Stewart to Scotland; Tookey to Hall of Fame

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D David Hajek (Spokane, 1998-99) has signed an extension through the end of this season with Dresden (Germany, DEL2). His initial contract expired on Dec. 1. Both contracts were "financed through a unique fan campaign." This season, Hajek has 10 points, including two goals, in 13 games.
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F Liam Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs is to leave on the weekend for Dumfries, Scotland, where he will play for Great Britain at the IIHF U20 world championship (Division I Group B). . . . The tournament runs Dec. 9-15. . . . Stewart, the son of actress/model Rachel Hunter and music legend Rod Stewart, is in his third season with the Chiefs. He has 13 points, including five goals, in 24 games. . . . Liam was born in London and has a British passport, although he was raised in the U.S., and now calls Hermosa Beach, Calif., home. . . . Stewart is expected to rejoin the Chiefs after the Christmas break, in time to face the host Kootenay Ice on Dec. 27.
A Tuesay afternoon tweet from Rachel Hunter (@rachelhunterx): “Sunday I will be in Dumfries Scotland ... Watchin Great Britain.... @liamstewart11 @ New Zealand.”
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Tim Tookey, an Edmonton native who played three seasons (1977-80) with the Portland Winterhawks, was inducted into the Hershey Bears’ Hall of Fame on Sunday. . . . Chris Fidler of the Lebanon Daily News has more right here.
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So . . . there was a trade in the OHL on Tuesday that had two players moving from the Windsor Spitfires to the Guelph Storm in exchange for one player and eight draft picks. Yes, eight draft picks! . . . The Storm, which obviously is all-in on this season, acquired F Kerby Rychel, the son of Windsor GM Warren Rychel and the Spitfires’ captain, and D Nick Ebert, in the process giving up F Brody Milne, Guelph’s second-round draft picks in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, Guelph’s fourth-round pick in 2015 and a 15th-round pick in 2017, as well as Kitchener’s third-round pick in 2016 and Windsor’s fourth-round pick in 2014. . . . (Why all the second-rounders? in the OHL, teams aren’t allowed to trade first-round picks). . . . Wouldn’t you have loved to have been the fly on the wall when this monstrosity was being put together? . . . Rychel, a first-round selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL’s 2013 draft, has 39 points, including 16 goals, in 27 games this season. . . . Ebert was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL draft.
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Former NHL enforcer Gino Odjick is in the psychiatric unit of a hospital in Gatineau, Que., as he tries to get a handle on his life. Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun writes: “Odjick and close friends blame his health problems on concussions suffered while playing hockey and serving as an enforcer who frequently got involved in on-ice fights.” . . . That story is right here but be forewarned that it’s a tough read.
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The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs have been hit by a lawsuit filed by five former players “who are hoping to learn what the team knew about concussions, and when it was known. They are seeking undisclosed financial damages,” writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. . . . That story is right here.
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TUESDAY:
In Calgary, the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s first two goals but gave up the last five and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Hitmen. . . . F Rhyse Dieno, with his 11th, and F Dominik Volek, with his 13th, both via the PP, gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead by the time the game was 1:07 old. . . . The Hitmen tied it before the end of the period and F Chase Lang’s first goal, at 5:54 of the second, stood up as the winner. . . . Lang also drew an assist, on F Linden Penner’s first WHL goal in his 19th game, 18 of them this season. . . . Calgary D Jaylen Rissling took an instigator minor, fighting major and game misconduct at game’s end. . . . The Hitmen held a 40-18 edge in shots. . . . Calgary (16-7-4) has won three in a row. . . . The Rebels (13-14-2) have lost two straight and are two points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Everett, F Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal, his 24th, and two assists as the Portland Winterhawks doubled the Silvertips, 6-3. . . . The victory allowed the Winterhawks (21-5-3) to move atop the WHL’s overall standings, a point ahead of Everett (20-5-4), which had won five straight. Portland is 5-0-1 in its last six and 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . . These were the first teams to 20 victories this season; the Kelowna Rockets won their 20th game last night. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist ran his point streak to 18 games with two goals — he’s got 23 — the first coming via the PP at 3:57 of the first. . . . Winquist has 40 points, including 16 goals, during his 18-game tear. . . . Portland then scored the next five goals to take control. . . . Portland D Keoni Texeira had two assists in his first multi-point game. . . . Winterhawks F Taylor Leier scored his 20th goal of the season. . . . Winterhawks G Brendan Burke stopped 35 shots in posting his 50th career victory. He is 50-11-6. . . . Portland now heads out on an Alberta swing that opens Friday in Edmonton against the Oil Kings. These teams met in the last two WHL finals, each winning once.

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased 2-1 and 3-2 deficits and beat the Vancouver Giants 4-3 in OT. . . . D Damon Severson got the winner at 2:36 of extra time. He’s got seven goals. . . . This was the first of eight meetings between these two teams. . . . The Rockets (20-3-2) boast the WHL’s best winning percentage (.840). Portland (.776) is next. . . . Kelowna trails the Winterhawks by three points but has four games in hand. . . . The Giants are 5-0-5 in their last 10. . . . At 12-11-7, the Giants hold down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. They are five points ahead of the idle Prince George Cougars (11-16-4). . . . F Cain Franson scored twice for Vancouver, giving him 10. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen forced OT with his ninth goal at 19:43 of the third. That goal came just 20 seconds after F Alex Baer had given Vancouver a 3-2 lead with his fourth goal. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke turned aside 29 shots in running his record to 15-1-2. In his fourth season, the Leduc, Alta., native is 68-28-10. . . . F Tyson Baillie had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Rockets. . . .

In Victoria, G Coleman Vollrath stopped 25 shots to help the Royals to a 3-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . That was the first career shutout for Vollrath, an 18-year-old from Calgary in his second season. He has a 1.88 GAA, .942 save percentage and 6-2-1 record as he backs up Patrik Polivka. . . . The Royals were 2-for-3 on the PP, with their other goal coming while shorthanded. . . . F Logan Nelson had a goal, his 12th, and an assist, while D Brett Cote had two assists. . . . The game might have featured a brother act, with F Mitch Skaspki in Victoria’s lineup, but his brother, G Mackenzie, was on the Ice’s bench in support of Wyatt Hoflin, who stopped 16 shots. . . . The Royals (19-11-1) are 8-2-0 in their last 10 and are fourth in the Western Conference. . . . The Ice, which has been shut out four times this season, will catch a morning ferry and play in Vancouver tonight. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash, the Tri-City Americans scored two PP goals as they beat the Saskatoon Blades, 3-1. . . . The Americans scored three first-period goals, the first two on the PP. . . . F Taylor Vickerman, who is from Kennewick, scored his second goal to get the Americans started. It was his first goal since returning to the lineup three games ago. He sat out 25 games with an injury. . . . Tri-City F Phil Tot had two assists. . . . The Blades are 0-4 in their swing through the U.S. Division. The tour concludes tonight in Spokane.
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From Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Current WHLers Alex Delnov and Nikita Scherbak not invited to Russia's WJC camp, but ex-Winterhawk Kirill Vorobev is going.”
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From Meghan Calder (@CalderMeghan): “@Reid Nemeth of the @WHLHurricanes is a keeper. He’s shovelled my driveway twice in 24 hours. Thank you!”
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From Portland Winterhawks F Brendan Leipsic (@bleipsic): “First time being champagned showered in the penalty box tonight #RainingBeers"

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Pray for Keaton

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Matt Keith (Spokane, Red Deer, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had no points in four games with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and seven goals and 21 assists in 37 games with Dornbirn (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) last season. . . .



D Ivan Baranka (Everett, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and six assists in 43 games with Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL) last season.
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Here’s some news you were waiting for: I was in Costco in Kamloops on Friday. Some Christmas wrapping paper is available, as are a couple of Christmas trees. . . . Sorry, shoppers, but no Christmas carols yet.
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Bob Robson, who had a lot to do with the Prince Albert Raiders and their history in that Saskatchewan community, died a week ago. There’s more right here from the Prince Albert Daily Herald.
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The National Post has discovered Liam Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs. Actually, Sean Fitz-Gerald, one of the NP’s writers, has discovered that Stewart’s parents are model/actress Rachel Hunter and singer Rod Stewart. . . . Liam, of course, is a forward with the Spokane Chiefs who has been named to Great Britain’s preliminary roster for the IIHF’s Division 1B world championship tournament in December. . . . “It’s amazing how one guy can get us so much exposure,” a laughing Pete Russell, Great Britain’s head coach, told FitzGerald. . . . That story is right here. . . . While the package includes a still photo of Hunter, along with a music video in which she starred (Fountains of Wayne and the, uhh, catchy Stacy’s Mom), and there is a video of Liam’s Chiefs highlights, sorry, Rod, but there isn’t a photo or video that includes you.
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Here’s a nugget from Greg Douglas’s Saturday column in the Vancouver Sun:
“There had been speculation that (Dan) Russell might surface as play-by-play announcer for the Vancouver Giants but that was snuffed out when the Giants let it be known that Blake Price and Brendan Bachelor of Team 1040 would be sharing the team’s broadcasts this year. Bachelor, who did the play-by-play with the Surrey Eagles last season, will work the majority of the Giants’ road games. It appears 1040s Jeff Paterson is the odd man out of the hockey club’s broadcasting mix.”
For Douglas’s complete column, click right here. He spells out the latest changes on the Vancouver sports radio scene.
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F Brenden Walker, who captained the Saskatoon Blades last season, has signed on as a free agent with the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Walker, who is from Brandon, used up his junior eligibility last season. The Blades had acquired him from the Brandon Wheat Kings during the summer. . . . Walker had 76 points, including 33 goals, in 72 regular-season games with the Blades. In his career, he put up 228 points, 93 of them goals, in 269 games.
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From Brent Parker (@Patguy65): “That guys on the call in show sure made some well thought out intelligent comments....said nobody ever! Put the phone down people!”
Yes, Parker lives in Regina. Yes, the Saskatchewan Roughriders lost, 42-27, to the Stampeders in Calgary.
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And now to put everything in perspective, here’s a Friday tweet from Dana Dirks (@chug48), who scouts for the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals:
“Need a lot of positive thoughts and prayers from you all. We just found out my 3 year old son needs a heart transplant. #prayforkeaton.”


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Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports right here on Edmonton Oil Kings general manager Bob Green, who discovered over the summer that he has Type 2 diabetes.
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D Kate Pilton has left the Regina Pats and returned home Pilton, 18, told the team Sunday that he was leaving. “It wasn’t out of left field,” Regina head coach Pat Conacher told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “We had talked previously about it. He was going back and forth (about what to do). He wasn’t satisfied where he was as far as his contribution as a player. He gave it his best shot. He didn’t want to bring himself down and the team down at the same time. His heart wasn’t in it. Not because he was a bad kid. It just looked like he lost his mojo for the game.” . . . The Pats had acquired Pilton from the Victoria Royals on Sept. 13, giving up F Demico Hannoun, 17, and a conditional 2014 third-round bantam draft pick. . . . Pilton, 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, had two goals and an assist in 27 games with the Pats. . . . Harder reports that the Pats, who have lost seven in a row, are down to five defencemen. Colton Jobke (hand) is gone until after Christmas. Luke Fenske (wrist) has missed three games. Tye Hand (undisclosed) was hurt in Saturday’s 9-0 loss to the Blades in Saskatoon.
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The Saskatoon Blades, who visit the Wheat Kings in Brandon tonight, have added F Drake Bodie and G Patrick Johnson to their lineup. . . . Bodie had been with the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines. He has 15 points in 17 games. . . . Johnson, 19, has been playing for the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs. He will back up Alex Moodie with starter Andrey Makarov having joined the Russian national junior team. Makarov has started the Blades’ last 24 games. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix points out that Makarov has started every Blades game going back to March 4. . . . Nugent-Bowman also reports that the Blades will be without F Nick Zajac for up to six weeks and F Brett Stovin for anywhere up to three weeks with undisclosed injuries. . . .
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It seems that F Eric Walker, 19, is on his way to join the Portland Winterhawks.
Walker, who has been with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs, tweeted Monday night: “Couldnt be more excited for this opportunity, thanks to everybody with @AVBulldogs, wasn’t a long time but was definitely a good time!”
Walker had eight assists in 16 games with the Bulldogs.
He played 16 games with the Vancouver Giants in 2011-12, before being dealt to the Swift Current Broncos. He played 23 games with the Broncos last season and three this season.
In 42 WHL games, he has three assists and 51 penalty minutes.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Spokane F Liam Stewart (@LiamStewart11): “That awkward moment when you walk into the mall and your dads Christmas album is playing... #1intheworld baby congrats dad! @rod Stewart”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Brad Schell (Spokane, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract after a successful tryout with Dornbirn (Austria, Nationalliga). He had five goals and five assists in six games during his tryout period. . . .
F Jakub Klepis (Portland, 2001-02) was placed on waivers by Salavat Yulayev Ufa (Russia, KHL) for the purpose of sending him to their minor league affiliate, Toros Neftekamsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga). However, three KHL clubs put in claims — Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk and OHK Dynamo Moscow (all Russia, KHL). In the KHL, multiple claims made on players placed on waivers before Nov. 15 are decided based on the final standings from last season. Under this rule, Metallurg Novokuznetsk won the waiver claim but, according to Metallurg GM Leonid Vaisfeld, Klepis was never in their plans. Metallurg then traded Klepis to OHK Dynamo Moscow in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Klepis had three goals and two assists in 15 games with Salavat Yulayev this season. . . . As a side note, former NHL F Robert Nilsson also was placed on waivers at the same time as Klepis but he went unclaimed and will report to Toros.
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SOME FRIDAY LEFTOVERS: Head coach Jim Hiller picked up his 100th victory with the Tri-City Americans on Friday as they posted a 1-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 17 shots for his first career shutout in that one. . . . According to an Americans’ news release, Hiller is the third coach in franchise history to get to 100 victories. “He is also the fastest coach to reach the mark,” reads the released, “doing it in just 157 games (.659 winning percentage). It took Bob Loucks (103 wins) 207 games to reach the mark while Don Nachbaur, Tri-City’s all-time coaching wins leader (229), got his 100th win in game No. 236.” . . . If you missed it Friday night, Shaun Clouston’s Medicine Hat Tigers beat brother Cory’s Brandon Wheat Kings 5-2 in the Gas City. Cory still holds a 4-2 edge in the matchup of coaching brothers. . . . Medicine Hat F Kellan Tochkin returned to the Tigers’ lineup in that one. He hadn’t played since Thanksgiving Day when he suffered an upper body injury (concussion?) as he was punched in the head by Kamloops Blazers D Josh Caron. . . . The Vancouver Giants scored six PP goals in beating the visiting Victoria Royals, 8-1. . . .
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NOW THAT WE’RE CAUGHT UP: Bob Ridley, the venerable radio voice of the Medicine Hat Tigers, was heard to say during a Saturday night broadcast that there is an “entirely good possibility” that the Gas City boys and the Kamloops Blazers could meet in the WHL playoffs. That, of course, would mean they are in the WHL final. . . . F Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting has the OHL scoring lead after putting up three points on Saturday. The Russian, who is eligible for the 2012 NHL draft, has 29 points in 13 games. . . .
F Liam Stewart of the Spokane Chiefs scored his first WHL goal on Saturday, as he knocked a puck out of midair and into the net. It came in his sixth game and helped the Chiefs to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . This is the last time that this blog will mention that Stewart is the son of model/actress Rachel Hunter and rocker Rod Stewart. Now that he’s on the board, he’s Liam Stewart and he might as well be the son of a Prairie farmer. OK? . . . That was Spokane’s sixth straight victory and was the fifth game in a row in which the Chiefs came from behind to win. . . . The Chiefs also have won seven straight on home ice. . . . Everett F Ryan Chynoweth, the grandson of the late Ed Chynoweth, the longtime WHL president, picked up an assist for his first WHL point. He is the son of Jeff Chynoweth, the Kootenay Ice’s president and general manager. . . .
On the MSG-TV telecast of last night’s game between Edmonton and the New York Rangers, Oilers president Kevin Lowe said, according to a tweet from @EJHradek_NHL: “I’d be shocked if (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) goes back, but we’ll make that decision in a week or two.” . . . The Nuge scored again last night and added an assist. He played 16:04 in a 2-0 victory over the visiting New York Rangers. . . . He has a team-high five goals. Sorry, Red Deer! Sorry, Canada!! . . . F Tyler Giebel, 18, who had six points in 49 games with the Everett Silvertips last season, has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. Giebel, who is from Regina, was pointless in eight games with Everett this season when he was released. . . .
Brandon F Mark Stone ran his season-opening point streak to 13 games as he scored once in the Wheat Kings’ 4-2 victory over the host Lethbridge Hurricanes last night. Stone leads the WHL scoring race with 28 points. . . . Brandon finished its seven-game road trip, which included five stops in the U.S., at 4-3-0. . . . The Hurricanes now has lost 11 in a row. . . . The Moose Jaw Warriors dropped a 2-1 decision to the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook last night. The Warriors dropped three one-goal decisions over the previous four days. . . .
Tri-City G Eric Comrie, 16, put up his second shutout in as many nights Saturday as the Americans beat the Cougars 1-0 in Prince George. Comrie, who stopped 17 shots in a 1-0 victory on Friday, turned aside 30 shots last night. . . . In both games, Comrie bettered former Americans G Drew Owsley. . . . According to Dan Mulhausen of the Americans, Comrie is “the first Americans goaltender to ever win consecutive 1-0 games, and the first 16-year-old goaltender in the franchise’s history to record back-to-back shutout victories.  Current Montreal Canadiens’ G Carey Price had three straight shutouts in December 2004, but he was 17 at the time.” . . . Mulhausen also reports that this was the eighth time in Tri-City history that it has won back-to-back games via shutout. Owsley and Price each did it twice, while Chet Pickard (Jan. 30-31, 2009), Jeff Blair (Feb. 20-26, 1999), David Trofimenkoff (Feb. 26-28, 1995) and Lance Leslie (Feb. 16-20, 1993) also did it. . . .
Former Kamloops/Regina D Victor Bartley scored the winning goal last night as the Milwaukee Admirals beat the Heat 3-1 in an AHL game in Abbotsford. It was his first goal and came in his fifth game. . . . The highlight of Saturday night? Watching the third period of the Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings — sorry, Jon Rosen, missed you in the intermission — and seeing Yvon Barrette in the nosebleeds with the commoners. He even did the “Who howns the Chiefs?” line when interviewed. Perhaps you know him better as goaltender Denis Lemieux from Slap Shot. . . . Going into Sunday games, 15 of the WHL’s 22 teams boast a winning percentage of .500 or better.
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Will the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning keep F Brett Connolly or return him to the Prince George Cougars? John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times has the latest right here.
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Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reported via Twitter last night that “Justin Bieber went for a little twirl with Selena Gomez at MTS Centre” after the Winnipeg Jets game.
If you were wondering, both were wearing Jets jersey. Bieber, who put on a concert in the ’Peg on Friday, wore No. 6, while she wore No. 9.
And you thought the Biebs was a basketballer!
Hmmm! Gotta wonder if Biebs and his gal pal might be interesting in owning a WHL franchise in the Manitoba capital? Why not? Michael Buble owns a chunk of the Vancouver Giants.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix has written a solid story on Colton Stephenson, who has ended his WHL career because of post-concussion syndrome. That piece is right here.
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So . . . did a junior A team’s players have to run laps outdoors after returning home from a road game in which they blew a 4-0 third-period lead? Could it be that old-time hockey is back in Nanaimo, at least off the ice?
Philip Wolf of the Nanaimo Daily News tried to find out. He didn’t seem to get any denials for the piece that is right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Cory Flett, the WHL’s director, communications:
“It is seems that 'parody' could be the #WHL buzz word thus far this season, each team has at least 3 losses, except Spokane with 2.”
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For today’s good read, we bring you Hockey World, the weekly compilation by the Jim Matheson, the Edmonton Journal’s Hockey Hall of Famer. It’s right here and it’s about two cups of coffee in length. Enjoy!

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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