PHOTO: Billy Moores, Chuck Moser, Dale Schula, and Bob Steadward join Clare Drake at his home in celebration of his #HHOF induction. pic.twitter.com/lkGDPeqiBn— UAlberta Athletics (@BearsandPandas) June 26, 2017
———
 |
The Regina Pats aren’t likely to have sophomore F Nick Henry available for much, if any, of the first half of the 2017-18 season. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported Monday that Henry “requires off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum.” . . . John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, told Harder: “They’re talking four months, maybe a bit longer.” . . . The Colorado Avalanche picked Henry in the fourth round of last weekend’s NHL draft. He is attending the Avs’ development camp in Denver and is expected to have surgery once he returns to Regina. . . . The Pats will be the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup and Henry is one of their top six forwards. . . . Harder’s story is right here.
——
What an interesting couple days. Thanks to @DallasStars again for the opportunity. So excited to be a apart of @GoldenKnights. #GoKnights— Dylan Ferguson (@dferg_98) June 27, 2017
G Dylan Ferguson’s time as a member of the Dallas Stars organization came to an end on Monday, two days after it began.
Ferguson, 19, is preparing for his third season with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
On Saturday, the Stars selected Ferguson in the seventh round, 194th overall, of the NHL draft.
On Monday, Ferguson was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, along with a second-round pick in the 2020 draft, in exchange for D Marc Methot. Vegas had claimed Methot from the Ottawa Senators in last week’s expansion draft.
Methot had 12 assists in 68 games last season, playing most of the time alongside Erik Karlsson. Methot, 32, has two years left on his contract at US$4.9 million per season.
Vegas already owns nine selections in the 2020 NHL draft, to go with 11 in 2019.
Here’s what I wrote about Ferguson after the Stars selected him:
Ferguson, from Lantzville, B.C., spent the past two seasons backing up Connor Ingram with the Blazers. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Ferguson got into only 16 games in 2015-16, going 4-10-0, 4.13, .875. Last season, he played in 31 games and was 16-10-2, 2.74, .922. . . . Ferguson played most of those 2016-17 games in December and early January, while Ingram was with Canada’s national junior team. Ferguson lit it up, too — he was 9-4-1 while Ingram was away — resulting in a lot of scouts showing up in Kamloops after Christmas when they knew he would be starting. . . . With Ingram, 20, expected to play in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s organization in 2017-18, Ferguson, who turns 19 on Sept. 20, should be the Blazers’ starter. . . . Don’t forget, too, that Tom Gaglardi, the Stars’ owner, also is the majority owner of the Blazers.
——
A number of NHL teams have opened, or are about to open, development camps. A few WHL players who are undrafted free agents will attend these camps.
The Ottawa Senators will have four free agents from WHL teams in attendance. That includes F Matteo Gennaro of the Calgary Hitmen, who was a seventh-round selection by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2015 NHL draft but wasn’t signed. Gennaro is preparing for this 20-year-old season. . . . Also joining the Ottawa group will be F Parker Kelly, 18, of the Prince Albert Raiders, F Jordan Topping of the Tri-City Americans, who will turn 20 on July 20, and D Brayden Pachal of the Raiders, who is to turn 18 on Aug. 23.
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights will have F Jayden Halbgewachs, 20, of the Moose Jaw Warriors, D Keoni Texeira, 20, of the Portland Winterhawks, and D Dylan Coghlan, 19, of the Tri-City Americans in their camp. Also there will be F Patrick Bajkov, who turns 20 on Nov. 27, of the Everett Silvertips, D Will Warm, 18, of the Edmonton Oil Kings, G Griffen Outhouse, 19, of the Victoria Royals, and G Logan Thompson, 20, of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Tyler Wong, who played out his eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season, also will join the Golden Knights’ camp, as will D Dmitry Osipov, who finished his junior days last season with the Wheat Kings.
Portland F Ryan Hughes, who will be 18 on July 27, is going to skate with the Nashville Predators, as will Winterhawks F Alex Overhardt, 20. Portland G Cole Kehler, 20, is going to camp with the Winnipeg Jets.
F Isaac Johnson, who signed with Tri-City on June 1, has been invited to camp by the Detroit Red Wings. Johnson, 18, played last season with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers, scoring 14 goals and adding 14 assists in 47 games.
F Tanner Jeannot, 20, of the Warriors will skate with the Washington Capitals.
F Vince Loschiavo, 19, of the Kootenay Ice and F Nick Chyzowski, 20, of the Kamloops Blazers will be with the Dallas Stars.
F Luc Smith, 19, of the Blazers will be in camp with the New York Rangers.
The Arizona Coyotes’ camp will include F Max Gerlach, 19, of the Medicine Hat Tigers and F Lane Pederson, who turns 20 on Aug. 4. Also with the Coyotes will be D Ryan Gagnon, who played out his junior eligibility last season with the Victoria Royals, and F Tyler Coulter, who did the same with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
F Sami Moilanen, 18, of the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds has been invited to the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp, as has F Ty Lewis, 19, of the Wheat Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, will have two free-agent WHLers in camp with them — F Jordy Bellerive, 18, of the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Seattle F Nolan Volcan, 18.
D Dylan Plouffe, 18, of the Vancouver Giants will skate with the Florida Panthers.
Seattle F Scott Eansor, who played out his junior eligibility last season, has been invited to the New York Islanders’ camp.
Portland F Evan Weinger, 20, and D Clayton Kirichenko, a 20-year-old last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, are expected to skate with the Los Angeles Kings. Weinger is from El Segundo, Calif., and played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings before heading to Portland.
——
The Everett Silvertips have signed assistant coach Mitch Love to a contract extension, adding the title of assistant to the general manager to his portfolio. The length of the extension wasn’t released, but Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald reported that it is for two years. Love is preparing for his ninth season with the Silvertips and his seventh on the coaching staff. He will continue to handle the team’s defencemen and its billeting program.
According to a news release Love, 33, also will be the “organization co-ordinator between the Silvertips players and the education program, and work with projects designed to strengthen the Silvertips outreach and growth within Snohomish County, the Pacific Northwest, and its alumni.”
——
Four players were elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday. Dave Andreychuk, Paul Kariya, Mark Recchi and Teemu Selanne will be inducted in November. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has a piece right here in which he wonders of it’s the Hall of Fame or the Hall of Really Good.
——
If you are a follower of major junior hockey, the name Glenn Gumbley may ring a bell. Yes, Gumbley, who is from Montreal, was involved in an attempt to form the CHLPA, a players association for major junior players. . . . On Sunday night, the CHLPA’s Twitter account included this: “In the last few years, I have made several defamatory statements against the QMJHL and its Commissioner, Gilles Courteau, in which I stated that they were linked to crime, fraud, corruption, exploitation of children, tax evasion, perjury, manipulation and criminality. . . . These statements have been removed from all sites and social media under my control and I apologize to the QMJHL and its Commissioner, Gilles Courteau.” . . . It turns out that, as TVA Sports reported Monday, Gumbley “has been found guilty of defamatory allegations by the Quebec Superior Court” through a judgment by Judge David R. Collier, J.S.C. . . . The verdict, which is final also orders Gumbley to Courteau $10,000 in punitive and moral damages and the QMJHL $5,000 in punitive damages.
——
If you’re a regular here, and even if you aren’t, feel free to make a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.
BTW, if you want to contact me with some information or just feel like commenting on something, you may email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).
———
 |
The Red Deer Rebels have added Brett Anderson to their coaching staff, replacing Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, who left the team to join the USHL’s Fargo Force as associate head coach. . . . Lamoureux spent one season with the Rebels. . . . Anderson was director and head coach of the Ontario Hockey Academy in Cornwall, Ont., last season. A native of Sedgewick, Alta., he has a diploma in kinesiology from Red Deer College and a degree from the U of Alberta. He also has coached at the U of Saskatchewan, U of Alberta and Red Deer College, as well as in Europe.
——
Kevin Constantine is adding another country to his coaching travelogue. Constantine has signed on as head coach of the Asia League Ice Hockey’s Daemyung Killer Whales, who play out of Seoul, South Korea. . . . Constantine, 58, has NHL coaching experience with the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks. He spent the past four seasons as the head coach of the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. They finished atop the U.S. Division last season, but his contract wasn’t renewed. . . . Last season, the Killer Whalers, then with Benedict Chi Young Song as head coach, finished eighth in the nine-team league.
——
It was mentioned in this space the other day that Craig Woodcroft’s contract as head coach of the KHL’s Dynamo Minsk had been terminated. He had signed a three-year deal there in April 2016. . . . On Sunday, the Genève-Servette HC announced that it had signed Woodcroft to a three-year deal as head coach. Genève-Servette HC, a Geneva-based team, plays in the Swiss NL A. . . . Woodcroft would take over from Chris McSorley, who stepped aside as head coach after last season but remains as general manager. Former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis is on Genève-Servette’s board, as is Lorne Henning, a former NHL/WHL player and a former NHL coach. At one time, Henning as an assistant GM under Gillis with the Canucks.
———
 |
"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" - Satchel Paige pic.twitter.com/y2kE0x9V8K— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) June 26, 2017
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 New York Rangers, presumably wanting F Ryan Gropp to get more playing time in more situations than he would in the AHL or ECHL, returned the veteran 20-year-old to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Monday.
pretty much the same thing.
The Swift Current Broncos have released F Luca Leone, 18. He was pointless in seven games this season. . . . Over the previous two seasons, the Vancouver native had four goals and seven assists in 70 games with the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Broncos had acquired Leone and a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft from the Giants in May for D Bobby Zinkan. . . . The Giants released Zinkan earlier this season.
The Kootenay Ice could have F Tim Bozon and F Sam Reinhart back in its lineup when it plays the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday night. Bozon, 20, has been out with an undisclosed injury, while Reinhart, 19, has yet to play since being returned by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Reinhart, who played in nine games with Buffalo, was the second overall selection in the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Reinhart also has been added to the WHL team that will play a touring Russian side in the annual Subway Super Series. He will be the WHL team’s captain as he takes part in the series for a third straight season. . . . The games will be played in Saskatoon on Nov. 10 and Brandon on Nov. 11. . . . While Bozon and Reinhart should return to the Ice on Friday, D Tanner Faith is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury.
However, Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Rebels, has told Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate, that he is testing the wind before becoming fully involved.
1. Followers of the Portland Winterhawks may be sweating a bit as the Vancouver Canucks’ field of coaching candidates narrows. There are rumblings from some corners of the Vancouver media that Willie Desjardins is the leading candidate to replace the fired John Tortorella. However, Desjardins, the former Medicine Hat Tigers’ GM/head coach who guided the Texas Stars to the AHL title, may well end up with the Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . According to a tweet from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada: “PIT interviewed him by phone Wednesday, now bringing him in. That's a quick-moving romance.” . . . Should Desjardins go to the Penguins, that might move Mike Johnston, the Winterhawks’ GM/head coach, to the top, or near the top, of the Canucks’ list. Johnston has some history in Vancouver, too, having worked for the Canucks as an assistant and associate coach. . . . Dan Bylsma, who was fired the other day as head coach of the Penguins, also has been interviewed for the Canucks’ job. But he may end up with the Florida Panthers. Or will the Panthers sign Gerard Gallant, an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens? . . . What this all means is that the guessing games in the media will continue for another day or two, and Portland fans will continue to hold their collective breath.
2. The Saskatoon Blades have promoted Steve Hildebrand from trainer to assistant general manager. Hildebrand spent 13 seasons on the Blades’ training staff. He also spent time with the SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers, the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the U of Manitoba Bisons. . . . According to a news release from the Blades: “Hildebrand's role will include helping manage and track the players on the Blades’ 50-man protected list, and taking care of team travel arrangements, contracts and league paperwork, while also watching players at all levels including bantam, midget, junior A and the WHL.” . . . The Blades also announced the hiring of James McDonald as their athletic therapist. He spent the past two seasons as the trainer/equipment manager with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more 
3. For the first time since 1995, Ron Rumball no longer is the general manager of the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings. It was announced at the team’s annual meeting that head coach Bryce Thoma (Red Deer, 1999-2002) also is the GM now. . . . Rumball remains with the Red Wings and will work in player development. . . . For the longest time, Rumball was the GM and Dwight McMillan the head coach with the Red Wings. In fact, it seemed they were partners longer than Hope and Crosby.
5. Former Spokane Chiefs head coach Bill Peters has been signed as the head coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. . . . General manager Ron Francis will introduce the first head coach of his regime today at noon EST. . . . Peters, 48, has been on head coach Mike Babcock’s staff with the Detroit Red Wings for the past three seasons. Before that, Peters spent three seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs. . . . Peters was the Chiefs’ head coach for three seasons (2005-08), winning the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2008. . . . Peters and Babcock are former WHL head coaches and both were head coaches with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns. Peters was a head coach with the Chiefs for four seasons before going to the Pronghorns.
6. The Brandon Wheat Kings have revealed that they sold 1,662 season-tickets by the time its early-bird deadline flew by on Friday. That’s up 33 from the same time last season. . . . “We were hopeful that the increase would have been larger than what it is to date and yet we’re encouraged that there has been quite a few new season tickets sold, and that’s a good sign for us . . .,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings owner, GM and head coach, told James Shewaga, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun. “I think it was helpful for us that we were selling season tickets while our team was still playing, that was a good move by us ... and I think people are excited about our team and the upcoming year.” . . . The Wheat Kings had 2,361 season-ticket holders last season.
Posts
