Silvertips land their man

Doug Soetaert (left), the general manager of the Everett Silvertips,
introduces Mark Ferner as the WHL team's new head coach.
(Photo courtesy Frank Deines III/Everett Silvertips)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Taggart Desmet (Calgary, 2000-01) signed a one-year contract with Valpellice (Italy, Serie A). He had 16 goals and 42 assists in 40 games for Brunico (Italy, Serie A) last season.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Mark Ferner is the new head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. Ferner, who spent four years as GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, was introduced to Everett at a news conference there on Wednesday afternoon. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has the story right here. . . .
Guy Carbonneau is out and Marc-Etienne Hubert is in with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Carbonneau, the former NHL player and coach, remains as the club’s president. Hubert is the new head coach after having served as an assistant since 2005. . . . Marc Fortier, a former NHL forward, is the club’s new general manager. . . . Carbonneau had been head coach since February when Richard Martel was fired. . . . Carbonneau’s decision prompted immediate speculation that he would be the next head coach of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils or would be signing on as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings. He has denied all of that speculation. . . .
Former WHL/NHL D Robert Dirk is the new head coach of the junior B Penticton Lakers. The franchise, which is operated by the Okanagan Hockey Academy, plays in the Kootenay International junior league. Dirk has coaching experience in the United league, as well as the West Coast league and the ECHL. He has been part of the Okanagan Hockey Academy since 2007. . . . Should he so desire, you’ve got to think he will surface in the WHL one of these years. . . .
As was mentioned here on June 14, Sean Gillam (Spokane, 1992-96) is the new head coach of the Southern Professional league’s Fayetteville FireAntz. Gillam was introduced at a Wednesday news conference and Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville Observer was there. His story is right here.
———
A Wednesday news release from the ECHL’s Trenton Devils begins:
“Newark, NJ — The ECHL’s Trenton Devils will suspend play beginning with the 2011-12 season. The New Jersey Devils are restructuring the organization’s player development system to be more in line with other NHL franchises. In fact, Trenton was the only ECHL team that was completely owned by an NHL club.
“The Devils purchased a majority interest in the Trenton Titans on Sept. 21, 2006. The team continued to be affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2006-07 season before the Devils took it over as their ECHL – or Class AA – affiliate and changed the name to Trenton Devils.
“Since then, the team has been plagued by steadily declining attendance at Sun National Bank Center. The Trenton Devils finished last in the 19-team ECHL in 2010-11 with an average attendance of just 2,390 in a building that holds 7,605 for hockey. A source said the team has lost money every season since the Devils took over ownership.”
It is somewhat interesting that a press release from a team includes a paraphrased quote from an anonymous source. You don’t see that every day.
———
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips have released F Markus McCrea, 19. A native of Canyon Lake, Calif., McCrea had 24 points, including 13 goals, in 175 games over three seasons. . . .
———
D Joe Hicketts of Kamloops, who was selected by the Victoria Royals with their first pick in the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft, is the winner of the Hockey Now/B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame Minor Hockey Player Achievement Award. . . . Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has the story right here.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders report that they have five players scheduled to attend NHL camps. . . . F Mark McNeill, the 18th pick in the NHL’s 2011 draft, will be in the Chicago Blackhawks’ development camp that runs today through Monday. . . . D Harrison Ruopp, a third-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes, is in camp in Peoria, Ariz., from today through Sunday. . . . F Jonathan Parker, 20, is spending this week as an invitee to the Buffalo Sabres’ development camp. He also has signed an ATO with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. . . . F Brandon Herrod, 20, has been invited to the Coyotes’ camp that opens Sept. 9. . . . D Antoine Corbin has been invited to the San Jose Sharks’ camp that begins Sept. 8.
———
Joe Paisley of the Colorado Springs Gazette has the latest on what’s been happening involving U.S. college hockey, including all the rumours of a super league. That piece is right here.
———
The AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, under general manager and head coach Andrew Milne, have secured enough capitalization to secure its short-term future.
Daniel Austin of the Canmore Leader has the story right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

After a two-day hiatus, there are three WHL games scheduled for Tuesday night and what appears to be the best matchup will be available via Shaw TV.
The Medicine Hat Tigers, who are fourth in the Eastern Conference, are at home to the Red Deer Rebels, who are second. The Tigers are one point behind the Kootenay Ice, which meets the visiting Regina Pats tonight.
The Tigers have two games in hand on the Ice and three on the Rebels.
Red Deer has won two in a row and is 9-1-0 in its last 10, while the Tigers are 7-3-0 in their last 10 and also have won their last two games.
Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that the Rebels expect to have D Alex Petrovic back tonight. He didn’t play in Friday’s 8-1 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors after taking a punch for F Austin Connor of the Prince Albert Raiders. Connor later was hit with a three-game WHL suspension.
Tonight’s other game has the Prince George Cougars in Edmonton to face the Oil Kings. The Cougars are coming off a weekend sweep of the visiting Kelowna Rockets, while the Oil Kings will be playing their first home game since a four-game swing into the U.S. Division. Edmonton has lost three straight and is 2-6-2 in its last 10 outings.
The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Swift Current Broncos.
The Cougars are sixth in the Western Conference, just on epoint ahead of the Everett Silvertips.
Edmonton hockey fans should be interested in getting a look at Prince George D Martin Marincin, the Slovakian who was a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s 2010 draft. He has 46 points, including 13 goals, in 47 games with the Cougars.
———

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will celebrate their 25th season in 2011-12 and they have started working on season-ticket sales.
As one promotion aimed at next season, the Hurricanes will sell 2,500 season tickets for the 25th season at prices that are reduced by 25 per cent.
For all the prices and all the deals, check out the Hurricanes’ website.
Next season also will signal the completion of the renovations to the ENMAX Centre, and also should see the Hurricanes working hard to prepare their bid to serve as the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup.
———
F Darren Kramer of the Spokane Chiefs leads the WHL in fighting majors and penalty minutes, and it isn’t even close.
So how has he done in the fighting department?
“I’d say my record is fairly decent,” he tells Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “I’ve lost a few pretty clean but for the majority of the time my hands are hurting more than my face. That’s a good thing. I like to be pretty honest and most of them come out draws.”
Read Trimmer’s story on Kramer and the impact he has had in the Chiefs’ dressing room right here.
———
In Portland, the Winterhawks are continued fundraising efforts on behalf of Mitchell Lammert, a 12-year-old who plays for the Junior Hawks and is battling cancer.
The Winterhawks raised more than $2,500 at a recent pizza party and now will give the Lammert family all proceeds from the 50/50 draw and a silent auction during Friday’s game against the visiting Tri-City Americans.
With the Americans threatening to apply some heat to the Western Conference-leading Winterhawks, there could be a good crowd at Friday’s game.
———
F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 12 points, including five goals, in three games last week. . . . Ty Rimmer of the Prince George Cougars is the WHL nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0 with a shutout last week. He had a 1.00 GAA and a .960 save percentage. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun reports that Vancouver Giants captain James Henry, who just returned after missing five weeks with a knee injury, will miss another couple of weeks. It seems he re-injured the knee during Friday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Hitmen in Calgary. . . .
———
As expected, the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens have named Guy Carbonneau as their new head coach, at least through the end of this season.
Carbonneau, 50, is a former NHL player and also went 124-83-23 as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens before being fired late in 2008-09. He also played four seasons with the Sagueneens and now is part of their ownership group.
He replaced Richard Martel, who was in his eighth season with Chicoutimi when he was fired last week.
Carbonneau’s debut as head coach comes Wednesday in Val-d’Or.
Carbonneau had been working as the team’s president and governor. QMJHL rules prohibit a head coach from serving on the board of governors, so Marc Desforges has been named governor.
As well, Jos Canale is the new GM through the end of this season. Canale is a veteran QMJHL coach who also once did a turn as head coach of the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

According to the Prince Albert Herald, G Jamie Tucker of the Prince Albert Raiders will be out for “at least two weeks” after he suffered a cut to his right thumb during a 5-4 loss to the Pats in Regina on Saturday night.
Tucker was injured in a collision with Regina F Garrett Mitchell. Tucker left the game in the first period and didn’t return.
———
Super Bowl Sunday wasn’t so super for Dave MacQueen.
MacQueen was fired Sunday as the general manager and head coach of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. The Sting (18-26-6) is fourth in the Western Conference’s West Division, 19 points behind the Windsor Spitfires and three ahead of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Assistant coach Trevor Letowski, a former NHLer, is the new interim head coaches. The general manager’s duties will be split up among front office staff.
———
According to reports, including from RDS, former NHLer Guy Carbonneau will take over as head coach of the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens today.
Carbonneau, who played and coached in the NHL, is part of Chicoutimi’s ownership group, and serves as president and governor.
The Sagueneens fired head coach Richard Martel last week. Marc-Etienne Hubert has been serving as the interim head coach.
The Sagueneens have won all three games they have played since Martel was released.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter