Ch-ch-ching! WHL coach reaches for wallet . . . Hicketts living quite a story . . . Rockets whistle past Wheaties

D Joe Hicketts of the Victoria Royals has lived one of hockey’s more interesting stories over the last couple of years. Hicketts, who is from Kamloops, suffered a serious injury last season and then was bypassed in the NHL draft. But -- and all undrafted players should take notice -- that hasn’t kept him from earning an NHL contract. Glen Erickson of hockeysfuture.com has more right here.
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In a Saturday OHL game, F Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists as the Erie Otters dumped the host Sudbury Wolves, 8-1. McDavid is on a 12-game season-opening point streak. In those 12 games, he's got 34 points, including 23 assists.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Former NHL/WHL D Curtis Leschyshyn has taken over as head coach of the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. Leschyshyn, an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades last season, had been an assistant coach with the Blazers, who now are 2-7. Former WHL F Randy Smith, who had been the head coach, has stepped up to be the general manager. . . . Tip of the cap to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix for the tweet.
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Willy Alexander Thomas, a high school student and a hockey player, had his whole life to live. But he committed suicide by jumping from the George Washington Bridge. He was 17. His parents now are wondering if concussions may have played a role in what happened. Pete Croatto of The New York Times has that story right here.
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Another concussion-related lawsuit has surfaced. As Kevin Harden of the Portland Tribune writes right here, Billy Jack Haynes, a former pro wrestler, has filed suit against the WWE. Harden writes that Haynes, now 61, "is suing WWE in federal court for 'egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers,' according to the 42-page lawsuit filed Thursday, Oct. 23, in Portland’s U.S. District Court. Haynes is also asking the court to grant class-action status for what his lawyers say could be 500 people who suffered injuries while wrestling or performing in the WWE ring."
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SATURDAY'S REPORT:

In Kelowna, F Nick Merkley had a goal and three assists to spark the Rockets to a 6-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon, which had been 2-0-0 to start a seven-game road swing, got the game's first goal when F Quintin Lisoway scored at 6:39 of the second period. . . . The Rockets scored the last six goals, four of them in the third period. . . . Merkley, who has four goals, figured in Kelowna's first four goals. . . . The Rockets got two shorthanded goals, from Merkley and F Austin Glover. . . . D Madison Bowey scored twice for the Rockets, giving him six on the season. Both goals came via the PP as the Rockets went 3-for-6 with the man advantage. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 31 shots, 15 more than Brandon's Jordan Papirny, who started for the 12th time in 14 games. . . . Brandon F Jesse Gabrielle failed to score on a penalty shot just 58 seconds into the game. . . . The Wheat Kings had scored 33 goals in winning their previous four games. . . . What kind of a game was it? "Had it not been for Whistle, who had his best game in a Rockets uniform, Brandon could have walked away as 6-1 winners after dominating the first two periods," wrote Doyle Potenteau of The Okanagan Sunday. . . . When it was over, the Rockets were 12-1-0 and the Wheat Kings 10-2-1. Unfortunately for hockey fans, the only way these teams meet again this season is if it's in the WHL final. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Taylor Cooper had a goal and an assist as the Lethbridge Hurricanes dumped the Raiders, 3-1. . . . The Hurricanes have won three in a row for the first time since Nov. 3-9, 2012. . . . The Hurricanes scored the game's first three goals. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner, who doesn't turn 16 until Nov. 1, stopped 24 shots. He lost his shutout bid when F Jayden Hart scored at 19:20 of the third period. . . . The Raiders were without F Reid Gardiner, who took 16 stitches to the forehead after a high hit from F Alex Schoenborn of the Portland Winterhawks on Friday night. Gardiner also is undergoing the concussion protocol. . . . F Marcus Messier, 20, was pointless in his debut with the Raiders. . . .

In Red Deer, F Conner Bleackley scored once and added two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Bleackley broke a 1-1 tie at 8:13 of the second eriod with his third goal of the season. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnson scored the game's first goal, his sixth of the season. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored three times to help the Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the Blades. . . . Bjorkstrand gave the visitors a 3-1 lead at 9:56 of the third and later scored the game's last two goals. He's got nine goals this season. . . . F Chase De Leo had a goal, his ninth, and an assist on his 19th birthday. . . . The game was the last of a six-game East Division swing for the Winterhawks, who went 4-2-0 on their tour. . . . The Winterhawks played without F Alex Schoenborn, who drew a TBA suspension for a headshot on F Reid Gardiner of the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a gamer right here, including the latest on the Blades' injuries.

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored the game's last five goals and beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-1. . . . Edmonton is 5-0-1 in its last six games. . . . F Mitchell Walker broke a 1-1 tie with this first goal at 16:18 of the second period. . . . F Luke Bertolucci scored his first two goals of the season 27 seconds apart late in the third period. . . . F Jari Erricson scored his 10th goal of the season for the Cougars, losers of four in a row. . . .

In Regina, G Landon Bow stopped 39 shots to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 2-1 victory over the Pats. . . . On Friday night, the Broncos had beaten the visiting Pats, 3-1. . . . After last night, the Broncos are 14-0-2 against Regina over the last two-plus seasons. . . . D Brett Lernout broke a 1-1 tie with his third goal of the season at 10:06 of the third period. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk scored his 10th goal, on a PP, at 5:47 of the first period. . . . Regina D Sergey Zborovskiy tied the score with his first goal at 11:33 of the second period. . . . Pats G Daniel Wapple turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Broncos have won won three in a row, while the Pats now have dropped four in a row. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers outscored Calgary 3-1 in the second period en route to a 7-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Tigers, 11-1-1 overall and 8-0-1 in their last nine, scored the game's first two goals, but Calgary got those back before the first period ended. . . . Tigers D Ty Stanton broke a 3-3 tie at 19:09 of the second period and D David Quenneville added a PP goal at 19:54. . . . F Markus Eisenschmid scored twice for the Tigers, giving him seven, while F Trevor Cox had his second goal, into an empty net, and added two assists, and F Chad Butcher had three assists. . . . F Jake Virtanen, in his second game since returning from off-season shoulder surgery, had two goals and an assist for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen also got two goals and an assist from F Pavel Kamaukhov, who has eight scores, and a goal and two helpers from D Ben Thomas. . . . Calgary was 3-for-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 2-for-4. . . .

In Spokane, F Calder Brooks and F Adam Helewka each scored twice as the Chiefs beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-3. . . . Helewka's second goal, at 7:47 of the third period, on the PP, gave the Chiefs a 4-1 lead. . . . The Ice made it close with goals from F Matt Alfaro, his second of the game, and F Zak Zborosky 37 seconds apart late in the period. . . . Brooks, who also had two assists, and Helewka, who had one assist, each has five goals this season. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto, the third member of the line with Helewka and Brooks, had three assists. Yamomoto is a 16-year-old Spokane native who scored a goal in each of his previous two games. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 41 shots, 20 more than Spokane's Tyson Verheist. . . . The Ice has lost five straight and is 1-9-0 in its last 10. . . .

In Victoria, F Austin Carroll's second goal of the game, at 13:27 of the third period, broke a 2-2 tie as the Royals edged the Vancouver Giants, 3-2. . . . Carroll has 10 goals this season. His first goal of the game gave the Royals a 2-1 lead at 9:08 of the second period. . . . Vancouver D Mason Geertsen tied it with his first goal at 5:38 of the third. . . . F Axel Blomqvist had two assists for the Royals, while F Matt Bellerive had a goal, his fourth, and an assist for the Giants, who are 0-6-0 on the road. . . . The Royals are riding a four-game winning streak. . . .

In Everett, F Ivan Nikolishin scored 41 seconds into OT to give the Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The winner came off a feed from fellow Russian F Nikita Scherbak. . . . Seattle F Scott Eansor scored the game's first goal, at 4:50 of the first period, and now has goals in three straight games. . . . Everett F Cole MacDonald tied the score on a PP at 7:01 of the third. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists. . . . Nikolishin has four goals this season. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 24 shots, four fewer than Seattle's Taran Kozun. . . . The Silvertips have won their last two games to get to 8-1-3. . . . Seattle head coach Steve Konowalchuk wasn't happy with the officiating and you can bet it's going to cost him some coin. Ch-ch-ching! . . . "The officiating's got to get better," Konowalchuk told Andy Eide of 710 AM ESPN. "It’s atrocious, it's (expletive) atrocious." . . . Eide wrote: "Konowalchuk's frustration boiled over after the game as he felt the Silvertips embellished the plays and the bad calls cost his players a hard-fought game and a chance at picking up the win." Here’s more from Konowalchuk: "Two embellishments, I am so tired of the officiating in this league. I can't find it on the tape, I can't find it. I asked my player 'honestly did you touch him' he said 'my stick was up but I didn't touch him.' The guy at the red line calling it, the guy in the corner doesn't call it." . . . Eide's complete report is right here. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., G Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots as the Kamloops Blazers blanked the Tri-City Americans, 2-0. . . . Ingram, a 17-year-old goaltender from Imperial, Sask., posted his first WHL shutout in his fifth appearance. . . . F Matt Revel scored the game's first goal, his fifth of the season, at 18:02 of the second period, and D Patrik Maier added insurance at 9:25 of the third. . . . Tri-City G Evan Sarthou stopped 25 shots. . . . The Americans have lost three in a row. . . . Tri-City was without veteran F Brian Williams, who suffered an undisclosed injury in a Friday game.

I’ve been at this a long time. In fact, I can’t remember the last day when I didn’t post something here.
So I’m taking the weekend off.
Back early next week.
While I’m away, if you haven’t already, pay a visit to two blogs, both of which you will find over there on the right.
Ladies first . . .
We can . . . with love! is the work of Shelley Lowes, who has been fighting cancer and, not unlike the late Howard Cosell, has given us the blow-by-blow. Down goes cancer! Down goes cancer!
It’s A Mental Game is penned by Glen Erickson, a golfer and hockey writer who also is taking on the Big C. He, too, is allowing us to tag along.
Both blogs are more than worth your time.
Not to be overly dramatic, but you should read the latest offerings from Shelley and Glen, and then see if you feel the same way about the NHL lockout.
Seriously. Who cares? They’re negotiating. It’ll be over when it’s over. Wake me then.
In the meantime, I’m with Shelley and Glen. Hopefully, the bandwagon continues to fill up.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Bernhard Keil (Kamloops, 2010-11) signed a two-year contract extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). The extension runs through the end of the 2014-2015 season. Keil has no points in five games with the Tigers this season and has one assist in one game on loan to Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga) this season.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have assigned G Dawson MacAuley, 18, to the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . MacAuley is the odd-man out after the Tigers acquired G Cam Lanigan, 20, from the Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday. . . . MacAuley was 1-3 with a 3.84 GAA and a .881 save percentage. . . . The Tigers, who are in Edmonton Saturday, now have Lanigan and Czech freshman Marek Langhamer has their goaltenders.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have added David Anning, 27, to their coaching staff. Anning, who had been working as assistant GM/assistant head coach with the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons, will join the Wheat Kings on Sunday as they continue a seven-game road trip. He will work alongside head coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk, fellow assistant coach Darren Ritchie and goaltender coach Brent Zelenewich. . . . Anning was the GM/head coach of the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints before moving to Steinbach. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings and has worked with various Hockey Canada programs.
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The Regina Pats have acquired F Colten Mayor, 19, and D Stephen Hak, 18, from the Red Deer Rebels for two 2015 bantam draft picks -- a fourth-rounder and a conditional sixth-rounder. . . . Mayor has three goals in 11 games this season with the Rebels after putting up 38 points in 52 games last season. He has played 168 WHL games so adds some experience to the Regina lineup. . . . Hak had six points in 55 games last season, but had been assigned to the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons this season. . . . Mayor and Hak were expected to arrive in Regina Thursday night. The Pats are at home to the Tri-City Americans tonight.
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The Swift Current Broncos and Saskatoon Blades have swapped a pair of 19-year-old skaters. F Brent Benson, who is from Weyburn, Sask., is joining the Broncos in exchange for D Graeme Craig, who is from Red Deer. . . . Benson sat out Saskatoon’s 2-1 OT victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans on Wednesday night with what the team said was the flu. He had three assists in 11 games with the Blades this season. Last season, he had 37 points in 72 games. He was the sixth overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Craig had one assist in 11 games with the Broncos this season, after putting up 10 points in 56 games last season. The 64th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft brings some size to Saskatoon’s back end, at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. . . . Interestingly, the Blades play in Swift Current tonight and both players are expected to play for their new clubs. . . . Having added a defenceman, the Blades assigned D Nelson Nogier, 16, to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. Nogier, the son of former WHL G Pat Nogier, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft.
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The Calgary Hitmen promoted assistant coach Brent Kisio to associate coach. . . . Kisio is in his sixth season with the Hitmen. He joined them in August 2007 as video/assistant coach after spending four seasons at the U of Nebraska-Omaha and graduating with a degree in criminology.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed G Nik Amundrud, who was a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. Amundrud, who turns 15 on Saturday, is from Melfort, Sask. He practised with the Silvertips on Thursday in Saskatoon. He is 2-1, 3.33, .872 in three appearances with the midget AAA Tisdale Trojans this season.
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Former NHLer Mike Busniuk is the interim head coach of the CIS Lakehead Thunderwolves (3-1-0) after Joel Scherban was dismissed on Thursday. Scherban was in his fourth season as the university team’s head coach. The 60-year-old Busniuk, who is from Thunder Bay, which is home to Lakehead U, spent two seasons as an assistant coach on Scherban’s staff. . . . Leith Dunick of tbnewswatch.com reported that “Scherban was let go for what team officials deemed internal issues, problems neither management nor the players would speak when pressed after the news broke.”
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If you like the loser point, this one’s for you.
Robert Tychowski of the Edmonton Sun points out that the Oil Kings “managed just one win in their last five games, but still salvaged five of 10 points in that span thanks (?) to three of those losses coming in overtime or the shootout.”
So if you’re Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal perhaps you are telling your players that things aren’t going so well because you’ve lost four of five.
But if you play for the Oil Kings you reply that you’re still point points in your jeans.
By the way, after Thursday’s game, 15 of the WHL’s 22 teams have a winning percentage of .500 or better.
The Oil Kings, who have lost six of 10 games (5-3-3), are at .591.
Go figure!
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THURSDAY’S STUFF:
G Jordon Cooke, making his 10th start in 11 games, posted the shutout as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Cooke stopped 32 shots for his second shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . Kelowna F Colton Sissons scored the game’s first goal, on a penalty shot, at 12:37 of the first period. . . . The Rockets were shorthanded at the time. . . . Prince George G Mac Engel, in his first start since being acquired from the Spokane Chiefs, stopped 23 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,781. . . . One of the big stories early in this WHL season may be the attendance in Kelowna, considering that franchise automatically drew at least 6,000 fans per game for the longest time. . . . The Cougars now head for Spokane and a Friday date with the Chiefs, who are in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Victoria, F Alex Gogolev scored twice against his former team as the Royals dumped the Calgary Hitmen, 3-1. . . . Gogolev, who has five goals, scored his second goal into an empty net. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges scored his club’s other goal as he returned from an eight-game absence due to injury. He hadn’t played since Sept. 28. . . . F Zack Jones, whom the Hitmen acquired for Gogolev, scored for Calgary. . . . Victoria was 0-for-5 on the PP, while Calgary didn’t receive even one opportunity with the man advantage.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Marc McNulty, Prince George
F Colton Heffley, Kelowna
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“The Minnesota Department of Health has begun tracking concussions at 42 high schools in an attempt to gauge how the injuries affect students,” writes Alejandra Matos of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Within the first seven weeks, 373 students were diagnosed as having had a concussion. Leslie Seymour, an epidemiologist with the Health Department, said tracking the injuries in fall sports, such as football and volleyball, is only the beginning.”
The complete story is right here.
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The best story I saw yesterday is right here. It has nothing to do with hockey; in fact, it has nothing to do with sports. It's a love story involving a big bull elk and a cow. Seriously! Give it a read; it just might make your day.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From TC sports desk (@tc_vicsports): “60 minutes & not a single PP for @WHLHitmen who suffered a similar fate just 8 months ago in Victoria in a 5-3 win #WHL #strangebuttrue”

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

I have known Glen Erickson for a long time. We first met in the late 1980s when I was the sports editor at the Regina Leader-Post and he was running a hotel in Saskatoon.
Years later, I ended up in Kamloops and Glen wound up in Kelowna where he has worked in the golf industry and written about junior hockey. He is a familiar face in the arenas and on the golf courses in this part of the world. And he has never forgotten Saskatchewan, where he has been known to play the odd round of golf when he visits.
I hadn’t seen Glen since the last hockey season when he was hale and hearty.
So imagine my shock on Tuesday when I discovered that Glen has been diagnosed with cancer, all of which began with a lump on his neck.
Anyway . . . he has started radiation and chemo treatments and is documenting it all on a blog titled It’s A Mental Game.
Meanwhile, in Regina, Shelley Lowes continues to take on the big C with the courage of a champion.
She, too, is documenting the battle and, yes, I am a regular visitor to her blog.
Shelley is the wife of Bob Lowes, a former WHLer player and coach who now scouts for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Shelley’s blog is titled We can . . . with love!
And she is proving that, yes, we can. In her most-recent posting, on Tuesday morning, Shelley writes: “WAAAAAHOOO!! 11 of 12 is today! The light is getting brighter!”
You are able to find both blogs over there on the right. Please stop and visit them both and keep Shelley, Glen and their families in your thoughts.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Mike Bayrack (Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Prince George, 1995-99) signed a one-year contract with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite). He had 29 goals and 37 assists in 47 games with the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite) last season. . . .
F Ty Morris (Swift Current, Vancouver, Red Deer, 2003-05) was released by the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) after his try-out contract had expired. He had one goal in two games during his try-out. Last season, Morris, who holds dual German-Canadian citizenship, had five goals and 24 assists in 31 games with the Bietigheim Steelers (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). . . .
D Michal Rozsival (Swift Current, 1996-98) signed a lockout contract with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal and 12 assists in 54 games with the Phoenix Coyotes last season. Rozsival signed a one-year, $2-million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 11.
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One year after revealing a loss of $197,226 for the 2010-11 season, the community-owned Swift Current Broncos announced Tuesday night that they are showing a profit of $4,238 on the 2011-12 season.
If there any doubts in your mind about how hard organizations like the Broncos, who play in the smallest market in all of the CHL, have to work in order to survive, consider that the hockey operation lost $964,064.
According to a news release from the Broncos, “Additional revenues from drafted NHL players, the World Junior Hockey Championship and increases in Corporate Sponsorship, Corporate Suites and Fundraising provided enough monetary support.”
For 2010-11, the hockey operation’s deficit was $882,587. I can’t find the story at the moment, but I believe the hockey operation’s deficit was more than $800,000 for 2009-10, as well. This really does show just how hard the good folks of Swift Current work to keep their Broncos.
Here’s more from Tuesday night’s news release:
“Income from ticket sales and per game attendance was slightly greater than the previous year with average attendance at 2,204 (up from 2,136 the previous year). Fundraising events continued to grow this past season as revenue from these events increased from $42,865 to $77,063 this past year. Concession and souvenir sales stayed relatively the same from the previous year. The club also announced that they recorded 797 hours of community service last year (up from recent years).”
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The NHL has cut a deal with the CHL under which players could be recalled from major junior teams should the NHL lockout come to an end.
These would be players who aren’t in their 20-year-old season. These players, all of whom have been drafted, could be recalled and go through training camp with their NHL teams. They then would have to stay with the NHL teams or be returned to their junior teams, as per present regulations.
Bob McKenzie of TSN reported Tuesday that WHL players on that list include D Mathew Dumba, Red Deer Rebels (Minnesota Wild); D Ryan Murray, Everett Silvertips (Columbus Blue Jackets); D David Musil, Vancouver Giants (Edmonton Oilers); D Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winterhawks (Pittsburgh Penguins); F Ty Rattie, Portland (St. Louis Blues); D Morgan Rielly, Moose Jaw Warriors (Toronto Maple Leafs); D Griffin Reinhart, Edmonton Oil Kings (New York Islanders); and F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon Blades (Dallas Stars).
The NHL and CHL will monitor the situation as the lockout continues. Should it run into January, you can bet there will be adjustments made.
Don’t forget that Calgary Hitmen F Victor Rask, 19, is eligible to play in the AHL because the Carolina Hurricanes drafted him out of Sweden.
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The Regina Pats have traded D Brandon Underwood, 20, to the Red Deer Rebels for a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Underwood began his career with the Kamloops Blazers, who traded him to Regina prior to last season. He had 13 points and 76 penalty minutes in 54 games with Regina last season. A broken foot from a blocked shot resulted in his missing a chunk of games. . . . In 205 regular-season games, the native of San Marcos, Calif., has 30 points, five of them goals, and 349 penalty minutes. . . . The move leaves Red Deer with four 20-year-olds — Underwood and forwards Turner Elson, who is under contract to the NHL’s Calgary Flames, Charles Inglis and Adam Kambeitz. . . . Regina, meanwhile, also has four on its roster — G Matt Hewitt, D Colton Jobke, F Andrew Rieder and F Lane Scheidl. Jobke, however, is going to camp with the AHL’s Houston Aeros, so his future is up in the air, while Rieder continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery. . . . The Rebels are scheduled to visit Regina on Oct. 5.
“It’s unfortunate we have to make decisions based on the kid’s age,” Regina general manager Chad Lang told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “This one was even a little more difficult in the fact that I truly believe the acquisitions of him and Jobke early in the season were huge contributing factors to our success. They really played a significant role in changing the culture of our dressing room and the dynamics of our hockey club. It’s always hard to have to part with those guys. For what (Underwood) has done for our organization it’s almost a bit of reward to find him a spot and ensure he can play out his 20-year-old year in the WHL.”
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Charles Inglis (@CharlesInglis) of the Red Deer Rebels: “Tweeter feed just got littered with suspensions from the whl, I guess open ice hits arnt apart of the game anymore.”
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JUST NOTES:
The Regina Pats will be without head coach Pat Conacher as they play three games over the next four nights. Conacher has left the team to tend to an undisclosed family matter. Assistant coaches Malcolm Cameron and Josh Dixon will handle the coaching duties. . . . The Pats visit the Swift Current Broncos tonight, the Kootenay Ice on Friday and the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday. . . .

Barclay Parneta

The Tri-City Americans have extended the contract of Barclay Parneta, their prospect development coach and head scout, through 2014-15. Parneta has been with the Americans since August 2010. Before that, he spent seven seasons as an NHL scout, with the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have assigned F Drake Bodie, 17, to an unnamed team. Brodie, from Thompson, Man., played in four exhibition games and one regular-season game before the move. He was a seventh-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . The Blades now are carrying 23 players, including seven defencemen and 14 forwards. . . .
F Jayce Hawryluk, 16, has been medically cleared and was back taking part in a full practice with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Tuesday. He suffered a concussin the Wheat Kings’ intrasquad game. . . . Brandon F Geordie Maguire isn’t expected to play tonight against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. He has the dreaded lower-body injury. . . .
Two players who lost out in the 20-year-old game have, as expected, surfaced in the junior A ranks. F Christian Magnus, who was dropped by the Swift Current Broncos, is with the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires, while F Taylor Makin, released by the Vancouver Giants, has joined the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. . . .
D Dylan Kuczek, who had two points in 33 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings last season, has joined the MJHL’s Portage Terriers. Kuczek, 18, is from Winnipeg.
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THE COACHING GAME:
With a new season about to start, the U of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers have announced a coaching change, with Kurt Kleinendorst replacing Chris Luongo. . . . The school didn’t give a reason for Luongo’s departure, other than to say that he resigned. . . . Kleinendorst spent the last two seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. . . . Luongo was the head coach for the last two seasons, going 6-53-3. . . . UAH is the lone independent in U.S. college hockey.
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Might the OHL’s Brantford Battalion be on the move, perhaps to North Bay? Dave Pollard of the Toronto Sun thinks so and his reasoning is right here.


There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.