Warriors, Giants sign head coaches . . . Two others on vacation!

D Ivan Baranka (Everett, 2003-05) has signed a one-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Last season, with Avangard Omsk (Russia, KHL), he had 20 points, 19 of them assists, in 47 games. . . .



F Dylan Wruck (Edmonton, 2008-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). Last season, Wruck had six points, including four goals, in three games with the Ontario Reign (ECHL). He missed most of the season due to injury. Wruck has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .

D Sam Klassen (Saskatoon, 2006-10) has signed a one-year contract with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He has dual Canadian-German citizenship. Last season, he had 10 points, one of them a goal, with the Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL), a goal and an assist in nine games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), and one assist in 10 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL). . . .

F Jaroslav Obšut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Edmonton Ice, 1995-97) has signed a one-year contract with Corona Brasov (Romania, MOL Liga). Last season, with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 15 points, including six goals, in 24 games. . . .


F Tyler Beechey (Edmonton/Kootenay, Calgary, 1997-2002) has signed a two-year contract with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). Last season, with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL), he had 37 points, 12 of them goals, in 49 games.
---



1. The Moose Jaw Warriors introduced Tim Hunter as their newest head coach on Thursday morning. Hunter, the 16th head coach in Warriors’ history, replaces Mike Stothers, who now is the head coach of the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. . . . The 53-year-old Hunter, who has coaching experience as an NHL assistant with the Washington Capitals (1997-2002, 2012-13), San Jose Sharks (2002-08) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2008-11), has been living in Calgary, working for the Calgary Flames and the Flames Alumni. . . . The Calgary native played in the WHL with the Seattle Breakers (1977-80), before going to an 18-year pro career that included 815 NHL games. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that general manager Alan Millar “spoke to Hunter on the phone on multiple occasions and then flew to Vancouver Sunday to meet with him in person. The pair talked for more than three hours and that meeting left little doubt in Millar's mind that Hunter was the right man to replace Mike Stothers behind the Warriors bench.” . . . Millar told Goulie: "I felt that there was a connection in terms of philosophically how we want to play the game and what is important to us in managing and coaching a WHL team. But more importantly how we were going to treat our players and how we were going to care for them on and off the ice." . . . Hunter takes over a team that has missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons. . . . Gourlie’s story is right here.

2. The Vancouver Giants introduced Troy Ward as the fourth head coach in franchise history on Thursday morning. Ward, 52, takes over from Don Hay, who left after 10 seasons as head coach and now is the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Ward, who is reported to have signed a three-year contract, spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . Ward is a native of St. Paul, Minn. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more right here.

3. There now is just one WHL team without a head coach. The Regina Pats are looking for a head coach and two assistant coaches. The franchise’s new owners fired head coach Malcolm Cameron last month, while assistant coaches Josh Dixon and Billy McGuigan resigned earlier in the month. . . . Here’s a look at the nine teams with new head coaches, showing team, new coach and previous coach:
Calgary Hitmen: Mark French, Mike Williamson.
Edmonton Oil Kings: Steve Hamilton, Derek Laxdal.
Kamloops Blazers: Don Hay, Guy Charron.
Kelowna Rockets: Dan Lambert, Ryan Huska.
Moose Jaw Warriors: Tim Hunter, Mike Stothers.
Portland Winterhawks: Jamie Kompon, Mike Johnston.
Saskatoon Blades: Bob Woods, Dave Struch.
Tri-City Americans: Mike Williamson, Jim Hiller.
Vancouver Giants: Troy Ward, Don Hay.
I still find it interesting that by the time Regina hires a head coach, there will have been 10 changes and only two teams -- Edmonton and Kelowna -- will have promoted form within.

4. As for the remainder of the teams, just in case you have forgotten, here’s a look at who their head coaches are:
Brandon Wheat Kings: Kelly McCrimmon (owner/GM/head coach).
Everett Silvertips: Kevin Constantine (preparing for second season in his reincarnation as head coach here).
Kootenay Ice: Ryan McGill (entering final year of three-year contract).
Lethbridge Hurricanes: Drake Berehowsky (entering second year of three-year contract).
Medicine Hat Tigers: Shaun Clouston (also GM).
Prince Albert Raiders: Cory Clouston (entering second year of two-year deal; club has option on a third year).
Prince George Cougars: Mark Holick (signed through 2017-18).
Red Deer Rebels: Brent Sutter (owner/GM/head coach).
Seattle Thunderbirds: Steve Konowalchuk (signed through 2017-18).
Spokane Chiefs: Don Nachbaur (signed through 2016-17).
Swift Current Broncos: Mark Lamb (also GM; entering last year of three-year contract).
Victoria Royals: Dave Lowry (preparing for third season).

5. The Vancouver Giants have extended their partnership with TEAM Radio through 2017-18. All regular-season and playoff games will be heard on TEAM 1040 and TEAM 1410. . . . TEAM Radio also is home to the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, the CFL’s BC Lions, the MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the NWL’s Vancouver Canadians. . . . The Giants also announced that Brendan Batchelor will return for a second season as the play-by-play voice, alongside analyst Bill Wilms. Batchelor also has been named the club’s director of media relations.

6. The Everett Silvertips have signed F Bryce Kindopp, who was selected in the third round of the 2014 WHL bantam draft. The Silvertips made 15 selections in that draft; Kindopp is the first player to sign. . . . From Lloydminster, Alta., Kindopp helped his hometown Heat win the 2014 Alberta Major Bantam League championship. . . . In 33 regular-season games, Kindopp had 63 points, including 26 goals. He led the league’s playoff scoring derby with 16 goals and finished second in points, with 25. . . . Everett selected Heat captain Jantzen Leslie in the first round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . .

7. There isn’t much doubt which team D Dalton Yorke of the Kelowna Rockets was cheering for in Sunday’s World Cup final. Yorke, an 18-year-old from Maple Ridge, B.C., would have been solidly in Germany’s corner. Why? Because his sister, Montana, 21, is an item with German forward André Schürrle, who assisted on the winning goal, an extra-time score that gave his side a 1-0 victory over Argentina. . . . Jennifer Saltman of the Vancouver Province has more on the happy couple right here.

8. They’ll be talking hockey tonight at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert as the Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame holds its 2014 induction ceremony. Included in the class of 2014 are Bruce Clements, Emile (The Cat) Francis, Johnny Gottselig, Wayne Kartusch, Brad McCrimmon, Jim Neilson, Brian Propp, Terry Simpson and Wes Smith. Also going in are the 1982 Prince Albert Raiders and the 1972 Rosetown Redwings. . . . The Prince Albert Daily Herald has more right here.
---

NOT the Spokane River! #italia #venice pic.twitter.com/XgpJfx3iDg
— Don Nachbaur (@HCChiefs42) July 17, 2014

Group Shot from Good Spirit Lake. #Blessed to spend the day with @deeds71 Brecks and Tayn in the sun and sand. pic.twitter.com/uSX0bh7i0L
— Shaun Clouston (@cluey15) July 18, 2014

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL) has chosen not to renew loan agreement with Chicago (NHL) for F Kyle Beach (Everett, Lethbridge, Spokane, 2005-10). Beach had two goals and an assist in seven games with HV71. The team said Beach would have a limited role now that HV71 has signed new players. . . .

D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Edmonton Ice, 1995-97) signed for the rest of season with Zvolen (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, he was pointless in two games with Zvolen. Last season, he had a goal and an assist in seven games with Zvolen. He also played in the KHL, totalling 12 points, four of them goals, in 39 games with Donetsk (Ukraine) and Spartak Moscow (Russia).
———
1. The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) has taken a giant step towards banning fighting.
On Thursday, the league, which governs junior A hockey, announced that it had "overwhelmingly voted to support an automatic game misconduct for fighting (the one-fight rule) . . ."
"The co-operation among our leagues and partners for standardized fighting rules and consistent discipline guidelines across all Junior A leagues is a significant step in the continuing development and evolution of the CJHL and Junior A hockey in Canada," CJHL President Kirk Lamb said in a news release. "We will work closely with our stakeholders and key partners, such as Hockey Canada and provincial branches, on bringing these endorsements forward for consideration."
Starting next season, a fighting major is likely to carry with it an automatic game misconduct. Five leagues that operate under the CJHL umbrella — the SIJHL, NOJHL, OJHL, CCHL and LHJAAAQ — already use the one-fight rule. Five other leagues — the BCHL, AJHL, SJHL, MJHL and MHL — are playing under a two-fight rule this season, but are expected to change in time for next season.
This definitely is the direction in which hockey below the professional level is moving. And people who are critical of decisions such as these need to understand that a big part of the decision rests on the issue of liability.

2. And just in case you're not sure of the damage that punches to the head are capable of inflicting, you can find out be reading this piece right here.

3. The message from the Seattle Thunderbirds is rather simple: We aren't anyone's patsy any more.
The Thunderbirds, who have struggled to reach the WHL's upper reaches in recent seasons, announced Thursday evening that they have acquired disgruntled forwards Jaimen Yakubowski and Sam Mckechnie, both 19, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for forwards Riley Sheen, who turns 19 on Dec. 21, and Carter Folk, 17, and a third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.
Yakubowski and Mckechnie, the Hurricanes' two leading scorers last season, had both expressed a desire to be traded and were sent home last week to wait and see what might transpire.
The Thunderbirds, who are 9-3-1 and a point behind the Western Conference-leading Spokane Chiefs (10-3-0), have signalled to the WHL's 21 other teams that they are coming after them.
“So far this season we have shown potential to be a contender in the league but it is a very competitive division and we felt the experience and scoring these two bring will give us the depth to fully round out our lineup,” Seattle general manager Russ Farwell said in a news release. “We are a tougher team to play against today with this trade and we are excited about what these two players add to our team.”
Yakubowski, from Dalmeny, Sask., has but one goal in 11 games this season, after putting up 50 points, including 32 goals, in 66 games last season. He has 79 points, 49 of them goals, in 145 career games. He also has some fire and brimstone to his game. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft.
Mckechnie, from Airdrie, Alta., has a goal and two assists in nine games this season. Last season, he finished with 44 points, including 26 goals, in 72 games. He had 76 points, 40 of them goals, in 153 career games. The Hurricanes selected him in the third round of the 2009 bantam draft.
Sheen, from Edmonton, had 40 points in 71 games with the Seattle last season. He was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers in a deal that had F Jacob Doty head east. Sheen had three ponts in 46 games with the Tigers in 2011-12. This season, he has eight points, three of them goals, in 12 games.
Folk, from Regina, is a freshman and is pointless in seven games. Seattle selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 bantam draft.
The Thunderbirds visit the Tri-City Americans tonight, before returning home to Kent for a game against the Vancouver Giants on Saturday.
The Thunderbirds and Chiefs aren't scheduled to meet until Dec. 1 and 6 when they play twice in Spokane. (The Portland Winterhawks are to visit Kent on Nov. 1.)
If you were wondering, F Ryan Gropp, who left the BCHL's Penticton Vees and a commitment to the U of North Dakota to join the Thunderbirds earlier this month, has yet to play. A groin injury has kept him on the sideline. He has practised this week and may play at some point this weekend.
Tim Pigulski of ESPN Seattle has more on the Thunderbirds right here.

4. After announcing the deal, the Hurricanes entertained the Moose Jaw Warriors. Lethbridge took a 3-0 lead into the third period, only to give up the game's last four goals and drop a 4-3 overtime decision. . . . Russian F Alex Chirva, playing his ninth game, forced OT with his first WHL goal at 15:20 of the third period and D Travis Brown won it 3:40 into extra time. . . . The Hurricanes are 2-11-2, which is the WHL's poorest record. The Warriors (6-7-3) are tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

5. A tweet from the Vancouver Province's Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen): "#WHL Somewhere Calvin Pickard is recounting all the good T-Bird news this year and saying, 'Now? Seriously?' "

6. The Vancouver Giants, having parted company with goaltending coach Paul Fricker earlier in the month, have filled that vacancy by hiring veteran coach Eli Wilson. . . . "I've coached at every level, from minor hockey to the NHL, and I've developed goaltenders to move on and reach their goals," Wilson said in a news release. "I've had a lot of success in the WHL when I was in Medicine Hat and I know what it takes at this level for goalies to reach their full potential." . . . Included on his resume are stints with Hockey Canada as well as the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators.

7. Would you give up one of your kidneys for $10,000? . . . According to a story that is right here: "Paying living kidney donors $10,000 could boost donations and cost effectively improve quality of life for people who would otherwise be on dialysis, say Canadian doctors who modelled the idea.

8. The Vancouver Giants are without one of their two goaltenders as Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Jared Rathjen suffered an undisclosed injury in practice this week and wasn't able to even back up Payton Lee in Wednesday's 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Giants are using Jake Morrissey, 16, who Ewen reports is on loan to them until Monday. Morrissey, the brother of Prince Albert Raiders D Josh Morrissey, was a fifth-round selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2012 bantam draft and now is at the South Delta, B.C., Hockey Academy. . . . Payton Lee will be back in goal on Friday as Vancouver begins a stretch of five games in six nights — at home to Everett tonight, in Kent, Wash., against Seattle on Saturday, in Kamloops on Sunday, and in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday.

9. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that F Jujha Khaira of the Everett Silvertips has an undisclosed injury and won't play this weekend. The Silvertips are scheduled to be in Vancouver tonight and in Kamloops on Saturday. . . . Everett F Patrick Bajkov, who has missed two games with a concussion, isn't expected to play tonight but could return Saturday.

10. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Red Sox 4-2 in Boston last night to even the World Series, 1-1. This means there will be a Game 5 and some interesting times in St. Louis on Monday. While the Red Sox and Cardinals are playing, the Monday Night Football game will feature the Seattle Seahawks at the Rams.

11. So . . . you've got a shrine to hockey wrapped around a bar in your basement. But you're missing that one thing . . . that one item that would really get the conversation rolling. How about a score clock, like this one right here?

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Swindon Wildcats (England, Premier). He had four assists in 13 games with Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier) and one assist in two games with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier) earlier this season. . . .
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) was released by Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). He had one goal and five assists in 23 games this season.
———
F Mathew Barzal, the first overall selection by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, played his third game this season with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express last night. Barzal, who has yet to decide between the Thunderbirds and the NCAA, had one assist — his first point in the three games — and a minor penalty in a 4-2 loss to the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs.
———
The Victoria Royals got down to two goaltenders on Friday when they assigned Jared Rathjen, 18, to the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. That leaves the Royals with Czech freshman Patrik Polivka, 18, and Vollrath Coleman, a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary, to handle the goaltending. . . . The Royals also assigned D Kolton Dixon. 17, to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
———
D Alex Theriau, 20, who was released this week by the Medicine Hat Tigers, has signed with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Thanks to Brian Wiebe (@Brian_Wiebe) for that tidbit.
———
D Spencer Galbraith, 19, has ended his WHL career, the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced on Friday. Galbraith, from Spruce Grove, Alta., played in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Wednesday. He had been acquired a year ago from the Brandon Wheat Kings. He had seven assists in 52 games with Lethbridge last season. This season, he had seven points, two of them goals, in 20 games.
———
Matt Gardner of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has an interesting story right here that details why a local brewing company is unable to sell beer in the Art Hauser Memorial Centre during Raiders games. Did you know that Molson  pays the Raiders $30,000 for rights to the facility during their games.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
G Luke Siemens stopped 28 shots to help the host Prince Albert Raiders to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . That was his first shutout this season and the seventh of his career. . . . F Mark McNeill and F Mike Winther each scored their eighth goals and added an assist. F Dakota Conroy, an early-season acquisition from the Victoria Royals, added his ninth goal. . . . Seattle has lost three in a row and five of six. . . . The Thunderbirds are 1-4-0 in an East Division tour that ends tonight in Saskatoon. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes ran their winning streak to four games with a 5-3 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . The Hurricanes, who have had their struggles in recent seasons, have won nine of 12. . . . Lethbridge erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals — two in each of the last two periods. . . . F Russell Maxwell scored his 13th of the season for the visitors, who got 35 saves from G Ty Rimmer. . . . The Hurricanes are without F Graham Hood (broken hand). He is their captain. . . .

F Elgin Pearce scored one goal and drew two assists to help the host Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. He is 6-2-0 with the Tigers after coming over from the Portland Winterhawks, for whom he had been 3-0-0. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 15th of the season for the Tigers and F Hunter Shinkaruk got his 14th, while F Sam Fioretti got No. 15 for the Warriors. . . .

D Alex Roach broke in a new pair of skates with two goals and an assist to help the host Calgary Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Roach had four goals in 61 games in each of his first two seasons. This season, he has four goals in 20 games. He also has 15 points in 20 games, after putting up 16 and 18 points in his first two seasons. . . . Calgary has won five in a row. . . . F Brady Brassart, returning after a seven-game absence due to an undisclosed injury, had a goal and two assists for Calgary. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges ran his point streak to six games with a late goal. . . . The Royals have lost six in a row. . . . D Tyler Stahl scored his first goal in a Royals uniform. It was his second career goal in his 159th game. He played 127 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and the last 32 with the Royals. A concussion limited him to 20 games last season. Stahl, 20, is the Royals’ captain. . . . The Hitmen were without F Brooks Macek (ill), their leading scorer, and F Cody Sylvester (undisclosed). . . .

G Laurent Brossoit stopped 38 shots to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Edmonton scored three goals in the first period and then watched as the Cougars mounted a comeback. . . . The Oil Kings scored two shorthanded goals, the second into an empty Prince George net late in the third period. . . . F T.J. Foster had his 11th goal and two assists for Edmonton. . . . Prince George G Mac Engel, who relieved starter Brent Zarowny with the score 3-0 to start the second period, stopped 19 shots. . . . The teams play again tonight in Prince George. The Cougars then will ride the bus to Vancouver for a Sunday game that is to begin at 4 p.m. . . .

F Shane McColgan had a goal and three assists to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored twice, giving him 17 in as many games. . . . Cha-ching! There was a line brawl at 7:22 of the third period. . . . During the fighting, Saskatoon F Jessey Astles suffered a cut to one wrist and had to leave the game. “When he went down, his own skate caught him across the wrist,” Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPoenix. “He’s going to have surgery. That’s all I can tell you.” . . . The Pats took 83 of the game’s 159 penalty minutes. . . . The Blades had erased a 1-0 deficit with six goals before F Morgan Klimchuk scored two PP goals for Regina. . . .

G Austin Lotz recorded his first WHL shutout as the visiting Everett Silvertips beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . Lotz stopped 35 shots as the Silvertips snapped their seven-game losing streak. Everett also had lost five straight in Kennewick, dating back to last season. . . . The Americans had won three in a row. . . . The Americans hadn’t been blanked at home since Jan. 5, 2008, when they lost 3-0 to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett had lost four straight to the Americans this season. . . . Americans F Justin Feser played in his 300th regular-season game. He is the eighth Tri-City player to get there. . . . Everett was playing its seventh game in 11 nights. . . . F Trent Lofthouse’s fourth goal of the season at 18:20 of the first period stood up as the winner. . . .

F Riley Whittingham broke a 2-2 tie with his first career goal and the host Spokane Chiefs went on to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The goal was the first of Whittingham’s career. He is a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary. . . . The Blazers (17-3-1) have followed a franchise-record 14-game winning streak by losing three of their last four games. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon scored his 17th goal. He and Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead. Lipon has a WHL-leading 41 points, one more than linemate Colin Smith. . . . Lipon’s goal came on the PP and ended an 0-for-17 drought for the Blazers. . . . F Todd Fiddler had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored in his return from a five-game absence. He had been injured on a high hit from Everett D Nick Walters, who served a three-game suspension for it. . . .

In Vancouver, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last four goals and dropped the Giants, 9-5. . . . F Nic Petan had two goals and two assists for the visitors. Last season, Petan had 35 points, including 21 assists, in 61 games. Right now, he has 31 points, 21 of them assistds, in 18 games. . . . Portland now has won 10 in a row. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee allowed five goals on 26 shots before being yanked for a second straight game. . . . Portland has a 58-18 edge in goals in its last 10 games. The Winterhawks are in Spokane tonight. . . . Vancouver F Trevor Cheek, who is from Vancouver, Wash., scored twice to pull the Giants into a 3-3 tie. . . . The Winterhawks yanked G Brendan Burke with the score 5-5 — he stopped 14 shots — and Mac Carruth came on to make one save and get the victory. . . . Vancouver G Tyler Fuhr took the loss. He came on with his side trailing 5-3. . . . The Winterhawks outshot the Giants, 51-20. Portland has outshot its opponent in each of its 18 games this season. . . . Winterhawks F Ty Rattie had three assists to run his point streak to 12 games. He has 26 points in the 12 games. . . . Portland D Tyler Wotherspoon had one goal and was plus-5. . . .

G Jackson Whistle stopped 23 shots to help the Kelowna Rockets beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 8-1. . . . Whistle is 5-0-0, 1.06, .961. . . . Kelowna G Tyrell Goulbourne scored his third goal in as many games. He has three goals this season and each one is a game-winner. . . . Kelowna got two goals from each of F Ryan Olsen, F Cody Fowlie and D/F Myles Bell.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Traber, Victoria
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
F Caleb Belter, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Brenden Walker, Saskatoon
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “I am still trying to convince @my_ohs29 to rip a slap shot at the Prospera score clock in an effort to knock that thing down permanently.”

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract extension with Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus). He had two goals and 20 assists in 26 games, helping Mulhouse win promotion from Division 1 to Ligue Magnus for next season. . . .
F Milan Kraft (Prince Albert, 1998-2000) signed a two-year contract extension with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 23 goals and 33 assists in 50 games as team captain for Chomutov this season, finishing third in 1.Liga scoring as Chomutov won promotion from the Czech 1.Liga to Extraliga. . . .
D Stefan Langweider (Portland, 2006-07) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and nine assists in 51 games for Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .
F Ryan Kinasewich (Medicine Hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). Kinasewich finished second in Erste Bank Liga scoring this season, getting 25 goals and 29 assists in 49 games for Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia). . . .
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a one-year contract with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). He had five goals and 24 assists in 52 games this season as captain of Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). . . .
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2002-04) signed a two-year contract with Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had 15 goals and 18 assists in 52 games for Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) this season.
———
JUST NOTES: The MacBeth Report adds a note about the IIHF World Championship . . . Two more WHL alumni participating in the World Championship. Brent Reiber, who holds a Swiss passport and works out of Switzerland, and Antti Boman (Kamloops, 1991-92) are working the tournament as referees. . . . The NAHL has announced that the Chicago Hitmen won’t ice a team in 2012-13. According to an NAHL news release, “All tendered and veteran players of the Hitmen are now considered free agents.” . . . Prior to last season there was speculation that Finnish G Jonathan Iilahti might end up with the Vancouver Giants, perhaps because the Vancouver Canucks had selected him in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL draft. Iilahti, who turned 20 on April 27, signed a one-year deal Friday with Sport Vaasa (Finland, Mestis).
———
THE COACHING GAME:
Mario Amantea is the new head coach of the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. He takes over from David Haas, who was dropped early last month. The Mustangs went 31-22-7 this season before being upset by the Olds Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Amantea, a native of Kimberley, B.C., is a veteran coach, having coached in the midget AAA ranks and at the EDGE school in Calgary where he spent three seasons. He left EDGE after the 2010-11 season in order to spend more time with family and business interests. He is a partner and general manager at ZGM Collaborative Marketing in Calgary.
———




THE WHL FINAL:
Game 6 . . .
In Portland, F Oliver Gabriel’s second goal of the game, at 17:21 of the third period, gave the Winterhawks a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The series is tied 3-3. . . . Immediately after the game, the teams boarded the same plane – for the fourth time in the series – and headed for Edmonton where Game 7 will be played tonight. . . . By the time this thing ends, the teams will have played the last three games in slightly more than 72 hours. . . . The winner advances to the Memorial Cup tournament that opens Friday in Shawinigan, Que. The host Cataractes, QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs and OHL-champion London Knights await. . . . The WHL champion plays in the tournament’s first game, meeting the host team on Friday. . . . Edmonton got on the board first in Game 6 when F Michael St. Croix scored his sixth goal at 7:53 of the first period. . . . Gabriel, who has five goals in these playoffs, tied the game at 11:07. . . . It’s worth pointing out that Gabriel is from Edmonton. . . . Portland got its first lead at 8:44 of the third period when D Joe Morrow scored his fourth goal. . . . However, the Oil Kings tied it at 11:05 when F Stephane Legault beat Portland G Mac Carruth for his fifth goal. . . . F Cam Reid drew two assists as he was in on both of Gabriel’s goals. . . . Portland won despite the fact that it’s big line of Marcel Noebels between Sven Baertschi and Ty Rattie didn’t get even one point. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 42 shots, including all 18 he faced in the second period. . . . Carruth finished with 30 saves. . . . This was the first game in which Portland had an edge in shots on goal. . . . Portland was 0-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-2. . . . Attendance was 10,947 as the Winterhawks drew a sellout crowd for the fourth straight game. . . . Five of the first six games have been decided by one goal, with Edmonton having won three of them. The exception was Portland’s 5-1 victory in Game 2 in Edmonton. . . . The WHL last had a Game 7 in its championship series in 2007 when the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the visiting Vancouver Giants in double OT. F Brennan Bosch got the winner at 7:16 of the second OT period. . . . This will be the 10th time in league history that the championship has been decided in a Game 7. . . . The Winterhawks franchise has twice been to Game 7 in the final, losing to Medicine Hat in 1987 and to Swift Current in 1993.
———
Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: Portland 3 at Edmonton 4 (11,077)
Saturday, May 12: Edmonton 2 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.
———
A tidbit about the Shawinigan Cataractes, from Wikipedia: The name ‘Cataractes’ often confuses English-speaking hockey fans. The name literally translates as ‘Cataracts’ meaning ‘Waterfalls’; the team is named for Shawinigan Falls, a prominent waterfall in the city, even though the Cataractes do not have a waterfall on their uniform.
The Cataractes play out of the 4,112-seat Centre Bionest de Shawinigan. The facility opened on Dec. 18, 2008. Prior to that, the Cataractes played in the Jacques Plante Arena.

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). He had four goals and 13 assists in 50 regular-season games with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL) and Atlant Mytishchi (Russia, KHL) and had five goals and five assists in 24 playoff games with Atlant this season. . . .
F Randall Gelech (Kelowna, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract extension with Vipiteno (Italy, Serie A). He had 19 goals and 17 assists in 28 regular-season games and 15 goals and six assists in 17 playoff games for Vipiteno this season, helping the club win promotion from Serie A2. From the Vipiteno website: "This mix of good hands, clear head, hard shoulders, and dedication to the team made him a favorite with the fans, not just with the team board of directors." . . .
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 32 goals and 55 assists in 48 regular-season games for Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany 2.Bundesliga) this season. Leavitt added five goals and 14 assists in 12 playoff games. Ravensburg won the 2.Bundesliga championship and Leavitt led the league in scoring and assists. HPK head coach Harri Rindell: "Leavitt sees the ice well. He is a creative and skillful center, just the kind we've been looking for at the start of the summer." . . .
F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had eight goals and 16 assists in 20 regular-season games and four goals and eight assists in 12 playoff games for Chomutov (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) this season. Duda also had 16 goals and 13 assists in 25 regular-season games on loan to Plzen. . . .
———
F Kris Foucault of the Calgary Hitmen has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Capgeek.com has the details right here.
———
WHL TRANSACTIONS
PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS — Sign Dale Derkatch, director of player personnel, to contract extension, length undisclosed. Also name him skills development coach.
VANCOUVER GIANTS — Name Paul Fricker goaltending coach.

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