F Tomas Karpov (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 2007-09) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Telford Tigers (England, Premier). He had three goals and 11 assists in 22 games with Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) this season.
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The Everett Silvertips changed up their coaching staff on Tuesday as they fired head coach Mark Ferner and assistant coach Chris Hartsburg.
General manager Garry Davidson has taken over as the interim head coach. Davidson said
he will finish this season and then begin the search for a head coach.Former Everett D Mitch Love is left as the lone assistant coach and Davidson said there aren’t any plans to add another one at this time.
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald summed up the situation in his blog:
“The crux of the change was a difference in philosophies between Davidson and Ferner. Ferner was hired not by Davidson, but by Davidson's predecessor, Doug Soetaert. Davidson is a proponent of attacking, offensive hockey. Ferner is a proponent of hard-working, defensively-responsible hockey. These differences were known from the beginning, when Davidson was hired last February. Davidson gave it some time to see if the two could come to reach some sort of middle ground, but that never happened. Both Davidson and Ferner acknowledged the difference in philosophies.”
More from Patterson’s blog:
“Davidson said he'd been growing frustrated with the team's style of play the past couple months, and essentially came to the conclusion over the Christmas break that a change needed to be made. That explains why the move was made now, despite the Tips winning three of five since the break. He also wants the team accustomed to playing a more offensive game by the time a new coach is brought in.”
Patterson has more right here.
Patterson also spoke with Ferner and that story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have released D Ryley Miller in order to get down to the maximum of three 20-year-old players. That leaves them with F Nick Buonassisi, F Michael Ferland and D Tyler Yaworski as their 20s. . . . Miller, a second-round pick by Brandon in the 2007 bantam draft, played 241 games with the Wheat Kings, recording 37 points and 537 penalty minutes. This season, he had six points and 99 penalty minutes in 38 games.———
The Kelowna Rockets announced Tuesday that D Mitchell Chapman, 20, won’t play again this season. He suffered an ankle injury on the opening day of training camp and hasn’t played at all this season. . . . That leaves the Rockets with three 20s — F JT Barnett, F Cody Fowlie and F Dylen McKinlay.———
If you haven’t yet heard about this, there was a standoff of sorts between a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team and one from the BCHL on Saturday in Trail. It involved a bus and a player, but no trade. At least not yet! Anyway, HQKootenay.com has some details right here.
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F Daulton Siwak, 19, has left the Prince George Cougars and returned home to Olds, Alta. . . . "He told us that he was going to go home and ponder his life and think about what he wants to do," Cougars GM Dallas Thompson told the Prince George Citizen. . . . Siwak had 17 points in 38 games this season.
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The Saskatoon Blades had a new old goaltender at practice on Tuesday. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Tim Cheveldave, the team’s goaltending coach and a veteran of three seasons (1985-88) with the Blades, put on the pads. That’s because Russian G Andrey Markarov hasn’t yet returned from the World Junior Championship.Nugent-Bowman wrote: “Before stepping on the ice, the 44-year-old joked with backup Alex Moodie, telling him to ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ ”
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Calgary Hitmen scored nine seconds into the game and went on to beat the Wheat Kings, 7-2. . . . F Brooks Macek set a club record for fastest goal to start game. F Brad Moran had scored 12 seconds into a game on Jan. 22, 1999. . . . According to @WHLFacts, Macek’s goal was the quickest to start a WHL game this season. . . . F Brady Brassart had a goal and two assists for Calgary, which scored two empty-netters. . . . The Hitmen had won five in a row; Brandon has lost six straight and has fallen into the Eastern Conference basement in the process. . . . Calgary F Zane Jones scored his 15th goal, running his goal streak to five games. . . . Brandon F Richard Nejezchleb suffered an undisclosed injury in the third period. . . . F Michael Ferland (undisclosed injury) was back in Brandon’s lineup after a three-game absence, while F Alessio Bertaggia, who played for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship, was back after missing 10 games. . . . The victory lifted the Hitmen into first place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Hitmen remain without F Victor Rask, who played for Sweden at the World Junior Championship. He is expected back later this week. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice dumped the Edmonton Oil Kings 2-1 and vacated the Eastern Conference basement. . . . The Ice, which has won six straight, now is one point ahead of Brandon with two games in hand. . . . The Oil Kings had a four-game winning streak end. . . . F T.J. Foster’s 19th goal gave Edmonton a 1-0 first-period lead. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau, 17, continued his fine season — he has 31 points in 38 games — with a goal at 18:06 of the second and D Joey Leach got the winner, his third, on a 5-on-3 PP at 1:12 of the third. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat (shoulder) has received medical clearance to return but was scratched. He will get a few practices under his belt before returning. . . . 
In Medicine Hat, G Cam Lanigan stopped 31 shots as the Tigers dropped the Vancouver Giants, 4-0. . . . The shutout was the first of the season for the Tigers. . . . Lanigan, 20, has three career shutouts, two of this season. The first one came while he was with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Blake Penner, 16, scored his first WHL goal just 1:21 into the game. He has played 33 games with the Tigers, 27 of them this season. . . . F Jacob Doty got his eighth goal of the season as he ran his goal streak to four games. . . . The Giants are without D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen (hand) and F Rob Trzonkowski (knee), and they lost D Scott Cooke (arm) in the first period. . . . 
In Portland, D Tyler Wotherspoon enjoyed the first four-point night of his career as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-4. . . . Wotherspoon, in his first game back after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, had his first two-goal game, as well. . . . The Winterhawks have won 11 in a row. . . . F Ty Rattie also was back in Portland’s lineup after being with Team Canada. He had two assists. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot returned from an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland D Seth Jones, who won gold with Team USA at the world junior, didn’t play. . . . Winterhawks F Paul Bittner scored his eighth goal as he ran his goal streak to four games. He has the game-winner in each of those games. . . . The Cougars dress just 16 skaters. . . . The same teams play in Portland again tonight. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Liam Stewart broke a 3-3 tie at 6:12 of the third period to give the visiting Spokane Chiefs a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Stewart had nine goals this season. . . . F Mike Aviani scored his 20th goal at 19:07 of the second period to pull the Chiefs into a 3-3 tie. . . . Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur was back with Chiefs for the first time since early December when he left to join the Canadian national junior team as an assistant coach. . . . The Thunderbirds have lost 11 straight games. . . . These teams play again tonight in Spokane.———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Red Deer Rebels D Brady Gaudet (@bgooday23): “On our way to the land of living skies! Where beauties are born #306”
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From former WHL F Jake Trask (@Jtrask29): “Gonna be a stressful next few days for #Whl guys. Cant say I miss that. #Deadline #Cyyyaa”
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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives on Thursday. Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:
Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.
Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round bantam draft pick.
Jan. 3: Everett trades F Trent Lofthouse, 18, to Victoria for a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick.
Jan. 3: Victoria trades G Jared Rathjen, 18, to Vancouver for a 2013 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
Jan. 7: Victoria trades D Jesse Zgraggen, 19, to Calgary for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.
Jan. 7: Lethbridge trades F Jay Merkley, 17, to Swift Current for F Josh Derko, 19, and a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.
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