F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 34 points, including 14 goals, in 43 games. . . .
The Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier) announced via Twitter the retirement of D Robert Schnabel (Red Deer, 1997-99). This season, in 53 games, Schnabel had 43 points, 11 of them goals. He was the fifth-leading scorer among league defencemen and was named to the second all-star team. . . .
Among the English Premier first team all-stars: F Michal Psurny (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) of the Manchester Phoenix, who led the league in scoring with 99 points, including 45 goals, in 54 games. . . . F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) of the Basingstoke Bison. . . . Among the second team all-stars: F Robin Kovar (Vancouver, 2001-03) and F Tony Hand (Victoria Cougars, 1986-87), both of the Manchester Phoenix. At 46, Hand led the league in assists (64) and was third with 82 points, in 53 games.
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Portage la Prairie, home of the MJHL’s Terriers, will play host to the Royal Bank Cup in 2015. With that in mind, the Terriers are working hard to reach as many former players, coaches, team officials, executives, etc., as possible in an attempt to bring everyone back for what will be a big week. So if you had anything at all to do with the Terriers, going back to Day 1, you should visit the Terriers’ alumni page right here and sign up.---
Moose Jaw’s city council has decided to write a letter to the Moose Jaw Warriors, expressing concern over the WHL team’s decision to bring back an old logo as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations set for 2014-15. . . . A Canadian Press story that originated with Moose Jaw radio station CHAB is right here. . . . Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports weighs in with more right here.
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The Ulmer brothers, Jeff and Jason, have signed contracts with teams in Austria’s Erste Bank Liga. . . . Jeff, 36, has signed a one-year deal with the Innsbruck Sharks. He had 43 points, including 22 goals, in 53 games with the Sharks this season. . . . Jason, 35, signed a two-year deal with the Linz Black Wings. This season, in 55 games, he had 58 points, including 16 goals. . . . The brothers are from Wilcox, Sask., the home of the Notre Dame Hounds.
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Mountain climbers, especially those whose lives belong to the Everests and K2s of the world, have never been able to explain why they do what they do. Perhaps it was Sir Edmund Hilary, the legendary climber, who came closest when he said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” . . . Whatever it is, Gabriel Filippi has spent a lot of his life chasing it. . . . If you enjoy great reads, this one right here is for you.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Zach Andrusiak of Armstrong, B.C., who was placed on their list in December. Andrusiak, 15, spent this season with the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence’s U18 prep team. In 66 games, he put up 82 points, including 35 goals. On the team, he was second to F Tyler Benson in goals and points. Benson was selected by the Vancouver Giants with the first overall pick of the 2013 bantam draft.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-0)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna leads, 3-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Mitch Moroz had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-0 and are able to wrap it up in Brandon tonight. . . . F Riley Kieser gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 16:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it on a PP at 4:38 of the second. He’s got four goals. . . . Moroz broke the tie at 5:40 of the third period and F Curtis Lazar added insurance at 8:38, via the PP. . . . Kieser, Moroz, Lazar, Edmonton D Ashton Sautner and Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb each scored his third goal of these playoffs. . . . F Luke Bertolucci added an empty-netter for Edmonton, his second goal. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots, six fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-for-8 on the PP, with both goals coming with 5-on-3 advantages; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . The Wheat Kings took 53 of 65 penalty minutes. That included a fighting major and game misconduct to D Ryan Pilon at 19:26 of the third period. No one from Edmonton was penalized at the time, leaving one to wonder if Pilon might hear from the WHL office today. . . . Brandon had two 15-year-olds in its lineup as D Kale Clague, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, made his playoff debut, joining F Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets took a 4-1 lead into the third period and hung on for a 5-4 victory over the Thunderbirds. . . . With a 3-0 lead in the series, the Rockets can wrap it up tonight in Kent. . . . The Rockets opened a 2-0 first-period lead on late goals from F Ryan Olsen and F Tyrell Goulbourne, at 18:39 (PP) and 19:03, respectively. . . . Seattle F Ethan Bear cut the lead to 2-1 at 4:12 of the second, but the Rockets took control on goals from F Tyson Baillie at 7:23 and D Madison Bowey, at 9:54. . . . Seattle outscored the visitors 3-1 in the third period but wasn’t able to equalize. . . . F Alexander Delnov got the home side to within 5-4 at 18:43 of the third. . . . D Damon Severson and F Marek Tvrdeon each had two assists for Kelowna, while F Mathew Barzal did the same for Seattle. . . . Severson has nine points in the series’ three games. He has two assists in each game. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots, one more than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Kelowna, which took 11 of 17 minors, was 2-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-10. . . .
In Victoria, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks go home with a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday in the Moda Center. . . . F Steven Hodges scored a PP goal seven seconds into the third period to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic tied it with his second goal of the game just 1:26 later. . . . F Chase De Leo scored his third goal at 8:05 and it stood up as the winner. . . . Leipsic and teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was held to one assist in this one, have a WHL-leading eight goals. . . . Leipsic also took over the playoff points lead, with 18, one more than Kootenay Ice forwards Jaedon Descheneau and Sam Reinhart. . . . Leipsic has at least one point in each of his club’s eight playoff games. Going back to the regular season, he is riding a 15-game point streak. . . . F Tyler Soy had given Victoria the lead at 6:39 of the first period. . . . Portland got goals from F Adam Rossignol, at 8:06 of the first, and Leipsic, on the PP at 12:18 of the second, to take the lead. . . . F Taylor Crunk, shorthanded, pulled Victoria into a 2-2 tie at 17:11 of the second. . . . D Mathew Dumba had two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke turned aside 27 shots, while Victoria’s Patrik Polivka stopped 34. . . . Portland was 1-for-5 on the PP; Victoria was 1-for-4.
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@HeleneBozon): “Good bye Canada,Time to go back home! 40 days @timbozon94 Terrify,tears,despair,believe,hope,Miracle Thank you everyone.”
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From Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “Here we go finally flying back to europe in couple hours @HeleneBozon #seeyacanada #RehabTime”
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Randy Hansch was introduced Thursday as the second general manager in the modern era of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The announcement came one day after Bob Green moved up to the parent Edmonton Oilers as director of amateur free-agent scouting. . . . Hansch had been assistant GM and director of player personnel under Green. . . . Hansch joined the Oil Kings for their first season (2007-08) as an expansion team. . . . An Edmonton native, Hansch is a former WHL goaltender who spent 15 seasons working in scouting and player personnel with the Kamloops Blazers. He also has scouted for the NHL’s Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired D Taylor Green, 18, from the Seattle Thunderbirds for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-7, 227-pound Green, who is from Port Coquitlam, B.C., was selected 26th overall by Seattle in the 2010 bantam draft. Last season, Green had seven points in 65 games. . . . In 69 regular-season games, Green has eight points.
F Jeff Ulmer has signed to play for HDD Olimpija Ljubljana in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga in Austria. Ulmer, 36, is from Regina and is entering his ninth season in Europe. . . . He will be playing in the same league as his brother, Jason, 34, who has signed with EHC Linz. Jason is going into his ninth season in Europe.
Jim McTaggart is out and Tyler Alos is in. That was the story Thursday involving the Seattle Thunderbirds’ coaching staff. . . . McTaggart had been an assistant coach in Seattle for the past eight seasons. . . . Alos, 20, played four seasons with the Thunderbirds before retiring 10 games into last season because of post-concussion syndrome. . . . Alos then joined the club’s staff as a skills coach. . . . A native of Spokane, Alos was a sixth-round selection by the Thunderbirds in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . He will work alongside head coach Steve Konowalchuk and assistant Matt O’Dette, along with goaltender coach Ian Gordon.
As of the close of business Wednesday, the Brandon Wheat Kings had sold 2,320 season tickets. Last season, they sold more than 3,100 and averaged about 4,300 fans per home game. According to a news release, an adult season ticket sells for $350 plus GST. That, the news release reads, “equates to a single-game ticket price of just over $10, which is still easily the most affordable ticket price in the WHL.” . . . The Calgary Hitmen have added veteran scout Ray Payne to their staff. He will work as their travelling scout, replacing Dan Bonar, who moved up to head scout after Brad Whelen left for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Payne has worked with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals. He also has worked with Hockey Canada. . . .
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