D Vladimír Sičák (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a two-year extension with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, he had three goals and 12 assists in 50 games. . . .
F Ryon Moser (Lethbridge, Swift Current, 2008-13) has signed a three-year contract with Ambrì-Piotta (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with the University of Lethbridge (CIS), he had four goals and 10 assists in 27 games. Moser, who has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship, had tryouts with Ambrì-Piotta in the summers of 2012 and 2014. . . .
Altant Mytishchi (Russia, KHL) has traded the rights to G Andrei Makarov (Saskatoon, 2011-13) and F Vladimir Bobylyov (Vancouver Giants, 2014-15) to SKA St. Petersburg (Russia, KHL) for monetary compensation. This season, with Rochester (AHL), Makarov was 2.98, .902 in 37 games, while Bobylyov, 17, had three goals and six assists in 52 games with Vancouver. . . . Atlanta is in financial trouble.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:
Watching the last remaining Euro goalie in the Dub, Marek Langhammer, a little sad we won't see another for a very long time. #WHL
— Zenon Herasymiuk (@ZenonHerasymiuk) April 3, 2015
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Finally, there is some off-ice action in these WHL playoffs. It seems that Spokane Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur accused the Everett Silvertips of diving early in their series. Now, with Game 4 tonight in Spokane, Everett head coach Kevin Constantine has fired back. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has that story right here. . . . Finally, something that would bring smiles to the faces of Wild Bill Hunter, Ben Hatskin and Scotty Munro.
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D James Hilsendager of the Regina Pats will miss the first two games of their second-round series with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Hilsendager drew a three-game suspension for a headshot on Swift Current Broncos F Jake DeBrusk in Game 3 of that series. While Hilsendager wasn’t penalized at the time, DeBrusk wasn’t able to play in the OT period of a game the Broncos lost 5-4. He also didn’t play in Game 4 on Wednesday as the visiting Pats won 4-0 to sweep the series. . . . Hilsendager will miss Games 1 and 2 in Brandon on April 10 and 11.——
F Chance Braid of the Kelowna Rockets will sit out the first game of their second-round series against either the Victoria Royals or Prince George Cougars. He and F Max James of the Tri-City Americans each have been suspended for one game after their fight four seconds into a game in Kennewick, Wash., on Wednesday night. . . . James will serve his suspension at the start of the 2015-16 season. . . . The Rockets and Americans were fined $250 apiece, as well.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings drew fewer than 16,000 fans to their three home playoff games against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Still, Kevin Radomski, Edmonton’s director of business operations, said the Oil Kings were “very happy” with that. . . . Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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If you are into numbers or follow U.S. politics, you will be familiar with the name Nate Silver. In his latest essay at fivethirtyeight.com, Silver starts by writing: “The NHL’s ‘loser point’ is the stupidest rule in sports.” . . . He goes on to explain why that is, and then he offers up a solution. . . . Give it a read right here.
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D Justin Hamonic of the Tri-City Americans will finish the season with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces. Hamonic, 20, was the Americans’ captain. He was a fifth-round pick by Tri-City in the 2009 bantam draft. Hamonic is to join the Aces today in West Valley City, Utah, where they are scheduled to play the Grizzlies tonight and Saturday. . . .
Colin (Toledo) Robinson and Tim O’Donovan of the Kamloops Blazers have been added to the staff of the Canadian U-18 team that will play in the IIHF World championship in Lucerne and Zug, Switzerland, April 16-26. . . . Robinson, who is the Blazers’ athletic trainer, will be Canada’s equipment manager. O’Donovan, the Blazers’ director of hockey/media administration, will be Canada’s video manager. . . . Both men are available because the Blazers didn’t qualify for the WHL playoffs. . . .
Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun notes that Hitmen F Adam Tambellini is one of three players in franchise history with two OT goals. Tambellini won Games 2 and 3 of the first-round series with the Kootenay Ice. “His back-to-back overtime winners will remind Hitmen fans of current Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd, who also scored sudden-death winners in consecutive games to eliminate the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 2005,” Fisher writes. “The only other Hitmen player with multiple OT goals is Ian Schultz.” . . . The Hitmen hold a 3-1 lead over the Ice with Game 5 in Calgary tonight. . . . That game will be televised by Shaw. . . .
The Everett Silvertips will meet the Chiefs in Spokane tonight in Game 4 of their first-round series. The game will be televised live on SWX in the Spokane area. . . . The game also will feature a silent auction on the Spokane Arena’s concourse, with proceeds going to the Chiefs’ education fund.
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@SSepich Judging by ticket sales, hope they charged him for his seat.
— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) April 3, 2015
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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 
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 
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.
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.
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.
D Vladimir Sicak (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a two-year contract extension with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has four goals and 11 assists in 29 games with Sparta after starting the season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), where he had one assist in eight games. Sicak is now under contract to Sparta through the 2014-2015 season. . . .
G Garrett Zemlak (Saskatoon, Prince Albert, 2006-10) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Zemlak was released last week by the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite), where he had a 3.95 GAA and an .883 save percentage in 30 games.
In Moose Jaw, F Graham Black scored the only goal of the circus to give the Swift Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Warriors. . . . The Broncos have won five in a row. . . . Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti forced OT with his 20th goal, at 18:35 of the second period. . . . The Broncos, who held a 37-22 edge in shots, outshot their hoss 13-2 in the third period but came close to losing when Moose Jaw F Derek Eberle hit the crossbar late in the third period. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry moved into the WHL goal-scoring lead as he scored twice, giving him 31. . . . Lowry also ran his point streak to 21 games, the longest in the WHL this season. . . . Broncos F Chance Lund, a 20-year-old from Fairview, Alta., played in his 300th regular-season game. The first 258 of those were played with the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . .
In Saskatoon, F Collin Shirley scored in the circus to give the Kootenay Ice a 4-3 victory over the Blades. . . . The Ice has won eight of its last nine games, while the Blades have dropped three straight. . . . Shirley, who is a native of Saskatoon, was the 14th shooter in the shootout. . . . F Sam Reinhart scored his 20th goal of the season for the Ice, while F Michael Ferland got his first with the Blades since being acquired from Brandon on Thursday. Ferland’s goal, at 12:35 of the third period, forced OT. . . . 
In Everett, F Justin Gutierrez and F Jesse Mychan each scored his second goal of the season as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Silvertips, 6-1. . . . Tri-City G Luke Lee-Knight stopped 32 shots. He’s the No. 1 guy now, with G Eric Comrie nursing an injury for a couple of weeks. . . . Gutierrez played his first 31 WHL games without scoring. He now has a goal in each of his last two games. . . . The Americans were 3-for-3 on the PP. . . .
In Victoria, the Royals scored five times in the third period, four of them on the PP, and beat the Kamloops Blazers, 6-4. . . . After a scoreless first period, the Blazers took a 3-1 lead into the third. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith, who had gone four games without a point, scored his 28th goal. . . . F Stephen Hodges scored twice for the Royals, while F Alex Gogolev had a goal and two assists. They each have 14 goals. . . . Victoria F Austin Carroll scored his 10th goal — he has goals in three straight games — and Gogolev’s 14th, both via the PP, tied the game 3-3. . . . F Tim Bozon restored the Kamloops lead at 13:04, with his 27th goal. . . . But the Royals then scored three times in 1:49, with D Brett Cote, D Jack Walker and Hodges scoring. . . . Victoria D Joe Hicketts, who is from Kamloops, drew two assists. . . . The Royals went 4-for-7 on the PP. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Victoria and again Saturday in Kamloops. . . . Kamloops D Joel Edmundson took a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on Gogolev at 16:05 of the third. . . . Gogolev wasn’t injured on the play. . . . Kamloops associate coach Dave Hunchak will be away from the Blazers until at least Saturday. He is in Saskatoon following the death of his mother, Irene, on Saturday. A funeral service will be held there on Thursday. . . . Kamloops has signed F Eric Krienke, 16, a ninth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. He plays for the midget AAA Calgary Northstars.
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