G Brett Jaeger (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Saskatoon, 2001-04) signed a one-year contract extension with the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). Jaeger started last season with Copenhagen Hockey (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga), where he had a 3.12 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 27 games, before transferring to the Fischtown Pinguins. With the Pinguins, he had a 3.00 GAA in seven games. . . .
F Mike Wirll (Brandon, Prince Albert, Prince George, Lethbridge, 1997-2003) signed a one-year contract with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had four goals and 13 assists in 20 games with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite) last season. . . .
D Brett Festerling (Tri-City, Vancouver, 2001-07) signed a two-year contract with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had three goals and 15 assists in 52 games with St. John's Ice Caps (AHL) and was pointless in five games with the Winnipeg Jets (NHL) last season.
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Another 20-year-old goaltender is on the move with the Brandon Wheat Kings having sent Brandon Anderson to the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Wheat Kings moved Anderson and a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick to the Silvertips for F Geordie Maguire, 17, who played last season for the Winnipeg Wild and led the Manitoba midget AAA league in scoring. . . . Maguire, a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2010 bantam draft, put up 77 points, 40 of them goals, in 42 games with the Wild. . . . Anderson has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals; should he be assigned to Everett, the Wheat Kings would get back the fifth-round pick. . . .
Anderson finished up each of the last two seasons with the Hershey Bears, Washington’s AHL affiliate, but didn’t see any game action. . . . Anderson was a free agent when he went to camp with the Capitals two years ago and came away with a contract. The Lethbridge Hurricanes later dealt him to Brandon, where he was 13-14-2, 3.96, .889 in 31 games last season. In six games with Lethbridge before the trade, he went 2-3-1, 3.78, .894. He also missed part of the season as he left the Wheat Kings and went home for reasons that never were disclosed. In 2010-11, after signing with the Capitals, he was 17-26-12, 3.77, .888. . . . Everett is looking for a goaltender to take over from Kent Simpson, 20, who has signed with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and is expected to open in their organization. If neither Anderson nor Simpson is back, Austin Lotz, 17, will get first crack at starting. . . . Should Anderson end up in Everett, he would become the fourth 20-year-old on the roster, along with F J.T. Barnett, F Cody Fowlie and F Ryan Harrison.
The deal leaves the Wheat Kings with Corbin Boes, 19, as the starter going into training camp, which is no surprise. Chances are he’ll be supported by Curtis Honey, 18, although Jordan Papirny, 16, may well be in the picture, too, before all is said and done. . . .
Anderson is the fourth 20-year-old goaltender to be traded this offseason. . . . Luke Siemens, who turns 20 on Nov. 6, went from the Moose Jaw Warriors to the Prince Albert Raiders, while Ty Rimmer moved from the Tri-City Americans to Lethbridge, and Brandon Glover, who will be 20 on Aug. 21, was dealt by the Calgary Hitmen to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has the story right here of the Memorial Cup and the beating it has taken at the hands of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes. Hey, don’t sweat it because the Cataractes weren’t partying with the real thing.
But, geez Louise, just because you are passing around a replica is not reason to use it and abuse it.
After all, the Memorial Cup has some history behind it and deserves to be shown a bit more respect than it apparently has been getting.
With all the money a lot of these major junior teams are making, perhaps it’s time the CHL assigned an employee to babysit the Memorial Cup in these situations.
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D Paul Sohor (Everett, Tri-City, 2007-11) played out his junior eligibility last season with the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers and now has decided to attend York University and play for the Lions. . . . He had 32 points in 50 games last season in Selkirk.
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Robbie Ftorek, the 60-year-old head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, and his family are in shock after the death Saturday of Anna Ftorek, a 23-year-old daughter. She died suddenly at the family home in Wolfeboro, N.H. There is more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jared Bednar has signed on with the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, as an assistant coach. Bednar spent the last two seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. In Springfield, he’ll work alongside head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Nolan Pratt. . . . Bednar played in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs and Saskatoon Blades (1990-1993). . . . The Falcons announced that Bednar got a “multi-year” deal. They also announced that Pratt has received a “contract extension beyond the 2012-2013 season.” He is heading into his second season on the Falcons’ staff. . . .
Barry Smith is headed for the Netherlands where he will work as head coach of the Tilburg Trappers, who play in the country’s top league. Smith, who coached the Kamloops Blazers (2008-10), replaces Theo van Gerwen, who was named technical director of the Dutch Hockey Association after two seasons with the Trappers. Smith signed a one-year deal with Tilburg. (This signing actually happened late in May and I somehow missed it. Apologies for that.)
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If you’ve got 20 or 30 minutes to invest in a great read, give this right here a look. Jason Schwartz of Boston Magazine takes a look at 38 Studios, the video-game company owned by former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling that imploded and left behind quite a mess.
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