The inaugural Ryan Donaldson Memorial is being played this weekend at the Langley, B.C., Sportsplex (Rink 1). It’s on Twitter at @RDMtournament.
This is more than your average June hockey tournament, though, because it’s all about mental health.
Here’s a note from the website that was written by his sister Kirsten:
“Not only is this tournament to honour my brother Ryan and enjoy the sport he loved so much, but to address mental health and concussions.”
Kirsten’s goals in organizing the tournament are “to raise awareness about the serious side effects associated with traumatic brain injuries and second-impact syndrome.” She also hopes “to set up a specific protocol within minor hockey associations specifically related to baseline testing and post-concussion management/return to play guidelines.” As well, she wants to “address the stigma associated with mental health within the hockey community.”
The website, which is right here, includes links to information on mental health and concussions, as well as baseline testing.
As Kirsten writes, “The more we talk about concussions and depression, the more can be done to help those suffering.”
The website is right here.
If you aren’t familiar with the Ryan Donaldson story, read this piece right here that was written by Gary Ahuja of the Langley Times.
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F Keegan Dansereau (Calgary, Swift Current, 2003-09) and D Kalvin Sagert (Kamloops, Lethbridge, Prince George, 2002-08) both signed one-year extensions with Miskolci Jegesmedvék (Hungary, MOL Liga). . . . This season, Dansereau led the league in goals (33) and points (60), in 41 games. He also was the playoff MVP. . . . Sagert had four goals and 22 assists in 41 games with the league champions.
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#CalderCup champs! pic.twitter.com/XIOpOpfL3h
— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) June 14, 2015
The Manchester Monarchs won the AHL championship on Saturday night, beating the host Utica Comets, 2-1,
in Game 5 of the Calder Cup final. The Monarchs won the series, 4-1. . . . This was Manchester’s first and last AHL title as the Monarchs will move to Ontario, Calif., over the summer where they will become part of the new Pacific Division. . . . The Monarchs are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, while the Comets are hooked up with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . Former Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mike Stothers was in his first season as the Monarchs’ head coach. . . . Utica head coach Travis Green was in his second season after working as the Portland Winterhawks’ assistant GM/assistant coach. . . . Last night, the Monarchs got first-period goals from F Adrian Kempe (10:02) and D Vincent LoVerde (13:09, PP). . . . F Cal O’Reilly scored for the Comets at 19:45 of the third. . . . Monarchs G Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer Rebels, 2011-14) stopped 31 shots in his second pro playoff start. He made his first playoff start in Friday’s 6-3 victory. . . . Manchester F Jordan Weal (Regina Pats, 2007-12) was honoured as the AHL’s playoff MVP. He had 22 points, including 10 goals, in 19 playoff games. . . . Attendance was 3,835.——
On Saturday, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to sign Kim Dillabaugh away from the Los Angeles Kings. He is the Kings’ goaltender development coach and, until now, may have been one of hockey’s best-kept secrets. Dillabaugh, from Duncan, B.C., has worked with Kings’ goaltenders for eight seasons and has been a big part of the organization’s recent successes. . . . Dillabaugh, 37, worked with the Kelowna Rockets since 2004 and played a key role in working with that team’s goaltenders. With Dillabaugh on its coaching staff, Kelowna won the 2004 Memorial Cup and also won WHL titles in 2005 and 2009. Although not on the Rockets’ staff in 2014-15, he played a big part in getting G Jackson Whistle back on track after he was acquired from the Vancouver Giants prior to the 2012-13 season. . . . In the Monarchs’ championship photo above, the bespectacled Dillabaugh is in the upper left corner, just off head coach Mike Stothers’ right shoulder.
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The SJHL’s Flin Flon Bombers have acquired F Jesse Shynkaruk, 19, who finished last season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Bombers acquired D Joel Webb and Shynkaruk from the Kindersley Klippers for F Austin Calladine. . . . In 132 WHL games, with the Kamloops Blazers and Moose Jaw, Shynkaruk has 13 goals and 15 assists. . . . There’s more on this deal right here.———
THE COACHING GAME:
Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, apparently has
yet to made a decision on whether to join the front office of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. . . . However, it would seem that at least some readers of this blog don’t expect him to leave the Wheat Kings. . . . Our most-recent poll, asked who would coach the Wheat Kings in 2015-16 and 63 of 94 respondents (67 per cent) suggested it will be McCrimmon. . . . Andy Murray, who is from Souris, which is located a couple of slap shots south west of Brandon, drew 11 votes even though he is the head coach at Western Michigan. . . . Malcolm Cameron, a former Regina Pats head coach who is on staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton, B.C., drew eight votes, while former Brandon Sun sports editor James Shewaga got six. . . . The Wheat Kings’ two assistant coaches, David Anning and Darren Ritchie, drew five and one votes, respectively.——
The 2015 Hockey Coaches Conference is scheduled for July 24 and 25 in Vancouver. Presenters will include at least two NHL head coaches — Willie Desjardins of the Vancouver Canucks and Mike Johnston of the Pittsburgh Penguins. For a look at all of the scheduled presenters, click right here.
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Still putting my money on Lorne Molleken as the next @WHLGiants coach. Think they will name new guy in next couple of weeks.
— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) June 14, 2015
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The KHL ‘Junior Fair’ or entry draft was held on Saturday, and two players with WHL connections were selected. . . . F Jordan Weal (Regina, 2007-12) went in the third round (69th overall) to Sochi. This season, with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL), he had 20 goals and 49 assists in 73 games. Weal was third in the AHL scoring race and was named a second-team all-star. . . . G Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer, 2011-13) was taken in the fifth round (125th overall) by Dynamo Minsk. This season, with Manchester, he was 2.23 and .919 in 28 games. . . . The KHL draft is open to Russian players age 17 and non-Russian players ages 17-23 who don’t have any contractual ties to any KHL or other Russian club.
Bradley Flynn has joined the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan as an assistant coach under head coach Mario Pouliot. . . . Flynn, the son of Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn, will work with fellow assistant Jean-François Grégoire. . . . Bradley Flynn had been an assistant coach with the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays. . . . The Titan also has added Nathan Dunnett as its goaltending coach. He played in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Most recently, he has been with the Maritime Hockey League’s Miramichi Timberwolves.
The OHL’s Peterborough Petes are expected to announce today that they have added Jake Grimes to their coaching staff as an assistant under head coach Jody Hull. . . . Grimes spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Belleville Bulls. The Belleville franchise has been sold and the Bulls now are the Hamilton Bulldogs.
In Edmonton, D Dysin Mayo broke a 1-1 tie at 12:41 of the third period and the Oil Kings went on to beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 3-1. . . . The Oil Kings hold a 2-0 edge as the series heads for Prince Albert and games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . After two scoreless periods, Prince Albert F Dakota Conroy got the game’s first goal 20 seconds into the third period. . . . Edmonton F Riley Kieser tied it on a PP at 8:06. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci added insurance at 15:32. . . . Kieser, who also had an assist, scored his first WHL PP goal. He and Bertolucci are on Edmonton’s third line, along with F Mads Eller. . . . For the first two games, the Oil Kings assigned F Curtis Lazar the task of checking Prince Albert F Leon Draisaitl. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 31 shots, two more than Prince Albert’s Cole Cheveldave. . . . 
In Everett, Seattle F Branden Troock’s first WHL playoff goal, at 2:58 of the third period, broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Thunderbirds on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . This is the only first-round series that is alternating venues with each game. Seattle takes a 2-0 series lead back to its home arena in Kent for Tuesday night. . . . Troock has battled injury problems throughout his three-year career and is only now playing in his first playoff games. . . . Everett F Carson Stadnyk opened the scoring at 3:51 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs tied it on a PP at 5:01 of the second. . . . Seattle F Russ Maxwell added insurance with his second goal of the series at 8:45 of the third. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 26 shots, while Everett’s Austin Lotz turned aside 13. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists. . . . Seattle was 1-for-4 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-5. . . . 
In Kelowna, F Ryan Olsen snapped a 1-1 tie at 17:18 of the first period and the Rockets went on to beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-1. . . . The Rockets lead the series 2-0 as it heads to Kennewick, Wash., for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . As in Edmonton and Everett, the visiting team scored first and then surrendered three straight goals. . . . F Phil Tot scored for the Americans at 10:37 of the first period, but the Rockets got that one back when F Myles Bell counted on the PP at 14:40. . . . Rockets D Joe Gatenby scored his first WHL goal at 3:01 of the second period to provide some breathing room. Gatenby, a 16-year-old from Kelowna, had six assists in 43 regular-season games. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 24 shots, 20 fewer than Tri-City’s Eric Comrie. . . . The Rockets were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Americans were 0-for-4. . . . 
In Victoria, F Logan Nelson’s OT goal gave the Royals a 4-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Royals have won 2-1 in OT on Saturday night, so take a 2-0 series lead to Spokane for games on Wednesday and Thursday nights. . . . Nelson scored his first goal of the series, banging home the rebound of a point shot from D Ryan Gagnon, at 2:18 of extra time. . . . The Chiefs had erased a 3-1 deficit on goals by F Liam Stewart at 4:33 of the second period and D Reid Gow, on the PP, at 9:07 of the third. . . . Spokane F Dominic Zwerger opened the scoring 47 seconds into the game. . . . The Royals scored the next three goals, with F Logan Fisher counting at 1:27 and F Brandon Magee at 9:31 of the first, and F Tyler Soy getting his first WHL playoff goal at 3:47 of the second. . . . I don’t know if it means anything, but Victoria’s scorers wear Nos. 17, 18, 19 and 20. . . . D Jason Fram had two assists for Spokane. . . . Victoria G Patrik Polivka kicked out 28 shots, while Spokane’s Eric Williams turned aside 41. . . . Polivka set a franchise record for career playoff victories (4) by a goaltender, passing the mark that had been held by Lucas Gore. . . . The Chiefs were 1-for-5 on the PP; the Royals were 0-for-5. . . . 
EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
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