Chiefs to name Carter as general manager

The Spokane Chiefs are poised to name Scott Carter as their general manager, a source told Taking Note on Thursday morning. . . . The announcement is expected later today. . . . Carter, 54, will take over from Tim Speltz, who left last month after 26 years to become the director of western area scouting for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. . . . Carter, born and raised in Penticton, has been the president of Vaughn Custom Sports Canada Ltd., a hockey equipment manufacturer. . . . He was a founding member of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in Penticton in 1991 and was inducted into the hall in 2012. . . . He has worked in the NHL as a scout for the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. . . . Carter played for the junior A Penticton Knights and was part of the team that won the national championship in 1986. He also bought into the franchise, now the Vees, when it was struggling and helped make it relevant again. He stepped aside as the franchise’s managing partner in 2004 but remained on board as a shareholder. . . . Carter also has been involved with the Canadian Sport School Hockey League, helping the academies maintain standards. . . . Bobby Brett, the Chiefs’ managing partner, was in Penticton on Wednesday, perhaps finalizing the deal with Carter.

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One of these days, Kelly McCrimmon, the owner of the Brandon Wheat Kings, will get around to announcing a new general manager. That is expected to be Grant Armstrong, the Victoria Royals’ assistant GM, player personnel. . . . McCrimmon, who has signed on assistant GM with the NHL’s Las Vegas franchise, had been the Wheat Kings’ GM since 1989. The GM in Brandon prior to McCrimmon? Bill Shinske.

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In Spokane, Tim Speltz is leaving his post as GM to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL team’s head western scout. Speltz had been the Chiefs’ GM since 1990. The last Spokane GM before Speltz took over? Vic Fitzgerald, who owned the Chiefs before selling the franchise to Bobby Brett.

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With training camps about to open, it would seem that all of the post-Memorial Cup speculation involving Brent Sutter’s future as the head coach of the Red Deer Rebels was nothing but hot air. Thankfully.

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Let’s be honest. The star of the Rio Olympics was the Tongan flag bearer in the opening and closing ceremonies. . . . BTW, I realized the Olympics were over when I scanned the TV listings on Sunday evening and the World Poker Tour was on four of the Rogers Sportsnet channels.

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The Portland Timbers were in Seattle on Sunday evening for an MLS game with the Sounders. At one point, a Portland player went down, perhaps injured. According to a tweet from Paige Cornwell (@pgcornwell), Seattle fans chanted: “Let him die! Let him die!” . . . That’s like something out of a Monty Python skit, isn’t it? . . . We will hope that kind of stuff doesn’t reach the rivalry between Portland and Seattle WHL fans.

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The Medicine Hat News reported last week that Tigers F Matt Bradley suffered a separated shoulder in the first period of his first game at the Montreal Canadiens’ development camp in July. Bradley, 19, who had 23 goals and 28 assists with the Tigers last season, hasn’t yet been cleared for contact so may miss the start of training camp. Remind me again why these players need to be in camps during the summer months?

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Yes, it’s time for the WHL to get out in front of things by attaching an automatic game misconduct to a fighting major, so long as an opponent didn’t get an instigating minor. It’s the right thing to do if, that is, player safety really is paramount.

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Is there a bigger tire fire in the sporting world these days than the Saskatchewan Roughriders? They were 3-15 a year ago; today, their offence is bad, their defence is worse — for starters, they can’t pressure the QB because the secondary can’t cover — and they are taking their 1-7 record into Edmonton for a Friday date with the high-flying Eskimos.

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On Aug. 7, Drew Wilson, the radio voice of the Prince Albert Raiders, completed the Frank Dunn Triathlon at Waskesiu in Prince Albert National Park. On Aug. 14, he completed a 100-kilometre bike ride in Saskatoon. On Aug. 21, he completed Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria, which covered 140 km. . . . Any question as to which WHL play-by-play guy is most ready for the grind of another season?

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D Ben Carroll, who played the past three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings, will attend the U of Alberta and play this season for the Golden Bears. From Sherwood Park, Alta., he played out his junior eligibility last season. . . . There also is speculation that the Golden Bears will get D Ryan Rehill (Kamloops Blazers), F Luke Philp (Kootenay Ice, Red Deer Rebels), F Tyson Baillie (Kelowna Rockets) and D Jason Fram (Spokane Chiefs) if they aren’t able to earn pro contracts at NHL camps. The latter four also played in the WHL as 20-year-olds last season. . . . That would be some kind of recruiting class should Alberta add those four to its roster.

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My wife, Dorothy, is to be one of the co-honourees — along with her friend Margaret Thompson — of the 2016 Kamloops Kidney Walk. Each year, the walk salutes someone who has worked to shine a light on kidney transplants and organ donorship. Dorothy, who had a kidney transplant almost three years ago, will take part in her third straight Kidney Walk on Sept. 25. If you would like to sponsor her, please click right here.

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To all my WHL friends. Travel safe to camp. Enjoy the experience. Good luck to you all. #scoutsfraternity #greatestsportintheworld

— Moults (@Moults_23) August 21, 2016

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Speltz leaving Chiefs after 26 years . . . Armstrong next GM in Brandon?

Not since the death of Ed Chynoweth on April 22, 2008 has the face of the WHL changed the way it has in the last few weeks.

After 26 seasons in Spokane, Tim Speltz is leaving the Chiefs. Speltz, the Chiefs’ general manager, is joining the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs as director of western area scouting. He will continue to live in Spokane, while scouting and overseeing a staff of four — two amateur and two pro scouts.

If you’re wondering, Speltz was a fan of the Maple Leafs when he was a youngster. “A little, yes,” he

Tim Speltz, the Spokane Chiefs' GM for 26 years, is leaving to
join the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. (Spokane Chiefs graphic)

told Taking Note via email. “More Leafs than Habs, but always a Bobby Orr fan.” Yes, even then he was scouting individual talent.

Speltz’s departure follows the move of Kelly McCrimmon to the NHL’s expansion Las Vegas franchise. McCrimmon owns the reigning-champion Brandon Wheat Kings and also was the team’s general manager and head coach. McCrimmon has been with the Wheat Kings since 1988.

Not only are Speltz and McCrimmon the best of friends, they were three of the most powerful men in the WHL, the other being Bruce Hamilton, the chairman of the board of governors and the president/general manager of the Kelowna Rockets.

McCrimmon, as chairman, and Speltz both were on the WHL’s four-man competition committee.

Speltz, 57, is the only general manager the Chiefs have had since Bobby Brett, the organization’s managing partner, purchased the team in 1990 from Vic Fitzgerald for a price believed in the neighbourhood of Cdn$800,000.

Speltz had spent the previous two seasons as the GM of the Medicine Hat Tigers.

From a Chiefs’ news release:

“In the 26 years under his leadership, the organization has experienced success rivalled by very few in the Western Hockey League, winning two WHL championships and Memorial Cups in 1991 and 2008.

“With Speltz at the helm, the Chiefs won 961 regular-season games. They topped 40 wins 10 times, 50 wins twice and 100 points four times. They added 142 playoff wins, reaching the postseason in 23 of his 26 seasons, the Western Conference final seven times and the WHL final four times.”

Speltz twice was the WHL’s executive of the year (1995-96, 1999-2000); he was the CHL’s top executive in 1995-96. He also has been part of Hockey Canada’s program for the past three years, first with the U-18 team and, for the past two seasons, with the U-20 program.

Speltz will stay on with the Chiefs through training camp, which opens next week, and will help with the transition to a new GM.

“We don’t know how soon we will have a new guy on board,” Brett told a news conference.

Interestingly, Speltz hired only six head coaches during his 26 years with the Chiefs, and two of those now are NHL head coaches. When he took over, he inherited Bryan Maxwell, who stayed on for the next four seasons. Speltz hired Mike Babcock to replace Maxwell. Babcock was there through six seasons, with Perry Ganchar (2), Al Conroy (3), Bill Peters (3), Hardy Sauter (2) and Don Nachbaur, who is preparing for his seventh season in Spokane, following, in that order.

Babcock, of course, is heading into his second season as the Maple Leafs’ head coach, while Peters is preparing for his third season as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

It can’t be easy trying to find a general manager at this late date. An obvious candidate would seem to be Matt Bardsley, who has been with the Portland Winterhawks for ages and is presently their assistant general manager. But one would have to think there might be some wheeling and dealing to make something like that happen.

There are a couple of names out there with experience in Lorne Molleken and Brent Parker, neither of whom is involved with the WHL at the moment.

And what about Bruno Campese, who didn’t get near enough credit for his stint as GM with the Prince Albert Raiders?

With McCrimmon and Speltz gone, it will be interesting to see how the WHL’s power base shifts.

Hamilton, of course, remains as the WHL’s most powerful individual; he likely is No. 2 in major junior hockey, behind only David Branch, who is the commissioner of the OHL and the president of the CHL.

It could be that long-time WHLers like Russ Farwell, the Seattle Thunderbirds’ governor and GM, Brent Sutter, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Red Deer Rebels, move into that upper echelon, along with Ron Toigo, the majority owner of the Vancouver Giants.

General manager Peter Anholt of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been around the WHL for a long time and could end up with a louder voice at the table, especially if his club continues his climb out of a financial sewer.

Relative newcomers like Greg Pocock, the governor, managing partner and president of the Prince George Cougars, and general managers Cam Hope (Victoria Royals), Garry Davidson (Everett Silvertips) and John Paddock (Regina Pats) all have lots to contribute given the opportunity.

 Of course, Mike Johnston, vice-president, general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, has lots to contribute but it could be that some WHL people are unable to forgive or forget.

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A name coming to me as possible next GM of the Brandon Wheat Kings is Victoria Royals AGM/Director of Player Personnel Grant Armstrong. #WHL

— Guy Flaming (@TPS_Guy) August 17, 2016

Guy Flaming, from The Pipeline Show, broke the Tim Speltz move on Tuesday afternoon, and followed up with the above tweet.

Grant Armstrong, from North Vancouver, joined the Victoria Royals as director of player personnel on Aug. 1, 2012, and has since added assistant GM to his job description. He had spent the previous

four seasons as the Portland Winterhawks’ head scout.

The Wheat Kings, of course, need a general manager now that Kelly McCrimmon, their owner, GM and head coach, has signed on with the NHL’s expansion team in Las Vegas. He has just returned from scouting the Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Should Armstrong end up with Brandon, it would be an interesting hire for McCrimmon. Armstrong left Portland about four months before the Winterhawks were slammed by the WHL for “violations related to player benefits.”

As Portland’s head scout when many of those violations occurred, I don’t have any idea how much, if any, knowledge Armstrong had of what was happening. But I do know that McCrimmon was a big believer in the way the WHL dealt with the Winterhawks.

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D Jared Hauf, who played out his junior eligibility with the Seattle Thunderbirds, will attend the U of Calgary and play for the Dinos. Hauf played in 343 regular-season games with the Thunderbirds, leaving him third on their all-time list, behind Glen Goodall (399) and Luke Lockhart (345). . . . Hauf had 11 goals and 47 assists with Seattle. He had two goals and four assists in 40 playoff games.

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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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Nate Bedford is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars. Bedford, a 36-year-old native of Peterborough, Ont., had been the head coach at Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alta., for the previous two seasons. All told, he spent four years there. . . . He takes over from Kevin Hasselberg, the SJHL’s reigning coach of the year who now is the GM and head coach of the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers. Hasselberg had been with the North Stars for five seasons. . . . Lucas Punkari of the Battlefords News-Optimist has more right here.

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The SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings added two men to their front office on Tuesday, naming Tanner McCall general manager and head scout, with Wes Rudy coming on board as head coach. . . . They replace Bryce Thoma, who had been the GM and head coach before leaving to join the Saskatoon Blades as an assistant coach. . . . Rudy was an assistant coach with the Red Wings last season, after spending three seasons as their goaltending coach. . . . Last season, McCall was the Red Wings’ assistant GM and head scout. He also worked as an assistant coach alongside Thoma.

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The AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints have added Eric Morrissette to their staff as an assistant coach and director of player development. He will work with Mike Ringrose, who is preparing for his first season as general manager and head coach. . . . Morrissette is a two-time midget AAA coach of the year in Alberta. . . . The Saints also added Chad Ziegler as an assistant coach and Geoff Wowk as head scout. . . . Ziegler, who is from Spruce Grove, played for the Saints before going on to spend four seasons as Yale. . . . Wowk has spent the past three seasons scouting for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.

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Seriously??? https://t.co/IZrEwKGxTF

— Oren Koules (@OrenKoules) August 16, 2016

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Great news from Ewen . . . Babcock: Road hockey by candlelight? . . . Canucks going to P.G.

#ThanksDave pic.twitter.com/eDS6gcWsiH

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) May 21, 2015

F Waltteri Hopponen (Everett, 2013-14) signed a two-year-plus-option contract with HPK Hämeenlinna (Finland, Liiga). This season, with the Sioux City Musketeers (USHL), he had two goals and eight assists in 28 games; in 31 games with the Lincoln Stars (USHL), he had four goals and 14 assists. . . .
F Riley Holzapfel (Moose Jaw, 2004-08) signed a one-year contract with Karlskrona (Sweden, SHL). This season, with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL), he had seven goals and six assists in 49 games. Karlskrona won promotion to SHL from Allsvenskan this season.

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The really big news on Wednesday — yes, even bigger than Mike Babcock or David Letterman — came from long-time friend Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province.
It arrived via email:
“Today marks my four-year anniversary of being discharged from GF Strong. I also saw the cancer doctors this morning and I'm now officially four and a half years cancer free.
“I believe that the support Carol-Ann and I have received has been instrumental in what's been achieved to date. Thanks again.
“As a reminder, if you're free on Aug. 5, we're throwing a Ride To Conquer Cancer fundraiser at the Earls on Fir Street. There's a silent auction, plus we get a portion from some drinks and appetizers that night.”
It just doesn’t get any better than that.
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F Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning is the hot story, to date, of these NHL playoffs. Johnson was a free-agent signing by the Lightning after a terrific career with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. Johnson stands 5-foot-8 and has had to overcome that throughout his career. It’s why no NHL team signed him until after his 20-year-old season. Al Murray, the Lightning’s head scout, had a lot to do with that, and Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more on that right here.
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Meanwhile, Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province talked with Spokane Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz and, yes, the subject was Tampa Bay Lightning F Tyler Johnson. . . . That piece is right here.
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We just witnessed two more days of social media at its best.
You might recall that on Tuesday, free-agent head coach Mike Babcock wasn’t going to Toronto, was negotiating with Buffalo, and perhaps was talking with San Jose, but almost certainly was going to stay in Detroit. Oh, and St. Louis might be interested.
So what happens?
Of course, he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. (The news conference is scheduled for today, which means another day of Twitter exploding.)
This is great news for hockey fans who have long wondered just how much impact a coach can have on a team.
The Leafs have been, well, the Leafs for a long time now. It is going to be interesting to see how much of an impact Babcock has on them. After all, instead of dealing with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, he now has Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Instead of Niklas Kronwall, he’s got Dion Phaneuf.
You have to think that the Leafs will hold the course with their rebuild, meaning there won’t be any huge free-agent signings in an attempt to speed up the process.
If they are going to contend for the Stanley Cup, they need to find a top-end goaltender and a minute-eating defenceman who will quarterback the PP. Perhaps Morgan Rielly will become capable of filling the latter role, but is there a big-time goaltender on the roster?
Anyway . . . Babcock, who once was fired by the Moose Jaw Warriors, now is by far the highest-paid coach in the NHL. His eight-year deal with Toronto averages out at $6.25 million per season. That is quite a bit more than the man who is No. 2 on the list. Joel Quenneville of the Chicago Blackhawks is paid $2.75 million per season. . . . Babcock spent two seasons (1991-93) in Moose Jaw, going 33-36-3 and 27-42-3. He was dumped after that second season and replaced by Al Tuer, who now is a pro scout for the Florida Panthers. . . . Babcock had been in Detroit for 10 seasons. The only active NHL head coaches who have been in position for more than four seasons are Claude Julien (Boston), Quenneville, Dave Tippett (Arizona) and Jack Capuano (New York Islanders). . . . Julien just completed his eighth season with the Bruins, while Quenneville is in his eighth season with the Blackhawks. Tippett has been the Coyotes’ head coach through seven seasons. Capuano has been the Islanders’ head coach since Nov. 15, 2010. . . . BTW, Babcock spent some of his childhood in Leaf Rapids, Man., which is a couple of slapshots from my hometown of Lynn Lake. Babcock has told stories of Leaf Rapids not having street lights so he and his friends put candles in the snowbanks in order to play road hockey at night. I don’t know about that, but I do know that my first skate every fall was on Eden Lake, which is right by Leaf Rapids. That first ice of the year on Eden Lake was the best I ever skated on.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna vs. Quebec, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24: Quebec vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, May 25: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 28: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 29: Semifina, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31: Championship game, TBA
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In the AHL, the host Utica Comets beat the Oklahoma City Barons 1-0 on Wednesday night in Game 7 of a second-round series. . . . The Comets are affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks, the Barons with the Edmonton Oilers. . . . F Alexandre Grenier won it with his fourth goal at 7:11 of the third period. Here’s hoping he gets free Slurpees for life! . . . Utica G Jakob Markstrom stopped 35 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,835. . . . The Comets, under head coach Travis Green, will meet the Grand Rapids Griffins in the Western Conference final. Green, the former Portland Winterhawks assistant GM and assistant coach, is seen as one of the best young coaches in the game. . . . Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill may be the next head coach of the parent Detroit Red Wings. . . . That series, with a 2-3-2 format, opens with games in Utica on Sunday and Monday. . . . The Eastern Conference final features the Manchester Monarchs, under former Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mike Stothers, against the Hartford Wolf Pack of head coach Ken Gernander. The Monarchs are hooked up with the Los Angeles Kings; the Wolf Pack with the New York Rangers. That series opens tonight in Manchester.
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Admit it. There are nights when you lay awake and wonder: What are Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 10 best movies?
Well, Rolling Stone has the list and it’s right here.
Did you know that a studio originally had O.J. Simpson tabbed as the Terminator, and not Arnold? That’s what it says in this story. . . . Check it out, and sleep well.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Jamie Kompon, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, will coach at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge later this year. Kompon has been named head coach of one of three Canadian teams that will play in the tournament, a host city and dates for which have yet to be announced. . . . Kompon will be head coach of Canada White. . . . Former Kootenay Ice coach Kris Knoblauch, now the head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, will be the head coach of Canada Red, with Marco Pietroniro, the head coach of the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar, running Canada Black. . . . Kompon’s assistant coaches will be Jamie Heward, who is an assistant with the Swift Current Broncos, and Serge Lajoie, the head coach of the Edmonton-based NAIT Ooks. . . . Wade Klippenstein, the Brandon Wheat Kings’ director of scouting, will be involved in team selection as he is Hockey Canada’s western regional scout.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed D Tyler Strath, who was a third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Strath, who is from Carseland, Alta., had 23 points, four of them goals, in 31 games with the bantam AAA Rocky Mountain Raiders this season. . . .


The Vancouver Canucks and Prince George Cougars announced Wednesday that the NHL team will hold its training camp at the CN Centre in Prince George, Sept. 18-20. . . . Medicals will take place Sept. 17 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, with on-ice work starting in Prince George on Sept. 18. . . . Canucks president Trevor Linden said in a news release that the team is “committed to holding future training camps in communities throughout B.C.” . . . Canucks D Dan Hamhuis is a part-owner of the Cougars.
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In case you've had a bad day pic.twitter.com/yw79sdU7b9

— GuyCodes (@GuyCodes) May 20, 2015

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

Injury bug biting Americans . . . Remembering Herb Brooks . . . Hitmen rise to top

When the Tri-City Americans filed their injury report with the WHL office on Monday, it included both their goaltenders, two defencemen and three forwards. Under ‘additions,’ the Americans listed the names of four affiliate players who have been brought in as the teams attempts to get through this adversity.
F Parker Bowles, who leads the Americans in assists (31) and points (44), and D Carter Cochrane are out indefinitely. Both have shoulder issues and might be done for the season.
F Braden Purtill is out for up to six weeks.
Richard Nejezchleb, who may be the most gifted offensive player on the roster, and D Dylan Coghlan both were listed as day-to-day, but they played last night against the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
G Eric Comrie, one of the best at his position in the WHL, will watch for up to three weeks, while G Evan Sarthou’s status has yet to be determined.
Last night, the Americans gave the start to G Nicholas Sanders, who has been with the midget AAA Calgary Buffaloes. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft.
Casey Kaiser, a 19-year-old from Richland, Wash., backed up Sanders. Kaiser made his first WHL appearance and start Saturday in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen.
The Americans also have recalled F Zack Andrusiak, from the junior B North Okanagan Knights of the Kootenay International Junior League; F Parker AuCoin, from the midget AAA St. Albert Raiders; and F Morgan Geekie from the Yellowhead Chiefs of the Manitoba Midget AAA League.
Aucoin was the 15th overall selection in that 2013 bantam draft, while Geekie was taken in the fifth round.
AuCoin made his WHL debut last night; Andrusiak and Geekie were scratched, as was freshman F Max James.
Tri-City didn’t show D Brandon Carlo on its injury report, but he missed his third game last night since taking a puck to the head. Carlo played for the U.S. at the 2015 WJC.
Bob Tory, the Americans’ general manager, has been working in the WHL since at least 1982, including stints with the Prince Albert Raiders, Portland and Kootenay Ice. He told Taking Note that he has never experienced anything like this season.
“This is the worst year yet,” he stated in a text. “One year in Kootenay we were hit hard but nothing like this, and not one is a concussion.”
On top of it all, Tory pointed out, that the Americans have had others players “out long term before this who have returned. And others who have had two long-term injuries this season.”
Through it all, the Americans are clinging to the Western Conference’s second wild-card playoff berth, five points ahead of the Prince George Cougars.
“I hope we can hang on for playoffs,” Tory said. “The kids are trying.”
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Mike Priestner, the owner of the Saskatoon Blades, was in Saskatoon on Tuesday so he and GM/head coach Bob Woods chatted with season-ticket holders during a luncheon. . . . The Blades won’t be in the playoffs, but that doesn’t surprise Priestner, who believes the rebuild is going in the right direction. . . . He also said the franchise is losing money. “We’re not losing a bunch of money. We’re losing some money,” Priestner said. “It was expected coming in. I didn’t think the crowds would be where they’re at. I probably thought they’d be in that 4,800 to 5,000 range.” . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix was there and his story is right here.
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Tim Speltz, GM of the Spokane Chiefs.

 Tim Speltz, the general manager of the Spokane Chiefs since 1990, has been added to Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence management group for 2015-16. He will work in support of the U-20 program, which primarily involved the Canadian national junior team that will play in the 2016 WJC in Helsinki, Finland. . . . Speltz is no stranger to Hockey Canada, having worked with the management group for the Canadian U-18 team that won gold at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament. . . .  Bruce Hamilton, the owner and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets, worked with the U-20 program for 2014-15.
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You know it’s baseball season when fans of the Chicago Cubs crawl out of the snowbanks and try to convince themselves that, yes, “this is our year.” . . . Dan Epstein, who is not related to Theo Epstein, is a Cubs’ fan and he has a readable piece on this subject right here.
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The Prince George Cougars continued their trek to Kent, Wash., by stopping in Williams Lake, B.C., on Tuesday. After a day of skating with minor hockey players, signing autographs and making friends, the Cougars presented a cheque for $1,500 to the local minor hockey association. The Cougars, who meet the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent on Friday, will spend today in 100 Mile House. . . .
If you haven’t seen this right here, it’s definitely worth a read as TSN’s Bob McKenzie remembers the late Herb Brooks.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

B.C. DIVISION: All five teams had the day off.
U.S. DIVISION: Portland (12 games remaining) won on the road and now is three points behind idle Everett, which leads the division. . . . Tri-City (11) lost at home and remains in possession of the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot. Tri-City is a point behind idle Spokane (14) and five ahead of Prince George (11).
EAST DIVISION: Swift Current (12) won at home and is a solid third, eight points behind Regina (13) and 12 points ahead of Moose Jaw (12), neither of whom played.
CENTRAL DIVISION: Calgary (12) won on the road and moved into sole possession of first place in the division, two points ahead of idle Medicine Hat (12). . . . Kootenay (11) picked up a loser point on the road and now holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot by five points over idle Edmonton (12). Kootenay is four points behind idle Red Deer (13), which is third in the division.
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In Swift Current, the Broncos trailed 5-2 early in the third period but roared back to beat the Kootenay Ice 7-6 in a shootout. . . . Broncos F Jake DeBrusk scored the only goal of the four-round shootout. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon gave his side a 5-2 lead with his 28th goal at 9:20 of the second period. . . . F Coda Gordon, with his second of the game and 21st of the season, cut the deficit to 5-3. . . . DeBrusk then got his 36th goal at 14:03 and D Ayrton Nikkel tied it with his second goal of the season at 16:23. . . . The Ice wasn’t done, though, and took a 6-5 lead on F Levi Cable’s 26th goal at 17:13. . . . It was left for Broncos F Colby Cave to force OT with his 28th goal at 18:35. . . . F Luke Philp scored his 27th goal and added three assists for the Ice, who got three assists from F Sam Reinhart. . . . The Broncos (30-25-5) have won three in a row. . . . The Ice (31-27-3) is 3-0-2 in its last five. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice and F Nic Petan had four assists as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Tri-City Americans, 6-4. . . . Bjorkstrand, with goals in nine straight games, has 45 goals, one off the WHL lead. . . . Petan has eight assists over his last two games. In fact, in his last six games, he has a goal and 13 assists. . . . Portland F Miles Koules broke a 4-4 tie with his 24th goal at 14:32 of the third period. . . . That came after F Beau McCue had pulled the Americans into a 4-4 tie with a shorthanded goal at 10:09. . . . G Nicholas Sanders made 41 saves for the Americans, 17 more than Portland’s Adin Hill. . . . Tri-City was 2-for-4 on the PP; the Winterhawks were 0-for-3. . . . The Winterhawks (36-20-4) have points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Americans (27-31-3) have lost two in a row. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Calgary Hitmen continued their unbeaten road trip as they dropped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang broke a 1-1 tie with his 24th goal at 5:47 of the second period, just 4:26 after F Jake Virtanen had tied it with his 17th goal. . . . F Terrell Draude gave the visitors a 3-1 lead at 2:35 of the third. . . . Seattle F Roberts Lipsbergs got his 10th goal at 19:00 of the third. . . . According to TBird Tidbits, the Hitmen now have won six straight games in Seattle/Kent, with two of the victories coming in OT. Calgary last lost there on Oct. 26, 2002. . . . Calgary (37-18-5) is three games into an 11-game road trip and has won all three games. Overall, it has won five straight. . . . Seattle (31-22-7) had won its previous two games.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

(all times local)
Medicine Hat at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Regina, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Red Deer at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Portland, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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Just heard a lady in the lobby say "I'm STILL vibrating!!". @SCBroncos
— Leigh Duquette (@LadyKat75) February 25, 2015

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Johnson a giant with Lightning . . . De Leo takes streak to Kamloops . . . Reinhart closing on Stoll

Is there a better story being written in the NHL this season than the one being penned by F Tyler Johnson of the Tampa Bay Lightning?
A native of Spokane, Johnson played four seasons with the WHL’s Chiefs, who selected him in the 11th round of the 2005 bantam draft.
He was a terrific WHL player, too, putting up 282 points, including 128 goals, in 266 regular-season games. In 2010-11, as a 20-year-old, he finished second in the scoring race, his 115 points leaving him one point behind F Linden Vey of the Medicine Hat Tigers. Johnson led the WHL in goals that season, with 53.
I can remember watching Johnson in his final WHL season and thinking he was as good a centre as I had seen in quite some time. On top of his offensive ability, he was lights out on defence and practically unbeatable in the faceoff circle. He also may have been the WHL’s best penalty-killer at the time.
Tim Speltz, the Chiefs’ general manager, has watched Johnson for a long time.
“Johnny has always exceeded expectations and he's a great person who was always an excellent skater and had an amazing understanding of the game,” Speltz told Taking Note via email. “By the end of his 19-year-old year he gave you the feeling he would find a way to play in the NHL. His (20-year-old season), he finished second in league scoring and he was always our most responsible defensive player.”
Johnson, now 24, wasn’t selected in the NHL draft — at 5-foot-9, he is one of those players who has had to live with being too small. But he was able to sign a free-agent deal with the Lightning.
Al Murray, Tampa Bay’s head amateur scout, lives in Regina so had ample opportunity to watch Johnson during his WHL career. It was on Murray’s recommendation that the Lightning signed Johnson.
He played two seasons in the AHL and now is in his second full NHL season.
He got his first taste of the NHL in 2012-13 when he had three goals and three assists in 16 games.
Last season, he played 82 games with the Lightning and showed a hint of what he was about when he put up 50 points, including 24 goals.
Still, who saw this season coming?
He leads the Lightning in points, with 45, 17 of them goals, in 42 games. On Sunday, he was named to the NHL all-star game.
Unfortunately, he left in the second period of Monday’s 7-3 loss to the Flyers in Philadelphia with an undisclosed injury. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper didn’t know whether Johnson would be able to play tonight against the host Boston Bruins.
Before leaving the game, Johnson set up Tampa Bay sniper Steven Stamkos for a goal with as nifty a pass as you will see.
Johnson first skated at the age of 18 months.
His mother, Debbie, taught power-skating; his father, Ken, coached minor hockey for a long time. Yes, he coached Tyler during his minor hockey career.
Don’t think for a minute that just because Johnson now is 2,316 miles from Spokane, as the crow flies, that the Chiefs’ followers have forgotten him.
“There are lots of Johnson jerseys in our crowd, both Chiefs and Lightning,” Speltz noted. “Spokane is very proud of their hometown hockey hero.
“All that said, who Tyler is is what makes him special . . . a great young man who is a fantastic role model you cannot say enough about.”
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The Portland Winterhawks meet the Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday night and then are in Prince George to face the Cougars on Friday and Saturday. This is the Winterhawks’ last regular-season trip outside the U.S. Division. . . . Portland F Chase De Leo goes into Kamloops on a 17-game point streak. He has two goals and 18 assists in the 17 games. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who is tied with Petan for the team scoring lead, with 48 points, has seven points, three of them goals, over his last two games. He has points in 15 of his last 16 games, with multiple points in 12 of those contests. . . . F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice has 282 career regular-season points. That leaves him four points behind F Jarret Stoll, who holds the franchise record (286). . . . The Ice next plays Wednesday in Moose Jaw.
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Happy 61st to Dennis Sobchuk who was never same after a shoulder injury. Dennis scored 191 in 200 games w/ @WHLpats. pic.twitter.com/m94qafgHRv
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) January 13, 2015

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