Friends and acquaintances have contacted me via Twitter, email, Facebook, text and the good old-fashioned telephone.
Two people I heard from on Monday brought back some terrific memories.
Great honour for great man and friend @gdrinnan...received the Bernie Pascal Media Award at the BC Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) July 27, 2015
Les then followed that with:
Previous about @gdrinnan a little late...my apologies. Took weekend away from phone. He should be in the Hall for rolling "1-5s" in Strato!
— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) July 27, 2015
Darrell Davis, with whom I shared more than a few good times while we both were at the Regina Leader-Post, chimed in with:
— Darrell Davis (@DarrellDavisSK) July 27, 2015
If you aren’t familiar, Strato refers to Strat-O-Matic baseball. Back in the day, a bunch of us, including Bill O’Donovan, now the news anchor at CFJC-TV in Kamloops, were involved in a Strat-O-Matic league that was, well, let’s just say it was interesting.How intense was it? I remember driving home one night on Regina’s Ring Road — I lived in the east end and had been playing in the south end — after betting my butt kicked. If you haven’t played Strat-O-Matic, it involves dice and player cards. Well, on this night I decided it was time to teach the dice a lesson. So I stopped alongside a farmer’s field and threw them as far as I could. (A 1-5 meant home run with my best guys and I don't think I rolled enough of them on that night.)
I hadn’t thought of that night for a long, long time . . . before hearing from Les and Darrell. Yes, I chuckled at the memory.
However, I also remember the season in which I won the championship, my Top Cats beating John Chaput’s Zoo 4-3 with a run in the bottom of the ninth. The championship-winning blow — the Top Cats won the best-of-seven final in six games — was a sacrifice fly by Fred Lynn that scored Alan Trammell, who had reached on a fielder’s choice.
You can bet the memory of that night kept me warm all that winter.
I was going through some storage containers in our shed on Saturday when I came upon the Game 6 scoresheet. Yes, I kept it. Unfortunately, I have no idea what year that was.
All I know is that, although Les and Darrell may not agree, it was a very good year.
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F Ian McDonald (Tri-City, 2000-06) signed a one-year contract with MAC Budapest (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with Briançon (France, Ligue Magnus), he had 12 goals and 10 assists in 26 games. . . .
D Juraj Valach (Tri-City, Vancouver, Regina, Red Deer, 2006-08) signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had been on a tryout with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). Last season, with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had six goals and seven assists in 43 games. . . .
F Jakub Klepiš (Portland, 2001-02) signed a one-year extension with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, he had six goals and five assists in 21 games with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL) and 21 points, including seven goals, in 17 games with Třinec. . . .
F Edgars Kulda (Edmonton, 2012-15) signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL) after a successful tryout. Last season, with the Edmonton Oil Kings, he had 13 goals and 17 assists in 47 games. On Thursday, he played in a 3-1 exhibition game victory over Lada Togliatti. He was on the first line with Lauris Dārziņš (Kelowna, 2004-06) and ex-NJ Devils C Tim Sestito.———
The Portland Winterhawks have signed both of their 2015 CHL import draft selections. . . . Both players
— Latvian Rodrigo Abols and Swede Carl Ericson — are forwards. . . . Abols, 19, had 38 points, 20 of them goals, in 35 games last season with HK Riga of the Molodezhnaya Hockey League. He also got into 15 games with Dinamo Riga of the KHL, putting up a goal and four assists. He also played for Latvia at the IIHF World championship. . . . Ericson, 19, had 42 points, including 16 goals, in 43 games with Leksand’s U-20 side. He also got into 11 games with the Leksand team in the SHL, a Swedish pro league. . . . The Winterhawks may lose their top three scorers from last season — Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nic Petan and Chase De Leo — which means Abols and Ericson will be looked to for some offence. The Winterhawks will be wanting both to be in their top six forwards.——
Meanwhile, Vojtech Budik tweeted on Monday afternoon: “Next season I will play for @PARaidersHockey.” . . . Budik, a 17-year-old defenceman, is from Czech Republic. He was selected by the Raiders in the CHL’s 2015 import draft. . . . Last season, he had 12 points, including three goals, in 12 games with the Czech U-18 team, and added five assists in 19 games with the Czech U-20 side.——
If you are a Brandon Wheat Kings fan living in Manitoba, you are able to purchase a specialty license plate that salutes your favourite team. Brian Smiley, a spokesman with Manitoba Public Insurance, has told Brandon radio station CKLQ that almost 800 Manitoba motorists have purchased the plates, which go for $70 apiece. . . . CKLQ reports that “part of the proceeds from Wheat Kings plates go towards supporting the Brandon Humane Society.”——
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Dale DeGray, the general manager of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack, has yet to hire a head coach, but he is
down to a short list of three candidates. . . . DeGray is looking to replace Greg Ireland, who resigned earlier this month and now is the head coach of Adler Mannheim in Germany. . . . DeGray told Bill Walker of the Owen Sound Sun Times that he heard from more than 60 applicants. . . . DeGray hopes to have a coach in place before Aug. 6. He is managing Canada’s U-18 team that leaves then for Europe and the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. . . . DeGray also told Walker that “I don't hire friends . . . I would prefer to keep friendships than to have to fire a coach and lose a friend. There are lots of qualified guys out there.” . . . Walker’s complete story is right here.———
The Buffalo Sabres have signed D Brendan Guhle of the Prince Albert Raiders to a three-year entry-level contract. The Sabres selected Gulhe, who turns 18 on Wednesday, in the second round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . Guhle had 32 points, 27 of them assists, in 72 games with the Raiders last season. He has 42 points, including five goals, in 123 games over two seasons with Prince Albert. He is from Sherwood Park, Alta.
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With Stepan and Wilson signings today, teams have shelled out a total of $1,015,308,875 on 328 contracts since July 1. #onebilliondollars
— General Fanager (@generalfanager) July 27, 2015
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In Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Red Deer Rebels, 6-2. . . . F Kenton Helgesen tied the score 2-2 at 10:59 of the second period and then broke the tie at 13:30. Helgesen, who also had an assist, has seven goals this season. . . . F Adam Tambellini, F Jake Virtanen and D Travis Sanheim each had a goal and two assists for Calgary (13-9-3), which moved into a tie with Red Deer for second place in the Central Division. . . . The line of Helgesen, Tambellini and Virtanen combined for nine points. . . . F Tyler Sandhu had a goal and an assist for Red Deer. . . . The Hitmen lost F Chase Lang to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 2:36 of the second period. . . . The Rebels (13-10-3) had won two in a row, including a 4-0 victory over the visiting Hitmen on Saturday. . . . 
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice struck for six third-period goals as it beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 7-3. . . . The Warriors took a 3-1 lead into the third period, but the Ice tied it on goals by F Luke Philp, his 10th, on a PP, at 3:39 and F Levi Cable at 4:02. . . . Cable then gave the Ice lead, with his ninth goal, at 9:22. . . . Ice F Jon Martin, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, had a goal, his third, and three assists in the third period as he tied a franchise record for most points in a period. . . . Cable now has at least one goal in three straight games. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had three assists as he ran his point streak to eight games. He's got 19 points, 15 of them assists, in that span. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau added two goals, giving him 14, and an assist for the Ice. He’s got goals in four straight. . . . The Ice also got a goal and two assists from Matt Alfaro, who has four goals. . . . The line of Alfaro, Cable and Martin had 10 points in the third period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk had a goal, his third, and an assist, while F Brayden Point had two assists for the Warriors (10-12-3). . . . G Brody Wilms made his first career start for Moose Jaw, stopping 33 shots, 26 of them through two periods. . . . The Ice (11-14-0) has won three in a row and eight of nine. . . . The Warriors were without D Tyler Brown. According to Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, Brown tweeted after a 5-1 victory in Lethbridge on Saturday that he had suffered a broken hand. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story 
In Spokane, F Kailer Yamamoto scored 14 seconds into OT to give the Chiefs a 2-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Yamamoto has six goals this season. . . . The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead at 13:59 of the second period when F Liam Stewart scored his 10th goal. . . . The Blazers tied it when F Cole Ully got his 12th at 18:19 of the second. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram, making his fourth straight start, stopped 39 shots. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson made 18 saves. . . . The Chiefs were 0-for-6 on the PP; the Blazers’ PP unit never got on the ice. . . . The game was delayed for about 15 minutes in the third period as the arena staff replaced a pane of glass. It was broken when Spokane D Evan Fiala checked Kamloops F Jermaine Loewen into it. . . . The Chiefs (12-7-3) have won three in a row. They won three games in as many nights over the weekend, each by a 2-1 count. . . . The Blazers (11-10-5) have points in four straight (2-0-2).
The Prince George Cougars have added D Kirk Bear, 19, to their roster. He had been with the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires, where he put up two goals and eight assists in 23 games. . . . Bear, from Whitewood, Sask., was pointless in 35 games with the Red Deer Rebels last season. . . . The Cougars also released D Kobe Eagletail, 17, from their roster. He will join the Banff Bears of the Heritage junior league. Eagletail was pointless in two games with the Cougars. (Hey, gotta think there are worse places to play hockey than Banff!)
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that G Nik Amundrud, 17, who has been out with a concussion since Oct. 31, has been cleared to return to action. With that, the Blades are expected to move one of their other two goaltenders -- Alex Moodie, 19, or Trevor Martin, 18 -- in the immediate future, perhaps even before they play host to the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday. . . . According to Nugent-Bowman, Blades F Alex Forsberg, who missed a 4-1 loss to the Hitmen in Calgary on Sunday with an undisclosed injury, is probable for Saturday, as is D Ryan Coghlan (shoulder), while F Wyatt Sloboshan (broken jaw) won’t play until mid-December at the earliest. . . . D Jordan Thomson (concussion) is away from the team but is expected back sometime next week.
It almost certainly will be the end of an era in the WHL today as the board of governors gathers in Calgary today where it is expected to vote unanimously in favour of allowing Saskatoon Blades owner Jack Brodsky to sell the franchise to Edmonton-based auto dealer Mike Priestner. . . . The sale needs two-thirds of the 22 governors to vote in favour in order to pass. But it is expected to be unanimous, simply because of Brodsky’s long-standing relationship with the WHL. The franchise has been in the Brodsky family since 1976. . . . With the sale price said to be north of $9 million, you can bet there will a lot of smiles around the governors’ table today. . . . The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that Steve Hogle, the vice-president of hockey communications with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, is expected to take over as the Blades’ president.
The Prince George Cougars have released G Mac Engel, 20, meaning they will open the season with Brett Zarowny, 18, and Ty Edmonds, 17, as their goaltenders. Zarowny is heading into his second season with the Cougars; Edmonds, from Winnipeg, played last season for the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. . . . The Cougars also released F Jarrett Fontaine, 18. In 133 games with the Cougars over two seasons, the 5-foot-5 Fontaine, who is from Humboldt, Sask., had 27 points, including 10 goals.
The Everett Silvertips have signed F Patrick Bajkov, D Jordan Wharrie and D Lucas Skrumeda. . . . Bajkov, who turns 16 on Nov. 27, was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Nanaimo, B.C., native had 31 points, including 20 goals, with the major midget North Island Silvertips last season. . . . Wharrie, 16, was taken in the fifth-round of the 2012 bantam draft. From Port Moody, B.C., he had two points in 39 games with the major midget Vancouver North East Chiefs. . . . Skrumeda, a list player, is to turn 17 on Oct. 7. From St. Andrews, Man., he had 28 points in 43 games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers last season.
The Portland Winterhawks, the WHL’s defending champions, have nine players heading out to NHL training camps — F Oliver Bjorkstrand, Columbus Blue Jackets; G Brendan Burke, Phoenix Coyotes; F Anton Cederholm, Vancouver Canucks; F Adam de Champlain, Vancouver; D Garrett Haar, Washington Capitals; F Taylor Leier, Philadelphia Flyers; F Brendan Leipsic, Nashville Predators; F Nic Petan, Winnipeg Jets; and D Derrick Pouliot, Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Moose Jaw Warriors are preparing to have three players depart for NHL camps — D Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs; D Travis Brown, Chicago Blackhawks; and F Tanner Eberle, Montreal Canadiens. Rielly and Brown were draft picks; Eberle is on a free-agent tryout.
The Seattle Thunderbirds will have four roster players attending NHL camps — D Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks; F Alexander Delnov, Florida Panthers; F Mitch Elliot, Vancouver Canucks; and D Jared Hauf, Philadelphia Flyers. Theodore and Delnov are draft picks; Elliot and Hauf are free-agent invitees. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock, who was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery and won’t attend the NHL team’s camp.
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