Green moves from Oil Kings to Oilers

If you are a season-ticket holder, I don’t know what, if any, gift you get from the team
you support, but the Regina Pats are providing “a limited edition canvas jersey print,”
according to a news release. “The print features seven jerseys, including the Pats’ current
home-and-away uniforms, along with five from past seasons.”

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Paul Albers (Calgary, Regina, Vancouver, 2001-06) signed a one-year contract extension with Cortina (Italy, Serie A). He had seven goals and 18 assists in 43 games last season. . . .
D Tyson Marsh (Vancouver, 2001-04) signed a one-year contract extension with the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). He had six goals and 23 assists in 52 games last season. . . .
F Tomas Polak (Red Deer, 2007-09) signed a try-out contract with Landshut (Germany, DEL2). He had one assist in one game with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga), three assists in 11 games on loan to Most (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), and two assists in 27 games on loan to Berounsti Medvedi (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) last season. . . .
D Sebastian Owuya (Medicine Hat, 2010-11) signed a one-year contract with Sundsvall (Sweden, Division 1). He had one goal and four assists in 17 games with Borås (Sweden, Division 1) and three goals and six assists in 24 games with Västervik (Sweden, Division 1) last season.
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One day last week, I ran an item here from a Greg Douglas column that appeared in the Vancouver Sun. That item suggested that there had been discussions between the Vancouver Giants and Vancouver broadcaster Dan Russell involving the WHL team’s play-by-play position.
Russell, the long-time host of Sportstalk on Vancouver radio station CKNW, informed me on Wednesday that simply isn’t true.
“Sadly,” Russell wrote in an email, “it isn’t the first time Douglas has carelessly or erroneously reported on my career.
“The fact is that there was never one discussion with the Giants about that possibility, nor did I want to explore it given that I already have a WHL play-by-play role with Shaw TV.”
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A regular reader from Portland dropped this note:
“Just in case you care . . . the naming rights to the Rose Garden (now the Moda Center) went for $40 million over 10 years . . . four million a year. This was the reported figure in all of the Portland media.
“According to Forbes, Paul Allen is the 20th richest person in the States with an estimated value of $15 billion, so obviously it was very important to him to collect another $40 million.”
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The Edmonton Oil Kings lost their general manager on Wednesday when the parent Edmonton Oilers named Bob Green their director of amateur free-agent scouting. . . . The 52-year-old Green, the WHL’s executive of the year in each of the last two seasons, spent six seasons as the Oil Kings’ GM. . . . According to an Oilers news release: “Green . . . will work closely with the Oilers Hockey Operations department and Amateur Scouting staff, assisting with identifying and recruiting NCAA, CHL and select European free agents, as well as develop a free agent priority list.” . . . Under Green, the Oil Kings have been in the last two WHL championship finals, winning it all in 2011-12. . . . There was no announcement involving a new GM for the Oil Kings, but speculation is that Randy Hansch, the assistant GM and director of player personnel, may be in line for a promotion and that it may come as early as today.
The Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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Jack Brodsky almost certainly will be the majority owner of the Saskatoon Blades when the WHL’s 2013-14 season begins. That’s because there really isn’t anything new regarding a possible sale of the franchise.
Mike Priestner, the Edmonton auto dealer who is hoping to purchase the franchise, confirmed to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he made a “firm offer” but he and Brodsky both have been on vacation.
“Jack is certainly very happy with our offer as far as both the price and what he felt our management structure would look like if we did go forward,” Priestner told Nugent-Bowman without divulging any of his plans.
“Based on their conversations,” Nugent-Bowman writes, “Priestner said he doesn’t expect to hear back from Brodsky for another three or four weeks while he mulls over the offers with his family and the league.”
One other group that includes former Blades players Kelly Chase, Dave Chartier and Rhett Warrener is believed to be in the hunt.
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The Prince Albert Raiders will induct the late Brad McCrimmon into their Wall of Honour on Sept. 27. McCrimmon, a former Raiders defenceman, went on to star for the Brandon Wheat Kings, who will provide the opposition on Sept. 27. Kelly McCrimmon, Brad’s brother, is the Wheat Kings’ owner/GM/head coach. . . . Brad, the SJHL’s defenceman of the year as a 16-year-old with the Raiders, went on to a lengthy pro career and was into coaching when he died in a plane crash with the KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv on Sept. 7, 2011. . . . The McCrimmons are from Plenty, Sask. . . . Also being inducted into the Wall of Honour will be builders Jim Bristowe and Doug Winterton. . . . Bristowe worked as a minor official and linseman and then took over as the public address voice, a position he held for 27 years, through 1999-2000. He also served on the franchise’s board of directors. . . . Winterton also served on the board and was a charter member of the Raiders’ Booster Club. Like Bristowe, Winterton also billeted players, including Brad McCrimmon.
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Jacques Beaulieu, the former head coach of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, and his son, Nathan, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, were in court Wednesday. They each pleaded guilty to one count of assault and received conditional discharges.
Jane Sims of the London Free Press has more right here.
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Former NHL player and coach Steve Ludzik is living a happy life despite his battles with Parkinson’s disease.
"I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life," he tells Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times. "I decided to come out and treat Parkinson's like a bully and expose it."
Later in the story, Ludzik, who figures he had at least six concussions during his NHL careers, says: “"My Parkinson's disease I know without a shadow of a doubt is from getting blows to the head and constant damage to my body.”
Cristodero’s complete story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former NHL F Mike Craig has signed on as an assistant coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He joins head coach Drake Berehowsky and assistant Brad Lukowich on what is a brand new coaching staff. . . . Craig, who played junior for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, played professionally for 22 years, the last 10 in Europe. He played 423 NHL games with four teams (Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks).
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The junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have hired their second head coach of the summer. . . . Kevin MacKay is the new head man, after James Eccles, who was hired late in July, decided to go in another direction. . . . Eccles had been the head coach of the major midget Okanagan Rockets. . . . Kevin Kraus, the GM and head coach of the Grizzlies last season, now is an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
Alex Cooper of the Revelstoke Times Review has more right here.
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From Portland Winterhawks F Shane McColgan (@Shane18McColgan): “Surgery was a success.”
He included an instagram photo showing him in a hospital bed with his right arm, wrist, hand and thumb in a cast.

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