Raiders sign head coach . . . Ice ends losing streak in OT . . . Wheaties wrap up terrific trip

Colby Williams (5), Kyle Burroughs (4) and the Regina Pats saluted the
CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night. As part of the
celebrations, the Pats wore green-and-white uniforms.
(Photo: Terry Massey)

D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) was traded by Ak Bars Kazan to Admiral Vladivostok (both Russia, KHL) for a second-round pick in the 2015 KHL junior draft. This season, with Kazan, he had a goal and five assists in 22 games. Last season, he had eight goals and 22 assists in 54 games with Kazan and played in the 2014 KHL All-Star Game. . . .
D Logan Pyett (Regina, 2003-08) has been released by Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL) by mutual agreement. This season, in 21 games, he had four goals and three assists. Last season, with Vityaz Podelsk (Russia, KHL), he had five goals and six assists in 33 games. He was traded to Vladivostok in December and had a goal and four assists in 17 games. . . .
D Dave Sutter (Seattle, 2010-12) has been loaned by La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland, NL B) to Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A). This season, with La Chaux-de-Fonds, he had two assists in 14 games. Last season, with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B), he had 14 points, including three goals, in 45 games.
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HABSCHEID’S BACK:

MARC HABSCHEID

Marc Habscheid had been wanting to get back into the coaching game pretty much since he was removed as general manager and head coach of the Victoria Royals after the 2011-12 season.
Well, he's back, this time as the head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders, who fired head coach Cory Clouston on Friday morning. According to a Raiders news release, Habscheid signed on for the remainder of this season.
The Raiders, under interim head coach Dave Manson, the team's associate coach, beat the Warriors in Moose Jaw, 6-3, on Friday night to improve to 7-9-0. On Saturday night, the Raiders beat the visiting Saskatoon Blades, 5-2.
Habscheid, 51, becomes the 14th head coach in Raiders' history.
The Swift Current native is no stranger to the WHL. A gifted offensive player, he played two seasons (1980-82) with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a lengthy pro career that included 345 NHL games and stints with Canada's national team.
After retiring as a player, he spent two seasons as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers and four-plus seasons with the Kelowna Rockets, a team he guided to the 2004 Memorial Cup championship. Kelly Guard, now an assistant coach with Prince Albert, was Kelowna's goaltender that season.
Habscheid took over as general manager and head coach of the WHL's Chilliwack Bruins prior to the 2009-10 season. That franchise relocated to Victoria over the summer of 2011 and Habscheid made the move, too.
However, after one season in Victoria, GSL Holdings, the Royals' parent company, announced that Habscheid "will be taking on a new executive role within GSL to assist GSL in developing other hockey related businesses."
With that, Habscheid, who owns a ranch near Swift Current, seemed to drop off the hockey map, although his name popped up at various times over the summer as 10 WHL teams made coaching changes.
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F Connor McDavid had a goal an three assists Saturday as the host Erie Otters dumped the Ottawa 67's, 7-4. McDavid has 42 points, including 14 goals, in 14 games. . . . The Otters, under former Kootenay Ice head coach Kris Knoblauch, are 13-0-1.
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I actually meant to mention this in yesterday's post. Dorothy and I were in a Kamloops restaurant (Senor Froggy) having lunch on Friday afternoon, when the junior B Grand Forks Border Bruins of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League dropped in for a pregame meal. We had been forewarned that the noise level might increase, but that never happened. This was a well-behaved group of young men.
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The Regina Pats called up F Erik Gardiner, 15, from the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos on Saturday. Gardiner, a second-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, has 13 points, including five goals, in 11 games with the Mintos. He is the younger brother of Prince Albert Raiders F Reid Gardiner. . . . The Pats also returned G Tyler Brown, 17, to the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. He got into two games with the Pats, going 1-1-0/2.00/.933, in the absence of G Tyler Fuhr, who returned to the team earlier in the week.
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If you're a baseball fan and watched the World Series on TV, here's a good read for you. It's Richard Sandomir of The New York Times offering up his opinion on the Fox Sports crew and the job it did calling the seven-game Series. It's right here.
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SATURDAY'S GAMES:

In Prince Albert, D Sawyer Lange had a goal and three assists as the Raiders bounced the Saskatoon Blades, 5-2. . . . The game was the first for the Raiders under head coach Marc Habscheid, whose signing was announced earlier in the day. . . . Lange has 16 points, three of them goals, in 17 games. He also has 100 regular-season points in 216 games. . . . F Craig Leverton added a goal, his ninth, and two assists for the Raiders, who scored the game's last four goals. . . . D Thomas Andrlik broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the game at 15:36 of the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Alex Forsberg scored his eighth goal. . . . Blades G Alex Moodie kicked out 43 shots. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Jaedon Descheneau scored 10 seconds into overtime to give the Kootenay Ice a 6-5 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Ice actually led this one 4-0 but needed a goal from F Levi Cable with 52.9 seconds left in the third period to force OT. Cable scored with two Hurricanes in the penalty box and Ice G Wyatt Hoflin on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . The Ice had lost its previous seven games. . . . F Zane Jones scored three times for the Hurricanes, who erased a 4-0 deficit in the second period. . . . Jones has nine goals this season. . . . F Taylor Cooper gave the visitors a 5-4 lead at 12:48 of the third. . . . Cable had two goals, giving him five, and an assist, while Descheneau, F Luke Philp and D Rinat Valiev each had a goal and two helpers. . . . The Ice was without D Tanner Faith, who apparently was injured during a fight with Red Deer D Devan Fafard on Friday night. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon remains out with an undisclosed injury, while F Sam Reinhart, returned by the NHL's Buffalo Sabres on Friday morning, wasn't in the lineup, either. . . . Lethbridge F Ryley Lindgren didn't play after suffering an undisclosed injury on Friday night. . . . The Hurricanes have at least a point in six of their last seven games. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Jordan Papirny turned aside 34 shots to spark the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Tigers. . . . The Wheat Kings were playing their seventh game in 11 nights. They finished 6-1-0 on the seven-game road swing, including a 4-1-0 run through the B.C. Division. . . . That was Papirny's first shutout of the season and second of his career. . . . F Jesse Gabrielle had a goal, his 10th, and an assist for Brandon. . . . Wheat Kings F Tim McGauley got the game's first goal, his seventh, just 33 seconds into the first period. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts had one assist and now is tied with Kamloops F Cole Ully for the WHL scoring lead. Each has 26 points, including nine goals, in 16 games. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here. . . . 

In Everett, G Austin Lotz stopped 21 shots to lead the Silvertips to a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Lotz has one shutout this season and seven in his career. . . . The Silvertips (10-1-3) have won four in a row. . . . Everett scored once in each period, with F Ivan Nikolishin getting the winner, his fifth goal of the season, at 15:11 of the first. . . . D Cole MacDonald had a goal, his fifth, and an assist, while Kevin Davis, his defence partner, had two assists. . . . Davis has 12 points, including 10 assists, in 14 games. Last season, in 65 games, he had a goal and eight assists. . . . The Silvertips, the WHL's least-penalized team, didn't take any penalties in this one, the first time that has happened in franchise history. . . . At the same time, Everett has at least one PP goal in 13 straight games. . . . Edmonton F Mads Eller was back in the lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed injury. . . . D Mirco Mueller, who spent the past two seasons with Everett, played his 10th NHL game with the San Jose Sharks last night, meaning the first year of his three-year contract kicks in. Mueller, 19, was the 18th overall selection in the NHL's 2013 draft. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Cody Porter stopped 38 shots to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Porter, a 17-year-old from North Vancouver, earned his first victory and first shutout in his fourth appearance. . . . F Alex Baer scored the game's lone goal, his sixth, on a PP at 12:46 of the third period. . . . It was the Giants' first road victory of the season. It came in their seventh game away from home. . . . Thunderbirds D Evan Wardley returned to the lineup, having served a seven-game WHL suspension. . . . Before the game, the Thunderbirds released G Logan Flodell, 17, from their roster. Flodell, who made one appearance with Seattle, is expected to join the SJHL's Nipawin Hawks. Flodell, from Regina, was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . That leaves the Thunderbirds with Taran Kozan, 20, and Danny Mumaugh, 18, as their goaltenders. . . .

In Portland, F Paul Bittner scored at 2:58 of OT to give the Winterhawks a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . It was Portland's first home victory in eight tries this season. . . . F Ethan Price scored his first goal at 11:35 of the third period to give the Winterhawks a 2-1 lead. . . . Kelowna D Devante Stephens got his first goal at 12:59 to pull the Rockets even. . . . F Rourke Chartier scored his 12th goal for Kelowna in the first period. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had opened the scoring at 5:35 with his 10th goal, and his third shorthanded score of the season. . . . Portland G Michael Bullion stopped 31 shots in his first WHL start. . . . The Rockets, the CHL's top-ranked team, now are 13-1-1. . . . In searching for offence, the Winterhawks split up what had been their big line of Bjorkstrand with Nic Petan and Chase De Leo. . . . The Winter hawks (6-10-2) lost D Blake Heinrich to a charging major and game misconduct for a hit on Kelowna F Tyson Baillie at 19:14 of the second period. . . . The Rockets had won 5-0 in Portland on Thursday night. . . . The Winterhawks are at home to the Edmonton Oil Kings tonight. The Oil Kings, the defending Memorial Cup champions, beat the Winterhawks in seven games in last season's WHL championship series. . . . That was the third straight WHL final to feature these two teams. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Spenser Jensen drew two assists to help the Warriors snap a five-game losing skid with a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . F Kolten Olynek, with his second goal of the season, opened the scoring shorthanded at 4:07 of the first. . . . F Jack Rodewald, with his eighth, gave the hosts a 2-0 lead at 14:38 of the second. He also had an assist. . . . Calgary F Radel Fazleev, with his fifth, got the Hitmen to within one at 17:10 of the third. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko stopped 20 shots, eight fewer than Mack Shields of Calgary. . . . The Hitmen have lost four in a row. . . . Moose Jaw was playing its sixth game in nine nights. . . .

In Regina, the Pats got shootout goals from F Morgan Klimchuk and F Connor Gay to beat the Swift Current Broncos, 2-1. . . . Klimchuk, with his fourth goal of the season, opened the scoring at 15:33 of the first period. . . . Broncos F Colby Cave, with his fourth, via the PP, pulled the Broncos even at 6:49 of the second. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 43 shots through OT. . . . Regina G Daniel Wapple made 29 saves. . . . The Pats were without F Dryden Hunt, who drew a 'tba' suspension for a high hit on Saskatoon Blades D Adam Henry on Friday night. . . .

In Prince George, the Cougars scored three first-period goals and went on to a 4-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . They'll play again this afternoon in Prince George. . . . Cougars D Mark McNulty broke a 1-1 tie with his second goal of the season at 17:49 of the first period. . . . McNulty also had an assist. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 23 shots. . . . D Ryan Rehill scored for Kamloops at 15:16 of the first. . . . Prior to the game, the Cougars named D Sam Ruopp as the 22nd captain in franchise history. . . .The Blazers were without F Cole Ully (flu), their leading scorer, for a second straight game. . . .

In Spokane, G Taz Burman kicked out 38 shots to help the Red Deer Rebels to a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Rebels have won five in a row. . . . F Tyler Sandhu gave Red Deer a 1-0 lead at 14:11 of the second period and F Evan Polei made it 2-0 with a PP score at 12:55 of the third. . . . F Markson Bechtold, with his first goal, got the Chiefs to within one at 17:20 of the third. . . . The Chiefs held a 19-2 edge in second-period shots. . . . Red Deer F Scott Feser had an assist to run his point streak to eight games. . . . The Chiefs were without Hungarian D Tamas Laday, who got a two-game WHL suspension for a kneeing major and game misconduct he incurred Wednesday against the visiting Edmonton Oil g Kings. . . .

In Victoria, F Axel Blomqvist scored twice to help the Royals to a 4-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Blomqvist, who has seven goals, broke a 1-1 tie at 1:05 of the second period and made it 3-2 on the PP at 2:52 of the third. . . . The Americans have lost four in a row. . . . The teams meet in Victoria again this afternoon. When that game ends, the Americans already will have played 11 of their scheduled 36 road games. . . . Tri-City is without F Justin Gutierrez, who is out with an undisclosed injury. He didn't make the trip to Victoria.
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Spoken by a true hockey parent at the Regina bantam tourney: "Actually I really hope we lose this game so we can go home...." #hockeymom
— Mike Fraser (@MikeFraser29) November 1, 2014

36 years ago, Glen Hanlon backstopped @VanCanucks to 1-0 win over @NHLBlackhawks for his first NHL shutout. pic.twitter.com/JImDO2V6Yx
— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) November 2, 2014

Thanks @asgrimson I love shooting cam 2 for you guys. Fun show. #thetworeapers pic.twitter.com/22iy8BBo1c
— Tim Webber (@twebber15) November 1, 2014

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Dominik Pacovsky (Kootenay, 2008-10) signed for the rest of the season with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). It's a two-way deal with him scheduled to join Lev today. This season with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had five points, including three goals, in 13 games. Last season with Sparta, he had 26 points, 13 of them goals, in 37 games. . . .
F Alex Leavitt (Swift Current, Everett, 2003-05) signed a tryout contract with Aalborg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). The tryout runs until Nov. 1. He was released earlier by Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after picking up three points, one of them a goal, in 10 games. . . .
F Erik Christensen (Kamloops, Brandon, 1999-2004) signed for the rest of this season with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL) after being released by Lev Prague on Thursday. He is to arrive in Jönköping on Thursday. With Lev this season, he had a goal and an assist in 12 games.
F Kris Beech (Calgary, 1996-2001) has signed a tryout deal with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He played last season with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), getting eight points, including two goals, in 21 games, and AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Elitserien), putting up five points, three of them goals, in 23 games. . . .
D Tomas Fojtik (Portland, 2003-04) has been released by the Slough Jets (England, Premier). He had three assists in 10 games. . . .
F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has been released by the Tohoku Free Blades Hachinohe (Japan, Asian HL). He had seven points, including two goals, in 10 games. . . . Lukacevic has since signed with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.
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1. The Kootenay Ice was looking for a defenceman who could play in its top four; the Kamloops Blazers were looking for draft picks.
So general managers Jeff Chynoweth (Ice) and Craig Bonner (Blazers) got together and swapped four players and three bantam draft picks on Tuesday.
The Ice got F Tim Bozon and D Landon Cross, both 19, with the Blazers landing D Matt Thomas, 18, F Collin Shirley, 17, and the three picks -- first- and fifth-round selections in 2015 and a third-rounder in 2014.
While Bozon, a third-round pick by the Montreal Canadians in the 2012 NHL draft who has signed with the Habs, is the biggest name in the deal, the swap's genesis came on the weekend when Ice general manager Jeff Chynoweth inquired about the availability of Cross.
Chynoweth told me via text yesterday afternoon that he made the first call, inquiring "about Cross."
"It just grew from there," Chynoweth said. "We thought why not ask about Bozon, thinking he would look very good playing with (Sam) Reinhart and (Jaedon) Descheneau."
As well, Chynoweth said, "Cross gives us much needed depth on our back end."
Bozon is coming off 71- and 91-point seasons and has seven points in 13 games this season. He is an interesting study because he was born in St. Louis, while his father, Philippe, was playing with the Blues, calls Switzerland home and plays internationally for France.
Bozon had great chemistry for most of the last two seasons with forwards Colin Smith and JC Lipon, both of whom have signed NHL deals and are in the AHL. The Blazers don't have anyone who has been able to fit that well with Bozon, who has played like it. With the Ice, Bozon will get a chance to revive his role as a triggerman, this time alongside Reinhart and Descheneau.
Cross, from Brandon, was a third-round pick by Kamloops in the 2009 bantam draft. In his third full WHL season, he has 24 points in 134 regular-season games. He has turned into a solid stay-at-home defender who should enjoy playing for Ice head coach Ryan McGill.
Shirley, from Saskatoon, had 23 points, including nine goals, in 60 games last season. This season, he has three points, two of them goals, in 11 games. He was the 17th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft.
Thomas, who was listed by the Ice prior to last season, is from Calgary. He had two assists in 66 games last season and has one in 11 outings this season.
Here's a paragraph from the Blazers' news release, which sums up their reason for making this trade: "In acquiring a first-round pick in 2015 and a third-round pick in 2014, the Blazers recoup draft picks that were traded to acquire defenceman Joel Edmundson last season and (forward) Tyson Ness this season."
The Ice is off to a 6-5-2 start, and has scored 37 goals. Reinhart and Descheneau have accounted for 16 of those, and have combined for 42 points. Yes, Chynoweth and McGill will be eager to get a look at Bozon alongside those two.
The Blazers are 4-9-0 and in a definite rebuilding/reloading mode, although they will continue to pursue a Western Conference playoff spot.
The Ice next plays Friday against the visiting Portland Winterhawks, while the Blazers are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Saturday.
The Ice is scheduled to visit Kamloops on Dec. 6.
Meanwhile, the Ice has dropped D Clint Filbrandt, 18, from its roster. He is expected to end up with a junior A team. Filbrandt was acquired from the Tri-City Americans on May 14 for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Some Twittering on the Kamloops-Kootenay swap:
From Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): "I'm surprised Blazers are declaring themselves as sellers so early though. I didn't think they'd drop as much from last year as they have."
From Trevor Crawley (@tcrawls) of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman: "#FunFact: Tim Bozon is the 4th @WHLKootenayICE player whose father played in the NHL (Elynuik, Reinhart & Dirk).)
From Dan Russell (@DanRussellST): "Taking page out of brother Scott's book? Last yr D Musil signified rebuild mode in Oct for Van -Craig's T Bozon deal today says same in Kam?"
From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: "I won't bet against Chynoweth. I mean really, have the @WHLKootenayICE ever sucked? No! Plus the little engine that could has 3 WHL titles."
From Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: "Spoke with Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth about the trade. Said talks started with Landon Cross and expanded from there."

2. How did Hamilton Burger keep his job for so long?

3. When the Kamloops Blazers played the Silvertips in Everett on Saturday night, it marked a return for Mark Ferner. Fired as the Silvertips' head coach last season, he now is the Blazers' associate coach. Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald checks in with Ferner right here.

4. As I stroll the streets of downtown Vancouver, I notice that most pedestrians have only one free hand, the other carrying either a phone or a cup of coffee. (Of course, some of the more highly skilled pedastrians fill both hands.) Hilary Stout of The New York Times has more right here on our love affair with coffee. This is interesting stuff.

5. Over at the Monday Morning Quarterback website, they are spending a lot of this week with the focus on concussions in football. You should check it out right here because it's important stuff.

6. Steve Miller, an assistant coach with the Denver University Pioneers for more than 19 seasons, is flying like an eagle (sorry!) to a USHL expansion franchise that will begin play in Madison, Wis., next season. He will be the general manager and head coach in Madison. Miller starts his new job on Jan. 1.

7. If you enjoy good hockey photos, check out this spot right here. You may even be interested in purchasing a photo or two. Yes, Chris Mast is involved.

8. F Zach Jones scored with 1:05 left in the third period Tuesday night, giving the visiting Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. Calgary G Chris Driedger stopped 38 shots. Attendance was 4,674. . . . In Lethbridge, the Portland Winterhawks scored three first-period goals and went on to a 3-2 victory over the Hurricanes. Portland, the WHL's defending champion, has won five straight games. . . . In Kennewick, Wash., F Phil Tot scored 34 seconds into the game and added an empty-netter as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 4-1. The Broncos went 0-5 on their U.S. Division swing and were outscored 24-10 in the process.

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