pic.twitter.com/VKDnEVzjuF

— Dusty Imoo (@Dusty70) May 22, 2015

I see word is out I'm hanging 'em up after 40 yrs in newspapers. Last official day May 29 but on holidays until 28th. So almost done. 😉😀😎

— Elliott Pap (@ElliottPap) May 21, 2015

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Sutter signs with Swiss team . . . Smyth's night in Moose Jaw . . . Key game for Raiders

D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has signed a two-year contract beginning next season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland NL B), he has three goals and seven assists in 42 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland, NL A).
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The situation involving Winnipeg Jets F Evander Kane has blown up over the last couple of days. It now is that the point where there is speculation that Kane, who starred with the Vancouver Giants, may never play for the Jets again. Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press takes a good look at the Kane saga right here.
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The queue of American cities hoping to play host to the 2018 World Junior Championship forms on the right. According to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY, the line will include bids backed by a number of NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes “and others.” . . . Allen’s story is right here. . . . The 2016 WJC is to be held in Helsinki, with the 2017 tournament scheduled for Montreal and Toronto.
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An obituary in the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Thursday blames a man’s death on the “Seahawks lousy play call.” Seriously. . . . Take a look right here.
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The Prince George Cougars, mired in a 12-game losing skid (10-0-2), should get some help tonight as they expect to have F Zach Pochiro (ribs) and F Jari Erricson (concussion) back in their lineup against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. Pochiro has missed eight games; Erricson has sat out four games. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings are in Cranbrook for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Eastern Conference-leading Wheat Kings are expected to be without F John Quenneville and G Alex Moodie, both of whom are believed to have concussions, and F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury). D Kale Clague (wrist) may play this weekend. . . . The Ice may be without F Jon Martin (ill). . . .
The Saskatoon Blades visit the Regina Pats tonight. The Blades go in knowing that they haven’t beaten the Pats in almost two years (March 9, 2013). . . . That’s 11 straight losses. . . . Saskatoon F Ryan Graham (back) is questionable, as is F Mitch Skapski (undisclosed injury). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors will honour Ryan Smyth tonight by retiring his number (28) as they entertain the Spokane Chiefs. Smyth played three seasons with the Warriors (1992-95), putting up 224 points, including 110 goals, in 188 games. . . . Tonight’s game will be shown on ShawTV with Dan Russell doing the play-by-play. . . .
Also on TV tonight: Roots Sports will do the game in Kent, Wash., between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks. Ian Furness will call the play. . . .
With the Medicine Hat Tigers hurting on the back end due to injuries and suspensions, F Blake Penner has taken some turns back there. But he left Wedneday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings with an injury, so perhaps won’t be available tonight against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. After Wednesday’s game, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News: “He missed the second half of the game, but hopefully it won’t be anything major.” . . .
If the Prince Albert Raiders are to make the playoffs, you would think they absolutely have to win tonight’s game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos hold down the East Division’s third playoff spot, five points ahead of Moose Jaw and eight up on the Raiders. A loss tonight puts the Raiders 10 points off the pace with 19 games remaining. A hole like that at this time of the season is awfully deep. . . .
The chase for the B.C. Division’s third playoff spot continues tonight with the three teams involved separated by four points. The Kamloops Blazers, who are in Kelowna tonight and then play host to the Rockets on Saturday, are third, three points ahead of the Vancouver Giants and four ahead of Prince George. . . . The Giants are at home to Red Deer tonight; the Cougars open a double-dip with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks will continue their attempt at tracking down the first-place Everett Silvertips tonight. The Winterhawks, who are three points behind the first-place Silvertips, visit the third-place Seattle Thunderbirds, while Everett is at home to the fifth-place Tri-City Americans. . . . As things rest right now, it appears that all five U.S. Division teams will make the playoffs. Spokane and Tri-City hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots at the moment.
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From a news release that was issued on Thursday:
“James Hudziak, M.D., has two children who love ice hockey. His son skates for his college team and one of his daughters plays in high school.
“As a pediatric neuropsychiatrist and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, Hudziak believes in the benefits of ice hockey and other sports for kids. Athletic activities help a young person build organizational skills, improve motor and emotional control, reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
“Now, though, Hudziak is looking into the potential dangers of ice hockey for young athletes. He and UVM colleagues Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., Catherine Orr, Ph.D., and Richard Watts, Ph.D., have published a groundbreaking study in the February issue of The Journal of Pediatrics that shows a relationship between concussions sustained by young ice hockey players and subtle changes in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain that controls higher-level reasoning and behavior.”
The complete news release is right here.
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Good start to the roadie for the @EdmOilKings. Bus stuck in parking lot at CN Centre #teambuilder pic.twitter.com/y592nhQk9P
— Corey Graham (@CoreyGraham) February 6, 2015

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Ahh, let the speculation begin.
Jim Toth of Winnipeg radio station CJOB reported Sunday via Twitter that True North Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, “recently met with a #WHL franchise about purchasing the team & bringing it to #Winnipeg.”
The second half of Toth’s tweet read: “#TNSE deal for #WHL franchise did not work out, they are not currently searching for a team. Door is left open for the future.”
Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press reported: “True North spokesman Scott Brown would not discuss the matter, saying only the organization would not be addressing the report.”
Lawless also quoted Kelly McCrimmon, the owner and general manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings: “Certainly Winnipeg could be on the radar at some point given that the model has worked well in Calgary and Edmonton. It did not however come up at our recent board of governor meetings."
The WHL’s board of governors met in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 and 12.
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The Tri-City Herald’s Best of the West poll results are right here. The most interesting part of it? A quarter of the participants left blank the part asking for the name of the WHL’s top referee.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Lethbridge
Saskatoon vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Medicine Hat
Prince Albert vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Everett
Kelowna vs. Seattle
Kamloops vs. Victoria
Spokane vs. Tri-City
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, F Michael St. Croix scored twice and added an assist as the Oil Kings dropped the Victoria Royals, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings surrendered the game’s first two goals. . . . The Royals now have lost four in a row. . . . St. Croix, who has 30 goals, now has 299 career regular-season points in 267 games. . . . F Curtis Lazar also got his 30th goal for the Oil Kings. . . . F Brandon Magee, who is from Edmonton, drew two assists for Victoria, while F Steven Hodges had a goal, his 25th, and an assist. . . . G Michael Herringer made his WHL debut with the Royals, replacing Coleman Vollrath after Edmonton’s fifth goal. Herringer was brought in from the junior B Victoria Cougars to back up Vollrath after starter Patrick Polivka was injured in Red Deer on Friday. . . . Herringer faced just one shot in 13 minutes. . . .

In Calgary, F Victor Rask drew three assists as the Hitmen dumped the Regina Pats, 5-2. . . . Calgary F Zane Jones scoerd twice, giving him 20. He hadn’t scored in his previous nine games. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 25th goal in his 53rd game. The 19-year-old from Vernon, B.C., had 25 goals in 70 games last season. . . . Calgary F Colten Mayor, who hadn’t scored in 14 games since being acquired from Regina on Jan. 10, finally broke the ice with his 13th goal of the season. . . . The Hitmen have won seven in a row on home ice. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk and F Lane Scheidl each scored his 30th goal for Regina. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Luke Lockhart scored a shorthanded goal at 1:56 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent) a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Lockhart has 17 goals. . . . F Alex Delnov, with his 19th, gave Seattle a 1-0 lead on the PP at 4:32 of the second period. . . . F Brendan Rouse tied it at 19:11, with his 11th. Rouse, 20, was waived by Seattle on Jan. 10 and picked up by Vancouver. . . . The Giants needed extra time for a third straight game — they won one of those, beating host Seattle 3-2 on Friday. . . . Seattle now has sole possession of seventh place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Everett Silvertips.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From former Tri-City Americans F Patrick Holland (@PattyShwayz): “Every so often you get a fortunate combination of bread and cheese to create the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Today I have been blessed.”
Holland, 20, has 14 points in 47 games as a freshman professional with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.


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Ryan Pilon and Reid Duke signed with the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Thursday.
Both players were early first-round picks in the 2011 WHL bantam draft.
(Photo courtesy of Lethbridge Hurricanes)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Garrett Zemlak (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2006-10) signed a one-year contract with the Fife Flyers (Scotland, UK Elite). He had a 3.48 GAA and a .877 save percentage in 26 games with the Kalamazoo Wings, Stockton Thunder, Elmira Jackals and Gwinnett Gladiators (all ECHL) last season. Zemlak also played one game with the Binghamton Senators (AHL), giving up four goals on 28 shots. The UK Elite regular season begins Saturday.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes had two of the top five selections in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. And they now have signed both of those players.
They took D Ryan Pilon with the third overall selection and grabbed F Reid Duke two picks later.
Pilon, from Duck Lake, Sask., had 45 points in 20 games with the bantam AA Warman Wildcats of the Centre Four Hockey League.
Duke, from Calgary, put up 64 points, including 28 goals, in 30 games with the Calgary Royals of the Alberta Major Bantam league.
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The WHL’s Office of Discipline has been rather busy as it attempts to deliver its message in the preseason.
Here is a look at what has transpired since the exhibition season opened:
F Caleb Belter, Prince George Cougars, two games for checking to the head major and game misconduct, in game against Calgary Hitmen in Edmonton tournament on Monday.
F Dexter Bricker, Red Deer Rebels, three games for charging major and game misconduct in game against the Swift Current Broncos on Monday.
F Jesse Mychan, Everett Silvertips, two games for checking to the head major and game misconduct against the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday in the Everett tournament.
D Dallas Ehrhardt, Moose Jaw Warriors, three games for cross-checking major and game misconduct in game against the host Regina Pats on Sept. 2.
F Mike Aviani, Spokane Chiefs, four games for a boarding major and game misconduct in a game against the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Everett tournament on Sept. 2.
Meanwhile, the Kelowna Rockets and Victoria Royals have the dubious honour of paying the season’s first fines. Each team was fined $250 for a fight between F Mitchell Chapman of the Rockets and F Curt Gogol of the Royals at the start of the second period in Kelowna on Friday. . . . Chapman and Gogol each drew a one-game suspension.
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JUST NOTES: G Deven Dubyk, 20, has left the Medicine Hat Tigers and joined the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, who are to be the host team for the 2012 RBC Cup. . . . The Moose Jaw Warriors will be without D Morgan Rielly, 17, for a bit after he underwent an emergency appendectomy on Sept. 1. He was released from hospital on Sunday and already is back in the gym. He is hoping to play in the season-opener on Sept. 22. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald also reports that the Warriors are down to two goaltenders — veteran Brandon Stone, 18, and Spencer Tremblay, a 16-year-old freshman from Winnipeg. . . . Jason Berger has signed on as equipment manager with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. He spentthe last four years as the Seattle Thunderbirds’ equipment manager.
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Alarm bells have to be going off in Swift Current where Broncos’ season-ticket sales are lagging well behind last season’s, when the final total was 1,707. That is scary news for the franchise that operates in the smallest community in all of the CHL. The Southwest Booster has more right here.
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F Brayden Cuthbert of the Moose Jaw Warriors is out indefinitely and, in fact, has returned to his home in Brandon. He continues to suffer from post-concussion syndrome after being injured in January. Alan Miller, the Warriors’ director of hockey operations, told Goulie that they don’t expect Cuthbert back before Christmas, if at all.
As for Cuthbert, here’s what he had to say to Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun:
“I was feeling pretty good throughout the second half of the summer and it was looking like I was going to hopefully be able to make a run into maybe October, start of November and be able to play then, so I came back (to Moose Jaw) early for camp with the rest of the guys and we started practising.
“The first skate I had, I felt pretty good for 45 minutes or so and then I got a little fuzzy so I just went off the ice, trying not to take anything too seriously. But when I woke up the next morning, my head was just pounding. Throughout the next eight to nine days, I just followed up with headaches and I realized I wasn’t anywhere near to where I have to be if I want to play in the league.”
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Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times has written a story about fighting in hockey. In it, he talks with Steve Konowalchuk, the new head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds. And three cheers to Konwalchuk for pointing out that fighting “is part of the game, but there's a lot more to being tough than just fighting.”
That column is right here.
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Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who has done such a terrific job of covering the death of Derek Boogaard, has written another great piece, this one looking at Boogaard and his problems with addictions. You’ll find it right here.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail writes elegantly of the crash of the plane carrying Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Wednesday and of hockey’s horrible summer. That piece is right here.
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Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press talked with Kelly McCrimmon, the owner and general manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings, about his relationship with his brother, Brad. Lawless also touched bases with Brian Propp and Ray Allison, both of whom played with McCrimmon on powerful Wheat Kings teams in the late 1970s. Those stories are right here.
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Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province talked with Glen Hanlon, who now is an assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants. Hanlon has a lot of coaching experience in Europe and has some interesting, and positive, things to say about the KHL. Willes’s column is right here.
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Slava Malamud writes for Sport-Express, a Russian daily newspaper, and is based in North America. James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail spoke with him about Wednesday’s tragedy and the interview is right here. It is especially insightful in terms of explaining just how big this story is in Russia and especially in Yaroslav, where, according to Malamud, hockey actually is bigger than soccer.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
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