Wednesday's stuff . . .

The Swift Current Broncos, having made their point to the City of Swift Current, fell on their sword Wednesday. Or did they?
In case you missed it, the City is bringing the 2010 Ford World women’s curling championship to town in late March. That means the Broncos, assuming they make the WHL playoffs that spring, will have to find somewhere to play at least their first-round home games. Let’s also assume that there will be mild weather on the Prairies by that point, which means the ice on Farmer Bob’s slough will have melted so that is not an option.
Anyway . . .
“The Swift Current Broncos Board of Directors would like to clarify their support for the 2010 Ford World Curling Championship,” reads the press release. “At no time as an organization were we ever against the concept of the . . . championship being held in our city. Timing of the event relative to the start of the first round of the playoffs has been the only concern for the hockey club. Finding an alternative location to play the home playoff games will present the most significant challenge and must be approved by the Western Hockey League.
“Having said this, the Broncos organization fully endorses and will unconditionally support the City in helping to make the . . . championship event the best it can be. We realize the tremendous economic and social benefit for our best supporters, the City of Swift Current along with residents and businesses from across Southwest Saskatchewan.”
In other words, the Broncos are telling the world, we made our point and now it’s time to move on. At the same time, you can only imagine how much the hockey team’s management is steamed over this.
It is going to be extremely interesting watching this play out next season as the Broncos, with the involvement of the WHL office, search for a playoff home. WHL commissioner Ron Robison already has hinted that no option will be discounted. Robison even mentioned, albeit vaguely, the possibility of playing in Victoria. Depending on how next season plays out, you have to think the first option might be Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina or Saskatoon.
After that it’s Maple Creek, Assiniboia, Climax, Elbow . . . kind of like that old Hank Snow song, I’ve Been Everywhere . . .
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JUST NOTES: D Patrick Kozyra, 19, will be out of the Prince Albert Raiders’ lineup indefinitely after separating a shoulder in his first game after being acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers on Nov. 20. He was injured late in a game in Calgary. . . . C Colin Smith, the seventh pick in the 2008 bantam draft, will make his WHL debut Friday with the Kamloops Blazers when they meet the Oil Kings in Edmonton. Smith is from Edmonton.
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G Chet Pickard stopped 26 shots Wednesday night to lead the host Tri-City Americans to a 3-0 victory over the Kootenay Ice. It was Pickard’s third shutout of the season and the ninth of his career. C Jason Reese scored twice for the Americans. He has 18 on the season. The Americans are 13-1 at home. . . . The Ice, which plays the Chiefs in Spokane on Saturday, is 1-3 on its U.S. Division tour. . . . F Evander Kane scored twice as the host Vancouver Giants doubled the Regina Pats, 4-2. The Pats got two goals in the game’s last two minutes to ruin Tyson Sexsmith’s bid for a 23rd career shutout. . . . Regina is 2-2 on its B.C. Division swing as it heads to Kelowna to play the Rockets on Friday. . . . In Spokane, LW Drayson scored the lone goal of the shootout as the Chiefs edged the Calgary Hitmen, 4-3. Spokane had lost five of its last seven games. . . . The Saskatoon Blades jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Rockets in Kelowna. Saskatoon is 12-1-0-0 on the road this season. In fact, the Blades have won 11 straight road games, the fourth-longest such streak in WHL history. The Blades, who meet the Bruins in Chilliwack on Friday and the Giants in Vancouver on Saturday, are 3-0 as they tour around B.C. . . . Kelowna watched a five-game winning streak end. . . . Saskatoon G Adam Morrison stopped 27 shots in just his sixth appearance this season and his first since Nov. 16. . . . In Lethbridge, F Carter Ashton’s goal with 45 seconds left in the third period game the Hurricanes a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . F Geordie Wudrick, who hit two posts in the the third period, scored 27 seconds into OT as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Raiders 4-3 in Prince Albert. The Raiders have lost nine in a row.
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A reader is wondering if Derek Hulak, the Blades’ captain, is related to Dan Hulak, who played with the Swift Current Broncos and Portland Winter Hawks (1997-2001)? If anyone can help, email me at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, or post a comment here.
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If you’re wondering how many of your favourite WHL officials have gotten IIHF assignments, well, you’ve come to the right place. . . . REFEREES: For starters, Derek Herman will work the World Junior Championship (Division 1, Group B) in Aalborg, Denmark. . . . Chris Savage gets to do games at the final men’s Olympic Qualification (Group E) at Hanover, Germany. . . . Pat Smith will do the World Championship (Division 1, Group A) at Vilnius, Lithuania. . . . Derek Zalaski will do the World Championship at Bernel/Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland. Yes, those are the big boys. . . . LINESMEN: Chris de Haan will work the lines at the World Championship in Switzerland, so he’ll be there with Zalaski. . . . Jeff Jobson has been assigned to the World men’s U18 championship at Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn. . . . Kiel Murchison is off to the World Championship (Division III) in Dunedin, New Zealand. . . .
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The CHL Mosaik MasterCard top 10, as selected by a panel of NHL scouts (showing team, record, last week and weeks in rankings):
1. Windsor Spitfires (24-3-0-0) 1 12
2. Calgary Hitmen (24-4-1-0) 3 7
3. Shawinigan Cataractes (24-5-0-0) 2 9
4. Moncton Wildcats (21-2-2-2) 5 11
5. Vancouver Giants (21-2-0-3) 4 10
6. Brampton Battalion (20-6-1-0) 7 4
7. Drummondville Voltigeurs (21-4-0-2) 8 8
8. London Knights (19-6-0-1) 6 9
9. Tri-City Americans (19-7-0-2) — 2
10. Quebec Remparts (20-6-0-2) — 8
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And, finally, if you’re Canadian and haven’t seen this, here you go. . . .
Having decided that the Detroit Red Wings technically won the 2008 Stanley Cup, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars have formed a coalition demanding a three-way ownership of the league title.
Rationale for their decision revolves around their total combined scoring in the 2008 semifinals, their total share of season-ticket holders versus the Red Wings and their horror at discovering the Red Wings are using a more cost-effective and efficient but non-union made silver polish to keep the Stanley Cup gleaming.
The three teams are being assisted in their bid to overturn the traditional results by members of the Quebec Hockey League who have no real interest in the success of the NHL in general but sense an opportunity to demand Zambonis and other critical equipment be manufactured in Quebec. Player representatives, team owners and Nike are expected to submit their proposals to Don Cherry in the next few days.
Fans and ticket holders are neither being asked or allowed a voice in the final decision.