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F Robin Kovář (Vancouver, Regina, 2001-04) has been released by the Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier) for financial reasons. He had 39 points, including 18 goals, in 32 games.
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WHL trades since Dec. 27:
Trades: 25.
Players: 43.
Bantam draft picks: 33.
Conditional bantam draft picks: 6.
(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. MT, which is 4 p.m. in Brandon and 2 p.m. in Vancouver and Portland).
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When last I left you, I had written that the Lethbridge Hurricanes, after a number of moves on Monday, had 21 players on their roster, including 12 forwards and seven defencemen. “Obviously, then,” I wrote, “Anholt isn’t finished.”
Shortly after I posted that, Peter Anholt, the Hurricanes’ general manager, acquired F Alec Baer, 19, from the Vancouver Giants for a third-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft.
Baer, from St. Louis Park, Minn., is a list player who signed with the Giants on Feb. 15, 2013.
This season, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Baer has three goals and 15 assists in 39 games this season, his fourth with the Giants. In 240 career games, he has 44 goals and 61 assists.
Baer is expected to be in the Hurricanes’ lineup on Wednesday when they visit the Edmonton Oil Kings.
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News 1130 Sports of Vancouver reported Monday night that the Giants “have traded forward Radovan Bondra” to the Prince George Cougars.
According to the radio station, the Giants will get a third-round bantam draft pick and “1-2 players” from the Cougars.
Bondra, 19, is from Trebisov, Slovakia. He is a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder with good offensive skills.
This season, Bondra has 19 goals and 12 assists in 32 games. Last season, as a freshman, had had 30 points, including 15 goals, in 58 games.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected Bondra in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft.
The addition of Bondra would the Cougars with three imports, the other two being Russian F Nikita Popugaev, who was acquired last week from the Moose Jaw Warriors, and Dutch F Bartek Bison, who hasn’t played since Dec. 3 due to a concussion.
Vancouver’s other import is Russian D Dmitry Osipov, 20.
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If things go well at practice this week, F Nolan Patrick could be back in the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup on Friday against the visiting Kootenay Ice.
Patrick, who remains the consensus No. 1 pick for the NHL’s 2017 draft, has played only six games this season, none since Oct. 11. He underwent surgery for a sports hernia in July, missed most of training camp, played six games and hasn’t played since.
Kelly McCrimmon, the Wheat Kings’ owner who now is the assistant GM with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, told TSN’s Bob McKenzie that Patrick was to take part in a full practice on Monday. “He’ll practise full up this week and he aims to play Friday so long as the rest of the week goes well,” McCrimmon said.
Patrick had four goals and five assists in those six games.
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You may be wondering how F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings can be the favourite as the No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2017 draft despite playing only six games this season. Well, Craig Button of TSN has released his latest rankings — Craig’s List features his top 105 — and he explains why Patrick remains No. 1. That’s all right here.
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F Koby Morrisseau, 16, has been shut down for the rest of this season by the Spokane Chiefs. He has
been played on the long-term injured reserve list.
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| KOBY MORRISSEAU |
“After further review and consideration with medical professionals and his family, we have decided to shut Koby down for the rest of the (season),” Spokane general manager Scott Carter said in a news release. “His health is our top priority. We wish him the best as he works toward a full recovery.”
Morrisseau, from Grandview, Man., was a first-round selection in the 2015 WHL bantam draft. This season, he had one goal and one assist in 22 games.
Morrisseau has suffered two concussions this season.
The first occurred Sept. 3 in an exhibition game against the Portland Winterhawks in Everett. Morrisseau spent that night in hospital after leaving the ice on a stretcher following a check from behind. Portland F Brett Clayton was suspended for six games as a result of the hit.
Morrisseau was back in time for the start of the regular season on Sept. 24.
He last played on Dec. 13 against the host Seattle Thunderbirds. He needed attention from both teams’ training staffs and left the game following a hard check from Seattle D Turner Ottenbreit.
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D Luke Reid, a second-round selection by the Victoria Royals in the 2016 WHL bantam draft, has made a verbal commitment to attend North Dakota. Reid, 15, is from Warman, Sask. Reid plays for the Battlefords Stars of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League.
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A few years ago, a football player to a severe blow to the head while wearing a mouth guard with motion sensors. “The information from those sensors,” according to a piece in The New York Times, “has given researchers a more detailed and precise window into what was happening within the player’s brain in the milliseconds after the hit.” . . . That complete piece, including great video work, is right here. You really need to check this out in order to see just what happens to the brain after a shot to the head.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):
Tri-City at Moose Jaw 7 p.m.
Prince George at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
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