Former WHLer David Rutherford with the Kelly Cup that he
and his Florida Everblades teammates won on Wednesday night.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Filip Novak (Regina, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract extension with Dynamo Moscow (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and nine assists in 39 games for the KHL champions this season. . . .
D Tomas Slovak (Kelowna, 2001-03) signed a one-year contract with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal and one assist in 31 games for Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL) and was pointless in one game on assignment to Gomel (Belarus, Open League) this season. . . .
F Milan Kytnar (Kelowna, Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2007-10) signed a three-year contract with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL). He had one goal and two assists in 13 games with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL), seven goals and five assists in 17 games with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL), was pointless in one game with the Edmonton Oilers (NHL), and had no goals and three assists in 16 games with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, SM-Liiga). . . .
F Robin Soudek (Edmonton, Chilliwack/Victoria, 2009-12) signed a one-year plus option contract with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 27 goals and 30 assists in 65 games with Victoria this season.
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ROB TRZONKOWSKI

On a day when the NFL’s Denver Broncos acquired FB Chris Gronkowski from the Indianapolis Colts, it was only fitting that the Calgary Hitmen should trade away F Rob Trzonkowski.
Trzonkowski, an 18-year-old from Calgary, was sent to the Kamloops Blazers for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Trzonkowski has 16 points and 200 penalty minutes in 111 regular-season games. He was an eighth-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft.
As for Gronkowski, he was acquired for CB Cassius Vaughn. Gronkowski is one of three brothers in the NFL at the moment. Trzonkowski is the only member of his family in the WHL.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Bliss Littler is the new director of hockey operations and head coach of the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild. Littler is a veteran coach who has 577 career victories at the junior A Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels in the U.S. He has been coaching for more than 19 years. Most recently, he has been the GM and head coach of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. In Wenatchee, Littler replaces John Becanic, who resigned last month. . . .
The owners of the NAHL’s Johnstown Tomahawks have signed Jason Spence as the team’s head coach. He is an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors. . . . Spence

played and worked for the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs from 2005-10. . . . The owners, according to a news release, named the “new team the Johnstown Tomahawks and unveiled a new team logo and name design that honors the storied history of the Johnstown Chiefs and its home arena made famous in the classic hockey film Slapshot.” . . . The Tomahawks will play out of the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown. . . . From the news release: “The team logo and name's color scheme of red, white and blue was created as a tribute to the American war veterans honored and commemorated throughout the War Memorial Arena for their sacrifices and service to our country. The "Tomahawks" nickname was chosen to symbolize the new team's fighting spirit, exciting style of play and good sportsmanship the team and its fans expect from their young players.” . . . Sportsmanship? That means this team won’t include a  future Denis Lemieux. . . . “You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free.” . . . Presumably there will be any bounties placed on the opposing Tim McCrackens of the world, either. . . . Hmmm! Wonder how many games the Hanson brothers will attend. . . .
Luke Richardson has been named head coach of the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Richardson, a former NHL defenceman, has been an assistant coach with Ottawa for the last three seasons. With Binghamton, he replaces Kurt Kleinendorst, who announced May 8 that he was leaving the organization with expiration of his two-year contract next month. Under Kleinendorst, the B-Sens won the AHL’s 2011 championship. . . .
The BCHL’s Vernon Vipers have signed Jason Read and David Robinson as assistant coaches to work alongside GM/head coach Jason Williamson. . . . Read worked this season with the midget AAA Calgary Royals. . . . Robinson is a former WHL player (Chilliwack, 2007-10) who returned to Vernon to play for the Vipers in 2010-11. He was the team captain as it reached the RBC Cup final. Robinson played this season at the U of Calgary with the Dinos. . . .
The AHL’s Hershey Bears announced Wednesday that head coach Mark French and assistant coach Troy Mann will return for another season. The Bears are affiliated with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. . . .
The ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays have signed head coach Spencer Carberry, 30, to a two-year extension. . . . Carberry is from Victoria and just completed his first season as head coach, after spending a season as assistant coach. He took over from Cail MacLean, who moved to the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat as an assistant coach.
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The price of rent goes up . . . the price of tickets go up. Such is life in Brandon.
The Wheat Kings and the Keystone Centre announced the signing of a five-year lease agreement that will have the team continue to play in Westman Communications Group Place. The parties had been working on the five-year extension to a 10-year lease, with the extension due to expire on May 31.
"We are pleased to come to this agreement with the Wheat Kings," Neil Thomson, the Keystone Centre’s general manager, said in a news release. "It does mean a significant increase in the revenue for the facility since the last agreement in 1997."
Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner and GM, added: "It is true that we are paying much higher rent in our new agreement. However, in our minds we traded that with various factors. One of our goals in these negotiations was to protect our customers from additional fees. The Keystone Centre was looking for more revenue in the deal and spoke at length about increasing agency fees, implementing a new facility fee and even paid parking.
"In our minds, we felt that this would not work out for our fan base. So as a result, those costs were absorbed by us in the framework of this new agreement."
It is expected that the increased rent will help pay for improvements in lighting, seating and sound in the arena.
The Wheat Kings also announced their season-ticket prices, with adult tickets having risen $75 to $425. (Purchase by June 15 and save $25.)
That “equates to a single-game ticket price of just over $12 . . . which represents a saving of close to $8 (based on box office regular admission prices),” reads a news release. “To help illustrate the savings, if one was to purchase tickets for 36 individual games, the price (including agency fees) would be $720. That means, fans will have paid for their season tickets by the 22nd game of the year.”
The Wheat Kings also have gone back to offering Senior season tickets, at $375. Youth tickets (18-and-under) are going for $200.
"Our season ticket base is very important to us," McCrimmon said. "Under terms of our new lease, we will be paying in excess of four times the cost of the previous one and, while this is a positive development for the Keystone, it does significantly increase our cost of doing business."
This season, the Wheat Kings averaged about 4,100 fans per game, with about 3,000 of those being season-ticket holders.
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F Brandon MacLean scored at 4:54 of OT to give the host Florida Everblades a 3-2 victory over the Las Vegas Wranglers and the ECHL’s Kelly Cup title. . . . Florida won the series, 4-1, to earn its first championship in its 14-season history. . . . The Everblades’ roster included former WHLer David Rutherford, who lost five teeth to a high-stick in Game 1,
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The Red Deer Rebels and Westerner Park are adding 100 feet of digital LED ribbon signage to the fascia of the newly created lower suite level. According to a news release, “This signage is identical to that found ringing the lower bowl of both the Scotiabank Saddledome and Rexall Place.” . . . Gotta wonder if Cam Moon, the longtime radio voice of the Rebels, will have Major League Baseball scores on the ribbon in season?
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G Mark Segal, who played in 36 games with the Vancouver Giants in 2009-10 and 55 the next season, has decided to end his competitive hockey career. Segal spent this season with the McGill Redmen, who won the school’s first CIS championship since its hockey program began in 1877. . . . Segal got into 11 games with McGill, going 9-2, .924, 2.27. . . . Segal, who is from Vancouver, has chosen to move to the U of Victoria but doesn’t plan on playing hockey, unless it’s of the intramural variety.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Brett Roulston, a native of Whitehorse, Yukon, who turns 18 on Oct. 15. . . . Roulston played this season with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George. He had 36 points, including 16 goals, in 35 games. . . . He has been on the Cougars’ list since March. At one time he was on the Kamloops Blazers’ list, but a recurring back problem caused him to miss the 2010-11 season.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He had two goals nad four assists in six games with the Hannover Indians (Germany 2.Bundesliga) and one goal and 10 assists n 16 games with Kosice and Dukla Trencin (both Slovakia, Extraliga) last season.
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JUST NOTES: G Brendan Jensen of the Vancouver Giants will attend rookie camp with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Jensen, an 18-year-old from El Granada, Calif., will go into Giants’ camp as the favourite to emerge as the club’s starter. . . . The Giants have been hoping to have Finnish G Jonathan Iilahti as their starter. However, Iilahti, a sixth-round draft pick by the Canucks in 2010, will play in Finland again this season. . . .  Mark Segal, who split time with Jensen last season with the Giants, won’t be back for his 20-year-old season. He plans on attending McGill U in Montreal and playing for the Redmen. . . . The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Brycen Martin, the second overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. From Calgary, Martin played for the Calgary Bisons of the Alberta major bantam league last season, putting up 42 points in 31 games. The Broncos have signed their first four selections from the 2011 draft. . . . The Regina Pats have signed their first two selections from the 2011 bantam draft. F Adam Brooks of Winnipeg was taken 25th overall, while F Dane Schioler, also from Winnipeg, was taken with the 36th pick. Brooks had 111 points in 40 games with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Hawks. Schioler, whose father Dave played for the Winnipeg Monarchs (1976-77), played on a line with Brooks and put up 77 points. . . .
Cory Cameron is the Kootenay Ice’s new athletic therapist. Cameron, from Revelstoke, B.C., has spent six years as a rehabilitation consultant with Crash Conditioning in Calgary. He has WHL experience with the Vancouver Giants (trainer, 2006-09) and Calgary Hitmen (assistant trainer, 2004-06). . . . Don Clark is the new president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ board of directors. Clark was elected Tuesday as the new board held its first meeting. He replaces Brian MmcNaughton, who wasn’t re-elected at last week’s annual general meeting. Also on the new board are Brian Wichers (vice-president), Adele Barrington, Herb Beswick, Rick Braden, Brad Cook, Auke Elzinga, Dick Gibson, Randy Joevenazzo, John Koliaska, George McCrea, Dave Olson, Duane Ptycia, Kelly Shigehiro, Pat Shimbashi and Jim Whittaker. . . . The U of Calgary Dinos announced Wednesday that they have received commitments from three former WHL players. G Jacob DeSerres (Seattle, Brandon, 2007-10) is from Calgary. He played last season for the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, who won the Memorial Cup. He will compete for playing time with two other ex-WHLers, Dustin Butler and Kris Lazaruk. Also attending the U of Calgary will be F Dylan Hood (Kelowna, Moose Jaw, 2006-11), who had 83 points in 71 games with Moose Jaw last season, and F Thomas Frazee (Portland, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, Regina, Kamloops), who had 71 points in 70 games split between Regina and Kamloops.
Sophomore F Brayden Cuthbert is in camp with the Moose Jaw Warriors and will skate but won’t take part in scrimmages. He hasn’t yet received medical clearance as he recovers from a concussion suffered on Jan. 22. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald also reports that the Warriors are looking at F Markus McCrea, 19, who played the last three seasons with the Everett Silvertips and F Sean Aschim, 19, who played with the Prince Albert Raiders and Kelowna Rockets in 2009-10 and with the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs last season. . . . Slovakian D Filip Vasko has arrived in Kelowna and will be in camp with the Rockets. Vasko, 17, was selected by the Rockets in the 2011 CHL import draft. He will be one of 160 players in the Rockets’ rookie camp. . . . Stu Ballantyne, who resigned earlier this month as the Vancouver Giants’ chief operating officer, now is the chief executive officer of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, which are to be held in Prince George. The Games are scheduled for Feb. 12 through March 1. . . . The Everett Silvertips have their two new imports — Slovakian F Vladimir Dolnik and German D Dominik Bittner — are in town and ready for camp. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have welcomed Czech G Patrik Bartosak to town. He was picked in the 2011 import draft. It turns out he is a nephew of former NHLer Radek Bonk.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former NHL D Mark Hardy, 52, has joined the ECHL’s Ontario Reign as an assistant coach. He’ll work with head coach Jason Christie, who left the Central league’s Bloomington Blaze earlier in the week to sign with the Reign.
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Jane Sims of the London Free Press was in court on Wednesday where she witnessed the sentencing of a former hockey player with a long history of mental illness. Her story is right here.

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

Segal moving on

MARK SEGAL

G Mark Segal won’t be returning for his 20-year-old season with the Vancouver Giants.
Segal has informed the Giants that he is leaving to attend McGill University in Montreal, where he will play for the Redmen.
Segal, a Vancouverite who turns 20 on Aug. 31, played in 91 regular-season and 20 playoff games with the Giants over the last two seasons. This season, he went 27-18-4, 3.07, .891 in 55 games.
Brendan Jensen, an 18-year-old from El Granada, Calif., played in 30 games with the Giants, going 8-13-1 in support of Segal.
The Giants’ website shows three goaltenders on their list who are eligible to play in 2011-12 — Jackson Whistle, who turns 16 on June 9, of Kelowna; Scott legault, who will be 17 on Sept. 25; and, Stephen Heslop, who turns 16 on Sept. 15, of Victoria.
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Today’s good read comes from Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.
It’s almost a week old, but I just discovered it Sunday morning.
Yes, it is about pro hockey and the impact of concussions.
Gleason leads with the difficulties faced by former NHL tough guy Matthew Barnaby, who now wonders how badly he damaged his brain during this playing career and whether that is the reason for the changes he has noticed in his personality.
It isn’t all about Barnaby, though. At one point, Dr. Robert Cantu is quoted on the subject of former Buffalo Bills great O.J. Simpson:
"There's a brain I would love to study. I don't know, but I really wonder. With his inability to handle frustrating circumstances, violence and all that stuff, it could be.
"It's hard to know. I'm not suggesting I know the answer, but if and when the time comes I would give anything for him to be on our registry."
Dr. Cantu is a clinical professor neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine, which is home to Sports Legacy Institute, where a lot of the research into CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is taking place.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit down for today’s good read. It’s long and worthwhile. And it’s right here.
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THE COACHING GAME: Wanting experience as a head coach, former WHLer Brad McCrimmon, 52, has signed on with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League. McCrimmon, an all-star defenceman with the Brandon Wheat Kings (1976-79) and the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades (1998-2000), was an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings for the last three seasons. . . . Cole Zahn has signed on as assistant coach with the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Keith Cassidy, the Bruins’ new GM/head coach, worked together on the coaching staff of the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers and got that squad to the RBC Cup in 2007. Zahn will continue to scout for the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ron Holloway, the head coach of the junior B Ochapowace Thunder of the Prairie Junior league, has signed on as an assistant coach with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. He will work alongside head man Bob Beatty as the Ice Wolves chase a third straight SJHL championship.
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F Byron Froese, who turned 20 on March 12, has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. Capgeek.com reports that his salaries will be US$67,500 in the AHL and $590,000 in the NHL. . . . He got a $195,000 signing bonus over three years. . . . Froese was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL draft off the Everett Silvertips’ roster. They traded him to the Red Deer Rebels last summer for F Landon Ferraro.
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Michael Traikos of the National Post writes about the week that was at the Memorial Cup. The headline sums it up: Memorial Cup a flop everywhere but the box office. . . . Of course, the CHL knew that would happen when it awarded the tournament to Mississauga, which makes one ask: Why did they award it to Mississauga? . . . That piece is right here.
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You have to feel good for G Jacob DeSerres, who backstopped the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs to a 3-1 victory over the host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the final game of the Memorial Cup on Sunday evening. . . . DeSerres, who played in the Memorial Cup with the host Brandon Wheat Kings a year ago and then was waived through the WHL, stopped 34 shots in what was his final game of major junior hockey. . . . He wasn’t named to the tournament all-star team, nor was he selected as the tournament’s top goaltender. No matter, though. He got the ring. . . . The Sea Dogs, the CHL’s top-ranked team through much of the regular season, are the first team from the Maritimes to win major junior hockey’s top prize.
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By the way, a fan of the Portland Winterhawks has a request: Would members of the media please stop referring to the Memorial Cup as a national championship. . . . There are eight Americans teams in the CHL so, as this fan points out, it is more than a national championship. . . . The fan asks: “Had Portland somehow advanced and won the Cup this year, would the Winterhawks have been national champions of Canada . . . or the U.S.?”
Joe Fan has a point, eh? 
———
Dave Cameron, Mississauga’s head coach, and Majors’ captain Casey Cizikas have suffered three heart-breaking losses in a five-month period. . . . Both were on Canada’s national junior team when it surrendered a 3-0 lead and lost 5-3 to Russia in the championship game at the World Junior Championship in Buffalo in January. . . . The Majors lost the OHL championship series in seven games to the Owen Sound Attack. Mississauga held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in that series, then lost Game 7 in OT. "They say losing toughens you," Cameron said Sunday night. "Well, right now, I feel like a 10-cent steak, to tell you the truth.” . . . Cameron is almost certain to land on the coaching staff of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Eugene Melnyk, who owns the Senators, also owns the St. Michael’s Majors.

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

Sunday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tyler Beechey (Kootenay, Calgary, 1997-2002) and D Jason Holland (Kamloops, 1992-96) signed one-year contract extensions with DEG Metro Stars Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL). Beechey had 20 goals and 26 assists in 51 games and Holland had eight goals and 19 assists in 51 games this season for the Metro Stars.
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G Deven Dubyk of the Medicine Hat Tigers and G Mark Segal of the Vancouver Giants posted shutouts on Sunday, the final day of the WHL’s regular season.
That brought to 88 the number of blank jobs in the league this season, which equals last season’s total.
The WHL single-season record is 141 (2004-05), followed by 120 (2006-07). The last two seasons are the sixth-highest totals in WHL history.
Darcy Kuemper of the Red Deer Rebels led the WHL (and the CHL) with 13 shutouts, tying the WHL single-season record. He now shares it with Bryan Bridges (Seattle, 2004-05) and Kelly Guard (Kelowna (2003-04).
The Spokane Chiefs put up eight shutouts, second to Red Deer, with James Reid and Mac Engel each earning four.
The Swift Current Broncos, Prince George Cougars and Vancouver each put up six.
On the other side of the coin, the Everett Silvertips were blanked 10 times, while the Calgary Hitmen and Swift Current each was shut out nine times.
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JUST NOTES: F Garrett Mitchell of the Regina Pats will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, as he did a year ago. Mitchell signed a contract with the parent Washington Capitals on Saturday. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . Two OHL general managers lost their jobs Sunday, the final day of the season. The Sarnia Sting fired Dave MacQueen, while the Soo Greyhounds did the same with Dave Torrie. Neither team qualified for the playoffs.
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THE MATCHUPS:
Eastern Conference:
Saskatoon (1) vs. Prince Albert (8)
Red Deer (2) vs. Edmonton (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Brandon (6)
Kootenay (4) vs. Moose Jaw (5)
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Western Conference:
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Prince George (7)
Spokane (3) vs. Chilliwack (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Vancouver (5)
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In Calgary, G Deven Dubyk stopped 40 shots for his second straight shutout as the Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Hitmen, 2-0. . . . Dubyk earned his first career shutout Saturday in a 1-0 victory over the visiting Hitmen. . . . The victory allowed the Tigers to finish with 100 points. . . . F Emerson Etem scored both goals in Sunday’s game, giving him 45. . . . F Linden Vey had one assist, giving him 116 points. That assist made all the difference because he won the WHL scoring title by one point over Spokane F Tyler Johnson. . . . The Tigers haven’t had a scoring champion since Tom Lysiak (154 points, 1972-73). . . . Johnson had a goal, his WHL-leading 53^rd, and an assist in a 6-3 victory in Portland. . . .
In Vancouver, G Mark Segal stopped 28 shots as the Giants beat the Everett Silvertips, 5-0. . . . Segal put up six shutouts this season. . . . F Spencer Bennett scored twice, giving him 37 goals, and added an assist. . . . Everett was blanked 3-0 by G Lucas Gore and the host Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday night. . . . The Silvertips haven’t scored in more than 142 minutes. They have been shut out a WHL-high 10 times this season. . . . The victory allowed the Giants to move past the idle Chilliwack Bruins and into fifth place in the Western Conference. That puts Vancouver up against the Tri-City Americans in the first round. The Bruins will meet the Spokane Chiefs. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Kruise Reddick scored his 20^th goal of the season at 2:39 of OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The loser point lifted the Thunderbirds into a ninth-place tie with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row, went 9-0-0 against Seattle this season. . . .
In Portland, the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Winterhawks, 6-3. . . . The Chiefs rested D Jared Cowen, their captain, and had the C on the chest of F Darren Kramer. . . . F Connor Chartier, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, scored his first goal for the Chiefs. . . . F Ryan Johansen scored the game’s first two goals for Portland, giving him 40 on the season. . . . The Chiefs draw the Chilliwack Bruins in the first round. The Chiefs have home-ice advantage by virtue of being the No. 3 seed, but their building isn’t available so the series will open in Chilliwack on Friday.
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SUNDAY’S CFB COUNT:
One minor:
Everett D Rasmus Rissanen

Segal, Giants blank Blazers

The Vancouver Giants celebrated head coach Don Hay’s 500th WHL victory prior to Tuesday’s game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers.
Then they went out and ran Hay’s total to 501.
Goaltender Mark Segal stopped 31 shots and also drew an assist, as the Giants scored a 3-0 victory over the Blazers before 5,481 fans at Pacific Coliseum.
Prior to the game, the Giants and the WHL saluted Hay, who became the fourth coach in league history to reach 500 victories. He got there Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the visiting Chilliwack Bruins.
It was the Giants’ second straight victory after a four-game losing stretch.
The Blazers lost their fifth straight game away from home, which comes on the heels of a six-game road winning streak.
The Giants won with solid goaltending and one goal in each period.
Freshman forward Matt Bellerive, who was celebrating his 16th birthday, opened the scoring at 17:19 of the first period.
Winger Brendan Rowinski, a trade acquisition from the Moose Jaw Warriors last month, scored on a power play at 15:59 of the second period, and centre Matt MacKay got his 10th of the season at 13:12 of the third.
While the Giants were celebrating, Kamloops head coach Guy Charron wasn’t at all happy with the play of his charges.
“I think it was an opportunity for us to get two points against a team that has a lot of injuries,” Charron said. “We didn’t take advantage of it and that’s my disappointment.”
While the Giants welcomed back defenceman Wes Vannieuwenhuizen from a seven-game suspension, they were without forward Greg Lamoureux, who suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday’s game.
With the Giants hurting — they also were without injured forwards Roman Tvrdon and Randy McNaught and winger Brett Lyon was serving a one-game suspension — Charron had wanted his club to turn in a physical effort.
“At times we were . . . but not enough,” Charron said. “It was an opportunity . . . we should have taken a little more advantage of them.”
The game plan was for the Blazers to get the puck deep into the Vancouver zone and work over the Giants’ defenders.
“I don’t think we did it consistently,” Charron said.
He was especially critical of the play of the club’s top line, which features Chase Schaber between Brendan Ranford, who leads the WHL with 25 goals, and Jordan DePape.
“They’re a line that is very productive and sometimes your productive line gets away from what the game plan was,” Charron said. “I felt they could have been more consistent in terms of getting the puck in deep and they weren’t.”
Asked what his plans are for practices this week, he added: “I don’t need to say what plans are going to be. Right now, I’ll have 24 hours to think about it and I’ll see what I think it takes for the team to be ready for Friday.”
The Blazers return home to face the Swift Current Broncos on Friday night in the annual Teddy Bear Game. That will be the Blazers’ final home game before the Christmas break.
JUST NOTES: This was the first time the Blazers have been blanked this season. Last season, they were shut out three times. . . . Kamloops G Jeff Bosch stopped 24 shots. . . . The Blazers scratched D Josh Caron (collarbone) and F Chase Souto. . . . Ranford had his point streak snapped at 11 games. It was his second 11-game scoring streak this season.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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Taking Note on Twitter