Showing posts with label Luke Pierce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luke Pierce. Show all posts

Friday, June 2, 2017

Kootenay owners ice head coach ... Giants, Cougars make deal ... Warrant out for ex-WHLer


F Carter Ashton (Lethbridge, Regina, Tri-City, 2006-11) has been traded by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to Lada Togliatti (both Russia, KHL) for cash considerations. This season, he had 18 goals and 10 assists in 59 games with Torpedo. . . .
F Spencer Edwards (Red Deer, Seattle, Moose Jaw, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Bordeaux (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with Dijon (France, Ligue Magnus), he had 15 goals and 13 assists in 42 games. He was an alternate captain. . . . 
F Tayler Thompson (Prince George, 2010-12) has signed a one-year contract with Brest (France, Division 1). This season, with the Fayetteville FireAntz (SPHL), he had 18 goals and 42 assists in 56 games. . . .
F Kyle Chipchura (Prince Albert, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Kunlun Red Star Beijing (China, KHL). He had 13 goals and 16 assists in 59 games with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL) this season. . . .
D Ryan Button (Prince Albert, Seattle, 2007-11) has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he had four goals and 18 assists in 49 games.
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 And now there are four . . . WHL teams without head coaches, that is.
The Kootenay Ice’s new owners fired head coach Luke Pierce on Friday morning, joining the Calgary Hitmen, Spokane Chiefs and Victoria Royals as teams in the market for a new leader.
“We are committed to a fresh start for the organization and this includes the business and hockey operations,” Matt Cockell, the president and general manager of the Ice, said in the second paragraph of
The Kootenay Ice has fired head coach Luke Pierce.
a news release. “We feel that this was a necessary decision to accomplish that objective.”
The third paragraph of the Ice’s four-paragraph news release read: “No further comment will be provided.”
Meanwhile, Pierce told Brad McLeod of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that he didn’t see it coming.
“This is the first time that this has happened to me [and] you go through a lot of emotions,” Pierce told McLeod. “You go through it all: some anger, some disappointment, some embarrassment, you name it. We’re just trying to cope with it the best we can as a family.
“I think that when these things come about you can use hindsight a little bit to maybe look for reasons, but I really didn’t see it coming,” he said. “It was a shocker for me, for sure.”
McLeod’s story is right here.
Pierce spent two seasons as the head coach of the rebuilding Ice, going 14-46-12 this season after finishing 12-53-7 in 2015-16. The Ice had the WHL’s poorest record each season.
Pierce, who is from Merritt, B.C., replaced Ryan McGill on May 26, 2015. Pierce, 33, had spent the previous six seasons as the general manager/head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials, going 168-111-21 and making the playoffs each season.
From 2004-09, Pierce attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., graduating with a bacher or arts with a psychology major and business minor. He also has an MBA with a concentration in strategic management.
Cockell and his partner, Greg Fettes, purchased the Ice from the Chynoweth family in a deal that was approved by the WHL’s board of governors on April 27.
The Hitmen are looking to replace Mark French, who will coach in Switzerland this season, while the Chiefs and Don Nachbaur went their separate ways after the season despite his having a year left on his contract, and the Royals lost Dave Lowry this week when he signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
Last month, the Everett Silvertips named Dennis Williams their new head coach, replacing Kevin Constantine whose contract wasn’t renewed after the season.
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F Klim Kostin is NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked international skater for the 2017 draft, which is scheduled for Chicago, June 23-24. The Kootenay Ice hold Kostin’s CHL rights, having selected the Russian with the first overall pick in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. . . . However, Kostin chose not to report, preferring to stay and play in Russia. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in January and was limited to a total of 18 games — he was pointless in eight games with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva, had one goal in nine games with the VHL’s Dynamo Balashikha, which is one step below the KHL, and had one goal in one game with HK MVD Balashikha in the MHL, a junior league. . . . This week, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Kostin has been at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. On Thursday, he told Joe Yerdon of NHL.com that he plans on playing in North America in 2017-18, but that he “will never go there,” in reference to Kootenay holding his CHL rights. . . . Of course, the NHL team that selects Kostin in the draft will be able to sign him and assign him within its organization because he will have been drafted out of Europe.
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The Vancouver Giants have acquired F Brad Morrison, 20, from the Prince George Cougars for a selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft.
According to the Cougars’ news release, it’s a second-round selection; the Giants’ news release referred
BRAD MORRISON
to it as a conditional second-round pick.
Morrison, who is from Prince George, was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. In 260 regular-season games with the Cougars, he had 85 goals and 103 assists. He added 11 points, three of them goals, in 11 playoff games.
The New York Rangers selected Morrison in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL draft, but didn’t sign him by Thursday’s deadline, so he is eligible for the 2017 draft.
Morrison is one of six 20-year-olds on the Giants’ roster, the others being F Jack Flaman, F Ty Ronning, D Darian Skeoch, F Johnny Wesley and D Jordan Wharrie.
In Prince George, the Cougars still have 10 20-year-olds on their roster, including three who have signed NHL contracts — F Jesse Gabrielle (Boston Bruins), D Brendan Guhle (Buffalo Sabres) and F Jansen Harkins (Winnipeg Jets). Also there are F Jared Bethune, F Radovan Bondra, F Aaron Boyd, D Shane Collins, F Brodan O’Brien, D Tate Olson and F Tanner Wishnowski.
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Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week reported Friday that “a warrant has been issued” for Rudy Poeschek, “a former National Hockey League enforcer accused of breaching his probation.” . . . Poeschek didn’t show up for court on Friday where he was to have gone on trial in provincial court on allegations he missed meetings with his probation officer last summer. . . . Poeschek, who played junior hockey in Kamloops, is one of the former players who is involved in a concussion-related lawsuit against the NHL. . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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D Matt Sozanski, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the Moose Jaw Warriors, will attend Carleton U in Ottawa and play for the Ravens in 2017-18. Sozanski, from Calgary, played three seasons with the Spokane Chiefs before being dealt to Moose Jaw. This season, he had three goals and 33 assists in 63 games. In 207 career games, he had six goals and 55 assists.
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The Mount Royal U Cougars have added a pair of former WHLers for the 2017-18 season — F Mitch Lipon and D Kord Pankewicz. . . . Lipon (Kamloops, Saskatoon, Spokane, 2012-15) played this season with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines, putting up 25 goals and 48 assists in 58 games. In 71 WHL games, he had eight goals and seven assists. . . . Pankewicz (Brandon, Lethbridge, 2012-17) started this season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and finished it with the AJHL-champion Brooks Bandits. He had six goals and 22 assists in 31 games with Brooks. In 243 WHL games, he had 13 goals and 99 assists.
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Coaching

 Former WHL D Barret Jackman (Regina, 1997-2001) has rejoined the St. Louis Blues, this time as the NHL’s team’s development coach. Jackman ended a 14-year NHL career by retiring in October. . . . Jackman, 36, got a feel for the position late this season when he spent time with the Chicago Wolves, who at the time were the Blues’ AHL affiliate, and some prospects. . . . Jackman played 803 games with the Blues before finishing up his NHL career with the Nashville Predators in 2015-16.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:07 PM
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Thursday, May 18, 2017

Americans introduce captain, new logo ... Hurricanes captain gets AHL deal ... Ex-P.A. captain to coach in AHL


D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) has signed a one-year contract with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), he had three goals and 13 assists in 44 games. . . .
D Austin Madaisky (Calgary, Kamloops, 2008-12) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, he had three assists in 19 games.
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 The Tri-City Americans unveiled their 30th anniversary logo on Thursday evening, while also announcing that F Michael Rasmussen is the 29th team captain in the team’s history. . . . Rasmussen, who will be a first-round selection in the 2017 NHL draft, had 32 goals and 23 assists in 50 games this season. His season ended prematurely when he suffered a broken scaphoid in his left wrist. In his two seasons with the Americans, Rasmussen has 50 goals and 48 assists in 114 games. . . . The Americans will be celebrating 30 seasons in the Tri-Cities — Kennewick, Pasco and Richland — in 2017-18. It’s worth noting, though, that the Americans actually are one of the WHL’s original franchises. They started out as the Calgary Buffaloes in 1966-67, the WHL’s first season, and were the Calgary Centennials from 1967-77. After that, they were the Billings Bighorns (1977-82), Nanaimo Islanders (1982-83) and New Westminster Bruins (1983-88).
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F Tyler Wong, who played out his eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes this season, has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Wong played five seasons with the Hurricanes, putting up 298 points, including 143 goals. From Cochrane, Alta., he was the Hurricanes’ captain for the past two seasons. This season, he totalled 109 points, tying for the WHL lead with 41 goals, in 69 games.
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Coaching Game

 Jeremy Colliton is the new head coach of the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. The 32-year-old Colliton, who is from Blackie, Alta., played four seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders (2001-05), the last two as team captain. He spent the past four seasons as the head coach of Mora IK in Sweden (HockeyAllsvenskan). In Rockford, Colliton replaces Ted Dent, who was fired following the end of this season.
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Paul McFarland of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs has been named the head coach of the U-18 team that will represent Canada at this summer’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. McFarland also was the team’s head coach a year ago. His assistant coaches will be Brent Kisio of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Daniel Jacob of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. . . . The tournament will be held in Bratislava, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czech Republic, in August. . . . The 2018 tournament is scheduled to be held in Edmonton. . . . Meanwhile, Dave Struch, the Regina Pats’ assistant GM/assistant coach, has been named head coach of Team Canada Black that will play at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C., Nov. 5-11. . . . Struch’s assistant coaches will be Spencer Carbery (OHL’s Saginaw Spirit) and Louis Robitaille (QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres). . . . Luke Pierce, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, will work as an assistant on Team Canada Red. Gilles Bouchard (QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) is the head coach, with B.J. Adams (OHL’s Erie Otters) the other assistant. . . . Ryan Oulahen of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds will be the head coach of Team Canada White. His assistants will be Brett Gibson (Queen’s University) and Eric Landry (QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques).
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:30 PM
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Monday, March 20, 2017

No coaching changes appear imminent . . . Blades staff back for sure . . . Lawsuit moves to Toronto




F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed a one-year extension with Preussen Berlin (Germany, Oberliga). This season, he had eight goals and 15 assists in 12 games. He started the season on a tryout with Schönheide (Germany, Oberliga). He had a goal and two assists in four games, then was released on Nov. 23. He signed with Preussen on Jan. 20. . . .
F Jan Eberle (Seattle, 2006-08) has signed a one-year extension with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had seven goals and 10 assists in 51 games this season.
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Here’s a look at the 22 WHL head coaches who have more than 300 regular-season victories to their credit (following 2016-17):
1. Ken Hodge (Edmonton, Portland), 742
2. Don Hay (Kamloops, Tri-City, Vancouver) 720
3. Don Nachbaur (Seattle, Tri-City, Spokane) 692
4. Lorne Molleken (Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Regina) 626
5. Ernie McLean (Estevan, New Westminster) 548
6. Mike Williamson (Portland, Calgary, Tri-City) 534
7. Pat Ginnell (Flin Flon, Victoria, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, New Westminster) 518
8. Peter Anholt (Prince Albert, Seattle, Red Deer, Kelowna, Lethbridge) 466
    Jack Shupe (Medicine Hat, Victoria) 466
10. Dean Clark (Calgary, Brandon, Kamloops, Prince George) 465
11. Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon) 456
12. Bob Lowes (Seattle, Brandon, Regina) 453
13. Brent Sutter (Red Deer) 441
14. Marc Habscheid (Kamloops, Kelowna, Chilliwack, Victoria, Prince Albert) 424
15. Doug Sauter (Calgary, Medicine Hat, Regina, Brandon) 417
16. Marcel Comeau (Calgary, Saskatoon, Tacoma, Kelowna) 411
17. Bryan Maxwell (Medicine Hat, Spokane, Lethbridge) 397
18. Graham James (Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Calgary) 349
19. Bob Loucks (Lethbridge, Tri-City, Medicine Hat) 340
20. Willie Desjardins (Saskatoon, Medicine Hat) 333
21. Kevin Constantine (Everett) 326
22. Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat 320
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Colin Priestner, the general manager of the Saskatoon Blades, says the team’s coaching staff will be back for another go-round next season.
When Taking Note queried Priestner on that subject, he quickly responded: “For sure. They did an
unbelievable job.”
Dean Brockman was in his first season as head coach, after spending two seasons working with Bob Woods, the previous head coach, who now is an assistant with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Bryce Thoma and Ryan Keller completed their first seasons as Saskatoon’s assistant coaches. Of course, Jerome Engele, the other assistant coach, is a Blades lifer.
The Blades have yet to appear in the postseason during the Priestner era. Mike Priestner, who is based in Edmonton, purchased the team prior to the 2013-14 season. The Blades had been the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament.
This season, they dealt with a number of long-term injuries, but were in the playoff chase right to the final weekend.
Meanwhile, Steve Ewen of Postmedia points out that “Jason McKee is the longest-serving (head) coach that the Vancouver Giants have had among the past four bench bosses. He’s lasted an entire season.”
The Giants missed the playoffs in McKee’s first season behind their bench, but they went all-in for the future at the trade deadline and also paid the price when F Tyler Benson and D Darian Skeoch, two key performers, had their seasons cut short by injuries.
Vancouver is on the outside looking in for a third straight season, and the fourth time in five springs, 
Still, as Ewen writes, “By all accounts, owner Ron Toigo is bringing back McKee, 37, and general manager Glen Hanlon, 60, for a second season. There’s a calm. They need to capitalize on that.”
Ewen’s piece is right here.
McKee has two seasons left on his contract.
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The Spokane Chiefs joined the Vancouver Giants as the other Western Conference team not to make the playoffs. Don Nachbaur, the Chiefs’ head coach and the third-winningest coach in WHL regular-season history, has one season left on his contract.
In the Eastern Conference, the other non-playoff teams are the Edmonton Oil Kings, Kootenay Ice and Prince Albert Raiders.
Steve Hamilton, the Oil Kings’ head coach, signed what was announced as a “multi-year” deal in July 2014, and you would think he isn’t going anywhere. He spent four seasons as an assistant under Derek Laxdal and moved up when Laxdal left for a job with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Hamilton has Oil Kings bloodlines — his father, Al, is a former team captain who also captained the Oilers. The Oil Kings committed to a rebuild when they dealt D Aaron Irving and F Lane Bauer, two key 20-year-olds, at the deadline.
The future of Luke Pierce, who has completed two seasons as head coach of the Kootenay Ice, may hinge on what appears to be the impending sale of the franchise. Pierce signed a three-year contract, so has a year left on his deal. The Ice went young two seasons ago and has paid a steep price, going 26-99-19 during Pierce’s stint in Cranbrook.
In Prince Albert, veteran WHL coach Marc Habscheid has a contract that runs through 2018-19. He took over from the fired Cory Clouston on Nov. 1, 2014.
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Rick Westhead, a senior reporter with TSN, has filed his latest piece on the proposed class-action lawsuits that more than 400 present and former major junior players have filed. The lawyers were in a Calgary courtroom last month and, while there hasn’t been a decision rendered from there just yet, the scene now has shifted to Toronto.
“The Ontario Hockey League says its teams may have to pare back their drug education, anti-doping, concussion management, and medical and dental programs if the league loses a minimum-wage lawsuit, according to a new court filing,” Westhead writes.
“The OHL made the claims days before it appears in Ontario Superior Court on Tuesday to begin a hearing into whether a lawsuit filed against the league by former players should be certified as a class action.”
According to a rebuttal filed by the plaintiffs: “. . . The vast majority of the benefits which the defendants claim are threatened are not true player benefits. It would be impossible for the league to operate without coaches, away games, billeting, equipment, etc. Accordingly, the likelihood of these ‘benefits’ being cut is virtually nil.”
Westhead’s latest story is right here.
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MONDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.
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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:21 PM
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Sunday, October 30, 2016

Scattershooting . . . Ice sweeps defending champs . . . Rockets rolling . . . Pats win again

Scattershoot
Scattershooting on a Sunday night after watching the Cubs and Indians and while watching the Eagles and Cowboys via PVR. . . .
USA Hockey will play host to the 2018 World Junior Championship and it will include an outdoor game between Team USA and Canada at 71,870-seat New Era Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The game has been turned into a gimmicky cash grab and will be played Dec. 29, a move that presumably provides a couple of snow dates.
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Under no circumstances should an important round-robin game at the WJC be turned into a gimmick. But that’s exactly what has been allowed to happen.
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With New Era Stadium having a capacity of 71,870, the gate should be well in excess of US$7 million. How much of that cash will go directly into the pockets of the young men playing in that game?
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The Kootenay Ice has been down and out for over a season now, so you wonder if what happened over the weekend signals the turning of a corner. Luke Pierce, one of junior hockey’s bright, young head coaches, likely would say it’s too soon to tell. But the Ice just swept two games from the defending-champion Brandon Wheat Kings and you can bet the biggest smiles in Cranbrook belong to the Kootenay players. Enjoy it boys; you’ve earned it.
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The WHL features 22 teams and — thanks to a system that includes loser points — 16 of them have winning percentages of .500 or higher. In reality, there are 11 teams that have won at least as many games as they have lost.
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The NHL’s New York Islanders scratched F Mathew Barzal again on Sunday, meaning he has played in only two of the team’s first nine games. After beating the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, the Islanders are 4-5-0. Under the terms of the CBA, the 19-year-old Barzal has two options — the Islanders or Seattle Thunderbirds.
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F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings didn’t play again Sunday. Patrick, the consensus No. 1 pick in the NHL’s 2017 draft, hasn’t played since Oct. 11. He has missed eight of the team’s 14 games. Patrick had surgery for a sports hernia in July and speculation is that there are issues. Hockey Canada has to be getting nervous because it will be announcing the roster for the national junior team’s selection camp in about a month.
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If you are with one of the WHL Western Conference’s other nine teams, you have to be concerned with the fact that the Kelowna Rockets are heating up. After a terribly slow start under new head coach Jason Smith, the Rockets have won six in a row to get to 9-7-0. It’s also worth noting that F Nick Merkley has two goals but they came in his last two games, something that bodes well for Kelowna.
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It’s going to be appointment viewing when Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, presents the Super Bowl trophy to quarterback Tom Brady of the New England Patriots on Feb. 5 in Houston. Mark the date on your calendar.
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With October about to leave us, you do realize that there are only eight Saturdays left before Christmas Day, don’t you? The last one of those eight is Christmas Eve.
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Ian Mulgrew, one of the Vancouver Sun’s two political columnists, has written another piece involving the proposed class-action lawsuit that is aimed at the CHL, WHL, OHL and their teams.
In this one, Mulgrew followed up on last week’s story that originated with TSN’s Rick Westhead.
Mulgrew writes:
"Canadian and Western Hockey League teams have been ordered to reveal their finances in a player’s class-action lawsuit for failure to meet employment standards.
“In a big win for the major junior players, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice R.J. Hall said the teams must produce evidence to back their claims that their financial straits are so dire they can’t afford to pay the talent.
“The leagues argued the disclosure order was too broad and the money numbers should not be revealed until after the lawsuit was certified, but the judge disagreed.
“He said the league must prove its assertions that the players’ demands would have such a bad financial effect on the clubs some would be forced to close.”
Mulgrew’s latest piece is right here.
linkis.com/vancouversun.com/new/89cbK
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Justice R.J. Hall of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench ruled on Friday that while all 22 WHL teams must produce financial statements and tax returns for every year from 2011 to the present, the OHL’s 20 teams may not be included.
He noted that in Alberta, the CHL and WHL “have chosen to file affidavits from OHL team representatives arguing the same deleterious effects for them, and hence a deleterious effect for the CHL . . .”
Justice Hall added that if the WHL intends “to use and rely” on those OHL-based affidavits, then all OHL teams “must also provide the requested financial information.”
However, if the WHL chooses “to withdraw affidavits” from OHL teams, then those teams wouldn’t have to produce that information.
What isn’t in doubt is that David Branch, the OHL commissioner who doubles as CHL president, and Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, have been ordered to turn over a lot of information.
Robison must produce (a) all revenue-sharing agreements to which the WHL is a party; (b) all agreements that generate revenue for the WHL; and (c) “the source documentation for the statistical conclusions made in his affidavit.” In that affidavit, Robison “among other things, provides evidence on the expected financial impact on the WHL of deterring that the players are entitled to wages under the employment standards legislation applicable to the jurisdiction in which the teams were located.”
Branch, meanwhile, has been ordered to produce (a) all revenue-sharing agreements to which the CHL is a party; (b) all agreements that generate revenue for the CHL; and (c) the “source documentation from the statistical conclusions made in his affidavit.”
Justice Hall’s ruling from Friday doesn’t include a date by which the requested information must be provided.
As of Sunday evening, there hadn’t been any comment from anyone involved in the CHL, WHL or OHL.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Cranbrook, B.C., the Kootenay Ice erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 6-2. . . . The Ice had beaten the visiting Wheat Kings, 2-1, on Friday night. . . . Kootenay went into the weekend series with the defending champions having won just 13 of its past 85 games. . . The Ice now is 3-8-4 and has won two in a row. . . . The Wheat Kings (6-6-2) are lost three straight. . . . On Sunday, F Baron Thompson gave Brandon a 1-0 lead with his first goal at 8:38 of the first period. . . . The Ice tied it when D Cale Fleury scored his second goal with 0.3 seconds left in the first. . . . F Max Patterson’s goal, on a PP, at 8:57 of the second period put the home boys out front. . . . He’s got two goals. . . . D Troy Murray’s first goal, at 1:37 of the third period, added insurance and F Matt Alfaro stretched the lead at 9:49. . . . Brandon F Connor Gutenberg cut into the lead with his third goal, at 10:09, but the Ice closed it out on F Zak Zborosky’s 12th goal, at 11:55, and another from Alfaro, into an empty net, at 18:42. Alfaro has six goals. . . . Zborosky is tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead with F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans. . . . Murray and Fleury each had two assists, with Zborosky adding one. . . . F Reid Duke had two assists for Brandon. . . . G Payton Lee blocked 35 shots for Kootenay, while Brandon got 33 saves from Jordan Papirny. . . . Papirny, 20, tied the Brandon franchise record for career regular-season starts (172). He shares that mark with Glen Hanlon, now the GM of the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Ice was 2-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-3. . . . Announced attendance: 1,573.
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At Portland, the Kelowna Rockets erased a 2-0 second-period deficit to beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . One night earlier, the visiting Rockets beat Portland, 5-3. . . . On Sunday, the home side skated to a 2-0 lead on goals from F Joachim Blichfeld, his fifth, at 12:41 of the first period, and F Skyler McKenzie, his 10th, on a PP, at 14:30 of the second. . . . Kelowna F Rod Southam got perhaps his club’s biggest goal when he scored shorthanded just 26 seconds after McKenzie. . . . The Rockets tied the game on F Nick Merkley’s second goal of the season — and second in two nights — on a PP, at 9:35 of the third period. . . . F Tomas Soustal snapped the tie with No. 7 at 11:39. . . . Merkley also had an assist. . . . F Cody Glass had two assists for Portland. . . . Each of the goaltenders — Brody Salmond of Kelowna and Cole Kehler of Portland — stopped 42 shots. . . . Kelowna was 1-3 on the PP; Portland was 1-5. . . . The Rockets (9-7-0) now have won six in a row. . . . The Winterhawks (8-8-0) have lost five straight. . . . Announced attendance: 5,117.
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At Regina, F Adam Brooks snapped a 3-3 tie with a PP goal at 9:30 of the third period and the Pats went on to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-3. . . . The Pats (10-0-3), who have won six in a row, have the
WHL’s best winning percentage (.885) and remain the only one of the CHL’s 60 teams not to have lost at least once in regulation time. . . . No one knows the Pats’ history as does Kevin Shaw and he says the franchise record for the best start is from 1964-65. The Pats began that season by going 14-0-4, with the last number representing ties (remember them?). . . . The Thunderbirds (4-6-1) are 1-1-0 on their East Division trip. . . . After Brooks scored his fifth goal, D Connor Hobbs and F Dawson Leedahl added empty-netters. . . . Leedahl added two assists to his goal, his fifth this season, while F Sam Steel (10), F Lane Zablocki (6) and Hobbs (3) each had a goal and an assist. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear, scored his third goal, and added an assist. He has two goals and three assists in the first two games of this trip — he has been in on all five of his team’s goals in the two games. He’s from Ochapowace, Sask., which is just east of Regina. . . . Seattle got a goal and an assist from F Sami Moilanen, who has three goals. . . . Regina G Tyler Brown stopped 26 shots, four more than Seattle’s Rylan Toth. . . . The Thunderbirds were 3-5 on the PP; the Pats were 2-5. . . . Announced attendance: 6,484.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:28 PM
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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Ice signs head coach . . . Generals beat Rockets . . . Tigers get goaltender from 'Hawks








F Brett Breitkreuz (Kelowna, Edmonton, Vancouver, 2006-10) signed a one-year contract with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). This season, with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL), he had four goals and four assists in 51 games. . . .
F Brandon Segal (Calgary, 1999-2004) signed a two-year contract with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL), he had 10 goals and 15 assists in 54 games.
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LUKE PIERCE
The Kootenay Ice has dipped into the junior A ranks for the seventh head coach in its history.
Luke Pierce 31, was named head coach on Tuesday and signed a three-year contract. He replaces Ryan McGill, whose contract won’t be renewed after it expires on June 30. (That was McGill’s second stint as head coach; counting him twice makes Pierce No. 7.)
Pierce, who is from Merritt, B.C., has been the GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials since November 2009. He put up a 168-111-21 record there and had the team in the playoffs in each of the six seasons.
Meanwhile, assistant coach Jay Henderson has said he won’t be returning to the Ice. His contract also expires on June 30.
Of the WHL’s 22 teams, 20 now have head coaches. Pierce is the only one of those 20 head guys to have moved into the WHL directly from junior A.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants are the only two teams presently without a head coach.
Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has more on the Ice’s hire right here, including a neat piece on how Pierce’s name was brought to the attention of general manager Jeff Chynoweth.
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The Oshawa Generals clinched a berth in the Memorial Cup final with a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Tuesday night. . . . The Generals won’t play again until Sunday’s final. . . . Oshawa improved to 3-0 with the victory, each of them by one goal, while the Rockets slipped to 1-2. . . . The host Quebec Remparts (1-1) and the Rimouski Oceanic (0-2) are scheduled to meet tonight. The Oceanic won the QMJHL title by beating the Remparts in double OT in Game 7. . . . If Quebec wins tonight, the Remparts and Rockets will play in the semifinal game on Friday. A Rimouski win tonight likely puts the Oceanic and Remparts into a tiebreaker on Thursday. The Rockets likely would avoid the tiebreaker on goal differential. . . . Last night, all three goals came in the second period. . . . Oshawa F Cole Cassels (4:15) and F Tobias Lindberg (17:16) gave the Generals a 2-0 lead. . . . F Gage Quinney scored for Kelowna at 18:11. . . . Quinney leads the tournament with four goals, one more than Lindberg. F Nick Merkley and F Leon Draisaitl of the Rockets also have three. . . . Merkley and Oshawa F Michael Dal Colle lead in points, each with five. . . . Oshawa G Ken Appleby stopped 20 shots, seven fewer than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . The Rockets were 0-for-3 on the PP; Oshawa’s PP unit never got on the ice. . . . Kelowna had a glorious opportunity to tie the game, and maybe win it, when the Generals were given two minor penalties 1:01 apart late in the third period. Only three penalties were called in the entire game. F Dakota Mermis went off for kneeing at 15:36 of the third, and Cassels was called for delay to game at 16:37. The Rockets were all around Appleby and had numerous scoring chances, but they weren’t able to get the equalizer. . . . Draisaitl was 16-for-29 in the faceoff circle; Cassels was 15-for-30.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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The latest alleged victim of former WHL coach Graham James went to the police in September 2013, one month after telling his family of his experiences. Since then, he has been in close contact with Todd Holt, who was sexually abused by James while both were with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Dean Pritchard of the Calgary Sun has more right here.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have acquired G Evan Johnson, 19, from the Portland Winterhawks for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . The Winterhawks got Johnson from the Calgary Hitmen in January. He got into only four games with Portland, going 1-0-2, 3.97, .880. . . . Johnson, from Winnipeg, finished the season 6-3-4, 3.13, .890. . . . The top two goaltenders on the Tigers’ depth chart now are Johnson and Nick Schneider, who turns 18 on July 21. . . . Schneider played in 27 games this season, going 15-7-1, 2.82, .898. . . . Portland’s starter is Adin Hill, 19, who was 31-11-1, 2.81, .921 this season. . . . Michael Bullion, an 18-year-old from Anchorage, likely is No. 2 on the depth chart. He got into four games this season, going 2-2-0, 3.22, .900, but spent most of the season with the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild.
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Veteran F Ben Duperreault won’t be back with the Moose Jaw Warriors. Duperreault, who turns 18 on July 18, had one goal and four assists in 34 games this season, after putting up 18 points, six of them goals, in 65 games in 2013-14. Duperreault, who is from Wilcox, Sask., was dropped by the Warriors prior to the bantam draft.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:37 PM
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