If you are one of the folks waiting to get a copy of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, I am told that the second printing arrived in the Toronto warehouse late last week and books are on the way into stores.
So please keep checking with your favourite bookstore.
I also was told that Costco placed an order.
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Headline in the Vancouver Sun: ’Hawks flogged for bending it like Beckham
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D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks has told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald that he was “devastated” when the Everett Silvertips fired general manager Doug Soetaert in February.
Jones, who is likely to be the first or second selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft (if there is one), was selected by Everett with the 11th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. However, he chose not to report and was traded to Portland.
"I had a really good connection with Doug Soetaert and the head coach that was here (Craig Hartsburg)," Jones, 18, told Patterson. "They both are gone, so I didn't feel like I had a connection with the new guys here."
Jones also told Patterson: "I have nothing against Everett. Doug was a great guy. He came down to Dallas to visit me a couple times the past couple years. When he got fired I was devastated, to be honest with you. He was a really nice guy and a great influence for me to come here. He left and things kind of changed.”
Patterson’s complete story is right here.
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If you haven’t seen the Merry Christmas video put together by the Calgary Hitmen, it’s right here.
And, yes, that is general manager Kelly (Boots Randolph) Kisio on the sax.
My good wife says it's “awesome.” But I’m thinking she may have been referring to the shower scene.
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The Czech Republic national junior team has released the roster for a selection camp that begins Dec. 15 in Rokycany. That roster includes three WHLers — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer, D Marek Hrbas of Kamloops and D David Musil of Edmonton. . . . Not on that roster are F Matej Stransky of Saskatoon and D Richard Nedomlel of Swift Current.
Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen is on Finland’s roster, while Calgary F Victor Rask is on Sweden’s roster.
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The OHL’s Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds fired head coach Mike Stapleton on Monday. They replaced him with Sheldon Keefe, who won five straight CCHL championships (2007-11) with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
The Greyhounds are 13-14-2 and in third place in the West Division.
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In the QMJHL, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have fired Ron Choules, their general manager and head coach. He ran the team’s Monday afternoon practice and then was relieved of his duties. . . . Choules was in his second season as head coach; he had been GM since October when Pierre Roux was fired. . . . Marc-André Dumont is the Screaming Eagles’ new GM/head coach. He spent three seasons as head coach of the Val-d’Or Foreurs before being fired in October with the team at 4-6-0. . . . Cape Breton is 7-17-6 and is 16th in the 18-team league’s overall standings. It has lost its last seven games.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds announced Monday that F Tyler Alos, 19,  has retired from hockey. For some reason, the Thunderbirds news release make no mention of why Also retired, but it’s due to post-concussion syndrome. “He has been advised by doctors against returning to the ice this season,” Seattle GM Russ Farwell said in a news release. . . . According to the news release, Alos will stay with the club and assist the Thunderbirds. . . . A native of Spokane, he had 56 points, including 19 goals, in 201 games over four seasons.
This would be a good time to provide a link to a story from Monday’s edition of The New York Times.
“The growing evidence of a link between head trauma and long-term, degenerative brain disease was amplified in an extensive study of athletes, military veterans and others who absorbed repeated hits to the head, according to new findings published in the scientific journal Brain,” writes Ken Belson.
“The study, which included brain samples taken posthumously from 85 people who had histories of repeated mild traumatic brain injury, added to the mounting body of research revealing the possible consequences of routine hits to the head in sports like football and hockey. The possibility that such mild head trauma could result in long-term cognitive impairment has come to vex sports officials, team doctors, athletes and parents in recent years.”
The complete story is right here and it’s a must read.
And while you’re there click on the interactive link and check out the slides of various brains.
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The Saskatoon Blades made a couple of trades on Monday. . . . The dealt D Brett Lernout, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, to the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Then they dealt a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Prince Albert Raiders for D Shayne Gwinner, 18. Gwinner had one goal in nine games with the Raiders but left the team last month. Last season, Gwinner had 11 points in 51 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Gwinner, from Drumheller, was acquired by the Raiders from the Warriors on July 6 for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a sixth-rounder in 2014. . . . Lernout was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.
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The Saskatoon Blades were hit with a $750 fine after being involved in their second line brawl of the season on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Brett Stovin (shoulder) was involved in a full practice Monday, the first time that has happened since he was injured on Nov. 10. . . . However, Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower (concussion) skated prior to practice and left the ice after about 15 minutes. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who has missed six games since take a puck in the fce on Nov. 16 in Cranbrook, hopes to return Friday. He’ll wear a full shield. The Wheat Kings are 0-5-1 without him in the lineup. . . .
Cougars F Colin Jacobs has been suspended for six games after being penalized for a headshot on Victoria Royals F Luke Harrison on Friday in Prince George. Harrison is out with a concussion. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders are at home tonight to the Spokane Chiefs. Prince Albert F Jonas Knutsen (Norway) and F Leon Draisaitl (Germany) leave after tonight’s game to join their national junior teams. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have brought in D Micheal Zipp, 16, for the remainder of this season. He was pointless in nine games with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Zipp, from Edmonton, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Silvertips lost D Ryan Murray (shoulder), traded D Griffin Foulk to the Seattle Thunderbirds, and are about to lose D Mirco Mueller to the Swiss junior team. So there was room on the roster for a defenceman.
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From former WHLer Spencer Asuchak (@Asuchak16): “Would love to hear someone explain how the best player in the @thewhl didn't get invited to world jr camp. @blazerhockey #smith”
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From former WHL scoring champ Tyler Redenbach (@tredenbach18): “@Asuchak16 maybe his parents got a free flight from the team and Ron Robison wouldn't let him go #dubproblems also you notice 0 NCAA players”
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From D Shayne Gwinner (@gwins32), who was dealt by Prince Albert to Saskatoon yesterday: “Well that was unexpected #Blades”
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From Seattle Thunderbirds F Justin Hickman (@jhick9): “Tough to see @tyler_alos13 have to hang em up but we know the kid will be red hot behind the bench #heartandsoul #loveyou #too early”

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What really killed Bill Masterton?

Let’s start off with today’s good read.
It’s from the Toronto Star and written by Rob Cribb and Randy Starkman, who try to answer the question: What really killed Bill Masterton?
Masterton is the only player in NHL history whose death has been linked to an on-ice incident during a game.
Here is one paragraph from the story:
“A Star investigation has uncovered evidence that an earlier, untreated concussion was likely responsible for Masterton’s death at the age of 29.”
If you read one story today, make it this one. It is riveting. And given the prominence of concussions in today’s dialogue, it is terribly relevant.
It’s right here.
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During the 17 years I spent in Regina, I always looked forward to running into Ed Staniowski, who was the goaltender when the Regina Pats won the 1974 Memorial Cup. He always had a smile on his face and a story to tell, usually from his latest military-based trip. No one has a better understanding of the history of the Memorial Cup than does Staniowski. Bob Duff of the Windsor Star caught up with Staniowski and filed this column.
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THE COACHING GAME: Ron Choules is the new head coach of the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. GM Pierre Roux made the announcement on Friday. Choules replaces Mario Durocher, who was fired as GM/head coach early in April. Choules is no stranger to the QMJHL, having served as head coach of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. He was an assistant coach with the Canadian team that won the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial U-18 tournament. . . . The BCHL’s Merritt Centennials have signed Joe Martin to a two-year deal as assistant GM/assistant coach. Martin, who will work under Luke Pierce, the GM and head coach, had been GM/head coach of the junior B Creston Valley Thundercats, who play in the Kootenay International junior league.
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In case you missed it, it would seem that the Everett Silvertips might soon be in the market for a head coach.
The rather well-connected Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted Friday afternoon: “Lots of talk out there that Craig Hartsburg will be leaving Everett of WHL to return to NHL bench, likely alongside Brent Sutter in CGY.”
Earlier in the month, Hartsburg’s name came up with regards to the head-coaching vacancy with the Minnesota Wild.
Should Hartsburg leave — he has been the head coach for two seasons — it would leave three WHL teams with head-coaching vacancies. The Moose Jaw Warriors and Seattle Thunderbirds are both in the process of making changes.
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JUST NOTES: F Kris Foucault of the Calgary Hitmen has signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Foucault played out his junior eligibility this season, earning 48 points in 65 games. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft. . . . There were reports Friday evening that the QMJHL’s Lewiston Maineiacs’ franchise will be dissolved next week as the league holds its annual draft. The franchise would then be relocated to Sherbrooke, Que.
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Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun sums up this year’s Memorial Cup with one word — “whacked.” Read about it right here.
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The carriage turned into a pumpkin for the Kootenay Ice on Friday as its Memorial Cup dream ended with a 3-1 loss to the host team, the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.
The Majors got their first goal, via the PP, in the game’s first two minutes and never trailed. F Devante Smith-Pelly scored the Majors’ first two goals.
The CHL will hand out its awards today.
The tournament final, featuring the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs and the Majors will be played Sunday. Game times if 7 p.m. ET.
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In Houston, the host Houston Aeros scored three third-period goals and beat the Binghamton Senators in Game 1 of the AHL’s best-of-seven Calder Cup final. F Colton Gillies (Saskatoon, 2004-08) had two assists, with F Warren Peters (Saskatoon, 1997-2003) putting it away with the empty-netter. . . . Binghamton went into the game having won eight straight on the road. . . . Game 2 is tonight in Houston.
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In the Central league, the host Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs got a goal  from former WHLer Steven Crampton and beat the Colorado Eagles 2-1 in Game 7 of the final. . . . That gave the Mudbugs the CHL championship and the Presidents’ Cup. . . . The Eagles have been in five of the last seven finals, winning in 2005 and 2007, but losing in 2008 and 2009. . . . Crampton opened the scoring at 2:58 of the first period. . . . Adam Chorneyko, another former WHLer, scored for the Eagles with 1:04 left in the third period. . . . Scott Muscutt, the Mudbugs' coach for 11 seasons, said after the game that he won't return for a 12th season.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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