Taking Note

The St. Francis-Xavier X-Men made it official Monday — they will have G Drew Owsley, D Bronson Maschmeyer, F Chase Schaber, F Steven Kuhn and F Cole Grbavac in the lineup next season. All are products of the WHL. . . . Owsley finished his career with the Prince George Cougars. . . . Maschmeyer and Schaber were with the Kamloops Blazers, while Kuhn was with the Spokane Chiefs and Grbavac the Medicine Hat Tigers.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings announced Monday that F Bruno Mraz, who had 18 points in 63 games last season, won’t be returning for a second season. Mraz, 19, has signed to play professionally in his native Slovakia. . . . Brandon has the 35th pick in Wednesday’s CHL import draft and will use it. . . . The Wheat Kings’ lone import at the moment is F Alessio Bertaggia, 19, who is from Switzerland and had 50 points in 64 games as a freshman last season.
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Alan Caldwell, over there on the right at Small Thoughts At Large, takes a team-by-team look at WHL teams as the import draft approaches. Check it out.
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More undrafted WHL players heading to NHL development camps. . . . G Andrey Makarov of the Saskatoon Blades will join the Florida Panthers. . . . F Miles Koules, who is to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers, has accepted an offer from the Phoenix Coyotes, as has Victoria Royals F Austin Carroll. . . . F Cain Franson of the Vancouver Giants and D Corbin Baldwin of the Spokane Chiefs are to go to camp with the Vancouver Canucks.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jeff Blashill, an assistant coach with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, has been named head coach of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. . . . They are the AHL affiliate of the Red Wings. . . . Blashill, 38, joined Detroit’s coaching staff a year ago after two seasons as head coach at Western Michigan.

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