McCrimmon picks Brandon over Toronto . . . Oilers keep cutting . . . Ex-WHLers in trouble with law

F Judd Blackwater (Spokane, 2005-08) signed a one-year contract with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with the Ontario Reign (ECHL), he had 35 goals and 28 assists in 59 games. . . .
F Jason Jaffray (Edmonton/Kootenay, Swift Current, 1997-2002) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). Last season, he had 12 goals and 10 assists in 36 games with the St. John's Ice Caps (AHL). He was the team captain for the past four seasons. . . .
G Rastislav Staňa (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 1998-2000) announced he is taking a “time out” from hockey due to heart problems. Staňa hasn’t been cleared by doctors for any activity. He contracted pneumonia last season and then doctors discovered weakened heart functions and inflammation of the heart muscle. Last season, with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he was 2.57, .903 in 13 games. . . .
D Art Bidlevskii (Prince George, Regina, 2007-12) signed a one-year contract with Kallinge/Ronneby (Sweden, Division 1). Last season, with the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), he had three assists in 13 games. . . .
F Jonas Johansson (Kamloops, 2002-04) signed a one-year contract with the Stavanger Oilers (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, with Lausitzer Füchse Weisswasser (Germany, DEL2), he had 56 points, including 36 assists, in 44 games. He led his team in assists and points.
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Kelly McCrimmon has turned down an offer to join the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, so will stay in Brandon where he is the owner/general manager and head coach of the Wheat Kings.
McCrimmon, 54, was offered a front-office position with the Maple Leafs sometime in the past month. But as time wore on and there wasn’t a decision, it seemed apparent that McCrimmon would turn down the offer. He made that announcement on Monday afternoon.
“With our team expected to contend this season,” McCrimmon, the WHL’s executive of the year for 2014-15, said in a news release, “I felt I owed it to the group to stay here and try to help us take the next step.”
The Wheat Kings had the WHL’s best regular-season record last season, at 53-11-8, and reached the Ed Chynoweth Cup final, where they were swept by the Kelowna Rockets.
Still, many observers feel the Wheat Kings got that far a year ahead of schedule and that the 2015-16 season will be their time.
"I think our players are focused and committed on trying to win and I want to be part of that," McCrimmon told Bruce Luebke, the team’s radio voice. “And, I feel that as the owner, general manager and head coach, I've got a responsibility to be part of that so that was the over-riding factor in the decision.”
If you know McCrimmon, you know that the last paragraph truthfully describes why he made the decision he did. He has a roster full of players who are there, at least in part, because they believe in McCrimmon and expect him to be there to see this process through to its end. McCrimmon knows that and you can bet that he would have had a whole lot of sleepless nights had he turned his back and walked away from them.
Here’s what McCrimmon told Rob Henderson, the Brandon Sun’s sports editor:
“I’m extremely fortunate to do what I do in Brandon. I’m very proud of our organization, I enjoy the people that I work with, I enjoy our players, so again that’s rewarding and something that I’ve always taken a lot of fulfilment out of.
“The opportunity in Toronto to get in on a ground floor with an Original Six franchise, working with people there that I know I would have really enjoyed, and the work needing to be done there would have been real challenging, real stimulating. . . . That’s what made the decision as difficult as it was.”
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The Edmonton Oilers dropped two more people from their front-office staff on Monday, both of whom have ties to the WHL. Dave Semenko, one of the Oilers’ pro scouts, and Billy Moores, who was working in an advisory role with the coaching staff, both were let go. . . . Semenko played for the Brandon Wheat Kings (1975-78), while Moores played four seasons (1966-70) with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Moores, one of the truly nice people in hockey, was the Regina Pats’ general manager and head coach for one season (1985-86).
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From Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle:
“Former Rochester Americans and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Nathan Paetsch faces eight months home detention and must pay the U.S. government $265,000 as punishment for his role in an illegal gambling operation that was shut down last summer.
Paetsch, 32, pleaded guilty on Monday morning to two charges relating to an off-shore gambling enterprise run out of The Marina Restaurant and Bar in Charlotte.”
That story is right here.
Paetsch is from LeRoy, Sask. He played four seasons (1999-2003) with the Moose Jaw Warriors. A pro since 2003-04, he has played the last three seasons with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
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F Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles Kings has been charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance (cocaine). He was arrested in April while he and some teammates were in Las Vegas shortly after their season ended. . . . Stoll, 32, is from Melville, Sask. He played four seasons (1998-2002) with the Kootenay Ice. . . . In terms of his NHL career, he will become an unrestricted free agent on June 1. He has played the past seven seasons with the Kings.
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Eric Duhatschek, the veteran hockey writer who scribbles on behalf of The Globe and Mail, has seen enough of the grinding hockey that now is too often on display in NHL games. It seems that the recently completed Stanley Cup final, in which the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning combined to score fewer than four goals per game, was the tipping point. It is time, Duhatschek writes right here, to make the nets larger.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Terry Virtue has resigned as head coach of the Canon-McMillan hockey team. Canon-McMillan is a school district located south of Pittsburgh. . . . According to a Canon-McMillan news release, Virtue is moving to the Worcester, Mass., area “to pursue other opportunities.” . . . A defenceman, Virtue played two seasons (Victoria Cougars, Tri-City, Portland, 1989-91) in the WHL and later was an assistant coach with the Americans for three seasons. . . . During his pro career, he played six seasons with the AHL’s Worcester IceHawks and is in that city’s sports hall of fame. . . . In two seasons at Canon-McMillan, he was 28-14-2. The program won its second Penguins Cup championship last season.
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The WHL says it will release its exhibition schedule today and its regular-season schedule on Wednesday. Release time both days is 11 a.m., Mountain time.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, send an email to gregg@takingnote.ca.
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If I were named commissioner of all sports TV I would cull overpopulated herd of studio analysts by half and donate spare chairs to charity.

— Neil Best (@sportswatch) June 23, 2015

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Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Hampus Gustafsson (Regina, Brandon, 2009-11) signed a one-year contract with Stjernen (Norway, Get Ligaen). He had 10 goals and 33 assists in 70 games with Regina and Brandon last season. . . .
F Derek Ryan (Spokane, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). Ryan had 17 goals and 30 assists in 28 games with the University of Alberta (CIS) last season. He was the Canada West Most Valuable Player and was named to the All-Canadian First Team. . . .
D Nathan Paetsch (Moose Jaw, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). He had nine goals and 11 assists in 43 games with the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch (both AHL) last season.
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Fans of the Medicine Hat Tigers should relax. At least a bit.
It would seem that the Medicine Hat Arena isn’t the only one in the WHL that doesn’t meet league standards.
If you tuned in late, Medicine Hat city council has voted 6-3 against a funding proposal for a $94.5-million regional event centre.
This is the latest development in what has turned into a long-running story regarding a potential new facility to replace the 41-year-old Medicine Hat Arena.
It comes with the good folks of Moose Jaw preparing to open a new complex. The Moose Jaw Warriors have vacated the Civic Centre (aka Crushed Can) and will move into a new facility in time for the 2011-12 season.
So . . . after the latest development in Medicine Hat, here’s what WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Amanda Stephenson of the Medicine Hat News:
“I think we were very patient in the Moose Jaw process, and that eventually resulted in a new facility for that city. We understand the challenges associated with funding a project of this nature, but on the other hand, Medicine Hat is currently the only facility in the Western Hockey League that does not meet our standards. We do need it addressed, and we need it addressed immediately."
Right away, fans started to wonder if the Tigers were on borrowed time.
But . . . whoa! Wait a minute here!
It turns out that Robison was singing the same tune in another WHL city not that long ago.
The March 1, 2010, edition of The Oregonian contains a story on the Winterhawks by freelancer Scott Sepich. The crux of the story was how far the Winterhawks had come since being purchased by Bill Gallacher in the fall of 2008, 
In the story, Sepich mentioned that the Winterhawks were working with the city and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers in the hopes of renovating their home arena, Memorial Coliesum, so that they would be able to use it on an every-game basis.
Sepich wrote:
“Robison has long contended that the Coliseum is not an appropriate venue for the WHL in its current form, citing shorcomings such as the smaller-than-regulation ice surface to the lack of amenities for fans.”
At that point, Sepich quoted Robison as saying:
"It doesn't meet our current standards, but it's adequate for the time being. We're excited about the plans for renovation."
Well, those “plans for renovation” are still just that . . . plans. In fact, any renovations to Memorial Coliseum won’t get started until the middle of 2012. Which must mean that the Portland rink still doesn’t meet WHL standards.
So, Medicine Hat hockey fans, you can breathe easier. Your rink may not meet those standards, but you are not alone.
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By the way, Amanda Stephenson’s story is right here.
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In that story, Robison is quoted as saying:
"I certainly hope council will revisit the matter soon to determine if there's a funding formula or new plan that will work. We had made an assumption that the project would be moving forward in a timely fashion.
"Obviously, that's not the case. We will now have to meet with the city, along with the Tigers, to determine what the alternative will be."
Alternative?
There would appear to be none.
With the NHL going back to Winnipeg, you would have to think that market is dead, at least for now, in terms of being home to a WHL franchise.
Of course, there is a building in Chilliwack that meets WHL standards but the league torched every bridge into it when it allowed the Bruins to be sold and moved to Victoria where the franchise now does business as the Royals.
The WHL would love to get a franchise into Nanaimo, which would give it two teams on Vancouver Island, but there isn’t a major junior-calibre arena there and the city doesn’t have any plans to build one.
John Ruttan, the mayor of Nanaimo, told Walter Cordery of the Nanaimo Daily News in April that he would like to see the WHL in his city but "not if they expect city taxpayers to underwrite the cost of a new arena."
Alternative? Not unless we are headed back to the days when the WHL was looking at places like Fresno and Butte and Anchorage.
Hey, what about Wenatchee, Wash.?
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Dave Barr still is shown on the Minnesota Wild’s website as an assistant coach with the NHL team.
It seems, however, that he might end up as the next head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors.
I’m told that Barr has been offered the Warriors’ head-coaching job, and that he has been told the team needs an answer from him right after this weekend’s NHL draft.
Should Barr accept, meaning he isn’t able to land an NHL job over draft weekend, he would be introduced to the Moose Jaw fandom next week.
The Warriors are looking for head coach after they fired Dave Hunchak following the end of last season. He has since signed on as an associate coach with the Kamloops Blazers.
Barr just completed his second season on the Wild staff, after one season with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Wild, however, fired head coach Todd Richards after the season and has since named Mike Yeo as head coach. Yeo spent last season as head coach of the AHL’s Houston Aeros and is expected to bring Darryl Sydor along as one assistant coach.
Rick Wilson, the former Prince Albert Raiders head coach, will be staying on the Wild staff. Homebrew Darby Hendrickson is the other assistant coach, at least at present.
Barr also has major junior coaching experience, having guided the OHL’s Guelph Storm (2004-08).
Alan Millar, who is heading into his second season as Moose Jaw’s director of hockey operations. He was the GM of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting (2004-09), after being GM of the Storm (1997-2003).
Barr also played 614 games over 13 NHL seasons.
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The Kootenay Ice, who won the WHL’s 2010-11 championship, have sold 2,029 season tickets, and that’s a franchise record. They sold 1,829 of them for the 2010-11 season.
“We’re very happy with that number. Not satisfied, but very happy,” Ice president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth told Matt Coxford of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.
That story is right here.
The Ice, as you will be aware, won the WHL title with a roster comprised entirely of Canadian players after Chynoweth chose not take part in the CHL’s 2010 import draft.
Will the Ice be involved in this year’s import draft?
“At this time,” he told Coxford, “we haven’t decided if we’re going to participate in that.”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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