Showing posts with label Ted Clarke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ted Clarke. Show all posts

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Cougars redo ticketing system ... Peterson has seen it all in Nashville ... Ex-WHL goalie retires


The Prince George Cougars, having lost a big chunk of change over the past three seasons, have moved to a new ticket-pricing system. As Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen writes: “The team has dropped age-based pricing and will instead sell tickets based on where the seats are located in the arena.”
Greg Pocock, the franchise’s president, told Clarke:
"We've lost $2.3 million in three years and we can't continue to provide the players with the experience they're getting, that they've earned and deserve, and lose that kind of money. It's not sustainable.
“Projecting forward, this will put us up in the middle of the league in our pricing structure and it should encourage more people to come out and enjoy Cougars hockey.”
Here’s how Clarke explained the new pricing system:
“The team has set up four tiers of ticket-pricing for season memberships. A premium centre ice red ticket in the two main sections of the arena which starts a few seats shy of each goal line on either side will cost $728. The next most expensive tickets ($576) are in the blue section to the sides and behind the goal in what will be the Cougars' attacking end for the first and third periods.
“Seats in the white section, which will be to the sides and behind the goal the Cougars will defend for two periods, are priced at $420. The cheapest seats ($252 for a full 36-game season) are in the green section and will be in the first four rows in either end. Based on a 36-game schedule, the per-game ticket cost is $20.20 (red), $16 (blue), $11.67 (white) and $7 (green).”
Clarke’s complete story is right here.
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Back in the day, Brent Peterson was a player (1974-78) with the Edmonton Oil Kings/Portland Winterhawks and a coach (1991-98) with Portland. He was the Winterhawks’ head coach when they won the 1998 Memorial Cup. . . . These days, he’s getting ready for the Stanley Cup final as a radio analyst on the Nashville Predators’ radio crew. Peterson, 59, has been with the Predators since Day 1, so you know how much this means to him. He was on the coaching staff until Parkinson’s disease made that untenable. . . . Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail has more on Peterson’s story right here.
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Nathan Lieuwen played in the WHL for seasons (2008-12) in the WHL, all of them tending goal for the Kootenay Ice. He’s 25 years of age now and has chosen to retire from hockey. He got into seven NHL games during his career, all of them with the Buffalo Sabres, but he got run over in the last one and ended up with a concussion, one that has had an impact on his vision. . . . Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada has more in his 30 Thoughts and it’s all right here.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:07 PM
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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Source: Silvertips have deal with coach ... Brooks skating, but future uncertain ... Cougars lose goaltender


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 The Everett Silvertips appear poised to introduce Dennis Williams as their new head coach.
He would replace Kevin Constantine, who was told on April 18 that his contract wouldn’t be renewed.
Constantine, in his second go-round with the Silvertips, had been their head coach through four seasons.
One source told Taking Note on Thursday that he has heard from “a few different people that Everett has a done deal” with Williams. This was the second time in two days that Taking Note has received the same information from different sources.
Williams, 37, is a native of Stratford, Ont., He has spent three seasons as the general manager of hockey operations and head coach of the USHL’s Bloomington, Ill., Thunder. One source told Taking Note that Williams has two years left on his contract with Bloomington.
Before working with the Thunder, Williams was the director of hockey operations and head coach with the NAHL’s Amarillo, Texas, Bulls.
The Silvertips, Thunder and Bulls are owned by CSH International, Inc., the sports property division of The Monarch Corporation, a private investment company that is headquartered in Medicine Hat and is headed up by Bill Yuill, its chairman.
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The WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup resumes tonight (Friday) in Kent, Wash., with the Regina Pats and Seattle Thunderbirds each having won twice. The Thunderbirds posted the most convincing victory over the series on Wednesday when they skated to a 6-1 victory.
The Pats, of course, have been without F Adam Brooks since he suffered a suspected concussion when he was hit by Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit during Game 1. Brooks, who won last season's WHL scoring title, put up 250 points between last season and this one.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported Thursday that “Brooks is skating but it remains to be seen when he’ll get the green light.”
John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, told Harder: “I don’t really have an answer. I definitely think there’s a chance to a good chance (he’ll play again in the series). In saying that, he’s not a lock to play (Friday) or the next two games after that.”
After Game 5, the teams will return to Regina for Game 6, which is scheduled for Sunday, and Game 7, if necessary, on Monday.
Harder’s complete story is right here.
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G Nick McBride has told the Prince George Cougars that he won’t be returning for his 20-year-old
NICK McBRIDE
season. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen reports that McBride informed the Cougars of his decision “about a month ago.” . . . This season, McBride played in 22 games, going 14-5-1, 3.05, .903, as he backed up Ty Edmonds, 20, who made 53 appearances. . . . A native of Maple Ridge, B.C., McBride started his WHL career with the Prince Albert Raiders. He played two seasons there, before being dealt to the Cougars. . . . McBride, a former WHL scholastic player of the year, is expected to attend school rather than return to the Cougars. . . . Tavin Grant, 19, would appear to be No. 1 on the Cougars’ depth chart now. He played this season with the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. Also on the depth chart is G Taylor Gauthier, the ninth overall selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Gauthier, 16, played this season with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. . . . According to Clarke, the Cougars also will bring in Ty Taylor, who turns 18 on July 5. He played this season with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. . . . McBride is the second goaltender to leave the WHL for school in recent days, rather than return for his 20-year-old season. Zach Sawchenko won’t be back with the Moose Jaw Warriors, choosing instead to attend the U of Alberta and play for the Golden Bears. . . . Clarke’s story is right here.
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D Dallas Valentine, who played out his junior eligibility with the Kamloops Blazers this season, has decided to attend the U of Lethbridge and play for the Pronghorns. Valentine, who is from Red Deer, played four seasons in the WHL. Six games into his third season, the Moose Jaw Warriors traded him to the Blazers. . . . In 260 regular-season games, the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder had 10 goals and 55 assists.
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Aaron Keller, who has played and coach in Japan since 1997, announced his retirement via Facebook on Thursday. Keller, 42, is a native of Kamloops. A defenceman, he played four seasons (1992-96) with the Kamloops Blazers and was part of two Memorial Cup-championship teams (1994 and 1995). . . . Keller played one season of pro in North America, before joining the Snow Brand Sapporo in Japan for the 1997-98 season. Since 2002-03, he has been part of the Oji Eagles’ organization. He also represented Japan in various international competitions. Keller last played in 2013-14. This season, he was the Eagles’ head coach.
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The Red Deer Rebels have brought back a familiar face as their athletic therapist. The team announced that Josh Guenther has left the team, “due to personal reasons,” after one season, and that it has hired Terence Robertson as athletic therapist. . . . Robertson was the team’s athletic therapist from 2004-13. Since 2013, he was with Collegiate Athletic & Sports Medicine in Red Deer.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Kaden Kohle to a WHL contract. The Americans selected Kohle, who is from Humboldt, Sask., in the first round — 12th overall — of the 2017 WHL bantam draft. This season, Kohle, 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds. had 66 points, including 38 goals, in 29 games with the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos. In 2015-16, he had 12 goals and 14 assists in 26 games with the Broncos.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m. (Series tied, 2-2)

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:39 PM
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Thursday, January 19, 2017

CHL releases financial figures ... SPHL team in bus crash ... Phillips burns Oil Kings again


While one WHL team had pre-tax net income of $9,074,157 from 2012 through 2016, another lost $6,278,354 from 2012 through 2015.
The figures are part of a summary of financial information prepared by KPMG and dated Dec. 22, 2016, as ordered by a Calgary judge last year. 
The Canadian Hockey League, the OHL and WHL are facing a potential class-action lawsuit in which more than 370 former and present major junior players are asking to be paid minimum wage and such things as holiday pay and overtime.
Teams were ordered by a Calgary judge to compile and submit financial information, including tax statements, from 2011 through 2016. Twenty WHL teams prepared the information through 2016, while two — the Portland Winterhawks and Prince George Cougars — filed through 2015. All of this was audited by KPMG, which also prepared affidavits for the court.
Teams in the report aren’t identified; rather, they are numbered 1 through 22.
Team 8 averaged a net pre-tax income of $1,814,831 for the five years, while Team 18 lost an average of $1,569,589 in the first four of those years.
According to a five-year summary, the WHL had 11 teams show a profit over that period, with the other 11 losing money.
Team 8 was far and away the most profitable of the teams, with Team 15 next in line, showing an average net income of $509,593 for the five years, boosted by a net income of $1,238,831 in 2016.
The report shows just how volatile the major junior market can be. For example, Team 11 claimed a net loss of $807,627 in 2013, a net income of $193,133 for 2014 and $849,128 for 2015. In 2016, that figure was $349,318. Meanwhile, Team 13 followed four straight profitable years with a loss of $890 for 2016.
Five of the 22 teams showed a profit in each of the five years, while three others lost money each year.
While Team 8 showed a seven-figure profit in four of the five years, only one other team had such a single-year profit. Team 15 showed a net income of $1,238,831 for 2016. 
The report shows that the WHL had five-year total revenues of $375,718,507, with operating expenses of $347,047,705, meaning that its five-year operating profit was $1,670,802.
Factoring in other income and expenses, defined by KPMG as “income and expenses resulting from transactions that are outside of regular operations,” the WHL as an entity showed a pre-tax loss of $1,065,792 over the period in question.
There are enough figures in all of this to choke a horse, but of interest . . . 
In 2012, each WHL team received $76,400 — a total of $1,680,800 — from the World Junior Championship that was held in Calgary and Edmonton.
In 2013, each WHL team received $148,913 — a total of $3,276,088 — from the Memorial Cup that was held in Saskatoon.
In 2015, each of the 22 teams got $43,043 — a total of $946,946 — from the WJC that was held in Montreal and Toronto.
In 2016, each team got $118,477 — a total of $2,606,494 — from the Memorial Cup that was held in Red Deer.
The report also shows that WHL teams have paid out $9,675,219 in education money over the five years, an annual average of $1,935,044. That includes $2,195,925 in 2016.
Interestingly, all of this information was turned over to the court after which TSN’s Rick Westhead reported that “the CHL has asked a judge to seal those records, which will be used to establish the profitability of the teams and major junior leagues.” The CHL issued a news release Thursday night that included all of the information.
That news release is right here.
It is believed that the parties are to appear in court in Calgary on Jan. 24.
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The Portland Winterhawks Booster Club is rolling this week with 43 members riding a bus as it follows the team on a four-game B.C. Division swing. Club members had a great time in Prince George on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, will be in Kamloops for a game tonight and in Kelowna on Saturday night. . . . Included on the trip is ‘Rowdy’ Ardyce Moore, who, according to Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen, “considers herself the troublemaker of the bunch.” Ardyce is 91 years of age and has been attending games since the Winterhawks relocated from Edmonton in 1976. . . . Clarke’s story is right here.
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The City of Nanaimo is expected to hold a referendum on March 11 that will involve the potential building of an events centre that will include a hockey arena. Before then, however, there are a lot of questions to be answered, including: Exactly what will be the referendum question?
Kendall Hanson of CHEK News has more right here.
Meanwhile, the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers are wondering what might be in their future. “We’re in a precarious situation,” David LeNeveu, who owns a piece o the franchise and is its president and governor, told Mario Annicchiarico of the Victoria Times Colonist. “Obviously, if a WHL team comes to Nanaimo, that could displace the Clippers. There’s been no decision made on that side. We’ve been working with the league to protect the league and protect ourselves and everyone involved, but there’s not much to say until March 11 happens. Everything is up in the air until that vote goes one way or another.”
That story is right here.
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G Brandon Jaeger of the SPHL’s Columbus Cottonmouths was in hospital being treated for what is believed to be a broken leg on Thursday night after the team bus rolled as it made its way to Peoria, Ill., for a Friday night game. . . . Jaeger, 26, is from Champlin, Minn., who played two seasons with the Wenatchee Wild when that franchise was in the NAHL. He is in his second season with the Cottonmouths. . . . Originally, all 24 people on board the bus were taken to hospital. That included Jerome Bechard, the general manager and head coach. Bechard, from Regina, played four seasons (1986-90) with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Allan Dawlford of Smiths Station, Ala., the 74-year-old bus driver, also remains in hospital in fair condition. He is to be charged with failure to reduce speed in order to avoid a crash. . . . The Columbus roster includes at least two former WHLers — D Spencer Galbraith (Brandon, Lethbridge, Calgary, 2010-14) and D Petr Senkerik (Kootenay, Prince George, 2009-10). . . . David Eminian of the Peoria Journal Store has more right here.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:

At Edmonton, F Matt Phillips scored three times and F Tyler Soy had four assists as the Victoria Royals
MATT PHILLIPS
doubled the Oil Kings, 6-3. . . . Phillips, who has 32 goals, put up his fourth career hat trick. Three of those, including two this season, have come against Edmonton. . . . D Will Warm (7) gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 8:41 of the first period. . . . Phillips tied it, on a PP, at 12:16. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky scored his 13th goal, on a PP, at 15:07 to give the home side a 2-1 edge. . . . Victoria tied it when F Jack Walker scored No. 22, on a PP, at 16:48. . . . Edmonton went in front again at 1:57 of the second period when F Artyom Baltruk scored his second goal of the season. . . . D Chaz Reddekopp (8) pulled the Royals back into a tie, with a shorthanded score, at 5:38. . . . Phillips broke the tie at 17:33. . . . F Jared Dmytriw added insurance with his ninth goal, at 6:42 of the third period, and Phillips completed his hat trick at 15:07. . . . Soy drew the primary assist on each of Phillips’ goals and also set up Reddekopp’s shorthanded goal. . . . Victoria D Marsel Ibragimov had two assists, with Walker and Reddekopp adding one each. . . . Fix-Wolansky also had an assist. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 18 shots for the Royals, while Edmonton’s Patrick Dea blocked 36. . . . Victoria was 2-8 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-4. . . . The Royals (25-18-4) have won three in a row. They hold down the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot and are two points behind the third-place Kelowna Rockets in the B.C. Division. . . . The Oil Kings (18-23-4) have lost six straight and are two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 6,389.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Victoria at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
Portland at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Regina, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Kootenay vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:43 PM
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Sunday, November 27, 2016

Hay: Cunningham 'special person' . . . Steinke checks on Tigers . . . Oil Kings end trip with win


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Don Hay’s face lights up and there’s a glint in his eyes when you ask him about his relationship with Craig Cunningham.
And then Hay’s face settles into something that reminds you of a father thinking of a son or a grandfather a grandson.
Cunningham played five seasons in the WHL, totalling 409 regular-season and playoff games, all but 56 of them with the Hay-coached Vancouver Giants.
Cunningham is in critical but stable condition in Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz.,
CRAIG CUNNINGHAM
although he has yet to regain consciousness after collapsing on the ice prior to an AHL game between the host Roadrunners and Manitoba Moose on Sept. 19.
Cunningham, 26, was the captain of the Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. He had put up 13 points, including four goals, in 11 games.
The fact that he also captained the two other AHL teams on which he has played — the Springfield Falcons and Providence Bruins — tells you a lot about Cunningham’s character. Yes, he also captained Hay’s Giants.
“I had him since he was 15 at training camp,” Hay said. From Trail, B.C., Cunningham was a seventh-round pick by the Giants in the WHL’s 2005 bantam draft. Of course, he wasn’t eligible to play full-time in the WHL in 2005-06 and, according to Hay, wasn’t expected to play with the Giants the following season.
“At 16,” Hay said, “he wasn’t in our plans.”
Before training camp started, prior to the 2006-07 season, the Giants had three other 16-year-olds ahead of Cunningham — forwards Lance Bouma, Wacey Hamilton and James Wright. However, Hamilton, who is from Cochrane, Alta., wanted to play closer to home and subsequently was traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
“Craig was the next guy on the list,” Hay said. “He didn’t score as a 16-year-old (Cunningham managed five assists in 48 games), but he did everything right and he was such a coachable guy.
“At 19, he was one of our top scorers. At 20, he was our captain.”
In his 19-year-old season, Cunningham finished with 97 points, 37 of them goals, and was the Western
Don Hay (left) coached the Vancouver Giants while
Craig Cunningham played there.
(Photo: Vancouver Giants)
Conference’s nominee as the WHL’s player of the year.
Hay calls those 16-year-olds “a special bunch.”
The Giants won 45 regular-season games in 2006-07, with that special bunch. They lost the WHL championship in seven games to the Medicine Hat Tigers, but went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team.
Over the following three seasons, Vancouver won 49, 57 and 41 regular-season games. Although another title eluded them, they played in 43 playoff games through those three seasons.
“When we were able to win,” Hay said, “all they knew was winning and they knew how hard they had to work to win.”
On Dec. 28, 2010, the Giants dealt the 20-year-old Cunningham to the Portland Winterhawks for forwards Spencer Bennett and Teal Burns, a 2011 first-round draft pick and a second-rounder in 2012. (The Giants used that first-rounder on F Thomas Foster; they took F Jesse Roach with the 2012 pick.)
In the spring of 2011, the Winterhawks lost in the WHL’s championship final. It was the first of their four straight appearances in the final.
“It’s why Portland wanted (Cunningham),” Hay said. “He taught guys like (Nic) Petan how to win.”
Hay has kept in touch with Cunningham, talking to him “over the summers.”
The veteran coach said he was “shocked” when he heard that Cunningham had collapsed and been taken to hospital.
“It’s different when you have feeling for someone,” Hay said. “I know his life and how hard he has had to work to get to where he is.
“He is just a special person.”

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The Kelowna Rockets dressed only 16 skaters, including 10 forwards, on Saturday night when they beat the visiting Regina Pats, 3-2 in overtime. The Rockets scratched two injured players — F Riley Stadel,
who is out with an undisclosed injury, and D Gordie Ballhorn, who is believed to have injured a hand in a fight with F Jack Walker of the Victoria Royals earlier this month. Also scratched were F Jake Kryski, F Jack Cowell and F Conner Bruggen-Cate.
I am told that Kelowna head coach Jason Smith was asked after Saturday’s game if the players who weren’t dressed all were injured and he chose not to comment, other than to say it was a hockey decision.
Kryski, 18, now has missed three straight games — he last played on Nov. 18 in a 5-3 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants — but wasn’t listed as being injured on the WHL’s Nov. 22 roster report. He sat out a doubleheader in Victoria as the Rockets beat the Royals 5-1 on Nov. 20 and then lost 6-2 on Nov. 22.
Kryski had 14 points, including five goals, in 20 games. In his last eight games, he had two goals and five assists.
Kryski was selected 13th overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. He was traded to the Kamloops Blazers and they moved him to the Rockets 
The Rockets acquired him from the Kamloops Blazers on Aug. 18, giving up D Joe Gatenby, D Danny Gatenby — yes, they are brothers — and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft.
When I inquired Sunday night about Kryski’s status, a Rockets official replied with: “No comment.”
Kelowna next is scheduled to play Wednesday when it is to visit the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash.
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While many observers were watching the Everett Silvertips, Prince George Cougars and Regina Pats dance around at the top of the WHL standings, the Medicine Hat Tigers skated past them all. . . . Yes, the Tigers are atop the 22-team WHL’s overall standings, which is what can happen when a team goes on a nine-game winning streak. . . . The Tigers ran that streak to nine with an 8-2 victory over the host Saskatoon Blades on Saturday night. . . . Darren Steinke has more on the Tigers and their success right here.
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Meanwhile, the Prince George Cougars are in their third season under new ownership and, yes, things are going pretty well. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen talks with Greg Pocock, the franchise’s president, about what has gone right. And, as Clarke points out, you can’t discount the drafting done by former general manager Dallas Thompson. That’s all right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Cranbrook, B.C., F Lane Bauer broke a 2-2 tie at 15:47 of the second period and the Edmonton Oil Kings went on to post a 5-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Both teams had played Saturday night and
LANE BAUER
this game started at 4 p.m. The Oil Kings were coming off a 6-5 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane, while the Ice lost 4-3 to the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . Edmonton (12-13-2) has won two in a row to finish off a stretch of seven road games in seven days. The Oil Kings won four of those games. . . . The Ice (5-16-6) has lost three straight. . . . Kootenay F Zak Zborosky became the WHL’s third 20-goal man when he scored on a PP at 6:30 of the first period. . . . Edmonton took the lead on goals from F Colton Kehler (7) at 8:11 and F Kobe Mohr (5) at 10:15. . . . Kootenay D Cale Fleury (6) tied it at 13:53 of the second period. . . . Bauer then scored two straight PP goals, giving him 16. He broke the tie at 15:47 of the second and added insurance at 8:01 of the third period. . . . Oil Kings F Tyler Robertson (9), who had two assists, added insurance with another PP goal at 11:12. . . . Ice D Fedor Rudakov (3) closed out the scoring at 18:48. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving had two assists, while Mohr added one to his goal. . . . Zborosky also had an assist for the Ice. Zborosky, F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans and F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead, each with 20 scores. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine stopped 36 shots to earn his first victory in his first WHL start. An 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., he had been with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves  until joining the Oil Kings a couple of weeks ago after G Liam Hughes went down with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . The Oil Kings were 3-8 on the PP; the Ice was 1-5. . . . Ice D Troy Murray left with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Edmonton F Artyom Baltruk at 11:46 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 1,499, the smallest crowd in Cranbrook this season.
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At Portland, freshman F Brad Ginnell, who has some WHL in his blood, broke a 3-3 tie at 13:54 of the third period and the Winterhawks went on to a 6-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . This was
BRAD GINNELL
an afternoon game, with a 2 o’clock faceoff. The Cougars had played Saturday night, losing 3-0 to the host Everett Silvertips, while the Winterhawks enjoyed a night off. . . . Portland (13-12-1) now has points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Cougars (18-6-2) have lost two in a row. . . . The late Pat (Patty) Ginnell, the legendary coach, was Brad’s grandfather. Brad’s father, Erin, scouts for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and played in the WHL with the New Westminster Bruins, Calgary Wranglers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos (1985-87). . . . Brad was a fifth-round pick by Portland in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Ginnell’s second goal of the season was his first game-winner. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld (9) opened the scoring at 8:21 of the first period, only to have Prince George D Brendan Guhle (4) tie it on a PP at 13:35. . . . The Winterhawks then took a 3-1 lead as D Henri Jokiharju (2) scored at 6:09 of the second period and F Cody Glass got his 13th, on a PP, at 12:15. . . . F Colby McAuley (11) followed with two goals, at 15:50 of the second and 11:54 of the third. . . . After Ginnell snapped the tie, F Brendan De Jong (5) added insurance at 14:40 and D Keoni Texeira (7) got the empty-netter, at 18:27. . . . Portland got two assists from F Jake Gricius, while Jokiharju added an assist to his goal. . . . F Aaron Boyd had two assists for the Cougars. . . . The Winterhawks got 39 saves from G Cole Kehler, while Nick McBride turned aside 27 for the Cougars. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-3 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-5. . . . D Sam Ruopp of the Cougars, who is their captain, served the final game of an eight-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 3,164.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:47 PM
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Sunday, June 7, 2015

Report: Leafs make offer to McCrimmon . . . Tigers sign two D-men . . . Raiders newser today



Most Sundays, the Toronto Sun contains a column of odds and ends that is written by Steve Simmons. The NHLone that appeared yesterday included this:
“Leafs have an offer on the table with Kelly McCrimmon, owner, general manager and coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. When (Leafs president Brendan) Shanahan was hiring Mark Hunter, he kept asking people who are the best talent evaluators in the business: Hunter’s name always came up, right along with McCrimmon. The question with McCrimmon: Whether he wants to walk away from junior hockey empire for an NHL gig?”
There has been enough smoke involving the Maple Leafs and McCrimmon over the past few days that there obviously is something going on here.
There was a time, and not that long ago, when McCrimmon would have jumped at an opportunity such as this. That was then; this is now.
The difference now is that he has put together a team that reached the WHL final this season, a team that is poised for a dominant WHL season in 2015-16, and you can bet that the decision facing McCrimmon is much tougher than it would have been.
One thing is for certain — he wouldn’t consider leaving unless he knew he was leaving the Wheat Kings in good hands. That isn’t a problem off the ice, where his front-office staff, led by Rick Dillabough and Lyn Shannon, is second to none.
But should he leave, who would be the head coach. Assistant coach Darren Ritchie has been on staff for seven seasons, the last three in a full-time position. David Anning has been an assistant coach in Brandon for three seasons.
Should McCrimmon leave, does he promote Ritchie to head coach and bring in another assistant? If that were to happen, who would be the general manager? Or, would McCrimmon hire a general manager/head coach?
Of course, all of this is speculation. At the end of the day, it could be that McCrimmon simply decides to stay put. If he does that, however, he will do it while wondering if the NHL ship will ever come his way again. He’s 54 now, so that is a valid question.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers looked after some signings on Sunday. No, it didn’t have anything to do with a lease for the Canalta Centre. . . . Rather, the Tigers signed two selections, both defencemen, from the 2015 WHL bantam draft. . . . Layne Matechuk was taken with the 39th selection after putting up 38 points in 31 games with the bantam AA Humboldt Broncos. . . . Cole Clayton was taken six picks later. He had 30 points in 33 games with the bantam AAA Rocky Mountain Raiders.
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First, it was FIFA. Then, it was Hope Solo. Both dealt black eyes to soccer. Richard Deitsch, who writes about the media for si.com, takes a look right here at how Fox Sports handled what went on Sunday involving Solo, the goalkeeper for the U.S. national women’s soccer team.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia News is reporting that the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers have interviewed Kris Knoblauch, the head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters. Apparently, the Flyers are looking for a head coach for their AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms. . . . Knoblauch played in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton/Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1996-99) and has coached with the Prince Albert Raiders and the Ice. . . . Seravalli reports that Knoblauch also has spoken with two or three other NHL teams who have openings with their AHL affiliates. . . . Servalli’s report is right here.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have scheduled a news conference for this morning at which they are expected to introduce Curtis Hunt as their new general manager. Hunt resigned Friday as general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Hunt is a former Raiders defenceman who was a freshman on the team that won the 1985 Memorial Cup.
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The Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars will be the host team for the 2017 Telus Cup tournament, at which the national midget AAA championship is decided. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen has more right here.
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AHLIn the AHL, F Nic Dowd scored at 5:36 of OT to give the host Manchester Monarchs a 2-1 victory over the Utica Comets in the Calder Cup final. . . . The Monarchs lead the series 2-0 as the teams head to Utica for Game 3 on Wednesday. . . . Manchester won the opener 3-2 in OT on Saturday. . . . Last night, F Zach O’Brien gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 19:05 of the first period. . . . F Nicklas Jensen pulled the Comets even at 1:12 of the second. . . . Attendance was 6,078. . . . Dowd also had an assist on O’Brien’s goal. . . . The Monarchs are affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings; the Comets with the Vancouver Canucks.
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ECHLIn the ECHL, F Vincent Arsenault’s goal at 8:49 of the second OT gave the visiting Allen Americans a 3-2 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in Game 4 of the Kelly Cup final. . . . The series is 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday in the North Charleston Coliseum. . . . F Dyson Stevenson, who played with the Regina Pats (2010-14), had a goal and an assist as the Americans took a 2-0 lead with goals 29 seconds part in the first period. . . . South Carolina F Caleb Herbert forced OT with a goal at 11:49 of the second period. . . . Attendance was 7,058.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:55 PM
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Stoll buys lunch; Hunt back in coaching game







D Tomáš Kudělka (Lethbridge, 2005-2007) signed 1 yr.plus option contract w/ Pelicans Lahti (Finland, Liiga). (1/2)2/2) Kudělka last season w/ Vitkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga) 47 GP, 1+10.
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1. The long weekend arrived in Kamloops on Thursday at 12:52 p.m. . . . Dorothy and I were at the intersection where the Yellowhead Highway meets Halston. There is a Husky gas station there. As we sat at a red light waiting to turn on to Halston, Dorothy said: “Look. The Husky has two gas prices.” Sure enough. One sign read: $1.32.9. The other read: $1.38.9. . . . “Oh look,” Dorothy said. “The other one is changing.” . . . Hello, Victoria Day long weekend! And, hello, gas at $1.38.9 a litre! But, hey, you knew it was coming. Right? After all, big oil has become as predictable as Christmas in December.

2. Who is Anthony Marquart? Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post answers that question right here, as he writes about the man who heads up the group that has purchased the Regina Pats.

3. If you are wondering about the men who purchased the Prince George Cougars, Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen will introduce you to them right here.

4. The Saskatoon Blades are in search of a general manager and head coach, and Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the process is about to go into the interview stage. That story is right here.

5. A reader of this blog noticed that D Nolan Kneen, who signed with the Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday, played 69 games with the bantam AAA North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks this season. “As a bantam. No time to practise, I guess,” the reader writes. “Fourteen- and 15-year-olds playing 69 games. Holy Hannah! So the Dub has a 72-game sked to get players ‘ready for the NHL’ and bantams are now playing nearly the same amount, I presume, to get them ready for the Dub. Pretty soon, Initiation A players will have 70-game sked to get them ready for Initiation B, etc., etc.” . . . A check of the pre-draft numbers at Small Thoughts at Large shows that Kneen played at least 84 games, what with appearances at the St. Albert tournament, the Western Canadian championship and the U16 B.C. Cup. He turned 15 on March 22.

6. On May 13. 1989, the Swift Current Broncos beat the host Saskatoon Blades 4-3 in overtime to win the Memorial Cup. The championship team’s roster included seven players who had been involved in a bus accident on Dec. 30, 1986, in which four teammates were killed. . . . F Tim Tisdale scored the OT goal in that game. Also on the ice for the GWG were were G Trevor Kruger, D Darren Kruger, D Bob Wilkie, F Kyle Reeves and F Brian Sakic. . . . Brad Brown has chatted with all six players and his report, strictly through the eyes of those who were there, is right here. . . . If you want to read more about how high the mountain was that those Broncos climbed, you may want to take a look at the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.

7. A tip of the hat to F Jarret Stoll of the Los Angeles Kings. Stoll was born in Melville, Sask., but played most of his minor hockey in Yorkton where he helped the bantam AAA Terriers win the 1997 Western Canadian championship. The SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers are in Vernon, B.C., this week, playing in the RBC Cup for the national junior A championship. . . . On Wednesday, Stoll paid for the Terriers’ pregame meal.
On Thursday morning, the Terriers (@Terriers_SJHL) tweeted: “Terriers thank @jarretstoll for his kind gesture yesterday for the boys. Congrats on the win last night Stolly, getter done in Anaheim tmw.”
To which Stoll, who spent four seasons (1998-2002) with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice, responded: “@Terriers_SJHL you’re welcome guys!! Good day for both of us....keep it going! #RBCcup #BecauseitstheCup”

8. By now, you will be aware of what went on with Boston Bruins F Milan Lucic in the handshake line after he and his teammates were eliminated by the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night. Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette has a piece right here in which he points out Lucic wasn’t really being Boston Strong.

9. The championship game at the 2014 Memorial Cup tournament is to be played Sunday, May 25, in London, Ont. When the schedule was announced, a starting time had yet to be determined. That isn’t the case now. The game, according to the tournament’s website, will start at noon Eastern, which is 9 a.m. Pacific.

10. Ian Douglas has been named the fulltime radio voice of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Douglas, whose career includes time as the play-by-play man with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters and the junior B Kamloops Storm and Chase Chiefs, stepped in last season when the Silverbacks found themselves without a radio voice.
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Willie Desjardins, the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars, has been added to the roster of speakers for the 2014 Hockey Coaches Conference. Desjardins, a former GM and head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, will cover offensive zone play in his presentation. . . . Texas is involved in the AHL playoffs, his Stars and the defending-champion Griffins tied 2-2 in a second-round series that continues tonight in Grand Rapids. . . . The Coaches Conference is scheduled for July 18 and 19 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. For more info, click right here or click on the ad at the top of this page.
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The RBC Cup semifinals in Vernon are scheduled for Saturday. In the first game, the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers will meet the host Vipers, with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings playing the CCHL’s Carleton Place Canadians in the second game. The first game starts at 2 p.m. Pacific, with the second game at 6 p.m. Unless there is OT in the opener, of course. . . . Dauphin was 3-1 in the round-robin portion of the tournament; the other three qualifiers each was 2-2. . . . The OJHL’s Toronto Lakeshore Patriots went 1-3 and were eliminated.
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D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 20, has committed to attending Simon Fraser University and playing for the men’s hockey team there. Berry-Lamontagna (Prince Albert, 2010-12) played this season in the BCHL, splitting it with the Coquitlam Express and Cowichan Valley Capitals. From Vancouver, he had 19 points, six of them goals, in 52 BCHL games this season. . . . He is the first member of SFU’s 2014-15 recruiting class.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F Dawson Holt of Saskatoon. He was the eighth overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. He had 73 points, 35 of them goals, in 26 games with the bantam AA Saskatoon Generals.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mario Pouliot is the new head coach of the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Pouliot spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He also has QMJHL head-coaching experience with the Baie-Comeau Drakker (2010-12). . . . He replaces Ron Choules with the Titan. Choules stepped in for Danny Smith when the latter was fired in January. . . . The Titan finished 22-40-6 this season then were swept in a first-round series with the Val-d’Or Foreurs.
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Curtis Hunt is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. He replaces Gord Thibodeau, who was fired when this season ended and now is on the staff of the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. Thibodeau had been with the Oil Barons for 12 seasons. . . . Hunt spent two seasons (2002-04) as head coach of the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors and six as head coach of the Regina Pats (2004-08, 2009-11). . . . Hunt was an assistant coach with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators (2008-09) and also worked as the head coach of their AHL affiliate the Binghamton Senators that same season. . . . He has won two gold medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s national junior team (2007, 2008) and has been on the coaching staff with Canada’s national sledge hockey team, helping it to, among other medals. bronze at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.
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MEMORIAL CUP
(at London, Ont., all times Eastern)
(all games televised by Sportsnet)
Friday: Val-d’Or vs. London, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Guelph vs. Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Sunday: London vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Monday: Guelph vs. Val-d’Or, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton vs. Val-d’Or, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: London vs. Guelph, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 23: Semifinal, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 24: No game scheduled.
Sunday, May 25: Final, noon.
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 From Jim Parker (@winstarparker): “Expect Oshawa #Generals asst. & former #OHL Windsor #Spitfires captain Paul McFarland to be named Kingston #Frontenacs head coach (Tuesday).”
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From John Duncan (@DuncanOHL): “@winstarparker @vishal_hussain Rumour in Kgn is that Kgn native and former NHLer Jay McKee will be announced on Tues as new FrontHead Coach.”


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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:36 PM
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