Ice on thin ice? . . . Will Gallacher kick Penguins' tires? . . . New look for Cougars

SCATTERSHOOTING, with apologies to Blackie Sherrod:

1. Well, Game 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup final wasn’t much, at least not until the final five minutes. The Tampa Bay Lightning was nursing a 1-0 lead when it started playing a 1-3-1 defence in the neutral zone in the third period. Shortly afterwards, the Chicago Blackhawks started to dominate and, of course, they won 2-1 with two late goals.
2. The Lethbrige Hurricanes will remain community-owned. They also are attempting to sell 2,000 shares at $1,000 apiece. Does that mean the opportunity is there for someone to purchase those shares for $200,000, spread them among friends and acquaintances, and control the next shareholders’ vote on whether to sell?
3. Hey, it’s not like there isn’t precedent for an end-run like that in the WHL.
4. Tampa Bay F Tyler Johnson has had a terrific spring, as has Chicago F Jonathan Toews. But the best player in the playoffs is Chicago D Duncan Keith and, really, it isn’t that close.
5. If you missed the performance turned in by Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon on Tuesday night, hunt it up and give it a look. It wasn’t quite in Lou Piniella country, but it was close.
6. The Kootenay Ice’s average attendance in 2014-15 was 2,239. WHL commissioner Ron Robison has told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that the figure needs to be at 3,000 or better in 2015-16. Or else . . . Abbotsford Ice?
7. The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs have at least talked with Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Leafs have been hiring major junior executives the way a Greyhound bus takes on passengers. McCrimmon would like nothing better than to be given opportunity at the NHL level. But I can’t see him leaving at this point, not when his Wheat Kings have been built with next season in mind.
8. The more I think about Kootenay hiring Luke Pierce as its new head coach, the more I like it. Hey, what’s not to like. How many WHL coaches have degrees from Royal Military College? Pierce has a BA (psychology major, business minor) and an MBA (concentration in strategic management). He also spent six seasons as the GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. Merritt just happens to be his hometown. So he is no stranger to pressure.
9. The NBA Finals — it’s the NBA Finals and the NHL final — starts tonight, meaning it’s Steph versus LeBron. According to Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com, the cheapest seat for Game 1 was going for US$638, with the priciest at $58,000. Seriously!
10. Should we be surprised that Dennis Rodman apparently has said he would like to date Caitlyn Jenner?
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F Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A), he had nine goals and 21 assists in 47 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, as an alternate captain with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan), Palin had four goals and nine assists in 51 games. . . .
F Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-09) signed a one-year contract with the Hull Stingrays (England, UK Elite). This season, with the Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had 24 points, including nine goals, in 45 games.
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Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, has reiterated that if the Kootenay Ice’s attendance doesn’t improve in 2015-16, the franchise’s future in Cranbrook may come to an end.
“It’s reached a very critical stage,” Robison told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. “I think it’s something we’re going to have to determine this year. If things aren’t improving, I don’t believe ownership or the league will be in a position to continue to support the franchise remaining in Cranbrook. It’s a very critical season coming up. We need to see more support in order to get us to a position where we have confidence in the market moving forward, but at this stage, we’re very concerned about the future of the franchise.”
Rocca’s story includes a chart showing the Ice’s average attendance each season. It was 3,635 in 2000-01 and 2,239 this season.
Robison told Rocca:
“We recognize Cranbrook is a small market in relation to other markets. I think back to when the franchise moved into Cranbrook and the goal and certainly the requirement at that time was to draw a minimum of 2,800 fans. What we see now is (that) it’s going to have to be something in excess of 3,000 a game. When you look at the attendance this year, that’s certainly a long way from where we need to be.”
I’m thinking Luke Pierce, the Ice’s new head coach, should rent for the first year.
Rocca’s story is right here.
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Owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux are exploring the their options in terms of selling the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Don’t be surprised if you hear that Bill Gallacher, the owner of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and the Kloten Flyers of Switzerland’s NL A, is kicking the tires.
According to a news released from the Penguins, they “have engaged Morgan Stanley to oversee a review of their strategic options.”
Burkle and Lemieux are the lead owners in a group that has owned the franchise for 16 years.
“We conduct periodic reviews of our business and, because we have received several inquiries about the franchise in recent years, we decided to engage Morgan Stanley for their insight and counsel,” Lemieux and Burkle said in a joint statement. “After buying the team out of bankruptcy, ensuring its long-term future in Pittsburgh and creating a strong foundation for continued success, we believe it is time to explore our options.”
Bob McKenzie, TSN’s lead hockey insider, reported right here: “It doesn't mean Burkle and Lemieux are necessarily getting out but they are looking at various options. It's believed Lemieux, perhaps more than Burkle, may have an interest in getting his equity share out of the franchise.”
According to Pittsburgh’s news release, the Penguins “have made the playoffs for nine straight seasons, the second-longest active streak in the NHL. They have sold out 377 straight games, dating back to February 2007, and have led the NHL’s U.S.-based teams in local television ratings for six straight years.”
Gallacher purchased the Winterhawks over the summer of 2008. He bought majority ownership in the Flyers earlier this year.
It is believed that Gallacher has long been interested in owning an NHL franchise, but he has been patient in waiting for what he feels is the right franchise at the right time.
Mike Johnston, who just finished his first season as the Penguins’ head coach, spent the previous six seasons as the Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach. You can bet that he will have provided Gallacher with a lot of inside information on the Pittsburgh franchise.
Earlier this year, Forbes magazine valued the Penguins at US$550 million.
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The Prince George Cougars, who are preparing for a second season under their new ownership group, unveiled a new logo on Wednesday. The 2015-16 season will be the franchise’s 22nd in Prince George.
“It was very important for us to respect the history of both the Prince George Cougars name and logo during this process, particularly since two of our owners (Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer) played such a vital part in helping create this team’s identity when they played in Prince George,” Cougars president Greg Pocock said in a news release.“This is another historic moment for the Prince George Cougars franchise. Our new logo keeps the similar color scheme that our fans have come to know and love, while also providing a new identifiable symbol that will help unite our fans as the excitement and passion continues to build for all that lies ahead for us.” . . . The logo was designed by Mike Doran of Prince George-based Splash Media. . . . This will be the Cougars’ fourth logo since they relocated from Victoria after 1993-94. . . . For more on the Cougars and their Wednesday announcements, click right here.
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The fifth annual Hockey Coaches Conference is scheduled for July 24 and 25 in Vancouver. Presenters announced to date include NHL head coaches Willie Desjardins and Mike Johnston; Toronto Maple Leafs AGM Kyle Dubas; Mike Valley, the Dallas Stars’ goaltender coach; Roger Takahashi, the Canucks’ strength and conditioning coach; and, Scott Salmond, vice-president, hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. . . . For lots more info, check out the website right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Ron Wilson, a veteran NHL coach, is expected to be named head coach of the U.S. national junior team this morning. Wilson, 60, was fired as the head coach of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs late in the 2011-12 season. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Vacnouver Canucks, four as the head coach of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, five as head coach of the Washington Capitals and five as head coach of the San Jose Sharks.
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The junior B Kelowna Chiefs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have signed Ryan Jorde and Lennie Rampone as assistant coaches. Jorde and Rampone, both of whom are from Kelowna, will work alongside head coach Jason Tansem. . . . Jorde, 34, spent the past four seasons coaching at the Pursuit of Excellence Academy. He played parts of five seasons in the WHL (Tri-City Americans, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors, 1997-2002). . . . Rampone, 36, captained the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers when they won the 1999 RBC Cup as national junior A champions. Of late, he has coached in Calgary and Kelowna.
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 In the ECHL, the South Carolina Stingrays scored a 4-1 victory over the host Allen Americans in Game 3 of the Kelly Cup final. . . . The Stingrays hold a 2-1 lead, with the next three games in their home arena. . . . Attendance for Game 3 was 3,604. . . . Allen held a 40-28 edge in shots. . . . The series will resume with games in North Charleston, S.C., on Sunday and Tuesday. Game 6, if needed, would be played on Wednesday.
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Teuvo Teravainen: "When I scored the goal I think the first thing was, ‘Oh no, I have to go do media now.' " #Blackhawks

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) June 4, 2015

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Generals or Rockets? Who wins? . . . No news on Matthews . . . Dillon jumps to Oil Kings

F Hampus Gustafsson (Regina, Brandon, 2009-11) signed a one-year contract with Storhamar Hamar (Norway, GET-Ligaen). This season, he was pointless in three games with Pantern Malmö (Sweden, Division 1) and had seven goals and 10 assists in 19 games with Grenoble (France, Ligue Magnus).
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The Oshawa Generals haven’t won the Memorial Cup since 1990. The Kelowna Rockets have been in the tournament five times since 2002, but won it just once, as the host team in 2004. . . . One of them will be crowned major junior hockey’s champion today in what will be the historic final game to be played in the Pepsi Colisee. . . . The way Bill Beacon of The Canadian Press sees it, the Generals go into the game as the slight favourites. His story is right here.

At first glance, this game would seem to match Kelowna’s offence against the defence of the Generals,
who are easily the bigger of the two teams. However, the Generals averaged 38.67 shots on goal in their three games, while the Rockets were at 32.5 in four games. . . . Of course, the Generals went 3-0, with three one-goal victories, to earn a bye to the final. The Rockets are 2-2, including a 9-3 thrashing of the host Quebec Remparts in Friday’s semifinal game. . . . The Rockets scored 20 goals in four games; the Generals counted 11 in three outings. . . . From where I sit, the outcome of this game, from a Kelowna perspective, rests on the Rockets’ ability to play a run-and-gun with lots of pressure on the puck. If they are able to mount that kind of game, they will win, but they might need to score five goals to do it. . . . If Kelowna ends up trying to play a defence-first game, that will be to Oshawa’s benefit and the Generals could win a low-scoring affair. . . . The big question, however, is this: Will the fact that Rockets head coach Dan Lambert is bilingual and a former player with the NHL’s Quebec Nordiques be enough to put the crowd’s support behind his club?
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec 0 vs. Rimouski 4 (10,277)
Thursday, May 28 (tiebreaker): Quebec 5 vs. Rimouski 2 (6,533)
Friday, May 29 (semifinal): Kelowna 9 vs. Quebec 3 (9,870)
Sunday (championship): Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7 p.m.
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The camp of USNTDP star F Auston Matthews has yet to reveal where he will play next season. Perhaps Matthews, who already is being projected as the No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2016 draft, hasn’t yet decided. Or perhaps he and his advisors (wink! wink!) simply are enjoying the speculation. . . . His options were believed to be the NCAA — he has numerous schools interested and at one point was said to have whittled his list to five — or the WHL, where the Everett Silvertips hold his rights. . . . But then came word that Matthews was listening most intently to an offer from Switzerland, perhaps from the Zurich-based ZSC Lions, who are coached by Marc Crawford. . . . And then, just to thicken the stew, Sportsnet’s Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) tweeted earlier in the week: “Almost 100% Auston Matthews is headed to Europe, not WHL or NCAA. News is teams from Sweden, Finland may have joined Zurich in the bidding.” . . . At this point, however, it would seem that if it is to be a team in Finland or Sweden, there hasn’t been much light shed on it over there. I heard from a source who is most familiar with hockey in the Scandinavian countries. “I have looked into all the sites and papers I know of in Sweden and Finland and if there is any mention of it, it is quoting Cox's tweets,” the source told Taking Note. “However, (the Finnish newspaper) Ilta-Sanomat reports that Zurich's offer to Matthews is 450,000 Euros, about US$500,000, for next season.” . . . Aside from the money, the prime advantage to Matthews of playing in Europe is that the NHL team that drafts him would, according to the NHL-NHLPA agreement, be able to send him to its AHL affiliate for the 2016-17 season should it choose to do so. . . . While all of this is going on, a voice deep inside keeps asking me if Avenir Sports and Entertainment might yet surface in all of this. ASE has majority ownership in the Kloten Flyers, who play in Switzerland’s National League A, as do the ZSC Lions. Bill Gallacher, who owns ASE, also owns the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed their first two selections from the 2015 WHL bantam draft. . . . D Jeff Woo was the fourth overall selection and they took Luka Burzan two picks later. . . . Woo played for the bantam AAA Winnipeg Warriors, while Burzan was with the North Shore Winter Club. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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G Alec Dillon, who had committed to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and play hockey there, has changed his mind and will sign with the Edmonton Oil Kings. The 19-year-old is expected to be introduced at a Monday news conference. . . . Dillon, from Nanaimo, was a second-team all-star this season with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. The previous season, he was with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . . The 6-foot-5, 175-pounder was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . At the moment, Dillon would seem to slot in alongside sophomore Patrick Dea, an 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., on Edmonton’s depth chart. Playing behind Tristan Jarry, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Dea got into 21 games this season, going 11-5-1, 2.57, .904. . . . Jarry, 20, is expected to play in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization this season. The Penguins selected him in the second round of the NHL’s 2013 draft. . . . Dillon, who is good friends with Oil Kings D Dysin Mayo, was a fifth-round selection by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2011 bantam draft. On Nov. 28, 2013, they dealt his rights and what will be a fourth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft to Edmonton for D Stephen Shmoorkoff.
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F Jordan Kawaguchi, a fourth-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2012 bantam draft, has said he will attend Providence College. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Kawaguchi, from Abbotsford, B.C., played this season with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, putting up 56 points, including 28 goals, in 53 games.
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#MyPlayoffsMoment in China repping @NHLBlackhawks even had Peking Duck - Go Hawks win Game 7! #CHIvsANA @NHL pic.twitter.com/Eete3rdCCD

— Ryan Ohashi (@Osmashi) May 30, 2015

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Winterhawks' owner buys Swiss pro team . . . What does it mean to 'Hawks?

Avenir Sports and Entertainment has purchased majority ownership in the Kloten Flyers, a professional hockey team that plays in Switzerland’s National League A.
ASE also owns the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.
Bill Gallacher, the chairman of Avenir Consolidated Corporation, owns ASE.
ASE purchased majority ownership in the Flyers from Philippe Gaydoul, who had bought in more than two years ago when the Flyers were experiencing some difficulties. Gaydoul will remain on the team’s board of directors.
“The Avenir Sports and Entertainment group wants to ensure the Kloten Flyers continue to develop at a high level,” Gaydoul said in a news release from the Flyers. “Back when I launched my rescue mission, my goal . . . was to help ensure this historic ice hockey club could continue to play the key role in our society that it has performed for more than 80 years.
“But I always saw my involvement as a transitional solution, so I am now very happy that an experienced group like ASE wants to commit to the Kloten Flyers.”
ASE, which is based in Calgary, purchased the Winterhawks in 2008 when Portland was the WHL’s poorest franchise, both on and off the ice. Today, it is hoping to play in its fifth straight WHL championship final.
The Winterhawks hold a 2-1 lead on the Kelowna Rockets going into Game 4 of the Western Conference final tonight in Portland.
But what does all of this mean to the Winterhawks?
Here is a key sentence in a news release issued by the Winterhawks: “The Flyers also boast one of the leading youth development programs in Europe, with a pipeline of young talent that has produced many professional players.”
The Winterhawks are no strangers to Swiss players. In past seasons, their roster has included the likes of D Luca Sbisa, F Nino Niederreiter and F Sven Baertschi, all of whom were terrific WHLers and went on to become first-round NHL draft selections.
It sounds as though the pipeline to Portland has just had another tap installed.
When I suggested to someone with knowledge of the situation that it would be interesting to watch Portland’s involvement in the CHL import draft a couple of years from now, the response was: “No need to wait.”
The CHL’s 2015 import draft is scheduled for June 30.
Meanwhile, ASE has set up a management team to oversee the Flyers. This team features Doug Piper, who is the Winterhawks’ president, Ken Stickney, the president of ASE and Gallacher’s right-hand man in this area, and Bob Strumm, who works for ASE out of Las Vegas.
Strumm is no stranger to the WHL, having worked in the league office as well as with the Regina Pats and Spokane Chiefs.
The Flyers are expected to retain Sean Simpson as head coach.


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Johnston leaves Portland for Pittsburgh . . . WHL's regular-season schedule is released

F Kenndal McArdle (Moose Jaw, Vancouver, 2002-07) has signed a one-year-plus-option contract with Malmö (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Last season, with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had 24 points, including 11 goals, in 45 games. . . .
F Jordan Draper (Red Deer, 2007-08) signed a one-year contract with Mont-Blanc Megève (France, Division 1). Last season, with the Columbus Cottonmouths (SPHL), he had 53 points, 20 of them goals, in 56 games.
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When the week began, there was one WHL team, the Vancouver Giants, without a head coach.
Today, there are three.
The Regina Pats joined the list on Tuesday when the franchise’s new ownership group chose to fire Malcolm Cameron.
On Wednesday, Mike Johnston, the highly successful general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, was introduced as the head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. He signed a three-year contract.
Johnston began working for Bill Gallacher, the man who would officially purchase the Winterhawks in October 2008, prior to the 2007-08 season. Johnston took over as GM/head coach in October, once the deal closed.
He leaves the Winterhawks having led them to four consecutive WHL championship finals. They won the 2012-13 title, but Johnston sat out most of the regular season, all of the playoffs and the Memorial Cup with a WHL-mandated suspension.
The WHL ruled that the Winterhawks had been guilty of various player benefit violations under Johnston’s watch, thus he was suspended. The franchise was fined $200,000 and lost a number of bantam draft picks.
Johnston has 231 regular-season victories, second in franchise history to Ken Hodge, who holds the WHL career record of 742. Johnston’s .660 winning percentage is a franchise record for coaches with at least 100 appearances.
From a Winterhawks’ news release:
“The Winterhawks had 20 players selected in the NHL draft during Johnston’s tenure, including six in the first round. Already, six of those players have seen NHL action: Ryan Johansen, Nino Niederreiter, Sven Baertschi, Tyler Wotherspoon, Ty Rattie and Seth Jones.
“Under Johnston the Winterhawks also became a leader in the players’ educational efforts, with all players, including college players, taking courses to further their education. Those efforts led to the Hawks being named the 2012-13 WHL Scholastic Team of the Year.”
Despite the success, Johnston was never honoured as the WHL’s executive or coach of the year.
While signing Johnston, the Penguins also gave assistant coach Rick Tocchet a three-year contract, and also announced that they will keep Jacques Martin, who had been an assistant under Dan Bylsma, albeit in a different role. Pittsburgh also has kept goaltender coach Mike Bales and video co-ordinator Andy Saucier.
On Wednesday, the Penguins fired assistant coaches Todd Reirden and Tony Granato, with Reirden signing later in the day with the Washington Capitals.
The Penguins are going to hire another assistant coach, and you are free to wonder if that spot may end up being filled by Travis Green, Johnston’s long-time assistant in Portland who just finished his first season as head coach of the Utica Comets, the Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate.
“I’m looking to maybe bring Travis in here as an assistant,” Johnston told Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune.
Johnston and Rutherford talked during the weekend in Pittsburgh, then met in Philadelphia, site of this weekend’s NHL draft, on Tuesday. Johnston was introduced as head coach during a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
To show you how crazy things can get when the coaching carousel starts turning, consider all of this . . . Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford originally wanted Willie Desjardins as his head coach. Instead, Desjardins signed a four-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks. . . . Johnston, who wasn’t one of the first eight men to be interviewed by Rutherford, actually interviewed with the Canucks last week. . . . Johnston last worked in the NHL since 2007-08 when he was an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings under head coach Marc Crawford. Johnston also worked under Johnston with the Canucks. . . . Crawford was one of the eight men interviewed by Rutherford
Winterhawks owner Bill Gallacher and president Doug Piper are in Philadelphia for the NHL draft. The search to replace Johnston will begin there, with them hoping to find someone who, like Johnston, is capable of wearing both hats.
"We like that formula, if there is a person with the skill set to do both," Piper told Eggers, adding that there is no rush to sign someone.
"I'd rather find the right person than be in a hurry," Piper said. "It's important to have someone in place, settled and ready for the start of training camp on Aug. 20.
"There are a lot of good candidates, which is really gratifying to us. Portland and the Winterhawks are attractive (to candidates). We're at the top of the game at this level. Bill Gallacher is an owner who provides the resources to be successful. And Portland is a great city. People want to live here."
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Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has a comprehensive Johnston story right here.
www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/225378-87733-whirlwind-leads-to-almost-a-dream-job-for-mike-johnston-new-penguins-coach
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The WHL released its regular-season schedule on Wednesday. Some tidbits . . .
1. While the Portland Winterhawks have a schedule, they don’t know in which building each game will be played. That will be finalized after the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers complete their schedule.
2. The WHL finalists from each of the last three seasons meet in Portland on Nov. 2 when the Winterhawks play host to the Memorial Cup-champion Edmonton Oil Kings. Will they be part way to a fourth straight meeting for the Ed Chynoweth Cup?
3. The Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans will begin their seasons in Kennewick, Wash., on Sept. 20. It will be the 23rd time in the past 25 seasons that these two teams have played each other in a season opener. . . . The Americans will visit Spokane for the Chiefs’ home-opener on Sept. 27.
4. The Chiefs open the season by playing nine of their first 14 games at home.
5. For the first time in more than 30 years, the Brandon Wheat Kings won’t be at home on Remembrance Day (Nov. 11). Instead, Westman Place will be home to Game 2 of the Subway Super Series between Team WHL and touring Russian side.
6. The Wheat Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors complete their schedules by going home-and-home on March 20 and 21, starting in Moose Jaw. . . . Brandon’s 880 CKLQ Sportsman’s Dinner is scheduled for Jan. 29, with the Warriors in Brandon the next night. The dinner, normally held in early in February, has been moved so as not to clash with the Manitoba men’s curling championship.
7. The Wheat Kings will play three games in three nights on two occasions, both on the road.
8. With the Tim Hortons Brier (the Canadian men’s curling championship) in Calgary in 2015, the Hitmen will be out of the Saddledome from Feb. 17 to March 15.
9. Don Hay, who returns as the Kamloops Blazers’ head coach for the first time since winning the 1995 Memorial Cup, will make his home debut on Sept. 19 against the Victoria Royals. . . . Hay spent the last 10 seasons as Vancouver’s head coach; the will make his first appearance in Vancouver with the Blazers on Oct. 17. . . . The Blazers, coming off the poorest season in franchise history, will play six of their first eight games on the road.
10. Kamloops will conclude its regular-season schedule by playing four of its last six games against the Prince George Cougars.
11. The Prince George Cougars, in their first season without Rick Brodsky as the owner, will give the new ownership group a real baptism by fire. They open in Portland against the four-time defending Western Conference-champion Winterhawks on Sept. 20, then meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Sept. 21. The Cougars open at home against the Kelowna Rockets, who had the WHL’s best regular-season record last season, on Sept. 26.
12. In past seasons, the Swift Current Broncos rarely have made their western road swing in the early portions of the season. This time around, the Broncos will open their western trip in Prince George on Sept. 30. “With farming being at a busy time in September and October we felt that was the best time to be on the road,” Mark Lamb, the Broncos’ GM/head coach, explained in a news release. “That will give our fans the opportunity to attend more games at home.”
13. The WHL playoffs are scheduled to open on Friday, March 27.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors will hold their annual general meeting on July 17 in the Heritage Inn. The fun begins at 7 p.m. . . . The Southern Professional Hockey League’s Augusta franchise, the RiverHawks, has moved to Macon, Ga., where it will be known as the Mayhem. A lot of folks were hoping for a reincarnation of the Whoopee. . . . D Garrett Haar, who completed his junior eligibility last season with the Portland Winterhawks, has signed with the Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Washington Capitals. He was selected by Washington in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL draft while he was still with the Western Michigan Broncos. . . . According to Over The Boards (@OTBPuckWatch), the Portland Winterhawks have listed F Ryan Poehling, a 15-year-old from Lakeville, Minn., who has committed to St. Cloud State U. He played last season with the Lakeville North High Panthers, spending at least part of his freshman season on a line with his brothers Jack and Nick, who are twins and were juniors. . . . Over the Boards also reports that the Medicine Hat Tigers have listed Ben Copeland, a 1999-born forward from Edina, Minn.
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Not sure about rest of WHL, but Kelowna Rockets won't play 3 games in 3 nights. Not even once. The 2014/15 schedule looks player friendly.
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) June 25, 2014

All that glitters is not gold though. Kelowna Rockets play three games in four nights a staggering 12 times. #wetgear
— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) June 25, 2014

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Broncos schedule news conference for Friday

D Deron Quint (Seattle, 1993-95) has signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia, KHL). Last season, with CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow (both Russia, KHL), Quint had 28 points, 13 of them goals, in 51 games. He led KHL defencemen in goals, and he also won the hardest-shot part of the KHL all-star game skills competition. . . .
F Boštjan Goličič (Calgary, 2007-09) has signed a one-year contract with Gap (France, Ligue Magnus). Last season, with Briançon (France, Ligue Magnus), he had 24 points, including 10 goals, in 21 games. . . .
F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) has signed a one-year contract with Vita Hästen Norrkoping (Sweden, Allsvenskan). Last season, with Landshut (Germany, DEL2), he put up 64 points, including 24 goals, in 45 games. He led the team in goals, assists and points, finishing eighth in the league’s scoring race. . . .
D Alexander Urbom (Brandon, 2009-10) has signed a two-year contract with Severstal Cherepovets (Russia, KHL). Last season, with Washington (NHL), he had a goal and an assist in 20 games. With Albany (AHL), Urbom  had 11 points, including one goal, in 35 games.
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The WHL’s Swift Current Broncos are scheduled to hold a news conference on Friday.
They aren’t expected to announce any contract extensions or any player transactions.
Instead, they will announce that they are getting into the tractor-pull business.
When you are the community-owned Broncos and you are fighting to stay alive in a league in which there is neither revenue sharing nor an expenses cap, you play host to things like the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) circuit. The Broncos already have done that this season.
They also have been known to promote the odd concert, although that has been something of a hit-and-miss proposition and, after a Dwight Yoakam show last fall wasn’t didn’t go over the way they had hoped, they may have second thoughts of doing that again.
But when you’re the Broncos you have to experiment; you have to always be searching for new revenue streams.
Why?
Well . . .
The Portland Winterhawks drew 371,377 fans to 47 home games during the 2013-14 WHL season. That is an average of 7,902 fans per game and it explains why, as owner Bill Gallacher said during his club’s fourth straight appearance in the WHL’s championship series, the Winterhawks have a larger scouting staff than some NHL teams.
Meanwhile, the Broncos drew 84,905 fans to 39 games, three of which were in the postseason. That works out to an average of 2,177.
On Friday, the Broncos will hold a news conference at which they will provide details for the 2014 Redhead Equipment Case IH Tractor Pulls presented by Bourgault Industries.
When you are the Winterhawks, there aren’t any tractor pulls in your future and you don’t bring the bull-riders to town.
With the Broncos, it’s a completely different story. In fact, it’s bull-riding and tractor pulls . . . or perhaps the death of a franchise.
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F Brayden Watts has signed with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He’s from Bakersfield, Calif., so perhaps he’ll bring some of that Bakersfield sound to Rob Carnie and CHAB. . . . Watts was a third-round selection in the WHL’s 2014 draft after playing last season with the U-14 AAA Arizona Bobcats. . . . For more on Watts and a couple of other Americans prospects, check out this story right here from Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. It was published late last month as the Warriors were holding their prospects camp.
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We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.
— CIA (@CIA) June 6, 2014

Let's see the Tooth Fairy try to top this. #memorialcup #surprise pic.twitter.com/SFSzrGaWDn
— Steve Hamilton (@hamilton_steve) June 6, 2014

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Winterhawks up 2-0 in final; Gallacher speaks

1. Bill Gallacher, the owner of the Portland Winterhawks, met with the media for a question-and-answer session during the second intermission of last night’s game. This does not happen often, so it’s worth a watch. The video, courtesy of The Oregonian, is right here.

2. Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich) was at the Gallacher session and tweeted this: “I didn't get a great look, but Gallacher was wearing blue loafers that you can only really get away with when you're a billionaire.” . . . Nah! Gallacher is a fan of Carl Perkins.

3. Prior to Game 2 of the WHL’s championship final, Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports posted a story on how the Portland Winterhawks came to be the Evil Empire of the WHL. That piece is right here.

4. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune takes a look right here at the job Winterhawks’ GM/head coach Mike Johnston has done, starting with the trades that brought in G Corbin Boes and D Mathew Dumba.

5. The Indiana Ice won’t take part in the USHL next season. According to a news release: “Ownership of the Ice, working with the Office of the Commissioner and the USHL Executive Committee, requested and received approval from the USHL Board of Directors for the temporary withdrawal from on-ice competition in order for the organization to focus on development of new facility and permanent home for the USHL Member Club in the Indianapolis area.” . . . The Ice has been part of the USHL since 2004 and is about to play in the league’s championship final for the Clark Cup.

6. The IIHF men’s world championship begins in Minsk, Belarus, on Friday and runs through May 25. F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice will spend some time with Canada’s team, but won’t play in the tournament. He will practise with the team and perhaps play in an exhibition game or two.
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THE QMJHL FINAL:
Tuesday -- Baie-Comeau Drakkar at Val-d’Or Foreurs. Series tied 1-1.
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THE OHL FINAL:
Tuesday -- Guelph Storm at North Bay Battalion. Series tied 1-1.
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THE FOURTH ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
WHL final, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup
(x - if necessary)
(All games televised live by Shaw)
(All games televised by Root Sports -- Game 2 live, others on delayed basis)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
(Portland leads, 2-0)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton 2 at Portland 5 (10,947)
Sunday: Edmonton 1 at Portland 3 (10,645)
Tuesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
x-Sunday: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday, May 12: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, the Winterhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead and went on beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Portland leads the best-of-seven WHL championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup 2-0 as the teams head for Edmonton. They are scheduled to play there on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . The teams were to share a charter to Edmonton following last night’s game. . . . The Winterhawks, who won the opener 5-2 on Saturday, scored twice before last night’s game was four minutes old. . . . F Chase De Leo got his ninth goal of the playoffs at 2:12, with F Brendan Leipsic notching his 13th just 1:02 later. Leipsic, who also had an assist, was back on the ice after missing Game 1 while serving a one-game WHL suspension. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner, who scored twice on Saturday, made it 3-0 at 4:32 of the second period, giving him five goals in these playoffs. Bittner also had an assist. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson got Edmonton on the board with a PP goal at 13:32 of the third period. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 28 shots, one fewer than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich points out that Boes, who was acquired from Lethbridge this season, had a streak with the Hurricanes in which he lost 18 straight decisions. With Portland, Boes is 19-1-1. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-3 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-4. . . . Portland now is 42-3 since Jan. 11 and is 9-0 at home in the playoffs. . . . This is the third straight spring in which these two teams have met in the final. In the two earlier series, the teams split the first two games. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand had one assist. He leads the playoff scoring race, with 30 points, one more than Leipsic. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who leads the WHL in assists (24), had his playoff point streak snapped at 15 games. Yes, this was the first game in these playoffs in which he didn’t get at least one point. . . .

Sunaya Sapurji of Yahoo! Sports filed a game story that is right here.

Scott Sepich covered the game for The Canadian Press, and his gamer is right here.

Brian Swane of the Edmonton Sun has a game story right here.

The gamer filed by Molly Blue of The Oregonian is right here.

Cam Charron of Yahoo! Sports breaks down the first two games right here, and he has the Winterhawks “in a class of their own.” . . . Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal won't need to look at any stats other than this: His club has fallen behind 3-0 in each of the first two games. It's tough to climb out of holes like that at any time of the season, never mind in the championship final.
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From Tom Morello (@tmorello): “When I was a kid I thought quicksand was going to be a much bigger problem on a daily basis than it really is.”

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