Wheaties even series . . . Ice get past Hitmen . . . Stadnyk sinks Chiefs

D James Bettauer (Chilliwack, Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, 2008-09, 2010-12) has signed one-year extension with Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). This season, with Augsburg, he had nine goals and 17 assists in 50 games. The contract contains a summer opt-out clause should Bettauer sign a North American contract. Bettauer has dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, F John Quenneville had a goal and three assists to lead the Wheat Kings to an 8-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton had won the series opener, 4-1, on Thursday night. . . . The next three games will be played in Edmonton, starting on Sunday. Games 4 and 5 are to be televised by Sportsnet. . . . On Friday, Brandon scored the game’s first seven goals. . . . F Tyler Coulter opened the scoring 36 seconds into the first period. One night earlier, Edmonton scored its first goal 11 seconds into the game. . . . F Tim McGauley had two goals and an assist for Brandon, with F Jayce Hawryluk scoring twice. D Ivan Provorov had three assists. . . . Brandon got a goal and an assist from each of D Eric Roy, F Rihards Bukarts and Coulter. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz had one assist and was plus-4. . . . G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots for Brandon. Edmonton starter Tristan Jarry was beaten five times on 29 shots before being relieved by Patrick Dea with 14:08 left in the third. Dea gave up three goals on 12 shots. . . . Dea did turn aside Hawryluk on a penalty shot. . . . Brandon was 3-for-6 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 4,102, which is 1,016 more than attended the opener.

In Regina, F Pavel Padakin scored two goals to help the Pats to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Game 2 of the series is scheduled for tonight in Regina. . . . Broncos F Glenn Gawdin got the game’s first goal, at 2:01 of the first period. . . . Regina F Patrick D’Amico tied it at 12:38. . . . Padakin gave the Pats a 3-1 lead with goals 59 seconds part late in the first period. . . . The Broncos got back to within one on F Jay Merkley’s goal at 10:53 of the second. . . . The score stayed at 3-2 until Regina F Braden Christoffer scored an empty-netter at 19:42 of the third. . . . Each team was 0-for-1 on the PP. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 35 shots, including 17 of 18 in the first period. . . . Swift Current’s Landon Bow turned aside 28 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,361.

In Calgary, F Jaedon Descheneau’s shorthanded goal stood up as the winner as the Kootenay Ice beat the Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Calgary and will be televised by Shaw. . . . Ice F Luke Philp broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal, at 17:17 of the second period. . . . Descheneau scored his shortie at 9:57 of the third. . . . Philp and D Tyler King gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before the first period was 15 minutes old. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean scored a PP goal at 19:44 of the first and F Kenton Helgesen tied it at 4:23 of the second. . . . Calgary F Connor Rankin got his side’s final goal, at 13:07 of the third. . . . Bean was playing his first game since suffering a wrist injury on Feb. 28 in Kelowna. He missed the last nine games of the regular season. . . . Philp also had an assist, and F Austin Vetterl had two of them. . . . D Radel Fazleev had two assists for Calgary. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 29 shots, two more than Calgary’s Brendan Burke. . . . The Ice was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Hitmen were 1-for-4. . . . The Hitmen had won their last five games of the regular season, the last two of which were against the Ice. . . . Attendance was 8,256.

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored three times in the second period as the Royals got past the Prince George Cougars, 5-3. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Victoria tonight. . . . The Cougars got first-period PP goals from D Tate Olson and F Chase Witala to take a 2-0 lead. . . . Magee tied it with goals at 4:59 and 5:59 of the second. . . . Victoria F Greg Chase gave his guys their first lead at 12:20 and Magee filled his hat at 18:44. . . . Cougars F Kody McDonald cut the deficit to one with a PP goal at 6:32 of the third. . . . Victoria F Taylor Crunk scored an empty-netter at 19:27. . . . D Joe Hicketts and F Alex Forsberg, who began his career with the Cougars, each had two assists. . . . F Brad Morrison had two assists for Prince George. . . . Victoria G Coleman Vollrath stopped 28 shots, eight more than Prince George’s Ty Edmonds. . . . The Cougars were 3-for-4 on the PP; the Royals were 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 4,629.

In Kelowna, G Jackson Whistle stopped 18 shots for the first shutout of these playoffs, as the Rockets dumped the Tri-City Americans, 6-0. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Kelowna tonight. . . . Whistle’s shutout came in his first career playoff start. . . . F Rourke Chartier scored the game’s first goal, at 2:06 of the first period. . . . Chartier scored twice, getting the second one while shorthanded in the third period. F Nick Merkley also scored a shorthanded goal. . . . Chartier also had an assist, while Merkley had two of them. . . . Rockets D Madison Bowey had a goal and an assist, and was plus-4. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 24 shots. . . . Kelowna was 0-for-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 5,369.

In Everett, F Carson Stadnyk scored three goals early in the third period as the Silvertips erased a 1-0 deficit and beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-1. . . . They’ll play Game 2 in Everett tonight. . . . Spokane F Liam Stewart scored the game’s first goal, at 13:55 of the second period. . . . Everett scored five goals on 12 third-period shots. . . . Stadnyk tied it 17 seconds into the third, then gave his guys the lead at 1:34. He completed the hat trick at 4:03. . . . He scored three times in 3:46. The WHL playoff record for fastest three goals by one player is 2:39 by F Doug Saunders of the Kamloops Jr. Oilers. He did it on April 14, 1984, in the third period of a 10-5 victory over the host Portland Winter Hawks. . . . Stadnyk also drew an assist on F Ivan Nikolishin’s first of two PP goals in the latter half of the third period. . . . Everett was 2-for-8 on the PP; Spokane was 0-for-4. . . . The Chiefs took 87 of the 156 penalty minutes that were handed out, with 138 of those coming after Everett went ahead 3-1. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 22 shots, five fewer than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Attendance was 3,358.
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Condolences to former Portland Winterhawks head coach Mike Johnston on the death of his mother. Johnston is in his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
From a Penguins’ news release:
“Sheila Margaret (Mickey) Johnston . . . passed away Friday in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She was 81.
“Funeral services will be held Tuesday.
“Mike will coach both games this weekend, then travel to Nova Scotia for the funeral.”
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Former Brandon Wheat Kings D Don Dietrich has been to the top of the world — well, kind of — and back, and he loved every minute of it. There’s more right here from the Winnipeg Free Press.
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Tim Hunter, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, has been named head coach of the Canadian U-18 team that will play in the IIHF World championship that runs April 16-26 in Lucerne and Zug, Switzerland. . . . Hunter, 54, has just completed his first season with the Warriors. A former NHL player and NHL assistant coach, he will be making his first appearance behind a Team Canada bench. . . . His assistant coaches will be Ian Herbers, a former WHLer who is the head coach of the CIS-champion U of Alberta Golden Bears, and Louis Robitaille, an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs.
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“As a former NHL player, Sheldon Kennedy spent eight years skating for three teams, but his true life’s work has been focused on being a champion for millions of abuse survivors,” reads a news release issued by the University of Guelph on Friday. “It is because of his ability to stand up in the face of adversity and create positive change that the University of Guelph and College of Business and Economics will recognize him with the Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award on May 27.” . . . The complete news release is right here.
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Rudy Poeschek, a former NHLer who played in the WHL with the Kamloops Jr. Oilers/Blazers (1983-87) has been charged with assault, driving while prohibited and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
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Fight in the first. Puck in the face in the second #hockey pic.twitter.com/g9eRIoW6gt
— Ryan Olsen (@rolsen94) March 28, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Broncos defenceman gets NHL deal . . . Pollock sparks Oil Kings . . . Pats clinch playoff spot

D Dylan Yeo (Prince George, Calgary, 2003-07) has signed a one-year extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, in 49 games, he has seven goals and 16 assists.
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A couple of old friends reunited on the weekend as the Moose Jaw Warriors  held a 30th anniversary celebration. Tim Hunter, the Warriors’ head coach, and former Warriors captain Theo Fleury were teammates and roommates with the NHL’s Calgary Flames back in the day. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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D Dillon Heatherington of the Swift Current Broncos has signed with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The 50th overall selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft, Heatherington signed a three-year entry-level deal. This season, he has 12 points, including 11 assists, in 38 games. He returned this weekend from an injury that kept him out of action from Jan. 23 until Feb. 28. . . . Heatherington played for Canada as it won gold at the 2015 World Junior Championship.
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THE PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION: Brandon (9 games remaining) will finish atop the Eastern Conference standings and now trails Kelowna by one point in the race for first place overall. . . . Regina (9) will finish second in the division. The Pats clinched a playoff spot on Sunday. . . . Swift Current (9) is third, eight points ahead of Moose Jaw (9), which lost in Regina and now is seven points behind Edmonton (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (9) is atop the division, two points ahead of Medicine Hat (9). . . . Red Deer (10) is third, seven points behind Medicine Hat and five ahead of Kootenay (8), which is in possession of the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Edmonton (9) won at home on Sunday and is five points behind Kootenay.
B.C. DIVISION: Kelowna (9) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and holds a one-point lead over Brandon atop the overall standings. . . . Victoria (10) will finish second. . . . Prince George (9) has won three straight and moved back into third place, one point ahead of Vancouver (10) and two up on Kamloops (9). . . . Vancouver is two points behind Tri-City (9), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
U.S. DIVISION: Everett (9) sits atop the division, but is only two points ahead of Portland (10). . . . Seattle (10) is third, nine points behind Portland and six ahead of Spokane (11). . . . Spokane holds the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Spokane is seven points ahead of Tri-City (9), which is 2-8-0 in its last 10 and clinging to that second wild-card spot.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

Eastern Conference
Brandon vs. Edmonton
Calgary vs. Kootenay
Regina vs. Swift Current
Medicine Hat vs. Red Deer
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Western Conference
Kelowna vs. Tri-City
Everett vs. Spokane
Victoria vs. Prince George
Portland vs. Seattle
(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage shown first.)
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

In Edmonton, F Brett Pollock scored two goals and added two assists as the Oil Kings beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 5-3. . . . Pollock was in on the game’s first three goals, drawing an assist on F Edgar Kulda’s 10th goal at 4:54 of the first period and then scoring twice, at 7:59 and 12:28 of the first. . . . Pollock has 29 goals. . . . The Oil Kings led 3-1 and 5-2 at the intermissions. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer scored his 21st goal and added two assists. . . . F Reid Gardiner and F Simon Stransky each had a goal and an assist for the Raiders. Gardiner has 29 goals; Stransky has 11. . . . Each team was 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Oil Kings (29-28-6) have won two in a row. . . . The Raiders (24-35-3) have lost three straight. . . .

In Regina, the Pats dropped the Moose Jaw Warriors 6-2 in a game that featured seven goals in the third period. . . . Regina F Pavel Padakin scored the game’s first goal, on a penalty shot, at 16:29 of the first period. . . . Warriors F Brett Howden tied the game with his 16th goal at 1:29 of the third. . . . Regina F Rykr Cole restored the one-goal lead at 2:15. He’s got eight goals. . . . Moose Jaw F Torrin White scored his 12th goal at 4:01. . . . After that, it was all Regina, with F Braden Christoffer getting his 21st at 9:55 and Padakin opening up a two-goal lead with No. 23 at 13:35. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle iced it with his 21st, on a PP, at 16:39 and F Adam Brooks added is 26th, shorthanded, into an empty net. . . . The Warriors scratched three of their top six forwards -- Axel Blomqvist, Tanner Eberle and Jaimen Yakubowski, as well as D Tyler Brown. . . . They listed D Connor Clouston and F Jayden Halbgewachs as their fourth line. . . . The Pats (34-20-9) had been 0-1-2 in their last three. . . . The Warriors (26-32-5) had won their previous two games. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a game story right here. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Brett Stovin’s 28th goal of the season gave the Blades a 2-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Stovin, the Blades’ captain, broke a 1-1 tie on a PP at 8:33 of the second period. . . . D Schael Higson gave the Blades a 1-0 lead with his third goal at 4:26 of the first period. . . . F Zac Mackay scored his fifth goal for the Broncos at 5:50 of the second. . . . Blades D Amil Krupic had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Brock Hamm stopped 39 shots, eight more than Travis Child of the Broncos. . . . It was the second time in four days that the Blades had beaten the Broncos. Saskatoon won 6-2 at home on Wednesday. . . . The Blades (19-40-4) are within four points of Lethbridge, which is only five points behind Prince Albert. . . . The Broncos (30-28-5) have dropped three straight. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here.
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MONDAY’S GAME

(all times local)
Seattle at Victoria, 7 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Vancouver at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.


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Merry Christmas from the Broncos . . . Big victory for Pats . . . Bizarre night in Kelowna

There are so many third, fourth, fifth, etc., sweaters and uniforms being used in the hockey work now that the novelty has long been lost.
But every once in a while a team is able to come up with something that is kind of neat.
Which brings us to the Swift Current Broncos and the sweaters that will be used on Saturday night, one of which is pictured above.
When the Broncos take to the ice against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings, Swift Current will be wearing what perhaps can best be described as Christmas green and red uniforms with a nifty logo -- a bronco with antlers.
Ryan Switzer, the team’s director of communications and digital media, advises that “they will be auctioned off via silent auction during the game with proceeds helping out the inaugural Innovation Credit Union Salvation Army kids Christmas party later this month. The team will be having a get-together with under-privileged families in the area.”
Switzer also points out that for fans unable to attend Saturday’s game, “There is a Dillon Heatherington jersey up for auction online right now on our website.” That website is right here.
And, as you might have guessed if you are familiar with this kind of stuff, the sweaters were designed by former Broncos F Taylor Vause, who has a gift for this sort of thing.
You are able to follow Vause on Twitter (@wizardofvause) or check out some of his NHL-related work right here.
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F Pavel Brendl (Calgary, 1998-2001) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Skalica (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had four assists in six games, and in 14 games with Lausitzer Füchse Weisswasser(Germany, DEL2), he had three goals and 12 assists. . . .
D Justin Kirsch (Calgary, Moose Jaw, 2009-13) has signed a contract for the rest of the season with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). This season, with the Missouri Mavericks (ECHL), he had one assist in four games; he also was pointless in one game with the Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL). Kirsch has dual Canadian-German citizenship. . . .
F Kamil Vávra (Regina, 2003-04) has been released by Šumperk (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). In 29 games, he had five goals and two assist.
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Red Fisher, who covered the Montreal Canadiens for more than 55 years for the Montreal Star and Montreal Gazette, put retirement aside for a while as he remembered the late Jean Beliveau. Fisher’s piece is right here.
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D Tamas Laday of the Spokane Chiefs will play for Hungary in the IIHF U20 World Championship (Division I Group B) later this month. The tournamet is scheduled for Dunaujvaros, Hungary, Dec. 14-20. . . . This will be quite a thrill for Laday as it will take place 50 km from his hometown of Szekesfehervar. . . . Laday, a WHL freshman, has one assist in 21 games with the Chiefs. A year ago, he played for Hungary in the IIHF U20 Division II Group A tournament, scoring twice and adding five assists in five games. . . . Laday is scheduled to leave the Chiefs on Dec. 8 and return for a Dec. 27 game against the visiting Tri-City Americans.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers open a road trip on Friday night against the Silvertips in Everett. Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News reports that the Tigers are hopeful that F Markus Eisenschmid will return to their lineup at some point during that trip. Eisenschmid, a 19-year-old German, suffered a broken kneecap when he blocked a shot on Oct. 25 against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. He finished that game and played again on Oct. 28 against the Red Deer Rebels. But he hasn’t played since then. . . . He wants to get back in the lineup, too, because he wants to get some games in before leaving Dec. 17 to join the German team that will play in the World Junior Championship in Toronto and Montreal.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Austin Gray, a 17-year-old from Prince George. Gray is playing for the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. The Cougars' captain, he has a league-leading 37 points, including 20 goals, in 19 games with the first-place club. It is anticipated that he will finish the season with the Cougars. . . .
Following a 5-2 loss to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders last night, the Prince George Cougars announced two roster moves. . . . They have signed D Kirk Bear, 19, and added him to their 50-player protected list. . . . They also released Slovakian D Martin Bobos, 19. . . . Bear is pointless in four games; Bobos had one assist in 15 games, after earning seven assists in 67 games last season. . . . The Cougars are carrying 25 players, including 16 forwards and seven defencemen. . . . They are scheduled to meet the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Pavel Padakin scored a Teddy Bear goal for the third straight season and the Pats went on to a 4-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Each of the previous two seasons, Padakin scored the Teddy Bear goal in a Calgary Hitmen uniform. He was acquired by the Pats on Sept. 23 and got the goal at 11:21 of the second period. It was his eighth goal this season. . . . F Sam Steel scored twice for the Pats, including an empty-netter. He’s got seven goals. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored both Brandon goals, giving him seven. . . . F Rykr Cole, the pride of Moosomin, Sask., scored his second goal, giving the Pats a 3-1 lead at 6:46 of the third. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny, in his eighth straight start, stopped 37 shots. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple turned aside 26 shots in posting his eighth straight victory. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley had a five-game goal streak end. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Rihards Bukarts for a third straight game, while D Kale Clague remains out with an injury incurred at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . Brandon D Mark Matsuba left in the first period after taking a hit from Regina F Dryden Hunt. . . . The Pats (17-10-1) have won four in a row; they are 9-2-0 in their last 11. . . . The Wheat Kings (21-6-2) had been 4-0-1 in their previous five. . . . Brandon is 7-3-1 over its last 11. . . . In the East Division, Brandon leads second-place Regina by nine points. . . . The Pats and Wheat Kings meet again Friday, this time in Brandon. . . .

In Prince George, D Josh Morrissey scored a goal and added two assists to help the Prince Albert Raiders to a 5-2 victory over the Cougars. . . . It was the opening game of the Raiders’ B.C. Division tour that continues Friday in Kamloops. . . . Former Cougars F Jordan Tkatch broke a 1-1 tie with his sixth goal at 10:44 of the second period and F Gage Quinney, with his fifth, made it 3-1 at 19:06. . . . Raiders F Reid Gardiner added insurance with his 15th at 9:30, before Morrissey scored his seventh into an empty net at 18:50. . . . That was Morrissey’s 60th regular-season goal, tying the franchise record that was held by Emanuel Viveiros (1982-86). . . . F David Soltes had a goal, his ninth, and an assist for the Cougars. He has six PP goals. . . . Prince George had F Chase Witala (leg) and D Marc McNulty (undisclosed) back in the lineup. McNulty had missed nine games, while Witala watched for two. . . . The Raiders, who are 7-5-0 under head coach Marc Habscheid, improved to 14-14-0, while the Cougars slipped to 13-15-0. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier, the WHL’s leading sniper, scored twice as the Rockets dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 5-1. . . . The Rockets scored the game’s last five goals. . . . Chartier, who is from Saskatoon, has 31 goals. . . . F Nick Merkley had a goal, his ninth, and two assists for Kelowna, while D Madison Bowey drew three assists and D Riley Stadel had two. . . . Chartier also leads the WHL in points (50), one more than Merkley, who is No. 1 in assists (49). . . . In one of the more bizarre moments of this season, the starting goaltenders -- Nik Amundrud of the Blades and Jake Morrissey of the Rockets -- got into a third-period fight at centre ice. They received the only fighting majors during that stoppage in play. The fight happened despite the fact that Amundrud’s backup, Trevor Martin, is fighting a flu bug, while the Rockets had two goaltenders, Jackson Whistle (ill) and Michael Hollinger (injured), unable to play. . . . In fact, the Rockets had an AP on the bench whose name wasn’t on the on-line scoresheet. . . . It turns out it was Sam Bobyn, who, according to Rockets play-by-play man Regan Bartel, became the first Kelowna-born goaltender to play for the Rockets. . . . Morrissey, in his first start on home ice, stopped 20 shots. Bobyn came on at 8:40 of the third, but didn’t face a shot. The Blades were outshot 9-0 in the third period, if the scoresheet is to be believed. . . . The Rockets improved to 23-3-3. . . . The Blades (7-20-2) have lost five in a row (0-4-1), including the first two games on their B.C. Division tour. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix is on the road with the Blades and has a game story right here. . . .

In Everett, F Nikita Scherbak scored twice and added an assist to lead the Silvertips to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Scherbak broke a 1-1 tie at 13:16 of the second period and added insurance with a PP goal at 17:00 of the third. He’s got 14 goals. . . . Everett D Kevin Davis had two assists. . . . F Adam Helewka scored his 14th goal for the Chiefs. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin scored his eighth goal and added an assist. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 31 shots, 10 more than Spokane’s Tyson Verhelst. . . . Everett took two of the game’s three minor penalties. . . . Everett improved to 17-5-4, while the Chiefs, who have lost two straight, are 14-9-3.
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Beyond excited for my partnership with @DonnellyFord1 huge thanks for setting me up with this beauty! #customtrucks pic.twitter.com/WyFPRRy2CC
— Curtis Lazar (@CurtisLazar95) December 3, 2014

WHL: Coaching news and player moves

As you may have guessed, I'm away for a bit. We have been celebrating the first anniversary of Dorothy's kidney transplant. Yes, a good time is being had by all. . . . I will be back on a regular basis late next week but, for now, here's an attempt at catching up on a few things:








F Lukáš Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-07) signed a contract through Nov. 5 with Landshut (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with Landshut, he had 49 points, including 17 goals, in 53 games. He had been on a tryout with Dusseldorf (Germany, DEL) in August but didn't win a contract. . . .
F Antonín Honejsek (Moose Jaw, 2009-11) has been assigned on loan by the Espoo Blues (Finland, Liiga) to Kiekko-Vantaa (Finland, Mestis). This season, with the Blues, he had one goal in two games while averaging nine minutes of ice time per game. . . .
D Patrik Vrána (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2006-07) was released by Cracovia Krakow (Poland, Ekstraliga) by mutual agreement. Last season, with Polonia Bytom (Poland, Ekstraliga), he had four goals and seven assists in 32 games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have added Mike Needham to their coaching staff, replacing associate coach Mark Ferner, who resigned this week and now is the general manager and head coach with the BCHL's Vernon Vipers. . . . Ferner was in his second season back with the Blazers. . . . Needham, who has been working at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton. For the past three seasons, he has been the head coach of OHA's bantam prep team. . . . At the same time, Needham has worked as the Blazers' skills coach. . . . Needham played three seasons (1987-90) with the Blazers and is the father of Blazers captain Matt Needham. . . . OHA commitments will keep Mike from joining the Blazers until Monday. . . . Ferner, meanwhile, is a familiar face in Vernon where he coached the Vipers to three straight BCHL titles and won the 2009 and 2010 RBC Cups as national champions. . . . Any chance of Ferner becoming the Blazers' head coach went by the wayside in January when the team brought back Guy Charron as head coach following the departure of Dave Hunchak. If there was any doubt after that, it disappeared when Don Hay returned to Kamloops as the Blazers' head coach over the summer. Hay had spent the past 10 seasons as head coach of the Vancouver Giants. . . . In Vernon, Ferner takes over from Jason Williamson, who resigned as GM/head coach citing personal reasons. . . .

The Kamloops Blazers' roster is at 26 after they released F Mitch Friesen, 18, on Wednesday. From Surrey, B.C., Friesen had a goal and two assists in 21 games last season. He has a goal and three assists in 68 regular-season games. . . . He was a fourth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . Kamloops now is carrying three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards. . . . That number includes F Mike Winther, 20, who was acquired from the Calgary Hitmen for a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft and a sixth-rounder in 2017. Winther was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders with the sixth-overall pick of the 2009 bantam draft. He was later dealt to Calgary and now is into his fifth WHL season. . . . In 231 regular-season games, the native of Trochu, Alta., has 142 points, including 70 goals. Last season, injuries limited him to 31 games. He had 26 points, including seven goals. A second-round pick by the Dallas Stars in the NHL's 2012 draft, Winther didn't sign and now is a free agent. . . . The Blazers also have D Brady Gaudet and G Bolton Pouliot as 20s. They also own the WHL rights to veteran F Chase Souto, 20, but his career is in doubt because of concussion-related issues. . . .

The Everett Silvertips have traded F Zane Jones, 20, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Jones, from Olds, Alta., was a fifth-round selection by the Chilliwack Bruins in the 2009 bantam draft. He has 104 points, including 48 goals, in 192 regular-season games split between Everett, the Calgary Hitmen, Victoria Royals and Chilliwack. Last season, he had 24 points, 11 of them goals, in 42 games with Calgary and two goals and two assists in 11 games with Everett. . . . The deal leaves Lethbridge with four 20-year-olds, the others being D Tyler Bell and D Nick Walters and F Riley Sheen, who turns 20 on Dec. 21. . . . WHL teams have to declare a maximum of three 20-year-olds by Oct. 15. . . . The Silvertips are down to three -- D Ben Betker, who turns 20 on Sept. 29, F Brayden Low and F Kohl Bauml, who will be 20 on Nov. 25. . . .

The Regina Pats acquired Ukrainian F Pavel Padakin, 20, from the Calgary Hitmen for a third-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. Padakin is a two-spotter -- a 20-year-old import. To make room for him, Regina released sophomore F Max Kammerer, who is from Germany. . . . Padakin was to have played in the KHL this season, but after he signed with HC Donbass Donetsk, it took a leave from the league due to the political situation there. . . . Last season, Padakin had 54 points, 27 of them goals, with the Hitmen. The previous season, as a freshman, he had 22 goals and 16 assists in 70 games. He scored in his only game with Calgary this season. . . . Regina also has four other 20s on its roster -- F Logan McVeigh, F Chandler Stephenson, F Braden Christoffer and F Patrick D'Amico. Stephenson is expected to play in the Washington Capitals' organization. . . . Regina's other import is Russian D Sergey Zborovskiy, a 17-year-old freshman. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has written a terrific feature on Padakin in which he talks about the situation in Ukraine. As this is written, the feature isn't on the newspaper's website, but it should be right here sometime Thursday morning. . . .

The Hitmen are left with three 20-year-olds -- F Connor Rankin, F Adam Tambellini and D Kenten Helgesen. . . . After the New York Rangers returned Tambellini, Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large tweeted: "If I'm not mistaken, the return of Adam Tambellini to the WHL means the Hitmen owe the Winterhawks a 2015 4th round pick." . . . Calgary also is down to two imports in sophomore Russian F Radel Fazleev, 18, and freshman Pavel Karnaukhov, a 17-year-old Belarussian. . . .

On Wednesday night, the Calgary Hitmen announced that they have dealt F Linden Penner, 19, to the Moose Jaw Warriors for a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. From Sherwood Park, Alta., Penner was a 10th-round selection by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2010 bantam draft. He has four goals and four assists in 41 regular-season WHL games. All the points came in 39 games with Calgary last season. He also has played one game with the Everett Silvertips. He was pointless in one game with the Hitmen this season. . . .

The Warriors had two veteran players -- F Scott Cooke, 20, and F Brandon Potomak, 19 -- leave them after spending a lot of Saturday's home-opener on the team's fourth line. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has that story right here. . . . Cooke's departure leaves the Warriors with three 20-year-olds -- F Tanner Eberle, F Jack Rodewald and F Jaimen Yakubowski. . . . Eberle still is in camp with the Montreal Canadiens. . . .

The Prince Albert Raiders are expected to announce the signing of a new assistant coach on Thursday. That moves follows the announcement on Wednesday that Tim Leonard has stepped down for personal reasons. He was into his third season with the Raiders. Leonard, who had a long and successful run as head coach of the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos, joined the Raiders in March 2012. He now has rejoined the Mintos' coaching staff. . . .

The Saskatoon Blades dealt Russian F Nikita Scherbak, their leading scorer from last season, to the Everett Silvertips for G Nik Amundrud, 17, and two conditional bantam draft picks -- a first-rounder in 2015 and a second-rounder in 2016. Scherbak is in camp with the Montreal Canadiens, who selected him with the ?? pick of the NHL's 2014 draft. If Scherbak doesn't end up in Everett, the Silvertips keep both draft picks. . . . Had Scherbak been returned to the Blades, it would have left them with three imports. They added Russian F Nikita Soshnin, 17, and Swedish D Amil Krupic, 19, in the 2014 CHL import draft. CHL rules allow each team to keep two import players, but a team is allowed to draft a third if one of their imports is a first-round NHL selection. However, those same rules don't allow the trading of freshmen imports, so in order to keep Scherbak, the Blades would have had to release Soshnin or Krupic. . . . The Silvertips may find themselves in the same kind of jam, as they also have D Marco Mueller, who is in camp with the San Jose Sharks. He was the 18th overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft. Right now, Russian F Ivan Nikolishin, an 18-year-old sophomore, is the only import in Everett. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here. . . . Should Scherbak end up in Everett, it would shed a whole different light on the Western Conference. The Silvertips have been wondering from where the goals will come; thus, they made the move on Scherbak. There's more right here from Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald.

If you missed it, Elliotte Friedman's latest blog posting, 30 Thoughts, is right here. The top is especially interesting because it deals with the fact that NHL teams are starting to wonder if players are spending too much off-season time working out.
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The Kootenay Ice will be without D Rinat Valiev for up to four weeks. He was in camp with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs when he suffered an undisclosed injury and underwent surgery. Apparently, the injury isn't considered to be overly serious. . . . Three WHL teams have each been fined $500 for becoming involved in multiple-fight situations. The Seattle Thunderbirds and the Winterhawks went at it on Sept. 19 in Portland. The host Tri-City Americans drew a fine, while the Prince George Cougars didn't, for an incident in Kennewick Wash., on Sunday. . . . F Tyler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes was hit with a three-game suspension for incurring a headshot major and game misconduct on Saturday in Medicine Hat. . . .
The Saskatoon Blades will be without F Ryan Graham, 18, after he was found to have mononucleosis while in camp with the NHL's Minnesota Wild. He won't play until sometime in October. . . . Matthew Liebenberg of the Prairie Post has an in-depth look right here at the financial picture presented by the Swift Current Broncos during the franchise's annual general meeting.

Concussion issue won't go away . . . A 16-team Memorial Cup?

“Now that we know what it is,” writes Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail, “what do we do about it?”
Indeed, what do we do about the concussion problem in sports?
MacGregor continues: “A new scholarly paper published this week by two Canadian experts in head injuries is calling for nothing less than a complete transformation of all sports, soccer included, where contact to the head poses a health threat.”
The concussion epidemic -- yes, it is an epidemic -- has reached such a stage that Dr. Paul Echlin, one of the co-authors of that paper, has told The Canadian Press that “it’s not just a sport issue, it’s not just a medical issue, it’s a public health issue which affects the population as a whole.”
How can that be? How can an injury suffered on the playing field become a public health issue?
Well, consider the case of a former WHL player who suffered two brain injuries, both of them in October 2012.
It wasn’t until 15 months later that he was able, as his father puts it, “to get on with a normal life.”
This ex-player has completed his first year at university, but “still suffers from some headaches from reading or studying.”
His father has seen such progress in almost two years that he now refers to his son as having “healed.”
“But,” the father adds, “we will always wonder about the long-term side effects.”
When it comes to brain injuries, Canada’s leading expert is Dr. Charles Tator, who founded ThinkFirst Canada.
MacGregor writes that Dr. Tator “sees that the public perception has changed dramatically but feels the critical leagues, both amateur and professional, ‘are lagging behind.’ ”
Dr. Tator also told MacGregor: “The leagues have more that they could do, but they have chosen not to do. Some leagues are doing more than others. Governments and ministries have also moved – but not far enough.”
The father of the afore-mentioned ex-WHL player could vouch for that.
“What is very upsetting is that the WHL washes their hands of brain injuries and there is no follow up, the kids are left on their own,” he claims. “Not only that, they are trying to hide all brain injuries, labelling them as upper-body injuries.
“It is the parents and injured son who are left to deal with the healing process. Meanwhile, bring on another willing kid to take the injured player’s place.
“This similar mentality existed in the First World War where soldiers were deemed expendable with an endless supply of new recruits.”
MacGregor’s complete column is right here.
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Colin Priestner is a minority owner and the managing partner with the Saskatoon Blades, and he has brought some different ideas to his WHL franchise. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix takes an in-depth look at Priestner and some of those ideas right here. Priestner’s ideas involving a numerical rating for players are especially interesting.
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As mentioned here yesterday, courtesy Laurence Heinen of the Calgary Herald, the Calgary Hitmen find themselves with three import forwards, what with the return of veteran Pavel Padakin. The 20-year-old Padakin was to have played this season in the KHL with HC Donbass Donetsk in his native Ukraine. However, the political situation in Ukraine has resulted in Donetsk taking a leave from the KHL and in Padakin reporting to the Hitmen. . . . As much as you have to think the Hitmen would love to have Padakin, a 27-goal man last season, in their lineup, it almost certainly would be more beneficial for them to move him, if it comes to it, rather than release either of their two Russians, Radel Fazleev, 18, or Pavel Karnaukhov, 17, both of whom were selected in the CHL’s 2014 import draft. . . . Padakin put up 54 points in 66 games last season, after earning 38 points, 22 of them goals, as a freshman. There must be at least one WHL team that would be interested in a potential 30-goal man, even if he is a two-spotter. . . . Of course, before that could happen, Padakin will play for the Calgary Flames’ rookie team at a tournament next week in Penticton, B.C. A good showing might even earn him a contract and a spot in the NHL team’s organization, rendering moot any WHL-related speculation.
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What if there were 16 teams in the Memorial Cup tournament? What if it was a 16-team single-knockout tournament? Neate Sager of Yahoo! Canada Sports, following up on a report by Gabriel Beland of La Presse, writes that Sportsnet would like changes to the present-day format that features four teams, including a host-team, in a 10-day affair. Sager’s piece is right here.
Before you laugh off the idea, keep in mind that if TV wants it, TV will get it. After all, he who pays the piper gets to pick the tune, or something like that.
Unfortunately, the Memorial Cup, under the present format, has turned stale. It runs too long and is anti-climactic for the competing teams, mostly because those teams will have just completed an eight-month grind culminating with four best-of-seven series. But the present format, with a host team, is a money-maker so it will remain in place, at least for now.
Sportsnet is entering Year 1 of a 12-year deal with the CHL, so there is ample time for changes to be made. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for May Madness in the CHL.
The 2015 Memorial Cup tournament is scheduled to be held in Quebec City.
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Say what you want about Mike Johnston, the former Portland Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach never has been afraid of a challenge. He hasn’t changed now that he’s preparing for his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Nicholas J. Cotsonika of Yahoo! Sports Canada takes an intriguing look at Johnston right here. It’s intriguing because Johnston obviously answered all the questions and, in the process, is telling the NHL’s other teams: Here’s what we are going to do . . . now try and stop us. Interesting stuff, for sure.
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More than 10 years have come and gone since F Todd Bertuzzi, then of the Vancouver Canucks, jumped Colorado Avalanche F Steve Moore from behind and ended his career. The lawsuit that Moore filed against Bertuzzi and the Canucks was settled earlier this week. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News wonders right here if the culture of hockey has changed since that incident.
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Rick Uhrich, a forward on the 1974 Regina Pats, has died. Uhrich, 60, passed away suddenly near his Toronto home on Thursday morning. The Pats won the Memorial Cup in 1974, winning a three-team tournament at the Calgary Corral. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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Fabiano Caruana is doing the seemingly impossible at the Sinquefield Cup, a chess tournament being held in St. Louis. An Italian who was born in Miami, Caruana, 22, has all but run the table in what international chess watchers are saying is an unprecedented streak. . . . In the end, it could be great news for chess as it just might set up a tremendous rivalry, with Caruana on one side of the board and Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, 23, the reigning world champion, on the other side. . . . There’s more right here.
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If you don’t believe that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, just ask Jimmy Cournoyer. He was the biggest marijuana dealer in New York City. Now he’s doing time. All because his scorned gal pal went to the police. Alan Feuer of The New York Times has an intriguing look at that story right here.
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According to a tweet from Brad Brown (@saskawhat), who writes on the Swift Current Broncos for the Prairie Post, freshman F Cole Johnson is likely to be out for up to four weeks with a should injury. Johnson, from Marwayne, Alta., was a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . According to various Twitter reports on Friday, former BCHL coach Bill Bestwick has joined the St. Louis Blues’ amateur scouting staff. . . . Yes, it’s only the exhibition season, but you have to be at least a bit intrigued by the fact that F Jansen Harkins of the Prince George Cougars has put up nine points, including four goals, in only three games. Last season, as a 16-year-old freshman, he had 34 points, 10 of them goals, in 67 games. He was the second overall pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
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Kim Kardashian named woman of the year..good call GQ let's give Putin a Nobel peace prize while were at it
— Blair Riley (@Briles25) September 5, 2014

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Hitmen get a surprise . . . Paddock heading home

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but the Calgary Hitmen now have three import players and, of course, they only have two spots to fill. F Pavel Padakin, who was supposed to play in the KHL this season, is back with the Hitmen. HC Donbass Donetsk, the team with which Padakin had signed, has taken a leave from the KHL due to the political situation in Ukraine. Padakin, 20, will also join the Calgary Flames team at a rookie tournament in Penticton next week. . . . Laurence Heinen of the Calgary Herald has more right here.
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The Regina Pats have three veteran goaltenders battling for two spots on their roster as they head into the weekend. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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It will be a homecoming of sorts tonight for John Paddock, the first-year head coach of the Regina Pats, who are scheduled to meet the Wheat Kings in Brandon.
Paddock is from Oak River, Man., which is a couple of wrist shots from Brandon. He also played for the Wheat Kings, albeit in the early 1970s.
“I definitely feel a connection,” Paddock told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “I know (Wheat Kings owner/GM/head coach) Kelly (McCrimmon) pretty well. I’ve definitely seen him every year for many years, if nothing else at (Clear Lake). We play the odd round of golf together, talk about different things in hockey. I obviously called him before things got going too far here (with the Pats).
“There’s a connection to him, there’s a connection to the area. Within a 40-minute drive I have two brothers and a sister and my mom and nieces and nephews. And it’s the same rink. It has been fixed up but . . . it’s where you played. The last time I had a meaningful game there was a long time ago. It’s not something I’m going to think about too much … but Brandon is significant to me.”
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F David Brumm, 17, who is from Maple Grove, Minn. A list player, he spent last season with a midget team in the Omaha Lancers program, where he had 104 points, 50 of them goals, in 82 games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Conner McDonald, a second-round pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Last season with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team, he had 49 points, 16 of them goals, in 70 games. This season, he is expected to play for the U-18 team at the Delta, B.C., Wild Hockey Academy.
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The Regina Pats have signed F Erik Gardiner, who was a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, he was the captain of the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos, for whom he put up 61 points, including 24 goals. Gardiner, who is from Humboldt, has been assigned to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos.
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In the 2013-14 school year, there were an estimated 2,974 sports-related concussions in Minnesota high schools., with football and boys and girls hockey leading the way. A new study from the Minnesota Department of Health has been released, and there is more right here.
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Joan Rivers, one of the greatest comics of our time, died Thursday in Manhattan. She was 81. No one had a sharper wit or an edgier knife than Rivers, who loved to skewer the rich and famous, including herself. The New York Times’ obituary is right here.
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UGH!!!! RT @bruce_arthur: "I think Bulaga may have gotten a little concussion-like symptom there." — Cris Collingsworth, getting there.
— The Concussion Blog (@concussionblog) September 5, 2014

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