Blazers, Rockets make a deal . . . Ex-Pats coach back behind bench

You know what they say about some things depending on whose bull is being gored?

Well, on March 4, D Joe Gatenby of the visiting Kelowna Rockets stepped up in the neutral zone and drilled F Jake Kryski of the Kamloops Blazers with as hard a check as was seen in the WHL last season.

It was the second period of a game that was televised nationally in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet.

Kryski, who suffered a broken nose on the play, skated one more shift and called it a night. The Blazers weren’t happy with the hit, and F Deven Sideroff went right to Gatenby and dropped the mitts.

The next day, the Blazers filed for supplemental discipline; however, Kryski subsequently passed the concussion protocol and Gatenby wasn’t suspended. In fact, both played that night in Kelowna.

So, on Thursday, you guessed it . . . 

The Blazers acquired Gatenby, 19, and his brother Danny, a defenceman who will turn 18 on Sept. 17, from the Rockets for Kryski, 18. Kamloops also received a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft. The Gatenbys are from Kelowna.

Shortly after the trade was announced, the Blazers, now with Joe Gatenby on their roster, were on Twitter . . . 

Here is a glimpse of what a player like Joe Gatenby can bring to the table, https://t.co/MRlTfpynW5

— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) August 18, 2016

The Blazers made the trade in the hopes that the older Gatenby will be able to eat up some of the playing time created by the departure of Ryan Rehill, who played out his eligibility last season. Rehill played a regular shift, was on the point of the first power-play unit and also killed penalties. Yes, Gatenby is going to get his fill of playing time in Kamloops.

Joe Gatenby, 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds, is preparing for his fourth WHL season after being a second-

round pick by the Rockets in the 2012 bantam draft. He has 44 points, including five goals, in 174 regular-season games, all with the Rockets. Last season, he earned 23 points, three of them goals, in 66 games. He also has played in 52 playoff games and five Memorial Cup games. An alternate captain, he was honoured by the Rockets as their top defenceman last season.

Danny Gatenby, 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, split last season between the Rockets (22 games) and the major midget Okanagan Rockets (15 games). He had one assist with Kelowna and 10 points, including two goals, with Okanagan.

With the two Gatenbys on board, the Blazers have nine defencemen on their roster with at least some WHL experience, the others being Dallas Valentine, 20, Cameron Reagan, 19, Dawson Davidson and Ondrej Vala, both 18, and Nolan Kneen and Conner McDonald, both 17. As well, Luke Zazula, a highly skilled 16-year-old from Langley, B.C., got into three games last season and is expected to be on the roster when the new season opens.

From Vancouver, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Kryski was the 13th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, taken by the Prince Albert Raiders. He was dealt to Kamloops in a trade that had G Cole Cheveldave go the other way. Kryski had 65 points, including 23 goals, in 136 regular-season games with the Blazers. Last season, he recorded 39 points, 12 of them goals.

The Rockets have lost F Tyson Baillie, their leading scorer from last season, to graduation, while F Rourke Chartier and F Justin Kirkland are likely to at least start the season as professionals. The Rockets, then, are hoping that Kryski can become one of their top six forwards. If they are fortunate, he will find some chemistry with the sublime F Nick Merkley, who is coming off a season-ending knee injury and create some offensive magic.

If you’re wondering, the Blazers and Rockets last pulled off a meaningful trade on Oct. 14 when F Gage Quinney, 20, was dealt to Kamloops for a third-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. Quinney provided the Blazers with 50 points in 48 games; the Rockets used the pick to take F Dallon Wilton of Beausejour, Man., who had 48 points in 32 games with the bantam AAA Eastern Selects.

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The Saskatoon Blades will celebrate the life of Gordie Howe, aka Mr. Hockey, on Sept. 25. As plans

now stand, the ashes of Howe, who died on June 10 at 88, and his wife Colleen, who passed away in 2009, will be buried near a statue of Howe that stands by the Blades’ home arena, the SaskTel Centre. . . . Steve Hogle, the Blades’ president, asked city council to declare the area around the statue a cemetery, in order to allow this to happen. City council now has asked the Saskatchewan government for the OK. . . . The interment is only part of a special day that the Blades are planning. . . . Included in the goings-on will be a noon tailgate party and a pregame ceremony at 2 p.m. The Blades and Swift Current Broncos will play at 2:25 p.m. . . . Andrea Hill of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.

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With the state of Alaska battling budget deficits, it seems the hockey programs at the U of Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks may be in trouble. . . . “The Alaska university system released a Strategic Pathways report Thursday that detailed ‘options to be considered’ to address a state legislative mandate to trim $50 million from the budget of the university system,” College Hockey News reports. “The report addressed three options specifically related to athletics at both Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks, and all three would affect the hockey programs of at least one of the schools.” . . . One option would eliminate both schools’ athletic departments. Another option would have the schools merge their athletic departments and cut the number of sports in which the new department would participate. A third option would eliminate Division I sports — that would include hockey — and compete on with existing sports in Division II. . . . “We are in a crisis (in Alaska),” Keith Hackett, the athletic director at Alaska-Anchorage, said. “And there’s no two ways about it.” . . . The College Hockey News piece is right here.

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The Colorado Avalanche is about to begin interviewing potential head coaches as it works to replace Patrick Roy, who quit last week. Reports indicate that three of the candidates are former WHL players, two of whom have coached in the WHL. . . . Travis Green, the head coach of the AHL’s Utica Comets, is believed to be on Colorado’s radar. He played in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs and Medicine Hat Tigers (1986-90) and coached with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Lane Lambert, an assistant coach with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, spent two seasons (1981-83) with the Saskatoon Blades and coached with the Moose Jaw Warriors and Prince George Cougars. . . . Jared Bednar, who played with the Saskatoon Blades, Spokane, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders (1990-93), is the head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, who won the 2015-16 AHL title as the Lake Erie Monsters.  

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Former Regina Pats head coach Brad Tippett has signed on as director of hockey operations and head coach of the junior B Peninsula Panthers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League. . . . Tippett takes over as head coach from Rob Mortin, who left the team to pursue other opportunities. . . . Tippett, a brother to long-time NHL coach Dave Tippett, coached the Pats for four seasons (1989-93). . . . Steven Heywood of the Peninsula News Review has more on this story right here.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors have hired Scott King as assistant coach/co-ordinator, player development. . . . From Saskatoon, King played one season at Boston U and then joined the Kelowna Rockets for the 1996-97 season. He went on to a pro career that included 14 seasons (2001-15) in Germany. Last season, King served as the Warriors’ skills coach and also was Hockey Canada’s head skills development coach. . . . King, 39, is the son of veteran coach Dave King.

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The SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks have hired T.J. Millar as an assistant coach. From Calgary, Millar, 22, had been the Tri-City Americans’ video coach.

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You can all go home. The internet has been won for the day. #nakedtrump pic.twitter.com/nY3COVrB3W

— Sandi Behrns (@SandiBehrns) August 18, 2016

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Winterhawks in front of 'Tips . . . Former WHLer next top cop in Toronto? . . . Gong show in NHL

F Stanislav Balán (Portland, 2005-06) has signed a one-year contract with Vítkovice Steel Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 13 goals and 18 assists in 51 games. . . .
F Roman Horák (Chilliwack, 2009-11) has signed a one-year extension with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL). This season, he had 31 points, including 18 goals, in 53 games. . . .
D Michal Hlinka (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, 2010-12) has signed a one-year extension with Dukla Trencin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had 15 points, seven of them goals, in 43 games this season.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored the game’s first five goals as they skated to a 5-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Portland takes a 2-1 lead into Game 4 tonight at home. . . . The teams hadn’t played since Saturday because of arena availability issues in Portland. . . . Portland D Anton Cederholm opened the scoring with his first goal at 17:52 of the second period. . . . By coincidence, freelancer Scott Sepich wrote a feature on Cederholm and his father, who is in Portland this week from Sweden, for The Oregonian. That piece is right here. . . . F Nic Petan got his sixth goal at 18:13 of the second, on a PP, and F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, giving him eight, in the third period. . . . F Dominic Turgeon upped it to 5-0 at 14:27. . . . Everett scored three times in 1:46 late in the period, with D Kevin Davis, F Ivan Nikolishin and F Graham Millar scoring. . . . Petan also had two assists for Portland, as did F Miles Koules and F Chase De Leo. . . . F Logan Aasman had two assists for Everett. . . . Winterhawks G Adin Hill stopped 16 shots. . . . Everett starter Carter Hart gave up four goals on 34 shots. Reliever Austin Lotz was beaten once on two shots in 6:26 of playing time. . . . Portland was 2-for-5 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-2. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl returned to the lineup after a five-game absence, but the Silvertips remain without D Noah Juulsen and D Tristen Pfeiffer. . . . Leedahl was involved in a fight with F Keegan Iverson at 10:27 of the second period, then took a cross-checking minor at 19:01. Leedahl didn’t return to serve out his penalty to start the third period. Nikolishin actually finished serving the penalty. . . . Attendance was 5,518.

Joke that'll kill at your next dinner party: Q: What do you call it when Everett hockey players pay gratuities in quarters? A: Silver tips
— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) April 17, 2015

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D Connor Hobbs of the Regina Pats has drawn one of those ‘tbd’ suspensions from the WHL for a hit in Game 4 against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday night. Hobbs took out Brandon D Ryan Pilon, whose status for Game 5 in Brandon tonight isn’t known.
Here’s Rob Henderson, the Brandon Sun’s sports editor, with some thoughts earlier Thursday:
“It would be in the Wheat Kings’ best interest to end the series as soon as possible. In addition to the obvious desire to not let the Pats force a Game 6 on Sunday in Regina, the physical series is also taking a serious toll on both teams’ lineups.
“Wheat Kings Jayce Hawryluk, Rihards Bukarts, Colton Waltz and Ryan Pilon have all been injured since the series began, with Pilon being knocked out of Game 4 by the hit that led to Hobbs’ major. . . . Pats defenceman Sergey Zborovskiy still has one game left in his suspension for the hit that sidelined Hawryluk, while Regina’s Rykr Cole and Chase Harrison have also gone down to injuries in the series.”
Henderson added that Kelly McCrimmon, Brandon’s general manager and head coach, “didn’t divulge any information when asked if any of his injured players would return for tonight’s game.”
Brandon F Morgan Klimchuk, who has sat out six games, took part in Thursday’s optional skate.
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The Calgary Hitmen can eliminate the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers tonight and book a berth in the Eastern Conference final. . . . The Hitmen are coming off a 2-1 OT victory in Medicine Hat on Wednesday night that gave them a 3-1 lead in the series. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini, who leads the WHL playoffs in assists (10) and points (19), missed Game 4 with an undisclosed injury, but was back on skates Thursday. He likely will skate again this morning and then be re-evaluated. . . . You can bet that the Hitmen go into tonight’s game with their first-round series victory over the Kootenay Ice fresh in their minds. Calgary was ahead 3-1 in that series and it ended up going seven games. . . . The Tigers may be without F Blake Penner, who left Game 4 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this story for the Calgary Herald.
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The NHL’s Colorado Avalanche is dropping its affiliation with the AHL’s Cleveland-based Lake Erie Monsters. . . . The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to announce today that they are moving their affiliation from Springfield, Mass., to Lake Erie. . . . There is speculation that the Arizona Coyotes will hook up with Springfield, at least for one seasno. . . . Former WHL GM/coach/player Dean Chynoweth is Lake Erie’s head coach. . . . Jared Bednar, another former WHL player, is the head coach in Springfield. . . . Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, who broke the story, writes that the Springfield coaching staff, which includes another former WHLer in Nolan Pratt, would move to Lake Erie. . . . Portzline’s blog piece is right here. . . . Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reported last night that the Avalanche will affiliate with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, which had been hooked up with the Florida Panthers. Next season, Florida will be affiliated with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, who had been Arizona’s farm team. Arizona, of course, will end up cutting a deal with Springfield, and the circle will be complete.
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The Globe and Mail is reporting that former WHLer Dale McFee, who is the president of the Prince Albert Raiders, is the “wild card contender” to become Toronto’s next police chief. McFee, who played four seasons with the Raiders (1982-86), also is a former Prince Albert police chief; he now is Saskatchewan’s deputy minister of corrections. . . . Robyn Doolittle’s story is right here.
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SUN FRONT: Game 2 btw #Sens & #Habs goes Friday. All we gotta say is HEADS UP, P.K. #ottnews #NHLPlayoffs #slashgate pic.twitter.com/qYJwF18yTL
— Ottawa Sun (@ottawasuncom) April 17, 2015

As Pierre LeBrun of ESPN notes in this piece right here, the NHL series between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators already has degenerated into a “gong show,” and it's only one game old. . . . It could be that Ottawa F Chris Neil, who didn’t play in Game 1, will be doing his thing tonight in Game 2.
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Just as things heat up in the NHL players and we are wondering if something might relieve the pressure, if only for a few minutes, along comes a video starring ESPN’s Britt McHenry. . . . If you haven’t seen it or read about what happened, well, it’s like something out of Dumb and Dumber and Dumbest. Seriously, you thought stuff like this only happened in Judd Apatow movies. . . . At one point, McHenry says to the attendant at a towing company’s lot: “Maybe if I was missing some teeth they would hire me, huh? . . I’m in television and you’re in a f------ trailer, honey.” . . . Sheesh, wouldn’t you think that someone who is in the TV business would realize that she just might be on camera in a place like that?
Richard Deitsch of SI.com has more right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed D Jarret Tyszka, who was the 16th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft. From Langley, B.C., Tyszka played this season for the midget team at the Yale Hockey Academy, putting up 10 points, three of them goals, in 23 games.
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F Tyler Jeanson of the MJHL-champion Portage Terriers has signed a letter of intent with the Colgate University Raiders. Jeanson, 17, was selected by the Kamloops Blazers in the ninth round of the 2012 bantam draft. The MJHL’s rookie of the year last season, he had 54 points, including 23 goals, in 56 regular-season games this season.
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The Melfort Mustangs won the SJHL championship last night, beating the host Notre Dame Hounds 4-0 to win the series, 4-0. Trevor Blevins, the Mustangs’ head coach, is from Melfort. He was a player with the Mustangs when they last won the SJHL title, in 1996. . . . The Mustangs went 12-2 in their playoff run, with both losses coming in OT. . . . In the BCHL, the host Penticton Vees beat the Nanaimo Clippers 3-2 last night. The Vees take a 3-2 series lead into Nanaimo for Game 6 tonight. The Clippers had won Games 1 and 2, both in Penticton. . . . In the AJHL, the Spruce Grove Saints hold a 3-1 lead on the Brooks Bandits with Game 5 scheduled for Spruce Grove tonight. . . . Three teams — the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Melfort and the MJHL-champion Portage Terriers — now have spots in the Western Canada Cup. It runs in Fort McMurray, April 25 through May 3. The top two teams move on to the Royal Bank Cup, the national championship tournament. This year, it will be held in Portage la Prairie, Man.
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I hear contract talks with Canes head coach and GM Peter Anholt are proceeding and they hope to have him signed soon.
— Dylan Purcell (@dylpurcell) April 17, 2015

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Aces come up kings in ECHL

F Ty Morris (Swift Current, Vancouver, Red Deer, 2003-05) has signed a one-year extension with Landshut (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had 46 points, including 15 goals, in 47 games.
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So I am embarking on a voyage of discovery to find out.
I'll be back in a couple of weeks. Until then . . .

1. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada has an interesting note in his weekly 30 Thoughts: “Another AHL coach to watch: Norfolk's Trent Yawney. Hearing Anaheim wants him on the bench next to Bruce Boudreau.” . . . There’s an opening in Anaheim because Bob Woods, whose contract with the Ducks was up and hadn’t yet been renewed, left to join the Saskatoon Blades as GM/head coach. . . . Yawney, from Hudson Bay, Sask., spent three seasons (1981-84) on the Blades’ blue line. . . . Friedman’s latest column is right here.

2. Baseball has Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. . . . Hockey has Billy Mosienko’s three goals in 21 seconds. . . . Brian Costello of The Hockey News revisits Mosienko’s amazing feat right here.

3. In Cincinnati, G Gerald Coleman stopped 23 shots as the Alaska Aces beat the Cyclones 4-0 and won the ECHL’s Kelly Cup final, 4-2. . . . The Aces won the last two games, both in Cincinnati, to win their third Kelly Cup, tying the South Carolina Stingrays for the most in ECHL history. . . . Former WHL F Turner Elson (Red Deer, 2009-13) had one of Alaska’s goals. . . . Former WHL D James Martin (Swift Current, Kootenay, 2008-11) was among Alaska’s scratches in Game 6. . . . According to an Aces news release, “Assistant coach Louis Mass joined Scott Burt, Jared Bednar and Patrick Wellar as the only individuals to have their names on the Kelly Cup three times.” . . . Burt (Seattle, Swift Current, Edmonton Red Deer, 1994-98) just completed his first season as an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs. Prior to that he played three seasons (2008-11) with the Aces and was an assistant coach for two more (2011-13). . . . Bednar, now an assistant coach with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, played three seasons in the WHL (Saskatoon, Spokane, Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, 1990-93). . . . Wellar, who played this season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, spent four seasons in the WHL (Portland, Calgary, 2000-04).

4. G Michael Hutchinson stopped 49 shots to lead the visiting St. John’s IceCaps to a 2-1 victory over the Texas Stars in Game 2 of the AHL final on Monday night in Cedar Park, Texas. . . . The series is tied, with the next three games in St. John’s, starting on Wednesday. . . . Hutchinson was especially busy in the third period when he made 20 saves. . . . F Blair Riley, a native of Chase, B.C., scored the GWG. He got his second goal of this postseason early in the second period, just 44 seconds after the Stars had tied the game. . . . F Brendan Ranford, who spent the previous five seasons with the Kamloops Blazers, had the lone Texas goal, his eighth of the playoffs.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:

Hearing #WHLGiants coaching search may be down to 2 guys - former #Canucks forward Tim Hunter and EDM Oil Kings assistant Steve Hamilton.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) June 9, 2014

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Brett Jaeger (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Saskatoon, 2001-04) signed a one-year contract extension with the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). Jaeger started last season with Copenhagen Hockey (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga), where he had a 3.12 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 27 games, before transferring to the Fischtown Pinguins. With the Pinguins, he had a 3.00 GAA in seven games. . . .
F Mike Wirll (Brandon, Prince Albert, Prince George, Lethbridge, 1997-2003) signed a one-year contract with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had four goals and 13 assists in 20 games with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite) last season. . . .
D Brett Festerling (Tri-City, Vancouver, 2001-07) signed a two-year contract with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had three goals and 15 assists in 52 games with St. John's Ice Caps (AHL) and was pointless in five games with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) last season.
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Another 20-year-old goaltender is on the move with the Brandon Wheat Kings having sent Brandon Anderson to the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Wheat Kings moved Anderson and a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick to the Silvertips for F Geordie Maguire, 17, who played last season for the Winnipeg Wild and led the Manitoba midget AAA league in scoring. . . . Maguire, a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2010 bantam draft, put up 77 points, 40 of them goals, in 42 games with the Wild. . . . Anderson has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals; should he be assigned to Everett, the Wheat Kings would get back the fifth-round pick. . . .
Anderson finished up each of the last two seasons with the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate, but didn’t see any game action. . . . Anderson was a free agent when he went to camp with the Capitals two years ago and came away with a contract. The Lethbridge Hurricanes later dealt him to Brandon, where he was 13-14-2, 3.96, .889 in 31 games last season. In six games with Lethbridge before the trade, he went 2-3-1, 3.78, .894. He also missed part of the season as he left the Wheat Kings and went home for reasons that never were disclosed. In 2010-11, after signing with the Capitals, he was 17-26-12, 3.77, .888. . . . Everett is looking for a goaltender to take over from Kent Simpson, 20, who has signed with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and is expected to open in their organization. If neither Anderson nor Simpson is back, Austin Lotz, 17, will get first crack at starting. . . . Should Anderson end up in Everett, he would become the fourth 20-year-old on the roster, along with F J.T. Barnett, F Cody Fowlie and F Ryan Harrison.
The deal leaves the Wheat Kings with Corbin Boes, 19, as the starter going into training camp, which is no surprise. Chances are he’ll be supported by Curtis Honey, 18, although Jordan Papirny, 16, may well be in the picture, too, before all is said and done. . . .
Anderson is the fourth 20-year-old goaltender to be traded this offseason. . . . Luke Siemens, who turns 20 on Nov. 6, went from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Prince Albert Raiders, while Ty Rimmer moved from the Tri-City Americans to Lethbridge, and Brandon Glover, who will be 20 on Aug. 21, was dealt by the Calgary Hitmen to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has the story right here of the Memorial Cup and the beating it has taken at the hands of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes. Hey, don’t sweat it because the Cataractes weren’t partying with the real thing.
But, geez Louise, just because you are passing around a replica is not reason to use it and abuse it.
After all, the Memorial Cup has some history behind it and deserves to be shown a bit more respect than it apparently has been getting.
With all the money a lot of these major junior teams are making, perhaps it’s time the CHL assigned an employee to babysit the Memorial Cup in these situations.
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D Paul Sohor (Everett, Tri-City, 2007-11) played out his junior eligibility last season with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers and now has decided to attend York University and play for the Lions. . . . He had 32 points in 50 games last season in Selkirk.
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Robbie Ftorek, the 60-year-old head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, and his family are in shock after the death Saturday of Anna Ftorek, a 23-year-old daughter. She died suddenly at the family home in Wolfeboro, N.H. There is more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jared Bednar has signed on with the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, as an assistant coach. Bednar spent the last two seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. In Springfield, he’ll work alongside head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Nolan Pratt. . . . Bednar played in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs and Saskatoon Blades (1990-1993). . . . The Falcons announced that Bednar got a “multi-year” deal. They also announced that Pratt has received a “contract extension beyond the 2012-2013 season.” He is heading into his second season on the Falcons’ staff. . . .
Barry Smith is headed for the Netherlands where he will work as head coach of the Tilburg Trappers, who play in the country’s top league. Smith, who coached the Kamloops Blazers (2008-10), replaces Theo van Gerwen, who was named technical director of the Dutch Hockey Association after two seasons with the Trappers. Smith signed a one-year deal with Tilburg. (This signing actually happened late in May and I somehow missed it. Apologies for that.)
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If you’ve got 20 or 30 minutes to invest in a great read, give this right here a look. Jason Schwartz of Boston Magazine takes a look at 38 Studios, the video-game company owned by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling that imploded and left behind quite a mess.

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Simon Ferguson (Lethbridge, Kelowna, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 18 goals and 33 assists in 40 games for Esbjerg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga) last season, good for second place in league scoring. . . .
D Jeff May (Prince Albert, Lethbridge, 2002-08) and D Jonathan Harty (Everett, 2004-08) each signed one-year contracts with Angers (France, Ligue Magnus). May had seven goals and 20 assists in 50 games for the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL), while Harty had seven goals and 20 assists in 26 games with the University of New Brunswick (CIS) and was pointless in three games with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) last season. Angers is coached by former Everett associate head coach Jay Varady.
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You will be aware that former WHLers like Darryl Sutter, Jarret Stoll, Dwight King and Colin Fraser helped the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup title.
But how about the other ex-WHLers who were involved?
So here’s a tip of the cap to . . .
Ron Hextall (Brandon, 1981-84), the Kings’ assistant GM. He has been with L.A. for six seasons now.
Bill Ranford (New Westminster, 1983-96), the Kings' goaltending coach.
Kim Dillabaugh, the Kelowna Rockets’ goaltending coach who is the Kings’ goaltender development coach.
Darren Granger, who has completed six seasons as the Kings’ equipment manager. He spent five seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Rob Laird (Regina, 1972-74) is the Kings’ senior pro scout. He has been with the Kings for 18 years, the last 16 as a pro scout.
Brent McEwen, a former GM of the Saskatoon Blades, has been the Kings’ Western Canada amateur scout since 2004.
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Craig West, the radio voice of the Tri-City Americans, was crying in his beer on Tuesday.
Actually, he wasn’t; at least, I don’t think he was.
But he did send along a note from the Pacific Northwest Inlander on the closing of the Viking Tavern in Spokane.
The tavern is located across from the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and was a favourite stop for folks before and after Chiefs games.
There is more right here.
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A memorial service for Bruce McDonald, the Seattle Thunderbirds’ radio analyst who died on June 6, will be held Friday, noon, at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Wash. The service is open to the public.
A note from a Thunderbirds’ news release:
“A memorial fund has been set up in Bruce’s name. Fans wishing to contribute should make out checks to “Bruce McDonald Memorial Trust Fund” and send them to the Seattle Thunderbirds Offices at 625 James, Kent WA 98032. Fans can also send their donations to: Bruce McDonald Memorial Trust Fund, CPO Box 634, Fall City, WA 98024.”
McDonald, who suffered from cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair, had been diagnosed with leukemia in April. He was 41.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The St. Louis Blues have opted not to pick up the option on the contract of Jared Bednar, the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, the NHL team’s AHL affiliate. Bednar went 81-63-12 in two seasons with the Rivermen.
Graham Thomas is the new head coach of the University of British Columbia’s varsity women's hockey program. Thomas, from Calgary, takes over from Jen Rawson, who resigned after last season, citing personal reasons. Thomas has been with the women’s team at Syracuse U, as associate coach and recruiting co-ordinator, since 2008-09. . . .
Fran Gow, a veteran of the AJHL wars, has signed a three-year contract to remain as GM/head coach of the Drayton Valley Thunder. Gow is a veteran of 19 years in the AJHL. He has been with the Thunder since 2007. . . . Gow immediately announced that Mike Mueller be staying put as associate coach.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F Jakob Stukel to a WHL contract. Stukel, who is from Surrey, was the 37th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He had 62 points in 20 games with a bantam team in Cloverdale last season. . . . The Giants now have signed three of their 2012 draft picks.
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The BCHL held its annual meeting last weekend in Richmond, B.C. Josh Aldrich of the Nanaimo Daily News reports right here on the goings-on, including a new playoff format and taking rosters from 21 players to 22.
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Craig Forsythe of the Philadelphia Flyers Examiner blog is reporting that D Ricard Blidstrand has signed with VIK Vasteras, a team in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan, the country’s second-highest league. . . . Blidstrand was selected by the Flyers in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft but never signed with Philadelphia. Blidstrand played with the Regina Pats in 2010-11. They dealt him to the Prince George Cougars at the January trade deadline last season. . . . Blidstrand turned 20 on April 20, but wasn’t expected back in the WHL as he would have been a two-spotter -- a 20-year-old import.
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For today’s good read, check out this piece by Bob Klapisch, a columnist at northjersey.com. It’s the latest on longtime baseball exec Jim Duquette and his daughter, Lindsey. You may recall that the Duquettes were mentioned here a few days ago, on the eve of surgery during which Jim donated a kidney to his daughter. This is a wonderful, wonderful story.


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