Silvertips move to top of standings

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Derek Meech (Red Deer, 1999-2004) has been released by Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). He had five assists in 23 games. There are reports that Meech has circulatory problems that may threaten his career.
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Shelley and Chris Moulton have been honoured as Volunteers of the Year at the 2013 Community and Business Excellence Awards in Fernie, B.C. Chris is the Spokane Chiefs' director of player personnel. . . . According to a news release from the Chiefs: "The Moultons founded and operated a new charity, Fernie Friends for Friends, dedicated to raising funds for cancer patients and their families living in Fernie. . . . More info is available at www.ferniefriendsforfriends.com. . . . And if you click right here you will find a Fernie Free Press story on the Moultons and their decision to found Friends for Friends.
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David Branch, the OHL commissioner, has suspended F Matt Rupert of the London Knights for 15 games for a headshot. . . . Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports has more right here, including the video of the hit.
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During his professional career as an enforcer, Jim Thomson had 115 fights. He's retired now, though, and explains right here why he thinks there isn't any place in the game for fighting.
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FRIDAY:
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings held a 50-19 edge in shots as they beat the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . Brandon, which won 5-2 in Saskatoon on Wednesday, has won three in a row for the first time this season. . . . The Blades have lost four straight. . . . F Tim McGauley, a first-round selection by the Blades in the 2010 bantam draft, had two goals for Brandon. He has eight points, including three goals, in his last four games. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb had two assists for Brandon, giving him season totals of 17 goals and five helpers. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny started his seventh straight game with G Curtis Honey sidelined with an undisclosed injury. . . . Prior to the game, a moment of silence was observed in memory of Keith McCallum, who once owned a piece of the Wheat Kings and was the brother of the late Dunc McCallum, a former Brandon coach. Keith died a week ago. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Chance Braid opened the scoring with his first goal of the season and the Raiders skated to a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Braid had nine goals in 67 games last season; this was his first score in 23 games this season. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored twice in the game's first 10 minutes and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . D Haydn Fleury scored his fourth goal, via the PP, at 4:30 and F Dominik Volek got his seventh, shorthanded, at 9:45 to get the Rebels rolling. . . . Red Deer has won three straight. . . . Moose Jaw has lost four in a row. . . .

In Calgary, Russian F Radel Fazleev scored the only goal of the shootout as the Hitmen got past the Swift Current Broncos, 3-2. . . . The Broncos had won their previous nine games. . . . Fazleev, a freshman, has two goals in 21 games. . . . F Jay Merkley gave the Broncos a 2-1 lead with his ninth goal, on the PP, at 4:47 of the second. . . . D Kenton Helgesen forced OT with his third goal at 19:06 of the third. . . . F Jake Virtanen, with an undisclosed injury, was among Calgary's scratches. . . .

In Victoria, F Logan Nelson scored 52 seconds into OT to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Nelson has 10 goals this season. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee forced OT with his sixth goal at 12:59 of the second. That was his fifth goal in three games. . . . The Thunderbirds now have lost six in a row. . . . Seattle had D Evan Wardley back after he served a four-game WHL suspension. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips scored the game's first three goals and then held on for a 3-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . In the last three seasons, Portland won 26 of 30 games with Everett. . . . F Tyler Sandhu scored twice, at 8:57 of the first and 1:19 of the second, to give the home side a 3-0 lead. He's got five goals in his last two games. . . . The Winterhawks, outshot 32-13 through two periods, scored two third-period goals as they outshot Everett , 15-4. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist had one assist, running his point streak to 11 games. . . . F Nic Petan had two assists for Portland, giving him 201 points in 158 regular-season games. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz, who hadn't played since suffering an ankle injury on Oct. 26, stopped 26 shots. . . . The Silvertips (15-3-4) are tied with Portland (16-5-2) atop the overall standings. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans scored the game's first four goals and went on to a 5-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F Brian Williams scored twice for the Americans, giving him 18. . . . F Marcus Messier of the Americans scored the game's first goal, a shorthanded effort in the first period. It was the first SHG allowed by the Pats this season. . . . G Nick Schneider started for the Pats. It was his first WHL appearance. . . .

In Spokane, F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL's leading scorer, had two goals and two assists as the Chiefs dumped the Prince George Cougars, 5-2. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL in goals (25) and points (55). He's the first skater in the entire CHL to get to 25 goals this season. He leads the WHL points derby by 10 points over Portland F Nic Petan. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow had three assists as he was in on each of the game's last three goals. Gow, who has yet to score this season, has 28 assists in 22 games. . . . The Chiefs scored the game's last four goals after F Todd Fiddler, who scored 42 goals for Spokane last season, gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead at 13:38 of the second period. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game's first three goals and beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . F Dalton Sward gave the Giants a 3-0 lead at 12:31 of the first period. . . . Vancouver D Dalton Thrower returned after missing two games after taking a headshot in a Nov. 5 game. 

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Connor Rankin (27) of the Tri-City Americans and Zach Franko (9) of the
Kelowna Rockets battle for position Friday night in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo courtesy John Allen/Tri-City Americans)

SOME FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
F Emerson Etem scored four times but it wasn’t enough as his Medicine Hat Tigers dropped a 5-4 decision to the Royals in Victoria. The Tigers, who are to play the Giants in Vancouver tonight, had beaten the host Royals 4-2 on Thursday. . . . On Friday, Victoria D Hayden Rintoul, the team captain, broke a 4-4 tie with 24 seconds left in the third period. Rintoul, who was acquired from the Kootenay Ice over the summer, had two goals and two assists, while F Kevin Sundher, healthy after fighting off a flu bug, had four assists. . . . The Tigers have scored 22 goals in six games; Etem has 11 of those scores in just five games. Etem could have had five goals but came up short on a second-period penalty shot on G Keith Hamilton. . . . With 11 goals and no assists (11-0), Etem is an early favourite for the Cy Young Award. . . . Etem has had two four-goal games in his career, the other coming in his freshman season. . . . Medicine Hat was without F Cole Grbavac, its captain, on Friday. He apparently has a minor injury of some kind. . . . The Royals, already without D Tyler Stahl (concussion), now are without D Zach Habscheid, who is believed to have a concussion after being hit from behind by Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy on Wednesday night. Kessy, who was given a double minor, now is under one of those TBD suspensions. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Prince Albert Raiders got three goals from D Tyler Vanscourt as they beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-0. The Thunderbirds slipped to 0-3-0 with the loss. . . . Raiders G Eric Williams stopped 36 shots for his first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . Vanscourt, who was acquired from the Spokane Chiefs last month, scored his first three goals of the season. He went into the game with five goals in 90 regular-season games. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets lost for the first time i four games this season as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Tri-City Americans. . . .  Tri-City got two goals from F Adam Hughesman and 27 saves from freshman G Eric Comrie. . . . The Rockets were the last of the WHL’s 22 teams to taste defeat this season. . . .
F Michael Ferland had three goals as the host Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Prince George Cougars, 6-3. . . . It was the second three-goal regular-season game of Ferland’s career. He also has two playoff hat tricks. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had three assists. He leads the WHL scoring race with 16 points in six games. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who is in his second season but isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2013, had a goal and two assists. . . . The Wheat Kings now are headed out on a 13-day swing during which time they will play seven games. They open Wednesday in Spokane against the Chiefs. . . .
Mark Ferner picked up his first victory as head coach of the Everett Silvertips as they beat the visiting Portland Winterhawk, 4-2, behind 40 saves from G Kent Simpson. . . . The Silvertips now are 1-1-2. . . . Portland had D Joe Morrow and D Tyler Wotherspoon in its lineup for the first time this season. Morrow had been with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins; Wotherspoon is had offseason shoulder surgery. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Martin Gernat scored twice to help the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Warriors. Gernat, in his first season, has 10 points, including five goals, in six games. . . . D Collin Bowman was in the Warriors’ lineup for the first time this season, having returned from the AHL’s Connecticut Whale. . . . The Oil Kings are without D Griffin Reinhart, who is under a TBD suspension for a kneeing major in a game against the visiting Kootenay Ice on Wednesday. . . .
In Regina, the Pats beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-4 in a shootout. . . . The Hurricanes tied the game 4-4 when F Brody Sutter scored on a penalty shot at 18:24 of the third period.
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JUST NOTES: Hockey Canada has added Scott Walker, who is in his first season as the head coach of the OHL’s Guelph Storm, to the coaching staff of the national junior team. Walker replaces Pascal Vincent, who now is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Don Hay of the Vancouver Giants is the national junior team’s head coach, while the other assistants are George Burnett of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls and Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . F Logan Harland, who was reassigned earlier in the week by the Vancouver Giants, now is with the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have F Darian Dziurzynski back after he was returned by the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Dziurzynski, 20, had 57 points, including 35 goals, and 125 penalty minutes in 72 games last season. . . . His return leaves the Blades with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Michael Burns, F Jesse Paradis and F Jake Trask. . . . The WHL’s 20-year-old declaration day is Oct. 13, but the Blades will have 14 days after Dziurzynski’s return to make their decision because he is coming back from a professional team.
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Jim Thomson, a former NHL enforcer, found himself in Don Cherry’s crosshairs on Thursday night. Thomson then came out Friday and blasted fighting in hockey. He also can’t understand why major junior hockey is working to elminate headshots but still allows fighting.
As he told Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports:
“How does it make sense that we’re taking these headshots out but I’m still allowed to drop my gloves and land three bombs on your melon – hit you square in the skull with three punches – but we’re taking head shots out?”
Sapurji’s complete story is right here.
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Today’s good read comes from John Blanchette, a columnist with the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Blanchette writes about Joe Tofflemire, who went from Post Falls, Idaho, which is near Spokane, to an NFL career as an offensive lineman.
He was buried Monday, dead at 46, another former NFLer who left this world far too soon.
Blanchette’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Thursday . . .

Jim Thomson, a former NHL enforcer, tells Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post that it’s time for fighting in hockey to come to an end. Thomson, with five children, is a recovering alcoholic who is afraid for his future and wonders how much blows to the head have had to do with all that he has gone through since his career ended. That story is right here.
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Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress has the latest on that city and the situation involving a possible hockey team for the 2011-12 season. It may or may not be the Quesnel Millionaires. That story is right here.
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In the QMJHL, the host Saint John Sea Dogs got the winning goal at 12:17 of the third period as they opened the championship final with a 2-1 victory over the Gatineau Olympiques. . . . Former WHL G Jacob DeSerres made 22 saves for the winners. . . . .Game 2 is Saturday in Saint John.
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In the OHL, the visiting Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors beat the Owen Sound Attack 6-2 to take a 2-0 lead in that best-of-seven final. . . . .Game 3 is tonight in Mississauga. . . . St. Mike’s is the host team for the Memorial Cup so both teams will play in the tournament.
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JUST NOTES: You have to wonder how thrilled the head coaches of the Kootenay Ice and Portland Winterhawks are to have to attend a news conference today. Kris Knoblauch of the Ice and Mike Johnston of the Winterhawks, along with two players from each team, will attend the WHL’s news conference in advance of Game 1 of the championship final. . . . Can’t believe either coach is very happy about having to put players through this on a game day. . . . D Ryan Button, who went from the Prince Albert Raiders to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Jan. 10, signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Boston Bruins. According to capgeek.com, the deal calls for an AHL salary of US$60,000 in each season, with NHL salaries of $585,000, $610,000 and $660,000. His signing bonus if $180,000 over three years. . . .
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THE COACHING GAME: Willy Palov of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald reports that “the Halifax Mooseheads will introduce Dominique Ducharme as their new head coach at a news conference Friday. Majority owner Bobby Smith was flying from Phoenix to Halifax on Thursday to get here in time for the introduction and didn’t want to tip his hand about who is getting the job. But other informed sources confirmed Ducharme is the guy.” Ducharme has been an assistant coach with the Montreal Juniors for the last three seasons. . . . The OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds made it official Thursday when they introduced Mike Stapleton as their new head coach. A former Soo assistant, he spent this season as an assistant with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
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The more of these stories that surface, the scarier it gets. Richard Scott had what The Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle refers to as a “short, brutal and fight-filled career with the New York Rangers.” Concussions forced Scott out of the game at the age of 25. He suffered head injuries in December 2003 that prevent him from doing manual labour today. Now he wants to help researchers learn more about these head injuries. . . . Mirtle’s story is right here, and it’s worth noting that Johnny Bower, Bobby Baun and Gordie Howe are involved, too.
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And, finally, if you haven’t seen this it lasts less than a minute and is worth a look.
A team of BCHL players recently returned from Russia, where they played a handful of games. During one of the games, a fan somehow made his way onto the ice. No, he didn’t get a cheery welcome. Check it out right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter