Kelly Olynyk and Connor McDavid now make the same money. Take a drink. A big one.— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) July 7, 2017
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G Ville Kolppanen (Lethbridge, 2009-10) has signed a one-year contract with Rögle Ängelholm (Sweden, SHL). Last season, with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL), he was 9-14-3, 2.80, .917 in 30 games. He also had two shutouts. . . .
D Alex Plante (Calgary, 2004-09) has signed a one-year extension with Anyang Halla (South Korea, Asia HL). Last season, he had 12 goals and 12 assists in 48 games. He led all Asia League defencemen in goals. Plante has dual South Korean-Canadian citizenship.
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The Saskatoon Blades have acquired D Seth Bafaro, 17, from the Tri-City Americans in exchange for a
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| SETH BAFARO |
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Bafaro, who is from Revelstoke, B.C., had one assist in 28 games with the Americans last season as a 16-year-old freshman. He battled injuries through the season, which limited his playing time.
Tri-City selected him in the third round of the 2015 bantam draft.
With the addition of Bafaro, the Blades could have seven defencemen in training camp with WHL experience. Only Bryton Sayers, who has used up his eligibility, won’t be back.
The Americans, with a surplus of young defencemen, were able to move Bafaro and get a decent return in a pair of draft picks.
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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired G Declan Hobbs from the Kootenay Ice for a seventh-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
A third-round pick by the Ice in the 2013 draft, Hobbs, who is scheduled to turn 19 on Aug. 19, got into
three games with Kootenay last season, going 0-3, 7.16, .800. He spent most of last season with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks (1.94, .929 in 13 games).
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| DECLAN HOBBS |
In 2015-16, Hobbs, who is from Saskatoon, made 24 appearances with the Ice, going 2-14-3, 4.66, .873.
With the acquisition of Hobbs, the Chiefs now have one goaltender from each of five age groups on their depth chart, the others being Dawson Weatherill, 18; Donovan Buskey, 17; Ross Hawryluk, 16; and Campbell Arnold, 15. Hawryluk, a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, and Arnold, taken in the second round in 2017, aren’t signed to WHL contracts.
Weatherill was 11-14-6 in 36 games last season, while Buskey, in four games, went 0-2-1, 4.25, .866.
Hobbs is the younger brother of Regina Pats D Connor Hobbs, who has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
Barring more moves, the Ice is expected to go into camp with Mario Petit, 20, and Jakob Walter, 18, scrapping for the starting role. Petit was acquired from the Everett Silvertips in May for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
In Everett, Petit backed up veteran workhorse Carter Hart. In 22 games, Petit was 11-5-4, 2.93, .896.
Walter, a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, got into 30 games while backing up Payton Lee, then 20, last season. Walter finished 4-17-2, 5.02, .868.
Also on the Ice depth chart are the likes of Jesse Makaj and Carter Woodside, both 16. Makaj, from North Vancouver, was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, while Woodside, from Asquith, Sask., was a sixth-round selection in that same draft.
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“Former B.C. Lions’ defensive lineman Rick Klassen may have died of lymphoma in December, but an autopsy of his brain has shown extensive chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological disease that has led to such suspected symptoms as erratic behaviour and dementia,” writes Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail. . . . This one hits close to home, because Klassen’s son, Chad, is an acquaintance as he is a reporter with CFJC-TV here in Kamloops. As well, Rick Klassen played in the CFL while I was involved in coverage for the Regina Leader-Post. . . . One really has to wonder how many more stories like this one will develop as players of Rick Klassen’s generation reach 60 years of age? . . . Maki’s story is right here.
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The Tri-City Americans have hired Eli Wilson as their goaltending coach. He replaces Rejean Beauchemin, who had been with the Americans for two seasons. . . . Wilson is a veteran goaltending coach who has worked with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators. He also has been on staff with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. . . . Jerry Price, the father of G Carey Price of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, remains with the Americans as a goaltending consultant. Carey spent four seasons (2003-07) with the Americans.
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Jason Christie, a former WHL player, is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Jacksonville IceMen, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Christie is a veteran ECHL coach, having put up a record of 547-349-111 in 14 seasons. He also has a history with the Jets, having worked with previous affiliates in Ontario and Tulsa. He spent the past two seasons as the Tulsa Oilers’ head coach. Prior to that, he was the Ontario Reign’s director of hockey operations and head coach for four seasons. . . . Christie, from Gibbons, Alta., played four seasons (1986-90) with the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Jacksonville franchise has morphed from the Muskegon Fury (1992-2008) to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-10) to the Evansville IceMen (2010-16). The franchise sat out the 2016-17 season.
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Floor is coming along now at the @InnovationCU #iplex. Heat lines in & final layer of sand going down @SCBroncos home opener in 13 weeks! pic.twitter.com/vs5enKNFjN— Jamie LeBlanc (@Butter_29) July 6, 2017
Brand NEW rinkboards being installed today by the great staff @ProsperaPlace #NewSeason #NewBoards #PuckMarks #Gerry #Kelowna 🚀🐉🌞 pic.twitter.com/eENYQDz59n— Kelowna Rockets (@Kelowna_Rockets) July 6, 2017
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Shawn Belle’s playing career over. Belle, a smooth-skating defenceman with the Regina Pats and Tri-City Americans (2001-05), has retired and signed on as an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Belle, a 30-year-old from Edmonton, played the past four seasons in Europe. He and Wendell Hodgson, a veteran coach on the Alberta scene, were named assistant coaches on Thursday.
The AJHL’s Calgary Canucks have signed Jay Pylypuik as their new general manager and head coach. He had been the head coach of the midget AAA Calgary Royals. . . . Earlier, he was on the coaching staff of the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles for five years. . . . With the Canucks, he takes over from Ryan Barrett, who was fired as head coach earlier this month, and Chad Shiel, who resigned as GM shortly thereafter. . . . The Canucks have added Adam Redmond as an assistant coach. He had been the head coach of the midget AAA CFR Chemical Bisons, who play out of Strathmore, Alta. The Bisons had hired Redmond on June 28.
John Wroblewski is the new head coach of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. Wroblewski, 34, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators for two seasons. . . . Wroblewski takes over from Anthony Noreen, who was there for four seasons and now is the head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
Trevor Heinzerling is the Seattle Thunderbirds’ new equipment manager. Last season, he was the equipment manager with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. Heinzerling takes over from Ben Calkins, who left to work as co-equipment manager with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. . . . The Thunderbirds open training camp on Aug. 24 in their home arena, the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.
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