Some European signings and lots of coaching news

F Konstantin Panov (Kamloops, 1998-2001) signed a one-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). Last season, he was an alternate captain with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). He had 12 goals and 12 assists in 59 games. . . .
F Sergei Varlamov (Swift Current, 1995-98) signed a one-year contract with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, PHL).Varlamov only played for the Ukraine’s national team last season. He had one assist in three games at the IIHF Division 1A World championship. In 2013-14, with Donbass in the KHL, he had one goal and three assists in 39 games.
D Logan Stephenson (Tri-City, 2001-06) signed a one-year extension with the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asia HL). Last season, he had five goals and seven assists in 43 games as the Free Blades won the league championship. . . .
D Tomáš Mojžíš (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03) signed a one-year extension with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga). He had one goal and five assists in 45 games last season.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Jason Christie (Saskatoon, 1986-90) is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. Christie, 46, spent the past four seasons as head coach of the ECHL’s Ontario Reign, winning at least 43 games each season. Christie, who is from Gibbons, Alta., is preparing for his 14th season as a head coach. He has 483 ECHL coaching victories, just nine behind John Marks, who holds down the all-time record. . . . In Tulsa, Christie takes over from Bruce Ramsay, who now is an assistant coach with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
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Shawn Belle’s playing career over. Belle, a smooth-skating defenceman with the Regina Pats and Tri-City Americans (2001-05), has retired and signed on as an assistant coach with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. Belle, a 30-year-old from Edmonton, played the past four seasons in Europe. He and Wendell Hodgson, a veteran coach on the Alberta scene, were named assistant coaches on Thursday.
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Cail MacLean is the first head coach in the history of the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. MacLean, 38, was introduced as head coach on Thursday. The Thunder is affiliated with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . MacLean, who is from Middleton, N.S., spent two seasons (2011-13) as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat, which also was a Flames’ affiliate. He has previous head-coaching experience in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays (2009-11).
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The AJHL’s Calgary Canucks have signed Jay Pylypuik as their new general manager and head coach. He had been the head coach of the midget AAA Calgary Royals. . . . Earlier, he was on the coaching staff of the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles for five years. . . . With the Canucks, he takes over from Ryan Barrett, who was fired as head coach earlier this month, and Chad Shiel, who resigned as GM shortly thereafter. . . . The Canucks have added Adam Redmond as an assistant coach. He had been the head coach of the midget AAA CFR Chemical Bisons, who play out of Strathmore, Alta. The Bisons had hired Redmond on June 28.
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John Wroblewski is the new head coach of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. Wroblewski, 34, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators for two seasons. . . . Wroblewski takes over from Anthony Noreen, who was there for four seasons and now is the head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
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Trevor Heinzerling is the Seattle Thunderbirds’ new equipment manager. Last season, he was the equipment manager with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. Heinzerling takes over from Ben Calkins, who left to work as co-equipment manager with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. . . . The Thunderbirds open training camp on Aug. 24 in their home arena, the ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash.
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In something of an early commitment, D Tyler Jubenvill has decided to attend Bemidji State and play for the Beavers. Jubenvill, who is from Gilbert Plains, Man., won’t turn 16 until Nov. 30. He was a ninth-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had eight goals and 21 assists with the midget AAA Parkland Rangers. He is expected to play with the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers in 2015-16.
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1978-79 Victoria Cougars team photo. They were 2nd in the West Division that year & lost in the 2nd round to Portland pic.twitter.com/3NKwUWJZfr

— Victoria Cougars (@victoriacougars) July 23, 2015

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More unrest in Lethbridge . . . Oil Kings part ways with assistant coach

 Please allow me to remind you that my wife, Dorothy, will take part in the 2014 Kidney Walk in Kamloops on Sunday. She underwent a kidney transplant on Sept. 23 and now is healthy enough to walk the 2.5 kilometres and give something back to the Kidney Foundation.
Should you like to sponsor her and be part of Dorothy's Team, please click right here and then go to Sponsor a Participant.
If you are interested in seeing how much money she has raised, click on the link and you will find a list of fund-raisers on the right-hand side. Click on her name, and you will see a list of donors on a scroll.
 Thank you.
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D David Nemecek (Saskatoon, 2013-14) has signed a tryout contract with TPS Turku U20 (Finland, U20 SM-Liiga). Last season, with Saskatoon, he had 15 points, five of them goals, in 56 games. . . .
D Logan Stephenson (Tri-City, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asia Hockey League). Last season, with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Ligaen), he had seven goals and 16 assists in 44 games.
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If you are still confused about the options that are available to D Julius Honka and F Leon Draisaitl, I will try to clarify them by bringing D Tommy Vanelli into the picture.
Draisaitl was a first-round selection, third overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s 2014 draft; Honka went to the Dallas Stars in the first round, 14th overall, of the same draft.
Vanelli, 19, was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the 2013 draft.
Draisaitl, who will turn 19 on Oct. 27, was drafted from the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders; Honka, whose 19th birthday is on Dec. 3, was taken from the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos.
The Blues drafted Vanelli, who played last season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, from a high school team in Minnetonka, Minn.
And therein lies the rub. . . .
Because Draisaitl and Honka played last season with CHL teams and because they were the property of those teams when drafted, their immediate futures include two options for their 19-year-old seasons -- they either play in the NHL or they are returned to their WHL teams. That is the rule according to the CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA.
Because Vanelli was drafted from a team that is not under the CHL umbrella, his options include the NHL, the AHL and the WHL. Yes, he could be assigned to the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
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When will the circus leave Lethbridge?
Two veteran players -- F Reid Duke and D Macoy Erkamps -- were no-shows on Wednesday when the Hurricanes opened camp.
Paul Kingsmith of Global Lethbridge tweeted that Duke, according to general manager Brad Robson, is expected today.
Erkamps, however, has asked to be traded.
Duke, 18, was the fifth overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. A native of Calgary, he had 40 points, 15 of them goals, in 62 games as a sophomore last season. That followed a freshman season in which he put up 24 points, eight of them goals. The Minnesota Wild selected him in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2014 draft.
Erkamps, 19, has played three seasons in Lethbridge, after being a second-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. From Delta, B.C., he has had 20-, 35- and 31-point seasons. In 201 career games, he has 86 points, 14 of them goals.
But wait . . . there’s more!
F Giorgio Estephan, the fourth overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft, was injured at Hockey Canada’s U-18 camp and will sit for six weeks. He apparently was recovering from a fractured foot, aggravated it and has since had surgery.
The 17-year-old from Edmonton had 12 goals and 12 assists in 64 games last season as a freshman.
All of this comes after a 2013-14 season in which the Hurricanes missed the playoffs for a fifth straight season, thanks to a 12-55-5 mark, the poorest record in the 22-team league. During the season, the likes of Sam McKechnie, Jaimen Yakubowski and Ryan Pilon, all veterans, asked out and were traded.
On top of this, there is speculation in Lethbridge that G Justin Myles, 19, will retire.
Myles, from Calgary, was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. Seattle dealt him to Kamloops on Jan. 10, but he showed up with an upper body injury, believed to be a brain injury, and never played a game with the Blazers. On May 12, they dealt him to Lethbridge for a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Without Myles, the Hurricanes might be looking at going into the season with Jonny Hogue, 18, and Stuart Skinner, who won’t be 16 until Nov. 1, as their two goaltenders. They are two of the six goaltenders used by the Hurricanes last season. Hogue played in 18 games; Skinner got into four.
On Wednesday, the Hurricanes signed F Zane Franklin, a second-round pick from the 2014 bantam draft. He had 116 points in 38 regular-season and playoff games with the bantam AAA Lloydminster Heat last season.
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F Mitch Lipon, 18, is in camp with the Spokane Chiefs. Lipon, from Regina, had seven points, two of them goals, in 31 games with the Kamloops Blazers last season, before he was dealt to the Saskatoon Blades. He had six points, including four goals, in 24 games with the Blades. The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Lipon was dropped by the Blades during the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He is the younger brother of former Blazers F JC Lipon, who played last season with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps.
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F Chris Stockl, who has played with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels, is in camp with the Everett Silvertips. Stockl, 19, is from Winnipeg. He was a fourth-round selection by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . He had one goal in five games with the Blades in 2012-13, before moving on to Red Deer, where he had nine points, including two goals, in 57 games. Last season, he had one goal in 16 games with the Rebels. He missed about two months of the season with a brain injury, and then joined the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. He was pointless in two games with them.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings announced Thursday that they “have agreed to part ways” with Sean Brown, who had been an assistant coach through two seasons. . . . General manager Randy Hansch said, in a news release: “With the promotion of Steve Hamilton and the hiring of Ryan Marsh this off-season, as well as the increased roles of Dustin Schwartz and Jory Stuparyk, we're excited to have our coaching staff in place.” . . . Hamilton was promoted from assistant to head coach after Derek Laxdal left the reigning Memorial Cup champions to take over as head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars.
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By the time things finished shaking out this week, the Toronto Maple Leafs had a three-man analytics department. That’s about all we know and about all we will ever find out about that particular part of the Toronto organization. To paraphrase Gare Joyce, the sun will never shine on the Maple Leafs’ analytics department. Joyce, a longtime observer and writer of all things hockey, has more on the NHL’s seemingly sudden move to analytics right here.
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G Jean-Sebastien Giguere announced his retirement on Thursday, ending a career that included 16 seasons in the NHL. He was with the Colorado Avalanche for most of the last three seasons. . . . Giguere was selected 13th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the NHL’s 1995 draft. He played eight games with the Whalers in 1996-97 and is the last active NHLer to have played for Hartford. . . . Giguere is a part-owner of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He plans to stay in hockey by learning the junior hockey ropes with the Armada.
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Pour yourself a big cup of coffee before clicking on this story right here. It’s from GQ and was written by Michael Finkel. It’s about a guy who drove into the forest in northern Maine in 1986 and didn’t come out until 2013. This is an amazingly interesting read.
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In Saskatoon, the home of the Blades is gets a new name today. The Credit Union Centre for the past 10 years now is SaskTel Centre, with signing expected to go up on Friday. City council approved a deal on Thursday that gives SaskTel naming rights for 10 years for $3.5 million. The previous deal was worth $1.6 million over 10 years. “The Blades retain the right to rink board advertising, except the centre-ice logo, during WHL games,” writes Phil Tank of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix in a story that is right here. “SaskTel has the right to renegotiate the agreement should a WHL team no longer be a permanent fixture at the arena, while the city has the right to seek more money should a professional hockey or basketball team move to Saskatoon and start playing in the facility.” . . . D Ben (Boo) Grist of North Saanich, B.C., suffered a suspected concussion during a scrimmage in the Red Deer Rebels’ camp on Thursday. He was a sixth-round pick of the Rebels in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips G Austin Lotz reported to camp having lost a few pounds. “Lotz played at 203 pounds last season,” Patterson writes, “but he reported to camp at a trim 180 pounds, looking nearly unrecognizable. The main factor in Lotz's weight loss was getting serious about nutrition during the offseason.” . . . The Portland Winterhawks released their venue schedule on Thursday. They will play 17 games in the Moda Center and 16 in Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The venue for three other games will be decided later, depending on building availability. The Moda Center also is home to the NBA’s Trail Blazers.
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Your move, @SeattleTbirds. Who's our special guest? MT @rachelhunterx: super excited to get there Saturday to watch Red & White game Sunday
— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) August 21, 2014

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:
Brothers D Logan (Tri-City, 2001-06) and F Shay (Red Deer, 2000-04) Stephenson have signed contract extensions with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway GET-Ligaen). Shay has one goal and one assist in two games, while Logan has two goals and nine assists in 13 games with Sparta this season. Both brothers started the season with Karlskrona (Sweden, Allsvenskan); Logan had one assist in 21 games and Shay was pointless in three games.
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The Tri-City Americans have sent F Ryan Chynoweth home to Cranbrook for a couple of weeks after he suffered a head injury in a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Saturday night.
Chynoweth was knocked into the boards, hitting his head and suffered a cut to his forehead.
Chynoweth, 17, was playing in his second game after coming back from a shoulder injury. He had been out since Jan. 22.
Chynoweth, the son of Kootenay Ice president/general manager Jeff Chynoweth, was acquired by Tri-City from the Everett Silvertips early in the season. He has four points in 33 games with the Americans.
Earlier Sunday, Ryan Chynoweth tweeted: “Flying home to Cranbrook today, been an extremely frustrating year! Hope to get back on the ice soon! Wish the boys all the best!”
While he was on a plane to Cranbrook, his teammates were riding the bus to Prince George where they are to play the Cougars tonight and Tuesday.
With 38 victories, a doubleheader sweep would give the Americans 40 victories for a seventh straight season, tying a WHL record shared by the Kamloops Blazers (1989-96) and Regina Pats (1979-86).
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The U of Alberta has iced a men’s hockey team for 100 years. The school won its 50th league title Sunday when the Golden Bears beat the visiting U of Saskatchewan Huskies 5-2 in Game 3 of a best-of-three Canada West final.
Both teams will play in the six-team University Cup tournament in Saskatoon as the Huskies are the host team. That event runs March 14-17.
Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal has the story right here.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail has written a lengthy piece right here examining the results of a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Rick Hansen Institute.
Some of the numbers that came out of this survey are rather startling, including the fact that “7 per cent of those hockey parents surveyed believe their child as the potential to play professional hockey.”
You really should take the time to give this a read.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Seattle (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Everett (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Tanner Eberle scored in OT as the Warriors erased a 4-0 deficit and beat the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4. . . . Eberle’s 15th goal came 45 seconds into OT. . . . The Blades went into the game having won 18 straight games. . . . They scored three goals in the game’s first 8:13, with F Matej Stransky getting two of them to equal his career high with 39 snipes. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic, making his 20th straight start, stopped 36 shots. . . . The Warriors trailed 4-0 until 3:28 of the third period when F Justin Kirsch scored his 22nd goal on a PP. . . F Brayden Point was in on the Warrior’ next three goals, drawing an assist on F Jordan Messier’s 10th and then scoring twice, giving him 18, at 8:48, on a PP, and again at 11:35. . . . Point finished with two goals and two assists. . . . The Blades had been 7-0 against the Warriors this season. . . . Warriors D Kendall McFaull, the team captain, went to hospital after being injured in a scrap with F Collin Valcourt in the second period. McFaull lost two teeth and two others pushed back, but he returned and was on the ice when OT began. “He’s the ultimate and true Warrior,” Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to get fixed. He said ‘I can do that later’ and we told him he better go get it done. They don’t make them like that any more.” . . . Attendance was announced at 3,462 but only about 1,200 fans braved near-blizzard condtions to watch this one.

In Regina, F Chandler Stephenson scored in the circus to give the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings held a 3-1 lead halfway through the third period. The Pats tied it on goals by F Carson Samoridny, his 10th, at 11:14, and Stephenson, his 14th, at 15:12, on the PP. . . . The Pats, who won’t make the playoffs, won three games in as many nights. . . .

In Vancouver, D Blake Orban scored at 1:47 of OT to give the Giants a 1-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 13 shots for the shutout, his first in the WHL. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz turned aside 26 shots. . . . There was some discussion after the game over whether Orban’s shot went in off the stick of Vancouver F Alec Baer, the 15-year-old Minnesotan who was playing in his third WHL game. "I don't even know, to be honest," Baer told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province. "I'm glad our team did. I was just in front battling. I hit something: might have been a stick, might have been a puck. The Giants scored. That's all that matters." . . . Baer is to return to Minnesota today but plans on returning to play in a home-and-home series against the Victoria Royals on Friday and Saturday. . . . The loser point moved Everett into a tie with Seattle for seventh in the Western Conference. However, Everett has more victories — 23-22 — so is shown in seventh place. . . .

In Kamloops, F JC Lipon scored three times and G Cole Cheveldave stopped 25 shots as the Blazers beat the Kelowna Rockets, 3-0. . . . Lipon has 34 goals this season. He has two career hat tricks, both of them this season. . . . Cheveldave earned his fifth shutout this season and the ninth of his career. . . . F Myles Bell, who leads the Rockets in goals, assists and points, didn’t play after 17:50 of the first period. He went to the bench after going knee-to-knee with Kamloops D Sam Grist in a collision that was more of an accident than anything. . . . The Blazers closed to within three points of the B.C. Division-leading Rockets, who hold a game in hand. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Derek Ryckman got the Tigers rolling to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen when he opened the scoring with his first goal of the season. . . . Ryckman, a 20-year-old form Red Deer, now has nine goals in 284 regular-season games. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 42nd goal — it was shorthanded and gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead at 11:50 of the first — and added two assists. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 39 shots. . . . The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes as poor weather conditions kept the Hitmen from arriving until 5:40 p.m. The game was to have started at 6 p.m.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Carter Popoff, Vancouver
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Josh Nicholls, Saskatoon
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From Calgary resident Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): “So RCMP advising drivers not to travel highway 1 yet apparently the Hitmen are still bound for Medicine Hat. Stupidity.”
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Caldwell again: “As long as #WHL teams insist on driving in this weather its a matter of when, not if, theres a repeat of Broncos tragedy. Very disappointed.”
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From Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat258), the play-by-play voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, at 1:28 p.m. Pacific time: “RCMP now say ALL highways across southern Alberta are being shut down as of now! Zero visibility, blowing snow, heavy snow.”
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More from Siedlecki, this one at 4:12 p.m. Pacific: “A round of applause from the players as the bus moves for the first time in 1.5 hrs! EMS dealing with several crashes west of the city.”
The Hurricanes were on their way home from a West Coast road swing that ended Saturday in Kelowna. The Hurricanes arrived in Lethbridge some 18 hours after leaving the Little Apple.
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From Vancouver Sun sports reporter Brad Ziemer (@BradZiemer): “My day just got better. Michael Buble just dropped by Vera’s Burger Shack at YVR. Sang part of Fly Me To The Moon with staffer. Really.”
Ziemer was trying to get to Calgary to cover last night’s NHL game between the Canucks and Flames.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) signed a try-out contract with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had one goal and one assist in nine games with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) and three goals and four assists in 35 games with Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) last season. . . .
D Logan Stephenson (Try-City, 2001-06) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Bank Ligaen), six days after his release by Karlskrona (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had one assist in 21 games with Karlskrona. Stephenson played in the Get-Bank Ligaen last season with Vålerenga Oslo, getting eight goals and 15 assists in 28 games. . . .
F Kevin Saurette (Regina, 1997-99) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite) after obtaining his release from Kaufbeuren (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He leaves Kaufbeuren as the team's leading scorer so far this season with 10 goals and 16 assists in 25 games.
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A news release from CBC-TV regarding a show that everyone who is involved in sports should watch. . . .
“Are hockey and football players risking brain damage from repeated blows to the head? The Passionate Eye presents the World Premiere of HEAD GAMES, from acclaimed director Steve James (Academy Award-nominated Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters). The documentary is a wake-up call for parents and athletes who think concussions are just part of the game. Told through the personal stories of professional and amateur athletes who share their struggles in dealing with the devastating and long-term effects of concussions, and medical experts who want to reduce the risks to young players.
“HEAD GAMES is a revealing documentary about the concussion crisis, an epidemic fueled by the ‘leave everything on the field’ culture so prominent in North American sports. Inspired by events from the book 'Head Games' written by former Ivy League Football Player and WWE Wrestler Christopher Nowinski, the film contrasts the latest evidence and cutting-edge science on head trauma from the nation's leading medical experts with first-hand accounts from the athletes, coaches, and parents who must tread the difficult balance between sports excellence and basic self-preservation.
“Former National Hockey League player Keith Primeau reveals his struggles with the multiple concussions that forced him into early retirement. Former Olympian and U.S. professional soccer player Cindy Parlow Cone, who lives with the aftermath of concussion, is an example of the risk of head injury for young soccer players, especially female players, who are at greater risk from heading the ball.
“Featured in the film is the research of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University. Their latest findings, released last week, identified four stages of a degenerative disorder in the brains of some deceased athletes, including NHL players. It offers a glimpse into the potential long-term impact of brain injuries for athletes. And, earlier this week, a new Canadian study suggested that restrictions on bodychecking in minor hockey could help reduce injuries.
“HEAD GAMES will expose viewers to one of the leading public health issues of our time, raising the question: ‘How much of you are you willing to lose for a game?’ ”
It is scheduled to be shown Saturday, Dec. 22, on the CBC News Network beginning at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET).
If you can’t be home to watch it, record it. Just don’t miss it.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The OHL’s Peterborough Petes fired head coach Mike Pelino on Thursday. Assistant coach Jody Hull, a former NHLer, has taken over as head coach for the rest of this season. The Petes were 55-102-14 under Pelino, who is a former Spokane Chiefs assistant coach (1997-99). . . . Earlier in the season, the Petes fired general manager Dave Reid. . . . Peterborough (8-23-4) has the OHL’s poorest record and is 14 points out of a playoff spot.
Mike Davies of the Peterborough Examiner spoke with Pelino, who really opens up about what happened. I have a feeling that Pelino’s quotes could belong to just about any major junior coach who gets fired during a season. That piece is right here.
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F Keegan Iverson and F Dominic Turgeon of the Portland Winterhawks will play for the U.S. at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Drummondville and Victoriaville, Que., Dec. 28 through Jan. 4. . . . Iverson has four goals and four assists in 26 games. Turgeon, the son of former NHLer Pierre Turgeon, has one goal and two assists in 28 games. . . . They are the only two CHL players on the U.S. roster. . . . This means the Winterhawks will have had seven players off their roster involved in international play this month. . . . F Ty Rattie and D Tyler Wotherspoon will play for Canada in the World Junior Championship, while D Seth Jones is certain to be on Team USA. . . . Earlier in the month, F Oliver Bjorkstrand (Denmark) and D Layne Viveiros (Austria) played in the IIHF’s Division I Group A World Junior Championship in Amiens, France.
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Meanwhile, Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times profiles Portland D Seth Jones right here. It seems the kid’s pretty good at basketball, too.
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From former Brandon Wheat Kings F Jordin Tootoo (@Jtootoo22): “2 yrs today I became a sober man. How time flys when you enjoy life to the fullest everyday. Thank you for all your support. #onedayatatime”

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 Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) has signed a try-out contract with Sumperk (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Meidl was on try-out with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) earlier this season but it ended at the end of October. While with Berounsti Medvedi, Meidl had three goals and two assists in 15 games. . . .
D Logan Stephenson (Try-City, 2001-06) was released by Karlskrona (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had one assist in 21 games this season. . . .
F Matt Keith (Spokane, Red Deer, 1998-2003) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) after a successful try-out. He has four goals and four assists in 12 games with Dornbirn. Keith started the season with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), with no points in four games before his release in early October.
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Paul Buker of The Oregonian has spoken with Ken Hodge, the winningest head coach in WHL history, about the goings-on between the WHL and the Portland Winterhawks, and that piece is right here. . . . It’s interesting that Hodge’s handicap has gone up in semi-retirement. Next thing you know he’ll be trying a belly putter!
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Todd Ripplinger has resigned as the Vancouver Giants’ director of player development and has joined The Sports Corporation (TSC) as its director of player personnel. . . . This is a new position with one of the most prominent agencies in the business of representing players. . . . Ripplinger, who lives in Regina, spent 14 years as the Regina Pats’ director of scouting before his contract wasn’t renewed in 2011. . . . Gerry Johannson, TSC’s president and CEO, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post: “It’s a position we’ve been looking to fill for some time and we wanted to make sure we got the right guy. Todd was our No. 1 choice. We were able to get him out of Vancouver in a very positive and seamless way. It’s not every day you get a guy with Todd’s experience. He’s a really honest and really smart guy and a really easy guy to communicate with. He understands junior hockey and he knows the people and the game. He understands the players and knows how the system works. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.”
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Prince Albert, F Levi Cable scored the only goal of a six-round shootout as the Kootenay Ice beat the Raiders, 5-4. . . . The Raiders led 4-2 midway through the second period. . . . The Ice tied it on goals by F Luke Philp, his second of the game, at 13:55 of the second and F Sam Reinhart, his 11th this season, at 9:10 of the third. . . . 

In Portland, the Winterhawks scored three times on the PP and beat the Everett Silvertips, 4-2. . . . Those three PP goals gave the Winterhawks a 3-0 lead by 2:43 of the second period. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic scored his 22nd goal, while F Nic Petan got his 21st and also had an assist. . . . Portland D Seth Jones was held pointless in his final game before joining the U.S. national junior team. . . .

In Vancouver, F Cain Franson’s 11th goal, at 13:02 of the third period, broke a 1-1 tie as the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars, 2-1. . . . The teams both hit the road immediately after the game because they play tonight and Sunday in Prince George. . . . That’s about an 800-kilometre jaunt. . . . The Giants snapped a three-game skid and co-owner Michael Buble was in the house to watch. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun reports that the Giants are thinking about taking a look at F Jakob Stukel, a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, right after Christmas. He plays for the major midget Valley West Hawks. . . . Pap also reports that the Giants won’t be getting a look at F Ty Ronning, their first-round pick in 2012, any time soon. “Ronning suffered a greenstick fracture in his left arm at the Giants training camp in August,” Pap writes, “returned in November to play for the South Delta Hockey Academy but bowed out of the lineup last week when he hurt the arm again. He is gone for at least six weeks.” . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored three times on the PP and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 4-2. . . . F Jaiden Yakubowski broke a 2-2 tie with his 20th goal of the season at 16:26 of the second. . . . Lethbridge’s last three goals came via the PP as it went 3-for-10. . . . The Blazers were 1-for-3. . . . The Blazers, who released F Charles Inglis, 20, on Wednesday night, were able to dress only 10 forwards. F Dylan Willick (ankle) and F Cole Ully (mononucleosis) should be back shortly after Christmas, while F JC Lipon is with Canada’s national junior team. . . . The two head coaches, Guy Charron of Kamloops and Lethbridge’s Rich Preston, exchanged Christmas greetings near game’s end, but I don't think they met for egg nogs later. . . . “It was a good, physical game,” Preston told Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald. “Our guys had to play disciplined and they did. They took some dumb penalties and we made them pay. It’s tough, in the third period we had a two goal lead and we had to turn the other cheek because we had to get the win.They were taking some liberties and we’re really not that kind of team. You wish you were up three or four goals in the third, then you could return the favour. But our guys showed good discipline and got the win.” . . . Charron, on Radio NL’s post-game show, said a naughty word — bullshit — on three occasions. That was in response to play-by-play man Jon Keen asking Charron what it was Preston had to say. It seems that Preston thought a late-game hit by one of the Blazers wasn’t quite, uhh, kosher. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs erased a four-goal deficit and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-6 in a shootout. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg keyed the comeback with three straight third-period goals, his second hat trick this season. He also scored in the circus. . . . Holmberg, who also had two assists, scored at 8:09, 14:31 and 17:09. . . . F Mike Aviani forced OT with his 17th goal at 19:05 of the third. . . . Seattle F Connor Honey scored at 1:27 of the third to give the Thunderbirds a 6-2 lead. . . . D Brendan Kichton also scored for Spokane in the shootout, while F Connor Sanvido counted for Seattle. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades ran their winning streak to five with a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Saskatoon, which started so poorly, now is 18-14-1 and sixth in the Eastern Conference, just nine points out of top spot. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored twice, giving him 26 and the WHL goal-scoring lead. . . . Nicholls gave the Blades a 3-2 lead at 2:45 of the third, only to have F Coda Gordon pull the Broncos even at 4:46. . . . Saskatoon F Shane McColgan won it at 11:21. . . .

In Brandon, the Wheat King scored four times in the third period and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 4-2. . . . All six goals were scored in the game’s final 15:44. . . . F Tim McGauley scored twice for Brandon. He has missed the previous six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . Moose Jaw F Torrin White (broken hand) was back after missing 14 games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Damon Severson had a goal and two assists as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Tigers, 4-2. . . . Kelowna, which wraps up a stretch of four games in five nights tonight in Red Deer, has won five straight. . . . Kelowna wraps up its Alberta trek on Sunday in Calgary. . . . F Nick Merkley, the ninth overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft, will make his WHL debut with Kelowna tonight in Red Deer. Merkley is from Calgary. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored three times in the circus to beat the Victoria Royals, 3-2. . . . F Rhyse Dieno, F Matt Bellerive and F Conner Bleackley all scored for the Rebels in the shootout. They need all three of them, too, because Victoria got circus goals from F Logan Nelson and F Steven Hodges. . . . Victoria D Jack Walker scored his first goal at 15:28 of the third period to force OT. . . . Victoria F Ben Walker, Jack’s older brother, had two assists. . . .

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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Ryley Miller, Brandon
D Sam Grist, Kamloops
F Ryan Olsen, Kelowna
F Matt Bellerive, Red Deer
D Nick Walters, Everett

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Chance Braid, Prince Albert
D Jordan Thomson, Kamloops
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From Lethbridge F Russell Maxwell (@Russizzle7): “Just to avoid any confusion . . . The reason for my frustration at the end of the game was because I lost new teeth . . . Dentist here I come.”


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