Blazers hand Broncos a line and loss . . . Dahlstrom fills hat against Ice . . . Blades end Giants' streak

#RedDeer Rebels Brent Sutter accepting 2016 @RedDeerChamber Business of Year Award in 11-20 employee category @KGRedDeer @Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/aXycI2YZXW

— Scott Tilbury (@CentAlbBusiness) October 20, 2016

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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:

At Kamloops, the Blazers snapped a 2-2 tie with two quick goals early in the third period and went on to a 5-4 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Blazers (5-6-0) were playing only their third home game of the season. They are 3-0-0 on home ice. . . . The Broncos (8-3-1) are 6-1-1 in

NICK CHYZOWSKI

their last eight games; they are 2-1-0 in the B.C. Division. . . . The Blazers led 2-0 on goals from F Collin Shirley, his third, at 17:21 of the first period and F Nick Chyzowski, his fourth, at 1:11 of the second. . . . The Broncos pulled even when F Cole Johnson got his first goal at 5:32 of the second and F Glenn Gawdin got his eighth at 9:13. . . . Shirley’s second goal of the game broke the tie at 1:00 of the third period, as he finished off a nice passing play with F Quinn Benjafield and Chyzowski. . . . Just 1:21 later, F Deven Sideroff took advantage of a Broncos’ turnover high in their zone and scored his fourth goal for a 4-2 lead. . . . F Calvin Spencer’s PP goal pulled the Broncos back to within one at 13:22, but Chyzowski restored the two-goal lead at 18:55. . . . Broncos F Brandan Arnold closed out the scoring at 19:11. . . . The Broncos won two faceoffs in the Kamloops zone after an icing call and had a couple of chances but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Gawdin added an assist to his goal for the Broncos, with F Aleksi Heponiemi getting two assists. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram, making his ninth straight start, blocked 27 shots, eight fewer than Swift Current’s Travis Child. . . . The Broncos were 1-6 on the PP; the Blazers were 0-3. . . . “I thought we played a great game,” Kamloops head coach Don Hay said. “We had a real good effort.” . . . The line of Shirley, Chyzowski and Benjafield had a terrific night. Chyzowski had two goals and two assists. He’s into his fourth season and this was the first time he had more than two points in one game. This season, he has five goals and eight assists in 11 games. Last season, he put up careers highs of 15 goals and 10 assists in 72 games. . . . Shirley added an assist to his two goals, while Benjafield had two helpers and two giant blocked shots, both with his right leg. Both times he limped off but he didn’t miss a shift. “Every game, he blocks shots and blocks shots,” Hay said. “He’s in an ice bucket up to his knee.” . . . Announced attendance: 2,948. . . . That is the smallest crowd to attend a regular-season game in the facility since it opened for the 1992-93 season. Prior to this crowd, the lowest was 2,988 from Jan. 3, 1993 when the Tri-City Americans beat the Blazers, 7-4. That third game that the Americans played in Kamloops in a seven-day period (Dec. 28, Dec. 29 and Jan. 3).

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At Kelowna, D Lucas Johansen’s PP goal at 1:04 of OT gave the Rockets a 4-3 victory over the

LUCAS JOHANSEN

Everett Silvertips. . . . F Nolan Foote’s first WHL goal, set up by his older brother Cal, gave Kelowna a 3-1 lead at 13:56 of the second period. . . . Everett tied it on two goals by F Riley Sutter, at 0:33 and 18:52 of the third period. Sutter, who turns 17 on Oct. 25, has six goals and three assists in nine games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with a goal and three assists in 31 games. . . . Cal Foote also drew an assist on the winner. . . . D Dominic Zwerger had the primary assists on both of Sutter’s goals. . . . G Michael Herringer turned aside 19 shots for the Rockets. At the other end, Carter Hart gave up two goals on five shots in 7:49. Mario Petit came on in relief and stopped 20 of 22 shots. . . . The Rockets were 2-4 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-4. . . . The Rockets (4-7-0) had lost three in a row. . . . Everett (8-2-2) has lost two straight. . . . Announced attendance: 4,335. . . . Jason Tansem, the head coach of the junior B Kelowna Chiefs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, won the 50/50 draw and went home with a cheque for $4,388 in his jeans.

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John Dahlstrom talking to the media after scoring his hat trick tonight vs. @WHLKootenayICE pic.twitter.com/z4KQ3ATuzg

— Medicine Hat Tigers (@tigershockey) October 20, 2016

At Medicine Hat, F John Dahlstrom scored three goals and added an assist to help the Tigers to a 10-3 victory over the Kootenay. . . . Dahlstrom, a freshman from Kungsbacka, Sweden, was playing in

JOHN DAHLSTROM

his ninth regular-season game. He has four goals and six assists. . . . F Mason Shaw drew five assists and F Matt Bradley had a goal and three assists. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko, F James Hamblin, F Ryan Jevne and F Mark Rassell helped the winners with a goal and an assist each. . . . D Dallas Hines and F Zak Zborosky each had a goal and an assist for the Ice. Zborosky has 10 goals. . . . The Tigers were 1-1 on the PP; the Ice wasn’t given an opportunity. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 34 shots for the Tigers. . . . Ice starter Declan Hobbs blocked 30 of 38 shots, with Jakob Walter coming on in relief to stop 11 of 13 in 17:58. . . . The Tigers (7-3-1) have points in their last three games (2-0-1). . . . The Ice (1-6-4) is 0-3-2 in its past five. . . . The Tigers played without two of their 20-year-olds, as F Chad Butcher was serving a WHL suspension and F Steve Owre sat out with the flu. . . . Announced attendance: 3,452. . . . The Tigers have played 44 regular-season home games, including eight this season, in the Canalta Centre. This was the smallest crowd at any of those games.

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At Moose Jaw, G Zach Sawchenko, making his third straight start, turned aside 21 shots to help the

ZACH SAWCHENKO

Warriors to a 3-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Warriors (7-2-2) have won three in a row. . . . The Hurricanes (5-5-2) are 0-3-1 in their last four. . . . Moose Jaw D Josh Thrower gave his guys a 1-0 lead with his first goal just 50 seconds into the game. That was his 10th goal in 253 regular-season games, his fourth in 42 games with Moose Jaw. . . . F Tyler Wong’s sixth goal pulled Lethbridge into a tie at 17:55 of the first period. . . . F Noah Gregor gave the Warriors a 2-1 lead at 8:25 of the second and F Nikita Popugaev scored the empty-netter at 18:51 of the third. He’s got eight goals. . . . Lethbridge was 0-1 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-2. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 29 shots. . . . Announced attendance: 3,047.

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At Langley, B.C., F Jesse Shynkaruk’s sixth goal broke a 1-1 tie at 18:20 of the second period as the

MASON McCARTY

Saskatoon Blades beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-1. . . . F Mason McCarty scored twice for Saskatoon, getting PP goals at 13:10 of the second period and 0:28 of the third. McCarty has seven goals. . . . F Josh Paterson drew assists on both of McCarty’s goals. . . . F Thomas Foster scored for the Giants, at 14:23 of the second period. . . . The Blades (6-3-1) are 2-1 on their B.C. Division swing. . . . The Giants (5-8-0) had a four-game winning streak snapped. . . . The game featured the CHL’s last two goaltenders of the week. Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell, who was honoured last week, stopped 31 shots, two more than Ryan Kubic of the Giants, who got the honour this week. . . . Saskatoon was 2-5 on the PP; the Giants were 0-2. . . . The teams made a trade earlier in the day, but neither of the players — F Josh Bruce went from the Blades to the Giants for F Gage Ramsay — played in this one. . . . Announced attendance: 3,627.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Lethbridge at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Prince Albert at Edmonton 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Regina, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Swift Current at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Chyzowski a chip off the old block?

Nick Chyzowski (16) of the Kamloops Blazers gives Vancouver
Giants forward Ales Kilnar a shove.
(Murray Mitchell / Kamloops Daily News)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
It had been more than 20 years since someone wearing a Kamloops Blazers jersey sporting No. 16 with Chyzowski on the namebar had dangled in front of the home fans.
But such was the case Wednesday night when Nick Chyzowski, the 15-year-old son of former Blazers forward Dave Chyzowski, made his WHL debut as the locals scored a 7-4 exhibition victory over the Vancouver Giants.
Mom (Cindy) and Dad watched from an Interior Savings Centre suite as Nick picked up an

Cindy and Dave Chyzowski watch as son Nick makes his
WHL debut with the Kamloops Blazers.
(Murray Mitchell / The Daily News)

assist to help the Blazers run their preseason record to 3-0.
The teams will meet again Friday, this time in Ladner.
Dave Chyzowski played two full seasons (1987-89) with the Blazers and four games in 1989-90, all of them in Memorial Arena. Now the team’s director of sales and marketing, he laughed when asked if he had a case of butterflies.
“Yeah, lots,” he admitted, adding that he was more nervous on Tuesday night than he was during the game. “He’s 15 and this is a huge step. He just turned 15 in June and he’s out there against 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds.
“I know how hard it is to play at this level and he’s going to find out.”
So . . . did Dad have any words of advice before the game.
“In the truck coming here,” Dave said, with a chuckle, “he said, ‘Dad, don’t give me any advice. Just let me go play.’ ”
Which is pretty much what the kid did in a game that turned chippy in the second period. There were many cheapshots and few bon mots.
Playing left wing on a line with Aspen Sterzer and Rob Trzonkowski, Chyzowski looked nervous on his first shift 3:31 into the opening period. After that one, though, he appeared to be quite comfortable.
“I was a little bit nervous at first . . . on edge a bit,” Chyzowski said. “But as soon as I settled in it was not bad. It was good. There was a good pace to it, so that’s a good indicator of what to expect.”
Chyzowski even got on the scoresheet when he drew the second assist on Trzonkowski’s goal at 11:57 of the second period that gave the Blazers a 3-0 lead.
“That was pretty cool,” Chyzowski said of hearing his name on the public address system. “It was good to get my first point.”
Later, he was serving a high-sticking penalty when the Giants cut the Kamloops lead to 4-3 in the third period.
Chyzowski, who was a second-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, will spend this season with the major midget Thompson Blazers. But you can bet he’ll be back with the big club in the not-too-distant future.
“Being up with this team gets addicting,” he said. “I just want to keep coming up here and doing my best. I’ll work hard with my major midget team and get the chance to play here again.”
Meanwhile, Dad was admitting to having a serious case of flashbacks.
“Even though I never played in this rink,” he said, “it’s nice to look back. When you get out into the working world, you forget about a lot of it. This has brought back a lot of memories.”
It also brought a message from another former Blazers forward.
Rob Brown, the franchise’s career scoring leader, sent Dave a text, reading: “I heard the kid is in. Wish him luck for me.”
Dylan Willick and Brendan Ranford each scored twice and added two assists. Willick was outstanding in all zones and finished plus-5. Ranford was plus-3. Cole Ully and Jordan DePape, the latter into an empty net, added a goal each for Kamloops.
The Blazers took advantate of a Vancouver team that wasn’t at all good defensively. Kamloops scored three times on breakaways and had enough odd-man breaks to do it for a month of regular-season games.
Alex Kilnar, Cain Franson, Taylor Makin and Marek Tvrdon replied for the Giants, who are 1-1.
JUST NOTES: After the game, the Blazers assigned Chyzowski to the Thompson Blazers, while sending D Connor Clouston to the midget AAA Medicine Hat Tigers and F Jesse Shynkaruk to the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. . . . Clouston, the son of Medicine Hat GM/head coach Shaun Clouston, was a third-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Shynkaruk was taken in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. . . . The Blazers now are carrying 27 players, including D Austin Madaisky, 20, who has signed with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and F Devin Oakes, who has yet to receive medical clearance after a pair of off-season shoulder surgeries. . . . Kamloops F Chase Souto left the game at 1:43 of the second period after taking an Anthony Ast elbow/shoulder to the head. Ast received a major and game misconduct. After the game, Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said Souto was OK and that he had been held out for precautionary reasons. . . . Kamloops G Taran Kozun stopped 23 shots and looked sharp, especially with his legs. . . . The Giants started Tyler Fuhr, who is not related to Grant Fuhr, in goal, with Jackson Whistle coming on at 10:59 of the second. Fuhr stopped 15 of 17 shots, with Whistle blocking 12 of 16. . . . Tvrdon played his first game since returning to the Giants over the weekend. His departure from Slovakia had been delayed by visa problems. Tvrdon, who had 74 points last season, is the Giants’ top returning scorer. . . . The Blazers next play at home on Sept. 14 when they close out their exhibition season against the Prince George Cougars. . . . Kamloops opens the regular season at home on Sept. 21 against the Kelowna Rockets.


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By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Yes, it’s only the exhibition season. But, still, there are things to prove.
For example, the Kamloops Blazers, after years and years of wandering in the hinterlands of the WHL’s B.C. Division, finished in first place last season.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver Giants once were kings of the B.C. hill, having put together five straight first-place finishes before ending up in second in each of the past two seasons.
So, while coaches try to sort out their rosters for a regular season that opens in 16 days, there will be at least some pride on the line tonight when the two teams meet at Interior Savings Centre. Game time is 7 o’clock.
“Perhaps some of our players may think that way,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said after Tuesday’s practice at the ISC. “For me, Vancouver will always be a team that plays a certain way. These are the kinds of challenges you want for your players because you know the effort that is going to be asked is going to be high. It’s a good way to evaluate your kids.
“You separate the men from the boys in these games.”
The Blazers are 2-0, having twice beaten the Victoria Royals — 4-2 here on Thursday and 5-3 in Maple Ridge on Friday.
The Giants are 1-1. They lost 4-3 to the Kelowna Rockets in Ladner on Friday and then won 3-2 in a shootout in Kelowna on Saturday.
Charron has been the Blazers’ head coach since Nov. 23, 2009, so has been around long enough to know what to expect from the Giants, no matter the time of season.
As Charron said, head coach Don Hay’s “teams are hard-working hockey teams. He doesn’t accept teams that don’t push to their hardest.”
There was a time a couple of years ago when Charron talked about wanting his team to have that kind of an identity, something he feels was attained last season.
“That’s part of an identity that we have created . . . we don’t allow other teams to outwork us,” Charron said. “Teams would take an approach to be physical with us and we stood up to it and we matched the bumping. Consequently, it gave us a bit of a positive side because teams, as much as they want to do it, don’t like it when it’s done to them.
“We have the kind of team that, if we match the effort, hopefully our skill will prevail.”
The Blazers’ roster is pretty much set, although they still are carrying 30 players. One of those — forward Nick Chyzowski — will make his WHL debut tonight but, at 15 years of age, is too young to play regularly this season.
As well, Jesse Shynkaruk, a 16-year-old from Saskatoon, will open between veterans Brendan Ranford and Dylan Willick.
The Giants, meanwhile, lost their No. 1 centre when Jordan Martinook, a 40-goal man last season, signed with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes over the weekend. He was a second-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft. At 20, he is likely to open the season with the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate in Maine, the Portland Pirates.
Vancouver also has an interesting battle going on in goal as it looks to replace the graduated Adam Morrison. The Giants continue to carry five goaltenders, with Liam Liston, 19, an offseason acquisition from the Lethbridge Hurricanes, perhaps the favourite to open the season in the starter’s role. However, he is being pushed by Payton Lee, 17, and three 16-year-olds — Angus Redmond, Tyler Fuhr and Jackson Whistle. Lee and Whistle both saw some playing time in Vancouver last season.
JUST NOTES: G Taran Kozun is to make his second straight start for the Blazers tonight. . . . Among the Blazers’ scratches are expected to be D Jordan Thomson, D Tyler Bell, D Austin Madaisky and RW J.C. Lipon, who had three goals in Maple Ridge on Friday. . . . F Brock Balson (groin) is day-to-day, while F Devin Oakes, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, won’t be ready until next month. . . . The Blazers and Giants will meet again Friday, this time in Ladner. . . . Former Blazers D Todd Carnelley has left the organization after spending the last year as the director of ticketing. He has been replaced by Missy Cederholm, who has been named ticketing and promotions co-ordinator. . . . The Blazers are holding auditions for anthem singers on Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you are interested, report to Section R for registration and you will be given the opportunity to sing. For more info, contact Ashley Neuls at aneuls@blazerhockey.com or 250-828-1144.

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Blazers ready for Royal visit

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
There weren’t a lot of surprises during the Kamloops Blazers’ training camp that wrapped up with Tuesday night’s intrasquad game.
Shortly after the game ended, the WHL team’s braintrust trimmed the roster to 31 players, including two forwards — Jayden Halbgewachs and Nick Chyzowski — who are too young to play this season. They are likely to be re-assigned after playing in tonight’s exhibition game against the visiting Victoria Royals.
Game time at Interior Savings Centre is 7 o’clock.
The latest round of cuts left the Blazers with two goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 17 forwards, not including the two aforementioned 15-year-olds.
The goaltending situation isn’t at all surprising as head coach Guy Charron and associate coach Dave Hunchak, with input from goaltending coach Dan De Palma, have chosen to go with sophomore Cole Cheveldave and freshman Taran Kozun, an 18-year-old from Nipawin, Sask., who actually started last season in a Blazers uniform.
On defence, the 10 skaters include six veterans and four newcomers, all of whom were mentioned by Hunchak last week as being capable of competing for roster spots. It is likely that Jordan Thomson, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, Josh Connolly, whose high-risk, high-reward game was in evidence on Tuesday, and stay-at-home guys Ryan Rehill and Connor Clouston will have some say before the regular season opens.
Up front, the Blazers are going to take long looks at Mitch Friesen, a 16-year-old left winger from Surrey who, at 6-foot-3 and 171 pounds, brings some much-needed size to the lineup. The same holds for 6-foot-2, 189-pound Aaron Macklin, a 17-year-old left winger out of High River, Alta., and right-winger Devin Oakes, who is 6-foot-1 and 207 pounds. Oakes, from Prince Rupert, is recovering from off-season surgery and has yet to see action.
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During Tuesday night’s intrasquad game, veteran left-winger Brendan Ranford had the opportunity to play a few shifts with Halbgewachs, the Blazers’ first pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
Ranford, who was a first-round pick in 2007, was impressed.
“We’re six years apart,” he said. “He’s almost the exact same player I was. Maybe he’s a little more finesse. He’s a helluva hockey player.
“That goal he scored shorthanded was . . . patience. The pass he gave to me was pretty exceptional. Not a lot of guys in the WHL can make that pass let alone a kid who just came up.”
Halbgewachs and Ranford combined on two goals, the former scoring a nifty goal when he waited for goaltender Cole Kehler to go down and then put it upstairs, the latter scoring, also shorthanded, after getting a big league pass from the kid.
Halbgewachs may end up facing his older brother, Brandon, in tonight’s game. Brandon, 18, is in camp with the Royals.
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The game will be a homecoming of sorts for Victoria defenceman Joe Hicketts, 16, who is from Kamloops. He was the 12th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft and spent last season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton.
Hicketts signed with the Royals a year ago and, in fact, played an exhibition game against the Blazers at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre.
However, he knew then that a WHL rule prohibiting 15-year-old players would keep him off the Royals’ roster. That isn’t the case this time.
“I’m ready,” the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Hicketts told Mario Annicchiarico of the Victoria Times Colonist late last week. “I’m just going to let the expectations slide and just perform my best, that’s my mindset coming in. I’m just going to let my on-ice performance do the talking.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been working hard for the last year and a half for this. I got drafted and this is the year I want to do something.”
Grant Armstrong, the Royals’ director of player personnel, said Hickett has a bright future with the club.
“He’s going to be, at some point, a huge contributor to the group in terms of being the leader and the kind of guy that runs your power play and does good things from the offensive-side of defence,” Armstrong said.
“He does a good job of positioning himself to eliminate that big guy from getting to the net. He’s going to be a good one — a real good junior hockey player, who when he leaves Victoria at age 21, he’s going to have a nice junior hockey career behind him.”
JUST NOTES: The Blazers and Royals also will play Friday night, this time in Maple Ridge. . . . The Blazers’ next home game is Wednesday, 7 p.m., against the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ranford arrived at training camp at 181 pounds. He said his weight hasn’t been in that vicinity since he arrived at camp as a 16-year-old weighing 182. “I’m a lot faster and I’m a lot quicker,” said Ranford, who is working with a nutritionist.
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By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Jayden Halbgewachs was able to chuckle about it after the fact.
But he really doesn’t want to get caught with his head down too often.
Halbgewachs, the Kamloops Blazers’ first selection in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, got caught looking in his feet for the puck in the third period of a rookie scrimmage Friday night and got trampled by defenceman Connor Clouston.
It was Day 1 of the Blazers’ training camp at McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre, and Halbgewachs could feel good because he scored the winner as Team Recchi skated to a 3-2 victory over Team Iginla.
Halbgewachs (it’s pronounced HALLB-ge-walks) took a nifty pass from winger Mitch Friesen off a 2-on-1 break and quickly fired a shot over goaltender Cole Kehler’s glove hand.
But in this game, when you’re 5-foot-7 and 142 pounds, you’re supposed to score; you’re not supposed to get caught in the trolley tracks.
“I’m not sure who it was,” offered a smiling Halbgewachs. “I had my head down and he got me in the head, I guess.”
Halbgewachs, the 19th overall selection in the draft, has been smallish at virtually every level. Last season, he put up 89 points, including 55 goals, in 24 games for the bantam AA Prairie Storm.
“You have to fight through it,” he said of his lack of size. “You have to do what you can do and keep your head up and watch out for guys coming afer you. Get out of the way or take the hit, once in a while.
“As long as I keep my head up . . . I had my head down there looking for the puck.”
Other than that one instance, Halbgewachs showed that he is a terrific skater with a wonderful skill set and a busy stick. On one shift, he got hemmed in a corner by Team Iginla’s Evan Bowden and Ezra Hall, but after some dazzling moves still came out with the puck.
“He’s a pretty skillful young player,” offered Blazers head coach Guy Charron. “He’s not big in size but certainly has tremendous skills.
“The attribute I really like in a player is the ability to skate and he certainly has that.”
Halbgewachs knows that he will be held over for main camp, which begins Sunday, and expects to play in the Blue-White game on Tuesday and against the visiting Victoria Royals on Thursday at Interior Savings Centre. He is eager but admits there are butterflies at the thought of moving up to play with the big boys.
“I’m really looking forward to that but I’m a little bit nervous, with their size and stuff and knowing that most of them are veterans and have played on the team,” he said. “But it should be good.”
He also knows that playing with better players can only help his game.
“Hopefully they know where they’re going and I know where I should be going,” he said.
Halbgewachs is from Emerald Park, a community located just east of Regina on the Trans-Canada Highway. His father, Jamie, owns Glacier Glass in Regina.
There are two other brothers — Taylor, 12, is a goalie, while Brandon, 18, is going to camp with Victoria. If he doesn’t stick with the Royals, Brandon, a forward, will play with the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins.
To say that Jayden has had a busy summer would be something of an understatement, but such is life for our best young hockey players these days.
For starters, he said that he tried to work out five days a week; he also played stick-and puck — players wear helmets and skates and work with a stick and pucks — after school following last season’s conclusion.
He spent a week at the Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp in Toronto, a week-long endeavour that is by invitation only. There also was a Sask First camp on the campus of Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Sask. And, oh yes, let’s not forget the two weeks of power skating in Regina.
Before journeying to Kamloops, he was in camp with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians for whom he will play this season.
So . . . is he tired?
“No. . . . I’m ready to go,” he said.
JUST NOTES: F Dallas Calvin, who signed with the Blazers on March 16, 2011, isn’t in camp. Calvin, who put up 77 points in 41 games with the junior B Beaver Valley NiteHawks last season, apparently has told the Blazers that he wants to concentrate on playing baseball. He remains on Kamloops’ 50-player list. . . . D Calen Whitworth (hip) of Surrey is listed as day-to-day. . . . F D.J. Crane of Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask., didn’t show up, so F Mitch Lipon was moved to Team Iginla and is wearing No. 11. Lipon, 16, is the younger brother of Blazers F J.C. Lipon. . . . Scrimmages today are at 9 a.m., noon, 5:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. . . . On Sunday, main camp games are at 9 and 10:30 a.m., and noon. . . . Camp moves to Interior Savings Centre on Monday. . . . In Friday’s rookie scrimmages, Team Recchi beat Team Iginla 2-1 and Team Doan got past Team Sydor, 5-1. Drew Bish also scored for Team Recchi, with Jeran Knorr replying for Team Iginla. Team Sydor got goals from Spencer Bast, Jordan Thomson, Sean Pilet, Tyler Olson and Bruce Sharp. Nick Chyzowski scored for Team Sydor.
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Tim O’Donovan, the Blazers’ media co-ordinator, was kind enough to put together a release showing the hockey bloodlines in Kamloops’ training camp.
Here’s a look . . .
F Nick Chyzowski, who was selected by the Blazers in the second round of the 2012 WHL bantam draft, is following in his father’s footsteps. Chyzowski’s father Dave played three seasons with the Blazers before playing 126 games in the NHL. . . .
D Connor Clouston, selected by the Blazers in the third round of the 2011 draft, is the son of Medicine Hat Tigers general manager/head coach Shaun Clouston. The elder Clouston also played four seasons with the Portland Winterhawks in the late 1980s. . . .
D Jaiden Focht is the son of former NHL/WHL D Dan Focht. The elder Focht played two seasons in the WHL with Tri-City and Regina before playing 82 games in the NHL from 2001-04 with Phoenix and Pittsburgh. . . .
D Nolan Gallagher is the younger brother of Vancouver Giants star F Brendan Gallagher. Brendan, 20, put up 280 points over the past four seasons with the Giants and is expected to play in the Montreal Canadiens’ system this season. . . .
F Charlie Gawlicki was selected by the Blazers in the sixth round of the 2012 draft. His father Jeff was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the ninthth round of the 1987 NHL draft. Jeff played four seasons at Northern Michigan U. . . .
F Nathan Gelsinger has joined his older brother Brayden at training camp. Brayden finished last season with the Blazers, suiting up for two playoff games. Brayden, 17, will be in main camp; Nathan, 15, is in the rookie camp as a free agent invite. . . .
D Connor Hamonic is the younger brother of Tri-City Americans D Justin Hamonic. Connor was selected by the Blazers in the seventh round of the 2011 WHL bantam draft. . . .
Veteran F J.C. Lipon is joined in camp by his younger brother Mitchell, who plays for the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . .
F Tyson McLellan is the son of former Swift Current Broncos GM/head coach Todd McLellan, who now is the head coach of the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Tyson was listed by the Blazers at the conclusion of last season’s training camp. . . .
D Cameron Trott is the brother of Portland Winterhawks F Jason Trott. Cameron is a free agent invite. . . .
D MacKenzie Ferner is attending his third Blazers training camp. Ferner was selected by the Blazers in the eighth round of the 2010 draft. He is the son of Mark Ferner, a former Blazers defenceman who is heading into his second season as head coach of the Everett Silvertips.

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Rick Brodsky, the owner of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, has owned the NAHL’s Wichita Falls, Texas, Wildcats for eight seasons. That run, however, is about to end as Brodsky sells his share to New Jersey businessman Alex Shnayderman, who grew up in Winnipeg.
The NAHL board is expected to approve the deal today.
Head coach Paul Baxter owns part of the team, as does local businessman Roy Davoult.
When Brodsky got involved in the team’s ownership — he actually took over a franchise that was struggling with debt — he had hoped to be able to help provide better players for the Wildcats.
That never happened.
"I thought we'd be able to get really good talent from the WHL, and that just never developed whatsoever," Brodsky told Zach Duncan of the Wichita Falls Times Record News. “Good American players were being recruited by Canadian Tier II teams that were able to pay them instead."
Duncan’s complete story is right here.
It’s worth noting that Brodsky quite enjoyed his stint as the Wildcats’ owner. He liked nothing better than to head down to Wichita Falls and accompany the team on a road trip, oftentimes taking a turn driving the team bus.
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The Kamloops Blazers kept it all in the family Tuesday as they announced the signing of forward Nick Chyzowski to a WHL contract.
Chyzowski, 15, was the 44th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. The Blazers dealt a second-round pick in the 2013 draft and a 2012 fourth-rounder to the Edmonton Oil Kings in order to grab Chyzowski at No. 44.
Chyzowski’s father, Dave, is a former Blazers forward (1987-90) who now is the team’s director of sales and marketing. The New York Islanders selected Dave with the second overall pick of the NHL’s 1989 draft; the Quebec Nordiques took Mats Sundin with the first selection. Chyzowski played 126 NHL games before going on to a lengthy career in Europe.
Nick, who actually signed the contract a couple of weeks ago, said he feels “a little bit” of pressure playing for his father’s former team, “but I think I’ll be able to deal with it.”
Last season, Chyzowski captained the bantam AAA Jardine’s Blazers and led them in scoring, with 83 points, including 41 goals, in 49 games. He is expected to play next season with the major midget Thompson Blazers.
Chyzowski describes himself as “a good two-way forward. I’ve good defensive ability and I also have good offensive awareness.”
While he recognizes that genetics may have something to do with the ability he has shown to this point, he added that “it’s also a lot of because of who I am.”
As one might expect, he said “it’s really exciting” to sign with the Blazers.
He added that on draft day “I was really excited . . . I know it’s a big accomplishment to get drafted but it’s only the beginning.”
Last week, the Blazers signed forward Jayden Halbgewachs, their first-round pick, 19th overall, in the 2012 draft. He is from Emerald Park, Sask.
Halbgewachs and Chyzowski are expected to attend the Blazers’ rookie camp that is scheduled to open on Aug. 23.
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A couple of interesting NHL draft-related tweets from James Mirtle (@mirtle) of The Globe and Mail:
“Only two players drafted later than 42nd in 2010 draft have played an NHL game in two seasons since. Most picks after Round 1 are projects.”
“And only 11 players out of 210 two years ago have played an entire NHL season. So few of these kids bring immediate help to a team.”
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The BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies have a news conference scheduled for today at which they are expected to introduce Bill Bestwick as their head coach. Bestwick is a long-time Nanaimo Clippers general manager and head coach, who at present is a Nanaimo city councillor. . . . Mira Laurence of CTV News Vancouver Island broke the Bestwick story.
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F James Henry and G Deven Dubyk, both of whom completed their major junior eligibility last season in the WHL, have agreed to join the U of Manitoba Bisons. . . . Henry played more than four seasons with the Vancouver Giants, before being dealt to the Moose Jaw Warriors laste season. He finished with 71 points in 69 games split between the two teams. . . . Dubyk finished last season with the Red Deer Rebels, after starting with Moose Jaw and then moving on to the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Dean Evason has left the Washington Capitals and signed on as head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators. Evason had been an assistant coach with Washington for seven seasons. In Milwaukee, he takes over from Ian Herbers, now head coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . . With Washington looking for a head coach to replace Dale Hunter, there was no guarantee that Evason would be back with the Capitals. . . .
Former NHL D Drake Berehowsky is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. They have an affiliation with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Berehowsky had spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. . . . The Solar Bears are preparing for their first season in the ECHL. Orlando had an IHL franchise from 1995-2001. . . .
Dale Hunter, who stepped aside as the Washington Capitals head coach following the season, has returned as head coach of the OHL’s London Knights. With him back, his brother, Mark, goes back to being only the general manager. . . . The Knights are the OHL’s defending champions. . . . Dale had been their head coach since November 2001. He left in November 2011 to replace Bruce Boudreau as Washington’s head coach.
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The legendary Red Fisher is retiring after 58 years as a sports writer, first with the Montreal Star and then the Montreal Gazette. . . . Ken Dryden, as only he can do, writes about Fisher’s career right here.
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Ryan Leaf, once the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, appeared in a courtroom in Great Falls, Mont., on Tuesday. “I’m lazy, and dishonest and selfish,” Leaf told the court. “These were behaviors I had before my addiction kicked in.” . . . If you have followed Leaf’s post-football time, this is an amazingly sad story. Kimball Bennion of the Great Falls Tribune was in court and has the story right here.


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