Ex-player finds light in his life . . . Americans, Royals do some business

An email arrived in the early morning hours of Friday. I was laying in bed at the time and checked my email on my tablet. (Hey, isn’t that we do in this day and age?)
By the time I had finished reading, I had tears in my eyes and it took me at least an hour to fall asleep.
Because, if we need it, this one email is proof that if you are depressed, if you are dealing with anxiety, if you feel that something is wrong but aren’t sure what it is, you really can lighten the load by talking with someone you trust.
Here is the meat of that email as it was written by a former hockey player who remains in the game . . .
“I wanted to thank you for your recent post regarding depression and hockey players.
“After nine years with my significant other, I finally told her about my depression, thanks to the unfortunate passing of my childhood hero Robin Williams and your latest post, both of which made it so much easier. My next step is to speak to a professional and get back my life.
“The last five years, my darkest, are gone and I will never get them back. But the future looks much brighter. More importantly, my loved ones know and we can all begin to move forward from under this weight to how things used to be.
“Whether it is due to the concussions I suffered -- five diagnosed, so it's really probably closer to 10 -- or something else isn’t the issue now. What is done is done.
“But just to get these guys to talk to someone, anyone, if they are just not feeling right is a huge step in a direction to feeling normal again.
“I know it is going to be a long road but I am looking forward to moving forward, and I just wanted you to know you and your recent post have helped me.”
Please, if you are struggling, talk with someone who is close to you. If you look around, you will find more than one person who will help and be your support group.
Please remember that you aren’t alone.
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If you are a fan of the Prince Albert Raiders, you may rest easy. Well, a little bit easy. F Leon Draisaitl, the German star who was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the third pick of the NHL’s 2014 draft, won’t be playing in Europe in 2014-15.
There was talk in some corners this week that the Oilers would find a way to place him in Europe if he doesn’t make their roster. That isn’t going to happen.
The CBA that binds the NHL and NHLPA includes this clause: “During the first two seasons next succeeding the draft of an age 18 Player, the Club he signs an SPC with must first offer him to the club from which he was claimed before it may Loan him.”
Draisaitl, who has been training in Edmonton, has signed an SPC (standard player’s contract) with the Oilers, so that takes care of that part.
Barring injury, he will start the season with the Oilers, meaning that he won’t be in the Raiders’ training camp. But should the Oilers’ brass, after taking a prolonged look, decide he would be better off elsewhere, there is but one option and that is Prince Albert. Let’s not forget, too, that the Oilers last appeared in the NHL playoffs in the spring of 2006. Yes, they have failed to make the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons.
You have to think, then, that there is at least some pressure in the Oilers’ offices to make the playoffs. If you are a Raiders’ fan, you also are thinking that it isn’t likely that a German who turns 19 on Oct. 27 would be that much of a difference-maker in his freshman season.
As one observer offered: “Who knows? It might turn into a Dumba situation.”
D Mathew Dumba, then of the Red Deer Rebels, was selected by the Minnesota Wild with the seventh pick of the 2012 draft. Last season, at 19, he began the season with the Wild, but dressed for only 13 games. He played for Canada at the World Junior Championship and then returned to the WHL, by which time he had been traded by the Rebels to the Portland Winterhawks.
Just don’t think for a moment that the Raiders would refuse Draisaitl’s services and allow the Oilers to put him in Europe.
“He’s either playing in Edmonton or he’s playing in Prince Albert,” one hockey official with knowledge of the situation told Taking Note. “That’s it. There’s no other choice.”
The Raiders are in the same situation with D Josh Morrissey, who was a first-round (13th overall) selection of the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL’s 2013 draft. He is a year older than Draisaitl but, as the CBA reads, that clause covers a player’s 18- and 19-year-old seasons. So Morrissey, who was superb in the playoffs with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps last spring, has to play for the Jets or be returned to the Raiders.
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As you may be aware, my wife, Dorothy, is preparing to take part in the 2014 Kidney Walk on Aug. 24. She underwent a kidney transplant on Sept. 23 and due to a really nasty infection wasn’t healthy until mid-April. Her recovery since then has been nothing short of amazing.
She has said that she wants to give back to the Kidney Foundation, so here we are. This morning, if the weather holds, she will be on the road, walking 2.5 km for the first time in, well, since I can’t remember when.
If you are wondering how her fund-raising is going, I have had to raise her goal for a fourth time. She hit $1,600 late Friday night.
Dorothy continues to be amazed at the generosity of people, many of whom have come into contact with her through Taking Note.
If you are interested in tracking her donations, you are able to do so right here. The top 10 is on the right side of the home page. Click on her name and a list of donors will appear on a scroll.
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TRADE WIRE:
THE DEAL: The Tri-City Americans acquire F Steven Hodges, 20, and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft from the Victoria Royals for a conditional second-round pick in 2016. The picks are conditional on Hodges returning to the WHL.
THE SKINNY: Hodges was selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2012 NHL draft. He has signed an NHL contract and will go to camp with the Panthers. He very well could open the season with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Last season, he had 47 points, 21 of them goals, in 52 games with the Royals. In his WHL career, he has 75 goals and 82 assists in 247 regular-season games.
THE ANALYSIS: The Americans cut a deal with huge upside and no real downside. If Hodges comes back, their offence gets a real boost. If he does return, he will start by sitting out a five-game suspension left over from the playoffs. . . . The Royals move out a 20-year-old, and a second-round pick is more than a decent return if Hodges returns. They are left with three others on their roster -- D Travis Brown, F Austin Carroll and F Brandon Magee. Of course, Magee has signed a tryout deal with Kometa Brno of the Czech Republic’s Exgraliga. Should he end up back in the WHL, he’s got a 12-game suspension hanging over his head. . . . The Americans have three other 20-year-olds on their roster -- F Lucas Nickles, F Jackson Playfair and D Justin Hamonic.
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F Tim Bozon has told Brenda Branswell of the Montreal Gazette that he feels 100 per cent and that he has worked twice as hard as normal as he works to come back from a scrap with Neisseria meningitis in March that almost killed him. . . . Bozon, who was with the Kootenay Ice when he took ill, is preparing to go to camp with the Montreal Canadiens. They selected him in the third round of the NHL's 2012 draft and he has signed a contract. . . . Branswell’s story is right here. . . . One of these days, perhaps the WHL will issue a news release thanking fans for their donations to the fund set up to benefit the Bozon family and perhaps the league also will include a total.
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The on-ice part of the Portland Winterhawks training camp is scheduled to begin on Thursday. As usual, prospects will compete in the Neely Cup tournament. Interestingly, the Winterhawks are charging admission to the tournament games at the Winterhawks Skating Center in Beaverton. “As the popularity of the Neely Cup has grown with each year,” reads a news release, “the games will be ticketed this year in order to ensure the organization is in compliance with fire codes. There will be 100 four-day passes available for $20 that will allow access to all games, and 50 additional daily passes for $5 that will allow entry to both games on a particular day.” . . . As well, the release adds, “The Neely Cup will be the only portion of training camp open to the public.” . . . Sheesh, remember Red No. 23?
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed F Nikita Milekhin, a Russian who was the third overall selection in the CHL’s 2014 import draft. He played last season for a team in the Moscow Dynamo program, putting up 21 points, 13 of them goals, in 26 games. . . . Milekhin, 17, also was a fourth-round selection by Severstal Cherepovets in the KHL’s 2014 draft. . . . Interestingly, his surname is spelled Milyokhin in some spots on the Internet.
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Due to the political situation in that corner of the world, Ukraine won’t be the host for the 2015 IIHF Division I Group A world championship. The IIHF’s congress had approved Donetsk as the host city. Donetsk is in the eastern Ukraine. The Ukraine federation now has withdrawn its bid. . . . “Unfortunately, we cannot be fully protected against that fact that the political tension in the country is an obstacle for foreign visitors and fans who want to visit the ice festival in Donetsk,” the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine’s President Anatoli Brezvin said in a statement. “It is our priority to find together with the IIHF and our colleagues from Italy, Kazakhstan, Japan, Hungary and Poland a proper solution that will satisfy everybody – from participants to commercial partners and fans. To do so, we take the first step and declare the withdrawal of our responsibilities to organize the championship in Ukraine.” . . . The top two teams from the Division 1 Group A championship get promoted to the top division for the 2016 IIHF World Championship. . . . The Division 1 Group A tournament is scheduled for April A new host city is expected to be announced at the IIHF semi-annual congress that is scheduled for Sept. 18-20. The Polish Ice Hockey Federation has said it is prepared to host the tournament in Krakow at the new Krakow Arena.
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“Everyone is saying how Robin killed himself, but Robin didn’t kill himself, his disease killed him. It’s like a cancer, only a different type.” That is Jordan Matechuk, the B.C. Lions’ long-snapper, in conversation with Lowell Ullrich of the Vancouver Province. They were, of course, talking about Robin Williams. Matechuk knows of what he speaks, too, as he is bipolar. Ullrich has the story right here of Matechuk and how he copes.
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To the minor hockey parent who has his kid wear an earpiece during games so he can talk to him on radio.....please stop. #letthekidsplay
— Ben Cooper (@MrCoopification) August 15, 2014

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Blades hope Bob can lead them out of the Woods

F Brandon Magee (Chilliwack/Victoria, 2009-14) has signed a tryout contract with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, Magee had 67 points, including 25 goals, in 65 games.
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1. Bob Woods, a defenceman for two seasons (1987-89) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, is headed back to the WHL as the next general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix broke the story on Twitter late Sunday afternoon. His piece is right here. . . . The Blades will introduce Woods at a news conference today. . . . From LeRoy, Sask., a community two hours east of Saskatoon, Woods, 46, has spent the last two-plus seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. . . . He has been in the coaching game for 17 seasons, including two as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals. He also has coached in the ECHL and the AHL, where he spent four seasons with the Hershey Bears. . . . He won AHL championships in Hershey as a player, assistant coach and head coach. . . . Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau, with whom Woods has a long history, is signed through 2014-15, while the contracts of Woods and fellow Ducks assistant Brad Lauer are up this month. . . . Les Lazaruk, the radio voice of the Blades, reported that Woods signed a five-year contract that includes performance bonuses, including one that would reward him should the Blades be named the WHL's scholastic team of the year. . . .
The Blades, who won 16 games last season, are looking to replace Lorne Molleken and David Struch, the GM and head coach, respectively, who were released after last season.

2. Sooner or later, sporting teams are going to realize that, in this era of social media, there aren’t any secrets. The days of a team holding a news conference and having a new head coach walk out from behind a curtain to the surprise of many are over. . . . Word began to leak out early Sunday afternoon that the Saskatoon Blades had signed Bob Woods as their new general manager and head coach. . . . Late in the afternoon, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix tweeted a link to his story on the Woods signing. In that story, Nugent-Bowman noted that Blades managing partner Colin Priestner had declined comment. . . . Shortly after Nugent-Bowman’s story hit Twitter, the Blades’ own Twitter account confirmed the hiring in a series of tweets, and also revealed that a news conference will be held Monday morning. . . . With so much emphasis on social media and the immediacy it provides, it could be that the time has come for an organization, assuming it wants to control the story, to make an announcement as soon as a deal is done.

3. As you will have read in The MacBeth Report, F Brandon Magee, who turned 20 on Jan. 23, has signed a tryout deal with Kometa Brno of the Czech Republic’s Extraliga. . . . Should Magee return to the WHL for his 20-year-old season, he would miss the first 12 games. That’s because he drew a 12-game suspension from the WHL for two cross-checking incidents in the Victoria Royals’ final playoff game of last season. . . . Magee’s deal, and it’s only for a tryout, will be finalized upon completion of physical and medical testing. . . . Magee, who is from Edmonton, played one season with the Chilliwack Bruins and three with Victoria. In 268 regular-season games, he put up 203 points, including 90 goals.

4. F Steven Hodges of the Victoria Royals has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Florida Panthers, who selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Hodges, from Yellowknife, turned 20 on May 5. Last season, he had 47 points, including 21 goals, in 52 games. In 247 regular-season games, he has 157 points, including 75 goals. He played one season with the Chilliwack Bruins and the last three with Victoria.

5. The deadline for NHL teams to sign players selected in the 2012 draft came and went over the weekend. It’s believed that a number of WHL players didn’t get NHL deals, so most will be eligible for the 2014 draft later this month. Among those players who went unsigned are D Travis Brown (Victoria, Chicago Blackhawks); F Alexander Delnov (Seattle, Florida Panthers); F Coda Gordon (Swift Current, Calgary Flames); F Logan Nelson (Victoria, Buffalo Sabres); D Dmitry Sinitsyn (Regina, Dallas Stars); F Tyrel Seaman (Brandon, St. Louis Blues); F Lukas Sutter (Red Deer, Winnipeg Jets); D Nick Walters (Lethbridge, St. Louis Blues; and F Mike Winther (Calgary, Dallas Stars). . . . Sutter and Nelson, who have completed their 20-year-old seasons, become unrestricted free agents if they are unsigned. . . . Seaman actually retired with concussion problems after the 2012-13 season. . . . Delnov signed a two-way deal last week with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk of the KHL.

6. There was a neat ad in Saturday’s Edmonton Journal, with the Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group, the new owners of the Regina Pats, buying space to send a message that reads: “Hail to the Kings on returning the Memorial Cup to the WHL.” . . . In all the time I’ve been around the WHL, I can’t ever remember one organization taking out an ad in a newspaper to congratulate another team on winning the Memorial Cup. Well done, Pats!

7. The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats will play host to the 2016 RBC Cup for the national junior A championship. That means, of course, that the Bobcats get into the tournament as the host team. . . . The 2015 RBC Cup will be played in Portage la Prairie, Man., with the MJHL’s Terriers as the host team.

8. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen writes right here that “Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is spearheading an international movement to boycott the products of major sponsors, including Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch InBev, until the 2018 World Cup is moved away from Russia.” . . . As Warren points out, Melnyk “is livid at the hypocrisy of FIFA . . . for allowing (Russia) to stage the tournament while Russian president Vladimir Putin is waging war.” . . . I keep waiting for someone to start asking questions about why the CHL continues to be involved with the Subway Super Series while Putin continues his military aggressiveness.

9. If you’re into baseball and reading, Bryan Curtis of Grantland has a long read just for you. It’s all about baseball books, old and new, and it’s right here.

10. Here’s the schedule for the Stanley Cup final between the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers (all times Pacific; x - if necessary):
Wednesday: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.
Saturday: at Los Angeles, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, June 9: at New York, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, June 11: at New York, 5 p.m.
x-Friday, June 13: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.
x-Monday, June 16: at New York, 5 p.m.
x-Wednesday, June 18: at Los Angeles, 5 p.m.

11. And just to get your ready for the Stanley Cup final, there’s a little earworm right here. Enjoy!
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THE COACHING GAME:
Derek Lalonde is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. He had been the general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. . . . Lalonde replaces interim head coach Dan Watson, an assistant who stepped up when Nick Vitucci resigned as head coach in February.
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This actually was a late Friday night tweet . . .
From Denis Skapski (@skapper20): “20 yrs ago, our son Mackenzie was born the night NY won the Cup. 20 yrs later the Rangers return to the Final and today he signed with them.”

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Victoria fined 10 grand; WHL interested in Lower Mainland . . . again!

D James Bettauer (Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, 2010-12) has signed a one-year deal with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL), Bettauer had seven points, including three goals, in 50 games. . . .
F Vaclav Varada (Tacoma/Kelowna, 1994-96) has announced his retirement. This season with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had nine points, four of them goals, in 36 games. Varada was a player-assistant coach this season; next season he will be strictly an assistant coach for Trinec.
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The Victoria Royals and two of their players have paid the price for some silliness that occurred during Game 5 of their second-round playoff series with the Portland Winterhawks on Friday night.
The Royals were fined $10,000 for, according to the WHL, “actions by club deemed detrimental to the league.”
F Brandon Magee, who turned 20 on Jan. 23, was given a 12-game suspension after he took a match penalty for attempt to injure. According to the WHL, “It is the second match penalty for the player this season. There were separate cross-checks to the heads of two opponents during incident.”
If you haven’t seen the video, Magee cross-checked Portland F Nic Petan on the back of the head and then cross-checked an onrushing Brendan Leipsic in the face area.
Victoria F Steven Hodges, who turned 20 on May 5, got five games after taking a game misconduct in the same game. According to the WHL, “He threw two separate punches at an unsuspecting opponent during altercation.”
Portland won the game, which was televised by Shaw, 5-1 and took the series, 4-1. Hodges was tossed at the end of the second period. Magee’s match penalty occurred at 15:10 of the third period.
(Unfortunately, the WHL has yet to take advantage of the media that is available to it by posting video of such incidents, along with having a league official explain the reasoning behind the disciplinary decisions. The NHL and the OHL, to name two leagues, provide such information; it’s time for the WHL to do it, too.)
Meanwhile, F Richard Nejezchleb of the Brandon Wheat Kings drew a two-game suspension for a clipping major and game misconduct in Game 5 against the host Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday. Nejezchleb, a Czech, will be a 20-year-old next season, so, as a two-spotter is unlikely to return to the WHL.
Ryan McGill, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, was touched for $500 after he was hit with a game misconduct following Game 6 against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday night. Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News reports that McGill was “shouting at the officials."
The Tigers won that game 2-1 to even the second-round series, 3-3. They will decide the issue tonight in Medicine Hat.
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The WHL, having failed once on the Lower Mainland of B.C., is interested in setting up shop there again, now that the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, are leaving the area.
WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun that “the market is of interest to us and now that it appears to be available, we will certainly put it on our radar screen.
“At this point, we don’t have any franchises that are considering relocation and there is no expansion coming in the foreseeable future. In our view, we’ve expanded sort of beyond our ideal number of 20-22 teams. So the only way we could be there is through relocation.
“We do believe the Fraser Valley would support a WHL franchise, but we just felt that the impact of having both Abbotsford and Chilliwack sharing, to some extent, the Fraser Valley market, it was difficult to operate under those circumstances.”
The Chilliwack Bruins operated for five seasons before the franchise was sold and relocated to Victoria, where it has operated as the Royals for three seasons.
Brian Burke, the Flames’ president of hockey operations, was a part-owner of the Bruins.
At a Tuesday news conference announcing the Heat’s departure, Bruce Banman, Abbotsford’s mayor, said that the city would be interested in attracting a WHL team as the facility’s anchor tenant.
Pap’s story is right here.
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Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts is right here. Yes, it’s always worth reading. No, it doesn’t include anything on his future after Hockey Night in Canada.
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The Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, have signed F Zach Pochiro to a PTO. Pochiro played out his junior eligibility with the Prince George Cougars this season, putting up 66 points, including 27 goals, in 63 games. . . . He then joined the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings with who he picked up two assists in nine games. . . . He was a fourth-round selection by the Blues in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
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G Chris Driedger, who completed his junior eligibility this season with the Calgary Htimen, has joined the AHL’s Binghamton Senators on an ATO. Driedger, a third-round pick by the parent Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL draft, was 28-14-7, 2.64, .918 with the Hitmen this season. . . . After the Hitmen were eliminated from the playoffs, he joined the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals. He got into four games there, going 1-2-0, 3.92, .893.
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The NHL’s Dallas Stars have signed F Branden Troock of the Seattle Thunderbirds to a three-year, entry-level contract. Troock was a fifth-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Troock has battled injuries during his WHL career. He had 28 points, including 14 goals, in 58 games in 2011-12, then was limited to 19 games -- he had 11 points -- in 2012-13. This season, in 58 games, he put up 58 points, including 24 goals. . . . Troock, from Edmonton, turned 20 on March 20.
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The OUA’s Windsor Lancers have received a commitment from F Daulton Siwak (Red Deer, Prince George, 2008-13). Siwak, 20, has used up his junior eligibility. He played this season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings and the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves.
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F Mitch Holmberg, who won the WHL scoring title this season with the Spokane Chiefs, has signed with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors, who have placed him on their playoff roster. . . . After the Chiefs’ season ended, Holmberg joined the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who own the Condors.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Kelowna Chiefs, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, have named Jason Tansem as their new head coach. Tansem was an assistant coach with the Chiefs. . . . Grant Sheridan remains as the Chiefs’ general manager, while former head coach Ken Andrusiak is assistant GM and video coach. . . . The Chiefs just finished their fourth season in Kelowna after making the move from Chase, B.C., over the summer of 2010.
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When you talk about the greatest defenceman in WHL history, Barry Beck has to be in the conversation. He played for the New Westminster Bruins (1974-77) and they won the WHL championship in each of his three seasons. . . . So where is Beck these days? He’s coaching in Hong Kong. . . . Daniel Gerber has more right here.
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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)
(Series tied, 3-3)
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 at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(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, April 23: 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)/KOOTENAY    (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
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From Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT), the Medicine Hat Tigers’ legendary radio voice and bus driver: “Tigers had bus egged by idiot Kootenay ice fans (Monday) nite. Not classy at all.”
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From Ron Jones (@hockeydraft411): “What the hell happened to Burke's hair? I don't feel so bad balding after that. #eaglefromthemuppets”

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.

Oil Kings into third straight conference final

The CHL announced details of the 2014 Subway Series on Thursday. That annual series involves a touring Russian team playing two games each against all-star teams from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL.
One reader of this blog saw the information posted here yesterday and sent along this query:
“Can you tell me how Canada is supporting the people in the Ukraine vs Russia as we still host the Subway Series? Why host them when Russia is still going at Ukraine?”
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The aftershocks from some ugliness during Game 5 between the Victoria Royals and the Winterhawks in Portland on Thursday night will be heard for a while yet. The WHL has suspended two of the Royals -- F Steven Hodges, for a game misconduct he incurred, and F Brandon Magee, for a match penalty he was given for attempt to injure. . . . The Winterhawks won the game, 5-1, and the series, 4-1, to advance to the Western Conference final. . . . There is concern in the Portland camp that Magee cross-checked Winterhawks F Nic Petan in the back of the head at 15:10 of the third period as retribution from an earlier incident. . . . Tempers had flared at the end of the second period and, during the ensuing melee, Portland D Derrick Pouliot punched Victoria D Joe Hicketts, who is believed to have been rendered unconscious, at least briefly. Pouliot, Hicketts and Hodges all were ejected at that point.
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“I probably had 17 or 18 concussions through my career, five or six documented,” former NHLer Dan LaCouture, 36, told Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times. “Just after you have a concussion, you think you’re going to lose your job. So you try to play through it.” . . . LaCouture is part of a concussion-related lawsuit that was filed against the NHL this week. . . . Klein’s story is right here.
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Glenn (Chico) Resch, one of hockey’s really great guys, announced his retirement from broadcasting during the first intermission of the New Jersey Devils’ game on Friday night. . . . A lot of people forget that Resch, a native of Moose Jaw, did a stint as the general manager and then the head coach of the Tri-City Americans. That was in 1991-92. The Americans were 9-13-2 when his coaching career ended on Nov. 22, 1991. . . . Randy Miller of NJ.com has an interview with Resch right here.
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F Justin Hickman of the Seattle Thunderbirds will finish the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Hickman, who turned 20 on March 18, had 45 points, 22 of them goals, and 154 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Thunderbirds this season. A second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, Hickman played four seasons with Seattle. He hasn’t been selected in the NHL draft.
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A Pacific Division in the AHL that would be centred in Arizona? There’s more right here from the Prescott Daily Courier.
According to that report, “Fox Sports Arizona reported that multiple NHL sources with knowledge of the situation said several western-based NHL franchises, including the Phoenix Coyotes, want to form a Pacific Division for their affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL).”That’s interesting because there was a time when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s commissioner, was concerned that western NHL teams might set up AHL franchises in WHL cities such as Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Regina and Medicine Hat.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported early Friday evening that F Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Stephenson, who turns 20 on April 22, is from Saskatoon. He played four seasons with the Pats, putting up 195 points, including 73 goals, in 230 games. This season, he had career highs in goals (30), assists (59) and points (89), all in 69 games. . . . Ross Mahoney, Washington’s head amateur scout, is from Regina, so you know he’s most familiar with Stephenson, who will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. . . . From Harder: “According to the terms of his contract, Stephenson has the opportunity (if he achieves certain bonuses) to earn the maximum salary under the rookie cap ($925,000 per season) when he reaches the NHL. He received the maximum signing bonus ($92,500 per season) and max AHL salary ($70,000) allowed by the CBA, meaning he will earn $162,500 per season as an AHLer.”
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The London Knights, the host team for next month’s Memorial Cup tournament, will have five weeks to prepare after they were eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night. The Guelph Storm dropped the Knights 5-4 to win the second-round series, 4-1. . . . The Memorial Cup runs from May 16 through May 25.
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If you are into the Masters, this is for you:
“Prepare to see more, much more, of what’s already in progress — a three-ring circus of birdies, glorious saves and single-car crashes. Rory McIlroy, one of the count-on-your-fingers-favorites, thought he was playing well after an opening 71. His Friday was one long GIF of jitters. At the second, he lost his drive, and almost himself, in flora to the left. At the 210-yard fourth, he was so long that fans lost sight as he searched for his ball in the kind of abandoned shrub-shrouded shed where the body dump is always found on ‘CSI.’ At the 13th, he was trapped by vegetables up to his neck. Normally, you’d say they were large azaleas, but this year, since they’ve barely bloomed, perhaps they don’t deserve the name.”
That is from the always excellent Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, and his complete column is right here.
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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)
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; G Curtis Honey, day-to-day; F Ryley Lindgren, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-1)
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 at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(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 Tyler King, 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.
Saturday, April 19: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23: Kelowna at Portland, 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)/KOOTENAY    (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 20: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored three times in a span of 2:08 late in the first period and sent on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . The Oil Kings won the second-round series, 4-1, and now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal, which resumes tonight in Medicine Hat. The Kootenay Ice lead the Tigers 3-1 in that one. . . . Edmonton is into the conference final for a third straight season. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson opened the scoring at 15:26 of the first period, with F Brett Pollock scoring his fifth goal at 17:11 and F Reid Petryk making it 3-0 at 17:34. . . . D Eric Roy scored a 5-on-3 PP goal for Brandon at 2:55 of the third period. That was Brandon’s first road goal of the series. . . . Edmonton put it away with goals from D Cody Corbett, at 8:44, and F Mitch Moroz, at 11:09. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. In the three home games in this series, he had a .984 save percentage and a GAA of 0.33. . . . Overall in these playoffs, he is 8-1, 1.78, .933. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-5 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb was given a clipping major and game misconduct at 16:12 of the third period. That may be worthy of a WHL suspension, but he would be a 20-year-old next season so perhaps Nejezchleb, who is Czech, won’t be back. . . . The Wheat Kings, as it turned out, suffered a blow at practice on Thursday when F Jayce Hawryluk, their top offensive forward, was injured. With him out, Roy saw some time on a forward line. . . . The Oil Kings had F Brandon Baddock back in their lineup for the first time since Feb. 19.
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From Hodges Heroes (@hodgersheroes): “With Rattie's debut tonight, 6 players from the 2010-11 #Winterhawks team have played an NHL game this season.”
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From Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) of The Hockey News: “It's always been a privilege and a pleasure to talk hockey with Chico Resch. Hockey needs more guys named Chico and like Chico. Happy retirement.”

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