THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jamie Lundmark (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 1998-2001) signed a two-year contract extension with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 29 goals and 29 assists in 51 games for Klagenfurt this season. Lundmark led Klagenfurt in scoring this season, one point ahead of John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06), and finished fifth in the league.
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Former Tri-City Americans assistant coach Scott Beattie now is the head coach of Olten, a professional team in Switzerland.
One of his players, D Ronny Keller, suffered what is believed to be some permanent paralysis after being checked from behind during a game on Wednesday.
“There’s just absolutely no place in the game for contact from behind,” Beattie said. “Players have got to start to realize that.”
Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post spoke with Beattie on how he and his team are dealing with the situation. That story is right here.
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Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star takes a look right here at the Wednesday night fight between Frazer McLaren of the Toronto Maple Leafs and David Dziurzynski of the Ottawa Senators.
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The Saskatoon Blades will be without F Michael Ferland and perhaps D Dalton Thrower tonight when they play host to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Neither Ferland nor Thrower practised Thursday due to undisclosed injuries.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix also reports that the Blades will retire No. 7 tonight in honour of Gerry Pinder, who starred as a forward with the club for two seasons (1965-67). He had 221 points, including 112 goals, in 109 games over the two seasons.
The Blades have retired five other numbers — Brent Ashton (7), Bob Bourne (12), Wendel Clark (22), Bernie Federko (15) and Brian Skrudland (10).

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have received all necessary paperwork involved in gaining a USA Hockey release for F Jesse Gabrielle, 15, so he is eligible to play tonight against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . However, the Wheat Kings have announced that F John Quenneville won’t play again this season due to an undisclosed injury.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed D Ty Schultz, who was the 16th overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Schultz had 26 points in 36 games with the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians.

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According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, the Vancouver Giants have brought in D Jake Kohlhauser for a look-see as time runs out on their season. Kohlhauser, who turned 17 on Jan. 28, should get a look as the Giants go home-and-home with the Victoria Royals tonight and Saturday. . . . Kohlhauser, a second-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, played for the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders. 
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Former WHL F Chase Schaber (Calgary, Kamloops (2007-12) has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. Schaber, who turned 22 on Jan. 3, should make his debut tonight or Saturday against the visiting Gwinnett Gladiators. . . . Schaber, who is from Red Deer, played this season with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, putting up 18 points in 19 games.

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The Victoria Royals have been fined $1,500 and hit with nine games in suspensions for their actions during the third period of a 6-0 loss to the host Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday.
Head coach Dave Lowry was suspended for one game, because he is deemed responsible for his club’s conduct. Lowry is eligible to return tonight against the visiting Vancouver Giants after sitting out a 4-3 shootout loss to the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday.
Lowry watched that game in a Kelowna hotel room.
“It cost me $7.95 to watch it,” Lowry, who thankfully hasn’t lost his sense of humour, told Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist.
Forward Tim Traber drew a six-game suspension for coming onto the ice during a line change and initiating a one-man fight. He will be eligible to return for the Royals’ last regular-season game, in Everett against the Silvertips, on March 16.
Defenceman Keegan Kanzig will sit for two games for his one-man fight. Kanzig sat out Tuesday’s game in Kelowna and won’t play tonight. he will be eligible to return in Vancouver on Saturday.
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A stick tap to AP for sending me this note yesterday:
“As a follow up to your note about the Alta AAA overtime marathon, (Wednesday) night in Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Blazers and Moose Jaw Generals played four overtime periods. The Blazers won 3-2 on a goal by Jackson Michalenko. The goalies were Evan Weninger and Ryland Pashovitz, who each made more than 50 saves in the game that lasted 127 minutes. With the win the Blazers won the series 3 games to 1. Players of the game were Pashovitz and Michalenko.”
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F Graham Hood of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been hit with a ‘tbd’ suspension after taking a boarding major for a hit on Red Deer D Devan Fafard during the visiting Rebels’ 4-0 victory on Wednesday night. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Fafard “required facial stitches, was re-examined Thursday and is listed as day-to-day.”
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
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From sports reporter Paul Buker of The Oregonian in Portland: “Attn: Jeff Hubert, new WHL media relations guy and 'bleep runs downhill' expert. OK, you've got a 24-hour grace period before we make …”
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Buker, cont’d: “...fun of you, question your job performance, or complain that you aren't returning calls #mediawhocovermosthatedfranchiseinWHL”
There are those in the Portland media who have had problems contacting folks in the WHL office since late Novemberr. Jeff Hubert has taken over from Cory Flett as the WHL’s director, communications.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) signed a one-year contract with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). He had five goals and 14 assists in 66 games for the Thunderbirds this season. . . . Sutter, who is from Monthey, Switzerland, played two seasons with the Thunderbirds, putting up 30 points in 137 games. He is eligible to return for his 20-year-old season but would be a two-spotter — a 20-year-old and and import. . . .
F David Koci (Prince George, 2000-01) signed a one-year contract extension with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had five assists in 41 games for Sparta this season. Koci's 132 PIMs were fourth highest in the Extraliga.
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D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks is said to have good work habits. His father, NBA assistant coach Popeye Jones, says his son learned from watching Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Popeye was an assistant coach with the Mavs and would take his son to the odd practice. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has that and more as he catches up with the Jones’s right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Brad Larsen is the new head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. Larsen (Swift Current, 1993-97), from Nakusp, B.C., signed a two-year contract that contains an option for a third season. . . . Larsen is one of those rare players to have been selected twice in the NHL draft. He was taken 53rd overall by the Ottawa Senators in 1995 and then went 87th overall to the Colorado Avalanche in 1997. He would go on to total 48 points and 134 penalty minutes in 294 NHL games with Colorado and the Atlanta Thrashers. . . . Larsen has been an assistant coach with the Falcons for the last two seasons. He replaces Rob Riley, who was told last month that his contract wouldn’t be renewed. . . .

Scott Beattie, the associate coach with the Tri-City Americans, has resigned in order to become head coach of EHC Olten of Switzerland’s National League B. Beattie spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Kootenay Ice before joining the Americans prior to the 2010-11 season. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as GM/head coach of the junior B Kimberley Dynamiters. Beattie and Americans head coach Jim Hiller had been linemates as Northern Michigan won the NCAA title in 1990-91. . . . Beattie later played in Europe for 13 seasons.

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