Isn't it time to stop hockey's merry-go-round? ... Everett writer looks at 'Tips and NHL ... Hossa to sit out season

Oji Eagles Tomakomai (Japan, Asia HL) have announced that assistant coach Aaron Keller (Kamloops, 1992-96) has “retired.” Keller played 17 seasons in Japan, five with Sapporo and 12 with Oji. He also was on the Japanese national team for nine years. Keller was an assistant coach for Oji and the national team in 2014-15, took off 2015-16 off, then returned to Oji last season. . . . 

F Edgars Kulda (Edmonton, 2012-15) has signed a one-year extension with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). Last season, he had three goals and six assists in 39 games. . . .

F Zach Hamill (Everett, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Lørenskog (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Last season, with Björklöven Umeå (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had seven goals and 11 assists in 29 games. . . . 

F Colton Gillies (Saskatoon, 2004-08) has signed a one-year extension with Dinamo Riga (Latvia, KHL). Last season, in 43 games, he had eight goals and six assists.

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Top #NHLDraft prospect @nolan_patrick19 throwing sauce. pic.twitter.com/BcQTEurNTy

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 21, 2017

In 2015-16, at the age of 17, F Nolan Patrick played in 105 games. That included 21 WHL playoff games. In the last few of those games, he tried to play through an injury that turned out to be a sports hernia.

That 105-game total included three games at a U-18 camp, four at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament, two in the Canada-Russia series and three at the Memorial Cup. Yes, those 105 games included a whole lot of high-intensity hockey.

Think about it for a moment — 105 games at 17 years of age.

In 2016-17, after undergoing surgery in July and missing training camp, he returned in time for opening night, but spent most of the season battling injuries — it turned out he had a second sports hernia — and

NOLAN PATRICK

played in only 33 games, none in the playoffs.

Patrick, now 18, was one of nearly 200 players invited by Hockey Canada on Tuesday to a summer camp. He will be in Plymouth, Mich., late next month at the camp for national junior team prospects where they will play a series of games against Finland, Sweden and the U.S.

Oh yes, let’s not forget that Patrick is expected to be the first or second selection in the first round of the NHL draft on Friday. (He threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Wednesday afternoon.) The team that picks him no doubt will hold a prospects camp of some sort in the next two or three weeks.

He won’t turn 19 until Sept. 19.

Meanwhile, let’s take a look at F Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks, another player who will be an early selection on Friday.

Glass, 18, played in 69 regular-season and 11 playoff games in 2016-17, his second WHL season. Those 11 playoff games included six against the Prince George Cougars in a series that was played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, which meant lots and lots and lots of bus travel.

Glass’ WHL season ended on April 14. Almost immediately, he was on a plane to Slovakia where he joined Team Canada in time to play three games at the IIHF U-18 world championship in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves.

Then it was back to Canada — he’s from Winnipeg — where he had to prepare for the NHL combine that

CODY GLASS

was held in Buffalo, May 28 through June 3. All told, there were 104 players on hand for that event.

After the combine, it was time to get ready for the draft that is scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Chicago.

In the two or three weeks following the draft, many of the NHL teams hold camps for all of their selections.

After that, Glass will head to Plymouth for Hockey Canada’s summer camp that is to run from July 29 through Aug. 5.

Presumably there will be a few days off before it’s time to get to Portland for the start of training camp in late August.

As one fan wrote in a note to Taking Note: “Does anybody else besides me think this is utter and complete madness?”

The fan continued: “When does Glass get to be a kid? . . . When does his body get to recover? . . . You can't tell me that playing and training for hockey nearly all year round is good for you.

“Does anybody care — truly care — about the stress, mentally and physically, that this type of campaign puts on a player like Cody Glass?”

At the same time, the off-season for a bunch of under-18 players ends in late July when they gather in Calgary for a five-day selection camp. The survivors leave on Aug. 2 for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament that is scheduled to be held in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovakia.

When Team Canada arrives back home, it will be almost time for the players to head for their club teams and the opening of training camps.

Seriously, it all has become something of a merry-go-round that never stops. If adults aren’t going to get these teenagers off that crazy ride, who will?

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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has taken an in-depth look at the Everett Silvertips and their place in the world of developing players. How have they done when stack up against other WHL teams when it comes to developing NHL players? . . . Patterson writes: “The Silvertips are heading into their 15th season of existence, a success story that’s seen the team hang seven banners and turn itself into one of the pillars of the community. But something is missing. For everything Everett has accomplished, the Tips are still waiting to establish a firm foothold in the NHL.” . . . Why is that? Patterson tries to answer that question right here. . . .

In looking at the Silvertips’ situation, Patterson also put together a number of charts through which you are able to see how many NHL players have been developed by each WHL team in recent years. . . . This chart right here deals with ex-WHLers who played in the NHL last season and from where they came. . . .

This chart right here features NHL draft picks from WHL teams since 2006. . . .

This chart right here shows former Everett players who have made it to the NHL.

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F Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks hasn’t announced his retirement, but the NHL team revealed Wednesday that he won’t play in 2017-18. . . . “Over the course of the last few years,” Hossa said in a news release, “under the supervision of the Blackhawks medical staff, I have been privately undergoing treatment for a progressive skin disorder and the side effects of the medications involved to treat the disorder. Due to the severe side effects associated with those medications, playing hockey is not possible for me during the upcoming 2017-18 season. While I am disappointed that I will not be able to play, I have to consider the severity of my condition and how the treatments have impacted my life both on and off the ice.” . . . Ken Campbell of The Hockey News has a good piece right here on what this means to Chicago’s salary cap situation, and whether Hossa, who played one season (1997-98) with the Portland Winterhawks, is a shoo-in as a hall of famer.

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There isn’t an doubt in my mind but that we will be waving farewell to a handful of Western Canadian junior hockey teams over the next few years. There simply are too many teams that are staring into the abyss these days, and something is going to have to give. . . . Stefanie Davis of Yorkton This Week has taken a look at the Yorkton Terriers and a couple of other SJHL teams and the picture isn’t pretty. Davis reports that the Terriers’ season-ticket sales have dropped by 33 per cent, with revenue going from more than $145,000 to $95,000 over the past two seasons. If you ever wondered what it costs to run a junior team, Davis has a lot more figures right here.

Meanwhile, the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, who were talking relocation not that long ago, have approached city council and asked for a grant to help the team through a rough spot until it is able to access gaming monies. Greg Sakaki of the Nanaimo News Bulletin has more right here.

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I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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David Killip has signed on as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The Kelowna native had been the director of player development with the Western Michigan Broncos for one season after being an assistant coach there in 2015-16. . . . He played for the Silverbacks for three seasons (2008-11) and was the team captain in his final season. . . . He played four seasons at Western Michigan, which is coached by former Silverbacks owner Andy Murray. . . . With Salmon Arm, Killip replaces Darrell Hay, who left last month after one season in the role.

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Ice signs veteran NHL assistant ... Hitmen, Royals need head coaches ... Chiefs sign two prospects

June 6, 1944- We will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of those Canadians who landed on #JunoBeach #DDay #WWII pic.twitter.com/uMQaTGlFSS

— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) June 6, 2017

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F Juraj Hollý (Calgary, 2010-11) has signed a one-year contract with Liptovský Mikuláš (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, in 22 games with Hermes Kokkola (Finland, Mestis) he was 2.63 and.904.

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I'm bringing new @WHLKootenayICE Head Coach James Patrick with me to Cranbrook on Thursday. I'm excited for you all to meet him! #icecountry

— Greg Fettes (@greg_fettes) June 6, 2017

Four days after firing Luke Pierce, the Kootenay Ice named James Patrick the eighth head coach in franchise history on Tuesday morning.

Pierce, 33, had been the Ice’s head coach for two seasons.

Patrick, who will turn 54 on June 14, signed a three-year contract.

He has spent the past 11 seasons as an NHL assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres (2006-13) and

JAMES PATRICK

Dallas Stars (2013-17), working alongside head coach Lindy Ruff in both stops. The Stars announced on April 9 that Ruff’s contract wouldn’t be renewed. At the same time, they chose not to extend Patrick’s deal.

While Pierce came to Cranbrook with six years as a junior coach under his belt — he had been the general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials — Patrick has little in the way of junior hockey experience.

Patrick is from Winnipeg, as are Ice owners Greg Fettes and Matt Cockell. However, Patrick told Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun right here that is simply a coincidence.

Patrick played for the SJHL’s Prince Albert Raiders (1980-81) then moved on to the U of North Dakota for two seasons. He followed that up with a season with Canada’s national team, then moved on to an NHL career that took him through 2003-04 and featured stints with the New York Rangers, who selected him with the ninth overall pick of the 1981 NHL draft, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Buffalo. A defenceman, he had 149 goals and 490 assists in 1,280 regular-season games.

After playing with the DEL’s Frankfurt Lions in 2005-06, Patrick retired and joined the Sabres’ coaching staff.

According to a news release from the Ice, Patrick is familiar with the East Kootenay region as he has owned a condo “near Fernie for the last 20 years.”

Patrick is an uncle to F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who is expected to be one of the first two selections when the NHL draft opens in Chicago on June 23. Nolan’s father, Steve, a former WHL and NHL player, and James are brothers.

In fact, it was through watching Nolan’s games via video over the past three seasons that apparently got James interested in the WHL. He told Brad McLeod of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that “I tried to watch the majority of his games when I could, and I really got familiar with the league.

“I started seeing what a high level of play it was. So many teams play really similar to NHL teams with their structure and systems.”

Having been moved out by the Stars, Patrick got in touch with Kelly McCrimmon, who owns the Wheat Kings and also is the assistant GM with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Patrick was looking see in what direction the Knights were going with their coaching staff; McCrimmon put Patrick in touch with Cockell, the Ice’s president and GM who once was the Wheat Kings’ goaltending coach.

One thing led to another and Patrick now is the Ice’s head coach.

The Ice has been rebuilding for a couple of seasons now and has finished with the WHL’s poorest record in each of the past two seasons.

Fettes and Cockell purchased the franchise from the Chynoweth family following the end of this season.

McLeod’s complete story is right here.

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Congratulations Coach Dan Lambert and welcome to Spokane! The future looks great for this upcoming season! @spokanechiefs pic.twitter.com/R9igQYt2xC

— Brian Schaeffer (@SpokaneFire) June 6, 2017

Three WHL teams have hired head coaches since the end of the 2016-17 regular season and two teams — the Calgary Hitmen and Victoria Royals — still have vacancies.

It’s interesting to note that each of the three teams that has made a hire has gone in a different direction from the other two.

Of those three teams, the Spokane Chiefs are the only one to have turned to someone with WHL coaching experience. The Chiefs announced Monday that Dan Lambert is their new head coach, replacing Don Nachbaur, who had been there for seven seasons. Lambert was introduced to fans and media in Spokane on Tuesday afternoon.

Lambert spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Kelowna Rockets and was their head coach in 2014-15 when they won a WHL title. He spent 2015-16 as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres and this season as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans.

Meanwhile, the Everett Silvertips announced on May 15 that they had hired Dennis Williams as head coach, replacing Kevin Constantine whose contract wasn’t renewed after four seasons of a second go-round in Everett. While Williams doesn’t have any WHL experience, he spent the past seven seasons coaching the USHL’s Bloomington Thunder (2014-18) and NAHL’s Amarillo Bulls (2010-14), both junior franchises.

The Bulls, Thunder and Silvertips are owned by CSH International Inc., the sports division of The Monarch Corporation, which is headquartered in Medicine Hat under the leadership of Bill Yuill, the chairman and CEO. Williams had two years left on his contract when he was named the Silvertips’ head coach. Jesse Geleynse of the Everett Herald reported that 

Williams got a four-year deal from the Silvertips.

On Tuesday, the Kootenay Ice announced that it has signed James Patrick as its head coach. Patrick, a former NHL player and assistant coach, has never been a head coach and hasn’t been associated with a junior team since 1980-81 when he was a defenceman with the SJHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He was teammates with Lindy Ruff for three seasons with the NHL’s New York Rangers, then spent a total of 11 seasons as an NHL assistant, seven with the Buffalo Sabres and four with the Dallas Stars, all of them with Ruff as the head coach.

The Chiefs didn’t reveal any of Lambert’s contract details, while the Ice announced that Patrick has a three-year deal.

Now the spotlight falls on the Calgary Hitmen, who are looking to replace Mark French, who has signed to coach in Switzerland, and the Victoria Royals must replace Dave Lowry, who has signed on as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

Interestingly, there had been speculation of late that the Royals were interested in Lambert.

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The WHL had at least part of its 2017-18 exhibition schedule on its website on Tuesday, but it all disappeared later in the day. . . . The OHL and QMJHL already have released their 2017-18 regular-season schedules. The WHL won’t release its schedule until some time after its annual general meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Vancouver, June 13 and 14.

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The Spokane Chiefs signed a pair of 2017 prospects on Tuesday — F Jack Finley and D Tyson Feist. . . . Finley, who will turn 15 on Sept. 2, was the sixth overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft. From Kelowna, he is the son of former NHL D Jeff Finley, who now is the Detroit Red Wings’ chief amateur scout. Jack had 48 points, 23 of them goals, in 27 games with the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence bantam prep team this season. . . . Feist, 16, was an invitee to the Chiefs’ 2016 training camp and was placed on their protected list in September. From Dawson Creek, B.C., he was 5-foot-10 at training camp and grew to 6-foot-2 during the season. He had three goals and 14 assists in 30 games with the Pursuit of Excellence Elite 15s.

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The BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks are looking for an assistant coach following the departure of Darrell Hay. The son of long-time WHL head coach Don Hay, Darrell spent one season with the Silverbacks. . . . Hay, 37, played four seasons (1996-2000) with the Tri-City Americans before going on to a pro career that included seven seasons in Europe. He retired after two seasons (2014-16) with the Sheffield Steelers of the Elite Ice Hockey League. . . . The Silverbacks announced Hay’s departure two days after he was married. . . . Interestingly, the Kamloops Blazers, with Don Hay as the head coach, are in the market for an assistant coach after Terry Bangen left to join the expansion Worcester, Mass., Railers of the ECHL. However, according to Salmon Arm’s news release, Hay “will be moving back to Colorado this fall.”

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I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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Another crazy Game 6 Stanley Cup Final sale in Nashville.

Someone just paid $31,845 (including fees) on StubHub for 4 seats on glass.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 7, 2017

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Another departure from Brandon as Klippenstein joins Colorado

These are the pipes that came out of our rink.  I think it was a little overdue #BetterIce#AmsHockey pic.twitter.com/kQtLu8zn5M

— Robert (Bob) Tory (@BTORY) August 5, 2016

F Tomáš Vincour (Edmonton, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a one-year contract with Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL), he had 10 goals and 17 assists in 45 games.

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Things got even more interesting with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday with the news that Wade Klippenstein, the team’s director of scouting, is off to the NHL.

Dean Millard (@DuckMillard) of The Pipeline Show tweeted: “Brandon Wheat Kings will also lose Head Scout Wade Klippenstein as he's taken an NHL job with a western conference team. #Vegas???”

It turns out that the Colorado Avalanche has hired Klippenstein, a veteran WHL scout, as a western scout. Klippenstein had been with Brandon for three years.

Prior to that, he spent six years with the Prince George Cougars. He also has worked with the Prince Albert Raiders, Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors.

The Wheat Kings, of course, lost general manager and head coach Kelly McCrimmon to the NHL

when he signed on as the assistant general manager with the Las Vegas franchise that is to begin play in 2017-18. McCrimmon will continue to own the Wheat Kings, though.

Brandon also is in need of an athletic therapist after Josh Guenther, who had been there for three years, left to join the Red Deer Rebels.

As well, Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the Wheat Kings for the past 23 seasons, and radio station CKLQ decided to go their separate ways last month.

McCrimmon has a number of veteran scouts on staff, including senior scout Gary Michalik and head scout Mark Johnston. Garth Mitchell has been on the scouting staff since 1998, while Mike Fraser has been there for four years, after spending seven seasons working for the Swift Current Broncos. Derrick Kemp has scouted for Brandon for eight seasons.

Obviously, McCrimmon has options, as he does in the front office where Rick Dillabough and Lyn Shannon are long-time employees who are most capable of running the business side of things.

But he needs a head coach — have to wonder if he has spoken with Dean Chynoweth? — and someone to oversee the hockey side of things.

And time is of the essence. McCrimmon is expected to scout the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup that opens Monday in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Bratislava, Slovkia. The Wheat Kings, who are the WHL’s reigning champions, are scheduled to open training camp in Brandon on Aug. 30.

For now, all eyes are on Brandon.

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The BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks have acquired former WHL D Carter Cochrane from the Trail Smoke Eaters in exchange for F Josh Laframbroise. . . . Cochrane, who will turn 20 on Oct. 18, is from Kamloops, 

Last season, Cochrane played one game with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, five with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs and 14 with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . He also has played in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and Tri-City Americans. In 2013-14, he had 47 points, including 16 goals, in 55 games with Chilliwack and it is that form that the Silverbacks are wanting to see. . . . Laframboise, who also is heading into his 20-year-old season, is from Thunder Bay, Ont. The Silverbacks acquired him from the Penticton Vees in 2014-15. In 93 games with Salmon Arm over the past two seasons, he had 62 points, including 20 goals.

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If you’re in the mood for a good read, Bryan Curtis of The Ringer takes a look right here at Dan Shaughnessy, the long-time sports columnist from the Boston Globe. . . . Shaughnessy always has done things his way and that hasn’t changed although the times have.

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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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Mark Chase has joined the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires as an assistant coach. Chase, from Kamloops, has coached for more than 10 years in the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, including at the bantam AAA and major midget levels. He also has been involved in the U-16 high performance program. . . . In Melville, he will work alongside head coach Devin Windle.

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These summer world junior games are completely unnecessary. Inter-squad ok sure, but coaches screaming "compete" in August no thanks.

— Patrick O'Sullivan (@realPOSULLIVAN) August 5, 2016

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My Head Hurts offers sanctuary

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Patrik Valcak (Lethbridge, Kelowna, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga) after a successful tryout. Valcak led the Polish Ekstraliga in scoring and assists last season, with 15 goals and 41 assists in 38 games for Polish champions Cracovia Krakow.
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The NHL has rewritten its rule on checking to the head. Elliotte Friedman explores that and a whole lot more in 30 Thoughts, which returned Monday for another season. It is right here.
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The Salmon Arm SilverBacks, who open the BCHL regular season at home to the Vernon Vipers on Friday, are looking for a broadcaster and marketing director following the sudden resignation of Chris Wahl. “This is a complete shock to the organization and we are extremely disappointed,” GM/head coach Troy Mick said in a news release. “However, we will move forward and look to fill these positions as soon as possible.” . . . Interested applicants should email Mick at gm@silverbacks.com or call him at 250-938-5459.
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Judging by the tweets from Tri-City F Tyson Dallman, 20, the Americans released him Monday:
“I'll never forget any of the staff around the rink, any of the boys and especially my billets. You guys made the past two years of my life . . .
“Unforgettable and I wish all the best to the @TCAmericans for this upcoming season. Go get that Memorial Cup boys. I'll be cheering for you.”
Dallman, from Prince Albert, had 17 points in 90 regular-season games with the Americans. Injuries limited him to 38 games last season.
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F Taylor Leier of the Portland Winterhawks has signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . Leier had 62 points, including 27 goals, in 64 games last season, his second in the WHL. He then added 16 points in 21 playoff games. Leier is from Saskatoon and is presently in Philadelphia at the Flyers’ camp.
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The Saskatoon Blades have hired Ray Dudra to scout the U.S. Dudra, who has scouted for 30 years, has previous WHL experience with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Spokane Chiefs and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Dudra lives in Edmonton but winters in Arizona. . . . According to a Blades’ news release, during the winters Dudra “will scout and track players throughout the United States.”
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The Saskatoon Blades are down to two goaltenders after assigning Brandon Kegler, 16, to the midget AAA Leduc, Alta., Oil Kings. . . . Kegler was a fourth-round selection in the 2012 WHL bantam draft. . . . (His nickname has to be Bowler, doesn’t it?) . . . With Kegler gone, the Blades are left with Nathan Alalouf and Alex Moodie as their goaltenders. Alalouf, a list player from Delta, B.C., is 17. He played last season with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . Moodie, an 18-year-old from Winnipeg, has played 28 games with the Blades over the last two seasons, going 14-7-1, 4.10, .872.
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail was canoeing when the Canadian Olympic hockey team coaching staff and more than 40 prospective players gathered in Calgary to, uhh, play ball hockey. . . . Today, MacGregor is wondering just what the heck was going on, and that piece is right here. Thankfully, MacGregor doesn’t try to pick the Olympic team roster or attempt to name a goaltender or decide who should be on the PP. Rather, he wonders just what was going on.
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Bobby Brett, the owner of the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, and former Chiefs player Pat Falloon will be among five inductees into the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame at the Spokane Arena on Oct. 22. . . . The Spokane Spokesman-Review has more right here.
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From the Kamloops Daily News:
The Crown has dropped one charge against former NHL enforcer Link Gaetz after his alleged victim died July 6 in a drowning accident.
Jean Guye-Vuilleme, 72, drowned in Seton Lake after walking into the water at Seton Beach.
Defence lawyer Jeremy Jensen said the Crown subsequently dropped the charge of assault against Gaetz for an incident involving Guye-Vuilleme at the Dairy Queen in Cache Creek on April 20, 2012.
But a second charge of causing a disturbance remains outstanding.
Gaetz, knicknamed Missing Link during his brief NHL career with the San Jose Sharks, reportedly screamed and yelled inside the restaurant and became involved in a consensual fight with several people following the tussle with Guye-Vuilleme.
A date has not been set for the trial. Jensen said Gaetz did not appear in Kamloops because he is in custody in Alberta facing charges on other criminal matters.
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If you are a player or former playing battling post-concussion syndrome, you may want to check out My Head Hurts, a website that was unveiled on Monday.
Here is the news release that heralded its arrival:
Los Angeles, CA, September 09, 2013 --(PR.com)-- One year removed from his shocking announcement to retire from college football and forgo an NFL career, due to repeated concussions, former UCLA linebacker Patrick Larimore unveils today a new social enterprise, My Head Hurts, to empower brain trauma survivors.
This interactive community aims to promote greater innovation, advanced methods of care, and staunch support and empathy for the millions affected by brain injuries.
“The wall of silence has finally been broken,” said Larimore, who has become a vocal advocate of improving the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries, as well as preventive measures. “It’s time to discuss brain injuries more openly and recognize the thousands of untold stories out there.”
Larimore, a former UCLA team captain and starting middle linebacker, received national recognition for making one of the most historic and courageous decisions by a student-athlete. After suffering repeated concussions, including one that sidelined the former UCLA defensive MVP for over a month, Larimore retired from college football in August of 2012. He skipped his final season of eligibility as a senior, and potentially a promising career in the NFL.
“As much as I love football, I realized that my long-term health and my personal relationships were too important to risk if I continued to compete on the field,” Larimore said. “These injuries are simply not endurable if you ignore your body and mind.”
My Head Hurts was founded by Larimore in response to the outpouring of support, following his announcement.
“People were reaching out to me from all over the country,” Larimore said. “Many of them had stories of their own – brain injuries as a result of sports, military service, manual labor, or even household accidents. We want them to know that they’re not alone.”
MyHeadHurts.co, along with featuring top experts and educational resources, will focus heavily on social interaction among brain trauma survivors and their loved ones, making it easier to share stories and connect with peers and medical professionals.
“The stories are what make this issue come to life,” added Larimore. “These injuries have a profound impact on family and friends, not just the individual survivors.”
Larimore has committed to changing the culture of how brain injuries are perceived and treated – not just in sports, but throughout every professional environment.
“It’s a shared responsibility,” Larimore said. “We cannot afford to underestimate the severity of brain injuries.
“My Heads Hurts will be the first step in giving these injuries, and the individuals affected by them, the attention that they deserve.”

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Derek Ryan (Spokane, 2003-07) signed a two-year contract extension with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He finished second in league scoring with 27 goals and 39 assists in 54 games with Villach this season. . . .
D David Turon (Portland, 2002-03) signed a one-year contract with Meran/Merano (Italy, Serie A2). He had 11 goals and 12 assists in 44 games with Fassa (Italy, Serie A) this season.
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1. The Vancouver Giants announced late Tuesday afternoon that assistant coach Glen Hanlon won’t be returning to work under head coach Don Hay. According to the Giants’ news release, Hanlon left to “pursue a job as a head coach overseas.” . . . Subsequently, there were suggestions that he has agreed to work again as head coach of the Belarussian national team. He previously had worked as the head coach of the KHL’s Dynamo Minsk and with the Slovkian and Belarussian national teams. . . . Hanlon, 56, spent two seasons with the Giants.

2. Grant Sonier was named general manager of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders on Tuesday. Sonier, who is from Summerside, P.E.I., takes over the franchise that was sold earlier this month and renamed on Monday. It had been the P.E.I. Rocket. A veteran scout, Sonier also did a stint as the Florida Panthers’ assistant GM.

3. In case you missed it, Tuesday was a bizarre night. For the first time in his illustrious career, Mariano Rivera was tagged with a loss without getting even one out. Oh, and LeBron fouled out!

4. If you haven’t been following the goings-on involving the athletic department at Rutgers University, you should be. Bizarre doesn’t begin to describe it. Michael Rosenberg of si.com has a good piece right here.

5. Dale Unruh, who is CEO, president and chairman of the Quality Group of Companies in Fort McMurray, Alta., has bought a piece of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Trevor Howlett of Fort McMurray Today has more right here.

6. If you are a baseball fan, you are familiar with the name Dr. Lewis Yocum. If not, well, Dr. Yocum was and is responsible for keeping a lot of players on the field of play. He died on the weekend at the age of 65. There’s more right here.

7. While Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs is awaiting the start of the NBA final, he also is in the middle of what seems to be a nasty divorce. Check out this right here from Deadspin.

8. The Los Angeles Clippers went 56-26 during the NBA regular season. So why did head coach Vinny Del Negro lose his job? Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times tells us right here.
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From Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) of the Toronto Star/Sportsnet: “Kings survive. More exciting hockey to come. Think I'll just watch the east. Or baseball. Quicker pace.”
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From TSN analyst Darren R. Pang (@Panger40): “That would be best for everyone on twitter. Only you can suck the life out of a GM 7. @DamoSpin"
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From Cox: “@Panger40 Your pay cheque is showing. Again.”
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From Pang: “That has to do with a pay check? That is a bad analysis. Par for course with you. @DamoSpin”

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Give him Liberty, and give him hockey

Brandon Mistal finished this season as the captain of the BCHL's
Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
(Salmon Arm SilverBacks photo)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Brandon Mistal just wants to play hockey.
So he’s prepared to travel 4,338 kilometres from his hometown for ice time.
After three-plus seasons in the BCHL, Mistal, a 21-year-old forward from Kamloops, is headed to Liberty University in the fall.
The school, a private Christian university, is located in Lynchburg, Va. The Flames are a Division I hockey team, playing in the 54-team American Collegiate Hockey Association. The ACHA, which has been around since 1991, governs non-varsity hockey in the U.S.
“That would be awesome,” Mistal, 21, said of the opportunity to play four seasons at Liberty U. “As long as the money all works out and I can keep going down there, I will definitely play four years.”
Mistal played in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees, Cowichan Valley Capitals and Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He concluded this season as the SilverBacks’ captain, putting up 36 points, including 13 goals, in 56 games.
“He’s an outstanding young man,” Troy Mick, the SilverBacks’ general manager and head coach, said. “His dedication, his character, his work ethic . . . were so emblematic of being a captain that it was a real no-brainer for us.”
Like a large number of BCHL players, Mistal had his hopes up for an offer from an NCAA Division I school. But as this season wore on it became evident that wasn’t going to happen. All the while, he kept hearing from Liberty.
“It was in the back of my mind,” he said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was hoping for Division I . . . I was keeping all my options open.
“But they were the only ones who were talking to me through the whole season. Then, after the season was over, they really wanted me to come for a visit.”
Mistal traveled to Lynchburg in mid-April, saw the campus, skated with some of the Flames and “stayed with couple guys off-campus.”
“It was a pretty good experience,” he said.
These days, he can hardly wait to get back there and get started.
“It’s not the biggest rink,” he said of the 3,000-seat LaHaye Ice Center that is located on the university campus, “and there’s not that many seats, but they love hockey down there and they pack the barn. They support the team so well.”
Mistal grew up in a Christian home – his family is Pentecostal – and his faith is important to him, so Liberty should be a good fit. It was founded in 1971 by evangelical fundamentalist Jerry Falwell, whose roots were Southern Baptist. Falwell died in 2007.
“It’ll be a bit of a change to have that different environment,” said Mistal, who will set out in pursuit of a business degree, “but it’ll be cool to experience that.”
His connection to Liberty came through the Silverbacks’ chapel program. Kenny Toews, the Silverbacks’ chaplain, reached out to Flames assistant coach Dave Semenyna. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Flames are losing two of their offensive leaders, so Mistal is hoping to make an immediate impact.
“I think I’m an all-around player . . . a pretty smart player,” he said. “I like to get in the corners and cycle and work on the boards and create offence out of that. I’m hoping to go in and contribute offensively right away.
“I think I’m one of those versatile guys who can do everything pretty solidly, hopefully with a decent knack for scoring, too.”
Head coach Kirk Handy also is hoping that Mistal is able to contribute right away.
“He’s someone who can definitely make an impact right away, who can play in a lot of different situations,” Handy said in a news release. “He’s a class act with strong leadership abilities. He’s a very well spoken guy who, just in the time we’ve gotten to know him, I’ve been really impressed with his character and his demeanour.
“On the ice, he’s going to be a guy we can count on on both sides of the rink, a two-way hockey player who has a good scoring knack.”
Mistal also will get to see some new country, as the Flames’ 39-game schedule includes stops in such places as Charleston, W.Va.; Athens, Ohio; Blacksburg, Va.; and Tucson, Ariz.
“I’ll gain experience and exposure so I jumped at the opportunity, for sure,” he said.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kevin Saurette (Regina, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Saurette started the season with Kaufbeuren (Germany, 2. Bundesliga), where he had 10 goals and 16 assists in 25 games. He then signed with the Giants just before Christmas and had 14 goals and 18 assists in 28 games. You can read about it  right here. . . .



F Konstantin Pushkaryov (Calgary, 2004-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). He had four goals and six assists in 28 games with Barys this season.
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A little of this and some of that . . .
1. The Saskatoon Blades’ season came to an end last night with a 6-1 loss to the London Knights in the tiebreaker game at the Memorial Cup. The Knights will play the Portland Winterhawks in the semifinal game tonight, with the winner meeting the Halifax Mooseheads in the final on Sunday. . . .
2. The Blades’ season was one to remember, but surely for a lot of the wrong reasons. After beating the host Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in a shootout on March 12, the Blades finished with one victory in their last 10 games.
3. With the Blades loss, we are left to wonder if we have witnessed the final game of Lorne Molleken’s WHL coaching career. Only Ken Hodge (742) has more WHL regular-season coaching victories than Molleken (603).
4. If Molleken does choose to step aside as head coach — he would, the theory goes, stay on as general manager — who replaces him? Three names you are certain to hear: David Struch, the Blades’ associate coach; Dean Brockman, who just finished his 12th season as head coach of the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos (he also is the GM); and Chad Mercier, who resigned as the general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Bonnyville Pontiacs following the season
5. The moment that Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower raised his left arm, he was done. It was Wednesday night and Thrower was trying to stop an outside-in move by Portland F Taylor Leier. Thrower’s arm made contact with Leier’s head and now neither skater will play again in this Memorial Cup. . . . Thrower, who served a two-game suspension in October for a headshot in a game in Lethbridge, was suspended for the remainder of the Memorial Cup by NHL Hockey Operations (yes, that’s National Hockey League Hockey Operations), which handles disciplinary matters at this stage of the tournament. . . . With Thrower out, the Blades inserted D Kyle Schmidt, 19, into the lineup.
6. Thrower wasn’t penalized on the play, meaning you are free to wonder what it was the four on-ice officials were watching at the time.
7. Also Thursday morning, Portland head coach Travis Green told the media that Leier won’t play Friday and isn’t expected to play again in the tournament, which means he won’t play in Sunday’s final should the Winterhawks get there. Leier obviously has a brain injury after taking a hit to the head and then having his head strike the ice when he went down.
8. Kevin Mitchell, the sports editor of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, has spoken with Jack Brodsky, the Blades’ owner and governor, about the attendance at the Memorial Cup. That story is right here. . . .
“Grumblings have been heard about ticket prices,” Mitchell writes, “which for Wednesday's game between the Blades and Portland Winterhawks ranged from $66.25 (including service charges) to $113.75 in the lower bowl. Most upper-bowl tickets were $66.25, though $37.50 tickets could be had at the back of the arena.”
Brodsky told Mitchell: "I think ticket prices are where they should be. This is the national championship; this is the top teams in Canada playing. If you compare it to some of the NHL exhibition games we have in Saskatoon and the quality of hockey there . . . our prices aren't as high as some of those are. I think we're priced right."
Sorry, Jack, but you are asking some working stiff to pay $37.50 to sit in the Bob Uecker seats to watch a junior hockey game. That’s too much, never mind having to pay more than $100 for one ticket in the lower bowl.
We’re talking junior hockey, a sport whose fan demographic — families and seniors — isn’t rolling in that kind of dough.
Some WHL teams encountered problems selling playoff tickets when the prices got to the neighbourhood of $30 a pop, especially with games on live television.
When you’re talking $100 a ticket, well, that’s a lot of Netflix.
(If you’re a Saskatoon hockey fan who didn’t buy Memorial Cup tickets, either a package or singles, feel free to email me at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca and let me know your opinion.)
9. I was told Thursday that the deal involving the sale of the BCHL’s Salmon Arms has been completed. “The i’s are dotted, the t’s crossed,” someone with knowledge of the situation told me. “It’s done.” . . . The ownership group, which includes Troy Mick, is to be announced next week. Mick will be the club’s general manager and head coach. . . . Randy and Terry Williams had owned the franchise for six seasons. Mick, who already owned a piece of the franchise, also will serve as the president.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jay Varady is the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, effective immediately. Varady spent the last two seasons in France as head coach of the Les Ducs d'Angers for the last two seasons. . . . Varady is a former associate and assistant coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. . . . He also was the video coach with the U.S. team that won the world junior champonship in 2010. . . .

Dale Hladun has resigned as head coach of the junior B Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Hladun had one season left on a three-year contract. . . . Shortly after posting that on Twitter on Thursday, George Elliott (@PosseWebcrew) followed with: “More resignations from Princeton Posse executive expected in the next few days.” . . . Elliott also tweeted: “In his letter of resignation, Head Coach Dale Hladun claims to be owed $15,000 by the Princeton Posse.” . . . One more tweet from Elliott: “There are a lot of rumours flying around about the Posse. Remember, there are two sides of the story. Be sure to seek the information.” . . .


The Colorado Avalanche has cut a deal with Patrick Roy, who will be the NHL team’s head coach and vice-president of hockey operations. He had been co-owner, general manager and head coach of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. . . .



Benoit Desrosiers has joined the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix as an assistant coach. Desrosiers, 24, spent this season as an assistant coach with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
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From Portland Winterhawks F Taylor Peters (@thepistolpete25): “Congrats to @Jnicks20 on a great dub career”
@Jnicks20 is the Twitter handle for Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls.

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