G Tyler Plante (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). Last season, with Lørenskog (Norway, GET-Ligaen), he was 18-9, 2.36, .918 with two shutouts in 27 games. He was third in the league in save percentage. . . .
F Mike Piluso (Vancouver, Edmonton, 2006-11) signed a one-year contract with Hamburger SV (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (ACAA), he had 46 points, including 23 goals, in 27 games. He was second in the league’s scoring race. He also was the playoff MVP.
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The WHL’s annual general meeting wrapped up in Vancouver on Wednesday and, if you go by the news release
At least nothing happened unless it had to do with the fact that the 2015-16 season will be the WHL’s 50th anniversary season.
From the news release:
* The WHL season will open Sept. 24 with the Regina Pats visiting the Moose Jaw Warriors. Why open in Moose Jaw? “The East Division is considered the birthplace of the WHL,” according to the news release, “and Moose Jaw is the home of the first ever WHL championship team.”
* The WHL will announce it’s top 50 players of all-time at some point during the season. Fans will help determine that list, while a select panel of long-time WHL observers also will take part.
* In September, the WHL will publish a 50th anniversary book that will “detail the history of the league as well as its clubs, builders, players and key members.”
* Each of the WHL’s 22 teams will play host to one game that will celebrate the 50th season and “honour the history of its franchise and alumni.”
* As well, the Subway Super Series — Team WHL against a touring Russian side — will be played in Kelowna on Nov. 9 and Kamloops on Nov. 10. . . . The CHL Top Prospects Game is to be played in Vancouver on Jan. 28. . . . Red Deer is the host city for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament, May 19-29.
Unfortunately, there was nothing in the WHL’s news release detailing whether the pooh-bahs discussed such matters as dealing with mental health through education, efforts to prevent concussions, or possible rule changes.
Nor does the news release indicate when the WHL will release its regular-season schedule. Last year, the WHL released its regular-season schedule two weeks after its AGM.
If you are wondering about a playoff format, the one that was in use this spring will be used for at least two more seasons. The WHL announced that format after its 2015 AGM, saying that it would be in place for three seasons.
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“The Western Hockey League is prepared to ‘exhaust every avenue’ to keep the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, but commissioner Ron Robison reaffirmed there is a demand from other markets, including in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland, for a franchise if relocation becomes a reality,” writes Cam Tucker of Metro Vancouver. . . . That story is right here.——
The WHL announced Wednesday that former player Greg Gardner is its manager of education services. According to a news release, Gardner “will be responsible to administer the WHL league-wide education program policies and procedures, including monitoring the academic progress” of all players through each team’s education advisor. . . . After playing five seasons (2003-08) with the Prince George Cougars, Gardner spent five seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. He played the last two seasons with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. At the U of A, he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a concentration in sports performance.
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Todd Holt and Sheldon Kennedy, a pair of former Swift Current Broncos forwards who were sexually abused by GM/head coach Graham James, will be in Swift Current on Friday to support the latest ex-player to come forward with accusations about James. . . . Bill Graveland of The Canadian Press has more right here.
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There is a definite WHL flavour to the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns’ recruits for the 2015-16 season. Head coach Spiros Anastas, who is heading into his second season, announced the commitment of 12 players, including seven with WHL experience. . . . F Bryson Gore (Moose Jaw), D Tyler Hansen (Kamloops), F Sam McKechnie (Lethbridge, Seattle, Saskatoon), F Jay Merkley (Lethbridge, Swift Current), D Blake Orban (Vancouver, Edmonton), F Brett Roulston (Prince George), and F Dalton Sward (Vancouver). . . . Hansen is returning to the ice after leaving the Kamloops Blazers following the 2012-13 season in order to serve a two-year mission with the Church of Latter Day Saints. . . . McKechnie and Orban are second-generation Pronghorns, their fathers, Dana and Scott, having also played at the U of L. . . . Merkley is eligible to return to the WHL for his 20-year-old season, but obviously has decided to go to school.
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Things got a little weird in Major League Baseball on Tuesday. How weird? Well, I would suggest it was one of the goofiest days in MLB history. Jayston Stark of espn.com recaps what truly was a bizarre day right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Tom Keca has taken over as the general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Keca, 44, has previous experience with the Oil Barons, as an assistant coach for nine seasons (2000-06, 2011-14). He also spent four seasons (2006-10) as head coach of the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. . . . Keca, who also played for the Oil Barons, takes over from Curtis Hunt, who resigned and signed on as general manager with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.——
USA Hockey has rounded out the coaching staff for its national junior team. Earlier, it named former NHL coach Ron Wilson as head coach. Joining him as assistant coaches are former NHL players Chris Chelios and Danton Cole, along with Kevin Reiter. . . . Since his retirement as a player, Chelios has worked as an advisor to hockey operations with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. . . . Cole is preparing for his sixth season as a head coach in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Reiter has completed two seasons as the NTDP’s goaltending coach. . . . The U.S. will hold its summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 1-8. . . . The 2016 World Junior Championship will be decided in Helsinki, Finland, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.———
F Klarc Wilson (Brandon, Edmonton, Prince George, 2009-2014) will attend NAIT and play for the Ooks. Wilson, 22, is from Edmonton. He split last season between the ECHL’s Indy Fuel and Stockton Thunder.
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Americans Championship fever has invaded downtown Dallas tonight thanks to the @OmniHotels Dallas. #KellyCupChampions pic.twitter.com/Ag2VmaFUNN
— #RockYourRed (@AllenAmericans) June 18, 2015
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rehabilitation costs.
F Petr Nedved (Seattle, 1989-90) announced his retirement after Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) was eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday. This season, Nedved finished fourth in the league’s scoring race, with 50 points, including 19 goals, in 49 games. He also was the team captain. . . .
In Cranbrook, F Jake Virtanen scored in the sixth round of the shootout to give the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Virtanen was the only one of 12 shooters to score in the skills competition. . . . Calgary scored the game's first three goals, only to have the Ice come back with four in a row. . . . Calgary F Greg Chase forced OT with his 33rd goal at 8:16 of the third period. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had a goal, his 35th, and two assists. He finished the night with 102 points, becoming the second player in franchise history with 100 points in a season. The first was F Jarret Stoll in 2000-01. . . . Reinhart, who scored his 100th career goal, also set the franchise's single-season assists record, with 67. Stoll had 66 in 2000-01. . . . Reinhart has 251 career points in 202 regular-season games. . . . Virtanen also scored once in regulation, giving him 44, while F Brady Brassart got No. 35. . . . Ice F Luke Philp scored twice, giving him 30, and added two helpers. . . . The Ice, which remains without veteran defencemen Landon Cross and Landon Peel, has lost three in a row. . . . Calgary (47-17-7) is tied with the idle Edmonton Oil Kings (49-18-3) for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Oil Kings have two more victories and a game in hand. . . . The Ice (39-27-5) is tied for fifth with the Swift Current Broncos. The Ice has the tiebreaker (39-37, in victories) and each team has one game remaining. . . .
In Prince Albert, the Raiders struck for three first-period goals and went on to beat the Saskatoon Blades, 7-2. . . . F Calder Brooks, with his 15th, and F Leon Draisaitl, with his 37th, got the Raiders rolling at 1:06 and 1:38 of the first period. . . . Raiders F Collin Valcourt scored twice, giving him 27, and added two assists, while Draisatil finished with his 37th goal and three assists. Draisaitl now has 103 points this season. . . . The Raiders also got a goal and two assists from each of D Josh Morrissey and F Dakota Conroy. Morrissey has 28 goals; Conroy has 29. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride stopped 18 shots. . . . Prince Albert (34-32-5) is tied with the idle Red Deer Rebels for eighth in the Eastern Conference. Red Deer has two games remaining, while the Raiders have on. A tie for the last playoff spot would necessitate a tiebreaker game. . . . The Blades (16-50-5) have lost 11 in a row. . . . 
In Regina, the Pats wrapped up first place in the East Division and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a loser point as they lost 4-3 in OT to the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . D Eric Roy won it with his 11th goal, on the PP, at 2:18 of OT. . . . Brandon F Peter Quenneville, who had missed the previous 10 games with an undisclosed injury, forced OT when he scored his second goal of the game and his 18th of the season with 35.3 seconds left in the third period and the Wheat Kings net empty. He also had an assist. . . . Regina held 2-0 and 3-1 leads in this one. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb scored his 32nd goal at 6:47 of the second period, on the PP, got get his side to within one. . . . Brandon was 2--for-2 on the PP; Regina was 2-for-3. . . . F Chandler Stephenson had two assists for Regina but was in the penalty box when the winner was scored. . . . The victory was No. 363 as Brandon's head coach for Kelly McCrimmon, tying him with Bob Lowes for the franchise record. Lowes, who now scouts for the NHL's Ottawa Senators, spent the night in Kamloops, watching the Blazers beat the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Pats were without D Kyle Burroughs, F Dyson Stevenson, G Daniel Wapple and D Colby Williams, all out with injuries. . . . The Wheat Kings also welcomed back veteran F Jens Meilleur, who had missed five games. . . . With the victory, Brandon (33-29-9) has clinched at least a tie for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. A tie for the final playoff spot would mean a tiebreaking game. . . . The Wheat Kings are in solve possession of seventh in the conference, two points ahead of Red Deer and Prince Albert. . . . The Pats (39-25-7) are two points ahead of Swift Current but hold the tiebreaker (39-37, in victories) with each team having one game to play. . . . 
In Swift Current, F Jay Merkley scored twice to help the Broncos to a 5-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Merkley, who has 33 goals, tied the game 2-2 at 4:50 of the second period, then gave his side a 4-3 lead just 36 seconds into the third period with a shorthanded tally. . . . F Bryson Gore scored twice for the Warriors, giving him 11. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point got No. 36, while F Sam Fioretti got his 20th. . . . The Broncos have won their last three games. . . . Swift Current (37-25-9) is tied with the Kootenay Ice for fifth in the Eastern Conference, but the Ice holds the tiebreaker (39-37, in victories). . . . The Warriors (21-41-9) had their four-game winning streak snapped. . . . 
In Kamloops, F Deven Sideroff and F Collin Shirley scored 42 seconds apart early in the third period to spark the Blazers to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Cougars may have been playing their second-last game under Rick Brodsky's ownership. He is negotiating the sale of the franchise with a group headed up by a local businessman. . . . The Blazers and Cougars will conclude their seasons in Prince George tonight. . . . Sideroff, who turns 17 on April 14, scored his first goal of the season in his 11th game. . . . The Blazers got scoring from some unexpected sources. Besides Sideroff, F Nick Chyzowski got his third goal and F Nathan Looysen got his second. . . . Kamloops G Bolton Pouliot was stellar again, this time with 35 saves. . . . F Troy Bourke scored his 28th goal for the Cougars. That gives him 232 career points, one shy of the franchise record held by Eric Hunter (2002-07). . . . The Blazers (14-52-5) had lost their previous eight games. . . . The Cougars (26-37-8) have lost six in a row. . . . 
In Spokane, F Liam Stewart, playing his first game since Jan. 29, scored in the shootout to give the Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Americans led 2-0 in the first period on two goals from F Jessey Astles, who has 10. . . . The Chiefs then scored three in a row, including No. 62 from F Mitch Holmberg. That was Holmberg’s 147th career goal, breaking the franchise record (146) that had been held by Pat Falloon (1988-91). . . . Holmberg also is the first WHLer to 62 goals since F Layne Ulmer of the Swift Current Broncos scored 63 in 2000-01. . . . Tri-City F Parker Bowles forced OT with his 14th goal, via the PP, at 19:29 of the third period. G Evan Sarthou was on the bench for the extra attacker at the time. . . . The Americans are 0-3-2 in their last five. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL with 118 points, eight more than Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan. . . . The Chiefs (40-25-6) moved into a tie for fourth with the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Conference. Seattle has two games remaining; the Chiefs have one. Each team has 40 victories. . . . The Americans (28-32-10) will finish eighth and meet the Kelowna Rockets in the first round. . . . 
In Victoria, the Everett Silvertips broke a 3-3 tie with two goals 27 seconds apart in the third period as they beat the Royals, 5-3. . . . The Silvertips have won eight in a row and have points in 11 straight, while the Royals have lost their last two games. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz ran his winning streak to eight with 23 stops. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka, who stopped 26 shots, suffered his first loss in nine starts. . . . Victoria F Tyler Soy tied the game 3-3 with his 14th goal at 9:07 of the third period. . . . The Silvertips then got scores from F Manraj Hayer, his 15th, at 11:42, and F Ivan Nikolishin, his 18th, at 12:09. . . . Nikolishin also had two assists, as did F Josh Winquist. . . . Winquist now has 91 points this season, two off the franchise record of 93 set by F Zach Hamill in 2006-07. . . . Everett (38-23-9), with two games left, is sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind Seattle and Spokane. . . . The Royals (48-19-4) will finish third in the conference. . . . 
In Vancouver, the Kelowna Rockets got off to a 6-1 lead and then hung on to beat the Giants, 6-5. . . . The Giants ended up using Ryan Kubic, 16, in goal after starter Payton Lee was injured in a goalmouth collision. Jared Rathjen, the Giants' other goaltender, is out with an undisclosed injury. Kubic, who turned 16 on Jan. 7, is from St. Andrews, Man. He was the 39th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Kubic made 24 saves in his third appearance for the Giants this season. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey also was injured in that goalmouth collision and left the game with an apparent cut to an arm. . . . Bowey was back for the start of the second period, while Lee made his way back to the Giants' bench. . . . Bowey later scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season, setting a single-season franchise record for goals by a defenceman. Tyson Barrie set the previous record in 2009-10. . . . Those two goals allowed Kelowna to take a 6-1 lead into the third period. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck scored his 32nd goal, shorthanded, at 18:27 to leave the Rockets with a 6-5 lead. . . . F Ty Ronning scored twice for the Giants, giving him nine in his freshman season. . . . The Rockets also got two goals, one shorthanded, from F Justin Kirkland, who has 17, and a goal, his 42nd, and two assists from F Myles Bell. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle, a former Giants stopper, made 29 saves. . . . The Rockets tied a WHL record for most road victories (29) in one season. The Portland Winterhawks set the record last season. . . . The Rockets (56-11-4) will finish atop the overall standings. . . . The Giants (32-28-11) will finish seventh and meet the No. 2 Portland Winter Winterhawks in the first round. . . . 
In Kent, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks got two goals and two assists from F Oliver Bjorkstrand as they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Bjorkstrand has 106 points, including 47 goals. . . . The Winterhawks have won five in a row and are 10-1-0 in their last 11. . . . F Brendan Leipsic got his 39th goal for Portland as the Winterhawks got off to a 3-0 lead. That also was his 300th career point and came in his 259th game. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp, with his 18th, and F Roberts Lipsbergs, with his 33rd, cut the deficit to one before Bjorkstrand scored his second goal at 2:47 of the third. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 30 shots, 16 fewer than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . F Reed Morrison, a 15-year-old list player from Calgary, made his WHL debut with the Winterhawks. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock was ejected with a charging major at 10:18 of the third period. . . . The Winterhawks have 25 road victories, the second-best in franchise history. They set a record last season with 29; that record was tied last night by the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Portland (52-13-5) will be the Western Conference’s second seed when the playoffs begin. . . . Seattle (40-24-6) is tied for fourth with Spokane in the conference.
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti scored 26 seconds into the game and the Warriors went on to a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . It was the Warriors’ third straight victory. . . . Fioretti scored twice, giving him 19 goals, as did F Jack Rodewald, who has 25. . . . F Curtis Lazar scored his 39th for the Oil Kings. It came at 3:47 of the third with his side trailing 3-0. . . . F Brayden Point and F Tanner Eberle each had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Edmonton was playing its 500th regular-season game since it entered the WHL as an expansion franchise. . . . Warriors G Justin Paulic stopped 31 shots. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller was among Edmonton’s scratches. He left Friday’s game with Brandon after absorbing a hit from Wheat Kings F Jayce Hawryluk. He was ejected with a charging major and has received a ‘tbd’ suspension. . . . The Warriors (20-40-9) are 10th in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Oil Kings (47-18-3) are tied atop the conference with the Calgary Hitmen, but Edmonton has two more victories and that’s the first tiebreaker. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk scored three goals and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 5-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Valk broke a 2-2 with his second goal, his 43rd of the season, 54 seconds into the second period, on a PP. . . . He had No. 44 into an empty net at 18:47 of the third. . . . F Wyatt Johnson scored his 13th goal and added two assists for the Rebels. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 40 shots, in the process becoming, according to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) the first goaltender in franchise history to make more than 2,000 saves in one season. . . . The Tigers (42-23-4) are fourth in the Eastern Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Rebels (33-31-5) are tied with Prince Albert and Brandon for the conference’s last two playoff spots. . . . 
In Victoria, the Royals scored three times in the game’s first 6:05 and then hung on to beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Taylor Crunk scoed his eighth goal of the season nine seconds into the opening period. . . . D Brett Cote got his sixth at 4:09, via the PP, and freshman F Tyler Soy scored his 13th at 6:05. . . . Kamloops F Matt Needham got his side on the board with his 11th goal at 5:54 of the third and F Matt Revel added his 15th, via the PP, at 15:55. . . . The game drew 7,006 fans, giving the Royals their second straight sellout. They beat the Blazers 5-1 on Friday in front of 7,006 fans. . . . The Royals went 7-1-0 against Kamloops this season. . . . Soy, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has eight points, including six goals, in eight games against Kamloops this season. He also scored twice in a preseason game. . . . Victoria has 47 victories and 98 points with four games remaining. In their eighth season, five in Chilliwack as the Bruins (remember them?) and three in Victoria, the franchise has yet to reach 50 victories or 100 points. . . . An interesting stat from the Royals: With D Joe Hicketts in the lineup, Victoria’s defence corps has produced 26 per cent of its offence. Hicketts missed 36 games earlier in the season; with him gone, that number was 18. . . . The Royals (47-17-4) will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Blazers (13-51-5) will set a Kamloops franchise record for fewest victories.
F Josh Green (Medicine Hat, Swift Current, Portland, 1993-98) has signed a one-year extension with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). In 41 games, he has 29 points, including 20 goals. Seventeen of those 20 goals have come at even strength. Green made the announcement of the extension himself, in Finnish in a video posted on the Tappara website.
In Cranbrook, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 32 shots as the Red Deer Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-0. . . . Bartosak has seven shutouts this season and 13 in his career. He is tied with Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings for the WHL lead this season. . . . Three of Bartosak’s shut outs this season have been against the Ice, all of them in Cranbrook. . . . According to Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, it was the sixth time Kootenay has been shut out this season and the third time on home ice, both of which are franchise records. . . . F Aspen Sterzer and F Rhyse Dieno each had a goal and an assist. Sterzer has 26 goals, while Dieno, who got an empty-netter, has 23. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 28 shots. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Red Deer (31-30-5) is tied with Prince Albert for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. Each team has five games remaining. . . . The Ice (37-25-4) is fifth in the conference, one point ahead of Swift Current. . . . 
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