Red Reign and Thrice Ice . . . Ryan reunites with ex-Chiefs coach . . . Spott popular

D Jonathan Harty (Everett, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract with Grenoble (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with Björklöven Umea (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had six assists in 19 games. . . .
F Mikhail Fisenko (Vancouver, Calgary, 2008-11) has been traded by Amur Khabarovsk to Admiral Vladivostok (both Russia, KHL) as part of the largest trade in KHL history. Fisenko, with Amur this season, had 11 goals and 10 assists in 59 games. . . . The trade sends six players plus the rights to two others to Amur in return for three players. Admiral also receives Amur's first-round draft picks in the 2016 and 2017 KHL drafts. . . .
F Mikhail Yakubov (Red Deer, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, with Vityaz Podolsk (Russia, KHL), he had three goals and five assists in 46 games.
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If you’re wondering, after the Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up the Stanley Cup last night, the Chicago Tribune’s sports front carried the headline RED REIGN. . . . The Chicago Sun-Times, the Blackhawks having won three Stanley Cups in six seasons, went with THRICE AGE.
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F Derek Ryan, who played three seasons (2004-07) with the Spokane Chiefs, has signed with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He got a one-year, two-way deal. . . . Ryan, who is from Spokane, is 28. He played four seasons at the U of Alberta before going to Europe for four seasons. This season, he had 60 points, including 15 goals, in 55 games with Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League. He was the SHL’s MVP and forward of the year. . . . Bill Peters, Carolina’s head coach, was Spokane’s head coach for two of Ryan’s seasons there.
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Dave King, one of the most influential coaches in the game of hockey, was in Regina on the weekend. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post caught up with him and the resulting story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Chris Dennis, a former assistant coach with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, is the new head coach of the York U Lions. Dennis, who attended York, lost his job with the Maple Leafs in April when they cleaned house. . . . The Lions were 9-15-3 this season, leaving them last in the OUA West Division. . . . Dennis, who spent 10 seasons in Toronto’s organization, takes over from Jim Wells, who had been the head coach since 2009.
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The Vancouver Giants remain without a head coach and it seems that one of the candidates they have interviewed has become quite popular. It has been speculated that Steve Spott, another former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach, has been one of the Giants’ leading candidates. Now there are reports that he has interviewed with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for their head-coaching position. On top of that, Spott may be in line for an assistant-coaching position with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. He and Peter DeBoer, the Sharks’ new head coach, are friends. . . . Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun also reported on rumours that the Maple Leafs are hoping to hire D.J. Smith, the head coach of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, who won the Memorial Cup last month. Smith, the Generals’ assistant GM and head coach, later denied those rumours.
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The WHL held an officiating camp....and I assume the outside of the rink looked something like this. pic.twitter.com/7jev3bQXIW

— Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge) June 15, 2015

Thanks, @Asuchak16. Good luck in the A. #TooGoodToBeAtThisLevel pic.twitter.com/rqordz5x72

— Centralized Hockey (@CentralHockeyTJ) June 15, 2015

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More coaching news . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jaroslav Kristek (Tri-City, 1998-2000) signed a one year contract with Lev Poprad (Slovakia, KHL). He had 14 goals and 32 assists in 55 games for Kosice (Slovakia, Extraliga) last season.
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CAMP NOTES: F Jessey Astles of the Kelowna Rockets will attend the Pittsburgh Penguins’ development camp this month and also will be in their rookie camp in Oshawa, Ont., in September. Astles, 18, had six points and 129 penalty minutes in 59 games as a sophomore last season. . . . F Thomas Frazee, who finished up his WHL career with the Kamloops Blazers, will attend the Washington Capitals’ development camp later this month, as will F Taylor Stefishen of the Prince George Cougars. Stefishen also completed his junior eligibility last season. . . . Frazee had 72 points in 70 games as he split the season between the Regina Pats (33 games, 37 points) and Kamloops (37 games, 35 points). . . . Stefishen was a fifth-round selection of the Nashville Predators in the NHL’s 2008 draft but never signed. He left Ohio State to join the Cougars prior to last season and put up 67 points, including 24 goals, in 68 games. . . . F Dylan Willick of the Blazers had 24 goals last season, not 21 as was referenced here yesterday. He will attend the Minnesota Wild’s development camp.
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THE COACHING GAME: Steve Spott, the GM/head coach of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, has signed an extension that carries him through the 2017-18 season. Spott, 43, has been with the Rangers since 2002-03 when he came on board as assistant GM/associate coach. He has been GM/head coach since the summer of 2008. The Rangers are 106-77-21 in three seasons with Spott at the helm. . . . Brian Munz of CJOB Radio in Winnipeg reported Monday afternoon that Keith McCambridge (Swift Current, Kamloops, 1991-95) is expected to be named as the next head coach of the AHL team in St. John’s, Nfld., which doesn’t yet have a nickname. It is the relocated Manitoba Moose franchise and is affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets. McCambridge has been an assistant with the Moose for the last two seasons after he spent two seasons as head coach of the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. . . . Tim Wharnsby of CBC Sports tweeted late Monday night that John Torchetti, an associate coach with the Atlanta Thrashers last season, is expected to be named the head coach of the AHL’s Houston Aeros. He would replace Mike Yeo, now the head coach of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
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Former Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Wahl missed almost all of last season with a concussion. He’s back on skates now and in the Calgary Flames’ development camp. Steve MacFarlane of the Calgary has that story right here.

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Taking Note on Twitter

Dumont going from ice to front office

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with Lukko Rauma (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 14 goals and 17 assists in 48 games for HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, Elitserien) this season. Lukko director of player personnel Hannu Vanhatalo: "Beech is a large, strong, and skillful player who plays every night for the team. His strength is his overall game play, but he is also a very good player on the power play with a great shot. Beech is also a very popular guy with his teammates. He has shown himself to be a winner in many different categories and we are very pleased to have this level of player on our team next season."
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Here are the first three paragraphs to Bob Duff’s column in today’s Windsor Star:
In his third National Hockey League game, Windsor’s Barry Potomski, then with the Los Angeles Kings, dropped the gloves and fought with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ken Baumgartner, who was among the league’s most feared tough guys.
“You have to have one of those in your first five games,” suggested former Detroit Red Wings tough guy Darren McCarty of Leamington at the time. “It’s your initiation to the club.”
The Essex County Enforcers Association.
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Potomski died Tuesday. Duff’s column, in its entirety, is right here.
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Wondering what it’s like when you’re 16 years of age and your hockey season is cut in half by a concussion? John MacNeil of the Brandon Sun has the story of Moose Jaw Warriors F Brayden Cuthbert right here.
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If you want more, or even if you don’t, MacNeil also has a piece on Brandon Wheat Kings G Liam Liston. He took a puck off the mask in practice during the playoffs and didn’t play again. That story is right here.
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LOUIS DUMONT

One of the great careers in modern minor pro hockey history came to an end this week with the retirement of F Louis Dumont of the Central league’s Mississippi RiverKings.
Dumont, 38, has been named general manager of the Southern Professional league’s Louisiana IceGators.
Dumont played the last five seasons of his pro career with the RiverKings, who were based out of Memphis in the first of those seasons. He also played three seasons (1996-99) with the IceGators, who were then in the ECHL.
After playing in the WHL (Regina, Kamloops, 1990-94), hockeydb.com shows that the native of Calgary, went on to play for the Wheeling Thunderbirds (ECHL), Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (ECHL), Syracuse Crunch (AHL), Louisiana IceGators (ECHL), Manitoba Moose (IHL), Ayr Scottish Eagles (BISL), Augusta Lynx (ECHL), Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), Pensacola Ice Pilots (ECHL), Mississippi Sea Wolves (ECHL), Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) and Mississippi River Kings (Central).
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The tide may come rolling in this morning in Victoria where the WHL’s newest franchise — remember the Chilliwack Bruins? — is expected to reveal its nickname and introduce its general manager and head coach. Hello, there, Marc Habscheid.
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist has more right here.
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JUST NOTES: Multiple reports Wednesday night have Don Hay being named today as head coach of Canada’s national junior team. Hay, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, was Canada’s head coach in 1995 when it won the World Junior Championship in Red Deer. The 2012 tournament is to be played in Calgary and Edmonton. . . . Team Canada will hold its summer camp in Edmonton, Aug. 3-6. . . . As well, reports indicate that Steve Spott, head coach of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, is to be named head coach of the Canadian under-18 team that will compete in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Czech Republic and Slovakia in August. . . .
The Edmonton Capitals of baseballs North American league announced Wednesday that all residents of the fire-ravaged community of Slave Lake will be admitted free of charge to any home game in June. According to a press release: “Slave Lake residents who wish to capitalize on this offer can simply show valid identification at the Capitals Ticket Office at TELUS Field and may redeem up to six complimentary tickets for any game in the month of June.” . . . And when the Capitals play their home-opener on Tuesday, F T.J. Foster of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who is from Slave Lake, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal has more right here on Foster and what he and his family have been through of late.
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THE COACHING GAME: The Central league’s Tulsa Oilers have signed head coach Bruce Ramsay to a two-year extension through 2012-13. He his heading into his third season with the Oilers.
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The host Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors scored a 3-1 victory over the OHL-champion Owen Sound Attack at the Memorial Cup on Wednesday. That puts the Attack into the third-place tiebreaker against the Kootenay Ice tonight. . . . The winner of that game advances to Friday’s semifinal against Mississauga. . . . The QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs have clinched a berth in Sunday’s final.
One of the big stories at this Memorial Cup has been the officiating. Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun has more right here.
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Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has written a good piece about the Morrow men — father Dave and sons Josh and Joe. That piece is right here.
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And now for something completely different . . .
Is America a great country, or what?
If you haven’t already, check out the American Shifter website and take a look at the latest shift knob. It’s called Osama bin Hidin’ Shift Knob, and you can take it all in right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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