Time for celebration in Edmonton

F Greg Scott (Seattle, 2005-09) has signed a two-year extension with Brynäs Gävle (Sweden, SHL). He had 36 points, including 17 goals, with Brynäs last season. . . .

F Andrew Clark (Brandon, 2005-09) has signed a one-year contract with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, he had 35 points, 14 of them goals, in 31 games with the Stockton Thunder (ECHL). He also played 35 games on loan to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), where he had 19 points, including seven goals, in 35 games. . . . Esbjerg’s head coach is Mark Pederson (Medicine Hat, 1983-88). . . .

D Michal Gulasi (Lethbridge, 2003-05) has signed a contract (one year plus option) with Sodertalje (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Last season, with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 15 points, two of them goals, in 52 games. An alternate captain, he led the league in hits and blocked shots. . . .

Glen Hanlon (Brandon, 1974-77; assistant coach, Vancouver, 2011-13) was named head coach of Switzerland’s national team. Hanlon, who signed a two-year contract, also will be the general manager of Switzerland’s national junior team. Hanlon had been working as head coach of the Belarusian national team program. . . .

F Robin Kovář (Vancouver, Regina, 2001-04) has signed a one-year extension with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). Last season, he had 78 points, including 36 goals, in 52 games. He was sixth in the league’s scoring race and was named to the second all-star team, while the Phoenix won the league championship. . . .

F Stanislav Balán (Portland, 2005-06) has signed a one-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, he had 31 points, including a team-high 19 assists, in 41 games.
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1. If you are in the Edmonton area today (Wednesday), you will want to be at Sir Winston Churchill Square by 11:45 a.m., because folks will be celebrating the Oil Kings’ Memorial Cup championship. . . . According to a team news release: The fun begins “at 11:45 a.m. with a procession of our champions, southward on 99 Street from 103A Avenue to 102 Avenue. The celebration will then proceed to the stage, located on the south side of Churchill Square. Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and Alberta Premier Dave Hancock will be on hand to celebrate the Oil Kings 2014 Memorial Cup championship. Following the formal celebration, Oil Kings players will be hosting an autograph session, thanking their dedicated fans who helped them reach junior hockey's ultimate prize.”

2. Right-hander Dustin Molleken, who was selected by the Regina Pats in the eighth round of the 1999 WHL bantam draft, is working out of the bullpen of the Nashville Sounds, the Pacific Coast League affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. . . . Going into today’s play, Molleken, the son of Saskatoon Blades head scout Doug Molleken, had thrown 10.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last six outings. He had struck out 13 in that stretch. . . . This season, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Molleken, who turns 30 on Aug. 21, is 1-2 with one save and a 3.77 ERA.

3. The NHL has yet to commit to having its players perform in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games that are to be held in PyeongChang, South Korea. But what of even beyond then? . . . There is an interesting piece right here that points out how it seems to be getting more and more difficult to find cities interested in bidding for the Games.

4. “The crisis in Ukraine has now entered the hockey world,” writes Travis Hughes at sbnation.com. “Druzhba Arena, the home rink of HC Donbass of the KHL, was severely damaged Monday evening and early Tuesday by pro-Russian militants, who burned and robbed the hockey arena that's stood since 1976. The attack was perpetrated by members of a group that supports the creation of a sovereign ‘Donetsk People's Republic.’ The group is pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian, and HC Donbass called them ‘terrorists’ in a statement after the burning of their arena.” . . . Former NHLer Andrey Nazarov is HC Donbass’ head coach. . . . The arena also is scheduled to play host to the IIHF’s Division 1A World Championship in April. . . . Hughes’s complete report is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
David Robinson has resigned from his position as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Robinson (Chilliwack, 2007-10) was on the Vipers’ staff for two seasons. According to a team news release, he “has decided to pursue other options at this time.”
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Scott Hillman has signed a multi-year contract as the head coach of the Indy Fuel, the newest team in the ECHL. Hillman, 40, is coming off five seasons as head coach of the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks. Missouri had the CHL’s best regular-season record in 2013-14, leaving Hillman with a .607 winning percentage during his stint there.
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The QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres have signed Bruce Richardson as their new head coach. For the last two seasons, Richardson has been the head coach of the midget AAA Châteauguay Grenadiers. They reached the final of the TELUS Cup national championship tournament earlier this month. . . . With the Tigres, Richardson replaces Yanick Jean, who was fired after a first-round playoff loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Jean had been the Tigres head coach since February 2008.
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From Stephen Harper (@pmharper): “Congratulations to the @EdmOilKings for their #MemorialCup victory. What a great end to a very exciting season!”
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From Dan Shulman (@DShulman_ESPN), who was watching the New York Rangers and host Montreal Canadiens last night: “I'm no hockey expert, but these hits to the head are terrifying.”
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From Terry Koshan (@koshtorontosun): “Why players push opposing players on to their own goalie is one of hockey's great mysteries, never to be solved.”
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From Butch Goring (@91Butch), who should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame: “Love the refs calling the embellishments. Hockey is a man's game, not a place for shady individuals looking for something free.” . . . Check him out on Twitter; yes, his avatar is that helmet.

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Foreurs, Oil Kings in semifinal; Stoll talks Yorkton and Terriers

F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) has signed a one-year contract with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he had 13 points, two of them goals, in 32 games. He was the team captain. . . .


F Alexander Kuvaev (Lethbridge, Vancouver, 2010-12) has signed a two-year extension with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). This season, with Severstal, he had two assists in 10 games. He also played with Almaz Cherepovets (Russia, MHL), leading the team in scoring with 39 points, including 17 goals, in 35 games. . . . The MHL is Molodezhnaya Hokkeynaya Liga or Junior Hockey League, Russia's national junior league. . . .

F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a three-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). This season, with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SEL), he had 30 points, including 13 goals, in 37 games. He was drafted in the fourth round of the KHL’s 2009 junior draft by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which traded his rights to Yugra on Wednesday for Yugra's first-round selection in the 2015 KHL draft.
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1. Jon Rosen, the former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips who now is the L.A. Kings Insider, took time out from a visit to Wrigley Field this week to chat with F Jarret Stoll. Mostly they talked about Stoll’s connection to Yorkton and to the SJHL’s Terriers. You may recall that Stoll arranged to pay for some team meals as the Terriers made a run to the RBC Cup title last week. As I suspected, it turns out that superstition had something to do with it. . . . Rosen’s piece is right here and it really does show that you can take the boy to Los Angeles but you can’t take Yorkton out of the boy. Great stuff!

2. The 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference has added more presenters to its roster. . . . Ryan Jankowski, Hockey Canada’s head scout, will do a presentation on player evaluation. . . . Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winter Hawks, will do a session on passing skills. . . . Enio Sacilotto, a long-time coach who now is an assistant with the Victoria Royals, will handle small area games. . . . Jeff Compton, who also is on the Royals’ staff, will deal with Hockey IQ. . . . For more info, click on the conference’s ad at the top of this page. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 18-19 at the U of British Columbia in Vancouver.

3. “Well, those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are upon us and we’re staring down the barrel of a strike,” writes columnist George Johnson of the Calgary Herald. “And not a Gary Bettman sighting to be had.” . . . This time, it’s the CFL that’s on the verge of going over a cliff. Seriously. . . . Johnson’s take is right here.

4. D Derrick Pouliot, who completed his junior eligibility with the Portland Winterhawks this season, had shoulder surgery on Wednesday and will be out for up to six months., Pouliot was taken eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He has signed an NHL contract. He was honoured this season as the WHL’s top defenceman.

5. The BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings have signed general manager Mike Hawes to a three-year contract extension. Hawes had one year left on this contract, so now is signed through 2017-18. . . . He is preparing for his 10th season with the organization. He has been the GM since November 2010.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Allen Americans, who won the Central league championship earlier this month, have signed head coach Steve Martinson through 2015-16. He just completed his second season with the Americans and has won back-to-back championships.
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Scott Hillman has resigned as head coach and director of hockey operations of the Central league’s Missouri Mavericks, who play out of Independence. He had filled those positions since the Mavericks began play in the league in 2009-10. . . . The Mavericks made the playoffs in each of Hillman’s five seasons with them. This season, they won a franchise-record 44 games and had the league’s best regular-season record.
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MEMORIAL CUP
(at London, Ont., all times Eastern)
(all games televised by Sportsnet)
Friday: Val-d’Or 1, London 0 (8,863)
Saturday: Guelph 5, Edmonton 2 (8,842)
Sunday: Edmonton 5, London 2 (8,863)
Monday: Guelph 6, Val-d’Or 3 (8,796)
Tuesday: Val-d’Or 4, Edmonton 3 (2OT) (8,745)
Wednesday: Guelph 7, London 2 (8,863)
Thursday: No game scheduled.
Friday's semifinal: Val-d'Or vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday: No game scheduled.
Sunday: Final, 4 p.m.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
F Scott Kosmachuk scored his first three goals of the tournament to lead the OHL-champion Guelph Storm to a 7-2 victory over the London Knights. . . . The Storm (3-0) had already clinched a berth in Sunday’s final. . . . The loss eliminated the Knights (0-3) from the tournament. . . . Without the need for tiebreaker, today will be an off-day in London. . . . Friday’s semifinal will feature the QMJHL-champion Val-d’Or Foreurs (2-1) and the WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings (1-2). The Foreurs beat the Oil Kings 4-3 in double OT on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Kosmachuk got the Storm started with two first-period goals, at 5:46 and 12:44, the latter via the PP. . . . London got on the board at 17:05 as F Brett Welchyka scored a PP goal. . . . F Tyler Bertuzzi restored Guelph’s two-goal lead with a PP goal at 2:23 of the second, only have London F Josh Anderson cut into that lead at 5:34. . . . However, the Storm took control on Bertuzzi’s second goal, and fifth of the tournament, at 16:05 and a PP goal by F Jason Dickinson at 1:20 of the third. . . . Kosmachuk completed the hat trick at 8:01. . . . Storm F Marc Stevens finished off the scoring at 1714. . . . Guelph G Justin Nichols stopped 45 shots. . . . London starter Anthony Stolarz turned was beaten three time on 17 shots, leaving at 2:23 of the second period with his side down 3-1. Reliever Jake Patterson stopped 17 of 21 shots. . . . Guelph was 3-for-6 on the PP; London was 1-for-4. . . . Storm F Zack Mitchell was ejected with a kneeing major at 6:56 of the first period. London F Dakota Mermis, who was on the receiving end of the hit, returned to the game. . . . The Storm was without D Chadd Bauman after he was suspended for the duration of the tournament for a kneeing major he incurred for a hit on Val-d’Or D Guillaume Gelinas on Monday night. Gelinas, who was named the QMJHL’s top defenceman this season, won’t play again in the tournament. . . . The Knights were appearing in their third straight Memorial Cup. They are the first team to play in three in a row and not win even one championship.
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From Josh Brown (@BrownRecord), during last night’s game: “I'm thinking there is soon going to be tons of semi and final Mem Cup tix available soon.”


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