Is the WHL in Babey's future? . . . Improvements in Spokane

F Tomáš Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) has signed a three-year extension with the Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier). Last season, in 54 games, he had 76 points, including 37 goals. He was a first-team Premier League all-star, and led the Bison in goals and points, all while working on a degree at the University of Winchester.
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1. On Tuesday, in this space, I mentioned something about Kingston Frontenacs F Sam Bennett’s inability to do one pull-up at the NHL Scouting Combine in Mississauga, Ont., last weekend.
That prompted an NHL scout to relate, via email, a couple of fitness testing-related anecdotes.
“Martin Havlat was at the Combine in his draft year,” the scout wrote. “He couldn’t do a single bench press. He ended up having a pretty good career and immediate success as a young player.
“I heard (Wayne) Gretzky tell a story one day. To paraphrase, he said: ‘Early in my career, we had testing. I did 10 sit-ups, but scored 60-plus goals that season. Near the end of my career, I could do 60-plus sit-ups, but only scored 10 goals during the season!’ ”
In closing, the scout wrote: “This entire Combine thing is about showcasing the league. Many of the tests that they do are irrelevant to hockey, but they ‘look’ good.”
So, kids, if you blow a test or two, don’t lose sleep over it because it’s what you do on the ice that the scouts will remember.

2. BTW, Wayne Gretzky looked good and sounded great as he appeared on Hockey Night in Canada prior to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final on Wednesday night. . . . The NHL should hang its head in shame because Gretzky is not actively employed in promoting their game. The fact that he isn't working for an individual team or out of the NHL office should be an embarrassment to the commissioner and the owners. . . . Contrast that with Major League Baseball and the NFL, both of which have numerous former players, many of them Hall of Famers, working to better and to promote their games in one fashion or another.

3. Let the speculation begin. The Calgary Hitmen have an opening for a head coach and Ken Babey, the face of athletics at SAIT in Calgary, is leaving the Trojans after 27 years as the hockey team’s head coach. He also has been the school’s athletic director since 1997. According to a news release: “A desire to pursue other interests, and to go out on on top, has been given as reasons for his decision to step down.” . . . Babey took over as the Trojans head coach in 1987. That followed one season as an assistant coach. . . . Under his guidance, the Trojans won 534 of 849 games. He leaves with a .629 winning percentage. . . . Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald has more right here, including the revelation that Babey “hopes to find another coaching gig in the near future.” . . . Let the speculation begin.

4. There are at least three movies in the works involving concussions in football. . . . Will Smith may star in one that is based on the GQ story Game Brain that was written by Jeanne Marie Laskas. . . . Cindy Boren of the Washington Post has more right here.

5. D Evan Morden (Everett, Prince Albert, 2011-14) has committed to attend Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., and play for the Badgers. . . . Morden, from Swan River, Man., will attend the Goodman School of Business at Brock. . . . He played most of last season with the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. . . . He split 170 WHL games between Everett and Prince Albert, putting up 23 points, including six goals.

6. Yes, the Stanley Cup final started on Wednesday night. John Branch of The New York Times takes a look right here at the rivalry between Los Angeles and New York. Hey, any story in which there are quotes from Ed (Boxcar) Hospodar is a good one.

7. The way NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has it figured, if the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers are worth US$2 billion, “we have plenty of franchises that are worth that, if not more.” . . . OK. Stop laughing! . . . Bettman had that to say and a whole lot more prior to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times has more right here.

8. Fans of the Spokane Chiefs should be in for improved wireless service when they attend games in the Veterans Memorial Arena in the fall. Boingo Wireless, which bills itself as “the leading DAS and Wi-Fi provider that serves consumers, carriers and advertisers worldwide,” has been chosen to manage the facility’s Distributed Antenna System (DAS) “from design to deployment, multi-carrier access to ongoing management.” . . . According to a news release: “The DAS networks will provide enhanced cellular capacity, allowing fans to upload videos and photos of their event experiences in real time. Boingo’s neutral host approach to DAS networks allow for multiple carriers to access the network on behalf of their customers, ensuring that more fans are automatically connected to the state-of-the-art cellular network.”

9. Don Zimmer, one of the grand old men of baseball, has died at the age of 83. He played for Casey Stengel. He managed four teams on a full-time basis and was the New York Yankees’ interim manager for a bit. In all, he was involved in baseball for more than 60 years. In The Zen of Zim, written with New York writer Bill Madden and published in 2004, Zimmer says: “All I’ve ever been is a simple baseball man, but it’s never ceased to amaze me how so many far more accomplished people I’ve met in this life wanted to be one, too. What a game, this baseball!” . . . The New York Times obituary is right here.

10. The end of Donald Sterling’s days in the NBA is nigh, and it is going to happen without anyone ending up in court. The end result of his selling the Los Angeles Clippers for US$2 billion could be the raising of the NBA’s age limit to 20. Michael McCann of SI.com has all that and more right here. . . . If you want the inside info on the Sterling affair, this is a great read.

11. The World Cup doesn’t start until next week, but the mind game are underway. With Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo on the limp, a witch doctor from Ghana is claiming responsibility. The Guardian has more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys have signed Brett Hopfe, their director of hockey operations and head coach, and Dana Lattery, the manager of player development and assistant coach, to three-year contract extensions. The contracts run through the next three seasons. . . . Joel Hunter, the business operations manager, got a one-year extension.
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The Detroit Red Wings have signed Jeff Blashill, the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, to a three-year contract that runs through 2016-17. Blashill, 40, just completed his second season with the Griffins. They won the Calder Cup as AHL champions in 2012-13. Last season, they finished with 99 points, an increase of seven, then went on to lose a conference semifinal series to the Texas Stars. . . . Last month, Blashill was honoured as the AHL’s coach of the year.

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Calling all Terriers! . . . Three series one victory from ending

F John Lammers (Lethbridge, Everett, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Klagenfurt (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 34 points, including 14 goals, in 43 games. . . .
The Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier) announced via Twitter the retirement of D Robert Schnabel (Red Deer, 1997-99). This season, in 53 games, Schnabel had 43 points, 11 of them goals. He was the fifth-leading scorer among league defencemen and was named to the second all-star team. . . .
Among the English Premier first team all-stars: F Michal Psurny (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) of the Manchester Phoenix, who led the league in scoring with 99 points, including 45 goals, in 54 games. . . . F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) of the Basingstoke Bison. . . . Among the second team all-stars: F Robin Kovar (Vancouver, 2001-03) and F Tony Hand (Victoria Cougars, 1986-87), both of the Manchester Phoenix. At 46, Hand led the league in assists (64) and was third with 82 points, in 53 games.
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Portage la Prairie, home of the MJHL’s Terriers, will play host to the Royal Bank Cup in 2015. With that in mind, the Terriers are working hard to reach as many former players, coaches, team officials, executives, etc., as possible in an attempt to bring everyone back for what will be a big week. So if you had anything at all to do with the Terriers, going back to Day 1, you should visit the Terriers’ alumni page right here and sign up.
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Moose Jaw’s city council has decided to write a letter to the Moose Jaw Warriors, expressing concern over the WHL team’s decision to bring back an old logo as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations set for 2014-15. . . . A Canadian Press story that originated with Moose Jaw radio station CHAB is right here. . . . Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports weighs in with more right here.
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The Ulmer brothers, Jeff and Jason, have signed contracts with teams in Austria’s Erste Bank Liga. . . . Jeff, 36, has signed a one-year deal with the Innsbruck Sharks. He had 43 points, including 22 goals, in 53 games with the Sharks this season. . . . Jason, 35, signed a two-year deal with the Linz Black Wings. This season, in 55 games, he had 58 points, including 16 goals. . . . The brothers are from Wilcox, Sask., the home of the Notre Dame Hounds.
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Mountain climbers, especially those whose lives belong to the Everests and K2s of the world, have never been able to explain why they do what they do. Perhaps it was Sir Edmund Hilary, the legendary climber, who came closest when he said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” . . . Whatever it is, Gabriel Filippi has spent a lot of his life chasing it. . . . If you enjoy great reads, this one right here is for you.
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Zach Andrusiak of Armstrong, B.C., who was placed on their list in December. Andrusiak, 15, spent this season with the Kelowna-based Pursuit of Excellence’s U18 prep team. In 66 games, he put up 82 points, including 35 goals. On the team, he was second to F Tyler Benson in goals and points. Benson was selected by the Vancouver Giants with the first overall pick of the 2013 bantam draft.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-0)
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 at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 1-1)
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 at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 16: 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 leads, 3-0)
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 at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Seattle, 5:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Seattle at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
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 at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

 In Brandon, F Mitch Moroz had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oil Kings dumped the Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-0 and are able to wrap it up in Brandon tonight. . . . F Riley Kieser gave Edmonton a 1-0 lead at 16:13 of the first period. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it on a PP at 4:38 of the second. He’s got four goals. . . . Moroz broke the tie at 5:40 of the third period and F Curtis Lazar added insurance at 8:38, via the PP. . . . Kieser, Moroz, Lazar, Edmonton D Ashton Sautner and Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb each scored his third goal of these playoffs. . . . F Luke Bertolucci added an empty-netter for Edmonton, his second goal. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots, six fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . The Oil Kings were 2-for-8 on the PP, with both goals coming with 5-on-3 advantages; Brandon was 1-for-4. . . . The Wheat Kings took 53 of 65 penalty minutes. That included a fighting major and game misconduct to D Ryan Pilon at 19:26 of the third period. No one from Edmonton was penalized at the time, leaving one to wonder if Pilon might hear from the WHL office today. . . . Brandon had two 15-year-olds in its lineup as D Kale Clague, the sixth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, made his playoff debut, joining F Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick. . . .


In Kent, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets took a 4-1 lead into the third period and hung on for a 5-4 victory over the Thunderbirds. . . . With a 3-0 lead in the series, the Rockets can wrap it up tonight in Kent. . . . The Rockets opened a 2-0 first-period lead on late goals from F Ryan Olsen and F Tyrell Goulbourne, at 18:39 (PP) and 19:03, respectively. . . . Seattle F Ethan Bear cut the lead to 2-1 at 4:12 of the second, but the Rockets took control on goals from F Tyson Baillie at 7:23 and D Madison Bowey, at 9:54. . . . Seattle outscored the visitors 3-1 in the third period but wasn’t able to equalize. . . . F Alexander Delnov got the home side to within 5-4 at 18:43 of the third. . . . D Damon Severson and F Marek Tvrdeon each had two assists for Kelowna, while F Mathew Barzal did the same for Seattle. . . . Severson has nine points in the series’ three games. He has two assists in each game. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 28 shots, one more than Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Kelowna, which took 11 of 17 minors, was 2-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-10. . . .


 In Victoria, the Portland Winterhawks scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Rockets, 4-3. . . . The Winterhawks go home with a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday in the Moda Center. . . . F Steven Hodges scored a PP goal seven seconds into the third period to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic tied it with his second goal of the game just 1:26 later. . . . F Chase De Leo scored his third goal at 8:05 and it stood up as the winner. . . . Leipsic and teammate Oliver Bjorkstrand, who was held to one assist in this one, have a WHL-leading eight goals. . . . Leipsic also took over the playoff points lead, with 18, one more than Kootenay Ice forwards Jaedon Descheneau and Sam Reinhart. . . . Leipsic has at least one point in each of his club’s eight playoff games. Going back to the regular season, he is riding a 15-game point streak. . . . F Tyler Soy had given Victoria the lead at 6:39 of the first period. . . . Portland got goals from F Adam Rossignol, at 8:06 of the first, and Leipsic, on the PP at 12:18 of the second, to take the lead. . . . F Taylor Crunk, shorthanded, pulled Victoria into a 2-2 tie at 17:11 of the second. . . . D Mathew Dumba had two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke turned aside 27 shots, while Victoria’s Patrik Polivka stopped 34. . . . Portland was 1-for-5 on the PP; Victoria was 1-for-4.
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@HeleneBozon): “Good bye Canada,Time to go back home! 40 days @timbozon94 Terrify,tears,despair,believe,hope,Miracle Thank you everyone.”
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From Kootenay Ice F Tim Bozon (@timbozon94): “Here we go finally flying back to europe in couple hours @HeleneBozon #seeyacanada #RehabTime”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) signed a one-year contract with the Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier). He had three goals and 11 assists in 22 games with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) and 14 goals and 24 assists in 23 games with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier) last season.
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The Spokane Chiefs apparently have signed D Jake Toporowski, a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. Toporowski, the son of former WHLer Kerry Toporowski, played for the Chicago Mission bantams last season. . . . He announced his signing via Twitter (@jaketop77): “Pretty sure my signature was different every time I signed because I was so shaky from excitement, but it’s official, proud to be a Chief!”
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THE COACHING GAME
Travis Green is the new head coach of the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Green is coming off a terrific WHL season, albeit one that came about under difficult circumstances. The assistant general manager and assistant head coach of the Winterhawks, Green was forced to the forefront when GM/head coach Mike Johnston was suspended by the WHL for the remainder of the season on Nov. 28. Green went on to lead the Winterhawks to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions. Green had been with the Winterhawks since November 2008. . . . Green also is a former NHL and WHL player (Spokane, Medicine Hat, 1986-90).
Scott Sepich has more for The Oregonian right here.
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The Salmon Arm SilverBacks have added Eric Godard to their staff as an assistant coach under GM/head coach Troy Mick. . . . Godard, from Vernon, B.C., played eight seasons in the NHL and has a Stanley Cup ring from the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins. He also played three seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (1997-2000).
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The Federal league’s Dayton Demonz are in the market for a head coach after Marc Lefebvre resigned to pursue a job in Europe.
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Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that Chadd Cassidy will be named head coach of the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Cassidy was an assistant coach with the Americans for a season and a half, and took over as head coach when Ron Rolston was promoted to the parent Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 20.
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From The Hockey News’s Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell): “By my calculations, since free agency opened July 5, NHL teams have signed 79 players to guaranteed, one-way deals totalling $536,450,000.”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier). He had three goals and 11 assists in 22 games with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) this season.
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The Everett Silvertips changed up their coaching staff on Tuesday as they fired head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Chris Hartsburg.
General manager Garry Davidson has taken over as the interim head coach. Davidson said he will finish this season and then begin the search for a head coach.
Former Everett D Mitch Love is left as the lone assistant coach and Davidson said there aren’t any plans to add another one at this time.
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald summed up the situation in his blog:
“The crux of the change was a difference in philosophies between Davidson and Ferner. Ferner was hired not by Davidson, but by Davidson's predecessor, Doug Soetaert. Davidson is a proponent of attacking, offensive hockey. Ferner is a proponent of hard-working, defensively-responsible hockey. These differences were known from the beginning, when Davidson was hired last February. Davidson gave it some time to see if the two could come to reach some sort of middle ground, but that never happened. Both Davidson and Ferner acknowledged the difference in philosophies.”
More from Patterson’s blog:
“Davidson said he'd been growing frustrated with the team's style of play the past couple months, and essentially came to the conclusion over the Christmas break that a change needed to be made. That explains why the move was made now, despite the Tips winning three of five since the break. He also wants the team accustomed to playing a more offensive game by the time a new coach is brought in.”
Patterson has more right here.
Patterson also spoke with Ferner and that story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have released D Ryley Miller in order to get down to the maximum of three 20-year-old players. That leaves them with F Nick Buonassisi, F Michael Ferland and D Tyler Yaworski as their 20s. . . . Miller, a second-round pick by Brandon in the 2007 bantam draft, played 241 games with the Wheat Kings, recording 37 points and 537 penalty minutes. This season, he had six points and 99 penalty minutes in 38 games.
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The Kelowna Rockets announced Tuesday that D Mitchell Chapman, 20, won’t play again this season. He suffered an ankle injury on the opening day of training camp and hasn’t played at all this season. . . . That leaves the Rockets with three 20s — F JT Barnett, F Cody Fowlie and F Dylen McKinlay.
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If you haven’t yet heard about this, there was a standoff of sorts between a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team and one from the BCHL on Saturday in Trail. It involved a bus and a player, but no trade. At least not yet! Anyway, HQKootenay.com has some details right here.
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F Daulton Siwak, 19, has left the Prince George Cougars and returned home to Olds, Alta. . . . "He told us that he was going to go home and ponder his life and think about what he wants to do," Cougars GM Dallas Thompson told the Prince George Citizen. . . . Siwak had 17 points in 38 games this season.
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The Saskatoon Blades had a new old goaltender at practice on Tuesday. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Tim Cheveldave, the team’s goaltending coach and a veteran of three seasons (1985-88) with the Blades, put on the pads. That’s because Russian G Andrey Markarov hasn’t yet returned from the World Junior Championship.
Nugent-Bowman wrote: “Before stepping on the ice, the 44-year-old joked with backup Alex Moodie, telling him to ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ ”
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored nine seconds into the game and went on to beat the Wheat Kings, 7-2. . . . F Brooks Macek set a club record for fastest goal to start game. F Brad Moran had scored 12 seconds into a game on Jan. 22, 1999. . . . According to @WHLFacts, Macek’s goal was the quickest to start a WHL game this season. . . . F Brady Brassart had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which scored two empty-netters. . . . The Hitmen had won five in a row; Brandon has lost six straight and has fallen into the Eastern Conference basement in the process. . . . Calgary F Zane Jones scored his 15th goal, running his goal streak to five games. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb suffered an undisclosed injury in the third period. . . . F Michael Ferland (undisclosed injury) was back in Brandon’s lineup after a three-game absence, while F Alessio Bertaggia, who played for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship, was back after missing 10 games. . . . The victory lifted the Hitmen into first place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen remain without F Victor Rask, who played for Sweden at the World Junior Championship. He is expected back later this week. . . .

In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 and vacated the Eastern Conference basement. . . . The Ice, which has won six straight, now is one point ahead of Brandon with two games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings had a four-game winning streak end. . . . F T.J. Foster’s 19th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 first-period lead. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau, 17, continued his fine season — he has 31 points in 38 games — with a goal at 18:06 of the second and D Joey Leach got the winner, his third, on a 5-on-3 PP at 1:12 of the third. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat (shoulder) has received medical clearance to return but was scratched. He will get a few practices under his belt before returning. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Cam Lanigan stopped 31 shots as the Tigers dropped the Vancouver Giants, 4-0. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for the Tigers. . . . Lanigan, 20, has three career shutouts, two of this season. The first one came while he was with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Blake Penner, 16, scored his first WHL goal just 1:21 into the game. He has played 33 games with the Tigers, 27 of them this season. . . . F Jacob Doty got his eighth goal of the season as he ran his goal streak to four games. . . . The Giants are without D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen (hand) and F Rob Trzonkowski (knee), and they lost D Scott Cooke (arm) in the first period. . . .

In Portland, D Tyler Wotherspoon enjoyed the first four-point night of his career as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-4. . . . Wotherspoon, in his first game back after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, had his first two-goal game, as well. . . . The Winterhawks have won 11 in a row. . . . F Ty Rattie also was back in Portland’s lineup after being with Team Canada. He had two assists. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot returned from an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland D Seth Jones, who won gold with Team USA at the world junior, didn’t play. . . . Winterhawks F Paul Bittner scored his eighth goal as he ran his goal streak to four games. He has the game-winner in each of those games. . . . The Cougars dress just 16 skaters. . . . The same teams play in Portland again tonight. . . .

In Kent, Wash., F Liam Stewart broke a 3-3 tie at 6:12 of the third period to give the visiting Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Stewart had nine goals this season. . . . F Mike Aviani scored his 20th goal at 19:07 of the second period to pull the Chiefs into a 3-3 tie. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was back with Chiefs for the first time since early December when he left to join the Canadian national junior team as an assistant coach. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 11 straight games. . . . These teams play again tonight in Spokane.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Red Deer Rebels D Brady Gaudet (@bgooday23): “On our way to the land of living skies! Where beauties are born #306”
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From former WHL F Jake Trask (@Jtrask29): “Gonna be a stressful next few days for #Whl guys. Cant say I miss that. #Deadline #Cyyyaa”

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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives on Thursday. Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:

Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Everett trades F Trent Lofthouse, 18, to Victoria for a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Victoria trades G Jared Rathjen, 18, to Vancouver for a 2013 eighth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Victoria trades D Jesse Zgraggen, 19, to Calgary for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Lethbridge trades F Jay Merkley, 17, to Swift Current for F Josh Derko, 19, and a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Petr Senkerik (Kootenay, Prince George, 1999-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Berkut Kiev (Ukraine, PHL). He was pointless in one game with Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) before being loaned to Havlickuv Brno (Czech Republic, 1.Liga), where he had three assists in 23 games. . . .
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) was released by Dukla Jihlava (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had one goal and three assists in 18 games for Dukla. Karpov was assigned on loan to Dukla by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) in early June. The press release from Dukla says that Karpov's agent is looking for another club to take on the loan assignment. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) signed a contract through the 2013-14 season with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien) after a successful tryout. He has three goals and four assists in 11 games for MoDo this season. In two prior tryouts this season, Svensson was pointless in six exhibition games with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) and had three goals and four assists in 10 games with Sierre (Switzerland, NL B).
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Kelly Hrudey, one of five owners of the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers, says that bringing a WHL franchise to the Vancouver Island city isn’t even on their current radar, writes Josh Aldrich of the Nanaimo Daily News. “Everyone is aware of it, for sure, but all of our conversations focus on the B.C. Hockey League and our role in it and our contribution to it,” Hrudey told Aldrich.
That story, which focuses on Hrudey’s relationship with the Clippers, is right here. No, the story doesn’t make mention of any talk there may be related to a new arena.
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There is an interesting story about Spokane Chiefs F Liam Stewart posted on the IIHF website. It’s interesting, not because of is parents, but because it details how he came to get clearance to play internationally for Great Britain, despite the fact that he hasn’t lived there. That story is right here.
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Crooner Michael Buble, whose Christmas CD just happens to be playing in my car these days, was on the ice with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. He isn’t expected to play tonight against the Detroit Red Wings. Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun was at practice yesterday and his story on Buble’s stint is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Robin Gomez (Calgary, Seattle, 1999-2003) has joined the U of Victoria hockey club as an assistant coach. He will work alongside head coach Harry Schamhart and assistant coach Cole Byers. Last season, Gomez was head coach of the junior B Saanich Braves of the Vancouver Island junior league.
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Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) has been loaned to Dukla Jihlava (Czech Republic 1.Liga) by Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the 2011-12 season. He had two goals and five assists in 41 games for Sparta and one goal in 10 games on loan to Berounsti Medevedi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) this season. . . .
D Jame Pollock (Seattle, 1995-99) signed a one-year contract with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had five goals and 10 assists in 44 games with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL) this season. . . .
F Dale Hunt (Prince George, Everett, 2005-10) signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Salzburg II (Austria, Nationalliga). He had 14 goals and five assists in 26 games for the Surrey Eagles (BCHL) this season. . . .
D Kevin Young (Medicine Hat, Portland, Kelowna, 1998-2002) signed a one-year contract with Strasbourg (France, Ligue Magnus). He had 17 goals and 48 assists in 40 games for Eindhoven Kemphanen (Netherlands, Eredivisie) and six assists in eight games with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs (Central Hockey League) this season. Young was named Best Defenceman in the Netherlands this season. . . .
F Mario Bliznak (Vancouver, 2005-08) signed a two-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 11 goals and 16 assists in 74 games with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and one goal in four games with the Vancouver Canucks (NHL) this season.
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Two former WHL coaches are unemployed after the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets opted not to renew their contracts. Don Boyd, the Blue Jackets’ assistant GM, had been with Columbus since 1999, as had Bob Strumm, the director of pro scouting. "We believe it was time to make changes in key areas of our organization as we strive to build a championship-caliber team," said Scott Howson, the vice-president of hockey operations and general manager, in a news release. . . . .Strumm, once the WHL’s statistician, is a former GM and head coach of the Regina Pats and Spokane Chiefs. Boyd once was the Pats’ head coach, with Strumm as GM.
Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch has that story right here.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed D Aaron Irving, the ninth overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. Irving, who is from Edmonton, played last season with the South Side Athletic Club's bantam AAA team, the Southgate Lions, who won the provincial championship. In regular-season play, he had 18 points in 33 games. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed F Blake Penner, who was the 18th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. A native of Medicine Hat, Penner had 68 points in 24 games with the Notre Dame Hounds last season. . . .
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The AHL season ended Tuesday in Houston as the Binghamton Senators beat the Aeros 3-2 to win the Calder Cup final in six games. . . . F Ryan Keller (Saskatoon, 2001-05) broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 9:09 of the third period. It was his 10th goal of these playoffs. . . . Attendance was 10,125. . . . Binghamton is the AHL affiliate of the Ottawa Senators; the Aeros are hooked up with the Minnesota Wild. . . . Bingham G Robin Lehner was named playoff MVP.
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JUST NOTES: The QMJHL’s governors, owners and head coaches are holding their annual session and agreed Tuesday, according to a news release, “that certain measures must be taken in order to eliminate hits to the head and other dangerous hits.” While the league will up its emphasis on education, it also said in the news release that “the severity of suspensions in terms of number of games resulting from a hit to the head would be increased.” . . .
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THE COACHING GAME: The ECHL’s Stockton Thunder has exercised its option on head coach Matt Thomas and signed him to a two-year extension that runs through 2013-14. The Thunder was 37-23-12 this season. . . . Chad McLeod has signed on as assistant GM/assistant coach with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. He will work under GM/head coach Doug Johnson. The two were together with the NAHL’s Billings Bulls.

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