Showing posts with label Dorrin Luding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorrin Luding. Show all posts

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Ferguson writing great story . . . Silvertips make moves . . . Patrick's return is nigh


F Björn Svensson (Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, 2003-06) has been released by Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL). He had three goals and three assists in 31 games.
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 Dylan Ferguson hasn’t received a lot of attention during a WHL career that is in its second season.
But he has written one of the 2016-17 regular-season’s best stories over the past month.
Ferguson, an 18-year-old from Lantzville, B.C., is expected to make his 14th consecutive start for the
DYLAN FERGUSON
Kamloops Blazers tonight (Friday) when they entertain the Everett Silvertips. With starter Connor Ingram enjoying some downtime after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, Ferguson also is expected to start Saturday against the visiting Vancouver Giants.
Last season, Ferguson had 11 starts among his 16 appearances as he went 4-10-0, 4.13, .875.
This season, before Ingram left to join Team Canada, Ferguson had started only six games and hadn’t played at all between Nov. 18 and Dec. 10. Prior to this stretch, Ferguson had never started more than two games in a row.
Kamloops head coach Don Hay admits that the Blazers really didn’t know what they had in Ferguson before Ingram left. Ferguson began his run with six straight starts on a pre-Christmas swing through the Central Division.
“We were all wondering how he would respond with the opportunity, and I don’t think anybody thought the response would be what he’s done and where it’s at,” Hay said. “It’s really nice to see because he’s worked so hard behind Connor and competed so hard in practice. When (Ferguson) got his opportunity he’s gotten better and better.”
The Blazers went 4-1-1 on that road trip as Ferguson allowed only 14 goals. That was enough to bring out the NHL scouts when play resumed after Christmas, and the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Ferguson hasn’t disappointed.
Since Christmas, he is 4-2-1. Overall, he is 11-6-2, 2.74, .922.
He also has backstopped the Blazers into the heart of the B.C. Division race. The Blazers (25-15-3) are tied for second with the Kelowna Rockets (25-15-3), with both teams seven points behind the Prince George Cougars (29-12-2), but just three games back in the loss column.
Not bad for an eight-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft.
So . . . how will Hay handle the goaltending situation when Ingram returns next week?
“Connor is No. 1 and Dylan is No. 2,” Hay said. “But we’ll definitely get some more (time for Ferguson) . . . we’ll pick some games and they’re both going to play.”
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The Everett Silvertips made two roster moves on Thursday, returning D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, to the B.C. Major Midget League’s Vancouver Northwest Giants and G Dorrin Luding to that league’s Valley
West Hawks.
Fairbrother, a fourth-round pick in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, is pointless in three games with the Silvertips this season.
Luding made the last five saves in a 5-0 shutout over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday night. He made his WHL debut with 7:24 left in the third period and ended up sharing the shutout with Mario Petit.
The two moves would seem to indicate that D Noah Juulsen and G Carter Hart are back with the Silvertips for the first time since playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship.
The Silvertips, who also were without D Aaron Irving and D Lucas Skrumeda on Wednesday, are scheduled to visit the Kamloops Blazers tonight (Friday). No, the game won’t feature Hart against his Team Canada goaltending partner, Connor Ingram. That’s because Ingram was given the week off and has been at home in Imperial, Sask.
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D Chaz Reddekopp had an 11-game point streak snapped on Wednesday when his Victoria Royals dropped a 4-3 decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets. Still he set a franchise record for longest point steak by a defenceman, breaking the mark of eight games that had been shared by Travis Brown (Victoria, 2015-16) and Brandon Manning (Chilliwack Bruins, 2010-11). You will recall that the Royals once were the Bruins, right? . . . The Rockets and Royals meet again tonight in Victoria.
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F Tyler Ho is set to make his WHL debut tonight as the Vancouver Giants play host to the Moose Jaw Warriors at the Langley, B.C., Events Centre. . . . Ho, 16, was acquired from the Prince George Cougars in a deadline deal that had F Radovan Bondra go north. . . . Ho, from North Vancouver, was a third-round pick by the Cougars in the 2015 bantam draft after putting up 87 points, including 30 goals, in 64 games with the North Shore Winter Club’s top bantam team. . . . This season, he has 35 points, 14 of them goals, in 26 games with the major midget Valley West Hawks.
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F Nolan Patrick, the consensus No. 1 pick for the NHL’s 2017 draft, is scheduled to return to the Brandon Wheat Kings’ lineup tonight for the first time since Oct. 11.
NOLAN PATRICK
Patrick has played only six games this season, and has nine points, including four goals. He has maintained that No. 1 position because of what he accomplished in his first two WHL seasons.
The son of former WHL/NHL F Steve Patrick, and the nephew of former NHL D James Patrick, Nolan had 56 points, including 30 goals, as a freshman in 2014-15. Last season, he put up 102 points, 41 of them goals, in 72 games. He then added 30 points, including 13 goals, in 21 games as the Wheat Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Patrick was named the WHL’s playoff MVP.
However, he was injured during the playoffs and, although he played through the final game, he underwent surgery in July for a sports hernia. He missed training camp but started the season, only to be shut down shortly thereafter.
The Wheat Kings have never explained why Patrick hasn’t played. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported this week that Patrick “had to shut it down when his other groin started to bother him.”
The Wheat Kings (20-17-4) go into this weekend in fourth place in the East Division, 11 points behind the third-place Swift Current Broncos. Brandon holds down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot, four points ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Brandon is at home to the Kootenay Ice tonight and Saturday.
The Wheat Kings likely will be without F Reid Duke, at least for the first game of the doubleheader. Duke was tossed from Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Tri-City Americans with a kneeing major and game misconduct.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Everett at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Regina, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Kelowna at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:24 PM
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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Nanaimo closing in on WHL franchise? ... Americans 4-0 on east swing ... Steenbergen shows off six-pack


Debrecen (Hungary, MOL Liga) has signed F Jesse Schultz (Tri-City, Prince Albert, Kelowna, 1999-2003) and D Jesse Dudas (Lethbridge, Prince George, Swift Current, Regina, 2003-09) to contracts for the rest of the season. . . . This season, with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite), Schultz had eight goals and 11 assists in 23 games. He was released on Dec. 30. . . . Dudas had been with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga), but was injured in the only game he played, a Champions League match in which he scored a goal. He was released on Nov. 28.
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 The Kootenay Ice moving to Nanaimo? An expansion franchise? What will it be? Who knows, but it seems that talks are ongoing . . .
According to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, the City of Nanaimo and the WHL are involved in talks that could lead to a franchise landing in the Vancouver Island City.
Tamara Cummingham of the News Bulletin reports that, according to city staff, “negotiations” between the WHL and the city “leading to a memorandum of understanding for one of its teams (are) underway.”
Nanaimo has yet to hold a referendum on an $86.6-million event centre, something that likely will happen in March.
Despite that, Cunningham reports, the city has “hired a legal advisor, financial advisor and put out requests for qualifications for architects, project management and an operations manager.”
Cunningham’s story is right here.
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You may have read here yesterday that the Red Deer Rebels had dropped veteran F Matt Campese, 19, and that he was returning to the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. It turns out that Campese, who has a goal and an assist with the Rebels, will stay in Red Deer for the remainder of this season.
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A number of players who weren’t involved in deals at Tuesday’s WHL trade deadline are on the move. Here’s a look . . .
F Dakota Odgers, 20, has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. He was released by the Moose Jaw Warriors at the trade deadline. . . .
D Zach Wytinck, 17, has moved from the Brandon Wheat Kings to the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, while F Garrett Armour, 19, will play for the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. . . .
D Ethan King, 17, who had been with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been added to the roster of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound King is from Vernon, B.C. . . .
F Ethan O’Rourke, 17, has moved from the Prince George Cougars to the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. He is the son of Cougars’ associate coach Steve O’Rourke. . . .
The Regina Pats have brought in F Duncan Pierce, 16, from the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers, while dropping D Riley Bruce, 17, from their roster. Bruce is headed for the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons. Bruce had a goal and two assists in 18 games with the Pats. . . . Pierce has 10 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with the Thrashers. His arrival leaves the Pats with 13 forwards, to go with three goaltenders — Jordan Hollett is injured — and seven defencemen.
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The Vancouver Giants, fresh off an Alberta swing and having traded away F Radovan Bondra, F Thomas Foster and D Dmitry Osipov, are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday night. . . . Postmedia’s Steve Ewen reports that F Tyler Benson, who has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, skated Wednesday in a non-contact sweater, as did F Dawson Holt and F Johnny Wesley. . . . D Darian Skeoch, who has been out with an ankle injury, took part in the full practice so should play Friday.
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The Portland Winterhawks have rescheduled a pair of games that were postponed by inclement weather over the weekend. . . . The game with the Kamloops Blazers that was to have been played on Sunday now is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., at the Moda Center. . . . The game with the Everett Silvertips that was to have been played on Saturday has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m., at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
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The WHL hasn’t seen a sniper like Brian Propp since, well, Brian Propp. No one could score like Propp when he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the late 1970s, and he went on to an NHL career in which he totalled 1,004 points in 1,016 games. . . . Propp suffered a stroke more than a year ago, but has recovered to the point where he will be playing in a Philadelphia Flyers alumni game on Saturday. Adam Kimelman of nhl.com has more right here on Propp’s remarkable recovery and how he’s helping others.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, F Jordan Topping scored the game’s last three goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the
JORDAN TOPPING
Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-0 lead on goals from F Ty Lewis (22), at 1:43 of the first period, and F Baron Thompson (2), 38 seconds into the second period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon got the Americans on the scoreboard, with his seventh goal, at 4:25 of the second. . . . F Parker AuCoin pulled Tri-City even with his 15th goal, his third shorthanded, at 9:21. . . . Topping, who has nine goals, gave the Americans the lead at 12:22, then added insurance at 5:17 and 19:44 of the third. His second goal came via a PP and the third was an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie, who is from nearby Strathclair, Man., drew four assists and you can bet that his father, Craig, a former WHLer (Brandon, Spokane, 1991-94), was in attendance. . . . The Americans also got three assists from F Tyler Sandhu. . . . Geekie and Sandhu drew the assists on all three of Topping’s goals. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 29 shots for the victory, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson also blocked 29. . . . The Americans were 1-5 on the PP; the Wheat Kings were 0-5. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Reid Duke with a kneeing major and game misconduct at 2:41 of the third period. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen was scratched for a second straight game. . . . The Americans (26-17-3) have won four in a row, all on an East Division swing. They are second in the U.S. Division, four points behind the Everett Silvertips, who have eight games in hand. . . . The Wheat Kings (20-17-4) had won their previous two games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,233.
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At Edmonton, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored twice before the game was three minutes old and went
ALEC BAER
on to a 7-4 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . F Zak Zborosky, in his first game with the Hurricanes after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice, scored on his first shot on his first, at 1:06 of the first period. . . . He’s got 29 goals. . . . F Jordy Bellerive made it 2-0 at 2:29. . . . Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton changed goaltenders, sending Josh Dechaine in for Patrick Dea at 2:29. . . . The Hurricanes scored off a 2-on-0 break with F Egor Babenko getting his 14th goal at 4:10. . . . The visitors went up 4-0 when F Tyler Wong got No. 29, at 13:41. . . . The Oil Kings made a game of it with three goals in 35 seconds early in the second period. . . . F Ty Gerla scored tgwice, giving him four goals, at 2:58 and 3:06, and D Will Warm added his sixth goal, at 3:33. . . . But the Hurricanes regained control on two goals from F Alec Baer, in his first game since coming over from the Vancouver Giants. He counted at 5:40 and 12:14 of the second period, giving him five goals this season. . . . Bellerive’s second goal of the game, and 19th this season, added more insurance 36 seconds into the third period. . . . Edmonton D Conner McDonald (2) closed out the scoring with his first goal since being acquired last week from the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from each of D Brennan Menell, F Giorgio Estephan and D Igor Merezhko, and one each from Wong, Zborosky and Babenko. . . . F Brett Kemp, who was acquired from the Everett Silvertips, had three assists for Edmonton, with McDonald and Gerla each getting one. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots for Lethbridge. . . . At the other end, Dea gave up three goals on five shots, while Dechaine was beaten five times on 31 shots. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-2. . . . F Matt Alfaro, who came over from the Ice with Zborosky, was scratched with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Oil Kings are without F Riley Stadel, who was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets last week. He is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hurricanes (23-15-5) have won three straight and are a solid second in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (18-21-4) have lost four in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,442.
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At Everett, G Mario Petit and G Dorrin Luding combined for 23 saves in sharing the shutout as the
DORRIN LUDING
Silvertips beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-0. . . . With Carter Hart yet to return to Everett’s lineup after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, Petit started and stopped 18 shots in 52:36. . . . Luding, a 17-year-old from Prince George, came on to make his WHL debut with 7:24 to play and stopped five shots. . . . F Brandson Hein scored his first goal, at 2:40 of the second period, and it stood up as the winner. . . . Hein, an 18-year-old from Winnipeg, scored in his 21st game. . . . F Connor Dewar (6) made it 2-0 at 11:57 of the second period and F Devon Skoleski (6) made it 3-0, while shorthanded, at 5:29 of the third. . . . F Jake Christiansen (3) and F Riley Sutter (13) added goals later in the third period. . . . Everett got two assists from F Bradly Goethals, while Skoleski added an assist to his goal. . . . Silvertips D Kevin Davis recorded one assist to run his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the WHL at this point. . . . Spokane G Dawson Weatherill made 29 stops. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . The Silvertips were without D Aaron Irving and D Lucas Skrumeda. . . . Everett (26-5-7) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is tied for third in the overall standings, two points behind the Regina Pats and one behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Chiefs (17-18-7) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and remain two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,225.
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At Medicine Hat, the Prince George Cougars scored two third-period goals as they beat the Tigers, 4-3. .
JARED BETHUNE
. . F Radovan Bondra, who was acquired Tuesday from the Vancouver Giants, scored his 20th goal to tie the score just 37 seconds into the period. . . . F Jared Bethune broke the tie on a PP, at 7:06. He’s got 12 goals. . . . D Sam Ruopp (3) had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 5:58 of the first period. . . . The Tigers took the lead on goals from F Steve Owre (15), at 10:05 of the first, and F Zach Fischer (23), on a PP, at 8:26 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it when F Jesse Gabrielle scored No. 20, at 9:26. . . . That lasted until 11:50 when F Matt Bradley’s 19th goal gave the home side a 3-2 lead. . . . Gabrielle and Bondra added an assist each, as did Fischer and Owre. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 29 shots in earning his 22nd victory of the season, one more than he put up last season and six fewer than in 2014-15. . . . Tigers G Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL with 26 victories, stopped 27 shots. . . . The Tigers were 1-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-5. . . . D Brendan Guhle was back in the Cougars’ lineup after missing one game due to illness. . . . The Cougars (29-12-2) moved past the Tigers (29-13-1) and into second place in the overall standings, two points behind the idle Regina Pats (27-4-7). . . . The Tigers had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,967.
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At Prince Albert, D Vladislav Yeryomenko scored at 2:11 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 victory
VLADISLAV YERYOMENKO
over the Raiders. . . . It was Yeryomenko’s fourth goal this season. . . . The teams took turns scoring back-to-back goals in this one. . . . F Justyn Gurney (2) and F Andrei Grishakov (5) gave Calgary a 2-0 lead with goals at 9:21 and 11:51 of the first period. . . . The Raiders tied it on second-period goals from F Adam Kadlec (3) and D Kolten Olynek (9). . . . D Brady Reagan (2) gave Calgary a 3-2 lead at 13:22 of the second and F Jakob Stukel made it 4-1 just five seconds into the third period. . . . F Jordy Stallard, who was acquired from the Hitmen at the trade deadline, bot his ninth goal at 8:15 to get the Raiders to within one. . . . F Cavin Leth tied with his 11th goal, at 13:56. . . . F Parker Kelly had two assists for the Raiders, with Kadlec and Olynek getting one each. . . . G Trevor Martin, in his first appearance since joining the Hitmen this week, stopped 25 shots. . . . The Raiders got 27 stops from G Ian Scott. . . . Calgary was 0-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen lost 5-4 in OT to the Blades in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . . Calgary (15-19-6) had lost its previous five games (0-2-3). It is four points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Raiders (8-31-4) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2). . . . Announced attendance: 1,815.
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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored two goals and added four assists to lead the Broncos to an
TYLER STEENBERGEN
8-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Steenbergen has 12 points in his last four games and 21 in his last 10. In that 10-game stretch, he also has three two-point games, a three-pointer and a four-pointer. . . . The teams were tied 2-2 after the first period, but the Broncos took control with four goals in in 2:16 late in the second. . . . Steenbergen, who has 32 goals, scored at 15:14 and 16:41, with F Conner Chaulk getting his fifth goal at 17:20 and F Aleksi Heponiemi scoring No. 14 at 17:30. . . . Steenbergen, an 18-year-old from Sylvan Lake, Alta., has 55 points, including 32 goals, in 43 games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 20 goals and 26 assists in 67 games. His fifth point last night was No. 100 for his career. . . . Swift Current F Glenn Gawdin scored the game’s last two goals — he’s got 15 — and also had two assists, while Heponiemi also had two goals and two assists. Gawdin, Steenbergen and Heponiemi combined for 14 points. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie had two assists, too. . . . F Vince Loschiavo scored his 14th goal and added an assist for the Ice. . . . The Broncos got 24 saves from G Taz Burman, while Kootenay’s Jakob Walter stopped 35 shots. . . . Kootenay was 2-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . Swift Current (24-12-7) has won two in a row and is third in the East Division, two points behind the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Ice (10-25-8) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,647.
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At Victoria, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Royals, 4-3. . . . D Cal
CALVIN THURKAUF
Foote (4) pulled the Rockets into a 3-3 tie with a PP goal, at 14:36 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf broke the tie with his 18th goal, at 15:14 of the third period. . . . F Tomas Soustal had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 12:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev (3) tied it at 2:28 of the second period and F Ryan Peckford (13) gave the home side a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 15:33. . . . F Dillon Dube’s third goal pulled the Rockets into a 2-2 tie at 8:32 of the third period. . . . F Matt Phillips scored No. 27 at 11:59, giving his guys a 3-2 lead. . . . The Rockets got three assists from F Kole Lind, with Dube and Foote adding one each. . . . Bobylev also had two assists for the Royals. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots, 13 fewer than Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse. . . . The Rockets were 1-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-8. . . . Kelowna (25-15-3) has won two in a row and is tied with the idle Kamloops Blazers for second in the B.C. Division. . . . Victoria (22-17-4) has lost two straight and is five points behind Kamloops and Kelowna. . . . The teams will meet in Victoria again on Friday night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,783.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):


No Games Scheduled.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Everett at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Tri-City at Regina, 7 p.m.
Moose Jaw vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Kelowna at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:12 PM
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Monday, December 5, 2016

Patrick off Canada's roster . . . Silvertips add goaltender . . . Want the book on Wheat Kings?


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D Jonathan Harty (Everett, 2004-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2). This season, with Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia, Erste Bank Liga), he had five goals and eight assists in 23 games.
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NOLAN PATRICK
In news that hardly ranks as surprising, Hockey Canada announced Monday night that F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings won’t be taking part in the national junior team’s selection camp that opens Sunday in Blainville, Que.
Patrick, who still is the consensus No. 1 pick for the NHL’s 2017 draft, hasn’t played since Oct. 11 and hasn’t been medically cleared to attend the camp. He underwent sports hernia surgery in July and is believed to have incurred some difficulties relating to that surgery.
According to Hockey Canada, there won’t be a roster replacement for Patrick, who was the WHL’s playoff MVP as he lead the Wheat Kings to the 2016 Ed Chynoweth Cup. Without Patrick, Canada’s selection camp roster will include 18 forwards.
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The Regina Pats could have as many as four players involved in the 2017 World Junior Championship when it opens in Toronto and Montreal on Boxing Day.
F Filip Ahl was named Monday to Team Sweden’s preliminary roster. Ahl and John Dahlstrom of the Medicine Hat Tigers join 13 other forwards selected to the roster.
Last week, the Pats had forwards Sam Steel and Austin Wagner named to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp roster, while D Sergey Zborovskiy is on Team Russia’s preliminary roster.
The tournament runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. The The Pats will return from their Christmas break to play the visiting Brandon on Wheat Kings on Dec. 27. Counting that game, Regina is to play seven games from Dec. 27 through Jan. 7.
Five other players showed up on preliminary rosters on Monday, three of them with Team Denmark.
Lasse Petersen of the Red Deer Rebels is one of six goaltenders on Denmark’s roster. He is joined by forwards Joachim Blichfeld of the Portland Winterhawks and Alexander True of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Denmark’s roster includes 22 forwards.
Juuso Välimäki of the Tri-City Americans is one of 10 defencemen on Team Finland’s preliminary roster.
Caleb Jones of the Portland Winterhawks is one of eight defencemen on Team USA’s preliminary roster. He is the only WHL player on that roster.
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D Juuso Välimäki has left the Tri-City Americans for a couple of days as he has been invited to take part in Independence Day celebrations in Helsinki today (Tuesday). Välimäki was the captain of the Finnish team that won the IIHF’s U-18 world championship in Grand Forks, N.D., in April. . . . Independence Day in Finland celebrates accomplishments of its citizens around the world. About 1,800 guests will join President Sauli Niinistö and his wife, Jenni Haukio, in Helsinki.
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DORRIN LUDING
The Everett Silvertips have acquired G Dorrin Luding, 17, from the Saskatoon Blades for a sixth-round selection in the 2019 bantam draft. From Prince George, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Luding is 4-4-0, 2.93 with the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Saskatoon picked him in the third round of the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Luding has been added to Everett's roster. . . . Everett GM Garry Davidson explained the trade in a news release: “As we’re anticipating Carter Hart’s potential absence with commitments to Hockey Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championship, the move to acquire Dorrin helps address an immediate need for goaltending depth with our current roster, imperative in the oncoming weeks.” . . . Hart could miss as many as 11 games if he makes Team Canada’s roster. With him gone, it would appear that the Silvertips will go with sophomore Mario Petit and Luding. This season, in five appearances, Petit is 4-0-1, 2.45, .916.
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D Brendan Guhle of the Prince George Cougars played his second game in three days with the NHL’s
BRENDAN GUHLE
Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The Sabres dropped a 3-2 OT decision to the Capitals in Washington.
Guhle’s ice time was 16 minutes 48 seconds. He had three hits and four blocked shots, with no shots on goal. The Sabres dressed six defencemen; Guhle had more ice time than two of them.
Guhle only saw five seconds of PP time but head coach Dan Bylsma admits that he may give him a shot on the team’s second PP unit.
Guhle went to Buffalo under emergency recall regulations. The Sabres have four defencemen injured — Zach Bogosian (knee), Josh Gorges (broken foot), Dmitri Kulikov (undisclosed) and Taylor Fedun (undisclosed) — so Prince George shouldn’t hold its breath waiting for Guhle’s return.
The Sabres had D Erik Bergdoerfer up from the AHL’s Rochester Americans and he made his NHL debut, the 11th defenceman dressed by Buffalo this season.
The Sabres are back on the ice tonight (Tuesday) as they play host to the Edmonton Oilers.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings are celebrating their 50th anniversary season in the WHL. In conjunction with that, they are publishing a book: Brandon Wheat Kings — The First 50 Years in the WHL. . . . According to a news release, the 124-page soft cover book provides “a look back at the teams and players of Manitoba’s major junior franchise.” . . . From the news release: “The book, which highlights the club’s history, team and player photos and detailed stats, will go on sale later this week at the BWK Team Store located at the Keystone Centre as well as online at wheatkings.com. . . . Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Wheat Kings’ Education Fund.” . . . The book will set you back $29.99, which includes all taxes.
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The Denver Post reported Monday morning that a coroner has revealed that former Kootenay Ice F Marek Svatos had codeine, morphine and the anti-anxiety medication Xanax in his system when he died on Nov. 5 in Lone Tree, Colo., near Denver. . . . Svatos, a Slovakian, was 34. . . . Tom McGhee of the Post wrote that Svatos “had a history of heroin use and had gone through drug rehabilitation, according to the coroner’s report. He also had suspected depression, prior suicidal ideation, and ‘recent life stressors.’ ” . . . The report also said that there was drug paraphernalia at the scene of Svatos’s death. . . . McGhee’s story is right here.
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Peter King of Sport Illustrated spends more than a few column inches on quarterback Henry Burris and the Grey Cup-champion Ottawa Redblacks in his Monday Morning Quarterback piece. . . . It’s right here.
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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.
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Coaching
AJHLJeff Richards has resigned as general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Calgary Mustangs. According to a news release from the Mustangs, Richards resigned for “personal reasons . . . Later Monday, the Mustangs announced they had signed Tyler Drader as head coach. He had been the head coach of the midget AAA Calgary Northstars. . . . Then the Mustangs went out and beat the visiting Camrose Kodiaks, 2-1, to run their winning streak to two games. They beat the host Grande Prairie Storm, 5-3, on Saturday night. . . . The Mustangs (5-24-1) have the AJHL’s poorest record. . . . Richards stepped in as head coach just over a year ago after the team fired Chad Allen.
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MONDAY’S GAME:


At Edmonton, F Tyler Wong had a goal and two assists to lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 6-4 victory
TYLER WONG
over the Oil Kings. . . . Wong, the team captain, has 19 goals. . . . F Egor Babenko gave Lethbridge a 1-0 lead at 9:43 of the first period. . . . Edmonton F Lane Bauer tied it with his 19th goal, at 9:43. . . . Wong broke the tie at 10:14. . . . The Oil Kings took the lead on goals from F Trey Fix-Wolansky (8), at 6:01 of the second period, and F Tyler Robertson (10), at 7:07. . . . The Hurricanes took control by scoring the next four goals. . . . F Zane Franklin (3) tied it at 16:32 of the second and F Jordy Bellerive (9) broke the tie at 19:40. . . . Babenko, who has eight goals, stretched the lead, on a PP, at 2:13 of the third period, with F Giorgio Estephan (16) giving the visitors a 6-3 lead at 11:07. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving (9) closed out the scoring at 16:23. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from F Ryley Lindgren. . . . Wong has 13 points, including six goals, over his past five games. He has 34 points in 26 games. . . . F Davis Koch had two assists for the Oil Kings and Fix-Wolansky had one. . . . Lethbridge got 26 saves from G Stuart Skinner, while Patrick Dea stopped 22 for Edmonton. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-5 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-5. . . . The Hurricanes (14-11-4) have points in eight straight (7-0-1) and have moved into a tie with the Red Deer Rebels (14-12-4) for second place in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (13-14-2) had a three-game winning streak snapped. They are four points behind Lethbridge and Edmonton. . . . Announced attendance: 5,067.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Regina vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C., 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Calgary at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
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TEDDY BEAR, TOQUE AND MITTEN TOSS GAMES:

Friday, Dec. 9: Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Swift Current at Regina, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9: Kootenay at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Prince Albert at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kamloops at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Kelowna at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Calgary at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Seattle at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10: Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Saskatoon at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 16: Portland vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Brandon at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17: Vancouver at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21: Vancouver vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Nov. 26: D Micheal Zipp, 19:47 1st period, Lethbridge 4 at Calgary 2.
Dec. 2: D Artyom Minulin, 13:24 1st period, Calgary 1 at Swift Current 5.
Dec. 2: F Jordy Bellerive, 14:00 1st period, Red Deer 3 at Lethbridge 5.
Dec. 3: F Adam Musil, 14:27 1st period, Lethbridge 2 at Red Deer 3 (OT).
Dec. 3: D Ondrej Vala, 10:38 1st period, Vancouver 2 at Kamloops 5.
Dec. 3: F Nick Merkley, 6:54 2nd period, Brandon 1 at Kelowna 3.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:25 PM
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Seattle, Lethbridge, Saskatoon settle on goaltenders . . . Shaw TV releases schedule . . . Royals sign ex-'Tips forward

D Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-20) has been released by Katowice (Poland, PHL) by mutual agreement. He was pointless in three games. 
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Barring further transactions, the Seattle Thunderbirds will open the season with Rylan Toth and Carl Stankowski as their goaltenders. They traded G Ryan Gilchrist to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Tuesday, getting back a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft. . . . Toth, 20, was acquired from the Red Deer Rebels on Friday for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Stankowski, a 16-year-old Calgarian, was a second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. In 2014-15, he played with the bantam AAA Calgary Flames. He then moved to California with his family and spent last season with the U-16 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, going 1.87 and .935 in 16 games. . . . Gilchrist, 18, is from McLaughlin, Alta. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder played last season with the AJHL’s Canmore Eagles, going 3.77 and .888. . . . With Lethbridge, it is expected that Gilchrist will back up veteran Stuart Skinner. . . . The Hurricanes made room for Gilchrist by releasing G Brandon Kegler, who will turn 19 on Dec. 4. Kegler, a fourth-round pick by the Saskatoon Blades in the 2012 bantam draft, played last season with the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
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WHL on ShawThe WHL and Shaw TV have released a 36-game telecast schedule for the first half of the regular season. Shaw TV’s 13th season with the WHL begins Friday night with the Everett Silvertips visiting the Vancouver (Langley?) Giants. This will be the only Shaw TV appearance by an American team in the first-half of the season. The game, the Giants’ first regular-season game in their new home, the Langley Events Centre, also will feature a salute to the late Gordie Howe, who was one of Vancouver’s co-owners. . . . The game out of Langley will feature Peter Loubardias calling the play and Bill Wilms as his sidekick. . . . Shaw also will show Sunday’s game from Saskatoon as the Blades entertain the Swift Current Broncos on ‘Thank You, Mr Hockey Day.’ Prior to the game, the ashes of Gordie and his wife, Colleen, will be interred at the base of a statue of Howe just outside the SaskTel Centre. . . . On Sunday from Saskatoon, you get Wray Morrison and Jeff Odgers in the booth. . . . A 19-game telecast schedule for the season’s second half will be revealed in December. . . . Shaw TV also confirmed that it again will televise one series in each of the four rounds of playoffs. . . . The first-half telecast schedule is right here.
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The Saskatoon Blades have dropped G Dorrin Luding, 17, from their roster, meaning they will open the season with Logan Flodell, 19, and Brock Hamm, 19, as their goaltenders. . . . Luding, who is from Prince George, was a third-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. He is expected to return to the major midget Cariboo Cougars or join a BCHL team. . . . Darren Zary in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix points out that Flodell and Hamm once were teammates on a spring team, the Saskatoon Jr. Blades, during their minor hockey days. Zary also points out that when in goal Flodell catches with his right hand. But when he’s playing baseball Flodell catches with his left hand. Flodell said his dad tried to teach him to use his left hand to catch while in goal “but I was a forward and I played right-handed. I’ve only been a goalie for 10 or 11 years now.” . . . Zary’s story is right here. . . . BTW, if it isn’t already, Flodell’s nickname while in Saskatoon should be Eggs. Right?
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JUST NOTES:

The Victoria Royals have signed F Gunnar Wegleitner, 18, to a WHL contract. He was placed on the team’s protected list earlier this month after he showed well at training camp. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Vancouverite had a goal and two assists in six exhibition games. . . . Last season, he had a goal and an assist in 14 games with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. In 2014-15, he had one goal in 43 games with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. . . .
The Regina Pats are down to 28 players after dropping F Riley Krane, 16, from their roster. He is expected to play for the major midget Caribou Cougars, who are based in Prince George. Krane, from Dawson Creek, B.C., was an eighth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. 
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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TUESDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.
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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.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:54 PM
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Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Warriors, Thunderbirds make deal . . . Struch signs with Pats

A sendoff to Robin Williams, from Mark Knight, an editorial cartoonist
with the Melbourne (Australia) Herald Sun. Knight posted it on his
Twitter account (@Knightcartoons).

If you haven’t already seen it, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press spent some time Tuesday with the family of Ethan Williams, a young hockey player who committed suicide on July 29.
MacIntyre’s story is right here.
The Williams family wanted their son’s story to be out there in the hopes that it might help prevent such tragedies in the future.
Ethan, who would have been 17 on Aug. 22, was a fifth-round selection by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. He played last season with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. He was to have attended the Warriors’ training camp later this month.
One thing the family told McIntyre is that Ethan had had eight diagnosed concussions during his career. Understandably, Ethan’s family wonders whether those injuries can be connected to his depression.
Sheryl Ubelacker of The Canadian Press writes: “Teenagers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury such as a concussion have a significantly higher risk of attempting suicide, being bullied and seeking help for mental-health issues from crisis help lines, a study has found.”
Ubelacker’s story, which was written in April, is right here.
As research into brain injuries progresses, there are more and more such studies and stories out there.
Unfortunately, the issues of concussion- and mental health-awareness aren’t going to go away.
The death of actor/comedian Robin Williams on Tuesday has shone a light of unprecedented brightness on mental illness. The reaction on social media has been nothing short of amazing, and is likely to provide one more push that will help remove the stigma that rides on the shoulder of someone with such an illness.
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Meanwhile, Shannon Sampert, the Free Press’ politics and perspectives editor, writes right here about suicide and the media’s responsibilities in reporting it.
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One day after losing D Cole Wedman as a 20-year-old, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired F Jaimen Yakubowski, 20, from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Warriors also got a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft, while surrendering a 2016 third-round selection.
Yakubowski had 19 points, nine of them goals, in 47 games with the Thunderbirds last season. He was acquired on Oct. 24, along with F Sam McKechnie from the Lethbridge Hurricanes for F Carter Folk, F Riley Sheen and a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft.
Yakubowski, a native of Dalmeny, Sask., was used in more of a checking role in Seattle, so the Warriors are hoping he can recapture his scoring touch from 2012-13 when he had 50 points, 32 of them goals, in 66 games with Lethbridge. In 145 games with the Hurricanes, he had 79 points, including 49 goals. (Dalmeny is a few slapshots north of Saskatoon.)
The Warriors now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, all of them forwards. The others are Scott Cooke, Tanner Eberle and Jack Rodewald.
The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, still have six 20-year-olds on their roster -- G Taran Kozun, D Adam Henry, D Evan Wardley, F Justin Hickman, F Connor Honey and McKechnie.
Seattle GM Russ Farwell isn’t likely to take six 20-year-olds to camp next week, so don’t be surprised if there is another move or two in the next few days.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors will add F Reed Low and D Scott Schoneck into the Conexus Warriors and Legends Hall of Fame as players this season, while the late Doug Hetherington will be inducted as a builder. . . . Low, from Moose Jaw, played two seasons (1995-97) with the Warriors, putting up 46 points and 449 penalty minutes in 123 games. He later played 256 NHL games, 250 of them with the St. Louis Blues, who selected him in the seventh round of the 1996 draft. He is retired and lives in St. Louis, where he works for Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers. Low also coaches minor hockey and conducts private lessons. . . . Schoneck, from Abbey, Sask., spent five seasons with the Warriors (1995-2000), putting up 209 points, including 53 goals, in 283 regular-season games. He is the Warriors’ all-time leading point-getter among defencemen. He later spent five years at the U of Saskatchewan, where he played for the Huskies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in business economics. He now is a national account manager in Western Canada for PepsiCo Foods Canada. . . . Hetherington was on the Warriors’ board of directors (2004-11), serving as alternate governor. He also was an original member of the Multiplex Builders Group. He died on Jan. 16, 2011. . . . The Hall of Fame weekend is scheduled for Nov. 28 and 29, with the induction ceremony on Friday and the Hall of Fame game, versus the Saskatoon Blades, on Saturday.
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The Saskatoon Blades have signed G Dorrin Luding, the 66th overall selection in the WHL’s 2014 bantam draft. Luding, from North Vancouver, played last season at North Shore Winter Club, going 34-3-1 with 18 shutouts. He finished with a 0.966 GAA and a .934 save percentage in 38 games. He helped NSWC win the Western Canadian bantam championship. . . . The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Luding is expected to play this season with the major midget Cariboo Cougars, who play out of Prince George.
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F Derek Hulak (Regina, Saskatoon, 2006-10) finished up last season with the Texas Stars, who won the Calder Cup as AHL champions. It was his turn with the trophy on Wednesday and he had it in his hometown of Saskatoon. Yes, he took it by Credit Union Centre, where he had played with the Blades, and Rutherford Rink, where he played with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. But he also took it to one other special place. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a wonderful story right here.
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With the summer collegiate baseball regular season having wrapped up, it’s worth noting that the Victoria HarbourCats, in just their second season of existence, have made their way into the top 50 of Baseball Business’ annual Summer Collegiate average attendance rankings. . . . The Madison Mallards (Northwoods League) are No. 1, at 6,139, followed by the LaCrosse Loggers (Northwoods), at 3,150, and the Elmira Pioneers (Perfect Game League), at 3,020. The Okotoks Dawgs (Western Major Baseball League) moved up one spot to No. 4, at 2,827. . . . The HarbourCats are No. 28, at 1,576, having led the West Coast League in attendance. Jim Swanson, the former sports editor of the Prince George Citizen, is the HarbourCats’ general manager. . . . Victoria drew 42,563 fans to 27 home games. . . . The HarbourCats finished 25-29, a three-game improvement over last season, but didn’t make the playoffs. . . . The top 50 is right here.
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Ask someone about the best TV show ever and you will get any number of answers. Ask me and the answer will be The Wire.
Click right here and you will be taken to a piece by David Simon, who hadn’t yet
created The Wire when he had an encounter with Robin Williams.
Yes, there are all kinds of pieces out there right now describing meetings with Williams. But without this encounter in a Baltimore morgue, The Wire may never have happened.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Regina Pats announced Wednesday that they have signed Dave Struch as an assistant coach to work alongside John Paddock, the club’s new senior vice-president of hockey operations and head coach. . . . Struch spent the last eight seasons with the Saskatoon Blades, seven as an assistant coach and last season as head coach. The Blades went through an ownership change as the 2013-14 season began and Struch wasn’t re-signed after the season ended. . . . Contract details weren’t announced, but Taking Note has been told that Struch got a four-year deal.
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AJHLMike Brodeur has signed on with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons as their video and goaltending coach. . . . Brodeur, 31, is from Calgary. He played 41 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors in 2003-04, before going on to a pro career that ended after the 2012-13 season. . . . In Fort McMurray, he will work alongside GM/head coach Curtis Hunt, who was the Warriors’ head coach in 2003-04 so is quite familiar with Brodeur. . . . The Oil Barons open camp on Aug. 15.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 11:36 PM
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