Papirny, Gawdin, Kaspick off to AHL ... Three schools get coaches ... Broncos sign prospect

F Taylor Vause (Swift Current, 2007-12) has signed a one-year extension with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, he had 13 goals and 15 assists in 49 games. . . . 

F Jens Meilleur (Brandon, 2010-14) has signed a one-year extension with the Kassel Huskies (Germany, DEL2). This season, he had eight goals and 10 assists in 36 games. He started the season with the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL), going pointless in four games. He was loaned to Bayreuth (Germany, DEL2), where he had two assists in seven games. On to Blue Devils Weiden (Germany, Oberliga), he was pointless in one game. He signed with Kassel on Nov. 18. Meilleur had played for Kassel each of the previous two seasons.
———

The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Connor Horning to a WHL contract. From Kelowna, Horning was a third-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. Horning, who will turn 16 on May 11, had a goal and six assists in 22 games with the Pursuit of Excellent 18U prep team. He also was pointless in four games with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.

——

G Jordan Papirny of the Swift Current Broncos has signed an ATO with the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. . . . Papirny, who moved to the Broncos from the Brandon Wheat Kings in a January deal, completed his junior eligibility this season. Last season, he backstopped the Wheat Kings to a WHL title. . . . Here’s a note from pensionplanpuppets.com: “There’s no better place to start than the Toronto Marlies, and they may have some practice time opening up for (Papirny). With the Orlando Solar Bears losing their starting goalie Ryan Massa to a head injury after a line brawl, the Marlies could send Kasimir Kaskisuo back to Orlando to help out the Bears as they try to advance through the ECHL playoffs.”

——

F Glenn Gawdin, the captain of the Swift Current Broncos, and F Tanner Kaspick of the Brandon Wheat Kings have signed ATOs with the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. . . . Gawdin, who turned 20 on March 25, has played four seasons with the Broncos. This season, he had 26 goals and 33 assists in 52 games. He was a fourth-round selection by the Blues in the NHL’s 2015 draft. If they don’t sign him by June 1, he will be available in the 2017 NHL draft. . . . Kaspick, 19, was selected by the Blues in the fourth round in 2016 draft. This season, Kaspick had 19 goals and 26 assists in 49 games. . . . The Wolves are involved in the first round of the AHL playoffs. They trail the Charlotte Checkers 2-1 in a best-of-five series that continues tonight (Tuesday) in Rosemont, Ill.

——

Team USA won the IIHF U-18 World Championship on Sunday, beating Finland, last year’s winner, 4-2 in the final at Poprad, Slovakia. It was Team USA’s third championship in four years and its seven in the past nine years. . . . At this point in 2017, the IIHF has had four world titles decided and the U.S. has won them all -- the World Junior, the World Women’s, the Women’s U-18 and now the Men’s U-18. . . . There’s more right here. . . . Russia won the bronze medal with a 3-0 victory over Sweden in Poprad. Russia’s roster included D Mark Rubinchik of the Saskatoon Blades. It was Russia’s first medal in the competition since it won bronzie in 2011. Rubinchik had two goals and four assists in six games. . . . In Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia, Belarus won the best-of-three relegation series, 2-1, with a 3-1 victory over Latvia. D Vladislav Yeryomenko of the Calgary Hitmen had two goals and two assists in seven games with Belarus.

——

If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.

———

Sven Butenschon, a former Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman (1993-96), is expected to be named the fulltime head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds in Vancouver today. . . . Howard Tsumura of varsity letters.ca reported the story on Monday afternoon. . . . Butenschon, 41, moved up from assistant coach after UBC dropped head coach Adam Shell just prior to the start of last season. Under Butenschon, who was the program’s fourth head coach in as many seasons, the Thunderbirds went 12-13-3 and made the Canada West playoffs, where it was swept by the Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three first-round series. Game 1 went to triple OT.

——

Mel Pearson has left Houghton-based Michigan Tech to take over as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, who play out of Ann Arbor. At Michigan, he will replace the legendary Red Berenson, 77, who stepped aside following the season. . . . Pearson had spent 23 seasons (1983-2011) with the Wolverines as an assistant/associate coach before leaving to take over the Michigan Tech program. . . . Pearson was 118-92-29 at Michigan Tech, including a 75-34-14 run over the past three seasons. He has twice been named WCHA coach of the year. . . . Pearson’s father, Mel, played with the Flin Flon Bombers (1955-57) when they were in the SJHL — he played for them when they won the 1957 Memorial Cup — and later coached the Bombers for one season (1974-75). The people of Flin Flon haven’t forgotten him, either, as they annually hold the Mel Pearson Memorial Tournament for novice players.

——

Jason Lammers is the new head coach of the Niagara U Purple Eagles. He replaces Dave Burkholder, who was dropped on March 13. Lammers is the third head coach in the program’s 21 years. Burkholder had been the head coach since 2001. Lammers will step into his job following the completion of the USHL playoffs. He is the head coach of the Dubuque, Iowa, Fighting Saints, who are involved in the second round of playoffs.

———

Had to tell this reader that the story he hated ran online only. Bird will have to poop directly on the laptop. pic.twitter.com/JwaUNZWHac

— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) April 24, 2017

———

MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

Regina at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

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.

The wait ends tonight as final opens . . . Draft odds and ends . . . 4OT game in AHL

THURSDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.
———
They will drop the puck to start the WHL championship final tonight in Brandon with the Wheat Kings meeting the Kelowna Rockets.
The winner of the best-of-seven series gets the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Each of the teams is 12-3 in these playoffs.
The Wheat Kings got past the defending-champion Edmonton Oil Kings, Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen, each in five games.
The Rockets opened with a sweep of the Tri-City Americans, then took out the Victoria Royals in five games and the Portland Winterhawks in six.
The Wheat Kings will open with Jordan Papirny in goal, while the Rockets are expected to start Jackson Whistle.
It will be interesting to see the scratches.
F Rourke Chartier, with 48 regular-season goals and nine more in the playoffs, missed the Rockets’ last three games, but he practised on Thursday.
Meanwhile, D Kale Clague, F Reid Duke and F Tanner Kaspick, all of whom are regulars with the Wheat Kings, have practised all week after sitting out with undisclosed injuries. Clague and Kaspick missed the last four games of the Eastern Conference final; Duke missed the entire series.
down in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.
The series is to be played in a 2-3-2 format. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday in Brandon.
———


Some odds and ends, most of which deal with bloodlines, from the WHL’s bantam draft that was held Thursday in Calgary . . .
During the draft, the Everett Silvertips traded F Ivan Nikolishin, 19, to the Red Deer Rebels for a third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2017. . . . Nikolishin, from Moscow, had 62 points, including 16 goals, in 72 games for Everett this season. Last season, as a freshman, he had 59 points, 18 of them goals, in 72 games. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported that Nikolishin asked for a change of scenery. . . . “He’s very excited about (the) trade and he’s looking forward to playing here,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/GM/head coach told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. . . . The Rebels are the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup. . . . Nikolishin’s father, Andrei, is a former NHL defenceman who was with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002-03 when Sutter’s brother Brian was the head coach. Andrei Nikolishin now is the head coach of the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. . . . The Rebels’ roster now includes two imports, the other being Slovakian D/F Mario Grman, 18, who had three assists in 35 games this season. Grman would appear to be in tough, however, as Brent Sutter has told Meachem that he plans on using his first-round selection in the CHL import draft.
——
The Rebels also dealt F Connor Gay, 20, to the Saskatoon Blades for a third-round pick in yesterday’s draft. The Rebels had acquired Gay from the Regina Pats in January. Gay, who is from Saskatoon, had 17 points, including 14 assists, in 32 games with the Rebels. With the Pats, he had put up 44 points, including 20 goals, in 39 games. . . . Red Deer’s roster now includes four 20-year-olds — D Kyle Doetzel, F Scott Feser, F Wyatt Johnson and F Presten Kopeck. . . . The Blades also have four 20s on their roster — Gay, D Kolton Dixon, D Isaac Schacher and F Nick Zajac.
——
The Calgary Hitmen dealt a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft to the Everett Silvertips for the rights to F Andrew Fyten. He was a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2013 bantam draft. Fyten, from Didsbury, Alta., had 44 points, 22 of them goals, with the midget prep team at Edge school in Calgary. . . . If Fyten reports to Everett, Calgary gets the sixth-round pick. Should he play 12 games, it becomes a fifth-rounder.
——
In the third round, the Swift Current Broncos took D Ethan Martini of Trail, who played at Edge school in Calgary. He is the son of Darcy, a defence man who was an eighth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1989 NHL draft. He played two games with the Oilers in 1993-94. . . .
In the third round, the Victoria Royals took G Dean McNabb, whose brother, Brayden, played with the Kootenay Ice and now is with the Los Angeles Kings. The McNabb boys are from Davidson, Sask. . . .
The Prince George Cougars used a second-round selection to take D Jonas Harkins from the North Shore Winter Club. His father, Todd, is the Cougars’ general manager, while brother Jansen is one of the club’s top forwards. . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers took F Ryan Chyzowski of Kamloops in the first round. Chyzowski, who missed most of this season with a knee injury, is the younger brother of Nick Chyzowski, who has played two seasons with the Kamloops Blazers. There father, Dave, also played for the Blazers and was the second overall selection — behind F Mats Sundin — in the NHL’s 1989 draft. Dave is the Blazers’ director of sales and marketing. . . .
The Kootenay Ice selected F Keenan Taphorn of Yorkton, Sask., in the second round, 34th overall. . . . His twin brother, Kaeden, went to the Vancouver Giants in the third round, 47th overall. . . . They were born on Jan. 3, 2000. . . . In the sixth round, the Ice took F Benjamin Sanderson of Calgary. His father, Geoff, is a former WHL and NHL forward. . . . In the 11th round, the Ice selected F Austin Wong of Cochrane, Alta.. He is the younger brother of F Yler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .
F Noah Geekie of Strathclair, Man., was selected by the Calgary Hitmen in the second round. He is the son of D Craig Geekie (Brandon, Spokane, 1990-94). . . . In the ninth round, the Hitmen took F Hunter Lamb of Swift Current. His father, Mark, is the Swift Current Broncos’ GM and head coach. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets took F Nolan Foote of Englewood, Colo, in the second round, 43rd overall. Two years ago, they picked D Callan Foote with the 43rd pick. . . . Their father, Adam, is a former NHL defenceman. . . .  Callan played this season with the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He also played two games with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. . . .
In the fourth round, the Spokane Chiefs picked F Colum McGauley of Wilcox, Sask. His older brother, Tim, is one of the Brandon Wheat Kings’ top players. . . .
The Everett Silvertips used a fourth-round pick to take F Ryan Savage of Scottsdale, Ariz. His father, Brian, is a former NHLer. . . . Everett took F Dawson Butt of Buckley, Wash., in the sixth round. His father, Jamie, is a former WHLer (Tacoma, Kelowna, 1992-96). . . .
In the fourth round, 71st overall, the Tri-City Americans selected D Liam Belcourt. With the next pick, the Kelowna Rockets took D Konrad Belcourt. The cousins are from Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Americans selected F Jack Barnes in the fifth round. His father, Stu, is a former NHLer and WHLer who is part of the Americans’ ownership group. . . . Also in the fifth round, the Americans took F Ryan O’Reilly of Southlake, Texas. His brother, Brendan, is a defence man with the Americans. . . . In the third round, the Americans picked D Seth Bafaro of Revelstoke, B.C. His father, Mike, was a forward with the New Westminster Bruins for parts of three WHL seasons (1984-87). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors took D Jett Woo of Winnipeg with the fourth pick of the first round. His father, Larry, is a former WHL defence man (Victoria Cougars, Swift Current, 1989-91). . . . The Warriors selected F Kale Clouston of Rockyview, Alta. He is a nephew of Shaun Clouston, the Medicine Hat Tigers’ GM and head coach, and former WHL coach Cory Clouston. Kale’s cousin, Connor, is a Warriors defence man. . . . Later in the day, the Warriors acquired F Rylee Zimmer, 18, from the Regina Pats for a conditional 10th-round pick in the 2016 draft. Zimmer was pointless in 44 games with the Pats in 2013-14. This season, he had one goal in five games with Regina, but spent most of the season with the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines, earning 36 points, 10 of them goals, in 34 games. . . .
F Lukas Sillinger was selected by the Regina Pats in the sixth round. Sillinger is from Regina and is the son of ex-NHLer Mike Sillinger, who was one of the Pats’ best-ever forwards. . . . Mike is working for the Pats as a consultant. . . . In the 10th round, the Pats took G Max Paddock of Brandon. The 5-foot-9, 113-pounder is a nephew of Pats head coach John Paddock. Max’s father, Russ, is 6-foot-7 and played for the Canadian men’s volleyball team. . . . Earlier, in the seventh round, Regina selected D Jack Lenchyshyn of Steinbach, Man. No, he isn’t related to Regina F Jake Leschyshyn. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds used an eighth-round pick to take F Chase Sakic of Eaglewood, Colo. His father, Joe, is a former WHL who went on to a Hall-of-Fame NHL career.
——
By the time the WHL’s 22 teams were done, they had combined to select 231 players — 19 goaltenders, 85 defencemen and 127 forwards. All told, 72 players were taken from Alberta, 60 from B.C., 36 from Manitoba, 33 from Saskatoon and 30 from the U.S.
——
For an in-depth look at the draft, including more numbers than you will be able to digest, get on over to Small Thoughts at Large. He goes round-by-round with stats on the draft picks. . . . The WHL needs to make it worth Alan Caldwell’s while to take a vacation day from work and handle statistics on draft day. What a treat it would be to have names and numbers appear on a pick-by-pick basis as part of the draft coverage.
———



On Wednesday, Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, was honoured for the third time as the WHL’s executive of the year. He is the only three-time winner of the award. . . . If you haven’t already seen it, I profiled McCrimmon for The Coaches Site and that story is right here.
——
In the AHL, the visiting Oklahoma City Barons and Utica Comets opened a second-round series last night by playing into the fourth OT period. . . . F Curtis Hamilton, the son of Kelowna Rockets’ owner/GM Bruce Hamilton, gave the Barons a 2-1 victory with his first goal of the playoffs at 0:16 of the fourth extra period. . . . The online scoresheet is right here. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Utica.
———

THE COACHING GAME:

Former NHLer Trent Klatt is the new head coach at Grand Rapids, Minn., High School. Before turning pro, Klatt played four seasons at the U of Minnesota. He retired as a player after the 2003-04 season. . . . Klatt has coached minor hockey in Grand Rapids in recent years. . . . With the Thunderhawks, he replaces John Rothstein, who resigned after two seasons. . . . Klatt has been scouting for the NHL's New York Islanders, but he will leave that position effective July 1.
———

To all the kids who didn't get drafted in the WHL: I didn't get drafted and look where i ended up. Construction worker and Jr B lifer #goals

— Cooper Holick (@Coop_Holick) May 7, 2015

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.

Another WHL team looking for head coach . . . Brandon boys win two in OT . . . Royals still alive

pic.twitter.com/rb7fEKokHk
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) April 16, 2015

F Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000) has signed a two-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, as team captain, he had 19 goals and 17 assists in 46 games.
———

THE COACHING GAME:

There now are three WHL teams without head coaches.
The Kootenay Ice joined the fray on Wednesday with the announcement that it won’t be renewing head coach Ryan McGill’s contract when it expires on June 30.
"At this time, we feel we need a fresh face and voice moving forward to lead our team,” Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and general manager, said in a news release.
The Ice will be an awfully young team next season, so Chynoweth told Taking Note that a decision was made to find a new voice.
“Just looking at what we are losing this year, in terms of players, and how much of a step back I think we are going to take next (season) with a young and unproven team,” Chynoweth told Taking Note via text.
The Ice’s roster includes 11 players born in 1995 and three who were born in 1994. F Sam Reinhart isn’t expected back, while F Tim Bozon, F Austin Vetterl and F Levi Cable used up their junior eligibility.
McGill, 46, is from Sherwood Park, Alta.
This was McGill’s second stint as the Ice’s head coach. He was in his third season this time around; he also was head coach 1997-2002. In total, his record is 280-222-53. Under McGill, the Ice won the WHL championship in 1999-2000 and 2001-02, and the Memorial Cup in the spring of 2002.
Between his two tours of duty with the Ice, McGill was an AHL head coach for seven seasons and an assist with the NHL’s Calgayr Flames for two seasons.
The Ice went 37-31-4 this season to finish fourth in the Central Division and earn the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card berth. The Ice then lost a first-round series in seven games to the Calgary Hitmen.
You have to think that McGill will wait and see if any pro offers come his way before he decides on his next move.
Along with the Ice, the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants also are without head coaches.
Peter Anholt, who stepped in as GM and head coach in Lethbridge in mid-season, has said he won’t be back as head coach and will be hiring. In Vancouver, the Giants parted company with Claude Noel at season’s end. Noel also had been a mid-season replacement.
Last off-season, 10 of the WHL’s 22 teams made coaching changes.
———

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Tanner Kaspick scored at 3:36 of OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series, 3-1. Game 5 is scheduled for Brandon on Friday. . . . Kaspick, who is from Brandon, scored his first WHL playoff goal. He had one goal in 53 regular-season games. . . . Kaspick turned 17 on Jan. 28. . . . Regina D Connor Hobbs was hit with a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Regina D Ryan Pilon at 7:22 of the third period. . . . Pilon needed help leaving the ice. . . . Brandon scored once on the ensuing PP as F Peter Quenneville scored his third goal at 7:53. That tied the score 2-2. . . . Hobbs had scored Regina’s second goal, at 6:27 of the second, on a PP. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored the game’s first goal, his second, at 19:37 of the first period. . . . Regina D Colby Williams came out of the penalty box, took a breakaway pass from F Pavel Padakin and went into to score his third goal at 4:27 of the second. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 30 shots, 15 fewer than Regina’s Daniel Wapple. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Regina was 1-for-3. . . . Earlier in the game, Brandon F Mark Matsuba (headshot) and D Ivan Provorov (boarding) were given minor penalties for fouls the Pats felt could have been majors. . . . “It’s tough but it is what it is,” Wapple told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post. “We can’t point fingers but at the same time there were a couple hits that definitely could have been more than a two-minute penalty and ours is a five-minute penalty. It is what it is. You can’t do anything about it now.” . . . Regina head coach John Paddock offered:“Clearly to us Provorov should not have been in the game and clearly (Tuesday) night Reid Duke shouldn’t have been in the game (after a cross-check to Adam Brooks). Those are things we have to deal with. You have to find a way. We found a way. We played good enough to win.” . . . Regina again was without D Sergey Zborovsky, who is serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk in Game 2. Zborovsky had his suspension set at three games on Wednesday, meaning he will be eligible to return for Game 6. . . . Hawryluk hasn’t played since being hit by Zborovsky, who took an interference major and game misconduct on the play. . . . Attendance was 5,161. . . . The Wheat Kings have played five road games in these playoffs and each of them has ended in a 3-2 score. Brandon is 4-1 in those games. Two of them have gone to OT and Brandon has won both. . . . BTW, F Jesse Gabrielle had been credited with the game-winning goal in Regina’s 3-2 victory on Tuesday night. Sometime after that game, it was changed to F Taylor Cooper. Both are former Wheat Kings.

In Medicine Hat, F Jordy Stallard scored at 7:22 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Tigers. . . . The Hitmen lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Calgary. . . . Should Calgary win on Friday, last night’s game will have been the last one for the Tigers in the Arena. They will move into the Regional Event Centre next season. . . . Interestingly, attendance was 3,518 — not the usual 4,006. . . . Stallard, like Kaspick, is from Brandon. Stallard, 17, had six goals in 58 regular-season games; he has three goals in these playoffs. . . . Tigers D Ty Lewington scored the game’s first goal, his first, at 19:41 of the first period on a PP. . . . Calgary tied it when F Jake Virtanen scored his second goal, on a penalty shot, at 6:24 of the second. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson was awarded a penalty shot just 29 seconds after Virtanen’s goal. Peterson, however, lost control of the puck and wasn’t able to get off a shot. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields turned aside 35 shots, while Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer kicked out 20. . . . The Tigers had a 14-3 edge on shots in the third and 6-2 in OT. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-5 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-1. . . . F Adam Tambellini, the WHL’s leading playoff scorer, was among Calgary’s scratches. He has an undisclosed injury. The Hitmen continue to be without D Jake Bean and F Chase Lang. . . . The Tigers had F Chad Butcher (broken thumb) back after a five-game absence. As a result of his return, F Mark Rassell was scratched. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story right here for the Calgary Herald.

In Victoria, F Greg Chase scored at 5:30 of OT as the Royals stayed alive with a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Kelowna, which had won its first seven playoff games, holds a 3-1 edge in the series, with Game 5 scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night. . . . Chase has seven goals in these playoffs. . . . The Rockets had 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 leads before the Royals tied it with goals 24 seconds part in the third period. . . . F Jack Walker scored his second goal of the game and third of the playoffs at 10:42 and F Brandon Magee got his WHL-leading ninth goal at 11:06. . . . D Lucas Johansen, with his first goal, and F Tyson Baillie, with his sixth, gave the Rockets a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll got his first goal at 17:47 to cut into the lead, but Kelowna F Rourke Chartier, with his sixth, got that one back 26 seconds later. . . . Walker and Kelowna F Tomas Soustal traded second-period goals. . . . Soustal, who had eight goals in 65 regular-season games, has four in eight playoff games. . . . Kelowna went 0-for-8 on the PP, including a chance in OT after Magee was penalized for goaltending interference at 0:18. . . . Victoria G Justin Paulic stopped 36 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . The Royals were 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . F Alex Forsberg had two assists for Victoria, including one on the winner. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley wasn’t able to score on a penalty shot at 4:29 of the second period, with his side ahead 3-1. . . . Attendance was 4,909.
———


There has been an interesting development in Regina where a company that is owned by co-owners of the Pats has registered a builders’ lien against the team's landlords, the Regina Exhibition Association. It all has to do with work done installing the Brandt Centre’s score clock earlier this season. . . . Austin M. Davis of the Regina Leader-Post has the story right here.
——
The Everett Silvertips have signed F Brian King, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He was born in New Hampshire but now is from Golden, Colo. From the Silvertips’ news release: “King, 16, served as an alternate captain this season for the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders 16U AAA team based in Westminster, Colo. In 10 games at East Coast Elite League events, King scored six goals to lead the RoughRiders and tied for third on the team with seven points. Playing another 18 games in the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association, the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had 11 points on three goals and eight assists. He attended USA Hockey’s 2014 Select 15 Development Camp last summer, notching a goal and an assist in five games.”
——
Mike Stothers, who spent the previous three seasons as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, is the AHL’s coach of the year. Stothers, 53, left the Warriors prior to this season to take over as head coach of the Manchester Monarchs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. . . . With three games still to play, the Monarchs are 48-16-6-3. They will go into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s top seed. . . . The AHL award is voted on by coaches and media members in each of the league’s 30 cities.
———

Fans, despite what you may have heard the last couple days, the #OilKings will definitely be making the move to @RogersPlace in 2016
— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) April 15, 2015

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.

Warriors make a change . . . Another blank job for Sarthou . . . Rehill wins one for Blazers

F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) has signed for the rest of this season with Olten (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL), he had 11 goals and 12 assists in 27 games. He was released at his request by Krefeld on Jan. 13.
———


The Moose Jaw Warriors fired Rob MacLachlan, their assistant general manager and head scout, on Friday. MacLachlan, who had been with the Warriors for 14 years, is under contract through next season. . . . “I felt in discussions and where we were at it was time to make a change for the hockey club to move forward," Warriors general manager Alan Millar told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald."We thought it was fair to both Robert and the hockey club to make the decision and have the discussion now, as opposed to going through the next three-and-a-half months with the potential question mark in terms of what we were doing.” . . . McLachlan, who lives in Okotoks, Alta., told Gourlie: “"I'm proud of what we did. When I started with the organization I don't think we had a lot of respect out there. The work of everybody — the scouting staff, the people in the office and everyone else — has brought the level of respect up in the league to the point where we're one of the most respected teams in the league. . . . It's a weight lifted off of my shoulders and I feel somebody else can take a stab at it,"
———
Is hockey under siege in the state of Minnesota? Cory Zurowski of City Pages has a terrific read right here that takes a look at lots of happenings in Minnesota hockey circles.
———

FRIDAY’S GAMES:

In Regina, F Jack Rodewald scored at 3:44 of OT to give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Pats. . . . Attendance was announced at 6,484 on a night when the Pats unveiled their new scoreclock/video screens. . . . Rodewald’s 22nd goal came via the PP. . . . Regina had won 11 straight games over the Warriors. . . . The Warriors led 3-1 with five minutes to play in the third period. . . . Regina F Taylor Cooper scored his 19th goal, on a PP, at 15:10 and F Pavel Padakin tied it, with his 14th, at 16:26. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 35 shots, 17 more than Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko. . . . Moose Jaw D Dustin Perillat had two assists, while Rodewald, F Jaimen Yakubowski and Axel Blomqvist each had a goal and an assist. . . . Cooper also had an assist for the Pats, while D Chase Harrison had two assists. . . . The Warriors were 2-for-6 on the PP; the Pats were 1-for-5. . . . The Warriors (20-24-4) have won two in a row. They are to play in Saskatoon tonight. . . . The Pats (26-16-5) have lost four straight (0-2-2). They’ll play in Brandon tonight. . . . A post game tweet from Warren Woods of Regina radio station CJME: “Pats HC John Paddock says they were fortunate to get a point tonite but were " screwed by the officials" in OT. . . . Ch-ch-ching! . . .

In Brandon, F Tanner Kaspick’s first goal of the season stood up as the winner as the Wheat Kings dumped the Prince Albert Raiders, 4-1. . . . Kaspick’s goal, at 16:45 of the first period, gave Brandon a 2-0 lead. . . . F Tim McGauley, in his 200th regular-season game, scored twice for Brandon, giving him 29 this season. He scored the game’s first and last goals. . . . The Wheat Kings opened a four-game homestand with this one. . . . Wheat Kings F John Quenneville and D Eric Roy each had two assists. . . . Brandon G Alex Moodie stopped 31 shots, one more than Prince Albert’s Rylan Parenteau. . . . Brandon F Braylon Shmyr came up short on a penalty shot 37 seconds into the game. . . . The Wheat Kings continue to play without F Jayce Hawryluk and D Kale Clague, while the Raiders scratched two of their leading scorers in D Craig Leverton and F Simon Stransky. . . . The Wheat Kings (34-9-4), who entertain Regina tonight, have won five straight. They continue to lead the Eastern Conference and are one point behind Kelowna, which leads the overall standings. . . . The Raiders (19-26-1), who won’t play tonight, have lost three straight. . . .

In Calgary, G Mack Shields earned his first shutout of the season as the Hitmen beat the Swift Current Broncos, 8-0. . . . Shields stopped 24 shots. He also picked up his seventh assist of the season. He holds the franchise’s career record, with 13. . . . F Radel Fazleev scored his 14th goal 14 seconds into the game and the Hitmen were off to the races. . . . F Terrell Draude scored twice, giving him six goals, and added an assist. . . . F Kenton Helgesen got his 13th goal and had two assists, while F Adam Tambellini scored his 30th goal. . . . D Jake Bean scored his third goal and had an assist, and was plus-5. . . . D Travis Sanheim had one assist and also was plus-5. . . . Broncos D Dillon Heatherington left in the first period with an undisclosed injury. . . . Calgary D Colby Harmsworth returned after missing 19 games with a knee injury. . . . The Hitmen (25-17-5) have won two straight. They will travel to Edmonton tonight. . . . The Broncos ((21-21-5), who play in Cranbrook tonight, have lost two in a row. . . .

In Lethbridge, G Cody Porter turned aside 20 shots to help the Vancouver Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . Vancouver F Alex Baer broke a 1-1 tie with his 10th goal at 19:45 of the first period and F Carter Popoff upped the lead to 3-1 with his 18th goal, on a PP, at 16:26 of the second. . . . F Tyler Wong scored both goals for Lethbridge, giving him 18. . . . Both of Wong’s goals came via the PP as the home side went 2-for-6. . . . D Arvin Atwal had two assists for Vancouver. . . . F Zane Jones, acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline, scored for Vancouver. He’s got 21 goals, three of them with the Giants. . . . The Giants were 1-for-2. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner stopped 25 shots. . . . Lethbridge remains without F Jamal Watson, its captain, who is out with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Giants (20-25-2), who are in Red Deer tonight, had lost five in a row. They now are tied with Prince George and Kamloops for third place in the B.C. Division. . . . The Hurricanes (10-28-6) now have lost five straight. They are at home to Prince George tonight. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Curtis Sanford scored twice to lead the Tigers to a 5-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Sanford, who also had an assist, now has 39 goals, tying him with Kelowna F Rourke Chartier for the WHL lead. . . . Tigers F Trevor Cox, who leads the WHL points race, scored his 19th goal and added an assist. He has 78 points, eight more than Sanford. . . . Tigers F Dryden Hunt notched his 21st goal and also had an assist. He now is on an 18-game point streak, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . F Markus Eisenschmid scored his 13th goal and also had an assist for the winners. . . . Tigers D Kyle Burroughs took a headshot major and game misconduct at 4:19 of the third period for a hit on Cougars F Jari Erricson. . . . The Tigers (32-12-2) have won three in a row. They’re off tonight. . . . The Cougars (20-27-2) have lost eight in a row (0-6-2) and now are tied with Vancouver and Kamloops for third in the B.C. Division. . . . Prince George goes into Lethbridge tonight. . . .

In Portland, F Chase De Leo scored twice to help the Winterhawks to a 4-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . De Leo, who has 20 goals, scored twice in the second period as Portland extended its lead to 4-0. . . . F Paul Bittner scored the game’s first goal, giving him 20 this season. He also had an assist. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand drew two assists. . . . Portland G Adin Hill stopped 33 shots. . . . Spokane G Garret Hughson made 27 saves before being ejected at 15:10 of the third period after becoming mixed up with Portland F Keegan Iverson. . . . The Winterhawks (26-19-3) have won three straight. . . . Spokane (23-18-4) has lost four in a row (0-3-1). . . . The Winterhawks will meet Seattle in Kent, Wash., tonight, while the Chiefs are at home to Tri-City. . . .

In Kelowna, F Tyson Baillie scored twice as the Rockets got past the Everett Silvertips, 5-3, in a matchup between the Western Conference’s division leaders. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Kelowna. . . . Baillie has 29 goals this season. . . . Rockets F Rourke Chartier broke a 1-1 tie with his 39th goal, via the PP, at 6:49 of the second period. . . . Baillie stretched the lead to 3-1 at 1:19 of the third period. . . . F Leon Draisaitl had three assists for Kelowna, while D Josh Morrissey picked up two. . . . Kelowna F Tyrell Goulbourne scored his 15th goal and added an assist. . . . Everett F Ivan Nikolishin scored his 12th goal and had two assists, while F Patrick Bajkov picked up his 16th goal and had an assist. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 28 shots, seven more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-2 on the PP; Everett was 1-for-4. . . . The Rockets (35-8-3) lead the Western Conference and the B.C. Division. . . . The Silvertips (30-13-4), who had a six-game winning streak snapped, lead the U.S. Division. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., G Evan Sarthou stopped 25 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 4-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Sarthou, who was making his 18th straight start, has posted three shutouts in his last four starts. He has five shutouts this season. . . . Seattle has been blanked in each of its last two games. . . . F Parker Bowles scored twice, giving him 12, and added an assist, while F Richard Nejezchleb and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists. . . . Bowles was playing his third game since being out since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Beau McCue scored the game’s first goal, his 17th, at 11:35 of the first period and also had an assist. . . . Tri-City D Riley Hillis returned after being out since Jan. 2 with an undisclosed injury. . . . Seattle F Mathew Barzal played for the first time since Nov. 4. He had been out with a knee injury. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp and Tri-City D Brandon Carlo didn’t play as they weren’t able to get back from the Top Prospects game in time. That game was played in St. Catharines, Ont., on Thursday night. . . . The Americans (23-22-2) are fifth in the U.S. Division, one point behind Seattle and two in back of Spokane. . . . The Americans travel to Spokane tonight, while Seattle is at home to Portland. . . .

In Victoria, D Ryan Rehill scored at 1:25 of OT to give the Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Royals. . . . Rehill snapped a shot from the top of the left circle that got through G Coleman Vollrath. . . . After scoring four goals in 118 games over his first two sesaons, Rehill has six goals in 45 games this season. . . . Attendance was announced as 7,006. . . . F Quinn Benjafield, a 16-year-old freshman, had his first two-goal game for the Blazers. His third goal of the season, at 15:21 of the third period, forced OT. . . . F Matthew Phillips of the Royals, playing his first WHL game, gave his side a 3-2 lead at 13:55 of the third. Phillips, the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, is from Calgary where he plays for the midget AAA Buffaloes. . . . Vollrath stopped 41 shots, 13 more than Kamloops’ Connor Ingram, who has started seven of his club’s last 10 games. . . . Kamloops D Michael Fora suffered an undisclosed injury in the first period and didn’t play in the last two periods. . . . The Blazers (18-24-6) have won four in a row, the first time they have won more than two straight this season. The run has pulled them into a tie with Prince George and Vancouver for third place in the B.C. Division. . . . The Royals (25-19-4) had won their previous five games. . . . The Blazers and Royals will play in Victoria again tonight.
———
br />

Making Quesnel proud. My buddy, @KelownaCourier Doyle Potenteau kick'n it on @WHLonShawTV. pic.twitter.com/7xVB7ldTTB
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) January 24, 2015

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.

Winterhawks on a roll . . . Playfair wins it for Ams . . . Cougars get weekend sweep

Condolences to Graham and Al Tuer, two hockey lifers, on the death of wife and mother Verna in a Regina hospital on Sunday morning. She had been battling cancer. . . . Graham, a longtime fixture in Saskatchewan arenas, scouts for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets. A bantam hockey tournament that is held annually in Regina is named in his honour. That tournament was held over the weekend. . . . Al, a former WHL player and coach, is a pro scout with the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
---
A tip of the cap to the Spokane Chiefs and their fans, and to the Brent Sutter and the Red Deer Rebels. The Chiefs held a benefit on Saturday to benefit former D Cole Hamblin who is battling cancer. The benefit, held prior to Saturday’s game against visiting Red Deer, raised $7,140. The Chiefs then tossed in $2,000 and the Rebels made a $1,000 donation. . . . From a Chiefs news release: “Saturday's Chiefs Care auction featured a variety of signed Chiefs memorabilia, including a Wayne Gretzky Spokane Chiefs #99 jersey -- worn during a benefit game earlier in 2014 -- that sold for $2,100. A game-worn Tyler Johnson Memorial Cup Chiefs jersey went for $1,500.”
---
There was an interesting development at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in Sarnia, Ont., over the weekend. The three Canadian teams -- Red, White and Black -- each named a member of the Brandon Wheat Kings as team captain. . . . F Nolan Patrick is the captain of Canada Red, with F Tanner Kaspick captaining Team White and D Kale Clague wearing the ‘C’ for Team Black.
---
Neal Hall of Metro Vancouver has an interesting story about a mother who has been ordered by B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Chris Hinkson to stop contacting various hockey officials, including those with the Kootenay Ice and the WHL, on behalf of her sons. That story is right here.
---

SUNDAY'S GAMES:

In Portland, the Winterhawks won for the sixth time in nine games as they beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first three goals to take a 3-0 lead into the third period where they were outshot 13-1. . . . Portland G Michael Bullion stopped 32 shots to earn his second victory in as many nights. He was in goal Saturday as the Winterhawks beat the Kelowna Rockets 3-2 in OT. . . . F Chase De Leo scored his 10th goal of the season for Portland. . . . The Winterhawks had D Blake Heinrich in the lineup after the WHL rescinded a charging major and game misconduct that he had been given during a Saturday night OT victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . . Portland D Anton Cederholm was ejected with a headshot major after a hit on Edmonton F Mads Eller at 3:13 of the first period. . . . Prior to the game Portland freelance writer Scott Sepich tweeted: “This is only the 8th regular-season matchup between Portland and Edmonton. They've played 20 playoff games, each winning 10.” . . . F Edgars Kulda was among Edmonton’s scratches. . . . Edmonton is 0-4-0 in its tour of the U.S. Division. . . . The Oil Kings and Winterhawks have met in the last three WHL finals, with Portland winning in 2013 and Edmonton taking it all in 2012 and 2014. . . .

In Vancouver, F Rourke Chartier scored two goals and set up another to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Giants. . . . Chartier leads the WHL with 14 goals. . . . Kelowna D Jesse Lees broke a 3-3 tie with his second goal of the season at 7:46 of the third period. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck was back after a one-game absence with an undisclosed injury. He had two assists. . . . Vancouver G Cody Porter, who had blanked the host Seattle Thunderbirds 1-0 on Saturday, stopped 26 shots, 10 more than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley had a goal, his fifth, and an assist, and has taken over the WHL scoring lead. He leads in assists (22) and points (27). . . . Merkley has one more point than Brandon F Rihards Bukarts and Kamloops F Cole Ully. All three have played 16 games. . . .

In Victoria, F Jackson Playfair scored at 1:29 of OT to give the Tri-City Americans a 5-4 victory over the Royals in an afternoon affair. . . . Playfair deflected a point shot by F Beau McCue for the winner. . . . The Royals held a 4-2 lead with fewer than 13 minutes left in the third period. . . . F Vladislav Lukin scored his fourth goal at 7:25 to get the Americans to within one and F Semyon Krasheninnikov tied it with his first goal at 14:55. . . . The Americans had lost their previous four games and their previous four road games. . . . The Royals got a goal, his fifth, and two assists from D Joe Hicketts, while F Axel Blomqvist drew three assists and F Brandon Magee scored twice, giving him three, and set up another. . . . The Royals were 1-for-1 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-6. . . . Victoria had beaten the visiting Americans 4-1 on Saturday night. . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars got two shootout goals and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 3-2, in an afternoon game that drew 3,883 fans. . . . Kamloops F Deven Sideroff forced OT with his ninth goal at 11:25 of the third period. He also had an assist. . . . F Brad Morrison and F Jansen Harkins scored for the Cougars in the shootout, while Prince George G Ty Edmonds, who stopped 42 shots through OT, was perfect. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram kicked out 34 shots through OT. . . . According to WHL Facts (@WHLFacts), Edmonds is 7-0-1 against the Blazers in his career. . . . The Cougars lost F Chase Witala to a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 13:47 of the first period. . . . The Blazers were without F Cole Ully, their leading scorer, for a third straight game. He has been ill. The Blazers are 0-2-1 without him. . . . The Cougars had beaten the visiting Blazers 4-1 on Saturday night.
---

If customs asks Oil Kings if they have anything to declare at border, they can honestly say no. Have lost all four in US so far.
— Terry Jones (@sunterryjones) November 3, 2014