Cougars d-man gets five games . . . Heid's season over . . . Ice wins at Hockey Hooky

My boy @Gropper8 shakes hands with legend Don Cherry after BMO Top Prospects Game #memoryofalifetime pic.twitter.com/EkocSrdkEJ
— Colleen Gropp (@colleengropp) January 23, 2015

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has signed the for rest of this season with Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga). This season, with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2), he had seven goals and five assists in 29 games. He was released at his request by Crimmitschau on Jan. 8.
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D Sam Ruopp of the Prince George Cougars has been suspended for five games after taking a kneeing major and game misconduct in a 6-1 loss to the visiting Everett Silvertips on Tuesday. Ruopp, the Cougars’ captain, drew a two-game suspension for the same infraction earlier in the season. . . . Ruopp has missed one game already, and won’t play tonight in Medicine Hat.
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The Portland Winterhawks revealed Thursday that D Nick Heid, 17, underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and won’t play again this season. . . . “Nick is a big part of our future and this surgery will help ensure he’s healthy for training camp in August,” Jamie Kompon, the team’s GM and head coach, said in a news release. . . . Heid, from Fridley, Minn., was in his first season with the Winterhawks. He last played on Jan. 9. Heid was pointless in 17 games. . . . Late Thursday afternoon, Heid tweeted: “Tough decision to make, but having my shoulder repaired will help ensure that I am ready for next season. Thanks to everyone for your support and good luck to the @pdxwinterhawks the remainder of the season.”
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The OHL’s Sarnia Sting franchise is in the process of changing hands. When all is said and done, former NHL D Derian Hatcher and David Legwand, a forward with the Ottawa Senators, will own the Sting. . . . Terry Bridge of the Sarnia Observer has more right here.
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If you are into podcasts, you can’t go wrong with the latest effort at Pucklandia. It features former WHL F Oren Koules, who is a producer of the Saw movies as well as the hit TV show Two And A Half Men. He also is the father of Portland Winterhawks F Miles Koules. There are some great stories told right here.
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I made mention in this space yesterday of a pair of tweets from former NHL referee Paul Stewart. He writes regularly for The Huffington Post and on Thursday he wrote a length on the Zac Rinaldo hit on Kris Letang and the role that coaches are, or aren’t, playing when it comes to player safety in hockey. That piece is right here.
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When given the opportunity, I will be sure to watch the documentary Red Army, a film about perhaps the greatest hockey team in the history of the sport. The Red Army team dominated internationally in the 1970s and into the ’80s. . . . Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated has more right here, including a thrilling anecdote involving the night in 1987 when Wayne Gretzky invited the Soviet’s teams Green unit to his folks’ home in Brantford, Ont., for a barbecue.
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If you haven’t already seen this right here, it is every minor hockey player’s worst nightmare -- a ranting parent. Only this one is different. He hits the glass and, well, watch for yourself.
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Michael Powell of The New York Times was there Thursday when New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, one of the great actors of our time, spoke to the media about the inflation and deflation of footballs. Powell’s piece is right here and it really is funny.
Later in the day, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady chatted with the media and, yes, he denied, denied, denied. Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times has more right here.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

In Edmonton, F Tim Bozon scored three goals to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 5-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . It was Edmonton’s sixth annual CN Hockey Hooky promotion. The game began at 11:30 a.m., and attendance was announced at 10,396. . . . According to the Oil Kings’ website, about 7,000 school students were in attendance. . . . The Oil Kings led 3-1 late in the second period when the Ice tied it on goals by Boson, at 17:28, and D Tyler King, at 19:11. . . . King has seven goals. . . . Bozon broke the tie with his third goal, and 17th of the season, on a PP at 1:18 of the third. . . . Ice F Levi Cable provided insurance with his 20th goal, an empty-netter, at 19:42. . . . F Brett Pollock scored twice, giving him 21, and added an assist for Edmonton. His 20th goal of the season was his 100th career point. . . . It was Bozon’s fourth career hat trick -- he has two with the Ice after putting up two with the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Ice D Rinat Valiev had two assists. . . . Kootenay G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 28 shots, six fewer than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . The Ice was 2-for-3 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-3. . . . The Ice (24-22-1) is fifth in the Central Division, one point behind Edmonton and four in back of Calgary. . . . The Oil Kings (22-19-6) still hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here.
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God Bless Miss Canada. By the looks of that score, she is also an advocate of bigger nets pic.twitter.com/mVmPWcmFKE
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) January 23, 2015

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Winterhawks streak at 19; Cougars closer to playoff spot

Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times reports that “four more former NHL players have joined the concussion lawsuit against the league.” . . . Bernie Nicholls, Bob Bourne, Scott Parker and Bruce Bell now are part of the suit that was filed in November by nine other players. . . . Klein’s report is right here.
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Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen has more on the situation involving the minor hockey team from that city and the fallout from its appearance at a peewee tournament in Vernon, B.C. Ryan Arnold, the team’s head coach, has been suspended and the investigation continues. Clarke’s story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:
The Kootenay Ice played a game on Friday in which they didn’t incur even one penalty. I then wondered in this space if that previously had happened with a Ryan McGill-coached team. Turns out it did. Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, informs that it happened earlier this season. . . . On Oct. 13, the host Ice beat the Prince Albert Raiders 2-0 in a game in which referees Brett Montsion and Kyle Scrivens chose not to penalize either team.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Calgary (1) vs. Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Edmonton (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Everett (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Vancouver (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SUNDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Portland at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Kamloops at Spokane, 5:05 p.m.
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MONDAY’S WHL GAMES:
None scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Lethbridge at Regina, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Prince Albert at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, G Daniel Wapple stopped 45 shots through OT and was near-perfect in the shootout as the Pats beat the Calgary Hitmen, 5-4. . . . The Hitmen tied the game with two third-period goals. They outshot the Pats 22-5 in that period. . . . F Brady Brassart, with his 31st goal, got the Hitmen to within one at 4:27 and F Jake Virtanen, with his 40th, tied it on a PP at 13:23. . . . The skills competition went nine rounds, with F Logan McVeigh and D Colby Williams, Regina’s last two shooters, both scoring. Only D Jaynen Rissling was able to score for Calgary. . . . The Hitmen had won their previous nine games. . . . Regina is 7-0-1 in its last eight at home. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk had two goals, giving him 25, for the Pats. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 26 shots. . . . The Pats (34-22-6) lead the East Division by six points over Swift Current, so are the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. . . . The loser point lifted the Hitmen (41-15-7) atop the Eastern Conference standings, a point ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who still hold three games in hand. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Victoria Royals got three assists from F Brandon Magee as they wrapped up a five-game East Division swing with a 6-3 victory over the Blades. . . . The Royals went 4-1-0 on the trip. . . . F Logan Nelson, with his 21st, and F Taylor Crunk, with his seventh, gave the Royals a 2-0 lead in the game’s first 1:03 and the Royals were never headed. . . . Nelson finished with two goals. . . . F Nikita Scherbak scored his 27th goal and added an assist for the Blades. . . . G Alex Moodie started for the Blades. He had been out since Jan. 18 with an injury. He left after two periods, having been beaten five times on 26 shots. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka stopped 17 shots. . . . The Royals (43-17-4) are 8-1-1 in their last 10 and appear headed to a third-place finish in the Western Conference. . . . The Blades (16-41-4) are 2-7-1 in their last 10. . . .

In Brandon, F Tim McGauley scored three times to lead the Wheat Kings to a 7-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Wheat Kings had lost eight in a row. . . . McGauley’s first WHL hat trick leaves him with 18 goals in 59 this season, one more than he scored in 66 games last season. He has 49 points; last season, he finished with 45. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle added two goals for Brandon, giving him 11, while D Ryan Pulock got his 20th goal and added two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 41 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings (29-26-8) are seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Swift Current. . . . The Warriors (15-37-9) have lost five in a row. . . .

In Edmonton, the Vancouver Giants scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the Oil Kings, 5-1. . . . Vancouver won twice on a three-game trip into Alberta. . . . F Jackson Houck scored two PP goals for the Giants. He’s got 30 goals this season. . . . The Giants were 3-for-6 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-for-7. . . . With D Dalton Thrower and D Brett Kulak out, the Giants had D Ryely McKinstry play his second WHL game. He was a second-round selection in the 2013 banta draft. . . . Giants G Payton Lee turned aside 32 shots. . . . Vancouver (30-24-10) are sixth in the Western Conference, six points behind Spokane. . . . The Oil Kings (43-15-2) slipped to third in the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Red Deer, the Swift Current Broncos struck for three third-period goals and beat the Rebels, 5-3. . . . The Rebels held a 3-1 lead late in the second period, only to have F Coda Gordon score at 19:27. . . . F Jay Merkley, with his 25th goal, pulled the Broncos even at 1:12 of the third and F Andrew Johnson gave them the lead, with his seventh, at 12:33. That was Johnson’s second goal of the game. . . . Gordon added his 22nd into an empty net at 19:45. . . . F Graham Black continued his superb season with the Broncos by drawing four assists. He has 80 points, 51 of them assists, in 59 games. . . . Swift Current D Julius Honka didn’t pick up a point, but finished at plus-4. . . . The Broncos went in having lost eight of 10, while the Rebels now have lost 11 of 13. . . . The Broncos (30-24-8) are sixth in the Eastern Conference, six points in back of Kootenay. . . . The Rebels (29-30-4) are tied with Prince Albert for the conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Kamloops Blazers scored two shootout goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . Seattle F Alexander Delnov forced OT with his 25th goal, via the PP, at 5:01 of the second period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk and F Matt Bellerive scored for Kamloops in the skills competition; F Branden Troock had scored for Seattle. . . . Kamloops G Cole Kehler stopped 33 shots in 57:57 of play. He came on at 7:03 of the first period with his side trailing, 1-0. Starter Bolton Pouliot had to leave after being involved in a goalmouth collision with Seattle F Russell Maxwell, who was steered in that direction by Kamloops D Sam Grist. . . . G Taran Kozun, appearing against his former team, turned aside 28 shots. . . . Kamloops is 6-21-1 on the road, with two of those victories in Kent. The Blazers won 7-1 there on New Year’s Eve. . . . At home, the Blazers beat the Thunderbirds 3-1 and then dropped a 3-2 decision. . . . Kamloops (13-44-5) is 2-8-0 in its last 10. . . . Seattle (37-19-6) is fourth in the Western Conference, four points ahead of Spokane. . . . The Thunderbirds staged their 2014 Hockey Challenge on Saturday, with six charity games wrapped around their game with the Blazers. The late game featured Team Furness vs. Team Shea, and included former Seattle players Mark Parrish, Brendan Witt, Chris Wells, Jesse Wilson, Jamie Huscroft, Brett Duncan, Regan Mueller and Danny Lorenz. . . . Also featured were actors Michael Mantenuto, who played Jack O’Callahan in Miracle, and former pro hockey player/scout/executive-turned-actor Mike Butters. Interestingly, Mantenuto, according to a Thunderbirds news release, “is a Sergeant in the US Army with the 1st Special Forces Group stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash.” Butters, meanwhile, “is a character actor who has appeared in over 50 movies, including the Saw franchise and D2 – The Mighty Ducks, 100 commercials and 20 television shows.” . . . The Hockey Challenge, which began in 1998, is a fund-raiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Miles Koules scored twice and added an assist as the Tigers dropped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . His first goal, 56 seconds into the game, came via a penalty shot. . . . Koules, the son of Oren Koules, who had a stint with the Tigers (1979-80), has 23 goals. Dad had 13 points, six of them goals, in 33 games with the Tigers. The next season, with the Spokane Flyers, Oren put up 73 points, including 28 goals, in 67 games. Miles, 19, has 45 points in 61 games as a sophmore. Last season, he had 40 points, 19 of them goals, in 69 games. . . . It’s worth noting that the Medicine Hat roster also includes F Blake Penner, whose father, Craig, played for the Tigers (1982-86) and F Gavin Broadhead, whose father, Curt, also played in The Hat (1977-81). As well, the Tigers have D Gabe Bast, 17, on their list. His father, Tom, played four seasons with the Tigers (1973-77). . . . Medicine Hat was 3-for-3 on the PP. . . . The Tigers (38-21-3) are the only team in the WHL not to have lost in a shootout. They are fourth in Eastern Conference, five points ahead of Kootenay. . . . Lethbridge (12-46-5) has lost five in a row. . . .

In Prince George, F Jansen Harkins broke a 1-1 tie at 8:26 of the third period as the Cougars got past the Kelowna Rockets, 2-1. . . . Cougars F Klarc Wilson got his 25th goal, on a PP, at 14:10 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, with his 20th, tied it at 18:49 of the second. . . . Prince George G Ty Edmonds stopped 42 shots, 16 in the third period. . . . G Jordon Cooke of the Rockets turned aside 23 shots. . . . Prince George F Todd Fiddler ran his point streak to 15 games with an assist on Harkins’ goal. . . . Kelowna D Damon Severson had a nine-game assist streak snapped. . . . The Rockets had beaten the Cougars 4-2 on Friday, giving them their franchise record 25th road victory of the season. The previous record had been set in 2003-04. That victory also allowed the Rockets to have back-to-back 100-point seasons for the first time in franchise history. . . . The Cougars (26-31-8) closed to within a point of Tri-City, which holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. The Americans hold three games in hand. . . . The Rockets (48-9-4) lead the overall standings. . . .

In Portland, F Chase De Leo had two goals and two assists as the Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 19 games with a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . De Leo has 34 goals. . . . The Raiders scored the game’s first two goals and took a 2-1 lead into the second period. . . . Portland took control with four second-period goals. . . . Portland F Nic Petan scored twice, giving him 34, and running his point streak to 15 games. But he had his assist streak end at 14 games. . . . Petan leads the WHL points derby with 105 points, two more than Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 42nd goal and added two assists for Portland. . . . Prince Albert D Josh Morrissey scored his 22nd goal and added an assist, while F Dakota Conroy scored twice, giving him 26, and F Leon Draisaitl had three assists. . . . Portland (45-12-5) is five points behind Kelowna, which has a game in hand and leads the overall standings. . . . The Raiders (29-29-4) are tied with Red Deer for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Spokane, Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg scored the game’s first three goals and his mates road that to a 6-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL with 54 goals. . . . He scored at 10:17, 18:01 (pp) and 19:18 of the first period. . . . F Carter Proft added two goals for the Chiefs, giving him 10. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had one assist as he ran his point streak to 20 games and his assist streak to 13 games. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon notched his 30th goal of the season. . . . Ice D Jagger Dirk played in his 300th regular-season game, all with Kootenay. . . . The Ice has had a flu bug in its dressing room. F Luke Philp returned after sitting out one game, while D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel were scratched. . . . It all meant the Ice dressed 15 skaters, three under the maximum. . . . The Chiefs (35-21-6) are fifth in the Western Conference and appear likely to finish there. . . . The Ice (35-23-4) appears headed to a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Josh Winquist and F Patrick Bakjov scored in the shootout to give the Everett Silvertips a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . They were the only shooters Everett needed as only F Brian Williams could scored for the home side. . . . F Parker Bowles scored twice for the Americans, his second one, at 11:57 of the third period, forcing OT. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots through OT, 19 more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Silvertips (30-23-8) have won their last two after a rocky stretch and are seventh in the Western Conference, two points behind Vancouver. . . . The Americans (27-28-7) are 2-6-2 in their last 10 and clinging to the conference’s last playoff spot, one point ahead of Prince George. The Americans have 10 games to play, three more than the Cougars.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “.939 - Stopping all 5 (Friday) night, @WHLKootenayICE Mackenzie Skapski (@Skaps29) has saved 46 of 49 shootout attempts over the last 2 seasons.”

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THE MacBETH (aka ONDREJ) REPORT:
F Ondrej Fiala (Everett, Saskatoon, 2005-08) signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and two assists in 18 games with Chomutov (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) and 13 goals and 10 assists in 23 games on loan to Kadan (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) this season. . . .
F Ondrej Roman (Spokane, 2006-09) signed a one-year contract with Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals and five assists in 40 games split between the Texas Stars (AHL) and San Antonio Rampage (AHL) and three goals and five assists in nine games with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) this season.
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F Miles Koules announced via Twitter on Saturday that he will play next season in the WHL: “Made my decision to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers next season.”
The Tigers acquired his rights from the Everett Silvertips on Jan. 10. The Tigers gave up F Reid Petryk, who is heading into his 19-year-old season, and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in the exchange, so presumably that pick will move to Everett.
Koules, who will turn 18 on June 25, had given a verbal commitment in June 2010 to attend the U of North Dakota for the 2012-13 season.
According to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald: “A source close to the forward from California told the Herald that he left in order to get more ice time and games.”
Koules is the son of Oren Koules, a former WHL player who also is a former Tampa Bay Lightning co-owner. For more on Oren, check out imdb.com.
Miles has played the last two season in the U.S. National Team Development Program. Prior to that, he played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn.
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North Dakota also is hoping to land D Seth Jones, 17, whose WHL rights were moved last week from Everett to the Portland Winterhawks.
It is generally believed that Jones now is trying to choose between UND and the Winterhawks.
Jones, the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones who now is an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets, revealed via Twitter on Saturday that he is visiting Portland this weekend.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Barry Wolff is the new general manager and head coach of the junior B Fernie Ghostriders of the Kootenay International junior league. Wolff takes over from Will Verner, who stepped down after five seasons with the Ghostriders. Wolff actually is returning to Fernie, where he spent three seasons (2001-04) as GM and head coach of the Ghostriders in the AWHL and NAHL. Wolff also has extensive experience in the BCHL.
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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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Tuesday’s moves in the Western Hockey League:
EVERETT SILVERTIPS—Released F Vladimir Dolnik, 18. Reassigned F Matt Grant, 18, to BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Reassigned D Darian Henry, 17, to AJHL’s Drumheller Dragaons.
KELOWNA ROCKETS—Released D Kevin Smith, 20.
KOOTENAY ICE—Traded F Brendan Hurley, 18, to Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick.
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS—Traded F Reid Petryk, 18, to Everett Silvertips for F Miles Koules, 17.
MOOSE JAW WARRIORS—Traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS—Assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to BCHL’s Westside Warriors.
PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS—Traded D Martin Marincin, 19, 2012 fourth- and seventh-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick to Regina Pats for D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, 2012 first- and second-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fifth-round pick. Assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to undisclosed AJHL team. Added F John Odgers, 18, to roster.
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS—Traded F Marcel Noebels, 19, to Portland for F Seth Swenson, 18, and first-round bantam draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
SPOKANE CHIEFS—Added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to roster.
TRI-CITY AMERICANS—Acquired WHL rights to F Brett Connolly, 19, from Prince George Cougars for 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick, conditional 2013 first-round draft pick and conditional 2014 second-round draft pick.
VANCOUVER GIANTS—Traded F James Henry, 20, to Moose Jaw Warriors for 2012 second-round bantam draft pick and 2014 third-round pick. Traded G Brendan Jensen, 18, to Portland for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick. Traded D Eric Walker, 18, to Swift Current for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
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DRAFT TRACKER (since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 22
Players: 35
Bantam draft picks: 29
Import draft picks: 0
(Does not include conditional draft picks)
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While everyone waited to see if the Regina Pats would trade away veteran C Jordan Weal, general manager Chad Lang performed an end-around.
Instead of selling, the Pats turned into buyers as the WHL deadline came and went on Tuesday.
Lang stunned a lot of people when he landed Slovakian D Martin Marincin, 19, early Tuesday in a deal with the Prince George Cougars that ended up totalling two players and six bantam draft picks.
Marincin, a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft, was one of the big fish in the WHL lake as the trade deadline approached. In exchange for him, the Cougars got Swedish D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, first- and second-round picks in 2012 and a fifth-rounder in 2013.
Along with Marincin, Regina also got fourth- and seventh-round selections in 2012 and a fourth-rounder in 2013.
Marincin, a big, rangy defender who excels on the PP, has 17 points in 30 games this season. Last season, he had 56 points in 67 games. He is expected to be in the Pats’ lineup tonight against the host Prince Albert Raiders.
Blidstrand, a seventh-round selection by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL’s 2010 draft, had 17 points in 70 games last season. This season, he has 13 points in 30 games.
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The Prince George Cougars sent the WHL rights to F Brett Connolly to the Tri-City Americans for one bantam draft pick and two conditional picks. The Cougars get a 2013 fifth-round selection from the Americans, along with a conditional first-round pick in 2013 and a conditional second-round selection in 2014. As I understand it, if Connolly reports and if the Americans were to win the Western Conference, that 2014 pick would become a first-rounder. . . . Connolly, the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, except for four weeks with Canada’s national junior team. He has eight points with the Lightning. . . . Connolly played 8:33 last night in a 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Vancouver Canucks. He had 13 shifts, all at even strength. . . . Hello, Steve, this is Bob Tory calling. . . .
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The Portland Winterhawks surprised more than a few people by surrendering two first-round bantam draft picks and F Seth Swenson, 18, to acquire F Marcel Noebels, 19, from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Winterhawks gave up first-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 bantam drafts.
“We just could not pass up the offer that was made,” Russ Farwell, the general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), said in a news release. “We add a younger player and two high draft picks.”
Noebels, from Germany, has 24 points in 31 games this season. He also is a minus-22. He was the 10th overall selection by Seattle in the 2010 CHL import draft. The Philadelphia Flyers own his NHL rights, having taken him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.
Swenson, from Parker, Colo., had seven points in 33 games with Portland. This is his third WHL season. He has 21 points and 64 penalty minutes in 132 games.
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The Portland Winterhawks also acquired G Brendan Jensen, 18, from the Vancouver Giants for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick.
Jensen, from El Granada, Calif., is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. With the Saints, Jensen is 12-0-3, 2.14, .917.
And, to make room for F Cam Reid, 20, the Winterhawks released F Dillon Wagner, 20. Wagner, who was acquired earlier this season from the Swift Current Broncos, had seven points and 25 penalty minutes in 17 games with Portland.
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A note about the deal between Portland and Edmonton on Monday in which the rights to F Cam Reid, 20, went from the Oil Kings to the Winterhawks.
The deal was announced as being for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick. Actually, that is the price Portland paid just to talk with Reid. Under conditions of the deal, that pick has been upgraded to a 2013 second-round selection as Reid has left St. Cloud State and reported to Portland.
Any doubt about whether Reid would report was erased when I received a message from an interested observer:
“At MSP airport last night, there was a SCSU hockey bag with a bag tag for PDX sitting there . . . just saying!”
That would be Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU) and Portland (PDX).
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On Monday, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired F Cam Braes, 20, who had been the captain of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
On Tuesday, the Warriors went out and got F James Henry, 20, who was the Vancouver Giants’ captain.
In exchange for Henry, the Warriors gave up a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft and a third-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Henry, a ninth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2006 draft, was second on the Giants’ all-time list for games played (281). This season, he has 41 points, including 35 assists, in 41 games. He has 184 points in those 281 regular-season games.
Henry, who is from Winnipeg, and Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath are old friends from their childhood days in the Manitoba capital.
“He was a heck of a player when we were younger,” McIlrath told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “It’s going to be fun to play with him.”
Immediately following the trade, the Giants named F Brendan Gallagher as team captain.
That deal also left the Warriors with four 20-year-olds, one over the maximum. The other two were F Brett Lyon and F Kenton Miller.
The Warriors promptly traded Lyon, who is having a career offensive season, to the Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
Lyon has 28 points, including 11 goals, and 95 penalty minutes in 41 games. In 199 career games, Lyon has 54 points and 537 penalty minutes.
One of the WHL’s toughest players, his previous career highs were five goals and five assists. From Grand Forks, B.C., he also has played with the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver.
That left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds – the others being F Cody Chikie, D Kevin Smith and G Adam Brown – so the dominoes continued to fall.
In order to get down to three, the Rockets released Smith.
Late last night it was reported that Smith had signed with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies.
However, let’s not forget that Vancouver has room for a 20-year-old. Vancouver’s brass was meeting after the Giants’ 3-0 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars last night. Should the Giants choose to add a 20-year-old, their options could include Smith or F Dillon Wagner, who was dropped by Portland.
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The Vancouver Giants sent D Eric Walker, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
Walker left Northern Michigan University to join the Giants on Nov. 19. With Vancouver, Walker had two assists and 18 penalty minutes in 16 games.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers dealt F Reid Petryk, 18, to the Everett Silvertips for the rights to F Miles Koules, 17. . . . Petryk, a fourth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, had 19 points and 56 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Tigers. . . . Should Koules report to the Tigers, Everett also will get a fourth-round bantam pick. . . . Koules is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. He plays for the U-18 team that is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., and has committed to attend the U of North Dakota. . . . Koules is the son of former WHLer Oren Koules (Portland, Great Falls, Medicine Hat, Spokane, Calgary, Brandon, 1979-82), who did a stint as owner of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning a couple of seasons ago. Among other things, Koules, if you weren’t aware, is a movie producer. Go ahead. Google him. . . . Miles Koules has 13 points in 32 games with the U-18 team. Two seasons ago, he played at Shattock-St. Marys. . . . Pre-trade deadline speculation had Koules ending up with the Portland Winterhawks, something Oren Koules had heard.
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The Kootenay Ice sent F Brendan Hurley, 18, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick. Hurley, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., had six points and 29 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Ice. He was in his third season with the Ice, and was a member of last season’s Memorial Cup championship team.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to their roster. Walchuk, who has been on the Chiefs’ list since December 2008, has played at Northern Michigan University and with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers this season. A native of McBride, B.C., Walchuk played the last two seasons with the Vipers, who won one Canadian junior A championship and reached the final last year. This season, Walchuk had eight points in 19 games at NMU. He then left NMU and returned to the Vipers, putting up six points in six games with Vernon.
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ALSO ON THE MOVE:
The Everett Silvertips reassigned F Vladimir Dolnik, F Matt Grant and D Darian Henry. . . . Dolnik, 18, was selected in the 2011 CHL import draft and is returning to Slovakia. He had five helpers in 27 games with the Silvertips. . . . Grant, with no points in four games, is returning to the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Grant, 18, was acquired earlier in the season from Moose Jaw in a deal that had G Luke Siemens go to the Warriors. . . . Henry, 17, will join the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. He had one assist in 16 games with Everett. . . . The Prince George Cougars have assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to an undisclosed AJHL team. Smith In his second full season with the Cougars, had six points and 77 penalty minutes in 31 games. . . . The Cougars also revealed that they will be keeping F John Odgers, 18, for the remainder of the season. The son of former WHL/NHL F Jeff Odgers, John has one goal in four games. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. He had one assist and 10 penalty minutes in 17 games with the Raiders.
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Here’s how things work these days, thanks to Twitter, as folks watch the WHL trade deadline approach:
To set the stage . . . the Moose Jaw Warriors had just traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to the Kelowna Rockets. That deal left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds, the others being G Adam Brown, D Kevin Smith and F Cody Chikie.
At the same time, there had been ample speculation that the Brandon Wheat Kings were in the market for a goaltender. Never mind that they already have three on their roster.
So . . .
Early Tuesday afternoon, Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the  Wheat Kings, tweeted: “Take it for what it's worth, but Daniel Asham and Dylan Kuczek among those missing from #bdnwheatkings practice today.”
WEHP scout then responded with: “Could Asham/Kuczek be heading to Kelowna for Adam Brown? I feel things are winding down now.”
Cody Nickolet, the analyst on Saskatoon Blades’ broadcasts, followed that with: “It must be Brown on the way to Brandon now as the Rockets have too many 20's.”
Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, ended the suspense with: “To make room for Lyon, @Kelowna_Rockets release 20 year old d-man Kevin Smith.”
But what of Asham and Kuczek?
A few minutes later, Luebke tweeted: “Apparently, Kuczek and Asham both missing practice today with illness. Don't know if it's upper body illness or lower body illness.”
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While we’re at it, let’s not forget about the toll that the lead-up to the trade deadline takes on the players. Here are a few tweets from Tuesday:
D Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winterhawks: “WHL trade deadline #nerveracking tension in the dressing room #fornow”
F James Henry, after being traded from Vancouver to Moose Jaw: “Want to say thank u to everyone in vancouver the fans players coaches management owners scouts n billets thank u for everything”
F Justin Kirsch of the Moose Jaw Warriors: “These are the most nerve racking days of a young mans career #tradedeadline”
F Andrew Johnson of the Warriors: “Sad day for the boys. Gonna miss ya @BLyon9 best of luck out there and keep in touch. Will always remember the self proclaimed 'big cheese' ”
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Former WHL G Jeff Bosch, now at Lakehead U in Thunder Bay: “for the 1st time in 5 yrs i dont have 2 worry about being dealt 2 a new team, different city #unilife #thanksciszler4nothavingtrades”
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And there was this tweet from Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Calvin Pickard: “@bconnolly8 don't even think about it..........”
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And one from Portland F Sven Baertschi: “well i guess im not the only euro anymore....@MarcelNoebels !!!”
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If you enjoyed the extensive WHL trade deadline coverage, perhaps you would consider donating to the cause. If so, just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The NHL’s Anaheim Ducks have restructured the coach staff of their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Trent Yawney, who had been a pro scout with the Ducks, was moved in as associate head coach, Mark Holick, a former Kootenay Ice head coach, was moved from head coach to associate coach. . . . Marty Wilford stays on as assistant coach. . . . Yawney, from Hudson Bay, Sask., had been an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks from 2008-11. . . . Yawney was an assistant coach under Marc Crawford with the Canadian team at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, late last month. . . . The Crunch is 15-15-4, good for fourth place in the five team East Division.
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JUST NOTES: F Henrik Samuelsson practised with the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday. He was skating alongside T.J. Foster and Kristians Pelss. . . . Samuelsson, the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, is eligible for the NHL’s 2012 draft. He had been playing in Sweden but, because he was born in Sweden, he isn’t classified as an import player. . . . F Stefan Matteau, the U.S. U-18 team’s leading scorer, has decided not to go to the U of North Dakota. He announced via Twitter that he will play for the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season. He is the son of former NHL F Stephane Matteau, who is an assistant coach with the Armada. “My decision is final,” the younger Matteau tweeted. . . . The OHL has suspended Kingston Frontenacs D Alex Gudbranson, 18, for 10 games for a hit to the head of Peterborough Petes F Matt Puempel. Gudbranson is the younger brother of Florida Panthers D Erik Gudbranson.
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ON THE ICE:
In Vancouver, G Jackson Whistle earned his first WHL victory and his first shutout as the Giants dumped the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Whistle, a 16-year-old from Kelowna, is 1-5-0, 3.42, .873. . . . It was the first time Vancouver has blanked an opponent this season. . . . The Cougars have been shut out a WHL-leading seven times. . . . The Cougars have been shut out in three of their last four games, during which time they have scored one goal. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had a goal, his 28th, and an assist for the Giants. . . . F Dalton Sward got the game’s first goal. It was his 10th, equalling his total from last season. He also ended a 13-game drought by scoring on his 18th birthday. . . . The Giants won the season series, 7-1. . . . The Cougars have lost five in a row. 

Monday's stuff . . .

There isn’t anything to report on the Chilliwack-to-Victoria front, at least not as of late Monday night.
Except that Oren Koules says he isn’t interested.
Koules, a former co-owner of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, told me via email that he “was shocked to read my name . . . I have never inquired about a WHL team . . . huge fan of the league . . . fan not owner.”
Koules is a former WHL player (Portland, Great Falls, Medicine Hat, Spokane, Calgary, Brandon, 1979-82) who went on to make his mark in the entertainment world.
Among other things, he has been the executive producer of 161 episodes of, yes, Two and a Half Men.
Check out his IMDB right here.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are involved in a scrap for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot and are getting back G Jamie Tucker in time for the last two weeks of the regular season. He has been out a month with a badly cut thumb. That’s the good news for Raiders fans. The bad news is that F Charles Wells now is out with a separated shoulder. . . . Raiders radio voice Drew Wilson also reports that the club has added D Josh Morrissey, the sixth pick in the 2010 bantam draft, to their roster. His midget AAA team in Calgary is done, so he’ll finish up the season with the Raiders. . . .
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Should the Regina Pats qualify for the playoffs, they will play first-round games in the Queen City, after all.
The Brandt Centre, the Pats’ home arena, won’t be available due to the World men’s curling championship, so the team will move into the Co-operators Centre, which is on the grounds at Evraz Place.
Seating capacity will be 1,278, plus standing room, so season-ticket holders will get the first crack at tickets.
Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series would be played in Regina, with tentative dates of march 29 and 30.
The Pats are 10th in the Eastern Conference, three points out of a playoff spot.
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The Portland Winterhawks are 20-6-0 since Jan. 8. Why is that date relevant? It was on that day that the Winterhawks had access to all of their players for the first time in more than a month.
Since that date, Portland has outscored its opponents 128-81.
Graham Kendrick, their crack director of media and public relations, came up with a neat chart on Monday. Here is the Winterhawks’ record, showing their one six-week slump with players going to and coming from Christmas tournaments:
Sept. 25 - Nov. 20: 20-3-0-1
Nov. 21 - Dec. 31: 5-9-0-2
Jan. 8 - Present: 20-6-0-0
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JUST NOTES: As was reported Friday by Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review, the Tampa Bay Lightning has signed Spokane Chiefs C Tyler Johnson, 30, to a three-year NHL deal. Johnson, who is tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead and is second in points, was a free agent. . . . Johnson also is a native of Spokane. . . . F Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks is the WHL’s player of the week. He had nine points, including seven goals, in four games last week. . . . Lucas Gore of the Chilliwack Bruins is the WHL’s nominee as CHL goaltender of the week. He was 4-0-0, 1.00, .968 last week.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Sunday stuff . . .

Rich Preston, the GM and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, put on quite a show in Kelowna on Saturday night.
And I would suggest to you that every coach in the WHL was thinking the same thing: “Good on you, Rich. Go for it.”
Preston was ejected from a 5-3 loss to the Rockets after his side had a goal disallowed at 16:20 of the third period, apparently because a linesman chose to call a spearing penalty against F Graham Hood of the Hurricanes.
“The Hurricanes thought they had scored a power-play goal with 2:59 left,” wrote Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier, “when Brody Sutter knocked in a loose puck in the crease. However, the goal was waived off, with the reason being a double spearing minor to Graham Hood that apparently took place earlier in the play. Following a lengthy review, the goal was disallowed.
“Then Kelowna scored, Geordie Wudrick with his 38th of the season on the ensuing power play, and, shortly after, Preston began littering the ice with water bottles and his clipboard.”
By the time Preston departed the bench area, there were six or seven water bottles, a clipboard and a Gatorade jug and its lid littering the ice surface. (What! No sticks?) However, an observer reports that Preston only tossed five water bottles; two others apparently were thrown by players.
As Gord McGarva, who rides shotgun with Rockets’ radio voice Regan Bartel, mentioned, the cost might be about $100 a bottle with more tacked on for the extras.
“I’ve never seen (anything like it) in all my years,” Preston told Potenteau. “The linesman made a call, but the two referees didn’t see it. And then we changed and (Hood) was sitting on the bench for a good minute because we had another line out there — our other line was out there for a minute and then scores.
“So we think we score, and then all of a sudden it was a phantom penalty call by the linesman. We might as well have three referees now because the linesman is calling penalties. Two referees isn’t enough.”
While Saturday’s incident may not have had anything directly to do with the number of officials on the ice, you can bet that frustration with the WHL officiating was an undercurrent in what happened.
There isn’t a GM or a head coach in the league who will speak on the record about the officiating in the WHL, but every one of them yearns for a return to the one-man refereeing system. They all talk off the record about how the coaching in the WHL has never been better, but how the officiating is the weak link. They all talk about how there simply aren’t enough good referees available to work the two-man system. They all will tell you — again, off the record — that the best-officiated games involve one referee.
On Saturday in Kelowna, the referees were Devin Klein and Ryan Bonnett, while Ward Pateman and Alex Teichroeb were on the lines.
Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska came awfully close to offering unconditional support to Preston when he told Potenteau: “I’ve never been a part of (throwing water bottles), to be honest. But I would probably be a little upset as well. So I can’t say I would have done anything different than Rich.”
Preston, by the way, is on the WHL’s officiating committee. Wouldn’t you like to be the fly on the wall the next time that committee meets?
In the meantime, Preston will write a cheque early this week.
Ch-ch-ching!
The Preston implosion — actually, it wasn’t an implosion; he should get full marks for being cool and collected while he was tossing things — is right here.
The video is rather disappointing, however, as the camera isn't on the Lethbridge bench the whole time so misses a lot of the action.
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Why aren’t there enough good officials? Check out this editorial from the Winnipeg Sun.
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Meanwhile, on the Chilliwack Bruins front:
1. Len Barrie, a former WHL player and NHL owner who now owns the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies, has denied reports that he is involved with RG Properties in an attempt to purchase the Chilliwack Bruins. “That’s false,“ Barrie told the Victoria Times Colonist. “I am not looking to buy the Bruins.” (RG Properties manages the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria; the arena is owned by the city.)
2. I have been told that Oren Koules, who partnered with Barrie on the ownership of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning before it all fell apart, “has been sniffing around trying to get a WHL franchise.” . . . So perhaps it’s Koules, and not Barrie, who is involved here. . . . Koules also is a former WHL player, who now is a producer of movies, including the Saw franchise.
3. There is one train of thought out there that has the WHL wanting badly to put expansion teams into Victoria and Nanaimo. The Victoria team would be owned by RG Properties, with the Nanaimo team going to Hockey Night in Canada analyst Kelly Hrudey and some of his partners in the ownership group of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers.
4. Don’t be expecting to hear anything out of RG Properties. Dave Dakers, the president of its sports and entertainment division, told the Times Colonist: "All comments regarding the WHL and Victoria have been made previously. To discuss rumours on a one-by-one basis is irresponsible. If and when there is any news to report, we will hold a press conference."
5. Annie Fowler, who covers the Tri-City Americans for the Tri-City Herald, was on the beat when Darryl Porter, now the Bruins’ governor, was involved in the Americans’ ownership group. She, uhh, isn’t a fan. Check out her blog right here.
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JUST NOTES: The Everett Silvertips have been fined $250 “for failure to have player appear for star of game award at Tri-City” on Friday night. Hmmm! Wonder what it’s worth when the three stars aren’t announced after a game, as happened in Kamloops that same night? . . . The Vancouver Giants lost F Brendan Gallagher, their leading scorer, on the first shift of Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks. Although he was feeling better Sunday, he may have a concussion. . . . Gallagher didn’t play in the Giants’ 5-1 loss to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Sunday. The Giants were without D Darren Bestland (back) and D Tyler Hart (shoulder) on the weekend. On Sunday, they lost F Spencer Bennett (hand) and F Teal Burns (shoulder) in the first period. . . . Gallagher, Bennett and Burns are to be re-evaluated today. . . .
D Brandon Manning scored three times Sunday to lead the host Chilliwack Bruins to a 6-2 victory over Portland. With 20 goals, Manning is two shy of the franchise record for goals in a season by a defenceman, set by Nick Holden in 2007-08. . . . F Ryan Howse of Chilliwack got his 48th goal, a career high, and moved into a tie with Spokane C Tyler Johnson for the WHL lead. . .. . More importantly, the Bruins have won five in a row and now are seventh in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the idle Prince George Cougars and Kamloops Blazers. . . .
A release from the Brandon Wheat Kings indicates that they won’t be increasing season-ticket prices if fans renew before June 10. This is the third straight year in which Brandon has chosen not to increase prices. . . . An adult season-ticket purchased by June 10 will cost $325; it’s $350 after the deadline. Youth tickets (18 and under) go for $175. . . . According to the Wheat Kings, “A recent study of season-ticket prices throughout the WHL shows that western Manitoba hockey fans pay more than $100 less for their season-tickets than fans of any other club.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter