Tortorella: We practice too much; we coach too much ... 'Tips overpower Hitmen ... Cougars real road warriors

20-year-old Maxim Tretyak (grandson of the legend Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretyak) has recorded his first KHL win (3:2 OT, #ADMvsMNK). pic.twitter.com/IwR90AEn5r

— KHL (@khl_eng) November 16, 2016

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F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västervik (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, he had one goals and three assists in 16 games with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga) before being released on Oct. 30.

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Granted that it’s on an experimental basis, but who would have thought that head coach John Tortorella of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets would be the guy to bring an end to the morning skate on the day of a game? . . . "When I can, I want to start trying to keep the team away from the morning,” he told Cory Wilkins in a story posted at thescore.com. “We bring them in here one time a day during practice days, but on game days we bring them in twice. It doesn't make any sense. With our schedule coming up the way it is, we are trying to get our guys out of the building as much as we can." . . . No, it doesn’t make sense and it hasn’t for a number of years. It also will be interesting to see if less time on the practice ice, even as loose as morning skates can be, will result in fewer injuries. . . . Tortorella also said: "When we get (the schedule) in July, I look for days off, not to see how many days we can practice. I do not want to practice two days in a row at all this year. We practice too much, we coach too much. If we don't have them here, then we don't have to coach them." . . . The Blue Jackets are into a stretch of seven games in 12 days. It will be interesting to see how they do. . . . Wilkins’ complete story is right here.

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D Ryan Gardiner, 19, and the Moose Jaw Warriors have “mutually agreed” to go their separate ways, according to the WHL team. . . . Gardiner, from Winnipeg, is expected to join the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers. . . . A third-round selection by the Warriors in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, he was in his third season with Moose Jaw. This season, he had two assists in 17 games. . . . In 158 regular-season games, he had one goal and 29 assists.

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The Edmonton Oil Kings have added G Josh Dechaine, 18, to their roster. Dechaine had been with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. From St. Albert, Alta., he also has had stints with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines and Whitecourt Wolverines. He also has been in training camp with the Brandon Wheat Kings each of the past three years. . . . Dechaine, who has been practising with the Oil Kings, will replace freshman G Liam Hughes on the Edmonton roster. Hughes is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. . . . G Boston Bilous, 15, who had been backing up Patrick Dea since Hughes was hurt, has returned to the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.

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The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Tuesday that brothers Kevin and Ryan Smyth will be the 2016 inductees into the Conexus Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame. . . . It all will take place on March 3, with the Hall of Fame Game against the Medicine Hat Tigers on March 4. . . . Kevin finished his WHL career (1990-93) with 242 points, including 104 goals, in 201 games with the Warriors. He is seventh on Moose Jaw’s career points list. He was a fourth-round selection by the Hartford Whalers in the 1992 NHL draft. In 58 NHL games, he had six goals and eight assists. He played nine years of pro hockey, with stops in the AHL, IHL and WCHL. . . . The Warriors selected Ryan in the second round of the 1991 WHL bantam draft. He went to play 188 regular-season games with them, putting up 110 goals and 114 assists. He is 13th on the team’s all-time scoring list. In 1993-94, he had 105 points, including 50 goals. He was drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL‘s 1994 draft. His NHL career included time with Edmonton, the New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. He also had an extensive international career on various Canadian teams.

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The Okanagan Hockey Group, which is based in Penticton, B.C., has released an economic impact study that includes some numbers of interest.  According to the study, OHG had an economic impact of $19.91 million from September 2015 through August 2016. . . . From an OHG news release: “Okanagan Hockey Group Ltd. directly injects $3.95 million into the local economy. . . . Okanagan Hockey Academy activities contribute $7.7 million in direct spending in the City of Penticton. . . . As a result of Okanagan Hockey Camps offering eight weeks of programming the local economy benefited by an additional $4.8 million in direct spending.” . . . OHG provides 30 full-time and 100 part-time jobs with an annual payroll in excess of $1.76 million. . . . What I found especially interesting was that “47 families relocated to Penticton” with 15 of those relocating for the school year and 32 spent the entire year there. Those 47 families resulted in more than “$2.98 million of new dollars being spent in the local economy.” As well, visiting families spent $1.51 million, while visiting teams (1,671 visitors) spent $365,000. . . . According to the release, the study was conducted by “an independent third party, Lochaven Management Consultants Ltd., a company with 30 years of experience and a global reputation for excellence, (that) is internationally recognized for its work in private sector development.” . . . I am well aware that economic impact studies are to be read with caution, but these numbers can offer an interesting take on the impact of a business like OHG on a community the size of Penticton.

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Steve Payne was a sniper; Michel Petit was a banger. They don’t know each other; they know of each other. Their NHL careers were ended by brain injuries and now both ex-players have joined the concussion-related lawsuit against the NHL. . . . Payne is adamant that he isn’t involved because he is looking for money. "I hope I don't become one of those guys, because that means I'm having trouble and problems that are beyond my ability to handle," he tells Joshua Kloke of sports.vice.com."I just want (the NHL) to be there for these guys and help them get the treatment they need to at least live as normal a life as they can under the circumstances.” . . . What Payne and Petit have gone through is an eye-opener and worth a read. Kloke’s story is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

The Kootenay Ice is expected to have F Peyton Krebs, 15, in the lineup for the first time (tonight) when it meets the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. Krebs, from Okotoks, Alta., was the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Krebs is spending this season with the midget AAA UFA Bisons. He has 21 points, nine of them goals, in 12 games. . . . 

The Saskatoon Blades have a flu bug going through the dressing room. G Logan Flodell and D Libor Hajek, two key individuals, weren’t able to practice on Tuesday. The Blades are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Thursday. 

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Our 2 present day goalies with Ivan McLelland, a goalie from 1955 Penticton Vees, who beat Russia 5-0 to win the World Championship pic.twitter.com/oloUL0lP05

— Kimberley Dynamiters (@nitroshockey) November 15, 2016

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

100% - The @WHLsilvertips were a perfect 5 for 5 on the Power Play tonight. The rest of the league? #NotSoMuch A combined 6 for 49 (12.2%)

— WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) November 16, 2016

At Everett, the Silvertips struck four times on a five-minute power play en route to a 6-1 victory over the

DOMINIC ZWERGER

Calgary Hitmen. . . . Calgary F Travis Sanheim took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a first-period hit on Everett D Noah Juulsen, who went to the dressing room. . . . Juulsen returned to start the second period, played a couple of PP shifts and then returned to the room. He finished the game in the press box. . . . The penalty occurred at 19:51 with the game at 0-0. . . . Eight seconds later, F Dominic Zwerger scored Everett’s first goal. He got its second, and his 10th, at 3:05 of the second period, with Juulsen getting the secondary assist. . . . F Eetu Tuulola added his fifth at 3:40 and D Kevin Davis got his second at 4:29. . . . The Silvertips will play in Davis’s hometown of Kamloops tonight (Wednesday). . . . Zwerger also drew two assists. Bajkov and F Sean Richards (4) each had a goal and two assists, while F Devon Skoleski had two helpers. Davis and Tuulola had an assist apiece. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots, losing his shutout bid to F Matteo Gennaro (5) at 15:04 of the second period. . . . Calgary starter Cody Porter allowed six goals on 34 shots in 47:07. Kyle Dumba finished up by stopping all four shots he faced. . . . Everett was 5-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-5. . . . The Silvertips (15-2-3) are 7-0-2 in their past nine games. . . . The Hitmen (7-7-2) have lost two in a row. The Hitmen have been outscored 15-3 in two games since opening a U.S. Division swing with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Friday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,012.

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At Kelowna, F Colby McAuley had two goals and an assist to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 4-2

COLBY McAULEY

victory over the Rockets. . . . The Cougars (16-4-2) continue to lead the overall standings. They are 4-0-0 against Kelowna this season. Prince George hadn’t beaten Kelowna four times in a season since 2006-07 when the Rockets won the season series, 6-4-0. . . . The Cougars also are 11-1-0 in the B.C. Division. . . . The Rockets, who had been 8-2-0 in their past 10 games, are 11-10-0. . . . The Cougars scored the game’s first two goals, with F Yan Khomenko getting his eighth goal at 6:23 of the second period and F Colby McAuley scoring No. 6 at 9:48. . . . F Tomas Soustal (9) got Kelowna on the board with a PP goal at 16:48. . . . McAuley scored again at 4:26 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf got his ninth, on a PP, at 8:51 of the third. . . . The Cougars closed the scoring on F Josh Boyd’s third goal at 18:45. . . . F Josh Curtis had three assists for the visitors, while Boyd added one to his goal. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 22 shots for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 32 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . The Rockets were 2-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-5. . . . The Cougars are 10-1-1 on the road. . . . F Kody McDonald returned to the Cougars’ lineup after serving a three-game sentence, while D Sam Ruopp served Game 4 of an eight-game sentence. . . . Announced attendance: 4,521.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Mark Rassell scored once and added two assists to help the Medicine Hat Tigers

MARK RASSELL

to a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Tigers, who are 8-2-0 on the road, outshot the Ice 38-13 as they took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . The visitors scored the game’s first two goals — F James Hamblin (4) at 2:07 of the second period and D Ty Schultz (1) at 5:47. . . . F Zak Zborosky’s 14th goal got the Ice to within one at 12:24, but Medicine Hat F Matt Bradley (9) got that one back 1:03 later. . . . F Noah Philp’s second goal pulled the Ice back to within a goal at 16:02. . . . The Tigers put it away with two quick third-period goals. Rassell, who has 12 goals, scored shorthanded at 4:17 and Bradley added another at 6:44. . . . F Mason Shaw had two assists for the winners. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . The Ice got 50 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 0-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-7. . . . The Tigers (14-5-1) have won three in a row. . . . The Ice (3-12-5) has lost five straight (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,565.

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At Spokane, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first two goals and the last three in beating the

REECE HARSCH

Chiefs, 5-2. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar was in the lineup for the first time this season, and he started on a line with F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp. Kolesar had undergone surgery for a supraumbilical hernia in late Septembrer while in camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. . . . D Brandon Schuldhaus got Seattle started with his first goal, at 1:22 of the opening period. F Scott Eansor made it 2-0 at 14:32. . . . The Chiefs tied the score with two quick goals, F Kailer Yamamoto scoring No. 16 at 17:14 of the first and F Hudson Elynuik getting his sixth just 13 seconds into the second. . . . F Ryan Gropp broke the 2-2 tie with his third goal at 3:54 of the third period. Kolesar and Barzal had the assists. . . . F Alexander True (6) made it 4-2 at 9:02 and F Nolan Volcan (8) got the empty-netter at 19:11. . . . D Reece Harsch and Barzal each had two assists for Seattle, with Eansor and True each getting one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 31 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Chiefs got 27 saves from Dawson Weatherill. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds (9-8-1) have won two straight. . . . The Chiefs (7-7-5) had points in seven straight (4-0-3) before this one. . . . Announced attendance: 3,317.

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At Swift Current, D Artyom Minulin scored at 2:03 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Red

ARTYOM MINULIN

Deer Rebels. . . . It was the seventh time in their past nine games that the Broncos went to OT. . . . Minulin has five goals this season. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Last season, Minulin finished with five goals and 28 assists in 72 games. This season, he has five goals and 16 assists in 22 games. . . . The Broncos scored the game’s first two goals, with F Tyler Steenbergen getting No. 15, on a PP, at 8:22 of the first period and F Cole Johnson scoring his second, at 2:41 of the second. . . . D Josh Mahura got Red Deer’s first goal, his eighth, on a PP, at 17:49. . . . The Rebels tied it when F Michael Spacek scored his 13th goal, shorthanded, at 7:14 of the third period. . . . The Broncos got 23 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen turned aside 27 shots. . . . The Rebels were 1-1 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Swift Current (11-6-5) had lost three in a row (0-1-2). . . . The Rebels (10-9-3) have lost two straight. . . . This was Red Deer’s eighth straight road game (2-5-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,708.

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At Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored once and added two assists as the Royals dumped the Prince Albert

TYLER SOY

Raiders, 3-1. . . . F Jared Dmytriw’s seventh goal, at 3:06 of the first period, on a PP, gave the home side a 1-0 lead. . . . D Loch Morrison tied it with his first goal at 16:11 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips (13) snapped the tie at 2:21 of the third period. . . . Soy iced it with an empty-netter at 19:36. That was his 11th goal of the season and 101st of his career. That equals the Royals’ career record that was held by F Brandon Magee, who also scored 12 times for the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . Soy has 204 points in 233 regular-season games. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots for the Royals, while the Raiders’ Nick Sanders turned aside 27. . . . The Raiders were 1-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-7. . . . The Royals improved to 12-8-2. . . . The Raiders (5-14-1) have lost three in a row, all in the B.C. Division. . . . This was the third game in a row for Prince Albert head coach Marc Habscheid against a former team. He also coached the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets before ending up in Victoria. He was the head coach of the Chilliwack Bruins for two seasons and made the move with them to Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 3,192.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Everett at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Calgary vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Prince Albert vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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McDavid as a d-man? . . . OT rules in WHL playoffs . . . Thunder booms at Allan Cup

With apologies to Blackie Sherrod, we’re scatter shooting on a Saturday evening:
1. There I was sitting at a counter in a DQ, enjoying a cup of coffee while my wife did the crossword puzzle in Saturday’s Vancouver Sun. I was tracking the NHL draft lottery on my tablet and wondering if the NHL intentionally created such humour.
2. Of course, the last thing the Edmonton Oilers, who won the lottery, need is another highly skilled forward. Perhaps they will select F Connor McDavid of the OHL’s Erie Otters and turn him into a defenceman?
3. Here’s a post-lottery tweet from Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports that says it all: “So Connor McDavid will go to #Oilers, who forced @ErieOtters owner Sherry Bassin to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. No justice. #OHL.”
4. Do you recall the comments by then-Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella after his infamous dash towards the Calgary Flames dressing room last season? After that incident, he said of Flames head coach Bob Hartley: “I don’t like the way he does business.” . . . You can bet that wherever Tortorella was on Friday night, he was nodding his head.
5. If you’re like me, you’re wondering how much of that $50,000 fine will come out of Hartley’s pocket?
6. The WHL playoffs are almost through two rounds, and 21 of 61 games have gone to overtime. Unfortunately, these playoffs haven’t been as close as that might seem to indicate. To date, only three of 11 series have needed more than five games to decide. If Portland wins tonight in Everett, that will be three of 12.
7. If you’re a fan of the Portland Winterhawks, you have to like the way these playoffs are shaping up. The Winterhawks, who have been to four straight WHL finals, are relatively healthy, while the other four teams still standing — Brandon, Calgary, Everett and Kelowna — all have had injury issues. It could be, though, that the Rockets are getting healthy at just the right time.
8. You can bet that Brandon, Calgary and Kelowna, none of whom is likely to play before Friday, will make good use of the off days, simply by resting those players with bumps and bruises and worse.
9. There is speculation that Mike Johnston, who had so much success as the GM and head coach of the Winterhawks, is on the hot seat as his first season as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins winds down. . . . If you think that’s crazy, there is speculation that the Boston Bruins’ brain trust is giving at least some consideration to firing head coach Claude Julien and hiring Mike Milbury to replace him. . . . Peter Chiarelli, the GM the Bruins fired the other day, had three years left on his contract.
10. A Saturday night tweet from Randy Turner of the Winnpeg Free Press: “I don't know why media keeps asking MacT if he'll trade McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers would never trade the best hockey player in the world.”
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F Maximilian Kammerer (Regina, 2013-14) has signed a three-year contract with Düsseldorf (Germany, DEL). This season, with Red Bull Salzburg II (Austria, Russia MHL), he had five goals and eight assists in 35 games.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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G Steve Christie, a 30-year-old Winnipegger, stopped 27 shots on Saturday, leading the South East Prairie Thunder to a 2-0 victory over the Bentley, Alta., Generals in the Allan Cup final in Clarenville, Nfld. The Allan Cup was awarded for the 107th time. . . . The Prairie Thunder, which plays out of Steinbach, Man., will be host team for the 2016 Allan Cup tournament. . . . The goals came from F Mark Agnew, a 32-year-old native of Hartney, Man., who played four seasons at Quinnipiac U, and F Shawn Limpright, 33, who is from St. Adolphe, Man., and played four seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Thunder’s lineup also included F Terry Yake, who played three seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings before going on to a pro career that included 403 games in the NHL. Yake had an assist in the final, giving him a goal and two assists in four tournament games. Yake is 46 years of age. . . . The scoresheet from the final game is right here.
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The Kelowna Rockets advanced to the third round of the WHL playoffs on Friday night and now await the winner of the ongoing series between the Portland Winterhawks and Everett Silvertips. Portland takes a 3-1 lead into Everett tonight. . . . Should the next round feature Kelowna and Portland, Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier writes that the Rockets could be “heavy favourites to avenge last year’s loss.” His reasoning? “Portland has a couple elite talents up front in Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nic Petan, but the tables have been turned on the back end, with Kelowna now boasting a clear advantage with (Josh) Morrissey in the fold. If (Leon) Draisaitl can pick up where he left off against Victoria, then the Rockets will be heavy favourites to avenge last year’s loss.”
Fisher’s story is right here.
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Here’s Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune, before the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the host New York Rangers 4-3 on Saturday:
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in tough in their first-round NHL playoff series with the New York Rangers, who owned the league's best record in the regular season (53-22-7). According to a column in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, first-year coach Mike Johnston — the former Winterhawks general manager/head coach — is on the hot seat if the Penguins lose.
"Mike Johnston should survive. He probably won't," writes columnist Rob Rossi, blaming the Penguins' late-season swoon on injuries and a poor job of salary-cap management by general manager Jim Rutherford.
If the Penguins axe Johnston, the Winterhawks would be wise to welcome him back with open arms.
Johnston's replacement, Jamie Kompon, has done a capable job coaching the Hawks into the WHL's Western Conference semifinals. But Johnston did a sensational job in his six years in Portland, resurrecting a woebegone franchise that was a laughingstock when he arrived in 2008.
Keeping Kompon as coach and bringing back Johnston as the club's GM would be a win-win for everybody.
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Jack Brodsky, a former owner of the Saskatoon Blades, will be presented with the Saskatchewan Order of Merit on May 13 in Regina. . . . Before the Blades were sold to Edmonton-based auto dealer Mike Priestner prior to the 2013-14 season, Brodsky was prominent in WHL circles. He was the Blades’ president and governor, and served on numerous WHL committees. . . .
F Tim Bozon (Kootenay Ice) made his pro debut with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs last night. Bozon, who played out his junior eligibility this season, was pointless but had six shots on goal as the host Bulldogs dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to the Lake Erie Monsters. Bozon had a chance to win the game in OT but Monster G Calvin Pickard came up with a tremendous save. . . . Kootenay D Rinat Valiev also made his debut last night. He was plus-1 as his Toronto Marlies beat the host Rockford IceHogs, 3-1.
F Cole Ully (Kamloops Blazers) was pointless as the Texas Stars scored a 4-3 OT victory over the San Antonio Rampage. It was Ully’s second pro game; he picked up an assist in a 3-2 victory on Friday night. Ully, who has signed with the parent Dallas Stars, is headed home to Calgary today. . . . BTW, former Kamloops F Brendan Ranford scored the OT goal for Texas last night.
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What is it like to be part of a family in which one individual is trying to cope with post-concussion syndrome? Kristin Reed has had six of these brain injuries, all while playing sports. She is 15 years of age. She yearns for a headache-free day. . . . Brandon Stoneburg of the Norristown, Pa., Times Herald has Stewart’s story right here.
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I wonder if Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton has made the call to Oilers GM Craig McTavish to get Connor McDavid in a Rockets Jersey ???
— Andrew Castell (@ACHockeyHistory) April 19, 2015

So think of how many years that Canada will now have McDavid for the World Champs this time of year!
— Peter Milobar (@PeterMilobar) April 19, 2015

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Things looking different in Vancouver

It wasn't an earthquake, but there was a shakeup in Vancouver.
For several seasons, the Vancouver Canucks have been the hottest ticket in town, selling out Rogers Arena game after game and providing an electric atmosphere. The demand to see the team play live has been extremely high, boosting the cost of attending higher and higher.Fans who wanted to purchase season-ticket packages were put on a waiting list, and had to test their patience if they wanted to get their hands on one.
And understandably so. After all, the Canucks play in a Canadian city.
But after the Canucks rose to the top and stayed there for a few seasons, things began to decline, on and off the ice. It started to show last season, where the team ranked 28th in goals scored (191).
Because Vancouver had difficulty scoring, it wasn’t able to string together victories on a consistent basis.
Much like the players, fans started to become frustrated and, even though it always was announced that the arena was sold out, many seats were empty for a number of games.
But there was one game in which the fans took their anger to another level.
There were four games left in the regular season and Vancouver was six points out of a wild-card playoff spot. It was desperately trying to keep its minimal chances of reaching the post-season alive.
If the Canucks were going to do so, they needed to defeat the Anaheim Ducks, one of the NHL’s top teams, at home on April 7. With less than three minutes left in the game, Vancouver was trailing, 3-0.
Tempers began to flare.
Fans opted to send the organization, especially general manager Mike Gillis, a message.
“Fire Gillis,” the Canucks' faithful chanted. “Fire Gillis.”
Vancouver only put 18 shots on Ducks' rookie goaltender John Gibson, and failed to get on the scoreboard. The Canucks, to nobody's surprise, were officially out of playoff contention for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
The attention wasn't much on that, though.
It was on the fans' chants.
“Personally, I don't think it was the right thing to do,” Canucks' defenceman Kevin Bieksa said. “But at the end of the day, the fans come and they can do whatever they want. Put it this way, we're all going take the blame for this.”
The fans got what they wanted and, perhaps shockingly, it came the next day when Gillis was relieved of his duties as president and general manager.
Who would replace him? None other than Canucks' legend Trevor Linden, who most fans remember as a player on the 1993-94 team that made it to the Stanley Cup final for the second time in franchise history. He was named the team's alternate governor and president of hockey operations.
“I left the game six seasons ago and wasn't sure what the future would hold,” he said on the day of the hiring. “I've enjoyed my time away from the game. Having said that, you don't play 20 seasons in the National Hockey League and spend your whole life in hockey and not have it in your DNA. I always kind of thought I'd be back, I never wanted to work for another organization. I'm a sports fan, I love this team, I follow the team closely. This opportunity at my age is a great challenge. I'm just really excited about this opportunity and the future.”
With Gillis gone, the status of head coach John Tortorella was uncertain.
Gillis, along with the team's ownership, had stated many times that the general manager had hired the one-time Stanley Cup-champion coach.
“Obviously, the timing of this allows me to fully evaluate the coaching staff,” Linden stated. “I come into it with a fresh set of eyes. Obviously, I understand the challenges with coaching. I've been a player for 20 seasons and I look forward to sitting down with the players after the season and fully understanding the ins and outs of their issues and their season.
“Those decisions will be made down the road. Obviously, a critical path is assessing a general manager and looking at the structure of our hockey operations, whether it's on the pro side or the amateur side -- all those decisions need to be evaluated. Any coaching decision will be made in due time after thorough evaluation.”
Some may argue that Tortorella wasn't given the right roster with which to work. He has been known to work well with young players, something that the Vancouver roster doesn't have much of, at least not yet.
“I felt, from Day 1, that (the roster is)) stale,” Tortorella stated at the team's season-ending press conference. “And that's not the players’ fault. This group has been together for a long time; it's stale, it needs youth. It needs a change . . . it needs a changes, I felt that from Day 1.
“We have to stop talking about 2011. The team needs to be retooled, and that's what change is. It's a young man's game, we need to surround (the leaders) with some enthusiasm. If I'm here, I want to play four lines. But you guys have to understand when you're on a bench, and you're down 2-1 trying to get back in the game or trying to get that next goal to win the game, I tried to do what I could to win games because sometimes I'd look down (on the bench) and guys just weren't ready. We lacked depth, and that's where we're at. That isn't being critical, it's the truth.”
Tortorella admitted that he had made his mistakes, too, and he owned up to them.
“My biggest regret, personally, this season was that I was coaching the team properly the first half,” he said. “We were playing a game that I think we should play, I was on top of it. There was a lot of things that we needed to work on, but we were there.
“We get banged up and changed a bit; we needed to and I'd do it again. But I didn't get back in the room and continue to teach the details after, I didn't stay on top of that. I gave the room to the players to too much of an extent, I needed to be in there. I mean, I was in there, but I needed to be pounding away at the details and I think that hurt us. I think that it hurt us in situational play, I think that hurt us in understanding how you change momentum, all parts of the game. That's me. That's not them, that's me.”
After Linden held his exit meetings, he made his decision on the future of the coaching staff.
Tortorella wouldn't get the opportunity to redeem his mistakes as he and associate coach Mike Sullivan were relieved of their duties on Thursday morning after just one season.
“I met with John after the season for several hours on several different days,” Linden explained. “I tried to come in with a very neutral place and we had good conversation. He's a good hockey man. But, I think at the end of the day, I kept coming back to a lot of things that I didn't like that I saw trending. I just felt to move forward and kind of put a new perspective and a new direction was the right thing to do. From the outside, you may have a certain idea, a certain perspective. But when you sit down and talk with someone, they become very human. I've got a lot of respect for him; he's had a great coaching career. I mean, he's won a Stanley Cup and we had great conversation. But at the end of the day, I kept coming back to collectively how this group under-performed and individually as well.”
Vancouver, no longer the team it once was, now hope the changes being made will bring it back to being a winning team that people want to support and enjoy watching.
“I think there's nobody that happy with our results this season,” Linden said. “It starts with our players. They're disappointed.
“I believe in the core of the group down there. I think they're responsible and want to be better. I think we, as an organization, have to connect with our fans in a greater way and, ultimately, I think we need to bring excitement back to Rogers Arena and a brand of hockey that people like to play.
“I understand the fans’ discontent, I don't blame them for it. It's up to us change things and win them back.”

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Gillis, Tortorella in the spotlight

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks likely are going to make changes.
Alain Vigneault, who spent seven seasons as the Canucks' head coach, was relieved of his duties on May 22. He wasn't able to succeed in the playoffs.
Management hoped that John Tortorella would be the solution to that problem, as he was hired to replace Vigneault on June 23.
“This is a great day for our organization,” Mike Gillis, Vancouver's president and general manager, said on the day of Tortorella's hiring. “ We are very pleased, we went through an extensive selection process and are just thrilled to have John here. His records speak for itself and I am extremely excited about the opportunities we have moving forward. I think that it'll be a great time for our organization and a very successful time.”
And the team did have success, but only for a little while.
At the end of December, the Canucks had a 23-11-7 record. However, once the calendar year turned, things began to fall apart.
Perhaps it began when the Canucks played host to Calgary on Jan. 18.
Not only did a line brawl occur at the start of the game, but Tortorella tried to enter the Flames' locker-room during the intermission to confront their head coach, Bob Hartley.
Ultimately, Tortorella was suspended for 15 days, during which he wasn't allowed to have any contact with the team. He ended up missing six games.
Once he returned, there continued to be problems.
Not often does a team have an opportunity to play in an outdoor game, let alone play host to one. That would change as the NHL announced that it was going to have four games as part of its stadium series,along with one Winter and one Heritage Classic game.
Vancouver would play host to the Ottawa Senators in the Heritage Classic at BC
Place Stadium on March 2.
Roberto Luongo, who was Vancouver's starting goaltender, had wanted to start that
game, but because backup Eddie Lack was performing better and the team was in need of victories, Tortorella decided to start the 26-year-old.
A frustrated Luongo sat on the bench, as the Canucks lost, 4-2.
As well, not even nature was on the Vancouver's side. The roof of the building was meant to be opened, but was closed due to rain.
Not starting was the last straw for the-then-34-year-old Luongo, who had wanted out for two seasons. Two days later, he was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he had wanted to be all along.
The Canucks traded Luongo, retaining 15 per cent of his salary, and forward Steven Anthony to Florida for goaltender Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias.
By March 12, the Canucks were 7-17-3 in 2014.
“To go from December when you win every game in a month to what has occurred since then is remarkable,” Gillis explained on the March 12. “But there are some reasons and they're not excuses, but we've had massive injuries this (season), we've had key guys out of our lineup for extended periods of time, we had an incident in January that was hard to describe. It is what it is, we have to continue to find ways to win games.”
That led to speculation that Tortorella, who signed a five-year contract, was about to lose his job.
“I'm not commenting on that, because then it just lends creditably to what's out there with bloggers and all kinds of different people,” Gillis said. "So, it's unfair to comment on any future plans other than what we've already said, which was that were trying to get younger, we're trying to retool, and we're trying to do things a little differently in the next one, three, five years.”
But his job isn't safe either.
Gillis has been feeling heat, too, after several questionable trades during his time as the Canucks' general manager. That includes moving goaltender Cory Schneider to the New Jersey Devils for the ninth-overall pick at the 2013 NHL draft, which the Canucks' used to select forward Bo Horvat from the OHL's London Knights.
Vancouver has an 11-21-4 record since Gillis addressed Tortorella's job situation on March 12.
Finally, Gillis decided to speak up.
“The running of this team is my responsibility,” Gillis said in an interview on TEAM 1040's Bro Jake Show on Thursday. “I really feel that in the last seasons we've chased goal posts that have been moving and got away from our core principles of how I want this team to play and how we want to preform and the tempo that we want to play with.
"So, you know, people love to pick someone to blame. But the reality is, as an organization, we've deviated from some of the things that have been successful and some of the things that I know will be successful. We will get back to those levels and that style of play that we started six years ago and we have the personnel to do it. We just have to be committed and have the guts to carry it out.”
But perhaps his ideas may not matter.
“I'm not sure if I'll be back next season,” Gillis said on the radio show. "I think
everybody is open for evaluation. We've had players who have severely underperformed. Our team has underperformed. I think that we're all open to evaluation and we all deserve evaluation and that's what's going to come.
"Having said that, I have a clear vision on where we have to go. I had one six seasons ago, and I have one today that we have to execute on in order to compete for the Stanley Cup and the Western Conference and that's what I intend to do. But I think it's fair to say that we will all be under scrutiny and evaluation come the end of this season, which is deserved.”
Still, Gillis is determined to bring the Canucks to their winning ways once again if he is given the chance to do so.
"We had a plan six years ago to do it and we got as close as we could get,” Gillis explained on the Bro Jake Show. “We learned a lot of lessons from that and I'm tired of chasing a moving target. We are going to get back to the fundamentals and the principles that I believe in and that's how we're going to play. Like I said, if people don't want to comply, and we did this six years ago, we made hard
choices. Those hard choices are going to come again if we don't see people get on the same page."
So why are the Canucks struggling?
“When you have an entire team's performance drop off, there has to be reasons for it,” he told the radio audience. “Whether those reasons are attributable to one thing and one thing only is unlikely. I think it's a combination of things that has contributed to us not preforming at a level that we have expected, and I think those things need to be addressed systemically and completely and turned
around so that we can build the style and style of team we want to have here. If given the resources and the players are committed to it, any coach can coach the team that he has. But having said that, our problems are far-reaching and will be addressed. If people don't want to get onside with how I view this team and how it's supposed to play then they won't be here.”
Tortorella coaches a hard-nosed, shot-blocking, defence-first game. Gillis, however, has a different view on how he wants the game to be played.
“I want us to play an upbeat, puck possession, move-the-puck quickly, force teams into mistakes, high-transition game,” Gillis said on the radio show. “I think we have the personnel to do it. If we don't, they'll be changed. That's my vision, that's how I believe you're going to win in the Western Conference and the National Hockey League. If you look at the top teams in the West, there isn't a lot
that separated the teams, but the top teams played that way. That's the way that we played.”
Following Friday's practice, Tortorella was asked about Gillis's conversation on TEAM 1040.
“I'm not going to have any comment on that,” Tortorella told reporters. “I think that that's a conversation that should be held internally, and that's how I'll go about my business. You're digging at a subject that I'd rather talk internally about, that's probably something you talk about after the season is over. I have to worry about coaching a hockey team, we have five more games, a team that needs to get better, and that's my focus.”
With the Canucks unlikely to make the playoffs, the spotlight has been placed squarely on Tortorella and Gillis.
“We'll go through a thorough evaluation of what occurred this season,” Gillis said on the Bro Jake Show. “We'll go through a thorough plan of where we see we have to go and (ownership will) make a decision on what route they choose."
It likely won't be long until that route is revealed.

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Vigneault's Rangers get past Tortorella's Canucks

By DICKSON LIONG
Special to Taking Note

VANCOUVER -- All is well when a team is consistently winning, in the regular season and playoffs.
But when one isn't winning, not so much.
There was a time not too long ago, in 2010-11 to be exact, when the Vancouver Canucks not only won the Presidents Trophy as the top team in the NHL with 54 victories and 117 points, but also reached the Stanley Cup final and faced the Boston Bruins.
The series came down to one game: Game 7, with people all over B.C. watching live at Rogers Arena or on a television screen somewhere, following on the Internet, or tuning in via radio in the hope that Vancouver would write a new page in the history books.
But it all took a turn for the worst, as Vancouver lost 4-0 to the Bruins and there followed riots in the streets of Vancouver. Cars were flipped, fires were started, and store windows were broken and stores looted.
It was a day that no one wants to remember.
The riot may have symbolized something else, however. It marked the beginning of the downfall of the Canucks. Because although Vancouver was able to capture another Presidents Trophy, victories in the playoffs didn't come as easily.
Two seasons ago, in the first round, Vancouver faced the Los Angeles Kings, who had finished eighth in the Western Conference with 95 points. To many people's surprise, the Kings defeated the Canucks in six games.
But no other team had much success against the Kings, who went on to become Stanley Cup champions.
For the Canucks, it was much the same story last season. Again, Vancouver was
able to show success in what was a lockout-shortened 48-game regular season. The Canucks were the No. 3 seed, thanks to 59 points, and were matched up against the No. 6 San Jose Sharks in the first round. Down 2-0 after losing twice at home, the Canucks knew they were in trouble.
“Right now, it's two evenly matched teams, and two team that are competing very hard,” Alain Vigneault, who was the Canucks' head coach, said, sounding clearly defeated after a 3-2 loss in Game 2. “Right now, we're on the wrong side for two games and we need to find a way to get on the right side.”
Vancouver couldn't find a way to win a single game in that series and changes were going to happen.
“We're going to look at every element of the organization and change where ever we need to change,” general manager Mike Gillis stated at the team's season-ending press conference on May 9. “It doesn't begin and end with me, it goes all the way through to the players and we're going to have to make changes. I think
there is a couple of significant changes that we have to consider and make.”
One, was the coaching staff. Vigneault and assistants Newell Brown and Rick Bowness were relieved of their duties 13 days later. Their time was up.
“Well, I think that we're in a results oriented business,” Gillis said. “If you look at the last two playoffs that we've been in, we were the higher seeded that lost the first two games at home, we've lost consecutive games the last two playoff years, and there comes a time where the message has to change but we have to be better. We simply didn't get the results that we expected and, in this business,
you have to get results.”
Enter John Tortorella, who had spent five seasons as the head coach of the New York Rangers, before being fired by for many of the same reasons as Vigneault. The bottom line was that Tortorella wasn’t able to lead his team to success in the playoffs.
The Rangers were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of a second-round series.
“Lots of things (led us to hire Tortorella),” Gillis said. “First of all, his demeanour and how he approaches the game and the expectations that he has as a head coach. I think coming to our organization at this particular point and time, it was the voice that I wanted to hear. He's won at every level, which is very important for our players here.”
Oddly enough, Vigneault was hired by the Rangers eight days prior to Tortorella being named the Canucks' head coach on June 25.
But perhaps coaching was never the issue for Vancouver.
Tortorella is a new voice with a different message, with many of the same players on the roster. But even with that, not much has changed and the Canucks find themselves unlikely to make the playoffs.
In a season where the NHL introduced divisional realignment, that didn’t help either. When Vancouver was at least successful in the regular reason, it was in a Northwest Division that also included the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Edmonton Oilers, teams that consistently finished out of the top eight in the conference.
Now those teams are gone. With realignment, the Canucks now are in the Pacific Division,  battling with the likes of the San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks, along with Edmonton and Calgary.
Were the Canucks well-equipped enough to defeat those teams? The answer, it seems, is no. Vancouver has had trouble getting victories, especially in the 2014 portion of the schedule, and finds itself 10th in the conference.
Close to 3,000 miles away, meanwhile, the Rangers and Vigneault are doing just fine. They are comfortably at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference.
“We're losing games so I'm the idiot, and he's winning games so he's the smart guy — and rightfully so," Tortorella said after the Canucks’ Monday practice. "When you lose games and you struggle, you're going to get scrutinized.
"That's part of the business, and I should be scrutinized."
He continued to be under the microscope on Tuesday, as the Canucks lost 3-1 to the visiting Rangers.
“No whining,” Tortorella said after the game. “We lost. We're losing. We just have to keep on trying to get better.”
The Canucks bench doesn’t appear to be a fun one to be on, and it likely won't be until the coaching staff is given some new cards to shuffle. Vigneault has his cards, and left Rogers Arena laughing and smiling.
And it wasn't from somebody telling him an April Fools joke.
NOTES: Vancouver RW Zack Kassian suffered an injury to a kneecap in the first period, but was able to finish the game. . . . Canucks C Ryan Kesler scored Vancouver's lone goal at 6:21 of the second period. . . . New York F Martin St. Louis scored his first goal with the Rangers, a shorthanded effort at 10:15 of the third period that gave the visitors a 3-1 edge. . . . Rangers D Ryan McDonagh suffered an upper-body injury at 19:16 of the third period after a hit from Canucks' RW Alex Burrows, who was given an elbowing major and game misconduct. . . . The Canucks are scheduled to practice at Rogers
Arena on Wednesday as they prepare for a Saturday night visit by Los Angeles. . . . The Canucks have only five games left in the regular season, with four of them to be played at home.

(Follow Dickson Liong on Twitter: @DLLiong)
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Ducks take bite out of Canucks

By DICKSON LIONG
Special to Taking Note

VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks’ hopes of making the NHL playoffs continue to fade.
For most of the season, Vancouver has struggled to score goals. But ever since a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on March 23, Vancouver’s offence had started to show some life.
Vancouver forward Zack Kassian, who has had difficulties providing consistent offence since donning a Canucks' sweater, finished with four assists while playing on a line with David Booth and Brad Richardson that night.
“You know what, I know that everyone is going to focus on the four points that he gets,” John Tortorella, the Canucks' head coach, said. “But, for me, there were some other things.
“I thought that there were times that he dumped the puck at the right time, instead of trying to make something happen.
“I thought he changed up, and you guys might think it's small things but those are the things that we're looking for. He changed up at the right time, and you can see the concentration in his game. You see it, and want to see it more.”
The Canucks then headed out on a two-game road trip that had them visit Colorado and Minnesota. Vancouver defeated the Wild 5-2, but lost 3-2 in overtime against the Avalanche.
The 22-year-old Kassian continued to click on a line with Richardson and Booth, as they continued to appear on the scoresheet on the road trip, combining for six points, including two goals from Kassian.
As well, Canucks' sniper Daniel Sedin scored his first goal in 24 games, as he got one against the Wild.
“It was probably my worst game out of (those 24 games), but I was able to tip one in,” he said. “It's nice, but hopefully it can get me going, and in the right direction.”
But, quite frankly, all of that doesn't matter.
Vancouver is desperate for anything that will lead to victories if it wants even a slight chance of making the playoffs. The Canucks, who have 79 points in the Western Conference, and are the No. 10 seed.
Anaheim, Calif., the home of Disneyland, is considered by many to the happiest place of Earth. It also is the home of the Ducks, who have been one of the best teams in the league this season.
As a result, many of the their opponents haven't left the city with smiles on their faces. That’s the way it was for the Canucks on Jan. 14 when they lost 9-1, leaving the Ducks with a Ducks a 20-0-2 record when playing in their home arena, the Honda Center.
“It's never a great feeling to be on the wrong side of a 9-1 game,” said Canucks' defenceman Dan Hamhuis, who finished with a minus-1 on the night. “We played a pretty solid first period, and played in a way that gave us a chance to win. Their power play (was really good) and the game kind of got away from us from there.”
Vancouver wasn't scheduled to play the Ducks at the Honda Center on Saturday night; the game was at Rogers Arena. However, the Canucks needed to find a way to get on the winning side as they were winless in each of the three times they had faced Anaheim this season.
“It's a must win,” Kassian said prior to the game. “We feel we played well on the road but with the situation we're in, we still have a hill to climb and this is a must-win game. We don't want to look to far down. We need to win this one tonight and it's against a very good team, but we feel that the way we have been playing, we can beat these guys.”
Kassian finished with an assist, extending his point streak to four games. But the goal on which he assisted, which came from Richardson at 11:12 of the first period, was the only one the Canucks were able to put up as they dropped a 6-1 decision.
“It's definitely frustrating right now,” Kassian explained. “There's no ifs, ands or buts about it, we're on the outside looking in and to lose a game like this tonight, it's very frustrating. But we have to be professionals and go about our business. Like I said earlier, like I said 100 times in the past week, we're competitors and we want to play for each other. That's what we're going to do.”
And so Vancouver doesn't move anywhere in the standings. It remains on the outside looking in, continuing to battle Phoenix and Dallas for the final playoff spot. The Coyotes and Stars are Nos. 8 and 9 in the Western Conference, with have 84 and 83 points, respectively.
Like the Canucks, Dallas and Phoenix played on Saturday. The Stars defeated the St. Louis Blues, but the Coyotes lost to Minnesota. Both teams have games in hand on Vancouver.
“We try to look for some help but I don't know if we really deserve it, to be honest,” Richardson confessed. “It sucks to be in a position where you have to rely on teams to lose, and we're not winning all our games. So, you know, what do you expect? We'll see what happens.”
Time is clearly starting to run out, with the Canucks having only six games left in the season.
“Every loss now is tough,” Sedin said. “We need wins, we need points. Yeah, it's tough, but we have to stay positive and keep going. That's all we can do.”
NOTES: Vancouver D Kevin Bieksa (leg) took the team's morning skate and dressed against the Ducks. . . . Canucks' D Andrew Alberts (concussion) skated, but is likely done for the season. . . . Vancouver F Henrik Sedin remains day-to-day. . . . Vancouver G Eddie Lack made his 16th consecutive start. . . . Canucks' head coach John Tortorella confirmed that the team has re-assigned D Frank Corrado to the AHL's Utica Comets. . . . Vancouver took Sunday off, then will return to practice on Monday as it prepares to play host to the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

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1. F Todd Fiddler, a 42-goal man with the Spokane Chiefs last season, no longer is with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Fiddler, 20, had 10 points, two of them goals, in 14 games, but was minus-8 and had been a healthy scratch on three occasions. . . . Interestingly, writers with the Moose Jaw Times-Herald at least twice referred to Fiddler's being scratched as a "coach's decision," which somehow sounds more sinister than healthy scratch. . . . No matter. It would seem that Fiddler, who is from Meadow Lake, Sask., was deemed a poor fit for a team that saw him as a top six forward when he was acquired. . . . The Warriors are 6-8-3 and tied for seventh in a 12-team Eastern Conference in which there isn't much breathing room. . . . The Warriors acquired Fiddler from the Chiefs on May 2 for a third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . With Fiddler gone, the Warriors are left with two 20-year-olds -- F Sam Fioretti and D Jesse Forsberg.

2. The Moose Jaw Warriors have acquired D Reid Zalitach, 17, from the Vancouver Giants for a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft and a third-round pick in 2016. . . . This season, he was pointless in eight games. With the Giants carrying nine defenceman, something had to give. . . . Zalitach, who played minor hockey in Winnipeg, had seven assists in 54  career games with the Giants. . . . He was a second-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft.

3. These are interesting times in Vancouver where many members of the media refer to the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks as Torts, as though he is a long-lost brother, recently returned after spending the last while on a desert island with only a hockey puck for company.
There are members of that same media corps who seemingly are waiting for the Canucks to implode, the victim of a head coach, John Tortorella, who has been playing the heck out of a select few forwards.
Following weekend games, no NHL forwards were seeing more playing time per game than Ryan Kesler (22 minutes 32 seconds), Henrik Sedin (22:24) and Daniel Sedin (22:09). In a league in which the top 13 players in terms of ice time were defencemen, the three Vancouver forwards were 14th, 15th and 16th overall.
Furthermore, the Canucks wrapped up a seven-game road trip on Friday in St. Louis, where they beat the Blues 3-2 in overtime to go 5-1-1 on the swing and improve their overall record to 8-4-1. In that game, Henrik Sedin played 25:04, while his twin brother played 24:06. Kesler was at 24:24.
Granted, Tortorella's hand has been forced, at least a bit, by injuries, especially to Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen. But, while I haven't yet watched a Canucks game from start to finish -- these darned baseball games keep getting in the way -- I have to wonder if Torotorella is proving, intentionally or otherwise, that NHL coaches really don't need 20-man rosters.
With the number of timeouts in one NHL game, of the TV variety (three each period) and otherwise, and with highly conditioned professional athletes at his disposal, is there a reason why an NHL coach needs 12 forwards, rather than nine, at his disposal? Sheesh, in one game on that road trip, Andrew Alberts, who was the seventh defenceman dressed and was expected to be used up front, played only 37 seconds. So taking those timeouts into account and with judicious use of a third line, you have to think an NHL coaching staff could easily get by with nine forwards.
Of course, the winner in all of this would seem to be the fans. When you are paying what they are for tickets, they should be thrilled to see a team's best players getting lots and lots of playing time.
(In last night's 3-2 victory over the visiting Washington Capitals, Kesler played 23:53, with Henrik Sedin at 23:15 and Daniel at 23:13.)

4. Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that the race to play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup may feature the Vancouver Giants and Red Deer Rebels. While Brent Sutter, the Rebels' owner, general manager and head coach, wouldn't confirm that, Vancouver majority owner Ron Toigo seemed to do just that. And if you read between the lines, it would seem that Sutter wasn't at all enamoured with the process that led to the Saskatoon Blades being the host team for the 2014 tournament. That piece is right here.

5. The great Roger Angell weighs in right here with a piece on, uhh, the beards of the Boston Red Sox. Yes, it's good! The essay, not the beards.

6. Is it just me or is Tiger Woods on the verge of becoming a cartoon figure? He and his agent, Mark Steinberg, know they don't have a case against Brandel Chamblee, otherwise they would have visited court already. Instead, they will try to get Chamblee fired from his position with the Golf Channel. Never mind that Chamblee upset them with something he wrote at Golf.com. . . . Yes, it's all rather strange. . . . Greg Doyel of CBSSports.com sums it all up right here.

7. No one in the sporting world is more fun to listen to than Charles Barkley. Richard Deitsch of si.com chatted with Sir Charles and the results are right here.

8. Nick Deschenes is the new general manager and head coach of the BCHL's Trail Smoke Eaters. Deschenes replaces Bill Birks, who was fired on Oct. 17. . . . Deschenes, from Morinville, Alta., moves over from the junior B Grand Forks Border Bruins of the Kootenay International Junior League, where he was 6-7-0-1. . . . Deschenes played with the AJHL's Fort Saskatchewan Traders before going on to spend four years at Yale. He played in the AHL and ECHL, and spent five years in Europe. . . . He was in his second full season with the Border Bruins. . . . Assistant coaches Barry Zanier and Craig Clare had been running the Smokies, but now will resume their original jobs. . . . The Smoke Eaters are 4-14-1-1 (yes, there are ties in the BCHL) and are sixth in a six-team division, 11 points out of fifth.
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From Janice Hough (@leftcoastbabe): "#Cards lost 3-1 to #RedSox, #Rams had sure comeback fall short at the 2 yard line. Tonight's headline 'Dispirited of St. Louis.' "



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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ryan Menei (Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He had 34 goals and 48 assists in 66 games with the Tulsa Oilers (CHL) this season. Menei led the Oilers in scoring and finished fifth in league scoring. . . .



F Petr Nedved (Seattle, 1989-90) signed a one-year contract extension with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 20 goals and 33 assists in 48 games as captain of Liberec this season.
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So it has come to this in the NHL.
All signs point to the Vancouver Canucks hiring John Tortorella as their new head coach. The New York Rangers have hired a smiling Alain Vigneault as their new head coach.
Tortorella was fired by the Rangers last month. Vigneault was fired by the Canucks last month.
Is this a case of two teams, each thinking it is smarter than the other?
This is absolutely bizarre, but it might make the next NHL season worth watching.
———
Iain MacIntyre, a sports columnist with the Vancouver Sun, was among the reporters who staked out the airport in Vancouver once word came via social media that John Tortorella had boarded a plane in Denver and was headed for the home of the Canucks. MacIntyre’s column is right here and it would seem that he, like so many others, is trying to figure out how the ex-Rangers coach might be a good fit for the Canucks.
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Meanwhile, at the Vancouver Province, columnist Ed Willes was likening the expected hiring of John Tortorella to “the kind of knee-jerk decision that other organizations make, not the Canucks.” That piece is right here.
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And how did it get to this point with John Tortorella? Right here is Dave Lozo on what it was like covering the New York Rangers for four years under John Tortorella.
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F Carter Rigby of the Kelowna Rockets, limited by injuries to just 34 regular-season games this season, has had both shoulders operated on already this offseason. According to AM1150, the radio voice of the Rockets, Rigby, 19, had surgery on his right shoulder last month and was to have surgery on his left shoulder on Wednesday in London, Ont.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Kris Mallette has signed on with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers as their associate coach. He will work alongside general manager/head coach Jason Williamson. Mallette (Kelowna, Moose Jaw, 1996-2000) had been the head coach of the junior B North Okanagan Knights of the Kootenay International Junior League. The Knights went 69-30-2-3 in two seasons under Mallette. . . . The Vipers, whose staff also includes assistant coach Dave Robinson, will be the host team for the 2014 RBC Cup.
The ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors have hired Troy Mann as their head coach. Mann, 43, has been an assistant coach with the AHL’s Hershey Bears for the last four seasons. . . . Mann replaces Matt O’Dette with the Condors and is the first head-coaching hire by new general manager John Olver, who took over on April 11.


The QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders have extended the contract of head coach Gordie Dwyer for two seasons. He now is signed through 2015-16. . . . The Islanders are 60-66-0-10 in two seasons under Dwyer, who is a native of Dalhousie, N.B.

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