Friedman faces music; Jones not so much . . . CIS has first full-time female assistant coach

Normally at the ESPN campus, there's an Anerican flag. But in honor of the deeply patriotic John Saunders it's 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/OFygPrKuTR

— Adnan Virk, ESPN (@adnanESPN) August 12, 2016

F Shayne Wiebe (Kamloops, Brandon, 2006-11) has signed a one-eyar contract with Pusteral/Val Pusteria (Italy, Alps HL). Last season, with Olten (Switzerland, NL B), he had 19 goals and 16 assists in 41 games. Pusteral’s head coach is former Prince George head coach Mark Holick. . . . Pusteral plays out of Brunico, Italy. . . .

D Neil Manning (Vancouver, 2006-12) has signed a one-year contract with Fassa (Italy, Alps HL). Fassa plays in Canazei, Italy. Last season, he had four goals and 10 assists in 22 games with the U of British Columbia. . . .

D Ian Schultz (Calgary, 2006-10) has signed a one-year contract with the Edinburgh Capitals (Scotland, UK Elite). Last season, he had four goals and five assists in 14 games with the Allen Americans (ECHL). Schultz finished the season with the Allan Cup-champion Bentley Generals.

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Elliotte Friedman, who is the best part of Sportsnet’s NHL coverage, made the biggest error of his broadcasting career while calling a race involving American star Michael Phelps at the Olympics in Rio on Thursday.

Later that night, Friedman owned it all on Twitter. On Friday, he owned it again, this time in an interview with Michael Rosenberg of SI.com.

“He only has two requests,” Rosenberg writes. “One is that I write that if an athlete messed up like that, we would want the athlete to talk, and that’s why he is doing this. He is no hypocrite. The second request is that I put the mistake entirely on him. When I ask if a producer or production assistant was in his earpiece during the race, he bristles. It’s his fault, he says. Entirely his. Write it that way.”

Rosenberg’s complete piece is right here.

Which brings us to Chris Jones, the vice-president of football operations, general manager, head coach and defensive co-ordinator for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The CFL fined the Roughriders $60,000 and took at least $26,000 off their salary cap on Thursday for a handful of rules violations. They were cheating and got caught.

In his media briefing on Thursday, Jones read from a prepared statement and refused to answer any questions involving the cheating scandal.

When Jones met with the media on Friday, he again refused to take any questions involving the scandal. One question was asked. Jones greeted it with silence. Not one media person asked a question involving today’s game against the visiting Calgary Stampeders.

“We owe it to our fans to do everything possible to field a winning team,” said Jones. You will note that he didn’t say “everything possible within the rules . . .”

Jones also said that he hopes the situation results in all nine teams being held to the same standard. Uhh, the Roughriders are reported to have had as many as 95 players in town, some of them sleeping and eating in two houses, all of them being paid.

While Jones bailed, Craig Reynolds, the franchise’s president and CEO, returned from vacation to face the music. He met with the media later in the day, answered questions and among other things, said: “I take accountability for this. This is something I ultimately own as president-CEO of this organization.”

Which is all fine and good. Except that Reynolds did what Jones should have done.

A year ago, Jones was the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos, who are the reigning Grey Cup champions. He signed with Saskatchewan eight days after that Grey Cup victory. Perhaps we now are learning why there was nary a whimper of protest from the Eskimos when he left.

Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.

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In hindsight, take a look at some of what Edmonton Sun columnist Terry Jones wrote as Chris Jones was leaving after two seasons with the Eskimos:

“Can a man who didn’t even come close to figuring out the off-the-field part of the head coach until sometime around Labour Day in his second season, possibly become a general manager, head coach and defensive co-ordinator at the same time?

“In his first year as a head coach, Chris Jones couldn’t get his team lined up for the national anthem three times (including once in front of the Prime Minister in Ottawa the day after touring Parliament Hill) and was fined $5,000 by the league.

“Now Jones will have to look after the salary cap, contracts, the waiver wire and . . . well, he probably won’t be going to the banquets in Elbow, Eyebrow, Climax, Antelope, Porcupine Plain, Reward, Urin or Zip Lake.

“It’ll be very interesting how Jones, who wouldn’t let his team attend Monday Morning Magic in Edmonton two years ago, will handle the expectations that way from an entire province that views the team as a part of the fabric of every community large and small.”

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Whoops! Yesterday, I mentioned having been told that Ray Zhang, a businessman from Beijing, had purchased the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals at least in part so that a son would have a place to play.

“There actually won’t be a Zhang on the roster,” a source who is familiar with rules regarding junior A hockey tells Taking Note, “certainly not because the father didn’t want that, but because the son doesn’t have Canadian/U.S. citizenship. All BCHL players have to be Canadian, or teams are allowed up to six Americans. It appears dad wasn’t aware of that prior to purchasing the team. It’s really incredible!”

Why do I think we haven’t heard the end of this?

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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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The Ryerson U Rams, who play out of Toronto, have hired Kori Cheverie as a full-time assistant coach. Cheverie is the first female full-time assistant coach in the history of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s hockey. Cheverie is preparing for her fourth season at Ryerson, for the first three she was the skate training specialist. With the Rams, she will work alongside interim head coach Johnny Duco. . . . From a news release: “Cheverie played her collegiate hockey at St. Mary’s University in Halifax where she was a three-time AUS first-team all-star, team captain, an Academic All-Canadian, and two-time St. Mary’s female athlete of the year. She has also played in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) for the past six seasons.”

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The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs have added Pascal Morency to their staff as an assistant coach. Morency, who signed a two-year deal, played four seasons in the QMJHL (Chicoutimi, Cape Breton, Hull, Rouyn-Noranda, 1999-2003) before going on to play in the AHL and Europe.  Morency, 34, has been living in Fernie, B.C., where he was the head coach at the Fernie Academy.

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The SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings are prepared to introduce their new general manager and head coach on Tuesday. The new man will take over from Bryce Thoma, who left after three seasons for an assistant coaching position with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. . . . The SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars also are in the market a general manager and head coach, Kevin Hasselberg having left to become head coach of the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers.

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On drive to Rio Olympic Park, countless motorcycles fly by between backed up car lanes. Driver: "Unsafe, yes, but no organ donor shortage."

— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) August 12, 2016

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Curtis Huppe (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). He had 29 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Flames this season. . . .
F Daniel Rakos (Swift Current, 2005-07) signed a multi-year contract (length not announced) with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had one goal and four assists in 27 games for Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Bahensky (Saskatoon, 2004-06) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 17 goals and seven assists in 47 games for Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season.
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If you have been paying attention to the NHL playoffs, you will have noticed that Alex Ovechkin, not that long ago one of the league’s most exciting players, has had his playing time somewhat limited of late.
That is, of course, because Washington head coach Dale Hunter is getting paid to win games and not to entertain hockey fans. Therefore, as the NHL slides back into another dead puck era, shot blockers are more important than shooters.
Ovechkin, then, has become almost a situational player. When the Capitals are behind, Ovechkin’s ice time increases; when they are nursing a lead, Ovechkin’s bench time increases.
A couple of tweets from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe:
“Alex Ovechkin on the bench. Ladies and Gents: we give you the parakeet in the coal mine. For $200 a seat.”
“Today's NHL would have Guy Lafleur on fourth line and PK duty.”
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The Central league’s Laredo Bucks have ceased operations. According to a press released from the team: “The Bucks have struggled with declining attendance over several seasons. Even though drastic changes to the seating structure, amongst other areas, did make an improvement last season, it was not enough to keep the franchise going.” . . . The ownership group maintains a franchise in the Central league, but it will be dormant from this point. . . . The Bucks’ final roster included former WHL G Torrie Jung.
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Former WHL D Bruin McDonald has committed to play next season for the Simon Fraser University Clan, which plays in the B.C. Intercollegiate league. McDonald, 20, has played in the WHL with the Prince George Cougars and Spokane Chiefs, and also played with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques.
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Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants, revealed last month on Dan Russell’s Sportstalk, Vancouver radio station CKNW’s talk show, that D Neil Manning would be attending UBC and playing for the Thunderbirds. He has been accepted into the Sauder School of Business. The Giants made it official with an announcement on Tuesday. . . . Manning is the only player in franchise history to have played five complete seasons with the Giants. He played out his eligibility this season and holds the franchise record for regular-season games played (310). . . . The Thunderbirds are coached by Milan Dragicevic, a former WHL defenceman and Giants head coach.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former WHL player and coach Terry Virtue no longer is with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack. Virtue had been an associate coach under head coach Greg Ireland. In 2009-10, Virtue, who had been on the Tri-City Americans’ staff, signed with the Attack and worked as an assistant coach under Mark Reeds as the Attack won the OHL championship. Virtue’s contract was up after this season and, according to Bill Walker of the Owen Sound Sun Times, they reached a mutual decision to part company. Virtue likely is looking for something closer to home as he lives in West Virginia, where his family stayed over the winter.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Jordan Davies, 15, who played this season with the Sherwood Park NIC Squires of the Alberta minor midget league. He had 27 points in 38 games and was named the team’s top defenceman. Davies was added to Portland’s protected list after attending its training camp prior to this season. . . .
The Winterhawks flew into Edmonton on Tuesday afternoon to begin preparations for Game 1 of the WHL final on Thursday night.
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F Kristians Pelss of the Edmonton Oil Kings has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft. Pelss, a Latvian, had 50 points, including 28 goals, in his second season with the Oil Kings. . . .
The Oil Kings will be without F Dylan Wruck (shoulder) for the remainder of this season. He is to undergo surgery at some point this week. . . . Wruck, a 19-year-old from Saskatoon, had 80 points, including 21 goals, in 66 games this season, his third with the Oil Kings. He had four points in eight playoff games.
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Here are the dates for the WHL’s championship final (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 4: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ryan Gaucher (Saskatoon, 1996-99) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Starbulls Rosenheim (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had nine goals and 29 assists in 47 games with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) last season.
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D Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors has seen a second doctor and the news was the same as from the first doctor. Rielly, 17, will be undergoing surgery on his right knee.
Here’s what Alan Millar, the Warriors’ director of hockey operations, told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald:
“He does have a significant knee injury that will require surgery and that’s something that we hope will take place sometime next week. He will be out months and is questionable to return this season.”
TSN’s Craig Button first reported that Rielly has a torn ACL. Millar wouldn’t confirm that, saying only that Rielly “suffered a significant knee injury.”
The Warriors won’t know the full extent of the injury until Rielly has surgery; nor will they have an estimate on a possible return.
As Millar said: “The way we look at it, if he was to be back with our hockey team this year you’re talking late in the season, playoff time or possibly not at all.”
Rielly had 18 points in 17 games at the time of the injury. He still is expected to be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft.
As Gourlie poined out: “It hasn’t been a very lucky year for Rielly health-wise. He had an emergency appendectomy in the pre-season, but was back in less than three weeks.”
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JUST NOTES: F Rocco Grimaldi of the UND Fighting Sioux will be out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury. Grimaldi, a second-round selection by the Florida Panthers in the NHL’s 2011 draft, would have played for the United States in the World Junior Championship. His WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks. . . . G Tyler Bunz didn’t accompany the Medicine Hat Tigers to Brandon for Friday night’s game. Bunz was struck on the head by a puck while on the WHL bench during Wednesday’s Subway Super Series game in Regina. He was taken to hospital for precautionary reasons and didn’t start Thursday’s season finale as had been scheduled. He spent Friday with family in Regina. . . . One player who did play Friday night was F Dominik Uher of the Spokane Chiefs. I was told on Thursday by a normally impeccable source that he would be missing for two weeks with a concussion and that he was due to have a baseline test Friday morning. If he did have that test, he obviously passed with flying colours as he was in the lineup last night as the host Chiefs lost 2-1 to the Kamloops Blazers.
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In Brandon, the Wheat Kings beat the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-4 to run their winning streak to a season-high four games. . . . Brandon moved into first place in the WHL’s overall standings. . . . F Darian Dziurzynski had two goals and two assists for Brandon. . . . Wheat Kings F Mark Stone got his 20th goal. He joins F Emerson Etem (25) and F Hunter Shinkaruk (23) of the Tigers, and F Ty Rattie (20) of the Portland Winterhawks, in the 20-goal club. . . . Shinkaruk had two goals last night and has scored six times in three games against Brandon this season. . . . F Jens Meilleur returned to Brandon’s lineup for the first time since Oct. 7 and scored his first goal of the season in the first period. . . . .F Alessio Bertaggia scored for Brandon, his first goal since Oct. 18. . . . With G Tyler Bunz on the shelf, the Tigers went with Kenny Cameron. They had Dawson McAuley in from the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers to back up. . . . The Tigers lost D Tyler Lewington in the second period with an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Swift Current, the Broncos went 3-for-3 on the PP and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-2. . . . The Broncos broke a 1-1 tie with five straight goals, two of them from F Adam Lowry and two from F Graham Black. . . . Black, who lit up the Saskatchewan midget AAA league with the Regina Pat Canadians last season, has 16 points in 22 games with the Broncos. . . . Swift Current G Jon Groenheyde stopped 37 shots. . . . Swift Current had beaten Moose Jaw 3-2 on Saturday and now is just six points behind the Warriors and only four in arrears of the eighth-place Regina Pats. . . . How strange is the Eastern Conference? The Pats hold a .595 winning percentage and are in eighth place. . . .

In Edmonton, F Rhett Rachinski broke a tie with 5.5 seconds left in the third period as the Oil Kings beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-3. . . . Oil Kings F T.J. Foster broke a 2-2 tie when he scored on a third-period penalty shot. He also scored the game’s first goal. He has nine goals on the season. . . . The Raiders have lost four straight and are 1-9-0 in their last 10. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Philip Tot scored in the shootout to give the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Tot also scored in regulation. He has two goals this season. . . . Red Deer F Adam Kambeitz struck for three goals in a seven-minute span of the third period as the Rebels erased a 3-0 deficit. Kambeitz, who has 12 goals this season, tied it at 19:59 of the third period. . . . D Matt Dumba assisted on all three Red Deer goals. . . . Tot was the ninth shooter in a five-round shootout. . . .

In Prince George, the Kelowna Rockets built up a 3-1 first-period lead and hung on to beat the Cougars, 3-2. . . . Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, tweeted that Prince Albert general manager Bruno Campese was in the house. Hmmmm! . . . The Cougars have lost three in a row. . . . Kelowna F Brett Bulmer had one assist; he has nine points in six games since returning from the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . .

In Vancouver, D Neil Manning and F Dalton Sward each scored three times as the Giants whipped the Victoria Royals, 11-3. . . . It was the first three-goal game for each of them. . . . F Marek Tvrdon chipped in with two goals and three assists, with F Brendan Gallagher picking up a goal and three helpers. . . . The Giants were 5-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Giants held a 2-0 lead and a 23-5 edge in shots after one period. . . . At one point late in the second period, the Giants had eight goals, while the Royals had seven shots on goal in the game. . . . Vancouver has won five in a row. . . .

In Everett, the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to six games with a 7-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi had three assists, his fourth straight three-point game. He is riding a nine-game point streak, during which time he has 26 points. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his 20th goal; he has goals in six straight games. Rattie has 16 points in the six victories. . . . F Dillon Wagner, acquired by Portland from Swift Current on Oct. 26, scored his first goal of the season. . . . The Silvertips got a goal and an assist from F J.T. Barnett, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers on Monday. . . . The Silvertips were without four injured players, including D Ryan Murray (ankle) and F Josh Birkholz (knee), while two others were serving suspensions. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard stopped 43 shots as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . It was Pickard’s first shutout this season and the eighth of his career. Three of those eight have come against the Americans, the team for which his older brother Chet once starred in goal. . . . Seattle scored three third-period goals, the first coming from F Sean Aschim on the PP at 1:34. . . . F Burke Gallimore drew an assist on the second goal and scored the third into an empty net. . . . The Americans had taken 10 straight from the Thunderbirds, including a 9-0 run last season. . . . The Americans had a six-game road winning streak end. They also had won five in a row overall. . . .
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Damon Severson, Kelowna
F Jordan Martinook, Vancouver
D Drydn Dow, Tri-City
D Kyle Verdino, Seattle
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TWEET OF THE NIGHT:
From Regina Pats president Brent Parker, who was doing a little scouting:
“Watching CAC bantams out of Edmonton & they are playing 1-3-1. Thank-you Guy Boucher. #really #showyourskillplease”
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Today’s good read comes courtesy of Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post. It’s right here and it’s about Phoenix Coyotes toughie Paul Bissonnette (aka @BizNasty2point0) and his mother.

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

Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Giants D Blake Orban will be out for a couple of weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury during Thursday’s practice. The Giants will play tonight and Saturday in Prince George and hope to have D Neil Manning (back) in the lineup again. When healthy, Manning makes the Giants’ PP go from the back end. . . . The Cougars will be without D Martin Marincin, who was hit with a four-game suspension for an intereference major he incurred on Tuesday in Vancouver. He has sat out one game. . . . Vancouver F Anthony Ast was injured on the play and may not play this weekend. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings may have D Brodie Melnychuk, 20, in the lineup tonight for the first time this season. He suffered a broken wrist during training camp and finally has been cleared to return to game action. . . . The Wheat Kings are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors tonight. This is the Wheat Kings’ first home game since returning from a lengthy road trip, during which they acquired G Brandon Anderson and F Darian Dziurzynski in deals. . . . The Warriors hope to have D Dylan McIlrath back in their lineup tonight. He practised Thursday after sitting out a Wednesday game with an undisclosed injury. . . .
In Prince Albert, the Swift Current Broncos scored the game’s first three goals and went on to beat the Raiders, 6-3. Prince Albert has lost four straight and has changed goaltenders in midstream in each of the last two. . . . Former WHL D Bruin McDonald has joined the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. McDonald, 19, is attending Douglas College. After playing two seasons (2008-10) with the Prince George Cougars, McDonald started last season with the Spokane Chiefs, then joined the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, before making a five-game stoip with the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have assigned D Tye Hand, 16, to the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Hand hadn’t gotten into a game with Everett this season. . . . The Pipeline Show is reporting that the Edmonton Oil Kings are about to add D Cody Corbett, a Minnesota high school product, to their roster. There’s more right here.
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The OHL has announced another lengthy suspension, this time to Oshawa Generals F Christian Thomas. He drew a 10-game sentence for a high-sticking match penalty. The video is right here.
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Jess Rubenstein is a blogger who pays particular attention to New York Rangers’ prospects over at The Prospect Park. And, as you will see by reading what follows, he has a bone to pick with the WHL:
“Dylan McIlrath (NYR 2010 1st) was not in the lineup for the Moose Jaw Warriors as they faced off with the Prince Albert Raiders (on Wednesday night). We have a reliable source who tells us that McIlrath is ‘day to day’ due to an upper body injury.
“We do know that McIlrath took an elbow to the head on Saturday in the Warriors game against the Kootenay Ice and he missed practice on Monday. It is sad that the WHL were the ones who were the first to announce their ‘7 point plan’ aimed at reducing injuries but now they will not say whether or not a player has a concussion.
“How are we supposed to know whether or not concussions are truly being reduced when there isn't any actual coverage of when a player has in fact suffered a concussion? We are reduced to gossip and guessing games but more importantly it damages the WHL's credibility since we have no way to verify whether or not a player has suffered a concussion.
“And really do you want New York Rangers fans who are already wondering about the status of Marc Staal and his own concussion issues wondering about a top prospect?
“Whether it is the Rangers or any other league, concussions are now a legit issue that needs to be dealt with in an open and honest manner. How are we supposed to believe anyone claiming concussions are down when you will not tell us when they happen?”
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post checks in with Curtis Hunt, the former Regina Pats’ head coach who, it turns out, is keeping his finger in the coaching game. That piece is right here.

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