Happy 90th birthday to Howie Meeker!

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Igor Valeev (Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Swift Current, 1998-2000) has been reassigned by Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL) to Chelmet Chelyabinsk. Valeev will be captain of Chelmet (Vysshaya Liga). This season, he was pointless in six games with Traktor, after putting up six points, two of them goals, in 13 games with Chelmet.
———
For your viewing pleasure . . . Eric Veilleux, the head coach of the QMJHL's Baie-Comeau Drakkar, was suspended for two games and fined $1,000 for this tantrum right here.
———
The OHL's Erie Otters had their 11-game winning streak come to an end Sunday afternoon when they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Knights in London. Former WHL player and coach Kris Knoblauch is the head coach of the Otters, who establishd a franchise record with the streak. . . . Meanwhile, the Guelph Storm is on a 10-game winning streak after beating the visiting Sudbury Wolves, 3-1, on Sunday. Here’s Tony Saxon in the Guelph Mercury: “It was the first time in the past nine home games that the Storm has failed to score at least five goals and send the crowd home with free chicken wings as part of an in-house promotion.” . . . The Storm next plays Thursday in London.
———
Whatever happened to Howie Meeker? Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail caught up to him at his home in Parksville, B.C. No, Meeker hasn't gotten less opinionated. Check out that piece right here . . . and Happy Birthday to Howie, who turns 90 today.
———
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated writes a weekly media column that is terrific. If you haven't already, check it out; you may become a weekly reader. This week's entry is right here.
———
If you enjoy looking at quality hockey photos, click right here and check out some of the work of Chris Mast from Friday's game between the Brandon Wheat Kings and host Everett Silvertips.
———
SUNDAY:
In Regina, the Pats scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 3-1. . . . F Boston Leier scored the game's first two goals, giving him 12 on the season. . . . The Pats broke open a scoreless game with three goals in 4:15 in the last five minutes of the period. They scored one at even strength, one on the PP and one shorthanded. . . . After the game, the Pats released veteran G Mac Engel, 20, and acquired D Jesse Zgraggen, 20, from the Calgary Hitmen for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Zgraggen became available because D Alex Roach, 20, returned to the Hitmen from the Los Angeles Kings organization. . . . Zgraggen was acquired by Calgary from the Victoria Royals last season. This season, he had eight points, one of them a goal, in 16 games with the Hitmen. . . . Engel wasn't eligible to play yesterday because he and Pats F Dyson Stevenson are awaiting suspension news from the WHL office for their roles in some antics late in Friday's 8-1 loss to the host Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Regina did have F Connor Gay back in the lineup after he missed four games with a brain injury. . . . With Engel suspended, Regina had Braven MacPherson of the junior B Regina Capitals on the bench in support of G Dawson MacAuley. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Jayce Hawryluk enjoyed his second consecutive three-goal game as the Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Hurricanes, 6-2. . . . Hawryluk, who has nine goals, also had an assist. He has eight points, including six goals, in two games since being a healthy scratch. In 17 games, he has 19 points. . . . The Wheat Kings finished their road swing at 2-4. They are 9-9-0 overall. . . . The Hurricanes have played 18 games, meaning they are at the one-quarter pole, and have only two victories. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong, who had five goals in 54 games as a freshman last season, scored once. He now has 15 points, including eight goals, in 18 games. . . .With G Curtis Honey out with an undisclosed injury, Brandon again had Jason Hadaller on the bench backing up Jordan Papirny. Hadaller, 16, is from Seattle and is the first player out of Everett Youth Hockey to dress for a WHL game. . . . Lethbridge G Corbin Boes, who was acquired over the summer from Brandon, went the distance with 27 saves. . . .

In Calgary, the Edmonton Oil Kings opened a five-game road trip with a 4-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals, including one from F Curtis Lazar, who has 11 snipes this season. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett had two assists in his first game after not playing since Oct. 11 because of an undisclosed injury. . . . D Alex Roach, 20, played his first game with the Hitmen after being returned by the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. . . . Calgary D Jaynen Rissling scored his fifth goal of the season in his 17th game. That equals his output in each of his previous three seasons, in 61, 55 and 67 games. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Tri-City Americans scored the game's last two goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . F Brian Williams broke a 2-2 tie with his 13th goal at 10:21 of the third period and F Marcus Messier later added an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City's Comrie Connection struck again, too. G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots, while younger brother Ty scored his second goal in as many games. . . . F Parker Bowles had three assists for the Americans, giving him five points in three games since he came off the injured list. . . . The attendance was announced at 1,987. Ice owner/GM Jeff Chynoweth confirmed that it's the smallest crowd in Kootenay franchise history. . . . The Americans went 2-0-1 as they played three games in as many nights in the Central Division.

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Clinton Atkinson (Moose Jaw, Tri-City, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedve (Hungary, MOL Liga). He had nine goals and 50 assists in 60 games with Coquitlam Express (BCHL) last season. The new head coach in Miskolc is Tim Kehler, who was GM and head coach of Salmon Arm (BCHL) the past two seasons and was an assistant coach in Swift Current for three seasons prior to moving to Salmon Arm.
———
Something is rotten in Innsbruck.
So writes John Leake in what is, in fact, an additional chapter to the already published book Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery.
If you are a regular here, you will recall that a short time ago I highly recommended Leake’s book, which deals with the disappearance of former Saskatoon Blades D Duncan MacPherson and the subsequent trials and tribulations with which his parents, Lynda and Bob, had to deal as they sought the truth about what had happened to their son.
With this piece — Something is rotten in Innsbruck — Leake revisits three other cases, each of which involved a body and each of which also involved Dr. Walter Rabl, the president of the Austrian Society of Forensic Medicine.
Lynda and Bob MacPherson dealt quite a lot with Dr. Rabl who, as Leake found out once he began looking into the situation, wasn’t nearly everything he had pretended to be.
Read this right here and you will agree that, yes, something is rotten in Innsbruck. Really, really rotten. And if you haven’t yet read the book, do so. You won’t be disappointed.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Rob Miller is the new head coach of the Augusta RiverHawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League. He takes over from Brad Ralph, who now is head coach of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. . . . Miller, 33, spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Federeal league’s Brooklyn Aviators. . . .
Marc Crawford is leaving the TSN studio to go back behind the bench. He has signed on as head coach of the ZSC Lions, who play out of Zurich in the Swiss National League A. He most recently coached in the NHL with the Dallas Stars, who dropped him after the 2010-11 season. . . . Crawford replaces Bob Hartley, who left the Lions to take over as head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames.
———
Now here is a giant can of worms. . . .
Jacob  Trouba was the ninth overall selection in last month’s NHL draft. He was taken by the Winnipeg Jets.
Trouba was a third-round selection by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL’s 2010 draft.
Trouba, meanwhile, has said he will attend the U of Michigan and play for the Wolverines.
Recently, however, there have been reports that Trouba is wavering and that he may join the Rangers.
On Monday, Matt Slovin of The Michigan Daily reported that a source has told him that “Kitchener has presented the Trouba family with a ‘huge offer’ that remains on the table. The source added that he ‘believes it will happen.’ ”
According to Slovin, “In place of an education package, the source said Trouba could be compensated to about $200,000.”
Slovin’s piece is right here.
———
F Marek Tvrdon of the Vancouver Giants has signed with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He was a fourth-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. A natural scorer, Tvrdon, 19, had 74 points, including 31 goals, with the Giants last season. In 2010-11, he had 11 points in 12 games when a shoulder injury brought his season to an end. Tvrdon is from Nitra, Slovakia.
———
Brent Sutter has been an NHL head coach for the last five seasons. Right now, however, he is unemployed. Should that continue into the 2012-13 season, Sutter says he will help out with the management side of the Red Deer Rebels, the WHL franchise that he and his family own.
“We’ve always had good people in place here and I’m going to help Jesse (Wallin, the Rebels’ GM and head coach) out with the management part,” Sutter told Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate.
Sutter also told Meachem that the time has come for the Rebels “to get back on board as far as making the playoffs” and “back to being a elite team in the league.”
Meachem’s story is right here.
———
He’s 47 years old and estimates that he was knocked unconscious about 100 times during his football career.
John Glennon of The Tennessean has more right here.
———
Howie Meeker was in Vernon, B.C., the other day and had some interesting things to say to Kevin Mitchell of the Vernon Morning Star.
On the L.A. Kings winning the Stanley Cup: “I was kind of delighted they won. I was disappointed that the Canadian clubs weren’t in there until the end. I think what they’ve done is really changed the whole history of the game. Defence now comes way, way ahead of offence.”
On skill versus size: “Here in Canada and the rest of the world, we’re not developing enough skilled hockey players to sell the game on speed, skill and finesse. So, if I draft anywhere after 10, I don’t get anything but big, tough, hard-working, honest guys. They’ve taken over.”
On shot-blocking coming to dominate the game: “An ant couldn’t crawl through (the scrums in front). Guys are making millions of dollars a year by being a target in a shootin’ gallery. God bless ’em. They’re crazy but it’s spoiled the game.”
On Don Cherry: “Nobody can give him advice so as long as he wants to stay there, let him stay there. I don’t watch him. I admire him for what he does. He’s got a circus act going, him and his buddy (Ron MacLean) and he’s got a great following but I wanna know what’s going on out on the ice, I don’t wanna know about his buddies and all this other baloney. I don’t think he’s done anything for the game of hockey, but he’s done well for himself.”
Mitchell’s complete story is right here.


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