Seattle pick visiting Wisconsin

THE MacBETH REPORT:


F Stepan Novotny (Kelowna, Swift Current, 2008-11) has been loaned by Plzen to Brno (both Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He had three goals and an assist in 17 games. . . .

F Ivan Dornic (Portland, 2003-05) and F Roman Tvrdon (Spokane, 1999-2001) have signed for the rest of this season with Unia Oswiecim (Poland, Ekstraliga). . . . This season, Dornic, with Zilina (Slovakia, Extraliga), had one assist in 12 games, while Tvrdon, with Povazska Bystrica (Slovakia, 1.Liga), had a goal and four assists in nine games. . . .
F Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a short-term contract with the Swindon Wildcats (England, Premier). Swindon is short players due to injury and the Division 1 Group B World Junior Championship. Fojtik lives and works in Swindon. This season with Slouth (England, Premier), he had five assists in 11 games before being released on Oct. 21. . . .

F Ryan Hollweg (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) signed a two-year extension with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has three goals in 18 games this season.
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F Dante Fabbro is spending the weekend in Madison, Wisc., checking out the University of Wisconsin campus and the men’s hockey program. The Seattle Thunderbirds selected Fabbro, who is from Coquitlam, B.C., with the eighth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . There’s more on Fabbro and his visit right here.
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The SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs have fired general manager/head coach Gavin Holcomb. . . . Trevor Blevins has stepped in as interim head coach. Blevins is a former Melfort player and assistant coach. . . . Dwight Kulchysky will remain on as assistant coach and also will serve as the interim general manager. . . . The Mustangs are 10-12-0-4 after beating the visiting Estevan Bruins 4-2 on Friday night. Melfort is fourth in the four-team Sherwood Division, four points behind the division-leading Nipawin Hawks.
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Over at greatesthockeylegends.com, Joe Pelletier has named his 2013 Hockey Book of the Year. . . . The honour goes to Keon and Me, by Dave Bidini. . . . If you haven’t already, you really should visit Pelletier’s website. If you are a reader of hockey books, this is a great site as Pelletier keeps tabs on what’s on the shelves and what’s on the way.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have traded G Christopher Tai, 18, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for an undisclosed 2015 bantam draft pick. With the move, Brandon made room for G Curtis Honey, who missed 14 games with an undisclosed injury. He played the third period of Brandon’s 4-3 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncos Friday night. . . . Tai played in one game with Brandon, after coming over from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He gave up one goal in 30 minutes with the Wheat Kings. Tai is expected to arrive in Medicine Hat on Monday. . . . The Tigers need a goaltender with G Marek Langhamer soon to leave for the selection camp of the Czech Republic national junior team.
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FRIDAY NIGHT:
In Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos erased a 2-1 first-period deficit with three second-period goals in a 7:16 span and beat the Wheat Kings, 4-3. . . . The Broncos (19-11-3) have won three in a row and lead the Eastern Conference by four points. . . . F Dakota Odgers opened the game’s scoring for the Broncos with his first WHL goal. It came in his 13th game, four of which have come this season. . . . F Andrew Johnson’s fourth goal, at 13:36 of the second, stood up as the winner. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 38 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jayce Hawrulyk, their scoring leader, who served the first game of a two-game suspension. He drew the punishment under supplemental discipline for a hit on Regina D Kyle Burroughs on Wednesday night. Burroughs, who is going through the WHL’s concussion protocol, didn’t play Friday night. . . . Regina F Max Kammerer also is concussed. . . .

In Moose Jaw, the Regina Pats scored two shootout goals to beat the Warriors, 5-4. . . . The Warriors actually took a 4-2 lead into the third period. . . . F Dyson Stevenson got the Pats to within one with his 16th goal at 12:26 of the third, with F Chandler Stephenson forcing extra time with his second goal of the game, and his 13th this season, at 16:26. . . . Stephenson also had an assist. . . . F Brayden Point scored twice, giving him 11, and added an assist for Moose Jaw, which got three assists from D Jesse Forsberg. . . . F Boston Leier and Stevenson scored for the Pats in the shootout, while the Warriors got a goal from F Torrin White. . . .

In Edmonton, F Mitchell Moroz and F Reid Petryk scored shootout goals to give the Oil Kings a 5-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Winterhawks erased a late 4-2 third-period deficit to force OT. F Taylor Leier scored twice, giving him 22, at 17:13 and 19:04. . . . F Edgars Kulda had his ninth goal and an assist for Edmonton, which has won four straight. . . . F Nic Petan had a goal and two assists for Portland, giving him 64 points and moving him to within two points of the WHL points lead. He also had Portland’s lone goal in the shootout. . . . Portland (21-5-4) has points in seven straight (5-0-2) and leads the overall standings by two points over the Kelowna Rockets and Everett Silvertips. . . . This was a meeting of the two teams that appeared in the last two WHL finals, Edmonton winning the first title and the Winterhawks now the defending champions. . . . Edmonton D Dyson Mayo scored the game’s second goal at 15:20 of the first period; it was the Teddy Bear goal. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot had a goal and two assists. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes beat the Prince Albert Raiders 3-1 for their third victory in their last 18 games. . . . The Hurricanes (4-23-4) had lost seven in a row. . . . Lethbridge F Russell Maxwell opened the scoring late in the second period with the Teddy Bear goal. . . . F Tyler Wong gave the home side a 2-0 lead with his 12th goal at 1:07 of the third period. . . . F Riley Sheen put it away with an empty-netter at 18:55. . . . Sheen has six goals. . . . Lethbridge G Teagan Sacher stopped 31 shots. . . . Only two minor penalties were called, both against Lethbridge. . . .

In Kamloops, F Tim Bozon burned his former team for two goals and two assists as the Kootenay Ice beat the Blazers, 7-3. . . . Bozon has 19 points, including six goals, since being acquired by the Ice from Kamloops. He has nine goals on the season. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had two goals, giving him 21, and an assist for Kootenay, while F Sam Reinhart had two assists. . . . F Eric Krienke scored his first WHL goal for the Blazers. He’s a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary. . . . Kamloops D Sam Grist was hit with a match penalty for attempt to injure during a third-period scrap with Ice F Jon Martin. Grist apparently used Martin’s helmet to strike the Ice player. . . . The Blazers are at home to the Everett Silvertips tonight, so Grist may have to sit out depending on how the WHL office views the matter. . . . Ice F Ryan Chynoweth was among the scratches. He was injured when hit from behind during a game in Vancouver on Wednesday night. . . . Kamloops, which has lost 11 in a row, is without F Aspen Sterzer, who suffered an undisclosed injury on Nov. 29 against visiting Kelowna. Sterzer isn’t expect to play tonight, either. . . .

In Prince George, F Braden Purtil scored his third goal of the season at 4:21 of OT as the Tri-City Americans beat the Cougars, 4-3. . . . Cougars F Todd Fiddler forced OT with his 11th goal at 18:15 of the third period. . . . F Lucas Nickles had a goal, his seventh, and two assists for the Americans, who have won three in a row. . . . Americans G Eric Comrie turned aside 38 shots. . . . Prince George F Troy Bourke completed a three-game suspension. . . . The Cougars are hurting through sickness and injuries. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen reports that the Cougars had just six forwards available for one practice this week. . . . Prince George F Zach Pochiro (concussion) was symptom free only to have headaches return. Also out with concussions are F Jari Erricson, D Tate Olson and F Brad Morrison. . . . Also out of the Cougars lineup are D Raymond Grewal (ankle), F David Soltes (knee) and G Brett Zarowny (groin). . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen got his fifth goal, on the PP, at 10:55 of the second and D Damon Severson, with his eighth on a PP just 57 seconds into the third, broke the 1-1 tie. . . . Olsen, whose first goal was the Teddy Bear score, later scored his second of the game. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 26 shots. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist had his point streak snapped at 18 games. He had 40 points, including 16 goals, over that stretch. That is the longest point steak in the league this season. . . . The Rockets, who have the WHL’s best winning percentage (.846), have won five straight. . . .

In Victoria, F Brandon Magee scored twice, the last one into an empty net, as the Royals doubled the Vancouver Giants, 4-2. . . . Magee has 10 goals. . . . Royals F Taylor Crunk snapped a 2-2 tie with his third goal at 9:50 of the third. . . . Vancouver lost F Tim Traber, who spent two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins and two with the Royals, to a boarding major and game misconduct at 10:44 of the first period. . . . The Giants had earned at least a point in each of their previous 11 games. . . .

In Spokane, F Branden Troock struck for three goals and added an assist as the Seattle Thunderbirds dropped the Chiefs, 7-3. . . . Troock, who enjoyed his first WHL hat trick, has 13 goals. . . . Seattle, which won 5-1 in Spokane on Sunday, has won five in a row. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore had four assists for the first time in his career, with D Jarret Smith scoring his first goal and adding two helpers for his first three-point outing. Smith has two goals in 101 regular-season games. . . . F Adam Helewka had two goals, giving him 14, and an assist for Spokane. . . . Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg, who leads the WHL in goals (32) and points (66), was held pointless and, in fact, was ejected after becoming involved in a multi-fight situation at 17:41 of the third period. . . . Seattle held a 25-15 edge in shots on goal.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Dominik Pacovsky (Kootenay, 2008-10) signed for the rest of the season with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). It's a two-way deal with him scheduled to join Lev today. This season with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had five points, including three goals, in 13 games. Last season with Sparta, he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 37 games. . . .
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) signed a tryout contract with Aalborg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). The tryout runs until Nov. 1. He was released earlier by Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after picking up three points, one of them a goal, in 10 games. . . .
F Erik Christensen (Kamloops, Brandon, 1999-2004) signed for the rest of this season with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL) after being released by Lev Prague on Thursday. He is to arrive in Jönköping on Thursday. With Lev this season, he had a goal and an assist in 12 games.
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) has signed a tryout deal with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He played last season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), getting eight points, including two goals, in 21 games, and AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien), putting up five points, three of them goals, in 23 games. . . .
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) has been released by the Slough Jets (England, Premier). He had three assists in 10 games. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asian HL). He had seven points, including two goals, in 10 games. . . . Lukacevic has since signed with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.
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1. The Kootenay Ice was looking for a defenceman who could play in its top four; the Kamloops Blazers were looking for draft picks.
So general managers Jeff Chynoweth (Ice) and Craig Bonner (Blazers) got together and swapped four players and three bantam draft picks on Tuesday.
The Ice got F Tim Bozon and D Landon Cross, both 19, with the Blazers landing D Matt Thomas, 18, F Collin Shirley, 17, and the three picks -- first- and fifth-round selections in 2015 and a third-rounder in 2014.
While Bozon, a third-round pick by the Montreal Canadians in the 2012 NHL draft who has signed with the Habs, is the biggest name in the deal, the swap's genesis came on the weekend when Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth inquired about the availability of Cross.
Chynoweth told me via text yesterday afternoon that he made the first call, inquiring "about Cross."
"It just grew from there," Chynoweth said. "We thought why not ask about Bozon, thinking he would look very good playing with (Sam) Reinhart and (Jaedon) Descheneau."
As well, Chynoweth said, "Cross gives us much needed depth on our back end."
Bozon is coming off 71- and 91-point seasons and has seven points in 13 games this season. He is an interesting study because he was born in St. Louis, while his father, Philippe, was playing with the Blues, calls Switzerland home and plays internationally for France.
Bozon had great chemistry for most of the last two seasons with forwards Colin Smith and JC Lipon, both of whom have signed NHL deals and are in the AHL. The Blazers don't have anyone who has been able to fit that well with Bozon, who has played like it. With the Ice, Bozon will get a chance to revive his role as a triggerman, this time alongside Reinhart and Descheneau.
Cross, from Brandon, was a third-round pick by Kamloops in the 2009 bantam draft. In his third full WHL season, he has 24 points in 134 regular-season games. He has turned into a solid stay-at-home defender who should enjoy playing for Ice head coach Ryan McGill.
Shirley, from Saskatoon, had 23 points, including nine goals, in 60 games last season. This season, he has three points, two of them goals, in 11 games. He was the 17th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft.
Thomas, who was listed by the Ice prior to last season, is from Calgary. He had two assists in 66 games last season and has one in 11 outings this season.
Here's a paragraph from the Blazers' news release, which sums up their reason for making this trade: "In acquiring a first-round pick in 2015 and a third-round pick in 2014, the Blazers recoup draft picks that were traded to acquire defenceman Joel Edmundson last season and (forward) Tyson Ness this season."
The Ice is off to a 6-5-2 start, and has scored 37 goals. Reinhart and Descheneau have accounted for 16 of those, and have combined for 42 points. Yes, Chynoweth and McGill will be eager to get a look at Bozon alongside those two.
The Blazers are 4-9-0 and in a definite rebuilding/reloading mode, although they will continue to pursue a Western Conference playoff spot.
The Ice next plays Friday against the visiting Portland Winterhawks, while the Blazers are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Saturday.
The Ice is scheduled to visit Kamloops on Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, the Ice has dropped D Clint Filbrandt, 18, from its roster. He is expected to end up with a junior A team. Filbrandt was acquired from the Tri-City Americans on May 14 for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Some Twittering on the Kamloops-Kootenay swap:
From Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): "I'm surprised Blazers are declaring themselves as sellers so early though. I didn't think they'd drop as much from last year as they have."
From Trevor Crawley (@tcrawls) of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman: "#FunFact: Tim Bozon is the 4th @WHLKootenayICE player whose father played in the NHL (Elynuik, Reinhart & Dirk).)
From Dan Russell (@DanRussellST): "Taking page out of brother Scott's book? Last yr D Musil signified rebuild mode in Oct for Van -Craig's T Bozon deal today says same in Kam?"
From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: "I won't bet against Chynoweth. I mean really, have the @WHLKootenayICE ever sucked? No! Plus the little engine that could has 3 WHL titles."
From Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: "Spoke with Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth about the trade. Said talks started with Landon Cross and expanded from there."

2. How did Hamilton Burger keep his job for so long?

3. When the Kamloops Blazers played the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday night, it marked a return for Mark Ferner. Fired as the Silvertips' head coach last season, he now is the Blazers' associate coach. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald checks in with Ferner right here.

4. As I stroll the streets of downtown Vancouver, I notice that most pedestrians have only one free hand, the other carrying either a phone or a cup of coffee. (Of course, some of the more highly skilled pedastrians fill both hands.) Hilary Stout of The New York Times has more right here on our love affair with coffee. This is interesting stuff.

5. Over at the Monday Morning Quarterback website, they are spending a lot of this week with the focus on concussions in football. You should check it out right here because it's important stuff.

6. Steve Miller, an assistant coach with the Denver University Pioneers for more than 19 seasons, is flying like an eagle (sorry!) to a USHL expansion franchise that will begin play in Madison, Wis., next season. He will be the general manager and head coach in Madison. Miller starts his new job on Jan. 1.

7. If you enjoy good hockey photos, check out this spot right here. You may even be interested in purchasing a photo or two. Yes, Chris Mast is involved.

8. F Zach Jones scored with 1:05 left in the third period Tuesday night, giving the visiting Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 38 shots. Attendance was 4,674. . . . In Lethbridge, the Portland Winterhawks scored three first-period goals and went on to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. Portland, the WHL's defending champion, has won five straight games. . . . In Kennewick, Wash., F Phil Tot scored 34 seconds into the game and added an empty-netter as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. The Broncos went 0-5 on their U.S. Division swing and were outscored 24-10 in the process.

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.

Christian Klein (@christian9klein) tweeted this photo on Wednesday night,
with this note: "Classy move by the folks at #Holstens where the famous
final scene of #TheSopranos was filmed. Reserved tonight
for #TonySoprano and Co. A true #NJ treasure. #HBO."

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with the Slough Jets (England, Premier). He had six goals and 20 assists in 46 games with the Basingstoke Bison, Telford Tigers, and Swindon Wildcats (all England, Premier) this season.
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Regrets? I’ve had a few.
One of them is that during my career as a sports journalist, Lorne Molleken and I were never in the same city at the same time, at least not for any length of time.
We have known each other since the mid-1970s, but I never had the opportunity to cover any of his teams on a daily basis.
Molleken, who stepped aside as head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday, spent 17 winters as a

LORNE MOLLEKEN
(Steve Hiscock photo)

WHL head coach. He also worked as head coach of the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors.
However, Molleken’s history with the WHL goes back a whole lot farther than that.
A goaltender, the Regina native played with the Swift Current Broncos in 1972-73 and 1973-74, making the move to Lethbridge with the franchise for the start of the 1974-75 season. However, he found himself in Winnipeg with the Clubs – you can bet Molleken learned a lot about dysfunctional families there – during that season and also played there in 1975-76 before going on to a professional career that took him to such minor league outposts as Philadelphia, Saginaw, Springfield, Binghamton, Indianapolis and Toledo.
The roadmap of his coaching career is that of a man who loves the game. Moose Jaw. Saskatoon. Cape Breton. Hamilton, Chicago. Regina. San Jose. Pittsburgh. Saskatoon.
We are a society that loves to catalogue people, to put them in slots and leave them there. So that means Molleken, who turned 57 on June 11, is an “old school” coach. If you watched any of the TV series On The Edge that chronicled the Blades; 2012-13 season, you witnessed that first hand.
But you also saw the tears when circumstances called on him to inform players they had been traded away, so wouldn’t be part of the host team for the Memorial Cup.
Yes, Molleken is an emotional man.
But the thing I enjoy the most about Molleken is that, unlike so many people in hockey today, he understands the game within the game. He understands the role of the media, that we are a necessary evil so he may as well deal with us. He understands that it isn’t our job to sell tickets for him and his organization. But, at the same time, he knows that if he cultivates relationships in the correct fashion that’s exactly what happens.
Which is why, whenever I would approach him, he had that glint in his eye and a story to tell.
So here’s a story about Molleken.
In that 1974-75 season, he played for the legendary Muzz MacPherson with the Clubs, who played out of the old Winnipeg Arena.
One morning, a bleary-eyed Molleken was on the ice for practice but wasn’t moving too many muscles. He stood in one net looking like a Shooter Tutor before its time.
“Hey, Mooner,” yelled MacPherson, who was stationed at centre ice. “Are you going to at least try to stop some pucks?”
Molleken replied: “Muzz, you see that thing up above you?”
MacPherson, in telling the story in his gravely voice, would say: “Like a fool, I looked up. And there was the clock.”
Molleken, noticing that MacPherson had looked up, offered: “When it starts, I start.”
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If it wasn’t official, it is now. Hockey Canada has jumped the shark with the world junior hockey championship.
Our country’s hockey pooh-bahs, the same ones who came up with the idea of banning European goaltenders from the major junior game, will announce today that Toronto and Montreal will share the 2015 and 2017 world junior tournaments.
Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted yesterday that “MTL will host preliminary round and TOR the medal round in 2015. Then it reverses in 2017 with MTL getting medal round and TOR preliminary.”
Never mind that Toronto and Montreal have been graveyards for major junior hockey. That doesn’t matter. Hockey Canada has morphed into a gigantic business and the world junior championship is its cash cow.
You will recall that Calgary and Edmonton shared the 2012 tournament and the profit was $22 million. The bar, then, has been raised so high that junior hockey cities without NHL arenas have zero chance of seeing this tournament again.
As Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports wrote:
“Who knows how high the revenue target will be for the two tournaments that will be held in the Bell Centre and Air Canada Centre, which are both newer buildings with a greater combined seating capacity than the NHL venues in Calgary and Edmonton. It's just the way it is; it doesn't matter that Montreal and Toronto are so gung-ho about junior hockey during the other 50 weeks of the year that a combined four CHL teams have pulled up stakes from those markets in the past decade — the Brampton Battalion (North Bay), Montreal Juniors (suburban Blainville-Boisbriand), Mississauga IceDogs (St. Catharines) and Montreal Rocket (Charlottetown, P.E.I.).”
Should the 2015 and 2017 tournaments raise the profit bar even higher, perhaps to $30 million, what happens? Do Toronto and Montreal become the permanent host cities whenever the tournament is played in Canada?
Because these days it’s all about the money.
We live in a sporting world with its priorities so far out of whack that it has become painful. Some junior hockey teams in our country, their expenses far exceeding revenues, are going to charge players a few thousand dollars to play. The 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, are going to cost someone US$51 billion.
One of these days, the bubble is going to burst and when that day comes it is going to be noisy.
But when it happens perhaps places like Red Deer will have the opportunity to play host to things like the world junior tournament again.
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James Gandolfini died on Wednesday while vacationing in Italy.
Here’s Alan Sepinwall of hitfix.com writing about Gandolfini as Tony Soprano: “His work on the show made possible Vic Mackey, Al Swearengen, Walter White, Don Draper and every complicated, riveting anti-hero (or worse) who followed him. ‘The Sopranos’ was an enormous hit, and told the business that the old rules need no longer apply.”
That complete piece, and it’s a great read, is right here.
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G Alex Wakaluk, the son of Calgary Hitmen goaltending coach Darcy Wakaluk, has signed to play for the U of Massachusetts Minutemen. Alex, who turns 20 on Aug. 20, played the last two seasons with the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. This season, he was named the SJHL’s most valuable player and was a finalist for the junior A goaltender-of-the-year award. He was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the ninth round of the 2008 WHL bantam draft.
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Two former WHLers — F Andrew Rieder and D Tyler Hart — have committed to Dalhouse University in Halifax and will play for the Tigers. . . . Rieder (Regina, 2009-12) has his WHL career derailed by shoulder problems. A Regina native, he then played five games this season with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes but his comeback was halted by more shoulder problems. . . . Hart (Vancouver, Prince Albert, 2010-12) is from Spruce Grove, Alta. He played this season for the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Lorne Molleken, the second-winningest head coach in WHL history, has stepped aside. The Saskatoon Blades announced Wednesday that Molleken will remain as the general manager and alternate governor, with associate coach David Struch taking over as head coach. . . . Curtis Leschyshyn and Jerome Engele will stay on as assistant coaches, and Tim Cheveldave remains as the goaltending coach. . . . "Our organization has full confidence in what David can do with this team going forward,” Molleken said in a news release. “He has been a part of this coaching staff for the past seven years. He's done the necessary work to become a head coach in this league. He's passionate about coaching, the city of Saskatoon and the Blades. We feel that he'll be a great fit as we enter a new and exciting era as an organization.” . . . Struck is a former Blades player (1988-92). . . . Molleken has been a WHL coach for 17 seasons, 13 of them with the Blades. With 603 career victories, he is second only to Ken Hodge (742) on the WHL’s all-time list.

The Prince Albert Raiders have agreed to contract extensions with associate coach Dave Manson and assistant coach Tim Leonard. . . . Manson, a former Raiders defenceman, is in his second stint as an assistant coach, having rejoined the team as an assistant coach for the 2010-11 season. He was named associate coach after that season. . . . Leonard, who spent 10 seasons on the coaching staff of the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos, is preparing for his second season with the Raiders. . . . Manson and Leonard now are signed through 2014-15, along with the rest of the club’s hockey operations staff. . . . Dave Leaderhouse of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has more right here.

John Goodwin, a former OHL scoring champion, has signed on as an assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion. Goodwin, 51, will work with fellow assistant Ryan Oulahen alongside GM/head coach Stan Butler. . . . Goodwin replaces Jason Ward, who chose not to make the move from Brampton to North Bay. . . . Goodwin has previous OHL coaching experience, with the Oshawa Generals. He was the head coach there for three seasons and also spent two seasons there as an assistant under Butler. . . . Goodwin won the OHL scoring title in 1980-81.
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “2015 and 2017 WJCs to be in Montreal and Toronto. I've heard European teams won't even be allowed to USE goalies.”
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From Mitch Callahan (@emcy1five): “Sorry to the city of Grand Rapids for dropping the ‘F’ bomb on stage with the microphone at city park. Just a little excited”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Swindon Wildcats (England, Premier). He had four assists in 13 games with Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier) and one assist in two games with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier) earlier this season. . . .
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) was released by Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). He had one goal and five assists in 23 games this season.
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F Mathew Barzal, the first overall selection by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, played his third game this season with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express last night. Barzal, who has yet to decide between the Thunderbirds and the NCAA, had one assist — his first point in the three games — and a minor penalty in a 4-2 loss to the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs.
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The Victoria Royals got down to two goaltenders on Friday when they assigned Jared Rathjen, 18, to the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. That leaves the Royals with Czech freshman Patrik Polivka, 18, and Vollrath Coleman, a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary, to handle the goaltending. . . . The Royals also assigned D Kolton Dixon. 17, to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers.
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D Alex Theriau, 20, who was released this week by the Medicine Hat Tigers, has signed with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . Thanks to Brian Wiebe (@Brian_Wiebe) for that tidbit.
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D Spencer Galbraith, 19, has ended his WHL career, the Lethbridge Hurricanes announced on Friday. Galbraith, from Spruce Grove, Alta., played in a 4-2 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals on Wednesday. He had been acquired a year ago from the Brandon Wheat Kings. He had seven assists in 52 games with Lethbridge last season. This season, he had seven points, two of them goals, in 20 games.
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Matt Gardner of the Prince Albert Daily Herald has an interesting story right here that details why a local brewing company is unable to sell beer in the Art Hauser Memorial Centre during Raiders games. Did you know that Molson  pays the Raiders $30,000 for rights to the facility during their games.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
G Luke Siemens stopped 28 shots to help the host Prince Albert Raiders to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . That was his first shutout this season and the seventh of his career. . . . F Mark McNeill and F Mike Winther each scored their eighth goals and added an assist. F Dakota Conroy, an early-season acquisition from the Victoria Royals, added his ninth goal. . . . Seattle has lost three in a row and five of six. . . . The Thunderbirds are 1-4-0 in an East Division tour that ends tonight in Saskatoon. . . .

The Lethbridge Hurricanes ran their winning streak to four games with a 5-3 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . The Hurricanes, who have had their struggles in recent seasons, have won nine of 12. . . . Lethbridge erased a 2-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals — two in each of the last two periods. . . . F Russell Maxwell scored his 13th of the season for the visitors, who got 35 saves from G Ty Rimmer. . . . The Hurricanes are without F Graham Hood (broken hand). He is their captain. . . .

F Elgin Pearce scored one goal and drew two assists to help the host Medicine Hat Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Tigers G Cam Lanigan stopped 29 shots to earn the victory. He is 6-2-0 with the Tigers after coming over from the Portland Winterhawks, for whom he had been 3-0-0. . . . F Curtis Valk scored his 15th of the season for the Tigers and F Hunter Shinkaruk got his 14th, while F Sam Fioretti got No. 15 for the Warriors. . . .

D Alex Roach broke in a new pair of skates with two goals and an assist to help the host Calgary Hitmen to a 5-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Roach had four goals in 61 games in each of his first two seasons. This season, he has four goals in 20 games. He also has 15 points in 20 games, after putting up 16 and 18 points in his first two seasons. . . . Calgary has won five in a row. . . . F Brady Brassart, returning after a seven-game absence due to an undisclosed injury, had a goal and two assists for Calgary. . . . Victoria F Steven Hodges ran his point streak to six games with a late goal. . . . The Royals have lost six in a row. . . . D Tyler Stahl scored his first goal in a Royals uniform. It was his second career goal in his 159th game. He played 127 games with the Chilliwack Bruins and the last 32 with the Royals. A concussion limited him to 20 games last season. Stahl, 20, is the Royals’ captain. . . . The Hitmen were without F Brooks Macek (ill), their leading scorer, and F Cody Sylvester (undisclosed). . . .

G Laurent Brossoit stopped 38 shots to lead the Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. . . . Edmonton scored three goals in the first period and then watched as the Cougars mounted a comeback. . . . The Oil Kings scored two shorthanded goals, the second into an empty Prince George net late in the third period. . . . F T.J. Foster had his 11th goal and two assists for Edmonton. . . . Prince George G Mac Engel, who relieved starter Brent Zarowny with the score 3-0 to start the second period, stopped 19 shots. . . . The teams play again tonight in Prince George. The Cougars then will ride the bus to Vancouver for a Sunday game that is to begin at 4 p.m. . . .

F Shane McColgan had a goal and three assists to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored twice, giving him 17 in as many games. . . . Cha-ching! There was a line brawl at 7:22 of the third period. . . . During the fighting, Saskatoon F Jessey Astles suffered a cut to one wrist and had to leave the game. “When he went down, his own skate caught him across the wrist,” Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPoenix. “He’s going to have surgery. That’s all I can tell you.” . . . The Pats took 83 of the game’s 159 penalty minutes. . . . The Blades had erased a 1-0 deficit with six goals before F Morgan Klimchuk scored two PP goals for Regina. . . .

G Austin Lotz recorded his first WHL shutout as the visiting Everett Silvertips beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-0. . . . Lotz stopped 35 shots as the Silvertips snapped their seven-game losing streak. Everett also had lost five straight in Kennewick, dating back to last season. . . . The Americans had won three in a row. . . . The Americans hadn’t been blanked at home since Jan. 5, 2008, when they lost 3-0 to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett had lost four straight to the Americans this season. . . . Americans F Justin Feser played in his 300th regular-season game. He is the eighth Tri-City player to get there. . . . Everett was playing its seventh game in 11 nights. . . . F Trent Lofthouse’s fourth goal of the season at 18:20 of the first period stood up as the winner. . . .

F Riley Whittingham broke a 2-2 tie with his first career goal and the host Spokane Chiefs went on to a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The goal was the first of Whittingham’s career. He is a 17-year-old freshman from Calgary. . . . The Blazers (17-3-1) have followed a franchise-record 14-game winning streak by losing three of their last four games. . . . Kamloops F JC Lipon scored his 17th goal. He and Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead. Lipon has a WHL-leading 41 points, one more than linemate Colin Smith. . . . Lipon’s goal came on the PP and ended an 0-for-17 drought for the Blazers. . . . F Todd Fiddler had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg scored in his return from a five-game absence. He had been injured on a high hit from Everett D Nick Walters, who served a three-game suspension for it. . . .

In Vancouver, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last four goals and dropped the Giants, 9-5. . . . F Nic Petan had two goals and two assists for the visitors. Last season, Petan had 35 points, including 21 assists, in 61 games. Right now, he has 31 points, 21 of them assistds, in 18 games. . . . Portland now has won 10 in a row. . . . Vancouver G Payton Lee allowed five goals on 26 shots before being yanked for a second straight game. . . . Portland has a 58-18 edge in goals in its last 10 games. The Winterhawks are in Spokane tonight. . . . Vancouver F Trevor Cheek, who is from Vancouver, Wash., scored twice to pull the Giants into a 3-3 tie. . . . The Winterhawks yanked G Brendan Burke with the score 5-5 — he stopped 14 shots — and Mac Carruth came on to make one save and get the victory. . . . Vancouver G Tyler Fuhr took the loss. He came on with his side trailing 5-3. . . . The Winterhawks outshot the Giants, 51-20. Portland has outshot its opponent in each of its 18 games this season. . . . Winterhawks F Ty Rattie had three assists to run his point streak to 12 games. He has 26 points in the 12 games. . . . Portland D Tyler Wotherspoon had one goal and was plus-5. . . .

G Jackson Whistle stopped 23 shots to help the Kelowna Rockets beat the visiting Red Deer Rebels, 8-1. . . . Whistle is 5-0-0, 1.06, .961. . . . Kelowna G Tyrell Goulbourne scored his third goal in as many games. He has three goals this season and each one is a game-winner. . . . Kelowna got two goals from each of F Ryan Olsen, F Cody Fowlie and D/F Myles Bell.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Tim Traber, Victoria
F Mike Aviani, Spokane
F Caleb Belter, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Brenden Walker, Saskatoon
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “I am still trying to convince @my_ohs29 to rip a slap shot at the Prospera score clock in an effort to knock that thing down permanently.”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) was released by the Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier). He had four assists in 11 games with the Bison this season. . . .
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) signed a one-year plus option contract with Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). Courchaine signed a one-year contract with Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga) on Oct. 11 and Krefeld says he will remain with Duisburg until Nov. 11, when he will report to Krefeld.
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Kurtis Mucha (Portland, Kamloops, 2005-10) became the first goaltender in Canada West history to be credited with a goal on Friday as his Alberta Golden Bears dumped the host Lethbridge Pronghorns, 7-1.
Yes, he was the last Alberta player to touch the puck before Lethbridge scored an own goal during a delayed penalty.
“I couldn’t even see what was going on and to be honest it ended up going in and our guys were cheering and I didn’t even know we scored,” Mucha told Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal. “From my view there was five, or six bodies in the way and I guess the ref went up to the boys and he was like ‘give me a number. Who scored? I don’t even know.’
“(Bears forward Sean) Ringrose said ‘I think Mucha was the last guy to touch it.’ So that’s basically how it happened.”
Daum’s complete piece on Mucha is right here.
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F Anthony Bardaro, 20, is expected back in the Prince Albert Raiders’ lineup tonight when they meet the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Bardaro missed two weekend games while attending a family funeral. . . . The Raiders continue to be without F Reid Gardiner, who is expected to sit for another couple of weeks with one of those horrible upper-body injuries. . . . The Raiders are 2-2-1 on what is a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. . . .
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D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades will play his 200th career regular-season game tonight in Regina against the Pats. . . . D Darren Dietz (lower body) hasn’t played or practised since Oct. 20 nd is questionable for tonight. . . . This will be the Blades first game in 10 days. . . . The host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup has a 5-9-0 record. . . .
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If you’re in the Portland area on Nov. 3, you should know that the 2012 Golden Skate Charity Game is scheduled for the Rose Garden at 2 p.m. It will feature the Portland Firefighters Hockey Club against the Boise Fire Devils. Proceeds are to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. . . . For more, click right here. . . .
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The Kootenay Ice will be without F Luke Philp, who will turn 17 on Nov. 6, for an indefinite period. He had his appendix removed on Saturday. . . . The Ice is at home to the Saskatoon Blades on Friday. . . .
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A few of the WHL’s on-ice officials have drawn IIHF assignments for this season. . . . Referee Devin Klein, who is from Medicine Hat, will work a men’s Group J Olympic prequalification event in Nikko Japan. . . . Referee Steve Papp, who works out of Kelowna, will be in Sochi, Russia, for the World U-18 championship. . . . Pat Smith of Vancouver will work the World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia. . . . Linesman Justin Hull of Burnaby has been assigned to the Division 1 Group A World Championship in Budapest, Hungary. . . .
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D Tyler Yaworski of the Brandon Wheat Kings has had his suspension set at three games. That’s for a headshot major he incurred for a hit in a 3-2 victory over the host Vancouver Giants on Wednesday. Yaworski has missed two games and won’t play Friday against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .
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The Kamloops Blazers put their 13-game winning streak on the line tonight when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . The Blazers, at 15-0-1, are the only team in the 60-team CHL not to have lost in regulation time this season. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith has a WHL-high 16-game point streak on the go. . . . A victory tonight would allow the Blazers to set a franchise for the longest winning streak in one season. . . . You should know, thought, that Everett head coach Mark Ferner has devised a strategy to stop the Blazers. "Hopefully they come down with a flu bug or get some food poisoning," a chuckling Ferner told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald. . . . The Silvertips will be without D Nick Walters, who has been suspended for three games for a high hit on Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg on Friday. Walters wasn’t penalized for the hit and was suspended under supplemental discipline.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From former Medicine Hat Tigers G Tyler Bunz (@tylerbunz): “Just saw that the kamloops blazers are 15-0-0-1 on the year . . . is that some sort of record? my god #beastmode #doubletake”
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It was one of the ‘big’ games of Saturday’s U.S. college football schedule. The USC Trojans at the Arizona Wildcats. And it’s one we are going to be hearing about for a while.
That’s because Arizona quarterback Matt Scott suffered a head injury that caused vomiting. Despite that, he wasn’t immediately taken out of the game. In fact, he stayed in, took another hit and then threw a touchdown pass.
There’s more right here, including comments from some neanderthals who perhaps took similar shots back in the day.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Dustin Cameron (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2004-10) signed a one-year contract with the Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite). He had 22 goals and 25 assists in 72 games with the Trenton Titans (ECHL) last season. . . .
F Shawn Limpright (Moose Jaw, 1998-2002) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He had 28 goals and 53 assists in 65 games for the Rapid City Rush (CHL) last season. That was good enough for fifth place in the CHL scoring race. . . .
D Robert Schnabel (Red Deer, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract with the Manchester Phoenix (England, UK Elite). He had one assist in nine games with Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga) before moving to Fassa (Italy, Serie A), where he had five goals and 10 assists in 26 games. . . .
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with the Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier). He had five goals and eight assists in 25 games for Reims (France, Division 1) last season. . . .
D Paul Albers (Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract with Cortina (Italy, Serie A). He had 10 goals and 21 assists in 36 games with the Tohoku Free Blades (Japan, Asia Hockey League) last season. . . .
F Stefan Meyer (Medicine Hat, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He started last season with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL), where he was pointless in six games. Meyer signed with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, Elitserien) in early December, getting one goal and six assists in 25 games. Meyer is expected to arrive in Schwenningen early next week. The Wild Wings open exhibition play on Friday, Aug. 17. . . .
D Robby Sandrock (Spokane, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Kelowna, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). He had two goals and three assists in eight games with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) and one goal and five assists in 20 games with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season. The Giants announced that Sandrock will also attend the University of Ulster to work on a Master's in Sports Management degree. . . .
F Mark Derlago (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Anyang Halla (South Korea, Asia Hockey League). He had 22 goals and 22 assists in 44 games for Lausitzer Fuchse Weisswasser (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season.
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The Everett Silvertips have started their 10th anniversary celebrations with an alumni weekend.
On Friday night, during an alumni dinner, the Silvertips unveiled a new logo and redesigned uniforms that will be used in the approaching season.
For a look at the new jerseys, click right here.
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D Corbin Baldwin, 21, has signed a one-year contract, including signing bonus, with the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Baldwin, a shotblocker extraordinaire from Winnipeg, played four seasons with the Spokane Chiefs, putting up 66 points in 246 games. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder also had 379 penalty minutes. He is represented by Turning Point Sports Management. . . . The Aeros are affiliated with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, and Baldwin was in a Wild development camp earlier in the summer. Originally, he had planned on attending the U of Manitoba and playing for the Bisons.
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USA Hockey’s U1-7 team, under former Kamloops Blazers head coach Barry Smith, beat the Czech Republic 5-2 on Friday to clinch first place in the Five Nations tournament. The game was played in Chomutov, Czech Republic. . . . The U.S., which is 3-0, will play Slovakia today.
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Dean Laschowski, who has been the WHL’s officiating manager, has joined the AJHL has its video review manager. This is a newly created position. According to an AJHL press release, Laschowski “will work with AJHL vice-ppesident George McCorry in the areas of video review, supervision of game officials, and supplementary discipline.”

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.