WHL final resumes tonight . . . 10 things you didn't know about Blazing Saddles!

G Rastislav Staňa (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Staňa started this season with CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL), going 2.31 and .912 in 24 games. He signed with Košice (Slovakia, Extraliga) on Jan. 28 and was 1.25, .952 in eight games. . . .

F Matt Ellison (Red Deer, 2002-03) has signed a two-year contract with Dinamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL). Ellison started this season with Biel (Switzerland, NL A), picking up one assist in seven games. He signed with Medveščak Zagreb (Croatia, KHL) on Oct. 2 and finished with 15 points, eight of them goals, in 38 games. . . .

F Konstantin Pushkarev (Calgary, 2004-05) signed a one-year extension with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). This season with Barys, he had four points, including one goal, in 21 games. In five games with Nomad Astana (Kazakhstan, Vysshaya), he had six points, including three goals. . . .


D Gennadi Razin (Kamloops, 1996-98) has signed a one-year extension with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, KHL). This season, he had three points, two of them goals, in 49 games.
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1. All three major junior finals resume tonight. The Portland Winterhawks take a 2-0 lead on the Oil Kings into Edmonton for a game that is available on Shaw TV. . . . In the OHL, the Guelph Storm and North Bay Battalion are tied 1-1, with both games having been decided in OT. They are in North Bay tonight. . . . In the QMJHL, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Val-d’Or Foreurs also are 1-1. They are in Val-d‘Or tonight.

2. If you were wondering, Sportsnet will televise Game 5 of the OHL series on Friday night.

3. The Oil Kings, who trail 2-0 in the WHL’s best-of-seven final, spent far too much time chasing the game in Portland. So far, the Winterhawks have played with the lead for 114 minutes 58 seconds.

4. Columnist Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun was in attendance for the first two games of the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup in Portland on the weekend. He writes that the Edmonton Oil Kings, who lost both games to the Winterhawks, have gone from underdogs to longshots. . . . That column is right here.

5. Columnist John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal previews Game 3 of the WHL final right here, starting with the role Portland G Corbin Boes has played since taking over as the Winterhawks’ starter.

6. A couple of things from WHL Facts (@WHLFacts). . . . “2000 - The last time a team trailed 2-0 in a WHL Final series & came back to win was the @WHLKootenayICE in 2000, who defeated Spokane in 6.” . . . “75 - With 2 points (Sunday night), @pdxwinterhawks Brendan Leipsic now has 75 for his playoff career, moving him into a tie for 7th place all-time.” . . . Leipsic is tied with F Ray Allison (Brandon, 1976-79), and is two points behind F Brian Propp (Brandon, 1977-79).

7. The AHL has approved the transfer of the Abbotsford Heat, the top affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, to Glens Falls, N.Y., where it will replace the Phantoms. The NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers are moving the Phantoms to Allentown, Pa. . . . New York State now is home to six of the AHL’s 30 franchises. . . . There continues to be speculation that some of the NHL’s western-most franchises are going to relocate their AHL affiliates to the western side of the U.S. A report at MayorsManor.com in April indicated that eight NHL teams once were involved in discussions but that the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and San Jose Sharks are the teams most serious about this project. . . . The report from MayorsManor.com is right here.

8. If you were wondering how much Floyd Mayweather will make from last weekend’s bout, you should start at about US$70 million. On Monday, he tweeted: “$32,000,000.00 for 36 minutes. I’m waiting for the PPV numbers to come in so I can make another $38,000,000.00 on the back-end . . . making it a grand total of $70,000,000.00.” . . . Now you should pick any 36 minutes out of your life and figure out how close you have come to duplicating that.

9. Chances are you have seen the Mel Brooks movie Blazing Saddles. If not, you should. And if you click right here you will find 10 things you never knew about Blazing Saddles.
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The Portland Winterhawks have added D Blake Heinrich, who turned 19 on Feb. 17, to their roster. A native of Cambridge, Minn., Heinrich had 16 points, including seven goals, and 117 penalty minutes in 42 games with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. The 5-11, 195-pounder was the Musketeers’ captain. . . . Heinrich was a fifth-round selection by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL draft. The Winterhawks selected him in the 12th round of the 2012 bantam draft, at which time he already was 17 years of age.
“We have had discussions with Blake since drafting him about becoming a Winterhawk and are excited to announce that he will join us at the end of the (season),” Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston said in January when the club announced it had signed Heinrich. “He is a dynamic defenceman who is a perfect fit for our style of play. I expect he will be a big part of our future over the next two seasons as we rebuild our defence.”
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The USHL held Phase 1 of its annual draft on Monday. There is a list right here of players who were selected and have ties to the WHL.
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The OHL’s Oshawa Generals announced Monday that Jeff Twohey has resigned after two seasons as their general manager. . . . The Generals were swept by the North Bay Battalion in the Eastern Conference final. . . . The Generals were first in the Eastern Conference this season, after finishing third last season. . . . Roger Hunt, the Generals’ assistant GM, has taken over as acting GM.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Chris Hartsburg, a former assistant coach of the Everett Silvertips, has signed on as head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Hartsburg spent this season as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Erie Otters. . . . Hartsburg spent four seasons (2009-12) as an assistant coach with the Silvertips. He is the son of former NHL player and head coach Craig Hartsburg, who did a stint as the Silvertips’ head coach. . . . With the Stars, he replaces Jimmy McGroarty, who was fired on March 21. Mick Berge, an assistant coach, served as interim head coach. . .  . The Stars missed the playoffs this season for the third time in their 18 seasons of existence.
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The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs have fired head coach Todd Gill and assistant coach Jeff Reid. The moves come after an 84-point regular season and a first-round playoff loss to the Peterborough Petes. The Frontenacs won the first three games of that series, then lost four straight. . . . At the same time, the Frontenacs re-signed general manager Doug Gilmour and Darren Keily, the assistant GM and director of hockey operations. Gilmour has been with the team since 2008 and has been GM since 2011. Keily signed on as an assistant coach in 2008, was named AGM in 2011 and director of hockey ops in 2012.
Doug Graham of the Kingston Whig-Standard has more right here.
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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 on delayed basis by Root Sports)
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: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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MONDAY’S GAME:
No game scheduled.
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From David Larkins (@LarkinsWSun) of the Winnipeg Sun: “I'm taking out a restraining order on the Trivago guy. For all of us.”
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From Julius Sharpe (@juliussharpe): “My Dad lived through WWII, rock and roll, the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam and 9/11. I've updated the Adobe Flash player 900 times.”


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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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Lukowich files wrongful dismissal suit; City Council grills Lethbridge president, WHL commish

G Justin Pogge (Prince George, Calgary, 2003-06) has signed a two-year contract with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). This season with Karlskoga (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he was 2.16 and .921 in 51 games. . . .
D Tomáš Slovák (Kelowna, 2001-03) has signed a two-year contract with Hradec Králové (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 13 points, including four goals, in 47 games.
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Brad Lukowich, a former assistant coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, is suing the WHL team, claiming wrongful dismissal.
On Monday afternoon, Paul Kingsmith (@paulkingsmith) of Global-TV in Lethbridge tweeted: “Documents obtained by Global show Hurricanes sued by former assistant coach Brad Lukowich for wrongful dismissal.”
Neither the Hurricanes nor Lukowich would comment, according to Kingsmith.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the lawsuit is this, which came in another tweet from Kingsmith: “In the suit, Lukowich alleges he raised concerns ‘regarding non-compliance by certain Hurricanes coaches with policies mandated by the WHL.’ ”
Later in the day, Kingsmith and Bradley Jones posted a story that is right here.
Lukowich began this season as an assistant coach under Lethbridge head coach Drake Berehowsky. When Lukowich wasn’t at practices in early February, the team claimed that he was ill. On Feb. 8, general manager Brad Robson announced that Lukowich had been “terminated for cause."
Robson told the Lethbridge Herald at the time:
"It’s been going on for a couple of weeks, of course you know Brad left the team last week and I’ve been dealing with it, speaking with him and we’ve decided this is the course of action. For Brad’s future and for the Hurricanes’ future.
“Brad’s goal is still to be a coach, to eventually become a head coach and he’ll continue to work toward that, just not with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.”
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Brian McNaughton, the president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and WHL commissioner Ron Robison appeared in front of Lethbridge city council on Monday night.
Here are some highlights, as tweeted by Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Hurricanes on 94.1 CJOC (BTW, it’s worth noting that the Hurricanes no longer have a broadcast contract; it expired with the end of this season):
“Robison says WHL is fully committed to Lethbridge market and the league will NOT be leaving the Lethbridge area.”
“Robison says WHL has had straight forward talks with Pres. Brian McNaughton & Governor Herman Elfring.”
“Robison says the WHL has agreed to approve the Lethbridge Hurricanes current business plan going forward.”
“Robison states the status quo is not acceptable for the Hurricanes going forward and club must adhere to new guidelines.”
“McNaughton says moving forward the team must do two things: (1) Be competitive and (2) Be profitable.”
“McNaughton says: ‘We expect to make the playoffs, but not deviate from the plan to build from within.’ ”
“McNaughton says team will be filling Assistant Coach & Assistant GM positions.”
“Commissioner Ron Robison says Lethbridge is one of the best markets in the WHL. He states team needs stronger leadership.”
“McNaughton tells Councillor Coffman the Hurricanes currently have around 2200 shareholders.”
“McNaughton tells Councillor Mauro team will be better next season by making younger players better and bringing in older players to help.”
“Robison says people need to be patient, although patience is getting thin in Lethbridge. He says there is no quick fix.”
“McNaughton says the number one thing the Hurricanes need to focus on is selling tickets.”
“Robison says he believes no team has an economic advantage over another in the WHL. Says the difference is management.”
Siedlecki has posted some audio from the City Council meeting right here. The second link is a question-and-answer session and is worth a listen. (At one point, about 30 minutes in, Robison says that the Portland Winterhawks are "arguably a model franchise within our league."
Paul Kingsmith of Global-TV also was paying attention to the goings-on at the council meeting. Among his tweets was this one:
“ 'Canes President McNaughton says team is resetting its objectives with league guidance after previous 5 year plan failed.”
Later in the evening, Kingsmith posted a story and it is right here.
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1. F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice is making good progress as he recovers from his battle with Neisseria meningitis. On Monday, Bozon (@timbozon94) tweeted: “Two months today since I got really sick .. Made lots improvement #RoadtoRecovery #good.” . . . Bozon is going through the rehabilitation process in Capbreton, France.

2. The Portland Winterhawks will be without F Brendan Leipsic for Game 1 of the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Leipsic has been suspended for one game for a spearing major and game misconduct that he incurred late in the fifth and final game of the Western Conference final on Friday in Kelowna. He was penalized after getting involved with Kelowna Rockets F Tyrell Goulbourne. . . . Leipsic is a repeat offender, having already served three- and seven-game suspensions this season. The fact the WHL chose to give him only one game for this latest incident would seem to indicate that it didn’t deem this one as being very serious.

3. The Coaches Conference has announced three guest speakers for its 2014 weekend. Former Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz, Ryan Huska, the head coach of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, and strength-and-conditioning guru Matt Nichol all will be involved in this year’s conference, which is scheduled for July 18 and 19 at the U of British Columbia. . . . For more info, visit the conference’s website at thecoachessite.com or click on the ad at the top of this page.

4. The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs and Halifax Mooseheads are going to a Game 7. The Foreurs beat the visiting Mooseheads 7-5 on Monday night, meaning the third-round series is 3-3. It will be decided tonight in Halifax. . . . The other semifinal, between the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Baie-Comeau Drakkar, also has gone to a Game 7. It will be played tonight in Baie-Comeau.

5. Dear Sportsnet: My brain turns to hazelnut mush whenever that Hazel promo appears. Once an hour is enough. Thank you.

6. G Eetu Laurikainen, who played the last two seasons with the Swift Current Broncos, has signed with the Espoo Blues (Finland, SM-liiga). Laurikainen played out his junior eligibility this season with the Broncos, going 25-20-6, 2.90, .914. He is from Jyvaskyla, Finland.

7. The ShoWare Center in Kent, Wash., which is home to the Seattle Thunderbirds, didn’t lose as much money in the first quarter of 2014 as officials had projected. That was thanks, at least in part, to the Thunderbirds getting three home playoff games. . . . Steve Hunter of the Kent Reporter has more right here.

8. The Austrian Ice Hockey Association won’t be resigning Emanuel Viveiros, the head coach of its national men’s team. The announcement came two days after Austria wound up second in the IIHF Division 1 Group A world championship, earning promotion to the top division. . . . Viveiros is a former WHL defenceman (Prince Albert, 1983-88) who has a son, Layne, on the Portland Winterhawks’ roster. . . . There is more on that story right here.
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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 by Shaw)
PORTLAND (2, West) vs. Edmonton (1, East)
Season series: Portland, 0-0-1; Edmonton, 1-0-0.
Saturday: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (Moda Center)
Sunday: Edmonton at Portland, 5 p.m. (Moda Center)
Tuesday, May 6: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 7: Portland at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, May 9: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBA)
x-Sunday, May 11: Portland at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Monday, May 12: Edmonton at Portland, 7 p.m. (TBA)
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Edmonton: None.
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MONDAY’S GAME:
No game scheduled.
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From Tyson Dallman (@dolly_lama83): “Why don't Portland and Edmonton just have a seven game series in September and save everyone a whole bunch of time? #WHL”


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Winterhawks into fourth straight WHL final

D Nathan Deck (Vancouver, Prince Albert, 2005-11) signed a one-year contract with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season with Stockton (ECHL), Deck had 19 points, including five goals, in 40 games. He signed with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2) on Jan. 31 and put up seven points, two of them goals, in 10 games. . . .

D Stefan Warg (Seattle, Prince Albert, 2008-10) signed a two-year contract with Malmö (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL), he had one assist in 21 games. He also had two assists in three games with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL). He signed with Skellefteå (Sweden, SHL) on Feb. 2 and went pointless in seven games.
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1. The Portland Winterhawks advanced to their fourth straight WHL championship final on Friday night, beating the Rockets 7-3 in Kelowna to win the best-of-seven Western Conference final, 4-1. . . . But when the defending-champion Winterhawks begin the championship series, for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, they may do it without F Brendan Leipsic, one of their top forwards. . . . Leipsic, who scored his 11th and 12th goals of these playoffs last night, was tossed from the game at 16:27 of the third period with a spearing major. . . . Leipsic is a repeat offender, so unless the WHL office overturns last night’s penalty -- for example, it could, on review, be turned into a slashing minor -- he almost certainly would be suspended. He already has served 10 games in suspensions this season. He sat out three games for an incident against the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Sept. 25 and drew a seven-game sentence after taking a match penalty against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Dec. 14.

2. After two off days, the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Oil Kings get back into the Eastern Conference final tonight in Edmonton. The Oil Kings hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. A victory will send them into their third straight WHL championship series, each of them against Portland. A loss sends the series back to Medicine Hat for Game 6 on Monday night. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played in Edmonton on Tuesday. . . . Including regular-season games, the Oil Kings are 8-1-1 against the Tigers this season.

3. The Winterhawks finished the regular season with 113 points, based on a 54-13-5 record. The Oil Kings wound up with 103 points (50-19-3). The Tigers (44-24-4) had 92 points. . . . All of which means Portland will have home-ice advantage in the final, regardless of which Eastern Conference team advances. . . . Speculation, and that is all it was as of late Friday, has the championship final opening in Portland with games on Saturday and Sunday.

4. When Dan Russell signs off from Sportstalk, his long-running Vancouver-based radio show, on Thursday night, he won’t be back, at least not on a nightly basis. Brad Ziemer of the Vancouver Sun has more right here. . . . Whether you agree with Russell’s views or not, the Vancouver sports scene will be poorer for not having him there every night. He often provided a point of view that was different from the one being sold by most other observers, and that is never a bad thing.

5. Ryan Ohashi, who knows his way around the WHL, has a blog upon which I found a neat story involving the Lethbridge Hurricanes and some playoff hockey. Yes, it’s true. The Hurricanes once were in the playoffs. Anyway, Ohashi’s story is right here, just don’t read it on an empty stomach.

6. There was a huge Canadian moment on Friday night as umpire Stu Scheurwater of Regina made his Major League Baseball debut. He worked second base as the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers played at Chavez Ravine. Vin Scully, the legendary voice of the Dodgers, mentioned Scheurwater’s debut with this: "Special night and we wish him well."

7. The last Canadian to debut as an umpire in the majors? Ian Lamplugh, who made his debut in 1999. His big league career lasted about 200 games. Lamplugh was born in Great Britain and moved with his family to Canada at the age of four. He now lives in Victoria. . . . Jim McKean is the most well-known of the Canadian umpires. McKean, a Montreal native, worked MLB games from 1973 through 2001.

8. The OHL final will feature the Guelph Storm and the North Bay Battalion. . . . The Storm finished off the Erie Otters on Friday night, winning 5-0 in Guelph to take the Western Conference final in five games. . . . The Battalion is finishing up its first season in North Bay after moving from Brampton. . . . The best-of-seven final is scheduled to open Thursday in Guelph.

9. The QMJHL is the site of two thrilling conference finals. . . . The Blainville-Boisbrand Aramada beat the host Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-2 in OT on Friday night to take a 3-2 lead in that series. They’ll play Game 6 on Sunday at Blainville-Boisbrand. . . . In the other series, the Halifax Mooseheads has come back from a 2-0 deficit to pull into a 2-2 tie with the Val-d’Or Foreurs. The Foreurs won twice in Halifax, 5-2 and 4-2, with the Mooseheads then winning twice on the road, 6-5 in OT and 5-4. They haven’t played since Wednesday, and will resume tonight in Halifax.
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The Saskatoon Blades and the Saskatoon Media Group have agreed on a four-year contract extension that will cover the team’s broadcast rights through 2017-18. The Blades games are heard on 92.9 The Bull. . . . The agreement calls for the station to carry a minimum of two exhibition games, along with all regular-season and playoff games each season. . . . The Blades have been partnered with SMG since 1994. . . . Les Lazaruk is preparing for his 21st season as the radio voice of the Blades.
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Curtis Hawkins has signed on as the athletic therapist for Victoria HarbourCats, who play in baseball’s West Coast League. Hawkins is the athletic therapist for the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. He also worked with the WHL’s Victoria Royals while attending Camosun College in Victoria.
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Brian McNaughton, the president of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and WHL commissioner Ron Robison are scheduled to appear before Lethbridge City Council on Monday. According to the council’s agenda, McNaughton and Robison will be there to talk about “the team’s three-year business and operational plan.” . . . Pat Siedlecki, the radio voice of the Hurricanes, has more on his blog right here.
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F Hank Crone of Cedar Hill, Texas, whose WHL rights belong to the Portland Winterhawks, has decided to play next season with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and then move on to the Boston University Terriers. . . . Crone, who turned 16 on Feb. 19, had 40 points in 31 games this season as he played for the Dallas Stars elite under-16 team. . . . "Hank was added to the protected player list for the Winterhawks in the WHL,” Kristie, his mother, told Rita Cook of the Focus Daily News. "If you play major junior you lose your NCAA eligibility and he has always wanted to play college hockey.”
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Officials with the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives met with community supporters recently and have decided to proceed with the 2014-15 season. They will do it with head coach Dwayne Kirkup back running things. . . . “I am not surprised by this as Neepawa always seems to find a way to get it done,” general manager Myles Cathcart said in a news release. As for Kirkup, Cathcart said: “In terms of quality coaches in hockey, Kirkup is in the elite group. He is professional, works extremely hard, is approachable and the players work hard for him. He fits in with what we are doing. We want quality players and coaches within our organization.”
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,189)
Wednesday: Edmonton 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (3,832)
Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Portland 4 (OT) (9,259)
Wednesday: Kelowna 1 at Portland 5 (9,744)
Friday: Portland 7 at Kelowna 3 (6,331)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell (knee), week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Kelowna, the defending-champion Portland Winterhawks broke open a close game with three goals early in the third period and went on to a 7-3 victory over the Rockets. . . . Portland won its fourth straight Western Conference championship. . . . The Winterhawks will be the fourth team in WHL history to appear in four straight finals, joining the Flin Flon Bombers (1968-71), Edmonton Oil Kings (1969-72) and New Westminster Bruins (1975-78). . . . The Winterhawks, who scored three PP goals in the game, led 3-0 eight minutes into the second period, only to have the Rockets score two PP goals and get back into the game. . . . F Tyson Baillie, at 8:29, and D Jesse Lees, at 10:48, scored for the Rockets, who had the WHL’s best regular-season record and finished the regular season as the CHL’s top-ranked team. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba got his third goal of these playoffs 59 seconds into the third period and F Brendan Leipsic scored his second goal of the game, and 12th of the playoffs, on a PP at 2:56 and school was out. . . . Leipsic was later ejected with a spearing major and could be facing a WHL suspension. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had two assists and was named the series’ MVP. He had 11 points, including seven assists, in the five games. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier had a goal and two assists, while F Oliver Bjorkstrand drew three assists. Bjorkstrand leads the playoffs in goals (15) and points (28). . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot leads in assists, with 22. He had two last night, giving him 55 in his career, the third-highest total in WHL history. . . . Pouliot and Leipsic have at least one point in each of Portland’s 14 playoff games this season. . . . Pouliot also played in his 78th career playoff game, passing D Troy Rutkowski and taking over the franchise record. Starting with his freshman season, Pouliot has played in 21, 22, 21 and 14 post-season games. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes stopped 35 shots, while Jordon Cooke of the Rockets turned aside 34. . . . The Rockets played the series without F Myles Bell (knee), who led them in goals (42) and points (77) in the regular season. Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska, speaking on the Rockets’ post-game radio show, said Bell “blew a lot of things out in his knee, he's got a lot of things going on in there."
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From the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers (@VernonVipers): “Attention Vipers Alumni! If you're planning on attending the RBC Cup pls contact dave@vipers.bc.ca for some alumni event details #RBC2014”


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Oil Kings, Winterhawks in control; WHL Popcorn Poll is here

F Petr Vala (Seattle, 1997-98) has signed a one-year extension with Zell am See (Austria, Inter-National-League). This season, he finished second in the league’s scoring race, with 72 points, including 27 goals, in 34 games. . . .
G Kevin Nastiuk (Medicine Hat, 2001-05) has signed a one-year extension with Dresdner Eislöwen (Germany, DEL2). In 52 games with Dresden this season, he had a 2.67 GAA. . . .
F Clinton Pettapiece (Tri-City, Medicine Hat, 2003-06) has signed a one-year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with the Dordrecht Lions (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 61 points, including 22 goals, in 36 games. . . .
F Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) has signed a one-year contract with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). The contract includes an out clause should Mikhailov sign with a KHL team. This season, with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B), he had 43 points, 23 of them goals, in 45 games.
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The WHL’s board of governors will meet in Calgary on April 30 to, according to the league, “review applications to transfer the ownership of the Prince George Cougars and Regina Pats.”
The meeting will be held at the Deerfoot Inn, prior to the WHL awards luncheon.
From a WHL news release:
“The owner of the Prince George Cougars, Rick Brodsky has entered into an agreement with Mr. Greg Pocock of EDGEPRO Sports & Entertainment Ltd., to purchase the Prince George WHL franchise. Mr. Pocock is the head of a group consisting of local Prince George businessmen and former WHL players who formed EDGEPRO to purchase the Cougars franchise.
“It was also announced (Wednesday) the ownership of the Regina Pats franchise, Russ and Diane Parker, has agreed to sell the franchise to a group of Regina businessmen headed by Anthony Marquart. Mr. Marquart has formed Queen City Sports & Entertainment Group Ltd., to acquire the Pats franchise.
“Both franchise purchases are subject to the approval of the WHL Board of Governors. In order for the transfers of ownership to be approved, a two-thirds majority vote is required from the WHL Board of Governors at the April 30 meeting.
“Should the transfer of ownership applications be approved by the WHL Board of Governors, the sale transactions will close later in May, at which time the new ownership will be in position to take control of the franchises.”
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The results of the 2013-14 WHL Popcorn Poll arrived via email on Wednesday and the Vancouver Giants are on top, once again.
The Corn Panelists, all from the Everett Silvertips, are medical trainer Marc Paquet, assistant coach Marc LeRose and equipment manager James Stucky.
While the panelists didn’t supply numbers, they did tell me that each arena’s popcorn “was graded on a 0-5 scale (5 being best) by each participant in the areas of flavor, texture and aroma/freshness." The Silvertips didn’t visit the East Division this season, so those arenas will be graded next season.
The panelists reported: “Vancouver keeps its title and is once again king of the popcorn hill for the WHL. The Giants were graded as having the best ‘Corn’ in the league in 2008-09 when we did our first popcorn poll. This time around, their ‘Corn’ was the only one to receive a perfect grade.”
In order, the results of the poll are:
1. Vancouver; 2. Prince George; 3 Medicine Hat; 4. Calgary; 5. Kamloops; 6. Edmonton; 7. Red Deer; 8. Kelowna; 9. Kootenay; 10. Portland (Memorial Coliseum); 11. Tri-City; 12. Spokane; 13. Portland (Moda Center); 14. Victoria; 15. Lethbridge; 16. Everett; 17. Seattle.
As an aside, the Corn Panelists noted that they “were appalled when testing the ‘Corn’ in Kent (Seattle). They continue to serve popcorn from their concession stands in plastic, tubular, air-sealed bags. The Showare Center completely takes the tradition and true enjoyment out of a good tub or paper bag filled with fresh popcorn.”
What? You thought a survey conducted by an Everett team wouldn’t include editorial comment involving their nearest rival?
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1. Can’t anyone hold a two-goal lead in these Stanley Cup playoffs?

2. Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels hit the 500th home run of his career on Tuesday, and he did it with little fanfare. I was wondering where all the hype had gone, when I found this column right here by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

3. A tweet from former NHL referee Paul Stewart (@PaulStewart22): “I get emotional about those sorts of plays and players. I stand by that I would have given Cooke 50 games. Let the NHLPA gripe.” . . . That was after the NHL announced that Minnesota Wild F Matt Cooke had been given a seven-game suspension for that knee-on-knee hit on Colorado Avalance D Tyson Barrie.

4. If the NHL wanted to get stuff like knee-on-knee hits out of its games, it would hire OHL commissioner David Branch as its Minister of Justice.

5. Wondering why we’re paying so much for a litre of gasoline these days? . . . Well, we know we’re not being gouged, so it must by the situation in Ukraine and, according to one analyst, there’s an out-of-service pipeline in Iraq that is figuring into things, too.

6. Starter Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees was ejected from Wednesday night’s game in Fenway Park after Boston manager John Farrell asked the umpires to check for a foreign substance. Pineda had pine tar on his neck; in an earlier start, he appeared to have some on one hand. . . . The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox just amped up a notch, if that’s possible.

7. Hitters are allowed to use pine tar (hello, there, George Brett), so why can’t pitchers use it, too?

8. Are young players over-coached? Do adults need to get out of the way and let them play? Of course, they do. Here’s Will Leitch of sportsonearth.com, with his take on a great quote from Jurgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team.

9. While the Portland Winterhawks were beating the visiting Rockets on Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers were beating the Rockets 112-105 in Houston to take a 2-0 lead in a first-round NBA playoff series. They’ll play Games 3 and 4 in Portland on Friday and Sunday. . . . Late in the game, TNT analyst Chris Webber said: “There’s some crazy people in Portland and I mean that as a compliment.” Sounds like he has been to a Winterhawks game or two.

10. I have saved the best for last, although it is closing in on 9 million views at youtube.com, so perhaps you already have seen it. It’s Darcy Oake, an illusionist, appearing on the British TV show Got Talent, and it is amazing. It is right here. . . . As an aside, he is the son of broadcaster Scott Oake.
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JUST NOTES:
D Mitch Topping, who played five seasons in the WHL, has committed to attending the U of Alberta and playing for the CIS-champion Golden Bears. . . . Topping, who turned 21 on Feb. 19, spent the last three seasons with the Tri-City Americans. The Red Deer native played his first two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . In 317 career regular-season games, Topping had 113 points, including 33 goals. He was the Americans’ captain.
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,189)
Wednesday: Edmonton 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (3,832)
Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Portland 4 (OT) (9,259)
Wednesday: Kelowna 1 at Portland 5 (9,744)
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings opened the scoring for a fourth straight game and went on to beat the Tigers, 4-1. . . . Edmonton leads the Eastern Conference final 3-1 and has its first chance to wrap it up on Saturday in Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings are looking to play in their third straight WHL championship final. . . . D Griffin Reinhart scored the game’s first goal, his third, at 7:16 of the second period. It came with the teams playing 4-on-4. . . . Edmonton F Brett Pollock scored perhaps the game’s biggest goal, because it came on a 5-on-3 PP with just 7.2 seconds left in the second period. . . . Pollock, who also had an assist, closed out the game’s scoring with his eighth of these playoffs. . . . Edmonton F Riley Kieser got his side’s third goal, his fourth, at 6:52 of the third period. (On the Oil Kings’ website, they are giving the goal to F Luke Bertolucci so perhaps a change is on the way.) . . . The Tigers got their goal from F Cole Sanford, his ninth, at 18:42 of the third on a PP. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry turned aside 22 shots, four fewer than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-6. . . . F Trevor Cox, who leads the Tigers with 23 points in 17 playoff games, left in the second period after a collision with Edmonton F Edgars Kulda. Cox didn’t return.


In Portland, F Nic Petan scored three PP goals to help the Winterhawks to a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Winterhawks lead the Western Conference final 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night. . . . Going back to the regular season, the Winterhawks have won 39 of their last 42 games. . . . The Winterhawks were 3-for-8 on the PP, while the Rockets went 0-for-5. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored the game’s first goal, at 13:28 of the opening period. . . . Petan tied it at 18:48, then gave his side the lead at 10:15 of the second period. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 3-1 with a shorthanded goal just 1:14 later. . . . Bjorkstrand leads the playoffs in goals (15) and is tied for the lead in points (25), with teammate F Brendan Leipsic. . . . Petan added insurance at 16:53 with his seventh goal of the playoffs. He tied a franchise record for PP goals in one game. F Dave McLay did it in a 9-6 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on March 28, 1986. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner ended the scoring with his second goal of the playoffs, an empty-netter, at 17:48. . . . Leipsic and D Derrick Pouliot each had three assists as they ran their playoff point streaks to 13 games. . . . Pouliot has 24 points, 20 of them assists, in that streak. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes turned aside 31 shots, as did Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “13 - Getting a helper, @pdxwinterhawks Derrick Pouliot now has the WHL's longest playoff assist streak in at least 19 years (13 games).”
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From Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, after a Wednesday game at the Telus Cup national midget AAA championship: “PA-Okanagan finishes 1-1. Bad blood at the buzzer. Teams told not to shake hands by officials. They stand at blue lines and chirp b4 leaving.”


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