Showing posts with label Bobby Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bobby Russell. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Broncos' first pick opts for Pioneers . . . Concussions end Verhelst's career . . . 'Canes beat Pats in OT


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D Jacson Alexander, 15, has committed to attend the U of Denver and play for the Pioneers, starting with the 2020-21 season. From Victoria, Alexander was the Swift Current Broncos’ first selection, 17th overall, in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 22 points, including nine goals, in 24 games with the Shawnigan Lake School’s bantam team. This season, with the prep team, Alexander, who will turn 16 on Feb. 1, has six points, including five assists, in 10 games.
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The Prince George Cougars may be waiting a while longer before they get D Brendan Guhle back from the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres, their defence corps depleted by injuries, recalled Guhle on Friday and he played three games over the next four days. On Tuesday, he played 15 minutes 55 seconds and had two shot blocks in a 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Of the six defencemen dressed by Buffalo, Guhle played the fourth-most minutes. . . . In the three games, Guhle, 19, is pointless with four shots on goal. He is plus-1. His ice time in his first two games was 16:20 and 16:48. . . . The Sabres next play on Friday against the visiting Washington Capitals.
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With G Connor Ingram leaving for the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp later this week, the Kamloops Blazers have added G Max Palaga, 16, to their roster. Palaga, who is from Kamloops, plays for the Kamloops-based Thompson Blazers of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . Palaga practised with the Blazers on Wednesday and will back up G Dylan Ferguson on a Central Division trip that opens against the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday. The Blazers will play six games in eight days on that trip. . . . The Blazers also will lose sophomore D Ondrej Vala, as he is scheduled to leave Monday after being named to the preliminary roster for the Czech Republic’s team that will play in the World Junior  Championship. . . . The Blazers also learned Wednesday that former NHL F Mark Recchi, who owns a piece of the Kamloops franchise, is among the B.C. Sport Hall of Fame’s class of 2017. The induction dinner is scheduled for April 12 in Vancouver.
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The Kootenay Ice has returned D Bobby Russell to the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Russell, 16, was pointless in four games during his stint with the Ice. . . . Kootenay’s roster now is at 24, including 14 forwards and eight defencemen.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed G Evan Fradette, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the WHL’s 2016 bantam draft. From St. Albert, Alta., he is playing for the minor midget St. Albert Flyers, who are 17-0-0. Fradette has played eight games, going 0.75 and .971. He played last season for the bantam AAA St. Albert Flyers and was 1.81, .925.
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F Craig Cunningham, the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners and a former WHLer, has been Facetiming with teammates from the hospital in which he has been since collapsing on the ice prior to a game on Nov. 19. But, as Jared Clinton of The Hockey News, writes right here, “There’s still no word as to what exactly caused” Cunningham to collapse. . . . Clinton’s piece is right here.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet offers up his latest edition of 30 Thoughts right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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Concussion Report
G Tyson Verhelst has chosen to end his competitive hockey career due to concussion problems. Verhelst, 19, is from Kemnay, Man., a community just west of Brandon. He suffered a concussion while with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives in 2013-14 and then was twice diagnosed with concussions while with the Spokane Chiefs (2014-16). In fact, a concussion prematurely ended last season for him. The Red Deer Rebels acquired his rights from Spokane earlier this season and he had hoped to be able to continue his career. However, he took a fall in October near his billet’s home in Red Deer, hit his head and was diagnosed with yet another concussion. Now, after consulting with doctors, Verhelst has decided to quit hockey and plans on enrolling in Lethbridge Community College in September. . . . Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com has more right here.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

At Everett, F Jordan Topping’s OT goal gave the Tri-City Americans a 4-3 victory over the Silvertips. . . .
JORDAN TOPPING
This was an interesting game with the Silvertips taking a 2-0 lead and later having to erase a 3-2 deficit in order to get to extra time. . . . Topping ended it with his second goal in two games since returning from an ankle injury. . . . D Noah Juulsen got his eighth goal at 9:29 of the first period to give Everett a 1-0 lead, with D Jake Christiansen (2) making it 2-0 at 14:34. . . . The Americans got the next three goals. . . . F Morgan Geekie, who has 14, got the first two, at 17:51 of the second and 8:53 of the third. . . . F Kyle Olson (9) gave the Americans a 3-2 lead at 14:36. . . . Everett F Patrick Bajkov tied it with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 18:29. . . . Geekie and D Parker Wotherspoon each had two assists for the winners. . . . F Dominic Zwerger drew two assists for Everett, while Bajkov added one to his goal. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 26 shots for Tri-City, while Carter Hart blocked 16 at the other end. . . . The Americans were 1-3 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-6. . . . Tri-City (18-11-2) has won two in a row. . . . Everett (20-3-5) is 5-0-1 in its last six and is tied with the Regina Pats atop the overall standings. . . . F Graham Millar returned to the Everett lineup for the first time since Nov. 2. . . . Announced attendance: 3,464.
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At Kelowna, F Calvin Thurkauf scored three goals to lead the Rockets to a 6-1 victory over the Seattle
CALVIN THURKAUF
Thunderbirds. . . . Thurkauf, who has 12 goals, got the game’s first two scores, at 1:06 and 10:54 of the first period. . . . He completed the hat trick with the game’s last goal, at 16:24 of the third period. The Swiss sophomore recorded his first WHL hat trick in his 86th regular-season game. . . . Kelowna got three assists from F Nick Merkley, with F Jake Kryski (7) and F Tomas Soustal (13) each getting a goal and an assist. F Dillon Dube and D Devante Stephens had two assists apiece. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 21 shots. He lost his shutout bid to F Ryan Gropp (9), on a PP, at 11:26 of the second period. . . . Seattle starter Rylan Toth allowed five goals on 23 shots over two periods. Matt Berlin played the third period, giving up a goal on eight shots. . . . Seattle was 1-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-3. . . . The Rockets (17-11-1) have points in five straight (4-0-1). . . . The Thunderbirds (15-10-3) had been 4-0-1 in their previous five outings. . . . Announced attendance: 4,721.
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At Lethbridge, D Brennan Menell scored in OT to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Regina Pats.
BRENNAN MENELL
. . . Menell’s fourth goal came at 3:12 of extra time. . . . The Hurricanes took a 4-2 lead into the third period, only to have the Pats force OT on goals from F Adam Brooks (14), at 5:00, and F Jake Leschyshyn (12), at 11:07. . . . Brooks, who leads the WHL scoring race, ran his point streak to 21 games. Including last season’s playoffs, Brooks has at least a point in 33 straight games. . . . Lethbridge took a 2-0 lead in the first period with F Tanner Nagel (4) scoring at 4:10 and F Ryan Bowen getting his seventh, on a PP, at 13:23. . . . Regina F Sam Steel scored twice before the period ended, at 13:55 and 19:22, giving him 21 goals and forging a 2-2 tie. . . . The Hurricanes regained a two-goal lead with the only goals of the second period, F Tyler Wong (20) scoring at 0:33 and F Jordy Bellerive (10) at 14:24. . . . Wong and Bowen also had two assists each, while Bellerive and Menell each had one. . . . In his last six games, Wong has had 3, 2, 3, 2, 3 and 3 points. . . . Regina got two assists from D Sergey Zborovskiy, who has 14 points, 11 of them assists, over his last four games. . . . G Stuart Skinner turned aside 42 shots for the Hurricanes, while the Pats got 28 saves from Tyler Brown. . . . Regina has Max Paddock of Brandon, a nephew of GM/head coach John Paddock, backing up Brown as Jordan Hollett is injured. . . . Lethbridge was 1-6 on the PP; Regina was 0-3. . . . The Hurricanes (15-11-4) are 8-0-1 in their last nine games. . . . Regina (20-2-5) has points in six straight (4-0-2). The loser point was enough to lift the Pats into a tie with the Everett Silvertips atop the overall standings. . . . Regina F Filip Ahl returned after missing one game due to illness. . . . The Pats had won the first two games of the four-game season series — 6-1 and 7-2. . . . Announced attendance: 2,796.
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At Medicine Hat, F Adam Musil broke a 2-2 tie with two third-period goals as the Red Deer Rebels beat
ADAM MUSIL
the Tigers, 4-2. . . . Musil, who has 13 goals, scored at 8:56 and then added an empty-netter at 18:54. He has seven goals over his past four games. . . . D Josh Mahura (10) ave Red Deer a 1-0 lead at 17:28 of the first period. . . . The Tigers tied it 2:01 later when F Steve Owre got his ninth. . . . F Evan Polei shot the Rebels out front again, with his 11th, at 17:51 of the second period. . . . Tigers F Ryan Jevne (4) pulled his guys even at 6:58 of the third period. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from D Austin Pratt, while Musil and Polei each had one. . . . D Clayton Kirichenko had two assists for Medicine Hat. . . . D David Quenneville of the Tigers was held off the scoreboard. When he gets at least one assist, they are 15-0-0; when he doesn’t they are 6-9-1. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-4. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 26 shots for Red Deer. . . . Medicine Hat G Nick Schneider blocked 20 shots. . . . The Rebels (15-12-4) have won two straight. . . . The Tigers (21-9-1) have followed a 10-game winning streak with four straight losses. They had been atop the overall standings, but now are two points back. . . . This was the fourth of six meetings between these teams this season; the Tigers had won the first three. . . . The Tigers now are 19-3-0 in the Eastern Conference, including 9-2-0 in the Central Division. . . . Announced attendance: 2,974, the smallest regular-season crowd to attend a game in the Canalta Centre, which is in its second season.
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At Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first five goals as they beat the Brandon Wheat Kings,
JOEL LAKUSTA
5-1. . . . D Joel Lakusta got it started with his first goal, at 18:42 of the first period. . . . The Cougars put it away with three goals in the second period. . . . F Brad Morrison scored twice, giving him 12 on the season, and F Jesse Gabrielle added the other. . . . Gabrielle scored his second goal of the game, and 18th of the season, at 5:09 of the third period. . . . F Kody McDonald had two assists for Prince George. . . . F Stelio Mattheos (12) scored Brandon’s goal, on a PP, at 15:11 of the third period. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 24 shots for the victory. . . . Brandon G Logan Thompson turned aside 33 shots. . . . Each team was 1-1 on the PP. . . . The Cougars improved to 21-7-2 and closed to within a point of first place in the overall standings. . . . The Wheat Kings (13-12-4) have lost four in a row (0-3-1). They went 1-3-1 in the B.C. Division. The trip took a toll, too, as they were able to dress only 17 forwards for this one. . . . Announced attendance: 2,495.
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At Saskatoon, D Jake Bean had a goal and two assists as the Calgary Hitmen overcame a 2-0 deficit and
BECK MALENSTYN
beat the Blades, 4-3. . . . D Libor Hajek gave the Blades a 1-0 lead when he ended a 75-game goal-less skid at 4:54 of the first period. . . . F Jesse Shynkaruk’s PP goal, his ninth score this season, made it 2-0 at 9:38. . . . Bean’s second goal of the season cut into the lead, on a PP, at 16:37. . . . F Matt Dorsey’s first goal tied the scored at 5:59 of the second. Dorsey’s first goal came in his 18th game of the season. A third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, he has missed the last two seasons with injuries. . . . F Beck Malenstyn added two goals, to give his guys a 4-2 lead. Malenstyn, who has nine goals, found the net at 12:38 of the second and 39 seconds into the third. . . . F Braylon Shmyr got the Blades to within one with his 12th goal, at 16:44. . . . F Jordy Stallard had two assists for the Hitmen. . . . Saskatoon got two assists from D Bryton Sayers, while Shmyr added one to his goal. . . . The Hitmen got 26 saves from G Cody Porter, while Saskatoon’s Logan Flodell stopped 21 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-2 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . The Hitmen (10-14-2), who were played for the fourth time in six nights, have won two in a row. . . . The Blades (11-18-2) are two points ahead of Calgary in the Eastern Conference. . . . D Jake Kustra returned to Saskatoon after missing 21 games. He last played on Oct. 18. . . . Announced attendance: 2,675.
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At Spokane, F Matt Phillips had two goals, including the OT winner, and two assists to lead the Victoria
MATT PHILLIPS
Royals to a 6-5 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Chiefs got three goals from F Jaret Anderson-Dolan, who has 13 scores. This was his third WHL hat trick. He opened the scoring at 1:41 of the first period, on a PP, with F Markson Bechtold making it 2-0 at 5:54. . . . The Royals scored the next four goals, three of them in the first period. . . . F Jared Dmytriw (8) got a PP goal at 10:37; F Regan Nagy (8) tied it at 13:50; F Dante Hannoun (11) gave the visitors the lead at 15:56. . . . Phillips upped the lead to 4-2 at 11:58 of the second period. . . . Bechtold (4) got his second of the game at 16:49 of the second, and Anderson-Dolan tied the score, on a PP, at 5:55 of the third period. . . . Royals D Marsel Ibragimov (2) put his bunch in front again at 14:05, only to have Anderson-Dolan force OT at 19:01. He’s got two hat tricks in his past six games. . . . Hannoun added an assist to his goal. . . . Bechtold also also had an assist in his return to the lineup. He had been out since Nov. 15 in what was his third injury-related absence this season. . . . The Chiefs also welcomed back F Kailer Yamamoto, their leading scorer. He had been out since suffering an undisclosed injury against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Nov. 19. He had an assist on his first shift after a six-game absence and finished with two helpers. . . . Spokane F Hayden Ostir also had two assists, as did D Tyson Helgesen. . . . G Griffen Outhouse stopped 28 shots for Victoria. . . . Spokane starter Jayden Sittler was beaten three times on six shots in 15:56. Dawson Weatherill came on to stop 13 of 16 shots over 46:12. . . . Victoria was 3-6 on the PP; Spokane was 2-2. . . . The Royals (16-13-2) have won two in a row. . . . The Chiefs (11-11-5) have lost two straight (0-1-1). . . . The Royals continue to play without injured F Tyler Soy, while D Ryan Gagnon served Game 1 of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 2,955.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Red Deer at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Edmonton 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Portland, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m. (TBG)
Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m. (TBG)
Kelowna vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Everett vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
TBG: Teddy Bear Game.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 9: Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.

Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.

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Monday, November 28, 2016

Concussion forum set for Ottawa . . . Where are CHL power-brokers? . . . Hlinka tourney on move




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D Jesse Dudas (Lethbridge, Prince George, Swift Current, Regina, 2003-09) has been released by TPS Turku (Liiga, Finland) due to injury. According to a TPS news release, "Dudas' upper body injury is worse than expected . . . season is over." He was injured in the only game in which he played. That was a Sept. 2 Champions League game against Liberec (Czech Republic) on Sept. 2. He scored one goal. . . .
F Dominik Volek (Regina, Red Deer, Vancouver, 2011-14) has returned to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) from loan to České Budějovice (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). He was pointless in four games. He had been loaned out for one month on Nov. 16. . . .
F David Vrbata (Calgary, 2000-01) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Benátky and Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). This season, he had five goals and six assists in 12 games with Neumarkt/Egna (Italy, Alps HL) before being released by mutual agreement on Nov. 3.
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Concussion ReportSo . . . it has come to this!
“With the NHL and CFL dragging their feet on the issue of concussions,” writes Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail, “and no action on the government's part after the Prime Minister brought up the topic with cabinet ministers a year ago, the governor-general has decided to go it alone.
“David Johnston will hold a one-day forum titled ‘We Can Do Better’ at Rideau Hall to address rising public concern over the long-lasting effects of sport concussions.”
The conference is scheduled for Dec. 6 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
This meeting has been talked about for at least five years, and it finally will take place, thanks to Gov. Gen. Johnston, who played hockey and football at Harvard University. Before going on to Harvard, he suffered three concussions as a 16-year-old hockey player in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., so has some experience with brain injuries.
He is adamant that he is not at all interested in removing physical play from sports.
"First," he tells MacGregor, "I love sport myself, so I come at it with a passion. I love competitive sports and played in three sports at the competitive level. Secondly, we're not talking here so much about expertise in the game, whether it be hockey, football or baseball. We're talking about promotion of healthy living for our children. And healthy living includes physical activity. One of the finest forms of physical activity is sport, especially competitive sport.
"So how do we as a society organize ourselves so that our kids can play and play well and be safe? And when we speak of professional sport, I think that applies as well. If we are going to ask people to perform in this form of entertainment, we want to be sure that there is an understanding of risk and to mitigate those risks as best we can."
There has yet to be any indication that any representatives from major junior hockey — the CHL, OHL, QMJHL or WHL — will be involved. That, of course, is too bad, because the time has long since passed for these leagues to place an outright ban on fighting.
Dr. Charles Tator of the Canadian Concussion Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, who is an expert on brain injuries, will be involved with the conference.
"All parents, players, coaches and sports administrators have to wake up to the fact that you only get one brain,” Dr. Tator told MacGregor, “and it needs to be carefully protected, especially in kids and adolescents. We have to put more brain power and resources into preventing concussions and properly managing those that will still occur. So thank you Prime Minister and Governor-General for waving the red flag!"
MacGregor’s complete story is right here and should be widely read.
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The Hockey News has published its annual Money and Power issue — the cover is dated Dec. 5. Included is a feature on the “100 people of power and influence” in the game of hockey.
Interestingly, the people involved in major junior hockey — there are 60 teams in the Canadian Hockey League, which governs the OHL, QMJHL and WHL — hardly rate a mention.
In fact, the only person in the top 100 who is actively involved in the CHL is David Branch, who doubles as the CHL president and OHL commissioner. Branch stayed steady at No. 22 from last year to this.
I was able to find 10 others on the list with at least a tie to the WHL, but there was nary a mention of either Ron Robison, the league’s commissioner, or Bruce Hamilton, the chairman of the board of governors who runs the Kelowna Rockets.
The Hockey News refers to Branch as “the most progressive executive in the game,” but there are no other power-brokers in the top 100 who are active in the OHL, QMJHL or WHL.
Here are the 10 with ties to the WHL:
8. G Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens played for the Tri-City Americans (2003-07).
11. Murray Edwards is a co-owner of the Calgary Flames, who own the Calgary Hitmen.
18. Dave Andrews is the president of the AHL and former coach of the Victoria Cougars (1982-84) before they moved to Prince George.
31. Ken Holland is the Detroit Red Wings’ executive vice-president of hockey operations and general manager; he tended goal for the Medicine Hat Tigers (1974-76).
37. Tom Renney, the president and CEO of Hockey Canada, is a former head coach of the Kamloops Blazers (1990-92).
50. Dale Purinton, a defenceman and enforcer with the Tacoma Rockets, Kelowna Rockets and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1994-97), is, as The Hockey News puts it, at “the forefront of players’ concussion lawsuit against the NHL.”
61. Mike Babock is the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs; he played in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades (1980-81) and Kelowna Wings (1982-83) and coached in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors (1991-93) and Spokane Chiefs (1994-2000).
72. Ken Hitchcock, the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, spent six seasons (1984-90) has head coach of the Kamloops Blazers.
85. Brian Burke, the president of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames, has in the past owned a piece of two WHL teams — the Tri-City Americans and Chilliwack Bruins.
98. Ray Ferraro, a former NHL player who now is a hockey analyst with TSN, played with the Portland Winterhawks (1982-83) and Brandon Wheat Kings (1983-84), setting the WHL’s single-season goal record (108) with the Wheaties.
That’s all, folks.
What makes the lack of major junior pooh-bahs on the list concerning is that this is a crucial time for the game at that level. There is a move afoot at the professional level to make first-round NHL draft picks eligible to play in the AHL as 19-year-olds. For example, that would have allowed the New York Islanders to put F Mathew Barzal in the AHL this season, rather than return him to the Seattle Thunderbirds.
Those discussions are on-going, along with talk of perhaps altering the draft-eligible age.
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John Paddock, the general manager and head coach of the Regina Pats, is trying to put on a happy face, but a decision by the CHL will play into the plans of a host team to prepare for the 2018 Memorial Cup. The Pats and two OHL teams — the Hamilton Bulldogs and Oshawa Generals — are the finalists but the decision isn't to be announced until February, well after the Jan. 10 trade deadline. In comparison, the Red Deer Rebels, learned in October 2014 that they had been selected to play host to the 2016 tournament. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has two stories on this subject right here.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have dropped D Cam Reagan, 19, from their roster. He is expected to join the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. . . . Reagan, from Sherwood Park, Alta., had two assists in 18 games with the Raiders. He was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers on Sept. 26, in exchange for a seventh-round selection in the 2019 bantam draft. . . . He was selected by Kamloops in the fourth round of the 2012 bantam draft. In 117 regular-season WHL games, 99 of them with Kamloops, Reagan has 10 assists.
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The NHL’s Florida Panthers kicked head coach Gerard Gallant to the curb on Sunday, in Raleigh, N.C., leaving him standing on it while he waited for a cab. The Panthers, who had a pretty good season in 2015-16, have moved out a lot of good hockey people in the past few months. Ken Campbell of The Hockey News writes: “If there’s anyone out there who can figure out exactly what the game plan is with the Florida Panthers these days, feel free to let us know.” . . . That piece is right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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JUST NOTES:

The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, a tournament that is owned by the Czech Ice Hockey Association and the Slovakian Ice Hockey Federation, will be played in Edmonton in 2018, 2020 and 2022. This tournament is played annually in August and features the best under-18 players from eight countries. Dates of the 2018 tournament haven’t yet been announced. The Hockey Canada news release is right here. . . . 
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Hockey Canada is scheduled to announce the roster for the national junior team’s selection camp this morning. It is expected that 30 players, plus or minus a couple, will be invited to the camp that is scheduled for Blainville, Que., Dec. 11-14. . . . The Brandon Wheat Kings finished the trek to Victoria on Monday and, if you’re wondering, F Nolan Patrick didn’t make the trip. He hasn’t played since Oct. 11 as he deals with a situation that is related to sports hernia surgery he underwent in July. . . .
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According to Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province, F Johnny Wesley of the Vancouver Giants didn’t practise on Monday afternoon, which makes him “doubtful” for tonight’s game against the visiting Prince George Cougars. . . .
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F Eli Zummack, 16, will be staying “indefinitely” on the roster of the Spokane Chiefs, according to the team. Zummack, from Kelowna, has been with the Chiefs since Nov. 23. He had been playing with the Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. He has two points in five games with the Chiefs. . . . 
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The Kootenay Ice has recalled D Bobby Russell, 16, from the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Russell was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. He is pointless in one earlier game with the Ice, and has 13 points, three of them goals, in 16 games with the Hawks. . . . The Ice also has returned F Eli Lieffers, 16, to the major midget Saskatoon Contacts. Lieffers, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, had one goal in four games with the Ice. Before reporting to Kootenay, had had 13 points, two of them goals, in 16 games with the Contacts. 
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MONDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Prince Albert at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Prince George vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:02 PM
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