THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Paul Deniset (Kamloops, Swift Current, Vancouver, Prince Albert, 1989-2002) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). He had 18 goals and 20 assists in 21 games for Amiens (France, Ligue Magnus) last season.
———
Monday in the Western Hockey League:
EDMONTON OIL KINGS—Traded F Cam Reid, 20, to Portland Winterhawks for 2012 eight-round bantam draft pick.
LETHBRIDGE HURRICANES–Traded F Cam Braes, 20, to Moose Jaw Warriors for a 2012 first-round bantam draft pick and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.
MOOSE JAW WARRIORS–Traded D Tyler Vanscourt, 19, to Vancouver Giants for a 2012 fifth-round bantam draft pick.
TRI-CITY AMERICANS–Traded D Riley Guenther, 17, to Prince Albert Raiders for a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick.
VANCOUVER GIANTS–Traded F Levi Bews, 17, to Swift Current for a 2012 sixth-round bantam draft pick.
VICTORIA ROYALS—Traded F Kevin Sundher, 19, to Brandon Wheat Kings for D Jordan Fransoo, 18, F Dakota Conroy, 17, and a 2012 first-round bantam draft pick.
———
DRAFT TRACKER (since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 13
Players: 23
Bantam draft picks: 13
Deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 10, 3 p.m. MT
———
The Brandon Wheat Kings added F Kevin Sundher, 19, from the Victoria Royals but it cost them a 2012 first-round bantam draft pick, as well as D Jordan Fransoo, 18, and F Dakota Conroy, 17. . . . Sundher, a third-round selection by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2010 NHL draft, has 64 points in 40 games this season, leaving him seventh in the WHL scoring race. . . . From Surrey, B.C., Sundher was the seventh overall pick in the 2007 bantam draft, taken by the Chilliwack Bruins. He goes to Brandon with 240 points in 254 career regular-season games. He is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and is second in games played. . . . “It’s been a crazy day,” Sundher said in a Wheat Kings news release. “The (Royals were) just heading out for the prairies and I was pulled off the bus and told about the trade. I play to win and I'm looking forward to joining a team that has a chance to go far." . . . Fransoo, a seventh-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 2011 NHL draft, is in his sophomore season. From North Battleford, Sask., he has 11 points in 41 games this season. A good skater with a big shot, he was a fifth-round bantam pick by Brandon in 2008. . . . Conroy, a third-round bantam draft pick in 2009, Conroy has eight points in 37 games this season. He is from Edmonton and is projected as a top-six forward in time. . . . The Wheat Kings hope to have Sundher in their lineup Wednesday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades. . . . Interestingly, the Royals are scheduled to play in Brandon on Saturday.
———
The Moose Jaw Warriors picked up a top-six forward with the acquisition of F Cam Braes, who turns 21 on Thursday, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. But it cost them a first-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft and a second-rounder in 2013. That may seem like a steep price to pay for a player who is in his final season of eligibility. But obviously the Warriors felt they needed at least one more forward — a first-line centre — in order to keep up with the Eastern Conference-leading Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Braes, from Shawnigan Lake, B.C., was the Hurricanes’ captain. He has 203 points, including 99 goals, in 320 regular-season games with Lethbridge. This season, he has 45 points, 24 of them goals, in 44 games. . . . He was a third-round selection in the 2006 bantam draft. . . . Only Shane Peacock (336) played more games in a Hurricanes’ uniform than Braes.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders acquired D Riley Guenther, 17, from the Tri-City Americans for a fifth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Guenther, from Calgary, had one assist and six penalty minutes in 10 games with the Americans. He played last season with the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. . . . The Americans selected him in the third round of the 2009 bantam draft.
———
The Vancouver Giants acquired D Tyler Vanscourt, 19, from the Moose Jaw Warriors for a 2012 fifth-round bantam draft pick that originally belonged to the Prince George Cougars. He had a goal and three assists in 14 games with Moose Jaw after being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders. All told, he has 21 points in 40 games this season. . . . Vanscourt is from Corona, Calif., and was a seventh-round selection of the Kootenay Ice in the 2007 bantam draft.
———
The Swift Current Broncos acquired F Levi Bews, 17, from the Vancouver Giants for a 2012 sixth-round bantam draft pick. . . . Earlier this season, Bews went from the Saskatoon Blades to the Giants in a four-player deal. . . . He was a second-round pick, 42nd overall, by the Blades in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . The Giants had assigned him last week to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. . . . In 38 WHL games this season, he has nine points, three of them goals. . . . Bews is from Longview, Alta.
———
The Portland Winterhawks have dealt a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick to the Edmonton Oil Kings for the rights to F Cam Reid, 20, who is with the St. Cloud State Huskies. . . . A sophomore, Reid has 15 points, including six goals, in 22 games this season. Last season, in 37 games, he had 29 points, eight of them goals, in 37 games. . . . The Nashville Predators selected Reid, who is from Delta, B.C., in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Before heading to St. Cloud State, Reid played 167 BCHL games with the Victoria Grizzlies and Westside Warriors, putting up 138 points. . . . Reid’s WHL rights originally belonged to the Vancouver Giants, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2006 bantam draft. The Giants sent him to Edmonton in lieu of the Oil Kings selecting a player off their roster in the expansion draft prior to the 2007-08 season. . . . Reid’s arrival in Portland — and he is leaving school — will leave Portland with four 20-year-olds, meaning one of D William Wrenn, F Oliver Gabriel or F Dillon Wagner will have to go. Or it could be that Gabriel, who suffered a shoulder injury on Dec. 30 and hasn’t play since then, could be headed to the long-term injury list.
Reid told Mick Hatten of the St. Cloud, Minn., Times that he got a call from Portland on Sunday night, telling him he had 24 hours to make a decision to stay or join the Winterhawks.
“They offered to have me play center on the first line with their top two players,” Reid said. “I talked it over with my parents, and it was something I couldn’t pass up or say no to.”
That being the case, Reid will join Ty Rattie, the WHL’s scoring leader, and Sven Bartschi on Portland’s top line.
———
JUST NOTES:
Regina Pats D Brandon Underwood, who hasn’t played since Dec. 4 when he broke a bone in a foot while blocking a shot, has been cleared to skate again. He still is a week or two from getting back in the lineup. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Alex Schoenborn, 16, who is from Minot, N.D. He is expected to finish the season with the Omaha Jr. Lancers, an under-16 AAA team that plays in the North American Prospects league. He has 27 points in 13 games with the Lancers. . . . The Lancers are coached by David Wilkie (Seattle, Kamloops, Regina, 1999-94). . . .
Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress has spoken with D Jesse Pauls, 19, who retired from the Victoria Royals last week. That story is right here. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks will play host to the Kelowna Rockets twice this week, on Wednesday and Friday. The Winterhawks go into the series having won their last 14 home games, two shy of the franchise record that was set in 1993-94. . . .
Don Nachbaur, the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, is on the verge of becoming the sixth coach in WHL history to win 500 games. Nachbaur is at 499 going into two straight games with the Everett Silvertips. They’ll play in Spokane on Wednesday and in Everett on Friday. . . . Ken Hodge (742), Ernie McLean (548), Pat Ginnell (518), Lorne Molleken (543) and Don Hay (541) also have more than 500 victories. . . . Nachbaur also has served as head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds (202 victories) and Tri-City Americans (229). He has three times been named winner of the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as coach of the year, once with each team.
———
An interesting observation from columnist Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun, following the move by Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins to submarine Canucks defenceman Sami Salo in a game on Saturday:
“It’s a curious thing, but a current listing of NHL villains will turn up several members of Canada’s world junior squads over the past 15 years or so, which may reveal an unflattering pattern to the way Hockey Canada carefully constructs its rosters. Though some confined their borderline sociopathic behaviour primarily to their junior days, these Team Canada alumni/incendiary devices include Matt Cooke (1998), Raffi Torres (2001), Jordin Tootoo (2003), Steve Downie (2006-07), Brad Marchand (2007-08) — how’s that for a start to the all-cheap-shot-team? — and, more recently, Patrice Cormier (2009-10) and Zack Kassian (2011).
“Cooke, mind you, has renounced his evil ways and joined the choirboys, and Cormier and Kassian haven’t really got their pro careers properly warmed up yet.”
———
Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., was in Winnipeg on the weekend and Arctic Ice Hockey was able to get an interview. Perhaps the battle between College Hockey Inc. and the CHL is heating up again. That complete interview is 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.

It was the third annual CH2M HILL Nuclear Night at the Toyota Center in
Kennewick, Wash., so Patrick Holland (41) and the Tri-City Americans wore
what the team calls "nuclear-inspired" sweaters. Those jerseys are available
via on-line auction right here. As you will see by reading Friday's report, Holland
is hotter than nuclear fusion these days.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Micki DuPont (Kamloops, 1996-2000) signed a three-year contract extension with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). The extension runs through the 2014-15 season. DuPont has four goals and a league-leading 31 assists in 36 games for Kloten this season, good for seventh in league scoring.
———
It appears that the Portland Winterhawks are adding F Alex Schoenborn, a 16-year-old from Minot., N.D., to their roster. Ryan Clark of the Fargo, N.D., Forum noted Friday night that Schoenborn had confirmed the move on his Facebook page. . . . The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Schoenborn, who turned 16 on Dec. 12, had 45 points in 27 games for Minot High School last season. . . . This season, he was pointless in three games with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. He was the 12th overall selection in the USHL’s 2011 futures draft. . . . He is a list player with Portland. . . . Schoenborn also has played with the midget AAA Omaha Lancers this season, picking up 41 points and 118 penalty minutes in 26 games. In North American Prospects Hockeky League games, he has 11 points in six games.
———
Marlon Martens, the radio voice of the Victoria Royals, explains the Jesse Pauls situation on his blog.
After speaking with Pauls, Martens explained, “With a plate and nine screws in (a) leg after breaking both bones last (season) he’s been playing with ‘chronic pain’ as he put it, ‘and have decided to look after my health.’ ”
Pauls also told Martens: “It’s affected my game and haven’t been able to play up to my potential . . . it sucks knowing you’ve got more and can’t do it.”
———
G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers is scheduled to appear in a St. Albert, Alta., court on March 5 after entering not guilty pleas to what the Medicine Hat News reports are “two drunk-driving related allegations.”
According to The News, Bunz, 19, was charged “after an incident in his hometown of St. Albert in May.”
Brad McEwen, the Tigers’ general manager, told The News that the team won’t comment on the situation.
The Edmonton Oilers selected Bunz with the 121st pick of the NHL’s 2010 draft.
———
In the BCHL on Friday night, the Penticton Vees won their 20th game in a row, beating the Chiefs 6-2 in Chilliwack. . . . The Vees will play the SilverBacks in Salmon Arm tonight.
———
WHL TRADE TRACKER (trades made since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 6
Players: 14
Draft picks: 5
———
In the OHL, the teams have moved 25 players and 29 draft picks since Jan. 1.
———
The Vancouver Giants have dealt D Luke Fenske, 18, to the Regina Pats for a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
Fenske, from Penticton, has six assists and 40 penalty minutes in 31 games with the Giants this season. He played 30 games with them in 2009-10 and 55 last season. In 116 games, he has four goals and 17 assists. . . . He was selected by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 bantam draft. . . .
The Kootenay Ice has traded F Adam Rossignol, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for D Tanner Muth, 18. . . . Rossignol, from Surrey, B.C., had 13 points in 39 games. He was a seventh-round pick by the Ice in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Muth, from Calgary, had four points in 38 games with the Broncos. He was selected 36th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2008 bantam draft.
———
F Daniel Broussard of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s has been suspended for eight games for an anti-doping rule violation. The CHL and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport made the announcement on Friday. According to a news release, “The violation resulted from a urine sample collected during in-competition doping control in November 2011 which revealed the presence of methylhexaneamine, a prohibited stimulant.”
In a news release, CHL president David Branch stated that Broussard, who turns 21 on on Monday, and the 67’s were “extremely co-operative throughout the process.”
“We are completely satisfied,” Branch continued, “that the player used a supplement which he had purchased over the counter at a local retail outlet and had no knowledge that it contained a prohibited substance.”
Methylhexaneamine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List which is recognized by the CHL.
I said it last season and I’ll say it again . . . this automatic eight-game suspension for a first-time offender is ridiculous. Once again, we have a player who in no way was trying to cheat, but he has been labelled a drug cheat, just like the first-timers who were suspended last season.
Because of the number of major junior players using supplements, if the positive test turns out to be from inadvertent use and that can be proved, then why not issue a warning, and hand out an eight-game suspension for a second positive test?
A player makes a mistake like this and gets a longer suspension than some headshots and stickwork carry. And that’s just not right.
———
FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, the Raiders ran their home-ice winning streak to seven games as they dumped the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-1. . . . F Justin Maylan had a goal and two assists for the Raiders. . . . Maylan has 19 goals. . . . Prince Albert sophomore F Mike Winther had a goal, his 21st, and an assist. . . . F Logan McVeigh, acquired a week ago from Kamloops, had two assists. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row and 10 of their last 15, meaning the next few days, leading up to the Jan. 10 trading deadline, will be interesting. . . . Brandon G Curtis Honey stopped 33 shots in his first start. . . . Raiders G Cole Holowenko turned aside 29 shots. . . . F Mark Stone had one assist for Brandon in his first game after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship. It was his 200th regular-season game. . . . Swiss F Alessio Bertaggia, also back in the Brandon lineup after playing at the WJC, was held off the scoresheet. . . . The teams meet again tonight in P.A. . . .

In Regina, G Matt Hewitt stopped 33 shots to lead the Pats to a 3-0 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Hewitt has two shutouts this season. . . . The victory was Regina’s 23rd this season, which matches their total for all of last season. . . .  The Pats have won four in a row — they have at least a point in six straight — going into a rematch tonight in Saskatoon. . . . The Blades had won their last two games, scoring 17 goals in the process. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk’s 10th goal, at 13:2 of the second, stood up as the winner. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had a goal and an assist. He has 67 points, four off the league lead. . . . In the second period, Regina D Colton Jobke wound up and fired a shot . . . and the puck split in two. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, described it this way in a tweet: “OK, I've seen it all...Pats' Colton Jobke shoots puck and it breaks in two when it hits the back boards at the Brandt centre. Crazy!!” . . . G Andrey Makarov, who was so terrific for Russia in the WJC final on Thursday night, wasn’t with the Blades. He didn’t get into Saskatoon in time to make the trip south. . . .

In Lethbridge, D Daniel Johnston broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 6:30 of the third period as the Hurricanes beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-1. . . . Johnston has two goals this season. . . . F Emerson Etem got No. 31 for the Tigers in his first game back after playing for Team USA at the WJC. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 31 shots. . . .

In Red Deer, F Taylor Vause had a goal and two assists to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . The Broncos took a 3-0 lead early in the second period and then hung on behind 38 saves from G Jon Groenheyde. . . . Vause, who was reportedly feeling under the weather, has 23 goals. . . . He has 49 points in 41 games. Last season, in 62 games, Vause, 20, had career highs of 18 goals, 28 assists and 47 points. . . . The Broncos had lost six straight on the road. . . . Referee Derek Zalaski handed out only three minors, two to Red Deer. . . .

In Portland, F Brad Ross scored three times to lead the Winterhawks to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks have won 14 in a row at home. . . . Ross has 28 goals. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson set a single-game franchise record with 55 saves. The previous record (53) was held by Leland Irving from a game against the Spokane Chiefs four years ago. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke stopped 30 shots. Everett F Josh Birkholz was unsuccessful on a late second-period penalty shot with the score 1-1. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, the WHL scoring leader, had two assists. He now has 71 points. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray was back from a stint with the Canadian team at the WJC. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi sat this one out. He played for Switzerland at the WJC and suffered a concussion. . . . Everett was without D Brennan Yadlowski, who sat out a one-game suspension for a match penalty he incurred on Wednesday night. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Patrick Holland had two goals and two assists, while F Adam Hughesman had two goals and an assist, as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 7-3. . . . The Americans have won 12 in a row. . . . Holland has three straight four-point games. On the season, he has 55 points in 38 games. . . . In fact, in his last six games, he has gone 3, 3, 1, 4, 4, 4. That’s 19 points over six games. . . . Since Dec. 2, Holland has 28 points in 12 games. He has been blanked once, has one oe-point game, three two-pointers and three three-pointers. . . . Interestingly, he went 2-2-0-2-3-0-3-3-1-4-4-4. . . . And we should mention that Holland turns 19 today. . . . Hughesman has 65 points, including 25 goals, in 38 games this season. He has 299 points in 304 career games. . . . The Americans led 5-0 when Holland got his first goal, his 16th, at 8:34 of the second. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots. He wasn’t able to stop F Colin Jacobs on a second-period penalty shot that put Seattle on the board. . . . Comrie is 13-3-0. . . . Seattle G Daniel Cotton stopped 38 shots in his fourth career start. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin added a goal and two helpers for the Americans, while F Brian Williams had three assists. . . . Seattle has lost 19 in a row at the Toyota Center. . . . This one drew 6,064 fans, the third-largest crowd in the facility’s history. . . . There was an interesting moment in this one. It came with the Americans leading 5-2. From Dan Mulhausen’s Americans news release: “Early into the third period, Seattle thought it had pulled to within two, but rookie Connor Honey had his goal erased following a video review of a shot by Holland.  Nearly a minute earlier, Holland had ripped a shot from the point that appeared to go in the net, but the puck hit the back boards and went into the far corner.  After Honey’s goal finally stopped the clock, the video goal judge determined that Holland’s shot in fact had gone through the net, negating the goal by Honey and putting Tri-City on top 6-2.” . . . Hey, when you’re hot, you’re hot! And when you’re not, you’re not. . . .

In Prince George, G Cole Cheveldave stopped 32 shots as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Cougars, 2-0. . . . Cheveldave, an 18-year-old freshman from Calgary, has three shutouts, all of them against the Cougars. He blanked them 5-0 on Sunday, which was the last game for both teams prior to last night. They will play again tonight in P.G. . . . Cheveldave is 19-5-3. . . . Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer got the winner at 1:01 of the second period. F Colin Smith added his 20th at 13:16 of the third. . . . Prince George G Drew Owsley stopped 41 shots. . . . Kamloops D Marek Hrbas (Czech Republic) and Prince George D Martin Marincin (Slovakia) both played after performing at the WJC. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-2. . . . D Corbin Baldwin had a goal and an assist and was plus-4 for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 24 shots, 11 fewer than Moose Jaw’s Spencer Tremblay. . . . The Warriors went 1-3-1 in their U.S. Division swing. They wrap up the road swing tonight against the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Chiefs are 6-0 against East Division teams. . . . F Dominik Uher, in his return from playing for the Czech Republic at the WJC, scored for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur now has 497 WHL victories. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden rejoined his club after playing for Canada at the WJC. . . .

In Victoria, D Myles Bell had two goals and an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-2 victory over the Royals. . . . Bell has seven goals this season. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 36 shots. . . . Bell broke a 2-2 tie at 1:04 of the third period. . . . The Royals hae lost eight in a row. . . . The teams play in Victoria again tonight.
———
FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jamie Crooks, Victoria.

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:
F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) signed a contract for the rest of this season with HIFK Helsinki (Finland, SM-Liiga), one day after his release by Olten
(Switzerland, NL B). He had six goals and 15 assists in 23 games with Olten this season and one goal in three games of the European Trophy Finals while on loan to Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). . . .
F Justin Mapletoft (Red Deer, 1996-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Basel (Switzerland, NL B) after a successful tryout. He had three assists in five games for Basel during the tryout. Earlier this season, Mapletoft had six assists in 14 games for the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) and one goal and two assists in two games with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B).
———
The Kamloops Blazers have decided not to discipline F Ryan Hanes, 19, who was involved in an altercation in Cactus Jack’s Saloon, a downtown bar, on Dec. 23.
“This incident occurred on the player’s own time and was not related to any team activity,” reads a news release issued by the team on Thursday.
“We have concluded that Ryan was a victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Club will take no disciplinary action.  Ryan will be out of our lineup with an upper body injury for a yet to be determined time.”
The Blazers left Thursday for Prince George, where they are to play the Cougars tonight and Saturday. Hanes didn’t make the trip. He is shown on the WHL injury list as being out “week to week” with an “upper body injury.”
Meanwhile, the junior B Kamloops Storm, which plays in the Kootenay International league, doesn’t appear prepared to discipline F Colton De Frias, its leading scorer.
Kamloops This Week reported Thursday that De Frias, 20, is facing a charge of assault causing bodily harm after he was involved in an altercation in the downtown area on Oct. 23. The incident apparently happened in front of a bar.
Barry Dewar, the Storm’s owner and GM, told the newspaper that De Frias hasn’t been disciplined because “it was a non-team activity.”
———
It sounds like F Charles Inglis is pleased to be out of Prince George.
“Prince George is not a great place to play,” Inglis, 19, tells Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate. “I wasn’t treated very well there and I know other guys aren’t treated very well there considering the amount of traveling they do and how far away they are from everybody. (Red Deer) is a very, very professional organization compared to there and it’s the kind of atmosphere I want to be in.”
The Cougars dealt Inglis to the Rebels on Dec. 29 for F Daulton Siwak and a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Cougars had acquired him from the Saskatoon Blades early in the 2010-11 season for a second-round pick.
The Blades traded him to the Cougars, saying he had broken team rules. The Cougars say the same thing happened with them. They sent Inglis home on Dec. 3 to await a trade.
Interestingly, the Cougars are scheduled to play in Red Deer on Jan. 21, while the Rebels will be Prince George on Feb. 15.
———
There has been no comment from the Victoria Royals after D Jesse Pauls, 19, announced his retirement Wednesday morning.
Pauls played in a 9-4 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday, then informed Marc Habscheid, the general manager and head coach, the next morning that he was done.
Contacted by the Victoria Times Colonist on Wednesday night, the newspaper reported that “Habscheid refused to comment on Pauls' departure.”
The newspaper reported Thursday night that “the team made no official comment on the reason for Pauls’ retirement. Pauls declined comment.”
Pauls, who missed a lot of last season with a badly broken leg, had 12 points in 26 games this season.
———
The Red Deer Rebels have released F Josh Cowen, 20, but are keeping him with the team as an assistant coach.
The Rebels had to make a move because, with players coming off the injury list, they found themselves with four 20-year-olds, one over the allowable limit.
This move leaves them with G Deven Dubyk, D Justin Weller and D Aaron Borejko.
———
The Edmonton Oil Kings announced Thursday what had been known for a couple of days — “U.S.-born Henrik Samuelsson will join the team from Modo in the Swedish Elite League.”
Samuelsson, who is eligible for the 2012 NHL draft, is expected to join the Oil Kings on Monday. He is the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, who now coaches with Modo.
———
The Everett Silvertips have assigned F Teal Burns to an undisclosed BCHL team. The Nanaimo Clippers hold his BCHL rights. Burns, 19, had four assists in six games with the Prince Albert Raiders this season. Since being acquired by Everett, he had three points in 15 games. . . . He also has played with the Portland Winterhawks and Vancouver Giants over the last two seasons. . . .
———
The Saskatoon Blades are expected to go back to G Alex Moodie, 16, tonight when they meet the Pats in Regina. With starter Andrey Makarov playing for Russia at the World Junior Championship, the Blades brought in Moodie from the MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints to support Adam Todd. . . . Moodie is 2-1-0, 3.60, .882 in his first three starts. . .  .
———
Jack Blatherwick, a columnist at Let’s Play Hockey (letsplayhockey.com), has posted an interesting column.
In it, he writes that it’s time to start playing hockey the way it is meant to be played — by the rules.
“It is time for a New Year’s resolution: Stop the violence, the venomous trash talk by all of us and the intimidation of referees,” he writes. “Reduce the reliance on physical intimidation, and increase the skills. ELIMINATE ALL CHECKING AGAINST THE BOARDS.
“You can ride the opponent into the boards if you achieve body position first, but you cannot hit the opponent into the boards. Referees would not have to decide which hit from behind is legal and which is not. THERE IS NO LEGAL HIT INTO THE BOARDS.
“We agree with those who say, ‘It’s a physical game.’ However, the limits are defined in the rulebook. Let’s put everyone in the same competitive starting blocks by using the book, not the unwritten macho code, which basically leaves the interpretation of ‘physical’ to each individual or each coach.”
The complete column, and it’s great food for thought, is right here.
———
F Taylor Peters of the Portland Winterhawks has been quite a story in that neck of the woods ever since he and his billets’ son ventured out on kayaks in the dark of night to rescue a couple of other kayakers.
There are video reports from Portland TV stations right here and right here and right here.
———
Brian Burke, the man who runs the Toronto Maple Leafs, held a news conference Thursday at which he lamented having to assign tough guy Colton Orr to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Damien Cox of the Toronto Star was there and he opines right here.
———
Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail was at the same press conference. His take on it is right here.
———
If you saw any of Burke's news conference on TV, perhaps you're thinking like I am that it's time for him to ditch the tie altogether. Hey, we get the fact that you don't like to wear a tie. So don't wear one!
 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.

Goaltender Ty Rimmer of the Tri-City Americans was a busy man Wednesday
as he posted his WHL-leading fourth shutout of the season.
 (Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Marcel Hossa (Portland, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL), three days after Russian reports had him signing with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia,
KHL) and five days after his release by Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). Hossa had six goals and 11 assists in 35 games for Spartak this season. . . .
F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) was released by Olten (Switzerland, NL B). He had six goals and 15 assists in 23 games with Olten this season. Olten loaned Redenbach to Red Bull Salzburg for the final games of the European Trophy competition, where he had one assist in three games for Red Bull. . . .
F Chad Klassen (Spokane, Saskatoon, 2001-06) signed a contract through the 2012-13 season with Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 13 goals and 22 assists in 29 games with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) this season.
———
There was horrible news Wednesday for Jack Jablonski, the Minnesota high schooler who was left paralyzed after taking a check in a game on Friday.
Jablonski underwent spinal fusion surgery yesterday and doctors discovered horrific damage, meaning he won’t walk again.
There is more right here.
Keep him in your thoughts as you walk through your world today.
———
D Jesse Pauls of the Victoria Royals has announced his retirement from hockey.
Pauls, a 19-year-old from Chilliwack, played in Victoria’s 9-4 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday. The retirement announcement came Wednesday morning.
According to a news release issued by the Royals, Pauls informed Marc Habscheid, the club’s GM and head coach, of his decision Wednesday morning.
“I am very disappointed that I have to retire from hockey at this point in my career,” Pauls is quoted as saying in the news release. “I want to thank my family, the Victoria Royals and the Western Hockey League for the support they have shown me and for allowing me the opportunity to compete at this level.”
Pauls had five assists in 13 games with the Chilliwack Bruins in 2009-10 and then had 14 points in 21 games last season. This season, he had 12 points in 26 games.
Pauls missed a good chunk of last season with a badly broken leg that needed surgery. This season, he missed time with an undisclosed injury.
———
THE DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE:
The Kamloops Blazers and visiting Prince George Cougars have been fined for welcoming the new year with a line brawl. They danced on Sunday with one minute left in the third period. It was the Blazers’ first such incident so it cost them $250. The Cougars, having been involved in two line brawls, paid $500. . . . Meanwhile, Rich Preston, the GM/head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been fined $500 for getting the old heave-ho from a 3-2 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Dec. 30. . . . It is interesting that a game misconduct to Preston carries a larger fine than a team’s first line brawl, and is equal to a team’s second line brawl.
———
JUST NOTES:
Dale McFee, who among other things is the president of the Prince Albert Raiders’ board of directors, has been named Prince Albert’s 2011 Citizen of the Year. McFee played four seasons with the Raiders (1982-86) and was on their 1986 Memorial Cup-winning team. He is the chief of the Prince Albert Police Service and serves in a number of volunteer positions. . . . He also is chairman of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. . . . "I truly believe that it's not about myself, it's about everybody else," McFee told the Prince Albert Daily Herald. "If we can make the community better, and if I can do some things with the power in the positions I hold, I should do that. It's giving back. The community's done so much for me." . . .
The Red Deer Rebels likely will be moving a 20-year-old this week. With F Josh Cowen and D Aaron Borejko about ready to come off the injury list, the Rebels will be left with four 20-year-olds — G Deven Dubyk and D Justin Weller are the others — and that is one too many. . . . The Rebels are expected to make a move by Friday.
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Kennewick, Wash., G Ty Rimmer stoped 42 shots as the Tri-City Americans blanked the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-0. . . . It was Rimmer’s fourth shutout this season and the eighth of his career. . . . Earlier in the day, he was named the WHL’s goaltender of the month for December. . . . These teams have met 37 times and this as the first time either has been blanked. . . . The Americans were 4-for-9 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-for-6. . . . F Jordan Messier and F Brendan Shinnimin each scored twice, while F Patrick Holland four assists. . . . Earlier in the day, the Americans found themselves atop the CHL rankings for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Americans have won six straight meetings with Moose Jaw. . . . Tri-City now has won a franchise-record 11 straight games. It also has won 11 straight at home, three shy of the franchise record from 2006-07. . . . Moose Jaw is 1-2-1 on its U.S. tour. . . .

In Edmonton, F Michael St. Croix had a goal and two assists to help the Oil Kings to a 6-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Earlier in the day, St. Croix had been named the WHL’s player of the month for December. . . . St. Croix has 65 points in 40 games. He is tied with Brandon Wheat Kings F Mark Stone and Regina Pats F Jordan Weal, four points behind Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie, who leads the WHL points derby. . . . The Oil Kings broke open a 2-2 game with four straight goals, three of them in a 10-minute span of the second period. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson, a son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, wasn’t in Edmonton’s lineup. He will join the Oil Kings later this week. . . . Lethbridge F Reid Duke scored his second goal. Duke, a 15-year-old from Calgary, has five points in seven games. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Lethbridge F Cam Braes had a goal and an assist, giving him 200 points in 318 career games. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Weal put on another show, scoring one goal and setting up four others as the Pats dropped the Prince Albert Raiders, 8-3. . . . Regina F Matt Marantz scored three times, giving him eight on the season. . . . It was the second time this season Regina has scored eight goals. . . . Weal was in on four of the Pats’ first five goals, scoring his 23rd and drawing three assists as they took a 4-1 lead at 12:20 of the second period. . . . Weal has 65 points, four off the scoring lead. . . . Regina was 4-for-6 on the PP. . . . Prince Albert F Justin Maylan played in his 300th regular-season game. He earned an assist to run his points streak to nine games. . . . Raiders F Mark McNeill had two assists and is on a 10-game points streak. . . . F Logan McVeigh, acquired Saturday from the Kamloops Blazers, had a goal and an assist in his first game with the Raiders. . . . The Raiders have followed a five-game winning streak with two straight losses. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice erased a 1-0 deficit with five goals as they beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-1. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart had two goals, giving him 20, and two assists. He has 47 points in 35 games. . . . On Monday, Reinhart had picked up his 200th career point in a 7-2 loss to the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. . . . F Drew Czerwonka picked up four assists. . . . Kootenay was 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . F Dakota Odgers, 15, made his WHL debut with the Broncos. His brother John, 16, did the same last week with the Prince George Cougars. They are the sons of former WHL/NHL F Jeff Odgers. . . .

In Vancouver, the Calgary Hitmen fell behind 2-0 before the game was five minutes old and then came back to beat the Giants, 6-4. . . . The Hitmen lost 3-1 to the Cougars in Prince George on Dec. 28 but habe since won four in a row — in Kamloops, Kelowna, Victoria and Vancouver. . . . Calgary D Collin Bowman had a goal — an empty-netter — and an assist, and was plus-4. . . . The Giants went 5-4-0 with assistant coach Glen Hanlon running things while head coach Don Hay was with Canada’s national junior team. . . . F Jake Virtanen, 15, the first pick in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his second goal of this swing for the Hitmen. He is from Abbotsford, B.C., so you know he had some fans in the stands for this one. . . .

In Everett, F Josh Birkholz scored three times as the  Silvertips dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . It was Birkholz’ second career hat trick. . . . Birkholz has 17 goals. . . . Everett F J.T. Barnett had three assists. . . . Seattle opened the scoring when F Branden Troock scored at 3:11 of the first period. Everett then struck for the next four scores. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 32 shots. . . . Everett D Brennan Yadlowski was given a match penalty for attempt to injure (kicking) as the second period ended. . . . Seattle wasn’t able to score on the ensuing five-minute power play. . . . This was the third time these teams had met over the last nine days. Seattle had won the first two in shootouts. . . .

In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored three straight goals as the Rockets dumped the Spokane Chiefs, 5-2. . . . Bulmer scored three times in a span of 9:16 in the second period. . . . Bulmer has 31 points, including 17 goals, in 22 games. . . . Last season, he finished with 18 goals in 57 games. . . .
———
WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Dakota Odgers, Swift Current.
F Colin Jacobs, Seattle.
D Brenden Kichton, Spokane.

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:
F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) signed a contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). According to Kazakh news reports, Armstrong is in Prague waiting for his visa. He had two assists in two games with Utah Grizzles (ECHL) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hannover Indians (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) after a successful tryout. Blatny had two goals and four assists in his four-game trial with the Indians.
———
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed D Brandon Manning of the Chilliwack Bruins to a three-year NHL contract. Manning, 20, was never selected in the NHL draft. According to CapGeek.com, the contract calls for AHL salaries of US$60,000, $60,000 and $65,000, with NHL salaries of $690,000, $715,000 and $740,000. . . . Manning received a $270,000 signing bonus payable in three $90,000 instalments. . . . He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 points, including 10 goals, in 20 games with the Bruins this season. A native of Prince George, he is in his third season with the Bruins. . . . Manning, the Bruins’ captain, attended training camp with the NHL’s New York Rangers.
———
The New York Islanders recalled D Travis Hamonic, 20, from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Tuesday. Hamonic (Moose Jaw, Brandon, 2006-10) has seven points in 19 games as an AHL freshman. He was a second-round pick by the Isles in the 2008 NHL draft. . . . It is anticipated that he will make his NHL debut tonight against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
———
Marc Fakler has been named GM and head coach of the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings, who will return to the NAHL next season. These days, he is the associate director of hockey operations/director of player advancement and bantam major head coach for the West Michigan Hounds AAA club. He has four years experience as an assistant coach at Western Michigan and two at Robert Morris.
———
F Garth Murray (Regina, 1998-2002) has signed with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Murray, 28, played last season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat; in fact, he was the team captain. He had 31 points and 169 penalty minutes in 80 games. His pro career includes 355 AHL games and 116 in the NHL, with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes. He was a third-round selection by the Rangers in the 2001 NHL draft.
———
D Dylan McIlrath is back skating with the Moose Jaw Warriors. McIlrath, who was in New York last week for an MRI on an injured knee, took part in an optional skate Monday and returned to practice on Tuesday. He has a strained MCL and is listed as day-to-day. . . . The New York Rangers selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . The Warriors, who face the Raiders in Prince Albert tonight, will have F A.J. Johnson (mononucleosis) back tonight after missing eight games. . . . D Shayne Gwimmer, 16, will make his WHL debut with the Warriors. Gwinner, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, was brought in from the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who are based in Strathmore, Alta. . . . The Chilliwack Bruins will be without D Jesse Pauls for up to four months. He had surgery after suffering a broken leg in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. Pauls, who is from Chilliwack, had 14 points in 21 games. . . .
———
SOME TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Kamloops, F Dalibor Bortnak scored 54 seconds into OT to give the Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F JT Barnett, who had gone 10 goals without a goal, had a goal and two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Matt Needham, the eighth pick in the 2010 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal for Kamloops. It was his second WHL game. . . . The Pats are 1-0-2 on their B.C. Division swing. . . .
———
In Red Deer, F Daulton Siwak had a goal and three assists as the Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-0. . . . G Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots in posting his WHL-leading fourth shutout of the season. He has 10 career blank jobs. . . . Siwak, a second-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, went into the game with five points in 24 games. Last season, he totaled five points in 61 games. . . .
———
In Medicine Hat, F Linden Vey had two goals and three assists to lead the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Vey, with 17 points in his last five games, moved into top spot in the WHL scoring race. He now has 43 points, including 16 goals, and holds a two-point lead over F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Tyler Pitlick added two goals for Medicine Hat, giving him 10. . . . Medicine Hat F Emersom Etem scored his 15th goal and added two assists. . . .
———
In Calgary, F Jimmy Bubnick had two goals and an assist to help the Hitmen to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Edmonton. . . . Bubnick, in his fourth WHL season, has 151 career points. . . . The Hitmen had lost nine straight games at home. . . . Calgary has won two of three after losing 12 in a row. . . . Attendance was announced as 7,165. However, Dan Toth reported in the Calgary Herald that “only a couple of thousand fans braved the frigid weather.” . . .
———
In Saskatoon, F Curtis Hamilton and D Duncan Siemens had a goal and two assists apiece to lead the Blades to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . D Stefan Elliott scored his eighth goal of the season and it was his sixth game-winner. . . . Elliott also was plus-5, while Swift Current F Cody Eakin and D Reece Scarlett each was minus-5. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls had two assists. . . . Hamilton, who switched from No. 9 to No. 13 prior to this season, scored his 13th goal. He had worn No. 9 through three seasons, but injuries limited him to 26 games last season. He now has 32 points in 23 games. . . . With F Marek Viedensky (concussion) sidelined, Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken moved Jake Trask up between Hamilton and Nicholls. Trask, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers, responded with a goal and an assist. . . . Swift Current is without D Tanner Muth (collarbone), F Stepan Novotny (knee), F Brenden Sylvester (back), F Taylor Vause (hamstring) and F Dillon Wagner (knee).
———
TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Medicine Hat F Ryan Harrison.

 

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

gdrinnan.blogspot.com

     

Taking Note on Twitter