WHL teams going outside for coaches . . . Hockey dead at TRU? . . . Mykitiuk back in WHL

F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) has been loaned by Olten (Switzerland, NL B) to Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A) through Dec. 23. Burki, who has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship, had 17 points, including four goals, in 19 games with Olten this season. . . .
F Roman Tvrdon (Spokane, 1999-2001) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). Last season, with Považská Bystrica (Slovakia, 1. Liga), he had a goal and four assists in nine games; he also had 12 goals and nine assists in 21 games with Oświęcim (Poland, Ekstraliga). . . .
There was an interesting game in Gävle, Sweden, between home team Brynäs and Linköping in the SHL on Thursday night. Shots on goal in the first period were 24-0 for Linköping. The score was 0-0. . . .  Linköping went on to win 2-1 in a shootout. Final shots on goal were 51-20 for Linköping. . . . F Greg Scott (Seattle, 2005-09) scored for Brynäs with 1:22 left to send the game to OT. . . . Columnist Stisse Åberg, writing  in Gefle Dagblad, the local Gävle newspaper: "I was close, very close, to losing interest entirely . . . for the game. Why should I care -- when Brynäs decides to spend a troubled half hour in their own zone."
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THE COACHING GAME:

When the Vancouver Giants introduced Claude Noel as the fifth head coach in franchise history on Monday, it marked the 12th coaching change in the WHL since the end of last season.
In only two instances did the team in question promote an assistant coach to head coach.
The Giants, in fact, have gone outside their organization for their last two head coaches as they work to find a replacement for Don Hay, their head coach for the previous 10 seasons. Troy Ward lasted 25 games; the Noel era begins tonight against the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
Hay, of course, was let out of his contract with a year remaining on it, and he returned to Kamloops as the Blazers’ head coach. The Blazers twice overlooked associate coach Mark Ferner -- they brought Guy Charron down from the front office to replace Dave Hunchak when the latter disappeared in January; then they brought Hay back as head coach. Those moves may or may not have had anything to do with Ferner’s decision to leave the Blazers earlier this season and return to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers as general manager and head coach.
The Calgary Hitmen (Mark French), Moose Jaw Warriors (Tim Hunter), Portland (Jamie Kompon), Prince Albert Raiders (Marc Habscheid), Regina Pats (John Paddock), Saskatoon Blades (Bob Woods) and Tri-City Americans (Mike Williamson) all reached outside their organizations when making a move to a new head coach.
Only the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kelowna Rockets chose to promote from within.
The Oil Kings, the defending Memorial Cup champions, lost head coach Derek Laxdal to the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Edmonton promptly moved associate coach Steve Hamilton into the head coach’s office. Hamilton, whose father, Al, played for the original Oil Kings, had spent four seasons as Laxdal’s lead assistant.
In Kelowna, the Rockets had to replace Ryan Huska, who now is the head coach of the Adirondack Flames, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Huska was the Rockets’ head coach for seven seasons; Lambert, a former Swift Current Broncos defenceman, rode shotgun for five of those seasons.
“When I hired Dan Lambert, I wanted him to learn how to be a head coach,” Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ owner and general manager, told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We wouldn’t let other teams have access to him because we were paying him to learn to be our head coach.”
Each of the last three times Hamilton has had to find a new head coach, he has promoted from within. When Habscheid left after 2003-04, it was Jeff Truitt’s turn to move up. When Truitt left, Huska was given his opportunity.
And now it’s Lambert’s turn.
Considering the success that the Rockets have had, you are free to wonder why other WHL teams don’t use that same strategy. Or are they trying to and just not having the same success?
At a glance, there are eight WHL head coaches who have worked in the league as assistant coaches. Four of those are Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon), Ryan McGill (Edmonton Ice), Hay and Williamson, each of whom was an assistant back in the day. The other four are Dave Lowry (Victoria), who was an assistant with the Hitmen for three seasons (2005-08); Shaun Clouston, who was an assistant in Medicine Hat for six seasons and moved up when Willie Desjardins left after 2009-10; Steve Hamilton and Lambert.
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By the way, Daniel Nugent-Bowman’s complete story on Bruce Hamilton and the way he operates the Kelowna Rockets is right here.
Interestingly, Hamilton takes the blame for the way the Rockets flamed out in the playoffs last spring.
What happened?
Hamilton makes no bones about the fact that he wants “good guys” on his roster. But . . .
“Last year we made a fatal mistake,” Hamilton admitted to Nugent-Bowman. “We brought in (Marek) Tvrdon thinking he was going to jump-start us. He jump-started us the wrong way.
“That’s all on my shoulders. He wasn’t a good enough guy to be the difference in games.”
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Ken Dryden was the late Jean Beliveau’s last roommate; Beliveau was Dryden’s first. . . . Right here, Dryden remembers “a very nice man.”
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Roy MacGregor, Canada’s greatest essayist at this point in time, gets to the essence of the late Jean Beliveau in a wonderful piece from The Globe and Mail. That essay is right here and it’s more than worth your time.
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Chris Daniels of King 5 News in Seattle reported Thursday night that Washington state regulators “have expanded their investigation into the (WHL) and its member franchises over possible violations of child labour laws.” . . . The WHL has four franchises in Washington -- the Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans -- and they are the subject of this investigation. . . . Daniels’ report is right here.
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Trevor Bast, who has spent the last while working in the hopes of re-establishing a hockey program with Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, reports that the door has been closed.
On Thursday afternoon, Bast took part in a conference call with Dr. Alan Shaver, TRU’s president, Matt Vilovick, the school’s vice-president finance/administration, and athletic director Ken Olynyk.
“By the end of the call,” Bast told Taking Note, “I was advised TRU will not support the revival of the men’s hockey team.”
Bast said the TRU officials “cited recent bad history with hockey, poor academic performance and behaviour with non-varsity club teams in general . . . as well as a lack of desire to support hockey financially and clerically, among other things.”
TRU killed the hockey program prior to this season, citing the team’s financial situation, among other things. The team wasn’t a varsity team, but rather was operated by a non-profit society. At the end, it was around $50,000 in debt.
“Athletic director Ken Olynyk did state by email at one point a concern we were going to take away sponsorship that is currently directed to TRU athletics,” Bast said. “I suppose you can't blame him as we were gaining momentum and folks in Kamloops do like hockey.”
Bast admitted that “the front door to re-entry to the BCIHL has been slammed shut.”
But the Victoria resident, whose son was to have played on the Wolfpack this season, isn’t about to give up.
“We now will turn our time and energy away from the TRU athletic department and explore other ways of entering the BCIHL,” he said. “Collegiate hockey in Kamloops can work and the BCIHL is a league worth fighting to be in. As well, the BCIHL is a league that deserves to exist and thrive.
“At this time, if there is anyone out there who can help this cause financially as a sponsor or a donor, please don’t wait for me to find you.”
If you are interested, feel free to email Bast at trevorbast@gmail.com.
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According to Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, F Rourke Chartier has reached 30 goals quicker than any player in franchise history. F Brett McLean (1997-98) got there in his 30th game. Chartier reached 30 on Wednesday night, in his 28th game. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets and Saskatoon Blades have been fined $250 apiece for the battling goaltenders during their Wednesday night game. Kelowna’s Jake Morrissey and Nik Amundrud of the visiting Blades scrapped at centre ice during the third period of the Rockets’ 5-1 victory. . . .
G Jared Rathjen, 20, who was placed on waivers by the Prince George Cougars earlier this week, has rejoined the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. He was 6-4-1/2.99/.916 with the Wolverines in 2012-13. . . . A native of Prince George, he got into three games with the Cougars before getting caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game. . . . He also has played with the Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals, and was in camp prior to this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have added F Jake Mykitiuk, 19, to their roster. He spent last season and the first part of this season in the AJHL, after spending two seasons with the Prince George Cougars. In 126 WHL games, he put up 22 points, including seven goals. . . . This season, with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints, he had 23 points, 10 of them goals, in 31 games. . . . Mykitiuk proves Everett with some depth up front, especially with F Dawson Leedahl (knee) and F Logan Aasman (undisclosed) on the shelf. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors are preparing to play three games in Alberta in fewer than 48 hours this weekend. Once again, the Warriors are having to juggle their defence due to injuries. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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3 journos who cover CHL teams told me over past few months their editors have told them not to cover labour issue b/c of biz ties with clubs
— rick westhead (@rwesthead) December 4, 2014

THE MacBETH REPORT:

 D Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). He had six goals and seven assists in 50 games with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .




F Rastislav Konecny (Saskatoon, 2006-07) signed a one-year contract with Kosice (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had 21 goals and 13 assists in 47 games for Skalica (Slovakia, Extraliga) this season. . . .




D Robby Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). He had 16 goals and 27 assists in 47 games with the Giants this season and was named to the UK Elite second all-star team.
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Ken Dryden, as only he can do, takes a look at the Eric Gryba hit on Lars Eller, breaks down the reaction to it and offers up his interpretation of where we’re going with the game of hockey. It’s all right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks are able to wrap up the WHL championship tonight as they take a 3-1 lead over the Edmonton Oil Kings into Game 5 at the Rose Garden.
Here’s an ad that was spotted on Craigslist:
“Winterhawks Tickets Wanted (Delaying my induced child birth for this) - $30 (Portland/Vancouver)
“I am scheduled to have induced child birth on Friday 5/10. If I can find tickets for the game the doctor has agreed to move it until Monday. Please email if you have 2 tickets available.”
Sheesh, this must be a big game!
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Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette has an interesting piece right here on Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban and the love-hate relationship with fans.
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By now, you likely are aware of all that went on in social media implying a feud between April Reimer, the wife of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer, and Elisha Cuthbert, the fiancee of Toronto defenceman Dion Phaneuf. Of course, it’s not true. Dan Robson of Sportsnet has the story right here. Oh, and he also talks with the guy in the North Stars cap.
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Over at The Nation (thenation.com), Dave Zirin has written an excellent piece that carries this headline: The Cesspool: Why Youth Sports Stink. . . . It’s right here and well worth your time, unless you are a parent or a coach who is meeting your needs at the expense of kids, to paraphrase former NFLer Joe Ehrmann, who is quoted in this column.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Regina Pats will be short two coaches after the Christmas break next season. Regina head coach Malcolm Cameron will be the head coach for Team West at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Cape Breton. Regina assistant coach Josh Dixon will serve as an assistant coach. . . . The tournament begins on Dec. 29. . . .


The BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs have signed general manager/head coach Kevin Willison and Adam Hayduk, the assistant director of hockey operations and assistant coach, through 2014-15. . . . The Bulldogs finished the regular season at 29-20-2-5 this season. . . .


Greg Ireland will be back for a third season as head coach of the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. General manager Dale DeGray announced Thursday that the team has picked up the option on Ireland’s contract. The Attack is 76-47-13 under Ireland.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(All times local)
Game 1: Friday — Edmonton 4 at Portland 1 (10,097)
Game 2: Saturday — Edmonton 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Game 3: Tuesday — Portland 3 at Edmonton 1 (8,513)
Game 4: Wednesday — Portland 2 at Edmonton 1 (8,400)
Game 5: Today, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Game 6: Sunday, at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Game 7: Monday, May 13, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x – if necessary.


All games are being televised by Shaw in Canada. They also will be televised in Portland, with Games 5 and 6 on Comcast SportsNet, and Game 7 on Root Sports.
Comcast and Roots will pick up the Shaw telecast that feature play-by-play man Dan Russell, along with Bill Wilms, Peter Loubardias and Andy Neal.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
No Game Scheduled.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (7):
None
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From Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “One person is offering "PS3 for free with controllers and games plus $50" for tickets to the Mooseheads. #CrazyTown)
Sapurji has more on the drive to get tickets right here.

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 Brett Breitkreuz (Kelowna, Edmonton, Vancouver, 2006-10) signed a one-year contract with Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He had three goals in 35 games with Cologne (Germany, DEL) and seven assists in 12 games while on loan to Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga) this season.
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Ken Dryden, the Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, spent the early part of this week in Calgary talking brain injuries. . . . “This is an ongoing problem,” he told Natalie Stechyson of the Calgary Herald. “This is not a run of bad luck, and so now it’s about finding ways of dealing with it as an ongoing problem. This is the most significant issue facing sports right now.” . . . Dryden also said: “I think that decades from now, people will look back on us and in sports they’ll say ‘how could you not have gotten it? How did you not understand that there would be these kinds of consequences?’ ” . . . Stechyson’s story is right here.
Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press was at the U of Calgary as Dryden led a discussion on brain injuries in sport. Her story is right here.
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There really wasn’t anything new in the report that surfaced Monday about the WHL wanting to put a franchise in Nanaimo. That is old news. Even before the Victoria Royals moved from Chilliwack where they were the Bruins (remember them?), the WHL was talking about wanting to have a team in Nanaimo. There was a time when the WHL’s pooh-bahs said they wouldn’t put just one team on Vancouver Island, that it had to be two teams. . . . Well, now they’ve got one team there and they badly want another one, simply to alleviate some of the travel logistics.
But, as mentioned, there’s nothing new in what transpired Monday because there isn’t a WHL-ready arena in Nanaimo.
Once again, though, reports are suggesting relocation and the Prince Albert Raiders and Swift Current Broncos are in the list of usual suspects. Ho-hum! That just isn’t going to happen. You are free to talk about relocating franchises all you want, but don’t even think about Prince Albert, Swift Current, Lethbridge or Moose Jaw.
Those are the WHL’s four community-owned teams – they actually are owned by local shareholders – and they aren’t going anywhere.
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The ownership group of the Trenton Titans has pulled the franchise out of the ECHL. It looks like poor attendance was a major factor, but is sounds like the owners are hoping to resurrect the franchise after a year away. . . . The Titans were affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. . . . According to a statement from the ECHL, all Titans players signed to ECHL contracts, except those owed as future considerations, are unrestricted free agents. . . . Jenna Pizzi of the Times of Trenton has the story right here.
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The AHL’s Chicago Wolves have signed a three-year affiliation deal with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. . . . The Wolves had been hooked up with the Vancouver Canucks, while the Blues owned the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. However, the Blues have sold the Peoria franchise to the Canucks. . . . Speculation was that Vancouver would end up with its AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, B.C. But the Calgary Flames have said they will continue to operate the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Red Deer Rebels and assistant coach Bryce Thoma have parted company “after a mutually agreed upon decision,” according to a news release. . . . Thoma played four seasons (1999-2003) with the Rebels and was part of their 2001 Memorial Cup-winning team. He also played for the U of Saskatchewan Huskies while earning a commerce degree. . . . He had been on the Rebels’ coaching staff since 2008. . . .

The ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers announced Tuesday that Ryan Mougenel, the general manager and head coach, won’t be back for another season. He had been with Las Vegas for four seasons.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Calgary leads series 2-1; Game 4 tonight in Calgary; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland leads series, 2-1; Game 4 tonight in Kamloops.)
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, the Hitmen scored five second-period goals and beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . F Trevor Cheek got Edmonton on the board at 6:29 of the first, via a PP. . . . F Greg Chase scored for Calgary just 24 seconds into the second period and the Hitmen went on to build a 5-1 lead. . . . Calgary had 12 players with at least one point, but only F Calder Brooks with two. He had a goal and an assist. . . . Calgary was 2-for-8 on the PP; Edmonton was 2-for-5. . . . Hitmen G Chris Driedger stopped 27 shots; Edmonton starter Laurent Brossoit didn’t finish. . . . Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart left in the third period with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hitmen were without F Jake Virtanen, who was suspended for two games earlier in the day. That was for a knee-on-knee hit on Edmonton D Cody Corbett in Game 2. The Oil Kings have said Corbett will miss at least two games. . . .

In Kamloops, the Blazers reunited the line of Tim Bozon, Colin Smith and JC Lipon, and then beat the Winterhawks, 5-1. . . . Bozon had two goals and two assists. . . . Smith had a goal and two assists. . . . Lipon had one assist. . . . The Blazers got 35 saves from G Cole Cheveldave, who was especially good in the first period. He finished with 35 saves. . . . Portland got the game’s first goal, from F Ty Rattie on an early 5-on-3, but didn’t score again. . . . Rattie leads the WHL with 14 goals this spring. This one was the 44th goal of his playoff career, leaving three shy of former Medicine Hat Tigers F Mark Pederson, who holds the WHL career record. . . . Rattie also has 85 career playoff points, one shy of former Calgary Hitmen F Brad Moran, who is third on the list.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (19):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None
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From Portland freelance writer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “I thought Kamloops could certainly win the game, but I don’t think I’ve seen Portland outplayed that thoroughly in 85 games this season.”
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From Paul Buker (@Pnbuker) of The Oregonian: “It's Cheveldave's night. He was probably sick and tired of reading about Carruth, so I guess he was entitled”


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The always eloquent Ken Dryden has written another piece for The Globe and Mail, this one headlined: The anatomy of three hits. . . . It begins with an enthralling anecdote involving Johnny Bower, who is behind his goal line with Gordie Howe bearing down on him. . . . Check it out right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
John Becanic, who has WHL coaching experience with Everett, Seattle and Vancouver, won’t be back as head coach of the NAHL’s Wenatchee, Wash., Wild. He announced his resignation Friday, although he told Brent Stecker of the Wenatchee World that he made the decision and informed management in February. “As a coach, you have a set of standards and beliefs that you coach within,” Becanic told Stecker. “Not necessarily does everyone involved understand those standards and beliefs, and having done this as long as I’ve done, I knew it was the right thing to step back and pursue other hockey opportunities.” . . . Becanic took over the Wild in the middle of the 2010-11 season, replacing Paul Baxter. This season, the Wild went 36-17-7, finishing second in the West Division. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs completed a division final sweep of the Wild on Thursday night. . . . The Wild, under president Bill Stewart, has been pushing for a couple of seasons to get into the BCHL. . . .
The Northern Ontario junior A league’s Soo Thunderbirds will be without their head coach and assistant coach when they begin play in the Royal Bank Cup in Humboldt, Sask., next weekend. Preston Mizzi and Jamie Henderson have been suspended indefinitely by the league as a result, according to the Sault Star’s Peter Ruicci, “of seven incidents in which alcohol was allowed and consumed by players on staff” on the team bus. . . . Zoltan (Toots) Kovacs, a former Soo head coach, has been named interim head coach. . . . Ruicci’s story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:
The OHL’s Oshawa Generals have hired Jeff Twohey as their general manager. Twohey, who spent 17 years as the Peterborough Petes’ GM, worked the last two seasons as a scout for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. All told, Twohey spent 30 years in the Petes’ organization, a relationship that ended after the 2009-10 season. To those unfamiliar with the OHL, the General and Petes go together like oil and water. Twohey replaces Chris DePiero, who was fired earlier this month along with head coach Gary Agnew and assistant coach Joe Cirella. . . .

Tyler Olsen, a writer with the Chilliwack Times, spent a lot of time a year ago covering the mess that was the sale and relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins. It all resulted in his winning a Canadian Community Newspaper Association award for best business writing, circulation 10,000 and over. When someone sent congratulations via Twitter, Olsen replied with: “It wouldn't have happened w/out Darryl Porter & Ron Robison.”
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Here are the dates for the WHL’s championship final (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
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), TBD
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, TBD
You can bet both teams are hoping this thing doesn’t go seven games, what with the schedule calling for the last three games to be played over four nights, which really works out to playing three times in little more than 72 hours.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, D Martin Gernat scored two goals as the Oil Kings scored a 4-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors to advance to the WHL’s championship final. . . . The Oil Kings, who won the series in five games, are in their fifth season, having been an expansion team in the 2007-08 season. . . . They will meet the Portland Winterhawks in the final. The Winterhawks used to be the Oil Kings; they moved to Portland after the 1975-76 season. . . . Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal was a 16-year-old winger on the Portland team that won the 1983 Memorial Cup as the host team. Laxdal later was dealt to the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Last night, F Michael St. Croix opened the scoring for Edmonton at 2:46 of the first period, with Gernat getting a PP goal at 17:44. . . . F Sam Fioretti got the Warriors on the board at 7:09 of the second, but Edmonton F Curtis Lazar restored the two-goal lead with his eighth goal of the playoffs 10 minutes alter. . . . Gernat completed the scoring at 9:06 of the third with another PP goal. He has five goals in the playoffs. . . . F Tyler Maxwell and D Griffin Reinhart assisted on both Gernat goals. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit, who was named the series MVP, stopped 37 shots in running his record to 12-1. . . . Moose Jaw gave Justin Paulic, 16, his third WHL start and second straight in these playoffs. He turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Warriors were 0-7 on the PP; Edmonton was 2-3. . . . There were seven series in the Eastern Conference and not one went past five games. . . . As if the Warriors didn’t have a bad enough night, they ran into bus problems in Lloydminster as they made their way home. A tweet from James Gallo, the club's radio voice on CHAB: "Bus died in Lloyd, can this night get any longer"

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After Laxdal picked up 13 points in 39 games with Portland in 1982-83, he found himself part of one of the biggest swaps in WHL history. On Aug. 28, 1983, the Brandon Wheat Kings dealt F Blaine Chrest to Portland for Laxdal, D Brad Duggan, F Dave Thomlinson, F Tony Horacek and F Ray Ferraro.
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A Friday night tweet from Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn): “Congrats and good luck to a couple of old teammates, Travis Green(portland) and Derek Laxdal(edm) in the WHL final.”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with Ässät Pori (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had one assist in 10 games with the Binghamton Senators (AHL) and four goals and 14 assists in 59 games with the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) this season. Ässät GM Mika Toivola: “Heshka is a puck-handling defender and he has good leadership characteristics. He brings to our power play more power and flexibility.” . . .
F Blake Evans (Spokane, Tri-City, Regina, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Ligaen). He had 15 goals and 37 assists in 45 games for Vålerenga Oslo (Norway, GET-Ligaen) this season.
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If you are in Regina today and are able to make it to the Regina Inn, you should know that Ken Dryden and others will be there taking part in Brain Blitz, a round-table discussion on preventing brain injuries in sports. It runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds hold the No. 1 selection in the WHL’s bantam draft and are expected to use it on F Matthew Barzal of the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins. In fact, I am told that Barzal is expected to visit Seattle this weekend. . . . F Ryan Gropp of Kamloops, who was taken sixth overall by the Thunderbirds in the 2011 bantam draft, has yet to sign with Seattle. He visited the University of Denver last weekend and also has visited Colorado College. His father, Brent, played at Colorado College. Ryan is believed close to a decision but his father has said they are looking at this process as a marathon as opposed to a sprint.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Richmond Sockeyes, who play in the Pacific International junior league, have signed Aaron Wilbur as their head coach. He spent this season as the head coach of a peewee A in Seafair on the Lower Mainland of B.C. His resume includes two seasons as GM/head coach of the junior B Castlegar Rebels of the Kootenay International junior league. He replaces Judd Lambert, who went 181-37-16 in regular-season games and 42-17 in the playoffs during five seasons with Richmond.
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It’s official. The MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints have been sold and will relocate to Virden, a community about 45 miles west of Brandon on the Trans-Canada Highway.
There is more right here.
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By now you no doubt are aware of the vile stuff that showed up on Twitter after G Joel Ward scored the OT Game 7 winner for the Washington Capitals that eliminated the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
There’s a piece right here from The New York Times that is worth a read.
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Tweet of the day:
From Joel Ward, a former UPEI Panthers player: “Thanks everyone for all your support.. #42 is in my thoughts more than ever!! #rockthered #jackierobinson”
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Harrison Mooney of Puck Daddy sums up the whole Ward story, and then some, right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks are into the WHL’s championship final for a second straight season. Last season, the Winterhawks lost in five games to the Kootenay ice. . . . The Edmonton Oil Kings will try to wrap up the Eastern Conference final tonight at home. They hold a 3-1 lead over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . If Edmonton wins that series, the WHL final will open May 4 in the Alberta capital. Should the Warriors come back and win, the final will begin in Portland on May 4. . . . Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull, who missed Game 4 after having his appendix removed Wednesday morning, is out of hospital but didn’t make the trip to Edmonton for Game 5. . . . The Oil Kings remain without F Dylan Wruck (shoulder), but there is speculation that F Kristians Pelss (leg) could return tonight.

THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, the Winterhawks advanced to the WHL championship series for a second straight season as they scored four third-period goals and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-1. . . . Portland swept the best-of-seven Western Conference final. . . . F Marcel Noebels scored the winner for Portland, coming onto the ice on a line change and beating G Ty Rimmer at 7:38 of the third period. . . . Portland F Cam Reid had tied the score just 56 seconds earlier. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi got his seventh playoff goal at 16:57 of the third and F Brad Ross added his 12th goal of the spring just 26 seconds later. . . . F Brandon Leipsic had two assists for Portland. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring for the second straight game, this time on the PP at 17:40 of the first period as he deposited a Brendan Shinnimin rebound that glanced off G Mac Carruth’s mask. . . . Shinnimin’s assist ran his point streak to 38 games. . . . One night earlier, Hughesman scored 1:16 into the first period, only to have Portland come back for a 3-1 victory, scoring once in the second and twice in the third. . . . Last night, Rimmer finished with 57 saves, the most by any goaltender in one game in these playoffs. He stopped 40 shots through two periods. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 39 shots. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, who had one assist last night, was named the series MVP. He had four goals and two assists in the four games. . . . Rattie leads all playoff scorers in goals (17) and points (29).
Some notes from Dan Mulhausen of the Americans, all of them involving the club’s 20-year-olds: “Team captain Mason Wilgosh, a former list player who went on to play in a combined 331 WHL games with Tri-City, finishes his career with 132 points and a playoff-best 4 goals and 10 points in 15 games. . . . Shinnimin, another list player from Winnipeg, finished his overage season by becoming just the second Tri-City player to win a WHL scoring title and signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes.  Shinnimin, who finished on a 38-game point streak, combined for 401 points in 325 total games with Tri-City and leaves as the franchise’s all-time leading playoff scorer (64 pts). . . . Hughesman, who has played in a combined 410 games in an Americans jersey, departs with his name etched in the Tri-City record books. In 338 regular-season games (third all-time), Hughesman amassed 140 goals (third all-time), 210 assists (fourth all-time) and 350 points (fourth all-time). Additionally, Hughesman appeared in more playoff games (72) than any other Tri-City player. 
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Stanislav Balin (Portland, 2005-06) signed a contract for the rest of this season with SKP Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga), five days after his release by Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL). He had one goal and one assist in 16 games with Lev. In an assignment to SKP earlier in the season, Balin had three goals and six assists in eight games.
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WHL TRADE TRACKER (trades made since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 7
Players: 15
Draft picks: 6
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Late Saturday afternoon, the Tri-City Americans acquired F Jesse Mychan, 19, from the Everett Silvertips for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.
The Americans were in Everett to play the Silvertips last night, which meant that Mychan simply had to switch dressing rooms, although he didn’t play in the game.
Mychan, 19, is from Saskatoon. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder had seven points and 106 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Silvertips. His season’s work features three suspensions totalling 14 games, including 10 games for a headshot in a Nov. 13 game against the Prince George Cougars.
He was a 10th-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2007 bantam draft.
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Emile Therien has written an opinion piece that has appeared in a number of major Canadian newspapers.
Firstly, who is Emile Therien and why should we care what he thinks?
Therien is a former president of the Canada Safety Council; he spent 18 years in that position. He also knows something about hockey, having watched his son, Chris, who played three years at Providence College and went on to play 764 NHL games — 753 with the Philadelphia Flyers and 11 with the Dallas Stars.
Emile Therien’s piece appeared in the Toronto Star under the headline: The future looks bleak for Canadian minor hockey.
Therien writes here about hockey being “plagued with serious injuries” and the impact of that on minor hockey’s registration numbers.
“Enrolment in Hockey Canada teams is currently 572,000 players, down more than 200,000 from its peak,” Therien writes. “And the prospects are grim. In the next decade, some say there could be 200,000 fewer kids playing the game. Yet Hockey Canada remains apathetic to the injury problem.
“The opposite trend is evident south of the border, where the number of players registered with USA Hockey rose from 195,000 in 1990-91, to 500,579 in 2010.”
He goes on to point out that “the American system and players are better today than they have ever been. Currently more than 58 universities and colleges play Division I hockey. In addition, 74 colleges play NCAA Division II and Division III hockey, and 447 colleges have club hockey teams (men’s and women’s).
“Canada has no comparable development programs. Our system is built on and caters exclusively to the Canadian Hockey League and its teams, which are, in effect, commercial entities.”
The cost of playing minor hockey is spiralling out of control and, he writes, “a major overhaul of minor hocke is needed in Canada — and soon. A detailed, systemic investigation of the issues confronting minor hockey is crucial.”
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On the subject of minor hockey, right here is a piece written by Dan Bauer of HockeyByBauer.com. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it on his blog, so have provided a link to another spot where the piece appears.
“It is official, all youth athletics are nuts,” Bauer starts.
A couple of items from Bauer’s writing:
“Every rink has a water fountain. Save time and money on the Gatorade, because I'm not certain that 10 year-olds even have electrolytes. And if they do, I bet they have a lot of them. We only start losing things when we get older. Savings: 80+ games & practices @ $2.00 = $160.
“They can carry their own bag and if they can't it's too big. You don't carry your kid's backpack to school for them; you shouldn't have to carry their hockey bag either. Donate your wheelie bag to a stewardess and get one that has to be carried. Benefit: Increased leg strength.”
Take a couple of minutes and give this a read.
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And now for today’s good read. . . . No one writes with eloquence about the state of today’s game the way Ken Dryden does. He has penned another piece and it is right here, from the pages of The Globe and Mail.
Dryden writes:
“Fight” is not “fighting” or high-speed cheap shots. Fight is never giving up. Gretzky, Orr, Richard, Lemieux, Lafleur – they were great fighters. They fought with their head, hands, legs, will, and need to be the best, and rarely with their fists. Crosby too. The toughest players aren’t those who hit but those who are willing to be hit, to fight their way to the net, to fight expectation and disappointment to score the game-changing goal.
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How is it that Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie went from where he was last season to where he is this season? If you’ve been away, he is leading the WHL scoring race. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune takes a look at Rattie right here.
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In the BCHL on Saturday night, the Penticton Vees ran their victory skein to 21 games, with a 6-1 victory over the SilverBacks in Salmon Arm. . . . The Vees next play Friday against the visiting Langley Rivermen.
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The Vancouver Giants made two roster moves on Saturday afternoon, adding F Riley Kieser, 18, to their roster and assigning F Levi Bews, 17, to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. . . . Kieser, from Sherwood Park, Alta., had 13 points and 20 penalty minutes in 31 games with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. The Giants put him on their list last month. He is to join them on Monday. . . . Bews was acquired from the Saskatoon Blades in the swap that brought G Adam Morrison to Vancouver. Bews had eight points and 22 penalty minutes in 34 games with the Giants. . . . In that Oct. 4 deal, the Giants got Morrison, 20, and Bews for F Michael Burns, 20, D Zach Hodder, 18, and a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, Brandon got two goals from each of F Darian Dziurzynski, Jens Meilleur and Michael Ferland and the Wheat Kings beat the Raiders, 11-3. . . . The Wheat Kings scored five times in a span of 7:18 in the first half of the third period to blow this one open. . . . Dziurzynski also had two assists. . . . D Eric Roy had a goal and two helpers for Brandon. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone had two assists. . . . According to Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun, the Wheat Kings hadn’t scored that many goals in a road game since Sept, 28, 1996, when they won 14-2 in Prince Albert. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Jake Trask had a goal and three assists as the Blades edged the Regina Pats, 4-3. . . . F Michael Burns had three assists for Saskatoon, which had lost 3-0 in Regina on Friday. . . . The Pats had been 5-0-1 in their previous six games. . . . The Blades led this one 3-0 by scoring three times in the first five minutes of the second period. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal, who had a goal and an assist, got the Pats to within one at 16:34 of the third on a PP. . . . G Andrey Makarov, so good for Russia in the final of the World Junior Championship, was back in goal for the Blades. . . . Of course, let’s not forget how good Makarov was when he came on in relief in the semifinal against Canada, too. . . . Makarov was gone after one period, though. He got run over at 4:17 of the first period and Regina F Morgan Klimchuk got tossed with a charging major. . . . Makarov finished the period but Alex Moodie took over to start the second. . . . Moodie, 16, will be returning to the midget AAA Winnipeg WIld now. . . . The Blades scratched three playes — F Ryan Olsen, F Lukas Sutter and F Locke Muller — for violation of team rules. . . . They also are without F Josh Nicholls (knee) and F Kyle Haas (undisclosed). . . . As a result, the Blades dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . .

In Edmonton, D Griffin Reinhart broke a 3-3 tie at 10:42 of the third period and the Oil Kings went on to beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-3. . . . F Kristians Pelss, who captain the Latvian team at the WJC, had a goal and two assists in his first game back with Edmonton. . . . The Broncos scored the game’s first two goals, then gave up three in a row. . . . Swift Current D Dalton Reum tied it 3-3 at 9:53 of the third. . . . Reinhart got his ninth goal 49 seconds later. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde stopped 3y shots as his side was outshot, 42-17. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Tanner Eberle had two goals and an assist to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Eberle forged a 2-2 tie at 6:50 of the second and broke the tie at 2:32 of the third. . . . Eberle has six goals this season. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens stopped 35 shots. . . . The Warriors closed out a six-game road trip with a 2-3-1 record. . . . Moose Jaw will spend a few days at home but won’t play there for a while longer. They have two more road games left on this trek, in Calgary on Friday and Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . .

In Red Deer, F Emerson Etem forced OT and then won it as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Rebels, 3-2. . . . Etem forced OT with his 32nd goal at 16:15 of the third and won it at 2:16 of OT. . . . Red Deer’s two goals were shorthanded scores by F Adam Kambeitz and D Justin Weller. . . . Etem was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after scoring the winner. . . .

In Prince George, F Brendan Ranford scored twice in the game’s first 11 minutes and later added two assists as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Cougars, 6-1. . . . Ranford, who has 21 goals, and Swiss freshman F Tim Bozon both reached the 20-goal plateau. . . . Kamloops has three 20-goal men, with F Colin Smith having gotten there Friday. . . . The Cougars have lost four in a row, three of them to the Blazers. . . . F Brandon Herrod, acquired a week earlier from the Prince Albert Raiders, had three assists, while D Bronson Maschmeyer scored twice.. . . . Prince George D Martin Marincin got his side on the board 32 seconds into the second period. That snapped Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave’s shutout streak against the Cougars at 145 minutes 12 seconds. That included back-to-back shutouts on Sunday and Friday. . . . Canada won the IIHF U-18 women’s world championship Saturday in Zlin, Czech Republic, with a 3-0 victory over the U.S. G Emerance Maschmeyer, the sister of Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer, stopped 28 shots for Canada. Tim O’Donovan, the Blazers’ video and media co-ordinator, handled Canada’s video work. . . .

In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher, in his first game after playing for Canada at the WJC, had three goals and four assists as the Giants beat the Portland Winterhawks, 8-4. . . . Gallagher has 53 points, including 27 goals, in 29 games. . . . Portland had won its previous six games. . . . F James Henry added four assists for Vancouver, which got 40 saves from G Adam Morrison. . . . Portland took 53 of 104 penalty minutes. . . . The Giants were 3-for-5 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 3-for-9. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists. He leads the WHL with 73 points, four more than Regina F Jordan Weal. . . .

In Everett, G Ty Rimmer stopped 22 shots as the Tri-City Americans beat the Silvertips, 4-0. . . . Rimmer, who has five shutouts this season and nine in his career, has back-to-back shutouts, while the Americans have won 13 in a row. . . . The Americans have posted a total of seven shutouts, two shy of the franchise record (2009-10). . . . F Malte Strömwall had a goal, his ninth, and an assist for the Americans. He opened the scoring at 16:32 of the first. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland, who was coming off three consecutive four-point games, was held pointless. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman scored his 26th goal at 17:16 of the second. That was the 300th regular-season point of his career and came in his 305th game. He is the fifth Tri-City player to get to 300, after Brian Sakic, Daymond Langkow, Brent Ascroft and Terry Degner. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Todd Fiddler had a goal and two assists to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-2 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Fiddler had 10 points in 35 games with the Prince Albert Raiders, when he was dealt to the Chiefs. He has five points in five games with Spokane. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 36 shots. . . . F Mitch Holmberg had two goals for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur now has 498 WHL victories. . . .  Spokane’s next three games all are against Everett. . . .

In Victoria, F Zach Franko’s shootout goal gave the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Royals. . . . Franko was Kelowna’s first shooter. . . . The Royals have lost nine in a row ((0-6-3). . . . Victoria F Mike Forsyth forced OT with his first goal of the season at 10:41 of the third period. A 19-year-old sophomore from Calgary, Forsyth has eight points in 42 games. Last season, he had 16 points, eight of them goals, in 68 games with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . Victoria F Zane Jones left at 16:26 of the second period after being given a major penalty for boarding. . . .
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Darian Dziurzynski, Brandon.
D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, Vancouver.
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It was early in the third period of last night’s NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Flames in Calgary.
Calgary F Jarome Iginla, looking for his 500th goal, found himself alone on the left wing in the Minnesota zone. He loaded up and ripped a shot that hit the crossbar.
“Oh,” screamed Hockey Night in Canada voice Mark Lee, “he had the howitzer and 500 in his sights and he rings it off the iron.”
We now take you to Merriam-Webster’s on-line dictionary, which tells us that a howitzer is “a short cannon used to fire projectiles at medium muzzle velocities and with relatively high trajectories.”
In other words, when Kobe Bryant launches a shot from three-point range it is closer to being a shot from a howitzer than is an Iginla shot.
In other words, a howitzer basically fires lob shots. Iginla's shot was anything but a lob.
OK, Mr. Lee?