THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has been granted his release by Djurgården Stockholm (Sweden, Allsvenskan) for personal reasons. He was pointless in two games.
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By now you likely have seen video of Marty the Marmot, the Victoria Royals' mascot, getting body-slammed by an overzealous fan the other night.
This was one moment in an intermission promotional event — a game of musical chairs was involved — that went a little bit wrong. And in this day and age of instant communication, the video was viral before Cam Hope could blink.
"It really is incredible how an incident like that takes off into the viral-sphere when video of it exists," Hope, the Royals' general manager, told me via email on Wednesday night. "The legs it had as a story was a shock to me."
There certainly is a lesson of some kind to be learned there, that's for sure.
As for the incident itself, Hope said it was a case of someone getting caught up in the moment.
"The fan who roughed up the mascot thought that he was being playful and entertaining, but he was certainly over-exuberant," Hope said. "Thankfully, the mascot was just fine, and the young man was immediately apologetic, contrite, and wanted to make things right."
Yes, the Royals heard from the fan, who has done all he could to make things right.
"He made a nice donation to the Movember campaign, personally called to apologize, and was truly remorseful about what happened," Hope said. "For us, it was water under the bridge by the next day, and for him, a lesson learned.
"Yet two days later the story kept growing . . ."
Welcome to the world of the Internet.
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The Victoria Royals have acquired F Jack Palmer, 18, from the Brandon Wheat Kings for a pair of fifth-round selections in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Palmer was taken by the Wheat Kings in the eighth round of the 2010 bantam draft. . . . This season, he had three points, one of them a goal, in 15 games with Brandon. Last season, as a freshman, he had 12 points, including three goals, in 60 games. . . . Palmer, who is from Victoria, is the son of former Victoria Cougars F Brad Palmer, who went on to split 168 NHL games between the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins.
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Here is the start of a story on ESPN's website: "Pro Football Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Joe DeLamielleure, and former NFL All-Pro Leonard Marshall have been diagnosed as having signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition many scientists say is caused by head trauma and linked to depression and dementia, doctors have told 'Outside the Lines.' " . . . This is ground-breaking news as the medical community now is working to diagnose CTE in living people. Previously, it could only be found in the brain of a deceased person. . . . The entire story is right here.
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These are interesting sporting times in Lethbridge. As has been documented here, three players have left the Hurricanes over the last few weeks, apparently disappointed in that team's direction. Two have been traded, with D Ryan Pilon the next one soon to be moved. . . . Now there is word that not only has Lethbridge College suspended its men's volleyball team and withdrawn it from league play, but the school has asked the Lethbridge Regional Police Service to look into alleged drug use. . . . There's more right here.
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A 15-year-old suffers a brain injury in October 2011 and two years later a lawsuit is filed. You have to wonder if this is the future. . . . The Orange County Register has that story right here.
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WEDNESDAY:
In Medicine Hat, F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL's leading scorer, scored at 1:58 of OT to give the Spokane Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Tigers. . . . Holmberg, who also had two assists, leads the WHL in goals (19) and points (45). . . . Spokane has won 13 games, with Holmberg holding five game-winning goals. . . . Spokane F Adam Helewka forced OT with his ninth goal, a PP score, at 13:57 of the third period. . . . F Mike Aviani scored twice for the Chiefs, giving him 17. . . . Medicine Hat D Tommy Vannelli had three assists. . . . Tigers F Hunter Shinkaruk (hip), out since being hurt on Oct. 23, sat out his fifth straight games. He may be back in the lineup on the weekend. . . .
In Lethbridge, the Regina Pats jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead and went on to beat the Hurricanes, 5-2. . . . F Morgan Klimchuk scored the Pats' last two first-period goals. The first was the team's sixth shorthanded goal this season. . . . Klimchuk add a third goal early in the second period, giving him a natural hat trick. He scored once on the PP, once SH and once at even strength for his first WHL three-goal game. . . . Klimchuk also had an assist. . . . The Hurricanes had F Jamal Watson back in the lineup for the first time since Oct. 16. . . . D Jesse Zgraggen, acquired earlier in the week from the Calgary Hitmen, scored Regina's first goal and added a first-period assist. He finished with a goal and two helpers for the first three-point night of his 255-game career. . . . The Hurricanes have lost seven in a row and are 2-14-3 this season. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Graham Black's OT goal gave the Swift Current Broncos a 4-3 victory over the Raiders. . . . Black, who also had two assists, scored his ninth goal of the season at 3:27 of OT. He's got 22 points in 19 games. . . . The Broncos led 3-1 in the second period, only to have Prince Albert come back. A goal by D Josh Morrissey at 14:47 of the third period forced extra time. . . . There was a video review in the second period that lasted 18 minutes due to an equipment malfunction of some sort. . . .
In Everett, F Josh Winquist had a goal and two assists to lead the Silvertips to a 3-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Winquist has 18 points, including seven goals, over his last six games. Prior to that, he was pointless in three straight. . . . On the season, he has 30 points, 14 of them goals, in 17 games. . . . Click right here for a Chris Mast photograph of Winquist. . . . Everett G Daniel Cotton lost the shutout bid when F Aspen Sterzer scored his 10th goal of the season at 18:48 of the third. . . . The Blazers scratched F Matt Needham, their captain. He had taken a puck in the face during a 4-1 victory over the visiting Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday night, but had finished the game. . . .
In Portland, F Parker Bowles' breakaway goal with 26.6 seconds left in the third period gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Winterhawks, who had their 11-game winning streak snapped. . . . Bowles has eight points, including three goals, in four games since returning from injury. He missed the season's first 17 games. . . . The Winterhawks have two home losses this season, both at the hands of the Americans. . . . Portland did score the game's first goal for the ninth straight time. . . . The Winterhawks led 2-0 in the second period. . . . Tri-City F Brian Williams tied the game with 1.2 seconds left in the second period. . . . The Americans (11-8-2, .571), who have won seven of nine, have the U.S. Division's poorest record. . . . The defending-champion Winterhawks (14-4-1) continue lead the overall standings. . . .
In Victoria, G Tristan Jarry posted his second straight shutout as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Royals, 5-0. . . . Jarry, who has three shutouts this season and nine in his career, stopped 21 shots. He is riding a shutout streak of 168 minutes 10 seconds. . . . The Oil Kings have won three in a row, all on the road. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson had a goal and two assists. . . .
In Kelowna, the Rockets scored three quick first-period goals and went on to beat the Red Deer Rebels, 6-2. . . . The Rockets scored three times in the game's first 7:06 and added another at 13:35 of the first period to take control . . . The Rockets have won five in a row. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier scored for the first time in 13 games to open the scoring. . . . A dozen Rockets picked up at least one point with D Damon Severson getting a goal and two assists.
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From the Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey): "#OHL Disciplinary Action: Robby Fabbri (GUE) is suspended for 10 games for checking to the head penalty assessed Friday November 1 vs. KIT."
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