Robinson visits Moose Jaw . . . Tragedy near Strathmore . . . The best Memorial Cup?

15 yrs ago, Ron Low was named bench boss for the Blueshirts. Low coached 2 seasons but couldn't get NYR to playoffs. pic.twitter.com/oFO79EuHwP

— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) July 12, 2015

If you’re on Twitter, you should be following @opeecheestars. He tweets a lot of old hockey cards that spark a lot of memories.
Like the one of goaltender Ron Low that appeared on Sunday.
Back in the day, Low, who grew up in Foxwarren, Man., played first base for the Binscarth Orioles of the Manitoba Senior Baseball League. He would break in his catching mitts, like the one he’s wearing in that photo, while playing first base. I can remember covering MSBL games for the Brandon Sun when the umpires would bring out a tape measure to check on the legality of Low’s mitt. I can’t ever remember one being declared illegal.
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On Oct. 22, 2006, three players with the Moose Jaw Warriors were involved in a car accident. Joey Perricone and Carter Smith weren’t seriously injured, but Garrett Robinson suffered a serious brain injury and was in a coma for more than a week. . . . Robinson was back in Moose Jaw this week for a Warriors alumni golf tournament and Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald caught up with him. . . . That story is right here.
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Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post is a tremendous baseball writer and an even better essayist. Give a click right here and read one of his latest pieces, this one on Buck Showalter, the manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
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Jon Wertheim covered Wimbledon for Sports Illustrated and he ends his stay with 50 parting thoughts. It’s all right here.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Markus Lavallee, who played for the midget AAA CFR Bisons, who are based in Strathmore, Alta., died in a car accident near there on Saturday. His grandmother also was killed. . . . There’s more right here.
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Which Memorial Cup tournament do you believe was the most exciting? Ken Campbell of The Hockey News says it was the 1990 tournament, one that was won by Eric Lindros and the Oshawa Generals. Campbell makes his case right here.

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.

Wheat Kings poised to deal . . . Grant backstops Cougars to win . . . Pats end skid

With apologies to Blackie Sherrod, we're scattershooting on a Sunday night . . .

1. The Medicine Hat Tigers are one OT loss from being tied for the WHL's best record, and who saw that coming? The Tigers are 11-1-1, while the Kelowna Rockets, at 12-1-0, have the No. 1 record.

2. If you're a baseball fan who is interested in the World Series, you should be listening to ESPN Radio where Dan Shulman and Aaron Boone have been almost as good as San Francisco Giants starter Madison Bumgarner.

3. Hopefully, you have enjoyed Bumgarner's performance in this World Series because it truly is one for the ages. We should take time to appreciate greatness like this when it occurs.

4. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post writes about Bumgarner, his accomplishments and the state of this World Series right here. No, the Kansas City Royals are done.

5. Of course, the World Series will go to a Game 7. How do I know that? Because Game 7 would be played on Wednesday, the same night that the Everett Silvertips (8-1-3) are scheduled to meet the Blazers (9-6-1) in Kamloops. I really want to watch Ivan Nikolishin and Nikita Scherbak of the Silvertips taking on the Blazers’ big line that has Matt Needham between Cole Ully and Deven Sideroff. I realize that Nikolishin and Scherbak are regular linemates, but a guy can dream, can’t he?

6. LaMarr Houston, a defensive end with the Chicago Bears, suffered a knee injury while celebrating a sack on Sunday. The Bears were trailing by 25 points at the time. Yes, the apocalypse is that much closer.

7. I hate to break it to you but the top of Mount Martin now is white. The view from our deck looks east down the South Thompson River valley to Mount Martin. My wife tried to tell me it was just the sun shining on the mountain. Uhh, no!

8. F Leon Draisaitl celebrates his 19th birthday today as his Edmonton Oilers play host to the Montreal Canadiens. Assuming he plays tonight, it will be his ninth NHL game. If he plays a 10th game, the first year of his three-year contract is activated. The Oilers are expected to decide his immediate future -- stay with them or be returned to the Prince Albert Raiders -- before that 10th game arrives.

9. Spent part of the evening wondering how much Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk will be fined for his Saturday night rant on the state of WHL officiating. Also wondering if it will have an impact on his Christmas shopping.

10. That’s quite a drama the CBC has on its hands, isn’t it? Too bad it’s not a 10-part TV series. Yet.
 
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All signs point toward the Brandon Wheat Kings trading away Czech F Richard Nejezchleb, 20. His presence gives Brandon three 20s, and that’s one over the maximum. Last season, he had 57 points, including a team-high 32 goals, in 66 games with the Wheat Kings. . . . Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner, general manager and head coach, says Nejezchleb played “like a man” last season. This season, he’s the odd-man out. . . . His NHL rights belong to the New York Rangers, and he returned to Brandon from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. But the Wheat Kings don’t have room for him. Allowed to keep two imports, it’s obvious that Brandon will hang on to Latvian F Rihards Bukarts, 19, and freshman Russian D Ivan Provorov. . . . Every other team in the WHL has two imports, so someone is going to have to open up a spot in order to acquire an awfully good player. For once, it would seem that McCrimmon isn’t dealing from a position of strength. He’s got about 10 days in which to move one of his imports and it would appear that another team is going to get a really good player for a mere pittance.
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There is speculation that the owner of the American League's Tampa Bay Rays is perhaps wanting to relocate the franchise to Montreal, the former home of the Expos. How excited should Montreal baseball fans get? Richard Griffin, who is the Toronto Star's baseball columnist and who once worked for the Expos, explores the situation right here.
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If you are of a certain vintage, you may be a Billy Joel fan. If that is the case, Nick Paumgarten has written a terrific piece for The New Yorker that is titled the Thirty-Three-Hit Wonder. It's long and it's right here.
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SUNDAY'S REPORT:

In Calgary, the Prince George Cougars scored the game's first three goals and went on to beat the Hitmen, 3-2. . . . G Tavin Grant, a 16-year-old making his third career start, stopped 25 shots and got his first victory. . . . F Tyler Mrkonjic scored his third goal of the season at 3:32 of the third period to gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead. . . . F Chase Lang (7:53) and F Adam Tambellini (16:51), on a PP, got the Hitmen to within one. . . . Lang and Tambellini each has eight goals, as does Prince George F Chase Witala, who scored the game’s first goal. . . .

In Edmonton, the defending Memorial Cup-champion Oil Kings ran their record to 9-3-1 with a 3-1 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Edmonton F Edgars Kulda opened the scoring at 9:26 of the second period and the Oil Kings nursed that lead in the last three minutes of the third. . . . F Lane Bauer upped Edmonton's lead to 2-0 at 17:31 before Moose Jaw F Jack Rodewald scored at 18:36. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Robertson got an empty-netter at 19:41. . . . The Oil Kings took all four of the game's minor penalties. . . . The Oil Kings are 6-0-1 in their last seven games. . . . The Warriors went 0-3 on an Alberta swing, in large part because they scored only three goals. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here. . . .

In Regina, F Adam Brooks, F Braden Christoffer and F Patrick D'Amico each scored twice as the Pats dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 8-1. . . . The Pats, who had been on a four-game losing skid, led 1-0 and 5-0 at the period breaks. . . . Lethbridge F Lenny Hackman scored his first goal at 9:36 of the third period. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple stopped 35 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner, making his third start in 48 hours, gave up four goals on 30 shots before giving way to Zac Robidoux, who stopped 12 of 16 shots. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk had a goal, his third, and two assists. . . . The Hurricanes had won their previous three games.
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Halloween came early #16stitches #brokennose pic.twitter.com/kbesrxoVx4
— Reid Gardiner (@reidgardiner19) October 27, 2014

New logo for Hurricanes? . . . Concussions in the news

D Robby Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) has signed a one-year extension with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Last season, Sandrock had 51 points, including 13 goals, in 59 games. He led the league’s defencemen in assists and was named to the first all-star team.

F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, Liiga), he had 42 points, 16 of them goals, in 49 games, finishing ninth in the league’s scoring race. Maxwell got the primary assists on the Game 6 game-winning goal (a 3-2 victory) and winner and on the Game 7 OT goal (1-0) in the league final. Kärpät had been down 3-1 in the series.
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1. A Thursday afternoon tweet from Lethbridge lawyer David van Moorsel, who specializes in the fields of business and trademarks: “Lethbridge Hurricanes are seeking trademark protection for a new logo. Looks like it's original this time.” The details are right here. . . . The Hurricanes moved from Calgary over the summer of 1987, and when their nickname was announced, Pat Sullivan of the Lethbridge Herald wrote that with a nickname like that the logo should be an overturned mobile home.

2. F Troy Bourke, the captain of the Prince George Cougars, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Bourke was a third-round selection by the Avalanche in the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . According to capgeek.com, Bourke’s deal calls for NHL salaries of US$610,000, $640,000 and $645,000, with an AHL salary of $60,000 each season. He got a signing bonus of $195,000, payable in three installments -- $60,000, $65,000 and $70,000. . . . Bourke, 20, is the Prince George franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He put up 85 points, including 29 goals, in 69 games last season. In 276 career regular-season games, he has 236 points, including 84 goals . . . Bourke finished last season with the Lake Erie Monsters, Colorado’s AHL affiliate, picking up seven points, three of them goals, in 15 games.

3. If you watched Tuesday’s Stanley Cup game between the New York Rangers and host Montreal, you saw Canadiens F Dale Weise take a hit to the hit and need help getting off the ice. You also saw him return to the game a bit later. . . . If you are at all aware of the concussion problem in hockey, you were wondering how it was that Weise was allowed back on the ice. . . . David Shoalts of The Globe and Mail has written an interesting piece on the NHL and concussions, and it’s right here. . . . Feel free to take out NHL and insert WHL, because things are pretty much the same in the major junior league.

4. Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star also was writing about Montreal F Dale Weise and it’s obvious that Arthur is wondering just how it is that Weise was allowed to re-enter a game he had left in such wobbly condition. . . . Arthur’s column is right here.

5. You know concussions are a serious issue when the White House gets involved, which is what happened Thursday as President Obama convened a gathering of top sports executives and researchers to discuss the situation. Michael D. Shear and Ken Belson of The New York Times have more right here.

6. If you’re wondering what’s going on between the CFL and the CFLPA, check this out right here. Andrew Bucholtz of Yahoo! Sports Canada has broken it down and his report includes charts that make things easy to understand.

7. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post hits another home run right here as he tries to figure out just what is going on with the Washington Nationals.

8. The Vancouver Giants have signed F Brendan Semchuk, the 10th overall selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Semchuk, from Kamloops, had 77 points, 45 of them goals, with the bantam Tier 1 A1 Blazers.

9. The headline reads: Crocodile injured by falling accountant during circus bus accident in Russia. . . . You are able to read about it right here. Seriously.

10. You may be aware of the Internet scam in which NBAer Chris Andersen, the Birdman, found himself caught up in not that long ago. It’s an amazing story and makes for a great read. Flinder Boyd of Newsweek has it all right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday night that the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers will name Don Elland as their head coach today. Elland has been an assistant coach with the Whalers for four seasons. . . . Elland, 50, will replace Mike Vellucci as head coach. Vellucci, who had been with the Whalers for 14 seasons, left to become assistant GM and director of hockey operations with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. . . . The Whalers and Hurricanes both are owned by Peter Karmanos Jr.
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Dave Allison is the new head coach of the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports that the announcement is to made this morning. . . . Allison has coach in Des Moines before, as he was the head coach of the AHL’s Iowa Stars for three seasons. He also was hired to coach the Buccaneers once before but, as Birch wrote: “(Allison) never took the ice for a game due to work-permit visa issues. He instead took a job as a scout with the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.” . . . Last season, Allison was an assistant coach with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. . . . With Des Moines, Allison replaces Jon Rogger, who spent two seasons as head coach. . . . The Buccaneers have missed the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons.
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From Bob Irving (@BobIrvingCJOB), the long-time voice of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on CJOB: “Shame on the cfl and the players association. Wake up folks, you are on the verge of damaging a grand Cdn institution, perhaps permanently.”

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.

Oil Kings into third straight conference final

The CHL announced details of the 2014 Subway Series on Thursday. That annual series involves a touring Russian team playing two games each against all-star teams from the WHL, OHL and QMJHL.
One reader of this blog saw the information posted here yesterday and sent along this query:
“Can you tell me how Canada is supporting the people in the Ukraine vs Russia as we still host the Subway Series? Why host them when Russia is still going at Ukraine?”
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The aftershocks from some ugliness during Game 5 between the Victoria Royals and the Winterhawks in Portland on Thursday night will be heard for a while yet. The WHL has suspended two of the Royals -- F Steven Hodges, for a game misconduct he incurred, and F Brandon Magee, for a match penalty he was given for attempt to injure. . . . The Winterhawks won the game, 5-1, and the series, 4-1, to advance to the Western Conference final. . . . There is concern in the Portland camp that Magee cross-checked Winterhawks F Nic Petan in the back of the head at 15:10 of the third period as retribution from an earlier incident. . . . Tempers had flared at the end of the second period and, during the ensuing melee, Portland D Derrick Pouliot punched Victoria D Joe Hicketts, who is believed to have been rendered unconscious, at least briefly. Pouliot, Hicketts and Hodges all were ejected at that point.
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“I probably had 17 or 18 concussions through my career, five or six documented,” former NHLer Dan LaCouture, 36, told Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times. “Just after you have a concussion, you think you’re going to lose your job. So you try to play through it.” . . . LaCouture is part of a concussion-related lawsuit that was filed against the NHL this week. . . . Klein’s story is right here.
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Glenn (Chico) Resch, one of hockey’s really great guys, announced his retirement from broadcasting during the first intermission of the New Jersey Devils’ game on Friday night. . . . A lot of people forget that Resch, a native of Moose Jaw, did a stint as the general manager and then the head coach of the Tri-City Americans. That was in 1991-92. The Americans were 9-13-2 when his coaching career ended on Nov. 22, 1991. . . . Randy Miller of NJ.com has an interview with Resch right here.
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F Justin Hickman of the Seattle Thunderbirds will finish the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Islanders. Hickman, who turned 20 on March 18, had 45 points, 22 of them goals, and 154 penalty minutes in 67 games with the Thunderbirds this season. A second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, Hickman played four seasons with Seattle. He hasn’t been selected in the NHL draft.
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A Pacific Division in the AHL that would be centred in Arizona? There’s more right here from the Prescott Daily Courier.
According to that report, “Fox Sports Arizona reported that multiple NHL sources with knowledge of the situation said several western-based NHL franchises, including the Phoenix Coyotes, want to form a Pacific Division for their affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL).”That’s interesting because there was a time when the late Ed Chynoweth, then the WHL’s commissioner, was concerned that western NHL teams might set up AHL franchises in WHL cities such as Saskatoon, Lethbridge, Regina and Medicine Hat.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported early Friday evening that F Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. They selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Stephenson, who turns 20 on April 22, is from Saskatoon. He played four seasons with the Pats, putting up 195 points, including 73 goals, in 230 games. This season, he had career highs in goals (30), assists (59) and points (89), all in 69 games. . . . Ross Mahoney, Washington’s head amateur scout, is from Regina, so you know he’s most familiar with Stephenson, who will finish the season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. . . . From Harder: “According to the terms of his contract, Stephenson has the opportunity (if he achieves certain bonuses) to earn the maximum salary under the rookie cap ($925,000 per season) when he reaches the NHL. He received the maximum signing bonus ($92,500 per season) and max AHL salary ($70,000) allowed by the CBA, meaning he will earn $162,500 per season as an AHLer.”
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The London Knights, the host team for next month’s Memorial Cup tournament, will have five weeks to prepare after they were eliminated from the OHL playoffs last night. The Guelph Storm dropped the Knights 5-4 to win the second-round series, 4-1. . . . The Memorial Cup runs from May 16 through May 25.
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If you are into the Masters, this is for you:
“Prepare to see more, much more, of what’s already in progress — a three-ring circus of birdies, glorious saves and single-car crashes. Rory McIlroy, one of the count-on-your-fingers-favorites, thought he was playing well after an opening 71. His Friday was one long GIF of jitters. At the second, he lost his drive, and almost himself, in flora to the left. At the 210-yard fourth, he was so long that fans lost sight as he searched for his ball in the kind of abandoned shrub-shrouded shed where the body dump is always found on ‘CSI.’ At the 13th, he was trapped by vegetables up to his neck. Normally, you’d say they were large azaleas, but this year, since they’ve barely bloomed, perhaps they don’t deserve the name.”
That is from the always excellent Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post, and his complete column is right here.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: F Jayce Hawryluk, day-to-day; G Curtis Honey, day-to-day; F Ryley Lindgren, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 3-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 19: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23: Kelowna at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)/KOOTENAY    (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 20: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
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FRIDAY’S GAME:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings scored three times in a span of 2:08 late in the first period and sent on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 5-1. . . . The Oil Kings won the second-round series, 4-1, and now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal, which resumes tonight in Medicine Hat. The Kootenay Ice lead the Tigers 3-1 in that one. . . . Edmonton is into the conference final for a third straight season. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson opened the scoring at 15:26 of the first period, with F Brett Pollock scoring his fifth goal at 17:11 and F Reid Petryk making it 3-0 at 17:34. . . . D Eric Roy scored a 5-on-3 PP goal for Brandon at 2:55 of the third period. That was Brandon’s first road goal of the series. . . . Edmonton put it away with goals from D Cody Corbett, at 8:44, and F Mitch Moroz, at 11:09. . . . Oil Kings G Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots. In the three home games in this series, he had a .984 save percentage and a GAA of 0.33. . . . Overall in these playoffs, he is 8-1, 1.78, .933. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-5 on the PP; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb was given a clipping major and game misconduct at 16:12 of the third period. That may be worthy of a WHL suspension, but he would be a 20-year-old next season so perhaps Nejezchleb, who is Czech, won’t be back. . . . The Wheat Kings, as it turned out, suffered a blow at practice on Thursday when F Jayce Hawryluk, their top offensive forward, was injured. With him out, Roy saw some time on a forward line. . . . The Oil Kings had F Brandon Baddock back in their lineup for the first time since Feb. 19.
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From Hodges Heroes (@hodgersheroes): “With Rattie's debut tonight, 6 players from the 2010-11 #Winterhawks team have played an NHL game this season.”
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From Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) of The Hockey News: “It's always been a privilege and a pleasure to talk hockey with Chico Resch. Hockey needs more guys named Chico and like Chico. Happy retirement.”

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Eric Schneider (Tri-City, 1995-96) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He had two goals and 10 assists in 10 games with the Bentley Generals (Alberta, Chinook Senior) this season. Last season, Schneider had 16 goals and 30 assists in 52 games with Munich (Germany, DEL), where he was an alternate captain. . . .

F Eric Johansson (Tri-City, 1997-2002) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after being released a few days ago by Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had six goals and 23 assists in 41 games with Alba Volan this season. Västerås GM Niklas Johansson (no relation): “He's a two-way centre with a good drive and lovely set-up skills who can also play wing. We need to lift our offensive game and therefore it feels good to be able to snag a player like Eric.” Johansson has dual Canadian and Swedish citizenship so he doesn’t count as an import.
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On my list of today’s best sports writers, two names are atop the list. There are Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post and Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail, and then there is everyone else.
They are essayists, wordsmiths . . . who regularly provide readers with the best they’ve got.
I mention this because Boswell spent a lot of time covering Earl Weaver when he really was the Earl of Baltimore. Weaver died Saturday at the age of 82, and Boswell came up with this piece right here.
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The headline reads: Las Vegas Hooker Rear Ended.
The story, involving a player from a Mountain West Hockey League team, is right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, F Trevor Cheek and F Curtis Lazar each scored his 20th goal as the Oil Kings beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-1. . . . The Oil Kings erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with the game’s next three goals — they scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded — and took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . The first two periods included a combined 13 power-play opportunities. There was one minor penalty called in the third. . . . Edmonton F Edgars Kulda scored his fifth goal. His folks from Latvia were in the crowd. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 24 goals. . . . Among the Cougars scratches was D Marc McNulty (undisclosed). . . . The Oil Kings, who had lost their previous two games, are back atop the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the idle Calgary Hitmen. . . .

In Vancouver, F Josh Winquist scored three times to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 4-0 victory over the Giants. . . . Winquist, who also had an assist, has 21 goals. . . . Everett G Daniel Cotton stopped 31 shots for his second shutout of the season, both against Vancouver. . . . The Silvertips swept a three-game weekend; earlier, they beat Seattle and Lethbridge at home. . . . Everett is 5-0-0 against Vancouver this season. . . . Everett F Manraj Hayer drew three assists. He’s from Vancouver and was celebrating his 19th birthday. . . .

In Kent, Wash., Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 54 shots through OT but gave up a goal in the circus and his Lethbridge Hurricanes dropped a 6-5 decision to the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart, who shot first, scored the only goal of the shootout. . . . Seattle has won twice in as many nights after losing 15 in a row. . . . Lethbridge led 3-1 in the second period, only to have Seattle come back with four straight goals. . . . The Hurricanes trailed 5-3 in the third period. D Adam Henry got them to within one at 6:45. F Jaimon Yakubowski forced OT with his 26th goal at 16:18 of the third. . . . Seattle lost F Branden Troock late in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury after he went heavily into the boards. He didn’t return. . . . Lethbridge was playing its third game in as many nights and dressed only 16 skaters. It was missing six regulars. D Albin Blomqvist, D Dan Johnston, F Reid Duke, F Josh Derko and F Russell Maxwell all are hurt, while D Joel Topping was writing exams. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Cam Lanigan stopped 26 shots as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-0. . . . Lanigan, 20, has three career shutouts, all of them this season. He had one with Portland before joining the Tigers. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored the game’s first goal, his 26th, at 10:51 of the second period. . . . Shinkaruk had sat out for a week with the flu. F Miles Koules now is ill and didn’t play. . . . F Curtis Valk, with his 27th, and F Logan McVeigh, with his 13th, also scored. . . .  The Tigers swept a three-game weekend, as they also won in Edmonton and beat visiting Calgary. The Tigers beat Edmonton 2-1 and Calgary 4-0. . . . Medicine Hat is seventh in the Eastern Conference, but just six points behind the fourth-place Rebels. . . . Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer are running 1-2-3 in the Central Division.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Martin Gernat, Edmonton
F Alex Delnov, Seattle
F Tyler Wong, Lethbridge

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Brandon Baddock, Edmonton
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From Portland F Brendan Leipsic (@leip28): “I eat because I’m unhappy, I’m unhappy because I eat.”


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Thank you to everyone who has purchased a copy of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.
At 12:45 a.m. today, it was at No. 15 on the best-selling list of Hockey books at amazon.com, No. 20 on the Winter Sports list and No. 88 in Social History.
At one point Thursday evening, it was as high as No. 9 among Hockey books.
No, I don’t know what it all means in terms of sales or anything else. But I can tell you that this has been a lot of fun.
It is available in some book stores, although all copies have been shipped from the warehouse. The book is going back on the press early in December and more will be shipped then.
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The best thing I saw Thursday was a photograph.
It was a photograph of two new friends – rock star Alice Cooper and Bob Tory, the general manager of the Tri-City Americans.
Tory’s players were in attendance earlier this week when Alice Cooper brought his show to the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.
Rumour has it that Tory tried to pass Cooper off as an overage centre and put him up for trade, asking only a third-round bantam draft pick in return.
If you can find the photo somewhere on the Internet — I saw it on Tory’s Facebook page — it’s worth a look.
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Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post remains one of North America’s best sports writers. If he has a specialty, it’s writing about baseball. And right here he writes about the Fehr Factor. If you want a look at how NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr operates, give it a read.
This is the best read I have found on the lockout since it began.
“The biggest mismatch I’ve ever covered was not on a field,” Boswell writes. “It was organized baseball against the MLBPA. And, mostly, it was unnecessary. Baseball owners refused to see the union or Fehr for what they clearly were.”
Later, Boswell writes: “Hiring Don Fehr, the Sun Tzu of jock labor, to face NHL owners in a lockout is like getting the Godfather to help you fix a parking ticket.”
Give this a read and then say goodbye to the rest of this NHL season. In fact, you may want to start thinking about whether next season will start.
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D Colton Jobke of the Regina Pats is out with a skate cut across the top of his left hand. Ian Hamilton of the Regina Leader-Post talks with Jobke and tells his story right here.


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F Brad Morrison, 15, made his WHL debut with the Prince George Cougars on Saturday in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Blazers in Kamloops. By the third period, in which he picked up an assist, he was playing on a top line with F Alex Forsberg and F Ryan Hanes. On Tuesday, Morrison scored his first goal in a 4-2 shootout victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . Jason Peters of the Prince George Citizen writes about Morrison right here.
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The Red Deer Rebels may get D Kayle Doetzel back this weekend. Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Doetzel is back practising  and may play Saturday against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. Doetzel hasn’t played since suffering a broken jaw on Oct. 2 during a game in Prince Albert. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers will be in Calgary to play the Hitmen tonight. Medicine Hat is likely to be without F Hunter Shinkaruk (skate cut) and F Curtis Valk (suspension). . . . If you’re in the Portland area, don’t forget that today’s game with the visiting Kootenay Ice begins at 3 p.m. . . . F J.T. Barnett is expected back in the Kelowna Rockets lineup tonight when they play the visiting Regina Pats. Barnett, 20,  suffered a knee injury on Sept. 21 on his first shift of his first game after coming over from the Everett Silvertips. “I’m wearing two knee braces now, so I’m kind of a bionic man,” a laughing Barnett told Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier. Barnett also suffered a knee injury last season while with Everett. . . . Kelowna F Carter Rigby, out with a shoulder injury since Oct. 10, also is expected to play tonight.
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From player agent Greg Simpson (@hockekyrep): “Watching Jets vs Pats. Lenny Kravitz doing his @burtoncummings impression on American Woman. Good but no disrespect I’ll take the original.”
Me, too!
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From Portland D Tyler Wotherspoon (@TSPOON77): “Waiting in line at good ol sears #thanksgiving #blackfriday #dealssss”

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.