Kosterman on the move

Czech F Jiri Fronk won’t be joining the WHL’s Victoria Royals this season. . . . Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist reports that the Royals “lost to the KLH Chomutov Under-20s without a puck being fired.” . . . The Royals selected Fronk, 19, in the CHL’s 2013 import draft, but the IIHF has ruled that his contract with Chomutov is valid. . . .  “It was a reasoned written decision. That’s that,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ general manager, told Dheensaw. “It’s obviously disappointing but there’s nothing we can do about it. We have to respect the process because we rely on it both ways.” . . . The Royals are left with one import on their roster — G Patrik Polivka, 19, from Plzen, Czech Republic. . . . Dheensaw’s story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars have acquired D Peter Kosterman, 20, from the Calgary Hitmen for two bantam draft picks — a fourth-rounder in 2014 and sixth in 2015. . . . The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Kosterman, who is from Calgary, is preparing for his fifth WHL season. He was a first-round selection, 19th overall, by the HItmen in the 2008 bantam draft. He had 32 points in 234 games with Calgary. . . . The Cougars now have two 20-year-olds on their roster, the other being F Klarc Wilson.
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It was mentioned here yesterday that Calgary Hitmen F Pavel Padakin and Kamloops Blazers F Devin Oakes, both of whom drew three-game WHL suspensions, would miss one exhibition game and two regular-season games. . . . Actually, each already had served one game, so were left with one exhibition game and one regular-season game to serve.
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The Red Deer Rebels have added F Kailum Gervais, 18, to their roster. Gervais, 6-foot-0 and 200 pounds, played the last two seasons with the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers, putting up 48 points, including 16 goals, and 126 penalty minutes in 85 games. . . . Gervais is coming off a knee injury, so will be given some time to skate his way into shape with the Rebels. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate has more right here.
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D Tyler Yaworski, who played the last four seasons in the WHL, has signed with the Central league’s Quad City Mallards where he will play for former WHL player and coach Terry Ruskowski. . . . Yaworski played last season with the Brandon Wheat Kings, putting up 12 points in 63 games. In 227 regular-season games, he had 47 points and 595 penalty minutes. . . . Yaworski is scheduled to go to camp with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.
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The AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm announced late Wednesday morning that it has “parted company with general manager Blaine Bablitz due to philosophical differences.” . . . The move came three weeks after Bablitz stepped aside as head coach to become a full-time GM. . . . Head coach Matt Hughes now also is the general manager. . . . Logan Clow of the Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune has more right here.
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Oscar De La Hoya always wanted to shut up Floyd Mayweather. But the Golden Boy was never able to accomplish that in a boxing ring. And now, when his guy, Saúl Álvarez, who also is known as Canelo, has the opportunith to do just that on Saturday, De La Hoya won’t be there — he is back in rehab, trying to deal with his demons. . . . Greg Bishop of The New York Times takes a look right here.
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From Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat258), the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes: “Great news for the @WHLHurricanes. (D) Ryan Pilon cleared by doctors to practice. He's been out with mono. Might play game 3 of reg season.”
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From Chris Dilks (@ChrisDilks) of westerncollegehockeyblog.com: “Maple Grove HS forward Josh Passolt will play for Prince Albert (WHL) this year.”

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Shayne Putzlocher of Trilight Entertainment is off to Berlin and the Berlin Film Festival today as he begins to spread the word about plans to turn the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos into a movie. . . . Oh yes, he’s also looking for financing. . . . Before leaving, he appeared on Saskatoon radio station CKOM and, among other things, touched on the chances that the movie might be filmed in Swift Current. That interview is right here.



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F Tyler Benson of the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Southgate Lions is in the process of rewriting the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League record book. There also is speculation that he may apply for ‘exceptional status’ in order to allow him to play in the WHL next season on a full-time basis, even though he will be only 15 years of age. Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald examines that issue right here.
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If you have always wanted to own a piece of a hockey team, here’s your opportunity.
For $2,000, you now may purchase a share in the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos, who are calling this membership campaign ‘Saddle Up For Success’.
According to a news release from the Broncos: “All members hold a vote at the Annual General Meeting, provide influence on the organization through the Board of Directors and receive a charitable tax receipt issued by the City of Swift Current.”
Liam Choo-Foo, the chairman of the Broncos’ board of directors, adds: “I certainly acknowledge those people that stepped forward over 25 years ago as the original members, but as time has gone on we have lost a majority of that membership and it’s now down to less than 100 people. We would like to see it renewed and bring in new energy and enthusiasm as we go through this whole renewal of the Bronco organization.”
If you’re interested in this program, visit www.scbroncos.com.
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While the Broncos were announcing this initiative in an attempt to raise money and help guarantee their future in Swift Current and in the WHL, the league’s pooh-bahs were meeting in Las Vegas.
Yes, that Las Vegas.
You are free to wonder why the pooh-bahs wouldn’t gather in, say, Swift Current, if for no other reason than to spread some goodwill in a community that certainly does a lot to support its franchise.
You have to think the WHL folks left a fair chunk of change in Nevada, but not one penny of it will have done the league any good in terms of marketing or public relations in any of the communities in which it plays.
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The WHL has suspended D Tyler Yaworski of the Brandon Wheat Kings for six games. That’s the result of a headshot major and game misconduct for a hit on Pats D Luke Fenske in Regina on Saturday. Yaworski is a repeat offender, having served a three-game suspension for the same infraction during a game in Vancouver on Oct. 24. . . . Fenske, who is concussed, didn’t play in Regina’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes last night.
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The way Ryan Lambert of Yahoo! Sports sees it, the NHL is doing less to prevent and deal with concussions than is the NFL. And we all know how much concussion-related heat the NFL is receiving these days.
Lambert explains the way he sees things right here.
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Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland is a prolific writer who also happens to be a fan of all teams Boston. That, however, is something that hampers his thinking only on occasion. The vast majority of the time he writes with clarity and this piece right here is no exception. The title on it is Daring to Ask the PED Question.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee and dig in.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, F Jamal Watson scored twice to help the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Pats. . . . Hurricanes G Ty Rimmer stopped 48 shots. . . . Lethbridge jumped out front 2-0 by 6:03 of the first period and never looked back. . . . Regina G Matt Hewitt left at that point, having been beaten twice on four shots. . . . Watson has 14 goals this season. . . . F Sam Mckechnie got his 24th goal for Lethbridge. . . . The Pats scratched D Luke Fenske (concussed) and Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that they lost D Tye Hand with concussion-like symptoms during the game. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Edmonton Oil Kings erased a 3-1 third-period deficit and beat the Raiders 4-3 in OT. . . . The winner came from D David Musil at 3:31 of extra time. It was his seventh goal of the season. . . . The Oil Kings have won nine in a row and now hold a 13-point lead over the Calgary Hitmen atop the Eastern Conference. . . . D Davis Vandane gave the Raiders a 3-1 lead at 7:56 of the third on the PP. . . . F Michael St. Croix got his 27th goal at 12:10, on the PP, to get Edmonton to within one, and F Stephane Legault, with his 11th, tied it at 13:29. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 48 shots. . . . The Raiders had won three in a row from Edmonton. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Blades twice erased deficits en route to a 5-4 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Blades have won five in a row. . . . F Tanner Eberle’s shorthanded goal gave the Warriors a 2-0 lead at 16:17 of the first period. . . . F Brett Stovin scored goals 33 seconds apart, pulling Saskatoon into a tie at 3:50 of the second. Stovin, who now has seven goals, had scored just once in his previous 23 games. . . . F Brayden Point, who had two goals, gave Moose Jaw a 3-2 lead at 11:11, only to have the Blades come back with three straight goals, the last two from F Brenden Walker, who now has 18 goals. . . . Saskatoon D Duncan Siemens had one assist and was plus-4, while D Darren Dietz was pointless and plus-4. . . . Moose Jaw G Justin Paulic stopped 50 shots. . . . The Blades now trail the East Division-leading Prince Albert Raiders by six points. The teams meet tonight in Saskatoon. . . .

In Victoria, F Alex Gogolev scored his 20th goal but later left the game with a skate cut as the Royals beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . Gogolev left early in the third period with an apparent skate cut that required immediate medical attention. . . . Cleve Dheensaw in the Victoria Times Colonist reported: “In what may be bad news for the Royals, leading-scorer Gogolev was helped off the ice in the third period with his left skate off and leaving a trail of blood from his foot. The club did not have information about the extent of the cut immediately following the game.” . . . D Joe Hicketts scored his second goal and added an assist for the Royals. . . . Victoria moved into a fifth-place tie with the idle Spokane Chiefs in the Western Conference.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Darren Dietz, Saskatoon
D Ryan Gagnon, Victoria
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “ 'I had Manson and Baumgartner both on me at the same time' — Coach Laxdal reminiscing about his playing days at the Art Hauser #OldTimeWHL”
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “USHL reduces schedule by 4 games going from 64 to 60. When does WHL reduce schedule to eliminate exorbitant amount of 3 games in 3 nights?”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) was released by the Basingstoke Bison (England, Premier). He had four assists in 11 games with the Bison this season. . . .
F Adam Courchaine (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, 2001-05) signed a one-year plus option contract with Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL). Courchaine signed a one-year contract with Duisburg (Germany, Oberliga) on Oct. 11 and Krefeld says he will remain with Duisburg until Nov. 11, when he will report to Krefeld.
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Kurtis Mucha (Portland, Kamloops, 2005-10) became the first goaltender in Canada West history to be credited with a goal on Friday as his Alberta Golden Bears dumped the host Lethbridge Pronghorns, 7-1.
Yes, he was the last Alberta player to touch the puck before Lethbridge scored an own goal during a delayed penalty.
“I couldn’t even see what was going on and to be honest it ended up going in and our guys were cheering and I didn’t even know we scored,” Mucha told Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal. “From my view there was five, or six bodies in the way and I guess the ref went up to the boys and he was like ‘give me a number. Who scored? I don’t even know.’
“(Bears forward Sean) Ringrose said ‘I think Mucha was the last guy to touch it.’ So that’s basically how it happened.”
Daum’s complete piece on Mucha is right here.
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F Anthony Bardaro, 20, is expected back in the Prince Albert Raiders’ lineup tonight when they meet the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Bardaro missed two weekend games while attending a family funeral. . . . The Raiders continue to be without F Reid Gardiner, who is expected to sit for another couple of weeks with one of those horrible upper-body injuries. . . . The Raiders are 2-2-1 on what is a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. . . .
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D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades will play his 200th career regular-season game tonight in Regina against the Pats. . . . D Darren Dietz (lower body) hasn’t played or practised since Oct. 20 nd is questionable for tonight. . . . This will be the Blades first game in 10 days. . . . The host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup has a 5-9-0 record. . . .
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If you’re in the Portland area on Nov. 3, you should know that the 2012 Golden Skate Charity Game is scheduled for the Rose Garden at 2 p.m. It will feature the Portland Firefighters Hockey Club against the Boise Fire Devils. Proceeds are to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society. . . . For more, click right here. . . .
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The Kootenay Ice will be without F Luke Philp, who will turn 17 on Nov. 6, for an indefinite period. He had his appendix removed on Saturday. . . . The Ice is at home to the Saskatoon Blades on Friday. . . .
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A few of the WHL’s on-ice officials have drawn IIHF assignments for this season. . . . Referee Devin Klein, who is from Medicine Hat, will work a men’s Group J Olympic prequalification event in Nikko Japan. . . . Referee Steve Papp, who works out of Kelowna, will be in Sochi, Russia, for the World U-18 championship. . . . Pat Smith of Vancouver will work the World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia. . . . Linesman Justin Hull of Burnaby has been assigned to the Division 1 Group A World Championship in Budapest, Hungary. . . .
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D Tyler Yaworski of the Brandon Wheat Kings has had his suspension set at three games. That’s for a headshot major he incurred for a hit in a 3-2 victory over the host Vancouver Giants on Wednesday. Yaworski has missed two games and won’t play Friday against the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. . . .
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The Kamloops Blazers put their 13-game winning streak on the line tonight when they meet the Silvertips in Everett. . . . The Blazers, at 15-0-1, are the only team in the 60-team CHL not to have lost in regulation time this season. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith has a WHL-high 16-game point streak on the go. . . . A victory tonight would allow the Blazers to set a franchise for the longest winning streak in one season. . . . You should know, thought, that Everett head coach Mark Ferner has devised a strategy to stop the Blazers. "Hopefully they come down with a flu bug or get some food poisoning," a chuckling Ferner told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald. . . . The Silvertips will be without D Nick Walters, who has been suspended for three games for a high hit on Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg on Friday. Walters wasn’t penalized for the hit and was suspended under supplemental discipline.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From former Medicine Hat Tigers G Tyler Bunz (@tylerbunz): “Just saw that the kamloops blazers are 15-0-0-1 on the year . . . is that some sort of record? my god #beastmode #doubletake”
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It was one of the ‘big’ games of Saturday’s U.S. college football schedule. The USC Trojans at the Arizona Wildcats. And it’s one we are going to be hearing about for a while.
That’s because Arizona quarterback Matt Scott suffered a head injury that caused vomiting. Despite that, he wasn’t immediately taken out of the game. In fact, he stayed in, took another hit and then threw a touchdown pass.
There’s more right here, including comments from some neanderthals who perhaps took similar shots back in the day.

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N-H-L L-O-C-K-O-U-T!
That is just in case anyone asks if you know how to spell lockout.
Because it is coming and it’s coming in a big hurry.
The Detroit Red Wings’ annual eight-team prospects tournament that is held in Traverse City, Mich., was cancelled on Thursday. Every year, dozens of junior-aged prospects played for rookie teams in the tournament. But not this year.
The Traverse City wing-ding . . . the five-team Penticton Young Guns tournament that had become a fixture over the last few years . . . a handful of NHL exhbition games in Europe . . . have I missed anything on the list of cancellations.
For what it’s worth, I’m not expecting to see NHL teams in action at all in 2012-13. The gulf between the NHL and NHLPA right now is best described as an abyss. In the end, all you have to do is follow the money, and the biggest stumbling block is going to involve revenue sharing, something the richest franchises don’t even want mentioned.
How bizarre is all of this? Consider that Ed Snider is a big wheel in the NHL. He is the chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a company that owns, among other things, the Philadelphia Flyers and Comcast SportsNet. The first offer made by Snider and the owners to the players called for cap length of five years on player contracts. The Flyers — Snider’s Flyers — signed forward Wayne Simmonds to a new contract this week that is six years in length.
You figure it out!
One other thing . . . the NHLPA has never been led by someone like Donald Fehr. The NHL and its team owners are about to find out what baseball learned a long time ago – Fehr is the real deal.
There won’t be any capitulating by the players this time around.
Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, has never been one to capitulate.
So, hockey fans, get ready to take another one you know where.
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F Brad Hoban, who played 325 games with the Swift Current Broncos, has decided to attend the U of British Columbia (UBC) and play for the Thunderbirds. Hoban put up 176 points, including 69 goals, while with Swift Current. Last season, in 69 games, he had a 53 points, 21 of them goals.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings added some toughness on the back end and firmed up their 20-year-old situation, at least for now, by acquiring D Tyler Yaworski from the Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday. . . . Brandon sent a fifth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft the other way. . . . Yaworski, who has three WHL seasons under his belt, had 23 points and 188 penalty minutes in 71 games last season. . . . Brandon’s other 20s are D Ryley Miller and F Dominick Favreau. . . . The Raiders, meanwhile, are down to three 20-year-olds — F Anthony Bardaro and D Antoine Corbin, along with G Luke Siemens, who was acquired earlier from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The Wheat Kings also revealed that D Dylan Kuczek, an 18-year-old Winnipegger, “has informed the club that he will not be returning.” Kuczek, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, had two points and 27 penalty minutes in 33 games last season.
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The Everett Silvertips have added D Landon Oslanski, 20, to their roster after claiming him on waivers from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Oslanski was selected by the Spokane Chiefs in the third round of the 2007 bantam draft. He played one game with the Chiefs before being dealt to Lethbridge as part of the swap that moved F Kyle Beach to Spokane.
In 207 career games, Oslanski has 70 points, including 16 goals, and 239 penalty minutes.
The addition of Oslanski leaves Everett with five 20s on its roster, the others being G Brandon Anderson, who has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals and could open the season in their organization, and forwards J.T. Barnett, Cody Fowlie and Ryan Harrison. Anderson’s rights were acquired from the Brandon Wheat Kings last month.
The Hurricanes’ roster still includes five 20-year-olds — D Daniel Johnston, D Tyler Kizuik, F Graham Hood, F Nick Buonassisi and G Ty Rimmer, the latter having been acquired from the Tri-City Americans in May.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports here that G Andrey Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades “has accepted an invitation to the Buffalo Sabres’ training camp next month.” The move was confirmed by Jay Grossman, Makarov’s agent. . . . Makarov, one of Russia’s top junior-aged goaltenders, was selected in the NHL’s 2012 draft, despite being ranked seventh among draft-eligible goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting. . . . After the draft, Makarov, 19, was in the Florida Panthers’ development camp.
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F Ryan Hanes, a 20-year-old who was placed on waivers by the Kamloops Blazers, hadn't heard from any team or teams as of Thursday evening. "Hopefully, I can go somewhere and play," he wrote in a text last night. . . . With the Blazers a week from training camp, Hanes found himself fifth on the Blazers' 20-year-old depth chart. Assuming he cleared WHL waivers, Hanes now is a free agent.
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David Robinson, who played two-plus seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?), is getting into the coaching game. After spending last season at the U of Calgary, Robinson is returning to his hometown of Vernon and will work as an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Vipers. After leaving the Bruins, Robinson finished the 2009-10 season with the Vipers and captained the team the following season.
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And, finally, a tip of the cap in the direction of the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League. The Whalers have made a key signing in the person of Dan Barletta. There aren’t a whole lot of hockey teams who employ organists, but the Whalers now are one of them. There’s more right here.


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