Today is it for Hitmen ... Kisio moves up with U-18 side ... Inside the KHL in tweets

Hey folks @gdrinnan Taking Note is working just loading really slowly thanks to a new script from @blogger be patient. #SameGreatWriting

— Terry Massey (@TerryMassey) July 6, 2017

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D Keaton Ellerby (Kamloops, Moose Jaw, 2004-08) has signed a one-year contract with Mora (Sweden, SHL). Last season, he had three goals and nine assists in 43 games with Lukko Rauma (Finland, Liiga).

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To build on report that #Hitmen are announcing GM soon....hearing new incoming GM has some of the strongest bloodlines in the #WHL

— Kristen Odland (@Kristen_Odland) July 10, 2017

Follow up to the great reporting here by Gregg. Hitmen set to make announcements tomorrow. #WHL https://t.co/5wXv8ibPRc

— Brendan Parker (@GlobalParker) July 10, 2017

The Calgary Hitmen are poised to make some personnel introductions today (Tuesday).

As was first reported here late Saturday, the Hitmen will name Jeff Chynoweth their new general

manager, with Dallas Ferguson taking over as head coach.

As well, Dallas Thompson will move up to head scout after working for the Hitmen in B.C. for the past two seasons.

Chynoweth, of course, has long been associated with the Edmonton/Kootenay Ice. He, his mother Linda and brother Dean sold the Ice earlier this summer to Winnipeggers Greg Fettes and Matt Cockell.

With the Hitmen, Chynoweth will take over from Mike Moore, who now is  vice-president and alternate governor. Moore had been the GM since 2013.

Ferguson, a native of Wainwright, Alta., will succeed Mark French, who left after three seasons as head coach to take a job in Switzerland. Ferguson, 44, has been at the U of Alaska-Fairbanks since 2004-05. He spent four seasons as an assistant coach and has been the head coach since 2008-09. Ferguson was named head coach on May 21, 2008, about a month after he had stepped in as interim coach following the resignation of Doc DelCastillo.

As a player, Ferguson spent four seasons (1992-96) as a defenceman with the Nanooks.

Thompson, a former WHL player who spent 16 seasons with the Prince George Cougars, the last 10 as GM, will replace Dan Bonar, who had been with the Hitmen for 14 seasons, the last four as director of player personnel.

Ferguson Stepping Down at Alaska for WHL Job - https://t.co/inR2vkBoZ1 @NanooksHockey

— College Hockey News (@chnews) July 11, 2017

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Brent Kisio, the head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has moved up to head coach of the Canadian U-18 team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup next month. . . . Kisio, who was named as an assistant coach earlier this summer, replaces Paul McFarland, the former head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. . . . Kisio is preparing for his third season as the head coach in Lethbridge. . . . Drew Bannister, the head coach of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, has been added to the U-18 team as an assistant coach. . . . The Ivan Hlinka Memorial runs from Aug. 7-12 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia.

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The Lethbridge Hurricanes won’t have Russian F Egor Babenko back for a third season. This means that they are looking at veteran D Igor Merezhko, who is from Ukraine, and Russian F Yegor Zudilov as their two imports in 2017-18.

Merezhko, 19, has two goals and 29 assists in 128 regular-season games with the Hurricanes.

Zudilov, who will turn 17 on Sept. 10, was selected in the CHL’s 2017 import draft. He had 65 points, including 31 goals, in 35 games with Avangard Omsk’s U-17 team last season. The previous season, he put up 63 points, 31 of them goals, with Avangard Omsk’s U-16 side.

Babenko, now 20, has signed a two-year contract with Lada Togliatti of the KHL. He had 53 goals and 71 assists in 133 regular-season games with the Hurricanes.

Babenko is eligible to play one more season in the WHL, but as a 20-year-old import he would have been a two-spotter.

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One day after losing director of player personnel Ryan Jankowski to the Buffalo Sabres, Hockey Canada waved farewell to one of its goaltending coaches Monday as Fred Brathwaite left to join the New York Islanders. . . . Brathwaite has worked with Hockey Canada’s U-18 team for the past three seasons. He also has been involved with Canada’s national junior team.

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If you are planning on attending the seventh annual TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference but haven’t yet registered, don’t forget that we’ve got a deal for you. . . . The conference runs Friday and Saturday in Vancouver, so time is running out for you to register. You are able to get 20 per cent off the registration fee by clicking right here. Tour around the site and when you register just enter the coupon code TakingNote and you will get the discounted rate.

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If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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If you have any interest at all in the inner-workings of the KHL — i.e. how does it survive? — read this series of tweets from Slava Malamud.

1/ In order to understand the dark undercurrent of RUS hockey and the role politics plays in it, you have to start with knowing one thing:

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) July 10, 2017

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Blazers won't replace departed coach ... Iverson inks pro deal ... Will Hossa have to retire?

F Rodrigo Ābols (Portland, 2015-17) has signed a two-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with he had one assist in two games with the Portland WInterhawks (WHL), then moved east and had 18 goals and 32 assists in 52 games with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL). . . .

D Dalton Yorke (Kelowna, Prince Albert, Tri-City, 2012-17) has signed a one-year contract with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had 15 assists in 72 games with Tri-City. Yorke has dual German-Canadian citizenship. . . .

F Filip Ahl (Regina, 2016-17) has signed a one-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, SHL). Last season, he had 28 goals and 20 assists in 54 games with Regina.

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The Kamloops Blazers revealed on Tuesday that they won’t be replacing veteran assistant coach Terry Bangen. He left to join the Worcester Railers, an expansion team that will begin play in the ECHL in 2017-18.
Jamie Russell, who is a Kamloops native, is the general manager and head coach in Worcester and was able to get Bangen to head east.

The remainder of the Blazers’ coaching staff will remain intact, with Don Hay back for a fourth season. Hay will go into the 2017-18 season with 720 regular-season coaching victories, just 22 shy of the record held by Ken Hodge, who coached with the original Edmonton Oil Kings and the Portland Winterhawks.

Mike Needham is returning for a fourth season as Hay’s lead assistant, while Chris Murray is back for a fourth season in a part-time role. Dan De Palma will begin an eighth season as the club’s goaltending coach.

As well, Colin (Toledo) Robinson returns for a 13th season as the team’s athletic trainer. This will be his 22nd season in the WHL.

The Blazers also will have Matt Recchi back as the director of player personnel, with Ken Fox returning as head scout.

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F Keegan Iverson, the captain of last season’s Portland Winterhawks, has signed an AHL contract with the Ontario Reign, which is affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . Iverson played 293 regular-season games over six seasons with the Winterhawks. He put up 190 points, including 80 goals. . . . Last season, as a 20-year-old, he had 26 goals and 44 assists in 55 games. . . . He also played for the Winterhawks as they won the WHL’s 2013 championship. . . . From St. Louis Park, Minn., Iverson was selected by the New York Rangers in the third round of the NHL’s 2014 draft but they never signed him.

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Stefan Burzan of Surrey, B.C., is the new general manager of the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He takes over from Rob Evers, who now is the team’s head coach. . . . Burzan, 22, was a sixth-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft and played two games with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2011-12. . . . He presently is a business student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

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Hockey Canada has invited about 200 players and all kinds of support staff to various summer camps. For more info, including rosters, check out Hockey Canada’s website. At the same time, let’s banish all thoughts about summer hockey being a nuisance and admit that when the governing body gets involved like this it officially is declaring hockey a year-round thing. So, kids, forget about playing more than one sport and forget about golfing and fishing and ice cream at the Snack Shack. Hey, get back into the gym, then get the blades sharpened and hit the ice. There no longer is an off-season when it comes to hockey.

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Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada has filed his weekly 30 Thoughts, and he leads with a piece on former Portland Winterhawks F Marian Hossa. Friedman reports that Hossa has developed a nasty allergy, one that involves the hockey gear that he wears, and may have to retire. . . . That, and so much more, is right here.

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I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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The QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have named Jim Midgley as their new head coach. He takes over from Andre Tourigny, who left to become head coach of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. . . . Midgley spent the past six seasons with as an assistant coach in Halifax, one working alongside Tourigny and five with Dominique Ducharme. . . . Midgley also has been on the coaching staff of the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, as well as the Acadia U Axemen.

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Kyle Adams is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. Adams has junior A coaching experience in B.C., Alberta and the Maritimes. . . . He spent last season with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs as assistant GM/associate coach. . . . The Thunder recently underwent an ownership change. . . . Adams takes over from Jesse Dorrans, who resigned in May.

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Red Deer drops goaltender . . . Blades, Giants create two homecomings. . . . Everett makes some moves

The Red Deer Rebels released G Trevor Martin, 20, on Wednesday. They had placed him on waivers and he was released after he cleared. . . . The Rebels acquired Martin from the Saskatoon Blades in

2014-15. He was 19-9-3 in 42 regular-season appearances with the Rebels. In three appearances this season, Martin was 0-1-1, 4.14, .888. . . . The move leaves the Rebels with two 20s — F Evan Polei and D Colton Bobyk. It also leaves them with two goaltenders — Lasse Pettersen, 19, who was acquired last week from the Everett Silvertips and has yet to make his Red Deer debut, and Riley Lamb, an 18-year-old freshman. . . . The Rebels also acquired G Tyson Verhelst, 19, from the Spokane Chiefs this month. But Verhelst, who suffered at least two concussions last season, is out long-term with an undisclosed upper-body injury. . . . With Pettersen expected to play for Denmark at the 2017 World Junior Championship, the Rebels are likely to bring in Byron Fancy to support Lamb when necessary. Fancy, who will turn 16 on Jan. 1, is from Claresholm, Alta., and is playing with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was a second-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . The Rebels had a pair of 20-year-old goaltenders on their roster earlier in the season. They dealt Rylan Toth to the Seattle Thunderbirds and now Martin is gone.

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If this blog had sound effects, you would be listening to Hagood Hardy playing The Homecoming right now, thanks to a Wednesday afternoon deal made between the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants. . . . In a swap of 18-year-old forwards, the Blades dealt Josh Bruce to the Giants for Gage Ramsay. Bruce is from Surrey, B.C., while Ramsay is from Saskatoon. . . . Bruce has one goal in four games with the Blades this season. . . . Ramsay has one assist in six games with the Giants. He was a third-round pick by the Giants in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . The Blades are to meet the Giants in Vancouver tonight (Wednesday), but neither is expected to play for his new team.

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According to Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald, F Brad Goethals has left the Everett Silvertips and

returned to his Manitoba home for “personal reasons.” The Silvertips acquired Goethals, 18, from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Oct. 11, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft. Goethals led the Manitoba Midget Hockey League in scoring last season, with 74 points, including 41 goals, in 43 games for the Eastman Selects. . . . The Silvertips have recalled D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to fill a hole created by an undisclosed injury to F Orrin Centazzo. He apparently was injured during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the host Spokane Chiefs. . . . Last season, Fairbrother was named the top defenceman in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (Elite 15s) while with the Burnaby Winter Club. . . . Fairbrother started this season with the Silvertips but joined the Vancouver-North West Giants of the B.C. Midget Major Junior Hockey League after not getting into any WHL games. He was expected to join the Silvertips in time for tonight’s game in Kelowna against the Rockets.

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Hockey Canada announced the roster for its Deutschland Cup team on Wednesday. That roster, which includes a handful of ex-WHLers, is right here. . . . It is great to see Dave King back with Hockey Canada as the head coach of its entry. His staff will include former Spokane Chiefs assistant coach Mike Pelino (1997-99). He’s in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitogorsk. . . . The tournament runs Nov. 4-6 in Augsburg Germany.

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Hockey Canada is expected to announce one of the these days that Don Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, will coach Canada’s entry in the IIHF’s U-18 world championship. That tournament is scheduled for April 18-28 in Sochi, Russia. . . . Last year’s tournament was held in Brno and Znojmo, Czech Republic, with the U.S., Sweden and Canada finishing in that order. . . . This year, Canada will be in a pool with Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia. The other pool is to comprise the U.S., Finland, Russia, Czech Republic and Latvia. . . . Canada opens April 13 against Slovakia.
Hay, of course, has extensive experience with Hockey Canada. The 59-year-old from Kamloops has twice coached the national junior team, winning gold in Red Deer in 1995 and bronze in Calgary/Edmonton in 2012.
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We have word of another hockey team that uses a logo similar to that of the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Here is the logo used by the junior B Regina Capitals, of the Prairie Junior Hockey League.

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 The WHL’s first-round situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton leads 1-0; Game 2 on Sunday in Edmonton)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary leads 2-0; Game 3 on Monday in Swift Current)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Prince Albert)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Wednesday in Everett)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash.)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Victoria. Bear Mountain Arena)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Kennewick, Wash.)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Red Deer, the Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Rhyse Dieno gave the Rebels a 3-0 edge at 6:25 of the second. . . . The Raiders got in it on goals from F Jonas Knutsen, at 14:15 of the second, and F Shane Danyluk, at 10:05 of the third. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 36 shots, two fewer than Prince Albert’s Luke Siemens. . . . Red Deer F Joel Hamilton came up dry on a first-period penalty shot with his side up 1-0. . . . F Turner Elson had two assists for Red Deer. . . .

In Spokane, F Blake Gal broke a 4-4 tie at 16:31 of the third period and the Chiefs went on to a 6-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Jesse Mychan had pulled Tri-City into a 4-4 tie with a PP goal at 8:41 of the third. . . . The goal was Gal’s second of the game. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 15 shots. . . . The Chiefs have taken four straight games from the Americans, including two late in the regular season. . . . The next two games and a third, if necessary, will be played in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks held Everett to 11 shots on goal and beat the Silvertips, 4-1. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski had a goal and two assists, while F Ty Rattie had one of each. . . . Portland D Shaun MacPherson scored his first playoff goal at 8:04 of the second. It gave Portland a 2-0 lead and ended up being the winner. . . . The game degenerated in the late going and by the end the visitors had taken 88 of 130 penalty minutes. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 30 shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 10 shots, including three in the first period and one in the second. . . . Everett had lost 16 consecutive games in Portland before winning Friday’s opener, 4-3. . . .

In Kamloops, D Joel Edmundson and F Tim Bozon each scored twice as the Blazers got past the Victoria Royals, 6-4. . . . The Blazers led 5-1 going into the third period. The Royals then scored three times and trailed 5-4 with 1:44 left. . . . Kamloops F Dylan Willick put it away with an empty-netter at 18:52. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon drew four assists. . . . The Royals got a goal and an assist from each of F Jamie Crooks and F Austin Carroll. . . . Victoria lost D Ryan Gagnon in the first period when he lost an edge and crashed awkwardly into the boards. He eventually was helped off the ice but didn’t return. Head coach Dave Lowry said Gagnon will be “re-evaluated” when the Royals return home. . . . Royals general manager Cam Hope told play-by-play man Marlon Martens that he saw Gagnon in the dressing room after the incident. “He was walking and talking and quite upset that he had put himself in that position and was out of the game. But hopefully he’ll be back soon.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Alex Delnov scored at 2:41 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Cole Linaker gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 13:28 of the second period. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf forced OT with a goal at 10:08 of the third. . . . Among the Rockets’ scratches was veteran F J.T. Barnett, who had played in Game 1. The Rockets inserted freshman F Austin Glover, who turned 17 on Jan. 15, in Barnett’s spot. . . . The Rockets were 31-5-0 at home in the regular season, but now have lost two straight playoff games, both in OT, at home. . . .
The Thunderbirds now are 6-2 against the Rockets in playoff OT games. Here’s a look, courtesy of Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds’ director of public and media relations:
March 30, 2001 — In Game 1 of the first round, Shane Endicott scored at 2:14 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
April 6, 2001 — In Game 4 of the first round, Brad Tutschek scored at 2:20 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
April 8, 2001 — In Game 5 of the first round, Paul Hurd scored at 5:27 of overtime for a 2-1 Kelowna victory.
April 22, 2003 — In Game 3 of the Western Conference final, Tyler Metcalfe scored at 18:58 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 28, 2008 — In Game 3 of the first round, David Richard scored at 15:12 of overtime for a 3-2 Seattle victory.
March 29, 2008 — In Game 6 of the first round, Lucas Bloodoff scored at 10:59 of overtime for a 4-3 Kelowna victory.
March 22, 2013 — In Game 1 of the first round, Luke Lockhart scored at 19:09 of overtime for a 5-4 Seattle victory.
March 23, 2013 — In Game 2 of the first round, Alexander Delnov scored at 2:41 of overtime for a 2-1 Seattle victory.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (5):
D Marco Mueller, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (2):
F Taylor Peters, Portland


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Hockey Canada votes for zero tolerance!

Hockey Canada did it!
The governing body of hockey — other than major junior — in Canada came out strongly against headshots as its annual general meeting wrapped up in Calgary on Saturday.
Hockey Canada’s board of directors decided that there will be “zero tolerance” for headshots — meaning all and any contact with the head — in minor, female and senior hockey.
According to a Hockey Canada news release that was issued upon the AGM’s conclusion:
“In minor and female hockey, a minor penalty shall be assessed for all accidental hits to the head, while a double minor penalty, or a major and game misconduct at the discretion of the referee based on the degree of violence of impact, shall be assessed for any intentional contact to the head;
“In junior (Junior A, B, C, D) and senior hockey, a minor and a misconduct or a major and a game misconduct shall be assessed for all checks to the head, at the discretion of the referee;
“A major penalty and a game misconduct, or match penalty, shall be assessed to any player who injures an opponent under this rule.”
This is exciting news because it means that at least some of the people who call the shots for the game of hockey are paying attention and realize what is going on in terms of head injuries and the impact they are having.
The fact that Hockey Canada has made this decision means it immediately will begin educating the youngest minor hockey players and they should move through the system playing the game the right way.
Hopefully there will come a time when we look back on May 28, 2011, as the day the tide turned.
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It sounds as though the IIHF also will be taking a long, hard look at the issue of head contact.
IIHF vice-president Murray Costello told Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald:
“President (Rene) Fasel of the IIHF has said from the beginning that there’s no such thing as a clean hit to the head.
“One of the worrisome things in all of our consultations was to get head injuries out of our game. There’s no room for it. But we have to come down hard and fast in a zero tolerance way.
“This will be welcomed that Canada is taking a stronger initiative. That will cause the (IIHF) to consider getting more serious and making tougher rules there, too.”
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Also of note from the Hockey Canada AGM:
The host communities were named for various events, with Langley, B.C., getting the 2011 World Junior A Challenge.
During the 2012-13 season, the WJAC will be held in Yarmouth, N.S., with the Esso Cup in Burnaby, B.C., the TELUS Cup in Sault Ste. Marie, and the RBC Cup in Summerside, P.E.I.
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Over the last two weeks, Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post has written extensively about Derek Boogaard and his death on May 13.
For one story, Vanstone spoke with a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Here is the start of that story:
The kind of blows that led to Derek Boogaard's final concussion should be eradicated, according to an authority on head trauma.
"I think fighting should be eliminated," states Dr. David Dodick, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic and the president of the American Headache Association.
"How can I say that when you elbow me in the head you're going to be suspended for 10 games with a $100,000 fine, yet I can drop the gloves and you can drop the gloves and I can punch you 10 times in the head? There's an incongruence there. It's mutually contradictory that you can eliminate head hits, but you can implicitly condone fighting."
Vanstone’s complete story is right here.
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Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun takes a look at Friday night’s Memorial Cup semifinal game between the host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and the WHL-champion Kootenay Ice right here.
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Koshan also touched base with Robert Savard, who remains the only player to win back-to-back-to-back Memorial Cups, a feat that F Justin Shugg of the St. Michael’s Majors hopes to equal today. That story is right here.
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Three WHL players were selected in the KHL draft on Saturday. F Marek Tvrdon of the Vancouver Giants was taken in the second round, 26th overall, by the Slovakian club Poprad. He was Poprad’s first pick. . . . D Matt Dumba of the Red Deer Rebels was selected in the third round, 60th overall, by Vityaz Chekhov, which took Prince Albert Raiders F Mark McNeil in the fifth round, 112th overall. Vityaz Chekhov used the fifth overall selection to take F Jonathan Huberdeau of the QMJHLs Saint John Sea Dogs.
If you’re so inclined, there is a translated version of the draft right here.
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Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun was in Red Deer on Friday night as the 1963 and 1966 Edmonton Oil Kings were inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. That story is right here.
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I first met Tom Thompson in the mid-1970s when I was working at the late, great Winnipeg Tribune and he was involved with the Manitoba Junior Baseball League. We still run into one another from time to time, and always have a grand conversation.
An aspiring lawyer, he also was dabbling in hockey. Eventually, hockey would win out and he has since worked with the Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and New York Rangers. These days, he scouts for the Rangers.
What I didn’t know until now is that he also has entered the blogosphere. If you weren’t aware, he has been blogging for The Hockey News, and you should check him out right here.
His most recent entry, on the gathering of the hockey community to say goodbye to Derek Boogaard, is most poignant.
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In Houston on Saturday, F Jim O’Brien (Seattle, 2007-09) scored on a delayed penalty at 7:54 of OT to give the Binghamton Senators a 2-1 victory over the Aeros. . . . The AHL’s championship final for the Calder Cup is 1-1 — the Aeros won 3-1 on Friday — with Game 3 in Binghamton on Wednesday. . . . O’Brien was selected 29th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Attendance at the Toyota Center was 9,002, a franchise record for a playoff game. . . . The Aeros are the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. . . . They’ll play Games 4 and 5 in Binghamton on Friday and Saturday. . . . If they need to continue beyond that, Game 6 is scheduled for Houston on Tuesday, June 7, with Game 7 there on Thursday, June 9.
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If you have access to SiriusXM Satellite Radio, you’re in luck.
Games 4, 6 and 7 are scheduled for Sirius 207 and XM 92. Game 4 is to start at 4 p.m. PT, with Game 6 and 7 both at 5 p.m. PT.

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

Hockey Canada’s annual general meeting is being held in Calgary this weekend.
Bob Nicholson, the organization’s president, addressed delegates on Friday and, as outlined by Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail, he “made an impassioned speech . . . outlining the need for a rule amendment to address all head contact” in minor and female hockey.
Maki’s piece is right here but, in essence, Nicholson has called for penalties for any contact, intentional or accidental, with an opponent’s head.
What this is is a start, although Hockey Canada has had a rule dealing with headshots since 2004. A more thorough rule, as proposed by Nicholson, would be firmer and give referees more latitude in terms of handing out penalties.
This also might be the first step towards zero tolerance and that, more than anything, is what is needed.
Understand that this is all about eliminating head injuries in hockey — not finding better ways to treat them. There always will be head and facial injuries in hockey, witness the puck to the face that was absorbed by Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night.
But the concussions that are a result of hits to the head or hits from behind or checks on unsuspecting opponents have to be eliminated. Which, of course, means fighting has to go.
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I wrote a column that appeared in the Kamloops Daily News and on this blog on Thursday (May 26). It dealt with concussions and some of the potential after-effects.
Early on Thursday I received a note from the parent of a minor hockey player.
“Great article on concussions,” it read. “My 13-year-old is going to play house next season for that reason. Too many injuries in rep.”
I also heard from someone who holds two season tickets with the Kamloops Blazers:
“A quick note to tell you how much I appreciate the series you have been doing on head injuries related to some of the violent aspects of hockey. I'm encouraged by your criticism of the stay-put attitude of the WHL regarding their lack of initiative to institute any rules to mitigate the possibilities of players suffering concussive-type injuries.
“My wife and I have been Blazers season-ticket holders for more than 15 years. We enjoy the games and we delight in watching the young men who play develop their skills both on and off the ice. As former educators we are aware of the social building skills the WHL experience offers them.
“The aspect of Blazers games that is our greatest concern is the needless violence associated with fighting and the sometimes brutal punishment that is meted out in attempts to ‘stop’ opposition players. We cannot watch young men flailing away at each other while so-called fans stand and scream encouragement, only to have the whole debacle replayed on the jumbo screen immediately following.
“We can only think that these boys are somebody's children who seem to be duking it out solely for the satisfaction of an encouraging crowd who, in all likelihood, wouldn't want their kids to be out there running the same risks of debilitating injuries.
“I long for the day that fighting and undisciplined, injurious plays are eliminated from the game.”
This is an issue that simply isn’t going to go away.
You can bet that the WHL’s board of governors and its general managers will be discussing headshots at the league’s annual meeting in Calgary in mid-June.
As much as the neanderthals among us call for fighting and extreme physicality to be left in the game, changes are going to have to be made.
Only time will tell how far the WHL will go. But here’s hoping it is paying attention to what is going on at Hockey Canada’s AGM in Calgary this week.
Because all this talk on concussions isn’t going to go away. In fact, it only will pick up steam as more and more stories are heard and more and more evidence comes out.
If you haven’t already, make sure to read the piece by Toronto Star reporters Rob Cribb and Randy Starkman. The headline is: What killed NHL’s Bill Masterton?
If anything, it shows that concussions aren’t a new problem to the sport of ice hockey.
That piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Kamloops playing waiting game now

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
And now the wait begins.
“I think we left everything in that room. We did the best that we could possibly do,” offered Norm Daley, the chairman of the Kamloops bid committee that is hoping to attract the 2003 IIHF World Women’s Championship to Kamloops.
Daley and his committee were in Calgary on Wednesday to make their presentation to Hockey Canada’s selection committee.
The Kamloops gang batted third, behind Ottawa Senators Sports and Entertainment and Destination St. John’s/Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, the other two parties still in the bidding.
“I was very impressed with the team,” Daley said. “We had the answers for every question that was asked.”
Daley’s team comprised Mayor Peter Milobar, Byron McCorkell, the director of parks and recreation and cultural services; Barb Berger, the arts, cultural and heritage manager; and Jeff Putnam, the parks, recreation facilities and business operations manager.
The format involved making a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session.
Hockey Canada's site selection committee features president/CEO Bob Nicholson, Ken Corbett, who chairs its board of directors; Scott Smith, the chief operating officer; and Scott Farley, the vice-president of marketing services and events.
Daley said his group was working on its presentation right into yesterday morning.
“We had worked on that for the last few weeks and we had worked on that for the last few weeks,” he said, “and we spent quite a bit of time (Tuesday) and this morning tightening it up.”
“Our package and our presentation were first-rate. We had it vetted by Hockey BC and they were positive about what we were putting forward and the plan. I just hope that Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation see fit to put it in Kamloops because I think it would just be super for our city.”
Daley wasn’t prepared to spill the beans on what all was in the Kamloops presentation, but did say a big part of it involved sponsorship.
“We had gone out and gotten commitments from a number of sponsors,” he said, adding that the presentation was able to offer proof again of “how Kamloops will step up to the plate and provide help for things. That’s just top rate.
“I just look at Kamloops and I’m just so proud to be a Kamloopsian because they gave us a chance to win this.”
It also would appear that being able to use Interior Savings Centre for the tournament — an eight-team event involving 21 games — also was a large selling point.
“At the end of the day, we’re running a hockey tournament in a hockey facility,” said Daley, who added that should the Kamloops bid be successful it would involve as many as 400 volunteers.
As for the use of other arenas, Daley offered: “That’s something I still can’t talk about. There are some questions around that.”
The tournament is scheduled to run March 31 through April 9, 2013, which would mean something should the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers be in the playoffs that season.
“Those are things that we talked about and that we need to solidify,” Daley stated. “It’s not in writing . . . so I’m not talking about it. But we have done everything in the background to talk with everyone.”
Daley said that his understanding is that a decision could be reached by April 30. Hockey Canada has said previously that it expects a recommendation to have been made to its board “by the end of April.”
“Fortunately,” Daley said, “it’s a short wait. So that’s a good thing.”
And, he said,
“I’m happy, I’m happy with what we’ve done,” he stated. “I think that we did the best that we possibly could. At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to Hockey Canada’s decision and where they want it to be.”
This year’s World Women’s Championship is to be played in Zurich, Switzerland, April 16-25, with the 2012 event in Burlington, Vt.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Hockey Canada to hear bids today

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops bid committee will make its pitch to Hockey Canada today in Calgary, hoping to land the 2013 IIHF World Women’s Championship.
Norm Daley, the chairman of the committee, is joined in Calgary by Mayor Peter Milobar, Byron McCorkell, the director of parks and recreation and cultural services; Barb Berger, the arts, cultural and heritage manager; and Jeff Putnam, the parks, recreation facilities and business operations manager.
The Kamloops bid will be heard last by Hockey Canada’s selection committee, with the Ottawa Senators Sports And Entertainment group up first, followed by Destination St. John’s/Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hockey Canada's site selection committee comprises Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada's president/CEO; Ken Corbett, chair of Hockey Canada's Board of Directors; Scott Smith, Hockey Canada's chief operating officer; and Scott Farley, Hockey Canada's vice-president of marketing services and events.
Daley admitted Thursday night that he “always wants to be last” in these situations, but added that he doesn’t know if it will make any difference.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “it seems to be a very, very professional process that they’re going through. I think they are going to listen to every group. I feel comfortable about being last but I don’t know that that necessarily means anything more than the fact I feel good about it.”
Hockey Canada, of course, has been down this bid road many times before and, according to Daley, it shows.
“It’s a very professional process what we’ve gone through to get to this stage,” he said. “I’m really, really impressed with how they’re vetting things and what they’re looking at and talking about . . . it’s interesting.”
The Kamloops quintet arrived in Calgary on Tuesday and spent the afternoon and evening “sitting around reviewing our presentation,” Daley said.
As has been the case since this process began, Daley chose not to reveal any details about the Kamloops, including whether it contains a cash guarantee.
“Those are details of the bid . . . and we have really been reluctant to talk about that type of thing,” he said, adding that “for our community, it’s really important and would be really well received.”
The 2013 tournament, which will feature eight teams, is to be held March 31 through April 9. It will involve 21 games being player over eight days.
This year’s championship is scheduled for Zurich, April 16-25, with next year’s tournament in Burlington, Vt., April 7-14.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Some Sunday stuff . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia KHL) after securing his release from Spartak Moscow (Russia KHL). He has two goals and five assists in his 23 games this season with Spartak. . . . As a side note, Obsut was signed by Spartak last season at the insistence of Spartak's then-head coach, Milos Riha. Riha was fired in October and now is the head coach of Atlant. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) re-signed with Timrå (Sweden Elitserien) after the club had released him earlier this month. Svensson almost signed with Dusseldorf (Germany DEL), but Dusseldorf withdrew the offer at the last minute. It was then that Timrå decided that it would re-open discussions. Svensson has three goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
———
Hockey Canada will announce the roster for its selection camp this morning. That camp runs in Toronto, Dec. 11-15. . . . The television network RDS reports that the QMJHL will have six players invited — F Louis Leblanc (Montreal Juniors), F Michael Bournival (Shawinigan Cataractes), F Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs), D Brandon Gormley (Moncton Wildcats), D Simon Despres (Saint John Sea Dogs) and G Olivier Roy (Acadie-Bathurst Titan). . . . Gormley, a first-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2010 draft, went down with a knee injury on the weekend. Reports are that he could be on the shelf for a month, which would be a big loss for Canada. . . . The camp begins December 11th and runs through to the 15th. Canada is scheduled to play exhibition matches against Switzerland in Oshawa on December 20, Sweden in Toronto on December 21 and Finland in Kitchener on December 23. The real fun begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Russia.
———
Switzerland has released its 28-player pre-tournament roster, and it includes forwards Sven Bartschi and Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks and D Dave Sutter of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The tournament is in Buffalo this time, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . The Kamloops Blazers are expecting to lose C Dalibor Bortnak to the Slovakian team that will play in Buffalo.
———
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild has recalled D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) from the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Spurgeon, who turns 21 today, had nine points and 10 penalty minutes in 21 games with the Aeros. But eight of those points have come in his last eight games. He also scored the shootout winner in a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday. Spurgeon signed with the Wild as a free agent on Sept. 22. He will wear No. 26 with the Wild which is to play the Flames in Calgary tonight.
———
In Sunday’s only WHL game, Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk had the lone shootout goal as the Medicine Hat Tigers got past the host Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . F Linden Vey scored his 18th goal for the Tigers. He leads the WHL with 47 points. . . . The Winterhawks got goals from their Swiss connection — Nino Niederreiter, with his eighth, and Sven Bartschi, with No. 18. . . . Bartschi tied the score 2-2 at 19:11 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, including eight in overtime. . . . Portland held an 8-0 edge in OT shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have lost three straight games, all of them this weekend and two of them in shootouts. . . . Attendance was 2,318. Who was to know there were so many CFL fans in the Portland area? . . . The Winterhawks are at home Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice, one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, drops by for a visit.
———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.

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

U-17 WHC rosters

The U-17 World Hockey Challenge runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 4 in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Man. Rosters for Team Western (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) and Team Pacific (Alberta and B.C.) have been announced. Here’s a look at which WHL players and prospects will play in the tournament:


BRANDON
F Daniel Asham - Winnipeg Wild (MMHL)-TW
F Brendan Harms - Portage Terriers (MJHL)-TW
D Ryan Pulock - TW
F Tyrel Seaman - TW
---
CALGARY
F Chase Clayton - TP
D Keaton Lubin - TP
F Robert Trzonkowski - TP
---
CHILLIWACK
F Steven Hodges - TP
F Brandon Magee - TP
---
EDMONTON
D Griffin Reinhart - TP
---
EVERETT
G Andy Desautels - Regina Pat Canadians (SMAAAHL)-TW
F Jari Erricson - TP
D Nicholas Walters - TP
---
KAMLOOPS
D Brady Gaudet - TW
F Logan McVeigh - TW
---
KELOWNA
F Colton Heffley - TW
D Damon Severson - TW
---
KOOTENAY
F Jared Iron - Beardy’s Blackhawks (SMAAAHL)-TW
G Mackenzie Skapski - Ridge Meadows Flames (PIJHL)-TP
---
LETHBRIDGE
F Jaimen Yakubowski - Beardy’s Blackhawks (SMAAAHL)-TW
---
MEDICINE HAT
F Hunter Shinkaruk - TP
---
MOOSE JAW
F Brayden Cuthbert - TW
D Morgan Reilly - TP
---
PORTLAND
F Brendan Leipsic - TW
D Derrick Pouliot - TW
---
PRINCE ALBERT
F Shane Danyluk - TP
F Mike Winther - TP
---
PRINCE GEORGE
F Troy Bourke - TP
G Devon Fordyce - UFA Bisons (AMHL)-TP
D Joshua Smith - TP
---
RED DEER
D Matt Dumba - TP
D Lucas Grayson - TP
---
REGINA
D Landon Peel - Swan Valley Stampeders (MJHL)-TW
F Chandler Stephanson - TW
---
SASKATOON
F Levi Bews - TP
F Ryan Olsen - (WHL)-TP
F Brett Stovin - Interlake Lightning (MMHL)-TW
---
SEATTLE
F Justin Hickman - TP
---
SPOKANE
D Reid Gow - TW
---
SWIFT CURRENT
F Shea Howorko - TW
F Sutton Olson - Southwest Cougars (MMHL)-TW
---
TRI-CITY AMERICANS
G Chris Driedger - TW
D Justin Hamonic - Winnipeg Wild (MMHL)-TW
---
VANCOUVER
F Matt Bellerive - TP
 
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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Taking Note on Twitter

Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Aki Kangasmäki (Chilliwack, 2006-07) has been assigned on loan to Hokki Kajaani (Finland Mestis) by Lukko Rauma (Finland SM-Liiga). The loan agreement is indefinite and Kangasmäki can be recalled at any time. He had nine goals and three assists in 13 games with Hokki and 19 goals and 20 assists in 32 games with Lukko A-Juniors (Finland A-Junior SM-Liiga) last season.
————————
OK, let the rumours begin.
The Kootenay Ice has issued a press release revealing that season-ticket sales “are the lowest since the Cranbrook Recreation Complex opened in October 2000.”
How low are they?
The Ice says it has sold 1,726 season tickets, down 307 from last season’s final total. Prior to this, the lowest totals were 1,946 (2003-04).
The highest total was 2,429, in 2002-03.
“Obviously,” Jeff Chynoweth, the club’s president and general manager, said in the release, “we are very concerned with the decrease in season-ticket sales for the upcoming year. Season-ticket holders are the lifeline of every organization and to see this big of a decrease is alarming.
“When we signed the new 15-year lease agreement (in January 2009), we reduced our season-ticket prices to the lowest levels since the club relocated to Cranbrook in 1998. For the upcoming season the new HST is included in all ticket sales. Early bird season tickets were subject to the HST, but our organization absorbed the cost instead of raising the price. All other tickets (regular-season, flex paks, walk-ups) are now increased to account for the HST.
“Despite our consistent record on the ice during the past 10 years in the Rec Plex our average attendance continues to decline at a rapid rate, but the one constant until this season has always been a very strong season-ticket base. With the home-opener less than three weeks away, we need to have a real push with our season-ticket numbers to reach the levels we expect.”
Last season, according to mib.org, the Ice averagedd 2,807 fans per game, a decrease of 263 a game. That was down 8.6 per cent from 2008-09.
It seems that every season there is chatter that the Kootenay franchise is on thin ice in Cranbrook. This comes despite the fact that the Ice has won at least 35 games in six straight seasons and at least 42 in five of those six seasons.
Hello, Victoria . . .
———
The owners of the Tri-City Americans have extended Bob Tory’s contract through May 2015. Tory is the club’s governor and general manager. He also is part of the ownership group, along with former players Stu Barnes and Olaf Kolzig, and alternate governor Dennis Loman. . . . Tory is into his 10th season with the Americans and has twice been the WHL’s executive of the year.
———
The Swift Current Broncos have re-assigned D Tanner Clark and D Nathan Zimbaluk, both of whom are 17. Clark returns to the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, while Zimbaluk will play for either the midget AAA Tisdale Trojans, with whom he played last season, or the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins.
———
Kevin Prendergast, a former assistant GM and vice-president of hockey operations with the NHL‘s Edmonton Oilers, is the new head scout with Hockey Canada. He spent seven seasons with NHL Central Scouting and was with the Oilers for 20 seasons before they dropped him over the summer. He will be the main bird dog for Canada’s national junior team, as well as the under-18 and under-17 programs. . . . He takes over from Al Murray, who left to join the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning as director of amateur scouting. Murray was with Hockey Canada for three years.
———
The Red Deer Rebels have dropped D Nick Bell, 20, from their roster. He had 13 points in 32 games last season. . . . The Rebels now have six 20-year-olds on their roster — D Colin Archer, G Kraymer Barnstable, F Brett Ferguson and D Brad Haber are with the Rebels, while F Willie Coetzee (Detroit Red Wings) and G Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota Wild) are in NHL camps. . . . All WHL teams have to be down to a maximum of three 20-year-olds by Oct. 14. . . . Interestingly, Bell got to play his final game with the Rebels in his hometown of Innisfail, Alta. He had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 exhibition victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday.
———
The Central league’s Texas Brahmas have signed D Steven Later (Saskatoon, Prince George, Brandon, 2002-05). He had 25 points in 33 games with the Central league’s Corpus Christi IceRays last season. In 237 pro games, he has 950 penalty minutes.
———
G Liam (Sonny) Liston, who has been bothered by a hamstring problem, was back on the ice with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Monday. He didn’t take part in a full practice but at least he’s skating again. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Wheat Kings D Darren Bestland didn’t skate. He’s got a sore neck after a hit in a Saturday game but doesn’t have a concussion. . . . Meanwhile, F Paul Ciarelli is out with a shoulder injury suffered in a Friday game.
———
F Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings remains in Los Angeles but has yet to receive medical clearance to return to the ice. He suffered some kind of knee injury with the Wheat Kings last week and flew to Los Angeles late in the week. An MRI didn’t show any structural damage. “This is just kinda shooting on the goalies, not doing a whole lot, just kinda take it easy,” Schenn told kings.nhl.com. “Just wanted to see how it feels and I still gotta get cleared by the doctor before I do anything too crazy.” . . . It’s possible that Schenn will skip all of the Kings’ rookie camp and not skate until main camp opens Saturday.
———
Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Warriors D Dallas Ehrhardt suffered an injury to his right knee injury Sunday while with the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects team in Penticton, B.C. “I talked with Edmonton (Monday),” Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak told Gourlie. “It’s a strained knee and they’re not sure of the extent of the injury yet.” Ehrhardt, 18, is expected to fly to Edmonton with the Oilers prospects on Wednesday, after which he’ll have an MRI. Erhardt missed a chunk of last season with a torn MCL in his right knee. That injury occurred while he was with the Brandon Wheat Kings, before he was dealt to the Warriors.
———
The Vancouver Giants have released F Clarke Breitkreuz, 17, and shipped out D Blake Orban, 16, and F Scott Cooke, 16. Breitkreuz was a free agent, while the other two were 2009 bantam draft picks. . . . The end result is that the Giants are down to 29 players, including F Anthony Ast, a first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. It also includes three injured veterans — F Nathan Burns (knee), D Zach Hodder (shoulder) and F Connor Redmond (shoulder) — and F Craig Cunningham, 20, who still may end up in the Boston Bruins’ organization. . . . The Giants conclude their exhibition schedule in Ladner, B.C., against the Everett Silvertips on Saturday. . . . Steve Ewen of the Province, who has a good look at the roster at The Dub Hub, notes that D Brent Henke, 20, who was released by the Giants last week, now is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . Ewen also reports that F R.J. Reed suffered a rib injury on the weekend and may be out for a week.
———
D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets will remain in Kelowna at least for now, meaning his hamstring injury will keep him from attending training camp with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Barrie was a third-round pick by the Avs in the NHL’s 2009 draft. . . . Barrie suffered a partially torn hamstring in a scrimmage and, according to head coach Ryan Huska, will remain in Kelowna to rehab the injury. . . . Huska, who was on Dan Russell’s SportsTalk show on Vancouver radio station CKNW on Monday night, also said that C Shane McColgan will be having his tonsils removed. McColgan, who has had tonsil problems since last season, returned home to Manhattan Beach, Calif., last week. . . . Barrie, the WHL’s top defenceman last season, and McColgan were the Rockets’ top two scorers last season.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Thursday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) signed a three-month contract with Klagenfurt (Austria Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He had 26 goals and 39 assists in 48 games for the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and two goals and six assists in 28 games withthe  Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and Abbotsford Heat (both AHL) last season.
———
F Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings is in Los Angeles, awaiting an MRI on a knee that he injured Tuesday. He was injured during Brandon’s camp, and was flown to L.A., so the Kings’ medical staff could check him out. Schenn was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft.
However, Rich Hammond, at L.A. Kings Insider, reported Thursday:
“Brayden Schenn did not have an MRI on his knee (Thursday), and is now scheduled to be evaluated by the medical staff (Friday), so we won’t have an update for another 24 hours or so.”
The early reports out of Brandon indicated that Schenn had only “tweaked” a knee and that it wasn’t believed to be serious.
———
Are you ready for Sept. 13?
———

The Edmonton Oil Kings have made moves with three veteran players. . . . They placed F Josh Koper, 20, on waivers, while reassigning F Jordan Kochan, 19, and D Lane Werbowski, 19, to junior A. . . . Koper was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers last season but finished up with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Putting him on waivers leaves Edmonton with three 20-year-olds — F Jordan Hickmott, F Mike Piluso and D Adrian Van De Mosselaer. . . . Werbowski was acquired from the Tri-City Americans during last season and had six points in 38 games with Edmonton. . . . Kochan had 10 points in 50 games with the Prince Albert Raiders last season. . . . The Oil Kings will play two exhibition games in Prince George on the weekend and, with four players off to NHL camps, will use three 15-year-olds — F Curtis Lazar, D Mason Geertsen and G Tristan Jarry.
———
The Calgary Hitmen have signed F Greg Chase, the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. Chase, from Sherwood Park, Alta., had 77 points in 33 games with the bantam AAA Sherwood Park Flyers last season. He played for the Hitmen in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Red Deer Rebels in Airdrie, Alta.
———
The Chilliwack Bruins have signed F Clay Spencer and F Luke Harrison, a pair of 2010 bantam draft picks, to WHL contracts. Spencer, the 29th overall selection, had 66 points in 33 games with a bantam AAA team in Lethbridge last season. Harrison, the 51st overall pick, is from Westbank, near Kelowna, and played bantam in Westside last season. . . . The Bruins earlier signed D Keegan Kanzig, their first-round pick, so have signed their first three selections from the 2010 draft.
———
The Kelowna Rockets have placed F Kyle St. Denis on injured reserve and he will remain there until at least Christmas. St. Denis, 19, continues to battle post-concussion syndrome. He and his parents have met with two specialists, both of whom recommended he avoid contact. . . . "It's really hard," St. Denis said in a news release. "I've been training all summer to come back with the intention of playing. This is one of the toughest decisions I've had to make. But hearing the doctors say I can't play made it an easier decision." . . . St. Denis is at home in Trail, B.C., and is re-evaluating his future, including educational options. . . . St. Denis had 40 points in his 17-year-old season, but each of his last two seasons was ended by injury. . . . According to a news release from the Rockets: “Because he can't play due to injury, St. Denis will receive a full four year scholarship from the Rockets through the WHL education program.”
———
Are you ready?
———

F Ryan Johansen of the Portland Winterhawks has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. They took him in the first round, fourth overall, of the 2010 NHL draft. Johansen, 18, had 69 points, including 25 goals, in 71 games with Portland last season. He added 18 points in 13 playoff games. . . . Johansen will be on the Columbus roster at the prospects tournament that is set for Traverse City, Mich., this weekend.
———
The Regina Pats have released F Devin Balness, 18, who had eight points in 42 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings last season. . . . The Pats are down to 31 players, including four goaltenders and 18 forwards.
———
The ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies have acquired D David Schulz, 24, from the Greenville Road Warriors. The 6-foot-4 Schulz (Swift Current, Spokane, Saskatoon, 2001-06) split the last two seasons between the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs and AHL tams in Lake Erie and Rochester. He was an eighth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL’s 2004 draft. Utah got Schulz and futures for G Dov Grumet-Morris.
———
Headline on WHL press release issued Tuesday: 144 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
Headline on WHL press release issued Wednesday: 145 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
Headline on WHL press release issued Thursday: 146 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
———
There is nothing tougher than trying to keep track of who is going to NHL camps and who is coming back.
For starters, F Darian Dziurzynski of the Saskatoon Blades, who is one of the 146, actually is recovering from surgery to repair some damage to his nose so won’t be going to camp on a free-agent tryout deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Which might lead to this headline on a WHL press release that might be issued today: 145 WHL PLAYERS INVITED TO NHL TRAINING CAMPS
———
Are you?
———

The Saskatoon Blades are continuing their attempts to get an international release for Slovakian F Andrej Stastny, who is with a U-20 team in Puchov. . . . Meanwhile, Czech F Matej Stransky, the Blades’ other first-year import, should return from concussion this weekend. . . . F Darian Dziurzynski hopes to play the Blades’ last two exhibition games after recovering from minor surgery on his nose.
———
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that Kevin Prendergast, the former Edmonton Oilers assistant GM, interviewed Wednesday for the head scouting position with Hockey Canada. That spot came available when Al Murray left to take over as the Tampa Bay Lightning’s chief amateur scout. Matheson’s story is right here.

Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Greg Watson (Prince Albert, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with Gardena (Italy Serie A2). He had 16 goals and 15 assists in 34 games with AaB Aalborg (Denmark AL-Bank Liga) last season. . . .
D Tomas Kudelka (Lethbridge, 2005-07) signed a try-out contract with Pardubice (Czech Republic Extraliga). He had three goals and 17 assists in 55 games with Binghamton Senators (AHL) last season. . . .
F Clarke Wilm (Saskatoon, 1991-96) signed a one-year contract with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany DEL). He had 16 goals and 32 assists in 54 games with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany DEL) last season.
———
Alan Caldwell, over there at Small Thoughts At Large, has completed a mileage chart that includes all 60 Canadian Hockey League teams. It’s interesting . . . very interesting. If you haven’t already, you should scoot on over and check it out. The link to his blog is over there on the left.
———
Hockey Canada is in the market for a new head scout following the resignation of Al Murray, who has stepped in as the director of amateur scouting with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. Murray spent three years with Hockey Canada. With him serving as head scout, Canada won two world junior titles and one under-18 IIHF gold medal (2008). Canada’s U-18 team also won three straight Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournaments with Murray as head scout. . . . Murray had been the Los Angeles Kings’ director of amateur scouting for 12 years before being let go and then joining Hockey Canada.
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Al Tuer, a former WHL player, general manager and head coach, is the new western pro scout with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Tuer, who was dropped from his position as an amateur scout by the Calgary Flames following the NHL draft in June, signed with the Panthers earlier this month.
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So . . . will the Kelowna Rockets have a new play-by-play voice by the time the 2010-11 regular season gets here?
Only time will tell.
Regan Bartel has been doing WHL play-by-play since 1995, first with the Swift Current Broncos and of late with the Rockets.
A couple of summers ago, he was interviewed for the Nashville Predators’ play-by-play job but, obviously, didn’t get it.
Now he has been interviewed for the play-by-play position for the Edmonton Oilers who, along with radio station 630 CHED in Edmonton, are looking to replace the retiring (and legendary) Rod Phillips. That interview took place last week.
There is no word on when the those involved in the hiring process will make a decision, meaning Bartel is playing the waiting game these days.

Thursday . . .

Al Murray isn’t certain how close he came to being the general manager of the Regina Pats.
He knows, however, that he won’t be the next general manager of the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Murray is quite content as Hockey Canada’s head scout, meaning he is one of the main forces behind the national junior team program and the spring and summer under-18 teams.
Murray, a veteran NHL scout who for a long time was the Los Angeles King’s head scout, spent part of last week in Calgary, at the U-18 team’s selection camp. Now, he’s in St. John’s, Nfld., at the national junior team’s evaluation camp. Next, he will fly to Europe where he will re-join the U-18 team as it plays in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia. That tournament begins Monday.
Earlier this summer, Murray was in contract talks with Regina Pats president Brent Parker about stepping in as that team’s general manager. It is a position that was vacated by Parker, who moved upstairs.
“We talked about a contract,” Murray said. “But I don’t know how those things work as far as if I was the only one (Parker) was talking to, or if he was talking to a couple of us at the same time to see what it was going to cost.
“We definitely talked contract and we talked about their list . . . I was interested . . . definitely interested. . . . From my point of view. I think they were interested, too.
“Some times things just don’t work out.”
Murray was especially interested in the Regina job because he and his family live in the Saskatchewan capital.
“It was kind of a special situation, not having to relocate,” he stated, “and I think the Parkers have done a good job in the community. I think the community is growing, so if we could get the team going right it could be sellouts like Kelowna, or Kamloops in the old days.
“I think a lot of things are on the cusp of going if the team starts winning and I think I could have helped in that area, so it was something I was pretty interested in.”
Since then, Murray admitted, he has received a couple of phone calls, one of which came from the Moose Jaw Warriors. They are looking to replace Jeff Truitt, who resigned as director of hockey operations in order to get back into the coaching game. He signed on as an assistant coach with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage.
Murray, however, told the Moose Jaw folks, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“I didn’t pursue it,” he said. “It was a situation with the Regina one where if I was leaving Hockey Canada, where I am really happy, it was going to have to be for a special situation. Not that Moose Jaw couldn’t be, but Regina being home was the home run.”
The Pats, of course, signed Chad Lang as their general manager.
The Warriors, meanwhile, continue their search. In fact, I am told that search is nearing an end and that veteran OHL executive Alan Millar may be their man.
Millar was dismissed by Sarnia on March 30, 2009, after five years as the Sting’s general manager. At the time, he had one year left on a five-year deal. Millar also has served as GM of the Guelph Storm.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Darryl Einarson (Winnipeg, 1976-77) is the new head coach of the junior B Airdrie, Alta., Thunder. Einarson, 52, replaces Mike Carlsen, who has moved to the Swiss International School and Education Centre in Cochrane, Alta., where, among other things, he will run a midget program. . . . Einarson has worked as GM of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys, and also spent five years as GM and head coach of the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers.
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Dwayne Gylywoychuk, an eight-year assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings, is resting in Brandon Regional Health Centre after being injured Tuesday at the Keystone Centre. He suffered a broken back while moving some boxes but is expected to make a complete recovery.
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The OHL’s Soo Greyhounds have hired Seamus Kotyk as their goaltending coach. He replaces Terry Barbeau, who had been on the coaching staff for eight years. . . . Barbeau had been the longest-serving member of the coaching staff. “The change comes as a mutual decision between the ’Hounds and Terry after business opportunities arose that would limit his time available for the team's goalies,” read a news release from the team. . . . Kotyk, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., played four seasons in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s before going on to a pro career that included stints in the AHL and Europe.

Smith to use rejection as motivation

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Rejection stings. Just ask Colin Smith.
Smith, who is preparing for his sophomore season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, was cut by Canada’s under-18 team on Tuesday, told that he wasn’t good enough to play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament that opens Monday in Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Canada has won the event five of the last six years.
“Any time you get told you’re not good enough, it’s going to fire you up,” said Smith, an Edmonton native, adding that he will use the rejection slip as motivation for the approaching WHL season.
“I thought I did well,” he continued. “I worked hard and did all I could. I guess I just wasn’t what they were looking for.”
Smith was one of 38 players who took part in a five-day came at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary. But he wasn’t one of the 22 players selected to the team that now is in Europe.
In fact, only four WHL players — defencemen Myles Bell (Regina Pats), Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips) and Duncan Siemens (Saskatoon Blades) and forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels) — made the grade.
“There were a lot of guys who had good camps (and didn’t make it),” said Smith, who said he feels he matched up well in the practices and scrimmages, all of which he said were conducted at a “high tempo.”
“It makes it a little bit tougher,” he said, “when you put yourself through that and you come up short.”
Al Murray, Hockey Canada’s head scout, said he liked what he saw of Smith.
“He was good. He played well,” Murray said from St. John’s, Nfld., where he is at the national junior team evaluation camp. “He just couldn’t generate enough offensive chances to take one of the offensive spots and the coaches didn’t see him as being an energy guy or a defensive guy.
“When you’re that type of player and you don’t have the versatility to take on other roles, then you’re limiting the amount of chances you can get and you have to hope you outscore and outchance the other guys. He created some things but he didn’t score to the point where they would say, ‘Yeah, he’s going to be one of our top guys’, ahead of someone like Nugent-Hopkins.”
Murray said the under-18 camp may be the most competitive one held by Hockey Canada.
“That camp always has more good players cut than any because it’s the only thing we do, apart from the Olympic Games, where we get to bring all of our best players together,” Murray explained. “You’re not missing guys in the NHL, there are very few injuries . . . you’ve got the 40 best kids in their age group in Canada and that’s always a good group of players.”
Now, then, Smith will begin looking to Aug. 26, which is when the Blazers open camp.
“Maybe the time off isn’t such a bad thing,” Smith said, trying to put a positive spin on things, “with getting ready for camp and that.”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

Smith, sons mourn loss of wife, mother

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Carolyn Smith, the wife of former Kamloops Blazers head coach Barry Smith, died unexpectedly Monday morning in Whitefish, Mont., of an apparent blood clot in her lungs. She was 47.
She had returned home after attending a reunion on her side of the family when she collapsed. She was taken to hospital in Whitefish, where she died.
Barry Smith was in Penticton at the time, and immediately returned to Whitefish.
She is survived by Barry, her husband of 20 years, and sons Maxl, 16, Gage, 14, and Hutton, 10.
A funeral service is scheduled for Friday, 11 a.m., at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Whitefish.
“It will be a big funeral,” one family friend told The Daily News. “Carolyn was very active in the community and very well liked and admired.”
Barry Smith, a former assistant coach with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, signed on as the Blazers’ head coach prior to the 2008-09 season. He was fired early in his second season, immediately after a 1-5 East Division swing, and later replaced by Guy Charron.
The Blazers were 41-40-4-4 under Smith with an 0-4 playoff record.
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F Colin Smith of the Blazers wasn’t successful in a bid to earn a spot on the Canadian U-18 team that will play at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.
The eight-country tournament opens Monday and runs through Aug. 14.
Smith was one of 38 players in the camp, that began Friday and wrapped up Tuesday, at Father David Bauer Arena in Calgary. The final roster comprises 22 players, with only four of those from the WHL. Those four are defencemen Myles Bell (Regina Pats), Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips) and Duncan Siemens (Swift Current Broncos) and forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer Rebels).
George Burnett of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls is Canada’s head coach. The assistants are Jim Hiller of the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and Ron Choules of the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
The Blazers last had a player on the U-18 team two years ago when F Jimmy Bubnick made it.