Taking Note

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Tomas Mojzis (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03) signed a one-year contract with TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had two goals and seven assists in 42 games with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL) last
season. TPS says that Mojzis will be in their lineup for their exhibition game on Sunday. . . .
F Ryan Menei (Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Cortina (Italy, Serie A). He had 39 goals and 48 assists in 66 games with the Rapid City Rush (Central Hockey League) last season.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Everett Silverips have filled out their coaching staff with the additions of Mitch Love, a former team captain, and Taylor Dakers. . . . Love, one of the most popular Silvetips in franchise history, will carry the title assistant coach/strength and conditioning coach. Love, 27, played two seasons with the Everett before going on to a six-season pro career. . . . Dakers, who played with the Kootenay Ice (2003-07), now is Everett’s goaltending coach. . . . They will work with head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Chris Hartsburg. . . . Love fills the void created when associate head coach Jay Varady took a head-coaching position in France. . . . Dakers succeeds Jordan Sigalet, who now is the goaltending coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat.
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JUST NOTES: F Matt Schmermund (Kamloops, Portland, 2006-08) has signed with the Southern Pro league’s Augusta RiverHawks. He played the last two seasons at Ryerson University. Schmermund put up 53 points in 55 games over the two seasons with the Toronto-based Rams. . . . The Swift Current Broncos have signed D Zack Gonek, who was the 13th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft. He had 22 points with the bantam AAA St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres. He shared the league’s top defenceman award with Brycen Martin, another Broncos’ prospect.
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Lisa Wallace of the Ottawa Citizen takes a good look at Cory Clouston, the new head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. This is an interesting read.
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The NAHL’s Wenatchee, Wash., Wild will play a bunch of exhibition games against BCHL and AJHL teams in the next little while. The Wild, under head coach John Becanic, who is a former WHL coach, will play in a tournament in Trail, B.C., Sept. 1-3, meeting the Powell River Kings, Trail Smoke Eaters and Brooks Bandits. The Wild then will meet the Vees in Penticton on Sept. 8 and the Rivermen in Langley on Sept. 9 and 10.
There have been rumours for a while now that Wild owner Blll Stewart would like to get his franchise into the BCHL. That, of course, would involve a whole lot of paperwork involving the BCHL, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey.
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From the Detroit Free Press:
Former Michigan hockey great Bill MacFarland died in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Friday. He was 79.
MacFarland captained the Wolverines to the 1955 and '56 national titles and was a three-time All-America before turning pro.
MacFarland played 10 seasons in the Western Hockey League. He scored 35 goals for the Seattle Totems in 1958-59, leading the team to its first WHL championship. In 1961-62, he led the WHL with 46 goals.
At Michigan, MacFarland lettered in each of his three seasons (1954-56) playing for coach Vic Heyliger. He also was a member of the 1955 NCAA all-tournament team.
MacFarland was inducted into the Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 2009. He also is a member of the U-M Hockey Dekers Club Hall of Fame.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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