1. Someone out there isn't at all upset that the WHL has chosen not to print its once-annual Guide this season:
"A paragraph on the WHL not printing a media guide? It's called the internet Gregg. There's more to than your blog. All the info that used to be in the guide can be found online.
"A paragraph about kids playing hockey year 'round?
"Stop whining. I come here to get informed and end up feeling sorry for you. You've made your living covering hockey, but clearly hate the sport.
"What does that say about you?"
———
And then there is this tweet from @schm0869: "First, glad your wife is doing well! Second, I remember begging my dad to spend $8 on the 85-86 WHL Guide, it's a shame."
2. When F Ryan Gropp revealed earlier this week that he was leaving the BCHL's Penticton Vees to join the Seattle Thunderbirds, he told Mark Hunter of the Kamloops Daily News that his insertion in the lineup would be delayed until paperwork related to his visa was completed.
The Thunderbirds are saying that wasn't the case at all.
An email from Ian Henry, the Thunderbirds' director of public and media relations, included what he said has become the response from general manager Russ Farwell: "Not true. He was on our petition originally and is not playing due to his injury."
It turns out that Gropp has a groin injury and will play once it is healed, perhaps as early as this weekend.
3. If you were watching The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday, you may have noticed that Chris Zasche, the bass guitarist from the Seattle-based group The Head and the Heart, was wearing a Seattle Thunderbirds sweater while performing. If you missed it, the peformance is right here.
The afore-mentioned Ian Henry sends word that "Tim Shaw, who does corporate sales and marketing (for the Thunderbirds), plays on a men’s league team with Chris. Chris emailed Tim that he was going to wear the jersey."
And there he was, right on Letterman. It's hard to get better exposure than that.
4. The Everett Silvertips have dealt F Mitch Skapski to the Victoria Royals for the rights to D Mark Nerland, who is playing with the AJHL's Camrose Kodiaks. Both players were born in 1996.
Skapski, 17, had gotten into just one game with the Silvertips. Last season, he played in 34 games, scoring twice. Skapski, from Abbotsford, B.C., was a fourth-round selection by the Portland Winterhawks in th 2011 bantam draft. He was acquired by Everett in the deal that had D Seth Jones move to Portland. Skapski also has two brothers with WHL connections — G Mackenzie Skapski is with the Kootenay Ice, while Marshall, a defenceman, was a third-round selection by the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2013 bantam draft.
Nerland, from Okotoks, Alta., won't turn 17 until Dec. 17. He has two assists in eight games with the Kodiaks. Last season, he played with the midget AAA Strathmore UFA Bisons.
5. The Regina Pats have dropped G Spencer Tremblay, 18, from their roster, as they got down to two goaltenders. . . Tremblay, who had played 46 minutes this season, is expected to join the MJHL's Waywayseecappo Wolverines. . . . That leaves Regina with Dawson MacAuley, 18, and Mac Engel, 20, as its goaltenders.
6. The Kelowna Rockets have lost F Austin Glover, 17, for what is estimated to be between two and four months. Glover, from Clavet, Sask., suffered a broken ankle in the third period of Wednesday's 6-0 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . He had three points, one of them a goal, in five games this season, after putting up four points, including one goal, in 31 games last season. . . . The Rockets also are without D Jesse Lees, who suffered a wrist injury in a 4-3 shootout loss to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds a week ago. According to Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier, Lees had a cast on one forearm on Thursday. "We're not sure how long Jesse is going to be out, but hopefully it's not that long," Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska told Fisher.
7. The NHL season is young, but the Nashville Predators sure do like what they have seen so far from D Seth Jones. Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times has more right here.
8. A tweet from Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald: "I'm gonna guess Jonny Hogue has been released by the Hurricanes, based on tweets from teammates."
Hogue, a 17-year-old goaltender gave up six goals in his only appearance with Lethbridge this season. . . . His departure would leave the Hurricanes with two goaltenders — Corbin Boes, 20, and Chris Tai, 18.
9. G Cole Bruns of the USHL's Omaha Lancers had his season-opening shutout run come to an end on Thursday night. Bruns opened with five straight shutouts. But the streak ended at 309 minutes 41 seconds last night in a 4-2 loss to the Waterloo BlackHawks.
10. F Greg Chase's shootout goal gave the host Calgary Hitmen a 4-3 victory over the Saskatoon Blades last night. The Blades, who tied the game with two third-period goals, still have points in seven straight games.
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