Red Reign and Thrice Ice . . . Ryan reunites with ex-Chiefs coach . . . Spott popular

D Jonathan Harty (Everett, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract with Grenoble (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with Björklöven Umea (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had six assists in 19 games. . . .
F Mikhail Fisenko (Vancouver, Calgary, 2008-11) has been traded by Amur Khabarovsk to Admiral Vladivostok (both Russia, KHL) as part of the largest trade in KHL history. Fisenko, with Amur this season, had 11 goals and 10 assists in 59 games. . . . The trade sends six players plus the rights to two others to Amur in return for three players. Admiral also receives Amur's first-round draft picks in the 2016 and 2017 KHL drafts. . . .
F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL), he had three goals and five assists in 46 games.
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If you’re wondering, after the Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up the Stanley Cup last night, the Chicago Tribune’s sports front carried the headline RED REIGN. . . . The Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks having won three Stanley Cups in six seasons, went with THRICE AGE.
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F Derek Ryan, who played three seasons (2004-07) with the Spokane Chiefs, has signed with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He got a one-year, two-way deal. . . . Ryan, who is from Spokane, is 28. He played four seasons at the U of Alberta before going to Europe for four seasons. This season, he had 60 points, including 15 goals, in 55 games with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League. He was the SHL’s MVP and forward of the year. . . . Bill Peters, Carolina’s head coach, was Spokane’s head coach for two of Ryan’s seasons there.
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Dave King, one of the most influential coaches in the game of hockey, was in Regina on the weekend. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post caught up with him and the resulting story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Chris Dennis, a former assistant coach with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, is the new head coach of the York U Lions. Dennis, who attended York, lost his job with the Maple Leafs in April when they cleaned house. . . . The Lions were 9-15-3 this season, leaving them last in the OUA West Division. . . . Dennis, who spent 10 seasons in Toronto’s organization, takes over from Jim Wells, who had been the head coach since 2009.
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The Vancouver Giants remain without a head coach and it seems that one of the candidates they have interviewed has become quite popular. It has been speculated that Steve Spott, another former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach, has been one of the Giants’ leading candidates. Now there are reports that he has interviewed with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for their head-coaching position. On top of that, Spott may be in line for an assistant-coaching position with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. He and Peter DeBoer, the Sharks’ new head coach, are friends. . . . Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun also reported on rumours that the Maple Leafs are hoping to hire D.J. Smith, the head coach of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, who won the Memorial Cup last month. Smith, the Generals’ assistant GM and head coach, later denied those rumours.
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The WHL held an officiating camp....and I assume the outside of the rink looked something like this. pic.twitter.com/7jev3bQXIW

— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) June 15, 2015

Thanks, @Asuchak16. Good luck in the A. #TooGoodToBeAtThisLevel pic.twitter.com/rqordz5x72

— Centralized Hockey (@CentralHockeyTJ) June 15, 2015

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Foreurs, Oil Kings in semifinal; Stoll talks Yorkton and Terriers

F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) has signed a one-year contract with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he had 13 points, two of them goals, in 32 games. He was the team captain. . . .


F Alexander Kuvaev (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2010-12) has signed a two-year extension with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). This season, with Severstal, he had two assists in 10 games. He also played with Almaz Cherepovets (Russia, MHL), leading the team in scoring with 39 points, including 17 goals, in 35 games. . . . The MHL is Molodezhnaya Hokkeynaya Liga or Junior Hockey League, Russia's national junior league. . . .

F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a three-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). This season, with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL), he had 30 points, including 13 goals, in 37 games. He was drafted in the fourth round of the KHL’s 2009 junior draft by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which traded his rights to Yugra on Wednesday for Yugra's first-round selection in the 2015 KHL draft.
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1. Jon Rosen, the former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips who now is the L.A. Kings Insider, took time out from a visit to Wrigley Field this week to chat with F Jarret Stoll. Mostly they talked about Stoll’s connection to Yorkton and to the SJHL’s Terriers. You may recall that Stoll arranged to pay for some team meals as the Terriers made a run to the RBC Cup title last week. As I suspected, it turns out that superstition had something to do with it. . . . Rosen’s piece is right here and it really does show that you can take the boy to Los Angeles but you can’t take Yorkton out of the boy. Great stuff!

2. The 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference has added more presenters to its roster. . . . Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s head scout, will do a presentation on player evaluation. . . . Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, will do a session on passing skills. . . . Enio Sacilotto, a long-time coach who now is an assistant with the Victoria Royals, will handle small area games. . . . Jeff Compton, who also is on the Royals’ staff, will deal with Hockey IQ. . . . For more info, click on the conference’s ad at the top of this page. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 18-19 at the U of British Columbia in Vancouver.

3. “Well, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are upon us and we’re staring down the barrel of a strike,” writes columnist George Johnson of the Calgary Herald. “And not a Gary Bettman sighting to be had.” . . . This time, it’s the CFL that’s on the verge of going over a cliff. Seriously. . . . Johnson’s take is right here.

4. D Derrick Pouliot, who completed his junior eligibility with the Portland Winterhawks this season, had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for up to six months., Pouliot was taken eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has signed an NHL contract. He was honoured this season as the WHL’s top defenceman.

5. The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes to a three-year contract extension. Hawes had one year left on this contract, so now is signed through 2017-18. . . . He is preparing for his 10th season with the organization. He has been the GM since November 2010.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Allen Americans, who won the Central league championship earlier this month, have signed head coach Steve Martinson through 2015-16. He just completed his second season with the Americans and has won back-to-back championships.
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Scott Hillman has resigned as head coach and director of hockey operations of the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks, who play out of Independence. He had filled those positions since the Mavericks began play in the league in 2009-10. . . . The Mavericks made the playoffs in each of Hillman’s five seasons with them. This season, they won a franchise-record 44 games and had the league’s best regular-season record.
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MEMORIAL CUP
(at London, Ont., all times Eastern)
(all games televised by Sportsnet)
Friday: Val-d’Or 1, London 0 (8,863)
Saturday: Guelph 5, Edmonton 2 (8,842)
Sunday: Edmonton 5, London 2 (8,863)
Monday: Guelph 6, Val-d’Or 3 (8,796)
Tuesday: Val-d’Or 4, Edmonton 3 (2OT) (8,745)
Wednesday: Guelph 7, London 2 (8,863)
Thursday: No game scheduled.
Friday's semifinal: Val-d'Or vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday: No game scheduled.
Sunday: Final, 4 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
F Scott Kosmachuk scored his first three goals of the tournament to lead the OHL-champion Guelph Storm to a 7-2 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Storm (3-0) had already clinched a berth in Sunday’s final. . . . The loss eliminated the Knights (0-3) from the tournament. . . . Without the need for tiebreaker, today will be an off-day in London. . . . Friday’s semifinal will feature the QMJHL-champion Val-d’Or Foreurs (2-1) and the WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings (1-2). The Foreurs beat the Oil Kings 4-3 in double OT on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Kosmachuk got the Storm started with two first-period goals, at 5:46 and 12:44, the latter via the PP. . . . London got on the board at 17:05 as F Brett Welchyka scored a PP goal. . . . F Tyler Bertuzzi restored Guelph’s two-goal lead with a PP goal at 2:23 of the second, only have London F Josh Anderson cut into that lead at 5:34. . . . However, the Storm took control on Bertuzzi’s second goal, and fifth of the tournament, at 16:05 and a PP goal by F Jason Dickinson at 1:20 of the third. . . . Kosmachuk completed the hat trick at 8:01. . . . Storm F Marc Stevens finished off the scoring at 1714. . . . Guelph G Justin Nichols stopped 45 shots. . . . London starter Anthony Stolarz turned was beaten three time on 17 shots, leaving at 2:23 of the second period with his side down 3-1. Reliever Jake Patterson stopped 17 of 21 shots. . . . Guelph was 3-for-6 on the PP; London was 1-for-4. . . . Storm F Zack Mitchell was ejected with a kneeing major at 6:56 of the first period. London F Dakota Mermis, who was on the receiving end of the hit, returned to the game. . . . The Storm was without D Chadd Bauman after he was suspended for the duration of the tournament for a kneeing major he incurred for a hit on Val-d’Or D Guillaume Gelinas on Monday night. Gelinas, who was named the QMJHL’s top defenceman this season, won’t play again in the tournament. . . . The Knights were appearing in their third straight Memorial Cup. They are the first team to play in three in a row and not win even one championship.
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From Josh Brown (@BrownRecord), during last night’s game: “I'm thinking there is soon going to be tons of semi and final Mem Cup tix available soon.”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ty Morris (Swift Current, Vancouver, Red Deer, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with the Landshut Cannibals (Germany 2. Bundesliga). He had one goal in two games with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) and three goals and five assists in 40 games with Munich (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .


D Juraj Valach (Tri-City, Vancouver, Regina, Red Deer, 2006-08) signed a one-year plus option contract with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals and five assists in 46 games with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .




F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). He had one goal and seven assists in 52 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL) this season. . . .




D Ales Cerny (Swift Current, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract with Nice (France, Division 1). He had two goals and four assists in 20 games with Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus) this season. . . .

F Radim Valchar (Portland, Lethbridge, 2007-10) signed a one-year contract with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). He had 13 goals and 25 assists in 43 games with Bardejov (Slovakia, 1. Liga) this season.
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A little of this and some of that . . .
1. With one game left in the round-robin at the Memorial Cup, the Saskatoon Blades still can win this thing. And would you have said that after they had been swept from the first round of the WHL playoffs? . . . Of the four teams in the tournament, the Blades have put in the most consistent effort to this point.
2. On Saturday night, this was shaping up as a Memorial Cup to remember. Now . . . who knows? We’ve had a one-goal game, two games decided by three goals and one with a seven-goal differential.
3. We do know that the Halifax Mooseheads, who hammered the London Knights 9-2 last night, are through to the semifinal, at least. . . . We also know that there will be a tiebreaker on Thursday.
4. Dave Hunchak, the head coach of the Kamloops Blazers, tackled the subject of goaltending on 92.9 The Bull’s pre-game show at the Memorial Cup on Tuesday. If you haven’t noticed, there is a dearth of quality goaltending in Canada these days. . . . “A guy you can take to world juniors and he’s got your back . . . do we have those guys in our system right now?” Hunchak asked. . . . Hunchak then pointed out that Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov is from Russia, while Portland Winterhawks starter Mac Carruth is from Minnesota. . . . “Half (the starters) aren’t even from Canada,” he said of the Memorial Cup goaltenders. “It’s a concern not just in Western Canada but right across the board.”
5. Listening to Hunchak providing so much insight and raising so many valid points on The Bull’s pre- and post-game shows has me wondering why he isn’t a regular on Sportsnet’s intermission shows.
6. Here’s hoping Hunchak doesn’t lose his voice when he returns to Kamloops and gets down to work as the Blazers’ head coach.
7. If you’re a regular at Memorial Cups, who can plan on being in Vancouver in May 2016. That’s because Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, wants the 2016 Memorial Cup for his city. Jeff Paterson has that story right here.
8. Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press writes right here that organizers in Saskatoon, including Blades governor Jack Brodsky, aren’t disappointed with attendance figures. Nor should they be. . . . Attendance was announced as 9,237 for last night’s game between Halifax and London. . . . Keep in mind that Credit Union Centre can seat 15,195 fans, which means there is never a demand for tickets. This is something the Blades battle all the time — there always are tickets available, so there is never a rush to purchase. . . . It will be interesting to see how many fans show up for tonight’s game between the Blades and Portland. If you’re wondering, prices at Ticketmaster in the wee hours of today ranged from $37.50 to $113.75 per ticket. I would suggest that’s too much for junior hockey, even at the bottom end, and especially when the game is being televised live.
9. Should we believe London head coach Dale Hunter when he says he wasn’t the least bit upset that his Halifax counterpart, Dominique Ducharme, had his big guns out on the PP with an 8-2 lead and two minutes left in the third period? . . . From a journalist’s perspective, I wish more WHL coaches would do that in regular-season games. It would guarantee that there would be lots about which to write.
10. A Saskatoon victory tonight sends the Blades right to the final, leaving London and Portland to play in Thursday’s tiebreaker, with the winner moving on to play Halifax in the semifinal on Friday. . . . A Portland victory tonight, means Halifax is in the final, with London and Saskatoon to meet in the tiebreaker, with the winner going against Portland in the semifinal.
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The Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, practised Monday in Moore, Okla., just three hours before a tornado laid waste to much of the community. Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal writes about that right here.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed Matt Recchi, the director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox to what a news release says are “multi-year” contract extensions. . . . Recchi and Fox have been in their positions since July 2008. . . . Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Hodfast, Sask.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jason Brooks won’t be returning as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. Brooks, who had been with the IceDogs through two seasons, said he is leaving because of back problems. He had surgery in March. According to an IceDogs news release, Brooks will return to Listowel, Ont., “where he will join the family business.” . . .


The BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers announced Tuesday that Michael Olson won’t be back as an assistant coach. Olson, the captain of the Clippers when they won the BCHL title in 2003-04, cited personal reasons in leaving the club. He spent the last three seasons on the team’s coaching staff.
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From Thomas Miller (@Thomas_Miller): “Just saw a city bus with ‘go blades go’ on it. This is offensive to other teams and fans... I am taking this to human rights.”
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From Darryl Wolski (@darrylwolski): “The official Chilli of the OHL and WHL....im all about sponsor dollars but.... an official Chilli??? #bizarre”
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From Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood): “Prince George, BC was so great tonight! Thank you for making our next-to-last show so amazing! You rock!”
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From Kamloops Blazers F/D Josh Connolly (@jconnolly02): “Hey @mikefisher1212... Would you mind it if we traded lives for a day? Good god you're a lucky man. #carrie”

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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.)
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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. . . .
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)

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