Doing some scattershooting . . . Giants say season-ticket sales are up . . . Wheaties, Oil Kings trim rosters

We’re scattershooting as the WHL approaches the start of its 51st regular season . . . 

1. Will the Everett Silvertips qualify for the playoffs for a 14th straight season? They have made it in each of their first 13 seasons in the WHL.

2. Will Everett head coach Kevin Constantine get a new contract before this season is over? He is the only head coach to get the Silvertips out of the opening round.

3. F Nick Henry of the Regina Pats was the MJHL’s rookie of the year with his hometown Portage Terriers last season. He chose to join the Pats, rather than go the NCAA route, and then lit up the preseason with five goals and six assists in eight games. Will he be able to continue that pace in the real games?

4. It will be interesting to watch Regina GM/head coach John Paddock’s game plan unfold. It’s based on reaching the 2018 Memorial Cup, a tournament the Pats should get to play in as the host team. It will be the trophy’s 100th anniversary and the Pats’ 100th season. Paddock landed Henry, 17, and F Bryan Lockner, 16, who also was thought to be NCAA-bound. Is F Tyson Jost, 18, paying close attention as he begins his freshman season at the U of North Dakota? The Colorado Avalanche selected Jost with the 10th overall pick in the NHL’s 2016 draft. The Pats acquired his rights in a deal with Everett.

5. Brandon F Nolan Patrick was the WHL’s playoff MVP as the Wheat Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup last spring. But he was injured in the Eastern Conference final and needed surgery in July to repair a sports hernia. Seen as the consensus No. 1 pick in the NHL’s 2017 draft, he returned to full practice last week but has yet to play in a game. It will be interesting to see how he progresses once he gets back in the lineup.

6. F Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals is the WHL’s most exciting player. Last season, he put up 76 points, including 37 goals, in 72 games. It is going to be fun watching the 5-foot-6, 140-pound whirling dervish in his sophomore season.

7. Peter Anholt, the GM of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, was thrilled when he was able to acquire D Brennan Menell from the Vancouver Giants the other day. Menell put up 53 points, 46 of them assists, in 69 games with a struggling Vancouver team last season. What will he do with the Hurricanes, a team that has some firepower up front?

8. A year ago, the Hurricanes were coming off a 20-44-8 season. Last season, with Anholt in charge and newcomer Brent Kisio running the bench, they were the WHL’s surprise team, finishing at 46-24-2. How will they do this season when they won’t be able to surprise the other teams?

9. F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was able to play in only 30 games last season and he wasn’t near 100 per cent for some of those appearances. It would be great to be able to watch him at his best, or at least close to it, this season. When healthy, he is one of the WHL’s top skaters. Unfortunately, he’s already nursing a shoulder injury.

10. When Jason Smith was a defenceman with the Regina Pats (1991-93), he was one of the WHL’s toughest players. You didn’t want to go into a corner and engage in a 1-on-1 puck battle with him. You didn’t want to stand in front of Regina’s net when he was on the ice. Today, he’s the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. Smith, who turns 43 on Nov. 2, has never been a head coach at any level of hockey. The WHL game has changed a whole lot since he played in the league and it’s going to be interesting watching him learn.

11. F Aleksi Heponiemi, a freshman from Finland, led the WHL in assists (10) and points (15) in six exhibition games. He’s 5-foot-10 and 140 pounds and should be a whole lot of fun to watch this season.

12. It’s supposed to be a rebuilding/reloading season for the Portland Winterhawks, isn’t it? But they came out of the exhibition season with a 5-0-1 mark, the only one of the 22 teams not to suffer a regulation-time loss. Yes, it’s only the preseason but is GM/head coach Mike Johnston already working his magic in what is his second go-round?

———

Laundry Day. 6 loads of towels, 3 loads of game socks, 4 high capacity loads of game jerseys, 11 cups of tide sport. pic.twitter.com/qcai3niMrq

— Golden Rockets (@RocketsGolden) September 18, 2016

Bob McGill, a longtime WHL scout, has died at the age of 71. McGill, who lived in Sherwood Park, Alta., was the father of Ryan McGill, a former WHL player and coach, who now is the head coach of

Bob McGill receives a WHL Distinguished Service Award
from commissioner Ron Robison in March.
(Edmonton Oil Kings photo)

the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.

Bob McGill was presented with a WHL Distinguished Service Award in March prior to a game between the host Edmonton Oil Kings and the Red Deer Rebels.

McGill scouted for various WHL teams for more than 25 years.

He worked for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, Kelowna Rockets, Vancouver Giants and the Oil Kings.

During his 10 seasons with the Rockets, they won two WHL titles and made three Memorial Cup appearances, winning it all as the host team in 2004.

He joined the Oil Kings for their inaugural season (2007-08) and was with them through 2014 when they won the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the Memorial Cup. He retired after that season, going out on top.

He had played for the original Oil Kings before joining the Edmonton Fire Department, where he would spend 30 years.

McGill, known by all as Gilly, was extremely popular on the coaching circuit and among his peers.
——

The Regina Pats went 3-3-1 in the exhibition season and will open the real season on Friday against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that F Luc Smith (charleyhorse) and D Lane Zablocki (shoulder), who didn’t play in a 6-4 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday, should be ready, but D Brady Pouteau (ankle) isn’t expected to be back. . . . Regina got down to two goaltenders by dropping Kurtis Chapman from their roster. He is expected to report to the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Chapman, 18, is from Airdrie, Alta. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. His departure leaves the Pats with Tyler Brown, 19, and Jordan Hollett, 17, as their goaltenders. Brown got into 50 games last season (21-19-6, 3.15, .909), while Hollett made 23 appearances (10-6-1, 3.67, .887).

——

The Vancouver Giants are preparing for their first season in the Langley Events Centre after moving over from the Pacific Coliseum. Peter Toigo, the Giants’ vice-president, operations, has told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that the team may limit tickets sales to “about 4,500” per game, at least in the early going. The LEC has a listed hockey capacity of 5,276, which includes 700 standing room. The Giants may not sell standing room. According to Ewen, Toigo told him that the Giants want to make sure they have the fan experience nailed down. They want make sure the building and staff can handle the crowd. . . . Toigo also told Ewen that season-ticket sales are up for the first time since 2006-07, although he wasn’t able to supply an exact figure.

——

F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants skated with the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects in Penticton, B.C., on Sunday, but he did it while in a non-contact sweater. Benson suffered a shoulder injury a week earlier in a WHL exhibition game, so didn’t play in the Oilers’ first two games at the YoungStars Classic in Penticton. He isn’t expected to play in their final game in the tournament against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, either. . . . “Just a tweak, a day-to-day thing,” Benson told Robert Tychowski of the Edmonton Sun. “They’re just trying to take precautions to make sure nothing gets worse.” . . . Benson, a second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2016 NHL draft, was limited to 30 games with the Giants last season thanks to surgery to remove a cyst from his lower back area, then groin and lower core injuries. . . . “That’s all cleared up,” he told Tychowski. “I’ve had no issues with that for a while now. . . . I’m all good now.”

——

The Brandon Wheat Kings dropped D Ty Ettinger, 16, and G Hunter Arps, 17, from their roster. . . . Ettinger is expected to join the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. From Androssan, Alta., Ettinger was a fifth-round selection on the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Arps may return to the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, although he may yet end up with the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs. Arps, from Pleasantdale, Sask., was a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Arps’ departure leaves the Wheat Kings with two goaltenders — veterans Jordan Papirny 20, and Logan Thompson, 19, both of whom were there last season.

——

The Edmonton Oil Kings got their roster down to 24 players, including three goaltenders and 14 forwards, by trimming four players on Sunday. . . . F Brian Harris, 17, is expected to join the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. He was an 11th-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . F Scott Atkinson, 16, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. He is returning to the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . D Travis Verveda, who turns 19 on Nov. 6, is returning to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. He has played 32 games with the Kamloops Blazers over the past two seasons. . . . D Jayden Platz, 16, is expected to return to the Northern Alberta X-Treme of the Canada Sport School Hockey League. He was a second-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.

———

Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

———

Harold Snepsts receives City of Burnaby paving stone, honouring hall of fame inductees, volunteers and businesses. pic.twitter.com/ShaYOAZLAX

— Kathy Corrigan (@kathycorrigan) September 17, 2016

———

SUNDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Everett at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.

Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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.

Big signing day in WHL, especially for Pats . . . Wheaties, Royals swing deal . . . Victoria signs assistant coach

F Marcel Hossa (Portland, 1998-2001) had signed a one-year contract with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with with Plzeň (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had eight goals and eight assists in 20 games. He also had one assist in two games with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . . Hossa's contract with Trenčín includes an out clause should he get an offer from outside Slovakia.

-——

The Regina Pats enjoyed quite a day on Thursday as they signed F Bryan Lockner and F Nick Henry, both of whom were believed to be leaning towards taking the NCAA route. . . . The 6-foot-0, 190-

Nick Henry is welcomed to the Regina Pats by John Paddock,
the WHL teams' general manager and head coach.
(Regina Pats photo)

pound Henry, from Portage la Prairie, Man., was the MJHL’s rookie of the year with his hometown Portage Terriers last season. He put up 61 points, including 26 goals, in 50 games, then added 18 points, 10 of them goals, in 17 playoff games. . . . Henry, 17, was acquired from the Everett Silvertips, who took him in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft. With his having signed, Everett will get a second-round pick in the 2017 draft and a 2016 sixth-round selection. . . . Henry had verbally committed to attend Western Michigan U. . . . Henry, who scored Regina’s lone goal in a 6-1 loss to the visiting Swift Current Broncons on Thursday, told Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that being closer to home was definitely a factor. “I’m extremely excited about it,” Henry said. “That was a big factor in this decision. Hockey-wise, I think this is my best place to be right now, with the players I’m going to play with and the coaching here in Regina. I talked to lots and lots of people who have played in the Western League, played NCAA. Really, I didn’t have a wrong way to go but for the time being this is the right place for me.” . . . Lockner, a 6-foot-1, 210-pounder from Windsor, Colo., was a third-round pick by the Pats in the 2015 bantam draft. A shoulder injury limited him to four games last season with the Colorado Thunderbirds of the Tier One Elite League. Lockner, 16, had two assists in four playoff games. . . . “I’m excited with my decision,” Lockner told Harder. “I’ve been thinking about it pretty much this whole summer — either go here or go to college. I feel like this is the best route for me. Obviously the coaching staff is one of the best coaching staffs around. They have great ownership and Regina is a good city. They’re an older team this year so they’re going to try to make it to the finals. That’s a plus for me, playing with older guys and learning from them.”

The Pats also signed F Braydon Buziak, 18, and D Owen Williams, who will turn 16 on Sept. 26. . . . Buziak, 6-foot-0 and 205 pounds, is from North Battleford, Sask. He had 19 points, including six goals, with the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars last season. He is a listed player. . . . Williams, from Delta, B.C., put up 17 points, 15 of them assists, in 42 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds last season. He was a ninth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.

——

Grant Armstrong, who is in his first days as the general manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings, spent the past four seasons in the Victoria Royals’ front office. So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the teams swapped five players and some bantam draft picks on Thursday. . . . The Wheat Kings acquired D Jordan Wharrie and two brothers — F Tyler and F Baron Thompson — a 10th-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft and a third-rounder in 2018. . . . The Royals acquired two unsigned prospects — F Jeremy Klessens and G Brendan Benoit — along with a third-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft, a seventh-rounder in 2018 and a conditional pick in 2019. . . . Wharrie, 19, is from Port Moody, B.C. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder was a fifth-round pick by the Everett Silvertips in the 2012 bantam draft. Last season, in 34 games with the Royals, he had one goal and one assist. In 91 career games, he has three goals and three assists. . . . The Thompsons are from Lakeville, Minn. The 19-yet-old Tyler, 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, had two goals and an assist in eight games with the Royals last season. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Baron, 17, had two goals and two assists in 26 games with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints last season. The Royals selected him in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft, but has committed to attend the U of Maine. . . . According to the Wheat Kings, all three players are expected in Brandon this weekend. . . . The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Klessens, from Red Deer, had eight goals and 13 assists in 49 games with the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys last season. The 17-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Wheat Kings in the 2014 bantam draft. The 5-foot-10 145-pound Benoit, a 16-year-old from Winnipeg, was 23-0-1, 2.03, .910 with the midget AAA Eastman Selects last season. Brandon picked him in the 10th round of the 2015 bantam draft. 

——

The Saskatoon Blades have signed F Michael Farren, a 16-year-old list player who is from Richmond, B.C. Last season, the 5-foot-10 160-pounder had 48 points, including 15 goals, in 40 games with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League.

——

The Lethbridge Hurricanes signed four players — D Alex Cotton, F Shawn Harke, F Evan Ladouceur and G Adam Swan. . . . Cotton, 15, was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. From Langley, the 5-foot-11, 150-pounder played last season at the Yale Hockey Academy, putting up three goals and five assists in 25 games with the bantam prep team. . . . Harke, 16, is from Leduc, Alta. Harke, 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds, was a seventh-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Last season, he played for the OHA-Edmonton prep team in the Canadian Sports School Hockey League, scoring six goals and adding 13 assists in 30 games. . . . Ladouceur, 15, was a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The 6-foot-1, 160-pounder had 13 goals and 12 assists in 32 games with the bantam AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers last season. . . . Swan, 16, was an 11th-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is from Ashern, Man. He was 5-14-0, 5.45, .873 with the Interlake Lightning, a midget AAA team.

——

The Tri-City Americans have signed D Colten Gerlib, 17, to a WHL contract. Gerlib, from Kamloops, played last season for the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget League. He had 25 points, including seven goals, in 45 games. . . . The Americans listed him in January after the Mac’s tournament in Calgary.

——

The Vancouver Giants have signed F Hunor Torzsok, 16, to a WHL contract. From Cloverdale, B.C., Torzsok played last season with the Delta Hockey Academy Elite 15s. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is a listed player. He had 30 points, including 10 goals, in 33 games. 

——

The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Tylor Ludwar and F Scott Mahovlich. . . . Ludwar, from Regina, had 16 points, including seven goals, in 40 games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians last season. The Blazers placed him on their list in November 2014. . . . Mahovlich, from Abbotsford, B.C., had nine points, three of them goals, in 33 games with the Yale Hockey Academy’s midget prep team. The Blazers listed him in January 2015.

——

The Kootenay Ice has signed D Bobby Russell, 16, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. From Langley, B.C., the 5-foot-10, 155-pounder had 15 points, 13 of them assists, in 29 games with the B.C. Major Midget League’s Valley West Hawks last season.

——

The Edmonton Oil Kings have signed F Scott Atkinson, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, and Belarusian F Artyom Baltruk, who was picked in the CHL’s 2016 import draft. . . . Atkinson, a 16-year-old from Vancouver, had 14 points, including five goals, with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget League last season. . . . Baltruk, 17, had 12 points, including five goals, in 28 games with Dinamo-Raubichi of the Belarus2 league last season.

———

Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

———

The Victoria Royals have signed Dan Price, 41, as an assistant coach. Price, from St. Albert, Alta., has spent the past two seasons with the U of Toronto Varsity Blues. He was the team’s assistant coach in 2014-15, and was assistant coach and manager of athletic recruitment last season. . . . Price has WHL experience, having coached with the Tir-City Americans (2012-14) and Chilliwack Bruins (2006-09). . . . The Royals needed an assistant coach after moving Enio Sacilotto from behind the bench into the position of director of prospect development and scout. That came about after Grant Armstrong, their assistant GM, player personnel.

——

THURSDAY’S GAMES:

The Saskatoon Blades scored the game’s last four goals and beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-3 in a game played in Regina. F Ryan Bowen and F Brett Howden each had a goal and an assist for Moose Jaw. Saskatoon F Josh Paterson also had a goal and an assist, the goal breaking a 3-3 tie at 19:19 of the third period. F Matthew Mosher also had a goal and an assist for the Blades. . . . In the other game in Regina, F Glenn Gawdin scored the game’s first two goals and the Swift Current Broncos went on to a 6-1 victory over the Pats. Gawdin finished with three goals, while D Artyom Minulin drew three assists, and F Aleksi Heponiemi had two goals and two assists.

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.