Calgary sniper gets NHL deal . . . McBride stops 55 in victory . . . McGauley keeps scoring

F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) has signed a one-year contract with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL), he had six goals and five assists in 29 games. O’Connor holds dual Canadian-German citizenship.
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D Colby Sissons has joined the Swift Current Broncos for the remainder of the regular-season. Sissons, who turned 17 on Jan. 15, played this season with the midget AAA Edmonton-based SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics. . . . Sissons, from Lacombe, Alta., played two games with the Broncos earlier this season.
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F Adam Tambellini of the Calgary Hitmen has signed an entry-level deal with the NHL’s New York Rangers. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Tambellini, 20, has 79 points, including 45 goals, in 65 games with the Hitmen this season. . . . Tambellini, from Port Moody, B.C., has 118 points, 62 of them goals, in 96 career regular-season games.
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Canada and the U.S. will renew their junior hockey rivalry on Dec. 26 as the 2016 World Junior Championship opens in Helsinki. The defending-champion Canadians will be in Group A, along with the U.S., Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden. Group A will play its games in the Helsinki Ice Hall. Canada will play its second game, against Denmark, on Dec. 28, then will meet Switzerland on Dec. 29 and Sweden on Dec. 31. . . . The U.S. will play Sweden on Dec. 28, Switzerland on Dec. 30 and Denmark on Dec. 31. . . . Group B features Belarus, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Slovakia. Its games will be played in Hartwall Arena. . . . The tournament will conclude on Jan. 5.
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F Evan Polei, who hasn’t played since Jan. 24, is close to returning to the Red Deer Rebels’ lineup. Meanwhile, F Conner Bleackley, the Rebels’ captain, may not be return until the start of the playoffs. D Colton Bobyk may return may not return for another 10 days. Bleackley hasn’t played since Feb. 6, while Bobyk has been out since Feb. 18. . . .
F Deven Sideroff of the Kamloops Blazers is back practising and could return tonight against the visiting Prince George Cougars. Sideroff has missed four games with what appeared to be a wrist injury. . . . With 40 points, including 16 goals, in in 58 games, Sideroff has been a big part of the the Blazers’ offence, skating alongside Matt Needham and Cole Ully. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors scratched F Tanner Eberle and F Jaimen Yakubowski again last night in Brandon. Eberle hasn’t played since Feb. 28; Yakubowski has been out since Feb. 27. . . . Neither is expected to play in a weekend home-and-home series with the Regina Pats.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Ty Davidson is the new head coach of the junior B Sicamous, B.C., Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. Davidson had been the general manager and head coach of the KIJHL’s Golen Rockets, but he resigned following the season, saying that he wanted to be closer to his family in Salmon Arm. . . . Davidson, the son of Everett Silvertips GM Garry Davidson, takes over from Blair Davidson, who had been the Eagles’ head coach for 18 years. Davidson was dismissed following Game 4 of a five-game first-round playoff loss to the Kamloops Storm. . . . “There’s nothing I want to say bad about it, and I won’t,” Eagles GM Wayne March told Lachlan Labere of the Eagle Valley News of Robinson’s departure. “It’s just, he did a great job for us, it was time for him to move on. We parted amicably, but he did a good job for us and has been well-appreciated over the years.”
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THE WHL PLAYOFF PICTURE:

EAST DIVISION:
1. Brandon (5 games remaining) — Will finish atop the Eastern Conference for the first time since 1995-96. They will play the conference’s second wild-card team in first round. . . . A victory at home last night moved Brandon back into a tie with Kelowna (6) atop the overall standings. . . . At home to Saskatoon on Friday.
2. Regina (6) clinched second in division. Will meet third-place team in first round. . . . Freshman F Sam Steel suffered a leg injury last night. The seriousness has yet to be determined. . . . In Swift Current tonight.
3. Swift Current (6) has lost six in a row and now leads Moose Jaw by two points. . . . At home to Regina tonight.
4. Moose Jaw (5) lost on the road last night and remains two points behind Swift Current. . . . At home to Regina on Friday.
5. Prince Albert (6) won at home last night and now is four points behind Moose Jaw. . . . Entertains Swift Current on Friday.
6. Saskatoon (5) visits Red Deer tonight.
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CENTRAL DIVISION:
1. Medicine Hat (6) is tied with Calgary atop the division. Medicine Hat has more victories (41-40) at the moment. . . . Tigers play in Cranbrook on Friday.
2. Calgary (6) has two games left in a franchise-record 11-game road trip. . . . Plays in Red Deer on Friday.
3. Red Deer (6) is five points off the pace. . . . At home to Saskatoon tonight.
4. Kootenay (5) holds down the conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . At home to Lethbridge tonight.
5. Edmonton (4) is in the second wild-card spot, one point behind Kootenay. . . . At home to Medicine Hat on Friday.
6. Lethbridge (6) is at home to Edmonton on Friday.
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B.C. DIVISION:
1. Kelowna (6) has clinched first place in the Western Conference and will play the second wild-card team in the first round. . . . Is tied with Brandon for first place in the overall standings. . . . At home to Victoria tonight.
2. Victoria (6) will finish second and meet the division’s third-place team in the first round. . . . In Kelowna tonight.
3. Prince George (6) is third, thanks to a 5-0-1 run. It is 7-1-2 in its last 10. . . . Prince George is four points ahead of Kamloops (6) and six up on Vancouver (5). . . . In Kamloops tonight.
4. Kamloops (6) will meet Prince George four times in the next two weeks — tonight in Kamloops, March 18 and 20 in Prince George, and March 21 in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers also are two points behind Tri-City (6), which holds down the conference’s second wild-card berth.
5. Vancouver (5) has lost seven straight and is two points behind Kamloops and four behind Tri-City. . . . Plays host to Victoria on Friday.
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U.S. DIVISION:
1. Everett (6) leads the division by four points over Portland (8). . . . Key game tonight when Portland visits.
2. Portland (8) is on an 8-0-2 roll as it heads for Everett and tonight’s game.
3. Seattle (6) trails Portland by eight points. . . . At home to Everett on Friday.
4. Spokane (7) is in the first wild-card spot, seven points behind Seattle and nine ahead of Tri-City (6). . . . At home to Portland on Friday.
5. Tri-City (6) is in the second wild-card spot, two points ahead of Kamloops and four up on Vancouver. . . . Entertains Prince George on Friday.
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IF THE WHL PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:

(NOTE: Team with home-ice advantage on the right.)

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, the Raiders built up a 4-0 lead and then held off a furious Regina comeback before beating the Pats, 5-3. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride stopped 55 shots. . . . Raiders F Matteo Gennaro scored his 13th goal at 14:18 of the second period for a 4-0 lead. . . . The Pats got third-period goals from F Adam Brooks, his 28th, F Braden Christoffer, his 25th, and F Pavel Padakin, his 24th, to get to within one. . . . Padakin’s goal, on a PP, came at 15:44 with G Daniel Wapple on the bench for the extra attacker. Padakin was playing in his 200th WHL game. . . . Raiders F Reid Gardiner iced it with an empty-netter at 19:01. He’s got 32 goals. . . . F Jordan Tkatch scored twice for the Raiders, giving him 11 goals, while F Jayden Hart had three assists. . . . Regina F Sam Steel was helped from the ice with an apparent leg injury and went to the dressing room in the second period. After the game, Phil Andrews, the radio voice of the Pats, tweeted: “John Paddock says Sam Steel’s injury is not serious at first assessment. Will know more in the days to come.” . . . Regina was 1-for-1 on the PP; the Raiders weren’t given even one opportunity. . . . Wapple finished with 20 saves. . . . Prince Albert (28-35-3) has won four in a row. . . . Regina (35-22-9) has lost two in a row. . . .

Congrats to #BWK Center Tim McGauley on joining the 100 point club! #timmie #thestreak #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/BTSxp9lryQ
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) March 11, 2015

In Brandon, F Tim McGauley scored once and added two assists as the Wheat Kings beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-3. . . . McGauley became the second WHLer this season to reach the 100-point plateau when he scored his 41st goal into an empty net at 19:44 of the third period. He now is tied for the WHL scoring lead with Medicine Hat Tigers F Trevor Cox. . . . McGauley extended his point streak to 23 games with an assist on a first-period goal by F Morgan Klimchuk. That goal, his 30th this season, ran Klimchuk’s point streak to 11 games. . . . McGauley has 16 goals and 34 assists in those 23 games. . . . The Wheat Kings led 2-0 in the first period but found themselves trailing 3-2 after Warriors F Brayden Point scored his 33rd goal with 8.7 seconds in the second period. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts tied it with his 31st goal at 3:16 of the third and F Jayce Hawryluk broke the tie with this second of the game, and 28th of the season, at 8:23, via the PP. . . . Point also had an assist, while F Axel Blomqvist had two helpers. . . . Klimchuk and Bukarts also added an assist each. . . . Moose Jaw F Jesse Shynkaruk and Brandon F John Quenneville were tossed 45 seconds into the game for taking part in a staged fight. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 29 shots, four fewer than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Brandon was 1-for-2 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-for-1. . . . The Wheat Kings (49-11-7) have won two straight. . . . The Warriors (29-33-5) had a three-game winning skein end. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice scored the game’s first three goals and went to a 4-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Ice F Luke Philp opened the scoring at 1:17 of the first period. That was his 29th goal of the season and his 200th career regular-season point. . . . Philp later added an assist. . . . Ice F Jaedon Descheneau scored his 30th goal of the season, while F Tim Bozon got No. 32 into an empty net at 19:47 of the third. . . . Descheneau has reached the 30-goal mark for a third straight season. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 27 shots, losing his shutout bid when F Giorgio Estephan scored his 21st goal at 18:55 of the third. . . . Ice D Rinat Valiev had two assists. . . . Lethbridge G Jayden Sittler made 41 stops. . . . Ice F Jon Martin took 29 of his team’s 33 penalty minutes. He got into a dustup with D Devan Fafard at 19:12 of the first period and was given two for instigating, two for roughing, five for fighting, a misconduct and a game misconduct. . . . Ch-ch-ching! Lethbridge GM/head coach Peter Anholt picked up a game misconduct at 18:42 of the third period with his side trailing 3-0. . . . The Ice (34-29-4) ended a three-game losing skid (0-2-1). . . . The Hurricanes (20-38-8) have lost two in a row. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored three power-play goals en route to an 8-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The home team scored the first four and last four goals in this one as they scored eight times for the first tie this season. . . . F Edgars Kulda and F Andrew Koep each had a goal and two assists, while D Ashton Sautner had two assists. Kulda has 12 goals; Koep has 13. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer scored the game’s first goal, his 24th, 53 seconds into the game and the Oil Kings took it from there. . . . The Oil Kings were 3-for-7 on the PP; the Blades were 0-for-4. . . . Edmonton G Triston Jarry stopped 34 shots, including a second-period penalty shot by F Sam McKechnie. . . . Saskatoon G Brock Hamm turned aside 38 shots. . . . The Oil Kings (32-29-7) have won two straight. . . . The Blades (19-44-4) have lost four in a row. . . .

In Vancouver, F Dominic Zwerger broke a 1-1 tie at 13:28 of the first period and the Spokane Chiefs went on to a 4-3 victory over the Giants. . . . Zwerger has 15 goals. . . . F Jackson Playfair gave the Chiefs a two-goal lead with his 12th at 5:39 of the second. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck scored his 22nd goal, on a PP, at 9:30 of the second. . . . F Blair Oneschuk got his sixth goal at 17:49 of the second to restore Spokane’s two-goal lead. . . . Giants F Zane Jones got his guys close with his 28th goal at 1:10 of the third, but they weren’t able to equalize. . . . The Giants’ coaching staff moved D Arvil Atwal to the forward ranks for this one. . . . The Chiefs (32-29-4) had lost two in a row. . . . The Giants (26-38-3) have lost seven in a row.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Regina at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES

No Games Scheduled
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FRIDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Prince George vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Portland at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Victoria at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.
Everett vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.
———

Taber, Alberta, has banned swearing, spitting and yelling in public. In other words, Taber just banned hockey
— Tyler Olsen (@ty_olsen) March 10, 2015

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Tigers into conference final; Williamson dumped by Hitmen

F Tim Traber (Chilliwack/Victoria, Vancouver, 2009-14) has signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Genève-Servette (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with Vancouver, Traber had 23 points, including 12 goals, in 64 games. According to a Genève-Servette news release, Traber has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship. . . .
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), Ross had 28 points, including eight goals, in 39 games. On Feb. 17, he moved to Asiago (Italy, Serie A), where he had seven points, two of them goals, in six games. . . .
F Tyson Mulock (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Regina, 1999-2003) has signed a two-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL), he had 33 points, 16 of them goals, in 48 games. . . .
D Patrick Baum (Swift Current, 1997-98) has signed a one-year contract with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2). This season, Baum played with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), getting 13 points, including three goals, in 47 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year extension with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL). He started this season with Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL), getting six points, five of them goals, in 13 games. He signed with Schwenningen in December, and put up 13 points, including eight goals, in 24 games. . . .
F Daniel Boháč (Spokane, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Boháč began the season with Slovan Ustecti Lvi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), putting up 23 points, including 12 goals, in 35 games. He was loaned to Ceske Budejovice in December, where he had seven points, three of them goals, in 16 games. . . .
F Brad Moran (Calgary, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with Linz (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, in 50 games, he had 51 points, including 16 goals. . . .
F Matt Pettinger (Calgary, 1999-2000) signed a one-year extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). This season, in 47 games, he had 28 points, 12 of them goals.
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There now are three WHL teams looking for head coaches, with the Calgary Hitmen having started searching on Wednesday.
The Hitmen went 48-17-7 and finished tied atop the Eastern Conference with the Edmonton Oil Kings (50-19-3), who held the tiebreaker with more victories. However, the Hitmen weren't able to get out of the first round of the playoffs, losing in six games to the Kootenay Ice.
Calgary head coach Mike Williamson paid the price on Wednesday when the Hitmen announced they won't exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15.
Mike Moore, the team's general manager and vice-president of business operations, made the announcement.
“Under Mike’s leadership, the Calgary Hitmen were a team that challenged for the top position in our conference,” Moore said in a news release. “It was a difficult decision for us today, but we believe that a change is necessary in order for our team to reach the next level of success."
Williamson just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Hitmen. In his first season, 2009-10, they won the WHL championship and reached the Memorial Cup semifinal in Brandon.
Williamson put up a 210-129-13 reglar-season record with the Hitmen, who made the playoffs in four of his five seasons. They twice lost out in the first round and once were beaten in the Eastern Conference final.
According to the news release, "Associate coach Brent Kisio, assistant coach Joel Otto and goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk will remain with the team."
The Hitmen, who are owned by the NHL's Calgary Flames, are preparing for their 20th anniversary season.
George Johnson of the Calgary Herald has more on Williamson's departure right here.
The Kamloops Blazers and Saskatoon Blades also are looking for head coaches, and you have to think someone from both organizations will be contacting Williamson, if they haven’t already. His 429 head-coaching victories have him in 11th spot on the all-time list.
The Blazers have yet to clarify the status of Dave Hunchak, who didn't complete his first season as head coach. He left the team on Jan. 10 and the Blazers announced Jan. 12 that he was on a leave of absence. General manager Craig Bonner has since admitted that he is looking for a head coach, but nothing more has been said on Hunchak's situation. Hunchak’s contract with the Blazers runs through the 2014-15 season.
The Blades underwent an ownership change during the season and will need a new coaching staff, with head coach Dave Struch, assistant coach Curtis Leschyshyn and goaltending coach Tim Cheveldae all gone.
Colin Priestner, the Blades’ governor and managing partner, has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he doesn’t expect to hire a general manager or a head coach before the bantam draft that is scheduled for May 1.
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The NHL now is facing three concussion-related lawsuits. A third one, featuring retired players Bill Bennett, Dave Christian and Reed Larson, was filed this week in federal court in Minneapolis. There is more right here.
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D Keegan Kanzig of the Victoria Royals will finish his season with the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Kanzig was a third-round pick by the Flames in the 2013 NHL draft. . . . Kanzig had eight points, three of them goals, in 63 games with the Royals this season.
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The Heat also has added D Eric Roy of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the rest of this season. . . . Roy had 44 points, 11 of them goals, in 66 games with Brandon this season. He was a fifth-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Medicine Hat wins, 4-3)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 9 (3,624)
Monday: Medicine Hat 2 at Kootenay 1 (2,732)
Wednesday: Kootenay 1 at Medicine Hat 4 (4,006)
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
WESTERN CONFERENCE

KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Saturday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE

EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, April 26: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, April 28: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:
In Medicine Hat, F Trevor Cox scored twice to break a 1-1 tie and the Tigers went on to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-1, in Game 7 of a second-round series. . . . The No. 4-seeded Tigers move into the Eastern Conference final that will open in Edmonton against the No. 1 Oil Kings on Friday night. Shaw-TV will televise all games in that series. . . . The Ice held a 3-1 lead in this series but wasn't able to get that fourth victory. . . . Cox, an 18-year-old from Surrey, B.C., scored his seventh goal of these playoffs 11 seconds into the third period to snap a 1-1 tie. He added a second goal at 11:19. . . . F Cole Sanford, who assisted on both of Cox's goals, iced it with an empty-netter at 17:49. . . . The Tigers' line of Sanford, Cox and Curtis Valk combined for 37 points, including 17 goals, in the seven games. . . . Ice D Landon Peel scored the game's first goal, just 41 seconds into the first period. . . . Medicine Hat F Steve Owre tied it at 6:44. . . . Cox has 21 points in 13 playoff games. He is one point off the playoff scoring lead held by F Sam Reinhart of the Ice. . . . Medicine Hat G Marek Langhamer stopped 43 shots and was the first star in the building. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 24 shots. . . . The Tigers had the only two PP opportunities of a scoreless first period, but the Ice ended up with a 16-8 edge in shots. . . . The Tigers were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-1. . . . The Ice was 1-for-22 on the PP in the seven games. . . . The Tigers are 5-1 in Game 7s over the past 12 playoff years. . . . In franchise history, the Ice is 1-4 in Games 7s.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “0 - This was the first time since 2000 that we went an entire round without having a single overtime game (excluding the WHL final).”
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From Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) of Yahoo! Sports: “Death. Taxes. Inconsistent OHL justice. Questionable Q reffing. WHL brawls. #CircleOfLife”


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A look at WHL attendance figures

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) has signed with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL) for the rest of this season. He had been released two weeks ago by Red Bull Munich (Germany, DEL). He had six points, five of them goals, in 13 games with Red Bull. O’Connor has dual Canadian-German citizenship, so doesn’t count as an import.
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Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports takes a look right here at the WHL’s suspensions to Portland Winterhawks F Brendan Leipsic, who got seven games, and Vancouver Giants D Dalton Thrower, who got two. . . . If you haven’t seen either incident, there is video here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings will recall three players next week to help get them through the post-Christmas roster crunch. . . . F Nolan Patrick and F Tanner Kaspick, both 15, and F Duncan Campbell, 17, will join the Wheat Kings on Dec. 26 and could play against the visiting Regina Pats on Dec. 27. . . . Campbell has 55 points, including 24 goals, leads the Manitoba Midget AAA League in scoring with the midget Wheat Kings. . . . Kaspick, taken in the second round of the 2013 bantam draft, has 38 points, 16 of them goals, with the Wheat Kings and is third in the scoring race. . . . Patrick, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, has 31 points, including 14 goals, in 22 games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. . . . Brandon is without F Richard Nejezchleb, who is with the Czech Republic’s national junior team, while F Braylon Shmyr and F Jesse Gabrielle will play for Team Pacific at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in Cape Breton.
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USA Hockey has its winter meetings scheduled for Orlando, Fla., Jan. 16-19. Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times reports right here that USA Hockey’s board of directors “will consider a proposal . . . to ban fighting from all levels of amateur hockey in the United States.”
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With the carnage continuing on an almost nightly basis in the NHL, Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun writes right here that it’s time to start taking “the coach’s lunch money, too. Sit him out for the repeated sins of his players.”
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The Swift Current Broncos dropped a 4-3 OT decision to the visiting Victoria Royals before 1,777 fans a week ago.
Later that night, Brad Brown of the Prairie Post tweeted that the game “was the worst-attended in almost six years — hasn’t been that empty since Jan. 8, 2008, vs. P.A.”
(Brown later columnized on the issue. That column is right here. One of the things that he points out is that attendance is down for 50 of the 60 teams that operate under the umbrella of the Canadian Hockey League.)
Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, chimed in with: “Pretty sparse crowd again tonight I have to say. How good/exciting a home team do the Broncos have to be to get some support here?”
According to figures compiled at hockeyattendance.com, the Broncos’ attendance is down 5.4 per cent after 19 home games.
In fact, according to hockeyattendance.com, only one of the WHL’s 22 teams has shown an increase in attendance over last season. That team is the Portland Winterhawks, who are averaging 6,970 fans after 16 games, an increase of 4.2 per cent over last season.
Attendance in the WHL, in its entirety, is down 12.9 per cent at the Christmas break.
Here, then, is a team-by-team look at attendance in the WHL, with all numbers from hockeyattendance.com:
EAST DIVISION:
BRANDON: Through 17 home games, The Wheat Kings are averaging 3,548 fans per game, a decrease of 6.3 per cent over last season. And last season’s attendance was down 8.6 per cent from 2011-12.
MOOSE JAW: The Warriors have played 20 homes games, with an average attendance of 3,599. That is down 5.6 per cent. Last season’s average (3,814) was down 2.2 per cent from 2011-12.
PRINCE ALBERT: Through 19 home games, the Raiders are averaging 2,433 fans per game, a decrease of 9.0 per cent over last season. The attendance last season was up 10.2 per cent from 2011-12.
REGINA: The Pats have played only 13 homes games and they are drawing 3,726 fans per game, down 12.2 per cent over last season. In 2012-13, their attendance was up 2.8 per cent over the previous season.
SASKATOON: The Blades’ average attendance is 4,400 through 16 games. That is down 27.2 per cent from last season’s average of 6,040. That was up 19.7 per cent from 2011-12.
SWIFT CURRENT: The Broncos have played 19 home games and are averaging 2,061 fans, down 5.4 per cent from last season. That was down 1.2 per cent from 2011-12.
CENTRAL DIVISION:
CALGARY: The Hitmen have played 20 home games and are showing an average attendance of 7,708, which is down 17.1 per cent from last season’s average of 9,300. The attendance then was up 3.6 per cent from 2011-12.
EDMONTON: The Oil Kings’ attendance is down 21.2 per cent from last season. This season’s average through 17 home games is 5,972, down from 7,575 last season when attendance was up 18.0 per cent from 2011-12.
KOOTENAY: Through 20 home games, the Ice is averaging 2,193 fans, a decrease of 9.0 per cent from last season. In 2012-13, the Ice averaged 2,411 fans per game, down 14.0 per cent from the 2011-12 avearage of 2,805.
LETHBRIDGE: The Hurricanes have averaged 2,940 fans through 21 home games, and that’s a decrease of 19.5 per cent from last season. They averaged 3,650 fans per game in 2012-13, an increase of 11.2 per cent from 2011-12.
MEDICINE HAT: The Tigers have sold out all 16 of their home games, meaning the average attendance is 4,006, as it has been for each of the last several seasons.
RED DEER: Attendance at the Rebels’ 17 home games is averaging 4,797, down 7.3 per cent from last season. That average (5,175) was up 6.5 per cent from 2011-12.
B.C. DIVISION:
KAMLOOPS: In 19 games, Kamloops is averaging 4,011 fans, a decrease of 16.9 per cent. Last season’s average, 4,825, was up 15.5 per cent over 2011-12.
KELOWNA: The Rockets have played 17 home games and are averaging 5,026 fans per game, down 6.2 per cent. Last season, the Rockets averaged 5,358 per game, a decrease of 11.9 per cent from 2011-12 when that number was 6,082.
PRINCE GEORGE: Through 18 games, the Cougars are averaging 1,638 fans, down 11.0 per cent. Last season, attendance was down 10.1 per cent from the 2,047 average of 2011-12.
VANCOUVER: The Giants’ average attendance, through 16 games, is down 17.6 per cent, from 7,205 to 5,936. Last season’s figure was up 3.8 per cent from 2011-12.
VICTORIA: The Royals have played 20 home games and the average crowd is 4,263, down 17.8 per cent from last season’s average (5,189). That was down 8.3 per cent from the 5,660 of 2011-12.
U.S. DIVISION:
EVERETT: The Silvertips, through 18 home games, are averaging 4,494 fans, a decrease of 11.2 per cent from last season. The figure from last season, 5,062, was down 4.1 per cent from 2011-12.
PORTLAND: The Winterhawks have played 16 home games and are averaging 6,970 fans per game. That’s up 4.2 per cent over last season, which was up 10.1 per cent over the 6,075 average from 2011-12.
SEATTLE: Through 17 home games, the Thunderbirds, who play out of Kent, Wash., are averaging 3,887 fans, down 3.7 per cent from last season. In 2012-13, they average 4,036, and that was down 4.0 per cent from 2011-12.
SPOKANE: The Chiefs have played 18 home games, with an average crowd of 5,529. That’s a decrease of 13.2 per cent over last season’s 6,368. Last season’s figure was down 1.2 per cent from 2011-12.
TRI-CITY: The Americans are averaging 4,015 fans through 18 games. That’s down 10.7 per cent from last season, which was down 3.4 per cent from the 4,653 average of 2011-12.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Might the KHL be poised to move into Finland?
The Helsinki newspaper Ilta-Sanomat is reporting in its Friday edition that Hartwall Areena in Helsinki has been sold to a pair of Russians, who are reportedly childhood friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that Jokerit Helsinki will withdraw from SM-Liiga to join the KHL.
There isn’t any mention of when this move might occur, and both leagues already have released their 2013-14 schedules.
Still, a news conference has been called for today (4:30 p.m., in Helsinki, which is 6:30 a.m. Pacific).
Another Helsinki newspaper, Iltalehti, reports that it is rumoured that Jokerit has been sold to Gennadi Timtshenko, the president of SKA St. Petersburg. Hartwall Areena is the home of Jokerit.
The purchasers of the Areena are said to be Russian brothers Arkadi and Boris Rotenberg.
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The moves for today . . .
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 36 goals and 22 assists in 48 games with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) and six goals and 12 assists in 28 games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) last season. . . .
F Adam Rehak (Medicine Hat, 2011-12) signed a one-year contract with Meran/Merano (Italy, Austria Inter-National-League). He had 17 goals and 19 assists in 22 games with Vitkovice Ostrava U20 (Czech Republic, Extraliga Junior) last season. . . .
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Munich (Germany, DEL). He had 13 goals and eight assists in 34 games with Ingolstadt (Germany, DEL) last season.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Taylor Dakers is the new goaltending coach with the Red Deer Rebels. Dakers played four seasons (2003-07) with the Kootenay Ice and was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2005 draft. He has been the goaltending coach with the Everett Silvertips. Dakers works with World Pro Goaltending in Calgary. . . . With Red Deer, he replaces Brent Belecki.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Ingolstadt (Germany, DEL). He had 12 goals and 11 assists as captain of the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .
F Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) signed a two-year contract with Amur Khabarovsk (Russia, KHL). The son of former Soviet star Boris Mikhailov had seven goals and seven assists in 35 games for Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL) this season. Mikhailov was the most seriously injured member of the Chiefs in a January 1997 bus crash just outside of Cranbrook. The article on the accident from the Spokane Spokesman-Review is right here.
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The Edmonton Oilers have signed D Brandon Davidson, who played out his WHL eligibility with the Regina Pats this season. Davidson, who was the Pats’ captain, had 49 points in 69 games with the Pats. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2010 NHL draft.
NHL teams have to sign 2010 draft picks today — I believe the deadline is 5 p.m. ET, but please don’t hold me to that — or they become eligible for the 2012 draft.
The 2012 draft is scheduled for Pittsburgh on June 22 and 23.
Alan Caldwell at Small Thoughts at Large has a list of who has signed and who hasn’t. There is a link over there on the right.

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Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has written a terrific feature on Sean O’Connor, who has found success in Germany after spending eight years in the North American minor leagues. O’Connor played three seasons (1999-2002) with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
However, he has experienced two seizures in the last nine months.
Gourlie writes:
Inexplicable seizures would be worrisome enough for an otherwise healthy 30-year-old, but there’s something else that gnaws at O’Connor:
“I’ve had multiple concussions because of the role I played my whole life. So you wonder what role that has played in this,” said O’Connor.
The complete story is right here and it’s well worth your time.
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Tim Wharnsby, a veteran journalist who now is with CBC, has spent the season keeping track of concussions in the NHL.
He wrote this piece Thursday that carries this headline — Concussion numbers were staggering in NHL’s 2011-12.
“The numbers are staggering,” Wharnsby writes. “When the regular season concludes on Saturday, almost 90 players and 1,700 man games will be lost to head injuries or concussion-related symptoms.”
Unfortunately, the WHL has hidden its concussion numbers all season long. But considering that the WHL plays pretty much the same game as the NHL, we can assume the junior league’s numbers also were staggering.
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Walter Gretzky was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease earlier this week and his son, Wayne, spoke about it in Vancouver. Bob Mackin has that piece right here.
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The Swift Current K-Motel Hurricanes won the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League midget AA championship earlier this week. They are coached by Tim Tisdale, one of hockey’s great guys. Tisdale, of course, scored the overtime goal that won the 1989 Memorial Cup for the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Talk about someone who has given back to the game. Tisdale has coached, officiated and served on minor hockey executive boards.
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Derek Laxdal, the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, is an astute individual. He isn’t on Twitter. Why not?
“Personally, I find guys that are tweeting and texting, they’re checking their phones 24/7. It’s almost addictive,” Laxdal tells Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal. “They all want to be heard, they want to see what’s going on. I don’t think it’s very productive,” Laxdal said of social media.
“I watch the kids, I key in on it and watch people on Twitter. They’ve always got their phones in their hands. You always see people at stoplights, they’re checking their phones and I just think it’s a distraction. I think it takes away from being a productive citizen.”
He’s right. And that complete story is right here.
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A note from a CHL press release regarding Sportsnet’s coverage:
“On April 13, Friday Night Hockey shifts to the WHL for Game 5 of the Husky WHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals when the sixth place Brandon Wheat Kings visit the first place Edmonton Oil Kings at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet West, and Sportsnet Pacific.”
But, gee, what if the same team wins the first four games? Or is this a best-of-nine in memory of the late Bill Hunter, who once owned the Oil Kings?
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As we get some rest and relaxation prior to the start of the second round of WHL playoffs on four fronts tonight, what better than a little . . . chess?
There is an intriguing story right here about a U.S. college coach — Chess teams in U.S. colleges? Who knew? — whose team won the national championship and then departed for another school. Oh, and she took her top players with her.
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A few thoughts from Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post:
The WHL needs to address its playoff format. In a 22-team league, it stands to reason that there should be two 11-team conferences, with the top eight teams in each loop advancing to the post-season. But not in the imbalanced WHL, in which there are 12 teams in the Eastern Conference and 10 in the Western Conference. As a result, four Eastern teams miss the playoffs, compared to two out west.
The format was especially unfair this year. In the Western Conference, the Victoria Royals and Everett Silvertips made the playoffs with 55 and 54 points, respectively. Yet, the Red Deer Rebels (70 points), Swift Current Broncos (62) and Lethbridge Hurricanes (59) missed the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. One step toward guarding against a recurrence of this problem would be to move the Kootenay Ice, which is not in the B.C. Division despite being based in Cranbrook, B.C., to the Western Conference and even out the conferences.
WHL referees should be made available to the media to explain penalties that have a bearing on the outcome. If a 16-year-old rookie defenceman coughs up the puck on a key goal, he has to explain himself to reporters. Yet, the officials can hide behind the league-mandated gag order. This long-standing policy was particularly irksome during a first-round series between the Warriors and Regina Pats. Anyone who attended Game 4 at the Brandt Centre would welcome a detailed, timely explanation of a controversial clipping major that was assessed to Regina's Dyson Stevenson.
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If not chess, how about some golf? The Masters is ongoing in Augusta and Karen Crouse of The New York Times has written a terrific piece on the fact that it’s 2012 and the Augusta National Golf Club still doesn’t have female members. When you think about that for even one second, you realize how absurd it is.
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And here is the daily tweet from Twitter star Griffin Reinhart of the Edmonton Oil Kings: “You might not believe me but my mom is mother Theresa.”

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Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Eric Schneider (Tri-City, 1995-96) signed a two-year contract extension with Munich (Germany DEL). He had 21 goals and 35 assists in 52 games for Munich this season. . . . F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany DEL). He had six goals and six assists in 33 games for Augsburg this season.
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Mike Williamson, the head coach of the Calgary Hitmen, has been named head coach of the Canadian team that will compete in the 2011 IIHF World U-18 championship in Dresden and Crimmitschau, Germany, , April 14-24.
Also on the coaching staff are assistants Mark Lamb, who is the GM/head coach of the Swift Current Broncos, and Dale Hawerchuk, the director of hockey operations and head coach of the OHL’s Barrie Colts. The goaltending coach will be former NHLer Ron Tugnutt, who works with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes.
Canada opens the tournament against the Czech Republic on April 15 in Dresden. Also in Canada’s preliminary pool are Finland, Norway and Sweden.
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A note from Rich Hammond at lakingsinsider.com points out that Ron Hextall, the Los Angeles Kings assistant GM, completed his first marathon on Sunday when he ran in the Los Angeles Marathon. According to Hammond, runners competed in “cold, dismal conditions.” . . . Hextall, who played goal for the Brandon Wheat Kings (1981-84), was joined by his wife Diane and Kings broadcaster Daryl Evans. The three ran together and finished in four hours 37 minutes 11 seconds. . . . Diane is the former Diane Ogibowski of Minnedosa, Man. In her day, she was one of Canada’s top female figure skaters.
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The Red Deer Rebels made it official Wednesday. They are preparing a bid on the 2013 Memorial Cup tournament.
“It’s something that has been discussed for awhile,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “Before even considering a bid, you have to feel confident that you will have a quality team at the time, a team that will be able to compete in such a prestigious event.
“I had lengthy discussions with Jesse (Rebels head coach/vice-president of hockey operations) and also with (director of scouting/player development) Randy Peterson, and they both felt very confident and comfortable that we’d be able to compete.”
The Lethbridge Hurricanes also have said they will bid on the host rights, while it is widely believed that the Saskatoon Blades also will be involved.
According to Meachem’s story, “If five or more cities bid for the event, the WHL will review preliminary bid information and shortlist the bids to a maximum of four by June 15.”
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JUST NOTES: Deven Dubyk of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the CHL’s goaltender of the week. Dubyk put up back-to-back shutouts over the Calgary Hitmen last weekend as the Tigers rested starter Tyler Bunz. . . . Those were Dubyk’s first career shutouts. . . . The Tri-City Americans won’t have F Adam Hughesman (knee) back for the opening of their series with the Vancouver Giants. Hughesman, who has been out for a month, is back skating and might return for Game 3. . . . Vancouver F James Henry (knee) didn’t practise Wednesday. . . . The Giants also will be without D Joel Rogers, 20, who suffered a concussion on the weekend on a hit by Kelowna Rockets F Evan Bloodoff. Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun reports that Rogers “almost certainly won't play again this season.” That was Rogers’ second concussion in a two-month period. Bloodoff drew a four-game suspension.
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Darren Zary of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a story right here about the Rosetown Redwings, who are 31-0 as they chase a Hardy Cup (senior B) championship. And there are lots of names here that will be familiar to WHL fans.
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Here, for your reading enjoyment, is a great little piece from the Washington Post on the time Liz Taylor took part in the coin flip prior to an NFL game between the Washinton Redskins and the host Dallas Cowboys.
Be prepared to chuckle when you read it. It’s right here.
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The WHL held its draft lottery Wednesday morning and the Kamloops Blazers were the winners. They had just one of the 21 balls in the lottery, but their ball came up, allowing them to move up two spots to fourth.
Here then, courtesy of Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, is the order of selection for the first round of the draft, which is scheduled for May 5 in Calgary:
1. Calgary Hitmen
2. Swift Current Broncos
3. Lethbridge Hurricanes (From Regina)
4. Kamloops Blazers
5. Lethbridge Hurricanes
6. Seattle Thunderbirds
7. Everett Silvertips
8. Prince Albert Raiders
9. Edmonton Oil Kings
10. Prince George Cougars
11. Brandon Wheat Kings
12. Chilliwack Bruins
13. Swift Current Broncos (From Kootenay/Vancouver)
14. Moose Jaw Warriors
15. Kelowna Rockets
16. Regina Pats (From Tri-City)
17. Kootenay Ice
18. Medicine Hat Tigers
19. Spokane Chiefs
20. Vancouver Giants (From Portland)
21. Red Deer Rebels
22. Brandon Wheat Kings (From Saskatoon)
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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