Thursday . . .

The 2012 world junior championship will be held in Calgary and Edmonton. The press release is right here. This means the tournament will be held in Canada three times in four years, with two of those in the west.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed D Ryan Murray, their first selection, ninth overall, in the WHL’s 2008 bantam draft. Murray, 5-foot-10 and 162 pounds, is from the bantam AA Balgonie, Sask., Prairie Storm. He had 42 points with that squad and late in the season picked up seven points in a 10-game stint with Balgonie’s midget team. The Silvertips project that Murray will be quarterbacking their power play in a couple of seasons.
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Stu Barnes, a member of the Tri-City Americans’ ownership group, has retired as an NHL player to become an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars. A centre, he played 16 seasons in the NHL, most of the last five with the Stars. Barnes, 37, played in the WHL (1987-90) with the New Westminster Bruins and Tri-City Americans. . . . Barnes was the fourth overall selection in the NHL’s 1989 draft, going to the Winnipeg Jets. . . . G Olaf Kolzig, who also owns a chunk of the Americans, left the Washington Capitals over the summer and signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . Barnes signed a two-year contract as an assistant coach with the Stars. At the same time, the Stars signed associate coach Rick Wilson and assistant coach Mark Lamb to two-year extensions. Wilson is a former head coach of the Prince Albert Raiders, while Lamb is a former WHL player. Lamb played for three teams – the Billings Bighorns, Nanaimo Islanders and Medicine Hat Tigers (1980-84).
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Here’s Kerry Eggers, a columnist with the Portland Tribune:
“If you’re expecting quick resolution to the bid by Calgary oil tycoon Bill Gallacher to buy the Winter Hawks, think again. WHL executives are examining Gallacher's credentials, exploring the sale agreement, interviewing prospective parties, yada, yada, yada, trying to ensure another Jim Goldsmith situation doesn’t occur.
“In the meantime, general manager Ken Hodge and coach Rich Kromm are proceeding with business as usual. Training camp started last week, exhibition games are on the horizon, and Hodge and Kromm aren’t even sure if they’ll have a job once the regular season begins.
“A decision on the pending sale isn’t expected for 30 and 60 days. It would be nice if the WHL could expedite the process to allow the Hawks the chance for a sliver of stability during the upcoming season.”
Eggers is right. Unfortunately, the WHL never has expedited anything, not even freight. The WHL will tell you it has to do its due diligence, to which Portlanders can ask . . . ahhh, never mind.
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Jason Vondersmith of the Tribune has an all-encompassing look at the Winter Hawks on the ice and that story is right here.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers had Czech LW Zdenek Okal on the ice with them when they opened their main camp Wednesday. But the status of Czech D Tomas Kundratek remains up in the air. He’s in Medicine Hat but is caught up in one those paperwork situations. Kundratek was a third-round pick by the New York Rangers in the 2008 NHL draft and will attend the Rangers’ camp. “It will be a lot better if he can skate when we are playing in the playoffs or playing in the regular season,” Medicine Hat GM/head coach Willie Desjardins tells Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News. “Right now, it is not a big deal.” Kundratek played in the 2008 world junior championship.
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LW Jeff Friesen, who played with the Regina Pats, has been invited to join the San Jose Sharks for a free-agent tryout. Friesen, who was taken 11th overall by the Sharks in the NHL’s 1994 draft, played a bit in the AHL last season after being with the Calgary Flames in 2006-07.