Generals get past Oceanic . . . Rockets pay price for 'negative comments' . . . Tochkin turns to coaching

The OHL-champion Oshawa Generals eked out a 4-3 victory over the QMJHL-champion Rimouski Oceanic before 8,409 fans at the Memorial Cup in Quebec City on Saturday. . . . On Friday, the tournament opened with the host Quebec Remparts beating the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Remparts and Generals will clash this afternoon, with the Rockets and Oceanic meeting Monday night. . . . Only the left shoulder of Ottawa G Ken Appleby prevented OT as he beat Rimouski F Alexis Loiseau with six seconds left in the third period. The Oceanic was shorthanded at the time and had G Philippe Desrosiers on the bench for the extra attacker when Loiseau came loose directly in front of Appleby. Loiseau tried to go high on Appleby, and the puck hit him on the shoulder and ricocheted just wide of the post. . . .  The Generals appeared to take control of the game in the first period, as they led 2-0 before the 10-minute mark. . . . However, the Oceanic scored two goals 44 seconds apart late in the period and the teams were even going into the second. . . . Oshawa went back in front at 18:33 of the second when D Stephen Desrocher scored directly off a face-off win by F Cole Cassels. . . . Rimouski tied it at 3:46 of the third, on a PP, with D Jan Kostalek getting the goal. . . . The game-winner came at 9:24 when F Hunter Smith fired a long shot at Desrosiers and was able to get to his own rebound and score. . . . Rimouski’s chances were damaged late when it was penalized for too many men as it tried to get Desrosiers off for the extra attacker. . . . Desrosiers finished with 33 saves, 14 more than Appleby. . . . Rimouski was 1-for-4 on the PP; Oshawa was 0-for-5. . . . Brett Iverson, the lone WHL referee in the tournament, worked this game. . . . There was hardly any post-whistle shenanigans in this one, certainly not in comparison to all that went on in Friday’s game.
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On Saturday afternoon, the CHL tweeted: “Kelowna Rockets fined $500 for a member of organization approaching #CHL Hockey Ops Dept. and making negative comments regarding officiating.”
No one has coughed up the name of the person who made the “negative comments,” but speculation is that someone complained about the misconduct penalty assessed to F Leon Draisaitl following the buzzer to end the second period. (Feel free to take part in our poll over there on the right.)
Of all the calls made during Kelowna’s 4-3 loss to the host Quebec Remparts, none had a larger impact than the one that took Draisaitl off the ice for the first half of the third period.

So Kelowna got fined for a staff member confronting someone about officiating. Did they want a 6-on-2 advantage in the last minute?

— Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) May 23, 2015

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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday: Quebec vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Monday: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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According to court filings made Friday, the OHL’s Erie Otters are US$5.4 million in debt, that includes $296,688 owing to former player Brad Boyes, who now is with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. . . . The money owing Boyes is from a loan he made to the team almost six years ago. . . . Ed Palattella has more on this story right here from GoErie.com.
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Michael Beschloss provided a terrific read in Saturday’s New York Times. It’s right here and it deals with the M&M Boys — Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris — and the home run race of 1961. . . . You may want to check out the comments, too.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Former WHL F Kellan Tochkin is the new head coach of the Everett Jr. Silvertips 16U AAA team. Tochkin, 24, has decided to retire as a player to coach the Tier 1 elite midget team. . . . In the WHL, Tochkin, who is from Abbotsford, B.C., played for the Everett Silvertips, Medicine Hat Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders (2006-12). . . . He played three seasons of professional hockey, making stops in the Central league and ECHL, and in Sweden.
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Almost every time a coach is fired, the team issues a news release, thanking the coach for the time he has given to the organization and wishing him the best of luck.
Not the NAHL’s Austin, Minn., Bruins, who fired general manager and head coach Chris Tok on Friday, after five years on the job. He is the only GM and head coach the franchise has known. The relationship doesn’t seem to have ended well.
Here is an excerpt from the team-issued news release:
“No one doubts coach Tok's ability to have success on the ice. In fact we believe that Chris is one of the best coaches in the NAHL. Unfortunately being head coach/ general manager involves far more than coaching. The position requires the exercise of solid managerial decisions behind the scenes, and it requires those managerial decisions be focused primarily on the long-term interests of the team.
“Over the years as coach of the Austin Bruins, Chris Tok made a number of managerial decisions which were not consistent with the team's interests nor consistent with team policy. Those decisions have created tension and conflict between Chris Tok and management which has proven difficult to resolve. In light of those managerial issues and the conflict they have produced, the team has decided to seek a new head coach.”
Assistant coach Jamie Huffman, who resigned earlier in the week, told ABC 6 News, that the Bruins had been "planning (to fire Tok) since February.” Huffman also said the firing was an "absolute shame.”
Jason Feldman of the Rochester, Minn., Post-Bulletin has more right here.
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Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch reports that the Columbus Blue Jackets haven’t yet decided whether to sign F Peter Quenneville, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Quenneville was a seventh-round selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Portzline’s piece is right here.
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To date, the 2015 Hockey Coaches Conference has two NHL head coaches on its roster of presenters — Willie Desjardins of the Vancouver Canucks and Mike Johnston of the Pittsburgh Penguins. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 24 and 25 in Vancouver. . . . There’s more right here.
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Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, spoke with reporters on Thursday, during an intermission in the playoff game between the host Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks. At one point, Bettman had something to say about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Nicholas J. Cotsonika writes right here that Bettman should have kept quiet. . . . If you are interested in a balanced look at the NHL and concussions, this is it.
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Even churches in #Toronto rejoice the arrival of #Babcock Isn't being a #Leafs fan the equivalent of hockey purgatory pic.twitter.com/0gp53JauVU

— CanadaTeams (@CanadaTeams) May 23, 2015

Happy 74th b'day to Bryan Hextall Jr. who demanded trade from Detroit because the logo was too small on his jersey. pic.twitter.com/ED13AUCRWz

— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) May 23, 2015

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Wheaties one win from final . . . Rockets pull even with 'Hawks . . . Howse is coach of year

F Dustin Cameron (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2004-10) has signed a one-year contract with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had 19 goals and 31 assists in 51 games. He led his team in goals, assists and points. . . .
F Danis Zaripov (Swift Current, 1998-99) has signed a two-year extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL). This season, in 60 games, he had 64 points, including 24 goals. An alternate captain, he was third in the league’s scoring race.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings struck for five second-period goals as they ran away with a 8-3 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the Eastern Conference final 3-1 and get their first chance to wrap it up at home on Friday night. . . . The Wheat Kings have outscored the Hitmen 21-11 in the four games. . . . Last night, Calgary F Layne Bensmiller’s first WHL playoff goal gave his side a 1-0 lead at 13:46 of the first period. . . . That goal also gave the Hitmen their first lead of the series; they won Game 3 in OT. . .

. However, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s next five goals. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it with his eighth goal, as he tipped home a point shot by D Reid Gow at 19:00 of the first. . . . F Jayce Hawrylyk (8), F Braylon Shmyr (3), F Morgan Klimchuk (2) and F Nolan Patrick (6) scored in a span of 9:10 as the visitors took control. . . . Shmyr and Klimchuk both are from Calgary, while Klimchuk was a first-round selection by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Klimchuk’s goal resulted in a goaltending change for Calgary, with Mack Shields replacing Brendan Burke. The Wheat Kings then scored on each of their first two shots on Shields. . . . Calgary F Pavel Karnaukhov got his fifth goal at 15:58 of the second period, cutting the Brandon lead to 5-2. However, the Wheat Kings got that one back 30 seconds later when F Tyson Coulter scored his fifth goal. . . . By the time it was over, the Wheat Kings had eight separate goal scorers. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his seventh and added two assists, while Klimchuk added two helpers to his goal, and F Tim McGauley drew two assists. . . . Hawryluk and F John Quenneville each had a goal and an assist. . . . D Jake Bean and D Travis Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . On the PP while trailing 7-3, Calgary put Burke on the bench for the extra attacker with more than seven minutes left in the third period. Brandon D Colton Waltz hit the empty net for his first WHL playoff goal at 12:49. . . . If you are looking for a key, it may have been each team’s PP. Calgary was 0-for-3 on the PP when Brandon scored on its first PP, that goal coming from Hawryluk at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-7. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 28 shots. . . . Brandon scored eight goals on 30 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings again scratched, among others, D Kale Clague, F Reid Duke and F Tanner Kaspick. . . . The Hitmen were again without F Chase Lang, F Connor Rankin and F Jake Virtanen. Virtanen served Game 3 of a three-game suspension for a hit on Kaspick in Game 1. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson left in the third period after absorbing a hit from Brandon F John Quenneville. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Steve Papp. . . . The attendance was 5,672. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Portland, F Tyrell Goulbourne’s first goal of these playoffs stood up as the winner as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night, with Game 6 back in Portland on Sunday. . . . The Rockets held a long team meeting after dropping a 7-3 decision on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Portland F Chase De Leo opened the scoring with his fifth goal, just 1:12 into the first period. . . . Kelowna scored the game’s next three goals. . . . F Leon Draisaitl tied the score with his sixth goal at 7:50 of the first. . . . F Chance Braid broke the tie

with his second playoff goal, at 2:40 of the second. . . . Goulbourne, who had come up short on two earlier shorthanded breakaways, stretched the lead to 3-1 at 9:16 of the second, on a PP. . . . Portland F Nic Petan ran his point streak to 15 games with his ninth goal at 12:03 of the second. He also set a franchise record by playing in his 86th career playoff game. The previous record had been held by D Derrick Pouliot. . . . Petan is tied with Calgary F Adam Tambellini for the playoff scoring lead, each with 25 points. . . . Portland was presented with a late PP when Kelowna D Madison Bowey took a delay-of-game penalty at 19:04 of the third period. The Winterhawks put G Adin Hill on the bench for the extra attacker but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley had two assists, while Draisaitl added an assist to his goal. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle was the game’s first star, with 40 saves, just one night after being yanked. . . . Hill turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Rockets added F Rourke Chartier to their scratches. With him out, perhaps with a shoulder injury, D Mitchell Wheaton checked into the lineup. . . . The Rockets continued to play without F Gage Quinney and F Justin Kirkland. . . . With Chartier out and Wheaton back in, D Devante Stephens moved up to the forward ranks. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-6. . . . The referees were Jeff Ingram and Brent Iverson. . . . Attendance was 8,629.
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Marty Klyne, a long-time Regina businessman, has joined the Regina Pats as their chief operating officer. According to a news release, Klyne “will be responsible for all facets of the business, focusing on fan experience and operational excellence. His responsibilities include revenue, sales growth, costs and financial goal management.” . . . Klyne is a former publisher and CEO of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post. He also was president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation and COO of the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority (now the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission.
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It appears that the Wenatchee Wild be in the BCHL’s Mainland Division when next season gets here. Brian Wiebe, over at Brian’s Banter, has more, including a chart showing the mileage between Wenatchee and the other Mainland Division teams. Keep in mind that the Prince George Spruce Kings are in that division. . . . Brian’s Banter is right here. There also is a link to it over there on the right.
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In the QMJHL, the Rimouski Oceanic blanked the host Val-d’Or Foreurs 6-0 last night to sweep the semifinal series, 4-0. The Oceanic will meet the Quebec Remparts in the championship final. Because the Remparts are the host team for the Memorial Cup, both teams advance to the championship tournament.
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In the OHL, D Stephen Desrocher broke a 2-2 tie at 8:23 of the third period to give the visiting Oshawa Generals a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion. . . . That semifinal is 2-2 with Game 5 in Oshawa on Friday night. . . . The other series, with the Erie Otters holding a 3-1 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, continues tonight in the Soo. Erie has won three straight games in that series.
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Ryan Howse, who starred with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (2007-11), has been named Prince George’s minor hockey coach of the year for his work with a Bantam Tier 2 team. Howse, 23, was a third-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2009 draft.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach Troy Smith, while re-signing general manager Murray Hiebert. . . . Smith’s contract was to expire in July. . . . Hiebert now is signed through 2017-18. . . . The Rangers went 32-26-10 in the regular season, then lost a first-round playoff series to the London Knights in six games. . . . It is believed that assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, a former NHLer, is in the running as the next head coach. The Rangers also are negotiating for the return of Mike McKenzie, another assistant coach.
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The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats have announced that Gord Thibodeau now is their general manager and head coach. Garry VanHereweghe, who also is a coach with the Bobcats, had been the GM. VanHereweghe stays on as coach and assistant GM. All of this was agreed to when Thibodeau was hired on May 1. . . . The Bobcats also announced that assistant coach Kris Wiebe is returning, as are Curtis Johnson, the strength and conditioning coach, and athletic therapist Jeff Sotkowy. They also have hired Tom Keca as head scout.
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Brent Clarke has resigned as head coach of the Federal Hockey League’s Watertown Wolves, this season’s playoff champions. The Wolves, in their inaugural season, won the regular-season title and went on to win the Commissioner’s Cup. Clarke was named the FHL’s coach of the year.
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If I followed hockey more I'd probably know in advance that I'm about to get all these stupid tweets... Still not a hockey coach.

— Michael T. Babcock (@mikebabcock) March 13, 2015

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Coulter OT hero in Brandon . . . Petan wins it for Portland . . . Johnston staying in Pittsburgh

F Milan Jurik (Prince Albert, 2006-07) has signed a one-year extension with Mulhouse (France, Division 1). This season, in 23 games, he had nine goals and 12 assists. . . .
F Michal Pšurný (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) has signed a one-year contract with Mulhouse (France, Division 1). This season, with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier), he had 19 goals and 34 assists in 41 games.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:

Tyler Coulter scores 51 secs into OT. @bdnwheatkings down Calgary 3-2 to take 2-0 lead in @TheWHL East Final. #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/BpuGMMpyAm
— Bruce Luebke (@wheatkingsvoice) April 26, 2015

In Brandon, F Tyler Coulter scored 51 seconds into OT to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings won the opener, 9-4, on Friday. The teams now head for Calgary and games Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Brandon scored nine times on 41 shots in Game 1; last night, it scored three times on 46 shots as Calgary G Brendan Burke was stellar. . . . Coulter, who is from Brandon, tipped in a point shot from D Ryan Pilon for the winner, his fourth goal of these playoffs. . . . Coulter told Rob Henderson, the sports editor of the Brandon Sun, that the goal pretty much came in

self-defence. The puck, Coulter said, “actually hit the shaft of my stick going in. I thought it was coming for my face, so I put (the stick) up to guard it and it just hit me and went in.” . . . The Hitmen now are 4-3 in OT in these playoffs. Seven OT games in one playoff year ties the franchise record from 2013 when they were 5-2. . . . Brandon is 4-0, with each winning score having been 3-2. . . . Calgary D Michael Zipp forced OT with his first playoff goal, at 6:51 of the third period. . . . For the second night in a row, Calgary erased a two-goal deficit. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk, who opened the scoring early in Game 1, got last night’s first goal at 3:49 of the first period. He’s got seven. . . . F Peter Quenneville upped it to 2-0, at 11:03, while Brandon enjoyed a 5-on-3 PP. He’s got goals in five straight games and six in the playoffs. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini got his guys on the board at 16:48 with his 10th goal. . . . The teams played a scoreless second period. . . . Burke, who came on in relief on Friday night, got the start for Calgary after Mack Shield had started six in a row. . . . Burke, who made 43 saves, had last started in Game 6 of Calgary’s first-round series. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 22 shots as he ran his record to 10-2. . . . Brandon was 1-for-2 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-1. . . . The referees were Derek Zalaski and Jeff Ingram. . . . Pilon and F Tim McGauley each had two assists for Brandon. . . . This was the sixth straight game in which Brandon had at least 40 shots at the opposing goaltender. . . . The Hitmen were without F Jake Virtanen, who is under a ‘tbd’ suspension for a headshot on Brandon F Tanner Kaspick early in the third period of Game 1. . . . Kaspick was scratched last night, perhaps with a concussion, while D Kale Clague, who left in the first period on Friday, also was out. . . . Brandon added F Mark Matsuba and F Stelio Mattheos for this one. . . . Calgary scratched F Chase Lang, who was injured in Game 1 when he crashed awkwardly into the end boards, and F Connor Rankin. Those two and Virtanen accounted for 187 points, including 78 goals, in the regular season. . . . Attendance was 5,004, down 24 from Friday night. . . . Brandon’s Kelly McCrimmon now has 62 career playoff victories, leaving him alone in ninth spot on the WHL’s all-time list. Next on the list? Don Nachbaur of the Spokane Chiefs, at 65. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . . Laurence Heinen filed this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, F Nic Petan broke a 2-2 tie at 19:12 of the second period and the Portland Winterhawks went on to a 3-2 victory over the Rockets. . . . Kelowna had won the opener, erasing a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 victory, on Friday night. . . . The scene now shifts to the Moda Center in Portland for games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kelowna on Friday. . . . As it did in Game 1,

Portland opened a 2-0 lead, with F Paul Bittner getting his third goal, on a PP, at 16:33 of the first period and F Dominic Turgeon scoring his seventh goal at 11:46 of the second. . . . The Rockets erased that 2-0 deficit with a pair of second-period PP goals, F Rourke Chartier scoring his ninth goal at 13:29 and F Dillon Dube getting his second at 15:51. . . . Nic Petan ran his point streak to 13 games with his eighth goal, on a Serge/Denis Savard-ian spin-o-rama at 19:12 of the second. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 38 shots, nine more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-4. . . . The referees were Sean Raphael and Reagan Vetter. . . . F Nick Merkley had two assists for Kelowna. . . . In the third period, Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier was speculating on Twitter that Rockets F Leon Draisaitl may be playing hurt. At one point, Fisher tweeted that “Draisaitl didn't look right on that shift. Rockets trainer Scott Hoyer went and talked to him on bench after he came off.” . . . Draisaitl had one assist on Friday and was pointless last night. In five games in the second round, he put up 11 points. . . . Kelowna inserted D/F Riley Stadel into the lineup, replacing F Gage Quinney, who apparently suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday. . . . Kelowna F Tomas Soustal struggled to get to the bench after going hard into the end boards in the third period. . . . The last nine times Portland has opened a series with a loss, it has come back to win Game 2. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich reports that Portland now has played 19 straight series without falling behind 2-0. . . . Joe Sakic, the Colorado Avalanche’s executive vice-president and general manager, was in the house. He and Rockets’ head coach Dan Lambert were teammates for two seasons (1985-87) with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Attendance was 5,681, down 190 from Friday.
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For whatever reason, there was recent speculation that Mike Johnston, the former GM and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, was on the hot seat as his first season as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins wound down. Well, Pittsburgh was eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Rangers on Friday night, and the Penguins quickly gave Johnston a vote of confidence. . . . Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more right here.
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The U.S. beat Canada 7-2 in one semifinal game at the IIHF U-18 World championship in Zug, Switzerland, on Saturday. . . . Canada, which finished third a year ago, will play Switzerland for bronze today, while the U.S. will meet Finland in the championship game. . . . F Auston Matthews, whose WHL rights belong to the Everett Silvertips, had two goals for the U.S. Boston University F Jack Eichel, who is expected to be the second overall selection in the NHL’s 2015 draft in June, had 10 points, including five goals, in seven games at this tournament last season. Matthews has 14 points, eight of them goals, in six games this time around.
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The Telus Cup, for Canada’s midget AAA championship, will be decided today when the Grenadiers de Châteauguay meet the Toronto Young Nationals in the final in Riviere-du-Loup, Que. . . . Interestingly, the Grenadiers’ head coach is Steve Hartley, the son of Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley, who is busy with the Stanley Cup playoffs these days. Steve is in his first season with the Grendadiers. He was an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads when they won the 2013 Memorial Cup. . . . F Owen Sillinger of the Regina Pat Canadians, who lost out in a semifinal, was the tournament’s leading scorer, top forward and MVP. He is the son of former NHLer/WHLer Mike Sillinger.
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Almost two years have gone by since Jordan Chartier of Saskatoon, who had yet to see his 24th birthday, jumped out of a speeding vehicle and died. Chartier’s family, along with friends, including Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock, are helping a mental-health program called the Neural Health Project that has been launched in Saskatoon. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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During his NHL career, Mike Peluso was an enforcer. As such, he suffered numerous concussions. . . . “At no time in my NHL career did anyone — a doctor, trainer, coach or league representative — ever tell me that I could be at risk for seizures or other long-term neurological diseases and disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer’s,” he writes in Saturday’s Globe and Mail. “I loved playing hockey, but wish someone had sat us all down to have an honest conversation about how our brains would feel years into the future.” . . . Peluso’s first-person piece is right here.
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Congrats @OBjorkstrand on player of the year! And a little #tbt of me getting 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct😂 pic.twitter.com/WXntXN0BCE
— Brendan Leipsic (@28LEIP) April 23, 2015

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Wheaties, Hitmen, Rockets advance. . . . Winterhawks in control . . . Stoll in hot water

F Zdeněk Okál (Medicine Hat, 2008-10) has signed a one-year extension with Zlín (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, in 47 games, he had 11 goals and nine assists. . . .
F Ondřej Veselý (Portland, Tri-City, 1996-98) has signed a two-year extension with Zlín (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had 10 goals and 10 assists in 51 games.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Brandon, F Peter Quenneville scored at 6:15 of OT to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Brandon won the series, 4-1, and next goes against the Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern Conference final. . . . Brandon was 3-1-0 against Calgary in the regular season. . . . The series will open with games in Brandon on April 24 and 25, before moving to Calgary for games on April 28 and 29. . . . Quenneville’s fourth playoff goal was set up by his brother, John. . . . Peter also had two assists. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick forced OT with his second goal of the game, and fourth of the playoffs, at 13:39 of the third period. . . . Patrick had opened the scoring at 12:52 of the first, while shorthanded. . . . Regina D Jake Leschyshyn tied it with his first goal at 13:41 of the second, and F Taylor Cooper gave the Pats the lead at 18:58, with his fourth goal. . . . Each team was 0-for-5 on the PP. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 25 shots. Regina G Daniel Wapple put on a clinic, turning aside 48 shots. . . . In the third period, Wapple stopped 19 of 20 shots. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk was back in Brandon’s lineup after a six-game absence. He drew one assist. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk, F Rihards Bukarts and D Colton Waltz sat out for a third straight game. . . . The Pats scratched D Sergey Zborovskiy, D Chase Harrison, D Connor Hobbs, F Rykr Cole and F Sam Steel, meaning they played without three of their top four defencemen. . . . Attendance was 4,333, the smallest crowd of the series.

In Calgary, D Travis Sanheim scored in the second OT period to give the Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Calgary won the series, 4-1, and will meet the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference final. . . . Calgary was 1-2-1 against Brandon in the regular season. . . . Sanheim’s fifth goal of these playoffs came at 7:45 of the second OT. . . . The loss means that Wednesday’s game in Medicine Hat, which the Hitmen won 2-1 in OT, was the last game in the Arena. The Tigers will be in the new Regional Event Centre when next season gets here. . . . This was the third game in the series to go to OT; the Hitmen won two of them. In all, Calgary has played in six OT games in these playoffs, winning four of them. . . . F Jake Virtanen scored twice for Calgary, his second goal came with 44.9 seconds left in the third period and forced OT. It came on a PP with G Mack Shields on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Virtanen has four goals in these playoffs. . . . Tigers F Markus Eisenschmid, who was serving a hooking penalty when Virtanen tied it, had given the Tigers a 3-2 lead at 12:03 of the third. . . . F Cole Sanford gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 3:22 of the first, but Virtanen tied it at 15:03. . . . The Tigers took a 2-1 lead 59 seconds into the second on F Dryden Hunt’s fifth goal. . . . Calgary D Jake Bean, playing for the first time since March 27, scored his second goal at 17:31 of the second. . . . Bean hadn’t played since Game 1 of the first round. . . . F Adam Tambellini also returned to the Calgary lineup — he had one assist — but F Chase Lang remained out. . . .  Shields stopped 55 shots, four more than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . Calgary was 1-for-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-1. . . . Attendance was 7,290. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, D Josh Morrissey returned to the Rockets lineup with two goals and three assists as they dumped the Victoria Royals, 7-3. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-1. . . . Morrissey, who sat out the previous two games, scored his first two goals of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl scored the game’s first goal, his fourth, at 1:24 of the first period. . . . Victoria got the next two goals, from F Jack Walker at 17:54 and F Brandon Fushimi at 18:17. . . . But the Rockets tied it on Morrissey’s first goal at 19:28. . . . The Rockets then pulled away with three second-period goals, from F Rodney Southam, F Tyson Baillie and Morrissey, the latter two scoring on the PP. . . . Baillie’s goal was his seventh; he’s got points in nine straight playoff games. . . . F Rourke Chartier, with his seventh, and F Cole Linaker, with his second, scored for Kelowna in the third, with D Travis Brown getting his second, on a PP, for Victoria. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey had three assists, with Draisaitl and F Nick Merkley each getting two. . . . Draisaitl had 11 points in the series, while Morrissey put up eight in two-plus games. . . . Kelowna opened with Jackson Whistle in goal, but head coach Dan Lambert took him out after the first period in an attempt to fire up his team. The game was tied 2-2 with Whistle having allowed two goals on nine shots. . . . Michael Herringer came on in relief and stopped 11 of 12 shots. . . . Victoria starter Justin Paulic gave up five goals on 26 shots, with reliever Coleman Vollrath giving up two on 13. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-4 on the PP; Victoria was 1-for-6. . . . Victoria F Jared Dmytriw took a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on Kelowna D Cole Martin at 11:54 of the second period. The WHL will review the play and Dmytriw, a 16-year-old from Craven, Sask., could open next season under suspension. He had 13 penalty minutes in 49 regular-season games, and was hit with 15 minutes worth last night. . . . Kelowna had F Justin Kirkland back in the lineup after a nine-week absence. Kirkland, who had 51 points in 50 regular-season games, hadn’t played since Feb. 14. . . . Attendance was 5,226.

In Portland, D Blake Heinrich scored at 5:40 of OT to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . The Winterhawks take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 in Everett on Sunday. . . . Heinrich has three playoff goals. . . . F Chase De Leo got Portland on the board with his third goal at 1:15 of the second period. . . . Everett D Ben Betker tied it with his first goal at 12:54 of the second. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 29 shots, as did G Carter Hart of the Silvertips. . . . Portland was 0-for-3 on the PP; Everett was 0-for-2. . . . Among Everett’s scratchers were D Noah Juulsen, D Tristen Pfeifer and F Dawson Leedahl. Leedahl, who had missed the previous five games, played two periods in Game 3 on Thursday, but didn’t come out of the dressing room for the third. Last night, Everett F Jake Mykitiuk left in the third period. . . . Attendance was 8,590. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.
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The story broke in the middle of night No. 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A CBS-TV outlet in Los Angeles reported that F Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles was arrested in Las Vegas on Friday on suspicion of possession of cocaine and Ecstasy. He is reported to have been at the MGM Grand’s Wet Republic pool.
Stoll, a 32-year-old native of Melville, Sask., played four seasons (1998-2002) with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice. He has spent the past seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, helping them win two Stanley Cup titles. His contract expired with the conclusion of this season and he appears headed for unrestricted free agency.
The Kings released this statement: “We are aware of police reports out of Clark County, Nevada, regarding Jarret Stoll. Our organization is concerned and has begun conducting a thorough internal investigation. While we continue to actively gather facts, we are withholding further comment at this time.”
Bill Daly, the NHL’s deputy commissioner, told the Los Angeles Times: “We are aware of the reports tonight, and we obviously will follow up to understand the nature of the allegations that are being made. "We are not in a position at this time to comment further until we have more information.”
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The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are three nights old and we have seen starting goaltenders from Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Sweden. . . . Unfortunately, we won’t see anything like that in the CHL because it has chosen to ban European goaltenders from its three leagues — the OHL, QMJHL and WHL. . . . Marek Langhamer of the Medicine Hat Tigers had his WHL career come to an end last night. From the Czech Republic, he will go down in history as the WHL’s last European goaltender.
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The OHL named its coach of the year on Friday, with the award going to Sheldon Keefe, the head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. If you are at all familiar with Keefe’s story — to refresh your memory, he was one of David Frost’s boys — you know just what all of this means. For a good read on Keefe, pick up a copy of Bob McKenzie’s book Hockey Confidential. One chapter, a terrific chapter, tells Keefe’s story, warts and all. . . . In the meantime, Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports has a story right here on Keefe winning the coach-of-the-year award.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Josh Paterson, the team’s first selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Paterson, a 6-foot-2, 180-pounder from Edmonton, was the 25th overall pick in that draft. Last season, Paterson led the Alberta bantam AAA league in scoring when he put up 97 points in 33 games for the South Side Athletic Club. This season, he played for the SSAC midget AAA side, picking up 19 points, including nine goals, in 32 games. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Brett Clayton, 16, a list player who played this season with the B.C. major midget league’s Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. The 6-foot-3, 197-pounder had 34 points, 16 of them goals, in 40 games with the Thunderbirds. The Winterhawks placed him on their list after they liked what they saw of him in training camp in August. . . .
D Shea Theodore (Seattle Thunderbirds) had a goal and an assist last night, helping the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In eight AHL games this season, Theodore has nine points, four of them goals. . . . Theodore began the season with the Admirals and had three goals and four assists in five games. He joined Norfolk when Seattle’s season ended, and has a goal and three helpers in three games. . . .
F Cole Ully (Kamloops Blazers) made his pro debut last night, earning one assist as the Texas Stars beat the host San Antonio Rampage 3-2 to clinch an AHL playoff spot. Ully, who has signed with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, drew the primary assist on F Brendan Ranford’s 17th goal of the season. Ranford also played in Kamloops. . . .
F Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice) drew two assists and was chosen the second star last night as his Rochester Americans dropped a 3-2 AHL decision to the visiting Utica Comets. Reinhart was selected by the parent Buffalo Sabres with the second pick of the NHL’s 2014 draft. Earlier this season, he played nine games with the Sabres; this was his first game with the Americans. . . .
F Liam Stewart (Spokane Chiefs) scored his first pro goal to help the visiting Quad City Mallards to a 3-2 victory over the Rapid City Rush in an ECHL game. It was Stewart’s first pro game. . . .
The Penticton Vees won the BCHL championship last night when F Dakota Conroy (Brandon, Victoria, Prince Albert, 2010-15) scored at 2:06 of OT to give them a 3-2 victory over the host Nanaimo Clippers. . . . The Vees lost the first two games of the series, then won four in a row. . . . In the AJHL, the Brooks Bandits posted a 6-4 victory over the host Spruce Grove Saints. Spruce Grove takes a 3-2 series lead into Game 6 in Brooks on Sunday.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Geoff Goodman is the new general manager and head coach of the junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Goodman spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the KIJHL’s Osoyoos Coyotes. . . . Goodman replaces Bill Rotheisler, whose contract wasn’t renewed after two seasons there.
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It is a crime that Pilon is in and Hobbs is out. Where is the justice! #Gamechangers
— Regina Pats (@WHLpats) April 18, 2015

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