Panthers get Barzal . . . Nylund joins Eagles . . . Monarchs win AHL final opener

There isn’t any doubt that a community that loses its daily newspaper is poorer for it. And I don’t say that just because I worked at the Kamloops Daily News prior to its death.
It has been 17 months since The Daily News last published and, whenever I am around and about, I still have people asking me what happened.
Even today, I am unable to provide an answer, although I firmly believe it all began when newspapers started giving away their product via the Internet.
What I do know is that I am constantly hearing just how important a daily newspaper is to a community and the important role it plays in the lives of its citizens.
On Saturday, in a conversation with someone who works with the elderly among us, I learned something else about daily newspapers and their role.
This person told me that there are elderly people in Kamloops who struggle with knowing what day of the week it is. Why? Because they no longer have a daily newspaper arrive in their home six days a week. That newspaper always had the day and date in the Page 1 masthead.
Meanwhile, other newspapers continue to fight for survival.
Dave Perry, the editor of the Aurora, Colo., Sentinel has written a really good piece explaining a lot of what is going on. If you care about the newspaper industry, or wonder how it got to this point, give it a read. It’s right here.
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For a while on Saturday, I was the general manager of the NHL’s Florida Panthers. It was part of a mock NHL draft held by the gang at TSN 1260, an Edmonton radio station.
Selecting 11th overall, I took F Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the Panthers, who should be so fortunate come June 26 when the first round of the draft is held in their home arena.
If you are curious about how it went, click right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The BCHL’s Surrey Eagles, who are preparing for the 25th season, have added Gary Nylund to their coaching staff. Nylund also was on the team’s coaching staff from 2010-12. As an assistant coach, he will work with Blaine Neufeld, the director of hockey operations and head coach. Nylund, who is from Surrey, was the third overall selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL’s 1982 draft. He went on to play 608 NHL games, also seeing time with the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders. He had played three seasons (1979-82) with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Nylund has been with the Delta, B.C., Fire Department for 22 years now. He presently is a captain.
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Our latest poll closed yesterday. The question asked about the next head coach of the Vancouver Giants.
There were 117 votes, with 41 (35 per cent) selecting Ryan McGill. Dallas Eakins drew 20 votes (17 per cent), with Ted Nolan and John Tortorella tied with 19 (16 per cent). . . . Ian Herbers, the head coach of the CIS-champion, drew 12 votes (10 per cent), while Elliott Pap, who retired from the Vancouver Sun’s sports department last week, got six votes (5 per cent).
Feel free to take a look over there on the right and check out our new poll. It has to do with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
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In the AHL, F Michael Mersch scored in OT to give the host Manchester Monarchs a 3-2 victory over the Utica Comets in Game 1 of the Calder Cup final. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Manchester. . . . Mersch had two goals and an assist, the winner coming 4:10 into OT. . . . The winner withstood a video review as officials checked to see if the net come off its moorings before the puck crossed the goalline. . . . F Jordan Weal, who played for the Regina Pats (2008-12), had two assists, giving him 26 career playoff points, a Monarchs’ franchise record. The previous record (25) was held by F Bud Holloway (Seattle Thunderbirds, 2004-08). . . . F Sven Baertschi had one of Utica’s goals but left later with an undisclosed injury. . . . Jon Rosen, the Los Angeles Kings’ Insider, has more right here.
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My money is on either Molleken or McGill. RT @Arpannnnn: @SteveEwen anyother q. any word on who giants next coach will be?

— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) June 6, 2015

Piers Morgan writes that I didn't recognise him in a restaurant in New York.I did.I just didn't want to speak to someone I truly detest

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) June 5, 2015

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Monday . . .

No doubt F Scott Glennie of the Brandon Wheat Kings was disappointed not to have been invited to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. So how did he spend Monday after the announcements were made? . . . Was he moping and pouting around Brandon? Was he hiding out in his room? . . . No, he was one of the Brandon traveling party that headed west to Elkhorn, Man., as the Wheat Kings’ Hockey Caravan spent time with players from another rural minor hockey association. . . . Do you think any of those children knew, or cared, that the mucky-mucks somewhere decided Glennie wasn’t good enough to warrant a chance to earn an opportunity to play for Canada? . . . Not on your life. . . . And I’m betting that Glennie came away from there with a smile on his face. . . .
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Glennie was a first-round selection by the Dallas Stars in the 2009 NHL draft. Gary Roberts, the former NHLer who now works in player development with the Stars, was on the ice with the Wheat Kings on Monday. He was, according to the Brandon Sun’s Rob Henderson, “passing along some on-ice and off-ice tips to the players.” . . . “He’s been here for the past couple days and he’s a great guy and he knows a lot about his stuff,” Glennie told Henderson. “I was really happy that he came down here to see me. I really appreciate that.” . . .
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Still with the Wheat Kings, what is with the Los Angeles Kings and F Brayden Schenn?
Geez, make a decision already!
Schenn, who has played eight NHL games this season, completed his conditioning stint with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs and is expected to skate with the Kings today. (Schenn had three goals and four assists, and was plus-3, in seven games with Manchester.)
Schenn, 19, has to play in the NHL or be returned to Brandon. For whatever reason, the Kings seem more intent on having him practice with them and watch them play, rather than return to the Wheat Kings.
Could be the Kings will stall for another couple of weeks and then loan him to Canada’s national junior team, which opens its selection camp in Toronto on Dec. 11.
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The Prince George Cougars, who are in first place in the B.C. Division, have a chance to make some hay in December. They will play 12 of their next 14 games on home ice. The Calgary Hitmen are at the CN Centre on Wednesday night. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have returned F Tyler Paslawski, 18, to the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. That leaves the Raiders had 23 players, including nine defencemen and 12 forwards. . . . The Raiders have an important week ahead of them as they are in the Central Division for three games. They meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Wednesday, the Rebels in Red on Friday and the Hurricanes in Lethbridge on Saturday. . . . Tim Tisdale, who scored the winning goal for the Swift Current Broncos in overtime in the 1989 Memorial Cup championship game, has taken over as GM of the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires. Tisdale has long been involved in minor hockey in Swift Current, from coaching to refereeing to working on volunteer boards. . . . F Linden Vey of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who is leading the WHL scoring race, is the league’s player of the week. He had nine points, including four goals, as the Tigers went 3-0-0 last week. He also was plus-6. . . . Adam Brown of the Kelowna Rockets is the nominee as CHL goaltender of the week. He was 2-0-0, 1.62, .946. . . . The Spokane Chiefs are listing G James Reid (ankle) as day-to-day. He was injured Friday during a 4-3 shootout loss to the Blazers in Kamloops. . . .
An interesting note from Graham Kendrick, Portland’s director of media and public relations, in his weekly Winterhawks’ update: “The Winterhawks' march to the league's top overall record . . . has been made with a roster comprised entirely of players the team drafted or listed. The Winterhawks don't have a single player on their roster acquired via trade.” That roster features 15 Portland draft picks, six players who were listed and two from the CHL import draft. . . . According to Kendrick, “No other team in the WHL has a roster without a single player having been acquired via trade.” . . . You would have to think the Winterhawks may bring in a player or two via the trade route over the next while. For starters, they have room for a 20-year-old . . .

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