If you are one of the folks waiting to get a copy of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, I am told that the second printing arrived in the Toronto warehouse late last week and books are on the way into stores.
So please keep checking with your favourite bookstore.
I also was told that Costco placed an order.
———
Headline in the Vancouver Sun: ’Hawks flogged for bending it like Beckham
———
D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks has told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald that he was “devastated” when the Everett Silvertips fired general manager Doug Soetaert in February.
Jones, who is likely to be the first or second selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft (if there is one), was selected by Everett with the 11th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. However, he chose not to report and was traded to Portland.
"I had a really good connection with Doug Soetaert and the head coach that was here (Craig Hartsburg)," Jones, 18, told Patterson. "They both are gone, so I didn't feel like I had a connection with the new guys here."
Jones also told Patterson: "I have nothing against Everett. Doug was a great guy. He came down to Dallas to visit me a couple times the past couple years. When he got fired I was devastated, to be honest with you. He was a really nice guy and a great influence for me to come here. He left and things kind of changed.”
Patterson’s complete story is right here.
———
If you haven’t seen the Merry Christmas video put together by the Calgary Hitmen, it’s right here.
And, yes, that is general manager Kelly (Boots Randolph) Kisio on the sax.
My good wife says it's “awesome.” But I’m thinking she may have been referring to the shower scene.
———
The Czech Republic national junior team has released the roster for a selection camp that begins Dec. 15 in Rokycany. That roster includes three WHLers — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer, D Marek Hrbas of Kamloops and D David Musil of Edmonton. . . . Not on that roster are F Matej Stransky of Saskatoon and D Richard Nedomlel of Swift Current.
Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen is on Finland’s roster, while Calgary F Victor Rask is on Sweden’s roster.
———
The OHL’s Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds fired head coach Mike Stapleton on Monday. They replaced him with Sheldon Keefe, who won five straight CCHL championships (2007-11) with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
The Greyhounds are 13-14-2 and in third place in the West Division.
———
In the QMJHL, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have fired Ron Choules, their general manager and head coach. He ran the team’s Monday afternoon practice and then was relieved of his duties. . . . Choules was in his second season as head coach; he had been GM since October when Pierre Roux was fired. . . . Marc-André Dumont is the Screaming Eagles’ new GM/head coach. He spent three seasons as head coach of the Val-d’Or Foreurs before being fired in October with the team at 4-6-0. . . . Cape Breton is 7-17-6 and is 16th in the 18-team league’s overall standings. It has lost its last seven games.
———
The Seattle Thunderbirds announced Monday that F Tyler Alos, 19,  has retired from hockey. For some reason, the Thunderbirds news release make no mention of why Also retired, but it’s due to post-concussion syndrome. “He has been advised by doctors against returning to the ice this season,” Seattle GM Russ Farwell said in a news release. . . . According to the news release, Alos will stay with the club and assist the Thunderbirds. . . . A native of Spokane, he had 56 points, including 19 goals, in 201 games over four seasons.
This would be a good time to provide a link to a story from Monday’s edition of The New York Times.
“The growing evidence of a link between head trauma and long-term, degenerative brain disease was amplified in an extensive study of athletes, military veterans and others who absorbed repeated hits to the head, according to new findings published in the scientific journal Brain,” writes Ken Belson.
“The study, which included brain samples taken posthumously from 85 people who had histories of repeated mild traumatic brain injury, added to the mounting body of research revealing the possible consequences of routine hits to the head in sports like football and hockey. The possibility that such mild head trauma could result in long-term cognitive impairment has come to vex sports officials, team doctors, athletes and parents in recent years.”
The complete story is right here and it’s a must read.
And while you’re there click on the interactive link and check out the slides of various brains.
———
The Saskatoon Blades made a couple of trades on Monday. . . . The dealt D Brett Lernout, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, to the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Then they dealt a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Prince Albert Raiders for D Shayne Gwinner, 18. Gwinner had one goal in nine games with the Raiders but left the team last month. Last season, Gwinner had 11 points in 51 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Gwinner, from Drumheller, was acquired by the Raiders from the Warriors on July 6 for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a sixth-rounder in 2014. . . . Lernout was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.
———
The Saskatoon Blades were hit with a $750 fine after being involved in their second line brawl of the season on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Brett Stovin (shoulder) was involved in a full practice Monday, the first time that has happened since he was injured on Nov. 10. . . . However, Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower (concussion) skated prior to practice and left the ice after about 15 minutes. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who has missed six games since take a puck in the fce on Nov. 16 in Cranbrook, hopes to return Friday. He’ll wear a full shield. The Wheat Kings are 0-5-1 without him in the lineup. . . .
Cougars F Colin Jacobs has been suspended for six games after being penalized for a headshot on Victoria Royals F Luke Harrison on Friday in Prince George. Harrison is out with a concussion. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders are at home tonight to the Spokane Chiefs. Prince Albert F Jonas Knutsen (Norway) and F Leon Draisaitl (Germany) leave after tonight’s game to join their national junior teams. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have brought in D Micheal Zipp, 16, for the remainder of this season. He was pointless in nine games with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Zipp, from Edmonton, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Silvertips lost D Ryan Murray (shoulder), traded D Griffin Foulk to the Seattle Thunderbirds, and are about to lose D Mirco Mueller to the Swiss junior team. So there was room on the roster for a defenceman.
———






From former WHLer Spencer Asuchak (@Asuchak16): “Would love to hear someone explain how the best player in the @thewhl didn't get invited to world jr camp. @blazerhockey #smith”
———
From former WHL scoring champ Tyler Redenbach (@tredenbach18): “@Asuchak16 maybe his parents got a free flight from the team and Ron Robison wouldn't let him go #dubproblems also you notice 0 NCAA players”
———
From D Shayne Gwinner (@gwins32), who was dealt by Prince Albert to Saskatoon yesterday: “Well that was unexpected #Blades”
———
From Seattle Thunderbirds F Justin Hickman (@jhick9): “Tough to see @tyler_alos13 have to hang em up but we know the kid will be red hot behind the bench #heartandsoul #loveyou #too early”

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:
D Denis Rehak (Prince George, 2003-04) signed a two-year contract extension with Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic Extraliga). He had three goals and two assists in 48 games for Vitkovice this season. . . .
F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) signed a two-year contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia KHL). He had 11 goals and 10 assists in 53 games for Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia KHL) this season. . . .
F Egor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) signed a one-year contract
extension with Spartak Moscow (Russia KHL). He had 10 goals and nine assists in 49 games with CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow last season. (Egor’s father is Boris Mikhailov, who was part of the team that played against Canada in the 1972 Summit Series.)
———
D Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs, whose season ended Monday night, will join the AHL’s Binghamton Senators. Cowen was selected ninth overall by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL’s 2009 draft. In fact, he almost made the Senators’ roster in training camp last fall. Binghamton is involved in the AHL’s Atlantic Division final. On Tuesday night, Portland won 6-2, leaving Binghamton with a 3-2 lead in the series. Binghamton is missing three regular defenceman, all of them injured, so Cowen is expected to see some playing time. . . .
———
The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings cleaned out their dressing room on Tuesday. However, RG Properties, which owns the franchise, hasn’t yet revealed its plans for the Salmon Kings. We do know that they won’t be back in Victoria, has RG Properties has purchased the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins and will relocate that team to the B.C. capital.
On Tuesday, Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist talked with Mark Morrison, the Salmon Kings’ GM and head coach, about his thoughts. That story is right here.
———
THE COACHING GAME: Mike Verdone of the Sault Star reports that Mike Stapleton will be the next head coach of the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. A Soo assistant from 2008-10, Stapleton moved on after failing to agree on a contract with then-GM Dave Torrie. Stapleton, who will replace Denny Lambert, spent this season as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. . . . Former Kootenay Ice head coach Mark Holick was the Crunch’s first-year head coach. . . . Gavin Holcomb, who had been an assistant coach with the La Ronge Ice Wolves for three seasons, is the new GM/head coach of the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs. He replaces Darrell Mann, whose contract as director of hockey operations and head coach wasn’t renewed by the team’s board of directors.
———
The host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors opened the OHL final with a 5-2 victory over the Owen Sound Attack on Tuesday. The Majors, the host team for the Memorial Cup, are 13-1 in the playoffs. Attendance was 2,644. Game 2 is Thursday in Owen Sound. . . . Yes, Owen Sound is in the Memorial Cup, too. . . . In the QMJHL, the Gatineau Olympiques scored a 4-2 victory over the host Quebec Remparts to win their semifinal, 4-3. The Olympiques had trailed the series 3-1 before winning three in a row. Attendance wsa 11,815. . . . The Olympiques will meet the Saint John Sea Dogs in the final. That series starts with games in Saint John on Thursday and Saturday. Saint John’s lineup includes former WHL G Jacob DeSerres, 20.
———
The WHL holds its bantam draft on Thursday in Calgary.
The vast majority of the drafted players will have been born in 1996, although there likely will be a few 1995-borns selected in the later rounds.
From a WHL news release: “Players eligible . . . will be 1996-born players who reside in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.”
The Western Elite Hockey Prospects’ rankings that have appeared here, in advance of the draft, haven’t included any American players.
So here is WEHP’s top 10 Western U.S. prospects, keeping in mind that Tyler Neisz of WEHP has tried to weed out players who are expected to take the NCAA route:
1. F Matt Jones, Arizona 95 AAA, 5-10 170
2. F Steven Owre, L.A. Selects, 5-8, 143
3. F Kienan Scott, Spokane Jr. Chiefs, 5-9, 150
4. F Taylor Vickerman, Spokane Jr. Chiefs, 6-0, 175
5. D Carson Vance, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, 5-7, 148
6. D David Dziezawiec, Pikes Peak Minors, 5-10, 147
7. F Chris Koukis, Pursuit of Excellence, 5-9, 150
8. G Daniel Mumaugh, Colorado Thunderbirds, 511, 160
9. F Scott Eansor, Colorado Thunderbifds, 5-10, 155
10. D Johnny Walker, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, 6-0, 164
(SOURCE: Western Elite Hockey Prospects)

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