Showing posts with label Ross Lupaschuk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ross Lupaschuk. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jesse Schultz (Tri-City, Prince Albert, Kelowna, 1999-2003) signed a one-year plus option contract with Milano Rossoblu (Italy, Serie A). He had 24 goals and 40 assists in 49 games with Rapid City Rush (CHL) last season. . . .
D Kyle Cumiskey (Kelowna, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien). He had six goals and 23 assists in 57 games with Syracuse Crunch (AHL) last season. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 10 goals and 17 assists in 38 games last season with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) before transferring to Jokerit Helsinki (Finland, SM-Liiga), where he had one goal and three assists in 15 games. . . .
Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga) announced the signing of D Dustin Kohn (Calgary, Brandon, 2003-07) and F Matt Keith (Spokane, Red Deer, 1998-2003) to one-year contracts. Kohn and Keith both played for Örebro (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season; Kohn had five assists in 38 games, while Keith notched 11 goals and 16 assists in 52 games. . . .
F Joni Lindlöf (Kelowna, Lethbridge, 2002-04) signed a one-year plus option contract with Nyköping (Sweden, Allsvenskan). In 33 games with Kristianstad (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season, Lindlöf had eight goals and four assists.
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Remember that story from last week that appeared in the Michigan Daily that claimed the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers had cut a $200,000 deal to land D Jacob Trouba?
Well, it seems that the Rangers have filed suit against the Daily and reporter Matt Slovin.
"It's not a threat anymore," Rangers chief operating officer and governor Steve Bienkowski told the Waterloo Region Record on Monday. "We served the newspaper and the writer there to either back it up or retract it."
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THE COACHING GAME:
Chad Kletzel is the new assistant coach with the Kootenay Ice. Kletzel signed a two-year contract with a club option for a third season. He replaces Todd Johnson, who left to take over as head coach of the U of Regina Cougars. . . . Kletzel is a former WHL player (Edmonton Ice, 1996-97; Lethbridge Hurricanes, 1997-99). Ryan McGill, the Ice’s new head coach, was on Edmonton’s coaching staff in 1996-97. . . . Kletzel, 32, later played three seasons with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns while earning two degrees (bachelor of arts in kinesiology and a bachelor of education). . . . Last season, he was the head coach of a midget AAA team in Lethbridge. . . . The Ice also announced that assistant coach Jerry Bancks is returning for a third season. . . .
The Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, has re-signed head coach Todd Nelson and assistant coaches Gerry Fleming and Rocky Thompson. . . . All three are former WHL players and all are going into their third seasons with the Barons. . . .
Ross Yates has signed on as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. Yates, 53, is a former head coach of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. . . . In Saint John, he will work alongside GM/head coach Mike Kelly.


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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Red Deer Rebels will be wearing special jerseys on Saturday
when they meet the visiting Calgary Hitmen.
THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jakub Sindel (Brandon, 2004-05) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Ässät Pori (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had two assists in five games with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A), one goal in 21 games with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL), and three assists in 11 games with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga) this season. . . .
F Jan Fadrny (Brandon, Kelowna, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had 13 goals and 25 assists in 26 games for Königsbrunn (Germany, Regionalliga) this season. . . .
F Brad Schell (Spokane, 1999-2004) was released by Dornbirn (Austria, Nationalliga). He had 18 goals and 32 assists in 27 games for Dornbirn this season. Schell was released to open a import roster slot for former NHL and AHL F Scott Barney. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Jokerit Helsinki (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 10 goals and 17 assists in 38 games with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .
F Kyle Bruce (Kamloops, Prince Albert, Vancouver, 1999-2004) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had two goals and 11 assists in 26 games with the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite) this season. . . .
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) signed a contract for the rest of this season with SønderjyskE Vojens (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). He had three goals and 12 assists in 39 games with Rögle (Sweden, Allsvenskan) this season. . . .
D Jason Beckett (Seattle, 1997-2000) was released Monday by Kallinge/Rommeby (Sweden, Division 1). He had two goals and three assists in 32 games with Kallinge/Ronneby this season. . . . On Tuesday, Beckett signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västervik (Sweden, Division 2). . . .
F Jaroslav Kristek (Tri-City, 1998-2000) was assigned on loan by Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) to Kosice (Slovakia, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had eight goals and six assists in 36 games for Lev this season. . . .
G Tyler Plante (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Djurgården Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien). He started the season with the San Antonio Rampage (AHL), playing two games with a 3.14 GAA and a .899 save percentage. Plante also appeared in four games with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), registering a 2.65 GAA and a .896 save percentage. After being released by Florida Panthers, he signed on with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan). There, he had a 3.00 GAA and a .899 save percentage in six games. . . .
F Milan Kytnar (Kelowna, Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2007-10) was assigned on loan by the Edmonton Oilers to HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, SM-Liiga) for the rest of this season. He had one goal and two assists in 13 games with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL), five goals and three assists in 14 games with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL) and was pointless in one game with the Oilers this season.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
Why does the WHL not shut down for the CHL Top Prospects Game? Your ticket buyers are denied watching a number of your best players over the Christmas/New Year season because of the various international assignments. So why not shut down for three days while the TPG and its skills competition are being held and give the ticket-buying public a break?
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THE COACHING GAME:
Lonny Bohonos (Moose Jaw, Seattle, Portland, 1991-94) is the new head coach of the Thunder Bay North Stars of the junior A Superior International league. Bohonos was named interim head coach following the firing of Todd Howarth. . . . Howarth stepped down, citing personal reasons. He had been the head coach since 2002-03. . . . Bohonos, who is from Winnipeg, has lived in Thunder Bay since 2006, where he has coached in the Thunder Bay Kings organization. . . . The North Stars are 22-15-5 and in third place.
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JUST NOTES:
The Red Deer Rebels have hooked up with Finning Canada for a Saturday promotion to benefit KidSport in Central Alberta. The Rebels will wear special sweaters for Saturday’s game against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. The sweaters will be part of a silent auction to be held during the game. . . . According to a Rebels’ news release: “The silent auction will begin when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. It will conclude, at the latest, by the end of the first period intermission. There will be a limit of one jersey per fan, and each jersey will have a ‘buy now’ price. After the game, each player will sign his jersey before presenting it to the person who made the successful bid.” . . .
The Saskatoon Blades have added D Nelson Nogier, 15, to their lineup for tonight’s game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Nogier, the son of former WHL G Pat Nogier, is from Saskatoon and plays for the midget AAA Contacts. Nelson was a fourth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Blades are without F Lukas Sutter and D Dalton Thrower, both of whom are at the Top Prospects Game in Kelowna, D Matt Pufahl (ankle) and F Travis McEvoy (concussion). . . . McEvoy and Pufahl both were injured in fights during a game on Saturday. Pufahl broke an ankle and has had surgery. He is expected to be out up to eight weeks. . . .
The Blades also have added former D Curtis Leschyshyn to their coaching staff. He will help out for the next couple of weeks with Jerome Engele away until the middle of February. . . .
The Portland Winterhawks will induct Brent Peterson, a former player and coach, into their Hall of Fame on Friday, prior to a game against the visiting Everett Silvertips. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. . . . The Winterhawks will be looking to extend their franchise-record home-ice winning streak to 19 games. The Silvertips are coming off a doubleheader sweep in Prince George.
Doug Harrison of CBC Sports has done up an interesting feature on Sherry Bassin, the general manager of the OHL’s Erie Otters. You may check it out right here. If you do, pay particular attention to the sidebar in which Bassin talks about the importance of delegating wisely.
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I really don’t know why it took until now for me to stumble upon a blog that is titled The Agents of Change. But I did happen upon it and it’s definitely worth your checking out. Written by long-time agent Ritch Winter, there is lots of food for thought here.
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The Detroit Red Wings will play the Flames in Calgary tonight. Prior to the game, the Flames will honour the memory of Brad McCrimmon, who played for both teams. McCrimmon, who played for the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings and coached the Saskatoon Blades, was killed when a plane carrying the KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl club crashed on Sept. 7.
There’s more right here.
And if you haven't yet made a donation and got your Love for Lokomotiv bracelet, skip on over to right here and get it done.


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Monday, January 23, 2012

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Sundsvall (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had two goals and eight assists in 13 games with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) this season. . . .
F Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A). He had seven goals and 14 assists in 36 games for the Rockford IceHogs (AHL) . McLean also played for Canada at this season's Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, where he had one goal in three games. . . .
F Ladislav Kohn (Brandon, Swift Current, 1993-95) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland, NL A). He had five goals and 14 assists in 37 games for Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. . . .
D Justin Kurtz (Brandon, 1993-97) was released by Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had six assists in 33 games for Linz this season. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) was released by the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 10 goals and 17 assists in 38 games for the Capitals this season. . . .
F Bernhard Keil (Kamloops, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract extension with the Straubing Tigers, (Germany, DEL). He has one goal and five assists in 32 games for Straubing and one goal and one assist in two games on loan to Regensburg (Germany, Oberliga) this season. Keil also played for the German national team at the Division 1 world junior championship in December. He had two goals and five assists in five games. . . .
F Rhett Gordon (Regina, 1992-96) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite). He had one goal and four assists in t0 games with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL) this season.
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In the BCHL on Sunday, the Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 25 games with a 3-1 victory over the visiting Prince George Spruce Kings. The Vees broke a 1-1 tie with two third-period goals. . . . The Vees next play Wednesday when they visit the Merritt Centennials.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Chase Clayton scored twice to help the Hitmen to a 4-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Clayton scored the game’s first two goals, one shorthanded and the other on the PP. He has 10 goals this season. . . . D Mathew Dumba got the Rebels to within one 40 seconds into the third, but F Jimmy Bubnick answered, with his 21st, less than six minutes later. . . . Bubnick has 21 goals. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 41 shots. . . . Calgary has won 10 of its last 11 games. . . . The Hitmen are seventh in the Eastern Conference, one point out of sixth and just three out of third. . . . The Rebels are ninth, four points out of eighth. . . .

In Vancouver, F Marek Tvrdon’s third-period goal stood up as the winner as the Giants beat the Seattle Thunderbird, 3-2. . . . Tvrdon’s 18th goal, on the PP, came at 10:47 of the third and gave the home side a 3-1 lead. . . . Seattle F Chance Lund got his second of the game and 12th of the season, on the PP, at 17:12. . . . The Giants outshot the visitors 14-0 in the first period. . . . The victory lifted Vancouver to within four points of the third-place Portland Winterhawks in the Western Conference. . . . Seattle is seventh, a point ahead of the Victoria Royals. . . . Tvrdon is riding an eight-game point streak during which time he has 14 points. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard made 42 saves, and the last one gave him the WHL record for most career saves. He now has stopped 9,659 pucks, one more than the previous record that was held by Danny Lorenz (Seattle, 1986-90). . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee, a 15-year-old from Cranbrook, stopped 24 shots for his second victory in three nights. . . . The Giants continue to be without F Brendan Gallagher (shoulder), F Dalton Sward (shoulder), D David Musil (wrist) and G Adam Morrison (concussion). The Giants are headed into Alberta for three games, and Gallagher, Morrison and Musil apparently are to make the trip. . . . Pickard has appeared in 217 regular-season games, averaging 32 saves per 60 minutes. . . . Last night, Pickard also set a franchise record for most career minutes played by a goaltender (12,639). That is five minutes more than Lorenz played for Seattle. . . . Pickard is third in the WHL record book, behind Kurtis Mucha (13,708) and Kyle Moir (12,774). Mucha played for Portland and Kamloops (2005-10) and Moir played for Swift Current (2002-07). . . .

In Spokane, the Chiefs completed a doubleheader sweep of Portland, beating the Winterhawks, 6-1. . . . Spokane, which is 8-1-1 in its last 10, had won 5-2 at home on Saturday night. . . . F Mitch Holmberg, with two goals and an assist, and F Mike Aviani, with two goals, led the Spokane offence. Holmberg has 19 goals; Aviani has nine. . . . The Chiefs scored the game’s first five goals. . . . Chiefs F Dominik Uher continued his impressive play with three assists. . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer had two assists for the second straight game. He also got tossed for his part in a late second-period dustup. . . . The Chiefs took 61 of the game’s 114 penalty minutes. . . . Spokane won three games on the weekend, all over the two teams ahead of it in the U.S. Division. The Chiefs began the weekend with a victory over the host Tri-City Americans on Friday. . . . The Chiefs remain fifth in the Western Conference, three points behind Vancouver and 11 ahead of the Kelowna Rockets.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
It comes courtesy of KingMaxymus23 (aka Tyler Maxwell of the Edmonton Oil Kings: “Why do I try to do so many things in between the time I start a microwave to the time it goes off?”
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Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times offers up his take on the situation involving F Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins, who continues his recovery from post-concussion syndrome.
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Your good read today comes from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. Matty’s Hockey World is right here.
 
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Monday, September 5, 2011

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Stanislav Balan (Portland, 2005-06) was reassigned from Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL) to SKP Poprad (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had eight goals and eight assists in 50 games for Zlin (Slovakia, Extraliga) last season. Balan has been injured and played in only one of Lev's nine exhibition games. The KHL opens its regular season on Wednesday. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He had one goal in three exhibition games for the Capitals. Last season, Lupaschuk had two goals and one assist in 15 games for Kölner Haie (Germany, DEL). Capitals head coach Tommy Samuelsson: "With Ross Lupaschuk, we have found the strong man on the blue line that we were looking for. He can decide games and also take on a leadership role." The Erste Bank Liga regular season opens Friday. . . .
D Paul Albers (Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with the Tohuku Free Blades (Japan, Asia Hockey League). He had 12 assists in 46 games for the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL) last season. Tohuku plays out of Hachinohe, at the northern end of Honshu, the largest island in Japan. The Asia Hockey League begins regular-season play on Sept. 17. . . .
F David Svagrovsky (Seattle, 2003-05) signed a one week tryout contract with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had eight goals and 16 assists in 41 games for Berounsti Medvedi (Czech republic, 1.Liga) and was pointless in one game with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) last season. The Slovakian Extraliga regular season starts Sept. 16.
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By now, you may be aware that F Liam Stewart, the son of actress Rachel Hunter and rocker Rod Stewart, is in camp with the Spokane Chiefs.
He was with the Chiefs during the weekend tournament in Everett. Here’s what one WHL scout saw in a brief look:
“Liam does not look out of place at all. (Spokane head coach Don) Nachbaur had him on the second line and playing on the second PK unit. I thought he didn't look out of place at all. Competed in the corners, skates well; seemed to know what to do and where to go in the period I watched. Granted, it was only one period . . .”
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JUST NOTES: The Brandon Wheat Kings have lost veteran D Brodie Melnychuk, 20, indefinitely with a broken wrist suffered in training camp over the weekend. . . . The Wheat Kings got down to 27 players, including two goaltenders and 10 defencemen following their Sunday intrasquad game. The goaltenders are veterans Corbin Boes and Liam Liston, both 18. . . . The Spokane Chiefs went 3-0 at the Everett tournament on the weekend. Veteran F Anthony Bardaro played two of the games and totalled six points, four of them goals. . . .
Reports out of Kelowna indicate that Rockets F Jason Siebert, the 17th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft, won’t play until at least after Christmas. Siebert, 17, played only 17 games last season because of a broken wrist. The injury hasn’t healed properly and Siebert needs more surgery. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has reported that F Brenden Walker, who suffered a concussion last season in the playoffs, is being held out of the Brandon Wheat Kings’ training camp as a precaution. . . . The Kelowna Rockets have acquired F Carter Rigby, 17, from the Prince George Cougars. The Rockets also got a conditional 2012 sixth-round bantam draft pick. The Cougars ended up with a third-round pick in the 2012 draft. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rigby played most of last season with the junior B Osoyoos Coyotes before finishing with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. Rigby, from Penticton, was an eighth-round pick by the Cougars in the 2009 bantam draft. He has been in camp with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . . The Vancouver Giants released F Neil Tarnasky, 19, after a 6-3 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Saturday. He had played the previous two seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
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DEPT. OF DISCIPLINE: Three players have drawn ‘tbd’ suspensions for weekend fouls. . . . F Jesse Mychan of the Everett Silvertips picked up a major and game misconduct for a check to the head during a game against the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. . . . D Dallas Ehrhardt of the Moose Jaw Warriors drew a cross-checking major and game misconduct against the host Regina Pats on Friday night, while F Mike Aviani of Spokane took a boarding major and game misconduct while playing the Seattle Thunderbirds in Everett on Friday.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Sunday, August 28, 2011

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Giffen Nyren (Moose Jaw, Kamloops, Calgary, 2006-10) was released by Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) at the end of his tryout contract. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001)
signed a tryout contract with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and one assist in 15 games with Cologne (Germany, DEL) last season. . . .
F Clarke Breitkruez (Regina, Prince George, 2008-10) signed a one-year contract with Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga). He had 31 goals and 37 assists in 51 games for the Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) last season.
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The Everett Silvertips got down to three 20-year-olds on Saturday when F Scott MacDonald was one of the players released from training camp. MacDonald, from Surrey, B.C., has played three WHL seasons, one with the Chilliwack Bruins and two with the Silvertips. Last season, he had 22 points and 40 penalty minutes in 69 games with Everett. . . . His departure leaves Everett with F Josh Birkholz, F Tyler Maxwell and D Brennan Yadlowski as its 20-year-olds.
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The Regina Pats have acquired F Campbell Elynuik, who will turn 19 on Dec. 25, from the Everett Silvertips in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. A seventh-round pick by Everett in the 2007 draft, Elynuik had five points and 54 penalty minutes in 28 games last season, which was shortened by injury. In 76 games with the Silvertips, he had eight points and 135 penalty minutes. Undrafted, he attended the Philadelphia Flyers’ development camp earlier this summer and will attend their training camp next month. His father, Pat, played in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders (1984-87) and also split 506 NHL games between the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators.
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The Victoria Royals have signed F Logan Nelson, an 18-year-old product of Rogers, Minn. He’s a 6-foot-1, 187-pounder who had 15 points and 69 penalty minutes in 43 games with the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers last season.
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If you haven’t yet heard about a concussion-related experiment in which the Saskatoon Blades are involved, check out this story by Kevin Mitchell of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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The Thunderbird Community Sports Foundation, which is supported by fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds, has made a lot of people happy by handing out almost US$65,000 in grants. Steve Hunter of the Kent Reporter has that story right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Brent Hughes is out as head coach of the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays. The club announced Saturday that it “has decided not to retain” his services. Assistant coach Justin Quenneville has been named the interim head coach. . . . Hughes, a former NHL player, had been the IceRays’ head coach since February 2009. . . . Quenneville, who played four seasons in Corpus Christi, spent last season as director of hockey operations and assistant coach.
The Prince George Cougars have hired Phil Guenter as their goaltending coach. Guenter, 31, is based in Lethbridge and has been coaching goaltenders for 12 years. In 10 of those years, he has worked with Prince George G Drew Owsley, 20, who was acquired this summer from the Tri-City Americans. . . . “We want to make Drew's transition to Prince George as easy as possible and Phil has been his goalie coach for a long time, and this will help make things easier,” Cougars head coach Dean Clark said in a news release. "We look forward to also having Phil work with our younger guys." . . .
The WHL-champion Kootenay Ice has picked up the option years on the contracts for Garnet Kaziuk, the director of scouting, head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coaches Todd Johnson and Jerry Bancks. All four now are signed through 2012-13. . . . “The success we have maintained over the past 13 years both on and off the ice can partially be attributed to having good people in key positions,” Jeff Chynoweth, the franchise’s president and general manager, said in a news release. “Stability and continuity are the keys to any successful organization and these four gentlemen are a big part of what we are all trying to achieve.” . . . Kazuik has been with the Ice through four seasons. Knoblauch joined the Ice as an assistant coach four years ago and is coming of his first season as head coach, having led the team to its third titlein 11 WHL seasons. Johnson and Bancks both signed on to the coaching staff a year ago.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A WHL franchise and the economy . . .

Pats captain Garrett Mitchell (left), Jordan Weal
and Carter Ashton model the jerseys the club will wear Saturday night.
The Regina Pats are to stage their fifth annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night on Saturday as they play the visiting Spokane Chiefs.
Most, if not all, WHL teams are involved in breast cancer awareness promotions, in one way or another. The Pats, however, will wear special jerseys that night — they are pictured above and, I’m thinking, they are looking awfully spiffy.
The jerseys will be auctioned off, via silent auction, and presented to their new owners immediately following the end of the game. According to a Pats press release:
“The proceeds from the auction, as well as the sales of the Pats pink scarves this season, will go to the Canadian Cancer Society for breast cancer research.
“Over the past four years, the Pats have raised more than $50,000 towards breast cancer research through their jersey auctions and sales of pink hats, scarves and lollipops. All of the money raised stays in Saskatchewan.”
A pink scarf? If you’re interested, they’re available for $15 through the Pats’ online store right here.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Mike Wirll (Brandon, Prince Albert, Prince George, Lethbridge, 1997-2003) was released by Skövde (Sweden Division 1) with one week left on his contract. He had three goals and one assist in seven games this season. The club said that Wirll has been hampered with a back injury. . . .
D Ross Lupaschuk (Lethbridge, Prince Albert, Red Deer, 1996-2001) was released by the Cologne Sharks (Germany DEL). He had two goals and one assist in 15 games this season.
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What is a WHL franchise worth to a city’s economy? Kenneth Carlaw, an associate professor of economics at Kelowna’s UBC-Okanagan, has completed a study and come up with a figure of $31 million. Doyle Potenteau of DubNation takes a look at that story right here . . . . Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ president and general manager, plans on using the report to help as the club prepares to bid on the 2013 Memorial Cup.
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The midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires have lost their general manager and their head coach. GM Scott Rumpel and head coach Regan Darby resigned following 7-1 and 9-0 losses to the Prince Albert Mintos that left the Legionnaires at 2-6-1. Andy Schneider, a former Swift Current Broncos forward, now is helping assistant coaches Todd Hornung and Sheldon Reinhart with the team. . . . Hornung played five seasons in the WHL, split between the Portland Winterhawks, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Swift Current. . . . F Walker Wintoneak, who played out his WHL eligibility last season with the Saskatoon Blades, has signed with the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks. He played four seasons with the Blades.
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Remember Pavel Brendl? Well, he’s 29 years of age now and has just signed on with his 10th professional organization. There’s more right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
KOOTENAY 3 at CALGARY 0: G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 22 shots for his third shutout of the season and the sixth of his career. . . . The Ice (10-3-1), which has won six in a row, got a shorthanded goal from F Max Reinhart, his seventh, at 15:27 of the first period. . . . F Jesse Ismond scored on the PP at 15:08 of the third. . . . F Matt Fraser added an empty-netter at 19:00 of the third. . . . The Hitmen (4-8-0) have lost four in a row; they are 2-4-0 at home. . . . Calgary G Michael Snider stopped 27 shots. . . . Kootenay was 1-for-7 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-6. . . . D Brayden McNabb was back in the Ice lineup after being out with a shoulder injury. However, D Hayden Rintoul (collarbone) didn’t play. He was injured in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Tigers in Medicine Hat. . . . Attendance was 7,210. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Kootenay D Luke Paulsen.
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CHILLIWACK 2 at EDMONTON 1: Bruins G Lucas Gore stopped 37 shots. . . . The Bruins (7-4-0) took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by F Roman Horak, at 9:49, and F Brendan Persley, at 14:24. . . . Edmonton (5-8-1) got its goal from F Stephane Legault at 14:52 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings have lost seven in a row. . . . Edmonton G Cam Lanigan stopped 18 shots. . . . The Bruins were 0-for-1 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-for-2. . . . Attendance was 3,566. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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BRANDON 6 at KAMLOOPS 4: D Ryan Pulock, who turned 16 on Oct. 6, scored his first WHL goal and added two assists as the Wheat Kings won their second straight game. . . . Brandon (6-9-0) ended a nine-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Rockets in Kelowna on Tuesday. . . . Pulock went into last night’s game with two assists in 10 games. . . . Brandon scored the game’s first five goals and then watched as Kamloops (7-7-1) scored four in a row. . . . The Blazers had won their last three games, all on the road. . . . F Mark Stone had a goal and two assists for Brandon. . . . F Scott Glennie had three assists for Brandon. Glennie, a first-round selection by the Dallas Stars in the NHL’s 2009 draft, has been getting heat from some corners for what is seen as a slow start, but Wheat Kings owner/GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon said that the criticism is unfair. “He just hasn’t been scoring,” McCrimmon said. “But he’s been just fine.” Glennie now has two goals and nine assists in 13 games. . . . Brandon was 3-for-10 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-for-7. . . . Attendance was 3,808. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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VANCOUVER 5 at LETHBRIDGE 2: F Craig Cunningham, the WHL’s scoring leader, had three assists for the Giants. . . . He now has 34 points. . . . The Giants (9-5-2) scored three goals in the game’s first 10 minutes, driving Lethbridge starter Dylan Tait to the bench. He stopped four of seven shots. Tanner Kovacs, 16, from Innisfail, Alta., came on in his WHL debut to stop 27 of 29 shots. . . . Lethbridge starter Brandon Anderson wasn’t available due to illness. . . . Vancouver G Brendan Jensen, in his third straight start, stopped 25 shots. . . . Lethbridge (5-5-3) got two goals from F Alex Kuvaev, who now has four. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher, who leads the WHL with 15 goals, had two assists, as did F James Henry. . . . The Burns brothers, Michael and Nathan, each scored for the Giants. One of them has three goals; the other has one. . . . The Giants now have won four in a row. . . . Lethbridge was 2-0-1 in its last three games. . . . The Giants were 1-for-6 on the PP; Lethbridge was 0-fo4-6. . . . Vancouver went east without F Randy McNaught (ankle), F Marek Tvrdon (shoulder), D Zach Hodder (shoulder) and F Connor Redmond (shoulder). . . . Attendance was 2,543. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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MOOSE JAW 5 at PRINCE ALBERT 4 (SO): F Antonin Honejsek, who had two assists in regulation time, scored the only goal of the shootout. He was the first of the six shooters who took part. . . . The Raiders (5-7-3), who have lost five in a row, led 3-1 midway in the second period and 4-3 late in the third period. . . . The Raiders’ last two losses have been via shootout. . . . F Sebastian Svendsen, with his second of the game, gave the Raiders a 4-3 lead on the PP at 16:53. . . . He has seven goals this season. . . . Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly, with his second of the season, forced OT at 18:21. . . . The Warriors, who had lost their last two games, are 5-8-1. . . . Svendsen also had an assist, for a three-point night. F Jonathan Parker of the Raiders had a goal and two assists. . . . The Warriors got two assists from F Jordan Wyton. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 45 shots, 10 more than P.A.’s Jamie Tucker. . . . Moose Jaw D Dallas Ehrhardt played his first game of the season. He suffered a knee injury while in the Edmonton Oilers’ training camp. . . . The Raiders again were without three injured defencemen — Jordan Rowley (wrist), Nathan Deck (knee) and Emerson Hrynyk (shoulder). . . . The Raiders were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Warriors never had even one opportunity. . . . Attendance was 1,917. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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PRINCE GEORGE 3 at SPOKANE 7: The Chiefs (5-6-0) scored four of the game’s last five goals. . . . The Chiefs finished 2-for-5 on the PP and also had a shorthanded goal. . . . The Cougars (7-6-1) were 1-for-3 with a shorthanded tally. . . . The Chiefs went 3-3-0 on a six-game homestand. They now head east where they will play six games in eight nights. They open Friday in Moose Jaw. . . . Spokane D Tyler Vanscourt scored his first goal of the season, and second of his career, at 19:59 of the second period, giving his side a 4-2 lead. . . . D Brendan Kichton had a goal and two assists for Spokane. He has played four games and has seven points. . . . Spokane D Garrett Leedahl and F Dominik Uher each had two assists. . . . F Brett Connolly got his 14th goal of the season for Prince George. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 29 shots, five fewer than Prince George’s James Priestner. . . . Attendance was 3,514. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Kichton.

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