THE MacBETH REPORT, Part 1:
G Norm Maracle (Saskatoon, 1991-94) signed a one-year contract extension with Starbulls Rosenheim (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had a 2.56 GAA in 45 games for Starbulls this season. . . .
F Lukas Kralik (Victoria, 2011-12) signed a try-out contract with Olomouc (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). He had two goals and four assists in 42 games with the Royals this season. Kralik, 19, was selected by Victoria with the 36th pick of the CHL’s 2011 import draft.
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THE MacBETH REPORT, Part 2:
WHL alumni in the IIHF World Hockey Championship that is being decided in Helsinki and Stockholm . . .
Belarus (1) – Sergei Drozd (Tri-City, 2009-10).
Canada (14) – Jamie Benn (Kelowna, 2007-09), Jay Bouwmeester (Medicine Hat, 1998-2002), Devan Dubnyk (Kamloops, 2001-06), Jordan Eberle (Regina, 2006-10), Ryan Getzlaf (Calgary, 2001-05), Evander Kane (Vancouver, 2006-09), Duncan Keith (Kelowna, 2002-03), Andrew Ladd (Vancouver, Calgary, 2001-05), Ryan Murray (Everett, 2008-12), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Red Deer, 2008-11), Dion Phaneuf (Red Deer, 2001-05), Luke Schenn (Kelowna, 2005-08), Cam Ward (Red Deer, 2000-04), head coach Brent Sutter (player Lethbridge Broncos, 1979-82; general manager/head coach Red Deer, 1999-2007).
Czech Republic (2) – Tomas Mojzis (Moose Jaw, Seattle, 2000-03), Petr Nedved (Seattle, 1989-90).
Denmark (2) – Jannik Hansen (Portland, 2005-06), Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07).
Italy (2) – Pat Iannone (Kootenay, Tri-City, Regina, 1999-2003), Trevor Johnson (Kootenay, Seattle, Tri-City, 1998-2003).
Kazakhstan (1) – Konstantin Pushkaryov (Calgary. 2004-05).
Norway (1) – Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (Brandon, 2002-04).
Slovakia (6) – Ivan Baranka (Everett, 2003-05), Milan Bartovic (Brandon, Tri-City, 1999-2001), Mario Bliznak (Vancouver, 2005-08), Zdeno Chara (Prince George, 1996-97), Marcel Hossa (Portland, 1998-2001), Tomas Kopecky (Lethbridge, 2000-02).
Sweden (1) – Fredrik Pettersson (Calgary, 2005-07).
Switzerland (3) – Nino Niederreiter (Portland, 2009-11), Luca Sbisa (Lethbridge, Portland, 2007-10), Roman Wick (Red Deer, Lethbridge, 2004-06).
USA (1) – Nate Thompson (Seattle, 2001-05).
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ON THE MOVE:
The Seattle Thunderbirds have traded F Jake Doty, 19, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for F Riley Sheen, who turns 18 on Dec. 21. . . . Sheen, a 5-foot-9, 150-pounder from Edmonton, had three points and 13 penalty minutes in 46 games as a freshman with the Tigers. . . . Doty, who apparently had requested a move, is from Billings, Montana. A 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, he had seven points and 107 penalty minutes in 55 games this season. . . . This deal in a nutshell: The Thunderbirds add some speed, while the Tigers get bigger.
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Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail takes a look right here at a proposal made a few years ago by veteran hockey coach Pierre Pagé. It would have hockey go to a system that would include something similar to three-second violations in basketball.
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Dave Trimmer, who used to cover the Spokane Chiefs (among other things) for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, is enjoying semi-retirement these days.
Yes, he got caught up in the down-sizing that has seized the newspaper business by the throat and won’t let to.
But he isn’t spending all of his time sitting on a patio watching the sun set.
Next weekend, for example, he will be climbing up on his bicycle and riding for diabetes as part of Tour de Cure.
“I love any excuse to be on my bike,” he says. “It used to be a stress reliever when I was a newspaper guy, now it is just pure enjoyment!”
For more details or to donate, check this out right here.
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 F Justin McRae (Saskatoon, Spokane, 2004-09) now is playing for the UBC Thunderbirds. He and some present and former teammates have joined the fight against cancer by forming T-Birds for the Cure, a team that will cycle from Vancouver to Seattle to raise money for the B.C. Cancer Foundation.
The team will head for Seattle via bicycle on June 16. There will be an over-night rest stop and the journey is to be completed on June 17.
Each rider of the team has pledged to raise $2,500. You are able to help the cause right here.
McRae is riding in support of Kathleen McAllison, his billet in Spokane.
He calls McAllison, who is still battling the disease, his second mom.
“Kathleen is a strong-willed, single mother, who makes everyone smile,” McCrae said in a UBC news release. “At times she worked three different jobs and always made sure her family was the most important aspect of her life.
“She was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2009 and given six months to live. She has had two major abdominal surgeries over the course of a year and was put through multiple intense sessions of chemotherapy. I was blown away by her attitude through all this.
“Even when she was lying on her hospital bed in excruciating pain, she was able to fight this disease with a positive attitude.”
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Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada has his weekly entry 30 Thoughts right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Dale Purinton, a former WHL and NHL player, won’t be back as associate coach of the BCHL’s Cowichan Capitals. The team made the announcement on Wednesday. Purinton worked alongside Jim Ingram, the general manager and associate coach, and assistant coach Aaron Plumb. Ingram and Plumb both will be returning. . . . Stew Gordon, the majority owner of the Capitals, told Don Bodger of the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial that the franchise simply couldn’t afford to keep Purinton on the payroll. “No one can afford what’s going on in the league,” Gordon said, referring to rising costs and shrinking revenues. . . .
Gordon also is majority owner of the junior B Kerry Park Islanders of the Vancouver Island junior league and has hired Trent Brandvold to coach that squad. The 35-year-old Brandvold, a former Central league and ECHL player, spent this season coaching a midget team at the Victoria Racquet Club. Brandvold takes over from Brad Scafe, who is a minority owner of the Islanders. . . .
The AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines have named Joey Bouchard as their general manager and head coach. Bouchard had been head coach of the junior B Wolverines, who have folded in order to make room for the junior A team. The AJHL’s Wolverines have moved to Whitecourt from St. Albert where the franchise was known as the Steel.
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Jim Beseda of The Oregonian takes a look ahead to tonight’s fifth game of the WHL’s championship final. That piece is right here.
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John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal writes right here about the excitement level that both teams have brought to the WHL’s championship final.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.
 
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The Portland Winterhawks will visit the Chiefs in Spokane tonight for what will be the last game for both teams before the Christmas break.
It also will be the last game that old friend Dave Trimmer will cover for the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Trimmer, the man on the Chiefs’ beat for the newspaper, is taking an early retirement.
Here’s hoping the two teams give him something memorable about which to write.
Make it a good one, Trim!
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JUST NOTES:
After getting F Oliver Gabriel back from the Springfield Falcons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, the Portland Winterhawks had two weeks to move one of their four 20-year-olds players. They did Friday, losing F Charles Wells on a waiver claim by the Moose Jaw Warriors. Wells had seven points and four penalty minutes in 31 games with Portland. . . . Wells, perhaps having seen the writing on the wall, had left the Winterhawks on Wednesday and was on their suspended list. . . . His departure leaves Portland with Gabriel, F Dillon Wagner and D William Wrenn as its 20-year-old players. . . . The Warriors now have three on their roster, in Wells, F Brett Lyon and F Kenton Miller. . . .
The Vancouver Giants will be adding Russian F Alex Kuvaev, 18, to their roster after Christmas. He is expected to be in Vancouver in time to play against the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Dec. 27. Kuvaev played last season with the Lethbridge Hurricanes but was released after the season. His right were picked up by Kootenay, but the Ice dropped him when he said he was going to play in Russia. When that didn’t work out so well, he decided to return to the WHL, by which time the Giants had added him to their protected list. . . . 
The BCHL’s Penticton Vees ran their winning streak to 17 on Friday night, beating the visiting Westside Warriors, 5-1. Penticton tied a franchise record with the victory and can break the record tonight when they play host to the Powell River Kings. It should be a good match. The Vees go into the game with a 29-3-0-2 record; the Kings are 18-10-2-2 and just three points behind the Coastal Conference-leading Cowichan Valley Capitals. . . . The Kings boast the BCHL’s best defensive record, giving up just 2.34 goals per game. The Vees are scoring 5.29 times per game; they are the only team in the 16-team league scoring more than four goals a game. . . .
The NHL’s New Jersey Devils retired the number (27) that was worn by retired D Scott Niedermayer, who is a product of the Kamloops Blazers. Think about this for a moment: Niedermayer has won six different championships — Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, World Cup of Hockey, World Championship, World Junior Championship and Memorial Cup. . . . I mean, seriously, think about that for a moment! . . .
Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Swift Current Broncos, reported early this morning that  F Trevor Cameron, 19, who was released by the club earlier in the week, has joined the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles.
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FRIDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Brandon, F Colin Smith broke a 2-2 tie at 3:29 of the third period as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . Smith’s goal came with the Blazers shorthanded; it was their WHL-leading 12th shorthanded goal of the season. They scored four all of last season. . . . Smith has 39 points, including 18 goals, in 34 games. Last season, in 72 games, he finished with 50 points, 21 of them goals. . . . Brandon has allowed a shorthanded goal in each of its last three games. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 29 shots as he ran his record to 16-4-1. He is an 18-year-old freshman from Calgary who was the AJHL’s rookie of the year last season with the Drumheller Dragons. He has started seven straight games and 14 of 15. . . . Kamloops is 3-2-0 on an East Division swing that concludes tonight against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Blazers associate coach Dave Hunchak spent the previous four seasons as Moose Jaw’s head coach. His contract wasn’t renewed after last season. . . . Brandon F Alessio Bertaggia sat this one out with a shoulder injury. Health permitting, he will play for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship. . . . Kamloops remains without F Jordan DePape (shoulder, out until at least March), F Chase Schaber (leg) and F Matt Needham (head). . . . DePape joined the Blazers for part of the road trip, but returned home to Winnipeg after the game in Brandon. . . .
 
In Prince Albert, F Michal Hlinka ended the sixth round of a shootout with a goal to give the Raiders a 3-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Raiders have won five in a row at home. . . . The Rockets led this one 1-0 and 2-1, before Prince Albert F Mark McNeill tied it at 9:18 of the third period with his 15th goal of the season. . . . F Justin Maylan had a goal, his 18th, and an assist for the Raiders. . . . Kelowna is 1-2-2 on its East Division trek. It wraps up tonight against the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

In Saskatoon, the Moose Jaw Warriors scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Blades, 4-2. . . . F Brett Brooks, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, scored his first goal – it came in his 21st game – and it stood up as the winner. He broke a 2-2 tie at 12:54 of the second period. . . . The Blades had F Jake Trask back in the lineup after he served a two-game WHL suspension. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens stopped 37 shots. . . . Among Moose Jaw’s scratches was F Cody Beach, who was serving a one-game WHL suspension for accumulation of embellishment penalties. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Elgin Pearce scored the lone shootout goal as the Kootenay Ice edged the Swift Current Broncos, 5-4. . . . Pearce, who scored three times in regulation time, was the only scorer to score in the shootout. . . . He has 14 goals this season. . . . The Ice went into the game having won just once in its previous six outings. . . . Pearce forced OT with his third goal of the game, at 17:03 of the third. . . . Swift Current F Taylor Vause scored his 21st goal of the season; it was his 150th career point. . . . During the game, the Ice lost F Joe Antilla and F Max Reinhart with undisclosed injuries. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Brady Ramsay scored at 1:22 of OT to give the Hurricanes a 5-4 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . It was Ramsay’s 13th goal this season. . . . Lethbridge D Daniel Johnston scored his first goal of the season at 6:47 of the third period to forge a 4-4 tie. Johnston, a 19-year-old from Calgary, also had two assists for the first three-point game of his career. He had had seven career two-point games. This was the 173rd regular-season game of his career. . . . Johnston has five points over his last two games; he has 11 points in 20 games this season. . . F Phil Tot also had a goal and two assists for Lethbridge. . . . The Royals got two goals and an assist from D Jesse Pauls. . . . The Hurricanes have won three in a row and seven of 10. . . .

In Prince George, the Vancouver Giants scored three third-period goals and beat the Cougars, 3-2. . . . The Cougars took a 1-0 lead into the third period. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck broke a 2-2 tie with his fourth goal of the season at 10:19. . . . F Cain Franson had a goal, his 12th, and two assists for the Giants. . . . The Cougars had won three in a row. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 19 shots as he posted his 20th victory. . . . The start of the game was delayed after a pane of glass was broken in the pregame warmup. This is the third time in the last four games that the Giants have gone through this. . . . The Giants have brought in F Brodyn Nielsen and D Tyler Morrison to help them through the weekend. They are without F Brendan Gallagher (Canada) and F Marek Tvrdon (Slovakia), both of whom are preparing for the World Junior Championship, while D David Musil (Czech Republic) is to leave today. . . . Nielsen, 17, plays for the North Vancouver Wolf Pack of the junior B Pacific International league. He had 20 points in 24 games going into the weekend. Morrison, 16, is playing midget AAA in Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Cougars were without D Martin Marincin, who will play for Slovakia in the WJC. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin had two goals and two assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-1. . . . F Patrick Holland and F Adam Hughesman each had a goal and two assists. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 23 shots. The 16-year-old has a record of 12-3-0. . . . Seattle took 53 of 96 penalty minutes in a game that featured six fighting majors. The teams play again tonight, this time in Kent, Wash. . . . The Americans were 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Hughesman’s goal was his 113th with the Americans, tying him with Dylan Stanley for seventh on the franchise’s career list. Hughesman moved ahead of Taylor Procyshen and Eric Johansson last night. . . .

In Everett, the Silvertips ended their 10-game losing skid with a 6-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 44 shots, 19 of them in the second period when his side was outshot 21-4. . . . The Silvertips trailed 2-1 after the first period but then scored three times in the second and twice in the third. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist scored twice, giving him seven this season. . . . Spokane took 44 of 86 penalty minutes in a game that included four scraps. . . . Former Everett G Leland Irving made his NHL debut last night, stopping 39 of 41 shots for the Calgary Flames as they dropped a 3-2 shootout decision to the host Florida Panthers. . . . Irving was selected as the game’s first star. . . . Former Spokane D Jared Cowen, who is 20, had a goal and three assists to help the Ottawa Senators to a 6-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 28:11 and was plus-3. . . .

In Calgary, G Matt Hewitt stopped 32 shots as the Regina Pats beat the Hitmen, 3-2. . . . F Trevor Cheek gave Calgary a 1-0 lead in the first period. . . . The Pats got the next three goals, with F Jordan Weal tying it with his 18th at 6:51 and F Justin Kirkland giving the Pats the lead with his first at 17:18. . . . Kirkland, who played three games with the Kelowna Rockets earlier this season, was playing his first game with Regina. . . . According to the WHL website, Kirkland was born on Nov. 30, 2011, meaning he was 16 days old when he scored his first goal. . . . Actually, Kirkland is a 15-year-old from Camrose, Alta., who has 16 points in 26 games with the midget AAA Notre Dame Argos in Wilcox, Sask. . . . He was a fifth-round selection by the Kelowna Rockets in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . (As you can see from the two comments on the end of this, Kirkland was, in fact, playing for the Kelowna Rockets. Apparently, the Pats' goal scorer was Lane Scheidl. Just another error with the WHL website.) . . . Calgary F Brady Brassart was given a match penalty for attempt to injure late in the third period. He likely can expect a call from the WHL office. . . .
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Dylan McIlrath, Moose Jaw.
D Sam Grist, Tri-City (double minor).
D Tyler King, Spokane.

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Bozon lifts Blazers past Chiefs

What a difference a year makes!
Last season, the Kamloops Blazers made two trips to Spokane and lost twice to the Chiefs — 10-1 and 10-5.
That was then and this is now. On Friday night, left-winger Tim Bozon scored early in the third period, giving the Blazers a 2-1 WHL victory over the host Chiefs (9-5-3), who are 9-2-0 at home this season.
Bozon, a freshman from Switzerland, scored his seventh goal of the season at 1:03 of the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie and giving the Blazers their second straight victory.
It was Bozon’s second game-winner of the season and his second in two games. He got the winner Saturday in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings.
The Blazers (14-6-0) will meet the Tri-City Americans in Richland, Wash., tonight, then return home to face the defending-champion Kootenay Ice on Wednesday night. The Americans (15-6-0) dropped a 3-0 decision to the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash., last night.
In Spokane, the Chiefs struck first, with Colin Valcourt scoring at 4:43 of the first period. He scored on the Chiefs’ third shot of the game.
Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave slammed shut the door after that, finishing with 28 saves. That included a first-period save on Spokane captain Darren Kramer, who was the beneficiary of a penalty shot.
Cheveldave, an 18-year-old freshman from Calgary who once was on Spokane’s protected list, improved his record to 7-2-0.
The Blazers pulled even at 9:36 of the first period when winger Dylan Willick struck for the club’s WHL-leading ninth shorthanded goal this season. They scored four such goals all of last season.
At one point, some of the 5,106 fans in attendance booed the home team.
“Fans pay to watch that,” Chiefs head coach Don Nachbaur told Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “Just so the fans know, I was booing them too. We had four fourth-lines tonight.”
Nachbaur was most unhappy by what he saw from his club, which hadn’t played since Saturday.
“Too long of layoff is an excuse,” he said. “We worked hard all week, come into the game and we don’t work. We stand around and watch. We did not skate. The bottom line with our hockey team is we’re not a hard-working team, we’re a lazy team. We played lazy.”
JUST NOTES: Kamloops had lost its last five games in Spokane. It last won there on Nov. 29, 2008, when it beat the Chiefs, 4-2. . . . The Blazers scratched RW Jordan DePape (shoulder), D Landon Cross, D Brady Gaudet and F Cole Ully. . . . Among the spectators was former Blazers D Brandon Underwood, who was dealt to the Regina Pats over the summer. The Pats play in Spokane tonight. . . . Kamloops F Colin Smith, who played for the WHL in a 5-2 victory over Russia in a Subway Super Series game in Regina on Wednesday, flew into Spokane on Thursday. He set up Bozon’s winner last night, and also had the fourth fight of his career, this one with F Steve Kuhn. . . . In Regina, Smith roomed with Spokane D Brendan Kichton. They are friends from Edmonton. . . . F Brock Balson, who is from Kamloops, played his first game with the Blazers after joining them from the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks. He wore No. 25.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

It's over! Kruise Reddick (11) and the Tri-City Americans' fans start celebrating after scoring in OT to beat the visiting Vancouver Giants 2-1 in overtime on Friday night.
(Photo by Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

Dave Trimmer, who covers the Spokane Chiefs for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, blogged about fighting in hockey after reading the column I posted here yesterday.
Here’s part of what he wrote:
“But in the end, it's all fighting and I wouldn't miss it. The health of all hockey players is more important than short, entertaining mid- ice fisticuffs, no matter what the reason.
“I'm willing to bet that almost every team would take a hit in attendance if there was no fighting, which means it isn't going to be stamped out. The only thing that could hurt worse is if they quit selling beer, although that could lead to smarter fans who understand there is no need for fighting in hockey.”
Trimmer’s blog is right here.
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FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES (all were openers, with Game 2 in same place tonight):
In Cranbrook, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 30 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 after one; in fact, they led 3-0 at 8:01 of the first period. F Quinton Howden scored twice, including once while shorthanded. . . . Attendance was 2,486. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw scratched F Cody Beach (knee), F Jordan Wyton (undisclosed), F Tanner Eberle (upper body) and F Brayden Cuthbert (concussion). . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath, who sat out a day or two of practice during the week, played and was the game’s first star. . . . Moose Jaw F Brett Lyon sat out the third game of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . With the scratches, the Warriors dressed F Torrin White, their first pick in the 2010 draft, and D Brandon Potomak, a second-pick in the same draft. . . . The Ice was without D Luke Paulsen (shoulder). . . .
In Medicine Hat, D Ryan Pulock had two goals and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Pulock is a late 1994-born player; he doesn’t turn 17 until Oct. 6. From Grandview, Man., he put up 42 points in 63 games during the regular season. . . . Attendance was 3,866. The Tigers had sold out all 36 regular-season home games, at 4,006. . . . Brandon was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Tigers were 2-for-6. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Nugent-Hopkins broke a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals, at 14:25 and 15:31. . . . Kevin Lowe, the president of the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, who will have an early pick in June’s draft, was in the house. . . . F Josh Cowen (broken hand) returned to the Rebels’ lineup. He had been out since Feb. 19 when he was injured in a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. D Josh Caron, who was penalized for checking from behind on the play, served a three-game suspension. . . . Attendance was 5,568. . . .
In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick broke a 1-1 tie at 7:24 of the third period and the Rockets went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had two goals for the Rockets, the last one into an empty net. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-2. . . . Prince George F Brett Connolly left early in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . The Cougars were penalized for delay of game on three occasions, each time for shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone. . . . Attendance was 6,059. . . .
In Chilliwack, F Darren Kramer scored twice, including the winner at 10:00 of OT, as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Bruins, 3-2. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals and 306 penalty minutes in 68 regular-seaosn games, is a 19-year-old from Peace River, Alta. . . . He also drew an assist on F Tyler Johnson’s goal that tied the game 2-2 at 3:45 of the third. . . . . This was Kramer’s first multi-point WHL game. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 60 shots, while James Reid of the Chiefs turned aside 22. . . . Attendance was 2,962. . . . The start of the overtime period was delayed almost 15 minutes due to technical problems in the video review booth. . . . The Chiefs go in as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and with home-ice advantage in the first round. But they had to open on the road because there is an NCAA women’s basketball regional tournament being played in their home arena this weekend. . . . The series will follow a 2-3-1-1 format. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Carter Ashton scored with 2.2 seconds left in the first OT period to give the Tri-City Americans a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ashton, on the power play, directed the puck toward the Vancouver net out of a corner and it had glance off G Mark Segal and into the net. . . . Vancouver F Andrej Stastny was off for tripping at the time. . . . F Brendan Rowinski gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F David Conrad tied it at 7:55 of the third. . . . Attendance was 3,406. . . . Segal stopped 44 shots, 19 more than Tri-City’s Drew Owsley. . . . The Giants were without F James Henry (knee) and he isn’t expected to play in Game 2. F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tyler Hart (shoulder) were back in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . The Americans remain without F Adam Hughesman (knee), who had 39 goals.
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D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft. According to capgeek.com, Barrie’s AHL salary would be US$67,500 for each of three seasons, with NHL salaries of $615,000, $690,000 and $840,000. He got a $270,000 signing bonus, payable over three years.
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JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have extended the contracts of Matt Recchi, their director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox. Lengths of the extensions weren’t announced. Both men have been with the Blazers since July 2008. Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Holdfast, Sask. . . Former WHL G Jacob DeSerres (Seattle, Brandon, 2005-10) stopped 19 shots as his Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL playoffs with a 10-0 victory over the visiting Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday night. . . . Laury Ryan has announced his resignation after eight seasons as president of the Saskatchewan junior league. The league now is accepting applications as it searches for a replacement. . . .
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Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun went to an OHL playoff game in Mississauga on Thursday night. He wasn’t impressed, which makes one wonder what is in store for the Memorial Cup that is to be played there in May. In fact, after reading this one wonders if Buffery’s ex-wife will get the Memorial Cup tickets. Buffery’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

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Taking Note on Twitter

There are 22 teams in the WHL. That means there are approximately 500 players on WHL team rosters on any given day.
F Spencer Asuchak of the Prince George Cougars has been suspended for eight games after testing positive for methylhexaneamine, a stimulant that he inadvertently ingested in an over-the-counter supplement. Which is how he became the first player in WHL history to be suspended under the CHL’s anti-doping policy.
Asuchak has said that he used one supplement (Jack3d) over the summer and another (Razor 8) in December.
Two OHL players were suspended, or at least their suspensions were announced, on Jan. 14. One of the players had already served his eight-game suspension when the announcement was made. Both of them tested positive for methylhexaneamine; both of them apparently ingested it via Jack3d, which they purchased over the counter.
So, boys being boys and all of that, do you really think that Asuchak is the only player in all of the WHL who inadvertently used an over-the-counter supplement? Do you think that these three players are the only ones in the 60-team CHL with methylhexaneamine in their systems?
What if every player in the WHL was tested? How many of those 500 or so players do you think would come up positive?
Here’s what Dean Clark, Prince George’s head coach, told Sunaya Sapurji, Yahoo! Sports’ junior hockey editor:
“I’m sure there are other kids. These guys aren’t the first guys. I think there are some general managers in our league who are worried . . . because there was a month before the Ontario guys came out (positive) where (WHL players) were being tested, so there could be some more guys that come out here that end up testing positive.”
Asuchak was tested in Prince George on Dec. 17. The Cougars were informed of his result on Jan. 19.
What if every player in the WHL was tested on, say, Feb. 20? How many players would be looking at suspensions as the playoffs were getting started?
Of course, the testing is done by random selection, so that would never happen. But it’s worth thinking about.
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G Mac Engel of the Spokane Chiefs has played in 13 games this season, but he’s still looking for his first victory. He is 0-4-3 going into this weekend’s games. And he will be the starter now that James Reid, who has appeared in 42 games, is out with an ankle injury. Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spokesman-Review has the Chiefs’ story right here.
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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips F Landon Ferraro’s season may not be over. “Ferraro, who was diagnosed with a hernia, is heading to Detroit this week to be evaluated by the Red Wings' doctors,” scribbled Patterson, noting that Ferraro has signed an NHL contract with the Wings, who selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft. “Those doctors will determine whether Ferraro will undergo surgery now or after the season. If Ferraro undergoes surgery to repair the hernia, he could be back in early March, in time for the stretch run.”
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F Oliver Gabriel of the Portland Winterhawks will miss the remainder of the season thanks to a shoulder injury. He is to undergo surgery to repair a dislocated right shoulder. He suffered the injury in October, then hurt it again Jan. 15 in a 5-2 victory over the Blazers in Kamloops. . . . Gabriel, 19, had 32 points in 41 games with Portland this season, getting career highs in goals (11) and assists (21). . . . He attended training camp with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets on a free-agent tryout deal and ended up signing a three-year deal.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers made some new friends during their recent visit to Kamloops for a game with the Blazers. Check this out right here.
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JUST NOTES: The Tri-City Americans have signed F Justin Spagrud, a third-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. Spagrud, who is from Gull Lake, Sask., has 15 points in 32 games with the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires. He will play for Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax, N.S., Feb. 11-27. . . . F Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs is the CHL’s player of the week. He had 10 points in four games last week. . . . The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed G Alkexander Pechurskiy to a pro tryout contract. Pechurskiy, 20, started this season with the Tri-City Americans but lost out in the 20-year-old numbers game. He has played in 21 games with the Central league’s, going 10-8-0, 2.74, .898. A Russian, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round of the NHL’s 2008 draft.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Regina, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed as they beat the Pats, 4-3. . . . F Tyler Pitlick, with his 20^th, and F Linden Vey, with No. 32, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. . . . The Pats weren’t able to get back even, despite getting a goal, his 22^nd, and two assists from F Jordan Weal. . . . F Garrett Mitchell also had a goal and two helpers for Regina. . . . Vey also had an assist and now leads the WHL with 81 points, two more than Spokane Chiefs F Tyler Johnson. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk had a goal and two assists for the Tigers, who got 30 saves from G Tyler Bunz. . . . Attendance was 4,998. . . .
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In Swift Current, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 53 shots to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-3 victory over the Broncos. . . . The home side outshot the visitors 20-9 in the first period and 22-6 in the third. . . . Moose Jaw F Cody Beach, in his return after a six-game concussion-related absence, got the game’s first goal, his ninth, at 3:55 of the first period on a PP. . . . F Antonin Honejsek upped the lead to 2-0 with his 21^st just five minutes later. . . . The Broncos weren’t able to catch up. . . . F Quinton Howden got his 28^th for Moose Jaw, while F Dylan Hood got No. 21. . . . F Taylor Vause had a goal and an assist for the Broncos. . . . F Sebastian Svendsen and D Dylan Bowman each had two assists for the Warriors. . . . Moose Jaw was 2-for-6 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 2,212. . . . “(Heemsker) played well,” Moose Jaw head coach Dave Hunchak told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “We’ve been challenging our guys to start getting playoff ready mentally here and to play a certain way. If there’s one guy that’s already there, it’s Thomas Heemskerk. He made big saves when we needed them and he was a calming influence and he controlled the pace of play. There’s no question we gave up shots, but we didn’t give up 56 shots.” . . .
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In Calgary, Saskatoon’s Lorne Molleken earned the 499^th victory of his head-coaching career as the Blades beat the Hitmen, 8-4. . . . Molleken’s first chance to become the fifth coach in WHL history to get to 500 victories comes tonight in Edmonton against the Oil Kings. He also has coached the Moose Jaw Warriors and Regina Pats. . . . The Blades led this one 4-0 by 12:43 of the second period and took a 6-1 lead into the third period. . . . F Jake Trask scored twice for Saskatoon -- he’s got 13 -- and added an assist. F Curtis Hamilton had a goal and two assists, and F Brayden Schenn, the third member of the line, scored his first goal for the Blades and set up another. . . . D Stefan Elliott also had a goal and two assists for Saskatoon. . . . F Cody Sylvester had two goals for Calgary, which got two assists from F Brooks Macek. . . . Saskatoon was 3-for-6 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 7,820. . . .
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In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes opened up a 3-0 lead and went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. . . . F Michael Sofillas, with his second, F Austin Fyten, with No. 19, and F Max Ross, with his 12^th, scored first-period goals for Lethbridge. . . . F Shayne Wiebe got Brandon to within one with a pair of second-period goals, both of which were shorthanded. Wiebe has 26 goals. . . . F Russell Maxwell restored Lethbridge’s two-goal lead at 12:39 of the third on a PP. . . . F Scott Glennie got Brandon back to within one at 17:04, with his 21^st. . . . Lethbridge G Dylan Tait stopped 29 shots, seven fewer than Brandon’s Liam Liston. . . . Lethbridge D Mike Reddington had two assists. . . . Attendance was 2,748. . . . G Tyson Sexsmith, the WHL’s career record-holder in shutouts (26), is joining the AHL’s Worcester Sharks. Sexsmith hasn’t played since Nov. 7 when he was with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. He has been on injured reserve since then, and now has been recalled by Worcester. Sexsmith, who played for the Vancouver Giants, was a third-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in the NHL’s 2007 draft.