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F Wacey Rabbit (Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2001-07) has signed a one-year contract with Val Pusteria (Italy, Alps HL). Last season, with the Nippon Paper Cranes Kushiro (Japan, Asia HL), he had seven goals and 34 assists in 48 games. Rabbit had signed a one-year contract with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga) in May, but took advantage of an exit clause to sign with Val Pusteria.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes’ share of $25 million in renovation costs for the Enmax Centre is $2.5 million. To date, the team has paid $330,000 of that. Melissa Villeneuve of the Lethbridge Herald reports that under the team’s lease with the city “the organization needs to pay $167,000 per year for the next 13 years” in order to pay off that debt. . . . Villeneuve also reports that the Hurricanes have applied for a provincial grant of as much as $600,000 that would help accelerate those payments. . . . That story is right here.
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Shawn Chambers, who played 13 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups, has joined the Prince George Cougars as an interim assistant coach. Chambers was at the bench with head coach Richard Matvichuk as the Cougars played the host Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Wednesday night. Chambers, from Sterling Heights, Mich., and Matvichuk were teammates with the NHL’s Dallas Stars. . . . Chambers played one season (1986-87) with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Prince George associate coach Steve O’Rourke isn’t with the Cougars for now as he tends to a health-related matter. The Cougars also have yet to replace assistant coach Michael Hengen, who left the team late last month.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired F Trey Fix-Wolansky from the Prince Albert Raiders and signed him to a WHL contract. In exchange, the Oil Kings gave up a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft. Edmonton had acquired that pick from the Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday, in exchange for G Carter Phair. . . . Fix-Wolansky, 17, is from Edmonton. He had 31 points, including 16 goals, in 51 games with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints last season.
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The Prince Albert Raiders released veteran F Cal Babych on Wednesday. Babych, 19, is from North Vancouver. Last season, he had 14 points, including five goals, in 56 games with the Raiders. He had six points, including three goals, in 41 games with the Calgary Hitmen in 2013-14. In 2014-15, he had three assists in one game with the Hitmen and 12 points, five of them goals, in 51 games with the Prince George Cougars. The Hitmen selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 bantam draft.
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The Spokane Chiefs have signed D Luke Gallagher, a Spokane native who was an eighth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The 5-foot-7, 145-pound Gallagher, 16, had 19 points, including four goals, with the Calgary-based Edge 15s in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League last season. Gallagher is expected to spend 2016-17 with the junior B Spokane Braves of the Kootenay International Junior League.
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Over at sportsnet.ca, Neate Sager asks some interesting questions pertaining to the health of Brandon Wheat Kings F Nolan Patrick, who underwent summer surgery to repair a sport hernia that he incurred during last season’s playoff run. “Without knowing the cause of Patrick’s problem, it is worth wondering whether the conventional wisdom about how a young player can survive an 80- to 100-game grind is lacking,” Sager writes. “After all, the hockey industry isn’t about to start shortening schedules any time soon.” . . . That piece is right here.
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There isn’t a league anywhere that features the kinds of trades that sometimes take place in the OHL. On Wednesday, the Mississauga Steelheads dealt F Kirill Nizhnikov, 16, who was the seventh overall pick in the OHL’s 2016 draft, to the Barrie Colts for a whole bunch of draft picks. From the Steelheads’ news release: In the exchange, Mississauga got Guelph’s second-round pick in 2017, Flint’s fourth-round selection in 2017, Windsor’s third-round pick in 2019, Barrie’s third-round selections in 2019 and 2020, Barrie’s second-round pick in 2023, conditional third-round selections in 2021 and 2022, a conditional fourth-round pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-round selection in 2021. In addition to the acquired draft picks, Mississauga is also set to receive a compensatory first-round selection” in the OHL’s 2017 draft. . . . Seriously. That trade really happened. . . . Nizhnikov is from Moscow, Russia, but for CHL purposes is a non-import because he has played in North America. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder had 47 points, 31 of them goals, in 34 games with the bantam AAA Mississauga Rebels in 2014-15. Last season, he had 37 points, 23 of them goals, in 27 games with the minor midget AAA Toronto Jr. Canadiens. . . . He is eligible for the NHL’s 2018 draft.
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F Devin Setoguchi played four seasons (2003-07) in the WHL, the first three with the Saskatoon Blades and the last one with the Prince George Cougars. In the spring of 2007, he almost singlehandedly carried the Cougars past the Kamloops Blazers in a first-round playoff series. Now he’s fighting to keep his career alive. Setoguchi, now 29, played last season in Switzerland and later this month will join the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings on a tryout basis. He spoke with writer David Pollak about all that he has been through, including his battle with alcoholism. Setoguchi really opened up and that story is right here.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Kennewick, Wash., F Hudson Elynuik’s second goal of the game, 30 seconds into OT, gave the Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Everett Silvertips. Spokane F Pavel Kousel had forced OT at 18:08 of the third period. F Keanu Yamamoto had two assists for the Chiefs, while Elynuik had one. Everett G Carter Hart, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game on Tuesday night, stopped 28 shots in going the distance. . . . F Carson Focht’s second PP goal of the game, at 16:25 of the third period, broke a 3-3 tie as the Tri-City Americans beat the Prince George Cougars, 5-3, F Jordan Topping had a goal and two assists for the Americans. F Kody McDonald scored twice for the Cougars, while F Jesse Gabrielle had two assists and F Jansen Harkins had a goal and an assist. The last 3:10 of the second period was tacked on to the start of the third after a pane of glass behind the Americans’ net was broken.
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Stop the presses. Forget the election. Put a hold on all the wars. Tiger is coming back to play a tournament in October.— Dan Jenkins (@danjenkinsgd) September 7, 2016
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In Medicine Hat, the game's first star wore a mask but didn't make a save as the Tigers played host to the Kamloops Blazers. Rick Dumont, a welder from X-Calibre Industries, came to the rescue early in the first period as he repaired a gate that was twice broken and allowed the game to proceed, albeit after a 58-minute delay. . . . Rick should be a cinch as the WHL's nominee as the CHL's welder of the week. . . . The gate broke at 2:02 of the first period when Kamloops D Ryan Rehill checked Tigers F Trevor Cox. Eventually, it was repaired, but when the referees had Rehill test it, it broke again. . . . Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News reports that Matt Csada, the owner of X-Calibre Industries, was called. He got in touch with Dumont, one of his welders, and he fixed things up in short order. . . . On the ice, F Cole Sanford scored three times and added an assist as the Tigers won, 7-3. . . . Kamloops led 3-2 when Tigers F Steve Owre tied it on the PP at 17:23 of the second. He's got 12 goals. . . . Sanford broke the tie at 4:54 of the third, on another PP, and F Trevor Cox added to the lead with his 12th at 8:31. . . . Sanford completed the hat trick at 11:14. He's got 26 goals. . . . Cox finished with a goal and four assists, giving him 10 points over his last two games. . . . He may provide Rick with some competition as the WHL's player of the week. . . . Tigers D Tommy Vannelli had a goal, his 11th, and two assists. . . . F Matt Needham scored twice for Kamloops, giving him 12, while F Cole Ully had two assists. . . . The Blazers went 1-5-0 on a Central Division swing on which they played six games in eight nights. . . . The Tigers (24-8-2) lead the Central Division by nine points; they are two points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Blazers (13-20-5) are last in the Western Conference, one point behind the Vancouver Giants, who hold four games in hand. . . . When the schedule resumes, Kamloops will play its first five games against Kelowna (3) and Vancouver (2). . . .
In Prince Albert, F Reid Gardiner had a goal and two assists to help the Raiders to a 5-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Raiders scored two goals in the game's first minute as F Simon Stransky got his seventh of the season at 0:46 and Gardiner got his 17th just 10 seconds later. . . . Stransky has goals in three straight games. . . . F Jayden Hart gave the home side a 3-0 lead with his 17th goal just 32 seconds into the second period. . . . Ch-ch-ching! There was a line brawl with 33.3 seconds remaining in the third period. Just in time for the WHL's late Christmas shopping rush, too. . . . At game's end, the Warriors had five players left on their bench; the Raiders had six. . . . The Warriors to 80 of the game's 158 penalty minutes. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau stopped 25 shots. . . . Moose Jaw dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . The Raiders (16-18-1) ended a five-game losing skid (0-4-1). . . . The Warriors (15-17-3) have lost three in a row. . . . 
In Calgary, G Patrick Dea stopped 31 shots as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Hitmen, 3-1. . . . The Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals after Calgary F Layne Bensmiller scored his second goal at 18:57 of the first period. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo tied it at 5:48 of the second and F Lane Bauer gave the Oil Kings the lead with his ninth goal at 12:11. Both goals came on the PP. . . . Edmonton F Brandon Baddock got his ninth into an empty net at 19:28 of the third. . . . D Ben Carroll had two assists for Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-for-6. . . . The Oil Kings (15-15-5) closed to within three points of third-place Red Deer in the Central Division. . . . The Hitmen (19-12-3) had a five-game winning streak end. They are one point ahead of Red Deer. . . .
In Red Deer, F Justin Kirkland scored two goals and added an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-3 victory over the Rebels. . . . Kelowna led 3-0 in the second period, only to have the Rebels roar back and tie it on F Conner Bleakley's second goal of the game, and 14th of the season, at 2:26 of the third period, via the PP. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube broke the tie, with his sixth goal, at 3:58. . . . Kirkland added insurance at 5:06 and F Tyson Baillie got an empty-netter, his 23rd, at 18:49. . . . D Brett Cote had two assists for the Rebels. . . . F Nick Merkley had two assists for the Rockets and leads the WHL in assists (45) and points (55) going into the break. . . . The Rockets went 4-1-0 on a swing into Alberta. . . . D Nelson Nogier and F Austin Adamson, acquired earlier in the week from Saskatoon, were in Red Deer's lineup. "I loved them both. . . . Those two kids are gonna fit in really nice for us," Red Deer owner, general manager and head coach Brent Sutter told reporters. . . . The Rockets (28-5-3) have 17 road victories and lead the Western Conference by 15 points. . . . The Rebels (18-13-4) have lost their last two. . . . 
In Prince George, G Tyson Verhelst stopped 41 shots as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Cougars, 5-0. . . . That's Verhelst's first WHL shutout. . . . The Chiefs, who beat the Cougars 5-4 on Tuesday night, took control with three first-period goals. . . . F Kailer Yamamoto had a goal, his ninth, and two assists for the Chiefs, who got two assists from D Tyson Helgesen. . . . F Calder Brooks scored No. 13 for Spokane. . . . F Markson Bechtold scored Spokane's first shorthanded goal of the season. He's got three goals. . . . The Chiefs (18-12-3) have won four in a row. . . . The Cougars (17-18-0) have lost three straight. . . . 
In Everett, F Kohl Bauml scored three times in regulation and then added the winner in the shootout as the Silvertips got past the Victoria Royals, 7-6. . . . Victoria opened the third period with three goals in 3:42 as it erased a 4-3 deficit. . . . Royals F Tyler Soy tied it with his second goal of the game and 10th of the season at 3:11. D Chaz Redekopp, who had three assists, scored his second goal of the season at 5:19 and F Brandon Fushimi got his seventh at 6:53. Fushimi also had two assists, while Soy had one and finished plus-4. . . . Bauml then took things into his own hands, scoring at 7:55 and 15:54 to force OT. He's got 15 goals. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll got his 22nd goal. . . . Everett D Cole MacDonald had two goals, giving him nine, and an assist. . . . Everett F Nikita Scherbak had three assists. . . . F Greg Chase was among Victoria’s scratches. He drew a one-game suspension for a spearing major and game misconduct he incurred on Tuesday night. . . . The Silvertips (20-9-4) lead the U.S. Division by three points over Portland. . . . The Royals (17-18-2) have lost four straight.
In Prince George, F Zach Pochiro scored two goals, including the Teddy Bear goal, and added an assist as the Cougars beat the Saskatoon Blades, 4-3. . . . Pochiro, who has five goals, scored the Teddy Bear goal, shorthanded, with 16.9 seconds left in the first period. . . . The Blades had opened the scoring when F Landon Welykholowa scored his fifth goal at 15:24. . . . The Blades scored first in all five games on their B.C. Division swing, and they finished 0-5. . . . Saskatoon F Sam McKechnie tied the score at 2 with his eighth goal, via the PP, at 8:11 of the second period. . . . Cougars F Brad Morrison broke the tie with his 10th goal at 9:58. . . . The Cougars lost D Sam Ruopp with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on F Nick Zajac at 16:36 of the first period. Zajac needed help getting off the ice, but was back for the start of the second period. . . . Announced attendance was 4,800. . . . The Cougars (16-15-0) have won three in a row, while the Blades (7-22-3) have lost eight straight (0-6-2). . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story 
In Victoria, F Tyler Soy broke a scoreless tie in the third period as the Royals beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 1-0. . . . Soy, who has seven goals, scored at 3:19. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 34 shots. He has two shutouts this season and three in his career. . . . Raiders G Rylan Parenteau turned aside 24 shots. . . . The game marked the return to Victoria of Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid. He coached the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) for two seasons and made the move to Victoria with the franchise where he ran the Royals for one season. . . . This was the second straight 1-0 setback for the Raiders, who lost by that identical score in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . The Royals (17-14-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (15-16-0) have lost two straight and are in Vancouver tonight in a game that will be televised by Shaw. . . . 
what is happening these days with the NFL franchise in Washington, D.C., and its nickname, you shouldn't be surprised to hear that someone has demanded the Portland Winterhawks should dump their logo.
sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . McKechnie had been acquired by Seattle from the Lethbridge Hurricanes early last season. In 67 games with Seattle, he had seven goals and 11 assists. In 212 regular-season games, he has 92 points, including 46 goals. . . . McKechnie isn't expected to play for the Blades on Friday night in Brandon or Saturday in Moose Jaw, as he is in transit. . . . The Blades have released G Michael Herringer, 18, from their roster, so will go with Trevor Martin, 18, and Nik Amundrud, 17, at least for now. Martin is expected to start in Brandon, with Amundrud getting the call in Moose Jaw. . . . Herringer was acquired last week from the Victoria Royals for undisclosed conditional bantam draft picks, but didn't play in either of Saskatoon's first two games. . . . The Thunderbirds now have four 20-year-olds, one over the limit. The four are D Adam Henry, who turns 20 on Nov. 24, F Justin Hickman, D Evan Wardley and G Taran Kozun. . . . Saskatoon's 20s right now are McKechnie, F Chase Clayton and F Brett Stovin, who will be 20 on Oct. 31.
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