THE MacBETH REPORT:
G Marek Schwarz (Vancouver, 2004-05) signed a one-year contract with TPS Turku (Finland SM-Liiga). He had a 2.84 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 44 games for Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic Extraliga) this season. Schwarz is currently the only goaltender under contract to TPS for next season. . . .
F Mark Derlago (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Lausitzer Fusche Weisswasser (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had 45 goals and 36 assists in 67 games for the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and one assist in eight games with the Texas Stars (AHL) this season. . . .
F Dustin Johner (Seattle, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract with TIngsryd (Sweden Allsvenskan). He had 13 goals and 23 assists in 47 games for Växjö Lakers (Sweden Allsvenskan) this season. Tingsryd GM Anders Gustavsson: "Dustin is one of our four centres and we know him well after seeing him last season. He has the character that we want in the team, and we know that he is a good skater and a good scorer." . . .
F Dalibor Bortnak (Kamloops, 2008-11) and F Jaroslav Vlach (Prince George, 2009-11) signed tryout contracts with Liberec (Czech Republic Extraliga). Bortnak had 13 goals and 31 assists in 57 games for the Blazers and Vlach had four goals and eight assists in 55 games with the Cougars this season. Liberec GM Ctibor Jech: "Dalibor and Jaroslav in the past were key players in our youth teams. Now back with the club after playing overseas, they have brought back the experience of the elements typical of hockey overseas."
———
ON THE ICE TUESDAY NIGHT:
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice got a goal and two assists from F Cody Eakin as they beat the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers 3-1 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final. . . . The Ice, which has won 10 straight playoff games this spring, gets its first chance to wrap up the series tonight at home. . . . F Max Reinhart opened the scoring for the Ice on a 5-on-3 PP at 6:33 of the first period. It was his ninth goal of these playoffs. . . . Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem, with his 10th, tied it at 1:13 of the second on a PP. . . . Eakin, with his sixth, broke the tie at 14:08 of the second. . . . Ice F Jesse Ismond, with his second, iced it at 3:35 of the third. . . . Eakin has 16 points in 13 playoff games with the Ice. He has three goals, each one a game-winner, and four assists in this series, including two goals and four helpers over the last two games. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 22 shots, 10 fewer than Medicine Hat’s Tyler Bunz. . . . Lieuwen, 19 and undrafted, is 11-2, 1.96, .930 in the playoffs. . . . Ice F Drew Czerwonka took a nasty fall into the boards in the second period. He was placed on a backboard, stretchered off the ice and taken to hospital via ambulance. X-rays were negative and he apparently walked out of hospital. It’s not know if he will play in Game 4. . . . Attendance was 2,972. Perhaps a lot of people stayed home to watch the game on Shaw and then switch over to for Game 7 between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks. . . . Medicine Hat F Cole Grbavac ended up with a two-game suspension for that hit on Ice F Steele Boomer in Game 1. Grbavac didn’t play last night as he completed the suspension. . . . Boomer is believed to have a concussion and may miss another game or two. . . .
———
TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
———
The Portland Winterhawks will meet the Chiefs in Spokane tonight with the Western Conference final tied 1-1. The teams exchanged 2-1 victories in Portland, with Spokane winning on Friday and the Winterhawks on Sunday. . . . It turns out the Chiefs spent one more night in Portland than they originally had planned. When they got on their bus after Sunday’s loss, they discovered that there were mechanical problems. So after an hour with no resolution, the Chiefs checked back into their hotel and spent the night.
———
In the OHL, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors defeated the Niagara IceDogs 4-1 on Tuesday, to win the Eastern Conference final, 4-1. The Majors are the host team for the Memorial Cup, which means whichever team wins the Western Conference title is automatically in, as well. At present, the Owen Sound Attack holds a 3-1 lead over the Windsor Spitfires, who have won the last two Memorial Cup titles. Game 5 is Wednesday in Owen Sound.
———
JUST NOTES: F Cameron Abney of the Edmonton Oil Kings signed last week with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. A third-round pick in the 2009 NHL draft, Abney got a US$165,000 signing bonus over three years. His AHL salary will be $50,000, $55,000 and $55,000, with an NHL salary of $580,000 each season. . . . F Mike Krgovich (Red Deer, Chilliwack, 2006-09) has commited to attend Simon Fraser University and play for the SFU team in the B.C. Intercollegiate League. He also played for the BCHL’s Surrey Eaglesa nd Coquitlam Express. . . .
———
THE COACHING GAME: The NHL’s Calgary Flames have dumped assistant coach Ryan McGill, who is a former WHL player and coach. The Flames have decided not to pick up the option on McGill’s contract. He is the third member of the coaching staff to be sent down the road since the regular season ended. Earlier, the team chose not to pick up the options for goaltender coach Jamie McLennan, a former WHLer, and assistant coach Rob Cookson. . . . The OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs are shuffling the deck, having moved former NHL star Doug Gilmour from head coach to general manager, while former NHL D Todd Gill is the new head coach. Gill owns the CJHL’s Brockville Braves, a junior A team he also serves as GM. Larry Mavety, the Frontenacs’ longtime GM, stepped aside but remains as a special advisor. . . .
———
Today’s good read comes courtesy of the Sports Guy. That would be Bill Simmons of espn.com. He pontificates mostly on the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, explaining why they might move and why they won’t at least for now, with a side trip to the sad saga of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His essay includes this line: “When a commissioner keeps siding with owners over fans, he becomes nothing but a puppet with strings trickling out of his back.”
The complete read is right here. It’s a long one, but well worth it.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Showing posts with label Dalibor Bortnak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dalibor Bortnak. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Blazers coast past Thunderbirds
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Sheesh! It was like having one of those earworms. You know, one of those songs you can’t get out of your head.
That was the case Wednesday night at Interior Savings Centre when the 3,754 fans in attendance heard Taking Care of Business a season-high five times in the first period alone, including three times in the first four minutes 23 seconds.
Yes, the Blazers, their lineup with more holes in it than the B.C. Liberal Party’s membership list, scored five times in the opening 20 minutes and went on to a 6-1 WHL victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in a no-hitter than featured just one minor penalty through two periods.
One might have expected the Thunderbirds (19-27-9) to play a bit better. After all, they arrived in town Tuesday, so bus legs weren’t an excuse. They also are in 10th place in the 10-team Western Conference, and yet they played without even a hint of desperation and now are four points behind the eighth-place Blazers (24-30-3).
The Blazers are missing defencemen Brandon Underwood (knee) and Austin Madaisky (neck), as well as centre Chase Schaber (leg). And then they had defenceman Brady Gaudet skip about half the first period with a leg problem, necessitating the moving of right-winger Jordan DePape to the back end for a handful of shifts.
“I was a D back in the day, until I was 11 or 12 years old,” said DePape, who earned three first-period assists. “Then, in preseason, Guy put me there for a couple of periods in a game because we were short. I thought I did a pretty good job.
“And it worked out well today.”
Yes, it did. For the home side, anyway.
The Blazers took advantage of a Seattle team that was rather liberal with turnovers inside its blue line. Kamloops held a 21-10 edge in shots after 20 minutes as it showed Calvin Pickard, one of the WHL’s best goaltenders on most nights, absolutely no respect.
Going into this one, knowing that Pickard was in the opposing goal, the Blazers didn’t expect what happened.
“No,” said DePape, who is pals with DePape from their minor hockey days in Winnipeg, “especially with their goaltending. Calvin is a pretty darn good goaltender. We got lucky and we got a few bounces. We got an early lead and we had a lot of confidence for the rest of the game.”
Centre Dylan Willick agreed, saying: “That does not happen very often and it kind of surprised us a little bit. It was good to see that we finally capitalized on our opportunities.”
And the first period easily could have been worse for the visitors.
Left-winger Brendan Ranford finished off a 2-on-1 by firing a shot high over a gaping net, while Willick was foiled by a pad save when it looked like he was about to make a deposit.
In the end, centre Dalibor Bortnak had two goals, with Willick, Colin Smith, Josh Caron and J.C. Lipon adding one each. Caron’s goal was his first of the season and second in 96 career games. Lipon scored his second of the season, ending a 42-game drought.
Forward Jacob Doty had Seattle’s goal, ending goaltender Jeff Bosch’s shutout bid at 4:48 of the first period. Bosch finished with 32 saves as he posted his 20th victory.
The Blazers revealed earlier in the day that Schaber, who had hoped to return to the lineup last night, will be out indefinitely. He has missed 14 of the last 16 games with a leg injury and now there apparently are concerns about calcification.
The Blazers say that he will be re-evaluated in 10 days and that there isn’t a timeline for his return.
Meanwhile, with Madaisky and Underwood out, defenceman Landon Cross, a third-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft, is to join the Blazers today from the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings. He played six games with the Blazers after Christmas and this time will stay with them for 10 days.
With Cross in the lineup, perhaps DePape will be able to stay up front.
“We don’t really talk about (the injuries) too much,” DePape said. “It’s a little bit of adversity that we’re facing and we have to battle through it.
“But when the d-men need a break, it’s nice that they can rely on me. I can go back there when needed.”
The Blazers now are able to start thinking about this weekend and what they hope will be an excellent adventure. They leave Friday for Whitehorse, where they will play Saturday against the B.C. Division-leading Vancouver Giants, who are 12 points ahead of them.
“It helps the guys out a lot,” Willick said of beating Seattle. “It’s nice to have something to build on going into such a big game.”
JUST NOTES: Referees Ryan Benbow and Pat Smith, who were rather conservative with their whistles in this one, gave Seattle four of six minors. The Blazers took the lone misconduct, that to Caron. . . . The Blazers’ single-game high for goals in a game is six. They have done it three teams, all at home. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. DePape — Some forward, a bit of defence and three assists; 2. Caron — A menacing presence back there, again; 3. Bosch — Solid in earning 20th victory. . . . The Blazers will have three prospects playing at the Canada Winter Games that open Friday in Halifax. F Matt Needham of Penticton and D Josh Connolly of Prince George will play for Team B.C., while F Cole Ully of Calgary will be with Team Alberta. They were the Blazers’ first, third and second selections, respectively, in the 2010 bantam draft.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Daily News Sports Editor
Sheesh! It was like having one of those earworms. You know, one of those songs you can’t get out of your head.
That was the case Wednesday night at Interior Savings Centre when the 3,754 fans in attendance heard Taking Care of Business a season-high five times in the first period alone, including three times in the first four minutes 23 seconds.
Yes, the Blazers, their lineup with more holes in it than the B.C. Liberal Party’s membership list, scored five times in the opening 20 minutes and went on to a 6-1 WHL victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in a no-hitter than featured just one minor penalty through two periods.
One might have expected the Thunderbirds (19-27-9) to play a bit better. After all, they arrived in town Tuesday, so bus legs weren’t an excuse. They also are in 10th place in the 10-team Western Conference, and yet they played without even a hint of desperation and now are four points behind the eighth-place Blazers (24-30-3).
The Blazers are missing defencemen Brandon Underwood (knee) and Austin Madaisky (neck), as well as centre Chase Schaber (leg). And then they had defenceman Brady Gaudet skip about half the first period with a leg problem, necessitating the moving of right-winger Jordan DePape to the back end for a handful of shifts.
“I was a D back in the day, until I was 11 or 12 years old,” said DePape, who earned three first-period assists. “Then, in preseason, Guy put me there for a couple of periods in a game because we were short. I thought I did a pretty good job.
“And it worked out well today.”
Yes, it did. For the home side, anyway.
The Blazers took advantage of a Seattle team that was rather liberal with turnovers inside its blue line. Kamloops held a 21-10 edge in shots after 20 minutes as it showed Calvin Pickard, one of the WHL’s best goaltenders on most nights, absolutely no respect.
Going into this one, knowing that Pickard was in the opposing goal, the Blazers didn’t expect what happened.
“No,” said DePape, who is pals with DePape from their minor hockey days in Winnipeg, “especially with their goaltending. Calvin is a pretty darn good goaltender. We got lucky and we got a few bounces. We got an early lead and we had a lot of confidence for the rest of the game.”
Centre Dylan Willick agreed, saying: “That does not happen very often and it kind of surprised us a little bit. It was good to see that we finally capitalized on our opportunities.”
And the first period easily could have been worse for the visitors.
Left-winger Brendan Ranford finished off a 2-on-1 by firing a shot high over a gaping net, while Willick was foiled by a pad save when it looked like he was about to make a deposit.
In the end, centre Dalibor Bortnak had two goals, with Willick, Colin Smith, Josh Caron and J.C. Lipon adding one each. Caron’s goal was his first of the season and second in 96 career games. Lipon scored his second of the season, ending a 42-game drought.
Forward Jacob Doty had Seattle’s goal, ending goaltender Jeff Bosch’s shutout bid at 4:48 of the first period. Bosch finished with 32 saves as he posted his 20th victory.
The Blazers revealed earlier in the day that Schaber, who had hoped to return to the lineup last night, will be out indefinitely. He has missed 14 of the last 16 games with a leg injury and now there apparently are concerns about calcification.
The Blazers say that he will be re-evaluated in 10 days and that there isn’t a timeline for his return.
Meanwhile, with Madaisky and Underwood out, defenceman Landon Cross, a third-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft, is to join the Blazers today from the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings. He played six games with the Blazers after Christmas and this time will stay with them for 10 days.
With Cross in the lineup, perhaps DePape will be able to stay up front.
“We don’t really talk about (the injuries) too much,” DePape said. “It’s a little bit of adversity that we’re facing and we have to battle through it.
“But when the d-men need a break, it’s nice that they can rely on me. I can go back there when needed.”
The Blazers now are able to start thinking about this weekend and what they hope will be an excellent adventure. They leave Friday for Whitehorse, where they will play Saturday against the B.C. Division-leading Vancouver Giants, who are 12 points ahead of them.
“It helps the guys out a lot,” Willick said of beating Seattle. “It’s nice to have something to build on going into such a big game.”
JUST NOTES: Referees Ryan Benbow and Pat Smith, who were rather conservative with their whistles in this one, gave Seattle four of six minors. The Blazers took the lone misconduct, that to Caron. . . . The Blazers’ single-game high for goals in a game is six. They have done it three teams, all at home. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. DePape — Some forward, a bit of defence and three assists; 2. Caron — A menacing presence back there, again; 3. Bosch — Solid in earning 20th victory. . . . The Blazers will have three prospects playing at the Canada Winter Games that open Friday in Halifax. F Matt Needham of Penticton and D Josh Connolly of Prince George will play for Team B.C., while F Cole Ully of Calgary will be with Team Alberta. They were the Blazers’ first, third and second selections, respectively, in the 2010 bantam draft.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Friday, January 21, 2011
By GREGG DRINNAN Daily News Sports Editor
Matthew Needham is about to become the rarest of the rare in terms of WHL players -- a skater who has played 10 regular-season games despite not yet having turned 16 years of age.
Needham, 15, will play the ninth and 10th games of his WHL career this weekend with the Kamloops Blazers, whose forward ranks have been thinned by injuries.
The eighth overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, Needham has 32 points in 29 games with the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget team in his hometown of Penticton.
He also six points, two of them goals, in eight games with the Blazers, who are at home to the Chilliwack Bruins tonight and the Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. The Blazers have recalled him for the fourth time this season and he is expected to play in both games.
WHL rules limit a 15-year-old player to five games before his club team has its season come to an end. However, there are exceptions.
For one thing, WHL games played by a 15-year-old during the World Junior Championship and the U-17 World Hockey Challenge don’t count if the WHL team has more than two players in those competitions. Needham played six games with the Blazers while they had four players in Buffalo and Winnipeg.
As well, the WHL may grant an exemption should a team find itself in an emergency situation, which is about where the Blazers find themselves as they will be without four and perhaps five forwards tonight.
When centre Dalibor Bortnak went down with a concussion in the third period of Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., the Blazers were left with eight forwards.
Bortnak won’t play this weekend, nor will Jordan DePape, Thomas Frazee or Chase Schaber, all of whom are sidelined with leg-related injuries. Bernhard Keil (shoulder) will be a game-time decision.
The Blazers (21-25-2) go into the weekend in eighth place in the 10-team Western Conference. They are one point ahead of the Bruins (20-20-3), who hold five games in hand.
The Bruins list forwards Brendan Persley (foot) and Jesse Pauls (leg) as out, while swingman Curt Gogol (shoulder) and winger Robin Soudek (knee) are day-to-day.
The Giants (22-19-5) are showing signs of finding their stride after an inconsistent first half. They are 6-4-0 in their last 10 and back atop the B.C. Division, one point ahead of the Kelowna Rockets and five up on Kamloops.
The Blazers returned from the Christmas break to sweep a home-and-home series from the Giants, winning 4-1 there and 6-1 here. Since then, the Blazers are 4-7-0, while the Giants are 5-3-0.
The Giants also have added centre Andrej Stastny to their roster. A 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, he was a teammate of Bortnak’s on the Slovakian team at the World Junior Championship and gives Vancouver head coach Don Hay the big centre he covets.
------
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, has rescinded the spearing major and game misconduct given to Kamloops D Josh Caron by referee Jason Nissen on Wednesday night. Instead, Caron was given a minor penalty, so won’t be suspended.
However, Doerksen didn’t rescind the slashing major and game misconduct handed to Blazers F Ryan Hanes as the third period ran out in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
Doerksen also chose not to suspend Hanes, who hacked at Portland G Mac Carruth. That was Hanes’ first game misconduct of the season; a third game misconduct carries an automatic one-game suspension so long as it didn’t warrant an earlier suspension.
JUST NOTES: Both games start at 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre. . . . The Blazers are 4-6-0 in their last 10 outings, but have lost five of six, including three of four at home. . . . The Bruins also are 4-6-0 in their last 10. . . . The Blazers are billing Saturday’s game as Mascot Night and expect as many as 20 mascots to be on hand. . . . Vancouver F James Henry (knee) still is about a month from returning. He was injured in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Blazers on Dec. 27. . . . Vancouver F Spencer Bennett has 14 points, including nine goals, over his last nine games. He and linemates Brendan Gallagher and Brendan Rowinski have combined for 37 points over those nine games, in which the Giants are 6-3-0.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Matthew Needham is about to become the rarest of the rare in terms of WHL players -- a skater who has played 10 regular-season games despite not yet having turned 16 years of age.
Needham, 15, will play the ninth and 10th games of his WHL career this weekend with the Kamloops Blazers, whose forward ranks have been thinned by injuries.The eighth overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft, Needham has 32 points in 29 games with the Okanagan Hockey Academy midget team in his hometown of Penticton.
He also six points, two of them goals, in eight games with the Blazers, who are at home to the Chilliwack Bruins tonight and the Vancouver Giants on Saturday night. The Blazers have recalled him for the fourth time this season and he is expected to play in both games.
WHL rules limit a 15-year-old player to five games before his club team has its season come to an end. However, there are exceptions.
For one thing, WHL games played by a 15-year-old during the World Junior Championship and the U-17 World Hockey Challenge don’t count if the WHL team has more than two players in those competitions. Needham played six games with the Blazers while they had four players in Buffalo and Winnipeg.
As well, the WHL may grant an exemption should a team find itself in an emergency situation, which is about where the Blazers find themselves as they will be without four and perhaps five forwards tonight.
When centre Dalibor Bortnak went down with a concussion in the third period of Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., the Blazers were left with eight forwards.
Bortnak won’t play this weekend, nor will Jordan DePape, Thomas Frazee or Chase Schaber, all of whom are sidelined with leg-related injuries. Bernhard Keil (shoulder) will be a game-time decision.
The Blazers (21-25-2) go into the weekend in eighth place in the 10-team Western Conference. They are one point ahead of the Bruins (20-20-3), who hold five games in hand.
The Bruins list forwards Brendan Persley (foot) and Jesse Pauls (leg) as out, while swingman Curt Gogol (shoulder) and winger Robin Soudek (knee) are day-to-day.
The Giants (22-19-5) are showing signs of finding their stride after an inconsistent first half. They are 6-4-0 in their last 10 and back atop the B.C. Division, one point ahead of the Kelowna Rockets and five up on Kamloops.
The Blazers returned from the Christmas break to sweep a home-and-home series from the Giants, winning 4-1 there and 6-1 here. Since then, the Blazers are 4-7-0, while the Giants are 5-3-0.
The Giants also have added centre Andrej Stastny to their roster. A 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, he was a teammate of Bortnak’s on the Slovakian team at the World Junior Championship and gives Vancouver head coach Don Hay the big centre he covets.
------
Richard Doerksen, the WHL’s vice-president, hockey, has rescinded the spearing major and game misconduct given to Kamloops D Josh Caron by referee Jason Nissen on Wednesday night. Instead, Caron was given a minor penalty, so won’t be suspended.However, Doerksen didn’t rescind the slashing major and game misconduct handed to Blazers F Ryan Hanes as the third period ran out in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
Doerksen also chose not to suspend Hanes, who hacked at Portland G Mac Carruth. That was Hanes’ first game misconduct of the season; a third game misconduct carries an automatic one-game suspension so long as it didn’t warrant an earlier suspension.
JUST NOTES: Both games start at 7 p.m., at Interior Savings Centre. . . . The Blazers are 4-6-0 in their last 10 outings, but have lost five of six, including three of four at home. . . . The Bruins also are 4-6-0 in their last 10. . . . The Blazers are billing Saturday’s game as Mascot Night and expect as many as 20 mascots to be on hand. . . . Vancouver F James Henry (knee) still is about a month from returning. He was injured in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Blazers on Dec. 27. . . . Vancouver F Spencer Bennett has 14 points, including nine goals, over his last nine games. He and linemates Brendan Gallagher and Brendan Rowinski have combined for 37 points over those nine games, in which the Giants are 6-3-0.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Some Sunday stuff . . .
THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia KHL) after securing his release from Spartak Moscow (Russia KHL). He has two goals and five assists in his 23 games this season with Spartak. . . . As a side note, Obsut was signed by Spartak last season at the insistence of Spartak's then-head coach, Milos Riha. Riha was fired in October and now is the head coach of Atlant. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) re-signed with Timrå (Sweden Elitserien) after the club had released him earlier this month. Svensson almost signed with Dusseldorf (Germany DEL), but Dusseldorf withdrew the offer at the last minute. It was then that Timrå decided that it would re-open discussions. Svensson has three goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
———
Hockey Canada will announce the roster for its selection camp this morning. That camp runs in Toronto, Dec. 11-15. . . . The television network RDS reports that the
QMJHL will have six players invited — F Louis Leblanc (Montreal Juniors), F Michael Bournival (Shawinigan Cataractes), F Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs), D Brandon Gormley (Moncton Wildcats), D Simon Despres (Saint John Sea Dogs) and G Olivier Roy (Acadie-Bathurst Titan). . . . Gormley, a first-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2010 draft, went down with a knee injury on the weekend. Reports are that he could be on the shelf for a month, which would be a big loss for Canada. . . . The camp begins December 11th and runs through to the 15th. Canada is scheduled to play exhibition matches against Switzerland in Oshawa on December 20, Sweden in Toronto on December 21 and Finland in Kitchener on December 23. The real fun begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Russia.
———
Switzerland has released its 28-player pre-tournament roster, and it includes forwards Sven Bartschi and Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks and D Dave Sutter of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The tournament is in Buffalo this time, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . The Kamloops Blazers are expecting to lose C Dalibor Bortnak to the Slovakian team that will play in Buffalo.
———
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild has recalled D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) from the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Spurgeon, who turns 21 today, had nine points and 10 penalty minutes in 21 games with the Aeros. But eight of those points have come in his last eight games. He also scored the shootout winner in a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday. Spurgeon signed with the Wild as a free agent on Sept. 22. He will wear No. 26 with the Wild which is to play the Flames in Calgary tonight.
———
In Sunday’s only WHL game, Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk had the lone shootout goal as the Medicine Hat Tigers got past the host Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . F
Linden Vey scored his 18th goal for the Tigers. He leads the WHL with 47 points. . . . The Winterhawks got goals from their Swiss connection — Nino Niederreiter, with his eighth, and Sven Bartschi, with No. 18. . . . Bartschi tied the score 2-2 at 19:11 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, including eight in overtime. . . . Portland held an 8-0 edge in OT shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have lost three straight games, all of them this weekend and two of them in shootouts. . . . Attendance was 2,318. Who was to know there were so many CFL fans in the Portland area? . . . The Winterhawks are at home Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice, one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, drops by for a visit.
———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca gdrinnan.blogspot.com Taking Note on Twitter
D Jaroslav Obsut (Swift Current, Medicine Hat, 1995-97) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Atlant Mytishchi (Russia KHL) after securing his release from Spartak Moscow (Russia KHL). He has two goals and five assists in his 23 games this season with Spartak. . . . As a side note, Obsut was signed by Spartak last season at the insistence of Spartak's then-head coach, Milos Riha. Riha was fired in October and now is the head coach of Atlant. . . .
F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) re-signed with Timrå (Sweden Elitserien) after the club had released him earlier this month. Svensson almost signed with Dusseldorf (Germany DEL), but Dusseldorf withdrew the offer at the last minute. It was then that Timrå decided that it would re-open discussions. Svensson has three goals and six assists in 24 games this season.
———
Hockey Canada will announce the roster for its selection camp this morning. That camp runs in Toronto, Dec. 11-15. . . . The television network RDS reports that the
QMJHL will have six players invited — F Louis Leblanc (Montreal Juniors), F Michael Bournival (Shawinigan Cataractes), F Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs), D Brandon Gormley (Moncton Wildcats), D Simon Despres (Saint John Sea Dogs) and G Olivier Roy (Acadie-Bathurst Titan). . . . Gormley, a first-round pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL’s 2010 draft, went down with a knee injury on the weekend. Reports are that he could be on the shelf for a month, which would be a big loss for Canada. . . . The camp begins December 11th and runs through to the 15th. Canada is scheduled to play exhibition matches against Switzerland in Oshawa on December 20, Sweden in Toronto on December 21 and Finland in Kitchener on December 23. The real fun begins on Boxing Day when Canada takes on Russia. ———
Switzerland has released its 28-player pre-tournament roster, and it includes forwards Sven Bartschi and Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks and D Dave Sutter of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The tournament is in Buffalo this time, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. . . . The Kamloops Blazers are expecting to lose C Dalibor Bortnak to the Slovakian team that will play in Buffalo.
———
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild has recalled D Jared Spurgeon (Spokane, 2005-10) from the AHL’s Houston Aeros. Spurgeon, who turns 21 today, had nine points and 10 penalty minutes in 21 games with the Aeros. But eight of those points have come in his last eight games. He also scored the shootout winner in a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday. Spurgeon signed with the Wild as a free agent on Sept. 22. He will wear No. 26 with the Wild which is to play the Flames in Calgary tonight.———
In Sunday’s only WHL game, Medicine Hat F Hunter Shinkaruk had the lone shootout goal as the Medicine Hat Tigers got past the host Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . F
Linden Vey scored his 18th goal for the Tigers. He leads the WHL with 47 points. . . . The Winterhawks got goals from their Swiss connection — Nino Niederreiter, with his eighth, and Sven Bartschi, with No. 18. . . . Bartschi tied the score 2-2 at 19:11 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 41 shots, including eight in overtime. . . . Portland held an 8-0 edge in OT shots. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth turned aside 20 shots. . . . The Winterhawks have lost three straight games, all of them this weekend and two of them in shootouts. . . . Attendance was 2,318. Who was to know there were so many CFL fans in the Portland area? . . . The Winterhawks are at home Wednesday when the Kootenay Ice, one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, drops by for a visit.———
SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Zero.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca gdrinnan.blogspot.com Taking Note on Twitter
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
After further review, Blazers win
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
JT Barnett admits that he was starting to wonder if he would ever score again.
But not only did he score one goal Tuesday night, he set up two others, as his Kamloops Blazers skated to a 4-3 overtime WHL victory over the Regina Pats in front of 3,802 fans at Interior Savings Centre.
Still, it wasn’t until an interminably long video review that a winner was declared.
The Blazers started OT on the power play and fired four shots at Regina goaltenderDamien Ketlo before finally beating him. They did that when forward Dalibor Bortnak dived and chipped the puck over a prone Ketlo. The goaltender, who finished with 38 saves, reached back and caught the puck.
Referee Pat Smith, positioned by the Regina net, immediately and emphatically waved it off. He then skated to the penalty box and asked for the phone that connects to the video review booth.
The question, then, was with the position of Ketlo’s glove relative to the goal line when he caught the puck.
The length of the review was due to a fuzzy picture upstairs, but Jason Rende, the video goal judge, over-ruled the call on the ice. The game was televised by Shaw and its picture confirmed Bortnak’s seventh goal of the season.
The victory lifted the Blazers (12-11-1) out of the Western Conference’s basement, past three teams and into a tie for sixth place. Nine of the 10 teams now are separated by only five points.
With linemates Brendan Ranford and Chase Schaber, their two leading scorers, and winger JC Lipon serving WHL-issued suspensions, the Blazers knew they would need someone to step up in this one.
Little did they know it would be Barnett, a 21-goal man last season with the Vancouver Giants who had gone 10 games without a goal.
“I was still getting chances,” the 18-year-old Barnett said. “I just wasn’t capitalizing on them.”
So who better to talk with than a couple of veteran hockey men?
“I sat down with (head coach Guy Charron),” Barnett said, “and said, ‘Look, I know I’m not playing as well as I can and I know I need to play better. What are some of the things I need to focus on?”
Barnett also talked with his father, Michael, who once was Wayne Gretzky’s agent and also was GM of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. He now is in the New York Rangers’ front office.
“You just have to look back and ask, ‘What was I doing when I was playing well, or when I thought I was playing well?’ ” the younger Barnett continued.
So he looked back at video of when things were going better and “tried to do that tonight and it worked out.”
He scored the goal, his sixth of the season, at 12:25 of the second period to forge a 2-2 tie. As his backhander dented the twine, Barnett looked to the heavens.
It was, he said, a look that signified “a little bit of relief.”
Which is what the Blazers felt when video review confirmed Bortnak’s goal. This was the first of four games in five nights for the home boys, who left last night for Spokane, where they are to meet the Chiefs tonight.
“We needed a strong team effort and we felt that (goaltender Cam) Lanigan would have to be strong . . . which he was,” Charron said.
With starter Jeff Bosch (concussion) sidelined, Lanigan stopped 30 shots in a solid performance.
Also turning in a strong effort was sophomore forward Dylan Willick, who forced overtime with a tremendous goal. He beat defenceman Ricard Blidstrand along the right boards in the Regina zone and then out-muscled forward Trent Ouellette behind the net, before beating Ketlo on the playgrounder.
The Blazers, at the time, were just 4:26 from tasting defeat.
Centre Matt Needham, the Blazers’ first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal, snapping a long rebound past Ketlo in the first period to open the scoring.
Chandler Stephenson, Carter Ashton and Myles Bell replied for the Pats (7-13-5), who now are 1-0-2 on a B.C. Division tour that continues tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets.
With Kamloops missing Ranford and Schaber, the Pats needed a big game from their top line, which features Jordan Weal between Ashton and Thomas Frazee. But the visitors didn’t get anything close to that from those three.
“If you play disciplined and play good defence you allow yourself to win hockey games,” Charron pointed out.
JUST NOTES: Referees Steve Papp and Smith gave Regina eight of 12 minors and one of two majors. . . . Regina was 1-for-2 on the power play; the Blazers were 1-for-6. . . . Regina wore its third jerseys which salute the 1924 Pats. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Barnett: Three points, finally; 2. Ketlo: Gave his guys a chance to win; 3. Kamloops F Dylan Willick: Hard work rewarded with a goal. . . . Bosch may return as the backup to Lanigan on Friday night. . . . The Blazers left for Spokane immediately after last night’s game. . . . Needham returned to Penticton after the game, while F Aspen Sterzer, who was solid in his WHL debut, and G Troy Trombley were on the bus to Spokane. . . . Ranford will be eligible to play tonight.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Daily News Sports Editor
JT Barnett admits that he was starting to wonder if he would ever score again.
But not only did he score one goal Tuesday night, he set up two others, as his Kamloops Blazers skated to a 4-3 overtime WHL victory over the Regina Pats in front of 3,802 fans at Interior Savings Centre.
Still, it wasn’t until an interminably long video review that a winner was declared.
The Blazers started OT on the power play and fired four shots at Regina goaltender
Damien Ketlo before finally beating him. They did that when forward Dalibor Bortnak dived and chipped the puck over a prone Ketlo. The goaltender, who finished with 38 saves, reached back and caught the puck. Referee Pat Smith, positioned by the Regina net, immediately and emphatically waved it off. He then skated to the penalty box and asked for the phone that connects to the video review booth.
The question, then, was with the position of Ketlo’s glove relative to the goal line when he caught the puck.
The length of the review was due to a fuzzy picture upstairs, but Jason Rende, the video goal judge, over-ruled the call on the ice. The game was televised by Shaw and its picture confirmed Bortnak’s seventh goal of the season.
The victory lifted the Blazers (12-11-1) out of the Western Conference’s basement, past three teams and into a tie for sixth place. Nine of the 10 teams now are separated by only five points.
With linemates Brendan Ranford and Chase Schaber, their two leading scorers, and winger JC Lipon serving WHL-issued suspensions, the Blazers knew they would need someone to step up in this one.
Little did they know it would be Barnett, a 21-goal man last season with the Vancouver Giants who had gone 10 games without a goal.
“I was still getting chances,” the 18-year-old Barnett said. “I just wasn’t capitalizing on them.”
So who better to talk with than a couple of veteran hockey men?
“I sat down with (head coach Guy Charron),” Barnett said, “and said, ‘Look, I know I’m not playing as well as I can and I know I need to play better. What are some of the things I need to focus on?”
Barnett also talked with his father, Michael, who once was Wayne Gretzky’s agent and also was GM of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. He now is in the New York Rangers’ front office.
“You just have to look back and ask, ‘What was I doing when I was playing well, or when I thought I was playing well?’ ” the younger Barnett continued.
So he looked back at video of when things were going better and “tried to do that tonight and it worked out.”
He scored the goal, his sixth of the season, at 12:25 of the second period to forge a 2-2 tie. As his backhander dented the twine, Barnett looked to the heavens.
It was, he said, a look that signified “a little bit of relief.”
Which is what the Blazers felt when video review confirmed Bortnak’s goal. This was the first of four games in five nights for the home boys, who left last night for Spokane, where they are to meet the Chiefs tonight.
“We needed a strong team effort and we felt that (goaltender Cam) Lanigan would have to be strong . . . which he was,” Charron said.
With starter Jeff Bosch (concussion) sidelined, Lanigan stopped 30 shots in a solid performance.
Also turning in a strong effort was sophomore forward Dylan Willick, who forced overtime with a tremendous goal. He beat defenceman Ricard Blidstrand along the right boards in the Regina zone and then out-muscled forward Trent Ouellette behind the net, before beating Ketlo on the playgrounder.
The Blazers, at the time, were just 4:26 from tasting defeat.
Centre Matt Needham, the Blazers’ first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal, snapping a long rebound past Ketlo in the first period to open the scoring.
Chandler Stephenson, Carter Ashton and Myles Bell replied for the Pats (7-13-5), who now are 1-0-2 on a B.C. Division tour that continues tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets.
With Kamloops missing Ranford and Schaber, the Pats needed a big game from their top line, which features Jordan Weal between Ashton and Thomas Frazee. But the visitors didn’t get anything close to that from those three.
“If you play disciplined and play good defence you allow yourself to win hockey games,” Charron pointed out.
JUST NOTES: Referees Steve Papp and Smith gave Regina eight of 12 minors and one of two majors. . . . Regina was 1-for-2 on the power play; the Blazers were 1-for-6. . . . Regina wore its third jerseys which salute the 1924 Pats. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Barnett: Three points, finally; 2. Ketlo: Gave his guys a chance to win; 3. Kamloops F Dylan Willick: Hard work rewarded with a goal. . . . Bosch may return as the backup to Lanigan on Friday night. . . . The Blazers left for Spokane immediately after last night’s game. . . . Needham returned to Penticton after the game, while F Aspen Sterzer, who was solid in his WHL debut, and G Troy Trombley were on the bus to Spokane. . . . Ranford will be eligible to play tonight.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Groenheyde to start Blazers' first two games
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Jon Groenheyde will be in goal for the Kamloops Blazers when they open the WHL’s regular season with a weekend doubleheader.
Head coach Guy Charron said Sunday that Groenheyde will start when the Prince George Cougars visit Interior Savings Centre on Friday night and again Saturday night here against the Chilliwack Bruins.
The 19-year-old Groenheyde, who played all but about 30 minutes of the Blazers’ six exhibition games, is in his third season with the Blazers. Last season, Groenheyde backed up Justin Leclerc for the home-opener; two seasons ago, the Blazers started Leclerc and had James Priestner on the bench.
“For sure, he’s earned it,” Charron said of Groenheyde getting the starting assignment. “Absolutely.”
Groenheyde came into training camp late in August as the No. 1 goaltender and hasn’t done anything to damage that standing. He ran his exhibition record to 4-1 on Saturday with his fifth complete game as the Blazers dropped the Cougars 6-2 in Prince George.
“We were up 6-1 and we gave up way too many chances in the third period,” Charron said. “Jon excelled in the third period. He played very well. We left him stranded for a while and he held the fort.”
Groenheyde finished with 33 saves, leaving him with a .913 save percentage for his six appearances.
Of course, the Blazers acquired Jeff Bosch, a 20-year-old goaltender, from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday. Eventually, he and Groenheyde will compete for playing time, but that won’t happen just yet.
“Bosch hasn’t played for almost two weeks,” Charron said, “so it wouldn’t make any sense to make it a competitive situation.”
Bosch suffered a sprained left ankle during a practice about two weeks ago and since then has skated lightly on only a couple of occasions. He was expected to arrive in Kamloops sometime Sunday and attend practice today.
“We feel confident that Jon can do the job,” Charron said. “He’ll probably have the weekend games and we’ll re-evaulate as we move along.”
The Blazers got down to two goaltenders after Saturday’s game by assigning Troy Trombley, 16, to the Alberta midget AAA ranks. The 6-foot-6, 187-pound Trombley, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft and has signed a WHL contract.
Meanwhile, the Blazers will spend this week practising and waiting. As of last night, they still had five players in NHL camps — defencemen Josh Caron (Minnesota Wild), Corey Fienhage (Buffalo Sabres) and Austin Madaisky (Columbus Blue Jackets), as well as forwards Brendan Ranford (Philadelphia Flyers) and Chase Schaber (Edmonton Oilers).
Charron said the team expects all five back at some point this week, but won’t count on any of them “until we get confirmation from NHL teams as to when our players are going to be back.
“We’re optimistic we’ll get somebody back this week.”
The Blazers have 25 players on their roster, including 15 forwards and eight defencemen, but won’t be making any moves until they know the status of those five players.
———
The Blazers gave centre Dalibor Bortnak the night off Saturday — he didn’t make the trip north — as a reward for being the fittest player when camp opened and for his fine play in the first five games.
“He sent me a text (Sunday) and said that it was kind of boring,” a chuckling Charron said. “But he had a good camp and deserved a day off.”
———
D Brandon Underwood left Saturday’s game after taking a hard hit from Prince George F Charles Inglis, who wasn’t penalized on the play.
Charron said Underwood “may have a concussion” and that the third-year defenceman “will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Daily News Sports Editor
Jon Groenheyde will be in goal for the Kamloops Blazers when they open the WHL’s regular season with a weekend doubleheader.
Head coach Guy Charron said Sunday that Groenheyde will start when the Prince George Cougars visit Interior Savings Centre on Friday night and again Saturday night here against the Chilliwack Bruins.
The 19-year-old Groenheyde, who played all but about 30 minutes of the Blazers’ six exhibition games, is in his third season with the Blazers. Last season, Groenheyde backed up Justin Leclerc for the home-opener; two seasons ago, the Blazers started Leclerc and had James Priestner on the bench.
“For sure, he’s earned it,” Charron said of Groenheyde getting the starting assignment. “Absolutely.”
Groenheyde came into training camp late in August as the No. 1 goaltender and hasn’t done anything to damage that standing. He ran his exhibition record to 4-1 on Saturday with his fifth complete game as the Blazers dropped the Cougars 6-2 in Prince George.
“We were up 6-1 and we gave up way too many chances in the third period,” Charron said. “Jon excelled in the third period. He played very well. We left him stranded for a while and he held the fort.”
Groenheyde finished with 33 saves, leaving him with a .913 save percentage for his six appearances.
Of course, the Blazers acquired Jeff Bosch, a 20-year-old goaltender, from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday. Eventually, he and Groenheyde will compete for playing time, but that won’t happen just yet.
“Bosch hasn’t played for almost two weeks,” Charron said, “so it wouldn’t make any sense to make it a competitive situation.”
Bosch suffered a sprained left ankle during a practice about two weeks ago and since then has skated lightly on only a couple of occasions. He was expected to arrive in Kamloops sometime Sunday and attend practice today.
“We feel confident that Jon can do the job,” Charron said. “He’ll probably have the weekend games and we’ll re-evaulate as we move along.”
The Blazers got down to two goaltenders after Saturday’s game by assigning Troy Trombley, 16, to the Alberta midget AAA ranks. The 6-foot-6, 187-pound Trombley, who is from Sherwood Park, Alta., was a third-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft and has signed a WHL contract.
Meanwhile, the Blazers will spend this week practising and waiting. As of last night, they still had five players in NHL camps — defencemen Josh Caron (Minnesota Wild), Corey Fienhage (Buffalo Sabres) and Austin Madaisky (Columbus Blue Jackets), as well as forwards Brendan Ranford (Philadelphia Flyers) and Chase Schaber (Edmonton Oilers).
Charron said the team expects all five back at some point this week, but won’t count on any of them “until we get confirmation from NHL teams as to when our players are going to be back.
“We’re optimistic we’ll get somebody back this week.”
The Blazers have 25 players on their roster, including 15 forwards and eight defencemen, but won’t be making any moves until they know the status of those five players.
———
The Blazers gave centre Dalibor Bortnak the night off Saturday — he didn’t make the trip north — as a reward for being the fittest player when camp opened and for his fine play in the first five games.
“He sent me a text (Sunday) and said that it was kind of boring,” a chuckling Charron said. “But he had a good camp and deserved a day off.”
———
D Brandon Underwood left Saturday’s game after taking a hard hit from Prince George F Charles Inglis, who wasn’t penalized on the play.
Charron said Underwood “may have a concussion” and that the third-year defenceman “will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
Taking Note on Twitter
Posts
