THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jon Mirasty (Prince Albert, Tri-City, Moose Jaw, 2000-02) was released by Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL) with one game left in the regular season. He had one assist in 10 games this season for Barys.
———
The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Lethbridge
Prince Albert vs. Swift Current
Calgary vs. Medicine Hat
Saskatoon vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Seattle
Kelowna vs. Everett
Kamloops vs. Tri-City
Victoria vs. Spokane
———
WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, G Cam Lanigan stopped 32 shots to help the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 3-0 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . Lanigan, who is in his final WHL season, has four shutouts in his career, all of them this season. This was the third one with the Tigers; he put up his first one with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Curtis Valk had two goals for the Tigers, giving him 35. . . . The Tigers, who have won four in a row, moved past the Swift Current Broncos and into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Brandon has lost three in a row. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reported: “Brandon C Jayce Hawryluk, who is on a six-game point-scoring streak (5-6-11) was scratched for school-related reasons.” . . .

In Prince Albert, F Leon Draisaitl scored twice to lead the Raiders to a 3-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The victory lifted the Raiders back to the top of the East Division, two points ahead of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Draisaitl, a freshman from Germany, has 15 goals. . . . The Raiders’ other goal came from Norwegian F Jonas Knutsen, a sophomore. He’s got six goals. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau had a goal and two assists as the Ice won their 11th straight home game, dropping the Victoria Royals, 5-1. . . . Descheneau, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, had 14 points in 54 games last season. This time around, he’s got 55 points, including 40 assists, in 54 games. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart scored his 29th  goal and added an assist. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 30 shots. . . . The Ice, with three games in hand, is three points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who hold down the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Royals are tied with the Spokane Chiefs for fourth in the Western Conference. . . .

In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno scored twice as the Rebels got past the Prince George Cougars, 4-1. . . . Dieno has six goals in last three games and 23 this season. . . . Red Deer D Mathew Dumba had three assists. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak turned aside 32 shots. . . . The Rebels are fifth in the Eastern Conference, but are just a point behind the Saskatoon Blades. . . . F Jordan DePape, 20, is skating with the Rebels after having November shoulder surgery. If all goes well, he could return to action for Red Deer’s last two regular-season games. . . .

In Vancouver, F Kale Kessy had a goal and an assist to help the Kamloops Blazers past the Giants, 4-1. . . . Kessy, who has 15 goals, was acquired from the Giants last month. . . . F Colin Smith added his 37th goal and an assist for Kamloops. . . . Blazers D Joel Edmundson scored his sixth goal in his first game back after serving a four-game suspension. . . . Kamloops is second in the B.C. Division, five points behind the Kelowna Rockets. Kelowna is at home to the Everett Silvertips tonight, then in Kamloops on Friday. The Blazers and Rockets will play in Kelowna on Saturday. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs erased a 2-0 second-period deficit and edged the Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. . . . Spokane D Brenden Kichton tied the score 2-2 at 12:24 of the second, on a PP. He’s got 18 goals. . . . F Carter Proft broke the tie, with his seventh goal, at 18:49. . . . F Todd Fiddler upped the lead to 4-2 at 10:57 of the third. . . . Calgary F Victor Rask got his 11th goal at 17:49. . . . Calgary F Cody Sylvester scored his 31st goal and added two assists. . . . The Hitmen had won the first four games of their U.S. Division swing. . . . Calgary has played its last nine games on the road and gone 5-4-0.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Dan Gibb, Prince George
D Sam Grist, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None

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 Jon Mirasty (Prince Albert, Tri-City, Moose Jaw, 2000-02) signed a one year contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). He had two goals and 197 PIM in 30 games with Vityaz Chekhov (Russia, KHL) last season. . . .
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract with Fassa (Italy, Serie A). He had three goals and four assists in 30 games with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and one goal and two assists in 13 games with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien) last season. . . .
D David Hajek (Spokane, 1998-99) signed a contract through Dec. 15 with Desdner Eislöwen (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had one goal and 10 assists in 44 games with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Austria Erste Bank Liga) last season. . . .
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 13 goals and 15 assists in 52 games with Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) last season. . . .
F Richard Rapac (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2006-07) signed a try-out contract with Litvinov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 20 goals and 27 assists in 45 games with SKP Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga) last season.
———
It seems I got my Schiolers mixed up here yesterday. F Dane Schioler, 16, is the Regina Pats’ prospect and is, in fact, in camp with the Queen City bunch. D Liam Schioler, 14, is not a Pats’ prospect and is headed to Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. Apologies to all for the error.
———
D Brennan Yadlowski, who completed his WHL eligibility last season while with the Everett Silvertips, says he was contacted by a lawyer who was representing the CHLPA in February. Yadlowski has decided to attend the U of Alberta and play for the Golden Bears, but also says he will be involved with the CHLPA. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has more right here.
———
The BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies are on the verge of trading D Stefan Gonzales to the OJHL’s Oakville Blades for G Mike Stiliadis, 18. . . . The Victoria Times Colonist reports that the two teams have agreed to the trade and all that is needed is OJHL approval. . . . Gonzales was a sixth-round selection by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2007 bantam draft. . . . I have always found it interesting how major junior teams often come under pressure because of their wheeling and dealing, but little is said about the way junior A teams trade players all over the country. . . . Gonzales, 20, has also played in the BCHL for the Burnaby Express, Quesnel Millionaires and Westside Warriors.
———
F Ryan Graham is in the Saskatoon Blades’ training camp but hasn’t yet been too active. Why not? Well, it’s kind of an interesting story. It seems he grew too fast over the summer. Daniel Nugent-Bowman has that story and more from the Blades’ camp right here.
———
Just a reminder . . . If you’re looking for details on WHL exhibition games, check the league’s website (whl.ca). The league does a great job of having online scoring from each game.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Slovak (Kelowna, 2001-03) signed a tryout contract with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). He had three assists in 21 games with Avtomobilist Ekaterinburg (Russia, KHL) and three goals and six assists in 10 games with Chomutov (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) last season. Dynamo opened training camp for the upcoming season on Friday.
———
The Lethbridge Giants won the Canadian Big League baseball title Saturday, beating the Cape Breton McNally Dodgers 12-2 in the 2011 championship game at New Waterford, N.S. . . . F Russ Maxwell of the Lethbridge Hurricanes had an RBI double in a seven-run fourth, while D Tyler Hansen of the Kamloops Blazers capped off that outburst with a two-run home run. . . . Next up for the Giants? The Big League World Series in Easley, S.C., July 27 through Aug. 3.
———
F Jon (Nasty) Mirasty is off to Russia. Seriously. Mirasty (Prince Albert, Tri-City, Moose Jaw, 2000-02) has signed a one-year deal with Chekhov Vityaz. Last season, Mirasty, 29, played with three teams in three different leagues, totallying one goal, one assist and 159 penalty minutes in 43 games with the AHL-Syracuse Crunch, ECHL-Elmira Jackals and CHL-Fort Wayne Komets. . . . Mirasty’s agent, Eric Beman, has told Lindsay Kramer of the Syracuse Post-Standard that F Jeremy Yablonski, another tough cookie, also is signing with Chekhov Vityaz. Yablonski (Edmonton, Kootenay, Seattle, 1997-2001) played 17 games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers last season, earning two assists and taking 48 penalty minutes. . . . Kramer’s blog entry is right here.
———
Vincent A. Musetto has retired, ending a 40-year career at the New York Post. Why should you care? Because he wrote one of the great headlines in newspapering history — Headless Body in Topless Bar. . . . Check this out right here, and be sure to read the comments for more great headlines and some chuckles.
———
Today’s good read comes from Lindsay Kines of the Victoria Times Colonist, who is one of Canadian journalism’s best kept secrets. In this piece, he talks with former WHLer/NHLer Geoff Courtnall about the impact that mental health has had on him and his family. Archie Courtnall, the family patriarch, committed suicide when Geoff was about to turn 16. Geoff and Russ both have had to deal with depression. . . . Kines’ story is right here.
———
The third annual Courtnall Celebrity Classic golf tournament and gala was held in Victoria this weekend, The Courtnalls have raised more than $2 million, all of which goes to mental health causes with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.
As someone whose late mother battled depression throughout the latter half of her life, I applaud the work the Courtnalls have done and the willingness of Geoff and Russ to share their story with Lindsay Kines.
My mother once tried to commit suicide by walking into the Assiniboine River at Brandon. Only her size — she was a slight woman and she got stuck in the mud before she was able to venture too far — and a couple with two young children who were having a riverside picnic were able to lead her to safety.
Mental health is something that doesn’t get near the attention it should — there are a whole lot of folks who deal with depression, anxiety and other such mental illnesses on a daily basis, and many of them try to cope on their own.
It’s great to see people like the Courtnalls working to help in this area.

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