Royals get two positive tests . . . Blazers' pick joining Vees . . . Pats clinch top spot

The Victoria Royals confirmed on Monday that head coach Dave Lowry and D Mitchell Prowse have tested positive for mumps. At the same time, D Ralph Jarratt was cleared.

The team made the announcement on its Facebook page.

Lowry and Prowse, who had been isolated from the team as it awaited the test results, are expected to rejoin the Royals this week in preparation for a weekend home-and-home series with the Everett Silvertips.

Jarratt, meanwhile, is shown on the WHL’s weekly roster report as being out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

According to the team’s statement, “no further members of the Royals organization have been infected by the virus. Both Lowry and Prowse have recovered from their mild symptoms and have cleared the contagious stage.”

Lowry missed a third straight game on Tuesday as the Royals dropped a 5-3 decision to the Vancouver Giants in Langley, B.C. With Lowry missing, assistant coach Dan Price again ran the bench, with help from assistant Doug Bodger, who usually works only home games.

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It seems that the mumps outbreak also has touched the BCHL.

Taking Note has been told that a player with the Penticton Vees was diagnosed with mumps two weeks ago. He was quickly isolated and the viral disease doesn’t appear to have spread within the organization.

The player in question returned to practice this week.

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F Massimo Rizzo will be joining the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for the remainder of their playoff run that begins Friday against the Merritt Centennials.

MASSIMO RIZZO

Rizzo was a first-round selection, 15th overall, by the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. He played in three games with the Vees during the regular season.

Last season, Rizzo put up 137 points, including 60 goals, in 61 games with the Burnaby Winter Club’s Tier 1 bantam team. This season, with the BWC midget prep team in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, he had 78 points, including 59 assists, in 43 games. Rizzo’s club will conclude its season this weekend, after which he will join the Vees.

Rizzo was pointless in his first three games with the Vees. Of course, F Tyson Jost didn’t get a point in his first three games with the Vees, either, when he was an AP in 2013-14 while playing for the major midget Okanagan Rockets.

Jost went on to enjoy 45- and 104-point seasons with the Vees before being the 10th overall selection by the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL’s 2016 draft. Jost now is completing his freshman season at North Dakota.

The Hockey News, in its Future Watch issue, wrote: “. . . college coaches are swooning for him. Some say he’s better than Tyson Jost at the same age.”

Rizzo spent some time in mid-February on the U of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Maco Balkovec, his coach at BWC, was a Wisconsin defenceman for four seasons (1991-95).

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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Conrad Mitchell, who was a seventh-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. From Thorsby, Alta., Mitchell played this season with the minor midget AAA Leduc Oil Kings, recording 35 points, 17 of them goals, in 35 games. 

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G Austin McGrath, 19, has committed to Cornell where he will play for the Big Red. McGrath, from Lloydminster, Alta., was a fourth-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. His WHL rights later ended up with the Edmonton Oil Kings, who dealt them to the Everett Silvertips on May 11 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . McGrath played this season with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats.

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spent the past week hunting and gathering. The result is the latest edition of 30 Thoughts and it’s right here.

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Rob Daum, a former WHL coach, has been dropped by the Linz Black Wings of the Erste Bank 

Eishockey Liga after six seasons as their head coach. Daum, 59, was under contract with the Austrian club through 2017-18. . . . The Black Wings were eliminated from the Erste Banke playoffs on March 7. . . . Under Daum, the Black Wings won the EBEL championship in 2011-12, his first season with them. . . . With 237 victories during his time with Linz, Daum is No. 1 on the Erste Bank career list. He also was the league’s longest-serving coach. . . . “We are of the opinion that the club . . . needs a new direction after six years under the same coaching,” team president Peter Freunschlag said in a news release. . . . Daum coached in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders, Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1989-95).

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Dean Blais won’t be returning for a ninth season as head coach of the U of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. Blais and the school’s athletic department made the announcement Tuesday. . . . Blais, 66, was 146-133-30 with the Mavericks, appeared in two NCAA tournaments and reached the Frozen Four on one occasion. This season, UNO was 17-17-5. . . . UNO’s season ended Sunday with a ?? OT loss to the Western Michigan Mustangs, after which Blais seemed to indicate that he would be returning. It would appear, however, that something changed between then and Tuesday morning. . . . During a 10-season (1994-2004) stint at North Dakota, Blais won two NCAA championships. . . . Adam Wodon of College Hockey News has a whole lot more right here.

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Matt Keetley wins the 50-50? Can they put him in goal?

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

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If the playoffs began today . . . 

Eastern Conference

Regina vs. Calgary

Medicine Hat vs. Brandon

Moose Jaw vs. Swift Current

Lethbridge vs. Red Deer

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Western Conference

Seattle vs. Tri-City

Prince George vs. Victoria

Kelowna vs. Kamloops

Everett vs. Portland

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

BWK fall 6-3 to SC Broncos. Scored 3 or fewer goals in 12 of last 15 games. 3 they've scored more than 3 have been their only 3 wins. #bdnmb

— Bruce Luebke (@bluebkemedia) March 15, 2017

At Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of goals 53 seconds apart late in the second period en route to a 6-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Broncos started with a pair of first-

CONNER CHAULK

period PP goals, from D Artyom Minulin (8), at 11:31, and F Tyler Steenbergen, at 17:54. . . . Steenbergen leads the WHL with 51 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings tied it on two second-period goals, 37 seconds apart, from F Tanner Kaspick (19), at 0:26, and F Nolan Patrick (20), at 1:03. . . . F Riley Stotts (8) snapped the tie at 15:46 and F Lane Pederson (24) made it 4-2 at 16:39. . . . The Broncos went ahead 5-2 when F Glenn Gawdin (25) counted at 6:32 of the third period. . . . Brandon F Ty Lewis scored his 30th goal, at 7:32. . . . The Broncos ended the scoring as F Arthur Miller (7) struck on a PP, at 12:19. . . . The Broncos got three assists from F Conner Chaulk and two from F Ryley Lindgren, with Pederson, Steenbergen and Minulin each had one. . . . Lewis added an assist to his goal. . . . The Broncos got 24 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . G Jordan Papirny, who played the first four-plus seasons of his WHL career with Brandon, wasn't able to make the trip east due to illness. He now has sat out three straight games. . . . With Papirny out, the Broncos had Bailey Brkin on the bench. The 6-foot-4 Brkin, 17, is from Sherwood Park, Alta. He played this season with the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots. . . . Swift Current was 3-3 on the PP; Brandon was 0-2. . . . D Kale Clague was among Brandon’s scratches, while D Aiden Mucenski made his WHL debut with the Wheat Kings. Mucenski, who turned 18 on Jan. 1, is from Calgary. He had 20 points, 19 of them assists, with the midget AAA Calgary Flames this season. . . . D Colton Sissons was among Swift Current scratches. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Tyler Coulter to a charging major and game misconduct at 13:38 of the first period for a hit on Broncos F Kaden Elder. . . . The Broncos (38-21-10) have won three in a row. They also have won six straight on the road. Swift Current is third in the East Division, five points Moose Jaw with each team having three games remaining. They will wrap up the regular season with a home-and-home series on the weekend. . . . The Wheat Kings (30-29-10) have lost 12 of their past 15 games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 4,009. . . . The Wheat Kings completed the roster of their 50th anniversary Dream Team with Ray Allison (1975-79), Bill Derlago (1974-78) and Brian Propp (1976-79) on the first line, with Brad McCrimmon (1976-79) and Ivan Provorov (2014-16) on the first defence pairing and Ron Hextall (1981-84) in goal.

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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Colton Kehler scored at 1:17 of OT to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory

COLTON KEHLER

over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Kehler has 17 goals this season. . . . This was Edmonton’s first victory since Feb. 15 when Kehler’s OT goal gave the Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the visiting Ice. . . . F Brett Davis (18) gave the home side a 1-0 lead 51 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton tied it when F Tyson Gruninger scored his second goal of the season at 19:46. . . . The Ice went back in front on F Jake Elmer’s seventh goal, at 4:46 of the third period. . . . Edmonton forced OT when F Davis Koch scored No. 21 at 6:51. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine blocked 20 shots. . . . The Ice got 32 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Edmonton was 0-1 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-2. . . . The Oil Kings (21-43-6) have lost their previous 12 games (0-10-2). . . . The Ice (14-43-12) has lost seven in a row (0-5-2). . . . Neither of these teams will be in the playoffs. . . . Announced attendance: 1,672.

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Butcher got a haircut. Says he should be a few MPH faster out there now

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) March 15, 2017

At Medicine Hat, the Red Deer Rebels scored three shorthanded goals, two on the same penalty, en

BRANDON HAGEL

route to an 8-3 victory over the Tigers. . . . Red Deer, which clinched a playoff spot, broke it open with four goals, including two shorties, in a span of 2:15 in the third period. . . . The Tigers actually held a 2-1 lead halfway through the game, thanks to a pair of PP goals. . . . F Matt Bradley (34) gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 8:34 of the first period. . . . The Rebels tied it when F Lane Zablocki got his 27th goal, shorthanded, on a penalty shot, at 7:38 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat went back out front at 7:53 as F Zach Fischer got his 34th goal. . . . F Brandon Hagel got the Rebels even, again, at 10:34 and F Jordan Roy’s third goal put the visitors in front at 17:25. . . . Hagel’s 27th goal, at 6:42 of the third period, started the Red Deer explosion. . . . F Austin Glover scored his 21st at 7:46, with F Evan Polei (32) and F Michael Spacek (29) scoring shorties at 8:37 and 8:57, respectively. . . . F Max Gerlach added a PP goal for the Tigers, at 9:25, before Roy scored again, at 13:12. . . . Red Deer got three assists from D Jared Freadrich and two each from F Matt Campese and Hagel, with Polei, Glover and Spacek adding one each. . . . Hagel’s four-point night made him a point-a-game guy, with 63 points in 62 games. . . . Gerlach and Bradley had assists for the Tigers. . . . G Lasse Petersen earned the victory with 37 saves. . . . The Tigers got 14 saves on 18 shots from starter Michael Bullion, in 51:02, while Nick Schneder allowed four goals on seven shots in 8:57. . . . Medicine Hat was 3-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . The Rebels (29-28-12) are 4-0-2 in their past six games. They are third in the Central Division, four points ahead of Calgary. . . . The Tigers (49-20-1) had won their previous three games. They will finish atop the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,089.

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At Moose Jaw, F Simon Stransky’s 20th goal at 1:29 of OT gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 3-2 victory

SIMON STRANSKY

over the Warriors. . . . D Max Martin’s eighth goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 4:13 of the first period. . . . The Warriors tied it on D Dmitri Zaitsev’s second goal, on a PP, at 14:15. . . . The next two goals came in the third period. . . . F Parker Kelly (20) gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead at 3:09. . . . The Warriors forced extra time when F Noah Gregor got No. 25, at 18:54, with G Zach Sawchenko on the bench for an extra attacker. . . . F Curtis Miske had two assists for Prince Albert, while Kelly had one. . . . The Raiders got a big night from G Nick Schneider with 41 saves. . . . At the other end, Sawchenko stopped 31 shots. . . . The game featured two penalty shots, neither of which was successful. F Cavin Leth of the Raiders came up empty at 8:08 of the first period, with F Jayden Halbgewachs of the Warriors coming up short at 17:36 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Raiders improved to 20-43-7. . . . The Warriors (41-19-9) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and remain second in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 3,013.

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PATS WIN!!!!! @TheWHL REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS! 5-4 THE FINAL SCORE!!!#JoinTheRegiment pic.twitter.com/LccxHvXhad

— Regina Pats (@WHLPats) March 15, 2017

At Regina, F Sam Steel and F Adam Brooks, the Pats’ big guns, combined for six points as the Pats beat

CONNOR HOBBS

the Saskatoon Blades, 5-4, to clinch first place in the WHL’s overall standings. . . . The Pats last finished atop the overall standings in the spring of 1974. That year, they went on to win the Memorial Cup at the Corral in Calgary. . . . Steel scored his 49th goal and added two assists, with Brooks chipping in three assists. . . . Steel leads the WHL with 127 points, seven more than Brooks, who won last season’s scoring title with 120 points. . . . Brooks leads the WHL in assists (81), three more than Steel. . . . The Blades, who are fighting for their playoff lives, took a 3-1 lead into the second period. . . . F Caleb Fantillo (5) gave Saskatoon a lead at 3:04 of the first period. . . . F Nick Henry (34) tied it with a PP goal at 5:38. . . . The Blades took a 3-1 lead on goals from F Dryden Michaud, his first WHL goal in his 27th game, at 16:23, and F Josh Paterson (16), at 16:51. . . . Regina F Jeff de Wit, celebrating his 19th birthday, got the Pats to within a goal with his ninth, at 3:43 of the second period. . . . Steel tied it at 13:37. . . . D Josh Mahura (17) gave Regina its first lead, at 18:16. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs, who also had an assist, scored his 29th goal, on a PP, at 15:22, for a 5-3 lead. Hobbs leads all WHL defencemen in goals and points (81). . . . Saskatoon made it interesting when F Michael Farren scored his seventh goal, on a PP, at 18:43. The Blades held a two-man advantage and then pulled G Logan Flodell for an extra attacker at the time. . . . Fantillo added an assist to his goal. . . . G Tyler Brown earned the victory with 22 saves. . . . Flodell stopped 30 shots. . . . Regina was 2-7 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-7. . . . The Pats (49-12-8) have won five in a row and have tied a franchise record with 49 victories. . . . The Blades (27-34-9) have lost three straight. They are three points out of a playoff spot and have just two games remaining. . . . Regina went 5-0-1 in the season series. . . . Announced attendance: 4,695.

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At Kennewick, Wash., F Keegan Iverson ran his point streak to 10 games as he scored twice to help the

KEEGAN IVERSON

Portland Winterhawks to a 6-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks (39-27-4) are third in the U.S. Division, three points clear of the Americans (38-28-3), who have lost five in a row. . . . Tri-City holds down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, one point behind Victoria. . . .  Iverson has put together seven two-point games in his past eight outings. In 53 games, he has 68 points, including 25 goals. . . . The Winterhawks took control with the game’s first four goals, three of them in the first period. . . . The first three goals came from F Skyler Mckenzie (42), Iverson, on a PP, and F Lane Gilliss (6). . . . F Jake Gricius (10) made it 4-0 at 6:49 of the second period. . . . F Kyle Olson scored Tri-City’s goal, his 20th, at 12:59 of the third period. . . . Iverson and F Brett Clayton (2) added late goals for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks got two assists from each of D Caleb Jones and F Ilijah Colina, with McKenzie adding one. . . . Portland G Cole Kehler turned aside 35 shots. . . . Tri-City got 31 stops from G Rylan Parenteau. . . . Portland was 1-2 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-6. . . . The Americans lost F Landon Fuller to a charging major and game misconduct at 9:41 of the first period. . . . Announced attendance: 3,092.

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.@AidanBarfoot will make his WHL debut for @WHLGiants tonight vs. Victoria. Becomes 8th Affiliate Player to suit up for Van this season.

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) March 14, 2017

At Langley, B.C., F James Malm scored two goals and added two assists to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Malm, who had two assists in 25 games last season, has 50

JAMES MALM

points, including 20 goals, in 66 games this season. . . . The Giants scored the game’s first two goals, from F Brayden Watts (7), at 3:03 of the first period, and Malm, at 9:48 of the second. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips got his guys on the scoreboard at 9:58. . . . The Giants got that one back when D Jordan Wharrie got his fifth goal, on a PP, at 14:48. . . . The Royals cut the deficit to one when Phillips scored his 50th goal, on a penalty shot, at 1:16 of the third period. . . . The Giants went back up by two on F Ty Ronning’s 25th goal, at 2:39. . . . The Royals wouldn't go away, though, and F Blake Bargar cut the host’s lead to one with his sixth goal, at 7:06. . . . Malm iced it at 12:18. . . . Watts added two assists to his goal, with F Johnny Wesley and F Calvin Spencer also getting two assists apiece. . . . Vancouver G David Tendeck earned the victory with 39 saves. . . . The Royals got 28 stops from G Griffen Outhouse. . . . Vancouver was 1-3 on the PP; Victoria was 0-3. . . . The Royals went 0-4-1 on a five-game road trip that included an introduction to mumps. Head coach Dave Lowry and defencemen Ralph Jarratt and Mitchell Prowse missed the last three games. . . . Victoria D Ryan Gagnon has tied the franchise record for career games played (318). F Brandon Magee played in 66 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and 252 with the Royals. Gagnon will break the record if he plays Friday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . F Jack Walker played in his 316th regular-season game with the Royals last night. . . . The Royals won eight of 10 games in the season series. . . . The Giants (20-43-6) had lost their previous eight games (0-7-1). . . . The Royals (37-27-6) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). They are in possession of the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot, a point ahead of Tri-City. . . . Announced attendance: 4,158.

FANTASTIC PHILLY! @mattphillips_8 becomes the first Royals player to score 50 goals in a single season with his penalty shot marker! pic.twitter.com/kUR8UqMMUW

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) March 15, 2017

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Everett at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m. (ppd., from March 8)

Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

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Gervais shows improvement ... Milestones for Daum, Thibodeau ... Four-spots for Duke, Soy

This sums up exactly how I feel pic.twitter.com/hL7Iisz7RI

— LINZ STANLEY (@LinzStanley) January 29, 2017

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BREVIN GERVAIS

There was some good news on Sunday from the bedside of Brevin Gervais, the 17-year-old defenceman from the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers, who underwent emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm in Kamloops on Friday.

Mateo Albinati, who started the gofundme site with proceeds to Brevin’s family, posted that “Brevin has slowly begun breathing on his own. Although it is minimal, it is a step in the right direction, and he now has opened his eyes on command and squeezed hands. His blood pressure has increased, which also is a very good sign.”

Friends and folks in the hockey community responded in such a fashion that Albinati shut down the gofundme site on Sunday evening, by which time donations had totalled $20,350. His original goal was $16,000.

Well done and thank you! Please keep Brevin and his family in your thoughts and prayers as this chapter of their lives has just begun.

A native of Prince George, Brevin was a fourth-round selection by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2015 bantam draft.

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The Everett Silvertips have added F Cal Babych, who turned 20 on Jan. 18, to their roster. While he was listed earlier this season by Everett, he had been with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. Everett will be Babych’s fifth WHL stop. He split 152 career games between the Calgary Hitmen, Prince George Cougars, Prince Albert Raiders and Vancouver Giants, putting up 35 points, including 15 goals. With the Express, he had seven goals and 21 assists in 33 games. . . . He made his Everett debut in Sunday’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers.

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If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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When Mary Lois Nittmo went looking for the ex-husband who ran out on her and their four children 12 years ago, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News accompanied her. They found Bjorn Nittmo, a Swede who is a former NFL and CFL kicker, but what they discovered wasn’t pretty. . . . Graham’s story is right here.

Meanwhile, in Houston, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl game, a news conference is to be held today by a support group that calls itself Faces of CTE. In attendance will be co-founders Cyndy Feaser and Kimberly Archie. Feaser, whose ex-husband Grant Feasel was an offensive lineman who was diagnosed with Stage 3 CTE after his death, has written the book After the Cheering Stops: An NFL Wife’s Story of Concussions, Loss and the Faith That Saw Her Through.

Archie’s son Paul was 24 when he died from the effects of CTE caused by playing football.

The brain bank at Boston University has confirmed CTE in the brains of 91 of 95 deceased NFLers. Dr. Ann McKee, who has been in the forefront of all of this, admits she has stopped watching NFL games despite having been an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers.

“I, for one, don’t watch football anymore because I can’t,” she told Jeff Caplan of the Kansas City Star. “I can no longer sort of reconcile what I’m seeing at my work and watching the game on television. It’s been a long road, and it’s depressing. It’s very depressing.” . . . Caplan’s complete story is right here. Yes, it’s depressing.

Meanwhile, in the world of hockey, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman continues to deny a link between repeated blows to the head and CTE.

And in the WHL the powers-that-be continue to allow teenagers to punch each other in the face with no apparent thought given to the consequences.

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JUST NOTES:

A note from a reader informs us that the Red Deer Rebels had some special moments on Saturday night as they honoured three people who have been with them for 25 years, or since Day 1.

Judy Seher, the Rebels’ billet co-ordinator, and off-ice officials Carl Purves and Jim Hollman were saluted at centre ice prior to the game. They were presented with 25-year watches . . . first-class people honoured by a solid organization.

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Rob Daum of EHC Linz has become the winningest head coach in Austria’s Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). Daum put up victory No. 235 on Sunday, as the Black Wings beat the visiting Vienna Capitals, 5-3, allowing him to move out of a tie with Pierre Pagé. Daum, in his sixth season with EHC Linz, is a former WHL coach, having worked with the Prince Albert Raiders, Swift Current Broncos and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1989-95).

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Gord Thibodeau, the head coach of the Whitecourt Wolverines, has tied the AJHL record for most regular-season coaching victories. When the Wolverines beat the host Bonnyville Pontiacs, 4-3, on Sunday, it gave Thibodeau 832 victories, tying him with Don Phelps, the long-time (1979-2011) head coach of the Calgary Canucks. . . . Thibodeau has been an AJHL head coach since 1997 and also has worked with the Lloydminster Blazers, St. Albert Saints, Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Lloydminster Bobcats. He is in his first season with the Wolverines.

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The AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons fired general manager and head coach Brian Curran on Sunday. He was in the fifth year of a contract that was to expire after this season. A former AJHL coach of the year, Curran took the Dragons to the South Division championship in 2013-14. . . . Assistant coach Darryl Olsen has stepped in as interim head coach. . . . The Dragons (20-23-4) are sixth in the six-team South Division, 11 points out of fifth.

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I spent many years of my youth in Dauphin, MB. Bravo  @dauphinkings for your Ukrainian Hockey Night.  This is Canada! pic.twitter.com/R4RdLlm3V5

— Equity_DDSB (@equity_DDSB) January 29, 2017

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SUNDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Reid Duke scored four times to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 6-1 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Duke, a Calgarian who has 30 goals, scored the game’s first three goals, recording his fifth

REID DUKE

career hat trick and his second against the Hitmen this season. . . . He scored at 2:55 and 8:23 of the first period, 11:02 of the second and nine seconds into the third. Duke’s first goal came via the PP, while the third one was shorthanded. . . . F Tyler Coulter earned assists on three of Duke’s goals. . . . F Connor Gutenberg also had three assists. . . . F Beck Malenstyn scored for Calgary, his PP goal at 11:24 of the second period cutting the deficit to 3-1. He’s got 21 goals. . . . D James Shearer (6), who also had an assist, and D Dmitry Osipov (2) also scored for Brandon, which lost D Kale Clague to a charging major and game misconduct at 10:06 of the second period. That was for a hit on Malenstyn. . . . G Travis Child stopped 31 shots for Brandon. . . . Calgary starter Trevor Martin allowed four goals on 14 shots through two periods. Kyle Dumba played the third period, stopped six of eight shots. . . . Each team was 1-6 on the PP. . . . The Wheat Kings (24-19-5) had lost their previous two games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot but the defending champions are just five points behind the Swift Current Broncos in the East Division. . . . The Hitmen (18-22-9) had points in each of their previous four games (1-0-3). This was their third game in fewer than 48 hours; they went 1-1-1. Calgary is one point behind the Saskatoon Blades, who are in possession of the conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,913.

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At Edmonton, G Ty Edmonds turned aside 26 shots to help the Prince George Cougars to a 3-1 victory

TY EDMONDS

over the Oil Kings. . . . The Cougars had won, 11-3, in Edmonton on Saturday night. . . . Edmonds now has 95 career regular-season victories, tying the Prince George franchise record that was held by Scott Myers (1996-2000). . . . This was Edmonds’ 26th victory this season. . . . F Aaron Boyd (7) gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:33 of the first period. . . . Edmonton tied it when F Davis Koch scored his 13th goal — it was his 100th career point — at 14:49. . . . Prince George F Jansen Harkins broke the tie with his 16th goal at 4:50 of the second period. . . . D Brendan Guhle added insurance with his 12th goal just 15 seconds later. . . . Guhle and Boyd each added an assist. . . . The Oil Kings got 34 saves from G Patrick Dea. . . . Each team was 0-4 on the PP. . . . The Cougars (36-14-3) have won two in a row. They are alone atop the overall standings, two points ahead of the Regina Pats, who hold six games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings (18-28-4) have lost 11 straight games and are six points out of a playoff spot. . . . Both teams were playing for the third time in fewer than 48 hours. The Cougars went 2-1-0; the Oil Kings went 0-3-0. . . . Announced attendance: 6,827.

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Blazers get first reg. win in Everett since Feb 2012..   They also beat the 'Tips in regulation for the first time in 14 games. 5-1 F

— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) January 30, 2017

At Everett, G Dylan Ferguson stopped 37 shots and F Lane Bauer had two goals as the Kamloops

LANE BAUER

Blazers skated to a 5-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Bauer, who has 29 shots. broke a 1-1 tie 25 seconds into the second period as the Blazers took control with three goals in a span of 4:27. . . . F Deven Sideroff (28) had given Kamloops a 1-0 lead at 10:34 of the first period. . . . Everett F Connor Dewar (10) tied it 11 seconds into the second period. . . . Bauer broke that tie just 14 seconds later. . . . F Nick Chyzowski’s 14th goal upped the Blazers’ lead to 3-1 at 3:54 and Bauer made it 4-1, while shorthanded, at 4:52. . . . Kamloops F Quinn Benjafield added more insurance with an empty-net goal at 11:37 of the third period. Yes, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine had his goaltender on the bench for the extra attacker with more than eight minutes to play. . . . F Garrett Pilon had two assists for the Blazers. . . . Bauer has 13 points, including four goals, in 10 games with Kamloops since coming over in a deal with the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Everett G Mario Petit was beaten three times on 17 shots in 23:54. Carter Hart came off the bench to stop 10 of 11 shots in 35:25. . . . Kamloops was 0-2 on the PP; Everett was 0-4. . . . Kamloops (31-17-3) has won two in a row. It is second in the B.C. Division, three points ahead of the Victoria Royals. . . . The Silvertips (30-9-9) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). They lead the U.S. Division by six points over the Tri-City Americans. Everett has five games in hand. . . . Announced attendance: 4,089.

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At Kent, Wash., F Ryan Gropp and F Keegan Kolesar each enjoyed four-point outings as the Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Tri-City Americans, 5-1. . . . The hosts scored the game’s first four goals to

RYAN GROPP

lead 4-0 before the second period was six minutes old. . . . Gropp, who finished with two goals and two assists, got it started 29 seconds into the first period. . . . Kolesar, who had a goal and three assists, made it 2-0 with No. 10 at 5:12. . . . F Mathew Barzal got his seventh goal at 4:17 of the second period and F Alexander True made it 4-0, on a PP, at 5:39. He’s got 16 goals. . . . Tri-City F Tyler Sandhu scored his 14th goal, on a PP, at 10:16. . . . Gropp scored his 13th goal into an empty net at 16:52 of the third period. . . . Seattle got two assists from D Austin Strand, while Barzal had one helper. . . . Americans D Parker Wotherspoon recorded one assist, the 133rd of his career. That gave him the franchise’s career record for most assists by a defenceman, with one more than Tyler Schmidt (2006-11). . . . Seattle G Rylan Toth stopped 19 shots, 15 fewer than Tri-City’s Beck Warm. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Tri-City was 1-4. . . . The Thunderbirds (29-15-4) have won five in a row. They are third in the U.S. Division, one point behind Tri-City and with five games in hand. . . . The Americans (30-20-3) are six points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . . Each team was playing for the third time in fewer than 48 hours. That included Seattle’s 4-3 victory over host Tri-City on Friday. Seattle went 3-0-0 in the triple header weekend; the Americans were 1-2-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,098.

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At Swift Current, the Prince Albert Raiders scored three PP goals to beat the Broncos, 3-2. . . . The third

MAX MARTIN

of those goals, from D Max Martin, snapped a 2-2 tie with 6.7 seconds left in the third period. Martin has six goals. . . . F Cavin Leth gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead with his 16th goal at 3:13 of the first period. . . . Leth is a Cy Young candidate with 16 goals and three assists in 44 games with Prince Albert since moving over from the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . He has goals in four of his last five games, including four in his last three outings. . . . F Kaden Elder (10) scored on a PP at 11:53 to get the Broncos even, and F Arthur Miller (6) counted at 11:46 of the second period for a 2-1 lead. . . . The Raiders tied it on F Curtis Miske’s 11th goal at 9:07 of the third period. . . . Martin and Miske also had an assist each. . . . G Nic Sanders stopped 27 shots to earn the victory over Jordan Papirny, who made 29 saves. . . . The Raiders were 3-7 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-3. . . . F Logan Barlage, the fourth overall selection in the 2016 bantam draft, played his second game of the season with the Broncos. He turned 16 on Jan. 7. . . . While the Raiders were playing their third game in fewer than 48 hours — they went 2-1-0 — the Broncos hadn’t played since the previous Sunday when they dropped a 6-3 decision to the host Saskatoon Blades. . . . Prince Albert (13-35-5) has won two straight. The Raiders remain in the WHL cellar but now are just one point behind the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Broncos (25-17-8) have dropped four in a row and remain third in the East Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,106.

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MILESTONE MAN! Congrats to Royals' Captain Ryan Gagnon who became the 2nd player in franchise history to play in 300 @TheWHL games tonight! pic.twitter.com/r8p8lAB8bG

— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) January 30, 2017

At Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored four times and added an assist to lead the Royals to a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Royals swept the triple header weekend from the Giants, having won 3-1 in

TYLER SOY

Langley, B.C., on Friday and 7-1 in Victoria on Saturday. . . . F Jack Flaman’s 12th goal 49 seconds into the game gave the Giants a 1-0 lead on Sunday. . . . The Royals took a 2-1 lead on goals from D Scott Walford (5) at 6:07 and Soy at 14:01. . . . Walford has goals in four straight games. . . . Vancouver tied it at 3:50 of the second period as F James Malm scored. . . . Soy, who has 24 goals, then scored three straight goals as the Royals took control. All three came via the PP — at 6:03 and 17:12 of the second period and 16 seconds into the third. . . . Victoria F Carter Folk added his fifth goal, on a PP, at 7:32 of the third period. . . . Malm closed out the scoring with his 17th goal, on a PP, at 10:39. . . . Soy, a 19-year-old from Cloverdale, B.C., has 50 points in 37 games. In his past eight games, he has scored seven times and added 10 assists. He is the third player in Royals history with a four-goal game, joining F Kevin Sundher (Oct. 29, 2011) and F Brandon Magee (Jan. 25, 2013). . . . F Matt Phillips, F Dante Hannoun, D Chaz Reddekopp and F Vladimir Bobylev each had two assists for Victoria. . . . The Giants got two assists from F Calvin Spencer. . . . D Ryan Gagnon, the Royals’ captain, played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . The Royals got 22 saves from Dylan Myskiw, who picked up his first career victory. Myskiw, who was injured before Christmas, was making his first appearance since Dec. 17 and only his second since Nov. 30. . . . G Griffen Outhouse had started the Royals’ previous 23 games as he set a franchise record. . . . Vancouver G Ryan Kubic stopped 36 shots. . . . Victoria was 4-10 on the PP; Vancouver was 1-4. . . . The Royals (29-19-4) have won three straight games. They are third in the B.C. Division, four points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Giants (17-30-4) have lost five in a row (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 5,866.

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina at Saskatoon, 11:30 a.m.

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"I pulled into Nazareth,
I was feelin' about half past dead;
I just need some place where I can lay my head.”

Levon Helm R.I.P.

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David Johnston, the Governor-General of Canada, watches the NHL playoffs and wonders what is happening to our “beautiful game.” He isn’t alone. Read all about his thoughts right here.
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Austria has earned promotion and will compete in the 2013 IIHF World championship in Stockholm and Helsinki. Austria and Slovenia earned promotion at the Division I Group A championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia. . . . Emanuel Viveiros, who played for the Prince Albert Raiders, is the Austrian head coach. Former WHL coach Rob Daum, who coached Linz to the Austrian league championship this season, is on his staff. . . . The Austrian roster included former WHLers Stefan Ulmer and Michael Grabner.
There is more from Ljubljana right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Selkirk College Saints, who play out of Castelgar, B.C., have named Jeff Dubois as their head coach. The Saints play in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League. Dubois takes over from Darrin Kissock, who left after a five-season stint as head coach. Dubois has been the general manager of the Simon Fraser University Clan since 2006. The Clan has been in the BCIHL championship game in each of the past five seasons, winning three of them.
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It’s coming!
The NBA is taking a long, hard look at the possibility of allowing advertising on game uniforms. And you can bet that hockey in North America won’t be far behind.
There’s more right here.
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The Hockey News’ Name of the Year Tournament is down to the final. And it’s between Kane Lafranchise of the ECHL’s Alaska Aces and former WHLer Wacey Rabbit, who plays for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. He was pointless last night in a 5-4 OT victory over the visiting Chicago Wolves. The winner game off the stick of former Brandon Wheat Kings D Colby Robak. . . . If you want to vote for Rabbit, zip on over to right here and get it done. . . . By the way, Rabbit was named after bull-rider Wacey Cathey.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
The Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL) announced the retirement of D Christian Chartier (Saskatoon, Prince George, 1996-2001). Chartier, an assistant captain of the Panther, had five goals and 15 assists in 52 games this season. . . .
G Marek Schwarz (Vancouver, 2004-05) signed a three-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had a 2.91 GAA and a .894 save percentage in 35 games with TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) this season. . . .
F Jeremy Boyer (Seattle, Saskatoon, 2005-10) signed a one-season contract with the Newcastle North Stars (Australia, AIHL). He had 16 goals and 16 assists in 62 games for the Quad City Mallards (Central Hockey League) this season. The AIHL regular season is 24 games long, starting April 28 and ending Aug. 26, and the playoffs are the first weekend in September. Other ex-WHL players playing in Australia include Sydney Bears captain and Australia national team F Michael Schlamp (Saskatoon, 1997-99) and Gold Coast Blue Tongues F Adam Geric (Saskatoon, 2005-07). In addition, the league commissioner is Tyler Lovering (Moose Jaw, 1987-88, 1991-92).
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Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette has written a couple of interesting pieces this week, both of which point out the problem  the NHL is having dealing with concussions. The first, which is right here, deals with what the ‘c’ word means in NHL circles.
The second, which is right here, points out that if players won’t own up to not feeling well, there isn’t much the teams can do.
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Rob Daum, a former WHL coach, has signed a four-year contract with the Black Wings Linz, who have won the Austrian championship for the first time in nine seasons. . . . The contract was announced Wednesday as the Black Wings and their fans celebrated their championship in the city’s main square.
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There is an interesting sidebar to the Austrian league playoffs.
Here it is from a piece on the IIHF website:
“Olimpija Ljubljana was waiting in the second round. The Slovenian team didn’t make new friends and suffered drastic suspensions after deliberately losing a game in the last round of the regular season. The team pulled goalkeeper Matija Pintaric during a shootout in the last game against Red Bull Salzburg so it could avoid playing Salzburg in the quarterfinals.
“The coach and goalie were suspended for several games and the club fined €10,000 for this unsportsmanlike conduct, but their plan seemed to work out as the underdog team faced the supposedly easier team in the first playoff round, Hungarian club Fehervar AV19, and defeated it 4-2.”
Think about that for a moment or two. A team actually pulled its goaltender in the shootout. Amazing!
The Linz story is right here.
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Popeye Jones, the father of Seth Jones, says he expects his son to make a decision on his immediate future once the IIHF U18 world championship is completed later this month in the Czech Republic.
Seth Jones, a highly touted 17-year-old defenceman, is seen as an early first-round pick in the 2013 NHL draft. He played this season with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. His WHL rights are held by the Everett Silvertips and he has said he will play in Everett or at the U of North Dakota next season.
“It’s still very much up in the air right now,” Popeye Jones told Ryan Clark of the Fargo, N.D., Forum. “He wants to focus on the U-18 worlds and he’s been focusing and preparing very hard for that. His decision will probably come after the U-18 worlds. It’s his life and he’s still young. But he’s a pretty mature kid and it’s a decision he needs to make.”
Clark also writes the Slightly Chilled blog and there’s more on this story there. The link is over there on the right.
A few sidebars to the Seth Jones story:
F Miles Koules, a teammate of Jones’ with the USNTDP, also has committed to North Dakota. Koules’ WHL rights moved from Everett to the Medicine Hat Tigers at the trade deadline in January. Koules turns 18 on June 25.
Everett general manager Garry Davidson and head coach Mark Ferner have spent a lot of time on the Jones file in recent weeks. Doug Soetaert, who was fired as Everett’s general manager on Feb. 2, selected Jones with the 11th overall selection in the 2009 bantam draft and had done a lot of work building a relationship with Jones and his family.
One source familiar with the situation has told me that Tri-City Americans general manager Bob Tory tried to cut a deal with Everett that would have given him a 72-hour window in which he would have been allowed to speak with the Jones family. Tory’s attempt was rebuffed. There also are rumours that the Portland Winterhawks are quite interested in acquiring Seth Jones’ WHL rights. (However, the Winterhawks tried hard to land Koules’ rights but Soetaert didn’t want to move him within the U.S. Division.)
Should Everett land Jones and should D Ryan Murray, who is certain to be an early NHL draft pick in June, return to the Silvertips, head coach Mark Ferner would be the happiest man in the world.
In one of the better quotes of this spring, Ferner, in talking with Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald about Murray’s possible return, said:
"The one thing that keeps me optimistic about it is the rumor of a (NHL) lockout. He being 19, he can't go play in the minors. Do I want Ryan to play pro next season? Absolutely. Am I keeping my fingers crossed a little bit and selfishly hoping there's a lockout? Yeah.”
So what does it all mean?
Well, the final words go to a source familiar with the situation, who told me: “Seth is 50-50.”
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When Kometa Brno finished eighth in the Czech Extraliga’s regular season, organizers of the IIHF U18 world championship didn’t give it a second thought. But now Kometa Brno has advanced all the way to the playoff final, so the U18 world championship has undergone a schedule adjustment. According to the IIHF, “Some games will be moved to the other venue, Znojmo, and a third facility in Breclav.” Breclav is located 52 km south of Brno and has a 4,200-seat arena that is home to the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament every summer.
Here’s more info from an IIHF news release:
Game No. 5 (Czech Republic vs. Denmark) on Friday, 13 April will be moved from Brno to Znojmo, new game time: 15:00.
Game No. 6 in Znojmo (Switzerland vs. Latvia), will start at 19:00 instead of 18:00.
The games scheduled in Brno on Saturday, 14 April – No. 7 USA vs. Czech Republic (16:00) and No. 9 Canada vs. Finland (20:00) – will be moved to Breclav. The game times stay the same.
The quarterfinal games on Thursday, 19 April, will be moved from Brno to Breclav: Game No. 21 (A2 vs. B3, at 15:00) and No. 23 (B2 vs. A3, at 19:00). The game times stay the same.
The games of the preliminary round on the opening day (12 April), from 15 to 17 April, the semifinals (20 April), the fifth-place game (21 April) and the medal games (22 April) will be played at the Kajot Arena in Brno as planned.
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The WHL had seven players named to the Canadian team that will play at the aforementioned IIHF U18 world championship. D Damon Severson (Kelowna Rockets), D Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert Raiders), D Mathew Dumba (Red Deer Rebels), F Branden Troock (Seattle Thunderbirds), F Mike Winther (Prince Albert), F Troy Bourke (Prince George Cougars) and F Sam Reinhart (Kootenay Ice) all will play for Canada. . . . The Canadian head coach is Jesse Wallin of Red Deer, while Chris Chisamore, an assistant coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, is the video coach, and Jamie LeBlanc, the Swift Current Broncos’ athletic therapist, is the team’s equipment manager. As well, Roger Castle of the Edmonton Oil Kings is serving as Canada’s education consultant. . . . The Canadian team leaves for Europe today. It will play two pre-tournament games — vs. Germany in Prague on Sunday and vs. the Czech Republic in Brno on Monday.
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The annual Subway Super Series will wrap up in Victoria and Vancouver next season. The series will begin with two games in QMJHL centres on Nov. 5 and 7, then continue in OHL cities on Nov. 8 and 12. Those four host cities have yet to be announced. . . . The game in Victoria is scheduled for Nov. 14, with the series finale in Vancouver on Nov. 15.
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WHL PLAYOFF NOTES:
The Moose Jaw Warriors may have D Travis Brown back for Game 1 against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday. He missed the last three games of Moose Jaw’s five-game first-round victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Medicine Hat F Rhyse Dieno has missed 14 games with a shoulder injury. While he is practising, he hasn’t been cleared to play. D Kale Kessy missed the last two games of the Tigers’ first-round sweep of the Saskatoon Blades and is questionable, as are F Jayden Hart and F Gavin Broadhead, who have yet to play in these playoffs. . . . The last two times the Warriors and Tigers met the scores were 6-0 and 6-0, with each side winning at home. . . .
Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun points out that the WHL office handed out 13 suspensions in the first round; last season, there were 14 suspensions doled out through the entire playoff season. . . . There is a message there somewhere. . . . Henderson also points out that in the first round, home teams held a 21-15 edge. But the Brandon Wheat Kings earned three of those ‘home’ victories while playing in Winnipeg. So you could make a case for home teams being ahead only 18-15. . . .
———
D Griffin Reinhart of the Edmonton Oil Kings has tweaked younger brother Sam again. With Sam having been named to the Canadian U18 team, Griffin tweeted:
“Congrats to my little bro Sam for making the U18 team. Keep your head up though because mom can't protect you anymore.”

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The EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz won the Erste Bank Eishockey Ligas championship on Sunday. That would be the Austrian championship. Former WHL coach Rob Daum is in his first season as head coach of the Black Wings. . . . They beat EC-KAC 3-1 to win the best-of-seven final, 4-1.
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The Tri-City Americans may be without F Marcus Messier (concussion) when they open the second round of playoffs at home to the Spokane Chiefs on Friday night. Messier was injured Wednesday in Game 4 against the host Everett Silvertips when he was hit by F Ryan Harrison in the third period. The Americans won the game to sweep the series. Harrison has since been hit with a ’tbd’ suspension by the WHL. . . . The Americans also are without D Drydn Dow (broken arm) and F Jesse Mychan (severed Achilles tendon).
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G Calvin Pickard (Seattle Thunderbirds) picked up a victory in his first professional start on Sunday, as his Lake Erie Monsters beat the host Texas Stars, 8-4. Pickard stopped 25 shots in the victory. . . . One night earlier, Pickard had come on in relief in the third period of a 4-0 loss to the Stars and stopped all eight shots he saw. . . . The Monsters set a single-game franchise record for goals in game in front of Pickard on Sunday.
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The Kamloops Blazers are expected to add D Jordan Thomson to their roster this week. Thomson was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft. He played this season with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, who play out of Souris, Man., The Cougars lost 5-1 to the Saskatoon Contacts in the final of the Telus Cup West Regional qualifier in Virden, Man., on Sunday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Troy Jutting, the long-time head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks, won’t be back for a 13th season. The school has said he will be reassigned. His contract goes through next season. . . . Jutting has been with the Mankato, Minn., school for 26 years, including 10 as an assistant coach and 12 as head coach.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:
In Spokane, G Eric Williams continued his stellar play, stopping 26 shots as the Chiefs beat the Vancouver Giants, 3-1, in Sunday’s lone WHL playoff game. . . . It also was the last first-round playoff game. The Chiefs, who lost the first two games, won four in a row to win the series, 4-2. . . . It was the first time all season that the Giants lost four in a row. . . . This was the only one of the eight first-round series to go more than five games. . . . The Chiefs will meet the Tri-City Americans in the second round. That series is likely to open Friday in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Williams started the last four games for the Chiefs — the first time he has made four straight starts this season — and was chosen a star in each one. He has a 1.78 GAA and a .930 save percentage. . . . An 18-year-old from Langley, B.C., Williams was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Dec. 28. The Chiefs acquired Williams and F Todd Fiddler, 18, from the Raiders for F Anthony Bardaro, 19, G Luke Lee-Knight, 18, and a 2012 fifth-round bantam draft pick on Dec. 28. . . . While with the Raiders, Williams went the distance in a 4-3 victory over the Giants and was a star that night, too. . . . The Giants got on the board first, with F Cain Franson getting his fifth goal of the series at 1:40 of the first period. . . . The Chiefs tied it at 15:17 of the first when F Mike Aviani scored and took the lead on D Corbin Baldwin’s goal with 3.4 seconds left in the second. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg added insurance with his sixth goal of the series, off a faceoff win by Aviani, at 6:26 of the third. . . . Aviani added two assists to his goal as he was in on all three Spokane goals. . . . The Chiefs were without F Darren Kramer, their captain, who served a one-game suspension. D Brenden Kichton is out with a broken jaw suffered in Game 1. . . . Vancouver played the series without D David Musil (wrist).
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.

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Sunday . . .

 THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Martin Podlesak (Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2000-02) has been assigned on loan to Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic Extraliga) by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic Extraliga). The loan agreement is until the end of October, and Ceske Budejovice has the option to extend the loan until the end of the season. Podlesak had six goals and four assists in 46 games for Sparta last season.
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Former WHL coach Rob Daum is back at the U of Alberta where he is serving as senior director of player personnel. Daum was a long-time Golden Bears head coach before he ventured into the pro game. He spent last season with the Springfield Falcons, then the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. He’ll help Golden Bears head coach Eric Thurston, who lost assistant coaches Russ Hewson and Stan Marple to NAIT where they are coaching the Ooks. . . . Meanwhile, Rocky Thompson, who was dropped as an assistant coach by the Edmonton Oil Kings after last season, is on staff with the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.
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The Saskatoon Blades made a move with their goaltenders on Sunday, assigning Tyler Oswald, 17, to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. That leaves the Blades with three goaltenders on their roster — Steven Stanford, 20; Adam Morrison, 19; and, Adam Iwan, 17. . . . Morrison remains in camp with the Philadelphia Flyers.
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The Red Deer Rebels have assigned F Mason Burr, 16, to the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who play out of Strathmore, Alta. Burr had two assists in four exhibition games with the Rebels. He was a second-round pick, 27th overall, in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . After that move, the Rebels were down to 27 players on their roster, including four players in NHL camps — F Byron Froese (Chicago Blackhawks), G Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota Wild), D Alex Petrovic (Florida Panthers) and D Justin Weller (Phoenix Coyotes).
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F Mark Parrish (Seattle, 1997-98) is in camp with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Parrish, 33, played last season with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and its AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. He didn’t score in 16 NHL games, but had 17 goals in 56 AHL games. His NHL career includes six 20-goal seasons. "He's a guy that can score goals and maybe can supply some depth that we want to take a look at," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told the Buffalo News. "He's been a goal scorer at the NHL level so we're taking a look."
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The Washington Capitals returned G Brandon Anderson, 18, to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday. He was in the Capitals’ camp on a free-agent tryout deal.
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F Jason Jaffray (Kootenay, Swift Current, 1998-2002) suffered what appears to be a serious knee injury during a Saturday scrimmage in the camp of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. According to Lindsay Kramer of the Syracuse Post-Standard, “An MRI showed a MCL sprain and also an ACL tear to his left knee. He will be examined Tuesday to determine his exact treatment plan.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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