Why was K9 a healthy scratch? ... AHL's 2015 man of year joins Seattle ... Toth heading to school

D Patrik Maier (Kamloops, Moose Jaw, 2014-16) has signed a tryout contract with Benátky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Last season, he had a goal and three assists in 53 games with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga). . . . 

F Dustin Johner (Seattle, 1999-2004) has signed a one-year contract with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). Last season, with Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had 13 goals and 26 assists in 54 games.

———

I remember when we had to scratch K9 because we got threats faxed to our office after Puckhead got attacked in MJ the night before

— Brent Parker (@Patguy65) July 20, 2017

In this space on Thursday, there was a revisitation of a confrontation between a couple of WHL head coaches. Yes, there was photographic evidence, too.

The picture and story prompted all kinds of responses, including the above tweet from Brent Parker, who was the Regina Pats’ general manager for 15 years so was front and centre in a lot of the rivalry with the Moose Jaw Warriors.

In the tweet, he referred to the shenanigans that went on during a home-and-home series on March 24 and 25, 2000.

The series opened in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, aka the Crushed Can.

At the time, the Warriors had a mascot with the moniker of Puckhead and it looked pretty much like you might imagine — with a giant puck for a head.

At one point during the game, Puckhead was taunted by a few fans who apparently were pals of Pats F Ryan Thomas. One thing led to another and a couple of the fans bodychecked Puckhead. When Puckhead shoved back, one of the fans, according to a piece at CBC.ca, began punching her.

Yes, Puckhead’s outfit was inhabited by a woman, the late Doreen Gurnsey, who was in her sixth season as the mascot. (Gurnsey passed away on Oct. 1, 2007.) 

“I’ve been kicked," she told CBC a few days later. “I’ve had beer poured over me. One fellow one time gave me a shove towards the ice. I mean that's down to the bleachers towards the ice. And it was just lucky that I had straddled the railing and was able to grip on. I'm quite sure I might not have lived through that.”

Anyway, during the altercation, Puckhead’s head came off. You know that the two fans were surprised to see a woman’s face looking back at them, and they quickly and quietly exited stage right.

In a recollection that is posted at rodpedersen.com, veteran Pats/Warriors observer Kelly Remple wrote:

“Following the game, Pats head coach Tim Tisdale sat quietly in the front of the bus, waiting to depart for the Queen City. A lunatic sporting black, red, and white approached the bus and banged on the door. The bus driver opened the door to hear what this maniac was shouting. As the door opened, the crazed fan looked at Tisdale and, like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, said: ‘Your dog is dead. DEAD! You understand me. Your dog is DEAD!’ A concerned Tisdale called home and asked his wife, ‘Honey, is the dog OK?’ ”

There were reports of threatening phone calls to the Pats’ office the following day and, of course, Parker made reference to threatening faxes.

For the record, the Warriors won the Friday game, 6-3, in front of 3,074 fans. The next night, the Pats posted a 3-2 victory before 6,231 fans. Yes, there was a line brawl. No, K9 wasn’t there to witness it.

As @WHLPats organist then, I played #PopGoesTheWeasel when Theo on ice (or kicked out of game) for @MJWARRIORS. He even put it in his book! https://t.co/TKh8xqgmKy

— Sen. Denise Batters (@denisebatters) July 20, 2017

——

Just what this @WHLsilvertips @SeattleTbirds rivalry needed. Coaches who used to scrap each other, right @KyleHagel  https://t.co/vkqB2ZaOsH

— Mitch Love (@mlovehockey) July 20, 2017

The rivalry between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips may have taken another turn away from love on Thursday. That’s because the Thunderbirds, the WHL’s reigning champions, have hired Kyle Hagel as an assistant coach.

As is evident from the above tweet, Hagel and Mitch Love, Everett’s assistant GM/assistant coach, are

KYLE HAGEL
(Photo: seattlethunderbirds.com)

quite familiar with each other.

There is a whole more to Hagel than a scrap, however.

Hagel, 32, is from Hamilton. He played four seasons at Princeton before going on to a pro career that ended after last season. A defenceman who sometimes played on left wing, he played the last three seasons with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

After 2014-15, Hagel was honoured as the AHL’s IOA/American Specialty AHL man of the year. He was presented with the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which is awarded annually, according to the AHL, to a player “for his outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations.” That was the fifth time that Hagel had been nominated by his AHL team for the award.

Hagel also is a co-founder of HP4K (Hockey Players for Kids), a non-profit organization that, according to its website, is “made up of hockey players around the world who are dedicated to positively impacting the communities they play in. . . . HP4K believes that promoting player interaction with children is the best way they can achieve this impact, and acts as a catalyst in connecting players with kids in their communities.”

O’Dette and Hagel met for the first time when they were teammates for part of the 2008-09 season with the ECHL’s Fresno Falcons. That was Hagel’s first season as a pro player, while it was O’Dette’s last one.

The Thunderbirds will hire one more assistant coach before the season. One vacancy was created when the Thunderbirds moved Matt O’Dette from assistant to head coach after Steve Konowalchuk left for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. The other spot came open when assistant coach Tyler Alos chose to leave the organization.

——

G Rylan Toth, who played out his junior eligibility with the Seattle Thunderbirds last season, has decided to attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds in 2017-18. . . . Toth led WHL goaltenders in regular-season victories (36) last season. He had a 2.75 GAA and .902 save percentage. He suffered an undisclosed injury late in the season and didn’t play again until getting into two games during the Memorial Cup tournament. . . . Toth also played two seasons with the Red Deer Rebels. . . . In 158 regular-season games, the Saskatoon native was 90-51-13, 2.76, .906.

——

The BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals have signed Brian Passmore as their new general manager and head coach. He takes over from Bob Beatty, who has resigned after four seasons with the Capitals. Beatty had spent 17 seasons in the SJHL before signing with the Capitals prior to the 2013-14 season. . . . Passmore, 37, has been the head coach of the bantam prep team at Shawnigan Lake School for the past two seasons. . . . Passmore also has coaching experience in the junior B Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, having spent two seasons with the Peninsula Panthers and one with the Westshore Wolves. . . . The Capitals also announced that Dan Whiteford will be back for a second season as assistant coach, while Darren Rodney, who had been the assistant GM,  now is director of hockey operations.

——

Mike Fraser, who scouts for the Brandon Wheat Kings, also has been writing a weekly column for the Brandon-based Westman Journal. In this week’s ponderings, who looks back at five years with the Wheat Kings. That column is right here. . . . With the Journal undergoing a change in the editor’s office, Fraser has chosen to step back, so next week’s column will be his last one. 

——

Darren Steinke, the wandering blogger, spent a lot of the 2016-17 WHL season visiting various arenas. On Thursday, he blogged about his travels and how much fun he had. It’s all right here.

——

If you’re a regular here, and even you aren’t, feel free to contribute to the feeding of the Drinnan family by making a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you would like to contact Taking Note with information, have a question or just feel like commenting on something, feel free to send an email to greggdrinnan@gmail.com. I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

———

Excuse me Constable, can you tell me where my wife and I can register as evacuees? #BCWildfires https://t.co/FeZCZET7Pv pic.twitter.com/z0R0UOslMN

— BCRCMP (@BCRCMP) July 20, 2017

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Nanaimo closing in on new arena? . . . Pats pleased with first half . . . Parker goes fishing

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TAKING NOTE

The streets were a mess on Monday, and there were two accidents in downtown Kamloops. Slow down and enjoy the holiday season, folks. . . . To mellow things out a bit, right here is Celtic Woman with . . . Do You Hear What I Hear?

———

F Radek Meidl (Seattle, Tri-City, 2006-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, he had a goal and three assists in 27 games with Frýdek-Místek (Czech Republic, 1. Liga).

-———

Could the WHL have a team in Nanaimo, B.C., when the 2017-18 season begins?

There are still a number of stumbling blocks, including a possible referendum on a new arena, but the return of Nanaimo to the WHL may be closer today than at any time since the Islanders completed their only season (1982-83) in the city.

Kendall Hanson of CHEK-TV on Vancouver Island reported Monday that city staff has asked city council for direction on entering “into negotiations with the Western Hockey League and (a) WHL team leading to a memorandum of understanding in contemplation of (the) location of (a) WHL team in the city of Nanaimo beginning with the next WHL season — this even though the proposed Events Centre couldn’t be built before September of 2019.”

According to Hanson, Councillor Bill Bestwick said: “What we do know is that a team is available and what we do know is that Frank Crane Arena is 45 years old and what we do know is that if we wait five or 10 or 15 more years there might not be a team available and assuredly the event centre would cost $5-, $10-, $15-, $20-million more.”

While Nanaimo continues to talk about building an $86-million entertainment centre a decision whether to go ahead hasn’t been made. Discussions on exactly that were ongoing at a council meeting on Monday night.

Should the city choose to proceed with the project, the next step would be to hold a referendum. Hanson reported that while organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Improvement Association and Port Authority are in favour, there is opposition, starting with the Protection Island Neighbourhood Association.

Should the project get the go-ahead at some point in the not-too-distant future, it would mean a WHL team in Nanaimo would have to spend at least two seasons in the Frank Crane Arena, a facility that seats around 2,400 and is home to the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers.

The obvious candidate, of course, is the Kootenay Ice, a franchise that is owned by the Chynoweth family and has been for sale since 2012.

This season, after 19 home dates, the Ice is averaging 1,672 fans per game based on announced attendances. That is the poorest average attendance in the 22-team WHL. It also is a decrease of 285 from last season.

You have to wonder if the franchise might be better off drawing 2,400 fans in Nanaimo — assuming, that is, that it would be able to attract that many fans — than watching its fan base disappear in Cranbrook.

Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s governor, president and general manager, told Taking Note last night that he has “not spoken to anyone from Nanaimo.”

“But,” he added, “with everyone knowing our franchise is for sale, I am sure we will get lumped (in with) any potential new city or building.”

——

The Regina Pats have never won 50 games in a WHL regular season. So they definitely have something to shoot for after getting to the Christmas break with a 22-3-6 record.

While they are fourth in the overall standings, four points being Prince George, the Pats hold five games in hand on the Cougars. Regina is three points behind the second-place Everett Silvertips, with the Pats holding two games in hand. The Medicine Hat Tigers are third, one point ahead of Regina, which holds five games in hand.

“If you would have told us when we started camp that on Dec. 17 we’d have three regulation losses, we would have probably said you had too much to drink,” John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post in a story that is right here. “In saying that, there are some factors to it. To start with, we took advantage of all the (early) home games but we’ve also gone out and played pretty good on the road. We rode that wave.”

Obviously, the Pats are going to have a busy second half, having played only 31 games going into the break.

The 1978-79 Brandon Wheat Kings hold the single-season record for fewest losses (5). They finished that season at 58-5-9, with the 9 representing ties.

That season, the Wheat Kings went into an 18-day Christmas break with a 26-1-5 record. It is rather doubtful that the Pats can play their final 41 games without losing more than twice, although some might say that Regina actually has lost nine games to date.

Anyway . . . when that Brandon team broke for Christmas, it already had three players — linemates — with at least 40 points. Left-winger Brian Propp had 99 points, including 46 goals, in 31 games. Right-winger Ray Allison had 85 points, 31 of them goals, in 28 games. Centre Laurie Boschman was at 80 points, including 36 goals, in 32 games. Propp and Allison were running 1-2 in the scoring race.

It is interesting that the Wheat Kings had an 18-day break that season. Propp, Allison and D Brad McCrimmon joined the New Westminster Bruins during the break and played in the World Junior Championship in Sweden. Boschman, G Rick Knickle, D Mike Perovich and D Tim Lockridge played in the Labatt Cup, a junior tournament that was held in various Ontario cities.

——

Team Canada dumped Finland 5-0 in a Monday night exhibition game between two national junior teams at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Both teams are preparing for the 2017 World Junior Championship that is scheduled to begin in Toronto and Montreal on Dec. 26. . . . Canada got two goals from each of F Tyson Jost (North Dakota) and F Taylor Raddysh (Erie Otters), with F Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds) adding one. Goaltender Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips) earned the shutout with 25 saves. . . . Next up for Canada is an exhibition game against Czech Republic in Ottawa on Wednesday. Canada also will play Switzerland, in Toronto on Friday.

——

D Slava Demin, 16, of the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild has committed to the U of Denver where he will play for the Pioneers. Demin, from Cypress, Calif., was a sixth-round selection by the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. He has 16 points, including four goals, in 30 games with the Wild.

——

Brent Parker has hung up the ‘Gone Fishing’ sign. The former president, governor and general manager of the Regina Pats announced Monday that he has “taken a sales and marketing position with Rodgers Fishing Lodge in Eliza Inlet on the beautiful West Coast of Vancouver Island.” . . . According to Parker, the lodge is “one of the oldest and most established lodges in B.C., and provide a luxury fishing experience for small groups or large corporate parties.” . . . So if you are wanting to fish for salmon, halibut or tuna, you may want to think about sending Parker an email at brentparker@sasktel.net for some info. . . . Sounds like a good spot for a meeting of the WHL board of governors and/or general managers.

——

Two stepsons of Brent Stark, the owner and president of the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines, were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide involving their father in Spruce Grove, Alta., on Monday. The bodies of the boys, ages 11 and 13, were found when Stark and their mother, Tracy, arrived to pick them up and take them to Whitecourt for holidays. . . . “We both showed up to the home and a coward of a father took his life and his two boys’ lives,” Stark told Andrea Ross of CBC News. . . . There’s more right here.

———

MAILBAG:

L C (not sure if that’s his/her real name) writes:

“Great blog Greg (sic), but I'm getting tired of seeing all the Lefty bashing / tweets of soon to be President Trump. If you have to insist on getting political, maybe include some sweet heart Justin Trudeau bashing to even it out. I'm starting to think this is a CBC / Left Wing Media affiliated blog.”

(Editor’s note: L C, I am wondering if you’re related to the late L.C. Greenwood? What a fine footballer he was. . . . Just want you to know that I am neither a left wing, nor a right wing. I’m a centre.)

———

DEC. 19-26:

No Games Scheduled.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Michal Psurny (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). He had 43 goals and 46 assists in 52 games to lead the Phoenix in scoring this season. Psurny was fifth in league scoring and was named to the
Premier League's second all-star team. . . .
F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) signed a two-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and two assists in 37 games with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had eight goals and eight assists in 33 games for Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) this season.
---
"If you are reading this, I am dead." . . . Peter Worthington, one of the greats of Canadian journalism, wrote his own obituary. It’s right here and it’s worth a read.
---
There was a shakeup in the office of the Regina Pats on Tuesday as owner Russ Parker announced that his son, Brent, is stepping down as governor and president. . . . General manager Chad Lang, who joined the Pats over the summer of 2010, has had the titles of governor and senior vice-president added to his portfolio. . . . Cliff Mapes remains as vice-president of business operations. . . . Brent Parker had been in the Pats' front office for 18 years, ever since Russ and Diane Parker purchased the franchise in 1995. According to a Pats news release: "(Brent) Parker will assist in the transition with respect to organizational structure over the next few weeks with an anticipated full departure from the organization being early in June."
Why is Parker leaving?
"It has been an accumulation of many, many things," he told a news conference. "The last five years have been the hardest for me personally, from my diagnosis of cancer five years ago to illnesses, accidents and deaths of some of our former players and close friends. That was on top of the daily - and yes I do mean daily - battles that we have with our building partner." The building partner? That would be Evraz Place, which runs the Brandt Centre, the facility the Pats call home."
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
---
Russ Parker says he and his wife, Diane, aren't yet ready to sell the Regina Pats. However, he admits that the day will come when that will happen. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
When that day does arrive, you have to wonder if the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders might be a potential buyer? Hey, why not? NHL teams already own WHL franchises in Edmonton and Calgary, and one day the Winnipeg Jets' owners are likely to own one, too. So why not have the country's most-popular CFL team involved in the WHL at the ownership level? And just think of the outdoor games they could play host to once the new football stadium has been built.
---
The Prince Albert Raiders have re-signed general manager Bruno Campese and Dale Derkatch, the director of player personnel, to new contracts, each one calling for two years plus an option. . . . Campese has been with the Raiders since 2007, first as head coach, then as general manager and head coach, then as general manager. . . . Derkatch, a former WHL star with the Regina Pats, has been with the Raiders through three bantam drafts.
---
The Prince George Cougars have signed F Kody McDonald, the 24th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. Playing for the bantam AAA team at the Pursuit Of Excellence in Kelowna, he had 124 points, including 45 goals, in 47 games. McDonald, from Lethbridge, is the third player from Turning Point Sports Management’s stable to sign since the draft.
---
So much for the Wenatchee Wild moving to the BCHL. The Wild, which has been embroiled in a battle for a new lease in Wenatchee, is on the move, but not to the BCHL. Instead, the NAHL franchise is relocating to Hidalgo, Texas, where it will operate as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees starting next season. . . . In a news release, team president Bill Stewart said he expects head coach Bliss Littler and his staff to be part of the relocation. . . . The Wild will play out of State Farm Arena, a facility that seats 5,500 for hockey. . . . According to the Wild news release, "A presentation to and final approval by the USA Hockey junior council is expected in June."
---
The Vancouver Giants announced Tuesday that Bruce Allen, a well-known manager in the entertainment business, has bought into the ownership group. As well, the Giants announced that they have signed three 2013 bantam draft picks – F Tyler Benson, F Matt Barberis and D Ryley McKinstry. . . . Benson was the first overall pick in the draft after putting up 146 points, including 57 goals, in 33 games with the Alberta Major Bantam League’s Edmonton South Side Athletic Club Southgate Lions. . . . Barberis, from Surrey, B.C., was another first-round pick, taken 20th overall. He had 48 points in 58 games with the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins. . . . McKinstry, from Calgary, was selected with the 23rd pick. He had 36 points in 29 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Bisons. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has more on all of this right here. He also touches on how the Giants aren't interested in having Benson apply for exceptional status, but majority owner Ron Toigo wants to see the five-game rule bumped to 10 games. As things now stand, a 15-year-olds is only allowed to play five games before his club team has its season end.
---
Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province starts a dispatch on Bruce Allen joining the Vancouver Giants ownership group with:
Bruce Allen is a minority owner with the Vancouver Giants now. He’s certainly not a silent partner, though.
"I just think there’s been an alienation for a lot of hockey fans from that organization up the street," Allen said at the official announcement Tuesday.
There’s more right here.
It’s interesting that Allen talks about team owners being in the entertainment business and how he feels he can make a difference from that angle. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of the Giants as an entertainment vehicle.
---
The Tri-City Americans have dealt D Clint Filbrandt, 18, to the Kootenay Ice for a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. From Calgary, Filbrandt was a 10th-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had three points and 17 penalty minutes in 31 games as a freshman this season. . . . "With an abundance of defencemen signed for the upcoming season, I wanted to give Clint an opportunity to continue to play in the WHL," Tri-City general manager Bob Tory said in a news release. . . . "With the uncertain future of Tanner Muth and whether he will able to return to our club next year we felt it was important to add another defenceman with WHL experience," Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth said in a news release. "Defencemen are tough to come by at all levels and this trade will give Clint an opportunity to be an everyday player with our club."
---
The Augusta RiverHawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League have ceased operations. "We, as an organization, have not received any positive information concerning the replacement of the ice system at the James Brown Arena," the team said in a news released. "A May 12th deadline was communicated to the building manager back at the end of March or the beginning of April. We also have not received any information concerning monetary compensation for the loss of the Arena for the eight games that were to be played in the James Brown Arena in March of this year. We are taking a leave from League play with the approval from the League's governors for one season. Hopefully, something can be done in the greater CSRA to bring hockey back the following year. We will retain our franchise."
---
The OHL’s London Knights have been selected as the host team for the 2014 Memorial Cup. The OHL’s selection committee chose London over the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires. . . . The 2014 tournament will run May 16-25 at Budweiser Gardens. . . . The Knights won the Memorial Cup as the host team in 2005. . . . The decision means that the Knights will appear in three straight Memorial Cup tournaments. They lost in the final of the 2012 tournament, will compete in the 2013 affair in Saskatoon and now will be the host team in 2014.
---
THE COACHING GAME:
The MJHL's Swan Valley Stampeders have signed Erik Peterson as their new general manager and head coach. Peterson, who is from Dauphin, Man., has spent the past 10 seasons coaching in Denmark. As a player, he won MJHL titles with the Dauphin Kings and Winnipeg South Blues. He replaces Dwayne Kirkup, who left the Stampeders to take over as GM and head coach of the MJHL's Neepawa Natives. . . .
Chad Kletzel is leaving the Kootenay Ice after one season as an assistant coach under head coach Ryan McGill. . . . "With the impending birth of their first child, Chad has decided to return to Lethbridge to resume his teaching career," Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president, governor and general manager, said in a news release.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Martin Sagat (Kootenay, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two assists in 20 games with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga), five goals and five assists in 13 games on loan to Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) and two goals and two assists in 12 games on loan to Chomutov this season.
———

When you are a professional athlete, an icon to some, who plays by his own rules and is paid millions upon millions of dollars, what happens when the game closes its doors on you? Kent Babb of the Washington Post takes a look right here at Alan Iverson.
———

The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Tuesday night in Calgary; all games on Shaw TV, with Dan Russell calling the play.)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Portland leads series, 2-0; Game 3 on Tuesday night in Kamloops.)
———
SUNDAY’S GAMES:
No Games Scheduled.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (19):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (6):
None
———

From Regina Pats governor/president Brent Parker (@Patguy65), who was hanging out after the Junos last night: “Ya a night at the Universal Music party is normal....call me maybe! #carlieraejepson”



There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that the Everett Silvertips are disputing the lawsuit that has been brought against them by former general manager Doug Soetaert. That story is right here.
———
Former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien is 49 years of age and already he is experiencing memory loss.
Nathan Fenno of the Washington Times has more right here.
———
Lorne Molleken will be back behind the bench of the Saskatoon Blades next season. Molleken, who is the Blades’ general manager and head coach, has told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix that he will reassess his position(s) after the 2012-13 season, which means after the 2013 Memorial Cup. The Blades will be the tournament’s host team.
Molleken also told Nugent-Bowman that the roster of next season’s team will bear little resemblance to the Saskatoon roster that lost in four games to the Medicine Hat Tigers this week.
That story is right here.
———
THE COACHING GAME:
The QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have announced that they won’t bring back assistant coach Kevin Higo, whose two-year contract is to expire on July 31. Higo, from Lethbridge, was an assistant coach with the Moose Jaw Warriors for two seasons (2008-10). . . .
Victor Gervais (Seattle, 1986-90) is the new GM/head coach of the junior B Westshore Wolves, a new club in the Vancouver Island junior league. Gervais has spent the last five seasons with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. This season, he was GM and assistant coach, with Len Barrie as majority owner and head coach. . . . The Wolves will play out of Victoria’s Bear Mountain Arena, which also is home to the Grizzlies. . . .
The U of Alberta Golden Bears have redone their organizational tree. No longer will they have a head coach and an assistant coach; instead, there will be a general manager and a head coach. Stan Marple, the interim head coach last season, will be the first GM, while the search is on for a coach. Evan Daum has that story in the Edmonton Journal right here.
———
D Morgan Rielly isn’t yet ready to return to the Moose Jaw Warriors’ lineup; in fact, it sounds as though he may not play for a couple of weeks, although he has been practising for 10 days. Rielly, who had major knee surgery on Dec. 1. He visited with his Vancouver surgeon this week and Alan Millar, the Warriors’ director of hockey operations, told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald that Rielly is “week-to-week.” Millar told Gourlie: “The appointment with the surgeon went very well. (Rielly) continues to be on pace to have a chance to play somewhat ahead of schedule. I know there was a lot of speculation and some reports that he would be in the line-up (tonight). He will not be in the line-up. He will not play at all in this series.” . . . The Warriors take a 3-1 series lead over the Regina Pats into Game 5 in Moose Jaw tonight.
Gourlie’s story, and there’s more to it, is right here.
———
Is Saskatoon, a city that would be home to an NHL franchise, a good sports town, or not? Les MacPherson, a columnist with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, tackles that question right here.
———
D Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades will finish his season with the Lake Erie Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Siemens was selected by Colorado with the 11th pick of the 2011 NHL draft. . . .
D Josh Caron of the Everett Silvertips, who signed a free-agent deal with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is expected to join the AHL’s Houston Aeros for the remainder of the season. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that F Ryan Harrison has been invited to join the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters, and D Brennan Yadlowski may hook up with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles.
———
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, was busy again on Thursday.
He hit Everett F Ryan Harrison with a ‘tbd’ suspension for a charging major and game misconduct in Game 4 against the visiting Tri-City Americans on Wednesday. Assuming that Harrison, 19, is back in the fall, the start of his season almost certainly will be delayed. . . .
F Max Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice was hit with a one-game suspension for a game misconduct he took against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Wednesday. Reinhart didn’t play last night as the Oil Kings completed a sweep of the defending-champion Ice. . . .
Ice D Spencer Wand also sat out last night’s game after being suspended for a game following a pregame violation on Wednesday. . . .
Regina Pats F Dyson Stevenson won’t play tonight in Game 5 against the host Moose Jaw Warriors. He incurred a one-game suspension after taking a clipping major and game misconduct in Game 4 in Regina on Wednesday. He has a team-high three goals and is tied with F Jordan Weal for the team lead in points, with five. . . .
And, finally, Regina president Brent Parker was fined $2,500 for “inappropriate behaviour” after Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors.
Glenn Reid of CBC Regina tweeted: “GM Brent Parker fined $2500 for inappropriate conduct. I thought he was screaming at me for a second there (Wednesday) night.”
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported that Parker “punched a hole in the door of the video replay booth inside the press box” after the game and “also became involved in a heated verbal confrontation with the off-ice officials who were inside the booth.”
———
Harder had a busy time of it. He also spoke with Wayne Gretzky, whose good friend, Pat Conacher, is in his first season as the Regina Pats’ head coach. That story is right here.
———
Bill Graveland of The Canadian Press reports on a WHL player who received probation and community service after pleading guilty to charges from a high-speed car crash in which his girlfriend was killed. That story is right here.
———




THURSDAY’S WHL GAMES:
(If you want WHL facts and stats, get on Twitter and follow @WHLFacts)
In Winnipeg, the Brandon Wheat Kings got a goal at 8:26 of OT to beat the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 and win a first-round series in five games. . . . The Wheat Kings played their home games in Winnipeg because the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is in Westman Place in Brandon. . . . The Wheat Kings actually scored twice on the game-winning play. F Paul Ciarelli fired a shot that hit the cross-bar in the back of the net. As one of the referees waved it off, F Darian Dziurzynski, who turns 21 today, banged in the rebound. . . . Originally credited to Dziurzynski, the goal was later changed to Ciarelli. . . . The Hitmen killed off a Brandon power play just before the winning goal and, in fact, came close to winning when G Corbin Boes made a tremendous glove save off F Jimmy Bubnick. . . . It is the eighth time in the last 11 seasons that Brandon has moved into the second round. . . . Boes finished with 42 saves. . . . Ciarelli scored at 4:14 of the third period to forge a 2-2 tie. Those were his first two goals of the series. . . . Dziurzynski and Jens Meilleur each had two assists for Brandon as they figured in both Ciarelli goals. . . . The Hitmen played all five games without F Victor Rask (leg), who scored 33 goals in the regular season. . . . Attendance was 4,002. . . . You can bet this series victory meant just a little bit more to Brandon owner/general manager Kelly McCrimmon. His brother, Brad, would have been 53 on Thursday. Brad was the head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the KHL team that was wiped out in a plane crash on Sept. 7. . . . The Wheat Kings will be back in Westman Place for the second round. Brandon will face the Edmonton Oil Kings next, if the Moose Jaw Warriors eliminate the Regina Pats. The Warriors take a 3-1 lead in that series into Game 5 tonight in Moose Jaw. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Rhett Rachinski scored the game’s last two goals as the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Kootenay Ice 3-1 and swept the defending champions from the playoffs. . . . Edmonton has won its last 15 games. . . . Rachinski broke a 1-1 tie with his first goal of the series at 14:09 of the second period and added an empty-netter at 19:23 of the third. . . . The Oil Kings, in their fifth season in the WHL, won a series for the first time. They went in having been swept from the first round in both of their appearances. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 25 shots, while Laurent Brossoit of Edmonton turned aside 14. . . . The biggest story of the two games in Cranbrook may well have been the attendance — 2,293 on Wednesday and 2,146 last night. Those are the two smallest Rec-Plex playoff crowds in franchise history. . . . The highlight for the fans may have been when Marian Dixon shot a puck from the far blue-line through a hole in a sheet of plywood and won a truck from Denham Ford. . . . A Thursday night tweet from Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart: “Best comment on the ice goes to my little bro Sam saying ‘If you touch me I'm telling mom’ when we were in a scrum.” . . .

In Kelowna, F Ty Rattie scored four times as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Rockets 5-3 to sweep that first-round series. . . . The Winterhawks will meet the Kamloops Blazers in the second round. That series will open with Games 1 and 2 in Portland’s Veterans’ Memorial Coliseum on April 6 and 7. . . . Rattie scored his club’s first three goals, giving Portland 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads. . . . He later added an empty-netter for his 10th goal in the four games. He also had three assists. . . . Interestingly, in the four games in this series, Rattie had one-, two-, three- and four-goal games. . . . Last spring, Rattie finished the playoffs with nine goals in 17 games. . . . He actually outscored the Rockets, 10-9, in the four games. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi had two assists. . . . Linemates Rattie, Baertschi and Marcel Noebels, who had one helper, each was plus-4.
———
THURSDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
THURSDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Curtis Lazar, Edmonton.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Juraj Valach (Tri-City, Vancouver, Regina, Red Deer, 2006-08) has been assigned on loan by Kometa Brno to Slavia Prague (both teams Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. He has one goal and three assists in 24 games for Brno this season. The "loan" is effectively a trade between the two clubs. Brno "loaned" Valach and F Tomas Pospisil to Slavia Prague; in return, Slavia has loaned D Jiri Vlasicek and F Tomas Svoboda to Brno. . . .
G Ian Gordon (Swift Current, Saskatoon, 1992-95) signed a one-year contract extension with Ingolstadt (Germany, DEL). He has a 2.65 GAA and a .906 save percentage in 16 games with Ingolstadt this season. The extension keeps Gordon in Ingolstadt through the 2012-2013 season.
———
There were times during my 17-year stint at the Regina Leader-Post where Rob Vanstone and I would hope in my vehicle and head for Swift Current to watch the Broncos.
We knew the chances were good we would see an entertaining hockey game. And if the game wasn’t entertaining, we knew Graham James, the Broncos' GM and head coach, would entertain us after the fact. We would, in other words, have something about which to write.
That’s what Vanstone writes about right here . . . that and a whole lot more. And I vouch for everything he writes here, because I oftentimes was right there.
———
Here’s part of a Chris Selley piece from the National Post:
“If fighting in the NHL is appalling and unconscionable, then what adjectives go with the situation in junior? Shouldn't this be a far bigger issue than it is? . . .
“I'm not claiming that banning staged fighting in junior hockey would necessarily get rid of it in the professional leagues, though it couldn't hurt. What I'm saying is that fighting in junior hockey has always struck me as tantamount to child abuse.”
Selley’s complete column is right here.
———
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post had an interesting piece in Thursday’s paper involving reaction to recent developments in the Derek Boogaard story.
In the column, Harder quoted Regina Pats president Brent Parker on the role of fighting in hockey.
“Humans are creatures of habit,” Parker told Harder. “It’s so easy for us to say it has always been part of the game and it needs to be part of the game. I don’t know if it does. First and foremost we have to be concerned about the safety of our athletes. We’ve done some things as a league with our seven-point plan to make sure we’re addressing head blows. But I don’t think you will ever legislate head injuries out of contact sports. There’s a reason the helmet was invented.”
Parker also admitted that his feelings about fighting have been altered, as Harder wrote, with happenings of last summer.
“You have a different appreciation for it having attended some funerals this summer that I’d rather not have had to attend,” he said. “I think my views have changed. I guess I’ve always been a proponent of liking physical hockey and I don’t think that part has to change but the needless fights and needless shots to the head and the lack of respect for each other as players, that’s the part that needs to change. It’s not just hockey. It’s (contact) sports in general.”
Harder’s complete column is right here.
———
JUST NOTES:
F Colin Jacobs of the Seattle Thunderbirds will play his first game this season tonight against the visiting Prince George Cougars. He has been out since suffering an undisclosed injury in the Buffalo Sabres’ prospects camp. He was a fourth-round selection by Buffalo in the 2011 NHL draft. . . .
F Marcel Noebels of the Seattle Thunderbirds is expected to miss five WHL games as he plays for Germany at the World Junior Championship (Division I, Group A). The tournament runs from Sunday through Dec. 17 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Also in the tournament are Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Norway and Slovenia. The winner of this tournament will play with the big boys next year. . . . Noebels has 20 points in 25 games in his sophomore season with Seattle. . . .
The NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild and Topeka RoadRunners are scheduled to play an exhibition game at the United Wireless Arena in Dodge City, Kansas, on Wednesday. That arena is a 5,500-seat facility that is looking for a main tenant. . . . Hmmm! Dodge City Cougars? . . . Another hmmm! As the crow flies, it is 839 miles/1,350 kilometres from Brandon to Dodge City. . . .
———
Ken Stickney is the front man for Portland Winterhawks’ owner Bill Gallacher. Stickney sat down for a chat with Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune and that piece is right here. It turns out that Gallacher really does want to bring the NHL to Portland.
———
You know there has never been a subscription fee for this blog. But, hey, if you enjoy it here, why not at least consider donating to the cause? It's easy, too. Just click HERE . . . and thank you very much.
———
Steve Yzerman, the general manager of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, said Thursday night that freshman F Brett Connolly will attend the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp that opens Saturday in Calgary.
Connolly, 19, has eight points, including four goals, in 27 games with the Lightning. He was the sixth overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft.
Shortly after Yzerman made the announcement, Connolly tweeted: “Well let's go get a gold medal.”
Shortly after that, he tweeted: “Thanks for all the support from the fans in Canada. We are going to do everything to bring the gold home.”
The best tweet of them all, however, came from freshman F Chase Witala of the Prince George Cougars: “there goes my chances of making team Canada as the 13th forward. #suprisedtonotgetthecampinvite”
Of course, Connolly is from Prince George and would have to play with the Cougars had the Lightning not kept him.
If you missed it, the Anaheim Ducks have assigned F Devante Smith-Pelly to Canada’s team, as well. He had five points in 26 games with the Ducks.
He played three seasons with the OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and was a second-round pick by Anaheim in 2010.
———
MORE JUST NOTES:
The Seattle Thunderbirds have added F Connor Honey, 17, to their roster. Honey, from Edmonton, had seven points, including one goal, in 17 games with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. . . . Last season, he played midget AAA with the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club and won the league scoring title, with 56 points in 34 games. . . . He attended Seattle’s camp prior to the start of this season. . . .
Things just get worser and worser for the Red Deer Rebels. They looked like world-beaters during a tour of the B.C. Division a while back. Now they have lost 11 in a row and will entertain the Brandon Wheat Kings tonight. . . . They will do it withoug G Patrik Bartosak, who will be out indefinitely with an undisclosed upper-body injury. He was hurt in the second period of the Rebels’ 2-1 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Wednesday night. . . . Red Deer also is without D Aaron Borejko and forwards Josh Cowen, Adam Kambeitz and Daulton Siwak, all of whom are injured. As well, D Matt Dumba and D Alex Petrovic will leave after tonight’s game for the Canadian junior team’s selection camp. . . . G Bolton Pouliot will start tonight, with Tyler Oswald, 18, backing him up. Oswald has been with the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers. . . .
———
In Edmonton, F T.J. Foster had two goals and two assists as the Oil Kings erased a 2-1 deficit and beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 7-3. . . . The Oil Kings now have won eight in a row. . . . Edmonton has scored six or more goals in five of those eight victories. . . . Brandon has lost six of its last nine games. . . . The Wheat Kings led 2-1 at 11:02 of the second period. Edmonton scored five goals in 8:36 before the period ended. . . . The Oil Kings are 20-8-3 and riding high atop the Eastern Conference, two points clear of the Moose Jaw Warriors and Kootenay Ice.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) was released by Jokerit Helsinki (Finland, SM-Liiga) at the end of his tryout contract. He had one
goal in three exhibition games for Jokerit this month. . . .
F Shay (Red Deer, 2000-04) and D Logan (Tri-City, 2001-06)
Stephenson each signed one-year contracts with Vålerenga Oslo (Norway, GET-Ligaen). Logan had two goals and three assists in 43 games for the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL) last season, while older brother Shay didn’t play. Two seasons ago, Shay had six goals and 13 assists in 36 games with the Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) and four goals and two assists in seven games with Vålerenga. . . .
F Josh Bonar (Kamloops, Vancouver, Regina, 2000-03) signed a one-year contract extension with Miskolci Jegesmedve JSE (Hungary, Interliga). He had 29 goals and 30 assists in 31 games for Miskolc during MOL Liga play last season, leading the league in goals and scoring. In Hungarian league play (OB I. Bajnoksag), Bonar had 10 goals and 10 assists in 14 games. The MOL Liga, comprising teams from Hungary and Romania, was renamed Interliga this summer.
———
JUST NOTES: The Regina Pats and Evraz Place announced Tuesday that they have agreed on a five-year lease for the Brandt Centre. If you have followed this story, you know that this is like The Rock and Stone Cold reaching a truce back in the day. . . . "We are pleased that we are able to announce a longer term lease agreement with Evraz Place. The process has been long and at times frustrating for both parties but with the help of our legal counsel Neil Tulloch and the co-operation of Neil Donnelly from Evraz we were able to find some common ground," Pats president Brent Parker said in a news release. . . . The previous deal expired on May 31. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here. . . .
The staff at the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penticton includes some names that will be familiar to WHL fans. Blake Wesley, a former Portland Winterhawks defenceman is the director of hockey operations. . . . Robert Dirk, a former Regina Pats defenceman, is the GM and head coach of the junior B team, the Penticton Lakers. . . . Brian Pellerin, who played with the Prince Albert Raiders and has worked as an assistant coach with Portland, is the prep team head coach. . . . Tim Hunter, who played in the WHL with the Seattle Breakers, is the head coach of the varsity Red team. . . . Mike Needham, who was a sniper with the Kamloops Blazers and is on their staff as skills coach, is head coach of the OHA’s bantam Tier 1 team. . . . Former Blazers head coach Barry Smith is head coach of the bantam Tier 2 team. . . .
———
The Saskatoon Blades will travel to Prince Albert for an exhibition game against the Raiders tonight. Drew Wilson has all the action on CKBI and you can find it on the Internet.
———
A tip of the hat to general manager/head coach Jesse Wallin and the Red Deer Rebels.
D Matt Dumba has yet to skate in the Rebels’ training camp, which is exactly what happened a year ago with F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
“Like Ryan, Mathew played hockey all of August,” Wallin told Greg Meachem, the Red Deer Advocate’s sports editor. “After returning from overseas (with the Canadian national under-18 team), he flew to Toronto (for an NHL developmental/orientation camp). We’ll give him a week off to catch his breath and get him skating Friday.”
With the amount of time young players are spending in the gym and on skates during the summer months, more teams should be providing some of these players with more time off.
———
Curtis Lazar, the second overall pick in the 2010 bantam draft, is working to make a name for himself with the Edmonton Oil Kings. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has more right here on the player they call The Czar.
———
For today's good read, we send you to the Sporting News, where Craig Custance has written an entertaining read that carries the headline: NHL watches as colleges wage war with Canadian junior hockey. . . . This is as entertaining a look at the 'war' as I have read. It's right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Tuesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT: F Oscar Möller (Chilliwack, 2006-08) signed a two-year contract with Skellefteå (Sweden, Elitserien). He had one goal and three assists in 13 games with the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and 23 goals and 27 assists in 59 games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) this season. . . . Möller said to Skellefteå newspaper Norran when asked if he wanted to return to the NHL: "Absolutely. I've said to all the clubs I talked to. It is my goal to get back to the NHL. I have not given up my dream, and it is certain with Skellefteå that you have that attitude.” . . .
F Joni Lindlöf (Kelowna, Lethbridge, 2002-04) signed a one-year contract with Kristianstad (Sweden Division 1). He had 21 goals and 21 assists in 38 games for Björklöven Umeå (Sweden Division 1) this season.
———
You may have seen F Mikael Granlund score that spectacular goal for Finland in the world championship game against Russia last week. The MacBeth Report points out that he did the same thing during the 2006-07 season while playing for the Kärpät Oulu bantam team. The video isn’t top-flight but you can see it right here. . . . As The MacBeth Report adds: “So in four years, he goes from bantams to scoring possibly the most talked about goal in World Championship history.”
———
Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail writes today about the Kootenay Ice and the Chynoweth connection. That piece is right here.
———
He was the Missing Link. But it turns out that Link Gaetz isn’t missing. Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News talked with Gaetz and that story is right here.
———
JUST NOTES: The U of Regina Cougars have landed a couple of former WHLers in D Mark Schneider (Kamloops, Brandon, Regina, 2006-10) and G Andrew Hayes (Brandon, 2007-10). Hayes played this season with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. . . . Red Deer city council has supported a $1-million grant that is to be used towards adding seating to the Centrium. Paul Cowley of the Red Deer Advocate has more right here.
———
THE COACHING GAME: Former NHLer Gordie Dwyer is the new head coach of the QMJHL’s P.E.I. Rocket. He had been working with the junior A Summerside Western Capitals as head coach and associate director of hockey operations. . . . The MJHL’s Winkler Flyers have signed John Marks, their director of hockey operations and head coach, to a two-year extension, while the Selkirk Steelers have signed head coach Ryan Smith to a deal that goes through 2013-14. Smith also will serve as the club‘s director of player personnel. The Steelers also will have assistant coaches Justin Harris and Jordan Sobkowicz back for another season.
———
Remember the Gassoff Gang? . . . Curtis Gassoff is working hard to revive the Quesnel Kangaroos, and has applied for entry into the Central Interior Hockey League in B.C. Curtis, if you’re wondering, is Ken’s 25-year-old son. Percy Hebert of the Quesnel Cariboo-Observer has the story right here.
———
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Regina Pats president Brent Parker: “For those wondering nothing new to report on our ongoing lease negotiations. We are looking forward to a face to face in the coming days!”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Derek Boogaard, dead at 28

DEREK BOOGAARD
(New York Rangers photo)

Derek Boogaard (Regina, Prince George, Medicine Hat, 1999-2003) was found dead in his Minneapolis apartment by family members on Friday morning. He was 28.
A cause of death wasn’t released, but foul play is not suspected. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office has scheduled an autopsy. It could be carried out today.
Boogaard, who stood 6-foot-7 and weighed more than 250 pounds, was one of hockey’s first really large enforcers.
Sheesh, I can remember covering a Regina Pats’ training camp in the late 1990s with Boogaard on the ice, and he towered over the other players even at that age.
Of course, he came by his size honestly. His father, Len, an RCMP officer, is 6-foot-4, while mother Joanne is 6-foot-3.
One brother, Aaron, also played in the WHL (Calgary, Tri-City, 2002-07) and spent this season with the Central league’s Laredo Bucks. Another brother, Ryan, is an RCMP officer. A sister, Krysten, is a senior at the U of Kansas where, at 6-foot-5, she played for the Jayhawks women’s basketball team.
In 174 WHL games, Derek had 21 points, including three goals, and 670 penalty minutes. He played in 277 NHL games, picking up 16 points, three of them goals, and 589 penalty minutes.
He was a seventh-round selection by the Minnesota Wild in the 2001 NHL draft.
Boogaard played five seasons with the Wild before signing as a free agent with the New York Rangers for US$6.5 million over four years. He played 22 games this season before suffering what turned out to be a season-ending concussion on Dec. 9 in a scrap with Matt Carkner of the host Ottawa Senators. Boogaard also was left with a shoulder injury.
On Nov. 9, he had ended a 234-game goalless drought by scoring against the Washington Capitals.
Asked by the New York Daily News about how he became a hockey enforcer, Boogaard replied:
"It started when I was 14 or 15. I was in juniors — Regina rookie camp, mini-camp and all that stuff. Their so-called tough guy or whatever got into it with me in one of the scrimmages, and I just dropped the gloves, and I put his nose on the side of his face. It happens, you know?"
Four years ago, Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post talked with Boogaard. That piece is right here.
There was another side to Boogaard, too, and the Rangers touched on it in a news release that was issued last night:
“Boogaard was a supporter of the Defending the Blue Line Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation whose mission is to ensure that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the great sport of hockey.
“While with the Rangers, he created ‘Boogaard’s Booguardians,’ hosting military members and their families at all New York Ranger home games. In addition, he made multiple appearances with partner organizations of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the non-profit charity that works closely with all areas of Madison Square Garden, including the New York Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media, MSG Entertainment and Fuse ‘to make dreams come true for kids facing obstacles’.”
———
It didn’t take long after news of Boogaard’s death broke for the Twitterverse to explode:
Paul Bissonnette, a tough guy with the Phoenix Coyotes, tweeted: “Had to call my folks after hearing that awful news. Derek Boogard you were pure nails on the ice, and an even better person off. R.I.P.”
———
Ryan Whitney, a defenceman with the Edmonton Oilers:
“Awful news about Derek Boogaard. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
———
Brent Parker, president of the Regina Pats (he was GM when Boogaard was in the Pats’ camp):
“I remember the first time I watched Boogey play. Melfort vs Rosetown bantams. Me and (Pats head scout Todd Ripplinger), Derek was a foot taller than every kid on ice!”
———
Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers defenceman:
"Boogy, you will be missed! Condolences to the Boogaard family. The world lost an amazing friend and teammate!''
———
Wes Walz, former Minnesota Wild teammate:
“Sat beside Boogy for a few years in dressing room. Great teammate but even a better person!!! A true gentle giant. RIP my good friend.”
———
Brandon Prust, New York Rangers forward:
“At a loss for words. I'll miss my roomy Derek Boogaard. You will be missed by everyone. Great friend and teammate.”
———
Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal hockey writer:
“Ex heavy Georges Laraque talked to Boogaard 2 days ago. "We planned on training together in Regina this summer. In total shock. So saddened."

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

THE CHILLIWACK-TO-VICTORIA SAGA, Chapter 57:
The Regina Moose? The Regina Gophers? The Chilliwack Pats?
The Victoria Bruins?
When the dominoes start falling, who knows how all this will shake out. And now you have to wonder if one of the dominoes might be the Regina Pats?
The Pats are in lease negotiations with Evraz Place, the landlord that controls the Brandt Centre, the arena the team calls home.
These negotiations have been messy in the past and they appear headed down Nasty Street once again.
In fact, a source has told me that the Evraz people have given the Pats “a take-it-or-leave-it offer.”
The Pats’ owners — Diane and Russ Parker — are said to be seriously thinking of leaving it. Their son, Brent, is the team’s president after a long run as general manager.
I also have been told that the Evraz Place people have had discussions with the American Hockey League, which is doing preliminary planning in case a new home is needed for the Winnipeg-based Manitoba Moose. That move would become necessary should the NHL move the Phoenix Coyotes back to Winnipeg.
All of this is nothing more than speculation, of course, but it does mean there may be a sliver of light so far as the WHL fans of Chilliwack are concerned.
Understand that the Pats have been down this road a few times before and, at the end of the day, have always reached agreement with their landlord.
However, I don’t think the Pats have ever been in a position like they are now — with an arena such as the one in Chilliwack looking for a primary tenant. (The Bruins, if you’ve come in late, have been sold, presumably to Vancouver-based RG Properties, and will be relocated to Victoria.)
Yes, the Pats could very well use Chilliwack as a bargaining chip. However, it could work the other way, too, meaning that Evraz Place might have to be careful in calling the Pats’ bluff because the hockey team just might have another landing place.
Of course, it could be that Evraz Place has its eyes on an AHL franchise.
Oh, what a tangled web . . .
———
Interestingly, the Colorado-based Arabian Horse Association wasn’t able to close negotiations to keep its Royal Red horse show at Evraz Place and revealed late in March that it has chosen to move it to Brandon’s Keystone Centre. The Royal Red had been held in Regina for 22 years.
———
The Parkers have a long sporting history in the west and, in fact, Russ and Brent likely would be quick to tell you that baseball is their first love. Russ owned a AAA baseball franchise in Calgary not all that long ago, but it left town when he and the City couldn’t come together on the building of a new facility or the refurbishing of an old one.
A year ago, the Parkers bought a Golden Baseball League franchise and set it up in Victoria as the Seals. Darren Parker, another son, was put in charge. However, the owners weren’t at all pleased with playing conditions — apparently, Victoria is lacking in baseball facilities and the Seals played on a soccer pitch with a portable snow fence around the outfield — and the franchise folded over the winter.
Should the Pats end up in the centre of a controversy related to a possible move, it wouldn’t be the first time. In 1985-86, the franchise, then owned by the Pinder family of Saskatoon, was so close to moving to Swift Current during the Christmas break that one game scheduled to be played in Regina was postponed. The marquee in front of the Agridome even announced that the team was on the move. Saner heads prevailed, of course, and the Pats stayed where they belong.
The bone of contention back then was a $1 parking charge that Regina Exhibition Park, then the Pats’ landlord, chose to implement.
———
And if you’re wondering how the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings are doing . . . they opened a best-of-seven second-round series with the host Utah Grizzlies on Friday night. The Salmon Kings won, 4-2, with former Kootenay Ice F Adam Taylor sealing the victory with an empty-netter. . . . Attendance in the 10,207-seat Maverik Center was 3,063. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for tonight. . . . The series heads to Victoria for Games 3, 4 and, if necessary, 5 on Wednesday, Friday and April 23.
———
MEANWHILE . . .
The hurt will be a while in going away, but Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, says he’ll be back behind the team’s bench next season.
After last season, Molleken thought about leaving the bench and focussing on the front-office duties.
“I sat down last year at the end of the (season) with (Blades co-owner) Jack Brodsky and we talked about the coaching,” Molleken told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “The Brodsky family, at that time, their wishes were that I stay behind the bench. Jack asked me to commit for another three years, so I made that
commitment to him and we’ll move forward.”
Molleken told Wolfe that he plans “to stay coaching for a long time.”
For more on the Blades and how they are dealing with the way their season ended, check out Wolfe’s copy right here.
———

DAWSON GUHLE

The Medicine Hat Tigers get their second opportunity to eliminate the Red Deer Rebels tonight. The Tigers take a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 in Red Deer.
The Tigers won the first three games of the series and a lot of fans thought the series was over when Red Deer lost G Darcy Kuemper with a high ankle sprain suffered in Game 3.
However, backup Dawson Guhle, 18, stepped in and pitched a shutout, stopping 19 shots as the Rebels won Game 4, 1-0.
Guhle will be back in goal tonight, as Kuemper, 20, still is on the limp. In fact, Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that Kuemper “has been fitted with a special boot which he will wear for a least a month.”
Backing up Guhle, who was acquired from the Regina Pats in November, will be Bolton Pouliot, 16, from the midget AAA Calgary Royals.
The Rebels have scored just three goals in the four games with Medicine Hat. Obviously, then, Red Deer is going to have to find some offence if it hopes to keep on playing.
———
The Tri-City Americans and the visiting Spokane Chiefs are 2-2 going into Game 5 in Kennewick, Wash., on Sunday. The Americans evened the series with a 4-3 double-overtime victory on Thursday.
If you’re planning on attending Sunday’s game, perhaps you should be prepared for OT. Nine of the last 14 playoff games between these teams have needed extra time.
If you’re wondering why this series has a 2-3-2 format, with the Americans playing host to the middle three, it’s because of scheduling difficulties involving an Elton John concert, a two-day youth wrestling tournament and an Amway convention.
The wrestling tournament will be held today and Sunday in the Toyota Center in Kennewick, with the facility to be converted for hockey in time for a 7:30 p.m. start.
Bob Tory, the Americans’ GM, wasn’t at all happy about not having any Friday dates.
"It's bad management," Tory told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald earlier this month. "When you have Spokane and Tri-City and we can't have a weekend date, that is unacceptable. We are the anchor tenant with a history of playoff success the last five years."
———
ON THE ICE FRIDAY NIGHT:

JESSEY ASTLES

In Portland, F Jessey Astles scored at 7:08 of OT to give the Kelowna Rockets a 2-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . Kelowna G Adam Brown stopped 54 shots. . . . The goal was Astles third of the playoffs. He picked off a pass at the Kelowna blue line and skated in alone to beat G Mac Carruth to the blocker side. . . . Astles, an 18-year-old from Coquitlam, scored one goal in 56 regular-season games last season and three times in 59 games this season. Now, he has three goals in nine playoff games. . . . The Winterhawks hold a 3-2 lead as the series goes back to Kelowna for Game 6 on Sunday. . . . Kelowna won the first game, with Portland winning the next three. . . . F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan gave Kelowna a 1-0 lead at 4:38 of the second period via the PP. . . . Portland F Nino Niederreiter, on the PP, tied it at 15:09 of the second. . . . Callahan has five goals; Niederreiter has seven. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth stopped 36 shots. . . . Attendance in the Rose Garden was 8,505. . . . The Rockets lost D Colton Jobke to a boarding major and game misconduct at 16:34 of the first period. The play will be reviewed by the WHL office and he could be suspended. . . . Portland had F Brad Ross back in the lineup after he served a three-game suspension. He picked up two minor penalties, one of them coincidental, the other resulting in a Kelowna PP. . . . Kelowna F Zach Franko, who was hit by Ross in Game 1, didn’t play.
———
FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
A tip of the cap to Taylor Piller, a 20-year-old forward with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves. From Saskatoon, Piller has played four seasons in the SJHL — two with the Humboldt Broncos and two with the Ice Wolves. Remarkably, he has won four SJHL championships.
Darren Zary of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has that story right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter