Showing posts with label Sunaya Sapurji. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunaya Sapurji. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Hosting MC expensive proposition . . . Broncos having Black Friday sale . . . Cougars beat Pats


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F Konstantin Panov (Kamloops, 1998-2001) has signed a one-year extension with Yuga Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). In 32 games, the team captain has seven goals and three assists.
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If you are wondering why your favourite Canadian WHL team hasn’t gotten involved in trying to play host to a Memorial Cup tournament, well, it likely comes down to dollars and sense.
Here’s Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports:
“Hosting the Memorial Cup has become a big financial commitment for many cities and teams. When the OHL’s London Knights hosted the event in 2005, for example, their financial guarantee was between $1.5 and $1.9 million. The Knights are one of the OHL’s banner franchises and their arena, the Budweiser Gardens, seats 9,090 for hockey. It was no surprise when they were also awarded the 2014 hosting rights.
“When Saskatoon hosted the event in 2013 their tournament guarantee fell short, leaving taxpayers on the hook for close to $700,000. Profits fell about $1 million short, so the province had to pay $667,797 with the city of Saskatoon covering the remainder. The Blades had given the CHL a guarantee of $3.5 million to host the tournament at the Credit Union Centre which seats roughly 13,000.”
Sapurji’s complete story is right here.
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The Victoria Royals have acquired F Spencer Gerth, 18, from the Everett Silvertips for a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2018 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Gerth, from Langley, adds some size to the Royals’ forward ransk. He has two goals in 14 games with Everett this season. . . . Last season, in 52 games, he had one assist. In 2014-15, he had eight goals and 14 assists in 52 games with the junior B Golden Rockets of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
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The Swift Current Broncos are getting in on the Black Friday madness. According to a news release: “As part of Black Friday, the Broncos will have 2016-17 season-tickets for sale at half price. This includes tickets to all 24 remaining regular-season home games at the Credit Union i-Plex.” . . . A trip to the Broncos’ website shows that their top-priced season-tickets carry regular prices of $589.86, $438.53, $424.68 and $374.58. . . . The sale runs Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a “limited number of select seats available at half price. . . . The promotion is in-person only and all tickets must be paid in full at time of purchase.”
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The grand pooh-bahs of hockey have been talking some of late about the draft. Recent conversation included representatives from the NHL, NHLPA, CHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and the USHL. . . . Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has more on what’s going on in his weekly 30 Thoughts, and it’s all right here.
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Interested in what has been happening in the KHL? Patrick Conway has his weekly team-by-team look right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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JUST NOTES:

The Portland Winterhawks have signed F Jaydon Dureau, 15, who was an eighth-round selection in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Dureau, who will turn 16 on Jan. 20, is from White City, Sask. Last season, he had 37 points, 12 of them goals, in 38 games with the bantam AAA Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he has 10 points, including six goals, in 13 games with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped F Tak Anholt, 18, from their roster.  There was no word on where Anholt, who is from North Vancouver, might play. He had one goal and one assist in 15 games with the Wheat Kings. . . . He was a second-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings are carrying 24 players, including eight defencemen and 14 forwards. . . .
The Calgary Hitmen have dropped G Nik Amundrud, 19, from their roster and he has joined the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Amundrud, who is from Melfort, Sask., hadn’t played for the Hitmen since the exhibition season due to an undisclosed injury.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Calgary, F Adam Musil scored three times and G Riley Lamb recorded the shutout as the Red Deer
ADAM MUSIL
Rebels beat the Hitmen, 3-0. . . . Lamb stopped 26 shots in earning the second shutout of his freshman season. . . . Musil, who went into the game with three goals, got things started at 19:24 of the first period. . . . He added a second goal at 16:01 of the second and completed the hat trick with an empty-netter at 19:17 of the third. . . . It was Musil’s first three-goal game and came in his 217th regular-season game. . . . F Michael Spacek and F Brandon Hagel each had two assists. . . . Calgary G Cody Porter stopped 24 shots. . . . The Rebels were 0-4 on the PP; the Calgary PP didn’t get off the bench. . . . The Rebels (11-10-3) had last their previous three games (0-2-1). . . . The Hitmen are 8-10-2. . . . The Hitmen welcomed back D Jakob Lapointe, F Andrew Fyten and F Jordy Stallard from injuries and F Taylor Sanheim from suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 5,418.
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At Moose Jaw, the Medicine Hat Tigers erased a 2-1 second-period deficit with four straight goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Tigers (17-5-1) have won six in a row. . . . The Warriors (13-5-4) had earned points in each of their previous four games (2-0-2). . . . F Matt Bradley gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with his 13th goal at 15:17 of the first period. . . . F Jayden Halbgewachs (15) then scored twice for the Warriors, getting a shorthanded goal at 19:27 and adding a PP score at 5:45 of the second period. . . . F John Dahlstrom (11) pulled the visitors even at 10:27 and F Zach Fischer (14) put them out front at 15:58. . . . The Tigers really took control as F Max Gerlach (14) struck on a PP at 5:37 of the third period and D Ty Schultz (2) made it 5-2 at 9:30. . . . F Nikita Popugaev scored his 17th goal for the Warriors at 14:55 of the third period. F Brayden Burke picked up an assist on the goal for his first point in three games since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Steve Owre and F Mason Shaw each had two assists for the Tigers. . . . F Noah Gregor had two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . G Nick Schneider blocked 24 shots for Medicine Hat, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 39. . . . Schneider has won nine straight starts to improve to 16-2-0. He leads the WHL in victories. . . . Moose Jaw was 1-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-4. . . . Announced attendance: 3,038.
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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first three goals, all in the first period, and went on to score a 5-2 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Prince George (18-4-2) has won four in a row. . . . Regina (16-2-3) lost for the second time in regulation time on this B.C. Division trip. . . . Going into the game, the Cougars were 7-2-1 in their previous 10 games, and the Pats had been 9-1-0. . . . D Brendan Guhle, in his first game with the Cougars since being acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, scored his third goal, on a PP, at 9:30 of the first period. . . . F Jansen Harkins (5) made it 2-0 at 13:05 and F Colby McAuley (9) upped it to 3-0 just 25 seconds later. . . . F Austin Wagner (10) got Regina on the scoreboard at 16:10. . . . The teams played a goal-less second period, before D Sergey Zborovskiy (2) pulled the visitors to within a goal, on a PP, at 2:55 of the third. . . . The Cougars put it away with empty-netters from F Kody McDonald (6) and F Jesse Gabrielle (12). . . . Harkins, McAuley and McDonald each had one assist. . . . Regina D Chase Harrison ran his point streak to a WHL-best 16 games with a third-period assist. . . . F Adam Brooks of the Pats also had an assist, running his point streak to 15 games. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 27 shots for the winners, while Tyler Brown stopped 24 at the other end. . . . Each team was 1-3 on the PP. . . . Prince George D Sam Ruopp sat out the sixth game of an eight-game suspension. . . . Regina has brought in G Curtis Chapman from the MJHL’s Portage Terriers after G Jordan Hollett was injured Sunday in Victoria. . . . The Cougars will get another test on Saturday when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . Prince George F Josh Curtis left in the first period and didn’t return after taking a hit from Regina D Connor Hobbs. . . . Announced attendance: 3,287.
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At Kent, Wash., the Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s first four goals and went on to a 5-2 victory
SCOTT EANSOR
over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Seattle took a 3-0 lead into the second period on goals from D Jarret Tyszka (1) at 2:26, F Donovan Neuls (5) at 6:29 and F Scott Eansor (11) at 19:50. . . . Eansor, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, now has goals in five straight games. . . . D Reece Harsch (2) made it 4-0 at 1:18 of the third period. . . . The Oil Kings made it interesting as they cut the deficit in half on goals from F Tyler Robertson (7) at 10:20 and D Brayden Borda (2) at 11:21. . . . Seattle F Sami Moilanen scored his fifth goal into an empty net, at 19:02. . . . F Nolan Volcan had two assists for the Thunderbirds, while Tyszka, Eansor, Moilanen and Neuls each had one. . . . G Rylan Toth made 23 stops for the Thunderbirds. . . . Edmonton G Patrick Dea, making his ninth straight start, turned aside 32 shots. . . . Seattle was 0-3 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-5. . . . The Thunderbirds (11-8-2) are 4-0-1 in their past five games. . . . The Oil Kings (10-11-2) had won their previous two games. They also had won three straight road games. . . . The Thunderbirds have added G Matt Berlin to their roster with G Carl Stankowski out with an undisclosed injury. Berlin had been with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . Announced attendance: 5,006.
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At Swift Current, F Ryan Graham and F Lane Pederson each had a goal and three assists to help the
TYLER STEENBERGEN
Broncos to a 5-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . The Broncos acquired Graham from the Blades on Sunday as Saskatoon got down to the maximum of three 20-year-olds. . . . Graham, who has two goals this season, scored the game’s second goal, at 18:35 of the first period, and it turned out to be the winner. . . . Pederson’s 12th goal, a PP score, got things started at 9:50 of the first period. . . . F Tyler Steenbergen scored twice, giving him 18 goals in 25 games. Last season, he finished with 20 goals in 67 games. He also leads the WHL in power-play goals, with 10, three more than he scored last seaosn. . . . F Logan Christensen scored for the Blades, getting a PP goal at 18:59 of the third period. He’s got six goals. . . . The Broncos got 30 saves from G Travis Child. . . . Brock Hamm stopped 25 shots for the Blades. . . . The Broncos were 2-5 on the PP; the Blades were 1-4. . . . The Broncos (12-7-6) had lost their previous two games (0-1-1). . . . The Blades (9-15-1) have lost four in a row. They had won five in a row in Swift Current before this one. . . . Announced attendance: 1,758.
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At Victoria, F Matt Phillips enjoyed a four-point night in leading the Royals to a 6-2 victory over the
MATT PHILLIPS
Kelowna Rockets. . . . Two nights earlier, the visiting Rockets had won, 5-1. . . . The Royals (14-9-2) were 4-7 on the PP. . . . The Rockets (13-11-0) had won their previous two games. . . . Phillips, who has 15 goals, snapped a 2-2 tie, on a PP, at 16:37 of the second period. . . . F Ryan Peckford (7) added insurance at 7:09 of the third period. . . . Phillips and D Mitchell Prowse (1) added PP goals before game’s end. . . . D Scott Walford and D Chaz Reddekopp each had two assists for the winners, while F Jack Walker and Peckford each had a goal and an assist. . . . Kelowna F Kole Lind scored his 12th goal. He has goals in six of his past seven games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse turned aside 35 shots, two more than Kelowna’s Michael Herringer. . . . The Royals were 0-7 on the PP. . . . Victoria now is 6-0-0 on Tuesdays this season. . . . The Royals were without F Tyler Soy, who could miss three weeks with a shoulder injury. He was injured in the Royals’ 5-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats on Saturday. . . . Announced attendance: 3,452.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Spokane at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Red Deer vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Vancouver vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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Sunday, May 24, 2015

Generals need OT to stay perfect . . . Rockets, Oceanic on tap today . . . No Draisaitl was Oilers call








D Zack FitzGerald (Seattle, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, as a player-assistant coach with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite), he had two goals and 12 assists in 50 games.
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THE MEMORIAL CUP:

The Oshawa Generals clinched a Memorial Cup playoff berth on Sunday, beating the host Quebec Remparts 5-4 in OT before 10,970 fans. . . . The OHL-champion Generals are 2-0; the Remparts 1-1. . . . The OHLGenerals, who outshot the Remparts 50-25, forced OT with a goal late in the third period, then won it on D Stephen Desrocher’s goal at 18:07 of OT. His wrist shot glanced in off the crossbar. . . . The goal came off a faceoff win by F Cole Cassels, who had been on the bench for a bit trying to recover after blocking a shot. . . . All three games in this tournament have been decided by one goal. . . . Tonight, the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets (0-1) meet the QMJHL-champion Rimouski Oceanic (0-1). . . . Quebec F Dmytro Timashov scored twice, his second goal, at 8:48 of the third period, giving the Remparts their first lead of the game, 4-3. . . . The Generals forced OT when F Tobias Lindberg scored on the PP at 17:51. Before that goal, Oshawa’s PP was 0-for-8 in the tournament. . . . Cassels finished minus-1 but he drew an assist on each of Oshawa’s last two goals. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale stopped 45 shots, 24 more than Oshawa’s Ken Appleby. . . . The Remparts were 1-for-3 on the PP; the Generals were 1-for-4. . . .
Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier sets the stage for tonight’s game: “Without doubt, the Generals (2-0) will be rooting for the Oceanic (0-1) to defeat the Rockets (0-1) today. If Rimouski wins, Oshawa will
 advance to Sunday’s championship game, regardless if the Rockets beat the Generals on Tuesday. . . . Sunday’s game was the third consecutive one-goal contest to open the 2015 Memorial Cup. The last time a championship opened with three straight one-goal outcomes was 2008.”
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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Kinsey Millhone has nothing on Sunaya Sapurji, one of the junior hockey writers for Yahoo! Sports Canada.
When F Leon Draisaitl didn’t play for Germany in the 2015 World Junior Championship, Sapurji wanted to know whether that was his decision or one made by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, the team whose roster Draisaitl was on at the time.
(The Oilers later assigned Draisaitl to the WHL, but told the Prince Albert Raiders, with whom he had played in 2013-14, that they wanted him with the Kelowna Rockets. Draisaitl was dealt to the Rockets and was the WHL’s playoff MVP.)
Sapurji didn’t have any success finding an answer to her question during the tournament but she didn’t give up. On Sunday, she tweeted that she had gotten the answer from Draisaitl and that it was a decision made by the Oilers.
“That wasn’t really my decision, to be honest,” Draisaitl told reporters at the Memorial Cup. “It was the Oilers’ decision. I don’t want to comment too much on it. It’s their decision and I’m happy with whatever would have happened.”

Without Draisaitl in its lineup, Germany ended up being relegated.
“It’s never fun to see your country go down, especially your age-group,” Draisaitl said. “It’s kind of funny, all my best friends are on that team. I’ve played with all those guys for a number of years. It’s not easy to see something like that, so, obviously it’s disappointing. I would have loved to help them out a little bit at least. But at the same time, I played in the NHL, and that’s a kid’s dream. There’s nothing bad I have to say about that.”
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Jay Isbee, the governor of Washington, has signed a bill that makes players on the state’s four WHL teams amateur athletes. That exempts those teams from any minimum wage-related laws. However, Scott Sepich, writing for Yahoo! Sports Canada, reports right here that the story may not yet be over.
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F Andrew Johnson, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, has committed to the U of Saskatchewan and the Huskies for next season. Johnson, who is from Saskatoon, played with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Seattle Thunderbirds and Swift Current Broncos (2010-15). He was a second-round selection by the Warriors in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft.
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Tyler Richards, a goaltender with the NLL’s Vancouver Stealth, is retiring at the age of 28. Why? Because he has had three concussions in the last five years, all from being hit in the head by shots. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has that story right here.
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Friday, July 11, 2014

Hrbas changing teams . . . Three Hells Angels convicted in beating death of former WHLer








F Jesse Mychan (Everett, Tri-City, 2011-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). Last season, with the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), he had 18 points, including 11 goals, in 55 games. He was pointless in three games while on loan to the Portland Pirates. . . .
G Tyler Weiman (Tri-City, 2000-04) has signed a one-year contract with Landshut (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL), he was 2.79 and .913 in 37 games.
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Marek Hrbas is changing teams.
Hrbas, who played defence with the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kamloops Blazers (2010-13), is preparing for his second season with Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga.
No, he’s not changing hockey teams; this is about basketball.
On Friday, having just returned to Prague following a vacation in Turkey, Hrbas learned that NBA star LeBron James had left the Miami Heat in order to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
No one who isn’t family has been a bigger fan of LeBron and the Heat than the 21-year-old Hrbas. Sheesh, his Facebook page is headed up by a banner photo of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron celebrating a playoff victory. There also are a number of Heat-related photos on Hrbas’ Facebook page. I can tell you from experience that he loves to talk basketball.
All the Heat stuff, however, became history with LeBron’s announcement, at least to Hrbas.
“I think it's great,” the seemingly always-smiling Hrbas told me in a Facebook exchange. “He deserves respect for that and, of course, I will be a Cleveland fan now.”
When it was suggested that LeBron’s move will cost Hrbas some money, he replied: “I know! Haha gotta buy new bobblehead, jersey, hats, everything.”
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1. Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post has written a really good piece on F Miles Koules of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who has been in the Washington Capitals’ development camp. That story is right here. You have to love a story that begins with: “The son of Hollywood and hockey. . . .”

2. The Prince George Cougars have scheduled a “major” news conference for Tuesday, 10 a.m., outside their CN Centre dressing room. . . . Perhaps they will announce the signing of a general manager to replace Dallas Thompson, who wasn’t renewed following the ownership change. Since then, Todd Harkins, the director of player personnel, has been the interim GM. The betting is that the word ‘interim’ will disappear from Harkins’ job description.

3. D Tanner Mort’s WHL career came crashing to an end on Oct. 12, 2012. Mort, then a defenceman with the Spokane Chiefs, suffered a concussion/neck injury during a game in Kamloops. . . . On Friday night, as Bruce Bourquin of the Coeur d’Alene Press reports right here, Mort got to play on the same ice surface as the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull and assorted others. . . . Bourquin also writes of Mort’s struggles with the reality that his injury had ended his dream of playing professionally. . . . Stick tap to SpokaneChiefsFanPage (@gochiefsgoblog) for this one.

4. The Detroit Red Wings have been searching for an assistant coach, having lost former Spokane Chiefs head coach Bill Peters to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he now is head coach. . . . Now comes word that former Kamloops Blazers head coach Tom Renney, another assistant under head coach Mike Babcock, may be the next president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada. . . . Ansar Khan of mlive.com has that story right here.

5. So . . . do major junior hockey players really need a union? Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Canada Sports tries to answer that question right here. . . . Read this piece, and read between the lines, and you get the feeling that this latest attempt to organize these players is doomed to failure, just like the last one.

6. “Applause and cheers broke out in B.C. Supreme Court Friday when three Hells Angels associates were convicted of manslaughter in the vicious fatal beating of a Kelowna dad,” writes Kim Bolan of the Vancouver Sun. “Justice Mark McEwan found brothers Matthew and Daniel McRae, as well as their pal Anson Schell, guilty for their roles in the brutal attack that left Dain Phillips dead in June 2011.” . . . Phillips played 82 regular-season and 21 playoff games in the WHL (1978-80), splitting them between the Lethbridge Broncos and Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Bolan’s complete story is right here.

7. Yes, LeBron James announced Friday morning that he’s going home to Cleveland and the Cavaliers. The best piece I’ve seen on the situation was written by Bill Simmons at Grantland and it’s right here.

8. Sports Illustrated scooped the world with the LeBron James story on Friday morning. But, Richard Sandomir of The New York Times, wonders right here if it really was journalism or was it the James Gang doing public relations? This really is food for thought. (Read this and you also will find out just how that letter/essay that was purportedly written by James really came to be.)

9. More than 40 years ago, a young sports writer from the Brandon Sun would spend the odd early morning at CKX radio chatting up an all-night DJ, who was an aspiring sportscaster. . . . Bob Irving now is into his 40th year of calling the play of Winnipeg Blue Bombers games. It’s not unreasonable to call him the Vin Scully of Canadian football play-callers. Yes, Irving is that good. . . . “My philosophy is simple, you describe what you see,” he told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, who profiles Irving right here. “If it reflects badly on the home team, that’s too bad. You describe what you see. When the Bombers are getting beat 42-3, I’ve said on the air, more than once, this is getting hard to watch.” . . . Interestingly, when I was at the Brandon Sun in 1972, I worked alongside Bruce Penton, who covered the Wheat Kings at the time; he and Irving are close friends. Today, Penton’s son, Kirk, covers the Blue Bombers for the Winnipeg Sun.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jody Hull, the head coach of the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, has been named head coach of Canada’s U-18 team that will play at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament next month. . . . Hull takes over from Derek Laxdal, the former Edmonton Oil Kings head coach who left to join the AHL’s Texas Stars as head coach. . . . Hockey Canada also added Martin Raymond, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs, as an assistant coach. . . . The other assistant coach is Eric Veilleux, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. . . . Team Canada’s selection camp is scheduled for Calgary, Aug. 2-5, with the tournament running Aug. 11-16 in Piestany, Slovakia, and Breclav, Czech Republic.
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Jarrod Skalde is the new head coach of the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. Skalde and Trent Yawney shared the position last season, but the latter has moved up and now is an assistant coach with the Ducks. . . . Skalde was a head coach for five seasons in the ECHL, winning the coach-of-the-year award in 2012-13 in his third season with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Skalde, 43, is from Niagara Falls, Ont. . . . Marty Wilford has been retained for a fourth season as an assistant coach.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have added Peter Horachek and Steve Spott to their coaching staff as assistants alongside head coach Randy Carlyle. . . . Horachek was the head coach of the Florida Panthers, while Spott was head coach of the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate. The Marlies now are in the market for a head coach.
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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Depression doesn't have to be the end of the road

This has to be a tough time to be involved at the management level of a junior hockey team, or even a midget AAA team.
In fact, it must be hard to be involved with the operation of any competitive hockey team.
Aside from the winning and the losing and putting bums in the seats, you have to be concerned about the concussion factor. As we have seen in recent days, you also need to be concerned about something like smokeless tobacco infiltrating your dressing room.
But perhaps the biggest issue of all involves mental health and, yes, that is intertwined with the concussion situation.
I have wanted to write something about hockey and mental health for a few months now, but haven’t been able to find the words.
My late mother dealt with mental health issues for much of the last half of her life. Because of that I have seen the inside of a mental health centre on more than one occasion. I also have seen the inside of more than one hospital psychiatric ward. It was through all of this that I came to know about valium and lithium and placebos and a whole lot more.
I hardly consider myself an expert, but I know something about what my mother went through.
So when something happens in hockey that involves someone’s mental health -- be it a coach or player or anyone else associated with the game -- my heart bleeds.
Such was the case when Terry Trafford, a player with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, was found dead in the cab of his truck in March.
The situation involving Trafford received a lot of play at the time, with the best media piece perhaps being this one right here that was written by former player Gregg Sutch for Yahoo! Canada Sports.
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After the Sutch piece appeared, someone from a WHL city tweeted in the direction of Yahoo’s Sunaya Sapurji: “Please make sure the WHL sees this! As a former billet of a player with depression issues, I know how important this is.”
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Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun weighed in with this column right here, on Trafford’s father searching for answers and trying to figure out what had gone wrong.
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The afore-mentioned Sapurji took the time to chat with Dr. Cal Botterill, a sports psychologist who is most qualified to speak on the subject because he also played hockey at a high level, including a stint with Canada’s national team in the late 1960s.
That piece is right here, and includes this from Dr. Botterill: “It becomes an all-or-nothing feeling because of the status that hockey has and how obsessed young people get with thinking this is their destiny and the only thing that’s worthwhile. I think when we think that way it’s dangerous.”
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Another meaningful story that appeared at the time was written by Gene Pereira and detailed the trials and tribulations of Rich Clune, a forward with the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
Clune, who played for the OHL’s Barrie Colts, said the Trafford situation hit awfully close to home because, as Pereira wrote, “he also has battled depression. Clune self-medicated using alcohol and later drugs, leading to an addiction that not only could have cost him his hockey career, but possibly his life.”
The difference between Trafford and Clune may be that “some three years ago, Clune reached out and got the help he needed.”
The Clune story is right here.
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The story involving hockey and mental health touched more than the family, friends and teammates of Terry Trafford during the 2013-14 season.
At one point, Regan Bartel, the long-time radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, posted this on his blog:
“Am I the only one concerned about two teenage hockey players taking their lives over the last three weeks? . . . These two players, one in the Central and one who was involved with a South Okanagan team, have been put to rest.
“Is it just coincidence or part of a bigger problem? Mental illness is all around us without question. It makes me wonder what pressures these players faced from coaches and parents as they moved up the ranks.
“If they fail in reaching the goals many people envisioned for them, what safety nets are in place to help these individuals deal with disappointment? Maybe that wasn't a factor at all. I don't know.
“I am saddened to see this loss of life, as a father of twin 11-year-old boys. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these two individuals.”
Like Bartel, I was stunned at the time I heard of the deaths of these two young hockey players, young men who should have had so much for which to live.
But, obviously, something went wrong, something that no one recognized, through no fault of their own. Oh, you can bet that there is a lot of looking back and wondering, but is that really fair?
It is one thing to expect adults to recognize the signs that something is wrong; if only it was that easy.
Somehow, young people, and not just those playing hockey, have to come to understand that it’s OK to ask for help. They have to know that help is available, that life, the most precious gift of all, is worth living.
Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental health hasn’t gone anywhere, as this piece right here from The Globe and Mail’s Gayle MacDonald clearly states.
As we attempt to remove that stigma, perhaps one thing we can do is pay more attention to those people who have dealt successfully with mental health issues . . . people like Garett MacDonald.
MacDonald is the subject of a wonderful story that appeared in Sunday’s Vancouver Province. Written by Steve Ewen, it deals with the story of MacDonald, a former junior hockey player who fell into depression as he struggled with an injury suffered in an Adult Safe Hockey League game that ultimately cost him one eye.
Ewen’s story is right here. It is a wonderful read; it really is, although it also is quite painful. I just hope a whole lot of teenagers read it and come to understand that there are people out there who love you and who can help you.
And please understand that depression doesn’t have to be the end of the road.
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1. The CHL’s import draft, which is scheduled for July 2, is a real crapshoot, one that long has been dominated by agents.
But in all my years of being around the WHL, I don’t know that I have ever read a better description of it than one I found this weekend.
Here’s Cam Hope, the general manager of the Victoria Royals, in conversation with Andy Neal:
“The import draft is one of the strangest animals that you get in hockey. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in the pros or junior hockey.
“The mine-field and the quicksand that’s out there is almost indescribable and this year even moreso.
“We’re doing our homework; we had a long meeting for hours and hours and hours going over players who have come to our attention through our research or through their agents. But, in the end, there’s only so much homework you can do.
“There’s a shift in the political landscape; we know there’s problems for some Russian players getting visas as a result of things happening over there so there’s all kinds of things that have nothing to do with hockey that make this dangerous.”
Neal’s filing also takes a look at the Royals’ 20-year-old situation. It’s all right here.

2. “In theory,” writes Alan Maki of The Globe and Mail, “banning body checking for minor hockey players ages 13 to 17 should be an easy exercise. It’s about safety, and most everyone can appreciate that. And yet when to introduce body checking remains a hot-button issue.” . . . The reason for Maki’s piece, which is right here? . . . The Greater Toronto Hockey League and the association that governs minor hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador have voted against banning body checking for players more than 13 years of age. . . . One doctor in Maki’s piece points out that concussion research still is in its infancy. But considering the direction in which that research is headed, it is mind-numbing that some adults still don’t understand the risk involved.

3. I’m still laughing about the CFL’s attempt to change the adjectives ‘import’ and ‘non-import’ into ‘international’ and ‘national’. . . . Of course, this is the same league that has an expansion team with the nickname Redblacks.

4. Darren Gusdal, who played two seasons (1978-80) with the Brandon Wheat Kings, has died. Gusdal, who was born in Erickson, Man., just north of Brandon, was 53. He could skate like the wind, although he had a funny style, and was a terrific penalty killer on one of the greatest teams in WHL history, the 1978-79 Wheat Kings who went 58-5 with nine ties.
 
5. Former WHLer Cody Smuk (Chilliwack, Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, 2006-10) is battling cancer, and funds are being raised to help him pay the bills. If you would like to donate, you are able to do so right here.
Smuk posted this message last week:
“Hey All. I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for donating. It has been very touching to see all the support I have received in the past 24 hours. I am truly grateful and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Day 1 went well but it will be a long road ahead. Thanks for making this easier for my family and myself. Take care.”

6. It’s Canada week at MMQB, and you should give it a look right here. That is The Monday Morning Quarterback site that is edited by Peter King, the best-connected football writer on the planet. Today, MMQB has former Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman as a guest writer, and they’ll be all-Canadian all the time this week. . . . MMQB plans on staffing three CFL games this week, with King himself traveling to Calgary and, yes, Regina.
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The Vancouver Canucks are expected to announce today that they have signed Willie Desjardins as their head coach. Desjardins is a former GM/head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Kevin Parnell, who manages the website and media relations for the Kelowna Rockets, tweeted Sunday night that the club will make a “major announcement” at a news conference today at 1 p.m. Bruce Hamilton, the governor, president and general manager, will be there, along with head coach Ryan Huska and assistant coach Dan Lambert. Gotta wonder if Lambert is about to be named associate coach?
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The Everett Silvertips have taken scouting to a new level, witness this from assistant coach Mitch Love . . . 


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Sunday, May 4, 2014

Winterhawks up 2-0 in final; Gallacher speaks



1. Bill Gallacher, the owner of the Portland Winterhawks, met with the media for a question-and-answer session during the second intermission of last night’s game. This does not happen often, so it’s worth a watch. The video, courtesy of The Oregonian, is right here.

2. Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich) was at the Gallacher session and tweeted this: “I didn't get a great look, but Gallacher was wearing blue loafers that you can only really get away with when you're a billionaire.” . . . Nah! Gallacher is a fan of Carl Perkins.

3. Prior to Game 2 of the WHL’s championship final, Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports posted a story on how the Portland Winterhawks came to be the Evil Empire of the WHL. That piece is right here.

4. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune takes a look right here at the job Winterhawks’ GM/head coach Mike Johnston has done, starting with the trades that brought in G Corbin Boes and D Mathew Dumba.

USHL5. The Indiana Ice won’t take part in the USHL next season. According to a news release: “Ownership of the Ice, working with the Office of the Commissioner and the USHL Executive Committee, requested and received approval from the USHL Board of Directors for the temporary withdrawal from on-ice competition in order for the organization to focus on development of new facility and permanent home for the USHL Member Club in the Indianapolis area.” . . . The Ice has been part of the USHL since 2004 and is about to play in the league’s championship final for the Clark Cup.

6. The IIHF men’s world championship begins in Minsk, Belarus, on Friday and runs through May 25. F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice will spend some time with Canada’s team, but won’t play in the tournament. He will practise with the team and perhaps play in an exhibition game or two.
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THE QMJHL FINAL:
Tuesday -- Baie-Comeau Drakkar at Val-d’Or Foreurs. Series tied 1-1.
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THE OHL FINAL:
Tuesday -- Guelph Storm at North Bay Battalion. Series tied 1-1.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised by Root Sports -- Game 2 live, others on delayed basis)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
(Portland leads, 2-0)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton 2 at Portland 5 (10,947)
Sunday: Edmonton 1 at Portland 3 (10,645)
Tuesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
x-Sunday: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday, May 12: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, the Winterhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead and went on beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Portland leads the best-of-seven WHL championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup 2-0 as the teams head for Edmonton. They are scheduled to play there on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The teams were to share a charter to Edmonton following last night’s game. . . . The Winterhawks, who won the opener 5-2 on Saturday, scored twice before last night’s game was four minutes old. . . . F Chase De Leo got his ninth goal of the playoffs at 2:12, with F Brendan Leipsic notching his 13th just 1:02 later. Leipsic, who also had an assist, was back on the ice after missing Game 1 while serving a one-game WHL suspension. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner, who scored twice on Saturday, made it 3-0 at 4:32 of the second period, giving him five goals in these playoffs. Bittner also had an assist. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson got Edmonton on the board with a PP goal at 13:32 of the third period. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 28 shots, one fewer than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich points out that Boes, who was acquired from Lethbridge this season, had a streak with the Hurricanes in which he lost 18 straight decisions. With Portland, Boes is 19-1-1. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-4. . . . Portland now is 42-3 since Jan. 11 and is 9-0 at home in the playoffs. . . . This is the third straight spring in which these two teams have met in the final. In the two earlier series, the teams split the first two games. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had one assist. He leads the playoff scoring race, with 30 points, one more than Leipsic. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who leads the WHL in assists (24), had his playoff point streak snapped at 15 games. Yes, this was the first game in these playoffs in which he didn’t get at least one point. . . .

Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports filed a game story that is right here.

Scott Sepich covered the game for The Canadian Press, and his gamer is right here.

Brian Swane of the Edmonton Sun has a game story right here.

The gamer filed by Molly Blue of The Oregonian is right here.

Cam Charron of Yahoo! Sports breaks down the first two games right here, and he has the Winterhawks “in a class of their own.” . . . Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal won't need to look at any stats other than this: His club has fallen behind 3-0 in each of the first two games. It's tough to climb out of holes like that at any time of the season, never mind in the championship final.
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From Tom Morello (@tmorello): “When I was a kid I thought quicksand was going to be a much bigger problem on a daily basis than it really is.”

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Thursday, February 20, 2014

OHL adjusts player benefits; was it a gaggeroo?

THE MacBETH REPORT:
DELD Jeff Woywitka (Red Deer, 1999-2003) has signed a one-year extension with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). He has eight points, two of them goals, in 30 games this season.
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Swiss-NLADarrell Romuld of CTV in Regina tweeted Thursday afternoon that Pats “defenceman Jesse Zgraggen has signed a 2 year deal with Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss elite league starting next year.” . . . Zgraggen, 20, is from Lethbridge. He began his WHL career with the Victoria Royals and was moved to the Calgary Hitmen last season. The Hitmen dealt him to Regina early this season. He has 21 points, four of them goals, in 42 games with the Pats. In his career, he has 62 points, including 12 goals, in 246 games.
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Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Canada reported Thursday afternoon that the OHL is making changes to its player benefit packages.
Sapurji writes: “Yahoo Canada has learned that the two most significant amendments to its current program for players focuses on the OHL’s education packages and a new monthly reimbursement plan – covering a number of items like gas, clothing and other incidentals like food – for up to $470. OHL commissioner David Branch, said the initiatives were ratified by the league’s board of governors in August and are now being implemented.”
The biggest news involves giving players who don’t sign NHL contracts another 12 months to decide on using their education packages.
The full report is right here.
From a WHL perspective, it is especially interesting that the OHL also is moving to what Sapjurji refers to as a “reimbursement plan” that involves money to be used for such things as cell phone bills.
As well, “teams will also give each player maximum allowance of $1,000 to put towards their summer training – both on and off the ice. It's another move for the betterment of the players and one that helps relieve some of the financial burdens on parents.”
You may recall that cell phone bills for captains and offseason training expenses were part of the scandal that enveloped the WHL and the Portland Winterhawks in November 2012.
With the OHL having made these moves, you know the WHL won’t be far behind. You have to wonder, though, just how the small-market teams will find room in their budgets to cover even more expenses when new revenue streams are few and far between and attendance isn’t showing much, if any, of an upswing.
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It isn’t often that anyone in the junior hockey world criticizes Hockey Canada.
That wasn’t the case Thursday.
First, Garth Snow, the general manager of the NHL’s New York Islanders, expressed outrage after his team lost F John Tavares for the remainder of this season. Tavares suffered a knee injury in Canada’s 2-1 victory over Latvia at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi on Wednesday.
"Are the IIHF or IOC going to reimburse our season-ticket holders now?" Snow asked rhetorically, according to a report in New York's Newsday.
"It's a joke. They want all the benefits from NHL players in Olympics and don't want to pay when our best player gets hurt. . . . We lost our best player and he wasn’t playing for us.”
Later in the day, Dallas Thompson, the general manager of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, tweeted: “Feeling Garth Snow's feeling. Dana Tyrell was lost for a year. Hockey Canada does not feel for you or the shit u have to deal with.”
Obviously, Thompson still feels the sting of a knee injury suffered by Tyrell prior to the 2009 world junior championship. Tyrell had 40 points, including 19 goals, in 30 games with the Cougars when he left to join Canada’s national junior team. However, Tyrell suffered a season-ending knee injury in a pre-tournament game against Sweden and never played another game for the Cougars, who ultimately were a first-round playoff casualty in the spring of 2009.
It would seem that Thompson hasn’t forgotten.
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If you’re interested in more on Matt Marotta, the peewee hockey player from Prince George, there’s more right here in a story written by Andrea Johnson and Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen. Yes, the Prince George Minor Hockey Association is looking into what happened. The team’s head coach chose not to comment.
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A thought or two about a couple of WHL goaltenders, both of whom got some heat in the first half of this season . . .
Taran Kozun, a 19-year-old from Nipawin, Sask., opened the season as the Kamloops Blazers’ go-to guy. In 29 appearances, he was 5-19-3, 3.95, .897.
In January, Kozun was dealt to the Seattle Thunderbirds. In 14 games with Seattle, he is 11-3-0, 1.75, .944. Oh, and he has put up four shutouts, which is four more than he had in Kamloops.
With Kamloops, Kozun was seeing 38.2 shots per game; with Seattle that number is 31.1.
The Thunderbirds have allowed 203 goals, which doesn’t give then a stellar defensive record, but it is better than the 253 goals that have been surrendered by the Blazers. Still, I think it’s safe to assume that Kozun sees not only fewer shots but fewer shots from prime scoring areas in Seattle than he did in Kamloops.
Meanwhile, there’s Corbin Boes, a 20-year-old from Saskatoon. He was 5-24-4, 4.11, .900 with the Lethbridge Hurricanes when he was dealt to the Portland Winterhawks for whom he now is 8-0-1, 2.73, .908.
I think it’s safe to say that Boes’ .900 save percentage with Lethbridge, the poorest defensive team in the WHL, may be one of the most surprising numbers in the WHL this season.
With Lethbridge, Boes was seeing 41.1 shots per game. That number with Portland is 29.6. Granted, Boes’ time in Portland presents us with a small sample size, just 550 minutes over nine appearances. But he has taken over the No. 1 job with Brendan Burke out with an illness.
The bottom line to all of this is that you have to think Kozun and Boes both feel as though they were January lottery winners. It will be interesting to watch both these goaltenders to see how they fare in the playoffs. One thing is for sure . . . you know they will be hungry.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings will be without D Colton Waltz for their next two games as he completes what has been set as a three-game suspension. That is for an unpenalized hit on Regina Pats F Dryden Hunt on Feb. 17 in Regina. Hunt is out indefinitely with a suspected brain injury. Waltz will miss home games Friday (Calgary Hitmen) and Saturday (Moose Jaw Warriors). . . . Meanwhile, Lethbridge Hurricanes F Carter Amson ended up with a two-game sentence for a checking-from-behind major against the Oil Kings in Edmonton. He will complete that suspension on Saturday when the Hurricanes meet the host Medicine Hat Tigers.
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The Everett Silvertips have added G Nik Amundrun to their roster and say that he is expected to stay with them for the remainder of the season. A third-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, Amundrud has spent ample time with the Silvertips but has yet to make his WHL debut. He will be in uniform this weekend as Everett plays three games in three nights – at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday and the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday, and at the Tri-City Americans on Saturday. . . . Amundrud, from Melville, Sask., was 9-2-1, 2.81 with the North East Wolfpack, a midget AA team in Saskatchewan Centre Four Hockey League.
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has his take: “Amundrud's presence is required because goaltender Daniel Cotton and winger Darcy DeRoose remain suspended by the team. The duo was suspended indefinitely last week for violating team rules, and their suspensions remain indefinite. Amundrud being called up for the remainder of the season suggests those indefinite suspensions may be lasting a while longer.”
With Cotton suspended, the Silvertips are riding Austin Lotz.
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Greg Gatto (Portland, Regina, Spokane, Brandon, 1990-92) was fired earlier this week after nine seasons as head coach of the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
The Pronghorns were 80-143-20 and made three playoff appearances under Gatto, who also played five seasons at the U of Lethbridge. This season, they went 4-21-3 and missed the Canada West playoffs. . . . The search for a replacement started immediately.
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Some thoughts from one observer on THE women’s hockey game . . .
Yes, the Canadian women won, but they certainly were the beneficiaries of some breaks, so let’s not have any whining if the Canadian men don’t get any today. It could be that the hockey gods already have spoken. . . . Canada’s first goal -- it was Brianne Jenner’s first point of the tournament -- went in off the right knee of American defender Kacey Bellamy. . . . At 2-1, Kelli Stack of the U.S., with a long clearance, hit the left post of a vacated Canadian net. Had that puck been an inch to the right, the game would have been over with 1:25 left to play. . . . Prior to the equalizer, Canadian F Marie-Philip Poulin made a tremendous play along the boards on the left side of the offensive zone that allowed her side to maintain possession. . . . Canadian head coach Kevin Dineen showed absolutely no emotion when Poulin tied the score. Makes you wonder how much fun these coaches have in games such as this one. . . . As for the penalties in OT: Joy Tottman, a British referee in her third Olympics, had no choice but to call Canada’s Catherine Ward for cross-checking at 6:09. The slashing call on American Jocelyn Lamoureux -- CBC-TV play-by-play man Mark Lee referred to her as the “chippy American forward” -- six seconds later was a call to be made early in a game when you are trying to set the tone, not in overtime after numerous infractions have been ignored. . . . Which brings us to the breakaway by Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser and the cross-checking call on the U.S.’s Hilary Knight. Well, it wasn’t cross-checking; calling it that makes you wonder if Tottman saw what actually happened. Knight was in the process of catching Wickenheiser from behind. In striding, Wickenheiser’s left heel struck Knight’s right leg, then both of their right legs bumped. Wickenheiser went down and Canada, practically en masse, screamed: PENALTY SHOT! . . . I don’t think it should even have been a penalty, considering that Wickenheiser’s right leg initiated the original contact. . . . No matter. On the ensuing PP, the U.S. twice had possession of the puck in its zone but wasn’t able to get it all the way down the ice. Instead, the Canadians regained possession in the neutral zone, set up in the offensive zone and Poulin pumped home the winner. She also had two goals four years ago when Canada beat the U.S. in the championship game in Vancouver. She is our golden girl, no doubt about that. . . . Whatever you do, don’t forget about the contribution made by Canadian G Shannon Szabados, whose play in the first period prevented the Americans from running away with this one early. . . . You couldn’t pay me enough to officiate women’s hockey games because of the rule against bodychecking. That rule puts the referee in a no-win situation because he/she has to decide what is/isn’t a bodycheck. . . . The bottom line, however, is that the U.S. had a 2-0 lead with fewer than four minutes remaining and couldn’t hold it. . . . Michael Wilbon of ESPN’s PTI offered: “This felt like a gaggeroo.”
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THURSDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
No games scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Medicine Hat at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Regina, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Spokane at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Portland, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
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From CellPhones@PlaneTix (@hawkeyblog): “Upon reading @sunayas write about the #OHL teams now being able to pay the kids cell phone bills & cover offseason training . . . I'd sure like those 1st rounders back for the @pdxwinterhawks. Paging @CHLHockey commish Branch: can you help a guy out? #whl”

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