Tigers sign North Dakota commit . . . Blades have company . . . Ast heads to Germany

F Carter Ashton (Lethbridge, Regina, Tri-City, 2006-11) signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, KHL). Last season, he was pointless in seven games with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), had four goals and four assists in 12 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL), and had three goals and 11 assists in 29 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). . . .
F Stanislav Gron (Seattle, Kootenay, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract with the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). Last season, with Cortina (Italy, Serie A), he led his team with 44 points, including 20 goals, in 30 games.
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29 Days @tigershockey Training Camp! pic.twitter.com/kpQJCxUD7Y

— Shaun Clouston (@ShaunClouston) July 21, 2015

The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed F Max Gerlach, a 17-year-old from Flower Mound, Texas, who had committed to North Dakota. Of course, in signing with the Tigers he gives up his NCAA eligibility. He had 42 points in 21 games with the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds last season. Gerlach was a sixth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Gerlach is about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, so should fit in well with the Tigers’ offensive game plan, which has been centred on smallish, speedy forwards. . . . The Tigers also signed F Tyler Preziuso, 16, who was a third-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, with the South Island Royals of the B.C. Major Midget League, he put up 40 points in 40 games.
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The WHL’s Saskatoon Blades have company in the SaskTel Centre, what with the National Lacrosse League’s Edmonton Rush having relocated and morphed into the Saskatchewan Rush.
The much-rumoured move was made official Tuesday at a news conference at Saskatoon’s Delta Bessborough Hotel. Rush owner Bruce Urban was on hand, along with the NLL’s championship trophy.
The two teams’ schedules will overlap, for sure. The 2015 NLL regular-season schedule ran from Jan. 2 through May 2, with the playoffs concluding June 5.
Colin Priestner, the Blades’ managing partner, moved to Saskatoon from Edmonton when his father, Mike, purchased the Blades almost two years ago. Colin told Taking Note he is looking forward to working with the Rush.
“We don’t have any ties to them from Edmonton,” he told TN, “but we’re always open to anything that could benefit our fans. I’m sure we will find time to have a conversation with them at some point when they are up and running, to see if there’s anything we could potentially do together.”
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The U of Lethbridge Pronghorns, under head coach Spiros Anastas, added three more players to their 2015 recruiting class on Tuesday. D Evan Wardley, F Zane Jones and F Mitch Makin all have committed to the Pronghorns, bringing the number of newcomers on the roster to 15. . . . Wardley, from Vulcan, Alta., played four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, putting up nine goals and 31 assists in 208 games. He finished the season by playing nine games, six of them in the playoffs, with the ECHL‘s Wheeling Nailers. . . . Jones, from Olds, Alta., played four seasons in the WHL, having stints with the Victoria Royals, Calgary Hitmen, Everett Silvertips, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants. In 260 games, he scored 77 goals and added 72 assists. . . . Makin, 21, from Lethbridge, played three seasons with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs, finishing with 42 goals and 58 assists in 141 games. . . . Wardley, Jones and Makin all have used up their junior eligibility.
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Dickson Liong (@DLLiong) tweeted Tuesday afternoon that F Anthony Ast “will play in Germany next season. The team that he has signed with will make an official announcement soon.” . . . Ast, 20, is from Richmond, B.C. He was a first-round selection, 19th overall, by the Vancouver Giants in the 2010 bantam draft. His WHL career was hampered by illness and injury. He played 109 games with the Giants over four seasons (2010-14), scoring 15 goals and adding 26 assists. He was dealt to the Medicine Hat Tigers and played 27 games with them in 2013-14 and 21 last season, picking up 16 goals and seven assists.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers have announced that Gerry Fleming will be the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. The franchise has relocated from Oklahoma City where it was the Barons. . . . Fleming, a 48-year-old native of Montreal, had been an assistant coach with Oklahoma City until being promoted to head coach when Todd Nelson moved up to the Oilers to replaced the fired Dallas Eakins as interim head coach.
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The ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, have signed Eric Veilleux as their head coach. Veilleux, 43, was an assistant coach with the Admirals last season when they were in the AHL. Prior to that, he spent nine seasons in the QMJHL. He guided the host Shawinigan Cataractes to the 2012 Memorial Cup title. He then worked as head coach of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for two seasons.
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Last night, in mentioning WHL commissioner’s July 14 visit with the guys at The Pipeline Show, I meant to include a link to the interview. A day late, here it is right here.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed D Kaleb Bulych, who was a second-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. Bulych is from Yorkton, Sask. Last season, he had 33 points, including 13 goals, in 31 games with the bantam AA Yorkton UCT Terriers.
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F Trent Lofthouse (Everett, Victoria, Vancouver, 2011-14) has decided to attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. Lofthouse, from Surrey, B.C., played out his junior eligibility last season with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
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very happy and thankful that i have a chance to be on the swiss cover of #NHL16 @EASPORTSNHL pic.twitter.com/KwI4a1O89F

— nino niederreiter (@thelnino22) July 21, 2015

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

Brain injuries claim another career . . . Tory hits social media's campaign trail

F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2000-01) has been released by the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite) after the British government refused his visa application. Dundee won’t pursue an appeal of the rejection. Last season, with the Heerenveen Flyers (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 38 points, including 17 goals, in 22 games.
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CONCUSSION REPORT:

Tye Hand has decided that an eighth concussion might be one too many, so his hockey career is over.
“I have had seven concussions,” Hand told Taking Note on Thursday, “so this summer I decided it was time for me to start doing other things. It was a tough decision but I have to do what is best for my health moving forward.”
Hand, 19, is from Yellowknife, NWT. He played two seasons with the WHL’s Regina Pats, earning two assists in 31 games in 2012-13 and going pointless in 21 games last season.
A 6-foot-3, 185-pound defenceman, he was a second-round pick by the Everett Silvertips in the 2010 bantam draft.
Hand played bantam AAA at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna, then spent 2011-12 with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, with whom he was named to the South Division’s All-Rookie team.
On Sept. 15, 2012, the Pats acquired him from Everett for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft.
At the time, Regina GM Chad Lang said: “Tye is a big, physical stay-at-home defenceman. That rugged presence will add a lot to our back end. . . .”
Before Hand was done in the WHL, he had suffered three concussions, the last one, he said, occurring on Dec. 14.
He said he was first concussed while playing minor hockey in Yellowknife. While at Pursuit of Excellence, he said, he incurred two concussions, and had another one while in the AJHL.
The last brain injury, No. 7, occurred on Dec. 14 against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. It was 36 seconds into the game when he was knocked into the end boards from behind.
On Dec. 31, the Pats announced that they were shutting him down.
The news release read: “The decision was made after discussion between the Regina Pats’ medical staff, hockey operations department and Tye Hand that, due to multiple concussions in consecutive years, it is in the best interest for Tye’s long term health and future that he spend the rest of the year recovering. Hand’s status will be re-evaluated in the off-season.”
Hand now is at home in Yellowknife and plans to stay there at least for a year. Next fall, he hopes to go to school.
While he is disappointed to be leaving hockey, the good news is that he is symptom-free.
“I’m just unsure as to what another concussion would do to me,” Hand said.
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An email from a reader of Taking Note:
“Just wanted to say as a former Western League player who has gone through concussions and depression I appreciate everything you are trying to do by raising awareness on the issues. Keep up the good work!”
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Bob Tory, the part-owner, governor and general manager of the Tri-City Americans, has started campaigning to get a new building for his WHL franchise.
He posted a few tweets with that theme this week:
“Time has come for a new arena in Tri-City. We need our fans to speak loud and proud.”
“Tri-City Americans bring tremendous value to the quality of life in the Columbia Basin. We need your support for change. #New Building”
“Branding Tri-City. The Americans have been doing this for years. #New Building”
“Toyota Center in need (of) major capital improvements. Stay tuned.”
“Tri-City deserves first-class facilities. Time for a new building.”
“Off to Cheney WA today to play the Chiefs in a beautiful facility on EWU campus. Time for a new building in Tri-City.”
“Let’s brand Tri-City with improvements not just thoughts and wishes.”
On Thursday, with his club entering the final season of its lease, Tory took to Instagram in an attempt to connect with Americans’ fans.
“The Toyota Center is in need of major capital improvements,” Tory wrote. “It’s time for a new building in the Tri-Cities, which is long overdue. We need public support to generate interest in change.
“Let’s brand the Tri-City community with improvement, not just thoughts and wishes.
“Tri-Cities deserves to have first-class facilities for first-class fans. We need our fans to be loud and proud. Support this idea by liking this message and sharing.
“Thank you.”
The 5,734-seat Toyota Center opened in 1988. After being privately owned, the City of Kennewick took it over in August of 2000. The Americans have played there since 1988-89, the team’s first season in the Tri-Cities.
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The Regina Pats now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, having released G Dawson MacAuley, who has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . The departure of MacAuley, who is from Prince Albert, leaves the Pats with Daniel Wapple and Tyler Fuhr as their goaltenders. . . . MacAuley was 0-1/5.86/.786 in 61 minutes of exhibition play. Last season, he played in 50 regular-season games with Regina, going 25-16-4/3.24/.899. . . . Wapple is from Saskatoon; Fuhr is from Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Pats are left with four 20s on their roster -- F Patrick D’Amico, F Braden Christoffer, F Logan McVeigh and F Chandler Stephenson.
Also on Thursday, the Pats released F Dane Schioler, 18, who was a second-round bantam draft pick in 2011. He is expected to join the MJHL’s Portage Terriers.
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The City of Medicine Hat’s public services committee has recommended that each ticket sold for a function in the under-construction Event Centre should carry a $2.15 user fee. The money would be applied to the cost of the facility. . . . The Medicine Hat Tigers, however, have come out against user fees. Gillian Slade of the Medicine Hat News has more right here.
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Larry Stone, a sports columnist with the Seattle Times, is hardly alone when he admits to not having been much a supporter of MLB commissioner Bud Selig a few years ago. Over time, however, Stone has come around to the other side. . . . Why? He explains right here.
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The iPod is dead. Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times has the obit right here.
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Twelve years ago, Chris Nowinski was trying to carve out a career in the world of professional wrestling. Today, he is one of the most influential people in sports. . . . There is more right here.
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Richard Kiel, known as Jaws by fans of the James Bond films, died this week at the age of 74. Of course, there was much more to the big man than a couple of Bond movies. . . . Bruce Weber of The New York Times has Kiel’s obituary right here.
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The home of the Everett Silvertips got a new name this week. Formerly, it was known as Comcast Arena. Now it’s Xfinity Arena. Xfinity is a phone, cable and internet provider. . . . The Spokane Chiefs got down to 29 players by releasing F Taylor Ross from their roster. Ross, 16, was a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. He will join the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos, who play out of Wilcox, Sask. The Chiefs are carrying three goaltenders, 11 defencemen and 15 forwards. Of that bunch, 10 are freshmen. . . . D Dylan Busenius, who played out his junior eligibility last season, will attend the U of Calgary and play for the Dinosaurs. From Sherwood Park, Alta., he split last season between the Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders. He played the first three-plus seasons of his WHL career with the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .

F Trent Lofthouse, 20, who was released from the Portland Winterhawks‘ camp, has joined the AHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. He had 15 points, including 10 goals, with the Vancouver Giants last season, and also has played with the Everett Silvertips and Victoria Royals. . . . The Oil Barons also signed F Michael Sauer, who played last season with the midget Cleveland Barons of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. The Bemidji, Minn., native had 32 points, including 13 goals, in 35 games. Sauer, who turns 19 on Nov. 15, signed with the Tri-City Americans on Aug. 29, 2013, after having been placed on the WHL team’s protected list. He has yet to play a WHL regular-season game. . . .

F Kristian Ferletak of the Victoria Royals can expect a call from the WHL office after he took a major penalty for goaltender interference and a game misconduct in an exhibition game on Thursday night. He collided with Vancouver Giants G Ryan Kubic at 8:18 of the second period. Kubic finished with 17 saves in a 3-0 victory over the host Royals. . . . In last night’s other game, F Lucas Nickles scored for the fourth straight game as the Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs 2-1 in OT in Cheney, Wash. F Brandon Carlo won the game with a PP goal just 46 seconds into OT.
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It's the time of year when WHL teams act like junior A clubs are farm teams. Players aren't "reassigned" to junior A, they're released.
— Brian Wiebe (@Brian_Wiebe) September 12, 2014

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.

Raiders 200 short of goal . . . Pats are Steeling for new season

F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) signed a one-month contract with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B) as an injury replacement. Last season, with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had eight goals and four assists in 25 games. . . .
F David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has been released by Havířov (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Last season, with Meran/Merano (Italy, Inter-National-League), he had 22 points, 12 of them goals, in 25 games. He also had two goals and seven assists in 16 games with Fassa (Italy, Serie A). . . .
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Nippon Paper Cranes Kushiro (Japan, Asia HL). Last season, with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga), he had 43 points, including 20 goals, in 43 games.
D Vladimír Sičák (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had three goals and eight assists in 40 games. The contract includes a clause that Sičák can exercise in December and January to move to another club outside of Czech Republic.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are hoping to sell at least 200 more season tickets between now and their regular-season opener. General manager Bruno Campese tells Darryl Mills of the Prince Albert Daily Herald: “At the moment, we’re at about 1,500. We need to be at 1,700.” . . . Campese wonders if tickets sales have been hurt by summer chatter involving the future of F Leon Draisaitl and D Josh Morrissey. . . . Mills’ story is right here.
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F Sam Steel was the second overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft. That means, of course, that he couldn’t play regularly with the Regina Pats last season, so now is preparing for his freshman season. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports right here, Steel is off to a great start with seven points in two games. Yes, it’s the exhibition season, but you're free to start with the nicknames.
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It appears that F Reid Duke’s camp did ask the Lethbridge Hurricanes to trade him when he chose not to report for the start of training camp. But, as Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald reports right here, that didn’t happen and now Duke is back with the team and rarin’ to go.
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Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich) tweeted Wednesday afternoon that “it appears that 20-year-olds Trace Elson and Trent Lofthouse have been removed from the Winterhawks preseason roster.” . . . He followed that up with: “Hawks decided to go younger with Evan Weinger and Jack Flaman up front, means they likely keep Josh Smith/Josh Hanson as 20s on back line.” . . . Elson and Lofthouse both are forwards with WHL experience. Elson, who doesn’t turn 20 until Nov. 25, played five games with the Red Deer Rebels in 2011-12 and 15 games with the Vancouver Giants last season. Lofthouse has split 148 regular-season games between the Everett Silvertips, Victoria Royals and Vancouver. He is the son of former WHLer Mark Lofthouse (New Westminster, 1974-77). . . . The Winterhawks are left with three 20s on their roster in F Adam De Champlain, D Josh Hanson and D Joshua Smith. Smith, from Lacombe, Alta., will turn 20 on Oct. 10. His WHL experience? He has played 93 games with the Prince George Cougars since 2009-10. He has 11 points, including one goal, in that time, but will bring some ruggedness to Portland’s back end.
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The Red Deer Rebels released D Kirk Bear on Wednesday. Bear, 19, is from Whitewood, Sask. He was pointless in 35 games as a freshman with the Rebels last season. . . . Bear is expected to join the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. . . . The Rebels’ roster is down to 26 players. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that veterans Kolton Dixon, 19, and Devan Fafard, 20, both of whom played defence last season, are trying to make the Rebels’ roster as forwards.
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The Vancouver Giants have released D Bobby Zinkan, 19, who has 102 regular-season WHL games on his resume, all of them with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Zinkan, from Calgary, was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . In 102 games with the Broncos, he had two goals and two assists. . . . On May 7, the Giants dealt F Luca Leone, 18, and a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft to the Broncos for Zinkan.
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The Tri-City Americans have released F Jake Mykitiuk, who turns 19 on Nov. 21, and he is expected to return to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . The 5-foot-7, 160-pounder played two seasons (2011-13) with the Prince George Cougars, putting up 21 points, including seven goals, in 126 games. . . . F Dawson Leedahl of the Everett Silvertips will sit out two weekend games with a WHL-issued suspension. He took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct against the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday. 
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Baseball broadcaster just used term, "concussion-like symptoms." Can't believe that terminology still exists.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) September 3, 2014

Well, this is happening at Dodger Stadium #dodgers pic.twitter.com/fbWJkc8uX5
— Greg Merideth (@gregofla) September 3, 2014

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.

Two more veterans leave WHL . . . Ex-WHLer forced to stop playing

Jerrid Sauer has joined the Medicine Hat Tigers' coaching staff.
(Photo: Medicine Hat Tigers)

It may not be a problem, but it would seem to be a trend.
First, there was D Reid Gow, 20. Then, D Cole Wedman, 20, followed suit. On Sunday, it was D Jeremy McIntosh's turn.
And now F Geordie Maguire and F Aspen Sterzer have moved on.
Gow and McIntosh, 19, both cited a loss of passion in deciding not to return to the Spokane Chiefs. Wedman, who had been dealt by Spokane to Moose Jaw over the summer, has informed the Warriors that he won't report, choosing instead to attend the U of Alberta.
Now you can add Maguire and Sterzer to the list.
Maguire, 19, isn’t in camp with the Swift Current Broncos and apparently will be heading to school.
From Winnipeg, he began his WHL career in 2012-13, picking up nine points, including four goals, in 65 games with the Wheat Kings. The Everett Silvertips had selected Maguire in the fifth round of the 2010 bantam draft, then dealt him to Brandon for G Brandon Anderson, 20, and a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft.
At the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, the Wheat Kings dealt Maguire to Regina, along with a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, in exchange for "draft day considerations."
At the 2013-14 trade deadline, the Pats traded Maguire to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Maguire, who led the Manitoba midget AAA league in scoring in 2011-12, had 14 points, seven of them goals, in 27 games with Regina, and one goal in eight games with the Broncos.
Sterzer, meanwhile, has chosen not to report to the Red Deer Rebels for his 20-year-old season.
Greg Meachem, the Red Deer Advocate's sports editor, reports that Sterzer has told Brent Sutter, the Rebels' GM/head coach, that the passion is gone and that he plans on going to school.
“We’ll stay patient with it and see what happens," Sutter told Meachem, "but during my conversation with him he said he just didn’t feel he has the passion to play any more. He made that commitment to his family, to his mom and dad, that if he wasn’t at the pro level after his 19-year-old year that he would go to school.”
Sterzer played 174 regular-season WHL games, 144 of those with the Kamloops Blazers. He missed a lot of the 2012-13 season with health issues, including a brain injury. The Blazers traded him to the Rebels last season, giving up F Matt Bellerive and a third-round 2014 bantam pick. Sterzer had 21 points, 12 of them goals, in 30 games with Red Deer. Between the two teams, he had 53 points, including 29 goals, in 70 games.
“For us, it was disappointing. It caught us off guard,” Sutter added. “We didn’t expect it after our year-end exit meetings. He kept in contact with our coaches through the summer and was doing the conditioning stuff that was required of him.
“Then all of a sudden he changed his mind.”
Without Sterzer, the Rebels have three 20-year-olds on their roster -- D Brett Cote, who was acquired from the Victoria Royals for a second-round 2014 draft pick on May 1, D Devan Fafard and F Brooks Maxwell.
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Albin Blomqvist turned 21 on Jan. 8, so no longer is eligible to play in the WHL.
Not that he would be able to were he 20 years of age, because he has become another victim of brain injuries.
Blomqvist, from Osby, Sweden, played two seasons (2011-13) with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In his first season, he had a goal and two assists in 38 games; the next season, he had three assists in 31 games.
Last season, he was limited to one game with Osby IK, a Division 2 club in Sweden.
As Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports, Blomqvist has had to retire, and he has written a letter to Hockeysverige.se.
“It’s a tough read and brings up a lot of important issues for the hockey world,” Kennedy writes right here.
Kennedy continues: “Translated into English, Blomqvist rails against a culture that pushes dreams more than reality. With his hockey career over and no chance at playing in the NHL, the defenceman also has come to the realization that his singular focus and lack of education may not have been the best idea.”
Blomqvist‘s brother, Axel, plays for the Victoria Royals and has signed with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets.
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The OHL announced Wednesday that it has made more moves aimed at getting fighting out of the game.
What follows is from the OHL news release:
“The OHL will be augmenting the current staged fight rule whereby players receive an automatic game misconduct for a fight occurring immediately following the drop of the puck at the commencement of a period or game. Such rule has been expanded so as to include a fight that occurs immediately following any faceoff during the game. Should a staged fight occur, the player(s) involved shall each receive a game misconduct in addition to the major penalty and any other penalties assessed.
“If a player receives a third game misconduct during the season for a combination of any five-minute major and game misconduct penalties for checking to the head, checking from behind, boarding, kneeing and clipping, for which suspensions have not previously been applied, he shall receive an automatic one-game suspension. For each subsequent game misconduct, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“If a player receives a third minor penalty for instigating during the season, he shall receive an automatic one-game suspension. For each subsequent instigating minor penalty, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“The number of fighting majors that a player can receive in a game before a game misconduct is assessed shall be reduced from three to two.
“If a player receives a fourth minor penalty during the regular season in any one of the following categories, ie., checking from behind, checking to the head, kneeing, clipping or boarding, he shall receive a one-game suspension. For each subsequent minor penalty in any of the particular categories, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“Each OHL team shall have a threshold of three major penalties for fighting during each game. A disciplinary fine shall be assessed for each team exceeding such threshold.”
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports Canada has more on the OHL changes right here.
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Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts At Large, is in pre-training camp form in a big way. The other day, he took a look at the team-by-team 20-year-old situation. . . . Now he’s working on training camps, starting with rosters as they become available, and opening dates. Check it out right here; there also is a link over there on the right.
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F Jake Mykitiuk, who played two seasons (2011-13) with the Prince George Cougars, is going to camp with the Tri-City Americans. He had 21 points, including seven goals, in 126 games with the Cougars. Last season, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound Mykitiuk, who turns 19 on Nov. 21, split last season between the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints. He totalled 38 points, 16 of them goals, in 39 AJHL games.
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F Austin Calladine, who turns 19 on Dec. 21, is in camp with the Swift Current Broncos. A second-round pick by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2010 bantam draft, he has a goal and two assists in 37 regular-season games, 33 with the Hitmen in 2012-13. The Hitmen dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional 2015 eighth-round bantam draft pick on Sept. 26. The Saskatoon native was pointless in three games with the Blades, then put up 34 points, 17 of them goals, in 46 games with the SJHL's Flin Flon Bombers.
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F Shane Danyluk won’t be back with the Prince Albert Raiders for a fifth season. Danyluk, 20, cleared WHL waivers on Wednesday. He expressed a desire to play in the BCHL for his hometown Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Danyluk was a second-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 24 points, including seven goals, in 71 games. In 248 regular-season games, he put up 77 points, 25 of them goals. . . . Danyluk’s departure leaves the Raiders with five 20-year-olds on their roster -- F Calder Brooks, F Dakota Conroy, F Jayden Hart, D Sawyer Lange and F Carson Perreaux.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have added Jerrid Sauer, 26, to their coaching staff. He will work as an assistant coach, alongside GM/head coach Shaun Clouston and assistant coach Joe Frazer. . . . Sauer, from Medicine Hat, played in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos (2002-06) and the Tigers (2005-08). He then went on to the U of Calgary. . . . On the Tigers’ staff, he will replace Darren Kruger, who now is senior director, player development. . . . Sauer played for the Tigers in 2006-07 when they won the WHL championship.
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The Everett Silvertips go into the season under a bit more pressure than some other teams. That's because ownership has guaranteed its season-ticket holders at least a fourth-place finish in the 10-team Western Conference.
In February 2013, the Silvertips guaranteed season-ticket holders that they would finish at least sixth in the 10-team Western Conference or they would cough up $100 towards 2014-15 season tickets. Everett didn't have to pay up after finishing fourth.
At the same time, Everett management guaranteed at least a fourth-place finish in the conference in 2014-15. If the Silvertips don't get that high, season-ticket holders who renewed early will get a $100 credit towards 2015-16 tickets.
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Veteran F Trent Lofthouse, who turns 20 on Nov. 17, is in camp with the Portland Winterhawks. He also has played with the Everett Silvertips, Victoria Royals and Vancouver Giants. Last season, he started with Victoria, playing 11 games, and finished with the Giants. In 148 regular-season games, he has 38 points, including 25 goals. . . . As of now, Lofthouse is scrapping with F Adam De Champlain, F Trace Elson and D Josh Hanson for Portland’s three 20-year-old spots.
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The Central Hockey League’s Denver Cutthroats have suspended operations effective immediately. The franchise now is looking for additional investors and hopes to operate again in 2015-16. For now, all players who had signed with Denver are free agents.
The Central league also appears to have lost the Arizona Sundogs, and this could be permanent.
Brandon-based player agent Darryl Wolski tweeted Wednesday evening that the Sundogs “have ceased operations . . . players have been notified.”
That being the case, any players who have signed with the Sundogs now will be free agents.
Without Denver and Arizona, the Central league is down to seven teams. Shed a tear for F T.J. Fox. He played last season for the Cutthroats. On Friday, he signed with the Sundogs.
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Love the #OHL's additional penalties for fighting and dirty play. Players will eventually get the message #hockey
— Morris Dallacosta (@MoDaCoatLFPress) August 20, 2014

Mental illness costs Cdn economy $51B/year in direct treatment costs, lost productivity & quality of life. Early intervention is paramount!
— Wood's Homes (@ChildMntlHealth) August 21, 2014

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