Wayne Fleming memorial scheduled for July 16

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Doug Lynch (Red Deer, Spokane, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and two assists in 33 games with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden, Elitserien) before returning to Red Bull, where he had one goal and two assists in 14 games last season. . . .
F Patrik Valcak (Lethbridge, Kelowna, 2003-04) signed a try-out contract with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). He had 15 goals and 41 assists in 38 games with Polish champions Cracovia Krakow (Poland, Ekstraliga) last season. Valcak led Ekstraliga in scoring and assists. . . .
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). He had eight goals and four assists in 42 games for Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL) last season. This will be the 10th season in the DEL for Bassen, who holds dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
F Dylan Stanley (Tri-City, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with Gherdeina Val Gardena (Italy, Austria Inter-National-League). He had 38 goals and 33 assists in 40 games with EV Bozen 84 Bolzano and Neumarkt/Egna (both Italy, Serie A2) last season. Stanley’s 38 goals led Serie A2 in goals and he finished third in league scoring.
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Peter Friedel, who has been with the Kamloops Blazers for 30 years, most recently as an assistant trainer, needs a kidney. There’s a whole lot more about his story right here.
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As you may be aware, organ donation is something that is near and dear to my heart because my wife is awaiting a kidney transplant, as well.
Here is a comment that appears on The Daily News website, under the story on Peter Friedel:
“I am from Kamloops and donated a kidney 14 months ago, it was the most rewarding experience of my life, I urge the people of Kamloops to get tested and get on the donor list, If you lived to be 150 you could never do something more rewarding, My wife and I wish Peter the best in his journey.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. At the very least, do some research on organ donation. Learn how many people are waiting for kidneys and find out what awaits those people who choose to donate. You may be surprised at what you learn.
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What follows appeared in the Vancouver Province last week:
With 400 people in B.C. desperately waiting for a kidney transplant, doctors and dialysis patients are desperately trying to raise awareness of organ donation.
According to a study released in the June issue of the medical journal Transplantation, ethnic minorities are least likely to donate organs — 89 per cent of B.C. organ donors were Caucasian, with South Asians making up a mere 1.08 per cent.
"The reality is in certain cultural groups, diseases have a stigma attached to it," said Dr. Jagbir Gill, nephrologist at St. Paul's Hospital.
"It's a lot for people to have to put their disease out there — to have to put out the fact that they need a transplant." It's believed much of the hesitation has to do with lack of awareness as well.
"Donating a kidney is not associated with death," said Gill. "People's risk of developing kidney disease doesn't change by donating a kidney.
"We live without our appendix, without our gall bladder and people don't have any long-term effects from it."
Potential donors undergo a number of tests to ensure it's safe to donate.
And if time or money is an issue, the Kidney Foundation of Canada has a reimbursement program for those facing financial barriers, which covers hospital expenses and a certain amount of travel and loss of income.
According to Gill, organ-donor patients spend about two days in hospital and require up to four weeks off work (eight weeks for heavy work).
"Most people feel quite good by the end of the first month," he said.
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You may be aware that Yoenis Cespedes of the Oakland Athletics won the Home Run Derby on Monday night. But you may not know a whole lot about him or his family. The story of how his family got from Cuba to the U.S. is amazing. Susan Slusser and Demian Bulwa have a fantastic story right here about that journey.
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F Blake Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens announced his retirement on Monday. Geoffrion, 25, hasn’t played since suffering a fractured skull and brain injury during an AHL game in November. . . . John Buccigross takes a look at Geoffrion, from his name to the end of his career, right here.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed F Davis Koch, who was their first selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Koch, from Surrey, B.C., had 104 points in 56 games at the Okanagan Hockey Academy last season. The Oil Kings didn’t have a first-round pick and took Koch 42nd overall.
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The Tri-City Americans have placed F Lukas Walter, 20, and G Luke Lee-Knight, 20, on waivers. . . . Walter, from Langley, B.C., had three points in 68 games last season, while Lee-Knight was 11-9-0, 3.90, .881 in 21 games. . . . The Americans now have four 1993-born players left from their season-ending roster — F Phil Tot, whose last season was ended by a brain injury just 15 games into it, F Tyson Dallman, D Zach Yuen and D Mitch Topping. Since season's end, they also have acquired F Jessey Astles from the Saskatoon Blades.
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In North American, where track and field isn’t a mainstream sports, it may not have gotten much attention. But the biggest sports story on Sunday involved positive drug tests. . . . Mike Costello of BBC Radio 5 writes right here about how “five of the 10 quickest men in history now have tested positive.” This is a huge story, especially with what is going on with the Jamaican sprinters, although not Usain Bolt.
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Mary Pilon of The New York Times has more on the doping scandal right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The ECHL’s Stockton Thunder has hired Rich Kromm as its director of hockey operations and head coach. Kromm takes over from Matt Thomas, who left to become head coach at the U of Alaska-Anchorage. . . . Kromm, 49, is a former head coach of the Portland Winterhawks. He spent the past three seasons with the Evansville IceMen, who played in the ECHL. . . . Brian Sandy, the Thunder’s new president, was with the Tri-City Americans while Kromm was with the Winterhawks.


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You waited for it and here it is. The Edmonton Oil Kings Christmas video that debuted last night is right here.
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Kylee Bliss has to go to her school’s main office three or four times a week. Why? Because she can’t remember the combination for the lock on her locker. She suffered a concussion more than a year ago when she and a teammate banged heads during tryouts for her high school basketball team in Kansas City.
Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star has her story right here. It’s worth reading.
“Kylee’s basketball career is over,” he writes, “but that’s the least of the family’s concerns. Now 16, she doesn’t go to school in the first hour because of all the commotion in the hallways, and attending sporting events is out because of the overstimulation. In class, she must have test questions read aloud, and she can only do schoolwork in short segments before needing a break.”
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Dean Clark, the head coach of the Prince George Cougars, really hurt this week when his captain, forward Brock Hirsche, announced his retirement because of shoulder problems.
Clark lived the same story more than a few years ago.
"It's unfortunate for him and it's an emotional day for me," Clark told Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen. "The same thing happened to me as a 20-year-old where I couldn't continue the season."
Clark had to quit in 1984-85 while with the Kamloops Blazers. He moved behind the bench and worked alongside head coach Ken Hitchcock, just like Hirsche went behind the bench with the Cougars last season and again this season.
Clark has told Hirsche he welcome to work as an assistant coach again. Hirsche has said he will think about things over Christmas. He had surgery on Tuesday and really wants to see how he feels.
"He's a great kid and a great leader," Clark told Lamb. "You just don't replace guys like that. You want to have as many of those type of guys on your team as you can have. Those are the guys you win championships with.
"Whether he decides to come back, I hope he does, but if he doesn't, that's fine, too."
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D Dalton Thrower (concussion) is expected to return to the Saskatoon Blades’ lineup tonight as they play host to the Regina Pats. He has missed 11 games since Nov. 5. . . . Thrower told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he was injured during a practice “altercation between two teammates.” Thrower added: “You play the game and you’re going to get hurt. It doesn’t matter if it’s a practice or if it’s in a game. All you have to do is bounce back from it.”
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As you may be aware, the WHL last week fined the Portland Winterhawks $200,000, suspended general manager/head coach Mike Johnston through the end of the 2013 Memorial Cup and took away a bunch of draft picks.
I am told the Winterhawks have yet to be presented anything in writing from the WHL explaining the penalties.
As for those two news releases issued by the Winterhawks last week, the team has been told the WHL is thinking about additional sanctions but, as of Friday, there was nothing official.
So, at least for now, forget the rumours of the Winterhawks having been fined $25,000 for the first one and $50,000 for the second one.
I also have been told that the WHL has said it might fine the Winterhawks another $50,000 any time they speak up on this situation.
I’m just wondering if Portland owner Bill Gallacher is running a tab with the WHL office these days.
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Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com takes a look at what he calls impasse by ass. Yes, he’s writing about the NHL lockout and he pins the tail on two people (uhh, Gary Bettman isn‘t one of them). That piece is right here.
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The OHL’s London Knights are riding a 17-game winning streak after beating the visiting Niagara IceDogs 5-2 on Friday. The London franchise record is 18 (2004-05) and the Knights can tie it on Sunday when they play host to the Mississauga Steelheads.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail checks in right here with a mother who is working to have body checking banned from all levels of minor hockey, starting with bantam and going down.
And there are people who agree with her.
MacGregor writes:
Principal researcher Michael Cusimano says such serious injuries as concussions are often the result of aggressive bodychecking and account for 15 per cent of all injuries to hockey players ages 9 to 16. In a startling statement, the researchers said up to one-quarter of players suffer concussions in a single season.
In the Toronto doctor’s opinion, bodychecking should be banned from minor hockey for all age groups.
Emile Therien, past president of the Canada Safety Council, agrees. The injury factor in minor hockey has reached a point where, in Therien’s opinion, “it’s child abuse” not to act on it. Therien, who attended American college on a full hockey scholarship (and is the father of Chris Therien, who played 11 seasons in the NHL), says it was the medical profession that forced the hockey world to act on eye protection a generation ago.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Red Deer Rebels ran their winning streak to nine games with a 2-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . F Matt Bellerive scored the winner, his sixth, with 10.9 seocnds left in the third period. . . . F Justin Kirsch gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 4:50 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Tyson Ness tied it at 4:42 of the third. . . . The Rebels are 9-0-0 since owner/general manager Brent Sutter took over as the interim head coach from Jesse Wallin. . . .

In Brandon, F Mitch Holmberg scored twice and added an assist as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . Holmberg, who led the WHL in goals in the early going and then was sidelined with a concussion, has 18 goals. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson stopped 33 shots, including 19 in the third period. . . . The Chiefs are 5-0-0 on their East Division tour and have won six in a row overall. . . . The Wheat Kings had D Ryan Pulock back in their lineup. He hadn’t played since being struck in the face by a puck on Nov. 18. . . . Brandon F Jens Meilleur also returned from an undisclosed injury. . . . Among the Wheat Kings’ scratches was D Rene Hunter, 19, who was in his third season with the Wheat Kings. He had six assists in 24 games. . . . Media reports had him leaving the team, but Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun tweeted during the game that he spoke with general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “He will not say that Hunter has left team permanently, instead saying he is on a personal leave,” Henderson reported. . . . The Wheat Kings are 0-6-1 in their last seven games and have lost 11 of 12.

In Lethbridge, F Jaimen Yakubowski scored five times but it wasn’t enough as his Hurricanes dropped an 8-7 shootout decision to the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Yakubowski, who has 18 goals, is the first player this season to score five times in a game. The WHL’s reigning player of the week scored once shorthanded, once on the PP and three times at even strenght. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk had two goals, an assist and the winner in the circus, while teammate Miles Koules added a goal and four helpers. . . . The Hurricanes held a 7-5 lead late in the third period when Shinkaruk got his 19th at 15:06 and F Elgin Pearce tied it with his 11th at 17:08. . . . Shinkaruk and F Curtis Valk ended it with the only goals of the circus. . . .

In Edmonton, the Calgary Hitmen erased a 2-0- first-period defict and dumped the Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . Calgary has won 12 of its last 14 games. . . . F Zane Jones broke a 2-2 tie at 11:50 of the third period and then added his eighth goal of the season at 16:42. . . . F Brady Brassart and F Brooks Macek drew assists on both goals. . . . D Keegan Lowe (ankle) was back in the Oil Kings’ lineup after a three-game absence. . . . The Hitmen are 4-0-0 against Edmonton this season. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Calgary. . . . Edmonton F T.J. Foster will play in his 300th regular-season game tonight. . . .

In Kamloops, G Cole Cheveldave stopped 23 shots as the Blazers blanked the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Cheveldave has two shutouts this season and six in his career. . . . D Marek Hrbas got the game’s first goal, at 5:08 of the first. . . . F Colin Smith got his 23rd in the second period, tying him for the WHL lead with Spokane F Todd Fiddler. . . . D Joel Edmundson, in his first game since being acquired Thursday from the Moose Jaw Warriors, scored in the third period. . . . The Cougars played without F Colin Jacobs, who was serving Game 3 of a six-game suspension, D Marc McNulty (eye infection) and F Chase Witala (undisclosed). F Alex Forsberg (concussion) was back in the lineup after missing one game. . . . Kamloops F Aspen Sterzer drew a headshot major and game misconduct in the first period. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Sam Reinhart gave Kootenay a 3-1 lead just 45 seconds into the third period and the Ice hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . D Josh Morrissey pulled the Raiders to within one with a PP goal at 11:16 but that was all the scoring. . . . G Andy Desautels made his third start of the season for the Raiders and stopped 24 shots. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 37 shots. . . . Raiders D Evan Morden drew a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Ice D Brock Montgomery in the third period. . . .

In Vancouver, G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 28 shots to help the Swift Current Broncos to a 3-1 victory over the Giants. . . . The Broncos will play the Royals in Victoria tonight, after which Laurikainen will leave to join the Finnish national junior team. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry scored on a shorthanded penalty shot, the second straight game in which that has happened. . . . Lowry’s father, Dave, is Victoria’s head coach, meaning there will be a father-son reunion of sorts tonight. . . . Broncos F Levi Bews, who suffered a knee injury in a 2-1 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops on Tuesday, returned to the lineup and scored his side’s first goal. . . . The Broncos are 1-2-0 on their B.C. Division tour. They’ll finish it up in Prince George on Tuesday, after travelling from Victoria. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks outshot the Tri-City Americans 46-13 but dropped a 3-2 decision. . . . G Luke Lee Knight stopped 44 shots in his second start of the season for the Americans. . . . Portland had won its last 12 home games and seven in a row overall. . . . The Americans got second-period PP goals from Connor Rankin and Malte Stomwall. The goals came 1:08 apart. . . . Rankin, who has 11 goals, scored the game’s first two goals. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic drew on assist to run his points streak to 17 games. . . . Portland D Seth Jones is on a seven-game streak after also getting an assist. . . . The Winterhawks are in Kent, Wash., tonight to meet the Seattle Thunderbirds and then play the host Americans on Sunday. . . . Freelancer Scott Sepich reports that Portland, at 23-5-1, is off to its best 29-game start in franchise history. . . .

In Everett, F Robert Lipsbergs scored for the 10th time in 11 games as his Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Silvertips, 5-1. . . . Lipsbergs has 15 goals. He is riding a six-game goal streak and an 11-game points streak. . . . Seattle F Mitch Elliot scored his first goal in 27 games this season and the ninth of his 220-game career. . . . Seattle has won four in a row. . . . The Thunderbirds are 4-0-0 against Everett this season. . . . Everett F Carson Standyk was given a charging major and game misconduct after a second-period collision with Seattle G Brandon Glover. . . . Glover stopped 33 shots and lost his shutout bid when F Tyler Sandhu got his 10th goal at 19:53 of the third. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison (knee) returned from a 10-game absence.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Jake Virtanen, Calgary
F Taylor Peters, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Colin Smith, Kamloops
F Aspen Sterzer, Kamloops (major)
D Evan Morden, Prince Albert (major)
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland
F Presten Kopeck, Portland
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland freelance writer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Apparently some poor Rose Garden loading dock staffter just asked Ken Hodge if he was Tri-City’s bus driver.”
Hodge, of course, is the winningest coach in WHL history.
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From Kelowna Rockets F Colton Sissons (@colton_es15): “Peeled my mandarin orange in one piece this morning, gonna be a fabulous day!”
Actually, it wasn’t. Hockey Canada announced Friday that Sissons won’t be attending the national junior selection camp because of an undisclosed injury. He is believed to have a concussion.

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If you are so inclined, you can click right here and listen to a conversation between Ted Deller, the host of The Morning Edition at CBC Regina, and yours truly. Yes, the subject of the conversation was the book that is pictured over there at the right, Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.
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Former Spokane Chiefs D Jared Cowen is to have surgery later this week that apparently may end his season. Cowen had been playing with the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen has more right here.
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G Brenden Fiebelkorn, 18, has left the Tri-City Americans. According to a news release from the team, Fiebelkorn, who is from Winnipeg, left “for personal reasons.” Backing up Eric Comrie, 17, with the Americans, Fiebelkorn had gotten into only two games this season. . . . The Americans have added G Luke Lee-Knight, 19, to their roster. He was in training camp with the Americans and has been with the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. He was 4-1-0, 2.56, .924 with the Broncos. Last season, he played with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders and Spokane Chiefs, going a combined 2-4-3, 4.82, .841 in 22 games. . . . The Americans also are bringing in G Evan Sarthou, 15, while Comrie is away with Team WHL at the Subway Super Series this week. Sarthou, a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, will practise with the Americans this week. . . . From Black Diamond, Wash., Sarthou plays with the L.A. Jr. Kings of the Tier 1 AAA Elite Hockey League. He is 7-2, 2.31, .900. He has three shutouts.
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With the rebuilding Vancouver Giants already having traded away the likes of D David Musil, F Nathan Burns and  F Austin Vetterl, there has been ample speculation about the future of F Slovakian F Marek Tvrdon. . . . However, Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports right here that general manager Scott Bonner has said Tvrdon, 19, will be out indefinitely with an arm infection. . . . Tvrdon has been scratched from the Giants’ last two games. . . . He had 74 points, including 31 goals, last season. This season, he has 22 points, eight of them goals, in 18 games.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 17 shots and F Brock Montgomery had three goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 4-0 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Ice had lost eight in a row, while the Hitmen had won five straight. . . . Skapski put up his second shutout of the season and second of his career, while Montgomery enjoyed his first career hat trick (in 203 games). . . . Montgomery, who has 11 goals, scored the game’s first three goals. . . . The Ice held a 30-15 edge in shots. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart picked up a first-period tripping penalty. Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun points out that Reinhart now has six penalty minutes in 89 career regular-season games. . . . Read into it what you want but the Hitmen are 5-4-2 at home and 8-1-1 on the road. . . .

In Moose Jaw, G Ty Rimmer stopped 34 shots as the Lethbridge Hurricanes dropped the Warriors, 4-1. . . . Rimmer is 13-8-2, 2.65, .922. . . . Lethbridge got two goals from F Jay Merkley. . . . The Warriors lost D Travis Brown to a headshot major and game misconduct late in the second period.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Travis Brown, Moose Jaw (major)
D Colby Harmsworth, Calgary
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland D Josh Hanson (@HansoloCup4): “Who designs 007s suits? Id go fight bad guys too if I could move around that well in a suit #MineDontMoveLikeThat #HookMeUp #WellPlayed007”

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The Moose Jaw Civic Centre goes into today with a 3-0 lead over the demolition crew.
The Crushed Can was to have been down by now but it just hasn’t happened.
The latest delay comes about after workers discovered a lot more rebar in the concrete than they had anticipated.
There’s more right here.
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The Victoria Royals have signed D Jack Walker, 16, to a WHL contract. Walker, from Edina, Minn., is the younger brother of Royals F Ben Walker, who is preparing for his second WHL season. . . . Jack played for the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the U-17 Five Nations tournament earlier this month in Chomutov, Czech Republic, earning one assist in four games. Barry Smith, a former head coach with the Kamloops Blazers, was the head coach of the U.S. team.
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JUST NOTES: G Luke Lee-Knight, 19, who played last season with the Prince Albert Raiders and Spokane Chiefs, is in camp with the Tri-City Americans. . . .  The AJHL’s Canmore Eagles – former WHLer Andrew Milne is their GM and head coach – have dealt G Michael Salmon (Seattle, Prince George, 2008-12) to the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds. Salmon, 20, is a native of Red Deer. . . . The Spokane Chiefs are keeping G Mac Engel (high ankle sprain) and F Marek Kalus (upper body) off the ice for now. . . . Jess Brown of the Spokane Spokesman-Review also reported that F Tanner MacMaster, the Chiefs’ first-round selection, 19th overall, in the 2011 bantam draft, didn’t report to camp. Neither did F Rhett Gardner, the Chiefs’ second-round selection in 2011. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have lost two players as F Marc Mackenzie, who will be 19 in November, and F Mason Burr, 18, have chosen to move on. Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that MacKenzie has returned to Kelowna-Okanagan College, while Burr has decided to leave hockey. Burr was a second-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. Mackenzie, who is from Kelowna, started last season with the now-defunct Okanagan College Coyotes, joining the Rebels in time to play 31 games. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips are without a couple of veterans early in camp. F Ryan Harrison, 20, is out with mononucleosis and may miss the start of the regular season. Of course, he also has four games left over from a suspension that he has yet to serve. F Kohl Bauml, meanwhile, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. . . . The Silvertips also held G Austin Lotz (hamstring) out on Thursday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Regina Pats have signed assistant coaches Malcolm Cameron and Josh Dixon to one-year contract extensions that will take them through 2013-14. The contracts of general manager Chad Lang and head coach Pat Conacher also run through 2013-14. . . . All three coaches are heading into their second seasons in Regina. . . .
Former NHL D Jamie Heward has joined the Swift Current Broncos as an assistant coach and director of player development. Heward, who is from Regina and played four seasons with the Pats (1987-91), will work alongside GM/head coach Mark Lamb and assistant coach Darren Evjen in Swift Current. Heward, 41, retired after the 2008-09 season. . . . With Heward now under contract to Swift Current, perhaps his name no longer will surface in rumours every time the Pats are about to be sold. Then again, maybe not. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels chose not to renew the contract of assistant coach Chris Neiszner, leaving GM/head coach Jesse Wallin and assistant coach Bryce Thoma to run the club. Neiszner, who played four seasons (2001-05) with the Rebels, was on the coaching staff for two seasons. . . . The decision was made because owner Brent Sutter is back in the neighbourhood. “With Brent being back full-time we just felt that he's going to be able to be a lot more involved," Wallin told Red Deer media. "He'll be able to help me out with a lot of the GM duties and alleviate a lot of that, which will allow me to focus a lot more on the coaching side of things." . . . Troy Gillard at bigdrivesports.blogspot.ca reports that Neiszner now is working with Hockey Alberta. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs announced Thursday that Kevin Sawyer will serve as an interim assitant coach when head coach Don Nachbaur leaves for the World Junior Championship where he is to work as an assistant coach with Team Canada. With Nachbaur away, veteran assistant Jon Klemm will run the Chiefs. . . . Nachbaur, who is scheduled to leave the Chiefs on Dec. 8, might miss as many as 11 games. . . . The WJC will be held in Ufa, Russia, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6. . . . Sawyer, who played three seasons with the Chiefs and was the team captain in 1993-94, is a familiar face around the Chiefs. He has been a guest coach in training camp for the past few seasons and will work with the club a lot between now and December. . . . Steve Spott (Kitchener Rangers) is Team Canada’s head coach, while the other assistants are Mario Duhamel (Drummondville Voltigeurs) and André Tourigny (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies).
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Gregg Doyel, a national columnist with CBSSports.com, has today’s good read. He chats with Scott Collie, a former football player whose son Austin is a receiver with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. On Sunday, Austin suffered his fourth concussion since November 2010. Read this to find out how a father feels when he sees his son go down again.
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By now, you are aware that David Branch, who heads up the OHL and the CHL, issued a statement on Wednesday regarding the upstart CHLPA. As expected, there weren’t any surprises in what was a brief and emotionless statement.
Later in the day, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau, who is a CHL vice-president, issued a statement that just about knocked me off my chair. It didn’t appear to get much play, so in case you missed it, here it is, unedited and in its entirety:
“The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, wanted to correct the allegations made on various forums in the past several days. The QMJHL protests the lies and half-truths expressed on the treatment of our players, especially regarding the health, wellness and support. The great family of the QMJHL is outraged by these gratuitous and unfounded statements.
“We are always on the forefront of new initiatives and new trends in order to develop the sport of hockey. In recent years, we have been proactive in order to improve our support by the creation of numerous programs such as players support program, education programs, anti-doping programs and programs to fight against discrimination. In addition, we have added resources to ensure the implementation and enforcement of these programs within our teams.
“The QMJHL is a SCHOOL OF LIFE. For years we have worked tirelessly to adequately supervise athletes, particularly in terms of continuous academic achievement.
“Our role is to provide guidance to young people enabling them to pursue their passion and their sport while studying and developing as a citizen.
This is why there are mechanisms to expose and correct any inappropriate behaviour. In addition, the League has put in place a player support program to enable players to better manage the challenges they face and solve their personal problems before they become serious. This program provides personalized support in a timely manner or on a regular basis and this, in complete confidentiality.
“With respect to nutrition: All players benefit from the services of highly qualified personnel to educate them about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. The teams provide the players with the services of a nutritionist to help them make the right choices in terms of nutrition.
“With respect to health: Teams hire certified individuals, such as physicians, athletic therapists, neuropsychologists and fitness coaches to ensure the players' health. In addition, the protection of our players continues to be a priority. For this reason, the League has put in place a concussion safety program to educate players as to the consequences of hits to the head.
“With respect to violence: The League has taken a series of measures aimed at preventing and countering violence occurring during games and has a zero tolerance policy with respect to gratuitous violence. These measures were developed based on the report of an Advisory Committee on Violence created in 2008 by the League Commissioner. On the other hand, the League adopted a widely publicized charter on the prevention of violence which now serves as a reference and awareness tool.
“With respect to education: While QMJHL student-athletes face a number of challenges, success in academics is no longer an exception but the norm among the 18 teams of the League. The motivation, the discipline and the efforts of the players, combined with the support extended by their teachers, the school advisors of their CEGEP, as well as the academic advisor of their team, can certainly explain the success witnessed these past years.
“With respect to grants: If the League supports its hockey players in pursuing their academic endeavours throughout their junior career, it also offers a generous scholarship program to those who wish to pursue professional or university education immediately following their hockey career.
“This program is recognized as one of the best among Canada's sports leagues. Each year, the League invests several hundred thousand dollars. Since the inception of the scholarship program, more than $8 million have been distributed.
For the 2010-11 season only, the League awarded close to half a million dollars in scholarships to some 129 former hockey players. With respect to the amounts granted to players: The teams cover the full amount of sport and education related costs, which represents amounts that reach several thousand dollars per player. For this reason they receive allocations and not wages during the season.
“With regard to the control of illicit substances: As part of the anti-doping policy, the League implemented a series of informational and educational programs in order to persuade players to avoid using illegal substances and methods. It also encourages the management staff to keep a watchful eye on its players and to protect their health and promote clean sport.
“With respect to traveling: We realize that sometimes during the season long trips are necessary, but they are infrequent. Our owners and managers often discuss this issue in order to find solutions to minimize the hardships for the players.
“The League is: A true school of life. It offers a real opportunity for young players to attain their dream of achieving the professional ranks, but first and foremost, it provides them with the support and the necessary academic tools so they can live fulfilling lives and contribute to the development of our society. Our role is to provide a living environment favourable to their development as an athlete and as a citizen.”
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As for the CHLPA, I have felt for some time now — likely since the CHL adopted its anti-doping policy — that something like this would show up sooner or later. Major junior players definitely need someone or an association to advocate on their behalf.
It’s just that when it happened I thought it would be a little more professional than what we have witnessed to this point.
In fact, what we have seen from the CHLPA to date hasn’t been much. Plain and simple, the ducks don’t seem to be in a row and they really needed to be before this production got to this stage.
I won’t argue with anyone who claims that major junior players should be better paid and that the education policy could have another year or two added to the option-to-use after a career ends.
As well, the anti-doping program got dropped on the players without their having any say.
There are all kinds of things like those that could be dealt with in one form or another, from working conditions (is it fair for players to have to play three games in less than 48 hours on occasion?) to the lack of an appeal process on matters of discipline.
And it’s great that all of these things and more are having some light shed on them these days.
But let me ask you this: If you had a son playing in the CHL, based on what you have seen and heard this week, would you want the CHLPA representing him?

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The Spokane Chiefs and Prince Albert Raiders got the annual post-Christmas feeding frenzy started on Wednesday morning. Yes, the Jan. 10 trade deadline is fast approaching.
Obviously unhappy with their goaltending, the Chiefs dealt F Anthony Bardaro, 19, who was their leading scorer, G Luke Lee-Knight, 18, and a 2012 fifth-round bantam draft pick to the Raiders for G Eric Williams, 18, and F Todd Fiddler, 18.
(The fifth-round pick had been acquired from the Raiders in September when the Chiefs sent D Tyler Vanscourt to Prince Albert for Lee-Knight.)“Quite simply we needed to strengthen our goaltending,” Spokane GM Tim Speltz told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “And we needed to change the team. There wasn’t any question about that.”
Williams, a fourth-round round pick in the 2008 bantam draft from Langley, B.C., was the key to this deal going through. He is 8-15-3, 3.86, .884 this season, his second with the Raiders. Last season, he went 17-17-2, 3.71, .898.
Fiddler, a third-round pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2008, had 38 points, including 23 goals, as a freshman last season. This season, Fiddler, who is from Meadow Lake, Sask., has 10 points, including four goals, in 35 games. However, he has only three points in his last 17 games.
Bardaro, from Delta, B.C., led the Chiefs in goals (18) and points (37), having played in 29 games. He is in his third full WHL season. Bardaro was scratched just prior to the Chiefs’ 4-1 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna on Tuesday night, indicating that the deal may have been done at that point.
“We’re trading a proven scorer in Anthony, but not a guy we were having success with as a proven scorer,” Speltz told Rimmer. “We felt needed to change things. (Fiddler) hasn’t gotten off the mark. We’re hoping the change will help him.”
Lee-Knight, a Calgarian, is 2-0-2, 2.91, .868 in nine games. He was dealt to the Chiefs on Sept. 15 for Vanscourt.
The Chiefs are trying to get back in the chase in the Western Conference. They have games in hand on the four teams ahead of them but are eight points behind the fourth-place Portland Winterhawks. Spokane, a team that has to work hard to score, needs better goaltending than it has been getting. Mac Engel has been the starter and two of his numbers – 2.83, 14-11-3 – aren’t bad. But his save percentage (.884) isn’t what it needs to be.
The Chiefs are a better defensive team than the Raiders, so Spokane’s management must feel that Williams will have better numbers there.
The Raiders, who have been getting some solid work from G Cole Holowenko, obviously felt they could give up some goaltending in order to add even more offence.
Still, Prince Albert, which has won four straight, is tied for 11^th in the 12-team Eastern Conference, eight points out of the last playoff spot.
The Raiders, who have won four in a row, are at home to the Saskatoon Blades tonight; the Chiefs meet the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Friday.
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After the deal was announced, Williams tweeted:
“Would like to thank
@PARaidersHockey for a great experience and all the fans for their support! Going to miss #hockeytownnorth”
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You may have noticed that D Tanner Mort was back in the Spokane lineup on Tuesday night in Kelowna. Having requested a trade, he hadn’t played since Dec. 2. However, the two parties ironed out their differences over the Christmas break and the 18-year-old from Post Falls, Idaho, has rejoined the team.
Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in the third period on Tuesday and is out indefinitey.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have added D Matt Waseylenko, 18, to their roster. In fact, he played his first game Tuesday as the Raiders scored a 3-2 shootout victory over the Broncos in Swift Current.
Waseylenko had been with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, putting up five assists and 23 penalty minutes in 27 games. A native of St. Albert, Alta., he was a fifth-round selection by the Raiders in he 2008 bantam draft.
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At the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, Team Pacific scored a 4-1 tuneup victory over Sweden on Wednesday. Assistant manager David Michaud reports that TP goals came from Jaedon Descheneau (Kootenay), Curtis Lazar (Edmonton), Torrin White (Moose Jaw) and Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert). White also had an assist. . . . G Eric Comrie (Tri-City) stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first half, with Tristan Jarry (Edmonton) coming on to stop all 24 shots he faced. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Ryley Miller scored at 1:23 of OT to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . It was the third goal of Miller’s career. . . . He has three goals in 33 games this season, after not scoring in the first 136 games of his career. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl had forced OT when he scored with 4:09 left in the third. . . . F Brendan Walker had given Brandon a 2-0 lead with his 14^th and 15^th goals, both in the first period and both on the PP. . . . Scheidl scored both Regina goals, giving him 13. . . . Walker also assist on Miller’s winner. . . . F Michael Ferland had three assists for Brandon. . . . F Tyrel Seaman (concussion) was back in Brandon’s lineup for the first time since Nov. 25. . . .
In Everett, F Luke Lockhart scored the only shootout goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Silvertips, 4-3. . . . Everett is 1-7 in shootouts, including a 2-1 loss to Seattle in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday. . . . Everett trailed 3-1 in the second period before F Ryan Harrison scored twice, getting his ninth at 12:58 of the second and tying it with a shorthanded score at 15:00 of the third. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard, who stopped 32 shots, moved into eighth place on the WHL’s career list for minutes played. He passed Ed Staniowski (Regina, 1971-75). Pickard has played 12,095 minutes, with Evan Lindsay (Tri-City, Prince Albert, 1995-2000) next at 12,131, followed by Steve Passmore (Tri-City, Victoria, Kamloops, 1988-94) at 12,149. . . . D Cason Machacek of Seattle scored his first goal in 24 games this season. It was the fifth of his 219-game career. . . . The Thunderbirds are without F Brandon Troock (wrist), who was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Silvertips. . . . Seattle also is without D Kyle Verdino, who didn’t play in the third period of a 5-1 loss to the host Tri-City Americans on Dec. 17 and apparently may have a concussion. . . . With Troock out, F Connor Sanvido got back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch in four of the previous five games. He had one assist. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti’s shootout goal gave the Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . F Brett Lyon’s 11^th goal of the season gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead at 17:00 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Maxwell got his 20^th at 17:40 to force extra time. . . . F Michael St. Croix also got his 20^th for the Oil Kings, his coming on a second-period PP. . . . F Justin Kirsch (wrist) was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup for the first time since Nov. 25. He had one assist and a shootout goal after missing 10 games. . . . Maxwell also scored in the shootout. . . . The Warriors left after the game for a trip into the U.S. Division. . . . Moose Jaw F Carter Hansen was named Team West’s captain at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . The teams were missing a combined nine players between the World Junior Championship and the WHC. . . .
In Kamloops, D Bronson Maschmeyer broke a 1-1 tie at 18:48 of the second period and the Blazers went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Maschmeyer, 20, began his WHL career with the Giants before being dealt to the Blazers. It was his fourth goal of the season. . . . The Giants had won three in a row, including a 4-3 shootout victory over visiting Kamloops on Tuesday. . . . The Blazers have points in five straight (3-0-2). . . . The Blazers now hold a five-point lead over the Giants atop the B.C. Division. Kamloops is one point behind Western Conference-leading Tri-City, with the Americans holding three games in hand. . . .
In Prince George, F John Odgers, playing his first WHL game, scored the winner as the Cougars got past the Calgary Hitmen, 3-1. . . . Odgers, who plays for the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers, broke a 1-1 tie at 17:52 of the second period. He is the son of former WHL/NHL player Jeff Odgers, who now scouts for the Cougars. . . . Prince George F Austin Daae also scored his first WHL goal. It came in his 23^rd game of this season. . . . Cougars G Drew Owsley stopped 37 shots. . . . The Cougars dressed 15 skaters, three under the maximum. They are without F Brock Hirsche (undisclosed, finished for this season), D Shane Pilling (injured), D Reid Jackson (injured), F Chase Witala, F Jordan Tkatch, F Alex Forsberg, D Martin Marincin and F Jarrett Fontaine. . . . Marincin is with Slovakia at the World Junior Championship; Witala, Tkatch, Forsberg and Fontaine are at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . .
In Portland, the Winterhawks unloaded 54 shots as they beat the Victoria Royals, 6-3. . . . Victoria G Keith Hamilton, who was acquired from Portland in the offseason, stopped 48 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have won 10 in a row at home. . . . Portland D Joe Morrow had a goal and two helpers. . . . Portland F Brad Ross scored twice, giving him a six-game goal streak. He has 24 goals this season. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi, who is at the World Junior Championship, suffered an apparent upper body injury on Tuesday as his Swiss side dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to Sweden. . . . Victoria D Tyler Stahl, out with a concussion since Oct. 1, had hoped to return after Christmas. But he apparently has suffered a setback and remains out indefinitely.
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Stu Hackel at SI.com takes a look at the month that was with the NHL and concussions. Warning: It isn’t pretty.
“Last week on TSN,” Hackel writes, “veteran commentator Dave Hodge called the NHL’s ongoing concussion problem the most critical issue facing the league in its history. He’s not overstating things. The challenge is curbing this problem without excessively tampering with two of the sport’s essential characteristics that make it so appealing — speed and physicality.”
Hackel’s complete report is right here.
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Early in his piece, Hackel refers to Dustin Fink, who runs The Concussion Blog. With concussions having become THE story in hockey, I have added a link to this blog over there on the right.
This blog is sure to provide some important reading.
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The 50-50 payout at the Canada-Czech Republic game in Edmonton last night was $84,642. It was won by Mike Futa, a scout with the Los Angeles Kings.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) was released by Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had one goal and one assist in nine games for Villach this season.
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The WHL’s board of governors awarded hosting rights to the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup to the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday following meetings in Calgary.
The Blades, an original in this league, have never won a league championship or a Memorial Cup. They were the host team for the 1989 Memorial Cup when they lost the final 4-3 to the Swift Current Broncos on an OT goal by Tim Tisdale.
In awarding the tournament to Saskatoon, the governors chose not to go with a bid from either the Kelowna Rockets or Red Deer Rebels.
Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre seats 15,195.
Prospera Place in Kelowna has 6,007 seats, with room for 500 standees, and will be home to the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects festivities, with the skills competition Jan. 31 and the game Feb. 1
Red Deer’s Enmax Centrium had 5,735 seats with standing room for 1,000. Red Deer, however, is prepared to increase capacity to 7,000 seats and to add corporate boxes.
Kelowna played host to the Memorial Cup in 2004. Red Deer has never held the Memorial Cup; in fact, the tournament hasn’t been held anywhere in Alberta since 1974.
So you take in all that information and you’re thinking: Money talks.
And you would be correct.
The economy is in the dumper and there isn’t yet any light on the horizon, and there are WHL teams in deep financial doo-doo (see: Broncos, Swift Current, who drew 1,866 to a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars last night). So the more money generated by the Memorial Cup, the better for the small- and mid-market teams.
The scary thing about this is that it would seem that whenever Saskatoon or the Vancouver Giants, Canadian teams who play in large facilities, choose to bid, one of them will get it.
And that’s too bad for teams that are ensconced in smaller venues but such is the nature of this beast.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix began his story with:
“WHL commissioner Ron Robison knew exactly what made Saskatoon a worthy recipient of hosting the 2013 Mastercard Memorial Cup.”
The complete story is right here.
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Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier began his story like this:
“Money talks. That was the underlying message on Wednesday when the Saskatoon Blades were awarded the hosting rights for the 2013 Memorial Cup.”
His complete story should be right here sometime today.
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Here’s how Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate, began his story:
“Perhaps, just perhaps, the Red Deer Rebels bid never stood a chance.”
Sometime today that story should be posted right here.
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It was mentioned here Wednesday that the Prince George Cougars had added F Austin Daae, an 18-year-old from Estevan, Sask., to their roster. It also was mentioned that Austin isn’t believed to be related to Christine Daae. . . . Well, it turns out that he is related to Chrissy, who happens to be his mother. . . . I now am waiting to learn whether Chrissy is able to sing ‘Think of Me.’
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It also was mentioned here Wednesday that an announcement was imminent from the WHL regarding the use of video to explain some suspensions.
That announcement, I’m told, is likely to come today.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have dealt F Matt Marantz to the Regina Pats in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
The Hurricanes had given up a fourth-round 2012 pick to get Marantz, who is from Calgary, from the Spokane Chiefs on Sept. 29. Marantz had five assists in six games with Lethbridge.
Marantz’s departure left the Hurricanes with four 20-year-olds -- F Cam Braes, F Austin Fyten, F Brody Sutter and G Damien Ketlo. However, Fyten is out long term with a knee injury so another decision won’t be needed until he returns.
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The 20-year-old deadline arrives this afternoon with teams (well, most of them) having to declare a maximum of three such players.
The Saskatoon Blades are carrying four 20-year-olds but aren’t required to declare three until sometime next week. That’s because F Darian Dziurzynski didn’t arrive back from pro camp until last week, after which a team is given 14 days to trim its roster if it has more than three 20-year-olds.
The Victoria Royals have released G Braden Gamble, 20, so he will be available in today’s draft. He had a 6.22 GAA and a .816 save percentage in six games this season after going 3.54 and 3.86 in 19 games with the Chilliwack Bruins last season. The Royals have chosen to go with Keith Hamilton, 19, and Jared Rathjen, 17.
Dropping Gamble leaves the Royals with two 20-year-olds, which would seem to indicate that Victoria GM/head coach Marc Habscheid will be adding a player today.
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The photo at the top of this entry is the cover of the newest edition of DubNation.
If you go to DubNation’s link over their on the right, you should be able to click on it and download this season’s first issue.
It includes, among other things, an interview with Jeff Chynoweth, the GM and head coach of the defending-champion Kootenay Ice; a look at the young defencemen with the Kelowna Rockets; a look back at the Billings Bighorns; and, a piece remembering Brad McCrimmon.
Enjoy!
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JUST NOTES: D Joshua Smith of the Prince George Cougars had his suspension set at four games on Wednesday. The WHL website had him out with a ‘tbd’ suspension following a kneeing major and game misconduct in a game against the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Monday. . . . The Portland Winterhawks have moved a Nov. 12 game with the Spokane Chiefs to the Rose Garden. Game time remains at 5 p.m. With the NBA having cancelled the first two weeks of its regular season, that date came open in the Rose Garden. The same teams play the previous night in the Rose Garden, at 7 p.m. . . . F Emerson Etem is the CHL’s player of the week. He had six goals and an assist in three games last week. . . .
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SOME WEDNESDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Cranbrook, the Edmonton Oil Kings took apart the defending-champion Kootenay Ice to the tune of 6-1. . . . The Oil Kings (6-2-1-1) are in first place — they lead the Central Division and the Eastern Conference — for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Ice got two goals from F Curtis Lazar, the second overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. He’s got three goals this season. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck had three assists. . . . The Oil Kings went 4-1 on their road swing, winning in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Lethbridge and Cranbrook. . . .
In Red Deer, the Rebels, no doubt disappointed at not being named the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup, beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-1. . . . The Hurricanes have lost six in a row. . . . The Hurricanes had F Reid Duke, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, in their lineup. Duke is from Calgary. . . .
In Calgary, the Regina Pats erased a late 3-1 defict and beat the Hitmen 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal scored at 17:50 of the third period and F Dyson Stevenson, with G Matt Hewitt on the bench for the extra attacker, tied it with 51 seconds to play. . . . Regina now is 6-2-0. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger, who was acquired from the Tri-City Americans over the summer, made his first appearance with the Hitmen. He stopped 20 shots through OT, then was beaten by Weal and F Morgan Klimchuk in the shootout. . . . Driedger had been slowed by a high ankle sprain (aka lower body injury). . . .
In Swift Current, F Brad Hoban scored this third goal of the game at 19:22 of the third period to break a 4-4 tie and give the Broncos a 5-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Hoban has four goals this season. . . . The Broncos were 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . D Martin Marincin had a goal and two assists for the Cougars. . . . F Adam Lowry and F Taylor Vause did the same for the Broncos. . . . The Cougars went 2-4-0 in their East Division swing. They next play Saturday in Kamloops. The Cougars left for Kamloops right after last night’s game; the Blazers leave today for Portland where they will play the Winterhawks on Friday night. . . .
In Kelowna, the Medicine Hat Tigers’ two Cy Young candidates continued to roll in a 4-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored three times for the Tigers; he has seven this season. F Emerson Etem added his 13th goal and two assists. . . . Shinkaruk has zero assists to go with his seven goals; Etem is 13-4 in eight games. . . . The Rockets have lost three in a row after opening with three victories. . . . The Tigers spent a week in B.C., and finished 4-1-0. They now go home for five in a row. . . . As the Tigers were getting ready to leave Kamloops after a 5-4 victory Monday afternoon, the legendary Bob Ridley, the club’s bus driver and play-by-play voice, was spotted hustling out of the press box. When it was suggested that the way Etem was playing, he likely could drive the bus, too, Ridley didn’t disagree. . . . The Tigers swept the three star awards — in order, Etem, Shinkaruk and G Tyler Bunz — something that doesn’t happen all that often in Kelowna. . . .
In Spokane, the Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. . . . F Darren Kramer tied the score at 18:33 of the second period and F Dominik Uher won it at 16:18 of the third. . . . Spokane G Luke Lee-Knight — you should check him out on Twitter — stopped 20 shots in his second WHL appearance. . . . This was Brandon’s first game on a U.S. tour. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals in 68 games last season, has five in five outings this time around. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., G Ty Rimmer stopped 29 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 2-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin’s first goal of the season, a shorthanded effort at 19:31 of the second, gave the home boys a 2-0 lead. . . . F Shayne Danyluk spoiled Rimmer’s shutout bid at 17:51 of the third. . . . The Americans have won three in a row and are 4-0 at home. . . . The Raiders, winless in their last seven trips to the Toyota Center, are 2-2 in their U.S. swing.
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Yesterday, we provided a link to a story that took you inside the locker-room of the Boston Red Sox as their season imploded. Today, we provide a look at another angle to that story, this one from veteran U.S. broadcaster Keith Olbermann, who just happens to be friends with Theo Epstein and Terry Francona.
That piece is right here.

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

The Spokane Chiefs have dealt D Tyler Vanscourt, 19, to the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for G Luke Lee-Knight, 18, and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
(Note that the news release from the Raiders refers to the draft pick as conditional; the news release from the Chiefs doesn’t use the word conditional.)
Lee-Knight, who was listed by the Raiders in January 2011, was 7-7-7, 2.56, .912 with the midget AAA Calgary Royals last season. He got into two exhibition games with the Raiders, going 4.00, .886 in 60 minutes of action.
Vanscourt was a seventh-round selection by the Kootenay Ice in the 2007 bantam draft. He had 23 points, including four goals, and 49 penalty minutes in 57 games with the Chiefs last season.
"This trade was dictated by our abundance of young defensemen ready to take the step and play in the WHL," Spokane GM Tim Speltz said in a news release. "It strengthens our draft position, which is always important, and also strengthens our goaltending position."
At the same time, the Chiefs released G Jacob Edwards, 19, who is from Calgary.
They now are carrying 26 players, including three goaltenders and nine defencemen.
Joining Lee-Knight in the crease are veteran Mac Engel, 18, and newcomer Zach Rakochy, 18, who is from Canora, Sask.
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The Calgary Hitmen have traded D Kyle Schmidt, 18, to the Saskatoon Blades for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
Schmidt, from Waldheim, Sask., is a right-hand shot, something for which teams often are searching. He had 10 points, three of them goals, and 74 penalty minutes in 65 games with Calgary last season.
The Blades’ roster is at 26, including two goaltenders and seven defencemen.
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The Tri-City Americans have dealt F Max Moline, 18, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a conditional fifth-rounder in the 2013 bantam draft.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Moline, who is from Lethbridge, had four points and 42 penalty minutes in 53 games with the Americans last season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Americans in the 2008 bantam draft.
“Max is a quality kid and this move will allow him to play closer to home in front of his family and friends,” Bob Tory, the Americans’ GM, said in a news release.
Moline should be in the Lethbridge lineup for games tonight against the Kootenay Ice and Saturday against the Calgary Hitmen in the Crowsnest Pass, Alta. Those teams are taking part in the Thunder in the Pass preseason tournament to benefit Crowsnest Minor Hockey.
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D Josh Caron, 20, of the Kamloops Blazers has what the Minnesota Wild is calling a “minor injury” and is to see a doctor today.
Caron was with the Wild’s rookie team at the tournament in Traverse City, Mich., and is on Minnesota’s main camp roster. Caron travelled the same road last season and came out of it with an NHL contract. Thus, he is eligible to play in the Wild’s organization.
He also is one of three 20-year-olds on the Blazers’ roster, the others being D Bronson Maschmeyer and F Chase Schaber, who is the team captain and who was on the Edmonton Oilers’ rookie team that played in the Young Guns tournament in Penticton, B.C., this week.
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F Brett Hextall is in camp with the Phoenix Coyotes as he gets his first shot at helping the Hextalls become the NHL’s second four-generation family.
This will be worth watching.
Eons and eons ago I was in camp with the MJHL’s Portage Terriers when Bryan Hextall Sr. was their coach. The family patriarch has been a Hockey Hall of Famer since 1969. I also spent some time in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ camp a long, long time ago when Randy Hextall was there.
I would later cover the Wheat Kings when Ron Hextall, Brett’s father, was their starting goaltender. And, yes, Ron was a starting goaltender in every sense of the word — he was known to start things. Ron now is the Los Angeles Kings’ assistant general manager.
I also got to know Ron’s father, Bryan Jr., who split 549 NHL games and 99 goals between six teams.
And let’s not forget Dennis, Bryan Jr.’s brother, who scored 153 goals in 681 NHL games and was as tough as they came. He finished with 1,398 PMs.
Rick, another brother, didn’t get to the NHL but he did play pro for a handful of seasons.
It’s worth noting that the Hextall clan will gather in Poplar Point, Man., which is where it all began, early in 2013. There will be a celebration from Feb. 1-3.
The Detroit Red Wings alumni team will be there to play against the Poplar Point Alumni in a fund-raiser for the local community club.
Anyway . . . Brett, who played three seasons at North Dakota, was in action on Wednesday night against the Kings (yes, Ron was in the stands) and Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times was there. Her report is right here.
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Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate, reports:
“Veteran Adam Kambeitz returned to the Rebels Wednesday after attending the Phoenix Coyotes rookie camp, while fellow forward John Persson is expected back Saturday from the rookie camp of the New York Islanders.
“Forward Turner Elson and defencemen Alex Petrovic and Justin Weller will attend the main camps of the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and Coyotes, respectively, starting this weekend. All three are expected to be back with the Rebels before the team’s regular-season opener Sept. 23 versus the defending league champion Kootenay Ice.
“Byron Froese, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, will at least start the season in the AHL and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be given every chance to earn regular employment with the Edmonton Oilers as the first overall pick in June’s NHL entry draft.”
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Despite what you may have seen or heard — Vancouver’s Tom Gaglardi gets an NHL team, read the headline on one website — Vancouver’s Tom Gaglardi doesn’t own the Dallas Stars.
Not yet, anyway.
Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, has been in hot pursuit of the NHL franchise for at least a year now. And, finally, it would appear that the end is near.
First, though, things have to go through bankruptcy court in Delaware, after which there is likely to be an auction.
As Kate Hairopoulos writes in the Dallas Morning News:
“The bankruptcy plan allows for a court-supervised auction of the sale, so Gaglardi’s offer is subject to higher bids.”
Why Delaware? As Hairopoulous notes: “Delaware is known as an efficient place to do bankruptcy business.”
Her complete story is right here and is a must read if you want to know the latest in this long, drawn-out saga.
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It seems G Deven Dubyk, 20, was rather surprised when to learn he had been claimed on waivers by the Moose Jaw Warriors. Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News has that story right here.
———JUST NOTES: F Jason Swyripa of the Brandon Wheat Kings didn’t practise on Thursday after taking a hit to the head during a 4-0 loss to the Pats in Regina on Wednesday night. Regina F Michael Jung was given a major penalty for checking to the head. A suspension may follow. . . . The Alberni Valley News reports that F Sawyer Mick has had to end his hockey career because of a shoulder injury. According to the newspaper, he “will instead pursue a new career as a firefighter. Mick is enrolled in a three-month firefighting course at Kilgore College in Kilgore, Texas. After Mick completes the course, he will participate in a two-week practicum en route to becoming a firefighter.” . . .
Larry Mitchell, the dean of St. Albert, drops a note to let us know that D Landan Viveiros, who will turn 18 on Oct. 25, is in camp with the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel. His brother, Layne, 16, is with the Portland Winterhawks. Their father, Emanuel, was a star defenceman with the Prince Albert Raiders back in the day and was named head coach of the Austrian national team earlier this week. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman returned from the camp of the NHL’s New York Islanders to score two goals Thursday night and help the Americans to a 5-1 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. Hughesman also had an assist. . . .
The Victoria Royals have released F Blair Wentworth, 19, who spent the last three seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. He had 14 points and 132 penalty minutes in 149 regular-season games. “We have a lot of 16 and 17 year olds and we’re building with those young guys. Our strength is in our youth,” Royals GM/head coach Marc Habscheid told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist. “(Cutting a veteran like Wentworth) is one of the most difficult things to do. But it’s part of the business. And the only constant in this business is change. Blair is a great kid and hopefully he can catch on with another (WHL) team or with a team in Junior A.” . . .
Former WHLer Josh Holden (Regina, 1994-98) has drawn an eight-game suspension in the Swiss National League A. He plays for Zug and was penalized for a hit to the head of Christian Dube of SC Bern. Holden was hit hard because he is a repeat offender. . . .
F Wheaton King, 19, has been released by the Medicine Hat Tigers and will return to the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. King had 11 points in 38 games with the Wheat Kings last season and 15 points in 16 games with the Klippers. . . . The Everett Silvertips got F Tyler Maxwell, 20, back from the Minnesota Wild’s rookie team that was in the Traverse City, Mich., tournament, while the Vancouver Canucks returned F Ryan Harrison. Everett F Josh Birkholz move on to the Florida Panthers’ main camp. . . . The Edmonton Oilers have returned G Adam Brown, 20, to the Kelowna Rockets. However, the Minnesota Wild have taken Kelowna D Colton Jobke and F Brett Bulmer on to main camp. The Rockets also got D Jessey Astles back from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From F Cody Beach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who is in camp with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues: “physicals done, finally got to eat after 7 hours of no food. Pretty interesting places the doctor went, dont want to get into details #yikes”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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