Tigers into conference final; Williamson dumped by Hitmen

F Tim Traber (Chilliwack/Victoria, Vancouver, 2009-14) has signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Vancouver, Traber had 23 points, including 12 goals, in 64 games. According to a Genève-Servette news release, Traber has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), Ross had 28 points, including eight goals, in 39 games. On Feb. 17, he moved to Asiago (Italy, Serie A), where he had seven points, two of them goals, in six games. . . .
F Tyson Mulock (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Regina, 1999-2003) has signed a two-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he had 33 points, 16 of them goals, in 48 games. . . .
D Patrick Baum (Swift Current, 1997-98) has signed a one-year contract with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2). This season, Baum played with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), getting 13 points, including three goals, in 47 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year extension with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He started this season with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), getting six points, five of them goals, in 13 games. He signed with Schwenningen in December, and put up 13 points, including eight goals, in 24 games. . . .
F Daniel Boháč (Spokane, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Boháč began the season with Slovan Ustecti Lvi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), putting up 23 points, including 12 goals, in 35 games. He was loaned to Ceske Budejovice in December, where he had seven points, three of them goals, in 16 games. . . .
F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 50 games, he had 51 points, including 16 goals. . . .
F Matt Pettinger (Calgary, 1999-2000) signed a one-year extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). This season, in 47 games, he had 28 points, 12 of them goals.
---
There now are three WHL teams looking for head coaches, with the Calgary Hitmen having started searching on Wednesday.
The Hitmen went 48-17-7 and finished tied atop the Eastern Conference with the Edmonton Oil Kings (50-19-3), who held the tiebreaker with more victories. However, the Hitmen weren't able to get out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in six games to the Kootenay Ice.
Calgary head coach Mike Williamson paid the price on Wednesday when the Hitmen announced they won't exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15.
Mike Moore, the team's general manager and vice-president of business operations, made the announcement.
“Under Mike’s leadership, the Calgary Hitmen were a team that challenged for the top position in our conference,” Moore said in a news release. “It was a difficult decision for us today, but we believe that a change is necessary in order for our team to reach the next level of success."
Williamson just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Hitmen. In his first season, 2009-10, they won the WHL championship and reached the Memorial Cup semifinal in Brandon.
Williamson put up a 210-129-13 reglar-season record with the Hitmen, who made the playoffs in four of his five seasons. They twice lost out in the first round and once were beaten in the Eastern Conference final.
According to the news release, "Associate coach Brent Kisio, assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk will remain with the team."
The Hitmen, who are owned by the NHL's Calgary Flames, are preparing for their 20th anniversary season.
George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has more on Williamson's departure right here.
The Kamloops Blazers and Saskatoon Blades also are looking for head coaches, and you have to think someone from both organizations will be contacting Williamson, if they haven’t already. His 429 head-coaching victories have him in 11th spot on the all-time list.
The Blazers have yet to clarify the status of Dave Hunchak, who didn't complete his first season as head coach. He left the team on Jan. 10 and the Blazers announced Jan. 12 that he was on a leave of absence. General manager Craig Bonner has since admitted that he is looking for a head coach, but nothing more has been said on Hunchak's situation. Hunchak’s contract with the Blazers runs through the 2014-15 season.
The Blades underwent an ownership change during the season and will need a new coaching staff, with head coach Dave Struch, assistant coach Curtis Leschyshyn and goaltending coach Tim Cheveldae all gone.
Colin Priestner, the Blades’ governor and managing partner, has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he doesn’t expect to hire a general manager or a head coach before the bantam draft that is scheduled for May 1.
---

The NHL now is facing three concussion-related lawsuits. A third one, featuring retired players Bill Bennett, Dave Christian and Reed Larson, was filed this week in federal court in Minneapolis. There is more right here.
---
D Keegan Kanzig of the Victoria Royals will finish his season with the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Kanzig was a third-round pick by the Flames in the 2013 NHL draft. . . . Kanzig had eight points, three of them goals, in 63 games with the Royals this season.
---
The Heat also has added D Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the rest of this season. . . . Roy had 44 points, 11 of them goals, in 66 games with Brandon this season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
---


THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
---
MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Medicine Hat wins, 4-3)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 9 (3,624)
Monday: Medicine Hat 2 at Kootenay 1 (2,732)
Wednesday: Kootenay 1 at Medicine Hat 4 (4,006)
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
---
WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
---
PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
---
THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
WESTERN CONFERENCE

KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Saturday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
---
EASTERN CONFERENCE

EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 26: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
---

WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored twice to break a 1-1 tie and the Tigers went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-1, in Game 7 of a second-round series. . . . The No. 4-seeded Tigers move into the Eastern Conference final that will open in Edmonton against the No. 1 Oil Kings on Friday night. Shaw-TV will televise all games in that series. . . . The Ice held a 3-1 lead in this series but wasn't able to get that fourth victory. . . . Cox, an 18-year-old from Surrey, B.C., scored his seventh goal of these playoffs 11 seconds into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie. He added a second goal at 11:19. . . . F Cole Sanford, who assisted on both of Cox's goals, iced it with an empty-netter at 17:49. . . . The Tigers' line of Sanford, Cox and Curtis Valk combined for 37 points, including 17 goals, in the seven games. . . . Ice D Landon Peel scored the game's first goal, just 41 seconds into the first period. . . . Medicine Hat F Steve Owre tied it at 6:44. . . . Cox has 21 points in 13 playoff games. He is one point off the playoff scoring lead held by F Sam Reinhart of the Ice. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 43 shots and was the first star in the building. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 24 shots. . . . The Tigers had the only two PP opportunities of a scoreless first period, but the Ice ended up with a 16-8 edge in shots. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-1. . . . The Ice was 1-for-22 on the PP in the seven games. . . . The Tigers are 5-1 in Game 7s over the past 12 playoff years. . . . In franchise history, the Ice is 1-4 in Games 7s.
---







From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “0 - This was the first time since 2000 that we went an entire round without having a single overtime game (excluding the WHL final).”
---
From Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “Death. Taxes. Inconsistent OHL justice. Questionable Q reffing. WHL brawls. #CircleOfLife”


There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Rhett Gordon (Regina, 1992-96) announced his retirement after helping the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite) win the UK Elite championship. Gordon started the season with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), getting one goal and four assists in 10 games. He joined the Panthers in January and had three goals and 16 assists in 19 games. Gordon, as quoted in Monday's online edition of the Sheffield Star: "This was a very difficult decision and I thought long and hard about it but I feel the time is right for me to retire." . . .
F Matt Pettinger (Calgary, 1999-2000) signed a two-year contract with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He had 14 goals and 23 assists in 52 games with Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks) this season. Cologne GM Stephane Richer: "Matt will be a real asset to our team. He's agile, good on the road, strong and physical on the puck. He is also a reliable scorer and can bring his experience to our team also to enrich it off the ice. A player like Matt has been missing from our team." . . .
F Antonin Honejsek (Moose Jaw, 2009-11) signed a two-year contract extension with Zlin (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Honejsek had three goals and four assists in 34 games with Zlin, four goals and seven assists in six games with Zlin U20, and two assists in three games on loan to Horacka Slavia Trebic (Czech Republic, 1.Liga).
———
There weren’t any WHL games on Monday night, but three series resume tonight.
The Medicine Hat Tigers will have F Emerson Etem back in their lineup for Game 3 as they play host to the Moose Jaw Warriors. Etem sat out Game 2 after taking a kneeing major early in Game 1. The Warriors hold a 2-0 lead. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings hold a 2-0 lead as they head into Brandon for two games with the Wheat Kings. . . . Brandon hasn’t played at home since March 17. It played its first-round games in Winnipeg as the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair had taken over Westman Place in Brandon. . . .
Portland LW Oliver Gabriel has served one game and is awaiting a final ruling on his suspension stemming from a Game 1 collision with Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave … Medicine Hat RW?Emerson Etem has had his suspension finalized at one game — which he has already served — after taking a kneeing major in Game 1 of the Tigers’ series against Moose Jaw. . . .
The Kamloops Blazers won’t have G Cole Cheveldave for a second straight game as they take on the visiting Portland Winterhawks. Cheveldave was injured — no one is saying but it would appear he has a concussion — late in Game 1 when Portland F Oliver Gabriel ran over him behind the net. . . . Gabriel sat out Game 2 with a suspension. The length of that suspension hadn’t been determined as of early, early this morning. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 2-0 lead in this series. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans, meanwhile, are tied 1-1 and will resume hostilities on Wednesday night in Spokane.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
The USHL’s Indiana Ice fired general manager and head coach Kyle Wallack on Monday. Wallack had been an associate head coach at Yale U since 2006. He signed with the Ice on June 1, 2011, agreeing to a deal through 2013-14. Wallack replaced Charlie Skjodt, who at the time moved up to president. Skjodt was named interim head coach through the end of this season. . . . The Ice was 37-19-4 last season when it was ousted in the second round of playoffs. This season, the Ice is 34-15-9 and second in the Eastern Conference. . . . "There were a number of factors that led me to make this decision at this time of the year, but team unity, improvement in team play during the season and the development of the players who sign up for the Indiana Ice will never be compromised, " said Ice CEO Paul Skjodt in a news release. . . . There have been five coaching changes in the 16-team USHL this season. . . . The USHL is into the final week of its regular season. . . .
The midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings will have Ken Schneider as their head coach again in 2012-13. Schneider, one of hockey’s good guys, played in the WHL with Brandon (1979-82), finishing up as the Wheat Kings’ captain. He is the father of former WHL D Mark Schneider (Kamloops, Brandon, Regina, 2006-11). Mark played this season with the U of Regina Cougars. . . .
The Kootenay Ice has an opening on its coaching staff after the U of Regina Cougars named Todd Johnson as their new head coach, effective immediately. Johnson, who played in the WHL with Moose Jaw, Kamloops and Red Deer (1990-93), has been an assistant with the Ice for the last two seasons. With the Cougars, he takes over from Blaine Sautner, who resigned in order to return to the family farm. . . . “I’m really happy for Todd as he is a classy young man who . . . will do a real good job for them,” Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and general manager, told me Monday evening. “Proud also to have another coach move on up.” . . .
Ryan Pollock, the associate coach and assistant GM of the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs, has resigned, citing personal and family reasons. Pollock spent the last five seasons with the Pontiacs, starting as an assistant coach and moving to associate coach/assistant GM under Chad Mercier for this season. . . . The Pontiacs also are looking for a trainer after Kim Sydora left following the season.
———
Marc Habscheid, the general manager and head coach of the Victoria Royals, and team president Dave Dakers have denied a rumbling in the Edmonton Journal from the weekend. Jim Matheson, in his weekly Hockey World report, had speculated that Habscheid might be looking to give up the GM’s role, which might open the door for Doug Soeteart, the former Everett Silvertips’ GM, to land in Victoria. According to Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist, Habscheid and Dakers responded identically: “There is nothing to it."

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Friday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Matt Pettinger (Calgary 1999-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with the Cologne Sharks (Germany DEL). He had 14 goals and 31 assists in 44 games for the Sharks this season.
———
THE CHILLIWACK/VICTORIA BRUINS:
Jim Mullin of Vancouver radio station CKNW reported Friday that Chilliwack Bruins minority owner Moray Keith “has been told to keep his comments to himself.”
Keith, who had confirmed to Mullin on Thursday that the Bruins have been sold, presumably to RG Properties, and will be relocated to Victoria, was to have appeared live on the air with Mullin on Friday morning.
However, Keith opted out 15 minutes before show time, sending a text stating that “I was made aware last night of a confidentiality agreement that I am bound by. So I will not be able to make any live comment.”
Mullin’s story on the Keith situation is right here.
But isn’t that typical of this whole Bruins-to-Victoria saga? The cat would seem to be out of the bag, the horse is out of the barn, the birds have flown . . . and now there’s a gag order?
———
Eric Welsh of the Chilliwack Progress reported that Darryl Porter, a Bruins’ owner and the franchise’s governor, “sent a text message to Bruins radio play-by-play man Randy Merkley stating that a deal was not done.”
———
A rumour in Victoria has the ECHL’s Salmon Kings moving to Fresno, Calif., once a WHL team is finalized for the B.C. capital. . . . The Salmon Kings were selling season-tickets during a home game on Wednesday night. . . . Broadcasters doing the WHL playoff game between the Red Deer Rebels and the host Edmonton Oil Kings on Thursday night apparently were told not to comment on the Chilliwack-to-Victoria story. . . .
———
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE . . .
When the Medicine Hat Tigers and Brandon Wheat Kings met in Game 4 of their series in Winnipeg on Thursday night, the attendance was 6,033. . . . Gotta think someone is watching and thinking about trying to put a WHL franchise into the Manitoba capital.
———
If you missed it, Mr. Hockey turned 83 on Thursday. Here’s Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times, writing about Gordie Howe.
———
Randy Turner of the Winnipeg Free Press has a good read right here on Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Ryan Pulock, who will always stop to remember his brother on March 29. You won’t want to miss  this piece.
———
Garrett Robinson was back in Moose Jaw this week and Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald caught up with him. You may recall that Robinson, while playing for the Warriors, was involved in a horrific car accident on Oct. 22, 2006. Gourlie’s story is right here.
———
The Spokane Chiefs will have F Anthony Bardaro back in the lineup tonight when they play host to Game 5 of their series with the Chilliwack/Victoria Bruins. He served a one-game suspension under supplemental discipline for a hit in overtime in Game 3. . . . The Bruins will be without D Tyler Stahl, who ended up with a two-game suspension for an elbowing major he picked up in Game 3. That hit was on Spokane F Tyler Johnson, the WHL’s second-leading scorer in the regular season. Johnson didn’t play in Game 4. . . . The Chiefs take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 tonight. . . .
———
Two of the four goaltenders the Medicine Hat Tigers and Brandon Wheat Kings were counting on when the playoffs began are concussed. Medicine Hat starter Tyler Bunz tried to play in Game 1, didn’t finish and hasn’t played since. He was back on the practice ice Friday but isn’t expected to play in Game 6 tonight in The Hat. The Wheat Kings have been going with Corbin Boes and Liam Liston. However, Liston now is out with a concussion. . . . Liston wasn’t on Brandon’s bench for Game 4 in Winnipeg on Friday, with the Brandon Sun’s Rob Henderson reporting: “Brandon did not reveal the name of the emergency backup goalie and did not list him on the game sheet.” . . .
———
FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF GAME:
In Cranbrook, F Cody Eakin had a goal and an assist as the host Kootenay Ice scored a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Ice has won two in a row and now leads the series 3-2. Game 6 is in Moose Jaw on Sunday. Might that be the last WHL game to be played in the Crushed Can? . . . F Max Reinhart scored for the Ice at 18:31 of the second on a PP and Eakin made it 2-0 at 14:04 of the third. . . . F Quinton Howden got Moose Jaw’s goal, his fourth of the series, at 15:48 of the third. That ended the Warriors’ goal drought at 116 minutes four seconds. . . . Moose Jaw had a late PP when Eakin was called for tripping at 17:25 of the third. . . . Ice F Joe Antilla finished the scoring, with his fourth of the series, into an empty net. . . . Ice F Kevin King had two assists. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 27 shots as he came close to posting the fourth shutout of the series. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk, who has two shutouts, stopped 46 shots. . . . Lieuwen’s night included facing a first-period penalty shot by F Dylan Hood, who hit a goal post. . . . Attendance was 2,958. . . . The Ice is without F Drew Czerwonka (shoulder) and F Brock Montgomery (mononucleosis). Ice F Jesse Ismond was back after not playing since he took a hit by D Dylan McIlrath in Game 2. . . . The Warriors remain without the injured D Dallas Erhardt, F Cody Beach and D Brayden Cuthbert.
———
KOOTENAY VS. MOOSE JAW
(Series D)
March 25 — Moose Jaw 4 at Kootenay 0 (2,486) (Heemskerk 30)
March 26 — Moose Jaw 2 at Kootenay 5 (2,467)
March 29 — Kootenay 0 at Moose Jaw 4 (2,714) (Heemskerk 28)
March 30 — Kootenay 5 at Moose Jaw 0 (2,744) (Lieuwen 25)
April 1 — Moose Jaw 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,958)
April 3 — Kootenay at Moose Jaw
x-April 5 — Moose Jaw at Kootenay

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

gdrinnan.blogspot.com

     

Taking Note on Twitter