Noel gets down to work . . . Changes extend scoring streaks . . . Hurricanes, Rebels make a deal

F Cody Almond (Kelowna, 2005-09) was released by the Minnesota Wild (NHL) and returned to Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). Almond had signed a five-year contract with Genève-Servette in June, then got a one-year NHL deal with the Wild in July. He was pointless in five games with Iowa (AHL). . . .
D Garnet Exelby (Saskatoon, Regina, 1998-2001) has been released by Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He was pointless in 17 games. . . .
F Owen Fussey (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2003) has been released by the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). He had nine goals and five assists in 19 games.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Claude Noel worked his first practice as head coach of the Vancouver Giants on Monday. Afterwards, he spent a few minutes chatting with the media.
Interestingly, it seems that Noel didn’t sign a contract. That, he apparently told management, is something that can be worked out down the road.
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has the highlights from Noel’s chat right here.
Cam Tucker of Metro Vancouver was there, too. His story is right here.
Vancouver’s first game under Noel is scheduled for Friday against the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
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A couple of scoring changes after the Kootenay Ice’s 4-3 OT victory over the host Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday extended two scoring streaks. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart was credited with an assist, allowing him to run his streak to 11 games. He has 23 points, including six goals, over that stretch, which encompasses every game since he was returned by the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau also picked up an assist, and he’s on a 10-game streak. He’s got 17 points, including seven goals, over that stretch.
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Neither D Jordan Thomson (concussion) nor F Wyatt Sloboshan (broken jaw) is with the Saskatoon Blades, who open a B.C. Division swing tonight in Kamloops against the Blazers. . . . As well, the Blades have some illness going through the dressing room. F Sam McKechnie didn’t skate on Monday, and Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that D Amil Krupic “was the first one off the ice because he wasn’t well.” . . . F Luke Gingras and F Landon Welykholowa, both of whom missed a 4-2 loss in Moose Jaw on Saturday, returned to the ice.
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The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Riley Sheen, 20, who had been the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ leading scorer. . . . The Rebels get Sheen and a conditional fifth-round 2017 bantam draft pick in exchange for F/D Devan Fafard, 20, and F Brayden Burke, 17. Burke was a seventh-round pick by the Rebels in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Fafard, a defenceman by trade, has been playing up front with the Rebels. He is out with an undisclosed injury and may not play for a week, while Burke has been out since Oct. 5 with an undisclosed injury but is back skating. . . . The draft pick apparently is conditional on Burke reaching a pre-determined number of points. . . . Sheen had 23 points, including 20 assists, in 27 games with the Hurricanes, who have the WHL’s poorest record. Sheen also has played with the Medicine Hat Tigers and Seattle Thunderbirds. In 209 regular-season games, he has 115 points, 36 of them goals. . . . Sheen is expected to be in the Rebels’ lineup tonight when they play host to the Calgary Hitmen.
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The WHL’s Christmas shopping fund has increased by $1,750 as four teams have been asked to make contributions. . . . The Kamloops Blazers were fined $500 after a player (D Ryan Rehill) instigated a fight in the last five minutes of a 7-3 loss to the visiting Regina Pats on Friday. Rehill was hit with a one-game suspension and sat out Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the visiting Victoria Cougars. . . . The Swift Current Broncos were fined $250 “for actions of player at Red Deer” on Saturday. Broncos F Carter Rigby drew a one-game suspension for those actions. . . . The Broncos were fined an additional $500 for their part in a multiple fight situation in that same game. The Red Deer Rebels also were fined $500.
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Hey @calstampeders, you have to win it to break it, right? #Congrats #GreyCup
— Spokane Chiefs (@chiefshockey) December 2, 2014

Warriors prospect dies at 16 . . . Former WHL assistant coach to Canucks

F Garrett Festerling (Portland, Regina, 2003-07) has signed a three-year contract extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). Festerling now is under contract with Hamburg through the 2017-18 season. Last season, in 53 games, he had eight goals and team-leading 29 assists. . . .
F Owen Fussey (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 1999-2003) has signed a one-year contract with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). Fussey didn’t play the last two seasons. In 2011-12, with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite), he had 68 points, including 37 goals, in 60 games. He led the Blazers in goals.
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ETHAN WILLIAMS
(Moose Jaw Warriors photos)

F Ethan Williams, a fifth-round selection by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, has died. Williams, who was from Winnipeg, would have turned 17 on Aug. 22.
“Our entire organization is very saddened with the news of Ethan Williams’ passing,” Warriors general manager Alan Millar said in a news release. “Ethan was a fine young man, and a very talented hockey player. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris and Shannon and the entire Williams family during this difficult time.”
Williams, 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, signed with the Warriors after their 2012 training camp, and he played one game with them in 2012-13. During that 2012 camp, he scored a goal in his first WHL exhibition game, against the Swift Current Broncos.
In his draft season, Williams had 71 points, 25 of them goals, with a bantam AAA team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna.
Last season, he had eight points, four of them goals, in 23 games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers.
Williams still was on the Warriors’ protected list and had been expected to attend training camp next month.
“Ethan has all the tools needed to play in the WHL and a great chance to hone those skills to advance to the highest level,” former NHL and WHL forward Darcy Tucker said of Williams shortly after the 2012 bantam draft. “Ethan can use his body, skating ability and hands to create scoring chances almost at will. We are very happy for Ethan’s success, and will be following him closely this season as he progresses.”
Tucker is a partner in Turning Point Sports Management, the firm that represented Williams at the time.
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The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks will have a new video coach when the new season arrives. A source has told Taking Note that the Canucks have signed Ben Cooper as their video coach. He will work with Willie Desjardins, the Canucks’ new head coach. . . . Cooper has been coaching a varsity team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C., and also was scouting for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Before that, he was an assistant coach with the WHL’s Victoria Royals. He also has extensive video experience with Hockey Canada.
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Former WHL head coach Jim Hiller has signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. Hiller, 45, spent the past five seasons as head coach of the Tri-City Americans, but his contract wasn’t renewed after last season. He was the CHL and WHL coach of the year in 2011-12. Hiller also was head coach of the Chilliwack Bruins for three seasons. . . . As an NHL player, Hiller played 21 regular-season and two playoff games with the Red Wings in 1992-93. . . . Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press has more right here.
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Levi Moon finished his second season of bantam hockey and walked away from the game. He decided he was going to be a baseball player. Moon, 18, attended the Badlands Baseball Academy in Oyen, Alta., and soon he’s off to Niagara County Community College in Sanborn, N.Y., on a baseball scholarship. His father, Cam, is the radio voice of the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Danny Rode of the Red Deer Advocate has more right here.
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The Prince George Cougars have named Bob Simmonds as their director of scouting. Simmonds, who spent 37 years with the RCMP before retiring, works out of Edmonton. He has been part of the Cougars’ scouting staff for seven seasons. . . . Bill Horton of St. Paul, Minn., has been promoted to director of U.S. scouting. Horton, 27, is preparing for his second season with the Cougars. . . . Cougars GM Todd Harkins also announced the addition of Trevor Sprague of Prince George and Tom Hengen of Vancouver to the scouting staff. Sprague, the head coach of the major midget Cariboo Cougars, will work as a travelling scout, while Hengen will focus on B.C.’s Lower Mainland. Sprague had been scouting for the Portland Winterhawks. Hengen is the father of Michael Hengen, the Cougars’ new assistant coach. Tom spent the past six seasons as head scout for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.
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With the news that Vin Scully will return in 2015 for a 66th year calling baseball games, the Los Angeles Times took a look at his movie appearances. That piece is right here.
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Thoughts and prayers go out today to the friends, family and teammates of Ethan Williams. Gone far too soon... #RIPEthan
— Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29) July 30, 2014

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