A tip of the cap to the Regina Pats and their alumni, who have raised a healthy amount of cash to benefit former captain Kyle Deck, who is battling kidney disease.
A news release from the Pats notes that “through the Knight Archer Bobblehead night and the Prairie Mobile Skills Competition/Alumni Game, the Regina Pats, Shooting Stars Foundation and Pats Alumni raised $24,500 dollars to help Kyle . . .
“Through donations from the Clark Gillies Bobblehead Night, the Pats and their fans raised $4,500. Half of those funds went towards supporting Kyle while the other half was donated to the Regina Kidney Foundation.
“Pats fans gave generously at the Skills Competition and Alumni Game, making donations at the doors and participating in a silent auction of the Alumni’s game worn jerseys. Founding members of the Shooting Stars Foundation, Mike Sillinger, Jamie Heward and Jordan Eberle, matched the donations from the jersey auction and the night raised $21,000.”
If you haven’t already, please consider becoming an organ donor.
———
The Brandon Sun reports that the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings “have officially added 19-year-old right-winger Daulton Siwak to the roster for the rest of the season.”
Earlier this year, the Kings were hit with a $2,500 fine following a investigation into tampering allegations that were levelled by the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. Siwak left the Cougars on Jan. 6 and was suspended through Sunday.
———
The matchups if the playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton vs. Medicine Hat
Prince Albert vs. Lethbridge
Calgary vs. Swift Current
Saskatoon vs Red Deer

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland vs. Seattle
Kelowna vs. Everett
Kamloops vs. Tri-City
Victoria vs. Spokane
———
MONDAY’S GAME:
In Vancouver, F Ty Rattie had four goals and an assist as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Giants, 8-3. . . . The victory, its third in a row, lifted Portland eight points ahead of the idle Edmonton Oil Kings atop the overall standings. The Kelowna Rockets are nine points back. . . . While Portland won for the ninth time in 10 games, the Giants lost for the fourth time in five outings. . . . Rattie, who has nine points over his last two games, has a pair of four-goal games this season. He also has 86 points, good for fourth spot in the scoring race. . . . That race now is led by Portland F Brendan Leipsic, who had a goal and three assists, giving him 101 points. . . . Portland F Nic Petan, who had two assists, has 100 points. . . . Leipsic has points in 11 straight games, including seven consecutive multi-point games. . . . The Winterhawks last had two 100-point skaters in 1993-94 (F Lonny Bohonos, 152; F Colin Foley, 107). . . . Portland D Seth Jones had three assists. He’s got 45 points, tying him for the WHL lead among freshmen. Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs also has 45 points. Jones leads all freshmen with 36 assists. . . . Rattie now has 324 regular-season points in 255 career games. . . . Portland D Josh Hanson scored his first goal this season; it came in his 57th game. In his career, he has two goals in 172 games. An 18-year-old from Eagle River, Alaska, Hanson scored his first goal in his second career game, a 7-2 victory over the visiting Giants on Sept. 27, 2010.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Dalton Sward, Vancouver.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
———






From Portland Winterhawks D Josh Hanson (@HansoloCup4): “The floodgates have been opened . . . . . #FirstOfMany #Hopefully #ProbablyNot”
———
From Seattle Thunderbirds G Danny Mumaugh (@DannyMumaugh): “Hope the person who broke into my car has fun with my backpack and all that chemistry homework. #goodsteal”

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.

Lists are for discussing around the round table, or perhaps even arguing over. If you haven’t seen it, TSN has released its list of the top 40 Canadian players in the history of the World Junior Championship. TSN put together a 25-person panel and aired a show on the list on Wednesday evening.
I was privileged to be one of the 25 panellists but I had no idea how tough it would be to narrow the list of players to 40. I spent two nights working on this project and could have spent a month, and I still would have been moving names around.
If you haven’t seen the list — it’s headed up by Jordan Eberle, Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky — it’s right here.
———
Here’s Gary Belsky, in Time, writing about the NHL and the mess in which it finds itself:
“You may not have noticed that the NHL hasn’t started its season yet, which is arguably Problem #1 for the wannabe major league: Ice hockey is fourth in a three-horse race of  pro team sports vying for the affection of casual U.S. fans. Problem #1A is the lockout of players that’s been in force since Sept. 15, which has resulted in the cancellation of nearly 550 regular-season games to date. But in the event you are following the inaction rinkside, don’t be fooled when league officials or anyone else claims that the main issue is greedy players. The real problem in hockey is not in the locker room, but in the owners’ suites and commissioner’s office.”
This is a most compelling column and it’s right here.
———
So as the WHL begins its Christmas break you may be wondering if WHL vs. Portland Winterhawks is a dead issue.
It isn’t.
The Winterhawks, I am told, continue to explore their options, one of which is to plead their case at a board of governors’ meeting that is scheduled for February.
The Winterhawks plan right now is to do just that and see what happens at that time.
———
Meanwhile, Sam Adams, the outgoing mayor of Portland, “announced Wednesday that he wouldn’t ask his City Council colleagues to vote on his $31.5-million proposal to renovate Veterans Memorial Coliseum” for the Winterhawks, writes Beth Slovic of The Oregonian.
The vote has been scheduled for March 13, which is after the WHL’s board of governors will have met. Winterhawks owner Bill Gallacher has said he is prepared to put $10 million of his own money into the project.
Slovic’s story is right here.
———
The New York Post’s infamous Page Six is usually reserved for the Kardashians, Paris Hilton and their ilk. So what is Portland Winterhawks D Seth Jones doing there? Check it out right here.
———
D Connor Sutton of the Lethbridge Hurricanes had his junior A rights change hands on Wednesday. The SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars dealt Sutton, 18, and future considerations to the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks for F Troy Petrick, 19. . . . Sutton, who turns 19 on Jan. 12, is from Cochrane, Alta. He has one goal in 12 games with the Hurricanes.
———





From Cause We’re Canadian (@MadeInCanada): “We all watch the zamboni, just to make sure he doesn’t miss a spot #canadianproblems”
———
Kootenay Ice F Sam Reinhart (@Samson Reinhart) lets out a secret: “We have all changed the date on an assignment to make the teacher think it was completed on time”

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.

Lipon hears from Team Canada

Right-winger JC Lipon (34) of the Kamloops Blazers likes to play his game
deep in the other team's zone, even if it means mixing it up with a goaltender
like Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans.
(HUGO YUEN / KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
The Kamloops Blazers will have a player in the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp next week for the first time in six years.
Right-winger JC Lipon, a 19-year-old fourth-year player from Regina, was one of 11 WHLers on the 37-player roster that was released by Hockey Canada on Monday.
“I heard Sunday night,” Lipon said Monday evening. “I was pretty excited, especially after the game I had . . . it made me a little happier.”
Lipon and the Blazers dropped a 3-1 decision to the host Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday.
The last time the Blazers had a player in camp and on Team Canada was 2006 when goaltender Devan Dubnyk made the grade.
This is a dream come true for Lipon, who is most familiar with the heroics of Reginan Jordan Eberle with Team Canada at past tournaments.
A midget-aged player then, Lipon remembers being at a Regina Pats game when a Team Canada was put up on the Jumbotron.
“No one was watching the real hockey game, everyone was watching the Canada game,” a chuckling Lipon said.
Although he doesn’t play golf, Lipon is a regular attendee at Eberle’s annual tournament in Regina so he knows the Edmonton Oilers winger who, with the NHL lockout in progress, now is with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons.
Lipon has led the WHL in goals — he has 22 — and points for most of this season, although he now is tied for the points lead with linemate Colin Smith. Each has 55 points.
They will try to increase their totals tonight when the Blazers entertain the Swift Current Broncos. Game time at Interior Savings Centre is 7 o’clock.
Lipon and Smith, a 19-year-old centre from Edmonton, skated for Team WHL in one game during last month’s Subway Super Series against a Russian team. However, Smith, who has experience in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, isn’t on the selection camp roster.
Smith, who has a WHL-leading 34 assists, would have had to be among Canada’s top six forwards and that would have been a tough nut to crack. Unfortunately for him, he won’t get that opportunity.
“It’s sad to see a guy like that passed over,” Lipon said. “But at the same time I have to be excited for myself and be proud, too.”
The Canadian roster includes four centres — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of AHL-Oklahoma City, Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs, Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts and Ryan Strome of the Niagara Ice Dogs — all of whom likely would be playing in the NHL were it not in lockout mode. All four were top 10 selections in the NHL’s 2011 draft, by the Oilers, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Islanders, respectively.
Lipon is a more physically dominant player than Smith and will be looking for a spot on the bottom half of the roster.
“I’m just going to try to play my same game, maybe think a little more about finishing every hit and being really responsible in the (defensive) zone,” Lipon said. “I want to be reliable whether it’s a third- or fourth-line position I’m battling for.”
“I’m going there to make the team,” he added, “but it should be just a great experience overall. Hopefully, I’ll learn some things from those guys.”
He also knows that his speed and work ethic will hold him in good stead as he skates with the country’s top junior-aged players.
“Maybe one guy will complement me just like Smitty and it’ll work out,” Lipon said.
The Blazers will be without Lipon for at least two games — Dec. 11 in Calgary and Dec. 12 in Edmonton — but he will miss at least eight games if he makes the final roster.
Lipon is one of 21 forwards on the camp roster. There also are four goaltenders and 12 defencemen listed. There are 18 players from the OHL, seven from the QMJHL and one from the AHL. (A complete roster is in Scoreboard.)
Huberdeau, Scheifele, Strome, forward Boone Jenner (Oshawa Generals) and defencemen Dougie Hamilton (Niagara) and Scott Harrington (London Knights) are the only players invited to camp who were on the Canadian team that finished third a year ago when the tournament was held in Calgary and Edmonton.
The camp opens Monday in Calgary, with the final 23-player roster — three goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards — to be announced early on Dec. 13.
The hopefuls will play an intrasquad game on Dec. 11, then will play against university teams on Dec. 12 and 13. Canada flies out of Calgary on Dec. 15 for a pre-competition camp in Finland.
The World Junior Championship opens Dec. 26 in Ufa, Russia. The tournament is returning to a larger international ice surface this month, after a four-year stint on smaller surfaces in North America.
———
Blazers D Marek Hrbas was named officially to the Czech Republic’s 27-player selection camp roster yesterday. He will leave the Blazers after playing Dec. 12 in Edmonton. His chances of making the Czech roster are excellent — he played in the WJC last year. That being the case, he will miss at least six WHL games.
The five-day Czech camp opens in Rokycany on Dec. 15, with the team leaving for Russia on Dec. 20.
Two other WHL players — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer and D David Musil of Edmonton — are on the Czech roster.
———
The Blazers (21-7-3) go into tonight’s game having lost two straight games.
They concluded a seven-game homestand with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday. Kamloops went 4-1-2 in those seven games.
“These last few games leading up to that camp I have to start playing my best hockey again and get in a groove,” Lipon said.
The Blazers will play the Prince George Cougars here on Saturday. That will be Kamloops’ final home game before Christmas.
The Cougars will be without F Colin Jacobs, who has been suspended for six games for a headshot he delivered in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals on Friday.
———
JUST NOTES: The Blazers’ power play is 1-for-25 over its last six games. . . . The Broncos (12-13-5) don’t have any B.C. players on their roster. However, F Glenn Gawdin, their first-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, is from Richmond. Gawdin, the fifth overall selection, is with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . The Broncos will be missing F Daniel Dale, who will be completing a two-game suspension for instigating a fight late in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Friday. . . . The Broncos, who arrived in Kamloops early on Sunday evening, are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games. They last played Saturday when they blanked the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-0. . . . The Broncos started G Landon Bow in that game, but he left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. It’s expected that Steve Myland, 18, of the junior B North Delta Devils will be the back up tonight. . . . Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen, 19, is scheduled to leave to join Finland’s world junior team after playing against the Royals in Victoria on Saturday. He’s 12-12-4, 2.52, .918 in his first WHL season. . . . The Broncos have acquired D Brett Lernout, 17, from the Saskatoon Blades for a fourth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Lernout, from Winnipeg, was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.

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 Mojzis (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03) was recalled from his loan assignment to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) by Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). He had one goal and two assists in nine games while on assignment to Sparta. This season with Lev, Mojzis is pointless in five games. . . .
F Simon Ferguson (Lethbridge, Kelowna, 1999-2004) signed a contract for the rest of the season with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He had three assists in ten games with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) earlier this season. Last season, Ferguson had 18 goals and 33 assists in 40 games with Esbjerg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). . . .
F Jan Fadrny (Brandon, Kelowna, 1998-2001) was granted his release for personal reasons by Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had four goals and seven assists in 22 games for Martin this season.
———
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has written an excellent piece on Saskatoon Blades F Jessey Astles and the aftermath of the wrist surgery that may have ended his season.
Astles, you may recall, was cut by one of his own skates in the aftermath of a line brawl with the visiting Regina Pats on Nov. 9.
It seems that two players suffered skate cuts during that same bunch of scraps.
Regina D Colton Jobke, 20, was cut across the top of one hand. He suffered some severe tendon damage and underwent surgery. The Pats have no idea when he might return to action.
It was because of that injury that the Pats signed D Alex Theriau, 20. With Jobke out indefinitely, Regina had room for a third 20-year-old. Then, during one of their first two games in B.C. on the weekend, they thought they had lost Theriau with a broken collarbone, but it turned out only to be bruised.
Interestingly, the Pats have lost two other players to skate cuts this season. F Chandler Stephenson and F Patrick D’Amico both are out.
D‘Amico was stepped on during practice on Sept. 19 and is out week-to-week.
Stephenson suffered a cut foot during a game against the visiting Tri-City Americans on Oct. 19 and isn’t expected back until perhaps January.
All of these skate cuts — and three of them having happened to Regina players — brings back memories of Josh Holden. A highly skilled centre with the Pats (1994-98), Holden suffered an awful cut to a wrist during Game 2 of a first-round playoff series with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Holden suffered severe tendon damage and underwent immediate surgery. That turned out to be the Holden’s last game in the WHL, as he turned pro the following season. I think it’s fair to say that Holden was never the same player.
Having covered that game, I cringe every time a player loses a glove during game, even today. On Saturday night, Kamloops D Marek Hrbas lost a glove and looked as though he was going to stay on the ice, and it was all I could do to keep from standing up in the press box and yelling at him to get off the ice.
———
The Regina Pats are going to honour former star F Jordan Eberle by retiring his number on Dec. 5. The ceremony had been scheduled for earlier this season but had to be postponed because Eberle ended up with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons due to the NHL lockout. . . . The Red Deer Rebels will provide the opposition in Regina on Dec. 5 and Eberle is scheduled to be in attendance.
———
It seems that Roman Vopat (Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, 1994-96) is out as general manager and head coach of the junior B Kimberley Dynamiters of the Kootenay International Junior League. It seems the organization is setting up a committee to study the operation. . . . Jordan Foreman, who has done this before, is the interim head coach, with help from assistant coach Kris Knoblauch, the former Kootenay Ice head coach. . . . All of this is interesting because the Dynamiters were 14-9 at the time of the move. Last season, under Vopat, they got to Game 7 of their division final. . . .
———
The Prince Albert Raiders have brought in G Nick McBride from the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs. . . . The Raiders are in Moose Jaw tonight and likely will have McBride, 15, on the bench backing up starter Luke Siemens. McBride was a second-round selection in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. . . . Andy Desautels, the Raiders’ No. 2 goaltender, has a broken finger. . . . The Raiders used G Rylan Parenteau of the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts as the backup for a couple of weekend games. . . . Prince Albert may have F Reid Gardiner, 16, back tonight after suffering an undisclosed injury against the visiting Tri-City Americans on Oct. 16. . . . The Warriors, by the way, haven’t played in eight days. Yes, there are some bizarre things about this season’s schedule. . . . Moose Jaw F Miles Warkentine, who has been out since Oct. 13 with a suspected concussion, could return to the lineup tonight.
———
D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips has a tear in the labrum in one shoulder. Murray, who was injured Friday in Victoria, had an MRI in Everett. He was selected second overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He will be in Columbus early next week where the Blue Jackets’ medical staff will evaluate him. A decision then will be made regarding surgery. Chances are Murray will need surgery, meaning he likely will be gone for as long as five months. . . . According to Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald: “Murray suffered a dislocated shoulder during the second period of Everett's 5-0 loss at Victoria last Friday. Murray was defending Victoria's Logan Nelson on a one-on-one when the players collided. Murray felt the shoulder give on the contact, then the problem was compounded when Murray landed awkwardly on the shoulder on the ice.” . . . The injury means Murray won’t play for Canada at the World Junior Championship.
———
F Cain Franson, who hasn’t played since suffering a concussion on Oct. 24, may be back in the Vancouver Giants’ lineup tonight as they play the Winterhawks in Portland. . . . Franson has missed 11 games. . . . D Tyler Yaworski of the Brandon Wheat KIngs served a three-game suspension for the hit that took out Franson. . . . Vancouver F Trevor Cheek takes a six-game goal-scoring streak into tonight’s game. He is from Vancouver, Wash., so should have some supporters in the stands in Portland. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun also reports that Giants G Liam Liston is almost ready to return to action. He suffered an ankle injury on Nov. 1 and hopes to practise Friday.
———
The Kelowna Rockets hope to have F J.T. Barnett (knee) and F Carter Rigby (shoulder) back this weekend. . . . Barnett has been out for 21 games, while Rigby has watched 14. . . . The Rockets, riding a six-game winning streak on home ice, are at home to the Regina Pats on Friday and the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday.
———
G Carey Price is back in the WHL. Yes, he’s 25, but that hasn’t kept him off the ice with his old club, the Tri-City Americans. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has that story right here.
———
The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Tuesday that D Reid Jackson, 19, has been shut down for the season “due to concussion and post-concussion symptoms.” . . . The Warriors acquired Jackson from the Prince George Cougars in May. He had two assists and 12 penalty minutes in 12 games. He also has played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Jackson hasn’t played since an Oct. 24 game against the visiting Hurricanes.
The WHL, of course, guards its injury information the way bodyguards protect President Obama. . . . But in attempting to track the number of concussions suffered this season it would appear that number is higher than 24.
———
TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, F Stephane Legault scored two PP goals as the Oil Kings scored a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Legault scored his first two goals this season in his first game back after a 15-game absence due to a foot injury. . . . Legault’s first goal apparently deflected in off the foot that he had injured. . . . Edmonton Oilers assistant coach Kelly Buchberger, who is good friends with Swift Current GM/head coach Mark Lamb, took part in the Broncos’ morning skate. . . . F Jake DeBrusk, who signed with the Broncos on Monday, also was on the ice. He plays for the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club’s midget club. . . . The Oil Kings also got F Mitch Moroz back after a three-game injury-related absence. . . .

In Lethbridge, Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 42 shots as the Hitmen beat the Hurricanes, 3-2. . . . F Carson Samoridny gave Calgary a 3-2 lead at 1:47 of the third period and the Hitmen went on to victory. . . . Lethbridge was 1-for-8 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-3. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Patrik Bartosak turned aside 43 shots to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-0 victory over the Tigers. . . . Bartosak, a Czech who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after getting into 25 games last season, has one shutout this season and two in his career. He is11-7-1, 2.56, .930 this season. . . . F Wyatt Johnston’s third goal this season, a shorthanded score at 3:36 of the first period, stood up as the winner. . . . Medicine Hat lost F Curtis Valk with a boarding major and game misconduct at 15:59 of the third period. . . . Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno had one assist. He has four points and is plus-5 in three games since joining the Rebels last week from the SJHL’s La Ronge Timber Wolves. . . . Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/president/GM/interim head coach, is 3-0 since going back behind the bench. . . . The Tigers, who have lost five straight games, remain without F Hunter Shinkaruk, who suffered a skate cut of some sort during a game in Portland on Saturday. . .

In Prince George, F Carson Bolduc scored in the fourth round of the circus to give the Cougars a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Cougars had lost seven games in a row. . . . The Pats got two first-period goals 41 seconds apart from F Lane Scheidl to go up 2-0. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison, 15, got his first WHL goal on the PP at 9:49 of the second. Morrison, who was outstanding in his WHL debut on Saturday in Kamloops, was the game’s first star. . . . Bolduc’s first WHL goal, at 15:28 of the second, got the Cougars to within one and F Jarrett Fontaine, with his second goal, tied it at 19:33 of the second. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt stopped 37 shots, while Prince George’s Mac Engel made 13 saves. . . . Prince George F Alex Forsberg was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Attendance was 1,454. . . . Regina is 1-0-2 on its B.C. swing that continues tonight in Kamloops. . . . The Pats have points in each of their last four games. . . . The Cougars will play their next four games against the Victoria Royals. They play Friday and Saturday in Victoria and the following Friday and Saturday in Prince George. . . . Seriously. Four straight. . . .

In Victoria, F Jamie Crooks scored twice as the Royals dropped the Saskatoon Blades, 5-2. . . . Crooks, a 20-year-old from Vermilion, Alta., began his WHL career with the Blades, playing eight games in 2009-09 and six in 2009-10 before being dealt to the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?). . . . The Bruins, of course, morphed into the Royals prior to last season. . . . Saskatoon lost F Shane McColgan in the second period after a collision with Victoria F Luke Harrison. McColgan fell and struck his head. He played one PP shift after that, left the game and didn’t return.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Pavlo Padakin, Calgary
D Tyler Stahl, Victoria (double minor)

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
———





From Tri-City D Justin Hamonic (@Hammertime6): “If I can move as well as Alice Cooper when I’m 64 I’ll be a happy man. What a show!!”
———

From Medicine Hat D Derek Ryckman (@rycks25): “Wishing @reidjackson29 a healthy and quick recovery #niceguybigbush”

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.

Riding the bus, from Kelowna to Vancouver.
What? Is that Reg Dunlop on the TV screen?

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had five goals and 13 assists in 35 games with the Portland Pirates (AHL) last season.
———
Jim Swanson spent a few years covering the WHL’s Prince George Cougars while sports editor of the Prince George Citizen.
He left the newspaper a short while ago and now works for TELUS where he is the manager of a construction team in the Interior north/northeast division.
A life-long baseball player and addict, Swanson, in the mid-1990s, was the general manager of the Grand Forks, N.D., Varmints, who played in the Prairie League of Professional Baseball.
In Prince George, he is one of the pushes behind their successful senior and minor baseball programs. He also is co-chair of the Canadian senior baseball championships, that are scheduled for Prince George, Aug. 23-26, and the chairman of the international World Baseball Challenge that is held every second summer in that city.
These days, Swanson is on the road with some former Blue Jays as they hold Honda Super Camps in B.C. He was in Kelowna earlier this week, along with the likes of Roberto Alomar, Sandy Alomar Sr., Homer Busch, Lloyd Moseby, Rance Mulliniks, Duane Ward and Kelowna native Paul Spoljaric.
After finishing up in Kelowna, they all hopped a bus and headed for Vancouver where a camp begins today at Nat Bailey Stadium.
So . . . what do ex-Major Leaguers do on a bus between Kelowna and Vancouver?
As the photo above shows, they watch — what else? — Slap Shot.
———
Seth Zweifler of the Studen Press Law Centre takes a look right here at the lawsuit filed by the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, against the Michigan Daily, writer Matt Slovin and John Doe. . . . Because the newspaper is in the U.S., and the suit was filed in Canada, there are some interesting angles to this.
———
D Cody Castro, who played nine games with the Portland Winterhawks last season, found himself involved in a trade on Wednesday. Castro, who has four points in 77 WHL regular-season games, had his junior A rights dealt by the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express to the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Hockey League. . . . Coquitlam is in British Columbia. Yarmouth is in Nova Scotia. Castro, 20, is from Pasadena, Calif. . . . According to Google, Yarmouth is 5,655.5 kilometres by car from Pasadena. . . . Yarmouth, if you take the American route,  is 5,978.7 kilometres from Coquitlam. . . . Now that’s a trade!
———
The Regina Pats will retire the number (7) worn by former F Jordan Eberle on Oct. 9 prior to a game against the visiting Portland Winterhawks. Eberle, a former CHL player of the year and a Regina native, now plays for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . The Pats made the announcement Wednesday night at the Centre Ice Celebration in advance of the first Eberle and Friends Golf Classic. The golf tournament, in support of the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, begins today. . . . Eberle, who played for the Pats from 2006-10, scored 155 goals and added 155 assists in 254 regular-season games.
———
F Brandon Herrod, who finished up a five-year WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers last season, has decided to attend the U of Saskatchewan and play for the Huskies. Herrod, from Meadow Lake, Sask., was acquired by the Blazers from the Prince Albert Raiders. He ended up playing 342 regular-season games, 314 of them with the Raiders. . . . Herrod had career totals of 117 goals and 158 assists. . . . With the Huskies, he will be re-united with former Prince Albert linemate Craig McCallum, who has played two seasons at the U of S.

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.

Wednesday . . .

The Vancouver Giants return home Friday night after what has to be the longest road trip in WHL history. The Giants and Kelowna Rockets will play at Pacific Coliseum, the first game there since Jan. 3. On that night, the Giants beat the Rockets, 6-3. . . . The Giants then had to vacate the facility for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. They have played 27 games since the last played in their home rink. . . . The Giants started by going 5-5-0-0. They then played five ‘home’ games in the Langley Events Centre, going 3-1-0-1. They then played a game in Chilliwack, and won. . . . Then it was back to Langley for another ‘home’ game, and a victory. . . . The last 10 games were played on the road, where they went 5-4-1-0. . . . Add it all up and the Giants are 15-10-1-1 since they last played in the Pacific Coliseum. You have to think they are pleased with that.
———
The Prince Albert Raiders are out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. That much was decided in Wednesday’s action. . . . The Kootenay Ice moved a point ahead of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the fight for fourth place and home-ice advantage in the first round. . . . The Chilliwack Bruins moved into a tie with the Kamloops Blazers for seventh in the Western Conference. They are two points behind the Kelowna Rockets. All three teams have two games remaining.
———
THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — division leaders, who are seeded one-two; y — clinched division championship; x — clinched playoff spot):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
y-Calgary (2) 50-17-1-2-103
dx-Brandon (2) 48-18-1-3-100
x-Saskatoon (2) 45-18-3-4-97
x-Kootenay (2) 41-24-3-2-87
x-Medicine Hat (2) 39-23-3-5-86
x-Red Deer (2) 39-26-0-5-83
x-Moose Jaw (2) 33-27-4-6-76
x-Swift Current (2) 35-30-1-4-75
———
Prince Albert (2) 31-34-3-2-67
Wednesday: Moose Jaw 2 at Brandon 8; Swift Current 5 at Prince Albert 2; Regina 3 at Saskatoon 2; Calgary 4 at Edmonton 1; Red Deer 1 at Kootenay 5.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Brandon at Regina; Prince Albert at Saskatoon; Edmonton at Calgary; Medicine at Lethbridge; Kootenay at Red Deer.
Saturday: Saskatoon at Prince Albert; Regina at Brandon; Moose Jaw at Swift Current; Edmonton at Kootenay; Lethbridge at Medicine Hat.
Sunday: Red Deer at Calgary.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (2) 46-21-1-2-95
y-Vancouver (3) 40-24-2-3-85
x-Everett (3) 44-20-3-2-93
x-Spokane (3) 43-21-3-2-91
x-Portland (2) 42-25-2-1-87
x-Kelowna (2) 33-31-2-4-72
x-Kamloops (2) 32-32-2-4-70
x-Chilliwack (2) 32-32-1-5-70
Wednesday: Chilliwack 7 at Prince George 4; Seattle 1 at Tri-City 4.
Thursday: No games scheduled.
Friday: Portland at Chilliwack; Prince George at Kamloops; Tri-City at Spokane; Kelowna at Vancouver; Seattle at Everett.
Saturday: Prince George at Kelowna; Kamloops at Vancouver; Chilliwack at Everett; Portland at Seattle; Spokane at Tri-City.
Sunday: Vancouver at Seattle; Swift Current at Moose Jaw; Everett at Spokane.
———
WEDNESDAY:
In Saskatoon, F Jordan Eberle scored two goals go help the Regina Pats to a 3-2 victory over the Blades. . . . Eberle, who leads the WHL with 104 points, has 48 goals. . . . Eberle holds a four-point lead over linemate Jordan Weal, who reached the 100-point plateau with one assist. . . . Eberle scored at 9:04 of the first period and 4:18 of the second as the visitors took a 2-0 lead. . . . In his last five games in Saskatoon, Eberle scored nine goals and set up two others. . . . D Stefan Elliott scored both goals for the Blades. His first, his 25th, pulled them to within 2-1 at 19:18 of the second. . . . Regina D Myles Bell restored the two-goal lead with his fourth goal at 3:29 of the third. . . . Elliott’s second goal originally was credited to F Dan Hulak, but was changed after the game. . . . The Pats, who won’t make the playoffs, have won three in a row. . . . Regina G Dawson Guhle stopped 33 shots; Saskatoon’s Adam Morrison stopped 31. . . . Both teams were 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 4,904.
———
In Prince Albert, the Swift Current Broncos put up a 5-2 victory, putting out the Raiders’ faint playoff hopes in the process. . . . With the victory, the Broncos clinched the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . The Broncos got first period goals from F Michael Stickland, his 21st, shorthanded at 15:08, and F Justin Dowling, his 30th, on the PP at 17:36, and never looked back. . . . The Broncos also scored two empty-net goals, one by F Cody Eakin, his 46th, at 17:59 of the third and the other by Dowling, at 19:24. . . . Swift Current G Morgan Clark stopped 38 shots, six more than the Raiders’ Garrett Zemlak. . . . F Igor Revenko scored his 25th goal of the season for the Raiders, who have lost seven of eight. . . . Attendance was 2,166. . . . Swift Current F Matt Tassone, who sat out close to a month with a sports hernia, returned but left with back problems. The Broncos also were without F Adam Lowry (shoulder) and F Dillon Wagner (knee). They both have missed four games now.
———
In Brandon, F Brayden Schenn picked up a six-pack — two goals and four assists — to lead the Wheat Kings to an 8-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . On Friday, Brandon beat visiting Moose Jaw, 9-2. . . . This could be a first-round playoff matchup, too. . . . Attendance was 6,022, the largest crowd ever to attend a What Kings game in what is now known as Westman Place. . . . The Wheat Kings reached 100 points for a second straight season, the first time the franchise has done that since 1977-78 and 1978-79. . . . Schenn has 33 goals. . . . F Matt Calvert helped Brandon with two goals, giving him 44, and three assists. . . . F Aaron Lewadniuk also had two Brandon goals, raising his total to 36, while teammate Scott Glennie had his 31st goal and three assists and D Colby Robak had a goal and two helpers. . . . Schenn, Calvert and Glennie each finished plus-4 on a line that totalled 15 points. . . . D Clinton Atkinson scored his first goal of the season for Moose Jaw. . . . Brandon G Jacob DeSerres stopped 21 shots, 23 fewer than Moose Jaw’s Brandon Glover. . . . Glover started his third straight game as Jeff Bosch has a hip problem. . . . The Wheat Kings have won six straight, while the Warriors have lost four of five. . . . Brandon was 3-for-5 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon’s previous single-game attendance record (5,957) was set during a playoff game against the Calgary Hitmeni n April 2005. . . . The Wheat Kings, the host team for the Memorial Cup, have drawn 170,832 fans this season, and that also is a franchise record. . . . The Warriors went without F Quinton Howden (broken collarbone), D Dylan McIlrath (shoulder) and F Brendan Rowinski (lower body). . . . Brandon D Mark Schneider (concussion) returned after a three-game absence.
———
In Edmonton, the Calgary Hitmen scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . The Hitmen are the first WHL team this season to post 50 victories. . . . Calgary F Ian Schultz, with his 23rd, broke a 1-1 tie at 1:16 of the third period. . . . F Joel Broda, with his 38th, and F Tyler Fiddler, with his 29th, added insurance. . . . After Calgary F Del Cowan opened the scoring at 8:35 of the first period, on the PP, Edmonton D Drew Nichol tied the score with his third goal of the season at 3:35 of the second. . . . Calgary, which has won seven in a row, was 2-for-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-7. . . . The Oil Kings have lost six in a row. . . . Calgary G Martin Jones stopped 20 shots. He has allowed two goals over his last five complete games. . . . Edmonton G Torrie Jung turned aside 26 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,986. . . . Referee Brett Iverson, who needed some dental work done after taking a stick to the face in Prince George on Saturday, worked the game with Jon Stephenson. Iverson is from Vancouver.
———
In Cranbrook, D Joey Leach drew four assists and was plus-5 to lead the host Kootenay Ice to a 5-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The victory lifted the Ice into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the idle Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Lane Scheidl gave the Rebels, who now have lost three straight, a 1-0 lead at 10:40 of the first period. . . . Leach then helped set up four straight goals, two in the second period and two more in the third. . . . F Kevin King had two goals for the Ice. He has 27 on the season. King tied it 49 seconds into the second period and F Matt Fraser broke the 1-1 tie with his 32nd goal at 1:06. . . . Attendance was 2,727. . . . The Ice went in having lost five of six. . . . Ice G Todd Mathews stopped 23 shots, while Red Deer’s Darcy Kuemper kicked out 30. . . . Kootenay D Ryan Molle was pointless but finished plus-4.
———
In Prince George, F Ryan Howse scored twice to help the Chilliwack Bruins to a 7-4 victory over the Cougars. . . . One night earlier, Howse had three goals in a 7-4 victory. . . . In eight games against the Cougars this season, Howse, who is from Prince George, has scored 13 goals. He has 46 goals this season. . . . The Cougars, who trailed 4-1 late in the second period, cut it to 4-3 going into the third period. Howse then scored shorthanded at 1:08 of the third. . . . F James Dobrowolski scored three times for the Cougars, giving him 22 on the season, and also had an assist. He scored his third goal on the PP at 6:41 of the third, but the Bruins got that one back when F Shane Neigum got his 11th at 7:55. . . . Chilliwack F Tim Traber, who played last season for the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George, scored his fourth goal of the season into an empty net. It was his second goal of the game. . . . Chilliwack D Jesse Craige didn’t get a point but was plus-4, while D Brandon Manning, who also is from Prince George, had a goal. . . . Cougars F Troy Bourke, who scored two goals in his first game in Prince George on Tuesday, scored again in this one. . . . F Brett Connolly of the Cougars didn’t get any points and finished minus-5. . . . Prince George was 3-for-9 on the PP; the Bruins were 0-for-4. . . . Bruins D Matt Delahey played with a full facemask after taking a puck in the face Tuesday and losing a couple of teeth. . . . Chilliwack took 62 of the 106 penalty minutes handed out by referees Carl Poole and Trevor Hanson. . . . The Cougars, with two road games remaining, have lost 15 in a row.
———
In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin set up three goals to lead the host Tri-City Americans to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . F Jordan Messier scored the game’s first two goals, giving him 22, at 1:05 and 4:03 of the second period. . . . After F Tyler Alos got his seventh, on the PP, for the Thunderbirds at 18:18 of the second, the Americans put it away with two third-period goals. . . . F Justin Feser, with his 34th, and F Kruise Reddick, with his 18th, both scored on the PP. . . . Tri-City was 2-for-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 1-for-2. . . . G Calvin Pickard stopped 42 shots for the Thunderbirds, while Tri-City G Alex Pechurskiy turned aside 26. . . . The Americans continue to be without G Drew Owsley (concussion) and are using Josh Romeike as a backup. Romeike, who has played hockey in the Tri-City area with the Tier III junior A Titans, is one of the Zamboni drivers at the Toyota Arena and Toyota Centre in Kennewick.

Monday . . .

THE PLAYOFF CHASE
Teams in the running for playoff spots, showing games remaining (d — denotes division leaders, who are seeded one-two):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
d-Brandon (15) 37-16-1-3-78
d-Calgary (18) 36-16-1-1-74
Saskatoon (18) 36-12-3-3-78
Kootenay (16) 34-17-3-2-73
Medicine Hat (14) 32-18-3-5-72
Red Deer (17) 30-21-0-4-64
Prince Albert (16) 28-23-3-2-61
Moose Jaw (19) 26-19-5-3-60
Swift Current (16) 28-25-0-3-59
Regina (16) 24-25-3-4-55
Monday: No games scheduled.
Tuesday: Regina at Brandon; Moose Jaw at Kootenay; Lethbridge at Red Deer; Calgary at Swift Currrent.
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(top eight advance)
dx-Tri-City (19) 38-13-0-2-78
d-Vancouver (15) 33-20-1-3-70
Everett (17) 34-18-2-1-71
Portland (15) 34-20-2-1-71
Spokane (17) 31-20-3-1-66
Kelowna (15) 28-25-2-2-60
Kamloops (15) 26-25-2-4-58
Chilliwack (16) 24-26-1-5-54
x — clinched playoff spot.
Monday: No games scheduled.
Tuesday: Seattle at Tri-City.
———
F Jordan Eberle of the Regina Pats scored three times on the weekend to end a bit of a slump (one goal in his previous four games) and take over the WHL goal-scoring lead, with 39. . . . Keep in mind that Eberle has played in only 41 games. . . . All told, he has 79 points in those 41 games and now is second in the WHL points derby, two in arrears of Vancouver Giants F Craig Cunningham. The leader has played in 57 games. . . . The Pats, who are five points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot and have picked up at least a point in four straight games (1-0-0-3), play the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Tuesday. . . . Brandon F Matt Calvert has 12 points on an eight-game point streak, while teammate Aaron Lewadniuk has nine points in what also is an eight-game streak.
---
F Colin Lidster, who never played in the WHL after being selected by his hometown Kamloops Blazers in the 2004 bantam draft, has retired. Lidster, 20, was traded by the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Trail Smoke Eaters over the summer. On Oct. 8, the Smokies dealt him to the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm and, on Jan. 10, his rights were shipped to the Prince George Spruce Kings. He never reported to the Spruce Kings and told me Sunday night that he has retired. He is living in Calgary and working the oil rigs.
———
The Tri-City Americans open a stretch of six games in eight nights when they play host to the Seattle Thunderbirds of Kent on Tuesday. The Americans go into the week tied with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades for first place overall. . . . The Americans hold four games in hand on Brandon and one on Saskatoon. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland is likely to play with a full cage after getting some teeth pushed back during a scrap with Calgary Hitmen F Cody Beach on Jan. 31. Holland has 14 points in his last 16 games, including three in a 5-4 shootout victory over the host Vancouver Giants. Holland also had the shootout winner in that game.
———
Red Deer Rebels F Nathan Green, who suffered a broken leg on Nov. 22 and later underwent surgery, is getting closer to a return to action. Green, 20, was to have screws removed from his left leg on Tuesday and is likely to resume skating within two weeks. He had 22 points in 25 games with the Rebels, who acquired him from the Brandon Wheat Kings during the offseason, and hopes to be at the top of his game when the playoffs get here.
———
The Kootenay Ice go into this week at 34-17-3-2, which has it in sixth place overall and fourth in the Eastern Conference. . . . The Ice will finish over .500 for an 11th straight season — the longest active such streak in the WHL. . . . Since Oct. 30, the Ice is 29-6-3-2. . . . The Ice, which is 23-13-3-2 against Eastern Conference teams, is home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday. . . . Ice F Dustin Sylvester has 233 career regular-season points. That’s fifth on the Ice’s franchise list, just one behind Dale Mahovsky and two behind Steve DaSilva. Jarrett Stoll (286) is No. 1, followed by Nigel Dawes (272).
———
F Ryan Kinasewich, the captain of the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, is on his way to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Kinasewich (Tri-City, Medicine hat, Tri-City, 1998-2004) is Utah’s all-time leading scorer and was leading the ECHL in points (70) and tied for the league lead in goals (32) at the time he got the call. . . . Kinasewich played 24 games for Bridgeport in 2007-08, and also has AHL experience with Hamilton and Lake Erie.
———
This is the 50th season of professional hockey in Muskegon, Mich. But it appears there won’t be a 51st season. The IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks won’t be back as they disappear to make room for a USHL franchise. That story is right here.
———
F Mike Ferland of the Brandon Wheat Kings is out indefinitely after breaking a bone in one hand during a fight with F Brock Montgomery of the Kootenay Ice on Friday. Ferland is to undergo further examination Tuesday. Ferland, in his freshman season, has 24 points and 83 penalty minutes in 55 games.