If WHL playoffs started today . . . Ch-ch-ching! . . . Rids can't believe it!

D Colton Jobke (Kelowna, Regina, 2009-13) has reassigned by the Minnesota Wild (NHL) from the Alaska Aces (ECHL) to the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). This season, with Alaska, he had four assists in 20 games. . . .
F Tyler Spurgeon (Kelowna, 2001-06) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Thurgau (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with the Ontario Reign (ECHL), he had two goals and eight assists in 12 games. He was pointless in one game with the Adirondack Flames (AHL). . . .
G Alexander Pechursky (Tri-City, 2009-11) has been traded by Metallurg Magnitogorsk to Amur Khabarovsk (both Russia, KHL) for G Alexei Murygin. This season, in nine games with Magnitogorsk, Pechursky was 2-6-0, 2.40, .910.
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THE PLAYOFF PICTURE:

In case you have forgotten, the WHL has redone its playoff format.
This season, it is using a formula that involves conference standings, division standings and wild cards.
Yes, it’s wild.
With the league on its Christmas break -- the next games are scheduled for Dec. 27 -- let’s take a look at what would happen were the playoffs to start today.
Under the new format, eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs. It all starts with the top three teams from each division advancing. After that, the remaining two spots on each side go to wild-card entries -- the two teams in each conference with the most points.
As of this moment, here are the qualifiers, with their point totals:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
East Division
Brandon         52
Regina         42
Swift Current     38
Central Division
Medicine Hat    50
Calgary        41
Red Deer        40
Wild cards
Edmonton        37
Kootenay        36
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
B.C. Division
Kelowna        59
Victoria        37
Prince George    34
U.S. Division
Everett        44
Portland        41
Spokane        39
Wild cards
Tri-City        35
Vancouver        32
(Note: Vancouver and Seattle are tied, with 32 points, for what right now is the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. Were this the end of the regular season, they would meet in a play-in game in Vancouver. For the sake of this exercise, I have given the spot to Vancouver on the basis of more victories -- 16-14.)
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In the first round of the playoffs, the division winners go up against the wild-card entries, with the team with the most points meeting the team with the fewest points. All playoff series are best-of-seven affairs.
In the Eastern Conference, that would be:
Brandon vs. Kootenay
Medicine Hat vs. Edmonton
In the Western Conference, that would be:
Kelowna vs. Vancouver
Everett vs. Tri-City
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Meanwhile, the second- and third-place teams in each division would meet:
Regina vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Red Deer
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Spokane
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For the second round, the teams stay within their brackets with the winners meeting. Home-ice advantage in each series goes to the team with the most regular-season points. . . . And on it goes.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have done their bit for Christmas. Give it a look right here.
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There were issues with a gate early in a Wednesday night game between the Kamloops Blazers and the host Medicine Hat Tigers. Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News covered that story like a blanket and it’s all right here. Yes, it’s worth reading. (Kamloops head coach Don Hay suggested that the game, which was delayed almost an hour, should have been forfeited to the Blazers. Whoa! He was joking.)
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If you are interested in the KHL and the latest developments, make sure you are following Slava Malamud on Twitter. You are able to do that right here. . . . On Thursday, he live-tweeted the KHL owners’ meeting. ---
Neil Doef, a promising young hockey player with the Smiths Falls, Ont., Bears, suffered a serious injury during a Junior A Challenge game in Kindersley, Sask., on Sunday. . . . Don Butler of the Ottawa Citizen has more right here, including various avenues open should you wish to make a donation in support of Doef and his family.
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Peter Anholt says his Lethbridge Hurricanes aren’t quite the 1977 Montreal Canadiens. Yes, the Hurricanes’ new general manager and head coach brought his sense of humour to Lethbridge with him. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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Sy Berger, who was the father of the modern baseball card, died Sunday at the age of 91. If you are of a certain age, you will remember when Topps was the only name in the area of collectible baseball cards. Tyler Kepner of The New York Times remembers right here.
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And now for something completely different. . . . If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with Sony, North Korea, hackers, the movie The Interview . . . well, Mike Fleming Jr. of deadline.com has spoken with George Clooney. That story is right here and it’s a good read.
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The WHL has suspended two players for a game each and fined two teams a total of $2,000 following a line brawl on Wednesday night. The Moose Jaw Warriors and host Prince Albert went at it in the final minute of the Raiders’ 5-1 victory. . . . Moose Jaw F Jaimen Yakubowski and Prince Albert D Mackenze Stewart won’t play on Dec. 27 as each sits out a one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of a game. The Warriors are at home to the Brandon Wheat Kings, while the Raiders are scheduled to entertain the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Meanwhile, the Warriors and Raiders each was fined $500 for having a player instigate a fight in the last five minutes and another $500 for being involved in their first multi-fight situation of the season. . . . Ch-ch-ching! The cheques should arrived in the WHL office just in time for some last-minute Christmas shopping.
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THE BLOG FUND:

The way things are going, the shopping trip for a new computer will happen before too long. If you are a regular in these parts and feel like chipping in, don’t be bashful. Just click on the donate button and away you go. . . . As of late Thursday, the blog master’s computer fund was at $1,015, thanks to the generosity of 19 readers just like you.
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Can't believe the audacity of fans requesting money. Back as a result of the delay at the tiger game last nite.
— Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT) December 18, 2014

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.

Raiders suspend veteran forward . . . Warriors, Broncos: Rivalry heating up

The Prince Albert Raiders have suspended F Dakota Conroy, 20, after he left the team and returned to his home in Edmonton. . . . He has a goal and an assist in 10 games, but that goal came on Sept. 20. . . . In 214 regular-season games, Conroy has 137 points, including 63 goals. He also has played with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Victoria Royals. The Wheat Kings selected him in the third round of the 2009 bantam draft. . . . Without Conroy, the Raiders are left with F Jayden Hart and D Sawyer Lange as their 1994-born players.
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There isn’t anything in sports like a good rivalry, and it would seem that Moose Jaw F Jaimen Yakubowski is doing his bit to fire up the rivalry between the Warriors and the Swift Current Broncos.
Yakubowski broke a 3-3 tie with 4.1 seconds left in the third period on Saturday night.
“He then staked his claim as public enemy No. 1 in Swift Current by skating to centre ice,” reported Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, “stopping on the Broncos' logo and hushing the 2,205 fans at the Credit Union i-plex before his teammates mobbed him.”
Swift Current F Carter Rigby, who was acquired last week from the Kelowna Rockets, played against Yakubowski when the latter was with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
"I played against him in the other conference, in the west, and he's one guy that I don't care for — at all," Rigby told Gourlie. "To see him score that (winning goal), get two tonight and then do that (celebration) doesn't sit well with me. There will be a time when we can get him back and I'm sure we will."
These two don’t play again until Jan. 16 in Swift Current.
Gourlie’s complete story is right here.
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A note from Jim Matheson’s Hockey World in the Edmonton Journal:
“The Detroit Red Wings were gob-smacked by the play of their tryout defenceman Joe Hicketts, who wasn’t drafted this past June, in part because he missed a chunk of playing time with the Victoria Royals courtesy a bad shoulder and also because he stands just five-foot-eight and 185 pounds. They quickly signed him, loving it that he’d mix it up with way bigger guys in the corners, after he was just a good in their main camp as he was in the prospects tournament at Traverse City. They think he might be another Brian Rafalski.”
The complete Hockey World is right here.
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Veteran coach Dave King is back in the KHL, having returned to Yaroslavl Lokomotiv to replace Sean Simpson, who was fired eight games into the season. King had been working with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes when the call came from the KHL team as September turned into October. The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson has more right here.
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SUNDAY'S REPORT:

D Travis Sanheim had two goals and an assist as the host Calgary Hitmen dumped the Regina Pats 5-1 in the day’s lone game. . . . Sanheim has six goals in 10 games this season. Last season, he finished with five goals in 67 games. . . . Sanheim also was hit in the face by an errant puck during the game, so will be spending some time with a dentist to get a tooth repaired. . . . The Hitmen broke open a scoreless game with three second-period goals. . . . Calgary’s first two goals came via the PP, which had been on an 0-14 skid. . . . Calgary F Pavel Karnaukhov, a 17-year-old freshman from Minsk, Belarus, scored his sixth goal. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored his second goal in as many games for the Pats. . . . The Hitmen next play Friday when they visit the Kootenay Ice. Calgary hopes to have F Jake Virtanen, who had off-season shoulder surgery, in the lineup for the first time this season.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have scored 18 goals in their last two games; the Lethbridge Hurricanes have scored 19 goals in 10 games this season. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers are 9-1-1 and atop the Central Divison, thanks, at least in part, to their penalty killing. They have surrendered three goals on 40 opportunities and, at 92.5 per cent, are the only team in the league with a success rate above 90. As well, they have scored three shorthanded goals. . . . The Everett Silvertips, the only team in the league without a regulation-time loss, have only been shorthanded 26 times in nine games, but they’ve given up six PP goals. Their penalty killers are ranked 16th, at 76.9. . . . I was going to add a few more stats-related items here, but the WHL website crapped out on me. Imagine that!

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The @WHLGiants are getting creative with their board ads. Either that or the @blazerhockey are very under dressed. pic.twitter.com/VIDZBCbbxV
— Pucks on net (@Pucksonnetca) October 19, 2014

Americans derail Rockets . . . Wheaties are feeding their fans

The Saskatoon Blades held Pink The Rink on Saturday
night. F Cory Millette wore the captain's C in memory
of his father, Adrien. The bottom of the sweater features
the names of friends and family members of the Blades
and season-ticket holders who have been impacted
by cancer.
Photo: Saskatoon Blades

 

Every city has those people who work incredibly hard behind the scenes to keep various sports teams and/or leagues moving forward. In Brandon, Don Sumner was one of those people. When I started in the newspaper business at the Brandon Sun in the early 1970s, I spent a lot of time covering the Manitoba Senior Baseball League; Sumner was the league statistician and the MSBL was very much his baby. He showed more than a little patience with a young writer who really was just learning the ropes. He also taught me the importance of statistics to fans and players, no matter the sport, a lesson that has never been forgotten. . . . Sumner also was heavily involved in Brandon’s curling scene. . . . He died in hospital in Brandon on Wednesday. He was 86. . . . Condolences to his family. Rest assured that he never will be forgotten. . . . Charles Tweed of the Brandon Sun has more right here.
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SATURDAY'S REPORT:

In Kennewick, Wash., F Lucas Nickles scored twice to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 5-2 victory over Kelowna, as the Rockets tasted defeat for the first time this season. . . . Nickles, who is from Salmon Arm, B.C., has six goals. . . . The Rockets now are 10-1-0. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots. . . . Americans F Beau McCue broke a 2-2 tie with his fifth goal 39 seconds into the third period. . . . Tri-City head coach Mike Williamson worked his 900th WHL game. He also has coached in Portland and Calgary. . . . The 8-4-0 Americans are atop the U.S. Division. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has a game story right here.

In Spokane, F Ivan Nikolishin scored at 2:59 of OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Chiefs F Keanu Yamamoto scored twice for Spokane, the second one at 16:52 of the third period forcing OT. . . . The Silvertips, at 6-0-3, are the only WHL team not to have lost in regulation time. . . . D Noah Juulsen had two assists for Everett. He has 11 points in nine games. Last season, he finished with 10 points in 59 outings. . . . F Dominic Zwerger had two assists for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs (4-2-3) have points in seven of nine games. . . . Everett has won its last two games in Spokane, the first of those on March 12, after losing 18 in a row. . . . These same teams will play Wednesday in Everett. . . . Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review has a game story right here.

In Kent, Wash., D Ryan Rehill scored with 13.3 seconds left in OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 5-4 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar had forced OT with a shorthanded goal at 16:10 of the third period. . . . Rehill has five goals in 130 career regular-season games. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully set up four goals. . . . The Thunderbirds have played 11 games this season, with five of those going to OT. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram stopped 28 shots in earning his first WHL victory. . . .

In Saskatoon, D Blake Orban and F Andrew Koep each scored twice as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Blades, 6-4. . . . The Oil Kings have won four in a row. . . . The Blades had a three-game winning streak snapped. . . . The 7-3-0 Oil Kings are off to their best start in modern franchise history. “I’m shocked by that, to be honest,” Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton said on the team's website. “We’ve had some pretty good team efforts. When we’ve been able to generate offence, it’s come from a variety of sources. With the exception of tonight, we’ve defended pretty hard, and that’s always going to be backbone for us." . . . The Oil Kings broke a 2-2 tie with four straight goals, three in the second period and one early in the third. . . . F Brett Pollock and D Ashton Sautner each had three assists for Edmonton. . . . Edmonton F Cole Benson scored his second shorthanded goal in four games. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two goals for Saskatoon. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea stopped 25 shots, including beating F Garrett Armour on a second-period penalty shot with the Oil Kings leading 3-2. . . . Saskatoon was without F Nick Zajac (shoulder) and D Isaac Schacher (wrist), both of whom were injured on Friday. . . . The Blades ran a Pink The Rink promotion that included F Cory Millette wearing the captain's C in memory of his late father, Adrien, who died of cancer on Jan. 30, 2011. . . . Cory’s mother, Kim, took part in the ceremonial pre-game faceoff. Later in the evening, Kim won the 50/50 draw, so went home with $7,765 in her purse. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.

In Calgary, F Chad Butcher's two goals led the Medine Hat Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Hitmen. . . . One night earlier, in Calgary, the Hitmen beat the Tigers, 2-1, in OT. . . . Last night, the Tigers, now 9-1-1, enjoyed a 34-18 edge in shots. . . . Butcher, 18, went into this season with eight goals in 101 career regular-season games. This season, he has 10 goals in 11 games. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-6 on the PP; the Hitmen PP unit never had an opportunity. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders snapped a five-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . D Josh Morrissey drew two assists for the Raiders, who outscored the visitors 4-1 in the third period. . . . F Reid Gardiner scored his seventh goal of the season for the Raiders. . . .


In Cranbrook, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 27 shots to help the Victoria Royals to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . F Brandon Magee drew two assists in his first game after serving a 12-game suspension. . . . Vollrath posted his first shutout of the season and the second of his career. . . . The Ice completed a six-game Central Division road swing with four victories. . . . Ice F Jon Martin didn't finish the game, leaving late in the first period after seemng to injure himself while delivering a hit. He was playing his second game after returning from a three-game absence with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Tim Bozon was among the Ice's scratches. He has an undisclosed injury. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . Meanwhile, in the NHL, F Sam Reinhart, who is eligible to be returned to the Ice, was scratched by the Buffalo Sabres last night after playing in their first five games. . . .


In Swift Current, the Moose Jaw Warriors blew a 3-0 lead and then beat the Broncos 4-3 when F Jaimen Yakubowski scored with four seconds left in the third period. . . . Yakubowski, who has three goals, had scored the game's first goal and also had an assist. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 at 10:27 of the first period. . . . F Coda Gordon pulled the Broncos even at 17:37 of the third. . . . Moose Jaw F Noah Gregor, who was injured on Friday night, didn't dress for this one. In fact, he has one arm in a sling. . . .


In Lethbridge, G Tyler Brown stopped 29 shots in his first WHL appearance to lead the Regina Pats to a 6-1 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Brown, from Winnipeg, joined the Pats a couple of weeks ago when Tyler Fuhr left the club for personal reasons. Brown normally backs up Daniel Wapple. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored his first goal of the season in his first game for Regina. He had returned from the camp of the NHL's Calgary Flames with a wrist injury. . . . F Connor Gay had a goal and two assists for Regina, which scored the game's last six goals. . . . Lethbridge D Nick Walters played in his 250th regular-season game, while it was No. 200 for F Zane Jones. . . .

In Brandon, F Jayce Hawryluk scored four times to spark the Wheat Kings to a 10-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Hawryluk has nine goals on the season. . . . The Wheat Kings have a promotion with Smitty's, a local restaurant, that gives each fan in attendance a free breakfast if they scored seven goals in a home victory. . . . Brandon fans will be eating well, because the Wheat Kings beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos 8-3 on Friday night. . . . D Reid Duke added a goal and three assists for Brandon. . . . F Chase De Leo had two goals for Portland. . . . G Bolton Pouliot saw his first action with the Winterhawks since joining the team on Friday. He stopped 16 of 20 shots after coming on in relief of Brendan Burke with Brandon leading 6-2 late in the second period. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. He points out that the Wheat Kings have scored 15 goals in their last 69 minutes of play. . . . Brandon (8-2-1) opens a western swing in Prince George on Wednesday. If you’re wondering, the Wheat Kings will be in Kelowna on Saturday. . . .

In Vancouver, F Jackson Houck and F Alec Baer each scored three times as the Giants whipped the Prince George Cougars, 9-1. . . . Houck and Baer each has five goals this season. . . . Houck also added two assists. . . . The Giants got a goal and three assists from F Carter Popoff and a goal and two helpes from F Joel Hamilton. . . . Vancouver F Tyler Benson had two assists.

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@chiefshockey @SpokaneArena While we can't dispute that fact, we did win the last one! #OneGameWinStreak #LookingForTwo #SeeYouTonight
— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) October 18, 2014

Warriors, Thunderbirds make deal . . . Struch signs with Pats

A sendoff to Robin Williams, from Mark Knight, an editorial cartoonist
with the Melbourne (Australia) Herald Sun. Knight posted it on his
Twitter account (@Knightcartoons).

If you haven’t already seen it, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press spent some time Tuesday with the family of Ethan Williams, a young hockey player who committed suicide on July 29.
MacIntyre’s story is right here.

The Williams family wanted their son’s story to be out there in the hopes that it might help prevent such tragedies in the future.
Ethan, who would have been 17 on Aug. 22, was a fifth-round selection by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. He played last season with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. He was to have attended the Warriors’ training camp later this month.
One thing the family told McIntyre is that Ethan had had eight diagnosed concussions during his career. Understandably, Ethan’s family wonders whether those injuries can be connected to his depression.
Sheryl Ubelacker of The Canadian Press writes: “Teenagers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion have a significantly higher risk of attempting suicide, being bullied and seeking help for mental-health issues from crisis help lines, a study has found.”
Ubelacker’s story, which was written in April, is right here.
As research into brain injuries progresses, there are more and more such studies and stories out there.
Unfortunately, the issues of concussion- and mental health-awareness aren’t going to go away.
The death of actor/comedian Robin Williams on Tuesday has shone a light of unprecedented brightness on mental illness. The reaction on social media has been nothing short of amazing, and is likely to provide one more push that will help remove the stigma that rides on the shoulder of someone with such an illness.
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Meanwhile, Shannon Sampert, the Free Press’ politics and perspectives editor, writes right here about suicide and the media’s responsibilities in reporting it.
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One day after losing D Cole Wedman as a 20-year-old, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired F Jaimen Yakubowski, 20, from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Warriors also got a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, while surrendering a 2016 third-round selection.
Yakubowski had 19 points, nine of them goals, in 47 games with the Thunderbirds last season. He was acquired on Oct. 24, along with F Sam McKechnie from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for F Carter Folk, F Riley Sheen and a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Yakubowski, a native of Dalmeny, Sask., was used in more of a checking role in Seattle, so the Warriors are hoping he can recapture his scoring touch from 2012-13 when he had 50 points, 32 of them goals, in 66 games with Lethbridge. In 145 games with the Hurricanes, he had 79 points, including 49 goals. (Dalmeny is a few slapshots north of Saskatoon.)
The Warriors now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, all of them forwards. The others are Scott Cooke, Tanner Eberle and Jack Rodewald.
The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, still have six 20-year-olds on their roster -- G Taran Kozun, D Adam Henry, D Evan Wardley, F Justin Hickman, F Connor Honey and McKechnie.
Seattle GM Russ Farwell isn’t likely to take six 20-year-olds to camp next week, so don’t be surprised if there is another move or two in the next few days.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors will add F Reed Low and D Scott Schoneck into the Conexus Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame as players this season, while the late Doug Hetherington will be inducted as a builder. . . . Low, from Moose Jaw, played two seasons (1995-97) with the Warriors, putting up 46 points and 449 penalty minutes in 123 games. He later played 256 NHL games, 250 of them with the St. Louis Blues, who selected him in the seventh round of the 1996 draft. He is retired and lives in St. Louis, where he works for Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers. Low also coaches minor hockey and conducts private lessons. . . . Schoneck, from Abbey, Sask., spent five seasons with the Warriors (1995-2000), putting up 209 points, including 53 goals, in 283 regular-season games. He is the Warriors’ all-time leading point-getter among defencemen. He later spent five years at the U of Saskatchewan, where he played for the Huskies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business economics. He now is a national account manager in Western Canada for PepsiCo Foods Canada. . . . Hetherington was on the Warriors’ board of directors (2004-11), serving as alternate governor. He also was an original member of the Multiplex Builders Group. He died on Jan. 16, 2011. . . . The Hall of Fame weekend is scheduled for Nov. 28 and 29, with the induction ceremony on Friday and the Hall of Fame game, versus the Saskatoon Blades, on Saturday.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed G Dorrin Luding, the 66th overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. Luding, from North Vancouver, played last season at North Shore Winter Club, going 34-3-1 with 18 shutouts. He finished with a 0.966 GAA and a .934 save percentage in 38 games. He helped NSWC win the Western Canadian bantam championship. . . . The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Luding is expected to play this season with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George.
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F Derek Hulak (Regina, Saskatoon, 2006-10) finished up last season with the Texas Stars, who won the Calder Cup as AHL champions. It was his turn with the trophy on Wednesday and he had it in his hometown of Saskatoon. Yes, he took it by Credit Union Centre, where he had played with the Blades, and Rutherford Rink, where he played with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. But he also took it to one other special place. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a wonderful story right here.
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With the summer collegiate baseball regular season having wrapped up, it’s worth noting that the Victoria HarbourCats, in just their second season of existence, have made their way into the top 50 of Baseball Business’ annual Summer Collegiate average attendance rankings. . . . The Madison Mallards (Northwoods League) are No. 1, at 6,139, followed by the LaCrosse Loggers (Northwoods), at 3,150, and the Elmira Pioneers (Perfect Game League), at 3,020. The Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League) moved up one spot to No. 4, at 2,827. . . . The HarbourCats are No. 28, at 1,576, having led the West Coast League in attendance. Jim Swanson, the former sports editor of the Prince George Citizen, is the HarbourCats’ general manager. . . . Victoria drew 42,563 fans to 27 home games. . . . The HarbourCats finished 25-29, a three-game improvement over last season, but didn’t make the playoffs. . . . The top 50 is right here.
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Ask someone about the best TV show ever and you will get any number of answers. Ask me and the answer will be The Wire.
Click right here and you will be taken to a piece by David Simon, who hadn’t yet
created The Wire when he had an encounter with Robin Williams.
Yes, there are all kinds of pieces out there right now describing meetings with Williams. But without this encounter in a Baltimore morgue, The Wire may never have happened.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Regina Pats announced Wednesday that they have signed Dave Struch as an assistant coach to work alongside John Paddock, the club’s new senior vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. . . . Struch spent the last eight seasons with the Saskatoon Blades, seven as an assistant coach and last season as head coach. The Blades went through an ownership change as the 2013-14 season began and Struch wasn’t re-signed after the season ended. . . . Contract details weren’t announced, but Taking Note has been told that Struch got a four-year deal.
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Mike Brodeur has signed on with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons as their video and goaltending coach. . . . Brodeur, 31, is from Calgary. He played 41 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2003-04, before going on to a pro career that ended after the 2012-13 season. . . . In Fort McMurray, he will work alongside GM/head coach Curtis Hunt, who was the Warriors’ head coach in 2003-04 so is quite familiar with Brodeur. . . . The Oil Barons open camp on Aug. 15.
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I'm running, join me? RT @gdrinnan Isn't Dorothy grand . . . the preparations continue! . . . http://t.co/prY86uyIWq
— Jenn Rensch (@jrensch) August 14, 2014

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.

Cougars sale falling apart? . . . Bozon to be released today . . . Things going well with Hawryluk . . . Royals win series for first time

The sale of the Prince George Cougars has yet to be completed.
And some observers are beginning to wonder if cracks are starting to show.
As recently as a week ago, the sale of the WHL franchise by long-time owner Rick Brodsky to a group headed by Prince George businessman Greg Pocock was believed to be a slam dunk. Pocock’s group includes NHL defencemen Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis, both of them former Cougars.
But now I am told that nothing has been signed, no money has changed hands, and patience may be wearing thin.
At one time there was a second local group interested in purchasing the Cougars, that one believed to include T.J. Grewal, the father of Cougars defenceman Raymond Grewal.
A source familiar with the situation told me late last night that while Brodsky has been negotiating strictly with the Pocock group, he has had “a thought” about seeing if there is any other interest alive in the community.
True North Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, has been rumoured as a potential WHL franchise owner, if only because of the success the Calgary Hitmen and Edmonton Oil Kings have had under the ownership umbrella of NHL teams in those cities.
If TNSE, indeed, is interested in owning a franchise, you wonder if it might get involved with Brodsky at this particular time.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice is scheduled to be released from Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon this morning.

TIM BOZON

As he tweeted on Thursday: “Last night at the hospital after 1 month battling through this sickness! #cant wait #win #proud #nevergaveup”
Bozon, who turned 20 while in RUH, was hospitalized on March 1 when he was diagnosed with Nesseria meningitis. His parents, Helene and Philippe, the latter a former NHL player, have been with him since arriving from their home in Switzerland on March 2.
For part of time, Tim was in critical condition and in a medically induced coma.
Also on Thursday, Bozon tweeted this:
“Would like to thank everyone for this amazing support! Couldn't do it without you guys! Thank you so much from everyone in the @TheWHL”
And this:
“And most important my teammates in @WHLKootenayICE that have been with me since day one #loveyouguys”
It is anticipated that Bozon will be in Cranbrook in time to take in Game 6 of the Ice’s first-round series with the Calgary Hitmen. A 6-5 victory in Calgary on Thursday night has the Ice leading the best-of-seven affair, 3-2. Bozon is to take part in a ceremonial faceoff prior to that game.
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A trust fund has been established to assist the Bozon family with medical- and rehabilitation-related costs with which they now are faced.
You are able to make a donation at any BMO Bank of Montreal branch in Western Canada.
Should you live outside of that area and want to donate, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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Meanwhile, in Brandon, Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk spent a lot of Thursday undergoing tests at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.
Hawryluk was taken to the hospital in an ambulance on Wednesday night, after he scored

JAYCE HAWRYLUK

three goals and set up another in a 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats. That victory gave the Wheaties a 3-0 lead in the first-round series, with Game 4 scheduled for tonight in Brandon.
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reported Thursday evening that “optimism and relief are slowly replacing the worry” over Hawryluk’s situation.
“We don’t know a lot today other than everything’s gone well,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, general manager and head coach, told Henderson. “Jayce is completely normal, feeling fine. Of course, they’re doing lots of different tests to see if there’s anything that they can identify as a concern or a cause of what happened, and we haven’t been given any feedback as to how any of that has gone other than to have been told there’s no red flags, nothing alarming at this point.
“So we’re optimistic that it’s not as serious as what these things sometimes can be or what you sometimes let your mind fear.”
According to McCrimmon, Hawryluk, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, experienced light-headedness and breathing problems immediately after the game. He is from Roblin, Man., which is about 200 km northwest of Brandon,
The Wheat Kings held a team meeting last night to discuss the situation, with management looking to put the players’ minds at ease.
“I think lots of the players themselves have been in contact with Jayce today, so I think that gives them some peace of mind,” McCrimmon told Henderson.
Hawryluk leads Brandon with eight points in the four games against Regina. He led the Wheat Kings with 64 points in 59 regular-season games.
If you are wondering whether Hawryluk will play in Game 4 tonight, it is in the hands of doctors, who as of last night hadn’t provided team management with any kind of prognosis.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will be without F Jaimen Yakubowski tonight as they travel to Everett in search of a first-round sweep of the Silvertips. . . . Yakubowski drew a one-game WHL suspension after taking a double minor for checking from behind in Game 3 on Tuesday in Kent, Wash. Yakubowski hit Everett D Noah Juulsen in the first period. Juulsen left the game and didn’t return. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Juulsen didn’t practice on Thursday, so likely won’t play tonight. . . .

The Kelowna Rockets have a 3-1 series lead going into tonight’s game with the Tri-City Americans. The game will be televised in Canada by Sportsnet. . . . Kelowna F Myles Bell left Game 4 late in the second period with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. As Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reported, “The Rockets were not forthcoming about his status for tonight’s game.” . . . Fowler also reports that Tri-City F Jessey Astles “took a puck to the foot at the end” of Game 4. Americans head coach Jim Hiller, who almost always is forthcoming, told Fowler that Astles is expected to play tonight, but may not be well enough to take a regular shift. . . .

The ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors have signed two former WHLers, both of whom played for the Alberta Golden Bears, who won the Canadian university championship on Sunday. D Ian Barteaux (Kootenay, 2005-09) and D Colin Joe (Kelowna, Saskatoon, 2004-09) both played five seasons with the Golden Bears.
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
(Edmonton wins, 4-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert 3 at Edmonton 5 (6,534)
Sunday: Prince Albert 1 at Edmonton 3 (6,584)
Tuesday: Edmonton 4 at Prince Albert 3 (2,881)
Wednesday: Edmonton 6 at Prince Albert 2 (2,727)
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite; F Reid Petryk, day-to-day.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Brandon leads, 3-0)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon 6 at Regina 3 (6,200)
Sunday: Brandon 8 at Regina 4 (5,014)
Wednesday: Regina 4 at Brandon 5 (3,547)
Friday: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Regina vs. Brandon, at Dauphin, Man., 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; F Peter Quenneville, day-to-day.
Regina: D Tye Hand, indefinite.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-2)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay 5 at Calgary 2 (6,649)
Saturday: Kootenay 0 at Calgary 5 (9,019)
Monday: Calgary 7 at Kootenay 6 (OT) (1,992)
Tuesday: Calgary 4 at Kootenay 5 (2,102)
Thursday: Kootenay 6 at Calgary 5 (6,826)
Saturday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.
Friday: Swift Current 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,512)
Saturday: Swift Current 2 at Medicine Hat 4 (3743)
Tuesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Swift Current 3 (2,840)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 2 at Swift Current 3 (OT) (2,890)
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, indefinite; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
(Kelowna leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Tri-City, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,827)
Sunday: Tri-City 1 at Kelowna 3 (5,041)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Tri-City 4 (2,010)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Tri-City 3 (2,189)
Friday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
(Portland wins, 4-0)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.
Friday: Vancouver 3 at Portland 4 (9,756)
Saturday: Vancouver 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Tuesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 3 (5,680)
Wednesday: Portland 6 at Vancouver 1 (5,142)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
(Victoria wins, 4-0)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane 1 at Victoria 2 (OT) (6,615)
Sunday: Spokane 3 at Victoria 4 (OT) (4,629)
Wednesday: Victoria 6 at Spokane 1 (3,412)
Thursday: Victoria 4 at Spokane 2 (3,711)
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
(Seattle leads, 3-0)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett 1 at Seattle 2 (4,650)
Sunday: Seattle 3 at Everett 1 (4,150)
Tuesday: Everett 3 at Seattle 4 (OT) (5,176)
Friday: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite; D Noah Juulsen, day-to-day; F Tyler Sandhu, day-to-day.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, F Sam Reinhart had a goal and four assists to help the Kootenay Ice to a 6-5 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Ice leads the series 3-2 and has an opportunity to win it at home on Saturday night. . . . Calgary got on the board first, when F Adam Tambellini scoed at 2:04 of the first period, on a PP. It was the fourth time in five games that Calgary scored first. . . . The Ice scored the next three goals and the Hitmen chased for the rest of the night. . . . F Jaeden Descheneau, who had two goals and an assist, tied the game at 5:56 of the first, via the PP, and Reinhart made it 2-1 at 19:15. . . . Ice F Levi Cable stretched the lead to 3-1 just 55 seconds into the second period. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson got one back at 2:44, but Ice F Matt Alfaro restored the two-goal lead at 5:18, at which time Calgary G Chris Drieder, who gave up four goals on 10 shots, was relieved by Mack Shields, who would stop 10 of 14. . . . Ice F Luke Philp, at 6:23, and Calgary D Kenton Helgesen, at 18:28, on the PP, traded goals and the Ice had a 5-3 lead. . . . Descheneau then scored what seemed a controversial goal as TV replays appeared to show no time left on the clock when the puck crossed the goal line. However, the goal was allowed after video review, with the WHL later explaining that there was a discrepancy between the official clock and the one seen on the TV replays. . . . Calgary scored twice in the third period, with F Greg Chase and Tambellini each getting their fourth of the series, but it wasn’t able to equalize. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin went the distance, stopping 26 shots. That included an unsuccessful penalty shot by Helgesen. . . . Calgary was 2-for-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 1-for-4. . . . Ice D Landon Cross, who came back from an undisclosed injury during the series and then left Game 4 with an apparent injury, was back for this one. . . . These two teams have combined for 45 goals in five games, with Calgary owning 23 of them. . . . Reinhart has been in on 14 of the Ice’s 22 goals; he leads playoff scorers with 14 points. Descheneau has 13. . . . Reinhart and F Brendan Leipsic of the Portland Winterhawks lead in goals (5). Descheneau and Reinhart lead in assists (9).
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Here is the statement from the WHL office on Descheneau’s second goal, which stood up as the game-winner:
“The video evidence in the Video Goal Judge booth clearly showed the puck had crossed the line with 0.1 seconds remaining on the clock. The Video Goal Judge booth is considered the official time clock when reviewing goals and is the same system utilized by the NHL.”
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Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge), who operates the blog Small Thoughts at Large, tweeted: “So a clock seen by only 1 or 2 people is the official time and what the rest of the world sees is not. There has to be a better system.”
Caldwell followed that with: “It may be the right call but the optics of this are terrible for the league.”


In Spokane, the Victoria Royals won a series for the first time in franchise history, beating the Chiefs 4-2 to sweep the first-round affair. . . . The Royals, the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, are likely to meet the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks in the second round. . . . Royals F Austin Carroll broke a 2-2 tie with his third goal of the series, and second winner, at 10:06 of the third period. . . . F Logan Nelson, 20, who was scratched from Game 1, scored his third goal of the series to add insurance at 15:41. He also had an assist, as did Carroll. . . . Spokane D Tyson Helgesen scored his first playoff goal for Spokane, at 19:02 of the first period and also had an assist. Oddly, he scored about the same time that his brother, Kenton, was scoring for the Hitmen in Calgary. . . The Royals led 2-1 after the first period and took that lead into the third, when F Connor Chartier pulled the Chiefs even at 3:32. . . . Victoria D Jordan Franson had a goal, his second, and an assist, while F Steven Hodges drew two assists. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL’s regular-season scoring champ, was held to one assist in the four games. In four regular-season games against the Royals, Holmberg and F Mike Aviani had a combined 22 points. Aviani had two assists in the series. . . . “"They say good players find holes and I didn't find them this series," Holmberg told Chris Derrick of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. "It's going to haunt me for a while, that's for sure." . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 32 shots, while Spokane’s Eric Williams turned aside 17. . . . The Royals were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-for-3. . . . Prior to this series, the Royals had lost two first-round series, while in their previous life as the Chilliwack Bruins they had dropped four first-round series. In those six series, they had gone 6-24.
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From Jeff Peel (@peel23): “Good luck to @lpeel34 tonight! Remember: talk is cheap and it takes money to buy oats!”
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From Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg (@mitchholmberg17): “Speechless.”


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