THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kenndal McArdle (Moose Jaw, Vancouver, 2002-07) signed a one-year contract with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had seven goals and 15 assists in 31 games with the Greenville Road Warriors (ECHL) and three goals and two assists in 30 games with the Rockford Ice Hogs (AHL) this
season.
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In a piece headlined Might and Right, Charles Pierce writes that with another season on the horizon "this is a perilous time for the NFL." That piece is right here, and hockey people should read this with interest.
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The Portland Winterhawks won the WHL championship in Edmonton on Sunday evening, and arrived home later that night. Paul Buker of The Oregonian has a piece right here that details the arrival and the beginning of Memorial Cup preparations.
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"Even without him at games, the Hawks didn't get there without Mike Johnston," writes Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. His column is right here.
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The Vancouver Giants will make it official today – Bruce Allen, who manages some big names in the world of entertainment, has purchased a chunk of the WHL franchise. Among Allen’s clients if Michael Buble, who also owns a piece of the Giants. . . . Ron Toigo remains the franchise’s majority owner.
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The Kamloops Blazers have re-signed Craig Bonner, the organization’s executive vice-president and general manager. Bonner’s original five-year contract was to expire this offseason. . . . The Blazers didn’t announce any details, except for it being "a multi-year contract extension." . . . Kamloops is 188-143-29 with Bonner as GM, thanks to a pair of back-to-back 47-20-5 seasons in 2011-12 and 2012-13. The Blazers finished atop the B.C. Division in 2011-12 and were eliminated by the Portland Winterhawks in the second round of playoffs. This season, they were ousted by Portland in the Western Conference final. . . . Head coach Guy Charron and associate head coach Dave Hunchak, who have worked together for two seasons, are on contracts that expire this offseason. Don’t be surprised if Hunchak ends up as the head coach before another season gets here, with Charron, should he choose to stay on, remaining on the coaching staff in a secondary role. . . . Of course, there has been speculation that Dean Chynoweth could end up as the next head coach of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche. Should that happen, might he make an offer to Hunchak to join him as an assistant coach? The two spent three seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, with Chynoweth as head coach and Hunchak as assistant coach.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed F Scott Eansor, 17, of Denver to a WHL contract. Eansor played for the minor midget Colorado Thunderbirds Tier 1 team in 2012-13. Seattle G Danny Mumaugh and D Griffin Foulk both came through that same Colorado program.
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The Tri-City Americans made it official on Monday – they have signed F Parker AuCoin, their first-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. AuCoin, from Calgary, was the 15th player taken in the draft. Playing with the Calgary Northstar Sabres, he scored 63 goals in 33 games last season, the second-highest total in Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League history. F Ty Rattie scored 75 for the Airdrie Xtreme in 2007-08. . . . Including playoffs and tournaments, AuCoin had 135 points, including 91 goals, in 56 games.
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Three members of the Edmonton Oil Kings – F Travis Ewanyk, D Martin Gernat and D David Musil – have joined the AHL`s Oklahoma City Barons. . . . All three were selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL`s 2011 entry draft – Musil in the second round, Ewanyk in the third and Gernat in the fifth. . . . The Oil Barons are in an AHL playoff series with the Texas Stars. Last night, the Oil Barons beat the visiting Stars 4-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 will be played in OKC on Wednesday night.
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A note from an avid fan of the Portland Winterhawks:
Here is an excerpt from an article I found on the official Memorial Cup website . . .
The Hawks will be making their fourth trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, having won the Memorial Cup in 1998 as WHL Champions and in 1982 as the host team. Portland opens their Memorial Cup round robin schedule versus Halifax on May 18th.
WRONG ... WRONG ... WRONG - This will be the Hawks FIFTH trip to the Memorial Cup:
1982 - WHL Champs
1983 - Host Team
1986 - Host Team
1998 - WHL Champs
2013 - WHL Champs
And finally – how many times will we hear the "talking heads" on Rogers refer to the upcoming Memorial Cup – as the "national championship" . . . (or something like that) – despite the fact a team based in Portland, Oregon, is competing?
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THE COACHING GAME:
Al Sims, the director of player personnel and head coach of the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, has retired. Sims had been the Komets’ head coach for 10 seasons, including the last six in a row. This also was his 38th season in professional hockey, since he was a freshman defenceman with the NHL’s Boston Bruins in 1973-74.
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The Memorial Cup field is set after the host London Knights scored a 3-2 victory over the Barrie Colts in Game 7 of the OHL final las night. . . . This one ended in thrilling fashion as London F Bo Horvat broke a 2-2 tie with less than one second remaining in the third period. In fact, the clock showed 0.1 when Horvat scored. . . . It was his 16th goal of the playoffs. He had three winners in the final series. . . . Barrie was without F Mark Scheifele, who was injured during Game 6. . . .The Knights are the third team in OHL history to win a series after trailing 3-1 in games. The 1979 Peterborough Petes and 1990 Oshawa Generals also did it. . . . London is the 10th team in OHL history to win back-to-back championships. . . . The Knights will open the Memorial Cup on Friday against the host Saskatoon Blades. . . . The WHL-champion Portland Winterhawks meet the QMJHL-champion Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. . . . Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press has more on Horvat's winning goal right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Passive Voice (@ZKlineWHRB): "How the hell does Hadfield let that happen? Does he know nothing about hockey? If you're in space and your team is winning YOU STAY IN SPACE"
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From Steve Murray (@NPsteve): "Well, if @cmdr_hadfield landed and the Leafs had won he wouldn't believe he was on earth."

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The AHL’s Manchester Monarchs have signed G Ty Rimmer to an ATO (amateur tryout agreement). Rimmer played out his junior eligibility with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, leading the WHL in miutes played (2,310) and saves (2,106). He finished 24-30-10, 3.19, .912. . . . Rimmer, who turns 21 today, is represented by Turning Point Sports Management. . . . The Monarchs are affiliated with the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed F Travis Ewanyk to a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. Ewanyk, 19, was a third-round selection in the NHL’s 2011 draft. He was limited to 11 games last season because of shoulder problems, but came back in time for the Oil Kings’ championship playoff run. This season, he put up 23 points and had 119 penalty minutes in 58 games.
Bruce McCurdy takes a really good look at the Ewanyk signing right here.
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Brent Peterson, the former Portland Winterhawks player and coach, has written a book and it hit shelves (and amazon.com) on Friday. My Toughest Faceoff: My Life in Hockey and My Battle with Parkinson’s Disease was written with Jim Diamond.
It’s available right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Dan Olson of The Now, a newspaper on the Lower Mainland of B.C., has more right here on the decision by the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express to fire GM/head coach Jon Calvano with a year left on his contract. . . .
Taylor Dakers (Kootenay, 2003-07) has signed on as the goaltending coach of the junior B 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International junior league. . . . Dakers is the goaltending coach with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and the senior head instructor of the Calgary-based World Pro Goaltending. . . . Before moving into the WHL, Dakers played junior B for Wranglers head coach Doug Rogers.
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Former WHL D Link Gaetz (New Westminster, Spokane, 1986-88) is facing an assault trial after an incident at a Dairy Queen outlet in Cache Creek, B.C., on April 20.
The Kamloops Daily News reports in its Saturday editions that Gaetz has been charged with assault and causing a disturbance. Gaetz has been charged with assaulting Jean Guye-Vuilleme in the restaurant.
The trial date of Oct. 8 has been set in Kamloops.
“We will be litigating the matter,” Jeremy Jensen, Gaetz’s lawyer, told the newspaper. “Legendary hockey figure aside, at this point the presumption is that he is innocent.”
Gaetz, 44, is from Vancouver.
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After the piece here yesterday about the NHL’s Washington Capitals having requested that the Lethbridge Hurricanes change their logo, more than one person contacted me to point out that the BCHL’s Cowichan Capitals have a similar logo.
For the record, here are all three logos:
 

















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The WHL’s first-round situation (all best-of-7):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton leads 1-0; Game 2 on Sunday in Edmonton)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat leads 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary leads 2-0; Game 3 on Monday in Swift Current)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer leads 1-0; Game 2 tonight in Red Deer)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Everett leads 1-0; Game 2 tonight in Portland)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 1-0; Game 2 tonight in Kelowna)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 1-0; Game 2 tonight in Kamloops)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 1-0; Game 2 tonight in Spokane)
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, G Cam Lanigan stopped 42 shots as the Medicine Hat Tigers beat the Blades, 3-0. . . . The Tigers hold a 2-0 lead in the series after sweeping the Blades in a first-round series a year ago. . . . Lanigan has stopped 84 of 85 shots over two games. . . . Saskatoon now has lost 10 straight playoff games. . . . F Trevor Cox got his second goal in two nights, this one on the PP at 3:32 of the second, and it stood as the winner. . . . Medicine Hat F Mile Koules had a goal and an assist. . . . The Blades were without F Jessey Astles, who drew a ‘tbd’ suspension under supplemental discipline for a first-period hit on Medicine Hat F Matt Staples, who left the game and didn’t return. Staples, who has concussion-like symptoms, was scratched from Game 2, with F Steven Owre taking his place in the lineup. The length of Astles’ suspension is expected to be finalized on Monday. . . . The Blades inserted F Ryan Graham in Astles’ spot. Saskatoon also dressed D Kyle Schmidt and took out D Nelson Nogier. . . .  Saskatoon was without F Erik Benoit (undisclosed) for the first two games. . . .

In Edmonton, F Stephane Legault had a seven-point night as the Oil Kings whipped the Kootenay Ice, 9-0. . . . Legault scored three times, added four assists and was a plus-4. . . . The WHL record for most points in a playoff game is eight, shared by F Dave Chartier of the Brandon Wheat Kings (March 27, 1981) and F Alfie Turcotte of the Portland Winterhawks (March 26, 1983). Chartier had five goals and three assists in a 13-4 victory over the visiting Regina Pats. Turcotte was four and four in a 13-4 victory over the host Seattle Breakers. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 shots for his third career playoff shutout. . . . Edmonton struck for five goals in the last 12 minutes of the first period. . . . F Michael St. Croix had a goal and two assists, F Trevor Cheek had two goals and an assist — and was plus-5 — and D Martin Gernat had three assists. . . .

In Calgary, G Chris Driedger turned aside 39 shots to lead the Hitmen to a 3-1 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Hitmen led 3-0 before F Adam Lowry ruined Driedger’s shutout bid at 10:19 of the third on a PP. . . . F Cody Sylvester, F Greg Chase and F Victor Rask scored for Calgary, the first two in the second period, the latter in the third. . . .

In Red Deer, G Patrik Bartosak stopped 31 shots to lead the Rebels to a 3-0 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Bartosak was the Eastern Conference’s first-team all-star goaltender. . . . F Brooks Maxwell scored 25 seconds into the game — he tipped in a point shot by D Brady Gaudet — and the Rebels were never caught. . . . F Rhyse Dieno scored Red Deer’s second goal, at 19:04 of the first. Just before that, at 16:19, Dieno came up short on a penalty shot attempt. . . . Prince Albert G Luke Siemens made 27 saves. . . .

In Spokane, F Alessio Bertaggia broke a 1-1 tie at 11:15 of the first period and the Chiefs went on to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored twice for the Chiefs, while D Brenden Kichton and D Reid Gow each had two assists. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 26 shots. . . . D Brandon Carlo, a 16-year-old from Colorado Springs playing his first WHL game, scored for the Americans. He tied the game at 6:36 of the first period. Carlo is in the lineup replacing the injured Mitch Topping. . . .

In Portland, G Austin Lotz stopped 55 shots to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Lotz, who was making his first career playoff start, has performed this kind of larceny at least one other time. On Feb. 7, he turned aside 65 shots in a 4-3 OT loss in Kamloops. . . . The Silvertips had lost their previous 10 playoff games. . . . F Kohl Bauml scored twice for the Silvertips. His first goal, at 3:25 of the third, gave Everett a 3-1 lead. His second goal, at 12:46, gave Everett a 4-2 lead. . . . Portland fired 22 shots at Lotz in the third period and finally got a PP goal from F Nic Petan with 16 seconds remaining. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 27 shots. . . .

In Kamloops, F JC Lipon broke a 2-2 tie at 4:37 of the third period and the Blazers went on to beat the Victoria Royals, 3-2. . . . Lipon scored twice, while F Steven Hodges had two goals for Victoria. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 22 shots, with 11 of those coming in the third period. He made four game-saving stops in the third period. . . . G Patrik Polivka, who hadn’t played since March 5, was back in goal for the Royals. He made 33 saves. . . . The Royals were without F Alex Gogolev, their leading scorer. He is out long-term after undergoing surgery to repair damage to a leg from a skate cut. . . . Victoria also was without D Tyler Stahl, its captain. Originally, the Royals had him in the lineup, with question marks beside D Ryan Gagnon and D Isaac Schacher. Stahl took the warmup and then was scratched, with Gagnon and Schacher both staying in and playing. . . .

In Kelowna, F Luke Lockhart scored the game’s last two goals as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Rockets, 5-4. . . . The Rockets took a 4-3 lead by scoring in the last minute of the second period (F Tyson Baillie on a PP at 19:02) and in the first minute of the third period (F Myles Bell at 0:59). . . . Lockhart scored at 13:30 to force OT and then won it at 19:09 of the first extra-time period. . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover stopped 35 shots, 10 fewer than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . D Jesse Forsberg and F Roberts Lipsbergs each had a goal and two assists for Seattle. . . . Lipsbergs assists came on Lockhart’s goals. . . . D Damon Severson scored once and added two assists for Kelowna.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (4):
F Travis Ewanyk, Edmonton
D Graeme Craig, Saskatoon
F Reid Petryk, Everett
F Blake Gal, Spokane

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (1):
D Derrick Pouliot, Portland
———

From injured Tri-City Americans F Ryan Chynoweth (@RChynowethh): “Well the trek for my grandpas trophy starts today #game1 #playoffs13 #gotime”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 2. Bundesliga). He had one goal and four assists in 13 games with Medvescak Zagreb (Croatia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) prior to his release on Tuesday. Wild Wings GM Stefan Wagner: "When he came on the market, we did not think twice. He has proven himself in this league and with this, we have another option in our attack." Leavitt led 2. Bundesliga in scoring and assists in 2010-2011, getting 32 goals and 55 assists for 87 points in 48 games for Ravensburg to win the scoring championship by 21 points. . . .
D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) signed a two-year contract extension with Ässät Pori (Finland, SM-Liiga). Currently in his first season with Ässät, Heshka has four goals and seven assists in 21 games, which ranks him seventh amongst defencemen in league scoring. Ässät GM Mika Toivola: "We have been very pleased with Heshka's performance. He has brought versatility and puck skill to our defense corps, and experience and leadership to the dressing room."
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Jesse Wallin, removed as head coach of the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday, met with the media in the Alberta city on Thursday.
“I had a lot to digest yesterday, but breaking the news to my kids was probably the toughest part of the day,” Wallin said in a story by Greg Meacham of the Red Deer Advocate. “I had a coach myself who once told me that you have a day to feel sorry for yourself, then you have to pick it up the next day and get back right after it, and that’s where I am today.”
Wallin, a hugely popular figure in the hockey world, admitted to being stunned by all the messages he received.
“I’ve been overwhelmed to the point of almost shock,” he said. “Friends and family, people from the community, fans, people from the hockey world, from within our league, former players and parents . . I’ve just been overwhelmed by the support I’ve received. I’m just really touched and really thankful for all of the support. I’m appreciative of every text, every phone call, every e-mail, ever message that came in.
“It makes you reflect. It’s really about the relationships. At the end of the day, that’s really what’s important — those relationships that you build along the way. That’s what you cherish when it’s all said and done and I’m just very thankful for that and very appreciative.”
What kind of a guy is Wallin? He picked up the tab.
At some point today, Meachem’s entire story should be available right here.
Read it and then ask yourself if you would be capable of handling the same situation with such grace.
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The Red Deer Rebels have added F Rhyse Dieno, 19, to their roster. Dieno, from Davidson, Sask., had been with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves, for whom he had 21 points, including 12 goals, in 15 games. He also played for Team West, winning a silver medal at the World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth, N.S., earlier this month. . . . Dieno has 12 points in 66 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers over the last two seasons.
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If there was any doubt that the Vancouver Giants are having one of those seasons, it ended Thursday with the announcement that F Marek Tvrdon, 19, is done for this season because of a blood clot in a shoulder.
“Marek had a small blockage isolated to a single vein in his left shoulder,” Scott Bonner, the Giants’ executive vice-president and general manager, said in a news release. “It was completely and rapidly dissolved and he is doing very well. Marek is under the excellent care of numerous specialists and he is recovering quickly. He will not be returning this season but he is expected to have a full recovery and future career as a hockey player.”
Tvrdon, a fourth-round selection by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL draft, has 18 points, eight of them goals, in 18 games. Last season, he had 74 points, 31 of them goals, in 60 games.
This is the second time in three seasons that a shoulder problem has cost Tvrdon a big chunk of a season. His freshman season, 2010-11, was limited to 12 games as he underwent shoulder surgery.
———
LW Tim Bozon of the Kamloops Blazers has chosen not to play for France in the IIHF U20 Division 1 Group A championship next month. That tournament, featuring Austria, Belarus, Denmark, France, Norway and Slovakia, is to be played in Amiens, France, Dec. 9-15.
“This was a difficult decision but I think I made the right choice for my future,” Bozon tweeted (in French) on Thursday afternoon. “I wish good luck to Team France U20.”
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Former WHLer Kris Versteeg, now of the Florida Panthers, has time on his hands, what with the NHL in lockout mode. So the Lethbridge native, who played in the WHL with Lethbridge, Kamloops and Red Deer (2002-06) has chosen to help his hometown U of Lethbridge Pronghorns. He’ll make his coaching debut tonight as the Pronghorns play host to the Mount Royal Cougars. Lethbridge head coach Greg Gatto (Portland, Regina, Spokane, Brandon, 1990-92) lost an assistant coach this week when Jeff Truitt signed on as associate coach with the Red Deer Rebels.
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F Travis Ewanyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings suffered a knee injury early in the second period of the WHL’s 1-0 shootout victory over the Russians in the Super Series game in Vancouver on Wednesday. Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal reports that Ewanyk will undergo an MRI upon his return to Edmonton today. Despite the fact he couldn’t play, he accompanied Team WHL to Victoria and watched last night’s 5-2 series-ending loss. . . . Ewanyk played only 11 games in the 2011-12 regular season because of shoulder surgery. But he came back in time to get into 20 playoff games as the Oil Kings won the WHL title.
———
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips F Ryan Harrison has “a slight tear” in the meniscus of one knee. Head coach Mark Ferner told Patterson that Harrison could be out anywhere from one to eight weeks.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Sportstalk (@DanRussellCKNW): “Need 3 unanswered WHL goals in the third, and then need Russia to win first shootout to get my Happy Hour ‘double’ shootout! #slimodds”
Sportstalk host Dan Russell, with Russia leading 4-1 in last night’s Super Series game in Victoria.
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TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Edmonton Oil Kings D Griffin Reinhart (@GriffinReinhart): “Some guy asked me to sign his bag of almonds and I did it. He then proceeded to say ‘hey man you just signed my nuts’ well done sir”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jason Chimera (Medicine Hat, Brandon, 1996-99) signed a lockout contract with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 20 goals and 19 assists in 82 games with the Washington Capitals last season. The contract is for the rest of this season, should the NHL lockout last that long.
Chomutov has six former WHL players on the roster in addition to Chimera: Radek Duda (Regina, Lethbridge, 1998-2000), Karel Hromas (Everett, 2004-06), David Hruska (Red Deer, 1995-96), team captain Milan Kraft (Prince Albert, 1998-2000), Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) and Lukas Pulpan (Vancouver, 2003-04). The GM of Chomutov is Leo Gudas, father of current AHL-Syracuse D Radko Gudas (Everett, 2009-10).
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The Red Deer Rebels (10-11-2) woke up Wednesday morning tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games and, with 22 points, they are seven points out of first place, tied with the Moose Jaw Warriors for the conference’s last playoff spot. Only 12 points separate first from 11th in the conference.
So Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner, president and general manager, did what most observers thought he would do in July or August — he dumped head coach Jesse Wallin and moved behind the bench himself.
Sutter, whose contract wasn’t renewed by the NHL’s Calgary Flames after last season, named himself the interim head coach. (The press release announcing the change was interesting in that it’s very last line reads: “Brent Sutter will be the interim Head Coach.”
Sutter told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate:
“After discussions with Jesse I made the decision to move forward in a new direction with our head-coaching position. Coaching is a tough racket. Jesse is a very good coach, but for whatever reason the message just wasn’t getting through to the players and I really don’t know the exact reasons why that was or has been the case.
“The right thing is to make a change. Sometimes in life it’s never easy to do the right thing, but this is the right thing to do today moving forward. It’s too bad, though. It’s not a day that I’m sitting here feeling good about at all. It’s just not. But I know it’s something that has to be done.”
(Meachem’s complete story is right here.)
Sutter said Wallin will be offered another position in the organization.
“I told Jesse to go home for now and be a dad and a husband and spend time with your family, and then we’ll sit down in a couple of weeks,” Sutter said. “Jesse is a really good person and a good hockey man, but his time here ran its course. That happens in coaching and it’s not his fault, or anyone’s fault.
“You have to move forward and I had to make this decision, which was not an easy one to make.”
Sutter also named Jeff Truitt as associate coach. Truitt, a former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets who also worked in the Moose Jaw Warriors’ front office, spent last season as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Most recently, he had been working with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.
Assistant coach Bryce Thoma remains in place.
Wallin was a defenceman through four seasons (1994-98) with the Rebels and then joined their coaching staff in 1997 after post-concussion syndrome brought an end to his professional playing career.
He was an assistant coach until being named associate coach for 2005-07. He was in his fifth season as head coach and is seen as one of the bright, young coaches in the game today.
The Rebels didn’t make the playoffs last season when they finished 32-34-6. But they were hit with a horrible string of injuries and Wallin received a lot of credit for keeping his club playing hard every night.
He was the head coach of Canada’s Under-18 team that finished third at the 2012 IIHF World U-18 championship last spring in the Czech Republic.
This will be an interesting test for Sutter, whose coaching record over the last few seasons has been a bit spotty.
He missed the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the Flames, although he did win 40 and 41 games in his first two seasons (2009-11) there.
In two seasons (2007-09) with the New Jersey Devils, he won 46 and 51 games but bowed out in the first round of the playoffs each time.
He was the head coach when the Rebels won the 2001 Memorial Cup and lost in the WHL final in 2004. The Rebels lost out in the third round in 2003-04 and were gone in the first round in 2004-05.
It has been a while, then, since Sutter has seen even the second round of a playoff series.
Yes, these will be interesting times in Red Deer.
The Rebels next play Saturday when the Swift Current Broncos pay a visit.
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Sutter’s first player personnel move was to send home F Charles Inglis, 20, who leads the Rebels in goals (11) and points (14).
The Rebels acquired Inglis from the Prince George Cougars on Dec. 29, giving up F Daulton Siwak, who turned 19 on Oct.25, and a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick in the exchange.
At the time, Inglis was at home awaiting a trade, having been sent home by the Cougars. He began his WHL career with the Saskatoon Blades, but wore out his welcome there and was dealt to the Cougars.
“At this point in time he leads our team in goals and points, so the fact we’re sending him home kind of speaks for itself,” Sutter told the Red Deer Advocate. “What more can you say? His time here has run out.
“He’s being sent home (to Saskatoon) to await a trade. If nothing happens he’ll go on waivers next week and if there’s no interest then he’ll play with a junior A team if he wishes.”
———
Inglis (@CharlesInglis) let the Twitter world know that he was gone: “Thank you red deer for the past year going to miss a lot of the guys and the city, fans here are second to none love the city #RebelsHockey”
———
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that the Saskatoon Blades could be without F Jessey Astles, 19, for quite some time.
Astles was injured Friday during a 6-3 victory over the visiting Regina Pats when he suffered a self-inflicted skate cut to a wrist following a fight.
According to Nugent-Bowman, Astles “had surgery Saturday to repair the radial artery and four cut tendons, leaving a large S-shaped scar running halfway down his forearm.”
Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ general manager and head coach, said Astles could miss anywhere from two months to the rest of the season.
The Blades open a B.C. Division tour on Friday in Prince George.
Nugent-Bowman’s story is right here.
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In Wednesday’s Globe and Mail, Hall of Famer Roy MacGregor takes a look at Edge School for Athletes, which is located in Calgary. . . . When it comes to hockey, from the junior level on down, there is a whole lot of symbolism in having an ATM machine mentioned in the essay’s first sentence. . . . That piece is right here.
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F Travis Ewanyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings left Wednesday’s Super Series game in Vancouver with an injury. Prior to the start of the third period, TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted that Ewanyk had suffered “an injury (foot or ankle) and not expected to return.”
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From F Jesse Mychan (@jmychan28): “Found out the bomb used in Hiroshima was built in tri! #crazyness #who knew”

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Brendan Shinnimin (24) of the Tri-City Americans may be the hottest player
in the entire hockey world with 10 points in his last two games. He has moved
into the lead in the WHL scoring race, too.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.co)

Kyle Woodlief’s Red Line Report was posted Friday by USA TODAY. In it, he wonders about the lack of skilled North American forwards eligible for the NHL’s 2012 draft. Boy, ain’t that the truth. You need only watch the number of junior teams playing chip and chase to wonder just what is going on with that. Park a player in the neutral zone -- and I mean park him. Have a defenceman rifle the puck in his direction. The forward, who is standing still, tips the puck into the offensive zone. And then the other team repeats the exercise.
Anyway, Woodlief’s latest rankings are right here.
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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.
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D Tommy Stipancik’s fourth concussion in three years caused him to miss nine game with the Saskatoon Blades. the 17-year-old Stipancik was back in the lineup last night against the visiting Kootenay Ice, albeit wearing a Reebok helmet that it’s hoped will help prevent future concussions. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix has that story right here.
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F Tim McGauley, 16, has joined the Brandon Wheat Kings for the remainder of this season. McGauley had 53 points, including 29 goals, with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Wilcox, Sask. McGauley was a first-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2010 bantam draft. He was dealt to Brandon in the Brayden Schenn deal in January 2011.
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“Players are getting bigger, faster. Helmets are getting better, but it's more effective at protecting the skull than the brain inside. A high-speed impact jostles the brain, and a helmet won't stop it from slamming into the skull.”
That’s Gregg Doyel, a columnist at cbssports.com, and, no, he’s not writing about hockey. He’s writing about football and he is starting to wonder if we aren’t witnessing the beginning of the end . . . not of concussions, of football.
It’s a good read and it’s right here.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
(With a tip of the hat to @WHLFacts for some of the info that follows. If you are on Twitter and aren’t following, you should be.)
In Brandon, F Mark Stone and D Eric Roy scored in the circus to give the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . F Brad Hoban scored twice for the Broncos, his 17th of the season coming at 18:57 of the third to force OT. . . . Stone had given Brandon a 2-1 lead with his 39th score, on the PP, at 16:04 of the third. . . . Stone extended his point streak to 14 games; he has 30 points, including eight goals, over that stretch. . . . Stone’s streak of 13 straight games with at least one assist came to an end. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 37 shots, one fewer than Jon Groenheyde of the Broncos. . . . The Wheat Kings were again without F Kevin Sundher and D Tyrel Seaman, both of whom are concussed. . . . Brandon holds the Eastern Conference’s last playoff spot and is 10 points ahead of Red Deer and two behind Regina. . . . The Pats, who are just a point behind Saskatoon, are in Brandon tonight. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Cole Holowenko stopped 43 shots to help the Raiders to a 4-0 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . The Red Deer loss allowed the Edmonton Oil Kings to become the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot. . . . Holowenko has two shutouts in his career, both this season. . . . F Mike Winther’s 29th goal, at 13:38 of the first, stood up as the winner. . . . F Mark McNeill picked up his 27th goal, into an empty net, and added two assists, as did F Shane Danyluk. . . . The Rebels were able to dress only 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . .

In Regina, F Jordan Weal had two goals and two assists to lead the Pats to an 8-2 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Regina has won six of seven. . . . Weal, who has 37 goals, finished the game with 100 points. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk broke a 1-1 tie at 13:41 of the first period. . . . The Pats then added six more goals before the Warriors closed out the scoring. . . . Regina was 2-8 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-3. . . . F Chandler Stephenson added two goals for Regina, giving him 18, while D Martin Marincin drew three assists. . . . Regina F Brandon Davidson missed his second straight game with a sore neck. He is questionable for a game tonight in Brandon. . . . Moose Jaw F James Henry played in his 300th regular-season game. . . . Regina F Lane Scheidl opened the scoring with a PP goal at 2:46 of the first. Scheidl, who has 24 goals, has a PP goal in each of his last three games. . . . The Warriors won the first three games in the season series with Regina; the Pats have won the last three. . . . Moose Jaw leads the East Division by eight points over Saskatoon. . . .

In Saskatoon, G Andrey Makarov, making his 14th straight start, stopped 38 shots to earn his first WHL shutout as the Blades beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-0. . . . F Brent Benson got the game-winner at 6:31 of the first on the PP. . . . F Matej Stransky got his 34th goal for the Blades and also added an assist. . . . Kootenay F Drew Czerwonka missed his fourth game with an undisclosed injury that could keep him out up to six weeks. . . . Jeff Hollick, the radio voice of the Ice, tweeted that Kootenay D Luke Paulsen and D Jagger Dirk both left with injuries. . . . The Blades remain without D Duncan Siemens (concussion). . . . The Ice is one point behind the fourth-place Calgary Hitmen in the Eastern Conference and one point ahead of the Blades. . . .

In Calgary, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Hitmen, 4-1. . . . The Oil Kings, who lead the Eastern Conference, clinched a playoff spot as they beat the Hitmen for the fifth time in six meetings. . . . Calgary had won four in a row. . . . F Kristians Pelss tied the game with his 23rd at 10:36 of the first and F Tristan Sieben broke the tie with his fourth at 4:57 of the second. . . . F T.J. Foster got an empty-netter, his 24th goal, at 18:50 of the third. . . . F Rhett Rachinski rounded it out with his 25th at 19:56. . . . F Travis Ewanyk, who had offseason shoulder surgery, played his first game this season for Edmonton. Last season, in 72 games, Ewanyk had 27 points and 126 penalty minutes. He was pointless last night. . . . The Hitmen dressed 17 skaters, one under the maximum. . . . Calgary is three points behind the third-place Medicine Hat Tigers in the Eastern Conference and a point ahead of Kootenay. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brady Ramsay scored three times to lead the Hurricanes to a 6-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Ramsay has 22 goals this season. He has two hat tricks. . . . The Hurricanes scored the game’s first four goals, with Ramsay getting two of them. . . . Lethbridge captain Brody Sutter got his 29th goal and added two assists. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 37 shots. . . . The Hurricanes were 3-6 on the PP; the Rockets went 2-3. . . . Lethbridge won’t make the playoffs, while the Rockets will finish sixth in the Western Conference. . . .

In Portland, F Sven Baertschi had a goal and two assists as the Winterhawks ran their winning streak to nine games with an 8-3 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . That got Baertschi back to his two points-a-game pace. He has 84 points in 42 games. . . . F Ty Rattie scored his 52nd goal of the season, the most for a Portland skater since F Lonny Bohonos had 62 in 1993-94. . . . Rattie now is tied with Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem for the WHL lead in goals. . . . When this one was over, Portland still had a bunch of point steaks going — F Oliver Gabriel, 13 games; Baertschi, 12; D Derrick Pouliot, nine; Rattie, eight; and, F Marcel Noebels, six. . . . The Winterhawks have scored 34 goals in their last four games. . . . Portland D William Wrenn, the team captain, was back after being out since Jan. 28 with an injury to his right hand. . . . The Winterhawks lead the U.S. Division by two points over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Chiefs are fifth in the Western Conference, three points behind Vancouver with two games in hand. . . .

In Prince George, G Jared Rathjen earned his first WHL victory as the Victoria Royals beat the Cougars, 4-2. . . . Rathjen, who is from Prince George, stopped 26 shots in improving his record to 1-5-1. . . . Victoria F Dakota Conroy broke a 1-1 tie at 11:30 of the second period with his ninth goal. . . . This was the first of eight in a row at home for the Cougars. . . . The teams meet there again tonight. . . . The Royals are seventh in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the idle Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Cougars are two points behind Seattle. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin scored three goals and set up another as the Tri-City Americans beat the Everett Silvertips, 4-2. . . . Shinnimin, who has 10 points in his last two games, moved into top spot in the WHL scoring race, with 106 points, including 47 goals. He also leads all of the CHL in points. . . . Shinnimin is one point ahead of Brandon F Mark Stone and two up on Portland F Ty Rattie. . . . In 11 February games, Shinnimin has 32 points, including six goals over his last two games. He has an eight-game goal streak going. . . . F Patrick Holland had three assists for the Americans. He has drawn assists on 15 of the Americans’ last 26 games. He also leads the WHL with 67 assists. . . . The Silvertips scored the game’s first two goals, with F Josh Birkholz and D Dominik Bittner getting PP goals in the first period. . . . Shinnimin tied it with a shorthanded goal at 2:16 of the third. . . . F Adam Hughesman broke the tie at 11:52 with his 36th. . . . Shinnimin iced it with an empty-netter. . . .G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots in running his record to 18-5-2. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison was back in the lineup after taking a slapshot in the throat from D Ryan Murray on Tuesday. . . . The Americans have won four in a row. . . . Everett is ninth in the Western Conference, one point behind Seattle. . . .
 
In Vancouver, the Blazers scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Giants, 6-2. . . . The victory lifted the Blazers back into first place in the overall standings, one point ahead of the Portland Winterhawks, who had been there about half an hour because their game last night ended before the Blazers were done. . . . Kamloops got eight points from the line of, left to right, Tim Bozon, Colin Smith and J.C. Lipon. The latter two each had a goal and two assists, while Bozon had one of each. . . . Smith and Bozon have 31 goals apiece. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 34 shots in winning for the 30th time this season. . . . The Blazers scored the game’s first two goals, but the Giants tied it with goals 38 seconds part in the first minute of the second period. . . . D Bronson Maschmeyer, whom the Blazers acquired from Vancouver prior to the 2009-10 season, broke the tie with a PP goal at 14:47 of the second. . . . The Blazers won for the 20th time on the road, the first time the franchise has done that since 1995-96. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Kamloops and a Blazers victory will clinch the B.C. Division pennant. . . . The Giants now have lost three in a row.
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Robin Soudek, Victoria.
F Reid Petryk, Everett (double minor).
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Jordan Martinook, Vancouver.
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Adam Wodon, the managing editor at collegehockeynews.com has written a lengthy piece right here on the state of NCAA hockey as he tries to explain what led to this week’s departure of Paul Kelly, who had been the executive director of College Hockey Inc., until he was forced out.
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The United States of Hockey has more on the Paul Kelly situation, with comments from Kelly, right here. You can bet the major junior leagues are loving all of this.
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And then there is this, a stunning read from Ken Dryden, who writes about the victims of sexual abuse. If you read just one thing today, this has to be it. The end of the story will knock you off your chair.
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Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun weighs in on Tom Jefferson and wonders why the police haven’t done more to investigate the abuses he faced. That piece is right here.