Showing posts with label Ryan Smyth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ryan Smyth. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Tortorella: We practice too much; we coach too much ... 'Tips overpower Hitmen ... Cougars real road warriors


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F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västervik (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, he had one goals and three assists in 16 games with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga) before being released on Oct. 30.
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Granted that it’s on an experimental basis, but who would have thought that head coach John Tortorella of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets would be the guy to bring an end to the morning skate on the day of a game? . . . "When I can, I want to start trying to keep the team away from the morning,” he told Cory Wilkins in a story posted at thescore.com. “We bring them in here one time a day during practice days, but on game days we bring them in twice. It doesn't make any sense. With our schedule coming up the way it is, we are trying to get our guys out of the building as much as we can." . . . No, it doesn’t make sense and it hasn’t for a number of years. It also will be interesting to see if less time on the practice ice, even as loose as morning skates can be, will result in fewer injuries. . . . Tortorella also said: "When we get (the schedule) in July, I look for days off, not to see how many days we can practice. I do not want to practice two days in a row at all this year. We practice too much, we coach too much. If we don't have them here, then we don't have to coach them." . . . The Blue Jackets are into a stretch of seven games in 12 days. It will be interesting to see how they do. . . . Wilkins’ complete story is right here.
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D Ryan Gardiner, 19, and the Moose Jaw Warriors have “mutually agreed” to go their separate ways, according to the WHL team. . . . Gardiner, from Winnipeg, is expected to join the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelers. . . . A third-round selection by the Warriors in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, he was in his third season with Moose Jaw. This season, he had two assists in 17 games. . . . In 158 regular-season games, he had one goal and 29 assists.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have added G Josh Dechaine, 18, to their roster. Dechaine had been with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. From St. Albert, Alta., he also has had stints with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines and Whitecourt Wolverines. He also has been in training camp with the Brandon Wheat Kings each of the past three years. . . . Dechaine, who has been practising with the Oil Kings, will replace freshman G Liam Hughes on the Edmonton roster. Hughes is out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. . . . G Boston Bilous, 15, who had been backing up Patrick Dea since Hughes was hurt, has returned to the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors announced Tuesday that brothers Kevin and Ryan Smyth will be the 2016 inductees into the Conexus Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame. . . . It all will take place on March 3, with the Hall of Fame Game against the Medicine Hat Tigers on March 4. . . . Kevin finished his WHL career (1990-93) with 242 points, including 104 goals, in 201 games with the Warriors. He is seventh on Moose Jaw’s career points list. He was a fourth-round selection by the Hartford Whalers in the 1992 NHL draft. In 58 NHL games, he had six goals and eight assists. He played nine years of pro hockey, with stops in the AHL, IHL and WCHL. . . . The Warriors selected Ryan in the second round of the 1991 WHL bantam draft. He went to play 188 regular-season games with them, putting up 110 goals and 114 assists. He is 13th on the team’s all-time scoring list. In 1993-94, he had 105 points, including 50 goals. He was drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL‘s 1994 draft. His NHL career included time with Edmonton, the New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings. He also had an extensive international career on various Canadian teams.
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The Okanagan Hockey Group, which is based in Penticton, B.C., has released an economic impact study that includes some numbers of interest.  According to the study, OHG had an economic impact of $19.91 million from September 2015 through August 2016. . . . From an OHG news release: “Okanagan Hockey Group Ltd. directly injects $3.95 million into the local economy. . . . Okanagan Hockey Academy activities contribute $7.7 million in direct spending in the City of Penticton. . . . As a result of Okanagan Hockey Camps offering eight weeks of programming the local economy benefited by an additional $4.8 million in direct spending.” . . . OHG provides 30 full-time and 100 part-time jobs with an annual payroll in excess of $1.76 million. . . . What I found especially interesting was that “47 families relocated to Penticton” with 15 of those relocating for the school year and 32 spent the entire year there. Those 47 families resulted in more than “$2.98 million of new dollars being spent in the local economy.” As well, visiting families spent $1.51 million, while visiting teams (1,671 visitors) spent $365,000. . . . According to the release, the study was conducted by “an independent third party, Lochaven Management Consultants Ltd., a company with 30 years of experience and a global reputation for excellence, (that) is internationally recognized for its work in private sector development.” . . . I am well aware that economic impact studies are to be read with caution, but these numbers can offer an interesting take on the impact of a business like OHG on a community the size of Penticton.
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Steve Payne was a sniper; Michel Petit was a banger. They don’t know each other; they know of each other. Their NHL careers were ended by brain injuries and now both ex-players have joined the concussion-related lawsuit against the NHL. . . . Payne is adamant that he isn’t involved because he is looking for money. "I hope I don't become one of those guys, because that means I'm having trouble and problems that are beyond my ability to handle," he tells Joshua Kloke of sports.vice.com."I just want (the NHL) to be there for these guys and help them get the treatment they need to at least live as normal a life as they can under the circumstances.” . . . What Payne and Petit have gone through is an eye-opener and worth a read. Kloke’s story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:

The Kootenay Ice is expected to have F Peyton Krebs, 15, in the lineup for the first time (tonight) when it meets the Hurricanes in Lethbridge. Krebs, from Okotoks, Alta., was the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Krebs is spending this season with the midget AAA UFA Bisons. He has 21 points, nine of them goals, in 12 games. . . . 
The Saskatoon Blades have a flu bug going through the dressing room. G Logan Flodell and D Libor Hajek, two key individuals, weren’t able to practice on Tuesday. The Blades are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Thursday. 
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:


At Everett, the Silvertips struck four times on a five-minute power play en route to a 6-1 victory over the
DOMINIC ZWERGER
Calgary Hitmen. . . . Calgary F Travis Sanheim took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a first-period hit on Everett D Noah Juulsen, who went to the dressing room. . . . Juulsen returned to start the second period, played a couple of PP shifts and then returned to the room. He finished the game in the press box. . . . The penalty occurred at 19:51 with the game at 0-0. . . . Eight seconds later, F Dominic Zwerger scored Everett’s first goal. He got its second, and his 10th, at 3:05 of the second period, with Juulsen getting the secondary assist. . . . F Eetu Tuulola added his fifth at 3:40 and D Kevin Davis got his second at 4:29. . . . The Silvertips will play in Davis’s hometown of Kamloops tonight (Wednesday). . . . Zwerger also drew two assists. Bajkov and F Sean Richards (4) each had a goal and two assists, while F Devon Skoleski had two helpers. Davis and Tuulola had an assist apiece. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 27 shots, losing his shutout bid to F Matteo Gennaro (5) at 15:04 of the second period. . . . Calgary starter Cody Porter allowed six goals on 34 shots in 47:07. Kyle Dumba finished up by stopping all four shots he faced. . . . Everett was 5-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-5. . . . The Silvertips (15-2-3) are 7-0-2 in their past nine games. . . . The Hitmen (7-7-2) have lost two in a row. The Hitmen have been outscored 15-3 in two games since opening a U.S. Division swing with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., on Friday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,012.
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At Kelowna, F Colby McAuley had two goals and an assist to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 4-2
COLBY McAULEY
victory over the Rockets. . . . The Cougars (16-4-2) continue to lead the overall standings. They are 4-0-0 against Kelowna this season. Prince George hadn’t beaten Kelowna four times in a season since 2006-07 when the Rockets won the season series, 6-4-0. . . . The Cougars also are 11-1-0 in the B.C. Division. . . . The Rockets, who had been 8-2-0 in their past 10 games, are 11-10-0. . . . The Cougars scored the game’s first two goals, with F Yan Khomenko getting his eighth goal at 6:23 of the second period and F Colby McAuley scoring No. 6 at 9:48. . . . F Tomas Soustal (9) got Kelowna on the board with a PP goal at 16:48. . . . McAuley scored again at 4:26 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf got his ninth, on a PP, at 8:51 of the third. . . . The Cougars closed the scoring on F Josh Boyd’s third goal at 18:45. . . . F Josh Curtis had three assists for the visitors, while Boyd added one to his goal. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 22 shots for the Cougars. . . . The Rockets got 32 saves from G Michael Herringer. . . . The Rockets were 2-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-5. . . . The Cougars are 10-1-1 on the road. . . . F Kody McDonald returned to the Cougars’ lineup after serving a three-game sentence, while D Sam Ruopp served Game 4 of an eight-game sentence. . . . Announced attendance: 4,521.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., F Mark Rassell scored once and added two assists to help the Medicine Hat Tigers
MARK RASSELL
to a 5-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Tigers, who are 8-2-0 on the road, outshot the Ice 38-13 as they took a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . The visitors scored the game’s first two goals — F James Hamblin (4) at 2:07 of the second period and D Ty Schultz (1) at 5:47. . . . F Zak Zborosky’s 14th goal got the Ice to within one at 12:24, but Medicine Hat F Matt Bradley (9) got that one back 1:03 later. . . . F Noah Philp’s second goal pulled the Ice back to within a goal at 16:02. . . . The Tigers put it away with two quick third-period goals. Rassell, who has 12 goals, scored shorthanded at 4:17 and Bradley added another at 6:44. . . . F Mason Shaw had two assists for the winners. . . . G Nick Schneider stopped 19 shots for the victory. . . . The Ice got 50 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . Kootenay was 0-6 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-7. . . . The Tigers (14-5-1) have won three in a row. . . . The Ice (3-12-5) has lost five straight (0-4-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,565.
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At Spokane, the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first two goals and the last three in beating the
REECE HARSCH
Chiefs, 5-2. . . . Seattle F Keegan Kolesar was in the lineup for the first time this season, and he started on a line with F Mathew Barzal and F Ryan Gropp. Kolesar had undergone surgery for a supraumbilical hernia in late Septembrer while in camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. . . . D Brandon Schuldhaus got Seattle started with his first goal, at 1:22 of the opening period. F Scott Eansor made it 2-0 at 14:32. . . . The Chiefs tied the score with two quick goals, F Kailer Yamamoto scoring No. 16 at 17:14 of the first and F Hudson Elynuik getting his sixth just 13 seconds into the second. . . . F Ryan Gropp broke the 2-2 tie with his third goal at 3:54 of the third period. Kolesar and Barzal had the assists. . . . F Alexander True (6) made it 4-2 at 9:02 and F Nolan Volcan (8) got the empty-netter at 19:11. . . . D Reece Harsch and Barzal each had two assists for Seattle, with Eansor and True each getting one. . . . G Rylan Toth stopped 31 shots in earning the victory. . . . The Chiefs got 27 saves from Dawson Weatherill. . . . Each team was 0-3 on the PP. . . . The Thunderbirds (9-8-1) have won two straight. . . . The Chiefs (7-7-5) had points in seven straight (4-0-3) before this one. . . . Announced attendance: 3,317.
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At Swift Current, D Artyom Minulin scored at 2:03 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Red
ARTYOM MINULIN
Deer Rebels. . . . It was the seventh time in their past nine games that the Broncos went to OT. . . . Minulin has five goals this season. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Last season, Minulin finished with five goals and 28 assists in 72 games. This season, he has five goals and 16 assists in 22 games. . . . The Broncos scored the game’s first two goals, with F Tyler Steenbergen getting No. 15, on a PP, at 8:22 of the first period and F Cole Johnson scoring his second, at 2:41 of the second. . . . D Josh Mahura got Red Deer’s first goal, his eighth, on a PP, at 17:49. . . . The Rebels tied it when F Michael Spacek scored his 13th goal, shorthanded, at 7:14 of the third period. . . . The Broncos got 23 saves from G Taz Burman. . . . Red Deer G Lasse Petersen turned aside 27 shots. . . . The Rebels were 1-1 on the PP; the Broncos were 1-4. . . . Swift Current (11-6-5) had lost three in a row (0-1-2). . . . The Rebels (10-9-3) have lost two straight. . . . This was Red Deer’s eighth straight road game (2-5-1). . . . Announced attendance: 1,708.
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At Victoria, F Tyler Soy scored once and added two assists as the Royals dumped the Prince Albert
TYLER SOY
Raiders, 3-1. . . . F Jared Dmytriw’s seventh goal, at 3:06 of the first period, on a PP, gave the home side a 1-0 lead. . . . D Loch Morrison tied it with his first goal at 16:11 of the second period. . . . Victoria F Matt Phillips (13) snapped the tie at 2:21 of the third period. . . . Soy iced it with an empty-netter at 19:36. That was his 11th goal of the season and 101st of his career. That equals the Royals’ career record that was held by F Brandon Magee, who also scored 12 times for the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . Soy has 204 points in 233 regular-season games. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 25 shots for the Royals, while the Raiders’ Nick Sanders turned aside 27. . . . The Raiders were 1-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-7. . . . The Royals improved to 12-8-2. . . . The Raiders (5-14-1) have lost three in a row, all in the B.C. Division. . . . This was the third game in a row for Prince Albert head coach Marc Habscheid against a former team. He also coached the Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets before ending up in Victoria. He was the head coach of the Chilliwack Bruins for two seasons and made the move with them to Victoria. . . . Announced attendance: 3,192.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Everett at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Calgary vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Prince Albert vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.





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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

More on Morrisseau . . . Blades to say thanks to Mr. Hockey . . . D-man, goalie move in trades . . . Hitmen sign assistant coach



F Kris Versteeg (Lethbridge, Kamloops, Red Deer, 2002-06) didn’t pass his medical examination and was released by Bern (Switzerland, NL A). Versteeg didn’t play any games with Bern. Last season, with the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) and Los Angeles Kings (NHL), he had 15 goals and 23 assists in 77 games.
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The Spokane Chiefs issued an update on the condition of F Koby Morrisseau on Tuesday:
“The Spokane Chiefs announced today that forward Koby Morrisseau returned to Spokane on Sunday, is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery from an injury sustained in Everett,
KOBY MORRISSEAU
Wash. on Saturday, Sept. 3 versus the Portland Winterhawks.
“Morrisseau, a 16-year-old from Grandview, Manitoba, spent Saturday night in an Everett hospital after being taken off the ice following a check from behind penalty in the third period. Extensive tests and X-rays revealed no fractures or soft tissue damage.
“Morrisseau will remain with the team while he completes a full recovery. No timeline has been set for his return.”
Morrisseau, the ninth overall selection in the 2015 bantam draft, was injured at 13:17 of the third period.
Portland F Brett Clayton was given a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct, and then was hit with a TBD suspension.
The WHL revealed later Tuesday that Clayton has been suspended for six games. Clayton didn’t play in Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the host Everett Silvertips. He will miss Portland’s last three exhibition games and the first two regular-season games.
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The Saskatoon Blades have announced details of Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day, the special day that is planned in honour of the late Gordie Howe.
It all will take place on Sept. 25, with the Swift Current Broncos to provide the opposition.
For starters, Saskatoon city council has proclaimed the day ‘Thank You, Mr. Hockey Day.’
A private ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., during which members of the Howe family will watch
The Saskatoon Blades will wear special sweaters that
will be auctioned off to benefit the Gordie Howe
Alzheimers Fund.
as Colleen and Gordie’s ashes are interred at the site of a Gordie Howe statue near the SaskTel Centre.
The Blades then will escort the Howe family to a local bridge that is to be christened Gordie Howe Bridge.
The Blades and the family then will return to the SaskTel Centre, where a tailgate party is to begin at noon in the parking lot.
The doors to the arena will open at 1 p.m. A number of trophies that Howe won during his playing days will be on display in the concourse.
A pregame ceremony, with Hockey Night in Canada’s Bob Cole as the emcee, is to begin at 2 p.m. The game between the Broncos and Blades will start at 2:25 p.m.
The Blades will wear special sweaters during the game. They will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the Gordie Howe Alzheimers Fund.
The Blades also announced that they are teaming up with the Saskatoon Minor Hockey Association to form the Gordie Howe Player of the Year Award.” It will be awarded annually to a player graduating from midget hockey who displays excellence and leadership on and off the ice the way Howe did. The Blades will award a $1,000 scholarship to the winner.
Also on Sept. 25, the 50/50 draw will be operated by the Zone G Saskatoon Red Wings, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Quinn Stevenson Memorial Fund. He was a former Saskatoon Red Wings player who died in a car accident three years ago. His mother, Bonnie, has been instrumental in helping with this process. 
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The Prince Albert Raiders have acquired D Nick Heid, 19, from the Medicine Hat Tigers for a seventh-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. Heid, from Fridley, Minn., was acquired by the Tigers from the Portland Winterhawks last season. In 2014-15, he was pointless in 17 games with Portland. Last season, he had one assist in two games with Portland and five helpers in 60 games with the Tigers. . . . The Winterhawks dealt Heid to Medicine Hat for a fourth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. In that deal, Portland actually reacquired a pick it had sent to Medicine Hat for F Miles Koules.
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The Kamloops Blazers sent a fourth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday, getting G Carter Phair in return. . . . Phair, 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, will turn 18 on Dec.
CARTER PHAIR
15. He was a 10th-round pick by the Oil Kings in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Phair played most of last season with the SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings, going 8-4 with three ties, along with a 2.47 GAA and .925 save percentage in 19 games. He recorded two shutouts. . . . The Blazers have added to their goaltending depth and now have four on their roster, the others being starter Connor Ingram, 19; last year’s backup, Dylan Ferguson, who will be 18 on Sept. 20; and Max Palaga, 16, who is from Kamloops and signed last week. . . . The Blazers will lose Ingram later this month, as he heads for camp with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. He also may end up playing for Canada’s national junior team in the 2017 World Junior Championship. . . . Phair’s acquisition gives Kamloops one more option. . . . The Oil Kings still have four goaltenders in camp — veteran Patrick Dea, 19, who played in 46 games last season; Boston Bilous, 15, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft who has signed a WHL contract; Alec Dillon, 20, who missed most of last season with injuries; and Liam Hughes, 17, who was a seventh-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Bilous, of course, isn’t eligible to play full-time this season until his club team has its season end.
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The Calgary Hitmen have hired Trent Cassan as an assistant coach. He replaces Trent Whitfield, who left after one season to join the AHL’s Providence Bruins as an assistant coach. . . . In Calgary, Cassan joins head coach Mark French, assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera. . . . Cassan, 33, is from Medora, Man. He has been with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. He was the interim head coach for part of 2009-10, the assistant GM/head coach (2010-14) and the GM/head coach (2014-16). Cassan helped the Terriers to the SJHL final four times, and won the franchise’s first RBC Cup in 2014. . . . The Terriers, in turn, have named Casey O’Brien as their GM/head coach. O’Brien, who is from Gloucester, Ont., had been an assistant coach with the Terriers for five seasons. He also was the AGM for the past two seasons.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed F Carter Souch to a WHL contract. Souch was a fourth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. He won’t turn 15 until Oct. 28. Last season, with the bantam AAA Southside Athletic Club Lions, he had 64 points, including 34 goals, in 36 games.
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Ryan Smyth, who played three seasons (1992-95) with the Moose Jaw Warriors, has bought into the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . “The AJHL Saints ownership stake really interested Smyth,” writes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. “Owner Darren Myshak, who’s had the club since 2004, also brought in the Leckelt brothers, Dan and Lindsey, who own Silent-Aire, an HVAC and data centre solutions design and manufacturing company, to be owners, and Lindsey knew Smyth from being owner of the senior Stony Plain Eagles, where Smyth played last season.”
Smyth, 40, told Matheson: “We were talking one day and they said, ‘Why don’t you come on board?’ It would be great to learn the business side of things in hockey and there’s no better opportunity than to get involved in junior. The Saints are an important part of the community. This is a stepping stone to learning more about a younger crew of player, after my working with Hockey Canada and their under-18 team.
“That was a great experience, learning the scouting side of things from Scott Salmond and Ryan Jankowski. It was awesome to piggy-back off them. I have a different appreciation for what scouts go through now, for sure. How fired up they are when a player succeeds, or the team.”
Matheson’s complete story is right here.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Coaching
The USHL’s Lincoln Stars have signed head coach Chris Hartsburg to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2017-18 season. The team also holds an option on 2018-19. . . . In Hartsburg’s two seasons, they went 18-37-5 in 2014-15 and 33-24-3 last season. . . . Hartsburg was an assistant coach for two seasons (2011-13) with the Everett Silvertips. He is the son of former NHL player and coach Craig Hartsburg, who spent two seasons (2009-11) as Everett’s head coach.
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Friday, February 6, 2015

Mr. Hockey in Saskatoon . . . Warriors retire No. 28 . . . Cougars end skid












F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) signed a contract extension (one year plus an option) with Olten (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with Olten, he has 13 goals and 18 assists in 39 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A). Burki has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. . . .
F Chad Bassen (Regina, Vancouver, Medicine Hat, Everett, 2000-04) has signed a two-year extension with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, with Iserlohn, he has 11 goals and 11 assists in 45 games. Bassen has dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey, made what may well have been his last public appearance on Friday night in Saskatoon. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was there. His story is right here.
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There is another story right here from the Howe family visit to Saskatoon.
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A year ago, Tristen Pfeifer wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Today, even NHL Central Scouting has taken notice. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a good read right here on Pfeifer, an 18-year-old freshman from Arizona who is having an impact on the Everett Silvertips’ back end.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, D Colby Williams had a goal and three assists to lead the Pats to a 5-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Pats erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits as they scored the game’s last four goals. . . . Pats F Patrick D’Amico tied it 2-2 with his 16th goal, shorthanded, at 2:32 of the third. . . . Williams broke the tie with his sixth at 8:32. . . . Regina F Jake Leschyshyn, brought in for the game from the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers, scored his first goal at 17:41 of the third, on the PP. He was a first-round selection by Red Deer in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft, but was dealt to Regina at the trade deadline last month. . . . F Sam Steel had two assists for the Pats. . . . D Brycen Martin had two assists for the Blades. . . . Saskatoon G Nik Amundrud stopped 49 shots, 18 more than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . The Pats have beaten the Blades the last 12 times they have met. . . . Regina (29-17-6), which is likely to finish second in the East Division, has points in four straight (3-0-1). . . . The Blades slipped to 15-32-3. . . . The Pats are at home to Spokane tonight, while the Blades are in Swift Current. . . .

WHL team logoIn Prince Albert, F Jake DeBrusk scored at 3:32 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . DeBrusk has 31 goals this season. . . . Raiders F Tim Vanstone forced OT with his seventh goal at 3:13 of the third period. . . . The Broncos had a 2-0 lead in the second period, only to have the Raiders tie it. . . . F Jay Merkley gave the Broncos a 3-2 lead with his 12th goal at 1:41 of the third, on a PP. . . . D Max Lajoie had two assists for the Broncos. . . . Merkley also had an assist, while D Brett Lernout had a goal, his 11th, and an assist. . . . D Jesse Lees scored twice for the Raiders, giving him 10. . . . The Broncos had F Coda Gordon back in their lineup. Gordon, 20, had been out since Jan. 7 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Among the Raiders’ scratches was F Kris Schmidli (undisclosed injury). . . . The Broncos (24-23-5), who entertain Saskatoon tonight, are third in the East Division, seven points ahead of Moose Jaw. . . . The Raiders (21-30-2) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and are two points behind Moose Jaw. . . . The Raiders are at home to Calgary tonight. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Spokane Chiefs opened a six-game East Divison swing with a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Prior to the game, the Warriors honoured F Ryan Smyth by retiring his number (28). . . . Chiefs F Riley Whittingham broke a 1-1 tie with his ninth goal at 12:11 of the second period. . . . Spokane F Markson Bechtold made it 3-1 at 17:09 with his sixth goal. . . . Moose Jaw F Axel Blomqvist scored his 20th goal of the season. . . . The Warriors were 0-for-4 on the PP; the Chiefs’ PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . Spokane G Tyson Verhelst stopped 32 shots, six more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Warriors F Jesse Shynkaruk served the second of a three-game suspension. . . . The Chiefs (25-22-4) are fourth in the U.S. Division, two points behind Seattle. Spokane holds down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. Spokane visits Regina tonight. . . . The Warriors (21-28-4), who will play their next seven games on the road, are fourth in the East Divison, seven points out of a playoff spot. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has a story right here on the Smyth pre-game celebration. . . . Gourlie was a busy man; his game story is right here. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Brandon Wheat Kings erased a 3-1 deficit with four third-period goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-3. . . . The Ice took a 3-1 lead into the second and third periods. . . . Brandon F Quintin Lisoway cut that to 3-2 with his eighth goal, at 4:15 of the third, and D Eric Roy tied it, with his fourth, at 7:33. With seven defencemen dressed, Roy actually moved up to the forward ranks for the third period and also drew an assist on Lisoway’s goal. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his club’s last two goals, at 7:48 and 19:57, the latter into an empty net. . . . McGauley, who also had an assist, has 33 goals. . . . Wheat Kings D Colton Waltz had two assists, as did D Kale Clague. He was playing his first game since Oct. 28 after suffering a wrist injury in early November at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. This was only his 16th game of the season. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau earned his 250th career regular-season assist when he was in on F Luke Philp’s 23rd goal at 11:46 of the first period. . . . F Tim Bozon scored his 21st goal for the Ice and F Levi Cable got his 23rd. . . . Ice D Tanner Lischynsky had two assits. . . . Brandon was 0-for-5 on the PP as the Ice took the game’s last five minors. . . . The Ice PP was 0-for-1. . . . The Wheat Kings (39-9-5), who lead the Eastern Conference by 10 points over Medicine Hat, have points in their last 11 games (10-0-1). . . . The Ice (27-25-1) has lost two in a row. It holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, a point ahead of Edmonton. . . . The same teams meet again tonight in Cranbrook. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story from Friday right here. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brayden Burke had a goal and two assists to help the Hurricanes to a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The game was delayed for about 70 minutes with 17 minutes left in the third period due to a brine leak that helped create a hole in the ice. . . . Burke has five goals. . . . F Trevor Cox, the WHL’s leading scorer, got his 23rd goal and added two assists. He now has 90 points. . . . Cox gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 10:08 of the first, but the Hurricanes scored the next four goals. . . . F Carter Folk tied it with his eighth, at 12:53 of the first, and F Giorgio Estephan got his 13th at 17:14. Burke upped it to 3-1 at 19:02. . . . Hurricanes F Tyler Wong got his 22nd at 9:03 of the second. . . . Tigers F Cole Sanford scored his 42nd goal at 14:14 of the second, allowing him to keep pace with Kelowna F Rourke Chartier for the league lead. . . . Lethbridge G Jayden Sittler stopped 34 shots, six more than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . The Hurricanes (14-31-6) have won two in a row. . . . The Tigers (35-14-3) have lost three straight (0-2-1) for the first time this season. . . . The same teams will clash tonight in Medicine Hat. . . .

In Prince George, F Jari Erricson scored twice to lead the Cougars to a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Erricson, who had missed four games with a concussion, has 17 goals. . . . Cougars F Kody McDonald broke a 1-1 tie with his fourth goal, at 14:19 of the first period. . . . Erricson stretched the lead with second-period goals at 4:54 and 10:40. . . . Edmonton D Dysin Mayo scored his 11th goal and added and assist, while F Edgars Kulda had two assists. . . . Prince George F Aaron Macklin scoed his fourth goal, to open the game’s scoring, but he left later with an undisclosed injury and didn’t return. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 34 shots. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry tied Laurent Brossoit’s franchise career record for most regular-season appearances (147). However, Jarry left at 10:40 of the second period after surrounding four goals on 16 shots. . . . Edmonton F Cole Benson played in his 200th regular-season game. . . . The Cougars (21-31-2) snapped a 12-game losing skid (0-10-2). They are fifth in the B.C. Division, but now just two points behind third-place Kamloops. . . . The Oil Kings (24-24-6), who hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, have lost three straight. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Prince George. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored once and added two assists to lead the Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Chartier leads the WHL with 42 goals. . . . His goal, 12 minutes into the second period, broke a 1-1 tie. . . . Rockets F Tyson Baillie scored his 21st goal just 18 seconds later for a 3-1 lead. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley had two assists, while Baillie and F Cole Linaker each had a goal and an assist. . . . Linaker has nine goals. . . . F Deven Sideroff scored his 16th goal and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Kamloops had import defencemen Michael Fora (undisclosed injury) and Patrik Maier (suspected concussion) back in the lineup. . . . The Rockets are 6-0-0 in the season series; the Blazers are 0-5-1. . . . The Rockets (40-8-4) have points in seven straight (6-0-1) and are the first WHL team to 40 victories. They lead the overall standings by one point over Brandon. . . . The Blazers (20-28-6) have lost two in a row. They are third in the B.C. Division, a point ahead of Vancouver. . . . The Rockets and Blazers are to meet again tonight, this time in Kamloops. . . .

In Vancouver, F Ty Ronning’s first goal, at 19:02 of the third period, broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Giants a 5-4 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Rebels D Colton Bobyk had given his side a 4-3 lead with his third goal at 11:14 of the third. . . . Vancouver F Alex Baer tied it with his 11th at 11:59. . . . Red Deer D Austin Strand took a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Ronning at 17:01 of the third. Ronning scored the winner on the ensuing PP. . . . Giants D Josh Thrower and D Brennan Menell each had two assists. F Zane Jones scored his 25th goal — his seventh since being acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline — and had an assist, while Baer added an assist to his goal. . . . Red Deer F Wyatt Johnson scored No. 21 and added an assist. . . . Red Deer F Conner Bleackley scored his 27th goal, at 15:20 of the first period, for a 2-0 lead. But the Rebels captain later took a hit from D Clayton Kirichenko, left the game and didn’t return. . . . The Giants (21-28-3) had lost four in a row (0-3-1). The victory got them to within a point of third-place Kamloops in the B.C. Division. Vancouver travels to Kent, Wash., to play Seattle tonight. . . . The Rebels (28-16-8), who are in Victoria tonight, are 1-1-1 in their last three. They are second in the Central Division, a point ahead of idle Calgary. . . .

In Everett, F Kohl Bauml scored the game’s first goal with 0.1 second left in the first period and the Silvertips went on to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Everett has a 4-1-1 edge in the season series. . . . F Carson Stadnyk and F Nikita Scherbak each had two assists for Everett, which built a 4-0 lead. . . . F Jordan Topping scored his sixth goal for the Americans, at 17:32 of the third period. . . . Bauml has 25 goals. . . . F Dawson Leedahl scored his eighth goal and added an assist for the winners. . . . Everett G Austin Lotz stopped 19 shots, six fewer than Tri-City’s Austin Lotz. . . . Everett (33-15-4) has won two in a row and has a five-point leader over Portland atop the U.S. Division. . . . The Americans (24-25-3) are 0-2-1 in their last four. They hold down the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The same two teams will play again tonight, this time in Kennewick, Wash. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Roberts Lipsbergs scored twice and added two assists as his Seattle Thunderbirds dumped the Portland Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . Portland had an eight-game winning streak snapped. . . . Seattle scored the game’s first three goals, only to have Portland roar back and tie it on F Dominic Turgeon’s 16th goal at 5:56 of the third. . . . F Ryan Gropp gave the Thunderbirds a 4-3 lead with a deflection at 7:52. He’s got 21 goals. . . . Lipsbergs added insurance at 14:14. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored his 36th goal. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had two assists and now holds the Breakers/Thunderbirds franchise record for career regular-season points by a defenceman. It had been held by Craig Channell. . . . Thunderbirds D Evan Wardley scored his fifth goal and added an assist, while D Turner Ottenbreit had two assists. . . . Seattle was 1-for-5 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-1. . . . The Winterhawks are without F Alex Schoenborn (undisclosed injury). Paul Danzer of the Vancouver Columbian reports that Schoenborn is week-to-week. . . . Seattle (26-19-6) has won three straight and sits third in the U.S. Division, nine points behind Portland. Seattle is at home to Vancouver tonight. . . . The Winterhawks are 31-20-3 and now trail U.S. Division-leading Everett by five points. They’ll play Sunday in Portland.
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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Sutter signs with Swiss team . . . Smyth's night in Moose Jaw . . . Key game for Raiders








D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has signed a two-year contract beginning next season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland NL B), he has three goals and seven assists in 42 games. He was pointless in two games on loan to Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland, NL A).
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The situation involving Winnipeg Jets F Evander Kane has blown up over the last couple of days. It now is that the point where there is speculation that Kane, who starred with the Vancouver Giants, may never play for the Jets again. Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press takes a good look at the Kane saga right here.
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The queue of American cities hoping to play host to the 2018 World Junior Championship forms on the right. According to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY, the line will include bids backed by a number of NHL teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes “and others.” . . . Allen’s story is right here. . . . The 2016 WJC is to be held in Helsinki, with the 2017 tournament scheduled for Montreal and Toronto.
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An obituary in the Spokane Spokesman-Review on Thursday blames a man’s death on the “Seahawks lousy play call.” Seriously. . . . Take a look right here.
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The Prince George Cougars, mired in a 12-game losing skid (10-0-2), should get some help tonight as they expect to have F Zach Pochiro (ribs) and F Jari Erricson (concussion) back in their lineup against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. Pochiro has missed eight games; Erricson has sat out four games. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings are in Cranbrook for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Eastern Conference-leading Wheat Kings are expected to be without F John Quenneville and G Alex Moodie, both of whom are believed to have concussions, and F Jayce Hawryluk (undisclosed injury). D Kale Clague (wrist) may play this weekend. . . . The Ice may be without F Jon Martin (ill). . . .
The Saskatoon Blades visit the Regina Pats tonight. The Blades go in knowing that they haven’t beaten the Pats in almost two years (March 9, 2013). . . . That’s 11 straight losses. . . . Saskatoon F Ryan Graham (back) is questionable, as is F Mitch Skapski (undisclosed injury). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors will honour Ryan Smyth tonight by retiring his number (28) as they entertain the Spokane Chiefs. Smyth played three seasons with the Warriors (1992-95), putting up 224 points, including 110 goals, in 188 games. . . . Tonight’s game will be shown on ShawTV with Dan Russell doing the play-by-play. . . .
Also on TV tonight: Roots Sports will do the game in Kent, Wash., between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks. Ian Furness will call the play. . . .
With the Medicine Hat Tigers hurting on the back end due to injuries and suspensions, F Blake Penner has taken some turns back there. But he left Wedneday’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings with an injury, so perhaps won’t be available tonight against the host Lethbridge Hurricanes. After Wednesday’s game, Shaun Clouston, the Tigers’ GM/head coach, told Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News: “He missed the second half of the game, but hopefully it won’t be anything major.” . . .
If the Prince Albert Raiders are to make the playoffs, you would think they absolutely have to win tonight’s game against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. The Broncos hold down the East Division’s third playoff spot, five points ahead of Moose Jaw and eight up on the Raiders. A loss tonight puts the Raiders 10 points off the pace with 19 games remaining. A hole like that at this time of the season is awfully deep. . . .
The chase for the B.C. Division’s third playoff spot continues tonight with the three teams involved separated by four points. The Kamloops Blazers, who are in Kelowna tonight and then play host to the Rockets on Saturday, are third, three points ahead of the Vancouver Giants and four ahead of Prince George. . . . The Giants are at home to Red Deer tonight; the Cougars open a double-dip with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . .
In the U.S. Division, the Portland Winterhawks will continue their attempt at tracking down the first-place Everett Silvertips tonight. The Winterhawks, who are three points behind the first-place Silvertips, visit the third-place Seattle Thunderbirds, while Everett is at home to the fifth-place Tri-City Americans. . . . As things rest right now, it appears that all five U.S. Division teams will make the playoffs. Spokane and Tri-City hold down the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots at the moment.
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From a news release that was issued on Thursday:
“James Hudziak, M.D., has two children who love ice hockey. His son skates for his college team and one of his daughters plays in high school.
“As a pediatric neuropsychiatrist and director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Medicine, Hudziak believes in the benefits of ice hockey and other sports for kids. Athletic activities help a young person build organizational skills, improve motor and emotional control, reduce anxiety and boost confidence.
“Now, though, Hudziak is looking into the potential dangers of ice hockey for young athletes. He and UVM colleagues Matthew Albaugh, Ph.D., Catherine Orr, Ph.D., and Richard Watts, Ph.D., have published a groundbreaking study in the February issue of The Journal of Pediatrics that shows a relationship between concussions sustained by young ice hockey players and subtle changes in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain that controls higher-level reasoning and behavior.”
The complete news release is right here.
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