Winterhawks, Ice's Reinhart keep streaks alive

Greg Gatto (Brandon, Spokane, Prince Albert, Regina, Portland, 1990-92) is the new head coach of the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes, at least for the final 10 games of this season. Gatto, who was fired earlier this month as the head coach of the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, replcaes Matt Cressman, who was dismissed Thursday. Cressman had been in his first sesaon as head coach, but his 13th with the Jackalopes. . . . Gatto was an assistant coach with the Jackalopes in 2003-04. He also played for the Jackalopes in 2002-03 when he and Cressman were teammates.
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D Griffin Reinhart, the captain of the Edmonton Oil Kings, hopes to play this afternoon against the visiting Calgary Hitmen. Reinhart missed six games in February because of the flu, but he’s hoping he’s well enough to play today. . . . The Oil Kings and Hitmen are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference, each with 91 points. The Oil Kings have 10 games remaining; the Hitmen have eight to play.
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The Regina Pats have added F Sam Steel to their roster for the remainder of this season. Steel, the second overall selection in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, spent the season with the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., J. Ennis Kings. Their season ended earlier this week, freeing him up to join the Pats. . . . The Pats will use Steel, too, as they have been hit by injuries and illness. He played last night as the Pats beat the visiting Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in a shootout. . . . Regina was again without F Boston Leier and F Dryden Hunt, both of whom have concussions. F Morgan Klimchuk and D Dmitry Sinitsyn, both of whom missed a game this week due to illness, were back.
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File this under the best laid plans. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald had hoped to get video of a post-game celebration between G Austin Lotz and D Ben Betker of the Everett Silvertips, and then post it on his blog. Well, the stars were aligned the other night, except that a bear got in the way. . . . Read all about it right here.
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F Tanner MacMaster of the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks had signed a letter of intent to attend Boston College and play for the Eagles. However, it seems he has changed his mind and now has committed to Quinnipiac, which is in Hamden, Conn., where he will play for the Bobcats. . . . The Spokane Chiefs selected MacMaster with the 19th overall pick of the 2011 bantam draft. This season, with the Kodiaks, MacMaster, who turned 18 on Jan. 8, has 40 points, including 11 goals, in 47 games. Last season, he finished with 48 points, 24 of them goals, in 56 games. . . . Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster (Moose Jaw, Calgary, Tri-City, 2007-12).
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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SATURDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Calgary at Edmonton, 2 p.m.
Kootenay at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Lethbridge at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Regina at Moose Jaw, 7:30 p.m.
Kamloops at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Portland at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES):
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors scored three first-period goals and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . F Colton McCarthy had a goal, his sixth, and an assist for the Warriors, while F Jack Rodewald got his 22nd goal and also had an assist. . . . Lethbridge F Taylor Cooper scored his 12th goal, seven of which have come against the Warriors. . . . The Hurricanes have lost eight in a row. . . . Neither the Warriors (17-38-9) nor Hurricanes (12-49-5) will appear in the playoffs. . . .

In Regina, F Connor Gay’s second goal of the game, at 4:13 of OT, gave the Pats a 4-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Gay has 15 goals this season. . . . The Broncos scored twice in the first period and took a 2-0 lead into the second period. . . . Gay tied the score at 3:29 of the third, with F Patrick D’Amico giving the Pats their first lead, with his sixth goal, at 6:03. . . . Broncos F Coda Gordon forced OT with his 24th goal at 12:24. . . . The Pats, who went 10-2-1 in February, are 36-23-6 and atop the East Division, seven points ahead of the Broncos (31-24-9). . . .

In Saskatoon, the Kootenay Ice scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Blades, 4-2. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had one assist, running his point streak to a franchise-record 22 games and his assist streak to 15 games, which already was a franchise record. Former Ice F Mike Comrie had set the previous points record of 21 games in 2000-01. . . . Saskatoon F Cameron Hebig, assigned the task of checking Reinhart, scored his 12th goal. . . . The Ice is 9-2-0 in its last 11. . . . The Blades have lost four in a row; they also have lost seven straight on home ice. . . . Ice F Luke Philp tied the score 2-2 with his 27th goal at 4:06 of the second period. . . . Kootenay D Landon Peel scored his fourth goal at 8:36 of the third to give his side its first lead. . . . Ice D Landon Cross iced it with a shorthanded empty-netter, his second goal this season, at 18:42. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 31 shots. . . . It was Critters Pucks and Paws Night. There were 158 dogs in the audience, along with 4,517 folks. . . . Blades F Nikita Scherbak had his 10-game point streak snapped. . . . D Jordan Thomson made his debut with the Blades. Thomson, the fourth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers in January. He will play two more games with the Blades this weekend and then return to the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. . . . The Ice (37-23-4) is fifth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Blades (16-43-5) won’t be in the playoffs. . . .

In Calgary, F Brady Brassart scored twice and added an assist to help the Hitmen to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Brassart, who has 33 goals, ran his point streak to 14 games. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini opened the scoring with his 16th goal just 31 seconds into the second period. He has goals in three straight games. . . . Calgary F Pavel Padakin scored his 25th goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Hitmen are 10-0-1 in their last 11. . . . The Blazers have lost three in a row. . . . Kamloops had veteran F Chase Souto back in the lineup. He hadn’t played since Feb. 8. . . . The Hitmen (42-15-7) are tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings atop the Central Division. . . . The Blazers (13-47-5) are 10th in the 10-team Western Conference. . . .

In Red Deer, F Miles Koules and F Cole Sanford scored in the shootout to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Koules scored his 24th goal of the season at 16:47 of the first period. . . . The Rebels came back with second-period goals form F Wyatt Johnson, his 10th, and F Scott Feser, his 12th. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk forced OT with his 38th goal, via the PP, at 4:54 of the third. . . . In a battle of Czech goaltenders, Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer stopped 25 shots through OT, while Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak turned aside 38. . . . The Tigers (40-22-3) are fourth in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of Kootenay. . . . Red Deer (30-30-5) holds down the conference’s last playoff spot, two points ahead of the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Prince George, D Travis Brown scored at 15:09 of the third period to break a 3-3 tie and help the Victoria Royals a 5-3 victory over the Cougars. . . . Brown, who came over from the Moose Jaw Warriors in January, has 13 goals this season. . . . The Royals led 2-0 in the second period and 3-1 in the third, only to have the Cougars tie it on goals 13 seconds apart from F Zach Pochiro, his 27th, and F Todd Fiddler, his 44th. . . . Fiddler, who scored twice, now is riding a 17-game point streak. . . . The Royals are 9-1-1 in their last 11. . . . The Cougars had F Brett Roulston back in the lineup after he missed eight games with a concussion. Earlier in the season, he missed 13 games with a broken foot. . . . The Royals and Cougars play again tonight in P.G. . . . Victoria is 6-1-0 against Prince George this season. . . . The Royals (44-17-4) are third in the Western Conference and likely to finish there. . . . The Cougars (26-33-8) are two points out of the conference’s last playoff spot but have only five games left. . . .

In Kelowna, G Jordon Cooke stopped 31 shots to lead the Rockets to a 6-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . They’ll play again tonight in Vancouver. In fact, four of the Giants’ final eight games are scheduled to be against the Rockets. . . . Cooke has three shutouts this season and eight in his career. . . . F Nick Merkley, a 16-year-old from Calgary, scored twice, giving him 20 goals. He’s got 49 points in 58 games. . . . D Damon Severson drew three assists,. . . . The Rockets scored four times in the third period. . . . Kelowna (51-9-4) leads the overall standings. . . . The Giants (30-25-10) are seventh in the Western Conference, three points behind the Everett Silvertips. . . .

In Spokane, G Corbin Boes stopped 30 shots and the Portland Winterhawks ran their winning streak to 21 games as they beat the Chiefs, 2-0. . . . This was Boes’ first shutout of the season and the third of his career. It was his first blank job since Oct. 1, 2011, when he was with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . With Brendan Burke recovering from mononucleosis, Boes made his eighth straight start. Boes is 12-0-1 since being acquired from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in January. . . . The Winterhawks have a chance to tie the WHL record for consecutive victories in one season when they meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., tonight. That record is held by the 1967-68 Estevan Bruins. . . . The Winterhawks have eight games remaining, four of them against Seattle. . . . Portland is 22-0-1 in its last 23 games. . . . The Winterhawks swept the Chiefs 8-0-0 this season, shutting them out in each of the last three meetings; in fact, Portland has won 16 straight games, regular-season and playoffs, from the Chiefs. . . . The Winterhawks scored the game’s first goal, as they now have done in each of the last 21 games these teams have played against each other. . . . F Alex Schoenborn opened the scoring with his 17th goal at 1:40 of the first period. . . . F Chase De Leo, with his 35th, added insurance at 1:51 of the second. . . . The game featured the WHL’s top three scorers, but neither Spokane F Mitch Holmberg (107 points) nor Portland’s Nic Petan (106) or Oliver Bookstand (96) picked up a point. . . . Portland (47-12-5) is seven points behind Kelowna with each team having eight games to play. . . . Spokane (36-22-6) is fifth in the Western Conference, four points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips took a 3-0 lead and then hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Silvertips clinched a playoff spot for the 11th consecutive season. This is their 11th season in the WHL. . . . F Carson Stadnyk, with his 18th, and F Jujhar Khaira, with his 15th, gave the Silvertips a 2-0 first-period lead. . . . Everett had a 16-3 edge in shots in the first period. . . . F Manraj Hayer, with his 14th, upped that to 3-0 at 1:19 of the third. . . . The Americans got back in it on goals from F Lucas Nickles, at 10:51, and F Parker Powles, his 10th, at 17:53. . . . F Kohn Bauml had two assists for Everett. . . . F Brian Williams had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie stopped 32 shots, seven more than Everett’s Austin Lotz. . . . The Silvertips are 4-0-1 in their last five. . . . The Americans are 0-5-3 in their last eight. . . . Everett (32-23-9) is sixth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Vancouver. . . . The Americans (27-29-8) are eighth in the conference, two points ahead of Prince George.
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From Regina Pats G Daniel Wapple (@Wapps35): “Gotta love when your parents come down for the weekend even tho it's minus 60 outside #dedication #loveit”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “What a difference 6 years make: In March '08, Spokane beat Portland to extend the Winterhawks' losing streak to 21 games.”


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Pre-Christmas roster shuffling begins

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Ivan Usenko (Swift Current, 2001-02) has been recalled by Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL) from Neman Grodno (Belarus, Ekstraliga). This season, he has one goal in three games with Dinamo and 12 points, including four goals, in 22 games with Neman. He also is plus-16 with Neman.
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The pre-Christmas lineup shuffling has begun as WHL teams prepare to lose players to various competitions over the holidays. . . . On Wednesday, the Tri-City Americans acquired D Jeff Hubic, 19, from the Kootenay Ice for a seventh-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Hubic, a fourth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, is in his third WHL season. He has 14 points in 153 career games. . . . This season, the Reginan had six points, one of them a goal, in 27 games with the Ice. . . . In a news release, Americans GM Bob Tory explained the deal from his perspective: “With the injuries to (Mitch) Topping and (Wil) Tomchuk, and with Michal (Plutnar) and Parker (Wotherspoon) away for tournaments before and after the winter break, we needed to address a depth issue on our blueline. Jeff is an experienced defenseman, who will add size to our group.” . . . And from another news release, here’s Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth: “With Tanner Faith coming back this weekend from his injury we would have had eight defencemen on our active roster. As a three-year player . . . we did not feel comfortable with Jeff being in and out of our line-up on a regular basis. . . this trade will give Jeff an opportunity to continue his WHL career with the Americans.”
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Andrew Schopp of the Prince Albert Daily Herald reports that Bruno Campese, the GM of the Prince Albert Raiders, has started working on how he will fill his club’s roster with players away. The Raiders may end up being without half-a-dozen players. . . . That story is right here.
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Barring the unexpected, D Griffin Reinhart of the Edmonton Oil Kings will make the Canadian national junior team’s final roster. But will the team have him on that roster when it begins play at the World Junior Championship in Sweden? Reinhart has three games of a suspension to serve, left over from the previous tournament. . . . Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports looks at that situation right here.
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If you happened to be watching the Russian side beat Team WHL 3-2 in the Subway Super Series game in Red Deer last night, you saw the WHLers score an apparent tying goal late in the game only to have referee Chris Crich wave it off. . . . An explanation wasn’t provided to TV viewers. . . . Here’s Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate: “The WHL squad appeared to net the tying goal with 1:30 remaining but it was waved off with the ruling being that the referee intended to blow the whistle before the puck entered the net.” . . . By the way, attendance was announced at 6,057. The Enmax Centrium has 6,000 seats, with room for 1,000 standees. If you were watching the game, you can do the match and then ask: “What was with all the empty seats?”
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Boston College made it official on Wednesday, announcing that F Tanner MacMaster of Calgary has committed to play there starting in 2014-15. . . . MacMaster, from Calgary, has 20 points in 20 games with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. Last season, he put up 48 points in 54 games with Camrose. . . . The Spokane Chiefs selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . He had given BC a verbal commitment in February.
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“I’ve spent half a career arguing with Don Cherry,” writes Jack Todd in the Montreal Gazette. “I’ve hated him longer than some of you have been alive. You know how it is: I’m one of those lefty kook tree huggers he’s always snarling about and he’s one of those pigheaded, narrow-minded, right-wing bullies I’ve been battling since fourth grade.” . . . So why is Todd now writing that Cherry and, in turn, CBC-TV need to be saved? . . . The answer is right here.
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Lawyers involved said Wednesday that more than 200 players are involved in the brain injury-related lawsuit that was filed against the NHL earlier this week. . . . Stephen Whyno of The Canadian Press has more right here.
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Over at SI.com, Michael McCann takes an in-depth look right here at the class-action lawsuit filed against the NHL by 10 players earlier this week. McCann is a Massachusetts attorney and the founding director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire School of Law. . . . He explains what the lawsuit means and the ways in which the NHL may choose to defend it.
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Meanwhile, Paul Anderson, who has done a terrific job of detailing the NFL’s problem with brain injuries, also has taken a look at the NHL situation. Right here, he explains how the Derek Boogaard wrongful death lawsuit could impact the lawsuit filed this week.
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In Quebec, a CBC story informs us, “a 14-year-old boy is suing Hockey Canada and other minor leagues after he was cross-checked by an opponent, resulting in a serious concussion. In 2010, Alexis Turcotte, then 11 years old, was on the ice with his peewee team in Trois-Pistoles, Que., when he was reportedly cross-checked from behind. When he got up, he was cross-checked again, this time hard in the face.”
There is more right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Rudolf Cerveny (Regina, 2007-09) and F Martin Podlesak (Tri-City, Lethbridge, 2000-02) signed one-year plus option contract extensions with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . . Cerveny had three goals and two assists in 33 games with Ceske Budejovice and four assists in 11 games on loan to Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). . . . Podlesak had five goals and two assists in 32 games with Ceske Budejovice this season. . . .

D Michael Busto (Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Kootenay, 2001-07) signed a two-year contract extension with Angers (France, Ligue Magnus). He had three goals and 11 assists in 26 games this season. Angers finished the regular season in first place and lost to Rouen in Game 7 of the final, 4-3 in overtime. . . .

F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had one goal and four assists in 13 games with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) and 13 goals and 35 assists in 32 games with Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) this season. . . .

F Petr Dvorak (Regina, 2002-03) signed a one-year contract extension with Cracovia Krakow (Poland, Ekstraliga). He had 15 goals and 13 assists in 32 games this season for the Polish champions. . . .

F Curtis Huppe (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with the Guilford Flames (England Premier). He had 50 goals and 31 assists in 50 games with the English Premier champions this season.
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The USHL held Phase II of its draft last night. If you’re a fan of drafts, you have to love the USHL round-by-round. It’s right here, and if you click on a player’s name you will get his stats. Great stuff!
ushl.rinknetcloud.com/draft27.htm
Some names that caught my eye . . .

F Chris Wilkie was the second overall selection, going to the Tri-City Storm, in the the USHL draft on Tuesday evening. Wilkie, who turns 17 on July 10, has committed to North Dakota and has said he is leaving the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . His WHL rights belong to the Victoria Royals, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Storm plays out of Kearney, Nebraska. Wilkie is from Omaha and would become the first Nebraska native to play for the Storm should he, as expected, sign with there.

Still with the USHL draft, F Tyson McClellan, the son of San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McClellan, was picked by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the sixth round, 84th overall. Tyson, 17, has twice been in training camp with the Kamloops Blazers. . . .
Waterloo selected F Tanner MacMaster of Calgary in the fourth round, 57th overall. The Spokane Chiefs selected him in the first round, 19th overall, of the WHL’s 2011 bantam draft. He played this season with t he AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks and has committed to Boston College. . . .

F Ryan Gropp of Kamloops was taken in the eighth round, 108th overall, by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL’s draft on Tuesday evening. Gropp, who turns 17 on Sept. 16, played this season with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees. His WHL rights belong to the Seattle Thunderbirds, who selected him sixth overall in the WHL’s 2011 draft. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder has yet to publicly declare whether he will play in the WHL or take the NCAA route.

G Dawson MacAuley, whose WHL rights were acquired Thursday by the Regina Pats, was taken by the Lincoln Stars in the 22nd round, 326th overall. . . . MacAuley, who turns 19 on June 14, is from Prince Albert. He has some WHL experience with t he Medicine Hat Tigers, but played most of this season with the SJHL-champion Yorkton Terriers. The Pats acquired MacAuley from the Calgary Hitmen for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.


The Dubuque Fighting Saints selected D David Quenneville of Edmonton with the last pick of the 27th round. He was selected 10th overall by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL bantam draft on Thursday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The BCHL’s Langley Rivermen have signed Jon Calvano as assistant general manager and associate coach. Calvano spent the past three years as head coach of the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, going 92-87-3-4. . . . With the Rivermen, Calvano will work alongside GM/head coach Bobby Henderson.
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In the QMJHL, the host Baie-Comeau Drakkar scored a 3-1 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads. . . . Halifax, which now is 14-1 in these playoffs, holds a 2-1 lead with Game 4 in Baie-Comeau tonight.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton
(Portland leads, 2-1)
(All times local)
Game 1: Friday — Edmonton 4 at Portland 1 (10,097)
Game 2: Saturday — Edmonton 0 at Portland 3 (10,947)
Game 3: Tuesday — Portland 3 at Edmonton 1 (8,513)
Game 4: Today, May 8, at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Game 5: Friday, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Game 6: Sunday, at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Game 7: Monday, May 13, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x – if necessary.


All games are being televised by Shaw in Canada. They also will be televised in Portland, with Games 4, 5 and 6 on Comcast SportsNet, and Game 7 on Root Sports.
Comcast and Roots will pick up the Shaw telecast that feature play-by-play man Dan Russell, along with Bill Wilms, Peter Loubardias and Andy Neal.
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TUESDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, F Ty Rattie tied the WHL record for career playoff goals as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Rattie scored his WHL-leading 17th goal to give Portland a 2-0 lead in the first period. That was his 47th career playoff goal, tying him with F Mark Pederson (Medicine Hat, 1983-88). . . . Rattie has played in 73 career playoff games; Pederson played in 71. . . . Rattie also leads the WHL with 33 points, in 18 games. Last season, he put up 33 points in 21 games, finishing one point behind then-teammate F Sven Baertschi. . . . The Winterhawks dominated the first period, getting goals from F Taylor Leier (8:39), Rattie (8:14) and F Oliver Bjorkstrand (15:48). . . . Portland G Mac Carruth, who lost his shutout bid when F Michael St. Croix scored at 9:13 of the second, stopped 38 shots. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit turned saide 24. . . . The Oil Kings remain without F Trevor Cheek, who has an undisclosed injury and may not play at all in the series, and D Griffin Reinhart, whose season was ended by a skate cut to a foot that required surgery.
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The Winterhawks gained at least a measure of revenge with last night’s victory, writes Evan Daum, who is covering the games in Edmonton for The Oregonian. That story is right here.
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“Maybe they had no ‘puck luck’, but the Edmonton Oil Kings fell 3-1 in Game 3 of the WHL finals at Rexall Place — and 2-1 in the series — to the Portland Winterhawks at Rexall Place on Tuesday night,” writes Dave (Crash) Cameron of the Edmonton Sun. His story is right here.
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Veteran Edmonton Sun columnist Terry Jones figures the Winterhawks “are going to be hard to stop now.” His column from Game 3 is right here.
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The Oil Kings, writes Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal, “have started each game of the series progressively slower, with the results becoming increasingly predicable.” His game story is right here.
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Columnist John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal writes that the Oil Kings know what they want to do, but “it’s putting the plan into action that’s hanging them up.” His piece is right here.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (7):
None
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From the USHL’s Chicago Steel (@ChicagoSteel): “With (its) final pick the Steel draft Jack Jablonski. Congrats @Jabs_13 on becoming a member of the Steel!”
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From Jack Jablonski (@Jabs_13): “Best night ever. #steel”

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F Tanner MacMaster, a first-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2011 bantam draft, apparently has chosen to take the NCAA route. MacMaster, a Calgarian who turned 17 on Jan 8, indicated via his Twitter account (@TannerMacMaster) on Wednesday night that he has “committed to Boston College.”
MacMaster was selected 19th overall by the Chiefs.
He is playing his first season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, for whom he put up 47 points, including 24 goals, in 54 regular-season games.
Tanner is the younger brother of Nathan MacMaster, who played in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Calgary Hitmen and Tri-City Americans (2007-12). Nathan, now 20, played this season at Mount Royal College in Calgary.
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G Eric Comrie of the Tri-City Americans, who was shot down earlier this year because of hip problems, has undergone two surgical procedures and is well on the road to recovery.
Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has that story right here.
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Dr. James Andrews knows a thing or two about injuries and sports. In fact, he has co-written a book — Any Given Monday: Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them, for Athletes, Parents and Coaches — Based on My Life in Sports Medicine. . . . Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has spoken with Dr. Andrews and his story is right here. . . . I’ll give you a hint. Dr. Andrews says he is seeing far too many injuries in young people that used to be restricted to older, more mature athletes.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, D Brycen Martin scored at 1:05 of OT to give the Swift Current Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Wheat Kings trailed 2-0 in the first period, but tied it on goals by F Quintin Lisoway, his second, at 8:07 of the second, and F Taylor Cooper, his ninth, at 14:26 of the third, on a PP. . . . Martin has two goals this season. . . . The night’s results mean the Wheat Kings won’t be in the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2000 and only the second time since 1992. . . . The Broncos, seventh in the Eastern Conference, are two points behind Medicine Hat and a point ahead of Kootenay. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 22 shots to lead the Raiders to a 7-0 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . Siemens tied the franchise’s single-season shutout record, with six. He shares the record with Rejean Beauchemin (2003-04). . . . Siemens has 12 shutouts in his career. . . . F Carson Perreaux had a goal, his 12th, and two assists, while F Dakota Conroy scored his 20th goal. . . . Prince Albert F Tim Vanstone was back in the lineup after missing a month with a concussion. . . . The Raiders are fourth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Red Deer. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Mackenzie Skapski stopped 42 shots as the Kootenay Ice dumped the Tigers, 2-0. . . . Skapski has seven shutouts this season, including two in a row. He put up four shutouts in February. . . . F Brock Montgomery scored his 28th goal at 4:07 of the first, on a PP, while F Levi Cable got his 12th into an empty net at 19:49 of the third. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 38 shots. . . . Skapski is tied for the WHL lead in shutouts with Portland’s Mac Carruth and Saskatoon’s Andrey Makarov. . . . The Ice, which at one time was last in the overall standings, has won 22 of its last 28 games. . . . The Tigers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Red Deer. . . . The Ice, eighth in the conference, stayed five points ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .

In Calgary, F Nathan Burns scored in the circus to give the Saskatoon Blades a 3-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . .  The Blades have won 17 straight games. . . . Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken now has 599 WHL coaching victories. Saskatoon is at home to Brandon on Friday. . . . Burns was the only one of 10 shooters to score in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart scored his 27th goal at 13:11 of the third period to force OT. . . . F Brett Stovin scored twice for Saskatoon, giving him nine goals, while F Lukas Sutter had two assists. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Makarov made 46 saves. He leads the WHL with 34 victories. . . . This was Saskatoon’s 40th victory of the season, the fifth straight winter in which the Blades have gotten there. . . . The Blades lead the East Division by seven points over Prince Albert. In the overall standings, Saskatoon is two points behind Calgary, although the Hitmen hold a game in hand. . . .

In Portland, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals and beat the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . It was the first meeting of these teams since the Oil Kings beat the Winterhawks in a seven-game championship final last spring. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck, who missed that series with an injury, got his side to within one, at 3-2, with his 20th goal at 19:57 of the second period. . . . Edmonton F Trevor Cheek tied it with his 27th at 1:23 of the third. . . . The winner went to F Michael St. Croix, who got his 33rd, on a PP, at 18:57. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 26 shots, while Portland’s Mac Carruth turned aside 38. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski scored his 20th goal of the season, tying Saskatoon’s Darren Dietz and Spokane’s Brenden Kichton for the lead among defencemen. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie had two assists, giving him 97 points and moving him into third in the scoring race. Linemates Brendan Leipsic (111), Nic Petan (109) and Rattie are 1-2-3 in the points derby. . . . Petan scored his 44th goal, tying Leipsic for the league lead in that department. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson was ejected with a spearing major at 18:01 of the first. . . . D Derrick Pouliot (ankle) wasn’t in the Winterhawks’ lineup. I have been told that he will play Saturday in Everett. . . . Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal won a Memorial Cup with the Winterhawks in 1982-83. . . . Portland leads the overall standings by 10 points over Edmonton. . . .

In Kamloops, F Brendan Rouse scored twice as the Vancouver Giants beat the Blazers, 5-3. . . . The Blazers outshot the Giants 19-8 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead into the second. But the Giants held a 30-18 edge in shots the rest of the way. . . . Rouse broke a 2-2 tie at 5:53 of the third period and later added his 14th goal of the season on a PP. . . . F Cain Franson added his 26th goal for the Giants, who beat Kamloops for the first time in seven tries this season. . . . Vancouver G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots. . . . The loss prevented the Blazers from closing on the B.C. Division-leading Kelowna Rockets, who are at home to the Seattle Thunderbirds in tonight’s only game. . . . The Rockets are five points ahead of Kamloops and hold a game in hand. . . . Kamloops and Kelowna will play each other three times next week. . . .

In Victoria, the Lethbridge Hurricanes jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Royals, 5-4. . . . F Sam Mckechnie’s 25th goal, at 7:11 of the first, via a PP, gave Lethbridge a 3-0 lead. . . . The Royals tie it on D Jordan Fransoo’s sixth goal at 9:32 of the second, also on a PP. . . . Lethbridge D Adam Henry broke the 3-3 tie with his fourth goal at 15:25 of the second and F Jamal Watson, with his second of the game and 16th of the season, scored shorthanded to stretch the visitors’ lead. . . . Victoria F Jamie Crooks got his 31st goal at 19:33. . . . Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 44 shots. . . . Victoria F Logan Nelson had two goals, giving him 10, and an assist. These were Nelson’s first goals since he returned from injury on Feb. 15. He has played six games after not playing since Dec. 28. . . . The Royals have lost seven in a row. . . . Victoria F Logan Fisher left the ice surface on a stretcher after taking a check from Lethbridge F Graham Hood in the second period. There was no word on Fisher’s condition immediately after the game. Later, the Royals’ Twitter account contained this:  “Coach (Dave) Lowry on Logan Fisher’s condition: ‘Logan was taken to hospital and is being evaluated as we speak.’ ”. . . Hood wasn’t penalized on the play. . . . The Royals are sixth in the Western Conference, seven points behind Spokane. . . . The Hurricanes remain five points out of the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot. . . .

In Everett, D Brenden Kichton scored twice to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 victory over the Silvertips. . . . Kichton has 20 goals this season. . . . His 19th goal broke a 1-1 tie on a PP with 0.5 seconds left in the first period. . . . Spokane F Todd Fiddler got his 40th goal in the second period. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal, who has been playing some defence to cover for injuries, had two assists. . . . Everett holds down the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. It is five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars. . . . The fifth-place Chiefs are one point behind the Tri-City Americans.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Vanstone, Regina
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Saskatoon Blades F Josh Nicholls (@Jnicks20): “Shout out to my homie @nate_burns19 on scoring the shoot out winner tonight and keeping the #heeater alive #17Straight #wegood #scarygood”

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The Moose Jaw Civic Centre goes into today with a 3-0 lead over the demolition crew.
The Crushed Can was to have been down by now but it just hasn’t happened.
The latest delay comes about after workers discovered a lot more rebar in the concrete than they had anticipated.
There’s more right here.
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The Victoria Royals have signed D Jack Walker, 16, to a WHL contract. Walker, from Edina, Minn., is the younger brother of Royals F Ben Walker, who is preparing for his second WHL season. . . . Jack played for the gold medal-winning U.S. team at the U-17 Five Nations tournament earlier this month in Chomutov, Czech Republic, earning one assist in four games. Barry Smith, a former head coach with the Kamloops Blazers, was the head coach of the U.S. team.
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JUST NOTES: G Luke Lee-Knight, 19, who played last season with the Prince Albert Raiders and Spokane Chiefs, is in camp with the Tri-City Americans. . . .  The AJHL’s Canmore Eagles – former WHLer Andrew Milne is their GM and head coach – have dealt G Michael Salmon (Seattle, Prince George, 2008-12) to the SJHL’s Notre Dame Hounds. Salmon, 20, is a native of Red Deer. . . . The Spokane Chiefs are keeping G Mac Engel (high ankle sprain) and F Marek Kalus (upper body) off the ice for now. . . . Jess Brown of the Spokane Spokesman-Review also reported that F Tanner MacMaster, the Chiefs’ first-round selection, 19th overall, in the 2011 bantam draft, didn’t report to camp. Neither did F Rhett Gardner, the Chiefs’ second-round selection in 2011. . . . The Red Deer Rebels have lost two players as F Marc Mackenzie, who will be 19 in November, and F Mason Burr, 18, have chosen to move on. Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that MacKenzie has returned to Kelowna-Okanagan College, while Burr has decided to leave hockey. Burr was a second-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. Mackenzie, who is from Kelowna, started last season with the now-defunct Okanagan College Coyotes, joining the Rebels in time to play 31 games. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Silvertips are without a couple of veterans early in camp. F Ryan Harrison, 20, is out with mononucleosis and may miss the start of the regular season. Of course, he also has four games left over from a suspension that he has yet to serve. F Kohl Bauml, meanwhile, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. . . . The Silvertips also held G Austin Lotz (hamstring) out on Thursday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Regina Pats have signed assistant coaches Malcolm Cameron and Josh Dixon to one-year contract extensions that will take them through 2013-14. The contracts of general manager Chad Lang and head coach Pat Conacher also run through 2013-14. . . . All three coaches are heading into their second seasons in Regina. . . .
Former NHL D Jamie Heward has joined the Swift Current Broncos as an assistant coach and director of player development. Heward, who is from Regina and played four seasons with the Pats (1987-91), will work alongside GM/head coach Mark Lamb and assistant coach Darren Evjen in Swift Current. Heward, 41, retired after the 2008-09 season. . . . With Heward now under contract to Swift Current, perhaps his name no longer will surface in rumours every time the Pats are about to be sold. Then again, maybe not. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels chose not to renew the contract of assistant coach Chris Neiszner, leaving GM/head coach Jesse Wallin and assistant coach Bryce Thoma to run the club. Neiszner, who played four seasons (2001-05) with the Rebels, was on the coaching staff for two seasons. . . . The decision was made because owner Brent Sutter is back in the neighbourhood. “With Brent being back full-time we just felt that he's going to be able to be a lot more involved," Wallin told Red Deer media. "He'll be able to help me out with a lot of the GM duties and alleviate a lot of that, which will allow me to focus a lot more on the coaching side of things." . . . Troy Gillard at bigdrivesports.blogspot.ca reports that Neiszner now is working with Hockey Alberta. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs announced Thursday that Kevin Sawyer will serve as an interim assitant coach when head coach Don Nachbaur leaves for the World Junior Championship where he is to work as an assistant coach with Team Canada. With Nachbaur away, veteran assistant Jon Klemm will run the Chiefs. . . . Nachbaur, who is scheduled to leave the Chiefs on Dec. 8, might miss as many as 11 games. . . . The WJC will be held in Ufa, Russia, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 6. . . . Sawyer, who played three seasons with the Chiefs and was the team captain in 1993-94, is a familiar face around the Chiefs. He has been a guest coach in training camp for the past few seasons and will work with the club a lot between now and December. . . . Steve Spott (Kitchener Rangers) is Team Canada’s head coach, while the other assistants are Mario Duhamel (Drummondville Voltigeurs) and André Tourigny (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies).
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Gregg Doyel, a national columnist with CBSSports.com, has today’s good read. He chats with Scott Collie, a former football player whose son Austin is a receiver with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. On Sunday, Austin suffered his fourth concussion since November 2010. Read this to find out how a father feels when he sees his son go down again.
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By now, you are aware that David Branch, who heads up the OHL and the CHL, issued a statement on Wednesday regarding the upstart CHLPA. As expected, there weren’t any surprises in what was a brief and emotionless statement.
Later in the day, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau, who is a CHL vice-president, issued a statement that just about knocked me off my chair. It didn’t appear to get much play, so in case you missed it, here it is, unedited and in its entirety:
“The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, wanted to correct the allegations made on various forums in the past several days. The QMJHL protests the lies and half-truths expressed on the treatment of our players, especially regarding the health, wellness and support. The great family of the QMJHL is outraged by these gratuitous and unfounded statements.
“We are always on the forefront of new initiatives and new trends in order to develop the sport of hockey. In recent years, we have been proactive in order to improve our support by the creation of numerous programs such as players support program, education programs, anti-doping programs and programs to fight against discrimination. In addition, we have added resources to ensure the implementation and enforcement of these programs within our teams.
“The QMJHL is a SCHOOL OF LIFE. For years we have worked tirelessly to adequately supervise athletes, particularly in terms of continuous academic achievement.
“Our role is to provide guidance to young people enabling them to pursue their passion and their sport while studying and developing as a citizen.
This is why there are mechanisms to expose and correct any inappropriate behaviour. In addition, the League has put in place a player support program to enable players to better manage the challenges they face and solve their personal problems before they become serious. This program provides personalized support in a timely manner or on a regular basis and this, in complete confidentiality.
“With respect to nutrition: All players benefit from the services of highly qualified personnel to educate them about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet. The teams provide the players with the services of a nutritionist to help them make the right choices in terms of nutrition.
“With respect to health: Teams hire certified individuals, such as physicians, athletic therapists, neuropsychologists and fitness coaches to ensure the players' health. In addition, the protection of our players continues to be a priority. For this reason, the League has put in place a concussion safety program to educate players as to the consequences of hits to the head.
“With respect to violence: The League has taken a series of measures aimed at preventing and countering violence occurring during games and has a zero tolerance policy with respect to gratuitous violence. These measures were developed based on the report of an Advisory Committee on Violence created in 2008 by the League Commissioner. On the other hand, the League adopted a widely publicized charter on the prevention of violence which now serves as a reference and awareness tool.
“With respect to education: While QMJHL student-athletes face a number of challenges, success in academics is no longer an exception but the norm among the 18 teams of the League. The motivation, the discipline and the efforts of the players, combined with the support extended by their teachers, the school advisors of their CEGEP, as well as the academic advisor of their team, can certainly explain the success witnessed these past years.
“With respect to grants: If the League supports its hockey players in pursuing their academic endeavours throughout their junior career, it also offers a generous scholarship program to those who wish to pursue professional or university education immediately following their hockey career.
“This program is recognized as one of the best among Canada's sports leagues. Each year, the League invests several hundred thousand dollars. Since the inception of the scholarship program, more than $8 million have been distributed.
For the 2010-11 season only, the League awarded close to half a million dollars in scholarships to some 129 former hockey players. With respect to the amounts granted to players: The teams cover the full amount of sport and education related costs, which represents amounts that reach several thousand dollars per player. For this reason they receive allocations and not wages during the season.
“With regard to the control of illicit substances: As part of the anti-doping policy, the League implemented a series of informational and educational programs in order to persuade players to avoid using illegal substances and methods. It also encourages the management staff to keep a watchful eye on its players and to protect their health and promote clean sport.
“With respect to traveling: We realize that sometimes during the season long trips are necessary, but they are infrequent. Our owners and managers often discuss this issue in order to find solutions to minimize the hardships for the players.
“The League is: A true school of life. It offers a real opportunity for young players to attain their dream of achieving the professional ranks, but first and foremost, it provides them with the support and the necessary academic tools so they can live fulfilling lives and contribute to the development of our society. Our role is to provide a living environment favourable to their development as an athlete and as a citizen.”
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As for the CHLPA, I have felt for some time now — likely since the CHL adopted its anti-doping policy — that something like this would show up sooner or later. Major junior players definitely need someone or an association to advocate on their behalf.
It’s just that when it happened I thought it would be a little more professional than what we have witnessed to this point.
In fact, what we have seen from the CHLPA to date hasn’t been much. Plain and simple, the ducks don’t seem to be in a row and they really needed to be before this production got to this stage.
I won’t argue with anyone who claims that major junior players should be better paid and that the education policy could have another year or two added to the option-to-use after a career ends.
As well, the anti-doping program got dropped on the players without their having any say.
There are all kinds of things like those that could be dealt with in one form or another, from working conditions (is it fair for players to have to play three games in less than 48 hours on occasion?) to the lack of an appeal process on matters of discipline.
And it’s great that all of these things and more are having some light shed on them these days.
But let me ask you this: If you had a son playing in the CHL, based on what you have seen and heard this week, would you want the CHLPA representing him?

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