Storm books spot in MC final; Pouliot taking injured shoulder to Pittsburgh

F Tomas Hricina (Regina, 2008-10) has signed a one-year contract with Arystan Temirtau (Kazakhstan, Vysshaya Liga). This season, with Bardejov (Slovakia, 1. Liga), Hricina had 65 points, including 43 assists, in 44 games. He led the league in assists and points.
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1. If you’re wondering why the WHL’s championship final turned out the way it did, Megan, over at Shinny Stats has done a terrific statistical analysis of what went on between her Portland Winterhawks and the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . That breakdown is right here. . . . I also have linked to Megan’s blog over there on the right, because she is doing some nifty work involving Portland games.

2. Amid all the chatter about the injury to Montreal G Carey Price, who was bowled over by New York Rangers F Chris Kreider in Game 1 of that Stanley Cup, came the news that Canadiens F Brendan Gallagher leads the NHL in goaltender interference penalties. . . . And anyone who paid attention to the WHL when Gallagher was with the Vancouver Giants said: “That’s news?”

3. Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune reported Sunday evening that D Derrick Pouliot of the Portland Winterhawks “will be in Pittsburgh this week to have a shoulder injury evaluated by physicians.” . . . According to Rossi, Pouliot was injured during the WHL final, and the injury has prevented him from joining the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for their playoff run. . . . Pouliot was selected by Pittsburgh with the eighth overall pick of the NHL's 2012 draft.

4. The Los Angeles Kings are halfway through what they hope will be a run to the Stanley Cup, and Jon Rosen, a former radio voice of the Everett Silvertips, is along for the ride. If you are a hockey fan, you should check out his blog, L.A. Kings Insider, right here. It is updated daily . . . and sometimes hourly. Watch especially for the wit and wisdom of Kings head coach Darryl Sutter.

5. Unfortunately, the 2014 Memorial Cup is quickly turning into a dud. At least it is if you’re a hockey fan in search of some excitement. The scores to date -- 1-0, 5-2, 5-2, 6-3. . . . Of course, last year wasn’t much better. In Saskatoon, the scores from the first five games were 3-2, 7-4, 5-2, 6-3 and 9-2. In fact, of the nine games played in Saskatoon, two were decided by one goal, two by two goals, three by three goals, one by five goals and one by seven goals.

6. I don’t know how much money you spent on the weekend, but AT&T is about to drop US$48.5 billion (that’s with a B) on purchasing DirecTV. How big is the NFL? Well, it seems the whole deal hinges on DirecTV’s ability to renew its NFL Sunday Ticket contract. . . . Sports Business Daily has more on all the big, big numbers right here.

7. Bob Moore, now the editor of the El Paso Times, was 18 when he was bitten in the butt by a dog belonging to Jeb Magruder of Watergate fame. Magruder died last week and Moore recalls the dog-biting incident right here.

8. When F Riley Kieser was traded by the Vancouver Giants to the Edmonton Oil Kings prior to this season, it may have meant more to his family than it did to him. He is from Sherwood Park, Alta., where his family still lives. His father, Chris, has been confined to a wheelchair by multiple sclerosis. The trade, then, made it a whole lot easier for Dad to watch his son play hockey. John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.

9. Today is Tuesday, May 22. The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens are two games into their Stanley Cup conference final. They will have two days off before Game 3 and then take two more days off before Game 4. Yes, they will play twice in seven days. Seriously. . . . Yes, it’s time to watch some NBA.
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F Cam McLise, who played one season with the Edmonton Oil Kings (2009-10) before going on to be named the CJHL’s player of the year (2012-13), will attend Mount Royal U in Calgary and play for the Cougars. . . . However, he will have to redshirt in 2014-15 as he played last season for the U of New Brunswick. . . . After playing with the Oil Kings, McLise spent three seasons with the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits, winning two league titles and an RBC Cup. . . . The 22-year-old McLise is from Lacombe, Alta.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The USHL’s Madison Capitols have yet to play their first game and they already have gone through one general manager/head coach. Steve Miller resigned on the weekend, saying he has “decided to return to Colorado and pursue other interests at this time.” . . . Miller was named the expansion club’s head coach on Oct. 22 after spending 20 years on the coaching staff of the U of Denver Pioneers. . . . The Capitols expect to gave a GM/head coach signed within the next week, according to managing partner Tom Garrity.
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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: Edmonton vs. Val-d’Or, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: London vs. Guelph, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7 p.m.
Saturday: No game scheduled.
Sunday: Final, noon.
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MONDAY’S GAME:
The OHL’s Guelph Storm booked its berth in the Memorial Cup’s championship game with a 6-3 victory over the Val-d’Or Foreurs on Monday night. . . . The QMJHL-champion Foreurs and the WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings, each 1-1, are scheduled to play tonight. . . . The Storm is 2-0 and will meet the host London Knights (0-2) on Wednesday in the final game of the round-robin. A Guelph victory will eliminate the Knights. . . . The Storm got a goal apiece from six players -- F Kerby Rychel, F Zach Mitchell, F Jason Dickinson, F Robby Fabbri, F Pius Suter and F Tyler Bertuzzi, while F Scott Kosmachuk had three assists and Mitchell, F Brock McGinn and D Matt Finn each had two. . . . F Timotej Sille, F Anthony Beauregard and D Randy Gazzola replied for the Foreurs. . . . Guelph G Justin Nichols stopped 30 shots. . . . Val-d’Or starter Antoine Bibeau stopped 30 of 36 shots through two periods. Keven Bouchard came on for the third period and kicked out 13 shots. . . . Guelph D Chadd Bauman received a kneeing major and game misconduct at 7:50 of the third period for a hit on Foreurs D Guillaume Gelinas, who looked to have injured his left knee and needed help getting off the ice. . . . The Storm, the highest-scoring team in the CHL this season, with 340 goals, has scored 11 times in two games. . . . Guelph took control of this game with three goals in the first six minutes of the first period. . . . The Foreurs were 2-for-5 on the PP; the Storm was 0-for-6.
After the game, Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts at Large, explained via Twitter what it all means:
4 possible outcomes of the Memorial Cup round-robin now . . .
1) Edmonton and Guelph win last 2 games. London goes home, Edmonton hosts Val-d'Or in semi.
2) Edmonton and London win last 2 games. Edmonton goes to semi. Val-d'Or hosts London in tiebreaker.
3) Val-d'Or and Guelph win last 2 games. London goes home, Val-d'Or hosts Edmonton in semi.
4) Val-d'Or and London win last 2 games. Val-d'Or goes to semi, Edmonton hosts London in tiebreaker.
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From former WHL D Garrett Thiessen (@thies89): “I hate to say it Habs fans, but I scored on Tokarski back in 06. And if I can score on Tokarski. Anyone can score on Tokarski. #gohabs”
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “It's an off day for the #OilKings at the #MCMemorialCup, and they'll spend it with their families. Back in action (today) vs. @LesForeurs!”


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Oil Kings, Winterhawks dead even in final

F Zdenek Okal (Medicine Hat, 2008-10) had the option year of his contract picked up by Zlin (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season with Zlin, he had seven points, five of them goals, in 44 games. On loan to Sumperk (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), he had a goal and an assist in three games.
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1. When Ron Hextall was scrapping his way through the WHL (Brandon, 1981-84) and NHL, how many of you saw him as a future NHL general manager? Well, he now is the general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers.

2. The Prince George Cougars will hold a news conference on Tuesday at the CN Centre to introduce the franchise’s new owners to media and fans. . . . The festivities will begin with a barbecue at 11:30 a.m., with the news conference set for 12:15 p.m. . . . All members of the new ownership group are scheduled to be on hand, including NHL defencemen Eric Brewer and Dan Hamhuis, both of whom are former Cougars players.

3. If you’re a fan of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, you should know that their championship-season DVD is scheduled to hit stores on May 23. There is more right here.

4. Former Roughriders running back Kory Sheets ran afoul of the law in Estevan, Sask., recently. This story right here was first reported by the Estevan Mercury. . . . This wasn’t Sheets’ first brush with the law. There’s more right here.

5. These are interesting times with the Penticton Minor Hockey Association, which is alleging that its treasurer embezzled $315,650. However, the woman who handled the association’s finances died in July. The Penticton Herald’s latest story on this situation is right here.

6. Ryan Ohashi, who knows his way around the WHL, has another blog entry right here that covers a lot of ground, including a pretty good rant brought on by attendance at Game 3 of the WHL’s championship series in Edmonton.

7. D Josh Morrissey scored his first professional goal Wednesday night as the host St. John’s IceCaps beat the Norfolk Admirals 2-1 in a second-round AHL playoff game. Morrissey was selected 13th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. He played the last three seasons with the Prince Albret Raiders. From Calgary, Morrissey had one assist in eight games with the IceCaps at the end of this regular season. Last night, he opened the scoring with a second-period PP goal.

8. There are comebacks and there are comebacks. Then there are the Clinton LumberKings, a Class A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners who play in the Midwest League. Last night, they trailed the Burlington Bees, another Iowa-based club, 17-1 after five innings. The game, however, went 12 innings, with the LumberKings winning, 20-17. The eventual winners struck for six runs in the sixth inning, five in the eighth and five more in the ninth.
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To date, the roster of presenters for the 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference is at six. . . . That includes Barry Trotz, until recently the only head coach in the history of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, who will deal with bench management. . . . Frantz Jean, the goaltending coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, will deal with, yes, goaltending. . . . Martin Gelinas, an assistant coach with the Calgary Flames, will present on the power play, while Kelowna Rockets head coach Ryan Huska is to handle the penalty kill. . . . Jamie Pringle, the Flames’ video coach, will deal with video technology, and Matt Nichol handles physical presentation. . . . The conference is scheduled for July 18 and 19 at the U of British Columbia in Vancouver. . . . For more info, click on the ad at the top of this page.
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D Aaron Keller (Kamloops, 1992-96) has retired. The 39-year-old Keller, who played on two Memorial Cup-winners while with the Blazers, has played in Japan since 1999. This season, he had 35 points, including four goals, in 42 games with Oji of the Asian league. He also has played internationally for Japan. . . . Keller posted his on Facebook: “Just wanted to say thanks to my family, friends, teammates past and present and all of my coaches throughout the years who have been influential and supportive in my hockey career. The skates are officially hung up and on to the next phase of my career!”
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The Swift Current Broncos have dealt D Bobby Zinkan, 19, to the Vancouver Giants for F Luca Leone, 18, and a 2016 sixth-round bantam draft pick. . . . Leone, from Vancouver, had six points, including two goals, in 33 games with the Giants this season. . . . Zinkan was a fourth-round pick by the Broncos in the 2010 bantam draft. He had four points, two of them goals, in 52 games this season.
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G Marek Langhamer of the Medicine Hat Tigers has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Langhamer, who is to turn 20 on July 22, is from Pisek, Czech Republic. He was a seventh-round selection by the Coyotes in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . This season, he was 23-14-3, 2.58, .913 with the Tigers.
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THE OHL FINAL:
In North Bay, the Guelph Storm whipped the Battalion 10-1 and now hold a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven championship series. . . . F Scott Kosmachuk had a goal and three assists for the Storm, which scored the game’s first nine goals. . . . The Storm gets it first chance to wrap it up on Friday in Guelph.
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THE QMJHL FINAL:
In Val-d’Or, F Felix Girard, the team captain, scored at 14:41 of OT to give the Baie-Comeau Drakkar a 4-3 victory over the Foreurs. . . . The best-of-seven championship final is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Baie-Comeau. . . . F Alexandre Ranger of the Drakkar forced OT with a PP goal at 16:25 of the third period. . . . The Foreurs got two goals from F Anthony Mantha, who has scored 22 times in these playoffs.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks have signed Todd Robinson as an assistant coach. . . . Robinson, who played in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks (1994-99), spent nine seasons as a player in Muskegon, suiting up with the Fury (2000-07) and the Lumberjacks (2008-10), both of which were pro teams. . . . According to a Lumberjacks news release, “Robinson played 15 years of professional hockey with 13 different organizations spanning over seven different leagues and compiled a stat line of 1,546 points (402 goals and 1,144 assists) to go along with a plus-133 rating in 1,125 career games played.”
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The AHL’s Portland Pirates have signed a one-season extension to their affiliation agreement with the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. . . . Portland head coach Ray Edwards has added the general manager’s duties to his portfolio, while assistant coach John Slaney and head trainer Mike Booi have signed extensions and will be back for their fourth seasons.
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The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings have chosen not to renew the contract of Mark Morris, who had been head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. Morris, the winningest coach in Manchester history, had been head coach there for eight seasons. With a record of 338-251-39, .569, he is the 10th-winningest coach in AHL history.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised on delayed basis by Root Sports)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
(Series tied, 2-2)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton 2 at Portland 5 (10,947)
Sunday: Edmonton 1 at Portland 3 (10,645)
Tuesday: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (6,799)
Wednesday: Portland 0 at Edmonton 2 (7,859)
Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
Sunday: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Memorial Coliseum)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots in leading the Oil Kings to a 2-0 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The WHL’s championship series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup now is tied 2-2 with Game 5 in Portland on Friday night and Game 6 back in Edmonton on Sunday. . . . The Winterhawks, who scored 10 goals in the first seven periods of the series, now haven’t scored a goal in 116:30. . . . Jarry has three shutouts in 19 games in these playoffs. He is 14-4, 2.01, .927. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), the Winterhawks had played 247 regular-season, playoff and Memorial Cup games without being blanked. . . . Edmonton’s first goal came at 8:40 of the second period when a shot by D Dysin Mayo bounced off the end glass and back over the net, from where F Mitch Moroz put in the rebound. . . . Moroz, a 35-goal man in the regular season, had gone eight games without a goal. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar, who scored 41 times in the regular season, made it 2-0 at 6:17 of the third period. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 35 shots. . . . Edmonton was 0-for-7 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-3. . . . The Oil Kings got three power-play opportunities in the second period when Portland F Brendan Leipsic took three minor penalties in a span of 9:34. . . . In the first three games, the Winterhawks had outscored the Oil Kings 7-0 in first periods (3-0, 2-0, 2-0). Last night, the first period was scoreless. . . . The Oil Kings are 14-4 in these playoffs, including 10-0 at home. . . . Portland also is 14-4, and is 9-0 at home. . . . D Blake Heinrich made his WHL debut with the Winterhawks. A fifth-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the NHL’s 2013 draft, Heinrich spent this season with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers.
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From Not Ron Robison (@NotRonRobison): “You Portland people thought I was going to hand your Hawks the cup on Friday didn't you?”


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