Giants end skid . . . Ch-ching! Rebels, Broncos exchange greetings . . . Pats, Chiefs, Winterhawks rolling

The month of December arrives on Monday, which is when Hockey Canada will announce the roster for the national junior team’s selection camp. . . . That camp is scheduled for Dec. 11-15 in Toronto. . . . The tournament opens Dec. 26 in Toronto and Montreal. . . . Monday’s announcement is to be made at 8 a.m. PT.
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A note from Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald:
Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of Tri-City goaltender Olie Kolzig’s goal. It was the was the first goal scored by a WHL goalie, coming with 44 seconds remaining in a 5-2 win over Seattle at Toyota Center (in Kennewick, Wash.)
“They had pulled their goalie, and we were up 4-2,” recalled Kolzig in a 2012 interview. “The puck went behind the net. I went back to get it, and I want to say I lifted it 20 feet in the air, but it was about three feet. By the time it was halfway down the ice, it started to curl, and it just went inside the post.”
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F Daniel Nachbaur, 19, was traded from the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials to the Prince George Spruce Kings for future considerations on Saturday. Nachbaur, the son of Spokane Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur, had 13 goals and 10 assists in 57 games over two seasons in Merritt. . . . The Nachbaur family has roots in the Prince George area and Don is a member of that city's Sports Hall of Fame.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, the Brandon Wheat Kings scored three times in the second period and went on to beat the Raiders, 6-3. . . . The Raiders (13-14-0) had a five-game winning streak snapped. They will play their next seven games on the road. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley's 15th goal turned out to be his fourth game-winning goal in five games. . . . F Jordan Tkatch gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 11:43 of the first period with his fourth goal. He finished with two goals and an assist. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy tied it with his third, via the PP, at 13:51. . . . F Duncan Campbell scored his fourth to give Brandon a 2-1 lead at 4:59 of the second and the Wheat Kings took it from there. . . . F Tanner Kaspick and D Macoy Erkamps each had two assists for Brandon, which got 30 saves from G Jordan Papirny. . . . The Raiders scratched D Sawyer Lange and D Hunter Warner with undisclosed injuries. . . . The Wheat Kings played their second game in a row without F Rihards Bukarts, who suffered an undisclosed injury during a practice this week. . . . The Wheat Kings (21-5-2) are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Dustin Perillat had a goal and an assist to help the Warriors to a 4-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Perillat broke a 1-1 tie with his third goal at 16:44 of the second period and F Brayden Point mde it 3-1 with his 15th goal at 19:02. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 27 shots, five fewer than Saskatoon's Trevor Martin. . . . F Alex Forsberg was among the Blades' scratches, but only because his name was accidentally left off the original game sheet. . . . Saskatoon dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . The Warriors (12-12-3) have won two in a row. . . . The Blades (7-18-2) have lost three straight (0-2-1) as they head for Kamloops and a Tuesday date with the Blazers. . . . It was Hall of Fame weekend in Moose Jaw and Nathan Liewicki of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here. . . .

In Calgary, F Matt Bellerive had two goals and an assist as the Vancouver Giants ended a six-game losing skid with a 6-3 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Vancouver F Jesse Roach broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal at 6:23 of the second period and F Jackson Houck upped the lead to 3-1 with his eighth goal, via the PP, at 10:12. . . . The Hitmen weren't able to equalize as Vancouver G Payton Lee stopped 32 shots. . . . Giants F Thomas Foster and F Tyler Benson each had two assists. . . . Vancouver D Josh Thrower and F Gage Ramsay also scored their first goals. . . . F Jake Virtanen scored twice for the Hitmen, giving him seven on the season. . . . Bellerive's second goal, his 12th, was into an empty net. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-2 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-4. . . . The Giants (10-18-0) went 1-4 and fired head coach Troy Ward while in Alberta. . . . The Hitmen are 14-11-3. . . .

In Red Deer, the Rebels scored two shorthanded goals in the second period and went on to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Ch-ch-ching! The game featured a third-period line brawl. At one point in the third period, the Broncos were left with three forwards and three defencemen on their bench. . . . By game's end, the Rebels had taken 120 of 197 penalty minutes. . . . Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell's shorthanded goal at 1:58 of the second period gave the Rebels a 2-1 lead. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnston added his club's WHL-leading 10th shorthanded goal of the season, at 12:40 of the second, for a 4-1 lead. . . . Maxwell has seven goals this season; Johnson has 13. . . . F Scott Feser had a goal, his 10th, and two assists for the Rebels (14-10-4), who had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Broncos (14-12-4) have lost three straight. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Matt Bradley scored his seventh goal at 2:14 of OT to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Oil Kings took a 2-0 lead into the second period on goals by F Andrew Koep, his seventh, and F Mads Eller, his third, the latter via the PP at 19:05 of the first. . . . The Tigers tied it on second-period goals 29 seconds apart by D Tommy Vannelli and D Tyler Lewington, at 15:31 and 16:00. Vannelli has 10 goals; Lewington has four. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 49 shots, 30 more than Medicine Hat's Marek Langhamer. . . . Edmonton D Ashton Sautner had two assists as he ran his point streak to 10 games. . . . The Oil Kings were without seven regulars, including F Edgars Kulda. . . . Edmonton had two APs, D Kyle Yewchuk and D Jordan Dawson, in the lineup. . . . The Tigers (19-6-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Oil Kings (14-10-5) had won their previous two starts. . . .

In Kamloops, F Austin Carroll scored twice as the Victoria Royals beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . Carroll broke a 3-3 tie with his 20th goal at 16:11 of the thid period as he put home the rebound of a shot by D Joe Hicketts. . . . F Taylor Crunk iced it with his fifth goal just 18 seconds after Carroll scored. . . . The Royals scored twice in the game's opening 1:11 and went up 3-0 at 14:33 of the first period. . . . The Blazers came back and tied it on F Matt Needham's ninth goal at 5:41 of the third period. . . . Hicketts and F Axel Blomqvist, who really can impose his will on a game when he wants to, each had two assists. . . . Hicketts, who almost certainly will be invited to the Canadian national junior team's camp on Monday, left 45 seconds into the third period after blocking a shot with his left foot. He perhaps missed one shift before returning looking none the worse for wear. . . . Kamloops G Cole Kehler made his first start in seven games and stopped 27 shots. Connor Ingram had made six straight starts. . . . Kamloops was without D Ryan Rehill and F Deven Sideroff. Rehill served a one-game suspension for a late instigator penalty in Friday's 7-3 loss to the visiting Regina Pats, while Sideroff apparently was injured in that game. . . . F Jake Kryski moved up into Sideroff's spot alongside Cole Ully and Matt Needham on the Blazers' top line to start the game, although head coach Don Hay moved bodies around through the last two periods. . . . The Ully-Needham-Sideroff line was together for 24 of the Blazers’ first 28 games. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee completed a five-game suspension. He was suspended for a spearing incident in a Nov. 19 games against Kelowna. . . . The Royals (15-13-2) had lost their last two games. . . . The Blazers (11-13-5) are 0-3-1 in their last four. . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs ran their winning streak to five games as they beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 2-1. . . . The Chiefs have won by a 2-1 score on four occasions during that streak. . . . F Jacob Cardiff scored his second goal of the season at 11:31 of the first period to get the Chiefs started. . . . D Jordan Henderson upped the lead to 2-0 with his first goal at 2:27 of the third. . . . F Tyler Wong got the visitors on the board, with his ninth, at 19:31 of the third period. . . . Spokane G Tyson Verhelst stopped 25 shots, while Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner turned aside 37. . . . The Chiefs (14-7-3) are tied with Portland for second in the U.S. Division and Spokane holds five games in hand. . . . The Hurricanes (6-17-4) have lost two straight and 11 of 12. . . .

In Kelowna, the Regina Pats scored the game’s last three goals, two of them on the same penalty kill, and beat the Rockets, 3-1. . . . F Rourke Chartier scored his WHL-leading 29th goal, on a PP, at 6:54 of the second period to give Kelowna a 1-0 lead. . . . F Pavel Padakin, with his seventh goal, and F Sam Steel, with his fifth, gave Regina a 2-1 lead with shorthanded scores at 9:57 and 10:29 of the second. . . . Regina F Braden Christoffer got his eighth into an empty net at 18:32 of the third. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 27 shots. . . . The Pats (16-10-1), who went 4-1-0 in B.C., have won three in a row and 10 of 12. . . . The Rockets (22-3-3) are 7-2-2 in their past 11. . . . 

In Kennewick, Wash., the Portland Winterhawks got out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . This was the first meeting of the season between these teams. Portland also has yet to play the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner scored his ninth goal just nine seconds into the game. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand got his 18th goal at 4:04 of the second and F Miles Koules made it 3-0 with his ninth at 7:14 of the second. . . . Tri-City F Ty Comrie cut into the lead with his third goal at 18:22, then F Brian Williams scored his seventh, making it 3-2, at 1:21 of the third. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie made 39 saves, 11 more than Portland’s Brendan Burke. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo had one assist; it was his 200th career point and came in his 239th game. . . . The Americans were 0-for-4 on the PP; Portland’s PP never got off the bench. . . . The Winterhawks (14-12-3) have won five in a row. . . . The Americans are 15-12-0. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Luke Philp had three points, including the 150th of his career, as the Kootenay Ice beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . The Thunderbirds led this one 2-0 at 10:23 of the first period. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon tied it with his eighth goal, at 15:06 of the first, and Philp got his 11th at 19:32 to put the visitors out front. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart ran his point streak to 10 games with his sixth goal and an assist, while F Jaedon Descheneau has points in nine straight. He had his 15th goal, into an empty net, and an assist. . . . The Ice improved to 12-15-0, while the Thunderbirds slipped to 10-12-4. . . . The Ice is in Everett to play the Silvertips this afternoon, while the Thunderbirds entertain Spokane.
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— Dryden Hunt (@huntsy22) November 30, 2014

Gaglardi, Northland Properties guilty on environmental charges

Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops
Blazers, arrives at the Kamloops Law Courts on
Jan. 15, 2014, during his trial on environmental charges.
(Photo: Dave Eagles, Kamloops This Week)

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . .”
That is how Charles Dickens began the novel A Tale of Two Cities. He might as well have been describing Tom Gaglardi’s Friday.
Early in the day, Northland Properties Corporation, the company of which Gaglardi is president, issued three news releases dealing with the impending purchase of an AHL franchise and three Texas arenas.
Northland Properties owns the NHL’s Dallas Stars; Gaglardi is majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
Later, in Kamloops, Provincial Court, Judge Stephen Harrison found Gaglardi and Northland Properties each guilty of two counts of harmful alteration of a fish habitat. Gaglardi’s father, Bob, was found not guilty.
The charges were filed after landscaping changes were made in 2010 to a property near Savona, B.C., which is just west of Kamloops on Kamloops Lake.
“There was an element of wilfulness and a desire to get the job done and if necessary, seek forgiveness later,” Judge Harrison said in his decision.
Neither Bob nor Tom Gaglardi appeared in court yesterday.
Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week reports: “The maximum penalties for harmful alteration of a fish habitat are fines of up to $1 million and/or six months in jail. Gaglardi is due back in court on Aug. 21 to set a date for sentencing.”
Petruk’s story is right here.
Glynn Brothen of infotel.ca also filed a story, and that one is right here.
Meanwhile, Northland Properties announced that it is in the process of purchasing the Cedar Park Center, which is home to the AHL-champion Texas Stars, who would be part of this deal.
Northland Properties also is buying the Dr Pepper StarCenter Plano that is located in Frisco and is home to, among other things, Severyn Sports, a training center owned by former NHL/WHL player Brent Severyn (Brandon, Saskatoon, Seattle, 1983-87).
As well, Northland Properties is purchasing the Ice Training Center in Richardson.
News releases on the impending purchases are right here.
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A move to raise the Kamloops-based Thompson Rivers University (TRU) WolfPack hockey team from the ashes may be gaining steam.
The team, which had operated as club team as opposed to a university varsity team, was about $50,000 in debut when TRU athletic director Ken Olynyk pulled the plug last week.
On Thursday, a Twitter account belonging to TRU Men’s Ice Hockey sent these three tweets:
“Ex players, family, friends and fans, or anyone with good reasoning as to why this program needs to continue are encouraged to contact . . .
. . . TRU head of Sports Finances, Matthew Milovick, via e-mail (mmilovick@tru.ca) and explain how the dissolving of the team has affected . . .
. . . them personally, the players, the university, or the community itself. Thank-you in advance, everyone. Let's see what we can do!”
Trevor Bast of Victoria, whose son Des was the last recruit signed by the WolfPack before the end came, followed that up with: “I am happy to start the rally but we need a lot of boots on the ground to see this through. Let’s leave it all out there.”
Later, Bast told Taking Note that “there is some social media momentum growing to save the program.”
In the early going, Bast said he is trying to get out the message that, yes, the TRU hockey program was of the pay-to-play variety, but that “when you compare it to going to the U.S. and playing NCAA Division III it is still a bargain and the hockey is better.
“TRU has to be up front about the fact players have to pay. I don't believe it puts the program at a disadvantage recruiting-wise. They still can approach a top end junior B player or a depth junior A player and tell them they can play collegiate hockey close to home in front of friends and family in a lot of cases all for $10,000 to $12,000 inclusive of tuition, lodging and hockey.
“Compare that to what families are paying to play NCAA Division III and it's a bargain, plus the hockey is better . . . as well, the education is better and more applicable.”
That is Bast’s message. Time will tell how it is received.
(If you would like to contact Bast, you are able to email him at trevorbast@gmail.com.)
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Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that F Alex Overhardt has decided to join the Portland Winterhawks. Overhardt, 17, is from Denver and is the son of player agent Kurt Overhardt, who founded KO Sports. . . . Alex was the captain of the midget AAA U16 Colorado Thunderbirds last season. They lost a national championship game 2-1 in quadruple OT. In league play, Overhardt had 30 points, 15 of them goals, in 37 games. . . . Chambers reported the move right here on his blog. . . . Later in the day, the Winterhawks issued a news release announcing the signing of Alex Overhardt, crediting him with 83 points, including 41 goals, in 75 games.
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A 19-year-old missing person case came to an end on July 31 when hikers discovered human remains on Athabasca Glacier near Jasper, Alta. . . . That got me to thinking, again, about the late Duncan MacPherson and the book -- Cold A Long Time: An Alpine Mystery. . . . If you haven’t yet read this book, written by John Leake, you really should. It details the trials and tribulations faced by MacPherson’s parents, Lynda and Bob, following the disappearance of their son, a former Saskatoon Blades defenceman, while on a European vacation before he was to take a coaching job in Scotland. . . . Cold A Long Time’s website is right here. . . . You are able to order the book right here.
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F Matt Bellerive’s WHL career hasn’t unfolded quite the way he had hoped it would. But now he’s back with the Vancouver Giants and preparing for his 20-year-old season. He tells Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province: “I’m hoping to have my best season by far this year. We’ll see what happens.” . . . That story is right here.
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LRT: that makes, by my count, 8 U.S. players on the Portland roster and 5 more signed. Maybe they should swap team names with Tri-City.
— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) August 7, 2014

The Anaheim Ducks High School League is up to 41 teams for next season. Huge growth in just a few years.
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) August 7, 2014

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Hay returning to Kamloops as Blazers' head coach

Don Hay is returning as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers.
(Photo by Christopher Mast / www.mastimages.com)

Don Hay is going home.
And who knows . . . the Kamloops Fire Department may still be holding his job for him.
Hay, 60, began his coaching career with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers in 1986, while he was a Kamloops firefighter. Ultimately, he took a leave of absence to pursue his coaching career; he never did go back to firefighting.
Today, though, he will be back in Kamloops as the new -- new old? -- head coach of the Blazers.
Hay, the second-winningest coach in WHL history, is leaving the Vancouver Giants after 10 seasons as their head coach to return to the Blazers.
Hay took over from Tom Renney as the Blazers head coach after the 1991-92 season and guided the team for three seasons, going 42-28-2, 50-16-6 and 52-14-6, and winning the 1994 and 1995 Memorial Cup championships.
He left after the second Memorial Cup title, choosing to join the NHL’s Calgary Flames as an assistant coach. He spent one season as head coach of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and one with the Anaheim Might Ducks as an assistant.
Hay was back in the WHL in 1998-99, spending two seasons as head coach of the Tri-City Americans.
He then spent most of 2000-01 as head coach of the Calgary Flames, followed by three seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
He joined the Giants for the 2004-05 season, as the third head coach in franchise history, following Milan Dragicevic and Dean Evason. Under Hay, the Giants won the WHL title in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007 as the host team after they lost the WHL final to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
However, in the last four seasons, the Giants missed the playoffs once (2012-13) and were first-round casualties each of the other times. This season, they were swept by the Portland Winterhawks, who are to open the WHL’s championship final against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night.
Still, the Giants won at least 40 games six times with Hay, whose 609 WHL career coaching victories trail only Ken Hodge’s 742.
Hay had one year left on his contract with the Giants that was signed on Aug. 26, 2010. The Giants, though, chose not to hold him to it or request compensation from Kamloops. Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers’ majority owner, approached Vancouver majority owner Ron Toigo about a week ago and asked for permission to speak with Hay.
“I’ve always made a point that I’m not going to stand in the way of what anybody wants to do regardless of what their contract says,” Toigo told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun. “Don said he was comfortable with going home and they offered him a pretty good deal. I told him: ‘Great, I’m happy for you, I appreciate everything you did for us.’
“Ten years is a long time with one team and maybe it was time for a change for everybody. I think it’s a good scenario, although it kind of came out of left field. We certainly weren’t planning this a month ago.”
When the Giants start the search for a replacement, they will be looking for someone to take them at least through the 2015-16 season. The WHL will play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament and Toigo has said the Giants plan on bidding for it.
Hay is the third-winningest head coach in Blazers history, his 144 victories in Kamloops behind only Ken Hitchcock (291) and Guy Charron (148).
Charron finished up this season, when the Blazers finished 14-53-5, good only for the poorest season in franchise history. Charron replaced Dave Hunchak on Jan. 12.
Hunchak, in his first season as head coach after working as associate coach alongside Charron for two seasons, left the team on Jan. 10 while it was in Spokane. The Blazers later said Hunchak was on a leave of absence.
The team has yet to clarify Hunchak’s situation, although it’s believed the two parties reached a contract settlement of some kind last month. Hunchak had been signed through the 2014-15 season.
Hay becomes the seventh or eighth head coach -- depending on whether you count Charron twice -- of the Blazers since the franchise was purchased in 2007 by Gaglardi and ex-Kamloops players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor.
In returning to the Blazers, Hay will be rekindling a relationship with Craig Bonner, who is the team’s general manager. Bonner was the Giants’ assistant coach/assistant GM when he signed as the Blazers’ GM in the summer of 2008. Bonner also played one season (1992-93) under Hay with the Blazers.
So what happened to the relationship between Hay and the Giants?
Here’s Steve Ewen, who covers the Giants for the Vancouver Province:
“The Giants . . . obviously felt he wasn’t the right guy for that 2016 Memorial Cup push. There was an apparent disconnect between player development, led by Hay, and player recruitment, led by general manager Scott Bonner.
“Hay wanted to continue to play a crash-and-bang style, but the Giants were bringing in smaller, puck-possession skill guys.”
Ewen also pointed out that in recent seasons the Giants “have had several players ask to be traded.”
That included, Ewen wrote, “2011 sixth-rounder Taylor Vickerman, 2010 first-rounder Anthony Ast, 2009 second-rounder Matt Bellerive and 2009 third-rounder Blake Orban. There were others, including veteran Craig Cunningham in 2010-11. Those were all tied to Hay.”
Interestingly, Bellerive, who was traded by the Giants to the Red Deer Rebels prior to the 2012-13 season, was dealt by Kamloops to Vancouver on Thursday. The Blazers had acquired him from Red Deer on Jan. 9.
According to Ewen, Bellerive had asked the Giants to trade him after Hay “made him a scratch on opening night” of the 2012-13 season.
In return for Bellerive, the Blazers got a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick and a fourth-rounder in 2015. The Blazers selected F Kyle Bosch of Kindersley, Sask., with the sixth-round pick on Thursday.
In 29 games with the Blazers, Bellerive, from North Vancouver, had 19 points, nine of them goals. He is heading into his 20-year-old season.
In another deal, the Blazers reacquired D Brady Gaudet, 20, from Red Deer, giving up a third-round pick in yesterday’s draft. Gaudet began his career with the Blazers, who selected him 10th overall in the 2009 bantam draft, before being traded to Red Deer in October 2012 for a third-round pick in the 2013 draft.
In 241 career games, Gaudet, who is from Redvers, Sask., has 85 points, including 17 goals. He played 117 of those games with Kamloops, putting up 34 points, seven of them goals.
Gaudet played well for Red Deer in 2012-13, but struggled this season.
“He had a tough year,” Red Deer GM/head coach Brent Sutter told Greg Meacham of the Red Deer Advocate, “but I talked to Kamloops after the season and they were interested in bringing him back.
“Kamloops had a tough year and asked that if I acquired another 20-year-old would I give them the first opportunity for (Gaudet) to go back there.”
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Elliott Pap’s piece is right here.
Steve Ewen’s story is right here.

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WHL loses player to brain injury

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Riley Holzapfel (Moose Jaw, 2004-08) signed a two-year contract with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL — formerly known as Elitserien). He had 21 goals and 30 assists in 76 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) last season. . . .

 D T.J. Fast (Tri-City, 2006-08) signed a one-year contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had one assist in 17 games with the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) last season.
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The WHL has lost another player to brain injury-related problems.
Shea Howorko, a forward with the Swift Current Broncos, has had to retire.
“My career is done . . . unfortunately,” he told me via Facebook on Thursday.
Howorko, a 19-year-old from Regina, was a second-round selection by the Broncos in the 2009 bantam draft.
He had three points in 61 games as a freshman in 2010-11, but was limited to 30 games — he had four points — in 2011-12. He wasn’t able to play at all last season. In fact, he last played on Dec. 3, 2011.
“The only thing that’s scared me is if it could be permanent, if I could never play hockey again,” Howorko told Brad Brown of the Prairie Post in December 2012. “That’s my goal, is I want to come back and play. What’s scary is that it could take out my career. I try to keep hope every single day.”
If you want to get a feel for what Howorko has gone through, read this Dec. 6 story by Brown.
(Tip of the hat to @saskawhat for the tweet.)
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F Jaimen Yakubowski of the Lethbridge Hurricanes will attend the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects camp that begins Saturday in Traverse City, Mich. Yakubowski, 19, had 50 points, including 32 goals, in 66 games last season, his second in the WHL. He is from Dalmeny, Sask., and is represented by Turning Point Sports Management.
As well, D Matt Staples of the Medicine Hat Tigers is in the Dallas Stars’ prospects camp. From Coppell, Texas, he had three points in 30 games with the Tigers as a freshman last season.
Red Deer Rebels F Matt Bellerive, who turns 19 on July 12, will go to camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospects. Bellerive, who played two WHL seasons with the Vancouver Giants before being dealt to Red Deer, is from North Vancouver. He had 36 points, 15 of them goals, in 69 games last season.
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 If you haven’t already read Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery, you absolutely must. It is the story of the disappearance of former Saskatoon Blades defenceman Duncan MacPherson and the heart-wrenching situations his parents found themselves in as they searched for him. . . . If you haven’t read it, order it right here. I promise you that you won’t be sorry. This is one of those reads that will stay with you for a long, long time. . . . There is a solid review of it right here.
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Somehow, I missed this terrific read right here on the Aaron Hernandez situation. It was written by Charles P. Pierce of Grantland.com. And even though it was written before Hernandez ws arrested, it’s well worth your time.
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Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times writes right here that his city’s motto “should be something like: Always the robbed, never the robber.” . . . Still, he feels Seattle has gained a lot despite being used as leverage by the NBA and NHL.
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There were 40,000 people in attendance Thursday as Joey Chestnut won his seventh straight Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating championship on Coney Island, N.Y. The New York Daily News was there, too, and reported that Chestnut, who ate 69 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes, “ate 20,010 calories, 1,173 grams of fat and 48,990 miligrams of sodium.” . . . According to the Post, “A normal American . . . is supposed to consume 2,000 calories a day, and no more than 200 grams of fat or 2,300 milligrams of salt.” . . . Chew on that for a while.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Philippe Boucher is scheduled to be introduced Monday as the new general manager and head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. He takes over from Patrick Roy, now the head coach of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Roy also owns a piece of the Remparts. . . . Boucher spent the past two seasons as vice-president of hockey operations and general manager of the Rimouski Oceanic. . . . Rimouski, meanwhile, added the GM’s portfolio to head coach Serge Beausoleil’s duties. . . .

Stephane Paquette of Acadie Nouvelle reported last night that Darren Rumble will be introduced today as head coach of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. . . . Rumble has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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From Brent Parker (@Patguy65): “Hey @CityofRegina would it kill you to throw some lines on the roads around town. I'm unemployed give me a can of paint and ill do it!”


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Bob Ridley just keeps on driving and smiling. Yes, here he is — the man, the
myth, the legend — taking the Medicine Hat Tigers out on the playoff trail
one more time. Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News passed along these
photos as the Tigers headed to Edmonton last week to begin a second-round
series. If you aren't aware, Ridley also is the radio voice of the Tigers.
(Darren Steinke / Medicine Hat News)

We are into the second round of the WHL playoffs and things really are starting to heat up.
Of course, there is some friction between the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets. As you read here yesteday, the Rockets don’t think that F Tyson Baillie should have been suspended for his hit on Kamloops F Colin Smith.
And now we have the Edmonton Oil Kings and Medicine Hat Tigers talking about whether to use the three-metre board or go straight to the tower.
“They’ve gone down easy all year,” Derek Laxdal, the Oil Kings’ head coach, told Dave (Crash) Cameron of the Edmonton Sun after Game 2 of that series, “and I don’t know if it’s a coaching technique or what. My teams don’t play like that so I’ll worry about myself.
“But at the end of the day, if we’re going to engage with stick position, we can’t get too close to the feet. We’ve got to keep it stick-on-puck or stick-on-stick and have a really good mindset of where we are because they are trying to draw penalties and if that’s what they have to do to try and win a series, that’s what they have to do.”
When asked about that, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News: ““I didn’t really play much soccer growing up.”
Clouston then caught himself and continued: “I just prefer to take the high road. They are a great team with great players. I think their coaches have done a great job.”
Medicine Hat F Boston Leier told Steinke: “I don’t think we are really a diving team. We just go hard. “I don’t think we really consider ourselves that. I don’t know why we would.
“(Laxdal) can have his own opinion, right. I don’t necessarily agree with it.”
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The Red Deer Rebels were without F Matt Bellerive for last night’s 2-1 OT victory over the visiting Calgary Hitmen. The WHL suspended Bellerive for two games earlier in the day, that for a hit on Calgary F Pavlo Padakin. . . . Padakin (knee), a freshman from Kiev, Ukraine, is expected to be out up to six weeks. . . . The Hitmen also are without D Kenton Helgesen (hand). . . .


The WHL also suspended F Tyson Baillie of the Kelowna Rockets for two games for a hit on F Colin Smith of the Kamloops Blazers in Game 1 of their series. Baillie sat out Game 2 and won’t play tonight in Kamloops. . . . Smith, who has a suspected concussion, didn’t play in Game 3 and isn’t expected to play tonight. . . .


The WHL also finalized the suspension of Seattle Thunderbirds F Justin Hickman at four games. He drew a checking-to-the-head major for a hit on Kelowna Rockets D Jesse Lees in Game 6 of their first-round series. Lees hasn’t played since the hit. . . .
F Ty Rattie of the Portland Winterhawks leads the WHL with nine playoff goals. That leaves him with 39 career playoff goals, good for third spot on the career list. He is two goals behind Reggie Leach (Flin Flon, 1967-70) and eight behind Mark Pederson (Medicine Hat, 1983-88).
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Paul Buker takes a look right here at freshman F Paul Bittner of the Portland Winterhawks. And I have a feeling Bittner may be the only player in the WHL who knows who Frankie Yankovic is. . . . Seriously, this is an interesting story because Bittner’s father, Jon, is a member of the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame. When his son left for the WHL, Jon resigned as chairman of the executive board of the coaches’ association and stepped down as a high school coach. . . . Yes, this is an interesting read.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mike Aikens won’t be back as general manager/head coach of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. The team has two games remaining this season and assistant coach Brian Kaufman will run the bench. . . . The Lancers are 34-27-1 and won’t qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 24 seasons. . . . Aikens replaced Bliss Littler on Nov. 30, 2011, and went 63-38-2 as head coach.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0; Game 3, tonight, in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
(Calgary leads, 2-1; Game 4, tonight, in Red Deer)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Spokane (4)
(Portland leads 2-0; Game 3, tonight, in Spokane)
Kelowna (2) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3, tonight, in Kamloops; also on Shaw TV)
———
MONDAY’S GAME:
In Red Deer, D Mathew Dumba scored in OT as the Rebels beat the Calgary Hitmen, 2-1. . . . Dumba got his second goal of these playoffs at 6:33 of extra time while on the PP. . . . Calgary D Spencer Humphries was off for high-sticking Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno. . . . “I didn’t think it was a great call at all,” Calgary head coach Mike Williamson told Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun. “Their guy was reaching for the puck, so he ended up basically two or three feet off the ice. But he sold it. Regardless, we have to kill it off.” . . . Calgary D Peter Kosterman gave his guys the lead at 7:05 of the first period. . . . Red Deer F Brooks Maxwell tied it with a shorthanded goal at 14:29 of the first. . . . Red Deer G Patrik Bartosak stopped 38 shots, four fewer than Calgary’s Chris Driedger.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (15):
D Brady Gaudet, Red Deer
D Spencer Humphries, Calgary

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None

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There has been some controversy in the second-round series between the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets.
On Sunday, the WHL suspended Kelowna F Tyson Baillie – length to be determined – for an unpenalized Game 1 hit on which Kamloops F Colin Smith was injured. The hit occurred early in the second period Saturday and Smith didn’t return. He was re-evaluated Sunday and kept out of the game.
The Blazers claim Baillie’s hit was late; the Rockets say Baillie caught Smith with his head down.
“Skating with the puck,” writes Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier, “Smith cut towards the middle of the ice, then took a shot. Baillie then swooped in and hit Smith, who was looking towards the Rockets’ net.
“It was a grey-area hit, that was technically clean, yet also borderline late. Regardless, Smith is out with an undisclosed injury — possibly a concussion as it looked like his head hit the ice hard after the collision — and the length of Baillie’s suspension is yet to be determined."
Kamloops head coach Guy Charron told Potenteau that Smith’s injury is “a day-to-day scenario. After being examined by a doctor, it was felt that he wouldn’t take part in the game. You have to respect those things; I don’t think he was 100 per cent; it wouldn’t have been fair to put him in that situation, so that’s where it’s at, at this point. He’ll be reevaluated as we move along.”
Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ president and general manager, told Potenteau:
“There’s no doubt in (the Blazers’ mind) it was a late hit. It was point-six of a second after (Smith) got rid of the puck. To me, I’m all for the penalties and suspensions when guys are vulnerable and when they’re hit from behind or blows to the head. You can control that. This, to me, isn’t what they’re doing.
“If you’re coming across the middle with your head down and the other guy is coming straight at you, he’s at as much risk (to injury) as you are. The check was right into his shoulder, and I feel bad that he’s hurt, but, in my day, if you came across the middle and had your head down, somebody
got you, all the time.
“The rules have changed that whenever somebody’s hurt, something happens.”
Smith has 11 points in seven playoff games after putting up 106 in 72 regular-season games. He hadn’t missed a game since early January of 2010; in fact, he had played in 273 consecutive regular-season and playoff games.
Baillie leads the Rockets in goals (7) and points (12) in these playoffs.
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On the topic of suspensions, F Matt Bellerive of the Red Deer Rebels isn’t expected to play tonight in Game 3 against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. He has been hit with a ‘tbd’ suspension for a kneeing major he incurred in Game 2 on Friday in Calgary. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that the Rebels are exected to dress F Adam Musil, a first-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, tonight, and also will use F Scott Feser. . . .
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F Grant Besse, a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret, has been honoured with the Mr. Hockey award in Minnesota. The award, presented by the Minnestoa Minute Men, is for the top high school senior hockey player in the state. . . . Besse, 18, had 76 points, including 48 goals, in 28 regular-season and playoff games. . . . Besse, who has committed to attend the U of Wisconsin, is on the Kamloops Blazers’ college list. Interestingly, he attended the same school as F Alex Baer, who left early and joined the Vancouver Giants late in their season. . . . Besse now is with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. He has four goals in seven games.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Edmonton leads, 2-0; Game 2, Tuesday, in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
(Calgary leads, 2-0; Game 3, tonight, in Red Deer)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Spokane (4)
(Portland leads 2-0; Game 3, Tuesday, in Spokane)
Kelowna (2) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3, Tuesday, in Kamloops)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Kelowna, the Kamloops Blazers scored the game’s last five goals and beat the Rockets, 5-1. . . . F Myles Bell gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 1:35 of the first period, via the PP. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford tied the score at 3:11, with his third first-period goal in two games. . . . Blazers F Dylan Willick broke the tie at 9:47 of the second, on a PP. . . . Kamloops F Kale Kessy scored his eighth goal of these playoffs in the third period. He trails only Portland Winterhawks F Ty Rattie, who has nine. . . . Kamloops F Aaron Macklin, who scored one goal in 62 regular-season games, added his second goal in two nights. . . . Ranford also had an assist, giving him four points in the two games. . . . He has 14 points in eight playoff games; last season, he finished with 14 points in 11 postseason games. . . . After getting D Mitchell Wheaton (shoulder) back for Game 1, the Rockets had F Carter Rigby (shoulder, foot) back for Game 2. Not that long ago both players were considered to be out for the season. . . . The Rockets also dressed D Dalton Yorke, 16, from Maple Ridge. He played this season for the Vancouver North East Chiefs, putting up 20 points and 122 penalty minutes in 40 games. . . .

In Edmonton, G Laurent Brossoit stopped 33 shots as the Oil Kings beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 2-0. . . . You want hot? Brossoit has three shutouts in seven games in these playoffs. He is 6-1, 0.69, .972. . . . Brossoit has five playoff shutouts in his career. . . . Medicine Hat held an 18-3 edge in second-period shots but wasn’t able to score. . . . The Oil Kings scored two power-play goals, with F Henrik Samuellson scoring at 6:04 of the first and D Cody Corbett getting the second one at 1:56 of the third. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 32 shots. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-7 on the PP. According to Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News, “The Oil Kings haven’t given up a goal to Medicine Hat on special teams since Feb. 20, 2012 — a stretch of 44 chances.” . . . In these playoffs, the Oil Kings have yet to surrender a power-play goal in 33 opportunities over seven games.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (13):
D Landon Cross, Kamloops

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None
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From Andrew Weiss (@WeissFC): “In wake of Coach Gwozdecky’s departure, NTDP U18s Gage Ausmus has decomitted from Denver.”
Ausmus, who turns 18 on April 22, is from East Grand Forks, Minn., and is on the Calgary Hitmen’s protected list.

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