Nolan to Giants? . . . Amateur athletes or employees? . . . Lowry to Sharks?

F Bernhard Keil (Kamloops, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2). This season, with the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, DEL), he had one goal in 39 games. . . .
F Justin Maylan (Moose Jaw, Prince George, Prince Albert, 2007-12) signed a one-year contract with Val Pusteria Brunico (Italy, Serie A). This season, with Gherdëina (Italy, Serie A), he had 14 goals and a team-high 37 assists in 33 games.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reported Tuesday that the Vancouver Giants have talked with Ted Nolan about their vacant head-coaching position. Nolan, of course, is a veteran coach with plenty of major junior experience, having coached in the OHL and QMJHL. This season, he was the head coach of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, who let him go at season’s end. . . . Nolan and his wife, Sandra, have been in Vancouver and toured the Giants’ facility in Ladner. However, Nolan will exercise all of his professional options before he would return to junior and he has been upfront about that. . . . Still, if you were on Twitter yesterday, you would have been led to believe that Nolan and the Giants were in contract negotiations. . . . That might happen, but if it does it won’t be for a while.
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I was reaching for a dictionary on Tuesday morning, as I tried to come to grips with Washington state’s new law that says WHL players on that state’s four WHL teams are amateur athletes and not employees. . . . My reaching was interrupted when I spotted a piece written by Ken Campbell of The Hockey News. . . . He explains it all right here.
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Ken Campbell of The Hockey News also spoke with Jerry Dias, the president of Unifor, which is Canada’s largest public sector trade union. Unifor continues to work towards organizing major junior hockey players in Canada. . . . Dias said the Washington bill is “ridiculous” and added that the effort to unionize major junior hockey players is continuing. . . . “I don’t know how the person who cleans the toilets in the arena is an employee,” Dias told Campbell, “the coaches are employees, the person who sells the popcorn, the person who cleans the ice . . . everybody is an employee except for the person who makes the profits.” . . . That story is right here.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet posted his weekly 30 Thoughts on Tuesday morning. As always, it is highly readable, and it is right here. As he points out, hockey fans shouldn’t discount Dave Lowry as the next head coach of the San Jose Sharks. At present, Lowry is the head coach of the WHL’s Victoria Royals.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna vs. Quebec, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 24: Quebec vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Monday, May 25: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 28: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 29: Semifina, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31: Championship game, TBA
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FUN FACT: New @EdmontonOilers HC, Todd McLellan, is a former Blade! He played centre from 1983-1987. #alwaysablade pic.twitter.com/hc0osvvEZG

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) May 19, 2015

THE COACHING GAME:

The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs announced Tuesday that Gord Dineen, the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, won’t be back. He apparently has been offered the position of associate coach. . . . As well, the Marlies dumped associate coach Derek King and have offered assistant coach Ben Simon a spot elsewhere in the organization. . . . Dineen was an assistant coach with the Marlies for five seasons before taking over as head coach on July 15. After a 39-28-9 regular season, they lost a best-of-five first-round series to the Grand Rapids Griffins, 3-2. . . . There is speculation that Sheldon Keefe, the OHL’s coach of the year with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, will sign on as the Marlies’ head coach.
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The OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs have rounded out their coaching staff with the hiring of Troy Smith (associate coach), Ron Wilson (assistant coach) and Mike Parson (goaltending coach). They will work with GM/head coach George Burnett. . . . As well, Barclay Branch was named assistant GM and director of player personnel. . . . Branch spent the previous 10 seasons in the same role with the Belleville Bulls. . . . Smith was the Kitchener Rangers’ head coach for the past two seasons, after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach. . . . Wilson, a former NHL player, is a veteran of the coaching game, with extensive AHL experience. . . . Barton has worked as a goaltending coach with the Guelph Storm. This season, he was a goaltending consultant with the U of Guelph, Canisius College and the GOJHL’s Elmira Sugar Kings.
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The Sioux Falls Stampede recently won the Clark Cup as USHL playoff champions. Still, ownership has decided not to renew the contract of head coach Cary Eades, who is a former U of North Dakota assistant. . . . Chris Murphy of the Fargo Forum reported Tuesday that Eades will be named head coach of the USHL’s Fargo Force this morning. . . . According to Murphy, “Sioux Falls television station KSFY reported Eades’ contract was not renewed with the Stampede due to differences with ownership.” . . . Eades spent three seasons in Sioux Falls.
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The BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks need an athletic therapist, with Tyrol Deeg having resigned citing family concerns. If you’re interested, send your resume to coach@sasilverbacks.com. . . .
The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Lindsay Hofford to work in their scouting department with his primary responsibility being the OHL. . . . He had been working as the scouting director for the OHL’s London Knights. Mark Hunter, a co-owner of the Knights, is Toronto’s director of player personnel. . . . Hofford did a stint as the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ head coach, running the bench for 112 games over three seasons (2003-06). . . .
Trevor Linden, the president of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, will be in Prince George for a news conference this morning. The Canucks are expected to announce that they will hold their 2015 training camp at the CN Centre in Prince George.
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Andersen, first Danish goalie to play for Ducks. Goldberg, first goalie to eat a danish while playing for Ducks. pic.twitter.com/gZXjSQIwHb

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) May 20, 2015

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Wheaties one win from final . . . Rockets pull even with 'Hawks . . . Howse is coach of year

F Dustin Cameron (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2004-10) has signed a one-year contract with Bad Nauheim (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had 19 goals and 31 assists in 51 games. He led his team in goals, assists and points. . . .
F Danis Zaripov (Swift Current, 1998-99) has signed a two-year extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia, KHL). This season, in 60 games, he had 64 points, including 24 goals. An alternate captain, he was third in the league’s scoring race.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Calgary, the Brandon Wheat Kings struck for five second-period goals as they ran away with a 8-3 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the Eastern Conference final 3-1 and get their first chance to wrap it up at home on Friday night. . . . The Wheat Kings have outscored the Hitmen 21-11 in the four games. . . . Last night, Calgary F Layne Bensmiller’s first WHL playoff goal gave his side a 1-0 lead at 13:46 of the first period. . . . That goal also gave the Hitmen their first lead of the series; they won Game 3 in OT. . .

. However, the Wheat Kings scored the game’s next five goals. . . . Brandon F John Quenneville tied it with his eighth goal, as he tipped home a point shot by D Reid Gow at 19:00 of the first. . . . F Jayce Hawrylyk (8), F Braylon Shmyr (3), F Morgan Klimchuk (2) and F Nolan Patrick (6) scored in a span of 9:10 as the visitors took control. . . . Shmyr and Klimchuk both are from Calgary, while Klimchuk was a first-round selection by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Klimchuk’s goal resulted in a goaltending change for Calgary, with Mack Shields replacing Brendan Burke. The Wheat Kings then scored on each of their first two shots on Shields. . . . Calgary F Pavel Karnaukhov got his fifth goal at 15:58 of the second period, cutting the Brandon lead to 5-2. However, the Wheat Kings got that one back 30 seconds later when F Tyson Coulter scored his fifth goal. . . . By the time it was over, the Wheat Kings had eight separate goal scorers. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his seventh and added two assists, while Klimchuk added two helpers to his goal, and F Tim McGauley drew two assists. . . . Hawryluk and F John Quenneville each had a goal and an assist. . . . D Jake Bean and D Travis Sanheim each had two assists for Calgary. . . . On the PP while trailing 7-3, Calgary put Burke on the bench for the extra attacker with more than seven minutes left in the third period. Brandon D Colton Waltz hit the empty net for his first WHL playoff goal at 12:49. . . . If you are looking for a key, it may have been each team’s PP. Calgary was 0-for-3 on the PP when Brandon scored on its first PP, that goal coming from Hawryluk at 6:03 of the second period. . . . Brandon was 2-for-4 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-7. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 28 shots. . . . Brandon scored eight goals on 30 shots. . . . The Wheat Kings again scratched, among others, D Kale Clague, F Reid Duke and F Tanner Kaspick. . . . The Hitmen were again without F Chase Lang, F Connor Rankin and F Jake Virtanen. Virtanen served Game 3 of a three-game suspension for a hit on Kaspick in Game 1. . . . Calgary F Elliott Peterson left in the third period after absorbing a hit from Brandon F John Quenneville. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Steve Papp. . . . The attendance was 5,672. . . . Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Portland, F Tyrell Goulbourne’s first goal of these playoffs stood up as the winner as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The series is tied 2-2. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night, with Game 6 back in Portland on Sunday. . . . The Rockets held a long team meeting after dropping a 7-3 decision on Tuesday night. . . . Last night, Portland F Chase De Leo opened the scoring with his fifth goal, just 1:12 into the first period. . . . Kelowna scored the game’s next three goals. . . . F Leon Draisaitl tied the score with his sixth goal at 7:50 of the first. . . . F Chance Braid broke the tie

with his second playoff goal, at 2:40 of the second. . . . Goulbourne, who had come up short on two earlier shorthanded breakaways, stretched the lead to 3-1 at 9:16 of the second, on a PP. . . . Portland F Nic Petan ran his point streak to 15 games with his ninth goal at 12:03 of the second. He also set a franchise record by playing in his 86th career playoff game. The previous record had been held by D Derrick Pouliot. . . . Petan is tied with Calgary F Adam Tambellini for the playoff scoring lead, each with 25 points. . . . Portland was presented with a late PP when Kelowna D Madison Bowey took a delay-of-game penalty at 19:04 of the third period. The Winterhawks put G Adin Hill on the bench for the extra attacker but weren’t able to equalize. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley had two assists, while Draisaitl added an assist to his goal. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle was the game’s first star, with 40 saves, just one night after being yanked. . . . Hill turned aside 25 shots. . . . The Rockets added F Rourke Chartier to their scratches. With him out, perhaps with a shoulder injury, D Mitchell Wheaton checked into the lineup. . . . The Rockets continued to play without F Gage Quinney and F Justin Kirkland. . . . With Chartier out and Wheaton back in, D Devante Stephens moved up to the forward ranks. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-6. . . . The referees were Jeff Ingram and Brent Iverson. . . . Attendance was 8,629.
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Marty Klyne, a long-time Regina businessman, has joined the Regina Pats as their chief operating officer. According to a news release, Klyne “will be responsible for all facets of the business, focusing on fan experience and operational excellence. His responsibilities include revenue, sales growth, costs and financial goal management.” . . . Klyne is a former publisher and CEO of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and Regina Leader-Post. He also was president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation and COO of the Regina Regional Economic Development Authority (now the Regina Regional Opportunities Commission.
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It appears that the Wenatchee Wild be in the BCHL’s Mainland Division when next season gets here. Brian Wiebe, over at Brian’s Banter, has more, including a chart showing the mileage between Wenatchee and the other Mainland Division teams. Keep in mind that the Prince George Spruce Kings are in that division. . . . Brian’s Banter is right here. There also is a link to it over there on the right.
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In the QMJHL, the Rimouski Oceanic blanked the host Val-d’Or Foreurs 6-0 last night to sweep the semifinal series, 4-0. The Oceanic will meet the Quebec Remparts in the championship final. Because the Remparts are the host team for the Memorial Cup, both teams advance to the championship tournament.
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In the OHL, D Stephen Desrocher broke a 2-2 tie at 8:23 of the third period to give the visiting Oshawa Generals a 3-2 victory over the North Bay Battalion. . . . That semifinal is 2-2 with Game 5 in Oshawa on Friday night. . . . The other series, with the Erie Otters holding a 3-1 lead on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, continues tonight in the Soo. Erie has won three straight games in that series.
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Ryan Howse, who starred with the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (2007-11), has been named Prince George’s minor hockey coach of the year for his work with a Bantam Tier 2 team. Howse, 23, was a third-round pick by the Calgary Flames in the NHL’s 2009 draft.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach Troy Smith, while re-signing general manager Murray Hiebert. . . . Smith’s contract was to expire in July. . . . Hiebert now is signed through 2017-18. . . . The Rangers went 32-26-10 in the regular season, then lost a first-round playoff series to the London Knights in six games. . . . It is believed that assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, a former NHLer, is in the running as the next head coach. The Rangers also are negotiating for the return of Mike McKenzie, another assistant coach.
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The AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats have announced that Gord Thibodeau now is their general manager and head coach. Garry VanHereweghe, who also is a coach with the Bobcats, had been the GM. VanHereweghe stays on as coach and assistant GM. All of this was agreed to when Thibodeau was hired on May 1. . . . The Bobcats also announced that assistant coach Kris Wiebe is returning, as are Curtis Johnson, the strength and conditioning coach, and athletic therapist Jeff Sotkowy. They also have hired Tom Keca as head scout.
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Brent Clarke has resigned as head coach of the Federal Hockey League’s Watertown Wolves, this season’s playoff champions. The Wolves, in their inaugural season, won the regular-season title and went on to win the Commissioner’s Cup. Clarke was named the FHL’s coach of the year.
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If I followed hockey more I'd probably know in advance that I'm about to get all these stupid tweets... Still not a hockey coach.

— Michael T. Babcock (@mikebabcock) March 13, 2015

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Wheat Kings lose veteran scout

The world of international athletics has been rocked by six positive drug tests in the last week. . . . So what’s going on? . . . Dick Patrick has a pretty good story on why it happened and how these things can be avoided. That story is right here. . . . This story should be read by junior hockey players, who have to abide by WADA’s rules.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings are in the market for a new head scout following the resignation of Al Macpherson, who had been with the team for 27 years, most recently as director of player personnel. . . . There is no scout in Western Canada who is more respected than Macpherson. . . . “Well, it’s like losing your right arm,” Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner and GM, told James Shewaga of the Brandon Sun. . . . Macpherson, who has a farm near Saskatoon, told Shewaga he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. “I don’t see my grandsons play hockey often enough, all of those things that happen in the winter that you don’t have time to do. . . .,” he said. “But I enjoyed every minute of it and I have no complaints. I just thought it was time to see how the other half of the world lives.”
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“A recent NHL rule change designed to cut down on the number of concussions in the league hasn’t made a difference, a new study suggests,” writes Helen Branswell of The Canadian Press. “The research suggests the rule, which outlawed bodychecks aimed at the head and checking from a player’s blind side, has not led to lower concussion rates among pro hockey players since it came into force in the 2010-11 season.”
Her complete story is right here. . . . This is interesting stuff because it points out how important it is that rules be correctly worded, and that there isn’t much sense having rules if they aren’t going to be enforced.
This study was published in the journal Plos One on Wednesday. You are able to find it right here, in its entirety.
If you are so inclined, there are some interesting NHL-OHL comparisons in the study.
After reading Branswell’s story and looking at the study, it is rather obvious that hockey’s pooh-bahs, at least at an elite level, simply aren’t doing enough to get brain injuries out of the game.
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Chris Peters, over at The United States of Hockey, takes a look at why “more NHL teams are going heavy on college-bound players in the draft.” . . . He also looks at the week that Western Michigan had, along with a few other odds and ends. . . . That’s all right here. . . . There also is a link to the U.S. of Hockey over there on the right.
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Scott Cacciola of The New York Times writes right here about the rich baseball player who ended up visiting one of the poorest cities in the U.S. Yes, it involves A-Rod.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Everett Silvertips have filled out their coaching staff with the signings of Mark LeRose and Shane Clifford. . . . LeRose signed on as an assistant coach, while Clifford will be the goaltending coach. . . . Both previously held those same roles with the Silvertips before going on to other things. . . . They will work alongside head coach Kevin Constantine and assistant coach Mitch Love. . . . LeRose, 43, was an assistant in Everett under John Becanic (2007-09) before leaving to join Constantine with the AHL’s Houston Aeros. LeRose spent the past two seasons in Austria and Sweden. . . . Clifford, 42, spent five seasons as the Silvertips’ goaltending coach and also spent one season (2005-06) with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. He owns and operates the Shane Clifford Goalie School that has operated near Pittsburgh since 2000.
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The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have promoted assistant coach Troy Smith to head coach and added Murray Hiebert as general manager. . . . Smith spent the past seven seasons as an assistant with the Rangers. . . . Hiebert, who began scouting for the Rangers in 2001, had been the team’s director of scouting. . . . Steve Spott, the previous GM/head coach, left earlier this month to become head coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
Nothing in the way of signings today, just some odds and ends from the KHL . . .
The KHL held their “extension” draft to stock the new Russian team, Admiral Vladivostok, on Monday. No WHL or North American players were taken in the draft. The league didn’t release the names of the players who were available for selection, only the players chosen by Admiral.
The KHL released its 2013-14 schedule. The 52-game regular season starts Sept. 4 and ends March 3, with no games scheduled for Nov. 2 through Nov. 10 or from Dec. 13 to 24 for national team tournaments. There also will be a four-week break (Jan. 30 to Feb. 24) for the Olympics. By contrast, the NHL is planning on breaking for the Olympics on Feb. 9, just three days before the start of the tournament on Feb. 12.
Here is something you would never see in the NHL. KHL vice-president Vladimir Shalaev attacked the schedule, saying he is “embarrassed” that it offers only 52 games due to international hockey commitments. “A league like the KHL has no right giving fans only 52 games in the regular season,” Shalaev said. “It’s a mockery; it’s like making Pavarotti sing once a year.”
Russian Hockey Federation president Vladimir Tretiak said last month that it was the KHL’s duty to organize its regular-season schedule based on the interests of the national team.
The KHL also released team salary cap data for the 2012-13 season. The 26 KHL teams paid total salaries of 13.8 billion rubles (US$434.4 million) to 791 players for an average per player of 17.4 million rubles (US$549,134). This does not include NHL lockout contracts, which didn’t count against the league salary cap.
Three teams had player payrolls of more than 1 billion rubles (US$31.5 million): Ak Bars Kazan (1.06 billion rubles, US$33.4 million), Salavat Yulaev Ufa (1.043 billion rubles, US$32.9 million), and SKA St. Petersburg (1.023 billion rubles, US$32.2 million).
Metallurg Novokuznetsk had the lowest player payroll at 128.5 million rubles (US$4 million).
The league didn’t provide individual player salary information but 37 players counted more than 60 million rubles (US$1.89 million) each against the salary cap.
The KHL has import rules, unlike the NHL. For the 21 Russian-based clubs, they are allowed five non-Russian citizens on their rosters. There are two exceptions for 2013-14 season.
Admiral Vladivostok are allowed seven and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl are allowed six. The seven clubs based outside of Russia have a sort of “reverse import” rule. Each team must have at least five players on their roster who are eligible to play on their country’s national team.
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1. The City of Medicine Hat is getting a new multi-purpose facility that will include a 7,059-seat arena. City Council voted 8-1 in favour of the construction of the Medicine Hat Regional Event Centre in the northwest part of the city by the Trans-Canada Highway. . . . According to a news release, the facility will be “designed by PBK Architects and will be constructed by PCL Construction Leaders. Council also agreed to have SMG Worldwide Entertainment and Convention Venue Management operate the building which will become the new home for the Medicine Hat Tigers.” . . . Shovels should be in the ground in August, with the Tigers in the new arena for the start of the 2015-16 season. . . . The cost: $74 million.

2. Hey, Medicine Hat, well done. But, sheesh, I thought you might name a new arena after the one and only . . . the legendary Bob Ridley. . . . There are enough Centres, Places and Arenas out there. Why not go with something like, uhh, Bob Ridley’s Bus Stop? . . . Hey, just thinking out loud here. . . .

3. On the subject of arena names, the Ottawa Senators have called a news conference for today at which, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, it will be announced that Scotiabank Place has been replaced by the Canadian Tire Centre.

4. Marty Williamson, the GM/head coach of the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs, isn’t about to complain about the CHL’s decision to get rid of import goaltenders. But that doesn’t mean he understands why it’s happening. Bill Potrecz of the St. Catharines Standard has more right here, including this from Williamson:
“We believe we’re the best development league and we always take pride in making those comments. We have the Yakupovs as well as the Ryan Stromes and Dougie Hamiltons so that makes for quite a league. Now, to me, there’s a little asterisk beside it because now we don’t have the best goalies. We have the best North American goalies, but we don’t have the best goalies in the world coming to our league.”

5. If you have been watching the Stanley Cup final, perhaps you are asking yourself: How is it that Boston Bruins D Zdeno Chara didn’t win the Norris Trophy? . . . Then you realize that he finished fifth in the voting. And then you go and bang your head against a wall.

6. The Lethbridge Hurricanes have hired Kyle McDonald as their high performance coach. . . . McDonald, the owner of Regina-based Competitive Will Training, actually began his hockey coaching career as an assistant with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns while he was studying psychology. Since then, he has had coaching stints at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., with Hockey Canada and with the Iowa State Cyclones.



7. The OHL’s Kitchener Rangers have promoted assistant coach Troy Smith to assistant GM/assistant coach and signed him through 2014-15. . . . They also extended assistant coach Mike McKenzie through 2014-15. . . . They work alongside GM/head coach Steve Spott.




8. The AHL’s Calder Cup final could be decided tonight as the Grand Rapids Griffins take a 3-2 series lead over the Crunch into Game 6 in Syracuse. . . . Of course, the Griffins led this series 3-0 before losing two in a row at home. . . . If it goes to Game 7, it would be decided in Syracuse on Thursday night.



9. I don’t know where he got the information, but I’m certain that I heard TSN’s Dan O’Toole say the NHL Entry Draft is history and that it’s now simply the NHL Draft. . . . To that, I say: It’s about time!




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