Blades, Pats cut a deal . . . NHL facing another concussion-related lawsuit

THE DEAL: The Saskatoon Blades acquired D Isaac Schacher, 19, from the Regina Pats for an eighth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
THE SKINNY: The Pats, who had nine defencemen on their roster, get a draft pick for an older player who was in tough to stick. . . . The Blades continue to shape a roster that didn’t make the playoffs last sesaon.
THE ANALYSIS: Saskatoon hopes that the 6-foot-5, 215-pound Schacher will bring some physical play to their back end. He played 35 games with the Victoria Royals and 25 with Regina last season, putting up nine points, eight of them assists. He also was plus-22. . . . In junior B, playing with his hometown Kimberley, B.C., Dynamiters, he had 63 points in 95 games over two seasons, so there might be more offence there than he has shown. . . . Schacher now is one of 10 defencemen on Saskatoon’s roster.

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Last week, the WHL announced that Yves Lacasse, a retired RCMP superintendent, was being brought on board as its voluntary security officer.
On Wednesday, in a Kamloops courtroom, Lacasse was described as a “bully” who headed up an RCMP detachment that was “dysfunctional in the extreme.”
This was all part of testimony that was heard during a trial B.C. Supreme Court in which RCMP Cpl. Rick Brown is facing a charge of breach of trust by a public officer. It involves his role in an incident that involved two intoxicated women taking part in explicit sex acts while jailed.
Retired Staff Sgt. Gary Kerr testified that Lacasse was “was extremely, extremely difficult to work for. He was an extreme bully.”
Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week was in the courtroom and his story is right here.
When the WHL announced Lacasse’s appointment, Marty Hastings of Kamloops This Week wrote a story in which Lacasse spoke about what he hoped and planned on doing in the new position. That story is right here.
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The Prince George Cougars got down to two goaltenders by releasing G Matt Kustra, 17, who was an eighth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He is expected to join the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. . . . The Cougars, who open against the Winterhawks in Portland on Saturday, are carrying 27 players, including goaltenders Ty Edmonds, 18, and Tavin Grant, 16. . . . Prince George has 10 defencemen on its roster, including veteran Raymond Grewal, 19, who is injured, and 15 forwards, including the injured David Soltes.
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Ma’ake Kemoeatu played for the Baltimore Ravens. His brother, Chris, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Today, neither one is playing football, nor will they. . . . Chris needed a kidney transplant. Ma’ake, the oldest of seven children, was quick to offer up a kidney. . . . The transplant took place on Aug. 27. . . . The complete story, and it’s an interesting one, is right here.
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT:

"A new lawsuit filed against the National Hockey League by two former players alleges that three in 10 retired players have, or will have, brain damage from head injuries or concussions," writes Rick Westhead, TSN's senior correspondent. "The startling allegation is being made in a statement of claim filed by Sasha Pokulok, who was selected by the Washington Capitals with the 14th overall pick in the 2005 NHL draft,  and Simon Danis-Pepin, a 2006 second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks."
There now have been at least six concussion-related lawsuits filed against the NHL.
Westhead's complete story is right here.
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A story at sciencedaily.com begins: “An experimental positron emission tomography (PET) tracer is effective in diagnosing concussion-related brain disease while a person is still alive, according to a case study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and at Molecular Neuroimaging (MNI) LLC in New Haven, and published September 16 in the journal Translational Psychiatry.”
What this means is that the medical community is that much closer to being able to diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a living person.
The Science Daily story is right here.
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David Ash, the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, has given up football due to multiple concussions. He suffered his third concussion in the last year in the Longhorns’ season-opener against North Texas. Ash was held out of Texas’s last two games, but now has retired. . . . Ash is the second NCAA starting QB, joining Uconn’s Casey Cochran, to quit in the last few days because of concussion problems.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have released F Ryan Pruden, 18, getting their roster down to 27 players, including 10 defencemen and 15 forwards. Pruden, a 13th-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2011 bantam draft, was pointless in three games with the Blades last season. A Winnipegger, he also played last season with the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons and OCN Blizzard. He is expected to return to the MJHL. . . .
Scott Sepich, a Portland freelancer, tweeted Tuesday that F Adam de Champlain, 20, had left the Portland Winterhawks for the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. The Winterhawks confirmed it on Wednesday, saying in a news release that de Champlain “has elected” to play in the AJHL. . . .
The Edmonton Oilers’ rookies beat the U of Alberta Golden Bears 4-2 in their annual game last night at Clare Drake Arena. More than 3,000 fans paid $30 a pop to watch the game.
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The NFL is out of control. More arrests in a week than the NHL has had in years. You make millions! How hard is it to not be an idiot?!
— Brody Sutter (@Sutts19) September 18, 2014

WHL feeling secure with Lacasse . . . Brain injury ends another career

D Jim Vandermeer (Red Deer, 1997-2001) has signed two-year extension with Kloten (Switzerland, NL A). Last season, he had two goals and 10 assists in 49 games. . . .
F Milan Kytnár (Kelowna, Saskatoon, Vancouver, 2007-10) has signed a contract through Nov. 2 with Banská Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had four goals and six assists in 41 games. . . .
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has signed a one-year contract with Herning (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Last season, with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had one assist in three games; with Djurgården Stockholm (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he was pointless in two games; and in 42 games with the Nottingham Panthers, he had 38 points, including 18 goals. . . .
F Masi Marjamäki (Red Deer, Moose Jaw, 2002-05) has signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Tappara Tampere (Finland, Liiga). Marjamäki missed all of last season and most of 2012-13 due to injury. In 2012-13, with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga), he had three goals and three assists in nine games.
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Yves Lacasse has joined the WHL as its volunteer
security officer.
(Photo: Kamloops Daily News files)

The WHL announced Tuesday that Yves Lacasse, a former RCMP superintendent in Kamloops, has signed on as its volunteer security officer.
Lacasse, who had been with the Kamloops detachment for eight years, left the RCMP after 27 years early in 2013 to become the manager of external affairs for KGHM International, which is wanting to start a copper and gold mine near Kamloops.
The proposed mine, which would border the Aberdeen section of Kamloops, has caused a deep divide in the community because those who are opposed to it for environmental reasons and those who are for it because of the economic benefits for the community.
Lacasse, who was raised in Thetford Mines, Que., is friends with Kamloops Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi and general manager Craig Bonner. Lacasse also has worked with the Blazers for 10 seasons.
According to a WHL news release: “Acting in a volunteer capacity in his new role with the WHL, Lacasse will conduct internal reviews and investigations on behalf of the WHL office to ensure WHL clubs are operating in accordance with league standards and regulations.”
The news release adds that Lacasse “will also be responsible to facilitate the implementation of a new league-wide security program with all WHL clubs.”
The news release also made mention of the success of the WHL's seven-point plan that was enacted in time for 2011-12.“In the first three seasons since being implemented by the WHL, the (plan) has been effective in reducing concussions and other injuries,” according to the news release.
Unfortunately, the WHL, once again, didn’t release any numbers to back up its claims.
At the same time as the WHL was issuing this release, Sean Rooney and Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News were preparing a story that marks the end of F Gavin Broadhead’s career with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Broadhead, a 19-year-old from Hay River, NWT, last played on Jan. 22.
According to The News’ story, Broadhead took a shoulder to the face during a Jan. 18 game against the Calgary Hitmen. Then, despite not feeling well, he went on a road trip to the West Coast. On Jan. 21, in Victoria, he took another hit. Broadhead said that a Royals’ team doctor checked him over and, according to The News, “concluded it wasn’t a concussion.”
On Jan. 22, Broadhead said he was hit from behind in Vancouver. “Then I knew,” he said. “I was dizzy, I wasn’t feeling well, I was nauseous.”
What followed was eight months of headaches, and now Broadhead, whose father, Curt, also played for the Tigers (1977-81), is moving on.
“My head just wasn’t going to hold up,” Gavin said. “I want to be able to think . . . I don’t want to be smashing up my head anymore.”
Broadhead was selected by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 2010 bantam draft. In 97 regular-season games over parts of three seasons, he had four goals and eight assists. Last season, in 44 games, he had a goal and eight assists.
At some point this morning, The News’ story should appear right here.
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The Everett Silvertips have their roster down to 27 players after releasing F Chris Stockl, 19, on Tuesday. Stockl, from Winnipeg, played with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels over the last two seasons. Last season, he had one goal in 16 games with Red Deer. In 78 regular-season games, he has four goals and seven assists. . . . The Silvertips are carrying four goaltenders, eight defencemen and 15 forwards.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed F Brett Davis, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. From Oakbank, Man., he had 49 points, 26 of them goals, in 36 games with the bantam Notre Dame Hounds, who play in the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League.
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Two men have been indicted on drug-related charges in the death of former WHL and NHL enforcer Derek Boogaard. One of the men is Jordan Hart, the son of former Flin Flon Bombers/New York Islanders D Gerry Hart. . . . John Branch and Benjamin Weiser of The New York Times have more right here.
Branch has been on top of the Boogaard story right from the start. Right here, there’s a piece he wrote almost three years ago that is headlined Derek Boogaard: A boy learns to brawl.
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Kevin Kwasny was a football player at Bishop’s U in Montreal when he suffered a concussion during a game. Now he is suing the school, asking for $9.3 million in damages. Karen Seidman of the Montreal Gazette has more right here.
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Today, while the Ray Rice thing is fresh in our minds, is a good time to take a look at some sporting sleazebags. Thanks to Drew Magary and GQ Magazine we can do just that and we can do it right here. Enjoy . . . then take a shower!
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The Everett Silvertips have signed Wayne Duncan as their new trainer. He had been working with high schools in the Seattle area. Duncan takes over from Marc Paquet, who has moved on to the AHL’s Adirondack Flames. . . . The 2016 IIHF world women’s hockey championship will be played in Kamloops. Dates for the 22-game championship have yet to be released, but it will be played in April in the Interior Savings Centre and McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre.

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