Hicketts full of passion . . . Heat's on Groulx . . . CHL hits New York Times

Joe Hicketts has heard it for most of his life. In fact, you couldn’t blame him if he sometimes thinks his first name really is Undersized. . . . The 5-foot-8 Hicketts has a spot on Canada’s national junior team, the Victoria Royals defender and Kamloops native having been named to the team on Friday night. . . . But what it is that sets Hicketts apart. For starters, his mother, Lee-Gaye, will tell you that “he has a passion that’s hard to believe.” She also will tell you that she first noticed it when he was not yet three years of age. . . . Mark Masters of TSN has more on Hicketts right here.
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For the next three weeks, Benoit Groulx has the toughest job in all of Canada. He is the head coach of the country’s national junior team, which starts play in the World Junior Championship on Friday not having won a gold medal since 2009. Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has more right here.
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Major junior hockey hit the pages of The New York Times on Sunday with a story by Jeff Z. Klein that chronicles the three lawsuits that have been filed against the Canadian Hockey League and the three leagues that function under its umbrella -- the OHL, QMJHL and WHL. Klein’s story is right here.
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Most Interesting Man in the World Quote of the Week: "The dark is afraid of him."
— kerry eggers (@kerryeggers) December 21, 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.

Petan, Morrissey on way back . . . How did Corsi get its name?

The biggest news of the WHL's Sunday came courtesy the NHL's Winnipeg Jets as they returned F Nic Petan to the Portland Winterhawks and D Josh Morrissey to the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Petan, 19, has 269 points, including 95 goals, in 198 career regular-season games. He is coming off back-to-back 100-point seasons, having put up 120 points in 2012-13 and 113 last season. . . . Morrissey heads into his fourth season with 158 points, 53 of them goals, in 202 games. Last season, he had 73 points, including 28 goals, in 59 games.
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The WHL’s pooh-bahs (aka the board of governors) is scheduled to gather in Calgary this week to decide on a host team/city for the 2016 Memorial Cup. They will hear bids from the Red Deer Rebels and Vancouver Giants and a vote is scheduled to be held on Wednesday. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province sets the stage right here.
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If you are a WHL fan, you should be paying attention to Cody Nickolet's blog WHL From Above. There's a link right here, or you can find it over there on the right. . . . Among the things he is doing is charting the lines and defence pairings of every one of the WHL's 22 teams. What has he learned from this exercise? In the early going, at least, it seems that consistency leads to success. . . . Going into Sunday’s games, he tweeted: “SC/REG/PG/MJ/MH/EVT/CGY/BRN are among the most consistent WHL teams lineup-wise recently. They’re a combined 24-0-3-2 in this last stretch.” . . . You also are able to follow him on Twitter (@DubFromAbove).
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Wally Hergesheimer, who was 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds when he began his NHL careers, has died. He was 87. In each of his first three NHL seasons, he led the New York Rangers in goals. . . . There’s more right here.
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If you are a reader and a hockey fan, one of the most anticipated dates of the early hockey season is Oct. 14. That’s the day that Bob McKenzie’s latest book -- Hockey Confidential: Inside Stories From Inside The Game -- is to hit the stores. . . . On Sunday night, McKenzie described the book this way: “The book is a collection of stories about hockey people – a well-known hockey executive reflecting on a near-death experience; an NHL fighter talking about what it’s really like to give and take punches; an NHL star talking about the essence of scoring goals; a teenage hockey phenom and his family explaining what it’s like to grow up ‘exceptional’ in Canada; plus, multiple other stories of ‘hockey people’ and their life journeys, much of it fused with some universal themes (life, death, family, giving) that transcend the game.” . . . McKenzie also shared the story of how Corsi got its name. That story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings, their roster overloaded with defencemen, have dealt Taylor Green, 19, to the Moose Jaw Warriors for a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . From Port Coquitlam, B.C., Green was a second-round pick by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2010 draft. . . . Brandon added D Macoy Erkamps in a deal with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last week and also had to make room for D Eric Roy, who is out with a shoulder injury. As well, Russian D Ivan Provorov, 17, has already proven that he can play in this league. . . . The Warriors are looking for Green to fill a void created when Austin Adam went down with a shoulder injury. . . . When the two of them are healthy, the Warriors’ lineup will include two of the league’s biggest defencemen. Green is 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, while Adam is 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. . . . Green had a goal and an assist in four games with Brandon this season. In 138 career games, he has 20 points, including four goals.
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D Ryan Coghlan is on his way back to the Saskatoon Blades. Coghlan, who turns 19 on Oct. 31, was dealt by the Prince Albert Raiders to the Blades on Sunday for a seventh-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Coghlan had been released by the Raiders on Sept. 25 and was expected to play in the BCHLwith the Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . The Blades had dealt Coghlan and F Collin Valcourt to the Raiders on Dec. 28, getting back D Dylan Busenius and second- and fifth-round picks in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Coghlan, from Nanaimo, B.C., has 13 points, five of them goals, in 59 career games. He was pointless in two games with the Raiders this season.
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Are concussions really the NFL's black lung disease? . . . "Since the NFL insists on behaving like the coal industry circa 1969, the only solution to its problems is for Congress to step in and regulate the business of these 32 billionaire plunderers," writes columnist Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. "This week, the Department of Veterans Affairs brain bank announced that 76 out of 79 deceased NFL players had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease. The price for owning a team just went up. Jerry Jones, Bob Kraft, Dan Snyder, Steve Bisciotti and all the rest, if you want to enrich yourselves at the expense of the ravaged health of others, be prepared to pay for it. Your future is endless litigation and government interference." . . . Jenkins' complete column is right here and it makes for compelling reading, especially with an apparent connection between CTE and some instances of domestic abuse.
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It seems that in some areas of the sporting world, athletes still are reluctant to report concussion symptoms to their teams’ medical or training staff. The New York Times has reported that three recent studies “concluded that for every diagnosed concussion, (college football) players sustained six substantial hits that they suspected might have caused a concussion but did not report. The players added that for every diagnosed concussion, they also received 21 dings — or smaller hits — that they also did not report.” . . . Ken Belson’s complete story is right here.
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In another New York Times story, Jeff Z. Klein reports on a school district near Toronto that has “started immersing its more than 4,000 ninth graders in a detailed course on concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. District schools are also teaching modified versions of the curriculum to some students in third and sixth grades. It is believed to be the first course of its kind to be taught across an entire school district in Canada or the United States.” . . . Klein’s complete story is right here.
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The Red Deer Rebels were without D Haydn Fleury as they beat the host Regina Pats 4-3 in OT on Sunday night. Fleury, who was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the seventh-overall pick in the NHL’s 2014 draft, was injured Saturday night in Brandon. Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ GM/head coach, told the Red Deer Advocate that “we’re hoping it’s not serious.” . . . F Preston Kopeck scored the OT winner for Red Deer, his second goal of the game. . . .
The Kamloops Blazers went into Edmonton and beat the Oil Kings 6-2 on Sunday, handing the defending Memorial Cup champions their third straight home-ice loss. Edmonton G Tristan Jarry has lost three straight games for only the second time in his four-year career. . . . Kamloops F Cole Ully continued his hot start with two goals and an assist. One of the WHL’s most exciting players, Ully, 19, has 14 points, including six goals, in eight games. . . .
In Vancouver, the Giants scored three times on the PP and once while shorthanded in stinging the Prince George Cougars, 6-1. F Jackson Houck had a goal and two assists for the Giants, with F Carter Popoff scoring twice.

Unifor continuing drive to unionize major juniors

F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). Last season, with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), he had 43 points, including 16 goals, in 31 games. He also played 25 games with the Alaska Aces (ECHL), putting up 20 points, 17 of them assists. . . .
F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2000-01) has signed a one-year contract with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, with the Heerenveen Flyers (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 38 points, including 17 goals, in 22 games.
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Rick Westhead, who recently joined TSN as its senior correspondent, has filed his first piece and it deals with Unifor and its bid to unionize major junior hockey. The union, Westhead reports, is to meet today with Ontario’s minister of labour. . . . Westhead’s piece is right here.
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It was Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y., as the world of baseball saluted a few of its greats. That included Roger Angell, perhaps the best of all the baseball essayists. Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated has more on Angell right here, and you won’t want to miss it.
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Now here’s a real treat. In celebration of Angell, The New Yorker, the magazine for which he writes, has posted links to “eight Angell classics.” Those links are right here.
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The Portland Mavericks were an independent baseball team that lasted just five seasons. But what a five seasons of fun they were! Larry Stone of the Seattle Times chronicles that team right here. The Mavericks, by the way, were owned by Bing Russell. You may have heard of his son, Kurt.
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“After football, hockey is the sport that produces the highest reate of concussion,” notes Dr. Stefan M. Duma, the head of the biomedical engineering department at Virginia Tech. . . . Which is why, as Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times reports, hockey helmets “may be on the verge of a radical makeover.” . . . Klein’s piece is right here.
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No doubt you are aware of the political unrest in the Russian area of the world. Perhaps you have been wondering how that will impact the approaching KHL season. Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star tackles that question right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:

Really really excited to join france national team tomorrow 🇫🇷 and play some hockey games!!! #cantwait #bozysback pic.twitter.com/V9kvlnXQFf
— Tim Bozon (@timbozon94) July 27, 2014

Family in front of me just dropped $2,300 on hockey equipment and sticks, and it all fit in three big shopping bags. Yikes.
— Steve Ladurantaye (@sladurantaye) July 27, 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.

Oil Kings into third straight conference final

The CHL announced details of the 2014 Subway Series on Thursday. That annual series involves a touring Russian team playing two games each against all-star teams from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL.
One reader of this blog saw the information posted here yesterday and sent along this query:
“Can you tell me how Canada is supporting the people in the Ukraine vs Russia as we still host the Subway Series? Why host them when Russia is still going at Ukraine?”
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The aftershocks from some ugliness during Game 5 between the Victoria Royals and the Winterhawks in Portland on Thursday night will be heard for a while yet. The WHL has suspended two of the Royals -- F Steven Hodges, for a game misconduct he incurred, and F Brandon Magee, for a match penalty he was given for attempt to injure. . . . The Winterhawks won the game, 5-1, and the series, 4-1, to advance to the Western Conference final. . . . There is concern in the Portland camp that Magee cross-checked Winterhawks F Nic Petan in the back of the head at 15:10 of the third period as retribution from an earlier incident. . . . Tempers had flared at the end of the second period and, during the ensuing melee, Portland D Derrick Pouliot punched Victoria D Joe Hicketts, who is believed to have been rendered unconscious, at least briefly. Pouliot, Hicketts and Hodges all were ejected at that point.
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“I probably had 17 or 18 concussions through my career, five or six documented,” former NHLer Dan LaCouture, 36, told Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times. “Just after you have a concussion, you think you’re going to lose your job. So you try to play through it.” . . . LaCouture is part of a concussion-related lawsuit that was filed against the NHL this week. . . . Klein’s story is right here.
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Glenn (Chico) Resch, one of hockey’s really great guys, announced his retirement from broadcasting during the first intermission of the New Jersey Devils’ game on Friday night. . . . A lot of people forget that Resch, a native of Moose Jaw, did a stint as the general manager and then the head coach of the Tri-City Americans. That was in 1991-92. The Americans were 9-13-2 when his coaching career ended on Nov. 22, 1991. . . . Randy Miller of NJ.com has an interview with Resch right here.
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F Justin Hickman of the Seattle Thunderbirds will finish the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Hickman, who turned 20 on March 18, had 45 points, 22 of them goals, and 154 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Thunderbirds this season. A second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, Hickman played four seasons with Seattle. He hasn’t been selected in the NHL draft.
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A Pacific Division in the AHL that would be centred in Arizona? There’s more right here from the Prescott Daily Courier.
According to that report, “Fox Sports Arizona reported that multiple NHL sources with knowledge of the situation said several western-based NHL franchises, including the Phoenix Coyotes, want to form a Pacific Division for their affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL).”That’s interesting because there was a time when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s commissioner, was concerned that western NHL teams might set up AHL franchises in WHL cities such as Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Regina and Medicine Hat.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported early Friday evening that F Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Stephenson, who turns 20 on April 22, is from Saskatoon. He played four seasons with the Pats, putting up 195 points, including 73 goals, in 230 games. This season, he had career highs in goals (30), assists (59) and points (89), all in 69 games. . . . Ross Mahoney, Washington’s head amateur scout, is from Regina, so you know he’s most familiar with Stephenson, who will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. . . . From Harder: “According to the terms of his contract, Stephenson has the opportunity (if he achieves certain bonuses) to earn the maximum salary under the rookie cap ($925,000 per season) when he reaches the NHL. He received the maximum signing bonus ($92,500 per season) and max AHL salary ($70,000) allowed by the CBA, meaning he will earn $162,500 per season as an AHLer.”
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The London Knights, the host team for next month’s Memorial Cup tournament, will have five weeks to prepare after they were eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night. The Guelph Storm dropped the Knights 5-4 to win the second-round series, 4-1. . . . The Memorial Cup runs from May 16 through May 25.
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If you are into the Masters, this is for you:
“Prepare to see more, much more, of what’s already in progress — a three-ring circus of birdies, glorious saves and single-car crashes. Rory McIlroy, one of the count-on-your-fingers-favorites, thought he was playing well after an opening 71. His Friday was one long GIF of jitters. At the second, he lost his drive, and almost himself, in flora to the left. At the 210-yard fourth, he was so long that fans lost sight as he searched for his ball in the kind of abandoned shrub-shrouded shed where the body dump is always found on ‘CSI.’ At the 13th, he was trapped by vegetables up to his neck. Normally, you’d say they were large azaleas, but this year, since they’ve barely bloomed, perhaps they don’t deserve the name.”
That is from the always excellent Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, and his complete column is right here.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
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 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; G Curtis Honey, day-to-day; F Ryley Lindgren, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-1)
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 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: 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 wins, 4-0)
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 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
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 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 19: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)/KOOTENAY    (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 20: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored three times in a span of 2:08 late in the first period and sent on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . The Oil Kings won the second-round series, 4-1, and now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal, which resumes tonight in Medicine Hat. The Kootenay Ice lead the Tigers 3-1 in that one. . . . Edmonton is into the conference final for a third straight season. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson opened the scoring at 15:26 of the first period, with F Brett Pollock scoring his fifth goal at 17:11 and F Reid Petryk making it 3-0 at 17:34. . . . D Eric Roy scored a 5-on-3 PP goal for Brandon at 2:55 of the third period. That was Brandon’s first road goal of the series. . . . Edmonton put it away with goals from D Cody Corbett, at 8:44, and F Mitch Moroz, at 11:09. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. In the three home games in this series, he had a .984 save percentage and a GAA of 0.33. . . . Overall in these playoffs, he is 8-1, 1.78, .933. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-5 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb was given a clipping major and game misconduct at 16:12 of the third period. That may be worthy of a WHL suspension, but he would be a 20-year-old next season so perhaps Nejezchleb, who is Czech, won’t be back. . . . The Wheat Kings, as it turned out, suffered a blow at practice on Thursday when F Jayce Hawryluk, their top offensive forward, was injured. With him out, Roy saw some time on a forward line. . . . The Oil Kings had F Brandon Baddock back in their lineup for the first time since Feb. 19.
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From Hodges Heroes (@hodgersheroes): “With Rattie's debut tonight, 6 players from the 2010-11 #Winterhawks team have played an NHL game this season.”
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From Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) of The Hockey News: “It's always been a privilege and a pleasure to talk hockey with Chico Resch. Hockey needs more guys named Chico and like Chico. Happy retirement.”

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 Daryl Boyle (Brandon, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He has three goals and 10 assists in his second season in Augsburg, where he is the team captain.
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Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large has taken an extensive look at which WHL players might play for teams in the World Junior Championship. That is right here.
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It would appear that D Layne Viveiros of the Portland Winterhawks is leaving to play for Austria in the IIHF U20 Division 1 Group A championship in Amiens, France, Dec. 9-15. Viveiros, the 17-year-old son of former Prince Albert Raiders D Emanuel Viveiros, tweeted early today: “Last minute packing for tomorrow. Off to europe again #cant wait #teamAustria #3rdhome” . . . He has one assist in 15 games this season, after recording three assists in 39 games as a freshman last season. . . . Emanuel played four seasons (1982-86) with the Raiders. He is the head coach of the Austrian national team. One of his assistants is former WHL coach Rob Daum, the head coach of Black Wings Linz.
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The Portland versus WHL or, if you prefer, WHL versus Portland brawl isn’t going away any time soon.
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has his take on things right here.
I meant to provide a link yesterday to a piece by Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports. He begins with this: “One thing I’ve learned about the Portland Winterhawks — the rest of the WHL hates them.”
His complete piece is right here and it may be the most thorough explanation to date of exactly what happened.
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Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times has written more on the “major concussion study” that was published Friday in the journal Neurosurgical Focus. That piece is right here.
In this piece, Klein writes that Dr. Paul S. Echlin, a concussion specialist and researcher in Burlington, Ont., “said that dismissive attitudes toward head trauma persisted in hockey at all levels, despite the widespread attention on Sidney Crosby’s drawn-out recovery from concussion symptoms in 2011 and 2012.
“This is our national game which we all love,” Echlin wrote, “and it is time to consider a cultural shift to address the prevention and treatment of this serious brain injury that is occurring at epidemic proportions.”
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During the NHL craziness, Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has been writing about various aspects of The Game of hockey. His latest piece looks at hockey and how it is quickly becoming a sport for the elite. That piece is right here.
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So if you haven’t heard . . . the Saskatchewan Roughriders attempted to get into the Christmas spirit by putting a Yule log video on the big screen at Mosaic Stadium or Taylor Field or whatever it’s called. (It’ll always be Taylor Field for me, named after Piffles, you know.)
Anyway . . . there were at least four fire calls to 9-1-1. Seriously!
Deadspin puts its spin on the story right here, and make sure to read the comments.
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We are into Teddy Bear Game season (or toque toss), and here is some food for thought from an avid reader of this blog:
“I only want to say that people are allowed to throw other things than stuffed animals during those special nights . . . that each team is holding once a year. While Teddy Bears can be cute, they are nonetheless useless and not that much desired by kids. Or shelf bound after 2 days!!
“At the Teddy Bear Toss of the Surrey Eagles, like past years, I will be throwing kid's winter boots, scarves and toques, all brand new items of course. Every year I keep hoping that people will start to get it but it's a slow process. I have a friend from Manitoba and he is telling me that people in Brandon start to get it and a percentage of them throw other useful items along with the stuffies at the Wheaties’ annual Teddy Bear Toss. It all goes to the Salvation Army anyway, or other charities.
“I'm not sure if you agree with me or not, but I wanted to tell you and I hoped that maybe you could write a short note reminding people about it. The Teddy Bear Toss is a good idea, but I really think that other items are more needed by families in need.”
The writer also points out that $20 spent on a stuffie could buy a pair of boots/shoes in a bix box store like Walmart or Zellers (40 per cent off right now). . . . $20 could buy food for a day or two . . . $20 could buy toques and mittens.
“I understand that a Teddy Bear has the potential of warming up the heart of a child, but it's pointless if the child is cold or hungry.
“As well, firefighters and other parties are already doing a fantastic job in gathering toys for Christmas.
“Anyway, It's only my opinion.”
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, Morgan Klimchuk had a five-point night for the Pats, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 6-5 in OT to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Klimchuk had two goals and three assists in the game’s first 29:23. . . . But it was Spokane D Tyler King who ended it, scoring his fifth goal of the season at 2:46 of extra time. . . . King is from Pilot Butte, Sask., a community just a couple of slapshots from Regina. . . . Spokane F Tyson Predinchuk, a freshman from Regina, had two assists. He had two assists in his previous 19 games. . . . The Chiefs are 5-0-1 in their last six. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice for the Pats, giving him 18. . . . Klimchuk has 16 goals. . . . Spokane had a 60-25 edge in shots. . . . Regina G Teagan Sacher stopped 54 of those but wasn’t one of the three stars. . . . It’s interesting that King was the first star, with Klimchuk second. . . . The Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals with F Carter Proft forcing OT at 6:59 of the third. . . . The Chiefs are 2-0 on their East Division swing. They play in Prince Albert on Tuesday. . . . Regina played this one without F Dryden Hunt, D Colton Jobke, F Trent Ouellette, D Kade Pilton, F Jack Rodewald, F Chandler Stephenson, F Dyson Stevenson and F Emil Sylvegard, all out with injuries or illness. . . . Regina, which lost 5-3 in Prince Albert on Friday, is at home to the Raiders tonight. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos blanked the Brandon Wheat Kings 5-0 as the goaltending tandem of Landon Bow and Eetu Laurikainen combined to stop 17 shots. . . . The Broncos gave the start to Bow, but he left with an injury at 16:49 of the first period after stopping all five shots he saw. Laurikainen, who had started 19 straight games, came off the bench. . . . Swift Current F Ryon Moser had two goals and an assist. . . . The Broncos were without F Daniel Dale, who drew a suspension after being hit with an instigating penalty in the last five minutes of Friday’s 7-2 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock sat out his fifth straight game with an undisclosed injury. The Wheaties also were missing D Eric Roy, D Rene Hunter, F Jack Palmer, F Tyrel Seaman, F Tim McGauley and F Jens Meilleur. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost five straight and nine of 10. . . . Swift Current beat Brandon three times in a week, outscoring it 15-4 in the process. . . .

In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 21 shots to lead the Rebels to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Blades gave up two first-period goals and weren’t able to get back into this one. . . . The Rebels are 7-0-0 since owner/GM Brent Sutter stepped in as interim head coach. . . . Ch-ch-ching! Just in time for Christmas shopping, there was a line brawl at game’s end. Both teams will be contributing to the WHL office early in the week. . . . Bartosak has put up two shutouts in his last five outings. . . . The Rebels are into fourth in the Eastern Conference, just a point behind the Calgary Hitmen, who hold four games in hand. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Valk and F Elgin Pearce scored in the circus to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Craig Leverton scored for Lethbridge at 2:51 of the first period, with D Dylan Busenius scoring the Teddy Bear goal for the Tigers at 2:09 of the second. . . . Lethbridge Michael Sofillas (concussion) was back in the lineup after a 20-game absence. . . . Medicine Hat G Cam Lanigan stopped 41 shots, four more than Lethbridge’s Ty Rimmer. . . .

In Prince George, the Victoria Royals scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Cougars, 4-3. . . . The two teams played four times in eight nights, with the Royals winning three of them. . . . D Mark (Jimmy) McNulty scored his fifth goal at 10:16 of the second period to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead. . . . Royals F Mitch Deacon tied it at 12:15 of the third and D Brett Cote won it at 13:14. . . . The Cougars were without F Colin Jacobs after he drew a ‘tbd’ suspension for a headshot in Friday’s 2-0 loss to the Royals. . . .

In Vancouver, the Tri-City Americans pulled one out of the fire as they snuck past the Giants, 4-3. . . . Vancouver F Tristan Sieben gave the Giants a 3-2 lead at 12:39 of the third period. . . . Tri-City D Justin Hamonic tied it with his first goal this season at 17:49. . . . Americans F Beau McCue won it with a shorthanded goal at 19:54. . . . McCue, a 17-year-old freshman from Missoula, Mont., had another goal and an assist for the first three-point game of his career. . . . The Americans ended a three-game losing skid. . . . The Giants have lost seven in a row. . . . G Luke Lee-Knight, in his first appearance with the Americans this season, stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver G Liam Liston (ankle) turned aside 32 shots in his first appearance since Nov. 1. . . .

In Kamloops, the Moose Jaw Warriors got two goals in the circus and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2. . . . F Justin Kirsch and F Brayden Point scored in the shootout, while G Justin Paulic stopped both Kamloops shooters. . . . Blazers D Tyler Bell scored the game’s first goal, his first of the season and the second of his 81-game career, and it was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . During the break, Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi announced that the Blazers will retire D Scott Niedermayer’s No. 28 on Jan. 25 with the Prince Albert Raiders providing the opposition. Niedermayer (1989-92) had 190 points in 156 regular-season games and was on one Memorial Cup winner in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers have played in six straight one-goal games; they are 3-1-2 in those games. . . . Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly scored his sixth goal of the season and that equals a career high. He had six goals in 65 games as a freshman in 2010-11. Of course, a knee injury limited him to 18 games last season, and he finished with three goals. . . . The Blazers boarded their bus immediately after the game and headed for Kent, Wash., where they will play the Thunderbirds this evening. D Jordan Thomson (ill) wasn’t on the Blazers’ bus. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds got a pair of late goals and beat the Kelowna Rockets, 4-2. . . . The Thunderbirds held a 2-0 lead in the first period but the visitors tied it in the second. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore broke a 2-2 tie at 14:12 of the third. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle lost for the first time in seven decisions. . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart played in his 300th regular-season game. He is sixth on the franchise’s career list, behind Glen Goodall (399), Tyler Metcalfe (333), Scott Jackson (326), Aaron Gagnon (318) and Rob Dumas (315). . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover stopped 37 shots. . . . The Thunderbirds have shut down F Tyler Alos, 19, for the remainder of this season with post-concussion syndrome. Alos, from Spokane, had three points in 10 games this season. He was in his fourth season with the Thunderbirds. Alos last played on Nov. 2. He returned that night after not playing since Oct. 19. . . . The Rockets were without F Colton Sissons, their captain, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Friday’s 3-2 victory over visiting Moose Jaw. . . . Kelowna also was without F Carter Rigby, who sat out a one-game suspension for coming off the bench and getting into an altercation at the end of the game with Moose Jaw. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to six games with a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks (22-4-1) now are tied for first place atop the WHL’s overall standings with the Kamloops Blazers. Portland holds three games in hand. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored his 16th goal of the season to run his point streak to 15 games. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 29 shots, including a third-period stop on a penalty shot attempt by Everett F Manraj Hayer. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had a goal and an assist, giving him points in 20 his last 21 games. He has 41 points over that stretch. . . . Portland D Seth Jones had one assist and was plus-2 in his first regular-season game in Everett. The Silvertips selected him in the first round of the 2009 bantam draft. He chose not to sign with the Silvertips, who dealt his rights to Portland earlier this year. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported: “Everett's fans made sure Jones knew they didn't approve as the 4,957 in attendance booed him vociferously every time he touched the puck.” . . . "It was exciting," Jones told Patterson. “The fans were really into it, obviously. Every time I got the puck it was always an exciting atmosphere. It was good. You just have to laugh about it, really." . . . Patterson reported that Everett D Nick Walters sat out “as a result of damage sustained during a fight in Friday’s 4-0 victory over Vancouver.” . . . Portland F Taylor Peters sat out for what Patterson reported  were “undisclosed reasons.” . . . Everett visits Portland on Tuesday. . . . The Winterhawks are two games into a stretch in which they play 15 straight games against U.S. Division opponents.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Carter Proft, Spokane
D Tyler Yaworski, Brandon
F Reid Petryk, Everett
D Sam Grist, Kamloops
F Justin Feser, Tri-City
D Zach Yuen, Tri-City

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna
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From former Spokane Chiefs captain Darren Kramer (@DarrenKramer22): “I am a Chief for life but I will say I feel for Mike Johnston and the sanctions on the Portland Winterhawks. #toofar #relax”
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From Swift Current Broncos F Daniel Dale (@DDaleOne7): “A little vacation never hurt anyone #supsy”


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The biggest name in hockey-related news on Monday belongs to Dr. Rajendra Kale. He is the interim editor in chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and he has joined the chorus. He has written an editorial – Stop the violence and play hockey – calling for an end to fighting in the NHL.
That story is right here.
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The OHL has handed out another lengthy suspension, this time 10 games to F Conor Stokes of the Kingston Frontenacs for a hit to the head of an unsuspecting opponent.
Mike Koreen of the Kingston Whig-Standard has more right here.
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In the Greater Ontario junior league, a hit to the head has put D Tanner Ferguson of the Lambton Shores Predators in hospital with a crushed nasal cavity, broken orbital bone, broken jaw and severe concussion. F Justin Thomas of the Strathroy Rockets delivered the third-period hit and may find out today if he will face disciplinary action.
Tyler Kula of the Sarnia Observer has more right here.
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F Marcel Noebels of the Seattle Thunderbirds was on the German national junior team that won the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship (Division I Group A) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, on the weekend. . . . Germany beat Norway 5-3 in the final and earned promotion to the 2013 WJC with the big boys. . . . Noebels had quite a tournament, putting up nine points, including four goals, in five games. . . . F Jonas Knutsen of the Prince Albert Raiders was in Norway’s lineup and scored one of its goals in the final. He finished with seven points, including a team-high five goals, in five games.
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Jeff Z. Klein and Stu Hackel write for Slap Shot, hockey blog on The New York Times’ website. They take a look at concussions in the NHL right here.
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The New York Daily News weighs in on the concussion story with this piece right here, written by Pat Leonard.
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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.