F Johannes Salmonsson (Spokane, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract with the Cologne Sharks (Germany, DEL). Last season, with Linköping (Sweden, SHL), he had five goals and four assists in 46 games.
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It could be that we are on the verge of some interesting moves in the world of hockey.
On Friday morning, Over The Boards (@OTBPuckWatch) revealed via Twitter that two — and perhaps three —
WHL draft picks are headed to Austria.According to two tweets, F Carson Dimoff and F Ryan Savage are to join the EC Red Bull Salzburg organization, while F Riley Stotts is “rumored to be joining them . . . as well.”
The Everett Silvertips selected Dimoff in the seventh round of the 2014 bantam draft. In the 2015 draft, the Silvertips took Savage in the fourth round. Dimoff and Savage are from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Savage is the son of former NHLer Brian Savage, who is working with Red Bull Salzburg in the area of skill development.
Stotts, from Winnipeg, was selected by the Swift Current Broncos with the 10th pick of the 2015 bantam draft.
We have grown so accustomed to European players coming to North America when the pipeline runs the other way it is a bit of a shock.
Of course, earlier this summer, we heard that F Auston Matthews, an 18-year-old from Scottsdale, had signed to play professionally with the Zurich-based ZSC Lions, a Swiss team.
Since then, it has come to light that Matthews, whose WHL rights are owned by Everett, has been unable to get a work permit that would allow him to play for the Lions. In Switzerland, a soccer or hockey player has to have played professionally for one season in order to receive the OK.
Matthews, who is a prospective No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft, and his representatives are believed to be working to resolve that situation.
And let’s not forget that Bill Gallacher, the owner of the Portland Winterhawks, has purchased the Kloten Flyers, who play in the same Swiss league as the Lions.
How long before the Winterhawks have prospects playing over there?
Dimoff had 17 points, 10 of them goals, with the U-16 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes last season, after putting up 21 points, including 12 goals, in 18 games with the bantam AAA Jr. Coyotes in 2013-14.
Savage had 13 points, including six goals, in 23 games with the U-16 Jr. Coyotes last season. In 2013-14, he had 17 points, nine of them goals, in 18 games with the bantam AAA Jr. Coyotes.
Last season, Stotts scored 39 goals and added 29 assists in 29 games with the the bantam AAA Winnipeg Monarchs. In 2013-14, he had 76 points, including 43 goals, in 30 games with the Monarchs’ bantam AAA Division 2 team.
Red Bull Salzburg has U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams, among others, as part of its organization.
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Despite missing the playoffs for a third straight season, the Moose Jaw Warriors showed a profit of $306,136 in 2014-15. That was the word at an annual general meeting that lasted 30 minutes on Thursday
evening. . . . The financial report also showed retained earnings of $917,270. . . . “A community-owned team with the revenues that we bring in, we do a great job of managing our expenses,” said Warriors president Chad Taylor is quoted as saying on radio station CHAB’s website. “At the end of the day, salaries are in a good spot, expenses are in a good spot, but there is more opportunities for us to generate more revenue on the ticket side. We've got to go find them though, they're not going to come to us.” . . . Taylor also talked about the attendance challenges that may be in the team’s future. “From a league side, this is something that the 21 other teams are all talking about,” he said. “Some of the bigger franchises are seeing their season-ticket holders go away. I don't think the Moose Jaw market is that way, but we definitely have to be prepared for it.” . . . The Warriors reported $1,529,119 in ticket revenue, down about $60,000 from 2013-14. They also got $320,600 from their booster club, an increase of $115,290 from the previous season. . . . On the education front, the Warriors paid out $142,000 to 25 recipients. . . . The Warriors have shown a profit for at least five straight seasons now — $144,457, $394,646, $343,890, $61,566 and $306,136.——
Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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Mike Gabinet is the new head coach of the NAIT Ooks. He had been the associate coach under Serge Lajoie, who was named Thursday as the head coach of the U of Alberta Golden Bears. . . . Gabinet, who is from Edmonton, has been the Ooks associate coach for three seasons. He is a grandson of Canadian coaching legend Clare Drake.
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F Cole Benson, who played the past four seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings, has decided to leave the WHL and attend the U of Western Ontario in London where he will play for the Mustangs. . . . All told, Benson, 20, played in 216 regular-season and 43 playoff games with Edmonton. He was a 10th-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . He finishes with 58 regular-season points, including 27 goals. . . . An Edmonton native, he was part of one Memorial Cup-winning team and two WHL championship sides. . . . Without Benson, the Oil Kings’ roster would appear to contain four 20-year-olds — F Brandon Baddock, F Luke Bertolucci, D Ben Carroll and D Marshall Donald.
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After posting a link here last night to a story on the life and career of Herb Wakabayashi, I heard from Dusty Imoo, via Twitter: “Herb helped me decide to go to Japan. Sad to hear of this. I did not know that he had passed:( #Seibu4ever”
Imoo played in the WHL (1987-91) with the New Westminster Bruins, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Regina Pats. He later went on to play in Japan, spending nine seasons with the Seibu Lions and three with the Oji Eagles. His journey to Japan paid off in one appearance in the Olympic Winter Games. He also played in four IIHF World championships.
After ending his playing career following 2005-06, Imoo got into coaching. He now is the Los Angeles Kings’ goaltending development coach.
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Sale of Erie Otters is final. Court docs show former CHUM radio president James Watters paid $7.2M for the OHL team.
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) July 17, 2015
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