Another player at home with brain injury . . . To dry scrape, or not to dry scrape

G Leland Irving (Everett, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). He was invited to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s training camp on a tryout basis on Sept. 9. Last season, with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland, Liiga), he was 2.14 and .922 in 55 games. . . .
F Karel Hromas (Everett, 2004-06) has been released by Kadaň (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Last season, he had one assist in seven games with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 11 points, including six goals, in 29 games on loan to Kadaň.
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CONCUSSION REPORT:

Veteran F Chase Souto, 20, no longer is with the Kamloops Blazers. Souto, who is hoping to play in his fifth season with the Blazers, has returned to his California home as he tries to recover from at least the fourth concussion of his WHL career.
Souto suffered his latest concussion on Feb. 7 and still wasn’t feeling well when he reported to the Blazers training camp in late August.
“He took part in the first two days of training camp,” Blazers head coach Don Hay told Earl Seitz of CFJC-TV in Kamloops. “He came to us and said he wasn’t feeling quite right. Our doctors looked at him and shut him down.
“We’ve given him some time to go home, get well rested, then have the possibility of coming back and joining us at a future date.”
Souto finished last season with 31 points, including 20 goals, in 47 games. He suffered a broken hand during a fight in Moose Jaw on Dec. 15 and didn’t play again until Jan. 17.
His latest concussion came in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals on Feb. 7. He tried to play again, on Feb. 28 in Calgary, but it didn’t work and his season was over.
Now there isn’t any time frame for a return.
“The doctor feels he’s not at 100 per cent right now,” Hay said,
“and wants to give him a little more time to recover.”
Souto incurred two concussions as a 16-year-old freshman, the first coming four games into the season on an open-ice hit in Chilliwack, the second occurring when he was on the receiving end of a heavy check in Cranbrook.
Then, on Sept. 10, 2011, he took an elbow to the head during an exhibition game against Kelowna and that resulted in brain injury No. 3.
Three years ago, after Souto suffered that third brain injury, I talked with him and wrote this piece right here. The interesting part is how he kept playing after the hit and intentionally got into a fight. That way, he got tossed with the automatic game misconduct and was able to buy some time as he tried to determine whether he might be able to keep the brain injury from training Colin Robinson and the coaching staff.
With Souto gone, the Blazers are down to two 20-year-olds -- G Bolton Pouliot and D Brady Gaudet.
Will Souto be back in time to fill that third spot.
“That is open right now,” Hay told Seitz, “but there’s always the possibility it might get filled.”
The Blazers also need Souto’s offence. With him on the roster, they return 106 goals from a team that had the second-poorest offence in the WHL last season.
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Sometime during the next week, the WHL will issue a news release covering rule changes for the 2014-15 regular season. Don't expect the trapezoid behind the nets to be expanded or for the area between the hash marks at faceoff circles to be widened, a la the NHL. No doubt the WHL would like to use both rules, but there isn't time to change the paint schemes in all of the arenas before the season opens on Friday. . . . I experienced the dry scrape before overtime for the first time on Friday night. I would hope the WHL dumps that idea before the regular season begins. There are times when there is a real buzz in a building as everyone prepares for OT. But the time it takes to do a dry scrape sucks the atmosphere right out of the building. At least, that was the case last night in Kamloops, where the Blazers scored at 18:53 of the third period to forge a 3-3 tie and force OT with the Prince George Cougars.
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Some impressions from that game:
Kamloops F Matt Needham needs to have a lot of games just like that one for the Blazers to have success this season. The Blazers’ captain had the winning goal, on the PP, and two assists. He set up the tying goal by winning a faceoff in the Cougars’ zone. . . . Kamloops D Patrik Maier, a Slovakian freshman, had a goal and an assist and showed some flair. He slammed his gun into its holster after rifling a shot through a screen for a third-period goal. He also showed a sharp stick and some feistiness in front of his net. . . . Blazers F Jake Kryski, 16, was the best player on the ice. The kid has a lot of game for someone that young. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles the grind of a WHL schedule. . . . The Cougars had a few veterans who played like it was the last exhibition game, which it was. At this level, coaches shouldn’t have to be yelling at players to skate hard on the way back into their zone. . . . Prince George D Dominic Thom looks like one of those players you hate to play against but love to have on your team. . . . Cougars F Jari Erricson, 20, has some rust after playing only four games last season thanks to a brain injury. . . . The Cougars scratched F Jansen Harkins, meaning he finishes the exhibition season with nine points, including four goals, in three games.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers are waiting to find out exactly what is wrong with G Jared Rathjen. Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM and head coach, has told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News that Rathjen, 20, has yet to get medical clearance to play. . . . “In his medical, (Rathjen) had some abnormalities appear on some testing, and so basically until those are investigated and looked into, our doctor has said he can’t participate,” Clouston told McCracken. “So he’s been just kind of waiting. He’s going to see a specialist next week and hopefully he’ll be back to normal.” . . . For now, then, Nick Schneider will be the Tigers’ starting goaltender, with Cole Schafer from the junior B Medicine Hat Cubs backing up. That means Schneider starts tonight against the Red Deer Rebels in Stettler, with Schafter on the bench. . . . McCracken also reports that F Anthony Ast (wrist) and F Chad Labelle (knee) are hobbled.
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It’s hard to believe, but F Tim Bozon is in camp with the Montreal Canadiens. It was only in March when Bozon, then with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice, was in the intensive care unit of a Saskatoon hospital, deathly ill with Neisseria meningitis. He has come a long way since then, though, and Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette has the story right here.
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The OHL has handed out its first major suspension of the season, hitting F Noah Bushnell of the Sarnia Sting with a 10-game sentence for a headshot -- an elbow to the an opponent’s chin -- during a preseason game. . . . There’s more, including video, right here.
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It sounds like Tim Hunter, the first-year head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, got welcomed to the WHL on Friday night. His club was outshot 42-20 en route to a 6-2 loss to the host Brandon Wheat Kings. Afterwards, Hunter told Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “I never trust the shot clock on the road. I don’t think it was quite as bad as it was but, still, they did outshoot us and outwork us.” . . . Ah, yes, the shot clock on the road in the WHL. There isn‘t a coach in the league who hasn‘t walked the same ground as Hunter. . . .
An interesting note from Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, after the Blades’ 3-2 shootout victory over the visiting Swift Current Broncos last night: “The 1,134 fans who attended Friday’s game got a taste of what the setup will look like at the rink this season. The upper bowl will be curtained off for almost all games in an effort to create a better atmosphere and stronger demand for tickets. The lower bowl holds approximately 6,000 people.” . . . During that game, Nugent-Bowman tweeted: “Broncos D Jordan Harris dumped to the side of the SC net. He skates off the ice with his left shoulder dangling down.” . . .
F Justin Hickman of the Seattle Thunderbirds was to have joined the Winnipeg Jets team at the Young Guns tournament in Penticton, B.C., but those plans were ruined by an undisclosed injury suffered in practice this week. . . . The Toronto Maple Leafs revealed Friday that D Rinat Valiev of the Kootenay Ice won’t participate in their camp because of an undisclosed injury. . . .
F Kristian Ferletak of the Victoria Royals drew a one-game suspension for the goaltender interference major and game misconduct he incurred Thursday against the visiting Vancouver Giants. He won't play tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts wasn’t selected in the NHL’s 2014 draft, but is with the Detroit Red Wings’ rookie team in a tournament at Traverse City, Mich. Last night, he scored in OT and also drew an assist as the Red Wings beat the St. Louis Blues, 6-5.
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Please @TheWHL, no dry scrapes before overtime.
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) September 13, 2014

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract extension with the Bietigheim Steelers (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had 16 goals and 24 assists in 41 games for the Steelers this season. . . .
Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga), who won promotion to the Czech Extraliga from 1.Liga last month, announced the signings of F Karel Hromas (Everett, 2004-06), F David Hruska (Red Deer, 1995-96), D Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) and D Lukas Pulpan (Vancouver, 2003-04) to one-year contract extensions. Hromas had seven goals and six assists in 44 games, Hruska had 27 goals and 28 assists in 52 games, Palin had six goals and 12 assists in 51 games, and Pulpan had five goals and 21 assists in 31 games this season. . . .
F Rick Girard (Swift Current, 1990-94) signed a one-year contract extension with Ingolstadt (Germany, DEL). Girard, who has played the last 14 seasons in the DEL, had 11 goals and 17 assists in 49 games this season. . . .
F Jozef Balej (Portland, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Balej started the season with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, Extraliga), where he had five goals and six assists in 20 games. He then moved to Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga), where he had two goals and three assists in 25 games. . . .
Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL) signed F Milan Bartovic (Brandon, Tri-City, 1999-2001) and F Mario Bliznak (Vancouver, 2005-08) to two-year contracts. Bartovic had 16 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) while Bliznak had 11 goals and 18 assists in 52 games for Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .
The KHL is undergoing some changes for next season. Slovan Bratislava and Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine) are joining the KHL as "expansion" teams, Slovan from the Slovak Extraliga and Donbass from the Russian Vysshaya Liga. Lev Poprad (Slovakia) is moving to Prague (Czech Republic), already home to two teams in the Czech Republic Extraliga (Sparta and Slavia); and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl returns after the horrific plane crash at the start of this season. Lokomotiv announced that Carolina Hurricanes pro scout Tom Rowe will be its head coach next season. Rowe coached in Carolina’s system for four seasons, then spent three as an assistant with the Hurricanes before serving as a pro scout this season. . . .
In case anyone was wondering about the ticket prices in the KHL, Slovan is advertising season tickets for next season. The prices range from 209 Euros to 249 Euros ($272 to $325 Canadian) for existing season-ticket holders, and 249 Euros to 299 Euros ($325 to $390 Canadian) for new season-ticket holders. This includes 30 KHL regular-season home games and five or six home preseason games. Compare to your favourite NHL team's prices and discuss amongst yourselves.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jon Rogger is the new head coach of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. He is an assistant coach with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and will finish the season with them before joining the Bucs. Rogger, 34, has been with the Gamblers for four seasons. . . . The Buccaneers went 20-33-7, missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Rogger replaces Graham Johnson, an assistant coach who replaced head coach Regg Simon, who was fired on March 27. . . .
The OHL’s Soo Greyhounds have announced that assistant coach Nick Warriner, 31, won’t have his contract renewed. He had been with the ’Hounds through four seasons. . . . Mike Stapleton is the Soo’s head coach. . . .
Dave Hakstol, the head coach at the U of North Dakota, announced Thursday that Cary Eades, the associate head coach, won’t be returning. Eades, whose contract is up and won’t be renewed, had been with UND for eight seasons. He had been the associate coach for six seasons. He also played four seasons at UND and coached under head coach Gino Gasparini for seven seasons.
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For complete bantam draft coverage — and I do mean complete — go to Alan Caldwell’s blog Small Thoughts at Large. There’s a link over there on the right.
For a look at the draft’s impact on NCAA schools, you may want to take a look at this piece from the Western College Hockey Blog. There is even a shot in there at Bruce Hamilton, the owner and GM of the Kelowna Rockets.
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The Saskatoon Blades entered Memorial Cup mode in a big way on Thursday as the WHL held its annual bantam draft in Calgary.
The Blades are the host team for the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament and GM/head coach Lorne Molleken added some experience to his roster with some draft-day deals.
Molleken acquired F Shane McColgan, 19, F Jessey Astles, 19, and a conditional 2014 third-round bantam pick from the Kelowna Rockets for F Ryan Olsen, 18, and second- and fifth-round selections in yesterday’s draft.
The Blades also added F Brenden Walker, 20, from the Brandon Wheat Kings for 2012 and 2013 second-round bantam picks and a third-rounder in 2014. The Blades also gave Brandon an option to switch 2014 first-round selections.
McColgan, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., was a fifth-round pick by the New York Rangers in the NHL’s 2011 draft. He had 64 points in 70 games last season but never really blossomed into the dynamic performer the Rockets had hoped for when they grabbed him 13th overall in the 2008 bantam draft. He had 69 points in his freshmen season and 66 in 2010-11.
“To be honest, the trade wasn’t surprising,” McColgan told Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier. “It was either between Saskatoon or Portland, and it was Saskatoon and I’m happy it was because they have the Memorial Cup.
“This, hopefully, being my last season of junior hockey, I want to win a Memorial Cup, and going to Saskatoon will be my best chance. I’m looking forward to going there in August.”
McColgan was with the Rockets at the 2007 Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que., but was a healthy scratch for all four games.
The conditional third-round pick is contingent on whether McColgan returns for his 20-year-old season.
Astles, a sixth-round pick by Kelowna in 2008, has been hampered by concussion problems. He had seven points and 84 penalty minutes in 42 games this season.
Walker, a veteran of three seasons with Brandon, had 81 points, including 26 goals, in 68 games this season.
Walker is the fourth 20-year-old on Saskatoon’s roster, joining F Chris Collins, F Josh Nicholls and D Connor Cox.
With Walker gone, Brandon’s roster shows six 20-year-olds – F Mark Stone, F Dominick Favreau, F Michael Ferland, F Kevin Sundher, D Ryley Miller and G Brandon Anderson. However, Stone (Ottawa Senators), Ferland (Calgary Flames), Sundher (Buffalo Sabres) and Anderson (Washington Capitals) all may play professionally next season.
Kelowna, meanwhile, picks up Olsen, who had 32 points, 15 of them goals, this season, his second with the Blades. He was the 20th overall selection in the 2009 bantam draft.
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The Prince George Cougars acquired F Jari Ericcson, 18, from the Everett Silvertips in a deal that involved the swapping of first-round bantam draft picks.
Ericcson, who is from Prince George, had 19 points, including six goals, in 69 games with the Silvertips this season.
The Cougars surrendered F Jujhar Khaira, 18, along with the 11th pick in yesterday’s draft and a 2012 third-rounder for Ericcson, the seventh overall selection and a conditional fourth-round pick.
The conditional pick will be tied into whether Khaira reports to Everett. From Surrey, B.C., Khaira had 79 points in 54 games with the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings this season. He has committed to Michigan Tech, and is likely to be picked in June’s NHL draft.
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Eric Comrie, the 13th overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, will be the Tri-City Americans’ starting goaltender when next season arrives.
That picture became clear Thursday when the Americans dealt G Ty Rimmer, 20, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick and a third-rounder in 2014.
Rimmer, a 14th-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2007, was acquired a year ago from the Prince George Cougars in exchange for G Drew Owsley, who now has used up his junior eligibility.
Rimmer got into 46 games with the Americans, going 31-12-2. He led the WHL in GAA (2.43) and save percentage (.922), resulting in his being named the Western Conference’s top goaltender and to the conference’s first all-star team.
Rimmer’s departure leaves the Americans with seven 20-year-olds on their roster – F Justin Feser, F Patrick Holland, F Jordan Messier, F Jesse Mychan, F Nathan MacMaster, D Drydn Dow and D Derek Ryckman.
The Hurricanes now have six 20-year-olds on their roster – Rimmer, along with F Nick Buonassisi, F Graham Hood, D Tyler Kizuik, D Daniel Johnston and D Landon Oslanski.
Comrie was the 13th overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft. He played in 31 games this season, going 19-6-2, 2.67, .900.
Yesterday, the Americans used a third-round selection, 61st overall, on Comrie’s brother Ty, a 5-foot-10, 140-pound centre from the major bantam Los Angeles Selects.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors traded G Luke Siemens, 20, to the Prince Albert Raiders for a 2012 fourth-round bantam draft pick and a third-rounder in 2013.
Siemens was acquired by Moose Jaw from the Everett Silvertips as this season began. He went 35-14-5, 2.56, .907 as the Warriors won the East Division. Siemens then helped the Warriors reach the Eastern Conference final.
Siemens had an interesting season in Moose Jaw. Despite putting up 35 victories, he sat out three games in January as head coach Mike Stothers said his goaltender needed to re-focus.
Siemens started the Warriors’ first 12 playoff games, but was on the bench for the last two as Stothers turned to Justin Paulic, 16, who had played in one regular-season game.
The Warriors also dealt D Dallas Ehrhardt, 20, to the Prince George Cougars for D Reid Jackson, 19, and a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick.
Ehrhardt had 22 points and 78 penalty minutes in 67 games this season. He was a fourth-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2007 bantam draft.
Jackson, the son of long-time NHL scout and former WHL coach Les Jackson, had 12 points in 48 games with the Cougars after coming over from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He had one assist in seven games with the Hurricanes, with whom he played the two previous seasons.
The Warriors still show six 20-year-olds on their roster – F Justin Kirsch, F Cody Beach, F Quinton Howden, F Eric Arnold, D Kendall McFaull and D Dylan McIlrath – but five of those may be moving on.
Beach (St. Louis Blues), Howden (Florida Panthers), McFaull (Winnipeg Jets) and McIlrath (New York Rangers) could play pro next season. Arnold has signed with a pro team in his native Switzerland.
The Cougars now have seven 20-year-olds on their roster – F Jaroslav Vlach, F Greg Fraser, F Brock Hirsche, F Campbell Elynuik, D Daniel Gibb and D Ricard Blidstrand. Vlach and Blidstrand, as imports, aren’t likely to return as they would be two-spotters.
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The Everett Silvertips dealt F Jordyn Boyd, 18, to the Kootenay Ice for a fifth-round pick in yesterday’s bantam draft.
Boyd, a sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft, had 11 points and 26 penalty minutes in 53 games as a freshman with Everett this season.
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In one of the more interesting selections in the bantam draft, the Portland Winterhawks used the 64th pick on D Caleb Jones, who played bantam this season in Texas.
The Winterhawks, of course, acquired the right to speak with D Seth Jones, Caleb’s older brother, from the Everett Silvertips the other day.
While Seth is expected to be an early NHL draft pick in 2013, Caleb is said to be growing into a fine player himself.
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The Vancouver Giants have cut a two-year broadcast deal with Team Radio, which means games will be heard on two stations (Team 1040 and Team 1410). They have been on AM 650.
Team Radio also holds the rights to games involving the Vancouver Canucks, B.C. Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps.
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that “Giants VP of operations Peter Toigo says that the plan is to have games that don’t conflict with the Vancouver Canucks’ broadcasts on Team 1040, and ones that do move to Team 1410.”
As well, Ewen reports that “in the event of a multi-game tie-up, there could be Giants’ games that are joined in progress or internet only.”
The Giants also are looking for a new voice as they dropped Dan Elliott after the season. He had been their play-by-play voice and media relations man for two seasons.
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Mitch Kirkup, a former WHL on-ice official, hasn’t been the same since he was attacked following a rec game in Winnipeg in June. In fact, he hasn’t officiated since the incident. And now the attacker is going to jail. . . . Kirkup has stayed involved in hockey as he now scouts for the Spokane Chiefs.
Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press has that story right here.
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Here is how David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail began a story that appeared on the newspaper’s website last night:
Eliminating fighting and head shots from hockey is simply a matter of common sense, according to Charles Tator, the renowned concussion doctor.
“We have no treatment for concussions, we have no treatment for the accumulative concussion, we have no treatment for the repetitive concussion, and it is the repetitive concussion that causes brain damage,” Tator said Thursday night during a panel discussion about hockey fights at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. “Let’s get head shots out of hockey.”
That story is right here.
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THE WHL FINAL:
Game 1 . . .
In Edmonton, G Laurent Brossoit stopped 24 shots as the Oil Kings opened the series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup with a 3-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Edmonton. . . . F Rhett Rachinski got Edmonton on the board at 1:25 of the first period. Second-period goals by D Martin Gernat at 4:59 and F Jordan Peddle (shorthanded) at 14:30 gave the home team a 3-0 lead. . . . Portland F Marcel Noebels scored on the PP just 12 seconds after Peddle’s goal. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi got his club to within one at 16:39 of the second. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 26 shots. . . . Portland was 1-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie left the game at 4:22 of the third period after absorbing a hit from Edmonton F Mitch Moroz. Rattie, who fell awkwardly and hit his head on the ice, is believed to have had two concussions this season. . . . Portland then moved F Nic Petan into Rattie’s spot alongside Baertschi and Noebels. . . . Attendance was 7,466.
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If you are wondering, club seats in Edmonton are going for $42.50, with side seating at $32.50 and end seats at $29.50. The cheapest seat available if buying through Ticketmaster was $31.50, including service fees. . . . Someone who was there tells me that ticket prices were “the talk of the press box.” . . . . And you thought junior hockey tickets were priced for family entertainment!
In Portland, there are tickets available at $48.25 (front row), $24 (club), $24 (100 level) and $19.50 (200 level). There also are family packages available with tickets at $9 and $13.
The OHL final features the London Knights and Niagara IceDogs. . . . Tickets to IceDogs’ home games will set you back $25 (premium), $24 (ends) or $20 (standing room) and that includes HST. . . . I didn’t have the patience to sit at a computer and try to access Knights’ ticket prices, but the one I did see was $41.75.
In the QMJHL final, it’s the Rimouski Oceanic and the Saint John Sea Dogs. In Saint John, a lower bowl ticket will cost you $21.50 and it’s $19.50 in the upper bowl. The prices are $20.50 and $18.50 for seniors and students, and $15 and $13 for youths. . . . I wasn’t able to find ticket prices for Oceanic home games.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.

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Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Karel Hromas (Everett, 2004-06) signed a one-year contract with Chomutov (Czech Republic 1.Liga). He had seven goals and four assists in 52 games for Sparta Prague (Czech Republic Extraliga) this season. . . .
D Justin Kurtz (Brandon, 1993-97) signed a one-year contract with the Black Wings Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had seven goals and 33 assists in 48 games for the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany 2.Bundesliga) this season.
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The WHL’s championship final opened in Portland on Friday night, with F Ty Rattie tipping in a shot on a PP just 55 seconds into OT to give the Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Rattie tipped in a shot by C Craig Cunningham after a faceoff in the Kootenay zone. The second assist went to D Derrick Pouliot, a 16-year-old who quarterbacks one of Portland’s PP units. He was the first overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . The Ice had its playoff winning streak snapped at 11 games, one shy of the WHL record. . . . Rattie has goals in three straight games. . . . Kootenay had a late PP after Portland F Brad Ross was penalized for high-sticking at 17:28 of the third. . . . Portland’s final PP came after Ice D James Martin went off for tripping at 19:04. He dumped Portland F Ryan Johansen. . . . Ice F Kevin King forced OT with an unassisted goal at 11:11 of the third period. The goal came moments after play was delayed while a broken pane of glass was replaced. . . . The game’s first five goals all came in the first period. . . . F Sven Bartschi scored Portland’s first two goals, with Ice D Hayden Rintoul scoring between those goals. . . . Ice F Joe Antilla tied it 2-2 at 17:50 of the first, with Portland F Nino Niederreiter giving his side a 3-2 lead with 3.9 seconds left in the first. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 39 shots, nine more than the Ice’s Nathan Lieuwen. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-for-6 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-5. . . . The referees were Pat Smith and Derek Zalaski. . . . Attendance was 7,595. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Portland. . . . The Ice remains without F Brock Montgomery (mononucleosis) remains out, while the Winterhawks are still without D Brett Ponich (knee) and F Oliver Gabriel (shoulder). Ponich is back skating but isn’t yet ready to return.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Kootenay D Brayden McNabb
Portland F Tayler Jordan
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In Victoria, the Salmon Kings were laid to rest on Friday as RG Properties announced that it won’t operate the ECHL franchise next season. And, just like that, the franchise, which spent seven seasons in Victoria, is dead and buried.
RG Properties, which manages the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, owned the ECHL franchise. It announced Friday that it “has withdrawn from the League with the full approval of the ECHL Board of Governors.”
According to a Salmon Kings news release: “The withdrawal effectively ends the Salmon Kings organization. The players have been awarded free-agency, and given the opportunity to choose the future direction of their hockey careers.”
The focus now has shifted to the former Chilliwack Bruins franchise, which is soon to be renamed the Victoria Tide or something like that. Andrew A. Duffy of the Victoria Times Colonist has that story right here.
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“Forget hunting for steroids and performance-enhancing substances: This is the real issue. Even if its not as sexy or black-and-white moralistic,” writes Jeff Blair in The Globe and Mail. Yes, he’s writing about Dr. Charles Tator and others and the research they are doing on concussions. If you’re a parent, or if you are playing a contact sport, you should give this a read. It’s right here.
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Meanwhile, James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail sat down with Brian Levine, senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest in Toronto, and talked about the work they are doing with the NHL alumni association. That interview is right here.
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F Adam Chorneyko (Kamloops, Lethbridge, Saskatoon, 2004-09) scored at 4:35 of the third OT on Thursday night in Loveland, Colo., giving the Colorado Eagles a 2-1 victory over the Rapid City Rush in the fifth-longest game in Central league history. . . . The Eagles hold a 3-1 lead the Turner Conference final 3-1 with Game 5 in Rapid City, S.D., tonight. . . . The New York Rangers have signed Czech F Roman Horak to a three-year NHL contract. Horak played the last two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. He had 78 points, including 26 goals, in 64 games this season. Horak, who turns 20 on May 21, was a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Former WHL D and coach Mark Ferner has been named head of Canada West for the 2011 World Junior A Challenge. Ferner is in his fourth season as GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers, who have a chance to win their third straight national title this weekend in Camrose, Alta. A host community for the 2011 WHC has yet to be announced. . . . Former WHLer Dalyn Flette was named the RBC Cup’s top goaltender and most valuable player on Friday in Camrose, Alta. Flette now plays for the host Camrose Kodiaks. . . .
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In the OHL, D Matt Petgrave scored early in the first OT period Friday, giving the visiting Owen Sound Attack a 6-5 victory over the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors. Attendance was 4,053. . . . Mississauga holds a 2-1 lead in the championship final with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Owen Sound.
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A Friday morning tweet from Willy Palov of the Halifax ChronicleHerald: “Announcement coming on Monday at Lewiston Maneaics will move to Summerside, PEI.” . . .
That was followed by this from QMJHL_Fanhouse: “Lewiston to Summerside relocation rumors are heating up once again. Usually smoke leads to fire but we'll see.” . . .
However, Charles Reid of the Charlottetown Guardian reports that it isn’t that simple. His story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME: Mel Pearson Jr., an assistant or associate coach for 23 seasons with the Michigan Wolverines, is the new head coach of the Michigan Tech Huskies. Pearson is a Michigan Tech alum. A native of Vancouver, Pearson is the son of the late Mel Pearson Sr., who played (1955-57) and coached the Flin Flon Bombers for two full seasons (1973-75) and part of one other (1975-76). . . . As expected, the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads have named Dominique Ducharme as their head coach. He spent the last three seasons as a head coach with the Montreal Junior.
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Tweet of the day, from @mpysyk03: Congrats to @backhandsauce07 for finally graduating high school! And also happy 25th birthday buddy! You did it!

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