Hunt gets GWG for Tigers . . . Leschyshyn in for Pats . . . Cougars add goaltender

F Jakub Langhammer (Spokane, 2002-04) has been released by Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2) at his request. He had seven goals and five assists in 29 games.
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The Saskatoon Blades lost a pair of players Thursday when D Ryan Coghlan and F Landon Welykholowa left for junior A teams. . . . Coghlan has joined the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, while Welykholowa is off to the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. . . . Coghlan, a 19-year-old from Nanaimo, had six points, including two goals, in 22 games with the Blades. He started the season by going pointless in two games with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Welykholowa, an 18-year-old Calgarian, was pointless in one game with the Calgary Hitmen, then had five goals and four assists in 31 games with the Blades. . . . The Blades brought in F Brayden Uhrich, younger brother of F Josh Uhrich to practice and he may make his WHL debut tonight in Lethbridge. Brayden, 17, has been playing minor hockey in Rosetown, Sask., after going to camp with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Blades will be without F Garrett Armour, who will be serving a two-game WHL suspension for a boarding major he incurred on Saturday.
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F Ty Ronning is expected to be in the Vancouver Giants’ lineup tonight for the first time this season. Ronning, a first-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, has been out since injuring a collarbone during the exhibition schedule. . . . Last season, as a freshman, Ronning had 20 points, nine of them goals, in 56 games. . . . Ronning, 17, is the son of former WHL and NHL F Cliff Ronning. . . . The Giants, who are at home to the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight, have also brought in D Matt Barberis. He was the 20th overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft and is playing with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League. He is from Surrey, B.C.
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Regina Pats fans are expected to get their first look at F Jake Leschyshyn tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Leschyshyn, 15, was acquired this week from the Red Deer Rebels and is expected to be a key component on the Pats’ roster in future seasons. After all, Red Deer selected the Saskatoon native with the sixth overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . He is eligible to play five games with the Pats before his team, the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, has its season end. . . . Asked by Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post about the trade, Leschyshyn replied: “I was pretty shocked at first. But with the Memorial Cup being held there (next season) I know Red Deer is definitely going to be stacking up to try to win the whole thing. Regina on the other hand is looking to build for the future. I thought I’d fit well in Regina.” . . . Leschyshyn’s father, Curtis, is a former WHL and NHL defence man who coaches his son with the Blazers. Last season, Curtis was an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades, working under head coach Dave Struch, who now is the Pats’ lead assistant.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed G Patrick Gora, an 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta. Gora was a ninth-round pick by the Regina Pats in the 2011 bantam draft. He has been playing with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, going 19-4-1, 1.98, .922. . . . Gora is expected to join the Cougars in time for tonight’s game in Victoria against the Royals. . . . The Cougars are carrying three goaltenders, with Gora joining Ty Edmonds, 18, and Tavin Grant, 16.
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F Nic Petan, who starred for Canada as it won the gold medal in the 2015 World Junior Championship in Montreal and Toronto, won’t play for the Portland Winterhawks tonight when they meet the Chiefs in Spokane. Petan apparently is ill.
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F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings is playing a regular shift, killing penalties and manning a point on the power play. He’s a 16-year-old freshman whose father played with the Wheat Kings and Buffalo Sabres, whose uncle was an NHL defence man and whose grandfather played in the CFL. Paul Wiecek of the Winnipeg Free Press has more right here.
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Bob Green, who had a whole lot to do with the building of the Edmonton Oil Kings into a Memorial Cup championship team, is being promoted within the Edmonton Oilers organization. Bob McKenzie, the Ultimate Insider, tweeted Thursday that Green “has been elevated to oversee EDM player development.” . . . Green has been the Oilers’ director of free agent amateur scouting. . . . Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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If you put Jimmy Breslin, one of the legendary writers from New York City, and Joe Namath together, what do you get? A terrific read from New York Magazine. This story right here is from the April 7, 1969 issue. Pour a cup of coffee and enjoy!
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

In Victoria, F Dryden Hunt, in his first game with Medicine Hat, scored the winning goal and added an assist as the Tigers got past the Royals, 3-2. . . . The game had been scheduled for Wednesday, but the Tigers were waylaid in Revelstoke, B.C., because the Trans-Canada Highway was closed due to avalanche control. They weren't able to get to Victoria until Wednesday night. . . . Hunt and D Kyle Burroughs, who were acquired this week from the Regina Pats, made their Tigers debuts. . . . Hunt’s 15th goal gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead at 10:29 of the third period. It came via the PP. . . . Burroughs drew an assist on Hunt’s goal. . . . Hunt now is riding an 11-game assist and point streak. . . . Tigers D Ty Schultz, a 17-year-old freshman from New Westminster, B.C., broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal at 4:08 of the third. He was the 16th overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . F Austin Carroll had two assists for the Royals. . . . D Joe Hicketts was back in Victoria’s lineup after helping Canada win gold at the WJC. . . . F Alex Forsberg made his debut with the Royals after coming over from the Saskatoon Blades, while G Justin Paulic, acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors, was on the bench in support of Coleman Vollrath. . . . The Tigers (28-9-3) have won four in a row. . . . The Royals (20-19-3) had a three-game winning streak end.
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Mini-sticks.Hallway.10 mins. RT @WHLsilvertips: Look who we bumped into at the hotel in REG. What's up @EdmOilKings? pic.twitter.com/2OYkNRL18s
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) January 9, 2015

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D Collin Bowman, who played out his eligibility with the Calgary Hitmen last season, has signed with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. Bowman, who is from Littleton, Colo., played three seasons (2007-10) with the Kelowna Rockets before being dealt to the Moose Jaw Warriors. He captained with the Warriors in 2010-11 and they sent him to Calgary early last season. Bowman had 149 points and 364 penalty minutes in 346 regular-season WHL games. . . . His older brother, Drayson, is with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the Saskatoon Blades are without four players due to injuries. G Alex Moodie (hamstring) is expected to sit for up to 10 days, while F Shane McColgan (knee) is out for a week or so. They join D Dalton Thrower (groin) and D Ryan Graham (back) on the shelf. Nugent-Bowman’s story is right here.
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The Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday dropped two 18-year-old veterans – D Tommy Stipancik and G Adam Todd. . . . Stipancik was given his release after playing in 46 games over the last two seasons. His development was hampered by concussion problems over the previous two seasons. Stipancik, from Vancouver, was the 60th overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . He is expected to join the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. . . . Todd, from Courtenay, B.C., has been in 12 games with the Blades over the last two seasons. The 86th selection in the 2009 bantam draft, he is expected to play for the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
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The Regina Pats signed six players on Tuesday — D Rob Fulton, G Patrick Gora, D Griffin Mumby, F Bryar Ortynski, F Austin Wagner and F Rylee Zimmer.
Fulton, a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, picked up 16 points and 57 penalty minutes in 23 games with the bantam AAA Camrose, Alta., Vikings last season. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs more than170 pounds.
Gora was a ninth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. He played last season for the minor midget AAA St. Albert, Alta., Flyers, going 12-3-5, 2.02, .931. He went home after the Pats’ intrasquad game.
Mumby, a third-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, had 18 points in 31 games with the midget AAA Calgary Flames last season. He remains on the Pats’ roster.
Ortynsky was a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He had 14 points in 33 games with the midget AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club last season. He also remains on the Pats’ roster.
Wagner, a fifth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, had 27 points and 94 penalty minutes in 32 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Northstar Sabres.
Zimmer, a fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, put up 30 points in 35 games with the midget AA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask., last season. He is from Winnipeg.
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With WHL teams getting closer to their final rosters, there may be an opportunity for a veteran goaltender in the QMJHL. Don Campbell of the Ottawa Citizen reports that Gatineau Olympiques G Robert Steeves, 19, is to have knee surgery in the next few days and will be out for up to seven months. . . . The Olympiques acquired Steeves from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan over the summer. Without Steeves, the Olympiques have two goaltenders, Eric Brassard and Simon Bergeron, neither of whom has any QMJHL experience. . . . The Olympiques open the season on Sept. 20. . . . Campbell’s story is right here.
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F Spencer Main has left the Kelowna Rockets, bringing to a close his WHL career.
Main, 20, missed the final 60 games of last season with post-concussion syndrome and, after getting medical clearance to return to play, the symptoms returned in training camp.
From a Rockets news release: “Main suffered a concussion early in the 2011-12 WHL season and sat out the Rockets final 60 games. In the off-season he was medically cleared to work out and return to the ice but his symptoms returned after participating in games at Rockets training camp.”
A second-round pick in the 2007 bantam draft, Main, from North Vancouver, played 197 games with the Rockets over the last four seasons. However, he got into only 12 games last season.
Veteran F Zach Franko (@Franky_939) tweeted this: “Would like to congratulate spencer main on a great 5 years with the @Kelowna_Rockets. Gonna miss you not only as a teammate but as a friend.”
Prior to the start of last season, the Rockets lost F Max Adolph to post-concussion syndrome. He played 97 games over three seasons with them.
Kelowna also lost F Kyle St. Denis to post-concussion syndrome after 2009-10, although he later played as a 20-year-old with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies.

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