A-Rod vs. Yanks: The rich eating the super-rich

D Ryley Miller, who played most of five seasons with t he Barndon Wheat Kings, has signed with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Miller, who completed his junior eligibility last season, wrapped up last season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. In 241 WHL games, he had 37 points and 537 penalty minutes. . . .

The Brandon Wheat Kings are down to three 20-year-olds with the decision by F Jason Swyripa not to return for a fourth season. Instead, Swyripa, a Calgary native who played 200 games with the Wheat Kings, will activate his WHL scholarship and plans on attending Brandon University. He had 61 career points, including 23 last season. . . . Swyripa’s decision leaves Brandon with F Jens Meilleur and Chad Robinson and D Rene Hunter as its 20-year-olds, at least for now. . . .

The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed D David Quenneville, the 10th overall selection in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, to a contract. Quenneville, whose brother John plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings, has spent the last two seasons with the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Lions in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League. Last season, he had 72 points, including 34 goals, in 32 games. . . .

F Taylor Makin, who played three seasons in the WHL (Prince George, Vancouver, 2009-12), has decided to continue his hockey career with the Acadia Axemen of Wolfville, N.S. . . . Makin, now 21, played one game with the Vancouver Giants last season before joining the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits and helping them to the national junior A championship. . . .


The Kelowna Rockets are anticipating that 180 prospects will attend their rookie camp that begins Wednesday at Prospera Place. Of the 12 players selected by the Rockets in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, it’s beieved that only D Cal Foote, a late 1998, won’t be in attendance. He was the 43rd overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Foote, the son of former NHL D Adam Foote, is sidelined by injury.
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The Everett Silvertips, who open camp on Thursday, have three European skaters in town already. D Mirco Mueller of Switzerland, who was a freshman last season, and F Waltteri Hopponen and F Ivan Nikolishin of Russia all are in Everett and ready to go. . . . Mueller was first-round selection by the San Jose Sharks. Because he was a first-round pick, the Silvertips were allowed to make two selections in the 2013 CHL import draft. They now will have to wait until the Sharks decide on Mueller’s future before making a decision on which two will play in Everett this season. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has more right here.
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The OHL’s Guelph Storm has hired former NHLer Todd Harvey as an assistant coach, while moving assistant coach Chris Hajt into the post of assistant general manager. . . . Harvey will work with head coach Scott Walker, while Hajt will assist general manager Mike Kelly.
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SOME GOOD READING:
Sarah Lyall's stint as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times is up after 18 years in London. She has written a crackling good piece reflecting on it all and that is right here.
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Nathaniel Penn has written a terrific piece for GQ, titled: The Violent Life and Sudden Death of Junior Seau. It is terrific and it is right here.
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Even if you are tired of the A-Rod saga and all that goes with it, you should give Bruce Arthur of the National Post a read.
“Some people say they’re bored of the A-Rod saga, which is understandable but misguided,” Arthur writes. “This is delicious. This is the rich eating the super-rich. This is the Yankees, who have missed the playoffs once since 1995, bumbling along with a lineup so strange that Lyle Overbay is third on the team in total bases and playing a series of vagrants and character actors at third base, and also A-Rod.”
Arthur’s piece is right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier). He had three goals and 11 assists in 22 games with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) this season.
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The Everett Silvertips changed up their coaching staff on Tuesday as they fired head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Chris Hartsburg.
General manager Garry Davidson has taken over as the interim head coach. Davidson said he will finish this season and then begin the search for a head coach.
Former Everett D Mitch Love is left as the lone assistant coach and Davidson said there aren’t any plans to add another one at this time.
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald summed up the situation in his blog:
“The crux of the change was a difference in philosophies between Davidson and Ferner. Ferner was hired not by Davidson, but by Davidson's predecessor, Doug Soetaert. Davidson is a proponent of attacking, offensive hockey. Ferner is a proponent of hard-working, defensively-responsible hockey. These differences were known from the beginning, when Davidson was hired last February. Davidson gave it some time to see if the two could come to reach some sort of middle ground, but that never happened. Both Davidson and Ferner acknowledged the difference in philosophies.”
More from Patterson’s blog:
“Davidson said he'd been growing frustrated with the team's style of play the past couple months, and essentially came to the conclusion over the Christmas break that a change needed to be made. That explains why the move was made now, despite the Tips winning three of five since the break. He also wants the team accustomed to playing a more offensive game by the time a new coach is brought in.”
Patterson has more right here.
Patterson also spoke with Ferner and that story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have released D Ryley Miller in order to get down to the maximum of three 20-year-old players. That leaves them with F Nick Buonassisi, F Michael Ferland and D Tyler Yaworski as their 20s. . . . Miller, a second-round pick by Brandon in the 2007 bantam draft, played 241 games with the Wheat Kings, recording 37 points and 537 penalty minutes. This season, he had six points and 99 penalty minutes in 38 games.
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The Kelowna Rockets announced Tuesday that D Mitchell Chapman, 20, won’t play again this season. He suffered an ankle injury on the opening day of training camp and hasn’t played at all this season. . . . That leaves the Rockets with three 20s — F JT Barnett, F Cody Fowlie and F Dylen McKinlay.
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If you haven’t yet heard about this, there was a standoff of sorts between a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team and one from the BCHL on Saturday in Trail. It involved a bus and a player, but no trade. At least not yet! Anyway, HQKootenay.com has some details right here.
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F Daulton Siwak, 19, has left the Prince George Cougars and returned home to Olds, Alta. . . . "He told us that he was going to go home and ponder his life and think about what he wants to do," Cougars GM Dallas Thompson told the Prince George Citizen. . . . Siwak had 17 points in 38 games this season.
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The Saskatoon Blades had a new old goaltender at practice on Tuesday. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Tim Cheveldave, the team’s goaltending coach and a veteran of three seasons (1985-88) with the Blades, put on the pads. That’s because Russian G Andrey Markarov hasn’t yet returned from the World Junior Championship.
Nugent-Bowman wrote: “Before stepping on the ice, the 44-year-old joked with backup Alex Moodie, telling him to ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ ”
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored nine seconds into the game and went on to beat the Wheat Kings, 7-2. . . . F Brooks Macek set a club record for fastest goal to start game. F Brad Moran had scored 12 seconds into a game on Jan. 22, 1999. . . . According to @WHLFacts, Macek’s goal was the quickest to start a WHL game this season. . . . F Brady Brassart had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which scored two empty-netters. . . . The Hitmen had won five in a row; Brandon has lost six straight and has fallen into the Eastern Conference basement in the process. . . . Calgary F Zane Jones scored his 15th goal, running his goal streak to five games. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb suffered an undisclosed injury in the third period. . . . F Michael Ferland (undisclosed injury) was back in Brandon’s lineup after a three-game absence, while F Alessio Bertaggia, who played for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship, was back after missing 10 games. . . . The victory lifted the Hitmen into first place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen remain without F Victor Rask, who played for Sweden at the World Junior Championship. He is expected back later this week. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 and vacated the Eastern Conference basement. . . . The Ice, which has won six straight, now is one point ahead of Brandon with two games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings had a four-game winning streak end. . . . F T.J. Foster’s 19th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 first-period lead. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau, 17, continued his fine season — he has 31 points in 38 games — with a goal at 18:06 of the second and D Joey Leach got the winner, his third, on a 5-on-3 PP at 1:12 of the third. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat (shoulder) has received medical clearance to return but was scratched. He will get a few practices under his belt before returning. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Cam Lanigan stopped 31 shots as the Tigers dropped the Vancouver Giants, 4-0. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for the Tigers. . . . Lanigan, 20, has three career shutouts, two of this season. The first one came while he was with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Blake Penner, 16, scored his first WHL goal just 1:21 into the game. He has played 33 games with the Tigers, 27 of them this season. . . . F Jacob Doty got his eighth goal of the season as he ran his goal streak to four games. . . . The Giants are without D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen (hand) and F Rob Trzonkowski (knee), and they lost D Scott Cooke (arm) in the first period. . . .

In Portland, D Tyler Wotherspoon enjoyed the first four-point night of his career as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-4. . . . Wotherspoon, in his first game back after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, had his first two-goal game, as well. . . . The Winterhawks have won 11 in a row. . . . F Ty Rattie also was back in Portland’s lineup after being with Team Canada. He had two assists. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot returned from an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland D Seth Jones, who won gold with Team USA at the world junior, didn’t play. . . . Winterhawks F Paul Bittner scored his eighth goal as he ran his goal streak to four games. He has the game-winner in each of those games. . . . The Cougars dress just 16 skaters. . . . The same teams play in Portland again tonight. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Liam Stewart broke a 3-3 tie at 6:12 of the third period to give the visiting Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Stewart had nine goals this season. . . . F Mike Aviani scored his 20th goal at 19:07 of the second period to pull the Chiefs into a 3-3 tie. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was back with Chiefs for the first time since early December when he left to join the Canadian national junior team as an assistant coach. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 11 straight games. . . . These teams play again tonight in Spokane.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Red Deer Rebels D Brady Gaudet (@bgooday23): “On our way to the land of living skies! Where beauties are born #306”
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From former WHL F Jake Trask (@Jtrask29): “Gonna be a stressful next few days for #Whl guys. Cant say I miss that. #Deadline #Cyyyaa”

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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives on Thursday. Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:

Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Everett trades F Trent Lofthouse, 18, to Victoria for a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Victoria trades G Jared Rathjen, 18, to Vancouver for a 2013 eighth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Victoria trades D Jesse Zgraggen, 19, to Calgary for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Lethbridge trades F Jay Merkley, 17, to Swift Current for F Josh Derko, 19, and a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

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The Spokane Chiefs and Prince Albert Raiders got the annual post-Christmas feeding frenzy started on Wednesday morning. Yes, the Jan. 10 trade deadline is fast approaching.
Obviously unhappy with their goaltending, the Chiefs dealt F Anthony Bardaro, 19, who was their leading scorer, G Luke Lee-Knight, 18, and a 2012 fifth-round bantam draft pick to the Raiders for G Eric Williams, 18, and F Todd Fiddler, 18.
(The fifth-round pick had been acquired from the Raiders in September when the Chiefs sent D Tyler Vanscourt to Prince Albert for Lee-Knight.)“Quite simply we needed to strengthen our goaltending,” Spokane GM Tim Speltz told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “And we needed to change the team. There wasn’t any question about that.”
Williams, a fourth-round round pick in the 2008 bantam draft from Langley, B.C., was the key to this deal going through. He is 8-15-3, 3.86, .884 this season, his second with the Raiders. Last season, he went 17-17-2, 3.71, .898.
Fiddler, a third-round pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers in 2008, had 38 points, including 23 goals, as a freshman last season. This season, Fiddler, who is from Meadow Lake, Sask., has 10 points, including four goals, in 35 games. However, he has only three points in his last 17 games.
Bardaro, from Delta, B.C., led the Chiefs in goals (18) and points (37), having played in 29 games. He is in his third full WHL season. Bardaro was scratched just prior to the Chiefs’ 4-1 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna on Tuesday night, indicating that the deal may have been done at that point.
“We’re trading a proven scorer in Anthony, but not a guy we were having success with as a proven scorer,” Speltz told Rimmer. “We felt needed to change things. (Fiddler) hasn’t gotten off the mark. We’re hoping the change will help him.”
Lee-Knight, a Calgarian, is 2-0-2, 2.91, .868 in nine games. He was dealt to the Chiefs on Sept. 15 for Vanscourt.
The Chiefs are trying to get back in the chase in the Western Conference. They have games in hand on the four teams ahead of them but are eight points behind the fourth-place Portland Winterhawks. Spokane, a team that has to work hard to score, needs better goaltending than it has been getting. Mac Engel has been the starter and two of his numbers – 2.83, 14-11-3 – aren’t bad. But his save percentage (.884) isn’t what it needs to be.
The Chiefs are a better defensive team than the Raiders, so Spokane’s management must feel that Williams will have better numbers there.
The Raiders, who have been getting some solid work from G Cole Holowenko, obviously felt they could give up some goaltending in order to add even more offence.
Still, Prince Albert, which has won four straight, is tied for 11^th in the 12-team Eastern Conference, eight points out of the last playoff spot.
The Raiders, who have won four in a row, are at home to the Saskatoon Blades tonight; the Chiefs meet the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Friday.
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After the deal was announced, Williams tweeted:
“Would like to thank
@PARaidersHockey for a great experience and all the fans for their support! Going to miss #hockeytownnorth”
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You may have noticed that D Tanner Mort was back in the Spokane lineup on Tuesday night in Kelowna. Having requested a trade, he hadn’t played since Dec. 2. However, the two parties ironed out their differences over the Christmas break and the 18-year-old from Post Falls, Idaho, has rejoined the team.
Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in the third period on Tuesday and is out indefinitey.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have added D Matt Waseylenko, 18, to their roster. In fact, he played his first game Tuesday as the Raiders scored a 3-2 shootout victory over the Broncos in Swift Current.
Waseylenko had been with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, putting up five assists and 23 penalty minutes in 27 games. A native of St. Albert, Alta., he was a fifth-round selection by the Raiders in he 2008 bantam draft.
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At the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, Team Pacific scored a 4-1 tuneup victory over Sweden on Wednesday. Assistant manager David Michaud reports that TP goals came from Jaedon Descheneau (Kootenay), Curtis Lazar (Edmonton), Torrin White (Moose Jaw) and Josh Morrissey (Prince Albert). White also had an assist. . . . G Eric Comrie (Tri-City) stopped 16 of 17 shots in the first half, with Tristan Jarry (Edmonton) coming on to stop all 24 shots he faced. . . . Each team was 1-5 on the PP.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Ryley Miller scored at 1:23 of OT to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . It was the third goal of Miller’s career. . . . He has three goals in 33 games this season, after not scoring in the first 136 games of his career. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl had forced OT when he scored with 4:09 left in the third. . . . F Brendan Walker had given Brandon a 2-0 lead with his 14^th and 15^th goals, both in the first period and both on the PP. . . . Scheidl scored both Regina goals, giving him 13. . . . Walker also assist on Miller’s winner. . . . F Michael Ferland had three assists for Brandon. . . . F Tyrel Seaman (concussion) was back in Brandon’s lineup for the first time since Nov. 25. . . .
In Everett, F Luke Lockhart scored the only shootout goal as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Silvertips, 4-3. . . . Everett is 1-7 in shootouts, including a 2-1 loss to Seattle in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday. . . . Everett trailed 3-1 in the second period before F Ryan Harrison scored twice, getting his ninth at 12:58 of the second and tying it with a shorthanded score at 15:00 of the third. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard, who stopped 32 shots, moved into eighth place on the WHL’s career list for minutes played. He passed Ed Staniowski (Regina, 1971-75). Pickard has played 12,095 minutes, with Evan Lindsay (Tri-City, Prince Albert, 1995-2000) next at 12,131, followed by Steve Passmore (Tri-City, Victoria, Kamloops, 1988-94) at 12,149. . . . D Cason Machacek of Seattle scored his first goal in 24 games this season. It was the fifth of his 219-game career. . . . The Thunderbirds are without F Brandon Troock (wrist), who was injured in the second period of Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Silvertips. . . . Seattle also is without D Kyle Verdino, who didn’t play in the third period of a 5-1 loss to the host Tri-City Americans on Dec. 17 and apparently may have a concussion. . . . With Troock out, F Connor Sanvido got back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch in four of the previous five games. He had one assist. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Sam Fioretti’s shootout goal gave the Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . F Brett Lyon’s 11^th goal of the season gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead at 17:00 of the third period. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Maxwell got his 20^th at 17:40 to force extra time. . . . F Michael St. Croix also got his 20^th for the Oil Kings, his coming on a second-period PP. . . . F Justin Kirsch (wrist) was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup for the first time since Nov. 25. He had one assist and a shootout goal after missing 10 games. . . . Maxwell also scored in the shootout. . . . The Warriors left after the game for a trip into the U.S. Division. . . . Moose Jaw F Carter Hansen was named Team West’s captain at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . . The teams were missing a combined nine players between the World Junior Championship and the WHC. . . .
In Kamloops, D Bronson Maschmeyer broke a 1-1 tie at 18:48 of the second period and the Blazers went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Maschmeyer, 20, began his WHL career with the Giants before being dealt to the Blazers. It was his fourth goal of the season. . . . The Giants had won three in a row, including a 4-3 shootout victory over visiting Kamloops on Tuesday. . . . The Blazers have points in five straight (3-0-2). . . . The Blazers now hold a five-point lead over the Giants atop the B.C. Division. Kamloops is one point behind Western Conference-leading Tri-City, with the Americans holding three games in hand. . . .
In Prince George, F John Odgers, playing his first WHL game, scored the winner as the Cougars got past the Calgary Hitmen, 3-1. . . . Odgers, who plays for the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers, broke a 1-1 tie at 17:52 of the second period. He is the son of former WHL/NHL player Jeff Odgers, who now scouts for the Cougars. . . . Prince George F Austin Daae also scored his first WHL goal. It came in his 23^rd game of this season. . . . Cougars G Drew Owsley stopped 37 shots. . . . The Cougars dressed 15 skaters, three under the maximum. They are without F Brock Hirsche (undisclosed, finished for this season), D Shane Pilling (injured), D Reid Jackson (injured), F Chase Witala, F Jordan Tkatch, F Alex Forsberg, D Martin Marincin and F Jarrett Fontaine. . . . Marincin is with Slovakia at the World Junior Championship; Witala, Tkatch, Forsberg and Fontaine are at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. . . .
In Portland, the Winterhawks unloaded 54 shots as they beat the Victoria Royals, 6-3. . . . Victoria G Keith Hamilton, who was acquired from Portland in the offseason, stopped 48 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have won 10 in a row at home. . . . Portland D Joe Morrow had a goal and two helpers. . . . Portland F Brad Ross scored twice, giving him a six-game goal streak. He has 24 goals this season. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie was unsuccessful on a second-period penalty shot. . . . Portland F Sven Bartschi, who is at the World Junior Championship, suffered an apparent upper body injury on Tuesday as his Swiss side dropped a 4-3 shootout decision to Sweden. . . . Victoria D Tyler Stahl, out with a concussion since Oct. 1, had hoped to return after Christmas. But he apparently has suffered a setback and remains out indefinitely.
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Stu Hackel at SI.com takes a look at the month that was with the NHL and concussions. Warning: It isn’t pretty.
“Last week on TSN,” Hackel writes, “veteran commentator Dave Hodge called the NHL’s ongoing concussion problem the most critical issue facing the league in its history. He’s not overstating things. The challenge is curbing this problem without excessively tampering with two of the sport’s essential characteristics that make it so appealing — speed and physicality.”
Hackel’s complete report is right here.
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Early in his piece, Hackel refers to Dustin Fink, who runs The Concussion Blog. With concussions having become THE story in hockey, I have added a link to this blog over there on the right.
This blog is sure to provide some important reading.
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The 50-50 payout at the Canada-Czech Republic game in Edmonton last night was $84,642. It was won by Mike Futa, a scout with the Los Angeles Kings.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jozef Balej (Portland, 1999-2002) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after his release earlier Friday by Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had five goals and six assists in 20 games with Slovan this season.
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There were reports Friday night that Moose Jaw Warriors D has a has a torn ACL in one knee and will require surgery. That being the case, he could miss the remainder of the season.
Warriors head coach Mike Stothers told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Rielly will be out for “a significant amount of time.”
Gourlie wrote: “The Warriors won’t know how long that is until he is re-evaluated, but it is possible he suffered a season-ending injury to his right knee.”
“He has somebody else to see yet,” Stothers told Gourlie. “Regardless of what the next opinion is, he’s going to be out a significant amount of time.”
Rielly, a 17-year-old from Vancouver, has been projected as an early selection, perhaps top five, in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has 18 points, three of them goals, in 17 games. Last season, as a freshman, he had 28 points in 65 games.
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JUST NOTES: The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed D Kevin Wolf, a 10th-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft who is from St. Paul, Minn. Wolf played last season with the Chicago Fury major bantam team. This season, he is with the U-16 midget AAA Fury team. The 6-foot-6, 195-pounder has 10 points and four penalty minutes in 18 games.
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In Brandon, D Ryley Miller ran his goal-scoring streak to two games as the Wheat Kings beat the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. . . . Miller, a 19-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., had played 155 regular-season games without scoring even one goal. Now he has one in each of his last two games. . . . Last night, he also had an assist and a scrap for a Gordie Howe hat trick. . . . The second period took 40 minutes to play as it was interrupted by 64 minutes in penalties. . . . Brandon F Dominik Favreau, who had missed 16 games with a knee injury, scored a goal at 6:15 of the first period. . . .

In Moose Jaw, F Quinton Howden scored at 3:35 of OT to give the Warriors a 3-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Warriors, who have won seven in a row, had won 3-1 in Regina one night earlier. . . . Howden has five goals this season. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt actually stoned Howden on the original shot, but the rebound ended up in the feet of Pats F Dyson Stevenson, who hoofed it into his own net. . . . The Pats gave up two goals in the first four minutes of the third period, but tied it with two goals in the period’s final 4:37. . . . Eleven seconds before F Matt Marantz tied the score 2-2, Hewitt stopped Justin Hirsch on a penalty shot. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach, who sat out as a “coach’s decision” on Thursday, was back in the lineup. . . . The Warriors also had D Dylan McIlrath back from an undisclosed injury. . . .

In Calgary, F Justin Hickman broke a 4-4 tie at 19:47 of the second period and the Seattle Thunderbirds held on for a 5-4 victory over the Hitmen. . . . Hickman scored twice, giving him four goals. . . . D Alex Roach, a free-agent signee of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings during training camp, scored his first goal of the season for the Hitmen. . . . F Alex Gogolev and F Danny Gayle each had a goal and two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard stopped 23 shots. . . . The teams combined to score seven times in the game’s first 12:10. Seattle emerged from that scorefest with a 4-3 lead. . . . Seattle now has won two in a row and is 2-3-0 as it heads into Cranbrook to meet the Kootenay Ice tonight and wrap up its six-game swing into the Central Division. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tri-City Americans scored two shootout goals and beat the Tigers, 4-3. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin and F Justin Feser, the Ams’ first and fourth shooters, were able to beat G Tyler Bunz. . . . At the other end, Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk opened the shootout with a goal, but G Ty Rimmer then shut down F Emerson Etem, F Curtis Valk and F Reid Petryk. . . . Shinkaruk forced OT when he tied the game 3-3 at 8:51 of the third period. That was his 21st goal of the season. . . . Etem, who leads the WHL with 25 goals, had one assist. . . . F Curtis Valk scored twice for the Tigers, giving him three on the season. . . . Ty Rimmer made two saves off Etem in the dying moments of OT. . . . Tri-City has won four in a row, and also has won five in a row on the road. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks came from behind to tie the game five times and then beat the Spokane Chiefs 6-5 in a shootout. . . . Portland F Brad Ross forged a 5-5 tie with 40.5 seconds left in the third period with this second goal of the game and 12th of the season. . . . Portland outscored Spokane 4-3 in the shootout with F Taylor Leier, the 12th shooter, getting the winner. . . . F Ty Rattie also scored twice for Portland, while D Josh Morrow and F Sven Bartschi each had three assists. . . . Spokane F Connor Chartier, who had a goal and an assist, gave his side a 5-4 lead at 10:30 of the third period. . . . Spokane was 2-for-7 on the PP; Portland was 3-for-6. . . . The Chiefs are 9-4-2 overall but just 0-3-2 on the road. . . . They’ll do it again tonight in Portland. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets and Edmonton Oil Kings went 16 deep in the shootout before the home team won 2-1 on a goal by F Zach Franko. . . . The Rockets won the shootout, 3-2. . . . The Rockets had lost their previous seven games. . . . F Kristians Pelss gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 6:45 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Colton Sissons tied it at 17:47 of the first. . . . After that, it was showtime for the goaltenders. Edmonton’s Laurent Brossoit stopped 23 shots, three fewer than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . .

In Everett, F Spencer Asuchak scored twice to help the Prince George Cougars to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . The Cougars have won two in a row; the Silvertips have lost six straight. . . . The same teams meet again tonight in Everett. . . .
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You can bet that D Bronson Maschmeyer of the Kamloops Blazers was paying particular attention to one AJHL game on Friday night. The Lloydminster Bobcats, with Bronson’s sister Emerance as the backup goaltender, were in Fort McMurray to play the Oil Barons. Brock Maschmeyer is a defenceman with the Oil Barons. . . . Emerance was on the bench in support of G Chase Martin as the Bobcats scored a 3-2 shootout victory. It was Lloydminster’s first victory in Fort McMurray in four years. . . . Emerance has played 98 minutes over three games this season, earning a tie and suffering two losses. She has a 4.92 GAA and a .810 save percentage. . . . Brock, who didn’t score in the shootout, has 16 points, including three goals, in 22 games. He played two seasons (2008-10) with the Bobcats and now is in his second season with the Oil Barons.
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Also in the AJHL . . . the host Canmore Eagles, playing their first game since teammate Patrick Steel was found dead on Wednesday, posted a 6-3 victory over the Camrose Kodiaks. . . . Riley Point and Riley Reinbolt had two goals each for the Eagles, with Zack Rassell scoring once and setting up three others. G Michael Salmon stopped 21 shots for the victory.
“We actually don’t know what happened, we don’t have details, we’re kind of in the dark,” Andrew Milne, the Eagles’ GM/head coach, told Brent Wittmeier of the Edmonton Journal. “We’re just mourning the loss.”
Wittmeier’s report is right here.
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You have to wonder when players and teams in the OHL will learn that commissioner David Branch is serious. I mean, Branch hands down a 20-game suspension earlier in the week and now he’s got another incident on his hands.
Check it out right here.
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Jim Redden of the Portland Tribune starts a Friday story with:
“Mayor Sam Adams chose Veterans Day to announce plans for upgrading the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.”
That would be the home arena of the Portland Winterhawks and plans are to spend $30.5 million on the upgrade. Part of the upgrade will involve enlarging the ice surface.
Redden’s story is right here.
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Of all the words that have been written since the Penn State sexual abuse scandal hit the headlines, not many, if any, could be construed as having been positive.
However, Sheldon Kennedy, who knows of what he speaks when it comes to this subject, is the voice of reason as he points out in a Toronto Star story that we in Canada have made some progress.
“We’ve never had a measuring stick in terms of how far we’ve come in this country until now,” Kennedy told Daniel Girard. “I think we need to be proud of ourselves for the efforts everybody’s made in making Canada a better place for our kids.”
That story is right here.

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

JUST NOTES: D Ryan Pulock of the Brandon Wheat Kings has been added to the roster of the WHL team that will play a touring Russian side in Subway Super Series games in Regina on Nov. 16 and Moose Jaw on Nov. 17. Pulock, 17, replaces D Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors who has been removed from the roster due to an undisclosed injury. . . . D Joel Edmundson of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has been fighting to come back from a high ankle sprain, tweeted that he “got great news from the doctor” Wednesday. The Warriors are prepping for a three-in-three weekend and could have him in the lineup. . . .
D Lucas Grayson of the Everett Silvertips has drawn a four-game suspension for a charging major he incurred Sunday in a game against the Chiefs in Spokane. Chiefs F Dominik Uher was injured on the play. Here’s Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review: “Grayson road Dominik Uher into the boards as Uher was scoring the seventh goal. Uher was hurt, no question, and the way he was helped off the ice it appeared he had the famed lower body injury, no weight on his right leg. Turned out he has a famed upper body injury. He may have been out cold. Of course, we can't pinpoint that, that might mean a concussion and some neanderthal may try to hit him in the head when he comes back. Uher is listed as out for two weeks.” . . .
F Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the CHL’s player of the week. He had 11 points, including seven goals, last week. . . . The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs play twice this weekend, the first time they’ve met since last season’s Western Conference final. The Winterhawks won that series in six games. They’ll play Friday and Saturday, with both games in Portland’s Rose Garden. . . . In a scheduling quirk, the Chiefs and Seattle Thunderbirds won’t meet for the first time until Jan. 7. They will meet eight times in the season’s second half.
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In Kelowna, the Red Deer Rebels won their fourth straight game, beating the Rockets, 6-4. . . . The Rebels (12-4-1) are fifth in the Central Division but own the league’s best winning percentage (.735). . . . Nine of the 12 teams in the Central Division have at least a .500 winning percentage. . . . The Rockets have lost six in a row. . . . The game was played before 6,038 fans. That was the Rockets’ 256th consecutive regular-season sellout. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers have sold out their last 303 regular-season games. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as the Brandon Wheat Kings scored a 4-1 victory over the Raiders. . . . Brandon D Ryley Miller, playing in his 156th regular-season game, scored his first WHL goal. . . . Miller, a 19-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., has one goal and 21 assists during his career. . . .
In Swift Current, the Saskatoon Blades got three goals from F Josh Nicholls as they beat the Broncos, 7-5. . . . Nicholls, who has 16 goals, also had an assist. . . . F Lukas Sutter added three assists for the Blades. . . . Attendance was 1,824. . . . D Erik Fleming, acquired earlier from the Seaettle Thundebirds, scored his first goal for the Broncos. It was his third goal in 159 regular-season games. He hadn’t scored in his previous 118 games. His last goal was scored on Feb. 14, 2009 in a 7-2 victory over the visiting Portland Winterhawks. . . .
In Lethbridge, G Calvin Pickard made 33 saves to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Hurricanes, who got a goal and an assist from F Marcel Noebels, are 1-3-0 on their six-game swing into the Central Division. . . . The trek continues Friday in Calgary against the hitmen. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Tri-City Americans scored four third-period goals and beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-4. . . . The Americans have won four in a row on the road. . . . It was only the fifth victory for the Americans in their last 18 games in Cranbrook. . . . Tri-City trailed 3-1 eight minutes into the third period when it struck four times in 3:48 to take a 5-3 lead. . . . F Brendan Shinnimin had two goals and two assists for the Ams, while F Adam Hughesman had a goal and three helpers. . . . F Jesse Ismond had three goals for the Ice. . . . G Eric Comrie, who is 3-0 in his last four starts, went the distance for the Americans, playing in an arena where his brother, Mike, starred for part of one season (2000-01) with the Ice. . . . Craig West, the radio voice of the Americans, called his 998th Tri-City game. He will do No. 1,000 in Lethbridge on Saturday. His WHL total is well over a grand, though, as he is a former radio voice of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . The Americans are 13-5-0, matching the 1990-91 and 2007-08 teams for the second-best starts in franchise history. The best start? They opened 15-3-0 in 2009-10. . . . You want consistency? In each of the last six seasons, the Americans have won at least 11 of their first 18 games. . . .
In Vancouver, F Taylor Makin drew three assists as the Giants beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . Makin, 19, was playing his sixth game with the Giants. A free agent when the Giants added him, he had played 120 games with the Prince George Cougars. . . . His only other three-point game was on Dec. 19, 2009, when he had two goals and an assist in a 4-2 victory for the host Cougars over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Giants were without F Marek Tvrdon (ill).
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Words cannot begin to describe the horrors of the scandal that has enveloped Penn State University. Unfortunately, what has happened, is happening and will continue to happen is all too familiar to a pair of former WHL stars.
“The appalling Penn State scandal has sent shockwaves through the college football universe, but it comes as no surprise to former NHL players Theoren Fleury and Sheldon Kennedy, both victims of sexual abuse,” writes Rory Barrs of the National Post.
That complete piece is right here.

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

Monday's stuff . . .

There is an issue with the Twitter box over there on the right that I have to clear up.
And if it can’t be cleared up, the Twitter box will disappear.
For whatever reason, the source of a retweet doesn’t show up there.
For example, on Monday night, I retweeted an item from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug on Seattle Thunderbirds D Brenden Dillon signing with the Dallas Stars. Unfortunately, because Rishaug’s avatar doesn’t show up, it appears as though this tweet originated with me.
It did not.
We are working to repair this situation. As mentioned, if it can’t be repaired, the Taking Note on Twitter box will disappear.
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Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix made the trek to Moose Jaw with the Saskatoon Blades on Saturday for their very last game in the Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can).
That story is right here. And it includes a photo of the Crushed Can, in case you haven't seen one.
In Wolfe’s story, Lorne Molleken, the GM and head coach of the Blades, offers a few reminisces, including the relationship between fans and Molson Canadian and smoke.
I haven’t been in the Crushed Can in more than 10 years. But how well I remember when there was a room for the fans located next to the visiting team’s dressing room. In the intermissions, the fans would head there to have a pop and a cigarette or two. It may have been my imagination, but it always struck me that all the smoke would waft from that room, through and over the wall and into the dressing room where the visitors were trying to catch their breath.
In those days, that was home-ice advantage.
And then there was the leather-lunged fan who spent two periods standing behind the visiting team’s goaltender. This fan wore big leather mitts. He would cup those mitts around his mouth and yell at the goaltender through the split between two panes of glass. And it would go on and on and on. . . .
One former WHL coach once told me that fan was worth at least a goal a game.
“If I ever get another job in the WHL,” that coach said, “I’m taking that guy with me.”
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OK, people, here we go!
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times-Colonist writes: “Sources have indicated to the Times Colonist an announcement may be coming this spring about a Victoria team in the WHL for the 2012-13 season.”
Dheensaw mentions the Kootenay Ice, Prince George Cougars, Chilliwack Bruins, Porltand Winterhawks, Saskatoon Blades . . .
Dheensaw’s story is right here.
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Kevin Clark of the Wall Street Journal has a good read here on how NHL teams are burying mistakes in the AHL. Did you know: D Wade Redden makes the AHL minimum salary of $37,500 in just one period play. That and more right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have lost D Ryley Miller, 18, with an injury to his left hand. Miller, who will be out indefinitely, was injured in Saturday’s 9-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings have had a tough time keeping veteran defencemen in the lineup. D Brodie Melnychuk, 19, recently returned after missing 12 games with a broken leg. . . . The Wheat Kings have brought in D Ayrton Nikkel, 15, of Kelowna, and he’ll spend the week with them. A second-round draft pick by the Saskatoon Blades in 2010, the Wheat Kings acquired him from the Saskatoon Blades in the Brayden Schenn deal. Nikkel has 41 points in 52 games with the Pursuit of Excellence team in Kelowna. . . . Not counting Nikkel, Brandon is carrying six defencemen and five of those are finishing up their freshman seasons — Ryan Pulock and Eric Roy both are 16, while Jordan Fransoo, Spencer Galbraith and Rene Hunter are 17. Pulock should be in any conversation as the Eastern Conference’s rookie of the year. . . . The Wheat Kings, who have won nine in a row at home, play the visiting Kootenay Ice on Wednesday, with Regina back on Friday.
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JUST NOTES: F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants is the WHL’s player of the week. He had 10 points, including five goals, as the Giants went 2-1-0. . . . Thomas Heemskerk of the Moose Jaw Warriors is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 1-1-0, 0.48, .984 last week. . . . Ryan Rishaug of TSN reported last night that the Dallas Stars “have agreed to terms with” D Brenden Dillon, the captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Dillon, a 20-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was a free agent. He has 49 points in 63 games with the Thunderbirds. . . .
Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that the Rebels should have F John Persson back tonight after a three-game absence. Persson was injured when he went heavily into the boards during a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 19. Persson, who has 53 points, should be back alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrej Kudrna tonight when the Medicine Hat Tigers come calling. . . . The Rebels, however, remain without D Aaron Borejko (concussion) and F Josh Cowen (broken hand). . . . Borejko has missed two games but isn’t yet symptom-free so hasn’t even been on a bike. . . . The Tri-City Americans were without six regulars when they dropped a 5-0 decision to the host Vancouver Giants on Sunday. F Adam Hughesman, F Jordan Messier, F Marcus Messier, G Drew Owsley, F Neal Prokop and F Mason Wilgosh are were sidelined. Owsley has missed seven games with a knee injury. . . .
The Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first seven goals as they beat the visiting Calgary Hitmen 7-1 on Monday night. The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Hitmen were minus five forwards — Jimmy Bubnick, Trevor Cheek, Tyler Fiddler, Kris Foucault and Cody Sylvester. All are either ill or injured. . . . Kootenay Ice D Brayden McNabb, who played in his 250th regular-season game on Saturday, has 19 goals this season, one shy of the franchise’s record for goals in one season by a defenceman. Mike Busto scored 20 in 2006-07. . . . .
The Swift Current Broncos raised $8,300 through their Rider Night promotion on Feb. 12. All proceeds went to the Swift Current Minor Hockey Association and Swift Current Minor Football. F Andy Blanke’s jersey went for $2,300 and F Justin Dowling’s for $1,000 in the live auction. F Adam Lowry’s went for $725.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

There was an extremely interesting development in the WHL on Friday.
And it has to do with social media.
Early in the day, the WHL revealed that D Ryley Miller of the Brandon Wheat Kings had been hit with a two-game suspension for an open-ice hit on an unsuspecting puck carrier -- Kellan Tochkin of the visiting Everett Silvertips -- on Dec. 9.
Miller was suspended under supplemental discipline, which usually means there wasn’t a penalty on the play and one team, in this case the Silvertips, forwarded video to the WHL office.
The Wheat Kings reacted to news of the suspension by putting this on Twitter:
“WHL slaps BWK defenceman Ryley Miller with a 2-game suspension . . . for what appears on video to be a clean, open-ice hit . . . Check for yourself.”
In a follow-up tweet, the Wheat Kings provided a link to video of the hit and comments from GM/head coach Kelly McCrimmon. (Check the Wheat Kings’ home page if you haven’t already seen it.)
“I thought Ryley’s check on Tochkin was a textbook open ice hit,” McCrimmon is quoted as saying. “If you were trying to teach young defencemen how to body check it would be a perfect example. He demonstrated great angling, skating, footwork and courage in making that hit, something Wheat King fans have come to expect from Ryley.
“The suspension is very disappointing. These are not the hits we are trying to take out of the game.”
This is most interesting on a number of fronts.
First, there are very few people in the WHL who will comment so openly and on the record on disciplinary issues that are dealt with by the Calgary-based head office.
Most times it’s “no comment” or “I’d rather not say anything” or “if I say anything I’ll have to write a cheque.”
The fact that McCrimmon is so outspoken and eager to exercise what he obviously feels is his right to free speech is a breath of fresh air. Of course, you can bet that he did this with his eyes open and knows full well that -- Ch-ch-ching! -- he will be writing a cheque, likely first thing next week.
Also, the fact that McCrimmon didn’t wait for a phone call from a reporter but used his team’s website as a vehicle to present his opinion is something I don’t recall happening before in the WHL.
And I can guarantee that no WHL team has ever used social media to put anything like this before the court of public opinion.
The WHL, I don’t think, has a policy of any sort on social media. Its teams, some if not all of them, discuss with players the dangers that can be encountered on Facebook and other sites like it. Teams have had players remove what were felt to be inappropriate photos.
But the WHL has never had to deal with a team using social media to express disagreement with a decision or decisions handed down by the head office.
The fallout from the Wheat Kings’ move is going to be interesting, indeed. And I would bet that it will carry over all the way into June and the WHL’s annual meeting. Social media now is almost certain to be high on the agenda.
By the way, I have watched the video of Miller’s hit on Tochkin. While Miller may have left his feet a milli-second prior to the moment of impact, he doesn’t appear to have jumped at Tochkin, who is carrying the puck through the neutral zone with his head down. Miller wasn’t running at Tochkin so there wasn’t any intent to injure. There was intent to make a hard check on an unsuspecting player.
McCrimmon is correct in stating that these are “not the hits we are trying to take out of the game.”
If the hitter is going to draw a two-game suspension for a hit of this ilk, perhaps the hittee also should be suspended for having placed himself in danger. There was a time when you learned early on in minor hockey not to skate through the neutral zone with your head down. Are those days over?
The WHL is walking a fine line these days as it tries to find the happy medium in terms of allowing fighting and physical play in its games. If it doesn’t believe that, it need only look at some of its attendance figures and perhaps those of the UFC.

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