Pats appear to have their man

F James Henry (Vancouver, Moose Jaw, 2006-12) has signed a tryout contract with Dresdner Eislöwen (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL), he had 36 points, 14 of them goals, in 66 games. . . .
F Martin Podlešák (Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2000-02) has signed a one-year contract with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). Last season, Podlešák, with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga), had seven points, three of them goals, in 23 games. He also had one goal in 23 games with Litoměřice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). . . .
D Darrell Hay (Tri-City, 1996-2000) has signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). Last season, with the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asia HL), he had 30 points, including 11 goals, in 42 games. He led the league’s defencemen in goals.
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The Sunday edition of the Vancouver Province included a question-and-answer piece featuring sports columnist Ed Willes and Trevor Linden, the president of the Vancouver Canucks.
The most interesting part of the interview comes at the end.
“You’ve had some interesting things to say about the role of fighting in the game,” Willes says. “Do you think things are changing there?”
Linden responds:
“Fighting is supposed to be there to protect our top players. I’m not sure it has that effect. I think that happened in the ’70s and ’80s, but I think that ended when the game progressed. I don’t speak for every fan, but I think there are a lot of fans out there who don’t understand the staged fight. Within the context of the game it isn’t relevant. Everyone loves playoff hockey and we saw incredible games in these playoffs. It was hard-hitting, fast and intense. And, generally speaking, fighting isn’t part of playoff hockey.
“Some of the best parts of our game are the hitting and clean body contact. The reaction now is to go after that guy. I don’t know what the answer is but we have to look at it. I’m open to having the conversation but I think we have to look at being progressive. I think (Tampa Bay Lightning GM) Steve Yzerman shares the same views. I know it’s not popular with some people.”
Hearing the president of an NHL club, a man who played the game at an extremely high level, talk like that makes me think that fighting in the NHL is one step closer to the precipice. In recent times, more and more NHL teams, like the Canucks and Tampa Bay, have inserted young men, all of them former players, into their front offices and have given them lots of authority.
To hear Linden talk like that makes me think that this conversation is an on-going exchange between the likes of Linden, Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Ron Hextall, Brad Treliving, Brad Pascall and other young guns who populate NHL team front offices these days.
If that’s the case, it can’t be good for fight fans.
The complete interview is right here.
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The Regina Pats have signed John Paddock as their new head coach. Paddock, 60, is believed to have gotten the job ahead of former Saskatoon Blades head coach Dave Struch. . . . Struch now may end up as the general manager and head coach of the Humboldt Broncos. Dean Brockman, their former GM/head coach, now is an assistant coach with the Blades. . . . Paddock, from Oak River, Man., has played in the WHL, with the Brandon Wheat Kings (1972-74), but has never coached junior hockey. He has a 589-438-98 record as an AHL head coach and has been a member of that league’s hall of fame since 2010. Paddock also has NHL coaching experience with the Winnipeg Jets (1991-95) and Ottawa Senators (2007-08). . . . For the past five seasons, Paddock has been in the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization, either as an assistant GM or assistant coach. The Flyers announced on June 18 that he wouldn’t be back with them. . . . With Regina, Paddock replaces Malcolm Cameron, who was fired by the Pats’ new owners on June 22. . . . The Pats, who are scheduled to open training camp on Aug. 21, are the only one of the WHL's 22 teams without a head coach at this point. When they get a coach signed, they will be the 10th WHL team to have done so this off-season.
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In reporting that the Pats and John Paddock are working out the final details of a contract, Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post also writes that “Paddock is expected to hold a dual role with management powers, including hockey operations control. It wasn't immediately clear what that means for the future of senior vice-president/GM Chad Lang, whose responsibilities would be altered under a new hierarchy -- if he elects to stay with the organization.”
Harder wasn’t able to reach Lang for comment. It’s never a positive sign when a hockey executive in Lang’s position can’t be reached for comment at a time like this. It’s worth noting that Lang has a year left on his contract.
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Perhaps it is only fitting that the Regina Pats have been searching for a head coach and two assistants as the legendary Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry prepares to celebrate its centennial. And who better to write about that centennial than the great Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail. His piece is right here and, yes, it's terrific.
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As mentioned here last week, Dale Hughesman, the father of former Tri-City Americans star F Adam Hughesman, died last week after a long battle with cancer. Dale was 51. A celebration of life is scheduled for Thursday, 1 p.m., at the North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Churct as 131 Gateway Road in Winnipeg. A private internment with family will occur at a later date. There is an online guest book at www.glenedenmemorial.ca. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to CancerCare Manitoba or in Dale's name to River East Minor Hockey, 2Nations Female Hockey, Winnipeg Minor Hockey, or Hockey Manitoba. . . . The obituary that appears in today’s Winnipeg Free Press is right here.
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LeBron James isn’t the only NBAer who is coming home. Check this out right here. It’s another NBAer announcing that he’s coming home and, gee, the whole thing just might sound a little bit familiar, but a whole lot funnier.
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Swift current - where life makes sense and everyone has the munchies. Seen at front doors of city hall pic.twitter.com/GkUNxMY23X
— Darryl Russell (@DarrylRussell) August 4, 2014

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Former WHLer needing some help

THE MacBETH REPORT:
The SM-Liiga had its board meeting on Tuesday at which it discussed the Jokerit Helsinki situation. At 7:50 p.m. Helsinki time, SM-Liiga announced the following via the league website:
“SM-Liiga and Jokerit on Tuesday reached agreement on the terms on which Jokerit has been granted the right to play in the SM-Liiga for the 2013-2014 season. It has also agreed on the terms of the agreement under which the League granted Jokerit the right to play in the Kontinental Hockey League beginning with the 2014-2015 season. SM-League Chairman Hannu Penttilä  and Jokerit owner Harry Harkimo are happy with the end result.”
It was reported to be a contentious meeting that began at 3 p.m., one where Harkimo angrily walked out twice, at 3:45 for about 45 minutes and again at 5:30 for about 30 minutes.
Initial reports are that Kärpät Oulu, HIFK Helsinki and TPS Turku were most reluctant to allow Jokerit to compete in the league under any circumstances, while some of the other clubs were open to a financial settlement from Jokerit.
After the announcement, Harkimo answered “I am not going to comment” when asked how much Jokerit had to pay to stay in SM-Liiga and whether Jokerit had to pay to leave SM-Liiga for the KHL.
When asked again, Harkimo said: “It is what it is.”
Harkimo did say: “Certainly SM-Liiga will survive Jokerit’s departure.”
SM-Liiga Chairman Hannu Penttilä said: “The process was not as it should have been, but everyone is happy now. SM-Liiga will begin as normal in September and there are no other clubs going to the KHL.”
Penttilä later said that the conditions attached to the agreement won’t be made public. It is rumoured that Jokerit must pay 5 to 8 million Euros (US$6.6 to 10.6 million, Cdn$6.8 to 10.9 million) to compensate the league and other clubs for lost revenues.
To put the amount in perspective, Jokerit’s player payroll for last season was about 4 million Euros.
Harkimo also said that the agreement for Jokerit to join the KHL is not final yet; a final decision will be made this fall.
It seems that public opinion in Finland is running against Jokerit playing in SM-Liiga this season.
On Friday, the Helsinki newspaper Iltalehti ran an online poll and 65 per cent of the 13,162 respondents said that Jokerit shouldn’t be allowed to play in SM-Liiga this season.
Another online poll, this one run by another Helsinki newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat, while the meeting was taking place, asked the question: “Should Jokerit be kicked out of SM-Liiga immediately?” Of the 8,046 respondents, 87 per cent said: “YES.”
A second Ilta-Sanomat online poll which ran after the decision was announced asked: “Was it the right decision to allow Jokerit to play in SM-Liiga this season?” Of the 10,475 respondents, 82 per cent said: “NO.”
Finally, a columnist for Ilta-Sanomat said in an editorial posted after the decision was announced that “this season, Jokerit is the most hated team more than ever.”
While we are talking SM-Liiga, here is a look at this season’s ice surface at Oulu's Energia Areena, the home arena for Kärpät Oulu. Try to find the puck quickly here. One Finnish commentator said this really gives a new meaning to the phrase “home ice advantage.”

Moving to central Europe, the Czech Republic Ice Hockey Federation and the Czech Extraliga have announced new roster rules for the 2013-14 season.
They are:
1) teams are allowed to dress for each game a maximum of 15 players born 1990 or earlier (age 23 and older);
2) each team must have at least three players dressed born between 1991 and 1993 (age 20-22); and,
3) at least one player dressed for a game must be born after 1993 (age 19 and under).
Goaltenders are exempt from these rules.
Additionally, each Extraliga team will be allowed six import (non-Czech citizen) licenses. Once an import is listed on a game sheet, that uses up one of the licenses, regardless of whether the import player actually plays in the game or not.
The intent is to try to keep more Czech young players at home and to get them drafted — there were only four Czech players drafted in the 2013 NHL draft and all four played in the CHL last season. The last player to go directly to the NHL from an Extraliga team was Edmonton Oilers D Ladislav Smid, drafted by Anaheim in 2004 from Liberec.
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Now for Tuesday’s moves . . .
F Ryan Russell (Kootenay, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Leksand (Sweden, SEL). He had 10 goals and six assists in 62 games with the Springfield Falcons (AHL) last season. . . .

F Brett Sonne (Calgary, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had seven goals and eight assists in 56 games with the Peoria Rivermen (AHL), three goals and four assists in seven games with the Evansville Icemen (ECHL), and one goal and two assists in six games with the Texas Stars (AHL) last season. . . .

D Trevor Johnson (Kootenay, Seattle, Tri-City, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with Valpellice (Italy, Serie A). He had 10 goals and 34 assists in 42 games as captain of Valpellice last season. Johnson also represented Italy at both the Division 1 world championship and the Olympic Games Qualification Tournament, totaling four assists in eight games. . . .

F Ales Kilnar (Vancouver, 2012-13) signed a tryout contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had no points in one game with Vancouver, no points in three games with Jokipojat Joensuu U20 (Finland, SM-Liiga A-Juniors), four goals and seven assists in 15 games with Vitkovice Ostrava U20 (Czech Republic, U20 Extraliga), and three goals and three assists in seven games with Poruba (Czech Republic, 2. Liga) last season. Kilnar had a goal for Orli in Tuesday’s 4-1 exhibition game victory against Mlada Boleslav, playing on a line with Ondrej Fiala (Everett, Saskatoon, 2005-08).
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Jonathan Parker played three seasons (Seattle, Prince Albert, 2008-11) in the WHL. Now 21, Parker, a forward from Solona Beach, Calif., is preparing for his third season in the Buffalo Sabres’ organization. But, as Jeff Cox writes at sbnation.com, this season will be different for Parker because his father, Steven, won’t be there to enjoy it with him. Steven Parker lost a three-year battle with cancer last week. . . . As Cox points out right here, there’s more to the story and now Jonathan Parker and his sister, Charlene, need help. Here’s hoping the hockey community will provide some.
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F Adam Kambeitz (Red Deer, Saskatoon, Seattle, 2008-13) has decided he’ll go to the U of Calgary and play for the Dinos. Kambeitz is from Coaldale, Alta. He played out his WHL eligibility last season. He was in his fifth season with the Red Deer Rebels when he was traded to the Saskatoon Blades early last season. Then, at the trade deadline, the Blades sent him to the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kambeitz told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix that it came down to Calgary or Acadia U in Wolfville, N.S. . . . Nugent-Bowman also reports that F Chris Collins (Chilliwack, Saskatoon, 2007-12) also will attend the U of Calgary. Collins, from Calgary, played last season with the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
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F James Henry (Vancouver, Moose Jaw, 2007-12) has chosen to leave school after one season with the U of Manitoba Bisons. He has signed with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Henry, 22, is a Winnipeg native. He had 22 points in 28 games with the Bisons last season. He earned CIS all-rookie team honours and was named Canada West’s most outstanding freshman. . . . While in Vancouver, Henry was teammates with F Garet Hunt, who is a fan favourite in Stockton.
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There isn’t a more polarizing sports figure anywhere than Ken (Hawk) Harrelson, the TV play-by-play voice of the Chicago White Sox. He has referred to the explosion of mathematical-based analytics in baseball as “the biggest joke I’ve ever seen.” . . . Ben Strauss of The New York Times has more on Harrelson right here. BTW, Hawk says the only stat that matters is “T.W.T.W.”
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THE COACHING GAME:
Randy Ladouceur has signed on as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters. Ladouceur, a veteran of the NHL playing and coaching wars, will work alongside head coach Dean Chynoweth. Ladouceur has worked as an assisteant coach for four NHL teams since he ended his playing career in 1996. . . . Ladouceur’s arrival allows David Oliver to return to his role as director of AHL operations. The Monsters are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. . . . Jock Callander is preparing for his second season as an assistant coach, while Jean-Ian Filiatrault has come on board as the goaltending coach.
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The ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings have signed Colin Chaulk as an assistant coach. Chaulk retired as a player after last season. He spent 10 pro seasons playing for the Fort Wayne Komets, a rival of the Wings. . . . In Kalamazoo, he will work with Nick Bootland, the director of hockey operations and head coach.

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Rick Brodsky, the owner of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, has owned the NAHL’s Wichita Falls, Texas, Wildcats for eight seasons. That run, however, is about to end as Brodsky sells his share to New Jersey businessman Alex Shnayderman, who grew up in Winnipeg.
The NAHL board is expected to approve the deal today.
Head coach Paul Baxter owns part of the team, as does local businessman Roy Davoult.
When Brodsky got involved in the team’s ownership — he actually took over a franchise that was struggling with debt — he had hoped to be able to help provide better players for the Wildcats.
That never happened.
"I thought we'd be able to get really good talent from the WHL, and that just never developed whatsoever," Brodsky told Zach Duncan of the Wichita Falls Times Record News. “Good American players were being recruited by Canadian Tier II teams that were able to pay them instead."
Duncan’s complete story is right here.
It’s worth noting that Brodsky quite enjoyed his stint as the Wildcats’ owner. He liked nothing better than to head down to Wichita Falls and accompany the team on a road trip, oftentimes taking a turn driving the team bus.
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The Kamloops Blazers kept it all in the family Tuesday as they announced the signing of forward Nick Chyzowski to a WHL contract.
Chyzowski, 15, was the 44th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. The Blazers dealt a second-round pick in the 2013 draft and a 2012 fourth-rounder to the Edmonton Oil Kings in order to grab Chyzowski at No. 44.
Chyzowski’s father, Dave, is a former Blazers forward (1987-90) who now is the team’s director of sales and marketing. The New York Islanders selected Dave with the second overall pick of the NHL’s 1989 draft; the Quebec Nordiques took Mats Sundin with the first selection. Chyzowski played 126 NHL games before going on to a lengthy career in Europe.
Nick, who actually signed the contract a couple of weeks ago, said he feels “a little bit” of pressure playing for his father’s former team, “but I think I’ll be able to deal with it.”
Last season, Chyzowski captained the bantam AAA Jardine’s Blazers and led them in scoring, with 83 points, including 41 goals, in 49 games. He is expected to play next season with the major midget Thompson Blazers.
Chyzowski describes himself as “a good two-way forward. I’ve good defensive ability and I also have good offensive awareness.”
While he recognizes that genetics may have something to do with the ability he has shown to this point, he added that “it’s also a lot of because of who I am.”
As one might expect, he said “it’s really exciting” to sign with the Blazers.
He added that on draft day “I was really excited . . . I know it’s a big accomplishment to get drafted but it’s only the beginning.”
Last week, the Blazers signed forward Jayden Halbgewachs, their first-round pick, 19th overall, in the 2012 draft. He is from Emerald Park, Sask.
Halbgewachs and Chyzowski are expected to attend the Blazers’ rookie camp that is scheduled to open on Aug. 23.
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A couple of interesting NHL draft-related tweets from James Mirtle (@mirtle) of The Globe and Mail:
“Only two players drafted later than 42nd in 2010 draft have played an NHL game in two seasons since. Most picks after Round 1 are projects.”
“And only 11 players out of 210 two years ago have played an entire NHL season. So few of these kids bring immediate help to a team.”
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The BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies have a news conference scheduled for today at which they are expected to introduce Bill Bestwick as their head coach. Bestwick is a long-time Nanaimo Clippers general manager and head coach, who at present is a Nanaimo city councillor. . . . Mira Laurence of CTV News Vancouver Island broke the Bestwick story.
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F James Henry and G Deven Dubyk, both of whom completed their major junior eligibility last season in the WHL, have agreed to join the U of Manitoba Bisons. . . . Henry played more than four seasons with the Vancouver Giants, before being dealt to the Moose Jaw Warriors laste season. He finished with 71 points in 69 games split between the two teams. . . . Dubyk finished last season with the Red Deer Rebels, after starting with Moose Jaw and then moving on to the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Dean Evason has left the Washington Capitals and signed on as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators. Evason had been an assistant coach with Washington for seven seasons. In Milwaukee, he takes over from Ian Herbers, now head coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . . With Washington looking for a head coach to replace Dale Hunter, there was no guarantee that Evason would be back with the Capitals. . . .
Former NHL D Drake Berehowsky is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. They have an affiliation with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Berehowsky had spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. . . . The Solar Bears are preparing for their first season in the ECHL. Orlando had an IHL franchise from 1995-2001. . . .
Dale Hunter, who stepped aside as the Washington Capitals head coach following the season, has returned as head coach of the OHL’s London Knights. With him back, his brother, Mark, goes back to being only the general manager. . . . The Knights are the OHL’s defending champions. . . . Dale had been their head coach since November 2001. He left in November 2011 to replace Bruce Boudreau as Washington’s head coach.
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The legendary Red Fisher is retiring after 58 years as a sports writer, first with the Montreal Star and then the Montreal Gazette. . . . Ken Dryden, as only he can do, writes about Fisher’s career right here.
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Ryan Leaf, once the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, appeared in a courtroom in Great Falls, Mont., on Tuesday. “I’m lazy, and dishonest and selfish,” Leaf told the court. “These were behaviors I had before my addiction kicked in.” . . . If you have followed Leaf’s post-football time, this is an amazingly sad story. Kimball Bennion of the Great Falls Tribune was in court and has the story right here.


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Think about this for a moment or two . . .
There were 18,890 fans at Rogers Place in Vancouver on Friday night as the Canucks beat the Dallas Stars, 5-2.
There were 7,044 fans at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre to watch the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat beat the Chicago Wolves, 4-3 in overtime. The Wolves, of course, are affiliated with the Canucks.
Meanwhile, there were 6,328 fans at Pacific Coliseum and they saw the Spokane Chiefs beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-1, in Game 5 of their first-round WHL playoff series.
Add it up and that’s 32,262 fans in attendance at three hockey games on B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
In the meantime, there is an arena situated between Vancouver and Abbotsford that seats almost 5,000 seats. In fact, you may remember that Prospera Centre in Chilliwack used to be home to a WHL franchise.
Now what if that franchise was competitive enough that it could forge a rivalry with the Vancouver Giants? What if an established team with a solid track record on and off the ice was to relocate?
What if . . .?
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The AJHL’s St. Albert Steel notified the city on Wednedsay that it has filed a request to the league in the hopes of relocating to Whitecourt. AJHL officials held a conference call regarding the situation on Friday afternoon. . . . Whitecourt is 175 kilometres northwest of St. Albert, which is just northwest of Edmonton. . . . Glenn Cook of the St. Albert Leader reports “the AJHL has struck a committee of six governors, which will convene in Edmonton on Friday, April 6, to address the situation. Both the Steel and the City will have a chance to make a presentation to that committee.” . . . Greg Parks is the owner/GM/head coach of the Steel.
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The Minnesota Wild announced Friday that Everett Silvertips D Josh Caron and Kelowna Rockets F Brett Bulmer will join the AHL’s Houston Aeros. . . . Caron signed with Wild as a free agent prior to the 2010-11 season. Bulmer started this season with the Wild before he was returned to the Rockets.
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FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, open a Twitter account, if you haven’t already, and follow @WHLFacts)

In Moose Jaw, the Warriors outshot the Regina Pats 14-0 in the first as they scored four times en route to a 5-2 victory. . . . The Warriors won the series 4-1, winning four in a row after losing the opener, and now will meet the Medicine Hat Tigers in Round 2. . . . That series will open Friday in Moose Jaw. The first three playoff games in Mosaic Place were sell outs (4,714). . . . That leaves the Edmonton Oil Kings and Brandon Wheat Kings to go at it in the Eastern Conference’s other semifinal. That series will begin in Edmonton on Friday. . . . Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch scored 16 seconds into the game and the Warriors were away to the races. . . . F Cam Braes and F James Henry, the two 20-year-olds acquired by the Warriors at the trade deadline, each had two points. Braes drew two assists; Henry had a goal, his second of the series, and an assist. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point, who turned 16 on March 12, had his third goal of the series. His first two were game-winners. . . . The Warriors, who use five forwards on their first PP unit, were 8-for-27 with the man advantage. Regina was 2-for-16. . . . The Pats were without G Matt Hewitt (broken wrist), D Brandon Davidson (separated shoulder), F Andrew Rieder (shoulder) and F Dyson Stevenson (one-game suspension). . . . D Morgan Rielly (knee) remains among Moose Jaw’s scratches. . . . With Hewitt out, the Pats brought in Tanner Burgardt, the 115th pick in the 2010 bantam draft, to back up Adam Beukeboom. Burgardt ws 20-2-1 with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos this season. . . . The Pats also had D Nathan Zimbaluk in the lineup. He played 15 games with the Pats earlier in the season, before being assigned to the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs. . . . After the game, the head coaches — Regina’s Pat Conacher and Moose Jaw’s Mike Stothers — didn’t shake hands. “My reaction to that is the same reaction I had when they sat guys out in the regular season. I have no reaction to it," Stothers told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. "I just keep marching ahead and focus on my team and make sure we conduct ourselves professionally.” . . . For his part, Conacher said he couldn’t find Stothers. “I looked for Mike and he walked off the bench so I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Conacher told Harder. “I’m not going to chase him down the hallway.” . . .

In Vancouver, F Mitch Holmberg scored twice as the Spokane Chiefs bet the Giants, 5-1. . . . The Chiefs dropped the first two games in this series but now hold a 3-2 edge. This now is the only first-round series that has yet to be decided. Game 6 is Sunday in Spokane. . . . . This was the first time in the series that a visiting team won. . . . F Liam Stewart, at 7:20 of the first period, and F Darren Kramer, at 1:09 of the second, gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. . . . F Brendan Gallagher got Vancouver into it with his fifth of the series at 15:06 of the second, on the PP. . . . The Chiefs put it away with three in the third, the last two just 23 seconds part. Holmberg got his side’s third and fourth goals, giving him five in the series, with F Blake Gal getting the last one. . . . The start of the game was delayed almost 20 minutes by a broken pane of glass in the warmup. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province was paying particular attention in the warmup and tweeted about Kramer chatting up Vancouver F Cain Franson, and then exchanging howdy-dos with D Blake Orban and D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen. . . . Kramer finished the game by being assessed a minor penalty for “leaving penalty box” at 20:00 of the third period. . . . Referees Chris Crich and Trevor Hanson handed out 22 minor penalties. . . . The Giants were 1-6 on the PP; the Chiefs were 1-4. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani came up empty on a third-period penalty shot with the Chiefs leading 3-1. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams, who has started each of the last three games, stopped 23 shots, four more than Vancouver’s Adam Morrison. . . . The Giants added F Brodyn Nielsen to their lineup while scratching Russian F Alex Kuvaev, who hasn’t scored in 26 games. Nielsen, 18, had one goal in 14 reguar-season games with the Giants. He spent the season with the junior B North Vancouver Wolf Pack.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.

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Damien Cox of the Toronto Star:
“Well, whether you look at the NHL or the OHL or any league that currently only penalizes fighters with five-minute major penalties, there’s absolutely no correlation between winning and teams that fight a lot or teams that don’t, no evidence that scrappin’ squads win or lose more than teams that don’t.
“It’s just irrelevant, really. Irrelevant and pointlessly dangerous.
“Again, it’s one thing for professionals to do it, quite another for teenagers getting paid less than $100 a week to trade blows for the amusement of the paying public.
“That’s sick.”
His complete column is right here.
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The WHL, if you were wondering, is on pace for an 800-fight season.
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John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal offers up his take on the debate -- to fight or not to fight -- right here.
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Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times writes right here about Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart, the son of you know who and you know who. The big news here is that Liam’s father and a few other family members apparently are planning on attending a game or two in Spokane in the immediate future.
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The Phoenix Coyotes have signed F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans to a three-year entry-level NHL contract. Shinnimin, an undrafted free agent, attended the Coyotes’ camp prior to this season. . . . In the last few days, Shinnimin has been named the WHL player of the week and player of the month, and the CHL player of the week and player of the month. That came after he put up an amazing 43 points in 14 February games. Shinnimin, who turned 21 on Jan. 7, is from Winnipeg and is represented by Mark MacKay, a former WHL rookie of the year.
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Russ Parker, the owner of the Regina Pats since 1995, is one of the latest members of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted as a builder in the sports of baseball and hockey. He has a long-time love affair with baseball, going back to before he managed the Alberta Dodgers in the mid-1960s. He later owned professional teams in Calgary. . . . In fact, if pushed, Parker, a native of Moosomin, Sask., would surely admit that baseball is his first love; yes, even over hockey.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
(If you’re on Twitter, follow @WHLFacts for lots of facts and numbers.)
In Prince Albert, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored two late goals and beat the Raiders, 4-3. . . . F Cam Braes tied the game at 13:45 of the third, with his 38th score, and F Torrin White won it with his 10th at 15:21. . . . Braes had two goals, while F James Henry had a goal, his 15th, and two assists. Braes and Henry, both 20, were acquired by the Warriors at the trade deadline. . . . Raiders F Chance Braid, a 17-year-old from Chauvin, Alta., opened the scoring with his first point in 54 games. . . . F Justin Maylan drew three assists for the Raiders, while F Anthony Bardaro had a goal, his 31st, and two helpers. . . . Moose Jaw has won three in a row. . . . The Warriors, who lead the East Division, are four points behind the idle Edmonton Oil Kings, who lead the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Brandon, F Brenden Walker scored twice to help the Wheat Kings to a 6-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia had three assists for Brandon, while F Michael Ferland had two. . . . Brandon scored the game’s first three goals and the last three. . . . The Wheat Kings had F Kevin Sundher and F Jason Swyripa back from injuries. . . . Brandon D Ayrton Nikkel had one assist and was plus-4. . . . Brandon is 7-0-1 in its last eight and has moved into seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Saskatoon Blades and one ahead of the Regina Pats. . . .

In Calgary, F Cody Sylvester scored his second goal of the game at 3:46 of OT to give the Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blades held a 3-1 lead halfway through the third period. . . . Sylvester scored at 10:18 and F Victor Rask tied it, with his 30th, at 14:01. . . . Sylvester won it with his 22nd goal of the season. . . . F Jimmy Bubnick got his 30th goal for Calgary. . . . F Matej Stransky got his 35th for Saskatoon. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger came on after Saskatoon’s third goal. He stopped all six shots he faced and got the victory. . . . The Hitmen, with three straight victories, clinched a playoff spot. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, four points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades are sixth, a point behind Kootenay and a point ahead of Brandon. . . .

In Red Deer, G Jon Groenheyde stopped 45 shots to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-0 victory over the Rebels. . . . It was his second 4-0 shutout over the Rebels this season. . . . That is the most saves by a goaltender in recording a shutout this season. There have been 58 shutouts in the WHL this season. . . . Groenheyde has two shutouts this season and two in his career. . . . The Broncos have put up two shutouts this season; the Rebels have been blanked five times. . . . F Brad Hoban had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . F Josh Derko’s eighth goal, at 6:42 of the first, stood up as the winner. . . . The Broncos were 2-2 on the PP. . . . F Taylor Vause scored his 35th goal of the season. . . . The Broncos swept the four-game season series. . . . The Rebels, with eight regulars on the shelf with injuries, are nine points out of a playoff spot with eight games left. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brett Bulmer and F Shane McColgan each had two goals to lead the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 43 shots in picking up his 20th victory. . . . The Blazers held a 46-18 edge in shots, including 22-5 in the third. . . . Bulmer, with his 30th, and McColgan, with his 16th, got the Rockets going with goals 49 seconds apart early in the first period. . . . F Zach Franko had three assists for the Rockets, who clinched a playoff spot with the victory. . . . Kamloops F Jordan DePape, playing his first game since suffering a shoulder injury on Oct. 10, scored the Blazers’ last goal, his third of the season. . . . These teams will play tonight in Kelowna with the Blazers needing one point to clinch the B.C. Division pennant. . . . Kelowna clinched a playoff spot and will finish sixth in the Western Conference. The Rockets will face the second-place team from the U.S. Division, either the Portland Winterhawks or Tri-City Americans, in the first round. . . .

In Prince George, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last four goals as they beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 17 shots, 17 fewer than Prince George’s Drew Owsley. . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer scored his 20th goal. . . . With the victory, the Chiefs, who have won three in a row, moved into fourth place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the Vancouver Giants. Those two teams are headed for a first-round clash, with the Chiefs now holding home-ice advantage. Each team has eight games remaining. . . . The Cougars have dropped seven in a row. They are five points out of a playoff spot with eight games left. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Taylor Leier scored the game’s last two goals as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Tri-City Americans, 6-4. . . . The Winterhawks, who have won four in a row from the Americans and 10 of their last 11 overall, took a 4-2 lead in the second period, only to have the Americans tie it on goals by F Adam Hughesman, his 39th, at 12:28 and D Zach Yuen, his 11th, at 15:42. . . . Leier, who has 11 goals, scored at 3:23 of the third to break a 4-4 tie. He added an empty-netter at 19:44. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had one assist for the Americans, who had won their previous seven games. . . . F Oliver Gabriel drew three assists for Portland, while F Brad Ross had two goals, giving him 38, and a helper. . . . F Justin Feser scored twice for the Americans, giving him 34. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots in winning his WHL-leading 40th game. . . . Tri-City’s Ty Rimmer turned aside 33. . . . The teams will meet Sunday in Portland. . . . With the victory, the Winterhawks moved into first place in the overall standings, one point ahead of the Americans, two up on Kamloops and three ahead of Edmonton. . . . Portland is 11-0-1 in its last 12 games. . . . Attendance was 6,121, the second-largest crowd in the Americans’ history in the Toyota Center. . . .

In Vancouver, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Giants, 6-4. . . . Tigers D James Bettauer forged a 4-4 tie with his 20th goal, on a PP, just 35 seconds into the third period. . . . Tigers F Boston Leier broke the tie with his 13th at 5:11 and F Emerson Etem got his WHL-leading 54th goal at 5:45. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison gave up six goals on 19 shots, including three on four shots in the third period, before being hooked. . . . The Tigers were 3-7 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-8. . . . The Tigers went 3-0 on a short but long trip that took them to Prince George and Vancouver. . . . The Giants will catch a ferry to Victoria this morning where they will play the Royals tonight and again Sunday at 1 p.m. . . . Vancouver F Austin Vetterl (leg) was injured in practice this week and the team says he will be out four weeks. . . . Pro cheerleader Cameron Hughes, who was in Kamloops on Friday night, is due in Victoria tonight. . . . The Tigers were playing their 3,000th regular-season game, which means the legendary Bob Ridley, the Tigers’ radio voice, was calling his 2,999th game. . . . Ridley will get to No. 3,000 on Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice visits Medicine Hat. . . . The Tigers are third in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Giants slipped a point behind fourth-place Spokane in the Western Conference. . . .

In Everett, G Kent Simpson stopped 25 shots to help the Everett Silvertips to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Simpson has one shutout this season and five in his career. . . . It was the sixth time this season that Seattle has been blanked. . . . F Josh Birkholz had a goal, his 27th, and an assist, as did F Reid Petryk, who has 15 goals. . . . D Ryan Murray scored his ninth goal. . . . Seattle took 50 of 76 penalty minutes. . . . The Silvertips were 1-8 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-5. . . . The victory lifted Everett past Seattle and into eighth place in the Western Conference. . . . The Silvertips are a point ahead of Seattle and one behind the seventh-place Victoria Royals. . . . Interestingly, the Silvertips are in possession of a playoff spot despite having the fewest victories (18) of any team in the league. They do have nine loser points, though.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Jesse Forsberg, Prince George.
F Mitch Elliot, Seattle.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES
Swift Current at Edmonton
Calgary at Kootenay
Lethbridge at Moose Jaw
Saskatoon at Red Deer
Brandon at Regina
Tri-City at Everett
Kamloops at Kelowna
Seattle at Portland
Spokane at Prince George
Vancouver at Victoria
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
The WHL has awards to honour executives and head coaches, referees and marketing people and on and on. So, Mr. Commissioner, why aren’t there awards to honour the league’s hardest-working people, the assistant coaches, the trainers/athletic therapists and the equipment managers?

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Tuesday’s moves in the Western Hockey League:
EVERETT SILVERTIPS—Released F Vladimir Dolnik, 18. Reassigned F Matt Grant, 18, to BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Reassigned D Darian Henry, 17, to AJHL’s Drumheller Dragaons.
KELOWNA ROCKETS—Released D Kevin Smith, 20.
KOOTENAY ICE—Traded F Brendan Hurley, 18, to Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick.
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS—Traded F Reid Petryk, 18, to Everett Silvertips for F Miles Koules, 17.
MOOSE JAW WARRIORS—Traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS—Assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to BCHL’s Westside Warriors.
PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS—Traded D Martin Marincin, 19, 2012 fourth- and seventh-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick to Regina Pats for D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, 2012 first- and second-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fifth-round pick. Assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to undisclosed AJHL team. Added F John Odgers, 18, to roster.
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS—Traded F Marcel Noebels, 19, to Portland for F Seth Swenson, 18, and first-round bantam draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
SPOKANE CHIEFS—Added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to roster.
TRI-CITY AMERICANS—Acquired WHL rights to F Brett Connolly, 19, from Prince George Cougars for 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick, conditional 2013 first-round draft pick and conditional 2014 second-round draft pick.
VANCOUVER GIANTS—Traded F James Henry, 20, to Moose Jaw Warriors for 2012 second-round bantam draft pick and 2014 third-round pick. Traded G Brendan Jensen, 18, to Portland for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick. Traded D Eric Walker, 18, to Swift Current for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
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DRAFT TRACKER (since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 22
Players: 35
Bantam draft picks: 29
Import draft picks: 0
(Does not include conditional draft picks)
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While everyone waited to see if the Regina Pats would trade away veteran C Jordan Weal, general manager Chad Lang performed an end-around.
Instead of selling, the Pats turned into buyers as the WHL deadline came and went on Tuesday.
Lang stunned a lot of people when he landed Slovakian D Martin Marincin, 19, early Tuesday in a deal with the Prince George Cougars that ended up totalling two players and six bantam draft picks.
Marincin, a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft, was one of the big fish in the WHL lake as the trade deadline approached. In exchange for him, the Cougars got Swedish D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, first- and second-round picks in 2012 and a fifth-rounder in 2013.
Along with Marincin, Regina also got fourth- and seventh-round selections in 2012 and a fourth-rounder in 2013.
Marincin, a big, rangy defender who excels on the PP, has 17 points in 30 games this season. Last season, he had 56 points in 67 games. He is expected to be in the Pats’ lineup tonight against the host Prince Albert Raiders.
Blidstrand, a seventh-round selection by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL’s 2010 draft, had 17 points in 70 games last season. This season, he has 13 points in 30 games.
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The Prince George Cougars sent the WHL rights to F Brett Connolly to the Tri-City Americans for one bantam draft pick and two conditional picks. The Cougars get a 2013 fifth-round selection from the Americans, along with a conditional first-round pick in 2013 and a conditional second-round selection in 2014. As I understand it, if Connolly reports and if the Americans were to win the Western Conference, that 2014 pick would become a first-rounder. . . . Connolly, the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, except for four weeks with Canada’s national junior team. He has eight points with the Lightning. . . . Connolly played 8:33 last night in a 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Vancouver Canucks. He had 13 shifts, all at even strength. . . . Hello, Steve, this is Bob Tory calling. . . .
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The Portland Winterhawks surprised more than a few people by surrendering two first-round bantam draft picks and F Seth Swenson, 18, to acquire F Marcel Noebels, 19, from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Winterhawks gave up first-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 bantam drafts.
“We just could not pass up the offer that was made,” Russ Farwell, the general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), said in a news release. “We add a younger player and two high draft picks.”
Noebels, from Germany, has 24 points in 31 games this season. He also is a minus-22. He was the 10th overall selection by Seattle in the 2010 CHL import draft. The Philadelphia Flyers own his NHL rights, having taken him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.
Swenson, from Parker, Colo., had seven points in 33 games with Portland. This is his third WHL season. He has 21 points and 64 penalty minutes in 132 games.
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The Portland Winterhawks also acquired G Brendan Jensen, 18, from the Vancouver Giants for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick.
Jensen, from El Granada, Calif., is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. With the Saints, Jensen is 12-0-3, 2.14, .917.
And, to make room for F Cam Reid, 20, the Winterhawks released F Dillon Wagner, 20. Wagner, who was acquired earlier this season from the Swift Current Broncos, had seven points and 25 penalty minutes in 17 games with Portland.
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A note about the deal between Portland and Edmonton on Monday in which the rights to F Cam Reid, 20, went from the Oil Kings to the Winterhawks.
The deal was announced as being for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick. Actually, that is the price Portland paid just to talk with Reid. Under conditions of the deal, that pick has been upgraded to a 2013 second-round selection as Reid has left St. Cloud State and reported to Portland.
Any doubt about whether Reid would report was erased when I received a message from an interested observer:
“At MSP airport last night, there was a SCSU hockey bag with a bag tag for PDX sitting there . . . just saying!”
That would be Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU) and Portland (PDX).
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On Monday, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired F Cam Braes, 20, who had been the captain of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
On Tuesday, the Warriors went out and got F James Henry, 20, who was the Vancouver Giants’ captain.
In exchange for Henry, the Warriors gave up a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft and a third-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Henry, a ninth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2006 draft, was second on the Giants’ all-time list for games played (281). This season, he has 41 points, including 35 assists, in 41 games. He has 184 points in those 281 regular-season games.
Henry, who is from Winnipeg, and Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath are old friends from their childhood days in the Manitoba capital.
“He was a heck of a player when we were younger,” McIlrath told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “It’s going to be fun to play with him.”
Immediately following the trade, the Giants named F Brendan Gallagher as team captain.
That deal also left the Warriors with four 20-year-olds, one over the maximum. The other two were F Brett Lyon and F Kenton Miller.
The Warriors promptly traded Lyon, who is having a career offensive season, to the Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
Lyon has 28 points, including 11 goals, and 95 penalty minutes in 41 games. In 199 career games, Lyon has 54 points and 537 penalty minutes.
One of the WHL’s toughest players, his previous career highs were five goals and five assists. From Grand Forks, B.C., he also has played with the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver.
That left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds – the others being F Cody Chikie, D Kevin Smith and G Adam Brown – so the dominoes continued to fall.
In order to get down to three, the Rockets released Smith.
Late last night it was reported that Smith had signed with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies.
However, let’s not forget that Vancouver has room for a 20-year-old. Vancouver’s brass was meeting after the Giants’ 3-0 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars last night. Should the Giants choose to add a 20-year-old, their options could include Smith or F Dillon Wagner, who was dropped by Portland.
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The Vancouver Giants sent D Eric Walker, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
Walker left Northern Michigan University to join the Giants on Nov. 19. With Vancouver, Walker had two assists and 18 penalty minutes in 16 games.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers dealt F Reid Petryk, 18, to the Everett Silvertips for the rights to F Miles Koules, 17. . . . Petryk, a fourth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, had 19 points and 56 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Tigers. . . . Should Koules report to the Tigers, Everett also will get a fourth-round bantam pick. . . . Koules is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. He plays for the U-18 team that is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., and has committed to attend the U of North Dakota. . . . Koules is the son of former WHLer Oren Koules (Portland, Great Falls, Medicine Hat, Spokane, Calgary, Brandon, 1979-82), who did a stint as owner of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning a couple of seasons ago. Among other things, Koules, if you weren’t aware, is a movie producer. Go ahead. Google him. . . . Miles Koules has 13 points in 32 games with the U-18 team. Two seasons ago, he played at Shattock-St. Marys. . . . Pre-trade deadline speculation had Koules ending up with the Portland Winterhawks, something Oren Koules had heard.
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The Kootenay Ice sent F Brendan Hurley, 18, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick. Hurley, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., had six points and 29 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Ice. He was in his third season with the Ice, and was a member of last season’s Memorial Cup championship team.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to their roster. Walchuk, who has been on the Chiefs’ list since December 2008, has played at Northern Michigan University and with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers this season. A native of McBride, B.C., Walchuk played the last two seasons with the Vipers, who won one Canadian junior A championship and reached the final last year. This season, Walchuk had eight points in 19 games at NMU. He then left NMU and returned to the Vipers, putting up six points in six games with Vernon.
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ALSO ON THE MOVE:
The Everett Silvertips reassigned F Vladimir Dolnik, F Matt Grant and D Darian Henry. . . . Dolnik, 18, was selected in the 2011 CHL import draft and is returning to Slovakia. He had five helpers in 27 games with the Silvertips. . . . Grant, with no points in four games, is returning to the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Grant, 18, was acquired earlier in the season from Moose Jaw in a deal that had G Luke Siemens go to the Warriors. . . . Henry, 17, will join the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. He had one assist in 16 games with Everett. . . . The Prince George Cougars have assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to an undisclosed AJHL team. Smith In his second full season with the Cougars, had six points and 77 penalty minutes in 31 games. . . . The Cougars also revealed that they will be keeping F John Odgers, 18, for the remainder of the season. The son of former WHL/NHL F Jeff Odgers, John has one goal in four games. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. He had one assist and 10 penalty minutes in 17 games with the Raiders.
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Here’s how things work these days, thanks to Twitter, as folks watch the WHL trade deadline approach:
To set the stage . . . the Moose Jaw Warriors had just traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to the Kelowna Rockets. That deal left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds, the others being G Adam Brown, D Kevin Smith and F Cody Chikie.
At the same time, there had been ample speculation that the Brandon Wheat Kings were in the market for a goaltender. Never mind that they already have three on their roster.
So . . .
Early Tuesday afternoon, Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the  Wheat Kings, tweeted: “Take it for what it's worth, but Daniel Asham and Dylan Kuczek among those missing from #bdnwheatkings practice today.”
WEHP scout then responded with: “Could Asham/Kuczek be heading to Kelowna for Adam Brown? I feel things are winding down now.”
Cody Nickolet, the analyst on Saskatoon Blades’ broadcasts, followed that with: “It must be Brown on the way to Brandon now as the Rockets have too many 20's.”
Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, ended the suspense with: “To make room for Lyon, @Kelowna_Rockets release 20 year old d-man Kevin Smith.”
But what of Asham and Kuczek?
A few minutes later, Luebke tweeted: “Apparently, Kuczek and Asham both missing practice today with illness. Don't know if it's upper body illness or lower body illness.”
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While we’re at it, let’s not forget about the toll that the lead-up to the trade deadline takes on the players. Here are a few tweets from Tuesday:
D Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winterhawks: “WHL trade deadline #nerveracking tension in the dressing room #fornow”
F James Henry, after being traded from Vancouver to Moose Jaw: “Want to say thank u to everyone in vancouver the fans players coaches management owners scouts n billets thank u for everything”
F Justin Kirsch of the Moose Jaw Warriors: “These are the most nerve racking days of a young mans career #tradedeadline”
F Andrew Johnson of the Warriors: “Sad day for the boys. Gonna miss ya @BLyon9 best of luck out there and keep in touch. Will always remember the self proclaimed 'big cheese' ”
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Former WHL G Jeff Bosch, now at Lakehead U in Thunder Bay: “for the 1st time in 5 yrs i dont have 2 worry about being dealt 2 a new team, different city #unilife #thanksciszler4nothavingtrades”
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And there was this tweet from Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Calvin Pickard: “@bconnolly8 don't even think about it..........”
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And one from Portland F Sven Baertschi: “well i guess im not the only euro anymore....@MarcelNoebels !!!”
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If you enjoyed the extensive WHL trade deadline coverage, perhaps you would consider donating to the cause. If so, just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The NHL’s Anaheim Ducks have restructured the coach staff of their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Trent Yawney, who had been a pro scout with the Ducks, was moved in as associate head coach, Mark Holick, a former Kootenay Ice head coach, was moved from head coach to associate coach. . . . Marty Wilford stays on as assistant coach. . . . Yawney, from Hudson Bay, Sask., had been an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks from 2008-11. . . . Yawney was an assistant coach under Marc Crawford with the Canadian team at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, late last month. . . . The Crunch is 15-15-4, good for fourth place in the five team East Division.
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JUST NOTES: F Henrik Samuelsson practised with the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday. He was skating alongside T.J. Foster and Kristians Pelss. . . . Samuelsson, the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, is eligible for the NHL’s 2012 draft. He had been playing in Sweden but, because he was born in Sweden, he isn’t classified as an import player. . . . F Stefan Matteau, the U.S. U-18 team’s leading scorer, has decided not to go to the U of North Dakota. He announced via Twitter that he will play for the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season. He is the son of former NHL F Stephane Matteau, who is an assistant coach with the Armada. “My decision is final,” the younger Matteau tweeted. . . . The OHL has suspended Kingston Frontenacs D Alex Gudbranson, 18, for 10 games for a hit to the head of Peterborough Petes F Matt Puempel. Gudbranson is the younger brother of Florida Panthers D Erik Gudbranson.
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ON THE ICE:
In Vancouver, G Jackson Whistle earned his first WHL victory and his first shutout as the Giants dumped the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Whistle, a 16-year-old from Kelowna, is 1-5-0, 3.42, .873. . . . It was the first time Vancouver has blanked an opponent this season. . . . The Cougars have been shut out a WHL-leading seven times. . . . The Cougars have been shut out in three of their last four games, during which time they have scored one goal. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had a goal, his 28th, and an assist for the Giants. . . . F Dalton Sward got the game’s first goal. It was his 10th, equalling his total from last season. He also ended a 13-game drought by scoring on his 18th birthday. . . . The Giants won the season series, 7-1. . . . The Cougars have lost five in a row. 

Charles Inglis of the Prince George Cougars drew a charging major
for this hit on Josh Birkholz (10)
of the host Everett Silvertips on Saturday night.(Photo by Christopher Mast / mastimages.com)

In Calgary, the Hitmen scored the game’s first three goals and the last three, and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 6-2. . . . F Alex Gogolev had two goals and two assists for Calgary, which was 3-for-5 on the PP. . . . Gogolev has 15 points, seven of them goals, in 19 games. . . .
In Cranbrook, goaltender Andrey Makarov stopped 36 shots to lead the Blades to a 2-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Blades have won five in a row and now are atop the Eastern Conference. . . . F Brent Benson’s fourth goal, on the PP, broke a 1-1 tie at 15:49 of the third period. . . . D Darren Dietz had given Saskatoon a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 2:56 of the first period. . . . Kootenay’s Max Reinhart tied it with his ninth goal of the season, on the PP, at 19:13 of the first. . . . The Ice will play its next nine games on the road. . . .
In Vancouver, F James Henry’s shootout goal gave the Giants a 4-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Henry, who scored the shootout’s only goal, also had a goal and an assist in regulation time. He is 3-for-3 in shootouts this season. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher forced OT with a goal at 18:47 of the third period. . . . Vancouver has won four straight. . . . Prince George was without F Charles Inglis, who has drawn a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on F Josh Birkholz of the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday night. Check out the dynamite photo by Chris Mast of the moment of impact. . . . Also missing from the Cougars’ lineup was D Jesse Forsberg and F Brock Hirsche, both of whom suffered injuries on Saturday. . . . Vancouver was without F Nathan Burns (ankle). He was injured in Saturday’s 3-2 OT victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . .
In Victoria, F Robin Soudek and F Logan Nelson had shootout goals as the Royals got past the Red Deer Rebels, 4-3. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges tied the score 3-3 at 19:24 of the third period. . . . The Rebels, who are 5-0-1 on a road trip, had five shots in OT and hit four posts during the game. . . . The Royals had lost three games in a row on home ice. They finished a seven-game homestand at 3-3-1. . . . The Royals were without F Kevin Sundher (undisclosed) but he is expected to return to practice today. . . . The Rebels picked up seven points on their four-game swing into the B.C. Division.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One night after there were 10 minor penalties called, there weren’t any handed out. Well done!
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Michael Russo, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“In a neat thing, the Wild recalled goalie prospect Darcy Kuemper from ECHL Ontario (Calif.) so he can take the ice during the Wild's optional morning skate Sunday at Anaheim's Honda Center. That means Kuemper, 21, the Western Hockey League's Player and Goalie of the Year last season, will earn his first NHL paycheck and a day's per diem before being reassigned — likely Monday.”
Kuemper was the Red Deer Rebels’ starter last season in what was his 20-year-old season.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Could it be that the WHL has found a way to eliminate concussions? Simply by not reporting them? If you haven’t yet seen this week’s WHL injury list, you should check it out. (To find it, go to the WHL website, click on NEWS, then WHL WEEKLY REPORT.)
Every injured player — every single one of them — is listed as having either an upper body or lower body inury. 

For instance, D Brodie Melnychuk of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has a broken wrist, is shown to have an upper body injury. Brandon F Brenden Walker, who is recovering from a concussion suffered last season, also has an upper body injury.

Seattle Thunderbirds F Branden Troock, who is struggling with migraines, is shown as having an upper body injury.F Max Adolph of the Kelowna Rockets, who returned home to Saskatoon this week with another in a series of concussions, isn’t even listed on the injury report.

While everyone is pleading for transparency when it comes to head injuries, the WHL, a league in which players incurred more than 100 concussions last season, has taken a horrible step backwards.Here’s hoping someone in the Calgary office comes to their senses and returns the injury list to what it used to be.

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Normally, I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to the Canadian Hockey League’s BMO CHL MasterCard top 10 rankings and it isn’t because of the ridiculously long title.

No, it’s because the rankings often are badly lacking in the credibility department.

However, when I noticed that the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, who are the defending Memorial Cup champions, are at No. 1 in the latest rankings, despite their ho-hum record (3-3-0), I chose to take a look.The Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, who appeared in the 2011 Memorial Cup as the host team, are No. 10, with a 2-0-0 record.

And what of the Kootenay Ice, the WHL’s defending champion?

Well, the Ice, despite being 2-0-1, despite having gotten G Nathan Lieuwen back from the Buffalo Sabres, despite having gotten F Max Reinhart back from the Calgary Flames, is nowhere to be found.

The WHL’s Red Deer Rebels (2-0-0) moved from ninth to third. The Portland Winterhawks (2-1-0) fell from third to fifth. The Kelowna Rockets (1-0-0) dropped from seventh to ninth despite winning their lone game, beating the Silvertips in Everett.

The Regina Pats (2-0-0) earned an honourable mention, never mind that they haven’t made the playoffs since the spring of 2008 and never mind that their two early victories both were over the Swift Current Broncos, a team that also has struggled in recent seasons.

The Kootenay Ice? If nothing else, the lack of respect gives head coach Kris Knoblauch more bulletin board material.

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JUST NOTES: D Kyle Verdino, 20, has left the Seattle Thunderbirds after signing an ATO with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Verdino, who was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos over the summer, had one assist in Seattle’s lone game to this point in the season. . . . F James Henry of the Vancouver Giants tied a franchise record Wednesday night as he drew five assists in a 6-5 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. Henry now shares the record with F Craig Cunningham, who set it on Oct. 20 in a 7-5 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Giants were without C Brendan Gallagher, who remains with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, and D Neil Manning (back). . . . The Regina Pats improved to 3-0 with a 5-3 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. The Pats had lost their last six appearances in Medicine Hat by a combined score of 32-12. . . . F Darren Kramer, who led the WHL in fighting majors (46) and penalty minutes (306) last season, has been returned to the Spokane Chiefs by the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Kramer’s arrival will leave the Chiefs with four 20-year-olds on their roster, the others being F Steven Kuhn, F Matt Marantz and D Corbin Baldwin.

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

Monday . . .

MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Winnipeg, F Shayne Wiebe and F Matt MacKay had a goal and two assists each as the host Brandon Wheat Kings doubled the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-3. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Winnipeg on Thursday. . . . With the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Westman Place in Brandon, the Wheat Kings were forced to move first-round games to the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. It is the home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. . . . The Tigers got a goal and two helpers from F Cole Grbavac. . . . Attendance was 5,063. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy sat out this one. He was suspended for one game after taking a double minor for checking from behind in Saturday’s Game 2. . . . The Tigers also were without G Tyler Bunz (concussion), F Tyler Pitlick (ankle) and D Dylan Busenius (foot). . . . Kirk Penton of the Winnipeg Sun has a story on the game right here. Included is a bit on a third-period hit by Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk on Brandon F Brenden Walker. The hit went unpenalized, but Walker left the game. . . . Interesting. Penton’s father, Bruce, covered the Wheat Kings for the Brandon Sun in the early 1970s. . . .
In Edmonton, the Red Deer Rebels erased a 1-0 deficit with three third-period goals and beat the Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . F Byron Froese, with two, and F Daulton Siwak scored for Red Deer. Siwak broke a 1-1 tie at 18:08 and Froese provided insurance 20 seconds later. . . . F T.J. Foster had given Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 1:45 of the third. . . . The Rebels lead the series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday in Edmonton. . . . Red Deer F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two assists, giving him a WHL-high seven points in the series. . . . There were something like 23 NHL scouts on hand for the game.
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MONDAY’S CFB COUNT:
None.
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JUST NOTES: The 50/50 draw in Saskatoon on Sunday night was won by former WHL players Dan Hulak (Swift Current, Portland, 1997-2001) and Scott McQueen (Red Deer, Saskatoon, 1997-99). They ended up splitting around $44,000. Hulak is the brother of former Blades captain Derek Hulak. . . . F Brett Ferguson of the Red Deer Rebels is the WHL’s player of the week. He had a goal and four assists in the first two games of the Rebels’ series with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks is the WHL’s goaltender of the week after going 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .972 save percentage in the first two games of a series with the Everett Silvertips. . . . The NAHL is adding a franchise in Minot, N.D., and there are some former WHLers involved. The Minot Daily News has more right here.
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Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun speculates on whether the Vancouver Giants will have F James Henry (knee) back for Game 3 of their series with the Tri-City Americans. That game goes tonight in Vancouver; the Americans hold a 2-0 lead. . . . The Giants haven’t allowed Henry to chat with the media. . . . Pap’s story is right here.
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The best play-by-play man in the history of sports is about to start another season. To get you prepped, here’s a column on Vin Scully by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times. Don’t miss the good read of the day.

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

Down the stretch they come . . .

It is fair to say that the WHL is into the stretch run. Every team but one, the Tri-City Americans, has played at least 50 games. And there are some awfully interesting playoff races on the go.
It would seem safe to say that things are going to get awfully heated between now and March 20, the final night of the regular season.
There are 10 games scheduled for tonight and there are some interesting matchups.
The Regina Pats, for example, are in Brandon to play the Wheat Kings. The Pats are 11^th in the 12-team Eastern Conference, three points behind the Wheat Kings, who hold down the last playoff spot.
The Seattle Thunderbirds visit the Silvertips in Everett, knowing that they need to stop their nine-game losing streak if they are to make the playoffs. The Thunderbirds are 10^th in the 10-team Western Conference, two points out of a playoff spot and six points behind Everett, which has won four in a row.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes are in Prince Albert to meet the Raiders, with both teams tied for ninth in the East, one point behind Brandon and two behind the seventh-place Swift Current Broncos, who have lost seven in a row and are at home to the fourth-place Medicine Hat Tigers.
And the Spokane Chiefs are in Kennewick, Wash., where they will meet the Americans. The Chiefs are second in the U.S. Division, but are just three points behind the Portland Winterhawks and just one ahead of Tri-City. The Americans hold two games in hand on the Chiefs and four on the Winterhawks.
Meanwhile, the Chilliwack Bruins will cross the Coquihalla to Kamloops where they will tangle with the Blazers, showcasing again what is turning into a nasty, nasty rivalry.
In fact, Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progess reports that the coaches -- Kamloops head coach Guy Charron and Chilliwack head coach Marc Habscheid -- seem to be embroiled in something of a war of words.
It seems that Charron had a few things to say on Radio NL’s postgame show after his club scored a 5-1 victory in Chilliwack on Saturday in a game that featured some late scraps and a biting allegation.
Habscheid, ordinarily a man of few words, wasn’t reserved in firing back.
Each team is 2-7-1 in its last 10 games, so perhaps frustrations are starting to boil over on the ice and behind the benches.
The teams meet tonight in Kamloops and again Saturday in Chilliwack.
For your reading enjoyment, check out Welsh’s piece right here.
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These are not good times in the camp of the Swift Current Broncos. Jordan Wall, the team’s director of business operations, tells Chris Jaster of the Prairie Post that falling attendance figures have put the organization in a tough financial position. That story is right here.
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Unless some local investors come forward between now and March 4, the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats will be on their way to Whitecourt, Alta. Carl Carter of the Lloydminster Meridian Booster has the story right here.
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Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald takes a look at F Jimmy Bubnick of the Calgary Hitmen, including his latest facial cut. This one took about 20 stitches to close and, yes, there’s a photo. It’s all right here.
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D Luca Sbisa (Lethbridge, Portland, 2007-10) is beginning to carve out what he hopes is a long NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks. Mark Whicker of the Orange Country Register checks in with him right here.
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JUST NOTES: The Brandon Wheat Kings have recalled D Dylan Kuczek, 16, from the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. He was a second-round selection by the Wheat Kings in the 2009 bantam draft. The 6-foot-0, 205-pounder has 18 points and 69 penalty minutes in 30 games with the Thrashers. . . . The Wheat Kings are short of defencemen, having lost Brodie Melnychuk to a broken leg and Spencer Galbraith to a one-game suspension for a charging major incurred in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Wheat Kings are at home to the Regina Pats tonight. . . . F James Henry (knee) hasn’t played for the Vancouver Giants since being injured on Dec. 27 in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers. The Giants, having won seven of their last eight games, meet the Hitmen in Calgary tonight and they hope to have Henry back in the lineup. . . .
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Here’s how Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports began his report on the firing of a QMJHL coach this week: “This actually happened: Tuesday, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens took the team picture with Richard Martel in it; and by Wednesday, he was out of the picture.”
Click!

By GREGG DRINNAN
Don Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, said it felt like trading a son when the WHL team traded centre Craig Cunningham to the Portland Winterhawks on Tuesday.
“It was tough . . . very tough,” Hay said. “Craig’s been with us a long, long time. He means a lot to our organization. He was like a son to me.”
But, as the pre-Christmas trade talks progressed between Portland and Vancouver, Hay said he flashed back to his two seasons with the Tri-City Americans. During those two seasons (1998-2000), his son, Darrell, was a defenceman with the Americans.
“When I was in Tre-City,” Don said, “I had a chance to trade my son. I didn’t do it there and I thought it might have hurt the organization. Obviously, we feel this is going to help the organization, as hard as it was to trade (Cunningham).”
The Giants sent Cunningham, 20, and a 2011 sixth-round bantam draft pick to the Winterhawks for forwards Spencer Bennett, 20, and Teal Burns, 18, and two draft picks — a first-rounder in 2011 and a second-rounder in 2012.
Cunningham, a native of Trail, had 97 points in 72 games last season, good for sixth place in the WHL scoring race. He led all Western Conference scorers and was chosen the conference’s player of the year. He was selected by Boston in the fourth round of the NHL’s 2010 draft and went to camp with the Bruins, but wasn’t signed.
He returned to the Giants and started this season like a house on fire, putting up 36 points in 18 games and looking as though he would run away with the scoring title. However, the Giants captain had just nine points in his last 18 games, although he is tied for sixth in the points derby.
“The first 18 games he got points and the team was successful,” Hay said. “The last 18 games we’ve really struggled to score goals and his point production has gone down. It’s kind of a hand-in-hand thing.”
In trading away Cunningham, Hay admitted, the Giants are giving up if not the face of the franchise at least a good piece of it.
“I think that to me Craig is one of the most competitive players in the league,” Hay said. “He’s really our identity player. You really hate to lose him.”
A seventh-round pick in the 2005 bantam draft, Cunningham was a long-time member of the Vancouver organization.
“You watch him grow up,” Hay said. “You know his mom and his background. It’s really hard to see him go.”
Cunningham flew into Portland on Tuesday and was in the Winterhawks’ lineup when they dropped a 5-1 decision to the visiting Tri-City Americans last night.
Bennett, from White Rock, has 21 points in 37 games with Portland, after a 40-point freshman season. The Calgary Flames took him in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL draft.
Burns, in his first WHL season, is from Victoria and has seven points in 37 games. Portland grabbed him in the eighth round of the 2007 bantam draft. Burns becomes the third player with that surname on the Giants’ roster; however, he isn’t related to forwards Michael and Nathan Burns, who are brothers from Edmonton.
Hay said the Giants weren’t necessarily looking to move Cunningham but when the phone rang they answered it.
“It wasn’t something we were looking at doing but Portland identified a need for them,” Hay said. “They contacted us and gave us a real interesting offer to look at.
It gives us a player for the present in Bennett, a player for the future in Burns and it gives us two draft picks, one that we had to recoup on the Musil trade.”
Prior to last season, the WHL held a draft for the rights to Czech defenceman David Musil, then 16. The Kootenay Ice won his rights and traded them to the Giants for a 2011 first-round bantam draft pick. The Cunningham trade gets the Giants back into the draft’s first round.
“We’ve given up a lot over the years to remain competitive,” Hay said. “We think we will still be compettive once we get all our bodies back and find out what kind of team we are.”
On the other hand, the injuries just keep coming for the Giants, who may never have their roster together and healthy.
“We started talking (with Portland) before Christmas,” Hay said. “They wanted to do it sooner rather than later. We would have liked to have kept Cunningham at least for (Tuesday night’s) game but, at the same time, we didn’t want to take the chance either.”
After trading away Cunningham, Hay named forward James Henry, 19, as the team’s new captain. A short time later, it was learned that Henry had suffered a knee injury in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers. Henry is to be re-evaluated today but one team official said last night that the Winnipeg native may be gone for six weeks.
The Giants also confirmed Tuesday that F Randy McNaught, 20, won’t play again this season. He suffered an ankle injury during a 5-4 victory in Kamloops on Oct. 11 and later had what has turned into season-ending surgery.
Also missing with injuries are D David Musil (ankle), F Greg Lamoureux (shoulder), F Marek Tvrdon (shoulder) and F Connor Redmond (shoulder). The Giants went into last night having lost 186 man-games to injury. With Tvrdon and McNaught done for this season, that total likely will reach 300 by season’s end.
The Giants may get some help once the World Junior Championship is over as 6-foot-4 F Andrej Stastny is expected to join them. Statsny, from Slovakia, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2010 CHL import draft. The Blades dropped him after they didn’t sign him — he also was injured — and the Giants added him to their protected list.
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Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun writes about the trade between the Giants and Portland Winterhawks right here.
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Marc Weber of the Vancouver Province writes that Tuesday’s transaction may have been only the start of things to come for the Giants. That story is right here.

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