Conacher lands in Utica

What does a WHL general manager do in the days leading up to the opening
of training camp? Well, if you're Cameron Hope, the GM of the Victoria
Royals, you spend some time playing miniature golf. This picture was posted
on the Royals' Twitter account, but didn't reveal how he did on the windmill
hole or the one that features the clown's face.

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 11 goals and 29 assists in 74 games with the St. John’s Ice Caps (AHL) last season. . . .



D Dustin Kohn (Calgary, Brandon, 2003-07) signed a two-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). He had one goal and two assists in 19 games with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga) last season. Kohn will also attend the Sheffield University Management School while playing with the Steelers.
To make room for Kohn on the roster, Sheffield released D Rod Sarich (Calgary, 1996-2002). Sarich had seven goals and 30 assists in 57 games with the Steelers last season. Sarich was pointless in three games for Great Britain in the Olympic 1ualifying tournament last season. Steelers head coach Doug Christiansen: “Rod Sarich has been a loyal member of the Steelers and has been a massive part of the success the club has enjoyed over the last eight years. I hope Rod can stay involved in the club and help grow the game we all love. He deserves massive recognition for his efforts and loyalty."
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Former Regina Pats head coach Pat Conacher has been named director of hockey operations for the Utica Comets. The Comets are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . Conacher spent the past two seasons as the Pats’ head coach. He resigned rather unexpectedly on May 8. . . . Conacher played parts of three AHL seasons in Utica when the NHL’s New Jersey Devils had their affiliate there. . . . The Canucks also announced that Paul Jerrard and Nolan Baumgartner (Kamloops, 1992-96) will serve as head coach Travis Green’s assistants. . . . Jerrard was an assistant with the Dallas Stars last season, while Baumgartner was on the staff of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who were affiliated with Vancouver.
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F Alex Forsberg has decided to return to the Prince George Cougars. . . . Kelly Friesen (@KellyFriesen) tweeted: “Alex Forsberg has made the decision to return to Prince George next year to play for the Cougars.” . . . Later, Hartley Miller (@Hartley_Miller) tweeted: “@PGCougars GM @DallasWThompson has confirmed that Alex Forsberg has decided to return to PG & will be at the Cougars camp this month. @94XFM” . . . Forsberg, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2010 bantam draft, asked the Cougars for a trade during the Christmas break last season. When nothing happened, he joined the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos. . . . Forsberg had 19 points in 31 games with the Cougars when he left. He had 14 points in 14 regular-season games with the Broncos. . . . Forsberg was eligible for the NHL draft for the first time in 2013, but he wasn’t in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, nor was he drafted.
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D Dallas Ehrhardt (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2009-13) has signed with the ECHL’s Evansville IceMen. . . . The IceMen are affiliated with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. . . . The 6-foot-4, 226-pound Ehrhardt had 23 points in 62 games with the Cougars last season.
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Tragedy struck the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Monday when F Jordan Boyd, 16, collapsed and died during a training camp session. . . . Players apparently were doing wind sprints when, according to QMJHL director of communications Photi Sotiropoulos, Boyd felt some discomfort and went down. . . . He was taken by ambulance to hospital in Bathurst, N.B., where he was pronounced dead. . . . An autopsy will be held to determine the cause of death. . . . Boyd had undergone a complete medical test before being cleared for camp. . . . Boyd was a fourth-round selection by the Titan in the QMJHL’s 2013 draft.
Dan Arsenault of the Halifax Chronicle Herald has more right here.
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The Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League have signed two players who were first-round selections in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. . . . F Tyson Jost of Leduc, Alta., was taken seventh overall by the Everett Silvertips. He had 156 points, including 77 goals, in 49 games with a bantam team at the Pursuit of Excellence in Kelowna. . . . F Jake Kryski was taken by the Prince Albert Raiders with the 13th selection and later traded to the Kamloops Blazers in a deal that had G Cole Cheveldave, 20, heading east. Kryski, who is from Vancouver, had 118 points, 59 of them goals, with the bantam A1 team at the Burnaby Winter Club last season.

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