F Steven Goertzen (Seattle, 2001-04) has announced his retirement. Last season, with the league-champion Coventry Blaze (England, UK Elite), he had 15 goals and 28 assists in 55 games.
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The Everett Silvertips may be back in the running as they attempt to get F Auston Matthews on to their
roster. Matthews, who is projected as a potential No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft, has signed a contract with the Zurich-based ZSC Lions, who play in Switzerland’s top pro league. . . . That signed contract would seem to take care of his NCAA eligibility. . . . However, he has been unable to get a work permit. In order to get a work permit in Switzerland, hockey and soccer players need to have played professionally for one year. Matthews played last season in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Edgar Salis of the Lions has told Klaus Zaugg of the Limmattaler Zeitung, a Swiss German-language newspaper, “I think it is difficult.” Salis added that if the work permit doesn’t come through, the Lions will move on. He said that there won’t be a lawsuit in an attempt to get the permit. . . . The Silvertips selected Matthews, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., in the third round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 116 points, 55 of them goals, in 60 games with the U.S. national U-18 team and 48 points, including 20 goals, with the national U-20 team.——
The CHL’s import/goaltenders-not-welcome draft is scheduled for Tuesday. . . . In advance of that, the
Red Deer Rebels have released Slovakian D F Mario Grman, 18. That will allow the Rebels to select one player on Tuesday. Their other import is Russian F Ivan Nikolishin, 19, who was acquired from the Everett Silvertips in May. . . . The Rebels hold the 48th pick in the first round on Tuesday and Brent Sutter, the team’s owner, general manager and head coach, hasn’t ruled out selecting Grman again. . . . Sutter spoke with Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate on the crapshoot that is this particular draft, which has long been dominated by player agents. “I’ve said this from the get-go,” Sutter told Meachem. “Unless you can get a player who can play in your top six forwards, why are you drafting him?” . . . A year ago, the Rebels selected Latvian D Hugo Jansons with their first pick, taking Grman later. Jansons was injured in the season and later released. “We were told by his (Jansons’) agent, Igor Larionov, that he (Jansons) could come in and play in our top four,” Sutter told Meachem. “As it turns out, he comes in and can’t even play on our hockey team. That kind of stuff goes on, so you have to be really careful. Once all the A-list players are gone, you’re down to the B list and you’re just counting on agents at that point.” . . . Meachem's story is right here.——Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada looks at the Kevin Bieksa situation and lots of NHL draft odds and ends in his weekly 30 Thoughts. It’s right here.
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More undrafted WHL players have accepted invitations to NHL team development camps. . . . F Ty Comrie of the Tri-City Americans will skate with the New York Rangers. He will turn 18 on Aug. 8. . . . The Florida Panthers’ camp will include D Evan Fiala, 18, of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . D Tristen Pfeifer, 19, of the Everett Silvertips will be in camp with the Arizona Coyotes. He is from Scottsdale, Ariz. . . . The New York Rangers’ camp will include D Arvin Atwal of the Vancouver Giants, who turns 20 on Nov. 26, and D Jerret Smith, 20, of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . F Evan Polei, 18, of the Red Deer Rebels is going to the Detroit Red Wings’ camp.
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If you’re looking for a good NHL draft notebook, give this right here a look. It’s by Ken McKenna of hockeyfutures.com and there is a lot of info in it.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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The Red Deer Rebels have added Erik Lodge, a 35-year-old native of Innisfail, Alta., to their coaching staff as the skills development coach. He replaces Clayton Beddoes, who has signed to coach in Italy with the Vipiteno Broncos. . . . Lodge played three games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (1996-97) and later played five seasons at Lakehead University. . . . Lodge is a teacher and runs a hockey academy. . . . Lodge announced his signing via Twitter on Sunday afternoon: “Very excited to join the Red Deer Rebels coaching staff for the upcoming Memorial Cup season.”
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79 of 211 players taken in 2015 NHL draft are Canadian. That's more than next top 2 nations combined. Spare us angst over our hockey future.
— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) June 29, 2015
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F Igor Valeev (Lethbridge, Saskatoon, Swift Current, 1998-2000) has been reassigned by Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL) to Chelmet Chelyabinsk. Valeev will be captain of Chelmet (Vysshaya Liga). This season, he was pointless in six games with Traktor, after putting up six points, two of them goals, in 13 games with Chelmet.
The OHL's Erie Otters had their 11-game winning streak come to an end Sunday afternoon when they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Knights in London. Former WHL player and coach Kris Knoblauch is the head coach of the Otters, who establishd a franchise record with the streak. . . . Meanwhile, the Guelph Storm is on a 10-game winning streak after beating the visiting Sudbury Wolves, 3-1, on Sunday. Here’s Tony Saxon in the Guelph Mercury: “It was the first time in the past nine home games that the Storm has failed to score at least five goals and send the crowd home with free chicken wings as part of an in-house promotion.” . . . The Storm next plays Thursday in London.
In Regina, the Pats scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 3-1. . . . F Boston Leier scored the game's first two goals, giving him 12 on the season. . . . The Pats broke open a scoreless game with three goals in 4:15 in the last five minutes of the period. They scored one at even strength, one on the PP and one shorthanded. . . . After the game, the Pats released veteran G Mac Engel, 20, and acquired D Jesse Zgraggen, 20, from the Calgary Hitmen for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. Zgraggen became available because D Alex Roach, 20, returned to the Hitmen from the Los Angeles Kings organization. . . . Zgraggen was acquired by Calgary from the Victoria Royals last season. This season, he had eight points, one of them a goal, in 16 games with the Hitmen. . . . Engel wasn't eligible to play yesterday because he and Pats F Dyson Stevenson are awaiting suspension news from the WHL office for their roles in some antics late in Friday's 8-1 loss to the host Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Regina did have F Connor Gay back in the lineup after he missed four games with a brain injury. . . . With Engel suspended, Regina had Braven MacPherson of the junior B Regina Capitals on the bench in support of G Dawson MacAuley. . . .
In Lethbridge, F Jayce Hawryluk enjoyed his second consecutive three-goal game as the Brandon Wheat Kings dumped the Hurricanes, 6-2. . . . Hawryluk, who has nine goals, also had an assist. He has eight points, including six goals, in two games since being a healthy scratch. In 17 games, he has 19 points. . . . The Wheat Kings finished their road swing at 2-4. They are 9-9-0 overall. . . . The Hurricanes have played 18 games, meaning they are at the one-quarter pole, and have only two victories. . . . Lethbridge F Tyler Wong, who had five goals in 54 games as a freshman last season, scored once. He now has 15 points, including eight goals, in 18 games. . . .With G Curtis Honey out with an undisclosed injury, Brandon again had Jason Hadaller on the bench backing up Jordan Papirny. Hadaller, 16, is from Seattle and is the first player out of Everett Youth Hockey to dress for a WHL game. . . . Lethbridge G Corbin Boes, who was acquired over the summer from Brandon, went the distance with 27 saves. . . .
In Calgary, the Edmonton Oil Kings opened a five-game road trip with a 4-2 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Oil Kings scored the game's last three goals, including one from F Curtis Lazar, who has 11 snipes this season. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett had two assists in his first game after not playing since Oct. 11 because of an undisclosed injury. . . . D Alex Roach, 20, played his first game with the Hitmen after being returned by the NHL's Los Angeles Kings. . . . Calgary D Jaynen Rissling scored his fifth goal of the season in his 17th game. That equals his output in each of his previous three seasons, in 61, 55 and 67 games. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Tri-City Americans scored the game's last two goals to beat the Kootenay Ice, 4-2. . . . F Brian Williams broke a 2-2 tie with his 13th goal at 10:21 of the third period and F Marcus Messier later added an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City's Comrie Connection struck again, too. G Eric Comrie stopped 30 shots, while younger brother Ty scored his second goal in as many games. . . . F Parker Bowles had three assists for the Americans, giving him five points in three games since he came off the injured list. . . . The attendance was announced at 1,987. Ice owner/GM Jeff Chynoweth confirmed that it's the smallest crowd in Kootenay franchise history. . . . The Americans went 2-0-1 as they played three games in as many nights in the Central Division.
Gallacher doesn’t comment on specifics involving the whack his franchise took in November when it was fined $200,000 and had a bunch of bantam draft picks taken away. But the one thing he didn’t do was repent.
primary factor in Portland’s penalty-killing unit being as good as it is. He also is a veteran of 60 playoff games. On top of that, he is a fine writer in his own right. So Paul Buker of The Oregonian asked Peters about the intensity of playoff hockey. . . . Peters’ response, in his own words, is 
He is the younger brother of Tri-City G Eric Comrie. . . . Ty, 5-foot-11 and 150 pounds, had 49 points, including 23 goals, in 35 games with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. . . . The Comries are from Newport Beach, Calif. . . . The Americans have signed their first five selections from the 2012 draft — D Parker Wotherspoon, F Braden Purtill, D Tyler Fraser and G Evan Sarthou. Comrie and Sarthou were teammates with the Jr. Kings. . . . “Ty is an elite talent at the 1997-age group, turning down five NCAA scholarship opportunities to join our program,” Bob Tory, the Americans’ GM, said in a news release, “and continues to make rapid improvements to his overall game. He is gifted with offensive creativity and, since being drafted, continues to excel among his peers as he has gained size and strength.”
The 6-foot-1, 160-pound Collins, from Rosetown, Sask., had 24 points, four of them goals, in 39 games with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . . The Cougars have signed six of the 11 players taken in the 2012 draft — Collins, F Jansen Harkins, F Brad Morrison, D Tate Olson, F Aaron Boyd and G Matt Kustra.
F Tim Bozon of the Kamloops Blazers will play for France at the IIHF world championship that is to open in Stockholm and Helsinki on Friday. Bozon, who turned 19 on March 24, was a third-round selection by the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL’s 2012 draft. He finished this season with 91 points, but suffered a hand injury in the playoffs and missed seven games. . . . France opens against Slovakia on Friday.
D Marek Hrbas won’t be returning to the WHL for his 20-year-old season. Hrbas, whose return was doubtful anyway because he would be a two-spotter, has signed a two-year contract to play for Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga. Hrbas is from Plzen; Sparta Praha plays out of Prague. . . . Hrbas came over as a 16-year-old and played for the USHL’s Fargo Force. He then played one season with the Edmonton Oil Kings before being traded to Kamloops, where he played the last two seasons.
The NHL held its draft lottery on Monday and there were only two changes — the Florida Panthers, who were favoured to get the first pick, will select second, with the Colorado Avalanche moving up to No. 1. . . . The Avalanche are expected to select D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks with that No. 1 pick, and there’s something neat about that. Because it was while his family was living in Denver — his father, Popeye, was playing for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets – that Seth began playing hockey. . . . Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has more 
The Red Deer Rebels are looking for an athletic therapist after Terence Robertson told the team he is leaving. Robertson had been with the Rebels through nine seasons. . . . Robertson will work the Rebels’ prospects camp May 31 through June 2 and then will begin a new job with Collegiate Athletic Therapy & Sports Medicine in Red Deer.
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