Some Scattershooting . . . Chiefs' forward doesn't return . . . Silvertips add defenceman

Scattershooting on a Monday night, with the snow having been shovelled and the turkey devoured . . . 

The WHL was kind enough to shut down for eight days for the Christmas break. The teams will start paying the price for that tonight, though. Each of the 22 teams will play three games over the next four nights. Yes, there are 11 games scheduled for each of Tuesday, Wednedsay and Friday nights.

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There are eight teams who return from the break to play four games in five nights. The Brandon Wheat Kings, Kamloops Blazers, Moose Jaw Warriors, Portland Winterhawks, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs, Tri-City Americans and Victoria Royals are scheduled to play tonight, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

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Gee, do you think such scheduling has ever prompted anyone to think about starting a union or a players’ association on behalf of major junior players?

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The best part of Day 1 of the World Junior Championship? The work of Dennis Beyak and Craig Button who handled two games — Sweden’s 6-1 victory over Denmark and Czech Republic’s 2-1 triumph over defending-champion Finland — out of Montreal. They know the players and their stories; they stayed on point and out of each others way through both games.

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Canada opens with a 5-3 victory over Russia at the World Junior Championship and the all-seeing and all-knowing experts dump all over the winning goaltender. Has it been like this through all 40 years of this event?

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Just when you think you’ve seen some bad TV commercials, along comes Nike with a real mess. And, of course, they will beat us over the head with it. That one had to have snuck on the air without high-ranking approval. No?

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Geoffrey Brandow, who tweets at @GeoffreyBrandow, notes that the last five WHL championship teams “were within top three of goal-differential at Christmas.” The three previous champions were fifth. . . . The top five WHL teams in goal-differential are the Regina Pats, Medicine Hat Tigers, Everett Silvertips, Prince George Cougars and Kamloops Blazers.

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Brandow points out that the top five are a combined plus-238, while the remaining 17 teams are a combined minus-238.

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The WHL’s Christmas trade embargo has ended. The trade deadline arrives on Jan. 10.

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The Kamloops Blazers’ braintrust has an interesting situation on its hands. F Matt Revel, 20, could miss up to two months with an undisclosed injury suffered on the pre-Christmas Central Division tour. Do the Blazers go out and find another 20-year-old before Jan. 10, or do they wait, and hope, for Revel’s return?

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The Blazers (21-13-2) are third in the B.C. Division, two points behind the Kelowna Rockets (22-12-2). These two meet tonight in Kelowna and Wednesday in Kamloops. Might this be a first-round playoff preview? The Rockets are eight points behind the division-leading Prince George Cougars; the Blazers are six points head of the Victoria Royals

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D Kirill Vorobyov (Portland, 2012-13) was traded by Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to CSKA Moscow for monetary compensation and was then traded by CSKA Moscow to Sibir Novosibirsk (all Russia, KHL) for monetary compensation. In 35 games, he had three goals and four assists with Nizhny Novgorod. . . .
F Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City, 2007-12) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). Shinnimin was released by mutual agreement by Langnau (Switzerland, NL A) on Dec. 21. He had two goals and seven assists in 12 games there. . . .

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It appears that F Wyatt Sloboshan has decided not to return to the Spokane Chiefs following the WHL’s

WYATT SLOBOSHAN

eight-day Christmas break.

“He has chosen to not come to Spokane after Christmas and we are looking at options,” Scott Carter, the Chiefs’ general manager, told Taking Note on Monday night.

The Chiefs are expected to wait until there is no doubt that Sloboshan won’t be returning, meaning that he didn’t make his post-Christmas flight or catch a later one, before issuing a news release.

Sloboshan, a 19-year-old from Vanscoy, Sask., was acquired by the Chiefs from the Saskatoon Blades on Dec. 14. In that deal, the Chiefs landed Sloboshan, D Nolan Reid, 18, and a third-round pick in the 2017 WHL bantam draft for F Markson Bechtold, 20, D Evan Fiala, 19, and a conditional sixth-round pick in an undisclosed draft.

Sloboshan, who had been the Blades’ captain, played one game with the Chiefs — he was pointless — before the Christmas break. In 30 games with the Blades, he had four goals and 12 assists.

In 146 career regular-season games, Sloboshan has 33 goals and 58 assists. He was a third-round selection of the Swift Current Broncos in the 2012 bantam draft.

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Mind Blown 😱 #WJC2017 pic.twitter.com/Bbfp4cgs7m

— Bar South N Celly™ (@BarSouthNCelly) December 26, 2016

Here’s a look at the 23 WHL players who are playing at the World Junior Championship in Montreal and Toronto:

Brandon (1): D Kale Clague (Canada).

Calgary (1): D Jake Bean (Canada).

Everett (2): G Carter Hart (Canada), D Noah Juulsen (Canada).

Kamloops (3): F Rudolfs Balcers (Latvia), F G Connor Ingram (Canada), D Ondrej Vala (Czech Republic).

Kelowna (3): F Dillon Dube (Canada), F Calvin Thurkauf (Switzerland), F Tomas Soustal (Czech Republic).

Medicine Hat (1): D Kristians Rubins (Latvia).

Portland (2): F Joachim Blichfeld (Denmark), D Caleb Jones (U.S.).

Prince Albert (1): F Simon Stransky (Czech Republic).

Red Deer (3): F Adam Musil (Czech Republic), G Lasse Petersen (Denmark), F Michael Spacek (Czech Republic).

Regina (2): F Filip Ahl (Sweden), D Sergey Zborovskiy (Russia).

Seattle (2): F Mathew Barzal (Canada), F Alexander True (Denmark).

Tri-City (1): D Juuso Valimaki (Finland).

Vancouver (1): F Radovan Bondra (Slovakia).

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The Saskatoon Blades should have D Libor Hajek back in their lineup as they return to action by going home-and-home with the Prince Albert Raiders. Hakej, a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL’s 2016 draft, was released by Czech Republic’s national junior team before the World Junior Championship got started. . . . Hajek has a goal and 11 assists in 31 games with Saskatoon this season. . . . The Blades and Raiders are in Prince Albert tonight and Saskatoon on Wednesday night.

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The Everett Silvertips have added D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to their roster, bringing him in from the Vancouver Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Fairbrother, a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft, was pointless in one game earlier this season. He also played three playoff games last spring. He has seven assists in 18 games with the Giants. . . . The Silvertips are without D Noah Juulsen, who is with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship. Adding Fairbrother leaves Everett with seven defencemen.

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Good morning and Merry Christmas to everyone except the NHL Board of Governors and Winnipeg

— Atlanta Thrashers (@NotThrashers) December 25, 2016

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Dec. 19 through Monday:

No Games Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kamloops at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.

Lethbridge vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.

Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.

Spokane vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Moose Jaw at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Everett vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.
Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Cunningham tells his story ... Ingram blanks Czechs ... MJHL losing a franchise

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

I know . . . I know! There were a couple of Little Drummer Boy videos here yesterday. But this one right here — featuring Bing Crosby and David Bowie — is exceptional. Enjoy!

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F Denis Tolpeko (Seattle, Regina, 2003-06) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). Tolpeko was released Tuesday by mutual agreement by Sochi (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and five assists in 31 games with Sochi. . . . 

D Alex Roach (Calgary, 2010-14) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL). This season, he had two assists in 12 games with the Atlanta Gladiators (ECHL). . . .

F Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City, 2007-12) has been released by mutual agreement by Langnau (Switzerland, NL A). He had two goals and seven assists in 12 games. . . .

D Brendan Mikkelson (Portland, Vancouver, 2003-07) has signed a two-year extension with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). This season, he has four goals and five assists in 27 games. He is an alternate captain and leads the team in ice time, averaging 22 minutes 53 seconds per game.

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Craig Cunningham, the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, met with the media on Wednesday. Cunningham had a massive cardiac event prior to a home game on Nov. 19. The fact that he is where he is today is nothing  short of a medical miracle. . . . Craig Reck of Tucson News Now has more right here.

On Tuesday, A.E. Araiza of the Arizona Daily Star filed an all-encompassing piece that is right here.

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G Connor Ingram of the Kamloops Blazers stopped 21 shots on Wednesday as Canada’s national junior team beat Czech Republic, 5-0, in an exhibition game played in Ottawa. Both teams are prepping for the World Junior Championship that opens in Montreal and Toronto on Monday. . . . Canada is 2-0 in preparation games, having beaten Finland 5-0 two nights earlier. G Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips turned aside 25 shots for the shutout in that one. . . . Last night, F Anthony Cirelli (Oshawa Generals) scored twice, with singles coming from F Tyson Jost (North Dakota), F Dylan Strome (Erie Otters) and F Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs). . . . Canada will complete its pre-tournament schedule on Friday when it meets Switzerland in Toronto.

In another Wednesday game, the U.S. beat Switzerland, 4-3. D Caleb Jones of the Portland Winterhawks wasn’t in Team USA’s lineup.

F Calvin Thurkauf of the Kelowna Rockets has been named captain of Switzerland’s national junior team that will play in the World Junior Championship. The Swiss begin play on Dec. 27 when they are scheduled to meet Czech Republic. 

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet filed his latest 30 Thoughts on Wednesday. This week, he opens with an interesting look at the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and analytics. It’s all right here.

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The MJHL is losing a franchise after this season. The OCN Blizzard, which is owned and operated by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN), are winding things down and will close the doors after the season. . . . A news release from OCN reads: ”The announcement comes after careful deliberations with Opaskwayak Cree Nation representatives from administration and finance, who presented recommendations to the Opaskwayak Cree Nation leadership. Based on the information presented, the decision was made to proceed with winding down on the operations of the OCN Blizzard.” . . . OCN, which is located near The Pas, Man., entered the MJHL for the 1996-97 season.

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DEC. 19-26:

No Games Scheduled.

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Malcolm Gladwell is the renowned author of, among other works, Blink, Outliers and What the Dog Saw. In Outliers, one of the things he writes about is the advantage presented to athletes born in the first part of the year. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look, as are any of his books.
Gladwell also writes for The New Yorker, which is where you will find his essay titled Offensive Play: How different are dogfighting and football?
If you haven’t read it, it’s right here. In it, Gladwell writes extensively about concussions and football.
Anyway . . . Gladwell recently was interviewed by Kathy Waldman for Slate.
In one question, Waldman asked: “What do you think is the single most compelling reason to abolish college football? Corruption? Head injury? Lost focus on academics?”
Gladwell replied: “The factor that I think will be decisive is the head-injury issue. Colleges are going to get sued, and they will have to decide whether they can afford their legal exposure.”
I’m sorry fight fans, but that also is a decision that hockey teams and leagues are going to have to deal with if they don’t act to abolish fighting.
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There was tragic news on Wednesday with former NFL linebacker Junior Seau having been found dead in his Oceanside, Calif., home, an apparent suicide victim. Seau, just 43 and a sure-fire Hall of Famer, apparently died of a gunshot wound to his chest. That fact immediately had people jumping to conclusions as they assumed he wanted to preserve his head in order for it to be examined in a search for CTE.
This situation is eerily similar to that involving Dave Duerson, a former Chicago Bears safety, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chest in February 2011.
The Associated Press reported: “Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he died in February 2011.”
Seau is the eighth player off the roster of the San Diego Chargers who played in the 1994 Super Bowl to have died. All eight weren’t yet 45 when they died.
But it is far too early to be jumping to conclusions about Seau. So let’s just allow the process to play itself out and then we’ll see what’s what.
Seau had a tremendous career, having playing in two Super Bowls and having been selected to 12 straight Pro Bowls. He was an All-Pro on six occasions. Yes, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Mike Lopresti of USA Today takes a look at Wednesday in the NFL right here.
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It was Adam Hughesman Day in Kennewick, Wash., on Tuesday, as proclaimed by Mayor Steve Young. Hughesman, who just completed his fifth and final season with the Tri-City Americans, shed a tear or two as he was presented with a key to the city.
Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald has more right here.
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F Brendan Shinnimin, Hughesman’s linemate with the Americans, picked up two trophies at the WHL awards ceremony in Calgary yesterday. For a look at all the winners, visit the WHL website.
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The transfer of the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel to Whitecourt, Alta., has been unanimously approved. The AJHL’s board of governors met Wednesday in Red Deer and approved the request by Greg Parks, who is the owner/GM and head coach of the Steel. . . . Whitecourt, with a population of around 14,000, is 175 km northwest of St. Albert. The Whitecourt Wolverines will play in the Scott Safety Centre, which seats around 1,000.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads won’t renew Hardy Sauter’s contract as head coach. Sauter, a former WHL player and coach, spent two seasons as Idaho’s head coach, going 63-59-22 and getting to a conference semifinal each time. . . .
Todd Gordon won’t be returning as head coach of the SPHL’s Pensacola Ice Flyers. The team made that announcement this week. Gordon had been head coach since 2009-10, the franchise’s first season. . . .
The BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters have added Brent Heaven to their staff as an assistant coach. He spent the last six seasons with the junior B Castlergar Rebels and Creston Valley Thunder Cats, both of whom play in the Kootenay International junior league. He has worked as an assistant coach, head coach and GM. . . . This season, he guided the Thunder Cats to a 30-17-0-5 record. . . . In Trail, he will work alongside GM/head coach Bill Birks. . . .
Dane Litke has resigned as head coach of the NAHL’s Janesville Jets. He had been head coach since the birth of the franchise in May 2009. He was the NAHL’s coach of the year for 2009-10. . . .
Andrew Verner is the new goaltending coach with the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. He takes over from Ron Tugnutt, who chose to leave the Petes in order to focus on his position as Hockey Canada’s goaltending consultant. Verner, who ended his pro career two years ago, and Tugnutt are former Petes goaltenders.
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Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts always is a good read and this week is no exception. It’s right here.
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During this season, the BCHL asked fans to vote on the top player from each decade of its history.
“In November, the top 50 players in BCHL history were revealed as voted by the fans,” reads a BCHL news release. “There were 10 players chosen from each of the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. From those groups, more fan voting was held to determine the top player of each decade.”
Here are the final results, as released by the BCHL, with the runner-up in parentheses:
1960s – F Bob Nystrom, Kamloops Rockets (F Eric Shishido, Kamloops Rockets).
1970s – F Chad Campbell, Penticton Broncos (G Andy Moog, Kamloops Braves, Penticton Vees).
1980s – F Brett Hull, Penticton Knights (F Mark Recchi, Langley Eagles).
1990s – F Paul Kariya, Penticton Panthers (F Shane Kuss, South Surrey Eagles).
2000s – G Brad Thiessen, Penticton Panthers/Vees, Prince George Spruce Kings, Merritt Centennials (D Duncan Keith, Penticton Panthers).
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The WHL’s championship final begins tonight in Edmonton with the Oil Kings meeting the Portland Winterhawks.
For a preview, tune in to Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer on 630 CHED out of Edmonton this afternoon at 1:30 MT (12:30 PT). You’ll hear Stauffer, Cam Moon, the radio voice of the Red Deer Rebels, and yours truly taking a look at the WHL’s final series.
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Here are the dates for the series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 4: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 6: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 8: at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with Ässät Pori (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had one assist in 10 games with the Binghamton Senators (AHL) and four goals and 14 assists in 59 games with the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) this season. Ässät GM Mika Toivola: “Heshka is a puck-handling defender and he has good leadership characteristics. He brings to our power play more power and flexibility.” . . .
F Blake Evans (Spokane, Tri-City, Regina, 1996-2001) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Ligaen). He had 15 goals and 37 assists in 45 games for Vålerenga Oslo (Norway, GET-Ligaen) this season.
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If you are in Regina today and are able to make it to the Regina Inn, you should know that Ken Dryden and others will be there taking part in Brain Blitz, a round-table discussion on preventing brain injuries in sports. It runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds hold the No. 1 selection in the WHL’s bantam draft and are expected to use it on F Matthew Barzal of the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins. In fact, I am told that Barzal is expected to visit Seattle this weekend. . . . F Ryan Gropp of Kamloops, who was taken sixth overall by the Thunderbirds in the 2011 bantam draft, has yet to sign with Seattle. He visited the University of Denver last weekend and also has visited Colorado College. His father, Brent, played at Colorado College. Ryan is believed close to a decision but his father has said they are looking at this process as a marathon as opposed to a sprint.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Richmond Sockeyes, who play in the Pacific International junior league, have signed Aaron Wilbur as their head coach. He spent this season as the head coach of a peewee A in Seafair on the Lower Mainland of B.C. His resume includes two seasons as GM/head coach of the junior B Castlegar Rebels of the Kootenay International junior league. He replaces Judd Lambert, who went 181-37-16 in regular-season games and 42-17 in the playoffs during five seasons with Richmond.
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It’s official. The MJHL’s Winnipeg Saints have been sold and will relocate to Virden, a community about 45 miles west of Brandon on the Trans-Canada Highway.
There is more right here.
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By now you no doubt are aware of the vile stuff that showed up on Twitter after G Joel Ward scored the OT Game 7 winner for the Washington Capitals that eliminated the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.
There’s a piece right here from The New York Times that is worth a read.
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Tweet of the day:
From Joel Ward, a former UPEI Panthers player: “Thanks everyone for all your support.. #42 is in my thoughts more than ever!! #rockthered #jackierobinson”
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Harrison Mooney of Puck Daddy sums up the whole Ward story, and then some, right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks are into the WHL’s championship final for a second straight season. Last season, the Winterhawks lost in five games to the Kootenay ice. . . . The Edmonton Oil Kings will try to wrap up the Eastern Conference final tonight at home. They hold a 3-1 lead over the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . If Edmonton wins that series, the WHL final will open May 4 in the Alberta capital. Should the Warriors come back and win, the final will begin in Portland on May 4. . . . Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull, who missed Game 4 after having his appendix removed Wednesday morning, is out of hospital but didn’t make the trip to Edmonton for Game 5. . . . The Oil Kings remain without F Dylan Wruck (shoulder), but there is speculation that F Kristians Pelss (leg) could return tonight.

THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Portland, the Winterhawks advanced to the WHL championship series for a second straight season as they scored four third-period goals and beat the Tri-City Americans, 4-1. . . . Portland swept the best-of-seven Western Conference final. . . . F Marcel Noebels scored the winner for Portland, coming onto the ice on a line change and beating G Ty Rimmer at 7:38 of the third period. . . . Portland F Cam Reid had tied the score just 56 seconds earlier. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi got his seventh playoff goal at 16:57 of the third and F Brad Ross added his 12th goal of the spring just 26 seconds later. . . . F Brandon Leipsic had two assists for Portland. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring for the second straight game, this time on the PP at 17:40 of the first period as he deposited a Brendan Shinnimin rebound that glanced off G Mac Carruth’s mask. . . . Shinnimin’s assist ran his point streak to 38 games. . . . One night earlier, Hughesman scored 1:16 into the first period, only to have Portland come back for a 3-1 victory, scoring once in the second and twice in the third. . . . Last night, Rimmer finished with 57 saves, the most by any goaltender in one game in these playoffs. He stopped 40 shots through two periods. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 39 shots. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, who had one assist last night, was named the series MVP. He had four goals and two assists in the four games. . . . Rattie leads all playoff scorers in goals (17) and points (29).
Some notes from Dan Mulhausen of the Americans, all of them involving the club’s 20-year-olds: “Team captain Mason Wilgosh, a former list player who went on to play in a combined 331 WHL games with Tri-City, finishes his career with 132 points and a playoff-best 4 goals and 10 points in 15 games. . . . Shinnimin, another list player from Winnipeg, finished his overage season by becoming just the second Tri-City player to win a WHL scoring title and signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes.  Shinnimin, who finished on a 38-game point streak, combined for 401 points in 325 total games with Tri-City and leaves as the franchise’s all-time leading playoff scorer (64 pts). . . . Hughesman, who has played in a combined 410 games in an Americans jersey, departs with his name etched in the Tri-City record books. In 338 regular-season games (third all-time), Hughesman amassed 140 goals (third all-time), 210 assists (fourth all-time) and 350 points (fourth all-time). Additionally, Hughesman appeared in more playoff games (72) than any other Tri-City player. 
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Martin Cibak (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Russia, KHL). He had seven goals and 19 assists in 45 games this season for the Petrochemists. . . .
F Tomas Plihal (Kootenay, 2001-03) signed a two-year contract with Kärpät Oulu (Finland, SM-Liiga). He had 16 goals and 20 assists in 59 games for TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) this season. . . .
D Brad Cole (Seattle, Kootenay, Saskatoon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had three goals and 11 assists in 49 games with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .
D Richie Regehr (Kelowna, Portland, 1998-2004) signed a two-year contract with MoDo Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, Elitserien). He had 11 goals and 26 assists in 48 games for Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) this season. MoDo GM (and ex-Vancouver Canucks captain) Markus Näslund: “Richie is a right-hand shot who is good on the power play. He has won championships and has been one of the best players for several seasons in the German league. We have been looking for an offensive right- handed defenseman, so it feels great that we have signed Richie.” . . .
G Kevin Nastiuk (Medicine Hat, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had a 3.30 GAA and a .891 save percentage in 14 games for Eisbären Berlin (Germany, DEL) this season.
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G Laurent Brossoit of the Edmonton Oil Kings draws inspiration from his father, John, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago. Jason Hills of the Edmonton Sun has that story right here.
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Mike Johnston, the GM and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, likes to run high-tempo practices because that’s the way he wants his team to play the game. In search of ways to reach an even higher tempo, he spent some time last fall with head coach Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks football team.
Kris Anderson of the Portland Tribune has that story right here.
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D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips will be joining Team Canada for the IIHF world championship. . . . Murray, who will be one of the first players chosen in June’s NHL draft, is no stranger to a Canadian jersey, having played in three under-18 tournaments. He captained two of those teams.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, F Kenton Miller scored twice as the Warriors stayed alive with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Edmonton holds a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final and will play host to Game 5 on Friday. . . . The loss halted Edmonton’s 22-game winning streak. The Oil Kings hadn’t lost since Feb. 22 when they were beaten 6-4 by the visiting Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Warriors rolled the dice and started Justin Paulic in goal, rather than Luke Siemens who had opened each of their previous 12 playoff games. . . . Paulic, a 16-year-old from Thompson, Man., the hometown of the great Glen Goodall, played one regular-season game, stopping 24 shots in a 7-1 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on March 17. . . Last night, Paulic turned aside 28  shots. He lost his shutout when F Tyler Maxwell scored at 8:28 of the second. . . . Moose Jaw F Brayden Point, a first-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his seventh goal of these playoffs as he opened the scoring on a PP at 5:59 of the first period. . . . The Warriors went on to a 4-0 lead, with F Cam Braes scoring his second goal of the playoffs and Miller adding Nos. 6 and 7. . . . Miller’s first goal came at 19:58 of the first. . . . F James Henry had an empty-netter and two assists, while F Cody Beach and F Tanner Eberle also had two helpers each. . . . The Warriors were without D Kendall McFaull, their captain, who was taken to hospital on Wednesday at 4 a.m., and had his appendix removed later in the day. . . . D Brayden Doucette took McFaull’s spot on the back end. The Warriors also added F Torrin White and F Carter Hansen, choosing to scratch F Andrew Johnson and F Justin Kirsch. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie scored a PP goal at 11:21 of the third period and the Portland Winterhawks went on to a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Winterhawks lead the best-of-seven Western Conference final 3-0 and is able to wrap it up tonight at home in the Rose Garden. . . . Rattie has 17 playoff goals this spring, and has tied the franchise record for career playoff goals with 28. He shares that record with Randy Heath. . . . At one point, the Winterhawks held a 16-2 edge in third-period shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth made 38 saves, none bigger than when he got a blocker on a shorthanded breakaway attempt by F Brendan Shinnimin late in the third period. . . . Portland F Brad Ross iced it with an empty-netter. . . . F Adam Hughesman opened the scoring on a Tri-City PP just 1:16 into the first period. At that point, the Americans were 6-15 on the PP in the series. . . . Hughesman banged in a rebound after a shot by F Patrick Holland hit a post. . . . Shinnimin drew an assist on that goal to run his point streak to 37 games. . . . The Winterhawks tied the game at 10:40 of the second when F Marcel Noebels stole the puck off Holland and beat G Ty Rimmer for his fourth goal. . . . Rimmer made 44 stops. . . . The Americans received the game’s first five PP opportunities and six of the first seven but only could come up with one goal. . . . The Winterhawks then received five straight power plays, scoring once. . . . Tri-City now has lost three straight games for the first time this season. . . . This also was the first time in these playoffs that the Americans have lost in regulation time. They are 0-5 in OT.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Hampus Gustafsson (Regina, Brandon, 2009-11) signed a one-year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had 11 goals and 14 goals in 30 games for Stjernen Fredrikstad (Norway, GET Ligaen) this season. . . .
D Bohdan Visnak (Saskatoon, 2006-07) signed a one-year contract extension with Montpellier (France, Division 1). He had two goals and three assists in 21 games for Montpellier this season. . . .
F Jiri Cetkovsky (Calgary, 2002-03) signed a one-year contract extension and F Martin Sagat (Kootenay, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with Pardubice (Czech Repubic, Extraliga). Cetkovsky had no points in seven games with Pardubice and three goals and seven assists in 28 games on loan to Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season. Sagat had 13 goals and 35 assists in 46 games with Slovan Ustecti Lvi (Czech Republic, 1.Liga) and one goal and one assist in eight games on loan to Pardubice this season.
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Sheesh, the baseball game between the New York Yankees and host Boston Red Sox on Saturday was more predictable than what the NHL has become.
I mean, does anyone, the NHL included, know what’s going on?
The news yesterday that Raffi Torres of the NHL-owned Phoenix Coyotes had drawn a 25-game suspension was good for a double-take. What? Did I hear/read that correctly?
Prior to yesterday, the longest suspension in these playoffs had been a four-gamer.
Twenty-five games? That’s kind of like a parent running out of patience and telling a child: “That’s it. I’ve had enough. You’re grounded for the rest of your life.”
Yes, Torres is a serial offender. Yes, that was a terrible hit on forward Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks. Yes, there had been previous suspensions. But none of those suspensions even approached 25 games.
So . . . Shea Weber gets fined pocket change. Brett Burns walks. Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville gets fined 10 grand for telling the truth. And on and on it goes. . . .
Now we all await the next case.
That baseball game? If you missed it, the Red Sox blew a 9-0 lead and dropped a 15-9 decision to the Yanks.
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The time has come for coaches to stop teaching players to finish their checks.
These days, when a player says all he was doing was “finishing his check,” what he really means is “I was hitting to hurt.”
Following the game in which Torres hit Hossa, Torres said he was finishing his check.
During the WHL series between Kamloops and Portland, Blazers F J.C. Lipon provided a turning point in Game 4 when he drilled Winterhawks F Ty Rattie from behind, a hit that went unpenalized but later drew a one-game suspension.
After that game, in which Kamloops erased a 4-0 deficit en route to a 5-4 victory, Lipon said he had been finishing his check.
Hockey always will be a contact sport, so there always will be body contact, some of the hits harder than others. But the game should be about the puck and separating an opposing player from it. It shouldn’t be about hurting the opposing player and to hell with the puck.
Unfortunately, there are players in the game today who target opposing players with the intent of hurting them. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe has called it “human skeeting shooting.”
He’s not far wrong.
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If you haven’t yet heard about Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa’s decision to take a turn as teammate Ryan Kesler, you should check this out right here.
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Terry Yake, who played for the Brandon Wheat Kings back in the day, scored the game-winner as the Southeast Prairie Thunder, which plays out of Steinbach, Man., won the Allan Cup on Saturday in Lloydminster, Sask.
There’s more right here.
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In the AHL, the Norfolk Admirals had their winning streak halted at 29 games last night as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Manchester Monarchs in Game 2 of a first-round series. . . . F Linden Vey, who played with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, had two goals for the Monarchs. . . . Norfolk had opened the best-of-five series with a 3-2 victory over visiting Manchester on Friday.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors and Edmonton Oil Kings resume hostilities in the Alberta capital today. The Oil Kings, of course, lead the Eastern Conference final, 1-0. . . . Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun reports right here that the eyes of the scouting world are on this series.
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SATURDAY’S GAME:
In Kennewick, Wash., F Ty Rattie scored his third goal of the game in OT to give the Portland Winterhawks a 5-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Rattie finished off a shorthanded 2-on-1 break at 7:58 of the first OT period to give Portland a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference final. . . . The Winterhawks won 4-3 in extra time on Friday night. . . . Rattie leads the WHL with 16 playoff goals in 13 games. He has one four-goal game and two three-goal efforts. As they say in Portland, he has three playoff rat-tricks. . . . He also leads the WHL with 27 points. . . . Rattie is the first Portland player ever to score three goals in a playoff game against the Americans. . . . Rattie also has three career OT winners — one this season and one in each of the two previous seasons. . . . The Americans held a 4-2 lead with less than 11 minutes left in the third period. . . . Portland F Joey Baker scored his first career playoff goal at 9:55 of the third and Rattie tied it on the PP at 18:07. . . . Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who was in the penalty box when Rattie won it, had four assists. . . . This was the third game in four nights for both teams. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin ran his point streak to 36 games with an assist on the game’s first goal, a PP score by F Jordan Messier. . . . That was Messier’s first goal of these playoffs. . . . Winterhawks G Mac Carruth stopped 34 shots, nine fewer than Tri-City’s Ty Rimmer. . . . Carruth has stopped 15 OT shots in this series’ two games. . . . Portland was 2-4 on the PP; Tri-City was 2-7. . . . Herte’s a goofy stat: In these playoffs, the Americans are 7-0 in games decided in regulation time and 1-5 in overtime. . . . The series now moves to Portland for games Wednesday and Thursday in the Rose Garden. . . . You can blame Coldplay for the delay. . . . Coldplay is in the Rose Garden on Tuesday, thus the Americans and Winterhawks go Wednesday and Thursday. . . . Coldplay also is the reason for the delay in the NHL first-round series between the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. Those two teams last played Wednesday in Los Angeles when the Canucks won Game 4, 3-1. With Coldplay in Rogers Arena on Friday and Saturday nights, the Kings and Canucks were forced to wait until Sunday to play Game 5. Game time today is 5 p.m. Pacific.

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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed Danny Mumaugh, a 1996-born goaltender from Centennial, Colo. He was 26-3-3, 1.12, .939 with the Colorado Thunderbirds in the Tier 1 Elite Minor Midget League. He recorded 12 shutouts. . . . Mumaugh was in Seattle’s 2011 rookie camp as a free agent and was added to the team’s protected list at that time.
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Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune offers up his take on the NHL playoffs to this point and he does it right here.
“The league should be ashamed,” he writes. “But the NHL, like MMA and our old, punch-drunk friend boxing, seems to be beyond shame.”
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, the Oil Kings won their 20th straight game as they beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-1. . . . It was Game 1 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final. Game 2 will be played in Edmonton on Sunday. . . . The Warriors went in having won eight straight playoff games. . . . F Stephane Legault had two goals, giving him three in these playoffs, and an assist for Edmonton, while F Henrik Samuelsson had three assists. . . . F Klarc Wilson opened the scoring for Edmonton;  he also drew two assists. He hadn’t played since March 25 — he got into Edmonton’s first two playoff games with Samuelsson suspended — and was a healthy scratch through the second round victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Wilson was in the lineup because F Dylan Wruck (shoulder) was not. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 29 shots, losing his shutut bid at 14:30 of the second when F Jordan Wyton scored. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens stopped 19 of 24 shots through two periods. Spencer Tremblay came on to stop five of six shots in the third period. . . . The Warriors were 0-6 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 1-2. . . . The Oil Kings went into this playoff season with an 0-8 all-time record. They now are 9-8. . . . Edmonton F Kristians Pelss left in the second period with an apparent leg injury and didn’t return, while D Keegan Lowe didn’t play again after blocking a shot late in the third period. . . . The Warriors had Wyton and D Morgan Rielly back from injuries, and scratched D Shayne Gwinner, F Carter Hansen and F Torrin White. . . . Rielly, who will be an early first-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft, hadn’t played since Nov. 6 when he suffered a knee injury that later required surgery. He played about 15 minutes. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Marcel Noebels scored at 7:52 of OT to give the Portland Winterhawks a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Portland leads the best-of-seven Western Conference final 1-0 with Game 2 in Kennewick tonight. . . . Noebels scored his third goal of these playoffs on the Winterhawks’ only shot of the free period. . . . Tri-City had seven shots in OT. . . . Noebels scored the winning goal 61 seconds into the game on Wednesday when the Winterhawks beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 2-0 in Game 7 of a conference semifinal series. . . . Portland had just finished killing off a Tri-City PP opportunity when Noebels scored. Portland G Mac Carruth was penalized for playing the puck outside the trapezoid. Yes, it’s the worst rule in hockey. . . . Tri-City D Mitch Topping forced OT with a goal at 15:09 of the third. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead on F Cam Reid’s goal at 15:48 of the second. . . . Tri-City tied the game on two PP goals by F Patrick Holland, at 18:39 of the second and 9:07 of the third. . . . D Joe Morrow’s PP goal at 10:56 of the third put Portland back out front. . . . The Americans came close to winning it early in OT when Morrow took away a gaping net from Tri-City F Connor Rankin. As Tri-City radio voice Craig West put it: “Connor Rankin had about a four-foot putt right there and Joe Morrow saved the day.” . . . Later, West sent me a note to let me know that it wasn't Morrow; it was Cam Reid. As West noted, he doesn't have the benefit of replays in his spot in the rafters. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi had a goal and two assists, while linemate Ty Rattie had one assist. They now are tied for the WHL playoff scoring lead, each with 24 points. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski had two assists and was plus-4. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin scored his side’s first goal, running his point streak to 35 games. . . . That goal gave him a franchise-record 60 playoff points, one more than former Americans F Daymond Langkow. . . . Shinnimin also ended up minus-3. . . . Earlier in the day, Shinnimin was named the Western Conference’s nominee for the player-of-the-year award. He’s up against F Emerson Etem of the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman had two assists, giving him 400 WHL points, including regular season and playoffs. He has 50 career playoff points. . . . The Americans were 3-5 on the PP; Portland was 1-4.

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Don Nachbaur, the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, shares a moment with
forward Mason Wilgosh, the captain of the Tri-City Americans, after
Wednesday's playoff game in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Justin Taylor (Medicine Hat, Red Deer, 1999-2000, 2003-04) signed a one-year contract with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 19 goals and 23 assists in 44 games for Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) this season. Villach head coach and ex-Winnipeg Jets F Hannu Järvenpää: "Justin is a very valuable player. He is an excellent centre but also plays the wing very well. He knows how to get the puck into dangerous positions in front of the net and gets there himself, too." . . .
F Carsen Germyn (Kelowna, Red Deer, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract extension with the Straubing Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had 14 goals and 25 assists in 49 games for the Tigers this season. Tigers GM Jason Durham: "Carson generally had an extremely strong season and his plus/minus of +16 was outstanding. It is highly gratifying that Carsen will return, despite lucrative offers from other teams."
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Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada tops his weekly piece with some interesting thoughts on the NFL, the NHL and concussion-related litigation. It is right here.
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Ellen Etchingham at Backhand Shelf offers up her take right here on what is happening in the NHL these days, and it’s well worth a read.
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Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal takes a look at the Moose Jaw Warriors and their ownership situation right here. They are one of the last community-owned teams left in the WHL.
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D Brandon Manning, a product of the WHL’s Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?), is among the players recalled by the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers from the AHL’s Adirondack Phantoms.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Norm Johnston, a former head coach of the Regina Pats, will be returning for a fifth season as head coach the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.
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TWEET OF THE NIGHT:
From Drew Owsley, who played this season with the Prince George Cougars: “Philly, I’m a free agent . . . #justsayin.”
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
The WHL’s conference finals will feature the top two teams from each. . . . In the Western Conference, the Tri-City Americans will be at home Friday night to the Portland Winterhawks. Both teams advanced with sitrring Game 7 victories on Wednesday night. . . . In the Eastern Conference, it’ll be the Edmonton Oil Kings and Moose Jaw Warriors meeting in the Alberta capital on Friday night. . . . Tri-City, Edmonton and Moose Jaw all won division titles. . . . The other division winner, the Kamloops Blazers, lost 2-0 in Portland last night.

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 32 shots to lead the Winterhawks to a 2-0 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Carruth has two shutouts in these playoffs and three in his career. . . . F Marcel Noebels scored from the slot at 1:10 of the first period. . . . F Brendan Leipsic added insurance, finishing off a 2-on-1 with F Cam Reid, at 9:49 of the third. . . . The Blazers had lost the first three games of the series before roaring back to force a seventh game. . . . Kamloops G Cam Lanigan stopped 37 shots. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave, who suffered a concussion late in Game 1, didn’t play again in the series. He was back in uniform for this one, but only in a backup role. . . . The Winterhawks had won their first seven playoff games before losing three in a row to the Blazers. . . . A note from @WHLFacts: After Game 6 having the most combined goals in the playoffs (13), Game 7 between Portland & Kamloops had the fewest goals in this post season.” . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin, who won the WHL’s regular-

Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin reacts after
scoring the game-winner.
(Photo by Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

season scoring title, broke a 202 tie 15:42 of the third period as the Tri-City Americans edged the Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Shinnimin, who also had an assist, has at least a point in each of his last 34 games. . . . Tri-City F Malte Strömwall tied the score 2-2 at 14:38 of the third period. . . . F Dominik Uher gave Spokane a 1-0 lead at 18:48 of the first, on a PP. . . . F Brian Williams tied it at 5:03 of the second. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg gave his guys a 2-1 lead with his 11th goal of the playoffs at 5:47 of the third. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer stopped 17 shots. At the other end, Eric Williams, making his 11th straight start, turned aside 45. . . . The Americans had a 29-9 edge in shots after two periods. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani came up empty on a penalty shot at 16:59 of the first period. The game was scoreless at the time. . . . This was the 27th playoff victory with the Americans for head coach Jim Hiller, tying him with Don Nachbaur for the most in franchise history. Nachbaur, of course, now coaches the Chiefs. . . . Nachbaur has won a franchise-record six series. . . . The Americans are headed to the Western Conference final for the second time in three seasons and the third time in five years. . . . Shinnimin has 59 career playoff points, tying him with Daymond Langkow for the Tri-City franchise record.
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Here are a couple of interesting post-game tweets from Portland D Troy Rutkowski (@TRutter2):
“To any of our ‘fans’ who jumped off the bandwagon, don’t bother coming back. We don’t want you #pretenders great win boys! #allin.”
He followed that with:
“On the side to everyone who came out to support us tonight thank you. Best fans in the league #7thman #proudtobeahawk.”
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Rutkowski also paid tribute to Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer, who played his final WHL game, with this tweet:
“Would like to acknowledge the great series and career @MashMellowMits had in the WHL. #classy guy #greatplayer #allthebesttoyou.”


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