1. There can be no doubting which team was the best one in this Memorial Cup. The Halifax Mooseheads beat the Portland Winterhawks 6-4 in Sunday’s final, the second time in this tournament that the QMJHL champions beat the WHL’s best. . . . The Moosheads completed this season with a 77-8-4 mark (58-64 in the regular season; 16-1 in the playoffs; 3-1 in the Memorial Cup).
2. The referees for the final were Kendrick Nicholson of the OHL and Nathan Wieler of the WHL. The linesmen were WHL officials Bevan Mills and Nathan Van Oosten. . . . Referees Jean-Philippe Sylvain of the QMJHL and Reagan Vetter of the WHL didn’t work again after doing Portland’s 4-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday. They missed the call when Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower hit Portland F Taylor Leier.
3. The Memorial Cup’s tournament format was first put into play in 1972. Since then, the WHL has won 18 times, but none since 2008), the OHL 14 and the QMJHL 10. . . . The QMJHL has won the past three tournaments, the first time it has had three straight winners.
4. The Mooseheads were a QMJHL expansion franchise for the 1994-95 season. They won the city’s first QMJHL championship this season. Yes, this was the franchise’s first Memorial Cup title.
5. The Mooseheads led the final 5-2 at 11:11 of the third period. At that point, Halifax players had picked up 15 points. Those 15 points, however, were split among just four players — F Jonathan Drouin, who finished the game with five assists, F Nathan MacKinnon, who ended up with three goals and two assists, F Martin Frk and D Konrad Abeltshauser, who enjoyed his second two-goal game of this season.
6. Drouin’s five assists tied a Memorial Cup single-game record that had been held by F Dan Hodgson of the Prince Albert Raiders. He drew five assists in an 8-6 round-robin victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on May 14, 1985. The Raiders went on to beat the host Shawinigan Cataractes 6-1 in that event’s final game.
7. Attendance at Sunday’s final was announced at 11,488, leaving the tournament total at 85,503, the fourth-highest in the event’s history.
8. A tweet from Vancouver-based journalist Bob Mackin (@bobmackin): “Beer-branded Halifax Mooseheads win Memorial Cup. Eight players on major junior champion squad not yet legal drinking age.”
9. Lost in Halifax’s victory was the fact that Portland F Ty Rattie went out with a goal and three assists.
10. Dave Struch, the Saskatoon Blades’ associate coach, wants to be a head coach. He just doesn’t know whether he will get to coach the Blades. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
11. Thanks to the gang at 92.9 The Bull for providing so much live coverage of the Memorial Cup tournament, from beginning to end. It was listenable and it was entertaining and the listener can't ask for anything more than that.
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When the 2008-09 WHL season began, Rich Kromm was the head coach of the Portland Winterhawks. The sale of the franchise to Bill Gallacher was finalized early in the season and Kromm was relieved of his duties, with Mike Johnston and Co. coming on board. . . . Today, Kromm finds himself out of work again. He was dropped in April as the GM and head coach of the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen after three seasons there. . . . Kromm is eager to stay in the game, and Randy Beard of the Evansville Courier & Press has more right here.
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“Until now,” writes Jack Todd in the Montreal Gazette, “the rules for 99.9 per cent of the kids playing minor hockey have been set for the benefit of the .1 per cent who have a small chance of making it as far as junior A. So the kid who is just out there to have a little fun and is still having trouble skating backwards risks his health for the bruiser who might someday get a cup of coffee at an NHL training camp.”
Todd, of course, is writing about the decision by Hockey Canada to eliminate bodychecking from peewee hockey levels and below. . . . Todd goes one step further and suggest there isn’t any reason to have bodychecking in bantam hockey.
Todd’s column is right here.
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The Saskatchewan Hockey Association was the only one that voted against Hockey Canada’s decision to ban bodychecking. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has spoken with SHA general manager Kelly McClintock and has that story right here.
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F Joey Anderson of Roseville, Minn., has made an oral commitment to attend the U of Minnesota-Duluth and play hockey for the Bulldogs. . . . “I am excited to announce I have committed to play my college hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth #Bulldogs #dream school,” Anderson (@JTA_8) tweeted. . . . Why is that interesting? Well, for starters, Anderson won’t turn 15 until June 19. Secondly, he will be a high school freshman in the fall, meaning that the earliest he would likely play NCAA Division 1 hockey would be the fall of 2017. Thirdly, the Brandon Wheat Kings selected him in the ninth round of the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft earlier this month.
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Emanuel Viveiros, a former WHL player, and Rob Daum, a former WHL coach, will be at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. They will be there as head coach and assistant coach, respectively, of the Austrian national men’s hockey team. . . . Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has more right here.
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From The Globe and Mail’s Roy MacGregor (@RoyMacG): “Nathan MacKinnon completely unnoticeable at WJC in Ufa. Fourth-line grinder? HCanada needs to re-think int'l game strategy.”
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From Mitch Wahl (@mitch_wahl): “Watching the #MemorialCup final in Seal Beach, CA with @chrisbruton1987. The last #WHL captain to hoist the cup. #CHL @chiefshockey”
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From Michael Scissons (@mrscizz): “First fight of the #MCMemorialCup and I'm involved. Green guys got game misconducts, all I got was an ovation. #hometowncrowd”
Scissons if the director of sales with the Saskatoon Blades.

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1. The QMJHL has never won three straight Memorial Cup championships. The Halifax Mooseheads will try to complete the trifecta today against the Portland Winterhawks in the championship final in Saskatoon. . . . The Saint John Sea Dogs won it two years ago and the host Shawinigan Cataractes won it last year. . . . The WHL hasn’t won the Memorial Cup since 2008 when the Spokane Chiefs did it. . . . The last time one league won three in a row was 1987-89 when the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers won it twice and the Swift Current Broncos won it in 1989, right in Saskatoon.
2. The Winterhawks first won the Memorial Cup in 1983. They won it again in 1998. This is 2013. If you do the math, those are 15-year increments. Omen? Coincidence?
3. The Mooseheads beat the Winterhawks 7-4 on the second game of this tournament. You may recall that Halifax F Nathan MacKinnon scored three goals in that one as Portland G Mac Carruth had a less than average night. . . . Carruth has gotten a whole lot better since that game. The Mooseheads haven’t played since beating the London Knights 9-2 on Tuesday. Yes, that’s a lot of time off.
4. A ticket price-related note from a Winterhawks fan: “I took an informal survey on the ’Hawks fan forum . . . and every respondent (including myself) wrote back and said that if they turned the $32 club level seat (WHL playoffs) into a $100-plus Memorial Cup ticket that we would all bypass the event and just watch it on TV.”
5. Assuming that both goaltenders, Carruth and Zach Fucale of Halifax, play well, I would suggest that the outcome of this game will rest with Portland’s big four on defence. Seth Jones, Derrick Pouliot, Troy Rutkowski and Tyler Wotherspoon are capable, as a group, of controlling a game. If that happens in this one, Portland wins. But if Halifax forwards Jonathan Drouin, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Frk get time with the puck in the offensive zone, the Mooseheads will win.
6. Some observers may look at this game as MacKinnon versus Jones. If you absolutely have to go in that direction, rather than Mooseheads versus Winterhawks, I’d suggest it’s more MacKinnon versus Ty Rattie. . . . MacKinnon is cooler than a Saskatchewan winter when the puck is on his stick; Rattie wants it on his stick when the temperature is the hottest.
7. The Mooseheads and Winterhawks have been the two top-ranked teams in the CHL throughout the season, so it’s only fitting that they meet today with all the marbles on the table. . . . And, if you were wondering, the Mooseheads will be the home team, so get the benefit of last change.
8. F Ben Fanelli of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers was honoured Saturday as the CHL’s humanitarian of the year. Fanelli‘s hockey career almost ended after he suffered a serious head injury that cost him most of the 2009-10 season. If you aren’t aware of his story, it’s worth at trip to Google. . . . Fanelli, 20, played out his eligibility this season and is working towards a psychology degree at Wilfrid Laurier University.
9. Considering what the Winterhawks have gone through this season, wouldn’t you like to know just how many WHL front-office types are pulling for them to win today? I’m thinking the over-under might be about two.
10. Memorial Cup attendance . . . it’s the story that just won’t go away. Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, has been tackling the issue all week and his latest missive is right here. It includes some rather pointed comments from former Blades D Rhett Warrener. . . . Oh, and ticket prices in the upper deck apparently have slid to $27 for the final.
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The Reading Royals won the ECHL title on Saturday night, beating the host Stockton Thunder, 6-0, and winning the series, 4-1. . . . This is Reading’s first championship; the Royals completed their 12th ECHL season. . . . Reading D Patrick Wellar (Portland, Calgary, 2000-04) became the second player in ECHL history to win the Kelly Cup three times. The other is F Scott Burt (Seattle, Swift Current, Edmonton, Red Deer, 1994-98).
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If you missed it, Hockey Canada, which is holding its annual general meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I., voted Saturday to dump body checking from peewee hockey and below.
The reaction, at least on Twitter, was to be expected, perhaps best summed up by this from Harrison Mooney (@HarrisonMooney): “I've never been more upset that my son won't be constantly hit in the head than I am right now. #BringBackBodychecking”
I would like to thank TSN’s Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) and Willy Palov (@CH_WillyPalov) of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald for providing me with so much Saturday morning entertainment. Your tweets and retweets were things of beauty.
A sample . . .
McKenzie: “I laugh at meatheads who say, If kids don't like hitting, play another sport. That's the point: they and their parents are goin to do that.”
Palov: “Concussions and hockey politics/toxic adults are why my kids play basketball.”
Palov again, this time in response to a tweet sent his way: “Because that's what matters? @AdamMX182: your kids will probably go nowhere sports career wise playing basketball in Canada”
And one more from Palov, in response to the intelligentsia: “I think it makes perfect sense." @MC_MooseCountry: “so your kids play basketball but you're a hockey reporter?? doesn't make sense”
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From Steve Webb (@SteveWebb20): “@HockeyCanada now that the game will be safer for kids on the ice.Can something be done about the crazy parents #unrealistic expectations”


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A little of this and some of that . . .
1. Most observers have the matchup they were hoping for as it’ll be the QMJHL-champion Halifax Mooseheads against the WHL-champion Portland Winterhawks in Sunday’s Memorial Cup final. . . . The Winterhawks advanced with a 2-1 victory over the OHL-champion London Knights on Friday night. . . . Sunday’s game starts at 5 p.m. That’s Saskatoon time.
2. I’m thinking that should Paul Brandt ever decide to quit his real job, he could get work as an anthem singer. If you aren’t aware, Brandt is a true Canadian hero thanks to all the charitable work he does and the work done by his Build It Forward Foundation.
3. Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, will spend the next while pondering his future. He will be back next season, but will he return as head coach? . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, who did such a bang-up job of covering the Blades through a difficult season, has that story right here.
4. There were at least some $20 tickets available for last night’s semifinal, and it seems there are some available for Sunday’s game, too. A friend from Regina sent me a note from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association. . . . “Let’s PACK the HOUSE” for the semifinal and final, it reads. “A limited number of $20 seats are available in the upper bowl.” . . . It also provided a link to Ticketmaster.
5. I don’t know if those $20 tickets had any impact on the gate, but attendance for last night’s semifinal was 9,161.
6. What thoughts were going through Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower’s head when he couldn’t play in the Blades’ 6-1 loss to London in Thursday night’s tiebreaker? . . . The aforementioned Daniel Nugent-Bowman has that story right here.
7. A postgame tweet from Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Ty Rattie after the game: ‘We aren't done yet. We're doing this for Portland, for Mike Johnston and everything that happened this year.’ ”
8. Sepich is in Saskatoon covering the tournament for The Oregonian. His complete story is right here.
9. The line of the night belongs to Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino. Late in the first period, Portland F Chase De Leo blocked a shot deep in his zone and was on the limp. Moments later, however, he was zipping up ice with the puck. “De Leo,” Cosentino said, “looked like he got touched by Oral Roberts when that puck came to his stick.”
10. If they are to win on Sunday, the Winterhawks are going to have to manage the puck better than they did last night. They had some shoddy moments in their zone and were bailed out by G Mac Carruth, who is back in the zone. . . . Only Carruth had more of an impact on the semifinal game than did Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who was terrific. Pouliot was plagued by a high ankle sprain during the regular season and played in only 44 games. You wonder if he’s feeling a bit fresher now, and perhaps his recovery time is a bit quicker, because of his time off the ice during the regular season.
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An email from one fan after Friday’s post:
“The prices you quoted are close to half the seats at a Winnipeg Jets game. My seats in the bottom row of the upper bowl behind the net go for 60 bucks. Remember, Jets tickets are among the highest in the NHL, and the Blade's owners attitude is that people should expect those kinds of prices, after all it is the Memorial Cup. I say, yes, but it is still junior hockey.”
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And this email from a fan in the Portland area:
“I'm a fan of hockey in general and I follow the Portland Winterhawks. I go to a few games a year, recently took my son to Game 5 of the final against Edmonton. Cost for two good seats in the lower bowl including service fees was under $70. Lots of families in attendance.
“If the Memorial Cup was held in Portland or another WHL city I would surely be tempted to get a tournament ticket package. I am a fan of hockey, having grown up in Ontario and played as a youth. But, at $600 to $800 a ticket package, how in the world would a family be able to afford that? Even one game in the least attractive seats is going to be a minimum of $150 for a family of four.
“I am not sure an average fan would shell out that kind of money, especially if the host team is not able to compete with the other three elite teams in the tourney.
“As for me, I am thrilled to have purchased a streaming package for all the games for $25 and have watched all the games live on my computer. Clearly many fans even in the host city would choose this option as the best bang for the buck.
“I say the Memorial Cup ticket prices should be the same as the host city's regular pricing structure. Fill that arena, and keep fans buzzing all week long about the amazing live hockey they get to see. It is appalling to see so many empty seats for such amazing hockey.”
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F Brendan Ranford, who set the Kamloops Blazers’ record for career regular-season games played this season, has signed a contract with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Ranford, who completed his junior eligibility as a 20-year-old this season, signed a professional tryout deal (PTO) with the Stars and will attend their training camp. The Stars are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, who are owned by Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi.
Ranford had 87 points, including 65 assists, for the Blazers this season. He then added 20 points, 15 of them assists, in 15 playoff games.
The Edmonton native, who is a nephew of former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford, played in 348 regular-season games with the Blazers, finishing with 357 points, including 137 goals.
Ranford was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft but wasn’t signed and became a free agent.
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Paul Danzer of The Columbian, a newspaper in Vancouver, Wash., reports that Edmonton Oil Kings F Trevor Cheek has “three torn oblique muscles and a partially torn trapezius muscle.” . . . Cheek was injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the Calgary Hitmen and didn’t play again. . . . Danzer’s story is right here.
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Hockey Canada, which is holding its annual general meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this weekend, has dropped head scout Kevin Prendergast and goaltender coach Ron Tugnutt. . . . Prendergast had been the head scout since September 2010. Since then, Canada placed second twice at the world junior championship, while also finishing third and, this year, fourth. . . . Tugnutt had been with Hockey Canada since 2011.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Moose Jaw Warriors have re-signed assistant coaches Mike Vandenberghe and Mark O’Leary. . . . Vandenberghe is preparing for his third season on the Warriors’ coaching staff after joining them during 2010-11. He played with the Warriors in the late 1980s, and also has worked as an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . O’Leary joined the Warriors prior to last season. He had played in the OHL with the Mississauga IceDogs and Guelph Storm before going on to a five-year pro career. . . .

The USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks have fired head coach Jim McKenzie, who had one year left on a two-year contract. McKenzie joined the Lumberjacks during 2011-12, replacing the fired Kevin Patrick. . . . Muskegon was 32-23-10 this season, but was swept from the first round of the playoffs. . . . McKenzie played in the WHL with Moose Jaw (1984-88) and Victoria (1988-89).

Matt Kabayama, the associate coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, won’t be returning. The WHL team made that announcement on Friday. . . . Kabayama spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes before being named associate coach prior to 2009-10. . . . The Hurricanes also are looking for a head coach, having fired Rich Preston in March. . . . The Hurricanes have yet to announced whether Chris Chisamore, an assistant coach who also works with goaltenders, will return. . . .

Jean-Guy Trudel has signed on as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, who will debut next season in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Trudel signed a one-year contract that includesd a mutual option on a second season. . . . Kevin Tucker has a one-year contract as assistant coach. . . . Both are former Rivermen players. . . . Trudel has been coaching with the Peoria Mustangs of the NA3HL. . . . With Peoria no longer in the AHL, the Rivermen are preparing for their first season in the SPHL.

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A little of this and some of that:
1. For the sake of the television viewers, those Halifax Mooseheads sweaters that have green numbers on red have got to go.
2. That was an all-world meltdown by Portland Winterhawks G Mac Carruth on Saturday in Saskatoon. His history shows that it won’t bother him, though, so he’ll be ready for the London Knights come Monday evening. At least the Winterhawks hope so.
3. In this day and age, when the jackals of the Internet are poised to tear you to shreds for any little misstep, you don’t want to forget the words to a national anthem when you’re on national TV.
4. I had a coach tell me recently that Portland’s Taylor Peters is the best faceoff man in the Canadian Hockey League. Watch for him to make a difference before the week is out.
5. It was just one game, so don’t let anyone tell you that Halifax F Nathan MacKinnon beat Portland D Seth Jones. It’s a team game and Halifax won, thus MacKinnon won.
6. Just wondering, but are there any WHL people pulling for Portland? Other than those folks with the Winterhawks, of course?
7. The NHL has fined the San Jose Sharks $100,000 after general manager Doug Wilson publicly disagreed with the decision to suspend F Raffi Torres. When told of that fine, Portland GM Mike Johnston said: “A hundred grand? Pffft! That’s chump change.”
8. If you are still watching the NHL playoffs, do you have any idea what is – and what isn’t – a penalty?
9. The Mooseheads have played 86 games this season. They have won 75 of them. Yes, they’re that good.
10. When December arrives and we look for the best story in hockey in 2013, we won’t have to look past the Swiss national men’s team. That’s some story that it is writing at the world championship, even if it loses to Sweden in today’s final.
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Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press reports that the London Knights, the host team for the 2014 Memorial Cup, appear likely to partner with Rogers Sportsnet on a TV series similar to On The Edge, the all-access show that followed the Saskatoon Blades on the road to the 2013 Memorial Cup. That story is right here. . . . Something tells me that the next such series, no matter which team it involves, will be a whole lot tamer than the one that has featured Lorne Molleken and his Blades. . . . BTW, when Kamloops Blazers head coach Dave Hunchak was asked on Saskatoon radio station The Bull’s pregame show on Friday if he would OK such a show were his club the host team, he issued a resounding: “NO!” Simply put, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, something like that is too much of a distraction and the players are too young to be under such scrutiny.
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Toby Gorman of the Nanaimo News Bulletin has more right here on the situation involving the Vancouver Island city and a potential new multiplex. But here’s what Mayor John Ruttan told Gorman: “In the absence of having strong support for it, when Coun. Bill Bestwick, who is still in hockey today, is on record and pooh-poohs the idea of a multiplex, I would think we’ll be hard pressed to find somebody else on council to lobby aggressively for it. I’d need to see more of a business case to support it, though I’m interested.”
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The Brooks, Alta., Bandits and the host Summerside Western Capitals are to clash today in the final of the 2013 RBC Cup, which goes to the national junior A champion. . . . On Saturday, the Bandits, the AJHL champions, beat the Minnesota Wilderness 5-4 in OT in one semifinal, while the Western Capitals of the Maritime Hockey League took out the BCHL-champion Surrey Eagles 3-2 in OT. . . . Brooks F Mark Reners, who has played in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Vancouver Giants and Edmonton Oil Kings, scored at 8:30 of extra time. The Bandits actually trailed 4-2 after two periods and 4-3 with less than a minute to play. F Dakota Mason forced OT when he scored from behind the Wilderness net. . . . The AJHL hasn’t won the RBC Cup since 2001 when the Camrose Kodiaks turned the trick.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The OHL’s Saginaw Spirit added on year to head coach Greg Gilbert’s contract earlier this week, meaning he is signed through 2015-16. Gilbert has been with the Spirit since December 2011. He was the OHL’s coach of the year for 2011-12 after going 20-10-6. The Spirit has lost out in the playoffs to the London Knights in each of the last two seasons, first in the second round and then in the first round.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich), who is covering the Memorial Cup for The Oregonian: “When Mike Johnston does arrive, he can’t interact with the team.”
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From Steve Ewen (@Steve Ewen) of the Vancouver Province: “Is there a Mike Johnston cop, making sure he behaves?”

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Two first-round selections in last week’s WHL bantam draft have signed contracts. . . . D Josh Anderson has signed with the Prince George Cougars. He was the third overall selection. . . . F Parker Aucoin, who went 15th overall to the Tri-City Americans, also has signed. . . . Both players are represented by Turning Point Sports Management. . . . Anderson, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, is from Duncan, B.C. . . . Aucoin, 6-foot-0 and 176 pounds, had 87 points, including 63 goals, in 33 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Northstar Sabres.
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The Halifax Mooseheads won their first QMJHL championship last night, defeating the visiting Baie-Comeau Drakkar 5-1 and winning the best-of-seven final, 4-1. . . . The Metro Centre was sold out (10,595). . . . The Mooseheads took control early with three first-period goals, the first two via the PP. . . . Halifax F Jonathan Drouin was named the playoff MVP. He put up 35 points in 17 games.
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In the OHL, F Bo Horvat scored twice to help the host London Knights to a 6-4 victory over the Barrie Colts. . . . Barrie leads the best-of-seven final 3-2 with Game 6 in its home arena tonight. . . . Horvat scored a PP goal in the second period for a 4-1 lead and added a shorthanded goal in the third to up the lead to 5-2. . . . Barrie F Anthony Camara, who took a charging major earlier in the series and escaped without a suspension, was ejected with a charging major at 14:17 of the third period.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Shawn Martin is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. He replaces Bob Beatty, who won two SJHL titles with La Ronge. He resigned following this season and now is with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Martin, 35, has been working with the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm, where he served as assistant GM, assistant coach and head scout. . . . He also worked with the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel and Sherwood Park Crusaders.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(All times local)
Game 1: Friday, May 3 — Edmonton 4 at Portland 1 (10,097)
Game 2: Saturday, May 4 — Edmonton 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Game 3: Tuesday — Portland 3 at Edmonton 1 (8,513)
Game 4: Wednesday — Portland 2 at Edmonton 1 (8,400)
Game 5: Friday, Edmonton 3 at Portland 2 (OT) (10,947)
Game 6: Sunday, at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Game 7: Monday, May 13, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x – if necessary.


All games are being televised by Shaw in Canada. They also will be televised in Portland, with Game 6 on Comcast SportsNet, and Game 7 on Root Sports.
Comcast and Roots will pick up the Shaw telecast that feature play-by-play man Dan Russell, along with Bill Wilms, Peter Loubardias and Andy Neal.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, F Michael St. Croix scored three times and G Laurent Brossoit stopped 49 shots to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Winterhawks. . . . St. Croix, who has 14 goals, got the winner at 7:24 of OT. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck drew three assists. . . . F Joey Baker opened the scoring, giving Portland a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds into the game. . . . Edmonton tied it at 10:14 when a shot by F T.J. Foster went in off a skate. The goal was credited to St. Croix but very well might be changed at some point. . . . Edmonton took a 2-1 lead when St. Croix scored at 7:01 of the third period. . . . Portland forced OT when F Brendan Leipsic tied it at 14:05 of the third. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 27 shots. . . . Portland was 0-for-2 on the PP; Edmonton never had an opportunity with the man advantage. . . . The Rose Garden was sold out (10,947). . . . They’ll play Game 6 in Edmonton on Sunday. . . . It was the first OT game of these playoffs for the Winterhawks; the Oil Kings are 1-3.
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Here’s how Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune started his column after the game:
“It ended with the Rose Garden's sellout throng sitting in stunned silence, Michael St. Croix's goal in sudden-death overtime preventing what would have been a celebration for the ages.
“Moments later, Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison was busy texting on his cell phone outside the Harry Glickman Media Room.
“I looked over his shoulder and I'm pretty sure he was communicating this to his cronies:
“ ‘Whew. That was close. Almost had to take to the ice to present the championship trophy. Live for another day.’ ”
Eggers’ column is right here.
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Paul Buker of The Oregonian has his game story right here.
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Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun was at the game and his game story is right here.
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Columnist Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun didn’t travel to Portland, but still file a column. It’s right here.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (7):
None

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Sunday . . .

Doug Soetaert, the general manager of the Everett Silvertips, says there won’t be anymore reloading. Starting now, he says, the Silvertips are rebuilding. "We can't continue to bring other people's players in to win a championship every year," Soetaert told the Everett Herald‘s Nick Patterson. "It catches up to you. You have to get back to creating your identity and bringing your players through your system."
Patterson’s story is right here.
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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads are looking for a new coaching staff, reports Willy Panov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald. Former NHLer Bobby Smith, who is the club’s majority owner, is out as head coach, as is associate coach Chris Donnelly. Cam Russell, who started the season as general manager/head coach before Smith took over as coach, remains the GM but won’t be on the bench. Assistant coach Jason Troini has returned to the major midget Dartmouth Ice Dawgs as GM and head coach. Only goaltender coach Eric Raymond will be returning. . . . The Mooseheads were 4-9-1 when Smith moved in; they went 16-34-4 under him, and were swept by the Montreal Juniors in the first round of playoffs.
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The gang from NHL Central Scouting has been in meetings, working to compile their final list before the June draft. There won’t be an official release with players ranked numerically until April 12, but Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com has a look right here at the top 10 from each of the three major junior leagues, as well as some other areas.
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THE PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Seven of the eight first-round series are dust, with only the Medicine Hat Tigers versus Brandon Wheat Kings still on the go. The Tigers, who have won the last two games, take a 3-2 edge into Game 6 tonight in Winnipeg.
The Saskatoon Blades and Kootenay Ice advanced with victories on Sunday night.
Should Medicine Hat win its series, the second-round matchups will be Saskatoon against Kootenay and the Red Deer Rebels versus the Tigers. A Brandon victory, would put the Wheat Kings against the Blades, with the Rebels meeting the Ice.
Should the Wheat Kings win tonight to force a Game 7, that series will be decided Wednesday in Medicine Hat.
The Blades will open the second round at home on Friday night.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Saskatoon Blades beat the Raiders 2-1 in overtime to win that series, 4-2. . . . F Matej Stransky took advantage of a turnover by Raiders G Jamie Tucker behind his net to score the winner at 4:24 of OT. . . . Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Blades F Marek Viedensky duped Tucker into passing him the puck. “I just heard my name ‘Tucks’ get called,” a teary-eyed Tucker told Wolfe. “I was on my backhand, so I thought it was my guy but I guess it was him.” . . . Viedensky flipped the puck out front to Stransky, who promptly scored the series winner. . . . Moments earlier, Tucker had robbed Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls with a huge glove save. . . . D Antoine Corbin gave the Raidersd a 1-0 lead at 2:43 of the first period. . . . Saskatoon F Brent Benson tied it at 12:21 of the second. . . . Stransky, who has three playoff goals, drew an assist on Benson’s goal. . . . Tucker finished with 35 saves, six more than Saskatoon’s Steven Stanford. . . . Attendance was 3,366 as the Art Hauser Memorial Centre was sold right out. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the Kootenay Ice jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and went on to beat the Warriors 5-4. . . . The Ice won the series 4-2. . . . This was the final WHL game in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can) as the Warriors are scheduled to move into a new multiplex in time for next season. . . . D Brayden McNabb gave the visitors a 1-0 lead just 1:36 into the first period. . . . F Max Reinhart and F Matt Fraser upped it to 3-0 with goals 1:04 apart later in the period. . . . The Warriors got back to within 3-2 and 4-3 and 5-4 but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Fraser finished with three goals, giving him five in the series. He gave the Ice a 4-2 lead at 9:12 of the second and a 5-3 edge at 9:22 of the third. . . . Reinhart also had three assists. . . . F Quinton Howden had a goal, his fifth, and an assist for the Warriors. . . . Attendance was 2,727.
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SUNDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
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And now for something completely different. . . .
This is every team’s worst nightmare . . . its season over before it really gets started. But, in truth, it happens a lot because there always are teams in a league that don’t have a chance of winning the championship.
But check this out right here to see what happened to the New York Mets the other day. (Hint: It involves a clip from Family Guy.)

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Hartsburg scheduled for two procedures

Craig Hartsburg has been diagnosed with an aneurysm in the ascending aorta (top left). (Graphic: www.slrctsurgery.com)

The onus right now in Everett is on Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg getting healthy.
The Silvertips revealed Monday that Hartsburg, 51, has been diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm.
According to the Silvertips, Hartsburg will undergo a heart catheterization in Everett on Wednesday. He later will undergo more invasive surgery.
According to slrctsurgery.com, “An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement of a weakened area of the aorta. Aneurysms which involve the ascending aorta, aortic arch and descending thoracic aorta are termed ‘thoracic aortic’ aneurysms.’ Aneurysms in these regions are prone to rupture once they reach a certain size. . . .
“Surgery to repair an ascending aortic or arch aneurysm involves removing the aneurysmal portion of the aorta and replacing it with an artificial Dacron tube.”
According to Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald:
“The initial signs of a potential problem were first diagnosed in 2003. When undergoing tests for an unrelated ailment, it was discovered Hartsburg was born with a bicuspid aortic valve in his heart instead of the standard tricuspid aortic valve. Incidents of aortic aneurysms tend to be more frequent in those with bicuspid rather than tricuspid aortic valves.
“Since then Hartsburg has had his heart checked annually by doctors. His latest examination, which took place a month ago, revealed the aneurysm, and after further tests it was determined surgery was required.”
On Wednesday, doctors will run a camera up through Hartsburg’s groin and into the heart area to assess the damage. Then, early in November, he will undergo open-heart surgery at which time the artificial tube will be inserted in place of a chunk of the aorta.
“It's not something you have a lot of symptoms with,” Hartsburg told Patterson. “So it's a good thing to get it checked. The worst thing that could happen is (the aneurysm) ruptures, so we're going to get it fixed so we don't have to worry about it.”
Hartsburg expects to miss three games this week and then return to coaching until the second procedure is schedule. After that, he’ll be gone until sometime in the new year.
In his absence, associate coach Jay Varady, who has been with the Silvertips since Day 1, will run things, along with assistant coach Chris Hartsburg, who is Craig’s son.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Harlan Pratt (Seattle, Red Deer, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden Allsvenskan). He had two goals and 21 assists in 43 games for Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, plays in Austria Erste Bank Liga) last season.
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There has been another coaching change in the QMJHL. Former NHL star Bobby Smith has taken over as head coach of the Halifax Mooseheads. Smith happens to be the team’s majority owner. He replaces Cam Russell, under whom the Mooseheads went 4-9-0-1. They are tied for fifth in the six-team Maritimes Division. Russell, a former NHL defenceman, is to stay on as general manager. Smith, who played 15 seasons in the NHL, will be behind the bench Tuesday against the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan. . . . The Mooseheads are the second QMJHL team to change coaches this season. On Friday, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar dropped Stéphane Hains as head coach and named assistant coach Serge Poudrier as interim head coach.
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Ryan Huska, the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets, has been named head coach of Team WHL, which will play a touring Russian side in Kamloops and Prince George next month. Those are the last two games in the Subway Super Series. Huska also is an assistant coach with Canada’s national junior team. Head coach Mike Williamson of the Calgary Hitmen will be an assistant coach for both games, with head coach Guy Charron of the Kamloops Blazers working the game in Kamloops and Dean Clark of the Prince George Cougars doing the same in Prince George. . . . The Super Series game in Kamloops is scheduled for Nov. 17, with the game in Prince George set for Nov. 18.
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The Prince George Cougars, with points in five of their last six games, aren’t content to sit still. They have acquired G Ty Rimmer, 18, from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Rimmer, from Edmonton, was a 14th-round pick in the 2007 draft. He was 2-2-0, 2.77, .902 in four games with Brandon this season. . . . This moves leaves Prince George with three goaltenders -- James Priestner, 19, as the starter, with Rimmer and Chase Martin, 18, who joined the team last week. Martin, a native of Medicine Hat, was a fifth-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in 2007. He played last season with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks (9-8-2, 3.33, .896). . . . The Wheat Kings are left with two 17-year-old goaltenders — Liam Liston and Corbin Boes — both of whom are in their first WHL seasons. Brandon is on an eight-game road swing. It plays the second game of the trip Wednesday in Prince George.
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The Kootenay Ice is at home tonight against the Edmonton Ice and has recalled F Sam Reinhart for the game. Reinhart was the Ice’s first pick in the 2010 bantam draft. He turns 15 on Nov. 6.
Reinhart is with the major midget Vancouver-North West Giants. He has 10 points in six games.
What makes this move intriguing is that it puts three brothers on the ice for tonight’s game.
He will be playing on the same team as brother Max, 18, and they will be going against Griffin, a 16-year-old defenceman with the Oil Kings. Max was a fourth-round pick in the 2007 draft. Griffin was the third overall pick in the 2009 draft.
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Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun reports that Giants F Marek Tvrdon will be gone for up to six weeks with a dislocated right shoulder. He was injured in a 6-3 loss to the host Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday. . . . The Saskatoon Blades’ 8-1-0 start is the best in franchise history. According to a release posted on the team’s website, the Blades opened 1985-86 with a 7-1-1 run, while starting 1982-83 at 7-2-0. The latter team set franchise records with 52 victories and 105 points. The Blades are an original, having been in the WHL since 1966-67. . . . D Sena Acolatse of the Prince George Cougars is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 11 points, including three goals, and was plus-8 in three games. . . . The WHL nominated Mark Friesen of the Swift Current Broncos as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 5-0 with two shutouts, along with a 0.98 GAA and a .966 save percentage. . . . The Portland Winter hawks (8-2-0-1) have 17 points, good for first place in the overall standings. They are 6-1-0 on the road as they begin a six-game homestand against the Everett Silvertips on Wednesday. . . . Portland LW Sven Bartschi leads all freshmen in points (18), goals (8), assists (10), power-play goals (4), game-winning goals (2) and plus/minus (+7). . . . F RJ Reed, 18, is expected to join the Prince Albert Raiders at practice today. Reed was acquired Friday from the Vancouver Giants for a seventh-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. Reed got into one game with the Giants, then was scratched for two straight games. He then left the Giants and joined the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. . . . Having acquired F Jake Trask, 19, from the Kamloops Blazers for a sixth-round 2012 bantam draft pick, the Saskatoon Blades assigned F Brett Stovin, 16, to the Interlake Lightning of the Manitoba midget AAA league. He had one goal in four games with Saskatoon. . . .
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Chad Brownlee used to be a defenceman with the Minnesota State Mavericks. Before playing four seasons (2003-07) there, he played with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. The Kelowna native was a sixth-round selection by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2003 NHL draft and later played 35 games with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads in 2007-08. Today, he’s 26 and is carving out a whole new career. . . . At the B.C. Country Music Awards on the weekend in Vancouver, Brownlee was honoured with three awards. He was named male vocalist of the year, SOCAN songwriter of the year (with Mitch Merrett and Kelly Archer, for Hood of My Car), and the Ray McAuley Horizon Award winner. . . . Hood of My Car reached No. 16 on the Canadian Country Music chart and was at No. 27 last night. . . . Brownlee also was a finalist for Canadian Country Rising Star Award at the recent Canadian Country Music Awards show in Edmonton. . . . Check him out right here.

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