Gow decides to end his WHL career

F Michal Řepík (Vancouver, 2005-08) has signed a one-year contract with the Lahti Pelicans (Finland, Liiga). Last season, with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL), he had 12 points, eight of them goals, in 51 games. . . .
F Vladimir Dolnik (Everett, 2011-12) has signed a tryout contract with Kitzbühel (Austria, Inter-National-League). Last season, with Banská Bystrica U20 (Slovakia, U20 Extraliga), he had 10 points, including five goals, in eight games. He also was pointless in 19 games with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga), and had three goals and three assists in 16 games with Detva (Slovakia, 1. Liga). . . .
D Kenton Smith (Calgary, 1995-2000) has signed a one-year contract with the Swindon Wildcats (England, Premier). Last season, with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite), he had 14 points, including five goals, in 41 games. Smith signed with Swindon to be closer to his family in Cardiff, Wales.
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The Spokane Chiefs have taken something of a roster hit with the news that D Reid Gow has decided not to return for his 20-year-old season.
Gow, who is from Killarney, Man., also was the team captain. The 16th overall selection in the 2009 bantam draft, he played four seasons with the Chiefs. Last season, he had 62 points, including 56 assists in 65 games. Only four defencemen finished with more points, while he was the Chiefs’ third-leading scorer, behind F Mitch Holmberg and F Mike Aviani, both of whom were 20 last season.
In 229 regular-season games, Gow had 146 points, including 129 assists.
“I have spoken with Reid numerous times over the summer and he has informed me that he does not want to play in the WHL for his overage year,” Tim Speltz, the Chiefs’ general manager, said in a news release. “Reid said he has lost his desire to compete and does not have the drive to play in this league. He has decided to stay home and be close to family and friends.
“As an organization, we hope Reid reconsiders, but at this time, it is important for us to be prepared to move forward without him. He was a huge part of our team last year, but we understand the commitment and dedication it takes for a player to play at this level of competition.
"Although I do not agree with Reid's decision, our organization must accept and respect it. I will continue to have communication with him, but I am not confident any change in his decision is imminent."
The Chiefs’ roster now is down to three 20-year-olds -- F Connor Chartier, F Marcus Messier and F Liam Stewart.
Not that long ago, the Chiefs had six 20s on their roster, but Gow now is out of the picture, while D Cole Wedman was dealt to the Moose Jaw Warriors and F Carter Proft has signed with the Kassel Huskies (Germany, DEL).
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You may be aware that there has been a huge hue and cry in the U.S., over comments made by talking head Stephen A. Smith on an ESPN yap fest last week. It all had to do with the two-game suspension issued by the NFL to Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice following an incident of domestic abuse.
Smith, who gives all of us a good reason not to watch those talk shows, spoke without thinking, as he is wont to do.
Anyway . . . Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail takes a good look at that situation right here.
Meanwhile, Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post makes sure that she’s not on Smith’s Christmas card list with this piece right here. When Jenkins got through with Smith, he was more done than a Christmas turkey.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Nelson Leafs, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, have lost their head coach before they played even one game with him behind their bench. . . . Matt Hughes, who was hired in May, resigned on the weekend and now is with the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence. . . . Bruce Fuhr of the Nelson Daily has more right here.
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Shayne Toporowski (Prince Albert, 1991-95) is the new head coach of the Worcester State Lancers. Toporowski, 38, takes over from John Guiney, who resigned after 22 seasons as head coach. . . . Jennifer Toland of the Worcester Telegram has more right here.
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Former NHL D Todd Gill has signed on with the Adirondack Flames as an assistant coach. The Flames are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . Gill had been the head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for three seasons. However, he was dumped after last season, when his side blew a 3-0 lead to the Peterborough Petes in a first-round playoff series. . . . In Adirondack, he’ll work alongside head coach Ryan Huska, formerly of the Kelowna Rockets.
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I'm more & more appreciative to have lived when Terry Fox was alive. As @Taggart7 said, his birthday – today – should be a Canadian holiday.
— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) July 28, 2014

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.

If you’re a regular around here, you are familiar with our friend Jessi,
who is a huge fan of the Tri-City Americans. Jessi was bowling with
the Americans the other day, and here she is with Adam Hughesman (left)
and Mitch Topping. Spies indicate that Jessi won the day!

 THE MacBETH REPORT: D Oleg Tverdovsky (Brandon, 1994-95) signed a contract for the rest of the season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL) after being released by Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). He was pointless in 12 games with Salavat Yulaev this season. He did report to Salavat Yulaev's farm team, Toros Neftekamsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga), after clearing KHL waivers. Tverdovsky was pointless in two games with Toros before gaining his release. . . .
To make room on their roster, Metallurg traded D Renat Mamashev (Moose Jaw, 2000-01) to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL) for an undisclosed 2012 KHL draft pick. Mamashev had two goals and four assists in 16 games with Metallurg this season, his first with the club after spending the past two seasons with Neftekhimik. . . .
F Stefan Meyer (Medicine Hat, 2000-05) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, Elitserien). He had no points in six games this season with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL). . . .
F Shayne Toporowski (Prince Albert, 1991-95) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) after a successful tryout. He has four goals and four assists in 11 games with Villach this season.
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On a night in March 2005, a motorist pulled into a gas station in Maple Ridge, B.C., put $12 in gas into his vehicle, and attempted to flee without paying.
Gas station attendant Grant DePatie tried to stop the gas and dash. He was struck by the car and dragged to his death.
In the province of B.C., you now have to abide by Grant’s Law — pay for your gas before pumping.
Over the last three days, The New York Times has carried a three-part series, written by John Branch, detailing the life and hockey career of the late Derek Boogaard.
This series is, in a word, devastating.
In Part 3, Branch reveals that Dr. Ann McKee, a renowned neuropathologist who has examined the brains of numerous athletes, examined Boogaard’s brain and discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Boogaard’s family was informed during an October conference call.
Boogaard, who died at 28, was in a more advanced state of CTE than was Bob Probert, who died at 45.
“To see this amount? That’s a ‘wow’ moment,” McKee said as she pointed to magnified images of Boogaard’s brain tissue. “This is all going bad.”
She is right. This is all going bad.
The NHL, however, doesn’t see things that way.
Branch writes:
The NHL is not convinced that there is a link between hockey and CTE.
“There isn’t a lot of data, and the experts who we talked to, who consult with us, think that it’s way premature to be drawing any conclusions at this point,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Because we’re not sure that any, based on the data we have available, is valid.”
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Junior hockey operators need to take a long, hard look at what’s going on here. The evidence is starting to mount that CTE is caused by repeated blows to the head. There also is evidence that once it’s there, it’s there — it only grows.
The brain of a young hockey player gets jostled around enough just playing the game. Who knows what damage is done by repeated punches to the head in a fight? Who knows what damage is done if a player is involved in a dozen or more fights in a season?
Perhaps it’s time for a league like the WHL to take the bull by the horns and ban fighting. Get it out of the game. Write a rule that bans it.
Call it Derek’s Rule.
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Part 3 of the NYT series is right here. It is devastating. Give it a look and take advantage of the various sidebars and videos available.
And, when you’re done, convince yourself again that adults should be sending teenagers out to fight on ice.
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Late Monday night, more than 600 comments had been posted at the end of Part 3 of the NYT series.
Here’s one of them:
“Congrats to the Times for this excellent series. This is a sport that is in denial, much like the cigarette industry was for so long about the hazards of smoking. Clearly a league that does not care about its players. This is little better than the gladiators of old.
“This is a problem that cannot be ignored; players are getting bigger, faster and more powerful and I guess more players will have to end up in a stupor or die before anything is done about it.”
And then there was this one:
“Let me get this straight: adults purposely place a 16 year old kid in an adult environment (Junior A level for-profit hockey) and coerce him (you fight or you are cut from the team) to be violent and expose him to trauma and this is not called child abuse?
“What we now know about children exposed to chronic emotional and physical trauma is that they typically develop a biologically based hyper-vigilant fight/flight system and maladaptive coping mechanisms such as emotional numbing through alcohol and drug use.
“The old men who run hockey need to wake up to the realities of brain science and stop grooming adolescent boys as hockey gladiators.
“I played hockey in the Canadian juniors back in the 70's and was keenly aware that it was always the frustrated and angry adults most interested in living out their rage, blood lust, and impotence through the violence of the kids on the ice.
“Sadly, too many of these adults are still running the game today. Yea Don Cherry, I'm talking about you. When was the last time you dropped the gloves and were able to put 'em up?”
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Meanwhile . . .
If you click right here, it will take you to a three-minute video clip of the Winterhawks’ Wedding from Fox 12 Oregon. There is entertaining stuff here, including video of the bride waiting and her reaction when the Teddy Bear goal is scored.
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THE COACHING GAME: Stan Drulia has resigned as head coach of the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers and move up to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals as an assistant under new head coach Ian Herbers. All of that came about because Kirk Muller, the Admirals’ head coach, moved up to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes as their head coach last week. Clark Donatelli, an assistant coach with Drulia, was named the Nailers’ interim head coach.
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JUST NOTES: The NHL’s Calgary Flames have recalled G Leland Irving (Everett, 2004-08) after putting Henrik Karlsson (knee) on the injured list. Karlsson was injured Saturday in a 5-1 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver. Irving, a first-round selection by the Flames in the NHL’s 2006 draft, has yet to play in the NHL. He has been with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. Dan Kinvig of the Abbotsford News reports that Irving, who played Sunday afternoon in a 3-1 victory over the host Chicago Wolves, and some teammates were watching the NHL game in a Chicago restaurant when Karlsson went down. “Ten minutes later," Kinvig reported, “Irving's cell phone rang. It was Heat head coach Troy Ward, informing him he was being recalled by the Flames.” . . . On Monday, Irving, 23, told Kinvig: "It was pretty exciting, and the guys were excited for me. It was very cool to share it with your teammates – the guys that helped you get there. It just means that much more when I've had to wait a while and work hard to even get a chance (in the NHL)." . . . This season, with the Heat, Irving is 15-7-0, 2.30, .914. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have added F Joey Santucci, 17, to their roster through Dec. 16. Santucci has 18 points and 48 penalty minutes in 21 games with the junior B Grandview Steelers of the Pacific International junior league. . . . The Spokane Chiefs have assigned D Cole Hamblin, 18, to the MJHL’s Selkirk Steelrs. he had one assist in seven games this season with the Chiefs. The Chiefs are left with a 23-man roster, including two goaltendes and eight defencemen. . . .
F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the lone WHL player on the preliminary roster for the U.S. national junor team. The roster was announced Monday. . . . The roster is 29 players deep and will be cut to 22 after a camp that is to open in Camrose Alta., on Dec. 17. . . .
The Calgary Flames have signed F Michael Ferland of the Brandon Wheat Kings to a three-year NHL contract. He was a fifth-round selection in the 2010 NHL draft. Ferland, 19, has 42 points, including 17 goals, in 29 games this season. He is to report to the Canadian junior team’s selection camp in Calgaryon Saturday. . . .
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City council in Gatineau, Que., has voted to build a 4,000-seat multi-purpose facility that will replace Robert Guertin Arena, the home of the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. It looks like the cost will be between $50 million and $53 million.
Darren Desaulniers of the Ottawa Citizen has more right here.
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In St. Catharines, Ont., city council has voted to build a multi-purpose facility with 4,500 to 5,300 seats for a maximum of $50 million. Bill and Denise Burke, who own the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, say they will sign a 20-year lease.
Marlene Bergsma of the St. Catharines Standard has more right here.
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In Medicine Hat, city council . . . ahh, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.
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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel presents a day in the life of D Victor Bartley (Kamloops, Regina, 2004-09) right here.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Shayne Toporowski (Prince Albert, 1991-95) signed a tryout contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 16 goals and 17 assists in 58 games for Tappara Tampere (Finland, SM-Liiga) last season. . . .
F Pat Iannone (Kootenay, Try-City, Regina, 1999-2003) signed a one-year contract with Pontebba (Italy, Serie A). He had 11 goals and 26 assists in 38 games for Valpellice (Italy, Serie A) last season.
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It is quite possible that Alberta fans will never get to watch Everett Silvertips D Ryan Murray in the comfort of their favourite team’s arena. The Silvertips open an Alberta swing against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday, but Murray didn’t make the trip. He’s at home nursing a sprained ankle that could keep him sidelined for up to five weeks.
As Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports:
“This isn't the first time Murray has had to stay behind while his teammates headed to Alberta. Two years ago, Murray suffered a broken thumb just before the team departed to visit the Central Division, home of all five of the WHL's Alberta-based teams. He was left behind then, too. Given that Everett only goes to Alberta every other year, it seems unlikely the 18-year-old Murray will ever play a WHL game in Alberta as a Silvertip.”
Murray is projected as an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft and might very well be playing in The Show a year from now.
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The Portland Winterhawks have been without F Sven Bartschi for the start of their monster 17-day, nine-game road trip. After the team bus arrived in Edmonton, he hopped a plane and flew back to Portland to get what is believed to be a hip injury examined. He already has missed the trek’s first two games and won’t play tonight against the Hitmen in Calgary. But he was to rejoin the Winterhawks on Monday night and it could be that the Flames’ medical staff will take a look at him, too. The Flames selected him in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2011 NHL draft and he sparkled in their training camp. Bartschi, 18, is a Swiss sophomore. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have added free-agent F Taylor Makin, 19, to their roster. Makin, from Blairmore, Alta., played one game with the Cougars this season before being released. He had 14 points and 43 penalty minutes in 48 games with the Cougars last season, and 17 points and 82 Pms in 70 games in 2009-10. . . . The Giants are at home to the Cougars tonight; the teams play a weekend doubleheade in Prince George. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning (back), who hasn’t played since late September, may get back into the lineup on Friday in Prince George. . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers have dealt F Kellan Tochkin, 20, to the Prince Albert Raiders for D James Bettauer, 20, and a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Tochkin, who has signed with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, had eight assists in 10 games with the Tigers this season, and had just returned to their lineup after suffering a concussion on Oct.10. He has 214 points in 227 regular-season games, most of that with the Everett Silvertips, who dealt him to Medicine Hat last season. . . . Bettauer had nine points, including five goals, in 15 games with the Raiders this season. He has 39 points in 153 career games. . . .
The Swift Current Broncos have assigned D Bobby Zinkan, 16, to the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. A fourth-round pick by the Broncos in the 2010 bantam draft, the Calgary native had gotten into just one game with the Broncos. . . .
 F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants is the WHL’s player of the week. He had seven points, three of them goals, in three games last week. . . . Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans is the WHL’s goaltender of the week. Comrie, 16, put up back-to-back 1-0 shutouts as the Americans swept the Cougars in Prince George on the weekend. . . .
Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald fills us in on the Warriors’ injury situation. . . . The Warriors are at home to the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday night. . . . D Dylan McIlrath didn’t practice Monday. He took an elbow to the head in a Saturday game, but head coach Mike Stothers told Gourlie that McIlrath was having a “maintenance day” and that he also had a touch of the flu. . . . D Kendall McFaull (lower body) didn’t finish Monday’s practice. He has missed two games. . . . D Joel Edmundson (ankle) may play Wednesday for the first time this season. He was injured in camp with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. . . . F Quinton Howden (concussion) is day-to-day, while F Sebastian Svendsen (knee) remains sidelined.
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An interesting note in the weekly blog from Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman:
“Anaheim/Phoenix played Sunday night with only one referee, as Steve Kozari's eyes swelled up due to an allergic reaction. (Ugh, sounds gross. Get well, Steve.) As a result, Brad Watson did the game alone. Apparently, the players loved it.”
Friedman’s complete blog entry is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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