Might the KHL be poised to move into Finland?
The Helsinki newspaper Ilta-Sanomat is reporting in its Friday edition that Hartwall Areena in Helsinki has been sold to a pair of Russians, who are reportedly childhood friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that Jokerit Helsinki will withdraw from SM-Liiga to join the KHL.
There isn’t any mention of when this move might occur, and both leagues already have released their 2013-14 schedules.
Still, a news conference has been called for today (4:30 p.m., in Helsinki, which is 6:30 a.m. Pacific).
Another Helsinki newspaper, Iltalehti, reports that it is rumoured that Jokerit has been sold to Gennadi Timtshenko, the president of SKA St. Petersburg. Hartwall Areena is the home of Jokerit.
The purchasers of the Areena are said to be Russian brothers Arkadi and Boris Rotenberg.
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The moves for today . . .
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 36 goals and 22 assists in 48 games with the Ontario Reign (ECHL) and six goals and 12 assists in 28 games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) last season. . . .
F Adam Rehak (Medicine Hat, 2011-12) signed a one-year contract with Meran/Merano (Italy, Austria Inter-National-League). He had 17 goals and 19 assists in 22 games with Vitkovice Ostrava U20 (Czech Republic, Extraliga Junior) last season. . . .
F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Munich (Germany, DEL). He had 13 goals and eight assists in 34 games with Ingolstadt (Germany, DEL) last season.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Taylor Dakers is the new goaltending coach with the Red Deer Rebels. Dakers played four seasons (2003-07) with the Kootenay Ice and was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2005 draft. He has been the goaltending coach with the Everett Silvertips. Dakers works with World Pro Goaltending in Calgary. . . . With Red Deer, he replaces Brent Belecki.
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The AHL’s Manchester Monarchs have signed G Ty Rimmer to an ATO (amateur tryout agreement). Rimmer played out his junior eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, leading the WHL in miutes played (2,310) and saves (2,106). He finished 24-30-10, 3.19, .912. . . . Rimmer, who turns 21 today, is represented by Turning Point Sports Management. . . . The Monarchs are affiliated with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
The Edmonton Oilers have signed F Travis Ewanyk to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Ewanyk, 19, was a third-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. He was limited to 11 games last season because of shoulder problems, but came back in time for the Oil Kings’ championship playoff run. This season, he put up 23 points and had 119 penalty minutes in 58 games.
In Saskatoon, G Cam Lanigan stopped 42 shots as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Blades, 3-0. . . . The Tigers hold a 2-0 lead in the series after sweeping the Blades in a first-round series a year ago. . . . Lanigan has stopped 84 of 85 shots over two games. . . . Saskatoon now has lost 10 straight playoff games. . . . F Trevor Cox got his second goal in two nights, this one on the PP at 3:32 of the second, and it stood as the winner. . . . Medicine Hat F Mile Koules had a goal and an assist. . . . The Blades were without F Jessey Astles, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension under supplemental discipline for a first-period hit on Medicine Hat F Matt Staples, who left the game and didn’t return. Staples, who has concussion-like symptoms, was scratched from Game 2, with F Steven Owre taking his place in the lineup. The length of Astles’ suspension is expected to be finalized on Monday. . . . The Blades inserted F Ryan Graham in Astles’ spot. Saskatoon also dressed D Kyle Schmidt and took out D Nelson Nogier. . . . Saskatoon was without F Erik Benoit (undisclosed) for the first two games. . . .
In Edmonton, F Stephane Legault had a seven-point night as the Oil Kings whipped the Kootenay Ice, 9-0. . . . Legault scored three times, added four assists and was a plus-4. . . . The WHL record for most points in a playoff game is eight, shared by F Dave Chartier of the Brandon Wheat Kings (March 27, 1981) and F Alfie Turcotte of the Portland Winterhawks (March 26, 1983). Chartier had five goals and three assists in a 13-4 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. Turcotte was four and four in a 13-4 victory over the host Seattle Breakers. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 shots for his third career playoff shutout. . . . Edmonton struck for five goals in the last 12 minutes of the first period. . . . F Michael St. Croix had a goal and two assists, F Trevor Cheek had two goals and an assist — and was plus-5 — and D Martin Gernat had three assists. . . . 
In Calgary, G Chris Driedger turned aside 39 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 3-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hitmen led 3-0 before F Adam Lowry ruined Driedger’s shutout bid at 10:19 of the third on a PP. . . . F Cody Sylvester, F Greg Chase and F Victor Rask scored for Calgary, the first two in the second period, the latter in the third. . . . 
In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 31 shots to lead the Rebels to a 3-0 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Bartosak was the Eastern Conference’s first-team all-star goaltender. . . . F Brooks Maxwell scored 25 seconds into the game — he tipped in a point shot by D Brady Gaudet — and the Rebels were never caught. . . . F Rhyse Dieno scored Red Deer’s second goal, at 19:04 of the first. Just before that, at 16:19, Dieno came up short on a penalty shot attempt. . . . Prince Albert G Luke Siemens made 27 saves. . . .
In Spokane, F Alessio Bertaggia broke a 1-1 tie at 11:15 of the first period and the Chiefs went on to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored twice for the Chiefs, while D Brenden Kichton and D Reid Gow each had two assists. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 26 shots. . . . D Brandon Carlo, a 16-year-old from Colorado Springs playing his first WHL game, scored for the Americans. He tied the game at 6:36 of the first period. Carlo is in the lineup replacing the injured Mitch Topping. . . .
In Portland, G Austin Lotz stopped 55 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Lotz, who was making his first career playoff start, has performed this kind of larceny at least one other time. On Feb. 7, he turned aside 65 shots in a 4-3 OT loss in Kamloops. . . . The Silvertips had lost their previous 10 playoff games. . . . F Kohl Bauml scored twice for the Silvertips. His first goal, at 3:25 of the third, gave Everett a 3-1 lead. His second goal, at 12:46, gave Everett a 4-2 lead. . . . Portland fired 22 shots at Lotz in the third period and finally got a PP goal from F Nic Petan with 16 seconds remaining. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 27 shots. . . .
In Kamloops, F JC Lipon broke a 2-2 tie at 4:37 of the third period and the Blazers went on to beat the Victoria Royals, 3-2. . . . Lipon scored twice, while F Steven Hodges had two goals for Victoria. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 22 shots, with 11 of those coming in the third period. He made four game-saving stops in the third period. . . . G Patrik Polivka, who hadn’t played since March 5, was back in goal for the Royals. He made 33 saves. . . . The Royals were without F Alex Gogolev, their leading scorer. He is out long-term after undergoing surgery to repair damage to a leg from a skate cut. . . . Victoria also was without D Tyler Stahl, its captain. Originally, the Royals had him in the lineup, with question marks beside D Ryan Gagnon and D Isaac Schacher. Stahl took the warmup and then was scratched, with Gagnon and Schacher both staying in and playing. . . .
In Kelowna, F Luke Lockhart scored the game’s last two goals as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Rockets, 5-4. . . . The Rockets took a 4-3 lead by scoring in the last minute of the second period (F Tyson Baillie on a PP at 19:02) and in the first minute of the third period (F Myles Bell at 0:59). . . . Lockhart scored at 13:30 to force OT and then won it at 19:09 of the first extra-time period. . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover stopped 35 shots, 10 fewer than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . D Jesse Forsberg and F Roberts Lipsbergs each had a goal and two assists for Seattle. . . . Lipsbergs assists came on Lockhart’s goals. . . . D Damon Severson scored once and added two assists for Kelowna.
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