Spitfires win 99th Memorial Cup ... Is it time for a format change? ... Hitmen looking for new head coach

D Ty Wishart (Prince George, Moose Jaw, 2004-08) has signed a one-year contract with Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had five goals and six assists in 49 games with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga).

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F Aaron Luchuk broke a 3-3 tie at 5:07 of the third period as the host Windsor Spitfires won the 99th Memorial Cup with a 4-3 victory over the OHL-champion Erie Otters on Sunday night. . . . This was the best game of what had been a rather mundane tournament. . . . The Spitfires, who won the tournament for the third time in nine years, ran the table in the four-team tournament, going 4-0. . . . The Otters wound up 3-2. . . . Also in the tournament were the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs, who went 1-2 in the round-robin and then lost 6-3 to Erie in the semifinal game, and the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds (0-3). . . .

Erie held 2-1 and 3-2 leads during the championship game. . . . Windsor F Jeremy Bracco, who finished with a goal and two assists, opened the scoring, on a PP, at 16:07 with his third goal of the event. . . . Erie F Dylan Strome tied it 49 seconds later. He finished with seven goals, one shy of the tournament record. . . . Erie took the lead at 5:35 of the second period, on a PP, when the puck hit F Warren Foegele (2) in the left skate and bounced into the net. The goal call was confirmed after video review, although many observers were left wondering exactly what constitutes a distinct kicking motion. . . . Windsor pulled even 52 seconds later when D Logan Stanley scored his first goal. . . . Erie went back out front at 12:41 as F TJ Fergus, the son of former NHL F Tom Fergus, scored his first goal. . . . The Spitfires tied it again, at 14:53, on another PP goal, this one from F Graham Knott (3). . . . That set the stage for Luchuk’s winner, which was set up by Bracco. . . . Windsor got two assists from each of F Gabriel Vilardi and Logan Brown. . . . Strome added an assist to his goal. . . . Both goalies had great games. . . . Michael DiPietro stopped 32 shots to record the victory over Troy Timpano, who made 18 saves. . . . Windsor was 2-4 on the PP; Erie was 1-4. . . . Announced attendance: 6,519, the tournament’s first sellout in the WFCU Centre, which has a capacity of 6,500. It also was the first sellout of the 2016-17 season in the facility. . . . Steve Papp, who works in the WHL, was one of the game’s two referees. The other was the OHL’s Darcy Burchell. . . .

Strome and F Taylor Raddysh of Erie led the tournament with 11 points each. . . . Strome also led in goals (7), while teammate Alex DeBrincat had a tournament-high eight assists. . . . DiPietro finished 4-0, 2.00, .932. . . . Windsor’s Rocky Thompson is the first head coach to win a Memorial Cup without having won a playoff series. . . . The Spitfires lost out to the London Knights in Game 7 of a first-round playoff series and then were off for 44 days before the tournament opened. . . . The last host team to win the Memorial Cup? The QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, in 2012. All told, 10 host teams have won it all since the format was adopted in 1983. . . . The 2018 Memorial Cup tournament, which will celebrate 100 years, is scheduled to be held in Regina with the WHL’s Pats as the host team. . . . Erie played in its 95th game of the season on Sunday, while Windsor was playing No. 79. . . .

The OHL now has won three straight Memorial Cups. . . . Windsor joins the Cornwall Royals and Kamloops Blazers atop the list, each with three Memorial Cup championships since the round-robin format began. . . . The New Westminster Bruins/Kamloops franchise won five titles. . . . Warren Rychel, the Spitfires’ general manager, has won three championships, tying Matt Leyden (Oshawa Generals, 1939, 1940, 1944) and Bob Brown (Kamloops, 1992, 1994, 1995). . . . Rychel is expected to leave the Spitfires for a spot in the front office of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun has a game story right here.

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Windsor was OHL's 5th-best, lost 1st round, won Mem Cup as host. These embarrassments will stop when CHL stops treating event as cash grab.

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) May 29, 2017

Wish people would stop complaining about @MCMemorialCup format. Is it perfect?..No..but just enjoy the event for the showcase & event it is.

— Brent Parker (@Patguy65) May 29, 2017

Every year, it seems, the Memorial Cup format comes under fire once the tournament has concluded.

When the host team wins, which is what happened on Sunday when the Windsor Spitfires did just that, well, the flames seem to be just a little bit hotter.

But, really, is there a better way to decide a Memorial Cup champion than under the present format?

Ideally, it would be decided the way it was back in the day — with the eastern and western champions meeting in a best-of-seven series.

There also was a time (1972-82) when the Memorial Cup was decided in a three-team format without a host team. How do you think the 2017 event would have been received had it featured the Erie Otters, Saint John Sea Dogs and Seattle Thunderbirds in Windsor?

Having a host team allows an organizing committee to turn the tournament into a 10-day festival of sorts. Knowing where the tournament will be well in advance also means fans are able to book vacations and make plans to attend.

The one thing the 2017 tournament did was provide more evidence that junior hockey has lost its way to a certain degree. When it comes to ticket pricing, junior hockey needs to realize that it’s just that — junior hockey. Even with the Spitfires playing well and going 3-0 in the round-robin, the only game in Windsor that sold out was the final one.

It will be interesting to see how the Regina organizing committee and the CHL price tickets for the 2018 tournament in the Brandt Centre, which has a capacity of 6,484.

As we prepare for Regina, maybe the thing to do is come to the realization that the Memorial Cup doesn’t mean what it once did. Winning a league championship in the OHL, QMJHL or WHL is what it’s all about; winning a Memorial Cup is gravy, but it’s not the end of the world if a team gets there and comes up short.

While we’re at it, let’s take Memorial Cup week — or Memorial Cup 10 days — for what it is, a celebration of hockey, a time to enjoy being around other hockey people, fans and media (or what’s left of the media), and have a good time.

Now . . . about those ticket prices.  

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The Calgary Hitmen are in the market for a head coach.

The Hitmen announced Sunday that Mark French, their head coach for the past three seasons, has

signed on as head coach of the Fribourg-Gottéron Dragons of Switzerland’s National League A.

Rumblings about that possibility surfaced early this month with reports from Europe that French was to be interviewed by the Dragons.

Under French, the Hitmen went 117-80-19, qualifying for the playoffs each season. This season, Calgary was 30-32-10, grabbing the Eastern Conference’s second of two wild-card spots, before being swept by the Regina Pats in a first-round playoff series.

The Hitmen had signed French to what the club said was a “multi-year extension” on June 20.

French, who is from Milton, Ont., had joined the Hitmen after being head coach of Medveščak Zagreb in the KHL. He also was to have been an assistant coach with the U-18 Canadian team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in August.

There now are two WHL teams without a head coach, the other being the Spokane Chiefs.

Former Kelowna Rockets coach Dan Lambert, who was fired last week by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres as head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, has been rumoured to be in the mix in Spokane.

The Hitmen also are looking for a general manager, having promoted Mike Moore to vice-president and alternate governor on May 15. Moore is acting as general manager until a successor is found. Moore, who has been with the Hitmen for 10 seasons, had been Calgary’s GM through the past four seasons.

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Ex-WHL coach off to Slovakia ... Hitmen coach talking with Swiss team? ... Blades sign three picks

F Brad Ross (Portland, 2007-12) has signed a one-year contract with the Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), Ross had four assists in six games. His season ended prematurely due to a hand injury. Heilbronner’s head coach is Gerhard Unterluggauer (Brandon, 1995-97). . . .

F Dalibor Bortňák (Kamloops, 2008-11) has signed a one-year extension with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, in 49 games, he had 10 goals and 22 assists.

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Former Kamloops Blazers head coach Dave Hunchak will
coach in Slovakia next season.
(Photo: Hugo Yuen/Kamloops Daily News)

It took more than three years, but former WHL coach Dave Hunchak is back in the game.

Hunchak has been named associate coach with Banská Bystrica, which won the Slovak Extraliga this season. Hunchak, who got a two-year contract, will work alongside head coach Vladimir Országh.

Hunchak, 43, coached in the WHL for 10 seasons, with the Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors and Kamloops Blazers. He was the head coach in Moose Jaw for four seasons (2007-11) and spent two-plus seasons in Kamloops.

Hunchak was the Blazers’ head coach when he left the team while it was in Spokane in January 2014. More than a year later he spoke with Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail for a piece headlined: Hockey world steps up mental health support. But is it enough?

That story is right here.

Banská Bystrica was looking to replace Richard Zednik, who had left its coaching staff, and chose to get in touch with Hunchak.

“During the interviews . . . many names fell,“ Julius Koval, Banská Bystrica’s sports manager, said on the team’s website. “But finally, on the basis of recommendations, like Jason Bast or Ty Wishart, we decided to reach Dave.”

Bast and Wishart played for Hunchak in Moose Jaw. Bast played in Banská Bystrica in 2015-16, while Wishart just completed his first season there.

Hunchak will leave for training camp in mid-July.

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Excited to be returning to Bruneck and @hcpustertal Looking forward to working with the great group of players and staff we have there.

— Mark Holick (@coachholly68) May 17, 2017

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The Calgary Hitmen are looking for a new general manager, having moved Mike Moore up to vice-president and alternate governor on Tuesday.

Might they also be in the market for a head coach before too long?

Mark French, their 46-year-old head coach, is said to be in the running for the head-coaching job with the Fribourg-Gotteron Dragons of Switzerland’s National League A.

Earlier this month, the Swiss newspaper La Liberte reported that French was the front-runner to replace Larry Huras, and that French was likely to meet with team president Michel Volet in the near future.

French has completed three seasons as Calgary’s head coach. He received what the team said was a “multi-year” contract extension on June 20.

Before signing with Calgary, he was the head coach the AHL’s Hershey Bears for four seasons and with Medvescak Zagreb of the KHL for one season.

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The Saskatoon Blades had two first-round selections in the 2017 WHL bantam draft and signed both of them on Wednesday. . . . D Aidan De La Gorgendiere, the fifth overall selection, is from Langley, B.C. De La Gorgendiere played this season at the Yale Hockey Academy. He had 26 points, including five goals, in 30 games with the bantam prep team and added two goals and two assists in four games with the Elite 15s. His parents grew up in Saskatoon so he has a lot of family there. . . . The Blades also signed F Kyle Crnkovic of Chestermere, Alta., who was the 10th overall pick. He had 79 points, 40 of them goals, in 30 games with the Pursuit of Excellence bantam prep team. . . . The Blades also announced the signing of F Braden Plaschewsky, who was taken in the second round with a pick acquired from the Red Deer Rebels for F Mason McCarty, 20. Plaschewsky, from Calgary, had 72 points, including 30 goals, in 35 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Bisons.

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F Tim Vanstone has made a commitment to the U of Calgary where he will play for the Dinos. Vanstone, from Swift Current, played out his junior eligibility this season. He was the Raiders’ captain for the past two seasons. This season, he had 30 points, including 12 goals, in 68 games. In 299 career regular-season games, all with the Raiders, he had 36 goals and 58 assists. The Raiders selected him in the third round of the 2011 bantam draft.

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D Josh Mahura of the Regina Pats has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. From St. Albert, Alta., Mahura was a third-round pick by the Ducks in the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Mahura had two goals and six assists in 51 games as a 16-year-old with the Red Deer Rebels. He missed all but two games of the 2015-16 regular season due to a knee injury, but came back to play in 17 playoff games, picking up two goals and two assists. He was dealt to the Pats this season -- he had nine goals and 24 assists in 39 games with Red Deer, and eight goals and 12 assists in 34 games with Regina. But he really caught fire in the playoffs, putting up eight goals and 13 assists in 23 games as the Pats got six games into the championship final before losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds.

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The Vancouver Giants have signed D Tanner Brown, who was a second-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. From Kelowna, Brown had seven goals and 22 assists in 26 games with the Pursuit of Excellence’s bantam prep team this season.

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Ryan McGill of the Owen Sound Attack and Kris Knoblauch of the Erie Otters were named the OHL’s first- and second-team all-star coaches on Wednesday. Both are former WHL players and coaches. . . . McGill played for the Lethbridge Broncos, Swift Current Broncos and Medicine Hat Tigers (1985-89) and was a coach with the Edmonton/Kootenay Ice (1996-2002, 2012-15). . . . Knoblauch played for the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton/Kootenay and the Lethbridge Hurricanes (1996-99). As a coach, he spent one season (2006-07) with the Prince Albert Raiders and five (2007-12) with Kootenay. . . . Knoblauch guided his Otters to the OHL championship and they are in Windsor, preparing for the Memorial Cup tournament that begins on Friday. Two of the other three head coaches also have WHL ties. Steve Konowalchuk, who is in his sixth season with the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds, played two seasons (1990-92) with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Rocky Thompson, in season No. 2 as the head coach of the host Windsor Spitfires, played four-plus seasons (1993-97) with the Medicine Hat Tigers, finishing up with 22 games with the Swift Current Broncos. He began his coaching season with three seasons (2007-10) as an assistant with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

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If you are interested in Part 2 of Lucas Aykroyd’s interview with Dave King, it’s right here. These days, King is working as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship. . . . BTW, King jogs every morning. In fact, he has jogged every morning for almost 30 years without missing a day.

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Jesse Dorrans no longer is the general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. The team revealed Wednesday morning that Dorrans “has resigned due to personal reasons.” . . . Dorrans spent one season with the Thunder, going 17-39-4 to finish sixth in the eight-team Viterra North Division. In the playoffs, the Thunder was swept from a best-of-five first-round series by the Spruce Grove Saints.

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Virtanen to sit for a bit . . . Bacon and eggs in Brandon . . . Pats' Lang makes move

MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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F Jake Virtanen of the Calgary Hitmen has been suspended for three games for a headshot on F Tanner Kaspick of the Brandon Wheat Kings in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Friday. . . . Virtanen sat out Game 2 on Saturday, and he won’t play tonight or Wednesday in Calgary. . . . Brandon leads the series 2-0, so Virtanen needs at least one Calgary victory if he is going to play again this season. . . . Kaspick left the game after neutral zone hit and hasn’t played since. . . . A video of the play is available right here.
The Hitmen also have been without F Connor Rankin and F Chase Lang, both with undisclosed injuries. . . . Virtanen, Rankin and Lang have combined for 34 playoff points, including 18 goals. . . . The Hitmen have scored 55 goals in their 14 playoff games.
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Mark French, the head coach of the Calgary Hitmen, was fined $1,000 after he slammed a stick against the boards — five times, if you’re counting — and then tossed it onto the ice in the third period of a 9-4 loss in Game 1 in Brandon on Friday night. In Brandon, coaches enter and exit the players’ bench by walking on the ice. If you saw video of the incident, French came close to doing a pratfall as he was leaving. . . . “I don’t have much comment on that other than it probably won’t be happening again due to the fact that I almost fell coming off the ice,” French told Laurence Heinen, who covers the Hitmen for the Calgary Herald. “We’ll leave that there.” . . . Heinen’s story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have perhaps the best promotional deal in all of the WHL with Smitty’s, a local restaurant. If the Wheat Kings score seven goals in a home game, a game ticket presented within seven days is worth a free Lucky 7 breakfast. You have to purchase a beverage, then you get
two eggs, two strips of bacon or two sausages, and two buttermilk pancakes or toast. . . . This season, the Wheat Kings scored at least seven goals on nine occasions in the regular season. . . . On Monday, a tweet from Smitty’s indicated the results:
Eggs: 1,952.5 dozen.
Bacon: 732.2 pounds.
Sausage: 901 pounds.
Pancakes: 11,715.
Loaves of break: 1,065.
Maple syrup: 73 gallons.
Value: $50,255.07.
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There’s a blog out there titled Hodges Heroes that follows the Portland Winterhawks. There usually is some interesting stuff on there. Check it out to see some interesting numbers on the Winterhawks from Games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference final against the Kelowna Rockets. . . . According to his numbers, the Winterhawks were 33-for-52 (63 per cent) on face-offs in Game 1 and 37-for-64 (58 per cent) in Game 2. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo was 20-for-24 in Game 2. . . . You will find it right here.
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The Regina Pats announced Monday that, effective June 1, former general manager Chad Lang will leave his position as senior vice-president to become a senior advisor. . . . According to a news release: “In his new role, Chad will work directly with the owners of the Pats, Regina-based Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group (QCSEG). His extensive knowledge and experience will also be utilized with the team’s business and hockey operations.” . . . In the same release, Lang said: “Having been born and raised in Regina, working with my hometown team has been a dream come true. This new role allows me to continue to remain with the organization, but also gives me the ability to fully explore other business opportunities.” . . . Lang has been with the Pats for five years. He was the GM until the Pats hired John Paddock as senior vice-president of hockey operations and head coach prior to this season.
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The Harlem Globetrotters and Washington Generals played in Regina’s Brandt Centre on Saturday afternoon. Yes, the Globetrotters won, this time 77-75 in OT. “Suitably,” reported Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post, “the game featured the shakiest officiating since, well, the Pats-Brandon Wheat Kings playoff series of 2015.”
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I

n the QMJHL, the host Quebec Remparts beat the Moncton Wildcats 5-1 on Monday to take a 3-0 lead in that semifinal. The Remparts get their first chance to close it out tonight at home. . . . In the other series, the Rimouski Oceanic take a 1-0 lead into tonight’s game against the Foreurs in Val-d’Or. . . .
In the OHL, the Erie Otters hold a 2-1 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Erie. . . . The Oshawa Generals and North Bay Battalion are 1-1. They are in North Bay for Game 3 tonight.
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It looks like Indians Trevor Bauer came expecting to fight the Royals today. pic.twitter.com/Ig0BnA1BEz
— Ryan Walton (@RyanWaltonMLB) April 27, 2015

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Calgary's Virtanen suspended, coach fined . . . We've got video!

The Calgary Hitmen will be without F Jake Virtanen tonight for Game 2 of their WHL Eastern Conference final in Brandon against the Wheat Kings.
The Wheat Kings won the opener, 9-4, on Friday night.
The WHL revealed on its website Saturday morning that Virtanen has been slapped with a ‘tbd’ suspension for something that happened in Game 1.
The WHL didn’t provide much info, but speculation is that the suspension is for a hit on Brandon F Tanner Kaspick at 1:10 of the third period. Virtanen was penalized for charging on the play.
If you haven’t seen the hit, it’s right here.
Meanwhile, Calgary head coach Mark French has been fined $1,000.
French, in his first season as Calgary’s head coach, was ejected in the third period after banging on the boards with a stick, then tossing it onto the ice.
There is video of his 'grand performance' right here. In Brandon, coaches have to leave via the ice surface when they are moving from the bench to the dressing room. French almost did a pratfall as he was doing the walk of shame.

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Wheaties rout Hitmen . . . Calgary coach tossed . . . Rockets come back for victory

F Jason Bast (Moose Jaw, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), he had 30 goals and 22 assists in 52 games. He also saw some AHL action, going pointless in two games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and earning one assist in four games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

pic.twitter.com/IRlGwjhqX6
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2015

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings broke a 2-2 tie with three straight second-period goals en route to a 9-4 victory over the Calgary
Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 1-0 with Game 2 in Brandon tonight. . . . The Wheat Kings set a single-game high for goals by a team in these playoffs. Calgary and the Portland Winterhawks each have had an eight-goal game this spring. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini needed help leaving the ice after going hard into the end boards with the score 2-2 in the second period. He missed a few shifts and while he was gone the Wheat Kings scored three times. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his fifth playoff

goal on a PP at 9:02, with F Braylon Shmyr adding his first of two goals at 12:17 and F Nolan Patrick getting his fifth at 12:39. . . . Shmyr just happens to be from Calgary. . . . The Wheat Kings, who had the game’s first six shots, had taken an early 2-0 first-period lead as F Jayce Hawryluk, who had missed the previous three games, scored his sixth goal and set up F John Quenneville for his fifth, via the PP. . . . The Hitmen tied it on goals from F Pavel Kamaukhov, his fourth, at 17:34 of the first and F Beck Malenstyn, his first, at 5:26 of the second. . . . John Quenneville finished with two goals and three assists, giving him 14 points in 11 games. D Eric Roy and F Rihards Bukarts, the latter having returned after a three-game absence, each had three assists. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his fifth goal and added two assists. . . . Shmyr’s goals were his first of the playoffs. . . . Brandon D Reid Gow added two assists. . . . Brandon was 3-for-9 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-6. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang, who missed the last three games of the second round, left in the third period with an apparent right leg injury after Brandon F Duncan Campbell fell on him. . . . Hawryluk left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot by Calgary D Travis Sanheim. Hawryluk returned early in the third period. . . . Brandon D Kale Clague didn’t come out of the dressing room to start the second period, while F Tanner Kaspick didn’t finish the game, either. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, who surrendered four goals on 19 shots, wasn’t on the Hitmen bench in the third period. . . . G Brendan Burke came on to give up five goals on 22 shots. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 34 shots. . . . F Reid Duke was among the Wheat Kings’ scratches, while F Connor Rankin, a 20-year-old with nine goals in these playoffs, didn’t play for the Hitmen. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz returned after missing the last three second-round games. . . . Calgary took 46 of the game’s 76 penalty minutes. . . . The referees were Adam Byblow and Chris Crich. . . .

Hitmen coach Mark French is headed to the room, but not before a stick slam and toss.
— Robert Henderson (@HendoRob) April 25, 2015

Ch-ch-ching! Calgary head coach Mark French was ejected in the third period after banging on the boards with a stick and then tossing a stick onto the ice. . . . Brandon head coach Kelly McCrimmon has won 61 playoff games, moving him into a tie for ninth with Dean Clark on the all-time list. Don Hay is No. 1, with 103. . . . Attendance was 5,028. . . . Shaw TV is televising this series in its entirety.
Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals 46 seconds apart in the second period and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Kelowna. . . . The Rockets took their first lead when F Rourke Chartier got his eighth goal at 15:56 of the second period.

He hit the cross-bar on a breakaway, with the puck then bouncing in off G Adin Hill. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand opened the scoring on Portland’s first shot of the game, 35 seconds in. It was his WHL-leading 11th goal of these playoffs. . . . D Adam Henry upped the lead to 2-0 at 18:00 with his fourth goal. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey got his fifth goal, shorthanded, at 1:38 of the second and F Justin Kirkland, with his first, tied it at 2:24. Kirkland was playing only his second game of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 30 shots, 13 fewer than Hill. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Chris Schlenker. . . . The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who placed Draisaitl with the Rockets in January, were well-represented with Bob Nicholson, Peter Chiarelli, Craig MacTavish and Kevin Lowe all on hand. . . . Draisaitl had one assist, on Kirkland’s goal. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had one assist as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Petan played in his 83rd career playoff game. That is two shy of D Derrick Pouliot’s franchise record (2010-14). The WHL record his held by F Shay Stephenson, who played in 87 playoff games with the Red Deer Rebels (2000-04). . . . Bjorkstrand scored his 35th career playoff goal, moving into No. 2 in franchise history. He passed F Brendan Leipsic and trails only F Ty Rattie, who had 50. . . . The Winterhawks now have lost Game 1 of all three of their playoff series this spring. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich notes that “since 2011, the Winterhawks are 8-0 in Game 2s after losing Game 1.” . . . Attendance was 5,871; a sellout is 6,007. . . . It will be interesting to see what tonight’s attendance is as this game will be up against Game 6 between the Vancouver Canucks and host Calgary Flames. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Conor MacEachern, a list player who spent this season with the Cariboo Cougars of the British Columbia Major Midget Hockey League. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder had 17 points, including four goals, in 33 games with the Cougars. They won the prestigious Mac’s Tournament in Calgary and he was named the top defenceman. . . . MacEachern, who will turn 17 on Aug. 12, is from Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Winterhawks placed him on their protected list in December.
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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald takes a look at the offseason that awaits the Everett Silvertips and how much depends on a decision yet to be made by F Auston Matthews, who is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . That piece is right here.
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In the OHL, F Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists, leading the Erie Otters to a 6-3 victory over the host Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Western Conference final is 1-1. . . . McDavid had scored three times in a 6-3 loss on Thursday. . . . McDavid has 30 points, 16 of them goals, in 11 playoff games. . . . They’ll play again Sunday, this time in Erie, and the game will be televised by Sportsnet. . . . In the Eastern Conference final, the North Bay Battalion went into Oshawa and beat the Generals, 6-1, in the opener. They’ll play again Sunday in Oshawa.
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In the QMJHL, the host Rimouski Oceanic beat the Val-d’Or Foreurs 4-3 in overtime in Game 1 of their semifinal. They’ll play again today in Rimouski. Last night, F Anthony DeLuca won it with his third goal of the game, and sixth of the playoffs, on a PP, at 1:50 of OT. DeLuca had forced OT with a goal at 18:55 of the third period. . . . In the other semifinal, the visiting Quebec Remparts beat the Moncton Wildcats 4-1 on Thursday night. Game 2 is scheduled for today in Moncton.
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Former WHL G Andy Desautels (Everett, Prince Albert, 2010-13), who has played out his junior eligibility, will attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. Desautels is from White City, Sask., which is just east of Regina. He was a fifth-round selection by the Everett Silvertips in the 2009 bantam draft. He played the last two seasons with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.
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The @CoachStanButler on @OHLBattalion fans: "We call them the 7th Man. They never take a shift off, unlike some of our guys." #OHLplayoffs
— Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) April 25, 2015

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Getting caught up . . .

F David Rutherford (Vancouver, Spokane, 2004-08) has signed a one-year contract with Visby/Roma (Sweden, Division 1). Last season, with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), he had nine points, including six goals, in 21 games. In 27 games with the Arizona Sundogs (CHL), he had 34 points, 14 of them goals. . . .
F Oleg Saprykin (Seattle, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). Last season, with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), he had 18 points, including 10 goals, in 52 games. . . .
F Alexander Gogolev (Calgary, Victoria, 2011-13) was selected by Lada Togliatti (Russia, KHL) in Tuesday's KHL expansion draft. Last season, with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL), he had three points, one of them a goal in 24 games. . .
F Igor Bacek (Tri-City, 2005-06) has signed a one-year contract with Rostock Piranhas (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with Lippe-Hockey-Hamm (Germany, Oberliga), he had 46 points, including 13 goals, in 38 games. . . .
F Tomas Netik (Medicine Hat, 2000-01) signed a one-yea contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). Last season, with Slovan, he had 14 points, including 11 goals, in 32 games. He was traded to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL) for cash in December, and had a goal and two assists in 16 games there. . . .
F Matt MacKay (Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Brandon, 2008-11) signed a one-year contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2). Last season, he had four points, including two goals, in 26 games with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He also had three points, including a goal, in 11 games with Red Bull Munich. . . .
F Marek Viedensky (Prince George, Saskatoon, 2008-11) has signed a one-year deal with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga). Last season, he had 23 points, six of them goals, in 54 games with the Worcester Sharks (AHL). . . .
D Shawn Belle (Regina, Tri-City, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL). Last season, with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL), he had six points, including three goals, in 39 games. . . .
F Andrew Bailey (Kootenay, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Harzer Falken Braunlage (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with the University of Saskatchewan (CIS), he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 28 games. . . .
F Tyler Metcalfe (Seattle, 1999-2005) has signed a one-year extension with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, Metcalf had 55 points, 27 of them goals, in 42 games. He led the league in goals and was third in points. He led his team in goals and points, and was named to the first all-star team. . . .
D Kalvin Sagert (Kamloops, Lethbridge, Prince George, 2002-08) has signed a one-year contract with the Tønsberg Vikings (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, Sagert had one assist in 11 games with the Wichita Thunder (CHL), 10 assists in 24 games with the San Francisco Bulls (ECHL), and a goal and three assists in 32 games with the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL). . . .
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). Last season, with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL), he had four points, including two goals, in 42 games. He has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
F Jakub Rumpel (Medicine Hat, 2006-07) has signed a one-year extension with Herne (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, Rumpel led his team in scoring and finished third in the league, putting up 86 points, including 39 goals, in 36 games. He also was pointless in one game with Trnava (Slovakia, 1, Liga). . . .
F Keegan Dansereau (Calgary, Swift Current, 2003-09) has signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). Last season, with Olofström (Sweden, Division 1), he had 31 points, 16 of them goals in 39 games. . . .
G Chet Pickard (Tri-City, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Odense (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL), he was 5.34 and .854 in six games. In 21 games with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL), he was 3.20 and .875. . . .
D Dustin Friesen (Swift Current, 2000-04) has signed a one-year contract with Ingolstad (Germany, DEL). Last season, with the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, DEL2), he had 33 points, five of them goals, in 54 games.
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 JUNE 17:
Darren Evjen won't be returning as the Swift Current Broncos' associate coach. He had been with the Broncos through four seasons. Mark Lamb, the Broncos' general manager and head coach, said in a news release that "we will be looking to fill the vacant associate coach position after the NHL entry draft." . . . According to the news release, "Evjen will remain with the Broncos in a smaller capacity" that will include working at their hockey school in August.

The Calgary Hitmen signed F Matt Dorsey, a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. From Wenatchee, Wash., Dorsey had 52 points, including 32 goals, in 30 games with the Tier 1 Bantam AAA Arizona Bobcats last season. He is expected to play for the midget AAA Everett Junior Silvertips in 2014-15.

The Portland Pirates, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, have signed Trent Whitfield (Spokane, 1994-98) as an assistant coach. Whitfield, 36, ended his playing career after spending 2013-14 with Bolzano HC, an Italian team that plays in an Austrian league. . . . During his career, he spent parts of seven seasons with the Pirates.
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JUNE 16:
Jason Becker won't be returning to the Prince George Cougars' coaching staff. Becker (Saskatoon, Red Deer, Kamloops, Swift Current, 1990-95) has joined the coaching team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton and will coach one of the midget teams. Becker had been with the Cougars since December 2009.

The Everett Silvertips traded D Austin Adam, 19, to the Moose Jaw Warriors for a conditional selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported that the pick starts as an eighth and could become a sixth. . . . Adam played three seasons in Everett. He has 11 points, including four goals, in 127 regular-season games. . . . From Surrey, B.C., he was a fourth-round pick by Everett in the 2010 bantam draft.

The NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets have added Brad Larsen (Swift Current, 1993-97) to their coaching staff as an assistant under head coach Todd Richards. Larsen, who had been the head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, signed a multi-year contract. . . . The Blue Jackets also signed former Everett Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg to a multi-year contract extension. Hartsburg is preparing for his third season with Columbus.
The Blue Jackets then named Jared Bednar (Saskatoon, Spokane, Medicine Hat, Prince Albert, 1990-93) as the new head coach of the Falcons. Bednar spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Falcons. . . . Prior to that, he was the head coach of the AHL's Peoria Rivermen for two seasons. He also worked as an assistant coach with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat for a season.

The ECHL's Toledo Walleye have signed Dan Watson as associate coach, where he will work alongside head coach Derek Lalonde. Watson, who played in Toledo in 2006-07, was an assistant coach with the Walleye from 2009-14. He served as interim head coach after Nick Vitucci resigned in February.
Former NHLer Tony Hrkac has joined the USHL's Madison Capitols as an assistant coach. Hrkac, a star at the U of North Dakota as a player, went on to play 758 games in the NHL. In Madison, he will work with head coach Luke Strand and associate coach Keith Paulsen.
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JUNE 13:
The Prince George Cougars have signed F Jordan Ross to a WHL contract. From Kronau, Sask., Ross, 18, was selected by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the ninth round of the 2011 bantam draft. Last season, with the SJHL's Yorkton Terriers, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Ross had 15 points, including eight goals, in 43 regular-season games. He added eight points, five of them goals, in 14 playoff games. He also played in four RBC Cup games as the Terriers won the national championship.
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JUNE 12:
The Calgary Hitmen introduced Mark French as their new head coach, replacing Mike Williamson, who was fired following last season and has since surfaced with the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Hitmen are preparing for their 20th anniversary season; French is their eighth head coach. . . . French spent the past season as head coach of Medvescak Zagreb, an expansion team that had a 92-point regular-season and made the playoffs. . . . From Milton, Ont., French spent six seasons with the AHL's Hershey Bears, both as assistant and head coach. . . . He has major junior coaching experience with the OHL's North Bay Centennials (1999-2002). . . . The Hitmen also announced that associate coach Brent Kisio also will work as assistant general manager with GM Mike Moore, and that assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk also are returning.

Dave Lowry, the head coach of the Victoria Royals, was named an assistant coach with Canada's national junior team. He will work alongside head coach Benoit Groulx (Gatineau Olympiques) and assistant coach Scott Walker (Guelph Storm). . . . This is Lowry's first coaching assignment under Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence. He had been named head coach of the summer U-18 team in 2009 but stepped down after signing on as an assistant coach with the NHL's Calgary Flames. . . . The 2015 World Junior Championship is scheduled for Montreal and Toronto, Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . Team Canada will hold its summer development camp in Montreal, Aug. 3-9.

Derek Laxdal, the head coach of the Memorial Cup-champion Edmonton Oil Kings, has been named head coach of Canada's summer U-18 team that will play in the Ivan Hlinka tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia, Aug. 11-16. . . . Jody Hull (Peterborough Petes) and Eric Veilleux (Baie-Comeau Drakkar) will be the assistant coaches. . . . This is Laxdal's first assignment in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence. . . . The U-18 team will hold its selection camp in Calgary, Aug. 2-5, and will then head for Europe and the tournament. . . . Canada, which has won 16 of the last 18 tournaments, goes into this one having won six in a row.

The Central league's Missouri Mavericks have signed Richard Matvichuk (Saskatoon, 1989-92) as head coach. A defenceman, Matvichuk played 14 seasons in the NHL, retiring after the 2006-07 season. . . . He was an assistant coach with the Allen Americans each of the last two seasons, helping the team to consecutive CHL championships. . . . He replaces Scott Hillman, who resigned in May and signed on as head coach of the Indianapolis Fuel, the ECHL's newest team.
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JUNE 11:
Following the conclusion of its AGM in Vancouver, the WHL announced that it has changed its playoff format. The new format will be in place for three seasons, starting in 2014-15.
Here's how it will work:
The top three teams in each of the WHL's four division will qualify for the playoffs, along with the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference. Under this system, one division could have five qualifiers with another having three.
In the first round, the team with the best regular-season record in each conference will meet the wild-card team with the poorest record. The second division winner gets the other wild-card team. . . . The second- and third-place finishers in each division will meet in the first round, thus allowing the WHL to take advantage of divisional rivalries.
The second round will feature first-round winners within each bracket, with four teams moving on to conference finals.
According to a WHL news release: "Home-ice advantage through the first two rounds goes to the team that placed higher in the regular-season standings. In the conference finals and WHL championship series, home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record -- regardless of the teams' final standings in their respective divisions."
The WHL also announced it will release its preseason scheduled on June 24 and its regular-season schedule on June 25.

The Prince Geoge Cougars signed F Justin Almeida and D Max Martin, two of their 2014 bantam draft picks, to contracts. . . . Almeida, from Kitimat, B.C., was the fifth overall pick. He is expected to play for the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who are based in Prince George, in 2014-15. Last season, he had 147 points, 80 of them goals, in 70 games with the bantam AAA North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks. . . . Martin, from Winnipeg, was selected in the second round. Last season, with the major bantam AAA Winnipeg Monarchs, he had 59 points, including 18 goals, in 32 regular-season games.
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JUNE 10:
The Brandon Wheat Kings signed F Stelio Mattheos, the first overall selection in the WHL's 2014 bantam draft. . . . Mattheos, from Winnipeg, played last season with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Monarchs, putting up 103 points, including 53 goals, in 35 regular-season games. He captained the Monarchs. . . . This draft marked the first time in franchise history that the Wheat Kings held the first overall pick.

The Saskatoon Blades acquired the rights to G Collin Olson, 20, from the Prince George Cougars for D Joel Lakusta and a sixth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Lakusta, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a seventh-round pick by the Blades in the 2013 bantam draft. He will turn 16 on June 24. . . . Last season, he had 14 points, four of them goals, in 35 games with the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . Olson, from Apple Valley, Minn., was listed by the Cougars before the 2012-13 season. Last season, he played with the NCAA's Ohio State Buckeyes and the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers. He was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the sixth round of the NHL's 2012 draft. . . . Olson got into only two games with the Buckeyes, before joining the Musketeers and going 12-3 with one tie, 2.31, .923.
The trade was the first made by Bob Woods, the Blades' new GM/head coach. He spoke with Olson after making the deal. "Goaltending's an issue we wanted to look at and make sure we have all the options possible. It's a pretty important position," Woods told Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. "We felt it was worth the risk. He's a pretty good goaltender, and with all the research I did on him, there was a lot of good feedback. We want to see if we can maybe steer him in our direction."

The Prince Albert Raiders signed D Cody Thompson and F Josh Maser, both of whom were selected in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Thompson, from Killarney, Man., was taken in the third round. He had 19 points, eight of the goals, in 29 games with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars. . . . Maser, from Penticton, B.C., was a fourth-round selection. He had 127 points, 72 of them goals, in 61 games with the Tier 2 bantam Vees. . . . The Raiders have signed their top three picks from the 1014 draft.

Brian Pellerin, who had been coaching at the Okanagan Hockey Academy, signed on with the Tri-City Americans as associate coach. . . . Pellerin, 44, spent the past three seasons at OHA. . . . He was on the coaching staff of the Portland Winterhawks for four seasons (2004-08). He also spent a season as an associate coach with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage and two seasons as head coach of the Central league's Amarillo Gorillas. . . . A native of Hinton, Alta., his playing career included four seasons (1987-91) with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Dan Price, an assistant coach for two seasons with the Americans, won't be returning.

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