F Sean O'Connor (Moose Jaw, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Augsburger Panther (Gernamy DEL). He had 15 goals and six assists in 35 games for the Ontario Reign (ECHL) last season. . . .
D Chris Schmidt (Seattle, 1992-96) signed a one-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany DEL). He had one goal and five assists in 51 games with Alder Mannheim (Germany DEL) last season and picked up one assist in four games for Germany at the Olympics in Vancouver. The contract includes a trial period until Nov. 25, when it rolls into a contract for the rest of the season. . . .
D Sean Curry (Tri-City, Medicine Hat, 2000-02) signed a one-year contract with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany DEL). He was scoreless in two games with the Toledo Walleye (ECHL) this season. Last season, Curry had four goals and seven assists in 67 games for the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL).
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) was released by Timrå (Sweden Elitserien). The older brother of Edmonton Oilers F Magnus Pääjärvi, he had two goals and three assists in 19 games this season.
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Jay Varady’s gold medal is in a closet at home.
And now he has a championship ring for one of his fingers.
Varady, the Everett Silvertips’ associate coach, was an assistant coach with the U.S. national junior team at the last World Junior Championship, which it won in Saskatoon. Which is how Varady got the gold medal.
Then, just a little while ago, a package arrived in the mail and landed on his desk. He let it sit there for at least three days before he opened it.
He says he thought it was video from the U-18 tournament that was held in Europe over the summer. Varady was an assistant coach with that American team, too.
However, that U.S. team finished second to Canada in the U-18 tournament that is known as the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. Which is why Varady didn’t care to watch the video from that game anytime soon.
Except that there wasn’t video in that package.
When he finally got around to opening the mail, he discovered his World Junior championship ring.
“It’s very nice,” Varady said. “Very nice.”
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Don’t be surprised if Alan Millar, the Moose Jaw Warriors’ director of hockey operations, and Craig Bonner, the general manager of the Kamloops Blazers, exchange a few phone calls today.
Depending on what the Warriors learn about the seriousness of D Dylan McIlrath’s knee injury, of course. McIlrath left a 3-0 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday with an apparent knee injury. He is to undergo further tests today, at which time more should be known.
If McIlrath is to be out for any length of time, the Warriors may well be interested in D Linden Saip, a 19-year-old who left the Blazers on Nov. 1. Saip, who was in his third WHL season, is at home on the Lower Mainland of B.C., waiting word on a possible trade.
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The Kelowna Rockets scratched two players — F Max Adolph and F Gal Koren — with concussions prior to Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Blazers in Kamloops. During the game, the Rockets lost F Colton Sissons to what may turn out to be a concussion. . . . G Jacob DeSerres stopped 22 shots Sunday as the Saint John Sea Dogs scored a 6-0 victory over the visiting Quebec Remparts and moved back into top spot overall in the QMJHL. DeSerres, who was waived through the WHL after getting caught in the 20-year-old numbers game with the Brandon Wheat Kings, has two shutouts.———
A reminder that there are two rare Monday night games in the WHL. The Portland Winterhawks continue their tour of the East Division with a stop at the Crushed Can in Moose Jaw, while the Brandon Wheat Kings are in Regina to meet the Pats. . . . The Wheat Kings then will scurry down the TransCanada Highway and try to get home before the Winterhawks arrive in Brandon. The two teams play there on Tuesday night.———
In Calgary, the Kootenay Ice scored a 6-2 victory Sunday, sending the Hitmen to their 12th straight loss, which ties a franchise record. . . . F Kevin King had two goals and two assists for the Ice, which has beaten the Hitmen five times this season. . . . It was King’s fourth career four-point game. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb had three assists and was plus-5. . . . The Ice has won three in a row.
In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford became the WHL’s first 20-goal scorer this season as the Blazers dropped the Everett Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Ranford scored once, his 20th, and now holds a two-goal lead over F Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Jordan DePape had two PP goals for the Blazers in the first period. . . . Kamloops G Jeff Bosch stopped 38 shots, including 16 in the third period. . . . Everett scratched F Landon Ferraro, who apparently suffered an upper-body injury Saturday night.———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.
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WHL teams at .500 or better: 16-of-22 (.727).
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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