Scattershooting on playoff's eve . . . Cougars get motivation from snubs . . . Giants coach: No oil change here

Doing some scattershooting on the night before the WHL playoff grind gets started . . . 

If you watched the World Baseball Classic, you will know that John Smoltz is as good as any analyst working in any sport today.

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Russ Howard, TSN’s curling guru, is pretty good, too. In fact, TSN’s curling crew — Vic Rauter with Cheryl Bernard and Howard — is a rare case of three-in-a-booth working well.

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There’s an interesting story developing in Kamloops where the junior B Storm had a disastrous season at the gate after moving from McArthur Island to Memorial Arena for the 2016-17 season. There is lots of parking on the island, not so much downtown around Memorial Arena, and that’s a recipe for disaster. Owner Barry Dewar now says he may not be able to afford to bring back head coach Ed Patterson, a former NHLer, for another season.

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The same 22 head coaches who started the WHL’s 2016-17 regular season managed to finish it. The question now is: How many of them will start 2017-18?

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I like the Kelowna Rockets and Regina Pats to meet in the WHL’s final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. But all bets are off if the mumps virus pops up somewhere along the playoff trail.

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Headline at whl.ca on Sunday night: Winterhawks fly north for clash with Cougars to open WHL Playoffs.

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Not so fast, Sully. The WHL prohibits flying until the championship final when it’s Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference.

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You are aware that actor/comedian/bad golfer Bill Murray is a long-time supporter of the Chicago Cubs, who ended that million-year drought by winning the World Series last spring. But are you aware that Murray also backs the Xavier Musketeers, who upset the Arizona Wildcats, 73-71, in the NCAA tournament on Thursday night? Murray’s son, Luke, is on Xavier’s coaching staff.

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Next up for Xavier? Spokane’s Gonzaga Bulldogs in an Elite 8 game on Saturday, 3:09 p.m. PT, from San Jose.

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“If I was running the NHL, I’d be terrified of offside video reviews in the post-season. One of them is going to decide a playoff series, and it’s going to be ugly.” That was Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his weekly 30 Thoughts essay this week.

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F Massimo Rizzo made his BCHL playoff debut with the Penticton Vees on Thursday night against the visiting Merritt Centennials. . . . The Kamloops Blazers selected him 15th overall in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. Rizzo, from Burnaby, was the Canadian School Sport Hockey League’s MVP and freshman of the year after putting up 53 points, including 12 goals, in 28 games with the Burnaby Winter Club’s midget prep team. . . . The Centennials won last night’s game, 5-4, to send the series back to Merritt. The Vees, who won 2-1 in OT in Merritt on Tuesday, hold a 3-2 lead.

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The 2017 IIHF World Women’s Championship is scheduled to open March 31 in Plymouth, Mich. What if Team USA doesn’t show up, sticking to its guns and boycotting? I covered the 2016 event in Kamloops and I couldn’t imagine what that would have been like without Canada’s national team.

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You have to wonder what the TSN pooh-bahs are thinking as they repeatedly run promos for its coverage of the IIHF World Women’s Championship, focussing on a Canada-Team USA game that is scheduled for opening night. With the way Team USA is sticking to its guns, TSN better get some darts or poker cued up and ready to go.

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G Marek Schwarz (Vancouver, 2004-05) and F Tomáš Plíhal (Kootenay, 2001-03) have signed one-year extensions with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). In 31 games, Schwarz was 2.87 and .907 with one shutout. Plíhal had seven goals and nine assists in 30 games.

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It was inspiring to pay a visit to @BGerv16 yesterday. Great to see him smiling + we are in awe of the strength he + his family have showed. pic.twitter.com/XQtVTS2dOW

— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) March 23, 2017

The @bdnwheatkings have arrived in Medicine Hat! Their WHL title defence begins tomorrow night! #bdnmb pic.twitter.com/IdtLBABPIs

— Branden Crowe (@branden_crowe) March 24, 2017

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The Prince George Cougars won the first pennant in that city’s 23-year WHL history by going wire-to-wire to capture the B.C. Division title. But when the WHL announced its all-star teams and award winners on Wednesday, the Cougars were blanked. Zippo. Nada.

Hey, Cougars, what do you think of that?

Todd Harkins, the team’s general manager, told Brendan Pawliw of myprincegeorgenow.com: “We have a lot of good players and people in our organization and I think when you win something you should be recognized for it and we weren’t recognized by anybody. I think it was us and Vancouver that didn’t have any accolades. I think this will be motivation for the players.”

The Cougars open a first-round series against the visiting Portland Winterhawks tonight (Friday). There could be some extra fire in this series — the Winterhawks wanted a 2-3-2 format; the Cougars wanted, and got, a 2-2-1-1-1 series.

“We had a lot of pressure to put the series in a 2-3-2 format,” Harkins said, “but we felt if we could move the games around enough we could give the players the experience and rest they need throughout the seven-game series if it goes that long and would still work in our favour.”

The Winterhawks’ roster boasts Mike Johnston, the Western Conference’s coach of the year, and F Cody Glass, who was named to the conference’s first all-star team.

Glass, who will be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft, missed the last five periods of Portland’s regular season with an apparent arm injury. There has been nothing but crickets out of Portland on his status, so fans will have to wait until Johnston posts his lineup for Game 1 to find out whether Glass will play.

The Cougars likely will have F Brad Morrison back for the first time since he suffered an ankle injury during a fight in a game with the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Feb. 24. Morrison, who missed nine games, finished with 52 points, including 21 goals, in 61 games.

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If you are a subscriber to Shaw TV, you will have access to a pair of WHL first-round playoff series. . . . The Shaw crew will cover the series between the Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers. Games 1 and 2 are set for Kelowna on Friday at Saturday nights, with the telecasts starting at 7 p.m. PT. . . . Meanwhile, Shaw subscribers also will be able to watch the series between the Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen, which will be produced by Access7 out of Regina. That series opens with games in Regina on Friday and Saturday nights, with the telecasts starting at 7 o’clock MT.

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The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed D Trevor Longo to a WHL contract. Longo, from North Vancouver, was a sixth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. Longo will turn 17 on April 23. He played this season with the Vancouver-Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League, putting up 37 points, 11 of them goals, in 40 games. Last season, he had 11 points, including two goals, in 38 games with the Giants.

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The Vancouver Giants missed the WHL playoffs for the third straight season and the fourth time in five seasons. Of course, general manager Glen Hanlon and head coach Jason McKee both were in their first seasons and they know this project will take some time. . . . “I have said it before, it is not an oil change, it can’t be fixed in 20 minutes; it is going to take some time,” McKee told Gary Ahuja of the Langley Times. “When I came out here, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task, I knew it was going to take some time.” . . . Ahuja’s story is right here.

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The AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm has named Mark Bomersback as general manager and signed head coach Matt Keillor to a new contract. . . . Bomersback, the AJHL’s all-time leading scorer, had been the Storm’s director of scouting. As GM, he is working on a month-to-month deal, at least for now. . . . Keillor, who had been the head coach of the midget AAA Ernie’s Sports Experts Storm, took over as general manager and head coach when Kevin Higo was fired in midseason. Keillor’s contract is for two hers with the team holding an option on a third season. . . . The Storm reached the playoffs for the first time since the spring of 2013, finishing 15-38-7 before losing a best-of-five series in three games to the Whitecourt Wolverines.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

If interested, you also are able to follow me on Twitter at @gdrinnan.

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Nothing better than play-off hockey. All you can do is your best. #AmsHockey pic.twitter.com/TbYErmO4uD

— Robert (Bob) Tory (@BTORY) March 24, 2017

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MONDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Victoria at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Portland at Prince George, 7 p.m.

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SATURDAY GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

(Game 1, best-of-seven series)

Swift Current at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Brandon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Calgary at Regina, 7 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Victoria at Everett, 7:05 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)
Tri-City vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

(Game 2, best-of-seven series)

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Black cloud lifts from Swift Current . . . Giants to honour Howe, Quinn . . . Royals new forward gone for five

F Tomáš Plíhal (Kootenay, 2001-03) has signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). Last season, with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had five goals and 11 assists in 48 games.

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The black cloud is mostly gone.

Sheldon Kennedy and Liam Choo-Foo, the chairman of the Swift Current Broncos’ board of directors, both made reference to that on Wednesday as the WHL team announced it has endorsed the city’s Safe Places Initiative program, a “community-wide initiative designed to support quality

programming while reducing potential risks to children and youth.”

The Broncos are the first of the WHL’s 22 teams to take such a step.

The community-owned franchise’s board of directors passed a motion in support of the program, becoming the first organization to publicly support and commit to it. The partnership was announced Wednesday by Mayor Jerrod Schaefer and Choo-Foo.

Schaefer and Kennedy, a former captain of the Broncos who now advocates against the bullying and abuse of children, started the program.

According to the Broncos, all of their “coaching staff, office staff, scouts and billets will be taking the Respect in Sport online training, get criminal record checks and then become youth certified from the RCMP.”

If you are aware of Kennedy’s history with the Broncos and Swift Current — he was sexually abused by then-general manager/head coach Graham James while playing with the Broncos — you will understand how big this move is to the franchise and the city.

Here’s Schaefer, in conversation with Candace Woodside of the Southwest Booster:

"I know firsthand what it’s like to not want to be linked with Graham James or the stories of abuse that happened in Swift Current in the past, and know full well what it’s like to hope that not talking about it, or acknowledging it, will somehow make it better or make the problems go away.

“I just want to acknowledge the leadership of our very own former Bronco member Sheldon Kennedy. Because of his leadership and courage, he has taught us that this isn’t something that is unique to Swift Current or the Broncos, it’s happening everywhere, and that by talking about it, and getting in front of it, and training ourselves to be better, it really is a great way to stand with victims of abuse, but also makes our communities safer and better for kids.”

Choo-Foo went so far as to tell Woodside that he has noticed a change in the community since the Safe Places Initiative was launched in January. That was on a weekend during which Rogers Hometown Hockey was in town and Kennedy was saluted with an ovation at a Broncos game.

“(The ovation) almost felt like it made it OK to start to talk about this again,” Choo-Foo told Woodside. “It’s almost been like a black cloud or a secret that the community hasn’t known how to deal with . . . and by bringing it up front and allowing people, giving them permission to speak about it, has been very positive. We’ve heard nothing but positive since the Hall of Fame induction, and now, as we move forward with this, I think it’s all in alignment. Hopefully, it does continue to spread beyond our city borders and out into the rest of the country.”

The healing continued in May when Kennedy was inducted into the Broncos’ Hall of Fame.

“ . . . I think it’s been a good year, and I think the black cloud has lifted,” Kennedy said. “I think that this is now about learning from terrible things that have happened and mistakes, and being leaders and continually raising the bar to be the best we can for child protection."

Woodside’s story is right here, and it really is worth your time.

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The Vancouver Giants will honour the memory of the late Gordie Howe when they stage their home-opener on Sept. 23, against the Everett Silvertips, in their new home, the Langley Events Centre. . . . Howe was a part-owner of the Giants franchise. . . . According to a news release: “The Giants will wear special uniforms to pay tribute to Howe while the two teams will also play with a special No. 9 game puck. The Howe family will be on hand for a pre-game ceremony, and every fan who attends the game will receive a commemorative pin.” . . . The Giants also will retire Howe’s No. 9. . . . Majority owner Ron Toigo offered: “Gordie was a big part of the franchise from the start. Along with Pat (Quinn), he gave us instant credibility in the hockey world. He was like family to us. We will never forget what he meant to the Giants, and to be sure no one ever does, we will honour him as we did Pat by retiring No. 9 on opening night with the Howe family. ” . . . The Howe family then will continue on to Saskatoon where the ashes of Gordie and Colleen will be interred at a Howe statue near the SaskTel Centre on Sept. 25. . . . Quinn, who died in 2014, also owned a piece of the Giants. He is to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 14 and the Giants will honour him on Nov. 10 when they play host to the Prince George Cougars. The Giants have already retired No. 3, the number Quinn wore during his NHL playing career.

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F Carter Folk, now of the Victoria Royals, has been hit with a five-game suspension. On Friday, in his final game with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who traded him to Victoria earlier in the week, Folk took a headshot major and game misconduct against the visiting Swift Current Broncos. He didn’t play Saturday in Swift Current, then was dealt to the Royals on Monday. Folk is a repeat offender, having drawn a two-game suspension for a headshot major in a playoff game against the host Regina Pats on March 29. Folk will miss the Royals’ final exhibition game, on Saturday against the host Vancouver Giants, and the first three games of the regular season. . . . At the same time, the WHL suspended F Drew Warkentine of the Prince Albert Raiders for three games after he took a cross-checking major and game misconduct in a game against the Saskatoon Blades in Warman, Sask., on Saturday. He will miss the Raiders’ last two exhibition games and their first regular-season game.

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F Jake Hale announced via Twitter on Wednesday that he has committed to attend the U of Minnesota-Duluth and play hockey for the Bulldogs. Hale, from Minneapolis, turned 15 on May 19. He was a 10th-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder had 19 points, including 14 goals, in 14 games with Minneapolis High last season. He also had nine points, six of them goals, in eight games with the U-15 DHI Octane Selects. . . . Meanwhile, F Marcus Mitchell, who turns 18 on Oct. 12, has committed to attend Michigan Tech and play for the Huskies. Mitchell, from Kelowna, was a 12-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2013 bantam draft. He is into his second season with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Last season, he had 21 points, nine of them goals, in 52 games.

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F Tanner Nagel, 18, apparently was traded by the Portland Winterhawks to the Lethbridge Hurricanes sometime on Wednesday. He announced the move on Twitter: “I’d like to thank the Portland Winterhawks organization, coaching staff, my billets and my teammates. I loved my time in Portland . . . I am very excited to start my next chapter in Lethbridge with the Hurricanes.” . . . Nagel, a 6-foot-0, 190-pounder from Mossbank, Sask., had one goal in 38 games with Portland last season. In this exhibition season, he has a goal and an assist in five games. . . . As of Wednesday night, neither the Winterhawks nor the Hurricanes had announced a transaction involving Nagel, whose name remained on Portland’s online roster.

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D Ryely McKinstry of the Vancouver Giants, who played only 11 games last season, is on the shelf again. He struggled with concussion-related issues last season, and was hurt again Saturday in an exhibition game against the host Victoria Royals. He sat out Sunday’s rematch in Ladner and hasn’t practised this week. . . . McKinstry, 18, was a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. He had two goals and two assists in 30 games as a freshman in 2014-15. Last season, he had one goal and one assist in 11 games.

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Four of the WHL’s U.S. Division teams announced TV deals on Wednesday.

The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs each will have 10 regular-season games shown, the Seattle Thunderbirds and Tri-City Americans each getting eight games on the air.

Portland’s games will be televised by CW32, with eight of them featuring the Seattle Thunderbirds. The other two will involve Spokane.

From the Winterhawks’ news release: “In the Portland Metro area, Portland’s CW32 is available on Comcast Cable channel 3, and for DirecTV subscribers, channel 32. In all other areas, please contact your local cable operator.

“The eight games with Seattle will be a co-production with the Thunderbirds, to be shown in the Seattle area on This-TV. The two Spokane games will be produced separately in conjunction with the Chiefs.”

The first Portland game to be televised will be the home-opener against Seattle on Sept. 24.

According to a Chiefs’ news release, their games will be shown “live on SWX, sister station to NBC KHQ-6. SWX is available on over-the-air channel 6.2 and Comcast channel 112 (HD), as well as Comcast channel 306 (SD).”

The first Chiefs’ game to be aired will be Oct. 15 against the visiting Portland Winterhawks. Viewers will be treated to six games against the Tri-City Americans, two with Portland and one each with the Kootenay Ice and Kamloops Blazers.

Seattle’s eight televised games will be available over the air locally on This TV, channel 13.2, and on Comcast Cable channel 357. The first telecast will be the season-opener from Portland on Sept. 24. The two teams meet the following night in Kent and that game also will be televised.

Tri-City’s TV schedule with KNDU/SWX features six games with Spokane, one with the Victoria Royals and one with Seattle. The game with Victoria, at the Toyota Center on Dec. 10, is the first game on the telecast schedule.

Visit each team’s website for the TV schedules.

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JUST NOTES: The Saskatoon Blades dropped F Matt Mosher, 16, from their roster on Wednesday. He had one goal and one assist in three exhibition games. He is exploring his options and is expected to return to the Delta Hockey Academy and play in the Canada Sport School Hockey League or join the major midget Valley West Hawks. Mosher was a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The Blades are carrying 27 players, including three goaltenders and 16 forwards. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes have released F Drayton Thunder Chief, 18. He is expected to join the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. He had two assists in four games with the Hurricanes last season. Thunder Chief spent most of the season with the midget AAA Lethbridge Hurricanes, putting up two goals and three assists in 24 games.

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I must confess that I have yet to watch even one second of World Cup of Hockey exhibition play. Why? Because this is the best part of the Major League Baseball season. If you happened to catch Tuesday night’s game between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, you know exactly what I mean. If you didn’t, here’s Michael Powell of The New York Times with a terrific read on how that game turned into yet another Giants disaster.

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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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WEDNESDAY’S GAME:

The Brandon Wheat Kings skated to a 10-3 victory over the Regina Pats in an exhibition game played in the Chief Denton George Memorial Multiplex on the Ochapowace First Nation. The game was played using a 3-on-3 format in two 20-minute periods. . . . The Wheat Kings got two goals from Duncan Campbell and singles from Jaeger White, Ty Lewis, Stelio Mattheos, James Shearer, Garrett Sambrook, Ivan Provorov, Daniel Bukac and Caiden Daly, with Jake Leschyshyn, Braydon Buziak and Chase harrison replying for the Pats. . . . There was a whole lot more to this game than hockey, though, and Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post was there. His story is right here.

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Proud of our team today @hcpustertal #supercoppa2016 pic.twitter.com/aV3qitQQfh

— Mark Holick (@coachholly68) September 11, 2016

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Draft day trades, bloodlines and notes

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Martin Růžička (Everett, Lethbridge, 2003-05) has signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). This season, with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he led his team in scoring and finished third in the league’s scoring race with 55 points, including 26 goals, in 52 games. . . .


F Dominik Volek (Regina, Red Deer, Vancouver, 2011-14) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He split this season between Red Deer and Vancouver, finishing with 36 points, 20 of them goals, in 55 games. . . .

F Tomáš Plíhal (Kootenay, 2001-03) signed a one-year-plus-option deal with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga), he had eight points, four of them goals, in 56 games. . . .

F Petr Jelinek (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2002-03, 2004-05) has signed a two-year contract with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He played this season with Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), putting up 17 points, including five goals, in 42 games. . . .

F Marcin Kolusz (Vancouver, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract extension with Tychy (Poland, Ekstraliga). He started this season with Krynica (Poland, Ekstraliga), but was released for financial reasons in November and moved to Tychy. This season, he had 59 points, 20 of them goals, in 45 games. He was the captain of the winning Polish national team at the IIHF World championship Div 1B. He was named Poland’s top player, with five points, including three goals, in five games.
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A huge thank you and a tip of the hat to Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large for all the work he puts into compiling information that ends up on his blog during the bantam draft. . . . The number of numbers, if you will, that he posts during the draft is phenomenal. . . . Thank you, sir! . . . I would nominate you for induction into the WHL Hall of Fame were there such a place.
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If you are looking for round-by-round info on the bantam draft, please visit Small Thoughts At Large and you will find everything there.
What I have compiled, after a day of enjoying the weather here in Kamloops and doing a whole lot of yard work, are some news and notes, primarily on a few trades and bloodlines. . . .

1. The Red Deer Rebels dealt a 2014 second-round bantam draft pick to the Victoria Royals for D Brett Cote, who turns 20 on May 21. Cote spent three seasons with the Royals after being a third-round selection by the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) in the 2009 bantam draft. In 209 regular-season games with Victoria, he has 89 points, including 15 goals. . . . The Royals used the acquired pick to take F Ryan Peckford of the bantam AAA Spruce Grove, Alta., Saints. . . . Cote had been one of six 1994-born players on Victoria’s roster. Now the Royals are left with D Travis Brown, F Austin Carroll, F Steven Hodges, F Brandon Magee and G Patrik Polivka.

2. The Prince George Cougars dealt F Alex Forsberg, 19, to the Saskatoon Blades for F Haydn Hopkins, 17, and a third-round pick in Thursday’s draft. . . . Forsberg, the first overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, has struggled with the Cougars. He didn’t finish the 2012-13 season after not returning to the team following the Christmas break. The Cougars, however, didn’t, or couldn’t, trade him, and he returned to them for this season. He had 28 points, six of them goals, in 44 games. Forsberg missed time with a concussion. In 131 career games, he had 87 points, including 30 goals. . . . The Cougars used the third-round pick to take F Ethan O’Rourke. . . . Hopkins, a 12th-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, had 48 points, 17 of them goals, in 36 games with the South Island Royals of the B.C. Major Midget League. He got into four games with the Blades and earned one assist.

3. The Saskatoon Blades traded D Clay Kirichenko, 18, to the Vancouver Giants for two bantam draft picks -- a 2014 third-round selection and a fifth-round pick in 2016. . . . Kirichenko, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a seventh-round pick in the 2010 draft. He had 12 points, including three goals, in 70 games this season. . . . The Blades used the third-round selection to take G Dorrin Luding of the bantam AAA North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks.

4. Later in the draft, there were a number of swaps, most involving a pick in a late round of this draft for one in a future draft. . . . The Victoria Royals traded a ninth-round pick to the Prince Albert Raiders for a 2015 ninth-round pick. The Raiders used the selection to take F Sam Huff of Maple Grove High School in Minnesota. . . . The Spokane Chiefs sent a 2015 ninth-round pick to the Lethbridge Hurricanes for a ninth-rounder yesterday, and used it to take D Tyler Jubenvill of Gilbert Plains, Man. . . . The Seattle Thunderbirds dealt a 2015 ninth-round pick to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2014 ninth-rounder and then took F Luke Ormsby of Los Angeles Jr. Kings or F Reg Pohl of the midget AAA Southwest Cougars in Manitoba. . . . The Saskatoon Blades gave up something (not sure what) to get a 10th-round pick from Lethbridge and then took F Jordan Robinson of Kelowna. . . . Prince Albert acquired a 2017 10th-round pick from the Kelowna Rockets for a 10th-rounder yesterday. The Rockets ended up with three 10-rounders, so took F David Laurin of Langley, B.C., G Matteo Paler-Chow of Vancouver or D Nick Nordstrom of Terrace, B.C., with that pick. . . . The Regina Pats acquired an 11th-round pick from the Swift Current Broncos and took F Robert Holmes from the bantam AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., Flyers.
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BLOODLINES:
There will be some that aren’t on this list, but at first glance this is what I’ve got . . .
F Jordy Bellerive, taken second overall by the Lethbridge Hurricanes, is the younger brother of F Matt Bellerive, who was traded by the Kamloops Blazers to the Vancouver Giants later in the day. . . .
D Marcus Kichton, a second-round pick by the Moose Jaw Warriors, is the younger brother of former Spokane Chiefs D Brenden Kichton. . . .
F Erik Gardiner, who was taken in the second round by the Regina Pats, is the younger brother of Prince Albert Raiders F Reid Gardiner. . . .
The Victoria Royals used a second-round pick on D Brayden Pachal of Estevan, Sask. I am wondering if he might be related to former New Westminster Bruins F Clayton Pachal? . . .
In the second round, the Seattle Thunderbirds took F Matthew Wedman of the bantam AAA team at the South Side Athletic Club in Edmonton. He is a younger brother of Spokane Chiefs D Cole Wedman. . . . Another brother, Dan, has committed to Cornell U for 2015-16. A defenceman, Dan played the last two seasons with the AJHL‘s Bonnyville Pontiacs. . . .
D Josh Brook, a second-round pick by Moose Jaw, is the son of Dwayne Brook, who played in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders (1987-90). . . .
The Red Deer Rebels used a first-round pick, sixth overall, on F Jake Leschyshyn of Saskatoon, the son of former WHL and NHL D Curtis Leschyshyn, who spent this season as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades. . . .
In the fourth round, the Kelowna Rockets selected F Cooper Haar of Huntington Beach, Calif. His older brother, Garrett, is a defenceman with the Portland Winterhawks. . . .
In the third round, the Portland Winterhawks took D Jake Hobson of Prince Albert. He is the son of Doug Hobson, a former WHL coach and player. . . .
In the fourth round, the Kootenay Ice selected F Max Patterson of Kamloops, the son of former Blazers F Ed Patterson, who is head coach of the junior B Kamloops Storm. . . .
The Lethbridge Hurricanes used a fourth-round pick to take D Koletrane Wilson of Edmonton. His brother, Klarc, played out his eligibility this season with the Prince George Cougars. . . .
F Kyler Yeo was taken by the Kamloops Blazers in the fourth round. He is the son of Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo. Former Blazers D Darryl Sydor, who owns a piece of the WHL team, is an assistant coach under Yeo. . . .
With the final pick of the fourth round, Kelowna took F Jordan Sandhu of the bantam AAA Seafair Islanders on B.C.’s Lower Mainland. He is the brother of Everett Silvertips F Tyler Sandhu. . . .
The Kootenay Ice used a second-round pick to take G Jakob Walter of West Kelowna. His older brother, Lukas, played two seasons with the Tri-City Americans before finishing up his eligibility this season with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. . . .
D Jonathan Smart, who played at the Okanagan Hockey Academy, was selected by the Kelowna Rockets with the last pick of the first round. His father, Jason Smart, played with the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders (1986-90). Jonathan’s grandfather, Russ, scouts for the Vancouver Giants. . . .
In the sixth round, Everett took F Riley Sutter of Calgary. His father, Ron, is a former WHL and NHL forward. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds used a sixth-round pick on F Baker Shore of Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Three of his brothers -- Drew, Nick and Quentin -- all have been NHL draft picks. . . . Kelowna selected Nick in the 2007 bantam draft; Drew was taken by the Chilliwack Bruins in 2009. Drew, Nick and Quentin all played at the U of Denver. . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers used a seventh-round pick to take F Sammy Walker of Edina, Minn. Two of his brothers, Ben and Jack, played with the Victoria Royals. . . .
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OTHER DRAFT NOTES:
The Portland Winterhawks used the 11th-last pick in the draft to take F Trace Elson, 19, who has played in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels and Vancouver Giants. This season, he had three points in 15 games with the Giants, before finishing up with the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. . . . Later, Elson tweeted: “Didn't know I could get drafted as a 19 year old in the bantam draft. Don't mind that.” . . .
The Everett Silvertips selected D Wyatte Wylie of Lake Stevens, Wash., in the sixth round and took F Brendan Studioso of Mukilteo, Wash., in Round 7. They are the first two players ever to be drafted out of Everett’s minor hockey system. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings used their last pick to take D Mikey Anderson of Roseville, Minn. A year ago, the Wheat Kings took his brother, Joey, in the ninth round. . . . Both have said they will attend Minnesota-Duluth and play for the Bulldogs. . . .
As for the best name in the draft, I’m torn between F Sam Huff, who was selected by the Prince Albert Raiders, and D Koletrane Wilson, who was taken by the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . As a music fan, I’m inclined to go with Koletrane, but it’s close.
During the day, the Moose Jaw Warriors released two players off their roster -- D Kirk Johnson, 19, who played two seasons with them, and Russian F Alex Chirva, 18, who had six points in 58 games as a freshman. As Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reported, with Chirva gone the Warriors will be using the 12th overall pick in the CHL’s import draft. No, they won’t be taking a goaltender.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs have added Paul Nicolls as an assistant coach. He had been the team’s strength-and-conditioning coach. Nicolls’ association with the Chiefs began in 1990 when he played for them as a 16-year-old defenceman.
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THE OHL FINAL:
F Jason Dickinson scored just 57 seconds into OT as the host Guelph Storm opened the best-of-seven championship series with a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion. . . . Guelph got 32 saves from G Justin Nichols. . . . Storm F Zack Mitchell tied it 2-2 at 12:23 of the third period. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight in Guelph.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised by Root Sports -- Game 2 live, others on delayed basis)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
Sunday: Edmonton at Portland, 5 p.m. (Moda Center)
Tuesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
x-Sunday, May 11: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday, May 12: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
No game scheduled.
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From Fake Mike Johnston (@FakeMikeJ): “Busy phone. Toigo contacted my agent. Wonders if I'd jump to Vancouver Giants for an iPad & an Armani suit. Told him no & #gallacherisgod”

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Rematch in Regina

It was Nov. 18, 1994, when Norm Johnston, then the head coach of the Regina Pats, and Al Tuer, who was guiding the Moose Jaw Warriors, discarded their jackets, climbed the glass and met over top of the photographer’s pit between the benches in the Regina Agridome. (For more, check this out right here.)
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 Johnston and Tuer were together again on Saturday night at a Regina restaurant to take part in the 60th anniversary celebration for Tuer’s parents.
And just to show that there aren’t any hard feelings, Tuer allowed Johnston to punch him on the chin. Lightly, of course.
This time there weren't any penalties. Just lots of stories.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Plihal (Kootenay, 2001-2003) signed a one-year contract with Tappara Tampere (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had six goals and five assists in 41 games with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga) last season.
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So long as he is the goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, Carey Price will be faced with seasonal challenges. In the offseason, however, he is quite prepared to help others face challenges. Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette details right here how Price plays an integral part in a golf tournament in Richland, Wash.
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If you aren’t aware, Peter King, who has more contacts in the football than any journalist, is heading up a new website (mmqb.si.com) that is a must visit on a daily basis for NFL geeks. . . . If you are wondering why, well, check out this story right here. . . . Written by Greg A. Bedard, it’s all about rage in the NFL these days: The read-option. . . . More than that, though, it provides great insight into how football coaches share information in the offseason.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Martin Cibak (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL). He had seven goals and 19 assists in 45 games this season for the Petrochemists. . . .
F Tomas Plihal (Kootenay, 2001-03) signed a two-year contract with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 16 goals and 20 assists in 59 games for TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) this season. . . .
D Brad Cole (Seattle, Kootenay, Saskatoon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had three goals and 11 assists in 49 games with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) signed a two-year contract with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien). He had 11 goals and 26 assists in 48 games for Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) this season. MoDo GM (and ex-Vancouver Canucks captain) Markus Näslund: “Richie is a right-hand shot who is good on the power play. He has won championships and has been one of the best players for several seasons in the German league. We have been looking for an offensive right- handed defenseman, so it feels great that we have signed Richie.” . . .
G Kevin Nastiuk (Medicine Hat, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had a 3.30 GAA and a .891 save percentage in 14 games for Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) this season.
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G Laurent Brossoit of the Edmonton Oil Kings draws inspiration from his father, John, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago. Jason Hills of the Edmonton Sun has that story right here.
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Mike Johnston, the GM and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, likes to run high-tempo practices because that’s the way he wants his team to play the game. In search of ways to reach an even higher tempo, he spent some time last fall with head coach Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks football team.
Kris Anderson of the Portland Tribune has that story right here.
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D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips will be joining Team Canada for the IIHF world championship. . . . Murray, who will be one of the first players chosen in June’s NHL draft, is no stranger to a Canadian jersey, having played in three under-18 tournaments. He captained two of those teams.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Kenton Miller scored twice as the Warriors stayed alive with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final and will play host to Game 5 on Friday. . . . The loss halted Edmonton’s 22-game winning streak. The Oil Kings hadn’t lost since Feb. 22 when they were beaten 6-4 by the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Warriors rolled the dice and started Justin Paulic in goal, rather than Luke Siemens who had opened each of their previous 12 playoff games. . . . Paulic, a 16-year-old from Thompson, Man., the hometown of the great Glen Goodall, played one regular-season game, stopping 24 shots in a 7-1 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on March 17. . . Last night, Paulic turned aside 28  shots. He lost his shutout when F Tyler Maxwell scored at 8:28 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point, a first-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his seventh goal of these playoffs as he opened the scoring on a PP at 5:59 of the first period. . . . The Warriors went on to a 4-0 lead, with F Cam Braes scoring his second goal of the playoffs and Miller adding Nos. 6 and 7. . . . Miller’s first goal came at 19:58 of the first. . . . F James Henry had an empty-netter and two assists, while F Cody Beach and F Tanner Eberle also had two helpers each. . . . The Warriors were without D Kendall McFaull, their captain, who was taken to hospital on Wednesday at 4 a.m., and had his appendix removed later in the day. . . . D Brayden Doucette took McFaull’s spot on the back end. The Warriors also added F Torrin White and F Carter Hansen, choosing to scratch F Andrew Johnson and F Justin Kirsch. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie scored a PP goal at 11:21 of the third period and the Portland Winterhawks went on to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks lead the best-of-seven Western Conference final 3-0 and is able to wrap it up tonight at home in the Rose Garden. . . . Rattie has 17 playoff goals this spring, and has tied the franchise record for career playoff goals with 28. He shares that record with Randy Heath. . . . At one point, the Winterhawks held a 16-2 edge in third-period shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth made 38 saves, none bigger than when he got a blocker on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by F Brendan Shinnimin late in the third period. . . . Portland F Brad Ross iced it with an empty-netter. . . . F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring on a Tri-City PP just 1:16 into the first period. At that point, the Americans were 6-15 on the PP in the series. . . . Hughesman banged in a rebound after a shot by F Patrick Holland hit a post. . . . Shinnimin drew an assist on that goal to run his point streak to 37 games. . . . The Winterhawks tied the game at 10:40 of the second when F Marcel Noebels stole the puck off Holland and beat G Ty Rimmer for his fourth goal. . . . Rimmer made 44 stops. . . . The Americans received the game’s first five PP opportunities and six of the first seven but only could come up with one goal. . . . The Winterhawks then received five straight power plays, scoring once. . . . Tri-City now has lost three straight games for the first time this season. . . . This also was the first time in these playoffs that the Americans have lost in regulation time. They are 0-5 in OT.


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